Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

▸  win over in BRIT, also use win round PHRASAL VERB If you win someone over or win them round , you persuade them to support you or agree with you. □ [V P n] He has won over a significant number of the left-wing deputies. □ [V n P ] They still hope to win him round.

▸  win round → see win over

▸  win through → see win out

wince /w I ns/ (winces , wincing , winced ) VERB If you wince , the muscles of your face tighten suddenly because you have felt a pain or because you have just seen, heard, or remembered something unpleasant. □ [V ] Every time he put any weight on his left leg, he winced in pain. ● N‑COUNT [usu sing] Wince is also a noun. □  He suppressed a wince as motion renewed the pain.

winch /w I ntʃ/ (winches , winching , winched )

1 N‑COUNT A winch is a machine which is used to lift heavy objects or people who need to be rescued. It consists of a drum around which a rope or chain is wound.

2 VERB If you winch an object or person somewhere, you lift or lower them using a winch. □ [V n with adv/prep] He would attach a cable around the chassis of the car and winch it up on to the canal bank.

wind

➊ AIR

➋ TURNING OR WRAPPING

➊ wind ◆◆◇ /w I nd/ (winds , winding , winded )

→ Please look at category 14 to see if the expression you are looking for is shown under another headword.

1 N‑VAR A wind is a current of air that is moving across the earth's surface. □  There was a strong wind blowing. □  The leaves rustled in the wind.

2 N‑COUNT Journalists often refer to a trend or factor that influences events as a wind of a particular kind. □ [+ of ] The winds of change are blowing across the country.

3 VERB If you are winded by something such as a blow, the air is suddenly knocked out of your lungs so that you have difficulty breathing for a short time. □ [be V -ed] He was winded and shaken. □ [V n] The cow stamped on his side, winding him.

4 N‑UNCOUNT Wind is the air that you sometimes swallow with food or drink, or gas that is produced in your intestines, which causes an uncomfortable feeling.

5 ADJ [ADJ n] The wind section of an orchestra or band is the group of people who produce musical sounds by blowing into their instruments.

6 PHRASE If someone breaks wind , they release gas from their intestines through their anus.

7 PHRASE If you get wind of something, you hear about it, especially when someone else did not want you to know about it. [INFORMAL ] □  I don't want the public, and especially not the press, to get wind of it at this stage.

8 PHRASE If you sail close to the wind , you take a risk by doing or saying something that may get you into trouble. □  Max warned her she was sailing dangerously close to the wind and risked prosecution.

9to throw caution to the wind → see caution

➋ wind ◆◆◇ /wa I nd/ (winds , winding , wound )

1 VERB If a road, river, or line of people winds in a particular direction, it goes in that direction with a lot of bends or twists in it. □ [V prep/adv] The Moselle winds through some 160 miles of tranquil countryside. □ [V n prep/adv] The procession wound its way downhill. □ [V -ing] …a narrow winding road.

2 VERB When you wind something flexible around something else, you wrap it around it several times. □ [V n prep/adv] The horse jumped forwards and round her, winding the rope round her waist.