PUN'GENCY, noun [Latin pungens, pungo, to prick.] 1. The power of pricking or piercing; as the pungency of a substance. 2. That quality of a substance which produces the sensation of pricking, or affecting the taste like minute sharp points; sharpness; acridness. 3. Power to pierce the mind or excite keen reflections or remorse; as the pungency of a discourse. 4. Acrimoniousness; keenness; as the pungency of wit or of expressions.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI