windmill
Americannoun
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any of various machines for grinding, pumping, etc., driven by the force of the wind acting upon a number of vanes or sails.
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(loosely) a wind generator; wind plant.
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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.
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an imaginary opponent, wrong, etc. (in allusion to Cervantes'Don Quixote ).
to tilt at windmills.
verb (used with or without object)
noun
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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
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the set of vanes or sails that drives such a mill
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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
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an imaginary opponent or evil (esp in the phrase tilt at or fight windmills )
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a small air-driven propeller fitted to a light aircraft to drive auxiliary equipment Compare ram-air turbine
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an informal name for helicopter
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an informal name for propeller
verb
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to move or cause to move like the arms of a windmill
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an informal name for accommodation bill
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(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
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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windmillsimple
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windmillssimple
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have windmilledperfect
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has windmilledperfect
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am windmillingprogressive
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are windmillingprogressive
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is windmillingprogressive
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have been windmillingperfect progressive
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has been windmillingperfect progressive
Past
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windmilledsimple
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had windmilledperfect
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was windmillingprogressive
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were windmillingprogressive
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had been windmillingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of windmill
Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at 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
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:
In the NBA Slam Dunk Contest, Miami's Keshad Johnson won the title with 97.4 points after a windmill dunk in the final round.
From Barron's ● Feb. 14, 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
"Cheap people like me," says Steve, "look at the windmill and say 'nah, I'm not gonna pay extra to go in there', but if it's all included I wouldn't hesitate."
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2025
He flailed his arms like a windmill but stayed on his feet.
From "The Season of Styx Malone" by Kekla Magoon
Many technologies can generate low-frequency noise, including ventilation systems, heat pumps, road traffic and windmills.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 19, 2026
Brenen Thompson is from Spearman, Texas, at the top of the panhandle, where the gusts are constant and the only tourist attraction is a collection of old windmills.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 25, 2026
They’d landed on the greatest incubator of speedskating talent anywhere outside the land of tulips and windmills.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 11, 2026
"The fence of some of the apartments backs onto the school and years ago some of the ladies put small decorations and windmills along their gardens for the children to look at," she said.
From BBC ● Dec. 29, 2025
There are three windmills nearby, and Vincent paints all of them while he lives with Theo.
From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman
As that set ended, with Djokovic reaching a shot ball and replying at an impossible angle, he windmilled his arms and then pointed to his ear.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 1, 2024
They windmilled their instruments in tandem, grinned at each other between numbers and tossed guitar picks to the crowd.
From New York Times ● Mar. 9, 2022
He slipped and windmilled his arms to regain his balance, which made him think about how humans balance ourselves.
From Slate ● Aug. 1, 2021
Dark-eyed, dressy little town dolls and dutch-bobbed blondies from windmilled countrysides.
From The New Yorker ● Apr. 8, 2019
At first, Billy windmilled his arms, hoping to find it by luck.
From "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut
Bae caught teammate Jason Delay chugging toward home and third base coach Mike Rabello’s right arm windmilling.
From Washington Times ● Sep. 7, 2023
In the first few minutes he was windmilling his arms to get Chelsea's fans behind their team and he was animated throughout.
From BBC ● Mar. 7, 2023
Another man picks him up, in a pietà-shaped cradle carry, then sets him back down before helping him rise again with a convulsive, windmilling, resurrecting dance.
From New York Times ● Feb. 16, 2022
A few relievers stretched in the bullpen, swinging their legs, windmilling their arms in the humid air.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 13, 2021
I see now what I saw then, flashing by with the swift, deceptive ease of an accident: shower of gravel, windmilling arms, a hand that claws at a branch and misses.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
