a part on the side of a bird, insect, or aircraft that lets it fly
The eagle spread its huge wings and soared over the valley.
A tiny ladybug dried its wet wings on a bright green leaf after the rain.
✦ Old English “wenge, winge” meaning “wing of a bird,” of Germanic origin.
a separate section added to the side of a larger building
The museum’s new modern wing displays contemporary art.
Visitors must cross a glass bridge to reach the east wing.
one side or faction within a larger political or social group
The party’s left wing argued for free college tuition.
Leaders from the right wing opposed the new tax.
a playing position near the side of a sports field or rink
The coach moved her to the right wing to use her speed.
He raced down the left wing and crossed the ball into the box.
to move quickly through the air, often in a graceful or purposeful way
The paper airplane winged across the classroom before landing on the teacher’s desk.
A snow-white dove winged toward the open window.
to throw or send something through the air very quickly
He winged the baseball to first base for the final out.
Without looking, she winged her keys onto the table.
to move smoothly back and forth or from side to side, often while hanging or turning from a fixed point
The lantern swung gently above the porch in the evening breeze.
She cradled the baby and swung him softly until he slept.
a lively style of jazz music with a strong, danceable rhythm, popular in the 1930s and 1940s
The jazz band played upbeat swing that made everyone dance.
He collects old swing records from the 1940s.
informal to manage to obtain, do, or afford something, often with effort or ingenuity
Can you swing two extra tickets for the concert?
We can't swing that kind of rent right now.
a picture made with lines on paper using a pencil, pen, charcoal, or similar tool
Emma framed her favorite drawing of a sunflower and hung it on the wall.
The museum displayed Leonardo da Vinci’s detailed drawing of a flying machine.
✦ From Middle English drawyng, from drawen (“to draw”) + –ing.
a competition in which winners are chosen by picking names or numbers randomly from a container
I entered a free drawing for a new bicycle at the fair.
The charity will announce the raffle drawing on Friday evening.
✦ Derived from the idea of ‘drawing’ a ticket or name out of a container.
