WIRE


Meaning of WIRE in English

/ ˈwaɪə(r); NAmE / noun , verb

■ noun

1.

[ U , C ] metal in the form of thin thread; a piece of this :

a coil of copper wire

a wire basket

The box was fastened with a rusty wire.

—see also barbed wire , high wire , tripwire

2.

[ C , U ] a piece of wire that is used to carry an electric current or signal :

overhead wires

fuse wire

The telephone wires had been cut.

—see also hot-wire

3.

the wire [ sing. ] a wire fence :

Three prisoners escaped by crawling under the wire.

4.

[ C ] ( informal , especially NAmE ) = telegram :

We sent a wire asking him to join us.

—see also wiry

IDIOMS

- get your wires crossed

- go, come, etc. (right) down to the wire

—more at live (II), pull verb

■ verb

1.

[ vn ] wire sth (up) to connect a building, piece of equipment, etc. to an electricity supply using wires :

Make sure the plug is wired up correctly.

2.

[ vn ] wire sb/sth up (to sth) | wire sb/sth to sth to connect sb/sth to a piece of equipment, especially a tape recorder or computer system :

He was wired up to a police tape recorder.

3.

[ vn ] wire sth (for sth) to put a special device somewhere in order to listen secretly to other people's conversations

SYN bug :

The room had been wired for sound.

4.

wire (sth) (to sb) | wire sb (sth) ( especially NAmE ) to send sb a message by telegram :

[ vn , vnn ]

He wired the news to us.

He wired us the news.

5.

wire sth (to sb) | wire sb sth to send money from one bank to another using an electronic system :

[ vn , vnn ]

The bank wired the money to her.

The bank wired her the money.

6.

[ vn ] to join things together using wire

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WORD ORIGIN

Old English wīr ; of Germanic origin, probably from the base of Latin viere plait, weave.

Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary.      Оксфордский английский словарь для изучающик язык на продвинутом уровне.