punch-out

Or punch·out

[puhnch-out]

noun

1. a small section of cardboard or metal surrounded by perforations so that it can be easily forced out.

2. Slang.,  a fistfight or brawl.

3. Baseball.,  the air-punching gesture an umpire makes to denote a third strike, effectively ending the batter’s at-bat.

   Stein didn’t develop his signature punch-out until his third season umpiring in the minors.

Word History and Origins

Origin of punch-out¹

First recorded in 1925–30; noun use of verb phrase punch out

Idioms and Phrases

Record one's time of departure from work, as in We never punch out at exactly five o'clock . This usage, dating from the 1920s, alludes to the use of a time clock. Also see punch in , def. 1.

Eject from a military aircraft, as in The pilot punched out just before the plane blew up . [ Slang ; 1960s]

Related Words

• bloodshed 
• combat 
• conflict 
• dispute 
• exchange 
• hostility 
• melee 
• riot 
• scuffle 
• strife 
• struggle 
• war 
• warfare