windmill

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noun wind·mill \ ˈwin(d)-ˌmil \

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

Today, passersby will find overgrown ruins of the windmill and an historical marker defining the site.

— susan b. barnes, Smithsonian, "Walk in the Footsteps of Alexander Hamilton on This Tiny Caribbean Island," 23 Aug. 2017
Among the suggestions: a black windmill on a yellow field, a Sandhill crane on a red background and a giant ear of corn bursting from the state’s outline.

— mitch smith, New York Times, "Nebraska’s Flag Lacks Pizazz. The Hard Part Is Changing It.," 10 Aug. 2017
For starters, there are enough very nice tops with windmill sleeves and parachute shoulders out there to make anybody weep like Daisy Buchanan.

— chelsea peng, Marie Claire, "Why Can't We Just Have Normal Shirts Anymore?," 10 Aug. 2017
The authentic set includes a windmill, bank, opry house and jail.

— chrissie dickinson, chicagotribune.com, "Wild Reeds growing like crazy," 8 Aug. 2017
The iconic American Hotel on Main Street has charm, a unique, historical character and is walking distance to the iconic windmill, bay beach and harbor front.

— natasha huang smith, Harper's BAZAAR, "Your 2017 Hamptons Summer Guide," 14 July 2017
Having watched Ridge as Cyrano for three glorious hours, tilting at windmills didn’t seem at all crazy.

— mike fischer, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Winner by a nose: James Ridge embodies the passion of 'Cyrano de Bergerac'," 3 July 2017
Nineteen of the original 20 Kinderdijk windmills remain and were named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997.

— john marshall, chicagotribune.com, "Kinderdijk windmills a must-see on any trip to Holland," 30 June 2017
Select hardier palms, such as cabbage palm, windmill palm, Mediterranean fan palm, Canary Island date palm, palmetto and needle palm.

— dan gill, NOLA.com, "This week's gardening tips: look for chinch bug damage, don't cut back parsley," 17 June 2017

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.