English Explanatory Dictionary

width

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. The state of being wide.
  2. The measurement of the extent of something from side to side.
  3. A piece of material measured along its smaller dimension, especially fabric.
  4. The horizontal distance between a batsman and the ball as it passes him.
  5. The use of all the width of the pitch, from one side to the other.

Pronunciation

/ˈwɪtθ/ /ˈwɪdθ/ /ˈwɪθ/ [wɪd̪θ] en-us-width.ogg en-au-width.ogg

Word forms

width widths

Etymology

PIE word *dwóh₁ From wide + -th (abstract nominal suffix), possibly by analogy with Old Norse vídd (“width”), though this is unlikely, as the word is not attested before the end of the 16th century and was historically unknown in Scots and the traditional dialect of Northern England, where one would expect Old Norse influence to be the strongest (these varieties traditionally employed wideness instead). Replaced Middle English wide, wyde (“width”).

Synonyms

broadness thickness wideness width breadth

Antonyms

length

Related words

breadth wide wideness

Derived words

finger width fixed-width full-width half-width homogeneous width instrumental width narrow-width effect off-width semi-width track width width restriction zero-width zero-width space
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