Obs. exc. dial. Forms: 3 wenche, 4–6 wynche, 6 winche, (7 whinch, 9 dial. winsh), 6– winch. [a. AF. *wenchier, *wenchir = OF. guenchier, -ir intr. to turn aside. trans. to avoid, a. Teat. *weŋkjan (OHG., MHG. wenken, OS. wenkean):—*waŋkjan, f. waŋk- (whence OHG. wank side movement, return, OHG., G. wanken, ON. vakka, OE. wancol WANKLE a.): weŋk- (whence WINCH sb.1, WINK).]
1. intr. To start back or away, recoil, finch; to wince.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 99. Auh for alle onsweres, wendeð ou ant wencheð frommard him.
a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 2104. Qwarelles qwayntly swappez thorowe knyghtez With iryne so wekyrly, that wynche they neuer.
a. 1500[?]. Peblis to the Play, xiii. He stert till ane broggit stauf, Wincheand as he war woode.
1540. Palsgr., Acolastus, Prol. B iv. Thou begynnest to wynche or to startle on this facion.
1553. Respublica, I. iii. 284. He that ones wincheth shall fele the waite of my fiste.
1595. Shaks., John, IV. i. 81. I will not stirre, nor winch, nor speake a word.
1628. Robin Goodfellow (1841), 41. Sluts and slovens I doe pinch, And make them in their beds to winch.
1634. W. Wood, New Eng. Prosp., II. viii. Beate them, whip them, pinch them, punch them, if they resolve not to whinch for it, they will not.
1687. Dryden, Hind & P., III. 133. Yet seem’d she not to winch, though shrewdly pain’d.
1718. Cibber, Non-juror, V. You must not winch nor stir too soon, at any Freedom you observe me take with him.
1878. Cumbld. Gloss., Winsh, wince.
† b. fig. To recoil in fear or disgust (at). Obs.
1605. Marston, Dutch Courtezan, III. i. He must nere winch, that would or thriue, or saue, To be cald Nigard, cuckold, Cut-throat, Knaue.
1637. Heylin, Antid. Lincoln., Pref. A 6 b. A long studied discourse in maintenance of sitting at the holy Sacrament, which good Master Burton never winched at.
1680. H. More, Apocal. Apoc., 23. They shall … severely rule them, so that they shall not be able to whinch but at their own peril.
1709. Steele, Tatler, No. 76, ¶ 8. A general Representation of an Action, either ridiculous or enormous, may make those winch who find too much Similitude in the Character with themselves to plead Not Guilty.
† 2. Of a horse: To kick restlessly or impatiently; = WINCE v.1 1. Obs.
1483. Cath. Angl., 420/1. To Wynche, calcitrare.
1510. Stanbridge, Vocabula (W. de W.), C v. Recalcitro, to wynche agayne, or kyke.
a. 1529. Skelton, Col. Cloute, 182. Let se who that dare Sho the mockysshe mare; They make her wynche and keke.
1575. Gascoigne, Weedes, Green Knt., 87. He winched still alwayes, and whisked with his taile.
1591. Greene, Farew. Folly, B 3 b. Sylenus asse neuer sawe a wine bottle but he would winch.
1706. Phillips (ed. Kersey), To Wince or Winch,… properly to throw out the hinder Feet, as a Horse does.
b. In allusive and proverbial phr., esp. with reference to the ‘wincing’ of a ‘galled’ horse.
1493. Festivall (W. de W., 1515), 173 b. As a galled horse whiche is touched on the sore he wyncheth & wryeth.
c. 1520. Skelton, Magnyf., 2023. Remembre the tourne of Fortunes whele, That wantonly can wynke, and wynche with her hele.
1548. Udall, Erasm. Par., Ep. Ded. ¶ 2. Who so wyncheth and kicketh at the ghospell.
a. 1566. R. Edwards, Damon & Pithias (1571), B iv b. I know the galde horse will soonest winche.
1566. Drant, Horace, Sat., V. D 2 b. Synce you agaynst these churchly rites so longe and sore dyd wynche.
1615. Brathwait, Strappado (1878), 109. Yet do not winch (good iade) when thou art gall’d.
1626. W. Fenner, Hid. Manna, Ep. Ded. The will of it self, the more reason it hath to be turned, the more it is wilful, it hinches and winches, and snuffes against it.
1693. Congreve, Old Bach., V. xiii. Aram. Bless me! What have you done to him? Belin. Only touch’d a gall’d beast till he winch’d.
1718. Cibber, Non-juror, II. i. Sir, you cannot conceive the wonderful use of Clamour, ’tis so teizing to a Ministry, it makes them winch and fret.
† c. trans. To kick (a person) out of. rare.
1623. Fletcher & Rowley, Maid in Mill, II. i. A galled Jennet that will winch him out o’ the Saddle.
Hence Winching vbl. sb.1 and ppl. a.1
1525. Stanbridge’s Vocabula (W. de W.), C v b. Sternax, a wynchynge horse.
1577. Hanmer, Anc. Eccl. Hist., 205. A certaine shamefull winching & repining.
1593. G. Harvey, Pierce’s Super., Wks. (Grosart), II. 246. Not such a powting waspe in Ramme-ally, or such a winching iade in Smithfield.
1631. [Mabbe], Celestina, III. 40. [Women] are all of them ticklish, and skittish; the whole generation of them is given to winching and flinging.
1664. H. More, Myst. Iniq., 101. That they might, without any ones whinching, decree … what-ever would tend to the encrease of their own honour and wealth.
