haunch

English

Alternative forms

• haunce, haunse
• (architecture) hanch, hance, hanse

Etymology

From Middle English haunche, hanche, from Old French hanche, hance, anche (compare French hanche, Italian anca), from a Germanic source, probably Frankish *ankijā, from Proto-Germanic *ankijǭ (“joint; ankle”), from Proto-Indo-European *ang- (“joint; lith”). Cognate with Old High German ancha, encha, einka (“the leg; joint, bend”) (compare Old High German anchila, enchila (“ankle”), German Hanke (“haunch”), West Frisian hancke (“haunch”). More at ankle.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /hɔːnt͡ʃ/, /hɒnt͡ʃ/
• (some accents) IPA^(key): /hɑːnt͡ʃ/
• (US) IPA^(key): /hɔnt͡ʃ/, /hɑnt͡ʃ/

• Audio (US)

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• Audio (AU)

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• Rhymes: -ɔːntʃ, -ɑːnt͡ʃ

Noun

haunch (plural haunches)

1. (anatomy) The area encompassing the upper thigh, hip and buttocks on one side of a human, primate, or quadruped animal, especially one that can sit on its hindquarters.
   • 1726 October 28, [Jonathan Swift], Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. , volume II, London: Benj Motte, , →OCLC, part IV (A Voyage to the Houyhnhnms):

     But I had no time to pursue these reflections; for the gray horse came to the door, and made me a sign to follow him into the third room where I saw a very comely mare, together with a colt and foal, sitting on their haunches upon mats of straw, not unartfully made, and perfectly neat and clean.

   • 1855 November 10, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, “chapter III”, in The Song of Hiawatha, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor and Fields, →OCLC:

     And the rabbit from his path-way
     Leaped aside, and at a distance
     Sat erect upon his haunches.

   • 1916, Wilfred Owen, The Wrestlers:

     While Heracles, - the thews and cordage of his thighs
     Straitened and strained beyond the utmost stretch
     From quivering heel to haunch like sweating hawsers.

   • c. 1918, Carl Sandburg, Fog:

     The fog comes on little cat feet.
     It sits looking over harbor and city
     on silent haunches and then moves on.

   • 2018 July 15, Jonathan Jurejko, “Novak Djokovic Wins Fourth Wimbledon by Beating Kevin Anderson”, in BBC Sport‎, archived from the original on 14 February 2019:

     He [Novak Djokovic] dropped to his haunches just inside the baseline as Centre Court rose to acclaim the champion, hugging South African [Kevin] Anderson at the net before skipping over towards his box and celebrating wildly in front of his coaching team and wife Jelena.

2. The loin and leg of a quadruped, especially when used as food.
   • 1895 November, Rudyard Kipling, “The Law of the Jungle”, in The Second Jungle Book, London, New York, N.Y.: Macmillan and Co., →OCLC, page 25:

     Now these are the Laws of the Jungle, and many and mighty are they; / But the head and the hoof of the Law and the haunch and the hump is—Obey!

   • a. 1892, John Greenleaf Whittier, The Garrison of Cape Ann:

     On the rough-hewn oaken table the venison haunch was shared.

3. (architecture) A squat vertical support structure.
4. (dialect) A jerked underhand throw.

Derived terms

• haunch bone
• haunch holder
• haunchy

Translations

Verb

haunch (third-person singular simple present haunches, present participle haunching, simple past and past participle haunched)

1. (transitive, architecture) To provide with a haunch or supporting structure.
2. (transitive, dialect) To throw with an underhand movement.