winch1

[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.
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)
5.
to hoist or haul (a load) by means of a winch.
Origin
before 1050; Middle English winche, Old English wince pulley; akin to wench, wince1, wink1
Related forms
wincher, noun

winch2

[winch] /wɪntʃ/
verb (used without object), noun, Archaic.
1.
wince1 .
Examples from the web for winch
  • The largest member of the deer family provides drag noticeable even on an industrial winch.
  • If these incentives gain traction, it could winch us out of this recession.
  • As the universe keeps expanding, the winch keeps spinning, and the system never runs down.
  • She has hip-length white hair, winch she wears bunched on top, with bangs.
  • The boat is outfitted with a net, cable, and winch for collecting scallops from the ocean floor.
  • One was the ratchet winch, a de- vice which immeasurably simplified the manipulating of sheets.
  • The balloon can be towed by trucks, ships or helicopters, as well as a stationary winch-cable device.
  • In fact, the colored yarn inside the spinnaker sheet actually melted onto the winch because of the stress and friction.
  • He goes right back to work, lining up the web for the winch.
  • To make it descend, he would simply winch in the blimp's tether and re-aim the lasers.
British Dictionary definitions for winch

winch1

/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
verb
3.
(transitive; often foll by up or in) to pull (in a rope) or lift (a weight) using a winch
Derived Forms
wincher, noun
Word Origin
Old English wince pulley; related to wink1

winch2

/wɪntʃ/
verb
1.
(intransitive) an obsolete word for wince1
Word Origin and History for winch
n.

Old English wince, from Proto-Germanic *winkjo-, from PIE *weng- (see wink (v.)).

v.

"to hoist with a winch," 1520s, from winch (n.). Related: Winched; winching.