Staunch means loyal and firm in support. A staunch supporter, staunch defender, staunch in his beliefs.
It is the word for loyalty that has been tested, so a staunch ally is one who stayed. The same word also means to stop a flow of blood, though many now spell that one stanch to keep them apart.
1adjectivestaunchLoyal and firm in support.
“He is a staunch supporter of the local football club.”
staunch is a quality.
Old French estanche means watertight, from estanchier, to stop a flow.
Proto-Indo-European
*steh₂g-
Old French
estanche — firm; watertight
Anglo-Norman
estaunche
Middle English
staunch
English, today
staunch
Built from
From Middle English staunch, staunche (“(adjective) in good condition or repair; solidly made, firm; watertight; of a person or wound: not bleeding; certain; intact; (adverb) firmly, soundly”)stanch, from Anglo-Norman estaunche, Old French estanche (“firm; watertight”) (modern French étanche (“airtight; watertight”)), a variant of estanc (“a pond”), from estanchier (“to stop the flow of a liquid (blood, water, etc.); to make (something) watertight; to quench (thirst)”) (modern French étancher), possibly from one of the following:
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA