| 释义 |
wire
I. \ˈwī(ə)r, -īə\ noun
(-s)
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English wīr; akin to Old Norse vīravirki wirework, filigree, Old High German wiara fine gold, Latin viēre to twist together, plait, Greek iris rainbow; basic meaning: bend, turn
1.
a. : metal in the form of a usually very flexible thread or slender rod
b. : a thread or rod of such material — compare cord 3b
2. : the strings of a musical instrument; broadly : stringed instrument
3.
a. : wirework; especially : woven wire
< screen wire >
b. : the meshwork of parallel or woven wire on which the wet web of paper forms and is drained
4. : a wirelike thing (as a thin plant stem or a hair); specifically : bine, stolon 1a
< hop wires >
< strawberry wires >
5. usually wires plural
a. : a system of wires used to operate the puppets in a puppet show
b. : the network of hidden influences controlling the action of a person or organization
< pull the wires for office >
6.
a. : a line of wire for conducting electrical current — compare cord 3b
b.
(1) : a telegraph wire or cable
(2) : a telegraph system
< send a message by wire >
< the wires of Europe were hot with telegrams — C.E.Black & E.C.Helmreich >
(3) : telegram, cablegram
< send a wire >
< wire news >
c. : a telephone wire or system
< heard a familiar voice over the wire >
< as soon as she could get that man off the wire — F.M.Ford >
7. : a metal snare (as for rabbits)
8. Scotland : knitting needle
9. slang : pickpocket; especially : the member of a pickpocket team who picks the victim's pocket
10. : fencing or a fence of barbed wire
< a horse cut by wire >
< behind the wire of a prison stockade >
also : a barbed wire entanglement (as on a battlefield)
11. : wire rope
12. : a wire-haired dog
13. : a wire strung high between the winning posts between which the horses pass at the finish of a race
< finished a dismal last at the wire — F.M.Blunk >
broadly : the finish line of a race
< as the campaign goes down to the wire — Elmo Roper & Louis Harris >
14. : a wire on which acrobats perform
< wire act >
< wire walker >
— see high wire, slack wire, tightwire
15.
a. : a long rod or strip of metal with a smooth or cutting edge used in the formation of looped or cut pile in carpet weaving
b. : the fineness of carpets measured by the number of rows of tufts per inch
16. : metal thread or rod used in surgery to suture soft tissue or transfix fractured bone — compare tantalum gauze
17. : information surreptitiously or privately exchanged between gamblers (as by a signal)
18. : magnetic recording wire
•
- under the wire
- under wire
II. verb
(-ed/-ing/-s)
Etymology: Middle English wiren, from wire (I)
transitive verb
1. : to provide with wire : use wire on for any purpose : string, stiffen, or connect with wire
< wire corks in bottles >
< wire a skeleton >
< wire beads >
< wire a fence >
< wire a hat >
< wire a house for electricity >
< wire electric lights together >
2. : to snare by means of a wire
< wire a rabbit >
3. : to send or send word to by telegraph
< wire me the news >
4. : to place (a croquet ball) behind the wire of an arch thus preventing a successful shot
intransitive verb
: to send a telegraphic message
< wire home for money >
III. transitive verb
: to predispose, determine, or establish genetically or innately : hardwire herein
< the controversy over the extent to which human violence is wired biologically > |