Lewis & Short

Parsing inflected forms may not always work as expected. If the following does not give the correct word, try Latin Words or Perseus.

puncta, ae, v. pungo, P. a. fin.

punctum, i, n., v. pungo, P. a.

pungo, pŭpŭgi, punctum, 3 (old fut. perf. pepugero, Att. ap. Gell. 7, 9, 10; perf. punxi, acc. to Diom. p. 369 P.: pupungi, in pungit, punxit, pupungit, Not. Tir. p. 131; scanned pŭpūgi, Prud. στεφ. 9, 59), v. a. [root pug-, to thrust, strike, whence also pugil, pugnus; Gr. πύξ, etc.], to prick, puncture (class.).

  1. I. Lit.: aliquem, Cic. Sest. 10, 24: acu comatoriā mihi malas pungebat, Petr. 21: vulnus quod acu punctum videretur, Cic. Mil. 24, 65.
    1. B. Transf.
      1. * 1. To pierce into, penetrate, enter: corpus, Lucr. 2, 460 (v. the passage in connection).
      2. 2. To affect sensibly, to sting, bite: ut pungat colubram: cum pupugerit, etc., Varr. ap. Prisc. p. 894 P.: pungunt sensum, Lucr. 4, 625: aliquem manu, to pinch, Petr. 87 fin.: nitrum adulteratum pungit, has a pungent taste, Plin. 31, 10, 46, § 114.
      3. 3. To press, hasten: futura pungunt, nec se superari sinunt, Pub. Syr. v. 177 Rib.
  2. II. Trop., to prick, sting, vex, grieve, trouble, disturb, afflict, mortify, annoy, etc.: scrupulus aliquem stimulat ac pungit, Cic. Rosc. Am. 2, 6: epistula illa ita me pupugit, ut somnum mihi ademerit, id. Att. 2, 16, 1: jamdudum meum ille pectus pungit aculeus, Plaut. Trin. 4, 2, 158: pungit me, quod scribis, etc., Cic. Fam. 7, 15, 1: si paupertas momordit, si ignominia pupugit, id. Tusc. 3, 34, 82: quos tamen pungit aliquid, id. ib. 5, 35, 102: odi ego, quos numquam pungunt suspiria somnos, Prop. 3, 8 (4, 7), 27.
    Hence, punctus, a, um, P. a., pricked in, like a point; hence, of time: puncto tempore (cf.: puncto temporis; v. infra), in an instant, in a moment (only in Lucr.), Lucr. 2, 263; 456; 1006; 4, 216; 6, 230.
    Hence, subst. in two forms.
  1. I. punctum, i, n., that which is pricked or pricked in, a point, small hole, puncture.
    1. A. Lit. (very rare), Mart. 11, 45, 6.
    2. B. Transf.
      1. 1. A point, small spot (as if made by pricking): ova punctis distincta, Plin. 10, 52, 74, § 144: gemma sanguineis punctis, id. 37, 8, 34, § 113: puncta quae terebrantur acu, Mart. 11, 46, 2: ferream frontem convulnerandam praebeant punctis, i. e. with the marks of slavery, Plin. Pan. 35.
        1. b. In partic.
          1. (α) A point made in writing, Aus. Epigr. 35, 1; 145, 5; as a punctuation mark, Diom. p. 432 P.
          2. (β) A mathematical point. Cic. Ac. 2, 36, 116.
          3. (γ) A point or spot on dice: quadringenis in punctum sestertiis aleam lusit, Suet. Ner. 30; Aus. Prof. 1, 29.
          4. (δ) A point or dot as the sign of a vote, made in a waxen tablet, before the introduction of separate ballots; hence, transf., a vote, suffrage, ballot, Cic. Planc. 22, 53; id. Mur. 34, 72; id. Tusc. 2, 26, 62.
            Hence, poet., applause, approbation: omne tulit punctum qui miscuit utile dulci, Hor. A. P. 343: discedo Alcaeus puncto illius, id. Ep. 2, 2, 99; Aus. Grat. Act. ad Grat. 5.
            (ε) A point on the bar of a steelyard, indicating the weight: diluis helleborum, certo compescere puncto nescius examen, Pers. 5, 100.
      2. 2. A small part of any thing divided or measured off, e.g.,
        1. a. A small weight, Pers. 5, 100.
        2. b. A small liquid measure, Front. Aquaed. 25.
        3. c. A small portion of time, an instant, a moment (cf. momentum): puncto temporis eodem, in the same moment, Cic. Sest. 24, 53; cf.: ne punctum quidem temporis, id. Phil. 8, 7, 20; Ter. Phorm. 1, 4, 7: nullo puncto temporis intermisso, id. N. D. 1, 20, 52; Caes. B. C. 2, 14.
          In plur.: omnibus minimis temporum punctis, Cic. N. D. 1, 24, 67: animi discessus a corpore fit ad punctum temporis, id. Tusc. 1, 34, 82: temporis puncto omnes Uticam relinquunt, Caes. B. C. 2, 25 fin.; Plin. Pan. 56: horae, Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 172: diei, Lucr. 4, 201.
          Rarely absol.: punctum est quod vivimus et adhuc puncto minus, Sen. Ep. 49, 14, 3: puncto brevissimo dilapsa domus, App. M. 9, p. 235, 30; cf.: quod momentum, quod immo temporis punctum, aut beneficio sterile aut vacuum laude, Plin. Pan. 56, 2; Vulg. Isa. 54, 7.
        4. d. In space, a point: ipsa terra ita mihi parva visa est, ut me imperii nostri, quo quasi punctum ejus attingimus, poeniteret, Cic. Rep. 6, 16, 16.
        5. e. In discourse, a small portion, brief clause, short section, Cic. Par. prooem. § 2; id. de Or. 2, 41, 177; Aus. Idyll. 12 prooem.
  2. II. puncta, ae, f. (very rare), a prick, puncture, Veg. Mil. 1, 12.