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winder

American  
[wahyn-der] / ˈwaɪn dər /

noun

  • winders
    plural
  1. a person or thing that winds.

  2. a staircase step for changing direction.

  3. a plant that coils or twines itself about something.

  4. an instrument or a machine for winding thread or the like.


winder British  
/ ˈwaɪndə /

noun

  1. a person or device that winds, as an engine for hoisting the cages in a mine shaft or a device for winding the yarn in textile manufacture

  2. an object, such as a bobbin, around which something is wound

  3. a knob or key used to wind up a clock, watch, or similar mechanism

  4. any plant that twists itself around a support

  5. a step of a spiral staircase

"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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of winder

First recorded in 1545–55; wind 2 + -er 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:

If using a homemade winder,*** consider gluing or taping the string to the winder so that your string stays connected if you happen to use all of your string to fly the kite.

From Los Angeles Times May 3, 2026

Settling into her role as a winder took Cisco about a year.

From The Wall Street Journal Dec. 16, 2025

His father was a shawl weaver and his mother was a cotton winder.

From BBC Nov. 30, 2024

The agency shared a photo of the moth with its large orange wings, winder than an outstretched hand shown for scale.

From Seattle Times Aug. 18, 2022

He dashed near settled a cove as got into the hut once by the winder when I was away.

From Nevermore by Rolf Bolderwood

“Believe me when I say that they are artists,” Anthony Allard, head of North America for Hitachi Energy, said of winders.

From The Wall Street Journal Dec. 16, 2025

To avoid clutter, buy cord winders, tubing, or an organizer to “tame the cord jungle,” HGTV.com says.

From Seattle Times Nov. 10, 2020

Sen. John Boozman is known as a soft-spoken man given more to quietly sharing jokes about his days as a Razorbacks football player than memorable stem winders or full-throated, rallying speeches.

From Washington Times Oct. 15, 2016

A sign pointed the way to the “Gent’s Toilet”; antique fire pails hung at the ends of each row of yarn winders.

From The New Yorker Aug. 11, 2016

Concertina, in course, and tin whistle, to give 'em a rouser all round, And "chorus," all over the shop, till the winders 'll shake at the sound.

From Mr. Punch's Cockney Humour by Various

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