Haunch

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /hɔːnt͡ʃ/

Definitions

1. A specific area of the body that includes the hip, upper leg, and back part, particularly notable in quadrupeds and as a reference in anatomy
2. A region of the anatomy that encompasses both the hip and upper thigh, typically associated with the hind legs of animals and their muscular structure
3. A part of the anatomy that comprises the hip joint and the upper thigh, significant in both human and animal forms, especially in locomotion and posture

Etymology: The most surprising link here is with the ankle. "Haunch" descends from a Germanic word, probably borrowed into Old French through Frankish, that meant "joint" and, in some forms, "ankle." The same ancient root, *ang-, meaning "joint" or "bend," also gave English "ankle" and its Old High German relatives, so the thigh and the foot's hinge share a family name. The word reached English in Middle English as "haunche" or "hanche," taken from Old French "hanche," "hance," or "anche." Those French forms are echoed in modern Italian "anca" and French "hanche," which still mean hip. Over the centuries the sense narrowed from a general bending joint to the hip and upper thigh of a body, the part that bears weight when an animal rises, leaps, or settles.

Synonyms: hip, thigh