Standard Lemma guide

paunch

noun · verb · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /pɔːnt͡ʃ/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • /pɑːntʃ/ some accents
  • rhymes with -ɔːntʃ
  • rhymes with -ɑːntʃ

1

noun

Meaning 1

The first compartment of the stomach of a ruminant, the rumen.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The contents of this stomach in a slaughtered animal, viewed as food or a byproduct.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The belly of a human, especially a large, fat protruding one.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • See also: pooch
  • Since retiring from athletics, he has developed a paunch.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: potbelly

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A paunch mat.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: nautical, transport

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

The thickened rim of a bell, struck by the clapper.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To remove the internal organs of a ruminant, prior to eating.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

a protruding abdomen

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: belly

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: adipose tissue, fat, fatty tissue

Narrower terms: pot, potbelly, bay window, corporation, tummy

History

Etymology

From Middle English paunche, from Old Northern French panche, Old French pance (French panse), from Latin pantex.

Across languages

Translations

83 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Asturian: ventrón — first stomach of ruminant; rumen
  • Bulgarian: търбух (tǎrbuh) — first stomach of ruminant; rumen
  • Czech: bachor — first stomach of ruminant; rumen
  • Dutch: pens — first stomach of ruminant; rumen
  • Finnish: pötsi — first stomach of ruminant; rumen
  • French: panse — first stomach of ruminant; rumen
  • Galician: panza — first stomach of ruminant; rumen
  • Galician: bandullo — first stomach of ruminant; rumen
  • German: Pansen — first stomach of ruminant; rumen
  • Greek: κοιλιά (koiliá) — first stomach of ruminant; rumen
  • Hungarian: bendő — first stomach of ruminant; rumen
  • Irish: méadail mhór — first stomach of ruminant; rumen
  • Italian: pancia — first stomach of ruminant; rumen
  • Italian: rumine — first stomach of ruminant; rumen
  • Portuguese: pança — first stomach of ruminant; rumen
  • Romanian: rumen — first stomach of ruminant; rumen
  • Romanian: ierbar — first stomach of ruminant; rumen
  • Romanian: burduhan — first stomach of ruminant; rumen
  • Romanian: burduf — first stomach of ruminant; rumen
  • Russian: рубе́ц (rubéc) — first stomach of ruminant; rumen
  • Sicilian: panza — first stomach of ruminant; rumen
  • Spanish: panza — first stomach of ruminant; rumen
  • Swedish: våm — first stomach of ruminant; rumen
  • Ukrainian: рубець (rubecʹ) — first stomach of ruminant; rumen
  • Arabic: كَرِش (kariš) — large, protruding belly
  • Arabic: كرش (kerš) — large, protruding belly
  • Armenian: փոր (pʻor) — large, protruding belly
  • Bulgarian: шкембе (škembe) — large, protruding belly
  • Catalan: panxa — large, protruding belly
  • Catalan: butza — large, protruding belly
  • Czech: pupek — large, protruding belly
  • Czech: panděro — large, protruding belly
  • Danish: vom — large, protruding belly
  • Danish: bug — large, protruding belly
  • Dutch: pens — large, protruding belly
  • Dutch: buik — large, protruding belly
  • Esperanto: ventro — large, protruding belly
  • Finnish: pötsi — large, protruding belly
  • French: bedaine — large, protruding belly
  • French: panse — large, protruding belly
  • Galician: bandullo — large, protruding belly
  • Galician: andorga — large, protruding belly
  • Galician: panza — large, protruding belly
  • Galician: barriga — large, protruding belly
  • Georgian: ღიპი (ɣiṗi) — large, protruding belly
  • German: Wampe — large, protruding belly
  • German: Plauze — large, protruding belly
  • German: Wanst — large, protruding belly
  • Gothic: 𐍅𐌰𐌼𐌱𐌰 (wamba) — large, protruding belly
  • Greek: προκοίλι (prokoíli) — large, protruding belly
  • Hungarian: has — large, protruding belly
  • Hungarian: pocak — large, protruding belly
  • Irish: maróg — large, protruding belly
  • Irish: blonag — large, protruding belly
  • Italian: pancione — large, protruding belly
  • Italian: pancia — large, protruding belly
  • Italian: buzzo — large, protruding belly
  • Italian: trippa — large, protruding belly
  • Middle English: paunche — large, protruding belly
  • Polish: bebech — large, protruding belly
  • Portuguese: pança — large, protruding belly
  • Punjabi: ਗੋਗੜ (gogaṛ) — large, protruding belly
  • Romanian: burduhan — large, protruding belly
  • Romanian: burdihan — large, protruding belly
  • Romanian: pântec — large, protruding belly
  • Romanian: pântece — large, protruding belly
  • Russian: брю́хо (brjúxo) — large, protruding belly
  • Russian: пу́зо (púzo) — large, protruding belly
  • Spanish: panza — large, protruding belly
  • Spanish: barriga — large, protruding belly
  • Spanish: guata — large, protruding belly
  • Swedish: buk — large, protruding belly
  • Tagalog: buyon — large, protruding belly
  • Tamil: தொப்பை (toppai) — large, protruding belly
  • Ukrainian: пузо (puzo) — large, protruding belly
  • Ukrainian: черевце (čerevce) — large, protruding belly
  • Volapük: lugötöp — large, protruding belly
  • Welsh: bol — large, protruding belly
  • Welsh: cest — large, protruding belly
  • Bulgarian: изтърбушвам (iztǎrbušvam) — to remove organs of a ruminant
  • Finnish: suolistaa — to remove organs of a ruminant
  • Romanian: eviscera — to remove organs of a ruminant
  • Russian: потроши́ть (potrošítʹ) — to remove organs of a ruminant