(chiefly New England) A small two-winged fly or midge of the family Ceratopogonidae, which bites and then sucks the blood of mammals; a biting midge or sandfly.

(South West England, chiefly Somerset) In full punkie lantern: a lantern similar to a jack-o'-lantern consisting of a gourd such as a pumpkin or a root vegetable such as a mangelwurzel or swede which has been hollowed out, in which a candle has been placed; these are chiefly displayed during Punkie Night in late October.

(US) Synonym of pumpkinseed (“a North American sunfish, Lepomis gibbosus”).

plural of punkie

(geology) Of or pertaining to punk (touchwood); rotted or soft. / Of or pertaining to the punk subculture.

Alternative spelling of punkie (“small two-winged fly or midge; lantern similar to a jack-o'-lantern”)

Alternative spelling of punkie (“pumpkinseed fish”)

The quality of being punky (in various senses).

(South West England, chiefly Somerset) A night near the end of October, related to Halloween, observed in parts of South West England by the displaying of punkies (“lanterns similar to jack-o'-lanterns”), and traditionally by children begging for candles for their punkies and threatening people who refuse their requests.

comparative form of punky: more punky