windmill

American  

[wind-mil] / ˈwɪndˌmɪl /

noun

1. any of various machines for grinding, pumping, etc., driven by the force of the wind acting upon a number of vanes or sails.

2. (loosely) a wind generator; wind plant.

3. Aeronautics. a small air turbine with blades, like those of an airplane propeller, exposed on a moving aircraft and driven by the air, used to operate gasoline pumps, radio apparatus, etc.

4. an imaginary opponent, wrong, etc. (in allusion to Cervantes'Don Quixote ).

   to tilt at windmills.

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verb (used with or without object)

1. Aeronautics. (of a propeller engine or turbojet engine) to rotate or cause to rotate solely under the force of a passing airstream.

windmill British  

/ ˈwɪndˌmɪl, ˈwɪnˌmɪl /

noun

1. a machine for grinding or pumping driven by a set of adjustable vanes or sails that are caused to turn by the force of the wind

2. the set of vanes or sails that drives such a mill

3. Also called: whirligig.  US and Canadian name: pinwheel.  a toy consisting of plastic or paper vanes attached to a stick in such a manner that they revolve like the sails of a windmill

4. an imaginary opponent or evil (esp in the phrase tilt at or fight windmills )

5. a small air-driven propeller fitted to a light aircraft to drive auxiliary equipment Compare ram-air turbine

6. an informal name for helicopter

7. an informal name for propeller

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verb

1. to move or cause to move like the arms of a windmill

2. an informal name for accommodation bill

3. (intr) (of an aircraft propeller, rotor of a turbine, etc) to rotate as a result of the force of a current of air rather than under power

windmill Idioms  

1. see tilt at windmills.

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Etymology

Origin of windmill

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; wind ¹, mill ¹

Explanation

A structure that uses the power of flowing air to produce electricity or pump water is called a windmill. The Netherlands is especially famous for its windmills, some of which are hundreds of years old. The very oldest European windmills were called "post mills," upright posts topped with a turning blade or "sail" that rotated to face the wind. Today, the most recognizable windmills are "tower mills," stone or brick structures with wooden roofs that can spin as the wind direction changes, moving the rotating sail as needed. As the blades move, the machinery of the mill itself is powered to grind corn, pump water, or generate power for other uses.

Example Sentences

He made a side-to-side move at the rim on his penultimate attempt, then sprinted the length of the court and soared for a windmill jam on his last effort.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 14, 2026

“By the way, in case you people don’t know, I’m not much of a windmill person,” Trump said.

From Barron's • Jan. 13, 2026

In laying out the workings of a traditional Dutch windmill, for instance, he conjures a fictional miller, “a congenial fellow” who “knocks out his pipe on the door frame” before getting to work.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 28, 2025

They have the largest wooden windmill in America.

From Slate • Oct. 22, 2025

He would come home, black from the asphalt of the highway, wash himself out by the windmill, then spend the rest of the afternoon doing small, odd jobs around the rabbit pens.

From "Bless Me, Ultima" by Rudolfo Anaya