Wide

Pronunciation

• IPA: /waɪd/
• Rhymes: -aɪd

Origin

From Middle English wid, wyd, from Old English wīd ("wide, vast, broad, long; distant, far"), from Proto-Germanic *wīdaz, from Proto-Indo-European *wī- ("apart, asunder, in two"), from Proto-Indo-European *weye- ("to drive, separate"). Cognate with Scots wyd, wid ("of great extent; vast"), West Frisian wiid ("broad; wide"), Dutch wijd ("wide; large; broad"), German weit ("far; wide; broad"), Swedish vid ("wide"), Icelandic víður ("wide"), Latin dīvidō ("separate, sunder"), Latin vītō ("avoid, shun"). Related to widow.

Full definition of wide

Adjective

1. Having a large physical extent from side to side.
   We walked down a wide corridor.
2. Large in scope.
• 2013, Fenella Saunders, Tiny Lenses See the Big Picture, The single-imaging optic of the mammalian eye offers some distinct visual advantages. Such lenses can take in photons from a wide range of angles, increasing light sensitivity. They also have high spatial resolution, resolving incoming images in minute detail.
3. The inquiry had a wide remit.
4. (sports) Operating at the side of the playing area.
   That team needs a decent wide player.
5. On one side or the other of the mark; too far sideways from the mark, the wicket, the batsman, etc.
   Too bad! That was a great passing-shot, but it's wide.
• SpenserSurely he shoots wide on the bow hand.
• MassingerI was but two bows wide.
6. (phonetics, dated) Made, as a vowel, with a less tense, and more open and relaxed, condition of the organs in the mouth.
7. Remote; distant; far.
• Hammondthe contrary being so wide from the truth of Scripture and the attributes of God
8. (obsolete) Far from truth, propriety, necessity, etc.
• Miltonour wide expositors
• LatimerIt is far wide that the people have such judgments.
• HerbertHow wide is all this long pretence!
9. (computing) Of or supporting a greater range of text characters than can fit into the traditional 8-bit representation.a wide character; a wide stream

Antonyms

• narrow (regarding empty area)
• thin (regarding occupied area)
• skinny (sometimes offensive, regarding body width)

Related terms

Adverb

1. extensivelyHe travelled far and wide.
2. completelyHe was wide awake.
3. away from a given goalThe arrow fell wide of the mark.
• 2010, December 29, Sam Sheringham, Liverpool 0 - 1 Wolverhampton, The Reds carved the first opening of the second period as Glen Johnson's pull-back found David Ngog but the Frenchman hooked wide from six yards.
4. So as to leave or have a great space between the sides; so as to form a large opening.

Noun

1. (cricket) A ball that passes so far from the batsman that the umpire deems it unplayable; the arm signal used by an umpire to signal a wide; the extra run added to the batting side's score----