From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Wide \Wide\ (w[imac]d), a. [Compar. {Wider} (-[~e]r); superl.
{Widest}.] [OE. wid, wyde, AS. w[imac]d; akin to OFries. &
OS. w[imac]d, D. wijd, G. weit, OHG. w[imac]t, Icel.
v[imac][eth]r, Sw. & Dan. vid; of uncertain origin.]
1. Having considerable distance or extent between the sides;
spacious across; much extended in a direction at right
angles to that of length; not narrow; broad; as, wide
cloth; a wide table; a wide highway; a wide bed; a wide
hall or entry.
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The chambers and the stables weren wyde. --Chaucer.
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Wide is the gate . . . that leadeth to destruction.
--Matt. vii.
18.
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2. Having a great extent every way; extended; spacious;
broad; vast; extensive; as, a wide plain; the wide ocean;
a wide difference. "This wyde world." --Chaucer.
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For sceptered cynics earth were far too wide a den.
--Byron.
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When the wide bloom, on earth that lies,
Seems of a brighter world than ours. --Bryant.
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3. Of large scope; comprehensive; liberal; broad; as, wide
views; a wide understanding.
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Men of strongest head and widest culture. --M.
Arnold.
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4. Of a certain measure between the sides; measuring in a
direction at right angles to that of length; as, a table
three feet wide.
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5. Remote; distant; far.
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The contrary being so wide from the truth of
Scripture and the attributes of God. --Hammond.
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6. Far from truth, from propriety, from necessity, or the
like. "Our wide expositors." --Milton.
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It is far wide that the people have such judgments.
--Latimer.
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How wide is all this long pretense ! --Herbert.
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7. On one side or the other of the mark; too far side-wise
from the mark, the wicket, the batsman, etc.
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Surely he shoots wide on the bow hand. --Spenser.
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I was but two bows wide. --Massinger.
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8. (Phon.) Made, as a vowel, with a less tense, and more open
and relaxed, condition of the mouth organs; -- opposed to
primary as used by Mr. Bell, and to narrow as used by Mr.
Sweet. The effect, as explained by Mr. Bell, is due to the
relaxation or tension of the pharynx; as explained by Mr.
Sweet and others, it is due to the action of the tongue.
The wide of [=e] ([=e]ve) is [i^] ([i^]ll); of [=a]
([=a]te) is [e^] ([e^]nd), etc. See Guide to
Pronunciation, [sect] 13-15.
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9. (Stock Exchanges) Having or showing a wide difference
between the highest and lowest price, amount of supply,
etc.; as, a wide opening; wide prices, where the prices
bid and asked differ by several points.
[Webster 1913 Suppl.]
Note: Wide is often prefixed to words, esp. to participles
and participial adjectives, to form self-explaining
compounds; as, wide-beaming, wide-branched,
wide-chopped, wide-echoing, wide-extended,
wide-mouthed, wide-spread, wide-spreading, and the
like.
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{Far and wide}. See under {Far}.
{Wide gauge}. See the Note under {Cauge}, 6.
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