Definition of haunch
1a : hip 1ab : hindquarter 2 —usually used in plural
2 : hindquarter 1
3 : either side of an arch between the springing and the crown
on one's haunches
: in a squatting position
People Are Reading
Recent Examples of haunch from the Web
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This dart flies true, striking the matriarch of the herd in the haunches.
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My parents describe professors who were warm and friendly, who shared a haunch of venison or a string of trout (both terrifying to a South Indian woman who barely knew how to cook and had to mail order spices from New York).
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There’s Leo the Lion, which kind of resembles the profile of a lion on its haunches but looks more like a backward question mark tipping over to the right.
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Mr. Rush gently dug his fingers into Luna’s haunches.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'haunch.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of haunch
Middle English haunche, from Anglo-French hanche, haunche, of Germanic origin; akin to Middle Dutch hanke haunch
HAUNCH Defined for English Language Learners
haunch
playDefinition of haunch for English Language Learners
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: the upper part of a person's or animal's leg; especially : the upper part of an animal's rear leg used as meat
HAUNCH Defined for Kids
haunch
playDefinition of haunch for Students
1 : hindquarter The dog sat on its haunches.
2 : the upper part of a person's thigh together with the back part of the hip
Learn More about haunch
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See words that rhyme with haunch Spanish Central: Translation of haunch Nglish: Translation of haunch for Spanish speakers
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