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windlass

UK/ˈwɪnd.ləs/

noun

What it means

  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.

    With windlasses and with assays of bias, / By indirections find directions out.

    c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i], line 65
  3. An apparatus resembling a winch or windlass, for bending the bow of an arblast, or crossbow.

In a sentence

With windlasses and with assays of bias, / By indirections find directions out.

c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i], line 65

Where it comes from

  1. Old Norsevindáss“windlass”
  2. Old Northern Frenchwindas
  3. Anglo-Normanwindase
  4. Middle Englishwyndlas
  5. Englishwindlass

From Middle English wyndlas, wyndelas, wyndlasse, wyndelasse, probably an alteration (due to Middle English windel) of Middle English windas, wyndas, wyndace, from Anglo-Norman windase, windeis and Old Northern French windas (compare Old French guindas, Medieval Latin windasius, windasa), from Old Norse vindáss (“windlass”, literally “winding-pole”), from vinda (“to wind”) + áss (“pole”). Compare Icelandic vindilass.

Full entry for windlass →

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