Wingtips
/ˈwɪŋˌtɪps/
nounB1plural
Definition
Wingtips mean the outer ends of wings, either on birds or airplanes. These parts help with flying and controlling direction. In fashion, wingtips are shoes with a special design on the front that looks like a bird’s wing.
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See It in Action
The outer ends of a wing on a bird or airplane
- •The airplane’s wingtips help reduce wind resistance.
- •Birds spread their wingtips to turn quickly in the sky.
- •Engineers design wingtips to improve flight safety.
A style of men's shoe with wing-shaped decoration on the toe
- •He wore classic brown wingtips to the wedding.
- •Wingtips are popular for formal and business shoes.
- •The shoes had small holes and patterns forming a wing shape on the front.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "wingtip" like "wing end" (A1 words) — it means the very tip or edge of a wing.
- ✓Picture a bird flying and see the small tips of its wings moving in the air.
- ✓Imagine wearing shoes with a design that looks like little wings on the toe part.
- ✓Sounds like "wing-tips" → imagine tiny tips or points at the end of wings or shoe fronts.
- ✓Remember cartoons where birds spread their wings wide, and you see the pointed ends clearly.
- ✓NOT like "wing" (the whole wing), "wingtip" is just the very end part.
- ✓NOT like "toe" (just a part of the foot), but "wingtip" in shoes means a decorative shape that looks like wings.
- ✓NOT like "plain shoes," wingtips have a special wing-like pattern on the front.
Try Other Words
- •Tip: the pointed or small end of something (Use when talking about any small end, less specific than wingtip)
- •Edge: the border or line where something ends (Use when emphasizing the border, not the shape)
- •Toe cap: the front part of a shoe (Use when talking about shoe parts without the wing design)
- •Winglet: a small wing-like part on airplanes (Use when talking about airplane wing extensions, more technical)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "wing" (the flying part of a bird or plane) + "tip" (the pointed end)
- •Etymology: English words combined to mean the tip or end of a wing
- •Historical development: Used first for birds and airplanes, later for shoe style because of the wing-shaped decoration
- •Modern usage: Common in aviation and fashion to describe wing ends and a shoe style with decorative wing shapes
Reflect & Connect
•How do wingtips on airplanes help with flying compared to the main wing?
•Why do you think shoe designers chose the word "wingtip" for this style of shoe?
Fill in the blanks
1.Airplane wingtips are designed to ___ wind resistance and improve fuel efficiency.
2.Birds spread their wingtips to ___ quickly and change direction in the air.
3.Unlike the whole wing, wingtips are only the ___ parts at the edges.
4.He polished his brown wingtips before the ___ to make them look shiny.
5.The wingtip design on shoes often includes small ___ that form a pattern.
6.Wingtips on airplanes are different from winglets because winglets are ___ extensions.
7.When you see wingtips on a bird, you can tell how it ___ its wings during flight.