pun en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- (Southern-England) audio
- /pʊn/ (Ireland, Northern-England)
- pŭn (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
- /pʌn/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
From Middle English ponnen, ponen, punen, from Old English punian, pūnian (“to pound, beat, bray, bruise, crush, grind”), from Proto-Germanic *punōną (“to break to pieces, pulverize”). See pound. As a kind of word play, from the notion of “beating” the words into place.
Meanings
-
A joke or type of wordplay in which similar definitions or sounds of two words or phrases, or different definitions of the same word, are deliberately confused.
"Certainly, my home at my uncle's brought me acquainted with a circle of admirals. Of Rears, and Vices, I saw enough. Now do not be suspecting me of a pun, I entreat."
1814 May 9, [Jane Austen], chapter VI, in Mansfield Park: […], volume I, London: […] [George Sidney] for T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC, page 124:The pun is the lowest form of wit.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| puns | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
punster · pun-off · punnology · punless · puncept · punnage · visual pun · punnish · punsmith · pun intended · punny · punner · punnily · punnery · punlet · punnable · no pun intended · puntastic · punacious · punlike
Hypernyms
Synonyms
Translations (70)
sv ordlek (joke or type of wordplay) · ka ზმა (joke or type of wordplay) · nl woordspeling (joke or type of wordplay) · ko 말장난 (joke or type of wordplay) · fi sanaleikki (joke or type of wordplay) · bg игрословица (joke or type of wordplay) · nb ordspill (joke or type of wordplay) · mk игра на зборови (joke or type of wordplay) · pl gra słów (joke or type of wordplay) · es retruécano (joke or type of wordplay) · it freddura (joke or type of wordplay) · ro calambur (joke or type of wordplay) · es albur (joke or type of wordplay) · sv ordvits (joke or type of wordplay) · tl paritugma (joke or type of wordplay) · ar جِنَاس (joke or type of wordplay) · eo vortludo (joke or type of wordplay) · he לָשׁוֹן נוֹפֵל עַל לָשׁוֹן (joke or type of wordplay) · de Wortspiel (joke or type of wordplay) · te శ్లేష (joke or type of wordplay) · pt trocadilho (joke or type of wordplay) · be каламбур (joke or type of wordplay) · el λογοπαίγνιο (joke or type of wordplay) · gd cainnt-chluich (joke or type of wordplay) · he מִשְׂחַק מִלִּים (joke or type of wordplay) · cmn 雙關語 /双关语 (joke or type of wordplay) · gd cluich (joke or type of wordplay) · cs slovní hříčka (joke or type of wordplay) · tr kelime oyunu (joke or type of wordplay) · pt chalaça (joke or type of wordplay) · pl kalambur (joke or type of wordplay) · ja 駄洒落 (joke or type of wordplay) · mk каламбур (joke or type of wordplay) · hu szóvicc (joke or type of wordplay) · es calambur (joke or type of wordplay) · ca joc de paraules (joke or type of wordplay) · it bisticcio (joke or type of wordplay) · de Kalauer (joke or type of wordplay) · ro joc de cuvinte (joke or type of wordplay) · yi ווערטערשפּיל (joke or type of wordplay) · ka კალამბური (joke or type of wordplay) · eo kalemburo (joke or type of wordplay) · fr jeu de mots (joke or type of wordplay) · ar لُعْبَة اَلْكَلِمَات (joke or type of wordplay) · be гульня слоў (joke or type of wordplay) · fr calembour (joke or type of wordplay) · ru каламбу́р (joke or type of wordplay) · no ordspel (joke or type of wordplay) · sq lojë fjalësh (joke or type of wordplay) · bg каламбур (joke or type of wordplay) · nl woordgrapje (joke or type of wordplay) · fa تجنیس (joke or type of wordplay) · it gioco di parole (joke or type of wordplay) · tl paandar (joke or type of wordplay) · hy բառախաղ (joke or type of wordplay) · hu szójáték (joke or type of wordplay) · ja 語呂合わせ (joke or type of wordplay) · ga imeartas focal (joke or type of wordplay) · sq kalambur (joke or type of wordplay) · is orðaleikur (joke or type of wordplay) · da ordspil (joke or type of wordplay) · ja 洒落 (joke or type of wordplay) · ru игра́ слов (joke or type of wordplay) · bo ཚིག་རྩེད (joke or type of wordplay) · tl bangkiwi (joke or type of wordplay) · ms jenakata (joke or type of wordplay) · cmn 俏皮話 /俏皮话 (joke or type of wordplay) · mi kupu angarua (joke or type of wordplay) · fa جناس (joke or type of wordplay) · io kalemburo (joke or type of wordplay)