Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

windlass

/ˈwɪnd.ləs/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.01 in modern English

Syllables: wind-lass
IPA: /ˈwɪnd.ləs/

12

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

2

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Any of various forms of winch, in which a rope or cable is wound around a cylinder, used for lifting heavy weights

noun

A winding and circuitous way; a roundabout course.

noun

An apparatus resembling a winch or windlass, for bending the bow of an arblast, or crossbow.

verb

To raise with, or as if with, a windlass; to use a windlass.

verb

To take a roundabout course; to work warily or by indirect means.

Example Sentences

"With windlasses and with assays of bias, / By indirections find directions out."
"A favoring breeze enabled us to sail all the way down the lake, and (having been windlassed across the haul-over) even down the canals."
"He could not expect to allure him forward, and therefore drives him as far back as he can; that so he may be the more sure of him at the rebound; as a skilful woodsman, that by windlassing presently gets a shoot, which, without taking a compass and thereby a commodious stand, he could never have obtained."

Etymology

From Middle English wyndlas, wyndelas, wyndlasse, wyndelasse, probably an alteration (due to Middle English windel) of Middle English windas, wyndas, wyndace, from Anglo-Norman windase, windeis and Old Northern French windas (compare Old French guindas, Medieval Latin windasius, windasa), from Old Norse vindáss (“windlass”, literally “winding-pole”), from vinda (“to wind”) + áss (“pole”). Compare Icelandic vindilass.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: wyndlas, windase, windas, vindáss

Regional Pronunciation

British English: /ˈwɪnd.ləs/

Inflected Forms

windlasses (plural) windless (alternative, obsolete) windlasses (present, singular) windlassing (participle, present) windlassed (participle, past) windlassed (past)

Phrases

Spanish windlass

Synonyms

winch

Homonyms

windless

Questions

How do you pronounce windlass?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈwɪnd.ləs/.
What does windlass mean?: Any of various forms of winch, in which a rope or cable is wound around a cylinder, used for lifting heavy weights
Where does windlass come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce windlass

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “windlass”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈwɪnd.ləs/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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