windage

[ win-dij ]

noun

1. the influence of the wind in deflecting a missile.
2. the amount of such deflection.
3. the degree to which a gunsight must be adjusted to correct for windage.
4. a difference between the diameter of a projectile and that of the gun bore, for the escape of gas and the prevention of friction.
5. Nautical. that portion of a vessel's surface upon which the wind acts.
6. Machinery. friction between a rotor and the air within its casing, as in an electric generator.
7. Electricity. the resisting influence of air against the rotating armature of a dynamo, creating a power loss.

windage

/ ˈwɪndɪdʒ /

noun

1. 1. a deflection of a projectile as a result of the effect of the wind
   2. the degree of such deflection
   3. the extent to which it is necessary to adjust the wind gauge of a gun sight in order to compensate for such deflection
2. the difference between a firearm's bore and the diameter of its projectile
3. nautical the exposed part of the hull of a vessel responsible for wind resistance
4. the retarding force upon a rotating machine resulting from the drag of the air

Word History and Origins

Origin of windage¹

First recorded in 1700–10; wind ¹ + -age

Example Sentences

“It’s more windage from an aerodynamic perspective, and also we had two great helmsmen, two great match racers. It was almost obvious that we did that.”

From Seattle Times

Usually you wind up using a Kentucky windage of the reading it gives you and how fast it is rising to calculate some rough idea what the actual temperature is.

From Los Angeles Times

And people who have brilliant old-fashioned skills, such as casting bronze, and know about things such as "windage".

From The Guardian

Which is to say there’s much more tsunami debris—with less windage—still out there.

From Newsweek

The lieutenant-commander regained his feet in an instant, barely conscious of his narrow escape, for a 4-inch shell had passed so close to him that the windage had capsized him.

From Project Gutenberg