windmill
noun · verb
Simple meaning
A machine which translates linear motion of wind to rotational motion using adjustable vanes called sails.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
windmilSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈwɪndmɪl
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
A machine which translates linear motion of wind to rotational motion by means of adjustable vanes called sails.
colloquialproscribed
A mill that is powered by the wind
colloquialproscribed
A wind turbine, a device for converting wind power into electricity.
A child's toy consisting of vanes mounted on a stick that rotate when blown by a person or by the wind.
Any of various muscle exercises in which a large deal of the body makes a great circle, typically one where a kettlebell is raised overhead and the torso is rotated to the other side with the hand reaching its foot (hitting the core, glutes, hamstrings, trapezius, rhomboids, deltoids and rotator cuffs) but sometimes even a windshield wiper.
The act of windmilling.
verb
transitiveintransitive
To rotate with a sweeping motion.
intransitiveof a rotating part of a machine
To (become disengaged and) rotate freely.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C1 · Advanced (estimated)
- Frequency
- Uncommon
- Formality
- Technical
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: A machine which translates linear motion of wind to rotational motion by means of adjustable vanes called sails.
Used this way, windmill is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Nearby words
- wind generator , rarer, so it draws attention
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
Perennial Australian grass having numerous long spikes arranged like the vanes of a windmill.
Perennial Australian grass having numerous long spikes arranged like the vanes of a windmill.
Trailing plant having crowded clusters of 3 brilliant deep pink flowers resembling a single flower blooming near the ground.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: machine which translates linear motion of wind to rotational motion by means of adjustable vanes called sails
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.