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wind up

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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
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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.
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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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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Science Dictionary
wind   (wĭnd)  Pronunciation Key 


(click for larger image in new window)

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.
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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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