What does ‘get wind of’ mean?
To “get wind of” means to hear a rumour or first indication of something. An old English idiom drawn from hunting — animals catching the scent on the wind. Brewer's records the phrase in that literal sense.
Origin
- An old English idiom drawn from hunting — animals catching the scent on the wind. Brewer's records the phrase in that literal sense.
How to use it
- Standard way to describe an early tip-off.
- Example: The press got wind of the merger before it was announced.
Source:
Last verified: 2026-07-18
- Definitions and origins are drawn from public-domain reference works, primarily Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898), with modern usage notes clearly marked.