Windlass, wind′las, n. (Shak.) indirect, crafty action.—v.i. to take a round-about course. [For wind-lace, a winding course; from wind (n.) and lace, a twist.]
Windle, win′dl, n. an engine for turning: a dry measure. [A.S. windel—windan, to turn.]
Windlestraw, win′dl-straw, n. the stalk of various grasses. [A.S. windel, a woven basket, streów, straw.]
Window, win′dō, n. an opening in the wall of a building for air and light: the frame in the opening: a cover, lid.—v.t. to furnish with windows: (Shak.) to make rents in: (Shak.) to place in a window.—ns. Wind′ow-bar, a wooden or iron bar fitted into a window for security: (Shak.) lattice-work across a woman's stomacher; Win′dow-blind, a blind or screen for a window; Win′dow-bole (same as Bole, 3); Win′dow-cur′tain, a curtain hung over a window, inside a room.—adj. Win′dowed, having a window or windows.—ns. Win′dow-frame, a frame or case which surrounds a window; Win′dow-gar′dening, the cultivation of plants indoors before a window, or in boxes fitted on the outside sill; Win′dow-glass, glass suitable for windows.—adj. Win′dowless, having no windows.—ns. Win′dow-pane, a square of glass set in a window; Win′dow-sash, a light frame in which panes of glass are set; Win′dow-screen, any device for filling the opening of a window; Win′dow-seat, a seat in the recess of a window; Win′dow-shade, a sheet covering the window when pulled out; Win′dow-sill, the flat piece of wood at the bottom of a window-frame.—Window tax, till 1851 a tax in Great Britain levied on windows of houses.—Blind window, a window space blocked up with masonry. [M. E. windowe—Ice. vindauga—vindr, wind, auga, eye.]
Windring, wīnd′ring, adj. (Shak.) winding.
Windsor, win′zor, adj. pertaining to Windsor, as in Wind′sor-chair, a kind of strong, plain, polished chair, made entirely of wood; Wind′sor-soap, a kind of perfumed brown toilet-soap.
Wine, wīn, n. the fermented juice of the grape: a liquor made from other fruits: (fig.) intoxication: a wine-drinking, a wine-party.—ns. Wine′-bag, a wine-skin: a tippler; Wine′-bibb′er, a bibber or drinker of wine: a drunkard; Wine′-bibb′ing; Wine′-bis′cuit, a sweet biscuit intended to be served with wine; Wine′-cask, a cask for holding wine; Wine′-cell′ar, a cellar for storing wine.—adj. Wine′-col′oured, of the colour of red wine.—ns. Wine′-cool′er, a receptacle for cooling wine in bottles about to be served at table; Wine′-fat, the vat receiving the liquor from a wine-press; Wine′-glass, a small glass used in drinking wine; Wine′-glass′ful; Wine′-grow′er, one who cultivates a vineyard and makes wine; Wine′-meas′ure, an old English liquid measure, its gallon 5⁄6 of the gallon in beer-measure, containing 231 cubic inches—the standard United States gallon; Wine′-mer′chant, a merchant who deals in wine, esp. at wholesale; Wine′-par′ty, a drinking-party; Wine′-press, a machine in which grapes are pressed in the manufacture of wine; Wine′-skin, a skin for holding wine; Wine′-stone, crude argol; Wine′-tāst′er, one whose business it is to sample wines; Wine′-vault, a vaulted wine-cellar: (pl.) a place where wine is tasted or drunk.—Adam's wine, water; Rhine, Rhenish, wine, wine produced on the banks of the Rhine, esp. hock; Spirit of wine, alcohol; White wine, Chablis, Sauterne, the wines of Germany—formerly Madeira and sherry. [A.S. wín; Goth, wein, Ger. wein; all from L. vinum; cog. with Gr. oinos.]
Wing, wing, n. the organ of a bird, or other animal or insect, by which it flies: flight, means of flying: anything resembling a wing, any side-piece, the side of a building, &c.: one of the longer sides of crown-works or horn-works in fortification: the flank corps or division of an army on either side: the ships on either extremity of a fleet ranged in line: (fig.) protection.—v.t. to furnish or transport with wings: to lend speed to: to supply with side-pieces: to bear in flight, to traverse by flying: to wound on the wing, to wound a person in arm or shoulder.—v.i. to soar on the wing.—adv. Wing′-and-wing′, the condition of a ship sailing before the wind with studding sails on both sides.—n. Wing′-case, the horny case or cover over the wings of some insects, as the beetle.—adj. Winged, furnished with wings: swift: wounded in the wing: lofty, sublime: alate, abounding in wings.—adv. Wing′edly, on or by wings.—adjs. Wing′-foot′ed, having wings on the feet, aliped; Wing′less, without wings.—ns. Wing′let, the bastard wing or alula of a bird: the pterygium of a weevil; Wing′-shell, a stromb: an aviculoid bivalve, a hammer-oyster: a wing-snail; Wing′-shoot′ing, the act or practice of shooting flying birds; Wing′-shot, a shot at a bird on the wing: one who shoots flying birds.—adj. shot in the wing, or while on the wing.—adj. Wing′y, having wings: soaring on wings.—Winged bull, a common form in Assyrian sculpture, symbolic of domination.—Make, Take, wing, to depart; On, Upon, the wing, flying, in motion: departing; On the wings of the wind, with the highest speed; Under one's wing, under one's protection. [Ice. vængr, a wing; Sw. vinge.]
Wink, wingk, v.i. to move the eyelids quickly: to give a hint by winking: to seem not to see, connive at (gener. with at): to flicker, twinkle, sparkle.—v.t. to close and open quickly.—n. act of winking: a hint given by winking.—ns. Wink′-a-peep, the scarlet pimpernel; Wink′er, one who winks: a horse's blinkers: (Shak.) an eye: the winking membrane of a bird's eye, the winking muscle: a small bellows in an organ, regulated by a spring, controlling variations of wind-pressure; Wink′ing, the act of winking.—adv. Wink′ingly.—Forty winks (coll.), a short nap; Like winking (slang), very rapidly; Tip one the wink, to wink to one as a sign of caution, or of mutual understanding, &c. [A.S. wincian (Ger. winken); akin to A.S. wancol, wavering.]
Winkle=Periwinkle (q.v.).