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window

/ˈwɪndoʊ/
nounverb

Window meaning: an opening for light and air, a shop display, or a limited period of opportunity.

NWL Collins ENABLE

Noun 4 meanings

  1. An opening, usually covered by one or more panes of clear glass, to allow light and air from outside to enter a building or vehicle.

    “She opened the window to let some air in.”

  2. An opening, usually covered by glass, in a shop which allows people to view the shop and its products from outside; a shop window.

  3. The shutter, casement, sash with its fittings, or other framework, which closes a window opening.

  4. A period of time when something is available or possible; a limited opportunity.

    “launch window”

Verb 3 meanings

  1. To furnish with windows.

  2. To place at or in a window.

  3. To apply a window function to (a signal).

Definitions: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA) via Kaikki/Wiktextract

Where it comes from

Etymology

From Middle English wyndowe, wyndown, from Old Norse vindauga (“window”, literally “wind-eye; wind-hole”), equivalent to wind + eye. Cognate with Scots windae and windock, Faroese vindeyga, Norwegian Bokmål vindu, Norwegian Nynorsk vindauge, Danish vindue, archaic Swedish vindöga, Elfdalian windog.

Similar and opposite words

Similar
glass

Window is a familiar six-letter word with a practical meaning: an opening that admits light and air, usually through glass. It can also name a shop display or a limited period when an opportunity is available, and a frequency rank of 1,634 puts it among everyday vocabulary. The same spelling carries a recorded Scrabble value of 13 points, with its two W tiles supplying eight of them.

What does window mean?

Window first refers to an opening in a building or vehicle, commonly fitted with clear panes. The definition also covers the frame or sash that closes that opening, so the word can name both the passage for light and its fitted structure.

In a shop, a window lets people see products from outside; in figurative use, a window can be a brief opportunity. That time-related sense appears in phrases about a window of availability, giving this common word more than its architectural use.

How does WINDOW score 13 Scrabble points?

WINDOW's recorded value comes from its six tiles, with the pair of W tiles doing much of the scoring work. Check the letter values before adding any board bonuses.

  • Each W is worth four points, so the two W tiles contribute eight of WINDOW's 13.
  • I, N, and O add one point apiece; D contributes two.
  • The tile values total 13 before board premiums, which can change a play's final score.
  • There are no recorded anagrams for WINDOW, despite the repeated W in its letters.

What words sound or look like WINDOW?

WINDOW has one recorded one-letter neighbor: WINNOW. That makes it a particularly short neighbor list; changing just one letter in WINDOW produces this single listed alternative.

The rhyme list contains 12 entries. SHADOW, WIDOW, MEADOW, and ENDOW share WINDOW's “dow” ending, while EYESHADOW and OVERSHADOW show how longer words can carry the same rhyme.

Rhymes with window

All rhymes
  • SHADOW13
  • WIDOW12
  • MEADOW12
  • EYESHADOW19
  • OVERSHADOW20
  • ENDOW9
  • FORESHADOW20
  • SHOPWINDOW22
  • ROWDYDOW19
  • BESHADOW17
  • DISENDOW13
  • INDOW9

One letter away

Change one letter, keep the rest
  • WINNOW12

Questions people ask

How common is WINDOW in everyday English?
WINDOW ranks 1,634 by frequency, which places it among common English vocabulary. That everyday status helps in crosswords, where the clue usually points to the architectural sense rather than to scoring.
How many points is WINDOW worth in Scrabble?
WINDOW is worth 13 points from its tile values. Its two W tiles contribute eight points together, while I, N, and O are one point each and D is worth two.
Does WINDOW have any anagrams?
WINDOW has no recorded anagrams. Its letters sort to dinoww, including a repeated W, and no other word in the dictionary uses exactly that set.

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