paunch

Borrowed from Old Northern French panche, Old French pance (French panse), from Latin pantex.

• IPA^(key): /pɔːntʃ/
• (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 belly of a human, especially a large, fat protruding one.
3. (nautical) A paunch mat.
4. The thickened rim of a bell, struck by the clapper.

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

• paunce
• paunchy

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, The Tempest, by Shakespeare, act 3 scene 2

     (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