— wideness , n.
/wuyd/ , adj., wider, widest , adv. , n.
adj.
1. having considerable or great extent from side to side; broad: a wide boulevard.
2. having a certain or specified extent from side to side: three feet wide.
3. of great horizontal extent; extensive; vast; spacious: the wide plains of the West.
4. of great range or scope; embracing a great number or variety of subjects, cases, etc.: wide experience.
5. open to the full or a great extent; expanded; distended: to stare with wide eyes.
6. apart or remote from a specified point or object: a guess wide of the truth.
7. too far or too much to one side: a shot wide of the mark.
8. Baseball. outside (def. 16): The pitch was wide of the plate.
9. full, ample, or roomy, as clothing: He wore wide, flowing robes.
10. Phonet. lax (def. 7).
11. Brit. Slang. shrewd; wary.
adv.
12. to the full extent of opening: Open your mouth wide.
13. to the utmost, or fully: to be wide awake.
14. away from or to one side of a point, mark, purpose, or the like; aside; astray: The shot went wide.
15. over an extensive space or region, or far abroad: scattered far and wide.
16. to a great, or relatively great, extent from side to side: The river runs wide here.
n.
17. Cricket. a bowled ball that goes wide of the wicket, and counts as a run for the side batting.
18. Archaic. a wide space or expanse.
[ bef. 900; ME; OE wid; c. D wijd, G weit, ON vithr ]
Syn. 1. WIDE, BROAD refer to dimensions. They are often interchangeable, but WIDE especially applies to things of which the length is much greater than the width: a wide road, piece of ribbon. BROAD is more emphatic, and applies to things of considerable or great width, breadth, or extent, esp. to surfaces extending laterally: a broad valley. 3. boundless; comprehensive; ample.
Ant. 1. narrow.