punch

¹

[puhnch]

noun

1. a thrusting blow, especially with the fist.

2. forcefulness, effectiveness, or pungency in content or appeal; vigor; zest.

   This ad copy you wrote isn't bad, but it needs more punch.

verb (used with object)

1. to give a sharp thrust or blow to, especially with the fist.

   Synonyms: pummel, drub, hit, strike

2. Western U.S. and Western Canada.,  to drive (cattle).

3. to poke or prod, as with a stick.

4. Informal.,  to deliver (lines in a play, a musical passage, or the like) with vigor.

5. to strike or hit in operating.

   She punched the elevator button and waited for the doors to open.

6. to put into operation with or as if with a blow.

   I punched the time clock at that factory every morning and evening for 35 years.

7. Baseball.,  to hit (the ball) with a short, chopping motion rather than with a full swing.

   He punched a soft liner just over third base for a base hit.

verb (used without object)

1. to give a sharp blow to a person or thing, as with the fist.

   The boxer punches well.

verb phrase

1. punch up

   1. to call up (information) on a computer by the use of a keyboard.

      She punched up a list of hotel reservations.

   2. Informal.,  to enliven, as with fresh ideas or additional material.

      You'd better punch up that speech with a few jokes.

2. punch away,  to keep trying or working, especially in difficult or discouraging circumstances; persevere.

   How long have you been punching away at the same old job?

3. punch in

   1. to record one's time of arrival at work by punching a time clock.

   2. to keyboard (information) into a computer.

      I was punching in the inventory figures when the system crashed.

4. punch out

   1. to record one's time of departure from work by punching a time clock.

   2. Slang.,  to beat up or knock out with the fists.

   3. to extract (information) from a computer by the use of a keyboard.

      This function lets you quickly punch out a report when sales audit time comes along.

   4. to bail out; eject from an aircraft.

punch

²

[puhnch]

noun

1. a tool or machine for perforating or stamping materials, driving nails, etc.

2. the solid upper die of a punch press, used with a hollow die to blank out shaped pieces of sheet metal or the like.

verb (used with object)

1. to cut, stamp, pierce, perforate, form, or drive with a tool or machine that punches.

verb (used without object)

1. to work at or on something with or as if with a mechanical punch.

punch

³

[puhnch]

noun

1. a beverage consisting of wine or spirits mixed with fruit juice, soda, water, milk, or the like, and flavored with sugar, spices, etc.

2. a beverage of two or more fruit juices, sugar, and water, sometimes carbonated.

Punch

⁴

[puhnch]

noun

1. the chief male character in a Punch-and-Judy show.

punch

¹

/ pʌntʃ /

verb

1. to strike blows (at), esp with a clenched fist

2. (tr) to herd or drive (cattle), esp for a living

3. (tr) to poke or prod with a stick or similar object

4. to do something that is considered to be beyond one's ability

noun

1. a blow with the fist

2. informal,  telling force, point, or vigour

   his arguments lacked punch

3. See pull

punch

²

/ pʌntʃ /

noun

1. a tool or machine for piercing holes in a material

2. any of various tools used for knocking a bolt, rivet, etc, out of a hole

3. a tool or machine used for stamping a design on something or shaping it by impact

4. the solid die of a punching machine for cutting, stamping, or shaping material

5. computing a device, such as a card punch or tape punch, used for making holes in a card or paper tape

6. See centre punch

verb

1. (tr) to pierce, cut, stamp, shape, or drive with a punch

Punch

³

/ pʌntʃ /

noun

1. the main character in the traditional children's puppet show Punch and Judy

punch

⁴

/ pʌntʃ /

noun

1. any mixed drink containing fruit juice and, usually, alcoholic liquor, generally hot and spiced

Other Word Forms

• puncher noun
• punchable adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of punch¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English verb pouncen, pounson, punchen “to emboss (metal), pierce, prick,” from Old French poinçoner, poinssonner, ponchonner “to emboss”; puncheon ²

Origin of punch²

First recorded in 1495–1505; short for puncheon ², reinforced by punch ¹

Origin of punch³

First recorded in 1625–35; of uncertain origin; traditionally derived from Hindi panch “five” (from the number of ingredients), from Sanskrit panca; five ( def. )

Origin of punch⁴

Short for Punchinello ( def. )

Word History and Origins

Origin of punch¹

C15: perhaps a variant of _pounce ²

Origin of punch²

C14: shortened from puncheon, from Old French ponçon; see _puncheon ²

Origin of punch³

C17: perhaps from Hindi pānch, from Sanskrit pañca five; the beverage originally included five ingredients

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. pull punches,

   1. to lessen deliberately the force of one's blows.

   2. Informal. to act with restraint or hold back the full force or implications of something.

      He wasn't going to pull any punches when he warned them of what they would be up against.

2. roll with the punches, to cope with and survive adversity.

   In the business world you quickly learn to roll with the punches.

3. pleased as Punch, highly pleased; delighted.

   They were pleased as Punch at having been asked to come along.

More idioms and phrases containing punch

• beat to it (the punch)
• can't punch one's way out of a paper bag
• pack a punch
• pleased as punch
• pull no punches
• roll with the punches
• sucker punch
• throw a punch

Example Sentences

Last year, he punched the then-Bruins captain hard enough to knock him out of two games.

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The arias and duets, which are almost always slowly paced and formless, lack that visceral, theatrical punch and do not musically distinguish one character from another.

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“You always step in . . . always . . . your mates, my mates, my people,” Jacob says, and rushes to the fore, landing a single punch on a stranger that proves unexpectedly fatal.

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This time she planned to punch a hole right through the divider.

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He made a once-popular parlor instrument brand new, punching every piano roll himself and then letting the machine play faster than any dozen real-life pianists could, making for palpable Niagaras of sound.

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Related Words

• blow 
• jab 
• shot 
• slap 
• stroke