punct/pung

point; prick

Spelled punct, pung · pungere 'prick'; punctum 'a prick, point'

Latin pungere meant to prick: a puncture leaves a hole, pungent smells sting, and compunction is a prick of conscience.

Words built from it

puncture — a small hole made by a sharp object
Latin pungere (prick), with stem punct- → punctura (a pricking) → puncture
punctual — arriving or happening at the appointed time
Latin punctum (point), from pungere (prick) → Medieval Latin punctualis (relating to a point) → punctual
punctilious — very careful about rules, manners, and small details
Latin punctum (point), from pungere (prick) → Italian puntiglio (a fine point of conduct) → punctilious
pungent — having a sharply strong smell, taste, or effect
Latin pungere (prick) → pungent-, the stem of pungens (pricking) → pungent
compunction — a troubled feeling of guilt about doing something wrong
Latin com- (intensive) + pungere (prick) → compungere (prick sharply) → compunctio → compunction
expunge — erase or remove completely, especially from a record
Latin ex- (out) + pungere (prick) → expungere (mark with points for deletion) → expunge
acupuncture — a treatment that involves inserting thin needles into the skin
Latin acus (needle) + punctura (pricking), from pungere (prick) → acupuncture