punt

v. to drop a ball and kick it before it hits the ground.

v. to perform a kick in which the ball is dropped from the hands and struck before it touches the ground.

“The goalkeeper decided to punt the ball deep into the opponent's half.”

“Under heavy pressure from the defensive line, the kicker was forced to punt the ball away to avoid a turnover.”

v. to avoid answering a question or dealing with a problem right now.

v. to delay a decision or avoid addressing an issue directly, often by passing the responsibility to someone else.

“When asked about the budget cuts, the manager decided to punt until next month.”

“Rather than addressing the controversial policy change, the committee chose to punt the issue to the next legislative session.”

American English · Informal

v. to take a chance on something or place a bet.

v. to gamble or place a bet; figuratively, to take a speculative risk on an uncertain outcome.

“I decided to punt on that new tech stock, even though it was risky.”

“The venture capitalist was willing to punt on the early-stage startup, despite the lack of a proven revenue model.”

British English · Informal

v. to move a long, flat boat through shallow water using a pole.

v. to propel a flat-bottomed boat by pushing a pole against the bed of a river or lake.

“We spent the sunny afternoon punting along the river in Cambridge.”

“It takes considerable skill to punt in a straight line when the river current is particularly strong.”

British English

n. a long, narrow boat with a flat bottom and square ends.

n. a long, narrow, flat-bottomed boat with square ends, traditionally used for recreation on shallow rivers.

“They hired a punt for two hours to see the university buildings from the water.”

“The river was crowded with punts, each filled with tourists enjoying the traditional sights of the city.”

British English

n. a bet or a risky attempt at something.

n. a bet or wager; by extension, a speculative attempt or a 'long shot'.

“It was a bit of a punt, but the new restaurant turned out to be excellent.”

“Taking a punt on an unknown author proved to be a brilliant move for the small publishing house.”

British English · Informal

n. the name for the Irish pound before Ireland started using the euro.

n. the basic unit of currency in the Republic of Ireland until the adoption of the euro in 2002.

“My grandfather still has some old punt notes in a drawer at home.”

“The transition from the Irish punt to the euro was a significant milestone in the nation's economic history.”

Archaic

n. the curved indentation at the bottom of a wine bottle.

n. the dimple or indentation at the base of a wine bottle, intended to provide structural strength and collect sediment.

“He held the wine bottle by the punt while pouring for the guests.”

“Sommeliers often place their thumb in the punt of the bottle to maintain a steady grip during formal service.”

Technical