winding

[wahyn-ding]

noun

1. the act of a person or thing that winds.

2. a bend, turn, or flexure.

3. a coiling, folding, or wrapping, as of one thing about another.

4. something that is wound or coiled, or a single round of it.

5. Electricity.

   1. a symmetrically laid, electrically conducting current path in any device.

   2. the manner of such coiling.

      a series winding.

adjective

1. bending or turning; sinuous.

2. spiral, as stairs.

winding

/ ˈwaɪndɪŋ /

noun

1. a curving or sinuous course or movement

2. anything that has been wound or wrapped around something

3. a particular manner or style in which something has been wound

4. a curve, bend, or complete turn in wound material, a road, etc

5. (often plural) devious thoughts or behaviour

   the tortuous windings of political argumentation

6. one or more turns of wire forming a continuous coil through which an electric current can pass, as used in transformers, generators, etc

7. another name for wind 2

8. a coil of tubing in certain brass instruments, esp the French horn

adjective

1. curving; sinuous

   a winding road

Other Word Forms

• windingly adverb
• windingness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of winding¹

before 1050; Middle English (noun), Old English windung (noun); wind ², -ing ¹, -ing ²

Example Sentences

A ranger charged us $8 to head down the long, winding road to the parking lot and the bay.

From Los Angeles Times

He said he had been in a relationship with Gallegos, but it was winding down because she got out of hand when she drank.

From Los Angeles Times

They had miles of trails, winding creeks, and a sense of peace that many said they felt deep in their souls whenever they looked out at their mountain vistas.

From Los Angeles Times

The 45-year old tech executive had summited successfully, but lost his way on the descent, winding up on the steep and icy Wintum Glacier.

From Los Angeles Times

Train driver Mark Walsh said he thought a colleague was "winding him up" when they told him a crab was sitting in first class.

From BBC

Related Words

• bending www.thesaurus.com
• curving www.thesaurus.com
• meandering 
• serpentine 
• sinuous 
• snaking www.thesaurus.com
• tortuous 
• turning 
• twisting 
• twisty 
• windy 
• zigzag