# wire

Pronunciation: US say "WYR" /ˈwaɪɚ/; UK say "WY-uh" /waɪə(ɹ)/

## Noun

1. A metal conductor that carries an electric current.
   - Simple: A thin strip of metal that carries electricity from place to place.
   - _Each wire in the bundle carries current to a different part of the machine._
   - _Electricians color-code the wires so they can tell them apart._
2. A single piece of metal drawn into a thread or slender rod, or a cable.
   - Simple: A thin thread or rod of metal, or a cable.
   - _The sculptor twisted a length of wire into the shape of a bird._
   - _Thin wires held the broken branch in place._
3. Metal in the form of a thin strand of uniform thickness, today generally made by pulling it through a hole in a steel die.
   - Simple: Metal pulled out into a thin, even thread.
   - _The factory draws steel into wire of many different thicknesses._
   - _Fine gold wire is soft enough to shape by hand._
6. A hidden listening device worn by an undercover agent to secretly record incriminating conversations. *(slang)*
   - Simple: A small hidden microphone someone wears to secretly record what others say.
   - _The detective fitted the witness with a wire before the sting operation._
   - _Suspects often pat down strangers, fearing a wire._
7. A cable or line used to carry telephone or telegraph communications. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: A cable or line that carries telephone or telegraph signals.
   - _The story came in over the wire late last night._
   - _Crews repaired the downed wires after the ice storm._
8. A barrier made of wire strands, usually barbed, used to enclose land or livestock.
   - Simple: A fence made of metal wire, often with sharp points.
   - _Prisoners were kept behind a double row of wire._
   - _The rancher mended the wire where the storm had flattened it._
10. A deadline, or the critical final moment by which something must be finished. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: The last moment before a deadline, when time is almost up.
   - _Negotiations went down to the wire before a deal was struck._
   - _She submitted her application at the wire, minutes before the cutoff._
11. The finish line of a racetrack, marking where a race is won.
   - Simple: The line at the end of a race that runners or horses must cross to finish.
   - _The favorite pulled ahead just before the wire._
   - _Photographers capture each horse as it hits the wire._
12. An electric telegraph, or a message sent over one; a telegram.
   - Simple: A message sent by telegraph, or the telegraph system itself.
   - _A wire arrived at dawn with orders to advance._
   - _He dictated a brief wire to the operator at the station._
13. Any of the wires used to work the puppets in a show; by extension, the hidden influences that control a person or organization.
   - Simple: One of the thin lines used to move a puppet, or hidden control over a person or group.
   - _A skilled hand on the wire can bring a wooden figure to life._
   - _Investors suspected someone was pulling the wires behind the sudden merger._
16. Clipping of wire service or newswire. *(colloquial)* — Clipping of wire service and/or newswire.
   - Simple: Short form of wire service. It is the news feed that sends stories to many newspapers at once.
   - _Reporters across the country picked the bulletin up off the wire within minutes._
   - _Much of the paper's foreign coverage now comes straight from the wire._
23. The slender, stiff shaft forming part of the plumage of certain birds.
   - Simple: The thin, stiff shaft of certain feathers found on some birds.
   - _The bird-of-paradise sweeps its slender wire through the air during courtship._
   - _Each ornamental wire emerges from the base of the tail feathers._
24. A horizontal line of beads strung above or beside a billiards table, used by players to keep score.
   - Simple: A line of beads strung above a billiards table, used to keep the score.
   - _After each frame, she pushed a marker along the wire to track the score._
   - _The old hall still had its scoring wire stretched above the table._
25. A covert signal passed between people who are cheating together in a card game. *(slang)*
   - Simple: A secret signal passed between people who are cheating in a card game.
   - _A subtle wire across the table told his partner to raise the bet._
   - _Casino security caught the pair trading a wire during the poker hand._
26. A slender metal rod used in knitting, equivalent to a knitting needle. *(dialectal, Scotland)*
   - Simple: A thin metal rod used for knitting.
   - _The pattern called for a finer wire than she usually owned._
   - _He sharpened the broken tip of his favorite wire._

## Verb

4. To fit with wires so that electricity can be supplied and used.
   - Simple: To put in the wires that bring electricity to a building or device.
   - _The contractor needs to wire the entire building before the walls go up._
   - _Volunteers wired the stage for lights and sound._
5. To send a message or money to another person through a telecommunications system, originally by telegraph.
   - Simple: To send a message or money to someone using a telegraph or similar system.
   - _The office will wire your payment as soon as the invoice clears._
   - _He wired a short message ahead to warn them of his arrival._
9. To shape a person's character or behavior, or an organization's culture, in a set and lasting way.
   - Simple: To shape someone's nature or a group's way of acting so it stays that way.
   - _Evolution may wire humans to fear sudden movements._
   - _The founder's caution wired the whole company to avoid risk._
14. To fasten or secure something with wire, as with corks on wine bottles or sections of fencing.
   - Simple: To hold or tie something in place using wire.
   - _Workers wire the champagne corks to hold back the pressure._
   - _She wired the loose fence panel back to the post._
15. To install hidden microphones or recording equipment in a place in order to secretly monitor conversations. *(slang)*
   - Simple: To secretly set up hidden equipment that records what people say.
   - _Investigators wanted to wire the warehouse before the next shipment arrived._
   - _Agents had already wired the car by the time he returned._
17. To thread or fasten objects onto a wire, arranging them along its length.
   - Simple: To put objects onto a wire by threading them along it.
   - _Florists often wire individual blooms to build a sturdy wreath._
   - _He wired the cranberries into a long garland for the tree._
18. To make a person tense, agitated, or highly keyed up, often with nervous, restless energy. *(slang)*
   - Simple: To make someone feel very tense, excited, or full of nervous energy.
   - _Energy drinks tend to wire him until well past midnight._
   - _The pre-game adrenaline had wired the entire team._
19. To add something into a system, especially an electrical one, by connecting it with wiring.
   - Simple: To connect something into an electrical system using wires.
   - _The contractor will wire the solar panels into the building's grid next week._
   - _Technicians wired the backup generator into the hospital's emergency circuits._
20. To embed someone or something so deeply into an organization or scene that they stay plugged in to its current information and remain fully involved.
   - Simple: To connect someone or something deeply into a group so they stay closely involved and well informed.
   - _Decades of favors let him wire himself into the state's political machine._
   - _She had wired her startup into the region's tech community by attending every event._
21. To connect or add something into a system as if by wires, for instance the way nerves are linked within the body.
   - Simple: To link something into a system as if by wires, like the way nerves connect in the body.
   - _As the embryo develops, growing nerve fibers wire each new muscle into the spinal cord._
   - _The transplanted neurons survived in the rats but were never properly wired into the surrounding circuits._
22. To trap or snare an animal by means of a wire or wires set as a noose.
   - Simple: To catch an animal using a loop or trap made of wire.
   - _Gamekeepers sometimes wire foxes that threaten the pheasant pens._
   - _The trapper had wired several rabbits before dawn._
27. In croquet, to position a ball so that a wicket's wire blocks an opponent's clear shot at it.
   - Simple: In croquet, to leave a ball blocked by a wicket so the other player cannot hit it.
   - _A skilled player can wire two balls at once with a single stroke._
   - _By careful placement she wired his ball against the upright._

## Noun

28. A pickpocket, particularly one who preys on women in crowds. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: A thief who steals from people's pockets, especially from women.
   - _A practiced wire drifted through the fairground, easing watches from coat pockets._
   - _Police warned that a notorious wire was working the railway platforms._

## Origin

From Middle English wir, from Old English wīr ("wire, metal thread, wire-ornament"), from Proto-Germanic *wīraz. This traces back to a Proto-Indo-European root *weh₁y- meaning "to turn, twist, weave, or plait."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/wire (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).