haunch

[ hawnch, hahnch ]

/ hɔntʃ, hɑntʃ /

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See synonyms for: haunch / haunches on Thesaurus.com

noun

the hip.

the fleshy part of the body about the hip.

a hindquarter of an animal.

the leg and loin of an animal, used for food.

Architecture.

either side of an arch, extending from the vertex or crown to the impost.
the part of a beam projecting below a floor or roof slab.

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have

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Origin of haunch

1150–1200; Middle English haunche<Old French hanche<Germanic; compare Middle Dutch hanke haunch, hip, German Hanke haunch

OTHER WORDS FROM haunch

haunched, adjectivehaunchless, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH haunch

haunch , hunch

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use haunch in a sentence

“He was so quick, he could get around you before you got off your haunches,” says one former teammate.
Football Great Bob Suffridge Wanders Through the End Zone of Life|Paul Hemphill|September 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Face red, eyes bulging to the ceiling, she lifted the bar from its stand and then lowered herself onto her haunches.
Sandy Koufax 2.0|Zachary Fenster|July 11, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Pulling the horse on his haunches, and swinging him round at the same moment as if on a pivot, he made a bound to the left.
Hunting the Lions|R.M. Ballantyne
Old Captain sat up on his haunches, his slantwise eyes wide open with wonder.
The Soldier of the Valley|Nelson Lloyd

"Stop, my young friend," said Crafty, sitting bolt upright on his haunches.
The Nursery, December 1881, Vol. XXX|Various
But Frederick seized the horse by the bridle, and with a violent jerk forced the animal back upon its haunches.
The Seven Cardinal Sins: Envy and Indolence|Eugne Sue
Charley's horse fell back upon his haunches;—there was giant might in the hand that reined him;—an inch nearer, and she was lost!
Alone|Marion Harland

British Dictionary definitions for haunch

haunch

/ (hɔːntʃ) /

noun

the human hip or fleshy hindquarter of an animal, esp a horse or similar quadruped

the leg and loin of an animal, used for fooda haunch of venison

Also called: hance architect the part of an arch between the impost and the apex

Derived forms of haunch

haunched, adjective

Word Origin for haunch

C13: from Old French hanche; related to Spanish, Italian anca, of Germanic origin; compare Low German hanke

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

haunch

Origin of haunch

OTHER WORDS FROM haunch

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH haunch

Words related to haunch

How to use haunch in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for haunch

Derived forms of haunch

Word Origin for haunch