Transcription
-
- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
-
- [on, awn stressed th ee wing]
- /ɒn, ɔn stressed ði wɪŋ/
-
- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
-
- [on, awn stressed th ee wing]
- /ɒn, ɔn stressed ði wɪŋ/
Definitions of on the wing words
- noun on the wing either of the two forelimbs of most birds and of bats, corresponding to the human arms, that are specialized for flight. 1
- noun on the wing either of two corresponding parts in flightless birds, which may be rudimentary, as in certain ratite birds, or adapted for swimming, as in penguins. 1
- noun on the wing one of the paired, thin, lateral extensions of the body wall of an insect, located on the mesothorax and the metathorax, by means of which it flies. 1
- noun on the wing a similar structure with which gods, angels, demons, etc., are conceived to be provided for the purpose of flying. 1
- noun on the wing Slang. an arm of a human being, especially a baseball player's pitching or throwing arm. 1
- noun on the wing a means or instrument of flight, travel, or progress. 1
Information block about the term
Origin of on the wing
First appearance:
before 1125 One of the 6% oldest English words
1125-75; Middle English wenge (plural noun) < Old Danish wingæ; compare Norwegian, Swedish vinge, Old Norse vǣngr
Historical Comparancy
Parts of speech for On the wing
noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
on the wing popularity
A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 99% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".
on the wing usage trend in Literature
This diagram is provided by Google Ngram ViewerSynonyms for on the wing
adj on the wing
- aeronautical — Aeronautical means involving or relating to the design and construction of aeroplanes.
- airborne — If an aircraft is airborne, it is in the air and flying.
- avian — of, relating to, or resembling a bird
- flying — making flight or passing through the air; that flies: a flying insect; an unidentified flying object.
adverb on the wing
- aloft — Something that is aloft is in the air or off the ground.
adjective on the wing
- flapping — to swing or sway back and forth loosely, especially with noise: A loose shutter flapped outside the window.
- fluttering — Rapid back-and-forth waving or oscillation.
- gliding — to move smoothly and continuously along, as if without effort or resistance, as a flying bird, a boat, or a skater.
- hovering — Present participle of hover.
- waving — a disturbance on the surface of a liquid body, as the sea or a lake, in the form of a moving ridge or swell.
Antonyms for on the wing
See also
Matching words
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