different between pounce vs trounce

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pa?ns/
• Rhymes: -a?ns

Etymology 1

From French ponce, from Latin p?mex. Doublet of pumice.

Noun

pounce (usually uncountable, plural pounces)

1. (historical) 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.
2. (historical) Charcoal dust, or some other coloured powder for making patterns through perforated designs, used by embroiderers, lacemakers, etc.

Translations

Verb

pounce (third-person singular simple present pounces, present participle pouncing, simple past and past participle pounced)

1. (transitive) To sprinkle or rub with pounce powder.

   to pounce paper, or a pattern

Etymology 2

From Middle English pounce, probably akin to punch. Possibly from Old French ponchonner (compare French poinçonner).

Noun

pounce (plural pounces)

1. A sudden leaping attack.
2. (archaic) The claw or talon of a bird of prey.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Burke to this entry?)
3. A punch or stamp.
   • 1602, John Withals, A Dictionarie in English and Latine for Children

     a pounce to print money with

4. Cloth worked in eyelet holes.
   • 1571, John Jewel et al., "An Homily Against excess of apparel" in The Second Tome of Homilees […]

     one spendeth his patrimony upon pounces and cuts

Verb

pounce (third-person singular simple present pounces, present participle pouncing, simple past and past participle pounced)

1. (intransitive) To leap into the air intending to seize someone or something.

2. (intransitive) To attack suddenly by leaping.

3. (intransitive) To eagerly seize an opportunity.
4. (transitive) To strike or seize with the talons; to pierce, as with the talons.
   • 1782, William Cowper, Table Talk

     Stooped from his highest pitch to pounce a wren.

   • 1621, John Fletcher, The Pilgrim (play)

     Now pounce him lightly, / And as he roars and rages, let's go deeper.

5. (transitive) To stamp holes in; to perforate.

Synonyms

• (instance of propelling oneself into air): leap, jump, bounce
• (instance of causing oneself to fall from an elevated place): strike, attack

Translations

References

• pounce at OneLook Dictionary Search

Anagrams

• Cupeño

Middle English

Noun

pounce

1. Alternative form of paunche

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA^(key): /t?a?ns/
• Rhymes: -a?ns

Etymology 1

The origin of the verb is unknown; it is perhaps related to Old French troncer, troncher, troncir, tronchir (“to cut; to cut a piece from; to retrench”), from Old French tronce, tronche (“stump; piece of wood”). However, the English and Old French words differ in meaning.

The noun is derived from the verb.

Verb

trounce (third-person singular simple present trounces, present participle trouncing, simple past and past participle trounced)

1. (transitive) To beat severely; to thrash.
2. (transitive) To beat or overcome thoroughly, to defeat heavily; especially (games, sports) to win against (someone) by a wide margin.
3. (transitive) To chastise or punish physically or verbally; to scold with abusive language.

   Synonyms: censure, (verbal punishment) rebuke
4. (transitive, Britain, regional) To punish by bringing a lawsuit against; to sue.

Derived terms

• trouncer
• trouncing (noun)

Translations

Noun

trounce (plural trounces)

1. An act of trouncing: a severe beating, a thrashing; a thorough defeat.

Translations

Etymology 2

The verb is derived from Middle English traunce, trauncen, trancen (“to move about (?); to prance (?); to trample the ground”) (whence modern English trance with the same senses), possibly either:

• from Middle English trauncen, transen (“to pass from life to death, die”), from Old French transir (“to cut through, pass through”), from Latin tr?ns?re, present active infinitive of tr?nse? (“to cross, traverse; to go over (to a side or faction); to pass over; to exceed, surpass; of time: to elapse, pass; (figuratively) to cease, pass away”), from tr?ns (“across; beyond”) + e? (“to go”); or
• a blend of Middle English tramplen (“to tread on, trample”) + dauncen (“to dance”) or prauncen (“to prance”).

The noun is probably derived from the verb.

Verb

trounce (third-person singular simple present trounces, present participle trouncing, simple past and past participle trounced) (Britain, dialectal)

1. (intransitive) To walk heavily or with some difficulty; to tramp, to trudge.

   Synonym: (obsolete except dialectal) trance
2. (intransitive) To pass across or over; to traverse.

   Synonym: (obsolete except dialectal) trance
3. (intransitive) To travel quickly over a long distance.

   Synonym: (obsolete except dialectal) trance

Noun

trounce (plural trounces) (Britain, dialectal)

1. A walk involving some difficulty or effort; a trek, a tramp, a trudge.
2. A journey involving quick travel; also, one that is dangerous or laborious.

   Synonym: (obsolete except dialectal) trance

References

• “TROUNCE, sb. and v.²” in Joseph Wright, editor, The English Dialect Dictionary: […], volume VI (T–Z, Supplement, Bibliography and Grammar), London: Published by Henry Frowde, […], publisher to the English Dialect Society, […]; New York, N.Y.: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1905, ?OCLC, page 248, column 1.

Further reading

• Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “trounce”, in Online Etymology Dictionary

Anagrams

• Counter, Cureton, Cutrone, cornute, counter, counter-, countre, recount