Winch
/wɪntʃ/noun
A device for winding or lifting heavy loads by means of a drum or crank.
Did you know?The word ultimately comes from a Germanic root meaning “to bend” or “curve,” showing how a simple twist of shape became the language of mechanical pulling and lifting.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wend-
“to turn, twist, bend”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*wankijō / *wankjan
“to bend, turn, make crooked”
Old English
OE
wince
“a winch or winding device”
Middle English
ME
winche
“a device for winding or hoisting”
Modern English
English
winch
“a device used to wind in or let out a rope or cable”