trounce

trounce · verb, noun¹

1. Old French · derived fromtronce
2. Old French · derived fromtroncer
3. English todaytrounce

The origin of the verb is unknown; it is perhaps related to Old French troncer, troncher, troncir, tronchir (“to cut; to cut a piece from; to retrench”), from Old French tronce, tronche (“stump; piece of wood”). However, the English and Old French words differ in meaning. The noun is derived from the verb.

trounce · verb, noun²

1. Middle English · inherited fromtramplen“to tread on, trample”
2. Latin · derived fromtrānsīre
3. Old French · derived fromtransir“to cut through, pass through”
4. Middle English · inherited fromtrauncen
5. Middle English · inherited fromtraunce
6. English todaytrounce

The verb is derived from Middle English traunce, trauncen, trancen (“to move about (?); to prance (?); to trample the ground”) (whence modern English trance with the same senses), possibly either: * from Middle English trauncen, transen (“to pass from life to death, die”), from Old French transir (“to cut through, pass through”), from Latin trānsīre, present active infinitive of trānseō (“to cross, traverse; to go over (to a side or faction); to pass over; to exceed, surpass; of time: to elapse, pass; (figuratively) to cease, pass away”), from trāns (“across; beyond”) + eō (“to go”); or * a blend of Middle English tramplen (“to tread on, trample”) + dauncen (“to dance”) or prauncen (“to prance”). The noun is probably derived from the verb.

Words from the same roots