pugilist
pronunciation
How to pronounce pugilist in British English:
UK [ˈpju:dʒɪlɪst]
How to pronounce pugilist in American English:
US [ˈpjuːdʒɪlɪst]
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- Noun:
- someone who fights with his fists for sport
Word Origin
- pugilist (n.)
- 1789, from Latin pugil "boxer, fist-fighter," related to pugnus "a fist" (see pugnacious) + -ist. Related: Pugilistic (1789); pugilistically. Pugil occasionally turns up in English as "boxer, fist-fighter" (from 1640s), but it has not caught on. Pugil stick (1962) was introduced by U.S. military as a substitute for rifles in bayonet drills.