Yeek, I always thought
pounces were
happy things. However, after reading
Webster 1913's definition of it, apparently it's not.
Pounces are things of
death and
doom and
destruction! That's certainly no good.
Here's way I had always thought of 'em, as summed up nicely by my best friend: pounces are big hugs that sneak up on you from behind. There are frontal pounces as well, but that usually involves diving of some sort, landing gently on top of the other party and hugging them on the floor. Pounces of this sort are much happier than falling suddenly on someone and seizing them with your claws. Please don't do that: you could poke an eye out.