English

Proper noun

Winch

1. (informal) Winchester (city in England)

English

Noun

winch ‎(plural winches)

1. 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 hauling on a rope or cable.
2. (nautical) A hoisting machine used for loading or discharging cargo, or for hauling in lines. (FM 55-501).
   • 2013, J. M. Coetzee, The Childhood of Jesus. Melbourne, Australia: The Text Publishing Company. chapter 27. p. 267.

     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.

3. A wince (machine used in dyeing or steeping cloth).
4. A kick, as of an animal, from impatience or uneasiness.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Shelton to this entry?)

Translations

Verb

winch ‎(third-person singular simple present winches, present participle winching, simple past and past participle winched)

1. To use a winch

   Winch in those sails, lad!

Translations

Etymology 2

See wince.

Verb

winch ‎(third-person singular simple present winches, present participle winching, simple past and past participle winched)

1. To wince; to shrink
2. To kick with impatience or uneasiness.