paunch

From Middle English paunche, from Old Northern French panche, Old French pance (French panse), from Latin pantex.

• IPA^(key): /pɔːnt͡ʃ/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (some accents) IPA^(key): /pɑːntʃ/
• Rhymes: -ɔːntʃ, -ɑːntʃ

paunch (plural paunches)

1. The first compartment of the stomach of a ruminant, the rumen.
2. The contents of this stomach in a slaughtered animal, viewed as food or a byproduct.
3. The belly of a human, especially a large, fat protruding one.

   Since retiring from athletics, he has developed a paunch.

4. (nautical) A paunch mat.
5. The thickened rim of a bell, struck by the clapper.

• (protruding belly): See also Thesaurus:paunch.

• paunce

paunch (third-person singular simple present paunches, present participle paunching, simple past and past participle paunched)

1. To remove the internal organs of a ruminant, prior to eating.
   • 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:

     (Caliban)
     Why, as I told thee, 'tis a custom with him
     I' th' afternoon to sleep: there thou may'st brain him,
     Having first seiz'd his books; or with a log
     Batter his skull, or paunch him with a stake,
     Or cut his wezand with thy knife

paunch

1. Alternative form of paunche