winding
Language: English
Part of speech: adj
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈwɪndɪŋ/
rhymes: -ɪndɪŋ
ipa: /ˈwaɪndɪŋ/
rhymes: -aɪndɪŋ
ipa: /ˈwɪndɪŋ/
rhymes: -ɪndɪŋ
Forms: form: more winding
form: most winding
Etymology: 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).
Senses: examples: text: [H]e [Satan] vvindes himſelfe into this vvinding Beaſt, diſpoſing the Serpents tongue to ſpeake to the vvoman [Eve] […]
ref: 1613, Samuel Purchas, “[Asia.] Of the Fall of Man: And of Originall Sinne.”, in Purchas His Pilgrimage. Or Relations of the World and the Religions Observed in All Ages and Places Discouered, from the Creation vnto this Present. […], London: […] William Stansby for Henrie Fetherstone, […], →OCLC, book I [Of the First Beginnings of the World and Religion: And of the Regions and Religions of Babylonia, Assyria, Syria, Phænicia, and Palestina], page 20:
text: Let her forbeare / To taſt thoſe things that are forbidden there. / […] / The ſuck-egge VVeaſell, and the vvinding Svvallovv, / From theſe ſhe ſhall abſtaine, and not unhallovv / Her op'ned lips vvith their polluted fleſh; […]
ref: 1631, Fra[ncis] Quarles, “Sect[ion] 4”, in The Historie of Samson, London: […] M[iles] F[lesher] for Iohn Marriott, […], →OCLC, pages 19–20:
text: They [two sea serpents] next invade: / Tvvice round his [Laocoön's] vvaſte their vvinding Volumes rovvl'd, / And tvvice about his gaſping Throat they fold.
ref: 1697, Virgil, “The Second Book of the Æneis”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, page 243, lines 287–289:
text: Swallows check their winding flight, / And twittering on the chimney light.
ref: 1820, John Clare, “[Poems.] Summer Evening.”, in Poems Descriptive of Rural Life and Scenery, London: […] [T. Miller] for Taylor and Hessey, […]; and E[dward] Drury, […], →OCLC, page 130:
glosses: Moving in a sinuous or twisting manner.
examples: text: 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.
ref: 1545, Roger Ascham, Toxophilus, the Schole of Shootinge […], London: […] Edouardi Whytchurch, →OCLC:
text: The Current that vvith gentle murmure glides / (Thou knovv'ſt) being ſtop'd, impatiently doth rage: / […] / And ſo by many vvinding nookes he ſtraies / VVith vvilling ſport to the vvilde Ocean.
ref: c. 1590–1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene vii], page 28, column 1:
text: If his [an ox's] necke ſvvell let him blood, or if his necke be vvinding and vveake [as if it vvere broken] then let him blood in that eare to vvhich ſide the head bendeth.
ref: 1607, Conradus Gesnerus [i.e., Conrad Gessner]; Edward Topsell, “Of Cowes”, in The Historie of Foure-footed Beastes. […], London: […] William Iaggard, →OCLC, page 78:
text: [I]t vvas ordained, that this VVinding-Iuie of a Plantagenet, ſhould kill the true Tree it ſelfe.
ref: 1622, Francis, Lord Verulam, Viscount St. Alban [i.e. Francis Bacon], The Historie of the Raigne of King Henry the Seventh, […], London: […] W[illiam] Stansby for Matthew Lownes, and William Barret, →OCLC, page 193:
text: With Sʳ Robert Clayton to Marden, an estate he had bought lately of my kinsman Sʳ John Evelyn of Godstone in Surrey, which from a despicable farme house Sʳ Robert had erected into a seate with extraordinary expence. 'Tis in such a solitude among hills, as being not above 16 miles from London, seems almost incredible, the ways up to it so winding and intricate.
ref: 1677 October 22 (Gregorian calendar), John Evelyn, “[Diary entry for 12 October 1677]”, in William Bray, editor, Memoirs, Illustrative of the Life and Writings of John Evelyn, […], 2nd edition, volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […]; and sold by John and Arthur Arch, […], published 1819, →OCLC, page 493:
text: My people ſhall, by my Command, explore / The Ports and Creeks of ev'ry vvinding ſhore; […]
ref: 1697, Virgil, “The First Book of the Æneis”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, page 225, lines 808–809:
text: Taking my lonely winding walk, I mused, / And held accustom'd conference with my heart; […]
ref: 1791, William Cowper, “[Miscellaneous Poems.] The Four Ages. (A Brief Fragment of an Extensive Projected Poem.)”, in The Poetical Works of William Cowper. […], volume II, Edinburgh: James Nichol, […]; London: James Nisbet and Co. […], published 1854, →OCLC, page 156, lines 8–9:
text: The vvinding mountains, at length, ſhut Udolpho from her vievv, and ſhe turned, vvith mournful reluctance, to other objects.
ref: 1794 May 8, Ann Radcliffe, chapter VI, in The Mysteries of Udolpho, a Romance; […], volume III, London: […] G. G. and J. Robinson, […], →OCLC, page 167:
text: They walked along the road, Scrooge recognising every gate, and post, and tree; until a little market-town appeared in the distance, with its bridge, its church, and winding river.
ref: 1843 December 19, Charles Dickens, “Stave Two. The First of the Three Spirits.”, in A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas, London: Chapman & Hall, […], →OCLC, page 48:
text: Nearer the coast, the land becomes markedly more marshy, with long, winding channels striking inland from the sea, making access to some of the waterside villages rather difficult.
ref: 1950 December, R. C. J. Day, R. K. Kirkland, “The Kelvedon & Tollesbury Light Railway”, in The Railway Magazine, London: Tothill Press, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 838:
glosses: Sinuous, turning, or twisting in form.
examples: text: 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.
ref: 1644 February 18 (Gregorian calendar), John Evelyn, “[Diary entry for 8 February 1644]”, in William Bray, editor, Memoirs, Illustrative of the Life and Writings of John Evelyn, […], 2nd edition, volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […]; and sold by John and Arthur Arch, […], published 1819, →OCLC, page 40:
text: VVinding Stairs are projected on a round Profile, vvhoſe Diameter is equal to the Baſe the Stair-Caſe is to ſtand on, ſuppoſe ſix foot ſquare. […] If you dravv Lines from the Center through every one of the equal parts of into the Circumference, the ſpace betvveen every tvvo Lines vvill be the true Figure of a VVinding Step.
ref: 1679, Joseph Moxon, “Numb[er] IX. Applied to the Art of House-Carpentery.”, in Mechanick Exercises, or The Doctrine of Handy-Works, […], volume I, London: […] Joseph Moxon, published 1678, →OCLC, page 152:
text: She left the chapel—very slowly and often turning back to gaze again—and coming to a low door, which plainly led into the tower, opened it, and climbed the winding stair in darkness; save where she looked down through narrow loopholes on the place she had left, or caught a glimmering vision of the dusty bells.
ref: 1840 April – 1841 November, Charles Dickens, “Chapter the Fifty-third”, in The Old Curiosity Shop. A Tale. […], volume II, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published 1841, →OCLC, page 96:
glosses: Sinuous, turning, or twisting in form.
Chiefly of a staircase: helical, spiral.
examples: text: I will not heare thee, wife; / The winding laborinth of thy straunge discourse / Will nere haue end.
ref: c. 1591–1593 (date written), attributed to Anthony Munday, Henry Chettle, William Shakespeare [et al.], edited by Alexander Dyce, Sir Thomas More, a Play; […], London: […] [Frederick Shoberl, Junior] for the Shakespeare Society, published 1844, →OCLC, page 80:
text: [A]ll vvriters are not of one and the ſame minde, as touching the very name and the firſt inhabitants of Britaine, and I feare me greatly, that no man is able to fetch out the truth, ſo deeply plunged vvithin the vvinding revolutions of ſo many ages, […]
ref: 1610, William Camden, “Britaine”, in Philémon Holland, transl., Britain, or A Chorographicall Description of the Most Flourishing Kingdomes, England, Scotland, and Ireland, […], London: […] [Eliot’s Court Press for] Georgii Bishop & Ioannis Norton, →OCLC, page 9:
synonyms: circuitous
circumlocutionary
indirect
meandering
tortuous
glosses: Of speech, writing, etc.: not direct or to the point; rambling, roundabout.
examples: text: 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: […]
ref: 1609, Ammianus Marcellinus, “[The XXII. Booke.] Chapter III. The Most Ugly and Lothsome Face Described, of the Court and Armie of Iulianus: The Same Princes Impietie, His Hatred and Deceitfull Dealing against Christ and Christians.”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Roman Historie, […], London: […] Adam Jslip, →OCLC, page 192:
glosses: Flexible, pliant.
examples: text: 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.
ref: 1655, Thomas Stanley, “The Clouds of Aristophanes. Added (not as a Comicall Divertisement for the Reader, who can Expect Little in that Kind from a Subject so Antient, and Particular, but) as a Necessary Supplement to the Life of Socrates”, in The History of Philosophy. […], volume I, London: […] Humphrey Moseley, and Thomas Dring, […], →OCLC, 3rd part (Containing the Socratick Philosophers), Act I, scene iii, page 76:
glosses: Morally crooked; crafty, shifty.
Derived terms: windingly
windingness