noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1. 1
   As much as is taken up between the thumb and two first fingers; a pinch. also, figuratively, obsolete

   "Take violets , and infuse a good pugil of them in a quart of vinegar"

Example

More examples

"Take violets , and infuse a good pugil of them in a quart of vinegar"

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin pugillus, pugillum (“a fistful”), akin to pugnus (“the fist”).

Related phrases

pugil stick

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.