mile-wide
UK[ˈmaɪlˌwaɪd]US[ˈmaɪlˌwaɪd]
adj
Measuring a mile in width; extremely wide.
adj
(figurative) Very broad or extensive in scope, but often lacking depth.
Morpheme Breakdown
mile
wide
mile
unit of distance
wide
broad
Etymology
The compound adjective 'mile-wide' is a transparent combination of two native English elements. The first element, 'mile', entered English via Latin, denoting a specific Roman measure of one thousand paces. The second element, 'wide', is a fundamental Germanic adjective describing physical breadth. When combined, they create a literal descriptor for something of immense, precisely quantified width. Over time, this concrete measurement evolved a figurative sense, often used in the phrase "a mile wide and an inch deep" to critique something that is broad in scope or appeal but superficial in substance, thus linking physical vastness to conceptual extensiveness without depth.
Analysis
Structure: mile (unit of distance) + wide (broad)
- mile: From Old English 'mīl', from Latin 'mīlia (passuum)' meaning "thousand (paces)". A unit of linear measurement.
- wide: From Old English 'wīd', meaning "spacious, broad, extensive". An adjective describing breadth.
Examples
They gazed across the mile-wide river, marveling at its powerful current.
The politician's appeal was mile-wide, but his policies lacked specific details.
The tornado left a mile-wide path of destruction through the farmland.