Meaning & use
wingspan
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
The distance from one wingtip to the other when a bird, insect, or aircraft has its wings fully spread.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a wingspan of 2 meters' or 'wingspans of up to 3 meters'.
Patterns
- a wingspan of X
- with a wingspan of X
- have a wingspan of X
The eagle has a wingspan of over two meters.
Butterflies in this family are known for their colorful wingspans.
The aircraft's wingspan was too wide for the hangar.
nouncountableinformalsport
In basketball, the distance between a player's outstretched fingertips when their arms are spread wide.
Grammar: Informal, used in sports commentary and scouting reports.
Patterns
- a wingspan of X
- measure someone's wingspan
Scouts were impressed by the rookie's long wingspan.
His wingspan helps him block shots and grab rebounds.
A player with a 7-foot wingspan can guard multiple positions.
Word forms
| plural | wingspans |
|---|
Common combinations
- a wingspan of
- The albatross has a wingspan of up to 3.5 meters.
- wide wingspan
- The glider's wide wingspan allows it to stay aloft for hours.
- measure the wingspan
- Scientists measure the wingspan to estimate the bird's age.
- long wingspan
- Dragonflies have a long wingspan relative to their body size.
Synonyms and how they differ
- span
- A more general word for the distance between two points; 'wingspan' is specific to wings.
Word family
Commonly confused: wingspan or wingspread?
wingspan vs wingspread
A less common synonym for 'wingspan', but 'wingspan' is the standard term in biology and aviation.
Practice
The bird has a ______ of nearly two meters.
Choose one answer.
The sentence needs a noun meaning the distance between wingtips, which is 'wingspan'. 'Wing' is a body part, not a measurement; 'winged' is an adjective; 'winging' is a verb form.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “wingspan”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.