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on the wind

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On The Wind
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wind

1  [n. wind, Literary wahynd; v. wind]
Use on the wind in a Sentence
–noun
1. air in natural motion, as that moving horizontally at any velocity along the earth's surface: A gentle wind blew through the valley. High winds were forecast.
2. a gale; storm; hurricane.
3. any stream of air, as that produced by a bellows or fan.
4. air that is blown or forced to produce a musical sound in singing or playing an instrument.
5. wind instrument.
6. wind instruments collectively.
7. the winds, the members of an orchestra or band who play the wind instruments.
8. breath or breathing: to catch one's wind.
9. the power of breathing freely, as during continued exertion.
10. any influential force or trend: strong winds of public opinion.
11. a hint or intimation: to catch wind of a stock split.
12. air carrying an animal's odor or scent.
13. solar wind.
14. empty talk; mere words.
15. vanity; conceitedness.
16. gas generated in the stomach and intestines.
17. Boxing Slang. the pit of the stomach where a blow may cause a temporary shortness of breath; solar plexus.
18. any direction of the compass.
19. a state of unconcern, recklessness, or abandon: to throw all caution to the winds.
–verb (used with object)
20. to expose to wind or air.
21. to follow by the scent.
22. to make short of wind or breath, as by vigorous exercise.
23. to let recover breath, as by resting after exertion.
–verb (used without object)
24. to catch the scent or odor of game.
—Idioms
25. between wind and water,
a. (of a ship) at or near the water line.
b. in a vulnerable or precarious spot: In her profession one is always between wind and water.
26. break wind, to expel gas from the stomach and bowels through the anus.
27. how the wind blows or lies, what the tendency or probability is: Try to find out how the wind blows. Also, which way the wind blows.
28. in the teeth of the wind, sailing directly into the wind; against the wind. Also, in the eye of the wind, in the wind's eye.
29. in the wind, about to occur; imminent; impending: There's good news in the wind.
30. off the wind,
a. away from the wind; with the wind at one's back.
b. (of a sailing vessel) headed into the wind with sails shaking or aback.
31. on the wind, as close as possible to the wind. Also, on a wind.
32. sail close to the wind,
a. Also, sail close on a wind. to sail as nearly as possible in the direction from which the wind is blowing.
b. to practice economy in the management of one's affairs.
c. to verge on a breach of propriety or decency.
d. to escape (punishment, detection, etc.) by a narrow margin; take a risk.
33. take the wind out of one's sails, to surprise someone, esp. with unpleasant news; stun; shock; flabbergast: She took the wind out of his sails when she announced she was marrying someone else.
Origin:
bef. 900; ME (n.), OE; c. D, G Wind, ON vindr, Goth winds, L ventus

Synonyms:
1. Wind, air, zephyr, breeze, blast, gust refer to a quantity of air set in motion naturally. Wind applies to any such air in motion, blowing with whatever degree of gentleness or violence. Air, usually poetical, applies to a very gentle motion of the air. Zephyr, also poetical, refers to an air characterized by its soft, mild quality. A breeze is usually a cool, light wind. Blast and gust apply to quick, forceful winds of short duration; blast implies a violent rush of air, often a cold one, whereas a gust is little more than a flurry. 16. flatulence.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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On The Wind
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wind 1   (wĭnd)   
n.  

    1. Moving air, especially a natural and perceptible movement of air parallel to or along the ground.

    2. A movement of air generated artificially, as by bellows or a fan.

    3. The direction from which a movement of air comes: The wind is north-northwest.

    4. A movement of air coming from one of the four cardinal points of the compass: the four winds.

    5. Breath, especially normal or adequate breathing; respiration: had the wind knocked out of them.

    6. Gas produced in the stomach or intestines during digestion; flatulence.

    7. The brass and woodwinds sections of a band or orchestra. Often used in the plural.

    8. Wind instruments or their players considered as a group. Often used in the plural.

    9. Woodwinds. Often used in the plural.

    10. Something that disrupts or destroys: the winds of war.

    11. A tendency; a trend: the winds of change.

    12. Speech or writing empty of meaning; verbiage: His remarks on the subject are nothing but wind.

    13. Vain self-importance; pomposity: an expert who was full of wind even before becoming famous.

    1. The direction from which a movement of air comes: The wind is north-northwest.

    2. A movement of air coming from one of the four cardinal points of the compass: the four winds.

    3. Breath, especially normal or adequate breathing; respiration: had the wind knocked out of them.

    4. Gas produced in the stomach or intestines during digestion; flatulence.

    5. The brass and woodwinds sections of a band or orchestra. Often used in the plural.

    6. Wind instruments or their players considered as a group. Often used in the plural.

    7. Woodwinds. Often used in the plural.

    8. Something that disrupts or destroys: the winds of war.

    9. A tendency; a trend: the winds of change.

    10. Speech or writing empty of meaning; verbiage: His remarks on the subject are nothing but wind.

    11. Vain self-importance; pomposity: an expert who was full of wind even before becoming famous.

  3. Moving air carrying sound, an odor, or a scent.

    1. Breath, especially normal or adequate breathing; respiration: had the wind knocked out of them.

    2. Gas produced in the stomach or intestines during digestion; flatulence.

    3. The brass and woodwinds sections of a band or orchestra. Often used in the plural.

    4. Wind instruments or their players considered as a group. Often used in the plural.

    5. Woodwinds. Often used in the plural.

    6. Something that disrupts or destroys: the winds of war.

    7. A tendency; a trend: the winds of change.

    8. Speech or writing empty of meaning; verbiage: His remarks on the subject are nothing but wind.

    9. Vain self-importance; pomposity: an expert who was full of wind even before becoming famous.

  5. Music

    1. The brass and woodwinds sections of a band or orchestra. Often used in the plural.

    2. Wind instruments or their players considered as a group. Often used in the plural.

    3. Woodwinds. Often used in the plural.

    4. Something that disrupts or destroys: the winds of war.

    5. A tendency; a trend: the winds of change.

    6. Speech or writing empty of meaning; verbiage: His remarks on the subject are nothing but wind.

    7. Vain self-importance; pomposity: an expert who was full of wind even before becoming famous.

    1. Something that disrupts or destroys: the winds of war.

    2. A tendency; a trend: the winds of change.

    3. Speech or writing empty of meaning; verbiage: His remarks on the subject are nothing but wind.

    4. Vain self-importance; pomposity: an expert who was full of wind even before becoming famous.

  7. Information, especially of something concealed; intimation: Trouble will ensue if wind of this scandal gets out.

    1. Speech or writing empty of meaning; verbiage: His remarks on the subject are nothing but wind.

    2. Vain self-importance; pomposity: an expert who was full of wind even before becoming famous.

tr.v.   wind·ed, wind·ing, winds

  1. To expose to free movement of air; ventilate or dry.

    1. To detect the smell of; catch a scent of.

    2. To pursue by following a scent.

  3. To cause to be out of or short of breath.

  4. To afford a recovery of breath: stopped to wind and water the horses.


[Middle English, from Old English; see wē- in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

wind  (v.)
"move by turning and twisting," O.E. windan "to turn, twist, wind" (class III strong verb; past tense wand, pp. wunden), from P.Gmc. *wendanan (cf. O.S. windan, O.N. vinda, O.Fris. winda, Du. winden, O.H.G. wintan, Ger. winden, Goth. windan "to wind"), from PIE *wendh- "to turn, wind, weave" (cf. L. viere "twist, plait, weave," vincire "bind," Lith. vyti "twist, wind"). Related to wend, which is its causative form, and to wander. Wind down "come to a conclusion" is recorded from 1952; wind up "come to a conclusion" is from 1825. Winding sheet "shroud of a corpse" is attested from c.1420.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Science Dictionary
wind   (wĭnd)  Pronunciation Key 


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A current of air, especially a natural one that moves along or parallel to the ground, moving from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure. Surface wind is measured by anemometers or its effect on objects, such as trees. The large-scale pattern of winds on Earth is governed primarily by differences in the net solar radiation received at the Earth's surface, but it is also influenced by the Earth's rotation, by the distribution of continents and oceans, by ocean currents, and by topography. On a local scale, the differences in rate of heating and cooling of land versus bodies of water greatly affect wind formation. Prevailing global winds are classified into three major belts in the Northern Hemisphere and three corresponding belts in the Southern Hemisphere. The trade winds blow generally east to west toward a low-pressure zone at the equator throughout the region from 30° north to 30° south of the equator. The westerlies blow from west to east in the temperate mid-latitude regions (from 30° to 60° north and south of the equator), and the polar easterlies blow from east to west out of high-pressure areas in the polar regions. See also Beaufort scale, chinook, foehn, monsoon, Santa Ana.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
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