Illustration of windmill
- windmill 1a
wind·mill
ˈwin(d)-ˌmil 
1
a
: a mill or machine operated by the wind usually acting on oblique vanes or sails that radiate from a horizontal shaft
especially
: a wind-driven water pump or electric generator
b
: the wind-driven wheel of a windmill
2
: something that resembles or suggests a windmill
especially
: a calisthenic exercise that involves alternately lowering each outstretched hand to touch the toes of the opposite foot
3
[from the episode in Don Quixote by Cervantes in which the hero attacks windmills under the illusion that they are giants]
: an imaginary wrong, evil, or opponent
—usually used in the phrase to tilt at windmills
windmilled; windmilling; windmills
: to cause to move like a windmill
: to move like a windmill
especially
: to spin from the force of wind
Examples of windmill in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Armani Syed, TIME, 25 Apr. 2024
In Santa Barbara County, high winds damaged homes in Goleta and tore off part of a windmill in Solvang, and rain overwhelmed concrete channels that divert water from residential areas, destroying 300 linear feet of them, Newsom wrote.
—Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2024
The Stanford study, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, also found that some of the images have been posted from Facebook pages that were stolen from other people or organizations, including a church in Georgia and a windmill seller, and then repurposed into AI spam pages.
—Angela Yang, NBC News, 19 Mar. 2024
To do a full windmill twist without using your couch, follow the same cues above but instead of placing your left forearm on your couch, place your left hand on your left shin.
—Dana Santas, CNN, 27 Feb. 2024
Known as the La Tour mill, the ancient windmill was operated by one family since at least the second half of the 17th century, experts said.
—Moira Ritter, Miami Herald, 29 Feb. 2024
After getting his lats nice and strong, Washington leaves the windmill and meets Clémence Poésy from Harry Potter, who is tasked with delivering some equally magical exposition.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2024
Beginning in the fifteenth century, the country’s windmills were used to pump water out of the ground using the hydraulic mechanism known as Archimedes’ screw.
—Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024
As the pandemic lifted, Culp’s lean initiatives at aerospace, power, and the other units substantially lowered the costs of making the likes of jet engines, boilers, and windmills.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 26 Jan. 2024
Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 16 May 2022
The young center fielder stepped out of the batter’s box, grabbing at her shoulder, trying to windmill her arm in tiny circles.
—Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2022
On his first dunk, Green relied on Rockets rookie teammate Josh Christopher to deliver a pass to him off the side of the backboard while Green raced down the baseline, attempted to catch the ball, put it between his legs then windmill it home.
—Matt Young, Chron, 19 Feb. 2022
The town’s only grocery store is down the road, and beyond that, windmills tower over distant hills.
—Kevin Krause, Dallas News, 24 May 2020
But as batteries, solar panels, and windmills all continue to get cheaper and more efficient, that calculus should change.
—Timothy B. Lee, Ars Technica, 22 May 2020
But has anyone in dunk-contest history snatched a pass one-handed, spun midair — keeping control of the ball — and windmilled it into the hoop with such vengeance?
—Phil Thompson, SFChronicle.com, 16 Feb. 2020
Singer Roger Daltrey, windmilling guitarist Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon were 15 years away from induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — which itself wasn’t even an idea at the time.
—Chuck Yarborough, cleveland.com, 3 Sep. 2019
Look for the Pancakes & Waffles windmills in front of Indiana Farmers Coliseum.
—Liz Biro, Indianapolis Star, 7 Aug. 2019
Noun
By Armani Syed April 25, 2024 7:08 AM EDT
The sails of Paris’ iconic Moulin Rouge windmill have collapsed overnight for the first time in the 134 year history of the cabaret club.
—Armani Syed, TIME, 25 Apr. 2024
In Santa Barbara County, high winds damaged homes in Goleta and tore off part of a windmill in Solvang, and rain overwhelmed concrete channels that divert water from residential areas, destroying 300 linear feet of them, Newsom wrote.
—Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2024
The Stanford study, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, also found that some of the images have been posted from Facebook pages that were stolen from other people or organizations, including a church in Georgia and a windmill seller, and then repurposed into AI spam pages.
—Angela Yang, NBC News, 19 Mar. 2024
To do a full windmill twist without using your couch, follow the same cues above but instead of placing your left forearm on your couch, place your left hand on your left shin.
—Dana Santas, CNN, 27 Feb. 2024
Known as the La Tour mill, the ancient windmill was operated by one family since at least the second half of the 17th century, experts said.
—Moira Ritter, Miami Herald, 29 Feb. 2024
After getting his lats nice and strong, Washington leaves the windmill and meets Clémence Poésy from Harry Potter, who is tasked with delivering some equally magical exposition.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2024
Beginning in the fifteenth century, the country’s windmills were used to pump water out of the ground using the hydraulic mechanism known as Archimedes’ screw.
—Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024
As the pandemic lifted, Culp’s lean initiatives at aerospace, power, and the other units substantially lowered the costs of making the likes of jet engines, boilers, and windmills.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 26 Jan. 2024
Verb
All the same, Antonoff wears muscle shirts onstage and jumps off stacks of amps and pumps his fist in the air and plays windmill chords on his Gretsch Princess guitar.
—Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 16 May 2022
The young center fielder stepped out of the batter’s box, grabbing at her shoulder, trying to windmill her arm in tiny circles.
—Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2022
On his first dunk, Green relied on Rockets rookie teammate Josh Christopher to deliver a pass to him off the side of the backboard while Green raced down the baseline, attempted to catch the ball, put it between his legs then windmill it home.
—Matt Young, Chron, 19 Feb. 2022
The town’s only grocery store is down the road, and beyond that, windmills tower over distant hills.
—Kevin Krause, Dallas News, 24 May 2020
But as batteries, solar panels, and windmills all continue to get cheaper and more efficient, that calculus should change.
—Timothy B. Lee, Ars Technica, 22 May 2020
But has anyone in dunk-contest history snatched a pass one-handed, spun midair — keeping control of the ball — and windmilled it into the hoop with such vengeance?
—Phil Thompson, SFChronicle.com, 16 Feb. 2020
Singer Roger Daltrey, windmilling guitarist Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon were 15 years away from induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — which itself wasn’t even an idea at the time.
—Chuck Yarborough, cleveland.com, 3 Sep. 2019
Look for the Pancakes & Waffles windmills in front of Indiana Farmers Coliseum.
—Liz Biro, Indianapolis Star, 7 Aug. 2019
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'windmill.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near windmill
Cite this Entry
“Windmill.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/windmill. Accessed 2 May. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share