From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Punish \Pun"ish\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Punished; p. pr. & vb.
n. Punishing.] [OE. punischen, F. punir, from L. punire,
punitum, akin to poena punishment, penalty. See Pain, and
-ish.]
1. To impose a penalty upon; to afflict with pain, loss, or
suffering for a crime or fault, either with or without a
view to the offender's amendment; to cause to suffer in
retribution; to chasten; as, to punish traitors with
death; a father punishes his child for willful
disobedience.
[1913 Webster]
A greater power
Now ruled him, punished in the shape he sinned.
--Milton.
[1913 Webster]
2. To inflict a penalty for (an offense) upon the offender;
to repay, as a fault, crime, etc., with pain or loss; as,
to punish murder or treason with death.
[1913 Webster]
3. To injure, as by beating; to pommel. [Low]
[1913 Webster]
4. To deal with roughly or harshly; -- chiefly used with
regard to a contest; as, our troops punished the enemy.
[Colloq. or Slang]
[Webster 1913 Suppl.]
Syn: To chastise; castigate; scourge; whip; lash; correct;
discipline. See Chasten.
[1913 Webster]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
punish
v 1: impose a penalty on; inflict punishment on; "The students
were penalized for showing up late for class"; "we had to
punish the dog for soiling the floor again" [syn: punish,
penalize, penalise]