Immediately; right away; or a straight section of a racetrack.
Compound word from 'straight' (from Old English 'streht') and 'away' (from Old English 'aweg'). First used as an adverb in the 1600s meaning 'at once,' and later adopted for the racing sense.
A straightaway works as both a time word and a place word—when you go 'straightaway,' you go in a straight line without delay, and on a racetrack, the straightaway is where cars finally get to go full speed without turning. The word works perfectly for both meanings!
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