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A puncturing, or pricking; a puncture.

pricking; stimulation. [Obs.] That acid piecering spirit which, with such activity and compunction, invadeth the brains and nostrils. Sir T. Browne.

Without compunction.

The act of expunging or erasing; the condition of being expunged. Milton.

The insertion of points between word or sentences; punctuation.

Like a butcher; without compunction; savage; bloody; inhuman; fell. "The victim of a butcherly murder." D. Webster. What stratagems, how fell, how butcherly, This deadly quarrel daily doth beget! Shak.

Affected with compunction; conscience-stricken. [Obs.]

Of the nature of compunction; caused by conscience; attended with, or causing, compunction. That no compunctious vistings of nature Shake my fell purpose. Shak.

With compunction.

re; to imparir. [R.] This work will ask as many more officials to make expurgations and expunctions, that the commonwealth of learning be not damnified. Milton.

Feeling no compunction; apathetic. [R.] Hallywell.

The act of erasing; a rubbing out; expunction; obliteration. Johnson.

To feel compunction or grief. [Obs.] Bp. Fisher.

d. Milton. Like planet-stricken men of yore He trembles, smitten to the core By strong compunction and remorse. Wordsworth.

A prick or scruple of conscience; uneasiness of conscience; compunction. Dryden.

Remorse; compunction; compassion. [Obs.] Killingbeck.

The anguish, like gnawing pain, excited by a sense of guilt; compunction of conscience for a crime committed, or for the sins of one's past life. "Nero will be tainted with remorse." Shak.