- 1 [countable, uncountable] (also the wind) air that moves quickly as a result of natural forces strong/high winds gale-force winds a light wind a north/south/east/west wind a chill/cold/biting wind from the north The wind is blowing from the south. The trees were swaying in the wind. A gust of wind blew my hat off. The weather was hot, without a breath of wind. The wall gives some protection from the prevailing wind. The wind is getting up (= starting to blow strongly). The wind has dropped (= stopped blowing strongly). wind speed/direction CollocationsThe weatherGood weather be bathed in/bask in/be blessed with/enjoy bright/brilliant/glorious sunshine the sun shines/warms something/beats down (on something) the sunshine breaks/streams through something fluffy/wispy clouds drift across the sky a gentle/light/stiff/cool/warm/sea breeze blows in/comes in off the sea the snow crunches beneath/under somebody’s feet/bootsBad weather thick/dark/storm clouds form/gather/roll in/cover the sky/block out the sun the sky darkens/turns black a fine mist hangs in the air a dense/heavy/thick fog rolls in the rain falls/comes down (in buckets/sheets)/pours down snow falls/comes down/covers something the wind blows/whistles/howls/picks up/whips through something/sweeps across something strong/gale-force winds blow/gust (up to 80 mph) a storm is approaching/is moving inland/hits/strikes/rages thunder rolls/rumbles/sounds (forked/sheet) lightning strikes/hits/flashes a (blinding/snow) blizzard hits/strikes/blows/rages a tornado touches down/hits/strikes/destroys something/rips through something forecast/expect/predict rain/snow/a category-four hurricane (North American English) pour (down)/ (British English) pour (down) with rain get caught in/seek shelter from/escape the rain be covered/shrouded in mist/a blanket of fog be in for/brave/shelter from a/the storm hear rolling/distant thunder be battered/buffeted by strong winds (British English) be blowing a gale battle against/brave the elementsThe weather improves the sun breaks through the clouds the sky clears/brightens (up)/lightens (up) the clouds part/clear the rain stops/lets up/holds off the wind dies down the storm passes the mist/fog lifts/clears see also crosswind, downwind, headwind, tailwind, trade winds, windy Wordfinderwindbreeze, buffet, calm, force, gale, gust, hurricane, prevailing, tornado, wind Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivefierce, harsh, high, … … of windblast, gust, breath, … verb + windbrave, withstand wind + verbblow, come, gust, … wind + nounconditions, direction, pressure, … prepositionagainst the wind, in the wind, into the wind, … phrasesthe roar of the wind, the sound of the wind See full entry See related entries: Wind
- 2(British English) (North American English gas) [uncountable] air that you swallow with food or drink; gas that is produced in your stomach or intestines that makes you feel uncomfortable I can't eat beans—they give me wind. Try to bring the baby's wind up.
- 3[uncountable] breath that you need when you do exercise or blow into a musical instrument I need time to get my wind back after that run. He kicked Gomez in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. see also second wind
- 4 [uncountable + singular or plural verb] (also winds [plural]) the group of musical instruments in an orchestra that produce sounds when you blow into them; the musicians who play those instruments music for wind and strings The wind section played beautifully. a wind band compare woodwind Word OriginOld English, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch wind and German Wind, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin ventus.Extra examples A tail wind made the ride home very relaxing. Adverse winds swept the boat off course. Fans braved icy winds to watch the match. I could hear the wind chimes hanging in the window. Let’s shelter out of the wind. Let’s wait until the wind drops before setting sail. Rain and high winds are forecast. The high wind chill factor made it seem even colder. The icy wind cut right through us. The structure is able to withstand hurricane-force winds. The trade winds originate in the South Pacific. The unmanned capsule will bring particles of solar wind back to Earth. The wind came from the west. The wind roared through the tunnel. The wind suddenly changed and began blowing from the north. The wind whipped up the surface of the lake. There was a stiff wind blowing. There wasn’t a breath of wind in the still air. They set sail the next morning with a fair wind. We tried to take advantage of the prevailing south-westerly winds. We were rowing against the wind. We were sailing into the wind. a flag flapping in the wind a northerly wind gusting up to 80 mph a wind tunnel for testing new car designs renewable energies like solar and wind power the cost of generating electricity at offshore wind farms A chill north wind was blowing. A gust of wind blew my hat off. Several trees were blown over in high winds. The garden is sheltered from the prevailing wind. The trees were swaying in the wind. The weather was hot, without a breath of wind. The wind has dropped. The wind is getting up. Torrential rain and gale-force winds swept the country last night.Idioms
to release gas from your bowels through your anus
a wind blowing in the same direction as a ship or other vehicle that helps it move faster With a generous following wind, we sped across the lake. See related entries: Travelling by boat or ship
(informal) to hear about something secret or private She didn’t want reporters getting wind of their plans.
(informal) to become/be frightened about something
about to happen soon, although you do not know exactly how or when Once again, changes are in the wind.
(saying) no problem is so bad that it does not bring some advantage to somebody
very quickly We ran like the wind.
(British English, informal) to make somebody frightened Tell him that the police have been informed—that’ll put the wind up him.
to take a risk by doing something that is dangerous or that may be illegal
to get an idea of what is likely to happen before doing something
(British English) a small sign of what might happen in the future
(informal) to make somebody suddenly less confident or angry, especially when you do or say something that they do not expect When I agreed to his suggestion at once, it really took the wind out of his sails.
to stop caring about how dangerous something might be; to start taking risks He threw caution to the wind and dived into the water after the child.
(used especially by journalists) an event or a series of events that has started to happen and will cause important changes or results A wind of change was blowing through the banking world.
Check pronunciation: wind
