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punch1

Syllabification: (punch)
Pronunciation: /pənCH/

Translate punch | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of punch

verb

[with object]
  • 1strike with the fist:she punched him in the face and ran off
  • drive with a blow from the fist:he punched the ball into his own goal
  • 2press (a button or key on a machine).
  • (punch something in/into) enter information by pressing a button or key.
  • 3drive (cattle) by prodding them with a stick.

noun

  • a blow with the fist.
  • informal the strength needed to deliver a blow with the fist:he has the punch to knock out anyone in his division
  • [in singular] informal the power to impress or startle:photos give their arguments an extra visual punch

Phrases

beat someone to the punch

informal anticipate or forestall someone’s actions.

punch the (time) clock

(of an employee) punch in or out.
be employed in a conventional job with regular hours.

punch someone's lights out

beat someone up; knock someone unconscious.
[Lights in the sense 'lungs' (see lights)]

punch one's ticket

do or achieve something that enables one to progress to the next step:Krueger punched her ticket to the Championships by taking eighth at the NCAA South Regionals

Phrasal Verbs

punch in (or out)

register one’s arrival at (or departure from) work, especially by means of a time clock:she couldn’t punch in, because there were no time clocks

punch something up

  • 1use a computer keyboard to call something to the screen:people will be able to punch up Andy Warhol and get text, photographs, and video on the entire Pop Art period
  • 2 informal enliven:he needed to punch up his meandering presentation

Derivatives

puncher

noun

Origin:

late Middle English (as a verb in the sense 'puncture, prod'): variant of pounce1

punch in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of punch in the British & World English dictionary

Nearby words

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