

[wing] Pronunciation Key | 1. | either of the two forelimbs of most birds and of bats, corresponding to the human arms, that are specialized for flight. |
| 2. | either of two corresponding parts in flightless birds, which may be rudimentary, as in certain ratite birds, or adapted for swimming, as in penguins. |
| 3. | one of the paired, thin, lateral extensions of the body wall of an insect, located on the mesothorax and the metathorax, by means of which it flies. |
| 4. | a similar structure with which gods, angels, demons, etc., are conceived to be provided for the purpose of flying. |
| 5. | Slang. an arm of a human being, esp. a baseball player's pitching or throwing arm. |
| 6. | a means or instrument of flight, travel, or progress. |
| 7. | the act or manner of flying. |
| 8. | something resembling or likened to a bird's wing, as a vane or sail of a windmill. |
| 9. | Aeronautics.
|
| 10. | Architecture. a part of a building projecting on one side of, or subordinate to, a central or main part. |
| 11. | Furniture. either of two forward extensions of the sides of the back of an easy chair. |
| 12. | either of the two side portions of an army or fleet, usually called right wing and left wing, and distinguished from the center; flank units. |
| 13. | an administrative and tactical unit of the U.S. Air Force consisting of two or more groups, headquarters, and certain supporting and service units. |
| 14. | (in flight formation) noting a position to the side and just to the rear of another airplane. |
| 15. | Fortification. either of the longer sides of a crownwork, uniting it to the main work. |
| 16. | Sports. (in some team games) any one of the positions, or a player in such a position, on the far side of the center position, known as the left and right wings with reference to the direction of the opposite goal. |
| 17. | Theater.
|
| 18. | Anatomy. an ala: the wings of the sphenoid. |
| 19. | Botany.
|
| 20. | either of the parts of a double door, screen, etc. |
| 21. | the feather of an arrow. |
| 22. | a faction within a political party, as at one extreme or the other: conflict between the right wing and the left wing. |
| 23. | Nautical. one of the far side areas of the hold of a merchant vessel. |
| 24. | British. a fender of an automobile, truck, bicycle, or other vehicle. |
| 25. | to equip with wings. |
| 26. | to enable to fly, move rapidly, etc.; lend speed or celerity to. |
| 27. | to supply with a winglike part, a side structure, etc. |
| 28. | to transport on or as on wings. |
| 29. | to perform or accomplish by wings. |
| 30. | to traverse in flight. |
| 31. | to wound or disable in the wing: to wing a bird. |
| 32. | to wound (a person) in an arm or other nonvital part. |
| 33. | to bring down (as a flying bird) by a shot. |
| 34. | Informal. to throw; lob: He winged a ball through the neighbor's window. |
| 35. | to brush or clean with a wing. |
| 36. | Theater. to perform (a part, role, etc.) relying on prompters in the wings. |
| 37. | to travel on or as if on wings; fly; soar: They are winging to the coast. |
| 38. | on the wing,
|
| 39. | take wing,
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| 40. | under one's wing, under one's protection, care, or patronage: She took the orphan under her wing. |
| 41. | wing it, Informal. to accomplish or execute something without sufficient preparation or experience; improvise: He had no time to study, so he had to wing it. |
] Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
| wing
(wĭng) Pronunciation Key
n.
v. winged, wing·ing, wings v. intr. To move on or as if on wings; fly. v. tr.
[Middle English wenge, winge, of Scandinavian origin; see wē- in Indo-European roots.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
wing (n.)
| wing | |
noun | |
| 1. | a movable organ for flying (one of a pair) |
| 2. | one of the horizontal airfoils on either side of the fuselage of an airplane |
| 3. | a stage area out of sight of the audience |
| 4. | a unit of military aircraft |
| 5. | the side of military or naval formation; "they attacked the enemy's right flank" [syn: flank] |
| 6. | a hockey player stationed in a forward position on either side |
| 7. | (in flight formation) a position to the side and just to the rear of another aircraft |
| 8. | a group within a political party or legislature or other organization that holds distinct views or has a particular function; "they are the progressive wing of the Republican Party" |
| 9. | the wing of a fowl; "he preferred the drumsticks to the wings" |
| 10. | a barrier that surrounds the wheels of a vehicle to block splashing water or mud; "in Britain they call a fender a wing" [syn: fender] |
| 11. | an addition that extends a main building [syn: annex] |
verb | |
| 1. | travel through the air; be airborne; "Man cannot fly" [syn: fly] |
wing
In addition to the idiom beginning with wing, also see clip someone's wings; in the wings; left wing; on the wing; take flight (wing); under someone's wing.
Copyright © 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
wing
(wĭng) Pronunciation Key
|
Copyright © 2002 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
wing (wĭng)
n.
- Any of various paired movable organs of flight, such as the modified forelimb of a bird or bat or one of the membranous organs extending from the thorax of an insect.
- Something that resembles a wing in appearance, function, or position relative to a main body.
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Crow Wing County, MN (county, FIPS 35) Location: 46.48699 N, 94.07183 W
Population (1990): 44249 (29916 housing units)
Area: 2581.4 sq km (land), 414.2 sq km (water)
Wing, AL Zip code(s): 36483
Wing, ND (city, FIPS 86780) Location: 47.14258 N, 100.28220 W
Population (1990): 208 (97 housing units)
Area: 1.5 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 58494
Port Wing, WI Zip code(s): 54865
Red Wing, MN (city, FIPS 53620) Location: 44.58193 N, 92.60206 W
Population (1990): 15134 (6176 housing units)
Area: 90.3 sq km (land), 15.3 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 55066
Wing
Wing\, n. (A["e]ronautics) Any surface used primarily for supporting a flying machine in flight, whether by edge-on motion, or flapping, or rotation; specif., either of a pair of supporting planes of a flying machine.Wing
Wing\, n. [OE. winge, wenge; probably of Scand. origin; cf. Dan. & Sw. vinge, Icel. v[ae]ngr.]1. One of the two anterior limbs of a bird, pterodactyl, or bat. They correspond to the arms of man, and are usually modified for flight, but in the case of a few species of birds, as the ostrich, auk, etc., the wings are used only as an assistance in running or swimming. As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings. --Deut. xxxii. 11. Note: In the wing of a bird the long quill feathers are in series. The primaries are those attached to the ulnar side of the hand; the secondaries, or wing coverts, those of the forearm: the scapulars, those that lie over the humerus; and the bastard feathers, those of the short outer digit. See Illust. of Bird, and Plumage. 2. Any similar member or instrument used for the purpose of flying. Specifically: (Zo["o]l.) (a) One of the two pairs of upper thoracic appendages of most hexapod insects. They are broad, fanlike organs formed of a double membrane and strengthened by chitinous veins or nervures. (b) One of the large pectoral fins of the flying fishes. 3. Passage by flying; flight; as, to take wing. Light thickens; and the crow Makes wing to the rooky wood. --Shak. 4. Motive or instrument of flight; means of flight or of rapid motion. Fiery expedition be my wing. --Shak. 5. Anything which agitates the air as a wing does, or which is put in winglike motion by the action of the air, as a fan or vane for winnowing grain, the vane or sail of a windmill, etc. 6. An ornament worn on the shoulder; a small epaulet or shoulder knot. 7. Any appendage resembling the wing of a bird or insect in shape or appearance. Specifically: (a) (Zo["o]l.) One of the broad, thin, anterior lobes of the foot of a pteropod, used as an organ in swimming. (b) (Bot.) Any membranaceous expansion, as that along the sides of certain stems, or of a fruit of the kind called samara. (c) (Bot.) Either of the two side petals of a papilionaceous flower. 8. One of two corresponding appendages attached; a sidepiece. Hence: (a) (Arch.) A side building, less than the main edifice; as, one of the wings of a palace. (b) (Fort.) The longer side of crownworks, etc., connecting them with the main work. (c) (Hort.) A side shoot of a tree or plant; a branch growing up by the side of another. [Obs.] (d) (Mil.) The right or left division of an army, regiment, etc. (e) (Naut.) That part of the hold or orlop of a vessel which is nearest the sides. In a fleet, one of the extremities when the ships are drawn up in line, or when forming the two sides of a triangle. --Totten. (f) One of the sides of the stags in a theater. On the wing. (a) Supported by, or flying with, the wings another. On the wings of the wind, with the utmost velocity. Under the wing, or wings, of, under the care or protection of. Wing and wing (Naut.), with sails hauled out on either side; -- said of a schooner, or her sails, when going before the wind with the foresail on one side and the mainsail on the other; also said of a square-rigged vessel which has her studding sails set. Cf. Goosewinged. Wing case (Zo["o]l.), one of the anterior wings of beetles, and of some other insects, when thickened and used to protect the hind wings; an elytron; -- called also wing cover. Wing covert (Zo["o]l.), one of the small feathers covering the bases of the wing quills. See Covert, n., 2. Wing gudgeon (Mach.), an iron gudgeon for the end of a wooden axle, having thin, broad projections to prevent it from turning in the wood. See Illust. of Gudgeon. Wing shell (Zo["o]l.), wing case of an insect. Wing stroke, the stroke or sweep of a wing. Wing transom (Naut.), the uppermost transom of the stern; -- called also main transom. --J. Knowles.Wing
Wing\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Winged; p. pr. & vb. n. Winging.]1. To furnish with wings; to enable to fly, or to move with celerity. Who heaves old ocean, and whowings the storms. --Pope. Living, to wing with mirth the weary hours. --Longfellow. 2. To supply with wings or sidepieces. The main battle, whose puissance on either side Shall be well winged with our chiefest horse. --Shak. 3. To transport by flight; to cause to fly. I, an old turtle, Will wing me to some withered bough. --Shak. 4. To move through in flight; to fly through. There's not an arrow wings the sky But fancy turns its point to him. --Moore. 5. To cut off the wings of; to wound in the wing; to disable a wing of; as, to wing a bird. To wing a flight, to exert the power of flying; to fly.Copyright © 2008, Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.











