n. pl. Pun·chi·nel·los or Pun·chi·nel·loes 1. The short fat buffoon or clown in an Italian puppet show. 2. One who resembles a short fat clown. [Variant of Polichinello, from Italian dialectal Pollecinella, diminutive of pollecena, turkey pullet (from the resemblance between its beak and Punchinello's nose), ultimately from Latin pullus, young chicken; see PULLET.] |
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