Dictionary › S › stanch
stanch
1 syllableYour browser doesn’t have built-in voices. Try Chrome, Edge or Safari.
As a verb, stanch means stop the flow of (blood). As a noun, it means a floodgate by which water is accumulated, for floating a boat over a shallow part of a stream by its release.
Meanings of stanch
10 meaningsadjective
Archaic spelling of staunch.
adverb
obsoletePossibly strictly.
verb
To stop the flow of (blood); to stop (a wound) from bleeding.
“A small amount of cotton can be stuffed into the nose to stanch the flow of blood if necessary.”
To make (a building or other structure) watertight or weatherproof.
To check or stop, or deter, (an action).
To stop the progression of (an illness); also, to alleviate (pain); often followed by of: to relieve (someone's) pain.
also reflexiveOf bleeding: to stop.
Older and rare meanings (3)
archaicexcept poeticTo stop the flow of (water or some other liquid).
obsoleteTo extinguish or put out (a fire, anger, etc.); also, to quench or satisfy (desire, hunger, thirst, etc.).
also reflexiveobsoleteOf an occurrence or other thing: to come to an end; to cease; also, of persons: to stop acting violently.
noun
A floodgate by which water is accumulated, for floating a boat over a shallow part of a stream by its release; also, a dam or lock in a river.
Alternative spelling of staunch ("that which stanches; act of stanching")
Meanings from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0).