Etymology

headwind

H4E1A1D2W4I1N1D2

Today it means: A wind that blows directly against the course of a vehicle, like an aircraft, train, or ship. Full definition →

Middle English *hedwind ← Old English hēafodwind
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The story

  1. Old English · inherited fromhēafodwind
  2. Middle English · inherited from*hedwind
  3. English todayheadwind

From Middle English *hedwind, from Old English hēafodwind, equivalent to head + wind. Cognate with Old Norse höfuðvindr.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.