Advertisement - Continue reading below

Definition of "paunch" [paunch]

  • The belly, especially a protruding one; a potbelly. (noun)
  • See rumen. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "paunch" in a sentence
  • "To quote the foreword in one of Luther's books, "his gorged paunch is puffed up with uncivil pride.""
  • "When the paunch is to be punctured, the animal must be stabbed with a knife (a penknife will do) midway between the haunch-bone and the last rib of the left side; and the opening should be prevented from closing, by the introduction of a tin tube or something of that kind, till the gases are dispelled."
  • "And for a long time, I made the excuse that having a paunch was a sign of success, and, you know, I live a high life in the literary world; we all do."