POUNCE


Meaning of POUNCE in English

pounce /paʊns/ BrE AmE verb [intransitive]

[ Date: 1600-1700 ; Origin: pounce 'claw' (15-19 centuries) , probably from puncheon 'pointed weapon' (14-20 centuries) , from Old French poinchon ]

to suddenly move forward and attack someone or something, after waiting to attack them:

The cat was hiding in the bushes, ready to pounce.

pounce on

Kevin pounced on Liam and started hitting him.

—pounce noun [countable]

pounce on somebody/something phrasal verb

1 . to criticize someone’s mistakes or ideas very quickly and eagerly:

Teachers are quick to pounce on students’ grammatical errors.

2 . to eagerly take an opportunity as soon as it becomes available:

When they offered O'Leary the chance to become manager, he pounced on it.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English.      Longman - Словарь современного английского языка.