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wingspan

noun
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wing·​span | \ ˈwiŋ-ˌspan How to pronounce wingspan (audio) \

Definition of wingspan

: the distance from the tip of one of a pair of wings to that of the other also : span sense 2c

Examples of wingspan in a Sentence

The hawk has a wingspan of about three feet. a plane with a 200-foot wingspan
Recent Examples on the Web His 74-inch wingspan becomes a greater asset when coupled with his willingness to play physically in coverage. — Nathan Baird, cleveland, "What Jaheim Singletary’s commitment means for Ohio State football: Buckeyes recruiting," 2 Jan. 2021 Now, 31 and a married father, Bazemore will be summoned to use his 7-foot wingspan to either switch defensively onto any position or lock down opponents’ best wings. — Rusty Simmons, SFChronicle.com, "Kent Bazemore brings new mind-set to Warriors: ‘I see the world differently now’," 10 Dec. 2020 Even though Okogie is 6-foot-4, Saunders mentioned his wingspan is that of a 6-8 player. — Chris Hine, Star Tribune, "'Veteran' Josh Okogie knows defense will get him minutes with Wolves," 7 Dec. 2020 The bird, the largest eagle the nonprofit facility has treated in 15 years, has a 6.5-foot wingspan. — oregonlive, "Battered bald eagle recovers at Klamath Falls wildlife rescue after flying into a moving truck," 6 Dec. 2020 Aevum’s reusable Ravn X drone is 80 feet long, has a wingspan of 60 feet, stands 18 feet tall and weighs 55,000 pounds. — Lee Roop | Lroop@al.com, al, "Alabama company unveils world’s biggest drone & new space vision," 6 Dec. 2020 This autonomous aircraft and launch vehicle measures 24 meters long and has a wingspan of 18 meters. — Eric Berger, Ars Technica, "Rocket Report: Billionaire backs Scottish spaceport, Relativity bags a bundle," 4 Dec. 2020 Marble becomes a big-bodied rebounder eating up space, while Sissoko gives a little of all of that and uses his big wingspan to deny shots. — Chris Solari, Detroit Free Press, "For Michigan State basketball, these are the Spartans' best- and worst-case scenarios," 25 Nov. 2020 At 6-foot-5, 220 pounds with a 6-10 wingspan, Sutton can guard at least four positions. — Connor Letourneau, SFChronicle.com, "Dwayne Sutton to join Warriors for training camp in hopes of earning 2-way deal," 23 Nov. 2020

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

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First Known Use of wingspan

circa 1917, in the meaning defined above

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Time Traveler for wingspan

Time Traveler

The first known use of wingspan was circa 1917

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Statistics for wingspan

Last Updated

21 Jan 2021

Cite this Entry

“Wingspan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wingspan. Accessed 21 Jan. 2021.

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More Definitions for wingspan

wingspan

noun
How to pronounce wingspan (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of wingspan

: the distance from the tip of one wing of a bird or airplane to the tip of the other wing

See the full definition for wingspan in the English Language Learners Dictionary

wingspan

noun
wing·​span | \ ˈwiŋ-ˌspan How to pronounce wingspan (audio) \

Kids Definition of wingspan

: the distance from the tip of one wing to the tip of the other wing

More from Merriam-Webster on wingspan

Nglish: Translation of wingspan for Spanish Speakers

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