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wingspan

/ˌwɪŋˈspæn/
/ˈwɪŋspæn/
IPA guide

Other forms: wingspans

To find a bird's wingspan, you need to measure the distance from the tip of one outstretched wing to the other. An eagle has a much larger wingspan than a sparrow.

Anything with two wings has a wingspan, which is one way to get a sense of its size. So birds and butterflies can be measured for wingspan, but so can airplanes. A flying squirrel can have a wingspan of over a foot, and some hummingbirds have wingspans that are barely over an inch. Sports commentators often mention the wingspan of basketball players — in this case, they're referring to the distance between a player's outstretched fingertips.

Definitions of wingspan
  1. noun
    linear distance between the extremities of an airfoil
    synonyms: wingspread
    see moresee less
    type of:
    distance, length
    size of the gap between two places
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