Also 6–7 trounse, 7 trownse, -ce. [Of obscure origin; usually compared with OF. troncer, troncher, Cotgr. troncir, tronchir to cut, cut off a piece from, retrench, f. tronce, tronche stump or stock of wood (14th c. in Godef.): cf. tronc TRUNK, and tronçon TRUNCHEON. But the OF. and Eng. vbs. do not agree in sense. See also Eng. Dial. Dict.]
† 1. trans. To trouble, afflict, distress; to discomfit, harass. Obs.
1551. Bible, Judg., iv. 15. But the Lorde trounsed [1611 discomfited] Sisara and all his charettes, and all hys hoste with the edge of ye swerde, before Barak.
1553. Respublica, III. iii. 652. Lorde Ihese Christe whan he was I-pounst & I-pilate, Was ner zo I-trounst as we [ignoram people] have been of yeares Late.
1570. Foxe, A. & M. (ed. 2), 408/2. If any do speake against them, he is miserablye tossed & trounsed for his labour.
1646. Trapp, Comm. John ii. 16. The churchwarden of Ipswich was much trounced and troubled in the High-commission.
1655. Gurnall, Chr. in Arm., I. 111. Joseph’s mistresse first tries to draw him to gratifie her lust; that string breaking, she hath another to trounce him and charge him.
† b. intr. Obs. rare–1
1589. Rare Triumphs Love & Fortune, iv. (Roxb.), 119. Oh, terrible tormentes that trounce in my toe!
2. To beat, thrash, belabor, cudgel; to beat by way of punishment, to flog.
1568. Hist. Jacob & Esau, II. ii. C ij. There was neuer none trounced as I shal trounce that elf.
1621. Molle, Camerar. Liv. Libr., II. iv. 85. He tug’d and trownst his aduersarie.
1748. Smollett, Rod. Rand., xxii. (1804), 149. Flattered with the hopes of seeing a bailiff trounced.
1795. Vermont Jrnl., 9 March 4/2. If you call me an old woman again I will trounce you.
1820. Gentl. Mag., XC. I. 412. The common provincial phrase of ‘I’ll trounce you,’ meaning to beat or bruise with a stick or fists.
1887. Besant, The World went, etc., xxi. 169. One after another, they were tied up … and soundly trounced.
3. To inflict chastisement upon; to punish; also, to get the better of, defeat.
1657. Howell, Londinop., 40. How Rich, the first trounced her for murthuring the Jews.
a. 1704. T. Brown, Comm.-Place-Bk., Wks. 1709, III. II. 136. The Gods Neptune and Apollo trounc’d Laomedon for cheating ’em of their Hire.
1833. Marryat, P. Simple, lxiv. We will set to and trounce that scoundrel of an uncle.
1859. J. R. Green, Lett., I. (1901), 28. You honour a man, I think, by condescending to an encounter, even though you trounce him, not that it is so certain that the best man should come off victor in these engagements.
1878. Browning, Poets Croisic, xlv. who chides … the unchilded monarch shall be trounced For irreligion.
b. To punish by legal action or process; to indict, to sue at law. Now dial.
1638. Ford, Fancies, IV. i. The court shall trounce thee.
1678. Butler, Hud., III. iii. 683. I would so trounce her, and her Purse, I’d make her kneel for better or worse.
1681. Dryden, Spanish Fryar, IV. i. I’ll trounce you for offering to corrupt my Honesty.
a. 1700. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, Trounc’d,… Cast in Law.
1730–6. Bailey (folio), Trounce, to sue at law.
1755. Johnson, Trounce, to punish by an indictment or information.
1818. Moore, Fudge Fam. Paris, vi. 205. Who shall describe … Thy candour, when it falls to thee To help in trouncing for a libel?
1830. De Quincey, Bentley, Wks. 1857, VII. 98. He ‘trounced’ Colbatch, who was sentenced to pay 3s. 6d., together with 2s. 6d. arrears, and £20 costs.
1898. Elworthy, W. Somerset Word-bk., Trounce, to summon before a magistrate; to sue at law.
4. To assail or attack with rebuke or abuse; to censure; to scold severely.
1607. R. C[arew], trans. Estienne’s World of Wonders, 2. These learned Latin authors haue been trounced by these dangerously conceited and proud presumptuous censurers.
1673. Marvell, Reh. Transp., II. Wks. 1776, II. 261. Had not Mr. Killigrew foreseen that they must fall to dirt of themselves, he would ere this … have trounced the author.
1865. Star, 6 Jan. He deals chiefly with the best-named folly and trounces it most severely.
1894. Besant, Equal Woman, 127. He very finely trounced the Public for daring to like these favourites.
Hence Trounced ppl. adj.
1898. Blackw. Mag., Oct., 469/1. The howling of trounced sailors.
