windmill

Also known as wind mill

thumb|Windmill in Sønderho, Fanø, Denmark. Dutch type, built in 1895.

AI overview

A windmill is a structure that uses wind power to perform work, traditionally grinding grain into flour or pumping water. Windmills have been important throughout history as a practical source of mechanical energy, allowing communities to process food and manage water resources before modern powered machinery became available.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Wikidata facts

Image: Amrumer Windmühle (2018).jpg

Show 7 more facts

Commons category: Windmills
Commons gallery: Windmill
equivalent class: dbpedia.org/ontology/Windmill
OpenStreetMap tag: man_made=windmill
Belarus Globe URL: globustut.by/type_tn_windmlyns.htm
P8168: Ricky Wilson
sRGB color hex triplet: D2691E

Sources (6)

via Wikidata · CC0

~16 min read

Article

15 sections

Contents

Forerunners
Horizontal windmills
Vertical windmills
Post mill
Hollow-post mill
Tower mill
Smock mill
Mechanics
Sails
Machinery
Spread and decline
See also
References
Further reading
External links

thumb|Windmill in Sønderho, Fanø, Denmark. Dutch type, built in 1895.

A windmill is a machine operated by the force of wind acting on vanes or sails to mill grain (gristmills). Windmills were used throughout the high medieval and early modern periods; the horizontal or panemone windmill first appeared in Persia during the 9th century, and the vertical windmill first appeared in northwestern Europe in the 12th century.