windmill

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noun wind·mill \ˈwin(d)-ˌmil\

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

See windmill defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of windmill from the Web

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
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.

— meghan cox gurdon, WSJ, "The Best New Children’s Books", 16 June 2017
Still, the windmill's use in generating electricity has produced some incredible myths and misconceptions.

— kat eschner, Smithsonian, "Two Myths and One Truth About Wind Turbines", 15 June 2017
One of the island’s windmills also graces the trippy cover of Pink Floyd’s 1969 album More.

— judy cantor-navas, Billboard, "Formentera Jazz Festival: A Gathering of Good Vibes on a Small Mediterranean Island", 13 June 2017
In leaving the Paris accord, Trump is tilting at windmills rather than leaning into the wind.

— roopali phadke, CNN, "Why red states should oppose Trump on climate", 7 June 2017
The shallow depth of field accentuates the delicateness of the windmill of petals and creates a super-clean image.

— seattle times staff, The Seattle Times, "Reader’s Lens | Windmill of petals", 7 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.