self-winding
/'self'waindiɳ/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Designed to operate without manual winding: Describes a mechanism, typically in a watch or clock, that winds itself automatically, usually through the natural motion of the wearer's arm or another power source, eliminating the need for manual winding.
Usage
- The term "self-winding" is used attributively, almost always before a noun, to describe the type of mechanism or the device that possesses it.
- It is a compound adjective formed from "self-" and "winding."
Examples
- Adjective:
- He prefers a self-winding watch because he never remembers to wind it manually.
- The antique shop had a beautiful self-winding pocket watch from the 1920s.
Advanced Usage
- Technical Context: In horology (the study of timekeeping), "self-winding" is synonymous with "automatic." An automatic watch contains a rotor that swings with the wearer's motion, transferring energy to wind the mainspring.
- The craftsmanship of the self-winding movement is highly valued by collectors.
Variants and Related Words
- Automatic (adj): Functioning independently; in watchmaking, having a self-winding mechanism. Often used interchangeably with "self-winding."
- She bought an automatic watch.
- Manual-wind (adj): Requiring manual winding by turning the crown. This is the opposite of self-winding.
- He enjoys the daily ritual of his manual-wind timepiece.
Synonyms
- Automatic: Operating by itself, especially applied to watches and machinery.
- Self-powered: Generating its own power to operate, though this is a broader term.
Antonyms
- Manual-wind: Requiring hand-winding.
- Hand-wound: Wound by hand.
Adjective
- designed so that manual winding is unnecessary
- a self-winding watch