winch
/wɪn(t)ʃ
/noun
1A hauling or lifting device consisting of a rope or chain winding round a horizontal rotating drum, turned typically by a crank or by motor.They do the work of motorized winches - haul logs, or move stuck tractors, raise towers, and so on - but with the deftness of a human hand....
- The para-dropping and cargo handling equipment comprises two travelling cranes, two winches, rollgang and tiedown equipment.
- Lucia was going to need a winch to haul me around everyday.
Synonyms
crane, derrick, hoist, davit, windlass, tackle, block and tackle, lifting gear, hoisting gear, system of pulleys, sheave;
Nautical sheerlegs
1.1British The reel of a fishing rod.Look at any fly rod and you will see that the screw winch fitting is at the very end of the rod....
- The winch could simply be a large fishing reel with some pretty small towline (or large fishing line - depending upon your point of view).
1.2 another term for wince2.Sasuke took out the kunai knife, expecting Ayame to winch in pain, but she didn't. She was still....
- Did anyone else grab their ears and winch in pain when Kevin began to sing on Monday's show?
2The crank of a wheel or axle.My primary role on the boat is called a ‘grinder’, and I provide power for the winches [the circular wheels which wind the boat's sails up and down]....
- The vessel to be fitted with winches, derricks, wheels and ordinary runners capable of handling lifts up to 2 tons.
verb [with object]
Hoist or haul with a winch: an attempt to winch survivors of the wreck into a helicopter...
- Dramatic television footage showed rescue workers winching the nine survivors one-by-one from the roof of the restaurant as flames and smoke poured from the upper floors of the building in Taichung City in central Taiwan.
- Having botched the attempt, and learnt Cleopatra was still alive, he is supposed to have been carried to the mausoleum and winched by the women up through a window to expire after a fine speech in his lover's arms.
- Indian papers have been publishing pictures of women being winched to the bottom of wells to scoop up muddy liquid from what looks like puddles.
Derivatives
wincher
- I'm trying to order a couple of sets of winchers and can't seem to find anyone who has them.
- I find the wincher a complete inconvenience as a sheet winch, but as a halyard winch it's somewhat functional.
- I used a set of winchers for over 10 years.
Origin
Late Old English wince 'reel, pulley', of Germanic origin; related to the verb wink. The verb dates from the early 16th century.