haunch
noun
ˈhȯnch 
ˈhänch
1
a
: hip entry 1 sense 1a
b
: hindquarter sense 2 —usually used in plural
2
: hindquarter sense 1
3
: either side of an arch between the springing and the crown
Synonyms
- backside
- behind
- booty [slang]
- bootie
- bottom
- breech
- bum
- buns
- butt
- buttocks
- caboose
- can
- cheeks
- derriere
- derrière
- duff
- fanny
- fundament
- hams
- heinie [slang]
- hunkers
- keister [slang]
- keester
- nates
- posterior
- rear
- rear end
- rump
- seat
- tail
- tail end
- tush [slang]
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Through the chicken wire, Kielland pokes the lynx in a rear haunch. 
Ned Rozell, Anchorage Daily News, 9 Apr. 2022 Who Loved Me as a submarine—is elongated in the sketch, and features a Union Jack motif over the rear haunch. Caleb Miller, Car and Driver, 28 Jan. 2022 Its side profile is also far more harmonious than that of the 2-series Gran Coupe, with a minimal front overhang and an appropriately muscular rear haunch. Mike Duff, Car and Driver, 6 July 2021 The long-hood, short-deck proportions that have characterized all Z-cars is in play here, and the bulging rear haunches and modern-looking headlights give the new model an athletic stance. Joey Capparella, Car and Driver, 28 May 2020 Its wide haunches, pavement-scraping nose, and aggressive headlights still project enough presence to get people's attention. Rich Ceppos, Car and Driver, 9 Apr. 2020 Its shape looks far more graceful than that, with a low nose, wide rear haunches, and smooth contouring. Joey Capparella, Car and Driver, 5 Mar. 2020 Snapping her haunches side to side and crisscrossing her thighs with every step, Maldonado demonstrates a full-out, queen-of-the-catwalk strut, Naomi Campbell style. Washington Post, 7 June 2019 In a nondescript warehouse north of Dallas off U.S. Highway 75, hundreds of dinosaurs of all sizes are shifting around on their haunches and cocking their heads, waiting for the moment they’ll be released into the public. Dom Difurio, Dallas News, 23 Feb. 2020 See More
Ned Rozell, Anchorage Daily News, 9 Apr. 2022 Who Loved Me as a submarine—is elongated in the sketch, and features a Union Jack motif over the rear haunch. Caleb Miller, Car and Driver, 28 Jan. 2022 Its side profile is also far more harmonious than that of the 2-series Gran Coupe, with a minimal front overhang and an appropriately muscular rear haunch. Mike Duff, Car and Driver, 6 July 2021 The long-hood, short-deck proportions that have characterized all Z-cars is in play here, and the bulging rear haunches and modern-looking headlights give the new model an athletic stance. Joey Capparella, Car and Driver, 28 May 2020 Its wide haunches, pavement-scraping nose, and aggressive headlights still project enough presence to get people's attention. Rich Ceppos, Car and Driver, 9 Apr. 2020 Its shape looks far more graceful than that, with a low nose, wide rear haunches, and smooth contouring. Joey Capparella, Car and Driver, 5 Mar. 2020 Snapping her haunches side to side and crisscrossing her thighs with every step, Maldonado demonstrates a full-out, queen-of-the-catwalk strut, Naomi Campbell style. Washington Post, 7 June 2019 In a nondescript warehouse north of Dallas off U.S. Highway 75, hundreds of dinosaurs of all sizes are shifting around on their haunches and cocking their heads, waiting for the moment they’ll be released into the public. Dom Difurio, Dallas News, 23 Feb. 2020 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English haunche, from Anglo-French hanche, haunche, of Germanic origin; akin to Middle Dutch hanke haunch
First Known Use
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Kids Definition
haunch
noun
ˈhȯnch
1
: hindquarter
The dog sat on its haunches.
2
: the upper part of a person's thigh together with the back part of the hip