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upwind

American  
[uhp-wind, uhp-wind] / ˈʌpˈwɪnd, ˈʌpˌwɪnd /

adverb

  1. toward or against the wind or the direction from which it is blowing.

    The hunters stalked upwind.


adjective

  1. moving or situated toward or in the direction from which the wind is blowing.

    an upwind leap; the upwind portions of the aircraft.

noun

  1. a wind that blows against one's course or up a slope.

upwind British  
/ ˈʌpˈwɪnd /

adverb

  1. into or against the wind

  2. towards or on the side where the wind is blowing; windward

"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

adjective

  1. going against the wind

    the upwind leg of the course

  2. on the windward side

    the upwind side of the house has weathered

"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

Etymology

Origin of upwind

First recorded in 1830–40; up- + wind 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The extreme Santa Ana winds rapidly spread fires whose ignition points were in a worst-case locations — just upwind of heavily populated areas.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 17, 2025

Trees in the western Amazon receive about 50% of their water from trees upwind, Saleska said.

From Science Daily • Jun. 19, 2024

Satellites also provide crucial information on fire locations and upwind pollution needed for forecasting where the smoke will go and how bad pollution levels will be.

From Scientific American • Jun. 16, 2023

However, the wind energy industry has almost universally adopted the upwind, three-bladed design so selling a new concept is difficult, Prof Pao explains.

From BBC • May 8, 2023

A fox trying to catch a rabbit usually creeps upwind under cover—perhaps through a patch of woodland to the edge.

From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams