wide

Etymology

From Middle English wid, wyd, from Old English wīd (“wide, vast, broad, long; distant, far”), from Proto-Germanic *wīdaz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁weydʰh₁- (“to separate, divide”), a dissimilated univerbation from *dwi- (“apart, asunder, in two”) +‎ *dʰeh₁- (“to do, put, place”).

Cognate with Scots wyd, wid (“of great extent; vast”), West Frisian wiid (“broad; wide”), Dutch wijd (“wide; large; broad”), German weit (“far; wide; broad”), Danish vid (“wide”), Swedish vid (“wide”), Icelandic víður (“wide”), Latin dīvidō (“separate, sunder”), Latin vītō (“avoid, shun”). Related to widow.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA^(key): /waɪd/
• (General Australian, New Zealand) IPA^(key): /wɑed/

• Audio (US):

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• Audio (UK):

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• Audio (General Australian):

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• Rhymes: -aɪd

Adjective

wide (comparative wider or more wide, superlative widest or most wide)

1. Having a large physical extent from side to side.

   We walked down a wide corridor.

2. Large in scope.
   • 2013 July-August, Fenella Saunders, “Tiny Lenses See the Big Picture”, in American Scientist:

     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.

   The inquiry had a wide remit.

3. (sports) Operating at the side of the playing area.

   That team needs a decent wide player.

4. 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.

   • 1596 (date written; published 1633), Edmund Spenser, A Vewe of the Present State of Irelande […], Dublin: […] Societie of Stationers, […], →OCLC; republished as A View of the State of Ireland […] (Ancient Irish Histories), Dublin: […] Society of Stationers, […] Hibernia Press, […] [b]y John Morrison, 1809, →OCLC:

     Surely he shoots wide on the Bow-Hand.

   • 1656, Thomas Middleton, William Rowley, Philip Massinger, The Old Law:

     I was but two bows wide.

5. (phonetics, dated) Made, as a vowel, with a less tense, and more open and relaxed, condition of the organs in the mouth.
6. (Scotland, Northern England, now rare) Vast, great in extent, extensive.

   The wide, lifeless expanse.

7. (obsolete) Located some distance away; distant, far. [15th–19th c.]
   • 1748, [Samuel Richardson], “Letter LXXXI”, in Clarissa. Or, The History of a Young Lady: […], volume (please specify |volume=I to VII), London: […] S[amuel] Richardson;  […], →OCLC:

     Mr Hunt's house, you know, lies wide from Harlowe-place.

   • 1654, H[enry] Hammond, Of Fundamentals in a Notion Referring to Practise, London: […] J[ames] Flesher for Richard Royston, […], →OCLC:

     the contrary [being] so wide from the truth of Scripture and the attributes of God

8. (obsolete) Far from truth, propriety, necessity, etc.
   • 1644, J[ohn] M[ilton], The Doctrine or Discipline of Divorce: […], 2nd edition, London: [s.n.], →OCLC, book:

     And I trust anon by the help of an infallible guide, to perfect such Prutenic tables, as shall mend the astronomy of our wide expositors.

   • 1549 April 22 (Gregorian calendar), Hughe Latymer [i.e., Hugh Latimer], Augustine Bernher, compiler, “[27 Sermons Preached by the Ryght Reuerende Father in God and Constant Matir of Iesus Christe, Maister Hugh Latimer, […].] The Syxte Sermon of Maister Hugh Latymer, whiche He Preached before K. Edward [VI], the XII. Day of Aprill.”, in Certayn Godly Sermons, Made uppon the Lords Prayer, […], London: […] John Day, […], published 1562, →OCLC, folio 75, verso:

     But I tell you, it is farre wyde, that the people haue ſuche iudgmentes, the Byſhoppes they coulde laughe at it.

   • [1633], George Herbert, edited by [Nicholas Ferrar], The Temple. Sacred Poems, and Private Ejaculations, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: […] Thomas Buck and Roger Daniel; and are to be sold by Francis Green, […], →OCLC:

     How 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

10. (British, slang, only in "wide boy") Sharp-witted.
    • 1951, Josephine Tey, The Daughter of Time, page 31:

      But the first visitor to penetrate from the outside world proved to be Sergeant Williams; large and pink and scrubbed-looking; and for a little while Grant forgot about battles long ago and considered wide boys alive today.

Adverb

wide (comparative wider, superlative widest)

1. extensively

   He travelled far and wide.

2. completely

   He was wide awake.

3. away from or to one side of a given goal

   The arrow fell wide of the mark.

   A few shots were fired but they all went wide.

   • 2010 December 29, Sam Sheringham, “Liverpool 0 - 1 Wolverhampton”, in BBC‎:

     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.
   • 1594, William Shakespeare, Lucrece (First Quarto), London: […] Richard Field, for Iohn Harrison, […], →OCLC, line 359:

     And with his knee the dore he opens wide

Noun

wide (plural wides)

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

Anagrams

• Wied

Etymology

wīd +‎ -e

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈwiː.de/

Adverb

wīde

1. widely, afar, far and wide

   wīdfērende ― coming from afar