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Origin and history of sidewinder

sidewinder(n.)

small horned rattlesnake of southwestern U.S., 1875, American English, from side (adj.) + agent noun of wind (v.1), so called in reference to its "peculiar lateral progressive motion" (from an 1875 U.S. Army report on zoology of the West). Also sidewiper (1888).

Entries linking to sidewinder

late Old English, "long, broad, spacious; extending lengthwise," from side (n.). Compare Old Norse siðr "long, hanging down." From late 14c. as "being from or toward the side," hence also "subordinate." Also "apart from the main course" of anything, as in side-road (1854); side-trip (1911). In side-eye (by 1922) the notion is "directed sideways."

"move by turning and twisting," Middle English winden, from Old English windan "to turn, twist, plait, curl, brandish, swing" (class III strong verb; past tense wand, past participle wunden), from Proto-Germanic *windan "to wind," from PIE *wendh- "to turn, wind, weave" (source also of Latin viere "twist, plait, weave," vincire "bind;" Lithuanian vyti "twist, wind").

The verb wend is its causative form, and it is not always clear in Middle English which is meant. Also compare wander. The past tense and past participle merged in Middle English.

The meaning "to twine, entwine oneself around" is from 1590s; the transitive sense of "turn or twist round and round (on something) is from c. 1300. The meaning "set a watch, clockwork, etc. in operating mode by tightening its spring" is from c. 1600.

To wind down "come to a conclusion" is recorded from 1952; to wind up "come to a conclusion" is recorded from 1825; it was used earlier in a transitive sense of "put (affairs) in order in advance of a final settlement" (1780).

Of a corpse, "to enshroud" (c. 1300), hence winding sheet (n.), attested from early 15c.

Germanic cognates include Old Saxon windan, Old Norse vinda, Old Frisian winda, Dutch winden, Old High German wintan, German winden, Gothic windan "to wind."

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