staunch1

[stawnch] /stɔntʃ/
verb (used with object), verb (used without object), noun
1.
stanch1 .

staunch2

[stawnch, stahnch] /stɔntʃ, stɑntʃ/
adjective, stauncher, staunchest.
1.
firm or steadfast in principle, adherence, loyalty, etc., as a person:
a staunch Republican; a staunch friend.
2.
characterized by firmness, steadfastness, or loyalty:
He delivered a staunch defense of the government.
3.
strong; substantial:
a staunch little hut in the woods.
4.
impervious to water or other liquids; watertight:
a staunch vessel.
Also, stanch.
Origin
1375-1425; late Middle English sta(u)nch < Middle French estanche (feminine), estanc (masculine), derivative of estancher to stanch1
Related forms
staunchly, adverb
staunchness, noun
Synonyms
1. constant, true, faithful. See steadfast. 2. resolute. 3. stout, sound.
Examples from the web for staunch
  • There were lots of reasons for the reversal, but certainly staunch opposition from the energy industry played a significant role.
  • As a result, their bodies are unable to staunch bleeding, and injuries leave them at risk of fatal blood loss.
  • Most environmentalists say they would welcome a policy that would staunch the flow of migrants across the desert.
  • With so many meals in one place, the colony seems easy prey, but it has staunch defenders.
  • With staunch academic discipline they've plunged headlong into the fundamental physics of ram acceleration.
  • Perhaps a staunch one, because hey-they saved your life and now you have a happy story to share with other supporters.
  • Things change with more information, and the medical profession has changed it's staunch viewpoints time and time again.
  • Yet staunch as it was, the defense wasn't necessarily a weapon.
  • Her staunch self-reliance in the face of her husband's and then her own decline is remarkable.
  • The next step is to try to staunch the flow proper with drilling mud, a mixture of water and clay minerals.
British Dictionary definitions for staunch

stanch

/stɑːntʃ/
verb
1.
to stem the flow of (a liquid, esp blood) or (of a liquid) to stop flowing
2.
to prevent the flow of a liquid, esp blood, from (a hole, wound, etc)
3.
an archaic word for assuage
noun
4.
a primitive form of lock in which boats are carried over shallow parts of a river in a rush of water released by the lock
Derived Forms
stanchable, staunchable, adjective
stancher, stauncher, noun
Word Origin
C14: from Old French estanchier, from Vulgar Latin stanticāre (unattested) to cause to stand, from Latin stāre to stand, halt

staunch1

/stɔːntʃ/
adjective
1.
loyal, firm, and dependable: a staunch supporter
2.
solid or substantial in construction
3.
(rare) (of a ship, etc) watertight; seaworthy
Derived Forms
staunchly, adverb
staunchness, noun
Word Origin
C15: (originally: watertight): from Old French estanche, from estanchier to stanch

staunch2

/stɔːntʃ/
verb, noun
1.
a variant spelling of stanch
Word Origin and History for staunch
adj.

early 15c., "impervious to water," from Old French estanche "firm, watertight," fem. of estanc "dried, exhausted, wearied, vanquished," from Vulgar Latin *stanticare, probably from Latin stans (genitive stantis), present participle of stare "to stand," from PIE root *sta- "to stand" (see stet). Sense of "strong, substantial" first recorded mid-15c.; of persons, "standing firm and true to one's principles" from 1620s.