wingspan

American  

[wing-span] / ˈwɪŋˌspæn /

noun

wingspans plural

1. the distance between the wing tips of an airplane.

2. wingspread.

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wingspan British  

/ ˈwɪŋˌspæn, ˈwɪŋˌsprɛd /

noun

1. the distance between the wing tips of an aircraft, bird, etc

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• wingspans
  plural

Etymology

Origin of wingspan

First recorded in 1915–20; wing + span ¹

Explanation

To find a bird's wingspan, you need to measure the distance from the tip of one outstretched wing to the other. An eagle has a much larger wingspan than a sparrow. Anything with two wings has a wingspan, which is one way to get a sense of its size. So birds and butterflies can be measured for wingspan, but so can airplanes. A flying squirrel can have a wingspan of over a foot, and some hummingbirds have wingspans that are barely over an inch. Sports commentators often mention the wingspan of basketball players — in this case, they're referring to the distance between a player's outstretched fingertips.

Example Sentences

The 6-foot-5 guard out of Baylor has a 7-foot wingspan and is the type of wing the Lakers had coveted in the draft.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 24, 2026

"The piece of its upper arm bone that we have is about 4 inches long, so the entire dinosaur probably had something like a four-foot wingspan, around the size of a barn owl."

From Science Daily • Jun. 23, 2026

When opponents are lucky enough to launch the ball over his 8-foot wingspan, they invariably miss.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 2, 2026

The BBC understands the drone - with a two-metre wingspan - had been tracked by radar approaching the base, time enough to sound the air raid warning and to get people out of harm's way.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

“Such maneuverability! How does the wingspan compensate for the weight of the horse’s body, I wonder?”

From "The Titan's Curse" by Rick Riordan