WINCE

wince, flinch

(noun) a reflex response to sudden pain

wince

(noun) the facial expression of sudden pain

wince

(verb) make a face indicating disgust or dislike; “She winced when she heard his pompous speech”

flinch, squinch, funk, cringe, shrink, wince, recoil, quail

(verb) draw back, as with fear or pain; “she flinched when they showed the slaughtering of the calf”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Noun

wince (plural winces)

A sudden movement or gesture of shrinking away.

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.

Verb

wince (third-person singular simple present winces, present participle wincing, simple past and past participle winced)

(intransitive) To flinch as if in pain or distress.

(transitive) To wash (cloth), dip it in dye, etc, with the use of a wince.

To kick or flounce when unsteady or impatient.

Proper noun

Wince (plural Winces)

A surname.

Statistics

• According to the 2010 United States Census, Wince is the 29064th most common surname in the United States, belonging to 816 individuals. Wince is most common among White (70.59%) and Black/African American (23.28%) individuals.

Source: Wiktionary


Wince, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Winced; p. pr. & vb. n. Wincing.] Etym: [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.

Wince, n.

Definition: The act of one who winces.

Wince, n. Etym: [See Winch.] (Dyeing & Calico Printing)

Definition: 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.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

3 May 2025

DESIRABLE

(adjective) worth having or seeking or achieving; “a desirable job”; “computer with many desirable features”; “a desirable outcome”


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Coffee Trivia

The word “coffee” entered the English language in 1582 via the Dutch “koffie,” borrowed from the Ottoman Turkish “kahve,” borrowed in turn from the Arabic “qahwah.” The Arabic word qahwah was traditionally held to refer to a type of wine.

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