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  1. squinch love

Definitions

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

  1. n. A structure, such as a section of vaulting or corbeling, set diagonally across the interior angle between two walls to provide a transition from a square to a polygonal or more nearly circular base on which to construct a dome.
  2. v. To squeeze, twist, or draw together: squinched her eyes shut.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

  1. n. In architecture, a small arch, or a series of arches, corbeled out, thrown across an angle, as in a square tower to support the side of a superimposed octagon. In Western architecture it is frequent as performing the function of the Eastern pendentive. The application of the term may be due to the resemblance of this structure to a corner upboard, which was also called squinch or sconce. See cut in next column.
  2. n. A dialectal variant of quince.

Wiktionary

  1. n. architecture A structure constructed between two adjacent walls to aid in the transition from a polygonal to a circular structure; as when a dome is constructed on top of a square room.
  2. v. to scrunch up (one's face)

GNU Webster's 1913

  1. n. (Arch.) A small arch thrown across the corner of a square room to support a superimposed mass, as where an octagonal spire or drum rests upon a square tower; -- called also sconce, and sconcheon.

WordNet 3.0

  1. v. crouch down
  2. v. cross one's eyes as if in strabismus
  3. n. a small arch built across the interior angle of two walls (usually to support a spire)
  4. v. draw back, as with fear or pain

Etymologies

  1. Alteration of scuncheon, from Middle English sconchon, from Old French escoinson : es-, out of (from Latin ex-; see ex-) + coin, angle, wedge; see coin.Alteration of squint. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)

Examples

  • “Now ef you years me toot twice lak a squinch-owl, you knows dat you got ter go en tell Miss Lou dat”

    Miss Lou

  • “Marse Scoville didn't come back fum dat las 'fight, he say, en he say ter me dat ef he toot twiced lak a squinch-owl dat mean I go ter you, fer he need yo' he'p.”

    Miss Lou

  • “He larn ter toot lak a squinch-owl frum Marse Scoville en he tole me dat when he come agin he toot.”

    Miss Lou

  • “Now, Miss Lou," whispered Chunk, "I gwine ter wake Marse Scoville up by tootin 'lak a squinch-owl," and he did so briefly.”

    Miss Lou

  • “Crews, a sports psychologist who studies putting, has found that a key difference between amateurs and pros lies in the left hemisphere, the seat of logic, analysis, verbal reasoning and the kinds of thoughts -- Maybe I should just kind of squinch over a little more to the left -- that you never imagine crossing Tiger Woods's mind.”

    Newsweek: Periscope

  • “You tootin 'lak a squinch-owl en kin kep comp'ny wid squinch-owls. ”

    Miss Lou

  • “I've got a round yellow face and when I laugh my eyes squinch up like little apostrophes.”

    The Huffington Post: Turnstyle: Talking Sh*t about Sh*t My Students Write

  • “Well, you have to squinch your eyes up to see them from 289, but it's two guys who are tied at 197 and no doubt will be in physical contact with each other Sunday night: Redskins linebacker London Fletcher and Colts quarterback Peyton Manning.”

    The Washington Post: If Brett Favre sits, London Fletcher and Peyton Manning will be Ironmen

  • “He looked at me without speaking, for what seemed like forever, then at a chair, which soon started rolling slowly towards me while Pete continued to stare at it, straining so hard it made creases like the Grand Canyon in his forehead and squinch wrinkles around his eyes.”

    Simon & Schuster: Jay's Journal

  • “Why did his shoulders squinch together and his floppy lips twist up at the corners?”

    Simon & Schuster: Here Comes Another Lesson

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hypernyms (7)

Words that are more generic or abstract

  1. crouch
  1. bend
  1. bow
  1. stoop
  1. grimace
  1. make a face
  1. pull a face

same context (23)

Words that are found in similar contexts

  1. short-eared
  2. light-grey
  3. resetting
  4. tick-tock
  1. Evy
  2. blue-nosed
  3. meeting-room
  4. scritch
  1. lithesome
  2. unprofaned
  3. unfeathered
  4. directionality
  1. monkey-faced
  2. long-winged
  3. weeny
  4. 'orrible
  1. solemn-faced
  2. murgu
  3. lady-chapel
  4. freeze-dried
  1. long-eared
  2. overlarge
  3. mastaba

reverse dictionary (3)

Words that contain this word in their definition

  1. trumpet arch
  1. sconce
  1. sconcheon

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  1. ccvvccc

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  • reesetee A small arch, corbeling, or the like, built across the interior angle between two walls, as in a square tower for supporting the side of a superimposed octagonal spire. Jan 3, 2008

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‘squinch’ has been looked up 2344 times, loved by 2 people, added to 18 lists, commented on 1 time, and has a Scrabble score of 21.