1) An appliance for winding yarn or thread.
c.1504 j garyn-wyndyll foytt and the blaytters viijd, York
1577 a paire of yearen windle blades, North Frodingham
1591 a yarne windle foote, South Cave
1657 j pare of yearne windles, Selby. A by-name, similar to spinster in meaning, suggests that the word has a much longer history: 1275 Thomas Wyndelester ... non venit, Hipperholme.
2) A measure of certain commodities, mostly corn.
1252 unum windellum farine avene, Flasby
1315 ‘to the value of one wyndel of winter wheat’, Holmfirth
1518 a wyndyll of barly malt, Barkston
1540 to 18 servants yerely 18 quarters and a wyndyll of whete and 39 quarters and a wyndyll of barly, Hampole
1561 one windle of barley & one wyndle of pease, Monk Fryston
c.1592 this yeare I had growing of good rye in the Alanroide xlvj thraves which yelded a wyndle a thrave, Woodsome. Note: 1286 ‘j wynd of malt’, Wakefield
1309 ‘one wynd of barley’, Thornes.