Wiktionary:Word of the day/2022/June 8

edit · refresh · view Word of the day for June 8

punkie n

(chiefly New England) A small two-winged fly or midge of the family Ceratopogonidae, which bites and then sucks the blood of mammals; a biting midge or sandfly. [...] (South West England, chiefly Somerset) In full punkie lantern: a lantern similar to a jack-o'-lantern consisting of a gourd such as a pumpkin or a root vegetable such as a mangelwurzel or swede which has been hollowed out, in which a candle has been placed; these are chiefly displayed during Punkie Night in late October. [...] (US) Synonym of pumpkinseed (“a North American sunfish, Lepomis gibbosus”). Today is National Insect Appreciation Day in Canada, which is organized by the Entomological Society of Canada to highlight the importance of insects.

← yesterday | About Word of the Day • Nominate a word • Leave feedback | tomorrow →