Puns vs Pun - What's the difference?

As nouns the difference between puns and pun

is that puns is while pun is a joke or type of wordplay in which similar senses or sounds of two words or phrases, or different senses of the same word, are deliberately confused.

As verbs the difference between puns and pun

is that puns is (pun) while pun is to beat; strike with force; ram; pound, as in a mortar; reduce to powder or pun can be to make or tell a pun; make a play on words.

puns

English

Noun

(head) (p)

Verb

(head)

(pun)

Anagrams

* spun

pun

English

(wikipedia pun)

Etymology 1

From (etyl) . More at (l).

Verb

To beat; strike with force; ram; pound, as in a mortar; reduce to powder.

* Shakespeare

He would pun thee into shivers with his fist.

Etymology 2

From a special use of Etymology 1 .

Noun

(en noun)

A joke or type of wordplay in which similar senses or sounds of two words or phrases, or different senses of the same word, are deliberately confused.

* {{quote-book

, title=(Mansfield Park) , last=Austen , first=Jane , authorlink=Jane Austen , year=1814 citation , volume=one, chapter VI , publisher= }}

"Certainly, my home at my uncle's brought me acquainted with a circle of admirals. Of Rears'' and ''Vices I saw enough. Now do not be suspecting me of a pun , I entreat."

*:Comment : Austen was likely referring to spanking/flogging, then common naval punishments, known as (le vice Anglais) .

Usage notes

* Because some puns are based on pronunciation, puns are more obvious when spoken aloud. For example: “This rock is gneiss, but don’t take it for granite.” This reads (with a US accent) similarly to “This rock is nice, but don’t take it for granted.” (Both “gneiss” and “granite” are types of rock.)

Synonyms

* See also

Verb

To make or tell a pun; make a play on words.

We punned about the topic until all around us groaned.

Anagrams

* ----