Dictionary.com

headwind

[ hed-wind ]
/ ˈhɛdˌwɪnd /
Save This Word!

noun

a wind opposed to the course of a moving object, especially an aircraft or other vehicle (opposed to tailwind).

QUIZZES

QUIZ YOURSELF ON “ITS” VS. “IT’S”!

Apostrophes can be tricky; prove you know the difference between it’s and its in this crafty quiz!
Question 1 of 12
On the farm, the feed for chicks is significantly different from the roosters’; ______ not even comparable.
it's
its
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of headwind

First recorded in 1780–90; (a)head + wind1

Words nearby headwind

headward, headwards, headwaters, headway, headwear, headwind, headword, headwork, heady, heal, heal-all
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for headwind

British Dictionary definitions for headwind

headwind
/ (ˈhɛdˌwɪnd) /

noun

a wind blowing directly against the course of an aircraft or shipCompare tailwind
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for headwind

headwind
head wind (hĕd′wĭnd′)

A wind blowing directly against the course of a moving object, especially an aircraft or ship.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Learn A New Word Right Now!