Word.ws English Dictionary

stanch

/stɑːn(t)ʃ/US/stɔn(t)ʃ/

stanch is the archaic spelling of staunch.

stanch is the alternative spelling of staunch.

Verb

stanch (third-person singular simple present stanches, present participle stanching, simple past and past participle stanched)

  1. (US, especially, poetic, transitive, otherwise archaic) To stop the flow of (water or some other liquid).
    • I will couer the depe vpon him, I will ſtaunch his floudes, and the greate waters ſhalbe reſtrayned.1535 October 14 (Gregorian calendar), Myles Coverdale, transl., Biblia: The Byble, […] (Coverdale Bible), [Cologne or Marburg]: [Eucharius Cervicornus and Johannes Soter?], →OCLC, Ezechiel xxxj:[15]...
    Synonyms:
    estop, stopple
    1. (US, especially, poetic, transitive, otherwise archaic) To stop the flow of (blood); also, to stop (a wound) from bleeding.
      • A small amount of cotton can be stuffed into the nose to stanch the flow of blood if necessary.
      • [A] hẽnes [henne's] brayne is beſt: whiche (as Auicen ſaith) ſtancheth bledynge at yͤ noſe.1530, [attributed to Giovanni da Milano; annotated by Arnaldus de Villa Nova], translated by Thomas Paynell, Regimen Sanitatis Salerni. […] [Rule of Health of Salerno], London: […] Thomas Berthelet...
    2. (US, especially, poetic, transitive, otherwise archaic) To make (a building or other structure) watertight or weatherproof.
      • His gathered sticks to stanch the wall / Of the snow-tower, when snow should fall; […]1847, R[alph] W[aldo] Emerson, “Threnody”, in Poems, Boston, Mass.: James Munroe and Company, →OCLC, page 240
  2. (US, especially, transitive) To check or stop, or deter (an action).
    • [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?1612 January 13 (date written; Gregorian calendar), Thomas Sutton, “Englands Summons. Hosea 4. 1, 2, 3.”, in Englands First and Second Summons. Two Sermons Preached at Pauls Crosse, […], 3rd edition...
    • [T]heir feud would be stanched by the death of one, or probably both, of the villains, […]1828 May 15, [Walter Scott], chapter I, in Chronicles of the Canongate. Second Series. […] (The Fair Maid of Perth), volume II, Edinburgh: […] [Ballantyne and Co.] for Cadell and Co.; London: Simpkin...
    1. (US, especially, transitive) To stop the progression of (an illness); also, to alleviate (pain); often followed by of: to relieve (someone's) pain.
      • It [squill] ſtancheth the ache of the ſtomack⸝ it helpeth digeſtion⸝ and maketh a man well colored.1562, Wylliam Turner [i.e., William Turner], “Of the Sea Unyon Called Squilla”, in The Second Parte of Guilliam Turners Herball⸝ […], Cologne: […] Arnold Birckman, →OCLC, folio 131, recto
      • 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.1578, Thomas Brasbri[d]ge, “The Vertues of Angelica, out of D[octor] [William] Turners Herbal”, in The Poore Mans Iewel, that is to Say, A Treatise of the Pestilence. […], London: […] [Thomas...
  3. (US, especially, obsolete, transitive) To extinguish or put out (as a fire, anger, etc.); also, to quench or satisfy (as desire, hunger, thirst, etc.).
    • [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.1679, [John] Dryden, [Nathaniel] Lee, Oedipus: A Tragedy. […], London: […] R. Bentley and M. Magnes […], →OCLC, Act I, pages 6–7
  4. (US, also, especially, intransitive, reflexive) Of bleeding: to stop.
    • 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.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Luke 8:43–44, column 1
    • [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.1655, Lazarus Riverius [i.e., Lazare Rivière], “Of Bleeding at the Nose, Called Hæmorrhagia”, in Nicholas Culpeper, Abdiah Cole, and William Rowland, transl., The Practice of Physick, […], London...
  5. (US, also, especially, intransitive, obsolete, reflexive) Of an occurrence or other thing: to come to an end; to cease; also, of persons: to stop acting violently.

Meaning of staunch

Adjective

staunch (comparative stauncher, superlative staunchest)

  1. Not permitting water or some other liquid to escape or penetrate; watertight.
    • Yet if I knevv, / VVhat Hoope ſhould hold vs ſtaunch from edge to edge / Ath'vvorld [of the world]: I vvould perſue it.c. 1606–1607 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard...
    1. (broadly) Impermeable to air or other gases; airtight.
      • [T]vvas very difficult to procure a Bladder ſmall and fine enough for that litle Cylinder; and that one, vvhich at length vve procured, vvould not continue ſtanch for many Tryals, but vvould after a vvhile part vvith a litle Air in the vvell exhauſted Receiver, vvhen tvvas clog'd vvith the utmoſt...1669, Robert Boyle, “Experiment XLVII. About an Attempt Made to Measure the Force of the Spring of Included Air, and Examine a Conjecture about the Difference of Its Strength in Unequally Broad...
  2. Strongly built; also, in good or strong condition.
    • Hovv goodly, and hovv to be vviſht vvere ſuch an obedient unanimity as this, vvhat a fine conformity vvould it ſtarch us all into? doubtles a ſtanch and ſolid peece of frame-vvork, as any January could freeze together.1644, John Milton, Areopagitica; a Speech of Mr. John Milton for the Liberty of Unlicenc’d Printing, to the Parlament of England, London: [s.n.], →OCLC, page 27
  3. (figuratively) Staying true to one's aims or principles; firm, resolute, unswerving.
    • Without our staunch front line the enemy would have split the regiment.
  4. (figuratively) Dependable, loyal, reliable, trustworthy.
    • He’s been a staunch supporter of mine through every election.
    1. (figuratively) Of a hunting dog: that can be depended on to pick up the scent of, or to mark, game.
      • [T]he horſemen & huntſmen ſhould blemiſh at ſuch places as they ſee the Hart enter into a thicket or couert to the end that if the hounds fall to change, they may return to thoſe blemiſhes, and put their hounds to the right ſlot and view, vntill they haue rowzed or found him againe with their...1575, Jacques du Fouilloux, “Certaine Observations and Subtleties to be Used by Huntsmen in Hunting an Hart at Force”, in George Gascoigne, transl., The Noble Art of Venerie or Hunting. […], London...

See all 12 meanings of staunch

Adverb

stanch (comparative more stanch, superlative most stanch)

  1. (obsolete) Possibly strictly.
    • But you vvill loſe your Labour, and vvhat is more, their Love and Reverence too, if they can receive from others, vvhat you deny them. This is to be kept very ſtanch, and carefully to be vvatched.1693, [John Locke], “§102”, in Some Thoughts Concerning Education, London: […] A[wnsham] and J[ohn] Churchill, […], →OCLC, page 119

Noun

stanch (plural stanches)

  1. (US, especially) 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.

Synonyms of stanch

Forms of stanch

Adjective
comparativestancher
superlativestanchest
Adverb
comparativemore stanch
superlativemost stanch
Verb
third-person singular presentstanches
present participlestanching
past participlestanched
paststanched
alternative formstaunch
second-person singular present (archaic)stanchest
second-person singular past (archaic)stanchedst
third-person singular present (archaic)stancheth
Noun
pluralstanches

Origin of stanch

From Middle English stanch, a variant of 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]; see further at staunch.

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...

See staunch (etymology 3).

Words formed from stanch

Words that rhyme with stanch

Questions about stanch

What does stanch mean?
Stanch means possibly strictly.
What is stanch the archaic spelling of?
Stanch is the archaic spelling of staunch.
What part of speech is stanch?
Stanch can be an adverb, a verb or a noun.
How do you pronounce stanch?
Stanch is pronounced /stɑːn(t)ʃ/ (UK).

Words near stanch in the dictionary

  1. stanced
  2. Stancel
  3. stanceless
  4. stancelessness
  5. stances
  6. stanch
  7. stanchable
  8. stanched
  9. stanchedst
  10. stanchel
  11. stancheled

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: stanch (page history and authors); staunch (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.

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Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-stanch.wav.

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