centerpunch

centerpunch noun: a hand tool used to prepare a workpiece prior to drilling a hole. It typically compresses and then suddenly releases a spring, creating a small indentation that, in turn, guides and centers the drill.

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Noun

centerpunch (plural centerpunches)

A hand tool used to prepare a workpiece prior to drilling a hole. It typically compresses and then suddenly releases a spring, creating a small indentation that, in turn, guides and centers the drill.
The indentation left by such a tool.

Verb

centerpunch (third-person singular simple present centerpunches, present participle centerpunching, simple past and past participle centerpunched)

To prepare a workpiece for drilling by using a centerpunch to create an indentation.
To place something directly in the middle.

Forms of centerpunch

Noun
plural	centerpunches
Verb
third-person singular present	centerpunches
present participle	centerpunching
past participle	centerpunched
past	centerpunched

Origin of centerpunch

From center + punch.

Questions about centerpunch

What does centerpunch mean?: Centerpunch means a hand tool used to prepare a workpiece prior to drilling a hole. It typically compresses and then suddenly releases a spring, creating a small indentation that, in turn, guides and centers the drill.
What part of speech is centerpunch?: Centerpunch can be a noun or a verb.
What is the plural of centerpunch?: The plural of centerpunch is centerpunches.

Words near centerpunch in the dictionary

Adapted from Wiktionary: centerpunch (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated: 2026-09-02

Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: en-us-centerpunch.ogg.

Cite this entry: “centerpunch.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/centerpunch. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.