winch

¹ American  

[winch] / wɪntʃ /

noun

1. the crank or handle of a revolving machine.

2. a windlass turned by a crank, for hoisting or hauling.

3. any of various devices for cranking.

4. Textiles. Also

   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.

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verb (used with object)

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

winch ² American  

[winch] / wɪntʃ /

verb (used without object)

Archaic.

1. an archaic variant of wince.

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winch ¹ British  

/ wɪntʃ /

noun

1. a windlass driven by a hand- or power-operated crank

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

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verb

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

winch ² British  

/ wɪntʃ /

verb

1. (intr) an obsolete word for wince 1

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Other Word Forms

• wincher noun

Etymology

Origin of winch

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

Example Sentences

They used a winch system to pull the crane off the ship, while a crew member adjusted the ballast of the vessel to ensure it stayed level with the dock.

From The Wall Street Journal

Efforts continue to move the remaining three to a nearby plateau so they can be recovered using a winch.

From BBC

Shropshire Council said the boat, which the family live on, was rescued at about 22:00 on Tuesday using a specialist winch operation.

From BBC

Our beloved Cleo is attached to a complicated system of pulleys, winches, rope, and steel cables.

From Literature

The robot features four thermal and visible-light cameras, a front blade for pushing vehicles, and a winch for clearing paths.

From The Wall Street Journal