pugilism

[ pyoo-juh-liz-uhm ]
See synonyms for pugilism on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. the art or practice of fighting with the fists; boxing.

Origin of pugilism

1
1785–95; <Latin pugil boxer (akin to pugnus fist, pugnāre to fight; compare Greek pýx with the fist, pygmḗ boxing) + -ism

Words Nearby pugilism

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use pugilism in a sentence

  • Prolonged warfare had developed in his nature a trace of pugilism hitherto unsuspected by his nearest friend.

    The Gentle Art of Cooking Wives | Elizabeth Strong Worthington
  • This is a story of amateur pugilism and chivalrous adventure, written by an author whose books on sport are well known.

    Battles of English History | H. B. (Hereford Brooke) George
  • There his pugilism ended; they afterwards shook hands, and continued good friends.

    Lives of the Engineers | Samuel Smiles

British Dictionary definitions for pugilism

pugilism

/ (ˈpjuːdʒɪˌlɪzəm) /


noun
  1. the art, practice, or profession of fighting with the fists; boxing

Origin of pugilism

1
C18: from Latin pugil a boxer; related to pugnus fist, pugna a fight

Derived forms of pugilism

  • pugilist, noun
  • pugilistic, adjective
  • pugilistically, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012