Word: stanch Part of Speech: verb Etymology: From Middle English stanch, stanche [and other forms], a variant of Middle English staunchen, staunche (“to stop the flow of blood, diarrhoea, or other bodily fluids; to alleviate, ease; to appease, assuage, satisfy; to cure; to overcome; to put an end to; to repress, suppress; of a river or stream: to stop flowing; of waters, wind, or weather: to become calm, subside; to extinguish or put out (a fire)”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman estauncher, estaunchier, estanger, Old French estancher, estanchier (“to stop the flow of a liquid (blood, water, etc.); to make (something) watertight; to quench (thirst)”) (modern French étancher (“to stop the flow of a liquid; to make watertight; to quench (thirst); (figuratively) to assuage, quench, satiate”) [and other forms], possibly from one of the following: * From Vulgar Latin *stagnicāre, from Latin stāgnum (“piece of standing water, pond; fen, swamp”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂g- (“to drip; to seep”). * From Vulgar Latin *stānticāre, from *stānticus (“tired”), from Latin stāns, stāntis (“standing; remaining, staying”). Stāns is the present active participle of stō (“to stand; to remain, stay”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- (“to stand (up)”). Etymology 2 sense 1.2 (“to make (a building or other structure) watertight or weatherproof”) is derived from French étancher (“to stop water from flowing, make watertight”), from Old French estanchier (verb): see above. Cognates * Catalan estancar (“to hold up, block, halt (something); to come to a standstill; to stagnate”) * Galician estancar (“to stop (the flow of blood, water, etc.)”) * Italian stancare (“to tire out”) * Occitan estancar * Portuguese estancar (“to stop (the flow of blood); to stop (an action); to come to a standstill; to exhaust, weary”) * Spanish estancar (“to stop (the flow of water, etc.); to stop (an action); to stagnate”) Pronunciation: /stɑːn(t)ʃ/, /stæn(t)ʃ/, /stɔn(t)ʃ/, /stɑn(t)ʃ/ 1. To stop the flow of (water or some other liquid). Labels: US, especially, poetic, transitive Example: I will couer the depe vpon him, I will ſtaunch his floudes, and the greate waters ſhalbe reſtrayned. 2. To stop the flow of (water or some other liquid). Labels: US, especially, poetic, transitive Example: A small amount of cotton can be stuffed into the nose to stanch the flow of blood if necessary. Example: [A] hẽnes [henne's] brayne is beſt: whiche (as Auicen ſaith) ſtancheth bledynge at yͤ noſe. 3. To stop the flow of (water or some other liquid). Labels: US, especially, poetic, transitive Example: His gathered sticks to stanch the wall / Of the snow-tower, when snow should fall; […] 4. To check or stop, or deter (an action). Labels: US, especially, transitive Example: [W]hy ſhould a man refuſe the glad tydings of ſalutation, or ſtop his eares at the voyce of the skilfull charmer, becauſe the meſſenger that brings the tydings, is ouertaken vvith ſome knovvne ſinne? Or becauſe hee that charmeth, ſtancheth not the iſſue of his ovvne corruption? Example: [T]heir feud would be stanched by the death of one, or probably both, of the villains, […] 5. To check or stop, or deter (an action). Labels: US, especially, transitive Example: It [squill] ſtancheth the ache of the ſtomack⸝ it helpeth digeſtion⸝ and maketh a man well colored. Example: The water of the ſame [angelica root], in a colde cauſe, is good to be layd on places diſeaſed with the Goute and Sciatica. For it ſtancheth the pain, and melteth a waye the tough humours that are gathered togither. 6. To extinguish or put out (as a fire, anger, etc.); also, to quench or satisfy (as desire, hunger, thirst, etc.). Labels: US, especially, obsolete, transitive Example: [A]s an angry Cur / Snarles vvhile he feeds, ſo vvill I ſeize and ſtanch / The hunger of my love on this proud beauty, / And leave the ſcraps for Slaves. 7. Of bleeding: to stop. Labels: US, also, especially, intransitive, reflexive Example: And a woman hauing an iſſue of blood twelue yeres, which had ſpent all her liuing vpon Phiſitions, neither could be healed of any, / Came behinde him [Jesus], and touched the border of his garment: and immediatly her iſſue of blood ſtanched. Example: [G]iving a dram and a half of Lapis Prunellæ in cold VVater, preſently the blood ſtanched vvhen the ſame and other Medicines could not formerly do it. 8. Of an occurrence or other thing: to come to an end; to cease; also, of persons: to stop acting violently. Labels: US, also, especially, intransitive, obsolete, reflexive