haunch

noun

ˈhȯnch 

ˈhänch

1

a

: hip entry 1 sense 1a

b

: hindquarter sense 2

—usually used in plural

2

: hindquarter sense 1

3

: either side of an arch between the springing and the crown

see also:

on one's haunches

Synonyms of haunch

• cheeks
• tail
• seat
• rump
• bum

Examples of haunch in a Sentence

squatted down on her haunches to get a better shot of the ducks with her camera

Recent Examples on the Web

With head and tail up, Copper flashed past me, and my mount Shorty gave a surprised grunt, slid back on his haunches, and almost upset me. — Dolores Brown, Outdoor Life, 17 June 2026

There are many species of mongoose, but this one has dark stripes across its lower back and haunches. — Big Think, 8 May 2026

At the other end of the pitch, Robert Lewandowski crouches down on his haunches, eyes looking everywhere and nowhere, their nothingness saying everything. — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2026

When the three men reach the wildebeest, two stand sentry, while with his knife the third swiftly slices through the skin, muscles, and ligaments of the animal’s hip and pulls away a whole haunch of meat from the corpse. — Literary Hub, 18 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English haunche, from Anglo-French hanche, haunche, of Germanic origin; akin to Middle Dutch hanke haunch

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for haunch

• conch
• launch
• paunch
• staunch
• protoconch

Kids Definition

haunch

noun

ˈhȯnch 

ˈhänch

1

a

: hip entry 2

b

: hindquarter sense 2

—usually used in plural

2

: hindquarter sense 1