POUNCE

n. & v. --n. 1 a fine powder formerly used to prevent ink from spreading on unglazed paper. 2 powdered charcoal etc. dusted over a perforated pattern to transfer the design to the object beneath. --v.tr. 1 dust with pounce. 2 transfer (a design etc.) by use of pounce. 3 smooth (paper etc.) with pounce or pumice. øøpouncer n. [F ponce, poncer f. L pumex PUMICE]