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wince
8 dictionary results for: Wince
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
wince1 
[wins] Pronunciation Key verb, winced, winc·ing, noun
—Related forms
[wins] Pronunciation Key verb, winced, winc·ing, noun –verb (used without object)
–noun
| 1. | to draw back or tense the body, as from pain or from a blow; start; flinch. |
| 2. | a wincing or shrinking movement; a slight start. |
[Origin: 1250–1300; ME winsen, var. of winchen, wenchen to kick < AF *wenc(h)ier; OF guenc(h)ier < Gmc. Cf. wench, winch1]
] —Related forms
wincer, noun
winc·ing·ly, adverb
winc·ing·ness, noun
—Synonyms 1. blench, quail. Wince, recoil, shrink, quail all mean to draw back from what is dangerous, fearsome, difficult, threatening, or unpleasant. Wince suggests an involuntary contraction of the facial features triggered by pain, embarrassment, or a sense of revulsion: to wince as a needle pierces the skin; to wince at coarse language. Recoil denotes a physical movement away from something disgusting or shocking or a similar psychological shutting out or avoidance: to recoil from contact with a slimy surface; to recoil at the squalor and misery of the slum. Shrink may imply a fastidious or scrupulous avoidance of the distasteful or it may suggest cowardly withdrawal from what is feared: to shrink from confessing a crime; to shrink from going into battle. Quail suggests a loss of heart or courage in the face of danger or difficulty; it sometimes suggests trembling or other manifestations of physical disturbance: to quail before an angry mob.
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
| wince
(wĭns) Pronunciation Key
intr.v. winced, winc·ing, winc·es To shrink or start involuntarily, as in pain or distress; flinch. n. A shrinking or startled movement or gesture. [Middle English wincen, to kick, from Old North French *wencier, variant of Old French guencir, of Germanic origin.] winc'er n. |
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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
wince (v.)
wince (v.)
c.1225, winch, probably from O.N.Fr. *wenchier (in O.Fr. guenchir "to turn aside, avoid"), from Frank. *wenkjan (cf. O.H.G. wankon "to stagger, totter," O.N. vakka "to stray, hover"). Originally of horses. Modern form is attested from c.1290.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This
| wince | |
noun | |
| 1. | the facial expression of sudden pain |
| 2. | a reflex response to sudden pain |
verb | |
| 1. | draw back, as with fear or pain; "she flinched when they showed the slaughtering of the calf" [syn: flinch] |
| 2. | make a face indicating disgust or dislike; "She winced when she heard his pompous speech" |
WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
Wince
Wince\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Winced; p. pr. & vb. n. Wincing.] [OE. wincen, winchen, OF. quencir, guenchir, guenchier, giencier, guinchier, and (assumed) winchier, winchir, to give way, to turn aside, fr. OHG. wankjan, wenken, to give way, to waver, fr. winchan to turn aside, to nod, akin to E. wink. See Wink.]1. To shrink, as from a blow, or from pain; to flinch; to start back. I will not stir, nor wince, nor speak a word. --Shak. 2. To kick or flounce when unsteady, or impatient at a rider; as, a horse winces.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
Wince
Wince\, n. The act of one who winces.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
Wince
Wince\, n. [See Winch.] (Dyeing & Calico Printing) A reel used in dyeing, steeping, or washing cloth; a winch. It is placed over the division wall between two wince pits so as to allow the cloth to descend into either compartment. at will. Wince pit, Wince pot, a tank or a pit where cloth in the process of dyeing or manufacture is washed, dipped in a mordant, or the like.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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