wind-facing
|wind-face-ing|
/ˈwɪndˌfeɪ.sɪŋ/
oriented toward the wind
Etymology
'wind-facing' is a compound formed from Old English 'wind' (from Proto-Germanic 'windaz') and the present participle 'facing' (from verb 'face'). 'Face' as a verb entered English via Middle English from Old French (cf. 'facer') ultimately from Latin roots related to 'facies'/'facere'.
'wind' comes from Old English 'wind' and remained largely unchanged into Modern English; 'face' developed from Old French into Middle English 'facen/face' and produced the participle 'facing'; these elements were combined in Modern English to form the descriptive compound 'wind-facing'.
Originally the components simply named 'wind' and 'the act of facing'; over time the compound stabilized as an adjective meaning 'oriented toward the wind' or 'windward', a more specific technical sense used in architecture, nautical contexts, and geography.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
facing toward the wind; oriented so that the surface is directed into the wind (used of buildings, sails, slopes, etc.).
The wind-facing side of the cliff was eroded more quickly than the sheltered side.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/15 22:36