Definition of "winding"

gerund of wind

1. (agriculture, chiefly attributive) The act of winnowing (“subjecting food grain to a current of air to separate the grain from the chaff”).  examples

2. (music) The act of blowing air through a wind instrument or (chiefly) a horn to make a sound.  quotations  examples

   Quotations

   • Novv their opinions of the end of the vvorld, of Paradiſe, and of hell; exceede the vanity of dreames, and all old vviues fables. They ſay, that at the vvinding of a horne not only all fleſh ſhall die, but the Angels themſelues: & that the earth vvith earthquakes ſhall be kneaded together like a lumpe of dough, for forty daies ſo continuing.

     1615, George Sandys, “The First Booke”, in The Relation of a Iourney Begun An: Dom: 1610. […], London: […] [Richard Field] for W. Barrett, page 58

   • [W]e savv a Fox run by the Foot of our Mount into an adjacent Thicket. A fevv Minutes after, vve heard a confuſed Noiſe of the opening of Hounds, the vvinding of Horns, and the roaring of Country Squires.

     1732, George Berkeley, “The Fifth Dialogue”, in Alciphron: Or, The Minute Philosopher. […], volume I, London: […] J[acob] Tonson […], section I, pages 266–267

   • Not a man or woman in the town but has heard stories of apparitions in the forest, or about the old castle. Sometimes it is a pack of hounds that sweep along, and the whoops and hollos of the huntsman, and the winding of horns and the galloping of horse, […]

     1826, [Walter Scott], chapter X, in Woodstock; Or, The Cavalier. […], volume I, Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, and Green, page 247

(comparable) Causing one to be breathless or out of breath.  examples

(not comparable, music) Of a horn or wind instrument: blown to make a sound.  examples

present participle and gerund of wind  examples

gerund of wind

1. The act of twisting something, or coiling or wrapping something around another thing.  quotations  examples

   Quotations

   • Then there was […] a vast deal of screwing and tightening, and winding and tuning, during which Mrs. Briggs expatiated to those near her on the immense difficulty of playing a guitar, and hinted at the wondrous proficiency of her daughters in that mystic art.

     1834 October, “Boz” [pseudonym; Charles Dickens], “The Steam Excursion”, in Sketches by “Boz,” Illustrative of Every-day Life, and Every-day People. […], volume II, London: John Macrone, […], published 1836, pages 305–306

2. (especially in the plural) A curving, sinuous, or twisting movement; twists and turns.  quotations  examples

   Quotations

   • [T]here vvill be hurly burly, like as ye ſee in a man vvhen he dieth; vvhat deformity appeareth, hovv he ſtretcheth out all his members, vvhat a vvinding is there, ſo that all his body cometh out of frame?The spelling has been modernized.

     1552 November 30 (Gregorian calendar), Hugh Latimer, Augustine Bernher, compiler, “Sermon XXX. Preached upon the Second Sunday in Advent. 1552..”, in The Sermons of the Right Reverend Father in God, Master Hugh Latimer, Bishop of Worcester. […], volume II, London: […] J. Scott, […], published 1758, page 670

   • Eugene Forsarde, the reviewer in question, follows Currer Bell [Brontë's pseudonym] through every winding, discerns every point, discriminates every shade, proves himself master of the subject, and lord of the aim.

     1849 November, Charlotte Brontë, chapter IV, in E[lizabeth] C[leghorn] Gaskell, The Life of Charlotte Brontë, […], volume II, London: Smith, Elder & Co., […], published 1857, page 130

3. (especially in the plural) A curving, sinuous, or twisting form.  quotations  examples

   Quotations

   • Berenice ſtandeth upon the utmoſt vvinding and nouke of Syrtis, called ſometime the cittie of the above-named Heſperides, according to the vvandering tales of Greece.

     1601, C[aius] Plinius Secundus [i.e., Pliny the Elder], “[Book V.] Cyrene.”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Historie of the World. Commonly Called, The Naturall Historie of C. Plinius Secundus. […], 1st tome, London: […] Adam Islip, published 1635, page 94

   • The Labyrinth] A building ſo entangled in vvindings and cyrcles, that it deceiueth all that come in it.

     1610, Saint Augustine, “What Fictions Got Footing in the Nations, when the Iudges Beganne First to Rule Israel. Chap. 13.”, in J[ohn] H[ealey], transl., St. Augustine, of the Citie of God: […], [London]: […] George Eld, book XVIII, page 561

   • This idol, like a worm, that less or more / Contracts or strains her, did itself convey, / Beyond the wards or windings of the key, / Into the chamber, and, above her head / Her seat assuming, thus she comforted / Distress'd Penelope: […]

     1614–1615, Homer, “The Fourth Book of Homer’s Odysseys”, in Geo[rge] Chapman, transl., Homer’s Odysses. […], London: […] Rich[ard] Field [and William Jaggard], for Nathaniell Butter, published 1615; republished in The Odysseys of Homer, […], volume I, London: John Russell Smith, […], 1857, page 106, lines 1082–1087

   • [T]heſe ["mixt newel'd stairs"], becauſe they ſometimes vvind, and ſometimes fly off from that vvinding take therefore the more room up in the Stair-Caſe.

     1679, Joseph Moxon, “Numb[er] IX. Applied to the Art of House-Carpentery.”, in Mechanick Exercises, or The Doctrine of Handy-Works, […], volume I, London: […] Joseph Moxon, published 1678, page 151

   • O, Maskvvell, in vain I do diſguiſe me from thee, thou knovv'ſt me, knovv'ſt the very inmoſt VVindings and Receſſes of my Soul.

     1693 (first performance), [William] Congreve, The Double-Dealer. A Comedy, London: […] Jacob Tonson […], published 1735, Act I, scene vi, page 27

   • Firſt, I charged them to make Land-marks, Bearings, and Beacons, as vve might call them, […] at the Reaches and VVindings of the Rivers or Brooks, Falls of VVater, and every thing remarkable; […]

     1725, [Daniel Defoe], “Part II”, in A New Voyage Round the World, by a Course Never Sailed before. […], London: […] A[rthur] Bettesworth, […]; and W. Mears, […], page 83

   • I thence vvithdrevv, and follovved long / The vvindings of the ſtream.

     1788, William Cowper, “The Dog and the Water-lily. No Fable.”, in Poems […], London: […] [F]or J[oseph] Johnson, […] by T[homas] Bensley, […], published 1806, page 255

   • [A] loud shriek / That shook along the windings of the cave / Scattered the youth's reply.

     1801, Robert Southey, “The Eleventh Book”, in Thalaba the Destroyer, volume II, London: […] [F]or T[homas] N[orton] Longman and O[wen] Rees, […], by Biggs and Cottle, […], page 295

   • The ascent is precipitous, but the path is cut into continual and short windings, which enable you to surmount the perpendicularity of the mountain.

     1818, [Mary Shelley], chapter II, in Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. […], volume II, London: […] [Macdonald and Son] for Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor, & Jones, pages 18–19

   • [M]y mother’s pale arms emerged from the windings of her sheets and flailed in the air; her mouth chattered like a motor.

     1966, Cynthia Ozick, chapter 7, in Trust […], New York, N.Y.: The New American Library, part 1 (America), page 44

   • If you went down the river long enough, along its sinewy windings, you’d reach the sea; but what could you do there? Gather shells, loll on the oily stones.

     1985, Margaret Atwood, “Jezebel’s”, in The Handmaid’s Tale, Toronto, Ont.: McClelland and Stewart, page 225

4. Chiefly followed by up: the act of tightening the spring of a clockwork or other mechanism.  quotations  examples

   Quotations

   • Is there a Tongue, like Delia’s o’er her cup, / That runs for Ages vvithout vvinding-up?

     1725, published 1741, page 20

5. Sometimes followed by up: the act of hoisting something using a winch or a similar device.  examples

6. (figurative, chiefly in the plural) Twists and turns in an occurrence, in thinking, or some other thing; also, moral crookedness; craftiness, shiftiness.  quotations  examples

   Quotations

   • For that vvhich he hath novv attained vvith the begging of ſome ſmall peeces of ſiluer, a temporall happins, & preſent hearts eaſe, I cannot compaſſe vvith all my carefull vvindings, & running in & out.

     1621, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], “Against Pouerty and Want, with such Other Adversity”, in The Anatomy of Melancholy, […], Oxford, Oxfordshire: Printed by John Lichfield and Iames Short, for Henry Cripps, partition 2, section 3, member 3, page 404

   • Its [facetiousness's] vvays are unaccountable and inexplicable, being anſvverable to the numberleſs rovings of fancy, and vvindings of language.

     a. 1678 (date written), Isaac Barrow, “The Second Sermon. Ephes[ians] 5. 4.”, in Several Sermons against Evil-Speaking, London: […] Brabazon Aylmer, […], published 1678, page 45

   • It cannot be supposed that the confusion of the two youthful lovers escaped the observation of the wily lawyer, accustomed, by habit and profession, to trace human nature through all her windings.

     1819, Jedadiah Cleishbotham [pseudonym; Walter Scott], chapter VII, in Tales of My Landlord, Third Series. […], volume II (The Bride of Lammermoor), Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, […]; Hurst, Robinson, and Co. […], page 137

   • The Gazette which announced that [Robert Spencer, 2nd Earl of] Sunderland had been appointed Chamberlain of the Royal Household, sworn of the Privy Council, and named one of the Lords Justices who were to administer the government during the summer, had caused great uneasiness among plain man who remembered all the windings and doublings of his long career.

     1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter XXIII, in Lady Trevelyan (Hannah More Macaulay), editor, The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume V, London: Longman, Green, Longman, and Roberts, pages 3–4

7. (Britain, nautical) The act or process of turning a boat or ship in a certain direction.  examples

8. (obsolete, music) A variation in a tune.  quotations

   Quotations

   • Among the windings of the violins / And the ariettes / Of cracked cornets / Inside my brain a dull tom-tom begins / Absurdly hammering a prelude of its own, / Capricious monotone / That is at least one definite "false note."

     1915 September, T[homas] S[tearns] Eliot, “Portrait of a Lady”, in Prufrock and Other Observations, London: The Egotist […], published 1917, pages 18–19

Something wound around another thing.  quotations

1. (electrical engineering) A length of wire wound around the armature of an electric motor or the core of an electrical transformer.  examples

2. (lutherie) Synonym of lapping (“lengths of fine silk, metal wire, or whalebone wrapped tightly around the stick of the bow of a string instrument adjacent to the leather part of the bow grip at the heel”)  examples

3. (obsolete)

   1. A decorative object, design, or other thing with curves or twists.  examples

   2. (except dialectal) Synonym of withe or withy (“a flexible, slender shoot or twig, especially when used as a band or for binding”); also, all the withies used to make or repair a wall, or the process of using withies in this manner.  quotations  examples

      Quotations

      • As for the manner of making vvalls, by davvbing vvindings and hurdles vvith mud and clay, also of rearing them othervvhiles vvith unbaked bricke; vvho is ſo ignorant that he knovveth it not?

        1601, C[aius] Plinius Secundus [i.e., Pliny the Elder], “[Book XXXV.] Of Mud Walls: Of Bricke Walls, and the Order and Manner of Making Them.”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Historie of the World. Commonly Called, The Naturall Historie of C. Plinius Secundus. […], 2nd tome, London: […] Adam Islip, published 1635, page 555

Moving in a sinuous or twisting manner.  quotations  examples

Sinuous, turning, or twisting in form.  quotations

1. Chiefly of a staircase: helical, spiral.  quotations  examples

   Quotations

   • In ye Cour aux Thuilleries is a princely fabriq; the winding geometrical stone stayres, with the cupola, I take to be as bold and noble a piece of architecture as any in Europ of the kind.

     1644 February 18 (Gregorian calendar), John Evelyn, “”, in William Bray, editor, Memoirs, Illustrative of the Life and Writings of John Evelyn, […], 2nd edition, volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […]; and sold by John and Arthur Arch, […], published 1819, page 40

   • VVinding Stairs are projected on a round Profile, vvhoſe Diameter is equal to the Baſe the Stair-Caſe is to ſtand on, ſuppoſe ſix foot ſquare. […] If you dravv Lines from the Center through every one of the equal parts of into the Circumference, the ſpace betvveen every tvvo Lines vvill be the true Figure of a VVinding Step.

     1679, Joseph Moxon, “Numb[er] IX. Applied to the Art of House-Carpentery.”, in Mechanick Exercises, or The Doctrine of Handy-Works, […], volume I, London: […] Joseph Moxon, published 1678, page 152

   • She left the chapel—very slowly and often turning back to gaze again—and coming to a low door, which plainly led into the tower, opened it, and climbed the winding stair in darkness; save where she looked down through narrow loopholes on the place she had left, or caught a glimmering vision of the dusty bells.

     1840 April – 1841 November, Charles Dickens, “Chapter the Fifty-third”, in The Old Curiosity Shop. A Tale. […], volume II, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published 1841, page 96

(figurative) Of speech, writing, etc.: not direct or to the point; rambling, roundabout.  quotations  examples

(obsolete)

1. Flexible, pliant.  quotations  examples

   Quotations

   • To theſe blemiſhes and ſtaines in Court, vvere adjoyned the enormious tranſgreſſions of diſcipline in campe, vvhen the ſouldiour in ſtead of a joyfull ſhout, ſtudied to ſing vvanton ſonnets: neither had the armed man, as before time, a ſtone to couch himſelfe upon, but feathers and delicat vvinding beds: […]

     1609, Ammianus Marcellinus, “[The XXII. Booke.] Chapter III. The Most Ugly and Lothsome Face Described, of the Court and Armie of Iulianus: The Same Princes Impietie, His Hatred and Deceitfull Dealing against Christ and Christians.”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Roman Historie, […], London: […] Adam Jslip, page 192

2. (figurative) Morally crooked; crafty, shifty.  quotations  examples

   Quotations

   • I care not though men call me impudent, / Smooth-tongu'd, audacious, petulant, abhominable, / Forger of vvords and lie, contentious Barretour, / Old, vvinding, bragging, teſty, crafty fox.

     1655, Thomas Stanley, “The Clouds of Aristophanes. Added (not as a Comicall Divertisement for the Reader, who can Expect Little in that Kind from a Subject so Antient, and Particular, but) as a Necessary Supplement to the Life of Socrates”, in The History of Philosophy. […], volume I, London: […] Humphrey Moseley, and Thomas Dring, […], 3rd part (Containing the Socratick Philosophers), Act I, scene iii, page 76

present participle and gerund of wind  examples