windsock

or wind sock

[ wind-sok ]

noun

1. a tapered, tubular cloth vane, open at both ends and having at the larger end a fixed ring pivoted to swing freely, installed at airports or elsewhere to indicate wind direction and approximate intensity.

windsock

/ ˈwɪndˌsɒk /

noun

1. a truncated cone of textile mounted on a mast so that it is free to rotate about a vertical axis: used, esp at airports, to indicate the local wind direction Also calledair sockdroguewind sleevewind cone

Word History and Origins

Origin of windsock¹

First recorded in 1925–30; wind ¹ + sock ¹

Example Sentences

For one of McKay’s major numbers, a blow-up windsock man you might see promoting a business on the side of a freeway was an unexpected inspiration.

From Los Angeles Times

The architecture knocks one’s socks off, and the place runs rife with eateries, drinkeries, bookstores and shops for all your dreamcatcher and windsock needs.

From Seattle Times

I was in nylon, feeling like a windsock.

From Seattle Times

"The airport’s windsock was horizontal and the aircraft was being rocked from side to side by the wind," Thomson added.

From Fox News

And at the top of the final jump, a bright red windsock stuck straight out almost all afternoon.

From Washington Post