wind

wind¹ W2S2 [wınd] n

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1¦(air)¦

2 get/have wind of something

3¦(breath)¦

4¦(in your stomach)¦

5 take the wind out of somebody's sails

6 see which way the wind is blowing

7 something is in the wind

8 winds of change/freedom/public opinion etc

9 put the wind up somebody/get the wind up

10¦(music)¦

11 like the wind

12¦(talk)¦

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[: Old English;]

1.) ¦(AIR)¦ [U and C]

also the wind

moving air, especially when it moves strongly or quickly in a current

→↑windy

▪ The wind blew from the northeast.

▪ A sudden gust of wind (=a short strong wind) blew the door shut.

blowing/flapping/swaying etc in the wind

▪ branches swaying in the wind

strong/high winds

▪ The forecast is for strong winds and heavy rain.

gale/hurricane force winds

(=strong enough to cause a lot of damage)

▪ a 70-mile-an-hour wind

▪ The light wind ruffled the water.

east/west/north/south wind

(=coming from the east etc)

a cold/an icy/a chill/a biting etc wind

the wind picks/gets up

(=blows more strongly)

▪ The wind was getting up and it was becoming cloudy.

▪ We'll wait till the wind drops (=blows less strongly) before we put the tent up.

▪ the side of the building most exposed to prevailing winds (=the winds blowing over a particular area most of the time)

▪ a machine measuring wind speed

→↑crosswind, ↑downwind, ↑headwind, ↑tailwind, ↑trade wind, ↑upwind

2.) get/have wind of sth informal

to hear or find out about something secret or private

▪ You better hope the press doesn't get wind of this.

3.) ¦(BREATH)¦[U]

your ability to breathe normally

get your wind (back)

(=be able to breathe normally again, for example after running)

knock the wind out of sb

(=hit someone in the stomach so that they cannot breathe for a moment)

→second wind at ↑second¹ (12), ↑windpipe

4.) ¦(IN YOUR STOMACH)¦[U]

BrE the condition of having air or gas in your stomach or ↑intestines, or the air or gas itself

American Equivalent: gas

▪ I can't drink beer - it gives me wind.

▪ 'What's wrong with the baby?' 'Just a little wind.'

5.) take the wind out of sb's sails informal

to make someone lose their confidence, especially by saying or doing something unexpected

6.) see which way the wind is blowing

to find out what the situation is before you do something or make a decision

7.) sth is in the wind

used to say that something is happening or going to happen, but the details are not clear

▪ If there was a merger in the wind, I'm sure we'd hear about it.

8.) winds of change/freedom/public opinion etc

used to refer to things that have important effects, and that cannot be stopped

▪ The winds of change are blowing through the entire organization.

9.) put the wind up sb/get the wind up

BrE informal if you put the wind up someone, you make them feel anxious or frightened. If you get the wind up, you become anxious or frightened

▪ The threat of legal action will be enough to put the wind up them.

10.)¦(MUSIC)¦

the winds/the wind section

the people in an ↑orchestra or band who play musical instruments that you blow through, such as a ↑flute

11.) like the wind

if someone or something moves or runs like the wind, they move or run very quickly

▪ She ran like the wind down the stairs to escape.

12.) ¦(TALK)¦[U]

BrE informal talk that does not mean anything

→break wind at ↑break¹ (31)

→it's an ill wind (that blows nobody any good) at ↑ill¹ (4)

→sail close to the wind at ↑sail¹ (6), straw in the wind at ↑straw

wind ²

wind² [waınd] v past tense and past participle wound [waund]

1.) [T always + adverb/preposition]

to turn or twist something several times around something else

wind sth around/round sth

▪ The hair is divided into sections and wound around heated rods.

2.) [T] also wind up

to turn part of a machine around several times, in order to make it move or start working

▪ Did you remember to wind the clock?

3.) [I always + adverb/preposition]

if a road, river etc winds somewhere, it has many smooth bends and is usually very long

wind (its way) through/along etc sth

▪ Highway 99 winds its way along the coast.

▪ a winding path

4.) [T]

to make a tape move in a machine

wind sth forward/back

▪ Can you wind the video back a little way - I want to see that bit again.

→↑rewind

>wind n

wind down phr v

1.) wind sth<=>down

to gradually reduce the work of a business or organization so that it can be closed down completely

2.) to rest and relax after a lot of hard work or excitement

▪ I find it difficult to wind down after a day at work.

3.) wind sth<=>down

BrE to make something, especially a car window, move down by turning a handle or pressing a button

wind up phr v

1.) to bring an activity, meeting etc to an end

▪ OK, just to wind up, could I summarize what we've decided?

wind sth<=>up

▪ It's time to wind things up - I have a plane to catch.

2.) wind sth<=>up

to close down a company or organization

▪ Our operations in Jamaica are being wound up.

3.) [linking verb] informal

to be in an unpleasant situation or place after a lot has happened

= ↑end up wind up in/at/with etc

▪ You know you're going to wind up in court over this.

wind up doing sth

▪ I wound up wishing I'd never come.

4.) wind sb<=>up

BrE to deliberately say or do something that will annoy or worry someone, as a joke

→↑tease

▪ They're only winding you up.

→↑wound up

5.) wind sth<=>up

to turn part of a machine around several times, in order to make it move or start working

6.) wind sth<=>up

BrE to make something, especially a car window, move up by turning a handle or pressing a button

▪ Could you wind the window up, please?

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HINT

Do not confuse with the noun wind , which has a different pronunciation.

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wind ³

wind³ [wınd] v past tense and past participle winded [T]

to make someone have difficulty breathing, as a result of falling on something or being hit

▪ The fall winded him and he lay still for a moment.