width

noun \ ˈwidth , ˈwitth \

Updated on: 28 Feb 2018

Definition of width

1 : the horizontal measurement taken at right angles to the length : breadth

2 : largeness of extent or scope

3 : a measured and cut piece of material

a width of calico

See width defined for English-language learners

See width defined for kids

Examples of width in a Sentence

What is the width of the table?
She carefully measured the length and width of the room.
The deck runs the full width of the house.
The carpet is available in several widths.
We swam ten widths in the pool.
I bought two widths of fabric.

Recent Examples of width from the Web

The three bands, which appear to be made of either platinum or white gold, are connected by one much larger diamond that spans the entire width of the trio.

— andrea park, Glamour, "Alicia Vikander's Wedding Ring Makes Its Red-Carpet Debut," 27 Oct. 2017
Their scientists tested hundreds of gas-to-sunscreen ratios and even the shape and width of the nozzle opening to make sure this new sunscreen would come out airy without having to be shaken.

— katie becker, Allure, "14 New Beauty Products That Have Entirely Changed the Game — Best of Beauty Awards 2017," 18 Sep. 2017
Kelly also ran nearly the width of the field and made a touchdown-saving tackle on Love’s 47-yard run in the third quarter.

— tod leonard, sandiegouniontribune.com, "In SDSU's big win, Mikah Holder gets bragging rights over twin," 17 Sep. 2017
Single-stage snow blower have a clearing width of 20 to 25 inches and range in cost from $300 to $700.

— timothy dahl, Popular Mechanics, "How to Choose the Best Snow Blower to Dig You out of the Next Blizzard," 11 Sep. 2017
The road closures will include the entire width of the Parkway, beginning at 20th and extending through Eakins Oval and behind the Art Museum.

— Philly.com, "Everything you need to know about Made in America Day Two," 3 Sep. 2017
When inhaled, that fine particulate matter -- 1/70th the width of human hair -- can penetrate deep into lungs and sometimes into the blood stream, exacerbating heart and lung diseases, causing asthma attacks and sometimes leading to premature death.

— jennifer a dlouhy, Bloomberg.com, "Trump Plays Down Health Hazard in Making Climate Rule Repeal," 11 Oct. 2017
The worry here is given the width and power of the foot/heel, that there may be multiple rib fractures.

— profootballdoc, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Jay Gruden's quick call on Josh Norman portends more than rib fracture," 2 Oct. 2017
How to do it: Sit on the machine with your back flat against the pad and your feet hips-width apart on the platform.

— ashley oerman, Cosmopolitan, "Kim Kardashian’s Lower Body Workout Is No Freaking Joke," 2 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'width.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of width

¹wide

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1570

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

width Synonyms

Synonyms

amplitude, breadth, compass, confines, dimension(s), extent, range, reach, realm, scope, sweep;

Related Words

gamut, spectrum, spread;

bailiwick, circle, demesne, department, discipline, domain, element, fief, fiefdom, field, province, region, specialty, sphere, terrain;

frontier;

horizon, panorama;

Other Weights and Measures Terms

avoirdupois weight, calorie, denier, kip, pace, twain

WIDTH Defined for English Language Learners

width

noun

Definition of width for English Language Learners

: the distance from one side of something to the other side : a measurement of how wide something is
: a measured and cut piece of material (such as cloth)