noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'
A smaller road branching off from a main road; often used literally.
When we turned off the main street onto a side road, it suddenly became quiet.
noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'
digression; tangent
Figurative use: straying from the main topic in a conversation or argument.
The conversation went off on a tangent.
わき道 is any road leading off to the side, while 横道 more specifically suggests a street branching off at an angle from a main road.
Standard kanji spelling.
Mixed kana-kanji spelling, common in everyday writing.
Search-only kanji form; not commonly used.
Rarely used kanji form.
Compound of 脇 (waki, 'side') + 道 (michi, 'road'). The figurative sense developed naturally from the literal meaning.