pun
noun
[ pʌn ]
• a joke exploiting the different possible meanings of a word or the fact that there are words which sound alike but have different meanings.
• "the Railway Society reception was an informal party of people of all stations (excuse the pun) in life"
Similar:
play on words,
wordplay,
double entendre,
double meaning,
innuendo,
witticism,
quip,
bon mot,
jeu de mots,
paronomasia,
equivoque,
amphibology,
pivot,
calembour,
carriwitchet,
clench,
clinch,
conundrum,
nick,
pundigrion,
whim,
quibble,
pun
verb
• make a joke exploiting the different possible meanings of a word.
• "his first puzzle punned on composers, with answers like ‘Handel with care’ and ‘Haydn go seek’"
Origin:
mid 17th century: perhaps an abbreviation of obsolete pundigrion, as a fanciful alteration of punctilio.
pun
verb
• consolidate (earth or rubble) by pounding it.
Origin:
mid 16th century: dialect variant of pound2.
