Forms: 3 wynci, 4–5 wynse, (5 wynce, wyncy, 6 wins, 6–7 winze), 6–7 winse, 5– wince. [a. AF. *wencir or *wencier, = OF. guencir or -ier, dial. variants of guenchir or -ier WINCH v.1]
I. 1. intr. To kick restlessly from impatience or pain. Now dial.
[c. 1290: see b.]
c. 1380. Wyclif, Sel. Wks., III. 231. A horce unrubbed, þat haves a sore back, wynses when he is oght touched or rubbed on his rugge. Ibid. (1382), 2 Sam. vi. 6. Oza strauȝte out the hoond to the arke of God, and heelde it, for the oxen wynseden, and boweden it.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Miller’s T., 77. Wynsynge she was as is a ioly colt.
1493. [H. Parker], Dives & Pauper (W. de W., 1496), X. v. 376/2. Whan he begynneth to wexe proude & wynsynge & kykyng ayenst his mayster.
a. 1550[?]. Schole-house Wom., 1014, in Hazl., E. P. P., IV. 145. Rub a scald horse vpon the gall, And he wil bite, wins and went.
1598. Florio, Recalcitrare, to kicke or strike or winze with ones heeles againe.
1600. J. Pory, trans. Leo’s Africa, IX. 340. They bray out a loude, kicking and wincing with their heeles.
1663. Butler, Hud., I. ii. 847. The angry Beast … Begun to kick, and fling, and wince.
1717. Prior, Alma, I. 275. Before the child can crawl, He learns to kick, and wince, and sprawl.
c. 1750. Johnson, in Boswell (1793), I. 236, note. A fly, Sir, may sting a stately horse and make him wince.
1782. Wolcot (P. Pindar), Odes, iv. Wks. 1812, I. 22. As for poor St. Leger and Prince, Had I their places I should wince, Thus to be gibbeted for weeks on high.
1890. Glouc. Gloss., Wincing, used of a horse kicking out behind.
b. In fig. and allusive phr., e.g., to wince against the prick (cf. KICK v.1 1 c and PRICK sb. 13); hence gen. to be recalcitrant or impatient.
c. 1290. St. Paul, 23, in S. Eng. Leg., 190. To wynci aȝein þe pricke swiþe strong it is þe.
1388. Wyclif, Acts, Prol. Poul…, whom the Lord hadde chosun, that long tyme wynside aȝen the pricke.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. V. 22. It is þe wone of wil to wynse and to kyke.
1426. Lydg., De Guil. Pilgr., 14196. Off verray surquedy and pryde, I smyte and wynse on euery syde. Ibid., 14531. For to wynse and dysobeye, And to tourne A-nother weye.
c. 1449. Pecock, Repr., II. xvii. 254. Thouþ ȝe wolde wyncy and repugne aȝens the clergie.
1560. Becon, New Catech., Wks. 1564, I. 508. Not to winse, kick & spurn against their sayinges.
1602. Shaks., Ham., III. ii. 255 (Qo. 1). Let the galld iade wince [other edd. winch].
1642. Fuller, Holy & Prof. St., II. ix. 81. I should suspect his preaching had no salt in it, if no gald horse did winse.
a. 1677. Barrow, Serm., Wks. 1716, III. 65. What boots it to winse and kick against fortune?
a. 1764. Lloyd, Poet, 21. The fancies of our rambling wits, Who wince and kick at all oppression.
1814. Cary, Dante, Parad., XVII. 124. Let them wince, who have their withers wrung.
† c. transf. To dart from place to place. (rare.)
c. 1400. Laud Troy Bk., 6115. Fro stide to stide aboute he wynces, He slees kynges, dukes, & princes.
2. To start or make an involuntary shrinking movement in consequence of or in order to avoid pain, or when alarmed or suddenly affected.
a. 1748. Watts, Improv. Mind, II. v. Perhaps the gamester shrugs and winces, turns and twists the argument every way, but he cannot fairly answer it.
1781. Cowper, Conversat., 325. Some fretful tempers wince at ev’ry touch.
1831. Lytton, Godolphin, xix. Why, man, you wince at the word ‘marry!’
1842. Tennyson, Walking to Mail, 63. You should have seen him wince As from a venomous thing.
1890. Besant, Demoniac, vi. In your strong frame already beats the heart of a coward…. When I told you this once before, you winced: now you laugh.
