the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English
adj. Of or pertaining to the Puritans, or to their doctrines and practice.
adj. Precise in observance of legal or religious requirements; strict; overscrupulous; rigid; -- often used by way of reproach or contempt.
The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
Pertaining to the Puritans or their doctrines and practice.
Very scrupulous in religious matters; exact; rigid: often used in contempt or reproach.
Synonyms See Puritan, a.
WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
adj. morally rigorous and strict
Word Usage
"A nation that sought to create, simultaneously, in the same people, a glutton's greed for food, comfort, and possessions—and a puritanic morality…."