wingspan

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 At 7-foot-1, 240 pounds with a 7-4½-inch wingspan and explosiveness that belies his size, Wiseman could step on an NBA floor tomorrow and cause matchup problems. — Connor Letourneau, SFChronicle.com, "Warriors lottery bound? Here are six 2020 NBA draft prospects to watch," 7 Nov. 2019 Known for: Big guard, wide wingspan, can get after it on defense, make spectacular plays on offense. — Dom Amore, courant.com, "How do the five new UConn men’s basketball players fit in with the team? Here’s a look," 3 Nov. 2019 With an enormous orange bill and a wingspan of nearly 12 feet, the bird will make a dramatic display. — oregonlive, "Creepy creatures turn ‘Exquisite’ at new OMSI art exhibit," 3 Nov. 2019 Hangar Bar’s beer-can bomber Made entirely of beer cans, this novelty sculpture boasts an impressive 17-foot wingspan that formerly occupied East Colfax Avenue’s beloved but recently shuttered Hangar Bar, which first opened in 1938. — John Wenzel, The Know, "Ten pieces of Colfax Avenue history you can buy in Colfax Museum’s $150,000 fire sale," 24 Oct. 2019 The team discovered their first pterosaur remains there on James Ross Island in 2016, unearthing two parts of a wing bone from a pterosaur that likely had a 10- to 13-foot wingspan. — John Pickrell, National Geographic, "Huge Antarctic pterosaur found in fire-struck museum," 16 Oct. 2019 Or by the matchup nightmare created by Tyler Bey’s kangaroo hops and F-16 wingspan. — Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, "Keeler: If McKinley Wright is straw that stirs CU Buffs, Arvada West’s Dallas Walton is the ice," 16 Oct. 2019 The American kestrel is the smallest, with a wingspan that can reach about 2 feet. — BostonGlobe.com, "“They’re power fliers. They head out over open water and island hop to Nantucket, Long Island, and so on. They’re not intimidated by water like buteos are.”," 10 Oct. 2019 The planes were also considerably longer, heavier, and wider of wingspan. — Maureen Tkacik, The New Republic, "Everybody thinks his business is different,," 18 Sep. 2019

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.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about wingspan

Dictionary Entries near wingspan

Statistics for wingspan

Last Updated

13 Nov 2019

Time Traveler for wingspan

The first known use of wingspan was circa 1917

See more words from the same year

Keep scrolling for more

WORD OF THE DAY

carouse

to engage in dissolute behavior

Test Your Vocabulary

Pass the Little Ribbons: A Pasta Word Quiz

Match the pasta to its meaning in English: Rotelle

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.