A side road or path that is not the main route; a minor or indirect way of getting somewhere.
From 'by' (beside, secondary) + 'path,' this compound word emerged in Middle English to describe the small footpaths and side routes that existed alongside main roads.
Tolkien loved using 'bypath' in his writing—it perfectly captures the feeling of sneaking through hidden routes in Middle-earth, and the word itself feels like it has centuries of forest adventure built into it!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.