Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition

Pun

Pun

,
Verb.
T.
[See
Pound
to beat.]
To pound.
[Obs.]
He would
pun
thee into shivers with his fist.
Shakespeare

Pun

,
Noun.
[Cf.
Pun
to pound,
Pound
to beat.]
A play on words which have the same sound but different meanings; an expression in which two different applications of a word present an odd or ludicrous idea; a kind of quibble or equivocation.
Addison.
A better
put
on this word was made on the Beggar’s Opera, which, it was said, made Gay rich, and Rich gay.
Walpole.

Pun

,
Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Punned
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Punning
.]
To make puns, or a pun; to use a word in a double sense, especially when the contrast of ideas is ludicrous; to play upon words; to quibble.
Dryden.

Pun

,
Verb.
T.
To persuade or affect by a pun.
Addison.

Webster 1828 Edition

Pun

PUN

,
Noun.
An expression in which a word has at once different meanings; an expression in which two different applications of a word present an odd or ludicrous idea; a kind of quibble or equivocation; a low species of wit. Thus a man who had a tall wife named Experience, observed that he had, by long experience, proved the blessings of a married life.
A pun can be no more engraven,than it can be translated.

PUN

,
Verb.
I.
To quibble; to use the same word at once in different senses.

PUN

,
Verb.
T.
To persuade by a pun.

Definition 2024

pun

pun

See also: pu·n and Pun.

English

Verb

pun ‎(third-person singular simple present puns, present participle punning, simple past and past participle punned)

  1. (transitive) 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 pun ‎(“to beat, bend (words)”).

Noun

pun ‎(plural puns)

  1. 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.
    • 1814, Austen, Jane, Mansfield Park, volume one, chapter VI, Thomas Egerton:
      "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 Wikisaurus:joke
Derived terms
Translations

Verb

pun ‎(third-person singular simple present puns, present participle punning, simple past and past participle punned)

  1. To make or tell a pun; make a play on words.
    We punned about the topic until all around us groaned.
See also

Anagrams

Chuukese

Conjunction

pun

  1. because

Dalmatian

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Latin pānis, pānem.

Noun

pun m

  1. (Vegliot) bread

Lojban

Rafsi

pun

  1. rafsi of pruni.

Romanian

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [pun]

Verb

pun

  1. first-person singular present tense form of pune.
  2. first-person singular subjunctive form of pune.
  3. third-person plural present tense form of pune.

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *pьlnъ, from Proto-Indo-European *pl̥h₁nós.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /pûn/

Adjective

pȕn ‎(definite pȕnī, Cyrillic spelling пу̏н)

  1. full, filled
  2. fleshy, plump
  3. full, complete
  4. occupied (of room)

Declension

Spanish

Noun

pun m ‎(uncountable)

  1. (onomatopoeia) The sound of discharging a firearm
  2. (onomatopoeia, vulgar) The sound of flatulence

Synonyms

Etymology

From Middle English *punen, from Old English punian, pūnian ‎(“to pound, beat, bray, bruise, crush, grind”), from Proto-Germanic *punōną ‎(“to break to pieces, pulverise”). More at pound.

Pronunciation

  • enPR: pŭn, IPA(key): /pʌn/
  • Rhymes: -ʌn

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