puncheon

1 of 2

noun (1)

pun·​cheon ˈpən-chən How to pronounce puncheon (audio)
Synonyms of puncheonnext
1
: a pointed tool for piercing or for working on stone
2
a
: a short upright framing timber
b
: a split log or heavy slab with the face smoothed

puncheon

2 of 2

noun (2)

: a large cask of varying capacity

Synonyms

Noun (2)

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of puncheon in a Sentence

Noun (2) stored the puncheons of rum in the cellar
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The Arizona La Osa is a 2019 Grenache aged 18 months in neutral 500-liter puncheons and bottled unfiltered. — Sarah Lapidus, The Arizona Republic, 17 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English ponson, punchon, from Anglo-French ponchon pointed tool, support, ultimately from Vulgar Latin *punctiare to prick, pierce, from Latin punctum, supine of pungere — more at pungent

Noun (2)

Middle English punchon, from Anglo-French ponchon, probably from Middle French poinçon mark on goods certifying their origin

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of puncheon was in the 14th century

Rhymes for puncheon

See All Rhymes for puncheon

Browse Nearby Words

puncheon
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Puncheon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/puncheon. Accessed 19 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

puncheon

noun
pun·​cheon
ˈpən-chən
: a large barrel of varying size
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Words You Always Have to Look Up
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

13 Unusually Long English Words

9 Superb Owl Words

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular Features

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

13 Unusually Long English Words

9 Superb Owl Words
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
number-twelve-balloon
12-Letter Words Quiz A dozen words, a dozen letters each.
See All