From French ponce, from Latin pūmex. Doublet of pumice.
Meanings
(historical, uncountable, usually) 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. 2021, A. K. Blakemore, The Manningtree Witches, Granta Books, page 120:
(historical, uncountable, usually) Charcoal dust, or some other coloured powder for making patterns through perforated designs, used by embroiderers, lacemakers, etc.
de Schreibsand (powder thrown onto the paper to make the ink dry) · ca arena assecant (powder thrown onto the paper to make the ink dry) · fi sandarakki (powder thrown onto the paper to make the ink dry) · fr sable (powder thrown onto the paper to make the ink dry) · fr poudre (powder thrown onto the paper to make the ink dry) · de Löschsand (powder thrown onto the paper to make the ink dry) · grc σήπιον (powder thrown onto the paper to make the ink dry) · sv skrivsand (powder thrown onto the paper to make the ink dry) · fi hiekka (powder thrown onto the paper to make the ink dry) · pl but see proszek na atrament (powder thrown onto the paper to make the ink dry) · es arena secante (powder thrown onto the paper to make the ink dry) · ca sorra assecant (powder thrown onto the paper to make the ink dry) · da radérpulver (powder thrown onto the paper to make the ink dry)
From Middle English pounce, probably akin to punch. Possibly from Old French ponchonner (compare French poinçonner).
Meanings
A sudden leaping attack.
Again the cat jolted the bed with a pounce. 1999, Niki Anderson, Inspurrrational Stories for Cat Lovers:
(archaic) The claw or talon of a bird of prey.
And from her griping pounce the greedy prey doth quarry 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book V, Canto IV”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
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 1602, John Withals, A Dictionarie in English and Latine for Children:
Cloth worked in eyelet holes.
one spendeth his patrimony upon pounces and cuts 1571, John Jewel et al., “An Homily Against excess of apparel”, in The Second Tome of Homilees […] :
Synonym of bump (“sudden movement of underground strata”).
From Middle English pounce, probably akin to punch. Possibly from Old French ponchonner (compare French poinçonner).
Meanings
(intransitive) To leap into the air intending to seize someone or something.
She pounced on the young man, because she loved him and wanted him for herself.
The kitten pounced at the ball I threw to it.
(intransitive) To attack suddenly by leaping.
The only thing you can do with virgins like that is pounce! 1972, Jay Presson Allen, Cabaret, spoken by Sally Bowles (Liza Minnelli):
I was awakened from a dead sleep by my child pouncing on top of me from out of nowhere.
(intransitive) To eagerly seize an opportunity.
I pounced on the chance to get promoted.
Why would I talk to the press and give them a chance to pounce on me?
Irish debutant Conor Henderson - another ball-playing midfielder - probed for a gap through the back-line and the 19-year-old's deflected pass was pounced on by Tomas Rosicky, who sped to the byeline to clip a square ball through the legs of Charlie Daniels across the box. 2011 March 2, Chris Whyatt, “Arsenal 5 - 0 Leyton Orient”, in BBC:
While he was out of town on vacation, I pounced, leaking the photos.
(transitive) To strike or seize with the talons; to pierce, as with the talons.
Stooped from his highest pitch to pounce a wren. 1782, William Cowper, Table Talk:
Now pounce him lightly, / And as he roars and rages, let's go deeper. 1621, John Fletcher, The Pilgrim (play):
strike (instance of causing oneself to fall from an elevated place) · jump (instance of propelling oneself into air) · bounce (instance of propelling oneself into air) · attack (instance of causing oneself to fall from an elevated place) · leap (instance of propelling oneself into air)
Translations (41)
grc ἐπιπηδάω (To leap into the air intending to seize someone or something) · de überfallen (To attack suddenly) · eo alsalti (To leap into the air intending to seize someone or something) · es embestir (To attack suddenly) · nl bespringen (To attack suddenly) · fi tarttua tilaisuuteen (To eagerly seize an opportunity) · pt dar o bote (To eagerly seize an opportunity) · es abalanzarse (To attack suddenly) · es atacar (To attack suddenly) · th ตะปบ (To leap into the air intending to seize someone or something) · de anspringen (To leap into the air intending to seize someone or something) · de (plötzlich) zuschlagen (To attack suddenly) · fr trouer (To stamp holes in) · cmn 突襲 /突袭 (To attack suddenly) · fi iskeä kyntensä (To attack suddenly) · tl sagpangin (To leap into the air intending to seize someone or something) · nl opspringen (To leap into the air intending to seize someone or something) · fr faire un trou (To stamp holes in) · bg нахвърлям се (To attack suddenly) · fa بل گرفتن (To eagerly seize an opportunity) · bg връхлитам (To attack suddenly) · es arremeter (To attack suddenly) · cmn 撲 /扑 (To leap into the air intending to seize someone or something) · de durchlöchern (To stamp holes in) · de angreifen (To attack suddenly) · es brincar (To leap into the air intending to seize someone or something) · fr perforer (To stamp holes in) · de perforieren (To stamp holes in) · pt dar o bote (To attack suddenly) · fr sauter sur (To leap into the air intending to seize someone or something) · hu nyakába ugrik (To leap into the air intending to seize someone or something) · es aprovechar (To eagerly seize an opportunity) · hu lecsap (To eagerly seize an opportunity) · de ausnutzen (To eagerly seize an opportunity) · pt dar o bote (To leap into the air intending to seize someone or something) · es acometer (To attack suddenly) · fi syöksyä kimppuun (To attack suddenly) · fr fondre sur (To attack suddenly) · grc ἐπιπηδάω (To attack suddenly) · nl grijpen (To eagerly seize an opportunity) · bg възползвам се (To eagerly seize an opportunity)