pounce
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Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
pounce¹
- /paʊns/
Rhymes with -aʊns
Where it comes from
From French ponce, from Latin pūmex. Doublet of pumice.
noun pounces
- 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. At the Thorn, or at a meagre kitchen table, or even on the carpenter’s workbench, he spreads open the portfolio, lights a candle stub, slices a fresh quill, and arranges pounce pot and ink well.
- Charcoal dust, or some other coloured powder for making patterns through perforated designs, used by embroiderers, lacemakers, etc.
verb pounces · pouncing · pounced
- To sprinkle or rub with pounce powder. to pounce paper, or a pattern
pounce²
- /paʊns/
Rhymes with -aʊns
Where it comes from
From Middle English pounce, probably akin to punch. Possibly from Old French ponchonner (compare French poinçonner).
noun pounces
- A sudden leaping attack. Again the cat jolted the bed with a pounce.
- 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
- A punch or stamp. a pounce to print money with
- Cloth worked in eyelet holes. one spendeth his patrimony upon pounces and cuts
-
Synonym of bump (“sudden movement of underground strata”).
Similar: bump
verb pounces · pouncing · pounced
- To leap into the air intending to seize someone or something. The kitten pounced at the ball I threw to it.
- To attack suddenly by leaping. I was awakened from a dead sleep by my child pouncing on top of me from out of nowhere.
- To eagerly seize an opportunity. I pounced on the chance to get promoted.
- To strike or seize with the talons; to pierce, as with the talons. Stooped from his highest pitch to pounce a wren.
- To stamp holes in; to perforate.
Thesaurus
Translations
Every language
noun powder thrown onto the paper to make the ink dry
| Español | arena secante |
|---|---|
| Français | poudre, sable |
| Deutsch | Löschsand, Schreibsand |
verb To leap into the air intending to seize someone or something
| Español | brincar |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 撲 /扑 pū |
| Português | dar o bote |
| Français | sauter sur |
| Deutsch | anspringen |
verb To attack suddenly
| Español | atacar, abalanzarse, embestir, acometer, arremeter |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 突襲 /突袭 tūxí, túxí |
| Português | dar o bote |
| Français | fondre sur |
| Deutsch | überfallen, angreifen, (plötzlich) zuschlagen |
verb To eagerly seize an opportunity
| Español | aprovechar |
|---|---|
| Português | dar o bote |
| Deutsch | ausnutzen |
verb To stamp holes in
| Français | trouer, faire un trou, perforer |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | perforieren, durchlöchern |
Talk about this word "pounce." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/pounce. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. pounce. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/pounce "pounce." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/pounce.Cite this
@misc{pounce_2026,
title = {pounce},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/pounce},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
