Wire Meaning
/waɪə(ɹ)/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounMetal formed into a thin, even thread, now usually by being drawn through a hole in a steel die.
nounA piece of such material; a thread or slender rod of metal, a cable.
Sentence Examples
The race went down to the wire.
If you touch that wire, you will receive a shock.
Bend the wire so that it forms a ‘V’.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The licensed electrician connected the copper ____ to the main circuit breaker.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
He used a piece of thin copper ____ to connect the different parts of the electrical and several circuit today.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English wir, wyr, from Old English wīr (“wire, metal thread, wire-ornament”), from Proto-Germanic *wīraz (“wire”), from Proto-Indo-European *weh₁iros (“a twist, thread, cord, wire”), from *weh₁y- (“to turn, twist, weave, plait”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"From the ground, Colombo’s port does not look like much. Those entering it are greeted by wire fences, walls dating back to colonial times and security posts. For mariners leaving the port after lonely nights on the high seas, the delights of the B52 Night Club and Stallion Pub lie a stumble away."
— 2013 June 8, “The new masters and commanders”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8839, page 52:
"Time is running out, so I renounce a spin on a Class 387 for a fast run to Paddington on another Class 800 - a shame as the weather was perfect for pictures. Even so, it's enjoyable - boy, can those trains shift under the wires."
— 2020 December 2, Paul Bigland, “My weirdest and wackiest Rover yet”, in Rail, page 68:
"The episode began by a telephone ring in the morning and the voice of Algernon Mailey at the far end of the wire."
— 1925 July – 1926 May, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “(please specify the chapter number)”, in The Land of Mist (eBook no. 0601351h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg Australia, published April 2019:
"Another letter. "Friedrichswerks, Hamburg, Germany. We beg to acknowledge receipt of order for fifteen thousand Robots." [Telephone rings.] Hello! This is the Central Office. Yes. Certainly. Well, send them a wire. Good. [Hangs up telephone.] Where did I leave off?"
— c. 1921 (date written), Karel Čapek, translated by Paul Selver, R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots): A Fantastic Melodrama […], Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 1923, →OCLC, Act 1:
"“Oh, hadn’t I told you?” the other said quickly. “I had a wire yesterday. He landed in New York Wednesday. It was such a mixed-up sort of message, I never could understand what he was trying to tell me, except that he would have to stay in New York for a week or so. It was over fifty words long.”"
— 1964 [1929], William Faulkner, Sartoris (The Collected Works of William Faulkner), London: Chatto & Windus, page 23:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The licensed electrician connected the copper ____ to the main circuit breaker.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
He used a piece of thin copper ____ to connect the different parts of the electrical and several circuit today.