Illustration of punchinello
- Punchinello
punchinello
noun
pun·chi·nel·lo ˌpən-chə-ˈne-(ˌ)lō 
1
capitalized : a fat short humpbacked clown or buffoon in Italian puppet shows
2
plural punchinellos : a squat grotesque person
Word History
Etymology
modification of Italian dialect polecenella
First Known Use
1662, in the meaning defined at sense 1