pounce

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
pounce1

▶verb

• 1 spring or swoop suddenly to catch or as if to catch prey.

• 2 notice and take swift advantage of a mistake or sign of weakness.

▶noun an act of pouncing.

– derivatives
pouncer noun.

– origin ME (denoting a tool for punching, later ‘claw, talon’): origin obscure, perh. from puncheon1.

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
pounce2

▶noun

• 1 a fine resinous powder formerly used to prevent ink from spreading on unglazed paper or to prepare parchment to receive writing.

• 2 powdered charcoal or other fine powder dusted over a perforated pattern to transfer the design to the surface beneath.

▶verb

• 1 smooth down by rubbing with pounce or pumice.

• 2 transfer (a design) by the use of pounce.

– derivatives
pouncer noun.

– origin C16: from Fr. poncer, based on L. pumex ‘pumice’.