wire

1 of 2

noun

often attributive
1
a
: metal in the form of a usually very flexible thread or slender rod
b
: a thread or rod of such material
2
a
b
: the meshwork of parallel or woven wire on which the wet web of paper forms
3
: something (such as a thin plant stem) that is wirelike
4
wires plural
a
: a system of wires used to operate the puppets in a puppet show
b
: hidden influences controlling the action of a person or organization
5
a
: a line of wire for conducting electric current compare cord sense 3b
b
: a telephone or telegraph wire or system
especially : wire service
6
: fencing or a fence of usually barbed wire
7
a
: the finish line of a race
b
: the final decisive moment (as of a contest)
the negotiations came down to the wire
8
wirelike adjective

wire

2 of 2

verb

wired; wiring

transitive verb

1
: to provide with wire : use wire on for a specific purpose
2
: to send or send word to by telegraph
3
: to connect by or as if by a wire
4
: to predispose, determine, or establish genetically or innately
controversy over the extent to which human violence is wired biologically

intransitive verb

: to send a telegraphic message
wirer noun
Phrases
under the wire
1
: at the finish line
2
: at the last moment
wire to wire or from wire to wire
: from start to finish
led the race wire to wire

Examples of wire in a Sentence

Noun The flowers were bound together with thin wire. There was a wire sticking out of the chair. A telephone wire had fallen on the road during the storm. A short black wire connects the computer's monitor to its keyboard. The undercover officer wore a wire to her meeting with the drug dealer. Verb The house will be wired next week. My room is wired for cable. The microphone is wired to the speaker. You can wire the generator to a car battery. Her jaw was wired shut after the accident. She wired the money home to Canada. Can you wire me $300? When you get in to town, wire me.
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Noun
Attach heavy-duty hooks to the frame of the window and brackets on the wall, or use durable picture wire to hang the frame. 04 of 10 Small Stained Glass Windows Contrary to most stained glass in religious buildings, stained glass windows in a home don't have to be large. Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Oct. 2024 The subway system still uses fragile loop cable wires that transmit data more slowly than a dial-up modem and limit the range of communication. Shawna Chen, Axios, 25 Oct. 2024
Verb
Nobel Prize-winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman, author of Thinking, Fast and Slow, explained that our brains are wired to focus on negative information. Margie Warrell, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024 The Ghosts of John Tanton The workers filtered out to the handful of Hispanic businesses near the Port of Terrebonne to buy tortillas for the weekend and to wire money home. Nicole Foy, ProPublica, 22 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for wire 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English wir, wyre, going back to Old English wīr, going back to Germanic *wīra-, whence Middle Low German wire "flexible metal, filigree," Old Norse vír-, in víravirki "filigree work," and (with presumed lowering of ī to ē2 before r) Old High German wiara, wiera "fine gold, ornament of gold filigree," going back to a nominal derivative with a suffix -r- from Indo-European *u̯ei̯H- "plait, wrap," whence Latin vieō, viēre "to plait, weave," Old Church Slavic poviti "to wrap up, bind," Lithuanian výti "to twist," and probably to Sanskrit vyayati "(it) covers, envelops," vīta- "covered, hidden"

Verb

Middle English *wiren (in past participle y-wyred), derivative of wyr, wire wire entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of wire was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near wire

Cite this Entry

“Wire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wire. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

wire

1 of 2 noun
1
a
: metal in the form of a usually flexible thread or slender rod
b
: a thread or rod of metal
2
a
: a line of wire for conducting electrical current
b
: a telephone or telegraph wire or system
3
a
: the finish line of a race
b
: the final moment
the game came down to the wire
wirelike adjective

wire

2 of 2 verb
wired; wiring
1
: to provide or equip with wire or electricity
wire a house
2
: to bind, string, or mount with wire
3
: to send or send word to by telegraph
wire me some money right away

Medical Definition

wire

noun
: metal thread or a rod used in surgery to suture soft tissue or transfix fractured bone and in orthodontic dentistry to position teeth
wire transitive verb
wired; wiring

More from Merriam-Webster on wire

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