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Pounce vs Twitch - What's the difference?

pounce | twitch |

In lang=en terms the difference between pounce and twitch

is that pounce is to stamp holes in; to perforate while twitch is to spot or seek out a bird, especially a rare one.

As nouns the difference between pounce and twitch

is that pounce is (historical) a type of fine powder, as of sandarac, or cuttlefish bone, sprinkled over wet ink to dry the ink after writing or pounce can be the claw or talon of a bird of prey while twitch is a brief, small (sometimes involuntary) movement out of place and then back again; a spasm or twitch can be couch grass, elymus repens ; a species of grass, often considered as a weed.

As verbs the difference between pounce and twitch

is that pounce is to sprinkle or rub with pounce powder or pounce can be to leap into the air intending to seize someone or something while twitch is to perform a twitch; spasm.

pounce

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) ponce, from (etyl) pumex.

Noun

(-)
  • (historical) A type of fine powder, as of sandarac, or cuttlefish bone, sprinkled over wet ink to dry the ink after writing.
  • (historical) Charcoal dust, or some other coloured powder for making patterns through perforated designs, used by embroiderers, lace makers, etc.
  • Verb

    (pounc)
  • To sprinkle or rub with pounce powder.
  • to pounce paper, or a pattern

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl), probably akin to punch. Possibly from (etyl) ponchonner (compare French ).

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The claw or talon of a bird of prey.
  • (Burke)
    (Spenser)
  • A punch or stamp.
  • * Withals
  • a pounce to print money with
  • Cloth worked in eyelet holes.
  • (Homilies)

    Verb

    (pounc)
  • To leap into the air intending to seize someone or something.
  • ''The kitten pounced at the ball I threw to him
    She pounced on the young man, because she loved him and wanted him for herself.
  • To attack suddenly by leaping.
  • ''I was awakened from a dead sleep by my child pouncing on top of me from out of nowhere.
  • To eagerly seize an opportunity.
  • I pounced on the chance to get promoted.
  • * {{quote-news
  • , year=2011 , date=March 2 , author=Chris Whyatt , title=Arsenal 5 - 0 Leyton Orient , work=BBC citation , page= , passage=Irish debutant Conor Henderson - another ball-playing midfielder - probed for a gap through the back-line and the 19-year-old's deflected pass was pounced on by Tomas Rosicky, who sped to the byeline to clip a square ball through the legs of Charlie Daniels across the box. }}
  • To strike or seize with the talons; to pierce, as with the talons.
  • * Cowper
  • Stooped from his highest pitch to pounce a wren.
  • * J. Fletcher
  • Now pounce him lightly, / And as he roars and rages, let's go deeper.
  • To stamp holes in; to perforate.
  • Synonyms
    * (instance of propelling oneself into air): leap, jump, bounce * (instance of causing oneself to fall from an elevated place): strike, attack (checktrans-top) * Spanish: (t-check) (trans-mid) (trans-bottom)

    twitch

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) twicchen, from (etyl) twiccian, from (etyl) ).

    Noun

    (es)
  • A brief, small (sometimes involuntary) movement out of place and then back again; a spasm.
  • I saw a little twitch in the man's face, and knew he was lying.
  • (informal) Action of spotting or seeking out a bird, especially a rare one.
  • (farriery) A stick with a hole in one end through which passes a loop, which can be drawn tightly over the upper lip or an ear of a horse and twisted to keep the animal quiet during minor surgery.
  • Derived terms
    * nervous twitch

    Verb

  • To perform a twitch; spasm.
  • * (rfdate) — [http://www.mindspring.com/~randyhoward/new_page_6.htm]
  • "Why is it that you twitch whenever I say Faith?"
  • * 1922 , (Margery Williams), (The Velveteen Rabbit)
  • *:Their feet padded softly on the ground, and they crept quite close to him, twitching their noses...
  • To jerk sharply and briefly.
  • to twitch somebody's sleeve for attention
  • * Alexander Pope
  • Thrice they twitched the diamond in her ear.
  • To spot or seek out a bird, especially a rare one.
  • * 1995 , Quarterly Review of Biology vol. 70 p. 348:
  • "The Birdwatchers Handbook ... will be a clear asset to those who 'twitch' in Europe."
  • * 2003 , Mark Cocker, Birders: Tales of a Tribe [http://books.google.com/books?id=tv-Noj1Fvc0C], ISBN 0802139965, page 52:
  • "But the key revelation from twitching that wonderful Iceland Gull on 10 March 1974 wasn't its eroticism. It was the sheer innocence of it."
  • * 2005 , Sean Dooley, The Big Twitch: One Man, One Continent, a Race Against Time [http://books.google.com/books?id=fWLmpqL4EMsC], ISBN 1741145287, page 119:
  • "I hadn't seen John since I went to Adelaide to (unsuccessfully) twitch the '87 Northern Shoveler, when I was a skinny, eighteen- year-old kid. "
    Usage notes
    When used of birdwatchers by ignorant outsiders, this term frequently carries a negative connotation.
    Derived terms
    * atwitch

    Etymology 2

    alternate of quitch

    Noun

    (-)
  • couch grass, Elymus repens ; a species of grass, often considered as a weed.