Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Of or relating to wire.
  • adjective Resembling wire in form or quality, especially in stiffness.
  • adjective Sinewy and lean.
  • adjective Produced by or as if by wire being vibrated. Used of sounds.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Made of wire; in the form of wire.
  • Resembling wire; especially, tough and flexible; of persons, lean and sinewy.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Made of wire; like wire; drawn out like wire.
  • adjective Capable of endurance; tough; sinewy.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Thin, muscular and flexible.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective of hair that resembles wire in stiffness
  • adjective lean and sinewy
  • adjective of or relating to wire

Etymologies

Sorry, no etymologies found.

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word wiry.

Examples

  • The guy was medium height, not young, not old, too solid to be called wiry, too slight to be called heavy.

    The Hard War Child, Lee 2006

  • The guy was medium height, not young, not old, too solid to be called wiry, too slight to be called heavy.

    The Hard Way Child, Lee 2006

  • Her figure was one of the few that may correctly be termed wiry, but it was perfect.

    Observations of a Retired Veteran Tinsley, Henry C 1904

  • Her figure was one of the few that may correctly be termed wiry, but it was perfect.

    Observations of a Retired Veteran Henry C. Tinsley 1868

  • While stars such as Barry Hall have been ever-present in the powerful Swans teams that have featured in finals in the past six seasons, it was significant that the coach once labelled the wiry Irishman as the club's "most important player".

    AFL Latest News and Broadband 2009

  • When he had last seen the Archmage before that time before he had gone into training in the Way of the Sasenna -- the old man had had a kind of wiry strength for all his age.

    The Silent Tower Hambly, Barbara 1986

  • Jackie has a kind of wiry build to him so he's bringing a certain energy that I've always thought was appropriate for Freddy, just in his own physicality.

    MovieWeb: News 2010

  • Anytime it snows, the mountain guys get kind of wiry and the energy picks up.

    Vail Daily - Top Stories 2009

  • At Christmas, I jumped back several feet upon sighting his latest purchase displayed on the kitchen counter: An entire leg of acorn-fed Iberian ham—complete with a black hoof and wiry hairs springing off the ankle.

    A Fish Tale Katy McLaughlin 2012

  • Manny, old wiry old punk turned entrepreneur, came in late and left early.

    Donkey Dick Thomas Pluck 2011

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.