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wind up

 - 6 dictionary results

wind⋅up

  [wahynd-uhp]
Use wind up in a Sentence
–noun
1. the conclusion of any action, activity, etc.; the end or close.
2. a final act or part.
3. Baseball. the preparatory movements of the arm before pitching a ball. Compare stretch (def. 22).
4. Informal. a mechanical object, as a toy or wristwatch, that is driven by a spring or similar mechanism that must be wound.
5. an act or instance of winding up.
Also, wind-up.

Origin:
1565–75; n. use of v. phrase wind up

wind

2  [wahynd] verb, wound or (Rare) wind⋅ed  [wahyn-did] ; wind⋅ing; noun
–verb (used without object)
1. to change direction; bend; turn; take a frequently bending course; meander: The river winds through the forest.
2. to have a circular or spiral course or direction.
3. to coil or twine about something: The ivy winds around the house.
4. to proceed circuitously or indirectly.
5. to undergo winding or winding up.
6. to be twisted or warped, as a board.
–verb (used with object)
7. to encircle or wreathe, as with something twined, wrapped, or placed about.
8. to roll or coil (thread, string, etc.) into a ball, on a spool, or the like (often fol. by up).
9. to remove or take off by unwinding (usually fol. by off or from): She wound the thread off the bobbin.
10. to twine, fold, wrap, or place about something.
11. to make (a mechanism) operational by tightening the mainspring with a key (often fol. by up): to wind a clock; to wind up a toy.
12. to haul or hoist by means of a winch, windlass, or the like (often fol. by up).
13. to make (one's or its way) in a bending or curving course: The stream winds its way through the woods.
14. to make (one's or its way) by indirect, stealthy, or devious procedure: to wind one's way into another's confidence.
–noun
15. the act of winding.
16. a single turn, twist, or bend of something wound: If you give it another wind, you'll break the mainspring.
17. a twist producing an uneven surface.
—Verb phrases
18. wind down,
a. to lessen in intensity so as to bring or come to a gradual end: The war is winding down.
b. to calm down; relax: He's too excited tonight to wind down and sleep.
19. wind up,
a. to bring to a state of great tension; excite (usually used in the past participle): He was all wound up before the game.
b. to bring or come to an end; conclude: to wind up a sales campaign.
c. to settle or arrange in order to conclude: to wind up one's affairs.
d. to become ultimately: to wind up as a country schoolteacher.
e. Baseball. (of a pitcher) to execute a windup.
—Idiom
20. out of wind, (of boards, plasterwork, etc.) flat and true.
Origin:
bef. 900; ME winden, OE windan; c. D, G winden, ON vinda, Goth -windan; akin to wend, wander
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To wind up
wind 2   (wīnd)   
v.   wound (wound), wind·ing, winds

v.   tr.

  1. To wrap (something) around a center or another object once or repeatedly: wind string around a spool.

  2. To wrap or encircle (an object) in a series of coils; entwine: wound her injured leg with a bandage; wound the waist of the gown with lace and ribbons.

    1. To go along (a curving or twisting course): wind a path through the mountains.

    2. To proceed on (one's way) with a curving or twisting course.

    3. To coil the spring of (a mechanism) by turning a stem or cord, for example: wind a watch.

    4. To coil (thread, for example), as onto a spool or into a ball.

    5. To remove or unwind (thread, for example), as from a spool: wound the line off the reel.

  4. To introduce in a disguised or devious manner; insinuate: He wound a plea for money into his letter.

  5. To turn (a crank, for example) in a series of circular motions.

    1. To coil the spring of (a mechanism) by turning a stem or cord, for example: wind a watch.

    2. To coil (thread, for example), as onto a spool or into a ball.

    3. To remove or unwind (thread, for example), as from a spool: wound the line off the reel.

  7. To lift or haul by means of a windlass or winch: Wind the pail to the top of the well.

v.   intr.

  1. To move in or have a curving or twisting course: a river winding through a valley.

    1. To move in or have a spiral or circular course: a column of smoke winding into the sky.

    2. To be coiled or spiraled: The vine wound about the trellis.

  3. To be twisted or whorled into curved forms.

  4. To proceed misleadingly or insidiously in discourse or conduct.

  5. To become wound: a clock that winds with difficulty.

n.  

  1. The act of winding.

  2. A single turn, twist, or curve.

Phrasal Verb(s):
wind down Informal

  1. To diminish gradually in energy, intensity, or scope: The party wound down as guests began to leave.

  2. To relax; unwind.

wind up

  1. To come or bring to a finish; end: when the meeting wound up; wind up a project.

  2. To put in order; settle: wound up her affairs before leaving the country.

  3. Informal To arrive in a place or situation after or because of a course of action: took a long walk and wound up at the edge of town; overspent and wound up in debt.

  4. Baseball To swing back the arm and raise the foot in preparation for pitching the ball.


[Middle English winden, from Old English windan.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

wind  (n.)
"air in motion," O.E. wind, from P.Gmc. *wendas (cf. O.S., O.Fris., Du. wind, O.N. vindr, O.H.G. wind, Ger. Wind, Goth. winds), from PIE *we-nt-o- "blowing," from base *we- "to blow" (cf. Skt. va-, Gk. aemi-, Goth. waian, O.E. wawan, O.H.G. wajan, Ger. wehen, O.C.S. vejati "to blow;" Skt. vatah, Avestan vata-, Hittite huwantis, L. ventus, O.C.S. vetru, Lith. vejas "wind;" Lith. vetra "tempest, storm;" O.Ir. feth "air;" Welsh gwynt, Bret. gwent "wind"). Normal pronunciation evolution made this word rhyme with kind and rind (Donne rhymes it with mind), but shifted to a short vowel 18c., probably from influence of windy, where the short vowel is natural. A sad loss for poets, who now must rhyme it only with sinned and a handful of weak words. Symbolic of emptiness and vanity since c.1290.
"I have forgot much, Cynara! gone with the wind." [Ernest Dowson, 1896]
To get wind of "receive information about" is recorded from 1809, perhaps from Fr. avoir le vent de. Wind-chill index is recorded from 1939. The verb meaning "tire, put out of breath" is attested from 1811.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: wind up
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Forms: wound up; wind·ing up
: to bring to an end by taking care of unfinished business wind up his practice>; specifically : to conclude by removing liabilities and distributing any remaining assets to partners or shareholders <wind up the business and affairs of a corporation in dissolution> <wind up a receivership>
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Idioms & Phrases

wind up

  1. Come or bring to a finish, as in The party was winding up, so we decided to leave, or Let's wind up the meeting and get back to work. [Early 1800s] Also see wind down.

  2. Put in order, settle, as in She had to wind up her affairs before she could move. [Late 1700s]

  3. Arrive somewhere following a course of action, end up, as in We got lost and wound up in another town altogether, or If you're careless with your bank account, you can wind up overdrawn. [Colloquial; early 1900s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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