windmill

[ wind-mil ]
/ ˈwɪndˌmɪl /

noun

any of various machines for grinding, pumping, etc., driven by the force of the wind acting upon a number of vanes or sails.
(loosely) a wind generator; wind plant.
Aeronautics. a small air turbine with blades, like those of an airplane propeller, exposed on a moving aircraft and driven by the air, used to operate gasoline pumps, radio apparatus, etc.
an imaginary opponent, wrong, etc. (in allusion to Cervantes' Don Quixote): to tilt at windmills.

verb (used with or without object)

Aeronautics. (of a propeller engine or turbojet engine) to rotate or cause to rotate solely under the force of a passing airstream.

Origin of windmill

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at wind1, mill1

Example sentences from the Web for windmill

British Dictionary definitions for windmill

windmill
/ (ˈwɪndˌmɪl, ˈwɪnˌmɪl) /

noun

verb

Idioms and Phrases with windmill

windmill

see tilt at windmills.