breakˈ-wind noun

A windbreak

break a jest

To make a jest, crack a joke

break a lance with

To enter into a contest with

break a leg (theatre)

A phrase used to wish someone good luck

break a record see under record

break a strike see under strike

break away

1. To make a breakaway
2. To be scattered, as clouds after a storm

break bread

1. To have a meal (with)
2. To administer or take part in Holy Communion (Christianity)

break bulk

1. To open the hold and take out a portion of the cargo
2. To begin to use goods supplied in bulk

break camp

To dismantle and pack one's tents, etc

break cover

1. (of eg a fox) to burst out from concealment
2. To come out of hiding

break down

1. To demolish
2. To crush
3. To collapse
4. To be overwhelmed by one's emotions
5. To suffer a nervous breakdown
6. To fail completely
7. To analyse

break even

1. To avoid making a loss but fail to make a profit
2. To reach the point at which revenue equals costs (breakˈeven noun and adjective)

break forth

To burst out, issue

break free see break loose below.

break ground see under ground¹

break in

1. (also break) to tame or accustom (an animal) to obedience
2. To make (shoes, etc) less stiff by use

break in, in on or into

1. To enter violently
2. To interpose abruptly

breaking and entering

Housebreaking, illegal entry into property

break into

1. To begin to use up or spend (something held in reserve, a large denomination note, etc)
2. To begin an activity suddenly, eg song, laughter

break it down (Aust inf)

Stop it!

break loose or free

1. To extricate oneself forcibly
2. To break through all restraint

break no squares

To make no difference, do no harm, matter little

break off

1. To detach by breaking
2. To put an abrupt end to
3. To leave off or stop abruptly

break one's mind (obsolete)

To communicate one's thoughts to someone

break out

1. To appear suddenly
2. To break through all restraint
3. To escape (breakˈout noun)
4. To become active suddenly
5. To become covered with (a rash, etc; with in)

break service or break someone's serve (tennis, etc)

To win a game in which one's opponent is serving

break sheer

(of a ship riding at anchor) to be forced by wind or tide out of a position clear of the anchor

break someone's heart

To crush someone emotionally, esp by failing them in love

break the balls (or simply break)

1. To open the game by striking one of the red balls (snooker)
2. To open the game by striking the red ball or giving a miss, or to continue the game this way when a similar position occurs (billiards)

break the ice (figurative)

To get through first difficulties, esp restraint on first meeting

break through

To make a breakthrough

break up

1. To break open
2. To break in pieces
3. To go to pieces
4. To put an end to
5. To disperse, to part
6. To end a relationship
7. (of a school) to close for the holidays
8. To dig or plough up
9. To disconcert or upset (informal)
10. To make helpless with laughter (informal)

break upon the wheel (historical)

To punish by stretching on a wheel and breaking the bones

break wind

To let out flatulence from the bowels

break with

1. To cease relations with, esp to quarrel with
2. To cease adherence to (tradition, a habit)

make a break for

To bolt towards

wind¹ /wind or (poetic) wīnd/

noun

1. Air in motion
2. A current of air, usually horizontal, either natural or produced by artificial means
3. Any of the directions from which the wind may blow
4. Breath
5. Power of breathing
6. Flatulence
7. Conceit
8. Empty, insignificant words
9. The wind instruments in an orchestra
10. Their players
11. Air impregnated with the scent of game or of a hunter or predator
12. A hint or suggestion, as of something secret
13. Part of the body covering the stomach, a blow on which causes winding (boxing sl)
14. A disease of sheep in which the inflamed intestines are distended by gases

transitive verb (windˈing or (of a horn) wīndˈing; windˈed or (of a horn) wound /wownd/)

1. To perceive by the scent
2. To expose to wind
3. To drive or punch hard, so as to put out of breath
4. To allow to recover wind
5. To burp (a baby)
6. /wīnd/ to sound or signal by blowing (archaic)

windˈage noun

1. The difference between the size of the bore of a gun and that of the ball or shell
2. The influence of the wind in deflecting a missile, the amount of deflection due to wind, or the allowance made for it
3. Air friction on a moving, esp revolving, part of a machine

windˈer noun (slang)

1. A blow that takes one's breath away
2. /wīndˈer/ someone who sounds a horn

windˈily adverb

windˈiness noun

windˈless adjective

Without wind

windˈward adjective

Relating to, or in, the direction from which the wind blows

adverb

Towards the wind

noun

The windward side or quarter

windˈwards adverb

windˈy adjective

1. Like, characterized by or exposed to the wind
2. Moved, played or produced by wind (poetic)
3. Controlling the winds (poetic)
4. Suffering from, producing or produced by flatulence
5. Suggestive of wind, in being eg insubstantial, changeable, boastful, conceited or wordy
6. Frightened, nervous (informal)

windˈbag noun

1. A person of mere words, an excessively talkative person communicating little of interest or value (informal)
2. The bellows of a bagpipe, or (obsolete) organ
3. The lungs or chest (old facetious)
4. An inflated bag as a charm to procure a favourable wind

windˈbaggery noun (informal)

The output of a windbag or empty talker

wind band noun

A musical ensemble made up of wind instruments

windˈblow noun

Windthrow (qv below)

windˈblown adjective

1. Blown along or about by the wind
2. Windswept

windˈborne adjective

(of pollen, seeds, etc) carried by the wind

windˈbound adjective

Hindered from sailing by contrary wind

windˈbreak noun

Something serving as a protection against the force of the wind, such as a fence or line of trees

Windˈbreaker® noun (US)

A type of windproof jacket with elasticated cuffs and waistband

windˈ-broken adjective

(of a horse) broken-winded

windˈburn noun

Inflammation of the skin due to overexposure to the wind

windˈburned or windˈburnt adjective

windˈ-changing adjective

Fickle

wind chart noun

A chart showing the direction of the wind

windˈcheater noun

1. A windproof jacket, an anorak
2. A close-knitted pullover

wind chest noun

The box or reservoir that supplies compressed air to the pipes or reeds of an organ

wind chill noun

1. The cooling effect that wind has as it blows on a surface
2. The combined chilling effect esp on a human body of low temperature, wind speed and relative humidity

wind-chill factor noun

A measurement of this

wind chimes plural noun

A hanging decoration composed of pieces of shell, metal, etc that tinkle against one another as the breeze catches them

wind cone noun

A sleeve floating from the top of a mast eg at an airport, its angle with the ground giving a rough conception of the velocity of the wind, and its angle in a horizontal plane the wind direction

wind dispersal noun (botany)

The dispersal of spores, seeds and fruits by the wind

wind dropsy noun

Flatulent distension, tympanites

wind egg noun

1. An addled egg
2. A soft-shelled or imperfectly formed egg

wind energy noun

Wind power (qv below)

windˈfall noun

1. A piece of fruit blown off a tree by the wind
2. A sum of money that comes to one unexpectedly or suddenly, or any other piece of good fortune

windˈfallen adjective

Blown down by wind

windfall tax noun

A tax levied on windfall profits, profits arising, esp suddenly and unexpectedly, as a result of events not directly connected with the company, etc concerned, such as changes in currency exchange rates

wind farm noun

A concentration of wind-driven electricity-generating turbines, usu sited on agricultural land

windˈflower noun

An anemone, esp the wood anemone

wind furnace noun

Any form of furnace using the natural draught of a chimney without aid of a bellows

windˈgall noun

A puffy swelling around the fetlock joints of a horse

wind gap noun

A dried-up river valley in the mountains

wind gauge noun

1. An instrument for measuring the velocity of the wind
2. A gauge for measuring pressure of wind in an organ
3. An appliance fixed to a rifle by means of which the force of the wind is ascertained so that allowance may be made for it in sighting

windˈgun noun

An air-gun

wind harp noun

The aeolian harp (qv)

windˈhover /-hovˈər or -huvˈər/ noun

The kestrel

wind instrument noun

A musical instrument sounded by means of a current of air, esp a woodwind or brass instrument sounded by the breath

windˈjammer noun

1. A large sailing vessel
2. A windproof jacket, a windcheater or anorak

wind machine noun

A machine that produces wind or the sound of wind (theatre, etc)

windˈmill noun

1. A mill, eg for grinding grain, in which the motive power is the wind acting on a set of vanes or sails
2. A wind-driven set of vanes used to pump water, generate electricity, etc
3. Any device that is caused to rotate by reason of its being carried through the air, and so develops power (aerodynamics)
4. A toy with a set of plastic or paper vanes mounted on a stick, that revolve in the wind

transitive verb and intransitive verb

(to cause) to move like the vanes of a windmill

wind park noun

A wind farm

windˈpipe noun

The passage running from the back of the throat to the lungs, through which air is drawn into and expelled from the lungs, the trachea

wind power noun

Wind considered as an energy source, eg for the generation of electricity by means of windmills, etc

windˈproof adjective

(of garments or fabrics) resistant to or impenetrable by wind

wind pump noun

A windmill-driven pump

wind rock noun

The loosening effect on plant roots and tree roots of violent wind

windˈ-rode adjective (nautical)

Riding at anchor with head to the wind

wind rose noun

A rosette-like diagram showing the relative frequency and strength of winds in a locality for given periods of the year

windˈrow noun

1. Hay raked together into a line to be made into cocks
2. A row of peats, etc, set up for drying

transitive verb

To arrange in windrows

windˈsail noun (nautical)

1. A wide funnel of canvas used to convey a stream of air below deck
2. A vane of a windmill

windˈscreen noun

1. The sheet of glass constituting the window of a motor vehicle, esp the front window
2. A shelter against the wind

windˈ-shak'd or windˈ-shaken adjective

Agitated by the wind

windˈshake noun

A flaw in wood said to be due to the bending of the tree in the wind

wind shear noun (meteorology)

1. A sudden change in wind velocity at right angles (horizontally or vertically) to its direction
2. The rate of such change
3. Conditions in which there are sudden changes of wind velocity and direction, constituting a danger to aircraft

windˈshield noun

1. A windscreen (N American)
2. A device to protect eg a microphone from the wind

windˈship noun

A wind-powered ship, a sailing ship

wind side noun

The side exposed to the wind

wind sleeve or windˈsock noun

A wind cone

windˈstorm noun

A storm consisting of very strong winds

windˈ-sucker noun

windˈ-sucking noun

(in horses) a harmful habit of swallowing air, in many cases associated with crib-biting

windˈsurf intransitive verb

To ride on a sailboard

windˈsurfer noun

windˈsurfing noun

(also called sailboarding) the sport of riding the waves on a sailboard

windˈswept adjective

1. Exposed to, or swept by, the wind
2. Dishevelled by the wind

windˈ-swift adjective

Swift as the wind

wind synthesizer noun (music)

A synthesizer designed with fingering like that of a wind instrument and played using the power of the player's breath, whose technique with the mouthpiece modulates the sound produced

windˈthrow noun

The blowing-down of trees by the wind

windˈtight adjective

Airtight

wind tunnel noun

An experimental apparatus for producing a uniform steady airstream past a model for aerodynamic investigation work

wind turbine noun

A wind-driven electricity generator, a tall slim structure with propeller-like vanes

Windy City noun (US informal)

Chicago

a capful of wind

A slight breeze

before the wind

Carried along by the wind

between wind and water

1. That part of a ship's side which is first in, then out of, the water owing to the fluctuation of the waves
2. In a vulnerable or precarious place or position

break wind

To release flatus from the anus

cast or lay an anchor to windward

To make prudent provision for the future

cast, fling or throw to the winds

1. To scatter or throw away recklessly
2. To abandon (restraint, prudence, caution, discretion, etc)

down the wind

1. Moving with the wind
2. Towards decay (obsolete)

fight windmills

To tilt at windmills (qv below)

get one's wind

To recover one's breath

get the wind of

To get on the windward side of

get (or have) the wind up (informal)

To become (or be) nervous, apprehensive, agitated

get to windward of

To secure an advantage over

get wind of

To get a hint or intimation of

hang in the wind

To remain in suspense or uncertainty

have the wind of

To be on the trail of

how the wind blows or lies

1. The state of the wind
2. The position of affairs

in the wind

Astir, afoot

in the wind's eye or in the teeth of the wind

Right against the wind

like the wind

Rapidly

on the windy side (Shakespeare)

On the windward side, from which one cannot be attacked, hence safe, at an advantage

put the wind up someone (informal)

To make someone apprehensive or agitated

raise the wind (informal)

To raise the funds one needs

sail close to or near the wind

1. To keep the boat's head so near to the wind as to fill but not shake the sails
2. To be in danger of transgressing an approved limit

second wind

1. Power of respiration recovered after breathlessness
2. The energy necessary for a renewal of effort

sow the wind and reap the whirlwind

To act wrongly and receive a crushing retribution

take the wind out of someone's sails

To deprive someone of an advantage, to frustrate or discomfit someone

tilt at windmills

To struggle with imaginary opposition, from the story of Don Quixote who charged at windmills under the misapprehension that they were giants

wind or winds of change

A pervasive influence bringing change, immortalized as a phrase by Harold Macmillan, speaking in 1960 of the inevitability of African independence, but previously used by Swinburne in his poem Tiresias