punctum 
brain, dne to the escape of blood from the vessels divided 
In the operation. Punctum caecum, the blind spot In 
the eye ; the optic papilla, where the nerve enters the eye- 
ball Punctum lacrymale. the lacrymal punctum ; the 
minute aperture of the lacrymal canal at the summit of a 
lacrymal papilla. - Punctum luteum, the yellow spot 
Punctum proximum, tin- nearest point which a given 
eye can bring to focus upon Its retina ; the near point 
Punctum remotum, thf furthest point which a given 
eye can bring to focus upon Its retina; the far point. 
Punctum sallens, a salient point ; an Initial point of a 
movement or procedure ; hence, a starting-point of any- 
thing ; specifically. In nnbryol., the first trace of the em- 
bryonic heart, as a pulsating point or vesicle of a primi- 
tive blood-vessel. Punctum vegetationls, In bot., the 
growing-point or vegeUtting-point of an organ, 
puncturation (pungk-tu-ra'shon), . [< LL. 
punctura, a prick, a puncture, + -ation.~\ 1. 
In surg., the act of puncturing. 2. In zool., 
the state of being punctured, dotted, or pitted ; 
a set of punctures. 
puncture (pungk'tur), n. [= Sp. It. puntura 
= Pg. punctura, puntura, < LL. punctura, a 
pricking, a puncture, < L. pungere, pp. punctus, 
pierce, prick : see pungent, point*.] 1. The act 
of perforating or pricking with a pointed instru- 
ment, or a small hole made by it ; a small wound, 
as one made by a needle, prickle, or sting: as, 
the puncture of a lancet, nail, or pin. 
When prick'd by a sharp-pointed weapon, which kind of 
wound is call'd n puncture, they are much to be regarded. 
Wiseman, Surgery, v. 3. 
A lion may perish by the puncture of an asp. 
Johnton, Rambler. 
2. In zool., a depressed point or dot, as if punc- 
tured ; a small depression, as if pricked into a 
surface ; a punctum. See cut under Coscinop- 
tera Confluent, dilated, distinct, dorsal, obliter- 
ate, ocellate, etc., punctures. See the adjectives. 
puncture (pungk tur), v. t. ; pret. and pp. punc- 
tured, ppr. puncturing. [< puncture, n.] To 
prick; pierce with a sharp point of any kind: 
as, to puncture the skin. 
With that he drew a lancet in his rage 
To puncture the still supplicating sage. 
Garth, Dispensary, vi. 
Punctured work, In masonry, a kind of rustic stonework 
In which the face la ornamented with series of holes. 
punctureless (pungk'tur-les), a. [< puncture + 
-less.] In entom., without punctures; smooth. 
punctus (pungk'tus), n. ; pi. punctus. [ML.,< L. 
punctus, a point: see point*.] In medieval mu- 
sical notation : (a) A note. (6) A dot or point, 
however used. 
pund (pund), n. A dialectal variant ot pound*. 
[Scotch and North. Eng.] 
pundert, n. An obsolete variant ot finder*. 
pundit (pun'dit), n. [Also pandit (the Hind, a 
being pronounced like E. u); < Hind, pandit, 
pandat, a learned man, master, teacher, an hon- 
orary title equiv. to doctor or professor; also a 
Hindu law-officer, jurist; < Skt.pnndi<rt,alearn- 
ed man, scholar, as adj. learned.] A learned 
Brahman : one versed in the Sanskrit language, 
and in the science, laws, and religion of India: 
as, formerly, the Pundits of the supreme court; 
by extension, any learned man. 
(An Anglo-Indian child) calls a learned Pundit '-i-.il 
uln," an egregious owl. 
J. W. Palmer, The New and the Old, p. 342. 
The young pandit, then, Is expected to master the sys- 
tem of Hindu Grammar, and to govern his Sanskrit speech 
and writing by it. Whitney, Amer. Jour. Phllol., V. 281. 
It behooved the squire himself to. . . see certain learned 
puudil* ... at various dingy dismal chambers In Lincoln's 
Inn Fields, the Temple, and Gray's Inn Lane. 
Trollope, Doctor Thome, xllv. 
pundlet(pun'dl),n. [Origin obscure; cf. punch'* 
and bundle.] A short, fat woman. Imp. Diet. 
pundonor (pun'do-n6r'), n. [Sp., contraction 
of punto de honor = F. point tfhonneur, point 
of nonor: see point*, dc 2 , honor.] Point of 
honor. 
They stood not much upon the pundonor, the high punc- 
tilio, and rarely drew the stiletto in their disputes. 
Irving, Granada, p. 256. 
'MM- Spaniard flghts, or rather fought, for religion snd 
the Pundonur, and the Irishman fights for the fun of nght- 
Ing. K. F. Burton, EI-Medinah, p. 826. 
pundum (pun'dum), n. Same as piny resin 
(which see, under piny*). 
puneset, . Keepunice*. 
pung (pung), n. [Origin obscure.] A rude 
form of Neigh consisting of a box-like body 
placed on runnerx; any low box-sleigh. [New 
Kng. ] 
pungar (pung'gttr), . A crab. HalliweU. [Lo- 
cal, Eiitf. J 
pungence (pun'jens), . [< ptingen(t) + -ee.] 
I'litigenoy. 
Around the whole rise cloudy wreaths, and far 
Bear the warm pungence of o'er-bolllng tar. 
Crabbe, Works, II. 6. 
4848 
pungency (pun'jen-si), n. [As pungence (gee 
-cy).] Pungent character or quality; the pow- 
er of sharply affecting the taste or smell ; keen- 
ness; sharpness; tartness; causticity. 
The pungency of forbidden luat Is truly a thorn In the 
flesh. Jer. Taylor, Great Exemplar, 1'rcf., p. 10. 
This unsavory rebuke, which probably lost nothing of 
Its pungency from the tone in which it was delivered, so 
incensed the pope that he attempted to seize the paper 
and tear it In pieces. Pntcott, Ferd. and Isa., II. 10. 
= 8yn. Poignancy, acridness, polntedness. 
pungent (pun'jent), a. [= Sp. Pg. It. pungente, 
< L. pungen(t-)s, ppr. of pungere, pierce, prick, 
sting, penetrate: see point*. From L. pumjrre 
are also E. punch*, function, puncheon* (and 
prob. punclieonV), point*, punct, punctule, punc- 
tilio, punctilious, etc., punctual, punctuate, etc., 
puncture, compunction, erpunye, pounce*, poig- 
nant (doublet of pungent), etc.] 1. Piercing; 
sharp. 
A rush which now your heels do He on here 
Was whllome used for a pungent spear. 
Chapman, Gentleman Usher, ii. 1. 
Specifically (a) In boL, terminating gradually In a hard 
sharp point, as the lobes of the holly-leaf, (b) In entom., 
fitted for piercing or penetrating : as, Apungent ovipositor. 
2. Sharp and painful ; poignant. 
We also may make our thorns, which are In themselves 
pungent and dolorous, to be a crown. 
Jer. Taylor, Works (ed. 1835), I. 825. 
3. Affecting the tongue like small sharp points ; 
stinging; acrid. 
Among simple tastes, such as sweet, sour, bitter, hot, 
pungent, there are some which are Intrinsically grateful. 
D. Stewart, Phllos. Essays, I. :.. 
And herbs of potent smell and pungent taste 
Give a warm relish to the night's repast 
Crabbe, Works, I. 41. 
4. Sharply affecting the sense of smell: as, 
pungent snuff. 
The pungent grains of titillating dust 
Pope, E. of the L., v. 84. 
5. Hence, sharply affecting the mind; curt and 
expressive; caustic; racy; biting. 
A sharp and pungent manner of speech. Dryden. 
She could only tell me amusing stories, and reciprocate 
any racy and pungent gossip I chose to indulge in. 
Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre, Ix. 
The attention of the reader is continually provoked by 
the pungent stimulants which are mixed in the composi- 
tion of almost every sentence. 
Whipple, Ess. and Rev., I. 14. 
= Syn. Sharp, stinging, keen, peppery, acrid, caustic. 
Pimiant, Punyent, Poignant. That which is vvjuant is 
Just tart enough to be agreeable; that which is puniient 
is so tart that, if it were more so, it would be positive- 
ly disagreeable : that which Is poignant is likely to prove 
actually disagreeable to most persons. Pungent is mani- 
festly figurative when not applied t<> the sense of taste, or, 
less often of smell ; puniant is similar, but less forcible ; 
poignant is now used chiefly of mental states, etc., att povj- 
nant grief, or of things affecting the mind, as poignant wit 
pungently (pun' jent-li), a<lr. With pungency ; 
sharply. 
pungl (pSng'ge), . [Hind, pungi.'] A Hindu 
pipe or nose-flute composed of a gourd or nut- 
shell into which two wooden pipes or reeds are 
inserted. It emits a droning or humming sound, 
and is the instrument commonly used by snake- 
charmers. 
pungled(pung'gld),a. [Origin obscure.] Shriv- 
eled; shrunken: applied specifically to grain 
whose juices have been extracted by the insect 
Thrips cerealium. Halliu-ell. [Prpv. Eng.] 
pungy (pung'i), n. ; pi. pungies (-iz). [Origin 
obscure.] 1. A small boat like a sharpey. [Mas- 
sachusetts.] 2. A kind of schooner peculiar 
to the oyster-trade of Chesapeake Bay, sailing 
fast, and holding from 300 to 600 bushels of 
oysters. Broca. Canoe mingy, a canoe like a pungy, 
used In oyster-dredging. [Chesapeake Bay. ] 
Punic (pu'nik),n. and n. [< L. 1'unicuit, Pmticus, 
Carthaginian, < Faenus, a Carthaginian, a Phe- 
nician, akin to Or. Qoivif, a Phenician : see Phe- 
iiii-inii.} I. a. Of, pertaining to, or character- 
istic of the Carthaginians, who were character- 
ized by the Romans as being unworthy of trust : 
hence, faithless; treacherous; deceitful. 
Yet, ret ; his faith attesting nations own ; 
TU Punic all, and to a proverb known ! 
Brooke, tr. of Tasto s Jerusalem Delivered, II. 
Punic apple, the pomegranate. 
But the terrltorle of Carthage chalengeth to Itself e the 
puniclre apple; some call It the pomegranat [granatumj, 
and they have made several! klnnes tht rt-i.f. 
Upland, tr. nf Mlny, xlll. 19. 
Punic faith. See faith.- Punic wars, In Rom. hitt., the 
three wan waged by Rome against Carthage, 264-241, 
218-201 and 149-146 B. C. They resulted in the over- 
throw of Carthage and Its annexation to Rome. 
H. . The language of the Carthaginians, 
which belongs to the Cmiaanitisli ln-am-h of the 
punisher 
Semitic tongues, and is an offshoot of Pheni- 
cian, and allied to Hebrew. 
Punica (pu'ni-ka), . [NL. (Tournefort, 1700), 
< L. punicum, sc. malum, the pomegranate, lit. 
'Carthaginian apple,' < L. punicus, Carthagini- 
an : see Punic.'] A monotypic genus of plants 
of the polypetalous order Lythrarieir, former- 
ly classed in the ifyrtacete, or myrtle family, 
and by many constituted into a separate or- 
der, Granateie (Don, 1826). It Is anomalous In its 
ovary, which Is inferior and consists of two circles of cells, 
a lower aet of three or four and an upper circle of from 
five to ten, each with many ovules crowded in numerous 
rows on enlarged fleshy placentas, which l>ecome united 
to the membranous partitions and walls. It Is also char- 
acterized by very numerous stamens in many rows, ovate 
versatile anthers on slender Incurved filaments, leaf-like, 
spirally rolled seed-leaves with two auricles at their bases, 
and a persistent tlexuous style with swollen base and capi- 
tate stigma. The only species, P. granatum, the pome- 
granate, la a native of western Asia to northwestern 
India, growing in the Himalayas to the altitude of 6,000 
feet, long naturalized throughout the Mediterranean coun- 
tries, and now widely cultivated in subtropical regions, 
Including, In the I'nited States, chiefly Louisiana, Texas, 
and Florida. (See pomegranate, balausla, and balauitinr.) 
Of ornamental varieties may be mentioned especially the 
variety nano, the dwarf pomegranate, a favorite double- 
flowered lawn and greenhouse plant, native of the Kaat 
Indies, and now naturalized in places in the southern 
United States and West Indies. 
punice't, r. t. An obsolete form of punish. 
punice'^t, puneset, . [Also puny (see puny 2 ); 
< F. punaise, a bedbug, fern, of punais, stink- 
ing, ult. < L. putere, stink.] A bedbug. 
His flea, his morpion, and punete, 
He 'ad gotten for his proper ease. 
& Butler, Hudlbras, III. t 433. 
puniceous (pu-nish'ius), a. [< L. puniceus, red- 
dish, purple, < Punicus, Carthaginian, Pheni- 
cian. Cf. Or. (fiolvif, red, purple: see Phenician.'] 
In entom., purplish-red or crimson; having the 
color of a pomegranate. 
punieshipt, . See punyship. 
puniness(pu'ni-ne8), n. {< puny* + -ness.] The 
state or character of being puny ; littleness ; 
pettiness; smallness with feebleness. 
punish (pun'ish),. t. [< ME. punische n, pun- 
isshen,punicen, punchen, < OF. puniss-, stem of 
certain parts of punir, F. punir = Pr. Sp. Pg. 
punir = It. punire, < L. punire, pcenire, inflict 
punishment upon, < paena, punishment, pen- 
alty: seepaiw 1 . Ct. pain*, pine'*, from the same 
ult. source, and punch%, a contracted form of 
imnish.] 1. To inflict a penalty on; visit judi- 
cially with pain, loss, confinement, death, or 
other penalty ; castigate ; chastise. 
The spirits perverse 
With easy intercourse pass to and fro, 
To tempt or punish mortals. 
Milton, P. L., U. 1082. 
2. To reward or visit with pain or suffering 
inflicted on the offender : applied to the crime 
or offense: as, to punish murder or theft. 
By an Act of Parliament, or rather by a Synod of Bishops 
holden at London, he [Henry I.] was authorized to punith 
Marriage and Incontinency of Priests. 
Baker, Chronicles, p. 40. 
Our Supreme Foe In time may much remit 
His anger; and perhaps thus far removed 
Not mind us not offending ; satisfied 
With what is punifh'd. Milton, P. L., II. 213. 
3. To handle severely: as, to punish an oppo- 
nent in a boxing-match or a pitcher in a base- 
ball game ; to punish (that is, to stimulate by 
whip or spur) a horse in running a race. 
[Colloq.] 4. To make a considerable inroad 
on ; make away with a good quantity of. [Col- 
loq.] 
He punithed my champagne. 
Thackeray, Vanity Fair, 1I1L 
= 8yn. 1. Chatttn, etc. (see chattitt), scourge, whip, lash, 
correct, discipline. 
punishabillty (pun'ish-a-biri-ti), n. [= F. 
pMaiMaMUC] The quality of being punish- 
able ; liability to punishment. 
The vexed question of punithability Is raised by certain 
forms of insanity. A. Bain, Emotions and Will, p. 522. 
punishable (pun'ish-a-bl), a. [<.OT?.punissable, 
F. punixsalile ; as punish + -able.] Deserving 
punishment; liable to punishment; capable of 
being punished by right or law: applied to per- 
sons or conduct. 
That time was when to be a Protestant, to be a Chris- 
tian, was by Law as punithable as to be a traitor. 
Milton, Elkonoklastes, xL 
Dangerous tumults and seditions were punuthabU by 
death. Bancroft, Hist. V. 8., I. 07. 
punishableness (pim'isli-a-bl-nes), n. The 
diiinic-tiT of In-ill^ punishable. 
punisher (pun'isli-cr), . One who punisln^; 
oni' who iiilli.-is |i;iin, loss, or other evil fora 
crime or oflVnsc. 
