wind

WIND/wɪnd/

Pluralwinds

Verbwinds, winding, wound

29 meanings of wind

Practice

1
moving airnouncountable or uncountable
Moving air, caused by weather or by something such as a fan.
Like the rush of air you feel when a fast car drives past.
The wind blew the leaves all across the yard.
A cold wind made everyone zip up their coats.
UsageSay a strong wind.
Note
2
WYND/waɪnd/
curve (path)verbintransitive
To follow a curving, twisting path.
Like a snake moving in twists and turns across the ground.
The river winds through the green valley.
Mountain roads often wind back and forth as they climb.
UsageSay the road winds through the valley.
Similarmeander, snake, twist, curve, zigzag
Note
3
WYND/waɪnd/
wrap aroundverbtransitive
To wrap something like string or tape around something else, or to curl around it.
Like wrapping a piece of string around your finger again and again.
Wind the rope around the post so it stays tight.
She wound the wire around the metal frame.
UsageSay she wound the rope around the post.
Similarwrap, coil, twist, loop
Oppositeunwind, uncoil, unwrap
Note
4
orchestra sectionnouncountable or uncountable
Instruments you play by blowing, like the flute or clarinet, or the people who play them.
Like the group of flute and clarinet players sitting together in a band.
The conductor asked the wind to play more softly.
In this part, the wind plays while the drums rest.
UsageSay the wind, like the strings.
Note
5
hearsaynounfigurativelycountable or uncountable
Information about something, learned through rumor or gossip.
Like a piece of gossip that floats to you on the breeze.
He got wind of the plan and warned his friends.
We got wind of the news from a neighbor down the street.
UsageSay get wind of a plan.
Similarword
Note
6
trendnounfigurativelycountable or uncountable
A general trend or direction in which things seem to be moving.
Like noticing which way a crowd is starting to lean.
The wind seemed to be turning against the old rules.
Voters could feel the wind shifting toward change.
UsageSay the winds of change.
Similartide, trend, current, drift
Note

Less common meanings

7
WYND/waɪnd/
tighten (clock)verbtransitive
To turn a key or knob on a clock, watch or toy so that it keeps running.
Like twisting a key to power up a toy that moves on its own.
You need to wind the old clock every morning.
She wound the music box and let it play.
UsageSay wind up the clock.
8
breathingnouncountable or uncountable
Breath, or how easily you can breathe when running, singing or playing an instrument.
Like getting your breath back after running fast.
The runner stopped to get her wind back after the sprint.
It took him a minute to recover his wind after the fall.
UsageSay get your wind back.
Similarbreath
Note
9
make breathlessverbtransitive
To leave someone gasping for breath, as from a blow to the stomach or hard effort.
Like having the air knocked out of you when you fall flat on your back.
A hard punch to the stomach can wind you.
The fall winded her, and she struggled to breathe.
UsageSay the fall winded him.
10
stomach gasnouncolloquialuncountable
A polite word for gas built up in the stomach or intestines.
Babies often cry when they have wind.
Those beans always give me wind.
UsageSay pass wind.
Similargas, flatulence
Note
11
WYND/waɪnd/
nouncountable
A single turn, twist, or bend, or the act of turning something.
Like one full turn of a key in a lock.
Dad gives the kitchen clock a wind every Sunday night.
My watch stops if I forget to give it a wind.
Similarturn, twist, bend
12
compass pointnouncountable or uncountable
Any of the compass directions from which moving air may come, such as north or south.
Like the points on a compass that show north, south, east, and west.
Old sea maps show eight winds, one for each main direction.
Friends came from the four winds to celebrate her birthday.
UsageSay to the four winds.
Similarquarter, direction, point
Note
13
pat (baby)verbBritishtransitive
To pat a baby's back after feeding so it can bring up air.
Like gently tapping a bottle so the bubbles rise to the top.
Remember to wind him after every feed.
He gently winded the baby until she gave a small burp.
UsageSay she winded the baby.
Similarburp
Note
14
WYND/waɪnd/
haul (winch)verbtransitive
To move something by turning a crank or winch.
Like turning a handle to pull a bucket up from a well.
Sailors wind the heavy anchor up with a sturdy winch.
In Grandpa's old car, you wind the window down with a handle.
UsageSay wind the window down.
Similarwinch, crank, hoist, haul, reel
15
empty talknounfigurativelycountable or uncountable
Talk that has no real meaning, just empty words.
Like a balloon that looks big but holds only air.
His big promises were just wind, and nothing ever changed.
Her speech sounded grand, but it was mostly wind.
UsageSay it was all wind.
Similarbluster, bombast, rhetoric, blather, waffle
Oppositesubstance
Note
16
WYND/waɪnd/
blow (horn)verbtransitive
To make a sound by blowing into a horn.
Like blowing hard into a whistle to make it sound.
The hunter winded his horn to call the dogs.
The guard will wind his horn if he sees danger.
Similarblow, sound
Note
17
smell outverbtransitive
To find or follow something by smelling it.
Like catching the smell of dinner before you reach the kitchen.
The dogs quickly wind the fox and race after it.
Our dog winded a rabbit and took off across the field.
Similarscent, smell, nose
18
WYND/waɪnd/
controlverbtransitive
To control someone completely, used mostly in the phrase wind someone around your little finger.
Like a puppet on strings that moves however the puppeteer wants.
She can wind her little brother around her finger with one smile.
He wound the whole committee around his finger and got every vote.
Similarmanipulate, control, sway
Note
19
noun
In old beliefs from India and Japan, wind as one of the basic things the world is made of.
20
nounslang
The soft part of your belly below the ribs, where a hit can stop your breath.
21
noun
In the game mah-jongg, a tile named after one of the four directions.
22
verb
To bring something in slowly and quietly, little by little.
'Tis pleasant to see what little arts and dexterities they have to wind in such things into discourse
1674, [Richard Allestree], The Government of the Tongue.Here, wind in means to slip something in slowly and sneakily.
23
verb
To let air blow over something to dry it or blow away loose bits.
24
verb
To turn a windmill so its sails point into the wind.
25
noun
A sickness of sheep after shearing that makes their gut swell.
26
noun
The dotterel, a kind of small bird.
27
verbBritish
To change a sailboat's direction so the breeze comes from the other side.
28
verb
To let a horse rest until it can breathe easily again.
29
verb
To make a ship face the opposite way.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of wind apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origins

Meanings 1, 4–6, 8–10, 12–13, 15–17

From Old English wind, meaning moving air. It goes back to an ancient root meaning "to blow."

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

Wind, meaning moving air, descends from Old English wind with the same meaning. en.wiktionary.org
The word ultimately derives from an ancient root meaning “to blow.” en.wiktionary.org

Meanings 2–3, 7, 11, 14, 18

From Old English windan, meaning to twist or turn.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

The verb wind derives from Old English windan. en.wiktionary.org
Old English windan meant to twist or turn. en.wiktionary.org