UNWIND (unwound)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected form: unwound   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does unwind mean? 

• UNWIND (verb)
  The verb UNWIND has 4 senses:

1. reverse the winding or twisting of

2. separate the tangles of

3. become less tense, rest, or take one's ease

4. cause to feel relaxed

  Familiarity information: UNWIND used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• UNWIND (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they unwind    ... he / she / it unwinds   
Past simple: unwound   
Past participle: unwound   
-ing form: unwinding   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Reverse the winding or twisting of

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

unroll; unwind; wind off

Context example:

unwind a ball of yarn

Hypernyms (to "unwind" is one way to...):

displace; move (cause to move or shift into a new position or place, both in a concrete and in an abstract sense)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP

Antonym:

wind (arrange or or coil around)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Separate the tangles of

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

disentangle; unwind

Hypernyms (to "unwind" is one way to...):

undo (cancel, annul, or reverse an action or its effect)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "unwind"):

roll out; straighten (straighten by unrolling)

uncoil (unwind or untwist)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s something

Sense 3

Meaning:

Become less tense, rest, or take one's ease

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Synonyms:

decompress; loosen up; relax; slow down; unbend; unwind

Context example:

Let's all relax after a hard day's work

Hypernyms (to "unwind" is one way to...):

change state; turn (undergo a transformation or a change of position or action)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "unwind"):

vege out; vegetate (engage in passive relaxation)

sit back; take it easy (settle into a comfortable sitting position)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody's (body part) ----s

Sense 4

Meaning:

Cause to feel relaxed

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Synonyms:

loosen up; make relaxed; relax; unlax; unstrain; unwind

Context example:

A hot bath always relaxes me

Hypernyms (to "unwind" is one way to...):

affect (act physically on; have an effect upon)

Cause:

decompress; loosen up; relax; slow down; unbend; unwind (become less tense, rest, or take one's ease)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "unwind"):

unbend (release from mental strain, tension, or formality)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

 Context examples 

This gene plays a role in DNA unwinding.

(HELQ Gene, NCI Thesaurus)

This protein recognizes and binds the 7-methylguanosine-containing mRNA cap during an early step in the initiation of protein synthesis and facilitates ribosome binding by inducing the unwinding of the mRNAs secondary structures.

(Eukaryotic Translation Initiation Factor 4E-Like 3, NCI Thesaurus)

This protein is involved in recognition of the mRNA 5' cap, unwinding of the mRNA structure and recruitment of mRNA to the ribosome.

(Eukaryotic Translation Initiation Factor 4 Gamma 1, NCI Thesaurus)

This protein plays a role in DNA unwinding.

(High Mobility Group Protein B2, NCI Thesaurus)

Furthermore, this agent stabilizes DNA-enzyme complexes during unwinding processes by both topoisomerases, leading to double- and single-stranded DNA breaks.

(Intoplicine, NCI Thesaurus)

KU is identical to DNA helicase II, an ATP-dependent DNA unwinding enzyme.

(Ku70 Protein, NCI Thesaurus)

Ku is identical to DNA helicase II, an ATP-dependent DNA unwinding enzyme.

(Ku Protein, NCI Thesaurus)

A class of enzymes that utilizes the energy of ATP hydrolysis to unwind (unzipped) dsDNA.

(DNA Helicase, NCI Thesaurus)

This allele, which encodes Bloom syndrome protein, plays a role in the unwinding of single- and double-stranded DNA in a 3'-5' direction during DNA replication and repair.

(BLM wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

Mars in your eleventh house of friends, parties, new contacts, and events will give you a chance to unwind after having a very busy professional period.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)