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pounce²

(pouns)

1. A fine powder formerly used to smooth and finish writing paper and soak up ink.

2. A fine powder, such as pulverized charcoal, dusted over a stencil to transfer a design to an underlying surface.

tr.v. pounced, pounc·ing, pounc·es

1. To sprinkle, smooth, or treat with pounce.

2. To transfer (a stenciled design) with pounce.

[French ponce, from Old French, from Vulgar Latin *pōmex, *pōmic-, from Latin pūmex, pumice.]

pouncer n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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