A WIRE IS A FLEXIBLE STRAND OF METAL. WIRE IS COMMONLY FORMED BY DRAWING THE METAL THROUGH A HOLE IN A DIE OR DRAW PLATE. WIRE GAUGES COME IN VARIOUS STANDARD SIZES, AS EXPRESSED IN TERMS OF A GAUGE NUMBER.

WIRES ARE USED TO BEAR MECHANICAL LOADS, OFTEN IN THE FORM OF WIRE ROPE. IN ELECTRICITY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS SIGNALS, A “WIRE” CAN REFER TO AN ELECTRICAL CABLE, WHICH CAN CONTAIN A “SOLID CORE” OF A SINGLE WIRE OR SEPARATE STRANDS IN STRANDED OR BRAIDED FORMS.

USUALLY CYLINDRICAL IN GEOMETRY, WIRE CAN ALSO BE MADE IN SQUARE, HEXAGONAL, FLATTENED RECTANGULAR, OR OTHER CROSS-SECTIONS, EITHER FOR DECORATIVE PURPOSES, OR FOR TECHNICAL PURPOSES SUCH AS HIGH-EFFICIENCY VOICE COILS IN LOUDSPEAKERS. EDGE-WOUND COIL SPRINGS, SUCH AS THE SLINKY TOY, ARE MADE OF SPECIAL FLATTENED WIRE.[1]