windles

• IPA^(key): /ˈwɪndəlz/

See windle.

windles

1. plural of windle

From slurred pronunciation of windlass.

windles

1. A winch, a windlass.
   • 1821, Walter Scott, Kenilworth, page 50:

     God's sake, speak her fair and canny, or we will have a raveled hasp on the yarn-windles!

   • 1906, Samuel Purchas, edited by Hakluyt Society, Hakluytus posthumus, or, Purchas his Pilgrimes: contayning a history of the world in sea voyages and lande travells by Englishmen and others, number 30:

     his boate fitted with Sayle, Oares, thoughts, tholes danyd, windles and rother

• Walter William Skeat (1884) An etymological dictionary of the English language.
• Henry Sweet (1888) A history of English sounds from the earliest period: with full word-lists

• Swindle, swindle, wildens