Punchinello

1 definition found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Punchinello \Pun`chi*nel"lo\, n. [It. pulcinella, probably
     originally a word of endearment, dim. of pulcina, pulcino, a
     chicken, from L. pullicenus, pullus. See {Pullet}.]
     A punch; a buffoon; originally, in a puppet show, a character
     represented as fat, short, and humpbacked. --Spectator.
     [1913 Webster]