▪ I. punching, vbl. n.
(ˈpʌnʃɪŋ)
[f. punch v.1 + -ing1.]
a. The action of the verb punch in various senses; also, a marking produced by punching. Also, a piece of sheet metal cut out by a punch.
| c 1440 Promp. Parv. 416/2 Punchynge, or bu(n)chynge (S. prykkynge), stimulacio, trusio. 1535 Trevisa's Barth. De P.R. viii. xvii. 1236/2 Cause of hurtynge and of punchynge [L. punctionis; 1398 styngynge] of mans bodye. 1538 Aberdeen Reg. (Jam.), For the..punching of him with his feytt in the wame. 1815 J. Smith Panorama Sc. & Art I. 18 Punching is not applicable to cast iron, nor to small and deep, or very large, holes in any metal. 1892 Daily News 26 Oct. 2/1 A patent leather shoe is ornamented round the top with perforated punchings. 1903 Electr. World & Engin. 28 Mar. 532/2 The four⁓pole pieces are made of laminated steel punchings. 1947 R. Lee Electronic Transformers & Circuits iii. 75 There is always a certain amount of gap even with punchings stacked alternately in groups of 1. 1951 E. W. Workman in P. Kemp Electr. Engin. III. 633/2 In the case of electrical transformers, generators and motors, sheet-steel punchings form a large proportion of the total works cost. |
b. attrib. and
Comb.; in names of tools used for making holes, as
punching bear (
= bear n.1 7),
punching iron,
punching machine,
punching nippers, etc.;
punching-ball, an inflated ball held in position by elastic bands or supported on a flexible rod, which is punched with the fists as an athletic exercise; so
punching bag (also
fig.),
block;
punching match, a boxing match, a fight;
punching press = punch-press s.v. punch n.1 7;
punching room, the cutting room in a glove manufactory;
† punching staff = puncheon-staff (
puncheon1 6 a): a lance, a spear.
| 1889 Cent. Dict., *Punching-bag. 1896 Ade Artie i. 4 Say, I like that church, and if they'll put in a punchin'-bag and a plunge they can have my game, I'll tell you those. 1897 Outing (U.S.) XXX. 182/2 Dumb-bells,..traveling-rings and punching-bag, may be taken to develop different groups of muscles. 1911 Boxing IV. 456/2 Once again that old trial hope, Fred Drummond, was dragged from his stall to play the part of punching-bag. 1976 G. Sims End of Web x. 72 Buchanan used him like a punching-bag, hitting him with every combination he knew. |
| 1900 Conan Doyle Green Flag, etc. 118, I turned it into a gymnasium... You'll find all you want there: clubs, *punching ball, bars, dumb-bells, everything. |
| 1875 Knight Dict. Mech., *Punching-bear, a machine for making holes in sheet-metal, operated by simple lever power or by hydraulic pressure. |
| 1594 T. Nashe Unfort. Trav. 87 Pritch-aule, spunge, blacking tub, and *punching yron. |
| 1850 Rep. U.S. Comm. Patents 1849 I. 185 My improved *punching machine. 1878 Harper's Mag. Apr. 645/2 The bar then goes to the punching-machine that..bites a bar through the iron. 1962 F. T. Day Introd. Paper viii. 87 Table mats and drip mats..are often produced on a blanking-out or punching machine. |
| 1809 Sporting Mag. XXXIII. 77 At the late *punching match. |
| 1844 Stephens Bk. Farm III. 869 The markings are confined to the ears, and consist of..holes made with *punching-nippers. |
| a 1884 E. H. Knight Dict. Mech. Suppl. 730/2 *Punching press. 1906 C. H. Benjamin Mod. Amer. Machine Tools x. 282 (caption) 60-inch punching press. |
| 1562 J. Shute tr. Cambini's Turk. Wars 17 b, Manye layde holde of the Pikes and *punchinge staves of theyr enemies. 1590 Barwick Breefe Disc. 2 b, For horsemen, a Launce, a punching staffe, Pistoll or mace. |
▪ II. ˈpunching, ppl. a. [f. punch v.1 + -ing2.] That punches: see the verb.
| 1602 [see punch v.1 1 b]. 1683 Moxon Mech. Exerc., Printing xiii. ¶2 The Counter-Punch of A ought to be Forged Triangularly, especially towards the Punching End. |
▪ III. punching, punchion (of a horse): see
punch n.4