squinch

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/skwɪnt͡ʃ/

noun

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.

Similar
flinchfunkcringeshrinkwincerecoilquailsquint
Scrabble 21
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

squinch1

nounsquinch (plural squinches)

plural squinches

  1. architectureA 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.

squinch2

verbsquinch (third-person singular simple present squinches, present participle squinching, simple past and past participle squinched)

present singular third person squinches · participle present squinching · participle past squinched · past squinched

  1. transitiveTo scrunch up (one's face, etc.).

    The president squinched his face and bit his lip and seemed too antsy to stand still.

    2008 March 15, Gail Collins, “George Speaks, Badly”, in New York Times

Synonyms & antonyms

verbdraw back, as with fear or pain

Similar
flinchfunkcringeshrinkwincerecoilquail
Broader
move

verbcross one's eyes as if in strabismus

Similar
squint
Broader
grimacemake a facepull a face
Also see
cringeflinchfunkquailrecoilshrinksquintwince

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

squinch · noun

Alteration of earlier scunch (“back part of the side of an opening”), short for scuncheon.

Full word history & related roots →

squinch · verb

Uncertain. Probably blend of squint + pinch. Compare squink-eyed, variant of squint-eyed, so perhaps it is at least partly an altered form of squint.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan trompa
  • trompastructure between walls to transition to circular
French trompe
  • trompestructure between walls to transition to circular
German Trompe
  • Trompestructure between walls to transition to circular
Persian سکنج, گوشه
  • سکنج (sekonj)structure between walls to transition to circular
  • گوشه (guše)structure between walls to transition to circular
  • گوشواره (gušvâre)structure between walls to transition to circular
  • فیلگوش (filguš)structure between walls to transition to circular
Russian тромп
  • тромп (tromp)structure between walls to transition to circular
Spanish trompa
  • trompastructure between walls to transition to circular
Swedish trompe
  • trompestructure between walls to transition to circular

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with squinch

inchlynchpinchfinchwinchclinchcinchflinchlinchbepinch
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

squinch. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/squinch

MLA

“squinch.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/squinch. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “squinch,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/squinch.

Source: squinch on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.