wide

adj, adv, noun — 16 senses

wide

adj

US, UK /waɪd/ · AU, NZ /wɑed/

Etymology

PIE word *dwóh₁ From Middle English wid, wyd, from Old English wīd (“wide, vast, broad, long; distant, far”), from Proto-Germanic *wīdaz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁weydʰh₁- (“to divide, separate”), a dissimilated univerbation from *dwi- (“apart, asunder, in two”) + *dʰeh₁- (“to do, put, place”). Cognates Cognate with North Frisian widj (“wide”), Saterland Frisian wied (“wide”), West Frisian wiid (“broad; wide”), Central Franconian weck, weit, wick, wiet (“distant, far, wide”), Dutch wijd (“wide; large; broad”), German weit (“far; wide; broad”), Luxembourgish weit (“wide”), wäit (“far”), Yiddish ווײַט (vayt, “distant, far”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish vid (“wide”), Faroese and Icelandic víður (“wide”); also Breton gwez (“trees”), Cornish gwedh, gwëdh, gwydh, gwÿdh (“trees”), Irish and Scottish Gaelic fiodh (“timber, wood”), Manx fuygh (“timber, wood”), Welsh gwŷdd (“trees”), Latin dīvidō (“to divide, separate”), Latgalian vyds (“middle”), Latvian vidus (“center, middle”), Lithuanian vidùs (“interior, inside; inward”), Tocharian A and Tocharian B wätk- (“to distinguish, separate”). Related to widow.

11 senses
  1. 1Having a large physical extent from side to side.
  2. 2Large in scope.
  3. 3Overweight, obese.
  4. 4Operating at the side of the playing area.
  5. 5On one side or the other of the mark; too far sideways…
  6. 6Made, as a vowel, with a less tense, and more open and…
  7. 7Vast, great in extent, extensive.
  8. 8Located some distance away; distant, far.
  9. 9Far from truth, propriety, necessity, etc.
  10. 10Of or supporting a greater range of text characters than…
  11. 11Sharp-witted.
1

Having a large physical extent from side to side.

  • We walked down a wide corridor.
  • Over a wider region either side of the path of totality, a partial eclipse is seen.1993, Jacqueline Mitton, The Penguin Dictionary of Astronomy, 2nd edition (paperback), Penguin Books, →ISBN, page 127:
1 more example
  • Former Vice President Joe Biden's lead in the race for the Democratic nomination for president has rebounded, and now stands at its widest margin since April, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS.2019 October 23, Jennifer Ageista, “CNN Poll: Biden's lead in Democratic primary hits widest margin since April”, in CNN:
2

Large in scope.

  • The inquiry had a wide remit.
  • The single-imaging optic of the mammalian eye offers some distinct visual advantages. Such lenses can take in photons from a wide range of angles, increasing light sensitivity. They also have high spatial resolution, resolving incoming images in minute detail.2013 July-August, Fenella Saunders, “Tiny Lenses See the Big Picture”, in American Scientist, archived from the original on 05 Sep 2015:
2 more examples
  • Three-way girls offered the widest array of services. One twenty-two-year-old prostitute declared to an undercover vice investigator in New York City, "I am a three-way girl."2014, Jessica R. Pliley, Policing Sexuality, page 192:
  • Lizzo, who is known for messages of self-love and wider acceptance, has recently said as much as she shared that she is encouraging a stance of body neutrality for herself and others.2023 May 29, Madeline Holcombe, “Lizzo is teaching us about body neutrality. Here is what it means and how to get there”, in CNN:
3

Derogatory, Humorous, Slang Overweight, obese.

4

Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports Operating at the side of the playing area.

  • That team needs a decent wide player.
5

On one side or the other of the mark; too far sideways from the mark, the wicket, the batsman, etc.

  • Two balls before lunch, he bowled a wide.
  • Too bad! That was a great passing-shot, but it's wide.
2 more examples
  • Surely he shoots wide on the Bow-Hand.1596 (date written; published 1633), Edmund Spenser, A Vewe of the Present State of Irelande […], Dublin: […] Societie of Stationers, […], →OCLC; republished as A View of the State of Ireland […] (Ancient Irish Histories), Dublin: […] Society of Stationers, […] Hibernia Press, […] [b]y John Morrison, 1809, →OCLC:
  • I was but two bows wide.1656, Thomas Middleton, William Rowley, Philip Massinger, The Old Law:
6

Human sciences, Linguistics, Phonetics, Phonology, Sciences Dated Made, as a vowel, with a less tense, and more open and relaxed, condition of the organs in the mouth.

7

Northern England, Scotland, Archaic Vast, great in extent, extensive.

  • The wide, lifeless expanse.
8

Obsolete Located some distance away; distant, far.

  • Mr Hunt's house, you know, lies wide from Harlowe-place.1748, [Samuel Richardson], “Letter LXXXI”, in Clarissa. Or, The History of a Young Lady: […], volume (please specify |volume=I to VII), London: […] S[amuel] Richardson; [a]nd sold by John Osborn, […], →OCLC:
  • the contrary [being] so wide from the truth of Scripture and the attributes of God1654, H[enry] Hammond, Of Fundamentals in a Notion Referring to Practise, London: […] J[ames] Flesher for Richard Royston, […], →OCLC:
9

Obsolete Far from truth, propriety, necessity, etc.

  • And I trust anon by the help of an infallible guide, to perfect such Prutenic tables, as shall mend the astronomy of our wide expositors.1643, J[ohn] M[ilton], The Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce: […], London: […] T[homas] P[aine] and M[atthew] S[immons] […], →OCLC:
  • But I tell you, it is farre wyde, that the people haue ſuche iudgmentes, the Byſhoppes they coulde laughe at it.1549 April 22 (Gregorian calendar), Hughe Latymer [i.e., Hugh Latimer], Augustine Bernher, compiler, “[27 Sermons Preached by the Ryght Reuerende Father in God and Constant Matir of Iesus Christe, Maister Hugh Latimer, […].] The Syxte Sermon of Maister Hugh Latymer, whiche He Preached before K. Edward [VI], the XII. Day of Aprill.”, in Certayn Godly Sermons, Made uppon the Lords Prayer, […], London: […] John Day, […], published 1562, →OCLC, folio 75, verso:
1 more example
  • How wide is all this long pretence![1633], George Herbert, edited by [Nicholas Ferrar], The Temple. Sacred Poems, and Private Ejaculations, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: […] Thomas Buck and Roger Daniel; and are to be sold by Francis Green, […], →OCLC:
10

Computing, Engineering, Mathematics, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Sciences Of or supporting a greater range of text characters than can fit into the traditional 8-bit representation.

  • a wide character; a wide stream
11

UK, Slang, In "wide boy" Sharp-witted.

  • But the first visitor to penetrate from the outside world proved to be Sergeant Williams; large and pink and scrubbed-looking; and for a little while Grant forgot about battles long ago and considered wide boys alive today.1951, Josephine Tey, The Daughter of Time, page 31:
Synonyms
broad, thick, wide
Antonyms
narrow, thin, skinny, long, scrawny
Derived terms
62 termsall wool and a yard wide, a mile wide and an inch deep, blow wide open, by a wide margin, cast one's net far and wide, cast one's net wide, cut a wide swath, cut a wide swathe, en, far and wide, go wide, have someone's nose wide open, into the wide blue yonder, midwide, open wide, paint with a wide brush, spread one's net wide, to the wide, whole wide world, wide-angle, wide-angle converter, wide-angle lens, wide-area network, wide area network, wide awake, wide-awake, wide-awake hat, wide berth, wide blue yonder, wide-bodied, wide-body, wide boy, wide column store, wide-cut, wide-eyed, wide-field, wide-flung, wide-gab, wide game, wide-handed, wide-handedness, wide-hipped, widely, widen, wideness, wide of the mark, wide-on, wide open, wide place in the road, wide-ranging, wide-reaching, wide receiver, widescale, wide-scale, widescreen, wide shot, wide shut, wide spot in the road, wide-spread, widespread, wide stance, wide-wasting
Related terms
width
Hypernyms
large
Hyponyms
Africa-wide, America-wide, Asia-wide, Europe-wide, EU-wide, kilometer-wide, km-wide, meter-wide, m-wide, nationwide, regionwide, sitewide, space-wide, systemwide, US-wide, worldwide, dumpy, squat, stocky

wide

adv
Etymology

PIE word *dwóh₁ From Middle English wid, wyd, from Old English wīd (“wide, vast, broad, long; distant, far”), from Proto-Germanic *wīdaz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁weydʰh₁- (“to divide, separate”), a dissimilated univerbation from *dwi- (“apart, asunder, in two”) + *dʰeh₁- (“to do, put, place”). Cognates Cognate with North Frisian widj (“wide”), Saterland Frisian wied (“wide”), West Frisian wiid (“broad; wide”), Central Franconian weck, weit, wick, wiet (“distant, far, wide”), Dutch wijd (“wide; large; broad”), German weit (“far; wide; broad”), Luxembourgish weit (“wide”), wäit (“far”), Yiddish ווײַט (vayt, “distant, far”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish vid (“wide”), Faroese and Icelandic víður (“wide”); also Breton gwez (“trees”), Cornish gwedh, gwëdh, gwydh, gwÿdh (“trees”), Irish and Scottish Gaelic fiodh (“timber, wood”), Manx fuygh (“timber, wood”), Welsh gwŷdd (“trees”), Latin dīvidō (“to divide, separate”), Latgalian vyds (“middle”), Latvian vidus (“center, middle”), Lithuanian vidùs (“interior, inside; inward”), Tocharian A and Tocharian B wätk- (“to distinguish, separate”). Related to widow.

1

Extensively.

  • He travelled far and wide.
2

Completely.

  • He was wide awake.
3

Away from or to one side of a given goal.

  • The arrow fell wide of the mark.
  • A few shots were fired but they all went wide.
1 more example
  • The Reds carved the first opening of the second period as Glen Johnson's pull-back found David Ngog but the Frenchman hooked wide from six yards.2010 December 29, Sam Sheringham, “Liverpool 0 - 1 Wolverhampton”, in BBC:
4

So as to leave or have a great space between the sides; so as to form a large opening.

  • And with his knee the dore he opens wide1594, William Shakespeare, Lucrece (First Quarto), London: […] Richard Field, for Iohn Harrison, […], →OCLC, line 359:
Derived terms
wide-ranging

wide

noun
Etymology

PIE word *dwóh₁ From Middle English wid, wyd, from Old English wīd (“wide, vast, broad, long; distant, far”), from Proto-Germanic *wīdaz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁weydʰh₁- (“to divide, separate”), a dissimilated univerbation from *dwi- (“apart, asunder, in two”) + *dʰeh₁- (“to do, put, place”). Cognates Cognate with North Frisian widj (“wide”), Saterland Frisian wied (“wide”), West Frisian wiid (“broad; wide”), Central Franconian weck, weit, wick, wiet (“distant, far, wide”), Dutch wijd (“wide; large; broad”), German weit (“far; wide; broad”), Luxembourgish weit (“wide”), wäit (“far”), Yiddish ווײַט (vayt, “distant, far”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish vid (“wide”), Faroese and Icelandic víður (“wide”); also Breton gwez (“trees”), Cornish gwedh, gwëdh, gwydh, gwÿdh (“trees”), Irish and Scottish Gaelic fiodh (“timber, wood”), Manx fuygh (“timber, wood”), Welsh gwŷdd (“trees”), Latin dīvidō (“to divide, separate”), Latgalian vyds (“middle”), Latvian vidus (“center, middle”), Lithuanian vidùs (“interior, inside; inward”), Tocharian A and Tocharian B wätk- (“to distinguish, separate”). Related to widow.

1

Ball games, Cricket, Games, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports A ball that passes so far from the batsman that the umpire deems it unplayable; the arm signal used by an umpire to signal a wide; the extra run added to the batting side's score

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.

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