WIRE


Meaning of WIRE in English

I. wire 1 S2 W3 /waɪə $ waɪr/ BrE AmE noun

[ Word Family: noun : ↑ wire , ↑ wireless , ↑ wiring ; adjective : ↑ wiry , ↑ wired , wireless; verb : ↑ wire ]

[ Language: Old English ; Origin: wir ]

1 . [uncountable and countable] thin metal in the form of a thread, or a piece of this:

copper wire

a wire fence

⇨ ↑ barbed wire , ↑ high wire , ↑ tripwire

2 . [countable] a piece of metal like this, used for carrying electrical currents or signals:

a telephone wire

3 . get your wires crossed to become confused about what someone is saying because you think they are talking about something else

4 . go/come/be down to the wire informal especially American English to be finished or achieved with very little time left:

The game was very close and went right down to the wire.

5 . [countable] American English a piece of electronic recording equipment, usually worn secretly on someone’s clothes

6 . [countable] American English a ↑ telegram

• • •

COLLOCATIONS

■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + wire

▪ fine/thin

Use a piece of fine wire to clear the obstruction.

▪ thick

Curtains hung from a thick wire.

▪ copper/steel wire

Electrical impulses are sent down the copper wire.

▪ barbed wire (=wire with a lot of sharp points on it, used for making fences)

The prison was surrounded by barbed wire.

■ wire + NOUN

▪ a wire fence

We drew up outside a compound surrounded by a wire fence.

▪ a wire rack

Bake the biscuits for 10 minutes until golden. Cool on a wire rack.

■ phrases

▪ a piece/length/strand of wire

The pieces of wire he’d cut were too short.

▪ a coil of wire

The coil of barbed wire will be used for a fence.

▪ a loop of wire

There is no latch or knob – just a loop of wire that goes over a nail.

II. wire 2 BrE AmE verb [transitive]

[ Word Family: noun : ↑ wire , ↑ wireless , ↑ wiring ; adjective : ↑ wiry , ↑ wired , wireless; verb : ↑ wire ]

1 . ( also wire up )

a) to connect wires inside a building or piece of equipment so that electricity can pass through:

Check that the plug has been wired up properly.

b) to connect electrical equipment to the electrical system using wires

wire something to something

The CD player had been wired up to the car’s cigarette lighter.

2 . to send money electronically

3 . to attach a piece of recording equipment to a person or room, especially secretly

4 . be wired for something to have all the necessary wires and connections for an electrical system to work:

All the rooms have been wired for cable TV.

5 . American English to send a ↑ telegram to someone

6 . to fasten two or more things together using wire

wire something together

The poles had all been wired together.

⇨ ↑ wiring

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English.      Longman - Словарь современного английского языка.