haunch

English

WOTD – 4 August 2006

Alternative forms

• haunce, haunse
• (architecture) hanch, hance, hanse

Etymology

From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Middle English haunche, hanche, from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Old French hanche, hance, anche (compare French hanche, Italian anca), from a Germanic source, probably (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Frankish *hanka, from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Proto-Germanic *ankō (“joint; ankle”), from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Proto-Indo-European *ang- (“joint; lith”). Cognate with Old High German ancha, encha, einka (“the leg; joint, bend”) (compare Old High German anchila, enchila (“ankle”), German Hanke (“haunch”), West Frisian hancke (“haunch”). More at ankle.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /hɔːntʃ/, /hɒntʃ/
• IPA^(key): /hɑːntʃ/
• IPA^(key): /hɔntʃ/, /hɑntʃ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Audio (AU):

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• Rhymes: -ɔːntʃ, -ɑːntʃ

Noun

haunch (plural haunches)

1. (anatomy) The area encompassing the upper thigh, hip and buttocks on one side of a human, primate, or quadruped animal, especially one that can sit on its hindquarters.
   • 2018 July 15, Jonathan Jurejko, “Novak Djokovic Wins Fourth Wimbledon by Beating Kevin Anderson”, in BBC Sport‎^[1], archived from the original on 14 February 2019:

     He [Novak Djokovic] dropped to his haunches just inside the baseline as Centre Court rose to acclaim the champion, hugging South African [Kevin] Anderson at the net before skipping over towards his box and celebrating wildly in front of his coaching team and wife Jelena.

2. The loin and leg of a quadruped, especially when used as food.
   • 1895 November, Rudyard Kipling, “The Law of the Jungle”, in The Second Jungle Book, London, New York, N.Y.: Macmillan and Co., →OCLC, page 25:

     Now these are the Laws of the Jungle, and many and mighty are they; / But the head and the hoof of the Law and the haunch and the hump is—Obey!

3. (architecture) A squat vertical support structure.
4. (dialect) A jerked underhand throw.

Quotations

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• But I had no time to pursue these reflections; for the gray horse came to the door, and made me a sign to follow him into the third room where I saw a very comely mare, together with a colt and foal, sitting on their haunches upon mats of straw, not unartfully made, and perfectly neat and clean.

• 18?? — John Greenleaf Whittier, The Garrison of Cape Ann

  On the rough-hewn oaken table the venison haunch was shared.

• 1855 — Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, The Song of Hiawatha, III

  And the rabbit from his path-way
  Leaped aside, and at a distance
  Sat erect upon his haunches.

• 1916 — Wilfred Owen, The Wrestlers

  While Heracles, - the thews and cordage of his thighs
  Straitened and strained beyond the utmost stretch
  From quivering heel to haunch like sweating hawsers.

• c.1918 — Carl Sandburg, Fog

  The fog comes on little cat feet.
  It sits looking over harbor and city
  on silent haunches and then moves on.

Translations

area encompassing the upper thigh, hip and buttocks

• Armenian: ազդր (hy) (azdr), զիստ (hy) (zist), բարձ (hy) (barj)
• Bulgarian: ханш (hanš)
• Cebuano: balikawang
• Finnish: lonkka (fi), lanne (fi)
• Galician: garupa f, ancas f
• Irish: gorún m
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Latin: femur n
• Russian: ля́жка (ru) f (ljážka)
• Slovak: bedro (sk) n, šunka f (colloq.)
• Tagalog: sasapnan, balisakang
• Vietnamese: please add this translation if you can

loin and leg of a quadruped, especially when used as food

• Armenian: բուդ (hy) (bud)
• Bulgarian: бут (bg) (but)
• Finnish: takaneljännes
• Greek:

  Ancient: γλουτός m (gloutós)

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: coscia (it) f
• Slovak: stehienko n

squat vertical support structure

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}

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

• (deprecated template usage) German: Schoß m, Lenden f pl
• Japanese: ^{(please verify)} 臀部 (ja) (でんぶ, denbu)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Kurdish: ,

Verb

1. (transitive, architecture) To provide with a haunch or supporting structure.
2. (transitive, dialect) To throw with an underhand movement.