What does the word “wind” mean?
Roger Miller beautifully sang, “Oh, what I'd give to be the wind”, but which form of wind was he referring to?
Wind can be a noun or a verb, though pronunciation changes with part of speech. As a noun, it refers to moving air (like breeze or draft).
As a verb, to wind (pronounced like whine-d) can mean to wrap something round repeatedly, or to move in a way that curves, literally or figuratively. The past tense and past participle forms are wound.
Where you may get confused is that wound also has a noun form, referring to an injury caused by laceration. This usage sounds like woon-ed.
- To wrap or turn something around: I wound the string around the spool.
- To move along a curving route: The road winds up the mountain.
- As a phrasal verb: to finish or conclude (wind up) or to relax (wind down).
Wind and wound, pronunciation
The simple past tense and past participle of the verb wind is wound (pronounced to rhyme with found). The word winded typically means to be out of breath: "I'm winded from that hike." Separately, wound (pronounced woon-d) is a noun meaning an injury. Context and pronunciation are key to telling them apart.
Examples with wind as a noun and verb
- There’s a cold wind coming off the lake. - The novel's winding prose mirrors the river that runs through the story's setting. - The wound was cleaned and disinfected.Quick tip: wind up vs. wind down
- Wind up: To finish or to cause agitation. (e.g., "Let's wind up the meeting.")
- Wound up (past tense): Describes a tense or agitated state. (e.g., "She was all wound up before the interview.")
- Wind down: To relax or gradually end an activity. (e.g., "We wound down the evening with some tea.")
Writing-Related Senses
- Long-winded: Describes writing that is overly wordy or tedious.
- Winding prose: Refers to a narrative or sentence structure that meanders or curves.
- Wound-up writing: A hyphenated descriptor for a tense, clipped, or agitated tone.
Quotes from the media and literature
wind the tape back to the beginning, .. start it again and sing part two.
The tape winds back with a short whining clatter.
A surviving network of ‘packways’ that wind through much of northern England.
Wherever a river winds a valley.
There was just such a wind, and just such a fall of snow, a good many years back.
A bitter wind, forerunner of the implacable mistral, had come up.
There's sound, wound, bound, pound, round and so forth.
The man wound himself into the family life of some of the apprentices.
.webp&w=3840&q=75)
