wing

noun, often attributive \ ˈwiŋ \

|Updated on: 8 Aug 2018

Definition of wing

1 a : one of the movable feathered or membranous paired appendages by means of which a bird, bat, or insect is able to fly; also : such an appendage even though rudimentary if possessed by an animal belonging to a group characterized by the power of flight

b : any of various anatomical structures (as of a flying fish or flying lemur) providing means of limited flight

2 : an appendage or part resembling a wing in appearance, position, or function: such as

a : a device worn under the arms to aid a person in swimming or staying afloat

b : ala

c : a turned-back or extended edge on an article of clothing

d : a sidepiece at the top of an armchair

e (1) : a foliaceous, membranous, or woody expansion of a plant especially along a stem or on a samara or capsule

(2) : either of the two lateral petals of a papilionaceous flower

f : a vane of a windmill or arrow

g : sail

h : an airfoil that develops a major part of the lift which supports a heavier-than-air aircraft

i chiefly British : fender d

3 : a means of flight or rapid progress

4 : the act or manner of flying : flight

take wing

5 : a side or outlying region or district

6 : a part or feature of a building usually projecting from and subordinate to the main or central part

the servants' wing

7 a : one of the pieces of scenery at the side of a stage

b wings plural : the area at the side of the stage out of sight

8 a : a left or right section of an army or fleet : flank

b : one of the offensive positions or players on either side of a center position in certain team sports; also : flanker

9 a : either of two opposing groups within an organization or society : faction

b : a section of an organized body (such as a legislative chamber) representing a group or faction holding distinct opinions or policies — compare left wing, right wing

10 a : a unit of the U.S. Air Force higher than a group and lower than a division

b : two or more squadrons of naval airplanes

11 : a dance step marked by a quick outward and inward rolling glide of one foot

12 wings plural : insignia consisting of an outspread pair of stylized bird's wings which are awarded on completion of prescribed training to a qualified pilot, aircrew member, or military balloon pilot

—

wingy

play \ˈwiŋ-ē\ adjective

— in the wings

1 : out of sight in the stage wings

2 : close at hand in the background : readily available

had a plan waiting in the wings

— on the wing

1 : in flight : flying

2 : in motion

— under one's wing

: under one's protection : in one's care

took her under his wing

See wing defined for English-language learners

See wing defined for kids

Examples of wing in a Sentence

In the library's north wing, you'll find the current periodicals.
She works in the pediatric wing of the hospital.
The guest room is in the east wing.

Recent Examples of wing from the Web

And yet anti-Semitic attacks — mostly committed by right-wing extremists — haven’t stopped completely.

— rick noack, Washington Post, "A Baltimore professor was the victim of an anti-Semitic attack and then German police punched him," 13 July 2018
Other left-wing advocacy groups, such as Swing Left and Indivisible, are helping to recruit volunteers and generate grass-roots support in competitive districts.

— New York Times, "4,500 Tech Workers, 1 Mission: Get Democrats Elected," 13 July 2018
What followed was 90 minutes of my first and only trip into the radio version of The Twilight Zone, with a guest that was either the most amazingly bizarre left-wing extremist in the country or a complete lunatic.

— jeremy barr, The Hollywood Reporter, "Conservative Radio Host: How I Got Pranked by Sacha Baron Cohen," 12 July 2018
These viruses can paralyze bees, deform their wings or directly attack their young.

— kevin davenport, idahostatesman, "Why are these 250,000 bees hanging out on this sweet Downtown Boise rooftop?," 11 July 2018
But movement conservatism — like its left-wing sibling — is a major threat to democratic ideals.

— cass sunstein, star-telegram, "Does Trump's Supreme Court nominee have a personal political agenda?," 10 July 2018
To be sure, her defeat of longtime Democratic Congressman Joe Crowley was impressive, and is widely being treated as a harbinger of a more robustly left-wing Democratic Party.

— jeet heer, The New Republic, "Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is driving conservatives ’round the bend.," 6 July 2018
After a few minutes in microgravity, the plane shifts its wings to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere and land on a horizontal runway.

— loren grush, The Verge, "Virgin Galactic plans to launch customers to space from a future Italian spaceport," 6 July 2018
Veteran politician Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has won Mexico's presidency in a landslide victory, giving the country its most left-wing government in decades.

— katherine blunt, Houston Chronicle, "Mexican election spells uncertainty for foreign energy investments," 2 July 2018

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

Illustration of wing

Origin and Etymology of wing

Middle English winge, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Danish & Swedish vinge wing; akin to Sanskrit vāti it blows — more at wind

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

wing Synonyms

Synonyms

bloc, block, body, coalition, faction, party, sect, set, side;

Related Words

splinter, split;

crew, gang, pack, team;

denomination, persuasion;

caucus, movement;

wing

verb

Definition of wing

winged; winging; wings

transitive verb

1 a : to fit with wings

b : to enable to fly or move swiftly

2 a : to traverse with or as if with wings

b : to effect or achieve by flying

3 : to let fly : dispatch

would start to wing punches
—A. J. Liebling

4 a : to wound in the wing : disable the wing of

winged the duck

b : to wound (as with a bullet) without killing

winged by a sniper

5 : to do or perform without preparation or guidelines : improvise

winging it

intransitive verb

: to go with or as if with wings : fly —often used with it

winged it to Europe

See wing defined for English-language learners

Examples of wing in a Sentence

The team winged to Moscow for the finals.
She winged the ball over to first base.
The soldier was winged by a stray bullet.

Recent Examples of wing from the Web

The best airlines of 2017 Advertisement When planning your travel, don't wing it!

— lisa gutierrez, kansascity, "JetBlue attendants who put oxygen mask on bulldog's face saved her life, owners say," 9 July 2018
The best airlines of 2017 Advertisement When planning your travel, don't wing it!

— lisa gutierrez, kansascity, "JetBlue attendants who put oxygen mask on bulldog's face saved her life, owners say," 9 July 2018
Travolta and Walson were keen on screening Gotti at Cannes, since the iconic festival can produce headines winging their way around the globe.

— pamela mcclintock, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Gotti': How John Travolta Tried — and Failed — to Save His Passion Project," 18 June 2018
The best airlines of 2017 Advertisement When planning your travel, don't wing it!

— mark price, charlotteobserver, "American Airlines airbus bound for Charlotte diverted to London airport," 25 June 2018
Do his often incoherent and contradictory words and actions add up to a strategy or is the president just winging it?

— jeet heer, The New Republic, "Does it matter if Trump has a North Korea strategy?," 14 June 2018
No winging it, no daylight between the U.S. and South Korea, and no sanctions relief for Pyongyang until the results are locked in.

— karl rove, WSJ, "North Korea, and Iran, and Iraq! Oh, My!," 16 May 2018
At just 14 seats and 400 square-feet, the plush, intimate lounge with leather winged-back chairs features a wood bar with its own personal bartender.

— laurie brookins, The Hollywood Reporter, "Kentucky Derby Day: How Hollywood Does Churchill Downs," 5 May 2018
Flocks of the rare birds can often be spotted winging overhead at dawn and dusk.

— National Geographic, "Africa's Most Endangered Parrot Fighting for Survival," 11 May 2018

First Known Use of wing

1591

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

wing Synonyms

Synonyms

fly, glide, plane, soar;

Related Words

drift, float, hang, hover, waft;

coast, cruise, sail, sweep;

dart, flit, flutter;

catapult, helicopter, jet, orbit, rocket;

dive, stoop;

WING Defined for English Language Learners

wing

noun

Definition of wing for English Language Learners

: a part of an animal's body that is used for flying or gliding
: the wing of a bird and especially a chicken eaten as food
: one of usually two long, flat parts of an airplane that extend from the sides and make it possible for the airplane to fly

wing

verb

Definition of wing for English Language Learners

: to travel to a place by flying there
: to throw (something) forcefully
: to touch or hit (someone or something) especially in the arm or wing while moving past

WING Defined for Kids

wing

noun \ ˈwiŋ \

Definition of wing for Students

1 : one of the paired movable feathered or membranous parts with which a bird, bat, or insect flies

2 : something like a wing in appearance, use, or motion

the wings of an airplane

3 : a part (as of a building) that sticks out from the main part

4 : a division of an organization

5 wings plural : an area just off the stage of a theater

—

wingless

\-ləs\ adjective

—

winglike

\-ˌlīk\ adjective

— on the wing

: in flight

wing

verb

Definition of wing for Students

winged; winging

1 : to move by means of wings : fly

2 : ¹throw 1

I'd … wing a dart at the closest bull's-eye.
—Jack Gantos, Joey Pigza Loses Control

Medical Dictionary

wing

noun \ ˈwiŋ \

medical Definition of wing

1 : one of the movable feathered or membranous paired appendages by means of which a bird, bat, or insect is able to fly

2 : a winglike anatomical part or process : ala; especially : any of the four winglike processes of the sphenoid bone — see greater wing, lesser wing

—

winged

play \ˈwiŋd, ˈwiŋ-əd\ adjective

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See words that rhyme with wing Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for wing Spanish Central: Translation of wing Nglish: Translation of wing for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of wing for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about wing

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wing

Definition of wing

wingy

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Illustration of wing

Origin and Etymology of wing

wing Synonyms

Synonyms

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wing

Definition of wing

Examples of wing in a Sentence

Recent Examples of wing from the Web

First Known Use of wing

wing Synonyms

Synonyms

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WING Defined for English Language Learners

wing

Definition of wing for English Language Learners

wing

Definition of wing for English Language Learners

WING Defined for Kids

wing

Definition of wing for Students

wingless

winglike

wing

Definition of wing for Students

Medical Dictionary

wing

medical Definition of wing

winged

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