spread one's wings

1. To try one's powers or capabilities
2. To increase the area of one's activities

wing¹ /wing/

noun

1. One of the arm-like limbs of a bird or bat that are adapted for flying
2. An insect's similar flying-organ
3. An animal organ resembling a wing
4. Any of various flat or projecting sections of a plant
5. One of the structures projecting from either side of an aircraft body, the plane of an aeroplane
6. Flight
7. Means of flying
8. Anything resembling a wing
9. A fan or vane
10. (usu in pl) a sail
11. A part of a building projecting from the central or main section
12. (usu in pl) the area at each side of a stage where performers wait to enter, out of sight of the audience
13. A piece of side scenery
14. Any of the corner sections of a motor-vehicle body, forming covers for the wheels
15. A similar part of a carriage
16. A side piece projecting forward from the back of an armchair
17. One of the longer sides of crownworks or hornworks (fortification)
18. The flank corps or division of an army on either side
19. The ships on either extremity of a fleet ranged in line
20. (a player on) either the extreme left or extreme right of the forward line in football, etc
21. Either edge of a football, etc pitch
22. A section of a political party or other body, with its own distinct views and character
23. A group of several squadrons in the Royal Air Force
24. (in pl) a qualified pilot's badge
25. Formerly, the badge of any member of an aircrew other than the pilot
26. A flock (of plovers)
27. (usu in pl) means or power of rapid movement, a sudden access of speed
28. Protection, as in under someone's wing

transitive verb

1. To provide or transport with wings
2. To lend speed to
3. To supply with side pieces
4. To bear in flight, to waft
5. To effect on wings
6. To traverse by flying
7. To wound in the wing
8. To wound superficially, esp in the arm or shoulder
9. To improvise one's way through (a speech or theatrical part that one has not fully rehearsed) (informal; see also wing it below)

intransitive verb

1. To soar on the wing
2. To move or travel with speed

winged /wingd or wingˈid/ adjective

1. Having wings
2. /wingd/ (of a stem) bearing the thin flattened bases of decurrent leaves, or (of a fruit or seed) having a flattened appendage
3. /wingd/ wounded in the wing, shoulder or arm
4. Swift
5. Lofty, sublime
6. (in winged words, rendering Homer's epea pteroenta) spoken, uttered, flying from one person to another
7. Full of flying birds (Milton)

wingˈedly adverb

On or by wings

wingˈer noun

1. A player in a position on the wing in football, etc
2. A pal, colleague or favourite (milit sl)

combining form

Denoting a person belonging to a particular side of centre in a party, etc (as in left-winger or right-winger)

wingˈless adjective

Without wings

wingˈlet noun

1. A small wing
2. A bastard wing (qv)
3. A winglike appendage
4. A small vertical wing attached to the tip of an aeroplane wing to improve lift

wingˈlike adjective

wingˈy adjective

1. Having, resembling or soaring on wings
2. Lofty

wingˈ-and-wingˈ adverb

In the condition of a ship sailing before the wind with the foresail at one side and the mainsail at the other

wing back noun (football)

In formations using three central defenders, a player positioned on the flank with a more attacking role than a conventional full back

wingˈbeat noun

A beat or flap of a bird's or insect's wing

wing case noun

The horny case or cover over the wings of some insects, such as the beetles

wing chair noun

A high-backed armchair with forward-projecting lugs

wing collar noun

A man's stiff collar, worn upright with the points turned down

wing commander noun

A Royal Air Force officer of the rank below group captain, corresponding in rank to a naval commander or to a lieutenant-colonel

winged bean noun

A legume orig from SE Asia (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus), of special value for its high protein content

winged bull noun

A common form in Assyrian sculpture, symbolic of domination

winged elm noun

An elm tree of N America, its young branches having corky projections

winged words see winged above.

wingˈ-footed adjective

1. Having wings attached to the feet (mythology, etc)
2. Fast-moving, swift (poetic)
3. Aliped (zoology)

wing forward noun (rugby)

One of the two outside players of the back row of the scrum, a flanker

wingˈ-ledˈ adjective (Shakespeare)

Prob led in wings or divisions

wing loading noun (aerodynamics)

The maximum flying weight of an aeroplane divided by the total area of the main planes, including the ailerons

wing mirror noun

A rear-view mirror projecting from the side of a vehicle

wing nut noun

A nut with flattened projections for easy turning by finger and thumb, a butterfly nut

wingˈover noun (aerobatics)

A turning manoeuvre in which an aircraft is rolled onto its side and the nose is allowed to fall

wing sheath noun

A wing case

wing shell noun

1. A mollusc of the genus Strombus
2. A mollusc of genus Malleus or a related genus, or its shell
3. A wing snail

wing shooting noun

The act or practice of shooting flying birds

wing shot noun

1. A shot at a bird on the wing
2. A marksman who shoots birds in flight

wingˈ-shot adjective

Shot in the wing, or while on the wing

wing snail noun

A swimming gastropod, the pteropod

wingˈspan or wingˈspread noun

The distance from tip to tip of a bird's extended wings, or of the wings of an aircraft

wingˈsuit noun

A suit worn by skydivers for gliding when in free fall, with fabric between the legs and between the arms and body

wing tip noun

1. The extremity of a wing
2. (US also wingˈtip) a brogue shoe in which the toecap extends backwards and to the sides, suggesting the shape of a bird with outstretched wings

wingˈ-walker noun

An acrobat who performs stunts on the wing of an airborne aeroplane

wingˈ-walking noun

birds of one wing (obsolete)

Birds of the same kind

flying wing see under fly

in the wings (informal)

Waiting in reserve

lend wings to

To give speed to

make or take wing

1. To begin flight
2. To depart

on a wing and a prayer

With no more than a slight hope of succeeding

on or upon the wing

1. Flying
2. In motion
3. Departing

on the wings of the wind

With the highest speed

on wings

Speedily

spread or stretch one's wings

To explore one's potential

under someone's wing

Under someone's protection

wing it (informal)

To extemporize in public speaking or ad-lib in a theatrical performance