Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Paunch \Paunch\, n. [OF. panch, pance, F. panse, L. pantex,
   panticis.]
   1. (Anat.) The belly and its contents; the abdomen; also, the
      first stomach, or rumen, of ruminants. See {Rumen}.

   2. (Naut.) A paunch mat; -- called also {panch}.

   3. The thickened rim of a bell, struck by the clapper.

   {Paunch mat} (Naut.), a thick mat made of strands of rope,
      used to prevent the yard or rigging from chafing.