(a) A narrow passageway or route across land; a track worn by the feet of travellers or animals as opposed to an established road; a footpath, lane, by-way; also, a clear pathway hewn through enemy troops in battle [quot.: (a1420)]; (b) walking ~, a footpath; ~ wei, a path; beste ~, an animal trail; (c) fig. an action; a course of conduct, mode of behavior, way of life; also, a mode of thought, line of reasoning or belief; ~ of pes (resoun, rightwisnesse, vertu, etc.); ~ of lif, life; (d) a course over water; pathes of the se, lines of passage through or over the ocean; hevenli pathes, the pursuit of astronomy; whit ~ of heven, the Milky Way; (e) anat. an interior channel for nerves, muscles, veins, etc.; med. ~ of crise, ?the progress of a disease towards its turning point or crisis.

(a) In surnames; (b) in place names [see Smith, PNElem.2.58].