wing: see airfoil; airplane; flight.

Red Wing, city (1990 pop. 15,134), seat of Goodhue co., SE Minn., on the Mississippi River at the head of Lake Pepin; inc. 1857. It is a commercial and manufacturing center in the Hiawatha valley farm area. Farm products include grain, alfalfa, soybeans, livestock, and poultry. There is sunflower- and flax-processing; leather tanning; and the manufacture of soft drinks, bakery products, machinery, roller skating shoes, kitchen cabinets, and robotic systems. From 1836 to 1840, Red Wing was the site of a Swiss mission to Native Americans.

Pinero, Sir Arthur Wing, 1855-1934, English dramatist. He achieved initial success with farces, such as The Magistrate (1885), and sentimental comedies, such as Sweet Lavender (1888). However, with The Profligate (1889), he launched his career as a serious social dramatist. In 1893 the production of The Second Mrs. Tanqueray, his best-known work, raised protest because of its sympathetic portrayal of a woman with a questionable past. His later dramas include The Notorious Mrs. Ebbsmith (1895) and Mid-Channel (1909). All Pinero's plays are noted for their superb craftsmanship. He was knighted in 1909.

In zoology, one of the paired structures certain animals use for flying. Bat and bird wings are modifications of the vertebrate forelimb. In birds, the fingers are reduced and the forearm is lengthened. The primary flight feathers propel the bird forward, and the secondaries (on the upper wing) provide lift. Bat wings consist of a membrane stretched over slender, elongated arm and hand bones. Insect wings are folds of integument (“skin”). Most insects have two pairs of wings; dipterans (flies) have only one developed pair, and beetles have two but use only one for flying. The two wings on a side usually move together, but dragonfly wings work independently.

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(born Feb. 5, 1900, Los Angeles, Calif., U.S.—died July 14, 1965, London, Eng.) U.S. politician and diplomat. The grandson of a vice president of the U.S., he practiced law in Chicago from 1926. During World War II he was assistant to the secretary of the navy (1941–44) and to the secretary of state (1945). He served as a U.S. delegate to the UN (1946–47). As governor of Illinois (1949–53), he introduced liberal reforms. Noted for his eloquence and wit, he was twice the Democratic candidate for president (1952, 1956) but lost both times to Dwight D. Eisenhower. He later served as chief U.S. representative to the UN (1961–65).

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(born May 24, 1855, London, Eng.—died Nov. 23, 1934, London) British playwright. He entered the theatrical world as an actor with Henry Irving's theatre company. His first play, £200 a Year, was produced in 1877. He wrote a series of successful farces such as The Magistrate (1885) before turning to dramas of social issues. The Second Mrs. Tanqueray (1893), the first of his plays depicting women confronting their situation in society, established his reputation, and he followed it with works such as The Notorious Mrs. Ebbsmith (1895) and Trelawny of the “Wells” (1898), becoming the most successful playwright of his time.

Learn more about Pinero, Sir Arthur Wing with a free trial on Britannica.com.

(born May 24, 1855, London, Eng.—died Nov. 23, 1934, London) British playwright. He entered the theatrical world as an actor with Henry Irving's theatre company. His first play, £200 a Year, was produced in 1877. He wrote a series of successful farces such as The Magistrate (1885) before turning to dramas of social issues. The Second Mrs. Tanqueray (1893), the first of his plays depicting women confronting their situation in society, established his reputation, and he followed it with works such as The Notorious Mrs. Ebbsmith (1895) and Trelawny of the “Wells” (1898), becoming the most successful playwright of his time.

Learn more about Pinero, Sir Arthur Wing with a free trial on Britannica.com.