expressway vs highway

expressway

noun
  • A road built to freeway standards. 

  • A divided highway, especially one whose intersections and direct access to adjacent properties have been eliminated. 

  • A road built for high speed traffic, but not up to motorway standards or designated a motorway. 

highway

noun
  • Any public road for vehicular traffic. 

  • A way; a path that leads to a certain destiny 

  • A main public road, especially a multi-lane, high-speed thoroughfare. 

  • A road that is higher than the surrounding land and has drainage ditches at the sides 

  • Synonym of bus (“common connection for two or more circuits or components”) 

verb
  • To travel on a highway 

How often have the words expressway and highway occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )