What does "windmill" mean?
A machine which translates linear motion of wind to rotational motion by means of adjustable vanes called sails.
Windmill
noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·2 syllables ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A machine which translates linear motion of wind to rotational motion by means of adjustable vanes called sails.
- Grammar: windmill is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: aerogenerator, chopper, eggbeater, flail.
- Useful contrasts: calm, cease, control.
- Usage evidence: I had never seen a windmill until I visited the Netherlands.
How to use "windmill"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "windmill" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "windmill" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "windmill" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "windmill" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
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- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "windmill" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "aerogenerator" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
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Final meaning check
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When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A machine which translates linear motion of wind to rotational motion by means of adjustable vanes called sails.
"Turbines have been around for a long time—windmills and water wheels are early examples. The name comes from the Latin turbo, meaning vortex, and thus the defining property of a turbine is that a fluid or gas turns the blades of a rotor, which is attached to a shaft that can perform useful work."
- 2 generator that extracts usable energy from winds wordnet
- 3 The building or structure containing such machinery.
"There was once a windmill and a baker's shop in the middle of Rabbitland. Three rabbits, Rodney, Rudolph and Rosie lived in the windmill."
- 4 a mill that is powered by the wind wordnet
- 5 A wind turbine, a device for converting wind power into electricity. colloquial, proscribed
"“I never understood wind. You know, I know windmills very much. They’re noisy. They kill the birds. You want to see a bird graveyard? Go under a windmill someday. You’ll see more birds than you’ve ever seen in your life.”"
Show 11 more definitions
- 6 A child's toy consisting of vanes mounted on a stick that rotate when blown by a person or by the wind.
- 7 A dunk where the dunker swings his arm in a circular motion before throwing the ball through the hoop.
- 8 A pitch where the pitcher swings his arm in a circular motion before throwing the ball.
- 9 A guitar move where the strumming hand mimics a turning windmill.
- 10 A breakdancing move in which the dancer rolls his/her torso continuously in a circular path on the floor, across the upper chest, shoulders and back, while twirling the legs in a V shape in the air.
- 11 Any of various muscle exercises in which a large deal of the body makes a great circle, typically one where a kettlebell is raised overhead and the torso is rotated to the other side with the hand reaching its foot (hitting the core, glutes, hamstrings, trapezius, rhomboids, deltoids and rotator cuffs) but sometimes even a windshield wiper.
- 12 Any of various large papilionid butterflies of the genus Byasa, the wings of which resemble the vanes of a windmill.
- 13 The false shower.
- 14 An imaginary enemy, but presented as real. figuratively
"to fight windmills"
- 15 The act of windmilling.
- 16 A tactic in which a piece repeatedly gains material, while simultaneously creating an inescapable series of alternating direct and discovered checks.
Verb
- 1 To rotate with a sweeping motion. intransitive, transitive
"She ran down the hill, windmilling her arms with glee."
- 2 To (become disengaged and) rotate freely. intransitive
"The axle broke and the wheel windmilled in place briefly before careening through the wall."
- 3 To (become disengaged and) rotate freely.; To be rotated by the force of the fluid passing through (the propeller or turbine rotor). intransitive
"The stern dropped just as the captain began to get his control room crew to react to orders again. His head struck an instrument console. What slim hopes his crew had died with him. The Politovskiy was falling backwards, her propeller windmilling the wrong way as she slid to the bottom of the sea."
- 4 To move in order to rotate the penis in a circle (similar to the rotation of a windmill).
Example
"I had never seen a windmill until I visited the Netherlands."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "windmill"?
Common synonyms include: aerogenerator, chopper, eggbeater, flail, gristmill, gyroscope.
How do you use "windmill" in a sentence?
I had never seen a windmill until I visited the Netherlands.
Etymology
From Middle English wyndmylne, wyndmylle, equivalent to wind + mill. Cognate with Scots wyndmyln, wyndmyl, Saterland Frisian Wíendmäälne, West Frisian wynmûne, Dutch windmolen, Afrikaans windmeul, Dutch Low Saxon windmölle (Achterhooks), wiendmeule (Drents, Veluws), German Low German Windmöhl, German Windmühle, Danish vindmølle, Norwegian Bokmål vindmølle, Norwegian Nynorsk vindmølle, vindmylne, Swedish vindmölla, Icelandic vindmylla. (imaginary enemy): A reference to Don Quixote tilting at windmills.