winch

== English == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /wɪnt͡ʃ/ Rhymes: -ɪntʃ === Etymology 1 === 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 ==== winch (plural 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. (nautical) A hoisting device used for loading or unloading cargo, or for pulling in lines. A wince (machine used in dyeing or steeping cloth). A kick, as of an animal, from impatience or uneasiness. (Nigeria, slang) A witch. ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Descendants ===== ===== Translations ===== ==== Verb ==== winch (third-person singular simple present winches, present participle winching, simple past and past participle winched) To use a winch ===== Translations ===== === Etymology 2 === See wince. ==== Verb ==== winch (third-person singular simple present winches, present participle winching, simple past and past participle winched) To wince; to shrink To kick with impatience or uneasiness. === Etymology 3 === Variant form of wench. ==== Verb ==== winch (third-person singular simple present winches, present participle winching, simple past and past participle winched) (Scotland, colloquial, ambitransitive) to court (Scotland, colloquial, ambitransitive) to kiss, snog == French == === Noun === winch m (plural winchs) (nautical) winch === Further reading === “winch”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012