wingspan
noun
wing·span
ˈwiŋ-ˌspan 
: the distance from the tip of one of a pair of wings to that of the other
also
: span sense 2c
Examples of wingspan in a Sentence
The hawk has a wingspan of about three feet.
a plane with a 200-foot wingspan
Recent Examples on the Web
Harrell features an impressive wingspan, and has room to add extra weight to his frame.
—
Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Apr. 2024
The twin-engine jets, which cost about $30 million apiece, weigh about 25 tons each, with a wingspan of 43 feet (13.1 meters) and a length of almost 64 feet (19.4 meters).
—Brad Lendon, CNN, 9 Apr. 2024
Nancy Caruso sat on an island in the North Pacific Ocean just inches from a Laysan albatross and watched as the large black-and-white sea bird with a 6.5-foot wingspan added grass to its nest to cover up a precious 4-inch white egg.
—Erika I. Ritchie, Orange County Register, 5 Feb. 2024
Soaring birds–such as condors, eagles, hawks, albatrosses, gulls, storks and gannets–generally rely on large wingspans and slotted feathers at the wingtip to keep them in flight with little flapping.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
The 13,000-pound behemoth, with a solar-array wingspan the length of a basketball court, is one of the agency’s most ambitious efforts.
—Ronald D. White, Los Angeles Times, 26 Feb. 2024
Earhart's Lockheed Vega 5B had a wingspan of about 41 feet and was 27.5 feet long, according to the Smithsonian Institution.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA TODAY, 1 Feb. 2024
The wingspan of these Late Cretaceous creatures, which were first discovered in Texas in the 1970s, may have been as many as 40 feet long — making the 67-million-year-old species the largest airborne predator to ever take flight.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 6 Dec. 2023
Furthermore, Williams has emerged as an improved defender this season, figuring out how to best leverage his 7-foot-2 wingspan and strong frame to defend all five positions on the floor.
—Nick Crain, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Apr. 2024
The twin-engine jets, which cost about $30 million apiece, weigh about 25 tons each, with a wingspan of 43 feet (13.1 meters) and a length of almost 64 feet (19.4 meters).
—Brad Lendon, CNN, 9 Apr. 2024
Nancy Caruso sat on an island in the North Pacific Ocean just inches from a Laysan albatross and watched as the large black-and-white sea bird with a 6.5-foot wingspan added grass to its nest to cover up a precious 4-inch white egg.
—Erika I. Ritchie, Orange County Register, 5 Feb. 2024
Soaring birds–such as condors, eagles, hawks, albatrosses, gulls, storks and gannets–generally rely on large wingspans and slotted feathers at the wingtip to keep them in flight with little flapping.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
The 13,000-pound behemoth, with a solar-array wingspan the length of a basketball court, is one of the agency’s most ambitious efforts.
—Ronald D. White, Los Angeles Times, 26 Feb. 2024
Earhart's Lockheed Vega 5B had a wingspan of about 41 feet and was 27.5 feet long, according to the Smithsonian Institution.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA TODAY, 1 Feb. 2024
The wingspan of these Late Cretaceous creatures, which were first discovered in Texas in the 1970s, may have been as many as 40 feet long — making the 67-million-year-old species the largest airborne predator to ever take flight.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 6 Dec. 2023
Furthermore, Williams has emerged as an improved defender this season, figuring out how to best leverage his 7-foot-2 wingspan and strong frame to defend all five positions on the floor.
—Nick Crain, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wingspan.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near wingspan
Cite this Entry
“Wingspan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wingspan. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
wingspan
noun
wing·span
ˈwiŋ-ˌspan
: the distance between the tips of a pair of wings (as of a bird or an airplane)
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share