Word of the Day

: February 17, 2011

flounce

verb FLOUNSS

What It Means

1 a : to move with exaggerated jerky or bouncy motions

b : to go with sudden determination

2 : flounder, struggle

flounce in Context

Bernard flounced around the house in a huff, yanking doors open and slamming them shut as he stomped from room to room.

"The Master of the Music flounced out with the choir flouncing out in perfect unison behind him." -- From Terry Pratchett's 2009 novel Unseen Academicals

Did You Know?

The story behind "flounce" is an elusive one. The verb's first recorded use in English occurred in 1542, and some scholars believe it is related to the Norwegian verb "flunsa" (meaning "to hurry" or "to work briskly") and Swedish "flunsa" ("to fall with a splash" or "to plunge"). The connection is uncertain, however, because the "flunsa" verbs did not appear in their respective languages until the 18th century, long after "flounce" surfaced in English. A second distinct sense of "flounce," referring to a strip or ruffle of fabric attached on one edge, did not appear in English until the 18th century. This "flounce" derives from the Middle English "frouncen" ("to curl").