Words are interesting; the way vocabulary develops, how it changes in practice and use and how communication evolves in time, all these features are fascinating.  Language is certainly a dynamic force.  Language use can identify a cultural shift and an epoch in which a style might have been in use. Even a little  phrase can indicate so many things.

For example, today a foreign student asked if I could help with her English, an interpretation of a phrase. The dictionary was not providing any kind of useful insight with the context in question. The text was about celebrating mothers' day.  A man had visited a flower shop and decided to ... wire his mother some flowers.

It is no surprise to me that the student could not find a contextual interpretation.

I thought more about the question afterwards.  It is a terminology of its time, moved out of its time and its original context,like so much of our vocabulary is.  In addition, the term used is American English.

Our vocabulary is rich in meanings. It's what gives our language the subtlety and varied nuances that it has. The noun, 'wire', is no different. Just to add to the richness, let us not forget that it has also been turned into an infinitive of a verb, 'to wire' which, takes us back to where the problem of comprehension started.