Windmills are devices for taking power from the wind, and converting it to other forms of energy which may be applied to specific tasks. There are 3 main categories of windmill:
- "traditional" English or Dutch style windmills, mostly used for grinding or drainage
- windpumps, (normally made from metal) used throughout the world for pumping water (and what most Americans think of when they talk of windmills)
- wind turbines used for generating electricity