Longman Dictionary English

From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Related topics: Birds, Insects, Air, Buildings, Groupings, Sport, Motor vehicles
wingwing1 /wɪŋ/ ●●● S2 W2 noun [countable] 1 butterfly.jpg bird/insect a) HBBHBIone of the parts of a bird’s or insect’s body that it uses for flying a butterfly with beautiful markings on its wings The pheasant flapped its wings vigorously. b) the meat on the wing bone of a chicken, duck etc, eaten as food spicy chicken wings2 planeTTA one of the large flat parts that stick out from the side of a plane and help to keep it in the air3 buildingTBB one of the parts of a large building, especially one that sticks out from the main partnorth/east etc wing the east wing of the palace She works in the hospital’s maternity wing.4 politicsPPGPART a group of people within a political party or other organization who have a particular opinion or aim the moderate wing of the Republican Party → left-wing, right-wing5 sport a) DSa winger b) DSthe far left or right part of a sports field6 car British EnglishTTC the part of a car that is above a wheel SYN fender American English 7 → take somebody under your wing8 → (waiting/lurking) in the wings9 → the wings10 → on a wing and a prayer11 → be on the wing12 → take wing13 → get your wingsCOLLOCATIONSverbsflap its wings (=move them)The ducks woke up and flapped their wings.beat its wings (=move them in a regular way while flying)The female beats her wings as fast as 500 times a second.flutter its wings (=move them quickly)I heard some birds fluttering their wings outside the window.spread/open its wingsThe dragon spread its wings and gave an experimental flap.stretch its wings (=open them completely)The cage was so small the birds could not even stretch their wings.fold its wingsGannets fold their wings and plummet like an arrow into the sea to catch their prey.wings flapDusky wings flapped overhead.wings beatTheir great wings beat slowly.adjectivesoutstretchedThe eagle descended on outstretched wings.
Examples from the Corpus
wing• butterfly wings• We grilled things for them and fried wings.• Several times from wing to a desk at center stage he glanced out at the audience to acknowledge the applause.• He had wings on his feet he ran so fast.• The feather'd fowls have wings, to fly to other nations.• Some of these have wings and fly away to start new colonies of aphids on other plants.• They were members of the Marxist wing of the Socialist Party.• A set of wings was also introduced, said to have been designed by Jock Lewes.• The Tamil Tigers have had a political wing since 1976, but never registered it as a legal party.• The racist right wing staged their biggest demonstration yet in the main square.• a new children's wing at the hospital• the south wing of the Capitol• A process or an abstraction has to be caught on the wing.• The stair-well in this wing indicates an upper storey which presumably would have been much on the same plan.flapped ... wings• When he looked around, the wowhawk on her shoulder flapped its wings in his face.• The wowhawk flapped its wings desperately. ` Let go!north/east etc wing• It stretched away into the darkness towards the empty north wing.• These stones were removed when this monument was demolished and built in steps in the east wing of the villa.• Thus I found myself spending a good deal of time in the East Wing.• In the east wing of the hospital there was a linen store that was never used after about nine-thirty in the morning.• She was found by the caretaker, whimpering and exhausted on the ground floor of the east wing.• In the plans, the east wing next to SuperTarget carried a sign with the Gordmans logo.• The north wing with its range of rooms has more the appearance of a hostelry than a house.wingwing2 verb 1 [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] literaryTRAVEL to fly somewhere a flock of geese winging down the coastwing its/their way to/across etc something planes winging their way to exotic destinations2 → wing its/their way3 → wing it→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
wing• We watched pelicans winging down the coastline.• Really, I just wing it: no notes, no talking to witnesses.• She sent a silent message winging to the small room at the Admiralty.wing its/their way to/across etc something• A couple of sets of Scalar strings, courtesy of Selectron, will be winging their way to you soon!• His resignation was winging its way to Sheppards yesterday afternoon.• Photographs had winged their way across, and presents at Christmas and Easter, with Mammy's birthday a speciality.• Readers' original gardening tips Another batch of £50 cash prizes are winging their way to this month's top tipsters.• Within seventy minutes each plane has been unloaded, reloaded and winging its way to destination cities.
ldoceonline.com