wing

American  

[wing] / wɪŋ /

noun

• wings
  plural

1. either of the two forelimbs of most birds and of bats, corresponding to the human arms, that are specialized for flight.

2. either of two corresponding parts in flightless birds, which may be rudimentary, as in certain ratite birds, or adapted for swimming, as in penguins.

3. one of the paired, thin, lateral extensions of the body wall of an insect, located on the mesothorax and the metathorax, by means of which it flies.

4. a similar structure with which gods, angels, demons, etc., are conceived to be provided for the purpose of flying.

5. Slang. an arm of a human being, especially a baseball player's pitching or throwing arm.

6. a means or instrument of flight, travel, or progress.

7. the act or manner of flying.

8. something resembling or likened to a bird's wing, as a vane or sail of a windmill.

9. Aeronautics.

   1. one of a pair of airfoils attached transversely to the fuselage of an aircraft and providing lift.

   2. both airfoils, taken collectively.

10. Architecture. a part of a building projecting on one side of, or subordinate to, a central or main part.

11. Furniture. either of two forward extensions of the sides of the back of an easy chair.

12. either of the two side portions of an army or fleet, usually called right wing and left wing, and distinguished from the center; flank units.

13. an administrative and tactical unit of the U.S. Air Force consisting of two or more groups, headquarters, and certain supporting and service units.

14. (in flight formation) noting a position to the side and just to the rear of another airplane.

15. Fortification. either of the longer sides of a crownwork, uniting it to the main work.

16. Sports. (in some team games) any one of the positions, or a player in such a position, on the far side of the center position, known as the left and right wings with reference to the direction of the opposite goal.

17. Theater.

    1. the platform or space on the right or left of the stage proper.

    2. wing flat.

18. Anatomy. an ala.

    the wings of the sphenoid.

19. Botany.

    1. any leaflike expansion, as of a samara.

    2. one of the two side petals of a papilionaceous flower.

20. either of the parts of a double door, screen, etc.

21. the feather of an arrow.

22. a faction within a political party, as at one extreme or the other.

    conflict between the right wing and the left wing.

23. Nautical. one of the far side areas of the hold of a merchant vessel.

24. British. a fender of an automobile, truck, bicycle, or other vehicle.

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verb (used with object)

• wings,
  present (3rd person singular)
• winged,
  past participle,  past
• winging
  present participle

1. to equip with wings.

2. to enable to fly, move rapidly, etc.; lend speed or celerity to.

3. to supply with a winglike part, a side structure, etc.

4. to transport on or as on wings.

5. to perform or accomplish by wings.

6. to traverse in flight.

7. to wound or disable in the wing.

   to wing a bird.

8. to wound (a person) in an arm or other nonvital part.

9. to bring down (as a flying bird) by a shot.

10. Informal. to throw; lob.

    He winged a ball through the neighbor's window.

11. to brush or clean with a wing.

12. Theater. to perform (a part, role, etc.) relying on prompters in the wings.

verb (used without object)

• wings,
  present (3rd person singular)
• winged,
  past participle,  past
• winging
  present participle

1. to travel on or as if on wings; fly; soar.

   They are winging to the coast.

idioms

1. take wing,

   1. to begin to fly; take to the air.

   2. to leave in haste; depart.

      Our resolutions to economize swiftly took wing.

2. wing it, to accomplish or execute something without sufficient preparation or experience; improvise.

   He had no time to study, so he had to wing it.

3. under one's wing, under one's protection, care, or patronage.

   She took the orphan under her wing.

4. on the wing,

   1. in flight, or flying.

      a bird on the wing.

   2. in motion; traveling; active.

      Scouts are on the wing in search of a new talent.

wing British  

/ wɪŋ /

noun

1. either of the modified forelimbs of a bird that are covered with large feathers and specialized for flight in most species

2. one of the organs of flight of an insect, consisting of a membranous outgrowth from the thorax containing a network of veins

3. either of the organs of flight in certain other animals, esp the forelimb of a bat

4. 1. a half of the main supporting surface on an aircraft, confined to one side of it

   2. the full span of the main supporting surface on both sides of an aircraft

   3. an aircraft designed as one complete wing

   4. a position in flight formation, just to the rear and to one side of an aircraft

5. 1. an organ or apparatus resembling a wing

   2. Technical name: ala.  anatomy any bodily structure resembling a wing

      the wings of a sphenoid bone

6. anything suggesting a wing in form, function, or position, such as a sail of a windmill or a ship

7. botany

   1. either of the lateral petals of a sweetpea or related flower

   2. any of various outgrowths of a plant part, esp the process on a wind-dispersed fruit or seed

8. a means or cause of flight or rapid motion; flight

   fear gave wings to his feet

9. the act or manner of flying

   a bird of strong wing

10. US and Canadian name: fender.  the part of a car body that surrounds the wheels

11. any affiliate of or subsidiary to a parent organization

12. sport

    1. either of the two sides of the pitch near the touchline

    2. a player stationed in such a position; winger

13. a faction or group within a political party or other organization See also left wing right wing

14. a part of a building that is subordinate to the main part

15. (plural) the space offstage to the right or left of the acting area in a theatre

16. ready to step in when needed

17. fortifications a side connecting the main fort and an outwork

18. a folding panel, as of a double door or a movable partition

19. either of the two pieces that project forwards from the sides of some chairbacks

20. the US name for quarterlight

21. a surface fitted to a racing car to produce aerodynamic download to hold it on the road at high speed

22. (plural) an insignia in the form of stylized wings worn by a qualified aircraft pilot

23. a tactical formation in some air forces, consisting of two or more squadrons

24. any of various flattened organs or extensions in lower animals, esp when used in locomotion

25. the side of a hold alongside a ship's hull

26. the outside angle of the cutting edge on the share and mouldboard of a plough

27. a jetty or dam for narrowing a channel of water

28. with only the slightest hope of succeeding

29. 1. flying

    2. travelling

    3. about to leave

30. 1. to lift off or fly away

    2. to depart in haste

    3. to become joyful

31. in one's care or tutelage

32. 1. to restrict someone's freedom

    2. to thwart someone's ambition

33. flying or as if flying

34. to make full use of one's abilities

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verb

1. (also intr) to make (one's way) swiftly on or as if on wings

2. to shoot or wound (a bird, person, etc) superficially, in the wing or arm, etc

3. to cause to fly or move swiftly

   to wing an arrow

4. to fit (an arrow) with a feather

5. to provide with wings

6. (of buildings, altars, etc) to provide with lateral extensions

7. informal to accomplish or perform something without full preparation or knowledge; improvise

wing Scientific  

/ wĭng /

1. One of a pair of specialized parts used for flying, as in birds, bats, or insects.

2. A thin, papery projection on certain fruits that are dispersed by the wind, such as the fruits of ash, elm, and maple trees.

3. See also samara

4. A part extending from the side of an aircraft, such as an airplane, having a curved upper surface that causes the pressure of air rushing over it to decrease, thereby providing lift.

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wing More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing wing

• clip someone's wings
• in the wings
• left wing
• on the wing
• take flight (wing)
• under someone's wing

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• outwing
  verb (used with object)
• winglike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• wings
  plural

Participles

• winging
  present
• winged
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• wing
  simple
• wings
  simple
• have winged
  perfect
• has winged
  perfect
• am winging
  progressive
• are winging
  progressive
• is winging
  progressive
• have been winging
  perfect progressive
• has been winging
  perfect progressive

Past

• winged
  simple
• had winged
  perfect
• was winging
  progressive
• were winging
  progressive
• had been winging
  perfect progressive

Future

• will wing
  simple
• will have winged
  perfect
• will be winging
  progressive
• will have been winging
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of wing

1125–75; Middle English wenge (plural noun) < Old Danish wingæ; compare Norwegian, Swedish vinge, Old Norse vǣngr

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

wing wings winged winging

Liverpool are already showing similar patterns under Iraola, especially on the left, where full-backs have pushed into the final third alongside Rio Ngumoha or Cody Gakpo on the left wing.

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

Ocasio-Cortez, widely known by her initials AOC, burst onto the national political scene with an upset congressional victory in 2018 and rapidly became a leading voice of the Democratic Party's left wing.

From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026

And one of the first players he took under his wing was sophomore cornerback Osiris Gilbert, a UConn transfer.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2026

And in 2018, one wing of the Nation Museum of Brazil in Rio de Janeiro burned down with the loss of many fossil specimens that were on display.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 7, 2026

“Perhaps he does, perhaps he does. But it would be a much bigger ‘bird’s wing on my hat’ if you won that scholarship.

From "Tiger Boy" by Mitali Perkins

Cartridges fixed on the aircraft's wings contain a substance that, when dispersed, sticks to cloud droplets, making them heavy enough to fall as rain.

From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026

Allen Moyer’s set used conveyer belts to slide furniture in from the wings; Greg Emetaz’s misty videos included projections of Orpheus and Eurydice, a subtext in the work.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026

Sometimes his friends would even dare him to tell a joke about buffalo wings, the kind of dares that can only be conceived by years of friendship.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

Social insects including bees rely on cooling behavior for example fanning their wings when things get too hot to buffer the hive but there are limits as to how effective this is in extreme heat.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026

But I’d know those deep black wings and forked tail anywhere.

From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila

Zendaya recently wore an enormous white winged creation from the label to the premiere of “The Odyssey,” styled by longtime collaborator Law Roach.

From Salon ● Aug. 9, 2026

The boy, who was not named in the report, swatted the bat off his face, after which his father caught the winged mammal in a pot and released it outside.

From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026

His attempts to strike out independently and build his own house fail spectacularly—the first in a storm of lightning and winged ants, the second in a foolhardy scheme to clear the surrounding brush with fire.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026

The country's official motto for 2026 is "Independent neutral Turkmenistan is the homeland of purposeful winged horses".

From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026

“I saw a movie that had this really cool winged leopard. It made me want to draw one like that.”

From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko

“They’re just kind of winging it and throwing a bunch of applications,” said Trey Chappell, director of College X-ing, a consultant.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

"The bottom line is, we've gone into great detail with them about the planning. We've described it to them. In fact, it's not just winging it," he told reporters after meeting lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

From Barron's ● Jan. 7, 2026

Most of my career has been winging it.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2025

"I don't really think I had a clue what I was doing. I was just winging it and hoping for the best."

From BBC ● May 30, 2025

Alicia yelled, winging Miel at Daniel and Zeke, who were tumbling through the air.

From "Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody" by Patrick Ness

Related Words

• arm
• branch
• circle
• faction
• group
• side
• unit