Definition

1. Noun:

   • Moving air: Air in natural motion, especially a current of air blowing from a particular direction.
   • Breath or the ability to breathe: The air taken into or expelled from the lungs; the power of respiration.
   • Gas in the stomach or intestines: Air swallowed while eating or drinking, or gas produced during digestion.
   • Empty or boastful talk: Speech or writing that is pretentious, insincere, or lacks substance.
   • A hint or suggestion: An indication of something that is happening or about to happen.
   • A musical instrument: An instrument in which sound is produced by a player's breath, such as a flute or trumpet (often used in the plural, 'the winds').

2. Verb:

   • To follow a twisting course: To move or cause to move in a series of curves or bends.
   • To wrap or coil something: To encircle or twist something around itself or another object.
   • To tighten the mechanism of a clock or device: To turn a key or knob to tighten a spring, as in winding a clock.
   • To cause to be out of breath: To make it difficult for someone to breathe, often through exertion.
   • To detect by scent: For an animal to perceive a smell in the air.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:

  • The wind blew the leaves across the yard. (Moving air)
  • He was knocked down and lost his wind. (Breath)
  • The baby needs to be burped to release the wind. (Gas in the stomach)
  • His speech was just a lot of hot wind. (Empty talk)
  • I got wind of a possible promotion. (A hint or suggestion)
  • She plays the flute in the wind section of the orchestra. (Musical instrument)

• Verb:

  • The river winds through the valley. (To follow a twisting course)
  • Wind the rope around the post to secure it. (To wrap or coil)
  • Don't forget to wind the grandfather clock. (To tighten a mechanism)
  • The steep hill winded the runners. (To cause to be out of breath)
  • The hounds winded the fox and gave chase. (To detect by scent)

Advanced Usage

• "To get wind of something": To hear a rumor or piece of information about something secret or private.

  • The press got wind of the scandal before it was officially announced.

• "To take the wind out of someone's sails": To discourage someone by saying or doing something that deflates their confidence or enthusiasm.

  • Her critical comment really took the wind out of his sails.

• "To throw caution to the wind(s)": To stop being careful and take a big risk.

  • He threw caution to the wind and invested all his savings in the new business.

Variants and Related Words

• Windy (adj): Characterized by or exposed to strong wind; also used informally to describe speech that is long-winded or empty.

  • It's a windy day on the coast.
  • He gave a windy speech that lasted an hour.

• Winding (adj/n): Having a twisting or spiral shape; the act of following a twisting course.

  • We drove along a winding mountain road.
  • The winding of the thread was done carefully.

• Windward (adj/adv/n): The side or direction from which the wind is blowing.

  • The windward side of the island is more rugged.

• Leeward (adj/adv/n): The side or direction sheltered from the wind.

  • We anchored in the leeward bay for protection.

Synonyms

• Noun (air): Breeze, gust, draft, gale.
• Noun (breath): Respiration, puff.
• Noun (talk): Bluster, bombast, hot air.
• Verb (twist): Meander, snake, twist, curve.
• Verb (coil): Wrap, twine, loop.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Wind down:

  • To gradually reduce in intensity or activity until stopping.

    • The company is winding down its operations in the region.
  • To relax after a period of work or stress.

    • I like to wind down with a book in the evening.

• Wind up:

  • To bring something to an end; to conclude.

    • Let's wind up the meeting by 5 PM.
  • To tighten the spring of a device.

    • I need to wind up my watch.
  • To find yourself in an unexpected (often unpleasant) situation or state.

    • If you're not careful, you'll wind up in trouble.

Related Idioms

• "Sail close to the wind": To behave in a way that is almost illegal or socially unacceptable.

  • His business practices sail very close to the wind.

• "See which way the wind is blowing": To try to discover what the general situation is or what people are thinking before taking action.

  • Politicians often wait to see which way the wind is blowing before stating their opinion.

• "In the wind": Being planned or about to happen, often secretly.

  • Big changes are in the wind for the department.

Noun

1. the act of winding or twisting
   • he put the key in the old clock and gave it a good wind
2. a reflex that expels intestinal gas through the anus
3. a musical instrument in which the sound is produced by an enclosed column of air that is moved by the breath
4. an indication of potential opportunity
   • he got a tip on the stock market
   • a good lead for a job
5. empty rhetoric or insincere or exaggerated talk
   • that's a lot of wind
   • don't give me any of that jazz
6. breath
   • the collision knocked the wind out of him
7. a tendency or force that influences events
   • the winds of change
8. air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
   • trees bent under the fierce winds
   • when there is no wind, row
   • the radioactivity was being swept upwards by the air current and out into the atmosphere

Verb

1. raise or haul up with or as if with mechanical help
   • hoist the bicycle onto the roof of the car
2. form into a wreath
3. coil the spring of (some mechanical device) by turning a stem
   • wind your watch
4. catch the scent of; get wind of
   • The dog nosed out the drugs
5. arrange or or coil around
   • roll your hair around your finger
   • Twine the thread around the spool
   • She wrapped her arms around the child
6. extend in curves and turns
   • The road winds around the lake
   • the path twisted through the forest
7. to move or cause to move in a sinuous, spiral, or circular course
   • the river winds through the hills
   • the path meanders through the vineyards
   • sometimes, the gout wanders through the entire body