trounce

== English == === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA(key): /tɹaʊns/ Rhymes: -aʊns === Etymology 1 === The origin of the verb is unknown; it is perhaps related to Old French troncer, troncher, troncir, tronchir (“to cut; to cut a piece from; to retrench”), from Old French tronce, tronche (“stump; piece of wood”). However, the English and Old French words differ in meaning. The noun is derived from the verb. ==== Verb ==== trounce (third-person singular simple present trounces, present participle trouncing, simple past and past participle trounced) (transitive) To beat severely; to thrash. (transitive) To beat or overcome thoroughly, to defeat heavily; especially (games, sports) to win against (someone) by a wide margin. Synonyms: see Thesaurus:defeat (transitive) To chastise or punish physically or verbally; to scold with abusive language. Synonyms: censure, (verbal punishment) rebuke (transitive, British, regional) To punish by bringing a lawsuit against; to sue. ===== Derived terms ===== trouncer trouncing (noun) ===== Translations ===== ==== Noun ==== trounce (plural trounces) An act of trouncing: a severe beating, a thrashing; a thorough defeat. ===== Translations ===== === Etymology 2 === The verb is derived from Middle English traunce, trauncen, trancen (“to move about (?); to prance (?); to trample the ground”) (whence modern English trance with the same senses), possibly either: from Middle English trauncen, transen (“to pass from life to death, die”), from Old French transir (“to cut through, pass through”), from Latin trānsīre, present active infinitive of trānseō (“to cross, traverse; to go over (to a side or faction); to pass over; to exceed, surpass; of time: to elapse, pass; (figuratively) to cease, pass away”), from trāns (“across; beyond”) + eō (“to go”); or a blend of Middle English tramplen (“to tread on, trample”) + dauncen (“to dance”) or prauncen (“to prance”). The noun is probably derived from the verb. ==== Verb ==== trounce (third-person singular simple present trounces, present participle trouncing, simple past and past participle trounced) (British, dialectal) (intransitive) To walk heavily or with some difficulty; to tramp, to trudge. Synonym: (obsolete except dialectal) trance (intransitive) To pass across or over; to traverse. Synonym: (obsolete except dialectal) trance (intransitive) To travel quickly over a long distance. Synonym: (obsolete except dialectal) trance ==== Noun ==== trounce (plural trounces) (British, dialectal) A walk involving some difficulty or effort; a trek, a tramp, a trudge. A journey involving quick travel; also, one that is dangerous or laborious. Synonym: (obsolete except dialectal) trance === References === Joseph Wright, editor (1905), “TROUNCE, sb. and v.2”, in The English Dialect Dictionary: […], volume VI (T–Z, Supplement, Bibliography and Grammar), London: Henry Frowde, […], publisher to the English Dialect Society, […]; New York, N.Y.: G[eorge] P[almer] Putnam’s Sons, →OCLC, page 248, column 1. === Further reading === Douglas Harper (2001–2026), “trounce”, in Online Etymology Dictionary. === Anagrams === Counter, Cureton, Cutrone, cornute, counter, counter-, countre, recount