POUNCE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does pounce mean? 

• POUNCE (noun)
  The noun POUNCE has 1 sense:

1. the act of pouncing

  Familiarity information: POUNCE used as a noun is very rare.

• POUNCE (verb)
  The verb POUNCE has 1 sense:

1. move down on as if in an attack

  Familiarity information: POUNCE used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• POUNCE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The act of pouncing

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("pounce" is a kind of...):

bounce; bound; leap; leaping; saltation; spring (a light, self-propelled movement upwards or forwards)

Derivation:

pounce (move down on as if in an attack)

• POUNCE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they pounce    ... he / she / it pounces   
Past simple: pounced   
Past participle: pounced   
-ing form: pouncing   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Move down on as if in an attack

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

pounce; swoop

Context example:

The teacher swooped down upon the new students

Hypernyms (to "pounce" is one way to...):

come down; descend; fall; go down (move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "pounce"):

stoop (descend swiftly, as if on prey)

Sentence frames:

Something is ----ing PP
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

pounce (the act of pouncing)

 Context examples 

I found myself in the condition of a schoolmaster, a trap, a pitfall; of always playing spider to Dora's fly, and always pouncing out of my hole to her infinite disturbance.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Sometimes this stroke was successful, and a stricken dog rolled in the dirt, to be pounced upon and torn to pieces by the pack of Indian dogs that waited.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

The thief or the murderer could roam London on such a day as the tiger does the jungle, unseen until he pounces, and then evident only to his victim.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

But it was time to catch the last ferry-boat for Oakland, and Brissenden and Martin slipped out, leaving Norton still talking and Kreis and Hamilton waiting to pounce on him like a pair of hounds as soon as he finished.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

When exposed to the laser, the primed mice would first stalk and then pounce on and bite any object in their enclosure, even objects without any food scent or prey value, like sticks and bottle caps.

(Geneticists produce laser-activated killer mice, Wikinews)

Belcher and Baldwin had pounced upon their man, and had him up and in his corner in an instant, but, in spite of the coolness with which the hardy smith took his punishment, there was immense exultation amongst the west-countrymen.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

But when he got over the boat, and wanted to pounce upon them and carry off the princess, the huntsman took up his bow and shot him straight through the heart so that he fell down dead.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

It is true that these monstrous creatures which we had seen were lumbering, inoffensive brutes which were unlikely to hurt anyone, but in this world of wonders what other survivals might there not be—what fierce, active horrors ready to pounce upon us from their lair among the rocks or brushwood?

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

But no thing of fear pounced out, and when he had gained the inside he scouted carefully around, looking at it and finding it not.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

The Elfin suddenness with which she pounced upon me with this question, and a searching look, quite disconcerted me for a moment.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)