wind·lass
ˈwin(d)-ləs 
: any of various machines for hoisting or hauling: such as
a
: a horizontal barrel supported on vertical posts and turned by a crank so that the hoisting rope is wound around the barrel
b
: a steam or electric winch with horizontal or vertical shaft and two drums used to raise a ship's anchor
windlassed; windlassing; windlasses
: to hoist or haul with a windlass
Examples of windlass in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 20 June 2024
Fire up that windlass and reel it in.
—Ezra Dyer, Car and Driver, 27 Mar. 2021
The captain engaged in evasive maneuvers after problems arose with the ship’s windlass, a part of the boat that helps operate the anchor, Bolinski said.
—Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 17 Aug. 2022
Artifacts found in the mine include shoes, clay pipes and a windlass—a type of winchthat would have been used to lift heavy objects.
—Jane Recker, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 July 2022
Coghlan added that one of the items left behind was a windlass lifting device, which would normally have been taken away for reuse in other mines.
—Sana Noor Haq, CNN, 12 July 2022
This allows the leg to extend behind the body and activates the windlass mechanism in which the hallux pulls on the plantar fascia, creating tension.
—Outside Online, 5 Aug. 2019
It's called a windlass, and it's used to raise the anchors.
—Ezra Dyer, Car and Driver, 27 Mar. 2021
No lives were lost, and parts of the ship from several timbers to the anchor-hoisting windlass remain preserved under the Great Lake.
—Theresa MacHemer, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 June 2020
Noun
Among the artifacts found: stoneware jugs, the anchor, wire rope rigging, ship’s bell (now green with age) and a windlass, used to move heavy weight aboard a ship.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 20 June 2024
Fire up that windlass and reel it in.
—Ezra Dyer, Car and Driver, 27 Mar. 2021
The captain engaged in evasive maneuvers after problems arose with the ship’s windlass, a part of the boat that helps operate the anchor, Bolinski said.
—Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 17 Aug. 2022
Artifacts found in the mine include shoes, clay pipes and a windlass—a type of winchthat would have been used to lift heavy objects.
—Jane Recker, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 July 2022
Coghlan added that one of the items left behind was a windlass lifting device, which would normally have been taken away for reuse in other mines.
—Sana Noor Haq, CNN, 12 July 2022
This allows the leg to extend behind the body and activates the windlass mechanism in which the hallux pulls on the plantar fascia, creating tension.
—Outside Online, 5 Aug. 2019
It's called a windlass, and it's used to raise the anchors.
—Ezra Dyer, Car and Driver, 27 Mar. 2021
No lives were lost, and parts of the ship from several timbers to the anchor-hoisting windlass remain preserved under the Great Lake.
—Theresa MacHemer, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 June 2020
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'windlass.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Windlass.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/windlass. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
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