wire
gb/wˈaɪɚ/ us/wˈaɪɚ/
A2
Inglés
~ 3000
Acepciones
0 acepciones
Sustantivo
A2
entity
1
Thin flexible strand of metal
A long, thin piece of metal that bends easily and can carry electricity.
Patrón de uso:
[something] made of wire
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes confuse 'wire' with 'cord' or 'rope', but 'wire' is always metal.
Sinónimos
cable (Thicker and usually made of multiple wires twisted together.)
Antónimos
cordless (Describes devices that do not require wires for operation.)
Colocaciones
electric wire
|barbed wire
|copper wire
|steel wire
|wire fence
Temas
technology
|construction
|daily life
|science
Ejemplos
- The electrician replaced the old copper wire.
- Barbed wire was stretched across the top of the fence.
- She twisted the ends of the wire together to secure the frame.
- The sculpture was made entirely from thin steel wire.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The lamp has a long wire.
- I cut the wire with scissors.
- The bird sat on a wire.
- We need more wire for the project.
Verbo
B1
action
2
Send money or info electronically
To send money or information using electronic systems.
Patrón de uso:
to wire [money/information] to [someone/somewhere]
Error frecuente:
Some learners think 'wire' always means physical wires; in this meaning it is about electronic transfer.
Sinónimos
transfer (General term for moving money or data; 'wire' implies electronic systems.)
Antónimos
withdraw (To take money out rather than sending it.)
Colocaciones
wire money
|wire funds
|wire payment
Temas
business
|technology
|finance
|communication
Ejemplos
- She wired the payment to his bank account.
- The company wired the funds immediately after signing the contract.
- He wired me the details of the meeting.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- I will wire the money to you.
- They wired the news to us quickly.
- She wired $500 to her family.
Sustantivo
B2
entity
3
Hidden listening device
A small device hidden on a person to secretly record what they say.
Patrón de uso:
to wear a wire
Error frecuente:
Learners may confuse 'wire' in this sense with normal electrical wire; here it means a secret recording device.
Sinónimos
bug (Informal term for any hidden listening device; 'wire' often refers to one worn on a person.)
Colocaciones
wear a wire
|plant a wire
Temas
law
|crime
|technology
Ejemplos
- The undercover agent was wearing a wire during the meeting.
- They planted a wire in the suspect's office.
- He refused to wear a wire against his friend.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The police gave him a wire to wear.
- She wore a wire to catch the thief.
- He put on a wire before talking to them.
Verbo
technical
B1
action
4
Connect with electrical wiring
To connect something with wires so electricity can flow.
Patrón de uso:
to wire [a building/device] for [purpose]
Sinónimos
connect (General term; 'wire' refers specifically to using wires for connection.)
Colocaciones
wire a house
|wire up a circuit
Temas
technology
|construction
|work
Ejemplos
- They wired the house for internet access.
- The technician wired the alarm system into the main power supply.
- We need to wire the new light fixture.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The man wired the new lamp.
- He wired the computer to the network.
- They wired the room for sound.
Gramática
Forma de diccionario
wire
AFI
GB/wˈaɪɚ/
US/wˈaɪɚ/
Sílabas y acento
wire (1 sílaba)
Stress on 1st syllable (wire)
Formas de la palabra
Noun
- Base: wire
- Plural: wire, wires
Verb
- Base: wire
- 3rd Person Singular: wires
- Present Participle: wiring
- Past: wired
Familia de palabras
Forms
wires
noun
wiring
verb
wired
verb
Negative and opposite forms
wireless
adjective A2
Expresiones
down to the wire
1/dˈaʊn tə ðə wˈaɪɚ/
idiom
informal
Until the very last moment
When something continues until the last possible moment before it ends or is decided.
Ejemplos
- The game went down to the wire, ending in overtime.
- Negotiations went down to the wire before an agreement was reached.
hard-wired
1/hˈɑɹd wˈaɪɚd/
fixed phrase
Built-in and fixed physically
Something that is built into a system or machine and cannot be changed without changing the hardware.
Ejemplos
- The smoke detector is hard-wired into the house's power supply.
- Some behaviors are hard-wired into our brains.
tripwire
1/tɹˈɪpwˌɚ/
fixed phrase
Wire that triggers action when touched
A thin wire that causes something to happen when someone touches or moves it, often used in traps or alarms.
Ejemplos
- The soldier spotted a tripwire across the path.
- A tripwire set off the alarm as soon as he entered.
wear a wire
1/wˈɛɹ ə wˈaɪɚ/
fixed phrase
Secretly record with hidden mic on body
To secretly record what people say by hiding a small microphone on your body.
Ejemplos
- The agent agreed to wear a wire to gather evidence.
- He was caught because his friend was wearing a wire.