winder

American  

[wahyn-der] / ˈwaɪn dər /

noun

1. a person or thing that winds. wind.

2. a staircase step for changing direction.

3. a plant that coils or twines itself about something.

4. an instrument or a machine for winding wind thread or the like.

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winder British  

/ ˈwaɪndə /

noun

1. a person or device that winds, as an engine for hoisting the cages in a mine shaft or a device for winding the yarn in textile manufacture

2. an object, such as a bobbin, around which something is wound

3. a knob or key used to wind up a clock, watch, or similar mechanism

4. any plant that twists itself around a support

5. a step of a spiral staircase

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Etymology

Origin of winder

First recorded in 1545–55; wind ² + -er ¹

Example Sentences

“Who remembers the cold comfort of that open hearth before we built a new school with its patented front-loader chunk stove with isinglass winders?”

From Literature

Each spring, winder, chime and tool is a piece of Swiss perfection purchased by his father, Vasdev Singh, the first in the family to move from India to East Africa.

From The Wall Street Journal

Working nearby, winder Derrick Petty said he is still learning the quirks of the job after a year at Hitachi Energy and 14 years at another transformer factory.

From The Wall Street Journal

His father was a shawl weaver and his mother was a cotton winder.

From BBC

The agency shared a photo of the moth with its large orange wings, winder than an outstretched hand shown for scale.

From Seattle Times