punch

punch · noun, verb¹

1. Latin · derived frompunctio
2. Old French · derived fromponchonner“to punch”
3. Middle English · inherited frompunchen
4. English todaypunch

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”).

punch · noun, verb²

1. Latin · derived frompunctio
2. Old French · derived fromponchon“pointed tool”
3. Middle English · inherited frompunchoun
4. English todaypunch

Shortened form of puncheon, from Middle English punchoun, from Old French ponchon (“pointed tool”), from Latin punctio, from punctus, perfect passive participle of pungō (“to prick”).

punch · noun³

1. Sanskrit · derived fromपञ्च
2. Urdu · borrowed fromپانچ
3. Hindi · borrowed fromपाँच“five”
4. English todaypunch

PIE word *pénkʷe From Hindi पाँच (pā̃c, “five”)/Urdu پانچ (pānc), because of the drink's original five ingredients (spirits, water, lemon juice, sugar, and spice), from Sanskrit पञ्च (páñca). Doublet of cinque, fin (“five currency units”), finnuf, five, pimp (“five”), ponzu, and sengi (“currency”); related to Punjab and Pompeii.

punch · noun⁴

From Punch.

punch · noun, adjective⁵

Uncertain. Perhaps shortened from puncheon (compare German Punze, Punzen (“cask; short fat person or thing”)) or Punchinello.

Punch · proper noun, noun⁶

Shortened from Punchinello.

Punch · proper noun⁷

Variant of Points.

Words from the same roots