punch

English Online Dictionary. What means punch‎? What does punch mean?

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pʌnt͡ʃ/, /pʌnʃ/
• 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). Compare also Middle English bunchen, bonchen (“to punch, deliver a blow, pound, beat”).

Noun

punch (countable and uncountable, plural punches)

1. (countable) A hit or strike with one's fist.
2. (countable, rare) A blow from something other than the fist.
3. (uncountable) Power, strength, energy.
4. (uncountable) Impact.

Synonyms

• (strike with the fist): blow, box, knuckle sandwich, bunch of fives (UK)
• (power, strength): oomph, pep

Hyponyms

• (strike with the fist): jab, hook, king hit, uppercut, pounding

Derived terms

Related terms

• puncheon

Translations

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)

1. (transitive) To strike with one's fist.

2. (transitive, of cattle) To herd.
3. (transitive) To operate (a device or system) by depressing a button, key, bar, or pedal, or by similar means.
4. (transitive) To enter (information) on a device or system.
5. (transitive) To hit (a ball or similar object) with less than full force.

6. (transitive) To make holes in something (rail ticket, leather belt, etc) (see also the verb under Etymology 2).
7. To thrust against; to poke.

8. (intransitive, UK, slang) Ellipsis of punch above one's weight; especially, to date somebody more attractive than oneself.
9. (transitive, winemaking) To perform pigeage: to stamp down grape skins that float to the surface during fermentation.
10. (transitive) To emphasize; to give emphasis to.

Synonyms

• (To strike with the fist): box, slug

Derived terms

Translations

Etymology 2

Shortened form of puncheon, from Middle English punchoun, from Old French ponchon (“pointed tool”), from Latin punctio, from punctus, perfect passive participle of pungō (“I prick”).

Noun

punch (plural punches)

1. (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.
   1. (countable) A mechanism for punching holes in paper or other thin material.
2. (countable) A hole or opening created with a punch.
3. (piledriving) An extension piece applied to the top of a pile; a dolly.
4. A prop, as for the roof of a mine.

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

punch (third-person singular simple present punches, present participle punching, simple past and past participle punched)

1. To employ a punch to create a hole in or stamp or emboss a mark on something.
2. To mark a ticket.

Hypernyms

• (to create a hole): perforate, pierce

Derived terms

Translations

Etymology 3

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 cinque, five, pimp (“five”), ponzu, and sengi (“currency”); related to Pompeii.

Alternative forms

• punce (obsolete)
• pince (obsolete)

Noun

punch (usually uncountable, plural punches)

2. A beverage, generally containing a mixture of fruit juice and some other beverage, often alcoholic.

Derived terms

Descendants

Translations

Etymology 4

From Punch.

Noun

punch (plural punches)

1. (entomology) Any of various riodinid butterflies of the genus Dodona of Asia.

Dutch

Alternative forms

• pons (obsolete)
• puns (dated)

Etymology

Borrowed from English punch.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pʏnʃ/
• Hyphenation: punch

Noun

punch m (uncountable)

1. punch (beverage)

French

Alternative forms

• ponch (post-1990 spelling)

Etymology

Borrowed from English punch. Doublet of cinq.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pɔ̃ʃ/

Noun

punch m (plural punchs)

1. punch (drink)

Further reading

• “punch”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Spanish

Noun

punch m (plural punches)

1. Alternative form of ponche (“punch (drink)”)