wye

¹

[ wahy ]

noun

, plural wyes.

1. the letter Y, or something having a similar shape.
2. Electricity. a three-phase, Y -shaped circuit arrangement.
3. Railroads. a track arrangement with three switches and three legs for reversing the direction of a train.

Wye

²

[ wahy ]

noun

1. a river flowing from central Wales through SW England into the Severn estuary. 130 miles (210 km) long.

Wye

/ waɪ /

noun

1. a river in E Wales and W England, rising in Powys and flowing southeast into Herefordshire, then south to the Severn estuary. Length: 210 km (130 miles)

Word History and Origins

Origin of wye¹

First recorded in 1855–60; a spelling of the letter name

Example Sentences

The footbridge was built over the River Wye about 25 years ago, but locks first appeared in 2012.

From BBC

A section of the River Wye popular with wild-swimmers is to be granted official bathing water status in a Welsh government U-turn.

From BBC

Writer and journalist Oliver Bullough, part of the Friends of the River Wye campaign group, had spearheaded efforts to secure the designation from Welsh government.

From BBC

"The River Wye has seen a sharp decline in water quality owing to pollution, particularly from agriculture but also from sewage over the last 20 or so years," he said.

From BBC

Volunteers from the Friends of the River Wye had regularly visited The Warren over the summer of 2022 to record how many people were using the river.

From BBC