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winglike

winglike

1 4.5
Something shaped like a wing or placed like one
  • adjective
  • /ˈwɪŋˌlaɪk/
translation icon : similar a un ala
  • The winglike solar panels flapped away, crisping into nothingness.
  • winglike flaps
  • winglike shoulders
  • winglike structures

Examples

  • She traces the winglike shoulder blade with her thumb, and it separates slightly so she feels its beveled underside.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • There were two winglike control surfaces projecting upward at thirty-degree angles on either side.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Something horrible and winglike flaps behind Jezzie's back.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • "Hallelujah," we exclaim as she unfolds her winglike shoulders.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • It touched one lady's hair with its winglike fin; the lady looked around but didn't see the fish, even though it was right next to her.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • Successive generations of paragliders, with winglike membranes that allow fliers to surf the winds, have long since rendered the older chutes obsolete.

    Academic text (2011)
  • The flowers grow in clusters, and on the front of each flower are two winglike sepals.

  • There were two winglike control surfaces projecting upward at thirty-degree angles on either side.

  • Aided by winglike appendages, the seeds are carried away by the wind.

Synonyms

wingy
vswinglike
1 8.8

Having wings or looking like wings, often in an odd and showy way

means resemblance in shape or position only, not quirky behavior
aliform
vswinglike
  • Specialized
9.9

Having a shape like a bird's wing

is the common general word for resembling a lateral projection in shape or position
alar
vswinglike
9.9

Shaped like a wing

is the ordinary term for general likeness in shape or position
alary
vswinglike
  • Specialized
9.9

Having parts like wings, as on insects or seeds

is a neutral way to note general resemblance in shape or placement
wing-shaped
vswinglike
3.3

Having the form of a bird's wing

highlights general similarity in shape or position rather than exact form

How Winged

winged
31 3.9
alar
9.9
winglike
1 4.5
wingless
2 3.5

Surface Forms

winglike positive

Morphology

winglike = wing (transparent) = wing + like

The adjective is a regular formation meaning 'resembling a wing', so its meaning is directly and predictably derived from 'wing' + '-like'.

Etymology

Winglike is formed from the simple word wing and the ending -like, where -like means 'similar to', so the word literally means 'similar to a wing'. Think of a thin, flat part or a small projection that sticks out like a bird's wing or an airplane's wing, and that image explains why we call shapes or parts 'winglike'.