pathway

noun

Etymology: From Middle English pathwei, equivalent to path + way. Cognate with German Pfadweg, Afrikaans padweg.

1. A footpath or other path or track.

   “follow the pathway”

   “go down the pathway”

2. A sequence of biochemical compounds, and the reactions linking them, that describe a process in metabolism or catabolism.

   “On the other hand, it can be observed that, with small exceptions, the S. pneumonia strains are the only Streptococci equipped with homospermidine biosynthesis and pyruvate oxidation pathways, which have been found to be involved in pathogenicity mechanisms [50 ] and in the counteraction of oxidative stress [51 ].”

3. A course of action.

   “the pathway to success”

   “Similarly, although both clinical pathway and case management programmes seek to improve system efficiency, critical pathways concentrate on high-volume conditions with high costs in which care is generally patternable […]”