Inklingo

ponche

pohn-cheh/ˈpont͡ʃe/

ponche means punch in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

punch

Also: eggnog
NounmA2
VenezuelaMexico
A large glass bowl filled with red fruit punch, featuring floating orange slices and a ladle.

📝 In Action

En las posadas siempre servimos ponche de frutas caliente.

A2

During the holiday parties, we always serve hot fruit punch.

¿Quieres un poco de ponche con piquete?

B1

Do you want some punch with a splash of alcohol?

Mi abuela prepara el mejor ponche de la ciudad.

A1

My grandmother makes the best punch in town.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • ponche de frutasfruit punch
  • ponche cremacream-based holiday drink (similar to eggnog)
  • ponche calientehot punch

Idioms & Expressions

  • ponche con piquetepunch that has had alcohol added to it

strikeout

NounmB1
Latin America
A baseball catcher catching a ball in his mitt as a batter swings and misses.

📝 In Action

El lanzador terminó el juego con un ponche impresionante.

B1

The pitcher ended the game with an impressive strikeout.

Fue el tercer ponche seguido para el bateador.

B2

It was the third strikeout in a row for the batter.

Necesitamos un ponche para salir de esta entrada.

B2

We need a strikeout to get out of this inning.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • strike (strike (borrowed from English))

Antonyms

  • jonrón (home run)

Common Collocations

  • tirar un poncheto throw a strikeout
  • recibir un poncheto be struck out

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "ponche" in Spanish:

eggnogpunchstrikeout

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: ponche

Question 1 of 3

What is the primary ingredient category in a Mexican 'ponche' during Christmas?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family
ponchera(punch bowl)Noun
ponchar(to strike out (in sports) or to punch a card)Verb
ponchado(struck out)Adjective
🎵 Rhymes
tronche
📚 Etymology

Borrowed from the English word 'punch'. The English word itself comes from the Hindi word 'pāñć', meaning 'five', because the drink was originally made with five ingredients: alcohol, sugar, lemon, water, and tea or spices.

First recorded: 18th Century

Cognates (Related words)

English: punchFrench: punch

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does 'ponche' always contain alcohol?

No. While many versions can have alcohol added (called 'ponche con piquete'), many traditional recipes are fruit-based juices or teas that are safe for all ages.

Is 'ponche' the same as 'eggnog'?

Not exactly, but 'ponche crema' in countries like Venezuela and the Dominican Republic is very similar in texture and flavor to eggnog.

Can I use 'ponche' to describe a physical hit in a fight?

Generally, no. You should use 'puñetazo' for a hit with a fist. 'Ponche' is mostly reserved for the drink or the baseball term.