WING


Meaning of WING in English

I. ˈwiŋ noun

( -s )

Usage: often attributive

Etymology: Middle English winge, wenge, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Danish & Swedish vinge wing, Old Norse vængr; akin to Old English wāwan to blow, Old High German wāhen, wāen, Old Swedish vīa, Gothic waian to blow, Sanskrit vāti it blows — more at wind

1.

a. : an organ of aerial flight : one of the movable feathered or membranous paired appendages by means of which an animal (as a bird, bat, or insect) is able to fly ; also : such an appendage even though rudimentary if possessed by an animal belonging to a group characterized by the power of flight — see bat , bird III 2a, pterodactyl

b. : any of various organic structures (as of the flying fish, flying frog, or flying lemur) providing means of limited flight

c. : one of the broad thin anterior lobes of the foot of a pteropod

d. : the shoulder of a hare or rabbit

2. : an appendage or part likened to a wing in shape, appearance, or position: as

a. : a device (as for swimming) attached to the shoulders

b. : a shoulder ornament or knot ; especially : a projecting piece attached at the shoulder edge of a 17th century gown or doublet

c.

(1) : a vane of an arrow

(2) : the part of a footing forming a side of the splice on an arrow

d. : ala

the wing of the nose

especially : any of the four winglike processes of the sphenoid

e. : a curving lock of hair

has two wings of pure white in her black hair — Frances Crane

f. : the arc-shaped piece on a pair of wing compasses or dividers that permits the legs to be fixed at a desired angle

g. : the outside corner of the share of a moldboard plow

h. : a turned-back or extended edge on an article of clothing — see wing collar

i. : a sidepiece at the top of an armchair

j. : a projecting part on one side of a fishnet or at the entry of a trap or corral

k. : either of the parts of a double door or screen

l.

(1) : a foliaceous, membranous, or woody expansion on a plant (as along the sides of various stems and petioles, of samaras, or of some capsules)

(2) : either of the two lateral petals of a papilionaceous flower

m. : wing rail

n. Britain : a curved fender for a vehicle ; also : a projecting sidepiece of a dashboard or carriage top

o. : either or any of two or more projections serving as guides (as on a check valve) or as stops (as on a gudgeon) to prevent turning in the socket

3.

a. : one of the vanes of a windmill

b. : one of the floats of a waterwheel

c. : sail

d. : one of the airfoils that develop a major part of the lift which supports a heavier-than-air airplane

4.

a. : a means of flight or rapid progress

fear lent wings to inspiration — Time

b. : the special attribute of a divine messenger

know that wings have brushed us

or an angelic nature

seems almost to have sprouted wings lately

5.

a. : the act or manner of flying : flight

dog required to … exhibit steadiness to wing and shot — W.F.Brown b.1903

crow makes wing to the rooky wood — Shakespeare

b. : strength of flight : ability to fly

6.

a. : arm ; especially : a throwing or pitching arm

b. : throwing ability

7.

a. : the part of the hold or orlop deck of a ship that is nearest the sides

b. : the outboard ends of a ship's bridge

c. : a platform or an overhanging portion of the deck of a ship projecting forward and abaft the paddle box of a side-wheel steamer and supporting the box and protecting the wheel

d. : an addition at the end of a dam but not necessarily in line with it : wing wall

e. : wing jam

8. : a side or outlying region or district

no stone in the whole of that wing of Pakistan suitable for … road metalling — D.G.Bridson

9. : a part or feature of a building projecting from and subordinate to the main or central part ; broadly : any section of a building

surgical wing of a hospital

10.

a. : one of the pieces of scenery at the side of the stage

b. wings plural : the area at the side of the stage out of sight

performers waiting in the wings for their cues

11.

a. : a division of an army or fleet on either side of a main central body

b. : either member of a body of troops that is divided into two parts

c. : either side or outer extremity of a chess board

d. : one of the positions or players on either side of a center position or of the central lengthwise line of the field, court, or rink in a team sport ; especially : such a position or player on the forward line of a team

12.

a. : either of two opposing groups within an organization or society : faction

b. : a section of an organized body (as a political party or legislative chamber) representing a group or faction holding distinct opinions or policies — compare left wing , right wing

13. : a unit of military airplanes:

a. : a unit of an echelon of the United States Air Force higher than a group and lower than an air division composed of a headquarters and usually four groups

b. : two or more squadrons of naval airplanes not carrier based

heavy attack wing

patrol wing

14. : a tap dance step characterized by a sideward slide and retrieve of one foot ; also : a waltz step similarly executed

- on the wing

- on wings

- take wing

- under one's wing

[s]wing.jpg[/s] [

wing 1a: 1 coverts, 2 primaries, 3 secondaries

]

II. verb

( -ed/-ing/-s )

transitive verb

1. obsolete

a. : to carve (a bird) for serving

b. : to pluck the wings from (as an insect)

2.

a. : to fit with wings

sailcloth that winged the clipper ships — Women's Wear Daily

b. : to attach feathers to (an arrow) : fletch

he himself who had winged the arrow of his fate — C.S.Forester

3. : to enable to fly or move swiftly : give speed to

fear winged his feet

4. archaic : to supply with pieces or divisions at the side : flank

5.

a. : to wound in the wing : disable the wing of

wing a flying duck

: bring down by shooting

b. : to hit or wound (as with a bullet) without killing

winged by a sniper

6. : to pass through in flight : traverse with or as if with wings

the blue deep thou wingest — P.B.Shelley

7. : to effect or achieve by flying

winging our way out to India — Dillon Sipley

8. : to send off swiftly : let fly : dispatch

would start to wing punches — A.J.Liebling

9. : to shift (weights) in a ship to near the sides in order to lengthen the period of roll — used usually with out

wing out ballast

10. : to set (a sail) to catch a following wind — used with out

jibs are winged out by means of a whisker pole — G.W.Elder & Ernest Ratsey

11. dialect : to brush or sweep with or as if with a wing

intransitive verb

1. : to go with or as if with wings : fly , sail

swallows winging southward

watch the racing fleets wing up to the start — E.A.Weeks

2. of a horse : to swing one or more of the legs out from the body

III. transitive verb

: to do or perform without preparation or guidelines : improvise — usually used in the phrase wing it

Webster's New International English Dictionary.      Новый международный словарь английского языка Webster.