| paunch | 1. <anatomy> The belly and its contents; the abdomen; also, the first stomach, or rumen, of ruminants. See Rumen. 2. A paunch mat; called also panch. 3. The thickened rim of a bell, struck by the clapper. Paunch mat, a thick mat made of strands of rope, used to prevent the yard or rigging from chafing. Origin: OF. Panch, pance, F. Panse, L. Pantex, panticis. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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