staunch

C2 Topic:Actions & Processes

Also spelled stanch

US /stɔn(t)ʃ/ UK /stɔːn(t)ʃ/ See IPA manual

Freq #35845

Meanings

1

verb
stop the flow of a liquid

Staunch the blood flow.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · stop the flow of a liquid stem

More stalwart steadfast foursquare

Word family

Forms stanchesstanchlesslystaunchedstauncherstaunchesstauncheststaunchingstaunchly

Derived forms staunchlystaunchness

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

staunch defender
someone who firmly and loyally protects a person, right, or principle

Adjective + noun

Simplified etymology

Staunch, also spelled stanch, comes from Old French estanche for the adjective and estanchier for the verb, from a Romance base meaning dried up or weary. The adjective developed from watertight to well-built and reliable, then to loyal, while the verb retained the idea of stopping a flow, especially of blood.

Etymology

From Middle English staunch, staunche (“(adjective) in good condition or repair; solidly made, firm; watertight; of a person or wound: not bleeding; certain; intact; (adverb) firmly, soundly”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman estaunche, Old French estanche (“firm; watertight”) (modern French étanche (“airtight; watertight”)), a variant of estanc (“a pond”), from estanchier (“to stop the flow of a liquid (blood, water, etc.); to make (something) watertight; to quench (thirst)”) (modern French étancher), possibly from one of the following: * From Vulgar Latin *stagnicāre, from Latin stāgnum...

*steh₂g- Proto-Indo-European staunch Middle English estaunche xno estanche Old French *stagnicāre la-vul stāgnum Latin *stānticāre la-vul stans Latin *steh₂- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# staunch

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /stɔn(t)ʃ/
**IPA (UK):** /stɔːn(t)ʃ/
**Frequency rank:** 35845

## Meanings
1. stop the flow of a liquid

## Examples
- Staunch the blood flow.

## Synonyms
- stem
- stalwart
- steadfast
- foursquare

## Derived Forms
- staunchly
- staunchness

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *steh₂g-
- Root: staunch
- Root: estaunche
- Root: estanche
- Root: *stagnicāre
- Root: stāgnum
- Root: *stānticāre
- Root: stans
- Root: *steh₂-

## Etymology
From Middle English staunch, staunche (“(adjective) in good condition or repair; solidly made, firm; watertight; of a person or wound: not bleeding; certain; intact; (adverb) firmly, soundly”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman estaunche, Old French estanche (“firm; watertight”) (modern French étanche (“airtight; watertight”)), a variant of estanc (“a pond”), from estanchier (“to stop the flow of a liquid (blood, water, etc.); to make (something) watertight; to quench (thirst)”) (modern French étancher), possibly from one of the following: * From Vulgar Latin *stagnicāre, from Latin stāgnum...

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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