wide receiver

American  

noun

Football.

• wide receivers
  plural

1. an offensive player positioned wide of the formation, as a split end, used primarily as a pass receiver.

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wide receiver British  

noun

1. American football a player whose function is to catch long passes from the quarterback

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• wide receivers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of wide receiver

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

wide receiver

Standout freshman wide receiver Trent Mosley, who racked up 13 catches, 255 yards, four receiving touchdowns and a punt-return touchdown in his first three games with USC, was listed as doubtful.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026

Rams coach Sean McVay confirms Aaron Donald will play Monday against the New York Giants, but star wide receiver Puka Nacua is listed as questionable.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026

The Vikings have had nine starting quarterbacks since Jefferson was named offensive player of the year for 2022, and the wide receiver looked back to his best.

From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026

In 2022 free agent NFL wide receiver Tyreek Hill joined the Miami Dolphins.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

Sir is our starting small forward and our number one wide receiver.

From "Boy21" by Matthew Quick