wind

[ noun wind, Literary wahynd; verb wind ]

/ noun wɪnd, Literary waɪnd; verb wɪnd /

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noun

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.

a gale; storm; hurricane.

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

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

wind instrument.

wind instruments collectively.

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

breath or breathing: to catch one's wind.

the power of breathing freely, as during continued exertion.

any influential force or trend: strong winds of public opinion.

a hint or intimation: to catch wind of a stock split.

air carrying an animal's odor or scent.

solar wind.

empty talk; mere words.

vanity; conceitedness.

gas generated in the stomach and intestines.

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

any direction of the compass.

verb (used with object)

to expose to wind or air.

to follow by the scent.

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

to let recover breath, as by resting after exertion.

verb (used without object)

to catch the scent or odor of game.

OTHER WORDS FOR wind

16 flatulence.

See synonyms for wind on Thesaurus.com

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Question 1 of 7

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Idioms about wind

between wind and water,

(of a ship) at or near the water line.
in a vulnerable or precarious spot: In her profession one is always between wind and water.

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

how the wind blows / lies, what the tendency or probability is: Try to find out how the wind blows.Also which way the wind blows .

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 .

in the wind, about to occur; imminent; impending: There's good news in the wind.

off the wind,

away from the wind; with the wind at one's back.
(of a sailing vessel) headed into the wind with sails shaking or aback.

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

sail close to the wind,

Also sail close on a wind . to sail as nearly as possible in the direction from which the wind is blowing.
to practice economy in the management of one's affairs.
to verge on a breach of propriety or decency.
to escape (punishment, detection, etc.) by a narrow margin; take a risk.

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.

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.

Origin of wind

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

synonym study for wind

1. 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.

Words nearby wind

Winchester, Winchester bushel, Winchester disk, Winchester rifle, Winckelmann, wind, windable, windage, Windaus, windbag, windbaggery

Other definitions for wind (2 of 4)

wind²

[ wahynd ]

/ waɪnd /

verb (used without object), wound or (Rare) wind·ed

[wahyn-did]; /ˌwaɪn dɪd/; wind·ing.

to change direction; bend; turn; take a frequently bending course; meander: The river winds through the forest.

to have a circular or spiral course or direction.

to coil or twine about something: The ivy winds around the house.

to proceed circuitously or indirectly.

to undergo winding or winding up.

to be twisted or warped, as a board.

verb (used with object), wound or (Rare) wind·ed

[wahyn-did]; /ˌwaɪn dɪd/; wind·ing.

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

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

to remove or take off by unwinding (usually followed by off or from): She wound the thread off the bobbin.

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

to make (a mechanism) operational by tightening the mainspring with a key (often followed by up): to wind a clock; to wind up a toy.

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

to make (one's or its way) in a bending or curving course: The stream winds its way through the woods.

to make (one's or its way) by indirect, stealthy, or devious procedure: to wind one's way into another's confidence.

noun

the act of winding.

a single turn, twist, or bend of something wound: If you give it another wind, you'll break the mainspring.

a twist producing an uneven surface.

Verb Phrases

wind down,

to lessen in intensity so as to bring or come to a gradual end: The war is winding down.
to calm down; relax: He's too excited tonight to wind down and sleep.

wind up,

to bring to a state of great tension; excite (usually used in the past participle): He was all wound up before the game.
to bring or come to an end; conclude: to wind up a sales campaign.
to settle or arrange in order to conclude: to wind up one's affairs.
to become ultimately:to wind up as a country schoolteacher.
Baseball. (of a pitcher) to execute a windup.

Origin of wind

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

Other definitions for wind (3 of 4)

wind³

[ wahynd, wind ]

/ waɪnd, wɪnd /

verb (used with object), wind·ed

[wahyn-did, win-did] /ˈwaɪn dɪd, ˈwɪn dɪd/ or wound

[wound]; /waʊnd/; wind·ing

[wahyn-ding, win-ding]. /ˈwaɪn dɪŋ, ˈwɪn dɪŋ/.

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

to sound by blowing.

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

Origin of wind

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English; special use of wind¹

Other definitions for wind (4 of 4)

WInd

or W.Ind.

West Indian.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use wind in a sentence

High winds broke branches above the water and stripped off their leaves.
Soggy coastal soils? Here’s why ecologists love them|Alison Pearce Stevens|September 17, 2020|Science News For Students
If those wind patterns themselves stall, slow down dramatically, or change directions rather abruptly, the hurricane will be sort of directionless and it can sit there stalling.
Slow, meandering hurricanes are often more dangerous—and they’re getting more common|Greta Moran|September 9, 2020|Popular-Science
That event may take the wind out of the traditional Cyberweek sales if people spend their money early.
A Corona Xmas: Why physical stores will power online shopping this holiday season|Greg Sterling|September 4, 2020|Search Engine Land
When winds from the north dominated, and there was more sea ice, there was less oxygen-18 in the cellulose.
Bering Sea winter ice shrank to its lowest level in 5,500 years in 2018|Carolyn Gramling|September 3, 2020|Science News

Researchers say still don’t know what whipped up this newly discovered wind event.
Here’s the summer science you might have missed|Janet Raloff|September 1, 2020|Science News For Students
Increasingly, as these industries develop, on-site solar and wind is a way of guaranteeing a lower price for electricity.
Solar Powered Ski Lift|The Daily Beast|November 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
One and all, they come shaking their tin cups at election time then run like the wind when a critical vote comes up.
How the Lame Democrats Blew It|Goldie Taylor|November 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For instance: suppose the Republicans wind up with a clear Senate majority on November 4th.
Election Day In The Big Sleazy|Jeff Greenfield|November 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But as it takes away the safety net, their corpses wind up in fishing nets.
Britain’s Let-Em-All-Die Policy|Nico Hines, Barbie Latza Nadeau|November 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But then they saw which way the post-Citizens United wind was blowing and became anti-disclosure.
Dark Money and Our Looming Oligarchy|Michael Tomasky|October 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There are three things a wise man will not trust: the wind, the sunshine of an April day, and woman's plighted faith.
Pearls of Thought|Maturin M. Ballou
But there was a breeze blowing, a choppy, stiff wind that whipped the water into froth.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
The man that giveth heed to lying visions, is like to him that catcheth at a shadow, and followeth after the wind.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
It was a cloudy, stormy evening: high wind was blowing, and the branches of the trees groaned and creaked above our heads.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
The ne'er-do-well blew, like seed before the wind, to distant places, but mankind at large stayed at home.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock

British Dictionary definitions for wind (1 of 3)

wind¹

/ (wɪnd) /

noun

a current of air, sometimes of considerable force, moving generally horizontally from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressureSee also Beaufort scale Related adjective: aeolian

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

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

any sweeping and destructive force

a trend, tendency, or forcethe winds of revolution

informal a hint; suggestionwe got wind that you were coming

something deemed insubstantialhis talk was all wind

breath, as used in respiration or talkyou're just wasting wind

(often used in sports) the power to breathe normallyhis wind is weak See also second wind

music

a wind instrument or wind instruments considered collectively
(often plural) the musicians who play wind instruments in an orchestra
(modifier) of, relating to, or composed of wind instrumentsa wind ensemble

an informal name for flatus

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

between wind and water

the part of a vessel's hull below the water line that is exposed by rolling or by wave action
any point particularly susceptible to attack or injury

break wind to release intestinal gas through the anus

get the wind up or have the wind up informal to become frightened

have in the wind to be in the act of following (quarry) by scent

how the wind blows, how the wind lies, which way the wind blows or which way the wind lies what appears probable

in the wind about to happen

three sheets in the wind informal intoxicated; drunk

in the teeth of the wind or in the eye of the wind directly into the wind

into the wind against the wind or upwind

off the wind nautical away from the direction from which the wind is blowing

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

put the wind up informal to frighten or alarm

raise the wind British informal to obtain the necessary funds

sail close to the wind or sail near to the wind

to come near the limits of danger or indecency
to live frugally or manage one's affairs economically

take the wind out of someone's sails to destroy someone's advantage; disconcert or deflate

verb (tr)

to cause (someone) to be short of breaththe blow winded him

to detect the scent of
to pursue (quarry) by following its scent

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

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

Derived forms of wind

windless, adjectivewindlessly, adverbwindlessness, noun

Word Origin for wind

Old English wind; related to Old High German wint, Old Norse vindr, Gothic winds, Latin ventus

British Dictionary definitions for wind (2 of 3)

wind²

/ (waɪnd) /

verb winds, winding or wound

(often foll by around, about, or upon) to turn or coil (string, cotton, etc) around some object or point or (of string, etc) to be turned etc, around some object or pointhe wound a scarf around his head

(tr) to twine, cover, or wreathe by or as if by coiling, wrapping, etc; encirclewe wound the body in a shroud

(tr often foll by up) to tighten the spring of (a clockwork mechanism)

(tr foll by off) to remove by uncoiling or unwinding

(usually intr) to move or cause to move in a sinuous, spiral, or circular coursethe river winds through the hills

(tr) to introduce indirectly or deviouslyhe is winding his own opinions into the report

(tr) to cause to twist or revolvehe wound the handle

(tr; usually foll by up or down) to move by crankingplease wind up the window

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

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

(intr) archaic to proceed deviously or indirectly

noun

the act of winding or state of being wound

a single turn, bend, etca wind in the river

Also called: winding a twist in a board or plank

Derived forms of wind

windable, adjective

Word Origin for wind

Old English windan; related to Old Norse vinda, Old High German wintan (German winden)

British Dictionary definitions for wind (3 of 3)

wind³

/ (waɪnd) /

verb winds, winding, winded or wound

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

Word Origin for wind

C16: special use of wind 1

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 wind

wind

[ wĭnd ]

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. See also Beaufort scale chinook foehn monsoon Santa Ana.

Other Idioms and Phrases with wind

wind

In addition to the idioms beginning with wind

wind down
wind up

also see:

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

wind

OTHER WORDS FOR wind

Idioms about wind

Origin of wind

synonym study for wind

Words nearby wind

Other definitions for wind (2 of 4)

Origin of wind

Other definitions for wind (3 of 4)

Origin of wind

Other definitions for wind (4 of 4)

or W.Ind.

Words related to wind

How to use wind in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for wind (1 of 3)

Derived forms of wind

Word Origin for wind

British Dictionary definitions for wind (2 of 3)

Derived forms of wind

Word Origin for wind

British Dictionary definitions for wind (3 of 3)

Word Origin for wind

Scientific definitions for wind

Other Idioms and Phrases with wind