wide
UK: waɪd | US: waɪd
adj. covering a large area or range; broad in scope
adj. fully open or extended
adv. to a great extent; far
wide = wid<wide> + e (adjective suffix)
- wid<Old English "wīd," meaning "spacious, broad">
- e (a common adjectival suffix in Old English, now silent in modern spelling)
Etymology Origin:
The word "wide" traces back to Old English wīd, meaning "spacious" or "broad," derived from Proto-Germanic wīdaz. It shares roots with German weit and Dutch wijd. The silent -e at the end is a relic of Old English inflectional endings, which were later dropped in pronunciation but retained in spelling. The core idea of "expansion" or "lack of constraint" has persisted through its evolution.
The river was too wide to swim across.
She opened her eyes wide in surprise.
The company offers a wide range of products.
His interests span a wide variety of topics.
The door swung wide open during the storm.