wind

1 of 5

noun (1)

ˈwind 

archaic or poetic

ˈwīnd 

often attributive

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 force or agency that carries along or influences : tendency, trend

withstood the winds of popular opinion

—Felix Frankfurter

b

: a destructive force or influence

3

a

: breath sense 2a

b

: breath sense 4a

c

: the pit of the stomach : solar plexus

4

: gas generated in the stomach or the intestines

pass wind

5

plural winds

a

: musical wind instruments especially as distinguished from strings and percussion : the wind instruments of an orchestra

b

: players of wind instruments

6

a

: slight information especially about something secret : intimation

got wind of the plan

b

: air carrying a scent (as of a hunter or game)

7

: something that is insubstantial: such as

a

: mere talk : idle words

b

: nothing, nothingness

c

: vain self-satisfaction

8

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

9

a

: compressed air or gas

b

archaic : air

windless

ˈwind-ləs 

adjective

windlessly adverb

wind

2 of 5

verb (1)

ˈwind 

winded; winding; winds

transitive verb

1

: to make short of breath

2

: to detect or follow by scent

3

: to expose to the air or wind : dry by exposing to air

4

: to regulate the wind supply of (an organ pipe)

5

: to rest (an animal, such as a horse) in order to allow the breath to be recovered

intransitive verb

1

: to scent game

2

dialect : to pause for breath

wind

3 of 5

verb (2)

ˈwīnd 

wound ˈwau̇nd  also winded; winding

transitive verb

1

a

: to turn completely or repeatedly about an object : coil, twine

b

: to encircle or cover with something pliable : bind with loops or layers

c

: to raise to a high level (as of excitement or tension)

—usually used with up

d(1)

: to tighten the spring of

wind a clock

(2)

: crank

(3)

obsolete : to make tighter : tighten, tune

e(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

2

a

: to traverse on a curving course

the river winds the valley

b

: to cause to move in a curving line or path

c

: to effect by or as if by curving

d(1)

: to cause (something, such as a ship) to change direction : turn

(2)

: to turn (a ship) end for end

e

archaic : to turn the course of

especially : to lead (a person) as one wishes

3

a

: entangle, involve

b

: to introduce sinuously or stealthily : insinuate

c

obsolete : weave

intransitive verb

1

a

: to have a curving course or shape : extend in curves

b

: to proceed as if by winding

2

: to move so as to encircle something

3

: to turn when lying at anchor

4

: bend, warp

wind

4 of 5

noun (2)

ˈwīnd 

1

: coil, turn

2

: a particular method of winding

3

: an act of winding : the state of being wound

4

: a mechanism (such as a winch) for winding

wind

5 of 5

verb (3)

ˈwīnd  ˈwind 

winded ˈwīn-dəd 

ˈwin-

or wound ˈwau̇nd  ; winding

transitive verb

1

: to cause (something, such as a horn) to sound by blowing : blow

2

: to sound (a call or note) on a horn

wound a rousing call

—R. L. Stevenson

intransitive verb

: to produce a sound on a horn

Phrases

before the wind

: in the same direction as the main force of the wind

close to the wind

: as nearly as possible against the main force of the wind

have the wind of

1

: to be to windward of

2

: to be on the scent of

3

: to have a superior position to

in the wind

: about to happen : astir, afoot

change is in the wind

near the wind

1

: close to the wind

2

: close to a point of danger : near the permissible limit

off the wind

: away from the direction from which the wind is blowing

on the wind

: toward the direction from which the wind is blowing

to the wind or to the winds

: aside, away

threw caution to the wind

under the wind

1

: to leeward

2

: in a place protected from the wind : under the lee

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• blow
• breeze
• current
• tornado
• draft
• gale

Noun (2)

• curvature
• curve
• bend
• turn
• angle
• bow

Verb (3)

• curl
• coil
• curve
• swirl

Examples of wind in a Sentence

Noun (1)

there's a wind coming from underneath the front door

the winds of public opinion are changing on this issue

the speech contained nothing of substance and was just a lot of wind

Noun (2)

there's one last easterly wind to the river before it empties into the sea

Verb (3)

flowering vines wind around the porch's graceful columns

self-interest winds itself into everything that he does—even his alleged favors for other people

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

There were also winds of 35 mph and 3 to 4 inches of snowfall, per WBZ-TV. —Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025

Persistent winds came first from the South then switched with even colder winds coming from the North. —Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025

Verb

The highways stretch out flat, winding around small cattle farms and churches. —Tyler Kingkade, NBC news, 31 Oct. 2025

Your favorite comfortable Connecticut town has a deep Hollywood history, with films ranging from The Music Man to The Lost Boys all relying on those same winding streets and grassy knolls. —Mara Reinstein, Architectural Digest, 30 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1) and Verb (3)

Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old High German wint wind, Latin ventus, Greek aēnai to blow, Sanskrit vāti it blows

Verb (2)

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

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Verb (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Verb (3)

1586, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing wind

• break wind
• capful of wind
• get/have the wind up
• get wind of
• knock the wind out of (someone)
• like the wind
• prevailing wind
• put the wind up (someone)
• ran like the wind
• relative wind
• sail close to the wind
• second wind
• solar wind
• stellar wind
• straight-line wind
• straw in the wind
• take the wind out of someone's sails
• three sheets in the wind
• three sheets to the wind
• throw/fling/cast caution to the wind
• trade wind
• twist in the wind
• which way the wind is blowing
• wind-bell
• wind-borne
• wind-broken
• wind chime
• wind down
• wind farm
• wind gap
• wind harp
• wind instrument
• wind-pollinated
• wind rose
• wind shake
• wind shear
• wind sock
• wind sprint
• wind tee
• wind tunnel
• wind turbine
• wind up

Rhymes for wind

• bind
• blind
• dined
• find
• fined
• grind
• hind
• kind
• lined
• mind
• mined
• pined

Kids Definition

wind

1 of 6 noun

ˈwind 

1

: a movement of air

2

: something that has force or influence

the changing winds of political opinion

3

: breath sense 2a

the fall knocked the wind out of me

4

: gas produced in the stomach or the intestines

5

: something unimportant

especially : idle words

6

a

: air carrying a scent (as of a hunter or game)

b

: slight information especially about something secret

got wind of our plans

7

plural : the wind instruments of a band or orchestra

8

: the direction from which the wind is blowing

wind

2 of 6 verb

1

: to get a scent of

the dogs winded game

2

: to cause to be out of breath

the long climb winded us

3

: to allow to rest so as to recover breath

wind a horse

wind

3 of 6 verb

ˈwīnd  ˈwind 

winded ˈwīn-dəd 

ˈwin-

or wound ˈwau̇nd  ; winding

: to sound by blowing

wind a horn

wind

4 of 6 verb

ˈwīnd 

wound ˈwau̇nd  also winded; winding

1

: to move in a series of twists and turns

a river winding through the valley

2

: entangle sense 2

3

a

: to encircle or cover with something flexible

b

: to coil completely or repeatedly about an object : twine

wind thread on a spool

4

: to lift, pull, move, or operate by means of a rope, cable, or chain and a winch

wind up a pail from a well

5

: to tighten the spring of

wind a clock

wind up a toy train

winder noun

wind

5 of 6 noun

ˈwīnd 

: something curved or twisted : bend

wind

6 of 6 adjective

ˈwind

: of or relating to wind instruments

the wind section of an orchestra

Etymology

Noun

Old English wind "the natural movement of air"

Verb

Old English windan "to twist, move with force"

Geographical Definition

Wind

geographical name

ˈwind 

river in west central Wyoming

Note: The Wind River is the upper course of the Bighorn River.