pounce — to jump or move quickly and suddenly in order to catch or attack something
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to jump or move quickly and suddenly in order to catch or attack something
Pronunciation (IPA): /paʊns/
Example Sentences
- My boss always pounces on any excuse to give me extra work.
- The detective pounced on the suspect's inconsistent story.
- She pounced on the last slice of pizza before anyone could react.
pounce
VERB[/paʊns/]
to jump or move quickly and suddenly in order to catch or attack something
to jump or move quickly and suddenly in order to catch or attack something
Ready to pounce, but the rabbit will bounce and birds announce!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Pounce derives from Middle English 'punce' (15th century), which originally referred to the talons or claws of a hawk or eagle. The term later evolved to denote the action of an animal striking with its claws, eventually generalizing to any swift, sudden attack or descent.
Breakdown
punce (talon/claw) + -e (verbal suffix) → pounce. The word shifted from a noun describing a bird's claw to a verb describing the predatory action of striking with claws.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My boss always pounces on any excuse to give me extra work.”
“The detective pounced on the suspect's inconsistent story.”
“She pounced on the last slice of pizza before anyone could react.”
“The lawyer pounced on every contradiction in the witness's testimony.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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