wing
To injure slightly (as with a gunshot), especially in the wing or arm.
Noun
- An appendage of an animal's (bird, bat, insect) body that enables it to fly.
- The bird was flapping its wings
- A fin at the side of a ray or similar fish.
- Human arm.
- Part of an aircraft that produces the lift for rising into the air.
- I took my seat on the plane, overlooking the wing.
- One of the large pectoral fins of a flying fish.
- One of the broad, thin, anterior lobes of the foot of a pteropod, used as an organ in swimming.
- Any membranaceous expansion, such as that along the sides of certain stems, or one of the bracts on a dragon fruit, or of a fruit of the kind called samara.
- Either of the two side petals of a papilionaceous flower.
- A side shoot of a tree or plant; a branch growing up by the side of another.
- Passage by flying; flight.
- to take wing
- Light thickens; and the crow / Makes wing to the rooky wood. - c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio),...
- Limb or instrument of flight; means of flight or of rapid motion.
- Fiery expedition be my wing. - c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac...
- A part of something that is lesser in size than the main body, and located at the side, such as an extension from the main building.
- the west wing of the hospital
- the wings of a corkscrew
Origin
From Middle English winge, wenge, from Old Norse vængr ("wing of a flying animal, wing of a building"; compare vængi (“ship's cabin”)), from Proto-Germanic *wēingijaz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂weh₁- (“to blow”), thus related to wind. Cognate with Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, and Swedish vinge (“wing”), Elfdalian waingg (“wing”), Faroese vongur (“wing”), Icelandic vængur (“wing”), Norwegian Nynorsk veng (“wing”). Replaced native Middle English fither (from Old English fiþre, from Proto-Germanic *fiþriją), which merged with Middle English fether (from Old English feþer, from Proto-Germanic *feþrō). More at feather.
Forms
Synonyms
Hyponyms
Derived
air wing angel wing angel wings anglewing awing bandwing barwing bastard wing batswing bat's wing batwing bat wing bat-wing beat the wing beeswing bewing bingo wings birdwing bitewing bite wing blood wings bluewing broadwing bronze-wing
Verb
- To injure slightly (as with a gunshot), especially in the wing or arm.
- To fly.
- Breezes blowing from beds of iris quickened her breath with their perfume; she saw the tufted lilacs sway in the wind, and the streamers of mauve-tinted wistaria swinging, all a-glisten with golden bees; she saw a...
- To travel swiftly.
- He had pulled up so expertly that the man escaped, so smoothly that not a passenger was jarred, and now he sat with a dazed and vacant expression on his face, leaning forward on his steering wheel, while caustic inquiry...
- To add a wing (extra part) to.
- To act or speak extemporaneously; to improvise; to wing it.
- I lost all my notes I'd made, so was partially winging the meeting.
- To throw.
Synonyms: fling hurl bung cast chuck chunk cook dash dump feck jerk heave hield hoy huck hurtle launch lob peck peg pick pitch precipitate project
- To furnish with wings.
- To transport with, or as if with, wings; to bear in flight, or speedily.
- Deep folly! yet that this could be— That I could wing my will with might To leap the grades of life and light, And flash at once, my friend, to thee: […] - 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto XL”, in In Memoriam,...
- To traverse by flying.