wince

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. v. To shrink or start involuntarily, as in pain or distress; flinch.
2. n. A shrinking or startled movement or gesture.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. To shrink, as in pain or from a blow; start back: literally or figuratively.
2. To kick.
3. To wriggle; twist and turn.
4. To fling by starting or kicking.
5. n. The act of one who winces; an involuntary shrinking movement or tendency; a slight start back or aside, as from pain or to avoid pain.
6. n. In dyeing, a simple hand-machine for changing a fabric from one dye-vat to another. It consists of a reel placed over the division between the vats. The fabric, placed over it and turned either way, is transferred from one dye to another. When several vats are placed in line, and contain dyes, mordants, soap-suds, water, etc., a wince or reel is placed between each two, and the combined apparatus becomes a wincing-machine. In such a machine the vats are called wince-pots or wince-pits. Also winch.
7. In dyeing, to immerse in the bath by turning the wince or winch.

Wiktionary

1. n. A sudden movement or gesture of shrinking away.
2. n. 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.
3. v. intransitive To flinch as if in pain or distress.
4. v. transitive To wash (cloth), dip it in dye, etc., with the use of a wince.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. v. To shrink, as from a blow, or from pain; to flinch; to start back.
2. v. To kick or flounce when unsteady, or impatient at a rider.
3. n. The act of one who winces.
4. n. (Dyeing & Calico Printing) 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.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. the facial expression of sudden pain
2. n. a reflex response to sudden pain
3. v. make a face indicating disgust or dislike
4. v. draw back, as with fear or pain