Толковый словарь английского языка Oxford English Reference - flinch

1. v. & n. --v.intr. 1 draw back in pain or expectation of a blow etc.; wince. 2 (often foll. by from) give way; shrink, turn aside (flinched from his duty). --n. an act or instance of flinching. Derivatives flincher n. flinchingly adv. Etymology: OF flenchir, flainchir f. WG 2. flinders n.pl. fragments; splinters. Etymology: ME, prob. f. Scand.