Pounce

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /paʊns/

Definitions

1. To leap or spring suddenly and forcefully onto something, typically in order to attack or capture it
2. To suddenly spring forward with force to seize or capture something, often as part of a predatory action or playful behavior
3. To make a quick, determined leap aimed at grasping or engaging an object or prey in an assertive manner

Etymology: The verb "pounce" has a surprising tie to pumice, the volcanic stone. The noun "pounce" originally meant a powder used to dry wet ink or to transfer designs, and it came into English from French "ponce," which traces back through Latin "pūmex," meaning pumice. Pumice dust was the abrasive that made the powder work, so the two words are doublets, sharing a root but arriving in English by different routes. The verb is a separate story. Its Middle English form was "pounce," probably related to "punch" in the sense of pricking or piercing, and possibly connected to Old French "ponchonner," the ancestor of the French verb "poinçonner," meaning to stamp or punch. The idea of a sudden, pointed strike seems to lie behind the modern sense of seizing something by springing on it.

Synonyms: spring, leap, jump, dive, attack

Antonyms: retreat, avoid, dodge, escape, withdraw