wind-up
See also: windup and wind up
English
Alternative forms
- windup
Pronunciation
- (Canada) IPA(key): /ˈwaɪndˌʌp/
Noun
wind-up (plural wind-ups)
- The end or conclusion of something.
- Everyone is invited to our end-of-term wind-up party.
- A punch line of a joke or comedy routine.
- (Britain) A humorous attempt to fool somebody, a practical joke in which the victim is encouraged to believe something untrue.
- 1999, Whatever Happened to Harold Smith? (film):
- "Is this a wind-up, or what?" "No, no, it's true. He can really do it."
- 1999, Whatever Happened to Harold Smith? (film):
- (baseball) The phase of a making a pitch where the pitcher moves his or her arm backwards before throwing the ball.
- 1975: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (movie)
- He's into his wind-up. Here comes the pitch. Strike on the inside corner!
- 1975: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (movie)
- (television) A circular hand gesture, supposed to represent the winding on of film, used to signal to a performer to finish quickly.
Synonyms
- See also Thesaurus:joke
Derived terms
- wind-up merchant
Related terms
- wind up
Adjective
wind-up (not comparable)
- (of a machine) Needing to be wound up in order to function.
- 1997, Daria (TV, episode 1.07):
- Maybe you could get a wind-up toy to distract him.
- 1997, Daria (TV, episode 1.07):
Translations
needing to be wound up in order to function
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Anagrams
- upwind