windmill

What it means

1. A machine which translates linear motion of wind to rotational motion by means of adjustable vanes called sails.

   Turbines have been around for a long time—windmills and water wheels are early examples. The name comes from the Latin turbo, meaning vortex, and thus the defining property of a turbine is that a fluid or gas turns the blades of a rotor, which is attached to a shaft that can perform useful work.

   2013 July-August, Lee S. Langston, “The Adaptable Gas Turbine”, in American Scientist

2. The building or structure containing such machinery.

   There was once a windmill and a baker's shop in the middle of Rabbitland. Three rabbits, Rodney, Rudolph and Rosie lived in the windmill.

   1984, Hayden McAllister, Funny-bunny bedtime stories

   1 more example

   The home of the high-spirited French can-can has been laid temporarily low after the sails of the red-painted windmill on top of the Moulin Rouge, the most celebrated cabaret in Paris, tumbled inexplicably to the ground in the early hours.

   2024 April 25, Jon Henley, “Moulin Rouge windmill sails collapse in Paris”, in The Guardian, →ISSN

3. colloquialproscribedA wind turbine, a device for converting wind power into electricity.

   “The other thing I say to Europe: we’ve – we will not allow a windmill to be built in the United States. They’re killing us. They’re killing the beauty of our scenery.”

   2025 August 3, Adam Gabbatt, quoting Donald Trump, “‘He has trouble completing a thought’: bizarre public appearances again cast doubt on Trump’s mental acuity”, in The Guardian, →ISSN

   1 more example

   “I never understood wind. You know, I know windmills very much. They’re noisy. They kill the birds. You want to see a bird graveyard? Go under a windmill someday. You’ll see more birds than you’ve ever seen in your life.”

   2019 December 24, Richard Luscombe, quoting Donald Trump, “‘I never understood wind’: Trump goes on bizarre tirade against wind turbines”, in The Guardian, →ISSN

In a sentence

Turbines have been around for a long time—windmills and water wheels are early examples. The name comes from the Latin turbo, meaning vortex, and thus the defining property of a turbine is that a fluid or gas turns the blades of a rotor, which is attached to a shaft that can perform useful work.

2013 July-August, Lee S. Langston, “The Adaptable Gas Turbine”, in American Scientist

Where it comes from

1. Proto-Indo-European*h₂weh₁-
2. Proto-Indo-European*h₂wḗh₁ti
3. Proto-Indo-European*h₂wéh₁n̥ts
4. Proto-Germanic*windaz
5. Proto-West Germanic*wind
6. Old Englishwind
7. Middle Englishwynd
8. Proto-Indo-European*melh₂-
9. Proto-Indo-European*mélh₂ti
10. Proto-Italic*melō
11. Latinmolō
12. Latinmolīnus
13. Late Latinmolīna
14. Proto-West Germanic*mulīnu
15. Old Englishmylen
16. Middle Englishmylne
17. Middle Englishwyndmylne
18. Englishwindmill

From Middle English wyndmylne, wyndmylle, equivalent to wind + mill. Cognate with Scots wyndmyln, wyndmyl, Saterland Frisian Wíendmäälne, West Frisian wynmûne, Dutch windmolen, Afrikaans windmeul, Dutch Low Saxon windmölle (Achterhooks), wiendmeule (Drents, Veluws), German Low German Windmöhl, German Windmühle, Danish vindmølle, Norwegian Bokmål vindmølle, Norwegian Nynorsk vindmølle, vindmylne, Swedish vindmölla, Icelandic vindmylla. (imaginary enemy): A reference to Don Quixote tilting at windmills.