away Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. adjective satellite not present; having left
    • he's away right now
    • you must not allow a stranger into the house when your mother is away
  2. adjective used of an opponent's ground
    • an away game
  3. adjective satellite (of a baseball pitch) on the far side of home plate from the batter
    outside.
    • the pitch was away (or wide)
    • an outside pitch
  4. adverb from a particular thing or place or position (`forth' is obsolete)
    forth; off.
    • ran away from the lion
    • wanted to get away from there
    • sent the children away to boarding school
    • the teacher waved the children away from the dead animal
    • went off to school
    • they drove off
    • go forth and preach
  5. adverb from one's possession
    out.
    • he gave out money to the poor
    • gave away the tickets
  6. adverb out of the way (especially away from one's thoughts)
    aside.
    • brush the objections aside
    • pushed all doubts away
  7. adverb out of existence
    • the music faded away
    • tried to explain away the affair of the letter"- H.E.Scudder
    • idled the hours away
    • her fingernails were worn away
  8. adverb at a distance in space or time
    off.
    • the boat was 5 miles off (or away)
    • the party is still 2 weeks off (or away)
    • away back in the 18th century
  9. adverb indicating continuing action; continuously or steadily
    • he worked away at the project for more than a year
    • the child kept hammering away as if his life depended on it
  10. adverb so as to be removed or gotten rid of
    • cleared the mess away
    • the rotted wood had to be cut away
  11. adverb freely or at will
    • fire away!
  12. adverb in or into a proper place (especially for storage or safekeeping)
    • put the toys away
    • her jewels are locked away in a safe
    • filed the letter away
  13. adverb in a different direction
    aside.
    • turn aside
    • turn away one's face
    • glanced away
  14. adverb in reserve; not for immediate use
    aside; by.
    • started setting aside money to buy a car
    • put something by for her old age
    • has a nest egg tucked away for a rainy day

WordNet

A*way" adverb
Etymology
AS. aweg, anweg, onweg; on on + weg way.
Definitions
  1. From a place; hence.
    The sound is going away. Shak.
    Have me away, for I am sore wounded. 2 Chron. xxxv. 23.
  2. Absent; gone; at a distance; as, the master is away from home.
  3. Aside; off; in another direction.
    The axis of rotation is inclined away from the sun. Lockyer.
  4. From a state or condition of being; out of existence.
    Be near me when I fade away. Tennyson.
  5. By ellipsis of the verb, equivalent to an imperative: Go or come ~; begone; take ~.
    And the Lord said . . . Away, get thee down. Exod. xix. 24.
  6. On; in continuance; without intermission or delay; as, sing away. Colloq. ✍ It is much used in phrases signifying moving or going from; as, go away, run away, etc.; all signifying departure, or separation to a distance. Sometimes without the verb; as, whither away so fast ? "Love hath wings, and will away." Waller. It serves to modify the sense of certain verbs by adding that of removal, loss, parting with, etc.; as, to throw away; to trifle away; to squander away, etc. Sometimes it has merely an intensive force; as, to blaze away.

Webster 1913