1 n. — Newfoundland, Food
doughy, soggy bread.
Type: 2. Preservation — Dunch is a preservation from West Country English (EDD, s.v. "dunch"), a dialect spoken by the people of southwest England. Because of the significant number of people from these areas who permanently settled in Newfoundland, many regionalisms, such as dunch, have remained in use on the island (Clarke 2010b: 105-106). The term appears to be used most frequently when describing a type or state of bread, and can be used in combinations like "dunch-bread" or "dunch-dumpling" (see the 1896 quotation), though it may also be used to describe people (see meaning 2).
See also DNE, s.v. "dunch" (2), DPEIE, s.v. "dunch".
2 adj.
heavy, damp, soggy.
Type: 2. Preservation — See meaning 1.
3 adj.
stiff or cramped from sitting in one position.
Type: 2. Preservation — As with meaning 1, dunch in this sense is preserved from West Country English (EDD, s.v. "dunch" 2(i)). However, internet searches yield far fewer written sources for this meaning, with the majority appearing in more recent decades.
See also DNE, s.v. "dunch" (1).