puntilla

[ poon-tee-uh; Spanish poon-tee-lyah, -yah ]

noun

, plural pun·til·las [poon-, tee, -, uh, z, poon-, tee, -lyahs, -yahs].

1. (in bullfighting) a short dagger used for cutting the spinal cord of the bull.

Word History and Origins

Origin of puntilla¹

1830–40; < Spanish, diminutive of punta point

Example Sentences

He left the Puntilla supermarket with a cart full of fruit cocktail, cheese and chocolate biscuits that he loaded into a 1950s Dodge taxi.

From New York Times

Before the fire that nearly burned his property, the string of hot days had made it possible for guests to swim in nearby Puntilla Lake, which in the past had been too frigid for out-of-towners.

From Washington Post

“Este programa es una puntilla para los Castro porque les sabotea una fuente de ingresos importante al país”, dijo.

From Washington Times

Its mouth is 140 m. wide between La Puntilla on the north and Cabo Blanco on the south, and it penetrates the land eastward, with a slight curve northward at its head, for a distance of about 100 m., terminating in the Guayas estuary or river, on which is located the port of Guayaquil.

From Project Gutenberg

They see it is useless and quickly remove saddle and bridle, a man comes with a short dagger called the puntilla, which he drives into its head, the horse falls on its side, a quiver passes through its body, and it is dead.

From Project Gutenberg