[f. WIND v.1 + -ER1. (14th c. AF. had gyndour, gwynder in senses 1 and 2. Later Fr. had guindre ‘a reele, or wheel to wind silke on,’ Cotgr.)] A person or thing that winds, in various senses.
I. Senses denoting persons.
1. One who turns or manages a winch or windlass, esp. at a mine; a windlass-man.
1747. Hooson, Miner’s Dict., K iij b. Upon the Stoblade which the Winder stands to draw at, there is a Hole bored through, just below the Spindle.
1809. Ann. Reg. (1821), 867. The miners in the work, and the winders at the mouth of the pit.
1899. Edin. Rev., Jan., 124. Coalowners cannot work their mines without hewers and winders.
2. An operative employed in winding wool, etc.
1552. Huloet, Wynder of thread or yarne.
1599. T. M[oufet], Silkwormes, 69. What neede I count how many winders liue, How many twisters eke, and weauers thriue Vppon this trade?
1668. Act 14 Chas. II., c. 15 § 5. Whereas there is a necessity lying upon the Silke throwers to deliver to theire Winders or Doublers considerable quantities of silke.
1751. Deering, Nottingham, 72. Almost every Seamer, Sizer, and Winder, will have her Tea.
1818. Min. Evid. Committee Ribbon Weavers, 7. What can a common winder earn?—Three shillings. What a quill winder?—Four shillings.
1828. T. Allen, York, II. 312. If they take away their work from carders and spinners, they return it them back ten-fold as winders, warpers, weavers.
1879. Cassell’s Techn. Educ., VIII. 128/2. The winders, who put the silk, cotton, or thread on the bobbins.
3. One who winds a clock or other mechanism.
1823. Mrs. Smyth, in J. A. Heraud, Voy. & Mem. Midshipman, viii. (1837), 128. William aspired sometime ago to the honour of winding up the chronometers, when Mr. Graves, the regular winder, happened to be absent.
1881. Instr. Census Clerks (1885), 46. Jobber and Winder (Clock).
II. Senses denoting things.
† 4. a. A tendril of a climbing plant. b. A twining plant. Obs.
1577. Googe, trans. Heresbach’s Husb., 33 b. The one sort [of Pease] … runneth vp vppon stickes, to whiche with little wynders he bindeth hym selfe.
1626. Bacon, Sylva, § 536. Winders, and Creepers; As Iuy, Briony, Hops, Woodbine.
1673–4. Grew, Anat. Pl. (1682), 136. The Wood of all Convolvula’s [sic] or Winders.
5. An apparatus (of various kinds) for winding something, or upon which something is wound or coiled; e.g., a winch or windlass, or the crank or handle of one; a reel or spool, or a stick or strip of something serving as a substitute.
1585. Higins, Junius’ Nomencl., 300/2. Succula,… a winder or rather the ouerthwart barrel turned with leauers.
1657. T. Barker, Art of Angling (1659), 25. You must have your winder within two foot of the bottom to goe on your [salmon-]rod made in this manner, with a spring.
1677. Moxon, Mech. Exerc., iii. 37. The Winch, or Winder, or Handle, the Iron part is the Winder, the Wood the Handle.
1773. W. Emerson, Princ. Mech. (ed. 3), 284. Winder, a winch or handle to wind about.
1825. J. Nicholson, Operat. Mechanic, 309. The reel or winder being now withdrawn, the coil of paper is cut on both sides.
1843. Civil Eng. & Arch. Jrnl., VI. 213/2. Attached to the heads of these posts are a number of winders for stretching the wires.
6. A key for winding a jack, clock, or other mechanism. Also attrib. in winder-hole, the hole through which the key is passed in winding.
1606. Chapman, Gentl. Usher, III. ii. 25. Even as in that queint engine you have seene A little man in shreds stand at the winder.
1686. Plot, Staffordsh., 387. The coard i, that is wound round the wheel k, by a key or winder applyed to the Axis l.
1729. Swift, Direct. Serv., ii. (1745), 41. Always leave the Winder sticking on the Jack.
1837. Barham, Ingol. Leg., Ser. I. Look at the Clock. The two little winder-holes turned into eyes.
1884. Britten, Watch & Clockm., 293. Clock keys are often spoken of as winders.
7. A winding step in a staircase: usually in pl., opp. to flyers (see FLYER 4 b).
1667. [see FLYER 4 b].
1808. P. Nicholson, Carpenter’s New Guide (ed. 2), Pl. 53. A dogleg Stair Case with Winders. Ibid. (1823), Pract. Builder, 185. When the treads of the steps diminish in breadth toward the well-hole, the steps are called winders.
1838. Loudon, Suburban Gard., 45. The best staircases are those without winders.
III. 8. Winder-up: † (a) something that concludes an argument; (b) one who winds up a business.
1795. Paine, Age of Reason, II. 78. The lying imposition of Isaiah to Abaz … has been perverted, and made to serve as a winder-up.
1921. W. de Morgan, Old Man’s Youth, xviii. I heard the expression ‘men of straw’ used more than once by winders-up, or victims.
