often attributive
1
a
: metal in the form of a usually very flexible thread or slender rod
b
: a thread or rod of such material
2
a
: wirework
b
: the meshwork of parallel or woven wire on which the wet web of paper forms
3
: something (such as a thin plant stem) that is wirelike
4
wires plural
a
: a system of wires used to operate the puppets in a puppet show
b
: hidden influences controlling the action of a person or organization
5
a
: a line of wire for conducting electric current compare cord sense 3b
b
: a telephone or telegraph wire or system
especially
: wire service
6
: fencing or a fence of usually barbed wire
7
a
: the finish line of a race
b
: the final decisive moment (as of a contest)
the negotiations came down to the wire
8
: wirehair
wired; wiring
1
: to provide with wire : use wire on for a specific purpose
2
: to send or send word to by telegraph
3
: to connect by or as if by a wire
4
: to predispose, determine, or establish genetically or innately
controversy over the extent to which human violence is wired biologically
: to send a telegraphic message
Examples of wire in a Sentence
Noun
The flowers were bound together with thin wire.
There was a wire sticking out of the chair.
A telephone wire had fallen on the road during the storm.
A short black wire connects the computer's monitor to its keyboard.
The undercover officer wore a wire to her meeting with the drug dealer.
Verb
The house will be wired next week.
My room is wired for cable.
The microphone is wired to the speaker.
You can wire the generator to a car battery.
Her jaw was wired shut after the accident.
She wired the money home to Canada.
Can you wire me $300?
When you get in to town, wire me.
Recent Examples on the Web
Kelly Lambert, Discover Magazine, 14 Nov. 2024
The Remove tool has a drop-down menu that identifies wires and cables or people in the image that take attention away from your subject.
—PCMAG, 12 Nov. 2024
Stephen Ornes, Quanta Magazine, 8 Nov. 2024
Neuralink wired up its second brain implant patient, Alex, who has been using the chip to play video games and operate CAD software hands-free.
—New Atlas, 29 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for wire 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
After trial and error, my colleagues and I found that rats could learn to drive forward by grasping a small wire that acted like a gas pedal.
—Kelly Lambert, Discover Magazine, 14 Nov. 2024
The Remove tool has a drop-down menu that identifies wires and cables or people in the image that take attention away from your subject.
—PCMAG, 12 Nov. 2024
Verb
In tasks that require reasoning or, say, how to electrically wire a house, that dimension may be different.
—Stephen Ornes, Quanta Magazine, 8 Nov. 2024
Neuralink wired up its second brain implant patient, Alex, who has been using the chip to play video games and operate CAD software hands-free.
—New Atlas, 29 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for wire
Dictionary Entries Near wire
Cite this Entry
“Wire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wire. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
wire
1 of 2 noun1
a
: metal in the form of a usually flexible thread or slender rod
b
: a thread or rod of metal
2
3
a
: the finish line of a race
b
: the final moment
the game came down to the wire
wire
2 of 2 verb
wired; wiring
1
: to provide or equip with wire or electricity
wire a house
2
: to bind, string, or mount with wire
3
: to send or send word to by telegraph
wire me some money right away
Medical Definition
wire
noun
: metal thread or a rod used in surgery to suture soft tissue or transfix fractured bone and in orthodontic dentistry to position teeth
wire
transitive verb
wired; wiring
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