wide

a. [ Compar. Wider superl. Widest. ] [ OE. wid, wyde, AS. wīd; akin to OFries. & OS. wīd, D. wijd, G. weit, OHG. wīt, Icel. vīðr, 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

The chambers and the stables weren wyde. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

Wide is the gate . . . that leadeth to destruction. Matt. vii. 18. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

For sceptered cynics earth were far too wide a den. Byron. [ 1913 Webster ]

When the wide bloom, on earth that lies,
Seems of a brighter world than ours. Bryant. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Of large scope; comprehensive; liberal; broad; as, wide views; a wide understanding. [ 1913 Webster ]

Men of strongest head and widest culture. M. Arnold. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Remote; distant; far. [ 1913 Webster ]

The contrary being so wide from the truth of Scripture and the attributes of God. Hammond. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. Far from truth, from propriety, from necessity, or the like. “Our wide expositors.” Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

It is far wide that the people have such judgments. Latimer. [ 1913 Webster ]

How wide is all this long pretense ! Herbert. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. On one side or the other of the mark; too far side-wise from the mark, the wicket, the batsman, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

Surely he shoots wide on the bow hand. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

I was but two bows wide. Massinger. [ 1913 Webster ]

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 ē (ēve) is &ibreve_; (&ibreve_;ll); of ā (āte) is &ebreve_; (&ebreve_;nd), etc. See Guide to Pronunciation, § 13-15. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. ]

☞ 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

Far and wide. See under Far. --
Wide gauge. See the Note under Cauge, 6. [ 1913 Webster ]