pounce
English
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
From French ponce, from Latin pūmex. Doublet of pumice.
Noun
pounce (usually uncountable, plural pounces)
- (historical) A type of fine powder, as of sandarac, or cuttlefish bone, sprinkled over wet ink to dry the ink after writing or on rough paper to smooth the writing surface.
- (historical) Charcoal dust, or some other coloured powder for making patterns through perforated designs, used by embroiderers, lacemakers, etc.
Translations
powder thrown onto the paper to make the ink dry
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Verb
pounce (third-person singular simple present pounces, present participle pouncing, simple past and past participle pounced)
- (transitive) To sprinkle or rub with pounce powder.
- to pounce paper, or a pattern
Etymology 2
From Middle English pounce, probably akin to punch. Possibly from Old French ponchonner (compare French poinçonner).
Noun
pounce (plural pounces)
- A sudden leaping attack.
- 1999, Niki Anderson, Inspurrrational Stories for Cat Lovers:
- Again the cat jolted the bed with a pounce.
- (archaic) The claw or talon of a bird of prey.
- March 22 1775, Edmund Burke, speech in the House of Commons on conciliation with America
- You have , indeed , winged ministers of vengeance, who carry your bolts in their pounces to the remotest verge of the sea
- 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book V, Canto IV”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
- And from her griping pounce the greedy prey doth quarry
- March 22 1775, Edmund Burke, speech in the House of Commons on conciliation with America
- A punch or stamp.
- 1602, John Withals, A Dictionarie in English and Latine for Children
- a pounce to print money with
- 1602, John Withals, A Dictionarie in English and Latine for Children
- Cloth worked in eyelet holes.
- 1571, John Jewel et al., "An Homily Against excess of apparel" in The Second Tome of Homilees […]
- one spendeth his patrimony upon pounces and cuts
- 1571, John Jewel et al., "An Homily Against excess of apparel" in The Second Tome of Homilees […]
Verb
pounce (third-person singular simple present pounces, present participle pouncing, simple past and past participle pounced)
- (intransitive) To leap into the air intending to seize someone or something.
- The kitten pounced at the ball I threw to it.
- She pounced on the young man, because she loved him and wanted him for herself.
- (intransitive) To attack suddenly by leaping.
- I was awakened from a dead sleep by my child pouncing on top of me from out of nowhere.
- (intransitive) To eagerly seize an opportunity.
- I pounced on the chance to get promoted.
- While he was out of town on vacation, I pounced, leaking the photos.
- Why would I talk to the press and give them a chance to pounce on me?
- 2011 March 2, Chris Whyatt, “Arsenal 5 - 0 Leyton Orient”, in BBC[1]:
- Irish debutant Conor Henderson - another ball-playing midfielder - probed for a gap through the back-line and the 19-year-old's deflected pass was pounced on by Tomas Rosicky, who sped to the byeline to clip a square ball through the legs of Charlie Daniels across the box.
- (transitive) To strike or seize with the talons; to pierce, as with the talons.
- 1782, William Cowper, Table Talk
- Stooped from his highest pitch to pounce a wren.
- 1621, John Fletcher, The Pilgrim (play)
- Now pounce him lightly, / And as he roars and rages, let's go deeper.
- 1782, William Cowper, Table Talk
- (transitive) To stamp holes in; to perforate.
Synonyms
- (instance of propelling oneself into air): leap, jump, bounce
- (instance of causing oneself to fall from an elevated place): strike, attack
Translations
To leap into the air intending to seize someone or something
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To attack suddenly
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To eagerly seize an opportunity
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To stamp holes in
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
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References
- “pounce”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
Anagrams
Middle English
Noun
pounce
- Alternative form of paunche
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