noun
Beltway
BEHLT-way
noun
1
A highway that loops around a city.
"Rush-hour traffic on the beltway added an hour to the drive."
2
In US politics, shorthand for the Washington, D.C. political establishment, often implying insularity.
"The proposal was dismissed by beltway insiders as unworkable."
How to Use Beltway
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishLiterally a ring road around a city; figuratively, the closed world of Washington politics.
Common pairings
inside the beltway
beltway politics
Word Forms
more Beltway comparative, beltways plural, most Beltway superlative
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Rush-hour traffic on the _____ added an hour to the drive.
Etymology
From "belt" (something that encircles) plus "way," originally describing the ring road around Washington, D.C.