What does "winding" mean?
gerund of wind; The act of winnowing (“subjecting food grain to a current of air to separate the grain from the chaff”).
Winding
/ˈwɪndɪŋ/ adj, name, noun, verb
adj, name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: gerund of wind; The act of winnowing (“subjecting food grain to a current of air to separate the grain from the chaff”).
- Grammar: winding is listed as adj, name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: twist, aberrant, aberrative, ambages.
- Useful contrasts: begin, clear, direct.
- Usage evidence: The bus ran on the long and winding road.
How to use "winding"
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- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "winding" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
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Source and review context
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Definitions
Noun
- 1 gerund of wind; The act of winnowing (“subjecting food grain to a current of air to separate the grain from the chaff”). attributive, countable, uncountable
- 2 gerund of wind; The act of twisting something, or coiling or wrapping something around another thing. countable, uncountable
"Then there was […] a vast deal of screwing and tightening, and winding and tuning, during which Mrs. Briggs expatiated to those near her on the immense difficulty of playing a guitar, and hinted at the wondrous proficiency of her daughters in that mystic art."
- 3 the act of winding or twisting wordnet
- 4 gerund of wind; The act of blowing air through a wind instrument or (chiefly) a horn to make a sound. countable, uncountable
"Novv their opinions of the end of the vvorld, of Paradiſe, and of hell; exceede the vanity of dreames, and all old vviues fables. They ſay, that at the vvinding of a horne not only all fleſh ſhall die, but the Angels themſelues: & that the earth vvith earthquakes ſhall be kneaded together like a lumpe of dough, for forty daies ſo continuing."
- 5 gerund of wind; A curving, sinuous, or twisting movement; twists and turns. countable, especially, in-plural, uncountable
"[T]here vvill be hurly burly, like as ye ſee in a man vvhen he dieth; vvhat deformity appeareth, hovv he ſtretcheth out all his members, vvhat a vvinding is there, ſo that all his body cometh out of frame?"
Show 11 more definitions
- 6 gerund of wind; A curving, sinuous, or twisting form. countable, especially, in-plural, uncountable
"Berenice ſtandeth upon the utmoſt vvinding and nouke of Syrtis, called ſometime the cittie of the above-named Heſperides, according to the vvandering tales of Greece."
- 7 gerund of wind; Chiefly followed by up: the act of tightening the spring of a clockwork or other mechanism. countable, uncountable
"Is there a Tongue, like Delia’s o’er her cup, / That runs for Ages vvithout vvinding-up?"
- 8 gerund of wind; Sometimes followed by up: the act of hoisting something using a winch or a similar device. countable, uncountable
- 9 gerund of wind; Twists and turns in an occurrence, in thinking, or some other thing; also, moral crookedness; craftiness, shiftiness. countable, figuratively, in-plural, uncountable
"For that vvhich he hath novv attained vvith the begging of ſome ſmall peeces of ſiluer, a temporall happins, & preſent hearts eaſe, I cannot compaſſe vvith all my carefull vvindings, & running in & out."
- 10 gerund of wind; The act or process of turning a boat or ship in a certain direction. British, countable, uncountable
- 11 gerund of wind; A variation in a tune. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"Among the windings of the violins / And the ariettes / Of cracked cornets / Inside my brain a dull tom-tom begins / Absurdly hammering a prelude of its own, / Capricious monotone / That is at least one definite "false note.""
- 12 Something wound around another thing. countable, uncountable
"For knovv by lot from Jove I am the povvr / Of this fair VVood, and live in Oak'n bovvr, / To nurſe the Saplings tall, and curl the grove / VVith ringlets quaint, and vvanton vvindings vvove."
- 13 Something wound around another thing.; A length of wire wound around the armature of an electric motor or the core of an electrical transformer. countable, uncountable
- 14 Something wound around another thing.; Synonym of lapping (“lengths of fine silk, metal wire, or whalebone wrapped tightly around the stick of the bow of a string instrument adjacent to the leather part of the bow grip at the heel”). countable, uncountable
- 15 Something wound around another thing.; A decorative object, design, or other thing with curves or twists. countable, obsolete, uncountable
- 16 Something wound around another thing.; Synonym of withe or withy (“a flexible, slender shoot or twig, especially when used as a band or for binding”); also, all the withies used to make or repair a wall, or the process of using withies in this manner. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"As for the manner of making vvalls, by davvbing vvindings and hurdles vvith mud and clay, also of rearing them othervvhiles vvith unbaked bricke; vvho is ſo ignorant that he knovveth it not?"
Verb
- 1 present participle and gerund of wind form-of, gerund, participle, present
- 2 present participle and gerund of wind form-of, gerund, participle, present
Adjective
- 1 Causing one to be breathless or out of breath. comparable, not-comparable, usually
- 2 Moving in a sinuous or twisting manner.
"[H]e [Satan] vvindes himſelfe into this vvinding Beaſt, diſpoſing the Serpents tongue to ſpeake to the vvoman [Eve] […]"
- 3 Of a horn or wind instrument: blown to make a sound. not-comparable, usually
- 4 Sinuous, turning, or twisting in form.
"The thinges that hinder a man vvhich loketh at his marke, to ſhoote ſtreight, be theſe: […] a payre of windinge prickes, and many other thinges mo, which you ſhall marke yourſelfe, and as ye knovv them, ſo learne to amende them."
- 5 Sinuous, turning, or twisting in form.; Chiefly of a staircase: helical, spiral.
"In yᵉ Cour aux Thuilleries is a princely fabriq; the winding geometrical stone stayres, with the cupola, I take to be as bold and noble a piece of architecture as any in Europ of the kind."
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 Of speech, writing, etc.: not direct or to the point; rambling, roundabout. figuratively
"I will not heare thee, wife; / The winding laborinth of thy straunge discourse / Will nere haue end."
- 7 Flexible, pliant. obsolete
"To theſe blemiſhes and ſtaines in Court, vvere adjoyned the enormious tranſgreſſions of diſcipline in campe, vvhen the ſouldiour in ſtead of a joyfull ſhout, ſtudied to ſing vvanton ſonnets: neither had the armed man, as before time, a ſtone to couch himſelfe upon, but feathers and delicat vvinding beds: […]"
- 8 Morally crooked; crafty, shifty. figuratively, obsolete
"I care not though men call me impudent, / Smooth-tongu'd, audacious, petulant, abhominable, / Forger of vvords and lie, contentious Barretour, / Old, vvinding, bragging, teſty, crafty fox."
Adjective
- 1 of a path e.g. wordnet
- 2 marked by repeated turns and bends wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname from Danish.
Antonyms
Example
"The bus ran on the long and winding road."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "winding"?
Common synonyms include: twist, aberrant, aberrative, ambages, ambagious, anfractuosity.
How do you use "winding" in a sentence?
The bus ran on the long and winding road.
How do you pronounce "winding"?
Pronounced /ˈwɪndɪŋ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
The noun is derived from Middle English winding, windinge, wyndynge (“act of exposing something to the wind, airing, ventilating; act of winnowing (?)”), from winden, wynden (“to expose (something) to the air or wind, ventilate; to cause (someone) to be out of breath; to winnow (wheat); of an animal: to catch the scent of (someone or something)”) + -ing, -inge (suffix forming gerund nouns, and the present participle forms of verbs). The adjective is derived from the verb. The English word is analysable as wind (“to blow air through (a wind instrument or horn) to make a sound; to cause (someone) to become breathless; to winnow (food grain), etc.”) + -ing (suffix forming present participial adjectives and verbs, and nouns denoting an action or the embodiment of an action).
Etymology 2
The noun is derived from Middle English winding, windinge, wyndynge (“directional change, curve, turn; bend of the leg at the knee; meandering course of a river; act of turning and twisting; twisting of things (especially thread) together; wrapping of a cloth around something; wattling of a structure; wattle(s); ornamentation with interwoven patterns; hoisting of something”) [and other forms], and then partly: * from winden, wynden (“to go, move; to move forcefully or suddenly; to direct, guide, lead; to go along a meandering or twisting course; to move in a circular pattern, revolve, turn; to move restlessly, toss and turn; to wriggle free; to move with a turning or twisting motion, bend, turn, twist; to form or mould (something) in one’s hands; to mix together; to cover; to clothe, dress; to wrap (a baby, a corpse, etc.); to encircle, surround; to bind; to interlace; to winch; (figurative) to conceal, disguise; to embroil, involve”) + -ing, -inge (suffix forming gerund nouns, and the present participle forms of verbs).; and * from Old English windung (“woven object”), from windan (“to twist, wind; to circle, curl, eddy, spiral”) (from Proto-Germanic *windaną (“to wind; to wrap”), from Proto-Indo-European *wendʰ- (“to turn; to wind”)) + -ung (suffix forming nouns denoting a verbal action or something involved in a verbal action). The adjective is derived from the verb. The English word is analysable as wind (“to turn coils of (a cord, etc.) around something; to encircle, enfold, entwist, wrap; to travel in a way that is not straight”) + -ing (suffix forming present participial adjectives and verbs, and nouns denoting an action or the embodiment of an action).
Etymology 3
Borrowed from Danish Winding.