Word.ws English Dictionary

wing

/wɪŋ/

More pronunciations (1)Fewer pronunciations

Midlands/ˈwɪŋɡ/

wing noun: an appendage of an animal's (bird, bat, insect) body that enables it to fly. Also the ellipsis of prison wing.

wing: an appendage of an animal's (bird, bat, insect) body that enables it to fly
Image: CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Noun

wing (countable and uncountable, plural wings)

  1. An appendage of an animal's (bird, bat, insect) body that enables it to fly.
    • The bird was flapping its wings
  2. A fin at the side of a ray or similar fish.
  3. (slang) Human arm.
  4. Part of an aircraft that produces the lift for rising into the air.
    • I took my seat on the plane, overlooking the wing.
  5. One of the large pectoral fins of a flying fish.
  6. One of the broad, thin, anterior lobes of the foot of a pteropod, used as an organ in swimming.
  7. Any membranaceous expansion, such as that along the sides of certain stems, or one of the bracts on a dragon fruit, or of a fruit of the kind called samara.
  8. Either of the two side petals of a papilionaceous flower.
  9. A side shoot of a tree or plant; a branch growing up by the side of another.
  10. Passage by flying; flight.
    • to take wing
    • Light thickens; and the crow / Makes wing to the rooky wood.c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount...
  11. Limb or instrument of flight; means of flight or of rapid motion.
    • Fiery expedition be my wing.c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and...
  12. A part of something that is lesser in size than the main body, and located at the side, such as an extension from the main building.
    • the west wing of the hospital
    • the wings of a corkscrew
Show 20 more meaningsShow fewer meanings
  1. (figuratively) Either of two similar parts of something.
    • Before going any farther on a wild goose chase I should advise you to verify the admitted American influence in the affair as connectible with Rigby Lacksome […]. Until that point is settled both wings of your deductions are purely in the air.1927, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], Max Carrados Mysteries
  2. One of the longer sides of crownworks or hornworks in fortification.
  3. Anything that agitates the air as a wing does, or is put in winglike motion by the action of the air, such as a fan or vane for winnowing grain, the vane or sail of a windmill, the sail of a ship, etc.
    • Fair ship, that from the Italian shore,
      ⁠Sailest the placid ocean-plains
      ⁠With my lost Arthur’s loved remains,
      Spread thy full wings, and waft him o’er.1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto IX”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC
  4. A protruding piece of material on a menstrual pad or diaper to hold it in place and prevent leakage.
    • It's a bit annoying but (like sanitary pads with wings) it's worth it if you want to stay extra secure.2017, Laura Bates, Girl Up, page 8
  5. An ornament worn on the shoulder; a small epaulet or shoulder knot.
  6. A cosmetic effect where eyeliner curves outward and ends at a point.
  7. A faction of a political movement. Usually implies a position apart from the mainstream center position.
  8. (UK) A unit of command consisting of two or more squadrons and itself being a sub-unit of a group or station.
  9. (US) A larger formation of two or more groups, which in turn control two or more squadrons.
  10. (UK) A panel of a car which encloses the wheel area, especially the front wheels.
    Synonyms:
    fender, guard
  11. A platform on either side of the bridge of a vessel, normally found in pairs.
  12. That part of the hold or orlop of a vessel which is nearest the sides. In a fleet, one of the extremities when the ships are drawn up in line, or when forming the two sides of a triangle.
    • their ends may rest a little below the orlop-wing gratings1864, William M. Brady, The Kedge-anchor
  13. A position in several field games on either side of the field.
    • Smith started the game in the centre of midfield, but moved to the wing after 30 minutes.
  14. A player occupying such a position; a winger.
    • The Tottenham wing was causing havoc down the right and when he broke past the bemused Sasa Balic once again, Bellamy was millimetres from connecting with his cross as the Liverpool striker hurled himself at the ball.2011 September 2, “Wales 2-1 Montenegro”, in BBC
  15. (informal, rare) A háček.
    • ˇ wing, wedge, hǎcek, inverted circumflex (Karel Čapek)1985, David Grambs, Literary Companion Dictionary, page 378
  16. One of the unseen areas on the side of the stage in a theatre.
    • The performers crowded breathlessly in the wings.1930, Norman Lindsay, Redheap, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, →OCLC, page 176
  17. (in plural) The insignia of a qualified pilot or aircrew member.
    • Anyone and everyone with wings - press officers, operations specialists, even General Curtis LeMay, commander of the U.S. Air Force in Europe - was put on flight duty and took turns flying double shifts for "Operation Vittles."2004, Chris Wallace, Character: Profiles in Presidential Courage
  18. A portable shelter consisting of a fabric roof on a frame, like a tent without sides.
  19. On the enneagram, one of the two adjacent types to an enneatype that forms an individual's subtype of his or her enneatype.
    • Tom's a 4 on the enneagram, with a 3 wing.
  20. (collective) A group of plover.
    • A wing of plover , followed by a pack of grouse , were too much for him - or rather , too much for me, for he left me to pursue them1893, Amelia E. Barr, The Beads of Tasmer, James Clark, page 86
    • Some sportsmen make no scruple about firing into the "thick" of a wing of plovers, and killing as many as they can: plovers being birds that are "here to-day, and gone to-morrow;" and they are so restless and wary, that but few shots can at any time of year be had at them.1860, Marksman (pseud.), The Dead Shot Or Sportsman's Complete Guide..., Longman, Green, Longman, and Roberts, page 290

Verb

wing (third-person singular simple present wings, present participle winging, simple past and past participle winged or (colloquial) wung)

  1. (transitive) To injure slightly (as with a gunshot), especially in the wing or arm.
  2. (intransitive) To fly.
    • Breezes blowing from beds of iris quickened her breath with their perfume; she saw the tufted lilacs sway in the wind, and the streamers of mauve-tinted wistaria swinging, all a-glisten with golden bees; she saw a crimson cardinal winging through the foliage, and amorous tanagers flashing like...1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, “Afterglow”, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC, page 168
    • Birds are winging, no rain is falling from a heavy sky1970, “Box of Rain”, in Robert Hunter (lyrics), Phil Lesh (music), American Beauty (LP record), performed by Grateful Dead
  3. (intransitive) To travel swiftly.
    • He had pulled up so expertly that the man escaped, so smoothly that not a passenger was jarred, and now he sat with a dazed and vacant expression on his face, leaning forward on his steering wheel, while caustic inquiry and retort winged unheeded up and down the line behind him.1923, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], “(please specify the page)”, in The Eyes of Max Carrados, London: Grant Richards, →OCLC
  4. (transitive) To add a wing (extra part) to.
  5. (transitive) To act or speak extemporaneously; to improvise; to wing it.
    • I lost all my notes I'd made, so was partially winging the meeting.
  6. (transitive) To throw.
  7. (transitive) To furnish with wings.
  8. (transitive) To transport with, or as if with, wings; to bear in flight, or speedily.
    • ⁠Deep folly! yet that this could be—
      ⁠That I could wing my will with might
      ⁠To leap the grades of life and light,
      And flash at once, my friend, to thee: […]1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto XL”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 62
  9. (transitive) To traverse by flying.

Proper noun capitalized: Wing

Wing

  1. A surname.
  2. A large village and civil parish in Buckinghamshire, England, previously in Aylesbury Vale district (OS grid ref SP8822).
  3. A village and civil parish in Rutland, England (OS grid ref SK8903).
  4. An unincorporated community in Covington County, Alabama, United States.
  5. A small town in Burleigh County, North Dakota, United States.

Also used as

wing is also the ellipsis of prison wing.

wing meaning in Hindi, Tamil, Marathi and Urdu

wing in Hindi

part of an animal
पंख paṅkh, पर par, पक्ष pakṣ, पर्ण parṇ

wing in Tamil

part of an animal
இறக்கை iṟakkai
part of an aircraft
இறக்கை iṟakkai
faction of a political movement
சாரி cāri

wing in Marathi

part of an animal
पंख paṅkha

wing in Urdu

part of an animal
پَنکْھ pankh
More languagesFewer languages
wing in Bengali
ডানা ḍana
wing in Telugu
రెక్క rekka
wing in Malayalam
ചിറക് ciṟakŭ, പക്ഷം pakṣaṁ
wing in Kannada
ರೆಕ್ಕೆ rekke
wing in Punjabi
ਪੰਖ paṅkh, ਪਰ par
wing in Gujarati
પીછા pīchā
wing in Odia
ଡେଣା ḍeṇā
wing in Sanskrit
पक्ष pakṣá, पर्ण parṇá
wing in Sinhala
පක්ෂය pakṣaya
wing in Assamese
ডেউকা deuka, পাখি pakhi
wing in Pashto
وزر wozzar
wing in Tagalog
pakpak
wing in Arabic
جَنَاح janāḥ, كَنَف kanaf, جناح genāḥ
wing in Malay
sayap, kepak
wing in Indonesian
sayap
wing in Persian
بَال bāl, بال bâl, پَر par
wing in Thai
ปีก bpìik
wing in Vietnamese
cánh
wing in Myanmar
အတောင် a.taung, တောင်ပံ taungpam
Dhivehi
ވަރަ vara

Examples of wing in a sentence

  • The right wing of the car met the column in the garage, leaving a dent.
  • I don't know their system, but I think I can wing it.
  • I didn't study for today's test, so I'll have to wing it.

All 40 example sentences with wing

Synonyms of wing

30 more synonymsFewer synonyms

All synonyms of wing

Forms of wing

Noun
pluralwings
alternative form (obsolete)weng
alternative form (obsolete)whing
alternative form (obsolete)wyng
Verb
third-person singular presentwings
present participlewinging
past participlewinged
pastwinged
past participle (colloquial)wung
past (colloquial)wung

Past tense of wing: winged

Plural of wing: wings

Origin of wing

From Middle English winge, wenge, from Old Norse vængr ("wing of a flying animal, wing of a building"; compare vængi (“ship's cabin”)), from Proto-Germanic *wēingijaz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂weh₁- (“to blow”), thus related to wind. Cognate with Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, and Swedish vinge (“wing”), Elfdalian waingg (“wing”), Faroese vongur (“wing”), Icelandic vængur (“wing”), Norwegian Nynorsk veng (“wing”). Replaced native Middle English fither (from Old English fiþre, from Proto-Germanic *fiþriją), which merged with Middle English fether (from Old English feþer, from Proto-Germanic *feþrō). More at feather.

Words formed from wing

Phrases with wing

78 more phrasesFewer phrases

Words that rhyme with wing

48 more rhymesFewer rhymes

Questions about wing

What does wing mean?
Wing means an appendage of an animal's (bird, bat, insect) body that enables it to fly.
What is wing in Hindi?
Wing in Hindi is पंख (paṅkh), पर (par), पक्ष (pakṣ). See Wing meaning in Hindi.
What part of speech is wing?
Wing can be a noun, a verb or a proper noun.
How do you pronounce wing?
Wing is pronounced /wɪŋ/ (UK).
What is the plural of wing?
The plural of wing is wings.

Words near wing in the dictionary

  1. Winfrees
  2. Winfrey
  3. Winfreys
  4. Winfrith Newburgh
  5. winful
  6. wing
  7. wing and prayer
  8. wing attack
  9. wing attacks
  10. wing back
  11. wing backs

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: wing (page history and authors); Wing (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated:

Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: en-us-wing.ogg, LL-Q1860 (eng)-Back ache-wing.wav.

Cite this entry: “wing.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/wing. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.