winch

1 of 2

noun

1
: any of various machines or instruments for hauling or pulling
especially : a powerful machine with one or more drums on which to coil a rope, cable, or chain for hauling or hoisting : windlass
2
: a crank with a handle for giving motion to a machine (such as a grindstone)

Illustration of winch

Illustration of winch
  • winch 1

winch

2 of 2

verb

winched; winching; winches

transitive verb

: to hoist or haul with or as if with a winch
wincher noun

Examples of winch in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Police say Winn cut the trees down, pulled them to the Red River with a winch and floated them down the river at night to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency boat ramp in Adams. Katie Nixon, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025 There’s a sense of the uneasy coexistence of man and nature in scenes with massive nets being hauled in by a mechanized winch and a silver blur of fish by the hundreds funneled into storage while an orca bobs around looking to get a taste of the catch. David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Verb
Lamb and Smit approach with their gear and check vitals, then begin measuring, sampling and hoisting the grizzly’s anesthetized body into the air in a sling winched to a tree. Lesley Evans Ogden, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 May 2025 Twenty-two people had been rescued by helicopter, including 18 winched from flooded homes and roads, and four rescued from a bridge, NSW Police said. Reuters, NBC news, 22 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for winch

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English winche roller, reel, from Old English wince; akin to Old English wincian to wink

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1529, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of winch was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Winch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/winch. Accessed 31 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

winch

noun
ˈwinch
: a machine that has a roller on which a rope, cable, or chain is wound for pulling or lifting

More from Merriam-Webster on winch

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