punch¹ / pənch/ • v. [tr.] 1. strike with the fist: he punched her in the face and ran off. ∎  drive with a blow from the fist: he punched the ball into his own goal.2. press (a button or key on a machine). ∎  (punch something in/into) enter information by this action.3. drive (cattle) by prodding them with a stick.• n. a blow with the fist. ∎ inf. the strength needed to deliver such a blow: he has the punch to knock out anyone in his division. ∎  [in sing.] inf. the power to impress or startle: photos give their arguments an extra visual punch.PHRASES: beat someone to the punch inf. 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.punch something up1. use 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. inf. enliven: he needed to punch up his meandering presentation.PHRASAL VERBS: punch in (or out) register one's arrival at (or departure from) work, esp. by means of a time clock: she couldn't punch in, because there were no time clocks.DERIVATIVES: punch·er n.punch² • n. 1. a device or machine for making holes in materials such as paper, leather, metal, and plaster.2. a tool or machine for impressing a design or stamping a die on a material.• v. [tr.] pierce a hole in (metal, paper, leather, etc.) with or as though with a punch. ∎  pierce (a hole) with or as though with a punch.punch³ • n. a drink made with fruit juices, soda, spices, and sometimes liquor, typically served in small cups from a large bowl.punch⁴ • n. (Punch) a grotesque, hook-nosed, humpbacked buffoon, the chief male character of the Punch and Judy show. Punch is the English variant of a stock character derived ultimately from Italian commedia dell'arte. Also called Punchinello. PHRASES: pleased as Punch feeling great delight or pride.

Punch, a satirical weekly periodical, was founded in 1841 under the editorship of Henry Mayhew and Mark Lemon, early contributors including Thackeray, Hood, and Tenniel. Famous for its cartoons, and a former stand-by in professional waiting-rooms, it closed in 1992 due to debt, but reappeared in 1996 under new ownership.

A. S. Hargreaves

punch1 a drink made from wine or spirits mixed with water, fruit juices, and spices, and typically served hot. Recorded from the mid 17th century, the word apparently comes from Sanskrit pañca ‘five, five kinds of’, because the drink had five ingredients (water, fruit juices, spices, fruit, and sugar).

punch2 (Punch) hump-backed short grotesque male figure; principal character in the puppet-show of Punch and Judy XVIII; short fat man (also adj.) XVII; one of a breed of thick-set horses (e.g. Suffolk p.) XIX. Shortening of PUNCHINELLO.

punch1 † dagger XV (rare); instrument for pricking or piercing XVI, for impressing a design XVII. Shortening of PUNCHEON1, which it has mostly superseded, if not f. PUNCH4.