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staunch1

Pronunciation: /stɔːn(t)ʃ/

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Definition of staunch

adjective

  • 1very loyal and committed in attitude:a staunch supporter of the anti-nuclear lobby a staunch Catholic
  • 2(of a wall) of strong or firm construction: these staunch walls could withstand attack by cannon
  • (also stanch) archaic (of a ship) watertight: powerful and stanch boats

Derivatives

staunchly

adverb
[as submodifier]:a staunchly Royalist county

staunchness

noun

Origin:

late Middle English (in the sense 'watertight'): from Old French estanche, feminine of estanc, from a Romance base meaning 'dried up, weary'. Sense 1 dates from the early 17th century

Spelling help

Remember that staunch is spelled with -au- in the middle (the spelling stanch is American).

staunch in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of staunch in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

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