Meaning of "pun" in the English dictionary

ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD PUN

Possibly from Italian puntiglio point of detail, wordplay.

Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.

PRONUNCIATION OF PUN

pun  [pʌn]

GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF PUN

Pun is a verb and can also act as a noun.

A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

The verb is the part of the sentence that is conjugated and expresses action and state of being.

See the conjugation of the verb pun in English.

WHAT DOES PUN MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Pun

The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play that suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use of homophonic, homographic, metonymic, or metaphorical language. A pun differs from a malapropism in that a malapropism uses an incorrect expression that alludes to another expression, but a pun uses a correct expression that alludes to another expression. Henri Bergson defined a pun as a sentence or utterance in which "the same sentence appears to offer two independent meanings, but it is only an appearance; in reality there are two different sentences made up of different words, but claiming to be one and the same because both have the same sound". Puns may be regarded as in-jokes or idiomatic constructions, given that their usage and meaning are entirely local to a particular language and its culture. For example, "Camping is intense." Puns are used to create humor and sometimes require a large vocabulary to understand.

Definition of pun in the English dictionary

The definition of pun in the dictionary is the use of words or phrases to exploit ambiguities and innuendoes in their meaning, usually for humorous effect; a play on words. An example is: "Ben Battle was a soldier bold, And used to war's alarms: But a cannonball took off his legs, So he laid down his arms.". Other definition of pun is to make puns.

CONJUGATION OF THE VERB TO PUN

PRESENT

Present

I pun

you pun

he/she/it puns

we pun

you pun

they pun

Present continuous

I am punning

you are punning

he/she/it is punning

we are punning

you are punning

they are punning

Present perfect

I have punned

you have punned

he/she/it has punned

we have punned

you have punned

they have punned

Present perfect continuous

I have been punning

you have been punning

he/she/it has been punning

we have been punning

you have been punning

they have been punning

Present tense is used to refer to circumstances that exist at the present time or over a period that includes the present time. The present perfect refers to past events, although it can be considered to denote primarily the resulting present situation rather than the events themselves.

PAST

Past

I punned

you punned

he/she/it punned

we punned

you punned

they punned

Past continuous

I was punning

you were punning

he/she/it was punning

we were punning

you were punning

they were punning

Past perfect

I had punned

you had punned

he/she/it had punned

we had punned

you had punned

they had punned

Past perfect continuous

I had been punning

you had been punning

he/she/it had been punning

we had been punning

you had been punning

they had been punning

Past tense forms express circumstances existing at some time in the past,

FUTURE

Future

I will pun

you will pun

he/she/it will pun

we will pun

you will pun

they will pun

Future continuous

I will be punning

you will be punning

he/she/it will be punning

we will be punning

you will be punning

they will be punning

Future perfect

I will have punned

you will have punned

he/she/it will have punned

we will have punned

you will have punned

they will have punned

Future perfect continuous

I will have been punning

you will have been punning

he/she/it will have been punning

we will have been punning

you will have been punning

they will have been punning

The future is used to express circumstances that will occur at a later time.

CONDITIONAL

Conditional

I would pun

you would pun

he/she/it would pun

we would pun

you would pun

they would pun

Conditional continuous

I would be punning

you would be punning

he/she/it would be punning

we would be punning

you would be punning

they would be punning

Conditional perfect

I would have pun

you would have pun

he/she/it would have pun

we would have pun

you would have pun

they would have pun

Conditional perfect continuous

I would have been punning

you would have been punning

he/she/it would have been punning

we would have been punning

you would have been punning

they would have been punning

Conditional or "future-in-the-past" tense refers to hypothetical or possible actions.

IMPERATIVE

Imperative

you pun
we let´s pun
you pun

The imperative is used to form commands or requests.

NONFINITE VERB FORMS

Infinitive

to pun

Past participle

punned

Present Participle

punning

Infinitive shows the action beyond temporal perspective. The present participle or gerund shows the action during the session. The past participle shows the action after completion.

SYNONYMS OF «PUN»

The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «pun» and belong to the same grammatical category.

synonyms of pun

double entendre · equivoque · paronomasia · play on words · quip · witticism

TRANSLATION OF PUN

Find out the translation of pun to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.

The translations of pun from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «pun» in English.

• Translator English - Chinese: 双关语
• Translator English - Spanish: juego de palabras
• English: pun
• Translator English - Hindi: श्लेष
• Translator English - Arabic: تورية
• Translator English - Russian: каламбур
• Translator English - Portuguese: trocadilho
• Translator English - Bengali: শ্লেষ
• Translator English - French: calembour
• Translator English - Malay: Pun
• Translator English - German: Wortspiel
• Translator English - Japanese: ごろ合わせ
• Translator English - Korean: > 말장난
• Translator English - Javanese: Pun
• Translator English - Vietnamese: nói giểu
• Translator English - Tamil: சிலேடை
• Translator English - Marathi: श्लेष
• Translator English - Turkish: cinas
• Translator English - Italian: gioco di parole
• Translator English - Polish: pun
• Translator English - Ukrainian: каламбур
• Translator English - Romanian: joc de cuvinte
• Translator English - Greek: λογοπαίγνιο
• Translator English - Afrikaans: woordspeling
• Translator English - Swedish: vits
• Translator English - Norwegian: ordspill

10 QUOTES WITH «PUN»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word pun.

1

Arthur Baer

It was so quiet, you could hear a pun drop.

2

Jim Beaver

Obviously I struck gold with 'Deadwood.' No pun intended.

3

James Boswell

For my own part I think no innocent species of wit or pleasantry should be suppressed: and that a good pun may be admitted among the smaller excellencies of lively conversation.

4

James Boswell

A good pun may be admitted among the smaller excellencies of lively conversation.

5

Kelly Carlson

'Nip/Tuck' did make me very comfortable in my own skin, no pun intended. I had to be stripped down a lot, and you're kind of in front of the whole world, and it teaches you to accept yourself and be comfortable with yourself real quickly.

6

Teju Cole

Always say 'no pun intended' to draw attention to the intended pun.

7

Hannah Cowley

It requires genius to make a good pun - some men of bright parts can't reach it.

8

Jeffrey Eugenides

We're all well-acquainted with depression, we all know what the low moods are, but the mania was not something I knew much about. I didn't know that it would make someone dress extravagantly or start to pun, and to stay up and drink.

9

John Glover

Putting your hands in the earth is very grounding, if you'll excuse the pun.

10

Martin Gore

God knows why - no pun intended - but every time I write a song, I feel a need to touch on religion.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «PUN»

Discover the use of pun in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to pun and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.

The Pun Also Rises: How the Humble Pun Revolutionized ...

With an engaging narrative, this book answers fundamental questions: Just what are puns? Why do people make them? How did punning impact the development of human language, and how did that drive creativity and progress?

John Pollack, 2011

Made in China: Women Factory Workers in a Global Workplace

Yet they are still eager to leave home. Made in China is a compelling look at the lives of these women, workers caught between the competing demands of global capitalism, the socialist state, and the patriarchal family.

Pun Ngai, 2005

The Best Book of Puns

Gathers puns about acrobats, children, politicians, food, business, television, animals, and sports

Art Moger, 1988

A Pun My Word: A Humorously Enlightened Path to English Usage

Explains the differences between similar words and phrases, and provides examples of proper usage

Robert Oliver Shipman, 1991

Managerial Economics: An Analysis of Business Issues

Highly accessible, with a clear introduction to the subject for the non-specialist, this book covers all aspects of managerial economics. It also contains some material on corporate strategy and a section devoted to marketing issues.

Howard Davies, Pun-Lee Lam, 2001

Pun Enchanted Evenings: A Treasury of Wit, Wisdom, Chuckles ...

* 746 wildly original puns on every subject from Arizona to zealous crusaders! * 14 ant puns certain to start a new fad! * Bi-lingual puns in English and Spanish, French, Chinese, Latin, Yiddish! * The best new moron puns since the Fifties! ...

David R. Yale, 2010

Pun-Unciate

Pun-Unciate contains humorous and thought provoking single sentence, poetic and short story interpretations of words and phrases that we use everyday.

Heath Morrison, 2011

Pun and Games: Jokes, Riddles, Daffynitions, Tairy Fales, ...

An introduction to wordplay, including puns, spoonerisms, riddles, and more.

Richard Lederer, 1996

Stop Me Before I Pun Again

Random puns, bon mots and malapropisms together with limericks and poems intended to make the reader react and laugh.

Carl Kaplan, 2011

Peach and Pun: The New Family Ferret

Join us in this lovely animated and courageous tale of a ferret who outwits and perseveres during times of change. Can Peach and Pun both find some fun in growing together?

Asheida, 2012

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «PUN»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term pun is used in the context of the following news items.

Big Pun's Son Chris Rivers Drops Fire 'You Ain't Recognized' Freestyle

Big Pun's son, Chris Rivers, does his father's legacy justice on a new freestyle released yesterday (Jun. 5). Snagging up the late rapper's 1998 Capital ... «Vibe, Jun 15»

Meet Pun-isher, the punniest superhero of them all

Avengers, who? The Pun-isher is the newest crime-fighting superhero on the scene, delivering justice to bad guys with a side of horrible yet hilarious puns. «CNET, May 15»

That is not how puns work, Reggie Miller

This is the Alanis Morissette's "Ironic" of sports takes. Well, except that irony is a far more nuanced concept than a pun. It's simply humorous (and often cheesy) ... «SB Nation, Apr 15»

Pun-Hating Don Henley Sued Clothing Company Over 'Don a …

Pun-Hating Don Henley Sued Clothing Company Over 'Don a Henley' Shirt Ad. "Don a henley and take it easy" was no laughing matter to The Eagles singer. «Radio.com Music and Entertainment News, Apr 15»

MTR fans queue to become first to use Sai Ying Pun station

Excited Sai Ying Pun residents and transport enthusiasts made an early start yesterday to be among the first to hop aboard the MTR network at its latest station. «South China Morning Post, Mar 15»

VERY PUNNY: The U.S. States made from food puns -- for pun lovers

When a blogger was challenged by his 8-year-old son to create food puns around the U.S. States, he didn't hesitate to deliver. Ladies and gentlemen, The ... «KABC-TV, Mar 15»

JetBlue Realizes Pun Referencing Large Flying Machines Falling …

JetBlue is busy apologizing on Twitter for a now-deleted and ill-advised Tweet that made a bad pun referencing the Hindenburg Disaster. Too soon, perhaps ... «The Consumerist, Feb 15»

This Dad Joke Duel Is The Ultimate Test Of 'Live By The Pun, Die By …

Peacocks have feathers; elk have antlers; and dads -- the natural-born jokers of the animal world -- have puns, just as Mother Nature intended. When a dad's ... «Huffington Post, Feb 15»

Is it punny? Leo Kearse wins UK Pun Championship 2015 with joke …

It was pundemonium at last night at Dave's Leicester Comedy festival as eight comedians performed a “rap battle” for the title of UK Pun Champion. «The Independent, Feb 15»

Britain's best word play from the UK PUN championships

Some of the sharpest wits in Britain go head to head in the the UK Pun Championships 2015,at Dave's Leicester Comedy Festival - and all hoping they don't get ... «Mirror.co.uk, Feb 15»