ponce

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun a man who is effeminate in his manner and fussy in the way he dresses
  2. noun someone who procures customers for whores (in England they call a pimp a ponce)

Etymology

Uncertain, but probably an aphetic form of French alphonse (“kept man”), from the male given name Alphonse. Also sometimes connected to pounce or French pensionnaire (“pensioner, person living without working”).

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