wind sock
1
4.4
- noun
- /wɪnd sɑk/
- Specialized
:
saco de viento
- The pilot checked the wind sock to determine the best runway for landing.
Examples
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- It looked like a wind sock.
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And doesn't it look like a wind sock blowing in the wind?
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This is the original colors of the wind sock and as you can see, I use a lamp shade structure to hold the wind socks to the main pole.
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At the airfield, a bright red wind sock showed the direction of the wind.
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The wind sock billowed out, indicating strong gusts coming from the north.
Synonyms
28
8.2
A cone-shaped cloth tube on a pole that shows wind direction at airports
2
5.1
A cloth cone on a pole that shows wind direction and strength, often at airports
A cloth cone on a pole that shows wind direction and strength
A cloth cone on a pole that shows wind direction and strength at airports
A cloth cone on a pole that shows wind direction and strength
A cone of cloth on a pole that shows wind direction, often at airports
A cloth cone on a pole that shows wind direction and strength
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly and transparently derivable from 'wind' + 'sock' — it denotes a sock-like cloth tube associated with the wind that indicates direction and relative speed. Even if learners know 'sock' primarily as a foot garment, the shape/function metaphor (a sock-shaped tube for wind) is straightforward and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer the meaning.
Etymology
Wind sock is a cloth sock on a pole that fills with wind and points the way the air is blowing. Because its angle and how much it flaps show the wind's strength, pilots and workers use it to check 'wind direction' and relative 'wind speed'.