winch

[ winch ]

/ wɪntʃ /

SEE MORE 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.

any machine equipped with rollers that guide cloth through a dye or finishing solution in an open vat.
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.

RELATED WORDS

tool, chuck

Nearby words

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

Origin of winch

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

Related formswinch·er, noun

Can be confusedwench winch

Definition for winch (2 of 2)

winch

[ 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

Video of the search shows the winch struggling to cope with the stormy conditions.
William's Winchman Wins Bravery Award|Tom Sykes|September 28, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Then out of the mist, a whirring of helicopter blades, and, deus ex machina, a man descends fromt he chopper to winch you aboard.
Girl Rescued by Prince William Speaks!|Tom Sykes|August 30, 2012|DAILY BEAST
This winch is limited in its play to a quarter of a revolution.
The Steam Engine Explained and Illustrated (Seventh Edition)|Dionysius Lardner
Perhaps he had heard of Winch's pusillanimity, and understood the spirit which prompted Frank to fill his place.
The Drummer Boy|John Trowbridge

That done, the winch would fly round, and the huge machine fall by its own weight.
The Long Night|Stanley Weyman
A winch chain rattled, and a sling load of cloth bales swung up to one of her derrick sheaves.
A Master of Fortune|Cutcliffe Hyne
The thud of the propeller slackened, and there was a silence that was almost oppressive when winch and windlass stopped.
Thrice Armed|Harold Bindloss

British Dictionary definitions for winch (1 of 2)

winch

/ (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 Formswincher, noun

Word Origin for winch

Old English wince pulley; related to wink 1

British Dictionary definitions for winch (2 of 2)

winch

/ (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