windmill

noun wind·mill \ ˈwin(d)-ˌmil \

|Updated on: 13 Aug 2018

Definition of windmill

1 a : 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 generator

b : 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

[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

The ancient, arid landscapes of Australia are fertile ground for new growth, says Douglas MacFarlane, a chemist at Monash University in suburban Melbourne: vast forests of windmills and solar panels.

— robert f. service, Science | AAAS, "Ammonia—a renewable fuel made from sun, air, and water—could power the globe without carbon," 12 July 2018
Amenities: Dine inside a windmill, on a sailboat indoors or relax outside on the patio on the Fox River.

— shonda talerico dudlicek, Elgin Courier-News, "Guide to outdoor dining in Chicago suburbs: Port Edward in Algonquin," 7 July 2018
Image Despite its unusual setting (and a lack of windmills), Shipwrecked, which opened in April 2016, checks many of the mini-golf boxes.

— sarah firshein, New York Times, "Mini-Golf in a Red Hook Warehouse," 27 June 2018
They’ve been used in windmills, fans, a McLaren race car spoiler.

— matthew berger, Smithsonian, "Dolphins Have a Mysterious Network of Veins That Could Be Key to Preventing the Bends," 26 May 2018
The hero of this production is more likely to tilt at skyscrapers than at windmills.

— laurel graeber, New York Times, "7 Things to Do With Your Kids in NYC This Weekend," 26 Apr. 2018
Williams, who finished with 13 points and 14 rebounds, punctuated Texas A&M's win with an epic windmill that shoots right to the top of the highlight-reel moments of this year's Big Dance.

— scott gleeson, USA TODAY, "We have our first highlight-reel dunk of the NCAA tournament — an epic Texas A&M windmill," 16 Mar. 2018
Frazier anticipated a Utah Jazz player’s pass toward the sideline, and Frazier — using his quick first step and his 7-foot-1¾ wingspan — poked the ball forward, accelerated toward the hoop and threw down a right-handed windmill dunk.

— josh robbins, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Rookie Melvin Frazier Jr. showing defensive grit but unrefined offensive game," 14 July 2018
Water from the tower would be handed out to residents for free, windmills erected, and the Infected threat pushed back.

— hayden dingman, PCWorld, "Dying Light 2 builds more heart and brains into one of the best zombie games ever," 15 June 2018

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.