width

B2 Topic:Mathematics & Measurement

US /ˈwɪtθ/ See IPA manual

Freq #18700

Meanings

1

noun
How wide something is; the distance from one side to the other.

We measured the width of the room before buying the carpet.
2

noun
A piece of fabric measured across its narrower side.

She sewed two widths of cloth together to make the curtain.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · how wide something is; the... breadth

More broadnessthickness wideness

Opposites

length

Word family

Forms widths

Derived forms fixed-widthfull-widthhalf-widthoff-widthsemi-widthzero-width

Related forms breadth wide wideness

Etymology

PIE word *dwóh₁ From wide + -th (abstract nominal suffix), possibly by analogy with Old Norse vídd (“width”), though this is unlikely, as the word is not attested before the end of the 16th century and was historically unknown in Scots and the traditional dialect of Northern England, where one would expect Old Norse influence to be the strongest (these varieties traditionally employed wideness instead). Replaced Middle English wide, wyde (“width”).

Topics

Mathematics & Measurement

External links

# width

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈwɪtθ/
**Frequency rank:** 18700

## Meanings
1. How wide something is; the distance from one side to the other.
2. A piece of fabric measured across its narrower side.

## Examples
- We measured the width of the room before buying the carpet.
- She sewed two widths of cloth together to make the curtain.

## Synonyms
- broadness
- thickness
- wideness

## Antonyms
- length

## Derived Forms
- fixed-width
- full-width
- half-width
- off-width
- semi-width
- zero-width

## Related Forms
- breadth
- wide
- wideness

## Roots and Affixes
- Affix: -th - state

## Etymology
PIE word *dwóh₁ From wide + -th (abstract nominal suffix), possibly by analogy with Old Norse vídd (“width”), though this is unlikely, as the word is not attested before the end of the 16th century and was historically unknown in Scots and the traditional dialect of Northern England, where one would expect Old Norse influence to be the strongest (these varieties traditionally employed wideness instead). Replaced Middle English wide, wyde (“width”).

## AI Etymology
Width is from wide + -th (abstract nominal suffix), possibly by analogy with Old Norse vídd (“width”), though this is unlikely, as the word is not attested before the end of the 16th century and was historically unknown in Scots and the traditional dialect of Northern England, where one would expect Old Norse influence to be the strongest (these varieties traditionally employed wideness instead). Replaced Middle English wide, wyde (“width”). In present-day use, it can mean how wide something is; the distance from one side to the other, or a piece of fabric measured across its narrower side.

## Topics
- Mathematics & Measurement

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