wire

wire1 [ `waır ] noun **

1. ) count or uncount a long thin piece of metal like a THREAD:

copper/steel/gold wire

The sticks were tied in bundles with wire.

a piece/length of wire

a coil/roll of wire

a ) only before noun made from wire:

glasses with wire frames

a wire fence/cage

wire netting/mesh/fencing

2. ) count or uncount a long thin piece of metal that carries electricity or telephone signals:

telephone wires

3. ) count INFORMAL a piece of electronic equipment that someone wears under their clothes to allow other people to hear their conversations secretly

4. ) count AMERICAN INFORMAL a TELEGRAM

get your wires crossed

if two people get their wires crossed, they become confused because they each think that the other one is talking about something else

(right) down to the wire INFORMAL

at the latest possible time

under the wire INFORMAL

just before the time when something ends or the time when it must be finished

wire

wire 2 [ `waır ] verb transitive

1. ) to connect a piece of electrical equipment to something, or connect the wires inside a piece of equipment:

The kids are taught how to wire a plug.

The patients are wired up to various machines for tests.

2. ) to join things together using wire:

Doctors will wire the sections of broken bone together.

3. ) to send money directly from one bank to another using an electronic system

a ) to send a TELEGRAM to someone

4. ) to hide a piece of equipment somewhere that allows conversations to be heard secretly