The Collaborative International Dictionary
Wide \Wide\ (w[imac]d), a. [Compar. Wider (-[~e]r); superl. Widest.] [OE. wid, wyde, AS. w[=i]d; akin to OFries. & OS. w[=i]d, D. wijd, G. weit, OHG. w[=i]t, Icel. v[=i][eth]r, Sw. & Dan. vid; of uncertain origin.]
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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.
The chambers and the stables weren wyde.
--Chaucer.Wide is the gate . . . that leadeth to destruction.
--Matt. vii. 18. -
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.For sceptered cynics earth were far too wide a den.
--Byron.When the wide bloom, on earth that lies, Seems of a brighter world than ours.
--Bryant. -
Of large scope; comprehensive; liberal; broad; as, wide views; a wide understanding.
Men of strongest head and widest culture.
--M. Arnold. Of a certain measure between the sides; measuring in a direction at right angles to that of length; as, a table three feet wide.
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Remote; distant; far.
The contrary being so wide from the truth of Scripture and the attributes of God.
--Hammond. -
Far from truth, from propriety, from necessity, or the like. ``Our wide expositors.''
--Milton.It is far wide that the people have such judgments.
--Latimer.How wide is all this long pretense !
--Herbert. -
On one side or the other of the mark; too far side-wise from the mark, the wicket, the batsman, etc.
Surely he shoots wide on the bow hand.
--Spenser.I was but two bows wide.
--Massinger. (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 [=e] ([=e]ve) is [i^] ([i^]ll); of [=a] ([=a]te) is [e^] ([e^]nd), etc. See Guide to Pronunciation, [sect] 13-15.
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(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.
Note: 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.
Far and wide. See under Far.
Wide gauge. See the Note under Cauge, 6.
Far \Far\, adv.
To a great extent or distance of space; widely; as, we are separated far from each other.
To a great distance in time from any point; remotely; as, he pushed his researches far into antiquity.
In great part; as, the day is far spent.
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In a great proportion; by many degrees; very much; deeply; greatly. Who can find a virtuous woman ? for her price is far above rubies. --Prov. xxxi. 10. As far as, to the extent, or degree, that. See As far as, under As. Far off.
At a great distance, absolutely or relatively.
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Distant in sympathy or affection; alienated. ``But now, in Christ Jesus, ye who some time were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.''
--Eph. ii. 13.Far other, different by a great degree; not the same; quite unlike.
--Pope.Far and near, at a distance and close by; throughout a whole region.
Far and wide, distantly and broadly; comprehensively. ``Far and wide his eye commands.''
--Milton.From far, from a great distance; from a remote place.
Note: Far often occurs in self-explaining compounds, such as far-extended, far-reaching, far-spread.
Wiktionary
adv. (context idiomatic English) Over a great distance or large area; nearly everywhere.
WordNet
adv. over great areas or distances; everywhere; "he traveled far and wide"; "the news spread far and wide"; "people came from far and near"; "searched for the child far and near" [syn: far and near]
Usage examples of "far and wide".
Beauty Smith was known far and wide as the weakest of weak-kneed and snivelling cowards.
Malfoy had already been visited in the hospital wing by Pansy Parkinson, who had lost no time in vilifying Harry far and wide, and Snape had told the staff precisely what had happened.
It was about this time, too, that Lincoln's fame as a story-teller began to spread far and wide.
Chickenstalker's far and wide, and never known but to its honest credit and its good report: when my widow's name stood over that door, Tugby, I knew him as a handsome, steady, manly, independent youth.
From its first published instalment it attracted attention far and wide.
They scattered far and wide over the country, and it was not till a week later that the last of the survivors gathered together in a lower valley and counted their losses.
He ranged far and wide, and slept but little in the lair that had now become cheerless and miserable.
To the right -- to the left -- far and wide -- with the shriek and the plunge of a damned spirit!
Wine had flowed alongside innumerable pots of tea and, as always, the conversation had ranged far and wide.
On a certain farm in Glamorganshire lived Rowli Pugh, who was known far and wide for his evil luck.
You see me now when my name has become known far and wide, and when I am generally recognized both by the public and by the official force as being a final court of appeal in doubtful cases.