Windings

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A series of twists, turns, or coils in a path or material that create a complex route or shape
2. A pattern consisting of curves or convolutions, often found in objects such as ropes or cables that are wrapped or twisted
3. The act of forming or arranging something into a spiral or circuitous design, resulting in a labyrinthine configuration

Etymology: The plural "windings" names the twists and turns of something that bends back and forth, such as a road, a river or a length of wire. The word is a plural of "winding", a noun formed from the verb "wind" plus the old suffix "-ing", which in Middle English turned a verb into a noun for the action itself. The verb "wind" once had a sense of exposing something to the air, so an early use of the noun could mean ventilating or airing a thing. The sense that matters for the plural came from a different verb, "winden" or "wynden", meaning to turn, twist, wrap or move in a curving course. A Middle English "winding" could therefore mean a bend in a leg at the knee, the meandering path of a river, or a cloth wrapped around something. Over time the sense of coiling and turning took over from the older sense of airing.

Synonyms: twists, turns, curves, loops, coils