Wind

wind ( poet. wīnd), n. air in motion: breath: flatulence: anything insignificant: the wind instruments in an orchestra: air impregnated with scent: a hint or suggestion of something secret, publicity: ( slang ) a part of the body near the stomach: a disease of sheep in which the inflamed intestines are distended by gases.— v.t. (wīnd) to sound or signal by blowing: to scent: (wind) to expose to the wind: to drive hard, so as to put out of breath: to allow to recover wind:— pr.p. wīnd′ing and wind′ing; pa.p. wind′ed and wound.— ns. Wind′age , the difference between the size of the bore of a gun and that of the ball or shell: the influence of the wind in deflecting a mi ile; Wind′bag , a person of mere words.— adjs. Wind′-bound , hindered from sailing by a contrary wind; Wind′-brō′ken , affected with convulsive breathing—of a horse; Wind′-chang′ing , fickle.— ns. Wind′-chart , a chart showing the direction of the wind; Wind′-chest , the box or reservoir that supplies compre ed air to the pipes or reeds of an organ; Wind′-drop′sy , tympanites; Wind′-egg , an addle-egg, one soft-shelled or imperfectly formed; Wīnd′er , one who sounds a horn: one who, or that which, winds or rolls; Wind′fall , fruit blown off a tree by the wind: any unexpected money or other advantage.— adj. Windfall′en , blown down by wind.— ns. Wind′-flow′er , the wood-anemone; Wind′-fur′nace , any form of furnace using the natural draught of a chimney without aid of a bellows; Wind′-gall , a puffy swelling about the fetlock joints of a horse; Wind′-gauge , an instrument for gauging or measuring the velocity of the wind: an appliance fixed to a gun by means of which the force of the wind is ascertained so that allowance may be made for it in sighting; Wind′-gun , air-gun; Wind′-hō′ver , the kestrel.— adv. Wind′ily .— ns. Wind′ine ; Wind′-in′strument , a musical instrument sounded by means of wind or by the breath.— adj. Wind′le , without wind.— ns. Wind′mill , a mill for performing any cla of work in which fixed machinery can be employed, and in which the motive-power is the force of the wind acting on a set of sails; Wind′pipe , the pa age for the breath between the mouth and lungs, the trachea.— adj. Wind′-rode ( naut. ), riding at anchor with head to the wind.— ns. Wind′rose , a graphic representation of the relative frequency of winds from different directions drawn with reference to a centre; Wind′row , a row of hay raked together to be made into cocks, a row of peats, ., set up for drying; Wind′-sail ( naut. ), a wide funnel of canvas used to convey a stream of air below deck.— adj. Wind′-shā′ken , agitated by the wind.— ns. Wind′side , the side next the wind; Wind′-suck′er , the kestrel: a critic ready to fasten on any weak spot, however small or unimportant.— adjs. Wind′-swift , swift as the wind; Wind′-tight , air-tight.— adv. Wind′ward , toward where the wind blows from.— adj. toward the wind.— n. the point from which the wind blows.— adj. Wind′y .— A capful of wind , a slight breeze; Before the wind , carried along by the wind; Between wind and water , that part of a ship's side which is now in, now out of, the water owing to the fluctuation of the waves: any vulnerable point; Broken wind , a form of paroxysmal dyspnœa; Cast , or Lay , an anchor to windward , to make prudent provision for the future; Down the wind , moving with the wind; Fight windmills , to struggle with imaginary opposition, as Don Quixote tilted at the windmill; Get one's wind , to recover one's breath; Get the wind of , to get on the windward side of; Get to windward of , to secure an advantage over; Get wind of , to learn about, to be informed of; Have the wind of , to be on the trail of; How the wind blows , or lies , the state of the wind: the position of affairs; In the wind , astir, afoot; In the wind's eye , In the teeth of the wind , right against the wind; Sail close to the wind , to keep the boat's head near enough to wind as to fill but not shake the sails: to be almost indecent; Second wind , new powers of respiration succeeding to the first breathle ne ; Sow the wind and reap the whirlwind , to act wrongly and receive a crushing retribution. [A.S. wind ; Ice. vindr , Ger. wind , L. vent us , Gr. aētēs , Sans. vāta , wind.]