Punster, pun′stėr, n. one who makes puns.

Punt, punt, n. a flat-bottomed boat with square ends.—v.t. to propel, as a boat, by pushing with a pole against the bottom of a river: to kick the ball (in football) before it touches the ground, when let fall from the hands: to knock.—v.i. to pursue water-fowl in a punt with a punt-gun.—ns. Punt′er; Punt′-fishing, angling from a punt in a pond, river, or lake; Punt′-gun, a heavy gun of large bore used for shooting water-fowl from a punt; Punts′man, a sportsman who uses a punt. [A.S.,—L. ponto, a punt—pons, pontis, a bridge.]

Punt, punt, v.i. to play at basset or ombre.—n. Punt′er, one who marks the points in basset or ombre. [Fr., through Sp.—L. punctum, a point.]

Puntilla, pun-til′a, n. lace-work. [Sp.]

Punto, pun′to, n. (Shak.) a point or hit: a pass or thrust made in fencing.—Punto dritto, a direct or straight hit; Punto riverso, a back-handed stroke. [Sp. and It. punto—L. punctum, a point.]

Puny, pū′ni, adj. (comp. Pū′nier; superl. Pū′niest) small: feeble: petty. [Cf. Puisne.]

Pup, pup, v.t. to bring forth puppies, as a bitch: to whelp:—pr.p. pup′ping; pa.t. and pa.p. pupped.—n. Pup.—Be in pup, to be pregnant, said of dogs. [Puppy.]

Pupa, pū′pa, n. an insect enclosed in a case while passing from the caterpillar to the winged stage: a chrysalis—also Pūpe:—pl. Pupæ (pū′pē).—adjs. Pū′pal, Pūpā′rial.—n. Pūpā′rium, a pupa included within the last larval skin.—v.i. Pūpāte′, to become a pupa.—n. Pūpā′tion.—adjs. Pū′piform; Pūpig′erous.—n. Pūpip′ara, a division of dipterous insects having pupæ developed within the body of the mother.—adjs. Pūpip′arous; Pūpiv′orous; Pū′poid. [L. pupa, a girl, a doll, fem. of pupus, a boy, a child; cf. puer, a boy.]

Pupil, pū′pil, n. a little boy or girl: one under the care of a tutor: a scholar: a ward: (law) one under the age of puberty—i.e. under fourteen years for males, and twelve for females.—adj. under age.—ns. Pupilabil′ity (rare), pupilary nature: confidential character; Pū′pilage, Pū′pillage, state of being a pupil: the time during which one is a pupil; Pupilar′ity, Pupillar′ity, the time between birth and puberty.—adjs. Pū′pilary, Pū′pillary, pertaining to a pupil or ward.—Pupil teacher, one who is both a pupil and a teacher. [Fr. pupille—L. pupillus, pupilla, dims. of pupus, boy, pupa, girl.]

Pupil, pū′pil, n. the round opening in the middle of the eye through which the light passes: the apple of the eye, so called from the baby-like figures seen on it: (zool.) the central dark part of an ocellated spot.—adjs. Pū′pilary, Pū′pillary; Pū′pilate (zool.), having a central spot of another colour.—n. Pupillom′eter, an instrument for measuring the size of the pupil of an eye. [Same as above word.]