unwinds

Unwinds is the third-person singular present tense form of the verb unwind. Unwind, in general usage, means to loosen or undo something that is twisted or wound, or to relax after a period of activity.

In a physical or mechanical sense, to unwind means to straighten or release twists from an object such as rope, wire, thread, or a spring, or to remove material from a spool or reel.

In molecular biology, unwind describes the process by which the double helix of DNA is separated into strands by enzymes called helicases during replication or transcription. The phrase “the DNA unwinds at the replication fork” illustrates this sense.

In everyday language, unwind commonly refers to relaxing after work or stress. For example, “She unwinds with a book after dinner.”

Etymology: Unwinds derives from the prefix un- attached to wind, reflecting the reversal of twisting or winding, with the broader sense of undoing or loosening as a historical extension.