What does "wire" mean?
Metal formed into a thin, even thread, now usually by being drawn through a hole in a steel die.
Wire
/ˈwaɪɚ/ name, noun, verb, slang
name, noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Metal formed into a thin, even thread, now usually by being drawn through a hole in a steel die.
- Grammar: wire is listed as name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: telegraph, aluminum wire, armored cable, band.
- Useful contrasts: cable, disconnect, disconnect wires.
- Usage evidence: The race went down to the wire.
How to use "wire"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "wire" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "wire" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "wire" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "wire" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "wire" is acting as name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "telegraph" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "wire", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Metal formed into a thin, even thread, now usually by being drawn through a hole in a steel die. uncountable
"Holonyms: cable; wire rope; wiring harness; wire wool"
- 2 ligament made of metal and used to fasten things or make cages or fences etc wordnet
- 3 A piece of such material; a thread or slender rod of metal, a cable. countable, uncountable
- 4 a metal conductor that carries electricity over a distance wordnet
- 5 A metal conductor that carries electricity. countable, uncountable
"That wire powers the lamp."
Show 15 more definitions
- 6 a message transmitted by telegraph wordnet
- 7 A fence made of usually barbed wire. countable, uncountable
- 8 the finishing line on a racetrack wordnet
- 9 A finish line of a racetrack. countable, uncountable
- 10 A telecommunication wire or cable. countable, informal, uncountable
"The episode began by a telephone ring in the morning and the voice of Algernon Mailey at the far end of the wire."
- 11 An electric telegraph; a telegram. broadly, countable, uncountable
"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?"
- 12 A hidden listening device on the person of an undercover operative for the purposes of obtaining incriminating spoken evidence. countable, slang, uncountable
- 13 A deadline or critical endpoint. countable, informal, uncountable
"This election is going to go right to the wire"
- 14 A wire strung with beads and hung horizontally above or near the table which is used to keep score. countable, uncountable
- 15 Any of the system of wires used to operate the puppets in a puppet show; hence, the network of hidden influences controlling the action of a person or organization; strings. countable, plural-normally, uncountable
"to pull the wires for office"
- 16 A pickpocket, especially one who targets women. archaic, countable, uncountable
- 17 A covert signal sent between people cheating in a card game. countable, slang, uncountable
- 18 A knitting needle. Scotland, countable, uncountable
- 19 The slender shaft of the plumage of certain birds. countable, uncountable
- 20 Clipping of wire service and/or newswire. abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, countable, informal, uncountable
"Breaking news reports have just come in to us over the wire."
Verb
- 1 To fasten with wire, especially with reference to wine bottles, corks, or fencing.
"We need to wire that hole in the fence."
- 2 equip for use with electricity wordnet
- 3 To string on a wire.
"wire beads"
- 4 send cables, wires, or telegrams wordnet
- 5 To equip with wires for use with electricity.
"Do you know how to wire a plug?"
Show 12 more definitions
- 6 fasten with wire wordnet
- 7 To connect, embed, incorporate, or include (something) into (something else) by or as if by wires:; To add (something) into a system (especially an electrical system) by means of wiring.
"I'll just wire your camera to the computer screen."
- 8 string on a wire wordnet
- 9 To connect, embed, incorporate, or include (something) into (something else) by or as if by wires:; To add or connect (something) into a system as if with wires (for example, with nerves).
"There is an enormous neurological consequence to mechanorecptor dysfunction, which is related to how these cells are wired into the spinal cord."
- 10 provide with electrical circuits wordnet
- 11 To connect, embed, incorporate, or include (something) into (something else) by or as if by wires:; To connect, involve or embed (something) deeply or intimately into (something else, such as an organization or political scene), so that it is plugged in (to that thing) (“keeping up with current information about (the thing)”) or has insinuated itself into (the thing).
"He was the minority leader's political eyes and ears— nicknamed "the Electrician," due to all the intrigue and legislative shenanigans he was wired into."
- 12 To set or predetermine (someone's personality or behaviour, or an organization's culture) in a particular way. figuratively, passive, usually
"There's no use trying to get Sarah to be less excitable. That's just the way she's wired."
- 13 To send a message or monetary funds to another person through a telecommunications system, formerly predominantly by telegraph.
"Urgent: please wire me another 100 pounds sterling."
- 14 To make someone tense or psyched up. See also adjective wired. slang
"Coffee late at night wires me good and proper."
- 15 To install eavesdropping equipment. slang
"We wired the suspect's house."
- 16 To snare by means of a wire or wires.
- 17 To place (a ball) so that the wire of a wicket prevents a successful shot. transitive
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"The race went down to the wire."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "wire"?
Common synonyms include: telegraph, aluminum wire, armored cable, band, bandage, battery cable.
How do you use "wire" in a sentence?
The race went down to the wire.
How do you pronounce "wire"?
Pronounced /ˈwaɪɚ/.
Etymology
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”).