punctilio noun. [pʌŋ(k)'tɪlɪǝʊ] Pl. -os. Also (earlier) puntilio. L16.
[Italian puntiglio, Spanish puntillo, dim. of punto POINT noun¹, later assim. to Latin punctum.]
1. a. A fine point or mark, as on a dial. rare. Only in L16.
b. A high point; the acme, the apex. rare. L16-M17.
c. A point in time, a moment, an instant. Only in 17.

2. A minute detail of action or conduct; a delicate point of ceremony or honour. L16.
b. gen. A minute point or particular; a particle, a whit, a jot; a thing of no importance, a trifle. M17-E19.

3. Insistence on minutiae of action or conduct; petty formality; punctiliousness. L16.
■ S. Richardson People of birth stood a little too much on punctilio.
■ J. Updike She was all precision and copyediting punctilio.

[TahlilGaran] English Dictionary ▲