puncheon

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   US historical: a split log or heavy slab smoothed on one face and used especially for flooring

   The church's puncheon floor stayed cool even in summer.

2. 2
   noun

   construction: a short upright framing timber or intermediate stud

   The carpenter fitted a puncheon between the sill and the beam.

3. 3
   noun

   a pointed tool, die, or stamp used for piercing or marking material

   The silversmith drove the puncheon into the metal to leave a maker's mark.

4. 4
   noun

   a large cask of varying capacity, especially for wine or spirits

   The cellar held a puncheon of rum beside several smaller barrels.

From Middle English and Anglo-French forms such as ponchon, naming a pointed tool or support and ultimately related to Latin pungere, 'to prick.' The large-cask noun entered through a related Anglo-French form but has a distinct historical development.

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External links

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• Cambridge Dictionary
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