wind-up

• windup

Deverbal from wind up.

• (Canada) IPA^(key): /ˈwaɪndˌʌp/

wind-up (plural wind-ups)

1. The end or conclusion of something.

   Everyone is invited to our end-of-term wind-up party.

   • 2017 October 3, Mark Walsh, “A “view” from the courtroom: A big windup on partisan gerrymandering”, in SCOTUSblog‎:

     After this long windup, Smith says, “Is there a question there, your honor?” He says it not in an evasive way, but with a smile.

2. The punch line of a joke or comedy routine.
3. (British) A humorous attempt to fool somebody; a practical joke in which the victim is encouraged to believe something untrue.
   • 1999, Whatever Happened to Harold Smith? (film)

     "Is this a wind-up, or what?" "No, no, it's true. He can really do it."

4. (baseball) The phase of making a pitch where the pitcher moves his or her arm backwards before throwing the ball.
   • 1975: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (movie)

     He's into his wind-up. Here comes the pitch. Strike on the inside corner!

5. (television) A circular hand gesture, supposed to represent the winding on of film, used to signal to a performer to finish quickly.

• See also Thesaurus:joke

• wind-up merchant
• wind-up radio
• wind-up toy

• wind up

wind-up (not comparable)

1. (of a machine) Needing to be wound up in order to function.
   • 1997, Daria (TV, episode 1.07):

     Maybe you could get a wind-up toy to distract him.

• upwind