wind-mill

Noun

windmill (plural windmills)

1. A machine which translates linear motion of wind to rotational motion by means of adjustable vanes called sails.
   • Turbines have been around for a long time—windmills and water wheels are early examples. The name comes from the Latin turbo, meaning vortex, and thus the defining property of a turbine is that a fluid or gas turns the blades of a rotor, which is attached to a shaft that can perform useful work.2013 July-August, Lee S. Langston, “The Adaptable Gas Turbine”, in American Scientist
2. The building or structure containing such machinery.
   • There was once a windmill and a baker's shop in the middle of Rabbitland. Three rabbits, Rodney, Rudolph and Rosie lived in the windmill.1984, Hayden McAllister, Funny-bunny bedtime stories
3. (colloquial, proscribed) A wind turbine, a device for converting wind power into electricity.
   • “I never understood wind. You know, I know windmills very much. They’re noisy. They kill the birds. You want to see a bird graveyard? Go under a windmill someday. You’ll see more birds than you’ve ever seen in your life.”2019 December 24, Richard Luscombe, quoting Donald Trump, “‘I never understood wind’: Trump goes on bizarre tirade against wind turbines”, in The Guardian, →ISSN
4. A child's toy consisting of vanes mounted on a stick that rotate when blown by a person or by the wind.

   Synonyms:

   hand windmill, pinwheel

5. A dunk where the dunker swings his arm in a circular motion before throwing the ball through the hoop.
6. A pitch where the pitcher swings his arm in a circular motion before throwing the ball.

See all 18 meanings of windmill