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winch (wĭnch)
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n.
1. A stationary motorized or hand-powered machine used for hoisting or hauling, having a drum around which is wound a rope, cable, or chain attached to the load being moved.
2. The crank used to give motion to a grindstone or similar device.
tr.v. winched, winch·ing, winch·es
To move with or as if with a winch.
[Middle English winche, pulley, from Old English wince, reel, roller.]
wincher n.
(click for a larger image)
winch
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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