: one of the movable feathered or membranous paired appendages by means of which a bird, bat, or insect is able to fly
also: such an appendage (as of an ostrich) even though rudimentary or modified so no longer having the power of flight
b
: any of various anatomical structures (as of a flying fish or flying lemur) providing means of limited flight
2
: an appendage or part resembling a wing in appearance, position, or function: such as
a
: a device worn under the arms to aid a person in swimming or staying afloat
water wings
b
: ala
c
: a turned-back or extended edge on an article of clothing
d
: a sidepiece at the top of an armchair
e(1)
: a foliaceous, membranous, or woody expansion of a plant especially along a stem or on a samara or capsule
(2)
: either of the two lateral petals of a papilionaceous flower compare keelentry 2 sense 2b
f
: a vane of a windmill or arrow
g
: sail
h
: an airfoil that develops a major part of the lift which supports a heavier-than-air aircraft
i
chiefly British: fendersense d
3
: a means of flight or rapid progress
4
: the act or manner of flying : flight
take wing
5
: a side or outlying region or district
6
: a part or feature of a building usually projecting from and subordinate to the main or central part
the servants' wing
7
a
: one of the pieces of scenery at the side of a stage
b
wings plural: the area at the side of the stage out of sight
8
a
: a left or right section of an army or fleet : flank
b
: one of the offensive positions or players on either side of a center position in certain team sports
also: flanker
9
a
: either of two opposing groups within an organization or society : faction
b
: a section of an organized body (such as a legislative chamber) representing a group or faction holding distinct opinions or policies compare left wing, right wing
10
a
: a unit of the U.S. Air Force higher than a group and lower than a division
b
: two or more squadrons of naval airplanes
11
: a dance step marked by a quick outward and inward rolling glide of one foot
12
wings plural: insignia consisting of an outspread pair of stylized bird's wings which are awarded on completion of prescribed training to a qualified pilot, aircrew member, or military balloon pilot
wingy
ˈwiŋ-ē
adjective
Illustration of wing
1 coverts
2 primaries
3 secondaries
wing
2 of 2
verb
winged; winging; wings
transitive verb
1
a
: to fit with wings
b
: to enable to fly or move swiftly
2
a
: to traverse with or as if with wings
b
: to effect or achieve by flying
3
: to let fly : dispatch
would start to wing punches—A. J. Liebling
4
a
: to wound in the wing : disable the wing of
winged the duck
b
: to wound (as with a bullet) without killing
winged by a sniper
5
: to do or perform without preparation or guidelines : improvise
winging it
intransitive verb
: to go with or as if with wings : fly—often used with it
winged it to Europe
Phrases
in the wings
1
: out of sight in the stage wings
2
: close at hand in the background : readily available
had a plan waiting in the wings
on the wing
1
: in flight : flying
2
: in motion
under one's wing
: under one's protection : in one's care
took her under his wing
Synonyms
Noun
bloc
block
body
coalition
faction
party
sect
set
side
Verb
aviate
fly
glide
plane
soar
See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus
Examples of wing in a Sentence
Noun
In the library's north wing, you'll find the current periodicals.
She works in the pediatric wing of the hospital.
The guest room is in the east wing. Verb
The team winged to Moscow for the finals.
She winged the ball over to first base.
The soldier was winged by a stray bullet.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
But the pièce de résistance was her abstract floral wings.—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 16 Oct. 2024 Adriana Lima put her wings back on for the first time in six years!—Chiara Kim, People.com, 16 Oct. 2024
Verb
Coe escapes out the back and Longridge, after winging the Terminator, helps Shirley Dander (Aimee-Ffion Edwards) reach relative safety.—Erik Kain, Forbes, 9 Oct. 2024 In the pre-dawn hours on Tuesday, a large flock of Ukrainian drones winged north from Ukraine all the way to Toropets, a town in western Russian that hosts the 107th Arsenal, a sprawling ammunition dump feeding the Russian force fighting in Ukraine, 300 miles to the south.—David Axe, Forbes, 18 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for wing
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wing.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English winge, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Danish & Swedish vinge wing; akin to Sanskrit vāti it blows — more at wind entry 1
First Known Use
Noun
12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Verb
1591, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a
Time Traveler
The first known use of wing was
in the 12th century
See more words from the same century
Phrases Containing wing
buck-and-wing
buffalo wing
delta wing
four-wing saltbush
gull wing
hind wing
left wing
on a wing and a prayer
right wing
rotary-wing aircraft
single wing
take (someone) under one's wing
take wing
wing and wing
wing bar
wing case
wing chair
wing collar
wing commander
wing covert
wing-footed
wing it
wing mirror
wing nut
wing one's way
wing shooting
wing tip
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