To wind off

To wind off
Wind Wind, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Wound} (wound) (rarely {Winded}); p. pr. & vb. n. {Winding}.] [OE. winden, AS. windan; akin to OS. windan, D. & G. winden, OHG. wintan, Icel. & Sw. vinda, Dan. vinde, Goth. windan (in comp.). Cf. {Wander}, {Wend}.] [1913 Webster] 1. To turn completely, or with repeated turns; especially, to turn about something fixed; to cause to form convolutions about anything; to coil; to twine; to twist; to wreathe; as, to wind thread on a spool or into a ball. [1913 Webster]

Whether to wind The woodbine round this arbor. --Milton. [1913 Webster]

2. To entwist; to infold; to encircle. [1913 Webster]

Sleep, and I will wind thee in arms. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

3. To have complete control over; to turn and bend at one's pleasure; to vary or alter or will; to regulate; to govern. ``To turn and wind a fiery Pegasus.'' --Shak. [1913 Webster]

In his terms so he would him wind. --Chaucer. [1913 Webster]

Gifts blind the wise, and bribes do please And wind all other witnesses. --Herrick. [1913 Webster]

Were our legislature vested in the prince, he might wind and turn our constitution at his pleasure. --Addison. [1913 Webster]

4. To introduce by insinuation; to insinuate. [1913 Webster]

You have contrived . . . to wind Yourself into a power tyrannical. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

Little arts and dexterities they have to wind in such things into discourse. --Gov. of Tongue. [1913 Webster]

5. To cover or surround with something coiled about; as, to wind a rope with twine. [1913 Webster]

{To wind off}, to unwind; to uncoil.

{To wind out}, to extricate. [Obs.] --Clarendon.

{To wind up}. (a) To coil into a ball or small compass, as a skein of thread; to coil completely. (b) To bring to a conclusion or settlement; as, to wind up one's affairs; to wind up an argument. (c) To put in a state of renewed or continued motion, as a clock, a watch, etc., by winding the spring, or that which carries the weight; hence, to prepare for continued movement or action; to put in order anew. ``Fate seemed to wind him up for fourscore years.'' --Dryden. ``Thus they wound up his temper to a pitch.'' --Atterbury. (d) To tighten (the strings) of a musical instrument, so as to tune it. ``Wind up the slackened strings of thy lute.'' --Waller. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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