| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. |
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| compunction |
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| SYLLABICATION: | com·punc·tion |
| PRONUNCIATION: |  k m-p ngk shn |
| NOUN: | 1. A strong uneasiness caused by a sense of guilt. See synonyms at penitence. 2. A sting of conscience or a pang of doubt aroused by wrongdoing or the prospect of wrongdoing. See synonyms at qualm. | | ETYMOLOGY: | Middle English compunccioun, from Old French componction, from Late Latin comp ncti , compnctin-, puncture, sting of conscience, from Latin compnctus, past participle of compungere, to sting : com-, intensive pref.; see com– + pungere, to prick; see peuk- in Appendix I. | | OTHER FORMS: | com·punctious (-shs) —ADJECTIVE
com·punctious·ly —ADVERB
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| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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