wind-up

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See also: windup and wind up

English

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English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Alternative forms

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Etymology

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Deverbal from wind up.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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wind-up (plural wind-ups)

  1. The end or conclusion of something.
    Everyone is invited to our end-of-term wind-up party.
    • 1822, A Morning in Cork-Street: or, Raising the wind, page 102:
      The wind-up is, that the father becomes bankrupt; the wife and daughters town-traders; the sons Greeks, Fancy-swells, Conveyancers (pickpockets), or Cracksmen (house breakers), and the New Drop is the last drop they ever take.
    • 2017 October 3, Mark Walsh, “A “view” from the courtroom: A big windup on partisan gerrymandering”, in SCOTUSblog[1]:
      After this long windup, Smith says, “Is there a question there, your honor?” He says it not in an evasive way, but with a smile.
  2. The punch line of a joke or comedy routine.
  3. (British) A humorous attempt to fool somebody; a practical joke in which the victim is encouraged to believe something untrue.
    • 1999, Whatever Happened to Harold Smith? (film)
      "Is this a wind-up, or what?" "No, no, it's true. He can really do it."
  4. (baseball) The phase of making a pitch where the pitcher moves his or her arm backwards before throwing the ball.
    • 1975: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (movie)
      He's into his wind-up. Here comes the pitch. Strike on the inside corner!
  5. (television) A circular hand gesture, supposed to represent the winding on of film, used to signal to a performer to finish quickly.

Synonyms

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Derived terms

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Translations

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Adjective

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wind-up (not comparable)

  1. (of a machine) Needing to be wound up in order to function.
    • 1997, Daria (TV, episode 1.07):
      Maybe you could get a wind-up toy to distract him.

Translations

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Anagrams

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