puissance

American  

[pyoo-uh-suhns, pyoo-is-uhns, pwis-uhns] / ˈpyu ə səns, pyuˈɪs əns, ˈpwɪs əns /

noun

Literary.

1. power, might, or force.

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puissance British  

/ ˈpjuːɪsəns, ˈpwiːsɑːns /

noun

1. a competition in showjumping that tests a horse's ability to jump a limited number of large obstacles

2. archaic power

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Etymology

Origin of puissance

1375–1425; late Middle English < Middle French, equivalent to puiss ( ant ) puissant + -ance -ance

Example Sentences

Brandi Carlile, tearing through her song “The Joke” with folk puissance, was the most emotional and the all-around best performer of the night.

From The New Yorker • Feb. 11, 2019

The puissance does not count towards the leading rider award.

From BBC • Dec. 20, 2012

Pepsi-Cola embraced the puissance of “Generation Next,” the New York Mets used “Generation K” to play up the prospects of three young pitchers and Parade, the Sunday newspaper magazine, has run articles about “Generation Wired.”

From New York Times • Sep. 9, 2012

Kraut said in an interview she may also enter the 8-year-old Dutch warmblood in the $25,000 puissance competition, which is a high jump class for horses.

From Washington Post • Oct. 27, 2011

Sa famille pr�sentait un rare assemblage de douces vertus et de jeunes talents qu'une forte �ducation d�veloppait chaque jour avec puissance.

From Walks in Rome by Hare, Augustus J. C.