winding
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈwɪndɪŋ/
rhymes: -ɪndɪŋ
ipa: /ˈwaɪndɪŋ/
rhymes: -aɪndɪŋ
ipa: /ˈwɪndɪŋ/
rhymes: -ɪndɪŋ
Forms: form: windings
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: 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.
ref: 1834 October, “Boz” [pseudonym; Charles Dickens], “The Steam Excursion”, in Sketches by “Boz,” Illustrative of Every-day Life, and Every-day People. […], volume II, London: John Macrone, […], published 1836, →OCLC, pages 305–306:
glosses: gerund of wind
The act of twisting something, or coiling or wrapping something around another thing.
examples: text: [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?
ref: 1552 November 30 (Gregorian calendar), Hugh Latimer, Augustine Bernher, compiler, “Sermon XXX. Preached upon the Second Sunday in Advent. 1552..”, in The Sermons of the Right Reverend Father in God, Master Hugh Latimer, Bishop of Worcester. […], volume II, London: […] J. Scott, […], published 1758, →OCLC, page 670:
text: Eugene Forsarde, the reviewer in question, follows Currer Bell [Brontë's pseudonym] through every winding, discerns every point, discriminates every shade, proves himself master of the subject, and lord of the aim.
ref: 1849 November, Charlotte Brontë, chapter IV, in E[lizabeth] C[leghorn] Gaskell, The Life of Charlotte Brontë, […], volume II, London: Smith, Elder & Co., […], published 1857, →OCLC, page 130:
glosses: gerund of wind
A curving, sinuous, or twisting movement; twists and turns.
examples: text: 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.
ref: 1601, C[aius] Plinius Secundus [i.e., Pliny the Elder], “[Book V.] Cyrene.”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Historie of the World. Commonly Called, The Naturall Historie of C. Plinius Secundus. […], 1st tome, London: […] Adam Islip, →OCLC, page 94:
text: The Labyrinth] A building ſo entangled in vvindings and cyrcles, that it deceiueth all that come in it.
ref: 1610, Saint Augustine, “What Fictions Got Footing in the Nations, when the Iudges Beganne First to Rule Israel. Chap. 13.”, in J[ohn] H[ealey], transl., St. Augustine, of the Citie of God: […], [London]: […] George Eld, →OCLC, book XVIII, page 561:
text: This idol, like a worm, that less or more / Contracts or strains her, did itself convey, / Beyond the wards or windings of the key, / Into the chamber, and, above her head / Her seat assuming, thus she comforted / Distress'd Penelope: […]
ref: 1614–1615, Homer, “The Fourth Book of Homer’s Odysseys”, in Geo[rge] Chapman, transl., Homer’s Odysses. […], London: […] Rich[ard] Field [and William Jaggard], for Nathaniell Butter, published 1615, →OCLC; republished in The Odysseys of Homer, […], volume I, London: John Russell Smith, […], 1857, →OCLC, page 106, lines 1082–1087:
text: [T]heſe ["mixt newel'd stairs"], becauſe they ſometimes vvind, and ſometimes fly off from that vvinding take therefore the more room up in the Stair-Caſe.
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 151:
text: O, Maskvvell, in vain I do diſguiſe me from thee, thou knovv'ſt me, knovv'ſt the very inmoſt VVindings and Receſſes of my Soul.
ref: 1693 (first performance), [William] Congreve, The Double-Dealer. A Comedy, London: […] Jacob Tonson […], published 1735, →OCLC, Act I, scene vi, page 27:
text: Firſt, I charged them to make Land-marks, Bearings, and Beacons, as vve might call them, […] at the Reaches and VVindings of the Rivers or Brooks, Falls of VVater, and every thing remarkable; […]
ref: 1725, [Daniel Defoe], “Part II”, in A New Voyage Round the World, by a Course Never Sailed before. […], London: […] A[rthur] Bettesworth, […]; and W. Mears, […], →OCLC, page 83:
text: I thence vvithdrevv, and follovved long / The vvindings of the ſtream.
ref: 1788, William Cowper, “The Dog and the Water-lily. No Fable.”, in Poems […], London: […] [F]or J[oseph] Johnson, […] by T[homas] Bensley, […], published 1806, →OCLC, page 255:
text: [A] loud shriek / That shook along the windings of the cave / Scattered the youth's reply.
ref: 1801, Robert Southey, “The Eleventh Book”, in Thalaba the Destroyer, volume II, London: […] [F]or T[homas] N[orton] Longman and O[wen] Rees, […], by Biggs and Cottle, […], →OCLC, page 295:
text: The ascent is precipitous, but the path is cut into continual and short windings, which enable you to surmount the perpendicularity of the mountain.
ref: 1816 June – 1817 April/May (date written), [Mary Shelley], chapter II, in Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. […], volume II, London: […] [Macdonald and Son] for Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor, & Jones, published 1 January 1818, →OCLC, pages 18–19:
text: [M]y mother’s pale arms emerged from the windings of her sheets and flailed in the air; her mouth chattered like a motor.
ref: 1966, Cynthia Ozick, chapter 7, in Trust […], New York, N.Y.: The New American Library, part 1 (America), page 44:
text: If you went down the river long enough, along its sinewy windings, you’d reach the sea; but what could you do there? Gather shells, loll on the oily stones.
ref: 1985, Margaret Atwood, “Jezebel’s”, in The Handmaid’s Tale, Toronto, Ont.: McClelland and Stewart, →ISBN, page 225:
glosses: gerund of wind
A curving, sinuous, or twisting form.
examples: text: Is there a Tongue, like Delia’s o’er her cup, / That runs for Ages vvithout vvinding-up?
ref: 1725, [Edward Young], “Satire I. To His Grace the Duke of Dorset.”, in Love of Fame, the Universal Passion. In Seven Characteristical Satires, 4th edition, London: […] J[acob] and R[ichard] Tonson […], published 1741, →OCLC, page 20:
glosses: gerund of wind
Chiefly followed by up: the act of tightening the spring of a clockwork or other mechanism.
glosses: gerund of wind
Sometimes followed by up: the act of hoisting something using a winch or a similar device.
examples: text: 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.
ref: 1621, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], “Against Pouerty and Want, with such Other Adversity”, in The Anatomy of Melancholy, […], Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and Iames Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition 2, section 3, member 3, page 404:
text: Its [facetiousness's] vvays are unaccountable and inexplicable, being anſvverable to the numberleſs rovings of fancy, and vvindings of language.
ref: a. 1678 (date written), Isaac Barrow, “The Second Sermon. Ephes[ians] 5. 4.”, in Several Sermons against Evil-Speaking, London: […] Brabazon Aylmer, […], published 1678, →OCLC, page 45:
text: It cannot be supposed that the confusion of the two youthful lovers escaped the observation of the wily lawyer, accustomed, by habit and profession, to trace human nature through all her windings.
ref: 1819, Jedediah Cleishbotham [pseudonym; Walter Scott], chapter VII, in Tales of My Landlord, Third Series. […], volume II (The Bride of Lammermoor), Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, […]; Hurst, Robinson, and Co. […], →OCLC, page 137:
text: The Gazette which announced that [Robert Spencer, 2nd Earl of] Sunderland had been appointed Chamberlain of the Royal Household, sworn of the Privy Council, and named one of the Lords Justices who were to administer the government during the summer, had caused great uneasiness among plain man who remembered all the windings and doublings of his long career.
ref: 1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter XXIII, in Lady Trevelyan (Hannah More Macaulay), editor, The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume V, London: Longman, Green, Longman, and Roberts, →OCLC, pages 3–4:
glosses: gerund of wind
Twists and turns in an occurrence, in thinking, or some other thing; also, moral crookedness; craftiness, shiftiness.
topics: nautical
transport
glosses: gerund of wind
The act or process of turning a boat or ship in a certain direction.
examples: text: 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."
ref: 1915 September, T[homas] S[tearns] Eliot, “Portrait of a Lady”, in Prufrock and Other Observations, London: The Egoist […], published 1917, →OCLC, pages 18–19:
topics: entertainment
lifestyle
music
glosses: gerund of wind
A variation in a tune.
examples: text: 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.
ref: 1634, John Milton, “Arcades”, in Poems of Mr. John Milton, […], London: […] Ruth Raworth for Humphrey Mosely, […], published 1646, →OCLC, pages 53–54:
glosses: Something wound around another thing.
topics: business
electrical
electrical-engineering
electricity
electromagnetism
energy
engineering
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
physics
glosses: Something wound around another thing.
A length of wire wound around the armature of an electric motor or the core of an electrical transformer.
topics: arts
crafts
hobbies
lifestyle
lutherie
glosses: 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”).
synonyms: word: lapping
extra: 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
glosses: Something wound around another thing.
A decorative object, design, or other thing with curves or twists.
examples: text: 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?
ref: 1601, C[aius] Plinius Secundus [i.e., Pliny the Elder], “[Book XXXV.] Of Mud Walls: Of Bricke Walls, and the Order and Manner of Making Them.”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Historie of the World. Commonly Called, The Naturall Historie of C. Plinius Secundus. […], 2nd tome, London: […] Adam Islip, →OCLC, page 555:
glosses: 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.
qualifier: except dialectal
synonyms: word: withe
extra: (“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
word: withy
extra: (“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
Derived terms: amortisseur winding
damper winding
winding cloth
winding engine
winding hole
winding number
winding sheet
winding tower
winding-up