From Old Norse 'vindáss' (winding-pole)—a crucial ship mechanism whose ending was reshaped by folk etymology.
A hauling or lifting device consisting of a horizontal cylinder turned by a crank, around which a rope or chain is wound.
From Old Norse 'vindáss,' from 'vinda' (to wind) + 'áss' (pole, beam). Literally 'the winding-pole.' A crucial piece of ship equipment for raising anchors, borrowed into English during the era of Viking and Hanseatic maritime influence. Key roots: vinda (Old Norse: "to wind, to turn