wind

I. noun Usage: often attributive Etymology: Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old High German wint wind, Latin ventus, Greek aēnai to blow, Sanskrit vāti it blows Date: before 12th century 1. a. a natural movement of air of any velocity; especially the earth's air or the gas surrounding a planet in natural motion horizontally b. an artificially produced movement of air c. solar wind, stellar wind 2. a. a destructive force or influence b. a force or agency that carries along or influences ; tendency, trend <

withstood the winds of popular opinion — Felix Frankfurter

> 3. a. breath 4a b. breath 2a c. the pit of the stomach ; solar plexus 4. gas generated in the stomach or the intestines <

pass wind

> 5. a. compressed air or gas b. archaic air 6. something that is insubstantial: as a. mere talk ; idle words b. nothing, nothingness c. vain self-satisfaction 7. a. air carrying a scent (as of a hunter or game) b. slight information especially about something secret ; intimation <

got wind of the plan

> 8. a. musical wind instruments especially as distinguished from strings and percussion b. plural players of wind instruments 9. a. a direction from which the wind may blow ; a point of the compass; especially one of the cardinal points b. the direction from which the wind is blowing • windless adjective • windlessly adverb II. Date: 15th century transitive verb 1. to detect or follow by scent 2. to expose to the air or wind ; dry by exposing to air 3. to make short of breath 4. to regulate the wind supply of (an organ pipe) 5. to rest (as a horse) in order to allow the breath to be recovered intransitive verb 1. to scent game 2. dialect to pause for breath III. verb (winded or wound; winding) Etymology: 1wind Date: 1586 transitive verb 1. to cause (as a horn) to sound by blowing ; blow 2. to sound (as a call or note) on a horn <

wound a rousing call — R. L. Stevenson

> intransitive verb to produce a sound on a horn IV. verb (wound; also winded; winding) Etymology: Middle English, from Old English windan to twist, move with speed or force, brandish; akin to Old High German wintan to wind, Umbrian ohavendu let him turn aside Date: before 12th century transitive verb 1. a. obsolete weave b. entangle, involve c. to introduce sinuously or stealthily ; insinuate 2. a. to encircle or cover with something pliable ; bind with loops or layers b. to turn completely or repeatedly about an object ; coil, twine c. (1) to hoist or haul by means of a rope or chain and a windlass (2) to move (a ship) by hauling on a capstan d. (1) to tighten the spring of <

wind a clock

> (2) obsolete to make tighter ; tighten, tune (3) crank e. to raise to a high level (as of excitement or tension) — usually used with up 3. a. to cause to move in a curving line or path b. archaic to turn the course of; especially to lead (a person) as one wishes c. (1) to cause (as a ship) to change direction ; turn (2) to turn (a ship) end for end d. to traverse on a curving course <

the river winds the valley

> e. to effect by or as if by curving intransitive verb 1. bend, warp 2. a. to have a curving course or shape ; extend in curves b. to proceed as if by winding 3. to move so as to encircle something 4. to turn when lying at anchor V. noun Date: 14th century 1. a mechanism (as a winch) for winding 2. an act of winding ; the state of being wound 3. coil, turn 4. a particular method of winding