Emily Dickinson Lexicon

PU'NIC, n.

The ancient language of the Carthaginians, of which Plautus has left a specimen. – Asiat. Res.

PUNICA-FIDES, n. [Punica fides. L.]

Punic faith, the faith of the Carthaginians, that is, unfaithfulness, treachery, perfidiousness.

PU'NICE, n.

A wall-louse; a bug. [Not in use.] – Ainsworth.

PU-NI'CEOUS, a. [L. puniceus. See Punic.]

Purple. – Dict.

PU'NI-NESS, n. [from puny.]

Littleness; pettiness; smallness with feebleness.

PUN'ISH, v.t. [Arm. puniçza; Fr. punir, punissant; It. punire; Sp. punir; from L. punio, from the root of pœna, pain. The primary sense is to press or strain.]

1. To pain; to afflict with pain, loss or calamity for a crime or fault; primarily, to afflict with bodily pain, as to punish a thief with pillory or stripes; but the word is applied also to affliction by loss of property, by transportation, banishment, seclusion from society, &c. The laws require murderers to be punished with death. Other offenders are to be punished with fines, imprisonment, hard labor, &c. God punishes men for their sins with calamities personal and national.
2. To chastise; as, a father punishes his child for disobedience.
3. To reward with pain or suffering inflicted on the offender; applied to the crime; as, to punish murder or theft.

PUN'ISH-A-BLE, a.

1. Worthy of punishment.
2. Liable to punishment; capable of being punished by law or right; applied to persons or offenses; as, a man is punishable for robbery or for trespass; a crime is punishable by law.

PUN'ISH-A-BLE-NESS, n.

The quality of deserving or being liable to punishment.

PUN'ISH-ED, pp.

Afflicted with pain or evil as the retribution of a crime or offense; chastised.

PUN'ISH-ER, n.

One that inflicts pain, loss or other evil for a crime or offense. – Milton.

PUN'ISH-ING, ppr.

Afflicting with pain, penalty or suffering of any kind, as the retribution of a crime or offense.

PUN'ISH-MENT, n.

Any pain or suffering inflicted on a person for a crime or offense, by the authority to which the offender is subject, either by the constitution of God or of civil society. The punishment of the faults and offenses of children by the parent, is by virtue of the right of government with which the parent is invested by God himself. This species of punishment is chastisement or correction. The punishment of crimes against the laws is inflicted by the supreme power of the state in virtue of the right of government, vested in the prince or legislature. The right of punishment belongs only to persons clothed with authority. Pain, loss or evil willfully inflicted on another for his crimes or offenses by a private unauthorized person, is revenge rather than punishment. Some punishments consist in exile or transportation, others in loss of liberty by imprisonment; some extend to confiscation by forfeiture of lands and goods, others induce a disability of holding offices, of being heirs and the like. – Blackstone. Divine punishments are doubtless designed to secure obedience to divine laws, and uphold the moral order of created intelligent beings. The rewards and punishments of another life, which the Almighty has established as the enforcements of his law, are of weight enough to determine the choice against whatever pleasure or pain this life can show. – Locke.

PU-NI'TION, n. [Fr. from L. punitio, from punio.]

Punishment. [Little used.]

PU'NI-TIVE, a. [It. punitivo.]

Awarding or inflicting punishment; that punishes; as, punitive law or justice. – Hammond.

PU'NI-TO-RY, a.

Punishing or tending to punishment.

PUNK, n.

1. A prostitute; a strumpet. – Shak.
2. Decayed wood.

PUN'NED, pp.

Quibbled.

PUN'NER, n.

A punster, – which see. – Steele.

PUN'NING, n.

The art or practice of using puns; a playing on words. – Addison.

PUN'NING, ppr. [from pun.]

Using a word at once in different senses.

PUN'STER, n.

One that puns or is skilled in punning; a quibbler; a low wit. – Arbuthnot.

PUNT, n. [Sax. punt, L. pons, a bridge.]

A flat-bottomed boat, used in calking and repairing ships. – Mar. Dict.

PUNT, v.i.

To play at basset and omber. – Addison.

PUNT'ER, n.

One that plays in basset against the banker or dealer. – Encyc.

PU'NY, a. [contracted from Fr. puisné, – which see.]

1. Properly, young or younger; but in this sense not used.
2. Inferior; petty; of an under rate; small and feeble. This word generally includes the signification of both smallness and feebleness; as, a puny animal; a puny subject; a puny power; a puny mind. – Milton. South. Dryden.