Spanish Conversation · Level 45
75 words
Spanish word
puño
Pronunciation
IPA/ˈpuɲo/
Meaning
- masculine nounfist
Example
Él apretó el puño antes de hablar.
He clenched his fist before speaking.
More examples
Levantó el puño para llamar la atención.
He raised his fist to draw attention.
Core concept
Fist formed by bringing the fingers into the palm, ready to punch or grasp.
Common phrases
apretar el puño
clench one's fist
cerrar el puño
make a fist
levantar el puño
raise one's fist
Similar words
mano: Entire hand (palm, fingers, and wrist) that performs grasping and sensing.
puñetazo: Single forceful blow that occurs when a closed hand strikes forward.
nudillo: Bony knob at a finger joint that protrudes when the fingers curl into the palm.
puñado: Amount that fills the cupped palm; roughly what a hand can hold at once.
Definition in Spanish
Parte de la mano formada al juntar los dedos contra la palma; usada para golpear o agarrar.
Word origin
Derived from Latin pugnus 'fist', originally a word for a hand made for fighting that became the term for the clenched hand.
Usage tips
- When expressing the motion Spanish prefers a verb phrase (cerrar el puño, apretar el puño) and uses dar un puñetazo for the blow, because puño denotes the object not the action.
Other meanings
- cuffnoun
Opposites
- mano abiertaopen handnoun
Related words
- empuñargraspverb
- puñetazopunchnoun
- puñadohandfulnoun