From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Paunch \Paunch\ (p[add]nch or p[aum]nch; 277), n. [OF. panch,
pance, F. panse, L. pantex, panticis.]
1. (Anat.) The belly and its contents; the abdomen; also, the
first stomach, or rumen, of ruminants. See Rumen.
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2. (Naut.) A paunch mat; -- called also panch.
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3. The thickened rim of a bell, struck by the clapper.
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4. A noticeably protruding belly; a potbelly.
[PJC]
Paunch mat (Naut.), a thick mat made of strands of rope,
used to prevent the yard or rigging from chafing.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Paunch \Paunch\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Paunched (p[add]ncht or
p[aum]ncht); p. pr. & vb. n. Paunching.]
1. To pierce or rip the belly of; to eviscerate; to
disembowel. --Shak.
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2. To stuff with food. [Obs.] --Udall.
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From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
paunch
n 1: a protruding abdomen [syn: belly, paunch]