Pounce

• POS: Noun, Verb (intransitive), Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

Pounce, n. [F. ponce pumice, pounce, fr. L. pumex, -icis, pumice. See Pumice.].

•  A fine powder, as of sandarac, or cuttlefish bone, -- formerly used to prevent ink from spreading on manuscript.  [1913 Webster]
•  Charcoal dust, or some other colored powder for making patterns through perforated designs, -- used by embroiderers, lace makers, etc.  [1913 Webster]

Pounce box, a box for sprinkling pounce. -- Pounce paper, a transparent paper for tracing.

Pounce, v. t. 

 To sprinkle or rub with pounce; as, to pounce paper, or a pattern.  [1913 Webster]

Pounce, n. [Prob. through French, from an assumed LL. punctiare to prick, L. pungere, punctum. See Puncheon, Punch, v. t.].

•  The claw or talon of a bird of prey.  Spenser. Burke.  [1913 Webster]
•  A punch or stamp.  Withals.  [1913 Webster]
•  Cloth worked in eyelet holes.  Homilies.  [1913 Webster]

Pounce, v. t. 

•  To strike or seize with the talons; to pierce, as with the talons.  [1913 Webster]

  "Stooped from his highest pitch to pounce a wren."  [1913 Webster]

  "Now pounce him lightly,
  And as he roars and rages, let's go deeper."  [1913 Webster]
•  To punch; to perforate; to stamp holes in, or dots on, by way of ornament.  Sir T. Elyot.  [1913 Webster]

Pounce, v. i. 

 To fall suddenly and seize with the claws; -- with on or upon; as, a hawk pounces upon a chicken. Also used figuratively.  [1913 Webster]
"Derision is never so agonizing as when it pounces on the wanderings of misguided sensibility."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Pounce, v. & n.
--v.intr.
1 spring or swoop, esp. as in capturing prey.
2 (often foll. by on, upon) a make a sudden attack. b seize eagerly upon an object, remark, etc. (pounced on what we said).
--n.
1 the act or an instance of pouncing.
2 the claw or talon of a bird of prey.

Derivative

pouncer n.

Pounce, n. & v.
--n.
1 a fine powder formerly used to prevent ink from spreading on unglazed paper.
2 powdered charcoal etc. dusted over a perforated pattern to transfer the design to the object beneath.
--v.tr.
1 dust with pounce.
2 transfer (a design etc.) by use of pounce.
3 smooth (paper etc.) with pounce or pumice.

Derivative

pouncer n.

Etymology

F ponce, poncer f. L pumex PUMICE

THESAURUS

Pounce

Highland fling, ambush, and jump, attack, belly buster, belly flop, belly whopper, bounce, bound, broad jump, buck, buckjump, cannonball, capriole, cascade, cataract, chute, claws, clear, clutches, collapse, come down, comedown, crash, crash dive, curvet, debacle, declension, declination, defluxion, demivolt, descend, descending, descension, descent, digits, dip down, dive, down, downbend, downcome, downcurve, downfall, downflow, downgrade, downpour, downrush, downtrend, downturn, downward trend, drop, drop down, drop off, dropping, fall, fall down, fall off, fall upon, falling, fangs, fingernails, fingers, flying jump, gainer, galliard, gelandesprung, go down, go downhill, grand jete, gravitate, gravitation, hands, handspring, header, high jump, hippety-hop, hooks, hop, hurdle, inclination, jackknife, jaws, jete, jig, jump, jump at, jump on, jump over, jump shot, jump turn, jump-hop, jump-off, lavolta, leap, leap over, leapfrog, long jump, lose altitude, mandibles, maxillae, meathooks, mitts, morris, mug, nails, negotiate, nippers, nose dive, nose-dive, overjump, overleap, overskip, palm, parachute, parachute jump, pincers, pitch, plop, plummet, plummeting, plump, plunge, plunk, pole vault, pounce on, pounce upon, pounces, pour down, power dive, precipitate, rain, rapids, running broad jump, running dive, running high jump, saut de basque, ski jump, skin-dive, skip, sky dive, sky-dive, sound, spring, spring upon, start, start aside, start up, stationary dive, steeplechase, stoop, strike, swan dive, swoop, swoop down, swoop down on, swoop down upon, take a header, take by surprise, talons, teeth, tour jete, trend downward, unguals, ungulae, updive, upleap, upspring, vault, waterfall