staunch

Etymology 1

From Middle English staunch, staunche (“(adjective) in good condition or repair; solidly made, firm; watertight; of a person or wound: not bleeding; certain; intact; (adverb) firmly, soundly”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman estaunche, Old French estanche (“firm; watertight”) (modern French étanche (“airtight; watertight”)), a variant of estanc (“a pond”), from estanchier (“to stop the flow of a liquid (blood, water, etc.); to make (something) watertight; to quench (thirst)”) (modern French étancher), 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)”). cognates * Italian stanco (“bored; tired”) * Portuguese estanque (“watertight”) * Romansch staunza (“a room”) * Spanish estanco (“closed, sealed; airtight; watertight”)

adj

1. Not permitting water or some other liquid to escape or penetrate; watertight.
   1. (by extension) Impermeable to air or other gases; airtight.
2. Strongly built; also, in good or strong condition.
3. (figurative)
   1. Staying true to one's aims or principles; firm, resolute, unswerving.
      Without our staunch front line the enemy would have split the regiment.
      The fast-food chain Chick-fil-A was founded by a staunch Christian, is closed on Sundays and has previously donated to organisations with anti-LGBTQ+ stances. 2023-06-12, Tom Dart, “US culture wars come to baseball as MLB celebrates Pride month”, in The Guardian, →ISSN
   2. Dependable, loyal, reliable, trustworthy.
      He’s been a staunch supporter of mine through every election.
      Never at any time in its history has there been so much universal anger at and criticism of the Southern. The railway's staunchest friends must concede that most of it is justified. 1959 April, P. Ransome-Wallis, “The Southern in Trouble on the Kent Coast”, in Trains Illustrated, London: Ian Allan Publishing, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 213
      1. (chiefly hunting) Of a hunting dog: that can be depended on to pick up the scent of, or to mark, game.
   3. (obsolete) Cautious, restrained.

Etymology 2

From 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 (verb) [and other forms]; see further at etymology 1 and at stanch.

verb

1. Alternative spelling of stanch

Etymology 3

Either: * from Middle English staunche, stanche (“something which stops the flow of blood; (figuratively) shepherd’s purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris)”), from Old French estanche (“pond; tank”), from estanc (“pond”) (modern French étang (“pond; lagoon”)), from estanchier (verb): see further at etymology 2; and/or * derived directly from the verb.

noun

1. (obsolete) That which stanches or checks a flow.
   1. (specifically, archaic) A plant or substance which stops the flow of blood; a styptic.
2. (obsolete) An act of stanching or stopping.
3. (mining) Synonym of afterdamp (“suffocating gases present in a coal mine after an explosion caused by firedamp”)

Etymology 4

See stanch (etymology 4).

noun

1. Alternative spelling of stanch (“a floodgate by which water is accumulated, for floating a boat over a shallow part of a stream by its release; also, a dam or lock in a river”)