wing-tip
Meaning
The outer end of an aircraft's wing.
A style of shoe with a decorative toe cap that extends back along the sides, often with perforations.
Structure
Usage
The aircraft's wing-tip was fitted with a navigation light.
He wore a classic pair of brown leather wing-tips to the interview.
The bird's vibrant colors were most intense at the wing-tip.
Etymology
The compound noun "wing-tip" is a straightforward combination of two English words, "wing" and "tip," to denote the farthest extremity of a wing. Its primary application was in early aviation, literally describing the end of an aircraft's wing. This literal sense was later borrowed into fashion in the 1920s to describe a specific style of men's brogue shoe, where the decorative perforated leather pattern on the toe cap was thought to resemble the shape of a bird's wingtip when viewed from above. Thus, the term evolved from a purely functional description in engineering to a stylistic descriptor in sartorial design, maintaining a clear visual and conceptual link to its original, literal meaning.
Analysis
wing: Origin: Old Norse (vængr) via Middle English. Functional Role: The main noun, denoting the limb or part for flight. tip: Origin: Middle English (tip, tippe), of uncertain origin, possibly from Old Norse. Functional Role: Noun, denoting the extreme end or point of something.