PURITAN

n. & adj. --n. 1 (Puritan) hist. a member of a group of English Protestants who regarded the Reformation of the Church under Elizabeth as incomplete and sought to simplify and regulate forms of worship. 2 a purist member of any party. 3 a person practising or affecting extreme strictness in religion or morals. --adj. 1 hist. of or relating to the Puritans. 2 scrupulous and austere in religion or morals. øøpuritanism n. [LL puritas (as PURITY) after earlier Catharan (as CATHAR)]