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• wind
  wind

  noun

  air in natural motion, as that moving horizontally at any velocity along the earth's surface.
• WInd
  WInd

  West Indian.

wind

¹ American  

[wind, wahynd, wind] / wɪnd, waɪnd, wɪnd /

noun

1. air in natural motion, as that moving horizontally at any velocity along the earth's surface.

   A gentle wind blew through the valley. High winds were forecast.

2. a gale; storm; hurricane.

3. any stream of air, as that produced by a bellows or fan.

4. air that is blown or forced to produce a musical sound in singing or playing an instrument.

5. wind instrument.

6. wind instruments collectively.

7. the winds, the members of an orchestra or band who play the wind instruments.

8. breath or breathing.

   to catch one's wind.

9. the power of breathing freely, as during continued exertion.

10. any influential force or trend.

    strong winds of public opinion.

11. a hint or intimation.

    to catch wind of a stock split.

12. air carrying an animal's odor or scent.

13. solar wind.

14. empty talk; mere words.

15. vanity; conceitedness.

16. gas generated in the stomach and intestines.

    Synonyms:

    flatulence

17. Boxing Slang. the pit of the stomach where a blow may cause a temporary shortness of breath; solar plexus.

18. any direction of the compass.

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verb (used with object)

1. to expose to wind or air.

2. to follow by the scent.

3. to make short of wind or breath, as by vigorous exercise.

4. to let recover breath, as by resting after exertion.

verb (used without object)

1. to catch the scent or odor of game.

idioms

1. break wind, to expel gas from the stomach and bowels through the anus.

2. between wind and water,

   1. (of a ship) at or near the water line.

   2. in a vulnerable or precarious spot.

      In her profession one is always between wind and water.

3. take the wind out of one's sails, to surprise someone, especially with unpleasant news; stun; shock; flabbergast.

   She took the wind out of his sails when she announced she was marrying someone else.

4. how the wind blows / lies, what the tendency or probability is: Also which way the wind blows

   Try to find out how the wind blows.

5. on the wind, as close as possible to the wind. Also on a wind

6. in the teeth of the wind, sailing directly into the wind; against the wind. Also in the eye of the wind, in the wind's eye

7. sail close to the wind,

   1. Also sail close on a wind to sail as nearly as possible in the direction from which the wind is blowing.

   2. to practice economy in the management of one's affairs.

   3. to verge on a breach of propriety or decency.

   4. to escape (punishment, detection, etc.) by a narrow margin; take a risk.

8. in the wind, about to occur; imminent; impending.

   There's good news in the wind.

9. off the wind,

   1. away from the wind; with the wind at one's back.

   2. (of a sailing vessel) headed into the wind with sails shaking or aback.

10. throw / cast something to the wind(s), to dispense with or relinquish something characteristic of one’s habits or behavior in favor of something uncharacteristic, regardless of the possible consequences.

    I decided to throw caution to the wind and quit my job to become a full-time writer.

wind ² American  

[wahynd] / waɪnd /

verb (used without object)

wound, winded, winding

1. to change direction; bend; turn; take a frequently bending course; meander.

   The river winds through the forest.

2. to have a circular or spiral course or direction.

3. to coil or twine about something.

   The ivy winds around the house.

4. to proceed circuitously or indirectly.

5. to undergo winding or winding up.

6. to be twisted or warped, as a board.

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verb (used with object)

wound, winded, winding

1. to encircle or wreathe, as with something twined, wrapped, or placed about.

2. to roll or coil (thread, string, etc.) into a ball, on a spool, or the like (often followed byup ).

3. to remove or take off by unwinding (usually followed by off orfrom ).

   She wound the thread off the bobbin.

4. to twine, fold, wrap, or place about something.

5. to make (a mechanism) operational by tightening the mainspring with a key (often followed byup ).

   to wind a clock; to wind up a toy.

6. to haul or hoist by means of a winch, windlass, or the like (often followed byup ).

7. to make (one's or its way) in a bending or curving course.

   The stream winds its way through the woods.

8. to make (one's or its way) by indirect, stealthy, or devious procedure.

   to wind one's way into another's confidence.

noun

1. the act of winding.

2. a single turn, twist, or bend of something wound.

   If you give it another wind, you'll break the mainspring.

3. a twist producing an uneven surface.

verb phrase

1. wind up

   1. to bring to a state of great tension; excite (usually used in the past participle).

      He was all wound up before the game.

   2. to bring or come to an end; conclude.

      to wind up a sales campaign.

   3. to settle or arrange in order to conclude.

      to wind up one's affairs.

   4. to become ultimately.

      to wind up as a country schoolteacher.

   5. Baseball. (of a pitcher) to execute a windup.

2. wind down

   1. to lessen in intensity so as to bring or come to a gradual end.

      The war is winding down.

   2. to calm down; relax.

      He's too excited tonight to wind down and sleep.

idioms

1. out of wind, (of boards, plasterwork, etc.) flat and true.

wind ³ American  

[wahynd, wind] / waɪnd, wɪnd /

verb (used with object)

winded, wound, winding

1. to blow (a horn, a blast, etc.).

2. to sound by blowing.

3. to signal or direct by blasts of the horn or the like.

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WInd ⁴ American  

Or W.Ind.

1. West Indian.

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wind ¹ British  

/ waɪnd /

verb

1. to turn or coil (string, cotton, etc) around some object or point or (of string, etc) to be turned etc, around some object or point

   he wound a scarf around his head

2. (tr) to twine, cover, or wreathe by or as if by coiling, wrapping, etc; encircle

   we wound the body in a shroud

3. to tighten the spring of (a clockwork mechanism)

4. to remove by uncoiling or unwinding

5. (usually intr) to move or cause to move in a sinuous, spiral, or circular course

   the river winds through the hills

6. (tr) to introduce indirectly or deviously

   he is winding his own opinions into the report

7. (tr) to cause to twist or revolve

   he wound the handle

8. (tr; usually foll by up or down) to move by cranking

   please wind up the window

9. (tr) to haul, lift, or hoist (a weight, etc) by means of a wind or windlass

10. (intr) (of a board, etc) to be warped or twisted

11. archaic (intr) to proceed deviously or indirectly

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noun

1. the act of winding or state of being wound

2. a single turn, bend, etc

   a wind in the river

3. Also called: winding.  a twist in a board or plank

wind ² British  

/ wɪnd /

noun

1. a current of air, sometimes of considerable force, moving generally horizontally from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure See also Beaufort scale

2. poetic the direction from which a wind blows, usually a cardinal point of the compass

3. air artificially moved, as by a fan, pump, etc

4. any sweeping and destructive force

5. a trend, tendency, or force

   the winds of revolution

6. informal a hint; suggestion

   we got wind that you were coming

7. something deemed insubstantial

   his talk was all wind

8. breath, as used in respiration or talk

   you're just wasting wind

9. (often used in sports) the power to breathe normally See also second wind

   his wind is weak

10. music

    1. a wind instrument or wind instruments considered collectively

    2. (often plural) the musicians who play wind instruments in an orchestra

    3. (modifier) of, relating to, or composed of wind instruments

       a wind ensemble

11. an informal name for flatus

12. the air on which the scent of an animal is carried to hounds or on which the scent of a hunter is carried to his quarry

13. 1. the part of a vessel's hull below the water line that is exposed by rolling or by wave action

    2. any point particularly susceptible to attack or injury

14. to release intestinal gas through the anus

15. informal to become frightened

16. to be in the act of following (quarry) by scent

17. what appears probable

18. about to happen

19. informal intoxicated; drunk

20. directly into the wind

21. against the wind or upwind

22. nautical away from the direction from which the wind is blowing

23. nautical as near as possible to the direction from which the wind is blowing

24. informal to frighten or alarm

25. informal to obtain the necessary funds

26. 1. to come near the limits of danger or indecency

    2. to live frugally or manage one's affairs economically

27. to destroy someone's advantage; disconcert or deflate

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verb

1. to cause (someone) to be short of breath

   the blow winded him

2. 1. to detect the scent of

   2. to pursue (quarry) by following its scent

3. to cause (a baby) to bring up wind after feeding by patting or rubbing on the back

4. to expose to air, as in drying, ventilating, etc

wind ³ British  

/ waɪnd /

verb

1. poetic (tr) to blow (a note or signal) on (a horn, bugle, etc)

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wind Scientific  

/ wĭnd /

1. A current of air, especially a natural one that moves along or parallel to the ground, moving from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure. Surface wind is measured by anemometers or its effect on objects, such as trees. The large-scale pattern of winds on Earth is governed primarily by differences in the net solar radiation received at the Earth's surface, but it is also influenced by the Earth's rotation, by the distribution of continents and oceans, by ocean currents, and by topography. On a local scale, the differences in rate of heating and cooling of land versus bodies of water greatly affect wind formation. Prevailing global winds are classified into three major belts in the Northern Hemisphere and three corresponding belts in the Southern Hemisphere. The trade winds blow generally east to west toward a low-pressure zone at the equator throughout the region from 30° north to 30° south of the equator. The westerlies blow from west to east in the temperate mid-latitude regions (from 30° to 60° north and south of the equator), and the polar easterlies blow from east to west out of high-pressure areas in the polar regions.

2. See also Beaufort scale chinook foehn monsoon Santa Ana

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wind More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing wind

• before the wind
• break wind
• get wind of
• gone with the wind
• ill wind
• in the wind
• like greased lightning (the wind)
• sail close to the wind
• second wind
• something in the wind
• straw in the wind
• take the wind out of one's sails
• three sheets to the wind
• throw caution to the winds
• twist in the wind
• way the wind blows

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Synonym Usage

Wind, air, zephyr, breeze, blast, gust refer to a quantity of air set in motion naturally. Wind applies to any such air in motion, blowing with whatever degree of gentleness or violence. Air, usually poetical, applies to a very gentle motion of the air. Zephyr, also poetical, refers to an air characterized by its soft, mild quality. A breeze is usually a cool, light wind. Blast and gust apply to quick, forceful winds of short duration; blast implies a violent rush of air, often a cold one, whereas a gust is little more than a flurry.

Other Word Forms

• windlessness
  noun
• windable
  adjective
• windless
  adjective
• windlessly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of wind¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English (noun), Old English; cognate with Dutch, German Wind, Old Norse vindr, Gothic winds, Latin ventus

Origin of wind²

First recorded before 900; Middle English winden, Old English windan; cognate with Dutch, German winden, Old Norse vinda, Gothic -windan; akin to wend, wander

Origin of wind³

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English; special use of wind ¹

Explanation

When wind rhymes with "grinned," it refers to moving air, as in a breeze, or what fills the sails of a boat. When wind rhymes with "kind," it means to turn, as in winding one's watch. There are all kinds of ways to wind: You can wind a ball of yarn, wind up to take a swing, or wind your way home. There are all types of wind, too, from a light breeze (top wind speed of 7 mph) to a hurricane-force wind (wind speed greater than 73 mph). A wind instrument is one where the music is made by blowing into or over a mouthpiece.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

wind winded winding wound

It has already built up vast renewable energy capacity - wind and solar - in these regions, land is cheaper and the weather cooler, so there is less demand for water.

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026

The robot was agile enough to complete 10 consecutive somersaults in 11 seconds, even while wind disturbances tried to knock it away from its intended path.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 2026

In 2025, she faced sharp criticism over the city’s response to the January Palisades fire, and for being in Ghana when the fire began amid high wind warnings.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026

Drax anticipates its new solar and wind assets to cut costs and improve pricing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

The wind tugged at my skirts and seemed to propel me along.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

And surveying it too are Downing Street and the Treasury, who are bruised and winded after another one of those days.

From BBC ● Jun. 12, 2026

But I get winded just walking down the hallway.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2026

Crowds winded through greenways and walking trails, processing through thin paths in single-file lines and dodging annoyed runners and whizzing bikers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 14, 2026

Pupil B was described by the former head of girls sport as being winded during the match and nothing more and when she asked Pupil B how she was she said "all good."

From BBC ● Apr. 21, 2026

Will dropped to his knees in the gutter, winded badly, but he couldn’t stay there.

From "The Subtle Knife" by Philip Pullman

The winding and narrow nature of the road and the overgrown trees and bushes make it unsafe to drive fast.

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026

A number of other author lawsuits against AI companies are winding their way through courts against AI companies, including from textbook writers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026

Since that unique formative experience, Bonilla has traveled a winding path in and out of the industry, which ultimately led her to direct her first feature: the dark comedy “The Musical,” in theaters Friday.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026

When AFP visited, he was climbing through rows of vines winding up the hill, collecting samples to test their ripeness.

From Barron's ● Sep. 15, 2026

Unfortunately, the map must be taken to the Thirty-Seventh Division headquarters at Calumpit, a lowland region of winding rivers more than forty miles north of Manila.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

Washington lost Jayden Daniels to an elbow injury, and Chicago’s Caleb Williams was carted off the field in tears, although that hamstring injury apparently wound up less serious than originally feared.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026

As my talk with Kelley wound down, he said, “I wonder if I did the right thing or not.”

From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2026

First, after moving the ball into Seattle territory, Maye heaved a long throw down the left sideline that was tipped and wound up in the hands of cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026

As we wound our way down the seaside road, the waters were calm and pristine beside us.

From Slate ● Sep. 8, 2026

It is possible to wound a sphinx, it turned out: you do it by breaking their heart.

From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell

Related Words

• curl
• curve
• loop
• meander
• ramble
• slither
• snake
• spiral
• twist
• weave
• wrap
• zigzag