wind
WIHND
Wind (noun) means the natural movement of air, especially a noticeable current outdoors. Example: “The wind howled around the house all night and rattled the windows.”
noun
1
The natural movement of air, especially a noticeable current outdoors.
"The wind howled around the house all night and rattled the windows."
"A strong wind knocked over several garden chairs."
"The wind picked up just before the storm hit."
verb
1
To turn or twist something around a central point, or to follow a curving path (pronounced differently from the "air" sense).
"Wind the string around the spool before you put it away."
"The road winds through the hills for several miles."
"She likes to wind the wool into a neat ball before she knits."
2
To tighten the spring of a clockwork mechanism.
"My grandfather liked to wind his pocket watch every evening."
"You must wind the toy with the little key before it will move."
"Don't forget to wind the clock every week."
3
To knock the breath out of someone, usually with a blow to the stomach.
"The ball hit her in the stomach and winded her for a moment."
"If you land flat on your back, you can easily be winded."
"The fall winded him so badly he couldn't speak for a minute."
How to use wind
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither moving air (noun, rhymes with "tinned"), or to turn/twist something, or knock someone breathless (verb, rhymes with "find").
Common mistake
The weather noun and the "turn/twist" verb are unrelated words that happen to share a spelling — they're pronounced differently (wind vs. wynd).
Common pairings
wind up a clock
a winding road
knocked the wind out of him
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Word forms
- Plural
- winds
- Third person singular
- winds
- Past tense
- winded, wound
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The _____ howled around the house all night and rattled the windows.
Etymology
The "moving air" noun and the "twist/turn" verb both trace to Old English, but they come from different roots that happened to end up spelled the same in modern English.
Synonyms
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Related words
Rhymes for wind
See all rhymes for wind →Frequently asked questions
What does “wind” mean?
The word “wind” means the natural movement of air, especially a noticeable current outdoors. In plain terms, either moving air (noun, rhymes with "tinned"), or to turn/twist something, or knock someone breathless (verb, rhymes with "find").
How do you pronounce “wind”?
“Wind” is pronounced WIHND (/ˈwɪnd/ in IPA).
How do you use “wind” in a sentence?
Here is “wind” used in a sentence: “A strong wind knocked over several garden chairs.”
What part of speech is “wind”?
Depending on how it is used, “wind” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “wind” come from?
The word “wind” comes from Old English. The "moving air" noun and the "twist/turn" verb both trace to Old English, but they come from different roots that happened to end up spelled the same in modern English.
Is “wind” a common word?
“Wind” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
How many meanings does “wind” have?
“Wind” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the natural movement of air, especially a noticeable current outdoors.
What causes wind?
Wind is caused by differences in air pressure. The sun heats the Earth unevenly, so some air becomes warmer and lighter and rises, while cooler, denser air flows in to take its place. That moving air is wind, and the bigger the pressure difference between two areas, the stronger the wind blows.
What is the difference between wind and a breeze?
Wind is the general term for any noticeable movement of air. A breeze is specifically a light, gentle wind that is pleasant rather than forceful. So every breeze is a wind, but a strong or blustery flow of air would be called a wind or a gale, never a breeze.
What are the types of wind?
By strength, winds range from a light breeze through a brisk wind to a gale, storm, and hurricane, as ranked on the Beaufort scale. By pattern, there are steady global winds such as the trade winds and local winds like sea breezes. A brief, sudden burst of wind is called a gust.
How is wind measured?
Wind has two parts: speed and direction. Speed is measured with an anemometer, usually in miles or kilometres per hour or in knots, and described on the Beaufort scale from calm to hurricane. Direction is read from a wind vane and named for where the wind comes from, so a westerly blows from the west.
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