I. ˈskwinch verb
Etymology: probably blend of squint and pinch
Date: 1835
transitive verb
1. : to screw up (the eyes or face) : squint
2.
a. : to make more compact
b. : to cause to crouch down or draw together
intransitive verb
1. : flinch
2. : to crouch down or draw together
3. : squint
II. noun
Etymology: alteration of earlier scunch back part of the side of an opening
Date: circa 1840
: a support (as an arch, lintel, or corbeling) carried across the corner of a room under a superimposed mass