\ ˈwī(-ə)r
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Definition of wire
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a
: metal in the form of a usually very flexible thread or slender rod
b
: a thread or rod of such material
2a
: wirework
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
6
: fencing or a fence of usually barbed wire
7a
: the finish line of a race
b
: the final decisive moment (as of a contest)
the negotiations came down to the wire
8
: wirehair
under the wire
wire to wire
or from wire to wire
1
: at the finish line
2
: at the last moment
: from start to finish
led the race wire to wire
wire
verb
wired;
wiring
Definition of wire (Entry 2 of 2)
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
: to send a telegraphic message
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Other Words from wire
Noun
wirelike
\ ˈwī(-ə)r-ˌlīk
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adjective
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adjective
Verb
wirer
\ ˈwī(-ə)r-ər
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noun
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noun
Synonyms for wire
Synonyms: Noun
cable, cord, lace, lacing, line, rope, string
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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: Noun
Tall, copper-wire stools hug a semicircular hammered copper ledge; more comfortable seating comes courtesy of cherry-red banquettes. — Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, "Fueled by fire, Piccolina does a lot with a little (space)," 16 Aug. 2019 Continentals also know him from the London Olympics in 2012, when his performances as the capital’s buffoonish, zip-wire-riding cheerleader-in-chief caught the attention of the foreign press. — The Economist, "Eurocrats know Boris Johnson well, making no-deal Brexit more likely," 15 Aug. 2019 Its unique shape required the use of four redundant fly-by-wire systems to make the aircraft manageable. — Alex Hollings, Popular Mechanics, "Why the F-117 Nighthawk Is Such a Badass Plane," 12 Aug. 2019 From the outside, ATMosfera tram cars look just like the ones traversing Milan all day long: bounded by rails on the ground and overhead wires, the trolley-like machines are popular modes of transportation used by locals. — Anna Ben Yehuda Rahmanan, Fortune, "Ride and Eat in the First Rolling Restaurant in Italy," 10 Aug. 2019 Storms throughout the region on Wednesday had downed trees and wires, and caused thousands of households to lose power in Carroll County. — Catalina Righter, baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll, "Lightning strike caused basement fire in Winfield, Maryland fire marshal finds," 8 Aug. 2019 This means staying off corded phones, electrical appliances, wires, TV cables, computers, plumbing, metal doors and windows. — Fox News, "Toilet explodes in Florida home after lightning strikes septic tank," 6 Aug. 2019 For much of 2009 and 2010, Inga Geipel huddled over a series of computer monitors in a four- by four-meter chicken-wire cage along the rainforest of Barro Colorado Island. — Michael Waters, Smithsonian, "Bats Use Leaves as Mirrors to Locate and Catch Their Prey," 1 Aug. 2019 With 17 major league teams within at least four games of a playoff spot, and no potential for August waiver-wire maneuvers, this year’s deadline wars will not be won by the timid. — John Shipley, Twin Cities, "John Shipley: Fixing bullpen is imperative and Twins must be bold," 26 July 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Tired-but-wired campaign aides shuffled into the bar for a nightcap. — Washington Post, "‘Why do you look so familiar?’: In Detroit, presidential wannabes try to make themselves worth recognizing," 1 Aug. 2019 The documents allege Foley wired about $508,090 from the organization’s bank account to pay off his personal credit card, which included charges for personal expenses such as clothing, hotel rooms, groceries, gas and meals. — Morgan Greene, chicagotribune.com, "Former director of Children’s Heart Foundation charged with stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars," 30 July 2019 Domestic cats also display relatively modest genetic divergence from their ancestors, meaning their brains are probably still wired to think like a wildcat’s. — Lauren Robin Finka, Quartz, "How to stroke a cat, according to science," 23 July 2019 Frank loaned me a couple of solar panels and car batteries for my trailer and helped me wire them up. — Ted Conover, Harper's magazine, "The Last Frontier," 22 July 2019 Elmezayen collected more than $260,000 in insurance payouts for the deaths and wired more than $170,000 back to his native Egypt, prosecutors in the fraud case said. — Adrianna Rodriguez, USA TODAY, "Father charged with murder after driving two sons with severe autism off California pier," 19 July 2019 Elmezayen collected more than $260,000 in insurance payouts for the deaths and wired more than $170,000 back to his native Egypt, prosecutors in the fraud case said. — CBS News, "Dad who drove kids with autism off L.A. pier charged with murder," 18 July 2019 Elmezayen, who is Egyptian, collected more than $260,000 in insurance payouts for the deaths and wired most of the money back to Egypt, according to prosecutors in the fraud case. — Fox News, "California man charged with murder in drowning deaths of his 2 autistic sons, prosecutors say," 18 July 2019 These specialized functions have often been attributed to anatomy: one region might have greater or fewer neurons than the other, and those neurons might wire into different circuits. — Ryan Dalton, Scientific American, "Decoding the Language of Neurons," 2 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'wire.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.