pugil

P3U1G2I1L1
/ˈpjuːd͡ʒɪl/

noun

As much as is taken up between the thumb and two first fingers; a pinch.

OriginLatin pugillus →
Scrabble 8
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Meanings

nounpugil (plural pugils)

plural pugils

  1. alsofigurativelyobsoleteAs much as is taken up between the thumb and two first fingers; a pinch.

    Cinnamon, an ounce and a half; Rosemary flowers, six pugils […]

    1778, William Lewis, The new dispensatory
    3 more examples

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

    1627 (indicated as 1626), Francis [Bacon], “I. Century.”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], London: […] William Rawley […]; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […], →OCLC

    Note, That by Parts is to be understood a Pugil; which is no more than one does usually take up between the Thumb and the two next Fingers.

    1699, John Evelyn, Acetaria: A Discourse of Sallets

    This kind of success was all luck, and if a man had only a given amount for his own share, it was a shame to fritter away so much as a pugil.

    1989, Patrick O'Brian, The Thirteen-Gun Salute

Origin

  1. Latinpugillus
  2. Englishpugil

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

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

pugil. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pugil

MLA

“pugil.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pugil. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pugil,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pugil.

Source: pugil on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.