pugnus
Pugnus is a Latin noun meaning "fist" or "closed hand." It is masculine in gender, used in classical Latin to describe a clenched hand or objects shaped like a fist, and commonly appears in phrases about fighting, boxing, or manual actions. The term shares its root with pugnare "to fight" and with pugna "a fight." From pugnus and its related forms derive several English words tied to fighting or disputation. Notable derivatives include impugn, from impugnare "to fight against" or "to challenge"; pugnacious, from Latin pugnax "combative" or "fighting," meaning inclined to fight or quarrel; and pugilist, referring to a boxer (though the immediate origin of that form traces to Latin pugil-, itself from Greek). The related noun pugna is frequently used in classical texts to denote a battle or combat scene.
In scholarly contexts, pugnus is primarily of interest as part of Latin vocabulary demonstrating the kinship