punch
English
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /pʌnt͡ʃ/, /pʌnʃ/
Audio (US) (file) - Rhymes: -ʌntʃ
Etymology 1
From Middle English punchen, partially from Old French ponchonner (“to punch”), from ponchon (“pointed tool”), from Latin punctio, from punctus, perfect passive participle of pungō (“I prick”); and partially from Middle English punchen, a syncopated variant of punischen ("to punish"; see punish). Also influenced by Middle English punchon ("a punch"; see puncheon).
Noun
punch (countable and uncountable, plural punches)
- (countable) A hit or strike with one's fist.
- (countable, rare) A blow from something other than the fist.
- 1954, C. S. Lewis, The Horse and His Boy
- For in Tashbaan there is only one traffic regulation, which is that everyone who is less important has to get out of the way for everyone who is more important; unless you want a cut from a whip or a punch from the butt end of a spear.
- 1954, C. S. Lewis, The Horse and His Boy
- (uncountable) Power, strength, energy.
- (uncountable) Impact.
Synonyms
- (strike with the fist): blow, box, knuckle sandwich, bunch of fives (UK)
- (power, strength): oomph, pep
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
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See also
- (A strike with the fist): slap
Verb
punch (third-person singular simple present punches, present participle punching, simple past and past participle punched)
- (transitive) To strike with one's fist.
- If she punches me, I'm gonna break her nose.
- (transitive, of cattle) To herd.
- (transitive) To operate (a device or system) by depressing a button, key, bar, or pedal, or by similar means.
- 1922, William Otis Badger, editor, The Workmen's compensation law journal, volume 10, page 129:
- As night watchman he was required to punch a watchman's clock; the stations were scattered all over the place.
- 2007, Dick Juge, The Historic Northwest Passage and the CGC Storis, page 27:
- Another shipmate remembered the watch clock on the strap we had to carry to punching stations. He was assigned to a guard shack. He had rounds to the Officer's Club and sleeping quarters where he'd have to punch the clock at different stations.
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- (transitive) To enter (information) on a device or system.
- (transitive) To hit (a ball or similar object) with less than full force.
- He punched a hit into shallow left field.
- (transitive) To make holes in something (rail ticket, leather belt, etc)
- To thrust against; to poke.
- to punch one with the end of a stick or the elbow
- (intransitive, UK, slang) Ellipsis of punch above one's weight; especially, to date somebody more attractive than oneself.
- (transitive) In winemaking, to perform pigeage: to stamp down grape skins that float to the surface during fermentation.
Derived terms
Translations
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Etymology 2
Shortened form of puncheon, from Old French ponchon (“pointed tool”), from Latin punctio, from punctus, perfect passive participle of pungō (“I prick”).
Noun
punch (plural punches)
- (countable) A device, generally slender and round, used for creating holes in thin material, for driving an object through a hole in a containing object, or to stamp or emboss a mark or design on a surface.
- (countable) A hole or opening created with a punch.
- (piledriving) An extension piece applied to the top of a pile; a dolly.
- A prop, as for the roof of a mine.
Translations
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See also
- centrepunch, centre punch, centerpunch
- hole punch
- nail punch
- paper punch
- three-hole punch
Verb
punch (third-person singular simple present punches, present participle punching, simple past and past participle punched)
Translations
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Etymology 3
PIE word |
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*pénkʷe |
From Hindi पाँच (pā̃c, “five”)/Urdu پانچ (pānc), because of the drink's original five ingredients (spirits, water, lemon juice, sugar, and spice), from Sanskrit पञ्चन् (páñcan). Doublet of five, cinque, pimp, and Pompeii.
Noun
punch (usually uncountable, plural punches)
Descendants
Translations
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Etymology 4
From Punch.
Noun
punch (plural punches)
- (entomology) Any of various riodinid butterflies of the genus Dodona of Asia.
Dutch
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /pʏnʃ/
Audio (file) - Hyphenation: punch
French
Alternative forms
- ponch (post-1990 spelling)
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /pɔ̃ʃ/
Audio (Paris) (file) Audio (file)
Further reading
- “punch”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.