Punch Meaning
/pʌnt͡ʃ/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounA hit or strike with one's fist.
nounA blow from something other than the fist.
Sentence Examples
Do you want another glass of fruit punch?
I'll punch your lights out!
CEFR Practice Quiz
The host prepared a refreshing fruit ____ for the guests in the garden.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The boxer landed a powerful ____ that sent his opponent stumbling backward across the ring.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English punchen, partially from Old French ponchonner (“to punch”), from ponchon (“pointed tool”), from Latin punctio, from punctus, perfect passive participle of pungō (“I prick”); and partially from Middle English punchen, a syncopated variant of punischen ("to punish"; see punish). Also influenced by Middle English punchon ("a punch"; see puncheon). Compare also Middle English bunchen, bonchen (“to punch, deliver a blow, pound, beat”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Another Karadeniz cross led to Cudicini's first save of the night, with the Spurs keeper making up for a weak punch by brilliantly pushing away Christian Noboa's snap-shot."
— 2011 November 3, Chris Bevan, “Rubin Kazan 1 - 0 Tottenham”, in BBC Sport, archived from the original on 14 May 2020:
"For in Tashbaan there is only one traffic regulation, which is that everyone who is less important has to get out of the way for everyone who is more important; unless you want a cut from a whip or a punch from the butt end of a spear."
— 1954, C. S. Lewis, The Horse and His Boy:
"Nixon inadvertently took most of the punch out of the Red Scare by trekking to Peking and Moscow."
— 1978 April 22, Harry Seng, “Gore Vidal: Adjutant to the Gay Camp”, in Gay Community News, page 11:
"The theorizing often lacks punch and tightness, and that is because Kleinberg is unresolved about how to think about the facts, unsure which are the relevant facts, unsure that thinking itself will be liberating for him."
— 1981 August 22, Martin Krieger, “Always on the Outside of Whatever Side There Was”, in Gay Community News, volume 9, number 6, page 9:
"As night watchman he was required to punch a watchman's clock; the stations were scattered all over the place."
— 1922, William Otis Badger, editor, The Workmen's compensation law journal, volume 10, page 129:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The host prepared a refreshing fruit ____ for the guests in the garden.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The boxer landed a powerful ____ that sent his opponent stumbling backward across the ring.