Adjacent Words

staunch definitions

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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: firm and dependable especially in loyalty; "a steadfast ally"; "a staunch defender of free speech"; "unswerving devotion"; "unswerving allegiance" [syn: steadfast, staunch, unswerving] v
1: stop the flow of a liquid; "staunch the blood flow"; "stem the tide" [syn: stem, stanch, staunch, halt]

Merriam Webster's

I. variant of stanch I II. adjective also stanch Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French estanche, feminine of estanc, from estancher to stanch — more at stanch Date: 15th century 1. a. watertight, sound b. strongly built ; substantial 2. steadfast in loyalty or principle <a staunch friend> Synonyms: see faithful • staunchly adverb • staunchness noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. adj. (also stanch) 1 trustworthy, loyal (my staunch friend and supporter). 2 (of a ship, joint, etc.) strong, watertight, airtight, etc. Derivatives: staunchly adv. staunchness n. Etymology: ME f. OF estanche fem. of estanc f. Rmc: see STANCH(1) 2. var. of STANCH(1).

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Staunch Staunch, Staunchly Staunch"ly, Staunchness Staunch"ness, etc. See Stanch, Stanchly, etc.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Stanch Stanch, a. [Compar. Stancher; superl. Stanchest.] [From Stanch, v. t., and hence literally signifying, stopped or stayed; cf. Sp. estanco stopped, tight, not leaky, as a ship. See Stanch, v. t.] [Written also staunch.] 1. Strong and tight; sound; firm; as, a stanch ship. One of the closets is parqueted with plain deal, set in diamond, exceeding stanch and pretty. --Evelyn. 2. Firm in principle; constant and zealous; loyal; hearty; steady; steadfast; as, a stanch churchman; a stanch friend or adherent. --V. Knox. In politics I hear you 're stanch. --Prior. 3. Close; secret; private. [Obs.] This to be kept stanch. --Locke.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Stanch Stanch, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Stanched; p. pr. & vb. n. Stanching.] [OF. estanchier, F. ['e]tancher to stpo a liquid from flowing; akin to Pr., Sp., & Pg. estancar, It. stancare to weary, LL. stancare, stagnare, to stanch, fr. L. stagnare to be or make stagnant. See Stagnate.] 1. To stop the flowing of, as blood; to check; also, to stop the flowing of blood from; as, to stanch a wound. [Written also staunch.] Iron or a stone laid to the neck doth stanch the bleeding of the nose. --Bacon. 2. To extinguish; to quench, as fire or thirst. [Obs.]

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(stauncher, staunchest, staunches, staunching, staunched) 1. A staunch supporter or believer is very loyal to a person, organization, or set of beliefs, and supports them strongly. He's a staunch supporter of controls on government spending. = steadfast ADJ: usu ADJ n • staunchly He was staunchly opposed to a public confession. ADV 2. To staunch the flow of something means to stop it. (FORMAL) The government claims this is the only way to staunch the annual flow to Germany of hundreds of thousands of refugees... VERB: V n 3. To staunch a wound, or to staunch the blood from a wound, means to stop the wound from bleeding. (FORMAL) Tom tried to staunch the blood with his handkerchief. VERB: V n

Moby Thesaurus

Sabbatarian, airtight, ardent, bigoted, calculable, close, committed, compact, consistent, constant, creedbound, dedicated, dependable, devoted, dogmatic, dustproof, dusttight, evangelical, faithful, faithworthy, fast, firm, firm as Gibraltar, fixed, flinty, fundamentalist, gasproof, gastight, hermetic, hermetically sealed, hidebound, hyperorthodox, immovable, inflexible, infrangible, invincible, liege, lightproof, lighttight, literalist, literalistic, long-lasting, loyal, made of iron, marble-constant, oilproof, oiltight, precisianist, precisianistic, predictable, purist, puristic, puritanical, rainproof, raintight, reliable, resolute, rigid, rugged, sealed, seaworthy, secure, set, settled, shut fast, smokeproof, smoketight, snug, solid, sot, sound, stable, steadfast, steady, steely, stormproof, stormtight, stout, straitlaced, strict, strong, sturdy, substantial, sure, surefire, tested, tight, tough, tried, tried and true, true, true-blue, trusted, trustworthy, trusty, unbending, unbreakable, undeflectable, undeviating, unfailing, unfaltering, unflappable, unflinching, unshaken, unshrinking, unswerving, unwavering, unyielding, water-repellant, waterproof, watertight, well-built, well-constructed, well-founded, well-grounded, well-made, windproof, windtight