winch
1 Americannoun
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the crank or handle of a revolving machine.
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a windlass turned by a crank, for hoisting or hauling.
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any of various devices for cranking.
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Textiles. Also
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any machine equipped with rollers that guide cloth through a dye or finishing solution in an open vat.
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a roller between two dyeing vats for passing cloth from one vat to another.
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verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
noun
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a windlass driven by a hand- or power-operated crank
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a hand- or power-operated crank by which a machine is driven
verb
verb
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Firefighters then worked to winch the plane from the sea and Hampshire police were keeping the aircraft secure until it can be recovered, said the fire service.
From BBC
There is no computer automation and anything that moves is moved manually, said associate director Jenny Slattery, pointing out the theater’s antiquated hand winches that control a mobile throne.
From Los Angeles Times
Behind her were two 20-tonne narrowboats waiting to be rescued by an imposing winch machine in a nearby field with the help of a specialist excavator.
From Barron's
She was winched off the piste by a rescue helicopter and is being treated in a hospital in Treviso.
From Barron's
A tow truck was winching a blue SUV out of the ditch.
From Literature
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
