To wind out

To wind out
Wind Wind, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Wound} (wound) (rarely {Winded}); p. pr. & vb. n. {Winding}.] [OE. winden, AS. windan; akin to OS. windan, D. & G. winden, OHG. wintan, Icel. & Sw. vinda, Dan. vinde, Goth. windan (in comp.). Cf. {Wander}, {Wend}.] [1913 Webster] 1. To turn completely, or with repeated turns; especially, to turn about something fixed; to cause to form convolutions about anything; to coil; to twine; to twist; to wreathe; as, to wind thread on a spool or into a ball. [1913 Webster]

Whether to wind The woodbine round this arbor. --Milton. [1913 Webster]

2. To entwist; to infold; to encircle. [1913 Webster]

Sleep, and I will wind thee in arms. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

3. To have complete control over; to turn and bend at one's pleasure; to vary or alter or will; to regulate; to govern. ``To turn and wind a fiery Pegasus.'' --Shak. [1913 Webster]

In his terms so he would him wind. --Chaucer. [1913 Webster]

Gifts blind the wise, and bribes do please And wind all other witnesses. --Herrick. [1913 Webster]

Were our legislature vested in the prince, he might wind and turn our constitution at his pleasure. --Addison. [1913 Webster]

4. To introduce by insinuation; to insinuate. [1913 Webster]

You have contrived . . . to wind Yourself into a power tyrannical. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

Little arts and dexterities they have to wind in such things into discourse. --Gov. of Tongue. [1913 Webster]

5. To cover or surround with something coiled about; as, to wind a rope with twine. [1913 Webster]

{To wind off}, to unwind; to uncoil.

{To wind out}, to extricate. [Obs.] --Clarendon.

{To wind up}. (a) To coil into a ball or small compass, as a skein of thread; to coil completely. (b) To bring to a conclusion or settlement; as, to wind up one's affairs; to wind up an argument. (c) To put in a state of renewed or continued motion, as a clock, a watch, etc., by winding the spring, or that which carries the weight; hence, to prepare for continued movement or action; to put in order anew. ``Fate seemed to wind him up for fourscore years.'' --Dryden. ``Thus they wound up his temper to a pitch.'' --Atterbury. (d) To tighten (the strings) of a musical instrument, so as to tune it. ``Wind up the slackened strings of thy lute.'' --Waller. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • To take the wind out of one's sails — Wind Wind (w[i^]nd, in poetry and singing often w[imac]nd; 277), n. [AS. wind; akin to OS., OFries., D., & G. wind, OHG. wint, Dan. & Sw. vind, Icel. vindr, Goth winds, W. gwynt, L. ventus, Skr. v[=a]ta (cf. Gr. ah ths a blast, gale, ah^nai to… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • take the wind out of someone's sails — To deprive someone of an advantage, to frustrate or discomfit someone • • • Main Entry: ↑wind * * * take the wind out of someone’s sails phrase to make someone feel less confident, usually by saying or doing something unexpected Thesaurus: to… …   Useful english dictionary

  • take the wind out of your sails — take the wind out of (your) sails to make you feel less confident or determined. I was really mad at him, but he greeted me with flowers, which immediately took the wind out of my sails. Etymology: based on the literal meaning of take the wind… …   New idioms dictionary

  • take the wind out of sails — take the wind out of (your) sails to make you feel less confident or determined. I was really mad at him, but he greeted me with flowers, which immediately took the wind out of my sails. Etymology: based on the literal meaning of take the wind… …   New idioms dictionary

  • take the wind out of one's sails — {v. phr.} To surprise someone by doing better or by catching him in an error. * /John came home boasting about the fish he had caught; it took the wind out of his sails when he found his little sister had caught a bigger one./ * /Dick took the… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • take the wind out of one's sails — {v. phr.} To surprise someone by doing better or by catching him in an error. * /John came home boasting about the fish he had caught; it took the wind out of his sails when he found his little sister had caught a bigger one./ * /Dick took the… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • take\ the\ wind\ out\ of\ one's\ sails — v. phr. To surprise someone by doing better or by catching him in an error. John came home boasting about the fish he had caught; it took the wind out of his sails when he found his little sister had caught a bigger one. Dick took the wind out of …   Словарь американских идиом

  • take wind out of sails —    If someone or something takes the wind out of your sails, they make you feel less confident by doing or saying something that you do not expect.     The manger s rejection of our marketing strategy really took the wind out of our sails …   English Idioms & idiomatic expressions

  • take the wind out of one's sails — Digest 16/2002 to ruin or destroy someone s high expectations I was hoping to be accepted by that university. When the rejection letter arrived, it really took the wind out of my sails. The expression probably originates from the sport of racing… …   Idioms and examples

  • take the wind out of someone's sails — take the wind out of (someone s) sails to make someone feel less confident or less determined to do something, usually by saying or doing something that they are not expecting. I was going to tell him the relationship was over when he greeted me… …   New idioms dictionary

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