To jump or move suddenly and quickly onto something, usually to catch it or attack it.
From Old French 'pouncer' meaning to thrust or lunge. Some scholars connect it to Latin 'punctus' (pointed), relating to the sharp, direct movement of the action.
Cats and leopards don't just jump—they pounce, and we borrowed this word from French hunters who needed a specific verb for that explosive moment when a predator strikes!
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