Word: wing Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From Middle English winge, wenge, from Old Norse vængr ("wing of a flying animal, wing of a building"; compare vængi (“ship's cabin”)), from Proto-Germanic *wēingijaz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂weh₁- (“to blow”), thus related to wind. Cognate with Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, and Swedish vinge (“wing”), Elfdalian waingg (“wing”), Faroese vongur (“wing”), Icelandic vængur (“wing”), Norwegian Nynorsk veng (“wing”). Replaced native Middle English fither (from Old English fiþre, from Proto-Germanic *fiþriją), which merged with Middle English fether (from Old English feþer, from Proto-Germanic *feþrō). More at feather. Pronunciation: /wɪŋ/, /ˈwɪŋɡ/ 1. An appendage of an animal's (bird, bat, insect) body that enables it to fly. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: The bird was flapping its wings 2. A fin at the side of a ray or similar fish. Labels: countable, uncountable 3. Human arm. Labels: countable, slang, uncountable 4. Part of an aircraft that produces the lift for rising into the air. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: I took my seat on the plane, overlooking the wing. 5. One of the large pectoral fins of a flying fish. Labels: countable, uncountable 6. One of the broad, thin, anterior lobes of the foot of a pteropod, used as an organ in swimming. Labels: countable, uncountable 7. Any membranaceous expansion, such as that along the sides of certain stems, or one of the bracts on a dragon fruit, or of a fruit of the kind called samara. Labels: countable, uncountable 8. Either of the two side petals of a papilionaceous flower. Labels: countable, uncountable 9. A side shoot of a tree or plant; a branch growing up by the side of another. Labels: countable, uncountable 10. Passage by flying; flight. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: to take wing Example: Light thickens; and the crow / Makes wing to the rooky wood. 11. Limb or instrument of flight; means of flight or of rapid motion. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: Fiery expedition be my wing. 12. A part of something that is lesser in size than the main body, and located at the side, such as an extension from the main building. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: the west wing of the hospital Example: the wings of a corkscrew 13. Either of two similar parts of something. Labels: countable, figuratively, uncountable Example: Before going any farther on a wild goose chase I should advise you to verify the admitted American influence in the affair as connectible with Rigby Lacksome […]. Until that point is settled both wings of your deductions are purely in the air. 14. One of the longer sides of crownworks or hornworks in fortification. Labels: countable, uncountable 15. Ellipsis of prison wing, a cellblock; or prison or doing time by extension. Labels: Multicultural-London-English, abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis, slang, uncountable Example: They got bro-bro stuck on the wing, cah I picked up and bullet him 16. Anything that agitates the air as a wing does, or is put in winglike motion by the action of the air, such as a fan or vane for winnowing grain, the vane or sail of a windmill, the sail of a ship, etc. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: Fair ship, that from the Italian shore, ⁠Sailest the placid ocean-plains ⁠With my lost Arthur’s loved remains, Spread thy full wings, and waft him o’er. 17. A protruding piece of material on a menstrual pad or diaper to hold it in place and prevent leakage. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: It's a bit annoying but (like sanitary pads with wings) it's worth it if you want to stay extra secure. 18. An ornament worn on the shoulder; a small epaulet or shoulder knot. Labels: countable, uncountable 19. A cosmetic effect where eyeliner curves outward and ends at a point. Labels: countable, uncountable 20. A faction of a political movement. Usually implies a position apart from the mainstream center position. Labels: countable, uncountable 21. An organizational grouping in a military aviation service: Labels: UK, countable, uncountable 22. An organizational grouping in a military aviation service: Labels: US, countable, uncountable 23. A panel of a car which encloses the wheel area, especially the front wheels. Labels: UK, countable, uncountable 24. A platform on either side of the bridge of a vessel, normally found in pairs. Labels: countable, uncountable 25. That part of the hold or orlop of a vessel which is nearest the sides. In a fleet, one of the extremities when the ships are drawn up in line, or when forming the two sides of a triangle. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: their ends may rest a little below the orlop-wing gratings 26. A position in several field games on either side of the field. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: Smith started the game in the centre of midfield, but moved to the wing after 30 minutes. 27. A player occupying such a position; a winger. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: The Tottenham wing was causing havoc down the right and when he broke past the bemused Sasa Balic once again, Bellamy was millimetres from connecting with his cross as the Liverpool striker hurled himself at the ball. 28. A háček. Labels: countable, informal, rare, uncountable Example: ˇ wing, wedge, hǎcek, inverted circumflex (Karel Čapek) 29. One of the unseen areas on the side of the stage in a theatre. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: The performers crowded breathlessly in the wings. 30. The insignia of a qualified pilot or aircrew member. Labels: countable, in-plural, uncountable Example: Anyone and everyone with wings - press officers, operations specialists, even General Curtis LeMay, commander of the U.S. Air Force in Europe - was put on flight duty and took turns flying double shifts for "Operation Vittles." 31. A portable shelter consisting of a fabric roof on a frame, like a tent without sides. Labels: countable, uncountable 32. On the enneagram, one of the two adjacent types to an enneatype that forms an individual's subtype of his or her enneatype. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: Tom's a 4 on the enneagram, with a 3 wing.