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wire

wire

100 7.3
A short message sent by telegram
  • noun
  • /waɪər/
  • Archaic
: telegrama
  • There's nothing on the wire about an accident at Ventana.
  • a wire service
  • newspaper and wire
  • news wire

And then the third subsection deals with information transmission, news wires and informational materials.

Examples

  • She received a wire confirming her scholarship within a week.

  • We picked up a conversation on the police wire.

  • State and local press and wire services broke the story on 16 April 2002.

    Academic text (2005)
  • Something brief about the wreck came over the wire very late the night of the accident.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • I received your uncle's wire.

  • The news wire reported the earthquake shortly after it happened.

  • He checked the wire for updates about the upcoming election.

Synonyms

message
vswire
∞ 1.0

A short note or text someone sends to give information

is a specific telegraph dispatch rather than any general form of communication
mail
vswire
  • Texting
∞ 1.0

Messages sent or received over the internet

is an older electrical line dispatch sent via telegraph systems rather than internet
telegram
vswire
  • Archaic
79 6.9

A written message sent by telegraph before phones

is the historical short formal dispatch term for that same message
cable
vswire
  • Archaic
37 5.9

A message sent over a telegraph line to a distant place

is the general term for telegraph messages, not limited to overseas use
teletype
vswire
  • Archaic
2 7.6

A typed message sent and printed over long distances

is transmitted by telegraph systems rather than printed machine output
cablegram
vswire
  • Archaic
1 8.7

A message sent by telegraph across the sea to another country

is broader, covering telegraph messages sent by any route
letter telegram
vswire
  • Archaic
1 8.2

A cheaper written message sent abroad and delivered the next day

is the standard telegraph dispatch not limited to slower low cost delivery

Idioms

down to the wire
  • Informal
21 7.0

Not decided until the very last moment before a deadline

5 5.9

Reach a point where the result is not decided until the last moment

To continue until the last possible moment while the result is not known

At the last moment before time runs out

Compounds

51 3.4

Wire with sharp points used to stop people or animals from crossing

wire service
  • Literature
14 3.9

A company that collects news and sends it to newspapers or TV stations

11 6.1

A low wire that makes a trap, alarm, or camera go off when someone walks into it

9 3.4

A light, flexible wire mesh with small six-sided holes used to make fences for chickens and gardens

9 6.6

A tight rope high above the ground that acrobats walk on

8 2.6

A hand tool with two handles and sharp blades for cutting wire

A thin metal line that carries phone calls

live wire
  • Specialized
6 4.1

A wire that is carrying electric current and is dangerous to touch

piano wire
  • Specialized
4 5.6

A thin strong steel wire used for piano strings and to make springs

live wire
  • Informal
3 4.6

A person who is very lively and full of energy

telegraph wire
  • Archaic
2 4.8

A wire that carries messages or signals over long distances

baling wire
  • Specialized
2 4.5

A strong wire used to tie bales of hay or cotton

wire recorder
  • Archaic
1 9.8

An old machine that saves sound on thin metal wire and plays it back

guy wire
  • Specialized
1 6.3

A strong cable that holds things like a pole or tent by attaching it to the ground

1 4.6

A pad of fine steel fibers used to clean and smooth metal and other hard surfaces

trip wire
  • Jargon
1 8.4

A small military force placed to make other forces respond if it is attacked

A hand tool that removes the covering from electric wires

wire glass
  • Specialized
1 5.2

Glass with wire mesh inside that holds pieces if it breaks

wire cloth
  • Specialized
1 7.0

A woven metal mesh used for filters or screens

word on the wire
  • Informal
1 8.0

News people share that is not official, often as a rumor

wire gage
  • Specialized
1 6.9

A small tool for measuring how thick a wire is

wire gauge
  • Specialized
1 4.3

A tool for measuring the thickness of wire

A small dog with rough, stiff hair

conducting wire
  • Specialized
1 3.4

A thin metal line that carries electricity from one place to another

wire grass
  • Australian
1 8.2

A coarse one-year grass that has long thin flower spikes and often grows as a weed

wire-puller
  • Offensive
1 9.9

A person who secretly controls others to get what they want

cross wire
  • Specialized
1 7.7

Thin crossed lines in devices like a telescope or microscope that help you aim

1 7.2

A hardy North American grass that has stiff stems and pale brown leaves in autumn

wire printer
  • Archaic
1 4.4

A printer that makes letters from dots by striking paper with thin metal wires

A medium-sized hunting dog that points to birds, with rough outer fur and a soft undercoat

Malheur wire lettuce
  • Specialized
9.9

A rare flowering plant from Oregon that looks like mustard and is at risk

5.2

A machine that prints letters and numbers as small dots using thin wires that hit an ink ribbon

wire-guided torpedo
  • Specialized
8.6

An underwater weapon that moves by itself and is steered by a wire from the ship that fired it

A small energetic dog with rough, wiry fur and a bushy face

Surface Forms

wire singular
wires plural

Etymology

Wire meaning a telegram comes from sending messages over a telegraph 'wire', so a short urgent message was simply called a 'wire'.