Unwinded

Part of speech: adjective, verb

Definitions

1. To release from a coiled or twisted state ; to relax or reduce tension after stress
2. The act of undoing a wound or twist in an object ; experiencing a decrease in mental or physical strain
3. Removing twists or loops from a material or object ; engaging in activities to calm and ease the mind or body

Etymology: "Unwinded" is a rare formation in which the negating prefix "un-" is attached to "winded," the adjective meaning out of breath. The prefix has a long pedigree in English, descending through Proto-Germanic and Old English, where it served as a native way of reversing or negating a quality. Its presence here tells us that "unwinded" was built from familiar parts rather than borrowed from another language. The base "winded" is the older and more common word, meaning short of breath after exertion, and it developed from the noun "wind," in the sense of breath. Adding "un-" to it produces the sense of not being breathless, and by extension free from tension or strain. The adjective and verb uses both come from this same pattern of negation applied to a word for breath.

Synonyms: untwisted, unrolled

Antonyms: wound, twisted, rolled