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wide

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: -wide

English

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Etymology

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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.

    Pronunciation

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    Adjective

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    wide (comparative wider or more wide, superlative widest or most wide)

    1. Having a large physical extent from side to side.
      We walked down a wide corridor.
      • 1993, Jacqueline Mitton, The Penguin Dictionary of Astronomy, 2nd edition (paperback), Penguin Books, →ISBN, page 127:
        Over a wider region either side of the path of totality, a partial eclipse is seen.
      • 2019 October 23, Jennifer Ageista, “CNN Poll: Biden's lead in Democratic primary hits widest margin since April”, in CNN‎[1]:
        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.
    2. Large in scope.
      The inquiry had a wide remit.
      • 2013 July-August, Fenella Saunders, “Tiny Lenses See the Big Picture”, in American Scientist‎[2], archived from the original on 5 September 2015:
        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.
      • 2014, Jessica R. Pliley, Policing Sexuality, page 192:
        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."
      • 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]:
        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.
    3. (slang, derogatory, humorous) Overweight, obese.
    4. (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.
    6. (phonetics, dated) Made, as a vowel, with a less tense, and more open and relaxed, condition of the organs in the mouth.
    7. (Scotland, Northern England, now rare) Vast, great in extent, extensive.
      The wide, lifeless expanse.
    8. (obsolete) Located some distance away; distant, far. [15th–19th c.]
    9. (obsolete) Far from truth, propriety, necessity, etc.
      • 1643, J[ohn] M[ilton], The Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce: […], London: […] T[homas] P[aine] and M[atthew] S[immons] […], →OCLC:
        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.
      • 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:
        But I tell you, it is farre wyde, that the people haue ſuche iudgmentes, the Byſhoppes they coulde laughe at it.
      • [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:
        How wide is all this long pretence!
    10. (computing) 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. (British, slang, only in "wide boy") Sharp-witted.
      • 1951, Josephine Tey, The Daughter of Time, page 31:
        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.

    Antonyms

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    • narrow (regarding empty area)
    • thin (regarding occupied area)
    • skinny (sometimes offensive, regarding body width)

    Hyponyms

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    Derived terms

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    Translations

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    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
    Translations to be checked

    References

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    Adverb

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    wide (comparative wider, superlative widest)

    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.
      • 2010 December 29, Sam Sheringham, “Liverpool 0 - 1 Wolverhampton”, in BBC‎[4]:
        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.
    4. So as to leave or have a great space between the sides; so as to form a large opening.

    Derived terms

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    Translations

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    Noun

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    wide (plural wides)

    1. (cricket) 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

    Anagrams

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    Old English

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    Etymology

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    wīd +‎ -e

    Pronunciation

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    Adverb

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    wīde (superlative wīdost)

    1. widely, afar, far and wide
      wīdfērende ― coming from afar
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