winch
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winch¹
- /wɪnt͡ʃ/
Rhymes with -ɪntʃ
Where it comes from
From Middle English wynche, from Old English winċe, from Proto-Germanic *winkijǭ, ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European *weng- (“to bow, bend, arch, curve”), whence also wink.
noun winches
- A machine consisting of a drum on an axle, a friction brake or ratchet and pawl, and a crank handle or prime mover (often an electric or hydraulic motor), with or without gearing, to give increased mechanical advantage when hoisting or hauling on a rope or cable.
- A hoisting device used for loading or unloading cargo, or for pulling in lines. It runs on clattering steel tracks; the driver sits in a cab over the tracks, operating the controls that rotate the arm and turn the winch.
- A wince (machine used in dyeing or steeping cloth).
- A kick, as of an animal, from impatience or uneasiness. the mule[…]being likewise frighted by that terrible blow, ran away as fast as it could about the fields, and within two or three winches overthrew him to the ground
- A witch.
verb winches · winching · winched
- To use a winch Winch in those sails, lad!
winch²
- /wɪnt͡ʃ/
Rhymes with -ɪntʃ
Where it comes from
See wince.
verb winches · winching · winched
- To wince; to shrink It is not the first time a cat-o'-nine-tails has been across my back for other men's misdeeds. Promise me a good flask of brandy when I'm done with it, and I warrant ye I'll never winch.
- To kick with impatience or uneasiness.
winch³
- /wɪnt͡ʃ/
Rhymes with -ɪntʃ
Where it comes from
Variant form of wench.
verb winches · winching · winched
- to court They “clicked” each other, kidded each other, and by and by they would “winch” and marry each other.
- to kiss, snog She turned and looked at me, amused, gave a wee chuckle, kissed me on the mouth hard and quick, and again, and we were kissing for real, lingering, soft and moist and warm, me and Jeannie winching, and I wanted it not to stop.
Winch⁴
Where it comes from
Various origins:
* A topographic surname for someone who lived at a place where boats were hauled up onto the land by means of pulleys, from Old English winċe (“winch”).
* From the second part of Old English hlēapewince (“lapwing”), probably a nickname.
proper noun Winches
- A surname from Old English.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: windlass, cable, hoist, rope, yarn, winchman, crab, wrench, winchline, windles, puller, windlace, wenchman, wince, whim, winding
Translations
Every language
noun machine
| Español | cabrestante, torno, cabestrante, argüe (disused), argue (disused), súcula |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 원치 wonchi |
| 日本語 | ウインチ uinchi |
| 中文 | 絞車 /绞车 jiǎochē, 絞盤 /绞盘 jiǎopán |
| Kiswahili | winchi |
| Português | molinete |
| Français | treuil |
| Deutsch | Winde, Winsch |
| Italiano | argano, verricello, bozzello, salpareti |
| Русский | лебёдка lebjódka, во́рот vórot |
| العربية | مِلْفَاف milfāf |
verb use a winch
| Français | treuiller |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | winden |
| Русский | поднима́ть с по́мощью лебёдки podnimátʹ s pómoščʹju lebjódki |
Talk about this word "winch." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/winch. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. winch. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/winch "winch." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/winch.Cite this
@misc{winch_2026,
title = {winch},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/winch},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
