jaunce

English

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English jouncen, perhaps from Old French jancer (“to jolt, jog”), from North Germanic, related to Swedish ganta (“to sport, romp, jest, play the fool”), from Old Norse ganta(sk), of uncertain origin, possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰeh₂- (“to gape, yawn”). More at jaunt. Perhaps influenced by bounce.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d͡ʒɔːns/

  • Audio (Southern England)

    (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔːns

Verb

jaunce (third-person singular simple present jaunces, present participle jauncing, simple past and past participle jaunced)

1. To prance; to frolic.
2. To jolt or shake.
   • c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene v]:

     catch my death with jauncing up and down!

Noun

jaunce (plural jaunces)

1. A jaunt.
   • c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene v]:

     Fie, how my bones ache! What a jaunce have I!

See also

• jounce

Further reading

• “jaunce”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.