The word wind down or "to gradually lose power," "come to a conclusion," "lessen in intensity," has been recorded in English language use since 1952. It is a technical, mechanical related word, like the winding down of a watch spring. Though the watch spring winds down, and the clock stops keeping time, the watch remains and can be wound up again to keep time. We as human being wind down after a day of hard work, yet we remain to continue the next day. Business operations wind down everyday only to continue on the next day. We can wind down a stock position by selling shares to decrease exposure to a market That is the original denotation of wind down.
For other connotations there is a required stretch of the imagination to an form an end state of what is being wound down so that at the end of the winding down (the gradually loss of power, the coming to a conclusion, a relaxation of intensity, decreasing the exposure to a market, etc.) there is, unlike a watch, human beings, the business day or a stock position, a complete dissolution, non-existence, etc.
So, the word does not always mean "to end in dissolution." It primarily means to come to a conclusion, gradually lose power or lessen in intensity. Indeed, a conclusion may be a final end or dissolution. And a conclusion can also be end of a process where there is a final ending result or state or different or reduced state of affairs and both can increase or continue again, more or less.
So given the word's recent usage, only a few Presidents have used the word "wind down." Among them are Nixon, Reagan, Clinton. George Bush Sr. and Barack Obama. Nixon used the word a few times in reference to the Vietnam War. Barack Obama used the word continuously for the same purpose in reference to the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars.
Here are two examples to consider:
The first provides the meaning of winding down an election campaign as part of the electoral process to its ordinary conclusion the election day vote. So "wind down to this election" is a conclusion to an extended electoral process. The campaigning comes to a close and is followed by the end of the electoral process, the election day vote. But it winds up again...
In the second, wind down is used to say a process of reducing before liquidation. So there is a diminishing of an enterprise (without liquidation) and then liquidation. Wind down and liquidation are separate and distinguished.
So in these cases wind down does not mean a final end or dissolution of something in particular.
George Bush
Remarks and a Question-and-Answer Session in Des Moines, Iowa
October 27, 1992
And so in the final days, as we wind down to this election, I am confident, not overconfident, but I am very confident of reelection. Because I think what will happen is people will go into the booth; they'll look at all the issues; they'll listen; they'll have in the back of their minds the debates; they'll know the problems we have; and they'll also begin to see some of the good things that are happening in our country. But in the final analysis, they're going to say: Who has the honor, the integrity, that sense of service that merits my trust? Who does have the character? And on that basis, I ask for your support and I ask for your vote.
Barack Obama
Statement on Financial Regulatory Reform Legislation
March 15, 2010
The proposal will also provide the Government with essential tools to respond in a financial crisis so that we can wind down and liquidate a large, interconnected failing financial firm. It allows us to protect the economy and taxpayers so that we can end the belief that any firm is too big to fail.
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