noun
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the linear extent or measurement of something from side to side, usually being the shortest dimension or (for something fixed) the shortest horizontal dimension
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the state or fact of being wide
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a piece or section of something at its full extent from side to side
a width of cloth
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the distance across a rectangular swimming bath, as opposed to its length
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of width
Explanation
The noun width means the measurement of an object from one side to the other. The width of your twin bed is less than the width of your parents' queen-sized bed. When you're talking about the dimensions of something, specifically how wide it is, you're discussing its width. The width of your backyard might not lend itself to a full croquet court, but you can still play horseshoes back there. And the width of the streets in some Midwestern cities might surprise you if you're used to narrow New England roads. Before the word width gained popularity in the 1620s, people used the now less common wideness instead.
Vocabulary lists containing width
Geometry - Introductory
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Measurement and Data, List 2
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Geometry (Base List)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Width is 41 feet and length is 118 feet.
From Textbooks • May 6, 2020
Width means how far you extend your hands away from your chest.
From Golf Digest • Jan. 21, 2020
Width favors them, and it might just crack open the Socceroos’ bank vault of a defense.
From New York Times • Jun. 16, 2018
Share VideoLinkSubscribeRSSFacebookLinkedInTwitterGoogle+Embed Video close close Embed: video | show's latest Width: 336px | 222px Copy and paste the code below into your web page or blog.
From Forbes • Jan. 4, 2013
Width of nimbus, two and a half inches.
From Embroidery and Tapestry Weaving by Christie, Grace
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
