windsock
Meaning
a fabric tube, open at both ends and often brightly colored, mounted on a pole to show the direction of the wind.
Structure
Usage
the pilot checked the windsock before attempting to land.
a tattered windsock fluttered wildly in the storm.
the airport installed a new, highly visible windsock near the runway.
Etymology
The word 'windsock' is a transparent Modern English compound, formed from two Old English roots. 'wind' derives from Proto-Germanic windaz and ultimately from the pie root h₂weh₁- meaning 'to blow'. 'sock' originates from Old English 'socc', a light slipper, borrowed from Latin 'soccus', a low-heeled shoe, likely of gaulish origin. The compound leverages the familiar, tubular shape of a sock to create a vivid metaphor for a simple device that indicates wind direction by filling with air, illustrating a pragmatic approach to terminology in fields like aviation and meteorology.
Analysis
wind (old english, functional role: base noun denoting the natural phenomenon); sock (old english 'socc', a light shoe, functional role: base noun used metaphorically to denote a tubular covering).