windlass

English

Wikipedia

Etymology

Middle English windels or windas, Old Norse vindass, from vinda (“to wind”) + ass (“pole”). Confer Icelandic vindilass.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˈwɪnd.ləs/, X-SAMPA: /"wInd.l@s/

Noun

windlass (plural windlasses)

1. Any of various forms of winch, in which a rope or cable is wound around a cylinder, used for lifting heavy weights
2. A winding and circuitous way; a roundabout course.

Translations

winch

• Finnish: vintturi (fi)
• Jèrriais: vitheveau m

• Russian: брашпиль (ru) (brášpilʼ) m
• Serbo-Croatian: sidreno vitlo (sh) n

Verb

windlass (third-person singular simple present windlasses, present participle windlassing, simple past and past participle windlassed)

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

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

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