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
The Toy Hauler bed is sized to accommodate up to three dirt bikes or an ATV and includes a 6,500-lb (2,948-kg) winch mounted at the front of the deck to make for easy loading. New Atlas, 22 Aug. 2025 With huge airbags acting as rollers, a series of mechanical winches began dragging the vessel more than 550 feet up a temporary slipway. Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2025
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 9 Sep. 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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