windy

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   With a lot of wind blowing.

   It was a cold and windy day at the beach.

2. 2
   adj

   Open and unprotected from the wind.

   We waited at a windy bus stop with no shelter.

3. 3
   adj

   Using far too many words; long and boring.

   The chairman gave a windy speech that put everyone to sleep.

From Middle English windy, from Old English windiġ (“windy”), from Proto-Germanic *windigaz (“windy”), equivalent to wind + -y. Cognate with Saterland Frisian wiendich (“windy”), West Frisian winich (“windy”), Dutch winderig (“windy”), German Low German windig (“windy”), German windig (“windy”), Swedish vindig (“windy”), Icelandic vindugur (“windy”). The “frightened” sense probably derives from the phrase have the wind up.

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