windbound

American

[wind-baund] / ˈwɪndˌbaʊnd /

adjective

(of a sailing ship, sailboat, or the like) kept from sailing by a wind from the wrong direction or one of too high velocity.

windbound British

/ ˈwɪndˌbaʊnd /

adjective

(of a sailing vessel) prevented from sailing by an unfavourable wind

"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 windbound

First recorded in 1580–90; wind ¹ + -bound 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.

See Examples For:

windbound

The boats which were windbound eight days arrived this morning all safe and well.

From A History of Oregon, 1792-1849 Drawn From Personal Observation and Authentic Information by William Henry Gray

Being windbound had for him especial terrors, due, I suppose, to his normally active nature.

From The Lure of the Labrador Wild by Dillon Wallace

On the third we were all separated, having fallen in with many windbound vessels who required our services.

From Poor Jack by Frederick Marryat

Again we were windbound, with nothing to do but remain where we were and make the best of it.

From The Lure of the Labrador Wild by Dillon Wallace

On their way to the Holy Land it seems that their ship was windbound for several days, and that they were in danger of being taken prisoners by the pirates of Barbary.

From Chips From A German Workshop. Vol. III. Essays on Literature, Biography, and Antiquities by F. Max (Friedrich Max) Müller

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023