Definition of "pounce"

pounce¹

/paʊns/

noun
usually uncountable, plural pounces
1. (historical) A type of fine powder, as of sandarac, or cuttlefish bone, sprinkled over wet ink to dry the ink after writing or on rough paper to smooth the writing surface.
2. (historical) Charcoal dust, or some other coloured powder for making patterns through perforated designs, used by embroiderers, lacemakers, etc.
verb
third-person singular simple present pounces, present participle pouncing, simple past and past participle pounced
1. (transitive) To sprinkle or rub with pounce powder.

pounce²

/paʊns/

noun
plural pounces
1. A sudden leaping attack.
  Quotations
  Again the cat jolted the bed with a pounce.
  1999, Niki Anderson, Inspurrrational Stories for Cat Lovers
2. (archaic) The claw or talon of a bird of prey.
  Quotations
  You have , indeed , winged ministers of vengeance, who carry your bolts in their pounces to the remotest verge of the sea
  March 22 1775, Edmund Burke, speech in the House of Commons on conciliation with America
  And from her griping pounce the greedy prey doth quarry
  1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book V, Canto IV”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie
3. A punch or stamp.
  Quotations
  a pounce to print money with
  1602, John Withals, A Dictionarie in English and Latine for Children
4. Cloth worked in eyelet holes.
  Quotations
  one spendeth his patrimony upon pounces and cuts
  1571, John Jewel et al., “An Homily Against excess of apparel”, in The Second Tome of Homilees […]
verb
third-person singular simple present pounces, present participle pouncing, simple past and past participle pounced
1. (intransitive) To leap into the air intending to seize someone or something.
2. (intransitive) To attack suddenly by leaping.
3. (intransitive) To eagerly seize an opportunity.
  Quotations
  Irish debutant Conor Henderson - another ball-playing midfielder - probed for a gap through the back-line and the 19-year-old's deflected pass was pounced on by Tomas Rosicky, who sped to the byeline to clip a square ball through the legs of Charlie Daniels across the box.
  2011 March 2, Chris Whyatt, “Arsenal 5 - 0 Leyton Orient”, in BBC‎
4. (transitive) To strike or seize with the talons; to pierce, as with the talons.
  Quotations
  Stooped from his highest pitch to pounce a wren.
  1782, William Cowper, Table Talk
  Now pounce him lightly, / And as he roars and rages, let's go deeper.
  1621, John Fletcher, The Pilgrim (play)
5. (transitive) To stamp holes in; to perforate.

Definition of "pounce"

pounce1

noun

verb

pounce2

noun

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verb

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pounce¹

pounce²