staunch

English

Alternative forms

• stanch

Etymology

From Middle English staunche, from Anglo-Norman estaunche, Old French estanche (“firm, watertight”) (whence Modern French étanche); compare the verb estanchier. Compare Romanian staunza and Spanish estante.

Pronunciation

• enPR: /stônch/, IPA^(key): /stɔːntʃ/
• enPR: /stänch/, IPA^(key): /stɑːntʃ/
• Rhymes: -ɔːntʃ, -ɑːntʃ

Adjective

staunch (comparative stauncher, superlative staunchest)

1. Loyal, trustworthy, reliable.

   He's been a staunch supporter of mine through every election.

   • 1922 February, James Joyce, “[[Episode 16]]”, in Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare and Company, […], →OCLC:

     he relished a glass of choice old wine in season as both nourishing and bloodmaking and possessing aperient virtues (notably a good burgundy which he was a staunch believer in)

2. Dependable, persistent.

   Without our staunch front line the enemy would have split the regiment.

Translations

loyal, trustworthy, reliable

• Catalan: acèrrim
• Dutch: trouw (nl), loyaal (nl), betrouwbaar (nl)
• French: fervent (fr)
• German: loyal (de)
• Malay: akrab, karib
• Maori: horopū
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Polish: wierny (pl)
• Portuguese: confiável (pt)
• Russian: надёжный (ru) (nadjóžnyj), ве́рный (ru) (vérnyj)
• Spanish: fiel (es), leal (es), incondicional (es), acérrimo (es)
• Swedish: trogen (sv), lojal (sv)
• Turkish: sadık (tr)

dependable, persistent

• Catalan: acèrrim
• Malay: kuat
• Portuguese: forte (pt)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Swedish: ståndaktig (sv), pålitlig (sv)
• Turkish: güvenilir (tr), itimada şayan (obsolescent), itimat edilir

Verb

1. (transitive) To stop the flow of (blood).
2. (transitive) To stop, check, or deter an action.

   Somebody's got to staunch those press leaks!

Usage notes

The spelling staunch is more commonly used for the adjective. In contrast, stanch is more commonly used as the spelling of the verb.

Translations

to stop the flow of (blood)

• Dutch: stelpen (nl)
• French: étancher (fr)
• Maori: pāpuni
• Polish: zatamować
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Portuguese: estancar (pt)
• Russian: остана́вливать (ru) (ostanávlivatʹ) кровотече́ние (ru) n (krovotečénije)
• Spanish: estancar (es)

to stop, check, or deter an action

• Maori: pāpuni
• Polish: zatrzymać (pl), zastopować
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Portuguese: estancar (pt)
• Spanish: estancar (es)

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) Serbo-Croatian: zaustaviti (protok nečega, npr. krvi, suza, i sl.), inf
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}

Anagrams

• canthus, chaunts