Found 1 items, similar to To wind up.
English → English (gcide) Definition: To wind up Wind \Wind\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Wound (wound) (rarely Winded); p. pr. & vb. n. Winding.] [OE. winden, AS. windan; akin to OS. windan, D. & G. winden, OHG. wintan, Icel. & Sw. vinda, Dan. vinde, Goth. windan (in comp.). Cf. Wander, Wend.] [1913 Webster] 1. To turn completely, or with repeated turns; especially, to turn about something fixed; to cause to form convolutions about anything; to coil; to twine; to twist; to wreathe; as, to wind thread on a spool or into a ball. [1913 Webster] Whether to wind The woodbine round this arbor. --Milton. [1913 Webster] 2. To entwist; to infold; to encircle. [1913 Webster] Sleep, and I will wind thee in arms. --Shak. [1913 Webster] 3. To have complete control over; to turn and bend at one's pleasure; to vary or alter or will; to regulate; to govern. “To turn and wind a fiery Pegasus.” --Shak. [1913 Webster] In his terms so he would him wind. --Chaucer. [1913 Webster] Gifts blind the wise, and bribes do please And wind all other witnesses. --Herrick. [1913 Webster] Were our legislature vested in the prince, he might wind and turn our constitution at his pleasure. --Addison. [1913 Webster] 4. To introduce by insinuation; to insinuate. [1913 Webster] You have contrived . . . to wind Yourself into a power tyrannical. --Shak. [1913 Webster] Little arts and dexterities they have to wind in such things into discourse. --Gov. of Tongue. [1913 Webster] 5. To cover or surround with something coiled about; as, to wind a rope with twine. [1913 Webster] To wind off, to unwind; to uncoil. To wind out, to extricate. [Obs.] --Clarendon. To wind up. (a) To coil into a ball or small compass, as a skein of thread; to coil completely. (b) To bring to a conclusion or settlement; as, to wind up one's affairs; to wind up an argument. (c) To put in a state of renewed or continued motion, as a clock, a watch, etc., by winding the spring, or that which carries the weight; hence, to prepare for continued movement or action; to put in order anew. “Fate seemed to wind him up for fourscore years.” --Dryden. “Thus they wound up his temper to a pitch.” --Atterbury. (d) To tighten (the strings) of a musical instrument, so as to tune it. “Wind up the slackened strings of thy lute.” --Waller. [1913 Webster]