Windbound

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Prevented from setting out or continuing a voyage by adverse winds ; kept in harbor or delayed in place because strong gusts make travel impossible
2. Stuck in port or at anchor because the wind blows against a ship's course ; held back from sailing by storms or unfavorable gusts
3. Unable to leave or proceed on a journey at sea since the wind is against you ; confined to a harbor or delayed by blustery weather

Etymology: "Windbound" is a plain compound of "wind" and "bound," and its sense is literal: a ship held in port or unable to sail because contrary winds keep it from leaving. "Bound" here is the old sense of "bound" meaning "confined" or "prevented from going," the same idea found in "housebound" or "spellbound," rather than the "bound" meaning a leap. The combination sets the word's whole meaning: the wind is the obstacle, and the vessel is held fast by it. The adjective was used most often of sailing ships waiting in harbour for a change of weather, and the image remains its main use. Its meaning has stayed close to that nautical origin, so the word still reads as a description of a vessel, or of a coast or port, held back by the weather.

Synonyms: stormbound