† 1. Of, pertaining to, or resembling a wing or wings; wing-like. Obs.
1658. Sir T. Browne, Gard. Cyrus, iv. 66. The lower leaf [of leguminous plants] closely involving the rudimental Cod, and the alary or wingy divisions embracing or hanging over it.
1694. Addison, Ovid’s Met., II. Phaeton, 183. With wingy speed [they] outstrip the eastern wind.
2. Having wings, winged (poet.); having large or conspicuous wings (cf. leggy).
1596. [see 4].
1718. Rowe, trans. Lucan, V. 1029. If some rushing Storm the Journey cross, The wingy Leaders all are at a loss.
1757. Dyer, Fleece, I. 588. With tar Prevent the wingy swarm and scorching heat.
1892. ‘Michael Field,’ Sight & Song, 1. L’Indifférent. Watteau. The Louvre.
| He dances on; the world is his, | |
| The sunshine and his wingy hat. |
1918. [A. G. Gardiner], Leaves in Wind, 2. He was one of those wingy, nippy, intrepid insects that we call, vaguely, mosquitoes.
3. fig. Capable of ‘flight,’ soaring, aspiring; soaring out of reach, eluding grasp or comprehension.
1643. Sir T. Browne, Relig. Med., I. § 9. Those wingy mysteries in Divinity, and airy subtleties in Religion. Ibid., § 32. The noble Soule … Whose wingy nature ever doth aspire, To reach a place whence first it tooke its fire.
1678. Cudworth, Intell. Syst., I. v. 792. That this [etherial vehicle], being made Light, and Alate or Wingy, might no way hinder the Souls Ascent upward.
1760. Beattie, Ode to Hope, II. i. Youth’s gallant trophies … invite His wingy nerves to climb.
1855. Singleton, Æn., II. 1121. The phantom-form … a match For wanton winds, and likest wingy [orig. volucri] sleep.
4. Comb., as wingy-footed, -heeled adjs. (cf. wing-footed, WING sb. 21).
1596. Spenser, F. Q. (ed. 2), III. xii. 12. [Fear] fast away did fly, As ashes pale of hew, and wingyheeld [1590 winged heeld].
1716. Rowe, Ode for 1716, iii. 16. Wingy-footed was he Born.
1740. Somerville, Hobbinol, I. 304. Thus on the slacken’d Rope The wingy-footed Artist … Stands tott’ring.
