PURITAN


Meaning of PURITAN in English

n.

Pronunciation: ' pyu ̇ r- ə -t ə n

Function: noun

Etymology: probably from Late Latin puritas purity

Date: circa 1567

1 capitalized : a member of a 16th and 17th century Protestant group in England and New England opposing as unscriptural the ceremonial worship and the prelacy of the Church of England

2 : one who practices or preaches a more rigorous or professedly purer moral code than that which prevails

Merriam Webster Collegiate English Dictionary.      Merriam Webster - Энциклопедический словарь английского языка.