DEFINITIONS

winch

1
[ winch ]
/ wɪntʃ /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR winch ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the crank or handle of a revolving machine.
a windlass turned by a crank, for hoisting or hauling.
any of various devices for cranking.
Also wince. Textiles.
  1. any machine equipped with rollers that guide cloth through a dye or finishing solution in an open vat.
  2. a roller between two dyeing vats for passing cloth from one vat to another.

verb (used with object)

to hoist or haul (a load) by means of a winch.

Words related to winch

tool, chuck

Words nearby winch

win through, win-win, wince, wincey, winceyette, winch, winchell, winchester, winchester bushel, winchester disk, winchester rifle

Origin of winch

1
before 1050; Middle English winche, Old English wince pulley; akin to wench, wince1, wink1

OTHER WORDS FROM winch

winch·er, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH winch

wench winch

Definition for winch (2 of 2)

winch2
[ winch ]
/ wɪntʃ /

verb (used without object), noun Archaic.

wince1.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for winch

British Dictionary definitions for winch (1 of 2)

winch1
/ (wɪntʃ) /

noun

a windlass driven by a hand- or power-operated crank
a hand- or power-operated crank by which a machine is driven

verb

(tr; often foll by up or in) to pull (in a rope) or lift (a weight) using a winch

Derived forms of winch

wincher, noun

Word Origin for winch

Old English wince pulley; related to wink 1

British Dictionary definitions for winch (2 of 2)

winch2
/ (wɪntʃ) /

verb

(intr) an obsolete word for wince 1
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012