Present participle of bounce; moving quickly up and down or back and forth in a repeated motion. Rebounding off a surface with elastic motion.
From Middle English 'bunsen,' possibly imitative of the sound of impact. The word may be related to Dutch 'bonzen' (to thump) and reflects the onomatopooeic nature of many words describing physical impacts and movements.
The physics of bouncing involves complex energy transformations between kinetic and potential energy, with some energy always lost to heat and sound - which is why a ball never bounces back to exactly the same height. This simple word encapsulates fundamental principles of mechanics that govern everything from sports to engineering.
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