wire

1. 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. 2

   A piece of such material; a thread or slender rod of metal, a cable.countableuncountable

3. 3

   A metal conductor that carries electricity.countableuncountable

   • That wire powers the lamp.
4. 4

   A fence made of usually barbed wire.countableuncountable

5. 5

   A finish line of a racetrack.countableuncountable

6. 6

   A telecommunication wire or cable.countableinformaluncountable

   • The episode began by a telephone ring in the morning and the voice of Algernon Mailey at the far end of the wire.
7. 7

   An electric telegraph; a telegram.broadlycountableuncountable

   • 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
   • “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
8. 8

   A hidden listening device on the person of an undercover operative for the purposes of obtaining incriminating spoken evidence.countableslanguncountable

9. 9

   A deadline or critical endpoint.countableinformaluncountable

   • This election is going to go right to the wire
10. 10

    A wire strung with beads and hung horizontally above or near the table which is used to keep score.countableuncountable

syn. score string

1. 1

   To fasten with wire, especially with reference to wine bottles, corks, or fencing.

   • We need to wire that hole in the fence.
2. 2

   To string on a wire.

   • wire beads
3. 3

   To equip with wires for use with electricity.

   • Do you know how to wire a plug?
4. 4

   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.
5. 5

   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.
6. 6

   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.
   • Like the fledgling scientist who tried to wire himself into the sisterly circle at Field Place, Prometheus joins the electric circuit formed by his "Fair sister nymphs," Panthea, Asia, ...
7. 7

   To set or predetermine (someone's personality or behaviour, or an organization's culture) in a particular way.figurativelypassiveusually

   • There's no use trying to get Sarah to be less excitable. That's just the way she's wired.
8. 8

   To send a message or monetary funds to another person through a telecommunications system, formerly predominantly by telegraph.ambitransitive

   • Urgent: please wire me another 100 pounds sterling.
   • The detective wired ahead, hoping that the fugitive would be caught at the railway station.
9. 9

   To make someone tense or psyched up. See also adjective wired.slang

   • Coffee late at night wires me good and proper.
10. 10

    To install eavesdropping equipment.slang

    • We wired the suspect's house.

syn. telegraph

ant. unwire