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Definition of windmill
1a : a mill or machine operated by the wind usually acting on oblique vanes or sails that radiate from a horizontal shaft; especially : a wind-driven water pump or electric generatorb : the wind-driven wheel of a windmill
2 : something that resembles or suggests a windmill; especially : a calisthenic exercise that involves alternately lowering each outstretched hand to touch the toes of the opposite foot
3 [from the episode in Don Quixote by Cervantes in which the hero attacks windmills under the illusion that they are giants] : an imaginary wrong, evil, or opponent —usually used in the phrase to tilt at windmills
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Recent Examples of windmill from the Web
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Having watched Ridge as Cyrano for three glorious hours, tilting at windmills didn’t seem at all crazy.
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Nineteen of the original 20 Kinderdijk windmills remain and were named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997.
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Select hardier palms, such as cabbage palm, windmill palm, Mediterranean fan palm, Canary Island date palm, palmetto and needle palm.
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Restored, the dish shows a pond, a windmill and a sweet young girl driving her geese to water—a restful Dutch scene that offers a painful contrast with Joplin’s turbulent Manhattan unhappiness.
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Still, the windmill's use in generating electricity has produced some incredible myths and misconceptions.
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One of the island’s windmills also graces the trippy cover of Pink Floyd’s 1969 album More.
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In leaving the Paris accord, Trump is tilting at windmills rather than leaning into the wind.
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The shallow depth of field accentuates the delicateness of the windmill of petals and creates a super-clean image.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'windmill'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Illustration of windmill
First Known Use of windmill
13th century
windmill
Definition of windmill
transitive verb
: to cause to move like a windmill
intransitive verb
: to move like a windmill; especially : to spin from the force of wind
First Known Use of windmill
1914
WINDMILL Defined for English Language Learners
windmill
playDefinition of windmill for English Language Learners
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: a structure that has parts which are turned around by the wind and that is used to produce power, pump water, etc.
WINDMILL Defined for Kids
windmill
playDefinition of windmill for Students
: a mill or a machine (as for pumping water) worked by the wind turning sails or vanes at the top of a tower
Learn More about windmill
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See words that rhyme with windmill Spanish Central: Translation of windmill Nglish: Translation of windmill for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of windmill for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about windmill
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