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The 1913 Webster Unabridged Dictionary: Letters P & Q
February, 1999 [Etext #666]
The Project Gutenberg Etext of The 1913 Webster Unabridged Dictionary
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P.
P (pē), the sixteenth letter of the English
alphabet, is a nonvocal consonant whose form and value come from the
Latin, into which language the letter was brought, through the ancient
Greek, from the Phœnician, its probable origin being Egyptian.
Etymologically P is most closely related to b, f, and
v; as hobble, hopple; father,
paternal; recipient, receive. See B,
F, and M.
See Guide to Pronunciation, §§ 247, 248, and 184-
195.
Pa (pä), n. A shortened form
of Papa.
Pa"age (pā"&asl;j; 48), n. [OF.
paage, paiage, F. péage, fr. (assumed) LL.
pedaticum, fr. L. pes, pedis, foot. See
Pedage, Pedal.] (O. Eng. Law) A toll for
passage over another person's grounds. [Written also
peage and pedage.] Burke.
||Paard (pärd), n. [D., a horse.]
The zebra. [S. Africa]
Paas (päs), n. Pace
[Obs.] Chaucer
Paas (p&add;s), n. [D. paash. See
Pasch.] The Easter festival. [Local, U. S.]
Bartlett.
Paas egg. See Easter egg, under
Easter.
Pab"u*lar (?), a. [L. pabularis.]
Of, pertaining to, or fit for, pabulum or food; affording
food.
Pab`u*la"tion (?), n. [L.
pabulatio, fr. pabulari to feed, fr. pabulum
food. See Pabulum.]
1. The act of feeding, or providing
food. [Obs.] Cockeram.
2. Food; fodder; pabulum. [Obs.]
Pab"u*lous (?), a. [L.
pabulosus.] Affording pabulum, or food; alimental.
[R.] Sir T. Browne.
Pab"u*lum (?), n. [L., akin to
pascere to pasture. See Pastor.] The means of
nutriment to animals or plants; food; nourishment; hence, that which
feeds or sustains, as fuel for a fire; that upon which the mind or
soul is nourished; as, intellectual pabulum.
Pac (?), n. A kind of moccasin,
having the edges of the sole turned up and sewed to the upper.
Knight.
Pa"ca (?), n. [Pg., from the native
name.] (Zoöl.) A small South American rodent
(Cœlogenys paca), having blackish brown fur, with four
parallel rows of white spots along its sides; the spotted cavy. It is
nearly allied to the agouti and the Guinea pig.
Pa"ca*ble (?), a. [L. pacare to
pacify.] Placable. [R.] Coleridge.
Pa*cane" (?), n. (Bot.) A
species of hickory. See Pecan.
Pa"cate (?), a. [L. pacatus, p.
p. of pacare to pacify, fr. pax, pacis, peace.
See Pay to requite, Peace.] Appeased; pacified;
tranquil. [R.]
Pa"ca*ted (?), a. Pacified;
pacate.
Pa*ca"tion (?), n. [L. pacatio.]
The act of pacifying; a peacemaking. Coleridge.
Pace (?), n. [OE. pas, F.
pas, from L. passus a step, pace, orig., a stretching
out of the feet in walking; cf. pandere, passum, to
spread, stretch; perh. akin to E. patent. Cf. Pas,
Pass.] 1. A single movement from one foot
to the other in walking; a step.
2. The length of a step in walking or
marching, reckoned from the heel of one foot to the heel of the other;
-- used as a unit in measuring distances; as, he advanced fifty
paces. "The heigh of sixty pace ."
Chaucer.
&fist; Ordinarily the pace is estimated at two and one half
linear feet; but in measuring distances be stepping, the pace
is extended to three feet (one yard) or to three and three tenths feet
(one fifth of a rod). The regulation marching pace in the
English and United States armies is thirty inches for quick time, and
thirty-six inches for double time. The Roman pace
(passus) was from the heel of one foot to the heel of the same
foot when it next touched the ground, five Roman feet.
3. Manner of stepping or moving; gait; walk;
as, the walk, trot, canter, gallop, and amble are paces of the
horse; a swaggering pace; a quick pace.
Chaucer.
To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day.
Shak.
In the military schools of riding a variety of
paces are taught.
Walsh.
4. A slow gait; a footpace. [Obs.]
Chucer.
5. Specifically, a kind of fast amble; a
rack.
6. Any single movement, step, or
procedure. [R.]
The first pace necessary for his majesty to make
is to fall into confidence with Spain.
Sir W.
Temple.
7. (Arch.) A broad step or platform;
any part of a floor slightly raised above the rest, as around an
altar, or at the upper end of a hall.
8. (Weaving) A device in a loom, to
maintain tension on the warp in pacing the web.
Geometrical pace, the space from heel to heel
between the spot where one foot is set down and that where the same
foot is again set down, loosely estimated at five feet, or by some at
four feet and two fifths. See Roman pace in the Note under def.
2. [Obs.] -- To keep, or
hold, pace with, to keep up with; to
go as fast as. "In intellect and attainments he kept pace
with his age."
Southey.
Pace (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Paced (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pacing (?).] 1. To go; to walk;
specifically, to move with regular or measured steps. "I
paced on slowly." Pope. "With speed so pace."
Shak.
2. To proceed; to pass on. [Obs.]
Or [ere] that I further in this tale
pace.
Chaucer.
3. To move quickly by lifting the legs on the
same side together, as a horse; to amble with rapidity; to
rack.
4. To pass away; to die. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Pace, v. t. 1. To
walk over with measured tread; to move slowly over or upon; as, the
guard paces his round. "Pacing light the velvet
plain." T. Warton.
2. To measure by steps or paces; as, to
pace a piece of ground.
3. To develop, guide, or control the pace or
paces of; to teach the pace; to break in.
If you can, pace your wisdom
In that good path that I would wish it go.
Shak
To pace the web (Weaving), to wind up
the cloth on the beam, periodically, as it is woven, in a
loom.
Paced (?), a. Having, or trained
in, [such] a pace or gait; trained; -- used in composition; as, slow-
paced; a thorough-paced villain.
Pa"cer (?), n. One who, or that
which, paces; especially, a horse that paces.
Pa*cha" (?), n. [F.] See
Pasha.
||Pa`cha*ca*mac" (?), n. A divinity
worshiped by the ancient Peruvians as the creator of the
universe.
||Pa*chak" (?), n. (Bot.)
The fragrant roots of the Saussurea Costus, exported from
India to China, and used for burning as incense. It is supposed to be
the costus of the ancients. [Written also
putchuck.]
Pa*cha"lic (?), a. & n. See
Pashalic.
||Pa*chi"si (?), Par*che"si (&?;),
n. [Hind., fr. pachis twenty-five, the
highest throw in the game.] A game, somewhat resembling
backgammon, originating in India.
Pa*chom"e*ter (?), n. [Gr.
pa`chos thickness + -meter.] (Physics)
An instrument for measuring thickness, as of the glass of a
mirror, or of paper; a pachymeter.
||Pa*chon"ta (?), n. (Bot.)
A substance resembling gutta-percha, and used to adulterate it,
obtained from the East Indian tree Isonandra
acuminata.
Pach"y- (?). [Gr. &?; thick.] A combining form
meaning thick; as, pachyderm,
pachydactyl.
Pach`y*car"pous (?), a. [Pachy- +
Gr. &?; fruit.] (Bot.) Having the pericarp
thick.
Pach`y*dac"tyl (?), n. [Pachy- +
dactyl.] (Zoöl.) A bird or other animal having
thick toes.
Pach`y*dac"tyl*ous (?), a.
(Zoöl.) Having thick toes.
Pach"y*derm (?), n. [Cf. F.
pachyderme.] (Zoöl.) One of the
Pachydermata.
Pach`y*der"mal (?), a.
(Zoöl.) Of or relating to the pachyderms; as,
pachydermal dentition.
||Pach`y*der"ma*ta (?), n. pl. [NL., fr.
Gr. &?; thick-skinned; pachy`s thick + &?; skin.]
(Zoöl.) A group of hoofed mammals distinguished for
the thickness of their skins, including the elephant, hippopotamus,
rhinoceros, tapir, horse, and hog. It is now considered an artificial
group.
Pach`y*der"ma*tous (?), a.
1. (Zoöl.) Of or pertaining to the
pachyderms.
2. Thick-skinned; not sensitive to
ridicule.
Pach`y*der"moid (?), a.
[Pachyderm + -oid.] (Zoöl.) Related to
the pachyderms.
Pach`y*glos"sal (?), a. [Pachy- +
Gr. &?; tongue.] (Zoöl.) Having a thick tongue; --
applied to a group of lizards (Pachyglossæ), including
the iguanas and agamas.
Pach`y*men`in*gi"tis (?), n. [Pachy-
+ meningitis.] (Med.) Inflammation of the dura
mater or outer membrane of the brain.
Pa*chym"e*ter (?), n. [Pachy- +
-meter.] Same as Pachometer.
Pach"y*ote (?), n. [Pachy- + Gr.
&?;, &?;, ear.] (Zoöl.) One of a family of bats,
including those which have thick external ears.
Pac"i*fi`a*ble (?), a. Capable of
being pacified or appeased; placable.
Pa*cif"ic (?), a. [L. pacificus:
cf. F. pacifique. See Pacify.] Of or pertaining to
peace; suited to make or restore peace; of a peaceful character; not
warlike; not quarrelsome; conciliatory; as, pacific words or
acts; a pacific nature or condition.
Pacific Ocean, the ocean between America and
Asia, so called by Magellan, its first European navigator, on account
of the exemption from violent tempests which he enjoyed while sailing
over it; -- called also, simply, the Pacific, and, formerly,
the South sea.
Syn. -- Peacemaking; appeasing; conciliatory; tranquil;
calm; quiet; peaceful; reconciling; mild; gentle.
Pa*cif"ic*a*ble (?), a.
Placable. [R.] Bp. Hall.
Pa*cif"ic*al (?), a. Of or
pertaining to peace; pacific. [R.] Sir H. Wotton. --
Pa*cif"ic*al*ly, adv. [R.]
Pa*cif`i*ca"tion (?), n. [L.
pacificatio: cf. F. pacification. See Pacify.]
The act or process of pacifying, or of making peace between
parties at variance; reconciliation. "An embassy of
pacification." Bacon.
Pa*cif"i*ca`tor (?), n. [L.] One
who, or that which, pacifies; a peacemaker. Bacon.
Pa*cif"i*ca*to*ry (?), a. [L.
pacificatorius.] Tending to make peace;
conciliatory. Barrow.
Pac"i*fi`er (?), n. One who
pacifies.
Pac"i*fy (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pacified (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pacifying (?).] [F. pacifier, L. pacificare;
pax, pacis, peace + -ficare (in comp.) to make.
See Peace, and -fy.] To make to be at peace; to
appease; to calm; to still; to quiet; to allay the agitation,
excitement, or resentment of; to tranquillize; as, to pacify a
man when angry; to pacify pride, appetite, or
importunity. "Pray ye, pacify yourself."
Shak.
To pacify and settle those
countries.
Bacon.
Pa*cin"i*an (?), a. (Anat.)
Of, pertaining to, or discovered by, Filippo Pacini, an
Italian physician of the 19th century.
Pacinian corpuscles, small oval bodies
terminating some of the minute branches of the sensory nerves in the
integument and other parts of the body. They are supposed to be
tactile organs.
Pack (?), n. [Cf. Pact.] A
pact. [Obs.] Daniel.
Pack, n. [Akin to D. pak, G.
pack, Dan. pakke, Sw. packa, Icel. pakki,
Gael. & Ir. pac, Arm. pak. Cf. Packet.]
1. A bundle made up and prepared to be
carried; especially, a bundle to be carried on the back; a load for an
animal; a bale, as of goods. Piers Plowman.
2. [Cf. Peck, n.] A
number or quantity equal to the contents of a pack; hence, a
multitude; a burden. "A pack of sorrows." "A pack
of blessings." Shak.
&fist; "In England, by a pack of meal is meant 280 lbs.; of
wool, 240 lbs." McElrath.
3. A number or quantity of connected or
similar things; as: (a) A full set of
playing cards; also, the assortment used in a particular game; as, a
euchre pack. (b) A number of hounds
or dogs, hunting or kept together. (c) A
number of persons associated or leagued in a bad design or practice; a
gang; as, a pack of thieves or knaves.
(d) A shook of cask staves.
(e) A bundle of sheet-iron plates for rolling
simultaneously.
4. A large area of floating pieces of ice
driven together more or less closely. Kane.
5. An envelope, or wrapping, of sheets used in
hydropathic practice, called dry pack, wet pack, cold
pack, etc., according to the method of treatment.
6. [Prob. the same word; but cf. AS. p&?;can
to deceive.] A loose, lewd, or worthless person. See
Baggage. [Obs.] Skelton.
Pack animal, an animal, as a horse, mule,
etc., employed in carrying packs. -- Pack
cloth, a coarse cloth, often duck, used in covering
packs or bales. -- Pack horse. See Pack
animal (above). -- Pack ice. See def.
4, above. -- Pack moth (Zoöl.),
a small moth (Anacampsis sarcitella) which, in the larval
state, is very destructive to wool and woolen fabrics. --
Pack needle, a needle for sewing with pack
thread. Piers Plowman. -- Pack saddle,
a saddle made for supporting the load on a pack animal.
Shak. -- Pack staff, a staff for
supporting a pack; a peddler's staff. -- Pack
thread, strong thread or small twine used for tying
packs or parcels. -- Pack train (Mil.),
a troop of pack animals.
Pack (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Packed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Packing.] [Akin to D. pakken, G. packen, Dan.
pakke, Sw. packa, Icel. pakka. See Pack,
n.] 1. To make a pack of; to
arrange closely and securely in a pack; hence, to place and arrange
compactly as in a pack; to press into close order or narrow compass;
as to pack goods in a box; to pack fish.
Strange materials packed up with wonderful
art.
Addison.
Where . . . the bones
Of all my buried ancestors are packed.
Shak.
2. To fill in the manner of a pack, that is,
compactly and securely, as for transportation; hence, to fill closely
or to repletion; to stow away within; to cause to be full; to crowd
into; as, to pack a trunk; the play, or the audience,
packs the theater.
3. To sort and arrange (the cards) in a pack
so as to secure the game unfairly.
And mighty dukes pack cards for half a
crown.
Pope.
4. Hence: To bring together or make up
unfairly and fraudulently, in order to secure a certain result; as, to
pack a jury or a causes.
The expected council was dwindling into . . . a
packed assembly of Italian bishops.
Atterbury.
5. To contrive unfairly or fraudulently; to
plot. [Obs.]
He lost life . . . upon a nice point subtilely devised
and packed by his enemies.
Fuller.
6. To load with a pack; hence, to load; to
encumber; as, to pack a horse.
Our thighs packed with wax, our mouths with
honey.
Shack.
7. To cause to go; to send away with baggage
or belongings; esp., to send away peremptorily or suddenly; --
sometimes with off; as, to pack a boy off to
school.
He . . . must not die
Till George be packed with post horse up to
heaven.
Shak.
8. To transport in a pack, or in the manner of
a pack (i. e., on the backs of men or beasts). [Western
U.S.]
9. (Hydropathy) To envelop in a wet or
dry sheet, within numerous coverings. See Pack,
n., 5.
10. (Mech.) To render impervious, as by
filling or surrounding with suitable material, or to fit or adjust so
as to move without giving passage to air, water, or steam; as, to
pack a joint; to pack the piston of a steam
engine.
Pack, v. i. 1. To
make up packs, bales, or bundles; to stow articles securely for
transportation.
2. To admit of stowage, or of making up for
transportation or storage; to become compressed or to settle together,
so as to form a compact mass; as, the goods pack conveniently;
wet snow packs well.
3. To gather in flocks or schools; as, the
grouse or the perch begin to pack. [Eng.]
4. To depart in haste; -- generally with
off or away.
Poor Stella must pack off to town
Swift.
You shall pack,
And never more darken my doors again.
Tennyson.
5. To unite in bad measures; to confederate
for ill purposes; to join in collusion. [Obs.] "Go pack
with him." Shak.
To send packing, to drive away; to send off
roughly or in disgrace; to dismiss unceremoniously. "The
parliament . . . presently sent him packing."
South.
Pack"age (?), n. 1.
Act or process of packing.
2. A bundle made up for transportation; a
packet; a bale; a parcel; as, a package of goods.
3. A charge made for packing goods.
4. A duty formerly charged in the port of
London on goods imported or exported by aliens, or by denizens who
were the sons of aliens.
Pack"er (?), n. A person whose
business is to pack things; especially, one who packs food for
preservation; as, a pork packer.
Pack"et (?), n. [F. paquet, dim.
fr. LL. paccus, from the same source as E. pack. See
Pack.]
1. A small pack or package; a little bundle or
parcel; as, a packet of letters. Shak.
2. Originally, a vessel employed by government
to convey dispatches or mails; hence, a vessel employed in conveying
dispatches, mails, passengers, and goods, and having fixed days of
sailing; a mail boat.
Packet boat, ship, or
vessel. See Packet, n.,
2. -- Packet day, the day for mailing
letters to go by packet; or the sailing day. -- Packet
note or post. See under
Paper.
Pack"et, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Packeted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Packeting.] 1. To make up into a packet or
bundle.
2. To send in a packet or dispatch
vessel.
Her husband
Was packeted to France.
Ford.
Pack"et, v. i. To ply with a packet
or dispatch boat.
Pack"fong` (?), n. [Chin. peh
tung.] (Metal.) A Chinese alloy of nickel, zinc, and
copper, resembling German silver.
Pack herse. See under 2d Pack.
Pack"house` (?), n. Warehouse for
storing goods.
Pack"ing, n. 1. The
act or process of one who packs.
2. Any material used to pack, fill up, or make
close. Specifically (Mach.): A substance or piece
used to make a joint impervious; as: (a) A
thin layer, or sheet, of yielding or elastic material inserted between
the surfaces of a flange joint. (b) The
substance in a stuffing box, through which a piston rod slides.
(c) A yielding ring, as of metal, which surrounds
a piston and maintains a tight fit, as inside a cylinder,
etc.
3. (Masonry) Same as
Filling. [Rare in the U. S.]
4. A trick; collusion. [Obs.]
Bale.
Cherd packing (Bridge Building), the
arrangement, side by side, of several parts, as bars, diagonals, a
post, etc., on a pin at the bottom of a chord. Waddell. --
Packing box, a stuffing box. See under
Stuffing. -- Packing press, a
powerful press for baling cotton, wool, hay, etc. --
Packing ring. See Packing, 2
(c), and Illust. of Piston. --
Packing sheet. (a) A large cloth
for packing goods. (b) A sheet prepared for
packing hydropathic patients.
Pack"man (?), n.; pl.
Packmen (&?;). One who bears a pack; a
peddler.
{ Pack saddle, Pack thread }. See under 2d
Pack.
Pack"wax` (?), n. (Anat.)
Same as Paxwax.
Pack"way` (?), n. A path, as over
mountains, followed by pack animals.
{ Pa"co (?), Pa"cos (?), } n.
[Sp. paco, fr. Peruv. paco. Cf. Alpaca.]
1. (Zoöl.) Same as
Alpaca.
2. [Peruv. paco, pacu, red, reddish,
reddish ore containing silver; perh. a different word.] (Min.)
An earthy-looking ore, consisting of brown oxide of iron with
minute particles of native silver. Ure.
Pact (?), n. [L. pactum, fr.
paciscere to make a bargain or contract, fr. pacere to
settle, or agree upon; cf. pangere to fasten, Gr. &?;, Skr.
pāca bond, and E. fang: cf. F. pacie. Cf.
Peace, Fadge, v.] An agreement; a
league; a compact; a covenant. Bacon.
The engagement and pact of society whish goes by
the name of the constitution.
Burke.
Pac"tion (?), n. [L. pactio: cf.
F. paction. See Pact.] An agreement; a compact; a
bargain. [R.] Sir W. Scott.
Pac"tion*al (?), a. Of the nature
of, or by means of, a paction. Bp. Sanderson.
Pac*ti"tious (?), a. [L.
pactitius, pacticius.] Setted by a pact, or
agreement. [R.] Johnson.
Pac*to"li*an (?), a. Pertaining to
the Pactolus, a river in ancient Lydia famous for its golden
sands.
Pa"cu (?), n. (Zoöl.) A
South American freah-water fish (Myleies pacu), of the family
Characinidæ. It is highly esteemed as food.
Pad (?), n. [D. pad. √21.
See Path.] 1. A footpath; a road.
[Obs. or Prov. Eng.]
2. An easy-paced horse; a padnag.
Addison
An abbot on an ambling pad.
Tennyson.
3. A robber that infests the road on foot; a
highwayman; -- usually called a footpad. Gay.
Byron.
4. The act of robbing on the highway.
[Obs.]
Pad, v. t. To travel upon foot; to
tread. [Obs.]
Padding the streets for half a
crown.
Somerville.
Pad, v. i. 1. To
travel heavily or slowly. Bunyan.
2. To rob on foot. [Obs.] Cotton
Mather.
3. To wear a path by walking. [Prov.
Eng.]
Pad, n. [Perh. akin to pod.]
1. A soft, or small, cushion; a mass of anything
soft; stuffing.
2. A kind of cushion for writing upon, or for
blotting; esp., one formed of many flat sheets of writing paper, or
layers of blotting paper; a block of paper.
3. A cushion used as a saddle without a tree
or frame.
4. A stuffed guard or protection; esp., one
worn on the legs of horses to prevent bruising.
5. (Zoöl.) A cushionlike
thickening of the skin one the under side of the toes of
animals.
6. A floating leaf of a water lily or similar
plant.
7. (Med.) A soft bag or cushion to
relieve pressure, support a part, etc.
8. (Naut.) A piece of timber fixed on a
beam to fit the curve of the deck. W. C. Russel.
9. A measure for fish; as, sixty mackerel go
to a pad; a basket of soles. [Eng.] Simmonds.
Pad cloth, a saddlecloth; a housing. --
Pad saddle. See def. 3, above. --
Pad tree (Harness Making), a piece of
wood or metal which gives rigidity and shape to a harness pad.
Knight.
Pad, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Padded; p. pr. & vb. n.
Padding.] 1. To stuff; to furnish with a
pad or padding.
2. (Calico Printing) To imbue uniformly
with a mordant; as, to pad cloth. Ure.
Pad"ar (?), n. [Etymol. uncertain.]
Groats; coarse flour or meal. [Obs.] Sir. H.
Wotton.
Pad"der (?), n. 1.
One who, or that which, pads.
2. A highwayman; a footpad. [Obs.]
Pad"ding, n. 1. The
act or process of making a pad or of inserting stuffing.
2. The material with which anything is
padded.
3. Material of inferior value, serving to
extend a book, essay, etc. London Sat. Rev.
4. (Calico Printing) The uniform
impregnation of cloth with a mordant.
Pad"dle (?), v. i. [Prob. for
pattle, and a dim. of pat, v.; cf. also E. pad to
tread, Prov. G. paddeln, padden, to walk with short
steps, to paddle, G. patschen to splash, dash, dabble, F.
patouiller to dabble, splash, fr. patte a paw.
√21.] 1. To use the hands or fingers in
toying; to make caressing strokes. [Obs.] Shak.
2. To dabble in water with hands or feet; to
use a paddle, or something which serves as a paddle, in swimming, in
paddling a boat, etc.
As the men were paddling for their
lives.
L'Estrange.
While paddling ducks the standing lake
desire.
Gay.
Pad"dle, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Paddled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Paddling (?)] 1. To pat or stroke
amorously, or gently.
To be paddling palms and pinching
fingers.
Shak.
2. To propel with, or as with, a paddle or
paddles.
3. To pad; to tread upon; to trample.
[Prov. Eng.]
Pad"dle, n. [See Paddle,
v. i.] 1. An implement with a
broad blade, which is used without a fixed fulcrum in propelling and
steering canoes and boats.
2. The broad part of a paddle, with which the
stroke is made; hence, any short, broad blade, resembling that of a
paddle.
Thou shalt have a paddle upon thy
weapon.
Deut. xxiii. 13.
3. One of the broad boards, or floats, at the
circumference of a water wheel, or paddle wheel.
4. A small gate in sluices or lock gates to
admit or let off water; -- also called clough.
5. (Zoöl.) A paddle-shaped foot,
as of the sea turtle.
6. A paddle-shaped implement for stirring or
mixing.
7. [In this sense prob. for older spaddle,
a dim. of spade.] See Paddle staff (b),
below. [Prov. Eng.]
Paddle beam (Shipbuilding), one of two
large timbers supporting the spring beam and paddle box of a steam
vessel. -- Paddle board. See Paddle,
n., 3. -- Paddle box, the
structure inclosing the upper part of the paddle wheel of a steam
vessel. -- Paddle shaft, the revolving
shaft which carries the paddle wheel of a steam vessel. --
Paddle staff. (a) A staff tipped
with a broad blade, used by mole catchers. [Prov. Eng.]
(b) A long-handled spade used to clean a
plowshare; -- called also plow staff. [Prov. Eng.] --
Paddle steamer, a steam vessel propelled by
paddle wheels, in distinction from a screw propeller. --
Paddle wheel, the propelling wheel of a steam
vessel, having paddles (or floats) on its circumference, and revolving
in a vertical plane parallel to the vessel's length.
Pad"dle*cock` (?), n.
(Zoöl.) The lumpfish. [Prov. Eng.]
Pad"dle*fish` (?), n. (Zoöl)
A large ganoid fish (Polyodon spathula) found in the
rivers of the Mississippi Valley. It has a long spatula-shaped snout.
Called also duck-billed cat, and spoonbill
sturgeon.
Pad"dler (?), n. One who, or that
which, paddles.
Pad"dle*wood` (?), n. (Bot.)
The light elastic wood of the Aspidosperma excelsum, a
tree of Guiana having a fluted trunk readily split into
planks.
Pad"dock (?), n. [OE. padde toad,
frog + -ock; akin to D. pad, padde, toad, Icel. &
Sw. padda, Dan. padde.] (Zoöl.) A toad
or frog. Wyclif. "Loathed paddocks."
Spenser
Paddock pipe (Bot.), a hollow-stemmed
plant of the genus Equisetum, especially E. limosum and
the fruiting stems of E. arvense; -- called also padow
pipe and toad pipe. See Equisetum. --
Paddock stone. See Toadstone. --
Paddock stool (Bot.),a
toadstool.
Pad"dock, n. [Corrupted fr.
parrock. See Parrock.]
1. A small inclosure or park for
sporting. [Obs.]
2. A small inclosure for pasture; esp., one
adjoining a stable. Evelyn. Cowper.
Pad"dy (?), a. [Prov. E. paddy
worm-eaten.] Low; mean; boorish; vagabond. "Such
pady persons." Digges (1585). "The paddy
persons." Motley.
Pad"dy, n.; pl.
Paddies (#). [Corrupted fr. St. Patrick, the
tutelar saint of Ireland.] A jocose or contemptuous name for an
Irishman.
Pad"dy, n. [Either fr. Canarese
bhatta or Malay pādī.] (Bot.)
Unhusked rice; -- commonly so called in the East
Indies.
Paddy bird. (Zoöl.) See Java
sparrow, under Java.
Pad`e*li"on (?), n. [F. pas de
lionon's foot.] (Bot.) A plant with pedately lobed
leaves; the lady's mantle.
||Pa*del"la (?), n. [It., prop., a pan,
a friing pan, fr. L. patella a pan.] A large cup or deep
saucer, containing fatty matter in which a wick is placed, -- used for
public illuminations, as at St. Peter's, in Rome. Called also
padelle.
Pad`e*mel"on (?), n. (Zoöl.)
See Wallaby.
Pad"e*soy` (?), n. See
Paduasoy.
Padge, n. (Zoöl.) The
barn owl; -- called also pudge, and pudge owl.
[Prov. Eng.]
||Pa`di*shah" (?), n. [Per.
pādishāh. Cf. Pasha.] Chief ruler;
monarch; sovereign; -- a title of the Sultan of Turkey, and of the
Shah of Persia.
Pad"lock` (?), n. [Perh. orig., a lock
for a pad gate, or a gate opening to a path, or perh., a
lock for a basket or pannier, and from Prov. E. pad a pannier.
Cf. Pad a path, Paddler.] 1. A
portable lock with a bow which is usually jointed or pivoted at one
end so that it can be opened, the other end being fastened by the
bolt, -- used for fastening by passing the bow through a staple over a
hasp or through the links of a chain, etc.
2. Fig.: A curb; a restraint.
Pad"lock`, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Padlocked (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Padlocking.] To fasten with, or as with, a padlock; to
stop; to shut; to confine as by a padlock. Milton.
Tennyson.
Pad"nag` (?), n. [lst pad + nag.]
An ambling nag. "An easy padnag."
Macaulay.
Pad"ow (?), n. (Zoöl.)
A paddock, or toad.
Padow pipe. (Bot.) See Paddock
pipe, under Paddock.
||Pa*dro"ne (?), n.; pl. It.
Padroni (#), E. Padrones. [It. See
Patron.] 1. A patron; a
protector.
2. The master of a small coaster in the
Mediterranean.
3. A man who imports, and controls the
earnings of, Italian laborers, street musicians, etc.
Pad`u*a*soy" (?), n. [From Padua,
in Italy + F. soie silk; or cf. F. pou-de-soie.] A
rich and heavy silk stuff. [Written also padesoy.]
Pa*du"cahs (p&adot;*dū"k&adot;z), n.
pl.; sing. Paducah (-k&adot;).
(Ethnol.) See Comanches.
Pæ"an (pē`an), n. [L.
paean, Gr. paia`n, fr. Paia`n the
physician of the gods, later, Apollo. Cf. Pæon,
Peony.] [Written also pean.] 1. An
ancient Greek hymn in honor of Apollo as a healing deity, and, later,
a song addressed to other deities.
2. Any loud and joyous song; a song of
triumph. Dryden. "Public pæans of
congratulation." De Quincey.
3. See Pæon.
Pæ`do*bap"tism
(pē`d&osl;*băp"t&ibreve;z'm), n.
Pedobaptism.
Pæ`do*gen"esis
(pē`d&osl;*j&ebreve;n"&esl;*s&ibreve;s), n.
[Gr. pai^s, paido`s, child + E. genesis.]
(Zoöl.) Reproduction by young or larval
animals.
Pæ`do*ge*net"ic (-j&esl;*n&ebreve;t"&ibreve;k),
a. (Zoöl.) Producing young while in
the immature or larval state; -- said of certain insects,
etc.
Pæ"on (pē"&obreve;n), n. [L.
paeon, Gr. paiw`n a solemn song, also, a pæon,
equiv. to paia`n. See Pæan.] (Anc.
Poet.) A foot of four syllables, one long and three short,
admitting of four combinations, according to the place of the long
syllable. [Written also, less correctly, pæan.]
Pæ"o*nine (pē"&osl;*n&ibreve;n),
n. (Chem.) An artifical red nitrogenous
dyestuff, called also red coralline.
Pæ"o*ny (pē"&osl;*n&ybreve;),
n. (Bot.) See Peony.
Pa"gan (pā"gan), n. [L.
paganus a countryman, peasant, villager, a pagan, fr.
paganus of or pertaining to the country, rustic, also, pagan,
fr. pagus a district, canton, the country, perh. orig., a
district with fixed boundaries: cf. pangere to fasten. Cf.
Painim, Peasant, and Pact, also Heathen.]
One who worships false gods; an idolater; a heathen; one who is
neither a Christian, a Mohammedan, nor a Jew.
Neither having the accent of Christians, nor the gait
of Christian, pagan, nor man.
Shak.
Syn. -- Gentile; heathen; idolater. -- Pagan,
Gentile, Heathen. Gentile was applied to the
other nations of the earth as distinguished from the Jews.
Pagan was the name given to idolaters in the early Christian
church, because the villagers, being most remote from the
centers of instruction, remained for a long time unconverted.
Heathen has the same origin. Pagan is now more properly
applied to rude and uncivilized idolaters, while heathen
embraces all who practice idolatry.
Pa"gan, a. [L. paganus of or
pertaining to the country, pagan. See Pagan,
n.] Of or pertaining to pagans; relating to the
worship or the worshipers of false goods; heathen; idolatrous, as,
pagan tribes or superstitions.
And all the rites of pagan honor
paid.
Dryden.
Pa"gan*dom (-dŭm), n. The
pagan lands; pagans, collectively; paganism. [R.]
{ Pa*gan"ic (p&adot;*găn"&ibreve;k),
Pa*gan"ic*al (-&ibreve;*kal), } a.
Of or pertaining to pagans or paganism; heathenish;
paganish. [R.] "The paganic fables of the goods."
Cudworth. -- Pa*gan"ic*al*ly, adv.
[R.]
Pa"gan*ish (pā"gan*&ibreve;sh),
a. Of or pertaining to pagans;
heathenish. "The old paganish idolatry."
Sharp
Pa"gan*ism (-&ibreve;z'm), n. [L.
paganismus: cf. F. paganisme. See Pagan, and cf.
Painim.] The state of being pagan; pagan characteristics;
esp., the worship of idols or false gods, or the system of religious
opinions and worship maintained by pagans; heathenism.
Pa*gan"i*ty (p&adot;*găn"&ibreve;*t&ybreve;),
n. [L. Paganitas.] The state of being a
pagan; paganism. [R.] Cudworth.
Pa"gan*ize (pā"gan*īz), v.
t. [imp. & p. p. Paganized (?);
p. pr. & vb. n. Paganizing (?).] To
render pagan or heathenish; to convert to paganism.
Hallywell.
Pa"gan*ize, v. i. To behave like
pagans. Milton.
Pa"gan*ly, adv. In a pagan
manner. Dr. H. More.
Page (pāj), n. [F., fr. It.
paggio, LL. pagius, fr. Gr. paidi`on, dim. of
pai^s, paido`s, a boy, servant; perh. akin to L.
puer. Cf. Pedagogue, Puerile.]
1. A serving boy; formerly, a youth attending a
person of high degree, especially at courts, as a position of honor
and education; now commonly, in England, a youth employed for doing
errands, waiting on the door, and similar service in households; in
the United States, a boy employed to wait upon the members of a
legislative body.
He had two pages of honor -- on either hand
one.
Bacon.
2. A boy child. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
3. A contrivance, as a band, pin, snap, or the
like, to hold the skirt of a woman's dress from the ground.
4. (Brickmaking.) A track along which
pallets carrying newly molded bricks are conveyed to the
hack.
5. (Zoöl.) Any one of several
species of beautiful South American moths of the genus
Urania.
Page, v. t. To attend (one) as a
page. [Obs.] Shak.
Page, n. [F., fr. L. pagina;
prob. akin to pagere, pangere, to fasten, fix, make, the
pages or leaves being fastened together. Cf. Pact,
Pageant, Pagination.]
1. One side of a leaf of a book or
manuscript.
Such was the book from whose pages she
sang.
Longfellow.
2. Fig.: A record; a writing; as, the
page of history.
3. (Print.) The type set up for
printing a page.
Page, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Paged (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Paging (?).] To mark or number the pages of, as a book or
manuscript; to furnish with folios.
Pag"eant (păj"ent or
pā"jent; 277), n. [OE. pagent,
pagen, originally, a movable scaffold or stage, hence, what was
exhibited on it, fr. LL. pagina, akin to pangere to
fasten; cf. L. pagina page, leaf, slab, compaginare to
join together, compages a joining together, structure. See
Pact, Page of a book.]
1. A theatrical exhibition; a spectacle.
"A pageant truly played." Shak.
To see sad pageants of men's
miseries.
Spenser.
2. An elaborate exhibition devised for the
entertainmeut of a distinguished personage, or of the public; a show,
spectacle, or display.
The gaze of fools, and pageant of a day
!
Pope.
We love the man, the paltry pageant
you.
Cowper.
Pag"eant, a. Of the nature of a
pageant; spectacular. "Pageant pomp." Dryden.
Pag"eant, v. t. To exhibit in show;
to represent; to mimic. [R.] "He pageants us."
Shak.
Pag"eant*ry (-r&ybreve;), n. Scenic
shows or spectacles, taken collectively; spectacular quality;
splendor.
Such pageantry be to the people
shown.
Dryden.
The pageantry of festival.
J. A.
Symonds.
Syn. -- Pomp; parade; show; display; spectacle.
Page"hood (?), n. The state of
being a page.
||Pag"i*na (?), n.; pl.
Paginæ (#). [L.] (Bot.) The
surface of a leaf or of a flattened thallus.
Pag"i*nal (?), a. [L. paginalis.]
Consisting of pages. "Paginal books." Sir T.
Browne.
Pag`i*na"tion (?), n. The act or
process of paging a book; also, the characters used in numbering the
pages; page number. Lowndes.
Pa"ging (?), n. The marking or
numbering of the pages of a book.
Pa"god (?), n. [Cf. F. pagode.
See Pagoda.] 1. A pagoda. [R.] "Or some
queer pagod." Pope.
2. An idol. [Obs.] Bp.
Stillingfleet.
Pa*go"da (?), n. [Pg. pagoda,
pagode, fr.Hind. & Per. but-kadah a house of idols, or
abode of God; Per. but an idol + kadah a house, a
temple.] 1. A term by which Europeans designate
religious temples and tower-like buildings of the Hindoos and
Buddhists of India, Farther India, China, and Japan, -- usually but
not always, devoted to idol worship.
2. An idol. [R.] Brande & C.
3. [Prob. so named from the image of a pagoda or a
deity (cf. Skr. bhagavat holy, divine) stamped on it.] A
gold or silver coin, of various kinds and values, formerly current in
India. The Madras gold pagoda was worth about three and a half
rupees.
Pa*go"dite (?), n. (Min.)
Agalmatolite; -- so called because sometimes carved by the
Chinese into the form of pagodas. See Agalmatolite.
||Pa*gu"ma (?), n. (Zoöl.)
Any one of several species of East Indian viverrine mammals of
the genus Paguma. They resemble a weasel in form.
Pa*gu"ri*an (?), n. [L. pagurus a
kind of crab, Gr. &?;.] (Zoöl.) Any one of a
tribe of anomuran crustaceans, of which Pagurus is a type; the
hermit crab. See Hermit crab, under Hermit.
Pah (?), interj. An exclamation
expressing disgust or contempt. See Bah.
Fie! fie! fie! pah! pah! Give me an ounce
of civet, good apothecary, to sweeten my imagination.
Shak.
||Pah (?), n. [From native name.] A
kind of stockaded intrenchment. [New Zealand.]
Farrow.
Pa"hi (?), n. (Naut.) A
large war canoe of the Society Islands.
Pah"le*vi (?), n. Same as
Pehlevi.
||Pa*ho"e*ho`e (?), n. (Min.)
A name given in the Sandwich Islands to lava having a relatively
smooth surface, in distinction from the rough-surfaced lava, called
a-a.
Pah"*Utes` (?), n. pl. (Ethnol.)
See Utes.
Paid (?), imp., p. p., & a. of
Pay. 1. Receiving pay; compensated;
hired; as, a paid attorney.
2. Satisfied; contented. [Obs.]
"Paid of his poverty." Chaucer.
Pai*deu"tics (?), n. [Gr. &?;,
fr. &?; to teach, fr. &?;,&?;, a boy.] The
science or art of teaching.
Pai"en (?), n. & a. Pagan.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
Pai"gle (?), n. [Etymol. uncertain.]
(Bot.) A species of Primula, either the cowslip or
the primrose. [Written also pagle, pagil,
peagle, and pygil.]
||Pai*ja"ma (?), n.
Pyjama.
Pail (?), n. [OE. paile, AS.
pægel a wine vessel, a pail, akin to D. & G. pegel
a watermark, a gauge rod, a measure of wine, Dan. pægel
half a pint.] A vessel of wood or tin, etc., usually cylindrical
and having a bail, -- used esp. for carrying liquids, as water or
milk, etc.; a bucket. It may, or may not, have a cover.
Shak.
Pail"ful (?), n.; pl.
Pailfuls (&?;). The quantity that a pail will
hold. "By pailfuls." Shak.
Pail*lasse" (?; F. &?;), n. [F., fr.
paille straw. See Pallet a bed.] An under bed or
mattress of straw. [Written also palliasse.]
Pail`mall" (?), n. & a. See
Pall-mall. [Obs.]
Pain (?), n. [OE. peine, F.
peine, fr. L. poena, penalty, punishment, torment, pain;
akin to Gr. &?; penalty. Cf. Penal, Pine to
languish, Punish.] 1. Punishment suffered
or denounced; suffering or evil inflicted as a punishment for crime,
or connected with the commission of a crime; penalty.
Chaucer.
We will, by way of mulct or pain, lay it upon
him.
Bacon.
Interpose, on pain of my
displeasure.
Dryden.
None shall presume to fly, under pain of
death.
Addison.
2. Any uneasy sensation in animal bodies, from
slight uneasiness to extreme distress or torture, proceeding from a
derangement of functions, disease, or injury by violence; bodily
distress; bodily suffering; an ache; a smart. "The pain
of Jesus Christ." Chaucer.
&fist; Pain may occur in any part of the body where sensory
nerves are distributed, and it is always due to some kind of
stimulation of them. The sensation is generally referred to the
peripheral end of the nerve.
3. pl. Specifically, the throes or
travail of childbirth.
She bowed herself and travailed, for her pains
came upon her.
1 Sam. iv. 19.
4. Uneasiness of mind; mental distress;
disquietude; anxiety; grief; solicitude; anguish.
Chaucer.
In rapture as in pain.
Keble.
5. See Pains, labor, effort.
Bill of pains and penalties. See under
Bill. -- To die in the pain, to be
tortured to death. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Pain, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pained (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Paining.] [OE. peinen, OF. pener, F.
peiner to fatigue. See Pain, n.]
1. To inflict suffering upon as a penalty; to
punish. [Obs.] Wyclif (Acts xxii. 5).
2. To put to bodily uneasiness or anguish; to
afflict with uneasy sensations of any degree of intensity; to torment;
to torture; as, his dinner or his wound pained him; his stomach
pained him.
Excess of cold, as well as heat, pains
us.
Locke.
3. To render uneasy in mind; to disquiet; to
distress; to grieve; as a child's faults pain his
parents.
I am pained at my very heart.
Jer. iv. 19.
To pain one's self, to exert or trouble one's
self; to take pains; to be solicitous. [Obs.] "She pained
her to do all that she might." Chaucer.
Syn. -- To disquiet; trouble; afflict; grieve; aggrieve;
distress; agonize; torment; torture.
Pain"a*ble (?), a. [Cf. F.
pénible.] Causing pain; painful. [Obs.]
The manacles of Astyages were not . . . the less
weighty and painable for being composed of gold or
silver.
Evelyn.
Pain"ful (?), a. 1.
Full of pain; causing uneasiness or distress, either physical or
mental; afflictive; disquieting; distressing.
Addison.
2. Requiring labor or toil; difficult;
executed with laborious effort; as a painful service; a
painful march.
3. Painstaking; careful; industrious.
[Obs.] Fuller.
A very painful person, and a great
clerk.
Jer. Taylor.
Nor must the painful husbandman be
tired.
Dryden.
Syn. -- Disquieting; troublesome; afflictive; distressing;
grievous; laborious; toilsome; difficult; arduous.
-- Pain"ful*ly, adv. --
Pain"ful*ness, n.
Pai"nim (?), n.[OE. painime
pagans, paganism, fr. OF. paienisme paganism, LL.
paganismus. See Paganism, Pagan.] A pagan;
an infidel; -- used also adjectively. [Written also panim
and paynim.] Peacham.
Pain"less (?), a. Free from pain;
without pain. -- Pain"less*ly, adv. -
- Pain"less*ness, n.
Pains (?), n.Labor; toilsome
effort; care or trouble taken; -- plural in form, but used with a
singular or plural verb, commonly the former.
And all my pains is sorted to no
proof.
Shak.
The pains they had taken was very
great.
Clarendon.
The labored earth your pains have sowed and
tilled.
Dryden.
Pains"tak`er (?), n. One who takes
pains; one careful and faithful in all work. Gay.
Pains"tak`ing, a. Careful in doing;
diligent; faithful; attentive. "Painstaking men."
Harris.
Pains"tak`ing, n. The act of taking
pains; carefulness and fidelity in performance. Beau. &
Fl.
Pains"wor`thy (?), a. Worth the
pains or care bestowed.
Paint (pānt), v. t. [imp.
& p. p. Painted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Painting.] [OE. peinten, fr. F. peint, p. p. of
peindre to paint, fr. L. pingere, pictum; cf. Gr.
poiki`los many-colored, Skr. piç to adorn.
Cf. Depict, Picture, Pigment, Pint.]
1. To cover with coloring matter; to apply paint
to; as, to paint a house, a signboard, etc.
Jezebel painted her face and tired her
head.
2 Kings ix. 30.
2. Fig.: To color, stain, or tinge; to adorn
or beautify with colors; to diversify with colors.
Not painted with the crimson spots of
blood.
Shak.
Cuckoo buds of yellow hue
Do paint the meadows with delight.
Shak.
3. To form in colors a figure or likeness of
on a flat surface, as upon canvas; to represent by means of colors or
hues; to exhibit in a tinted image; to portray with paints; as, to
paint a portrait or a landscape.
4. Fig.: To represent or exhibit to the mind;
to describe vividly; to delineate; to image; to depict.
Disloyal?
The word is too good to paint out her wickedness.
Shak.
If folly grow romantic, I must paint
it.
Pope.
Syn. -- To color; picture; depict; portray; delineate;
sketch; draw; describe.
Paint, v. t. 1. To
practice the art of painting; as, the artist paints
well.
2. To color one's face by way of beautifying
it.
Let her paint an inch thick.
Shak.
Paint, n. 1.
(a) A pigment or coloring substance.
(b) The same prepared with a vehicle, as oil,
water with gum, or the like, for application to a surface.
2. A cosmetic; rouge. Praed.
Paint"ed, a. 1.
Covered or adorned with paint; portrayed in colors.
As idle as a painted ship
Upon a painted ocean.
Coleridge.
2. (Nat. Hist.) Marked with bright
colors; as, the painted turtle; painted
bunting.
Painted beauty (Zoöl.), a
handsome American butterfly (Vanessa Huntera), having a variety
of bright colors, -- Painted cup (Bot.),
any plant of an American genus of herbs (Castilleia) in
which the bracts are usually bright-colored and more showy than the
flowers. Castilleia coccinea has brilliantly scarlet bracts,
and is common in meadows. -- Painted finch.
See Nonpareil. -- Painted lady
(Zoöl.), a bright-colored butterfly. See Thistle
butterfly. -- Painted turtle
(Zoöl.), a common American freshwater tortoise
(Chrysemys picta), having bright red and yellow markings
beneath.
Paint"er (pānt"&etilde;r), n. [OE,
pantere a noose, snare, F. pantière, LL.
panthera, L. panther a hunting net, fr. Gr.
panqh`ra; pa^s all + qh`r beast; cf.
Ir. painteir a net, gin, snare, Gael. painntear.]
(Naut.) A rope at the bow of a boat, used to fasten it to
anything. Totten.
Paint"er, n. [Corrupt. of
panther.] (Zoöl.) The panther, or puma.
[A form representing an illiterate pronunciation, U. S.] J. F.
Cooper.
Paint"er, n. [See lst Paint.]
One whose occupation is to paint; esp.: (a)
One who covers buildings, ships, ironwork, and the like, with
paint. (b) An artist who represents objects
or scenes in color on a flat surface, as canvas, plaster, or the
like.
Painter's colic. (Med.) See Lead
colic, under Colic. -- Painter
stainer. (a) A painter of coats of
arms. Crabb. (b) A member of a livery
company or guild in London, bearing this name.
Paint"er*ly (?), a. Like a
painter's work. [Obs.] "A painterly glose of a visage."
Sir P. Sidney.
Paint"er*ship, n. The state or
position of being a painter. [R.] Br. Gardiner.
Paint"ing, n. 1.
The act or employment of laying on, or adorning with, paints or
colors.
2. (Fine Arts) The work of the painter;
also, any work of art in which objects are represented in color on a
flat surface; a colored representation of any object or scene; a
picture.
3. Color laid on; paint. [R.]
Shak.
4. A depicting by words; vivid representation
in words.
Syn. -- See Picture.
Paint"less, a. Not capable of being
painted or described. "In paintless patience."
Savage.
Pain"ture (?), n. [F. peinture.
See Paint, v. t., and cf. Picture.]
The art of painting. [Obs.] Chaucer. Dryden.
Paint"y (?), a. Unskillfully
painted, so that the painter's method of work is too obvious; also,
having too much pigment applied to the surface. [Cant]
Pair (?), n. [F. paire, LL.
paria, L. paria, pl. of par pair, fr. par,
adj., equal. Cf. Apparel, Par equality, Peer an
equal.]
1. A number of things resembling one another,
or belonging together; a set; as, a pair or flight of stairs.
"A pair of beads." Chaucer. Beau. & Fl. "Four
pair of stairs." Macaulay. [Now mostly or quite disused,
except as to stairs.]
Two crowns in my pocket, two pair of
cards.
Beau. & Fl.
2. Two things of a kind, similar in form,
suited to each other, and intended to be used together; as, a
pair of gloves or stockings; a pair of shoes.
3. Two of a sort; a span; a yoke; a couple; a
brace; as, a pair of horses; a pair of oxen.
4. A married couple; a man and wife. "A
happy pair." Dryden. "The hapless pair."
Milton.
5. A single thing, composed of two pieces
fitted to each other and used together; as, a pair of scissors;
a pair of tongs; a pair of bellows.
6. Two members of opposite parties or opinion,
as in a parliamentary body, who mutually agree not to vote on a given
question, or on issues of a party nature during a specified time; as,
there were two pairs on the final vote. [Parliamentary
Cant]
7. (Kinematics) In a mechanism, two
elements, or bodies, which are so applied to each other as to mutually
constrain relative motion.
&fist; Pairs are named in accordance with the kind of motion
they permit; thus, a journal and its bearing form a turning
pair, a cylinder and its piston a sliding pair, a screw and
its nut a twisting pair, etc. Any pair in which the
constraining contact is along lines or at points only (as a cam and
roller acting together), is designated a higher pair; any
pair having constraining surfaces which fit each other (as a
cylindrical pin and eye, a screw and its nut, etc.), is called a
lower pair.
Pair royal (pl. Pairs Royal)
three things of a sort; -- used especially of playing cards in
some games, as cribbage; as three kings, three "eight spots" etc. Four
of a kind are called a double pair royal. "Something in
his face gave me as much pleasure as a pair royal of naturals
in my own hand." Goldsmith. "That great pair royal of
adamantine sisters [the Fates]." Quarles. [Written corruptly
parial and prial.]
Syn. -- Pair, Flight, Set. Originally,
pair was not confined to two things, but was applied to any
number of equal things (pares), that go together. Ben Jonson
speaks of a pair (set) of chessmen; also, he and Lord Bacon
speak of a pair (pack) of cards. A "pair of stairs" is
still in popular use, as well as the later expression, "flight of
stairs."
Pair, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Paired (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pairing.] 1. To be joined in paris; to
couple; to mate, as for breeding.
2. To suit; to fit, as a
counterpart.
My heart was made to fit and pair with
thine.
Rowe.
3. Same as To pair off. See phrase
below.
To pair off, to separate from a company in
pairs or couples; specif. (Parliamentary Cant), to agree with one of
the opposite party or opinion to abstain from voting on specified
questions or issues. See Pair, n.,
6.
Pair, v. t. 1. To
unite in couples; to form a pair of; to bring together, as things
which belong together, or which complement, or are adapted to one
another.
Glossy jet is paired with shining
white.
Pope.
2. To engage (one's self) with another of
opposite opinions not to vote on a particular question or class of
questions. [Parliamentary Cant]
Paired fins. (Zoöl.) See under
Fin.
Pair, v. t. [See Impair.] To
impair. [Obs.] Spenser.
Pair"er (?), n. One who
impairs. [Obs.] Wyclif.
Pair"ing, n. [See Pair,
v. i.] 1. The act or process of
uniting or arranging in pairs or couples.
2. See To pair off, under Pair,
v. i.
Pairyng time, the time when birds or other
animals pair.
Pair"ment (?), n. Impairment.
[Obs.] Wyclif.
||Pa`is (?), n. [OF. puïs,
F. pays, country.] (O. E. Law) The country; the
people of the neighborhood.
&fist; A trial per pais is a trial by the country, that is,
by a jury; and matter in pais is matter triable by the country,
or jury.
||Pa`i*sa"no (?), n. [Sp., of the
country, &?;ative.] (Zoöl.) The chaparral
cock.
Paise (?), n. [Obs.] See
Poise. Chapman.
Pa"jock (?), n. A peacock.
[Obs.] Shak.
Pak"fong` (?), n. See
Packfong.
Pal (?), n. [Etymol. uncertain.] A
mate; a partner; esp., an accomplice or confederate. [Slang]
Pal"ace (?), n. [OE. palais, F.
palais, fr. L. palatium, fr. Palatium, one of the
seven hills of Rome, &?; which Augustus had his residence. Cf.
Paladin.]
1. The residence of a sovereign, including the
lodgings of high officers of state, and rooms for business, as well as
halls for ceremony and reception. Chaucer.
2. The official residence of a bishop or other
distinguished personage.
3. Loosely, any unusually magnificent or
stately house.
Palace car. See under Car. --
Palace court, a court having jurisdiction of
personal actions arising within twelve miles of the palace at
Whitehall. The court was abolished in 1849. [Eng.] Mozley &
W.
Pa*la"cious (?), a. Palatial.
[Obs.] Graunt.
Pal"a*din (?), n. [F., fr.It.
paladino, fr. L. palatinus an officer of the palace. See
Palatine.] A knight-errant; a distinguished champion; as,
the paladins of Charlemagne. Sir W. Scott.
Pa"læ*o- (?). See Paleo-.
Pa`læ*og"ra*pher (?), n.,
Pa`læ*o*graph"ic (&?;), a., etc.
See Paleographer, Paleographic, etc.
Pa"læ*o*type (?), n.
[Palæo- + -type.] (Phon.) A system of
representing all spoken sounds by means of the printing types in
common use. Ellis. -- Pa`læ*o*typ"ic*al
(#), a. -- Pa`læ*o*typ"ic*al*ly,
adv.
||Pa*læs"tra (?), n. See
Palestra.
Pa*læs"tric (?), a. See
Palestric.
Pa*læ`ti*ol"o*gist (?), n.
One versed in palætiology.
Pa*læ`ti*ol"o*gy (?), n.
[Palæo- + ætiology.] The science which
explains, by the law of causation, the past condition and changes of
the earth. -- Pa*læ`ti*o*log"ic*al (#),
a.
||Pal"a*ma (?), n.; pl.
Palamme (#). [NL., fr. Gr. &?; the palm.]
(Zoöl.) A membrane extending between the toes of a
bird, and uniting them more or less closely together.
||Pal`a*me"de*æ (?), n. pl. [NL.]
(Zoöl.) An order, or suborder, including the kamichi,
and allied South American birds; -- called also screamers. In
many anatomical characters they are allied to the Anseres, but they
externally resemble the wading birds.
Pal`am*pore" (?), n. See
Palempore.
||Pa*lan"ka (?), n. [Cf. It., Pg., & Sp.
palanca, fr.L. palanga, phalanga a pole, Gr.&?; ]
(Mil.) A camp permanently intrenched, attached to Turkish
frontier fortresses.
Pal`an*quin" (?), n. [F.
palanquin, Pg. palanquim, Javan. palangki,
OJavan. palangkan, through Prakrit fr. Skr. parya&?;ka,
palya&?;ka, bed, couch; pari around (akin to E. pref.
peri-) + a&?;ka a hook, flank, probably akin to E.
angle fishing tackle. Cf. Palkee.] An inclosed
carriage or litter, commonly about eight feet long, four feet wide,
and four feet high, borne on the shoulders of men by means of two
projecting poles, -- used in India, China, etc., for the conveyance of
a single person from place to place. [Written also
palankeen.]
Pa*lap"te*ryx (?), n. [Paleo- +
apteryx.] (Paleon.) A large extinct ostrichlike
bird of New Zealand.
Pal`a*ta*bil"i*ty (?), n.
Palatableness.
Pal"a*ta*ble (?), a. [From
Palate.] Agreeable to the palate or taste; savory; hence,
acceptable; pleasing; as, palatable food; palatable
advice.
Pal"a*ta*ble*ness, n. The quality
or state of being agreeable to the taste; relish;
acceptableness.
Pal"a*ta*bly, adv. In a palatable
manner.
Pal"a*tal (?), a. [Cf. F.
palatal.] 1. Of or pertaining to the
palate; palatine; as, the palatal bones.
2. (Phonetics) Uttered by the aid of
the palate; -- said of certain sounds, as the sound of k in
kirk.
Pal"a*tal, n. (Phon.) A
sound uttered, or a letter pronounced, by the aid of the palate, as
the letters k and y.
Pal"a*tal*ize (?), v. t. (Phon.)
To palatize.
Pal"ate (?), n. [L. palatum: cf.
F. palais, Of. also palat.] 1.
(Anat.) The roof of the mouth.
&fist; The fixed portion, or palate proper, supported by the
maxillary and palatine bones, is called the hard palate to
distinguish it from the membranous and muscular curtain which
separates the cavity of the mouth from the pharynx and is called the
soft palate, or velum.
2. Relish; taste; liking; -- a sense
originating in the mistaken notion that the palate is the organ of
taste.
Hard task! to hit the palate of such
guests.
Pope.
3. Fig.: Mental relish; intellectual
taste. T. Baker.
4. (Bot.) A projection in the throat of
such flowers as the snapdragon.
Pal"ate, v. t. To perceive by the
taste. [Obs.] Shak.
Pa*la"tial (?), a. [L. palatium
palace. See Palace.] Of or pertaining to a palace;
suitable for a palace; resembling a palace; royal; magnificent; as,
palatial structures. "Palatial style." A.
Drummond.
Pa*la"tial, a. [From
Palate.] (Anat.) Palatal; palatine. [Obs.]
Barrow.
Pa*la"tial, n. A palatal
letter. [Obs.] Sir W. Jones.
Pa*lat"ic (?), a. (Anat.)
Palatal; palatine.
Pa*lat"ic, n. (Phon.) A
palatal. [R.]
Pa*lat"i*nate (?), n. [F.
palatinat. See Palatine.] The province or seigniory
of a palatine; the dignity of a palatine. Howell.
Pa*lat"i*nate (?), v. t. To make a
palatinate of. [Obs.] Fuller.
Pal"a*tine (?), a. [F. palatin,
L. palatinus, fr. palatium. See Palace, and cf.
Paladin.] Of or pertaining to a palace, or to a high
officer of a palace; hence, possessing royal privileges.
Count palatine, County
palatine. See under Count, and
County. -- Palatine hill, or The
palatine, one of the seven hills of Rome, once occupied
by the palace of the Cæsars. See Palace.
Pal"a*tine (?), n. 1.
One invested with royal privileges and rights within his domains;
a count palatine. See Count palatine, under 4th
Count.
2. The Palatine hill in Rome.
Pal"a*tine, a. [From Palate.]
(Anat.) Of or pertaining to the palate.
Palatine bones (Anat.), a pair of
bones (often united in the adult) in the root of the mouth, back of
and between the maxillaries.
Pal"a*tine n. (Anat.) A
palatine bone.
Pal"a*tive (?), a. Pleasing to the
taste; palatable. [Obs.] "Palative delights." Sir T.
Browne.
Pal"a*tize (?), v. t. To modify, as
the tones of the voice, by means of the palate; as, to palatize
a letter or sound. -- Pal`a*ti*za"tion (#),
n. J. Peile.
Pal"a*to- (?). [From Palate.] A combining form
used in anatomy to indicate relation to, or connection
with, the palate; as in palatolingual.
||Pal`a*to*na"res (?), n. pl. [NL. See
Palato-, and Nares.] (Anat.) The posterior
nares. See Nares.
Pal`a*top*ter"y*goid (?), a. [Palato-
+ pterygoid.] (Anat.) Pertaining to the
palatine and pterygoid region of the skull; as, the
palatopterygoid cartilage, or rod, from which the palatine and
pterygoid bones are developed.
Pa*la"ver (?), n. [Sp. palabra,
or Pg. palavra, fr. L. parabola a comparison, a parable,
LL., a word. See Parable.]
1. Talk; conversation; esp., idle or beguiling
talk; talk intended to deceive; flattery.
2. In Africa, a parley with the natives; a
talk; hence, a public conference and deliberation; a debate.
This epoch of parliaments and eloquent
palavers.
Carlyle.
Pa*la"ver, v. t. & i. [imp. & p.
p. Palavered (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Palavering.] To make palaver with, or to; to used
palaver;to talk idly or deceitfully; to employ flattery; to cajole;
as, to palaver artfully.
Palavering the little language for her
benefit.
C. Bront&?;
Pa*la"ver*er (?), n. One who
palavers; a flatterer.
Pale (?), a. [Compar.
Paler (?); superl. Palest.] [F.
pâle, fr. pâlir to turn pale, L.
pallere to be o&?; look pale. Cf. Appall,
Fallow, pall, v. i.,
Pallid.]
1. Wanting in color; not ruddy; dusky white;
pallid; wan; as, a pale face; a pale red; a pale
blue. "Pale as a forpined ghost." Chaucer.
Speechless he stood and pale.
Milton.
They are not of complexion red or
pale.
T. Randolph.
2. Not bright or brilliant; of a faint luster
or hue; dim; as, the pale light of the moon.
The night, methinks, is but the daylight sick;
It looks a little paler.
Shak.
&fist; Pale is often used in the formation of self-
explaining compounds; as, pale-colored, pale-eyed,
pale-faced, pale-looking, etc.
Pale, n. Paleness; pallor.
[R.] Shak.
Pale, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Paled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Paling.] To turn pale; to lose color or luster.
Whittier.
Apt to pale at a trodden worm.
Mrs. Browning.
Pale, v. t. To make pale; to
diminish the brightness of.
The glow&?;worm shows the matin to be near,
And gins to pale his uneffectual fire.
Shak.
Pale, n. [F. pal, fr. L.
palus: cf. D. paal. See Pol&?; a stake, and lst
Pallet.] 1. A pointed stake or slat,
either driven into the ground, or fastened to a rail at the top and
bottom, for fencing or inclosing; a picket.
Deer creep through when a pale tumbles
down.
Mortimer.
2. That which incloses or fences in; a
boundary; a limit; a fence; a palisade. "Within one pale
or hedge." Robynson (More's Utopia).
3. A space or field having bounds or limits; a
limited region or place; an inclosure; -- often used
figuratively. "To walk the studious cloister's pale."
Milton. "Out of the pale of civilization."
Macaulay.
4. A stripe or band, as on a garment.
Chaucer.
5. (Her.) One of the greater
ordinaries, being a broad perpendicular stripe in an escutcheon,
equally distant from the two edges, and occupying one third of
it.
6. A cheese scoop. Simmonds.
7. (Shipbuilding) A shore for bracing a
timber before it is fastened.
English pale (Hist.), the limits or
territory within which alone the English conquerors of Ireland held
dominion for a long period after their invasion of the country in
1172. Spencer.
Pale, v. t. To inclose with pales,
or as with pales; to encircle; to encompass; to fence off.
[Your isle, which stands] ribbed and paled
in
With rocks unscalable and roaring waters.
Shak.
||Pa"le*a (?), n.; pl.
Paleæ (-ē). [L., chaff.]
1. (Bot.) (a) The
interior chaff or husk of grasses. (b) One
of the chaffy scales or bractlets growing on the receptacle of many
compound flowers, as the Coreopsis, the sunflower, etc.
2. (Zoöl.) A pendulous process of
the skin on the throat of a bird, as in the turkey; a
dewlap.
Pa`le*a"ceous (?), a. [L. palea
chaff.] (Bot.) Chaffy; resembling or consisting of
paleæ, or chaff; furnished with chaff; as, a paleaceous
receptacle.
Pa`le*arc"tic (?), a. [Paleo- +
arctic.] Belonging to a region of the earth's surface
which includes all Europe to the Azores, Iceland, and all temperate
Asia.
Paled (?), a. [See 5th Pale.]
1. Striped. [Obs.] "[Buskins] . . .
paled part per part." Spenser.
2. Inclosed with a paling. "A
paled green." Spenser.
||Pa`le*ëch`i*noi"de*a (?), n. pl.
[NL. See Paleo-, and Echinoidea.] (Zoöl.)
An extinct order of sea urchins found in the Paleozoic rocks.
They had more than twenty vertical rows of plates. Called also
Palæechini. [Written also
Palæechinoidea.]
Pale"face` (?), n. A white person;
-- an appellation supposed to have been applied to the whites by the
American Indians. J. F. Cooper.
||Pa`le*ich"thy*es (?), n. pl. [NL. See
Paleo-, and Ichthyology.] (Zoöl.) A
comprehensive division of fishes which includes the elasmobranchs and
ganoids. [Written also Palæichthyes.]
Pale"ly (?), adv. [From Pale,
a.] In a pale manner; dimly; wanly; not freshly
or ruddily. Thackeray.
Pal`em*pore" (?), n. A superior
kind of dimity made in India, -- used for bed coverings.
[Written also palampore, palampoor, etc.] De
Colange.
Pale"ness (?), n. The quality or
condition of being pale; want of freshness or ruddiness; a sickly
whiteness; lack of color or luster; wanness.
The blood the virgin's cheek forsook;
A livid paleness spreads o'er all her look.
Pope.
Pa*len"que (?), n. pl. (Ethnol.)
A collective name for the Indians of Nicaragua and
Honduras.
Pa"le*o- (?). [Gr. &?;, adj.] A combining form
meaning old, ancient; as, palearctic,
paleontology, paleothere, paleography.
[Written also palæo-.]
Pa`le*o*bot"a*nist (?), n. One
versed in paleobotany.
Pa`le*o*bot"a*ny (?), n. [Paleo-
+ botany.] That branch of paleontology which treats of
fossil plants.
||Pa`le*o*car"ida (?), n. pl. [NL., fr.
Gr. &?; ancient + &?;, &?;, &?;, a kind of
crustacean.] (Zoöl.) Same as
Merostomata. [Written also Palæocarida.]
||Pa`le*o*cri*noi"de*a (?), n. pl. [NL.
See Paleo-, and Crinoidea.] (Zoöl.) A
suborder of Crinoidea found chiefly in the Paleozoic rocks.
Pa`le*o*crys"tic (?), a. [Paleo-
+ Gr. &?; ice.] Of, pertaining to, or derived from, a
former glacial formation.
Pa`le*o*gæ"an (?), a. [Paleo-
+ Gr. &?; the eart] (Zoöl.) Of or
pertaining to the Eastern hemisphere. [Written also
palæogæan.]
Pa"le*o*graph (?), n. An ancient
manuscript.
Pa`le*og"ra*pher (?), n. One
skilled in paleography; a paleographist.
{ Pa`le*o*graph"ic (?), Pa`le*o*graph"ic*al (?),
} a. [Cf. F. paléographique.] Of
or pertaining to paleography.
Pa`le*og"ra*phist (?), n. One
versed in paleography; a paleographer.
Pa`le*og"ra*phy, n. [Paleo- +
-graphy: cf. F. paléographie.] 1.
An ancient manner of writing; ancient writings, collectively; as,
Punic paleography.
2. The study of ancient inscriptions and modes
of writing; the art or science of deciphering ancient writings, and
determining their origin, period, etc., from external characters;
diplomatics.
||Pa*le"o*la (?), n.; pl.
Paleolæ (#). [NL., dim. of L. palea.]
(Bot.) A diminutive or secondary palea; a
lodicule.
Pa"le*o*lith (?), n. [Paleo- +
-lith.] (Geol.) A relic of the Paleolithic
era.
Pa`le*o*lith"ic (?), a. (Geol.)
Of or pertaining to an era marked by early stone implements. The
Paleolithic era (as proposed by Lubbock) includes the earlier
half of the "Stone Age;" the remains belonging to it are for the most
part of extinct animals, with relics of human beings.
Pa`le*ol"ogist (?), n. One versed
in paleology; a student of antiquity.
Pa`le*ol"o*gy (?), n. [Paleo- +
-logy.] The study or knowledge of antiquities, esp. of
prehistoric antiquities; a discourse or treatise on antiquities;
archæology .
Pa`le*on`to*graph"ic*al (?), a. Of
or pertaining to the description of fossil remains.
Pa`le*on*tog"ra*phy (?), n. [Paleo-
+ Gr. &?; existing things + -graphy.] The description
of fossil remains.
Pa`le*on`to*log"ic*al (?), a. Of or
pertaining to paleontology. --
Pa`le*on`to*log"ic*al*ly, adv.
Pa`le*on*tol"o*gist (?), n. [Cf. F.
paléontologiste.] One versed in
paleontology.
Pa`le*on*tol"o*gy (?), n. [Paleo-
+ Gr. &?; existing things + -logy. Cf. Ontology.]
The science which treats of the ancient life of the earth, or of
fossils which are the remains of such life.
Pa`le*o*phy*tol"o*gist (?), n. A
paleobotanist.
Pa`le*o*phy*tol"o*gy (?), n. [Paleo-
+ phytology.] Paleobotany.
Pa`le*or`ni*thol"o*gy (?), n. [Paleo-
+ ornithology.] The branch of paleontology which
treats of fossil birds.
Pa`le*o*sau"rus (?), n.[NL., fr. Gr.
&?; ancient + &?; a lizard.] (Paleon.) A genus of
fossil saurians found in the Permian formation.
Pa`le*o*tech"nic (?), a. [Paleo-
+ technic.] Belonging to, or connected with, ancient
art. "The paleotechnic men of central France." D.
Wilson.
Pa"le*o*there (?), n. [F.
paléothère.] (Paleon.) Any species of
Paleotherium.
Pa`le*o*the"ri*an (?), a. [F.
paléothérien.] (Paleon.) Of or
pertaining to Paleotherium.
||Pa`le*o*the"ri*um (?), n. [NL., fr.
Gr. &?; ancient + &?; beast.] (Paleon.) An extinct genus
of herbivorous Tertiary mammals, once supposed to have resembled the
tapir in form, but now known to have had a more slender form, with a
long neck like that of a llama. [Written also
Palæotherium.]
Pa`le*o*the"roid (?), [Paleothere + -oid.]
(Paleon.) Resembling Paleotherium. --
n. An animal resembling, or allied to, the
paleothere.
Pa"le*o*type (?), n. See
Palæotype.
Pa"le*ous (?), a. [L. palea
chaff.] Chaffy; like chaff; paleaceous. [R.] Sir T.
Browne.
Pa`le*o*zo"ic (?), a. [Paleo- +
Gr. &?; life, fr. &?; to live.] (Geol.) Of or pertaining
to, or designating, the older division of geological time during which
life is known to have existed, including the Silurian, Devonian, and
Carboniferous ages, and also to the life or rocks of those ages. See
Chart of Geology.
Pa`le*o*zo*öl"o*gy (?), n.
(Geol.) The Paleozoic time or strata.
Pa`le*o*zo*ö"o*gy (?), n.
[Paleo- + zoölogy.] The science of extinct
animals, a branch of paleontology.
{ Pale"sie (?), Pale"sy }, n.
Palsy. [Obs.] Wyclif.
{ Pal`es*tin"i*an (?), Pal`es*tin"e*an (?), }
a. Of or pertaining to Palestine.
Pa*les"tra (?), n.; pl. L.
Palestræ (#), E. Palestras
(#). [NL., fr. L. palaestra, Gr. &?;, fr. &?; to wrestle.]
[Written also palæstra.] (Antiq.)
(a) A wrestling school; hence, a gymnasium, or
place for athletic exercise in general. (b)
A wrestling; the exercise of wrestling.
{ Pa*les"tri*an (?), Pa*les"tric (?),
Pa*les"tric*al (?), } a. [L.
palaestricus, Gr. &?;] Of or pertaining to the palestra,
or to wrestling.
Pal"et (?), n. [See Palea.]
(Bot.) Same as Palea.
||Pal"e*tot (?), n. [F. paletot,
OF. palletoc, prob. fr. L. palla (see Palla) + F.
toque cap, and so lit., a frock with a cap or hood; cf. Sp.
paletoque.] (a) An overcoat.
Dickens. (b) A lady's outer garment, -- of
varying fashion.
Pal"ette (?), n. [See Pallet a
thin board.]
1. (Paint.) A thin, oval or square
board, or tablet, with a thumb hole at one end for holding it, on
which a painter lays and mixes his pigments. [Written also
pallet.]
2. (Anc. Armor) One of the plates
covering the points of junction at the bend of the shoulders and
elbows. Fairholt.
3. (Mech.) A breastplate for a breast
drill.
Palette knife, a knife with a very flexible
steel blade and no cutting edge, rounded at the end, used by painters
to mix colors on the grinding slab or palette. -- To set
the palette (Paint.), to lay upon it the required
pigments in a certain order, according to the intended use of them in
a picture. Fairholt.
Pale"wise` (?), adv. (Her.)
In the manner of a pale or pales; by perpendicular lines or
divisions; as, to divide an escutcheon palewise.
Pal"frey (?), n. [OE. palefrai,
OF. palefrei, F. palefroi, LL. palafredus,
parafredus, from L. paraveredus a horse for
extraordinary occasions, an extra post horse; Gr. &?; along, beside +
L. veredus a post horse.]
1. A saddle horse for the road, or for state
occasions, as distinguished from a war horse.
Chaucer.
2. A small saddle horse for ladies.
Spenser.
Call the host and bid him bring
Charger and palfrey.
Tennyson.
Pal"freyed (?), a. Mounted on a
palfrey. Tickell.
Pal"grave (?), n. See
Palsgrave.
||Pa"li (?), n.,
pl. of Palus.
Pa"li (?), n. [Ceylonese, fr. Skr.
pāli row, line, series, applied to the series of Buddhist
sacred texts.] A dialect descended from Sanskrit, and like that,
a dead language, except when used as the sacred language of the
Buddhist religion in Farther India, etc.
Pal`i*fi*ca"tion (?), n. [L.
palus a stake + -ficare (in comp.) to make: cf. F.
palification. See -fy.] The act or practice of
driving piles or posts into the ground to make it firm. [R.]
Sir H. Wotton.
Pa"li*form (?), a. (Zoöl.)
Resembling a palus; as, the paliform lobes of the septa in
corals.
Pa*lil"o*gy (?), n. [L.
palilogia, Gr. &?;; &?; again + &?; to speak.] (Rhet.)
The repetition of a word, or part of a sentence, for the sake of
greater emphasis; as, "The living, the living, he shall
praise thee." Is. xxxviii. 19.
Pal"imp*sest (?), n. [L.
palimpsestus, Gr. &?; scratched or scraped again, &?; a
palimpsest; &?; again + &?; to rub, rub away: cf. F.
palimpseste.] A parchment which has been written upon
twice, the first writing having been erased to make place for the
second. Longfellow.
Pal"in*drome (?), n. [Gr. &?; running
back again; &?; again + &?; to run: cf. F. palindrome.] A
word, verse, or sentence, that is the same when read backward or
forward; as, madam; Hannah; or Lewd did I live, &
evil I did dwel.
{ Pal`in*drom"ic (?), Pal`in*drom"ic*al (?), }
a. Of, pertaining to, or like, a
palindrome.
Pa*lin"dro*mist (?), n. A writer of
palindromes.
Pal"ing (?), n. 1.
Pales, in general; a fence formed with pales or pickets; a limit;
an inclosure.
They moved within the paling of order and
decorum.
De Quincey.
2. The act of placing pales or stripes on
cloth; also, the stripes themselves. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Paling board, one of the slabs sawed from the
sides of a log to fit it to be sawed into boards. [Eng.]
||Pal`in*ge*ne"si*a (?), n.[NL.]
See Palingenesis.
{ Pal`in*gen"e*sis (?), Pal`in*gen"e*sy (?), }
n. [Gr. &?;; &?; again + &?; birth: cf. F.
palingénésie. See Genesis.]
1. A new birth; a re-creation; a regeneration;
a continued existence in different manner or form.
2. (Biol.) That form of evolution in
which the truly ancestral characters conserved by heredity are
reproduced in development; original simple descent; -- distinguished
from kenogenesis. Sometimes, in zoölogy, the abrupt
metamorphosis of insects, crustaceans, etc.
Pal`in*ge*net"ic (?), a. Of or
pertaining to palingenesis: as, a palingenetic process. -
- Pal`in*ge*net"ic*al*ly (#), adv.
Pal"i*node (?), n. [L. palinodia,
from Gr. &?;; &?; again + &?; a song. See Ode.]
1. An ode recanting, or retracting, a former one;
also, a repetition of an ode.
2. A retraction; esp., a formal
retraction. Sandys.
Pal`i*no"di*al (?), a. Of or
pertaining to a palinode, or retraction. J. Q.
Adams.
Pal"i*no*dy (?), n. See
Palinode. [Obs.] Wood.
Pal`inu"rus (?), n. [So called from L.
Palinurus, the pilot of Æneas.] (Naut.) An
instrument for obtaining directly, without calculation, the true
bearing of the sun, and thence the variation of the compass
Pal`i*sade" (?), n. [F.
palissade, cf. Sp. palizada, It. palizzata,
palizzo, LL. palissata; all fr. L. palus a stake,
pale. See Pale a stake.] 1. (Fort.)
A strong, long stake, one end of which is set firmly in the
ground, and the other is sharpened; also, a fence formed of such
stakes set in the ground as a means of defense.
2. Any fence made of pales or sharp
stakes.
Palisade cells (Bot.), vertically
elongated parenchyma cells, such as are seen beneath the epidermis of
the upper surface of many leaves. -- Palisade
worm (Zoöl.), a nematoid worm (Strongylus
armatus), parasitic in the blood vessels of the horse, in which it
produces aneurisms, often fatal.
Pal`i*sade", v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Palisaded; p. pr. & vb. n.
Palisading.] [Cf. F. palissader.] To surround,
inclose, or fortify, with palisades.
Pal`i*sad"ing (?), n. (Fort.)
A row of palisades set in the ground.
Pal`i*sa*"do (?), n.; pl.
Palisadoes (&?;). A palisade. [Obs.]
Shak.
Pal`i*sa"do, v. t. To
palisade. [Obs.] Sterne.
Pal"ish (?), a. Somewhat pale or
wan.
Pal`is*san"der (?), n. [F.
palissandre.] (Bot.) (a) Violet
wood. (b) Rosewood.
Pal"is*sy (?), a. Designating, or
of the nature of, a kind of pottery made by Bernard Palissy, in
France, in the 16th centry.
Palissy ware, glazed pottery like that made
by Bernard Palissy; especially, that having figures of fishes,
reptiles, etc., in high relief.
||Pal"kee (?), n. [Hind.
pālkī; of the same origin as E. palanquin.]
A palanquin. Malcom.
Pall (?), n. Same as
Pawl.
Pall, n. [OE. pal, AS.
pæl, from L. pallium cover, cloak, mantle, pall;
cf. L. palla robe, mantle.] 1. An outer
garment; a cloak mantle.
His lion's skin changed to a pall of
gold.
Spenser.
2. A kind of rich stuff used for garments in
the Middle Ages. [Obs.] Wyclif (Esther viii. 15).
3. (R. C. Ch.) Same as
Pallium.
About this time Pope Gregory sent two archbishop's
palls into England, -- the one for London, the other for
York.
Fuller.
4. (Her.) A figure resembling the Roman
Catholic pallium, or pall, and having the form of the letter
Y.
5. A large cloth, esp., a heavy black cloth,
thrown over a coffin at a funeral; sometimes, also, over a
tomb.
Warriors carry the warrior's pall.
Tennyson.
6. (Eccl.) A piece of cardboard,
covered with linen and embroidered on one side; -- used to put over
the chalice.
Pall, v. t. To cloak. [R.]
Shak
Pall, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Palled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Palling.] [Either shortened fr. appall, or fr. F.
pâlir to grow pale. Cf. Appall, Pale,
a.] To become vapid, tasteless, dull, or
insipid; to lose strength, life, spirit, or taste; as, the liquor
palls.
Beauty soon grows familiar to the lover,
Fades in the eye, and palls upon the sense.
Addisin.
Pall, v. t. 1. To
make vapid or insipid; to make lifeless or spiritless; to dull; to
weaken. Chaucer.
Reason and reflection . . . pall all his
enjoyments.
Atterbury.
2. To satiate; to cloy; as, to pall the
appetite.
Pall, n. Nausea. [Obs.]
Shaftesbury.
||Pal"la (?), n. [L. See Pall a
cloak.] (Rom. Antuq.) An oblong rectangular piece of
cloth, worn by Roman ladies, and fastened with brooches.
Pal*la"di*an (?), a. (Arch.)
Of, pertaining to, or designating, a variety of the revived
classic style of architecture, founded on the works of Andrea
Palladio, an Italian architect of the 16th century.
Pal*la"dic (?), a. (Chem.)
Of, pertaining to, or derived from, palladium; -- used
specifically to designate those compounds in which the element has a
higher valence as contrasted with palladious
compounds.
Pal*la"di*ous (?), a. (Chem.)
Of, pertaining to, or containing, palladium; -- used specifically
to designate those compounds in which palladium has a lower valence as
compared with palladic compounds.
Pal*la"di*um (?), n. [L., fr. Gr. &?;,
fr. &?;, &?;, Pallas.]
1. (Gr. Antiq.) Any statue of the
goddess Pallas; esp., the famous statue on the preservation of which
depended the safety of ancient Troy.
2. Hence: That which affords effectual
protection or security; a safeguard; as, the trial by jury is the
palladium of our civil rights. Blackstone.
Pal*la"di*um, n. [NL.] (Chem.)
A rare metallic element of the light platinum group, found
native, and also alloyed with platinum and gold. It is a silver-white
metal resembling platinum, and like it permanent and untarnished in
the air, but is more easily fusible. It is unique in its power of
occluding hydrogen, which it does to the extent of nearly a thousand
volumes, forming the alloy Pd2H. It is used for graduated
circles and verniers, for plating certain silver goods, and somewhat
in dentistry. It was so named in 1804 by Wollaston from the asteroid
Pallas, which was discovered in 1802. Symbol Pd. Atomic weight,
106.2.
Pal*la"di*um*ize (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Palladiumized (?); p.
pr. & vb. n. Palladiumizing (?).] To cover or
coat with palladium. [R.]
Pal"lah (?), n. (Zoöl.)
A large South African antelope (Æpyceros melampus).
The male has long lyrate and annulated horns. The general color is
bay, with a black crescent on the croup. Called also
roodebok.
Pal"las (?), n. [L., fr. Gr. &?;, &?;.]
(Gr. Myth.) Pallas Athene, the Grecian goddess of wisdom,
called also Athene, and identified, at a later period, with the
Roman Minerva.
Pall"bear*er (?), n. One of those
who attend the coffin at a funeral; -- so called from the pall being
formerly carried by them.
Pal"let (?), n. [OE. paillet, F.
paillet a heap of straw, fr. paille straw, fr. L.
palea chaff; cf. Gr. &?; fine meal, dust, Skr. pala
straw, palāva chaff. Cf. Paillasse.] A small
and mean bed; a bed of straw. Milton.
Pal"let, n. [Dim. of pale. See
Pale a stake.] (Her.) A perpendicular band upon an
escutcheon, one half the breadth of the pale.
Pal"let, n. [F. palette: af. It.
paletta; prop. and orig., a fire shovel, dim. of L. pala
a shovel, spade. See Peel a shovel.] 1.
(Paint.) Same as Palette.
2. (Pottery) (a) A
wooden implement used by potters, crucible makers, etc., for forming,
beating, and rounding their works. It is oval, round, and of other
forms. (b) A potter's wheel.
3. (Gilding) (a) An
instrument used to take up gold leaf from the pillow, and to apply
it. (b) A tool for gilding the backs of
books over the bands.
4. (Brickmaking) A board on which a
newly molded brick is conveyed to the hack. Knight.
5. (Mach.) (a) A click
or pawl for driving a ratchet wheel. (b)
One of the series of disks or pistons in the chain pump.
Knight.
6. (Horology) One of the pieces or
levers connected with the pendulum of a clock, or the balance of a
watch, which receive the immediate impulse of the scape-wheel, or
balance wheel. Brande & C.
7. (Mus.) In the organ, a valve between
the wind chest and the mouth of a pipe or row of pipes.
8. (Zoöl.) One of a pair of shelly
plates that protect the siphon tubes of certain bivalves, as the
Teredo. See Illust. of Teredo.
9. A cup containing three ounces, --
&?;ormerly used by surgeons.
Pal"li*al (?), a. [L. pallium a
mantle. See Pall.] (Zoöl.) Of or pretaining to
a mantle, especially to the mantle of mollusks; produced by the
mantle; as, the pallial line, or impression, which marks the
attachment of the mantle on the inner surface of a bivalve shell. See
Illust. of Bivalve.
Pallial chamber (Zoöl.), the
cavity inclosed by the mantle. -- Pallial sinus
(Zoöl.), an inward bending of the pallial line, near
the posterior end of certain bivalve shells, to receive the siphon.
See Illust. of Bivalve.
Pal"li*a*ment (?), n. [LL.
palliare to clothe, fr. L. pallium a manltle. See
Pall the garment.] A dress; a robe. [Obs.]
Shak.
Pal"liard (?), n. [F. paillard,
orig., one addicted to the couch, fr. paille straw. See
Pallet a small bed.]
1. A born beggar; a vagabond. [Obs.]
Halliwell.
2. A lecher; a lewd person. [Obs.]
Dryden.
Pal*liasse" (?), n. See
Paillasse.
Pal"li*ate (?), a. [L. palliatus,
fr. pallium a cloak. See Pall the garment.]
1. Covered with a mant&?;e; cloaked;
disguised. [Obs.] Bp. Hall.
2. Eased; mitigated; alleviated. [Obs.]
Bp. Fell.
Pal"li*ate (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Palliated(?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Palliating(?).] 1. To cover with a mantle
or cloak; to cover up; to hide. [Obs.]
Being palliated with a pilgrim's
coat.
Sir T. Herbert.
2. To cover with excuses; to conceal the
enormity of, by excuses and apologies; to extenuate; as, to
palliate faults.
They never hide or palliate their
vices.
Swift.
3. To reduce in violence; to lessen or abate;
to mitigate; to ease withhout curing; as, to palliate a
disease.
To palliate dullness, and give time a
shove.
Cowper.
Syn. -- To cover; cloak; hide; extenuate; conceal. -- To
Palliate, Extenuate, Cloak. These words, as here
compared, are used in a figurative sense in reference to our treatment
of wrong action. We cloak in order to conceal completely. We
extenuate a crime when we endeavor to show that it is
less than has been supposed; we palliate a crime when we
endeavor to cover or conceal its enormity, at least in
part. This naturally leads us to soften some of its features, and
thus palliate approaches extenuate till they have become
nearly or quite identical. "To palliate is not now used,
though it once was, in the sense of wholly cloaking or covering over,
as it might be, our sins, but in that of extenuating; to
palliate our faults is not to hide them altogether, but to seek
to diminish their guilt in part." Trench.
Pal`li*a"tion (?), n. [Cf. F.
palliation.] 1. The act of palliating, or
state of being palliated; extenuation; excuse; as, the
palliation of faults, offenses, vices.
2. Mitigation; alleviation, as of a
disease. Bacon.
3. That which cloaks or covers; disguise;
also, the state of being covered or disguised. [Obs.]
Pal"li*a*tive (?), a. [Cf. F.
palliatif.] Serving to palliate; serving to extenuate or
mitigate.
Pal"li*a*tive (?), n. That which
palliates; a palliative agent. Sir W. Scott.
Pal"li*a*to*ry (?), a. Palliative;
extenuating.
Pal"lid (?), a. [L. pallidus, fr.
pallere to be or look pale. See pale,
a.] Deficient in color; pale; wan; as, a
pallid countenance; pallid blue.
Spenser.
Pal*lid"i*ty (?), n. Pallidness;
paleness.
Pal"lid*ly (?), adv. In a pallid
manner.
Pal"lid*ness, n. The quality or
state of being pallid; paleness; pallor; wanness.
||Pal`li*o*bran`chi*a"ta (?), n. pl.
[NL.] (Zoöl.) Same as Brachiopoda.
Pal`li*o*bran"chi*ate (?), a. [See
Pallium, and Branchia.] (Zoöl.) Having
the pallium, or mantle, acting as a gill, as in brachiopods.
||Pal"li*um (?), n.; pl. L.
Pallia(&?;), E. Palliums (#). [L.
See Pall the garment.] 1. (Anc. Costume)
A large, square, woolen cloak which enveloped the whole person,
worn by the Greeks and by certain Romans. It is the Roman name of a
Greek garment.
2. (R.C.Ch.) A band of white wool, worn
on the shoulders, with four purple crosses worked on it; a
pall.
&fist; The wool is obtained from two lambs brought to the basilica
of St. Agnes, Rome, and blessed. It is worn by the pope, and sent to
patriarchs, primates, and archbishops, as a sign that they share in
the plenitude of the episcopal office. Befoer it is sent, the pallium
is laid on the tomb of St. Peter, where it remains all night.
3. (Zoöl.) (a) The
mantle of a bivalve. See Mantle. (b)
The mantle of a bird.
Pall`-mall" (?), n. [OF.
palemail, It. pallamagio; palla a ball (of German
origin, akin to E. ball) + magio hammer, fr. L.
malleus. See lst Ball, and Mall a beetle.] A
game formerly common in England, in which a wooden ball was driven
with a mallet through an elevated hoop or ring of iron. The name was
also given to the mallet used, to the place where the game was played,
and to the street, in London, still called Pall Mall.
[Written also pail-mail and pell-mell.] Sir K.
Digby. Evelyn.
Pal*lo"ne (?), n. [It., a large ball,
fr. palla ball. See Balloon.] An Italian game,
played with a large leather ball.
Pal"lor (?), n. [L., fr. pallere
to be or look pale. See Pale, a.]
Paleness; want of color; pallidity; as, pallor of the
complexion. Jer. Taylor.
Palm (?), n. [OE. paume, F.
paume, L. palma, Gr. &?;, akin to Skr. pāni
hand, and E. fumble. See Fumble, Feel, and cf. 2d
Palm.] 1. (Anat.) The inner and
somewhat concave part of the hand between the bases of the fingers and
the wrist.
Clench'd her fingers till they bit the
palm.
Tennyson.
2. A lineal measure equal either to the
breadth of the hand or to its length from the wrist to the ends of the
fingers; a hand; -- used in measuring a horse's height.
&fist; In Greece, the palm was reckoned at three inches. The Romans
adopted two measures of this name, the lesser palm of 2.91 inches, and
the greater palm of 8.73 inches. At the present day, this measure
varies in the most arbitrary manner, being different in each country,
and occasionally varying in the same. Internat. Cyc.
3. (Sailmaking) A metallic disk,
attached to a strap, and worn the palm of the hand, -- used to push
the needle through the canvas, in sewing sails, etc.
4. (Zoöl.) The broad flattened
part of an antler, as of a full-grown fallow deer; -- so called as
resembling the palm of the hand with its protruding fingers.
5. (Naut.) The flat inner face of an
anchor fluke.
Palm, n. [AS. palm, L.
palma; -- so named fr. the leaf resembling a hand. See lst
Palm, and cf. Pam.]
1. (Bot.) Any endogenous tree of the
order Palmæ or Palmaceæ; a palm
tree.
&fist; Palms are perennial woody plants, often of majestic size.
The trunk is usually erect and rarely branched, and has a roughened
exterior composed of the persistent bases of the leaf stalks. The
leaves are borne in a terminal crown, and are supported on stout,
sheathing, often prickly, petioles. They are usually of great size,
and are either pinnately or palmately many-cleft. There are about one
thousand species known, nearly all of them growing in tropical or
semitropical regions. The wood, petioles, leaves, sap, and fruit of
many species are invaluable in the arts and in domestic economy. Among
the best known are the date palm, the cocoa palm, the fan palm, the
oil palm, the wax palm, the palmyra, and the various kinds called
cabbage palm and palmetto.
2. A branch or leaf of the palm, anciently
borne or worn as a symbol of victory or rejoicing.
A great multitude . . . stood before the throne, and
before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palme in their
hands.
Rev. vii. 9.
3. Hence: Any symbol or token of superiority,
success, or triumph; also, victory; triumph; supremacy. "The
palm of martyrdom." Chaucer.
So get the start of the majestic world
And bear the palm alone.
Shak.
Molucca palm (Bot.), a labiate herb
from Asia (Molucella lævis), having a curious cup-shaped
calyx. -- Palm cabbage, the terminal bud of
a cabbage palm, used as food. -- Palm cat
(Zoöl.), the common paradoxure. -- Palm
crab (Zoöl.), the purse crab. --
Palm oil, a vegetable oil, obtained from the
fruit of several species of palms, as the African oil palm
(Elæis Guineensis), and used in the manufacture of soap
and candles. See Elæis. -- Palm
swift (Zoöl.), a small swift (Cypselus
Batassiensis) which frequents the palmyra and cocoanut palms in
India. Its peculiar nest is attached to the leaf of the palmyra
palm. -- Palm toddy. Same as Palm
wine. -- Palm weevil (Zoöl.),
any one of mumerous species of very large weevils of the genus
Rhynchophorus. The larvæ bore into palm trees, and are
called palm borers, and grugru worms. They are
considered excellent food. -- Palm wine,
the sap of several species of palms, especially, in India, of the
wild date palm (Phœnix sylvestrix), the palmyra, and the
Caryota urens. When fermented it yields by distillation arrack,
and by evaporation jaggery. Called also palm toddy. --
Palm worm, or Palmworm.
(Zoöl.) (a) The larva of a palm
weevil. (b) A centipede.
Palm (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Palmed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Palming.] 1. To handle. [Obs.]
Prior.
2. To manipulate with, or conceal in, the palm
of the hand; to juggle.
They palmed the trick that lost the
game.
Prior.
3. To impose by fraud, as by sleight of hand;
to put by unfair means; -- usually with off.
For you may palm upon us new for
old.
Dryden.
Pal*ma"ceous (?), a. (Bot.)
Of or pertaining to palms; of the nature of, or resembling,
palms.
||Pal"ma Chris"ti (?). [L., palm of Christ.] (Bot.)
A plant (Ricinus communis) with ornamental peltate and
palmately cleft foliage, growing as a woody perennial in the tropics,
and cultivated as an herbaceous annual in temperate regions; -- called
also castor-oil plant. [Sometimes corrupted into
palmcrist.]
Pal"ma*cite (?), n. (Paleon.)
A fossil palm.
Pal"mar (?), a. [L. palmaris, fr.
palma the palm of the hand: cf. F. palmaire.]
1. (Anat.) Pertaining to, or corresponding
with, the palm of the hand.
2. (Zoöl.) Of or pertaining to the
under side of the wings of birds.
||Pal*ma"ri*um (?), n.; pl.
Palmaria (#). [NL. See Palmar.]
(Zoöl.) One of the bifurcations of the brachial
plates of a crinoid.
Pal"ma*ry (?), a. (Anat.)
Palmar.
Pal"ma*ry, a. [L. palmarius,
palmaris, belonging to palms, deserving the palm or prize, fr.
palma a palm.] Worthy of the palm; palmy; preëminent;
superior; principal; chief; as, palmary work. Br.
Horne.
Pal"mate (?), n. (Chem.) A
salt of palmic acid; a ricinoleate. [Obsoles.]
{ Pal"mate (?), Pal"ma*ted (?), }
a. [L. palmatus marked with the palm of a
hand, from palma the palm of the hand.]
1. Having the shape of the hand; resembling a
hand with the fingers spread.
2. (Bot.) Spreading from the apex of a
petiole, as the divisions of a leaf, or leaflets, so as to resemble
the hand with outspread fingers. Gray.
3. (Zoöl.) (a)
Having the anterior toes united by a web, as in most swimming
birds; webbed. See Illust. (i) under Aves.
(b) Having the distal portion broad, flat, and
more or less divided into lobes; -- said of certain corals, antlers,
etc.
Pal"mate*ly (?), adv. In a palmate
manner.
Pal*mat"i*fid (?), a. [L.
palmatus palmate + root of findere to split.]
(Bot.) Palmate, with the divisions separated but little
more than halfway to the common center.
Pal*mat"i*lobed (?), a. [L.
palmatus palmate + E. lobed.] (Bot.)
Palmate, with the divisions separated less than halfway to the
common center.
{ Pal*mat"i*sect (?), Pal*mat`i*sect"ed (?), }
a. [L. palmatus palmate + secare to
cut.] (Bot.) Divided, as a palmate leaf, down to the
midrib, so that the parenchyma is interrupted.
Palm"crist (?), n. The palma
Christi. (Jonah iv. 6, margin, and Douay version,
note.)
Palmed (?), a. Having or bearing a
palm or palms.
Palmed deer (Zoöl.), a stag of
full growth, bearing palms. See lst Palm, 4.
Palm"er (?), n. [From Palm,
v. t.] One who palms or cheats, as at cards or
dice.
Palm"er, n.[From Palm the tree.]
A wandering religious votary; especially, one who bore a branch
of palm as a token that he had visited the Holy Land and its sacred
places. Chaucer.
Pilgrims and palmers plighted them
together.
P. Plowman.
The pilgrim had some home or dwelling place, the
palmer had none. The pilgrim traveled to some certain, designed
place or places, but the palmer to all.
T.
Staveley.
Palm"er (?), n. 1.
(Zoöl.) A palmerworm.
[Webster 1913 Suppl.]
2. (Angling) Short for
Palmer fly, an artificial fly made to imitate
a hairy caterpillar; a hackle.
[Webster 1913 Suppl.]
Palm"er*worm` (?), n.
(Zoöl.) (a) Any hairy caterpillar
which appears in great numbers, devouring herbage, and wandering about
like a palmer. The name is applied also to other voracious
insects. Joel. i. 4. (b) In America,
the larva of any one of several moths, which destroys the foliage of
fruit and forest trees, esp. the larva of Ypsolophus
pometellus, which sometimes appears in vast numbers.
Pal*mette" (?), n. [F., dim. of
palme a palm.] A floral ornament, common in Greek and
other ancient architecture; -- often called the honeysuckle
ornament.
Pal*met"to (?), n. [Dim. of palm
the tree: cf. Sp. palmito.] (Bot.) A name given to
palms of several genera and species growing in the West Indies and the
Southern United States. In the United States, the name is applied
especially to the Chamærops, or Sabal, Palmetto, the
cabbage tree of Florida and the Carolinas. See Cabbage tree,
under Cabbage.
Royal palmetto, the West Indian Sabal
umbraculifera, the trunk of which, when hollowed, is used for
water pipes, etc. The leaves are used for thatching, and for making
hats, ropes, etc. -- Saw palmetto, Sabal
serrulata, a native of Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida. The
nearly impassable jungle which it forms is called palmetto
scrub.
Pal"mic (?), a. [Cf. F.
palmique.] (Chem.) Of, pertaining to, or derived
from, the castor-oil plant (Ricinus communis, or Palma
Christi); -- formerly used to designate an acid now called
ricinoleic acid. [Obsoles.]
||Pal`mi*dac"ty*les (?), n. pl. [NL. See
Palm, and Dactyl.] (Zoöl.) A group of
wading birds having the toes webbed, as the avocet.
Pal*mif"er*ous (?), a.[L.
palmifer; palma a palm + ferre to bear: cf. F.
palmifère.] Bearing palms.
Pal"mi*grade (?), a. [L. palma
palm of the hand + gradi to walk.] (Zoöl.)
Putting the whole foot upon the ground in walking, as some
mammals.
Pal"min (?), n. [From palma
Christi: cf. F. palmine.] (Chem.) (a)
A white waxy or fatty substance obtained from castor oil.
(b) Ricinolein. [Obs.]
Pal"mi*ped (?), a.[L. palmipes,
-edis, broad-footed; palma the palm of the hand +
pes a foot; cf. F. palmipède.]
(Zoöl.) Web-footed, as a water fowl. --
n. A swimming bird; a bird having webbed
feet.
||Pal*mip"e*des (?), n. pl. [NL.]
(Zoöl.) Same as Natatores.
Pal"mis*ter (?), n. [From Palm of
the hand.] One who practices palmistry Bp.
Hall.
Pal`mis*try (?), n.[See
Palmister.] 1. The art or practice of
divining or telling fortunes, or of judging of character, by the lines
and marks in the palm of the hand; chiromancy. Ascham.
Cowper.
2. A dexterous use or trick of the hand.
Addison.
Pal"mi*tate (?), n. (Chem.)
A salt of palmitic acid.
Pal"mite (?), n. [From Palm.]
(Bot.) A South African plant (Prionium Palmita) of
the Rush family, having long serrated leaves. The stems have been used
for making brushes.
Pal*mit"ic (?), a. (Physiol.
Chem.) Pertaining to, or obtained from, palmitin or palm oil;
as, palmitic acid, a white crystalline body belonging to the
fatty acid series. It is readily soluble in hot alcohol, and melts to
a liquid oil at 62° C.
Pal"mi*tin (?), n. [So called because
abundant in palm oil.] (Physiol. Chem.) A solid
crystallizable fat, found abundantly in animals and in vegetables. It
occurs mixed with stearin and olein in the fat of animal tissues, with
olein and butyrin in butter, with olein in olive oil, etc. Chemically,
it is a glyceride of palmitic acid, three molecules of palmitic acid
being united to one molecule of glyceryl, and hence it is technically
called tripalmitin, or glyceryl tripalmitate.
Pal`mi*tol"ic (?), a. [Palmitic +
-oleic + ic.] (Chem.) Pertaining to, or
designating, an artificial acid of the oleic acid series, isomeric
with linoleic acid.
Pal"mi*tone (?), n. (Chem.)
The ketone of palmitic acid.
Palm" Sun`day (?). (Eccl.) The Sunday next
before Easter; -- so called in commemoration of our Savior's triumphal
entry into Jerusalem, when the multitude strewed palm branches in the
way.
Palm"y (?), a. 1.
Bearing palms; abounding in palms; derived from palms; as, a
palmy shore. Pope.
His golden sands and palmy wine.
Goldsmith.
2. Worthy of the palm; flourishing;
prosperous.
In the most high and palmy state of
Rome.
Shak.
Pal*my"ra (?), n. (Bot.) A
species of palm (Borassus flabelliformis) having a straight,
black, upright trunk, with palmate leaves. It is found native along
the entire northern shores of the Indian Ocean, from the mouth of the
Tigris to New Guinea. More than eight hundred uses to which it is put
are enumerated by native writers. Its wood is largely used for
building purposes; its fruit and roots serve for food, its sap for
making toddy, and its leaves for thatching huts.
Pa*lo"la (?), n. [Fr. the native name.]
(Zoöl.) An annelid (Palola viridis) which, at
certain seasons of the year, swarms at the surface of the sea about
some of the Pacific Islands, where it is collected for food.
||Pa`lo*me"ta (?), n.
(Zoöl.) A pompano.
Palp (pălp), n. [Cf. F.
palpe. See Palpable.] (Zoöl.) Same as
Palpus.
Palp, v. t. [L. palpare: cf. F.
palper.] To have a distinct touch or feeling of; to
feel. [Obs.]
To bring a palpèd darkness o'er the
earth.
Heywood.
Pal`pa*bil"i*ty (?), n. The quality
of being palpable, or perceptible by the touch.
Arbuthnot.
Pal"pa*ble (?), a. [F. palpable,
L. palpabilis, fr. palpare to feel, stroke; cf.
palpus the soft palm of the hand.] 1.
Capable of being touched and felt; perceptible by the touch; as,
a palpable form. Shak.
Darkness must overshadow all his bounds,
Palpable darkness.
Milton.
2. Easily perceptible; plain; distinct;
obvious; readily perceived and detected; gross; as, palpable
imposture; palpable absurdity; palpable errors.
"Three persons palpable." P. Plowman.
[Lies] gross as a mountain, open,
palpable.
Shak.
-- Pal"pa*ble*ness, n. --
Pal"pa*bly, adv.
Pal*pa"tion (?), n. [L. palpatio,
fr. palpare. See Palpable.] 1. Act
of touching or feeling.
2. (Med.) Examination of a patient by
touch. Quain.
||Pal*pa"tor (?), n. [L., a stroker.]
(Zoöl.) One of a family of clavicorn beetles,
including those which have very long maxillary palpi.
||Pal"pe*bra (?), n.; pl.
Palpebræ (#). [L.] (Zoöl.)
The eyelid.
Pal"pe*bral (?), a. [L.
palpebralis, fr. palpebra: cf. F.
palpébral.] Of or pertaining to the
eyelids.
Pal"pe*brate (?), a. (Zoöl.)
Having eyelids.
Palped (pălpt), a.
(Zoöl.) Having a palpus.
||Pal"pi (păl"pī), n.,
pl. of Palpus. (Zoöl.) See
Palpus.
Pal"pi*corn (?), n. [See Palpus,
and Cornu.] (Zoöl.) One of a group of aquatic
beetles (Palpicornia) having short club-shaped antennæ,
and long maxillary palpi.
Pal"pi*fer (?), n. [Palpus + L.
ferre to bear.] (Zoöl.) Same as
Palpiger.
Pal"pi*form (?), a. [Palpus +
-form: cf. F. palpiforme.] (Zoöl.)
Having the form of a palpus.
Pal"pi*ger (?), n. [See
Palpigerous.] (Zoöl.) That portion of the
labium which bears the palpi in insects.
Pal*pig"er*ous (?), a. [Palpus +
-gerous.] (Zoöl.) Bearing a palpus.
Kirby.
Pal"pi*tant (?), a. [L.
palpitans, p. pr.] Palpitating; throbbing;
trembling. Carlyle.
Pal"pi*tate (?), v. i. [imp. &
p. p. Palpitated (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Palpitating(?).] [L. palpitare,
palpitatum, v. intens. fr. pappare. See
Palpable.] To beat rapidly and more strongly than usual;
to throb; to bound with emotion or exertion; to pulsate violently; to
flutter; -- said specifically of the heart when its action is
abnormal, as from excitement.
Pal`pi*ta"tion (?), n. [L.
palpitatio: cf. F. palpitation.] A rapid pulsation;
a throbbing; esp., an abnormal, rapid beating of the heart as when
excited by violent exertion, strong emotion, or by disease.
Palp"less (?), a. (Zoöl.)
Without a palpus.
Pal"po*cil (?), n. [See Palpus,
and Cilium.] (Zoöl.) A minute soft filamentary
process springing from the surface of certain hydroids and
sponges.
||Pal"pus (?), n.; pl.
Palpi (#). [NL. See Palp.]
(Zoöl.) A feeler; especially, one of the jointed
sense organs attached to the mouth organs of insects, arachnids,
crustaceans, and annelids; as, the mandibular palpi, maxillary
palpi, and labial palpi. The palpi of male spiders serve
as sexual organs. Called also palp. See Illust. of
Arthrogastra and Orthoptera.
Pals"grave` (?), n. [D.
paltsgraaf; palts palace (l. palatium) +
graaf count; cf. G. pfalzgraf. See Palace, and
Landgrave.] (Ger. Hist.) A count or earl who
presided in the domestic court, and had the superintendence, of a
royal household in Germany.
Pals"gra*vine` (?), n.[D.
paltsgravin: cf. G. pfalzgrafin.] The consort or
widow of a palsgrave.
Pal"si*cal (?), a.[From Palsy.]
Affected with palsy; palsied; paralytic. [R.]
Johnson.
Pal"sied (?), a. Affected with
palsy; paralyzed.
Pal"stave` (?), n. [Dan.
paalstav.] A peculiar bronze adz, used in prehistoric
Europe about the middle of the bronze age. Dawkins.
Pal"ster (?), n. [D.
palsterstaf.] A pilgrim's staff. [Obs.]
Halliwell.
Pal"sy (?), n.; pl.
Palsies (#). [OE. palesie, parlesy,
OF. paralesie, F. paralysie, L. paralysis. See
Paralysis.] (Med.) Paralysis, complete or partial.
See Paralysis. "One sick of the palsy." Mark
ii. 3.
Bell's palsy, paralysis of the facial nerve,
producing distortion of one side of the face; -- so called from Sir
Charles Bell, an English surgeon who described it. --
Scrivener's palsy. See Writer's cramp,
under Writer. -- Shaking palsy,
paralysis agitans, a disease usually occurring in old
people, characterized by muscular tremors and a peculiar shaking and
tottering gait.
Pal"sy, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Palsied (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Palsying.] To affect with palsy, or as with palsy; to
deprive of action or energy; to paralyze.
Pal"sy*wort` (?), n. (Bot.)
The cowslip (Primula veris); -- so called from its
supposed remedial powers. Dr. Prior.
Pal"ter (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Paltered (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Paltering.] [See Paltry.] 1. To
haggle. [Obs.] Cotgrave.
2. To act in insincere or deceitful manner; to
play false; to equivocate; to shift; to dodge; to trifle.
Romans, that have spoke the word,
And will not palter.
Shak.
Who never sold the truth to serve the hour,
Nor paltered with eternal God for power.
Tennyson.
3. To babble; to chatter. [Obs.]
Pal"ter, v. t. To trifle with; to
waste; to squander in paltry ways or on worthless things. [Obs.]
"Palter out your time in the penal statutes." Beau. &
Fl.
Pal"ter*er (?), n. One who
palters. Johnson.
Pal"ter*ly, a. & adv. Paltry;
shabby; shabbily; paltrily. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] "In
palterly clothes." Pepys.
Pal"tock (?), n. [See Paletot.]
A kind of doublet; a jacket. [Obs.] Piers
Plowman.
Pal"tri*ly (?), adv. In a paltry
manner.
Pal"tri*ness, n. The state or
quality of being paltry.
Pal"try (?), a.
[Compar. Paltrier (&?;);
superl. Paltriest.] [Cf. Prov. E.
paltry refuse, rubbish, LG. paltering ragged,
palte, palter, a rag, a tatter, Dan. pialt, Sw.
palta, pl. paltor.] Mean; vile; worthless;
despicable; contemptible; pitiful; trifling; as, a paltry
excuse; paltry gold. Cowper.
The paltry prize is hardly worth the
cost.
Byron.
Syn. -- See Contemptible.
Pa*lu"dal (?), a. [L. palus, -
udis, a marsh.] Of or pertaining to marshes or fens;
marshy. [R.]
Paludal fever, malarial fever; -- so called
because generated in marshy districts.
Pa*lu"da*ment (?), n. See
Paludamentum.
||Pa*lu`da*men*tum (?), n.; pl.
Paladumenta (&?;). (Rom. Antiq.) A
military cloak worn by a general and his principal officers.
||Pal`u*dic"o*læ (?), n. pl. [NL.,
fr. L. palus, -udis, a marsh + colere to
inhabit.] (Zoöl.) A division of birds, including the
cranes, rails, etc.
Pa*lu"di*cole (?), a. [Cf. F.
paludicole.] (Zoöl.) Marsh-inhabiting;
belonging to the Paludicolæ
||Pal`u*di"na (?), n.; pl. L.
Paludinæ (#), E. Paludinas
(#). [NL., fr. L. palus, -udis, a marsh, pool.]
(Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of freshwater
pectinibranchiate mollusks, belonging to Paludina,
Melantho, and allied genera. They have an operculated shell
which is usually green, often with brown bands. See Illust. of
Pond snail, under Pond.
Pal`u*di"nal (?), a. Inhabiting
ponds or swamps.
Pal"u*dine (?), a. [L. palus,
-udis, a marsh.] Of or pertaining to a marsh.
Buckland.
Pa*lu"di*nous (?), a. 1.
(Zoöl.) (a) Paludinal.
(b) Like or pertaining to the genus
Paludina.
2. Of or pertaining to a marsh or fen.
[R.]
Pa*lu"dism (?), n. (Med.)
The morbid phenomena produced by dwelling among marshes; malarial
disease or disposition.
Pal"u*dose` (?), a.[L. paludosus
marshy.] Growing or living in marshy places; marshy.
Pal"ule (?), n. (Zoöl.)
See Palulus or Palus.
||Pal"u*lus (?), n.; pl.
Paluli (#). [NL., dim. of L. palus a stake.]
(Zoöl.) Same as Palus.
||Pa"lus (?), n.; pl.
Pali (#). [L., a stake.] (Zoöl.)
One of several upright slender calcareous processes which
surround the central part of the calicle of certain corals.
Pa*lus"tral (?), a. [L. paluster,
-ustris.] Of or pertaining to a bog or marsh; boggy.
[R.]
Pa*lus"trine (?), a. Of, pertaining
to, or living in, a marsh or swamp; marshy.
Pal"y (?), a. [From Pale,
a.] Pale; wanting color; dim. [Poetic]
Shak. Whittier.
Pal"y, a. [Cf. F. palé.
See Pale a stake.] (Her.) Divided into four or more
equal parts by perpendicular lines, and of two different tinctures
disposed alternately.
Pam (?), n. [From Palm victory;
cf. trump, fr. triumph.] The knave of clubs.
[Obs.] Pope.
Pa"ment (?), n. A pavement.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
||Pam"pa*no (?), n. [Sp.]
(Zoöl.) Same as Pompano.
Pam"pas (?), n. pl. [Sp., fr. Peruv.
pampa a field, plain.] Vast plains in the central and
southern part of the Argentine Republic in South America. The term is
sometimes used in a wider sense for the plains extending from Bolivia
to Southern Patagonia.
Pampas cat (Zoöl.), a South
American wild cat (Felis pajeros). It has oblique transverse
bands of yellow or brown. It is about three and a half feet long.
Called also straw cat. -- Pampas deer
(Zoöl.), a small, reddish-brown, South American deer
(Cervus, or Blastocerus, campestris). -- Pampas
grass (Bot.), a very tall ornamental grass
(Gynerium argenteum) with a silvery-white silky panicle. It is
a native of the pampas of South America.
Pam"per (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pampered (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pampering.] [Cf. LG. pampen, slampampen, to live
luxuriously, pampe thick pap, and E. pap.]
1. To feed to the full; to feed luxuriously;
to glut; as, to pamper the body or the appetite. "A body
. . . pampered for corruption." Dr. T. Dwight.
2. To gratify inordinately; to indulge to
excess; as, to pamper pride; to pamper the
imagination. South.
Pam"pered (?), a. Fed luxuriously;
indulged to the full; hence, luxuriant. "Pampered
boughs." Milton. "Pampered insolence." Pope. --
Pam"pered*ness, n. Bp. Hall.
Pam"per*er (?), n. One who, or that
which, pampers. Cowper.
Pam"per*ize (?), v. t. To
pamper. [R.] Sydney Smith.
||Pam*pe"ro (?), n.[Sp., fr.
pampa a plain.] A violent wind from the west or southwest,
which sweeps over the pampas of South America and the adjacent seas,
often doing great damage. Sir W. Parish.
Pam*pe"ros (?), n. pl.; sing.
Pampero (&?;). [Sp. American.] (Ethnol.)
A tribe of Indians inhabiting the pampas of South
America.
Pam"phlet (?), n. [OE. pamflet,
pamfilet, paunflet, possibly fr. OF. palme the
palm of the hand, F. paume (see Palm) + OF.
fueillet a leaf, dim. of fueil, m., F. feuille,
f., fr. L. folium, pl. folia, thus meaning, a leaf to be
held in the hand; or perh. through old French, fr. L. Pamphila,
a female historian of the first century who wrote many epitomes;
prob., however, fr. OF. Pamflette, the Old French name given to
Pamphilus, a poem in Latin verse of the 12th century, pamphlets
being named from the popularity of this poem.] 1.
A writing; a book. Testament of love.
Sir Thomas More in his pamphlet of Richard the
Third.
Ascham.
2. A small book consisting of a few sheets of
printed paper, stitched together, often with a paper cover, but not
bound; a short essay or written discussion, usually on a subject of
current interest.
Pam"phlet (?), v. i. To write a
pamphlet or pamphlets. [R.] Howell.
Pam`phlet*eer" (?), n. A writer of
pamphlets; a scribbler. Dryden. Macaulay.
Pam`phlet*eer", v. i. To write or
publish pamphlets.
By pamphleteering we shall not win.
C. Kingsley.
Pam*pin"i*form (?), a. [L.
pampinus a tendril + -form.] (Anat.) In the
form of tendrils; -- applied especially to the spermatic and ovarian
veins.
Pam"pre (?), n. [F. pampre a vine
branch, L. pampinus.] (Sculp.) An ornament,
composed of vine leaves and bunches of grapes, used for decorating
spiral columns.
Pam`pro*dac"tyl*ous (?), a. [Pan-
+ Gr. &?; forward + &?; finger.] (Zoöl.) Having all
the toes turned forward, as the colies.
{ Pan- (?), Pan"ta- (?), Pan"to- (?) }.
[Gr. &?;, m., &?;,neut., gen. &?;, all.] Combining forms
signifying all, every; as, panorama,
pantheism, pantagraph, pantograph. Pan-
becomes pam- before b or p, as
pamprodactylous.
Pan, n. [OE. See 2d Pane.]
1. A part; a portion.
2. (Fort.) The distance comprised
between the angle of the epaule and the flanked angle.
3. [Perh. a different word.] A leaf of gold or
silver.
Pan, v. t. & i. [Cf. F. pan
skirt, lappet, L. pannus a cloth, rag, W. panu to fur,
to full.] To join or fit together; to unite. [Obs.]
Halliwell.
Pan (?), n. [Hind. pān,
Skr. parna leaf.] The betel leaf; also, the masticatory
made of the betel leaf, etc. See &?;etel.
||Pan (?), n. [L., fr. Gr. &?;.] (Gr.
Myth.) The god of shepherds, guardian of bees, and patron of
fishing and hunting. He is usually represented as having the head and
trunk of a man, with the legs, horns, and tail of a goat, and as
playing on the shepherd's pipe, which he is said to have
invented.
Pan, n. [OE. panne, AS.
panne; cf. D. pan, G. pfanne, OHG. pfanna,
Icel., Sw., LL., & Ir. panna, of uncertain origin; cf. L.
patina, E. paten.] 1. A shallow,
open dish or vessel, usually of metal, employed for many domestic
uses, as for setting milk for cream, for frying or baking food, etc.;
also employed for various uses in manufacturing. "A bowl or a
pan." Chaucer.
2. (Manuf.) A closed vessel for boiling
or evaporating. See Vacuum pan, under Vacuum.
3. The part of a flintlock which holds the
priming.
4. The skull, considered as a vessel
containing the brain; the upper part of the head; the brainpan; the
cranium. Chaucer.
5. (C&?;rp.) A recess, or bed, for the
leaf of a hinge.
6. The hard stratum of earth that lies below
the soil. See Hard pan, under Hard.
7. A natural basin, containing salt or fresh
water, or mud.
Flash in the pan. See under
Flash. -- To savor of the pan, to
suggest the process of cooking or burning; in a theological sense, to
be heretical. Ridley. Southey.
Pan, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Panned (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Panning.] (Mining) To separate, as gold, from dirt
or sand, by washing in a kind of pan. [U. S.]
We . . . witnessed the process of cleaning up and
panning out, which is the last process of separating the pure
gold from the fine dirt and black sand.
Gen. W. T.
Sherman.
Pan, v. i. 1.
(Mining) To yield gold in, or as in, the process of
panning; -- usually with out; as, the gravel panned out
richly.
2. To turn out (profitably or unprofitably);
to result; to develop; as, the investigation, or the speculation,
panned out poorly. [Slang, U. S.]
Pan"a*base (?), n. [Pan- +
base. So called in allusion to the number of metals contained
in it.] (Min.) Same as Tetrahedrite.
Pan`a*ce"a (?), n. [L., fr. Gr. &?;, fr.
&?; all-healing; &?;, &?;, all + &?; to heal.]
1. A remedy for all diseases; a universal
medicine; a cure-all; catholicon; hence, a relief or solace for
affliction.
2. (Bot.) The herb allheal.
Pan`a*ce"an (?), a. Having the
properties of a panacea. [R.] "Panacean dews."
Whitehead.
Pa*nache" (?), n. [F., fr. L.
penna a feather. See Pen a feather.] A plume or
bunch of feathers, esp. such a bunch worn on the helmet; any military
plume, or ornamental group of feathers.
A panache of variegated plumes.
Prescott.
{ Pa*na"da (?), Pa*nade" (?), }
n. [Sp. panada, fr. L. panis bread:
cf. F. panade. See Pantry.] Bread boiled in water
to the consistence of pulp, and sweetened or flavored. [Written
also panado.]
Pa*nade" (?), n. A dagger.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
Pan`a*ma" hat` (?). A fine plaited hat, made in
Central America of the young leaves of a plant (Carludovica
palmata).
Pan`-A*mer"i*can (?), a. [See Pan-
.] Of or pertaining to both North and South
America.
Pan`-An"gli*can (?), a. [Pan- +
Anglican.] (Eccl.) Belonging to, or representing,
the whole Church of England; used less strictly, to include the
Protestant Episcopal Church of the United States; as, the Pan-
Anglican Conference at Lambeth, in 1888.
Pan"a*ry (?), a. [L. panis
bread.] Of or pertaining to bread or to breadmaking.
Pan"a*ry, n. A storehouse for
bread. Halliwell.
Pan"cake` (?), n. A thin cake of
batter fried in a pan or on a griddle; a griddlecake; a
flapjack. "A pancake for Shrove Tuesday."
Shak.
Pan"carte` (?), n. [F., fr. LL.
pancharta. See Pan-, and Carte.] A royal
charter confirming to a subject all his possessions. [Obs.]
Holinshed.
Pance (?), n. (Bot.) The
pansy. [Also paunce.]
Panch (?), n. (Naut.) See
Paunch.
Panch"way (?), n. [Hind.
pan&?;oi.] (Naut.) A Bengalese four-oared boat for
passengers. [Written also panshway and paunchwas.]
Malcom.
Pan*cra"tian (?), a. Pancratic;
athletic.
Pan*cra"ti*ast (?), n. One who
engaged in the contests of the pancratium.
Pan*cra`ti*as"tic (?), a. Of or
pertaining to the pancratium. G. West.
Pan*crat"ic (?), a. [Gr. &?; all-
powerful.] (Opt.) Having all or many degrees of power;
having a great range of power; -- said of an eyepiece made adjustable
so as to give a varying magnifying power.
{ Pan*crat"ic (?), Pan*crat"ic*al (?), }
a. [See Pancratium.] Of or pertaining to
the pancratium; athletic. Sir T. Browne
Pan"cra*tist (?), n. An athlete; a
gymnast.
||Pan*cra"ti*um (?), n. [L., fr. Gr. &?;
a complete contest, fr. &?; all-powerful; &?;, &?;, all + &?;
strength.]
1. (Gr. Antiq.) An athletic contest
involving both boxing and wrestling.
2. (Bot.) A genus of Old World
amaryllideous bulbous plants, having a funnel-shaped perianth with six
narrow spreading lobes. The American species are now placed in the
related genus Hymenocallis.
Pan"cre*as (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?;;
&?;, &?;, all + &?; flesh, meat: cf. F. pancréas.]
(Anat.) The sweetbread, a gland connected with the
intestine of nearly all vertebrates. It is usually elongated and
light-colored, and its secretion, called the pancreatic juice, is
discharged, often together with the bile, into the upper part of the
intestines, and is a powerful aid in digestion. See Illust. of
Digestive apparatus.
Pan`cre*at"ic (?), a. [Cf. F.
pancréatique.] (Anat.) Of or pertaining to
the pancreas; as, the pancreatic secretion, digestion,
ferments.
Pancreatic juice (Physiol.), a
colorless alkaline fluid secreted intermittently by the pancreatic
gland. It is one of the most important of the digestive fluids,
containing at least three distinct ferments, trypsin, steapsin and an
amylolytic ferment, by which it acts upon all three classes of food
stuffs. See Pancreas.
Pan"cre*a*tin (?), n. [See
Pancreas.] (Physiol. Chem.) One of the digestive
ferments of the pancreatic juice; also, a preparation containing such
a ferment, made from the pancreas of animals, and used in medicine as
an aid to digestion.
&fist; By some the term pancreatin is restricted to the
amylolytic ferment of the pancreatic juice, by others it is applied to
trypsin, and by still others to steapsin.
Pan"cy (?), n. See
Pansy. [Obs.] Dryden.
Pan"da (?), n. (Zoöl.)
A small Asiatic mammal (Ailurus fulgens) having fine soft
fur. It is related to the bears, and inhabits the mountains of
Northern India.
||Pan*da"nus (?), n. [NL., fr. Malay
pandan.] (Bot.) A genus of endogenous plants. See
Screw pine.
Pan"dar (?), n. Same as
Pander. "Seized by the pandar of Appius."
Macaulay.
Pan"dar*ism (?), n. Same as
Panderism. Swift.
Pan"dar*ize (?), v. i. To
pander. [Obs.]
Pan"dar*ous (?), a.
Panderous. [Obs.]
Pan*de"an, a. [From 4th Pan.]
Of or relating to the god Pan.
Pandean pipes, a primitive wind instrument,
consisting of a series of short hollow reeds or pipes, graduated in
length by the musical scale, and fastened together side by side; a
syrinx; a mouth organ; -- said to have been invented by Pan. Called
also Pan's pipes and Panpipes.
Pan"dect (?), n. [L. pandecta,
pandectes, Gr. &?; all-receiving, all-containing; &?;, &?;, all
+ &?; to receive: cf. F. pandectes, pl.] 1.
A treatise which comprehends the whole of any science.
[Thou] a pandect mak'st, and universal
book.
Donne.
2. pl. The digest, or abridgment, in
fifty books, of the decisions, writings, and opinions of the old Roman
jurists, made in the sixth century by direction of the emperor
Justinian, and forming the leading compilation of the Roman civil
law. Kent.
Pan*dem"ic (?), a. [L. pandemus,
Gr. &?;, &?;; &?;, &?;, all + &?; the people: cf. F.
pandémique.] Affecting a whole people or a number
of countries; everywhere epidemic. -- n.
A pandemic disease. Harvey.
Pan`de*mo"ni*um (?), n. [NL., from Gr.
&?;, &?;, all + &?; a demon.] 1. The great hall
or council chamber of demons or evil spirits.
Milton.
2. An utterly lawless, riotous place or
assemblage.
Pan"der (?), n. [From Pandarus, a
leader in the Trojan army, who is represented by Chaucer and
Shakespeare as having procured for Troilus the possession of
Cressida.]
1. A male bawd; a pimp; a procurer.
Thou art the pander to her
dishonor.
Shak.
2. Hence, one who ministers to the evil
designs and passions of another.
Those wicked panders to avarice and
ambition.
Burke.
Pan"der, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pandered (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pandering.] To play the pander for.
Pan"der, v. i. To act the part of a
pander.
Pan"der*age (?), n. The act of
pandering.
Pan"der*ism (?), n. The employment,
arts, or practices of a pander. Bp. Hall.
Pan"der*ly, a. Having the quality
of a pander. "O, you panderly rascals." Shak.
Pan*der"mite (?), n. [From
Panderma, a port on the Black Sea from which it is exported.]
(Min.) A hydrous borate of lime, near priceite.
Pan"der*ous (?), a. Of or relating
to a pander; characterizing a pander.
Pan*dic"u*la`ted (?), a. [See
Pandiculation.] Extended; spread out; stretched.
Pan*dic`u*la"tion (?), n. [L.
pandiculari to stretch one's self, fr. pandere to spread
out.] A stretching and stiffening of the trunk and extremities,
as when fatigued and drowsy.
Pan"dit (?), n. See
Pundit.
Pan"door (?), n. Same as
Pandour.
Pan*do"ra (?), n. [L., fr. Gr.
Pandw`ra; pa^s, pa^n, all +
dw^ron a gift.] 1. (Class. Myth.)
A beautiful woman (all-gifted), whom Jupiter caused Vulcan
to make out of clay in order to punish the human race, because
Prometheus had stolen the fire from heaven. Jupiter gave Pandora a box
containing all human ills, which, when the box was opened, escaped and
spread over the earth. Hope alone remained in the box. Another version
makes the box contain all the blessings of the gods, which were lost
to men when Pandora opened it.
2. (Zoöl.) A genus of marine
bivalves, in which one valve is flat, the other convex.
Pan"dore (?), n. [F. See
Bandore.] An ancient musical instrument, of the lute kind;
a bandore. [Written also pandoran.]
Pan"dour (?), n. One of a class of
Hungarian mountaineers serving in the Austrian army; -- so called from
Pandur, a principal town in the region from which they
originally came. [Written also pandoor.]
Her whiskered pandours and her fierce
hussars.
Campbell.
Pan*dow"dy (?), n. A deep pie or
pudding made of baked apples, or of sliced bread and apples baked
together, with no bottom crust.
{ Pan"du*rate, Pan*du"ri*form (?), }
a. [L. pandura a pandore + -form: cf.
F. panduriforme.] Obovate, with a concavity in each side,
like the body of a violin; fiddle-shaped; as, a panduriform
leaf; panduriform color markings of an animal.
Pane (?), n. [F. panne.] The
narrow edge of a hammer head. See Peen.
Pane, n. [OE. pan part, portion
of a thing, F. pan a skirt, lappet, part or piece of a wall,
side, fr. L. pannus a cloth, fillet, rag; akin to E.
vane. See Vane, and cf. Panel, Pawn
pledge.] 1. A division; a distinct piece, limited
part, or compartment of any surface; a patch; hence, a square of a
checkered or plaided pattern.
2. One of the openings in a slashed garment,
showing the bright colored silk, or the like, within; hence, the piece
of colored or other stuff so shown.
3. (Arch.) (a) A
compartment of a surface, or a flat space; hence, one side or face of
a building; as, an octagonal tower is said to have eight
panes. (b) Especially, in modern
use, the glass in one compartment of a window sash.
4. In irrigating, a subdivision of an
irrigated surface between a feeder and an outlet drain.
5. (a) One of the flat
surfaces, or facets, of any object having several sides.
(b) One of the eight facets surrounding the table
of a brilliant cut diamond.
Paned (?), a. 1.
Having panes; provided with panes; also, having openings; as, a
paned window; paned window sash. "Paned
hose." Massinger.
2. (Mach.) Having flat sides or
surfaces; as, a six&?;paned nut.
Pan`e*gyr"ic (?), n. [L.
panegyricus, Gr. panhgyrico`s: cf. F.
panégyrique. See Panegyric, a.]
An oration or eulogy in praise of some person or achievement; a
formal or elaborate encomium; a laudatory discourse; laudation. See
Synonym of Eulogy.
{ Pan`e*gyr"ic (?), Pan`e*gyr"ic*al (?), }
a. [L. panegyricus, Gr.
panhgyrico`s, from &?; an assembly of the people, a high
festival; pa^, pa^n all + &?;, an assembly.]
Containing praise or eulogy; encomiastic; laudatory.
"Panegyric strains." Pope. --
Pan`e*gyr"ic*al*ly, adv.
Some of his odes are panegyrical.
Dryden.
Pa*neg"y*ris (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?;.
See Panegyric.] A festival; a public assembly.
[Obs.] S. Harris.
Pan"e*gyr`ist (?), n. [L.
panegyrista, Gr. &?; one who attends a &?;: cf. &?; to
celebrate or attend a public festival, to make a set speech, esp. a
panegyric, in a public assembly. See Panegyric.] One who
delivers a panegyric; a eulogist; one who extols or praises, either by
writing or speaking.
If these panegyrists are in
earnest.
Burke.
Pan"e*gy*rize (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Panegyrized (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Panegyrizing (?).] [Gr. &?;. See
Panegyrist.] To praise highly; to extol in a public
speech; to write or deliver a panegyric upon; to eulogize.
Pan"e*gy*rize, v. i. To indulge in
panegyrics. Mitford.
Pan"e*gyr`y (?), n. A
panegyric. [Obs.] Milton.
Pan"el (?), n. [Orig., a little piece;
OF. panel, pannel, F. panneau, dim. of pan
skirt, lappet, part or piece of a wall, side. See 2d Pane.]
1. (Arch.) A sunken compartment with
raised margins, molded or otherwise, as in ceilings, wainscotings,
etc.
2. (Law) (a) A piece of
parchment or a schedule, containing the names of persons summoned as
jurors by the sheriff; hence, more generally, the whole jury.
Blackstone. (b) (Scots Law) A
prisoner arraigned for trial at the bar of a criminal court.
Burrill.
3. Formerly, a piece of cloth serving as a
saddle; hence, a soft pad beneath a saddletree to prevent
chafing.
4. (Joinery) A board having its edges
inserted in the groove of a surrounding frame; as, the panel of
a door.
5. (Masonry) One of the faces of a hewn
stone. Gwilt.
6. (Painting) A slab or plank of wood
upon which, instead of canvas, a picture is painted.
7. (Mining) (a) A heap
of dressed ore. (b) One of the districts
divided by pillars of extra size, into which a mine is laid off in one
system of extracting coal.
8. (Dressmaking) A plain strip or band,
as of velvet or plush, placed at intervals lengthwise on the skirt of
a dress, for ornament.
9. A portion of a framed structure between
adjacent posts or struts, as in a bridge truss.
Panel game, a method of stealing money in a
panel house. -- Panel house, a house of
prostitution in which the rooms have secret entrances to facilitate
theft by accomplices of the inmates. -- Panel
saw, handsaw with fine teeth, -- used for cutting out
panels, etc. -- Panel thief, one who robs
in a panel house.
Pan"el (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Paneled (?) or Panelled; p. pr. &
vb. n. Paneling or Panelling.] To form in
or with panels; as, to panel a wainscot.
Paneled back (Arch.), the paneled work
covering the window back. See Window back.
Pan`el*a"tion (?), n. The act of
impaneling a jury. [Obs.] [Written also panellation.]
Wood.
Pane"less (?), a. Without
panes.
To patch his paneless window.
Shenstone.
Pan"el*ing (?), n. A forming in
panels; panelwork. [Written also panelling.]
Pan"el*work` (?), n. (Arch.)
Wainscoting.
Pan*eu"lo*gism (?), n. [See Pan-,
Eulogy.] Eulogy of everything; indiscriminate
praise. [R.]
Her book has a trace of the cant of
paneulogism.
National Rev.
Pan"ful (?), n.; pl.
Panfuls (#). [See 5th Pan.] Enough to
fill a pan.
Pang (?), n. [Prob. for older
prange. Cf. Prong.] A paroxysm of extreme pain or
anguish; a sudden and transitory agony; a throe; as, the pangs
of death.
Syn. -- Agony; anguish; distress. See Agony.
Pang, v. t. To torture; to cause to
have great pain or suffering; to torment. [R.] Shak.
Pan*gen"e*sis (?), n. [Pan- +
genesis.] (Biol.) An hypothesis advanced by Darwin
in explanation of heredity.
&fist; The theory rests on the assumption, that the whole
organization, in the sense of every separate atom or unit, reproduces
itself, the cells throwing off minute granules called gemmules,
which circulate freely throughout the system and multiply by
subdivision. These gemmules collect in the reproductive organs and
products, or in buds, so that the egg or bud contains gemmules from
all parts of the parent or parents, which in development give rise to
cells in the offspring similar to those from which they were given off
in the parent. The hypothesis also assumes that these gemmules need
not in all cases develop into cells, but may lie dormant, and be
transmitted from generation to generation without producing a
noticeable effect until a case of atavism occurs.
Pan`ge*net"ic (?), a. (Biol.)
Of or pertaining to pangenesis.
Pang"ful (?), a. Full of
pangs. Richardson.
Pang"less, a. Without a pang;
painless. Byron.
Pan"go*lin (?), n. [Malay
pang&?;lang.] (Zoöl.) Any one of several
species of Manis, Pholidotus, and related genera, found
in Africa and Asia. They are covered with imbricated scales, and feed
upon ants. Called also scaly ant-eater.
Pan*goth"ic (?), a. [Pan- +
Gothic.] Of, pertaining to, or including, all the Gothic
races. "Ancestral Pangothic stock." Earle.
Pan`hel*len"ic (?), a. [See
Panhellenium.] Of or pertaining to all Greece, or to
Panhellenism; including all Greece, or all the Greeks.
Pan*hel"len*ism (?), n. A scheme to
unite all the Greeks in one political body.
Pan*hel"len*ist, n. An advocate of
Panhellenism.
Pan`hel*le"ni*um (?), n. [NL., from Gr.
&?;; &?;, &?;, all + &?; the Greeks.] (Gr. Antiq.) An
assembly or association of Greeks from all the states of
Greece.
Pan"ic (?), n. [L. panicum.]
(Bot.) A plant of the genus Panicum; panic grass;
also, the edible grain of some species of panic grass.
Panic grass (Bot.), any grass of the
genus Panicum.
Pan"ic, a. [Gr. &?; of or pertaining to
&?; Pan, to whom the causing of sudden fright was ascribed: cf. F.
panique.] Extreme or sudden and causeless; unreasonable; -
- said of fear or fright; as, panic fear, terror, alarm.
"A panic fright." Dryden.
Pan"ic, n. [Gr. &?; (with or without &?;
fear): cf. F. panigue. See Panic, a.]
1. A sudden, overpowering fright; esp., a sudden
and groundless fright; terror inspired by a trifling cause or a
misapprehension of danger; as, the troops were seized with a
panic; they fled in a panic.
2. By extension: A sudden widespread fright or
apprehension concerning financial affairs.
Pan"ic*al (?), a. See Panic,
a. [Obs.] Camden.
Pan"i*cle (?), n. [L. panicula a
tuft on plants, dim. of panus the thread wound upon the bobbin
in a shuttle; cf. Gr. &?;, &?;; prob. akin to E. pane: cf. F.
panicule. See 2d Pane.] (Bot.) A pyramidal
form of inflorescence, in which the cluster is loosely branched below
and gradually simpler toward the end.
Pan"i*cled (?), a. (Bot.)
Furnished with panicles; arranged in, or like, panicles;
paniculate.
{ Pan"ic-strick`en (?), Pan"ic-struck` (?) },
a. Struck with a panic, or sudden fear.
Burke.
{ Pa*nic"u*late (?), Pa*nic"u*la`ted (?), }
a. [See Panicle.] (Bot) Same as
Panicled.
||Pan"i*cum (?), n. [L., panic grass.]
(Bot.) A genus of grasses, including several hundred
species, some of which are valuable; panic grass.
Pan*id`i*o*mor"phic (?), a. [Pan-
+ idiomorphic.] (Geol.) Having a completely
idiomorphic structure; -- said of certain rocks.
Pan"ier (?), n. See Pannier,
3. [Obs.]
Pan`i*fi*ca"tion (?), n. [L.
panis bread + -ficare (in comp.) to make: cf. F.
panification.] The act or process of making bread.
Ure.
Pa"nim (?), n. See
Painim. [Obs.] Milton.
Pan*is"lam*ism (?), n. [Pan- +
Islamism.] A desire or plan for the union of all
Mohammedan nations for the conquest of the world.
Pa*niv"o*rous (?), a. [L. panis
bread + vorare to devour.] Eating bread; subsisting on
bread.
Pan*nade" (?), n. The curvet of a
horse.
Pan"nage (?), n. [OF. pasnage,
LL. pasnadium, pastinaticum, fr. pastionare to
feed on mast, as swine, fr. L. pastio a pasturing, grazing. See
Pastor.] (O. Eng. Law) (a) The food
of swine in the woods, as beechnuts, acorns, etc.; -- called also
pawns. (b) A tax paid for the
privilege of feeding swine in the woods.
Pan"na*ry (?), a. See
Panary. Loudon.
Pan"nel (?), n. [See Panel.]
1. A kind of rustic saddle.
Tusser.
2. (Falconry) The stomach of a
hawk. Ainsworth.
3. (Mil.) A carriage for conveying a
mortar and its bed, on a march. Farrow.
Pan"nier (?), n. [F. panier, fr.
L. panarium a bread basket, fr. panis bread. Cf.
Pantry.] 1. A bread basket; also, a wicker
basket (used commonly in pairs) for carrying fruit or other things on
a horse or an ass Hudibras.
2. (Mil. Antiq.) A shield of basket
work formerly used by archers as a shelter from the enemy's
missiles.
3. A table waiter at the Inns of Court,
London.
4. A framework of steel or whalebone, worn by
women to expand their dresses; a kind of bustle.
Pan"niered (?), a. Bearing
panniers. Wordsworth.
Pan"ni*kel (?), n. [See Pan a
dish.] The brainpan, or skull; hence, the crest. [Obs.]
Spenser.
Pan"ni*kin (?), n. [Dim. of pan a
dish.] A small pan or cup. Marryat. Thackeray.
Pan"nose` (?), a. [See Pannus.]
(Bot.) Similar in texture or appearance to felt or woolen
cloth.
||Pan"nus (?), n. [L., cloth. See 2d
Pane.] (Med.) A very vascular superficial opacity
of the cornea, usually caused by granulation of the eyelids.
Foster.
Pan`o*is"tic (?), a. [Pan- + Gr.
&?; an egg.] (Zoöl.) Producing ova only; -- said of
the ovaries of certain insects which do not produce vitelligenous
cells.
Pan`om*phe"an (?), a. [L.
panomphaeus, Gr. &?;.] Uttering ominous or prophetic
voices; divining. [R.]
We want no half gods, panomphean
Joves.
Mrs. Browning.
Pan"o*plied (?), a. Dressed in
panoply.
Pan"o*ply (?), n. [Gr. &?;; &?;, &?;,
all + &?; tool, implement, in pl., armor, arms.] Defensive armor
in general; a full suit of defensive armor. Milton.
We had need to take the Christian panoply, to
put on the whole armor of God.
Ray.
Pa*nop"ti*con (?), n. [NL. See Pan-
, and Optic.]
1. A prison so contructed that the inspector
can see each of the prisoners at all times, without being
seen.
2. A room for the exhibition of
novelties.
Pan`o*ra"ma (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?;,
&?;, all + &?; that which is seen, a view, fr. &?; to see. See Pan-
, and Wary.]
1. A complete view in every
direction.
2. A picture presenting a view of objects in
every direction, as from a central point.
3. A picture representing scenes too extended
to be beheld at once, and so exhibited a part at a time, by being
unrolled, and made to pass continuously before the
spectator.
{ Pan`o*ram"ic (?), Pan`o*ram"ic*al (?), }
a. Of, pertaining to, or like, a
panorama.
Panoramic camera. See under
Camera.
Pa*nor"pi*an (?), a. (Zoöl.)
Like, or pertaining to, the genus Panorpa. --
n. Same as Panorpid.
Pa*nor"pid (?), n. (Zoöl.)
Any neuropterous insect of the genus Panorpa, and allied
genera. The larvæ feed on plant lice.
Pan*phar"ma*con (?), n. [NL. See Pan-
, and Pharmacon.] A medicine for all diseases; a
panacea. [R.]
Pan`pres`by*te"ri*an (?), a. [Pan-
+ Presbyterian.] Belonging to, or representative of,
those who hold Presbyterian views in all parts of the world; as, a
Panpresbyterian council.
{ Pan`sclav"ic (?), Pan`sclav"ism (?),
Pan`sclav"ist, Pan`scla*vo"ni*an (?) }. See
Panslavic, Panslavism, etc.
Pan"shon (?), n. An earthen vessel
wider at the top than at the bottom, -- used for holding milk and for
various other purposes. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.
Pan"sied (?), a. [From Pansy.]
Covered or adorned with pansies. "The pansied
grounds." Darwin.
Pan`slav"ic (?), a. [Pan- +
Slavic.] Pertaining to all the Slavic races.
Pan`slav"ism (?), n. A scheme or
desire to unite all the Slavic races into one confederacy.
Pan`slav"ist (?), n. One who favors
Panslavism.
Pan`sla*vo"ni*an (?), a. See
Panslavic.
Pan*soph"ic*al (?), a. [See
Pansophy.] All-wise; claiming universal knowledge; as,
pansophical pretenders. [R.] John
Worthington.
Pan"so*phy (?), n. [Pan- + Gr.
&?; wisdom, &?; wise: cf. F. pansophie.] Universal wisdom;
esp., a system of universal knowledge proposed by Comenius (1592 --
1671), a Moravian educator. [R.] Hartlib.
{ Pan*sper"ma*tist (?), Pan"sper`mist (?), }
n. (Biol.) A believer in panspermy; one
who rejects the theory of spontaneous generation; a
biogenist.
Pan`sper"mic (?), a. (Biol.)
Of or pertaining to panspermy; as, the panspermic
hypothesis.
Pan"sper`my (?), n. [Pan- + Gr.
&?; a seed.] (Biol.) (a) The doctrine of
the widespread distribution of germs, from which under favorable
circumstances bacteria, vibrios, etc., may develop.
(b) The doctrine that all organisms must come
from living parents; biogenesis; -- the opposite of spontaneous
generation.
Pan*ste`re*o*ra"ma (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr.
&?;, &?;, all + &?; solid + &?; a view.] A model of a town or
country, in relief, executed in wood, cork, pasteboard, or the
like. Brande & C.
Pan"sy (?), n.; pl.
Pansies (#). [F. Pensée thought,
pansy, fr. penser to think, L. pensare to weigh, ponder.
See Pensive.] (Bot.) A plant of the genus Viola
(V. tricolor) and its blossom, originally purple and yellow.
Cultivated varieties have very large flowers of a great diversity of
colors. Called also heart's-ease, love-in-idleness, and
many other quaint names.
Pant (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Panted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Panting.] [Cf. F. panteler to gasp for breath, OF.
panteisier to be breathless, F. pantois out of breath;
perh. akin to E. phantom, the verb prob. orig. meaning, to have
the nightmare.] 1. To breathe quickly or in a
labored manner, as after exertion or from eagerness or excitement; to
respire with heaving of the breast; to gasp.
Pluto plants for breath from out his
cell.
Dryden.
2. Hence: To long eagerly; to desire
earnestly.
As the hart panteth after the water
brooks.
Ps. xlii. 1.
Who pants for glory finds but short
repose.
Pope.
3. To beat with unnatural violence or
rapidity; to palpitate, or throb; -- said of the heart.
Spenser.
4. To sigh; to flutter; to languish.
[Poetic]
The whispering breeze
Pants on the leaves, and dies upon the trees.
Pope.
Pant, v. t. 1. To
breathe forth quickly or in a labored manner; to gasp out.
There is a cavern where my spirit
Was panted forth in anguish.
Shelley.
2. To long for; to be eager after.
[R.]
Then shall our hearts pant thee.
Herbert.
Pant, n. 1. A quick
breathing; a catching of the breath; a gasp.
Drayton.
2. A violent palpitation of the heart.
Shak.
Pan"ta- (?). See Pan-.
Pan"ta*ble (?), n. See
Pantofle. [Obs.]
Pan"ta*cosm (?), n. [Panta- +
Gr. ko`smos universe.] See Cosmolabe.
Pan"ta*graph (?), n. See
Pantograph.
Pan*tag"ru*el*ism (?), n. [From
Pantagruel, one of the characters of Rabelais.]
1. The theory or practice of the medical
profession; -- used in burlesque or ridicule.
2. An assumption of buffoonery to cover some
serious purpose. [R.] Donaldson.
Pan`ta*let" (?), n. [Dim. of
pantaloon.] One of the legs of the loose drawers worn by
children and women; particularly, the lower part of such a garment,
coming below the knee, often made in a separate piece; -- chiefly in
the plural.
Pan`ta*loon" (?), n. [F.
pantalon, fr. It. pantalone, a masked character in the
Italian comedy, who wore breeches and stockings that were all of one
piece, from Pantaleone, the patron saint of Venice, which, as a
baptismal name, is very frequent among the Venetians, and is applied
to them by the other Italians as a nickname, fr. Gr. &?;, lit., all
lion, a Greek personal name.] 1. A ridiculous
character, or an old dotard, in the Italian comedy; also, a buffoon in
pantomimes. Addison.
The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slippered pantaloon.
Shak.
2. pl. A bifurcated garment for a man,
covering the body from the waist downwards, and consisting of breeches
and stockings in one.
3. pl. In recent times, same as
Trousers.
Pan`ta*loon"er*y (?), n.
1. The character or performances of a pantaloon;
buffoonery. [R.] Lamb.
2. Materials for pantaloons.
Pan"ta*morph (?), n. That which
assumes, or exists in, all forms.
Pan`ta*mor"phic (?), a. [Panta- +
Gr. &?; form.] Taking all forms.
Pan"ta*scope (?), n. [Panta- +
-scope.] (Photog.) A pantascopic camera.
Pan`ta*scop"ic (?), a. Viewing all;
taking a view of the whole. See under Camera.
||Pan`ta*stom"a*ta (?), n. pl. [NL., fr.
Gr. &?;, &?;, all + &?;, &?;, mouth.] (Zoöl.) One of
the divisions of Flagellata, including the monads and allied
forms.
Pan*tech"ni*con (?), n. [NL. See Pan-
, and Technic.] A depository or place where all sorts
of manufactured articles are collected for sale.
Pan*tel"e*graph (?), n. [Pan- +
telegraph.] See under Telegraph.
Pant"er (?), n. One who
pants. Congreve.
Pan"ter (?), n.[F. panetier. See
Pantry.] A keeper of the pantry; a pantler. [Obs.]
Tyndale.
Pan"ter, n. [See Painter a rope.]
A net; a noose. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Pan`teu*ton"ic (?), a. [Pan- +
Teutonic.] Of or pertaining to all the Teutonic
races.
Pan"the*ism (?), n. [Pan- +
theism.] The doctrine that the universe, taken or
conceived of as a whole, is God; the doctrine that there is no God but
the combined force and laws which are manifested in the existing
universe; cosmotheism.
Pan"the*ist, n. One who holds to
pantheism.
{ Pan`the*is"tic (?), Pan`the*is"tic*al (?), }
a. Of or pertaining to pantheism; founded in,
or leading to, pantheism. -- Pan`the*is"tic*al*ly,
adv.
Pan`the*ol"o*gist (?), n. One
versed in pantheology.
Pan`the*ol"o*gy (?), n. [Pan- +
theology.] A system of theology embracing all religions; a
complete system of theology.
Pan*the"on (?), n. [L. pantheon,
pantheum, Gr. &?; (sc. &?;), fr. &?; of all gods; &?;, &?;, all
+ &?; a god: cf. F. panthéon. See Pan-, and
Theism.] 1. A temple dedicated to all the
gods; especially, the building so called at Rome.
2. The collective gods of a people, or a work
treating of them; as, a divinity of the Greek
pantheon.
Pan"ther (?), n. [OE. pantere, F.
panthère, L. panthera, Gr. &?;, prob. fr. Skr.
pundrīka a tiger.]
1. (Zoöl.) A large dark-colored
variety of the leopard, by some zoölogists considered a distinct
species. It is marked with large ringlike spots, the centers of which
are darker than the color of the body.
2. (Zoöl.) In America, the name is
applied to the puma, or cougar, and sometimes to the jaguar.
Panther cat (Zoöl.), the
ocelot. -- Panther cowry (Zoöl.),
a spotted East Indian cowry (Cypræa pantherina); --
so called from its color.
Pan"ther*ess, n. (Zoöl.)
A female panther.
Pan"ther*ine (?), a. Like a
panther, esp. in color; as, the pantherine snake (Ptyas
mucosus) of Brazil.
Pan"tile` (?), n. [5th pan +
tile.] (Arch.) A roofing tile, of peculiar form,
having a transverse section resembling an elongated S laid on its side
(&?;).
Pant"ing*ly (?), adv. With
palpitation or rapid breathing. Shak.
Pan`ti*soc"ra*cy (?), n. [Panto-
+ Gr. &?; equal + &?; to rule.] A Utopian community, in which all
should rule equally, such as was devised by Coleridge, Lovell, and
Southey, in their younger days.
Pan*tis"o*crat (?), n. A
pantisocratist.
Pan`ti*so*crat"ic (?), a. Of or
pertaining to a pantisocracy.
Pan`ti*soc"ra*tist (?), n. One who
favors or supports the theory of a pantisocracy.
Macaulay.
Pan"tler (?), n. [F. panetier.
See Panter, Pantry.] The servant or officer, in a
great family, who has charge of the bread and the pantry. [Obs.]
Shak.
Pan"to- (?). See Pan-.
Pan`to*chro*nom"e*ter (?), n. [Panto-
+ chronometer.] An instrument combining a compass,
sundial, and universal time dial. Brande & C.
Pan*to"fle (?), n. [F.
pantoufle.] A slipper for the foot. [Written also
pantable and pantoble.]
Pan"to*graph (?), n. [Panto- +
-graph: cf. F. pantographe.] An instrument for
copying plans, maps, and other drawings, on the same, or on a reduced
or an enlarged, scale. [Written also pantagraph, and
incorrectly pentagraph.]
Skew pantograph, a kind of pantograph for
drawing a copy which is inclined with respect to the original figure;
-- also called plagiograph.
{ Pan`to*graph"ic (?), Pan`to*graph"ic*al (?) },
a. [Cf. F. pantographique.] Of or
pertaining to a pantograph; relating to pantography.
Pan*tog"ra*phy (?), n. [Cf. F.
pantographie.] A general description; entire view of an
object.
Pan`to*log"ic*al (?), a. Of or
pertaining to pantology.
Pan*tol"o*gist (?), n. One versed
in pantology; a writer of pantology.
Pan*tol"o*gy (?), n. [Panto- +
-logy.] A systematic view of all branches of human
knowledge; a work of universal information.
Pan*tom"e*ter (?), n. [Panto- +
-meter: cf. F. pantomètre.] An instrument
for measuring angles for determining elevations, distances,
etc.
Pan*tom"e*try (?), n. Universal
measurement. [R.] -- Pan`to*met"ric (#),
a. [R.]
Pan"to*mime (?), n. [F., fr. L.
pantomimus, Gr. &?;, lit., all-imitating; &?;, &?;, all + &?;
to imitate: cf. It. pantomimo. See Mimic.]
1. A universal mimic; an actor who assumes many
parts; also, any actor. [Obs.]
2. One who acts his part by gesticulation or
dumb show only, without speaking; a pantomimist.
[He] saw a pantomime perform so well that he
could follow the performance from the action alone.
Tylor.
3. A dramatic representation by actors who use
only dumb show; hence, dumb show, generally.
4. A dramatic and spectacular entertainment of
which dumb acting as well as burlesque dialogue, music, and dancing by
Clown, Harlequin, etc., are features.
Pan"to*mime, a. Representing only
in mute actions; pantomimic; as, a pantomime dance.
{ Pan`to*mim"ic (?), Pan`to*mim"ic*al (?), }
a. [Cf. F. pantomimique.] Of or
pertaining to the pantomime; representing by dumb show.
"Pantomimic gesture." Bp. Warburton. --
Pan`to*mim"ic*al*ly, adv.
Pan"to*mi`mist (?), n. An actor in
pantomime; also, a composer of pantomimes.
Pan"ton (?), n. [F. patin. See
Patten.] (Far.) A horseshoe to correct a narrow,
hoofbound heel.
Pan*toph"a*gist (?), n. [See
Pantophagous.] A person or an animal that has the habit of
eating all kinds of food.
Pan*toph"a*gous (?), a. [Gr. &?;; &?;,
&?;, all + &?; to eat.] Eating all kinds of food.
Pan*toph"a*gy (?), n. [Gr. &?;.]
The habit or power of eating all kinds of food.
||Pan*top"o*da (?), n. pl. [NL. See
Panto-, & -poda.] (Zoöl.) Same as
Pycnogonida.
Pan`to*scop"ic (?), a. [Panto- +
-scope + -ic.] Literally, seeing everything; -- a
term applied to eyeglasses or spectacles divided into two segments,
the upper being designed for distant vision, the lower for vision of
near objects.
Pan"try (?), n.; pl.
Pantries (#). [OE. pantrie, F.
paneterie, fr. panetier pantler, LL. panetarius
baker, panetus small loaf of bread, L. panis bread. Cf.
Company, Pannier, Pantler.] An apartment or
closet in which bread and other provisions are kept.
Pan*ur"gic (?), a. [Cf. Gr. &?;
knavish.] Skilled in all kinds of work. "The
panurgic Diderot." J. Morley.
Pan"ur*gy (?), n. [Gr. &?;, fr. &?;,
properly, ready to do anything; hence, knavish, roguish; &?;, &?;, all
+ &?; work.] Skill in all kinds of work or business; craft.
[R.] Bailey.
Pan"yard (?), n. See
Pannier. [Obs.] Pepys.
Pa"nym (?), n. & a. See
Panim. [Obs.]
Pan*zo"ism (?), n. [Pan- + Gr.
&?; an animal.] (Biol.) A term used to denote all of the
elements or factors which constitute vitality or vital energy.
H. Spencer.
||Pa"o*lo (?), n. [It. Cf.
Paul.] An old Italian silver coin, worth about ten
cents.
Pap (?), n. [Cf. OSw. papp. Cf.
Pap soft food.]
1. (Anat.) A nipple; a mammilla; a
teat. Dryden.
The paps which thou hast sucked.
Luke xi. 27.
2. A rounded, nipplelike hill or peak;
anything resembling a nipple in shape; a mamelon.
Macaulay.
Pap, n. [Cf. D. pap, G.
pappe, both perh. fr. L. papa, pappa, the word
with which infants call for food: cf. It. pappa.]
1. A soft food for infants, made of bread boiled
or softtened in milk or water.
2. Nourishment or support from official
patronage; as, treasury pap. [Colloq. & Contemptuous]
3. The pulp of fruit.
Ainsworth.
Pap, v. t. To feed with pap.
Beau. & Fl.
Pa*pa" (?), n. [F. papa, L.
papa; cf. Gr. &?;, &?;, a child's word meaning father. Cf.
Pope.]
1. A child's word for father.
2. A parish priest in the Greek Church.
Shipley.
Pa`pa*bo"te (?), n. [Probably of Creole
origin.] (Zoöl.) The upland plover. [Local, U.
S.]
Pa"pa*cy (?), n. [LL. papatia,
fr. L. papa a father, bishop. See Pope.]
1. The office and dignity of the pope, or
pontiff, of Rome; papal jurisdiction.
2. The popes, collectively; the succession of
popes.
3. The Roman Catholic religion; -- commonly
used by the opponents of the Roman Catholics in disparagement or in an
opprobrious sense.
Pap"a*gay (?), n. (Zoöl.)
See Popinjay, 1 (b).
Pa*pa"in (?), n. [From Papaw.]
(Physiol. Chem.) A proteolytic ferment, like trypsin,
present in the juice of the green fruit of the papaw (Carica
Papaya) of tropical America.
Pa"pal (?), a. [F., fr. L. papa
bishop. See Papacy.]
1. Of or pertaining to the pope of Rome;
proceeding from the pope; ordered or pronounced by the pope; as,
papal jurisdiction; a papal edict; the papal
benediction. Milman.
2. Of or pertaining to the Roman Catholic
Church. "Papal Christians." Bp. Burnet.
Papal cross. See Illust. 3 of
Cross. -- Papal crown, the
tiara.
Pa"pal*ist (?), n. A papist.
[Obs.] Baxter.
Pa*pal"i*ty (?), n. [LL.
papalitas: cf. F. papauté.] The
papacy. [Obs.] Ld. Berners. Milton.
Pa"pal*ize (?), v. t. To make
papal. [R.]
Pa"pal*ize, v. i. To conform to
popery. Cowper.
Pa"pal*ly, adv. In a papal manner;
popishly
Pa"pal*ty (?), n. The papacy.
[Obs.] Milton.
Pa`pa*pho"bi*a (?), n. [NL., fr. L.
papa bishop + Gr. &?; to fear.] Intense fear or dread of
the pope, or of the Roman Catholic Church. [R.]
Pa"par*chy (?), n. [L. papa
bishop + -archy.] Government by a pope; papal
rule.
||Pa*pa"ver (?), n. [L., poppy.]
(Bot.) A genus of plants, including the poppy.
Pa*pav`er*a"ceous (?), a. (Bot.)
Of, pertaining to, or resembling, a natural order of plants
(Papaveraceæ) of which the poppy, the celandine, and the
bloodroot are well-known examples.
Pa*pav"er*ine (?), n. (Chem.)
An alkaloid found in opium. It has a weaker therapeutic action
than morphine.
Pa*pav"er*ous (?), a. Of or
pertaining to the poppy; of the nature of the poppy. Sir T.
Browne.
Pa*paw" (?), n. [Prob. from the native
name in the West Indies; cf. Sp. papayo papaw, papaya
the fruit of the papaw.] [Written also pawpaw.]
1. (Bot.) A tree (Carica Papaya) of
tropical America, belonging to the order Passifloreæ. It
has a soft, spongy stem, eighteen or twenty feet high, crowned with a
tuft of large, long-stalked, palmately lobed leaves. The milky juice
of the plant is said to have the property of making meat tender. Also,
its dull orange-colored, melon-shaped fruit, which is eaten both raw
and cooked or pickled.
2. (Bot.) A tree of the genus
Asimina (A. triloba), growing in the western and
southern parts of the United States, and producing a sweet edible
fruit; also, the fruit itself. Gray.
Pap"boat` (?), n. 1.
A kind of sauce boat or dish.
2. (Zoöl.) A large spiral East
Indian marine shell (Turbinella rapha); -- so called because
used by native priests to hold the oil for anointing.
Pape (?), n. [Cf. F. pape, fr. L.
papa. See Pope.] A spiritual father; specifically,
the pope. [Obs.]
Pa"pe*jay (?), n. A popinjay.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
Pa"per (?), n. [F. papier, fr. L.
papyrus papyrus, from which the Egyptians made a kind of paper,
Gr. &?;. Cf. Papyrus.] 1. A substance in
the form of thin sheets or leaves intended to be written or printed
on, or to be used in wrapping. It is made of rags, straw, bark, wood,
or other fibrous material, which is first reduced to pulp, then
molded, pressed, and dried.
2. A sheet, leaf, or piece of such
substance.
3. A printed or written instrument; a
document, essay, or the like; a writing; as, a paper read
before a scientific society.
They brought a paper to me to be
signed.
Dryden.
4. A printed sheet appearing periodically; a
newspaper; a journal; as, a daily paper.
5. Negotiable evidences of indebtedness;
notes; bills of exchange, and the like; as, the bank holds a large
amount of his paper.
6. Decorated hangings or coverings for walls,
made of paper. See Paper hangings, below.
7. A paper containing (usually) a definite
quantity; as, a paper of pins, tacks, opium, etc.
8. A medicinal preparation spread upon paper,
intended for external application; as, cantharides
paper.
&fist; Paper is manufactured in sheets, the trade names of which,
together with the regular sizes in inches, are shown in the following
table. But paper makers vary the size somewhat.
In the manufacture of books, etc., a sheet, of whatever size
originally, is termed, when folded once, a folio; folded twice,
a quarto, or 4to; three times, an octavo, or
8vo; four times, a sextodecimo, or 16mo; five
times, a 32mo; three times, with an offcut folded twice and set
in, a duodecimo, or 12mo; four times, with an offcut
folded three times and set in, a 24mo.
&fist; Paper is often used adjectively or in combination,
having commonly an obvious signification; as, paper cutter or
paper-cutter; paper knife, paper-knife, or
paperknife; paper maker, paper-maker, or
papermaker; paper mill or paper-mill;
paper weight, paper-weight, or paperweight,
etc.
Business paper, checks, notes, drafts, etc.,
given in payment of actual indebtedness; -- opposed to
accommodation paper. -- Fly paper,
paper covered with a sticky preparation, -- used for catching
flies. -- Laid paper. See under
Laid. -- Paper birch (Bot.),
the canoe birch tree (Betula papyracea). --
Paper blockade, an ineffective blockade, as by a
weak naval force. -- Paper boat (Naut.),
a boat made of water-proof paper. -- Paper car
wheel (Railroad), a car wheel having a steel
tire, and a center formed of compressed paper held between two plate-
iron disks. Forney. -- Paper credit,
credit founded upon evidences of debt, such as promissory notes,
duebills, etc. -- Paper hanger, one who
covers walls with paper hangings. -- Paper
hangings, paper printed with colored figures, or
otherwise made ornamental, prepared to be pasted against the walls of
apartments, etc.; wall paper. -- Paper house,
an audience composed of people who have come in on free
passes. [Cant] -- Paper money, notes or
bills, usually issued by government or by a banking corporation,
promising payment of money, and circulated as the representative of
coin. -- Paper mulberry. (Bot.) See
under Mulberry. -- Paper muslin, glazed
muslin, used for linings, etc. -- Paper
nautilus. (Zoöl.) See Argonauta.
-- Paper reed (Bot.), the papyrus. -
- Paper sailor. (Zoöl.) See
Argonauta. -- Paper stainer, one who colors
or stamps wall paper. De Colange. -- Paper
wasp (Zoöl.), any wasp which makes a nest of
paperlike material, as the yellow jacket. -- Paper
weight, any object used as a weight to prevent loose
papers from being displaced by wind, or otherwise. --
Parchment paper. See Papyrine. --
Tissue paper, thin, gauzelike paper, such as is
used to protect engravings in books. -- Wall
paper. Same as Paper hangings, above. --
Waste paper, paper thrown aside as worthless or
useless, except for uses of little account. -- Wove
paper, a writing paper with a uniform surface, not
ribbed or watermarked.
Pa"per (?), a. Of or pertaining to
paper; made of paper; resembling paper; existing only on paper;
unsubstantial; as, a paper box; a paper army.
Pa"per, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Papered(?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Papering.] 1. To cover with paper; to
furnish with paper hangings; as, to paper a room or a
house.
2. To fold or inclose in paper.
3. To put on paper; to make a memorandum
of. [Obs.]
Pa"per*weight` (?), n. See under
Paper, n.
Pa"per*y (?), a. Like paper; having
the thinness or consistence of paper. Gray.
Pa*pes"cent (?), a. [From Pap
soft food.] Containing or producing pap; like pap. [R.]
Arbuthnot.
Pa"pess (?), n. [F. papesse.]
A female pope; i. e., the fictitious pope Joan.
[Obs.] Bp. Hall.
||Pa`pe*terie" (?), n. [F., paper
manufacture, fr. papier paper.] A case or box containing
paper and materials for writing.
Pa"phi*an (?), a. [L. Paphius,
Gr. &?;, from &?; the city Paphos.] Of or pertaining to Paphos,
an ancient city of Cyprus, having a celebrated temple of Venus; hence,
pertaining to Venus, or her rites.
Pa"phi*an, n. A native or
inhabitant of Paphos.
||Pa`pier"-ma`ché" (?), n. [F.
papier mâché, lit., chewed or mashed paper.]
A hard and strong substance made of a pulp from paper, mixed with
sise or glue, etc. It is formed into various articles, usually by
means of molds.
||Pa*pil"i*o (?), n. [L., a butterfly.]
(Zoöl.) A genus of butterflies.
&fist; Formerly it included numerous species which are now placed
in other genera. By many writers it is now restricted to the swallow-
tailed butterflies, like Papilio polyxenes, or asterias, and
related species.
Pa*pil`io*na"ceous (?), a.
1. Resembling the butterfly.
2. (Bot.) (a) Having a
winged corolla somewhat resembling a butterfly, as in the blossoms of
the bean and pea. (b) Belonging to that
suborder of leguminous plants (Papilionaceæ) which
includes the bean, pea, vetch, clover, and locust.
||Pa*pil`i*o"nes (?), n. pl. [NL. See
Papilio.] (Zoöl.) The division of Lepidoptera
which includes the butterflies.
||Pa*pil`i*on"i*des (?), n. pl. [NL.]
(Zoöl.) The typical butterflies.
Pa*pil"la (?), n.; pl.
Papillæ (#). [L., a nipple, pimple.] Any
minute nipplelike projection; as, the papillæ of the
tongue.
Pap"il*lar (?), a. [Cf. F.
papillaire.] Same as Papillose.
Pap"il*la*ry (?), a. [Cf. F.
papillaire.] Of, pertaining to, or resembling, a papilla
or papillæ; bearing, or covered with, papillæ;
papillose.
Pap"il*late (?), v. t. & i. To
cover with papillæ; to take the form of a papilla, or of
papillæ.
Pap"il*late (?), a. Same as
Papillose.
Pa*pil"li*form (?), a. [Papilla +
-form.] Shaped like a papilla; mammilliform.
||Pap`il*lo"ma (?), n.; pl.
Papillomata (#). [NL. See Papilla, and -
Oma.] (Med.) A tumor formed by hypertrophy of the
papillæ of the skin or mucous membrane, as a corn or a
wart. Quain.
Pap`il*lo"ma*tous (?), a. (Med.)
Of, pertaining to, or consisting of, papillomata.
Pap"il*lose` (?), a. [Cf. F.
papilleux.] Covered with, or bearing, papillæ;
resembling papillæ; papillate; papillar; papillary.
Pap"il*lote (?), n. [F., fr.
papillon a butterfly.] a small piece of paper on which
women roll up their hair to make it curl; a curl paper.
Pap"il*lous (?), a. Papillary;
papillose.
Pa*pil"lu*late (?), a.
(Zoöl.) Having a minute papilla in the center of a
larger elevation or depression.
Pa"pi*on (?), n. [Prob. from native
name: cf. Sp. papion.] (Zoöl.) A West African
baboon (Cynocephalus sphinx), allied to the chacma. Its color
is generally chestnut, varying in tint.
Pa"pism (?), n. [F. papisme. See
Pape, Pope.] Popery; -- an offensive term.
Milton.
Pa"pist (?), n. [F. papiste. See
Pape, Pope.] A Roman catholic; one who adheres to
the Church of Rome and the authority of the pope; -- an offensive
designation applied to Roman Catholics by their opponents.
{ Pa*pis"tic (?), Pa*pis"tic*al (?), }
a. [Cf. F. papistique.] Of or pertaining
to the Church of Rome and its doctrines and ceremonies; pertaining to
popery; popish; -- used disparagingly. "The old papistic
worship." T. Warton. -- Pa*pis"tic*al*ly,
adv.
Pa"pist*ry (?), n. The doctrine and
ceremonies of the Church of Rome; popery. [R.]
Whitgift.
Pa"pized (?), a. [From Pape.]
Conformed to popery. [Obs.] "Papized writers."
Fuller.
Pa*poose" (?), n. A babe or young
child of Indian parentage in North America.
Pap"pi*form (?), a. (Bot.)
Resembling the pappus of composite plants.
Pap*poose" (?), n. Same as
Papoose.
Pappoose root. (Bot.) See
Cohosh.
Pap*pose" (?), a. (Bot.)
Furnished with a pappus; downy.
Pap"pous (?), a. (Bot.)
Pappose.
Pap"pus (?), n. [L., an old man or
grandfather; hence, a substance resembling gray hairs, Gr. &?;.]
(Bot.) The hairy or feathery appendage of the achenes of
thistles, dandelions, and most other plants of the order
Compositæ; also, the scales, awns, or bristles which
represent the calyx in other plants of the same order.
Pap"py (?), a. [From Pap soft
food.] Like pap; soft; succulent; tender. Ray.
Pap"u*an (?), a. Of or pertaining
to Papua.
Pap"u*ars (?), n. pl.; sing.
Papuan (&?;). (Ethnol.) The native
black race of Papua or New Guinea, and the adjacent islands.
||Pap"u*la (?), n.; pl.
Papulæ (#). [L.]
1. (Med.) A pimple; a small, usually
conical, elevation of the cuticle, produced by congestion, accumulated
secretion, or hypertrophy of tissue; a papule.
Quain.
2. (Zoöl.) One of the numerous
small hollow processes of the integument between the plates of
starfishes.
Pap"u*lar (?), a. 1.
Covered with papules.
2. (Med.) Consisting of papules;
characterized by the presence of papules; as, a papular
eruption.
Pap"ule (?), n.; pl.
Papules (&?;). Same as Papula.
Pap"u*lose` (?), a. (Biol.)
Having papulæ; papillose; as, a papulose
leaf.
Pap"u*lous (?), a. [Cf. F.
pap&?;leux.] Covered with, or characterized by,
papulæ; papulose.
Pap`y*ra"ceous (?), a. [L.
papyraceus made of papyrus.] Made of papyrus; of
the consistency of paper; papery.
Pa*pyr"e*an (?), a. Of or
pertaining to papyrus, or to paper; papyraceous.
Pap"y*rine (?), n. [Cf. F.
papyrin made of paper. See Paper.] Imitation
parchment, made by soaking unsized paper in dilute sulphuric
acid.
Pa*pyr"o*graph (?), n. [Papyrus +
-graph.] An apparatus for multiplying writings, drawings,
etc., in which a paper stencil, formed by writing or drawing with
corrosive ink, is used. The word is also used of other means of
multiplying copies of writings, drawings, etc. See Copygraph,
Hectograph, Manifold.
Pap`y*rog"ra*phy (?), n. The
process of multiplying copies of writings, etc., by means of the
papyrograph. -- Pap`y*ro*graph"ic (#),
a.
Pa*py"rus (?), n.; pl.
Papyri (#). [L., fr. Gr. &?;. See Paper.]
1. (Bot.) A tall rushlike plant
(Cyperus Papyrus) of the Sedge family, formerly growing in
Egypt, and now found in Abyssinia, Syria, Sicily, etc. The stem is
triangular and about an inch thick.
2. The material upon which the ancient
Egyptians wrote. It was formed by cutting the stem of the plant into
thin longitudinal slices, which were gummed together and
pressed.
3. A manuscript written on papyrus; esp.,
pl., written scrolls made of papyrus; as, the papyri of
Egypt or Herculaneum.
Pâque (?), n. [F.
pâque.] See Pasch and
Easter.
Par (?), n. (Zoöl.) See
Parr.
Par, prep. [F., fr. L. per. See
Per.] By; with; -- used frequently in Early English in
phrases taken from the French, being sometimes written as a part of
the word which it governs; as, par amour, or paramour;
par cas, or parcase; par fay, or
parfay.
Par (?), n. [L. par, adj., equal.
See Peer an equal.]
1. Equal value; equality of nominal and actual
value; the value expressed on the face or in the words of a
certificate of value, as a bond or other commercial paper.
2. Equality of condition or
circumstances.
At par, at the original price; neither at a
discount nor at a premium. -- Above par, at
a premium. -- Below par, at a
discount. -- On a par, on a level; in the
same condition, circumstances, position, rank, etc.; as, their
pretensions are on a par; his ability is on a par with
his ambition. -- Par of exchange. See under
Exchange. -- Par value, nominal
value; face value.
Par"a- (?). [Gr. para` beside; prob. akin to E.
for- in forgive. Cf. For-.] 1.
A prefix signifying alongside of, beside,
beyond, against, amiss; as parable,
literally, a placing beside; paradox, that which is contrary to
opinion; parachronism.
2. (Chem.) A prefix denoting:
(a) Likeness, similarity, or
connection, or that the substance resembles, but is
distinct from, that to the name of which it is prefixed; as
paraldehyde, paraconine, etc.; also, an isomeric
modification. (b) Specifically: (Organ.
Chem.) That two groups or radicals substituted in the benzene
nucleus are opposite, or in the respective positions 1 and 4; 2
and 5; or 3 and 6, as paraxylene; paroxybenzoic
acid. Cf. Ortho-, and Meta-. Also used
adjectively.
||Pa*ra" (?), n. [Turk., fr. Per.
pārah a piece.] A piece of Turkish money, usually
copper, the fortieth part of a piaster, or about one ninth of a
cent.
Par`a*ban"ic (?), a. [Gr. &?; to pass
over.] (Chem.) Pertaining to, or designating, a
nitrogenous acid which is obtained by the oxidation of uric acid, as a
white crystalline substance
(C3N2H2O3); -- also called
oxalyl urea.
Par"a*blast (?), n. [Cf. Gr. &?; to grow
beside. See Para-, and -blast.] (Biol.) A
portion of the mesoblast (of peripheral origin) of the developing
embryo, the cells of which are especially concerned in forming the
first blood and blood vessels. C. S. Minot.
Par`a*blas"tic (?), a. (Biol.)
Of or pertaining to the parablast; as, the parablastic
cells.
Par"a*ble (?), a. [L. parabilis,
fr. parare to provide.] Procurable. [Obs.] Sir
T. Browne.
Par"a*ble, n. [F. parabole, L.
parabola, fr. Gr. &?; a placing beside or together, a
comparing, comparison, a parable, fr. &?; to throw beside, compare;
para` beside + &?; to throw; cf. Skr. gal to drop.
Cf. Emblem, Gland, Palaver, Parabola,
Parley, Parabole, Symbol.] A comparison; a
similitude; specifically, a short fictitious narrative of something
which might really occur in life or nature, by means of which a moral
is drawn; as, the parables of Christ.
Chaucer.
Declare unto us the parable of the
tares.
Matt. xiii. 36.
Syn. -- See Allegory, and Note under
Apologue.
Par"a*ble, v. t. To represent by
parable. [R.]
Which by the ancient sages was thus
parabled.
Milton.
Pa*rab"o*la (?), n.; pl.
Parabolas (#). [NL., fr. Gr. &?;; -- so called
because its axis is parallel to the side of the cone. See
Parable, and cf. Parabole.] (Geom.)
(a) A kind of curve; one of the conic sections
formed by the intersection of the surface of a cone with a plane
parallel to one of its sides. It is a curve, any point of which is
equally distant from a fixed point, called the focus, and a
fixed straight line, called the directrix. See
Focus. (b) One of a group of curves
defined by the equation y = axn where n is a
positive whole number or a positive fraction. For the cubical
parabola n = 3; for the semicubical parabola n = &frac32;.
See under Cubical, and Semicubical. The parabolas have
infinite branches, but no rectilineal asymptotes.
||Pa*rab"o*le (?), n. [L., fr. Gr. &?;.
See Parable.] (Rhet.) Similitude;
comparison.
{ Par`a*bol"ic (?), Par`a*bol"ic*al (?), }
a. [Gr. paraboliko`s figurative: cf. F.
parabolique. See Parable.]
1. Of the nature of a parable; expressed by a
parable or figure; allegorical; as, parabolical
instruction.
2. [From Parabola.] (Geom.)
(a) Having the form or nature of a parabola;
pertaining to, or resembling, a parabola; as, a parabolic
curve. (b) Generated by the revolution of a
parabola, or by a line that moves on a parabola as a directing curve;
as, a parabolic conoid.
Parabolic conoid, a paraboloid; a conoid
whose directing curve is a parabola. See Conoid. --
Parabolic mirror (Opt.), a mirror having
a paraboloidal surface which gives for parallel rays (as those from
very distant objects) images free from aberration. It is used in
reflecting telescopes. -- Parabolic spindle,
the solid generated by revolving the portion of a parabola cut off
by a line drawn at right angles to the axis of the curve, about that
line as an axis. -- Parabolic spiral, a
spiral curve conceived to be formed by the periphery of a semiparabola
when its axis is wrapped about a circle; also, any other spiral curve
having an analogy to the parabola.
Par`a*bol"ic*al*ly
(păr`&adot;*b&obreve;l"&ibreve;*kal*l&ybreve;),
adv. 1. By way of parable; in a
parabolic manner.
2. In the form of a parabola.
Par`a*bol"i*form (-&ibreve;*fôrm),
a. [Parabola + -form.] Resembling
a parabola in form.
Pa*rab"o*lism (p&adot;*răb"&osl;*l&ibreve;z'm),
n. [From Parabola.] (Alg.) The
division of the terms of an equation by a known quantity that is
involved in the first term. [Obs.]
Pa*rab"o*list (-l&ibreve;st), n. A
narrator of parables.
Pa*rab"o*loid (-loid), n.
[Parabola + -oid: cf. F. paraboloïde.]
(Geom.) The solid generated by the rotation of a parabola
about its axis; any surface of the second order whose sections by
planes parallel to a given line are parabolas.
&fist; The term paraboloid has sometimes been applied also
to the parabolas of the higher orders. Hutton.
Par`a*bo*loid"al (?), a. Of,
pertaining to, or resembling, a paraboloid.
||Par`a*bron"chi*um (?), n.; pl.
Parabronchia (#). [NL. See Para-,
Bronchia.] (Anat.) One of the branches of an
ectobronchium or entobronchium.
Par`a*cel"si*an (?), a. Of,
pertaining to, or in conformity with, the practice of
Paracelsus, a Swiss physician of the 15th century.
Ferrand.
Par`a*cel"si*an, n. A follower of
Paracelsus or his practice or teachings. Hakewill.
Par`a*cel"sist (?), n. A
Paracelsian.
||Par`a*cen*te"sis (?), n. [L., fr. Gr.
&?;, fr. &?; to pierce at the side, to tap.] (Med.) The
perforation of a cavity of the body with a trocar, aspirator, or other
suitable instrument, for the evacuation of effused fluid, pus, or gas;
tapping.
{ Par`a*cen"tric (?), Par`a*cen"tric*al (?), }
a. [Pref. para- + centric, -
ical: cf. F. paracentrique.] Deviating from
circularity; changing the distance from a center.
Paracentric curve (Math.), a curve
having the property that, when its plane is placed vertically, a body
descending along it, by the force of gravity, will approach to, or
recede from, a fixed point or center, by equal distances in equal
times; -- called also a paracentric. --
Paracentric motton or velocity,
the motion or velocity of a revolving body, as a planet, by which
it approaches to, or recedes from, the center, without reference to
its motion in space, or to its motion as reckoned in any other
direction.
Par`a*chor"dal (?), a. [Pref. para-
+ chordal.] (Anat.) Situated on either side of
the notochord; -- applied especially to the cartilaginous rudiments of
the skull on each side of the anterior part of the notochord. --
n. A parachordal cartilage.
Pa*rach"ro*nism (?), n. [Pref. para-
+ Gr. &?; time: cf. F. parachronisme.] An error in
chronology, by which the date of an event is set later than the time
of its occurrence. [R.]
Par"a*chrose (?), a. [Gr. &?; false
coloring; para` beside, beyond + &?; color.] (Min.)
Changing color by exposure Mohs.
Par"a*chute (?), n. [F., fr.
paper to ward off, guard + chute a fall. See
Parry, and Chute, Chance.]
1. A contrivance somewhat in the form of an
umbrella, by means of which a descent may be made from a balloon, or
any eminence.
2. (Zoöl.) A web or fold of skin
which extends between the legs of certain mammals, as the flying
squirrels, colugo, and phalangister.
Par"a*clete (?), n. [L.
paracletus, Gr. &?;, from &?; to call to one, to exhort,
encourage; para` beside + &?; to call.] An advocate;
one called to aid or support; hence, the Consoler, Comforter, or
Intercessor; -- a term applied to the Holy Spirit.
From which intercession especially I conceive he hath
the name of the Paraclete given him by Christ.
Bp. Pearson.
Par"a*close (?), n. (Arch.)
See Parclose.
Par`ac*mas"tic (?), a. [Gr. &?;. See
Para-, and Acme.] (Med.) Gradually
decreasing; past the acme, or crisis, as a distemper.
Dunglison.
Par`a*con"ic (?), a. [Pref. para-
+ aconitic.] (Chem.) Pertaining to, or designating,
an organic acid obtained as a deliquescent white crystalline
substance, and isomeric with itaconic, citraconic, and mesaconic
acids.
Par`a*co"nine (?), n. [Pref. para-
+ conine.] (Chem.) A base resembling and
isomeric with conine, and obtained as a colorless liquid from butyric
aldehyde and ammonia.
||Par`a*co*rol"la (?), n. [Pref.
para- + corolla.] (Bot.) A secondary or
inner corolla; a corona, as of the Narcissus.
Par`a*cros"tic (?), n. [Pref. para-
+ acrostic.] A poetical composition, in which the
first verse contains, in order, the first letters of all the verses of
the poem. Brande & C.
Par`a*cy*an"o*gen (?), n. [Pref.
para- + cyanogen.] (Chem.) A polymeric
modification of cyanogen, obtained as a brown or black amorphous
residue by heating mercuric cyanide.
Par`a*cy"mene, n. [Pref. para- +
cymene.] (Chem.) Same as Cymene.
||Par`a*dac"ty*lum, n.; pl.
Paradactyla (#). [NL. See Para-, and
Dactyl.] (Zoöl.) The side of a toe or
finger.
Pa*rade" (?), n. [F., fr. Sp.
parada a halt or stopping, an assembling for exercise, a place
where troops are assembled to exercise, fr. parar to stop, to
prepare. See Pare, v. t.] 1.
The ground where a military display is held, or where troops are
drilled.
2. (Mil.) An assembly and orderly
arrangement or display of troops, in full equipments, for inspection
or evolutions before some superior officer; a review of troops.
Parades are general, regimental, or private (troop, battery, or
company), according to the force assembled.
3. Pompous show; formal display or
exhibition.
Be rich, but of your wealth make no
parade.
Swift.
4. That which is displayed; a show; a
spectacle; an imposing procession; the movement of any body marshaled
in military order; as, a parade of firemen.
In state returned the grand parade.
Swift.
5. Posture of defense; guard. [A
Gallicism.]
When they are not in parade, and upon their
guard.
Locke.
6. A public walk; a promenade.
Dress parade, Undress parade.
See under Dress, and Undress. -- Parade
rest, a position of rest for soldiers, in which,
however, they are required to be silent and motionless.
Wilhelm.
Syn. -- Ostentation; display; show. -- Parade,
Ostentation. Parade is a pompous exhibition of things
for the purpose of display; ostentation now generally indicates
a parade of virtues or other qualities for which one expects to
be honored. "It was not in the mere parade of royalty that the
Mexican potentates exhibited their power." Robertson. "We are
dazzled with the splendor of titles, the ostentation of
learning, and the noise of victories." Spectator.
Pa*rade" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Paraded; p. pr. & vb. n.
Parading.] [Cf. F. parader.] 1. To
exhibit in a showy or ostentatious manner; to show off.
Parading all her sensibility.
Byron.
2. To assemble and form; to marshal; to cause
to maneuver or march ceremoniously; as, to parade
troops.
Pa*rade", v. i. 1.
To make an exhibition or spectacle of one's self, as by walking
in a public place.
2. To assemble in military order for
evolutions and inspection; to form or march, as in review.
Par"a*digm (?), n. [F. paradigme,
L. paradigma, fr. Gr. &?;, fr. &?; to show by the side of, to
set up as an example; para` beside + &?; to show. See
Para-, and Diction.]
1. An example; a model; a pattern. [R.]
"The paradigms and patterns of all things."
Cudworth.
2. (Gram.) An example of a conjugation
or declension, showing a word in all its different forms of
inflection.
3. (Rhet.) An illustration, as by a
parable or fable.
{ Par`a*dig*mat"ic (?), Par`a*dig*mat"ic*al (?),
} a. [Gr. paradeigmatiko`s.]
Exemplary. -- Par`a*dig*mat"ic*al*ly,
adv. [Obs.]
Par`a*dig*mat"ic, n. (Eccl.
Hist.) A writer of memoirs of religious persons, as examples
of Christian excellence.
Par`a*dig"ma*tize (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Paradigmatized (?); p.
pr. & vb. n. Paradigmatizing (?).] [Gr.
paradeigmati`zein. See Paradigm.] To set forth
as a model or example. [Obs.] Hammond.
{ Par`a*di*sa"ic (?), Par`a*di*sa"ic*al (?), }
a. Of or pertaining to, or resembling,
paradise; paradisiacal. "Paradisaical pleasures."
Gray.
Par"a*di`sal (?), a.
Paradisiacal.
Par"a*dise (?), n. [OE. & F.
paradis, L. paradisus, fr. Gr. para`deisos
park, paradise, fr. Zend pairidaēza an inclosure;
pairi around (akin to Gr. &?;) + diz to throw up, pile
up; cf. Skr. dih to smear, and E. dough. Cf.
Parvis.]
1. The garden of Eden, in which Adam and Eve
were placed after their creation.
2. The abode of sanctified souls after
death.
To-day shalt thou be with me in
paradise.
Luke xxiii. 43.
It sounds to him like her mother's voice,
Singing in Paradise.
Longfellow.
3. A place of bliss; a region of supreme
felicity or delight; hence, a state of happiness.
The earth
Shall be all paradise.
Milton.
Wrapt in the very paradise of some creative
vision.
Beaconsfield.
4. (Arch.) An open space within a
monastery or adjoining a church, as the space within a cloister, the
open court before a basilica, etc.
5. A churchyard or cemetery. [Obs.]
Oxf. Gloss.
Fool's paradise. See under Fool, and
Limbo. -- Grains of paradise.
(Bot.) See Melequeta pepper, under
Pepper. -- Paradise bird.
(Zoöl.) Same as Bird of paradise. Among the
most beautiful species are the superb (Lophorina superba); the
magnificent (Diphyllodes magnifica); and the six-shafted
paradise bird (Parotia sefilata). The long-billed paradise
birds (Epimachinæ) also include some highly ornamental
species, as the twelve-wired paradise bird (Seleucides alba),
which is black, yellow, and white, with six long breast feathers on
each side, ending in long, slender filaments. See Bird of
paradise in the Vocabulary. -- Paradise
fish (Zoöl.), a beautiful fresh-water
Asiatic fish (Macropodus viridiauratus) having very large fins.
It is often kept alive as an ornamental fish. -- Paradise
flycatcher (Zoöl.), any flycatcher of the
genus Terpsiphone, having the middle tail feathers extremely
elongated. The adult male of T. paradisi is white, with the
head glossy dark green, and crested. -- Paradise
grackle (Zoöl.), a very beautiful bird of
New Guinea, of the genus Astrapia, having dark velvety plumage
with brilliant metallic tints. -- Paradise nut
(Bot.), the sapucaia nut. See Sapucaia nut.
[Local, U. S.] -- Paradise whidah bird.
(Zoöl.) See Whidah.
Par"a*dise (?), v. t. To affect or
exalt with visions of felicity; to entrance; to bewitch. [R.]
Marston.
Par`a*dis"e*an (?), a.
Paradisiacal.
Par"a*dised (?), a. Placed in
paradise; enjoying delights as of paradise.
{ Par`a*dis"i*ac (?), Par`a*di*si"a*cal (?), }
a. [L. paradisiacus.] Of or pertaining
to paradise; suitable to, or like, paradise. C. Kingsley.
T. Burnet. "A paradisiacal scene." Pope.
The valley . . . is of quite paradisiac
beauty.
G. Eliot.
{ Par`a*dis"i*al (?), Par`a*dis"i*an (?), }
a. Paradisiacal. [R.]
Par`a*dis"ic (?), a.
Paradisiacal. [R.] Broome.
Par`a*dis"ic*al (?), a.
Paradisiacal. [R.]
Par`a*dos (?), n.; pl.
Paradoses (#). [F., fr. parer to defend +
dos back, L. dorsum.] (Fort.) An
intercepting mound, erected in any part of a fortification to protect
the defenders from a rear or ricochet fire; a traverse.
Farrow.
Par`a*dox (?), n.; pl.
Paradoxes (#). [F. paradoxe, L.
paradoxum, fr. Gr. &?;; para` beside, beyond,
contrary to + &?; to think, suppose, imagine. See Para-, and
Dogma.] A tenet or proposition contrary to received
opinion; an assertion or sentiment seemingly contradictory, or opposed
to common sense; that which in appearance or terms is absurd, but yet
may be true in fact.
A gloss there is to color that paradox, and make
it appear in show not to be altogether unreasonable.
Hooker.
This was sometime a paradox, but now the time
gives it proof.
Shak.
Hydrostatic paradox. See under
Hydrostatic.
Par"a*dox`al (?), a.
Paradoxical. [Obs.]
Par`a*dox"ic*al (?), a.
1. Of the nature of a paradox.
2. Inclined to paradoxes, or to tenets or
notions contrary to received opinions. Southey.
-- Par`a*dox"ic*al*ly, adv. --
Par`a*dox"ic*al*ness, n.
Par"a*dox`er (?), n.,
Par"a*dox`ist (&?;), n. One who
proposes a paradox.
||Par`a*dox"i*des (?), n. [NL.]
(Paleon.) A genus of large trilobites characteristic of
the primordial formations.
Par`a*dox*ol"o*gy (?), n.
[Paradox + -logy.] The use of paradoxes.
[Obs.] Sir T. Browne.
Par`a*dox"ure (-d&obreve;ks"&usl;r), n.
[Gr. para`doxos incredible, paradoxical + o'yra`
tail. So called because its tail is unlike that of the other animals
to which it was supposed to be related.] (Zoöl.) Any
species of Paradoxurus, a genus of Asiatic viverrine mammals
allied to the civet, as the musang, and the luwack or palm cat
(Paradoxurus hermaphroditus). See Musang.
Par"a*dox`y (?), n. 1.
A paradoxical statement; a paradox.
2. The quality or state of being
paradoxical. Coleridge
{ Par"af*fin (păr"ăf*f&ibreve;n),
Par"af*fine (?) }, n. [F. paraffine,
fr. L. parum too little + affinis akin. So named in
allusion to its chemical inactivity.] (Chem.) A white waxy
substance, resembling spermaceti, tasteless and odorless, and obtained
from coal tar, wood tar, petroleum, etc., by distillation. It is used
as an illuminant and lubricant. It is very inert, not being acted upon
by most of the strong chemical reagents. It was formerly regarded as a
definite compound, but is now known to be a complex mixture of several
higher hydrocarbons of the methane or marsh-gas series; hence, by
extension, any substance, whether solid, liquid, or gaseous, of the
same chemical series; thus coal gas and kerosene consist largely of
paraffins.
&fist; In the present chemical usage this word is spelt
paraffin, but in commerce it is commonly spelt
paraffine.
Native paraffin. See Ozocerite. -
- Paraffin series. See Methane series,
under Methane.
Par"age, n. [F., fr. L. par,
adj., equal. Cf. Peerage, Peer an equal.]
1. (Old Eng. Law) Equality of condition,
blood, or dignity; also, equality in the partition of an
inheritance. Spelman.
2. (Feudal Law) Equality of condition
between persons holding unequal portions of a fee.
Burrill.
3. Kindred; family; birth. [Obs.]
Ld. Berners.
We claim to be of high parage.
Chaucer.
Par`a*gen"e*sis
(păr`&adot;*j&ebreve;n"&esl;*s&ibreve;s), n.
[Pref. para- + genesis.] (Min.) The science
which treats of minerals with special reference to their
origin.
Par`a*gen"ic (-&ibreve;k), a. [Pref.
para- + the root of ge`nos birth.] (Biol.)
Originating in the character of the germ, or at the first
commencement of an individual; -- said of peculiarities of structure,
character, etc.
Par`a*glob"u*lin (-gl&obreve;b"&usl;*l&ibreve;n),
n. [Pref. para- + globulin.]
(Physiol. Chem.) An albuminous body in blood serum,
belonging to the group of globulins. See
Fibrinoplastin.
||Par`a*glos"sa (-gl&obreve;s"s&adot;),
n.; pl. Paraglossæ (-
sē). [NL., from Gr. para` beside + glw^ssa
tongue.] (Zoöl.) One of a pair of small appendages of
the lingua or labium of certain insects. See Illust. under
Hymenoptera.
Par"ag*nath (?), n. (Zoöl.)
Same as Paragnathus.
Pa*rag"na*thous (?), a.
(Zoöl.) Having both mandibles of equal length, the
tips meeting, as in certain birds.
||Pa*rag"na*thus (?), n.; pl.
Paragnathi (#). [NL. See Para-, and
Gnathic.] (Zoöl.) (a) One of
the two lobes which form the lower lip, or metastome, of
Crustacea. (b) One of the small, horny,
toothlike jaws of certain annelids.
||Par`a*go"ge (?), n. [L., fr. Gr. &?;,
from &?; to lead beside, protract; para` beside + &?; to
lead.] 1. (Gram.) The addition of a letter
or syllable to the end of a word, as withouten for
without.
2. (Med.) Coaptation. [Obs.]
Dunglison.
{ Par`a*gog"ic (?), Par`a*gog"ic*al (?), }
a. [Cf. F. paragogique.] Of, pertaining
to, or constituting, a paragoge; added to the end of, or serving to
lengthen, a word.
Paragogic letters, in the Semitic languages,
letters which are added to the ordinary forms of words, to express
additional emphasis, or some change in the sense.
Par"a*gon (?), n. [OF. paragon,
F. parangon; cf. It. paragone, Sp. paragon,
parangon; prob. fr. Gr. &?; to rub against; para`
beside + &?; whetstone; cf. LGr. &?; a polishing stone.]
1. A companion; a match; an equal. [Obs.]
Spenser.
Philoclea, who indeed had no paragon but her
sister.
Sir P. Sidney.
2. Emulation; rivalry; competition.
[Obs.]
Full many feats adventurous
Performed, in paragon of proudest men.
Spenser.
3. A model or pattern; a pattern of excellence
or perfection; as, a paragon of beauty or eloquence.
Udall.
Man, . . . the paragon of animals !
Shak.
The riches of sweet Mary's son,
Boy-rabbi, Israel's paragon.
Emerson.
4. (Print.) A size of type between
great primer and double pica. See the Note under
Type.
Par"a*gon, v. t. [Cf. OF.
paragonner, F. parangonner.]
1. To compare; to parallel; to put in rivalry
or emulation with. [Obs.] Sir P. Sidney.
2. To compare with; to equal; to rival.
[R.] Spenser.
In arms anon to paragon the morn,
The morn new rising.
Glover.
3. To serve as a model for; to surpass.
[Obs.]
He hath achieved a maid
That paragons description and wild fame.
Shak.
Par"a*gon, v. i. To be equal; to
hold comparison. [R.]
Few or none could . . . paragon with
her.
Shelton.
Pa*rag"o*nite (?), n. [From Gr. &?;, p.
pr. of &?; to mislead.] (Min.) A kind of mica related to
muscovite, but containing soda instead of potash. It is characteristic
of the paragonite schist of the Alps.
Par"a*gram (?), n. [Gr. &?; that which
one writes beside. See Paragraph.] A pun.
Puns, which he calls paragrams.
Addison.
Par`a*gram"ma*tist (?), n. A
punster.
||Pa`ra*gran"di*ne (?), n. [It., from
parare to parry + grandine hail.] An instrument to
avert the occurrence of hailstorms. See Paragrêle.
Knight.
Par"a*graph (?), n. [F.
paragraphe, LL. paragraphus, fr. Gr.
para`grafos (sc. grammh`) a line or stroke drawn
in the margin, fr. paragra`fein to write beside;
para` beside + gra`fein to write. See Para-
, and Graphic, and cf. Paraph.] 1.
Originally, a marginal mark or note, set in the margin to call
attention to something in the text, e. g., a change of subject;
now, the character ¶, commonly used in the text as a reference
mark to a footnote, or to indicate the place of a division into
sections.
&fist; This character is merely a modification of a capital P (the
initial of the word paragraph), the letter being reversed, and
the black part made white and the white part black for the sake of
distinctiveness.
2. A distinct part of a discourse or writing;
any section or subdivision of a writing or chapter which relates to a
particular point, whether consisting of one or many sentences. The
division is sometimes noted by the mark &?;, but usually, by beginning
the first sentence of the paragraph on a new line and at more than the
usual distance from the margin.
3. A brief composition complete in one
typographical section or paragraph; an item, remark, or quotation
comprised in a few lines forming one paragraph; as, a column of news
paragraphs; an editorial paragraph.
Par"a*graph, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Paragraphed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Paragraphing.]
1. To divide into paragraphs; to mark with the
character ¶.
2. To express in the compass of a paragraph;
as, to paragraph an article.
3. To mention in a paragraph or
paragraphs
Par"a*graph`er (?), n. A writer of
paragraphs; a paragraphist.
{ Par`a*graph"ic (?), Par`a*graph"ic*al (?), }
a. Pertaining to, or consisting of, a paragraph
or paragraphs. -- Par`a*graph"ic*al*ly,
adv.
Par"a*graph`ist (?), n. A
paragrapher.
Par`a*gra*phis"tic*al (?), a. Of or
relating to a paragraphist. [R.] Beau. & Fl.
Pa*ra" grass` (?). (Bot.) A valuable pasture
grass (Panicum barbinode) introduced into the Southern United
States from Brazil.
||Pa`ra`grêle" (?), n. [F., fr.
parer to guard + grêle hail.] A lightning
conductor erected, as in a vineyard, for drawing off the electricity
in the atmosphere in order to prevent hailstorms. [France]
Knight.
Par`a*guay"an (?), a. Of or
pertaining to Paraguay. -- n. A native or
inhabitant of Paraguay.
Pa`ra*guay" tea" (?). See Mate, the leaf of
the Brazilian holly.
Par"ail (?), n. See
Apparel. [Obs.] "In the parail of a pilgrim."
Piers Plowman.
Par"a*keet` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
Same as Parrakeet.
Par`a*lac"tic (?), a. [Pref. para-
+ lactic.] (Physiol. Chem.) Designating an
acid called paralactic acid. See Lactic acid, under
Lactic.
Par`al*bu"min (?), n. [Pref. para-
+ albumin.] (Physiol. Chem.) A proteidlike
body found in the fluid from ovarian cysts and elsewhere. It is
generally associated with a substance related to, if not identical
with, glycogen.
Par*al"de*hyde (?), n. [Pref. para-
+ aldehyde.] (Chem.) A polymeric modification
of aldehyde obtained as a white crystalline substance.
||Par`a*leip"sis (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr.
&?;, fr. &?; to leave on one side, to omit; para` beside +
&?; to leave.] (Rhet.) A pretended or apparent omission; a
figure by which a speaker artfully pretends to pass by what he really
mentions; as, for example, if an orator should say, "I do not speak of
my adversary's scandalous venality and rapacity, his brutal conduct,
his treachery and malice." [Written also paralepsis,
paralepsy, paralipsis.]
||Par`a*lep"sis (?), n. [NL.] See
Paraleipsis.
Pa*ra"li*an (?), n. [Gr. &?; near the
sea; para` beside + &?; the sea.] A dweller by the
sea. [R.]
||Par`a*li*pom"e*non (?), n. pl. [L.,
fr. Gr. paraleipome`nwn of things omitted, pass. p. pr.
(neuter genitive plural) fr. &?; to omit.] A title given in the
Douay Bible to the Books of Chronicles.
&fist; In the Septuagint these books are called
Paraleipome`nwn prw^ton and dey`teron, which is
understood, after Jerome's explanation, as meaning that they are
supplementary to the Books of Kings W. Smith.
Par`a*lip"sis (?), n. [NL.] See
Paraleipsis.
{ Par`al*lac"tic (?), Par`al*lac"tic*al (?), }
a. [Cf. F. parallactique.] Of or
pertaining to a parallax.
Par"al*lax (?), n. [Gr. &?; alternation,
the mutual inclination of two lines forming an angle, fr. &?; to
change a little, go aside, deviate; para` beside, beyond +
&?; to change: cf. F. parallaxe. Cf. Parallel.]
1. The apparent displacement, or difference of
position, of an object, as seen from two different stations, or points
of view.
2. (Astron.) The apparent difference in
position of a body (as the sun, or a star) as seen from some point on
the earth's surface, and as seen from some other conventional point,
as the earth's center or the sun.
Annual parallax, the greatest value of the
heliocentric parallax, or the greatest annual apparent change of place
of a body as seen from the earth and sun; as, the annual
parallax of a fixed star. -- Binocular
parallax, the apparent difference in position of an
object as seen separately by one eye, and then by the other, the head
remaining unmoved. -- Diurnal, or
Geocentric, parallax, the
parallax of a body with reference to the earth's center. This is the
kind of parallax that is generally understood when the term is used
without qualification. -- Heliocentric
parallax, the parallax of a body with reference to the
sun, or the angle subtended at the body by lines drawn from it to the
earth and sun; as, the heliocentric parallax of a planet.
-- Horizontal parallax, the geocentric parallx
of a heavenly body when in the horizon, or the angle subtended at the
body by the earth's radius. -- Optical
parallax, the apparent displacement in position
undergone by an object when viewed by either eye singly.
Brande & C. -- Parallax of the cross
wires (of an optical instrument), their apparent
displacement when the eye changes its position, caused by their not
being exactly in the focus of the object glass. --
Stellar parallax, the annual parallax of a fixed
star.
Par"al*lel (?), a. [F.
parallèle, L. parallelus, fr. Gr. &?;;
para` beside + &?; of one another, fr. &?; other, akin to
L. alius. See Allien.] 1. (Geom.)
Extended in the same direction, and in all parts equally distant;
as, parallel lines; parallel planes.
Revolutions . . . parallel to the
equinoctial.
Hakluyt.
&fist; Curved lines or curved planes are said to be parallel when
they are in all parts equally distant.
2. Having the same direction or tendency;
running side by side; being in accordance (with); tending to the same
result; -- used with to and with.
When honor runs parallel with the laws of God
and our country, it can not be too much cherished.
Addison.
3. Continuing a resemblance through many
particulars; applicable in all essential parts; like; similar; as, a
parallel case; a parallel passage.
Addison.
Parallel bar. (a) (Steam
Eng.) A rod in a parallel motion which is parallel with the
working beam. (b) One of a pair of bars
raised about five feet above the floor or ground, and parallel to each
other, -- used for gymnastic exercises. -- Parallel
circles of a sphere, those circles of the sphere whose
planes are parallel to each other. -- Parallel
columns, or Parallels (Printing),
two or more passages of reading matter printed side by side, for
the purpose of emphasizing the similarity or discrepancy between
them. -- Parallel forces (Mech.),
forces which act in directions parallel to each other. --
Parallel motion. (a) (Mach.)
A jointed system of links, rods, or bars, by which the motion of a
reciprocating piece, as a piston rod, may be guided, either
approximately or exactly in a straight line. Rankine.
(b) (Mus.) The ascending or descending of
two or more parts at fixed intervals, as thirds or sixths. --
Parallel rod (Locomotive Eng.), a metal
rod that connects the crank pins of two or more driving wheels; --
called also couping rod, in distinction from the connecting
rod. See Illust. of Locomotive, in App. --
Parallel ruler, an instrument for drawing
parallel lines, so constructed as to have the successive positions of
the ruling edge parallel to each other; also, one consisting of two
movable parts, the opposite edges of which are always parallel. -
- Parallel sailing (Naut.), sailing on a
parallel of latitude. -- Parallel sphere
(Astron. & Geog.), that position of the sphere in which the
circles of daily motion are parallel to the horizon, as to an observer
at either pole. -- Parallel vise, a vise
having jaws so guided as to remain parallel in all positions.
Par"al*lel (?), n. 1.
A line which, throughout its whole extent, is equidistant from
another line; a parallel line, a parallel plane, etc.
Who made the spider parallels design,
Sure as De Moivre, without rule or line ?
Pope.
2. Direction conformable to that of another
line,
Lines that from their parallel
decline.
Garth.
3. Conformity continued through many
particulars or in all essential points; resemblance;
similarity.
Twixt earthly females and the moon
All parallels exactly run.
Swift.
4. A comparison made; elaborate tracing of
similarity; as, Johnson's parallel between Dryden and
Pope.
5. Anything equal to, or resembling, another
in all essential particulars; a counterpart.
None but thyself can be thy
parallel.
Pope.
6. (Geog.) One of the imaginary circles
on the surface of the earth, parallel to the equator, marking the
latitude; also, the corresponding line on a globe or map.
7. (Mil.) One of a series of long
trenches constructed before a besieged fortress, by the besieging
force, as a cover for troops supporting the attacking batteries. They
are roughly parallel to the line of outer defenses of the
fortress.
8. (Print.) A character consisting of
two parallel vertical lines (thus, ||) used in the text to direct
attention to a similarly marked note in the margin or at the foot of a
page.
Limiting parallels. See under Limit,
v. t. -- Parallel of altitude
(Astron.), one of the small circles of the sphere, parallel
to the horizon; an almucantar. -- Parallel of
declination (Astron.), one of the small circles
of the sphere, parallel to the equator. -- Parallel of
latitude. (a) (Geog.) See def. 6.
above. (b) (Astron.) One of the small
circles of the sphere, parallel to the ecliptic.
Par"al*lel, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Paralleled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Paralleling (?).] 1. To place or set so as
to be parallel; to place so as to be parallel to, or to conform in
direction with, something else.
The needle . . . doth parallel and place itself
upon the true meridian.
Sir T. Browne.
2. Fig.: To make to conform to something else
in character, motive, aim, or the like.
His life is paralleled
Even with the stroke and line of his great justice.
Shak.
3. To equal; to match; to correspond to.
Shak.
4. To produce or adduce as a parallel.
[R.] Locke.
My young remembrance can not parallel
A fellow to it.
Shak.
Par"al*lel, v. i. To be parallel;
to correspond; to be like. [Obs.] Bacon.
Par"al*lel`a*ble (?), a. Capable of
being paralleled, or equaled. [R.] Bp. Hall.
Par"al*lel*ism (?), n. [Gr. &?;, fr. &?;
to place side by side, or parallel: cf. F.
parallélisme.]
1. The quality or state of being
parallel.
2. Resemblance; correspondence;
similarity.
A close parallelism of thought and
incident.
T. Warton.
3. Similarity of construction or meaning of
clauses placed side by side, especially clauses expressing the same
sentiment with slight modifications, as is common in Hebrew poetry;
e. g.: --
At her feet he bowed, he fell:
Where he bowed, there he fell down dead.
Judg. v.
27.
Par`al*lel*is"tic (?), a. Of the
nature of a parallelism; involving parallelism.
The antithetic or parallelistic form of Hebrew
poetry is entirely lost.
Milman.
Par"al*lel*ize (?), v. t. To render
parallel. [R.]
Par"al*lel*less, a.
Matchless. [R.]
Par"al*lel*ly, adv. In a parallel
manner; with parallelism. [R.] Dr. H. More.
Par`al*lel"o*gram (?), n. [Gr. &?;; &?;
parallel + &?; to write: cf. F. parallélogramme. See
Parallel, and -gram.] (Geom.) A right-lined
quadrilateral figure, whose opposite sides are parallel, and
consequently equal; -- sometimes restricted in popular usage to a
rectangle, or quadrilateral figure which is longer than it is broad,
and with right angles.
Parallelogram of velocities,
forces, accelerations,
momenta, etc. (Mech.), a parallelogram
the diagonal of which represents the resultant of two velocities,
forces, accelerations, momenta, etc., both in quantity and direction,
when the velocities, forces, accelerations, momenta, etc., are
represented in quantity and direction by the two adjacent sides of the
parallelogram.
Par`al*lel`o*gram*mat"ic (?), a. Of
or pertaining to a parallelogram; parallelogrammic.
{ Par`al*lel`o*gram"mic (?),
Par`al*lel`o*gram"mic*al (?), } a.
Having the properties of a parallelogram. [R.]
Par`al*lel`o*pi"ped (?), n. [Gr. &?; a
body with parallel surfaces; &?; parallel + &?; a plane surface, &?;
on the ground, or level with it, level, flat; &?; on + &?; the ground:
cf. F. parallélopipède.] (Geom.) A
solid, the faces of which are six parallelograms, the opposite pairs
being parallel, and equal to each other; a prism whose base is a
parallelogram.
Par`al*lel`o*pip"e*don (?), n. [NL.]
A parallelopiped. Hutton.
Par`a*log"ic*al (?), a. Containing
paralogism; illogical. "Paralogical doubt." Sir T.
Browne.
Pa*ral"o*gism (?), n. [Gr. &?;, fr. &?;
to reason falsely; para` beside + &?; to reason, &?;
discourse, reason: cf. F. paralogisme.] (Logic) A
reasoning which is false in point of form, that is, which is contrary
to logical rules or formulæ; a formal fallacy, or pseudo-
syllogism, in which the conclusion does not follow from the
premises.
Pa*ral"o*gize (?), v. i. [imp. &
p. p. Paralogized (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Paralogizing (?).] [Gr. &?;.] To reason
falsely; to draw conclusions not warranted by the premises.
[R.]
Pa*ral"o*gy (?), n. [Gr. &?;;
para` beside, beyond + &?; reason.] False reasoning;
paralogism.
Par"a*lyse (?), v. t. Same as
Paralyze.
Pa*ral"y*sis (?), n. [L., fr. Gr. &?;,
fr. &?; to loosen, dissolve, or disable at the side; para`
beside + &?; to loosen. See Para-, and Loose, and cf.
Palsy.] (Med.) Abolition of function, whether
complete or partial; esp., the loss of the power of voluntary motion,
with or without that of sensation, in any part of the body; palsy. See
Hemiplegia, and Paraplegia. Also used
figuratively. "Utter paralysis of memory." G.
Eliot.
Mischievous practices arising out of the
paralysis of the powers of ownership.
Duke of
Argyll (1887).
Par`a*lyt"ic (?), a. [L.
paralyticus, Gr. &?;: cf. F. paralytique.]
1. Of or pertaining to paralysis; resembling
paralysis.
2. Affected with paralysis, or
palsy.
The cold, shaking, paralytic hand.
Prior.
3. Inclined or tending to paralysis.
Paralytic secretion (Physiol.), the
fluid, generally thin and watery, secreted from a gland after section
or paralysis of its nerves, as the pralytic saliva.
Par`a*lyt"ic, n. A person affected
with paralysis.
Par`a*lyt"ic*al (?), a. See
Paralytic.
Par`a*ly*za"tion (?), n. The act or
process of paralyzing, or the state of being paralyzed.
Par"a*lyze (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Paralyzed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Paralyzing (?).] [F. paralyser. See
Paralysis.]
1. To affect or strike with paralysis or
palsy.
2. Fig.: To unnerve; to destroy or impair the
energy of; to render ineffective; as, the occurrence paralyzed
the community; despondency paralyzed his efforts.
Par"am (?), n. (Chem.) A
white crystalline nitrogenous substance
(C2H4N4); -- called also
dicyandiamide.
Par`a*mag*net"ic (?), a. [Pref. para-
+ magnetic.] Magnetic, as opposed to
diamagnetic. -- n. A paramagnetic
substance. Faraday. -- Par`a*mag*net"ic*al*ly
(#), adv.
Par`a*mag"net*ism (?), n.
Magnetism, as opposed to diamagnetism.
Faraday.
Par`a*ma*le"ic (?), a. [Pref. para-
+ maleic.] (Chem.) Pertaining to, or
designating, an acid obtained from malic acid, and now called
fumaric acid. [Obs.]
Par`a*ma"lic (?), a. [Pref. para-
+ malic.] (Chem.) Pertaining to, or designating, an
organic acid metameric with malic acid.
Par`a*mas"toid (?), a. [Pref. para-
+ mastoid.] (Anat.) Situated beside, or near,
the mastoid portion of the temporal bone; paroccipital; -- applied
especially to a process of the skull in some animals.
Par`a*mat"ta (?), n. [So named from
Paramatta, in Australia.] A light fabric of cotton and
worsted, resembling bombazine or merino. Beck (Draper's
Dict.)
Par"a*ment (?), n. [Sp.
paramento, from parar to prepare, L. parare.]
Ornamental hangings, furniture, etc., as of a state apartment;
rich and elegant robes worn by men of rank; -- chiefly in the
plural. [Obs.]
Lords in paraments on their
coursers.
Chaucer.
Chamber of paraments, presence chamber of a
monarch.
||Pa`ra*men"to (?), n. [Sp.]
Ornament; decoration. Beau. & Fl.
Par"a*mere (?), n. [Pref. para- +
-mere.] (Zoöl.) One of the symmetrical halves
of any one of the radii, or spheromeres, of a radiate animal, as a
starfish.
Pa*ram"e*ter (?), n. [Pref. para-
+ -meter: cf. F. paramètre.] 1.
(a) (Math.) A term applied to some
characteristic magnitude whose value, invariable as long as one and
the same function, curve, surface, etc., is considered, serves to
distinguish that function, curve, surface, etc., from others of the
same kind or family. Brande & C. (b)
Specifically (Conic Sections), in the ellipse and
hyperbola, a third proportional to any diameter and its conjugate, or
in the parabola, to any abscissa and the corresponding
ordinate.
&fist; The parameter of the principal axis of a conic
section is called the latus rectum.
2. (Crystallog.) The ratio of the three
crystallographic axes which determines the position of any plane;
also, the fundamental axial ratio for a given species.
||Par`a*me*tri"tis (?), n. [NL. See
Para-, and Metritis.] (Med.) Inflammation of
the cellular tissue in the vicinity of the uterus.
Par`a*mi*og"ra*pher (?), n. [Gr. &?;
proverb + -graph + -er.] A collector or writer of
proverbs. [R.]
Par`a*mi"tome (?), n. [Pref. para-
+ mitome.] (Biol.) The fluid portion of the
protoplasm of a cell.
||Pa"ra*mo (?), n.; pl.
Paramos (#). [Sp. pæramo.] A high,
bleak plateau or district, with stunted trees, and cold, damp
atmosphere, as in the Andes, in South America.
Par"a*morph (?), n. [Pref. para-
+ Gr. &?; form.] (Min.) A kind of pseudomorph, in which
there has been a change of physical characters without alteration of
chemical composition, as the change of aragonite to calcite.
Par`a*mor"phism (?), n. (Min.)
The change of one mineral species to another, so as to involve a
change in physical characters without alteration of chemical
composition.
Par`a*mor"phous (?), a. (Min.)
Relating to paramorphism; exhibiting paramorphism.
Par"a*mount (?), a. [OF. par
amont above; par through, by (L. per) + amont
above. See Amount.] Having the highest rank or
jurisdiction; superior to all others; chief; supreme; preëminent;
as, a paramount duty. "A traitor paramount."
Bacon.
Lady paramount (Archery), the lady
making the best score. -- Lord paramount,
the king.
Syn. Superior; principal; preëminent; chief.
Par"a*mount, n. The highest or
chief. Milton.
Par"a*mount`ly, adv. In a paramount
manner.
Par"a*mour (?), n. [F. par amour,
lit., by or with love. See 2d Par, and Amour.]
1. A lover, of either sex; a wooer or a mistress
(formerly in a good sense, now only in a bad one); one who takes the
place, without possessing the rights, of a husband or wife; -- used of
a man or a woman.
The seducer appeared with dauntless front, accompanied
by his paramour
Macaulay.
2. Love; gallantry. [Obs.] "For
paramour and jollity." Chaucer.
{ Par"a*mour`, Par"a*mours` (?) },
adv. By or with love, esp. the love of the
sexes; -- sometimes written as two words. [Obs.]
For par amour, I loved her first ere
thou.
Chaucer.
Par*am"y*lum (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr.
para` beside + &?; starch.] (Chem.) A substance
resembling starch, found in the green frothy scum formed on the
surface of stagnant water.
Par`a*naph"tha*lene (?), n. [Pref.
para- + naphthalene.] (Chem.) Anthracene; --
called also paranaphthaline. [Obs.]
||Par`a*noi"a (păr`&adot;*noi"&adot;),
n. [NL., fr. Gr. para`noia.]
(Med.) Mental derangement; insanity.
Par*an"thra*cene (?), n. [Pref.
para- + anthracene.] (Chem.) An inert
isomeric modification of anthracene.
Par`a*nu"cle*us (?), n. [Pref. para-
+ nucleus.] (Biol.) Some as
Nucleolus.
Pa*ra" nut` (p&adot;*rä" nŭt`). (Bot.)
The Brazil nut.
Par"a*nymph (?), n. [L.
paranymphus, Gr. &?;; para` beside, near + &?; a
bride: cf. F. paranymphe.] 1. (Gr.
Antiq.) (a) A friend of the bridegroom who
went with him in his chariot to fetch home the bride.
Milton. (b) The bridesmaid who conducted
the bride to the bridegroom.
2. Hence: An ally; a supporter or
abettor. Jer. Taylor.
Par`a*nym"phal (?), a. Bridal;
nuptial. [R.]
At some paranymphal feast.
Ford.
Par`a*pec"tin (?), n. [Pref. para-
+ pectin.] (Chem.) A gelatinous modification
of pectin.
Par"a*pegm (?), n. [L. parapegma,
Gr. &?;, fr. &?; to fix beside; para` beside + &?; to fix:
cf. F. parapegme.] An engraved tablet, usually of brass,
set up in a public place.
&fist; Parapegms were used for the publication of laws,
proclamations, etc., and the recording of astronomical phenomena or
calendar events.
Par`a*pep"tone (?), n. [Pref. para-
+ peptone.] (Phisiol. Chem.) An albuminous
body formed in small quantity by the peptic digestion of proteids. It
can be converted into peptone by pancreatic juice, but not by gastric
juice.
Par"a*pet (?), n. [F., fr. It.
parapetto, fr. parare to ward off, guard (L.
parare to prepare, provide) + petto the breast, L.
pectus. See Parry, and Pectoral.]
1. (Arch.) A low wall, especially one
serving to protect the edge of a platform, roof, bridge, or the
like.
2. (Fort.) A wall, rampart, or
elevation of earth, for covering soldiers from an enemy's fire; a
breastwork. See Illust. of Casemate.
Par`a*pet"al*ous (?), a. [Pref. para-
+ petal.] (Bot.) Growing by the side of a
petal, as a stamen.
Par"a*pet`ed, a. Having a
parapet.
Par"aph (?), n. [F. paraphe,
parafe, contr. fr. paragraphe.] A flourish made
with the pen at the end of a signature. In the Middle Ages, this
formed a sort of rude safeguard against forgery. Brande &
C.
Par"aph, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Paraphed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Paraphing.] [Cf. F. parapher, parafer.] To
add a paraph to; to sign, esp. with the initials.
||Par`a*pher"na (?), n. pl. [L.]
(Rom. Law) The property of a woman which, on her marriage,
was not made a part of her dower, but remained her own.
Par`a*pher"nal (?), a. [Cf. F.
paraphernal.] Of or pertaining to paraphernalia; as,
paraphernal property. Kent.
Par`a*pher*na"li*a (?), n. pl. [LL.
paraphernalia bona, fr. L. parapherna, pl., parapherna,
Gr. &?;; para` beside + &?; a bride's dowry, fr.
fe`rein to bring. See 1st Bear.]
1. (Law) Something reserved to a wife,
over and above her dower, being chiefly apparel and ornaments suited
to her degree.
2. Appendages; ornaments; finery;
equipments.
||Par`a*phi*mo"sis (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr.
&?;; &?; beyond + &?; to muzzle.] (Med.) A condition in
which the prepuce, after being retracted behind the glans penis, is
constricted there, and can not be brought forward into place
again.
Par`a*phos*phor"ic (?), a. [Pref.
para- + phosphoric.] (Chem.)
Pyrophosphoric. [Obs.]
||Par`a*phrag"ma (-frăg"m&adot;),
n.; pl. Paraphragmata (#).
[NL., fr. Gr. para` beside + &?;, &?;, an inclosure.]
(Zoöl.) One of the outer divisions of an endosternite
of Crustacea. -- Par`a*phrag"mal (#),
a.
Par"a*phrase (păr"&adot;*frāz),
n. [L. paraphrasis, Gr.
para`frasis, from parafra`zein to say the same
thing in other words; para` beside + fra`zein to
speak: cf. F. paraphrase. See Para-, and Phrase.]
A restatement of a text, passage, or work, expressing the meaning
of the original in another form, generally for the sake of its clearer
and fuller exposition; a setting forth the signification of a text in
other and ampler terms; a free translation or rendering; -- opposed to
metaphrase.
In paraphrase, or translation with latitude, the
author's words are not so strictly followed as his sense.
Dryden.
Excellent paraphrases of the Psalms of
David.
I. Disraeli.
His sermons a living paraphrase upon his
practice.
Sowth.
The Targums are also called the Chaldaic or Aramaic
Paraphrases.
Shipley.
Par"a*phrase, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Paraphrased (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Paraphrasing (?).] To express, interpret, or translate
with latitude; to give the meaning of a passage in other
language.
We are put to construe and paraphrase our own
words.
Bp. Stillingfleet.
Par"a*phrase, v. i. To make a
paraphrase.
Par"a*phra`ser (?), n. One who
paraphrases.
Par`a*phra"sian (?), n. A
paraphraser. [R.]
Par"a*phrast (?), n. [L.
paraphrastes, Gr. &?;: cf. F. paraphraste.] A
paraphraser. T. Warton.
{ Par`a*phras"tic (?), Par`a*phras"tic*al (?), }
a. [Gr.&?;: cf. F. paraphrastique.]
Paraphrasing; of the nature of paraphrase; explaining, or
translating in words more clear and ample than those of the author;
not literal; free. -- Par`a*phras"tic*al*ly,
adv.
||Pa*raph"y*sis (?), n.; pl.
Paraphyses (#). [NL., fr. Gr. para`
beside + &?; growth.] (Bot.) A minute jointed filament
growing among the archegonia and antheridia of mosses, or with the
spore cases, etc., of other flowerless plants.
{ ||Par`a*ple"gi*a (?), Par"a*ple`gy (?), }
n. [NL. paraplegia, fr. Gr. &?; hemiplegia,
fr. &?; to strike at the side; para` beside + &?; to
strike: cf. F. paraplégie.] (Med.) Palsy of
the lower half of the body on both sides, caused usually by disease of
the spinal cord. -- Par`a*pleg"ic (#),
a.
||Par`a*pleu"ra (?), n.; pl.
Parapleuræ (#). [NL. See Para-, and 2d
Pleura.] (Zoöl.) A chitinous piece between the
metasternum and the pleuron of certain insects.
||Par`a*po"di*um (?), n.; pl.
Parapodia (#). [NL., fr. Gr. para` beside
+ &?;, dim. of &?; foot.] (Zoöl.) One of the lateral
appendages of an annelid; -- called also foot
tubercle.
&fist; They may serve for locomotion, respiration, and sensation,
and often contain spines or setæ. When well developed, a dorsal
part, or notopodium, and a ventral part, or neuropodium,
are distinguished.
Par`a*poph"y*sis (?), n.; pl.
Parapophyses (#). [NL. See Para-, and
Apophysis.] (Anat.) The ventral transverse, or
capitular, process of a vertebra. See Vertebra. --
Par*ap`o*phys"ic*al (#), a.
||Pa*rap"te*rum (?), n.; pl.
Paraptera (#). [NL. See Para-, and
Pteron.] (Zoöl.) A special plate situated on
the sides of the mesothorax and metathorax of certain
insects.
{ Par`a*quet" (?), Par`a*qui"to (?), }
n. [See Paroquet.] (Zoöl.)
See Parrakeet.
Par"a*sang (?), n. [L. parasanga,
Gr. &?;, from Old Persian; cf. Per. farsang.] A Persian
measure of length, which, according to Herodotus and Xenophon, was
thirty stadia, or somewhat more than three and a half miles. The
measure varied in different times and places, and, as now used, is
estimated at from three and a half to four English miles.
||Par`a*sce"ni*um (?), n.; pl.
Parascenia (#). [NL., fr. Gr. &?;; para`
beside + &?; stage.] (Greek & Rom. Antiq.) One of two
apartments adjoining the stage, probably used as robing
rooms.
||Par`a*sce"ve (?), n. [L., from Gr.
&?;, lit., preparation.] 1. Among the Jews, the
evening before the Sabbath. [Obs.] Mark xv. 42 (Douay
ver.)
2. A preparation. [R.]
Donne.
Par`a*sche*mat"ic (?), a. [Gr. &?; to
change from the true form.] Of or pertaining to a change from the
right form, as in the formation of a word from another by a change of
termination, gender, etc. Max Müller.
||Par`a*se*le"ne (?), n.; pl.
Paraselenæ (#). [NL., from Gr.
para` beside + &?; the moon: cf. F.
parasélène.] (Meteor.) A mock moon;
an image of the moon which sometimes appears at the point of
intersection of two lunar halos. Cf. Parhelion.
||Par`a*si"ta (?), n. pl. [NL.]
(Zoöl.) (a) An artificial group
formerly made for parasitic insects, as lice, ticks, mites, etc.
(b) A division of copepod Crustacea, having a
sucking mouth, as the lerneans. They are mostly parasites on fishes.
Called also Siphonostomata.
Par"a*si`tal (?), a. (Bot. &
Zoöl.) Of or pertaining to parasites;
parasitic.
Par"a*site (?), n. [F., fr. L.
parasitus, Gr. &?;, lit., eating beside, or at the table of,
another; para` beside + &?; to feed, from &?; wheat, grain,
food.]
1. One who frequents the tables of the rich,
or who lives at another's expense, and earns his welcome by flattery;
a hanger-on; a toady; a sycophant.
Thou, with trembling fear,
Or like a fawning parasite, obey'st.
Milton.
Parasites were called such smell-feasts as would
seek to be free guests at rich men's tables.
Udall.
2. (Bot.) (a) A plant
obtaining nourishment immediately from other plants to which it
attaches itself, and whose juices it absorbs; -- sometimes, but
erroneously, called epiphyte. (b) A
plant living on or within an animal, and supported at its expense, as
many species of fungi of the genus Torrubia.
3. (Zoöl.) (a) An
animal which lives during the whole or part of its existence on or in
the body of some other animal, feeding upon its food, blood, or
tissues, as lice, tapeworms, etc. (b) An
animal which steals the food of another, as the parasitic jager.
(c) An animal which habitually uses the nest of
another, as the cowbird and the European cuckoo.
{ Par`a*sit"ic (?), Par`a*sit"ic*al (?), }
a. [L. parasiticus, Gr. &?;: cf. F.
parasitique.]
1. Of the nature of a parasite; fawning for
food or favors; sycophantic. "Parasitic preachers."
Milton.
2. (Bot. & Zoöl.) Of or pertaining
to parasites; living on, or deriving nourishment from, some other
living animal or plant. See Parasite, 2 & 3.
Parasitic gull, Parasitic
jager. (Zoöl.) See Jager.
-- Par`a*sit"ic*al*ly, adv. --
Par`a*sit"ic*al*ness, n.
Par`a*sit"i*cide (?), n.
[Parasite + L. caedere to kill.] Anything used to
destroy parasites. Quain.
Par"a*si`tism (?), n. [Cf. F.
parasitisme.]
1. The state or behavior of a parasite; the
act of a parasite. "Court parasitism."
Milton.
2. (Bot. & Zoöl.)The state of
being parasitic.
Par"a*sol` (?), n. [F., fr. Sp. or Pg.
parasol, or It. parasole; It. parare to ward off,
Sp. & Pg. parar (L. parare to prepare) + It. sole
sun, Sp. & Pg. sol (L. sol). See Parry,
Solar.] A kind of small umbrella used by women as a
protection from the sun.
Par"a*sol`, v. t. To shade as with
a parasol. [R.]
Par`a*sol*ette" (?), n. A small
parasol.
Par`a*sphe"noid (?), a. [Pref. para-
+ sphenoid.] (Anat.) Near the sphenoid bone; -
- applied especially to a bone situated immediately beneath the
sphenoid in the base of the skull in many animals. --
n. The parasphenoid bone.
Pa*ras"ti*chy (?), n. [Pref. para-
+ Gr. &?; a row.] (Bot.) A secondary spiral in
phyllotaxy, as one of the evident spirals in a pine cone.
||Par`a*syn*ax"is (?), n. [L., fr. Gr.
&?;, from &?; to assemble illegally or secretly.] (Civil Law)
An unlawful meeting.
Par`a*syn*thet"ic (?), a. [Gr. &?;. See
Para-, and Synthetic.] Formed from a compound
word. "Parasynthetic derivatives." Dr.
Murray.
Par`a*tac"tic (?), a. (Gram.)
Of pertaining to, or characterized by, parataxis.
||Par`a*tax"is (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?;
a placing beside, fr. &?; to place beside.] (Gram.) The
mere ranging of propositions one after another, without indicating
their connection or interdependence; -- opposed to
syntax. Brande & C.
||Pa*rath"e*sis (?), n.; pl.
Paratheses (#). [NL., from Gr. &?; a putting beside,
from &?; to put beside.]
1. (Gram.) The placing of two or more
nouns in the same case; apposition.
2. (Rhet.) A parenthetical notice,
usually of matter to be afterward expanded. Smart.
3. (Print.) The matter contained within
brackets.
4. (Eccl.) A commendatory prayer.
Shipley.
Par`a*thet"ic (?), a. Of or
pertaining to parathesis.
||Pa`ra`ton`nerre" (?), n. [F., fr.
parer to parry + tonnerre thunderbolt.] A conductor
of lightning; a lightning rod.
Par*aun"ter (?), adv. [Par +
aunter.] Peradventure. See Paraventure.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
||Pa*rauque" (?), n. (Zoöl.)
A bird (Nyctidromus albicollis) ranging from Texas to
South America. It is allied to the night hawk and
goatsucker.
Par`a*vail" (?), a. [OF. par aval
below; par through (L. per) + aval down; a-
(L. ad) + val (L. vallis) a valley. Cf.
Paramount.] (Eng. Law) At the bottom; lowest.
Cowell.
&fist; In feudal law, the tenant paravail is the lowest
tenant of the fee, or he who is immediate tenant to one who holds over
of another. Wharton.
{ Par"a*vant` (?), Par"a*vant` (?), }
adv. [OF. par avant. See Par, and lst
Avaunt.]
1. In front; publicly. [Obs.]
Spenser.
2. Beforehand; first. [Obs.]
Spenser.
Par`a*ven"ture (?), adv. [Par +
aventure.] Peradventure; perchance. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Par`a*xan"thin (?), n. [Pref. Para-
+ xanthin.] (Physiol. Chem.) A crystalline
substance closely related to xanthin, present in small quantity in
urine.
Par*ax"i*al (?), a. [Pref. para-
+ axial.] (Anat.) On either side of the axis of the
skeleton.
Par`a*xy"lene (?), n. (Chem.)
A hydrocarbon of the aromatic series obtained as a colorless
liquid by the distillation of camphor with zinc chloride. It is one of
the three metamers of xylene. Cf. Metamer, and
Xylene.
Par"boil` (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Parboiled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Parboiling.] [OE. parboilen, OF. parbouillir to
cook well; par through (see Par) + bouillir to
boil, L. bullire. The sense has been influenced by E.
part. See lst Boil.] 1. To boil or
cook thoroughly. [Obs.] B. Jonson.
2. To boil in part; to cook partially by
boiling.
Par"break` (?), v. i. & t. [Par +
break.] To throw out; to vomit. [Obs.]
Skelton.
Par"break`, n. Vomit. [Obs.]
Spenser.
Par"buc`kle (?), n. (a)
A kind of purchase for hoisting or lowering a cylindrical burden,
as a cask. The middle of a long rope is made fast aloft, and both
parts are looped around the object, which rests in the loops, and
rolls in them as the ends are hauled up or payed out.
(b) A double sling made of a single rope, for
slinging a cask, gun, etc.
Par"buc`kle, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Parbuckled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Parbuckling (?).] To hoist or lower by means of a
parbuckle. Totten.
Par"cæ (?), n. pl. [L.] The
Fates. See Fate, 4.
Par*case" (?), adv. [Par +
case.] Perchance; by chance. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Par"cel (?), n. [F. parcelle a
small part, fr. (assumed) LL. particella, dim. of L.
pars. See Part, n., and cf.
Particle.] 1. A portion of anything taken
separately; a fragment of a whole; a part. [Archaic] "A
parcel of her woe." Chaucer.
Two parcels of the white of an egg.
Arbuthnot.
The parcels of the nation adopted different
forms of self-government.
J. A. Symonds.
2. (Law) A part; a portion; a piece;
as, a certain piece of land is part and parcel of another
piece.
3. An indiscriminate or indefinite number,
measure, or quantity; a collection; a group.
This youthful parcel
Of noble bachelors stand at my disposing.
Shak.
4. A number or quantity of things put up
together; a bundle; a package; a packet.
'Tis like a parcel sent you by the
stage.
Cowper.
Bill of parcels. See under 6th
Bill. -- Parcel office, an office
where parcels are received for keeping or forwarding and
delivery. -- Parcel post, that department
of the post office concerned with the collection and transmission of
parcels. -- Part and parcel. See under
Part.
Par"cel, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Parceled (?) or Parcelled; p. pr. &
vb. n. Parceling or Parcelling.]
1. To divide and distribute by parts or
portions; -- often with out or into. "Their woes
are parceled, mine are general." Shak.
These ghostly kings would parcel out my
power.
Dryden.
The broad woodland parceled into
farms.
Tennyson.
2. To add a parcel or item to; to
itemize. [R.]
That mine own servant should
Parcel the sum of my disgraces by
Addition of his envy.
Shak.
3. To make up into a parcel; as, to
parcel a customer's purchases; the machine parcels yarn,
wool, etc.
To parcel a rope (Naut.), to wind
strips of tarred canvas tightly arround it. Totten. --
To parcel a seam (Naut.), to cover it
with a strip of tarred canvas.
Par"cel, a. & adv. Part or half; in
part; partially. Shak. [Sometimes hyphened with the word
following.]
The worthy dame was parcel-blind.
Sir W. Scott.
One that . . . was parcel-bearded [partially
bearded].
Tennyson.
Parcel poet, a half poet; a poor poet.
[Obs.] B. Jonson.
Par"cel*ing, n. [Written also
parcelling.]
1. The act of dividing and distributing in
portions or parts.
2. (Naut.) Long, narrow slips of canvas
daubed with tar and wound about a rope like a bandage, before it is
served; used, also, in mousing on the stayes, etc.
Par"cel-mele` (?), adv. [See
Parcel, and Meal a part.] By parcels or
parts. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Par"ce*na*ry (?), n. [See
Parcener, partner.] (Law) The holding or
occupation of an inheritable estate which descends from the ancestor
to two or more persons; coheirship.
&fist; It differs in many respects from joint tenancy, which
is created by deed or devise. In the United States there is no
essential distinction between parcenary and tenancy in common.
Wharton. Kent.
Par"ce*ner (?), n. [Of.
parçonnier, parsonnier, fr. parzon,
parçun, parcion, part, portion, fr. L.
partitio a division. See Partition, and cf.
Partner.] (Law) A coheir, or one of two or more
persons to whom an estate of inheritance descends jointly, and by whom
it is held as one estate.
Parch (pärch), v. t. [imp.
& p. p. Parched (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Parching.] [OE. perchen to pierce, hence
used of a piercing heat or cold, OF. perchier, another form of
percier, F. percer. See Pierce.]
1. To burn the surface of; to scorch; to roast
over the fire, as dry grain; as, to parch the skin; to
parch corn.
Ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched
corn.
Lev. xxiii. 14.
2. To dry to extremity; to shrivel with heat;
as, the mouth is parched from fever.
The ground below is parched.
Dryden.
Parch, v. i. To become scorched or
superficially burnt; to be very dry. "Parch in Afric
sun." Shak.
Parch"ed*ness, n. The state of
being parched.
Par*che"si (pär*chē"z&ibreve;),
n. See Pachisi.
Parch"ing (pärch"&ibreve;ng), a.
Scorching; burning; drying. "Summer's parching
heat." Shak. -- Parch"ing*ly,
adv.
Parch"ment (-ment), n. [OE.
parchemin, perchemin, F. parchemin, LL.
pergamenum, L. pergamena, pergamina, fr. L.
Pergamenus of or belonging to Pergamus an ancient city
of Mysia in Asia Minor, where parchment was first used.]
1. The skin of a lamb, sheep, goat, young calf,
or other animal, prepared for writing on. See Vellum.
But here's a parchment with the seal of
Cæsar.
Shak.
2. The envelope of the coffee grains, inside
the pulp.
Parchment paper. See
Papyrine.
Par"ci*ty (?), n. [L. parcitas,
fr. parcus sparing.] Sparingless. [Obs.]
Par"close (?), n. [OF. See
Perclose.] (Eccl. Arch.) A screen separating a
chapel from the body of the church. [Written also
paraclose and perclose.] Hook.
Pard (pärd), n. [L. pardus,
Gr. pa`rdos; cf. Skr. p&rsdot;dāku tiger,
panther.] (Zoöl.) A leopard; a panther.
And more pinch-spotted make them
Than pard or cat o'mountain.
Shak.
Par"dale (pär"d&asl;l), n. [L.
pardalis, Gr. pa`rdalis. Cf. Pard.]
(Zoöl.) A leopard. [Obs.] Spenser.
{ Par*de" (?), Par*die" (?) }, adv. or
interj. [F. pardi, for par Dieu by God.]
Certainly; surely; truly; verily; -- originally an oath.
[Written also pardee, pardieux, perdie, etc.]
[Obs.]
He was, parde, an old fellow of
yours.
Chaucer.
Par"dine (?), a. (Zoöl.)
Spotted like a pard.
Pardine lynx (Zoöl.), a species
of lynx (Felis pardina) inhabiting Southern Europe. Its color
is rufous, spotted with black.
Par"do (?), n. [Pg. pardao, fr.
Skr. pratāpa splendor, majesty.] A money of account
in Goa, India, equivalent to about 2s. 6d. sterling. or 60
cts.
Par"don (?), n. [F., fr.
pardonner to pardon. See Pardon, v.
t.] 1. The act of pardoning;
forgiveness, as of an offender, or of an offense; release from
penalty; remission of punishment; absolution.
Pardon, my lord, for me and for my
tidings.
Shak.
But infinite in pardon was my
judge.
Milton.
Used in expressing courteous denial or contradiction; as, I crave
your pardon; or in indicating that one has not understood
another; as, I beg pardon.
2. An official warrant of remission of
penalty.
Sign me a present pardon for my
brother.
Shak.
3. The state of being forgiven.
South.
4. (Law) A release, by a sovereign, or
officer having jurisdiction, from the penalties of an offense, being
distinguished from amenesty, which is a general obliteration
and canceling of a particular line of past offenses.
Syn. -- Forgiveness; remission. See Forgiveness.
Par"don, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pardoned (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pardoning.] [Either fr. pardon, n., or from F.
pardonner, LL. perdonare; L. per through,
thoroughly, perfectly + donare to give, to present. See Par-
, and Donation.] 1. To absolve from
the consequences of a fault or the punishment of crime; to free from
penalty; -- applied to the offender.
In this thing the Lord pardon thy
servant.
2 Kings v. 18.
I pray you, pardon me; pray heartily,
pardom me.
Shak.
2. To remit the penalty of; to suffer to pass
without punishment; to forgive; -- applied to offenses.
I pray thee, pardon my sin.
1
S&?;&?;. xv. 25.
Apollo, pardon
My great profaneness 'gainst thine oracle &?;
Shak.
3. To refrain from exacting as a
penalty.
I pardon thee thy life before thou ask
it.
Shak.
4. To give leave (of departure) to.
[Obs.]
Even now about it! I will pardon
you.
Shak.
Pardon me, forgive me; excuse me; -- a phrase
used also to express courteous denial or contradiction.
Syn. -- To forgive; absolve; excuse; overlook; remit;
acquit. See Excuse.
Par"don*a*ble (?), a. [Cf. F.
pardonnable.] Admitting of pardon; not requiring the
excution of penalty; venial; excusable; -- applied to the offense or
to the offender; as, a pardonable fault, or culprit.
Par"don*a*ble*ness, n. The quality
or state of being pardonable; as, the pardonableness of
sin. Bp. Hall.
Par"don*a*bly, adv. In a manner
admitting of pardon; excusably. Dryden.
Par"don*er (?), n. 1.
One who pardons. Shak.
2. A seller of indulgences. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Par"don*ing, a. Relating to pardon;
having or exercising the right to pardon; willing to pardon; merciful;
as, the pardoning power; a pardoning God.
Pare (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pared (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Paring.] [F. parer to pare, as a horse's hoofs, to dress
or curry, as, leather, to clear, as anchors or cables, to parry, ward
off, fr. L. parare to prepare. Cf. Empire,
Parade, Pardon, Parry, Prepare.]
1. To cut off, or shave off, the superficial
substance or extremities of; as, to pare an apple; to
pare a horse's hoof.
2. To remove; to separate; to cut or shave, as
the skin, ring, or outside part, from anything; -- followed by
off or away; as; to pare off the ring of fruit;
to pare away redundancies.
3. Fig.: To diminish the bulk of; to reduce;
to lessen.
The king began to pare a little the privilege of
clergy.
Bacon.
Par`e*gor"ic (?), a. [L.
paregoricus, Gr. &?;, from &?; addressing, encouraging,
soothing; para` beside + &?; an assembly: cf. F.
parégorique. See Allegory.] Mitigating;
assuaging or soothing pain; as, paregoric elixir.
Par`e*gor"ic, n. (Med.) A
medicine that mitigates pain; an anodyne; specifically, camphorated
tincture of opium; -- called also paregoric elexir.
Pa*rel"con (?), n. [Gr. &?; to draw
aside, to be redundant; para` beside + &?; to draw.]
(Gram.) The addition of a syllable or particle to the end
of a pronoun, verb, or adverb.
Par`e*lec`tro*nom"ic (?), a.
(Physiol.) Of or relating to parelectronomy; as, the
parelectronomic part of a muscle.
Par*e`lec*tron"o*my (?), n. [Pref.
para- + electro- + Gr. &?; law.] (Physiol.)
A condition of the muscles induced by exposure to severe cold, in
which the electrical action of the muscle is reversed.
{ ||Pa*rel"la (?), ||Pa`relle (?), }
n. [Cf. F. parelle.] (Bot.)
(a) A name for two kinds of dock (Rumex
Patientia and R. Hydrolapathum). (b)
A kind of lichen (Lecanora parella) once used in dyeing
and in the preparation of litmus.
||Pa*rem"bo*le (&?;), n. [NL., from Gr.
&?; an insertion beside. See Para-, and Embolus.]
(Rhet.) A kind of parenthesis.
Pare"ment (?), n. See
Parament. [Obs.]
||Par`emp*to"sis (?), n. [NL., from Gr.
&?; a coming in beside; para` beside + &?; to fall in.]
Same as Parembole.
Pa*ren"chy*ma (?), n. [NL., from Gr.
&?;, fr. &?; to pour in beside; para` beside + &?; in + &?;
to pour: cf. F. parenchyme.] (Biol.) The soft
celluar substance of the tissues of plants and animals, like the pulp
of leaves, to soft tissue of glands, and the like.
Pa*ren"chy*mal (?), a. Of,
pertaining to, or consisting of, parenchyma.
{ Par`en*chym"a*tous (?), Pa*ren"chy*mous (?), }
a. [Cf. F. parenchymateux.] Of,
pertaining to, or connected with, the parenchyma of a tissue or an
organ; as, parenchymatous degeneration.
||Pa*ren"e*sis (?), n. [L.
paraenesis, Gr. &?;, fr. &?; to advise.]
Exhortation. [R.]
{ Par`e*net"ic (?), Par`e*net"io*al (?), }
a. [Gr. &?;: cf. F.
parénétique.] Hortatory; encouraging;
persuasive. [R.] F. Potter.
Par"ent (?), n. [L. parens, -
entis; akin to parere to bring forth; cf. Gr. &?; to give,
beget: cf. F. parent. Cf. Part.] 1.
One who begets, or brings forth, offspring; a father or a
mother.
Children, obey your parents in the
Lord.
Eph. vi. 1.
2. That which produces; cause; source; author;
begetter; as, idleness is the parent of vice.
Regular industry is the parent of
sobriety.
Channing.
Parent cell. (Biol.) See Mother
cell, under Mother, also Cytula. --
Parent nucleus (Biol.), a nucleus which,
in cell division, divides, and gives rise to two or more daughter
nuclei. See Karyokinesis, and Cell division, under
Division.
Par"ent*age (?), n. [Cf. F.
parentage relationship.] Descent from parents or
ancestors; parents or ancestors considered with respect to their rank
or character; extraction; birth; as, a man of noble
parentage. "Wilt thou deny thy parentage?"
Shak.
Though men esteem thee low of
parentage.
Milton.
Pa*ren"tal (?), a. [L.
parentalis.] 1. Of or pertaining to a
parent or to parents; as, parental authority; parental
obligations.
2. Becoming to, or characteristic of, parents;
tender; affectionate; devoted; as, parental care.
The careful course and parental provision of
nature.
Sir T. Browne.
Pa*ren"tal*ly, adv. In a parental
manner.
Par`en*ta"tion (?), n. [L.
parentatio, fr. parentare to offer a solemn sacrifice in
honor of deceased parents. See Parent.] Something done or
said in honor of the dead; obsequies. [Obs.] Abp.
Potter.
Par"en`tele` (?), n. [F.
parentèle, L. parentela.] Kinship;
parentage. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Pa*ren"the*sis (?), n.; pl.
Parentheses (#). [NL., fr. Gr. &?;, fr. &?; to put
in beside, insert; para` beside + &?; in + &?; to put,
place. See Para-, En-, 2, and Thesis.]
1. A word, phrase, or sentence, by way of
comment or explanation, inserted in, or attached to, a sentence which
would be grammatically complete without it. It is usually inclosed
within curved lines (see def. 2 below), or dashes. "Seldom
mentioned without a derogatory parenthesis." Sir T.
Browne.
Don't suffer every occasional thought to carry you away
into a long parenthesis.
Watts.
2. (Print.) One of the curved lines ()
which inclose a parenthetic word or phrase.
&fist; Parenthesis, in technical grammar, is that part of a
sentence which is inclosed within the recognized sign; but many
phrases and sentences which are punctuated by commas are logically
parenthetical. In def. 1, the phrase "by way of comment or
explanation" is inserted for explanation, and the sentence would be
grammatically complete without it. The present tendency is to avoid
using the distinctive marks, except when confusion would arise from a
less conspicuous separation.
Pa*ren"the*size (?), v. t. To make
a parenthesis of; to include within parenthetical marks.
Lowell.
{ Par`en*thet"ic (?), Par`en*thet"ic*al (?), }
a. [Cf. Gr. &?;.] 1. Of the
nature of a parenthesis; pertaining to, or expressed in, or as in, a
parenthesis; as, a parenthetical clause; a parenthetic
remark.
A parenthetical observation of Moses
himself.
Hales.
2. Using or containing parentheses.
Par`en*thet"ic*al*ly, adv. In a
parenthetical manner; by way of parenthesis; by parentheses.
Par"ent*hood (?), n. The state of a
parent; the office or character of a parent.
Pa*ren"ti*cide (?), n. [L.
parenticida a parricide; parens parent + caedere
to kill.]
1. The act of one who kills one's own
parent. [R.]
2. One who kills one's own parent; a
parricide. [R.]
Par"ent*less (?), a. Deprived of
parents.
Par*ep`i*did"y*mis (?), n. [NL. See
Para-, and Epididymis.] (Anat.) A small body
containing convoluted tubules, situated near the epididymis in man and
some other animals, and supposed to be a remnant of the anterior part
of the Wolffian body.
Par"er (?), n. [From Pare,
v. t.] One who, or that which, pares; an
instrument for paring.
||Pa*rer"gon (?), n. [L.] See
Parergy.
Par"er*gy (?), n. [L. parergon,
Gr. &?;; para` beside + &?; work.] Something
unimportant, incidental, or superfluous. [Obs.] Sir T.
Browne.
||Par"e*sis (?), n. [NL., from Gr. &?;,
fr. &?; to let go; &?; from + &?; to send.] (Med.)
Incomplete paralysis, affecting motion but not
sensation.
Par*eth"moid (?), a. [Pref. para-
+ ethmoid.] (Anat.) Near or beside the ethmoid bone
or cartilage; -- applied especially to a pair of bones in the nasal
region of some fishes, and to the ethmoturbinals in some higher
animals. -- n. A parethmoid
bone.
Pa*ret"ic (?), a. Of or pertaining
to paresis; affected with paresis.
Par*fay" (?), interj. [Par +
fay.] By my faith; verily. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Par"fit (?), a. Perfect.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
Par"fit*ly, adv. Perfectly.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
{ Par*forn" (?), Par*fourn" (?) }, v.
t. To perform. [Obs.] Chaucer. Piers
Plowman.
Par"gas*ite (?), n. [So called from
Pargas, in Finland.] (Min.) A dark green aluminous
variety of amphibole, or hornblende.
Parge"board` (?), n. See
Bargeboard.
Par"get (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pargeted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Pargeting.] [OE. pargeten, also spargeten,
sparchen; of uncertain origin.] 1. To coat
with parget; to plaster, as walls, or the interior of flues; as, to
parget the outside of their houses. Sir T.
Herbert.
The pargeted ceiling with pendants.
R. L. Stevenson.
2. To paint; to cover over. [Obs.]
Par"get, v. i. 1.
To lay on plaster.
2. To paint, as the face. [Obs.] B.
Jonson.
Par"get, n. 1.
Gypsum or plaster stone.
2. Plaster, as for lining the interior of
flues, or for stuccowork. Knight.
3. Paint, especially for the face.
[Obs.] Drayton.
Par"get*er (?), n. A
plasterer. Johnson.
Par"get*ing, n. [Written also
pargetting.] Plasterwork; esp.: (a) A kind
of decorative plasterwork in raised ornamental figures, formerly used
for the internal and external decoration of houses.
(b) In modern architecture, the plastering of the
inside of flues, intended to give a smooth surface and help the
draught.
Par"get*o*ry (?), n. Something made
of, or covered with, parget, or plaster. [Obs.]
Milton.
Par*he"lic (?), a. Of or pertaining
to parhelia.
Par*hel"ion (?), n.; pl.
Parhelia (#). [L. parelion, Gr. &?;, &?;;
para` beside + &?; the sun.] A mock sun appearing in
the form of a bright light, sometimes near the sun, and tinged with
colors like the rainbow, and sometimes opposite to the sun. The latter
is usually called an anthelion. Often several mock suns appear
at the same time. Cf. Paraselene.
||Par*he"li*um (?), n. See
Parhelion.
Par"i- (?). [L. par, paris, equal.] A
combining form signifying equal; as, paridigitate,
paripinnate.
Pa"ri*ah (?), n. [From Tamil
paraiyan, pl. paraiyar, one of the low caste, fr.
parai a large drum, because they beat the drums at certain
festivals.]
1. One of an aboriginal people of Southern
India, regarded by the four castes of the Hindoos as of very low
grade. They are usually the serfs of the Sudra agriculturalists. See
Caste. Balfour (Cyc. of India).
2. An outcast; one despised by
society.
Pariah dog (Zoöl.), a mongrel
race of half-wild dogs which act as scavengers in Oriental
cities. -- Pariah kite (Zoöl.),
a species of kite (Milvus govinda) which acts as a
scavenger in India.
Pa*ri"al (?), n. See Pair
royal, under Pair, n.
Pa"ri*an (?), a. [L. Parius.]
Of or pertaining to Paros, an island in the Ægean Sea noted
for its excellent statuary marble; as, Parian marble.
Parian chronicle, a most ancient chronicle of
the city of Athens, engraved on marble in the Isle of Paros, now among
the Arundelian marbles.
Pa"ri*an, n. 1. A
native or inhabitant of Paros.
2. A ceramic ware, resembling unglazed
porcelain biscuit, of which are made statuettes, ornaments,
etc.
||Par`i*dig`i*ta"ta (?), n. pl. [NL. See
Pari-, and Digitate.] (Zoöl.) Same as
Artiodactyla.
Par`i*dig"i*tate (?), a. (Anat.)
Having an even number of digits on the hands or the feet.
Qwen.
||Pa"ri*es (?), n.; pl.
Parietes (#). [See Parietes.]
(Zoöl.) The triangular middle part of each segment of
the shell of a barnacle.
Pa*ri"e*tal (?), a. [L.
parietalis, fr. paries, -ietis, a wall: cf. F.
pariétal. Cf. Parietary, Pellitory.]
1. Of or pertaining to a wall; hence,
pertaining to buildings or the care of them.
2. Resident within the walls or buildings of a
college.
At Harvard College, the officers resident within the
college walls constitute a permanent standing committee, called the
Parietal Committee.
B. H. Hall (1856).
3. (Anat.) (a) Of
pertaining to the parietes. (b) Of,
pertaining to, or in the region of, the parietal bones, which form the
upper and middle part of the cranium, between the frontals and
occipitals.
4. (Bot.) Attached to the main wall of
the ovary, and not to the axis; -- said of a placenta.
Pa*ri"e*tal, n. 1.
(Anat.) One of the parietal bones.
2. (Zoöl.) One of the special
scales, or plates, covering the back of the head in certain reptiles
and fishes.
Pa*ri"e*ta*ry (?), a. See
Parietal, 2.
Pa*ri"e*ta*ry, n. [L. parietaria,
fr. parietarius parietal. Cf. Pellitory,
Parietal.] (Bot.) Any one of several species of
Parietaria. See 1st Pellitory.
||Pa*ri"e*tes (?), n. pl. [L.
paries a wall.]
1. (Anat.) The walls of a cavity or an
organ; as, the abdominal parietes; the parietes of the
cranium.
2. (Bot.) The sides of an ovary or of a
capsule.
Pa`ri*et"ic (?), a. (Chem.)
Pertaining to, or designating, an acid found in the lichen
Parmelia parietina, and called also chrysophanic
acid.
Pa*ri"e*tine (?), n. [L.
parietinus parietal: cf. parietinae ruined walls.]
A piece of a fallen wall; a ruin. [Obs.]
Burton.
Pa*ri"e*to- (&?;). (Anat.) A combining form
used to indicate connection with, or relation to, the
parietal bones or the parietal segment of the skull; as, the
parieto-mastoid suture.
Pa*rig"e*nin (?), n. [Parillin +
-gen + -in.] (Chem.) A curdy white
substance, obtained by the decomposition of parillin.
Pa*ril"lin (?), n. [Shortened fr.
sarsaparillin.] (Chem.) A glucoside resembling
saponin, found in the root of sarsaparilla, smilax, etc., and
extracted as a bitter white crystalline substance; -- called also
smilacin, sarsaparilla saponin, and
sarsaparillin.
Par"ing (?), n. [From Pare,
v. t.] 1. The act of cutting
off the surface or extremites of anything.
2. That which is pared off.
Pope.
Pare off the surface of the earth, and with the
parings raise your hills.
Mortimer.
Par`i*pin"nate (?), a. [Pari- +
pinnate.] (Bot.) Pinnate with an equal number of
leaflets on each side; having no odd leaflet at the end.
Par"is (?), n. [From Paris, the
son of Priam.] (Bot.) A plant common in Europe (Paris
quadrifolia); herb Paris; truelove. It has been used as a
narcotic.
&fist; It much resembles the American genus Trillium, but
has usually four leaves and a tetramerous flower.
Par"is, n. The chief city of
France.
Paris green. See under Green,
n. -- Paris white
(Chem.), purified chalk used as a pigment; whiting; Spanish
white.
Par"ish (?), n. [OE. parishe,
paresche, parosche, OF. paroisse, parosse,
paroiche, F. paroisse, L. parochia, corrupted fr.
paroecia, Gr. &?;, fr. &?; dwelling beside or near;
para` beside + &?; a house, dwelling; akin to L.
vicus village. See Vicinity, and cf.
Parochial.]
1. (Eccl. & Eng. Law) (a)
That circuit of ground committed to the charge of one parson or
vicar, or other minister having cure of souls therein.
Cowell. (b) The same district,
constituting a civil jurisdiction, with its own officers and
regulations, as respects the poor, taxes, etc.
&fist; Populous and extensive parishes are now divided, under
various parliamentary acts, into smaller ecclesiastical districts for
spiritual purposes. Mozley & W.
2. An ecclesiastical society, usually not
bounded by territorial limits, but composed of those persons who
choose to unite under the charge of a particular priest, clergyman, or
minister; also, loosely, the territory in which the members of a
congregation live. [U. S.]
3. In Louisiana, a civil division
corresponding to a county in other States.
Par"ish, a. Of or pertaining to a
parish; parochial; as, a parish church; parish records;
a parish priest; maintained by the parish; as, parish
poor. Dryden.
Parish clerk. (a) The clerk
or recording officer of a parish. (b) A
layman who leads in the responses and otherwise assists in the service
of the Church of England. -- Parish court,
in Louisiana, a court in each parish.
Par"ish*en (?), n. A
parishioner. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Pa*rish"ion*al (?), a. Of or
pertaining to a parish; parochial. [R.] Bp. Hall.
Pa*rish"ion*er (?), n. [F.
paroissien, LL. parochianus.] One who belongs to,
or is connected with, a parish.
Pa*ri"sian (?), n. [Cf. F.
parisen.] A native or inhabitant of Paris, the capital of
France.
Pa*ri"sian, a. Of or pertaining to
Paris.
||Pa`ri`si`enne" (?), n. [F.] A
female native or resident of Paris.
Par`i*sol"o*gy (?), n. [Gr. &?; almost
equal, evenly balanced + -logy.] The use of equivocal or
ambiguous words. [R.]
{ Par`i*syl*lab"ic (?), Par`i*syl*lab"ic*al (?),
} a. [Pari- + syllabic, -ical:
cf. F. parisyllabique.] Having the same number of
syllables in all its inflections.
Par"i*tor (?), n. [Abbrev. fr.
apparitor: cf. L. paritor a servant, attendant.] An
apparitor. "Summoned by an host of paritors."
Dryden.
Par"i*to*ry (?), n.
Pellitory. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Par"i*ty (?), n. [L. paritas, fr.
par, paris, equal: cf. F. parité. See
Pair, Peer an equal.] The quality or condition of
being equal or equivalent; A like state or degree; equality; close
correspondence; analogy; as, parity of reasoning. "No
parity of principle." De Quincey.
Equality of length and parity of
numeration.
Sir T. Browne.
Park (?), n. [AS. pearroc, or
perh. rather fr. F. parc; both being of the same origin; cf.
LL. parcus, parricus, Ir. & Gael. pairc, W.
park, parwg. Cf. Paddock an inclosure,
Parrock.] 1. (Eng. Law) A piece of
ground inclosed, and stored with beasts of the chase, which a man may
have by prescription, or the king's grant. Mozley &
W.
2. A tract of ground kept in its natural
state, about or adjacent to a residence, as for the preservation of
game, for walking, riding, or the like. Chaucer.
While in the park I sing, the listening deer
Attend my passion, and forget to fear.
Waller.
3. A piece of ground, in or near a city or
town, inclosed and kept for ornament and recreation; as, Hyde
Park in London; Central Park in New York.
4. (Mil.) A space occupied by the
animals, wagons, pontoons, and materials of all kinds, as ammunition,
ordnance stores, hospital stores, provisions, etc., when brought
together; also, the objects themselves; as, a park of wagons; a
park of artillery.
5. A partially inclosed basin in which oysters
are grown. [Written also parc.]
Park of artillery. See under
Artillery. -- Park phaeton, a small,
low carriage, for use in parks.
Park, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Parked (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Parking.] 1. To inclose in a park, or as
in a park.
How are we parked, and bounded in a
pale.
Shak.
2. (Mil.) To bring together in a park,
or compact body; as, to park the artillery, the wagons,
etc.
Park"er (?), n. The keeper of a
park. Sir M. Hale.
||Par*ke"ri*a (?), n. [NL. So named from
W. K. Parker, a British zoölogist.] (Zoöl.)
A genus of large arenaceous fossil Foraminifera found in the
Cretaceous rocks. The species are globular, or nearly so, and are of
all sizes up to that of a tennis ball.
Parkes"ine (?), n. [So called from Mr.
Parkes, the inventor.] A compound, originally made from
gun cotton and castor oil, but later from different materials, and
used as a substitute for vulcanized India rubber and for ivory; --
called also xylotile.
Park"leaves` (?), n. (Bot.)
A European species of Saint John's-wort; the tutsan. See
Tutsan.
Par"lance (?), n. [OF., fr. F.
parler to speak. See Parley.] Conversation;
discourse; talk; diction; phrase; as, in legal parlance; in
common parlance.
A hate of gossip parlance and of
sway.
Tennyson.
{ ||Par*lan"do (?), ||Par*lan"te (?), }
a. & adv. [It.] (Mus.) Speaking; in a
speaking or declamatory manner; to be sung or played in the style of a
recitative.
Parle (?), v. i. [F. parler. See
Parley.] To talk; to converse; to parley. [Obs.]
Shak.
Finding himself too weak, began to
parle.
Milton.
Parle, n. Conversation; talk;
parley. [Obs.]
They ended parle, and both addressed for
fight.
Milton.
Par"ley (?), n.; pl.
Parleys (#). [F. parler speech, talk, fr.
parler to speak, LL. parabolare, fr. L. parabola
a comparison, parable, in LL., a word. See Parable, and cf.
Parliament, Parlor.] Mutual discourse or
conversation; discussion; hence, an oral conference with an enemy, as
with regard to a truce.
We yield on parley, but are stormed in
vain.
Dryden.
To beat a parley (Mil.), to beat a
drum, or sound a trumpet, as a signal for holding a conference with
the enemy.
Par"ley, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Parleyed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Parleying.] To speak with another; to confer on some point
of mutual concern; to discuss orally; hence, specifically, to confer
orally with an enemy; to treat with him by words, as on an exchange of
prisoners, an armistice, or terms of peace.
They are at hand,
To parley or to fight; therefore prepare.
Shak.
Par"lia*ment (?), n. [OE.
parlement, F. parlement, fr. parler to speak; cf.
LL. parlamentum, parliamentum. See Parley.]
1. A parleying; a discussion; a conference.
[Obs.]
But first they held their
parliament.
Rom. of R.
2. A formal conference on public affairs; a
general council; esp., an assembly of representatives of a nation or
people having authority to make laws.
They made request that it might be lawful for them to
summon a parliament of Gauls.
Golding.
3. The assembly of the three estates of the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, viz., the lords
spiritual, lords temporal, and the representatives of the commons,
sitting in the House of Lords and the House of Commons, constituting
the legislature, when summoned by the royal authority to consult on
the affairs of the nation, and to enact and repeal laws.
&fist; Thought the sovereign is a constituting branch of
Parliament, the word is generally used to denote the three estates
named above.
4. In France, before the Revolution of 1789,
one of the several principal judicial courts.
Parliament heel, the inclination of a ship
when made to careen by shifting her cargo or ballast. --
Parliament hinge (Arch.), a hinge with so
great a projection from the wall or frame as to allow a door or
shutter to swing back flat against the wall. -- Long
Parliament, Rump Parliament. See under
Long, and Rump.
Par`lia*men"tal (?), a.
Parliamentary. [Obs.]
Par`lia*men*ta"ri*an (?), a. Of or
pertaining to Parliament. Wood.
Par`lia*men*ta"ri*an, n.
1. (Eng. Hist.) One who adhered to the
Parliament, in opposition to King Charles I.
Walpole.
2. One versed in the rules and usages of
Parliament or similar deliberative assemblies; as, an accomplished
parliamentarian.
Par`lia*men"ta*ri*ly (?), adv. In a
parliamentary manner.
Par`lia*men"ta*ry (?), a. [Cf. F.
parlementaire.]
1. Of or pertaining to Parliament; as,
parliamentary authority. Bacon.
2. Enacted or done by Parliament; as, a
parliamentary act. Sir M. Hale.
3. According to the rules and usages of
Parliament or of deliberative bodies; as, a parliamentary
motion.
Parliamentary agent, a person, usually a
solicitor, professionally employed by private parties to explain and
recommend claims, bills, etc., under consideration of Parliament.
[Eng.] -- Parliamentary train, one of the trains
which, by act of Parliament, railway companies are required to run for
the conveyance of third-class passengers at a reduced rate.
[Eng.]
Par"lor (?), n. [OE. parlour,
parlur, F. parloir, LL. parlatorium. See
Parley.] [Written also parlour.] A room for
business or social conversation, for the reception of guests,
etc. Specifically: (a) The apartment in a
monastery or nunnery where the inmates are permitted to meet and
converse with each other, or with visitors and friends from
without. Piers Plowman. (b) In large
private houses, a sitting room for the family and for familiar guests,
-- a room for less formal uses than the drawing-room. Esp., in modern
times, the dining room of a house having few apartments, as a London
house, where the dining parlor is usually on the ground floor.
(c) Commonly, in the United States, a drawing-
room, or the room where visitors are received and
entertained.
&fist; "In England people who have a drawing-room no longer call it
a parlor, as they called it of old and till recently."
Fitzed. Hall.
Parlor car. See Palace car, under
Car.
Par"lous (?), a. [For perlous, a
contr. fr. perilous.] 1. Attended with
peril; dangerous; as, a parlous cough. [Archaic] "A
parlous snuffing." Beau. & Fl.
2. Venturesome; bold; mischievous; keen.
[Obs.] "A parlous boy." Shak. "A parlous wit."
Dryden. -- Par"lous*ly, adv. [Obs.]
-- Par"lous*ness, n. [Obs.]
Par`me*san" (?), a. [F. parmesan,
It. parmigiano.] Of or pertaining to Parma in
Italy.
Parmesan cheese, a kind of cheese of a rich
flavor, though from skimmed milk, made in Parma, Italy.
||Par*nas"si*a (?), n. [NL.]
(Bot.) A genus of herbs growing in wet places, and having
white flowers; grass of Parnassus.
Par*nas"sian (?), a. [L.
Parnassius.] Of or pertaining to Parnassus.
Par*nas"sian, n. [See Parnassus.]
(Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of butterflies
belonging to the genus Parnassius. They inhabit the mountains,
both in the Old World and in America.
Par*nas"sus (?), n. [L., fr. Gr. &?;.]
(Anc. Geog. & Gr. Myth.) A mountain in Greece, sacred to
Apollo and the Muses, and famous for a temple of Apollo and for the
Castalian spring.
Grass of Parnassus. (Bot.) See under
Grass, and Parnassia. -- To climb
Parnassus, to write poetry. [Colloq.]
Par`oc*cip"i*tal (?), a. [Pref. para-
+ occipital.] (Anat.) Situated near or beside
the occipital condyle or the occipital bone; paramastoid; -- applied
especially to a process of the skull in some animals.
Pa*ro"chi*al (?), a. [LL.
parochialis, from L. parochia. See Parish.]
Of or pertaining to a parish; restricted to a parish; as,
parochial duties. "Parochial pastors." Bp.
Atterbury. Hence, limited; narrow. "The parochial mind."
W. Black.
Pa*ro"chi*al*ism (?), n. The
quality or state of being parochial in form or nature; a system of
management peculiar to parishes.
Pa*ro`chi*al"i*ty (?), n. The state
of being parochial. [R.] Sir J. Marriot.
Pa*ro"chi*al*ize (?), v. t. To
render parochial; to form into parishes.
Pa*ro"chi*al*ly, adv. In a
parochial manner; by the parish, or by parishes. Bp.
Stillingfleet.
Pa*ro"chi*an (?), a. [See
Parochial, Parishioner.] Parochial. [Obs.]
"Parochian churches." Bacon.
Pa*ro"chi*an, n. [LL.
parochianus.] A parishioner. [Obs.] Ld.
Burleigh.
{ Pa*rod"ic (?), Pa*rod"ic*al (?), }
a. [Gr. &?;: cf. F. parodique.] Having
the character of parody.
Very paraphrastic, and sometimes
parodical.
T. Warton.
Par"o*dist (?), n. [Cf. F.
parodiste.] One who writes a parody; one who
parodies. Coleridge.
Par"o*dy (?), n.; pl.
Parodies (#). [L. parodia, Gr. &?;;
para` beside + &?; a song: cf. F. parodie. See
Para-, and Ode.]
1. A writing in which the language or
sentiment of an author is mimicked; especially, a kind of literary
pleasantry, in which what is written on one subject is altered, and
applied to another by way of burlesque; travesty.
The lively parody which he wrote . . . on
Dryden's "Hind and Panther" was received with great
applause.
Macaulay.
2. A popular maxim, adage, or proverb.
[Obs.]
Par"o*dy, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Parodied (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Parodying.] [Cf. F. parodier.] To write a parody
upon; to burlesque.
I have translated, or rather parodied, a poem of
Horace.
Pope.
Par"o*ket` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
See Paroquet.
Pa*rol" (?), n. [See Parole, the
same word.]
1. A word; an oral utterance. [Obs.]
2. (Law) Oral declaration; word of
mouth; also, a writing not under seal. Blackstone.
Pa*rol", a. Given or done by word
of mouth; oral; also, given by a writing not under seal; as,
parol evidence.
Parol arrest (Law), an arrest in
pursuance of a verbal order from a magistrate. -- Parol
contract (Law), any contract not of record or
under seal, whether oral or written; a simple contract.
Chitty. Story.
Pa*role" (?), n. [F. parole. See
Parley, and cf. Parol.] 1. A word;
an oral utterance. [Obs.]
2. Word of promise; word of honor; plighted
faith; especially (Mil.), promise, upon one's faith and honor,
to fulfill stated conditions, as not to bear arms against one's
captors, to return to custody, or the like.
This man had forfeited his military
parole.
Macaulay.
3. (Mil.) A watchword given only to
officers of guards; -- distinguished from countersign, which is
given to all guards.
4. (Law) Oral declaration. See lst
Parol, 2.
Pa*role", a. See 2d
Parol.
Pa*role", v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Paroled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Paroling.] (Mil.) To set at liberty on parole; as,
to parole prisoners.
Par`o*mol"o*gy (?), n. [Gr. fr. &?;, fr.
&?; to grant; &?; by, near + &?; to speak together, agree. See
Homologous.] (Rhet.) A concession to an adversary
in order to strengthen one's own argument.
||Par`o*no*ma"si*a (?), n. [L., fr. Gr.
&?;, fr. &?; to form a word by a slight change; para`
beside + &?; to name, fr. &?; a name.] (Rhet.) A play upon
words; a figure by which the same word is used in different senses, or
words similar in sound are set in opposition to each other, so as to
give antithetical force to the sentence; punning.
Dryden.
{ Par`o*no*mas"tic (?), Par`o*no*mas"tic*al (?),
} a. Of or pertaining to paronomasia;
consisting in a play upon words.
Par`o*nom"a*sy (?), n. [Cf. F.
paronomasie.] Paronomasia. [R.] B.
Jonson.
||Par`o*nych"i*a (?), n. [L., fr. Gr.
&?;; para` beside + &?;, &?;, a nail.] (Med.) A
whitlow, or felon. Quincy.
Par"o*nym (?), n. A paronymous
word. [Written also paronyme.]
Pa*ron"y*mous (?), a. [Gr. &?;;
para` beside, near + &?; a name.] 1.
Having the same derivation; allied radically; conjugate; -- said
of certain words, as man, mankind, manhood,
etc.
2. Having a similar sound, but different
orthography and different meaning; -- said of certain words, as
al&?; and awl; hair and hare,
etc.
Pa*ron"y*my, n. The quality of
being paronymous; also, the use of paronymous words.
||Par`o*öph"o*ron (?), n. [NL.,
from Gr. &?; (see Para-) + &?; an egg + &?; to bear.]
(Anat.) A small mass of tubules near the ovary in some
animals, and corresponding with the parepididymis of the
male.
Par"o*quet` (?), n. [F.
perroquet, or Sp. periquito; both prob. orig. meaning,
little Peter. See Parrot.] (Zoöl.) Same as
Parrakeet. [Written also paroket,
parroquet, and perroquet.]
Paroquet auk or auklet
(Zoöl.), a small auk (Cyclorrhynchus
psittaculus) inhabiting the coast and islands of Alaska. The upper
parts are dark slate, under parts white, bill orange red. Called also
perroquet auk.
||Pa*ror"chis (?), n. [NL. See Para-
, and Orchis.] (Anat.) The part of the
epididymis; or the corresponding part of the excretory duct of the
testicle, which is derived from the Wolffian body.
Pa*ros"te*al (?), (Physiol.) Of or pertaining
to parostosis; as, parosteal ossification.
||Par`os*to"sis (?), n. [NL. See
Para-, and Ostosis.] (Physiol.) Ossification
which takes place in purely fibrous tracts; the formation of bone
outside of the periosteum.
Par`os*tot"ic (?), a. Pertaining to
parostosis.
Pa*rot"ic (?), a. [See Parotid.]
(Anat.) On the side of the auditory capsule; near the
external ear.
Parotic region (Zoöl.), the space
around the ears.
Pa*rot"id (?), a. [L. parotis,
-idis, Gr. &?;, &?;; para` beside, near + &?;, &?;,
the ear: cf. F. parotide. ] (Anat.) (a)
Situated near the ear; -- applied especially to the salivary
gland near the ear. (b) Of, pertaining to,
or in the region of, the parotid gland.
Parotid gland (Anat.), one of the
salivary glands situated just in front of or below the ear. It is the
largest of the salivary glands in man, and its duct opens into the
interior of the mouth opposite the second molar of the upper
jaw.
Pa*rot"id, n. (Anat.) The
parotid gland.
Par`o*ti"tis (?), n. [NL. See
Parotid, and -itis.] (Med.) Inflammation of
the parotid glands.
Epidemic, or Infectious,
parotitis, mumps.
Par"o*toid (?), a. [Parotid +
-oid.] (Anat.) Resembling the parotid gland; --
applied especially to cutaneous glandular elevations above the ear in
many toads and frogs. -- n. A parotoid
gland.
||Pa*rou"si*a (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?;.
See Parusia.] (a) The nativity of our
Lord. (b) The last day.
Shipley.
||Par`o*va"ri*um (?), n. [NL. See
Para-, and Ovarium.] (Anat.) A group of
tubules, a remnant of the Wolffian body, often found near the ovary or
oviduct; the epoöphoron.
Par"ox*ysm (?), n. [F. paroxysme,
Gr. &?;, fr. &?; to sharpen, irritate; para` beside, beyond
+ &?; to sharpen, from &?; sharp.] 1. (Med.)
The fit, attack, or exacerbation, of a disease that occurs at
intervals, or has decided remissions or intermissions.
Arbuthnot.
2. Any sudden and violent emotion; spasmodic
passion or action; a convulsion; a fit.
The returning paroxysms of diffidence and
despair.
South.
Par`ox*ys"mal (?), a. Of the nature
of a paroxysm; characterized or accompanied by paroxysms; as, a
paroxysmal pain; paroxysmal temper. --
Par`ox*ys"mal*ly, adv.
Par*ox"y*tone (?), n. [Gr. &?;,
a. See Para-, and Oxytone.] (Gr.
Gram.) A word having an acute accent on the penultimate
syllable.
Par*quet" (?), n. [F. See
Parquetry.]
1. A body of seats on the floor of a music
hall or theater nearest the orchestra; but commonly applied to the
whole lower floor of a theater, from the orchestra to the dress
circle; the pit.
2. Same as Parquetry.
Par"quet*age (?), n. See
Parquetry.
Par"quet*ed, a. Formed in
parquetry; inlaid with wood in small and differently colored
figures.
One room parqueted with yew, which I liked
well.
Evelyn.
Par"quet*ry (?), n. [F.
parqueterie, fr. parquet inlaid flooring, fr.
parquet, dim. of parc an inclosure. See Park.]
A species of joinery or cabinet-work consisting of an inlay of
geometric or other patterns, generally of different colors, -- used
especially for floors.
Par*quette" (?), n. See
Parquet.
Parr (?), n. [Cf. Gael. & Ir.
bradan a salmon.] (Zoöl.) (a)
A young salmon in the stage when it has dark transverse bands; --
called also samlet, skegger, and
fingerling. (b) A young
leveret.
{ Par"ra*keet` (?), Par"a*keet` },
n. [See Paroquet.] (Zoöl.)
Any one of numerous species of small parrots having a graduated
tail, which is frequently very long; -- called also paroquet
and paraquet.
&fist; Many of the Asiatic and Australian species belong to the
genus Paleornis; others belong to Polytelis,
Platycercus, Psephotus, Euphema, and allied
genera. The American parrakeets mostly belong to the genus
Conurus, as the Carolina parrakeet (C.
Carolinensis).
{ Par"ral (?), Par"rel (?), }
n. [F. appareil. See Apparel,
n.] 1. (Naut.) The rope
or collar by which a yard or spar is held to the mast in such a way
that it may be hoisted or lowered at pleasure.
Totten.
2. A chimney-piece.
Halliwell.
||Par*ra"qua (?), n. (Zoöl.)
A curassow of the genus Ortalida, allied to the
guan.
||Par*rhe"si*a (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr.
&?;; para` beside, beyond + &?; a speaking.] (Rhet.)
Boldness or freedom of speech.
Par"ri*ci`dal (?), a. [L.
parricidalis, parricidialis. See Parricide.]
Of or pertaining to parricide; guilty of parricide.
Par"ri*cide (?), n. [F., fr. L.
parricida; pater father + caedere to kill. See
Father, Homicide, and cf. Patricide.]
1. Properly, one who murders one's own father;
in a wider sense, one who murders one's father or mother or any
ancestor.
2. [L. parricidium.] The act or crime
of murdering one's own father or any ancestor.
Par`ri*cid"i*ous (?), a.
Parricidal. [Obs.]
Par"rock (?), n. [AS. pearruc,
pearroc. See Park.] A croft, or small field; a
paddock. [Prov. Eng.]
Par"rot (?), n. [Prob. fr. F.
Pierrot, dim. of Pierre Peter. F. pierrot is also
the name of the sparrow. Cf. Paroquet, Petrel,
Petrify.] 1. (Zoöl.) In a
general sense, any bird of the order Psittaci.
2. (Zoöl.) Any species of
Psittacus, Chrysotis, Pionus, and other genera of
the family Psittacidæ, as distinguished from the
parrakeets, macaws, and lories. They have a short rounded or even
tail, and often a naked space on the cheeks. The gray parrot, or jako
(P. erithacus) of Africa (see Jako), and the species of
Amazon, or green, parrots (Chrysotis) of America, are examples.
Many species, as cage birds, readily learn to imitate sounds, and to
repeat words and phrases.
Carolina parrot (Zoöl.), the
Carolina parrakeet. See Parrakeet. -- Night
parrot, or Owl parrot. (Zoöl.)
See Kakapo. -- Parrot coal,
cannel coal; -- so called from the crackling and chattering sound
it makes in burning. [Eng. & Scot.] -- Parrot
green. (Chem.) See Scheele's green, under
Green, n. -- Parrot
weed (Bot.), a suffrutescent plant (Bocconia
frutescens) of the Poppy family, native of the warmer parts of
America. It has very large, sinuate, pinnatifid leaves, and small,
panicled, apetalous flowers. -- Parrot wrasse,
Parrot fish (Zoöl.), any fish of the
genus Scarus. One species (S. Cretensis), found in the
Mediterranean, is esteemed by epicures, and was highly prized by the
ancient Greeks and Romans.
Par"rot, v. t. To repeat by rote,
as a parrot.
Par"rot, v. i. To chatter like a
parrot.
Par"rot*er (?), n. One who simply
repeats what he has heard. [R.] J. S. Mill.
Par"rot*ry (?), n. Servile
imitation or repetition. [R.] Coleridge. "The supine
parrotry." Fitzed. Hall.
Par"rot's-bill` (?), n. [So called from
the resemblance of its curved superior petal to a parrot's bill.]
(Bot.) The glory pea. See under Glory.
Par"ry (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Parried (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Parrying.] [F. paré, p. p. of parer. See
Pare, v. t.]
1. To ward off; to stop, or to turn aside; as,
to parry a thrust, a blow, or anything that means or threatens
harm. Locke.
Vice parries wide
The undreaded volley with a sword of straw.
Cowper.
2. To avoid; to shift or put off; to
evade.
The French government has parried the payment of
our claims.
E. Everett.
Par"ry, v. i. To ward off, evade,
or turn aside something, as a blow, argument, etc.
Locke.
Par"ry, n.; pl.
Parries (&?;). A warding off of a thrust or
blow, as in sword and bayonet exercises or in boxing; hence,
figuratively, a defensive movement in debate or other intellectual
encounter.
Parse (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Parsed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Parsing.] [L. pars a part; pars orationis a part
of speech. See Part, n.] (Gram.)
To resolve into its elements, as a sentence, pointing out the
several parts of speech, and their relation to each other by
government or agreement; to analyze and describe
grammatically.
Let him construe the letter into English, and
parse it over perfectly.
Ascham.
Par"see (?), n. [Hind. & Per.
pārsī a Persian, a follower of Zoroaster, a fire
worshiper. Cf. Persian.]
1. One of the adherents of the Zoroastrian or
ancient Persian religion, descended from Persian refugees settled in
India; a fire worshiper; a Gheber.
2. The Iranian dialect of much of the
religious literature of the Parsees.
Par"see*ism (?), n. The religion
and customs of the Parsees.
Pars"er (?), n. One who
parses.
Par`si*mo"ni*ous (?), a. [Cf. F.
parcimonieux. See Parsimony.] Exhibiting parsimony;
sparing in expenditure of money; frugal to excess; penurious;
niggardly; stingy. -- Par`si*mo"ni*ous*ly,
adv. -- Par`si*mo"ni*ous*ness,
n.
A prodigal king is nearer a tyrant than a
parsimonious.
Bacon.
Extraordinary funds for one campaign may spare us the
expense of many years; whereas a long, parsimonious war will
drain us of more men and money.
Addison.
Syn. -- Covetous; niggardly; miserly; penurious; close;
saving; mean; stingy; frugal. See Avaricious.
Par"si*mo*ny (?), n. [L.
parsimonia, parcimonia; cf. parcere to spare,
parsus sparing: cf. F. parcimonie.] Closeness or
sparingness in the expenditure of money; -- generally in a bad sense;
excessive frugality; niggardliness. Bacon.
Awful parsimony presided generally at the
table.
Thackeray.
Syn. -- Economy; frugality; illiberality; covetousness;
closeness; stinginess. See Economy.
Pars"ley (?), n. [OE. persely,
persil, F. persil, L. petroselinum rock parsley,
Gr. &?;; &?; stone + &?; parsley. Cf. Celery.] (Bot.)
An aromatic umbelliferous herb (Carum Petroselinum),
having finely divided leaves which are used in cookery and as a
garnish.
As she went to the garden for parsley, to stuff
a rabbit.
Shak.
Fool's parsley. See under Fool. -
- Hedge parsley, Milk parsley,
Stone parsley, names given to various weeds of
similar appearance to the parsley. -- Parsley
fern (Bot.), a small fern with leaves resembling
parsley (Cryptogramme crispa). -- Parsley
piert (Bot.), a small herb (Alchemilla
arvensis) formerly used as a remedy for calculus.
Pars"nip (?), n. [OE. parsnepe,
from a French form, fr. L. pastinaca; cf. pastinare to
dig up, pastinum a kind of dibble; cf. OF. pastenade,
pastenaque.] (Bot.) The aromatic and edible
spindle-shaped root of the cultivated form of the Pastinaca
sativa, a biennial umbelliferous plant which is very poisonous in
its wild state; also, the plant itself.
Cow parsnip. See Cow parsnip. --
Meadow parsnip, the European cow parsnip. -
- Poison parsnip, the wild stock of the
parsnip. -- Water parsnip, any plant of the
umbelliferous genus Sium, the species of which are
poisonous.
Par"son (?), n. [OE. persone
person, parson, OF. persone, F. personne person, LL.
persona (sc. ecclesiae), fr. L. persona a person.
See Person.]
1. (Eng. Eccl. Law) A person who
represents a parish in its ecclesiastical and corporate capacities;
hence, the rector or incumbent of a parochial church, who has full
possession of all the rights thereof, with the cure of
souls.
2. Any clergyman having ecclesiastical
preferment; one who is in orders, or is licensed to preach; a
preacher.
He hears the parson pray and
preach.
Longfellow.
Parson bird (Zoöl.), a New
Zealand bird (Prosthemadera Novæseelandiæ)
remarkable for its powers of mimicry and its ability to articulate
words. Its color is glossy black, with a curious tuft of long, curly,
white feathers on each side of the throat. It is often kept as a cage
bird.
Par"son*age (?), n. 1.
(Eng. Eccl. Law) A certain portion of lands, tithes, and
offerings, for the maintenance of the parson of a parish.
2. The glebe and house, or the house only,
owned by a parish or ecclesiastical society, and appropriated to the
maintenance or use of the incumbent or settled pastor.
3. Money paid for the support of a
parson. [Scot.]
What have I been paying stipend and teind,
parsonage and vicarage, for?
Sir W.
Scott.
Par"soned (?), a. Furnished with a
parson.
{ Par*son"ic (?), Par*son"ic*al (?), }
a. Of or pertaining to a parson;
clerical.
Vainglory glowed in his parsonic
heart.
Colman.
-- Par*son"ic*al*ly, adv.
Par"son*ish (?), a. Appropriate to,
or like, a parson; -- used in disparagement. [Colloq.]
Part (?), n. [F. part, L.
pars, gen. partis; cf. parere to bring forth,
produce. Cf. Parent, Depart, Parcel,
Partner, Party, Portion.] 1.
One of the portions, equal or unequal, into which anything is
divided, or regarded as divided; something less than a whole; a
number, quantity, mass, or the like, regarded as going to make up,
with others, a larger number, quantity, mass, etc., whether actually
separate or not; a piece; a fragment; a fraction; a division; a
member; a constituent.
And kept back part of the price, . . . and
brought a certain part and laid it at the
apostles'feet.
Acts v. 2.
Our ideas of extension and number -- do they not
contain a secret relation of the parts ?
Locke.
I am a part of all that I have met.
Tennyson.
2. Hence, specifically: (a) An
equal constituent portion; one of several or many like quantities,
numbers, etc., into which anything is divided, or of which it is
composed; proportional division or ingredient.
An homer is the tenth part of an
ephah.
Ex. xvi. 36.
A thought which, quartered, hath but one part
wisdom,
And ever three parts coward.
Shak.
(b) A constituent portion of a living or
spiritual whole; a member; an organ; an essential element.
All the parts were formed . . . into one
harmonious body.
Locke.
The pulse, the glow of every part.
Keble.
(c) A constituent of character or capacity;
quality; faculty; talent; -- usually in the plural with a collective
sense. "Men of considerable parts." Burke. "Great
quickness of parts." Macaulay.
Which maintained so politic a state of evil, that they
will not admit any good part to intermingle with
them.
Shak.
(d) Quarter; region; district; -- usually in
the plural. "The uttermost part of the heaven." Neh.
i. 9.
All parts resound with tumults, plaints, and
fears.
Dryden.
(e) (Math.) Such portion of any
quantity, as when taken a certain number of times, will exactly make
that quantity; as, 3 is a part of 12; -- the opposite of
multiple. Also, a line or other element of a geometrical
figure.
3. That which belongs to one, or which is
assumed by one, or which falls to one, in a division or apportionment;
share; portion; lot; interest; concern; duty; office.
We have no part in David.
2 Sam.
xx. 1.
Accuse not Nature! she hath done her part;
Do thou but thine.
Milton.
Let me bear
My part of danger with an equal share.
Dryden.
4. Hence, specifically: (a)
One of the opposing parties or sides in a conflict or a
controversy; a faction.
For he that is not against us is on our
part.
Mark ix. 40.
Make whole kingdoms take her brother's
part.
Waller.
(b) A particular character in a drama or a
play; an assumed personification; also, the language, actions, and
influence of a character or an actor in a play; or, figuratively, in
real life. See To act a part, under Act.
That part
Was aptly fitted and naturally performed.
Shak.
It was a brute part of him to kill so capital a
calf.
Shak.
Honor and shame from no condition rise;
Act well your part, there all the honor lies.
Pope.
(c) (Mus.) One of the different
melodies of a concerted composition, which heard in union compose its
harmony; also, the music for each voice or instrument; as, the treble,
tenor, or bass part; the violin part, etc.
For my part, so far as concerns me; for my
share. -- For the most part. See under
Most, a. -- In good
part, as well done; favorably; acceptably; in a friendly
manner. Hooker. -- In ill part,
unfavorably; with displeasure. -- In part,
in some degree; partly. -- Part and parcel,
an essential or constituent portion; -- a reduplicative phrase.
Cf. might and main, kith and kin, etc. "She was . .
. part and parcel of the race and place." Howitt. --
Part of speech (Gram.), a sort or class
of words of a particular character; thus, the noun is a part of
speech denoting the name of a thing; the verb is a part of
speech which asserts something of the subject of a sentence.
-- Part owner (Law), one of several
owners or tenants in common. See Joint tenant, under
Joint. -- Part singing, singing in
which two or more of the harmonic parts are taken. --
Part song, a song in two or more (commonly four)
distinct vocal parts. "A part song differs from a madrigal
in its exclusion of contrapuntual devices; from a glee, in its being
sung by many voices, instead of by one only, to each part." Stainer
& Barrett.
Syn. -- Portion; section; division; fraction; fragment;
piece; share; constituent. See Portion, and Section.
Part (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Parted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Parting.] [F. partir, L. partire, partiri,
p. p. partitus, fr. pars, gen. partis, a part.
See Part, n.]
1. To divide; to separate into distinct parts;
to break into two or more parts or pieces; to sever. "Thou shalt
part it in pieces." Lev. ii. 6.
There, [celestial love] parted into rainbow
hues.
Keble.
2. To divide into shares; to divide and
distribute; to allot; to apportion; to share.
To part his throne, and share his heaven with
thee.
Pope.
They parted my raiment among them.
John xix. 24.
3. To separate or disunite; to cause to go
apart; to remove from contact or contiguity; to sunder.
The Lord do so to me, and more also, if aught but death
part thee and me.
Ruth i. 17.
While he blessed them, he was parted from them,
and carried up into heaven.
Luke xxiv. 51.
The narrow seas that part
The French and English.
Shak.
4. Hence: To hold apart; to stand between; to
intervene betwixt, as combatants.
The stumbling night did part our weary
powers.
Shak.
5. To separate by a process of extraction,
elimination, or secretion; as, to part gold from
silver.
The liver minds his own affair, . . .
And parts and strains the vital juices.
Prior.
6. To leave; to quit. [Obs.]
Since presently your souls must part your
bodies.
Shak.
To part a cable (Naut.), to break
it. -- To part company, to separate, as
travelers or companions.
Part, v. i. 1. To
be broken or divided into parts or pieces; to break; to become
separated; to go asunder; as, rope parts; his hair parts
in the middle.
2. To go away; to depart; to take leave; to
quit each other; hence, to die; -- often with from.
He wrung Bassanio's hand, and so they
parted.
Shak.
He owned that he had parted from the duke only a
few hours before.
Macaulay.
His precious bag, which he would by no means
part from.
G. Eliot.
3. To perform an act of parting; to relinquish
a connection of any kind; -- followed by with or
from.
Celia, for thy sake, I part
With all that grew so near my heart.
Waller.
Powerful hands . . . will not part
Easily from possession won with arms.
Milton.
It was strange to him that a father should feel no
tenderness at parting with an only son.
A.
Trollope.
4. To have a part or share; to partake.
[Obs.] "They shall part alike." 1 Sam. xxx. 24.
Part, adv. Partly; in a
measure. [R.] Shak.
Part"a*ble (?), a. See
Partible. Camden.
Part"age (?), n. [F. See Part,
v. & n.]
1. Division; the act of dividing or
sharing. [Obs.] Fuller.
2. Part; portion; share. [Obs.]
Ford.
Par*take" (?), v. i.
[imp. Partook (?); p. p.
Partaken (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n.
Partaking.] [Part + take.]
1. To take a part, portion, lot, or share, in
common with others; to have a share or part; to participate; to share;
as, to partake of a feast with others. "Brutes
partake in this faculty." Locke.
When I against myself with thee
partake.
Shak.
2. To have something of the properties,
character, or office; -- usually followed by of.
The attorney of the Duchy of Lancaster partakes
partly of a judge, and partly of an attorney-general.
Bacon.
Par*take" (?), v. t. 1.
To partake of; to have a part or share in; to share.
Let every one partake the general
joy.
Driden.
2. To admit to a share; to cause to
participate; to give a part to. [Obs.] Spencer.
3. To distribute; to communicate. [Obs.]
Shak.
Par*tak"er (?), n. 1.
One who partakes; a sharer; a participator.
Partakers of their spiritual
things.
Rom. xv. 27.
Wish me partaker in my happiness.
Shark.
2. An accomplice; an associate; a
partner. [Obs.]
Partakers wish them in the blood of the
prophets.
Matt. xxiii. 30.
Par"tan (?), n. [Cf. Ir. & Gael.
partan.] (Zoöl.) An edible British crab.
[Prov. Eng.]
Part"ed (?), a. 1.
Separated; devided.
2. Endowed with parts or abilities.
[Obs.] B. Jonson.
3. (Bot.) Cleft so that the divisions
reach nearly, but not quite, to the midrib, or the base of the blade;
-- said of a leaf, and used chiefly in composition; as, three-
parted, five-parted, etc. Gray.
Part"er (?), n. One who, or which,
parts or separates. Sir P. Sidney.
Par*terre" (?), n. [F., fr. par
on, by (L. per)+terre earth, ground, L. terra.
See Terrace.] 1. (Hort.) An
ornamental and diversified arrangement of beds or plots, in which
flowers are cultivated, with intervening spaces of gravel or turf for
walking on.
2. The pit of a theater; the parquet.
[France]
Par*the"ni*ad (?), n. [See
Parthenic.] A poem in honor of a virgin. [Obs.]
Par*then"ic (?), a. [Gr. &?;, fr. &?; a
maid, virgin.] Of or pertaining to the Spartan Partheniæ,
or sons of unmarried women.
Par`the*no*gen"e*sis (?), n. [Gr.
parqe`nos a virgin + E. genesis.] 1.
(Biol.) The production of new individuals from virgin
females by means of ova which have the power of developing without the
intervention of the male element; the production, without
fertilization, of cells capable of germination. It is one of the
phenomena of alternate generation. Cf. Heterogamy, and
Metagenesis.
2. (Bot.) The production of seed
without fertilization, believed to occur through the nonsexual
formation of an embryo extraneous to the embrionic vesicle.
Par`the*no*ge*net"ic, a. (Biol.)
Of, pertaining to, or produced by, parthenogenesis; as,
parthenogenetic forms. --
Par`the*no*ge*net"ic*al*ly, adv.
Par`the*no*gen"i*tive (?), a.
(Biol.) Parthenogenetic.
Par`the*nog"e*ny (?), n. (Biol.)
Same as Parthenogenesis.
Par"the*non (?), n. [L., fr. Gr.
Parqenw`n, fr.parqe`nos a virgin, i. e., Athene,
the Greek goddess called also Pallas.] A celebrated marble temple
of Athene, on the Acropolis at Athens. It was of the pure Doric order,
and has had an important influence on art.
||Par*then"o*pe (pär*th&ebreve;n"&osl;*pē),
n. [L., the name of a Siren, fr. Gr.
Parqeno`pn.] 1. (Gr. Myth.) One
of the Sirens, who threw herself into the sea, in despair at not being
able to beguile Ulysses by her songs.
2. One of the asteroids between Mars and
Jupiter, discovered by M. de Gasparis in 1850.
Par"thi*an (?), a. Of or pertaining
to ancient Parthia, in Asia. -- n. A
native of Parthia.
Parthian arrow, an arrow discharged at an
enemy when retreating from him, as was the custom of the ancient
Parthians; hence, a parting shot.
Par"tial (?), a. [F., fr. LL.
partials, fr. L. pars, gen. partis, a part; cf.
(for sense 1) F. partiel. See Part,
n.] 1. Of, pertaining to, or
affecting, a part only; not general or universal; not total or entire;
as, a partial eclipse of the moon. "Partial
dissolutions of the earth." T. Burnet.
2. Inclined to favor one party in a cause, or
one side of a question, more then the other; baised; not indifferent;
as, a judge should not be partial.
Ye have been partial in the law.
Mal. ii. 9.
3. Having a predelection for; inclined to
favor unreasonably; foolishly fond. "A partial parent."
Pope.
Not partial to an ostentatious
display.
Sir W. Scott.
4. (Bot.) Pertaining to a subordinate
portion; as, a compound umbel is made up of a several partial
umbels; a leaflet is often supported by a partial
petiole.
Partial differentials, Partial
differential coefficients, Partial
differentiation, etc. (of a function of two or more
variables), the differentials, differential coefficients,
differentiation etc., of the function, upon the hypothesis that some
of the variables are for the time constant. -- Partial
fractions (Alg.), fractions whose sum equals a
given fraction. -- Partial tones
(Music), the simple tones which in combination form an
ordinary tone; the overtones, or harmonics, which, blending with a
fundamental tone, cause its special quality of sound, or
timbre, or tone color. See, also, Tone.
Par"tial*ism (?), n. Partiality;
specifically (Theol.), the doctrine of the
Partialists.
Par"tial*ist n. 1.
One who is partial. [R.]
2. (Theol.) One who holds that the
atonement was made only for a part of mankind, that is, for the
elect.
Par`ti*al"i*ty (?; 277), n. [Cf. F.
partialité.] 1. The quality or
state of being partial; inclination to favor one party, or one side of
a question, more than the other; undue bias of mind.
2. A predilection or inclination to one thing
rather than to others; special taste or liking; as, a
partiality for poetry or painting. Roget.
Par"tial*ize (?), v. t. & i. To
make or be partial. [R.]
Par"tial*ly adv. 1.
In part; not totally; as, partially true; the sun
partially eclipsed. Sir T. Browne.
2. In a partial manner; with undue bias of
mind; with unjust favor or dislike; as, to judge
partially. Shak.
Part`i*bil"i*ty (?), n. [From
Partible.] The quality or state of being partible;
divisibility; separability; as, the partibility of an
inherttance.
Part"i*ble (?), a. [L.
partibilis, fr. partire to part, divide, fr. L.
pars: cf. F. partible. See Part.] Admitting
of being parted; divisible; separable; susceptible of severance or
partition; as, an estate of inheritance may be partible.
"Make the molds partible." Bacon.
Par*tic"i*pa*ble (?), a. Capable of
being participated or shared. [R.] Norris.
Par*tic"i*pant (?), a. [L.
participans, p. pr. of participare: cf. F.
participant. See Participate.] Sharing;
participating; having a share of part. Bacon.
Par*tic"i*pant, n. A participator;
a partaker.
Participants in their . . . mysterious
rites.
Bp. Warburton.
Par*tic"i*pant*ly, adv. In a
participant manner.
Par*tic"i*pate (?), a. [L.
participatus, p. p. of participare to participate;
pars, partis, part + capere to take. See
Part, and Capacious.] Acting in common;
participating. [R.] Shak.
Par*tic"i*pate (?), v. i. [imp.
& p. p. Participated (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Participating.] To have a share in common
with others; to take a part; to partake; -- followed by in,
formely by of; as, to participate in a debate.
Shak.
So would he participateof their
wants.
Hayward.
Mine may come when men
With angels may participate.
Milton.
Par*tic"i*pate, v. t. 1.
To partake of; to share in; to receive a part of. [R.]
Fit to participate all rational
delight.
Milton.
2. To impart, or give, or share of.
[Obs.] Drayton.
Par*tic`i*pa"tion (?), n. [F.
participation, L. participatio.] 1.
The act or state of participating, or sharing in common with
others; as, a participation in joy or sorrows.
These deities are so by
participation.
Bp. Stillingfleet.
What an honor, that God should admit us into such a
blessed participation of himself!
Atterbury.
2. Distribution; division into shares.
[Obs.] Raleigh.
3. community; fellowship; association.
[Obs.] Shak.
Par*tic"i*pa*tive (?), a. [Cf. F.
participatif.] Capable of participating.
Par*tic"i*pa`tor (?), n. [L.] One
who participates, or shares with another; a partaker.
Par`ti*cip"i*al (?), a. [L.
participialis: cf. E. participal. See
Participle.] Having, or partaking of, the nature and use
of a participle; formed from a participle; as, a participial
noun. Lowth.
Par`ti*cip"i*al, n. A participial
word.
Par`ti*cip"i*al*ize (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Participialized (?); p.
pr. & vb. n. Participializing.] To form into, or
put in the form of, a participle. [R.]
Par`ti*cip"i*al*ly, adv. In the
sense or manner of a participle.
Par"ti*ci*ple (?), n. [F.
participe, L. participium, fr. particeps sharing,
participant; pars, gen. partis, a part + capere to take.
See Participate.] 1. (Gram.) A part
of speech partaking of the nature both verb and adjective; a form of a
verb, or verbal adjective, modifying a noun, but taking the adjuncts
of the verb from which it is derived. In the sentences: a letter is
written; being asleep he did not hear; exhausted
by toil he will sleep soundly, -- written, being, and
exhaustedare participles.
By a participle, [I understand] a verb in an
adjectival aspect.
Earle.
&fist; Present participles, called also imperfect, or
incomplete, participles, end in -ing. Past
participles, called also perfect, or complete,
participles, for the most part end in -ed, -d,
-t, -en, or -n. A participle when used merely as
an attribute of a noun, without reference to time, is called an
adjective, or a participial adjective; as, a
written constitution; a rolling stone; the
exhausted army. The verbal noun in -ing has the form of
the present participle. See Verbal noun, under Verbal,
a.
2. Anything that partakes of the nature of
different things. [Obs.]
The participles or confines between plants and
living creatures.
Bacon.
Par"ti*cle (?), n. [L. particula,
dim of pars, gen partis, a part: cf. F.
particule. See Part, and cf. Parcel.]
1. A minute part or portion of matter; a morsel;
a little bit; an atom; a jot; as, a particle of sand, of wood,
of dust.
The small size of atoms which unite
To make the smallest particle of light.
Blackmore.
2. Any very small portion or part; the
smallest portion; as, he has not a particle of patriotism or
virtue.
The houses had not given their commissioners authority
in the least particle to recede.
Clarendon.
3. (R. C. Ch.) (a) A
crumb or little piece of concecrated host. (b)
The smaller hosts distributed in the communion of the
laity. Bp. Fitzpatrick.
4. (Gram.) A subordinate word that is
never inflected (a preposition, conjunction, interjection); or a word
that can not be used except in compositions; as, ward in
backward, ly in lovely.
Par"ti*col`ored, a. Same as
Party-colored.
Par*tic"u*lar (?), a. [OE.
particuler, F. particulier, L. particularis. See
Particle.] 1. Relating to a part or
portion of anything; concerning a part separated from the whole or
from others of the class; separate; sole; single; individual;
specific; as, the particular stars of a constellation.
Shak.
[/Make] each particular hair to stand an
end,
Like quills upon the fretful porpentine.
Shak.
Seken in every halk and every herne
Particular sciences for to lerne.
Chaucer.
2. Of or pertaining to a single person, class,
or thing; belonging to one only; not general; not common; hence,
personal; peculiar; singular. "Thine own particular
wrongs." Shak.
Wheresoever one plant draweth such a particular
juice out of the earth.
Bacon.
3. Separate or distinct by reason of
superiority; distinguished; important; noteworthy; unusual; special;
as, he brought no particular news; she was the
particular belle of the party.
4. Concerned with, or attentive to, details;
minute; circumstantial; precise; as, a full and particular
account of an accident; hence, nice; fastidious; as, a man
particular in his dress.
5. (Law) (a) Containing
a part only; limited; as, a particular estate, or one precedent
to an estate in remainder. (b) Holding a
particular estate; as, a particular tenant.
Blackstone.
6. (Logic) Forming a part of a genus;
relatively limited in extension; affirmed or denied of a part of a
subject; as, a particular proposition; -- opposed to
universal: e. g. (particular affirmative) Some men are
wise; (particular negative) Some men are not wise.
Particular average. See under
Average. -- Particular Baptist, one
of a branch of the Baptist denomination the members of which hold the
doctrine of a particular or individual election and reprobation.
-- Particular lien (Law), a lien, or a
right to retain a thing, for some charge or claim growing out of, or
connected with, that particular thing. -- Particular
redemption, the doctrine that the purpose, act, and
provisions of redemption are restricted to a limited number of the
human race. See Calvinism.
Syn. -- Minute; individual; respective; appropriate;
peculiar; especial; exact; specific; precise; critical;
circumstantial. See Minute.
Par*tic"u*lar (?), n. 1.
A separate or distinct member of a class, or part of a whole; an
individual fact, point, circumstance, detail, or item, which may be
considered separately; as, the particulars of a
story.
Particulars which it is not lawful for me to
reveal.
Bacon.
It is the greatest interest of particulars to
advance the good of the community.
L'Estrange.
2. Special or personal peculiarity, trait, or
character; individuality; interest, etc. [Obs.]
For his particular I'll receive him
gladly.
Shak.
If the particulars of each person be
considered.
Milton.
Temporal blessings, whether such as concern the public
. . . or such as concern our particular.
Whole
Duty of Man.
3. (Law) One of the details or items of
grounds of claim; -- usually in the pl.; also, a bill of
particulars; a minute account; as, a particular of
premises.
The reader has a particular of the books wherein
this law was written.
Ayliffe.
Bill of particulars. See under Bill. -
- In particular, specially; peculiarly. "This,
in particular, happens to the lungs." Blackmore. --
To go into particulars, to relate or describe in
detail or minutely.
Par*tic"u*lar*ism (?), n. [Cf. F.
particularisme.] 1. A minute description;
a detailed statement. [R.]
2. (Theol.) The doctrine of particular
election.
3. (German Politics) Devotion to the
interests of one's own kingdom or province rather than to those of the
empire.
Par*tic"u*lar*ist, n. [Cf. F.
particulariste.] One who holds to particularism. --
Par*tic`u*lar*is"tic, a.
Par*tic`u*lar"i*ty (?), n.; pl.
Particularities (#). [Cf. F.
particularité.] 1. The state or
quality of being particular; distinctiveness; circumstantiality;
minuteness in detail.
2. That which is particular; as:
(a) Peculiar quality; individual characteristic;
peculiarity. "An old heathen altar with this
particularity." Addison. (b)
Special circumstance; minute detail; particular. "Even
descending to particularities." Sir P. Sidney.
(c) Something of special or private concern or
interest.
Let the general trumpet blow his blast,
Particularities and petty sounds
To cease!
Shak.
Par*tic`u*lar*i*za"tion (?), n. The
act of particularizing. Coleridge.
Par*tic"u*lar*ize (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Particularized (?); p.
pr. & vb. n. Particularizing (?).] [Cf. F.
particulariser.] To give as a particular, or as the
particulars; to mention particularly; to give the particulars of; to
enumerate or specify in detail.
He not only boasts of his parentage as an Israelite,
but particularizes his descent from Benjamin.
Atterbury.
Par*tic"u*lar*ize, v. i. To mention
or attend to particulars; to give minute details; to be
circumstantial; as, to particularize in a narrative.
Par*tic"u*lar*ly, adv.
1. In a particular manner; expressly; with a
specific reference or interest; in particular; distinctly.
2. In an especial manner; in a high degree;
as, a particularly fortunate man; a particularly bad
failure.
The exact propriety of Virgil I particularly
regarded as a great part of his character.
Dryden.
Par*tic"u*lar*ment (?), n. A
particular; a detail. [Obs.]
Par*tic"u*late (?), v. t. & i. [See
Particle.] To particularize. [Obs.]
Par*tic"u*late (?), a.
1. Having the form of a particle.
2. Referring to, or produced by, particles,
such as dust, minute germs, etc. [R.]
The smallpox is a particulate
disease.
Tyndall.
Par"ting (?), a. [From Part,
v.] 1. Serving to part;
dividing; separating.
2. Given when departing; as, a parting
shot; a parting salute. "Give him that parting
kiss." Shak.
3. Departing. "Speed the parting
guest." Pope.
4. Admitting of being parted;
partible.
Parting fellow, a partner. [Obs.]
Chaucer. -- Parting pulley. See under
Pulley. -- Parting sand
(Founding), dry, nonadhesive sand, sprinkled upon the
partings of a mold to facilitate the separation. --
Parting strip (Arch.), in a sash window,
one of the thin strips of wood let into the pulley stile to keep the
sashes apart; also, the thin piece inserted in the window box to
separate the weights. -- Parting tool
(Mach.), a thin tool, used in turning or planing, for
cutting a piece in two.
Par"ting (?), n. 1.
The act of parting or dividing; the state of being parted;
division; separation. "The parting of the way." Ezek.
xxi. 21.
2. A separation; a leave-taking.
Shak.
And there were sudden partings, such as
press
The life from out young hearts.
Byron.
3. A surface or line of separation where a
division occurs.
4. (Founding) The surface of the sand
of one section of a mold where it meets that of another
section.
5. (Chem.) The separation and
determination of alloys; esp., the separation, as by acids, of gold
from silver in the assay button.
6. (Geol.) A joint or fissure, as in a
coal seam.
7. (Naut.) The breaking, as of a cable,
by violence.
8. (Min.) Lamellar separation in a
crystallized mineral, due to some other cause than cleavage, as to the
presence of twinning lamellæ.
Par"ti*san (?), n. [F., fr. It.
partigiano. See Party, and cf. Partisan a
truncheon.] [Written also partizan.] 1. An
adherent to a party or faction; esp., one who is strongly and
passionately devoted to a party or an interest. "The violence of
a partisan." Macaulay.
Both sides had their partisans in the
colony.
Jefferson.
2. (Mil.) (a) The
commander of a body of detached light troops engaged in making forays
and harassing an enemy. (b) Any member of
such a corps.
Par"ti*san, a. [Written also
partizan.] 1. Adherent to a party or
faction; especially, having the character of blind, passionate, or
unreasonable adherence to a party; as, blinded by partisan
zeal.
2. (Mil.) Serving as a partisan in a
detached command; as, a partisan officer or corps.
Partisan ranger (Mil.), a member of a
partisan corps.
Par"ti*san, n. [F. pertuisane,
prob. fr. It. partigiana, influenced in French by OF.
pertuisier to pierce. It was prob. so named as the weapon of
some partisans, or party men. Cf. Partisan one of a
corps of light troops.] A kind of halberd or pike; also, a
truncheon; a staff.
And make him with our pikes and partisans a
grave.
Shak.
Par"ti*san*ship, n. The state of
being a partisan, or adherent to a party; feelings or conduct
appropriate to a partisan.
||Par*ti"ta (?), n. [It.] (Mus.)
A suite; a set of variations.
Par"tite (?), a. [L. partitus, p.
p. of partire to part, divide, from pars. See
Part, and cf. Party, a.] (Bot.)
Divided nearly to the base; as, a partite leaf is a simple
separated down nearly to the base.
Par*ti"tion (?), n. [F.
partition, L. partitio. See Part,
v.] 1. The act of parting or
dividing; the state of being parted; separation; division;
distribution; as, the partition of a kingdom.
And good from bad find no
partition.
Shak.
2. That which divides or separates; that by
which different things, or distinct parts of the same thing, are
separated; separating boundary; dividing line or space; specifically,
an interior wall dividing one part or apartment of a house, an
inclosure, or the like, from another; as, a brick partition;
lath and plaster partitions.
No sight could pass
Betwixt the nice partitions of the grass.
Dryden.
3. A part divided off by walls; an apartment;
a compartment. [R.] "Lodged in a small partition."
Milton.
4. (Law.) The servance of common or
undivided interests, particularly in real estate. It may be effected
by consent of parties, or by compulsion of law.
5. (Mus.) A score.
Partition of numbers (Math.), the
resolution of integers into parts subject to given conditions.
Brande & C.
Par*ti"tion (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Partitioned (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Partitioning.] 1. To divide
into parts or shares; to divide and distribute; as, to
partition an estate among various heirs.
2. To divide into distinct parts by lines,
walls, etc.; as, to partition a house.
Uniform without, though severally partitioned
within.
Bacon.
Par*ti"tion*ment (?), n. The act of
partitioning.
Par"ti*tive (?), a. [Cf. F.
partitif.] (Gram.) Denoting a part; as, a
partitive genitive.
Par"ti*tive, n. (Gram.) A
word expressing partition, or denoting a part.
Par"ti*tive*ly, adv. In a partitive
manner.
Part"let (?), n. [Dim. of part.]
1. A covering for the neck, and sometimes for the
shoulders and breast; originally worn by both sexes, but laterby women
alone; a ruff. [Obs.] Fuller.
2. A hen; -- so called from the ruffing of her
neck feathers. "Dame Partlett, the hen."
Shak.
Part"ly, adv. In part; in some
measure of degree; not wholly. "I partly believe it."
1 Cor. xi. 18.
Part"ner (?), n. [For parcener,
influenced by part.] 1. One who has a part
in anything with an other; a partaker; an associate; a sharer.
"Partner of his fortune." Shak. Hence:
(a) A husband or a wife. (b) Either
one of a couple who dance together. (c) One who shares
as a member of a partnership in the management, or in the gains and
losses, of a business.
My other self, the partner of my
life.
Milton.
2. (Law) An associate in any business
or occupation; a member of a partnership. See
Partnership.
3. pl. (Naut.) A framework of
heavy timber surrounding an opening in a deck, to strengthen it for
the support of a mast, pump, capstan, or the like.
Dormant, or Silent,
partner. See under Dormant,
a.
Syn. -- Associate; colleague; coadjutor; confederate;
partaker; participator; companion; comrade; mate.
Part"ner, v. t. To associate, to
join. [Obs.] Shak.
Part"ner*ship, n. 1.
The state or condition of being a partner; as, to be in
partnership with another; to have partnership in the
fortunes of a family or a state.
2. A division or sharing among partners; joint
possession or interest.
Rome, that ne'er knew three lordly heads before,
First fell by fatal partnership of power.
Rowe.
He does possession keep,
And is too wise to hazard partnership.
Dryden.
3. An alliance or association of persons for
the prosecution of an undertaking or a business on joint account; a
company; a firm; a house; as, to form a partnership.
4. (Law) A contract between two or more
competent persons for joining together their money, goods, labor, and
skill, or any or all of them, under an understanding that there shall
be a communion of profit between them, and for the purpose of carrying
on a legal trade, business, or adventure. Kent.
Story.
&fist; Community of profit is absolutely essential to, though not
necessary the test of, a partnership.
5. (Arith.) See Fellowship,
n., 6.
Limited partnership, a form of partnership in
which the firm consists of one or more general partners, jointly and
severally responsible as ordinary partners, and one or more special
partners, who are not liable for the debts of the partnership beyond
the amount of cash they contribute as capital. --
Partnership in commendam, the title given to the
limited partnership (F. société en
commandité) of the French law, introduced into the code of
Louisiana. Burrill. -- Silent
partnership, the relation of partnership sustained by a
person who furnishes capital only.
Par*took" (?), imp. of
Partake.
Par"tridge (?), n. [OE.
partriche, pertriche, OF. pertris,
perdriz, F. perdrix, L. perdix, -icis, fr.
Gr. &?;.] (Zoöl.) 1. Any one of
numerous species of small gallinaceous birds of the genus
Perdix and several related genera of the family
Perdicidæ, of the Old World. The partridge is noted as a
game bird.
Full many a fat partrich had he in
mew.
Chaucer.
&fist; The common European, or gray, partridge (Perdix
cinerea) and the red-legged partridge (Caccabis rubra) of
Southern Europe and Asia are well-known species.
2. Any one of several species of quail-like
birds belonging to Colinus, and allied genera. [U.S.]
&fist; Among them are the bobwhite (Colinus Virginianus) of
the Eastern States; the plumed, or mountain, partridge (Oreortyx
pictus) of California; the Massena partridge (Cyrtonyx
Montezumæ); and the California partridge (Callipepla
Californica).
3. The ruffed grouse (Bonasa
umbellus). [New Eng.]
Bamboo partridge (Zoöl.), a
spurred partridge of the genus Bambusicola. Several species are
found in China and the East Indies. -- Night
partridge (Zoöl.), the woodcock.
[Local, U.S.] -- Painted partridge
(Zoöl.), a francolin of South Africa (Francolinus
pictus). -- Partridge berry. (Bot.)
(a) The scarlet berry of a trailing american plant
(Mitchella repens) of the order Rubiaceæ, having
roundish evergreen leaves, and white fragrant flowers sometimes tinged
with purple, growing in pairs with the ovaries united, and producing
the berries which remain over winter; also, the plant itself.
(b) The fruit of the creeping wintergreen
(Gaultheria procumbens); also, the plant itself. --
Partridge dove (Zoöl.) Same as
Mountain witch, under Mountain. --
Partridge pea (Bot.), a yellow-flowered
leguminous herb (Cassia Chamæcrista), common in sandy
fields in the Eastern United States. -- Partridge
shell (Zoöl.), a large marine univalve shell
(Dolium perdix), having colors variegated like those of the
partridge. -- Partridge wood
(a) A variegated wood, much esteemed for
cabinetwork. It is obtained from tropical America, and one source of
it is said to be the leguminous tree Andira inermis.
Called also pheasant wood. (b) A name
sometimes given to the dark-colored and striated wood of some kind of
palm, which is used for walking sticks and umbrella handles. --
Sea partridge (Zoöl.), an Asiatic
sand partridge (Ammoperdix Bonhami); -- so called from its
note. -- Snow partridge (Zoöl.),
a large spurred partridge (Lerwa nivicola) which inhabits
the high mountains of Asia. -- Spruce
partridge. See under Spruce. -- Wood
partridge, or Hill partridge
(Zoöl.), any small Asiatic partridge of the genus
Arboricola.
Par"ture (?), n. Departure.
[Obs.] Spenser.
Par*tu"ri*ate (?), v. i. [See
Parturient.] To bring forth young. [Obs.]
Par*tu"ri*en*cy (?), n.
Parturition.
Par*tu"ri*ent (?), a. [L.
parturiens, p. pr. of parturire to desire to bring
forth, fr. parere, partum, to bring forth. See
Parent.] Bringing forth, or about to bring forth, young;
fruitful. Jer. Tailor.
Par*tu`ri*fa"cient (?), n. [L.
parturire to desire to bring forth + facere to make.]
(Med.) A medicine tending to cause parturition, or to give
relief in childbearing. Dunglison.
Par*tu"ri*ous (?), a.
Parturient. [Obs.] Drayton.
Par`tu*ri"tion (?), n. [L.
parturitio, fr. parturire: cf. F. parturition.
See Parturient.] 1. The act of bringing
forth, or being delivered of, young; the act of giving birth;
delivery; childbirth.
2. That which is brought forth; a birth.
[Obs.]
Par*tu"ri*tive (?), a. Pertaining
to parturition; obstetric. [R.]
Par"ty (?), n.; pl.
Parties (#). [F. parti and partie, fr.
F. partir to part, divide, L. partire, partiri.
See Part, v.] 1. A part
or portion. [Obs.] "The most party of the time."
Chaucer.
2. A number of persons united in opinion or
action, as distinguished from, or opposed to, the rest of a community
or association; esp., one of the parts into which a people is divided
on questions of public policy.
Win the noble Brutus to our party.
Shak.
The peace both parties want is like to
last.
Dryden.
3. A part of a larger body of company; a
detachment; especially (Mil.), a small body of troops
dispatched on special service.
4. A number of persons invited to a social
entertainment; a select company; as, a dinner party; also, the
entertainment itself; as, to give a party.
5. One concerned or interested in an affair;
one who takes part with others; a participator; as, he was a
party to the plot; a party to the contract.
6. The plaintiff or the defendant in a
lawsuit, whether an individual, a firm, or corporation; a
litigant.
The cause of both parties shall come before the
judges.
Ex. xxii. 9.
7. Hence, any certain person who is regarded
as being opposed or antagonistic to another.
It the jury found that the party slain was of
English race, it had been adjudged felony.
Sir J.
Davies.
8. Cause; side; interest.
Have you nothing said
Upon this Party 'gainst the Duke of Albany?
Shak.
9. A person; as, he is a queer
party. [Now accounted a vulgarism.]
"For several generations, our ancestors largely employed party
for person; but this use of the word, when it appeared to be
reviving, happened to strike, more particularly, the fancy of the
vulgar; and the consequence has been, that the polite have chosen to
leave it in their undisputed possession."
Fitzed. Hall.
Party jury (Law), a jury composed of
different parties, as one which is half natives and half
foreigners. -- Party man, a partisan.
Swift. -- Party spirit, a factious and
unreasonable temper, not uncommonly shown by party men.
Whately. -- Party verdict, a joint
verdict. Shak. -- Party wall.
(a) (Arch.) A wall built upon the dividing
line between two adjoining properties, usually having half its
thickness on each property. (b) (Law)
A wall that separates adjoining houses, as in a block or
row.
Par"ty, a. [F. parti divided, fr.
partir to divide. See Part, v., and
cf. Partite.] 1. (Her.) Parted or
divided, as in the direction or form of one of the ordinaries; as, an
escutcheon party per pale.
2. Partial; favoring one party.
I will be true judge, and not
party.
Chaucer.
Charter party. See under
Charter.
Par"ty, adv. Partly. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Par"ty-coat`ed (?), a. Having a
motley coat, or coat of divers colors. Shak.
{ Par"ty-col`ored, Par"ti-col`ored } (?),
a. Colored with different tints; variegated;
as, a party-colored flower. "Parti-colored lambs."
Shak.
Par"ty*ism (?), n. Devotion to
party.
Par`um*bil"ic*al (?), a. [Pref. para-
+ umbilical.] (Anat.) Near the umbilicus; --
applied especially to one or more small veins which, in man, connect
the portal vein with the epigastric veins in the front wall of the
abdomen.
||Pa*ru"si*a (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?;
presence, fr. &?; to be present; para` beside + &?; to be.]
(Rhet.) A figure of speech by which the present tense is
used instead of the past or the future, as in the animated narration
of past, or in the prediction of future, events.
Par`va*nim"i*ty (?), n. [L.
parvus little + animus mind.] The state or quality
of having a little or ignoble mind; pettiness; meanness; -- opposed to
magnanimity. De Quincey.
Par"ve*nu` (?), n. [F., prop. p. p. of
parvenir to attain to, to succeed, to rise to high station, L.
pervenire to come to; per through + venire to
come. See Par, prep., and Come.] An upstart; a man
newly risen into notice.
{ Par"vis, Par"vise } (?), n.
[F. parvis, fr. LL. paravisus, fr. L. paradisus.
See Paradise.] a court of entrance to, or an inclosed
space before, a church; hence, a church porch; -- sometimes formerly
used as place of meeting, as for lawyers. Chaucer.
{ Par"vi*tude (?), Par"vi*ty (?), }
n. [L. parvitas, fr. parvus little:
cf. OF. parvité.] Littleness. [Obs.]
Glanvill. Ray.
Par"vo*lin (?), n. (Physiol.
Chem.) A nonoxygenous ptomaine, formed in the putrefaction of
albuminous matters, especially of horseflesh and mackerel.
Par"vo*line (?), n. (Chem.)
A liquid base, C&?;H&?;N, of the pyridine group, found in coal
tar; also, any one of the series of isometric substances of which it
is the type.
||Pas (?), n. [F. See Pace.]
1. A pace; a step, as in a dance.
Chaucer.
2. Right of going foremost; precedence.
Arbuthnot.
Pa"san (?), n. (Zoöl.)
The gemsbok.
{ Pasch (?), ||Pas"cha (?), }
n. [AS. pascha, L. pascha, Gr. &?;,
fr. Heb. pesach, fr. pāsach to pass over: cf. OF.
pasque, F. pâque. Cf. Paschal,
Paas, Paque.] The passover; the feast of
Easter.
Pasch egg. See Easter egg, under
Easter. -- Pasch flower. See
Pasque flower, under Pasque.
Pas"chal (?), a. [L. paschalis:
cf. F. pascal. See Pasch.] Of or pertaining to the
passover, or to Easter; as, a paschal lamb; paschal
eggs. Longfellow.
Paschal candle (R. C. Ch.), a large
wax candle, blessed and placed on the altar on Holy Saturday, or the
day before Easter. -- Paschal flower. See
Pasque flower, under Pasque.
Pa*seng" (?), n. (Zoöl.)
The wild or bezoar goat. See Goat.
Pash (?), v. t. [Prob. of imitative
origin, or possibly akin to box to fight with the fists.]
To strike; to crush; to smash; to dash in pieces. [Obs.]
P. Plowman. "I'll pash him o'er the face."
Shak.
Pash, n. [Scot., the pate. Cf.
Pash, v. t.] 1. The
head; the poll. [R.] "A rough pash." Shak.
2. A crushing blow. [Obs.]
3. A heavy fall of rain or snow. [Prov.
Eng.]
Pa*sha" (?), n. [Turk.
pāshā, bāshā; cf. Per.
bāshā, bādshāh; perh. a
corruption of Per. pādishāh. Cf. Bashaw,
Padishah, Shah.] An honorary title given to
officers of high rank in Turkey, as to governers of provinces,
military commanders, etc. The earlier form was bashaw.
[Written also pacha.]
&fist; There are three classes of pashas, whose rank is
distinguished by the number of the horsetails borne on their
standards, being one, two, or three, a pasha of three tails
being the highest.
Pa*sha"lic (?), n. [Written also
pachalic.] [Turk.] The jurisdiction of a pasha.
Pa*shaw" (?), n. See
Pasha.
{ Pas`i*graph"ic (?), Pas`i*graph"ic*al (?) }
a. Of or pertaining to pasigraphy.
Pa*sig"ra*phy (?), n. [Gr. &?; for all
(dat. pl. of &?; all) + -graphy.] A system of universal
writing, or a manner of writing that may be understood and used by all
nations. Good.
Pas"i*la`ly (?), n. [Gr. &?; for all
(dat. pl. of &?; all) + &?; talking.] A form of speech adapted to
be used by all mankind; universal language.
Pask (?), n. [See Pasque.]
See Pasch.
Pas"py (?), n. [F. passe-pied.]
A kind of minuet, in triple time, of French origin, popular in
the reign of Queen Elizabeth and for some time after; -- called also
passing measure, and passymeasure. Percy
Smith.
Pasque (?), n. [OF. pasque.]
See Pasch.
Pasque flower (Bot.), a name of
several plants of the genus Anemone, section Pulsatilla.
They are perennial herbs with rather large purplish blossoms, which
appear in early spring, or about Easter, whence the common name.
Called also campana.
Pas"quil (?), n. [It. pasquillo.]
See Pasquin. [R.]
Pas"quil, v. t. [R.] See
Pasquin.
Pas"quil*ant (?), n. A lampooner; a
pasquiler. [R.] Coleridge.
Pas"quil*er (?), n. A
lampooner. [R.] Burton.
Pas"quin (?), n. [It. pasquino a
mutilated statue at Rome, set up against the wall of the place of the
Orsini; -- so called from a witty cobbler or tailor, near whose shop
the statue was dug up. On this statue it was customary to paste
satiric papers.] A lampooner; also, a lampoon. See
Pasquinade.
The Grecian wits, who satire first began,
Were pleasant pasquins on the life of man.
Dryden.
Pas"quin, v. t. To lampoon; to
satiraze. [R.]
To see himself pasquined and
affronted.
Dryden.
Pas`quin*ade" (?), n. [F.
pasquinade, It. pasquinata.] A lampoon or satirical
writing. Macaulay.
Pas`quin*ade", v. t. To lampoon, to
satirize.
Pass (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Passed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Passing.] [F. passer, LL. passare, fr. L.
passus step, or from pandere, passum, to spread
out, lay open. See Pace.] 1. To go; to
move; to proceed; to be moved or transferred from one point to
another; to make a transit; -- usually with a following adverb or
adverbal phrase defining the kind or manner of motion; as, to
pass on, by, out, in, etc.; to pass swiftly, directly,
smoothly, etc.; to pass to the rear, under the yoke, over the
bridge, across the field, beyond the border, etc. "But now
pass over [i. e., pass on]." Chaucer.
On high behests his angels to and fro
Passed frequent.
Milton.
Sweet sounds rose slowly through their mouths,
And from their bodies passed.
Coleridge.
2. To move or be transferred from one state or
condition to another; to change possession, condition, or
circumstances; to undergo transition; as, the business has
passed into other hands.
Others, dissatisfied with what they have, . . .
pass from just to unjust.
Sir W.
Temple.
3. To move beyond the range of the senses or
of knowledge; to pass away; hence, to disappear; to vanish; to depart;
specifically, to depart from life; to die.
Disturb him not, let him pass
paceably.
Shak.
Beauty is a charm, but soon the charm will
pass.
Dryden.
The passing of the sweetest soul
That ever looked with human eyes.
Tennyson.
4. To move or to come into being or under
notice; to come and go in consciousness; hence, to take place; to
occur; to happen; to come; to occur progressively or in succession; to
be present transitorily.
So death passed upon all men.
Rom. v. 12.
Our own consciousness of what passes within our
own mind.
I. Watts.
5. To go by or glide by, as time; to elapse;
to be spent; as, their vacation passed pleasantly.
Now the time is far passed.
Mark
vi. 35
6. To go from one person to another; hence, to
be given and taken freely; as, clipped coin will not pass; to
obtain general acceptance; to be held or regarded; to circulate; to be
current; -- followed by for before a word denoting value or
estimation. "Let him pass for a man." Shak.
False eloquence passeth only where true is not
understood.
Felton.
This will not pass for a fault in
him.
Atterbury.
7. To advance through all the steps or stages
necessary to validity or effectiveness; to be carried through a body
that has power to sanction or reject; to receive legislative sanction;
to be enacted; as, the resolution passed; the bill
passed both houses of Congress.
8. To go through any inspection or test
successfully; to be approved or accepted; as, he attempted the
examination, but did not expect to pass.
9. To be suffered to go on; to be tolerated;
hence, to continue; to live along. "The play may pass."
Shak.
10. To go unheeded or neglected; to proceed
without hindrance or opposition; as, we let this act
pass.
11. To go beyond bounds; to surpass; to be in
excess. [Obs.] "This passes, Master Ford."
Shak.
12. To take heed; to care. [Obs.]
As for these silken-coated slaves, I pass
not.
Shak.
13. To go through the intestines.
Arbuthnot.
14. (Law) To be conveyed or transferred
by will, deed, or other instrument of conveyance; as, an estate
passes by a certain clause in a deed. Mozley &
W.
15. (Fencing) To make a lunge or pass;
to thrust.
16. (Card Playing & other games) To
decline to take an optional action when it is one's turn, as to
decline to bid, or to bet, or to play a card; in euchre, to decline to
make the trump.
She would not play, yet must not
pass.
Prior.
17. In football, hockey, etc., to make a pass;
to transfer the ball, etc., to another player of one's own
side.
[Webster 1913 Suppl.]
To bring to pass, To come to
pass. See under Bring, and Come. --
To pass away, to disappear; to die; to
vanish. "The heavens shall pass away." 2 Pet. iii.
10. "I thought to pass away before, but yet alive I am."
Tennyson. -- To pass by, to go near and
beyond a certain person or place; as, he passed by as we stood
there. -- To pass into, to change by a
gradual transmission; to blend or unite with. -- To pass
on, to proceed. -- To pass on or
upon. (a) To happen to; to come
upon; to affect. "So death passed upon all men." Rom.
v. 12. "Provided no indirect act pass upon our prayers to
define them." Jer. Taylor. (b) To determine
concerning; to give judgment or sentence upon. "We may not
pass upon his life." Shak. -- To pass
off, to go away; to cease; to disappear; as, an
agitation passes off. -- To pass over,
to go from one side or end to the other; to cross, as a river,
road, or bridge.
Pass (?), v. t. 1. In
simple, transitive senses; as: (a) To go by,
beyond, over, through, or the like; to proceed from one side to the
other of; as, to pass a house, a stream, a boundary, etc.
(b) Hence: To go from one limit to the other of;
to spend; to live through; to have experience of; to undergo; to
suffer. "To pass commodiously this life."
Milton.
She loved me for the dangers I had
passed.
Shak.
(c) To go by without noticing; to omit
attention to; to take no note of; to disregard.
Please you that I may pass This
doing.
Shak.
I pass their warlike pomp, their proud
array.
Dryden.
(d) To transcend; to surpass; to excel; to
exceed.
And strive to pass . . .
Their native music by her skillful art.
Spenser.
Whose tender power
Passes the strength of storms in their most desolate
hour.
Byron.
(e) To go successfully through, as an
examination, trail, test, etc.; to obtain the formal sanction of, as a
legislative body; as, he passed his examination; the bill
passed the senate.
2. In causative senses: as: (a)
To cause to move or go; to send; to transfer from one person,
place, or condition to another; to transmit; to deliver; to hand; to
make over; as, the waiter passed bisquit and cheese; the torch
was passed from hand to hand.
I had only time to pass my eye over the
medals.
Addison.
Waller passed over five thousand horse and foot
by Newbridge.
Clarendon.
(b) To cause to pass the lips; to utter; to
pronounce; hence, to promise; to pledge; as, to pass
sentence. Shak.
Father, thy word is passed.
Milton.
(c) To cause to advance by stages of progress;
to carry on with success through an ordeal, examination, or action;
specifically, to give legal or official sanction to; to ratify; to
enact; to approve as valid and just; as, he passed the bill
through the committee; the senate passed the law.
(e) To put in circulation; to give currency to;
as, to pass counterfeit money. "Pass the happy
news." Tennyson. (f) To cause to obtain
entrance, admission, or conveyance; as, to pass a person into a
theater, or over a railroad.
3. To emit from the bowels; to
evacuate.
4. (Naut.) To take a turn with (a line,
gasket, etc.), as around a sail in furling, and make secure.
5. (Fencing) To make, as a thrust,
punto, etc. Shak.
Passed midshipman. See under Midshipman.
-- To pass a dividend, to omit the declaration
and payment of a dividend at the time when due. -- To
pass away, to spend; to waste. "Lest she pass
away the flower of her age." Ecclus. xlii. 9. -- To
pass by. (a) To disregard; to
neglect. (b) To excuse; to spare; to
overlook. -- To pass off, to impose
fraudulently; to palm off. "Passed himself off as a
bishop." Macaulay. -- To pass (something) on
or upon (some one), to put upon as a trick or
cheat; to palm off. "She passed the child on her
husband for a boy." Dryden. -- To pass over,
to overlook; not to note or resent; as, to pass over an
affront.
Pass, n. [Cf. F. pas (for sense
1), and passe, fr. passer to pass. See Pass,
v. i.] 1. An opening, road, or
track, available for passing; especially, one through or over some
dangerous or otherwise impracticable barrier; a passageway; a defile;
a ford; as, a mountain pass.
"Try not the pass!" the old man
said.
Longfellow.
2. (Fencing) A thrust or push; an
attempt to stab or strike an adversary. Shak.
3. A movement of the hand over or along
anything; the manipulation of a mesmerist.
4. (Rolling Metals) A single passage of
a bar, rail, sheet, etc., between the rolls.
5. State of things; condition;
predicament.
Have his daughters brought him to this
pass.
Shak.
Matters have been brought to this
pass.
South.
6. Permission or license to pass, or to go and
come; a psssport; a ticket permitting free transit or admission; as, a
railroad or theater pass; a military pass.
A ship sailing under the flag and pass of an
enemy.
Kent.
7. Fig.: a thrust; a sally of wit.
Shak.
8. Estimation; character. [Obs.]
Common speech gives him a worthy
pass.
Shak.
9. [Cf. Passus.] A part; a
division. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Pass boat (Naut.), a punt, or similar
boat. -- Pass book. (a) A
book in which a trader enters articles bought on credit, and then
passes or sends it to the purchaser. (b) See
Bank book. -- Pass box (Mil.),
a wooden or metallic box, used to carry cartridges from the
service magazine to the piece. -- Pass check,
a ticket of admission to a place of entertainment, or of
readmission for one who goes away in expectation of
returning.
Pass"a*ble (?), a. [Cf. F.
passable.] 1. Capable of being passed,
traveled, navigated, traversed, penetrated, or the like; as, the roads
are not passable; the stream is passablein
boats.
His body's a passable carcass if it be not hurt;
it is a throughfare for steel.
Shak.
2. Capable of being freely circulated or
disseminated; acceptable; generally receivable; current.
With men as with false money -- one piece is more or
less passable than another.
L'Estrange.
Could they have made this slander
passable.
Collier.
3. Such as may be allowed to pass without
serious objection; tolerable; admissable; moderate;
mediocre.
My version will appear a passable beauty when
the original muse is absent.
Dryden.
Pass"a*ble*ness, n. The quality of
being passable.
Pass"a*bly, adv. Tolerably;
moderately.
{ ||Pas`sa*ca*glia (?), ||Pas`sa*ca*glio (?), }
n. [Sp. pasacalle a certain tune on the
guitar, prop., a tune played in passing through the streets.]
(Mus.) An old Italian or Spanish dance tune, in slow
three-four measure, with divisions on a ground bass, resembling a
chaconne.
{ Pas*sade" (?), Pas*sa"do (?), }
n. [F. passade; cf. Sp. pasada. See
Pass, v. i.] 1.
(Fencing) A pass or thrust. Shak.
2. (Man.) A turn or course of a horse
backward or forward on the same spot of ground.
Pas"sage (?), n. [F. passage. See
Pass, v. i.] 1. The act
of passing; transit from one place to another; movement from point to
point; a going by, over, across, or through; as, the passage of
a man or a carriage; the passage of a ship or a bird; the
passage of light; the passage of fluids through the
pores or channels of the body.
What! are my doors opposed against my
passage!
Shak.
2. Transit by means of conveyance; journey, as
by water, carriage, car, or the like; travel; right, liberty, or
means, of passing; conveyance.
The ship in which he had taken
passage.
Macaulay.
3. Price paid for the liberty to pass; fare;
as, to pay one's passage.
4. Removal from life; decease; departure;
death. [R.] "Endure thy mortal passage."
Milton.
When he is fit and season'd for his
passage.
Shak.
5. Way; road; path; channel or course through
or by which one passes; way of exit or entrance; way of access or
transit. Hence, a common avenue to various apartments in a building; a
hall; a corridor.
And with his pointed dart
Explores the nearest passage to his heart.
Dryden.
The Persian army had advanced into the . . .
passages of Cilicia.
South.
6. A continuous course, process, or progress;
a connected or continuous series; as, the passage of
time.
The conduct and passage of affairs.
Sir J. Davies.
The passage and whole carriage of this
action.
Shak.
7. A separate part of a course, process, or
series; an occurrence; an incident; an act or deed. "In thy
passages of life." Shak.
The . . . almost incredible passage of their
unbelief.
South.
8. A particular portion constituting a part of
something continuous; esp., a portion of a book, speech, or musical
composition; a paragraph; a clause.
How commentators each dark passage
shun.
Young.
9. Reception; currency. [Obs.] Sir
K. Digby.
10. A pass or en encounter; as, a
passage at arms.
No passages of love
Betwixt us twain henceforward evermore.
Tennyson.
11. A movement or an evacuation of the
bowels.
12. In parliamentary proceedings:
(a) The course of a proposition (bill, resolution,
etc.) through the several stages of consideration and action; as,
during its passage through Congress the bill was amended in
both Houses. (b) The advancement of a bill or other
proposition from one stage to another by an affirmative vote; esp.,
the final affirmative action of the body upon a proposition; hence,
adoption; enactment; as, the passage of the bill to its third
reading was delayed. "The passage of the Stamp Act."
D. Hosack.
The final question was then put upon its
passage.
Cushing.
In passage, in passing; cursorily.
"These . . . have been studied but in passage." Bacon. -
- Middle passage, Northeast
passage, Northwest passage. See under
Middle, Northeast, etc. -- Of
passage, passing from one place, region, or climate, to
another; migratory; -- said especially of birds. "Birds of
passage." Longfellow. -- Passage hawk,
a hawk taken on its passage or migration. -- Passage
money, money paid for conveyance of a passenger, --
usually for carrying passengers by water.
Syn. -- Vestibule; hall; corridor. See Vestibule.
Pas"sa*ger (?), n. [See
Passenger.] A passenger; a bird or boat of passage.
[Obs.] Ld. Berners.
Pas"sage*way` (?), n. A way for
passage; a hall. See Passage, 5.
Pas"sant (?), a. [F., p. pr. of
passer. See Pass, v. i.]
1. Passing from one to another; in circulation;
current. [Obs.]
Many opinions are passant.
Sir
T. Browne.
2. Curs&?;ry, careless. [Obs.]
On a passant rewiew of what I wrote to the
bishop.
Sir P. Pett.
3. Surpassing; excelling. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
4. (Her.) Walking; -- said of any
animal on an escutcheon, which is represented as walking with the
dexter paw raised.
{ ||Pas`sé", masc.
||Pas`sé"e, fem. } (?),
a. [F.] Past; gone by; hence, past one's prime;
worn; faded; as, a passée belle. Ld.
Lytton.
Passe"garde` (?), n. [F.] (Anc.
Armor) A ridge or projecting edge on a shoulder piece to turn
the blow of a lance or other weapon from the joint of the
armor.
Passe"ment (?), n. [F.] Lace, gimp,
braid etc., sewed on a garment. Sir W. Scott.
Passe*men"terie (E. p&adot;s*m&ebreve;n"tr&ibreve;; F.
pä`s'mäN`t'r&esl;"), n. [F.] Beaded
embroidery for women's dresses.
Pas"sen*ger (?), n. [OE. & F.
passager. See Passage, and cf. Messenger.]
1. A passer or passer-by; a wayfarer.
Shak.
2. A traveler by some established conveyance,
as a coach, steamboat, railroad train, etc.
Passenger falcon (Zoöl.), a
migratory hawk. Ainsworth. -- Passenger
pigeon (Zoöl.), the common wild pigeon of
North America (Ectopistes migratorius), so called on account of
its extensive migrations.
||Passe" par`tout" (?), n. [F., from
passer to pass + partout everywhere.] 1.
That by which one can pass anywhere; a safe-conduct. [Obs.]
Dryden.
2. A master key; a latchkey.
3. A light picture frame or mat of cardboard,
wood, or the like, usually put between the picture and the glass, and
sometimes serving for several pictures.
Pass"er (?), n. One who passes; a
passenger.
Pass`er-by" (?), n. One who goes
by; a passer.
||Pas"se*res (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. L.
passer a sparrow.] (Zoöl.) An order, or
suborder, of birds, including more that half of all the known species.
It embraces all singing birds (Oscines), together with many other
small perching birds.
Pas*ser"i*form (?), a.
(Zoöl.) Like or belonging to the Passeres.
Pas"ser*ine (?), a. [L.
passerinus, fr. passer a sparrow.] (Zoöl.)
Of or pertaining to the Passeres.
The columbine, gallinaceous, and passerine
tribes people the fruit trees.
Sydney Smith.
Pas"ser*ine, n. (Zoöl.)
One of the Passeres.
Pas`si*bil"i*ty (?), n. [L.
passibilitas: cf. F. passibilité.] The
quality or state of being passible; aptness to feel or suffer;
sensibility. Hakewill.
Pas"si*ble (?), a. [L.
passibilis, fr. pati, to suffer: cf. F. passible.
See Passion.] Susceptible of feeling or suffering, or of
impressions from external agents.
Apolinarius, which held even deity itself
passible.
Hooker.
Pas"si*ble*ness, n.
Passibility. Brerewood.
||Pas"si*flo"ra (?), n. [NL., from L.
passio passion (fr. pati, passus, to suffer) +
flos, floris, flower.] (Bot.) A genus of
plants, including the passion flower. It is the type of the order
Passifloreæ, which includes about nineteen genera and two
hundred and fifty species.
||Pas"sim (?), adv. [L.] Here and
there; everywhere; as, this word occurs passim in the
poem.
Pass"ing (?), n. The act of one
who, or that which, passes; the act of going by or away.
Passing bell, a tolling of a bell to announce
that a soul is passing, or has passed, from its body (formerly done to
invoke prayers for the dying); also, a tolling during the passing of a
funeral procession to the grave, or during funeral ceremonies.
Sir W. Scott. Longfellow.
Pass"ing, a. 1.
Relating to the act of passing or going; going by, beyond,
through, or away; departing.
2. Exceeding; surpassing, eminent.
Chaucer. "Her passing deformity." Shak.
Passing note (Mus.), a character
including a passing tone. -- Passing tone
(Mus.), a tone introduced between two other tones, on an
unaccented portion of a measure, for the sake of smoother melody, but
forming no essential part of the harmony.
Pass"ing, adv. Exceedingly;
excessively; surpassingly; as, passing fair; passing
strange. "You apprehend passing shrewdly."
Shak.
Pass"ing*ly, adv.
Exceedingly. Wyclif.
Pas"sion (?), n. [F., fr. L.
passio, fr. pati, passus, to suffer. See
Patient.] 1. A suffering or enduring of
imposed or inflicted pain; any suffering or distress (as, a cardiac
passion); specifically, the suffering of Christ between the
time of the last supper and his death, esp. in the garden upon the
cross. "The passions of this time." Wyclif (Rom.
viii. 18).
To whom also he showed himself alive after his
passion, by many infallible proofs.
Acts i.
3.
2. The state of being acted upon; subjection
to an external agent or influence; a passive condition; -- opposed to
action.
A body at rest affords us no idea of any active power
to move, and, when set is motion, it is rather a passion than
an action in it.
Locke.
3. Capacity of being affected by external
agents; susceptibility of impressions from external agents.
[R.]
Moldable and not moldable, scissible and not scissible,
and many other passions of matter.
Bacon.
4. The state of the mind when it is powerfully
acted upon and influenced by something external to itself; the state
of any particular faculty which, under such conditions, becomes
extremely sensitive or uncontrollably excited; any emotion or
sentiment (specifically, love or anger) in a state of abnormal or
controlling activity; an extreme or inordinate desire; also, the
capacity or susceptibility of being so affected; as, to be in a
passion; the passions of love, hate, jealously, wrath,
ambition, avarice, fear, etc.; a passion for war, or for drink;
an orator should have passion as well as rhetorical
skill. "A passion fond even to idolatry."
Macaulay. "Her passion is to seek roses." Lady M. W.
Montagu.
We also are men of like passions with
you.
Acts xiv. 15.
The nature of the human mind can not be sufficiently
understood, without considering the affections and passions, or
those modifications or actions of the mind consequent upon the
apprehension of certain objects or events in which the mind generally
conceives good or evil.
Hutcheson.
The term passion, and its adverb
passionately, often express a very strong predilection for any
pursuit, or object of taste -- a kind of enthusiastic fondness for
anything.
Cogan.
The bravery of his grief did put me
Into a towering passion.
Shak.
The ruling passion, be it what it will,
The ruling passion conquers reason still.
Pope.
Who walked in every path of human life,
Felt every passion.
Akenside.
When statesmen are ruled by faction and interest, they
can have no passion for the glory of their
country.
Addison.
5. Disorder of the mind; madness. [Obs.]
Shak.
6. Passion week. See Passion week,
below. R. of Gl.
Passion flower (Bot.), any flower or
plant of the genus Passiflora; -- so named from a fancied
resemblance of parts of the flower to the instruments of our Savior's
crucifixion.
&fist; The flowers are showy, and the fruit is sometimes highly
esteemed (see Granadilla, and Maypop). The roots and
leaves are generally more or less noxious, and are used in medicine.
The plants are mostly tendril climbers, and are commonest in the
warmer parts of America, though a few species are Asiatic or
Australian.
Passion music (Mus.), originally,
music set to the gospel narrative of the passion of our Lord; after
the Reformation, a kind of oratorio, with narrative, chorals, airs,
and choruses, having for its theme the passion and crucifixion of
Christ. -- Passion play, a mystery play, in
which the scenes connected with the passion of our Savior are
represented dramatically. -- Passion Sunday
(Eccl.), the fifth Sunday in Lent, or the second before
Easter. -- Passion Week, the last week but
one in Lent, or the second week preceding Easter. "The name of
Passion week is frequently, but improperly, applied to Holy
Week." Shipley.
Syn. -- Passion, Feeling, Emotion.
When any feeling or emotion completely masters the mind,
we call it a passion; as, a passion for music, dress,
etc.; especially is anger (when thus extreme) called passion.
The mind, in such cases, is considered as having lost its self-
control, and become the passive instrument of the feeling in
question.
Pas"sion (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Passioned (?); p. pr & vb. n.
Passioning.] To give a passionate character to. [R.]
Keats.
Pas"sion, v. i. To suffer pain or
sorrow; to experience a passion; to be extremely agitated.
[Obs.] "Dumbly she passions, frantically she doteth."
Shak.
Pas"sion*al (?), a. Of or
pertaining to passion or the passions; exciting, influenced by, or
ministering to, the passions. -- n. A
passionary.
Pas"sion*a*ry (?), n. [L.
passionarius: cf. F. passionaire.] A book in which
are described the sufferings of saints and martyrs. T.
Warton.
Pas"sion*ate (?), a. [LL.
passionatus: cf. F. passionné.]
1. Capable or susceptible of passion, or of
different passions; easily moved, excited or agitated; specifically,
easily moved to anger; irascible; quick-tempered; as, a
passionate nature.
Homer's Achilles is haughty and
passionate.
Prior.
2. Characterized by passion; expressing
passion; ardent in feeling or desire; vehement; warm; as, a
passionate friendship. "The passionate Pilgrim."
Shak.
3. Suffering; sorrowful. [Obs.]
Shak.
Pas"sion*ate (?), v. i.
1. To affect with passion; to impassion.
[Obs.]
Great pleasure, mixed with pitiful regard,
The godly kind and queen did passionate.
Spenser.
2. To express feelingly or sorrowfully.
[Obs.] Shak.
Pas"sion*ate*ly (?), adv.
1. In a passionate manner; with strong feeling;
ardently.
Sorrow expresses itself . . . loudly and
passionately.
South.
2. Angrily; irascibly.
Locke.
Pas"sion*ate*ness, n. The state or
quality of being passionate.
Pas"sion*ist, n. (R. C. Ch.)
A member of a religious order founded in Italy in 1737, and
introduced into the United States in 1852. The members of the order
unite the austerities of the Trappists with the activity and zeal of
the Jesuits and Lazarists. Called also Barefooted Clerks of the
Most Holy Cross.
Pas"sion*less (?), a. Void of
passion; without anger or emotion; not easily excited; calm.
"Self-contained and passionless." Tennyson.
Pas"sion*tide` (?), n. [Passion +
tide time.] The last fortnight of Lent.
Pas"sive (?), a. [L. passivus:
cf. F. passif. See Passion.] 1. Not
active, but acted upon; suffering or receiving impressions or
influences; as, they were passive spectators, not actors in the
scene.
The passive air
Upbore their nimble tread.
Milton.
The mind is wholly passive in the reception of
all its simple ideas.
Locke.
2. Receiving or enduring without either active
sympathy or active resistance; without emotion or excitement; patient;
not opposing; unresisting; as, passive obedience;
passive submission.
The best virtue, passive fortitude.
Massinger.
3. (Chem.) Inactive; inert; not showing
strong affinity; as, red phosphorus is comparatively
passive.
4. (Med.) Designating certain morbid
conditions, as hemorrhage or dropsy, characterized by relaxation of
the vessels and tissues, with deficient vitality and lack of reaction
in the affected tissues.
Passive congestion (Med.), congestion
due to obstruction to the return of the blood from the affected
part. -- Passive iron (Chem.), iron
which has been subjected to the action of heat, of strong nitric acid,
chlorine, etc. It is then not easily acted upon by acids. --
Passive movement (Med.), a movement of a
part, in order to exercise it, made without the assistance of the
muscles which ordinarily move the part. -- Passive
obedience (as used by writers on government), obedience
or submission of the subject or citizen as a duty in all cases to the
existing government. -- Passive prayer,
among mystic divines, a suspension of the activity of the soul or
intellectual faculties, the soul remaining quiet, and yielding only to
the impulses of grace. -- Passive verb, or
Passive voice (Gram.), a verb, or form of
a verb, which expresses the effect of the action of some agent; as, in
Latin, doceor, I am taught; in English, she is loved;
the picture is admired by all; he is assailed by
slander.
Syn. -- Inactive; inert; quiescent; unresisting; unopposing;
suffering; enduring; submissive; patient.
Pas"sive*ly, adv. 1.
In a passive manner; inertly; unresistingly.
2. As a passive verb; in the passive
voice.
Pas"sive*ness, n. The quality or
state of being passive; unresisting submission.
To be an effect implies passiveness, or the
being subject to the power and action of its cause.
J.
Edwards.
Pas*siv"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F.
passivité.] 1. Passiveness; --
opposed to activity. Jer. Taylor.
2. (Physics) The tendency of a body to
remain in a given state, either of motion or rest, till disturbed by
another body; inertia. Cheyne.
3. (Chem.) The quality or condition of
any substance which has no inclination to chemical activity;
inactivity.
Pass"-key` (?), n. A key for
opening more locks than one; a master key.
Pass"less, a. Having no pass;
impassable. Cowley.
Pass"man (?), n.; pl.
Passmen (&?;). One who passes for a degree,
without honors. See Classman, 2. [Eng. Univ.]
Pass"o`ver (?), n. [Pass +
over. See Pasch.] (Jewish Antiq.) (a)
A feast of the Jews, instituted to commemorate the sparing of the
Hebrews in Egypt, when God, smiting the firstborn of the Egyptians,
passed over the houses of the Israelites which were marked with
the blood of a lamb. (b) The sacrifice
offered at the feast of the passover; the paschal lamb. Ex.
xii.
Pass`-pa*role" (?), n. [F. passe-
parole.] (Mil.) An order passed from front to rear by
word of mouth.
Pass"port (&?;), n. [F.
passeport, orig., a permission to leave a port or to sail into
it; passer to pass + port a port, harbor. See
Pass, and Port a harbor.] 1.
Permission to pass; a document given by the competent officer of
a state, permitting the person therein named to pass or travel from
place to place, without molestation, by land or by water.
Caution in granting passports to
Ireland.
Clarendon.
2. A document carried by neutral merchant
vessels in time of war, to certify their nationality and protect them
from belligerents; a sea letter.
3. A license granted in time of war for the
removal of persons and effects from a hostile country; a safe-
conduct. Burrill.
4. Figuratively: Anything which secures
advancement and general acceptance. Sir P. Sidney.
His passport is his innocence and
grace.
Dryden.
||Pas"sus (?), n.; pl. L.
Passus, E. Passuses (&?;). [L., a
step, a pace. See Pace.] A division or part; a canto; as,
the passus of Piers Plowman. See 2d Fit.
Pass"word` (?), n. A word to be
given before a person is allowed to pass; a watchword; a
countersign. Macaulay.
Pas"sy*meas`ure (?), n. [Corrupted fr.
It. passamezzo.] [Obs.] See Paspy.
Shak.
Past (?), a. [From Pass,
v.] Of or pertaining to a former time or state;
neither present nor future; gone by; elapsed; ended; spent; as,
past troubles; past offences. "Past ages."
Milton.
Past master. See under
Master.
Past, n. A former time or state; a
state of things gone by. "The past, at least, is secure."
D. Webster.
The present is only intelligible in the light of the
past, often a very remote past indeed.
Trench.
Past, prep. 1.
Beyond, in position, or degree; further than; beyond the reach or
influence of. "Who being past feeling." Eph. iv.
19. "Galled past endurance." Macaulay.
Until we be past thy borders.
Num. xxi. 22.
Love, when once past government, is consequently
past shame.
L'Estrange.
2. Beyond, in time; after; as, past the
hour.
Is it not past two o'clock?
Shak.
3. Above; exceeding; more than. [R.]
Not past three quarters of a mile.
Shak.
Bows not past three quarters of a yard
long.
Spenser.
Past (?), adv. By; beyond; as, he
ran past.
The alarum of drums swept past.
Longfellow.
Paste (?), n. [OF. paste, F.
pâte, L. pasta, fr. Gr. &?; barley broth; cf. &?;
barley porridge, &?; sprinkled with salt, &?; to sprinkle. Cf.
Pasty, n., Patty.] 1.
A soft composition, as of flour moistened with water or milk, or
of earth moistened to the consistence of dough, as in making potter's
ware.
2. Specifically, in cookery, a dough prepared
for the crust of pies and the like; pastry dough.
3. A kind of cement made of flour and water,
starch and water, or the like, -- used for uniting paper or other
substances, as in bookbinding, etc., -- also used in calico printing
as a vehicle for mordant or color.
4. A highly refractive vitreous composition,
variously colored, used in making imitations of precious stones or
gems. See Strass.
5. A soft confection made of the inspissated
juice of fruit, licorice, or the like, with sugar, etc.
6. (Min.) The mineral substance in
which other minerals are imbedded.
Paste eel (Zoöl.), the vinegar
eel. See under Vinegar.
Paste, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pasted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Pasting.] To unite with paste; to fasten or join by means
of paste.
Paste"board` (?), n. 1.
A stiff thick kind of paper board, formed of several single
sheets pasted one upon another, or of paper macerated and pressed into
molds, etc.
2. (Cookery) A board on which pastry
dough is rolled; a molding board.
Pas"tel (?), n. [F.; cf. It.
pastello. Cf. Pastil.] 1. A crayon
made of a paste composed of a color ground with gum water.
[Sometimes incorrectly written pastil.] "Charming heads in
pastel." W. Black.
2. (Bot.) A plant affording a blue dye;
the woad (Isatis tinctoria); also, the dye itself.
Past"er (?), n. 1.
One who pastes; as, a paster in a government
department.
2. A slip of paper, usually bearing a name,
intended to be pasted by the voter, as a substitute, over another name
on a printed ballot. [Cant, U.S.]
Pas"tern (?), n. [Of. pasturon,
F. pâturon, fr. OF. pasture a tether, for beasts
while pasturing; prop., a pasturing. See Pasture.]
1. The part of the foot of the horse, and allied
animals, between the fetlock and the coffin joint. See Illust.
of Horse.
&fist; The upper bone, or phalanx, of the foot is called the
great pastern bone; the second, the small pastern bone;
and the third, in the hoof, the coffin bone.
Pastern joint, the joint in the hoof of the
horse, and allied animals, between the great and small pastern
bones.
2. A shackle for horses while pasturing.
Knight.
3. A patten. [Obs.] Dryden.
Pas*teur"ism (?), n. [Fr.
Pasteur, a French scientist.] 1. A method
of treatment, devised by Pasteur, for preventing certain diseases, as
hydrophobia, by successive inoculations with an attenuated virus of
gradually increasing strength.
2. Pasteurization.
Pas*teur`i*za"tion (?), n. A
process devised by Pasteur for preventing or checking fermentation in
fluids, such as wines, milk, etc., by exposure to a temperature of
140° F., thus destroying the vitality of the contained germs or
ferments.
Pas*teur"ize (?), v. t.
1. To subject to pasteurization.
2. To treat by pasteurism.
||Pas*tic"ci*o (?), n. [It., fr.
pasta. See Paste.] 1. A medley; an
olio. [R.] H. Swinburne.
2. (Fine Arts) (a) A
work of art imitating directly the work of another artist, or of more
artists than one. (b) A falsified work of
art, as a vase or statue made up of parts of original works, with
missing parts supplied.
{ Pas"til (?), Pas*tille" (?), }
n. [F. pastille, L. pastillusa pastus
food. See Pasture, and cf. Pastel.] 1.
(Pharmacy) A small cone or mass made of paste of gum,
benzoin, cinnamon, and other aromatics, -- used for fumigating or
scenting the air of a room.
2. An aromatic or medicated lozenge; a
troche.
3. See Pastel, a crayon.
Pas"time` (?), n. [Pass +
time: cf. F. passetemps.] That which amuses, and
serves to make time pass agreeably; sport; amusement;
diversion.
Pas"time`, v. i. To sport; to amuse
one's self. [R.]
Pas"tor (?), n. [L., fr. pascere,
pastum, to pasture, to feed. Cf. Pabulum,
Pasture, Food.] 1. A shepherd; one
who has the care of flocks and herds.
2. A guardian; a keeper; specifically
(Eccl.), a minister having the charge of a church and
parish.
3. (Zoöl.) A species of starling
(Pastor roseus), native of the plains of Western Asia and
Eastern Europe. Its head is crested and glossy greenish black, and
its back is rosy. It feeds largely upon locusts.
Pas"tor*age (?), n. The office,
jurisdiction, or duty, of a pastor; pastorate.
Pas"tor*al (?), a. [L.
pastoralis: cf. F. pastoral. See Pastor.]
1. Of or pertaining to shepherds; hence, relating
to rural life and scenes; as, a pastoral life.
2. Relating to the care of souls, or to the
pastor of a church; as, pastoral duties; a pastoral
letter.
Pastoral staff (Eccl.), a staff,
usually of the form of a shepherd's crook, borne as an official emblem
by a bishop, abbot, abbess, or other prelate privileged to carry it.
See Crook, and Crosier. -- Pastoral
Theology, that part of theology which treats of the
duties of pastors.
Pas"tor*al (?), n. 1.
A poem describing the life and manners of shepherds; a poem in
which the speakers assume the character of shepherds; an idyl; a
bucolic.
A pastoral is a poem in which any action or
passion is represented by its effects on a country life.
Rambler.
2. (Mus.) A cantata relating to rural
life; a composition for instruments characterized by simplicity and
sweetness; a lyrical composition the subject of which is taken from
rural life. Moore (Encyc. of Music).
3. (Eccl.) A letter of a pastor to his
charge; specifically, a letter addressed by a bishop to his diocese;
also (Prot. Epis. Ch.), a letter of the House of Bishops, to be
read in each parish.
||Pas`to*ra"le (?), n. [It.]
1. (Mus.) A composition in a soft, rural
style, generally in 6-8 or 12-8 time.
2. A kind of dance; a kind of figure used in a
dance.
Pas"tor*al*ly (?), adv.
1. In a pastoral or rural manner.
2. In the manner of a pastor.
Pas"tor*ate (?), n. [Cf. F.
pastorat. See Pastor.] The office, state, or
jurisdiction of a pastor.
Pas"tor*less, a. Having no
pastor.
Pas"tor*ling (?), n. An
insignificant pastor. [R.]
Pas"tor*ly, a. Appropriate to a
pastor. Milton.
Pas"tor*ship, n. Pastorate.
Bp. Bull.
Pas"try (?), n.; pl.
Pastries (&?;). 1. The place
where pastry is made. [Obs.] Shak.
2. Articles of food made of paste, or having a
crust made of paste, as pies, tarts, etc.
Pastry cook, one whose occupation is to make
pastry; as, the pastry cook of a hotel.
Pas"tur*a*ble (?), a. Fit for
pasture.
Pas"tur*age (?), n. [OF.
pasturage, F. pâturage. See Pasture.]
1. Grazing ground; grass land used for pasturing;
pasture.
2. Grass growing for feed; grazing.
3. The business of feeding or grazing
cattle.
Pas"ture (?), n. [OF. pasture, F.
pâture, L. pastura, fr. pascere,
pastum, to pasture, to feed. See Pastor.]
1. Food; nourishment. [Obs.]
Toads and frogs his pasture
poisonous.
Spenser.
2. Specifically: Grass growing for the food of
cattle; the food of cattle taken by grazing.
3. Grass land for cattle, horses, etc.;
pasturage.
He maketh me to lie down in green
pastures.
Ps. xxiii. 2.
So graze as you find pasture.
Shak.
Pas"ture, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pastured (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pasturing.] To feed, esp. to feed on growing grass; to
supply grass as food for; as, the farmer pastures fifty oxen;
the land will pasture forty cows.
Pas"ture, v. i. To feed on growing
grass; to graze.
Pas"ture*less, a. Destitute of
pasture. Milton.
Pas"tur*er (?), n. One who
pastures; one who takes cattle to graze. See Agister.
Pas"ty (?), a. Like paste, as in
color, softness, stickness. "A pasty complexion." G.
Eliot.
Pas"ty, n.; pl.
Pasties (#). [OF. pasté, F.
pâté. See Paste, and cf. Patty.]
A pie consisting usually of meat wholly surrounded with a crust
made of a sheet of paste, and often baked without a dish; a meat
pie. "If ye pinch me like a pasty." Shak. "Apple
pasties." Dickens.
A large pasty baked in a pewter
platter.
Sir W. Scott.
Pat (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Patted (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Patting.] [Cf. G. patschen, Prov. G. patzen, to
strike, tap.] To strike gently with the fingers or hand; to
stroke lightly; to tap; as, to pat a dog.
Gay pats my shoulder, and you vanish
quite.
Pope.
Pat, n. 1. A light,
quik blow or stroke with the fingers or hand; a tap.
2. A small mass, as of butter, shaped by
pats.
It looked like a tessellated work of pats of
butter.
Dickens.
Pat, a. [Cf. pat a light blow, D.
te pas convenient, pat, where pas is fr. F.
passer to pass.] Exactly suitable; fit; convenient;
timely. "Pat allusion." Barrow.
Pat, adv. In a pat
manner.
I foresaw then 't would come in pat
hereafter.
Sterne.
||Pa*ta"ca (?), n. [Sp.] The
Spanish dollar; -- called also patacoon. [Obs.]
||Pa`tache" (?), n. [F. & Sp.
patache, P. patacho.] (Naut.) A tender to a
fleet, formerly used for conveying men, orders, or treasure.
[Spain & Portugal]
Pa`ta*coon" (?), n. [Sp.] See
Pataca.
||Pa*ta"gi*um (?), n.; pl.
Patagia (#). [L., an edge or border.]
1. (Anat.) In bats, an expansion of the
integument uniting the fore limb with the body and extending between
the elongated fingers to form the wing; in birds, the similar fold of
integument uniting the fore limb with the body.
2. (Zoöl.) One of a pair of small
vesicular organs situated at the bases of the anterior wings of
lepidopterous insects. See Illust. of
Butterfly.
Pat`a*go"ni*an (?), a. Of or
pertaining to Patagonia. -- n. A native
of Patagonia.
Pat"a*mar (?), n. [From the native
name.] (Naut.) A vessel resembling a grab, used in the
coasting trade of Bombay and Ceylon. [Written also
pattemar.]
Pa*tas" (?), n. (Zoöl.)
A West African long-tailed monkey (Cercopithecus ruber);
the red monkey.
Pat`a*vin"i*ty (?), n. [L.
patavinitas, fr. Patavium: cf. F.
patavinité] The use of local or provincial words,
as in the peculiar style or diction of Livy, the Roman historian; --
so called from Patavium, now Padua, the place of Livy's
nativity.
Patch (?), n. [OE. pacche; of
uncertain origin, perh. for placche; cf. Prov. E. platch
patch, LG. plakk, plakke.] 1. A
piece of cloth, or other suitable material, sewed or otherwise fixed
upon a garment to repair or strengthen it, esp. upon an old garment to
cover a hole.
Patches set upon a little breach.
Shak.
2. Hence: A small piece of anything used to
repair a breach; as, a patch on a kettle, a roof,
etc.
3. A small piece of black silk stuck on the
face, or neck, to hide a defect, or to heighten beauty.
Your black patches you wear
variously.
Beau. & Fl.
4. (Gun.) A piece of greased cloth or
leather used as wrapping for a rifle ball, to make it fit the
bore.
5. Fig.: Anything regarded as a patch; a small
piece of ground; a tract; a plot; as, scattered patches of
trees or growing corn.
Employed about this patch of
ground.
Bunyan.
6. (Mil.) A block on the muzzle of a
gun, to do away with the effect of dispart, in sighting.
7. A paltry fellow; a rogue; a ninny; a
fool. [Obs. or Colloq.] "Thou scurvy patch."
Shak.
Patch ice, ice in overlapping pieces in the
sea. -- Soft patch, a patch for covering a
crack in a metallic vessel, as a steam boiler, consisting of soft
material, as putty, covered and held in place by a plate bolted or
riveted fast.
Patch (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Patched (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Patching.] 1. To mend by sewing on a piece
or pieces of cloth, leather, or the like; as, to patch a
coat.
2. To mend with pieces; to repair with pieces
festened on; to repair clumsily; as, to patch the roof of a
house.
3. To adorn, as the face, with a patch or
patches.
Ladies who patched both sides of their
faces.
Spectator.
4. To make of pieces or patches; to repair as
with patches; to arrange in a hasty or clumsy manner; -- generally
with up; as, to patch up a truce. "If you'll
patch a quarrel." Shak.
Patch"er (?), n. One who patches or
botches. Foxe.
Patch"er*y (?), n. Botchery;
covering of defects; bungling; hypocrisy. [R.] Shak.
Patch"ing*ly (?), adv. Knavishy;
deceitfully. [Obs.]
{ Pa*tchou"li, Pa*tchou"ly } (?),
n. [CF. F. patchouli; prob. of East Indian
origin.] 1. (Bot.) A mintlike plant
(Pogostemon Patchouli) of the East Indies, yielding an
essential oil from which a highly valued perfume is made.
2. The perfume made from this plant.
Patchouly camphor (Chem.), a substance
homologous with and resembling borneol, found in patchouly
oil.
Patch"work` (?), n. Work composed
of pieces sewed together, esp. pieces of various colors and figures;
hence, anything put together of incongruous or ill-adapted parts;
something irregularly clumsily composed; a thing putched up.
Swift.
Patch"y (?), a. Full of, or covered
with, patches; abounding in patches.
||Pa`té" (?), a. (Her.)
See Patté.
||Pa`té" (?), n. [F.
pâté.] 1. A pie. See
Patty.
2. (Fort.) A kind of platform with a
parapet, usually of an oval form, and generally erected in marshy
grounds to cover a gate of a fortified place. [R.]
Pate (?), n. [Cf. LG. & Prov. G.
pattkopf, patzkopf, scabby head; patt,
patz, scab + kopf head.] 1. The
head of a person; the top, or crown, of the head. [Now generally
used in contempt or ridicule.]
His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his
violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate.
Ps. vii. 16.
Fat paunches have lean pate.
Shak.
2. The skin of a calf's head.
Pat"ed (?), a. Having a pate; --
used only in composition; as, long-pated; shallow-
pated.
Pa*tee" (?), n. See
Pattee.
Pat`e*fac"tion (?), n. [L.
patefactio, fr. patefacere to open; patere to lie
open + facere to make.] The act of opening, disclosing, or
manifesting; open declaration. Jer. Taylor.
||Pat"e*la (?), n. [Hind.
patelā.] A large flat-bottomed trading boat peculiar
to the river Ganges; -- called also puteli.
||Pa*tel"la (?), n.; pl.
Patellæ (#). [L., a small pan, the kneepan,
dim. of patina, patena, a pan, dish.] 1.
A small dish, pan, or vase.
2. (Anat.) The kneepan; the cap of the
knee.
3. (Zoöl.) A genus of marine
gastropods, including many species of limpets. The shell has the form
of a flattened cone. The common European limpet (Patella
vulgata) is largely used for food.
4. (Bot.) A kind of apothecium in
lichens, which is orbicular, flat, and sessile, and has a special rim
not a part of the thallus.
Pa*tel"lar (?), a. (Anat.)
Of or pertaining to the patella, or kneepan.
Pa*tel"li*form (?), a. [Patella +
form: cf. F. pattelliforme.] 1.
Having the form of a patella.
2. (Zoöl.) Resembling a limpet of
the genus Patella.
||Pa*tel"lu*la (?), n.; pl.
Patellulæ (#). [NL., dim. of L.
patella. See Patella.] (Zoöl.) A
cuplike sucker on the feet of certain insects.
Pat"en (?), n. [LL. patina,
patena, fr. L. patina, patena, a pan; cf. L.
patere to be open, E. patent, and Gr. &?; a kind of flat
dish: cf. F. patène. Cf. Patina.]
1. A plate. [Obs.]
2. (Eccl.) The place on which the
consecrated bread is placed in the Eucharist, or on which the host is
placed during the Mass. It is usually small, and formed as to fit the
chalice, or cup, as a cover.
[Written also patin, patine.]
||Pat"e*na (?), n. [LL.] (Eccl.)
A paten.
||Pa*te"na (?), n. [Cf. Pg.
patena a paten.] A grassy expanse in the hill region of
Ceylon.
Pa"ten*cy (?), n. [See Patent.]
1. The condition of being open, enlarged, or
spread.
2. The state of being patent or
evident.
Pat"ent (păt"ent or pāt"ent),
a. [L. patens, -entis, p. pr. of
patere to be open: cf. F. patent. Cf. Fathom.]
1. (Oftener pronounced pāt"ent
in this sense) Open; expanded; evident; apparent;
unconcealed; manifest; public; conspicuous.
He had received instructions, both patent and
secret.
Motley.
2. Open to public perusal; -- said of a
document conferring some right or privilege; as, letters
patent. See Letters patent, under 3d
Letter.
3. Appropriated or protected by letters
patent; secured by official authority to the exclusive possession,
control, and disposal of some person or party; patented; as, a
patent right; patent medicines.
Madder . . . in King Charles the First's time, was made
a patent commodity.
Mortimer.
4. (Bot.) Spreading; forming a nearly
right angle with the steam or branch; as, a patent
leaf.
Patent leather, a varnished or lacquered
leather, used for boots and shoes, and in carriage and harness
work. -- Patent office, a government bureau
for the examination of inventions and the granting of patents. --
Patent right. (a) The exclusive
right to an invention, and the control of its manufacture.
(b) (Law) The right, granted by the
sovereign, of exclusive control of some business of manufacture, or of
the sale of certain articles, or of certain offices or
prerogatives. -- Patent rolls, the
registers, or records, of patents.
Pat"ent, n. [Cf. F. patente. See
Patent, a.] 1. A letter
patent, or letters patent; an official document, issued by a sovereign
power, conferring a right or privilege on some person or party.
Specifically: (a) A writing securing to an
invention. (b) A document making a grant
and conveyance of public lands.
Four other gentlemen of quality remained mentioned in
that patent.
Fuller.
&fist; In the United States, by the act of 1870, patents for
inventions are issued for seventeen years, without the privilege of
renewal except by act of Congress.
2. The right or privilege conferred by such a
document; hence, figuratively, a right, privilege, or license of the
nature of a patent.
If you are so fond over her iniquity, give her
patent to offend.
Shak.
Pat"ent, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Patented; p. pr. & vb. n.
Patenting.] To grant by patent; to make the subject of a
patent; to secure or protect by patent; as, to patent an
invention; to patent public lands.
Pat"ent*a*ble (?), a. Suitable to
be patented; capable of being patented.
Pat`ent*ee" (?), n. One to whom a
grant is made, or a privilege secured, by patent.
Bacon.
Pat"ent-ham"mered (?), a. (Stone
Cutting) Having a surface dressed by cutting with a hammer
the head of which consists of broad thin chisels clamped
together.
Pat"ent*ly (?; see Patent, a.),
adv. Openly; evidently.
||Pat"e*ra (?), n.; pl.
Pateræ(&?;). [ L., fr. patere to lie
open.] 1. A saucerlike vessel of earthenware or
metal, used by the Greeks and Romans in libations and
sacrificies.
2. (Arch.) A circular ornament,
resembling a dish, often worked in relief on friezes, and the
like.
Pat`e*re"ro (?), n. See
Pederero. [Obs.]
||Pa`ter*fa*mil`i*as (?), n.; pl.
Pateresfamilias (#). [L., fr. pater father +
familias, gen. of familia family.] (Rom. Law)
The head of a family; in a large sense, the proprietor of an
estate; one who is his own master.
Pa*ter"nal (?), a. [L. paternus,
fr. pater a father: cf. F. paternel. See Father.]
1. Of or pertaining to a father; fatherly;
showing the disposition of a father; guiding or instructing as a
father; as, paternal care. "Under paternal rule."
Milton.
2. Received or derived from a father;
hereditary; as, a paternal estate.
Their small paternal field of corn.
Dryden.
Paternal government (Polit. Science),
the assumption by the governing power of a quasi-fatherly relation
to the people, involving strict and intimate supervision of their
business and social concerns, upon the theory that they are incapable
of managing their own afffairs.
Pa*ter"nal*ism (?), n. (Polit.
Science) The theory or practice of paternal government. See
Paternal government, under Paternal. London
Times.
Pa*ter"nal*ly, adv. In a paternal
manner.
Pa*ter"ni*ty (?), n. [L.
paternitas: cf. F. paternité. See
Paternal.] 1. The relation of a father to
his child; fathership; fatherhood; family headship; as, the divine
paternity.
The world, while it had scarcity of people, underwent
no other dominion than paternity and eldership.
Sir W. Raleigh.
2. Derivation or descent from a father; male
parentage; as, the paternity of a child.
3. Origin; authorship.
The paternity of these novels was . . .
disputed.
Sir W. Scott.
Pa"ter*nos`ter (?), n. [L., Our Father.]
1. The Lord's prayer, so called from the first
two words of the Latin version.
2. (Arch.) A beadlike ornament in
moldings.
3. (Angling) A line with a row of hooks
and bead&?;shaped sinkers.
Paternoster pump, Paternoster
wheel, a chain pump; a noria. --
Paternoster while, the space of time required
for repeating a paternoster. Udall.
Path (p&adot;th), n.; pl.
Paths (p&adot;&thlig;z). [As. pæð,
pað; akin to D. pad, G. pfad, of uncertain
origin; cf. Gr. pa`tos, Skr. patha, path.
√21.] 1. A trodden way; a
footway.
The dewy paths of meadows we will
tread.
Dryden.
2. A way, course, or track, in which anything
moves or has moved; route; passage; an established way; as, the
path of a meteor, of a caravan, of a storm, of a pestilence.
Also used figuratively, of a course of life or action.
All the paths of the Lord are mercy and
truth.
Ps. xxv. 10.
The paths of glory lead but to the
grave.
Gray.
Path (p&adot;&thlig;), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Pathed (p&adot;&thlig;d);
pr.p. & vb. n. Pathing.] To make a path
in, or on (something), or for (some one). [R.] "Pathing
young Henry's unadvised ways." Drayton.
Path, v. i. To walk or go.
[R.] Shak.
Path`e*mat"ic (?), a. [Gr. &?;, fr. &?;
a suffering, &?;, to suffer.] Of, pertaining to, or designating,
emotion or suffering. [R.] Chalmers.
Pa*thet"ic (?), a. [L.
patheticus, Gr. &?;, fr. &?;, &?;, to suffer: cf. F.
pathétique. See Pathos.] 1.
Expressing or showing anger; passionate. [Obs.]
2. Affecting or moving the tender emotions,
esp. pity or grief; full of pathos; as, a pathetic song or
story. "Pathetic action." Macaulay.
No theory of the passions can teach a man to be
pathetic.
E. Porter.
Pathetic muscle (Anat.), the superior
oblique muscle of the eye. -- Pathetic nerve
(Anat.), the fourth cranial, or trochlear, nerve, which
supplies the superior oblique, or pathetic, muscle of the eye. --
The pathetic, a style or manner adapted to
arouse the tender emotions.
Pa*thet"ic*al (?), a.
Pathetic. [R.] -- Pa*thet"ic*al*ly,
adv. -- Pa*thet"ic*al*ness,
n.
Path"e*tism (?), n. [Cf. F.
pathétisme.] See Mesmerism. L.
Sunderland.
Path"find`er (?), n. One who
discovers a way or path; one who explores untraversed
regions.
The cow is the true pathfinder and
pathmaker.
J. Burroughs.
Path"ic (?), n. [L. pathicus, Gr.
&?;, passive, fr. &?;, &?;, to suffer] A male who submits to the
crime against nature; a catamite. [R.] B. Jonson.
Path"ic, a. [Gr. &?;.] Passive;
suffering.
Path"less (?), a. Having no beaten
path or way; untrodden; impenetrable; as, pathless
woods.
Trough the heavens' wide, pathless
way.
Milton.
Path"mak`er (?), n. One who, or
that which, makes a way or path.
Path"o*gene (?), n. [See
Pathogenic.] (Biol.) One of a class of virulent
microörganisms or bacteria found in the tissues and fluids in
infectious diseases, and supposed to be the cause of the disease; a
pathogenic organism; a pathogenic bacterium; -- opposed to
zymogene.
Path`o*gen"e*sis (?), n. (Med.)
Pathogeny.
Path`o*ge*net"ic (?), a. (Med.)
Pathogenic.
Path`o*gen"ic (?), a. [Gr. &?; disease +
the root of &?; birth.] (Med. & Biol.) Of or pertaining to
pathogeny; producting disease; as, a pathogenic organism; a
pathogenic bacterium.
Pa*thog"e*ny (?), n. (Med.)
(a) The generation, and method of development, of
disease; as, the pathogeny of yellow fever is unsettled.
(b) That branch of pathology which treats of the
generation and development of disease.
Pa*thog`no*mon"ic (?), a. [Gr. &?;
skilled in judging of diseases; &?; a disease + &?; skilled: cf. F.
pathognomonique. See Gnomic.] (Med.)
Specially or decisively characteristic of a disease; indicating
with certainty a disease; as, a pathognomonic
symptom.
The true pathognomonic sign of love
jealousy.
Arbuthnot.
Pa*thog"no*my (?), n. [Gr. &?; passion +
&?; a judgment, fr. &?;, &?;, to know.] Expression of the
passions; the science of the signs by which human passions are
indicated.
{ Path`o*log"ic (?), Path`o*log"ic*al (?), }
a. [Gr. &?;: cf. F. pathologique.] Of or
pertaining to pathology. -- Path`o*log"ic*al*ly,
adv.
Pa*thol"o*gist (?), n. [Cf. F.
pathologiste.] One skilled in pathology; an investigator
in pathology; as, the pathologist of a hospital, whose duty it
is to determine the causes of the diseases.
Pa*thol"o*gy (-j&ybreve;), n.;
pl. Pathologies (-j&ibreve;z). [Gr.
pa`qos a suffering, disease + -logy: cf. F.
pathologie.] (Med.) The science which treats of
diseases, their nature, causes, progress, symptoms, etc.
&fist; Pathology is general or special,
according as it treats of disease or morbid processes in general, or
of particular diseases; it is also subdivided into internal and
external, or medical and surgical pathology. Its
departments are nosology, ætiology, morbid
anatomy, symptomatology, and therapeutics, which
treat respectively of the classification, causation, organic changes,
symptoms, and cure of diseases.
Celluar pathology, a theory that gives
prominence to the vital action of cells in the healthy and diseased
function of the body. Virchow.
||Path`o*pœ"la (?), n.; pl.
-ias (#). [NL., from Gr. &?;; &?; passion + &?; to
make.] (Rhet.) A speech, or figure of speech, designed to
move the passion. Smart.
Pa"thos (?), n. [L., from Gr.
pa`qos a suffering, passion, fr. &?;, &?;, to suffer; cf.
&?; toil, L. pati to suffer, E. patient.] That
quality or property of anything which touches the feelings or excites
emotions and passions, esp., that which awakens tender emotions, such
as pity, sorrow, and the like; contagious warmth of feeling, action,
or expression; pathetic quality; as, the pathos of a picture,
of a poem, or of a cry.
The combination of incident, and the pathos of
catastrophe.
T. Warton.
Path"way (?), n. A footpath; a
beaten track; any path or course. Also used figuratively.
Shak.
In the way of righteousness is life; and in the
pathway thereof is no death.
Prov. xii.
28.
We tread the pathway arm in arm.
Sir W. Scott.
Pat"i*ble (?), a. [L. patibilis,
fr. pati to suffer.] Sufferable; tolerable;
endurable. [Obs.] Bailey.
Pa*tib"u*la*ry (?), a. [L.
patibulum a gallows: cf. F. patibulaire.] Of or
pertaining to the gallows, or to execution. [R.]
Carlyle.
Pa*tib"u*la`ted, a. Hanged on a
gallows. [R.]
Pa"tience (?), n. [F. patience,
fr. L. patientia. See Patient.] 1.
The state or quality of being patient; the power of suffering
with fortitude; uncomplaining endurance of evils or wrongs, as toil,
pain, poverty, insult, oppression, calamity, etc.
Strenthened with all might, . . . unto all
patience and long-suffering.
Col. i.
11.
I must have patience to endure the
load.
Shak.
Who hath learned lowliness
From his Lord's cradle, patience from his cross.
Keble.
2. The act or power of calmly or contentedly
waiting for something due or hoped for; forbearance.
Have patience with me, and I will pay thee
all.
Matt. xviii. 29.
3. Constancy in labor or application;
perseverance.
He learned with patience, and with meekness
taught.
Harte.
4. Sufferance; permission. [Obs.]
Hooker.
They stay upon your patience.
Shak.
5. (Bot.) A kind of dock (Rumex
Patientia), less common in America than in Europe; monk's
rhubarb.
6. (Card Playing) Solitaire.
Syn. -- Patience, Resignation.
Patience implies the quietness or self-possession of one's own
spirit under sufferings, provocations, etc.; resignation
implies submission to the will of another. The Stoic may have
patience; the Christian should have both patience and
resignation.
Pa"tient (?), a. [F., fr. L.
patiens, -entis, p. pr. of pati to suffer. Cf.
Pathos, Passion.] 1. Having the
quality of enduring; physically able to suffer or bear.
Patient of severest toil and
hardship.
Bp. Fell.
2. Undergoing pains, trails, or the like,
without murmuring or fretfulness; bearing up with equanimity against
trouble; long-suffering.
3. Constant in pursuit or exertion;
persevering; calmly diligent; as, patient endeavor.
Whatever I have done is due to patient
thought.
Sir I. Newton.
4. Expectant with calmness, or without
discontent; not hasty; not overeager; composed.
Not patient to expect the turns of
fate.
Prior.
5. Forbearing; long-suffering.
Be patient toward all men.
1
Thess. v. 14.
Pa"tient, n. 1. ONe
who, or that which, is passively affected; a passive
recipient.
Malice is a passion so impetuous and precipitate that
often involves the agent and the patient.
Gov.
of Tongue.
2. A person under medical or surgical
treatment; -- correlative to physician or
nurse.
Like a physician, . . . seeing his patient in a
pestilent fever.
Sir P. Sidney.
In patient, a patient who receives lodging
and food, as treatment, in a hospital or an infirmary. --
Out patient, one who receives advice and
medicine, or treatment, from an infirmary.
Pa"tient, v. t. To compose, to
calm. [Obs.] "Patient yourself, madam." Shak.
Pa"tient*ly, adv. In a patient
manner. Cowper.
{ Pat"in (?), Pat"ine }, n.
A plate. See Paten. "Inlaid with patines of
bright gold." Shak.
Pat"ina (?), n. [It., fr. L.
patina a dish, a pan, a kind of cake. Cf. Paten.]
1. A dish or plate of metal or earthenware; a
patella.
2. (Fine Arts) The color or
incrustation which age gives to works of art; especially, the green
rust which covers ancient bronzes, coins, and medals.
Fairholt.
||Pa"ti*o (pä"t&esl;*&osl;), n.
[Sp., a court] (Metal) A paved yard or floor where ores
are cleaned and sorted, or where ore, salt, mercury, etc., are
trampled by horses, to effect intermixture and amalgamation.
&fist; The patio process is used to reduce silver ores by
amalgamation.
Pat"ly (?), adv. Fitly;
seasonably. Barrow.
Pat"ness, n. Fitness or
appropriateness; striking suitableness; convenience.
The description with equal patness may suit
both.
Barrow.
Pa`tois" (?), n. [F.] A dialect
peculiar to the illiterate classes; a provincial form of
speech.
The jargon and patois of several
provinces.
Sir T. Browne.
Pa*tonce" (?), a. [Cf. F. patte
d'once paw of an ounce.] (Her.) Having the arms
growing broader and floriated toward the end; -- said of a cross. See
Illust. 9 of Cross.
Pa"tri*al (?), a. [L. patria
fatherland, country, fr. pater father.] (Lat. Gram.)
Derived from the name of a country, and designating an inhabitant
of the country; gentile; -- said of a noun. --
n. A patrial noun. Thus Romanus, a
Roman, and Troas, a woman of Troy, are patrial nouns, or
patrials. Andrews.
Pa"tri*arch (?), n. [F.
patriarche, L. patriarcha, Gr. &?;, fr. &?; lineage,
especially on the father's side, race; &?; father + &?; a leader,
chief, fr. &?; to lead, rule. See Father, Archaic.]
1. The father and ruler of a family; one who
governs his family or descendants by paternal right; -- usually
applied to heads of families in ancient history, especially in
Biblical and Jewish history to those who lived before the time of
Moses.
2. (R. C. Ch. & Gr. Ch.) A dignitary
superior to the order of archbishops; as, the patriarch of
Constantinople, of Alexandria, or of Antioch.
3. A venerable old man; an elder. Also used
figuratively.
The patriarch hoary, the sage of his kith and
the hamlet.
Longfellow.
The monarch oak, the partiarch of
trees.
Dryde.
Pa`tri*ar"chal (?), a. [Cf. F.
patriarcal.] 1. Of or pertaining to a
patriarch or to patriarchs; possessed by, or subject to, patriarchs;
as, patriarchal authority or jurisdiction; a patriarchal
see; a patriarchal church.
2. Characteristic of a patriarch;
venerable.
About whose patriarchal knee
Late the little children clung.
Tennyson.
3. (Ethnol.) Having an organization of
society and government in which the head of the family exercises
authority over all its generations.
Patriarchal cross (Her.), a cross, the
shaft of which is intersected by two transverse beams, the upper one
being the smaller. See Illust. (2) of Cross. --
Patriarchal dispensation, the divine
dispensation under which the patriarchs lived before the law given by
Moses.
Pa`tri*ar"chate (p>amac/`tr&ibreve;*är"k&asl;t),
n. [Cf. F. patriarcat.] 1.
The office, dignity, or jurisdiction of a patriarch.
Jer. Taylor.
2. The residence of an ecclesiastic
patriarch.
3. (Ethnol.) A patriarchal form of
government or society. See Patriarchal, a.,
3.
Pa"tri*arch*dom (?), n. The office
or jurisdiction of a patriarch; patriarchate. [R.]
Pa`tri*ar"chic (?), a. [L.
patriarchicus, Gr. &?;.] Patriarchal.
Pa"tri*arch*ism (?), n. Government
by a patriarch, or the head of a family.
Pa"tri*arch*ship, n. A
patriarchate. Ayliffe.
Pa"tri*arch`y (?), n. [Gr. &?;.]
1. The jurisdiction of a patriarch;
patriarchship. Brerewood.
2. Government by a patriarch;
patriarchism.
Pa*tri"cian (?), a. [L.
patricius, fr. patres fathers or senators, pl. of
pater: cf. F. patricien. See Paternal.]
1. (Rom. Antiq.) Of or pertaining to the
Roman patres (fathers) or senators, or patricians.
2. Of, pertaining to, or appropriate to, a
person of high birth; noble; not plebeian.
Born in the patrician file of
society.
Sir W. Scott.
His horse's hoofs wet with patrician
blood.
Addison.
Pa*tri"cian, n. [L. patricius:
cf. F. patricien.] 1. (Rom. Antiq.)
Originally, a member of any of the families constituting the
populus Romanus, or body of Roman citizens, before the
development of the plebeian order; later, one who, by right of birth
or by special privilege conferred, belonged to the nobility.
2. A person of high birth; a
nobleman.
3. One familiar with the works of the
Christian Fathers; one versed in patristic lore. [R.]
Colridge.
Pa*tri"cian*ism (?), n. The rank or
character of patricians.
Pa*tri"ci*ate (?), n. The patrician
class; the aristocracy; also, the office of patriarch.
Milman.
Pat*ri"ci`dal (?), a. Of or
pertaining to patricide; parricidal.
Pat*ri"cide (?), n. [L. pater
father + caedere to kill. Cf. Parricide.]
1. The murderer of his father.
2. The crime of one who murders his father.
Same as Parricide.
Pat`ri*mo"ni*al (?), a. [L.
patrimonialis: cf. F. patrimonial.] Of or
pertaining to a patrimony; inherited from ancestors; as, a
patrimonial estate.
Pat`ri*mo"ni*al*ly, adv. By
inheritance.
Pat"ri*mo*ny (?), n.; pl.
Patrimonies (#). [L. patrimonium, fr.
pater father: cf. F. patrimoine. See Paternal.]
1. A right or estate inherited from one's father;
or, in a larger sense, from any ancestor. "'Reave the orphan of
his patrimony." Shak.
2. Formerly, a church estate or
endowment. Shipley.
Pa"tri*ot (?), n. [F. patriote;
cf. Sp. patriota, It. patriotto; all fr. Gr. &?; a
fellow-countryman, fr. &?; established by forefathers, fr. &?; father.
See Father.] One who loves his country, and zealously
supports its authority and interests. Bp. Hall.
Such tears as patriots shaed for dying
laws.
Pope.
Pa"tri*ot, a. Becoming to a
patriot; patriotic.
Pa`tri*ot"ic (?), a. [Cf. F.
patriotique, Gr. &?; belonging to a fellow-countryman.]
Inspired by patriotism; actuated by love of one's country;
zealously and unselfishly devoted to the service of one's country; as,
a patriotic statesman, vigilance.
Pa`tri*ot"ic*al (?), a. Patriotic;
that pertains to a patriot. -- Pa`tri*ot"ic*al*ly,
adv.
Pa"tri*ot*ism (?), n. [Cf. F.
patriotisme.] Love of country; devotion to the welfare of
one's country; the virtues and actions of a patriot; the passion which
inspires one to serve one's country. Berkley.
Pa`tri*pas"sian (?), n. [LL.
Patripassiani, pl.; L. pater father + pati,
passus, to suffer: cf. F. patripassiens.] (Eccl.
Hist.) One of a body of believers in the early church who
denied the independent preëxistent personality of Christ, and
who, accordingly, held that the Father suffered in the Son; a
monarchian. -- Pa`tri*pas"sian*ism (#),
n.
Pa"trist (?), n. One versed in
patristics.
{ Pa*tris"tic (?), Pa*tris"tic*al (?), }
a. [F. patristique. See Paternal.]
Of or pertaining to the Fathers of the Christian
church.
The voluminous editor of Jerome anf of tons of
patristic theology.
I. Taylor.
Pa*tris"tics (?), n. That
departnent of historical theology which treats of the lives and
doctrines of the Fathers of the church.
Pa"tri*zate (?), v. i. [L.
patrissare, patrizare;cf. Gr. &?;.] To imitate
one's father. [R.]
Pa*troc"i*nate (?), v. t. [L.
patrocinatus, p. p. of patrocinari to patronize, fr.
patronus patron.] To support; to patronize. [Obs.]
Urquhart.
Pa*troc`i*na"tion (?), n. The act
of patrocinating or patronizing. [Obs.] "Patrocinations
of treason." Bp. Hall.
Pa*troc"i*ny (?), n. [L.
patrocinium.] [Obs.] See Patrocination.
Pa*trol" (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Patrolled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Patrolling.] [F. patrouiller, O. & Prov. F.
patrouiller to paddle, paw about, patrol, fr. patte a
paw; cf. D. poot paw, G. pfote, and E. pat, v.]
To go the rounds along a chain of sentinels; to traverse a police
district or beat.
Pa*trol" (?), v.t To go the rounds
of, as a sentry, guard, or policeman; as, to patrol a frontier;
to patrol a beat.
Pa*trol", n. [F. patrouille, OF.
patouille. See Patrol, v. i.]
1. (Mil.) (a) A going of
the rounds along the chain of sentinels and between the posts, by a
guard, usually consisting of three or four men, to insure greater
security from attacks on the outposts. (b)
A movement, by a small body of troops beyond the line of
outposts, to explore the country and gain intelligence of the enemy's
whereabouts. (c) The guard or men who go
the rounds for observation; a detachment whose duty it is to
patrol.
2. Any perambulation of a particular line or
district to guard it; also, the men thus guarding; as, a customs
patrol; a fire patrol.
In France there is an army of patrols to secure
her fiscal regulations.
A. Hamilton.
Pa*trole" (?), n. & v. See
Patrol, n. & v.
Pa*trol"man (?), n.; pl.
Patrolmen (&?;). One who patrols; a watchman;
especially, a policeman who patrols a particular precinct of a town or
city.
Pa"tron (?), n. [F., fr. L.
patronus, fr. pater a father. See Paternal, and
cf. Patroon, Padrone, Pattern.]
1. One who protects, supports, or countenances; a
defender. "Patron of my life and liberty." Shak.
"The patron of true holiness." Spenser.
2. (Rom. Antiq.) (a) A
master who had freed his slave, but still retained some paternal
rights over him. (b) A man of distinction
under whose protection another person placed himself.
(c) An advocate or pleader.
Let him who works the client wrong
Beware the patron's ire.
Macaulay.
3. One who encourages or helps a person, a
cause, or a work; a furtherer; a promoter; as, a patron of
art.
4. (Eccl. Law) One who has gift and
disposition of a benefice. [Eng.]
5. A guardian saint. -- called also patron
saint.
6. (Naut.) See Padrone,
2.
Patrons of Husbandry, the grangers. See
Granger, 2.
Pa"tron, v. t. To be a patron of;
to patronize; to favor. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.
Pa"tron, a. Doing the duty of a
patron; giving aid or protection; tutelary. Dryden.
Patron saint (R. C. Ch.), a saint
regarded as the peculiar protector of a country, community, church,
profession, etc., or of an individual.
Pa"tron*age (?), n. [F.
patronage. Cf. LL. patronaticum, and L.
patronatus.] 1. Special countenance or
support; favor, encouragement, or aid, afforded to a person or a work;
as, the patronage of letters; patronage given to an
author.
2. Business custom. [Commercial
Cant]
3. Guardianship, as of a saint; tutelary
care. Addison.
4. The right of nomination to political
office; also, the offices, contracts, honors, etc., which a public
officer may bestow by favor.
5. (Eng. Law) The right of presentation
to church or ecclesiastical benefice; advowson.
Blackstone.
Pa"tron*age, v. t. To act as a
patron of; to maintain; to defend. [Obs.] Shak.
Pa"tron*al (?), a. [L.
patronalis; cf. F. patronal.] Patron; protecting;
favoring. [R.] Sir T. Browne.
Pa"tron*ate (?), n. [L.
patronatus.] The right or duty of a patron;
patronage. [R.] Westm. Rev.
Pa"tron*ess (?), n. [Cf. F.
patronnesse.] A female patron or helper.
Spenser.
Night, best patroness of grief.
Milton.
Pa`tron*i*za"tion (?), n. The act
of patronizing; patronage; support. [R.]
Pa"tron*ize (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Patronized (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Patronizing (?).] 1. To act
as patron toward; to support; to countenance; to favor; to
aid.
The idea has been patronized by two States
only.
A. Hamilton.
2. To trade with customarily; to frequent as a
customer. [Commercial Cant]
3. To assume the air of a patron, or of a
superior and protector, toward; -- used in an unfavorable sense; as,
to patronize one's equals.
Pa"tron*i`zer (?), n. One who
patronizes.
Pa"tron*i`zing (?), a. Showing
condescending favor; assuming the manner of airs of a superior toward
another. -- Pat"ron*i`zing*ly, adv.
Thackeray.
Pa"tron*less (?), a. Destitute of a
patron.
Pa`tro*nom`a*yol"o*gy (?), n. [Gr. &?;,
&?;, a father + E. onomatology.] That branch of knowledge
which deals with personal names and their origin; the study of
patronymics.
Pa`tro*nym"ic (?), a. [L.
patronymicus, Gr. &?;; &?; father + &?; name: cf. F.
patronymique.] Derived from ancestors; as, a
patronymic denomination.
Pa`tro*nym"ic, n. [Gr. &?;.] A
modification of the father's name borne by the son; a name derived
from that of a parent or ancestor; as, Pelides, the son of
Peleus; Johnson, the son of John; Macdonald, the son of
Donald; Paulowitz, the son of Paul; also, the surname of a
family; the family name. M. A. Lower.
Pa`tro*nym"ic*al (?), a. Same as
Patronymic.
Pa*troon" (?), n. [D. patroon a
patron, a protector. See Patron.] One of the proprietors
of certain tracts of land with manorial privileges and right of
entail, under the old Dutch governments of New York and New
Jersey.
Pa*troon"ship, n. The office of a
patroon. Irving.
{ ||Pat`té" (?), Pat*tee" (?), }
a. [F. patté, fem.
pattée, fr. patte paw, foot. Cf. Patten.]
(Her.) Narrow at the inner, and very broad at the other,
end, or having its arms of that shape; -- said of a cross. See
Illust. (8) of Cross. [Written also
paté, patee.]
Pat"te*mar (?), n. See
Patamar.
Pat"ten (?), n. [F. patin a high-
heeled shoe, fr. patte paw, foot. Cf. Panton,
Patté.] 1. A clog or sole of wood,
usually supported by an iron ring, worn to raise the feet from the wet
or the mud.
The patten now supports each frugal
dame.
Gay.
2. A stilt. [Prov. Eng.]
Halliwell.
Pat"ten*ed (?), a. Wearing
pattens. "Some pattened girl." Jane Austen.
Pat"ter (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Pattered (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pattering.] [Freq. of pat to strike gently.]
1. To strike with a quick succession of slight,
sharp sounds; as, pattering rain or hail; pattering
feet.
The stealing shower is scarce to patter
heard.
Thomson.
2. To mutter; to mumble; as, to patter
with the lips. Tyndale. [In this sense, and in the
following, perh. from paternoster.]
3. To talk glibly; to chatter; to
harangue. [Colloq.]
I've gone out and pattered to get
money.
Mayhew.
Pat"ter, v. t. 1.
To spatter; to sprinkle. [R.] "And patter the water
about the boat." J. R. Drake.
2. [See Patter, v. i., 2.]
To mutter; as prayers.
[The hooded clouds] patter their doleful
prayers.
Longfellow.
To patter flash, to talk in thieves'
cant. [Slang]
Pat"ter, n. 1. A
quick succession of slight sounds; as, the patter of rain; the
patter of little feet.
2. Glib and rapid speech; a voluble
harangue.
3. The cant of a class; patois; as, thieves's
patter; gypsies' patter.
Pat"ter*er (?), n. One who patters,
or talks glibly; specifically, a street peddler. [Cant,
Eng.]
Pat"tern (?), n. [OE. patron, F.
patron, a patron, also, a pattern. See Patron.]
1. Anything proposed for imitation; an archetype;
an exemplar; that which is to be, or is worthy to be, copied or
imitated; as, a pattern of a machine.
I will be the pattern of all
patience.
Shak.
2. A part showing the figure or quality of the
whole; a specimen; a sample; an example; an instance.
He compares the pattern with the whole
piece.
Swift.
3. Stuff sufficient for a garment; as, a dress
pattern.
4. Figure or style of decoration; design; as,
wall paper of a beautiful pattern.
5. Something made after a model; a copy.
Shak.
The patterns of things in the
heavens.
Heb. ix. 23.
6. Anything cut or formed to serve as a guide
to cutting or forming objects; as, a dressmaker's
pattern.
7. (Founding) A full-sized model around
which a mold of sand is made, to receive the melted metal. It is
usually made of wood and in several parts, so as to be removed from
the mold without injuring it.
Pattern box, chain, or
cylinder (Figure Weaving), devices, in a
loom, for presenting several shuttles to the picker in the proper
succession for forming the figure. -- Pattern
card. (a) A set of samples on a
card. (b) (Weaving) One of the
perforated cards in a Jacquard apparatus. -- Pattern
reader, one who arranges textile patterns. --
Pattern wheel (Horology), a count-
wheel.
Pat"tern, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Patterned (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Patterning.] 1. To make or design
(anything) by, from, or after, something that serves as a pattern; to
copy; to model; to imitate. Milton.
[A temple] patterned from that which Adam reared
in Paradise.
Sir T. Herbert.
2. To serve as an example for; also, to
parallel.
To pattern after, to imitate; to
follow.
Pat"ty (?), n.; pl.
Patties (#). [F. pâté. See
Pasty.] A little pie.
Pat"ty*pan` (?), n. 1.
A pan for baking patties.
2. A patty. [Obs.]
Pat"u*lous (?), a. [L. patulus,
fr. patere to be open, extend.] Open; expanded; slightly
spreading; having the parts loose or dispersed; as, a patulous
calyx; a patulous cluster of flowers.
The eyes are large and patulous.
Sir J. Hill.
||Pau (?), n. See
Pah.
Pau*cil"o*quent (?), a. Uttering
few words; brief in speech. [R.]
Pau*cil"o*quy (?), n. [L.
pauciloquium; paucus little + loqui to speak.]
Brevity in speech. [R.]
Pau`ci*spi"ral (?), a. [L. paucus
few + E. spiral.] (Zoöl.) Having few spirals,
or whorls; as, a paucispiral operculum or shell.
Pau"ci*ty (?), n. [L. paucitas,
fr. paucus few, little: cf. F. paucité See
Few.] 1. Fewness; smallness of number;
scarcity. Hooker.
Revelation denies it by the stern reserve, the
paucity, and the incompleteness, of its
communications.
I. Taylor.
2. Smallnes of quantity; exiguity;
insufficiency; as, paucity of blood. Sir T.
Browne.
{ Pau"gie, Pau"gy } (?), n.;
pl. Paugies (#). [Corrupted from Amer. Indian
mishcuppauog. See Scup.] (Zoöl.) The
scup. See Porgy, and Scup.
Pau*hau"gen (?), n. [North Amer.
Indian.] (Zoöl.) The menhaden; -- called also
poghaden.
Paul (?), n. See
Pawl.
Paul, n. An Italian silver coin.
See Paolo.
Paul"dron (?), n. [See Powldron.]
(Mil. Antiq.) A piece of armor covering the shoulder at
the junction of the body piece and arm piece.
{ Pau"li*an (?), Pau"li*an*ist (?), }
n. (Eccl. Hist.) A follower of
Paul of Samosata, a bishop of Antioch in the third century, who
was deposed for denying the divinity of Christ.
Pau"li*cian (?), n. [Etymol. uncertain.]
(Eccl. Hist.) One of a sect of Christian dualists
originating in Armenia in the seventh century. They rejected the Old
Testament and the part of the New.
Pau"lin (?), n. (Naut.) See
Tarpaulin.
Pau"line (?), a. [L. Paulinus,
fr. Paulus Paul.] Of or pertaining to the apostle Paul, or
his writings; resembling, or conforming to, the writings of Paul; as,
the Pauline epistles; Pauline doctrine.
My religion had always been
Pauline.
J. H. Newman.
Paul"ist (?), n. (R. C. Ch.)
A member of The Institute of the Missionary Priests of St. Paul
the Apostle, founded in 1858 by the Rev. I. T. Hecker of New York. The
majority of the members were formerly Protestants.
||Pau*low"ni*a (?), n. [NL. So named
from the Russian princess Anna Pavlovna.] (Bot.) A
genus of trees of the order Scrophulariaceæ, consisting
of one species, Paulownia imperialis.
&fist; The tree is native to Japan, and has immense heart-shaped
leaves, and large purplish flowers in panicles. The capsules contain
many little winged seeds, which are beautiful microscopic objects. The
tree is hardy in America as far north as Connecticut.
Paum (?), v. t. & i. [See Palm to
cheat.] To palm off by fraud; to cheat at cards. [Obs.]
Swift.
Paunce (?), n. [See Pansy.]
(Bot.) The pansy. "The pretty paunce."
Spenser.
Paunch (?), n. [OF. panch,
pance, F. panse, L. pantex, panticis.]
1. (Anat.) The belly and its contents; the
abdomen; also, the first stomach, or rumen, of ruminants. See
Rumen.
2. (Naut.) A paunch mat; -- called also
panch.
3. The thickened rim of a bell, struck by the
clapper.
Paunch mat (Naut.), a thick mat made
of strands of rope, used to prevent the yard or rigging from
chafing.
Paunch, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Paunched (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Paunching.] 1. To pierce or rip the belly
of; to eviscerate; to disembowel. Shak.
2. To stuff with food. [Obs.]
Udall.
Paunch"y (?), a. Pot-bellied.
[R.] Dickens.
Paune (?), n. A kind of bread. See
Pone.
Pau"per (?), n. [L. See Poor.]
A poor person; especially, one development on private or public
charity. Also used adjectively; as, pouper immigrants,
pouper labor.
Pau"per*ism (?), n. [Cf. F.
paupérisme.] The state of being a pauper; the state
of indigent persons requiring support from the community.
Whatly.
Syn. -- Poverty; indigence; penury; want; need; destitution.
See Poverty.
Pau`per*i*za"tion (?), n. The act
or process of reducing to pauperism. C. Kingsley.
Pau"per*ize (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Pauperized (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Pauperizing (?).] To reduce to pauperism; as,
to pauperize the peasantry.
||Pau*rop"o*da (?), n. pl. [NL., from
Gr. &?; small + -poda.] (Zoöl.) An order of
small myriapods having only nine pairs of legs and destitute of
tracheæ.
Pause (?), n. [F., fr. L. pausa.
See Pose.] 1. A temporary stop or rest; an
intermission of action; interruption; suspension; cessation.
2. Temporary inaction or waiting; hesitation;
suspence; doubt.
I stand in pause where I shall first
begin.
Shak.
3. In speaking or reading aloud, a brief
arrest or suspension of voice, to indicate the limits and relations of
sentences and their parts.
4. In writing and printing, a mark indicating
the place and nature of an arrest of voice in reading; a punctuation
point; as, teach the pupil to mind the pauses.
5. A break or paragraph in writing.
He writes with warmth, which usually neglects method,
and those partitions and pauses which men educated in schools
observe.
Locke.
6. (Mus.) A hold. See 4th Hold,
7.
Syn. -- Stop; cessation; suspension.
Pause, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Paused (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pausing.] [Cf. F. pauser, L. pausare. See
Pause, n., Pose.] 1.
To make a short stop; to cease for a time; to intermit speaking
or acting; to stop; to wait; to rest. "Tarry, pause a day
or two." Shak.
Pausing while, thus to herself she
mused.
Milton.
2. To be intermitted; to cease; as, the music
pauses.
3. To hesitate; to hold back; to delay.
[R.]
Why doth the Jew pause? Take thy
forfeiture.
Shak.
4. To stop in order to consider; hence, to
consider; to reflect. [R.] "Take time to pause."
Shak.
To pause upon, to deliberate concerning.
Shak.
Syn. -- To intermit; stop; stay; wait; delay; tarry;
hesitate; demur.
Pause, v. t. To cause to stop or
rest; -- used reflexively. [R.] Shak.
Paus"er (?), n. One who
pauses. Shak.
Paus"ing*ly, adv. With pauses;
haltingly. Shak.
||Paux"i (?), n. [From the native name:
cf. Sp. pauji.] (Zoöl.) A curassow (Ourax
pauxi), which, in South America, is often domesticated.
Pav"age (?), n. [Cf. F. pavage.]
See Pavage. [R.]
Pav"an (?), n. [F. pavane; cf.
It. & Sp. pavana, and Sp. pavon, pavo, a peacock,
L. pavo.] A stately and formal Spanish dance for which
full state costume is worn; -- so called from the resemblance of its
movements to those of the peacock. [Written also pavane,
paven, pavian, and pavin.]
||Pa`vé" (?), n. [F., from
paver to pave. See Pave.] The pavement.
||Nymphe du pavé (&?;), a prostitute
who solicits in the street. [A low euphemism.]
Pave (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Paved (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Paving.] [F. paver to pave, LL. pavare, from L.
pavire to beat, ram, or tread down; cf. Gr. &?; to beat,
strike.] 1. To lay or cover with stone, brick, or
other material, so as to make a firm, level, or convenient surface for
horses, carriages, or persons on foot, to travel on; to floor with
brick, stone, or other solid material; as, to pave a street; to
pave a court.
With silver paved, and all divine with
gold.
Dryden.
To pave thy realm, and smooth the broken
ways.
Gay.
2. Fig.: To make smooth, easy, and safe; to
prepare, as a path or way; as, to pave the way to promotion; to
pave the way for an enterprise.
It might open and pave a prepared way to his own
title.
Bacon.
Pave"ment (?), n. [F., fr. LL.
pavamentum, L. pavimentum. See Pave.] That
with which anythingis paved; a floor or covering of solid material,
laid so as to make a hard and convenient surface for travel; a paved
road or sidewalk; a decorative interior floor of tiles or colored
bricks.
The riches of heaven's pavement, trodden
gold.
Milton.
Pavement teeth (Zoöl.), flattened
teeth which in certain fishes, as the skates and cestracionts, are
arranged side by side, like tiles in a pavement.
Pave"ment, v. t. To furnish with a
pavement; to pave. [Obs.] "How richly pavemented!"
Bp. Hall.
Pav"en (?), n. See
Pavan.
Pav"er (?), n. One who paves; one
who lays a pavement. [Written also pavier and
pavior.]
Pav`e*sade" (?), n. [F. See
Pavise.] A canvas screen, formerly sometimes extended
along the side of a vessel in a naval engagement, to conceal from the
enemy the operations on board.
{ Pa*vese" (?), Pa*vesse" (?) },
n. Pavise. [Obs.]
Pa"vi*age (?), n. (Law) A
contribution or a tax for paving streets or highways.
Bouvier.
Pav"i*an (?), n. See
Pavan.
Pav"id (?), a. [L. pavidus, from pavere
to be afraid.] Timid; fearful. [R.] Thackeray.
Pa*vid"i*ty (?), n. Timidity.
[R.]
Pav"ier (?), n. A paver.
Pa"vi*in (pā"v&ibreve;*&ibreve;n),
n. (Chem.) A glucoside found in species
of the genus Pavia of the Horse-chestnut family.
Pa*vil"ion (?), n. [F. pavillon,
fr. L. pavilio a butterfly, also, a tent, because spread out
like a butterfly's wings.] 1. A temporary movable
habitation; a large tent; a marquee; esp., a tent raised on
posts. "[The] Greeks do pitch their brave pavilions."
Shak.
2. (Arch.) A single body or mass of
building, contained within simple walls and a single roof, whether
insulated, as in the park or garden of a larger edifice, or united
with other parts, and forming an angle or central feature of a large
pile.
3. (Mil.) A flag, colors, ensign, or
banner.
4. (Her.) Same as Tent
(Her.)
5. That part of a brilliant which lies between
the girdle and collet. See Illust. of
Brilliant.
6. (Anat.) The auricle of the ear;
also, the fimbriated extremity of the Fallopian tube.
7. A covering; a canopy; figuratively, the
sky.
The pavilion of heaven is bare.
Shelley.
Pa*vil"ion, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pavilioned (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pavilioning.] To furnish or cover with, or shelter in, a
tent or tents.
The field pavilioned with his guardians
bright.
Milton.
Pav"in (?), n. See
Pavan.
Pav"ing (?), n. 1.
The act or process of laying a pavement, or covering some place
with a pavement.
2. A pavement.
Pav"ior (?), n. 1.
One who paves; a paver.
2. A rammer for driving paving
stones.
3. A brick or slab used for paving.
Pa*vise (?), n. [OF. pavaix, F.
pavois; cf. It. pavese, LL. pavense; perh. named
from Pavia in Italy.] (Mil. Antiq.) A large shield
covering the whole body, carried by a pavisor, who sometimes screened
also an archer with it. [Written also pavais,
pavese, and pavesse.] Fairholt.
Pa*vis"or (?), n. (Mil. Antiq.)
A soldier who carried a pavise.
||Pa"vo (?), n. [L., a peacock. See
Peacock.] 1. (Zoöl.) A genus
of birds, including the peacocks.
2. (Astron.) The Peacock, a
constellation of the southern hemisphere.
Pa"von (?), n. A small triangular
flag, esp. one attached to a knight's lance; a pennon.
Pa*vone" (?), n. [Cf. It. pavone,
Sp. pavon, fr. L. pavo.] (Zoöl.) A
peacock. [Obs.] Spenser.
Pa*vo"ni*an (?), a. Of or
pertaining to a peacock. [R.] Southey.
Pav"o*nine (?), a. [L. pavoninus,
fr. pavo a peacock. See Peacock.] 1.
(Zoöl.) Like, or pertaining to, the genus
Pavo.
2. Characteristic of a peacock; resembling the
tail of a peacock, as in colors; iridescent. P.
Cleaveland.
Paw (p&add;), n. [OE. pawe,
poue, OF. poe: cf. patte, LG. pote, D.
poot, G. pfote.] 1. The foot of a
quadruped having claws, as the lion, dog, cat, etc.
2. The hand. [Jocose]
Dryden.
Paw clam (Zoöl.), the tridacna; -
- so called because shaped like an animal's paw.
Paw, v. i. To draw the forefoot
along the ground; to beat or scrape with the forefoot. Job
xxxix. 21.
Paw, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pawed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pawing.] 1. To pass the paw over; to
stroke or handle with the paws; hence, to handle fondly or
rudely.
2. To scrape or beat with the
forefoot.
His hot courser pawed the Hungarian
plane.
Tickell.
Pawk (?), n. (Zoöl.) A
small lobster. Travis.
Paw"ky (?), a. [Cf. AS.
pæcean to deceive.] Arch; cunning; sly.
[Scot.] Jamieson.
Pawl (?), n. [W. pawl a pole, a
stake. Cf. Pole a stake.] (Mach.) A pivoted
tongue, or sliding bolt, on one part of a machine, adapted to fall
into notches, or interdental spaces, on another part, as a ratchet
wheel, in such a manner as to permit motion in one direction and
prevent it in the reverse, as in a windlass; a catch, click, or
detent. See Illust. of Ratchet Wheel. [Written
also paul, or pall.]
Pawl bitt (Naut.), a heavy timber, set
abaft the windlass, to receive the strain of the pawls. --
Pawl rim or ring (Naut.),
a stationary metallic ring surrounding the base of a capstan,
having notches for the pawls to catch in.
Pawl, v. t. To stop with a pawl; to
drop the pawls off.
To pawl the capstan. See under
Capstan.
Pawn (?), n. See Pan, the
masticatory.
Pawn, n. [OE. paune, poun,
OF. peon, poon, F. pion, LL. pedo a foot
soldier, fr. L. pes, pedis, foot. See Foot, and
cf. Pioneer, Peon.] (Chess) A man or piece
of the lowest rank.
Pawn, n. [OF. pan pledge,
assurance, skirt, piece, F. pan skirt, lappet, piece, from L.
pannus. See Pane.] 1. Anything
delivered or deposited as security, as for the payment of money
borrowed, or of a debt; a pledge. See Pledge,
n., 1.
As for mortgaging or pawning, . . . men will not take
pawns without use [i. e., interest].
Bacon.
2. State of being pledged; a pledge for the
fulfillment of a promise. [R.]
Redeem from broking pawn the blemish'd
crown.
Shak.
As the morning dew is a pawn of the evening
fatness.
Donne.
3. A stake hazarded in a wager.
[Poetic]
My life I never held but as a pawn
To wage against thy enemies.
Shak.
In pawn, At pawn, in the
state of being pledged. "Sweet wife, my honor is at pawn."
Shak. -- Pawn ticket, a receipt given by
the pawnbroker for an article pledged.
Pawn, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pawned (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pawning.] 1. To give or deposit in pledge,
or as security for the payment of money borrowed; to put in pawn; to
pledge; as, to pawn one's watch.
And pawned the last remaining piece of
plate.
Dryden.
2. To pledge for the fulfillment of a promise;
to stake; to risk; to wager; to hazard.
Pawning his honor to obtain his
lust.
Shak.
Pawna*ble (?), a. Capable of being
pawned.
Pawn"bro`ker (?), n. One who makes
a business of lending money on the security of personal property
pledged or deposited in his keeping.
Pawn"bro`king, n. The business of a
pawnbroker.
Pawn*ee" (?), n. (Law) One
or two whom a pledge is delivered as security; one who takes anything
in pawn.
Paw`nees" (?), n. pl.; sing.
Pawnee (&?;). (Ethnol.) A tribe of
Indians (called also Loups) who formerly occupied the region of
the Platte river, but now live mostly in the Indian Territory. The
term is often used in a wider sense to include also the related tribes
of Rickarees and Wichitas. Called also Pani.
{ Pawn"er (?), Pawn*or" (?), }
n. (Law) One who pawns or pledges
anything as security for the payment of borrowed money or of a
debt.
Paw`paw" (?), n. (Bot.) See
Papaw.
Pax (?), n. [L. pax peace. See
Peace.] 1. (Eccl.) The kiss of
peace; also, the embrace in the sanctuary now substituted for it at
High Mass in Roman Catholic churches.
2. (R. C. Ch.) A tablet or board, on
which is a representation of Christ, of the Virgin Mary, or of some
saint and which, in the Mass, was kissed by the priest and then by the
people, in mediæval times; an osculatory. It is still used in
communities, confraternities, etc.
Kiss the pax, and be quiet like your
neighbors.
Chapman.
Pax"il*lose` (?), a. [L. paxillus
a small stake.] (Geol.) Resembling a little
stake.
||Pax*il"lus (?), n.; pl.
Paxilli (#). [L., a peg.] (Zoöl.)
One of a peculiar kind of spines covering the surface of certain
starfishes. They are pillarlike, with a flattened summit which is
covered with minute spinules or granules. See Illustration in
Appendix.
Pax"wax` (?), n. [For faxvax, fr.
AS. fea&?; hair (akin to OHG. fahs) + weaxan to
grow. See Wax to grow, and cf. Faxed, Pectinate.]
(Anat.) The strong ligament of the back of the neck in
quadrupeds. It connects the back of the skull with dorsal spines of
the cervical vertebræ, and helps to support the head. Called
also paxywaxy and packwax.
Pax"y*wax`y (?), n. (Anat.)
See Paxwax.
Pay (?), v. t. [OF. peier, fr. L.
picare to pitch, i&?; pitch: cf. OF. peiz pitch,
F. poix. See Pitch a black substance.] (Naut.)
To cover, as bottom of a vessel, a seam, a spar, etc., with tar
or pitch, or waterproof composition of tallow, resin, etc.; to
smear.
Pay, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Paid (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Paying.] [OE. paien, F. payer, fr. L.
pacare to pacify, appease, fr. pax, pacis, peace.
See Peace.] 1. To satisfy, or content;
specifically, to satisfy (another person) for service rendered,
property delivered, etc.; to discharge one's obligation to; to make
due return to; to compensate; to remunerate; to recompense; to
requite; as, to pay workmen or servants.
May no penny ale them pay [i. e.,
satisfy].
P. Plowman.
[She] pays me with disdain.
Dryden.
2. Hence, figuratively: To compensate justly;
to requite according to merit; to reward; to punish; to retort or
retaliate upon.
For which, or pay me quickly, or I'll pay
you.
B. Jonson.
3. To discharge, as a debt, demand, or
obligation, by giving or doing what is due or required; to deliver the
amount or value of to the person to whom it is owing; to discharge a
debt by delivering (money owed). "Pay me that thou
owest." Matt. xviii. 28.
Have patience with me, and I will pay thee
all.
Matt. xviii. 26.
If they pay this tax, they starve.
Tennyson.
4. To discharge or fulfill, as a duy; to
perform or render duty, as that which has been promised.
This day have I paid my vows.
Prov. vii. 14.
5. To give or offer, without an implied
obligation; as, to pay attention; to pay a
visit.
Not paying me a welcome.
Shak.
To pay off. (a) To make
compensation to and discharge; as, to pay off the crew of a
ship. (b) To allow (a thread, cord, etc.) to
run off; to unwind. -- To pay one's duty,
to render homage, as to a sovereign or other superior. --
To pay out (Naut.), to pass out; hence,
to slacken; to allow to run out; as, to pay out more cable.
See under Cable. -- To pay the piper,
to bear the cost, expense, or trouble. [Colloq.]
Pay (pā), v. i. To give a
recompense; to make payment, requital, or satisfaction; to discharge a
debt.
The wicked borroweth, and payeth not
again.
Ps. xxxvii. 21.
2. Hence, to make or secure suitable return
for expense or trouble; to be remunerative or profitable; to be worth
the effort or pains required; as, it will pay to ride; it will
pay to wait; politeness always pays.
To pay for. (a) To make
amends for; to atone for; as, men often pay for their mistakes
with loss of property or reputation, sometimes with life.
(b) To give an equivalent for; to bear the expense
of; to be mulcted on account of.
'T was I paid for your sleeps; I watched your
wakings.
Beau. & Fl.
--
To pay off. [Etymol. uncertain.]
(Naut.) To fall to leeward, as the head of a vessel under
sail. -- To pay on. [Etymol. uncertain.] To
beat with vigor; to redouble blows. [Colloq.] -- To pay
round [Etymol. uncertain.] (Naut.) To turn the
ship's head.
Pay, n. 1.
Satisfaction; content. Chaucer.
2. An equivalent or return for money due,
goods purchased, or services performed; salary or wages for work or
service; compensation; recompense; payment; hire; as, the pay
of a clerk; the pay of a soldier.
Where only merit constant pay
receives.
Pope.
There is neither pay nor plunder to be
got.
L'Estrange.
Full pay, the whole amount of wages or
salary; maximum pay; especially, the highest pay or allowance to civil
or military officers of a certain rank, without deductions. --
Half pay. See under Half. --
Pay day, the day of settlement of accounts.
-- Pay dirt (Mining), earth which yields
a profit to the miner. [Western U.S.] -- Pay
office, a place where payment is made. --
Pay roll, a roll or list of persons entitled to
payment, with the amounts due.
Pay"a*ble (?), a. [Cf. F.
payable. Cf. Pacable.] 1. That
may, can, or should be paid; suitable to be paid; justly due.
Drayton.
Thanks are a tribute payable by the
poorest.
South.
2. (Law) (a) That may
be discharged or settled by delivery of value.
(b) Matured; now due.
Pay*ee" (?), n. The person to whom
money is to be, or has been, paid; the person named in a bill or note,
to whom, or to whose order, the amount is promised or directed to be
paid. See Bill of exchange, under Bill.
Pay"en (?), n. & a. Pagan.
[F.] [Obs.] Chaucer.
Pay"er (?), n. One who pays;
specifically, the person by whom a bill or note has been, or should
be, paid.
Pay"mas`ter (?), n. One who pays;
one who compensates, rewards, or requites; specifically, an officer or
agent of a government, a corporation, or an employer, whose duty it is
to pay salaries, wages, etc., and keep account of the same.
Pay"ment (?), n. [F. payment,
paiement. See Pay to requite.] 1.
The act of paying, or giving compensation; the discharge of a
debt or an obligation.
No man envieth the payment of a
debt.
Bacon.
2. That which is paid; the thing given in
discharge of a debt, or an obligation, or in fulfillment of a promise;
reward; recompense; requital; return. Shak.
3. Punishment; chastisement. [R.]
Payn (?), n. [OF. & F. pain, fr.
L. panis bread.] Bread. Having Piers
Plowman.
Payn`de*main" (?), n. [OF. pain
bread + demaine manorial, lordly, own, private. See
Payn, and Demesne. Said to be so called from the figure
of our Lord impressed upon it.] The finest and whitest bread made
in the Middle Ages; -- called also paynemain,
payman. [Obs.]
Pay"nim (?), n. & a. See
Painim.
Payn"ize (?), v. t. [From Mr.
Payne, the inventor.] To treat or preserve, as wood, by a
process resembling kyanizing.
Pay*or" (?), n. (Law) See
Payer. [R.]
Payse (?), v. t. To poise.
[Obs.] Spenser.
Pay"tine (?), n. (Chem.) An
alkaloid obtained from a white bark resembling that of the cinchona,
first brought from Payta, in Peru.
Pea (?), n. [OF. peis. See
Poise.] The sliding weight on a steelyard. [Written
also pee.]
Pea, n. (Naut.) See
Peak, n., 3.
Pea, n.; pl.
Peas (#) or Pease (#). [OE.
pese, fr. AS. pisa, or OF. peis, F. pois;
both fr. L. pisum; cf. Gr. &?;, &?;. The final s was
misunderstood in English as a plural ending. Cf. Pease.]
1. (Bot.) A plant, and its fruit, of the
genus Pisum, of many varieties, much cultivated for food. It
has a papilionaceous flower, and the pericarp is a legume, popularly
called a pod.
&fist; When a definite number, more than one, is spoken of, the
plural form peas is used; as, the pod contained nine
peas; but, in a collective sense, the form pease is
preferred; as, a bushel of pease; they had pease at
dinner. This distinction is not always preserved, the form peas
being used in both senses.
2. A name given, especially in the Southern
States, to the seed of several leguminous plants (species of
Dolichos, Cicer, Abrus, etc.) esp. those having a
scar (hilum) of a different color from the rest of the
seed.
&fist; The name pea is given to many leguminous plants more
or less closely related to the common pea. See the Phrases, below.
Beach pea (Bot.), a seashore plant,
Lathyrus maritimus. -- Black-eyed pea,
a West Indian name for Dolichos sphærospermus and its
seed. -- Butterfly pea, the American plant
Clitoria Mariana, having showy blossoms. -- Chick
pea. See Chick-pea. -- Egyptian
pea. Same as Chick-pea. --
Everlasting pea. See under
Everlasting. -- Glory pea. See under
Glory, n. -- Hoary
pea, any plant of the genus Tephrosia; goat's
rue. -- Issue pea, Orris pea.
(Med.) See under Issue, and Orris. --
Milk pea. (Bot.) See under
Milk. -- Pea berry, a kind of a
coffee bean or grain which grows single, and is round or pea-shaped;
often used adjectively; as, pea-berry coffee. --
Pea bug. (Zoöl.) Same as Pea
weevil. -- Pea coal, a size of coal
smaller than nut coal. -- Pea crab
(Zoöl.), any small crab of the genus
Pinnotheres, living as a commensal in bivalves; esp., the
European species (P. pisum) which lives in the common mussel
and the cockle. -- Pea dove
(Zoöl.), the American ground dove. --
Pea-flower tribe (Bot.), a suborder
(Papilionaceæ) of leguminous plants having blossoms
essentially like that of the pea. G. Bentham. --
Pea maggot (Zoöl.), the larva of a
European moth (Tortrix pisi), which is very destructive to
peas. -- Pea ore (Min.),
argillaceous oxide of iron, occurring in round grains of a size of
a pea; pisolitic ore. -- Pea starch, the
starch or flour of the common pea, which is sometimes used in
adulterating wheat flour, pepper, etc. -- Pea
tree (Bot.), the name of several leguminous
shrubs of the genus Caragana, natives of Siberia and
China. -- Pea vine. (Bot.)
(a) Any plant which bears peas.
(b) A kind of vetch or tare, common in the United
States (Lathyrus Americana, and other similar species). --
Pea weevil (Zoöl.), a small weevil
(Bruchus pisi) which destroys peas by eating out the
interior. -- Pigeon pea. (Bot.) See
Pigeon pea. -- Sweet pea (Bot.),
the annual plant Lathyrus odoratus; also, its many-colored,
sweet-scented blossoms.
Pea"bird` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
The wryneck; -- so called from its note. [Prov. Eng.]
Pea"bod*y bird` (?). (Zoöl.) An American
sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) having a conspicuous white
throat. The name is imitative of its note. Called also White-
throated sparrow.
Peace (?), n. [OE. pees,
pais, OF. pais, paiz, pes, F. paix, L. pax,
pacis, akin to pacere, paciscere, pacisci,
to make an agreement, and prob. also pangere to fasten. Cf.
Appease, Fair, a., Fay,
v., Fang, Pacify, Pact,
Pay to requite.] A state of quiet or tranquillity; freedom
from disturbance or agitation; calm; repose; specifically:
(a) Exemption from, or cessation of, war with
public enemies. (b) Public quiet, order,
and contentment in obedience to law. (c)
Exemption from, or subjection of, agitating passions;
tranquillity of mind or conscience. (d)
Reconciliation; agreement after variance; harmony; concord.
"The eternal love and pees." Chaucer.
&fist; Peace is sometimes used as an exclamation in
commanding silence, quiet, or order. "Peace! foolish woman."
Shak.
At peace, in a state of peace. --
Breach of the peace. See under
Breach. -- Justice of the peace. See
under Justice. -- Peace of God.
(Law) (a) A term used in wills,
indictments, etc., as denoting a state of peace and good conduct.
(b) (Theol.) The peace of heart which is
the gift of God. -- Peace offering.
(a) (Jewish Antiq.) A voluntary offering to
God in token of devout homage and of a sense of friendly communion
with Him. (b) A gift or service offered as
satisfaction to an offended person. -- Peace
officer, a civil officer whose duty it is to preserve
the public peace, to prevent riots, etc., as a sheriff or
constable. -- To hold one's peace, to be
silent; to refrain from speaking. -- To make one's peace
with, to reconcile one with, to plead one's cause with,
or to become reconciled with, another. "I will make your
peace with him." Shak.
Peace, v. t. & i. To make or become
quiet; to be silent; to stop. [R.] "Peace your
tattlings." Shak.
When the thunder would not peace at my
bidding.
Shak.
Peace"a*ble (?), a. [OE.
peisible, F. paisible.] Begin in or at peace;
tranquil; quiet; free from, or not disposed to, war, disorder, or
excitement; not quarrelsome. -- Peace"a*ble*ness,
n. -- Peace"a*bly, adv.
Syn. -- Peaceful; pacific; tranquil; quiet; mild;
undisturbed; serene; still. -- Peaceable, Peaceful.
Peaceable describes the state of an individual, nation, etc.,
in reference to external hostility, attack, etc.; peaceful, in
respect to internal disturbance. The former denotes "in the spirit of
peace;" latter; "in the possession or enjoyment of peace." A
peaceable adjustment of difficulties; a peaceful life,
scene.
Peace"break`er (?), n. One who
disturbs the public peace. -- Peace"break`ing,
n.
Peace"ful (?), a. 1.
Possessing or enjoying peace; not disturbed by war, tumult,
agitation, anxiety, or commotion; quiet; tranquil; as, a
peaceful time; a peaceful country; a peaceful
end.
2. Not disposed or tending to war, tumult or
agitation; pacific; mild; calm; peaceable; as, peaceful
words.
Syn. -- See Peaceable.
--Peace"ful*ly, adv.. --
Peace"ful*ness, n.
Peace"less, a. Without peace;
disturbed. Sandys.
Peace"mak`er (?), n. One who makes
peace by reconciling parties that are at variance. Matt. v.
9.
--Peace"mak`ing, n.
Peach (?), v. t. [See Appeach,
Impeach.] To accuse of crime; to inform against.
[Obs.] Foxe.
Peach, v. i. To turn informer; to
betray one's accomplice. [Obs. or Colloq.]
If I be ta'en, I'll peach for this.
Shak.
Peach (?), n. [OE. peche,
peshe, OF. pesche, F. pêche, fr. LL.
persia, L. Persicum (sc. malum) a Persian apple,
a peach. Cf. Persian, and Parsee.] (Bot.) A
well-known high-flavored juicy fruit, containing one or two seeds in a
hard almond-like endocarp or stone; also, the tree which bears it
(Prunus, or Amygdalus Persica). In the wild stock the fruit is
hard and inedible.
Guinea, or Sierra Leone,
peach, the large edible berry of the
Sarcocephalus esculentus, a rubiaceous climbing shrub of west
tropical Africa. -- Palm peach, the fruit
of a Venezuelan palm tree (Bactris speciosa). --
Peach color, the pale red color of the peach
blossom. -- Peach-tree borer
(Zoöl.), the larva of a clearwing moth
(Ægeria, or Sannina, exitiosa) of the family
Ægeriidæ, which is very destructive to peach trees
by boring in the wood, usually near the ground; also, the moth itself.
See Illust. under Borer.
Peach"-col`ored (?), a. Of the
color of a peach blossom. "Peach-colored satin."
Shak.
Peach"er (?), n. One who
peaches. [Low] Foxe.
Pea"chick` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
The chicken of the peacock.
Peach"y (?), a. Resembling a peach
or peaches.
Pea"cock` (?), n. [OE. pecok.
Pea- in this word is from AS. peá,
pāwa, peacock, fr. L. pavo, prob. of Oriental
origin; cf. Gr. &?;, &?;, Per. tāus, tāwus,
Ar. tāwu&?;s. See Cock the bird.]
1. (Zoöl.) The male of any pheasant
of the genus Pavo, of which at least two species are known,
native of Southern Asia and the East Indies.
&fist; The upper tail coverts, which are long and capable of
erection, are each marked with a black spot bordered by concentric
bands of brilliant blue, green, and golden colors. The common
domesticated species is Pavo cristatus. The Javan peacock
(P. muticus) is more brilliantly colored than the common
species.
2. In common usage, the species in general or
collectively; a peafowl.
Peacock butterfly (Zoöl.), a
handsome European butterfly (Hamadryas Io) having ocelli like
those of peacock. -- Peacock fish
(Zoöl.), the European blue-striped wrasse (Labrus
variegatus); -- so called on account of its brilliant colors.
Called also cook wrasse and cook. --
Peacock pheasant (Zoöl.), any one of
several species of handsome Asiatic pheasants of the genus
Polyplectron. They resemble the peacock in color.
Pea"fowl` (?), n. [See Peacock.]
(Zoöl.) The peacock or peahen; any species of
Pavo.
Pe"age (?), n. See
Paage.
Pea"grit` (?), n. (Min.) A
coarse pisolitic limestone. See Pisolite.
Pea"hen` (?), n. [See Peacock.]
(Zoöl.) The hen or female peafowl.
Pea"-jack`et (?), n. [Prob. fr. D.
pij, pije, a coat of a coarse woolen stuff.] A
thick loose woolen jacket, or coat, much worn by sailors in cold
weather.
Peak (?), n. [OE. pek, AS.
peac, perh of Celtic origin; cf. Ir. peac a sharp-
pointed thing. Cf. Pike.] 1. A point; the
sharp end or top of anything that terminates in a point; as, the
peak, or front, of a cap. "Run your beard into a
peak." Beau. & Fl.
2. The top, or one of the tops, of a hill,
mountain, or range, ending in a point; often, the whole hill or
mountain, esp. when isolated; as, the Peak of
Teneriffe.
Silent upon a peak in Darien.
Keats.
3. (Naut.) (a) The
upper aftermost corner of a fore-and-aft sail; -- used in many
combinations; as, peak-halyards, peak-brails, etc.
(b) The narrow part of a vessel's bow, or the
hold within it. (c) The extremity of an
anchor fluke; the bill. [In the last sense written also
pea and pee.]
Fore peak. (Naut.) See under
Fore.
Peak, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Peaked (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Peaking.] 1. To rise or extend into a peak
or point; to form, or appear as, a peak.
There peaketh up a mighty high
mount.
Holand.
2. To acquire sharpness of figure or features;
hence, to look thin or sicky. "Dwindle, peak, and pine."
Shak.
3. [Cf. Peek.] To pry; to peep
slyly. Shak.
Peak arch (Arch.), a pointed or Gothic
arch.
Peak, v. t. (Naut.) To raise
to a position perpendicular, or more nearly so; as, to peak
oars, to hold them upright; to peak a gaff or yard, to set it
nearer the perpendicular.
Peaked (?), a. 1.
Pointed; ending in a point; as, a peaked roof.
2. (Oftener &?;) Sickly; not
robust. [Colloq.]
Peak"ing (?), a. 1.
Mean; sneaking. [Vulgar]
2. Pining; sickly; peakish.
[Colloq.]
Peak"ish, a. 1. Of
or relating to a peak; or to peaks; belonging to a mountainous
region. "Her peakish spring." Drayton. "His
peakish dialect." Bp. Hall.
2. Having peaks; peaked.
3. Having features thin or sharp, as from
sickness; hence, sickly. [Colloq.]
Peak"y (?), a. 1.
Having a peak or peaks. Tennyson.
2. Sickly; peaked. [Colloq.]
Peal (?), n. [Etymol. uncertain.]
(Zoöl.) A small salmon; a grilse; a sewin.
[Prov. Eng.]
Peal, v. i. To appeal. [Obs.]
Spencer.
Peal, n. [An abbrev. of F. appel
a call, appeal, ruffle of a drum, fr. appeller to call, L.
appellare. See Appeal.] 1. A loud
sound, or a succession of loud sounds, as of bells, thunder, cannon,
shouts, of a multitude, etc. "A fair peal of artillery."
Hayward.
Whether those peals of praise be his or
no.
Shak.
And a deep thunder, peal on peal,
afar.
Byron.
2. A set of bells tuned to each other
according to the diatonic scale; also, the changes rung on a set of
bells.
To ring a peal. See under
Ring.
Peal, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Pealed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pealing.] 1. To utter or give out loud
sounds.
There let the pealing organ blow.
Milton.
2. To resound; to echo.
And the whole air pealed
With the cheers of our men.
Longfellow.
Peal, v. t. 1. To
utter or give forth loudly; to cause to give out loud sounds; to noise
abroad.
The warrior's name,
Though pealed and chimed on all the tongues of
fame.
J. Barlow.
2. To assail with noise or loud
sounds.
Nor was his ear less pealed.
Milton.
3. To pour out. [Prov. Eng.]
Halliwell.
Pean (?), n. [OF. pene, F.
panne.] (Her.) One of the furs, the ground being
sable, and the spots or tufts or.
Pe"an (?), n. A song of praise and
triumph. See Pæan.
Pe"an*ism (?), n. [Gr. &?;, fr. &?; to
chant the pæan.] The song or shout of praise, of battle, or
of triumph. [R.]
Pea"nut (?), n. (Bot.) The
fruit of a trailing leguminous plant (Arachis hypogæa);
also, the plant itself, which is widely cultivated for its
fruit.
&fist; The fruit is a hard pod, usually containing two or three
seeds, sometimes but one, which ripen beneath the soil. Called also
earthnut, groundnut, and goober.
Pear (pâr), n. [OE. pere,
AS. peru, L. pirum: cf. F. poire. Cf.
Perry.] (Bot.) The fleshy pome, or fruit, of a
rosaceous tree (Pyrus communis), cultivated in many varieties
in temperate climates; also, the tree which bears this fruit. See
Pear family, below.
Pear blight. (a) (Bot.)
A name of two distinct diseases of pear trees, both causing a
destruction of the branches, viz., that caused by a minute insect
(Xyleborus pyri), and that caused by the freezing of the sap in
winter. A. J. Downing. (b)
(Zoöl.) A very small beetle (Xyleborus pyri)
whose larvæ bore in the twigs of pear trees and cause them to
wither. -- Pear family (Bot.), a
suborder of rosaceous plants (Pomeæ), characterized by
the calyx tube becoming fleshy in fruit, and, combined with the
ovaries, forming a pome. It includes the apple, pear, quince, service
berry, and hawthorn. -- Pear gauge
(Physics), a kind of gauge for measuring the exhaustion of
an air-pump receiver; -- so called because consisting in part of a
pear-shaped glass vessel. -- Pear shell
(Zoöl.), any marine gastropod shell of the genus
Pyrula, native of tropical seas; -- so called from the
shape. -- Pear slug (Zoöl.),
the larva of a sawfly which is very injurious to the foliage of
the pear tree.
Pearch (?), n. [Obs.] See
Perch.
Pearl (?), n. A fringe or
border. [Obs.] -- v. t. To fringe; to
border. [Obs.] See Purl.
Pearl stitch. See Purl stitch, under
Purl.
Pearl, n. [OE. perle, F.
perle, LL. perla, perula, probably fr. (assumed)
L. pirulo, dim. of L. pirum a pear. See Pear, and
cf. Purl to mantle.] 1. (Zoöl.)
A shelly concretion, usually rounded, and having a brilliant
luster, with varying tints, found in the mantle, or between the mantle
and shell, of certain bivalve mollusks, especially in the pearl
oysters and river mussels, and sometimes in certain univalves. It is
usually due to a secretion of shelly substance around some irritating
foreign particle. Its substance is the same as nacre, or mother-of-
pearl. Pearls which are round, or nearly round, and of fine luster,
are highly esteemed as jewels, and compare in value with the precious
stones.
2. Hence, figuratively, something resembling a
pearl; something very precious.
I see thee compassed with thy kingdom's
pearl.
Shak.
And those pearls of dew she wears.
Milton.
3. Nacre, or mother-of-pearl.
4. (Zoöl.) A fish allied to the
turbot; the brill.
5. (Zoöl.) A light-colored
tern.
6. (Zoöl.) One of the circle of
tubercles which form the bur on a deer's antler.
7. A whitish speck or film on the eye.
[Obs.] Milton.
8. A capsule of gelatin or similar substance
containing some liquid for medicinal application, as ether.
9. (Print.) A size of type, between
agate and diamond.
&fist; This line is printed in the type called
pearl.
Ground pearl. (Zoöl.) See under
Ground. -- Pearl barley, kernels of
barley, ground so as to form small, round grains. --
Pearl diver, one who dives for pearl
oysters. -- Pearl edge, an edge of small
loops on the side of some kinds of ribbon; also, a narrow kind of
thread edging to be sewed on lace. -- Pearl
eye, cataract. [R.] -- Pearl
gray, a very pale and delicate blue-gray color. --
Pearl millet, Egyptian millet (Penicillaria
spicata). -- Pearl moss. See
Carrageen. -- Pearl moth
(Zoöl.), any moth of the genus Margaritia; --
so called on account of its pearly color. -- Pearl
oyster (Zoöl.), any one of several species
of large tropical marine bivalve mollusks of the genus
Meleagrina, or Margaritifera, found in the East Indies
(especially at Ceylon), in the Persian Gulf, on the coast of
Australia, and on the Pacific coast of America. Called also pearl
shell, and pearl mussel. -- Pearl
powder. See Pearl white, below. --
Pearl sago, sago in the form of small pearly
grains. -- Pearl sinter (Min.),
fiorite. -- Pearl spar (Min.), a
crystallized variety of dolomite, having a pearly luster. --
Pearl white. (a) Basic bismuth
nitrate, or bismuth subchloride; -- used chiefly as a cosmetic.
(b) A variety of white lead blued with indigo or
Berlin blue.
Pearl (?), a. Of or pertaining to
pearl or pearls; made of pearls, or of mother-of-pearl.
Pearl, v. t. 1. To
set or adorn with pearls, or with mother-of-pearl. Used also
figuratively.
2. To cause to resemble pearls; to make into
small round grains; as, to pearl barley.
Pearl, v. i. 1. To
resemble pearl or pearls.
2. To give or hunt for pearls; as, to go
pearling.
Pearl*a"ceous (?), a. Resembling
pearl or mother-of-pearl; pearly in quality or appearance.
Pearl"ash` (?), n. (Chem.) A
white amorphous or granular substance which consists principally of
potassium carbonate, and has a strong alkaline reaction. It is
obtained by lixiviating wood ashes, and evaporating the lye, and has
been an important source of potassium compounds. It is used in making
soap, glass, etc.
Pearl"-eyed` (?), a. Having a
pearly speck in the eye; afflicted with the cataract.
Pearl"fish` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
Any fish whose scales yield a pearl-like pigment used in
manufacturing artificial pearls, as the bleak, and
whitebait.
{ Pearl"ins (?), Pearl"ings (?), } n.
pl. [Prob. a corruption of purflings. See
Purfle.] A kind of lace of silk or thread. [Scot.]
Sir W. Scott.
{ Pearl"ite (?), Pearl"stone` (?), }
n. (Min.) A glassy volcanic rock of a
grayish color and pearly luster, often having a spherulitic
concretionary structure due to the curved cracks produced by
contraction in cooling. See Illust. under
Perlitic.
Pearl"wort` (?), n. (Bot.) A
name given to several species of Sagina, low and inconspicuous
herbs of the Chickweed family.
Pearl"y (?), a. 1.
Containing pearls; abounding with, or yielding, pearls; as,
pearly shells. Milton.
2. Resembling pearl or pearls; clear; pure;
transparent; iridescent; as, the pearly dew or flood.
Pear"main (?), n. (Bot.) The
name of several kinds of apples; as, the blue pearmain, winter
pearmain, and red pearmain.
Pear"-shaped` (?), a. Of the form
of a pear.
Peart (?), a. [A variant of pert,
a.] Active; lively; brisk; smart; -- often
applied to convalescents; as, she is quite peart to-day.
[O. Eng. & Colloq. U. S.]
There was a tricksy girl, I wot, albeit clad in
gray,
As peart as bird, as straight as bolt, as fresh as flowers in
May.
Warner (1592).
Peas"ant (?), n. [OF.
païsant (the i being perh. due to confusion with
the p. pr. of verbs), païsan, F. paysan, fr. OF. &
F. pays country, fr. L. pagus the country. See
Pagan.] A countryman; a rustic; especially, one of the
lowest class of tillers of the soil in European countries.
Syn. -- Countryman; rustic; swain; hind.
Peas"ant, a. Rustic, rural.
Spenser.
Peas"ant*like` (?), a. Rude;
clownish; illiterate.
Peas"ant*ly, a. Peasantlike.
[Obs.] Milton.
Peas"ant*ry (?), n. 1.
Peasants, collectively; the body of rustics. "A bold
peasantry." Goldsmith.
2. Rusticity; coarseness. [Obs.] p.
Butler.
Peas"cod` (?), n. The legume or
pericarp, or the pod, of the pea.
Pease (?), n.; obs.pl.
Peases (#), Peasen (#). [See
Pea.] 1. A pea. [Obs.] "A
peose." "Bread . . . of beans and of peses." Piers
Plowman.
2. A plural form of Pea. See the Note
under Pea.
Pea"stone` (?), n. (Min.)
Pisolite.
Peas"weep` (?), n. [So called from its
note.] [Prov. Eng.] (Zoöl.) (a) The
pewit, or lapwing. (b) The
greenfinch.
Peat (?), n. [Cf. Pet a
fondling.] A small person; a pet; -- sometimes used
contemptuously. [Obs.] Shak.
Peat, n. [Prob. for beat, prop.,
material used to make the fire burn better, fr. AS.
b&?;tan to better, mend (a fire), b&?;t advantage. See
Better, Boot advantage.] A substance of vegetable
origin, consisting of roots and fibers, moss, etc., in various stages
of decomposition, and found, as a kind of turf or bog, usually in low
situations, where it is always more or less saturated with water. It
is often dried and used for fuel.
Peat bog, a bog containing peat; also, peat
as it occurs in such places; peat moss. -- Peat
moss. (a) The plants which, when
decomposed, become peat. (b) A fen producing
peat. (c) (Bot.) Moss of the genus
Sphagnum, which often grows abundantly in boggy or peaty
places. -- Peat reek, the reek or smoke of
peat; hence, also, the peculiar flavor given to whisky by being
distilled with peat as fuel. [Scot.]
Peat"y (?), a. Composed of peat;
abounding in peat; resembling peat.
Pe"ba (?), n. [Cf. Pg. peba.]
(Zoöl.) An armadillo (Tatusia novemcincta)
which is found from Texas to Paraguay; -- called also
tatouhou.
Peb"ble (?), n. [AS.
papolstān; cf. L. papula pimple, mote. See
Stone.] 1. A small roundish stone or
bowlder; especially, a stone worn and rounded by the action of water;
a pebblestone. "The pebbles on the hungry beach."
Shak.
As children gathering pebbles on the
shore.
Milton.
2. Transparent and colorless rock crystal; as,
Brazilian pebble; -- so called by opticians.
Pebble powder, slow-burning gunpowder, in
large cubical grains. -- Scotch pebble,
varieties of quartz, as agate, chalcedony, etc., obtained from
cavities in amygdaloid.
Peb"ble, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pebbled; p. pr. & vb. n.
Pebbling.] To grain (leather) so as to produce a surface
covered with small rounded prominences.
Peb"bled (?), a. Abounding in
pebbles. Thomson.
Peb"ble*stone` (?). A pebble; also, pebbles
collectively. "Chains of pebblestone."
Marlowe.
Peb"bly (?), a. Full of pebbles;
pebbled. "A hard, pebbly bottom." Johnson.
||Pe`brine" (?), n. [F.] An
epidemic disease of the silkworm, characterized by the presence of
minute vibratory corpuscles in the blood.
Pe*can" (?), n. [Cf. F. pacane
the nut.] (Bot.) A species of hickory (Carya
olivæformis), growing in North America, chiefly in the
Mississippi valley and in Texas, where it is one of the largest of
forest trees; also, its fruit, a smooth, oblong nut, an inch or an
inch and a half long, with a thin shell and well-flavored meat.
[Written also pacane.]
Pec"a*ry (?), n. (Zoöl.)
See Peccary.
Pec`ca*bil"i*ty (?), n. The state
or quality of being peccable; lability to sin.
The common peccability of mankind.
Dr. H. More.
Pec"ca*ble (?), a. [Cf. F.
peccable. See Peccant.] Liable to sin; subject to
transgress the divine law. "A frail and peccable mortal."
Sir W. Scott.
Pec`ca*dil"lo (?), n.; pl.
Peccadillos (#). [Sp. pecadillo, dim. of
pecado a sin, fr. L. peccatum. See Peccant.]
A slight trespass or offense; a petty crime or fault.
Sir W. Scott.
Pec"can*cy (?), n. [L.
peccantia.] 1. The quality or state of
being peccant.
2. A sin; an offense. W.
Montagu.
Pec"cant (?), a. [L. peccans,
-antis, p. pr. of peccare to sin: cf. F.
peccant.] 1. Sinning; guilty of
transgression; criminal; as, peccant angels.
Milton.
2. Morbid; corrupt; as, peccant
humors. Bacon.
3. Wrong; defective; faulty. [R.]
Ayliffe.
Pec"cant, n. An offender.
[Obs.] Whitlock.
Pec"cant*ly, adv. In a peccant
manner.
Pec"ca*ry (?), n.; pl.
Peccaries (#). [From the native South American name:
cf. F. pécari, Sp. pecar.] (Zoöl.)
A pachyderm of the genus Dicotyles.
&fist; The collared peccary, or tajacu (Dicotyles
torquatus), is about the size and shape of a small hog, and has a
white ring aroung the neck. It ranges from Arkansas to Brazil. A
larger species (D. labiatus), with white cheeks, is found in
South America.
||Pec*ca"vi (?). [L.] I have sinned; -- used
colloquially to express confession or acknowledgment of an
offense. Aubrey.
Pec"co (?), n. See
Pekoe.
Peck, n. [Perh. akin to pack; or,
orig., an indefinite quantity, and fr. peck, v. (below): cf.
also F. picotin a peak.] 1. The fourth
part of a bushel; a dry measure of eight quarts; as, a peck of
wheat. "A peck of provender." Shak.
2. A great deal; a large or excessive
quantity. "A peck of uncertainties and doubts."
Milton.
Peck, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pecked (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pecking.] [See Pick, v.]
1. To strike with the beak; to thrust the beak
into; as, a bird pecks a tree.
2. Hence: To strike, pick, thrust against, or
dig into, with a pointed instrument; especially, to strike, pick,
etc., with repeated quick movements.
3. To seize and pick up with the beak, or as
with the beak; to bite; to eat; -- often with up.
Addison.
This fellow pecks up wit as pigeons
peas.
Shak.
4. To make, by striking with the beak or a
pointed instrument; as, to peck a hole in a tree.
Peck, v. i. 1. To
make strokes with the beak, or with a pointed instrument.
Carew.
2. To pick up food with the beak; hence, to
eat.
[The hen] went pecking by his side.
Dryden.
To peck at, to attack with petty and repeated
blows; to carp at; to nag; to tease.
Peck (?), n. A quick, sharp stroke,
as with the beak of a bird or a pointed instrument.
Peck"er (?), n. 1.
One who, or that which, pecks; specif., a bird that pecks holes
in trees; a woodpecker.
2. An instrument for pecking; a pick.
Garth.
Flower pecker. (Zoöl.) See under
Flower.
Peck"ish, a. Inclined to eat;
hungry. [Colloq.] "When shall I feel peckish again?"
Beaconsfield.
Pec"kled (?), a. Speckled;
spotted. [Obs.]
||Pe*cop"te*ris (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr.
&?; to comb + &?; a kind of fern.] (Paleon.) An extensive
genus of fossil ferns; -- so named from the regular comblike
arrangement of the leaflets.
||Pec"o*ra (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. L.
pecus. See Pecuniary.] (Zoöl.) An
extensive division of ruminants, including the antelopes, deer, and
cattle.
Pec"tate (?), n. (Chem.) A
salt of pectic acid.
Pec"ten (?), n. [L. pecten, -
inis, a comb, a kind of shellfish. See Pectinate.]
1. (Anat.) (a) A vascular
pigmented membrane projecting into the vitreous humor within the globe
of the eye in birds, and in many reptiles and fishes; -- also called
marsupium. (b) The pubic
bone.
2. (Zoöl.) Any species of bivalve
mollusks of the genus Pecten, and numerous allied genera
(family Pectinidæ); a scallop. See
Scallop.
3. (Zoöl.) The comb of a scorpion.
See Comb, 4 (b).
Pec"tic (?), a. [Gr. &?; curdled.]
(Chem.) Of or pertaining to pectin; specifically,
designating an acid obtained from ordinary vegetable jelly (pectin) as
an amorphous substance, tough and horny when dry, but gelatinous when
moist.
Pec"tin (?), n. [Gr. &?; curdled,
congealed, from &?; to make fast or stiff: cf. F. pectine.]
(Chem.) One of a series of carbohydrates, commonly called
vegetable jelly, found very widely distributed in the vegetable
kingdom, especially in ripe fleshy fruits, as apples, cranberries,
etc. It is extracted as variously colored, translucent substances,
which are soluble in hot water but become viscous on
cooling.
Pec"ti*nal (?), a. [L. pecten
comb. See Pectinate.] Of or pertaining to a comb;
resembling a comb.
Pec"ti*nal, n. A fish whose bone&?;
resemble comb teeth. Sir T. Browne.
{ Pec"ti*na`te (?), Pec"ti*na`ted (?), }
a. [L. pectinatus, p. pr. of pectinare
to comb, from pecten, -inis, a comb; cf. Gr. &?; to
comb, AS. feax hair, OHG. fahs, E. paxwax.]
1. Resembling the teeth of a comb.
2. (Nat. Hist.) Having very narrow,
close divisions, in arrangement and regularity resembling those of a
comb; comblike; as, a pectinate leaf; pectinated
muscles. See Illust. (e) of
Antennæ.
3. Interlaced, like two combs. [R.] "Our
fingers pectinated, or shut together." Sir T.
Browne.
Pectinate claw (Zoöl.), a claw
having a serrate edge, found in some birds, and supposed to be used in
cleaning the feathers.
Pec"ti*nate*ly (?), adv. In a
pectinate manner.
Pec`ti*na"tion (?), n.
1. The state of being pectinated; that which is
pectinated. Sir T. Browne.
2. The act of combing; the combing of the
head.
3. (Nat. Hist.) Comblike
toothing.
Pec*tin"e*al (?), a. [See
Pecten.] (Anat.) (a) Of or
pertaining to the pecten. (b) Relating to,
or connected with, the pubic bone.
Pec*tin"i*branch (?), n.
(Zoöl.) One of the Pectinibranchiata. Also used
adjectively.
||Pec`ti*ni*bran`chi*a"ta (?), n. pl.
[NL. See Pecten, and Branchia.] (Zoöl.)
A division of Gastropoda, including those that have a comblike
gill upon the neck.
Pec`ti*ni*bran"chi*ate (?), a. [L.
pecten, -inis, a comb + E. branchiate.]
(Zoöl.) Having pectinated gills.
Pec*tin"i*form (?), a. Comblike in
form.
Pec*tize" (?), v. i. [Gr. &?; solid.]
To congeal; to change into a gelatinous mass. [R.] H.
Spencer.
Pec"to*lite (?), n. [L. pecten a
comb + -lite.] (Min.) A whitish mineral occurring
in radiated or fibrous crystalline masses. It is a hydrous silicate of
lime and soda.
Pec"to*ral (?), a. [L.
pectoralis, fr. pectus, -oris the breast; cf. F.
pectoral.] 1. Of or pertaining to the
breast, or chest; as, the pectoral muscles.
2. Relating to, or good for, diseases of the
chest or lungs; as, a pectoral remedy.
3. (Zoöl.) Having the breast
conspicuously colored; as, the pectoral sandpiper.
Pectoral arch, or Pectoral
girdle (Anat.), the two or more bony or
cartilaginous pieces of the vertebrate skeleton to which the fore
limbs are articulated; the shoulder girdle. In man it consists of two
bones, the scapula and clavicle, on each side. --
Pectorial cross (Eccl.), a cross worn on
the breast by bishops and abbots, and sometimes also by canons. -
- Pectorial fins, or Pectorials
(Zoöl.), fins situated on the sides, behind the gills.
See Illust. under Fin. -- Pectorial
rail. (Zoöl.) See Land rail
(b) under Land. -- Pectorial
sandpiper (Zoöl.), the jacksnipe
(b).
Pec"to*ral (?), n. [L. pectorale
a breastplate, neut. of pectorials.] 1. A
covering or protecting for the breast.
2. (Eccl.) (a) A
breastplate, esp. that worn by the Jewish high person.
(b) A clasp or a cross worn on the
breast.
3. A medicine for diseases of the chest
organs, especially the lungs.
Pec"to*ral*ly (?), adv. As
connected with the breast.
Pec`to*ri*lo"qui*al (?), a. [Cf. F.
pectoriloque.] Pertaining to, or of the nature of,
pectoriloquy.
Pec`to*ril"o*quism (?), n.
Pectoriloquy.
Pec`to*ril"o*quous (?), a.
Pectoriloquial.
Pec`to*ril"o*quy (?), n. [L.
pectus, -oris, the breast + loqui to speak: cf.
F. pectoriloquie.] (Med.) The distinct articulation
of the sounds of a patient's voice, heard on applying the ear to the
chest in auscultation. It usually indicates some morbid change in the
lungs or pleural cavity.
Pec"tose` (?), n. [Pectic +
cellulose.] (Chem.) An amorphous carbohydrate found
in the vegetable kingdom, esp. in unripe fruits. It is associated with
cellulose, and is converted into substances of the pectin
group.
Pec*to"sic (?), a.
(Chem.)Of, pertaining to, resembling, or derived from,
pectose; specifically, designating an acid supposed to constitute
largely ordinary pectin or vegetable jelly.
||Pec*tos"tra*ca (?), n. pl. [NL., fr.
Gr. &?; fixed + &?; shell of a testacean.] (Zoöl.) A
degenerate order of Crustacea, including the Rhizocephala and
Cirripedia.
Pec"tous (?), a. (Chem.) Of,
pertaining to, or consisting of, pectose.
||Pec"tus (?), n.; pl.
Pectora (#). [L., the breast.] (Zoöl.)
The breast of a bird.
Pec"ul (?), n. See
Picul.
Pec"u*late (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Peculated (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Peculating.] [L. peculatus, p. p. of peculari to
peculate, akin to peculium private property. See
Peculiar.] To appropriate to one's own use the property of
the public; to steal public moneys intrusted to one's care; to
embezzle.
An oppressive, . . . rapacious, and peculating
despotism.
Burke.
Pec`u*la"tion (?), n. The act or
practice of peculating, or of defrauding the public by appropriating
to one's own use the money or goods intrusted to one's care for
management or disbursement; embezzlement.
Every British subject . . . active in the discovery of
peculations has been ruined.
Burke.
Pec"u*la`tor (?), n. [L.] One who
peculates. "Peculators of the public gold."
Cowper.
Pe*cul"iar (?), a. [L.
peculiaris, fr. peculium private property, akin to
pecunia money: cf. OF. peculier. See Pecuniary.]
1. One's own; belonging solely or especially to
an individual; not possessed by others; of private, personal, or
characteristic possession and use; not owned in common or in
participation.
And purify unto himself a peculiar
people.
Titus ii. 14.
Hymns . . . that Christianity hath peculiar unto
itself.
Hooker.
2. Particular; individual; special;
appropriate.
While each peculiar power forgoes his wonted
seat.
Milton.
My fate is Juno's most peculiar
care.
Dryden.
3. Unusual; singular; rare; strange; as, the
sky had a peculiarappearance.
Syn. -- Peculiar, Special, Especial.
Peculiar is from the Roman peculium, which was a thing
emphatically and distinctively one's own, and hence was dear. The
former sense always belongs to peculiar (as, a peculiar
style, peculiar manners, etc.), and usually so much of the
latter as to involve feelings of interest; as, peculiar care,
watchfulness, satisfaction, etc. Nothing of this kind belongs to
special and especial. They mark simply the relation of
species to genus, and denote that there is something in
this case more than ordinary; as, a special act of Congress;
especial pains, etc.
Beauty, which, either walking or asleep,
Shot forth peculiar graces.
Milton.
For naught so vile that on the earth doth live,
But to the earth some special good doth give.
Shak.
Pe*cul"iar, n. 1.
That which is peculiar; a sole or exclusive property; a
prerogative; a characteristic.
Revenge is . . . the peculiar of
Heaven.
South.
2. (Eng. Canon Law) A particular parish
or church which is exempt from the jurisdiction of the
ordinary.
Court of Peculiars (Eng. Law), a
branch of the Court of Arches having cognizance of the affairs of
peculiars. Blackstone. -- Dean of
peculiars. See under Dean, 1.
Pe*cul`iar"i*ty (?), n.; pl.
Peculiarities (&?;). 1. The
quality or state of being peculiar; individuality; singularity.
Swift.
2. That which is peculiar; a special and
distinctive characteristic or habit; particularity.
The smallest peculiarity of temper on
manner.
Macaulay.
3. Exclusive possession or right. [Obs.]
Bp. Hall.
Pe*cul"iar*ize (?), v. t. [imp.
& p. p. Pecularized (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Pecularizing (?).] To make peculiar; to set
appart or assign, as an exclusive possession. [R.] Dr. John
Smith.
Pe*cul"iar*ly, adv. In a peculiar
manner; particulary; in a rare and striking degree;
unusually.
Pe*cul"iar*ness, n. The quality or
state of being peculiar; peculiarity. Mede.
||Pe*cu"li*um (?), n. [L. See
Peculiar.] 1. (Rom. Law) The saving
of a son or a slave with the father's or master's consent; a little
property or stock of one's own; any exclusive personal or separate
property. Burrill.
2. A special fund for private and personal
uses.
A slight peculium only subtracted to supply his
snuff box and tobacco pouch.
Sir W. Scott.
Pe*cu"ni*al (?), a.
Pecuniary. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Pe*cun"ia*ri*ly (?), adv. In a
pecuniary manner; as regards money.
Pe*cun"ia*ry (?), a. [L.
pecuniarius, fr. pecunia money, orig., property in
cattle, fr. pecus cattle: cf. F. pécuniaire. See
Fee, and cf. Peculiar.] 1. Relating
to money; monetary; as, a pecuniary penalty; a pecuniary
reward. Burke.
Pe*cu"ni*ous (?), a. [L.
pecuniosus, fr. pecunia: cf. F.
pécunieux.] Abounding in money; wealthy;
rich. [Obs.] Sherwood.
Ped (?), n. [OE. See Peddler.]
A basket; a hammer; a pannier. [Obs.]
Halliwell.
Ped"age (?), n. [LL. pedagium,
for pedaticum. See Paage.] A toll or tax paid by
passengers, entitling them to safe-conduct and protection.
[Obs.] Spelman.
Ped"a*gog (?), n.
Pedagogue.
Ped`a*gog"ic (?), n. [From
Pedagogic, a.; cf. G. pedagogik.]
See Pedagogics.
{ Ped`a*gog"ic (?), Ped`a*gog"ic*al (?), }
a. [Gr. &?;: cf. F. pédagogique. See
Pedagogue.] Of or pertaining to a pedagogue; suited to, or
characteristic of, a pedagogue.
Ped`a*gog"ics (?), n. The science
or art of teaching; the principles and rules of teaching;
pedagogy.
Ped"a*gog*ism (?), n. [Cf. F.
pédagogisme.] The system, occupation, character, or
manner of pedagogues. Milton.
Avocation of pedantry and
pedagogism.
De Foe.
Ped"a*gogue (?), n. [F.
pédagogue, L. paedagogus, Gr. &?;;
pai^s, paido`s, a boy + &?; to lead, guide; cf.
&?; leading. See Page a servant, Agent.]
1. (Gr. Antiq.) A slave who led his
master's children to school, and had the charge of them
generally.
2. A teacher of children; one whose occupation
is to teach the young; a schoolmaster.
3. One who by teaching has become formal,
positive, or pedantic in his ways; one who has the manner of a
schoolmaster; a pedant. Goldsmith.
Ped"a*gogue, v. t. [Cf. L.
paedagogare to instruct.] To play the pedagogue
toward. [Obs.] Prior.
Ped"a*go`gy (?), n. [Gr. &?;: cf. F.
pédagogie.] Pedagogics; pedagogism.
South.
Pe"dal (?), a. [L. pedalis, fr.
pes, pedis, foot. See Foot, and cf. Pew.]
1. Of or pertaining to the foot, or to feet,
literally or figuratively; specifically (Zoöl.),
pertaining to the foot of a mollusk; as, the pedal
ganglion.
2. (&?;) Of or pertaining to a pedal; having
pedals.
Pedal curve or surface
(Geom.), the curve or surface which is the locus of the
feet of perpendiculars let fall from a fixed point upon the straight
lines tangent to a given curve, or upon the planes tangent to a given
surface. -- Pedal note (Mus.), the
note which is held or sustained through an organ point. See Organ
point, under Organ. -- Pedal organ
(Mus.), an organ which has pedals or a range of keys moved
by the feet; that portion of a full organ which is played with the
feet.
Pe"dal (?), n. [Cf. F.
pédale, It. pedale. See Pedal,
a.] 1. (Mech.) A lever
or key acted on by the foot, as in the pianoforte to raise the
dampers, or in the organ to open and close certain pipes; a treadle,
as in a lathe or a bicycle.
2. (Geom.) A pedal curve or
surface.
Pe*da"li*an (?), a. Relating to the
foot, or to a metrical foot; pedal. [R.] Maunder.
Pe*dal"i*ty (?), n. The act of
measuring by paces. [R.] Ash.
Pe*da"ne*ous (?), a. [L. pedaneus
of the size of a foot.] Going on foot; pedestrian. [R.]
Ped"ant (?), n. [F.
pédant, It. pedante, fr. Gr. &?; to instruct,
from pai^s boy. See Pedagogue.] 1.
A schoolmaster; a pedagogue. [Obs.] Dryden.
A pedant that keeps a school i'th'
church.
Shak.
2. One who puts on an air of learning; one who
makes a vain display of learning; a pretender to superior
knowledge. Addison.
A scholar, yet surely no pedant, was
he.
Goldsmith.
{ Pe*dan"tic (?), Pe*dan"tic*al (?), }
a. Of or pertaining to a pedant; characteristic
of, or resembling, a pedant; ostentatious of learning; as, a
pedantic writer; a pedantic description; a
pedantical affectation. "Figures pedantical."
Shak.
Pe*dan"tic*al*ly, adv. In a
pedantic manner.
Pe*dan"tic*ly (?), adv.
Pedantically. [R.]
Ped"ant*ism (?), n. The office,
disposition, or act of a pedant; pedantry. [Obs.]
Ped"ant*ize (?), v. i. [Cf. F.
pédantiser.] To play the pedant; to use pedantic
expressions. [R.]
Ped`an*toc"ra*cy (?), n. [Pedant
+ democracy.] The sway of pedants. [R.] J. S.
Mill.
Ped"ant*ry (?), n. [Cf. F.
pédanterie.] The act, character, or manners of a
pedant; vain ostentation of learning. "This pedantry of
quotation." Cowley.
'T is a practice that savors much of
pedantry.
Sir T. Browne.
Ped"ant*y (?), n. An assembly or
clique of pedants. [Obs.] Milton.
Pe*da"ri*an (?), n. [L. pedarius,
fr. pedarius belonging to the foot, fr. pes,
pedis, foot.] (Rom. Antiq.) One of a class eligible
to the office of senator, but not yet chosen, who could sit and speak
in the senate, but could not vote; -- so called because he might
indicate his opinion by walking over to the side of the party he
favored when a vote was taken.
Ped"a*ry (?), n.; pl.
Pedaries (#). [L. pedarius of the foot.]
A sandal. [Obs.] Latimer.
||Pe*da"ta (?), n. pl. [NL. See
Pedate.] (Zoöl.) An order of holothurians,
including those that have ambulacral suckers, or feet, and an internal
gill.
Ped"ate (?), a. [L. pedatus, p.
p. of pedare to furnish with feet, fr. pes,
pedis, a foot.] (Bot.) Palmate, with the lateral
lobes cleft into two or more segments; -- said of a leaf. --
Ped"ate*ly, adv.
Pe*dat"i*fid (?), a. [Pedate +
root of L. findere to split.] [Colloq.] Cleft in a pedate
manner, but having the lobes distinctly connected at the base; -- said
of a leaf.
Ped"dle (?), v. i. [From
Peddler.] 1. To travel about with wares
for sale; to go from place to place, or from house to house, for the
purpose of retailing goods; as, to peddle without a
license.
2. To do a small business; to be busy about
trifles; to piddle.
Ped"dle, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Peddled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Peddling (?).] To sell from place to place; to retail by
carrying around from customer to customer; to hawk; hence, to retail
in very small quantities; as, to peddle vegetables or
tinware.
Ped"dler (?), n. [OE. pedlere,
pedlare, also peddare, peoddare, fr. OE.
ped a basket, of unknown origin.] One who peddles; a
traveling trader; one who travels about, retailing small wares; a
hawker. [Written also pedlar and pedler.] "Some
vagabond huckster or peddler." Hakluyt.
Ped"dler*y (?), n. [Written also
pedlary and pedlery.] 1. The trade,
or the goods, of a peddler; hawking; small retail business, like that
of a peddler.
2. Trifling; trickery. [Obs.] "Look . .
. into these their deceitful peddleries." Milton.
Ped"dling, a. 1.
Hawking; acting as a peddler.
2. Petty; insignificant. "The miserable
remains of a peddling commerce." Burke.
Ped"er*ast (?), n. [Gr.
paiderasth`s; pai^s, paido`s, a boy +
'era^n to love: cf. F. pédéraste.]
One guilty of pederasty; a sodomite.
Ped`er*as"tic (?), a. [Gr.
paiderastiko`s.] Of or pertaining to
pederasty.
Ped"er*as`ty (?), n. [Gr.
paiderasti`a: cf. F. pédérastie.]
The crime against nature; sodomy.
Ped`e*re"ro (?), n. [Sp. pedrero,
fr. OSp. pedra, Sp. piedra, a stone, L. petra,
fr. Gr. &?;. So named because it was at first charged with stones.]
(Mil.) A term formerly applied to a short piece of
chambered ordnance. [Written also paterero and
peterero.]
||Pe*de"sis (?), n. [NL., from Gr. &?; a
leaping.] Same as Brownian movement, under
Brownian.
Ped"es*tal (?), n. [Sp. pedestal;
cf. F. piédestal, It. piedestallo; fr. L.
es, pedis, foot + OHG. stal standing place,
station, place, akin to E. stall. See Foot, and
Stall, and Footstall.] 1. (Arch.)
The base or foot of a column, statue, vase, lamp, or the like;
the part on which an upright work stands. It consists of three parts,
the base, the die or dado, and the cornice or surbase molding. See
Illust. of Column.
Build him a pedestal, and say, "Stand
there!"
Cowper.
2. (a) (Railroad Cars)
A casting secured to the frame of a truck and forming a jaw for
holding a journal box. (b) (Mach.) A
pillow block; a low housing. (c) (Bridge
Building) An iron socket, or support, for the foot of a brace
at the end of a truss where it rests on a pier.
Pedestal coil (steam Heating), a group
of connected straight pipes arranged side by side and one above
another, -- used in a radiator.
Ped"es*taled (?), a. Placed on, or
supported by, a pedestal; figuratively, exalted.
Hawthorne.
Pedestaled haply in a palace court.
Keats.
Pe*des"tri*al (?), a. [L.
pedester, -esteris, fr. pes, pedis, a
foot: cf. F. pédestere. See Pedal.] Of or
pertaining to the feet; employing the foot or feet.
Pe*des"tri*al*ly, adv. In a
pedestrial manner.
Pe*des"tri*an (?), a. Going on
foot; performed on foot; as, a pedestrian journey.
Pe*des"tri*an, n. A walker; one who
journeys on foot; a foot traveler; specif., a professional walker or
runner.
Pe*des"tri*an*ism (?), n. The act,
art, or practice of a pedestrian; walking or running; traveling or
racing on foot.
Pe*des"tri*an*ize (?), v. i.
[imp. & p. p. Pedestrianized (?); p.
pr. & vb. n. Pedestrianizing.] To practice
walking; to travel on foot.
Pe*des"tri*ous (?), a. Going on
foot; not winged. [Obs.] "Pedestrious animals." Sir
T. Browne.
Ped`e*ten"tous (?), a. [L. pes,
pedis, foot + tendere to stretch out: cf. L.
tentim by degrees.] Proceeding step by step; advancing
cautiously. [R.]
That pedetentous pace and pedetentous
mind in which it behooves the wise and virtuous improver to
walk.
Sydney Smith.
{ Ped"i- (?), Ped"o- (?) }. [See Foot.]
Combining forms from L. pes, pedis, foot, as
pedipalp, pedireme, pedometer.
Pe"di*al (?), a. Pertaining to the
foot, or to any organ called a foot; pedal. Dana.
Ped"i*cel (?), n. [F.
pédicelle. See Pedicle.] 1.
(Bot.) (a) A stalk which supports one
flower or fruit, whether solitary or one of many ultimate divisions of
a common peduncle. See Peduncle, and Illust. of
Flower. (b) A slender support of any
special organ, as that of a capsule in mosses, an air vesicle in
algæ, or a sporangium in ferns.
2. (Zoöl.) A slender stem by which
certain of the lower animals or their eggs are attached. See
Illust. of Aphis lion.
3. (Anat.) (a) The
ventral part of each side of the neural arch connecting with the
centrum of a vertebra. (b) An outgrowth of
the frontal bones, which supports the antlers or horns in deer and
allied animals.
Ped"i*celed (?), a.
Pedicellate.
||Ped`i*cel*la"ri*a (?), n.; pl.
Pedicellariæ (#). [NL. See Pedicel.]
(Zoöl.) A peculiar forcepslike organ which occurs in
large numbers upon starfishes and echini. Those of starfishes have two
movable jaws, or blades, and are usually nearly, or quite, sessile;
those of echini usually have three jaws and a pedicel. See
Illustration in Appendix.
Ped"i*cel`late (?), a. Having a
pedicel; supported by a pedicel.
||Ped`i*cel*li"na (?), n. [NL. See
Pedicel.] (Zoöl.) A genus of Bryozoa, of the
order Entoprocta, having a bell-shaped body supported on a slender
pedicel. See Illust. under Entoprocta.
Ped"i*cle (?), n. [L. pediculus a
little foot, dim. of pes foot: cf. F. pédicule.
See edal, and cf. Pedicel.] Same as
Pedicel.
Pe*dic"u*lar (?), a. [L.
pedicularis, fr. pediculus a louse: cf. F.
pédiculaire.] Of or pertaining to lice; having the
lousy distemper (phthiriasis); lousy. Southey.
Pe*dic"u*late (?), a.
(Zoöl.) Of or pertaining to the Pediculati.
||Pe*dic`u*la"ti (?), n. pl. [NL. See
Pedicle.] (Zoöl.) An order of fishes including
the anglers. See Illust. of Angler and
Batfish.
Pe*dic`u*la"tion (?), n. (Med.)
Phthiriasis.
Ped"i*cule (?), n. [See Pedicle.]
A pedicel.
||Pe*dic`u*li"na (?), n. pl. [NL. See
Pediculus.] (Zoöl.) A division of parasitic
hemipterous insects, including the true lice. See Illust. in
Appendix.
Pe*dic"u*lous (?), a. [L.
pediculosus.] Pedicular.
||Pe*dic"u*lus (?), n.; pl.
Pediculi (#). [L., a louse.] (Zoöl.)
A genus of wingless parasitic Hemiptera, including the common
lice of man. See Louse.
Ped"i*form (?), a. [Pedi- + -
form.] Shaped like a foot.
Pe*dig"er*ous (?), a. [Pedi- +
-gerous.] (Zoöl.) Bearing or having feet or
legs.
Ped"i*gree (?), n. [Of unknown origin;
possibly fr. F. par degrés by degrees, -- for a pedigree
is properly a genealogical table which records the relationship of
families by degrees; or, perh., fr. F. pied de grue
crane's foot, from the shape of the heraldic genealogical trees.]
1. A line of ancestors; descent; lineage;
genealogy; a register or record of a line of ancestors.
Alterations of surnames . . . have obscured the truth
of our pedigrees.
Camden.
His vanity labored to contrive us a
pedigree.
Milton.
I am no herald to inquire of men's
pedigrees.
Sir P. Sidney.
The Jews preserved the pedigrees of their
tribes.
Atterbury.
2. (Stock Breeding) A record of the
lineage or strain of an animal, as of a horse.
Ped"i*lu`vy (?), n. [Pedi- + L.
luere to wash: cf. It. & Sp. pediluvio, F.
pédiluve.] The bathing of the feet, a bath for the
feet. [Obs.]
||Pe*dim"a*na (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. L.
pes, pedis, foot + manus hand.]
(Zoöl.) A division of marsupials, including the
opossums.
Ped"i*mane (?), n. [Cf. F.
pédimane.] (Zoöl.) A pedimanous
marsupial; an opossum.
Pe*dim"a*nous (?), a. [See
Pedimana.] (Zoöl.) Having feet resembling
hands, or with the first toe opposable, as the opossums and
monkeys.
Ped"i*ment (?), n. [L. pes,
pedis, a foot. See Foot.] (Arch.)
Originally, in classical architecture, the triangular space
forming the gable of a simple roof; hence, a similar form used as a
decoration over porticoes, doors, windows, etc.; also, a rounded or
broken frontal having a similar position and use. See
Temple.
Ped`i*men"tal (?), a. Of or
pertaining to a pediment.
Ped"i*palp (?), n. [Cf. F.
pédipalpe.] (Zoöl.) One of the
Pedipalpi.
||Ped`i*pal"pi (?), n pl. [NL. See
Pedipalpus.] (Zoöl.) A division of Arachnida,
including the whip scorpions (Thelyphonus) and allied forms.
Sometimes used in a wider sense to include also the true
scorpions.
Ped`i*pal"pous (?), a.
(Zoöl.) Pertaining to, or resembling, the
pedipalps.
Ped`i*pal"pus (?), n.; pl.
Pedipalpi (#). [NL. See Pes, and
Palpus.] (Zoöl.) One of the second pair of
mouth organs of arachnids. In some they are leglike, but in others, as
the scorpion, they terminate in a claw.
Ped"i*reme (?), n. [Pedi- + L.
remus oar.] (Zoöl.) A crustacean, some of
whose feet serve as oars.
{ Ped"lar, Ped"ler } (?), n.
See Peddler.
Pe`do*bap"tism (?), n. [Gr. &?;, &?;, a
child + E. baptism.] The baptism of infants or of small
children. [Written also pædobaptism.]
Pe`do*bap"tist (?), n. One who
advocates or practices infant baptism. [Written also
pædobaptist.]
Ped"o*man`cy (?), n. [Pedi- +
-mancy.] Divination by examining the soles of the
feet.
Pe*dom"e*ter (?), n. [Pedi-,
pedo- + -meter: cf. F. pédomètre.]
(Mech.) An instrument for including the number of steps in
walking, and so ascertaining the distance passed over. It is usually
in the form of a watch; an oscillating weight by the motion of the
body causes the index to advance a certain distance at each
step.
{ Ped`o*met"ric (?), Ped`o*met"ric*al (?), }
a. Pertaining to, or measured by, a
pedometer.
Ped`o*mo"tive (?), a. [Pedi-,
pedo- + -motive.] Moved or worked by the action of
the foot or feet on a pedal or treadle.
Pe*dot"ro*phy (?), n. [Gr. &?;, fr. &?;,
&?;, a child + &?; to nourish: cf. F. pédotrophie.]
The art of nourishing children properly.
||Pe`dre*gal" (?), n. [Sp., a stony
place, fr. piedra stone.] A lava field. [Mexico &
Western U.S.]
Pe*dun"cle (?), n. [Formed fr. (assumed)
L. pedunculus, dim. of pes, pedis, a foot: cf. F.
pédoncule.] 1. (Bot.) The
stem or stalk that supports the flower or fruit of a plant, or a
cluster of flowers or fruits.
&fist; The ultimate divisions or branches of a peduncle are called
pedicels. In the case of a solitary flower, the stalk would be
called a peduncle if the flower is large, and a pedicel
if it is small or delicate.
2. (Zoöl.) A sort of stem by which
certain shells and barnacles are attached to other objects. See
Illust. of Barnacle.
3. (Anat.) A band of nervous or fibrous
matter connecting different parts of the brain; as, the
peduncles of the cerebellum; the peduncles of the pineal
gland.
Pe*dun"cled (?), a. Having a
peduncle; supported on a peduncle; pedunculate.
Pe*dun"cu*lar (?), a. [Cf. F.
pédonculaire.] Of or pertaining to a peduncle;
growing from a peduncle; as, a peduncular tendril.
||Pe*dun`cu*la"ta (?), n. pl. [NL. See
Peduncle.] (Zoöl.) A division of Cirripedia,
including the stalked or goose barnacles.
{ Pe*dun"cu*late (?), Pe*dun"cu*la`ted (?), }
a. (Biol.) Having a peduncle; growing on
a peduncle; as, a pedunculate flower; a pedunculate eye,
as in a lobster.
Pee (?), n. See 1st
Pea.
Pee, n. (Naut.) Bill of an
anchor. See Peak, 3 (c).
Peece (?), n. & v. [Obs.] See
Piece.
||Pee"chi (?), n. (Zoöl.)
The dauw.
Peek (?), v. i. [OE. piken: cf.
F. piquer to pierce, prick, E. pique. Cf. Peak.]
To look slyly, or with the eyes half closed, or through a
crevice; to peep. [Colloq.]
Peek"a*boo (?), n. A child's game;
bopeep.
Peel (?), n. [OE. pel. Cf.
Pile a heap.] A small tower, fort, or castle; a
keep. [Scot.]
Peel, n. [F. pelle, L.
pala.] A spadelike implement, variously used, as for
removing loaves of bread from a baker's oven; also, a T-shaped
implement used by printers and bookbinders for hanging wet sheets of
paper on lines or poles to dry. Also, the blade of an oar.
Peel, v. t. [Confused with peel
to strip, but fr. F. piller to pillage. See Pill to rob,
Pillage.] To plunder; to pillage; to rob. [Obs.]
But govern ill the nations under yoke,
Peeling their provinces.
Milton.
Peel, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Peeled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Peeling.] [F. peler to pull out the hair, to strip, to
peel, fr. L. pilare to deprive of hair, fr. pilus a
hair; or perh. partly fr. F. peler to peel off the skin, perh.
fr. L. pellis skin (cf. Fell skin). Cf. Peruke.]
1. To strip off the skin, bark, or rind of; to
strip by drawing or tearing off the skin, bark, husks, etc.; to flay;
to decorticate; as, to peel an orange.
The skillful shepherd peeled me certain
wands.
Shak.
2. To strip or tear off; to remove by
stripping, as the skin of an animal, the bark of a tree,
etc.
Peel, v. i. To lose the skin, bark,
or rind; to come off, as the skin, bark, or rind does; -- often used
with an adverb; as, the bark peels easily or readily.
Peel, n. The skin or rind; as, the
peel of an orange.
Pee"le (?), n. (Zoöl.)
A graceful and swift South African antelope (Pelea
capreola). The hair is woolly, and ash-gray on the back and sides.
The horns are black, long, slender, straight, nearly smooth, and very
sharp. Called also rheeboc, and rehboc.
Peel"er (?), n. One who peels or
strips.
Peel"er, n. [See Peel to
plunder.] A pillager.
Peel"er, n. A nickname for a
policeman; -- so called from Sir Robert Peel. [British
Slang] See Bobby.
Peel"house` (?), n. See 1st
Peel. Sir W. Scott.
Peen (?), n. [Cf. G. pinne pane
of a hammer.] (a) A round-edged, or
hemispherical, end to the head of a hammer or sledge, used to stretch
or bend metal by indentation. (b) The
sharp-edged end of the head of a mason's hammer. [Spelt also
pane, pein, and piend.]
Peen, v. t. To draw, bend, or
straighten, as metal, by blows with the peen of a hammer or
sledge.
Peenge (?), v. i. To
complain. [Scot.]
Peep (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Peeped (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Peeping.] [Of imitative origin; cf. OE. pipen, F.
piper, pépier, L. pipire, pipare,
pipiare, D. & G. piepen. Senses 2 and 3 perhaps come
from a transfer of sense from the sound which chickens make upon the
first breaking of the shell to the act accompanying it; or perhaps
from the influence of peek, or peak. Cf. Pipe.]
1. To cry, as a chicken hatching or newly
hatched; to chirp; to cheep.
There was none that moved the wing, or opened the
mouth, or peeped.
Is. x. 14.
2. To begin to appear; to look forth from
concealment; to make the first appearance.
When flowers first peeped, and trees did
blossoms bear.
Dryden.
3. To look cautiously or slyly; to peer, as
through a crevice; to pry.
eep through the blanket of the
dark.
Shak.
From her cabined loophole peep.
Milton.
Peep sight, an adjustable piece, pierced with
a small hole to peep through in aiming, attached to a rifle or other
firearm near the breech.
Peep (?), n. 1. The
cry of a young chicken; a chirp.
2. First outlook or appearance.
Oft have we seen him at the peep of
dawn.
Gray.
3. A sly look; a look as through a crevice, or
from a place of concealment.
To take t' other peep at the stars.
Swift.
4. (Zoöl.) (a) Any
small sandpiper, as the least sandpiper (Trigna
minutilla). (b) The European meadow
pipit (Anthus pratensis).
Peep show, a small show, or object exhibited,
which is viewed through an orifice or a magnifying glass. --
Peep-o'-day boys, the Irish insurgents of 1784;
-- so called from their visiting the house of the loyal Irish at day
break in search of arms. [Cant]
Peep"er (?), n. 1.
A chicken just breaking the shell; a young bird.
2. One who peeps; a prying person; a
spy.
Who's there? peepers, . . .
eavesdroppers?
J. Webster.
3. The eye; as, to close the
peepers. [Colloq.]
Peep"hole` (?), n. A hole, or
crevice, through which one may peep without being
discovered.
Peep"ing hole`. See Peephole.
Pee"pul tree` (?). [Hind. pīpal, Skr.
pippala.] (Bot.) A sacred tree (Ficus
religiosa) of the Buddhists, a kind of fig tree which attains
great size and venerable age. See Bo tree. [Written also
pippul tree, and pipal tree.]
Peer (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Peered (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Peering.] [OF. parir, pareir equiv. to F.
paraître to appear, L. parere. Cf.
Appear.] 1. To come in sight; to
appear. [Poetic]
So honor peereth in the meanest
habit.
Shak.
See how his gorget peers above his
gown!
B. Jonson.
2. [Perh. a different word; cf. OE. piren,
LG. piren. Cf. Pry to peep.] To look narrowly or
curiously or intently; to peep; as, the peering day.
Milton.
Peering in maps for ports, and piers, and
roads.
Shak.
As if through a dungeon grate he
peered.
Coleridge.
Peer, n. [OE. per, OF.
per, F. pair, fr. L. par equal. Cf.
Apparel, Pair, Par, n.,
Umpire.] 1. One of the same rank, quality,
endowments, character, etc.; an equal; a match; a mate.
In song he never had his peer.
Dryden.
Shall they consort only with their
peers?
I. Taylor.
2. A comrade; a companion; a fellow; an
associate.
He all his peers in beauty did
surpass.
Spenser.
3. A nobleman; a member of one of the five
degrees of the British nobility, namely, duke, marquis, earl,
viscount, baron; as, a peer of the realm.
A noble peer of mickle trust and
power.
Milton.
House of Peers, The Peers,
the British House of Lords. See Parliament. --
Spiritual peers, the bishops and archibishops,
or lords spiritual, who sit in the House of Lords.
Peer v. t. To make equal in
rank. [R.] Heylin.
Peer v. t. To be, or to assume to
be, equal. [R.]
Peer"age (?), n. [See Peer an
equal, and cf. Parage.] 1. The rank or
dignity of a peer. Blackstone.
2. The body of peers; the nobility,
collectively.
When Charlemain with all his peerage
fell.
Milton.
Peer"dom (?), n. Peerage; also, a
lordship. [Obs.]
Peer"ess, n. The wife of a peer; a
woman ennobled in her own right, or by right of marriage.
{ Peer"ie, Peer"y } (?), a.
[See 1st Peer, 2.] Inquisitive; suspicious; sharp.
[Prov. Eng. & Scot.] "Two peery gray eyes." Sir W.
Scott.
Peer"less (?), a. Having no peer or
equal; matchless; superlative. "Her peerless feature."
Shak.
Unvailed her peerless light.
Milton.
--Peer"less*ly, adv. --
Peer"less*ness, n.
Peert (?), a. Same as
Peart.
Peer"weet (?), n. Same as
Pewit (a & b).
Pee"vish (?), a. [OE. pevische;
of uncertain origin, perh. from a word imitative of the noise made by
fretful children + -ish.] 1. Habitually
fretful; easily vexed or fretted; hard to please; apt to complain;
querulous; petulant. "Her peevish babe."
Wordsworth.
She is peevish, sullen, froward.
Shak.
2. Expressing fretfulness and discontent, or
unjustifiable dissatisfaction; as, a peevish answer.
3. Silly; childish; trifling. [Obs.]
To send such peevish tokens to a
king.
Shak.
Syn. -- Querulous; petulant; cross; ill-tempered; testy;
captious; discontented. See Fretful.
Pee"vish*ly, adv. In a peevish
manner. Shak.
Pee"vish*ness, n. The quality of
being peevish; disposition to murmur; sourness of temper.
Syn. -- See Petulance.
{ Pee"vit (?), Pee"wit (?), }
n. (Zoöl.) See
Pewit.
Peg (?), n. [OE. pegge; cf. Sw.
pigg, Dan. pig a point, prickle, and E. peak.]
1. A small, pointed piece of wood, used in
fastening boards together, in attaching the soles of boots or shoes,
etc.; as, a shoe peg.
2. A wooden pin, or nail, on which to hang
things, as coats, etc. Hence, colloquially and figuratively: A
support; a reason; a pretext; as, a peg to hang a claim
upon.
3. One of the pins of a musical instrument, on
which the strings are strained. Shak.
4. One of the pins used for marking points on
a cribbage board.
5. A step; a degree; esp. in the slang phrase
"To take one down peg."
To screw papal authority to the highest
peg.
Barrow.
And took your grandess down a peg.
Hudibras.
Peg ladder, a ladder with but one standard,
into which cross pieces are inserted. -- Peg
tankard, an ancient tankard marked with pegs, so as
divide the liquor into equal portions. "Drink down to your
peg." Longfellow. -- Peg tooth.
See Fleam tooth under Fleam. -- Peg
top, a boy's top which is spun by throwing it. --
Screw peg, a small screw without a head, for
fastening soles.
Peg (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pegged (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pegging (?).] 1. To put pegs into; to
fasten the parts of with pegs; as, to peg shoes; to confine
with pegs; to restrict or limit closely.
I will rend an oak
And peg thee in his knotty entrails.
Shak.
2. (Cribbage) To score with a peg, as
points in the game; as, she pegged twelwe points.
[Colloq.]
Peg, v. i. To work diligently, as
one who pegs shoes; -- usually with on, at, or
away; as, to peg away at a task.
||Pe`ga*dor" (?), n. [Sp., a sticker.]
(Zoöl.) A species of remora (Echeneis
naucrates). See Remora.
Pe*ga"se*an (?), a. Of or
pertaining to Pegasus, or, figuratively, to poetry.
Peg"a*soid (?), a. [Pegasus +
-oid.] (Zoöl.) Like or pertaining to
Pegasus.
Peg"a*sus (?), n. [L., fr. Gr. &?;.]
1. (Gr. Myth.) A winged horse fabled to
have sprung from the body of Medusa when she was slain. He is noted
for causing, with a blow of his hoof, Hippocrene, the inspiring
fountain of the Muses, to spring from Mount Helicon. On this account
he is, in modern times, associated with the Muses, and with ideas of
poetic inspiration.
Each spurs his jaded Pegasus apace.
Byron.
2. (Astron.) A northen constellation
near the vernal equinoctial point. Its three brightest stars, with the
brightest star of Andromeda, form the square of
Pegasus.
3. (Zoöl.) A genus of small
fishes, having large pectoral fins, and the body covered with hard,
bony plates. Several species are known from the East Indies and
China.
Peg"ger (?), n. One who fastens
with pegs.
Peg"ging (?), n. The act or process
of fastening with pegs.
Pegm (?), n. [L. pegma a movable
stage, Gr. &?;, orig., a framework.] A sort of moving machine
employed in the old pageants. [Obs.] B. Jonson.
Peg"ma*tite (?), n. [From Gr. &?;
something fastened together, in allusion to the quartz and feldspar in
graphic granite: cf. F. pegmatite. See Pegm.]
(Min.) (a) Graphic granite. See under
Granite. (b) More generally, a
coarse granite occurring as vein material in other rocks.
Peg`ma*tit"ic (?), a. (Min.)
Of, pertaining to, or resembling, pegmatite; as, the
pegmatic structure of certain rocks resembling graphic
granite.
Peg"ma*toid (?), a. [Pegmatite +
-oid.] (Min.) Resembling pegmatite;
pegmatic.
Peg"o*man`cy (?), n. [Gr.
phgh` fountain + -mancy.] Divination by
fountains. [R.]
Peg"roots` (p&ebreve;g"r&oomac;ts`), n.
Same as Setterwort.
Peh"le*vi` (?), n. [Parsee
Pahlavi.] An ancient Persian dialect in which words were
partly represented by their Semitic equivalents. It was in use from
the 3d century (and perhaps earlier) to the middle of the 7th century,
and later in religious writings. [Written also
Pahlavi.]
Pein (?), n. See
Peen.
Pei*ram"e*ter (?), n. [Gr. &?; a trail +
-meter.] A dynamometer for measuring the force required to
draw wheel carriages on roads of different constructions. G.
Francis.
Pei*ras"tic (?), a. [Gr. &?;, fr. &?; to
try, fr. &?; a trail.] Fitted for trail or test; experimental;
tentative; treating of attempts.
Peise (?), n. [See Poise.] A
weight; a poise. [Obs.] "To weigh pence with a peise."
Piers Plowman.
Peise, v. t. To poise or
weight. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Lest leaden slumber peise me down.
Shak.
Pei"trel (?), n. (Anc. Armor)
See Peytrel.
Pe*jor"a*tive (?), a. [F.
péjoratif, fr. L. pejor, used as compar. of
malus evil.] Implying or imputing evil; depreciatory;
disparaging; unfavorable.
Pek"an (?), n. [F. pekan.]
(Zoöl.) See Fisher, 2.
Pek"oe (?), n. [Chin. pih-hoau:
cf. F. pekoë] A kind of black tea. [Written
also pecco.]
Pe"la (?), n. (Zoöl.)
See Wax insect, under Wax.
Pel"age (?), n. [F. pelage, fr.
L. pilus hair.] (Zoöl.) The covering, or coat,
of a mammal, whether of wool, fur, or hair.
Pe*la"gi*an (?), a. [L. pelagius,
Gr. &?;, fr. &?; the sea: cf. F. pélagien.] Of or
pertaining to the sea; marine; pelagic; as, pelagian
shells.
Pe*la"gi*an, n. [L. Pelagianus:
cf. F. pélagien.] (Eccl. Hist.) A follower
of Pelagius, a British monk, born in the later part of the 4th
century, who denied the doctrines of hereditary sin, of the connection
between sin and death, and of conversion through grace.
Pe*la"gi*an, a. [Cf. F.
pélagien.] Of or pertaining to Pelagius, or to his
doctrines.
Pe*la"gi*an*ism (?), n. [Cf. F.
pélagianisme.] The doctrines of Pelagius.
Pe*lag"ic (?), a. [L. pelagicus.]
Of or pertaining to the ocean; -- applied especially to animals
that live at the surface of the ocean, away from the coast.
Pel`ar*gon"ic (?), a. (Chem.)
Pertaining to, or designating, an organic acid (called also
nonoic acid) found in the leaves of the geranium
(Pelargonium) and allied plants.
||Pel`ar*go"ni*um (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr.
&?; a stork.] (Bot.) A large genus of plants of the order
Geraniaceæ, differing from Geranium in having a spurred
calyx and an irregular corolla.
&fist; About one hundred and seventy species are known, nearly all
of them natives of South Africa, and many having very beautiful
blossoms. See the Note under Geranium.
{ Pe*las"gi*an (?), Pe*las"gic (?), }
a. [L. Pelasgus, Gr. &?; a Pelasgian.]
1. Of or pertaining to the Pelasgians, an ancient
people of Greece, of roving habits.
2. (Zoöl.) Wandering.
Pel"e*can (?), n. (Zoöl.)
See Pelican.
||Pel`e*can`i*for"mes (?), n. pl. [NL.
See Pelican, and -form.] (Zoöl.) Those
birds that are related to the pelican; the Totipalmi.
Pel"e*coid (?), n. [Gr. &?; a hatchet +
-oid.] (Geom.) A figure, somewhat hatched-shaped,
bounded by a semicircle and two inverted quadrants, and equal in area
to the square ABCD inclosed by the chords of the four
quadrants. [Written also pelicoid.] Math.
Dict.
||Pel`e*cyp"o*da (?), n. pl. [NL., fr.
Gr. &?; a hatchet + -poda.] (Zoöl.) Same as
Lamellibranchia.
Pel"e*grine (?), a. See
Peregrine. [Obs.]
Pel"er*ine (?), n. [F.
pèlerine a tippet, fr. pèlerin a pilgrim,
fr. L. peregrinus foreign, alien. See Pilgrim.] A
woman's cape; especially, a fur cape that is longer in front than
behind.
Pelf (?), n. [OE. pelfir booty,
OF. pelfre, akin to pelfrer to plunder, and perh. to E.
pillage. Cf. Pilfer.] Money; riches; lucre; gain;
-- generally conveying the idea of something ill-gotten or worthless.
It has no plural. "Mucky pelf." Spenser. "Paltry
pelf." Burke.
Can their pelf prosper, not got by valor or
industry?
Fuller.
Pelf"ish, a. Of or pertaining to
pelf. Stanyhurst.
{ Pel"fray (?), Pel"fry (?), }
n. Pelf; also, figuratively, rubbish;
trash. [Obs.] Cranmer.
Pel"i*can (?), n. [F.
pélican, L. pelicanus, pelecanus, Gr. &?;,
&?;, &?;, the woodpecker, and also a water bird of the pelican kind,
fr. &?; to hew with an ax, akin to Skr. paraçu.]
[Written also pelecan.] 1. (Zoöl.)
Any large webfooted bird of the genus Pelecanus, of which
about a dozen species are known. They have an enormous bill, to the
lower edge of which is attached a pouch in which captured fishes are
temporarily stored.
&fist; The American white pelican (Pelecanus
erythrorhynchos) and the brown species (P. fuscus) are
abundant on the Florida coast in winter, but breed about the lakes in
the Rocky Mountains and British America.
2. (Old Chem.) A retort or still having
a curved tube or tubes leading back from the head to the body for
continuous condensation and redistillation.
&fist; The principle is still employed in certain modern forms of
distilling apparatus.
Frigate pelican (Zoöl.), the
frigate bird. See under Frigate. -- Pelican
fish (Zoöl.), deep-sea fish (Eurypharynx
pelecanoides) of the order Lyomeri, remarkable for the
enormous development of the jaws, which support a large gular
pouch. -- Pelican flower (Bot.), the
very large and curiously shaped blossom of a climbing plant
(Aristolochia grandiflora) of the West Indies; also, the plant
itself. -- Pelican ibis (Zoöl.),
a large Asiatic wood ibis (Tantalus leucocephalus). The
head and throat are destitute of feathers; the plumage is white, with
the quills and the tail greenish black. -- Pelican in her
piety (in heraldry and symbolical art), a representation
of a pelican in the act of wounding her breast in order to nourish her
young with her blood; -- a practice fabulously attributed to the bird,
on account of which it was adopted as a symbol of the Redeemer, and of
charity. -- Pelican's foot (Zoöl.),
a marine gastropod shell of the genus Aporrhais, esp.
Aporrhais pes-pelicani of Europe.
Pel"ick (?), n. (Zoöl.)
The American coot (Fulica).
Pel"i*coid (?), n. See
Pelecoid.
||Pel`i*co*sau"ri*a (?), n. pl. [NL.,
fr. Gr. &?; a wooden bowl (but taken to mean, pelvis) + &?; a lizard.]
(Paleon.) A suborder of Theromorpha, including terrestrial
reptiles from the Permian formation.
Pe"li*om (?), n. [See Pelioma.]
(Min.) A variety of iolite, of a smoky blue color;
pelioma.
||Pe`li*o"ma (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?;,
fr. &?; livid.] 1. (Med.) A livid
ecchymosis.
2. (Min.) See Peliom.
Pe*lisse" (?), n. [F., fr. L.
pelliceus, pellicius, made of skins, fr. pellis a
skin. Cf. Pelt skin, Pilch, and see 2d Pell.]
An outer garment for men or women, originally of fur, or lined
with fur; a lady's outer garment, made of silk or other
fabric.
Pell (?), v. t. [Cf. Pelt,
v. t.] To pelt; to knock about. [Obs.]
Holland.
Pell, n. [OF. pel, F.
peau, L. pellis a skin. See Fell a skin.]
1. A skin or hide; a pelt.
2. A roll of parchment; a parchment
record.
Clerk of the pells, formerly, an officer of
the exchequer who entered accounts on certain parchment rolls, called
pell rolls. [Eng.]
Pel"lack (?), n. [Cf. Gael.
Peileag.] (Zoöl.) A porpoise.
Pell"age (p&ebreve;l"&asl;j), n. [See 2d
Pell.] A customs duty on skins of leather.
Pel"la*gra (p&ebreve;l"l&adot;*gr&adot;),
n. (Med.) An erythematous affection of
the skin, with severe constitutional and nervous symptoms, endemic in
Northern Italy.
Pel"la*grin (?), n. One who is
afficted with pellagra. Chambers's Encyc.
Pel"let (?), n. [F. pelote, LL.
pelota, pilota, fr. L. pila a ball. Cf.
Platoon.] 1. A little ball; as, a
pellet of wax &?; paper.
2. A bullet; a ball for firearms. [Obs.]
Bacon.
As swift as a pellet out of a gun.
Chaucer.
Pellet molding (Arch.), a narrow band
ornamented with smalt, flat disks.
Pel"let, v.&?;. To form into small
balls. [Obs.] Shak.
Pel"let*ed, a. Made of, or like,
pellets; furnished with pellets. [R.] "This pelleted
storm." Shak.
||Pel`li*bran`chi*a"ta (?), n. pl. [NL.,
fr. pellis garment + branchia a gill.]
(Zoöl.) A division of Nudibranchiata, in which the
mantle itself serves as a gill.
Pel"li*cle (?), n. [L.
pellicu&?;a, dim. of pellis skin: cf. F.
pellicule.] 1. A thin skin or
film.
2. (Chem.) A thin film formed on the
surface of an evaporating solution.
Pel*lic"u*lar (?), a. Of or
pertaining to a pellicle. Henslow.
Pel*li"le (?), n. (Zoöl.)
The redshank; -- so called from its note. [Prov. Eng.]
Pel"li*to*ry (?), n. [OE.
paritorie, OF. paritoire, F. pariétaire;
(cf. It. & Sp. parietaria), L. parietaria the parietary,
or pellitory, the wall plant, fr. parietarus belonging to the
walls, fr. paries, parietis a wall. Cf.
Parietary.] (Bot.) The common name of the several
species of the genus Parietaria, low, harmless weeds of the
Nettle family; -- also called wall pellitory, and
lichwort.
&fist; Parietaria officinalis is common on old walls in
Europe; P. pennsylvanica is found in the United States; and six
or seven more species are found near the Mediterranean, or in the
Orient.
Pel"li*to*ry, n. [Sp. pelitre,
fr. L. pyrethrum. See Bertram.] (Bot.)
(a) A composite plant (Anacyclus
Pyrethrum) of the Mediterranean region, having finely divided
leaves and whitish flowers. The root is the officinal pellitory, and
is used as an irritant and sialogogue. Called also bertram, and
pellitory of Spain. (b) The feverfew
(Chrysanthemum Parthenium); -- so called because it resembles
the above.
Pell`-mell" (&?;), n. See Pall-
mall.
Pell`mell", adv. [F. pêle-
mêle, prob. fr. pelle a shovel + mêler
to mix, as when different kinds of grain are heaped up and mixed with
a shovel. See Pell shovel, Medley.] In utter
confusion; with confused violence. "Men, horses, chariots,
crowded pellmell." Milton.
Pel*lu"cid (?), a. [L.
pellucidus; per (see Per-) + lucidus
clear, bright: cf. F. pellucide.] Transparent; clear;
limpid; translucent; not opaque. "Pellucid crystal."
Dr. H. More. "Pellucid streams." Wordsworth.
{ Pel`lu*cid"i*ty (?), Pel*lu"cid*ness (?), }
n. [L. pelluciditas.] The quality or
state of being pellucid; transparency; translucency; clearness; as,
the pellucidity of the air. Locke.
Pel*lu"cid*ly, adv. In a pellucid
manner.
||Pel"ma (?), n.; pl.
Pelmata (#). [NL., fr. Gr. &?;.] (Zoöl.)
The under surface of the foot.
Pe*lo"pi*um (?), n. [NL., fr. L.
Pelops, brother of Niobe, Gr. &?;.] (Chem.) A
supposed new metal found in columbite, afterwards shown to be
identical with columbium, or niobium.
Pel`o*pon*ne"sian (?), a. [L.
Peloponnesius, fr. Peloponnesus, Gr. &?;, lit., the
Island of Pelops; &?;, &?;, Pelops + &?; an island.] Of or
pertaining to the Peloponnesus, or southern peninsula of Greece.
-- n. A native or an inhabitant of the
Peloponnesus.
||Pe*lo"ri*a (?), n. [NL., from Gr. &?;
monstrous.] (Bot.) Abnormal regularity; the state of
certain flowers, which, being naturally irregular, have become regular
through a symmetrical repetition of the special
irregularity.
Pe*lo"ric (?), a. (Bot.)
Abnormally regular or symmetrical. Darwin.
Pel"o*tage (?), n. [F.] Packs or
bales of Spanish wool.
Pelt (?), n. [Cf. G. pelz a pelt,
fur, fr. OF. pelice, F. pelisse (see Pelisse); or
perh. shortened fr. peltry.] 1. The skin
of a beast with the hair on; a raw or undressed hide; a skin preserved
with the hairy or woolly covering on it. See 4th Fell.
Sir T. Browne.
Raw pelts clapped about them for their
clothes.
Fuller.
2. The human skin. [Jocose]
Dryden.
3. (Falconry) The body of any quarry
killed by the hawk.
Pelt rot, a disease affecting the hair or
wool of a beast.
Pelt, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pelted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Pelting.] [OE. pelten, pulten, pilten, to
thrust, throw, strike; cf. L. pultare, equiv. to pulsare
(v. freq. fr. pellere to drive), and E. pulse a
beating.] 1. To strike with something thrown or
driven; to assail with pellets or missiles, as, to pelt with
stones; pelted with hail.
The children billows seem to pelt the
clouds.
Shak.
2. To throw; to use as a missile.
My Phillis me with pelted apples
plies.
Dryden.
Pelt, v. i. 1. To
throw missiles. Shak.
2. To throw out words. [Obs.]
Another smothered seems to peltand
swear.
Shak.
Pelt, n. A blow or stroke from
something thrown.
||Pel"ta (?), n.; pl.
Peltæ. [L., a shield, fr. Gr. &?;.]
1. (Antiq.) A small shield, especially one
of an approximately elliptic form, or crescent-shaped.
2. (Bot.) A flat apothecium having no
rim.
{ Pel"tate (?), Pel"ta*ted (?), }
a. [Cf. F. pelté. See Pelta.]
Shield-shaped; scutiform; (Bot.) having the stem or
support attached to the lower surface, instead of at the base or
margin; -- said of a leaf or other organ. --
Pel"tate*ly (#), adv.
Pelt"er (?), n. One who
pelts.
Pel"ter (?), n. A pinchpenny; a
mean, sordid person; a miser; a skinflint. [Obs.] "Let such
pelters prate." Gascoigne.
Pel"ti*form (?), a. [Pelta + -
form.] Shieldlike, with the outline nearly circular;
peltate.
Henslow.
Pel"ting (?), a. Mean;
paltry. [Obs.] Shak.
Pelt"ry (?), n. [F. pelleterie
peltry, furriery, fr. pelletier a furrier, fr. OF. pel
skin, F. peau, L. pelis. See Pelt a skin,
Pell, n., Fell a skin.] Pelts or
skins, collectively; skins with the fur on them; furs.
Pelt"ry*ware` (?), n. Peltry.
[Obs.]
||Pe*lu"do (?), n. [Sp. peludo
hairy.] (Zoöl.) The South American hairy armadillo
(Dasypus villosus).
Pe*lu"si*ac (?), a. [L.
Pelusiacus.] Of or pertaining to Pelusium, an ancient city
of Egypt; as, the Pelusiac (or former eastern) outlet of the
Nile.
Pel"vic (?), a. Of, pertaining to,
or in the region of, the pelvis; as, pelvic
cellulitis.
Pelvic arch, or Pelvic girdle
(Anat.), the two or more bony or cartilaginous pieces of
the vertebrate skeleton to which the hind limbs are articulated. When
fully ossified, the arch usually consists of three principal bones on
each side, the ilium, ischium, and pubis, which are often closely
united in the adult, forming the innominate bone. See Innominate
bone, under Innominate.
Pel*vim"e*ter (?), n. [Pelvis +
-meter.: cf. F. pelvimètre.] An instrument
for measuring the dimensions of the pelvis. Coxe.
Pel"vis (?), n. [L., a basin, laver; cf.
Gr. &?;, &?;, bowl.] 1. (Anat.) The pelvic
arch, or the pelvic arch together with the sacrum. See Pelvic
arch, under Pelvic, and Sacrum.
2. (Zoöl.) The calyx of a
crinoid.
Pelvis of the kidney (Anat.), the
basinlike cavity into which the ureter expands as it joins the
kidney.
Pem"mi*can (?), n. [Written also
pemican.] 1. Among the North American
Indians, meat cut in thin slices, divested of fat, and dried in the
sun.
Then on pemican they feasted.
Longfellow.
2. Meat, without the fat, cut in thin slices,
dried in the sun, pounded, then mixed with melted fat and sometimes
dried fruit, and compressed into cakes or in bags. It contains much
nutriment in small compass, and is of great use in long voyages of
exploration.
||Pem*phi"gus (?), n. [Nl., fr. Gr. &?;,
&?;, a bubble.] (Med.) A somewhat rare skin disease,
characterized by the development of blebs upon different part of the
body. Quain.
Pen (?), n. [OE. penne, OF.
penne, pene, F. penne, fr. L. penna.]
1. A feather. [Obs.] Spenser.
2. A wing. [Obs.] Milton.
3. An instrument used for writing with ink,
formerly made of a reed, or of the quill of a goose or other bird, but
now also of other materials, as of steel, gold, etc. Also, originally,
a stylus or other instrument for scratching or graving.
Graven with an iron pen and lead in the
rock.
Job xix. 24.
4. Fig.: A writer, or his style; as, he has a
sharp pen. "Those learned pens."
Fuller.
5. (Zoöl.) The internal shell of a
squid.
6. [Etymol. uncertain.] (Zoöl.) A
female swan. [Prov. Eng.]
Bow pen. See Bow-pen. --
Dotting pen, a pen for drawing dotted
lines. -- Drawing, or Ruling,
pen, a pen for ruling lines having a pair of
blades between which the ink is contained. -- Fountain
pen, Geometric pen. See under
Fountain, and Geometric. -- Music
pen, a pen having five points for drawing the five lines
of the staff. -- Pen and ink, or pen-
and-ink, executed or done with a pen and ink; as, a
pen and ink sketch. -- Pen feather.
A pin feather. [Obs.] -- Pen name. See
under Name. -- Sea pen
(Zoöl.), a pennatula. [Usually written sea-
pen.]
Pen, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Penned (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Penning (?).] To write; to compose and commit to paper; to
indite; to compose; as, to pen a sonnet. "A prayer
elaborately penned." Milton.
Pen, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Penned (?) or Pent (&?;); p. pr. &
vb. n. Penning.] [OE. pennen, AS.
pennan in on-pennan to unfasten, prob. from the same
source as pin, and orig. meaning, to fasten with a peg.See
Pin, n. & v.] To shut up, as in a pen or
cage; to confine in a small inclosure or narrow space; to coop up, or
shut in; to inclose. "Away with her, and pen her up."
Shak.
Watching where shepherds pen their flocks at
eve.
Milton.
Pen, n. [From Pen to shut in.]
A small inclosure; as, a pen for sheep or for
pigs.
My father stole two geese out of a
pen.
Shak.
Pe"nal (?), a. [L. poenalis, fr.
poena punishment: cf. F. pénal. See Pain.]
Of or pertaining to punishment, to penalties, or to crimes and
offenses; pertaining to criminal jurisprudence: as:
(a) Enacting or threatening punishment; as, a
penal statue; the penal code. (b)
Incurring punishment; subject to a penalty; as, a penalact
of offense. (c) Inflicted as punishment;
used as a means of punishment; as, a penal colony or
settlement. "Adamantine chains and penal fire."
Milton.
Penal code (Law), a code of laws
concerning crimes and offenses and their punishment. --
Penal laws, Penal statutes
(Law), laws prohibited certain acts, and imposing penalties
for committing them. -- Penal servitude,
imprisonment with hard labor, in a prison, in lieu of
transportation. [Great Brit.] -- Penal suit,
Penal action (Law), a suit for
penalties.
Pe*nal"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. LL.
poenalitas. See Penalty.] The quality or state of
being penal; lability to punishment. Sir T. Browne.
Pe"nal*ize (?), v. t. 1.
To make penal.
2. (Sport.) To put a penalty on. See
Penalty, 3. [Eng.]
Pe"nal*ly (?), adv. In a penal
manner.
Pe"nal*ty (?), n.; pl.
Penalties (#). [F. pénalité.
See Penal.] 1. Penal retribution;
punishment for crime or offense; the suffering in person or property
which is annexed by law or judicial decision to the commission of a
crime, offense, or trespass.
Death is the penalty imposed.
Milton.
2. The suffering, or the sum to be forfeited,
to which a person subjects himself by covenant or agreement, in case
of nonfulfillment of stipulations; forfeiture; fine.
The penalty and forfeit of my bond.
Shak.
3. A handicap. [Sporting Cant]
&fist; The term penalty is in law mostly applied to a
pecuniary punishment.
Bill of pains and penalties. See under
Bill. -- On, or Under,
penalty of, on pain of; with exposure to the
penalty of, in case of transgression.
Pen"ance (?), n. [OF. penance,
peneance, L. paenitentia repentance. See
Penitence.] 1. Repentance. [Obs.]
Wyclif (Luke xv. 7).
2. Pain; sorrow; suffering. [Obs.] "Joy
or penance he feeleth none." Chaucer.
3. (Eccl.) A means of repairing a sin
committed, and obtaining pardon for it, consisting partly in the
performance of expiatory rites, partly in voluntary submission to a
punishment corresponding to the transgression. Penance is the fourth
of seven sacraments in the Roman Catholic Church. Schaff-
Herzog Encyc.
And bitter penance, with an iron
whip.
Spenser.
Quoth he, "The man hath penance done,
And penance more will do."
Coleridge.
Pen"ance, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Penanced (?).] To impose penance; to
punish. "Some penanced lady elf." Keats.
Pen"ance*less, a. Free from
penance. [R.]
Pe*nang" nut` (?). [From the native name.] (Bot.)
The betel nut. Balfour (Cyc. of India).
Pen*an"nu*lar (?), a. [L. pene,
paene, almost + E. annular.] Nearly annular; having
nearly the form of a ring. "Penannular relics." D.
Wilson.
Pe"na*ry (?), a. Penal.
[Obs.] Gauden.
||Pe*na"tes (?), n. pl. [L.] (Rom.
Antiq.) The household gods of the ancient Romans. They
presided over the home and the family hearth. See
Lar.
Pen"aunt (?), n. [OF. penant,
peneant. See Penitent.] A penitent. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Pence (?), n.,
pl. of Penny. See Penny.
Pen"cel (?), n. [See Pennoncel.]
A small, narrow flag or streamer borne at the top of a lance; --
called also pennoncel. [Obs.] Piers Plowman.
Chaucer.
||Pen`chant" (?), n. [F., fr.
pencher to bend, fr. (assumed) LL. pendicare, L.
pendere. See Pendant.] Inclination; decided taste;
bias; as, a penchant for art.
Pen"chute` (?), n. See
Penstock.
Pen"cil (?), n. [OF. pincel, F.
pinceau, L. penicillum, penicillus, equiv. to
peniculus, dim. of penis a tail. Cf. Penicil.]
1. A small, fine brush of hair or bristles used
by painters for laying on colors.
With subtile pencil depainted was this
storie.
Chaucer.
2. A slender cylinder or strip of black lead,
colored chalk, slate etc., or such a cylinder or strip inserted in a
small wooden rod intended to be pointed, or in a case, which forms a
handle, -- used for drawing or writing. See Graphite.
3. Hence, figuratively, an artist's ability or
peculiar manner; also, in general, the act or occupation of the
artist, descriptive writer, etc.
4. (Opt.) An aggregate or collection of
rays of light, especially when diverging from, or converging to, a
point.
5. (Geom.) A number of lines that
intersect in one point, the point of intersection being called the
pencil point.
6. (Med.) A small medicated
bougie.
Pencil case, a holder for pencil lead. -
- Pencil flower (Bot.), an American
perennial leguminous herb (Stylosanthes elatior). --
Pencil lead, a slender rod of black lead, or the
like, adapted for insertion in a holder.
Pen"cil, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Penciled (?) or Pencilled; p. pr. &
vb. n. Penciling or Pencilling.] To write
or mark with a pencil; to paint or to draw. Cowper.
Where nature pencils butterflies on
flowers.
Harte.
Pen"ciled (?), a. [Written also
pencilled.] 1. Painted, drawn, sketched,
or marked with a pencil.
2. Radiated; having pencils of rays.
3. (Nat. Hist.) Marked with parallel or
radiating lines.
Pen"cil*ing (?), n. [Written also
pencilling.] 1. The work of the pencil or
bruch; as, delicate penciling in a picture.
2. (Brickwork) Lines of white or black
paint drawn along a mortar joint in a brick wall.
Knight.
{ Pen"cil*late (?), Pen"cil*la`ted (?), }
a. Shaped like a pencil; penicillate.
Pen"craft (?), n. 1.
Penmanship; skill in writing; chirography.
2. The art of composing or writing;
authorship.
I would not give a groat for that person's knowledge in
pencraft.
Sterne.
Pend (?), n. Oil cake;
penock. [India]
Pend, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Pended; p. pr. & vb. n.
Pending.] [L. pendere.] 1. To hang;
to depend. [R.]
Pending upon certain powerful
motions.
I. Taylor.
2. To be undecided, or in process of
adjustment.
Pend, v. t. [Cf. pen to shut in,
or AS. pyndan, E. pound an inclosure.] To pen; to
confine. [R.]
ended within the limits . . . of
Greece.
Udall.
Pend"ant (?), n. [F., orig. p. pr. of
pendre to hang, L. pendere. Cf. Pendent,
Pansy, Pensive, Poise, Ponder.]
1. Something which hangs or depends; something
suspended; a hanging appendage, especially one of an ornamental
character; as to a chandelier or an eardrop; also, an appendix or
addition, as to a book.
Some hang upon the pendants of her
ear.
Pope.
Many . . . have been pleased with this work and its
pendant, the Tales and Popular Fictions.
Keightley.
2. (Arch.) A hanging ornament on roofs,
ceilings, etc., much used in the later styles of Gothic architecture,
where it is of stone, and an important part of the construction. There
are imitations in plaster and wood, which are mere decorative
features. "[A bridge] with . . . pendants graven fair."
Spenser.
3. (Fine Arts) One of a pair; a
counterpart; as, one vase is the pendant to the other
vase.
4. A pendulum. [Obs.] Sir K.
Digby.
5. The stem and ring of a watch, by which it
is suspended. [U.S.] Knight.
Pendant post (Arch.), a part of the
framing of an open timber roof; a post set close against the wall, and
resting upon a corbel or other solid support, and supporting the ends
of a collar beam or any part of the roof.
Pend"ence (?), n. [See Pendent.]
Slope; inclination. [Obs.] Sir H. Wotton.
Pend"en*cy (?), n. 1.
The quality or state of being pendent or suspended.
2. The quality or state of being undecided, or
in continuance; suspense; as, the pendency of a suit.
Ayliffe.
Pend"ent (?), a. [L. pendens,
-entis, p. pr. of pendere to hang, to be suspended. Cf.
Pendant.] 1. Supported from above;
suspended; depending; pendulous; hanging; as, a pendent
leaf. "The pendent world." Shak.
Often their tresses, when shaken, with pendent
icicles tinkle.
Longfellow.
2. Jutting over; projecting;
overhanging. "A vapor sometime like a . . . pendent
rock." Shak.
Pen*den"tive (?), n. [F.
pendentif, fr. L. pendere to hang.] (Arch.)
(a) The portion of a vault by means of which the
square space in the middle of a building is brought to an octagon or
circle to receive a cupola. (b) The part of
a groined vault which is supported by, and springs from, one pier or
corbel.
Pend"ent*ly, adv. In a pendent
manner.
Pen"dice (?), n. [Cf. Pentice.]
A sloping roof; a lean-to; a penthouse. [Obs.]
Fairfax.
Pen"di*cle (?), n. [Cf.
Appendicle.] An appendage; something dependent on another;
an appurtenance; a pendant. Sir W. Scott.
Pen*di*cler (?), n. An inferior
tenant; one who rents a pendicle or croft. [Scot.]
Jamieson.
Pend"ing (?), a. [L. pendere to
hang, to be suspended. Cf. Pendent.] Not yet decided; in
continuance; in suspense; as, a pending suit.
Pend"ing, prep. During; as,
pending the trail.
Pen"drag*on (?), n. A chief leader
or a king; a head; a dictator; -- a title assumed by the ancient
British chiefs when called to lead other chiefs.
The dread Pendragon, Britain's king of
kings.
Tennyson.
Pen"du*lar (?), a.
Pendulous.
Pen"du*late (?), v. i. To swing as
a pendulum. [R.]
Pen"dule (?), n. [F.] A
pendulum. [R.] Evelyn.
||Pen"du`line (?), n. [F. See
Pendulum.] (Zoöl.) A European titmouse
(Parus, or Ægithalus, pendulinus). It is noted for its
elegant pendulous purselike nest, made of the down of willow trees and
lined with feathers.
Pen`du*los"i*ty (?), n. [See
Pendulous.] The state or quality of being pendulous.
Sir T. Browne.
Pen"du*lous (?), a. [L. pendulus,
fr. pendere to hang. Cf. Pendant, and cf.
Pendulum.] 1. Depending; pendent loosely;
hanging; swinging. Shak. "The pendulous round
earth." Milton.
2. Wavering; unstable; doubtful. [R.] "A
pendulous state of mind." Atterbury.
3. (Bot.) Inclined or hanging
downwards, as a flower on a recurved stalk, or an ovule which hangs
from the upper part of the ovary.
Pen"du*lous*ly, adv. In a pendulous
manner.
Pen"du*lous*ness, n. The quality or
state of being pendulous; the state of hanging loosely;
pendulosity.
Pen"du*lum (?), n.; pl.
Pendulums (#). [NL., fr. L. pendulus hanging,
swinging. See Pendulous.] A body so suspended from a fixed
point as to swing freely to and fro by the alternate action of gravity
and momentum. It is used to regulate the movements of clockwork and
other machinery.
&fist; The time of oscillation of a pendulum is independent of the
arc of vibration, provided this arc be small.
Ballistic pendulum. See under
Ballistic. -- Compensation pendulum,
a clock pendulum in which the effect of changes of temperature of
the length of the rod is so counteracted, usually by the opposite
expansion of differene metals, that the distance of the center of
oscillation from the center of suspension remains invariable; as, the
mercurial compensation pendulum, in which the expansion of the
rod is compensated by the opposite expansion of mercury in a jar
constituting the bob; the gridiron pendulum, in which
compensation is effected by the opposite expansion of sets of rodsof
different metals. -- Compound pendulum, an
ordinary pendulum; -- so called, as being made up of different parts,
and contrasted with simple pendulum. --
Conical or Revolving,
pendulum, a weight connected by a rod with a
fixed point; and revolving in a horizontal cyrcle about the vertical
from that point. -- Pendulum bob, the
weight at the lower end of a pendulum. -- Pendulum
level, a plumb level. See under Level. --
Pendulum wheel, the balance of a watch. --
Simple or Theoretical,
pendulum, an imaginary pendulum having no
dimensions except length, and no weight except at the center of
oscillation; in other words, a material point suspended by an ideal
line.
||Pe*nel"o*pe (p&esl;*n&ebreve;l"&osl;*pē),
n. [From. L. Penelope, the wife of Ulysses,
the hero of the Odyssey, Gr. Phnelo`ph.]
(Zoöl.) A genus of curassows, including the
guans.
Pen`e*tra*bil"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F.
pénétrabilité.] The quality of being
penetrable; susceptibility of being penetrated, entered, or
pierced. Cheyne.
Pen"e*tra*ble (?), a. [L.
penetrabilus: cf. F. pénétrable.]
Capable of being penetrated, entered, or pierced. Used also
figuratively.
And pierce his only penetrable
part.
Dryden.
I am not made of stones,
But penetrable to your kind entreats.
Shak.
-- Pen"e*tra*ble*ness, n. --
Pen"e*tra*bly, adv.
Pen"e*trail (?), n.
Penetralia. [Obs.] Harvey.
||Pen`e*tra"li*a (?), n. pl. [L., fr.
penetralis penetrating, internal. See Penetrate.]
1. The recesses, or innermost parts, of any thing
or place, especially of a temple or palace.
2. Hidden things or secrets; privacy;
sanctuary; as, the sacred penetralia of the home.
{ Pen"e*trance (?), Pen"e*tran*cy (?), }
n. The quality or state of being penetrant;
power of entering or piercing; penetrating power of quality; as, the
penetrancy of subtile effluvia.
Pen"e*trant (?), a. [L.
penetrans, p. pr. of penetrare: cf. F.
pénétrant.] Having power to enter or pierce;
penetrating; sharp; subtile; as, penetrant cold.
"Penetrant and powerful arguments." Boyle.
Pen"e*trate (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Penetrated (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Penetrating.] [L. penetratus, p. p. of
penetrare to penetrate; akin to penitus inward,
inwardly, and perh. to pens with, in the power of, penus
store of food, innermost part of a temple.] 1. To
enter into; to make way into the interior of; to effect an entrance
into; to pierce; as, light penetrates darkness.
2. To affect profoundly through the senses or
feelings; to touch with feeling; to make sensible; to move deeply; as,
to penetrate one's heart with pity. Shak.
The translator of Homer should penetrate himself
with a sense of the plainness and directness of Homer's
style.
M. Arnold.
3. To pierce into by the mind; to arrive at
the inner contents or meaning of, as of a mysterious or difficult
subject; to comprehend; to understand.
Things which here were too subtile for us to
penetrate.
Ray.
Pen"e*trate, v. i. To pass; to make
way; to pierce. Also used figuratively.
Preparing to penetrate to the north and
west.
J. R. Green.
Born where Heaven's influence scarce can
penetrate.
Pope.
The sweet of life that penetrates so
near.
Daniel.
Pen"e*tra`ting (?), a.
1. Having the power of entering, piercing, or
pervading; sharp; subtile; penetrative; as, a penetrating
odor.
2. Acute; discerning; sagacious; quick to
discover; as, a penetrating mind.
Pen"e*tra`ting*ly, adv. In a
penetrating manner.
Pen"e*tra`tion (?), n. [L.
penetratio: cf. F. pénétration.]
1. The act or process of penetrating, piercing,
or entering; also, the act of mentally penetrating into, or
comprehending, anything difficult.
And to each in ward part,
With gentle penetration, though unseen,
Shoots invisible virtue even to the deep.
Milton.
A penetration into the difficulties of
algebra.
Watts.
2. Acuteness; insight; sharp discoverment;
sagacity; as, a person of singular penetration.
Walpole.
Syn. -- Discernment; sagacity; acuteness; sharpness;
discrimination. See Discernment, and Sagacity.
Pen"e*tra*tive (?), a. [Cf. F.
pénétratif.] 1. Tending to
penetrate; of a penetrating quality; piercing; as, the
penetrative sun.
His look became keen and
penetrative.
Hawthorne.
2. Having the power to affect or impress the
mind or heart; impressive; as, penetrative shame.
Shak.
3. Acute; discerning; sagacious; as,
penetrative wisdom. "The penetrative eye."
Wordsworth.
Led on by skill of penetrative
soul.
Grainger.
Pen"e*tra*tive*ness, n. The quality
of being penetrative.
Pen"fish` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
A squid.
Pen"fold` (?), n. See
Pinfold.
Pen"go*lin (?), n.
(Zoöl.)The pangolin.
Pen"guin (?), n. [Perh. orig. the name
of another bird, and fr. W. pen head + gwyn white; or
perh. from a native South American name.] 1.
(Zoöl.) Any bird of the order Impennes, or
Ptilopteri. They are covered with short, thick feathers, almost
scalelike on the wings, which are without true quills. They are unable
to fly, but use their wings to aid in diving, in which they are very
expert. See King penguin, under Jackass.
&fist; Penguins are found in the south temperate and antarctic
regions. The king penguins (Aptenodytes Patachonica, and A.
longirostris) are the largest; the jackass penguins
(Spheniscus) and the rock hoppers (Catarractes)
congregate in large numbers at their breeding grounds.
2. (Bot.) The egg-shaped fleshy fruit
of a West Indian plant (Bromelia Pinguin) of the Pineapple
family; also, the plant itself, which has rigid, pointed, and spiny-
toothed leaves, and is used for hedges. [Written also
pinguin.]
Arctic penguin (Zoöl.), the great
auk. See Auk.
Pen"guin*er*y (?), n.
(Zoöl.) A breeding place, or rookery, of
penguins.
Pen"hold`er (?), n. A handle for a
pen.
Pen"house` (?), n. A
penthouse. [Obs.]
Pen*i"ble (?), a. [OF. penible.
Cf. Painable.] Painstaking; assidous. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Pen"i*cil (?), n. [L. penicillum,
penicillus, a painter's brush, a roil of lint, a tent for
wounds.] (mented.) A tent or pledget for wounds or
ulcers.
Pen`i*cil"late (?), a. [Cf. F.
pénicillé. See Penicil.] (Biol.)
Having the form of a pencil; furnished with a pencil of fine
hairs; ending in a tuft of hairs like a camel's-hair brush, as the
stigmas of some grasses.
Pen`i*cil"li*form (?), a. (Bot.)
Penicillate.
Pen*in"su*la (?), n. [L.
peninsula or paeninsula; paene almost +
insula an island. See Isle.] A portion of land
nearly surrounded by water, and connected with a larger body by a
neck, or isthmus.
Pen*in"su*lar (?), a. [Cf. F.
péninsulaire.] Of or pertaining to a peninsula; as,
a peninsular form; peninsular people; the
peninsular war.
Pen*in"su*late (?), v. t. [imp.
& p. p. Peninsulated (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Peninsulating.] To form into a
peninsula.
South River . . . peninsulates Castle Hill
farm.
W. Bentley.
Pe"nis (pē"n&ibreve;s), n. [L.]
(Anat.) The male member, or organ of generation.
Pen"i*tence (?), n. [F.
pénitence, L. paenitentia. See Penitent,
and cf. Penance.] The quality or condition of being
penitent; the disposition of a penitent; sorrow for sins or faults;
repentance; contrition. "Penitence of his old guilt."
Chaucer.
Death is deferred, and penitenance has room
To mitigate, if not reverse, the doom.
Dryden.
Syn. -- Repentance; contrition; compunction.
Pen"i*ten*cer (?), n. [F.
pénitencier.] A priest who heard confession and
enjoined penance in extraordinary cases. [Written also
penitenser.] [Obs.] Chaucer.
Pen"i*ten*cy (?), n.
Penitence. [Obs.]
Pen"i*tent (?), a. [F.
pénitent, L. paenitens, -entis,
poenitens, p. pr. of paenitere, poenitere, to
cause to repent, to repent; prob. akin to poena punishment. See
Pain.] 1. Feeling pain or sorrow on
account of sins or offenses; repentant; contrite; sincerely affected
by a sense of guilt, and resolved on amendment of life.
Be penitent, and for thy fault
contrite.
Milton.
The pound he tamed, the penitent he
cheered.
Dryden.
2. Doing penance. [Obs.]
Shak.
Pen"i*tent, n. 1.
One who repents of sin; one sorrowful on account of his
transgressions.
2. One under church censure, but admitted to
penance; one undergoing penance.
3. One under the direction of a
confessor.
&fist; Penitents is an appellation given to certain
fraternities in Roman Catholic countries, distinguished by their
habit, and employed in charitable acts.
Pen`i*ten"tial (?), a. [Cf. F.
pénitentiel.] Of or pertaining to penitence, or to
penance; expressing penitence; of the nature of penance; as, the
penitential book; penitential tears.
"Penitential stripes." Cowper.
Guilt that all the penitential fires of
hereafter can not cleanse.
Sir W. Scott.
Pen`i*ten"tial, n. (R. C. Ch.)
A book formerly used by priests hearing confessions, containing
rules for the imposition of penances; -- called also penitential
book.
Pen`i*ten"tial*ly, adv. In a
penitential manner.
Pen`i*ten"tia*ry (?), a. [Cf. F.
pénitentiaire.] 1. Relating to
penance, or to the rules and measures of penance. "A
penitentiary tax." Abp. Bramhall.
2. Expressive of penitence; as, a
penitentiary letter.
3. Used for punishment, discipline, and
reformation. "Penitentiary houses."
Blackstone.
Pen`i*ten"tia*ry, n.; pl.
Penitentiaries (#). [Cf. F.
pénitencier. See Penitent.] 1.
One who prescribes the rules and measures of penance.
[Obs.] Bacon.
2. One who does penance. [Obs.]
Hammond.
3. A small building in a monastery where
penitents confessed. Shpiley.
4. That part of a church to which penitents
were admitted. Shipley.
5. (R. C. Ch.) (a) An
office of the papal court which examines cases of conscience,
confession, absolution from vows, etc., and delivers decisions,
dispensations, etc. Its chief is a cardinal, called the Grand
Penitentiary, appointed by the pope. (b)
An officer in some dioceses since A. D. 1215, vested with
power from the bishop to absolve in cases reserved to him.
6. A house of correction, in which offenders
are confined for punishment, discipline, and reformation, and in which
they are generally compelled to labor.
Pen`i*ten"tia*ry*ship, n. The
office or condition of a penitentiary of the papal court. [R.]
Wood.
Pen"i*tent*ly, adv. In a penitent
manner.
Penk (?), n. A minnow. See
Pink, n., 4. [Prov. Eng.]
Walton.
Pen"knife` (?), n.; pl.
Penknives (#). [Pen + knife.] A
small pocketknife; formerly, a knife used for making and mending quill
pens.
Pen"man (?), n.; pl.
Penmen (&?;). 1. One who uses
the pen; a writer; esp., one skilled in the use of the pen; a
calligrapher; a writing master.
2. An author; a composer.
South.
Pen"man*ship, n. The use of the pen
in writing; the art of writing; style or manner of writing;
chirography; as, good or bad penmanship.
||Pen"na (?), n.; pl.
Pennæ (#). [L.] (Zoöl.) A
perfect, or normal, feather.
Pen"na"ceous (?), a. (Zoöl.)
Like or pertaining to a normal feather.
Pen"nach (?), n. [OF. pennache.
See Panache.] A bunch of feathers; a plume. [Obs.]
Holland.
Pen"nached (?), a. [Cf. OF.
pennaché. See Panache.] Variegated;
striped. [Obs.] Evelyn.
Pen"nage (?), n. [L. penna
feather.] Feathery covering; plumage. [Obs.]
Holland.
Pen"nant (?), n. [OE. penon,
penoun, pynoun, OF. penon, F. pennon, fr.
L. penna feather. See Pen a feather, and cf.
Pennon, Pinion.] (Naut.) (a)
A small flag; a pennon. The narrow, or long, pennant
(called also whip or coach whip) is a long, narrow piece
of bunting, carried at the masthead of a government vessel in
commission. The board pennant is an oblong, nearly square flag,
carried at the masthead of a commodore's vessel. "With flags and
pennants trimmed." Drayton. (b) A
rope or strap to which a purchase is hooked.
{ Pen"nate (?), Pen"na*ted (?), }
a. [L. pennatus feathered, winged, from
penna feather, wing.] 1. Winged; plume-
shaped.
2. (Bot.) Same as
Pinnate.
||Pen*nat"u*la (?), n.; pl. L.
Pennatulæ (#), E. Pennatulas
(#). [NL., fr. L. penna a feather.] (Zoöl.)
Any one of numerous species of Pennatula,
Pteroides, and allied genera of Alcyonaria, having a
featherlike form; a sea-pen. The zooids are situated along one edge of
the side branches.
||Pen*nat`u*la"ce*a (?), n. pl. [NL. See
Pennatula.] (Zoöl.) A division of alcyonoid
corals, including the seapens and related kinds. They are able to move
about by means of the hollow muscular peduncle, which also serves to
support them upright in the mud. See Pennatula, and
Illust. under Alcyonaria.
Penned (?), a. 1.
Winged; having plumes. [Obs.]
2. Written with a pen; composed. "Their
penned speech." Shak.
Pen"ner (?), n. 1.
One who pens; a writer. Sir T. North.
2. A case for holding pens. [Obs.]
Pen"ni*form (?), a. [L. penna
feather + -form: cf. F. penniforme.] Having the
form of a feather or plume.
Pen*nig"er*ous (?), a. [L.
penniger; penna feather + gerere to bear.]
(Zoöl.) Bearing feathers or quills.
Pen"ni*less (?), a. [From Penny.]
Destitute of money; impecunious; poor. --
Pen"ni*less*ness, n.
Pen"ni*nerved` (?), a. [L. penna
feather + E. nerve.] Pinnately veined or nerved.
Pen*nip"o*tent (?), a. [L.
pennipotens; penna wing + potens strong.]
Strong of wing; strong on the wing. [Poetic] Davies
(Holy Roode).
Pen"non (?), n. [Cf. Pinion.]
A wing; a pinion. Milton.
Pen"non, n. [See Pennant.] A
pennant; a flag or streamer. Longfellow.
{ Pen"non*cel`, Pen"non*celle` (?) },
n. [OF. penoncel. See Pennant.]
See Pencel.
Pen"ny (?), a. [Perh. a corruption of
pun, for pound.] Denoting pound weight for one
thousand; -- used in combination, with respect to nails; as,
tenpenny nails, nails of which one thousand weight ten
pounds.
Pen*ny, n.; pl.
Pennies (#) or Pence (&?;).
Pennies denotes the number of coins; pence the amount of
pennies in value. [OE. peni, AS. penig, pening,
pending; akin to D. penning, OHG. pfenning,
pfenting, G. pfennig, Icel. penningr; of
uncertain origin.] 1. An English coin, formerly
of copper, now of bronze, the twelfth part of an English shilling in
account value, and equal to four farthings, or about two cents; --
usually indicated by the abbreviation d. (the initial of
denarius).
&fist; "The chief Anglo-Saxon coin, and for a long period the only
one, corresponded to the denarius of the Continent . . . [and
was] called penny, denarius, or denier." R. S. Poole.
The ancient silver penny was worth about three pence sterling
(see Pennyweight). The old Scotch penny was only one
twelfth the value of the English coin. In the United States the word
penny is popularly used for cent.
2. Any small sum or coin; a groat; a
stiver. Shak.
3. Money, in general; as, to turn an honest
penny.
What penny hath Rome borne,
What men provided, what munition sent?
Shak.
4. (Script.) See
Denarius.
Penny cress (Bot.), an annual herb of
the Mustard family, having round, flat pods like silver pennies
(Thlaspi arvense). Dr. Prior. -- Penny
dog (Zoöl.), a kind of shark found on the
South coast of Britain: the tope. -- Penny
father, a penurious person; a niggard. [Obs.]
Robinson (More's Utopia). -- Penny grass
(Bot.), pennyroyal. [R.] -- Penny
post, a post carrying a letter for a penny; also, a mail
carrier. -- Penny wise, wise or prudent
only in small matters; saving small sums while losing larger; -- used
chiefly in the phrase, penny wise and pound foolish.
Pen"ny (?), a. Worth or costing one
penny.
Pen"ny-a-lin"er (?), n. One who
furnishes matter to public journals at so much a line; a poor writer
for hire; a hack writer. Thackeray.
Pen`ny*roy"al (?), n. [A corruption of
OE. puliall royal. OE. puliall is ultimately derived fr.
L. puleium, or pulegium regium (so called as being good
against fleas), fr. pulex a flea; and royal is a
translation of L. regium, in puleium regium.]
(Bot.) An aromatic herb (Mentha Pulegium) of
Europe; also, a North American plant (Hedeoma pulegioides)
resembling it in flavor.
Bastard pennyroyal (Bot.) See Blue
curls, under Blue.
Pen"ny*weight` (?), n. A troy
weight containing twenty-four grains, or the twentieth part of an
ounce; as, a pennyweight of gold or of arsenic. It was
anciently the weight of a silver penny, whence the name.
Pen"ny*wort` (?), n. (Bot.)
A European trailing herb (Linaria Cymbalaria) with
roundish, reniform leaves. It is often cultivated in hanging
baskets.
March, or Water,
pennywort. (Bot.) See under
March.
Pen"ny*worth` (?), n. 1.
A penny's worth; as much as may be bought for a penny. "A
dear pennyworth." Evelyn.
2. Hence: The full value of one's penny
expended; due return for money laid out; a good bargain; a
bargain.
The priests sold the better
pennyworths.
Locke.
3. A small quantity; a trifle.
Bacon.
Pen"ock (?), n. See
Pend.
Pen`o*log"ic*al (?), a. Of or
pertaining to penology.
Pe*nol"o*gist (?), n. One versed
in, or a student of, penology.
Pe*nol"o*gy (?), n. [Gr. &?;, or L.
poena, punishment + -logy.] The science or art of
punishment. [Written also pœnology.]
Pen"rack` (?), n. A rack for pens
not in use.
Pens (?), n., pl.
of Penny. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Pen"sa*tive (?), a. Pensive.
[Obs.] Shelton.
Pen"sel (?), n. A pencel.
Chaucer.
Pen"si*ble (?), a. Held
aloft. [Obs.] Bacon.
Pen"sile (?), a. [L. pensilis,
fr. pendere to hang: cf. OE. pensil. See
Pendant.] Hanging; suspended; pendent; pendulous.
Bacon.
The long, pensile branches of the
birches.
W. Howitt.
Pen"sile*ness, n. State or quality
of being pensile; pendulousness.
Pen"sion (?), n. [F., fr. L.
pensio a paying, payment, fr. pendere, pensum, to
weight, to pay; akin to pend&?;re to hang. See Pendant,
and cf. Spend.] 1. A payment; a tribute;
something paid or given. [Obs.]
The stomach's pension, and the time's
expense.
Sylvester.
2. A stated allowance to a person in
consideration of past services; payment made to one retired from
service, on account of age, disability, or other cause; especially, a
regular stipend paid by a government to retired public officers,
disabled soldiers, the families of soldiers killed in service, or to
meritorious authors, or the like.
To all that kept the city pensions and
wages.
1 Esd. iv. 56.
3. A certain sum of money paid to a clergyman
in lieu of tithes. [Eng.] Mozley & W.
4. [F., pronounced &?;.] A boarding house or
boarding school in France, Belgium, Switzerland, etc.
Pen"sion, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pensioned (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pensioning.] To grant a pension to; to pay a regular
stipend to; in consideration of service already performed; --
sometimes followed by off; as, to pension off a
servant.
One knighted Blackmore, and one pensioned
Quarles.
Pope.
Pen"sion*a*ry (?), a. 1.
Maintained by a pension; receiving a pension; as,
pensionary spies. Donne.
2. Consisting of a pension; as, a
pensionary provision for maintenance.
Pen"sion*a*ry (?), n.; pl.
Pensionaries (#). [Cf. F. pensionnaire. Cf.
Pensioner.] 1. One who receives a pension;
a pensioner. E. Hall.
2. One of the chief magistrates of towns in
Holland.
Grand pensionary, the title of the prime
minister, or or president of the Council, of Holland when a
republic.
Pen"sion*er (?), n. 1.
One in receipt of a pension; hence, figuratively, a
dependent.
The fickle pensioners of Morpheus'
train.
Milton.
Old pensioners . . . of Chelsea
Hospital.
Macaulay.
2. One of an honorable band of gentlemen who
attend the sovereign of England on state occasions, and receive an
annual pension, or allowance, of £150 and two horses.
3. [Cf. F. pensionnaire one who pays for his
board. Cf. Pensionary, n.] In the
university of Cambridge, England, one who pays for his living in
commons; -- corresponding to commoner at Oxford. Ld.
Lytton.
Pen"sive (?), a. [F. pensif, fr.
penser to think, fr. L. pensare to weigh, ponder,
consider, v. intens. fr. pendere to weigh. See Pension,
Poise.] 1. Thoughtful, sober, or sad;
employed in serious reflection; given to, or favorable to, earnest or
melancholy musing.
The pensive secrecy of desert cell.
Milton.
Anxious cares the pensive nymph
oppressed.
Pope.
2. Expressing or suggesting thoughtfulness
with sadness; as, pensive numbers. Prior.
Pen"sived (?), a. Made
pensive. [R.] Shak.
Pen"sive*ly (?), adv. In a pensive
manner.
Pen"sive*ness, n. The state of
being pensive; serious thoughtfulness; seriousness.
Hooker.
Pen"stock (?), n. [Etymol. uncertain;
perh. fr. pen an inclosure + stock.] 1.
A close conduit or pipe for conducting water, as, to a water
wheel, or for emptying a pond, or for domestic uses.
2. The barrel of a wooden pump.
Pent (?), p. p. or a. [From Pen,
v. t.] Penned or shut up; confined; -- often
with up.
Here in the body pent.
J.
Montgomery.
No pent-up Utica contracts your
powers.
J. M. Sewall.
Pen"ta- (?). [Gr. &?;, a later combining form of &?; five.
See Five.] 1. A combining form denoting
five; as, pentacapsular; pentagon.
2. (Chem.) Denoting the degree of
five, either as regards quality, property, or composition; as,
pentasulphide; pentoxide, etc. Also used
adjectively.
Pen`ta*ba"sic (?), a. [Penta- +
basic.] (Chem.) Capable of uniting with five
molecules of a monacid base; having five acid hydrogen atoms capable
of substitution by a basic radical; -- said of certain
acids.
Pen`ta*cap"su*lar (?), a. [Penta-
+ capsular.] (Bot.) Having five capsules.
Pen`ta*che"ni*um (?), n. [NL. See
Penta-, and Achenium.] (Bot.) A dry fruit
composed of five carpels, which are covered by an epigynous calyx and
separate at maturity.
Pen`ta*chlo"ride (?), n. [Penta-
+ chloride.] (Chem.) A chloride having five atoms
of chlorine in each molecule.
Pen"ta*chord (?), n. [L.
pentachordus five-stringed, Gr. &?;; &?; five + &?; string.]
1. An ancient instrument of music with five
strings.
2. An order or system of five sounds.
Busby.
Pen*tac"id (&?;), a. [Penta- +
acid.] (Chem.) Capable of neutralizing, or
combining with, five molecules of a monobasic acid; having five
hydrogen atoms capable of substitution by acid residues; -- said of
certain complex bases.
Pen"ta*cle (?), n. [Gr. &?; five.]
A figure composed of two equilateral triangles intersecting so as
to form a six-pointed star, -- used in early ornamental art, and also
with superstitious import by the astrologers and mystics of the Middle
Ages.
Pen`ta*coc"cous (?), a. [See Penta-
, Coccus.] (Bot.) Composed of five united
carpels with one seed in each, as certain fruits.
Pen"ta*con`ter (?), n. (Gr.
Antiq.) See Penteconter.
Pen*tac"ri*nin (?), n. (Physiol.
Chem.) A red and purple pigment found in certain crinoids of
the genus Pentacrinus.
Pen*tac"ri*nite (?), n. [Penta- +
Gr. &?; a lily.] (Zoöl.) Any species of
Pentacrinus.
Pen*tac"ri*noid (?), n.
[Pentacrinus + -oid.] (Zoöl.) An
immature comatula when it is still attached by a stem, and thus
resembles a Pentacrinus.
||Pen*tac"ri*nus (?), n. [NL. See
Penta-, and Crinum.] (Zoöl.) A genus of
large, stalked crinoids, of which several species occur in deep water
among the West Indies and elsewhere.
Pen*ta"cron (?), n.; pl. L.
Pentacra (#), E. Pentacrons (#).
[NL., fr. Gr. &?; five + &?; a summit.] (Geom.) A solid
having five summits or angular points.
Pen`ta*cros"tic (?), n. [Penta- +
acrostic.] A set of verses so disposed that the name
forming the subject of the acrostic occurs five times -- the whole set
of verses being divided into five different parts from top to
bottom.
Pen"tad (?), n. [Gr. &?;, &?;, a body of
five, fr. &?; five.] (Chem.) Any element, atom, or
radical, having a valence of five, or which can be combined with,
substituted for, or compared with, five atoms of hydrogen or other
monad; as, nitrogen is a pentad in the ammonium
compounds.
Pen"tad, a. (Chem.) Having
the valence of a pentad.
{ Pen`ta*dac"tyl, Pen`ta*dac"tyle } (?),
a. [Gr. &?; with five fingers or toes. See Penta-
, and Dactyl.] 1. (Anat.)
Having five digits to the hand or foot.
2. Having five appendages resembling fingers
or toes.
Pen`ta*dac"tyl*oid (?), a.
[Pentadactyl + -oid.] (Anat.) Having the
form of, or a structure modified from, a pentadactyl limb.
Pen`ta*dec"ane (?), n. [Penta- +
Gr. &?; ten.] (Chem.) A hydrocarbon of the paraffin
series, (C15H32) found in petroleum, tar oil,
etc., and obtained as a colorless liquid; -- so called from the
fifteen carbon atoms in the molecule.
Pen`ta*dec`a*to"ic (?), a. [Penta-
+ decatoic.] (Chem.) Of, pertaining to, or
derived from, pentadecane, or designating an acid related to
it.
Pen`ta*decyl"ic (?), a. [Penta- +
decylic.] (Chem.) Same as
Quindecylic.
Pen`ta*del"phous (?), a. [Penta-
+ Gr. &?; brother.] (Bot.) Having the stamens arranged in
five clusters, those of each cluster having their filaments more or
less united, as the flowers of the linden.
Pen"ta*fid (?), a. [Penta- + root
of L. findere to split.] (Bot.) Divided or cleft
into five parts.
Pen"ta*glot (?), n. [Penta- +
-glot, as in polyglot.] A work in five different
tongues.
Pen"ta*gon (?), n. [Gr. &?;; &?; (see
Penta-) + gwni`a angle: cf. L. pentagonium,
F. pentagone.] (Geom.) A plane figure having five
angles, and, consequently, five sides; any figure having five
angles.
Regular pentagon, a pentagon in which the
angles are all equal, and the sides all equal.
Pen*tag"o*nal (?), a. [Cf. F.
pentagonal, pentagone, L. pentagonus,
pentagonius, Gr. &?;.] Having five corners or
angles.
Pentagonal dodecahedron. See
Dodecahedron, and Pyritohedron.
Pen*tag"o*nal*ly, adv. In the form
of a pentagon; with five angles. Sir T. Browne.
Pen*tag"o*nous (?), a.
Pentagonal.
Pen"ta*gram (?), n. [Gr. &?;, neut. of
&?; having five lines. See Penta-, and -gram.] A
pentacle or a pentalpha. "Like a wizard pentagram."
Tennyson.
{ Pen`ta*graph"ic (?), Pen`ta*graph"ic*al (?), }
a. [Corrupted fr. pantographic, -
ical.] Pantographic. See Pantograph.
||Pen`ta*gyn"i*a (?), n. pl. [NL., fr.
Gr. &?; (see Penta-) + &?; female.] (Bot.) A
Linnæan order of plants, having five styles or
pistils.
{ Pen`ta*gyn"i*an (?), Pen*tag"y*nous (?), }
a. (Bot.) Of or pertaining to plants of
the order Pentagyna; having five styles.
Pen`ta*he"dral (?), a. Having five
sides; as, a pentahedral figure.
Pen`ta*hed"ric*al (?), a.
Pentahedral. [R.]
Pen`ta*he"dron (?), n. [Penta- +
Gr. "e`dra seat, base.] A solid figure having five
sides.
Pen`ta*he"drous (?), a.
Pentahedral. Woodward.
Pen"tail` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
A peculiar insectivore (Ptilocercus Lowii) of Borneo; --
so called from its very long, quill-shaped tail, which is scaly at the
base and plumose at the tip.
||Pen*tal"pha (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?;:
cf. F. pentalpha. See Penta-, and Alpha.] A
five-pointed star, resembling five alphas joined at their bases; --
used as a symbol.
||Pen*tam"e*ra (?), n. pl. [NL. See
Pentamerous.] (Zoöl.) An extensive division of
Coleoptera, including those that normally have five-jointed tarsi. It
embraces about half of all the known species of the
Coleoptera.
Pen*tam"er*an (?), n.
(Zoöl.) One of the Pentamera.
Pen*tam"er*ous (?), a. [Penta- +
Gr. &?; part.] 1. (Biol.) Divided into, or
consisting of, five parts; also, arranged in sets, with five parts in
each set, as a flower with five sepals, five petals, five, or twice
five, stamens, and five pistils.
2. (Zoöl.) Belonging to the
Pentamera.
||Pen*tam"e*rus (?), n. [NL. See
Pentamerous.] (Paleon.) A genus of extinct
Paleozoic brachiopods, often very abundant in the Upper
Silurian.
Pentamerus limestone (Geol.), a
Silurian limestone composed largely of the shells of
Pentamerus.
Pen*tam"e*ter (?), n. [L., fr. Gr. &?;;
&?; (see Penta-) + &?; measure.] (Gr. & L.Pros.) A
verse of five feet.
&fist; The dactylic pentameter consists of two parts separated by a
diæresis. Each part consists of two dactyls and a long syllable.
The spondee may take the place of the dactyl in the first part, but
not in the second. The elegiac distich consists of the
hexameter followed by the pentameter. Harkness.
Pen*tam"e*ter, a. Having five
metrical feet.
Pen`ta*meth"yl*ene (?), n. [Penta-
+ methylene.] (Chem.) A hypothetical
hydrocarbon, C5H10, metameric with the amylenes,
and the nucleus of a large number of derivatives; -- so named because
regarded as composed of five methylene residues. Cf.
Trimethylene, and Tetramethylene.
||Pen*tan"dri*a (?), n. pl. [NL., fr.
Gr. &?; (see Penta-) + &?;, &?;, man, male.] (Bot.)
A Linnæan class of plants having five separate
stamens.
{ Pen*tan"dri*an (?), Pen*tan"drous (?), }
a. (Bot.) Of or pertaining to the class
Pentadria; having five stamens.
Pen"tane (?), n. [See Penta-.]
(Chem.) Any one of the three metameric hydrocarbons,
C5H12, of the methane or paraffin series. They
are colorless, volatile liquids, two of which occur in petroleum. So
called because of the five carbon atoms in the
molecule.
Pen"tan`gle (?), n. [Penta- +
angle.] A pentagon. [R.] Sir T. Browne.
Pen*tan"gu*lar (?), a. [Penta- +
angular.] Having five corners or angles. [R.]
Pen`ta*pet"al*ous (?), a. [Penta-
+ petal.] (Bot.) Having five petals, or flower
leaves.
Pen*taph"yl*lous (?), a. [Penta-
+ Gr. &?; leaf.] (Bot.) Having five leaves or
leaflets.
Pen*tap"o*dy (?), n. [Penta- +
Gr. &?;, &?;, foot.] (Pros.) A measure or series
consisting of five feet.
Pen"tap*tote (?), n. [L. (pl.)
pentaptota. Gr. &?; with five cases; &?; (see Penta-) +
&?; falling.] (Gram.) A noun having five cases.
Pen"tap*tych (?), n. [Penta- +
Gr. &?;, &?;, a fold.] (Fine Arts) A picture, or
combination of pictures, consisting of a centerpiece and double
folding doors or wings, as for an altarpiece.
Pen"tar*chy (?), n. [Gr. &?;: cf. F.
pentarchie. See Penta-, and -archy.] A
government in the hands of five persons; five joint rulers.
P. Fletcher. "The pentarchy of the senses." A.
Brewer.
Pen"ta*spast (?), n. [L.
pentaspaston, Gr. &?; (see Penta-) + &?; to pull: cf. F.
pentaspaste.] A purchase with five pulleys. [R.]
Pen`ta*sper"mous (?), a. [Penta-
+ Gr. &?; seed.] (Bot.) Containing five seeds.
Pen"ta*stich (?), n. [Gr. &?; of five
verses; &?; (see Penta-) + &?; line, verse.] A composition
consisting of five verses.
Pen*tas"ti*chous (?), a. [Penta-
+ Gr. &?; a row.] (Bot.) Having, or arranged in, five
vertical ranks, as the leaves of an apple tree or a cherry
tree.
||Pen`ta*stom"i*da (?), n. pl. [NL., fr.
&?; (see Penta-) + &?; a mouth.] (Zoöl.) Same
as Linguatulina.
Pen"ta*style (?), a. [Penta- +
Gr. &?; a pillar.] (Arch.) Having five columns in front; -
- said of a temple or portico in classical architecture. --
n. A portico having five columns.
Pen"ta*teuch (?), n. [L.
pentateuchus, Gr. &?;; &?; (see Penta-) + &?; a tool,
implement, a book, akin to &?; to prepare, make ready, and perh. to E.
text. See Five, and Text.] The first five
books of the Old Testament, collectively; -- called also the Law of
Moses, Book of the Law of Moses, etc.
Pen`ta*teu"chal (?), a. Of or
pertaining to the Pentateuch.
Pen`ta*thi*on"ic (?), a. [Penta-
+ thionic.] (Chem.) Pertaining to, or designating,
an acid of sulphur obtained by leading hydrogen sulphide into a
solution of sulphur dioxide; -- so called because it contains
five atoms of sulphur.
||Pen*tath"lon (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr.
&?;; &?; five + &?; a contest.] (Gr. Antiq.) A fivefold
athletic performance peculiar to the great national games of the
Greeks, including leaping, foot racing, wrestling, throwing the
discus, and throwing the spear.
Pen`ta*tom"ic (?), a. [Penta- +
atomic.] (Chem.) (a) Having five
atoms in the molecule. (b) Having five
hydrogen atoms capable of substitution.
Pen*tav"a*lent (?), a. [Penta- +
L. valens, p. pr. See Valence.] (Chem.)
Having a valence of five; -- said of certain atoms and
radicals.
Pen"te*con`ter (?), n. [Gr. &?; (sc.
&?;), fr. &?; fifty.] (Gr. Antiq.) A Grecian vessel with
fifty oars. [Written also pentaconter.]
Pen"te*cost (?), n. [L.
pentecoste, Gr. &?; (sc. &?;) the fiftieth day, Pentecost, fr.
&?; fiftieth, fr. &?; fifty, fr. &?; five. See Five, and cf.
Pingster.] 1. A solemn festival of the
Jews; -- so called because celebrated on the fiftieth day (seven
weeks) after the second day of the Passover (which fell on the
sixteenth of the Jewish month Nisan); -- hence called, also, the
Feast of Weeks. At this festival an offering of the first
fruits of the harvest was made. By the Jews it was generally regarded
as commemorative of the gift of the law on the fiftieth day after the
departure from Egypt.
2. A festival of the Roman Catholic and other
churches in commemoration of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the
apostles; which occurred on the day of Pentecost; -- called also
Whitsunday. Shak.
Pen`te*cos"tal (?), a. Of or
pertaining to Pentecost or to Whitsuntide.
Pen`te*cos"tals (?), n. pl.
Offerings formerly made to the parish priest, or to the mother
church, at Pentecost. Shipley.
Pen`te*cos"ter (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr.
&?;, fr. &?; fifty.] (Gr. Antiq.) An officer in the
Spartan army commanding fifty men. Mitford.
Pen`te*cos"ty (?), n.; pl.
Pentecosties (#). [Gr. &?;, fr. &?; the fiftieth,
&?; fifty.] (Gr. Antiq.) A troop of fifty soldiers in the
Spartan army; -- called also pentecostys. Jowett
(Thucyd. ).
{ Pen*tel"ic (?), Pen*tel"i*can (?), }
a. Of or pertaining to Mount Pentelicus, near
Athens, famous for its fine white marble quarries; obtained from Mount
Pentelicus; as, the Pentelic marble of which the Parthenon is
built.
Pen"tene (?), n. [See Penta-.]
(Chem.) Same as Amylene.
Pent"house` (?), n. [A corruption of
pentice.] A shed or roof sloping from the main wall or
building, as over a door or window; a lean-to. Also
figuratively. "The penthouse of his eyes." Sir W.
Scott.
Pent"house`, a. Leaning;
overhanging. "Penthouse lid." Shak. "My
penthouse eyebrows." Dryden.
Pen"tice (?), n. [F. appentis a
penthouse. See Append.] A penthouse. [Obs.] Sir
H. Wotton.
Pen"tile` (?), n. See
Pantile.
Pen"tine (?), n. [See Penta-.]
(Chem.) An unsaturated hydrocarbon,
C5H8, of the acetylene series. Same as
Valerylene.
Pen*to"ic (?), a. [See Penta-.]
(Chem.) Pertaining to, or desingating, an acid (called
also valeric acid) derived from pentane.
Pen"tone (?), n. [See Penta-.]
(Chem.) Same as Valylene.
Pen*tox"ide (?), n. [Penta- +
oxide.] (Chem.) An oxide containing five atoms of
oxygen in each molecule; as, phosphorus pentoxide,
P2O5.
Pen"tre*mite (?), n. (Zoöl.)
Any species of Pentremites.
||Pen`tre*mi"tes (?), n. [NL., from Gr.
&?; five + L. remus an oar.] (Zoöl.) A genus
of crinoids belonging to the Blastoidea. They have five petal-like
ambulacra.
Pent"roof` (?), n. [F. pente
slope + E. roof, or from penthouse roof.]
See Lean-to.
Pen"trough` (?), n. A
penstock.
Pen"tyl (?), n. [Penta + -
yl.] (Chem.) The hypothetical radical,
C5H11, of pentane and certain of its
derivatives. Same as Amyl.
Pen*tyl"ic (?), a. Pertaining to,
derived from, or containing, pentyl; as, pentylic
alcohol
{ Pe"nu*chle (?), Pin"o*cle (?) },
n. A game at cards, played with forty-eight
cards, being all the cards above the eight spots in two
packs.
Pe"nult (?), n. [Abbreviated fr.
penultima.] (Gram. & Pros.) The last syllable but
one of a word; the syllable preceding the final one.
Pe*nul"ti*ma (?), n. [L. (sc.
syllaba), fr. penultimus, paenultimus, the last
but one; paene almost + ultimus the last.] Same as
Penult.
Pe*nul"ti*mate (?), a. Last but
one; as, the penultimate syllable, the last syllable but one of
a word.
Pe*nul"ti*mate, n. The
penult.
Pe*num"bra (?), n. [NL., fr. L.
paene almost + umbra shade.] 1. An
incomplete or partial shadow.
2. (Astron.) The shadow cast, in an
eclipse, where the light is partly, but not wholly, cut off by the
intervening body; the space of partial illumination between the umbra,
or perfect shadow, on all sides, and the full light. Sir I.
Newton.
&fist; The faint shade surrounding the dark central portion of a
solar spot is also called the penumbra, and sometimes
umbra.
3. (Paint.) The part of a picture where
the shade imperceptibly blends with the light.
Pe*num"brala. Of or pertaining to a penumbra;
resembling a penumbra; partially illuminated.
Pe*nu"ri*ous (?), a. [From
Penury.] 1. Excessively sparing in the use
of money; sordid; stingy; miserly. "A penurious niggard
of his wealth." Milton.
2. Not bountiful or liberal; scanty.
Here creeps along a poor, penurious
stream.
C. Pitt.
3. Destitute of money; suffering extreme
want. [Obs.] "My penurious band." Shak.
Syn. -- Avaricious; covetous; parsimonious; miserly;
niggardly; stingy. See Avaricious.
--Pe*nu"ri*ous*ly, adv. --
Pe*nu"ri*ous*ness, n.
Pen"u*ry (?), n. [L. penuria; cf.
Gr. &?; hunger, &?; poverty, need, &?; one who works for his daily
bread, a poor man, &?; to work for one's daily bread, to be poor: cf.
F. pénurie.] 1. Absence of
resources; want; privation; indigence; extreme poverty;
destitution. "A penury of military forces."
Bacon.
They were exposed to hardship and
penury.
Sprat.
It arises in neither from penury of
thought.
Landor.
2. Penuriousness; miserliness. [Obs.]
Jer. Taylor.
Pen"wip`er (?), n. A cloth, or
other material, for wiping off or cleaning ink from a pen.
Pen"wom`an (?), n.; pl.
Penwomen (&?;). A female writer; an
authoress. Johnson.
Pe"on (?), n. See
Poon.
Pe"on, n. [Sp. peon, or Pg.
pe&?;o, one who travels on foot, a foot soldier, a pawn in
chess. See Pawn in chess.] 1. A foot
soldier; a policeman; also, an office attendant; a messenger.
[India]
2. A day laborer; a servant; especially, in
some of the Spanish American countries, debtor held by his creditor in
a form of qualified servitude, to work out a debt.
3. (Chess) See 2d
Pawn.
Pe"on*age (?), n. The condition of
a peon.
Pe"on*ism (?), n. Same as
Peonage. D. Webster.
Pe"o*ny (?), n.; pl.
Peonies (#). [OE. pione, pioine,
pioni, OF. pione, F. pivoine, L. paeonia,
Gr. &?;, fr. &?;, &?;, the god of healing. Cf. Pæan.]
(Bot.) A plant, and its flower, of the ranunculaceous
genus Pæonia. Of the four or five species, one is a
shrub; the rest are perennial herbs with showy flowers, often double
in cultivation. [Written also pæony, and
piony.]
Peo"ple (?), n. [OE. peple,
people, OF. pueple, F. peuple, fr. L.
populus. Cf. Populage, Public, Pueblo.]
1. The body of persons who compose a community,
tribe, nation, or race; an aggregate of individuals forming a whole; a
community; a nation.
Unto him shall the gathering of the people
be.
Gen. xlix. 10.
The ants are a people not strong.
Prov. xxx. 25.
Before many peoples, and nations, and
tongues.
Rev. x. 11.
Earth's monarchs are her peoples.
Whitter.
A government of all the people, by all the
people, for all the people.
T.
Parker.
&fist; Peopleis a collective noun, generally construed with
a plural verb, and only occasionally used in the plural form
(peoples), in the sense of nations or races.
2. Persons, generally; an indefinite number of
men and women; folks; population, or part of population; as, country
people; -- sometimes used as an indefinite subject or verb,
like on in French, and man in German; as, people
in adversity.
People were tempted to lend by great
premiums.
Swift.
People have lived twenty-four days upon nothing
but water.
Arbuthnot.
3. The mass of comunity as distinguished from
a special class; the commonalty; the populace; the vulgar; the common
crowd; as, nobles and people.
And strive to gain his pardon from the
people.
Addison.
4. With a possessive pronoun: (a)
One's ancestors or family; kindred; relations; as, my
people were English. (b) One's
subjects; fellow citizens; companions; followers. "You slew
great number of his people." Shak.
Syn. -- People, Nation. When speaking of a
state, we use people for the mass of the community, as
distinguished from their rulers, and nation for the entire
political body, including the rulers. In another sense of the term,
nation describes those who are descended from the same stock;
and in this sense the Germans regard themselves as one nation,
though politically subject to different forms of government.
Peo"ple (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Peopled p. pr. & vb. n.
Peopling (&?;).] [Cf. OF. popler, puepler, F.
puepler. Cf. Populate.] To stock with people or
inhabitants; to fill as with people; to populate.
"Peopled heaven with angels." Dryden.
As the gay motes that people the
sunbeams.
Milton.
Peo"pled (?), a. Stocked with, or
as with, people; inhabited. "The peopled air."
Gray.
Peo"ple*less, a. Destitute of
people. Poe.
Peo"pler (?), n. A settler; an
inhabitant. "Peoplers of the peaceful glen." J. S.
Blackie.
Peo"plish (?), a. Vulgar.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
Pe*o"ri*as (?), n. pl.; sing.
Peoria (&?;). (Ethnol.) An Algonquin
tribe of Indians who formerly inhabited a part of Illinois.
Pe*pas"tic (?), a. & n. [Gr. &?; to
ripen, suppurate: cf. F. pépastique.] (Med.)
Same as Maturative.
{ Pep"e*rine (?), ||Pep`e*ri"no (?), }
n. [It. peperino, L. piper pepper. So
called on account of its color.] (Geol.) A volcanic rock,
formed by the cementing together of sand, scoria, cinders,
etc.
||Pep"lis (?), n. [L., a kind of plant,
Gr. &?;.] (Bot.) A genus of plants including water
purslane.
||Pep"lus (?), n. [L., fr. Gr. &?;.]
1. An upper garment worn by Grecian and Roman
women.
2. A kind of kerchief formerly worn by
Englishwomen. [Obs.] Fairholt.
||Pe"po (?), n. [L., a kind of melon,
from Gr. &?;.] (Bot.) Any fleshy fruit with a firm rind,
as a pumpkin, melon, or gourd. See Gourd.
Pep"per (?), n. [OE. peper, AS.
pipor, L. piper, fr. Gr. &?;, &?;, akin to Skr.
pippala, pippali.] 1. A well-known,
pungently aromatic condiment, the dried berry, either whole or
powdered, of the Piper nigrum.
&fist; Common, or black, pepper is made from
the whole berry, dried just before maturity; white pepper is
made from the ripe berry after the outer skin has been removed by
maceration and friction. It has less of the peculiar properties of the
plant than the black pepper. Pepper is used in medicine as a
carminative stimulant.
2. (Bot.) The plant which yields
pepper, an East Indian woody climber (Piper nigrum), with ovate
leaves and apetalous flowers in spikes opposite the leaves. The
berries are red when ripe. Also, by extension, any one of the several
hundred species of the genus Piper, widely dispersed throughout
the tropical and subtropical regions of the earth.
3. Any plant of the genus Capsicum, and its
fruit; red pepper; as, the bell pepper.
&fist; The term pepper has been extended to various other
fruits and plants, more or less closely resembling the true pepper,
esp. to the common varieties of Capsicum. See Capsicum,
and the Phrases, below.
African pepper, the Guinea pepper. See under
Guinea. -- Cayenne pepper. See under
Cayenne. -- Chinese pepper, the
spicy berries of the Xanthoxylum piperitum, a species of
prickly ash found in China and Japan. -- Guinea
pepper. See under Guinea, and
Capsicum. -- Jamaica pepper. See
Allspice. -- Long pepper.
(a) The spike of berries of Piper longum,
an East Indian shrub. (b) The root of
Piper, or Macropiper, methysticum. See Kava. --
Malaguetta, or Meleguetta,
pepper, the aromatic seeds of the Amomum
Melegueta, an African plant of the Ginger family. They are
sometimes used to flavor beer, etc., under the name of grains of
Paradise. -- Red pepper. See
Capsicum. -- Sweet pepper bush
(Bot.), an American shrub (Clethra alnifolia), with
racemes of fragrant white flowers; -- called also white
alder. -- Pepper box or
caster, a small box or bottle, with a perforated
lid, used for sprinkling ground pepper on food, etc. --
Pepper corn. See in the Vocabulary. --
Pepper elder (Bot.), a West Indian name
of several plants of the Pepper family, species of Piper and
Peperomia. -- Pepper moth
(Zoöl.), a European moth (Biston betularia)
having white wings covered with small black specks. --
Pepper pot, a mucilaginous soup or stew of
vegetables and cassareep, much esteemed in the West Indies. --
Pepper root. (Bot.). See
Coralwort. -- pepper sauce, a
condiment for the table, made of small red peppers steeped in
vinegar. -- Pepper tree (Bot.), an
aromatic tree (Drimys axillaris) of the Magnolia family, common
in New Zealand. See Peruvian mastic tree, under
Mastic.
Pep"per, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Peppered (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Peppering.] 1. To sprinkle or season with
pepper.
2. Figuratively: To shower shot or other
missiles, or blows, upon; to pelt; to fill with shot, or cover with
bruises or wounds. "I have peppered two of them." "I am
peppered, I warrant, for this world." Shak.
Pep"per, v. i. To fire numerous
shots (at).
Pep"per*brand` (?), n. (Bot.)
See 1st Bunt.
Pep"per*corn` (?), n. 1.
A dried berry of the black pepper (Piper
nigrum).
2. Anything insignificant; a
particle.
Pep"per dulse` (?). (Bot.) A variety of edible
seaweed (Laurencia pinnatifida) distinguished for its
pungency. [Scot.] Lindley.
Pep"per*er (?), n. A grocer; --
formerly so called because he sold pepper. [Obs.]
Pep"per*grass` (?), n. (Bot.)
(a) Any herb of the cruciferous genus
Lepidium, especially the garden peppergrass, or garden cress,
Lepidium sativum; -- called also pepperwort. All the
species have a pungent flavor. (b) The
common pillwort of Europe (Pilularia globulifera). See
Pillwort.
Pep"per*idge (?), n. [Cf. NL.
berberis, E. barberry.] (Bot.) A North
American tree (Nyssa multiflora) with very tough wood, handsome
oval polished leaves, and very acid berries, -- the sour gum, or
common tupelo. See Tupelo. [Written also piperidge
and pipperidge.]
Pepperidge bush (Bot.), the
barberry.
Pep"per*ing, a. Hot; pungent;
peppery. Swift.
Pep"per*mint (?), n. [Pepper +
mint.] 1. (Bot.) An aromatic and
pungent plant of the genus Mentha (M. piperita), much
used in medicine and confectionery.
2. A volatile oil (oil of peppermint)
distilled from the fresh herb; also, a well-known essence or spirit
(essence of peppermint) obtained from it.
3. A lozenge of sugar flavored with
peppermint.
Peppermint camphor. (Chem.) Same as
Menthol. -- Peppermint tree
(Bot.), a name given to several Australian species of gum
tree (Eucalyptus amygdalina, E. piperita, E.
odorata, etc.) which have hard and durable wood, and yield an
essential oil.
Pep"per*wort` (?), n. (Bot.)
See Peppergrass.
Pep"per*y (?), a. 1.
Of or pertaining to pepper; having the qualities of pepper; hot;
pungent.
2. Fig.: Hot-tempered; passionate;
choleric.
Pep"sin (?), n. [Gr. &?; a cooking,
digesting, digestion, fr. &?;, &?;, to cook, digest: cf. F.
pepsine. Cf. Dyspepsia.] (Physiol. Chem.)
An unorganized proteolytic ferment or enzyme contained in the
secretory glands of the stomach. In the gastric juice it is united
with dilute hydrochloric acid (0.2 per cent, approximately) and the
two together constitute the active portion of the digestive fluid. It
is the active agent in the gastric juice of all animals.
&fist; As prepared from the glandular layer of pigs' or calves'
stomachs it constitutes an important article of pharmacy.
Pep`sin*hy`dro*chlo"ric (?), a.
(Physiol. Chem.) Same as
Peptohydrochloric.
Pep*sin"o*gen (?), n. [Pepsin +
-gen.] (Physiol. Chem.) The antecedent of the
ferment pepsin. A substance contained in the form of granules in the
peptic cells of the gastric glands. It is readily convertible into
pepsin. Also called propepsin.
Pep"tic (?), a. [L. pepticus, Gr.
&?;. See Pepsin.] 1. Relating to
digestion; promoting digestion; digestive; as, peptic
sauces.
2. Able to digest. [R.]
Tolerably nutritive for a mind as yet so
peptic.
Carlyle.
3. (Physiol. Chem.) Pertaining to
pepsin; resembling pepsin in its power of digesting or dissolving
albuminous matter; containing or yielding pepsin, or a body of like
properties; as, the peptic glands.
Pep"tic, n. 1. An
agent that promotes digestion.
2. pl. The digestive organs.
Is there some magic in the place,
Or do my peptics differ?
Tennyson.
Pep"tics (?), n. The science of
digestion.
Pep"to*gen (?), n. [Peptone +
-gen.] (Physiol.) A substance convertible into
peptone.
Pep`to*gen"ic (?), a. Same as
Peptogenous.
Pep*tog"e*nous (?), a. (Physiol.
Chem.) Capable of yielding, or being converted into,
peptone.
Pep`to*hy`dro*chlo"ric (?), a. [See
Peptone, and Hydrochloric.] (Physiol. Chem.)
Designating a hypothetical acid (called peptohydrochloric
acid, pepsinhydrochloric acid, and chloropeptic
acid) which is supposed to be formed when pepsin and dilute (0.1-0.4
per cent) hydrochloric acid are mixed together.
Pep"tone (?), n. [Gr. &?; cooked.]
(Physiol. Chem.) (a) The soluble and
diffusible substance or substances into which albuminous portions of
the food are transformed by the action of the gastric and pancreatic
juices. Peptones are also formed from albuminous matter by the action
of boiling water and boiling dilute acids. (b)
Collectively, in a broader sense, all the products resulting from
the solution of albuminous matter in either gastric or pancreatic
juice. In this case, however, intermediate products (albumose bodies),
such as antialbumose, hemialbumose, etc., are mixed with
the true peptones. Also termed albuminose.
&fist; Pure peptones are of three kinds, amphopeptone,
antipeptone, and hemipeptone, and, unlike the albumose
bodies, are not precipitated by saturating their solutions with
ammonium sulphate.
Pep"to*nize (?), v. t. (Physiol.)
To convert into peptone; to digest or dissolve by means of a
proteolytic ferment; as, peptonized food.
Pep"to*noid (?), n. [Peptone +
-oid.] (Physiol. Chem.) A substance related to
peptone.
||Pep`to*nu"ri*a (?), n. [NL. See
Peptone, and Urine.] (Med.) The presence of
peptone, or a peptonelike body, in the urine.
Pep`to*tox"ine (?), n. [Peptone +
toxic + -ine.] (Physiol. Chem.) A toxic
alkaloid found occasionally associated with the peptones formed from
fibrin by pepsinhydrochloric acid.
Pe"quots (?), n. pl.; sing.
Pequot (&?;). (Ethnol.) A tribe of
Indians who formerly inhabited Eastern Connecticut. [Written
also Pequods.]
Per- (?). [See Per.] 1. A
prefix used to signify through, throughout, by,
for, or as an intensive as perhaps, by hap or
chance; perennial, that lasts throughout the year;
perforce, through or by force; perfoliate,
perforate; perspicuous, evident throughout or very
evident; perplex, literally, to entangle very much.
2. (Chem.) Originally, denoting that
the element to the name of which it is prefixed in the respective
compounds exercised its highest valence; now, only that the
element has a higher valence than in other similar compounds;
thus, barium peroxide is the highest oxide of barium; while
nitrogen and manganese peroxides, so-called, are not the
highest oxides of those elements.
Per (?), prep. [L. Cf. Far,
For-, Pardon, and cf. Par, prep.]
Through; by means of; through the agency of; by; for; for each;
as, per annum; per capita, by heads, or according to
individuals; per curiam, by the court; per se, by
itself, of itself. Per is also sometimes used with English
words.
Per annum, by the year; in each successive
year; annually. -- Per cent, Per
centum, by the hundred; in the hundred; -- used esp. of
proportions of ingredients, rate or amount of interest, and the like;
commonly used in the shortened form per cent. --
Per diem, by the day. [For other phrases
from the Latin, see Quotations, Phrases, etc., from Foreign Languages,
in the Supplement.]
Per*act" (?), v. t. [L. peractus,
p. p. of peragere.] To go through with; to perform.
[Obs.] Sylvester.
Per`a*cute" (?), a. [L.
peracutus. See Per-, and Acute.] Very sharp;
very violent; as, a peracute fever. [R.]
Harvey.
Per`ad*ven"ture (?), adv. & conj. [OE.
per aventure, F. par aventure. See Per, and
Adventure.] By chance; perhaps; it may be; if;
supposing. "If peradventure he speak against me."
Shak.
Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the
city.
Gen. xviii. 24.
Per`ad*ven"ture, n. Chance; hap;
hence, doubt; question; as, proved beyond peradventure.
South.
Pe*ræ"o*pod (?), n. [Gr. &?; on
the opposite side + -pod.] (Zoöl.) One of the
thoracic legs of a crustacean. See Illust. of
Crustacea.
Per"a*grate (?), v. t. [L.
peragratus, p. p. of peragrate.] To travel over or
through. [Obs.]
Per`agra"tion (?), n. [L.
peragratio: cf. F. peragration.] The act or state
of passing through any space; as, the peragration of the moon
in her monthly revolution. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.
Per*am"bu*late (?), v. t. [imp.
& p. p. Perambulated (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Perambulating.] [L. perambulatus, p. p. of
perambulare to perambulate; per through +
ambulare to walk. See Per-, and Amble.] To
walk through or over; especially, to travel over for the purpose of
surveying or examining; to inspect by traversing; specifically, to
inspect officially the boundaries of, as of a town or parish, by
walking over the whole line.
Per*am"bu*late, v. i. To walk
about; to ramble; to stroll; as, he perambulated in the
park.
Per*am`bu*la"tion (?), n.
1. The act of perambulating; traversing.
Bacon.
2. An annual survey of boundaries, as of town,
a parish, a forest, etc.
3. A district within which one is authorized
to make a tour of inspection. "The . . . bounds of his own
perambulation." [Obs.] Holyday.
Per*am"bu*la`tor (?), n.
1. One who perambulates.
2. A surveyor's instrument for measuring
distances. It consists of a wheel arranged to roll along over the
ground, with an apparatus of clockwork, and a dial plate upon which
the distance traveled is shown by an index. See
Odometer.
3. A low carriage for a child, propelled by
pushing.
||Per`a*me"les (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?;
a pouch + L. meles a badger.] (Zoöl.) Any
marsupial of the genus Perameles, which includes numerous
species found in Australia. They somewhat resemble rabbits in size and
form. See Illust. under Bandicoot.
Per"bend (?), n. See
Perpender.
Per"break` (?), n. [Obs.] See
Parbreak.
Per*bro"mate (?), n.
(Chem.)A salt of perbromic acid.
Per*bro"mic (?), a. [Pref. per- +
bromic.] (Chem.) Pertaining to, or designating, the
highest oxygen acid, HBrO4, of bromine.
Per*bro"mide (?), n. (Chem.)
A bromide having a higher proportion of bromine than any other
bromide of the same substance or series.
||Per"ca (?), n. [L., a perch.]
(Zoöl.) A genus of fishes, including the fresh-water
perch.
||Per`cale" (?), n. [F.] A fine
cotton fabric, having a linen finish, and often printed on one side, -
- used for women's and children's wear.
||Per`ca`line" (?), n. [F.] A fine
kind of French cotton goods, usually of one color.
Per*car"bide (?), n. [Pref. per-
+ carbide.] (Chem.)A compound containing a
relatively large amount of carbon. [R.]
Per*car"bu*ret (?), n. [Pref. per-
+ carburet.] (Chem.) A percarbide.
[Obsoles.]
Per*car"bu*ret`ed, a. (Chem.)
Combined with a relatively large amount of carbon.
Per*case" (?), adv. [OE. per cas.
See Parcase.] Perhaps; perchance. [Obs.]
Bacon.
Perce (?), v. t. To pierce.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
Per*ceiv"a*ble (?), a. Capable of
being perceived; perceptible. -- Per*ceiv"a*bly,
adv.
Per*ceiv"ance (?), n. Power of
perceiving. [Obs.] "The senses and common perceivance."
Milton.
Per*ceive" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Perceived (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Perceiving.] [OF. percevoir, perceveir, L.
percipere, perceptum; per (see Per-) +
capere to take, receive. See Capacious, and cf.
Perception.] 1. To obtain knowledge of
through the senses; to receive impressions from by means of the bodily
organs; to take cognizance of the existence, character, or identity
of, by means of the senses; to see, hear, or feel; as, to
perceive a distant ship; to perceive a discord.
Reid.
2. To take intellectual cognizance of; to
apprehend by the mind; to be convinced of by direct intuition; to
note; to remark; to discern; to see; to understand.
Jesus perceived their wickedness.
Matt. xxii. 18.
You may, fair lady,
Perceive I speak sincerely.
Shak.
Till we ourselves see it with our own eyes, and
perceive it by our own understandings, we are still in the
dark.
Locke.
3. To be affected of influented by.
[R.]
The upper regions of the air perceive the
collection of the matter of tempests before the air here
below.
Bacon.
Syn. -- To discern; distinguish; observe; see; feel; know;
understand. -- To Perceive, Discern. To perceive
a thing is to apprehend it as presented to the senses or the
intellect; to discern is to mark differences, or to see a thing
as distinguished from others around it. We may perceive two
persons afar off without being able to discern whether they are
men or women. Hence, discern is often used of an act of the
senses or the mind involving close, discriminating, analytical
attention. We perceive that which is clear or obvious; we
discern that which requires much attention to get an idea of
it. "We perceive light, darkness, colors, or the truth or
falsehood of anything. We discern characters, motives, the
tendency and consequences of actions, etc." Crabb.
Per*ceiv"er (?), n. One who
perceives (in any of the senses of the verb).
Milton.
Perce"ly (?), n. Parsley.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
Per*cent"age (?), n. [Per cent +
-age, as in average. See Per, and Cent.]
(Com.) A certain rate per cent; the allowance, duty, rate
of interest, discount, or commission, on a hundred.
Per"cept (?), n. [From L.
percipere, perceptum.] That which is
perceived. Sir W. Hamilton.
The modern discussion between percept and
concept, the one sensuous, the other intellectual.
Max
Müller.
Per*cep`ti*bil"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F.
perceptibilité.] 1. The quality or
state of being perceptible; as, the perceptibility of light or
color.
2. Perception. [R.] Dr. H.
More.
Per*cep"ti*ble (?), a. [L.
perceptibilis: cf. F. perceptible. See Perceive.]
Capable of being perceived; cognizable; discernible;
perceivable.
With a perceptible blast of the
air.
Bacon.
-- Per*cep"ti*ble*ness, n. --
Per*cep"ti*bly, adv.
Per*cep"tion (?), n. [L.
perceptio: cf. F. perception. See Perceive.]
1. The act of perceiving; cognizance by the
senses or intellect; apperhension by the bodily organs, or by the
mind, of what is presented to them; discernment; apperhension;
cognition.
2. (Metaph.) The faculty of perceiving;
the faculty, or peculiar part, of man's constitution by which he has
knowledge through the medium or instrumentality of the bodily organs;
the act of apperhending material objects or qualities through the
senses; -- distinguished from conception. Sir W.
Hamilton.
Matter hath no life nor perception, and is not
conscious of its own existence.
Bentley.
3. The quality, state, or capability, of being
affected by something external; sensation; sensibility.
[Obs.]
This experiment discovereth perception in
plants.
Bacon.
4. An idea; a notion. [Obs.] Sir M.
Hale.
&fist; "The word perception is, in the language of
philosophers previous to Reid, used in a very extensive signification.
By Descartes, Malebranche, Locke, Leibnitz, and others, it is employed
in a sense almost as unexclusive as consciousness, in its
widest signification. By Reid this word was limited to our faculty
acquisitive of knowledge, and to that branch of this faculty whereby,
through the senses, we obtain a knowledge of the external world. But
his limitation did not stop here. In the act of external perception he
distinguished two elements, to which he gave the names of
perception and sensation. He ought perhaps to have
called these perception proper and sensation proper,
when employed in his special meaning." Sir W. Hamilton.
Per*cep"tive (?), a. [Cf. F.
perceptif.] Of or pertaining to the act or power of
perceiving; having the faculty or power of perceiving; used in
perception. "His perceptive and reflective faculties."
Motley.
Per`cep*tiv"i*ty (?), n. The
quality or state of being perceptive; power of perception.
Locke.
||Per*ces"o*ces (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. L.
perca a perch + esox, -ocis, a pike.]
(Zoöl.) An order of fishes including the gray mullets
(Mugil), the barracudas, the silversides, and other related
fishes. So called from their relation both to perches and to
pikes.
Perch (p&etilde;rch), n. [Written also
pearch.] [OE. perche, F. perche, L. perca,
fr. Gr. pe`rkh; cf. perkno`s dark-colored, Skr.
p&rsdot;çni spotted, speckled, and E. freckle.]
(Zoöl.) 1. Any fresh-water fish of
the genus Perca and of several other allied genera of the family
Percidæ, as the common American or yellow perch (Perca
flavescens, or Americana), and the European perch (P.
fluviatilis).
2. Any one of numerous species of spiny-finned
fishes belonging to the Percidæ, Serranidæ,
and related families, and resembling, more or less, the true
perches.
Black perch. (a) The black
bass. (b) The flasher.
(c) The sea bass. -- Blue
perch, the cunner. -- Gray perch,
the fresh-water drum. -- Red perch, the
rosefish. -- Red-bellied perch, the long-
eared pondfish. -- Perch pest, a small
crustacean, parasitic in the mouth of the perch. --
Silver perch, the yellowtail. --
Stone, or Striped,
perch, the pope. -- White
perch, the Roccus, or Morone, Americanus, a small
silvery serranoid market fish of the Atlantic coast.
Perch (?), n. [F. perche, L.
pertica.] 1. A pole; a long staff; a rod;
esp., a pole or other support for fowls to roost on or to rest on; a
roost; figuratively, any elevated resting place or seat.
As chauntecleer among his wives all
Sat on his perche, that was in his hall.
Chaucer.
Not making his high place the lawless perch
Of winged ambitions.
Tennyson.
2. (a) A measure of length
containing five and a half yards; a rod, or pole.
(b) In land or square measure: A square rod; the
160th part of an acre. (c) In solid
measure: A mass 16½ feet long, 1 foot in height, and 1½
feet in breadth, or 24¾ cubic feet (in local use, from 22 to 25
cubic feet); -- used in measuring stonework.
3. A pole connecting the fore gear and hind
gear of a spring carriage; a reach.
Perch, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Perched (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Perching.] [F. percher. See Perch a pole.]
To alight or settle, as a bird; to sit or roost.
Wrens make prey where eagles dare not
perch.
Shak.
Perch, v. t. 1. To
place or to set on, or as on, a perch.
2. To occupy as a perch.
Milton.
Per*chance" (?), adv. [F. par by
(L. per) + chance. See Par, and Chance.]
By chance; perhaps; peradventure.
Perch"ant (?), n. [F.] A bird tied
by the foot, to serve as decoy to other birds by its
fluttering.
Perch"er (?), n. [From Perch,
v. i.] 1. One who, or that
which, perches. J. Burroughs.
2. One of the Insessores.
3. [From Perch a pole.] A Paris candle
anciently used in England; also, a large wax candle formerly set upon
the altar. [Obs.] Bailey.
Per"che*ron (?), n. [F.] One of a
breed of draught horses originating in Perche, an old district
of France; -- called also Percheron-Norman.
Per*chlo"rate (?), n. (Chem.)
A salt of perchloric acid.
Per*chlo"ric (?), a. [Pref. per-
+ chloric.] (Chem.) Pertaining to, or designating,
the highest oxygen acid (HClO4), of chlorine; -- called
also hyperchloric.
Per*chlo"ride (?), n. (Chem.)
A chloride having a higher proportion of chlorine than any other
chloride of the same substance or series.
Per*chro"mic (?), a. [Pref. per-
+ chromic.] (Chem.) Pertaining to, or designating,
a certain one of the highly oxidized compounds of chromium, which has
a deep blue color, and is produced by the action of hydrogen
peroxide.
Per"ci*form (?), a. [NL., & L.
perca a perch + -form.] (Zoöl.)
Pertaining to the Perciformes.
||Per`ci*for"mes (?), n. pl. [NL.]
(Zoöl.) An extensive tribe or suborder of fishes,
including the true perches (Percidæ); the pondfishes
(Centrarchidæ); the sciænoids
(Sciænidæ); the sparoids (Sparidæ);
the serranoids (Serranidæ), and some other related
families.
{ Per*cip"i*ence (?), Per*cip"i*en*cy (?), }
n. The faculty, act or power of perceiving;
perception. Mrs. Browning.
Per*cip"i*ent (?), a. [L.
percipiens, -entis, p. pr. of percipere. See
Perceive.] Having the faculty of perception; perceiving;
as, a percipient being. Bentley. --
n. One who, or that which, is percipient.
Glanvill.
Per*close" (?), n. [OF. parclose
an inclosed place; L. per through + claudere,
clausum, to shut.] 1. (Eccl. Arch.)
Same as Parclose.
2. Conclusion; end. [Obs.] Sir W.
Raleigh.
Per"coid (?), a. [L. perca a
perch + -oid: cf. F. percoïde.] (Zoöl.)
Belonging to, or resembling, the perches, or family
Percidæ. -- n. Any fish of
the genus Perca, or allied genera of the family
Percidæ.
||Per*coi"de*a (?), n. pl. [NL.]
(Zoöl.) Same as Perciformes.
Per"co*late (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Percolated (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Percolating.] [L. percolatus, p. p. of
percolare to percolate; per through + colare to
strain.] To cause to pass through fine interstices, as a liquor;
to filter; to strain. Sir M. Hale.
Per"co*late, v. i. To pass through
fine interstices; to filter; as, water percolates through
porous stone.
Per`co*la"tion (?), n. [L.
percolatio.] The act or process of percolating, or
filtering; filtration; straining. Specifically (Pharm.), the
process of exhausting the virtues of a powdered drug by letting a
liquid filter slowly through it.
Per"co*la`tor (?), n. One who, or
that which, filters. "[Tissues] act as percolators."
Henfrey.
||Per`co*mor"phi (?), n. pl. [NL., fr.
L. perca perch + Gr. &?; form.] (Zoöl.) A
division of fishes including the perches and related kinds.
Per"cu*laced (?), a. [Prob. corrupt. fr.
portcullised.] (Her.) Latticed. See Lattice,
n., 2.
Per*cur"rent (?), a. [L.
percurrens, p. pr. of percurrere to run through;
per through + currere to run.] Running through the
entire length.
Per*cur"so*ry (?), a. [L.
percursor one who runs through, fr. percurrere. See
Percurrent.] Running over slightly or in haste;
cursory. [R.]
Per*cuss" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Percussed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Percussing.] [L. percussus, p. p. of percutere;
per + quatere to shake, strike. See Quash.] To
strike smartly; to strike upon or against; as, to percuss the
chest in medical examination.
Flame percussed by air giveth a
noise.
Bacon.
Per*cuss", v. i. (Med.) To
strike or tap in an examination by percussion. See Percussion,
3. Quain.
Per*cus"sion (?), n. [L.
percussio: cf. F. percussion. See Percuss.]
1. The act of percussing, or striking one body
against another; forcible collision, esp. such as gives a sound or
report. Sir I. Newton.
2. Hence: The effect of violent collision;
vibratory shock; impression of sound on the ear.
The thunderlike percussion of thy
sounds.
Shak.
3. (Med.) The act of tapping or
striking the surface of the body in order to learn the condition of
the parts beneath by the sound emitted or the sensation imparted to
the fingers. Percussion is said to be immediate if the blow is
directly upon the body; if some interventing substance, as a
pleximeter, is, used, it is called mediate.
Center of percussion. See under
Center. -- Percussion bullet, a
bullet containing a substance which is exploded by percussion; an
explosive bullet. -- Percussion cap, a
small copper cap or cup, containing fulminating powder, and used with
a percussion lock to explode gunpowder. -- Percussion
fuze. See under Fuze. -- Percussion
lock, the lock of a gun that is fired by percussion upon
fulminating powder. -- Percussion match, a
match which ignites by percussion. -- Percussion
powder, powder so composed as to ignite by slight
percussion; fulminating powder. -- Percussion
sieve, Percussion table, a machine for
sorting ores by agitation in running water.
Per*cuss"ive (?), a. Striking
against; percutient; as, percussive force.
Per*cu"tient (?), a. [L.
percutiens, p. pr. of percutere. See Percuss.]
Striking; having the power of striking. --
n. That which strikes, or has power to
strike. Bacon.
Per"di*cine (?), a. [See Perdix.]
(Zoöl.) Of or pertaining to the family
Perdicidæ, or partridges.
Per*die" (?), adv. See
Parde. Spenser.
Per"di*foil (?), n. [L. perdere
to lose + folium leaf.] (Bot.) A deciduous plant; -
- opposed to evergreen. J. Barton.
Per*di"tion (?), n. [F., fr. L.
perditio, fr. perdere, perditum, to ruin, to
lose; per (cf. Skr. parā away) + -dere
(only in comp.) to put; akin to Gr. &?;, E. do. See Do.]
1. Entire loss; utter destruction; ruin; esp.,
the utter loss of the soul, or of final happiness in a future state;
future misery or eternal death.
The mere perdition of the Turkish
fleet.
Shak.
If we reject the truth, we seal our own
perdition.
J. M. Mason.
2. Loss of diminution. [Obs.]
Shak.
Per*di"tion*a*ble (?), a. Capable
of being ruined; worthy of perdition. [R.] Pollok.
||Per"dix (p&etilde;r"d&ibreve;ks), n.
[L., a partridge, Gr. pe`rdix.] (Zoöl.) A
genus of birds including the common European partridge. Formerly the
word was used in a much wider sense to include many allied
genera.
Per*du" (p&etilde;r*dū" or
p&etilde;r"d&usl;), n. [See Perdu,
a.] 1. One placed on watch, or
in ambush.
2. A soldier sent on a forlorn hope.
Shak.
{ Per*du", Per*due" } (p&etilde;r*dū"
or p&etilde;r"d&usl;), a. [F. perdu,
f. perdue, lost, p. p. of perdre to lose, L.
perdere. See Perdition.] 1. Lost to
view; in concealment or ambush; close.
He should lie perdue who is to walk the
round.
Fuller.
2. Accustomed to, or employed in, desperate
enterprises; hence, reckless; hopeless. "A perdue
captain." Beau. & Fl.
Per`du*el"lion (?), n. [L.
perduellio; per + duellum, bellum, war.]
(Civil Law) Treason.
Per"du*lous (?), a. [See Perdu,
a.] Lost; thrown away. [Obs.] Abp.
Bramhall.
Per*dur`a*bil"i*ty (?), n.
Durability; lastingness. [Archaic] Chaucer.
Per*dur"a*ble (p&etilde;r*dūr"&adot;*b'l; 277),
n. [Cf. F. perdurable, OE. pardurable.
See Perdure.] Very durable; lasting; continuing
long. [Archaic] Chaucer. Shak.
-- Per*dur"a*bly, adv. [Archaic]
{ Per*dur"ance (p&etilde;r*dūr"ans),
Per`du*ra"tion (p&etilde;r`d&usl;*rā"shŭn), }
n. Long continuance. [Archaic]
Per*dure" (p&etilde;r*dūr"), v. i.
[L. perdurare; per through + durare to last.]
To last or endure for a long time; to be perdurable or
lasting. [Archaic]
The mind perdures while its energizing may
construct a thousand lines.
Hickok.
Per*dy" (?), adv. Truly. See
Parde. [Obs.]
Ah, dame! perdy ye have not done me
right.
Spenser.
Pere (?), n. A peer. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Per*e"gal (?), a. [OF. par very
(L. per) + egal equal, L. aequalis.] Fully
equal. [Obs.] Chaucer. "Peregal to the best."
Spenser.
Per"e*gri*nate (?), v. i. [L.
peregrinatus, p. p. of peregrinari to travel. See
Pilgrim.] To travel from place to place, or from one
country to another; hence, to sojourn in foreign countries.
Per"e*gri*nate (?), a. [L.
peregrinatus, p. p.] Having traveled; foreign.
[Obs.] Shak.
Per`e*gri*na"tion (?), n. [L.
peregrinatio: cf. F. pérégrination.]
A traveling from one country to another; a wandering; sojourn in
foreign countries. "His peregrination abroad."
Bacon.
Per"e*gri*na`tor (?), n. [L.] One
who peregrinates; one who travels about.
Per"e*grine (?), a. [L.
peregrinus. See Pilgrim.] Foreign; not native;
extrinsic or from without; exotic. [Spelt also
pelegrine.] "Peregrine and preternatural heat."
Bacon.
Peregrine falcon (Zoöl.), a
courageous and swift falcon (Falco peregrinus), remarkable for
its wide distribution over all the continents. The adult plumage is
dark bluish ash on the back, nearly black on the head and cheeks,
white beneath, barred with black below the throat. Called also
peregrine hawk, duck hawk, game hawk, and
great-footed hawk.
Per"e*grine (?), n. The peregrine
falcon.
Per`e*grin"i*ty (?), n. [L.
peregrinitas: cf. F. pérégrinité.]
1. Foreignness; strangeness. [Obs.]
"Somewhat of a peregrinity in their dialect."
Johnson.
2. Travel; wandering. [R.]
Carlyle.
Per"el (?), n. Apparel.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
Per*empt" (?), v. t. [L.
peremptus, p. p. of perimere to take away entirely, to
destroy; per (see Per-) + OL. emere to take. See
Redeem.] (Law) To destroy; to defeat. [R.]
Ayliffe.
Per*emp"tion (?), n. [L.
peremptio: cf. F. péremption.] (Law)
A quashing; a defeating. [Obs.]
Per"emp*to*ri*ly (?), adv. In a
peremptory manner; absolutely; positively. Bacon.
Per"emp*to*ri*ness, n. The quality
of being peremptory; positiveness.
Per"emp*to*ry (?), a. [L.
peremptorius destructive, deadly, decisive, final: cf. F.
péremptorie. See Perempt.] 1.
Precluding debate or expostulation; not admitting of question or
appeal; positive; absolute; decisive; conclusive; final.
Think of heaven with hearty purposes and
peremptory designs to get thither.
Jer.
Taylor.
2. Positive in opinion or judgment; decided;
dictatorial; dogmatical.
Be not too positive and peremptory.
Bacon.
Briefly, then, for we are
peremptory.
Shak.
3. Firmly determined; unawed. [Poetic]
Shak.
Peremptory challenge (Law) See under
Challenge. -- Peremptory mandamus, a
final and absolute mandamus. -- Peremptory
plea, a plea by a defendant tending to impeach the
plaintiff's right of action; a plea in bar.
Syn. -- Decisive; positive; absolute; authoritative;
express; arbitrary; dogmatical.
Per*en"ni*al (?), a. [L. perennis
that lasts the whole year through; per through + annus
year. See Per-, and Annual.] 1. ing
or continuing through the year; as, perennial
fountains.
2. Continuing without cessation or
intermission; perpetual; unceasing; never failing.
The perennial existence of bodies
corporate.
Burke.
3. (Bot.) Continuing more than two
years; as, a perennial steam, or root, or plant.
Syn. -- Perpetual; unceasing; never failing; enduring;
continual; permanent; uninterrupted.
Per*en"ni*al, n. (Bot.) A
perennial plant; a plant which lives or continues more than two years,
whether it retains its leaves in winter or not.
Per*en"ni*al*ly, adv. In a
perennial manner.
||Per*en`ni*bran`chi*a"ta (?), n. pl.
[NL. See Perennial, and Branchia.] (Zoöl.)
Those Batrachia which retain their gills through life, as the
menobranchus.
Per*en`ni*bran"chi*ate (?), a. [See
Perennial, and Branchiate.] 1.
(Anat.) Having branchæ, or gills, through life; --
said especially of certain Amphibia, like the menobranchus. Opposed to
caducibranchiate.
2. (Zoöl.) Belonging to the
Perennibranchiata.
Per*en"ni*ty (?), n. [L.
perennitas.] The quality of being perennial. [R.]
Derham.
Per`er*ra"tion (?), n. [L.
pererrare, pererratum, to wander through.] A
wandering, or rambling, through various places. [R.]
Howell.
Per"fect (?), a. [OE. parfit, OF.
parfit, parfet, parfait, F. parfait, L.
perfectus, p. p. of perficere to carry to the end, to
perform, finish, perfect; per (see Per-) + facere
to make, do. See Fact.] 1. Brought to
consummation or completeness; completed; not defective nor redundant;
having all the properties or qualities requisite to its nature and
kind; without flaw, fault, or blemish; without error; mature; whole;
pure; sound; right; correct.
My strength is made perfect in
weakness.
2 Cor. xii. 9.
Three glorious suns, each one a perfect
sun.
Shak.
I fear I am not in my perfect mind.
Shak.
O most entire perfect sacrifice!
Keble.
God made thee perfect, not
immutable.
Milton.
2. Well informed; certain; sure.
I am perfect that the Pannonains are now in
arms.
Shak.
3. (Bot.) Hermaphrodite; having both
stamens and pistils; -- said of flower.
Perfect cadence (Mus.), a complete and
satisfactory close in harmony, as upon the tonic preceded by the
dominant. -- Perfect chord (Mus.), a
concord or union of sounds which is perfectly coalescent and agreeable
to the ear, as the unison, octave, fifth, and fourth; a perfect
consonance; a common chord in its original position of keynote, third,
fifth, and octave. -- Perfect number
(Arith.), a number equal to the sum of all its divisors;
as, 28, whose aliquot parts, or divisors, are 14, 7, 4, 2, 1. See
Abundant number, under Abundant. Brande & C.
-- Perfect tense (Gram.), a tense which
expresses an act or state completed.
Syn. -- Finished; consummate; complete; entire; faultless;
blameless; unblemished.
Per"fect (?), n. The perfect tense,
or a form in that tense.
Per"fect (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Perfected; p. pr. & vb. n.
Perfecting.] [L. perfectus, p. p. of perficere.
See Perfect, a.] To make perfect; to
finish or complete, so as to leave nothing wanting; to give to
anything all that is requisite to its nature and kind.
God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfect in
us.
1 John iv. 12.
Inquire into the nature and properties of the things, .
. . and thereby perfect our ideas of their distinct
species.
Locke.
Perfecting press (Print.), a press in
which the printing on both sides of the paper is completed in one
passage through the machine.
Syn. -- To finish; accomplish; complete; consummate.
Per"fect*er (?), n. One who, or
that which, makes perfect. "The . . . perfecter of our
faith." Barrow.
Per*fect`i*bil"i*an (?), n. A
perfectionist. [R.] Ed. Rev.
Per`fec*tib"i*list (?), n. A
perfectionist. See also Illuminati, 2. [R.]
Per*fect`i*bil"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F.
perfectibilité.] The quality or state of being
perfectible.
Per*fect"i*ble (?), a. [Cf. F.
perfectible.] Capable of becoming, or being made,
perfect.
Per*fec"tion (?), n. [F.
perfection, L. perfectio.] 1. The
quality or state of being perfect or complete, so that nothing
requisite is wanting; entire development; consummate culture, skill,
or moral excellence; the highest attainable state or degree of
excellence; maturity; as, perfection in an art, in a science,
or in a system; perfection in form or degree; fruits in
perfection.
2. A quality, endowment, or acquirement
completely excellent; an ideal faultlessness; especially, the divine
attribute of complete excellence. Shak.
What tongue can her perfections
tell?
Sir P. Sidney.
To perfection, in the highest degree of
excellence; perfectly; as, to imitate a model to
perfection.
Per*fec"tion, v. t. To
perfect. [Obs.] Foote.
Per*fec"tion*al (?), a. Of or
pertaining to perfection; characterized by perfection. [R.]
Bp. Pearson.
Per*fec"tion*ate (?), v. t. To
perfect. Dryden.
Per*fec"tion*ism (?), n. The
doctrine of the Perfectionists.
Per*fec"tion*ist, n. One pretending
to perfection; esp., one pretending to moral perfection; one who
believes that persons may and do attain to moral perfection and
sinlessness in this life. South.
Per*fec"tion*ment (?), n. [Cf. F.
perfectionnement.] The act of bringing to perfection, or
the state of having attained to perfection. [R.] I.
Taylor.
Per*fect"ive (?), a. Tending or
conducing to make perfect, or to bring to perfection; -- usually
followed by of. "A perfective alteration."
Fuller.
Actions perfective of their
natures.
Ray.
Per*fec"tive*ly, adv. In a
perfective manner.
Per"fect*ly (?), adv. In a perfect
manner or degree; in or to perfection; completely; wholly; throughly;
faultlessly. "Perfectly divine." Milton.
As many as touched were made perfectly
whole.
Matt. xiv. 36.
Per"fect*ness, n. The quality or
state of being perfect; perfection. "Charity, which is the bond
of perfectness." Col. iii. 14.
Per*fer"vid (?), a. [Pref. per- +
fervid.] Very fervid; too fervid; glowing;
ardent.
Per*fi"cient (?), a. [L.
perficiens, p. pr. of perficere to perform. See
Perfect.] Making or doing throughly; efficient;
effectual. [R.] Blackstone.
Per*fi"cient, n. One who performs
or perfects a work; especially, one who endows a charity.
[R.]
Per*fid"i*ous (p&etilde;r*f&ibreve;d"&ibreve;*ŭs;
277), a. [L. perfidious.] 1.
Guilty of perfidy; violating good faith or vows; false to trust
or confidence reposed; teacherous; faithless; as, a perfidious
friend. Shak.
2. Involving, or characterized by,
perfidy. "Involved in this perfidious fraud."
Milton.
Per*fid"i*ous*ly, adv. In a
perfidious manner.
Per*fid"i*ous*ness, n. The quality
of being perfidious; perfidy. Clarendon.
Per"fi*dy (p&etilde;r"f&ibreve;*d&ybreve;),
n.; pl. Perfidies (-
d&ibreve;z). [L. perfidia, fr. L. perfidus faithless;
per (cf. Skr. parā away) + fides faith: cf.
F. perfidie. See Faith.] The act of violating faith
or allegiance; violation of a promise or vow, or of trust reposed;
faithlessness; treachery.
The ambition and perfidy of
tyrants.
Macaulay.
His perfidy to this sacred
engagement.
DeQuincey.
Per"fit (p&etilde;r"f&ibreve;t), a.
Perfect. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Per*fix" (p&etilde;r"f&ibreve;ks), v. t.
[Pref. per- + fix.] To fix surely; to
appoint. [Obs.]
Per"fla*ble (?), a. [L.
perflabilis. See Perflate.] Capable of being blown
through. [Obs.]
Per*flate" (?), v. t. [L.
perflatus, p. p. of perflare to blow through.] To
blow through. [Obs.] Harvey.
Per*fla"tion (?), n. [L.
perflatio.] The act of perflating. [Obs.]
Woodward.
Per*fo"li*ate (?), a. [Pref. per-
+ L. folium leaf.] 1. (Bot.) Having
the basal part produced around the stem; -- said of leaves which the
stem apparently passes directory through.
2. (Zoöl.) Surrounded by a circle
of hairs, or projections of any kind.
Per`fo*ra"ta (p&etilde;r`f&osl;*rā"t&adot;),
n. pl. [NL. See Perforate.]
(Zoöl.) (a) A division of corals
including those that have a porous texture, as Porites and Madrepora;
-- opposed to Aporosa. (b) A
division of Foraminifera, including those having perforated
shells.
Per"fo*rate (p&etilde;r"f&osl;*rāt), v.
t. [imp. & p. p. Perforated (-
rā`t&ebreve;d); p. pr. & vb. n.
Perforating.] [L. perforatus, p. p. of perforare
to perforate; per through + forare to bore. See
Bore, v.] To bore through; to pierce
through with a pointed instrument; to make a hole or holes through by
boring or piercing; to pierce or penetrate the surface of.
Bacon.
{ Per"fo*rate (p&etilde;r"f&osl;*r&asl;t),
Per"fo*ra`ted (p&etilde;r"f&osl;*rā"t&ebreve;d), }
a. Pierced with a hole or holes, or with pores;
having transparent dots resembling holes.
Per`fo*ra"tion (?), n. [Cf. F.
perforation.] 1. The act of perforating,
or of boring or piercing through. Bacon.
2. A hole made by boring or piercing; an
aperture. "Slender perforations." Sir T.
Browne.
Per"fo*ra*tive (?), a. [Cf. F.
perforatif.] Having power to perforate or
pierce.
Per"fo*ra`tor (?), n. [Cf. F.
perforateur.] One who, or that which, perforates; esp., a
cephalotome.
Per*force" (?), adv. [F. par (L.
per) + force.] By force; of necessary; at any
rate. Shak.
Per*force", v. t. To force; to
compel. [Obs.]
Per*form" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Performed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Performing.] [OE. performen, parfourmen,
parfournen, OF. parfornir, parfournir, to finish,
complete; OF. & F. par (see Par) + fournir to
finish, complete. The word has been influenced by form; cf. L.
performare to form thoroughly. See Furnish.]
1. To carry through; to bring to completion; to
achieve; to accomplish; to execute; to do.
I will cry unto God most high, unto God that
performeth all things for me.
Ps. lvii.
2.
Great force to perform what they did
attempt.
Sir P. Sidney.
2. To discharge; to fulfill; to act up to; as,
to perform a duty; to perform a promise or a
vow.
To perform your father's will.
Shak.
3. To represent; to act; to play; as in
drama.
Perform a part thou hast not done
before.
Shak.
Syn. -- To accomplish; do; act; transact; achieve; execute;
discharge; fulfill; effect; complete; consummate. See
Accomplish.
Per*form", v. i. To do, execute, or
accomplish something; to acquit one's self in any business; esp., to
represent sometimes by action; to act a part; to play on a musical
instrument; as, the players perform poorly; the musician
performs on the organ.
Per*form"a*ble (?), a. Admitting of
being performed, done, or executed; practicable.
Per*form"ance (?), n. The act of
performing; the carrying into execution or action; execution;
achievement; accomplishment; representation by action; as, the
performance of an undertaking of a duty.
Promises are not binding where the performance
is impossible.
Paley.
2. That which is performed or accomplished; a
thing done or carried through; an achievement; a deed; an act; a feat;
esp., an action of an elaborate or public character. "Her
walking and other actual performances." Shak. "His
musical performances." Macaulay.
Syn. -- Completion; consummation; execution; accomplishment;
achievement; production; work; act; action; deed; exploit; feat.
Per*form"er (?), n. One who
performs, accomplishes, or fulfills; as, a good promiser, but a bad
performer; especially, one who shows skill and training in any
art; as, a performer of the drama; a performer on the
harp.
Per"fri*cate (?), v. t. [L.
perfricatus, p. p. of perfricare.] To rub
over. Bailey.
Per*fu"ma*to*ry (?), a. Emitting
perfume; perfuming. [R.] Sir E. Leigh.
Per*fume" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Perfumed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Perfuming.] [F. parfumer (cf. Sp. perfumar);
par (see Par) + fumer to smoke, L. fumare,
fr. fumus smoke. See Fume.] To fill or impregnate
with a perfume; to scent.
And Carmel's flowery top perfumes the
skies.
Pope.
Per"fume (?), n. [F. parfum; cf.
Sp. perfume. See Perfume, v.]
1. The scent, odor, or odoriferous particles
emitted from a sweet-smelling substance; a pleasant odor; fragrance;
aroma.
No rich perfumes refresh the fruitful
field.
Pope.
2. A substance that emits an agreeable
odor.
And thou shalt make it a perfume.
Ex. xxx. 35.
Per*fum"er (?), n. 1.
One who, oe that which, perfumes.
2. One whose trade is to make or sell
perfumes.
Per*fum"er*y (?), n. 1.
Perfumes, in general.
2. [Cf. F. parfumerie.] The art of
preparing perfumes.
Per*func"to*ri*ly (?), adv. In a
perfunctory manner; formally; carelessly. Boyle.
Per*func"to*ri*ness, n. The quality
or state of being perfunctory.
Per*func"to*ry (?), a. [L.
perfunctorius, fr. perfunctus dispatched, p. p. of
perfungi to discharge, dispatch; per (see Per) +
fungi to perform. See Function.] 1.
Done merely to get rid of a duty; performed mechanically and as a
thing of rote; done in a careless and superficial manner;
characterized by indifference; as, perfunctory
admonitions. Macaulay.
2. Hence: Mechanical; indifferent; listless;
careless. "Perfunctory in his devotions."
Sharp.
Per*func"tu*rate (?), v. t. To
perform in a perfunctory manner; to do negligently. [R.]
Per*fuse" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Perfused (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Perfusing.] [L. perfusus, p. p. of perfundere to
pour over; per + fundere to pour.] To suffuse; to fill
full or to excess. Harvey.
Per*fu"sion (?), n. [L.
perfusio.] The act of perfusing.
Per*fu"sive (?), a. Of a nature to
flow over, or to spread through.
{ Per`ga*me"no*us (?), Per`ga*men*ta"ceous (?), }
a. [L. pergamena parchment. See
Parchment.] Like parchment.
Per*haps" (?), adv. [Per +
hap chance.] By chance; peradventure; perchance; it may
be.
And pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine
heart may be forgiven thee.
Acts viii. 22.
Per"i- (?). [Gr. &?;, prep.] A prefix used to signify
around, by, near, over, beyond, or
to give an intensive sense; as, perimeter, the measure
around; perigee, point near the earth; periergy, work
beyond what is needed; perispherical, quite
spherical.
Pe"ri (?), n.; pl.
Peris (#). [Per. perī a female genus, a
fairy.] (Persian Myth.) An imaginary being, male or
female, like an elf or fairy, represented as a descendant of fallen
angels, excluded from paradise till penance is accomplished.
Moore.
Per`i*a"gua (?), n. See
Pirogue.
Per"i*anth (?), n. [Pref. peri- +
Gr. &?; flower: cf. F. périanthe.] (Bot.)
(a) The leaves of a flower generally, especially
when the calyx and corolla are not readily distinguished.
(b) A saclike involucre which incloses the young
fruit in most hepatic mosses. See Illust. of
Hepatica.
||Per`i*an"thi*um (?), n. [NL.]
(Bot.) The perianth.
Per"i*apt (?), n. [Gr. &?;, fr. &?; hung
about, &?; to hang about; &?; about + &?; to tie: cf. F.
périapte.] A charm worn as a protection against
disease or mischief; an amulet. Coleridge.
Now help, ye charming spells and
periapts.
Shak.
Per`i*as"tral (?), a. Among or
around the stars. "Comets in periastral passage." R.
A. Proctor.
Per`i*as"tron (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?;
about + &?; a star.] (Astron.) That point, in the real or
apparent orbit of one star revolving around another, at which the
former is nearest to the latter.
Per"i*au"ger (?), n. See
Pirogue. W. Irving.
Per"i*blast (?), a. [Gr. &?; to grow
around. See Peri-, and -blast.] (Biol.) The
protoplasmic matter which surrounds the entoblast, or cell nucleus,
and undergoes segmentation. -- Per`i*blas"tic,
a.
Per"i*blem (?), n. [Pref. peri- +
root of Gr. &?; to sprout.] (Bot.) Nascent cortex, or
immature cellular bark.
||Pe*rib"o*los (?), n. [Nl., fr. Gr.
&?;, fr. &?;, adj., going round, fr. &?; to throw round; cf. L.
peribolus.] In ancient architecture, an inclosed court,
esp., one surrounding a temple.
Per`i*bran"chi*al (?), a. (Anat.)
Surrounding the branchiæ; as, a peribranchial
cavity.
Per`i*bran"chi*al (?), a. (Anat.)
Around the bronchi or bronchial tubes; as, the
peribronchial lymphatics.
||Per`i*cam"bi*um (?), n. [NL. See
Peri-, and Cambium.] (Biol.) A layer of
thin-walled young cells in a growing stem, in which layer certain new
vessels originate.
{ Per`i*car"di*ac (?), Per`i*car"di*al (?), }
a. (Anat.) Of or pertaining to
pericardium; situated around the heart.
Pericardial fluid (Physiol.), a serous
fluid of a pale yellow color contained in the pericardium.
Per`i*car"di*an (?), a.
Pericardiac.
Per`i*car"dic (?), a.
Pericardiac.
||Per`i*car*di"tus (?), n. [NL. See
Pericardium, and -itis.] (Med.) Inflammation
of the pericardium. Dunglison.
Per`i*car"di*um (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr.
&?;, fr. &?; about or near the heart; &?; about + &?; heart.]
(Anat.) The double baglike fold of serous membrane which
incloses the heart.
&fist; The inner layer is closely adherent to the outer surface of
the heart, and is called the cardiac pericardium. The outer
layer loosely incloses the heart and the adherent inner layer, and is
called the parietal pericardium. At the base of the heart the
two layers are continuous, and form a narrow closed cavity filled with
fluid, in which the pulsations of the heart cause little friction.
Per"i*carp (?), n. [Gr. &?;; &?; around
+ &?; fruit: cf. F. péricarpe.] (Bot.) The
ripened ovary; the walls of the fruit. See Illusts. of
Capsule, Drupe, and Legume.
{ Per`i*car"pi*al (?), Per`i*car"pic (?) },
a. (Bot.) Of or pertaining to a
pericarp.
Per`i*cel"lu*lar (?), a. (Anat.)
Surrounding a cell; as, the pericellular lymph spaces
surrounding ganglion cells.
Per"i*chæth (?), n. [See
Perichætium.] (Bot.) The leafy involucre
surrounding the fruit stalk of mosses; perichætium;
perichete.
Per`i*chæ"ti*al (?), a.
(Bot.) Of or pertaining to the perichæth.
||Per`i*chæ"ti*um (?), n.;
pl. Perichætia (#). [NL., fr. Gr. &?;
about + &?; flowing hair, foliage.] (Bot.) Same as
Perichæth.
Per`i*chæ"tous (?), a. [See
Perichætium.] (Zoöl.) Surrounded by
setæ; -- said of certain earthworms (genus
Perichætus).
Per"i*chete (?), n. Same as
Perichæth.
Per`i*chon"dri*al (?), a. (Anat.)
Of or pertaining to the perichondrium; situated around
cartilage.
||Per`i*chon*dri"tis (?), n. [NL. See
Perichondrium, and -itis.] (Med.)
Inflammation of the perichondrium.
||Per`i*chon"dri*um (?), n. [NL., fr.
Gr. &?; around + &?; cartilage.] (Anat.) The membrane of
fibrous connective tissue which closely invests cartilage, except
where covering articular surfaces.
Per`i*chor"dal (?), a. Around the
notochord; as, a perichordal column. See
Epichordal.
{ Per"i*clase (?), Per`i*cla"site (?), }
n. [Pref. peri- + Gr. &?; to break.]
(Min.) A grayish or dark green mineral, consisting
essentially of magnesia (magnesium oxide), occurring in granular forms
or in isometric crystals.
||Per`i*clin"i*um (?), n.; pl.
Periclinia (#). [NL., fr. Gr. &?; around + &?; a
bed.] (Bot.) The involucre which surrounds the common
receptacle in composite flowers.
Pe*ric"li*tate (?), v. t. [L.
periclitatus, p. p. of periclitari, fr.
periculum.] To endanger. [Obs.]
Periclitating, pardi! the whole
family.
Sterne.
Pe*ric`li*ta"tion (?), n. [L.
periclitatio: cf. F. périclitation.]
1. Trial; experiment. [Obs.]
2. The state of being in peril.
[Obs.]
||Pe*ric"o*pe (?), n. [L., section of a
book, Gr. &?;; &?; around + &?; to cut.] A selection or extract
from a book; especially (Theol.), a selection from the Bible,
appointed to be read in the churches or used as a text for a
sermon.
Per`i*cra"ni*al (?), a. (Anat.)
Of or pertaining to the pericranium.
Per`i*cra"ni*um (?), n. [NL.]
(Anat.) The periosteum which covers the cranium
externally; the region around the cranium.
Pe*ric"u*lous (?), a. [L.
periculosus. See Perilous.] Dangerous; full of
peril. [Obs.]
||Pe*ric"u*lum (?), n.; pl.
Pericula (#). [L.] (Rom. & O.Eng. Law)
1. Danger; risk.
2. In a narrower, judicial sense: Accident or
casus, as distinguished from dolus and culpa, and
hence relieving one from the duty of performing an
obligation.
Per"i*derm (?), n. 1.
(Bot.) The outer layer of bark.
2. (Zoöl.) The hard outer covering
of hydroids and other marine animals; the perisarc.
||Per`i*di*as"to*le (?), n.
(Physiol.) The almost inappreciable time which elapses
between the systole and the diastole of the heart.
||Pe*rid"i*um (?), n.; pl.
Peridia (#). [NL., fr. Gr. &?; about + &?;, a dim.
ending.] (Bot.) The envelope or coat of certain fungi,
such as the puffballs and earthstars.
Per"i*dot (?), n. [F.
péridot.] (Min.) Chrysolite.
Per"i*do*tite (?), n. [Cf. F.
péridotite.] (Min.) An eruptive rock
characterized by the presence of chrysolite (peridot). It also usually
contains pyroxene, enstatite, chromite, etc. It is often altered to
serpentine.
&fist; The chief diamond deposits in South Africa occur in a more
or less altered peridotite.
Per"i*drome (?), n. [Gr. &?;, fr. &?;
running around, fr. &?; to run round; &?; round + &?; to run: cf. F.
péridrome.] (Archæol.) The space
between the columns and the wall of the cella, in a Greek or a Roman
temple.
Per`i*e"cians (?), n. pl. See
Periœcians.
||Per`i*en"te*ron (?), n. [NL. See
Peri-, and Enteron.] (Anat.) The primitive
perivisceral cavity.
Per"i*er`gy (?), n. [Gr. &?;, fr. &?;
overcareful; &?; about, beyond + &?; work.] 1.
Excessive care or diligence. [Obs.]
2. (Rhet.) A bombastic or labored
style. [R.]
Per`i*gan`gli*on"ic (?), a.
(Anat.) Surrounding a ganglion; as, the
periganglionic glands of the frog.
Per`i*gas"tric (?), a.
(Zoöl.) Surrounding the stomach; -- applied to the
body cavity of Bryozoa and various other Invertebrata.
Per`i*ge"an (?), a. Pertaining to
the perigee.
Perigean tides, those spring tides which
occur soon after the moon passes her perigee.
{ Per"i*gee (?), Per`i*ge"um (?), }
n. [NL. perigeum, fr. Gr. &?; about, near +
&?; the earth: cf. F. périgée.] (Astron.)
That point in the orbit of the moon which is nearest to the
earth; -- opposed to apogee. It is sometimes, but rarely, used
of the nearest points of other orbits, as of a comet, a planet, etc.
Called also epigee, epigeum.
Per`i*gen"e*sis (?), n. (Biol.)
A theory which explains inheritance by the transmission of the
type of growth force possessed by one generation to another.
Per`i*gen"e*tic (?), a. (Biol.)
Of or pertaining to perigenesis.
Per"i*gone (?), n. [Pref. peri- +
Gr. &?; productive organs.] 1. (Bot.)
(a) Any organ inclosing the essential organs of a
flower; a perianth. (b) In mosses, the
involucral bracts of a male flower.
2. (Zoöl.) A sac which surrounds
the generative bodies in the gonophore of a hydroid.
||Per`i*go"ni*um (?), n.; pl.
Perigonia (#). [NL.] Same as
Perigone.
Per"i*gord pie` (?). [From Périgord, a
former province of France.] A pie made of truffles, much esteemed
by epicures.
Per"i*graph (?), n. [Gr. &?; outline;
&?; round, about + &?; to write.] A careless or inaccurate
delineation of anything. [R.]
||Per`i*gyn"i*um (?), n.; pl.
Perigynia (#). [NL. See Perigynous.]
(Bot.) Some unusual appendage about the pistil, as the
bottle-shaped body in the sedges, and the bristles or scales in some
other genera of the Sedge family, or Cyperaceæ.
Pe*rig"y*nous (?), a. [Pref. peri-
+ Gr. &?; woman.] (Bot.) Having the ovary free, but
the petals and stamens borne on the calyx; -- said of flower such as
that of the cherry or peach.
{ Per`i*hel"ion (?), Per`i*he"li*um (?), }
n.; pl. Perihelia (#).
[NL., fr. Gr. &?; about, near + &?; the sun.] (Astron.)
That point of the orbit of a planet or comet which is nearest to
the sun; -- opposed to aphelion.
Per"il (?), n. [F. péril,
fr. L. periculum, periclum, akin to peritus
experienced, skilled, and E. fare. See Fare, and cf.
Experience.] Danger; risk; hazard; jeopardy; exposure of
person or property to injury, loss, or destruction.
In perils of waters, in perils of
robbers.
2 Cor. xi. 26.
Adventure hard
With peril great achieved.
Milton.
At, or On, one's
peril, with risk or danger to one; at the hazard
of. "On thy soul's peril." Shak.
Syn. -- Hazard; risk; jeopardy. See Danger.
Per"il, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Periled (?) or Perilled; p. pr. &
vb. n. Periling or Perilling.] To expose
to danger; to hazard; to risk; as, to peril one's
life.
Per"il (?), v. i. To be in
danger. [Obs.] Milton.
||Pe*ril"la (?), n. [Etymol. uncertain.]
(Bot.) A genus of labiate herbs, of which one species
(Perilla ocimoides, or P. Nankinensis) is often
cultivated for its purple or variegated foliage.
Per"il*ous (?), a. [OF.
perillous, perilleus, F. périlleux, L.
periculosus. See Peril.] [Written also
perillous.] 1. Full of, attended with, or
involving, peril; dangerous; hazardous; as, a perilous
undertaking.
Infamous hills, and sandy, perilous
wilds.
Milton.
2. Daring; reckless; dangerous. [Obs.]
Latimer.
For I am perilous with knife in
hand.
Chaucer.
-- Per"il*ous*ly, adv. --
Per"il*ous*ness, n.
Per"i*lymph (?), n. (Anat.)
The fluid which surrounds the membranous labyrinth of the
internal ear, and separates it from the walls of the chambers in which
the labyrinth lies.
Per`i*lym*phan"gi*al (?), a.
(Anat.) Around, or at the side of, a lymphatic
vessel.
Per`i*lym*phat"ic (?), a. (Anat.)
(a) Pertaining to, or containing,
perilymph. (b) Perilymphangial.
Per*im"e*ter (?), n. [Gr. &?;; &?;
around + &?; measure: cf. F. périmètre.]
1. (Geom.) The outer boundary of a body or
figure, or the sum of all the sides.
2. An instrument for determining the extent
and shape of the field of vision.
{ Per`i*met"ric (?), Per`i*met"ric*al (?), }
a. Of or pertaining to the perimeter, or to
perimetry; as, a perimetric chart of the eye.
Per*im"e*try (?), n. The art of
using the perimeter; measurement of the field of vision.
Per"i*morph (?), n. [Pref. peri-
+ Gr. &?; form.] (Min.) A crystal of one species inclosing
one of another species. See Endomorph.
Per`i*my"sial (?), a. (Anat.)
(a) Surrounding a muscle or muscles.
(b) Of or pertaining to the perimysium.
||Per`i*my"si*um (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr.
&?; about + &?; muscle.] (Anat.) The connective tissue
sheath which surrounds a muscle, and sends partitions inwards between
the bundles of muscular fibers.
||Per`i*næ"um (?), n. See
Perineum.
Per`i*ne"al (?), a. (Anat.)
Of or pertaining to the perineum.
Per`i*ne"o*plas`ty (?), n.
[Perineum + -plasty.] (Med.) The act or
process of restoring an injured perineum.
Per`i*ne*or"rha*phy (?), n.
[Perineum + Gr. &?; to sew.] (Med.) The operation
of sewing up a ruptured perineum.
||Per`i*ne*phri"tis (?), n. [NL. See
Peri-, and Nephritis.] (Med.) Inflammation
of the cellular tissue around the kidney. --
Per`i*ne*phrit"ic, a.
||Per`i*ne"um (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?;,
&?;.] (Anat.) The region which is included within the
outlet of the pelvis, and is traversed by the urinogenital canal and
the rectum.
Per`i*neu"ri*al (?), a. (Anat.)
Surrounding nerves or nerve fibers; of or pertaining to the
perineurium.
||Per`i*neu"ri*um (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr.
&?; about + &?; a nerve.] (Anat.) The connective tissue
sheath which surrounds a bundle of nerve fibers. See
Epineurium, and Neurilemma.
Per`i*nu"cle*ar (?), a. (Biol.)
Of or pertaining to a nucleus; situated around a nucleus; as, the
perinuclear protoplasm.
Pe"ri*od (?), n. [L. periodus,
Gr. &?; a going round, a way round, a circumference, a period of time;
&?; round, about + &?; a way: cf. F. période.]
1. A portion of time as limited and determined by
some recurring phenomenon, as by the completion of a revolution of one
of the heavenly bodies; a division of time, as a series of years,
months, or days, in which something is completed, and ready to
recommence and go on in the same order; as, the period of the
sun, or the earth, or a comet.
2. Hence: A stated and recurring interval of
time; more generally, an interval of time specified or left
indefinite; a certain series of years, months, days, or the like; a
time; a cycle; an age; an epoch; as, the period of the Roman
republic.
How by art to make plants more lasting than their
ordinary period.
Bacon.
3. (Geol.) One of the great divisions
of geological time; as, the Tertiary period; the Glacial
period. See the Chart of Geology.
4. The termination or completion of a
revolution, cycle, series of events, single event, or act; hence, a
limit; a bound; an end; a conclusion. Bacon.
So spake the archangel Michael; then paused,
As at the world's great period.
Milton.
Evils which shall never end till eternity hath a
period.
Jer. Taylor.
This is the period of my ambition.
Shak.
5. (Rhet.) A complete sentence, from
one full stop to another; esp., a well-proportioned, harmonious
sentence. "Devolved his rounded periods."
Tennyson.
Periods are beautiful when they are not too
long.
B. Johnson.
&fist; The period, according to Heyse, is a compound
sentence consisting of a protasis and apodosis; according to Becker,
it is the appropriate form for the coördinate propositions
related by antithesis or causality. Gibbs.
6. (Print.) The punctuation point [.]
that marks the end of a complete sentence, or of an abbreviated
word.
7. (Math.) One of several similar sets
of figures or terms usually marked by points or commas placed at
regular intervals, as in numeration, in the extraction of roots, and
in circulating decimals.
8. (Med.) The time of the exacerbation
and remission of a disease, or of the paroxysm and
intermission.
9. (Mus.) A complete musical
sentence.
The period, the present or current time, as
distinguished from all other times.
Syn. -- Time; date; epoch; era; age; duration; limit; bound;
end; conclusion; determination.
Pe"ri*od (?), v. t. To put an end
to. [Obs.] Shak.
Pe"ri*od, v. i. To come to a
period; to conclude. [Obs.] "You may period upon this, that,"
etc. Felthman.
Per*i"o*date (?), n. (Chem.)
A salt of periodic acid.
Per`i*od"ic (?), a. [Pref. per- +
iodic.] (Chem.) Pertaining to, derived from, or
designating, the highest oxygen acid (HIO&?;) of iodine.
{ Pe`ri*od"ic (?), Pe`ri*od"ic*al (?), }
a. [L. periodicus, Gr. &?;: cf. F.
périodique.] 1. Of or pertaining to
a period or periods, or to division by periods.
The periodicaltimes of all the
satellites.
Sir J. Herschel.
2. Performed in a period, or regular
revolution; proceeding in a series of successive circuits; as, the
periodical motion of the planets round the sun.
3. Happening, by revolution, at a stated time;
returning regularly, after a certain period of time; acting,
happening, or appearing, at fixed intervals; recurring; as,
periodical epidemics.
The periodic return of a plant's
flowering.
Henslow.
To influence opinion through the periodical
press.
Courthope.
4. (Rhet.) Of or pertaining to a
period; constituting a complete sentence.
Periodic comet (Astron.), a comet that
moves about the sun in an elliptic orbit; a comet that has been seen
at two of its approaches to the sun. -- Periodic
function (Math.), a function whose values recur
at fixed intervals as the variable uniformly increases. The
trigonomertic functions, as sin x, tan x, etc., are
periodic functions. Exponential functions are also periodic, having an
imaginary period, and the elliptic functions have not only a real but
an imaginary period, and are hence called doubly periodic.
-- Periodic law (Chem.), the
generalization that the properties of the chemical elements are
periodic functions of their atomic wieghts. "In other words, if the
elements are grouped in the order of their atomic weights, it will be
found that nearly the same properties recur periodically throughout
the entire series." The following tabular arrangement of the atomic
weights shows the regular recurrence of groups (under I., II., III.,
IV., etc.), each consisting of members of the same natural family. The
gaps in the table indicate the probable existence of unknown
elements.
TABLE OF THE PERIODIC LAW OF THE CHEMICAL ELEMENTS
(The vertical columns contain the periodic groups)
Series1{ 2{ 3{ 4{ 5{ 6{ 7{ 8{ 9{ 10{
11{ 12{
--------------------------------------------------------------
|I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII.
| RH4 RH3 RH3 RH
|R2O RO R3O3 RO2 R2O5 RO3 R2O7 RO4
--------------------------------------------------------------
H
1
Li
7
Na
23
K
39
(Cu)
63
Rb
85.2
(Ag)
(108)
Cs
133
(-)
|
(-)
|
(Au)
(197)
(-)
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------
&fist; A similar relation had been enunciated in a crude way by
Newlands; but the law in its effective form was developed and
elaborated by Mendelejeff, whence it is sometimes called
Mendelejeff's law. Important extensions of it were also made by
L. Meyer. By this means Mendelejeff predicted with remarkable accuracy
the hypothetical elements ekaboron, ekaluminium, and ekasilicon,
afterwards discovered and named respectively scandium, gallium, and
germanium.
--
Periodic star (Astron.), a variable
star whose changes of brightness recur at fixed periods. --
Periodic time of a heavenly body (Astron.),
the time of a complete revolution of the body about the sun, or of
a satellite about its primary.
Pe`ri*od"ic*al, n. A magazine or
other publication which appears at stated or regular
intervals.
Pe`ri*od"ic*al*ist, n. One who
publishes, or writes for, a periodical.
Pe`ri*od"ic*al*ly, adv. In a
periodical manner.
Pe`ri*od"ic*al*ness, n.
Periodicity.
Pe`ri*o*dic"i*ty (?), n.; pl.
Periodicities (#). [Cf. F.
périodicité.] The quality or state of being
periodical, or regularly recurrent; as, the periodicity in the
vital phenomena of plants. Henfrey.
Per*i"o*dide (?), n. [Pref. per-
+ iodide.] An iodide containing a higher proportion of
iodine than any other iodide of the same substance or
series.
Per`i*o*don"tal (?), a. [Pref. peri-
+ Gr. &?;, &?;, tooth.] (Anat.) Surrounding the
teeth.
Pe`ri*od"o*scope (?), n. [Period
+ -scope.] (Med.) A table or other means for
calculating the periodical functions of women.
Dunglison.
{ ||Per`i*œ"ci, Per`i*œ"cians, }
n. pl. [NL. perioeci, fr. Gr. &?;; &?; around
+ &?; house, dwelling.] Those who live on the same parallel of
latitude but on opposite meridians, so that it is noon in one place
when it is midnight in the other. Compare
Antœci.
Per"i*o*ple (?), n. [F.
périople, from Gr. &?; about + &?; the hoof of a horse.]
(Anat.) The external smooth horny layer of the hoof of the
horse and allied animals.
Per`i*op"lic (?), a. (Anat.)
Of or pertaining to the periople; connected with the
periople.
Per`i*os"te*al (?), a. (Anat.)
Situated around bone; of or pertaining to the
periosteum.
||Per`i*os"te*um (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr.
&?; round the bones; &?; around + &?; a bone: cf. L.
periosteon.] (Anat.) The membrane of fibrous
connective tissue which closely invests all bones except at the
articular surfaces.
||Per`i*os*ti"tis (?), n. [NL. See
Periosteum, and -itis.] (Med.) Inflammation
of the periosteum.
||Per`i*os"tra*cum (?), n.; pl.
Periostraca (#). [NL., fr. Gr. &?; around + &?;
shell of a testacean.] (Zoöl.) A chitinous membrane
covering the exterior of many shells; -- called also
epidermis.
Per`i*o"tic (?), a. [Pref. peri-
+ Gr. &?;, &?;, the ear.] (Anat.) Surrounding, or
pertaining to the region surrounding, the internal ear; as, the
periotic capsule. -- n. A periotic
bone.
Per`i*pa*te"cian (?), n. A
peripatetic. [Obs.]
Per`i*pa*tet"ic (?), a. [L.
peripateticus, Gr. &?;, fr. &?; to walk about; &?; about + &?;
to walk: cf. F. péripatétique.]
1. Walking about; itinerant.
2. Of or pertaining to the philosophy taught
by Aristotle (who gave his instructions while walking in the Lyceum at
Athens), or to his followers. "The true peripatetic
school." Howell.
Per`i*pa*tet"ic, n. 1.
One who walks about; a pedestrian; an itinerant.
Tatler.
2. A disciple of Aristotle; an
Aristotelian.
Per`i*pa*tet"ic*al (?), a.
Peripatetic. [R.] Hales.
Per`i*pa*tet"i*cism (?), n. [Cf. F.
péripatétisme.] The doctrines or
philosophical system of the peripatetics. See Peripatetic,
n., 2. Lond. Sat. Rev.
||Pe*rip"a*tus (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?;
a walking about.] (Zoöl.) A genus of lowly organized
arthropods, found in South Africa, Australia, and tropical America. It
constitutes the order Malacopoda.
Per`i*pet"al*ous (?), a. (Bot.)
Surrounding, or situated about, the petals.
Pe*riph"er*al (?), a. 1.
Of or pertaining to a periphery; constituting a periphery;
peripheric.
2. (Anat.) External; away from the
center; as, the peripheral portion of the nervous
system.
{ Per`i*pher"ic (?), Per`i*pher"ic*al (?), }
a. [Cf. F. périphérique. See
Periphery.] See Peripheral.
Pe*riph"er*y (?), n.; pl.
Peripheries (#). [L. peripheria, Gr. &?;; &?;
around + &?; to bear, carry: cf. F. périphérie.]
1. The outside or superficial portions of a body;
the surface.
2. (Geom.) The circumference of a
circle, ellipse, or other figure.
Per"i*phrase (?), n. [L.
periphrasis, Gr. &?;, fr. &?; to think about, to be expressed
periphrastically; &?; + &?; to speak: cf. F. périphrase.
See Phrase.] (Rhet.) The use of more words than are
necessary to express the idea; a roundabout, or indirect, way of
speaking; circumlocution. "To describe by enigmatic
periphrases." De Quincey.
Per"i*phrase, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Periphrased (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Periphrasing.] [Cf. F. périphraser.] To
express by periphrase or circumlocution.
Per"i*phrase, v. i. To use
circumlocution.
||Pe*riph"ra*sis (?), n.; pl.
Periphrases (#). [L.] See
Periphrase.
{ Per`i*phras"tic (?), Per`i*phras"tic*al (?), }
a. [Gr. &?;: cf. F. périphrastique.]
Expressing, or expressed, in more words than are necessary;
characterized by periphrase; circumlocutory.
Periphrastic conjugation (Gram.), a
conjugation formed by the use of the simple verb with one or more
auxiliaries.
Per`i*phras"tic*al*ly, adv. With
circumlocution.
Per"i*plast (?), n. [Pref. peri-
+ Gr. &?; to mold, form.] (Biol.) Same as
Periblast. -- Per`i*plas"tic (#),
a. Huxley.
{ ||Per`ip*neu*mo"ni*a (?), Per`ip*neu"mo*ny (?),
} n. [L. peripneumonia, Gr. &?;: cf. F.
péripneumonie. See Peri-, Pneumonia.]
(Med.) Pneumonia. (Obsoles.)
Per`ip*neu*mon"ic (?), a. [L.
peripneumonicus, Gr. &?;: cf. F.
péripneumonique.] (Med.) Of or pertaining to
peripneumonia.
Per"i*proct (?), n. [Pref. peri-
+ Gr. &?; the anus.] (Zoöl.) The region surrounding
the anus, particularly of echinoderms.
||Per`i*proc*ti"tis (?), n. [NL. See
Peri-, and Proctitus.] (Med.) Inflammation
of the tissues about the rectum.
Pe*rip"ter*al (?), a. [Gr., fr. &?; +
&?; feather, wing, row of columns.] (Arch.) Having columns
on all sides; -- said of an edifice. See Apteral.
Pe*rip"ter*ous (?), a.
1. (Arch.) Peripteral.
2. (Zoöl.) Feathered all
around.
Per"i*sarc (?), n. [Pref. peri- +
Gr. &?;, &?;, flesh.] (Zoöl.) The outer, hardened
integument which covers most hydroids.
Pe*ris"cian (?), a. [Gr. &?;; &?; around
+ &?; shadow: cf. F. périscien.] Having the shadow
moving all around.
{ Pe*ris"cians (?), ||Pe*ris"ci*i (?), }
n. pl. [NL. See Periscian.] Those who
live within a polar circle, whose shadows, during some summer days,
will move entirely round, falling toward every point of the
compass.
Per"i*scope (?), n. [Pref. peri-
+ -scope.] A general or comprehensive view. [R.]
Per`i*scop"ic (?), a. [Cf. F.
périscopique.] Viewing all around, or on all
sides.
Periscopic spectacles (Opt.),
spectacles having concavo-convex or convexo-concave lenses with a
considerable curvature corresponding to that of the eye, to increase
the distinctness of objects viewed obliquely.
Per"ish (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Perished (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Perishing.] [OE. perissen, perisshen, F.
périr, p. pr. périssant, L. perire
to go or run through, come to nothing, perish; per through +
ire to go. Cf. Issue, and see -ish.] To be
destroyed; to pass away; to become nothing; to be lost; to die; hence,
to wither; to waste away.
I perish with hunger!
Luke xv.
17.
Grow up and perish, as the summer
fly.
Milton.
The thoughts of a soul that perish in
thinking.
Locke.
Per"ish, v. t. To cause
perish. [Obs.] Bacon.
Per`ish*a*bil"i*ty (?), n.
Perishableness.
Per"ish*a*ble (?), a. [F.
périssable.] Liable to perish; subject to decay,
destruction, or death; as, perishable goods; our
perishable bodies.
Per"ish*a*ble*ness, n. The quality
or state of being perishable; liability to decay or destruction.
Locke.
Per"ish*a*bly, adv. In a perishable
degree or manner.
Per"ish*ment (?), n. [Cf. OF.
perissement.] The act of perishing. [R.]
Udall.
||Per`i*so"ma (?), n.; pl.
Perisomata (#). [NL.] (Zoöl.) Same
as Perisome.
Per"i*some (?), n. [Pref. peri- +
-some body.] (Zoöl.) The entire covering of an
invertebrate animal, as echinoderm or cœlenterate; the
integument.
Per"i*sperm (?), n. [F.
périsperme. See Peri-, and Sperm.]
(Bot.) The albumen of a seed, especially that portion
which is formed outside of the embryo sac. --
Per`i*sper"mic (#), a.
{ Per`i*spher"ic (?), Per`i*spher"ic*al (?), }
a. Exactly spherical; globular.
||Per`i*spom"e*non (?), n.; pl.
Perispomena (#). [NL., from Gr. &?;, pr. pass. p. of
&?; to draw around, to circumflex; &?; around + &?; to draw.] (Gr.
Gram.) A word which has the circumflex accent on the last
syllable. Goodwin.
Per"i*spore (?), n. (Bot.)
The outer covering of a spore.
Per"is*sad (?), a. [Gr. &?; odd, from
&?; over.] (Chem.) Odd; not even; -- said of elementary
substances and of radicals whose valence is not divisible by two
without a remainder. Contrasted with artiad.
Per"isse (?), v. i. To
perish. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Per`is*so*dac"tyl (?), n.
(Zoöl.) One of the Perissodactyla.
||Per`is*so*dac"ty*la (?), n. pl. [NL.,
from Gr. &?; odd (fr. &?; over) + &?; finger.] (Zoöl.)
A division of ungulate mammals, including those that have an odd
number of toes, as the horse, tapir, and rhinoceros; -- opposed to
Artiodactyla.
Per`is*so*log"ic*al (?), a. [Cf. F.
périssologique.] Redundant or excessive in
words. [R.]
Per`is*sol"o*gy (?), n. [L.
perissologia, Gr. &?;; &?; odd, superfluous + &?; discourse.]
Superfluity of words. [R.] G. Campbell.
||Per`i*stal"sis (?), n. [NL. See
Peristaltic.] (Physiol.) Peristaltic contraction or
action.
Per`i*stal"tic (?), a. [Gr. &?; clasping
and compressing, fr. &?; to surround, wrap up; &?; round + &?; to
place, arrange: cf. F. péristaltique.] (Physiol.)
Applied to the peculiar wormlike wave motion of the intestines
and other similar structures, produced by the successive contraction
of the muscular fibers of their walls, forcing their contents onwards;
as, peristaltic movement. --
Per`i*stal"tic*al*ly (#), adv.
||Per`is*te"ri*a (?), n. [NL. See
Peristerion.] (Bot.) A genus of orchidaceous
plants. See Dove plant.
||Per`is*te"ri*on (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr.
&?; a dovecote, a kind of verbena, fr. &?; a dove, pigeon; cf. L.
peristereon.] (Bot.) The herb vervain (Verbena
officinalis).
Pe*ris"ter*ite (?), n. [Gr. &?; a
pigeon.] (Min.) A variety of albite, whitish and slightly
iridescent like a pigeon's neck.
Pe*ris`ter*o*mor"phous (?), a. [Gr. &?;
a pigeon + -morphous.] (Zoöl.) Like or
pertaining to the pigeons or Columbæ.
Pe*ris`ter*op"o*dous (?), a. [Gr. &?; a
pigeon + &?;, &?;, foot.] (Zoöl.) Having pigeonlike
feet; -- said of those gallinaceous birds that rest on all four toes,
as the curassows and megapods.
Pe*ris"to*le (?), n. [NL.: cf. F.
péristole. See Peristaltic.] (Physiol.)
Peristaltic action, especially of the intestines.
||Pe*ris"to*ma (?), n.; pl.
Peristomata (#). [NL.] Same as
Peristome.
Per"i*stome (?), n. [Pref. peri-
+ Gr. &?;, &?;, mouth.] 1. (Bot.) The
fringe of teeth around the orifice of the capsule of mosses. It
consists of 4, 8, 16, 32, or 64 teeth, and may be either single or
double.
2. (Zoöl.) (a) The
lip, or edge of the aperture, of a spiral shell.
(b) The membrane surrounding the mouth of an
invertebrate animal.
Per`i*sto"mi*al (?), a.
(Zoöl.) Of or pertaining to a peristome.
||Per`i*sto"mi*um (?), n. [NL.]
Same as Peristome.
Per`i*streph"ic (?), a. [Gr. &?; to turn
round.] Turning around; rotatory; revolving; as, a
peristrephic painting (of a panorama).
Per"i*style (?), n. [L.
peristylum, Gr. &?;, &?;; &?; about + &?; a column: cf. F.
péristyle.] (Arch.) A range of columns with
their entablature, etc.; specifically, a complete system of columns,
whether on all sides of a court, or surrounding a building, such as
the cella of a temple. Used in the former sense, it gives name to the
larger and inner court of a Roman dwelling, the peristyle. See
Colonnade.
Per`i*sys"to*le (?), n. [Pref. peri-
+ systole: cf. F. périsystole.]
(Physiol.) The interval between the diastole and systole
of the heart. It is perceptible only in the dying.
Pe*rite" (?), a. [L. peritus.]
Skilled. [Obs.]
||Per`i*the"ci*um (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr.
&?; around + &?; box.] (Bot.) An organ in certain fungi
and lichens, surrounding and enveloping the masses of
fructification. Henslow.
Pe*rit"o*mous (?), a. [Gr. &?; cut off
all around. See Peri-, and Tome.] (Min.)
Cleaving in more directions than one, parallel to the
axis.
Per`i*to*næ"um (?), n.
(Anat.) Same as Peritoneum.
Per`i*to*ne"al (?), a. [Cf. F.
péritonéal.] (Anat.) Of or pertaining
to the peritoneum.
Per`i*to*ne"um (?), n. [L.
peritoneum, peritonaeum, Gr. &?;, &?;, fr. &?; to
stretch all around or over; &?; around + &?; to stretch.]
(Anat.) The smooth serous membrane which lines the cavity
of the abdomen, or the whole body cavity when there is no diaphragm,
and, turning back, surrounds the viscera, forming a closed, or nearly
closed, sac. [Written also peritonæum.]
||Per`i*to*ni"tis (?), n. [NL. See
Peritoneum, and -itis.] (Med.) Inflammation
of the peritoneum.
Per`i*tra"che*al (?), a.
(Zoöl.) Surrounding the tracheæ.
Per"i*treme (?), n. [Pref. peri-
+ Gr. &?; a hole.] (Zoöl.) (a) That
part of the integument of an insect which surrounds the
spiracles. (b) The edge of the aperture of
a univalve shell.
||Pe*rit"ri*cha (?), n. pl. [NL., fr.
Gr. &?; about + &?;, &?;, hair.] (Zoöl.) A division
of ciliated Infusoria having a circle of cilia around the oral disk
and sometimes another around the body. It includes the vorticellas.
See Vorticella.
||Per`i*tro"chi*um (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr.
&?;; &?; around + &?; a wheel.] (Mech.) The wheel which,
together with the axle, forms the axis in peritrochio, which
see under Axis.
Per*it"ro*pal (?), a. [Gr. &?;, fr. &?;
to turn around; &?; around + &?; to turn: cf. F.
péritrope.] 1. Rotatory;
circuitous. [R.]
2. Having the axis of the seed perpendicular
to the axis of the pericarp to which it is attached.
Per*it"ro*pous (?), a.
Peritropal.
||Per`i*typh*li"tis (?), n. [NL. See
Peri-, and Typhlitis.] (Med.) Inflammation
of the connective tissue about the cæcum.
Per`i*u"ter*ine (?), a. (Med.)
Surrounding the uterus.
Per`i*vas"cu*lar (?), a. Around the
blood vessels; as, perivascular lymphatics.
Per`i*ver"te*bral (?), a. (Anat.)
Surrounding the vertebræ.
Per`i*vis"cer*al (?), a. (Anat.)
Around the viscera; as, the perivisceral cavity.
Per`i*vi*tel"line (?), a. [Pref.
peri- + vitelline.] (Biol.) Situated around
the vitellus, or between the vitellus and zona pellucida of an
ovum.
Per"i*wig (?), n. [OE. perrwige,
perwicke, corrupt. fr. F. perruque; cf. OD.
peruyk, from French. See Peruke, and cf. Wig.]
A headdress of false hair, usually covering the whole head, and
representing the natural hair; a wig. Shak.
Per"i*wig, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Perwigged (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Perwigging (?).] To dress with a periwig, or with false
hair. Swift.
Per"i*win`kle (?), n. [From AS.
pinewincla a shellfish, in which pine- is fr. L.
pina, pinna, a kind of mussel, akin to Gr. &?;. Cf.
Winkle.] (Zoöl.) Any small marine gastropod
shell of the genus Littorina. The common European species
(Littorina littorea), in Europe extensively used as food, has
recently become naturalized abundantly on the American coast. See
Littorina.
&fist; In America the name is often applied to several large
univalves, as Fulgur carica, and F. canaliculata.
Per"i*win`kle, n. [OE. pervenke,
AS. pervince, fr. L. pervinca.] (Bot.) A
trailing herb of the genus Vinca.
&fist; The common perwinkle (Vinca minor) has opposite
evergreen leaves and solitary blue or white flowers in their axils. In
America it is often miscalled myrtle. See under
Myrtle.
Per"jen*et (?), n. [Cf. Pear, and
Jenneting.] A kind of pear. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Per"jure (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Perjured (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Perjuring.] [F. parjurer, L. perjurare,
perjerare; per through, over + jurare to swear.
See Jury.] 1. To cause to violate an oath
or a vow; to cause to make oath knowingly to what is untrue; to make
guilty of perjury; to forswear; to corrupt; -- often used reflexively;
as, he perjured himself.
Want will perjure
The ne'er-touched vestal.
Shak.
2. To make a false oath to; to deceive by
oaths and protestations. [Obs.]
And with a virgin innocence did pray
For me, that perjured her.
J. Fletcher.
Syn. -- To Perjure, Forswear. These words
have been used interchangeably; but there is a tendency to restrict
perjure to that species of forswearing which constitutes the
crime of perjury at law, namely, the willful violation of an oath
administered by a magistrate or according to law.
Per"jure, n. [L. perjurus: cf.
OF. parjur, F. parjure.] A perjured person.
[Obs.] Shak.
Per"jured (?), a. Guilty of
perjury; having sworn falsely; forsworn. Shak.
"Perjured persons." 1 Tim. i. 10. "Their perjured
oath." Spenser.
Per"jur*er (?), n. One who is
guilty of perjury; one who perjures or forswears, in any
sense.
{ Per*ju"ri*ous (?), Per"ju*rous (?), }
a. [L. perjuriosus, perjurus.]
Guilty of perjury; containing perjury. [Obs.] Quarles.
B. Johnson.
Per"ju*ry (?), n.; pl.
Perjuries (#). [L. perjurium. See
Perjure, v.] 1. False
swearing.
2. (Law) At common law, a willfully
false statement in a fact material to the issue, made by a witness
under oath in a competent judicial proceeding. By statute the
penalties of perjury are imposed on the making of willfully false
affirmations.
&fist; If a man swear falsely in nonjudicial affidavits, it is made
perjury by statute in some jurisdictions in the United States.
Perk (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Perked (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Perking.] [Cf. W. percu to trim, to make smart.] To
make trim or smart; to straighten up; to erect; to make a jaunty or
saucy display of; as, to perk the ears; to perk up one's
head. Cowper. Sherburne.
Perk, v. i. To exalt one's self; to
bear one's self loftily. "To perk over them."
Barrow.
To perk it, to carry one's self proudly or
saucily. Pope.
Perk, a. Smart; trim; spruce;
jaunty; vain. "Perk as a peacock." Spenser.
Perk, v. i. To peer; to look
inquisitively. Dickens.
Per"kin (?), n. A kind of weak
perry.
Per"kin*ism (?), n. (Med.) A
remedial treatment, by drawing the pointed extremities of two rods,
each of a different metal, over the affected part; tractoration, --
first employed by Dr. Elisha Perkins of Norwich, Conn. See
Metallotherapy.
Perk"y (?), a. Perk; pert; jaunty;
trim.
There amid perky larches and pines.
Tennyson.
Per*la"ceous (?), a. [See Pearl.]
Pearly; resembling pearl.
Per"lid (?), n. (Zoöl.)
Any insect of the genus Perla, or family
Perlidæ. See Stone fly, under
Stone.
Per"lite (?), n. (Min.) Same
as Pearlite.
Per*lit"ic (?), a. (Min.)
Relating to or resembling perlite, or pearlstone; as, the
perlitic structure of certain rocks. See
Pearlite.
Per"lous (?), a. Perilous.
[Obs.] Spenser.
Per`lus*tra"tion (?), n. [L.
perlustrare to wander all through, to survey. See 3d
Luster.] The act of viewing all over. [Archaic]
Howell.
Per"ma*na*ble (?), a. Permanent;
durable. [Obs.] Lydgate.
{ Per"ma*nence (?), Per"ma*nen*cy (?), }
n. [Cf. F. permanence.] The quality or
state of being permanent; continuance in the same state or place;
duration; fixedness; as, the permanence of institutions; the
permanence of nature.
Per"ma*nent (?), a. [L.
permanens, -entis, p. pr. of permanere to stay or
remain to the end, to last; per + manere to remain: cf. F.
permanent. See Per-, and Mansion.]
Continuing in the same state, or without any change that destroys
form or character; remaining unaltered or unremoved; abiding; durable;
fixed; stable; lasting; as, a permanent impression.
Eternity stands permanent and
fixed.
Dryden.
Permanent gases (Chem. & Physics),
hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon monoxide; -- also called
incondensible or incoercible gases, before their liquefaction
in 1877. -- Permanent way, the roadbed and
superstructure of a finished railway; -- so called in distinction from
the contractor's temporary way. -- Permanent
white (Chem.), barium sulphate (heavy
spar), used as a white pigment or paint, in distinction from
white lead, which tarnishes and darkens from the formation of
the sulphide.
Syn. -- Lasting; durable; constant. See Lasting.
Per"ma*nent*ly, adv. In a permanent
manner.
Per*man"ga*nate (?), n. (Chem.)
A salt of permanganic acid.
Potassium permanganate. (Chem.) See
Potassium permanganate, under Potassium.
Per`man*gan"ic (?), a. (Chem.)
Pertaining to, or designating, one of the higher acids of
manganese, HMnO4, which forms salts called
permanganates.
Per*man"sion (?), n. [L.
permansio. See Permanent.] Continuance.
[Obs.] Sir T. Browne.
Per`me*a*bil"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F.
perméabilité.] The quality or state of being
permeable.
Magnetic permeability (Physics), the
specific capacity of a body for magnetic induction, or its conducting
power for lines of magnetic force. Sir W. Thomson.
Per"me*a*ble (?), a. [L.
permeabilis: cf. F. perméable. See
Permeate.] Capable of being permeated, or passed through;
yielding passage; passable; penetrable; -- used especially of
substances which allow the passage of fluids; as, wood is
permeable to oil; glass is permeable to light.
I. Taylor.
Per"me*a*bly, adv. In a permeable
manner.
Per"me*ant (?), a. [L. permeans,
p. pr.] Passing through; permeating. [R.] Sir T.
Browne.
Per"me*ate (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Permeated (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Permeating.] [L. permeatus, p. p. of permeare to
permeate; per + meare to go, pass.] 1. To
pass through the pores or interstices of; to penetrate and pass
through without causing rupture or displacement; -- applied especially
to fluids which pass through substances of loose texture; as, water
permeates sand. Woodward.
2. To enter and spread through; to
pervade.
God was conceived to be diffused throughout the whole
world, to permeate and pervade all things.
Cudworth.
Per`me*a"tion (?), n. The act of
permeating, passing through, or spreading throughout, the pores or
interstices of any substance.
Here is not a mere involution only, but a spiritual
permeation and inexistence.
Bp. Hall.
Per"mi*an (?), a. [From the ancient
kingdom of Permia, where the Permian formation exists.]
(Geol.) Belonging or relating to the period, and also to
the formation, next following the Carboniferous, and regarded as
closing the Carboniferous age and Paleozoic era. --
n. The Permian period. See Chart of
Geology.
Per"mi*ans (?), n. pl.; sing.
Permian (&?;). (Ethnol.) A tribe
belonging to the Finnic race, and inhabiting a portion of
Russia.
Per*mis"ci*ble (?), a. [L.
permiscere to mingle; per + miscere to mix.]
Capable of being mixed.
Per*miss" (?), n. [See Permit.]
A permitted choice; a rhetorical figure in which a thing is
committed to the decision of one's opponent. [Obs.]
Milton.
Per*mis`si*bil"i*ty (?), n. The
quality of being permissible; permissibleness;
allowableness.
Per*mis"si*ble (?), a. That may be
permitted; allowable; admissible. --
Per*mis"si*ble*ness, n. --
Per*mis"si*bly, adv.
Per*mis"sion (?), n. [L.
permissio: cf. F. permission. See Permit.]
The act of permitting or allowing; formal consent; authorization;
leave; license or liberty granted.
High permission of all-ruling
Heaven.
Milton.
You have given me your permission for this
address.
Dryden.
Syn. -- Leave; liberty; license. -- Leave,
Permission. Leave implies that the recipient may decide
whether to use the license granted or not. Permission is the
absence on the part of another of anything preventive, and in general,
at least by implication, signifies approval.
Per*mis"sive (?), a. 1.
Permitting; granting leave or liberty. "By his
permissive will." Milton.
2. Permitted; tolerated; suffered.
Milton.
Per*mis"sive*ly, adv. In a
permissive manner.
Per*mis"tion (?), n. [L.
permistio, permixtio, fr. permiscere,
permistum, and permixtum. See Permiscible.]
The act of mixing; the state of being mingled; mixture.
[Written also permixtion.]
Per*mit" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Permitted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Permitting.] [L. permittere, permissum, to let
through, to allow, permit; per + mittere to let go, send. See
Per-, and Mission.] 1. To consent
to; to allow or suffer to be done; to tolerate; to put up
with.
What things God doth neither command nor forbid . . .
he permitteth with approbation either to be done or left
undone.
Hooker.
2. To grant (one) express license or liberty
to do an act; to authorize; to give leave; -- followed by an
infinitive.
Thou art permitted to speak for
thyself.
Acis xxvi. 1.
3. To give over; to resign; to leave; to
commit.
Let us not aggravate our sorrows,
But to the gods permit the event of things.
Addison.
Syn. -- To allow; let; grant; admit; suffer; tolerate;
endure; consent to. -- To Allow, Permit, Suffer,
Tolerate. To allow is more positive, denoting (at least
originally and etymologically) a decided assent, either directly or by
implication. To permit is more negative, and imports only
acquiescence or an abstinence from prevention. The distinction,
however, is often disregarded by good writers. To suffer has a
stronger passive or negative sense than to permit, sometimes
implying against the will, sometimes mere indifference. To
tolerate is to endure what is contrary to will or desire. To
suffer and to tolerate are sometimes used without
discrimination.
Per*mit", v. i. To grant
permission; to allow.
Per"mit (?), n. Warrant; license;
leave; permission; specifically, a written license or permission given
to a person or persons having authority; as, a permit to land
goods subject to duty.
Per*mit"tance (?), n. The act of
permitting; allowance; permission; leave. Milton.
Per`mit*tee" (?), n. One to whom a
permission or permit is given.
Per*mit"ter (?), n. One who
permits.
A permitter, or not a hinderer, of
sin.
J. Edwards.
Per*mix" (?), v. t. To mix; to
mingle. [Obs.]
Per*mix"tion (?), n. See
Permission.
Per*mut"a*ble (?), a. [Cf. F.
permutable.] Capable of being permuted;
exchangeable. -- Per*mut"a*ble*ness,
n. -- Per*mut"a*bly,
adv.
Per`mu*ta"tion (?), n. [L.
permutatio: cf. F. permutation. See Permute.]
1. The act of permuting; exchange of the thing
for another; mutual transference; interchange.
The violent convulsions and permutations that
have been made in property.
Burke.
2. (Math.) (a) The
arrangement of any determinate number of things, as units, objects,
letters, etc., in all possible orders, one after the other; -- called
also alternation. Cf. Combination,
n., 4. (b) Any one of
such possible arrangements.
3. (Law) Barter; exchange.
Permutation lock, a lock in which the parts
can be transposed or shifted, so as to require different arrangements
of the tumblers on different occasions of unlocking.
Per*mute" (?), v. t. [L.
permutare, permutatum; per + mutare to change:
cf. F. permuter.] 1. To interchange; to
transfer reciprocally.
2. To exchange; to barter; to traffic.
[Obs.]
Bought, trucked, permuted, or
given.
Hakluyt.
Per*mut"er (?), n. One who
permutes.
Pern (?), v. t. [See Pernancy.]
To take profit of; to make profitable. [Obs.]
Sylvester.
Pern, n. (Zoöl.) The
honey buzzard.
Per"nan*cy (?), n. [OF. prenance,
fr. prendre, prenre, penre, to take, L.
prendere, prehendere.] (Law) A taking or
reception, as the receiving of rents or tithes in kind, the receiving
of profits. Blackstone.
Per"nel (?), n. See
Pimpernel. [Obs.]
Per*ni"cion (?), n. [See 2d
Pernicious.] Destruction; perdition. [Obs.]
hudibras.
Per*ni"cious (?), a. [L. pernix,
-icis.] Quick; swift (to burn). [R.]
Milton.
Per*ni"cious, a. [L. perniciosus,
from pernicies destruction, from pernecare to kill or
slay outright; per + necare to kill, slay: cf. F.
pernicieux. Cf. Nuisance, Necromancy.]
Having the quality of injuring or killing; destructive; very
mischievous; baleful; malicious; wicked.
Let this pernicious hour
Stand aye accursed in the calendar.
Shak.
Pernicious to his health.
Prescott.
Syn. -- Destructive; ruinous; deadly; noxious; injurious;
baneful; deleterious; hurtful; mischievous.
-- Per*ni"cious*ly, adv., --
Per*ni"cious*ness, n.
Per*nic"i*ty (?), n. [L.
pernicitas. See 1st Pernicious.] Swiftness;
celerity. [R.] Ray.
||Per"ni*o (?), n. [L.] (Med.)
A chilblain.
Per`noc*ta"li*an (?), n. One who
watches or keeps awake all night.
Per`noc*ta"tion (?), n. [L.
pernoctatio, fr. pernoctare to stay all night; per +
nox, noctis, night.] The act or state of passing the
whole night; a remaining all night. "Pernoctation in
prayer." Jer. Taylor.
Per"nor (?), n. [See Pern,
v.] (Law) One who receives the profits,
as of an estate.
Per"not fur"nace (?). [So called from Charles
Pernot, its inventor.] A reverberatory furnace with a
circular revolving hearth, -- used in making steel.
Per"ny*i moth" (?). (Zoöl.) A silk-
producing moth (Attacus Pernyi) which feeds upon the oak. It
has been introduced into Europe and America from China.
Per*of"skite (?), n. [From von
Perovski, of St.Petersburg.] (Min.) A titanate of
lime occurring in octahedral or cubic crystals. [Written also
Perovskite.]
Pe*rogue (?), n. See
Pirogue.
Per"o*nate (?), a. [L. peronatus
rough&?;booted, fr. pero, -onis, a kind of rough boot.]
(Bot.) A term applied to the stipes or stalks of certain
fungi which are covered with a woolly substance which at length
becomes powdery. Henslow.
Per`o*ne"al (?), a. [Gr. &?; the
fibula.] (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the fibula; in the
region of the fibula.
Per"o*rate (?), v. i. [See
Peroration.] To make a peroration; to harangue.
[Colloq.]
Per`o*ra"tion (?), n. [L.
peroratio, fr. perorate, peroratum, to speak from
beginning to end; per + orate to speak. See Per-, and
Oration.] (Rhet.) The concluding part of an
oration; especially, a final summing up and enforcement of an
argument. Burke.
Per*ox`i*da"tion (?), n. Act,
process, or result of peroxidizing; oxidation to a peroxide.
Per*ox"ide (?), n. (Chem.)
An oxide containing more oxygen than some other oxide of the same
element. Formerly peroxides were regarded as the highest oxides. Cf.
Per-, 2.
Per*ox"i*dize (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Peroxidized (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Peroxidizing.] (Chem.) To oxidize to
the utmost degree, so as to form a peroxide.
Per*pend" (?), v. t. [L.
perpendere, perpensum; per + pendere to weight.]
To weight carefully in the mind. [R.] "Perpend my
words." Shak.
Per*pend", v. i. To attend; to be
attentive. [R.] Shak.
Per*pend"er (?), n. [F. parpaing,
pierre parpaigne; of uncertain origin.] (Masonry) A
large stone reaching through a wall so as to appear on both sides of
it, and acting as a binder; -- called also perbend, perpend
stone, and perpent stone.
Per*pen"di*cle (?), n. [L.
perpendiculum; per + pendere to hang: cf. F.
perpendicule.] Something hanging straight down; a plumb
line. [Obs.]
Per`pen*dic"u*lar (?), a. [L.
perpendicularis, perpendicularius: cf. F.
perpendiculaire. See Perpendicle, Pension.]
1. Exactly upright or vertical; pointing to the
zenith; at right angles to the plane of the horizon; extending in a
right line from any point toward the center of the earth.
2. (Geom.) At right angles to a given
line or surface; as, the line ad is perpendicular to the
line bc.
Perpendicular style (Arch.), a name
given to the latest variety of English Gothic architecture, which
prevailed from the close of the 14th century to the early part of the
16th; -- probably so called from the vertical style of its window
mullions.
Per`pen*dic"u*lar (?), n.
1. A line at right angles to the plane of the
horizon; a vertical line or direction.
2. (Geom.) A line or plane falling at
right angles on another line or surface, or making equal angles with
it on each side.
Per`pen*dic`u*lar"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F.
perpendicularité.] The quality or state of being
perpendicular.
Per`pen*dic"u*lar*ly (?), adv. In a
perpendicular manner; vertically.
Per"pend stone` (?). See Perpender.
Per*pen"sion (?), n. [See
Perpend.] Careful consideration; pondering. [Obs.]
Sir T. Browne.
Per*pen"si*ty (?), n.
Perpension. [Obs.]
Per"pent stone` (?). See Perpender.
Per*pes"sion (?), n. [L.
perpessio, fr. perpeti, perpessus, to bear
steadfastly; per + pati to bear.] Suffering;
endurance. [Obs.] Bp. Pearson.
Per"pe*tra"ble (?), a. Capable of
being perpetrated. R. North.
Per"pe*trate (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Perpetrated (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Perpetrating.] [L. perpetratus, p. p. of
perpetrare to effect, perpetrare; per + patrare to
perform.] To do or perform; to carry through; to execute,
commonly in a bad sense; to commit (as a crime, an offense); to be
guilty of; as, to perpetrate a foul deed.
What the worst perpetrate, or best
endure.
Young.
Per`pe*tra"tion (?), n. [L.
perpetratio: cf. F. perpétration.]
1. The act of perpetrating; a doing; -- commonly
used of doing something wrong, as a crime.
2. The thing perpetrated; an evil
action.
Per"pe*tra`tor (?), n. [L.] One who
perpetrates; esp., one who commits an offense or crime.
Per*pet"u*a*ble (?), a. Capable of
being perpetuated or continued.
Varieties are perpetuable, like
species.
Gray.
Per*pet"u*al (?), a. [OE.
perpetuel, F. perpétuel, fr. L.
perpetualis, fr. perpetuus continuing throughout,
continuous, fr. perpes, -etis, lasting throughout.]
Neverceasing; continuing forever or for an unlimited time;
unfailing; everlasting; continuous.
Unto the kingdom of perpetual
night.
Shak.
Perpetual feast of nectared sweets.
Milton.
Circle of perpetual apparition, or
occultation. See under Circle. --
Perpetual calendar, a calendar so devised that
it may be adjusted for any month or year. -- Perpetual
curacy (Ch. of Eng.), a curacy in which all the
tithes are appropriated, and no vicarage is endowed.
Blackstone. -- Perpetual motion. See
under Motion. -- Perpetual screw.
See Endless screw, under Screw.
Syn. -- Continual; unceasing; endless; everlasting;
incessant; constant; eternal. See Constant.
Per*pet"u*al*ly, adv. In a
perpetual manner; constantly; continually.
The Bible and Common Prayer Book in the vulgar tongue,
being perpetually read in churches, have proved a kind of
standard for language.
Swift.
Per*pet"u*al*ty (?), n. The state
or condition of being perpetual. [Obs.] Testament of
Love.
Per*pet"u*ance (?), n.
Perpetuity. [Obs.]
Per*pet"u*ate (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Perpetuated (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Perpetuating.] [L. perpetuatus, p. p. of
perpetuare to perpetuate. See Perpetual.] To make
perpetual; to cause to endure, or to be continued, indefinitely; to
preserve from extinction or oblivion; to eternize. Addison.
Burke.
Per*pet"u*ate (?), a. [L.
perpetuatus, p. p.] Made perpetual; perpetuated.
[R.] Southey.
Per*pet`u*a"tion (?), n. [Cf. F.
perpétuation.] The act of making perpetual, or of
preserving from extinction through an endless existence, or for an
indefinite period of time; continuance. Sir T.
Browne.
Per`pe*tu"i*ty (?), n. [L.
perpetuitas: cf. F. perpétuité.]
1. The quality or state of being perpetual; as,
the perpetuity of laws. Bacon.
A path to perpetuity of fame.
Byron.
The perpetuity of single emotion is
insanity.
I. Taylor.
2. Something that is perpetual.
South.
3. Endless time. "And yet we should, for
perpetuity, go hence in debt." Shak.
4. (Annuities) (a) The
number of years in which the simple interest of any sum becomes equal
to the principal. (b) The number of years'
purchase to be given for an annuity to continue forever.
(c) A perpetual annuity.
5. (Law) (a) Duration
without limitations as to time. (b) The
quality or condition of an estate by which it becomes inalienable,
either perpetually or for a very long period; also, the estate itself
so modified or perpetuated.
Per*plex" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Perplexed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Perplexing.] [L. perplexari. See Perplex,
a.] 1. To involve; to entangle;
to make intricate or complicated, and difficult to be unraveled or
understood; as, to perplex one with doubts.
No artful wildness to perplex the
scene.
Pope.
What was thought obscure, perplexed, and too
hard for our weak parts, will lie open to the understanding in a fair
view.
Locke.
2. To embarrass; to puzzle; to distract; to
bewilder; to confuse; to trouble with ambiguity, suspense, or
anxiety. "Perplexd beyond self-explication."
Shak.
We are perplexed, but not in
despair.
2 Cor. iv. 8.
We can distinguish no general truths, or at least shall
be apt to perplex the mind.
Locke.
3. To plague; to vex; to tormen.
Glanvill.
Syn. -- To entangle; involve; complicate; embarrass; puzzle;
bewilder; confuse; distract. See Embarrass.
Per*plex", a. [L. perplexus
entangled, intricate; per + plectere, plexum, to plait,
braid: cf. F. perplexe. See Per-, and Plait.]
Intricate; difficult. [Obs.] Glanvill.
Per*plexed" (?), a. Entangled,
involved, or confused; hence, embarrassd; puzzled; doubtful;
anxious. -- Per*plex"ed*ly (#), adv.
-- Per*plex"ed*ness, n.
Per*plex"ing (?), a. Embarrassing;
puzzling; troublesome. "Perplexing thoughts."
Milton.
Per*plex"i*ty (?), n.; pl.
Perplexities (#). [L. perplexitas: cf. F.
perplexité.] The quality or state of being
perplexed or puzzled; complication; intricacy; entanglement;
distraction of mind through doubt or difficulty; embarrassment;
bewilderment; doubt.
By their own perplexities involved,
They ravel more.
Milton.
Per*plex"ive*ness (?), n. The
quality of being perplexing; tendency to perplex. [Obs.] Dr.
H. More.
Per*plex"ly, adv.
Perplexedly. [Obs.] Milton.
Per`po*ta"tion (?), n. [L.
perpotatio, fr. perpotate. See Per-, and
Potation.] The act of drinking excessively; a drinking
bout. [Obs.]
Per"qui*site (?), n. [L.
perquisitum, fr. perquisitus, p. p. of perquirere
to ask for diligently; per + quaerere to seek. See Per-,
and Quest.] 1. Something gained from a
place or employment over and above the ordinary salary or fixed wages
for services rendered; especially, a fee allowed by law to an officer
for a specific service.
The pillage of a place taken by storm was regarded as
the perquisite of the soldiers.
Prescott.
The best perquisites of a place are the
advantages it gaves a man of doing good.
Addison.
2. pl. (Law) Things gotten by a
man's own industry, or purchased with his own money, as opposed to
things which come to him by descent. Mozley & W.
Per"qui*sit*ed, a. Supplied with
perquisites. [Obs.] "Perquisited varlets frequent stand."
Savage.
Per`qui*si"tion (?), n. [Cf. F.
perquisition.] A thorough inquiry of search. [R.]
Berkeley.
Per*ra"di*al (?), a. (Zoöl.)
Situated around the radii, or radial tubes, of a
radiate.
Per"rie (?), n. [F. pierreries,
pl., fr. pierre stone, L. petra.] Precious stones;
jewels. [Obs.] [Written also perre, perrye, etc.]
Chaucer.
Per"ri*er (?), n. [OF. perriere,
perrier, F. perrier. Cf. Pederero.]
(Mil.) A short mortar used formerly for throwing stone
shot. Hakluyt.
Per`ro*quet" (?), n. [F.]
(Zoöl.) See Paroquet,
Parakeet.
||Per`ruque" (?), n. [F.] See
Peruke.
Per*ru"qui*er (?), n. [F.] A marker
of perukes or wigs.
Per"ry (?), n. [OF. peré,
F. poiré, fr. poire a pear, L. pirum. See
Pear the fruit.] A fermented liquor made from pears; pear
cider. Mortimer.
Per"ry, n. A suddent squall. See
Pirry. [Obs.]
Pers (?), a. [F. pers.]
Light blue; grayish blue; -- a term applied to different shades
at different periods. -- n. A cloth of
sky-blue color. [Obs.] "A long surcoat of pers."
Chaucer.
Per"salt` (?), n. (Chem.) A
term formerly given to the salts supposed to be formed respectively by
neutralizing acids with certain peroxides. [Obsoles.]
Per"sant (?), a. [F.
perçant, p. pr. of percer to pierce.]
Piercing. [Obs.] Spenser.
Per`scru*ta"tion (?), n. [L.
perscrutatio, fr. perscrutari to search through.] A
thorough searching; a minute inquiry or scrutiny.
Carlyle
Per"se*cot (?), n. See
Persicot.
Per"se*cute (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Persecuted (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Persecuting.] [F. persécueter, L.
persequi, persecutus, to pursue, prosecute; per +
sequi to follow, pursue. See Per-, and Second.]
1. To pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or
afflict; to beset with cruelty or malignity; to harass; especially, to
afflict, harass, punish, or put to death, for adherence to a
particular religious creed or mode of worship.
Do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which
despitefully use you, and persecute you.
Matt.
v. 44.
2. To harass with importunity; to pursue with
persistent solicitations; to annoy. Johnson.
Syn. -- To oppress; harass; distress; worry; annoy.
Per`se*cu"tion (?), n. [F.
persécution, L. persecutio.] 1.
The act or practice of persecuting; especially, the infliction of
loss, pain, or death for adherence to a particular creed or mode of
worship.
Persecution produces no sincere
conviction.
Paley.
2. The state or condition of being
persecuted. Locke.
3. A carrying on; prosecution.
[Obs.]
Per"se*cu`tor (?), n. [L.: cf. F.
persécuteur.] One who persecutes, or
harasses. Shak.
Per"se*cu`trix (?), n. [L.] A woman
who persecutes.
Per"se*id (?), n. (Astron.)
One of a group of shooting stars which appear yearly about the
10th of August, and cross the heavens in paths apparently radiating
from the constellation Perseus. They are beleived to be
fragments once connected with a comet visible in 1862.
Per"se*us (?), n. [L., from Gr. &?;.]
1. (Class. Myth.) A Grecian legendary
hero, son of Jupiter and Danaë, who slew the Gorgon
Medusa.
2. (Astron.) A consellation of the
northern hemisphere, near Taurus and Cassiopea. It contains a star
cluster visible to the naked eye as a nebula.
Per*sev"er (?), v. i. To
persevere. [Obs.]
Per`se*ver"ance (?), n. [F.
persévérance, L. perseverantia.]
1. The act of persevering; persistence in
anything undertaken; continued pursuit or prosecution of any business,
or enterprise begun. "The king-becoming graces . . .
perseverance, mercy, lowliness." Shak.
Whose constant perseverance overcame
Whate'er his cruel malice could invent.
Milton.
2. Discrimination. [Obs.] Sir J.
Harrington.
3. (Theol.) Continuance in a state of
grace until it is succeeded by a state of glory; sometimes called
final perseverance, and the perseverance of the saints.
See Calvinism.
Syn. -- Persistence; steadfastness; constancy; steadiness;
pertinacity.
Per`se*ver"ant (?), a. [L.
perseverans, -antis, p. pr.: cf. F.
persévérant.] Persevering. [R.]
"Perseverant faith." Whitby. --
Per`se*ver"ant*ly, adv. [R.]
Per`se*vere" (?), v. i. [imp. &
p. p. Persevered (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Persevering.] [F. persévérer,
L. perseverare, fr. perseverus very strict; per +
severus strict, severe. See Per-, and Severe.]
To persist in any business or enterprise undertaken; to pursue
steadily any project or course begun; to maintain a purpose in spite
of counter influences, opposition, or discouragement; not to give or
abandon what is undertaken.
Thrice happy, if they know
Their happiness, and persevere upright.
Milton.
Syn. -- To Persevere, Continue,
Persist. The idea of not laying aside is common to these
words. Continue is the generic term, denoting simply to do as
one has done hitherto. To persevere is to continue in a
given course in spite of discouragements, etc., from a desire to
obtain our end. To persist is to continue from a
determination of will not to give up. Persist is frequently
used in a bad sense, implying obstinacy in pursuing an unworthy
aim.
Per`se*ver"ing (?), a.
Characterized by perseverance; persistent. --
Per`se*ver"ing*ly, adv.
Per"sian (?), a. [From Persia:
cf. It. Persiano. Cf. Parsee, Peach,
Persic.] Of or pertaining to Persia, to the Persians, or
to their language.
Persian berry, the fruit of Rhamnus
infectorius, a kind of buckthorn, used for dyeing yellow, and
imported chiefly from Trebizond. -- Persian
cat. (Zoöl.) Same as Angora cat,
under Angora. -- Persian columns
(Arch.), columns of which the shaft represents a Persian
slave; -- called also Persians. See Atlantes. --
Persian drill (Mech.), a drill which is
turned by pushing a nut back and forth along a spirally grooved drill
holder. -- Persian fire (Med.),
malignant pustule. -- Persian powder.
See Insect powder, under Insect. --
Persian red. See Indian red
(a), under Indian. -- Persian
wheel, a noria; a tympanum. See Noria.
Per"sian, n. 1. A
native or inhabitant of Persia.
2. The language spoken in Persia.
3. A thin silk fabric, used formerly for
linings. Beck.
4. pl. (Arch.) See Persian
columns, under Persian, a.
Per"sic (?), a. [L. Persicus.
Cf. Persian.] Of or relating to Persia. --
n. The Persian language.
||Per`si*ca"ri*a (?), n. [NL., from LL.
persicarius a peach tree. See Peach.] (Bot.)
See Lady's thumb.
Per"si*cot (?), n. [F. See
Peach.] A cordial made of the kernels of apricots,
nectarines, etc., with refined spirit.
||Per`si`flage" (?), n. [F., fr.
persifler to quiz, fr. L. per + siffler to whistle,
hiss, L. sibilare, sifilare.] Frivolous or
bantering talk; a frivolous manner of treating any subject, whether
serious or otherwise; light raillery. Hannah More.
||Per`si`fleur (?), n. [F.] One who
indulges in persiflage; a banterer; a quiz. Carlyle.
Per*sim"mon (?), n. [Virginia Indian.]
(Bot.) An American tree (Diospyros Virginiana) and
its fruit, found from New York southward. The fruit is like a plum in
appearance, but is very harsh and astringent until it has been exposed
to frost, when it becomes palatable and nutritious.
Japanese persimmon, Diospyros Kaki and
its red or yellow edible fruit, which outwardly resembles a tomato,
but contains a few large seeds.
Per"sis (?), n. [Etymol. uncertain.]
A kind of coloring matter obtained from lichens.
Per"sism (?), n. A Persian
idiom.
Per*sist" (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Persisted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Persisting.] [L. persistere; per + sistere to
stand or be fixed, fr. stare to stand: cf. F. persister.
See Per-, and Stand.] To stand firm; to be fixed
and unmoved; to stay; to continue steadfastly; especially, to continue
fixed in a course of conduct against opposing motives; to persevere; -
- sometimes conveying an unfavorable notion, as of doggedness or
obstinacy.
If they persist in pointing their batteries
against particular persons, no laws of war forbid the making
reprisals.
Addison.
Some positive, persisting fops we know,
Who, if once wrong, will needs be always so.
Pope.
That face persists.
It floats up; it turns over in my mind.
Mrs.
Browning.
Syn. -- See Persevere, and Insist.
{ Per*sist"ence (?), Per*sist"en*cy (?), }
n. [See Persistent.] 1.
The quality or state of being persistent; staying or continuing
quality; hence, in an unfavorable sense, doggedness;
obstinacy.
2. The continuance of an effect after the
cause which first gave rise to it is removed; as:
(a) (Physics) The persistence of
motion. (b) (Physiol.) Visual
persistence, or persistence of the visual impression;
auditory persistence, etc.
Per*sist"ent (?), a. [L.
persistens, -entis, p. pr. of persistere. See
Persist.] 1. Inclined to persist; having
staying qualities; tenacious of position or purpose.
2. (Biol.) Remaining beyond the period
when parts of the same kind sometimes fall off or are absorbed;
permanent; as, persistent teeth or gills; a persistent
calyx; -- opposed to deciduous, and caducous.
Per*sist"ent*ly, adv. In a
persistent manner.
Per*sist"ing, a. Inclined to
persist; tenacious of purpose; persistent. --
Per*sist"ing*ly, adv.
Per*sist"ive (?), a. See
Persistent. Shak.
Per*solve" (?), v. t. [L.
persolvere.] To pay wholly, or fully. [Obs.] E.
Hall.
Per"son (?), n. [OE. persone,
persoun, person, parson, OF. persone, F.
personne, L. persona a mask (used by actors), a
personage, part, a person, fr. personare to sound through;
per + sonare to sound. See Per-, and cf. Parson.]
1. A character or part, as in a play; a specific
kind or manifestation of individual character, whether in real life,
or in literary or dramatic representation; an assumed character.
[Archaic]
His first appearance upon the stage in his new
person of a sycophant or juggler.
Bacon.
No man can long put on a person and act a
part.
Jer. Taylor.
To bear rule, which was thy part
And person, hadst thou known thyself aright.
Milton.
How different is the same man from himself, as he
sustains the person of a magistrate and that of a
friend!
South.
2. The bodily form of a human being; body;
outward appearance; as, of comely person.
A fair persone, and strong, and young of
age.
Chaucer.
If it assume my noble father's
person.
Shak.
Love, sweetness, goodness, in her person
shined.
Milton.
3. A living, self-conscious being, as distinct
from an animal or a thing; a moral agent; a human being; a man, woman,
or child.
Consider what person stands for; which, I think,
is a thinking, intelligent being, that has reason and
reflection.
Locke.
4. A human being spoken of indefinitely; one;
a man; as, any person present.
5. A parson; the parish priest. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
6. (Theol.) Among Trinitarians, one of
the three subdivisions of the Godhead (the Father, the Son, and the
Holy Ghost); an hypostasis. "Three persons and one God."
Bk. of Com. Prayer.
7. (Gram.) One of three relations or
conditions (that of speaking, that of being spoken to, and that of
being spoken of) pertaining to a noun or a pronoun, and thence also to
the verb of which it may be the subject.
&fist; A noun or pronoun, when representing the speaker, is said to
be in the first person; when representing what is spoken to, in
the second person; when representing what is spoken of, in the
third person.
8. (Biol.) A shoot or bud of a plant; a
polyp or zooid of the compound Hydrozoa Anthozoa, etc.; also, an
individual, in the narrowest sense, among the higher animals.
Haeckel.
True corms, composed of united personæ . . .
usually arise by gemmation, . . . yet in sponges and corals
occasionally by fusion of several originally distinct
persons.
Encyc. Brit.
Artificial, or Fictitious,
person (Law), a corporation or body
politic. blackstone. -- Natural person
(Law), a man, woman, or child, in distinction from a
corporation. -- In person, by one's self;
with bodily presence; not by representative. "The king himself
in person is set forth." Shak. -- In the person
of, in the place of; acting for. Shak.
Per"son (?), v. t. To represent as
a person; to personify; to impersonate. [Obs.]
Milton.
||Per*so"na (?), n.; pl.
Personæ (#). [L.] (Biol.) Same as
Person, n., 8.
Per"son*a*ble (?), a. 1.
Having a well-formed body, or person; graceful; comely; of good
appearance; presentable; as, a personable man or
woman.
Wise, warlike, personable, courteous, and
kind.
Spenser.
The king, . . . so visited with sickness, was not
personable.
E. Hall.
2. (Law) (a) Enabled to
maintain pleas in court. Cowell. (b)
Having capacity to take anything granted.
Per"son*age (?), n. [F.
personnage.] 1. Form, appearance, or
belongings of a person; the external appearance, stature, figure, air,
and the like, of a person. "In personage stately."
Hayward.
The damsel well did view his
personage.
Spenser.
2. Character assumed or represented.
"The actors and personages of this fable." Broome.
"Disguised in a false personage." Addison.
3. A notable or distinguished person; a
conspicious or peculiar character; as, an illustrious
personage; a comely personage of stature tall.
Spenser.
Per"son*al (?), a. [L.
personalis: cf. F. personnel.] 1.
Pertaining to human beings as distinct from things.
Every man so termed by way of personal
difference.
Hooker.
2. Of or pertaining to a particular person;
relating to, or affecting, an individual, or each of many individuals;
peculiar or proper to private concerns; not public or general; as,
personal comfort; personal desire.
The words are conditional, -- If thou doest well, --
and so personal to Cain.
Locke.
3. Pertaining to the external or bodily
appearance; corporeal; as, personal charms.
Addison.
4. Done in person; without the intervention of
another. "Personal communication." Fabyan.
The immediate and personal speaking of
God.
White.
5. Relating to an individual, his character,
conduct, motives, or private affairs, in an invidious and offensive
manner; as, personal reflections or remarks.
6. (Gram.) Denoting person; as, a
personal pronoun.
Personal action (Law), a suit or
action by which a man claims a debt or personal duty, or damages in
lieu of it; or wherein he claims satisfaction in damages for an injury
to his person or property, or the specific recovery of goods or
chattels; -- opposed to real action. -- Personal
equation. (Astron.) See under
Equation. -- Personal estate or
property (Law), movables; chattels; --
opposed to real estate or property. It usually consists
of things temporary and movable, including all subjects of property
not of a freehold nature. -- Personal identity
(Metaph.), the persistent and continuous unity of the
individual person, which is attested by consciousness. --
Personal pronoun (Gram.), one of the
pronouns I, thou, he, she, it, and
their plurals. -- Personal representatives
(Law), the executors or administrators of a person
deceased. -- Personal rights, rights
appertaining to the person; as, the rights of a personal
security, personal liberty, and private property. --
Personal tithes. See under Tithe. --
Personal verb (Gram.), a verb which is
modified or inflected to correspond with the three persons.
Per"son*al, n. (Law) A
movable; a chattel.
Per"son*al*ism (?), n. The quality
or state of being personal; personality. [R.]
Per`son*al"i*ty (?), n.; pl.
Personalities (#). [Cf. F.
personnalité. Cf. Personality.]
1. That which constitutes distinction of person;
individuality.
Personality is individuality existing in itself,
but with a nature as a ground.
Coleridge.
2. Something said or written which refers to
the person, conduct, etc., of some individual, especially something of
a disparaging or offensive nature; personal remarks; as, indulgence in
personalities.
Sharp personalities were exchanged.
Macaulay.
3. (Law) That quality of a law which
concerns the condition, state, and capacity of persons.
Burrill.
Per"son*al*ize (?), v. t. [imp.
& p. p. Personalized (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Personalizing (?).] To make personal.
"They personalize death." H. Spencer.
Per"son*al*ly, adv. 1.
In a personal manner; by bodily presence; in person; not by
representative or substitute; as, to deliver a letter
personally.
He, being cited, personally came
not.
Grafton.
2. With respect to an individual; as regards
the person; individually; particularly.
She bore a mortal hatred to the house of Lancaster, and
personally to the king.
Bacon.
3. With respect to one's individuality; as
regards one's self; as, personally I have no feeling in the
matter.
Per"son*al*ty (?), n. 1.
The state of being a person; personality. [R.]
2. (Law) Personal property, as
distinguished from realty or real property.
Per"son*ate (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Personated (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Personating (?).] [L. personare to cry out,
LL., to extol. See Person.] To celebrate loudly; to extol;
to praise. [Obs.]
In fable, hymn, or song so personating
Their gods ridiculous.
Milton.
Per"son*ate, v. t. [L. personatus
masked, assumed, fictitious, fr. persona a mask. See
Person.] 1. To assume the character of; to
represent by a fictitious appearance; to act the part of; hence, to
counterfeit; to feign; as, he tried to personate his brother; a
personated devotion. Hammond.
2. To set forth in an unreal character; to
disguise; to mask. [R.] "A personated mate."
Milton.
3. To personify; to typify; to describe.
Shak.
Per"son*ate, v. i. To play or
assume a character.
Per"son*ate (?), a. [L.
personatus masked.] (Bot.) Having the throat of a
bilabiate corolla nearly closed by a projection of the base of the
lower lip; masked, as in the flower of the snapdragon.
Per`son*a"tion (?), n. The act of
personating, or conterfeiting the person or character of
another.
Per"son*a`tor (?), n. One who
personates. "The personators of these actions." B.
Jonson.
Per`son*e"i*ty (?), n.
Personality. [R.] Coleridge.
Per*son`i*fi*ca"tion (?), n. [Cf. F.
personnification.] 1. The act of
personifying; impersonation; embodiment. C. Knight.
2. (Rhet.) A figure of speech in which
an inanimate object or abstract idea is represented as animated, or
endowed with personality; prosopop&?;ia; as, the floods clap their
hands. "Confusion heards his voice." Milton.
Per*son"i*fi`er (?), n. One who
personifies.
Per*son"i*fy (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Personified (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Personifying (?).] [Person + -fy:
cf. F. personnifier.] 1. To regard, treat,
or represent as a person; to represent as a rational being.
The poets take the liberty of personifying
inanimate things.
Chesterfield.
2. To be the embodiment or personification of;
to impersonate; as, he personifies the law.
Per"son*ize (?), v. t. To
personify. [R.]
Milton has personized them.
J.
Richardson.
||Per`son`nel" (?), n. [F. See
Personal.] The body of persons employed in some public
service, as the army, navy, etc.; -- distinguished from
matériel.
Per*spec"tive (?), a. [L.
perspicere, perspectum, to look through; per +
spicere, specere, to look: cf. F. perspectif; or
from E. perspective, n. See Spy, n.]
1. Of or pertaining to the science of vision;
optical. [Obs.] Bacon.
2. Pertaining to the art, or in accordance
with the laws, of perspective.
Perspective plane, the plane or surface on
which the objects are delineated, or the picture drawn; the plane of
projection; -- distinguished from the ground plane, which is
that on which the objects are represented as standing. When this plane
is oblique to the principal face of the object, the perspective is
called oblique perspective; when parallel to that face,
parallel perspective. -- Perspective
shell (Zoöl.), any shell of the genus
Solarium and allied genera. See Solarium.
Per*spec"tive, n. [F.
perspective, fr. perspectif: cf. It. perspettiva.
See Perspective, a.] 1.
A glass through which objects are viewed. [Obs.] "Not a
perspective, but a mirror." Sir T. Browne.
2. That which is seen through an opening; a
view; a vista. "The perspective of life."
Goldsmith.
3. The effect of distance upon the appearance
of objects, by means of which the eye recognized them as being at a
more or less measurable distance. Hence, aërial
perspective, the assumed greater vagueness or uncertainty of
outline in distant objects.
Aërial perspective is the expression of
space by any means whatsoever, sharpness of edge, vividness of color,
etc.
Ruskin.
4. The art and the science of so delineating
objects that they shall seem to grow smaller as they recede from the
eye; -- called also linear perspective.
5. A drawing in linear perspective.
Isometrical perspective, an inaccurate term
for a mechanical way of representing objects in the direction of the
diagonal of a cube. -- Perspective glass, a
telescope which shows objects in the right position.
Per*spec"tive*ly (?), adv.
1. Optically; as through a glass. [R.]
You see them perspectively.
Shak.
2. According to the rules of
perspective.
Per*spec"to*graph (?), n. [L.
perspectus (p. p. of perspicere to look through) + -
graph.] An instrument for obtaining, and transferring to a
picture, the points and outlines of objects, so as to represent them
in their proper geometrical relations as viewed from some one
point.
Per`spec*tog"ra*phy (?), n. The
science or art of delineating objects according to the laws of
perspective; the theory of perspective.
Per"spi*ca*ble (?), a. [L.
perspicabilis, fr. perspicere.] Discernible.
[Obs.] Herbert.
Per`spi*ca"cious (?), a. [L.
perspicax, -acis, fr. perspicere to look through:
cf. F. perspicace. See Perspective.] 1.
Having the power of seeing clearly; quick-sighted; sharp of
sight.
2. Fig.: Of acute discernment; keen.
-- Per`spi*ca"cious*ly, adv. --
Per`spi*ca"cious*ness, n.
Per`spi*cac"i*ty (?), n. [L.
perspicacitas: cf. F. perspicacité. See
Perspicacious.] The state of being perspicacious;
acuteness of sight or of intelligence; acute discernment.
Sir T. Browne.
Per"spi*ca*cy (?), n.
Perspicacity. [Obs.]
Per*spi"cience (?), n. [L.
perspicientia, fr. perspiciens, p. p. of
perspicere. See Perspective.] The act of looking
sharply. [Obs.] Bailey.
Per"spi*cil (?), n. [LL.
perspicilla, fr. L. perspicere to look through.] An
optical glass; a telescope. [Obs.] Crashaw.
Per`spi*cu"i*ty (?), n. [L.
perspicuitas: cf. F. perspicuité.]
1. The quality or state of being transparent or
translucent. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.
2. The quality of being perspicuous to the
understanding; clearness of expression or thought.
3. Sagacity; perspicacity.
Syn. -- Clearness; perspicuousness; plainness; distinctness;
lucidity; transparency. See Clearness.
Per*spic"u*ous (?), a. [L.
perspicuus, from perspicere to look through. See
Perspective.] 1. Capable of being through;
transparent; translucent; not opaque. [Obs.]
Peacham.
2. Clear to the understanding; capable of
being clearly understood; clear in thought or in expression; not
obscure or ambiguous; as, a perspicuous writer;
perspicuous statements. "The purpose is
perspicuous." Shak.
-- Per*spic"u*ous*ly, adv. --
Per*spic"u*ous*ness, n.
Per*spir`a*bil"i*ty (?), n. The
quality or state of being perspirable.
Per*spir"a*ble (?), a. [Cf. F.
perspirable.] 1. Capable of being
perspired. Sir T. Browne.
2. Emitting perspiration; perspiring.
[R.] Bacon.
Per`spi*ra"tion (?), n. [Cf. F.
perspiration.] 1. The act or process of
perspiring.
2. That which is excreted through the skin;
sweat.
&fist; A man of average weight throws off through the skin during
24 hours about 18 ounces of water, 300 grains of solid matter, and 400
grains of carbonic acid gas. Ordinarily, this constant exhalation is
not apparent, and the excretion is then termed insensible
perspiration.
Per*spir"a*tive (?), a. Performing
the act of perspiration; perspiratory.
Per*spir"a*to*ry (?), a. Of,
pertaining to, or producing, perspiration; as, the perspiratory
ducts.
Per*spire" (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Perspired (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Perspiring.] [L. perspirare to breathe through; per +
spirare. See Per-, and Spirit.] 1.
(Physiol.) To excrete matter through the skin; esp., to
excrete fluids through the pores of the skin; to sweat.
2. To be evacuated or excreted, or to exude,
through the pores of the skin; as, a fluid perspires.
Per*spire", v. t. To emit or
evacuate through the pores of the skin; to sweat; to excrete through
pores.
Firs . . . perspire a fine balsam of
turpentine.
Smollett.
Per*strep"er*ous (?), a. [L.
perstrepere to make a great noise.] Noisy;
obstreperous. [Obs.] Ford.
Per*stringe" (?), v. t. [L.
perstringere; per + stringere to bind up, to touch
upon.] 1. To touch; to graze; to glance on.
[Obs.]
2. To criticise; to touch upon. [R.]
Evelyn.
Per*suad"a*ble (?), a. That may be
persuaded. -- Per*suad"a*ble*ness, n.
-- Per*suad"a*bly, adv.
Per*suade" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Persuaded; p. pr. & vb. n.
Persuading.] [L. persuadere, persuasum; per +
suadere to advise, persuade: cf. F. persuader. See Per-
, and Suasion.] 1. To influence or
gain over by argument, advice, entreaty, expostulation, etc.; to draw
or incline to a determination by presenting sufficient
motives.
Almost thou persuadest me to be a
Christian.
Acts xxvi. 28.
We will persuade him, be it
possible.
Shak.
2. To try to influence.
[Obsolescent]
Hearken not unto Hezekiah, when he persuadeth
you.
2 Kings xviii. 32.
3. To convince by argument, or by reasons
offered or suggested from reflection, etc.; to cause to
believe.
Beloved, we are persuaded better things of
you.
Heb. vi. 9.
4. To inculcate by argument or expostulation;
to advise; to recommend. Jer. Taylor.
Syn. -- To convince; induce; prevail on; win over; allure;
entice. See Convince.
Per*suade" (?), v. i. To use
persuasion; to plead; to prevail by persuasion.
Shak.
Per*suade", n. Persuasion.
[Obs.] Beau. & Fl.
Per*suad"ed, p. p. & a. Prevailed
upon; influenced by argument or entreaty; convinced. --
Per*suad"ed*ly, adv. --
Per*suad"ed*ness, n.
Per*suad"er (?), n. One who, or
that which, persuades or influences. "Powerful
persuaders." Milton.
Per*sua`si*bil"i*ty (?), n.
Capability of being persuaded. Hawthorne.
Per*sua"si*ble (?), a. [Cf. L.
persuasibilis persuasive, F. persuasible persuasible.]
1. Capable of being persuaded;
persuadable.
2. Persuasive. [Obs.] Bale.
-- Per*sua"si*ble*ness, n. --
Per*sua"si*bly, adv.
Per*sua"sion (?), n. [L.
persuasio; Cf. F. persuasion.] 1.
The act of persuading; the act of influencing the mind by
arguments or reasons offered, or by anything that moves the mind or
passions, or inclines the will to a determination.
For thou hast all the arts of fine
persuasion.
Otway.
2. The state of being persuaded or convinced;
settled opinion or conviction, which has been induced.
If the general persuasion of all men does so
account it.
Hooker.
My firm persuasion is, at least sometimes,
That Heaven will weigh man's virtues and his crimes
With nice attention.
Cowper.
3. A creed or belief; a sect or party adhering
to a certain creed or system of opinions; as, of the same
persuasion; all persuasions are agreed.
Of whatever state or persuasion, religious or
political.
Jefferson.
4. The power or quality of persuading;
persuasiveness.
Is 't possible that my deserts to you
Can lack persuasion?
Shak.
5. That which persuades; a persuasive.
[R.]
Syn. -- See Conviction.
Per*sua"sive (?), a. [Cf. F.
persuasif.] Tending to persuade; having the power of
persuading; as, persuasive eloquence. "Persuasive
words." Milton.
Per*sua"sive, n. That which
persuades; an inducement; an incitement; an exhortation. --
Per*sua"sive*ly, adv. --
Per*sua"sive*ness, n.
Per*sua"so*ry (?), a.
Persuasive. Sir T. Browne.
Per*sul"phate (?), n. (Chem.)
A sulphate of the peroxide of any base. [R.]
Per*sul"phide (?), n. (Chem.)
A sulphide containing more sulphur than some other compound of
the same elements; as, iron pyrites is a persulphide; --
formerly called persulphuret.
Per*sul`pho*cy"a*nate (?), n.
(Chem.) A salt of persulphocyanic acid. [R.]
Per*sul`pho*cy*an"ic (?), a.
(Chem.) Pertaining to, or designating, a yellow
crystalline substance (called also perthiocyanic acid),
analogous to sulphocyanic acid, but containing more sulphur.
Per*sul`pho*cy*an"o*gen (?), n.
(Chem.) An orange-yellow substance, produced by the action
of chlorine or boiling dilute nitric acid and sulphocyanate of
potassium; -- called also pseudosulphocyanogen,
perthiocyanogen, and formerly sulphocyanogen.
Per*sul"phu*ret (?), n. (Chem.)
A persulphide. [Obs.]
Pert (?), a. [An aphetic form of OE. &
OF. apert open, known, true, free, or impudent. See
Apert.] 1. Open; evident; apert.
[Obs.] Piers Plowman.
2. Lively; brisk; sprightly; smart.
[Obs.] Shak.
3. Indecorously free, or presuming; saucy;
bold; impertinent. "A very pert manner."
Addison.
The squirrel, flippant, pert, and full of
play.
Cowper.
Pert, v. i. To behave with
pertness. [Obs.] Gauden.
Per*tain" (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Pertained (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pertaining.] [OE. partenen, OF. partenir, fr. L.
pertinere to stretch out, reach, pertain; per + tenere
to hold, keep. See Per-, and Tenable, and cf.
Appertain, Pertinent.] 1. To
belong; to have connection with, or dependence on, something, as an
appurtenance, attribute, etc.; to appertain; as, saltness
pertains to the ocean; flowers pertain to plant
life.
Men hate those who affect that honor by ambition which
pertaineth not to them.
Hayward.
2. To have relation or reference to
something.
These words pertain unto us at this time as they
pertained to them at their time.
Latimer.
Per*ter`e*bra"tion (?), n. [L.
perterebratus, p. p. of perterebrare to bore through.]
The act of boring through. [Obs.] Ainsworth.
Per*thi`o*cy*an"o*gen (?), n.
(Chem.) Same as Persulphocyanogen.
Perth"ite (?), n. [So called from
Perth, in canada.] (Min.) A kind of feldspar
consisting of a laminated intertexture of albite and orthoclase,
usually of different colors. -- Per*thit"ic (#),
a.
Per`ti*na"cious (?), a.[L.
pertinax, -acis; per + tenax tenacious. See
Per-, and Tenacious.] 1. Holding or
adhering to any opinion, purpose, or design, with obstinacy;
perversely persistent; obstinate; as, pertinacious plotters; a
pertinacious beggar.
2. Resolute; persevering; constant;
steady.
Diligence is a steady, constant, and
pertinacious study.
South.
Syn. -- Obstinate; stubborn; inflexible; unyielding;
resolute; determined; firm; constant; steady.
-- Per`ti*na"cious*ly, adv. --
Per`ti*na"cious*ness, n.
Per`ti*nac"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F.
pertinacité.] The quality or state of being
pertinacious; obstinacy; perseverance; persistency.
Macaulay.
Syn. -- See Obstinacy.
Per"ti*na*cy (?), n. [L.
pertinere to pertain. See Pertinence.] The quality
or state of being pertinent; pertinence. [Obs.]
Per"ti*na*cy, n. [L. pertinacia,
fr. pertinax. See Pertinacious.] Pertinacity.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
Per"ti*nate (?), a.
Pertinacious. [Obs.]
Per"ti*nate*ly, adv.
Pertinaciously. [Obs.]
{ Per"ti*nence (?), Per"ti*nen*cy (?), }
n. [Cf. F. pertinence. See Pertinent.]
The quality or state of being pertinent; justness of relation to
the subject or matter in hand; fitness; appositeness; relevancy;
suitableness.
The fitness and pertinency of the apostle's
discourse.
Bentley.
Per"ti*nent (?), a. [L.
pertinens, -entis, p. pr. of pertinere: cf. F.
pertinent. See Pertain.] 1.
Belonging or related to the subject or matter in hand; fit or
appropriate in any way; adapted to the end proposed; apposite;
material; relevant; as, pertinent illustrations or arguments;
pertinent evidence.
2. Regarding; concerning; belonging;
pertaining. [R.] "Pertinent unto faith."
Hooker.
Syn. -- Apposite; relevant; suitable; appropriate; fit.
-- Per"ti*nent*ly, adv. --
Per"ti*nent*ness, n.
Pert"ly (?), adv. In a pert
manner.
Pert"ness, n. The quality or state
of being pert.
Per*tran"sient (?), a. [L.
pertransiens, p. pr. of pertransire.] Passing
through or over. [R.]
Per*turb" (?), v. t. [L.
perturbare, perturbatum; per + turbare to
disturb, fr. turba a disorder: cf. OF. perturber. See
Per-, and Turbid.] 1. To disturb;
to agitate; to vex; to trouble; to disquiet.
Ye that . . . perturb so my feast with
crying.
Chaucer.
2. To disorder; to confuse. [R.] Sir
T. Browne.
Per*turb`a*bil"i*ty (?), n. The
quality or state of being perturbable.
Per*turb"a*ble (?), a. Liable to be
perturbed or agitated; liable to be disturbed or disquieted.
Per*turb"ance (?), n. Disturbance;
perturbation. [R.] "Perturbance of the mind."
Sharp.
Per"tur*bate (?), v. t. [From L.
perturbatus, p. p.] To perturb. [Obs.] Dr. H.
More.
Per"tur*bate (?), a. Perturbed;
agitated. [R.]
Per`tur*ba"tion (?), n. [L.
perturbatio: cf. F. perturbation.] 1.
The act of perturbing, or the state of being perturbed; esp.,
agitation of mind.
2. (Astron.) A disturbance in the
regular elliptic or other motion of a heavenly body, produced by some
force additional to that which causes its regular motion; as, the
perturbations of the planets are caused by their attraction on
each other. Newcomb.
Per`tur*ba"tion*al (?), a. Of or
pertaining to perturbation, esp. to the perturbations of the
planets. "The perturbational theory." Sir J.
Herschel.
Per"tur*ba*tive (?), a. Tending to
cause perturbation; disturbing. Sir J. Herschel.
Per"tur*ba`tor (?), n. A
perturber. [R.]
Per*turbed" (?), a. Agitated;
disturbed; troubled. Shak. -- Per*turb"ed*ly,
adv.
Per*turb"er (?), n. One who, or
that which, perturbs, or cause perturbation.
Per*tus"ate (?), a. [See
Pertuse.] (Bot.) Pierced at the apex.
{ Per*tuse" (?), Per*tused" (?) },
a. [L. pertusus, p. p. of pertundere
to beat or thrust through, to bore through; per + tundere to
beat: cf. F. pertus. Cf. Pierce.] Punched; pierced
with, or having, holes.
Per*tu"sion (?), n. [L.
pertusio.] The act of punching or piercing with a pointed
instrument; as, pertusion of a vein. [R.]
Arbuthnot.
2. A punched hole; a perforation.
Bacon.
||Per*tus"sis (?), n. [NL., fr. L.
per through, very + tussis cough.] (Med.)
The whooping cough.
Per"uke (?), n. [F. perruque, It.
perrucca, parrucca, fr. L. pilus hair. Cf.
Periwig, Wig, Peel to strip off, Plush,
Pile a hair.] A wig; a periwig.
Per"uke, v. t. To dress with a
peruke. [R.]
||Per"u*la (?), n.; pl.
Perulæ (#). [L., dim. of pera wallet,
Gr. &?;: cf. F. pérule.] 1.
(Bot.) One of the scales of a leaf bud.
2. (Bot.) A pouchlike portion of the
perianth in certain orchides.
Per"ule (?), n. Same as
Perula.
Pe*rus"al (?), n. [From Peruse.]
1. The act of carefully viewing or
examining. [R.] Tatler.
2. The act of reading, especially of reading
through or with care. Woodward.
Pe*ruse" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Perused (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Perusing.] [Pref. per- + use.] 1.
To observe; to examine with care. [R.]
Myself I then perused, and limb by limb
Surveyed.
Milton.
2. To read through; to read carefully.
Shak.
Pe*rus"er (?), n. One who
peruses.
Pe*ru"vi*an (?), a. [Cf. F.
péruvien, Sp. peruviano.] Of or pertaining
to Peru, in South America. -- n. A native
or an inhabitant of Peru.
Peruvian balsam. See Balsam of Peru,
under Balsam. -- Peruvian bark, the
bitter bark of trees of various species of Cinchona. It acts as a
powerful tonic, and is a remedy for malarial diseases. This property
is due to several alkaloids, as quinine, cinchonine, etc., and their
compounds; -- called also Jesuit's bark, and cinchona.
See Cinchona.
Per*vade" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pervaded; p. pr. & vb. n.
Pervading.] [L. pervadere, pervasum; per +
vadere to go, to walk. See Per-, and Wade.]
1. To pass or flow through, as an aperture, pore,
or interstice; to permeate.
That labyrinth is easily pervaded.
Blackstone.
2. To pass or spread through the whole extent
of; to be diffused throughout.
A spirit of cabal, intrigue, and proselytism
pervaded all their thoughts, words, and actions.
Burke.
Per*va"sion (?), n. [L. pervasio.
See Pervade.] The act of pervading, passing, or spreading
through the whole extent of a thing. Boyle.
Per*va"sive (?), a. Tending to
pervade, or having power to spread throughout; of a pervading
quality. "Civilization pervasive and general." M.
Arnold.
Per*verse" (?), a. [L. perversus
turned the wrong way, not right, p. p. of pervertereto turn
around, to overturn: cf. F. pervers. See Pervert.]
1. Turned aside; hence, specifically, turned away
from the right; willfully erring; wicked; perverted.
The only righteous in a word
perverse.
Milton.
2. Obstinate in the wrong; stubborn;
intractable; hence, wayward; vexing; contrary.
To so perverse a sex all grace is
vain.
Dryden.
Syn. -- Froward; untoward; wayward; stubborn; ungovernable;
intractable; cross; petulant; vexatious. -- Perverse,
Froward. One who is froward is capricious, and reluctant
to obey. One who is perverse has a settled obstinacy of will,
and likes or dislikes by the rule of contradiction to the will of
others.
Per*versed" (?), a. Turned
aside. [Obs.]
Per*vers"ed*ly (?), adv.
Perversely. [Obs.]
Per*verse"ly, adv. In a perverse
manner.
Per*verse"ness, n. The quality or
state of being perverse. "Virtue hath some perverseness."
Donne.
Per*ver"sion (?), n. [L.
perversio: cf. F. perversion. See Pervert.]
The act of perverting, or the state of being perverted; a turning
from truth or right; a diverting from the true intent or object; a
change to something worse; a turning or applying to a wrong end or
use. "Violations and perversions of the laws."
Bacon.
Per*ver"si*ty (?), n. [L.
perversitas: cf. F. perversité.] The quality
or state of being perverse; perverseness.
Per*ver"sive (?), a.Tending to
pervert.
Per*vert" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Perverted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Perverting.] [F. pervertir, L. pervertere,
perversum; per + vertere to turn. See Per-, and
Verse.] 1. To turnanother way; to
divert. [Obs.]
Let's follow him, and pervert the present
wrath.
Shak.
2. To turn from truth, rectitude, or
propriety; to divert from a right use, end, or way; to lead astray; to
corrupt; also, to misapply; to misinterpret designedly; as, to
pervert one's words. Dryden.
He, in the serpent, had perverted
Eve.
Milton.
Per*vert", v. i. To become
perverted; to take the wrong course. [R.] Testament of
Love.
Per"vert (?), n. One who has been
perverted; one who has turned to error, especially in religion; --
opposed to convert. See the Synonym of
Convert.
That notorious pervert, Henry of
Navarre.
Thackeray.
Per*vert"er (?), n. One who
perverts (a person or thing). "His own parents his
perverters." South. "A perverter of his law."
Bp. Stillingfleet.
Per*vert"i*ble (?), a. Capable of
being perverted.
Per*ves"ti*gate (?), v. t. [L.
pervestigatus, p. p. of pervestigare.] To
investigate thoroughly. [Obs.]
Per*ves`ti*ga"tion (?), n. [L.
pervestigatio.] Thorough investigation. [Obs.]
Chillingworth.
Per"vi*al (?), a. [See Pervious.]
Pervious. [Obs.] -- Per"vi*al*ly,
adv. [Obs.] Chapman.
Per`vi*ca"cious (?), a. [L.
pervicax, -acis.] Obstinate; willful;
refractory. [Obs.] -- Per`vi*ca"cious*ly,
adv. -- Per`vi*ca"cious*ness,
n. [Obs.]
Per`vi*cac"i*ty (?), n. Obstinacy;
pervicaciousness. [Obs.] Bentley.
Per"vi*ca*cy (?), n. [L.
pervicacia.] Pervicacity. [Obs.]
Per*vig`i*la"tion (?), n. [L.
pervigilatio, fr. pervigilare.] Careful
watching. [Obs.]
Per"vi*ous (?), a. [L. pervis;
per + via a way. See Per-, and Voyage.]
1. Admitting passage; capable of being penetrated
by another body or substance; permeable; as, a pervious
soil.
[Doors] . . . pervious to winds, and open every
way.
Pope.
2. Capable of being penetrated, or seen
through, by physical or mental vision. [R.]
God, whose secrets are pervious to no
eye.
Jer. Taylor.
3. Capable of penetrating or pervading.
[Obs.] Prior.
4. (Zoöl.) Open; -- used
synonymously with perforate, as applied to the nostrils or
birds.
Per"vi*ous*ness, n. The quality or
state of being pervious; as, the perviousness of glass.
Boyle.
Per"vis (?), n. See
Parvis.
Per"y (?), n. A pear tree. See
Pirie. [Obs.]
||Pes (?), n.; pl.
Pedes . [L., the foot.] (Anat.) The
distal segment of the hind limb of vertebrates, including the tarsus
and foot.
Pe*sade" (?), n. [F.] (Man.)
The motion of a horse when, raising his fore quarters, he keeps
his hind feet on the ground without advancing; rearing.
Pes"age (?), n. [F., fr. peser to
weigh.] A fee, or toll, paid for the weighing of
merchandise.
Pes"ane (?), n. (Anc. Armor.)
See Pusane.
Pes"ant*ed (?), a. [F. pesant
heavy.] Made heavy or dull; debased. [Obs.]
"Pesanted to each lewd thought's control." Marston.
Pe*schit"o (?), n. See
Peshito.
Pese (?), n. [See Pea.] A
pea. [Obs.] Chaucer.
||Pe*se"ta (?), n. [Sp.] A Spanish
silver coin, and money of account, equal to about nineteen cents, and
divided into 100 centesimos.
{ Pe*shit"o (?), Pe*shit"to (?), }
n. [Syriac peshîtâ simple.]
The earliest Syriac version of the Old Testament, translated from
Hebrew; also, the incomplete Syriac version of the New
Testament. [Written also peschito.]
Pes"ky (?), a. [Etymol. uncertain.]
Pestering; vexatious; troublesome. Used also as an
intensive. [Colloq. & Low, U.S.] Judd.
||Pe"so (?), n. [Sp.] A Spanish
dollar; also, an Argentine, Chilian, Colombian, etc., coin, equal to
from 75 cents to a dollar; also, a pound weight.
Pes"sa*ry (?), n.; pl.
Pessaries (#). [L. pessarium, pessum,
pessus, Gr. &?;: cf. F. pessaire.] (Med.)
(a) An instrument or device to be introduced into
and worn in the vagina, to support the uterus, or remedy a
malposition. (b) A medicinal substance in
the form of a bolus or mass, designed for introduction into the
vagina; a vaginal suppository.
Pes"si*mism (?), n. [L. pessimus
worst, superl. of pejor worse: cf. F. pessimisme. Cf.
Impair.] 1. (Metaph.) The opinion
or doctrine that everything in nature is ordered for or tends to the
worst, or that the world is wholly evil; -- opposed to
optimism.
2. A disposition to take the least hopeful
view of things.
Pes"si*mist (?), n. [L. pessimus
worst: cf. F. pessimiste.] 1. (Metaph.)
One who advocates the doctrine of pessimism; -- opposed to
optimist.
2. One who looks on the dark side of
things.
{ Pes"si*mist (?), Pes`si*mis"tic (?), }
a. (Metaph.) Of or pertaining to
pessimism; characterized by pessimism; gloomy; foreboding.
"Giving utterance to pessimistic doubt." Encyc.
Brit.
Pes`si*mis"tic*al (?), a.
Pessimistic.
Pes"si*mize (?), v. i. To hold or
advocate the doctrine of pessimism. London Sat. Rev.
||Pes"su*lus (?), n.; pl.
Pessuli (#). [L., a bolt.] (Anat.) A
delicate bar of cartilage connecting the dorsal and ventral
extremities of the first pair of bronchial cartilages in the syrinx of
birds.
Pest (?), n. [L. pestis: cf. F.
peste.] 1. A fatal epidemic disease; a
pestilence; specif., the plague.
England's sufferings by that scourge, the
pest.
Cowper.
2. Anything which resembles a pest; one who,
or that which, is troublesome, noxious, mischievous, or destructive; a
nuisance. "A pest and public enemy." South.
Pes`ta*loz"zi*an (?), a. Belonging
to, or characteristic of, a system of elementary education which
combined manual training with other instruction, advocated and
practiced by Jean Henri Pestalozzi (1746-1827), a Swiss
teacher. -- n. An advocate or follower of
the system of Pestalozzi.
Pes`ta*loz"zi*an*ism (?), n. The
system of education introduced by Pestalozzi.
Pes"ter (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pestered (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pestering.] [Abbrev. fr. impester, fr. OF.
empaistrier, empestrer, to entangle the feet or legs, to
embarrass, F. empêtrer; pref. em-, en-
(L. in in) + LL. pastorium, pastoria, a
fetter by which horses are prevented from wandering in the pastures,
fr. L. pastorius belonging to a herdsman or shepherd,
pastor a herdsman. See In, and Pasture,
Pastor.] 1. To trouble; to disturb; to
annoy; to harass with petty vexations.
We are pestered with mice and rats.
Dr. H. More.
A multitude of scribblers daily pester the
world.
Dryden.
2. To crowd together in an annoying way; to
overcrowd; to infest. [Obs.] Milton.
All rivers and pools . . . pestered full with
fishes.
Holland.
Pes"ter*er (?), n. One who pesters
or harasses.
Pes"ter*ment (?), n. The act of
pestering, or the state of being pestered; vexation; worry. "The
trouble and pesterment of children." B. Franklin.
Pes"ter*ous (?), a.Inclined to
pester. Also, vexatious; encumbering; burdensome. [Obs.]
Bacon.
Pest"ful (?), a. Pestiferous.
"After long and pestful calms." Coleridge.
Pest`house" (?), n. A house or
hospital for persons who are infected with any pestilential
disease.
Pes"ti*duct (?), n. [L. pestis
pest + ductus a leading, fr. ducere to lead.] That
which conveys contagion or infection. [Obs.] Donne.
Pes*tif"er*ous (?), a. [L.
pestiferus, pestifer; pestis pest + ferre
to bear: cf. F. pestifère.] 1.
Pest-bearing; pestilential; noxious to health; malignant;
infectious; contagious; as, pestiferous bodies. "Poor,
pestiferous creatures begging alms." Evelyn.
"Unwholesome and pestiferous occupations." Burke.
2. Noxious to peace, to morals, or to society;
vicious; hurtful; destructive; as, a pestiferous
demagogue.
Pestiferous reports of men very nobly
held.
Shak.
Pes*tif"er*ous*ly, adv. In a
pestiferuos manner.
Pes"ti*lence (?), n. [F.
pestilence, L. pestilentia. See Pestilent.]
1. Specifically, the disease known as the plague;
hence, any contagious or infectious epidemic disease that is virulent
and devastating.
The pestilence That walketh in
darkness.
Ps. xci. 6.
2. Fig.: That which is pestilent, noxious, or
pernicious to the moral character of great numbers.
I'll pour this pestilence into his
ear.
Shak.
Pestilence weed (Bot.), the butterbur
coltsfoot (Petasites vulgaris), so called because formerly
considered a remedy for the plague. Dr. Prior.
Pes"ti*lent (?), a. [L.
pestilens, -entis, fr. pestis pest: cf. F.
pestilent.] Pestilential; noxious; pernicious;
mischievous. "Corrupt and pestilent." Milton.
"What a pestilent knave is this same!" Shak.
Pes`ti*len"tial (?), a. [Cf. F.
pestilentiel.] 1. Having the nature or
qualities of a pestilence. "Sends the pestilential
vapors." Longfellow.
2. Hence: Mischievous; noxious; pernicious;
morally destructive.
So pestilential, so infectious a thing is
sin.
Jer. Taylor.
Pes`ti*len"tial*ly, adv.
Pestilently.
Pes`ti*len"tious (?), a.
Pestilential. [Obs.]
Pes"ti*lent*ly (?), adv. In a
pestilent manner; mischievously; destructively. "Above all
measure pestilently noisome." Dr. H. More.
Pes"ti*lent*ness, n. The quality of
being pestilent.
Pes`til*la"tion (?), n. [LL.
pestillum, L. pistillum. See Pestle.] The
act of pounding and bruising with a pestle in a mortar. Sir
T. Browne.
Pes"tle (p&ebreve;s"'l; 277), n. [OE.
pestel, OF. pestel, LL. pestellum, L.
pistillum, pistillus, a pounder, pestle, fr.
pisere, pinsere, to pound, crush, akin to Gr. &?;, Skr.
pish. Cf. Pistil.] 1. An implement
for pounding and breaking or braying substances in a mortar.
2. A constable's or bailiff's staff; -- so
called from its shape. [Obs.] Chapman.
3. The leg and leg bone of an animal,
especially of a pig; as, a pestle of pork.
Pes"tle (?), v. t. & i. [imp. &
p. p. Pestled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pestling (?).] To pound, pulverize, bray, or mix with a
pestle, or as with a pestle; to use a pestle.
Pet (?), n. [Formerly peat,
perhaps from Ir. peat, akin to Gael. peata.]
1. A cade lamb; a lamb brought up by
hand.
2. Any person or animal especially cherished
and indulged; a fondling; a darling; often, a favorite
child.
The love of cronies, pets, and
favorites.
Tatler.
3. [Prob. fr. Pet a fondling, hence, the
behavior or humor of a spoiled child.] A slight fit of
peevishness or fretfulness. "In a pet she started up."
Tennyson.
Pet, a. Petted; indulged; admired;
cherished; as, a pet child; a pet lamb; a pet
theory.
Some young lady's pet curate.
F.
Harrison.
Pet cock. [Perh. for petty cock.]
(Mach.) A little faucet in a water pipe or pump, to let air
out, or at the end of a steam cylinder, to drain it.
Pet, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Petted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Petting.] To treat as a pet; to fondle; to indulge; as,
she was petted and spoiled.
Pet, v. i. To be a pet.
Feltham.
Pet"al (?), n. [Gr. &?; a leaf, a leaf
or plate of metal, fr. &?; outspread, broad, flat: cf. F.
pétale. See Fathom.] 1.
(Bot.) One of the leaves of the corolla, or the colored
leaves of a flower. See Corolla, and Illust. of
Flower.
2. (Zoöl.) One of the expanded
ambulacra which form a rosette on the black of certain
Echini.
Pet"aled (?), a. (Bot.)
Having petals; as, a petaled flower; -- opposed to
apetalous, and much used in compounds; as, one-petaled,
three-petaled, etc.
Pet`al*if"er*ous (?), a. [Petal +
-ferous.] Bearing petals.
Pe*tal"i*form (?), a. (Bot.)
Having the form of a petal; petaloid; petal-shaped.
Pet"al*ine (?), a. [Cf. F.
pétalin.] (Bot.) Pertaining to a petal;
attached to, or resembling, a petal.
Pet"al*ism (?), n. [Gr. &?;, fr. &?; a
leaf: cf. F. pétalisme.] (Gr. Antiq.) A form
of sentence among the ancient Syracusans by which they banished for
five years a citizen suspected of having dangerous influence or
ambition. It was similar to the ostracism in Athens; but olive
leaves were used instead of shells for ballots.
Pet"al*ite (?), n. [Cf. F.
pétalite.] (Min.) A rare mineral, occurring
crystallized and in cleavable masses, usually white, or nearly so, in
color. It is a silicate of aluminia and lithia.
Pe*tal"o*dy (?), n. [Petal + Gr.
&?; form.] (Bot.) The metamorphosis of various floral
organs, usually stamens, into petals.
Pet"al*oid (?), a. [Petal + -
oid: cf. F. pétaloïde.] (Bot.)
Petaline.
Pet`al*oid"e*ous (?), a. (Bot.)
Having the whole or part of the perianth petaline.
Petaloideous division, that division of
endogenous plants in which the perianth is wholly or partly petaline,
embracing the Liliaceæ, Orchidaceæ,
Amaryllideæ, etc.
||Pet`a*los"ti*cha (?), n. pl. [NL.,
from Gr. &?; a leaf + &?; a row.] (Zoöl.) An order of
Echini, including the irregular sea urchins, as the spatangoids. See
Spatangoid.
Pet"al*ous (?), a. Having petals;
petaled; -- opposed to apetalous.
||Pet"a*lum (?), n.; pl.
Petala (#). [NL.] A petal.
Pe*tar" (?), n. See
Petard. [Obs.] "Hoist with his own petar."
Shak.
Pe*tard" (?), n. [F.
pétard, fr. péter to break wind, to crack,
to explode, L. pedere, peditum.] (Mil.) A
case containing powder to be exploded, esp. a conical or cylindrical
case of metal filled with powder and attached to a plank, to be
exploded against and break down gates, barricades, drawbridges, etc.
It has been superseded.
{ Pet`ar*deer", Pet`ar*dier" } (?),
n. [F. pétardier.] (Mil.)
One who managed a petard.
||Pet"a*sus (?), n. [L., from Gr. &?;.]
(Gr. & Rom. Antiq.) The winged cap of Mercury; also, a
broad-brimmed, low-crowned hat worn by Greeks and Romans.
Pe*tau"rist (?), n. [L.
petaurista a ropedancer, Gr. &?;, fr. &?; to dance on a rope,
fr. &?; a pole, a stage for ropedancers: cf. F.
pétauriste.] (Zoöl.) Any flying
marsupial of the genera Petaurus, Phalangista,
Acrobata, and allied genera. See Flying mouse, under
Flying, and Phalangister.
||Pe*tech"i*æ (?), n. pl.; sing.
Petechia (&?;). [NL., fr. LL. peteccia;
cf. F. pétéchie, It. petecchia, Sp.
petequia, Gr. &?; a label, plaster.] (Med.) Small
crimson, purple, or livid spots, like flea-bites, due to extravasation
of blood, which appear on the skin in malignant fevers, etc.
Pe*tech"i*al (?), a. [Cf. F.
pétéchial, LL. petecchialis.]
(Med.) Characterized by, or pertaining to, petechiæ;
spotted.
Petechial fever, a malignant fever,
accompanied with livid spots on the skin.
Pe"ter (?), n. A common baptismal
name for a man. The name of one of the apostles,
Peter boat, a fishing boat, sharp at both
ends, originally of the Baltic Sea, but now common in certain English
rivers. -- Peter Funk, the auctioneer in a
mock auction. [Cant, U.S.] -- Peter pence, or
Peter's pence. (a) An annual tax
or tribute, formerly paid by the English people to the pope, being a
penny for every house, payable on Lammas or St.Peter's day; -- called
also Rome scot, and hearth money.
(b) In modern times, a voluntary contribution made
by Roman Catholics to the private purse of the pope. --
Peter's fish (Zoöl.), a haddock; --
so called because the black spots, one on each side, behind the gills,
are traditionally said to have been caused by the fingers of St.
Peter, when he caught the fish to pay the tribute. The name is
applied, also, to other fishes having similar spots.
Pet"er (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Petered (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Petering.] [Etymol. uncertain.] To become exhausted; to
run out; to fail; -- used generally with out; as, that mine has
petered out. [Slang, U.S.]
Pet"er*el (?), n. (Zoöl.)
See Petrel.
Pet`e*re"ro (?), n. (Mil.)
See Pederero.
Pe"ter*man (?), n.; pl.
Petermen (&?;). A fisherman; -- so called after
the apostle Peter. [An obs. local term in Eng.]
Chapman.
Pe"ter*sham (?), n. [Named after Lord
Petersham.] A rough, knotted woolen cloth, used chiefly
for men's overcoats; also, a coat of that material.
Pe"ter*wort` (?), n. (Bot.)
See Saint Peter's-wort, under Saint.
{ Pet"i*o*lar (?), Pet"i*o*la*ry (?), }
a. [Cf. F. pétiolarie.] (Bot.)
Of or pertaining to petiole, or proceeding from it; as, a
petiolar tendril; growing or supported upon a petiole; as, a
petiolar gland; a petiolar bud.
{ Pet"i*o*late (?), Pet"i*o*la`ted (?), }
a. (Bot. & Zoöl.) Having a stalk or
petiole; as, a petioleate leaf; the petiolated abdomen
of certain Hymenoptera.
Pet"i*ole (?), n. [F.
pétiole, fr. L. petiolus a little foot, a fruit
stalk; cf. pes, pedis, a foot.] 1.
(Bot.) A leafstalk; the footstalk of a leaf, connecting
the blade with the stem. See Illust. of Leaf.
2. (Zoöl.) A stalk or
peduncle.
Pet"i*oled (?), a.
Petiolate.
Pet`i*ol"u*late (?), a. (Bot.)
Supported by its own petiolule. Gray.
Pet"i*o*lule (?), n. [Cf. F.
pétiolule.] (Bot.) A small petiole, or the
petiole of a leaflet.
Pet"it (?), a. [F. See Petty.]
Small; little; insignificant; mean; -- Same as
Petty. [Obs., except in legal language.]
By what small, petit hints does the mind catch
hold of and recover a vanishing notion.
South.
Petit constable, an inferior civil officer,
subordinate to the high constable. -- Petit
jury, a jury of twelve men, impaneled to try causes at
the bar of a court; -- so called in distinction from the grand
jury. -- Petit larceny, the stealing of
goods of, or under, a certain specified small value; -- opposed to
grand larceny. The distinction is abolished in England. --
Petit maître (&?;). [F., lit., little master.]
A fop; a coxcomb; a ladies' man. Goldsmith. --
Petit serjeanty (Eng. Law), the tenure of
lands of the crown, by the service of rendering annually some
implement of war, as a bow, an arrow, a sword, a flag, etc. --
Petit treason, formerly, in England, the crime
of killing a person to whom the offender owed duty or subjection, as
one's husband, master, mistress, etc. The crime is now not
distinguished from murder.
Pe*ti"tion (?), n. [F.
pétition, L. petitio, fr. petere,
petitum, to beg, ask, seek; perh. akin to E. feather, or
find.] 1. A prayer; a supplication; an
imploration; an entreaty; especially, a request of a solemn or formal
kind; a prayer to the Supreme Being, or to a person of superior power,
rank, or authority; also, a single clause in such a prayer.
A house of prayer and petition for thy
people.
1 Macc. vii. 37.
This last petition heard of all her
prayer.
Dryden.
2. A formal written request addressed to an
official person, or to an organized body, having power to grant it;
specifically (Law), a supplication to government, in either of
its branches, for the granting of a particular grace or right; -- in
distinction from a memorial, which calls certain facts to mind;
also, the written document.
Petition of right (Law), a petition to
obtain possession or restitution of property, either real or personal,
from the Crown, which suggests such a title as controverts the title
of the Crown, grounded on facts disclosed in the petition itself.
Mozley & W. -- The Petition of Right (Eng.
Hist.), the parliamentary declaration of the rights of the
people, assented to by Charles I.
Pe*ti"tion, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Petitioned (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Petitioning.] To make a prayer or request to; to ask from;
to solicit; to entreat; especially, to make a formal written
supplication, or application to, as to any branch of the government;
as, to petition the court; to petition the
governor.
You have . . . petitioned all the gods for my
prosperity.
Shak.
Pe*ti"tion, v. i. To make a
petition or solicitation.
Pe*ti"tion*a*ri*ly (?), adv. By way
of begging the question; by an assumption. [R.] Sir T.
Browne.
Pe*ti"tion*a*ry (?), a.
1. Supplicatory; making a petition.
Pardon Rome, and any petitionary
countrymen.
Shak.
2. Containing a petition; of the nature of a
petition; as, a petitionary epistle. Swift.
Pe*ti`tion*ee" (?), n. A person
cited to answer, or defend against, a petition.
Pe*ti"tion*er (?), n. One who
presents a petition.
Pe*ti"tion*ing, n. The act of
presenting apetition; a supplication.
Pet"i*tor (?), n. [L., fr. petere
to seek.] One who seeks or asks; a seeker; an applicant.
[R.] Fuller.
Pet"i*to*ry (?), a. [L.
petitorius, fr. petere, petitum, to beg, ask: cf.
F. pétitore.] Petitioning; soliciting;
supplicating. Sir W. Hamilton.
Petitory suit or action
(Admiralty Law), a suit in which the mere title to property
is litigated and sought to be enforced, as distinguished from a
possessory suit; also (Scots Law), a suit wherein the
plaintiff claims something as due him by the defendant.
Burrill.
Pe*tong" (?), n. (Metal.)
See Packfong.
Pe*tral"o*gy (?), n. See
Petrology.
Pet"ra*ry (?), n. [L. petra
stone. Cf. Sp. petraria, and E. Pederero.] An
ancient war engine for hurling stones.
Pe"tre (pē"t&etilde;r), n.
See Saltpeter.
Pe*tre"an (p&esl;*trē"an),
a. [L. petraeus, Gr. petrai^os,
fr. pe`tra a rock.] Of or pertaining to rock.
G. S. Faber.
Pe"trel (?), n. [F.
pétrel; a dim. of the name Peter, L.
Petrus, Gr. &?; a stone (John i. 42); -- probably so
called in allusion to St. Peter's walking on the sea. See
Petrify.] (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species
of longwinged sea birds belonging to the family
Procellaridæ. The small petrels, or Mother Carey's
chickens, belong to Oceanites, Oceanodroma,
Procellaria, and several allied genera.
Diving petrel, any bird of the genus
Pelecanoides. They chiefly inhabit the southern
hemisphere. -- Fulmar petrel, Giant
petrel. See Fulmar. -- Pintado
petrel, the Cape pigeon. See under Cape. --
Pintado petrel, any one of several small
petrels, especially Procellaria pelagica, or Mother Carey's
chicken, common on both sides of the Atlantic.
Pe*tres"cence (?), n. The process
of changing into stone; petrification.
Pe*tres"cent (?), a. [L. petra
rock, stone, Gr. &?;.] Petrifying; converting into stone; as,
petrescent water. Boyle.
Pet`ri*fac"tion (?), n. [See
Petrify.] 1. The process of petrifying, or
changing into stone; conversion of any organic matter (animal or
vegetable) into stone, or a substance of stony hardness.
2. The state or condition of being
petrified.
3. That which is petrified; popularly, a body
incrusted with stony matter; an incrustation.
4. Fig.: Hardness; callousness;
obduracy. "Petrifaction of the soul."
Cudworth.
Pet`ri*fac"tive (?), a.
1. Having the quality of converting organic
matter into stone; petrifying.
2. Pertaining to, or characterized by,
petrifaction.
The . . . petrifactive mutations of hard
bodies.
Sir T. Browne.
Pe*trif"ic (?), a. [Cf. F.
pétrifique.] Petrifying; petrifactive.
Death with his mace petrific, cold and
dry.
Milton.
Pet"ri*fi*cate (?), v. t. To
petrify. [Obs.]
Our hearts petrificated were.
J.
Hall (1646).
Pet`ri*fi*ca"tion (?), n. [Cf. F.
pétrification. See Petrify.] 1.
See Petrifaction.
2. Fig.: Obduracy; callousness.
Hallywell.
Pet"ri*fy (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Petrified (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Petrifying (?).] [L. petra rock, Gr. &?; (akin to &?; a
stone) + -fy: cf. F. pétrifier. Cf.
Parrot, Petrel, Pier.] 1. To
convert, as any animal or vegetable matter, into stone or stony
substance.
A river that petrifies any sort of wood or
leaves.
Kirwan.
2. To make callous or obdurate; to stupefy; to
paralyze; to transform; as by petrifaction; as, to petrify the
heart. Young. "Petrifying accuracy." Sir W.
Scott.
And petrify a genius to a dunce.
Pope.
The poor, petrified journeyman, quite
unconscious of what he was doing.
De Quincey.
A hideous fatalism, which ought, logically, to
petrify your volition.
G. Eliot.
Pet"ri*fy, v. i. 1.
To become stone, or of a stony hardness, as organic matter by
calcareous deposits.
2. Fig.: To become stony, callous, or
obdurate.
Like Niobe we marble grow,
And petrify with grief.
Dryden.
Pe"trine (?), a. Of or pertaining
to St.Peter; as, the Petrine Epistles.
Pet"ro- (?). A combining form from Gr. &?; a
rock, &?; a stone; as, petrology,
petroglyphic.
Pe*trog"a*le (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?; a
rock + &?; a weasel.] (Zoöl.) Any Australian kangaroo
of the genus Petrogale, as the rock wallaby (P.
penicillata).
Pet`ro*glyph"ic (?), a. Of or
pertaining to petroglyphy.
Pe*trog"ly*phy (?), n. [Petro +
Gr. &?; to carve.] The art or operation of carving figures or
inscriptions on rock or stone.
{ Pet`ro*graph"ic (?), Pet`ro*graph"ic*al (?), }
a. Pertaining to petrography.
Pe*trog"ra*phy (?), n. [Petro +
-graphy.] 1. The art of writing on
stone.
2. The scientific description of rocks; that
department of science which investigates the constitution of rocks;
petrology.
Pet`ro*hy"oid (?), a. [Petro +
hyoid.] (Anat.) Pertaining to petrous, oe periotic,
portion of the skull and the hyoid arch; as, the petrohyoid
muscles of the frog.
Pe*trol" (?), n. Petroleum.
[R.]
Pet`ro*la"tum (?), n. (Chem. &
Pharm.) A semisolid unctuous substance, neutral, and without
taste or odor, derived from petroleum by distilling off the lighter
portions and purifying the residue. It is a yellowish, fatlike mass,
transparent in thin layers, and somewhat fluorescent. It is used as a
bland protective dressing, and as a substitute for fatty materials in
ointments. U. S. Pharm.
&fist; Petrolatum is the official name for the purified
product. Cosmoline and vaseline are commercial names for
substances essentially the same, but differing slightly in appearance
and consistency or fusibility.
Pe*tro"le*um (?), n. [NL., fr. L.
petra a rock + oleum oil: cf. F. pétrole.
Cf. Petrify, and Oil.] Rock oil, mineral oil, or
natural oil, a dark brown or greenish inflammable liquid, which, at
certain points, exists in the upper strata of the earth, from whence
it is pumped, or forced by pressure of the gas attending it. It
consists of a complex mixture of various hydrocarbons, largely of the
methane series, but may vary much in appearance, composition, and
properties. It is refined by distillation, and the products include
kerosene, benzine, gasoline, paraffin, etc.
Petroleum spirit, a volatile liquid obtained
in the distillation of crude petroleum at a temperature of 170°
Fahr., or below. The term is rather loosely applied to a considerable
range of products, including benzine and ligroin. The terms
petroleum ether, and naphtha, are sometimes applied to
the still more volatile products, including rhigolene, gasoline,
cymogene, etc.
{ ||Pé`tro`leur" (?), n. m.
||Pé`tro`leuse" (?), n. f. }[F.]
One who makes use of petroleum for incendiary purposes.
Pet"ro*line (?), n. (Chem.)
A paraffin obtained from petroleum from Rangoon in India, and
practically identical with ordinary paraffin.
{ Pet`ro*log"ic (?), Pet`ro*log"ic*al (?), }
a. Of or pertaining to petrology.
Pet`ro*log"ic*al*ly, adv. According
to petrology.
Pe*trol"o*gist (?), n. One who is
versed in petrology.
Pe*trol"o*gy (?), n. [Petro +
-logy.] 1. The department of science which
is concerned with the mineralogical and chemical composition of rocks,
and with their classification: lithology.
2. A treatise on petrology.
Pet`ro*mas"toid (?), a. [Petro +
mastoid.] (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the petrous
and mastoid parts of the temporal bone, periotic.
Pet`ro*my"zont (?), n. [Petro +
Gr. &?; to suck in.] (Zoöl.) A lamprey.
Pet`ro*nel (?), n. [OF. petrinal,
fr. peitrine, petrine, the breast, F. poitrine;
so called because it was placed against the breast in order to fire.
See Poitrel.] A sort of hand cannon, or portable firearm,
used in France in the 15th century.
Pe*tro"sal (?), a. [See Petrous.]
(Anat.) (a) Hard; stony; petrous; as, the
petrosal bone; petrosal part of the temporal bone.
(b) Of, pertaining to, or in the region of, the
petrous, or petrosal, bone, or the corresponding part of the temporal
bone.
Petrosal bone (Anat.), a bone
corresponding to the petrous portion of the temporal bone of man; or
one forming more or less of the periotic capsule.
Pe*tro"sal, n. (Anat.)
(a) A petrosal bone. (b)
The auditory capsule. Owen.
Pet`ro*si"lex (?), n. [Petro +
silex.] (Min.) Felsite.
Pet`ro*si*li"cious (?), a.
Containing, or consisting of, petrosilex.
Pet`ro*ste"a*rine (?), n. [Petro
+ stearine.] A solid unctuous material, of which candles
are made.
Pe"trous (?), a. [L. petrosus,
fr. petra a stone.] 1. Like stone; hard;
stony; rocky; as, the petrous part of the temporal bone.
Hooper.
2. (Anat.) Same as
Petrosal.
Pet"ti*chaps (?), n. (Zoöl.)
See Pettychaps.
Pet"ti*coat (?), n. (Zoöl.)
[Petty + coat.] A loose under-garment worn by
women, and covering the body below the waist.
Petticoat government, government by women,
whether in politics or domestic affairs. [Colloq.] --
Petticoat pipe (Locomotives), a short,
flaring pipe surrounding the blast nozzle in the smoke box, to
equalize the draft.
Pet"ti*fog (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Pettifogged (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pettifogging (?).] [Petty + fog to pettifog.]
To do a petty business as a lawyer; also, to do law business in a
petty or tricky way. "He takes no money, but pettifogs
gratis." S. Butler.
Pet"ti*fog, v. t. To advocate like
a pettifogger; to argue trickily; as, to pettifog a
claim. [Colloq.]
Pet"ti*fog`ger (?), n. A lawyer who
deals in petty cases; an attorney whose methods are mean and tricky;
an inferior lawyer.
A pettifogger was lord chancellor.
Macaulay.
Pet"ti*fog`ger*y (?), n.; pl. -
ies (&?;). The practice or arts of a
pettifogger; disreputable tricks; quibbles.
Quirks of law, and pettifoggeries.
Barrow.
Pet"ti*fog`ging (?), a. Paltry;
quibbling; mean.
Pet"ti*fog`ging, n.
Pettifoggery.
Pet`ti*fog"u*lize (?), v. i. To act
as a pettifogger; to use contemptible tricks. De
Quincey.
Pet"ti*ly, adv. In a petty manner;
frivolously.
Pet"ti*ness, n. The quality or
state of being petty or paltry; littleness; meanness.
Pet"tish (?), a. [From Pet.]
Fretful; peevish; moody; capricious; inclined to ill
temper. "A pettish kind of humor." Sterne. --
Pet"tish*ly, adv. --
Pet"tish*ness, n.
Pet"ti*toes (?), n. pl. [Petty +
toes.] The toes or feet of a pig, -- often used as food;
sometimes, in contempt, the human feet. Shak.
||Pet"to (?), n. [It., fr. L.
pectus.] The breast.
In petto, in the breast; hence, in secrecy;
in reserve.
Pet"ty (?), a.
[Compar. Pettier (?);
superl. Pettiest.] [OE. petit, F.
petit; probably of Celtic origin, and akin to E. piece.
Cf. Petit.] Little; trifling; inconsiderable; also,
inferior; subordinate; as, a petty fault; a petty
prince. Denham.
Like a petty god
I walked about, admired of all.
Milton.
Petty averages. See under
Average. -- Petty cash, money
expended or received in small items or amounts. -- Petty
officer, a subofficer in the navy, as a gunner, etc.,
corresponding to a noncommissionned officer in the army.
&fist; For petty constable, petty jury, petty
larceny, petty treason, See Petit.
Syn. -- Little; diminutive; inconsiderable; inferior;
trifling; trivial; unimportant; frivolous.
Pet"ty*chaps (?), n. (Zoöl.)
Any one of several species of small European singing birds of the
subfamily Sylviinæ, as the willow warbler, the chiff-
chaff, and the golden warbler (Sylvia hortensis).
Pet"ty*whin (?), n. [Petty +
whin.] (Bot.) The needle furze. See under
Needle.
{ Pet"u*lance (?), Pet"u*lan*cy (?), }
n. [L. petulania: cf. F.
pétulance. See Petulant.] The quality or
state of being petulant; temporary peevishness; pettishness;
capricious ill humor. "The petulancy of our words."
B. Jonson.
Like pride in some, and like petulance in
others.
Clarendon.
The lowering eye, the petulance, the
frown.
Cowper.
Syn. -- Petulance, Peevishness. --
Peevishness implies the permanence of a sour, fretful temper;
petulance implies temporary or capricious irritation.
Pet"u*lant (?), a. [L. petulans,
-antis, prop., making slight attacks upon, from a lost dim. of
petere to fall upon, to attack: cf. F. pétulant.
See Petition.] 1. Forward; pert; insolent;
wanton. [Obs.] Burton.
2. Capriciously fretful; characterized by ill-
natured freakishness; irritable. "Petulant moods."
Macaulay.
Syn. -- Irritable; ill-humored; peevish; cross; fretful;
querulous.
Pet"u*lant*ly, adv. In a petulant
manner.
Pe*tul"ci*ty (?), n. [See
Petulcous.] Wantonness; friskiness. [Obs.] Bp.
Hall.
Pe*tul"cous (?), a. [L. petulcus.
Cf. Petulant.] Wanton; frisky; lustful. [Obs.]
J. V. Cane.
Pe*tu"ni*a (?), n. [NL., fr. Braz.
petun tobacco.] (Bot.) A genus of solanaceous herbs
with funnelform or salver-shaped corollas. Two species are common in
cultivation, Petunia violacera, with reddish purple flowers,
and P. nyctaginiflora, with white flowers. There are also many
hybrid forms with variegated corollas.
{ Pe*tunse", Pe*tuntse", Pe*tuntze" }
(?), n. [From Chinese.] Powdered fledspar,
kaolin, or quartz, used in the manufacture of porcelain.
Pet"worth mar"ble (?). A kind of shell marble
occurring in the Wealden clay at Petworth, in Sussex, England; --
called also Sussex marble.
Petz"ite (?), n. [From Petz, who
analyzed it.] (Min.) A telluride of silver and gold,
related to hessite.
Peu*ced"a*nin (?), n. (Chem.)
A tasteless white crystalline substance, extracted from the roots
of the sulphurwort (Peucedanum), masterwort
(Imperatoria), and other related plants; -- called also
imperatorin.
Peu"cil (?), n. [Gr. &?; pine tree.]
(Chem.) A liquid resembling camphene, obtained by treating
turpentine hydrochloride with lime. [Written also
peucyl.]
Pew (?), n. [OE. pewe, OF.
puie parapet, balustrade, balcony, fr. L. podium an
elevated place, a jutty, balcony, a parapet or balcony in the circus,
where the emperor and other distinguished persons sat, Gr. &?;, dim.
of &?;, &?;, foot; -- hence the Latin sense of a raised place (orig.
as a rest or support for the foot). See Foot, and cf.
Podium, Poy.] 1. One of the
compartments in a church which are separated by low partitions, and
have long seats upon which several persons may sit; -- sometimes
called slip. Pews were originally made square, but are now
usually long and narrow.
2. Any structure shaped like a church pew, as
a stall, formerly used by money lenders, etc.; a box in theater; a
pen; a sheepfold. [Obs.] Pepys. Milton.
Pew opener, an usher in a church. [Eng.]
Dickens.
Pew, v. t. To furnish with
pews. [R.] Ash.
Pe"wee (?), n. [So called from its
note.] 1. (Zoöl.) A common American
tyrant flycatcher (Sayornis phœbe, or S. fuscus).
Called also pewit, and phœbe.
2. The woodcock. [Local, U.S.]
Wood pewee (Zoöl.), a bird
(Contopus virens) similar to the pewee (See Pewee, 1),
but of smaller size.
Pe"wet (?), n. (Zoöl.)
Same as Pewit.
Pew"fel`low (?), n. 1.
One who occupies the same pew with another.
2. An intimate associate; a companion.
Shak.
Pe"wit (?), n. [Prob. of imitative
origin; cf. OD. piewit, D. kievit, G. kibitz.]
(Zoöl.) (a) The lapwing.
(b) The European black-headed, or laughing, gull
(Xema ridibundus). See under Laughing.
(c) The pewee. [Written also peevit,
peewit, pewet.]
Pew"ter (?), n. [OE. pewtyr, OF.
peutre, peautre, piautre: cf. D. peauter,
piauter, It. peltro, Sp. & Pg. peltre, LL.
peutreum, pestrum. Cf. Spelter.]
1. A hard, tough, but easily fusible, alloy,
originally consisting of tin with a little lead, but afterwards
modified by the addition of copper, antimony, or bismuth.
2. Utensils or vessels made of pewter, as
dishes, porringers, drinking vessels, tankards, pots.
&fist; Pewter was formerly much used for domestic utensils.
Inferior sorts contain a large proportion of lead.
Pew"ter*er (?), n. One whose
occupation is to make utensils of pewter; a pewtersmith.
Shak.
Pew"ter*y (?), a. Belonging to, or
resembling, pewter; as, a pewtery taste.
Pex"i*ty (?), n. [L. pexitas, fr.
pexus woolly, nappy, p. p. of pectere to comb.] Nap
of cloth. [Obs.]
Pey"er's glands` (?). [So called from J. K. Peyer,
who described them in 1677.] (Anat.) Patches of lymphoid
nodules, in the walls of the small intestiness; agminated glands; --
called also Peyer's patches. In typhoid fever they become the
seat of ulcers which are regarded as the characteristic organic lesion
of that disease.
Pey"trel (?), n. [OF. peitral.
See Poitrel.] (Anc. Armor) The breastplate of a
horse's armor or harness. [Spelt also peitrel.] See
Poitrel. [Obs.] Chaucer.
||Pe*zi"za (?), n. [NL., corrupt. from
L. pezica a sessile mushroom, fr. Gr. &?;, fr. &?;, &?;, a
foot.] (Bot.) A genus of fungi embracing a great number of
species, some of which are remarkable for their regular cuplike form
and deep colors.
Pez"i*zoid (?), a. [Peziza + -
oid.] (Bot.) Resembling a fungus of the genus Peziza;
having a cuplike form.
||Pfen"nig (?), n.; pl.
Pfennigs (#), G. Pfennige (#). [G.
See Penny.] A small copper coin of Germany. It is the
hundredth part of a mark, or about a quarter of a cent in United
States currency.
||Pha*cel"lus (?), n.; pl.
Phacelli (#). [NL., fr. Gr. &?; a bundle of fagots.]
(Zoöl.) One of the filaments on the inner surface of
the gastric cavity of certain jellyfishes.
Phac"o*chere (?), n. [Gr. &?; a lentil
seed, a wart + &?; a pig.] (Zoöl.) The wart
hog.
Pha"coid (?), a. [Gr. &?; a lentil +
-oid.] Resembling a lentil; lenticular.
Phac"o*lite (?), n. [Gr. &?; lentil +
-lite.] (Min.) A colorless variety of chabazite;
the original was from Leipa, in Bohemia.
||Pha"cops (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?; a
lentil + &?;, &?;, the eye.] (Paleon.) A genus of
trilobites found in the Silurian and Devonian formations. Phacops
bufo is one of the most common species.
Phæ*a"cian (?), a. Of or
pertaining to the Phæacians, a fabulous seafaring people fond of
the feast, the lyre, and the dance, mentioned by Homer.
Phæ"no*gam (?), n. (Bot.)
Any plant of the class Phænogamia.
||Phæ`no*ga"mi*a (?), n. pl. [NL.,
fr. &?; to show + &?; marriage.] (Bot.) The class of
flowering plants including all which have true flowers with distinct
floral organs; phanerogamia.
{ Phæ`no*ga"mi*an (?), Phæ`no*gam"ic
(?), } a. Same as
Phænogamous.
Phæ*nog"a*mous (?), a.
(Bot.) Having true flowers with with distinct floral
organs; flowering.
Phæ*nom"e*non (?), n. [L.]
See Phenomenon.
Phæ"o*spore (?), n. [Gr. &?; dusky
+ E. spore.] (Bot.) A brownish zoöspore,
characteristic of an order (Phæosporeæ) of dark
green or olive-colored algæ. --
Phæ`o*spor"ic (#), a.
Pha"ë*thon (?), n. [L.,
Phaëthon (in sense 1), fr. Gr. &?;, fr. &?;, &?;, to shine. See
Phantom.] 1. (Class. Myth.) The son
of Helios (Phœbus), that is, the son of light, or of the sun. He
is fabled to have obtained permission to drive the chariot of the sun,
in doing which his want of skill would have set the world on fire, had
he not been struck with a thunderbolt by Jupiter, and hurled headlong
into the river Po.
2. (Zoöl.) A genus of oceanic
birds including the tropic birds.
Pha"ë*ton (?), n. [F.
phaéton a kind of carriage, fr. Phaéthon
Phaëthon, the son of Helios. See Phaëthon.]
1. A four-wheeled carriage (with or without a
top), open, or having no side pieces, in front of the seat. It is
drawn by one or two horses.
2. See Phaëthon.
3. (Zoöl.) A handsome American
butterfly (Euphydryas, or Melitæa, Phaëton). The
upper side of the wings is black, with orange-red spots and marginal
crescents, and several rows of cream-colored spots; -- called also
Baltimore.
Phag`e*de"na (?), n. [L.
phagedaena, Gr. &?;, fr. &?; to eat.] (Med.)
(a) A canine appetite; bulimia. [Obs.]
(b) Spreading, obstinate ulceration.
{ Phag`e*den"ic (?), Phag`e*den"ic*AL (?), }
a. [L. phagedaenicus, Gr. &?;: cf. F.
phagédénique.] (Med.) Of, like, or
pertaining to, phagedena; used in the treatment of phagedena; as, a
phagedenic ulcer or medicine. -- n.
A phagedenic medicine.
Phag`e*de"nous (?), a. (Med.)
Phagedenic.
Phag"o*cyte (?), n. [Gr. &?; to eat +
&?; a hollow vessel.] (Physiol.) A leucocyte which plays a
part in retrogressive processes by taking up (eating), in the form of
fine granules, the parts to be removed.
||Pha*i`no*pep"la (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr.
&?; shining + &?; robe.] (Zoöl.) A small crested
passerine bird (Phaïnopepla nitens), native of Mexico and
the Southern United States. The adult male is of a uniform glossy
blue-black; the female is brownish. Called also black
flycatcher.
Phak"o*scope (?), n. [Gr. &?; a lentil,
or lenticular body + -scope.] (Physiol.) An
instrument for studying the mechanism of accommodation.
||Pha*læ"na (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr.
&?;, &?;, a kind od moth.] (Zoöl.) A linnæan
genus which included the moths in general.
Pha*læ"nid (?), n. [Gr. &?;, &?;,
a kind od moth.] (Zoöl.) Any moth of the family
Phalænidæ, of which the cankerworms are examples; a
geometrid.
{ Pha*lan"ge*al (?), Pha*lan"gal (?), }
a. Of or pertaining to the phalanges. See
Phalanx, 2.
Pha*lan"ger (?), n. [Cf. F.
phalanger. See Phalanx.] (Zoöl.) Any
marsupial belonging to Phalangista, Cuscus,
Petaurus, and other genera of the family
Phalangistidæ. They are arboreal, and the species of
Petaurus are furnished with lateral parachutes. See Flying
phalanger, under Flying.
||Pha*lan"ges (?), n., pl.
of Phalanx.
{ Pha*lan"gi*al (?), Pha*lan"gi*an (?), }
a. (Anat.) Phalangeal.
Pha*lan"gid (?), n.; pl.
Phalangides (&?;). (Zoöl.) One of
the Phalangoidea.
Pha*lan"gi*ous (?), a. [L.
phalangium a kind of venomous spider, Gr. &?;, fr. &?; a
spider. Cf. Phalanx.] (Zoöl.) Of or
pertaining to Phalangoidea.
Pha*lan"gist (?), n. (Zoöl.)
Any arboreal marsupial of the genus Phalangista. The
vulpine phalangist (P. vulpina) is the largest species, the
full grown male being about two and a half feet long. It has a large
bushy tail.
{ Phal`an*gis"ter (?), Phal`an*gis"tine (?), }
n. (Zoöl.) Same as
Phalangist.
Phal"an*gite (?), n. [Gr. &?;: cf. F.
phalangite.] A soldier belonging to a phalanx.
[Obs.]
||Phal`an*goi"de*a (?), n. pl. [NL.,
from Phalangium the daddy longlegs (see Phalangious) +
Gr. &?; form.] (Zoöl.) A division of Arachnoidea,
including the daddy longlegs or harvestman (Phalangium) and
many similar kinds. They have long, slender, many-jointed legs;
usually a rounded, segmented abdomen; and chelate jaws. They breathe
by tracheæ. Called also Phalangides, Phalangidea,
Phalangiida, and Opilionea.
||Pha`lan`stére" (?), n. [F.]
A phalanstery.
Phal`an*ste"ri*an (?), a. [F.
phalanstérien, a. & n.] Of or pertaining to
phalansterianism.
Phal`an*ste"ri*an, n. One who
favors the system of phalansteries proposed by Fourier.
{ Pha*lan"ster*ism (?), Phal`an*ste"ri*an*ism
(?), } n. A system of phalansteries proposed by
Fourier; Fourierism.
Phal"an*ster*y (?), n.; pl.
-ies (#). [F. phalanstère, fr. Gr. &?;
a phalanx + &?; firm, solid.] 1. An association
or community organized on the plan of Fourier. See
Fourierism.
2. The dwelling house of a Fourierite
community.
Pha"lanx (?), n.; pl.
Phalanxes (#), L. Phalanges (#).
[L., from Gr. &?;.] 1. (Gr. Antiq.) A body
of heavy-armed infantry formed in ranks and files close and deep.
There were several different arrangements, the phalanx varying in
depth from four to twenty-five or more ranks of men. "In cubic
phalanx firm advanced." Milton.
The Grecian phalanx, moveless as a
tower.
Pope.
2. Any body of troops or men formed in close
array, or any combination of people distinguished for firmness and
solidity of a union.
At present they formed a united
phalanx.
Macaulay.
The sheep recumbent, and the sheep that grazed,
All huddling into phalanx, stood and gazed.
Cowper.
3. A Fourierite community; a
phalanstery.
4. (Anat.) One of the digital bones of
the hand or foot, beyond the metacarpus or metatarsus; an
internode.
5. [pl. Phalanges.] (Bot.)
A group or bundle of stamens, as in polyadelphous
flowers.
Phal"a*rope (?), n. [Gr. &?; having a
patch of white + &?;, &?;, a foot: cf. F. phalarope.]
(Zoöl.) Any species of Phalaropus and allied
genera of small wading birds (Grallæ), having lobate
toes. They are often seen far from land, swimming in large flocks.
Called also sea goose.
Phal"lic (?), a. [Gr. &?;.] Of or
pertaining to the phallus, or to phallism.
Phal"li*cism (?), n. See
Phallism.
Phal"lism (?), n. The worship of
the generative principle in nature, symbolized by the
phallus.
Phal"lus (?), n.; pl.
Phalli (&?;). [L., a phallus (in sense 1), Gr. &?;.]
1. The emblem of the generative power in nature,
carried in procession in the Bacchic orgies, or worshiped in various
ways.
2. (Anat.) The penis or clitoris, or
the embryonic or primitive organ from which either may be
derived.
3. (Bot.) A genus of fungi which have a
fetid and disgusting odor; the stinkhorn.
Phane (?), n. See
Fane. [Obs.] Joye.
Phan"er*ite (?), a. [Gr. &?; visible,
from &?; to bring to light.] Evident; visible.
Phanerite series (Geol.), the
uppermost part of the earth's crust, consisting of deposits produced
by causes in obvious operation.
||Phan`er*o*car"pæ (?), n. pl.
[NL., from Gr. &?; evident + &?; fruit (but taken to mean, ovary).]
(Zoöl.) Same as Acraspeda.
Phan`er*o*co*don"ic (?), a. [Gr. &?;
evident + &?; a bell.] (Zoöl.) Having an umbrella-
shaped or bell-shaped body, with a wide, open cavity beneath; -- said
of certain jellyfishes.
Phan`er*o*crys"tal*line (?), a. [Gr. &?;
visible + E. crystalline.] (Geol.) Distinctly
crystalline; -- used of rocks. Opposed to
cryptocrystalline.
||Phan`er*o*dac"ty*la (?), n. pl. [NL.,
fr. Gr. &?; evident + &?; finger.] (Zoöl.) Same as
Saururæ.
||Phan`er*o*ga"mi*a (?), n. pl. [NL.,
fr. Gr. &?; visible (fr. &?; to bring to light) + &?; marriage.]
(Bot.) That one of the two primary divisions of the
vegetable kingdom which contains the phanerogamic, or flowering,
plants.
Phan`er*o*ga"mi*an (?), a. (Bot.)
Phanerogamous.
{ Phan`er*o*gam"ic (?), Phan`er*og"a*mous (?), }
a. Having visible flowers containing distinct
stamens and pistils; -- said of plants.
Phan`er*o*glos"sal (?), a. [Gr. &?;
evident + &?; tongue.] (Zoöl.)Having a conspicious
tongue; -- said of certain reptiles and insects.
Phan"ta*scope (?), n. [Gr. &?; image +
-scope.] An optical instrument or toy, resembling the
phenakistoscope, and illustrating the same principle; -- called also
phantasmascope.
Phan"tasm (?), n. [L. phantasma.
See Phantom, and cf. Fantasm.] [Spelt also
fantasm.] 1. An image formed by the mind,
and supposed to be real or material; a shadowy or airy appearance;
sometimes, an optical illusion; a phantom; a dream.
They be but phantasms or
apparitions.
Sir W. Raleigh.
2. A mental image or representation of a real
object; a fancy; a notion. Cudworth.
Figures or little features, of which the description
had produced in you no phantasm or expectation.
Jer. Taylor.
||Phan"tas"ma (?), n. [L.] A
phantasm.
Phan*tas`ma*go"ri*a (?), n. [NL., from
Gr. &?; a phantasm + &?; an assembly, fr. &?; to gather: cf. F.
phantasmagorie.] 1. An optical effect
produced by a magic lantern. The figures are painted in transparent
colors, and all the rest of the glass is opaque black. The screen is
between the spectators and the instrument, and the figures are often
made to appear as in motion, or to merge into one another.
2. The apparatus by which such an effect is
produced.
3. Fig.: A medley of figures; illusive
images. "This mental phantasmagoria." Sir W.
Scott.
Phan*tas`ma*go"ri*al (?), a. Of,
relating to, or resembling phantasmagoria; phantasmagoric.
Phan*tas`ma*gor"ic (?), a. Of or
pertaining to phantasmagoria; phantasmagorial.
Hawthorne.
Phan*tas"ma*go*ry (?), n. See
Phantasmagoria.
Phan*tas"mal (?), a. Pertaining to,
of the nature of, or resembling, a phantasm; spectral;
illusive.
Phan*tas"ma*scope (?), n. See
Phantascope.
Phan`tas*mat"ic*al (?), a. [L.
phantasmaticus.] Phantasmal. Dr. H.
More.
Phan*tas`ma*tog"ra*phy (?), n. [Gr. &?;,
&?;, phantasm + -graphy.] A description of celestial
phenomena, as rainbows, etc.
{ Phan*tas"tic (?), Phan*tas"tic*al (?), }
a. See Fantastic.
Phan"ta*sy (?), n. See
Fantasy, and Fancy.
Phan"tom (?), n. [OE. fantome,
fantosme, fantesme, OF. fantôme, fr. L.
phantasma, Gr. &?;, fr. &?; to show. See Fancy, and cf.
Phaëton, Phantasm, Phase.] That which
has only an apparent existence; an apparition; a specter; a phantasm;
a sprite; an airy spirit; an ideal image.
Strange phantoms rising as the mists
arise.
Pope.
She was a phantom of delight.
Wordsworth.
Phantom ship. See Flying Dutchman,
under Flying. -- Phantom tumor
(Med.), a swelling, especially of the abdomen, due to
muscular spasm, accumulation of flatus, etc., simulating an actual
tumor in appearance, but disappearing upon the administration of an
anæsthetic.
Phan`tom*at"ic, a.
Phantasmal. [R.] Coleridge.
Pha"raoh (?), n. [Heb.
parōh; of Egyptian origin: cf. L. pharao, Gr. &?;.
Cf. Faro.] 1. A title by which the
sovereigns of ancient Egypt were designated.
2. See Faro.
Pharaoh's chicken (Zoöl.), the
gier-eagle, or Egyptian vulture; -- so called because often sculpured
on Egyptian monuments. It is nearly white in color. --
Pharaoh's rat (Zoöl.), the common
ichneumon.
Pha"ra*on (?), n. See
Pharaoh, 2.
Phar`a*on"ic (?), a. [Cf. F.
pharaonique.] Of or pertaining to the Pharaohs, or kings
of ancient Egypt.
Phare (?), n. [See Pharos.]
1. A beacon tower; a lighthouse. [Obs.]
2. Hence, a harbor. Howell.
{ Phar`i*sa"ic (făr`&ibreve;*sā"&ibreve;k),
Phar`i*sa"ic*al (-&ibreve;*kal), }
a. [L. Pharisaicus, Gr.
Farisai:ko`s: cf. F. pharisaïque. See
Pharisee.] 1. Of or pertaining to the
Pharisees; resembling the Pharisees. "The Pharisaic sect
among the Jews." Cudworth.
2. Hence: Addicted to external forms and
ceremonies; making a show of religion without the spirit of it;
ceremonial; formal; hypocritical; self-righteous. "Excess of
outward and pharisaical holiness." Bacon.
"Pharisaical ostentation." Macaulay.
-- Phar`i*sa"ic*al*ly, adv. --
Phar`i*sa"ic*al*ness, n.
Phar`i*sa"ism (?), n. [Cf. F.
pharisaisme.] 1. The notions, doctrines,
and conduct of the Pharisees, as a sect. Sharp.
2. Rigid observance of external forms of
religion, without genuine piety; hypocrisy in religion; a censorious,
self-righteous spirit in matters of morals or manners. "A piece
of pharisaism." Hammond.
Phar`i*se"an (?), a. [L.
Pharisaeus, Gr. Farisai^os.] Following the
practice of Pharisees; Pharisaic. [Obs.] "Pharisean
disciples." Milton.
Phar"i*see (făr"&ibreve;*sē),
n. [L. Pharisaeus, Gr. Farisai^os,
from Heb. pārash to separate.] One of a sect or
party among the Jews, noted for a strict and formal observance of
rites and ceremonies and of the traditions of the elders, and whose
pretensions to superior sanctity led them to separate themselves from
the other Jews.
Phar"i*see*ism (?), n. See
Pharisaism.
{ Phar`ma*ceu"tic (fär`m&adot;*sū"t&ibreve;k),
Phar`ma*ceu"tic*al (-t&ibreve;*kal), }
a. [L. pharmaceuticus, Gr.
farmakeytiko`s, fr. farmakey`ein: cf. F.
pharmaceutique. See Pharmacy.] Of or pertaining to
the knowledge or art of pharmacy, or to the art of preparing medicines
according to the rules or formulas of pharmacy; as,
pharmaceutical preparations. --
Phar`ma*ceu"tic*al*ly, adv.
Pharmaceutical chemistry, that department of
chemistry which ascertains or regulates the composition of medicinal
substances.
Phar`ma*ceu"tics (?), n. The
science of preparing medicines.
Phar`ma*ceu"tist (?), n. One
skilled in pharmacy; a druggist. See the Note under
Apothecary.
Phar"ma*cist (?), n. One skilled in
pharmacy; a pharmaceutist; a druggist.
Phar`ma*co*dy*nam"ics (?), n. [Gr.
fa`rmakon medicine + E. dynamics.] That branch
of pharmacology which considers the mode of action, and the effects,
of medicines. Dunglison.
Phar`ma*cog*no"sis (?), n. [Gr.
fa`rmakon a drug + gnw^sis a knowing.] That
branch of pharmacology which treats of unprepared medicines or
simples; -- called also pharmacography, and
pharmacomathy.
Phar`ma*cog"no*sy (?), n.
Pharmacognosis.
Phar`ma*cog"ra*phy (?), n. [Gr.
fa`rmakon a drug + -graphy.] See
Pharmacognosis.
Phar*mac"o*lite (?), n. [Gr.
fa`rmakon drug, poisonous drug + -lite: cf. F.
pharmacolithe.] (Min.) A hydrous arsenate of lime,
usually occurring in silky fibers of a white or grayish
color.
Phar`ma*col"o*gist (?), n. [Cf. F.
pharmacologiste.] One skilled in pharmacology.
Phar`ma*col"o*gy (?), n. [Gr.
fa`rmakon drug + -logy: cf. F.
pharmacologie.] 1. Knowledge of drugs or
medicines; the art of preparing medicines.
2. A treatise on the art of preparing
medicines.
Phar`ma*com"a*thy (?), n. [Gr.
fa`rmakon a drug + manqa`nein to learn.]
See Pharmacognosis.
Phar"ma*con (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr.
fa`rmakon.] A medicine or drug; also, a poison.
Dunglison.
Phar`ma*co*pœ"ia (?), n. [NL.,
from Gr. farmakopoii:`a the preparation of medicines;
fa`rmakon medicine + poiei^n to make.]
1. A book or treatise describing the drugs,
preparations, etc., used in medicine; especially, one that is issued
by official authority and considered as an authoritative
standard.
2. A chemical laboratory. [Obs.]
Dunglison.
Phar`ma*cop"o*list (?), n. [L.
pharmacopola, Gr. farmakopw`lhs;
fa`rmakon medicine + pwlei^n to sell.] One
who sells medicines; an apothecary.
Phar`ma*co*sid"er*ite (?), n. [Gr. &?;
drug, poison + E. siderite.] (Min.) A hydrous
arsenate of iron occurring in green or yellowish green cubic crystals;
cube ore.
Phar"ma*cy (?), n. [OE. fermacie,
OF. farmacie, pharmacie, F. pharmacie, Gr. &?;,
fr. &?; to administer or use medicines, fr. &?; medicine.]
1. The art or practice of preparing and
preserving drugs, and of compounding and dispensing medicines
according to prescriptions of physicians; the occupation of an
apothecary or a pharmaceutical chemist.
2. A place where medicines are compounded; a
drug store; an apothecary's shop.
Pha"ro (?), n. 1. A
pharos; a lighthouse. [Obs.]
2. See Faro.
Pha*rol"o*gy (?), n. [Gr. &?; a
lighthouse + -logy.] The art or science which treats of
lighthouses and signal lights.
Pha"ros (?), n. [L., fr. Gr. &?;, fr.
&?; an island in the Bay of Alexandria, where king Ptolemy
Philadelphus built a famous lighthouse.] A lighthouse or beacon
for the guidance of seamen.
He . . . built a pharos, or
lighthouse.
Arbuthnot.
Pha*ryn"gal (?), a.
Pharyngeal. H. Sweet.
Phar`yn*ge"al (?), a. [See
Pharynx.] (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the pharynx;
in the region of the pharynx.
Phar`yn*ge"al, n. (Anat.) A
pharyngeal bone or cartilage; especially, one of the lower
pharyngeals, which belong to the rudimentary fifth branchial arch
in many fishes, or one of the upper pharyngeals, or
pharyngobranchials, which are the dorsal elements in the complete
branchial arches.
||Phar`yn*gi"tis (?), n. [NL. See
Pharynx, and -itis.] (Med.) Inflammation of
the pharynx.
Pha*ryn`go*bran"chi*al (?), a.
[Pharynx + branchial.] (Anat.) Of or
pertaining to the pharynx and the branchiæ; -- applied
especially to the dorsal elements in the branchial arches of fishes.
See Pharyngeal. -- n. A
pharyngobranchial, or upper pharyngeal, bone or cartilage.
||Pha*ryn`go*bran"chi*i (?), n. pl. [NL.
See Pharynx, and Branchia.] (Zoöl.)
Same as Leptocardia.
||Phar`yn*gog"na*thi (?), n. pl. [NL.
See Pharynx, and Gnathic.] (Zoöl.) A
division of fishes in which the lower pharyngeal bones are united. It
includes the scaroid, labroid, and embioticoid fishes.
Pha*ryn`go*lar`yn*ge"al (?), a.
[Pharynx + laryngeal.] Of or pertaining both to
pharynx and the larynx.
||Pha*ryn`gop*neus"ta (?), n. pl. [NL.,
fr. Gr. &?; the pharynx + &?; to breathe.] (Zoöl.) A
group of invertebrates including the Tunicata and Enteropneusta.
-- Pha*ryn`gop*neus"tal (#), a.
Pha*ryn"go*tome (?), n. (Surg.)
An instrument for incising or scarifying the tonsils,
etc.
Phar`yn*got"o*my (?), n. [Pharynx
+ Gr. &?; to cut: cf. F. pharyngotomie.]
(Surg.) (a) The operation of making an
incision into the pharynx, to remove a tumor or anything that
obstructs the passage. (b) Scarification or
incision of the tonsils.
Phar"ynx (?), n.; pl.
pharynges (#). [NL., fr. Gr. &?;, &?;: cf. F.
pharynx.] (Anat.) The part of the alimentary canal
between the cavity of the mouth and the esophagus. It has one or two
external openings through the nose in the higher vertebrates, and
lateral branchial openings in fishes and some amphibias.
Phas"co*lome (?), n. [Gr. &?; pouch +
&?; mouse.] (Zoöl.) A marsupial of the genus
Phascolomys; a wombat.
Phase (?), n.; pl.
Phases (#). [NL. phasis, Gr. &?;, fr. &?; to
make to appear: cf. F. phase. See Phenomenon,
Phantom, and Emphasis.] 1. That
which is exhibited to the eye; the appearance which anything
manifests, especially any one among different and varying appearances
of the same object.
2. Any appearance or aspect of an object of
mental apprehension or view; as, the problem has many
phases.
3. (Astron.) A particular appearance or
state in a regularly recurring cycle of changes with respect to
quantity of illumination or form of enlightened disk; as, the
phases of the moon or planets. See Illust. under
Moon.
4. (Physics) Any one point or portion
in a recurring series of changes, as in the changes of motion of one
of the particles constituting a wave or vibration; one portion of a
series of such changes, in distinction from a contrasted portion, as
the portion on one side of a position of equilibrium, in contrast with
that on the opposite side.
Pha"sel (?), n. [L. phaselus,
phaseolus, Gr. &?;, &?;: cf. F. phaséole,
faséole. Cf. Fesels.] The French bean, or
kidney bean.
Phase"less (?), a. Without a phase,
or visible form. [R.] "A phaseless and increasing gloom."
Poe.
||Pha*se"o*lus (?), n. [L.]
(Bot.) A genus of leguminous plants, including the Lima
bean, the kidney bean, the scarlet runner, etc. See
Bean.
Pha`se*o*man"nite (?), n. [So called
because found in the unripe fruit of the bean (Phaseolus
vulgaris).] (Chem.) Same as Inosite.
||Pha"sis (?), n.; pl.
Phases (#). [NL.] See Phase.
Creech.
{ Phasm (?), Phas"ma (?), } n.
[L. phasma, Gr. &?;. See Phase.] An apparition; a
phantom; an appearance. [R.] Hammond. Sir T.
Herbert.
Phas"mid (?), n. [See Phasm.
Probably so called from its mimicking, or appearing like, inanimate
objects.] (Zoöl.) Any orthopterous insect of the
family Phasmidæ, as a leaf insect or a stick
insect.
Phas"sa*chate (?), n. [Gr. &?; the wood
pigeon + &?; the agate.] (Min.) The lead-colored agate; --
so called in reference to its color.
Phat"a*gin (?), n. [Cf. Gr. &?;; perhaps
from native name.] (Zoöl.) The long-tailed pangolin
(Manis tetradactyla); -- called also ipi.
Pheas"ant (?), n. [OE. fesant,
fesaunt, OF. faisant, faisan, F. faisan,
L. phasianus, Gr. &?; (sc. &?;) the Phasian bird, pheasant, fr.
&?; a river in Colchis or Pontus.] 1.
(Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of large
gallinaceous birds of the genus Phasianus, and many other
genera of the family Phasianidæ, found chiefly in
Asia.
&fist; The
common, or English,
pheasant (Phasianus Colchicus) is now found
over most of temperate Europe, but was introduced from Asia. The
ring-necked pheasant (P. torquatus) and the
green pheasant (P. versicolor) have been
introduced into Oregon. The golden pheasant
(Thaumalea picta) is one of the most beautiful species. The
silver pheasant (Euplocamus nychthemerus) of
China, and several related species from Southern Asia, are very
beautiful.
2. (Zoöl.) The ruffed
grouse. [Southern U.S.]
&fist; Various other birds are locally called pheasants, as
the lyre bird, the leipoa, etc.
Fireback pheasant. See Fireback.
-- Gold, or Golden,
pheasant (Zoöl.), a Chinese pheasant
(Thaumalea picta), having rich, varied colors. The crest is
amber-colored, the rump is golden yellow, and the under parts are
scarlet. -- Mountain pheasant
(Zoöl.), the ruffed grouse. [Local, U.S.] --
Pheasant coucal (Zoöl.), a large
Australian cuckoo (Centropus phasianus). The general color is
black, with chestnut wings and brown tail. Called also pheasant
cuckoo. The name is also applied to other allied species. --
Pheasant duck. (Zoöl.)
(a) The pintail. (b) The
hooded merganser. -- Pheasant parrot
(Zoöl.), a large and beautiful Australian parrakeet
(Platycercus Adelaidensis). The male has the back black, the
feathers margined with yellowish blue and scarlet, the quills deep
blue, the wing coverts and cheeks light blue, the crown, sides of the
neck, breast, and middle of the belly scarlet. --
Pheasant's eye. (Bot.) (a)
A red-flowered herb (Adonis autumnalis) of the Crowfoot
family; -- called also pheasant's-eye Adonis.
(b) The garden pink (Dianthus plumarius); -
- called also Pheasant's-eye pink. -- Pheasant
shell (Zoöl.), any marine univalve shell of
the genus Phasianella, of which numerous species are found in
tropical seas. The shell is smooth and usually richly colored, the
colors often forming blotches like those of a pheasant. --
Pheasant wood. (Bot.) Same as
Partridge wood (a), under
Partridge. -- Sea pheasant
(Zoöl.), the pintail. -- Water
pheasant. (Zoöl.) (a) The
sheldrake. (b) The hooded merganser.
Pheas"ant*ry (?), n. [Cf. F.
faisanderie.] A place for keeping and rearing
pheasants. Gwilt.
Phe"be (?), n. (Zoöl.)
See Phœbe.
Pheer, n. See 1st
Fere. [Obs.] Spenser.
Pheese (?), v. t. To comb; also, to
beat; to worry. [Obs. or Local] See Feaze,
v.
Pheese, n. Fretful
excitement. [Obs. or Local] See Feaze,
n.
Phel"lo*derm (?), n. [Gr. &?; cork +
-derm.] (Bot.) A layer of green parenchimatous
cells formed on the inner side of the phellogen.
Phel"lo*gen (?), n. [Gr. &?; cork + -
gen.] (Bot.) The tissue of young cells which produces
cork cells.
Phel`lo*plas"tics (?), n. [Gr. &?; cork
+ &?; to mold.] Art of modeling in cork.
Phen"a*cite (?), n. [Gr. &?;, &?;,
impostor, deceiver.] (Min.) A glassy colorless mineral
occurring in rhombohedral crystals, sometimes used as a gem. It is a
silicate of glucina, and receives its name from its deceptive
similarity to quartz.
Phen`a*kis"to*scope (?), n. [Gr. &?; a
deceiver + -scope.] A revolving disk on which figures
drawn in different relative attitudes are seen successively, so as to
produce the appearance of an object in actual motion, as an animal
leaping, etc., in consequence of the persistence of the successive
visual impressions of the retina. It is often arranged so that the
figures may be projected upon a screen.
Phe*nan"threne (?), n. [Phenyl +
antracene.] (Chem.) A complex hydrocarbon,
C14H10, found in coal tar, and obtained as a
white crystalline substance with a bluish fluorescence.
Phe*nan"thri*dine (?), n.
[Phenanthrene + pyridine.] (Chem.) A
nitrogenous hydrocarbon base, C13H9N, analogous
to phenanthrene and quinoline.
Phe*nan"thro*line (?), n.
[Phenanthrene + quinoline.] (Chem.) Either
of two metameric nitrogenous hydrocarbon bases,
C12H8N2, analogous to phenanthridine,
but more highly nitrogenized.
Phene (?), n. (Chem.)
Benzene. [Obs.]
Phe"ne*tol (?), n. [Phenyl +
ethyl + L. oleum oil.] (Chem.) The ethyl
ether of phenol, obtained as an aromatic liquid,
C6H5.O.C2H5.
Phe"nic (?), a. (Chem.) Of,
pertaining to, derived from, or resembling, phenyl or
phenol.
Phenic acid (Chem.), a phenol.
[Obsoles.]
Phe*ni"cian (?), a. & n. See
Phœnician.
Phen"i*cine (?), n. [Gr.
foi^nix purple red: cf. F. phénicine.]
(Chem.) (a) A purple powder precipitated
when a sulphuric solution of indigo is diluted with water.
(b) A coloring matter produced by the action of a
mixture of strong nitric and sulphuric acids on phenylic
alcohol. Watts.
Phe*ni"cious (?), a. [L.
phoeniceus, Gr. foini`keos, from &?; purple red.]
Of a red color with a slight mixture of gray.
Dana.
Phen`i*cop"ter (?), n. [L.
phoenicopterus, Gr. foiniko`pteros, i. e., red-
feathered; foi^nix, foi`nikos, purple red +
ptero`n feather: cf. F. phénicoptère.]
(Zoöl.) A flamingo.
Phe"nix (?), n.; pl.
Phenixes (#). [L. phoenix, Gr.
foi^nix.] [Written also phœnix.]
1. (Gr. Myth.) A bird fabled to exist
single, to be consumed by fire by its own act, and to rise again from
its ashes. Hence, an emblem of immortality.
2. (Astron.) A southern
constellation.
3. A marvelous person or thing. [R.]
Latimer.
||Phen`o*ga"mi*a (?), n. pl.
(Bot.) Same as Phænogamia.
{ Phen`o*ga"mi*an (?), Phen`o*gam"ic (?),
Phe*nog"a*mous (?) }, a. Same as
Phænogamian, Phænogamic, etc.
Phe"nol (?), n. [Gr. &?; to show + -
ol: cf. F. phénol.] (Chem.)
1. A white or pinkish crystalline substance,
C6H5OH, produced by the destructive distillation
of many organic bodies, as wood, coal, etc., and obtained from the
heavy oil from coal tar.
&fist; It has a peculiar odor, somewhat resembling creosote, which
is a complex mixture of phenol derivatives. It is of the type of
alcohols, and is called also phenyl alcohol, but has acid
properties, and hence is popularly called carbolic acid, and
was formerly called phenic acid. It is a powerful caustic
poison, and in dilute solution has been used as an antiseptic.
2. Any one of the series of hydroxyl
derivatives of which phenol proper is the type.
Glacial phenol (Chem.), pure
crystallized phenol or carbolic acid. -- Phenol
acid (Chem.), any one of a series of compounds
which are at once derivatives of both phenol and some member of the
fatty acid series; thus, salicylic acid is a phenol acid.
-- Phenol alcohol (Chem.), any one of
series of derivatives of phenol and carbinol which have the properties
of both combined; thus, saligenin is a phenol alcohol. --
Phenol aldehyde (Chem.), any one of a
series of compounds having both phenol and aldehyde properties. -
- Phenol phthalein. See under
Phthalein.
Phe"no*late (?), n. [Phenol +
-ate.] (Chem.) A compound of phenol analogous to a
salt.
Phe*nom"e*nal (?), a. [Cf. F.
phénoménal.] Relating to, or of the nature
of, a phenomenon; hence, extraordinary; wonderful; as, a
phenomenal memory. -- Phe*nom"e*nal*ly,
adv.
Phe*nom"e*nal*ism (?), n.
(Metaph.) That theory which limits positive or scientific
knowledge to phenomena only, whether material or spiritual.
Phe*nom"e*nist (?), n. One who
believes in the theory of phenomenalism.
Phe*nom`e*nol"o*gy (?), n.
[Phenomenon + -logy: cf. F.
phénoménologie.] A description, history, or
explanation of phenomena. "The phenomenology of the
mind." Sir W. Hamilton.
Phe*nom"e*non (?), n.; pl.
Phenomena (#). [L. phaenomenon, Gr.
faino`menon, fr. fai`nesqai to appear,
fai`nein to show. See Phantom.] 1.
An appearance; anything visible; whatever, in matter or spirit,
is apparent to, or is apprehended by, observation; as, the
phenomena of heat, light, or electricity; phenomena of
imagination or memory.
In the phenomena of the material world, and in
many of the phenomena of mind.
Stewart.
2. That which strikes one as strange, unusual,
or unaccountable; an extraordinary or very remarkable person, thing,
or occurrence; as, a musical phenomenon.
Phe"nose` (?), n. [Phenyl +
dextrose.] (Chem.) A sweet amorphous deliquescent
substance obtained indirectly from benzene, and isometric with, and
resembling, dextrose.
Phe"nyl (?), n. [Gr. &?; to bring to
light + -yl: cf. F. phényle. So called because it
is a by-product of illuminating gas.] (Chem.) A
hydrocarbon radical (C6H5) regarded as the
essential residue of benzene, and the basis of an immense number of
aromatic derivatives.
Phenyl hydrate (Chem.), phenol or
carbolic acid. -- Phenyl hydrazine
(Chem.), a nitrogenous base
(C6H5.N2H3) produced
artificially as a colorless oil which unites with acids, ketones,
etc., to form well-crystallized compounds.
Phe`nyl*am"ine (?), n. [Phenyl +
amine.] (Chem.) Any one of certain class of organic
bases regarded as formed from ammonia by the substitution of phenyl
for hydrogen.
Phe"nyl*ene (?), n. (Chem.)
A hypothetic radical (C6H4) occurring in
certain derivatives of benzene; as, phenylene
diamine.
Phe*nyl"ic (?), a. (Chem.)
Pertaining to, derived from, or containing, phenyl.
Phenylic alcohol (Chem.),
phenol.
Phe"on (?), n. [Prob. from Old French.]
(Her.) A bearing representing the head of a dart or
javelin, with long barbs which are engrailed on the inner
edge.
Phi"al (?), n. [F. fiole, L.
phiala a broad, flat, shallow cup or bowl, Gr. &?;. cf.
Vial.] A glass vessel or bottle, especially a small bottle
for medicines; a vial.
Phi"al, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Phialed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Phialing.] To put or keep in, or as in, a phial.
Its phial'd wrath may fate exhaust.
Shenstone.
Phil"a*beg (?), n. See
Filibeg.
Phil`a*del"phi*an (?), a. [Gr.
filadelfia brotherly love, from fila`delfos
brotherly; fi`los loved, loving, friendly +
'adelfo`s brother.] Of or pertaining to Ptolemy
Philadelphus, or to one of the cities named Philadelphia, esp. the
modern city in Pennsylvania.
Phil`a*del"phi*an, n. 1.
A native or an inhabitant of Philadelphia.
2. (Eccl. Hist.) One of a society of
mystics of the seventeenth century, -- called also the Family of
Love. Tatler.
Phil`a*le"thist (?), n. [Philo- +
Gr. &?; truth.] A lover of the truth. [Obs.]
Brathwait.
Phi*lan"der (?), v. i. [Gr. &?; fond of
men; &?; loving + &?; man.] To make love to women; to play the
male flirt.
You can't go philandering after her
again.
G. Eliot.
Phi*lan"der, n. A lover. [R.]
Congreve.
Phi*lan"der, n. (Zoöl.)
(a) A South American opossum (Didelphys
philander). (b) An Australian bandicoot
(Perameles lagotis).
Phi*lan"der*er (?), n. One who
hangs about women; a male flirt. [R.] C. Kingsley.
Phil"an*thrope (?), n. [F.] A
philanthropist. [Obs.] R. North.
{ Phil`an*throp"ic (?), Phil`an*throp"ic*al (?),
} a. [Cf. F. philanthropique.] Of or
pertaining to philanthropy; characterized by philanthropy; loving or
helping mankind; as, a philanthropic enterprise. --
Phil`an*throp"ic*al*ly, adv.
Phil`an*throp"i*nism (?), n. A
system of education on so-called natural principles, attempted in
Germany in the last century by Basedow, of Dessau.
Phil`an*throp"i*nist (?), n. An
advocate of, or believer in, philanthropinism.
Phi*lan"thro*pist (?), n. [Gr. &?;; &?;
loving + &?; man: cf. F. philanthrope.] One who practices
philanthropy; one who loves mankind, and seeks to promote the good of
others.
Phi*lan`thro*pis"tic (?), a.
Pertaining to, or characteristic of, a philanthropist. [R.]
Carlyle.
Phi*lan"thro*py (?), n. [L.
philanthropia, Gr. &?;: cf. F. philanthropie.] Love
to mankind; benevolence toward the whole human family; universal good
will; desire and readiness to do good to all men; -- opposed to
misanthropy. Jer. Taylor.
Phil`a*tel"ic (?), a. Of or
pertaining to philately.
Phi*lat"e*list (?), n. One versed
in philately; one who collects postage stamps.
Phi*lat"e*ly (?), n. [Philo- +
Gr. &?; exemption from tax; cf. frank to send free.] The
collection of postage stamps of various issues.
Phil"a*to*ry (?), n. [OF.
filatiere, philatiere. See Phylactery.]
(Eccl.) A kind of transparent reliquary with an ornamental
top.
Phil"au*ty (?), n. [Gr. &?;; &?; loving
+ &?; self.] Self-love; selfishness. [Obs.]
Beaumont.
Phil`har*mon"ic (?), a. [Philo- +
Gr. &?; harmony: cf. F. philharmonique.] Loving harmony or
music.
Phil*hel"lene (?), n. A friend of
Greece, or of the Greeks; a philhellenist. Emerson.
Phil`hel*len"ic (?), a. Of or
pertaining to philhellenism.
Phil*hel"len*ism (?), n. Love of
Greece.
Phil*hel"len*ist, n. [Philo- +
Gr. &?; a Greek: cf. F. philhellène.] A friend of
Greece; one who supports the cause of the Greeks; particularly, one
who supported them in their struggle for independence against the
Turks; a philhellene.
Phil"i*beg (?), n. See
Filibeg. [Scot.]
Phil"ip (?), n. [So called from their
notes.] (Zoöl.) (a) The European
hedge sparrow. (b) The house sparrow.
Called also phip. [Prov. Eng.]
Phi*lip"pi*an (?), a. Of or
pertaining to Philippi, a city of ancient Macedonia. --
n. A native or an inhabitant of
Philippi.
Phi*lip"pic (?), n. [L.
Philippicus belonging to Philip, Philippic, Gr. &?;, fr. &?;
Philip, &?; fond of horses: cf. F. philippique.]
1. Any one of the series of famous orations of
Demosthenes, the Grecian orator, denouncing Philip, king of
Macedon.
2. Hence: Any discourse or declamation
abounding in acrimonious invective.
Phi*lip"pi*um (?), n. [NL. So named from
Philippe Plantamour, of Geneva, Switzerland.] (Chem.)
A rare and doubtful metallic element said to have been discovered
in the mineral samarskite.
Phil"ip*pize (?), v. i. [imp. &
p. p. Philippized (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Philippizing.] [Gr. &?; to be on Philip's side.]
1. To support or advocate the cause of Philip of
Macedon.
2. [See Philippic.] To write or speak
in the style of a philippic.
Phi*lis"ter (?), n. [G.] A
Philistine; -- a cant name given to townsmen by students in German
universities.
Phi*lis"tine (?), n. [L.
Philistinus, Heb. Phlishthī, pl.
Phlishthīm.] 1. A native or an
inhabitant of ancient Philistia, a coast region of southern
Palestine.
2. A bailiff. [Cant, Eng.] [Obs.]
Swift.
3. A person deficient in liberal culture and
refinement; one without appreciation of the nobler aspirations and
sentiments of humanity; one whose scope is limited to selfish and
material interests. [Recent] M. Arnold.
Phi*lis"tine, a. 1.
Of or pertaining to the Philistines.
2. Uncultured; commonplace.
Phi*lis"tin*ism (?), n. The
condition, character, aims, and habits of the class called
Philistines. See Philistine, 3. [Recent]
Carlyle.
On the side of beauty and taste, vulgarity; on the side
of morals and feeling, coarseness; on the side of mind and spirit,
unintelligence, -- this is Philistinism.
M.
Arnold.
Phil"lips*ite (?), n. [So named after
John Phillips, an English mineralogist.] (Min.)
(a) A hydrous silicate of aluminia, lime, and
soda, a zeolitic mineral commonly occurring in complex twin crystals,
often cruciform in shape; -- called also christianite.
Phil*lyg"e*nin (?), n. [Phillyrin
+ -gen + -in.] (Chem.) A pearly crystalline
substance obtained by the decomposition of phillyrin.
||Phil*lyr"e*a (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr.
&?;, &?;.] (Bot.) A genus of evergreen plants growing
along the shores of the Mediterranean, and breading a fruit resembling
that of the olive.
Phil"ly*rin (?), n. (Chem.)
A glucoside extracted from Phillyrea as a bitter white
crystalline substance. It is sometimes used as a febrifuge.
Philo-. A combining form from Gr. fi`los
loving, fond of, attached to; as,
philosophy, philotechnic.
Phi*log"y*nist (?), n. [See
Philogyny.] A lover or friend of women; one who esteems
woman as the higher type of humanity; -- opposed to
misogynist.
Phi*log"y*ny (?), n. [Gr. &?;; &?;
loving + &?; woman.] Fondness for women; uxoriousness; -- opposed
to misogyny. [R.] Byron.
Phil`o*hel*le"ni*an (?), n. A
philhellenist.
Phi*lol"o*ger (?), n. [Cf. L.
philologus a man of letters, Gr. &?;, originally, fond of
talking; hence, fond of learning and literature; &?; loving + &?;
speech, discourse.] A philologist. Burton.
Phil`o*lo"gi*an (?), n. A
philologist. [R.]
{ Phil`o*log"ic*al (?), Phil`o*log"ic (?), }
a. [Cf. F. philologique.] Of or
pertaining to philology. -- Phil`o*log"ic*al*ly,
adv.
Phi*lol"o*gist (?), n. One versed
in philology.
Phi*lol"o*gize (?), v. i. To study,
or make critical comments on, language. Evelyn.
Phil"o*logue (?), n. [Cf. F.
philologue.] A philologist. [R.]
Carlyle.
Phi*lol"o*gy (?), n. [L.
philologia love of learning, interpretation, philology, Gr.
&?;: cf. F. philologie. See Philologer.]
1. Criticism; grammatical learning. [R.]
Johnson.
2. The study of language, especially in a
philosophical manner and as a science; the investigation of the laws
of human speech, the relation of different tongues to one another, and
historical development of languages; linguistic science.
&fist; Philology comprehends a knowledge of the etymology,
or origin and combination of words; grammar, the construction of
sentences, or use of words in language; criticism, the interpretation
of authors, the affinities of different languages, and whatever
relates to the history or present state of languages. It sometimes
includes rhetoric, poetry, history, and antiquities.
3. A treatise on the science of
language.
Phil"o*math (?), n. [Gr. &?;;
fi`los loving, a friend + ma`qh learning, fr.
&?;, &?;, to learn.] A lover of learning; a scholar.
Chesterfield.
Phil`o*math`e*mat"ic (?), n. A
philomath.
Phil`o*math"ic (?), a. [Cf. F.
philomathique.] 1. Of or pertaining to
philomathy.
2. Having love of learning or
letters.
Phi*lom"a*thy (?), n. [Gr. &?;, &?;.]
The love of learning or letters.
Phil"o*mel (?), n. Same as
Philomela, the nightingale. [Poetic] Milton.
Cowper.
Phil`o*me"la (?), n. [L.
philomela, Gr. &?;, according to the legend, from &?; Philomela
(daughter of Pandion, king of Athens), who was changed into a
nightingale.] 1. The nightingale; philomel.
Shak.
2. (Zoöl.) A genus of birds
including the nightingales.
Phil"o*mene (?), n. The
nightingale. [Obs.]
Phil"o*mot (?), a. [See Filemot.]
Of the color of a dead leaf. [Obs.] Addison.
Phil`o*mu"sic*al (?), a. [Philo-
+ musical.] Loving music. [R.]Busby.
Phil`o*pe"na (?), n. [Probably a
corruption fr. G. vielliebchen, LG. vielliebken, or D.
veelliebken, a philopena, literally, much loved; but influenced
by Gr. &?; a friend, and L. poena penalty, from an idea that
the gift was a penalty of friendship or love.] A present or gift
which is made as a forfeit in a social game that is played in various
ways; also, the game itself. [Written also fillipeen and
phillippine.]
&fist; One of the ways may be stated as follows: A person finding a
nut with two kernels eats one, and gives the other to a person of the
opposite sex, and then whichever says philopena first at the
next meeting wins the present. The name is also applied to the kernels
eaten.
{ Phil`o*po*lem"ic (?), Phil`o*po*lem"ic*al (?),
} a. [Gr. &?; fond of war, warlike; &?; loving + &?;
war.] Fond of polemics or controversy. [R.]
Phil`o*pro*gen"i*tive (?), a.
Having the love of offspring; fond of children.
Phil`o*pro*gen"i*tive*ness, n.
[Philo- + L. progenies offspring.] (Phren.)
The love of offspring; fondness for children.
Phi*los"o*phas`ter (?), n. [L., a bad
philosopher, fr. philosophus: cf. OF. philosophastre.]
A pretender to philosophy. [Obs.] Dr. H. More.
Phi*los"o*phate (?), v. i. [L.
philosophatus, p. p. of philosophari to philosophize.]
To play the philosopher; to moralize. [Obs.]
Barrow.
Phi*los`o*pha"tion (?), n.
Philosophical speculation and discussion. [Obs.] Sir W.
Petty.
Phil"o*sophe (?), n. [F., a
philosopher.] A philosophaster; a philosopher. [R.]
Carlyle.
Phi*los"o*pheme (?), n. [Gr. &?;, from
&?; to love knowledge.] A philosophical proposition, doctrine, or
principle of reasoning. [R.]
This, the most venerable, and perhaps the most ancient,
of Grecian myths, is a philosopheme.
Coleridge.
Phi*los"o*pher (?), n. [OE.
philosophre, F. philosophe, L. philosophus, Gr.
&?;; &?; loving + &?; wise. Cf. Philosophy.]
1. One who philosophizes; one versed in, or
devoted to, philosophy.
Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and
of the Stoics, encountered him.
Acts xvii. 18.
2. One who reduces the principles of
philosophy to practice in the conduct of life; one who lives according
to the rules of practical wisdom; one who meets or regards all
vicissitudes with calmness.
3. An alchemist. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Philosopher's stone, an imaginary stone which
the alchemists formerly sought as instrument of converting the baser
metals into gold.
{ Phil`o*soph"ic (?), Phil`o*soph"ic*al (?), }
a. [L. philosophicus: cf. F.
philosophique.] Of or pertaining to philosophy; versed in,
or imbued with, the principles of philosophy; hence, characterizing a
philosopher; rational; wise; temperate; calm; cool. --
Phil`o*soph"ic*al*ly, adv.
Phi*los"o*phism (?), n. [Cf. F.
philosophisme.] Spurious philosophy; the love or practice
of sophistry. Carlyle.
Phi*los"o*phist (?), n. [Cf. F.
philosophiste.] A pretender in philosophy.
{ Phi*los`o*phis"tic (?), Phi*los`o*phis"tic*al
(?), } a. Of or pertaining to the love or
practice of sophistry. [R.]
Phi*los"o*phize (?), v. i. [imp.
& p. p. Philosophized (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Philosophizing (?).] To reason like a
philosopher; to search into the reason and nature of things; to
investigate phenomena, and assign rational causes for their
existence.
Man philosophizes as he lives. He may
philosophize well or ill, but philosophize he
must.
Sir W. Hamilton.
Phi*los"o*phi`zer (?), n. One who
philosophizes.
Phi*los"o*phy (?), n.; pl.
Philosophies (#). [OE. philosophie, F.
philosophie, L. philosophia, from Gr. &?;. See
Philosopher.] 1. Literally, the love of,
including the search after, wisdom; in actual usage, the knowledge of
phenomena as explained by, and resolved into, causes and reasons,
powers and laws.
&fist; When applied to any particular department of knowledge,
philosophy denotes the general laws or principles under which
all the subordinate phenomena or facts relating to that subject are
comprehended. Thus philosophy, when applied to God and the
divine government, is called theology; when applied to material
objects, it is called physics; when it treats of man, it is
called anthropology and psychology, with which are
connected logic and ethics; when it treats of the
necessary conceptions and relations by which philosophy is
possible, it is called metaphysics.
&fist; "Philosophy has been defined: tionscience of things
divine and human, and the causes in which they are contained; -- the
science of effects by their causes; -- the science of sufficient
reasons; -- the science of things possible, inasmuch as they are
possible; -- the science of things evidently deduced from first
principles; -- the science of truths sensible and abstract; -- the
application of reason to its legitimate objects; -- the science of the
relations of all knowledge to the necessary ends of human reason; --
the science of the original form of the ego, or mental self; -- the
science of science; -- the science of the absolute; -- the scienceof
the absolute indifference of the ideal and real." Sir W.
Hamilton.
2. A particular philosophical system or
theory; the hypothesis by which particular phenomena are
explained.
[Books] of Aristotle and his
philosophie.
Chaucer.
We shall in vain interpret their words by the notions
of our philosophy and the doctrines in our school.
Locke.
3. Practical wisdom; calmness of temper and
judgment; equanimity; fortitude; stoicism; as, to meet misfortune with
philosophy.
Then had he spent all his
philosophy.
Chaucer.
4. Reasoning; argumentation.
Of good and evil much they argued then, . . .
Vain wisdom all, and false philosophy.
Milton.
5. The course of sciences read in the
schools. Johnson.
6. A treatise on philosophy.
Philosophy of the Academy, that of Plato, who
taught his disciples in a grove in Athens called the Academy. --
Philosophy of the Garden, that of Epicurus, who
taught in a garden in Athens. -- Philosophy of the
Lyceum, that of Aristotle, the founder of the
Peripatetic school, who delivered his lectures in the Lyceum at
Athens. -- Philosophy of the Porch, that of
Zeno and the Stoics; -- so called because Zeno of Citium and his
successors taught in the porch of the Poicile, a great hall in
Athens.
Phil`o*stor"gy (?), n. [Gr. &?;; &?;
loving + &?; affection.] Natural affection, as of parents for
their children. [R.]
{ Phil`o*tech"nic (?), Phil`o*tech"nic*al (?), }
a. [Philo- + Gr. &?; an art: cf. F.
philotechnique.] Fond of the arts. [R.]
Phil"ter (?), n. [F. philtre, L.
philtrum, Gr. &?;, fr. &?; to love, &?; dear, loving.] A
potion or charm intended to excite the passion of love. [Written
also philtre.] Addison.
Phil"ter, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Philtered (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Philtering.] 1. To impregnate or mix with
a love potion; as, to philter a draught.
2. To charm to love; to excite to love or
sexual desire by a potion. Gov. of Tongue.
||Phi*mo"sis (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?; a
muzzling, fr. &?; muzzle.] (Med.) A condition of the penis
in which the prepuce can not be drawn back so as to uncover the glans
penis.
Phi"ton*ess (?), n. Pythoness;
witch. [Obs.]
Phiz (?), n.; pl.
Phizes (#). [Contr. fr. physiognomy.]
The face or visage. [Colloq.] Cowper.
||Phle*bi"tis (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?;,
&?;, a vein + -itis.] (Med.) Inflammation of a
vein.
Phleb"o*gram (?), n. [Gr. &?;, &?; +
-gram.] (Physiol.) A tracing (with the
sphygmograph) of the movements of a vein, or of the venous
pulse.
{ Phleb"o*lite (?), Phleb"o*lith (?), }
n. [Gr. &?;, &?;, a vein + -lite, -
lith.] (Med.) A small calcareous concretion formed in
a vein; a vein stone.
Phle*bol"o*gy (?), n. [Gr. &?;, &?;, a
vein + -logy.] A branch of anatomy which treats of the
veins.
Phle*bot"o*mist (?), n. [Cf. F.
phlébotomiste.] (Med.) One who practiced
phlebotomy.
Phle*bot"o*mize (?), v. t. [imp.
& p. p. Phlebotomized (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Phlebotomizing (?).] [Cf. F.
phlébotomiser.] To let blood from by opening a
vein; to bleed. [R.] Howell.
Phle*bot"o*my (?), n. [L.
phlebotomia, Gr. &?;; &?;, &?;, a vein + &?; to cut: cf. F.
phlébotomie. Cf. Fleam.] (Med.) The
act or practice of opening a vein for letting blood, in the treatment
of disease; venesection; bloodletting.
Phlegm (?), n. [F. phlegme,
flegme, L. phlegma, fr. Gr. &?; a flame, inflammation,
phlegm, a morbid, clammy humor in the body, fr. &?; to burn. Cf.
Phlox, Flagrant, Flame, Bleak,
a., and Fluminate.] 1.
One of the four humors of which the ancients supposed the blood
to be composed. See Humor. Arbuthnot.
2. (Physiol.) Viscid mucus secreted in
abnormal quantity in the respiratory and digestive passages.
3. (Old Chem.) A watery distilled
liquor, in distinction from a spirituous liquor.
Crabb.
4. Sluggishness of temperament; dullness; want
of interest; indifference; coldness.
They judge with fury, but they write with
phlegm.
Pope.
Phleg"ma*gogue (?), n. [Gr. &?; carrying
of phlegm; &?; phlegm + &?; to lead.] (Old Med.) A
medicine supposed to expel phlegm.
||Phleg*ma"si*a (?), n. [NL., from Gr.
&?;. See Phlegm.] (Med.) An inflammation; more
particularly, an inflammation of the internal organs.
||Phlegmasia dolens (dō"l&ebreve;nz) [NL.],
milk leg.
Phleg*mat"ic (?), a. [L.
phlegmaticus, Gr. &?;: cf. F. phlegmatique.]
1. Watery. [Obs.] "Aqueous and
phlegmatic." Sir I. Newton.
2. Abounding in phlegm; as, phlegmatic
humors; a phlegmatic constitution. Harvey.
3. Generating or causing phlegm. "Cold
and phlegmatic habitations." Sir T. Browne.
4. Not easily excited to action or passion;
cold; dull; sluggish; heavy; as, a phlegmatic person.
Addison.
Phlegmatic temperament (Old Physiol.),
lymphatic temperament. See under Lymphatic.
Phleg*mat"ic*al (?), a.
Phlegmatic. Ash.
Phleg*mat"ic*al*ly, adv. In a
phlegmatic manner.
Phleg*mat"ic*ly (?), a.
Phlegmatically. [Obs.]
Phleg"mon (?), n. [L. phlegmone,
phlegmon, inflammation beneath the skin, Gr. &?;, fr. &?; to
burn: cf. F. phlegmon.] (Med.) Purulent
inflammation of the cellular or areolar tissue.
Phleg"mon*ous (?), a. [Cf. F.
phlegmoneux.] Having the nature or properties of phlegmon;
as, phlegmonous pneumonia. Harvey.
Phleme (?), n. (Surg. & Far.)
See Fleam.
||Phle"um (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?; a
kind of marsh plant.] (Bot.) A genus of grasses, including
the timothy (Phleum pratense), which is highly valued for hay;
cat's-tail grass. Gray.
Phlo"ëm (?), n. [Gr. &?; bark.]
(Bot.) That portion of fibrovascular bundles which
corresponds to the inner bark; the liber tissue; -- distinguished from
xylem.
Phlo*gis"tian (?), n. A believer in
the existence of phlogiston.
Phlo*gis"tic (?), a. 1.
(Old Chem.) Of or pertaining to phlogiston, or to belief
in its existence.
2. (Med.) Inflammatory; belonging to
inflammations and fevers.
Phlo*gis"tic*al (?), a. (Old
Chem.) Phlogistic.
Phlo*gis"ti*cate (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Phlogisticated (?); p.
pr. & vb. n. Phlogisticating.] (Old Chem.)
To combine phlogiston with; -- usually in the form and sense of
the p. p. or the adj.; as, highly
phlogisticated substances.
Phlo*gis`ti*ca"tion (?), n. (Old
Chem.) The act or process of combining with
phlogiston.
Phlo*gis"ton (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?;
burnt, set on fire, fr. &?; to set on fire, to burn, fr. &?;, &?;, a
flame, blaze. See Phlox.] (Old Chem.) The
hypothetical principle of fire, or inflammability, regarded by Stahl
as a chemical element.
&fist; This was supposed to be united with combustible
(phlogisticated) bodies and to be separated from incombustible
(dephlogisticated) bodies, the phenomena of flame and burning
being the escape of phlogiston. Soot and sulphur were regarded as
nearly pure phlogiston. The essential principle of this theory was,
that combustion was a decomposition rather than the union and
combination which it has since been shown to be.
Phlo*gog"e*nous (?), a. [Gr. &?;, &?;
fire + -genous.] (Med.) Causing
inflammation.
Phlog"o*pite (?), n. [Gr. &?; firelike.]
(Min.) A kind of mica having generally a peculiar bronze-
red or copperlike color and a pearly luster. It is a silicate of
aluminia, with magnesia, potash, and some fluorine. It is
characteristic of crystalline limestone or dolomite and serpentine.
See Mica.
||Phlo*go"sis (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?;
burning heat.] (Med.) Inflammation of external parts of
the body; erysipelatous inflammation.
Phlo*got"ic (?), n. (Med.)
Of or pertaining to phlogisis.
Phlo*ram"ine (?), n. [Phlorlucin
+ amine.] (Chem.) A basic amido derivative of
phloroglucin, having an astringent taste.
Phlo*ret"ic (?), a. (Chem.)
Pertaining to, or derived from, or designating, an organic acid
obtained by the decomposition of phloretin.
Phlor"e*tin (?), n. [From Phlorizin.]
(Chem.) A bitter white crystalline substance obtained by
the decomposition of phlorizin, and formerly used to some extent as a
substitute for quinine.
Phlor"i*zin (?), n. [Gr. &?;, &?;, bark
+ &?; root.] (Chem.) A bitter white crystalline glucoside
extracted from the root bark of the apple, pear, cherry, plum,
etc. [Formerly also written phloridzin.]
Phlor`o*glu"cin (?), n.
[Phloretin + Gr. &?; sweet.] (Chem.) A sweet white
crystalline substance, metameric with pyrogallol, and obtained by the
decomposition of phloretin, and from certain gums, as catechu, kino,
etc. It belongs to the class of phenols. [Called also
phloroglucinol.]
Phlo"rol (?), n. [Phloretic +
-ol.] (Chem.) A liquid metameric with xylenol,
belonging to the class of phenols, and obtained by distilling certain
salts of phloretic acid.
Phlo"rone (?), n. [Phlorol +
quinone.] (Chem.) A yellow crystalline substance
having a peculiar unpleasant odor, resembling the quinones, and
obtained from beechwood tar and coal tar, as also by the oxidation of
xylidine; -- called also xyloquinone.
Phlox (?), n. [L., a kind of flower, fr.
Gr. &?; flame, fr. &?; to burn.] (Bot.) A genus of
American herbs, having showy red, white, or purple flowers.
Phlox worm (Zoöl.), the larva of
an American moth (Heliothis phloxiphaga). It is destructive to
phloxes. -- Phlox subulata, the moss pink.
See under Moss.
Phlyc*ten"u*lar (?), a. [Gr. &?; a
blister or pustule.] (Med.) Characterized by the presence
of small pustules, or whitish elevations resembling pustules; as,
phlyctenular ophthalmia.
||Pho"ca (?), n. [L., a seal, fr. Gr.
&?;.] (Zoöl.) A genus of seals. It includes the
common harbor seal and allied species. See Seal.
Pho*ca"cean (?), n. (Zoöl.)
Any species of Phoca; a seal.
Pho"cal (?), a. (Zoöl.)
Pertaining to seals.
Pho*cen"ic (?), a. [Gr. &?; a porpoise.]
(Chem.) Of or pertaining to dolphin oil or porpoise oil; -
- said of an acid (called also delphinic acid) subsequently
found to be identical with valeric acid. Watts.
Pho*ce"nin (?), n. [Cf. F.
phocénine.] (Chem.) See
Delphin.
Pho"cine (?), a. [L. phoca a
seal.] (Zoöl.) Of or pertaining to the seal tribe;
phocal.
Pho"co*dont (?), n. (Zoöl.)
One of the Phocodontia.
||Pho`co*don"ti*a (?), n. pl. [NL., fr.
Gr. &?; a seal + &?;, &?;, a tooth.] (Zoöl.) A group
of extinct carnivorous whales. Their teeth had compressed and serrated
crowns. It includes Squalodon and allied genera.
Phœ"be (?), n. (Zoöl.)
The pewee, or pewit.
Phœ"bus (?), n. [L., fr. Gr. &?;,
fr. &?; pure, bright.] 1. (Class. Myth.)
Apollo; the sun god.
2. The sun. "Phœbus 'gins
arise." Shak.
Phœ*ni"cian (?), a. Of or
pertaining to Phœnica. -- n. A
native or inhabitant of Phœnica.
Phœ*ni"cious (?), a. See
Phenicious.
||Phœ`ni*cop"te*rus (?), n. [NL.
See Phenicopter.] (Zoöl.) A genus of birds
which includes the flamingoes.
||Phœ"nix (?), n. [L., a fabulous
bird. See Phenix.] 1. Same as
Phenix. Shak.
2. (Bot.) A genus of palms including
the date tree.
Pho"lad (?), n. (Zoöl.)
Any species of Pholas.
Pho*la"de*an (?), n. (Zoöl.)
Pholad.
||Pho"las (?), n.; pl.
Pholades (#). [NL., fr. Gr. &?;, &?;, a kind of
mollusk.] (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of
marine bivalve mollusks of the genus Pholas, or family
Pholadidæ. They bore holes for themselves in clay, peat,
and soft rocks.
Pho"nal (?), a.[Gr. &?; the voice.]
Of or relating to the voice; as, phonal structure.
Max Müller.
Pho`nas*cet"ics (?), n. [Gr. &?; to
practice the voice; &?; voice + &?; to practice.] Treatment for
restoring or improving the voice.
Pho*na"tion (?), n. [Gr. &?; the voice.]
The act or process by which articulate sounds are uttered; the
utterance of articulate sounds; articulate speech.
Pho*nau"to*graph (?), n. [Phono-
+ Gr. &?; self + -graph.] (Physics) An instrument
by means of which a sound can be made to produce a visible trace or
record of itself. It consists essentially of a resonant vessel,
usually of paraboloidal form, closed at one end by a flexible
membrane. A stylus attached to some point of the membrane records the
movements of the latter, as it vibrates, upon a moving cylinder or
plate.
Pho*nei"do*scope (?), n. [Phono-
+ Gr. &?; form + -scope.] (Physics) An instrument
for studying the motions of sounding bodies by optical means. It
consists of a tube across the end of which is stretched a film of soap
solution thin enough to give colored bands, the form and position of
which are affected by sonorous vibrations.
Pho*net"ic (?), a. [Gr. &?;, fr. &?; a
sound, tone; akin to Gr. &?; to speak: cf. F.
phonétique. See Ban a proclamation.]
1. Of or pertaining to the voice, or its
use.
2. Representing sounds; as, phonetic
characters; -- opposed to ideographic; as, a phonetic
notation.
Phonetic spelling, spelling in phonetic
characters, each representing one sound only; -- contrasted with
Romanic spelling, or that by the use of the Roman
alphabet.
Pho*net"ic*al*ly, adv. In a
phonetic manner.
Pho`ne*ti"cian (?), n. One versed
in phonetics; a phonetist.
Pho*net"ics (?), n. 1.
The doctrine or science of sounds; especially those of the human
voice; phonology.
2. The art of representing vocal sounds by
signs and written characters.
Pho"ne*tism (?), n. The science
which treats of vocal sounds. J. Peile.
Pho"ne*tist (?), n. 1.
One versed in phonetics; a phonologist.
2. One who advocates a phonetic
spelling.
Pho`ne*ti*za"tion (?), n. The act,
art, or process of representing sounds by phonetic signs.
Pho"ne*tize (?), v. t. To represent
by phonetic signs. Lowell.
Phon"ic (?), a. [Gr. &?; sound: cf. F.
phonique.] Of or pertaining to sound; of the nature of
sound; acoustic. Tyndall.
Phon"ics (?), n. See
Phonetics.
Pho"no- (?). A combining form from Gr. &?;
sound, tone; as, phonograph,
phonology.
Phono (?), n. (Zoöl.) A
South American butterfly (Ithonia phono) having nearly
transparent wings.
Pho`no*camp"tic (?), a. [Phono- +
Gr. &?; to bend: cf. F. phonocamptique.] Reflecting
sound. [R.] "Phonocamptic objects." Derham.
Pho"no*gram (?), n. [Phono- +
-gram.] 1. A letter, character, or mark
used to represent a particular sound.
Phonograms are of three kinds: (1) Verbal signs,
which stand for entire words; (2) Syllabic signs, which stand for the
articulations of which words are composed; (3) Alphabetic signs, or
letters, which represent the elementary sounds into which the syllable
can be resolved.
I. Taylor (The Alphabet).
2. A record of sounds made by a
phonograph.
Pho"no*graph (?), n. [Phono- +
-graph.] 1. A character or symbol used to
represent a sound, esp. one used in phonography.
2. (Physics) An instrument for the
mechanical registration and reproduction of audible sounds, as
articulate speech, etc. It consists of a rotating cylinder or disk
covered with some material easily indented, as tinfoil, wax, paraffin,
etc., above which is a thin plate carrying a stylus. As the plate
vibrates under the influence of a sound, the stylus makes minute
indentations or undulations in the soft material, and these, when the
cylinder or disk is again turned, set the plate in vibration, and
reproduce the sound.
Pho*nog"ra*pher (?), n.
1. One versed or skilled in
phonography.
2. One who uses, or is skilled in the use of,
the phonograph. See Phonograph, 2.
{ Pho`no*graph"ic (?), Pho`no*graph"ic*al (?), }
a. [Cf. F. phonographique.]
1. Of or pertaining to phonography; based upon
phonography.
2. Of or pertaining to phonograph; done by the
phonograph.
Pho`no*graph"ic*al*ly, adv. In a
phonographic manner; by means of phonograph.
Pho*nog"ra*phist (?), n.
Phonographer.
Pho*nog"ra*phy (?), n. [Phono- +
-graphy.] 1. A description of the laws of
the human voice, or sounds uttered by the organs of speech.
2. A representation of sounds by distinctive
characters; commonly, a system of shorthand writing invented by Isaac
Pitman, or a modification of his system, much used by
reporters.
&fist; The consonants are represented by straight lines and curves;
the vowels by dots and short dashes; but by skilled phonographers, in
rapid work, most vowel marks are omitted, and brief symbols for common
words and combinations of words are extensively employed. The
following line is an example of phonography, in which all the sounds
are indicated: --
They also serve who only stand and wait.
Milton.
3. The art of constructing, or using, the
phonograph.
Pho"no*lite (?), n. [Phono- +
-lite: cf. F. phonolithe.] (Min.) A compact,
feldspathic, igneous rock containing nephelite, haüynite, etc.
Thin slabs give a ringing sound when struck; -- called also
clinkstone.
Pho*nol"o*ger (?), n. A
phonologist.
{ Pho`no*log"ic (?), Pho`no*log"ic*al (?), }
a. Of or pertaining to phonology.
Pho*nol"o*gist (?), n. One versed
in phonology.
Pho*nol"o*gy (?), n. [Phono- +
-logy.] The science or doctrine of the elementary sounds
uttered by the human voice in speech, including the various
distinctions, modifications, and combinations of tones; phonetics.
Also, a treatise on sounds.
Pho*nom"e*ter (?), n. [Phono- +
-meter.] (Physics) An instrument for measuring
sounds, as to their intensity, or the frequency of the
vibrations.
Pho`no*mo"tor (?), n. [Phono- +
-motor.] (Physics) An instrument in which motion is
produced by the vibrations of a sounding body.
Pho*nor"ga*non (?), n. [NL. See
Phono-, and Organon.] A speaking machine.
Pho"no*scope (?), n. [Phono- +
-scope.] (Physics) (a) An
instrument for observing or exhibiting the motions or properties of
sounding bodies; especially, an apparatus invented by König for
testing the quality of musical strings. (b)
An instrument for producing luminous figures by the vibrations of
sounding bodies.
Pho"no*type (-tīp), n. [Phono-
+ -type.] A type or character used in
phonotypy.
{ Pho`no*typ"ic (?), Pho`no*typ"ic*al (?), }
a. Of or pertaining to phonotypy; as, a
phonotypic alphabet.
Pho*not"y*pist (?), n. One versed
in phonotypy.
Pho*not"y*py (?), n. A method of
phonetic printing of the English language, as devised by Mr. Pitman,
in which nearly all the ordinary letters and many new forms are
employed in order to indicate each elementary sound by a separate
character.
||Phor"minx (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?;.]
A kind of lyre used by the Greeks. Mrs.
Browning.
||Phor"mi*um (?), n. [NL. fr. Gr. &?; a
plaited mat, a kind of plant.] (Bot.) A genus of
liliaceous plants, consisting of one species (Phormium tenax).
See Flax-plant.
Phor"one (?), n. [Camphor +
acetone.] (Chem.) A yellow crystalline substance,
having a geraniumlike odor, regarded as a complex derivative of
acetone, and obtained from certain camphor compounds.
||Pho*ro"nis (?), n. [NL., fr. L.
Phoronis, a surname of Io, Gr. &?;.] (Zoöl.) A
remarkable genus of marine worms having tentacles around the mouth. It
is usually classed with the gephyreans. Its larva
(Actinotrocha) undergoes a peculiar metamorphosis.
||Phor`o*no"mi*a (?), n. [NL.] See
Phoronomics.
Phor`o*nom"ics (?), n. [Gr. &?; a
carrying, motion + &?; a law.] The science of motion;
kinematics. [R.] Weisbach.
Phos"gene (?), a. [Gr. &?; light + the
root of &?; to be born: cf. F. phosgène.] (Old
Chem.) Producing, or produced by, the action of light; --
formerly used specifically to designate a gas now called carbonyl
chloride. See Carbonyl.
Phos"gen*ite (?), n. (Min.)
A rare mineral occurring in tetragonal crystals of a white,
yellow, or grayish color and adamantine luster. It is a
chlorocarbonate of lead.
Phos"pham (?), n. [Phosphorus +
ammonia.] (Chem.) An inert amorphous white powder,
PN2H, obtained by passing ammonia over heated
phosphorus. [Spelt also phosphame.] --
Phos"pham"ic (#), a.
Phos"phate (?), n. (Chem.) A
salt of phosphoric acid.
Phos*phat"ic (?), a. (Chem.)
Pertaining to, or containing, phosphorus, phosphoric acid, or
phosphates; as, phosphatic nodules.
Phosphatic diathesis (Med.), a habit
of body which leads to the undue excretion of phosphates with the
urine.
||Phos`pha*tu"ri*a (?), n. [NL. See
Phosphate, and Urine.] (Med.) The excessive
discharge of phosphates in the urine.
Phos"phene (?), n. [Gr. &?; light + &?;
to show.] (Physiol.) A luminous impression produced
through excitation of the retina by some cause other than the
impingement upon it of rays of light, as by pressure upon the eyeball
when the lids are closed. Cf. After-image.
Phos"phide (?), n. (Chem.) A
binary compound of phosphorus.
Phos"phine (?), n. (Chem.) A
colorless gas, PH3, analogous to ammonia, and having a
disagreeable odor resembling that of garlic. Called also hydrogen
phosphide, and formerly, phosphureted hydrogen.
&fist; It is the most important compound of phosphorus and
hydrogen, and is produced by the action of caustic potash on
phosphorus. It is spontaneously inflammable, owing to impurities, and
in burning produces peculiar vortical rings of smoke.
Phos*phin"ic (?), a. (Chem.)
Pertaining to, or designating, certain acids analogous to the
phosphonic acids, but containing two hydrocarbon radicals, and derived
from the secondary phosphines by oxidation.
Phos"phite (?), n. (Chem.) A
salt of phosphorous acid.
Phos*phon"ic (?), a. [Phosphoric
+ sulphonic.] (Chem.) Pertaining to, or
designating, certain derivatives of phosphorous acid containing a
hydrocarbon radical, and analogous to the sulphonic acid.
Phos*pho"ni*um (?), n.
[Phosphorus + ammonium.] (Chem.) The
hypothetical radical PH4, analogous to ammonium, and
regarded as the nucleus of certain derivatives of phosphine.
Phos"phor (?), n. [Cf. G.
phosphor. See Phosphorus.] 1.
Phosphorus. [Obs.] Addison.
2. The planet Venus, when appearing as the
morning star; Lucifer. [Poetic] Pope. Tennyson.
Phos"phor*ate (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Phosphorated (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Phosphorating.] (Chem.) To impregnate,
or combine, with phosphorus or its compounds; as, phosphorated
oil.
Phos"phor-bronze` (?), n.
[Phosphor + bronze.] (Metal.) A variety of
bronze possessing great hardness, elasticity, and toughness, obtained
by melting copper with tin phosphide. It contains one or two per cent
of phosphorus and from five to fifteen per cent of tin.
Phos*pho"re*ous (?), a.
Phosphorescent. [Obs.]
Phos`phor*esce" (?), v. i. [imp.
& p. p. Phosphoresced (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Phosphorescing (?).] To shine as phosphorus;
to be phosphorescent; to emit a phosphoric light.
Phos`phor*es"cence (?), n. [Cf. F.
phosphorescence.] 1. The quality or state
of being phosphorescent; or the act of phosphorescing.
2. A phosphoric light.
Phos`phor*es"cent (?), a. [Cf. F.
phosphorescent.] Shining with a phosphoric light; luminous
without sensible heat. -- n. A
phosphorescent substance.
Phos*phor"ic (?), a. [Cf. F.
phosphorique.] 1. (Chem.) Of or
pertaining to phosphorus; resembling, or containing, from us;
specifically, designating those compounds in which phosphorus has a
higher valence as contrasted with the phosphorous
compounds.
2. Phosphorescent. "A phosphoric
sea." Byron.
Glacial phosphoric acid. (Chem.)
(a) Metaphosphoric acid in the form of glassy
semitransparent masses or sticks. (b) Pure
normal phosphoric acid. -- Phosphoric acid
(Chem.), a white crystalline substance,
H3PO4, which is the most highly oxidized acid of
phosphorus, and forms an important and extensive series of compounds,
viz., the phosphates. -- Soluble phosphoric
acid, Insoluble phosphoric acid (Agric.
Chem.), phosphoric acid combined in acid salts, or in neutral
or basic salts, which are respectively soluble and insoluble in water
or in plant juices. -- Reverted phosphoric acid
(Agric. Chem.), phosphoric acid changed from acid (soluble)
salts back to neutral or basic (insoluble) salts.
Phos*phor"ic*al (?), a. (Old
Chem.) Phosphoric.
Phos"phor*ite (?), n. (Min.)
A massive variety of apatite.
Phos`phor*it"ic (?), a. (Min.)
Pertaining to phosphorite; resembling, or of the nature of,
phosphorite.
Phos"phor*ize (?), v. t. To
phosphorate.
Phos"phor*ized (?), a. Containing,
or impregnated with, phosphorus.
Phos`phor*o*gen"ic (?), a.
[Phosphorus + -gen + -ic.] Generating
phosphorescence; as, phosphorogenic rays.
Phos*phor"o*scope (?), n.
[Phosphorus + -scope.] (Physics) An
apparatus for observing the phosphorescence produced in different
bodies by the action of light, and for measuring its
duration.
Phos"phor*ous (?), a. [Cf. F.
phosphoreux.] (Chem.) Of or pertaining to
phosphorus; resembling or containing phosphorus; specifically,
designating those compounds in which phosphorus has a lower valence as
contrasted with phosphoric compounds; as, phosphorous
acid, H3PO3.
Phos"phor*us (?), n.; pl.
Phosphori (#). [L., the morning star, Gr. &?;, lit.,
light bringer; &?; light + &?; to bring.] 1. The
morning star; Phosphor.
2. (Chem.) A poisonous nonmetallic
element of the nitrogen group, obtained as a white, or yellowish,
translucent waxy substance, having a characteristic disagreeable
smell. It is very active chemically, must be preserved under water,
and unites with oxygen even at ordinary temperatures, giving a faint
glow, -- whence its name. It always occurs compined, usually in
phosphates, as in the mineral apatite, in bones, etc. It is used in
the composition on the tips of friction matches, and for many other
purposes. The molecule contains four atoms. Symbol P. Atomic weight
31.0.
3. (Chem.) Hence, any substance which
shines in the dark like phosphorus, as certain phosphorescent
bodies.
Bologna phosphorus (Chem.), sulphide
of barium, which shines in the dark after exposure to light; -- so
called because this property was discovered by a resident of
Bologna. The term is sometimes applied to other compounds
having similar properties. -- Metallic
phosphorus (Chem.), an allotropic modification of
phosphorus, obtained as a gray metallic crystalline substance, having
very inert chemical properties. It is obtained by heating ordinary
phosphorus in a closed vessel at a high temperature. --
Phosphorus disease (Med.), a disease
common among workers in phosphorus, giving rise to necrosis of the
jawbone, and other symptoms. -- Red, or
Amorphous, phosphorus (Chem.),
an allotropic modification of phosphorus, obtained as a dark red
powder by heating ordinary phosphorus in closed vessels. It is not
poisonous, is not phosphorescent, and is only moderately active
chemically. It is valuable as a chemical reagent, and is used in the
composition of the friction surface on which safety matches are
ignited. -- Solar phosphori (Chem.),
phosphorescent substances which shine in the dark after exposure
to the sunlight or other intense light.
Phos"phor*yl (?), n. [Phosphorus
+ -yl.] (Chem.) The radical PO, regarded as the
typical nucleus of certain compounds.
Phos"phu*ret (?), n. (Chem.)
A phosphide. [Obsoles.]
Phos"phu*ret`ed (?), a. (Chem.)
Impregnated, or combined, with phosphorus. [Obsoles.]
[Written also phosphuretted.]
Phosphureted hydrogen. (Chem.) See
Phosphine.
Pho"tic (?), a. [Gr. fw^s,
fwto`s, light.] (Physiol.) Relating to the
production of light by the lower animals.
Pho"tics (?), n. (Physics)
The science of light; -- a general term sometimes employed when
optics is restricted to light as a producing vision.
Knight.
Pho"to (?), n.; pl.
Photos (&?;). A contraction of
Photograph. [Colloq.]
Pho"to- (?). A combining form from Gr.
fw^s, fwto`s, light; as,
photography, phototype, photometer.
Pho`to*bi*ot"ic (?), a. [Photo- +
biotic.] (Biol.) Requiring light to live; incapable
of living without light; as, photobiotic plant cells.
Pho`to*chem"ic*al (?), a. [Photo-
+ chemical.] (Chem.) Of or pertaining to chemical
action of light, or produced by it; as, the photochemical
changes of the visual purple of the retina.
Pho`to*chem"is*try (?), n. [Photo-
+ chemistry.] (Chem.) The branch of chemistry
which relates to the effect of light in producing chemical changes, as
in photography.
{ Pho`to*chro"mic (?), Pho`to*chro*mat"ic (?), }
a. Of or pertaining to photochromy; produced by
photochromy.
Pho*toch"ro*my (?), n. [Photo- +
Gr. &?; color.] The art or process of reproducing colors by
photography.
Pho"to*drome (?), n. [Photo- +
Gr. &?; to run.] (Physics) An apparatus consisting of a
large wheel with spokes, which when turning very rapidly is
illuminated by momentary flashes of light passing through slits in a
rotating disk. By properly timing the succession of flashes the wheel
is made to appear to be motionless, or to rotate more or less slowly
in either direction.
Pho`to-e*lec"tric (?), a. [Photo-
+ electric.] Acting by the operation of both light and
electricity; -- said of apparatus for producing pictures by electric
light.
Pho`to-e*lec"tro*type (?), n.
(Print.) An electrotype plate formed in a mold made by
photographing on prepared gelatine, etc.
Pho`to-en*grav"ing (?), n. [Photo-
+ engraving.] The process of obtaining an etched or
engraved plate from the photographic image, to be used in printing;
also, a picture produced by such a process.
Pho`to-ep"i*nas`ty (?), n. [See
Photo-, and Epinastic.] (Bot.) A
disproportionately rapid growth of the upper surface of dorsiventral
organs, such as leaves, through the stimulus of exposure to
light. Encyc. Brit.
Pho`to*gal`va*nog"ra*phy (?), n.
[Photo- + galvanography.] The art or process of
making photo-electrotypes. Sir D. Brewster.
Pho"to*gen (?), n. [Photo- + -
gen.] (Chem.) A light hydrocarbon oil resembling
kerosene. It is obtained by distilling coal, paraffin, etc., and is
used as a lubricant, illuminant, etc. [Written also
photogene.]
Pho"to*gene (?), n. [See
Photogen.] 1. A photograph.
[Obsoles.]
2. A more or less continued impression or
image on the retina. H. Spencer.
Pho`to*gen"ic (?), a. Of or
pertaining to photogeny; producing or generating light.
Pho*tog"e*ny (?), n. [See
Photogen.] See Photography. [Obsoles.]
Pho`to*glyph"ic (?), a. [Photo- +
Gr. &?; to engrave.] Pertaining to the art of engraving by the
action of light. [Written also photoglyptic.]
Photoglyphic engraving, a process of etching
on copper, steel, or zinc, by means of the action of light and certain
chemicals, so that from the plate impressions may be taken.
Sir D. Brewster.
Pho*tog"ly*phy (?), n. Photoglyphic
engraving. See under Photoglyphic.
Pho`to*glyp"tic (?), a. Same as
Photoglyphic.
Pho"to*gram (?), n. [Photo- +
-gram.] A photograph. [R.]
Pho"to*graph (?), n. [Photo- +
-graph.] A picture or likeness obtained by
photography.
Pho"to*graph, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Photographed (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Photographing (?).] To take a picture or
likeness of by means of photography; as, to photograph a view;
to photograph a group.
He makes his pen drawing on white paper, and they are
afterwards photographed on wood.
Hamerton.
Also used figuratively.
He is photographed on my mind.
Lady D. Hardy.
Pho"to*graph, v. i. To practice
photography; to take photographs.
Pho*tog"ra*pher (?), n. One who
practices, or is skilled in, photography.
{ Pho`to*graph"ic (?), Pho`to*graph"ic*al (?), }
a. [Cf. F. photographique.] Of or
pertaining to photography; obtained by photography; used ib
photography; as a photographic picture; a photographic
camera. -- Pho`to*graph"ic*al*ly,
adv.
Photographic printing, the process of
obtaining pictures, as on chemically prepared paper, from photographic
negatives, by exposure to light.
Pho*tog"ra*phist (?), n. A
photographer.
Pho*tog"ra*phom"e*ter (?), n.
[Photograph + -meter.] (Photog.) An
instrument for determining the sensibility of the plates employed in
photographic processes to luminous rays.
Pho*tog"ra*phy (?), n. [Photo- +
-graphy: cf. F. photographie.] 1.
The science which relates to the action of light on sensitive
bodies in the production of pictures, the fixation of images, and the
like.
2. The art or process of producing pictures by
this action of light.
&fist; The well-focused optical image is thrown on a surface of
metal, glass, paper, or other suitable substance, coated with
collodion or gelatin, and sensitized with the chlorides, bromides, or
iodides of silver, or other salts sensitive to light. The exposed
plate is then treated with reducing agents, as pyrogallic acid,
ferrous sulphate, etc., to develop the latent image. The image is then
fixed by washing off the excess of unchanged sensitive salt with
sodium hyposulphite (thiosulphate) or other suitable
reagents.
Pho`to*grav"ure (?), n. [F.] A
photoengraving; also, the process by which such a picture is
produced.
Pho`to*he"li*o*graph (?), n. [Photo-
+ heliograph.] (Physics) A modified kind of
telescope adapted to taking photographs of the sun.
Pho`to*lith"o*graph (?), n. [Photo-
+ lithograph.] A lithographic picture or copy from a
stone prepared by the aid of photography.
Pho`to*lith"o*graph, v. t. To
produce (a picture, a copy) by the process of
photolithography.
Pho`to*li*thog"ra*pher (?), n. One
who practices, or one who employs, photolithography.
Pho`to*lith`o*graph"ic (?), n. Of
or pertaining to photolithography; produced by
photolithography.
Pho`to*li*thog"ra*phy (?), n. The
art or process of producing photolithographs.
{ Pho`to*log"ic (?), Pho`to*log"ic*al (?), }
a. Pertaining to photology, or the doctrine of
light.
Pho*tol"o*gist (?), n. One who
studies or expounds the laws of light.
Pho*tol"o*gy (?), n. [Photo- +
-logy: cf. F. photologie.] The doctrine or science
of light, explaining its nature and phenomena; optics.
Pho`to*mag*net"ic (?), a. Of or
pertaining to photomagnetism.
Pho`to*mag"net*ism (?), n. The
branch of science which treats of the relation of magnetism to
light.
Pho`to*me*chan"ic*al (?), a.
Pertaining to, or designating, any photographic process in which
a printing surface is obtained without the intervention of hand
engraving.
Pho*tom"e*ter (?), n. [Photo- +
-meter: cf. F. photomètre.] (Physics)
An instrument for measuring the intensity of light, or, more
especially, for comparing the relative intensities of different
lights, or their relative illuminating power.
{ Pho`to*met"ric (?), Pho`to*met"ric*al (?), }
a. [Cf. F. photométrique.] Of or
pertaining to photometry, or to a photometer.
Pho*tom`e*tri"cian (?), n. One
engaged in the scientific measurement of light.
Pho*tom"e*try (?), n. [Cf. F.
photométrie.] That branch of science which treats
of the measurement of the intensity of light.
Pho`to*mi"cro*graph
(fō`t&osl;*mī"kr&osl;*gr&adot;f), n.
[Photo- + micro + -graph.] 1.
An enlarged or macroscopic photograph of a microscopic object.
See Microphotograph.
2. A microscopically small photograph of an
object.
Pho`to*mi*crog"ra*phy (?), n. The
art of producing photomicrographs.
Pho`to*pho"bi*a (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr.
fw^s, fwto`s, light + &?; fear.] (Med.)
A dread or intolerance of light. Sir T. Watson.
Pho"to*phone (?), n. [Photo- +
Gr. &?; sound.] (Physics) An apparatus for the production
of sound by the action of rays of light. A. G. Bell.
Pho`to*phon"ic (?), a. Of or
pertaining to photophone.
Pho*toph"o*ny (?), n. The art or
practice of using the photophone.
Pho*top"si*a (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr.
fw^s, fwto`s, light + &?; sight.] (Med.)
An affection of the eye, in which the patient perceives luminous
rays, flashes, coruscations, etc. See phosphene.
Pho*top"sy (?), n. Same as
Photopsia.
Pho`to*re*lief" (?), n. A printing
surface in relief, obtained by photographic means and subsequent
manipulations. Knight.
Pho"to*scope (?), n. [Photo- +
-scope.] (Physics) Anything employed for the
observation of light or luminous effects.
Pho`to*scop"ic (?), a. Of or
pertaining to the photoscope or its uses.
Pho`to*sculp"ture (?), n. [Photo-
+ sculpture.] A process in which, by means of a number of
photographs simultaneously taken from different points of view on the
same level, rough models of the figure or bust of a person or animal
may be made with great expedition.
Pho"to*sphere (?), n. [Photo- +
sphere.] A sphere of light; esp., the luminous envelope of
the sun.
Pho`to*spher"ic (?), a. Of or
pertaining to the photosphere.
Pho*tot"o*nus (?), n. [NL. See Photo-
, and Tone.] (Bot.) A motile condition in
plants resulting from exposure to light. --
Pho`to*ton"ic (#), a.
Pho`to*trop"ic (?), a. [Photo- +
Gr. &?; to turn.] (Bot.) Same as
Heliotropic.
Pho"to*type (?), n. [Photo- +
-type.] A plate or block with a printing surface (usually
in relief) obtained from a photograph; also, any one of the many
methods of processes by which such a printing surface is
obtained.
Pho`to*typ"ic (?), a. Of or
pertaining to a phototype or phototypy.
Pho`to*ty*pog"ra*phy (?), n. [Photo-
+ typography.] Same as Phototypy.
Pho*tot"y*py (?), n. The art or
process of producing phototypes.
Pho`to*xy*log"ra*phy (?), n. [Photo-
+ xylography.] The process of producing a
representation of an object on wood, by photography, for the use of
the wood engraver.
Pho`to*zin"co*graph (?), n. A print
made by photozincography. -- Pho`to*zin`co*graph"ic,
a.
Pho`to*zin*cog"ra*phy (?), n. [Photo-
+ zincography.] A process, analogous to
photolithography, for reproducing photographed impressions transferred
to zinc plate.
Phrag"mo*cone (?), n. [Gr. &?;, &?;, a
fence, an inclosure + &?; a cone.] (Zoöl.) The thin
chambered shell attached to the anterior end of a belemnite.
[Written also phragmacone.]
Phrag`mo*si"phon (?), n.
(Zoöl.) The siphon of a phragmocone.
Phras"al (?), a. Of the nature of a
phrase; consisting of a phrase; as, a phrasal adverb.
Earlc.
Phrase (?), n. [F., fr. L.
phrasis diction, phraseology, Gr. &?;, fr. &?; to speak.]
1. A brief expression, sometimes a single word,
but usually two or more words forming an expression by themselves, or
being a portion of a sentence; as, an adverbial
phrase.
"Convey" the wise it call. "Steal!" foh! a fico for the
phrase.
Shak.
2. A short, pithy expression; especially, one
which is often employed; a peculiar or idiomatic turn of speech; as,
to err is human.
3. A mode or form of speech; the manner or
style in which any one expreses himself; diction; expression.
"Phrases of the hearth." Tennyson.
Thou speak'st
In better phrase and matter than thou didst.
Shak.
4. (Mus.) A short clause or portion of
a period.
&fist; A composition consists first of sentences, or
periods; these are subdivided into sections, and these
into phrases.
Phrase book, a book of idiomatic
phrases. J. S. Blackie.
Phrase, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Phrased (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Phrasing.] [Cf. F. phraser.] To express in words,
or in peculiar words; to call; to style. "These suns -- for so
they phrase 'em." Shak.
Phrase, v. i. 1. To
use proper or fine phrases. [R.]
2. (Mus.) To group notes into phrases;
as, he phrases well. See Phrase, n.,
4.
Phrase"less, a.
Indescribable. Shak.
Phra"se*o*gram (?), n. [Gr. &?; a phrase
+ -gram.] (Phonography) A symbol for a
phrase.
{ Phra`se*o*log"ic (?), Phra`se*o*log"ic*al (?),
} a. Of or pertaining to phraseology;
consisting of a peculiar form of words. "This verbal or
phraseological answer." Bp. Pearson.
Phra`se*ol"o*gist (?), n. A
collector or coiner of phrases.
Phra`se*ol"o*gy (?), n. [Gr. &?;, &?;,
phrase + -logy: cf. F. phraséologie.]
1. Manner of expression; peculiarity of diction;
style.
Most completely national in his . . .
phraseology.
I. Taylor.
2. A collection of phrases; a phrase
book. [R.]
Syn. -- Diction; style. See Diction.
Phras"ing (?), n. 1.
Method of expression; association of words.
2. (Mus.) The act or method of grouping
the notes so as to form distinct musical phrases.
Phra"try (?), n.; pl.
Phratries (#). [Gr. &?;, &?;.] (Gr. Antiq.)
A subdivision of a phyle, or tribe, in Athens.
Phre*at"ic (?), a. [F.
phréatique, from Gr. &?;, &?;, a well.] (Geol.)
Subterranean; -- applied to sources supplying wells.
{ Phre*net"ic (?), Phre*net"ic*al (?), }
a. [L. phreneticus, Gr. &?;, &?;: cf. F.
phrénétique. See Frantic, and cf.
Frenetic.] Relating to phrenitis; suffering from frenzy;
delirious; mad; frantic; frenetic. --
Phre*net"ic*al*ly, adv.
Phre*net"ic, n. One who is
phrenetic. Harvey.
Phren"ic (?), a.[Gr. &?;, &?;, the
midriff, or diaphragm, the heart, the mind: cf. F.
phrénique.] (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the
diaphragm; diaphragmatic; as, the phrenic nerve.
Phren"ics (?), n. That branch of
science which relates to the mind; mental philosophy. [R.]
Phre"nism (?), n. [See Phrenic.]
(Biol.) See Vital force, under
Vital.
||Phre*ni"tis (?), n. [L., fr. Gr. &?;,
fr. &?;, &?;.] 1. (Med.) Inflammation of
the brain, or of the meninges of the brain, attended with acute fever
and delirium; -- called also cephalitis.
2. See Frenzy.
Phre"no*graph (?), n. [Gr. &?;, &?;, the
migriff + -graph.] (Physiol.) An instrument for
registering the movements of the diaphragm, or midriff, in
respiration.
Phre*nol"o*ger (?), n. A
phrenologist.
Phren`o*log"ic (?), a. [Cf. F.
phrénologique.] Phrenological.
Phren`o*log"ic*al (?), a. Of or
pertaining to phrenology. -- Phren`o*log"ic*al*ly,
adv.
Phre*nol"o*gist (?), n. [Cf. F.
phrénologiste.] One versed in phrenology; a
craniologist.
Phre*nol"o*gy (?), n. [Gr. &?;, &?;, the
mind + -logy: cf. F. phrénologie.]
1. The science of the special functions of the
several parts of the brain, or of the supposed connection between the
various faculties of the mind and particular organs in the
brain.
2. In popular usage, the physiological
hypothesis of Gall, that the mental faculties, and traits of
character, are shown on the surface of the head or skull;
craniology.
&fist; Gall marked out on his model of the head the places of
twenty-six organs, as round inclosures with vacant interspaces.
Spurzheim and Combe divided the whole scalp into oblong and
conterminous patches. Encyc. Brit.
Phre`no*mag"net*ism (?), n. [Gr. &?;,
&?;, the mind + E. magnetism.] The power of exciting the
organs of the brain by magnetic or mesmeric influence.
Phre"no*sin (?), n. [See
Phrenic.] (Physiol. Chem.) A nitrogenous body,
related to cerebrin, supposed to exist in the brain.
Phren"sied (?), p. p. & a. See
Frenzied.
Phren"sy (?), n. Violent and
irrational excitement; delirium. See Frenzy.
Phren"sy, v. t. To render
frantic.
Phren"tic (?), n. & a. See
Phrenetic. [Obs.]
Phry*ga"ne*id (?), n.
(Zoöl.) Any insect belonging to the
Phryganeides.
||Phryg`a*ne"i*des (?), n. pl. [NL., fr.
Phryganea, the typical genus, fr. Gr. &?; a dry stick.]
(Zoöl.) A tribe of neuropterous insects which
includes the caddice flies; -- called also Trichoptera. See
Trichoptera. [Written also Phryganides.]
Phryg"i*an (?), a. [L. Phrygius,
Gr. &?;, fr. &?; Phrygia, a country of Asia Minor.] Of or
pertaining to Phrygia, or to its inhabitants.
Phrygian mode (Mus.), one of the
ancient Greek modes, very bold and vehement in style; -- so called
because fabled to have been invented by the Phrygian
Marsyas. Moore (Encyc. of Music). -- Phrygian
stone, a light, spongy stone, resembling a pumice, --
used by the ancients in dyeing, and said to be drying and
astringent.
Phryg"i*an, n. 1. A
native or inhabitant of Phrygia.
2. (Eccl. Hist.) A Montanist.
Phthal"ate (?), n. (Chem.) A
salt of phthalic acid.
Phthal"e*in (?), n. [See
Phthalic.] (Chem.) One of a series of artificial
organic dyes made as condensation products of the phenols with
phthalic acid, and well represented by phenol phthaleïn. Their
alkaline solutions are fluorescent.
Phenol phthalein, a white or yellowish white
crystalline substance made from phthalic acid and phenol. Its solution
in alkalies is brilliant red, but is decolorized by acids, and as this
reaction is exceedingly delicate it is used as an indicator.
Phthal"ic (?), a. [Naphthalene +
-ic.] (Chem.) Pertaining to, or designating, a
dibasic acid obtained by the oxidation of naphthalene and allied
substances.
Phthalic acid (Chem.), a white
crystalline substance,
C6H4.(CO2H)2, analogous to
benzoic acid, and employed in the brilliant dyestuffs called the
phthaleins.
Phthal"ide (?), n. [Phthalyl +
anhydride.] (Chem.) A lactone obtained by reduction
of phthalyl chloride, as a white crystalline substance; hence, by
extension, any one of the series of which phthalide proper is the
type. [Written also phthalid.]
Phthal"i*mide (?), n. [Phthalic +
imide.] (Chem.) An imido derivative of phthalic
acid, obtained as a white crystalline substance,
C6H4.(CO)2NH, which has itself (like
succinimide) acid properties, and forms a series of salts. Cf.
Imido acid, under Imido.
Phthal"in (?), n. (Chem.) A
colorless crystalline substance obtained by reduction from
phthaleïn, into which it is easily converted by oxidation; hence,
any one of the series of which phthalin proper is the type.
Phthal"yl (?), n. [Phthalic +
-yl.] (Chem.) The hypothetical radical of phthalic
acid.
||Phthi*ri"a*sis (?), n. [L., fr. Gr.
&?;, fr. &?; louse.] (Med.) A disease (morbus
pediculous) consisting in the excessive multiplication of lice on
the human body.
Phthis"ic (?), n. Same as
Phthisis.
Phthis"ic*al (?), a. [L.
phthisicus, Gr. &?;: cf. F. phthisique. See
Phthisis.] Of or pertaining to phthisis; affected with
phthisis; wasting; consumptive.
Phthis"ick*y (?), a. Having
phthisis, or some symptom of it, as difficulty in breathing.
Phthis`i*ol"o*gy (?), n.
[Phthisis + -logy.] (Med.) A treatise on
phthisis. Dunglison.
{ ||Phthis`ip*neu*mo"ni*a (?),
Phthis`ip*neu"mo*ny (?), } n. [NL. See
Phthisis, Pneumonia.] (Med.) Pulmonary
consumption.
Phthi"sis (?), n. [L., fr. Gr. &?;, fr.
&?; to pass or waste away: cf. F. phthisie.] (Med.)
A wasting or consumption of the tissues. The term was formerly
applied to many wasting diseases, but is now usually restricted to
pulmonary phthisis, or consumption. See Consumption.
Fibroid phthisis. See under
Fibroid.
Phthon"gal (?), a. [Gr. &?; voice.]
Formed into, or characterized by, voice; vocalized; -- said of
all the vowels and the semivowels, also of the vocal or sonant
consonants g, d, b, l, r, v,
z, etc.
Phthon"gal, n. A vocalized element
or letter.
Phthon*gom"e*ter (?), n. [Gr. &?; voice
+ -meter.] An instrument for measuring vocal sounds.
Whewell.
Phthor (?), n. [F. phthore, Gr.
&?; to destroy.] (Old Chem.) Fluorine. [Written also
phthor.]
Phy"cite (?), n. [Gr. &?; seaweed.]
(Chem.) See Erythrite, 1.
Phy"co*chrome (?), n. [Gr. &?; seaweed +
&?; color.] (Bot.) A bluish green coloring matter of
certain algæ.
{ Phy`co*cy"a*nin (?), Phy`co*cy"a*nine (?), }
n. [Gr. &?; seaweed + E. cyanin.] A blue
coloring matter found in certain algæ.
{ Phy`co*e*ryth"rin (?), Phy`co*e*ryth"rine (?),
} n. [Gr. &?; seaweed + E. erythrin, -
ine.] A red coloring matter found in algæ of the
subclass Florideæ.
Phy*cog"ra*phy (?), n. [Gr. &?; seaweed
+ -graphy.] A description of seaweeds.
Phy*col"o*gy (?), n. [Gr. &?; seaweed +
-logy.] The science of algæ, or seaweeds;
algology.
||Phy`co*ma"ter (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr.
&?; seaweed + L. mater mother.] (Bot.) A gelatin in
which the algæ spores have been supposed to vegetate.
Phy`co*phæ"ine (?), n. [Gr. &?;
seaweed + (&?;) dusky.] A brown coloring matter found in certain
algæ.
{ Phy`co*xan"thin (?), Phy`co*xan"thine (?), }
n. [Gr. &?; seaweed + &?; yellow.] A yellowish
coloring matter found in certain algæ.
Phy*lac"ter (?), n. A
phylactery. Sandys.
Phy*lac"tered (?), a. Wearing a
phylactery.
{ Phyl`ac*ter"ic (?), Phyl`ac*ter"ic*al (?), }
a. Of or pertaining to phylacteries.
Phy*lac"ter*y (?), n.; pl.
Phylacteries (#). [OE. filateri, OF.
filatire, filatiere, F. phylactère, L.
phylacterium, Gr. &?;, fr. &?; a watcher, guard, &?; to watch,
guard. Cf. Philatory.] 1. Any charm or
amulet worn as a preservative from danger or disease.
2. A small square box, made either of
parchment or of black calfskin, containing slips of parchment or
vellum on which are written the scriptural passages Exodus xiii. 2-10,
and 11-17, Deut. vi. 4-9, 13-22. They are worn by Jews on the head and
left arm, on week-day mornings, during the time of prayer.
Schaff-Herzog Encyc.
3. Among the primitive Christians, a case in
which the relics of the dead were inclosed.
Phy*lac"to*carp (?), n. [Gr. &?; to
guard + &?; fruit.] (Zoöl.) A branch of a plumularian
hydroid specially modified in structure for the protection of the
gonothecæ.
{ ||Phy*lac`to*læ"ma (?),
||Phy*lac`to*læ"ma*ta (?), } n. pl.
[NL., fr. Gr. &?; to guard + &?; the gullet.] (Zoöl.)
An order of fresh-water Bryozoa in which the tentacles are
arranged on a horseshoe-shaped lophophore, and the mouth is covered by
an epistome. Called also Lophopoda, and
hippocrepians.
Phy*lac`to*læ"ma*tous (?), a.
(Zoöl.) Of or pertaining to the
Phylactolæma.
{ ||Phy*lac`to*le"ma (?), ||Phy*lac`to*le"ma*ta
(?), } n. pl. [NL.] (Zoöl.) Same as
Phylactolæma.
Phy"larch (?), n. [L. phylarchus,
Gr. &?;. See Phyle, and -arch.] (Gr. Antiq.)
The chief of a phyle, or tribe.
Phy"larch*y (?), n. [Gr. &?;.] The
office of a phylarch; government of a class or tribe.
||Phy"le (?), n.; pl.
Phylæ (#). [NL., fr. Gr. &?; a body of men
united by ties of blood or habitation.] A local division of the
people in ancient Athens; a clan; a tribe.
Phyl"lite (?), n. [See Phylo-.]
(Min.) (a) A mineral related to
ottrelite. (b) Clay slate; argillaceous
schist.
Phyl"lo- (?). A combining form from Gr. &?; a
leaf; as, phyllopod, phyllotaxy.
||Phyl`lo*bran"chi*a (?), n.; pl.
Phyllobranciæ (#). [NL. See Phyllo-,
and Branchia.] (Zoöl.) A crustacean gill
composed of lamellæ.
||Phyl`lo*cla"di*um (?), n.; pl.
Phyllocladia (#). [NL., fr. Gr. &?; a leaf + &?; a
sprout.] (Bot.) A flattened stem or branch which more or
less resembles a leaf, and performs the function of a leaf as regards
respiration and assimilation.
Phyl`lo*cy"a*nin (?), n. [Phyllo-
+ cyanin.] (Chem.) A blue coloring matter extracted
from chlorophyll. [Written also phyllocyanine.]
Phyl"lo*cyst (?), n. [Phyllo- +
cyst.] (Zoöl.) The cavity of a
hydrophyllium.
Phyl"lode (?), n. (Bot.)
Same as Phyllodium.
Phyl`lo*din"eous (?), a. (Bot.)
Having phyllodia; relating to phyllodia.
||Phyl*lo"di*um (?), n.; pl.
Phyllodia (#). [NL., fr. Gr. &?; leaflike; &?; leaf
+ &?; form.] (Bot.) A petiole dilated into the form of a
blade, and usually with vertical edges, as in the Australian
acacias.
Phyl"lo*dy (?), n. [See
Phyllodium.] (Bot.) A retrograde metamorphosis of
the floral organs to the condition of leaves.
Phyl"loid (?), a. [Phyllo- + -
oid.] Resembling a leaf.
Phyl`lo*ma"ni*a (?), n. [Phyllo-
+ mania.] (Bot.) An abnormal or excessive
production of leaves.
Phyl"lome (?), n. [Gr. &?; foliage, fr.
&?; a leaf.] (Bot.) A foliar part of a plant; any organ
homologous with a leaf, or produced by metamorphosis of a
leaf.
||Phyl`lo*mor*pho"sis (?), n. [NL. See
Phyllo-, Morphosis.] (Bot.) The succession
and variation of leaves during different seasons. R.
Brown.
Phyl*loph"a*gan (?), n. [Phyllo-
+ Gr. &?; to eat.] (Zoöl.) (a) One of
a group of marsupials including the phalangists.
(b) One of a tribe of beetles which feed upon the
leaves of plants, as the chafers.
Phyl*loph"a*gous (?), a.
(Zoöl.) Substituting on leaves; leaf-
eating.
Phyl*loph"o*rous (?), a. [Phyllo-
+ Gr. &?; to bear.] (Bot.) Leaf-bearing; producing
leaves.
Phyl"lo*pod (?), n. (Zoöl.)
One of the Phyllopoda. [Also used adjectively.]
||Phyl*lop"o*da (?), n. pl. [NL., fr.
Gr. &?; a leaf + -poda.] (Zoöl.) An order of
Entomostraca including a large number of species, most of which live
in fresh water. They have flattened or leaflike legs, often very
numerous, which they use in swimming. Called also
Branchiopoda.
&fist; In some, the body is covered with a bivalve shell
(Holostraca); in others, as Apus, by a shield-shaped carapace
(Monostraca); in others, like Artemia, there is no carapace,
and the body is regularly segmented. Sometimes the group is made to
include also the Cladocera.
Phyl*lop"o*dous (?), a.
(Zoöl.) Of or pertaining to the Phyllopoda.
Phyl"lo*rhine (?), a. [Phyllo- +
Gr. &?;, &?;, the nose.] (Zoöl.) Of or pertaining to
Phyllorhina and other related genera of bats that have a
leaflike membrane around the nostrils.
||Phyl`lo*so"ma (?), n. [NL. See
Phyllo-, and -some body.] (Zoöl.) The
larva of the spiny lobsters (Palinurus and allied genera). Its
body is remarkably thin, flat, and transparent; the legs are very
long. Called also glass-crab, and glass-
shrimp.
Phyl"lo*stome (f&ibreve;l"l&osl;*stōm),
n. [Phyllo- + Gr. sto`ma mouth.]
(Zoöl.) Any bat of the genus Phyllostoma, or
allied genera, having large membranes around the mouth and nose; a
nose-leaf bat.
Phyl*los"to*mid (?), n. A
phyllostome.
Phyl`lo*tac"tic (?), a. (Bot.)
Of or pertaining to phyllotaxy.
{ Phyl"lo*tax`y (?), Phyl"lo*tax`is (?), }
n. [Phyllo- + Gr. ta`xis order.]
(Bot.) The order or arrangement of leaves on the stem; the
science of the relative position of leaves.
Phyl"lous (?), a. (Bot.)
Homologous with a leaf; as, the sepals, petals, stamens, and
pistils are phyllous organs.
Phyl`lo*xan"thin (?), n. [Phyllo-
+ Gr. &?; yellow.] (Bot.) A yellow coloring matter
extracted from chlorophyll.
Phyl`lox*e"ra (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?;
leaf + &?; dry.] 1. (Zoöl.) A small
hemipterous insect (Phylloxera vastatrix) allied to the aphids.
It attacks the roots and leaves of the grapevine, doing great damage,
especially in Europe.
&fist; It exists in several forms, some of which are winged, other
wingless. One form produces galls on the leaves and twigs, another
affects the roots, causing galls or swellings, and often killing the
vine.
2. The diseased condition of a vine caused by
the insect just described.
{ Phy`lo*gen"e*sis (?), Phy*log"e*ny (?), }
n. [Gr. &?; tribe + E. genesis, or root of
Gr. &?; to be born.] The history of genealogical development; the
race history of an animal or vegetable type; the historic exolution of
the phylon or tribe, in distinction from ontogeny, or
the development of the individual organism, and from
biogenesis, or life development generally.
Phy*lo*ge*net"ic (?), a. Relating
to phylogenesis, or the race history of a type of organism. --
Phy*lo*ge*net"ic*al*ly (#), adv.
||Phy"lon (?), n.; pl.
Phyla (#). [NL., fr. Gr. &?; race, tribe.]
(Biol.) A tribe.
||Phy"lum (?), n.; pl.
Phyla (#). [NL. See Phylon.]
(Zoöl.) One of the larger divisions of the animal
kingdom; a branch; a grand division.
||Phy"ma (?), n.; pl.
Phymata (#). [NL., fr. Gr. &?;, fr. &?; to produce.]
(Med.) A tubercle on any external part of the
body.
||Phy"sa (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?; a
bellows.] (Zoöl.) A genus of fresh-water Pulmonifera,
having reversed spiral shells. See Pond snail, under
Pond.
||Phy*sa"li*a (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?;
a bladder, fr. &?; a bellows.] (Zoöl.) A genus of
large oceanic Siphonophora which includes the Portuguese man-of-
war.
&fist; It has a large air sac, or float, with a sail-like crest on
its upper side. Numerous zooids of different kinds are attached to the
under side of the float. Some of the zooids have very long tentacles;
some have a mouth and digest food; others produce gonophores. The
American species (Physalia arethusa) is brilliantly colored,
the float being pink or purple, and bright blue; the zooids blue. It
is noted for its virulent stinging powers, as well as for its
beautiful colors, graceful motions, and its ability to sail to
windward.
||Phy*sa"li*æ (?), n. pl. [NL.]
(Zoöl.) An order of Siphonophora which includes
Physalia.
||Phys`e*ma"ri*a (?), n. pl. [NL., from
Gr. &?; a blowing.] (Zoöl.) A group of simple marine
organisms, usually classed as the lowest of the sponges. They have
inflated hollow bodies.
Phy*se"ter (?), n. [L., fr. Gr. &?;, fr.
&?; to blow: cf. F. physétère.]
1. (Zoöl.) The genus that includes
the sperm whale.
2. A filtering machine operated by air
pressure.
Phys`i*an"thro*py (?), n. [Gr.
fy`sis nature + &?; man.] The philosophy of human
life, or the doctrine of the constitution and diseases of man, and
their remedies.
Phys"ic (?), n. [OE. phisike,
fisike, OF. phisique, F. physique knowledge of
nature, physics, L. physica, physice, fr. Gr. &?;, fr.
fysiko`s natural, from fy`sis nature, fr. &?; to
produce, grow, akin to E. be. See Be, and cf.
Physics, Physique.] 1. The art of
healing diseases; the science of medicine; the theory or practice of
medicine. "A doctor of physik." Chaucer.
2. A specific internal application for the
cure or relief of sickness; a remedy for disease; a
medicine.
3. Specifically, a medicine that purges; a
cathartic.
4. A physician. [R.] Shak.
Physic nut (Bot.), a small tropical
American euphorbiaceous tree (Jatropha Curcas), and its seeds,
which are well flavored, but contain a drastic oil which renders them
dangerous if eaten in large quantities.
Phys"ic (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Physiced (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Physicking (?).] 1. To treat with physic
or medicine; to administer medicine to, esp. a cathartic; to operate
on as a cathartic; to purge.
2. To work on as a remedy; to heal; to
cure.
The labor we delight in physics
pain.
Shak.
A mind diseased no remedy can
physic.
Byron.
Phys"ic*al (?), a. 1.
Of or pertaining to nature (as including all created existences);
in accordance with the laws of nature; also, of or relating to natural
or material things, or to the bodily structure, as opposed to things
mental, moral, spiritual, or imaginary; material; natural; as, armies
and navies are the physical force of a nation; the body is the
physical part of man.
Labor, in the physical world, is . . . employed
in putting objects in motion.
J. S. Mill.
A society sunk in ignorance, and ruled by mere
physical force.
Macaulay.
2. Of or pertaining to physics, or natural
philosophy; treating of, or relating to, the causes and connections of
natural phenomena; as, physical science; physical
laws. "Physical philosophy." Pope.
3. Perceptible through a bodily or material
organization; cognizable by the senses; external; as, the
physical, opposed to chemical, characters of a
mineral.
4. Of or pertaining to physic, or the art of
medicine; medicinal; curative; healing; also, cathartic;
purgative. [Obs.] "Physical herbs." Sir T.
North.
Is Brutus sick? and is it physical
To walk unbraced, and suck up the humors
Of the dank morning?
Shak.
Physical astronomy, that part of astronomy
which treats of the causes of the celestial motions; specifically,
that which treats of the motions resulting from universal
gravitation. -- Physical education,
training of the bodily organs and powers with a view to the
promotion of health and vigor. -- Physical
examination (Med.), an examination of the bodily
condition of a person. -- Physical geography.
See under Geography. -- Physical
point, an indefinitely small portion of matter; a point
conceived as being without extension, yet having physical properties,
as weight, inertia, momentum, etc.; a material point. --
Physical signs (Med.), the objective
signs of the bodily state afforded by a physical examination.
Phys"ic*al*ly, adv. In a physical
manner; according to the laws of nature or physics; by physical force;
not morally.
I am not now treating physically of light or
colors.
Locke.
2. According to the rules of medicine.
[Obs.]
He that lives physically must live
miserably.
Cheyne.
Phy*si"cian (?), n. [OE.
fisician, fisicien, OF. physucien, a physician,
in F., a natural philosopher, an experimentalist in physics. See
Physic.] 1. A person skilled in physic, or
the art of healing; one duty authorized to prescribe remedies for, and
treat, diseases; a doctor of medicine.
2. Hence, figuratively, one who ministers to
moral diseases; as, a physician of the soul.
Phy*si"cianed (?), a. Licensed as a
physician. [Obs.] "A physicianed apothecary."
Walpole.
Phys"i*cism (?), n. The tendency of
the mind toward, or its preoccupation with, physical phenomena;
materialism in philosophy and religion.
Anthropomorphism grows into theology, while
physicism (if I may so call it) develops into
science.
Huxley.
Phys"i*cist (?), n. One versed in
physics.
2. (Biol.) A believer in the theory
that the fundamental phenomena of life are to be explained upon purely
chemical and physical principles; -- opposed to
vitalist.
Phys"ick*ing (?), p. pr. & vb. n.
fr. Physic, v. t.
Phys"i*co- (?). [Fr. Gr. &?; natural, physical.] A
combining form, denoting relation to, or dependence
upon, natural causes, or the science of
physics.
Phys`i*co*chem"ic*al (?), a.
[Physico- + chemical.] Involving the principles of
both physics and chemistry; dependent on, or produced by, the joint
action of physical and chemical agencies. Huxley.
Phys`i*co*log"ic (?), n. [Physico-
+ logic.] Logic illustrated by physics.
Phys`i*co*log"ic*al (?), a. Of or
pertaining to physicologic. Swift.
Phys`i*col"o*gy (?), n. [Physico-
+ -logy.] Physics. [R.] --
Phys`i*col"o*gist (#), n. [R.]
Phys`i*co-math`e*mat"ics (?), n.
[Physico- + mathematics.] Mixed
mathematics.
Phys`i*co-phi*los"o*phy (?), n.
[Physico- + philosophy.] The philosophy of
nature.
Phys`i*co-the*ol"o*gy (?), n.
[Physico- + theology.] Theology or divinity
illustrated or enforced by physics or natural philosophy.
Phys"ics (?), n. [See Physic.]
The science of nature, or of natural objects; that branch of
science which treats of the laws and properties of matter, and the
forces acting upon it; especially, that department of natural science
which treats of the causes (as gravitation, heat, light, magnetism,
electricity, etc.) that modify the general properties of bodies;
natural philosophy.
&fist; Chemistry, though a branch of general physics,
is commonly treated as a science by itself, and the application of
physical principles which it involves constitute a branch called
chemical physics, which treats more especially of those
physical properties of matter which are used by chemists in defining
and distinguishing substances.
Phys"i*o*crat (?), n. [Gr.
fy`sis nature + &?; to rule.] One of the followers of
Quesnay of France, who, in the 18th century, founded a system of
political economy based upon the supremacy of natural order.
F. A. Walker. -- Phys`i*o*crat"ic (#),
a.
Phys`i*og"e*ny (?), n. [Gr.
fy`sis nature + root of &?; to be born.] (Biol.)
The germ history of the functions, or the history of the
development of vital activities, in the individual, being one of the
branches of ontogeny. See Morphogeny.
Haeckel.
Phys`i*og"no*mer (?), n.
Physiognomist.
{ Phys`i*og*nom"ic (?), Phys`i*og*nom"ic*al (?),
} a. [Gr. &?;: cf. F. physiognomonique.]
Of or pertaining to physiognomy; according with the principles of
physiognomy. -- Phys`i*og*nom"ic*al*ly,
adv.
Phys`i*og*nom"ist (?), n. Same as
Physiognomy, 1.
Phys`i*og"no*mist (?), n. [Cf. F.
physiognomiste.] 1. One skilled in
physiognomy. Dryden.
2. One who tells fortunes by
physiognomy. Holland.
Phys`i*og"no*mize (?), v. t. To
observe and study the physiognomy of. [R.] Southey.
Phys`i*og`no*mmon"ic (?), a.
Physiognomic.
Phys`i*og"no*my (?), n.; pl.
Physiognomies (#). [OE. fisonomie,
phisonomie, fisnamie, OF. phisonomie, F.
physiognomie, physiognomonie, from Gr. &?;;
fy`sis nature + &?; one who knows or examines, a judge, fr.
&?;, &?;, to know. See Physic, and Know, and cf.
Phiz.] 1. The art and science of
discovering the predominant temper, and other characteristic qualities
of the mind, by the outward appearance, especially by the features of
the face.
2. The face or countenance, with respect to
the temper of the mind; particular configuration, cast, or expression
of countenance, as denoting character.
3. The art telling fortunes by inspection of
the features. [Obs.] Bale.
4. The general appearance or aspect of a
thing, without reference to its scientific characteristics; as, the
physiognomy of a plant, or of a meteor.
Phys`i*og"o*ny (?), n. [Gr.
fy`sis nature + go`nos birth.] The birth of
nature. [R.] Coleridge.
{ Phys`i*o*graph"ic (?), Phys`i*o*graph"ic*al
(?), } a. [Cf. F. physiographique.] Of
or pertaining to physiography.
Phys`i*og"ra*phy (?), n. [Gr.
fy`sis nature + -graphy: cf. F.
physiographie.] The science which treats of the earth's
exterior physical features, climate, life, etc., and of the physical
movements or changes on the earth's surface, as the currents of the
atmosphere and ocean, the secular variations in heat, moisture,
magnetism, etc.; physical geography.
Phys`i*ol"a*try (?), n. [Gr.
fy`sis nature + &?; service.] The worship of the
powers or agencies of nature; materialism in religion; nature
worship. "The physiolatry of the Vedas." M.
Williams.
Phys`i*ol"o*ger (?), n. A
physiologist.
Phys`i*o*log"ic (?), a. [L.
physiologicus, Gr. &?;: cf. F. physiologique.]
Physiological.
Phys`i*o*log"ic*al (?), a. Of or
pertaining to physiology; relating to the science of the functions of
living organism; as, physiological botany or
chemistry.
Phys`i*o*log"ic*al*ly, adv. In a
physiological manner.
Phys`i*ol"o*gist (?), n. [Cf. F.
physiologiste.] One who is versed in the science of
physiology; a student of the properties and functions of animal and
vegetable organs and tissues.
Phys`i*ol"o*gize (?), v. i. To
speculate in physiology; to make physiological investigations.
Cudworth.
Phys`i*ol"o*gy (?), n.; pl.
Physiologies (#). [L. physiologia, Gr. &?;;
fy`sis nature + &?; discourse: cf. F. physiologie.]
1. The science which treats of the phenomena of
living organisms; the study of the processes incidental to, and
characteristic of, life.
&fist; It is divided into animal and vegetable
physiology, dealing with animal and vegetable life respectively.
When applied especially to a study of the functions of the organs and
tissues in man, it is called human physiology.
2. A treatise on physiology.
Mental physiology, the science of the
functions and phenomena of the mind, as distinguished from a
philosophical explanation of the same.
Phys`i*oph"y*ly (?), n. [Gr.
fy`sis nature + &?; a clan.] (Biol.) The tribal
history of the functions, or the history of the paleontological
development of vital activities, -- being a branch of
phylogeny. See Morphophyly. Haeckel.
Phy*sique" (?), n. [F. See
Physic.] The natural constitution, or physical structure,
of a person.
With his white hair and splendid
physique.
Mrs. Stowe.
Phys"no*my (?), n.
Physiogmony. [Obs.]
Phys"o*clist, n. (Zoöl.)
One of the Physoclisti.
||Phys`o*clis"ti (?), n. pl. [NL., fr.
Gr. &?; a bellows + &?; to close.] (Zoöl.) An order
of teleost in which the air bladder has no opening.
Phys"o*grade (?), n. [Gr. &?; a bellows
+ L. gradi to walk, go.] (Zoöl.) Any
siphonophore which has an air sac for a float, as the
Physalia.
||Phy*soph"o*ræ (?), n. pl. [NL.,
fr. Gr. &?; a bellows + &?; to bear.] (Zoöl.) An
order of Siphonophora, furnished with an air sac, or float, and a
series of nectocalyces. See Illust. under
Nectocalyx.
Phy"so*pod (?), n. (Zoöl.)
One of the Physopoda; a thrips.
||Phy*sop"o*da (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr.
&?; a bellows + -poda.] (Zoöl.) Same as
Thysanoptera.
Phy`so*stig"mine (?), n. (Chem.)
An alkaloid found in the Calabar bean (the seed of Physostigma
venenosum), and extracted as a white, tasteless, substance,
amorphous or crystalline; -- formerly called eserine, with
which it was regarded as identical.
||Phy*sos"to*mi (?), n. pl. [NL., fr.
Gr. &?; a bellows + &?; mouth.] (Zoöl.) An order of
fishes in which the air bladder is provided with a duct, and the
ventral fins, when present, are abdominal. It includes the salmons,
herrings, carps, catfishes, and others.
Phy*sos"to*mous (?), a.
(Zoöl.) (a) Having a duct to the air
bladder. (b) Pertaining to the
Physostomi.
||Phy*tel"e*phas (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr.
&?; a plant + &?; the elephant; also, ivory.] (Bot.) A
genus of South American palm trees, the seeds of which furnish the
substance called vegetable ivory.
Phy*tiv"o*rous (?), a. [Phyto- +
L. vorare to eat greedily.] Feeding on plants or herbage;
phytophagous; as, phytivorous animals. Ray.
Phy"to- (?). [See Physic.] A combining form
from Gr. fyto`n a plant; as, phytochemistry,
phytography.
Phy`to*chem"ic*al (?), a. Relating
to phytochemistry. R. Hunt.
Phy"to*chem"is*try (?), n. [Phyto-
+ chemistry.] Chemistry in its relation to vegetable
bodies; vegetable chemistry. R. Hunt.
Phy*toch"i*my (?), n. [F.
phytochimie; Gr. &?; a plant + F. chimie chemistry.]
Phytochemistry. [Obsoles.]
{ Phy`to*gen"e*sis (?), Phy*tog"e*ny (?), }
n. [Phyto- + genesis, or root of Gr.
&?; to be born.] The doctrine of the generation of
plants.
Phy`to*ge"o*graph"ic*al (?), a. Of
or pertaining to phytogeography.
Phy`to*ge*og"ra*phy (?), n. [Phyto-
+ geography.] The geographical distribution of
plants.
Phy`to*glyph"ic (?), a. Relating to
phytoglyphy.
Phy*tog"ly*phy (?), n. [Phyto- +
Gr. &?; to engrave.] See Nature printing, under
Nature.
Phy`to*graph"ic*al (?), a. [Cf. F.
phytographique.] Of or pertaining to
phytography.
Phy*tog"ra*phy (?), n. [Phyto- +
-graphy: cf. F. phytographie.] The science of
describing plants in a systematic manner; also, a description of
plants.
Phy"toid (?), a. [Phyto- + -
oid.] Resembling a plant; plantlike.
||Phy`to*lac"ca (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr.
&?; plant + It. lacca lac.] (Bot.) A genus of
herbaceous plants, some of them having berries which abound in
intensely red juice; poke, or pokeweed.
Phy"to*lite (?), n. [Phyto- +
-lite: cf. F. phytolithe.] An old name for a fossil
plant.
Phy`to*li*thol"o*gist (?), n. One
versed in phytolithology; a paleobotanist.
Phy`to*li*thol"o*gy (?), n. [Phyto-
+ lithology.] The branch of science which treats of
fossil plants; -- usually called paleobotany, sometimes
paleophytology.
Phy`to*log"ic*al (?), a. [Cf. F.
phytologique.] Of or pertaining to phytology;
botanical.
Phy*tol"o*gist (?), n. One skilled
in phytology; a writer on plants; a botanist.
Evelyn.
Phy*tol"o*gy (?), n. [Phyto- +
-logy: cf. F. phytologie.] The science of plants; a
description of the kinds and properties of plants; botany.
Sir T. Browne.
{ Phy"to*mer (?), Phy*tom"e*ron (?), }
n. [NL. phytomeron, fr. Gr. &?; plant + &?;
share.] (Bot.) An organic element of a flowering plant; a
phyton.
||Phy"ton (?), n.; pl.
Phytons (#). [NL., fr. Gr. &?; plant.] (Bot.)
One of the parts which by their repetition make up a flowering
plant, each being a single joint of a stem with its leaf or leaves; a
phytomer.
Phy*ton"o*my (?), n. [Phyto- +
Gr. &?; law: cf. F. phytonomie.] The science of the origin
and growth of plants.
Phy`to*pa*thol"o*gist (?), n. One
skilled in diseases of plants.
Phy`to*pa*thol"o*gy (?), n. [Phyto-
+ pathology.] The science of diseases to which plants
are liable.
||Phy*toph"a*ga (?), n. pl. [NL., fr.
Gr. &?; a plant + &?; to eat.] (Zoöl.) A division of
Hymenoptera; the sawflies.
Phy`to*phag"ic (?), a.
(Zoöl.) Phytophagous.
Phy*toph"a*gous (?), a. [Phyto- +
Gr. &?; to eat.] (Zoöl.) Feeding on plants;
herbivorous; as, a phytophagous animal.
Phy*toph"a*gy (?), n. The eating of
plants.
Phy`to*phys`i*ol"o*gy (?), n. [Phyto-
+ physiology.] Vegetable physiology.
Phy*tot"o*mist (?), n. One versed
in phytotomy.
Phy*tot"o*my (?), n. [Phyto- +
Gr. &?; to cut.] The dissection of plants; vegetable
anatomy.
||Phy`to*zo*a"ri*a (?), n. pl. [NL. See
Phytozoön.] (Zoöl.) Same as
Infusoria.
||Phy`to*zo"ön (?), n.; pl.
Phytozoa (#). [NL., fr. Gr. &?; + &?; an animal.]
(Zoöl.) A plantlike animal. The term is sometimes
applied to zoöphytes.
Phyz (?), n. See
Phiz.
Pi (?), n. [See Pica, Pie
magpie, service-book.] (Print.) A mass of type confusedly
mixed or unsorted. [Written also pie.]
Pi, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pied (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pieing (?).] (Print.) To put into a mixed and
disordered condition, as type; to mix and disarrange the type of; as,
to pi a form. [Written also pie.]
Pi*aç"a*ba (?), n. See
Piassava.
Pi"a*cle (?), n. [L. piaculum a
propitiatory sacrifice, that which requires expiation, a wicked
action, fr. piare to appease, to expiate, pius pious.]
A heinous offense which requires expiation. [R.]
Howell.
Pi*ac"u*lar (?), a. [L.
piacularis: cf. F. piaculaire.] 1.
Expiatory; atoning. Sir G. C. Lewis.
2. Requiring expiation; criminal; atrociously
bad. "Piacular pollution." De Quincey.
Pi*ac`u*lar"i*ty (?), n. The
quality or state of being piacular; criminality; wickedness.
De Quincey.
Pi*ac"u*lous (?), a. Same as
Piacular.
Pi"al (?), a. (Anat.)
Pertaining to the pia mater.
||Pi"a ma"ter (?). [NL., fr. L. pia (fem. of
pius tender, kind) + mater mother.] (Anat.)
The delicate and highly vascular membrane immediately investing
the brain and spinal cord.
||Pian (?), n. [Pg. pian,
epian, or. Sp. pian; from the native name in South
America: cf. F. pian.] (Med.) The yaws. See
Yaws.
Pi"a*net` (?), n. [Cf. Pie
magpie.] (Zoöl.) (a) The
magpie. [Written also pianate, and pyenate.]
(b) The lesser woodpecker. [Obs.]
Bailey.
Pi*a*nette" (?), n. [Dim. of
piano.] (Mus.) A small piano; a pianino.
||Pi`a*ni"no (?), n. [It., dim. of
piano, adj. See Piano.] (Mus.) A pianette,
or small piano.
||Pi`a*nis"si*mo (?), a.[It., superl. of
piano.] (Mus.) Very soft; -- a direction to execute
a passage as softly as possible. (Abbrev. pp.)
Pi*an"ist (?), n. [Cf. F.
pianiste, It. pianista.] A performer, esp. a
skilled performer, on the piano.
||Pi*a"no (?), a. & adv. [It., even,
smooth, soft, fr. L. planus even, level.] (Mus.)
Soft; -- a direction to the performer to execute a certain
passage softly, and with diminished volume of tone. (Abbrev.
p.)
{ Pi*an"o (?), Pi*an"o*for`te (?), }
n. [It. piano soft (fr. L. planus
even, smooth; see Plain, a.) + It.
forte strong, fr. L. fortis (see Fort).]
(Mus.) A well-known musical instrument somewhat resembling
the harpsichord, and consisting of a series of wires of graduated
length, thickness, and tension, struck by hammers moved by
keys.
Dumb piano. See Digitorium. --
Grand piano. See under Grand. --
Square piano, one with a horizontal frame and an
oblong case. -- Upright piano, one with an
upright frame and vertical wires.
Pi*an"o*graph (?), n. [Piano +
-graph.] (Mus.) A form of melodiograph applied to a
piano.
Pi"a*pec (?), n. [Cf. Pie a
magpie.] (Zoöl.) A West African pie (Ptilostomus
Senegalensis).
Pi"a*rist (?), n. [L. pius
pious.] (R. C. Ch.) One of a religious order who are the
regular clerks of the Scuole Pie (religious schools), an
institute of secondary education, founded at Rome in the last years of
the 16th century. Addis & Arnold.
Pi*as"sa*va (?), n. [Pg.
piasaba.] A fibrous product of two Brazilian palm trees
(Attalea funifera and Leopoldinia Piassaba), -- used in
making brooms, and for other purposes. Called also
piaçaba and piasaba.
Pi*as"ter (?), n. [F. piastre,
It. piastra a thin plate of metal, a dollar, LL.
piastra, fr. L. emplastrum. See Plaster.] A
silver coin of Spain and various other countries. See Peso. The
Spanish piaster (commonly called peso, or peso duro) is
of about the value of the American dollar. The Italian piaster, or
scudo, was worth from 80 to 100 cents. The Turkish and Egyptian
piasters are now worth about four and a half cents.
Pi*as"tre (?), n. See
Piaster.
Pi*a"tion (?), n. [L. piatio. See
Piacle.] The act of making atonement; expiation.
[Obs.]
||Pi*at"ti (?), n. pl. [It., prop.,
plates.] (Mus.) Cymbals. [Written also
pyatti.]
Pi*az"za (?), n.; pl.
Piazzas (#). [It., place, square, market place, L.
platea street, courtyard. See Place.] An open
square in a European town, especially an Italian town; hence
(Arch.), an arcaded and roofed gallery; a portico. In the
United States the word is popularly applied to a veranda.
We walk by the obelisk, and meditate in
piazzas.
Jer. Taylor.
Pib"corn` (?), n. [W. pib pipe +
corn horn.] (Mus.) A wind instrument or pipe, with
a horn at each end, -- used in Wales.
Pi"broch (?), n. [Gael.
piobaireachd pipe music, fr. piobair a piper, fr.
pioba pipe, bagpipe, from English. See Pipe,
n.] A Highland air, suited to the particular
passion which the musician would either excite or assuage; generally
applied to those airs that are played on the bagpipe before the
Highlanders when they go out to battle. Jamieson.
Pic (?), n. [Cf. F. pic.] A
Turkish cloth measure, varying from 18 to 28 inches.
Pi"ca (?), n. [L. pica a pie,
magpie; in sense 3 prob. named from some resemblance to the colors of
the magpie. Cf. Pie magpie.] 1.
(Zoöl.) The genus that includes the
magpies.
2. (Med.) A vitiated appetite that
craves what is unfit for food, as chalk, ashes, coal, etc.;
chthonophagia.
3. (R. C. Ch.) A service-book. See
Pie. [Obs.]
4. (Print.) A size of type next larger
than small pica, and smaller than English.
&fist; This line is printed in pica
&fist; Pica is twice the size of nonpareil, and is used as a
standard of measurement in casting leads, cutting rules, etc., and
also as a standard by which to designate several larger kinds of type,
as double pica, two-line pica, four-line pica,
and the like.
Small pica (Print.), a size of type
next larger than long primer, and smaller than pica.
&fist; This line is printed in small
pica
||Pic`a*dor" (?), n. [Sp.] A
horseman armed with a lance, who in a bullfight receives the first
attack of the bull, and excites him by picking him without attempting
to kill him.
Pic"a*mar` (?), n. [L. pix,
picis, pitch + amarus bitter.] (Chem.) An
oily liquid hydrocarbon extracted from the creosote of beechwood tar.
It consists essentially of certain derivatives of
pyrogallol.
Pic"a*pare (?), n. (Zoöl.)
The finfoot.
Pic"ard (?), n. (Eccl. Hist.)
One of a sect of Adamites in the fifteenth century; -- so called
from one Picard of Flanders. See Adamite.
Pic`a*resque" (?), a. [F., fr. Sp.
picaro rogue.] Applied to that class of literature in
which the principal personage is the Spanish picaro, meaning a
rascal, a knave, a rogue, an adventurer.
||Pi*ca"ri*æ (?), n. pl. [NL., fr.
L. picus a woodpecker.] (Zoöl.) An extensive
division of birds which includes the woodpeckers, toucans, trogons,
hornbills, kingfishers, motmots, rollers, and goatsuckers. By some
writers it is made to include also the cuckoos, swifts, and humming
birds.
Pi*ca"ri*an (?), a. (Zoöl.)
Of or pertaining to Picariæ. -- n.
One of the Picariæ.
Pic`a*roon" (?), n. [Sp. picaron,
aug. of picaro roguish, n., a rogue.] One who plunders;
especially, a plunderer of wrecks; a pirate; a corsair; a marauder; a
sharper. Sir W. Temple.
Pic`a*yune" (?), n. [From the language
of the Caribs.] A small coin of the value of six and a quarter
cents. See Fippenny bit. [Local, U.S.]
Pic`a*yun"ish (?), a. Petty;
paltry; mean; as, a picayunish business. [Colloq.
U.S.]
{ Pic"ca*dil (?), Pic`ca*dil"ly (?), }
n. [OF. piccagilles the several divisions of
pieces fastened together about the brim of the collar of a doublet, a
dim. fr. Sp. picado, p. p. of picar to prick. See
Pike.] A high, stiff collar for the neck; also, a hem or
band about the skirt of a garment, -- worn by men in the 17th
century.
Pic"cage (?), n. [LL. piccadium,
fr. F. piquer to prick.] (O. Eng. Law) Money paid
at fairs for leave to break ground for booths.
Ainsworth.
Pic"ca*lil`li (?), n. A pickle of
various vegetables with pungent species, -- originally made in the
East Indies.
||Pic"co*lo (?), n. [It., small.]
1. (Mus.) A small, shrill flute, the pitch
of which is an octave higher than the ordinary flute; an octave
flute.
2. (Mus.) A small upright
piano.
3. (Mus.) An organ stop, with a high,
piercing tone.
Pice (?), n. [Hind. paisā]
A small copper coin of the East Indies, worth less than a
cent. Malcom.
||Pic"e*a (?), n. [L., the pitch pine,
from pix, picis, pitch.] (Bot.) A genus of
coniferous trees of the northen hemisphere, including the Norway
spruce and the American black and white spruces. These trees have
pendent cones, which do not readily fall to pieces, in this and other
respects differing from the firs.
Pi"cene (?), n. [See Piceous.]
(Chem.) A hydrocarbon (C&?;H&?;) extracted from the pitchy
residue of coal tar and petroleum as a bluish fluorescent crystalline
substance.
Pic"e*ous (?), a. [L. piceus, fr.
pix, picis, pitch.] Of or pertaining to pitch;
resembling pitch in color or quality; pitchy.
Pi"chey (?), n. [Native name.]
(Zoöl.) A Brazilian armadillo (Dasypus
minutus); the little armadillo. [Written also
pichiy.]
||Pi`chi*ci*a"go (?), n. [Native name.]
(Zoöl.) A small, burrowing, South American edentate
(Chlamyphorus truncatus), allied to the armadillos. The shell
is attached only along the back. [Written also
pichyciego.]
Pich"u*rim bean` (?). (Bot.) The seed of a
Brazilian lauraceous tree (Nectandra Puchury) of a taste and
smell between those of nutmeg and of sassafras, -- sometimes used
medicinally. Called also sassafras nut.
||Pi"ci (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. L.
picus a woodpecker.] (Zoöl.) A division of
birds including the woodpeckers and wrynecks.
Pi"ci*form (?), a. (Zoöl.)
Of or pertaining to Piciformes.
||Pic`i*for"mes (?), n. pl. [NL. See
Picus, and -Form.] (Zoöl.) A group of
birds including the woodpeckers, toucans, barbets, colies, kingfishes,
hornbills, and some other related groups.
Pi"cine (?), a. (Zoöl.)
Of or pertaining to the woodpeckers (Pici), or to the
Piciformes.
Pick (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Picked (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Picking.] [OE. picken, pikken, to prick, peck;
akin to Icel. pikka, Sw. picka, Dan. pikke, D.
pikken, G. picken, F. piquer, W. pigo.
Cf. Peck, v., Pike, Pitch to
throw.] 1. To throw; to pitch. [Obs.]
As high as I could pick my lance.
Shak.
2. To peck at, as a bird with its beak; to
strike at with anything pointed; to act upon with a pointed
instrument; to pierce; to prick, as with a pin.
3. To separate or open by means of a sharp
point or points; as, to pick matted wool, cotton, oakum,
etc.
4. To open (a lock) as by a wire.
5. To pull apart or away, especially with the
fingers; to pluck; to gather, as fruit from a tree, flowers from the
stalk, feathers from a fowl, etc.
6. To remove something from with a pointed
instrument, with the fingers, or with the teeth; as, to pick
the teeth; to pick a bone; to pick a goose; to
pick a pocket.
Did you pick Master Slender's
purse?
Shak.
He picks clean teeth, and, busy as he seems
With an old tavern quill, is hungry yet.
Cowper.
7. To choose; to select; to separate as choice
or desirable; to cull; as, to pick one's company; to
pick one's way; -- often with out. "One man
picked out of ten thousand." Shak.
8. To take up; esp., to gather from here and
there; to collect; to bring together; as, to pick rags; --
often with up; as, to pick up a ball or stones; to
pick up information.
9. To trim. [Obs.] Chaucer.
To pick at, to tease or vex by pertinacious
annoyance. -- To pick a bone with. See
under Bone. -- To pick a thank, to
curry favor. [Obs.] Robynson (More's Utopia). --
To pick off. (a) To pluck; to
remove by picking. (b) To shoot or bring
down, one by one; as, sharpshooters pick off the enemy. --
To pick out. (a) To mark out; to
variegate; as, to pick out any dark stuff with lines or spots
of bright colors. (b) To select from a number
or quantity. -- To pick to pieces, to pull
apart piece by piece; hence [Colloq.], to analyze; esp., to criticize
in detail. -- To pick a quarrel, to give
occasion of quarrel intentionally. -- To pick
up. (a) To take up, as with the
fingers. (b) To get by repeated efforts; to
gather here and there; as, to pick up a livelihood; to pick
up news.
Pick (?), v. i. 1.
To eat slowly, sparingly, or by morsels; to nibble.
Why stand'st thou picking? Is thy palate
sore?
Dryden.
2. To do anything nicely or carefully, or by
attending to small things; to select something with care.
3. To steal; to pilfer. "To keep my
hands from picking and stealing." Book of Com.
Prayer.
To pick up, to improve by degrees; as, he is
picking up in health or business. [Colloq. U.S.]
Pick, n. [F. pic a pickax, a
pick. See Pick, and cf. Pike.] 1. A
sharp-pointed tool for picking; -- often used in composition; as, a
toothpick; a picklock.
2. (Mining & Mech.) A heavy iron tool,
curved and sometimes pointed at both ends, wielded by means of a
wooden handle inserted in the middle, -- used by quarrymen,
roadmakers, etc.; also, a pointed hammer used for dressing
millstones.
3. A pike or spike; the sharp point fixed in
the center of a buckler. [Obs.] "Take down my buckler . . . and
grind the pick on 't." Beau. & Fl.
4. Choice; right of selection; as, to have
one's pick.
France and Russia have the pick of our
stables.
Ld. Lytton.
5. That which would be picked or chosen first;
the best; as, the pick of the flock.
6. (Print.) A particle of ink or paper
imbedded in the hollow of a letter, filling up its face, and
occasioning a spot on a printed sheet. MacKellar.
7. (Painting) That which is picked in,
as with a pointed pencil, to correct an unevenness in a
picture.
8. (Weawing) The blow which drives the
shuttle, -- the rate of speed of a loom being reckoned as so many
picks per minute; hence, in describing the fineness of a
fabric, a weft thread; as, so many picks to an inch.
Pick dressing (Arch.), in cut
stonework, a facing made by a pointed tool, leaving the surface in
little pits or depressions. -- Pick hammer,
a pick with one end sharp and the other blunt, used by
miners.
Pick"a*back` (?), adv. On the back
or shoulders; as, to ride pickback. [Written also
pickapack, pickback, and pickpack.]
A woman stooping to take a child
pickaback.
R,Jefferies.
Pick"a*nin`ny (?), n.; pl.
Pickaninnies (#). [Cf. Sp. pequeño
little, young.] A small child; especially, a negro or mulatto
infant. [U.S. & West Indies]
Pick"a*pack` (?), adv.
Pickaback.
{ Pick"ax`, Pick"axe` } (?),
n. [A corruption of OE. pikois,
pikeis, F. picois, fr. pic. See Pick,
n.] A pick with a point at one end, a
transverse edge or blade at the other, and a handle inserted at the
middle; a hammer with a flattened end for driving wedges and a pointed
end for piercing as it strikes. Shak.
Pick"back` (?), adv. On the
back.
Pick"ed (?), a. 1.
Pointed; sharp. "Picked and polished."
Chapman.
Let the stake be made picked at the
top.
Mortimer.
2. (Zoöl.) Having a pike or spine
on the back; -- said of certain fishes.
3. Carefully selected; chosen; as,
picked men.
4. Fine; spruce; smart; precise; dianty.
[Obs.] Shak.
Picked dogfish. (Zoöl.) See under
Dogfish. -- Picked out, ornamented
or relieved with lines, or the like, of a different, usually a
lighter, color; as, a carriage body dark green, picked out with
red.
Pick"ed*ness (?), n. 1.
The state of being sharpened; pointedness.
2. Fineness; spruceness; smartness.
[Obs.]
Too much pickedness is not manly.
B. Jonson.
Pick*eer" (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Pickeered (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pickeering.] [F. picorer to go marauding, orig., to go
to steal cattle, ultimately fr. L. pecus, pecoris,
cattle; cf. F. picorée, Sp. pecorea robbery
committed by straggling soldiers.] To make a raid for booty; to
maraud; also, to skirmish in advance of an army. See
Picaroon. [Obs.] Bp. Burnet.
Pick*eer"er (?), n. One who
pickeers. [Obs.]
Pick"er (?), n. [From Pick.]
1. One who, or that which, picks, in any sense, -
- as, one who uses a pick; one who gathers; a thief; a pick; a pickax;
as, a cotton picker. "Pickers and stealers."
Shak.
2. (Mach.) A machine for picking
fibrous materials to pieces so as to loosen and separate the
fiber.
3. (Weaving) The piece in a loom which
strikes the end of the shuttle, and impels it through the
warp.
4. (Ordnance) A priming wire for
cleaning the vent.
Pick"er*el (?), n. [Dim. of
Pike.] [Written also pickerell.] 1.
A young or small pike. [Obs.]
Bet [better] is, quoth he, a pike than a
pickerel.
Chaucer.
2. (Zoöl.) (a) Any
one of several species of freshwater fishes of the genus Esox,
esp. the smaller species. (b) The glasseye,
or wall-eyed pike. See Wall-eye.
&fist; The federation, or chain, pickerel (Esox reticulatus)
and the brook pickerel (E. Americanus) are the most common
American species. They are used for food, and are noted for their
voracity. About the Great Lakes the pike is called
pickerel.
Pickerel weed (Bot.), a blue-flowered
aquatic plant (Pontederia cordata) having large arrow-shaped
leaves. So called because common in slow-moving waters where pickerel
are often found.
Pick"er*ing (?), n. [Probably a
corruption of Pickerel.] (Zoöl.) The sauger of
the St.Lawrence River.
Pick"er*y (?), n. [From Pick to
steal; or perhaps from Pickeer.] Petty theft.
[Scot.] Holinshed.
Pick"et (?), n. [F. piquet,
properly dim. of pique spear, pike. See Pike, and cf.
Piquet.] 1. A stake sharpened or pointed,
especially one used in fortification and encampments, to mark bounds
and angles; or one used for tethering horses.
2. A pointed pale, used in marking
fences.
3. [Probably so called from the picketing of
the horses.] (Mil.) A detached body of troops serving to
guard an army from surprise, and to oppose reconnoitering parties of
the enemy; -- called also outlying picket.
4. By extension, men appointed by a trades
union, or other labor organization, to intercept outsiders, and
prevent them from working for employers with whom the organization is
at variance. [Cant]
5. A military punishment, formerly resorted
to, in which the offender was forced to stand with one foot on a
pointed stake.
6. A game at cards. See
Piquet.
Inlying picket (Mil.), a detachment of
troops held in camp or quarters, detailed to march if called
upon. -- Picket fence, a fence made of
pickets. See def. 2, above. -- Picket guard
(Mil.), a guard of horse and foot, always in readiness in
case of alarm. -- Picket line. (Mil.)
(a) A position held and guarded by small bodies of
men placed at intervals. (b) A rope to which
horses are secured when groomed. -- Picketpin,
an iron pin for picketing horses.
Pick"et, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Picketed; p. pr. & vb. n.
Picketing.] 1. To fortify with pointed
stakes.
2. To inclose or fence with pickets or
pales.
3. To tether to, or as to, a picket; as, to
picket a horse.
4. To guard, as a camp or road, by an outlying
picket.
5. To torture by compelling to stand with one
foot on a pointed stake. [Obs.]
Pick`e*tee" (?), n. (Bot.)
See Picotee.
Pick"-fault` (?), n. One who seeks
out faults.
Pick"ing, n. 1. The
act of digging or breaking up, as with a pick.
2. The act of choosing, plucking, or
gathering.
3. That which is, or may be, picked or
gleaned.
4. Pilfering; also, that which is
pilfered.
5. pl. The pulverized shells of oysters
used in making walks. [Eng.] Simmonds.
6. (Mining) Rough sorting of
ore.
7. Overburned bricks.
Simmonds.
Pick"ing, a. 1.
Done or made as with a pointed tool; as, a picking
sound.
2. Nice; careful. [Obs.]
was too warm on picking work to
dwell.
Dryden.
Picking peg. (Weaving) See
Picker, n., 3.
Pic"kle (?), n. [Obs.] See
Picle.
Pic"kle, n. [Cf. D. pekel.
Probably a dim. fr. Pick, v. t., alluding to
the cleaning of the fish.] 1. (a)
A solution of salt and water, in which fish, meat, etc., may be
preserved or corned; brine. (b) Vinegar,
plain or spiced, used for preserving vegetables, fish, eggs, oysters,
etc.
2. Any article of food which has been
preserved in brine or in vinegar.
3. (Founding) A bath of dilute
sulphuric or nitric acid, etc., to remove burnt sand, scale rust,
etc., from the surface of castings, or other articles of metal, or to
brighten them or improve their color.
4. A troublesome child; as, a little
pickle. [Colloq.]
To be in a pickle, to be in disagreeable
position; to be in a condition of embarrassment, difficulty, or
disorder. "How cam'st thou in this pickle?" Shak. -
- To put a rod in pickle, to prepare a
particular reproof, punishment, or penalty for future
application.
Pic"kle, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pickled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pickling (?).] 1. To preserve or season in
pickle; to treat with some kind of pickle; as, to pickle
herrings or cucumbers.
2. To give an antique appearance to; -- said
of copies or imitations of paintings by the old masters.
Pic"kled (?), a. Preserved in a
pickle.
Pic"kle-her"ring (?), n.
1. A herring preserved in brine; a pickled
herring. [Obs.] Shak.
2. A merry-andrew; a buffoon. [Obs.]
Addison.
Pic"kler (?), n. One who makes
pickles.
Pick"lock` (?), n. 1.
An instrument for picking locks. Shak.
2. One who picks locks; a thief. "A
picklock of secrets." Jer. Taylor.
Pick"mire` (?), n. [So called from its
picking its food from the mire.] (Zoöl.)
The pewit, or black-headed gull. [Prov. Eng.]
Pick"nick (?), n. See
Picnic.
Pick"pack` (?), adv.
Pickaback.
Pick"pen`ny (?), n.; pl.
Pickpennies (&?;). A miser; also, a
sharper. Dr. H. More.
Pick"pock`et (?), n. One who steals
purses or other articles from pockets. Bentley.
Pick"purse` (?), n. One who steals
purses, or money from purses. Latimer. Shak.
Pick"sy (?), n. See
Pixy.
Pick"thank` (?), n. One who strives
to put another under obligation; an officious person; hence, a
flatterer. Used also adjectively.
Smiling pickthanks, and base
newsmongers.
Shak.
Pick"tooth` (?), n. A
toothpick. [Obs.] Swift.
Pi"cle (p&ibreve;k"'l), n. [Prob. fr.
pightel or pingle.] A small piece of land inclosed
with a hedge; a close. [Obs.] [Written also pickle.]
Pic"nic (?), n. [Cf. F.
piquenique. See Pick, v., and cf.
Knickknack.] Formerly, an entertainment at which each
person contributed some dish to a common table; now, an excursion or
pleasure party in which the members partake of a collation or repast
(usually in the open air, and from food carried by
themselves).
Pic"nic (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Picnicked (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Picnicking (?).] To go on a picnic, or pleasure excursion;
to eat in public fashion.
Pic"nick*er (?), n. One who takes
part in a picnic.
Pi"coid (?), a. [Picus + -
oid.] (Zoöl.) Like or pertaining to the
Pici.
Pic"o*line (?), n. [L. pix,
picis, pitch + oleum oil + -ine.] (Chem.)
Any one of three isometric bases (C6H7N)
related to pyridine, and obtained from bone oil, acrolein ammonia, and
coal-tar naphtha, as colorless mobile liquids of strong odor; --
called also methyl pyridine.
{ Pic`o*tee" (?), Pic`o*tine" (?), }
n. [F. picoté dotted, picked.]
(Bot.) A variety of carnation having petals of a light
color variously dotted and spotted at the edges.
Pic"quet (?), n. See
Piquet.
Pi"cra (?), n. [L., fr. Gr. &?; sharp,
bitter.] (Med.) The powder of aloes with canella, formerly
officinal, employed as a cathartic.
Pi"crate (?), n. (Chem.) A
salt of picric acid.
Pi"cric (?), a. [Gr. &?; bitter.]
(Chem.) Pertaining to, or designating, a strong organic
acid (called picric acid), intensely bitter.
&fist; Picric acid is obtained by treating phenol with
strong nitric acid, as a brilliant yellow crystalline substance,
C6H2(NO2)3.OH. It is used
in dyeing silk and wool, and also in the manufacture of explosives, as
it is very unstable when heated. Called also trinitrophenol,
and formerly carbazotic acid.
Pic"rite (?), n. [From Gr. &?; bitter.]
(Min.) A dark green igneous rock, consisting largely of
chrysolite, with hornblende, augite, biotite, etc.
Pic"ro*lite (?), n. [Gr. &?; bitter +
-lite.: cf. F. picrolithe.] (Min.) A fibrous
variety of serpentine.
Pic"ro*mel (?), n. [Gr. &?; bitter + &?;
honey: cf. F. picromel.] (Old Chem.) A colorless
viscous substance having a bitter-sweet taste.
&fist; It was formerly supposed to be the essential principle of
the bile, but is now known to be a mixture, principally of salts of
glycocholic and taurocholic acids.
Pic`ro*tox"in (?), n. [Gr. &?; bitter +
toxic + -in.] (Chem.) A bitter white
crystalline substance found in the cocculus indicus. It is a peculiar
poisonous neurotic and intoxicant, and consists of a mixture of
several neutral substances.
Pi"cryl (?), n. [Picric + -
yl.] (Chem.) The hypothetical radical of picric acid,
analogous to phenyl.
Pict"ish (?), a. Of or pertaining
to Picts; resembling the Picts. "The Pictish peer."
Byron.
Pic"to*graph (?), n. [See
Picture, and -graph.] A picture or hieroglyph
representing and expressing an idea. -- Pic`to*graph"ic
(#), a.
Pic*to"ri*al (?), a. [L.
pictorius, fr. pictor a painter, fr. pingere to
paint. See Paint.] Of or pertaining to pictures;
illustrated by pictures; forming pictures; representing with the
clearness of a picture; as, a pictorial dictionary; a
pictorial imagination. "Pictorial rhetoric."
Ruskin. -- Pic*to"ri*al*ly, adv.
{ Pic*tor"ic (?), Pic*tor"ic*al (?), }
a. Pictorial. [Obs.]
Picts (?), n. pl.; sing.
Pict (&?;). [L. Picti; cf. AS.
Peohtas.] (Ethnol.) A race of people of uncertain
origin, who inhabited Scotland in early times.
||Pic*tu"ra (?), n. [L., a painting.]
(Zoöl.) Pattern of coloration.
Pic"tur*a*ble (?), a. Capable of
being pictured, or represented by a picture.
Pic"tur*al (?), a. Pictorial.
[R.] Sir W. Scott.
Pic"tur*al, n. A picture.
[Obs.] Spenser.
Pic"ture (?), n. [L. pictura, fr.
pingere, pictum, to paint: cf. F. peinture. See
Paint.] 1. The art of painting;
representation by painting. [Obs.]
Any well-expressed image . . . either in picture
or sculpture.
Sir H. Wotton.
2. A representation of anything (as a person,
a landscape, a building) upon canvas, paper, or other surface,
produced by means of painting, drawing, engraving, photography, etc.;
a representation in colors. By extension, a figure; a model.
Pictures and shapes are but secondary
objects.
Bacon.
The young king's picture . . . in virgin
wax.
Howell.
3. An image or resemblance; a representation,
either to the eye or to the mind; that which, by its likeness, brings
vividly to mind some other thing; as, a child is the picture of
his father; the man is the picture of grief.
My eyes make pictures when they are
shut.
Coleridge.
&fist; Picture is often used adjectively, or in forming
self-explaining compounds; as, picture book or picture-
book, picture frame or picture-frame, picture
seller or picture-seller, etc.
Picture gallery, a gallery, or large
apartment, devoted to the exhibition of pictures. --
Picture red, a rod of metal tube fixed to the
walls of a room, from which pictures are hung. -- Picture
writing. (a) The art of recording
events, or of expressing messages, by means of pictures representing
the actions or circumstances in question. Tylor.
(b) The record or message so represented; as, the
picture writing of the American Indians.
Syn. -- Picture, Painting. Every kind of
representation by drawing or painting is a picture, whether
made with oil colors, water colors, pencil, crayons, or India ink;
strictly, a painting is a picture made by means of colored
paints, usually applied moist with a brush.
Pic"ture, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pictured (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Picturing.] To draw or paint a resemblance of; to
delineate; to represent; to form or present an ideal likeness of; to
bring before the mind. "I . . . do picture it in my
mind." Spenser.
I have not seen him so pictured.
Shak.
Pic"tured (?), a. Furnished with
pictures; represented by a picture or pictures; as, a pictured
scene.
Pic"tur*er (?), n. One who makes
pictures; a painter. [R.] Fuller.
Pic`tur*esque" (?), a. [It.
pittoresco: cf. F. pittoresque. See Pictorial.]
Forming, or fitted to form, a good or pleasing picture;
representing with the clearness or ideal beauty appropriate to a
picture; expressing that peculiar kind of beauty which is agreeable in
a picture, natural or artificial; graphic; vivid; as, a
picturesque scene or attitude; picturesque
language.
What is picturesque as placed in relation to the
beautiful and the sublime? It is . . . the characteristic pushed into
a sensible excess.
De Quincey.
-- Pic`tur*esque"ly, adv. --
Pic`tur*esque"ness, n.
Pic`tur*esqu"ish, a. Somewhat
picturesque. [R.]
Pic"tur*ize (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Picturized (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Picturizing.] [R.] 1. To
picture.
2. To adorn with pictures.
Pic"ul (?), n. [Jav. & Malay
pikul, fr. pikul to carry on the back, to carry a
burden; n., a man's burden.] A commercial weight varying in
different countries and for different commodities. In Borneo it is
135⅝ lbs.; in China and Sumatra, 133½ lbs.; in Japan,
133⅓ lbs.; but sometimes 130 lbs., etc. Called also, by the
Chinese, tan. [Written also pecul, and
pecal.]
Pic"u*let (?), n. [Dim. of
Picus.] (Zoöl.) Any species of very small
woodpeckers of the genus Picumnus and allied genera. Their tail
feathers are not stiff and sharp at the tips, as in ordinary
woodpeckers.
||Pi"cus (?), n.; pl.
Pici (#). [L., a woodpecker.] (Zoöl.)
A genus of woodpeckers, including some of the common American and
European species.
Pid"dle (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Piddled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Piddling (?).] [Cf. dial. Sw. pittla to keep picking at,
Sw. peta to pick.] 1. To deal in trifles;
to concern one's self with trivial matters rather than with those that
are important. Ascham.
2. To be squeamishly nice about one's
food. Swift.
3. To urinate; -- child's word.
Pid"dler (?), n. One who
piddles.
Pid"dling (?), a.Trifling; trivial;
frivolous; paltry; -- applied to persons and things.
The ignoble hucksterage of piddling
tithes.
Milton.
Pid"dock (?), n. [Etymol. uncertain.]
(Zoöl.) Any species of Pholas; a pholad. See
Pholas.
Pie (?), n. [OE. pie, pye;
cf. Ir. & Gael. pighe pie, also Gael. pige an earthen
jar or pot. Cf. Piggin.] 1. An article of
food consisting of paste baked with something in it or under it; as,
chicken pie; venison pie; mince pie; apple
pie; pumpkin pie.
2. See Camp, n.,
5. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.
Pie crust, the paste of a pie.
Pie, n. [F. pie, L. pica;
cf. picus woodpecker, pingere to paint; the bird being
perhaps named from its colors. Cf. Pi, Paint,
Speight.] 1. (Zoöl.)
(a) A magpie. (b) Any
other species of the genus Pica, and of several allied
genera. [Written also pye.]
2. (R. C. Ch.) The service
book.
3. (Pritn.) Type confusedly mixed. See
Pi.
By cock and pie, an adjuration equivalent to
"by God and the service book." Shak. -- Tree
pie (Zoöl.), any Asiatic bird of the genus
Dendrocitta, allied to the magpie. -- Wood
pie. (Zoöl.) See French pie, under
French.
Pie, v. t. See Pi.
Pie"bald` (?), a. [Pie the party-
colored bird + bald.] 1. Having spots and
patches of black and white, or other colors; mottled; pied. "A
piebald steed of Thracian strain." Dryden.
2. Fig.: Mixed. "Piebald
languages." Hudibras.
Piece (?), n. [OE. pece, F.
pièce, LL. pecia, petia, petium,
probably of Celtic origin; cf. W. peth a thing, a part,
portion, a little, Armor. pez, Gael. & Ir. cuid part,
share. Cf. Petty.] 1. A fragment or part
of anything separated from the whole, in any manner, as by cutting,
splitting, breaking, or tearing; a part; a portion; as, a piece
of sugar; to break in pieces.
Bring it out piece by piece.
Ezek. xxiv. 6.
2. A definite portion or quantity, as of goods
or work; as, a piece of broadcloth; a piece of wall
paper.
3. Any one thing conceived of as apart from
other things of the same kind; an individual article; a distinct
single effort of a series; a definite performance; especially:
(a) A literary or artistic composition; as, a
piece of poetry, music, or statuary. (b)
A musket, gun, or cannon; as, a battery of six pieces; a
following piece. (c) A coin; as, a
sixpenny piece; -- formerly applied specifically to an English
gold coin worth 22 shillings. (d) A fact;
an item; as, a piece of news; a piece of
knowledge.
4. An individual; -- applied to a person as
being of a certain nature or quality; often, but not always, used
slightingly or in contempt. "If I had not been a piece of
a logician before I came to him." Sir P. Sidney.
Thy mother was a piece of virtue.
Shak.
His own spirit is as unsettled a piece as there
is in all the world.
Coleridge.
5. (Chess) One of the superior men,
distinguished from a pawn.
6. A castle; a fortified building.
[Obs.] Spenser.
Of a piece, of the same sort, as if taken
from the same whole; like; -- sometimes followed by with.
Dryden. -- Piece of eight, the Spanish
piaster, formerly divided into eight reals. -- To give a
piece of one's mind to, to speak plainly, bluntly, or
severely to (another). Thackeray. -- Piece
broker, one who buys shreds and remnants of cloth to
sell again. -- Piece goods, goods usually
sold by pieces or fixed portions, as shirtings, calicoes, sheetings,
and the like.
Piece, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pieced (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Piecing (?).] 1. To make, enlarge, or
repair, by the addition of a piece or pieces; to patch; as, to
piece a garment; -- often with out.
Shak.
2. To unite; to join; to combine.
Fuller.
His adversaries . . . pieced themselves together
in a joint opposition against him.
Fuller.
Piece (?), v. i. To unite by a
coalescence of parts; to fit together; to join. "It
pieced better." Bacon.
Piece"less, a. Not made of pieces;
whole; entire.
Piece"ly, adv. In pieces;
piecemeal. [Obs.]
Piece"meal` (?), adv. [OE.
pecemele; pece a piece + AS. m&?;lum, dat. pl. of
m&?;l part. See Meal a portion.] 1.
In pieces; in parts or fragments. "On which it
piecemeal brake." Chapman.
The beasts will tear thee
piecemeal.
Tennyson.
2. Piece by piece; by little and little in
succession.
Piecemeal they win, this acre first, than
that.
Pope.
Piece"meal`, a. Made up of parts or
pieces; single; separate. "These piecemeal guilts."
Gov. of Tongue.
Piece"meal`, n. A fragment; a
scrap. R. Vaughan.
Piece"mealed` (?), a. Divided into
pieces.
Piece"ner (?), n. 1.
One who supplies rolls of wool to the slubbing machine in woolen
mills.
2. Same as Piecer, 2.
Pie"cer (?), n. 1.
One who pieces; a patcher.
2. A child employed in spinning mill to tie
together broken threads.
Piece"work` (?), n. Work done by
the piece or job; work paid for at a rate based on the amount of work
done, rather than on the time employed.
The reaping was piecework, at so much per
acre.
R. Jefferies.
Pied (?), imp. & p. p. of
Pi, or Pie, v.
Pied (?), a. [From Pie the party-
colored bird.] Variegated with spots of different colors; party-
colored; spotted; piebald. "Pied coats." Burton.
"Meadows trim with daisies pied." Milton.
Pied antelope (Zoöl.), the
bontebok. -- Pied-billed grebe
(Zoöl.), the dabchick. -- Pied
blackbird (Zoöl.), any Asiatic thrush of the
genus Turdulus. -- Pied finch
(Zoöl.) (a) The chaffinch.
(b) The snow bunting. [Prov. Eng.] --
Pied flycatcher (Zoöl.), a common
European flycatcher (Ficedula atricapilla). The male is black
and white.
Pied"mont (?), a. [F. pied foot +
mont mountain.] (Geol.) Noting the region of
foothills near the base of a mountain chain.
Pied"mont*ite (?), n. (Min.)
A manganesian kind of epidote, from Piedmont. See
Epidote.
Pied"ness (?), n. The state of
being pied. Shak.
||Pié`douche" (?), n. [F., fr.
It. peduccio console, corbel.] A pedestal of small size,
used to support small objects, as busts, vases, and the
like.
Pied"stall (?), n. See
Pedestal. [Obs.]
Pie"man (?), n.; pl.
Piemen (&?;). A man who makes or sells
pies.
Piend (?), n. [Cf. Dan. pind a
peg.] See Peen.
||Pi*e"no (?), a. [It., fr. L.
plenus full.] (Mus.) Full; having all the
instruments.
Pie"plant` (?), n. (Bot.) A
plant (Rheum Rhaponticum) the leafstalks of which are acid, and
are used in making pies; the garden rhubarb.
{ Pie"pou`dre, Pie"pow`der } (?),
n. [Lit., dustyfoot, i. e., dusty-footed dealers,
fr. F. pied foot + poudreux dusty.] (O. Eng. Law)
An ancient court of record in England, formerly incident to every
fair and market, of which the steward of him who owned or had the toll
was the judge. Blackstone.
Pier (?), n. [OE. pere, OF.
piere a stone, F. pierre, fr. L. petra, Gr. &?;.
Cf. Petrify.] 1. (Arch.)
(a) Any detached mass of masonry, whether
insulated or supporting one side of an arch or lintel, as of a bridge;
the piece of wall between two openings. (b)
Any additional or auxiliary mass of masonry used to stiffen a
wall. See Buttress.
2. A projecting wharf or landing
place.
Abutment pier, the pier of a bridge next the
shore; a pier which by its strength and stability resists the thrust
of an arch. -- Pier glass, a mirror, of
high and narrow shape, to be put up between windows. --
Pier table, a table made to stand between
windows.
Pier"age (?), n. Same as
Wharfage. Smart.
Pierce (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pierced (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Piercing (?).] [OE. percen, F. percer, OF.
percier, perchier, parchier; perh. fr. (assumed)
LL. pertusiare for pertusare, fr. L. pertundere,
pertusum, to beat, push, bore through; per through +
tundere to beat: cf. OF. pertuisier to pierce, F.
pertuis a hole. Cf. Contuse, Parch,
Pertuse.] 1. To thrust into, penetrate, or
transfix, with a pointed instrument. "I pierce . . . her
tender side." Dryden.
2. To penetrate; to enter; to force a way into
or through; to pass into or through; as, to pierce the enemy's
line; a shot pierced the ship.
3. Fig.: To penetrate; to affect deeply; as,
to pierce a mystery. "Pierced with grief."
Pope.
Can no prayers pierce thee?
Shak.
Pierce, v. i. To enter; to
penetrate; to make a way into or through something, as a pointed
instrument does; -- used literally and figuratively.
And pierced to the skin, but bit no
more.
Spenser.
She would not pierce further into his
meaning.
Sir P. Sidney.
Pierce"a*ble (?), a. That may be
pierced.
Pierced (?), a. Penetrated;
entered; perforated.
Pier"cel (?), n. [Cf. F. perce.]
A kind of gimlet for making vents in casks; -- called also
piercer.
Pier"cer (?), n. 1.
One who, or that which, pierces or perforates;
specifically: (a) An instrument used in forming
eyelets; a stiletto. (b) A
piercel.
2. (Zoöl.) (a) The
ovipositor, or sting, of an insect. (b) An
insect provided with an ovipositor.
Pier"cing (?), a. Forcibly
entering, or adapted to enter, at or by a point; perforating;
penetrating; keen; -- used also figuratively; as, a piercing
instrument, or thrust. "Piercing eloquence."
Shak.
-- Pier"cing*ly, adv. --
Pier"cing*ness, n.
Pi*e"ri*an (?), a. [L. Pierius,
from Mount Pierus, in Thessaly, sacred to the Muses.] Of
or pertaining to Pierides or Muses.
Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian
spring.
Pope.
Pi"er*id (?), n. [See Peirides.]
(Zoöl.) Any butterfly of the genus Pieris and
related genera. See Cabbage butterfly, under
Cabbage.
||Pi*er"i*des (?), n. pl. [L., fr. Gr.
&?;. See Pierian.] (Class. Myth.) The
Muses.
Pi"et (pī"&ebreve;t), n. [Dim. of
Pie a magpie: cf. F. piette a smew.] (Zoöl.)
(a) The dipper, or water ouzel. [Scot.]
(b) The magpie. [Prov.Eng.]
Jay piet (Zoöl.), the European
jay. [Prov.Eng.] -- Sea piet
(Zoöl.), the oyster catcher. [Prov.Eng.]
||Pi*e*tà" (p&esl;*&asl;*tä"),
n. [It.] (Fine Arts) A representation of
the dead Christ, attended by the Virgin Mary or by holy women and
angels. Mollett.
Pi"e*tism (pī"&esl;*t&ibreve;z'm),
n. [Cf. G. pietismus, F.
piétisme.] 1. The principle or
practice of the Pietists.
2. Strict devotion; also, affectation of
devotion.
The Schöne Seele, that ideal of gentle
pietism, in "Wilhelm Meister."
W.
Pater.
Pi"e*tist (?), n. [Cf. G.
pietist, F. piétiste. See Piety.]
(Eccl. Hist.) One of a class of religious reformers in
Germany in the 17th century who sought to revive declining piety in
the Protestant churches; -- often applied as a term of reproach to
those who make a display of religious feeling. Also used
adjectively.
{ Pi`e*tis"tic (?), Pi`e*tis"tic*al (?), }
a. Of or pertaining to the Pietists; hence, in
contempt, affectedly or demonstratively religious.
Addison.
||Pi*e"tra du"ra (?). [It., hard stone.] (Fine
Arts) Hard and fine stones in general, such as are used for
inlay and the like, as distinguished from the softer stones used in
building; thus, a Florentine mosaic is a familiar instance of work in
pietra dura, though the ground may be soft marble.
Pi"e*ty (?), n. [F.
piété; cf. It. pietà; both fr. L.
pietas piety, fr. pius pious. See Pious, and cf.
Pity.] 1. Veneration or reverence of the
Supreme Being, and love of his character; loving obedience to the will
of God, and earnest devotion to his service.
Piety is the only proper and adequate relief of
decaying man.
Rambler.
2. Duty; dutifulness; filial reverence and
devotion; affectionate reverence and service shown toward parents,
relatives, benefactors, country, etc.
Conferred upon me for the piety
Which to my country I was judged to have shown.
Milton.
Syn. -- Religion; sanctity; devotion; godliness; holiness.
See Religion.
Pie"wipe` (?), n. [So called from its
note.] (Zoöl.) The lapwing, or pewit. [Prov.
Eng.]
Pi`e*zom"e*ter (?), n. [Gr. &?; to press
+ -meter: cf. F. piézomètre.]
1. (Physics) An instrument for measuring
the compressibility of liquids.
2. (Physics) A gauge connected with a
water main to show the pressure at that point.
{ ||Pif"fe*ro (?), ||Pif"fa*ra (?), }
n. [It. piffero.] (Mus.) A fife;
also, a rude kind of oboe or a bagpipe with an inflated skin for
reservoir.
Pig (?), n. A piggin.
[Written also pigg.]
Pig, n. [Cf. D. big,
bigge, LG. bigge, also Dan. pige girl, Sw.
piga, Icel. pīka.] 1. The
young of swine, male or female; also, any swine; a hog. "Two
pigges in a poke." Chaucer.
2. (Zoöl.) Any wild species of the
genus Sus and related genera.
3. [Cf. Sow a channel for melted iron.]
An oblong mass of cast iron, lead, or other metal. See Mine
pig, under Mine.
4. One who is hoggish; a greedy person.
[Low]
Masked pig. (Zoöl.) See under
Masked. -- Pig bed (Founding),
the bed of sand in which the iron from a smelting furnace is cast
into pigs. -- Pig iron, cast iron in pigs,
or oblong blocks or bars, as it comes from the smelting furnace. See
Pig, 4. -- Pig yoke (Naut.),
a nickname for a quadrant or sextant. -- A pig in a
poke (that is, bag), a blind bargain; something
bought or bargained for, without the quality or the value being
known. [Colloq.]
Pig, v. t. & i. [imp. & p.
p. Pigged (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pigging (?).] 1. To bring forth (pigs); to
bring forth in the manner of pigs; to farrow.
2. To huddle or lie together like pigs, in one
bed.
Pi"geon (?), n. [F., fr. L. pipio
a young pipping or chirping bird, fr. pipire to peep, chirp.
Cf. Peep to chirp.] 1. (Zoöl.)
Any bird of the order Columbæ, of which numerous species
occur in nearly all parts of the world.
&fist; The common domestic pigeon, or dove, was derived from the
Old World rock pigeon (Columba livia). It has given rise to
numerous very remarkable varieties, such as the carrier, fantail, nun,
pouter, tumbler, etc. The common wild pigeons of the Eastern United
States are the passenger pigeon, and the Carolina dove. See under
Passenger, and Dove. See, also, Fruit pigeon,
Ground pigeon, Queen pigeon, Stock pigeon, under
Fruit, Ground, etc.
2. An unsuspected victim of sharpers; a
gull. [Slang]
Blue pigeon (Zoöl.), an
Australian passerine bird (Graucalus melanops); -- called also
black-faced crow. -- Green pigeon
(Zoöl.), any one of numerous species of Old World
pigeons belonging to the family Treronidæ. --
Imperial pigeon (Zoöl.), any one of
the large Asiatic fruit pigeons of the genus Carpophada. -
- Pigeon berry (Bot.), the purplish black
fruit of the pokeweed; also, the plant itself. See
Pokeweed. -- Pigeon English [perhaps a
corruption of business English], an extraordinary and
grotesque dialect, employed in the commercial cities of China, as the
medium of communication between foreign merchants and the Chinese. Its
base is English, with a mixture of Portuguese and Hindoostanee.
Johnson's Cyc. -- Pigeon grass (Bot.),
a kind of foxtail grass (Setaria glauca), of some value as
fodder. The seeds are eagerly eaten by pigeons and other birds. -
- Pigeon hawk. (Zoöl.)
(a) A small American falcon (Falco
columbarius). The adult male is dark slate-blue above, streaked
with black on the back; beneath, whitish or buff, streaked with brown.
The tail is banded. (b) The American sharp-
shinned hawk (Accipiter velox, or fuscus). --
Pigeon hole. (a) A hole for
pigeons to enter a pigeon house. (b) See
Pigeonhole. (c) pl. An old
English game, in which balls were rolled through little arches.
Halliwell. -- Pigeon house, a
dovecote. -- Pigeon pea (Bot.), the
seed of Cajanus Indicus; a kind of pulse used for food in the
East and West Indies; also, the plant itself. -- Pigeon
plum (Bot.), the edible drupes of two West
African species of Chrysobalanus (C. ellipticus and
C. luteus). -- Pigeon tremex.
(Zoöl.) See under Tremex. --
Pigeon wood (Bot.), a name in the West
Indies for the wood of several very different kinds of trees, species
of Dipholis, Diospyros, and Coccoloba. --
Pigeon woodpecker (Zoöl.), the
flicker. -- Prairie pigeon. (Zoöl.)
(a) The upland plover. (b)
The golden plover. [Local, U.S.]
Pi"geon (?), v. t. To pluck; to
fleece; to swindle by tricks in gambling. [Slang]
Smart.
He's pigeoned and undone.
Observer.
Pi"geon-breast`ed (?), a. Having a
breast like a pigeon, -- the sternum being so prominent as to
constitute a deformity; chicken-breasted.
Pi"geon*foot` (?), n. (Bot.)
The dove's-foot geranium (Geranium molle).
Pi"geon-heart`ed (?), a. Timid;
easily frightened; chicken-hearted. Beau. & Fl.
Pi"geon*hole` (?), n. A small
compartment in a desk or case for the keeping of letters, documents,
etc.; -- so called from the resemblance of a row of them to the
compartments in a dovecote. Burke.
Pi"geon*hole`, v. t. To place in
the pigeonhole of a case or cabinet; hence, to put away; to lay aside
indefinitely; as, to pigeonhole a letter or a report.
Pi"geon-liv`ered (?), a. Pigeon-
hearted.
Pi"geon*ry (?), n. A place for
pigeons; a dovecote.
Pi"geon*toed` (?), a. Having the
toes turned in.
Pig"-eyed` (?), a. Having small,
deep-set eyes.
Pig"fish` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
(a) Any one of several species of salt-water
grunts; -- called also hogfish. (b)
A sculpin. The name is also applied locally to several other
fishes.
Pig"foot` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
A marine fish (Scorpæna porcus), native of Europe.
It is reddish brown, mottled with dark brown and black.
Pigg (?), n. A piggin. See 1st
Pig. Sir W. Scott.
Pig"ger*y (?), n.; pl.
Piggeries (&?;). A place where swine are
kept.
Pig"gin (?), n. [Scot.; cf. Gael.
pigean, dim. of pigeadh, pige, an earthen jar,
pitcher, or pot, Ir. pigin, pighead, W. piccyn.]
A small wooden pail or tub with an upright stave for a handle, --
often used as a dipper.
Pig"gish (?), a. Relating to, or
like, a pig; greedy.
Pig"-head`ed (?), a. Having a head
like a pig; hence, figuratively: stupidity obstinate; perverse;
stubborn. B. Jonson. -- Pig"-head`ed*ness,
n.
Pight (?), imp. & p. p. of Pitch,
to throw; -- used also adjectively. Pitched; fixed;
determined. [Obs.]
[His horse] pight him on the pommel of his
head.
Chaucer.
I found him pight to do it.
Shak.
Pigh"tel (?), n. [Cf. Pight,
Picle.] A small inclosure. [Written also
pightle.] [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]
Pig"-jawed` (?), a. (Zoöl.)
Having the upper jaw projecting beyond the lower, with the upper
incisors in advance of the lower; -- said of dogs.
Pig*me"an (?), a. See
Pygmean.
Pig"ment (?), n. [L. pigmentum,
fr. the root of pingere to paint: cf. F. pigment. See
Paint, and cf. Pimento, Orpiment.]
1. Any material from which a dye, a paint, or the
like, may be prepared; particularly, the refined and purified coloring
matter ready for mixing with an appropriate vehicle.
2. (Physiol.) Any one of the colored
substances found in animal and vegetable tissues and fluids, as
bilirubin, urobilin, chlorophyll, etc.
3. Wine flavored with species and honey.
Sir W. Scott.
Pigment cell (Physiol.), a small cell
containing coloring matter, as the pigmented epithelial cells of the
choroid and iris, or the pigmented connective tissue cells in the skin
of fishes, reptiles, etc.
{ Pig*men"tal (?), Pig"men*ta*ry (?), }
a. Of or pertaining to pigments; furnished with
pigments. Dunglison.
Pigmentary degeneration (Med.), a
morbid condition in which an undue amount of pigment is deposited in
the tissues.
Pig`men*ta"tion (?), n.
(Physiol.) A deposition, esp. an excessive deposition, of
coloring matter; as, pigmentation of the liver.
Pig"ment*ed (?), a. Colored;
specifically (Biol.), filled or imbued with pigment; as,
pigmented epithelial cells; pigmented
granules.
Pig*men"tous (?), a.
Pigmental.
Pig"my (?), n. See
Pygmy.
Pigmy falcon. (Zoöl.) Same as
Falconet, 2 (a).
Pig"ner*ate (?), v. t. [L.
pigneratus, p. p. of pignerate to pledge.]
1. To pledge or pawn. [Obs.]
2. to receive in pawn, as a pawnbroker
does. [Obs.]
Pig`no*ra"tion (?), n. [LL.
pignoratio, L. pigneratio, fr. pignerate to
pledge, fr. pignus, gen. -ous and -eris, a
pledge, a pawn: cf. F. pignoration.] 1.
The act of pledging or pawning.
2. (Civil Law) The taking of cattle
doing damage, by way of pledge, till satisfaction is made.
Burrill.
Pig"no*ra*tive (?), a. [Cf. F.
pignoratif.] Pledging, pawning. [R.]
||Pig"nus (?), n.; pl.
Pignora (#). [L.] (Rom. Law) A pledge or
pawn.
Pig"nut (?), n. (Bot.)
(a) See Groundnut
(d). (b) The bitter-
flavored nut of a species of hickory (Carya glabra, or
porcina); also, the tree itself.
Pig"pen` (?), n. A pen, or sty, for
pigs.
Pig"skin` (?), n. The skin of a
pig, -- used chiefly for making saddles; hence, a colloquial or slang
term for a saddle.
Pigs"ney (?), n. [Perh. a dim. of Dan.
pige a girl, or Sw. piga; or from E. pig's eye.]
A word of endearment for a girl or woman. [Obs.] [Written
also pigsnie, pigsny, etc.] Chaucer.
Pig"-stick`ing (?), n. Boar
hunting; -- so called by Anglo-Indians. [Colloq.]
Tackeray.
Pig"sty` (?), n.; pl.
Pigsties (&?;). A pigpen.
Pig"tail` (?), n. 1.
The tail of a pig.
2. (Hair Dressing) A cue, or
queue. J. & H. Smith.
3. A kind of twisted chewing
tobacco.
The tobacco he usually cheweth, called
pigtail.
Swift.
Pig"tailed` (?), a. Having a tail
like a pig's; as, the pigtailed baboon.
Pig"weed` (?), n. (Bot.) A
name of several annual weeds. See Goosefoot, and Lamb's-
quarters.
Pig"wid`geon (?), n. [Written also
pigwidgin and pigwiggen.] A cant word for anything
petty or small. It is used by Drayton as the name of a
fairy.
Pi"ka (?), n. (Zoöl.)
Any one of several species of rodents of the genus
Lagomys, resembling small tailless rabbits. They inhabit the
high mountains of Asia and America. Called also calling hare,
and crying hare. See Chief hare.
Pike (?), n. [F. pique; perhaps
of Celtic origin; cf. W. pig a prick, a point, beak, Arm.
pik pick. But cf. also L. picus woodpecker (see
Pie magpie), and E. spike. Cf. Pick, n.
& v., Peak, Pique.] 1.
(Mil.) A foot soldier's weapon, consisting of a long
wooden shaft or staff, with a pointed steel head. It is now superseded
by the bayonet.
2. A pointed head or spike; esp., one in the
center of a shield or target. Beau. & Fl.
3. A hayfork. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]
Tusser.
4. A pick. [Prov. Eng.] Wright.
Raymond.
5. A pointed or peaked hill. [R.]
6. A large haycock. [Prov. Eng.]
Halliwell.
7. A turnpike; a toll bar.
Dickens.
8. (Zoöl.) sing. &
pl. A large fresh-water fish (Esox lucius),
found in Europe and America, highly valued as a food fish; -- called
also pickerel, gedd, luce, and
jack.
&fist; Blue pike, grass pike, green pike,
wall-eyed pike, and yellow pike, are names, not of true
pike, but of the wall-eye. See Wall-eye.
Gar pike. See under Gar. --
Pike perch (Zoöl.), any fresh-water
fish of the genus Stizostedion (formerly Lucioperca).
See Wall-eye, and Sauger. -- Pike
pole, a long pole with a pike in one end, used in
directing floating logs. -- Pike whale
(Zoöl.), a finback whale of the North Atlantic
(Balænoptera rostrata), having an elongated snout; --
called also piked whale. -- Sand pike
(Zoöl.), the lizard fish. -- Sea
pike (Zoöl.), the garfish
(a).
Piked (?), a. Furnished with a
pike; ending in a point; peaked; pointed. "With their
piked targets bearing them down." Milton.
Pike`-de*vant" (?), n. [Pike
point (fr. F. pique) + F. devant before.] A pointed
beard. [Obs.]
{ Pike"let (?), Pike"lin (?), }
n. A light, thin cake or muffin. [Prov.
Eng.] Wright.
Pike"man (?), n.; pl.
Pikeman (&?;). 1. A soldier
armed with a pike. Knolles.
2. A miner who works with a pick.
Beaconsfield.
3. A keeper of a turnpike gate. T.
Hughes.
Pike"staff` (?), n. 1.
The staff, or shaft, of a pike.
2. A staff with a spike in the lower end, to
guard against slipping. Sir W. Scott.
Pike"tail` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
See Pintail, 1.
Pik"ro*lite (?), n. (Min.)
See Picrolite.
Pi"lage (?), n. See
Pelage.
Pi*las"ter (?), n. [F. pilastre,
It. pilastro, LL. pilastrum, fr. L. pila a
pillar. See Pillar.] (Arch.) An upright
architectural member right-angled in plan, constructionally a pier
(See Pier, 1 (b)), but architecturally
corresponding to a column, having capital, shaft, and base to agree
with those of the columns of the same order. In most cases the
projection from the wall is one third of its width, or less.
Pi*las"tered (?), a. Furnished with
pilasters.
||Pi*lau" (?), n. See
Pillau.
Pilch (?), n. [AS. pylce,
pylece, LL. pellicia. See Pelisse, and
Pelt skin.] A gown or case of skin, or one trimmed or
lined with fur. [Obs.]
Pil"chard (?), n. [Cf. It.
pilseir, W. pilcod minnows.] (Zoöl.) A
small European food fish (Clupea pilchardus) resembling the
herring, but thicker and rounder. It is sometimes taken in great
numbers on the coast of England.
Fools are as like husbands as pilchards are to
herrings.
Shak.
Pilch"er (?), n. [From Pilch.]
A scabbard, as of a sword. [Obs.] Shak.
Pilch"er, n. (Zoöl.)
The pilchard.
Pil"crow (?), n. [A corruption of
Paragraph.] (Print.) a paragraph mark,
¶. [Obs.] Tusser.
Pile (?), n. [L. pilus hair. Cf.
Peruke.] 1. A hair; hence, the fiber of
wool, cotton, and the like; also, the nap when thick or heavy, as of
carpeting and velvet.
Velvet soft, or plush with shaggy
pile.
Cowper.
2. (Zoöl.) A covering of hair or
fur.
Pile, n. [L. pilum javelin. See
Pile a stake.] The head of an arrow or spear. [Obs.]
Chapman.
Pile, n. [AS. pīl arrow,
stake, L. pilum javelin; but cf. also L. pila pillar.]
1. A large stake, or piece of timber, pointed and
driven into the earth, as at the bottom of a river, or in a harbor
where the ground is soft, for the support of a building, a pier, or
other superstructure, or to form a cofferdam, etc.
&fist; Tubular iron piles are now much used.
2. [Cf. F. pile.] (Her.) One of
the ordinaries or subordinaries having the form of a wedge, usually
placed palewise, with the broadest end uppermost.
Pile bridge, a bridge of which the roadway is
supported on piles. -- Pile cap, a beam
resting upon and connecting the heads of piles. -- Pile
driver, or Pile engine, an apparatus
for driving down piles, consisting usually of a high frame, with
suitable appliances for raising to a height (by animal or steam power,
the explosion of gunpowder, etc.) a heavy mass of iron, which falls
upon the pile. -- Pile dwelling. See
Lake dwelling, under Lake. -- Pile
plank (Hydraul. Eng.), a thick plank used as a
pile in sheet piling. See Sheet piling, under
Piling. -- Pneumatic pile. See under
Pneumatic. -- Screw pile, one with a
screw at the lower end, and sunk by rotation aided by
pressure.
Pile, v. t. To drive piles into; to
fill with piles; to strengthen with piles.
To sheet-pile, to make sheet piling in or
around. See Sheet piling, under 2nd Piling.
Pile, n. [F. pile, L. pila
a pillar, a pier or mole of stone. Cf. Pillar.]
1. A mass of things heaped together; a heap; as,
a pile of stones; a pile of wood.
2. A mass formed in layers; as, a pile
of shot.
3. A funeral pile; a pyre.
Dryden.
4. A large building, or mass of
buildings.
The pile o'erlooked the town and drew the
fight.
Dryden.
5. (Iron Manuf.) Same as Fagot,
n., 2.
6. (Elec.) A vertical series of
alternate disks of two dissimilar metals, as copper and zinc, laid up
with disks of cloth or paper moistened with acid water between them,
for producing a current of electricity; -- commonly called Volta's
pile, voltaic pile, or galvanic pile.
&fist; The term is sometimes applied to other forms of apparatus
designed to produce a current of electricity, or as synonymous with
battery; as, for instance, to an apparatus for generating a
current of electricity by the action of heat, usually called a
thermopile.
7. [F. pile pile, an engraved die, L.
pila a pillar.] The reverse of a coin. See
Reverse.
Cross and pile. See under Cross.
-- Dry pile. See under Dry.
Pile, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Piled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Piling.] 1. To lay or throw into a pile or
heap; to heap up; to collect into a mass; to accumulate; to amass; --
often with up; as, to pile up wood. "Hills
piled on hills." Dryden. "Life piled on life."
Tennyson.
The labor of an age in piled
stones.
Milton.
2. To cover with heaps; or in great abundance;
to fill or overfill; to load.
To pile arms or muskets
(Mil.), to place three guns together so that they may stand
upright, supporting each other; to stack arms.
{ Pi"le*ate (?), Pi"le*a`ted (?), }
a. [L. pileatus, fr. pileus a felt cap
or hat.] 1. Having the form of a cap for the
head.
2. (Zoöl.) Having a crest covering
the pileus, or whole top of the head.
Pileated woodpecker (Zoöl.), a
large American woodpecker (Ceophloeus pileatus). It is black,
with a bright red pointed crest. Called also logcock, and
woodcock.
Piled (?), a. [From 2d Pile.]
Having a pile or point; pointed. [Obs.] "Magus threw a
spear well piled." Chapman.
Piled, a. [From 1d Pile.]
Having a pile or nap. "Three-piled velvet." L.
Barry (1611).
Piled, a. [From 6d Pile.]
(Iron Manuf.) Formed from a pile or fagot; as,
piled iron.
Pi*le"i*form (?), a. [Pileus +
-form.] Having the form of a pileus or cap;
pileate.
Pile"ment (?), n. [From Pile to
lay into a heap.] An accumulation; a heap. [Obs.] Bp.
Hall.
||Pi*len"tum (?), n.; pl.
Pilenta (#). [L.] (Rom. Antiq.) An easy
chariot or carriage, used by Roman ladies, and in which the vessels,
etc., for sacred rites were carried.
||Pi`le*o*rhi"za (?), n.; pl.
Pilorhizæ (#). [NL., fr. Gr. &?; a cap + &?;
root.] (Bot.) A cap of cells which covers the growing
extremity of a root; a rootcap.
Pi"le*ous (?), a. [See Pilous.]
Consisting of, or covered with, hair; hairy; pilose.
Pil"er (?), n. One who places
things in a pile.
Piles (?), n. pl. [L. pila a
ball. Cf. Pill a medicine.] (Med.) The small,
troublesome tumors or swellings about the anus and lower part of the
rectum which are technically called hemorrhoids. See
Hemorrhoids. [The singular pile is
sometimes used.]
Blind piles, hemorrhoids which do not
bleed.
Pi"le*us (?), n.; pl.
Pilei (#). [L., a felt cap.] 1.
(Rom. Antiq.) A kind of skull cap of felt.
2. (Bot.) The expanded upper portion of
many of the fungi. See Mushroom.
3. (Zoöl.) The top of the head of
a bird, from the bill to the nape.
Pile"worm` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
The teredo.
Pile"-worn` (?), a. Having the pile
worn off; threadbare.
Pile"wort` (?), n. (Bot.) A
plant (Ranunculus Ficaria of Linnæus) whose tuberous
roots have been used in poultices as a specific for the piles.
Forsyth.
Pil"fer (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Pilfered (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pilfering.] [OF. pelfrer. See Pelf.] To
steal in small quantities, or articles of small value; to practice
petty theft.
Pil"fer, v. t. To take by petty
theft; to filch; to steal little by little.
And not a year but pilfers as he goes
Some youthful grace that age would gladly keep.
Cowper.
Pil"fer*er (?), n. One who pilfers;
a petty thief.
Pil"fer*ing, a. Thieving in a small
way. Shak. -- n. Petty
theft. -- Pil"fer*ing*ly, adv.
Pil"fer*y (?), n. Petty
theft. [R.] Sir T. North.
Pil*gar"lic (?), n. [Etymol. uncertain.]
One who has lost his hair by disease; a sneaking fellow, or one
who is hardly used.
Pil"grim (?), n. [OE. pilgrim,
pelgrim, pilegrim, pelegrim; cf. D.
pelgrim, OHG. piligrīm, G. pilger, F.
pèlerin, It. pellegrino; all fr. L.
peregrinus a foreigner, fr. pereger abroad; per
through + ager land, field. See Per-, and Acre,
and cf. Pelerine, Peregrine.] 1. A
wayfarer; a wanderer; a traveler; a stranger.
Strangers and pilgrims on the
earth.
Heb. xi. 13.
2. One who travels far, or in strange lands,
to visit some holy place or shrine as a devotee; as, a pilgrim
to Loretto; Canterbury pilgrims. See Palmer.
P. Plowman.
Pil"grim, a. Of or pertaining to a
pilgrim, or pilgrims; making pilgrimages. "With pilgrim
steps." Milton.
Pilgrim fathers, a name popularly given to
the one hundred and two English colonists who landed from the
Mayflower and made the first settlement in New England at Plymouth in
1620. They were separatists from the Church of England, and most of
them had sojourned in Holland.
Pil"grim, v. i. To journey; to
wander; to ramble. [R.] Grew. Carlyle.
Pil"grim*age (?), n. [OE.
pilgrimage, pelgrinage; cf. F.
pèlerinage.] 1. The journey of a
pilgrim; a long journey; especially, a journey to a shrine or other
sacred place. Fig., the journey of human life. Shak.
The days of the years of my
pilgrimage.
Gen. xlvii. 9.
2. A tedious and wearisome time.
In prison hast thou spent a
pilgrimage.
Shak.
Syn. -- Journey; tour; excursion. See Journey.
Pil"grim*ize (?), v. i. To wander
as a pilgrim; to go on a pilgrimage. [Obs.] B.
Jonson.
||Pi*lid"i*um (?), n.; pl.
Pildia (#). [NL., fr. Gr. &?;, dim. of &?; a cap.]
(Zoöl.) The free-swimming, hat-shaped larva of
certain nemertean worms. It has no resemblance to its parent, and the
young worm develops in its interior.
||Pi*lif"e*ra (?), n. pl. [NL. See
Piliferous.] (Zoöl.) Same as
Mammalia.
Pi*lif"er*ous (?), a. [L. pilus
hair + -ferous: cf. F. pilifère.]
1. Bearing a single slender bristle, or
hair.
2. Beset with hairs.
Pil"i*form (?), a. [L. pilus hair
+ -form.] (Bot.) Resembling hairs or
down.
Pi*lig"er*ous (?), a. [L. pilus
hair + -gerous: cf. F. piligère.] Bearing
hair; covered with hair or down; piliferous.
Pil"ing (?), n. [See Pile a
heap.] 1. The act of heaping up.
2. (Iron Manuf.) The process of
building up, heating, and working, fagots, or piles, to form bars,
etc.
Pil"ing, n. [See Pile a stake.]
A series of piles; piles considered collectively; as, the
piling of a bridge.
Pug piling, sheet piles connected together at
the edges by dovetailed tongues and grooves. -- Sheet
piling, a series of piles made of planks or half logs
driven edge to edge, -- used to form the walls of cofferdams,
etc.
Pill (?), n. [Cf. Peel skin, or
Pillion.] The peel or skin. [Obs.] "Some be covered
over with crusts, or hard pills, as the locusts."
Holland.
Pill, v. i. To be peeled; to peel
off in flakes.
Pill, v. t. [Cf. L. pilare to
deprive of hair, and E. pill, n. (above).] 1.
To deprive of hair; to make bald. [Obs.]
2. To peel; to make by removing the
skin.
[Jacob] pilled white streaks . . . in the
rods.
Gen. xxx. 37.
Pill (?), v. t. & i. [imp. & p.
p. Pilled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pilling.] [F. piller, L. pilare; cf. It.
pigliare to take. Cf. Peel to plunder.] To rob; to
plunder; to pillage; to peel. See Peel, to plunder.
[Obs.] Spenser.
Pillers and robbers were come in to the field to
pill and to rob.
Sir T. Malroy.
Pill (?), n. [F. pilute, L.
pilula a pill, little ball, dim. of L. pila a ball. Cf.
Piles.] 1. A medicine in the form of a
little ball, or small round mass, to be swallowed whole.
2. Figuratively, something offensive or
nauseous which must be accepted or endured. Udall.
Pill beetle (Zoöl.), any small
beetle of the genus Byrrhus, having a rounded body, with the
head concealed beneath the thorax. -- Pill bug
(Zoöl.), any terrestrial isopod of the genus
Armadillo, having the habit of rolling itself into a ball when
disturbed. Called also pill wood louse.
Pil"lage (?), n. [F., fr. piller
to plunder. See Pill to plunder.] 1. The
act of pillaging; robbery. Shak.
2. That which is taken from another or others
by open force, particularly and chiefly from enemies in war; plunder;
spoil; booty.
Which pillage they with merry march bring
home.
Shak.
Syn. -- Plunder; rapine; spoil; depredation. --
Pillage, Plunder. Pillage refers particularly to
the act of stripping the sufferers of their goods, while
plunder refers to the removal of the things thus taken; but the
words are freely interchanged.
Pil"lage, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Pillaged (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pillaging (?).] To strip of money or goods by open
violence; to plunder; to spoil; to lay waste; as, to pillage
the camp of an enemy.
Mummius . . . took, pillaged, and burnt their
city.
Arbuthnot.
Pil"lage, v. i. To take spoil; to
plunder; to ravage.
They were suffered to pillage wherever they
went.
Macaulay.
Pil"la*ger (?), n. One who
pillages. Pope.
Pil"lar (?), n. [OE. pilerF.
pilier, LL. pilare, pilarium, pilarius,
fr. L. pila a pillar. See Pile a heap.]
1. The general and popular term for a firm,
upright, insulated support for a superstructure; a pier, column, or
post; also, a column or shaft not supporting a superstructure, as one
erected for a monument or an ornament.
Jacob set a pillar upon her grave.
Gen. xxxv. 20.
The place . . . vast and proud,
Supported by a hundred pillars stood.
Dryden.
2. Figuratively, that which resembles such a
pillar in appearance, character, or office; a supporter or mainstay;
as, the Pillars of Hercules; a pillar of the
state. "You are a well-deserving pillar."
Shak.
By day a cloud, by night a pillar of
fire.
Milton.
3. (R. C. Ch.) A portable ornamental
column, formerly carried before a cardinal, as emblematic of his
support to the church. [Obs.] Skelton.
4. (Man.) The center of the volta,
ring, or manege ground, around which a horse turns.
From pillar to post, hither and thither; to
and fro; from one place or predicament to another; backward and
forward. [Colloq.] -- Pillar saint. See
Stylite. -- Pillars of the fauces.
See Fauces, 1.
Pil"lar, a. (Mach.) Having a
support in the form of a pillar, instead of legs; as, a pillar
drill.
Pil"lar-block` (?), n. See under
Pillow.
Pil"lared (?), a. Supported or
ornamented by pillars; resembling a pillar, or pillars. "The
pillared arches." Sir W. Scott. "Pillared flame."
Thomson.
Pil"lar*et (?), n. A little
pillar. [R.] Fuller.
Pil"lar*ist, n. (Eccl. Hist.)
See Stylite.
||Pil*lau" (?), n. [Per. & Turk.
pilau.] An Oriental dish consisting of rice boiled with
mutton, fat, or butter. [Written also pilau.]
Pilled (?), a. [See 3rd Pill.]
Stripped of hair; scant of hair; bald. [Obs.]
"Pilled beard." Chaucer.
Pilled"-gar"lic (?), n. See
Pilgarlic.
Pill"er (?), n. One who pills or
plunders. [Obs.]
Pill"er*y (?), n.; pl.
Pilleries (&?;). Plunder; pillage. [Obs.]
Daniel.
Pil"lion (?), n. [Ir. pillin,
pilliun (akin to Gael. pillean, pillin), fr. Ir.
& Gael. pill, peall, a skin or hide, prob. fr. L.
pellis. See Pell, n., Fell
skin.] A panel or cushion saddle; the under pad or cushion of
saddle; esp., a pad or cushion put on behind a man's saddle, on which
a woman may ride.
His [a soldier's] shank pillion without
stirrups.
Spenser.
Pil"lo*rize (?), v. t. To set in,
or punish with, the pillory; to pillory. [R.]
Pil"lo*ry (?), n.; pl.
Pillories (#). [F. pilori; cf. Pr.
espitlori, LL. piloricum, pilloricum,
pellericum, pellorium, pilorium,
spilorium; perhaps from a derivative of L. speculari to
look around, observe. Cf. Speculate.] A frame of
adjustable boards erected on a post, and having holes through which
the head and hands of an offender were thrust so as to be exposed in
front of it. Shak.
Pil"lo*ry, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pilloried (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pillorying.] [Cf. F. pilorier.] 1.
To set in, or punish with, the pillory. "Hungering for
Puritans to pillory." Macaulay.
2. Figuratively, to expose to public
scorn. Gladstone.
Pil"low (?), n. [OE. pilwe, AS.
pyle, fr. L. pilvinus.] 1. Anything
used to support the head of a person when reposing; especially, a sack
or case filled with feathers, down, hair, or other soft
material.
[Resty sloth] finds the down pillow
hard.
Shak.
2. (Mach.) A piece of metal or wood,
forming a support to equalize pressure; a brass; a pillow block.
[R.]
3. (Naut.) A block under the inner end
of a bowsprit.
4. A kind of plain, coarse fustian.
Lace pillow, a cushion used in making hand-
wrought lace. -- Pillow bier [OE.
pilwebere; cf. LG. büre a pillowcase], a
pillowcase; pillow slip. [Obs.] Chaucer. -- Pillow
block (Mach.), a block, or standard, for
supporting a journal, as of a shaft. It is usually bolted to the frame
or foundation of a machine, and is often furnished with journal boxes,
and a movable cover, or cap, for tightening the bearings by means of
bolts; -- called also pillar block, or plumber
block. -- Pillow lace, handmade lace
wrought with bobbins upon a lace pillow. -- Pillow of a
plow, a crosspiece of wood which serves to raise or
lower the beam. -- Pillow sham, an
ornamental covering laid over a pillow when not in use. --
Pillow slip, a pillowcase.
Pil"low (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pillowed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pillowing.] To rest or lay upon, or as upon, a pillow; to
support; as, to pillow the head.
Pillows his chin upon an orient
wave.
Milton.
Pil"low*case` (?), n. A removable
case or covering for a pillow, usually of white linen or cotton
cloth.
Pil"lowed (?), a. Provided with a
pillow or pillows; having the head resting on, or as on, a
pillow.
Pillowedon buckler cold and hard.
Sir W. Scott.
Pil"low*y (?), a. Like a
pillow. Keats.
Pill"-wil`let (?), n. [So named from its
note.] (Zoöl.) The willet.
Pill"worm` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
Any myriapod of the genus Iulus and allied genera which
rolls up spirally; a galleyworm. See Illust. under
Myriapod.
Pill"wort` (?), n. (Bot.)
Any plant of the genus Pilularia; minute aquatic
cryptograms, with small pill-shaped fruit; -- sometimes called
peppergrass.
Pi`lo*car"pine (?), n. [From NL.
Pilocarpus pennatifolius jaborandi; L. pilus hair + Gr.
karpo`s fruit: cf. F. pilocarpine.] (Chem.)
An alkaloid extracted from jaborandi (Pilocarpus
pennatifolius) as a white amorphous or crystalline substance which
has a peculiar effect on the vasomotor system.
Pi*lose" (?), a. [L. pilosus, fr.
pilus hair. See Pile.] 1. Hairy;
full of, or made of, hair.
The heat-retaining property of the pilose
covering.
Owen.
2. (Zoöl.) Clothed thickly with
pile or soft down.
3. (Bot.) Covered with long, slender
hairs; resembling long hairs; hairy; as, pilose
pubescence.
Pi*los"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F.
pilosité.] The quality or state of being pilose;
hairiness. Bacon.
Pi"lot (?), n. [F. pilote, prob.
from D. peillood plummet, sounding lead; peilen,
pegelen, to sound, measure (fr. D. & G. peil,
pegel, a sort of measure, water mark) + lood lead, akin
to E. lead. The pilot, then, is the lead man, i. e., he
who throws the lead. See Pail, and Lead a metal.]
1. (Naut.) One employed to steer a vessel;
a helmsman; a steersman. Dryden.
2. Specifically, a person duly qualified, and
licensed by authority, to conduct vessels into and out of a port, or
in certain waters, for a fixed rate of fees.
3. Figuratively: A guide; a director of
another through a difficult or unknown course.
4. An instrument for detecting the compass
error.
5. The cowcatcher of a locomotive.
[U.S.]
Pilot balloon, a small balloon sent up in
advance of a large one, to show the direction and force of the
wind. -- Pilot bird. (Zoöl.)
(a) A bird found near the Caribbee Islands; -- so
called because its presence indicates to mariners their approach to
these islands. Crabb. (b) The black-
bellied plover. [Local, U.S.] -- Pilot boat,
a strong, fast-sailing boat used to carry and receive pilots as
they board and leave vessels. -- Pilot bread,
ship biscuit. -- Pilot cloth, a coarse,
stout kind of cloth for overcoats. -- Pilot
engine, a locomotive going in advance of a train to make
sure that the way is clear. -- Pilot fish.
(Zoöl) (a) A pelagic carangoid fish
(Naucrates ductor); -- so named because it is often seen in
company with a shark, swimming near a ship, on account of which
sailors imagine that it acts as a pilot to the shark.
(b) The rudder fish (Seriola zonata).
-- Pilot jack, a flag or signal hoisted by a
vessel for a pilot. -- Pilot jacket, a pea
jacket. -- Pilot nut (Bridge Building),
a conical nut applied temporarily to the threaded end of a pin, to
protect the thread and guide the pin when it is driven into a
hole. Waddell. -- Pilot snake
(Zoöl.) (a) A large North American
snake (Coluber obsoleus). It is lustrous black, with white
edges to some of the scales. Called also mountain black
snake. (b) The pine snake. --
Pilot whale. (Zoöl.) Same as
Blackfish, 1.
Pi"lot, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Piloted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Piloting.] [Cf. F. piloter.] 1. To
direct the course of, as of a ship, where navigation is
dangerous.
2. Figuratively: To guide, as through dangers
or difficulties. "The art of piloting a state."
Berkeley.
Pi"lot*age (?), n. [Cf. F.
pilotage.] 1. The pilot's skill or
knowledge, as of coasts, rocks, bars, and channels. [Obs.]
Sir W. Raleigh.
2. The compensation made or allowed to a
pilot.
3. Guidance, as by a pilot. Sir W.
Scott.
{ Pi"lot*ism (?), Pi"lot*ry (?), }
n. Pilotage; skill in the duties of a
pilot. [R.]
Pil"our (?), n. A piller; a
plunderer. [Obs.]
Pil"ous (?), a. See
Pilose.
Pil"ser (?), n. An insect that
flies into a flame.
Pil"u*lar (?), a. Of or pertaining
to pills; resembling a pill or pills; as, a pilular
mass.
Pil"u*lous (?), a. [L. pilula a
pill. See Pill.] Like a pill; small; insignificant.
[R.] G. Eliot.
Pil"we (?), n. A pillow.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
Pi"ly (?), a. (Zoöl.)
Like pile or wool.
Pi*mar"ic (?), a. [NL. pinum
maritima, an old name for P. Pinaster, a pine which
yields galipot.] (Chem.) Pertaining to, or designating, an
acid found in galipot, and isomeric with abietic acid.
Pi*mel"ic (?), a. [Gr. &?; fat.]
(Chem.) (a) Pertaining to, or designating,
a substance obtained from certain fatty substances, and subsequently
shown to be a mixture of suberic and adipic acids.
(b) Designating the acid proper
(C5H10(CO2/H)2) which is
obtained from camphoric acid.
Pim"e*lite (?), n. [Gr. &?; fat.]
(Min.) An apple-green mineral having a greasy feel. It is
a hydrous silicate of nickel, magnesia, aluminia, and iron.
Pi"ment (?), n. [F. See Pimento.]
Wine flavored with spice or honey. See Pigment, 3.
[Obs.]
Pi*men"ta (?), n. (Bot.)
Same as Pimento.
Pi*men"to (?), n. [Sp. pimiento,
pimienta; cf. Pg. pimenta, F. piment; all fr. L.
pigmentum a paint, pigment, the juice of plants; hence,
something spicy and aromatic. See Pigment.] (Bot.)
Allspice; -- applied both to the tree and its fruit. See
Allspice.
Pim"li*co (?), n. (Zoöl.)
The friar bird.
Pimp (p&ibreve;mp), n. [Cf. F.
pimpant smart, sparkish; perh. akin to piper to pipe,
formerly also, to excel. Cf. Pipe.] One who provides
gratification for the lust of others; a procurer; a pander.
Swift.
Pimp, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Pimped (p&ibreve;mt; 215); p. pr. & vb.
n. Pimping.] To procure women for the
gratification of others' lusts; to pander. Dryden.
Pim"per*nel (?), n. [F.
pimprenelle; cf. Sp. pimpinela, It. pimpinella;
perh. from LL. bipinnella, for bipinnula two-winged,
equiv. to L. bipennis; bis twice + penna feather,
wing. Cf. Pen a feather.] (Bot.) A plant of the
genus Anagallis, of which one species (A. arvensis) has
small flowers, usually scarlet, but sometimes purple, blue, or white,
which speedily close at the approach of bad weather.
Water pimpernel. (Bot.) See
Brookweed.
||Pim"pil*lo (?), n. (Bot.)
A West Indian name for the prickly pear (Opuntia); --
called also pimploes.
Pim"pi*nel (?), n. [See
Pimpernel.] (Bot.) The burnet saxifrage. See under
Saxifrage.
Pimp"ing (?), a. [Cf. G.
pimpelig, pimpelnd, sickly, weak.] 1.
Little; petty; pitiful. [Obs.] Crabbe.
2. Puny; sickly. [Local, U.S.]
Pim"ple (?), n. [AS.
pīpelian to blister; cf. L. papula pimple.]
1. (Med.) Any small acuminated elevation
of the cuticle, whether going on to suppuration or not. "All
eyes can see a pimple on her nose." Pope.
2. Fig.: A swelling or protuberance like a
pimple. "A pimple that portends a future sprout."
Cowper.
Pim"pled (?), a. Having
pimples. Johnson.
Pim"ply (?), a. Pimpled.
Pimp"ship (?), n. The office,
occupation, or persom of a pimp. [R.]
Pin (?), v. t. (Metal Working)
To peen.
Pin (?), v. t. [Cf. Pen to
confine, or Pinfold.] To inclose; to confine; to pen; to
pound.
Pin, n. [OE. pinne, AS.
pinn a pin, peg; cf. D. pin, G. pinne, Icel.
pinni, W. pin, Gael. & Ir. pinne; all fr. L.
pinna a pinnacle, pin, feather, perhaps orig. a different word
from pinna feather. Cf. Fin of a fish, Pen a
feather.] 1. A piece of wood, metal, etc.,
generally cylindrical, used for fastening separate articles together,
or as a support by which one article may be suspended from another; a
peg; a bolt.
With pins of adamant
And chains they made all fast.
Milton.
2. Especially, a small, pointed and headed
piece of brass or other wire (commonly tinned), largely used for
fastening clothes, attaching papers, etc.
3. Hence, a thing of small value; a
trifle.
He . . . did not care a pin for
her.
Spectator.
4. That which resembles a pin in its form or
use; as: (a) A peg in musical instruments,
for increasing or relaxing the tension of the strings.
(b) A linchpin. (c) A
rolling-pin. (d) A clothespin.
(e) (Mach.) A short shaft, sometimes
forming a bolt, a part of which serves as a journal. See
Illust. of Knuckle joint, under Knuckle.
(f) (Joinery) The tenon of a dovetail
joint.
5. One of a row of pegs in the side of an
ancient drinking cup to mark how much each man should drink.
6. The bull's eye, or center, of a target;
hence, the center. [Obs.] "The very pin of his heart
cleft." Shak.
7. Mood; humor. [Obs.] "In merry
pin." Cowper.
8. (Med.) Caligo. See
Caligo. Shak.
9. An ornament, as a brooch or badge, fastened
to the clothing by a pin; as, a Masonic pin.
10. The leg; as, to knock one off his
pins. [Slang]
Banking pin (Horol.), a pin against
which a lever strikes, to limit its motion. -- Pin
drill (Mech.), a drill with a central pin or
projection to enter a hole, for enlarging the hole, or for sinking a
recess for the head of a bolt, etc.; a counterbore. --
Pin grass. (Bot.) See
Alfilaria. -- Pin hole, a small hole
made by a pin; hence, any very small aperture or perforation. --
Pin lock, a lock having a cylindrical bolt; a
lock in which pins, arranged by the key, are used instead of
tumblers. -- Pin money, an allowance of
money, as that made by a husband to his wife, for private and personal
expenditure. -- Pin rail (Naut.), a
rail, usually within the bulwarks, to hold belaying pins. Sometimes
applied to the fife rail. Called also pin rack. --
Pin wheel. (a) A contrate wheel
in which the cogs are cylindrical pins. (b)
(Fireworks) A small coil which revolves on a common pin and
makes a wheel of yellow or colored fire.
Pin (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pinned (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pinning.] [See Pin, n.] To fasten
with, or as with, a pin; to join; as, to pin a garment; to
pin boards together. "As if she would pin her to
her heart." Shak.
To pin one's faith upon, to depend upon; to
trust to.
Pi"ña cloth` (?). A fine material for ladies'
shawls, scarfs, handkerchiefs, etc., made from the fiber of the
pineapple leaf, and perhaps from other fibrous tropical leaves. It is
delicate, soft, and transparent, with a slight tinge of pale
yellow.
Pin"a*coid (?), n. [Gr. &?;, &?;, a
tablet + -oid.] (Crystallog.) A plane parallel to
two of the crystalline axes.
Pi*nac"o*lin (?), n. [Pinacone +
L. oleum oil.] (Chem.) A colorless oily liquid
related to the ketones, and obtained by the decomposition of pinacone;
hence, by extension, any one of the series of which pinacolin proper
is the type. [Written also pinacoline.]
Pin"a*cone (?), n. [From Gr. &?;, &?;, a
tablet. So called because it unites with water so as to form tablet-
shaped crystals.] (Chem.) A white crystalline substance
related to the glycols, and made from acetone; hence, by extension,
any one of a series of substances of which pinacone proper is the
type. [Written also pinakone.]
||Pin`a*co*the"ca (?), n. [L.
pinacotheca, fr. Gr. &?;; &?;, &?;, a picture + &?;
repisitory.] A picture gallery.
Pin"a*fore` (?), n. [Pin +
afore.] An apron for a child to protect the front part of
dress; a tier.
||Pin"a*ko*thek` (?), n. [G.]
Pinacotheca.
Pi*nas"ter (?), n. [L., fr. pinus
a pine.] (Bot.) A species of pine (Pinus Pinaster)
growing in Southern Europe.
||Pi"nax (?), n.; pl.
Pinaces (#). [L., fr. Gr. &?; tablet.] A
tablet; a register; hence, a list or scheme inscribed on a
tablet. [R.] Sir T. Browne.
||Pince`-nez" (?), n. [F. pincer
to pinch + nez nose.] Eyeglasses kept on the nose by a
spring.
Pin"cers (?), n. pl. [Cf. F.
pince pinchers, fr. pincer to pinch. See Pinch,
Pinchers.] See Pinchers.
Pinch (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pinched (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pinching.] [F. pincer, probably fr. OD. pitsen to
pinch; akin to G. pfetzen to cut, pinch; perhaps of Celtic
origin. Cf. Piece.] 1. To press hard or
squeeze between the ends of the fingers, between teeth or claws, or
between the jaws of an instrument; to squeeze or compress, as between
any two hard bodies.
2. o seize; to grip; to bite; -- said of
animals. [Obs.]
He [the hound] pinched and pulled her
down.
Chapman.
3. To plait. [Obs.]
Full seemly her wimple ipinched
was.
Chaucer.
4. Figuratively: To cramp; to straiten; to
oppress; to starve; to distress; as, to be pinched for
money.
Want of room . . . pinching a whole
nation.
Sir W. Raleigh.
5. To move, as a railroad car, by prying the
wheels with a pinch. See Pinch, n.,
4.
Pinch, v. i. 1. To
act with pressing force; to compress; to squeeze; as, the shoe
pinches.
2. (Hunt.) To take hold; to grip, as a
dog does. [Obs.]
3. To spare; to be niggardly; to be
covetous. Gower.
The wretch whom avarice bids to pinch and
spare.
Franklin.
To pinch at, to find fault with; to take
exception to. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Pinch, n. 1. A
close compression, as with the ends of the fingers, or with an
instrument; a nip.
2. As much as may be taken between the finger
and thumb; any very small quantity; as, a pinch of
snuff.
3. Pian; pang. "Necessary's sharp
pinch." Shak.
4. A lever having a projection at one end,
acting as a fulcrum, -- used chiefly to roll heavy wheels, etc. Called
also pinch bar.
At a pinch, On a pinch, in
an emergency; as, he could on a pinch read a little
Latin.
Pinch"beck (?), n. [Said to be from the
name of the inventor; cf. It. prencisbecco.] An alloy of
copper and zinc, resembling gold; a yellow metal, composed of about
three ounces of zinc to a pound of copper. It is much used as an
imitation of gold in the manufacture of cheap jewelry.
Pinch"beck, a. Made of pinchbeck;
sham; cheap; spurious; unreal. "A pinchbeck throne."
J. A. Symonds.
Pinch"cock` (?), n. A clamp on a
flexible pipe to regulate the flow of a fluid through the
pipe.
Pin"chem (?), n. (Zoöl.)
The European blue titmouse. [Prov. Eng.]
Pinch"er (?), n. One who, or that
which, pinches.
Pinch"ers (?), n. pl. [From
Pinch.] An instrument having two handles and two grasping
jaws working on a pivot; -- used for griping things to be held fast,
drawing nails, etc.
&fist; This spelling is preferable to pincers, both on
account of its derivation from the English pinch, and because
it represents the common pronunciation.
Pinch"fist` (?), n. A closefisted
person; a miser.
Pinch"ing, a. Compressing; nipping;
griping; niggardly; as, pinching cold; a pinching
parsimony.
Pinching bar, a pinch bar. See Pinch,
n., 4. -- Pinching nut, a
check nut. See under Check, n.
Pinch"ing*ly, adv. In a pinching
way.
Pinch"pen`ny (?), n. A miserly
person.
Pin"coff*in (?), n. [From
Pincoff, an English manufacturer.] A commercial
preparation of garancin, yielding fine violet tints.
Pinc"pinc` (?), n. [Named from its
note.] (Zoöl.) An African wren warbler. (Drymoica
textrix).
Pin"cush`ion (?), n. A small
cushion, in which pins may be stuck for use.
{ Pin"dal (?), Pin"dar (?), }
n. [D. piendel.] (Bot.) The
peanut (Arachis hypogæa); -- so called in the West
Indies.
Pin*dar"ic (?), a. [L.
Pindaricus, Gr. &?;, fr. &?; (L. Pindarus) Pindar: cf.
F. pindarique.] Of or pertaining to Pindar, the Greek
lyric poet; after the style and manner of Pindar; as, Pindaric
odes. -- n. A Pindaric ode.
Pin*dar"ic*al (?), a.
Pindaric.
Too extravagant and Pindarical for
prose.
Cowley.
Pin"dar*ism (?), n. Imitation of
Pindar.
Pin"dar*ist, n. One who imitates
Pindar.
Pin"der (?), n. [AS. pyndan to
pen up, fr. pund a pound.] One who impounds; a
poundkeeper. [Obs.]
Pine (?), n. [AS. pīn, L.
poena penalty. See Pain.] Woe; torment; pain.
[Obs.] "Pyne of hell." Chaucer.
Pine, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pined (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pining.] [AS. pīnan to torment, fr.
pīn torment. See 1st Pine, Pain,
n. & v.] 1.
To inflict pain upon; to torment; to torture; to afflict.
[Obs.] Chaucer. Shak.
That people that pyned him to
death.
Piers Plowman.
One is pined in prison, another tortured on the
rack.
Bp. Hall.
2. To grieve or mourn for. [R.]
Milton.
Pine, v. i. 1. To
suffer; to be afflicted. [Obs.]
2. To languish; to lose flesh or wear away,
under any distress or anexiety of mind; to droop; -- often used with
away. "The roses wither and the lilies pine."
Tickell.
3. To languish with desire; to waste away with
longing for something; -- usually followed by for.
For whom, and not for Tybalt, Juliet
pined.
Shak.
Syn. -- To languish; droop; flag; wither; decay.
Pine, n. [AS. pīn, L.
pinus.] 1. (Bot.) Any tree of the
coniferous genus Pinus. See Pinus.
&fist; There are about twenty-eight species in the United States,
of which the white pine (P. Strobus), the Georgia
pine (P. australis), the red pine (P.
resinosa), and the great West Coast sugar pine (P.
Lambertiana) are among the most valuable. The Scotch pine
or fir, also called Norway or Riga pine (Pinus
sylvestris), is the only British species. The nut pine is
any pine tree, or species of pine, which bears large edible seeds. See
Pinon.
The spruces, firs, larches, and true cedars, though formerly
considered pines, are now commonly assigned to other genera.
2. The wood of the pine tree.
3. A pineapple.
Ground pine. (Bot.) See under
Ground. -- Norfolk Island pine
(Bot.), a beautiful coniferous tree, the Araucaria
excelsa. -- Pine barren, a tract of
infertile land which is covered with pines. [Southern U.S.] --
Pine borer (Zoöl.), any beetle whose
larvæ bore into pine trees. -- Pine
finch. (Zoöl.) See Pinefinch, in the
Vocabulary. -- Pine grosbeak
(Zoöl.), a large grosbeak (Pinicola
enucleator), which inhabits the northern parts of both
hemispheres. The adult male is more or less tinged with red. --
Pine lizard (Zoöl.), a small, very
active, mottled gray lizard (Sceloporus undulatus), native of
the Middle States; -- called also swift, brown scorpion,
and alligator. -- Pine marten.
(Zoöl.) (a) A European weasel
(Mustela martes), called also sweet marten, and
yellow-breasted marten. (b) The
American sable. See Sable. -- Pine moth
(Zoöl.), any one of several species of small tortricid
moths of the genus Retinia, whose larvæ burrow in the
ends of the branchlets of pine trees, often doing great damage. -
- Pine mouse (Zoöl.), an American
wild mouse (Arvicola pinetorum), native of the Middle States.
It lives in pine forests. -- Pine needle
(Bot.), one of the slender needle-shaped leaves of a pine
tree. See Pinus. -- Pine-needle wool.
See Pine wool (below). -- Pine oil,
an oil resembling turpentine, obtained from fir and pine trees,
and used in making varnishes and colors. -- Pine
snake (Zoöl.), a large harmless North
American snake (Pituophis melanoleucus). It is whitish, covered
with brown blotches having black margins. Called also bull
snake. The Western pine snake (P. Sayi) is chestnut-brown,
mottled with black and orange. -- Pine tree
(Bot.), a tree of the genus Pinus; pine. --
Pine-tree money, money coined in Massachusetts
in the seventeenth century, and so called from its bearing a figure of
a pine tree. -- Pine weevil
(Zoöl.), any one of numerous species of weevils whose
larvæ bore in the wood of pine trees. Several species are known
in both Europe and America, belonging to the genera Pissodes,
Hylobius, etc. -- Pine wool, a fiber
obtained from pine needles by steaming them. It is prepared on a large
scale in some of the Southern United States, and has many uses in the
economic arts; -- called also pine-needle wool, and pine-
wood wool.
Pi"ne*al (?), a. [L. pinea the
cone of a pine, from pineus of the pine, from pinus a
pine: cf. F. pinéale.] Of or pertaining to a pine
cone; resembling a pine cone.
Pineal gland (Anat.), a glandlike body
in the roof of the third ventricle of the vertebrate brain; -- called
also pineal body, epiphysis, conarium. In some
animals it is connected with a rudimentary eye, the so-called
pineal eye, and in other animals it is supposed to be the
remnant of a dorsal median eye.
Pine"ap`ple (?), n. (Bot.) A
tropical plant (Ananassa sativa); also, its fruit; -- so called
from the resemblance of the latter, in shape and external appearance,
to the cone of the pine tree. Its origin is unknown, though
conjectured to be American.
Pine`as"ter (?), n. See
Pinaster.
{ Pine"-clad` (?), Pine"-crowned` (?), }
a. Clad or crowned with pine trees; as,
pine-clad hills.
Pine"drops` (?), n. (Bot.) A
reddish herb (Pterospora andromedea) of the United States,
found parasitic on the roots of pine trees.
Pine"finch` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
(a) A small American bird (Spinus, or
Chrysomitris, spinus); -- called also pine siskin, and
American siskin. (b) The pine
grosbeak.
||Pi*nen"chy*ma (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr.
&?; a tablet + -enchyma, as in parenchyma.]
(Bot.) Tabular parenchyma, a form of cellular tissue in
which the cells are broad and flat, as in some kinds of
epidermis.
Pin"er*y (?), n.; pl.
Pineries (&?;). 1. A pine
forest; a grove of pines.
2. A hothouse in which pineapples are
grown.
Pine"sap` (?), n. (Bot.) A
reddish fleshy herb of the genus Monotropa (M.
hypopitys), formerly thought to be parasitic on the roots of pine
trees, but more probably saprophytic.
||Pi*ne"tum (?), n. [L., a pine grove.]
A plantation of pine trees; esp., a collection of living pine
trees made for ornamental or scientific purposes.
Pine"weed` (?), n. (Bot.) A
low, bushy, nearly leafless herb (Hypericum Sarothra), common
in sandy soil in the Eastern United States.
Pin"ey (?), a. See
Piny.
Pin"ey, a. [Of East Indian origin.]
A term used in designating an East Indian tree (the Vateria
Indica or piney tree, of the order Dipterocarpeæ,
which grows in Malabar, etc.) or its products.
Piney dammar, Piney resin,
Piney varnish, a pellucid, fragrant, acrid,
bitter resin, which exudes from the piney tree (Vateria Indica)
when wounded. It is used as a varnish, in making candles, and as a
substitute for incense and for amber. Called also liquid copal,
and white dammar. -- Piney tallow, a
solid fatty substance, resembling tallow, obtained from the roasted
seeds of the Vateria Indica; called also dupada
oil. -- Piney thistle (Bot.), a
plant (Atractylis gummifera), from the bark of which, when
wounded, a gummy substance exudes.
Pin"-eyed` (?), a. (Bot.)
Having the stigma visible at the throad of a gamopetalous
corolla, while the stamens are concealed in the tube; -- said of
dimorphous flowers. The opposite of thrum-eyed.
Pin"feath`er (?), n. A feather not
fully developed; esp., a rudimentary feather just emerging through the
skin.
Pin"feath`ered (?), a. Having part,
or all, of the feathers imperfectly developed.
Pin"fish` (?), n. [So called from their
sharp dorsal spines.] (Zoöl.) (a) The
sailor's choice (Diplodus, or Lagodon, rhomboides).
(b) The salt-water bream (Diplodus
Holbrooki).
&fist; Both are excellent food fishes, common on the coast of the
United States south of Cape Hatteras. The name is also applied to
other allied species.
Pin"fold` (?), n. [For pindfold.
See Pinder, Pound an inclosure, and Fold an
inclosure.] A place in which stray cattle or domestic animals are
confined; a pound; a penfold. Shak.
A parish pinfold begirt by its high
hedge.
Sir W. Scott.
Ping (?), n. [Probably of imitative
origin.] The sound made by a bullet in striking a solid object or
in passing through the air.
Ping, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Pinged (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pinging.] To make the sound called ping.
Pin"gle (?), n. [Perhaps fr. pin
to impound.] A small piece of inclosed ground. [Obs. or
Prov. Eng.]
Ping"ster (?), n. See
Pinkster.
Pin*guic"u*la (?), n. [NL., fr. L.
pinguiculus somewhat fat, fattish.] (Bot.) See
Butterwort.
Pin"guid (?), a. [L. pinguis
fat.] Fat; unctuous; greasy. [Obs.] "Some clays are more
pinguid." Mortimer.
Pin*guid"i*nous (?), a. [L.
pinguedo fatness, fr. pinguis fat.] Containing fat;
fatty. [Obs.]
Pin"gui*tude (?), n. [L.
pinguitudo, from pinguis fat.] Fatness; a growing
fat; obesity. [R.]
Pin"hold` (?), n. A place where a
pin is fixed.
Pi"nic (&?;), a. [L. pinus pine.]
(Chem.) Of or pertaining to the pine; obtained from the
pine; formerly, designating an acid which is the chief constituent of
common resin, -- now called abietic, or sylvic,
acid.
Pin"ing (?), a. 1.
Languishing; drooping; wasting away, as with longing.
2. Wasting; consuming. "The
pining malady of France." Shak.
Pin"ing*ly, adv. In a pining
manner; droopingly. Poe.
Pin"ion (?), n. (Zoöl.)
A moth of the genus Lithophane, as L. antennata,
whose larva bores large holes in young peaches and apples.
Pin"ion, n. [OF. pignon a pen,
F., gable, pinion (in sense 5); cf. Sp. piñon pinion;
fr. L. pinna pinnacle, feather, wing. See Pin a peg, and
cf. Pen a feather, Pennat, Pennon.]
1. A feather; a quill. Shak.
2. A wing, literal or figurative.
Swift on his sooty pinions flits the
gnome.
Pope.
3. The joint of bird's wing most remote from
the body. Johnson.
4. A fetter for the arm.
Ainsworth.
5. (Mech.) A cogwheel with a small
number of teeth, or leaves, adapted to engage with a larger wheel, or
rack (see Rack); esp., such a wheel having its leaves formed of
the substance of the arbor or spindle which is its axis.
Lantern pinion. See under
Lantern. -- Pinion wire, wire fluted
longitudinally, for making the pinions of clocks and watches. It is
formed by being drawn through holes of the shape required for the
leaves or teeth of the pinions.
Pin"ion (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pinioned (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pinioning.] 1. To bind or confine the
wings of; to confine by binding the wings. Bacon.
2. To disable by cutting off the pinion
joint. Johnson.
3. To disable or restrain, as a person, by
binding the arms, esp. by binding the arms to the body.
Shak.
Her elbows pinioned close upon her
hips.
Cowper.
4. Hence, generally, to confine; to bind; to
tie up. "Pinioned up by formal rules of state."
Norris.
Pin"ioned (?), a. Having wings or
pinions.
Pin"ion*ist, n. (Zoöl.)
Any winged creature.
Pin"ite (?), n. [So called from
Pini, a mine in Saxony.] (Min.) A compact granular
cryptocrystalline mineral of a dull grayish or greenish white color.
It is a hydrous alkaline silicate, and is derived from the alteration
of other minerals, as iolite.
Pi"nite (?), n. [L. pinus the
pine tree.] 1. (Paleon.) Any fossil wood
which exhibits traces of having belonged to the Pine family.
2. (Chem.) A sweet white crystalline
substance extracted from the gum of a species of pine (Pinus
Lambertina). It is isomeric with, and resembles,
quercite.
Pink (?), n. [D. pink.]
(Naut.) A vessel with a very narrow stern; -- called also
pinky. Sir W. Scott.
Pink stern (Naut.), a narrow
stern.
Pink, v. i. [D. pinken,
pinkoogen, to blink, twinkle with the eyes.] To wink; to
blink. [Obs.] L'Estrange.
Pink, a. Half-shut; winking.
[Obs.] Shak.
Pink, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pinked (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pinking.] [OE. pinken to prick, probably a nasalized
form of pick.] 1. To pierce with small
holes; to cut the edge of, as cloth or paper, in small scallops or
angles.
2. To stab; to pierce as with a sword.
Addison.
3. To choose; to cull; to pick out.
[Obs.] Herbert.
Pink, n. A stab.
Grose.
Pink, n. [Perh. akin to pick; as
if the edges of the petals were picked out. Cf. Pink,
v. t.] 1. (Bot.) A name
given to several plants of the caryophyllaceous genus Dianthus,
and to their flowers, which are sometimes very fragrant and often
double in cultivated varieties. The species are mostly perennial
herbs, with opposite linear leaves, and handsome five-petaled flowers
with a tubular calyx.
2. A color resulting from the combination of a
pure vivid red with more or less white; -- so called from the common
color of the flower. Dryden.
3. Anything supremely excellent; the
embodiment or perfection of something. "The very pink of
courtesy." Shak.
4. (Zoöl.) The European minnow; --
so called from the color of its abdomen in summer. [Prov.
Eng.]
Bunch pink is Dianthus barbatus.
-- China, or Indian,
pink. See under China. --
Clove pink is Dianthus Caryophyllus, the
stock from which carnations are derived. -- Garden
pink. See Pheasant's eye. -- Meadow
pink is applied to Dianthus deltoides; also, to
the ragged robin. -- Maiden pink,
Dianthus deltoides. -- Moss pink.
See under Moss. -- Pink needle,
the pin grass; -- so called from the long, tapering points of the
carpels. See Alfilaria. -- Sea pink.
See Thrift.
Pink, a. Resembling the garden pink
in color; of the color called pink (see 6th Pink, 2);
as, a pink dress; pink ribbons.
Pink eye (Med.), a popular name for an
epidemic variety of ophthalmia, associated with early and marked
redness of the eyeball. -- Pink salt (Chem.
& Dyeing), the double chlorides of (stannic) tin and ammonium,
formerly much used as a mordant for madder and cochineal. --
Pink saucer, a small saucer, the inner surface
of which is covered with a pink pigment.
Pinked (?), a. Pierced with small
holes; worked in eyelets; scalloped on the edge.
Shak.
Pink"-eyed` (?), a. [Pink half-
shut + eye.] Having small eyes. Holland.
Pink"ing, n. 1. The
act of piercing or stabbing.
2. The act or method of decorating fabrics or
garments with a pinking iron; also, the style of decoration; scallops
made with a pinking iron.
Pinking iron. (a) An
instrument for scalloping the edges of ribbons, flounces, etc.
(b) A sword. [Colloq.]
Pink"ish, a. Somewhat
pink.
Pink"ness (?), n. Quality or state
of being pink.
Pink"root` (?), n. 1.
(Med.) The root of Spigelia Marilandica, used as a
powerful vermifuge; also, that of S. Anthelmia. See definition
2 (below).
2. (Bot.) (a) A
perennial North American herb (Spigelia Marilandica), sometimes
cultivated for its showy red blossoms. Called also Carolina
pink, Maryland pinkroot, and worm grass.
(b) An annual South American and West Indian
plant (Spigelia Anthelmia).
Pink"ster (?), n. [D. pinkster,
pinksteren, fr. Gr. &?;. See Pentecost.]
Whitsuntide. [Written also pingster and
pinxter.]
Pinkster flower (Bot.), the rosy
flower of the Azalea nudiflora; also, the shrub itself; --
called also Pinxter blomachee by the New York descendants of
the Dutch settlers.
Pink" stern` (?). [See 1st Pink.] (Naut.)
See Chebacco, and 1st Pink.
Pink"-sterned` (?), a. [See 1st
Pink.] (Naut.) Having a very narrow stern; -- said
of a vessel.
Pink"y (?), n. (Naut.) See
1st Pink.
||Pin"na (?), n.; pl.
Pinnæ (#), E. Pinnas (#).
[L., a feather.] 1. (Bot.) (a)
A leaflet of a pinnate leaf. See Illust. of Bipinnate
leaf, under Bipinnate. (b) One
of the primary divisions of a decompound leaf.
2. (Zoöl.) One of the divisions of
a pinnate part or organ.
3. [L. pinna, akin to Gr. &?;.]
(Zoöl.) Any species of Pinna, a genus of large
bivalve mollusks found in all warm seas. The byssus consists of a
large number of long, silky fibers, which have been used in
manufacturing woven fabrics, as a curiosity.
4. (Anat.) The auricle of the ear. See
Ear.
Pin"nace (?), n. [F. pinasse; cf.
It. pinassa, pinazza, Sp. pinaza; all from L.
pinus a pine tree, anything made of pine, e.g., a ship. Cf.
Pine a tree.] 1. (Naut.)
(a) A small vessel propelled by sails or oars,
formerly employed as a tender, or for coast defence; -- called
originally, spynace or spyne. (b)
A man-of-war's boat.
Whilst our pinnace anchors in the
Downs.
Shak.
2. A procuress; a pimp. [Obs.] B.
Jonson.
Pin"na*cle (?), n. [OE. pinacle,
F. pinacle, L. pinnaculum, fr. pinna pinnacle,
feather. See Pin a peg.] 1. (Arch.)
An architectural member, upright, and generally ending in a small
spire, -- used to finish a buttress, to constitute a part in a
proportion, as where pinnacles flank a gable or spire, and the like.
Pinnacles may be considered primarily as added weight, where it is
necessary to resist the thrust of an arch, etc.
Some renowned metropolis
With glistering spires and pinnacles around.
Milton.
2. Anything resembling a pinnacle; a lofty
peak; a pointed summit.
Three silent pinnacles of aged
snow.
Tennyson.
The slippery tops of human state,
The gilded pinnacles of fate.
Cowley.
Pin"na*cle, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pinnacled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pinnacling (?).] To build or furnish with a pinnacle or
pinnacles. T. Warton.
Pin"nage (?), n. [Cf. Pinfold.]
Poundage of cattle. See Pound. [Obs.]
{ Pin"nate (?), Pin"na*ted (?), }
a. [L. pinnatus feathered, fr. pinna a
feather. See Pin a peg, Pen feather.] 1.
(Bot.) Consisting of several leaflets, or separate
portions, arranged on each side of a common petiole, as the leaves of
a rosebush, a hickory, or an ash. See Abruptly pinnate, and
Illust., under Abruptly.
2. (Zoöl.) Having a winglike tuft
of long feathers on each side of the neck.
Pinnated grouse (Zoöl.), the
prairie chicken.
Pin"nate*ly (?), adv. In a pinnate
manner.
Pin*nat"i*fid (?), a. [L.
pinnatus feathered + root of findere to split: cf. F.
pinnatifide.] (Bot.) Divided in a pinnate manner,
with the divisions not reaching to the midrib.
Pin*nat`i*lo"bate (?), a. [See
Pinnate, and Lobate.] (Bot.) Having lobes
arranged in a pinnate manner.
Pin*nat"i*ped (?), a. [L.
pinnatus feathered + pes, pedis foot: cf. F.
pinnatipède.] (Zoöl.) Having the toes
bordered by membranes; fin-footed, as certain birds.
Pin*nat"i*ped, n. (Zoöl.)
Any bird which has the toes bordered by membranes.
Pin"ner (?), n. 1.
One who, or that which, pins or fastens, as with pins.
2. (Costume) (a) A
headdress like a cap, with long lappets. (b)
An apron with a bib; a pinafore. (c) A
cloth band for a gown. [Obs.]
With kerchief starched, and pinners
clean.
Gay.
3. A pin maker.
Pin"ner, n. [See Pin to pound.]
One who pins or impounds cattle. See Pin, v.
t. [Obs.]
Pin"net (?), n. A pinnacle.
[R.] Sir W. Scott.
Pin"ni*form (?), a. [L. pinna
feather, fin + -form.] Shaped like a fin or feather.
Sir J. Hill.
||Pin`ni*gra"da (?), n. pl. [NL., fr.
pinna a feather + gradi to walk, move.]
(Zoöl.) Same as Pinnipedia.
Pin"ni*grade (?), n. (Zoöl.)
An animal of the seal tribe, moving by short feet that serve as
paddles.
Pin"ni*ped (?), n. [L. pinna
feather, fin + pes, pedis, a foot: cf. F.
pinnipède.] (Zoöl.) (a)
One of the Pinnipedia; a seal. (b) One
of the Pinnipedes.
||Pin*nip"e*des (?), n. pl. [NL.]
(Zoöl.) Same as Steganopodes.
||Pin`ni*pe"di*a (?), n. pl. [NL. So
called because their webbed feet are used as paddles or fins.]
(Zoöl.) A suborder of aquatic carnivorous mammals
including the seals and walruses; -- opposed to
Fissipedia.
Pin"nock (?), n. [Of uncertain origin.]
(Zoöl.) (a) The hedge sparrow.
[Prov. Eng.] (b) The tomtit.
Pin"no*there (?), n. [Gr. &?; a pinna +
&?; an animal.] (Zoöl.) A crab of the genus
pinnotheres. See Oyster crab, under
Oyster.
Pin"nu*la (?), n.; pl.
Pinnulæ (#). [L.] Same as
Pinnule.
Pin"nu*late (?), a. [See
Pinnule.] (Bot.) Having each pinna subdivided; --
said of a leaf, or of its pinnæ.
Pin"nu*la`ted (?), a.
(Zoöl.) Having pinnules.
Pin"nule (?), n. [L. pinnula,
dim. of pinna feather: cf. F. pinnule.]
1. (Bot.) One of the small divisions of a
decompound frond or leaf. See Illust. of Bipinnate leaf,
under Bipinnate.
2. (Zoöl.) Any one of a series of
small, slender organs, or parts, when arranged in rows so as to have a
plumelike appearance; as, a pinnule of a gorgonia; the
pinnules of a crinoid.
Pin"ny*win`kles (?), n. pl. An
instrument of torture, consisting of a board with holes into which the
fingers were pressed, and fastened with pegs. [Written also
pilliewinkles.] [Scot.] Sir W. Scott.
Pin"o*cle (?), n. See
Penuchle.
Pi*nole" (?), n. 1.
An aromatic powder used in Italy in the manufacture of
chocolate.
2. Parched maize, ground, and mixed with
sugar, etc. Mixed with water, it makes a nutritious
beverage.
Piñ"on (?), n. [Sp.
piñon.] (Bot.) (a) The
edible seed of several species of pine; also, the tree producing such
seeds, as Pinus Pinea of Southern Europe, and P. Parryana,
cembroides, edulis, and monophylla, the nut pines of Western North
America. (b) See Monkey's
puzzle. [Written also pignon.]
Pin"patch` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
The common English periwinkle. [Prov. Eng.]
Pint (?), n. [OE. pinte, F.
pinte, fr. Sp. pinta spot, mark, pint, fr. pintar
to paint; a mark for a pint prob. having been made on or in a larger
measure. See Paint.] A measure of capacity, equal to half
a quart, or four gills, -- used in liquid and dry measures. See
Quart.
Pint, n. (Zoöl.) The
laughing gull. [Prov. Eng.]
Pin*ta"do (?), n.; pl.
Pintados (#). [Sp., painted, fr. pintar to
paint.] (Zoöl.) Any bird of the genus Numida.
Several species are found in Africa. The common pintado, or Guinea
fowl, the helmeted, and the crested pintados, are the best known. See
Guinea fowl, under Guinea.
Pin"tail` (?), n. 1.
(Zoöl.) A northern duck (Dafila acuta), native
of both continents. The adult male has a long, tapering tail. Called
also gray duck, piketail, piket-tail, spike-
tail, split-tail, springtail, sea pheasant,
and gray widgeon.
2. (Zoöl.) The sharp-tailed grouse
of the great plains and Rocky Mountains (Pediocætes
phasianellus); -- called also pintailed grouse,
pintailed chicken, springtail, and
sharptail.
Pin"-tailed` (?), a. (Zoöl.)
Having a tapered tail, with the middle feathers longest; -- said
of birds.
Pin"tle (?), n. [A diminutive of
Pin.] 1. A little pin.
2. (Mech.) An upright pivot pin;
as: (a) The pivot pin of a hinge.
(b) A hook or pin on which a rudder hangs and
turns. (c) A pivot about which the chassis
swings, in some kinds of gun carriages. (d)
A kingbolt of a wagon.
Pin"tos (?), n. pl.; sing.
Pinto (&?;). [Sp., painted, mottled.]
(Eyhnol.) A mountain tribe of Mexican Indians living near
Acapulco. They are remarkable for having the dark skin of the face
irregularly spotted with white. Called also speckled
Indians.
Pin"ule (?), n. [Cf. Pinnule.]
(Astron.) One of the sights of an astrolabe.
[Obs.]
||Pi"nus (?), n. [L., a pine tree.]
(Bot.) A large genus of evergreen coniferous trees, mostly
found in the northern hemisphere. The genus formerly included the
firs, spruces, larches, and hemlocks, but is now limited to those
trees which have the primary leaves of the branchlets reduced to mere
scales, and the secondary ones (pine needles) acicular, and
usually in fascicles of two to seven. See Pine.
Pin"weed` (?), n. (Bot.) Any
plant of the genus Lechea, low North American herbs with
branching stems, and very small and abundant leaves and
flowers.
Pin"worm` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
A small nematoid worm (Oxyurus vermicularis), which is
parasitic chiefly in the rectum of man. It is most common in children
and aged persons.
||Pinx"it (?). [L., perfect indicative 3d sing. of
pingere to paint.] A word appended to the artist's name or
initials on a painting, or engraved copy of a painting; as, Rubens
pinxit, Rubens painted (this).
Pinx"ter (?), n. See
Pinkster.
Pin"y (?), a. Abounding with
pines. [Written also piney.] "The piny wood."
Longfellow.
Pi"o*ned (?), a. A Shakespearean
word of disputed meaning; perh., "abounding in marsh
marigolds."
Thy banks with pioned and twilled
brims.
Shak.
Pi`o*neer" (?), n. [F. pionier,
orig., a foot soldier, OF. peonier, fr. OF. peon a foot
soldier, F. pion. See Pawn in chess.] 1.
(Mil.) A soldier detailed or employed to form roads, dig
trenches, and make bridges, as an army advances.
2. One who goes before, as into the
wilderness, preparing the way for others to follow; as,
pioneers of civilization; pioneers of reform.
Pi`o*neer", v. t. & i. [imp. &
p. p. Pioneered (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Pioneering.] To go before, and prepare or
open a way for; to act as pioneer.
Pi`o*ner" (?), n. A pioneer.
[Obs.] Shak.
Pi"o*ny (?), n. (Bot.) See
Peony.
Pi"ot (?), n. [See Piet.]
(Zoöl.) The magpie. [Obs. or Prov. Eng. &
Scot.] Holland.
Pi"ous (?), a. [L. pius: cf. F.
pieux.] 1. Of or pertaining to piety;
exhibiting piety; reverential; dutiful; religious; devout;
godly. "Pious hearts." Milton. "Pious
poetry." Johnson.
Where was the martial brother's pious
care?
Pope.
2. Practiced under the pretext of religion;
prompted by mistaken piety; as, pious errors; pious
frauds.
Syn. -- Godly; devout; religious; righteous.
Pi"ous*ly, adv. In a pious
manner.
Pip (?), n. [OE. pippe, D.
pip, or F. pépie; from LL. pipita, fr. L.
pituita slime, phlegm, rheum, in fowls, the pip. Cf.
Pituite.] A contagious disease of fowls, characterized by
hoarseness, discharge from the nostrils and eyes, and an accumulation
of mucus in the mouth, forming a "scale" on the tongue. By some the
term pip is restricted to this last symptom, the disease being
called roup by them.
Pip, n. [Formerly pippin,
pepin. Cf. Pippin.] (Bot.) A seed, as of an
apple or orange.
Pip, n. [Perh. for pick, F.
pique a spade at cards, a pike. Cf. Pique.] One of
the conventional figures or "spots" on playing cards, dominoes,
etc. Addison.
Pip, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Pipped (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pipping.] [See Peep.] To cry or chirp, as a
chicken; to peep.
To hear the chick pip and cry in the
egg.
Boyle.
Pi*pa (?), n.; pl.
Pipas (&?;). (Zoöl.) The Surinam
toad (Pipa Americana), noted for its peculiar breeding
habits.
&fist; The male places the eggs on the back of the female, where
they soon become inclosed in capsules formed by the thickening of the
skin. The incubation of the eggs takes place in the capsules, and the
young, when hatched, come forth with well developed legs.
Pip"age (?), n. Transportation, as
of petroleum oil, by means of a pipe conduit; also, the charge for
such transportation.
Pi"pal tree` (?). Same as Peepul
tree.
Pipe (?), n. [AS. pīpe,
probably fr. L. pipare, pipire, to chirp; of imitative
origin. Cf. Peep, Pibroch, Fife.]
1. A wind instrument of music, consisting of a
tube or tubes of straw, reed, wood, or metal; any tube which produces
musical sounds; as, a shepherd's pipe; the pipe of an
organ. "Tunable as sylvan pipe." Milton.
Now had he rather hear the tabor and the
pipe.
Shak.
2. Any long tube or hollow body of wood,
metal, earthenware, or the like: especially, one used as a conductor
of water, steam, gas, etc.
3. A small bowl with a hollow steam, -- used
in smoking tobacco, and, sometimes, other substances.
4. A passageway for the air in speaking and
breathing; the windpipe, or one of its divisions.
5. The key or sound of the voice. [R.]
Shak.
6. The peeping whistle, call, or note of a
bird.
The earliest pipe of half-awakened
birds.
Tennyson.
7. pl. The bagpipe; as, the
pipes of Lucknow.
8. (Mining) An elongated body or vein
of ore.
9. A roll formerly used in the English
exchequer, otherwise called the Great Roll, on which were taken
down the accounts of debts to the king; -- so called because put
together like a pipe. Mozley & W.
10. (Naut.) A boatswain's whistle, used
to call the crew to their duties; also, the sound of it.
11. [Cf. F. pipe, fr. pipe a wind
instrument, a tube, fr. L. pipare to chirp. See Etymol. above.]
A cask usually containing two hogsheads, or 126 wine gallons;
also, the quantity which it contains.
Pipe fitter, one who fits pipes together, or
applies pipes, as to an engine or a building. -- Pipe
fitting, a piece, as a coupling, an elbow, a valve,
etc., used for connecting lengths of pipe or as accessory to a
pipe. -- Pipe office, an ancient office in
the Court of Exchequer, in which the clerk of the pipe made out leases
of crown lands, accounts of cheriffs, etc. [Eng.] -- Pipe
tree (Bot.), the lilac and the mock orange; -- so
called because their were formerly used to make pipe stems; -- called
also pipe privet. -- Pipe wrench, or
Pipetongs, a jawed tool for gripping a pipe, in
turning or holding it. -- To smoke the pipe of
peace, to smoke from the same pipe in token of amity or
preparatory to making a treaty of peace, -- a custom of the American
Indians.
Pipe, v. i. 1. To
play on a pipe, fife, flute, or other tubular wind instrument of
music.
We have piped unto you, and ye have not
danced.
Matt. xi. 17.
2. (Naut.) To call, convey orders,
etc., by means of signals on a pipe or whistle carried by a
boatswain.
3. To emit or have a shrill sound like that of
a pipe; to whistle. "Oft in the piping shrouds."
Wordsworth.
4. (Metal.) To become hollow in the
process of solodifying; -- said of an ingot, as of steel.
Pipe (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Piped (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Piping.] 1. To perform, as a tune, by
playing on a pipe, flute, fife, etc.; to utter in the shrill tone of a
pipe.
A robin . . . was piping a few querulous
notes.
W. Irving.
2. (Naut.) To call or direct, as a
crew, by the boatswain's whistle.
As fine a ship's company as was ever piped
aloft.
Marryat.
3. To furnish or equip with pipes; as, to
pipe an engine, or a building.
Pipe" clay` (klā`). A plastic, unctuous clay of
a grayish white color, -- used in making tobacco pipes and various
kinds of earthenware, in scouring cloth, and in cleansing soldiers'
equipments.
Pipe"clay`, v. t. 1.
To whiten or clean with pipe clay, as a soldier's
accouterments.
2. To clear off; as, to pipeclay
accounts. [Slang, Eng.]
Piped (?), a. Formed with a pipe;
having pipe or pipes; tubular.
Pipe"fish` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
Any lophobranch fish of the genus Siphostoma, or
Syngnathus, and allied genera, having a long and very slender
angular body, covered with bony plates. The mouth is small, at the end
of a long, tubular snout. The male has a pouch on his belly, in which
the incubation of the eggs takes place.
Pipe"lay`er (?), n., or Pipe"
lay`er. 1. One who lays conducting pipes in
the ground, as for water, gas, etc.
2. (Polit. Cant) A politician who works
in secret; -- in this sense, usually written as one word.
[U.S.]
Pipe"lay`ing, n., or Pipe"
lay`ing. 1. The laying of conducting pipes
underground, as for water, gas, etc.
2. (Polit. Cant) The act or method of
making combinations for personal advantage secretly or slyly; -- in
this sense, usually written as one word. [U.S.]
Pipe"mouth` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
Any fish of the genus Fistularia; -- called also tobacco
pipefish. See Fistularia.
||Pi"per (?), n. [L.] See
Pepper.
Pip"er (?), n. 1.
(Mus.) One who plays on a pipe, or the like, esp. on a
bagpipe. "The hereditary piper and his sons."
Macaulay.
2. (Zoöl.) (a) A
common European gurnard (Trigla lyra), having a large head,
with prominent nasal projection, and with large, sharp, opercular
spines. (b) A sea urchin (Goniocidaris
hystrix) having very long spines, native of both the American and
European coasts.
To pay the piper, to bear the cost, expense,
or trouble.
Pip`er*a"ceous (?), a. [L. piper
pepper.] (Bot.) Of or pertaining to the order of plants
(Piperaceæ) of which the pepper (Piper nigrum) is
the type. There are about a dozen genera and a thousand species,
mostly tropical plants with pungent and aromatic qualities.
Pi*per"ic (p&isl;*p&ebreve;r"&ibreve;k),
a. (Chem.) Pertaining to, or derived
from, or designating, a complex organic acid found in the products of
different members of the Pepper family, and extracted as a yellowish
crystalline substance.
Pip"er*idge (?), n. (Bot.)
Same as Pepperidge.
Pi*per"i*dine (?), n. (Chem.)
An oily liquid alkaloid, C5H11N, having a
hot, peppery, ammoniacal odor. It is related to pyridine, and is
obtained by the decomposition of piperine.
Pip"er*ine (?), n. [L. piper
pepper: cf. F. piperin, piperine.] (Chem.) A
white crystalline compound of piperidine and piperic acid. It is
obtained from the black pepper (Piper nigrum) and other
species.
Pip`er*o"nal (?), n. (Chem.)
A white crystalline substance obtained by oxidation of piperic
acid, and regarded as a complex aldehyde.
Pi*per"y*lene (?), n. [Piperidine
+ acetylene.] (Chem.) A hydrocarbon obtained by
decomposition of certain piperidine derivatives.
Pipe"stem` (?), n. The hollow stem
or tube of a pipe used for smoking tobacco, etc.
Took a long reed for a pipestem.
Longfellow.
Pipe"stone` (?), n. A kind of clay
slate, carved by the Indians into tobacco pipes. Cf.
Catlinite.
Pi*pette" (?), n. [F., dim. of
pipe.] A small glass tube, often with an enlargement or
bulb in the middle, and usually graduated, -- used for transferring or
delivering measured quantities.
Pipe"vine` (?), n. (Bot.)
The Dutchman's pipe. See under Dutchman.
Pipe"wort` (?), n. (Bot.)
Any plant of a genus (Eriocaulon) of aquatic or marsh
herbs with soft grass-like leaves.
Pip"ing (pīp"&ibreve;ng), a. [From
Pipe, v.] 1. Playing on
a musical pipe. "Lowing herds and piping swains."
Swift.
2. Peaceful; favorable to, or characterized
by, the music of the pipe rather than of the drum and fife.
Shak.
3. Emitting a high, shrill sound.
4. Simmering; boiling; sizzling; hissing; --
from the sound of boiling fluids.
Piping crow, Piping crow
shrike, Piping roller (Zoöl.),
any Australian bird of the genus Gymnorhina, esp. G.
tibicen, which is black and white, and the size of a small crow.
Called also caruck. -- Piping frog
(Zoöl.), a small American tree frog (Hyla
Pickeringii) which utters a high, shrill note in early
spring. -- Piping hot, boiling hot; hissing
hot; very hot. [Colloq.] Milton.
Pip"ing, n. 1. A
small cord covered with cloth, -- used as trimming for women's
dresses.
2. Pipes, collectively; as, the piping
of a house.
3. The act of playing on a pipe; the shrill
noted of birds, etc.
4. A piece cut off to be set or planted; a
cutting; also, propagation by cuttings.
{ Pi*pis"trel (?), Pip`i*strelle" (?), }
n. [F. pipistrelle, It. pipistrello.]
(Zoöl.) A small European bat (Vesperugo
pipistrellus); -- called also flittermouse.
Pip"it (?), n. [So named from its call
note.] (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of small
singing birds belonging to Anthus and allied genera, of the
family Motacillidæ. They strongly resemble the true larks
in habits, colors, and the great length of the hind claw. They are,
therefore, often called titlarks, and pipit
larks.
&fist; The meadow pipit (Anthus pratensis); the
tree pipit, or tree lark (A. trivialis); and the rock
pipit, or sea lark (A. obscurus) are well-known European
species. The common American pipit, or brown lark, is Anthus
Pensilvanicus. The Western species (A. Spraguei) is called
the American skylark, on account of its musical powers.
Pip"kin, n.[Dim. of Pipe.] A
small earthen boiler.
Pip"pin (?), n. [Probably fr. OE.
pippin a seed, as being raised from the seed. See Pip a
seed.] (Bot.) (a) An apple from a tree
raised from the seed and not grafted; a seedling apple.
(b) A name given to apples of several different
kinds, as Newtown pippin, summer pippin, fall
pippin, golden pippin.
We will eat a last year's pippin.
Shak.
Normandy pippins, sun-dried apples for winter
use.
Pip"pul tree` (?). Same as Peepul
tree.
Pi"pra (?), n.; pl.
Pipras (#). [NL., fr. Gr. &?; a woodpecker.]
(Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of small
clamatorial birds belonging to Pipra and allied genera, of the
family Pipridæ. The male is usually glossy black, varied
with scarlet, yellow, or sky blue. They chiefly inhabit South
America.
Pi"prine (?), a. (Zoöl.)
Of or pertaining to the pipras, or the family
Pipridæ.
Pip*sis"se*wa (?), n. [From American
Indian.] (Bot.) A low evergreen plant (Chimaphila
umbellata), with narrow, wedge-lanceolate leaves, and an umbel of
pretty nodding fragrant blossoms. It has been used in nephritic
diseases. Called also prince's pine.
Pip"y (?), a. Like a pipe; hollow-
stemmed. Keats.
Pi"quan*cy (?), n. [See Piquant.]
The quality or state of being piquant.
Pi"quant (?), a. [F., p. pr. of
piquer to prick or sting. See Pike.] Stimulating to
the taste; giving zest; tart; sharp; pungent; as, a piquant
anecdote. "As piquant to the tongue as salt."
Addison. "Piquant railleries." Gov. of
Tongue.
Pi"quant*ly, adv. In a piquant
manner.
||Pi`qué" (?), n. [F., p. p. of
piquer to prick.] A cotton fabric, figured in the loom, --
used as a dress goods for women and children, and for vestings,
etc.
Pique (?), n. (Zoöl.)
The jigger. See Jigger.
Pique (?), n. [F., fr. piquer.
See Pike.] 1. A feeling of hurt, vexation,
or resentment, awakened by a social slight or injury; irritation of
the feelings, as through wounded pride; stinging vexation.
Men take up piques and
displeasures.
Dr. H. More.
Wars had arisen . . . upon a personal
pique.
De Quincey.
2. Keenly felt desire; a longing.
Though it have the pique, and long,
'Tis still for something in the wrong.
Hudibras.
3. (Card Playing) In piquet, the right
of the elder hand to count thirty in hand, or to play before the
adversary counts one.
Syn. -- Displeasure; irritation; grudge; spite.
Pique, Spite, Grudge. Pique denotes a
quick and often transient sense of resentment for some supposed
neglect or injury, but it is not marked by malevolence. Spite
is a stronger term, denoting settled ill will or malice, with a desire
to injure, as the result of extreme irritation. Grudge goes
still further, denoting cherished and secret enmity, with an
unforgiving spirit. A pique is usually of recent date; a
grudge is that which has long subsisted; spite implies a
disposition to cross or vex others.
Pique, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Piqued (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Piquing (?).] [F. piquer. See Pike.]
1. To wound the pride of; to sting; to nettle; to
irritate; to fret; to offend; to excite to anger.
Pique her, and soothe in turn.
Byron.
2. To excite to action by causing resentment
or jealousy; to stimulate; to prick; as, to pique ambition, or
curiosity. Prior.
3. To pride or value; -- used
reflexively.
Men . . . pique themselves upon their
skill.
Locke.
Syn. -- To offend; displease; irritate; provoke; fret;
nettle; sting; goad; stimulate.
Pique, v. i. To cause annoyance or
irritation. "Every &?;erse hath something in it that
piques." Tatler.
Pi*queer" (?), v. i. See
Pickeer. [R.]
Pi*queer"er (?), n. See
Pickeerer. [R.]
Piqu"et (?), n. See
Picket. [R.]
Pi*quet" (?), n. [F., prob. fr.
pique. See Pique, Pike, and Picket.]
A game at cards played between two persons, with thirty-two
cards, all the deuces, threes, fours, fives, and sixes, being set
aside. [Written also picket and picquet.]
Pi"ra*cy (?), n.; pl.
Piracies (#). [Cf. LL. piratia, Gr. &?;. See
Pirate.] 1. The act or crime of a
pirate.
2. (Common Law) Robbery on the high
seas; the taking of property from others on the open sea by open
violence; without lawful authority, and with intent to steal; -- a
crime answering to robbery on land.
&fist; By statute law several other offenses committed on the seas
(as trading with known pirates, or engaging in the slave trade) have
been made piracy.
3. "Sometimes used, in a quasi-
figurative sense, of violation of copyright; but for this,
infringement is the correct and preferable term."
Abbott.
Pi*ra"gua (?), n. See
Pirogue.
Pi*rai" (?), n. (Zoöl.)
Same as Piraya.
Pi*ram"e*ter (?), n. [Gr. &?; trial +
-meter.] A dynamometer for ascertaining the power required
to draw carriages over roads.
Pi`ra*ru"cu (?), n. [From the native
South American name.] (Zoöl.) Same as
Arapaima.
Pi"rate (?), n. [L. pirata, Gr.
&?;, fr. &?; to attempt, undertake, from making attempts or attacks on
ships, &?; an attempt, trial; akin to E. peril: cf. F.
pirate. See Peril.] 1. A robber on
the high seas; one who by open violence takes the property of another
on the high seas; especially, one who makes it his business to cruise
for robbery or plunder; a freebooter on the seas; also, one who steals
in a harbor.
2. An armed ship or vessel which sails without
a legal commission, for the purpose of plundering other vessels on the
high seas.
3. One who infringes the law of copyright, or
publishes the work of an author without permission.
Pirate perch (Zoöl.), a fresh-
water percoid fish of the United States (Aphredoderus Sayanus).
It is of a dark olive color, speckled with blackish spots.
Pi"rate, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Pirated (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pirating.] [Cf. F. pirater.] To play the pirate; to
practice robbery on the high seas.
Pi"rate, v. t. To publish, as books
or writings, without the permission of the author.
They advertised they would pirate his
edition.
Pope.
Pi*rat"ic (?), a.
Piratical.
Pi*rat"ic*al (?), a. [L.
piraticus, Gr. &?;: cf. F. piratique.] Of or
pertaining to a pirate; acquired by, or practicing, piracy; as, a
piratical undertaking. "Piratical printers."
Pope. -- Pi*rat"ic*al*ly, adv.
||Pi*ra"ya (?), n. [From the native
name.] (Zoöl.) A large voracious fresh-water fish
(Serrasalmo piraya) of South America, having lancet-shaped
teeth.
Pir"ie (?), n. (Naut.) See
Pirry.
Pir"ie, n. [See Pear.]
(Bot.) A pear tree. [Written also pery,
pyrie.] [Obs.] Chaucer.
||Pi`ri*ri"gua (?), n. [From the native
name.] (Zoöl.) A South American bird (Guira
guira) allied to the cuckoos.
Pirl (?), v. t. [Cf. Purl.]
1. To spin, as a top.
2. To twist or twine, as hair in making
fishing lines.
Pirn (?), n. [Etymol. uncertain.] A
quill or reed on which thread or yarn is wound; a bobbin; also, the
wound yarn on a weaver's shuttle; also, the reel of a fishing
rod. [Scot.]
Pi*rogue" (?), n. [Originally an
American Indian word: cf. F. pirogue, Sp. piroga,
piragua.] A dugout canoe; by extension, any small
boat. [Written variously periauger, perogue,
piragua, periagua, etc.]
Pir`ou*ette" (?), n. [F.; of uncertain
origin.] 1. A whirling or turning on the toes in
dancing.
2. (Man.) The whirling about of a
horse.
Pir`ou*ette", v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Pirouetted (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pirouetting.] [F. pirouetter.] To perform a
pirouette; to whirl, like a dancer.
{ Pir"ry, Pir"rie } (?), n.
[Cf. Scot. pirr a gentle breeze, Icel. byrr a prosperous
wind, bylr a blast of wind.] A rough gale of wind.
[Obs.] Sir T. Elyot.
Pis`as*phal"tum (?), n. See
Pissasphalt.
Pi"say (?), n. (Arch.) See
Pisé.
Pis"ca*ry (?), n. [L. piscarius
relating to fishes or to fishing, fr. piscis a fish.]
(Law) The right or privilege of fishing in another man's
waters. Blackstone.
Pis*ca"tion (?), n. [L. piscatio,
fr. piscari to fish.] Fishing; fishery. [Obs.]
Sir T. Browne.
||Pis*ca"tor (?), n. [L.] A
fisherman; an angler.
{ Pis`ca*to"ri*al (?), Pis"ca*to*ry (?), }
a. [L. piscatorius, fr. piscator a
fisherman, fr. piscari to fish, fr. piscis a fish. See
Fish the animal.] Of or pertaining to fishes or
fishing. Addison.
||Pis"ces (?), n. pl. [L. piscis
a fish.] 1. (Astron.) (a)
The twelfth sign of the zodiac, marked &pisces; in
almanacs. (b) A zodiacal constellation,
including the first point of Aries, which is the vernal equinoctial
point; the Fish.
2. (Zoöl.) The class of Vertebrata
that includes the fishes. The principal divisions are Elasmobranchii,
Ganoidei, and Teleostei.
Pis"ci*cap`ture (?), n. Capture of
fishes, as by angling. [R.] W. H. Russell.
Pis`ci*cul"tur*al (?), a. Relating
to pisciculture.
Pis`ci*cul"ture (?), n. [L.
piscis a fish + E. culture.] Fish culture. See
under Fish.
Pis`ci*cul"tur*ist, n. One who
breeds fish.
Pis"ci*form (?), a. [L. piscis
fish + -form.] Having the form of a fish; resembling a
fish.
||Pis*ci"na (?), n. [L., a certain,
fishpond, fr. piscis a fish.] (Arch.) A niche near
the altar in a church, containing a small basin for rinsing altar
vessels.
Pis"ci*nal (?), a. [L.
piscinalis: cf. F. piscinal.] Belonging to a
fishpond or a piscina.
Pis"cine (?), a. [L. piscis a
fish.] (Zoöl.) Of or pertaining to a fish or fishes;
as, piscine remains.
Pis*civ"o*rous (?), a. [L. piscis
a fish + vorare to devour: cf. F. piscivore.]
(Zoöl.) Feeding or subsisting on fish.
||Pi`sé" (?), n. [F.
pisé, from piser to stamp, pound, L.
pisare.] (Arch.) A species of wall made of stiff
earth or clay rammed in between molds which are carried up as the wall
rises; -- called also pisé work.
Gwilt.
Pish (?), interj. An exclamation of
contempt.
Pish (?), v. i. To express
contempt. Pope.
||Pi"shu (?), n. (Zoöl.)
The Canada lynx. [Written also peeshoo.]
Pi"si*form (?), a. [L. pisum a
pea + -form: cf. F. pisiforme.] Resembling a pea or
peas in size and shape; as, a pisiform iron ore.
Pi"si*form, n. (Anat.) A
small bone on the ulnar side of the carpus in man and many mammals.
See Illust. of Artiodactyla.
Pis"mire (?), n. [Piss +
mire; so called because it discharges a moisture vulgarly
considered urine. See Mire an ant.] (Zoöl.) An
ant, or emmet.
Pi"so*lite (?), n. [Gr. &?; a pea + -
lite: cf. F. pisolithe.] (Min.) A variety of
calcite, or calcium carbonate, consisting of aggregated globular
concretions about the size of a pea; -- called also peastone,
peagrit.
&fist; Oölite is similar in structure, but the concretions are
as small as the roe of a fish.
Pi`so*lit"ic (?), a. [Cf. F.
pisolithique.] (Min.) Composed of, containing, or
resembling, pisolite.
Pis"o*phalt (?), n. [For
pissasphalt.] (Min.) Pissasphalt. [Obs.]
Piss (?), v. t. & i. [OE. pissen,
F. pisser; akin to It. pisciare, D. & G. pissen,
Dan. pisse, Icel. pissa.] To discharge urine, to
urinate. Shak.
Piss, n. Urine.
Piss"a*bed` (?), n. (Bot.) A
name locally applied to various wild plants, as dandelion, bluet,
oxeye daisy, etc.
Pis"sas*phalt (?), n. [L.
pissasphaltus, Gr. &?;; &?; pitch + &?; asphalt: cf. F.
pissasphalte.] (Min.) Earth pitch; a soft, black
bitumen of the consistence of tar, and of a strong smell. It is
inflammable, and intermediate between petroleum and asphalt.
[Written also pisasphaltum, pisasphalt, etc.]
Pist (?), n. (Man.) See
Piste.
Pis*ta"chio (?), n. [It.
pistacchio (cf. Sp. pistacho, F. pistache), fr.
L. pistacium, Gr. &?;, &?;, fr. Per. pistah. Cf.
Fistinut.] (Bot.) The nut of the Pistacia
vera, a tree of the order Anacardiaceæ, containing a
kernel of a pale greenish color, which has a pleasant taste,
resembling that of the almond, and yields an oil of agreeable taste
and odor; -- called also pistachio nut. It is wholesome and
nutritive. The tree grows in Arabia, Persia, Syria, and Sicily.
[Written also pistachia.]
||Pis*ta"ci*a (?), n. [NL. See
Pistachio.] (Bot.) The name of a genus of trees,
including the tree which bears the pistachio, the Mediterranean mastic
tree (Pistacia Lentiscus), and the species (P.
Terebinthus) which yields Chian or Cyprus turpentine.
Pis"ta*cite (?), n. [Cf. F.
pistacite. So called from its green color. See
Pistachio.] (Min.) Epidote.
Pis`ta*reen" (?), n. An old Spanish
silver coin of the value of about twenty cents.
Pis"ta*zite (?), n. (Min.)
Same as Pistacite.
Piste (?), n. [F., fr. L. pisere,
pinsere, pistum, to pound.] (Min.) The track
or tread a horseman makes upon the ground he goes over.
Johnson.
{ Pis"tel (?), Pis"til (?) },
n. An epistle. [Obs.]
Pis"tic (?), a. [L. pisticus, Gr.
&?;.] Pure; genuine. [R.] Jer. Taylor.
Pis"til (?), n. [L. pistillum,
pistillus, a pestle: cf. F. pistil. See Pestle.]
(Bot.) The seed-bearing organ of a flower. It consists of
an ovary, containing the ovules or rudimentary seeds, and a stigma,
which is commonly raised on an elongated portion called a
style. When composed of one carpel a pistil is simple; when
composed of several, it is compound. See Illust. of
Flower, and Ovary.
Pis`til*la"ceous (?), a. (Bot.)
Growing on, or having nature of, the pistil; of or pertaining to
a pistil. Barton.
Pis"til*late (?), a. (Bot.)
Having a pistil or pistils; -- usually said of flowers having
pistils but no stamens.
Pis`til*la"tion (?), n. [L.
pistillum a pestle.] The act of pounding or breaking in a
mortar; pestillation. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.
||Pis`til*lid"i*um (?), n.; pl.
Pistillida (#). [NL., fr. E. pistil.]
(Bot.) Same as Archegonium.
Pis`til*lif"er*ous (?), a.
[Pistil + -ferous: cf. F. pistillifère.]
(Bot.) Pistillate.
Pis"til*lo*dy (?), n. [Pistil +
Gr. &?; form.] (Bot.) The metamorphosis of other organs
into pistils.
Pis"tol (?), n. [F. pistole,
pistolet, It. pistola; prob. from a form Pistola,
for Pistoja, a town in Italy where pistols were first made.
Cf. Pistole.] The smallest firearm used, intended to be
fired from one hand, -- now of many patterns, and bearing a great
variety of names. See Illust. of Revolver.
Pistol carbine, a firearm with a removable
but-piece, and thus capable of being used either as a pistol or a
carbine. -- Pistol pipe (Metal.), a
pipe in which the blast for a furnace is heated, resembling a pistol
in form. -- Pistol shot. (a)
The discharge of a pistol. (b) The
distance to which a pistol can propel a ball.
Pis"tol, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pistoled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pistoling.] [Cf. F. pistoler.] To shoot with a
pistol. "To pistol a poacher." Sydney Smith.
Pis"to*lade` (?), n. [F.] A pistol
shot.
Pis*tole" (?), n. [F., probably a name
given in jest in France to a Spanish coin. Cf. Pistol.]
The name of certain gold coins of various values formerly coined
in some countries of Europe. In Spain it was equivalent to a quarter
doubloon, or about $3.90, and in Germany and Italy nearly the same.
There was an old Italian pistole worth about $5.40.
Pis`to*leer" (?), n. [Cf. F.
pistolier.] One who uses a pistol. [R.]
Carlyle.
Pis"to*let` (?), n. [F., a dim. of
pistole.] A small pistol. Donne. Beau. &
Fl.
Pis"ton (?), n. [F. piston; cf.
It. pistone piston, also pestone a large pestle; all fr.
L. pinsere, pistum, to pound, to stamp. See
Pestle, Pistil.] (Mach.) A sliding piece
which either is moved by, or moves against, fluid pressure. It usually
consists of a short cylinder fitting within a cylindrical vessel along
which it moves, back and forth. It is used in steam engines to receive
motion from the steam, and in pumps to transmit motion to a fluid;
also for other purposes.
Piston head (Steam Eng.), that part of
a piston which is made fast to the piston rod. -- Piston
rod, a rod by which a piston is moved, or by which it
communicates motion. -- Piston valve (Steam
Eng.), a slide valve, consisting of a piston, or connected
pistons, working in a cylindrical case which is provided with ports
that are traversed by the valve.
Pit (?), n. [OE. pit, put,
AS. pytt a pit, hole, L. puteus a well, pit.]
1. A large cavity or hole in the ground, either
natural or artificial; a cavity in the surface of a body; an
indentation; specifically: (a) The shaft of
a coal mine; a coal pit. (b) A large hole
in the ground from which material is dug or quarried; as, a stone
pit; a gravel pit; or in which material is made by
burning; as, a lime pit; a charcoal pit.
(c) A vat sunk in the ground; as, a tan
pit.
Tumble me into some loathsome pit.
Shak.
2. Any abyss; especially, the grave, or
hades.
Back to the infernal pit I drag thee
chained.
Milton.
He keepth back his soul from the
pit.
Job xxxiii. 18.
3. A covered deep hole for entrapping wild
beasts; a pitfall; hence, a trap; a snare. Also used
figuratively.
The anointed of the Lord was taken in their
pits.
Lam. iv. 20.
4. A depression or hollow in the surface of
the human body; as: (a) The hollow place
under the shoulder or arm; the axilla, or armpit.
(b) See Pit of the stomach (below).
(c) The indentation or mark left by a pustule, as
in smallpox.
5. Formerly, that part of a theater, on the
floor of the house, below the level of the stage and behind the
orchestra; now, in England, commonly the part behind the stalls; in
the United States, the parquet; also, the occupants of such a part of
a theater.
6. An inclosed area into which gamecocks,
dogs, and other animals are brought to fight, or where dogs are
trained to kill rats. "As fiercely as two gamecocks in the
pit." Locke.
7. [Cf. D. pit, akin to E. pith.]
(Bot.) (a) The endocarp of a drupe, and
its contained seed or seeds; a stone; as, a peach pit; a cherry
pit, etc. (b) A depression or thin
spot in the wall of a duct.
Cold pit (Hort.), an excavation in the
earth, lined with masonry or boards, and covered with glass, but not
artificially heated, -- used in winter for the storing and protection
of half-hardly plants, and sometimes in the spring as a forcing
bed. -- Pit coal, coal dug from the earth;
mineral coal. -- Pit frame, the framework
over the shaft of a coal mine. -- Pit head,
the surface of the ground at the mouth of a pit or mine. --
Pit kiln, an oven for coking coal. --
Pit martin (Zoöl.), the bank
swallow. [Prov. Eng.] -- Pit of the stomach
(Anat.), the depression on the middle line of the
epigastric region of the abdomen at the lower end of the sternum; the
infrasternal depression. -- Pit saw
(Mech.), a saw worked by two men, one of whom stands on the
log and the other beneath it. The place of the latter is often in a
pit, whence the name. -- Pit viper
(Zoöl.), any viperine snake having a deep pit on each
side of the snout. The rattlesnake and copperhead are examples. -
- Working pit (Min.), a shaft in which
the ore is hoisted and the workmen carried; -- in distinction from a
shaft used for the pumps.
Pit, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pitted (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pitting.] 1. To place or put into a pit or
hole.
They lived like beasts, and were pitted like
beasts, tumbled into the grave.
T. Grander.
2. To mark with little hollows, as by various
pustules; as, a face pitted by smallpox.
3. To introduce as an antagonist; to set
forward for or in a contest; as, to pit one dog against
another.
||Pi"ta (?), n. [Sp.] (Bot.)
(a) A fiber obtained from the Agave
Americana and other related species, -- used for making cordage
and paper. Called also pita fiber, and pita
thread. (b) The plant which yields the
fiber.
Pit`a*ha"ya (?), n. [Sp., prob. from the
native name.] (Bot.) A cactaceous shrub (Cereus
Pitajaya) of tropical America, which yields a delicious
fruit.
Pit"a*pat` (?), adv. [An onomatopoetic
reduplication of pat a light, quick blow.] In a flutter;
with palpitation or quick succession of beats. Lowell.
"The fox's heart went pitapat." L'Estrange.
Pit"a*pat`, n. A light, repeated
sound; a pattering, as of the rain. "The pitapat of a
pretty foot." Dryden.
Pitch (?), n. [OE. pich, AS.
pic, L. pix; akin to Gr. &?;.] 1. A
thick, black, lustrous, and sticky substance obtained by boiling down
tar. It is used in calking the seams of ships; also in coating rope,
canvas, wood, ironwork, etc., to preserve them.
He that toucheth pitch shall be defiled
therewith.
Ecclus. xiii. 1.
2. (Geol.) See
Pitchstone.
Amboyna pitch, the resin of Dammara
australis. See Kauri. -- Burgundy
pitch. See under Burgundy. -- Canada
pitch, the resinous exudation of the hemlock tree
(Abies Canadensis); hemlock gum. -- Jew's
pitch, bitumen. -- Mineral pitch.
See Bitumen and Asphalt. -- Pitch
coal (Min.), bituminous coal. --
Pitch peat (Min.), a black homogeneous
peat, with a waxy luster. -- Pitch pine
(Bot.), any one of several species of pine, yielding pitch,
esp. the Pinus rigida of North America.
Pitch, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pitched (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pitching.] [See Pitch, n.]
1. To cover over or smear with pitch.
Gen. vi. 14.
2. Fig.: To darken; to blacken; to
obscure.
The welkin pitched with sullen
could.
Addison.
Pitch (?), v. t. [OE. picchen;
akin to E. pick, pike.] 1. To
throw, generally with a definite aim or purpose; to cast; to hurl; to
toss; as, to pitch quoits; to pitch hay; to pitch
a ball.
2. To thrust or plant in the ground, as stakes
or poles; hence, to fix firmly, as by means of poles; to establish; to
arrange; as, to pitch a tent; to pitch a camp.
3. To set, face, or pave with rubble or
undressed stones, as an embankment or a roadway.
Knight.
4. To fix or set the tone of; as, to
pitch a tune.
5. To set or fix, as a price or value.
[Obs.] Shak.
Pitched battle, a general battle; a battle in
which the hostile forces have fixed positions; -- in distinction from
a skirmish. -- To pitch into, to
attack; to assault; to abuse. [Slang]
Pitch, v. i. 1. To
fix or place a tent or temporary habitation; to encamp. "Laban
with his brethren pitched in the Mount of Gilead." Gen.
xxxi. 25.
2. To light; to settle; to come to rest from
flight.
The tree whereon they [the bees]
pitch.
Mortimer.
3. To fix one's choise; -- with on or
upon.
Pitch upon the best course of life, and custom
will render it the more easy.
Tillotson.
4. To plunge or fall; esp., to fall forward;
to decline or slope; as, to pitch from a precipice; the vessel
pitches in a heavy sea; the field pitches toward the
east.
Pitch and pay, an old aphorism which
inculcates ready-money payment, or payment on delivery of goods.
Shak.
Pitch, n. 1. A
throw; a toss; a cast, as of something from the hand; as, a good
pitch in quoits.
Pitch and toss, a game played by tossing up a
coin, and calling "Heads or tails;" hence: To play pitch
and toss with (anything), to be careless or trust to
luck about it. "To play pitch and toss with the property
of the country." G. Eliot. -- Pitch farthing.
See Chuck farthing, under 5th Chuck.
2. (Cricket) That point of the ground
on which the ball pitches or lights when bowled.
3. A point or peak; the extreme point or
degree of elevation or depression; hence, a limit or bound.
Driven headlong from the pitch of heaven,
down
Into this deep.
Milton.
Enterprises of great pitch and
moment.
Shak.
To lowest pitch of abject fortune.
Milton.
He lived when learning was at its highest
pitch.
Addison.
The exact pitch, or limits, where temperance
ends.
Sharp.
4. Height; stature. [Obs.]
Hudibras.
5. A descent; a fall; a thrusting
down.
6. The point where a declivity begins; hence,
the declivity itself; a descending slope; the degree or rate of
descent or slope; slant; as, a steep pitch in the road; the
pitch of a roof.
7. (Mus.) The relative acuteness or
gravity of a tone, determined by the number of vibrations which
produce it; the place of any tone upon a scale of high and
low.
&fist; Musical tones with reference to absolute pitch, are
named after the first seven letters of the alphabet; with reference to
relative pitch, in a series of tones called the scale,
they are called one, two, three, four,
five, six, seven, eight. Eight is
also one of a new scale an octave higher, as one is
eight of a scale an octave lower.
8. (Mining) The limit of ground set to
a miner who receives a share of the ore taken out.
9. (Mech.) (a) The
distance from center to center of any two adjacent teeth of gearing,
measured on the pitch line; -- called also circular
pitch. (b) The length, measured along
the axis, of a complete turn of the thread of a screw, or of the
helical lines of the blades of a screw propeller.
(c) The distance between the centers of holes, as
of rivet holes in boiler plates.
Concert pitch (Mus.), the standard of
pitch used by orchestras, as in concerts, etc. --
Diametral pitch (Gearing), the distance
which bears the same relation to the pitch proper, or circular pitch,
that the diameter of a circle bears to its circumference; it is
sometimes described by the number expressing the quotient obtained by
dividing the number of teeth in a wheel by the diameter of its pitch
circle in inches; as, 4 pitch, 8 pitch, etc. -- Pitch
chain, a chain, as one made of metallic plates, adapted
for working with a sprocket wheel. -- Pitch
line, or Pitch circle (Gearing),
an ideal line, in a toothed gear or rack, bearing such a relation
to a corresponding line in another gear, with which the former works,
that the two lines will have a common velocity as in rolling contact;
it usually cuts the teeth at about the middle of their height, and, in
a circular gear, is a circle concentric with the axis of the gear; the
line, or circle, on which the pitch of teeth is measured. --
Pitch of a roof (Arch.), the inclination
or slope of the sides expressed by the height in parts of the span;
as, one half pitch; whole pitch; or by the height in
parts of the half span, especially among engineers; or by degrees, as
a pitch of 30°, of 45°, etc.; or by the rise and
run, that is, the ratio of the height to the half span; as, a
pitch of six rise to ten run. Equilateral pitch is where
the two sloping sides with the span form an equilateral triangle.
-- Pitch of a plane (Carp.), the slant of
the cutting iron. -- Pitch pipe, a wind
instrument used by choristers in regulating the pitch of a tune.
-- Pitch point (Gearing), the point of
contact of the pitch lines of two gears, or of a rack and pinion,
which work together.
Pitch"-black` (?), a. Black as
pitch or tar.
Pitch"blende` (?), n. [1st pitch +
blende.] (Min.) A pitch-black mineral consisting
chiefly of the oxide of uranium; uraninite. See
Uraninite.
Pitch"-dark`, a. Dark as a pitch;
pitch-black.
Pitch"er (?), n. 1.
One who pitches anything, as hay, quoits, a ball, etc.;
specifically (Baseball), the player who delivers the ball to
the batsman.
2. A sort of crowbar for digging. [Obs.]
Mortimer.
Pitch"er (?), n. [OE. picher, OF.
pichier, OHG. pehhar, pehhāri; prob. of the
same origin as E. beaker. Cf. Beaker.]
1. A wide-mouthed, deep vessel for holding
liquids, with a spout or protruding lip and a handle; a water jug or
jar with a large ear or handle.
2. (Bot.) A tubular or cuplike
appendage or expansion of the leaves of certain plants.
American pitcher plants, the species of
Sarracenia. See Sarracenia. -- Australian pitcher
plant, the Cephalotus follicularis, a low
saxifragaceous herb having two kinds of radical leaves, some
oblanceolate and entire, others transformed into little ovoid
pitchers, longitudinally triple-winged and ciliated, the mouth covered
with a lid shaped like a cockleshell. -- California
pitcher plant, the Darlingtonia California. See
Darlingtonia. -- Pitcher plant, any
plant with the whole or a part of the leaves transformed into pitchers
or cuplike organs, especially the species of Nepenthes. See
Nepenthes.
Pitch"er*ful (?), n.; pl.
Pitcherfuls (&?;). The quantity a pitcher will
hold.
Pitch"-faced` (?), a. (Stone
Cutting) Having the arris defined by a line beyond which the
rock is cut away, so as to give nearly true edges; -- said of squared
stones that are otherwise quarry-faced.
Pitch"fork` (?), n. A fork, or
farming utensil, used in pitching hay, sheaves of grain, or the
like.
Pitch"fork`, v. t. To pitch or
throw with, or as with, a pitchfork.
He has been pitchforked into the
footguards.
G. A. Sala.
Pitch"i*ness (?), n. [From
Pitchy.] Blackness, as of pitch; darkness.
Pitch"ing, n. 1.
The act of throwing or casting; a cast; a pitch; as, wild
pitching in baseball.
2. The rough paving of a street to a grade
with blocks of stone. Mayhew.
3. (Hydraul. Eng.) A facing of stone
laid upon a bank to prevent wear by tides or currents.
Pitching piece (Carp.), the horizontal
timber supporting the floor of a platform of a stairway, and against
which the stringpieces of the sloping parts are supported.
Pitch"-ore` (?), n. (Min.)
Pitchblende.
Pitch"stone` (?), n. (Geol.)
An igneous rock of semiglassy nature, having a luster like
pitch.
Pitch"work` (?), n. The work of a
coal miner who is paid by a share of his product.
Pitch"y (?), a. [From 1st Pitch.]
1. Partaking of the qualities of pitch;
resembling pitch.
2. Smeared with pitch.
3. Black; pitch-dark; dismal.
"Pitchy night." Shak.
Pit"e*ous (?), a. [OE. pitous,
OF. pitos, F. piteux. See Pity.]
1. Pious; devout. [Obs.]
The Lord can deliver piteous men from
temptation.
Wyclif.
2. Evincing pity, compassion, or sympathy;
compassionate; tender. "[She] piteous of his case."
Pope.
She was so charitable and so
pitous.
Chaucer.
3. Fitted to excite pity or sympathy;
wretched; miserable; lamentable; sad; as, a piteous case.
Spenser.
The most piteous tale of Lear.
Shak.
4. Paltry; mean; pitiful.
"Piteous amends." Milton.
Syn. -- Sorrowful; mournful; affecting; doleful; woeful;
rueful; sad; wretched; miserable; pitiable; pitiful;
compassionate.
-- Pit"e*ous*ly, adv. --
Pit"e*ous*ness, n.
Pit"fall` (?), n. A pit deceitfully
covered to entrap wild beasts or men; a trap of any kind.
Sir T. North.
Pit"fall`ing, a. Entrapping;
insnaring. [R.] "Full of . . . contradiction and
pitfalling dispenses." Milton.
Pith (?), n. [AS. pi&?;a; akin to
D. pit pith, kernel, LG. peddik. Cf. Pit a
kernel.] 1. (Bot.) The soft spongy
substance in the center of the stems of many plants and trees,
especially those of the dicotyledonous or exogenous classes. It
consists of cellular tissue.
2. (a) (Zoöl.) The
spongy interior substance of a feather. (b)
(Anat.) The spinal cord; the marrow.
3. Hence: The which contains the strength of
life; the vital or essential part; concentrated force; vigor;
strength; importance; as, the speech lacked pith.
Enterprises of great pith and
moment.
Shak.
Pith paper. Same as Rice paper, under
Rice.
Pith, v. t. (Physiol.) To
destroy the central nervous system of (an animal, as a frog), as by
passing a stout wire or needle up and down the vertebral
canal.
||Pi*the"ci (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr.
&?; an ape.] (Zoöl.) A division of mammals including
the apes and monkeys. Sometimes used in the sense of
Primates.
Pith"e*coid (?), a. [Gr. &?; an ape +
-oid.] (Zoöl.) 1. Of or
pertaining to the genus Pithecia, or subfamily
Pithecinæ, which includes the saki, ouakari, and other
allied South American monkeys.
2. Of or pertaining to the anthropoid apes in
particular, or to the higher apes of the Old World,
collectively.
Pith"ful (?), a. Full of
pith. [R.] W. Browne.
Pith"i*ly (?), adv. In a pithy
manner.
Pith"i*ness, n. The quality or
state of being pithy.
Pith"less, a. Destitute of pith, or
of strength; feeble. Dryden. "Pithless
argumentation." Glandstone.
Pit"-hole` (?), n. A pit; a
pockmark.
Pith"some (?), a. Pithy;
robust. [R.] "Pithsome health and vigor." R. D.
Blackmore.
Pith"y (?), a.
[Compar. Pithier (?);
superl. Pithiest.] 1.
Consisting wholly, or in part, of pith; abounding in pith; as, a
pithy stem; a pithy fruit.
2. Having nervous energy; forceful;
cogent.
This pithy speech prevailed, and all
agreed.
Dryden.
In all these Goodman Fact was very short, but
pithy.
Addison.
Pithy gall (Zoöl.), a large,
rough, furrowed, oblong gall, formed on blackberry canes by a small
gallfly (Diastrophus nebulosus).
Pit"i*a*ble (?), a. [Cf. OF.
pitiable, F. pitoyable.] Deserving pity; wworthy
of, or exciting, compassion; miserable; lamentable; piteous; as,
pitiable persons; a pitiable condition; pitiable
wretchedness.
Syn. -- Sorrowful; woeful; sad. See Piteous.
-- Pit"i*a*ble*ness, n. --
Pit"i*a*bly, adv.
Pit"i*er (?), n. One who
pities. Gauden.
Pit"i*ful (?), a. 1.
Full of pity; tender-hearted; compassionate; kind; merciful;
sympathetic.
The Lord is very pitiful, and of tender
mercy.
James v. 11.
2. Piteous; lamentable; eliciting
compassion.
A thing, indeed, very pitiful and
horrible.
Spenser.
3. To be pitied for littleness or meanness;
miserable; paltry; contemptible; despicable.
That's villainous, and shows a most pitiful
ambition in the fool that uses it.
Shak.
Syn. -- Despicable; mean; paltry. See
Contemptible.
-- Pit"i*ful*ly, adv. --
Pit"i*ful*ness, n.
Pit"i*less, a. 1.
Destitute of pity; hard-hearted; merciless; as, a
pitilessmaster; pitiless elements.
2. Exciting no pity; as, a pitiless
condition.
-- Pit"i*less*ly, adv. --
Pit"i*less*ness, n.
Pit"man (?), n.; pl.
Pitmen (&?;). 1. One who works
in a pit, as in mining, in sawing timber, etc.
2. (Mach.) The connecting rod in a
sawmill; also, sometimes, a connecting rod in other
machinery.
Pi*tot's" tube` (?). (Hydraul.) A bent tube
used to determine the velocity of running water, by placing the curved
end under water, and observing the height to which the fluid rises in
the tube; a kind of current meter.
Pit"pan` (?), n. A long, flat-
bottomed canoe, used for the navigation of rivers and lagoons in
Central America. Squier.
Pit"pat` (?), n. & adv. See
Pitapat.
Pit"ta (p&ibreve;t"t&adot;), n.
(Zoöl.) Any one of a large group of bright-colored
clamatorial birds belonging to Pitta, and allied genera of the
family Pittidæ. Most of the species are varied with three
or more colors, such as blue, green, crimson, yellow, purple, and
black. They are called also ground thrushes, and Old World
ant thrushes; but they are not related to the true
thrushes.
&fist; The pittas are most abundant in the East Indies, but some
inhabit Southern Asia, Africa, and Australia. They live mostly upon
the ground, and feed upon insects of various kinds.
Pit"ta*cal (p&ibreve;t"t&adot;*kăl),
n. [Gr. pi`tta, pi`ssa, pitch
+ kalo`s beautiful: cf. F. pittacale.]
(Chem.) A dark blue substance obtained from wood tar. It
consists of hydrocarbons which when oxidized form the orange-yellow
eupittonic compounds, the salts of which are dark blue.
Pit"tance (p&ibreve;t"tans), n.
[OE. pitance, pitaunce, F. pitance; cf. It.
pietanza, LL. pitancia, pittantia,
pictantia; perh. fr. L. pietas pity, piety, or perhaps
akin to E. petty. Cf. Petty, and Pity.]
1. An allowance of food bestowed in charity; a
mess of victuals; hence, a small charity gift; a dole. "A good
pitaunce." Chaucer.
One half only of this pittance was ever given
him in money.
Macaulay.
2. A meager portion, quantity, or allowance;
an inconsiderable salary or compensation. "The small
pittance of learning they received." Swift.
The inconsiderable pittance of faithful
professors.
Fuller.
Pit"ted (-t&ebreve;d), a.
1. Marked with little pits, as in smallpox. See
Pit, v. t., 2.
2. (Bot.) Having minute thin spots; as,
pitted ducts in the vascular parts of vegetable
tissue.
Pit"ter (?), n. A contrivance for
removing the pits from peaches, plums, and other stone
fruit.
Pit"ter, v. i. To make a pattering
sound; to murmur; as, pittering streams. [Obs.] R.
Greene.
Pit"tle-pat`tle (?), v. i. To talk
unmeaningly; to chatter or prattle. [R.] Latimer.
Pi*tu"i*ta*ry (?), a. [L. pituita
phlegm, pituite: cf. F. pituitarie.] (Anat.)
(a) Secreting mucus or phlegm; as, the
pituitary membrane, or the mucous membrane which lines the
nasal cavities. (b) Of or pertaining to the
pituitary body; as, the pituitary fossa.
Pituitary body or gland
(Anat.), a glandlike body of unknown function, situated in
the pituitary fossa, and connected with the infundibulum of the brain;
the hypophysis. -- Pituitary fossa
(Anat.), the ephippium.
Pit"u*ite (?), n. [L. pituita:
cf. F. pituite. Cf. Pip a disease of fowls.]
Mucus, phlegm.
Pi*tu"i*tous (?), a. [L.
pituitosus: cf. F. pituiteux.] Consisting of, or
resembling, pituite or mucus; full of mucus; discharging
mucus.
Pituitous fever (Med.), typhoid fever;
enteric fever.
Pit"y (?), n.; pl.
Pities (#). [OE. pite, OF.
pité, pitié, F. pitié, L.
pietas piety, kindness, pity. See Pious, and cf.
Piety.] 1. Piety. [Obs.]
Wyclif.
2. A feeling for the sufferings or distresses
of another or others; sympathy with the grief or misery of another;
compassion; fellow-feeling; commiseration.
He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the
Lord.
Prov. xix. 17.
He . . . has no more pity in him than a
dog.
Shak.
3. A reason or cause of pity, grief, or
regret; a thing to be regretted. "The more the pity."
Shak.
What pity is it
That we can die but once to serve our country!
Addison.
&fist; In this sense, sometimes used in the plural, especially in
the colloquialism: "It is a thousand pities."
Syn. -- Compassion; mercy; commiseration; condolence;
sympathy, fellow-suffering; fellow-feeling. -- Pity,
Sympathy, Compassion. Sympathy is literally
fellow-feeling, and therefore requiers a certain degree of
equality in situation, circumstances, etc., to its fullest exercise.
Compassion is deep tenderness for another under severe or
inevitable misfortune. Pity regards its object not only as
suffering, but weak, and hence as inferior.
Pit"y (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pitied (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pitying.] 1. To feel pity or compassion
for; to have sympathy with; to compassionate; to commiserate; to have
tender feelings toward (any one), awakened by a knowledge of
suffering.
Like as a father pitieth his children, so the
Lord pitieth them that fear him.
Ps. ciii.
13.
2. To move to pity; -- used
impersonally. [Obs.]
It pitieth them to see her in the
dust.
Bk. of Com. Prayer.
Pit"y, v. i. To be compassionate;
to show pity.
I will not pity, nor spare, nor have
mercy.
Jer. xiii. 14.
Pit"y*ing, a. Expressing pity; as,
a pitying eye, glance, or word. -- Pit"y*ing*ly,
adv.
||Pit`y*ri"a*sis (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr.
&?;, fr. &?;, lit., bran.] (Med.) A superficial affection
of the skin, characterized by irregular patches of thin scales which
are shed in branlike particles.
||Pityriasis versicolor [NL.] (Med.),
a parasitic disease of the skin, characterized by the development of
reddish or brownish patches.
Pit"y*roid (?), a. [Gr. &?; bran + -
oid.] Having the form of, or resembling, bran.
Smart.
||Pi"ù (?), adv. [It., fr. L.
plus. See Plus.] (Mus.) A little more; as,
più allegro, a little more briskly.
Piv"ot (?), n. [F.; prob. akin to It.
piva pipe, F. pipe. See Pipe.] 1.
A fixed pin or short axis, on the end of which a wheel or other
body turns.
2. The end of a shaft or arbor which rests and
turns in a support; as, the pivot of an arbor in a
watch.
3. Hence, figuratively: A turning point or
condition; that on which important results depend; as, the
pivot of an enterprise.
4. (Mil.) The officer or soldier who
simply turns in his place whike the company or line moves around him
in wheeling; -- called also pivot man.
Pivot bridge, a form of drawbridge in which
one span, called the pivot span, turns about a central vertical
axis. -- Pivot gun, a gun mounted on a
pivot or revolving carriage, so as to turn in any direction. --
Pivot tooth (Dentistry), an artificial
crown attached to the root of a natural tooth by a pin or
peg.
Piv"ot, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pivoted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Pivoting.] To place on a pivot. Clarke.
Piv"ot*al (?), a. Of or pertaining
to a pivot or turning point; belonging to, or constituting, a pivot;
of the nature of a pivot; as, the pivotalopportunity of a
career; the pivotal position in a battle.
Pix (?), n. & v. See
Pyx.
{ Pix"y, Pix"ie } (?), n.;
pl. Pixies (#). [For Pucksy, from
Puck.] 1. An old English name for a fairy;
an elf. [Written also picksy.]
2. (Bot.) A low creeping evergreen
plant (Pyxidanthera barbulata), with mosslike leaves and little
white blossoms, found in New Jersey and southward, where it flowers in
earliest spring.
Pixy ring, a fairy ring or circle.
[Prov. Eng.] -- Pixy stool (Bot.), a
toadstool or mushroom. [Prov. Eng.]
Pix"y-led` (?), a. Led by pixies;
bewildered.
||Piz`zi*ca"to (?). [It., pinched.] (Mus.) A
direction to violinists to pluck the string with the finger, instead
of using the bow. (Abrev. pizz.)
Piz"zle (?), n. [Cf. Prov. G.
pissel, pesel, peisel, peserich, D.
pees a tendon or spring.] The penis; -- so called in some
animals, as the bull. Shak.
Pla`ca*bil"i*ty (?), n. [L.
placabilitas: cf. F. placabilité.] The
quality or state of being placable or appeasable; placable
disposition.
Pla"ca*ble (?), a. [L.
placabilis, fr. placare to quiet, pacify: cf. F.
placable. See Placate.] Capable of being appeased
or pacified; ready or willing to be pacified; willing to forgive or
condone.
Methought I saw him placable and
mild.
Milton.
Pla"ca*ble*ness, n. The quality of
being placable.
Pla*card" (?), n. [F., fr.
plaquer to lay or clap on, plaque plate, tablet;
probably from Dutch, cf. D. plakken to paste, post up,
plak a flat piece of wood.] 1. A public
proclamation; a manifesto or edict issued by authority.
[Obs.]
All placards or edicts are published in his
name.
Howell.
2. Permission given by authority; a license;
as, to give a placard to do something. [Obs.]
ller.
3. A written or printed paper, as an
advertisement or a declaration, posted, or to be posted, in a public
place; a poster.
4. (Anc. Armor) An extra plate on the
lower part of the breastplate or backplate.
Planché.
5. [Cf. Placket.] A kind of stomacher,
often adorned with jewels, worn in the fifteenth century and
later.
Pla*card", v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Placarded; p. pr. & vb. n.
Placarding.] 1. To post placards upon or
within; as, to placard a wall, to placard the
city.
2. To announce by placards; as, to
placard a sale.
Plac"ate (?), n. Same as
Placard, 4 & 5.
Pla"cate (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Placated (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Placating.] [L. placatus, p. p. of placare to
placate, akin to placere to please. See Please.] To
appease; to pacify; to concilate. "Therefore is he always
propitiated and placated." Cudworth.
Pla*ca"tion (?), n. [L.
placatio.] The act of placating. [R.] Puttenham
(1589).
Place (?), n. [F., fr. L. platea
a street, an area, a courtyard, from Gr. platei^a a street,
properly fem. of platy`s, flat, broad; akin to Skr.
p&rsdot;thu, Lith. platus. Cf. Flawn,
Piazza, Plate, Plaza.] 1.
Any portion of space regarded as measured off or distinct from
all other space, or appropriated to some definite object or use;
position; ground; site; spot; rarely, unbounded space.
Here is the place appointed.
Shak.
What place can be for us
Within heaven's bound?
Milton.
The word place has sometimes a more confused
sense, and stands for that space which any body takes up; and so the
universe is a place.
Locke.
2. A broad way in a city; an open space; an
area; a court or short part of a street open only at one end.
"Hangman boys in the market place." Shak.
3. A position which is occupied and held; a
dwelling; a mansion; a village, town, or city; a fortified town or
post; a stronghold; a region or country.
Are you native of this place?
Shak.
4. Rank; degree; grade; order of priority,
advancement, dignity, or importance; especially, social rank or
position; condition; also, official station; occupation;
calling. "The enervating magic of place."
Hawthorne.
Men in great place are thrice
servants.
Bacon.
I know my place as I would they should do
theirs.
Shak.
5. Vacated or relinquished space; room; stead
(the departure or removal of another being or thing being
implied). "In place of Lord Bassanio." Shak.
6. A definite position or passage of a
document.
The place of the scripture which he read was
this.
Acts viii. 32.
7. Ordinal relation; position in the order of
proceeding; as, he said in the first place.
8. Reception; effect; -- implying the making
room for.
My word hath no place in you.
John viii. 37.
9. (Astron.) Position in the heavens,
as of a heavenly body; -- usually defined by its right ascension and
declination, or by its latitude and longitude.
Place of arms (Mil.), a place
calculated for the rendezvous of men in arms, etc., as a fort which
affords a safe retreat for hospitals, magazines, etc.
Wilhelm. -- High place (Script.),
a mount on which sacrifices were offered. "Him that offereth
in the high place." Jer. xlviii. 35. -- In
place, in proper position; timely. -- Out
of place, inappropriate; ill-timed; as, his remarks were
out of place. -- Place kick
(Football), the act of kicking the ball after it has been
placed on the ground. -- Place name, the
name of a place or locality. London Academy. -- To
give place, to make room; to yield; to give way; to give
advantage. "Neither give place to the devil." Eph. iv.
27. "Let all the rest give place." Shak. --
To have place, to have a station, room, or seat;
as, such desires can have no place in a good heart.
-- To take place. (a) To come to
pass; to occur; as, the ceremony will not take place.
(b) To take precedence or priority.
Addison. (c) To take effect; to
prevail. "If your doctrine takes place." Berkeley.
"But none of these excuses would take place." Spenser. -
- To take the place of, to be substituted
for.
Syn. -- Situation; seat; abode; position; locality;
location; site; spot; office; employment; charge; function; trust;
ground; room; stead.
Place (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Placed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Placing (?).] [Cf. F. placer. See Place,
n.] 1. To assign a place to; to
put in a particular spot or place, or in a certain relative position;
to direct to a particular place; to fix; to settle; to locate; as, to
place a book on a shelf; to place balls in
tennis.
Upon my head they placed a fruitless
crown.
Shak.
2. To put or set in a particular rank, office,
or position; to surround with particular circumstances or relations in
life; to appoint to certain station or condition of life; as, in
whatever sphere one is placed.
Place such over them to be rulers.
Ex. xviii. 21.
3. To put out at interest; to invest; to loan;
as, to place money in a bank.
4. To set; to fix; to repose; as, to
place confidence in a friend. "My resolution 's
placed." Shak.
5. To attribute; to ascribe; to set
down.
Place it for her chief virtue.
Shak.
To place (a person), to identify him.
[Colloq. U.S.]
Syn. -- See Put.
||Pla*ce"bo (?), n. [L., I shall please,
fut. of placere to please.] 1. (R. C.
Ch.) The first antiphon of the vespers for the
dead.
2. (Med.) A prescription intended to
humor or satisfy.
To sing placebo, to agree with one in his
opinion; to be complaisant to. Chaucer.
Place"ful (?), a. In the appointed
place. [Obs.]
Place"less, a. Having no place or
office.
Place"man (?), n.; pl.
Placemen (&?;). One who holds or occupies a
place; one who has office under government. Sir W.
Scott.
Place"ment (?), n. [Cf. F.
placement.] 1. The act of placing, or the
state of being placed.
2. Position; place.
Pla*cen"ta (?), n.; pl. L.
Placentæ (#), E. Placentas
(#). [L., a cake, Gr. &?; a flat cake, from &?; flat, fr. &?;, &?;,
anything flat and broad.] 1. (Anat.) The
vascular appendage which connects the fetus with the parent, and is
cast off in parturition with the afterbirth.
&fist; In most mammals the placenta is principally developed from
the allantois and chorion, and tufts of vascular villi on its surface
penetrate the blood vessels of the parental uterus, and thus establish
a nutritive and excretory connection between the blood of the fetus
and that of the parent, though the blood itself does not flow from one
to the other.
2. (Bot.) The part of a pistil or fruit
to which the ovules or seeds are attached.
Pla*cen"tal (?), a. 1.
Of or pertaining to the placenta; having, or characterized by
having, a placenta; as, a placental mammal.
2. (Zoöl.) Of or pertaining to the
Placentalia.
Pla*cen"tal, n. (Zoöl.)
One of the Placentalia.
||Plac`en*ta"li*a (?), n. pl. [NL.]
(Zoöl.) A division of Mammalia including those that
have a placenta, or all the orders above the marsupials.
Pla*cen"ta*ry (?), a. Having
reference to the placenta; as, the placentary system of
classification.
Plac`en*ta"tion (?), n.
1. (Anat.) The mode of formation of the
placenta in different animals; as, the placentation of
mammals.
2. (Bot.) The mode in which the
placenta is arranged or composed; as, axile placentation;
parietal placentation.
Plac`en*tif"er*ous (?), a.
[Placenta + -ferous.] (Bot. & Zoöl.)
Having or producing a placenta.
Pla*cen"ti*form (?), a. [Placenta
+ -form.] (Bot.) Having the shape of a placenta, or
circular thickened disk somewhat thinner about the middle.
Pla*cen"tious (?), a. [See
Please.] Pleasing; amiable. [Obs.] "A
placentious person." Fuller.
Place"-proud` (?), a. Proud of rank
or office. Beau. & Fl.
Pla"cer (?), n. One who places or
sets. Spenser.
Plac"er (?), n. [Sp.] A deposit of
earth, sand, or gravel, containing valuable mineral in particles,
especially by the side of a river, or in the bed of a mountain
torrent. [U.S.]
||Pla"cet (?), n. [L. placet it
pleases.] 1. A vote of assent, as of the
governing body of a university, of an ecclesiastical council,
etc.
2. The assent of the civil power to the
promulgation of an ecclesiastical ordinance.
Shipley.
The king . . . annulled the royal
placet.
J. P. Peters.
Plac"id (?), a. [L. placidus,
originally, pleasing, mild, from placere to please: cf. F.
placide. See Please.] Pleased; contented;
unruffied; undisturbed; serene; peaceful; tranquil; quiet;
gentle. "That placid aspect and meek regard."
Milton. "Sleeping . . . the placid sleep of infancy."
Macaulay.
Pla*cid"i*ty (?), n. [L.
placiditas: cf. F. placidité.] The quality
or state of being placid; calmness; serenity.
Hawthorne.
Plac"id*ly (?), adv. In a placid
manner.
Plac"id*ness, n. The quality or
state of being placid.
Plac"it (?), n. [L. placitum. See
Plea.] A decree or determination; a dictum. [Obs.]
"The placits and opinions of other philosophers."
Evelyn.
Plac"i*to*ry (?), a. [See
Placit.] Of or pertaining to pleas or pleading, in courts
of law. [Obs.] Clayton.
||Plac"i*tum (?), n.; pl.
Placita (#). [LL. See Placit.]
1. A public court or assembly in the Middle Ages,
over which the sovereign president when a consultation was held upon
affairs of state. Brande & C.
2. (Old Eng. Law) A court, or cause in
court.
3. (Law) A plea; a pleading; a judicial
proceeding; a suit. Burrill.
Plack (?), n. [F. plaque a plate
of metal. Cf. Plaque.] A small copper coin formerly
current in Scotland, worth less than a cent.
With not a plack in the pocket of the
poet.
Prof. Wilson.
Plack"et (?), n. [F. plaquer to
lay or clap on. See Placard.] 1. A
petticoat, esp. an under petticoat; hence, a cant term for a
woman. [Obs.] Beau. & Fl.
2. The opening or slit left in a petticoat or
skirt for convenience in putting it on; -- called also placket
hole.
3. A woman's pocket.
Plac"o*derm (?), n. [Gr. &?;, &?;,
tablet + &?; skin.] (Paleon.) One of the
Placodermi.
Plac`o*der"mal (?), a. (Paleon.)
Of or pertaining to the placoderms; like the
placoderms.
||Plac`o*der"ma*ta (?), n. pl. [NL.]
(Paleon.) Same as Placodermi.
||Plac`o*der"mi (?), n. pl. [NL., fr.
Gr. &?;, &?;, a tablet + &?; skin.] (Paleon.) An extinct
group of fishes, supposed to be ganoids. The body and head were
covered with large bony plates. See Illust. under
Pterichthys, and Coccosteus.
Plac`o*ga"noid (?), a.
(Zoöl.) Pertaining to the Placoganoidei.
||Plac`o*ga*noi"de*i (?), n. pl. [NL.,
fr. Gr. &?;, &?;, a tablet + NL. ganoidei. See
Ganoidei.] (Zoöl.) A division of ganoid fishes
including those that have large external bony plates and a
cartilaginous skeleton.
Plac"oid (?), a. [Gr. &?;, &?;, a tablet
+ -oid.] (Zoöl.) Platelike; having irregular,
platelike, bony scales, often bearing spines; pertaining to the
placoids.
Plac"oid, n. (Zoöl.)
(a) Any fish having placoid scales, as the
sharks. (b) One of the Placoides.
||Pla*coi"des (?), n. pl. [NL.]
(Zoöl.) A group of fishes including the sharks and
rays; the Elasmobranchii; -- called also Placoidei.
Pla*coid"i*an (?), n.
(Zoöl.) One of the placoids.
||Pla*coph"o*ra (?), n. pl. [NL., from
Gr. &?;, &?;, tablet + &?; to bear.] (Zoöl.) A
division of gastropod Mollusca, including the chitons. The back is
covered by eight shelly plates. Called also Polyplacophora. See
Illust. under Chiton, and Isopleura.
||Pla"ga (?), n.; pl.
Plagæ (#). [L. plāga a blow, a
welt, a stripe.] (Zoöl.) A stripe of color.
Pla"gal (?), a. [F., from Gr. &?;
sidewise, slanting.] (Mus.) Having a scale running from
the dominant to its octave; -- said of certain old church modes or
tunes, as opposed to those called authentic, which ran from the
tonic to its octave.
Plagal cadence, a cadence in which the final
chord on the tonic is preceded by the chord on the
subdominant.
Pla"gate (?), a. (Zoöl.)
Having plagæ, or irregular enlongated color
spots.
Plage (?), n. [F., fr. L. plaga.]
A region; country. [Obs.] "The plages of the north."
Chaucer.
Pla"gia*rism (?), n. [Cf. F.
plagiarisme.] 1. The act or practice of
plagiarizing.
2. That which plagiarized.
Pla"gia*rist (?), n. One who
plagiarizes; or purloins the words, writings, or ideas of another, and
passes them off as his own; a literary thief; a plagiary.
Pla"gia*rize (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Plagiarized (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Plagiarizing.] To steal or purloin from the
writings of another; to appropriate without due acknowledgement (the
ideas or expressions of another).
Pla"gia*ry, v. i. To commit
plagiarism.
Pla"gia*ry (?), n.; pl.
Plagiaries (#). [L. plagiarius a kidnaper, a
literary thief, fr. plagium kidnaping; cf. plaga a net,
perh. akin to E. plait: cf. F. plagiaire.]
1. A manstealer; a kidnaper. [Obs.]
2. One who purloins another's expressions or
ideas, and offers them as his own; a plagiarist.
Dryden.
3. Plagiarism; literary thief.
Milton.
Pla"gia*ry, a. 1.
Kidnaping. [Obs.] E. Browne.
2. Practicing plagiarism. Bp.
Hall.
Pla`gi*he"dral (?), a. [Gr. &?; oblique
+ &?; base, seat.] (Crystallog.) Having an oblique spiral
arrangement of planes, as levogyrate and dextrogyrate
crystals.
Pla`gi*o*ce*phal"ic (?), a. [Gr. &?;
oblique + &?; the head.] (Anat.) Having an oblique lateral
deformity of the skull.
Pla`gi*o*ceph"a*ly (?), n.
(Anat.) Oblique lateral deformity of the skull.
Pla"gi*o*clase (?), n. [Gr. &?; oblique
+ &?; to break.] (Min.) A general term used of any
triclinic feldspar. See the Note under Feldspar.
Pla"gi*o*nite (?), n. [Gr. &?; oblique.
So called in allusion to its usually oblique crystallization.]
(Min.) A sulphide of lead and antimony, of a blackish
lead-gray color and metallic luster.
Pla`gi*o*stom"a*tous (?), a.
(Zoöl.) Same as Plagiostomous.
Pla"gi*o*stome (?), n.
(Zoöl.) One of the Plagiostomi.
||Pla`gi*os"to*mi (?), n. pl. [NL., from
Gr. &?; slanting + &?;, &?;, mouth.] (Zoöl.) An order
of fishes including the sharks and rays; -- called also
Plagiostomata.
Pla`gi*os"to*mous (?), a.
(Zoöl.) Of or pertaining to the
Plagiostomi.
||Pla`gi*o*trem"a*ta (?), n. pl.; [NL.,
fr. Gr. &?; slanting + &?;, &?;, a hole.] (Zoöl.)
Same as Lepidosauria.
Pla`gi*o*trop"ic (?), a. [Gr. &?; aslant
+ &?; to turn.] (Bot.) Having the longer axis inclined
away from the vertical line.
||Pla"gi*um (?), n. [L.] (Civil
Law) Manstealing; kidnaping.
Pla*gose" (?), a. [L. plagosus.
See Plague.] Fond of flogging; as, a plagose
master. [R.]
Plague (?), n. [L. plaga a blow,
stroke, plague; akin to Gr. &?;, fr. &?; to strike; cf. L.
plangere to strike, beat. Cf. Plaint.]
1. That which smites, wounds, or troubles; a
blow; a calamity; any afflictive evil or torment; a great trail or
vexation. Shak.
And men blasphemed God for the plague of
hail.
Wyclif.
The different plague of each
calamity.
Shak.
2. (Med.) An acute malignant contagious
fever, that often prevails in Egypt, Syria, and Turkey, and has at
times visited the large cities of Europe with frightful mortality;
hence, any pestilence; as, the great London plague. "A
plague upon the people fell." Tennyson.
Cattle plague. See Rinderpest. --
Plague mark, Plague spot, a
spot or mark of the plague; hence, a token of something
incurable.
Plague, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Plagued (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Plaguing.] 1. To infest or afflict with
disease, calamity, or natural evil of any kind.
Thus were they plagued
And worn with famine.
Milton.
2. Fig.: To vex; to tease; to
harass.
She will plague the man that loves her
most.
Spenser.
Syn. -- To vex; torment; distress; afflict; harass; annoy;
tease; tantalize; trouble; molest; embarrass; perplex.
Plague"ful (?), a. Abounding, or
infecting, with plagues; pestilential; as, plagueful
exhalations.
Plague"less, a. Free from plagues
or the plague.
Pla"guer (?), n. One who plagues or
annoys.
Pla"gui*ly (?), adv. In a plaguing
manner; vexatiously; extremely. [Colloq.] "Ronsard is so
plaguily stiff and stately." Landor.
Pla"guy (?), a. Vexatious;
troublesome; tormenting; as, a plaguy horse. [Colloq.] Also
used adverbially; as, "He is so plaguy proud."
Shak.
Plaice (?), n. [F. plaise,
plais, prob. fr. L. platessa flatish, plaice. See
Place.] (Zoöl.) (a) A European
food fish (Pleuronectes platessa), allied to the flounder, and
growing to the weight of eight or ten pounds or more.
(b) A large American flounder (Paralichthys
dentatus; called also brail, puckermouth, and
summer flounder. The name is sometimes applied to other allied
species. [Written also plaise.]
Plaice mouth, a mouth like that of a plaice;
a small or wry mouth. [R.] B. Jonson.
Plaid (?), n. [Gael. plaide a
blanket or plaid, contr. fr. peallaid a sheepskin, fr.
peall a skin or hide. CF. Pillion.] 1.
A rectangular garment or piece of cloth, usually made of the
checkered material called tartan, but sometimes of plain gray, or gray
with black stripes. It is worn by both sexes in Scotland.
2. Goods of any quality or material of the
pattern of a plaid or tartan; a checkered cloth or pattern.
Plaid, a. Having a pattern or
colors which resemble a Scotch plaid; checkered or marked with bars or
stripes at right angles to one another; as, plaid
muslin.
Plaid"ed, a. 1. Of
the material of which plaids are made; tartan. "In
plaided vest." Wordsworth.
2. Wearing a plaid.
Campbell.
Plaid"ing (?), n. Plaid
cloth.
Plain (?), v. i. [OE. playne,
pleyne, fr. F. plaindre. See Plaint.] To
lament; to bewail; to complain. [Archaic & Poetic]
Milton.
We with piteous heart unto you
pleyne.
Chaucer.
Plain, v. t. To lament; to mourn
over; as, to plain a loss. [Archaic & Poetic] Sir J.
Harrington.
Plain, a. [Compar.
Plainer (?); superl. Plainest.] [F.,
level, flat, fr. L. planus, perhaps akin to E. floor.
Cf. Llano, Piano, Plan, Plane level, a
level surface.] 1. Without elevations or
depressions; flat; level; smooth; even. See Plane.
The crooked shall be made straight, and the rough
places plain.
Isa. xl. 4.
2. Open; clear; unencumbered; equal;
fair.
Our troops beat an army in plain
fight.
Felton.
3. Not intricate or difficult; evident;
manifest; obvious; clear; unmistakable. "'T is a plain
case." Shak.
4. (a) Void of extraneous
beauty or ornament; without conspicious embellishment; not rich;
simple. (b) Not highly cultivated;
unsophisticated; free from show or pretension; simple; natural;
homely; common. "Plain yet pious Christians."
Hammond. "The plain people." A. Lincoln.
(c) Free from affectation or disguise; candid;
sincere; artless; honest; frank. "An honest mind, and
plain." Shak. (d) Not luxurious;
not highly seasoned; simple; as, plain food.
(e) Without beauty; not handsome; homely; as, a
plain woman. (f) Not variegated,
dyed, or figured; as, plain muslin. (g)
Not much varied by modulations; as, a plain
tune.
Plain battle, open battle; pitched
battle. [Obs.] Chaucer. -- Plain chant
(Mus.) Same as Plain song, below. --
Plain chart (Naut.), a chart laid down on
Mercator's projection. -- Plain dealer.
(a) One who practices plain dealing.
(b) A simpleton. [Obs.] Shak. --
Plain dealing. See under Dealing. --
Plain molding (Join.), molding of which
the surfaces are plain figures. -- Plain
sewing, sewing of seams by simple and common stitches,
in distinct from fancy work, embroidery, etc.; -- distinguished also
from designing and fitting garments. -- Plain
song. (a) The Gregorian chant, or
canto fermo; the prescribed melody of the Roman Catholic
service, sung in unison, in tones of equal length, and rarely
extending beyond the compass of an octave. (b)
A simple melody. -- Plain speaking,
plainness or bluntness of speech.
Syn. -- Level; flat; smooth; open; artless; unaffected;
undisguised; frank; sincere; honest; candid; ingenuous; unembellished;
downright; blunt; clear; simple; distinct; manifest; obvious;
apparent. See Manifest.
Plain, adv. In a plain manner;
plainly. "To speak short and pleyn." Chaucer. "To
tell you plain." Shak.
Plain, n. [Cf. OF. plaigne, F.
plaine. See Plain, a.]
1. Level land; usually, an open field or a broad
stretch of land with an even surface, or a surface little varied by
inequalities; as, the plain of Jordan; the American
plains, or prairies.
Descending fro the mountain into
playn.
Chaucer.
Him the Ammonite
Worshiped in Rabba and her watery plain.
Milton.
2. A field of battle. [Obs.]
Arbuthnot.
Lead forth my soldiers to the
plain.
Shak.
Plain, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Plained (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n.
Plaining.] [Cf. Plane, v.]
1. To plane or level; to make plain or even on
the surface. [R.]
We would rake Europe rather, plain the
East.
Wither.
2. To make plain or manifest; to
explain.
What's dumb in show, I'll plain in
speech.
Shak.
Plain"ant (?), n. [See 1st
Plain.] (Law) One who makes complaint; the
plaintiff. [Obs.]
Plain"-deal`ing (?), a. Practicing
plain dealing; artless. See Plain dealing, under
Dealing. Shak.
Plain"-heart`ed (?), a. Frank;
sincere; artless. Milton. -- Plain"-
heart`ed*ness, n.
Plain"ing, n. Complaint.
[Poetic] Shak.
Plain"ing, a. Complaining.
[Poetic] Bryant.
Plain"-laid` (?), a. (Naut.)
Consisting of strands twisted together in the ordinary way; as, a
plain-laid rope. See Illust. of
Cordage.
Plain"ly, adv. In a plain manner;
clearly.
Plain"ness, n. The quality or state
of being plain.
Plains"man (?), n.; pl. -
men (&?;). One who lives in the plains.
Plain"-spo`ken (?), a. Speaking
with plain, unreserved sincerity; also, spoken sincerely; as,
plain-spoken words. Dryden.
Plaint (?), n. [OE. plainte,
pleynte, F. plainte, fr. L. plangere,
planctum (plancta, fem. p. p.), to beat, beat the
breast, lament. Cf. Complain, Plague, Plangent.]
1. Audible expression of sorrow; lamentation;
complaint; hence, a mournful song; a lament. Chaucer."The
Psalmist's mournful plaint." Wordsworth.
2. An accusation or protest on account of an
injury.
There are three just grounds of war with Spain: one of
plaint, two upon defense.
Bacon.
3. (Law) A private memorial tendered to
a court, in which a person sets forth his cause of action; the
exhibiting of an action in writing. Blackstone.
Plaint"ful (?), a. Containing a
plaint; complaining; expressing sorrow with an audible voice.
"My plaintful tongue." Sir P. Sidney.
Plain"tiff (?), n. [F. plaintif
making complaint, plaintive; in Old French equiv. to plaignant
complainant, prosecutor, fr. plaindre. See Plaint, and
cf. Plaintive.] (Law) One who commences a personal
action or suit to obtain a remedy for an injury to his rights; --
opposed to defendant.
Plain"tiff, a. See
Plaintive. [Obs.] Prior.
Plain"tive (?), a. [F. plaintif.
See Plaintiff, n.] 1.
Repining; complaining; lamenting. Dryden.
2. Expressive of sorrow or melancholy;
mournful; sad. "The most plaintive ditty."
Landor.
-- Plain"tive*ly, adv. --
Plain"tive*ness, n.
Plaint"less (?), a. Without
complaint; unrepining. "Plaintless patience."
Savage.
Plai`sance" (?), n. [F.] See
Pleasance.
Plaise (?), n. (Zoöl.)
See Plaice. [Obs.]
Plais"ter (?), n. [Obs.] See
Plaster.
Plait (?), n. [OE. playte, OF.
pleit, L. plicatum, plicitum, p. p. of
plicare to fold, akin to plectere to plait. See
Ply, and cf. Plat to weave, Pleat, Plight
fold.] 1. A flat fold; a doubling, as of cloth; a
pleat; as, a box plait.
The plaits and foldings of the
drapery.
Addison.
2. A braid, as of hair or straw; a
plat.
Polish plait. (Med.) Same as
Plica.
Plait, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Plaited; p. pr. & vb. n.
Plaiting.] 1. To fold; to double in narrow
folds; to pleat; as, to plait a ruffle.
2. To interweave the strands or locks of; to
braid; to plat; as, to plait hair; to plait
rope.
Plait"ed, a. Folded; doubled over;
braided; figuratively, involved; intricate; artful.
Time shall unfold what plaited cunning
hides.
Shak.
Plait"er (?), n. One who, or that
which, plaits.
Plan (?), n. [F., fr. L. planus
flat, level. See Plain, a.]
1. A draught or form; properly, a representation
drawn on a plane, as a map or a chart; especially, a top view, as of a
machine, or the representation or delineation of a horizontal section
of anything, as of a building; a graphic representation; a
diagram.
2. A scheme devised; a method of action or
procedure expressed or described in language; a project; as, the
plan of a constitution; the plan of an
expedition.
God's plans like lines pure and white
unfold.
M. R. Smith.
3. A method; a way of procedure; a
custom.
The simple plan,
That they should take who have the power,
And they should keep who can.
Wordsworth.
Body plan, Floor plan, etc.
See under Body, Floor, etc.
Syn. -- Scheme; draught; delineation; plot; sketch; project;
design; contrivance; device. See Scheme.
Plan, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Planned (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Planning.] 1. To form a delineation of; to
draught; to represent, as by a diagram.
2. To scheme; to devise; to contrive; to form
in design; as, to plan the conquest of a country.
Even in penance, planning sins
anew.
Goldsmith.
||Pla*na"ri*a (?), n.; pl. L.
Planariæ (#), E. -rias (#).
[NL. See Planary.] (Zoöl.) Any species of
turbellarian worms belonging to Planaria, and many allied
genera. The body is usually flat, thin, and smooth. Some species, in
warm countries, are terrestrial.
Pla*na"ri*an (?), n. (Zoöl.)
One of the Planarida, or Dendrocœla; any turbellarian
worm. -- Pla*na"ri*an, a.
||Pla*nar"i*da (?), n. pl. [NL.]
(Zoöl.) A division of Turbellaria; the
Dendrocœla.
Pla*na"ri*oid (?), a. [Planaria +
-oid.] (Zoöl.) Like the planarians.
Pla"na*ry (?), a. [L. planarius
level. See Plane, a.] Of or pertaining
to a plane. [R.]
Planch (?), n. [F. planche.]
A plank. [Obs.] Ld. Berners.
Planch, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Planched (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Planching.] [F. planche a board, plank. See
Plank.] To make or cover with planks or boards; to
plank. [Obs.] "To that vineyard is a planched gate."
Shak.
Planch"er (?), n. [F., planche.
See Planch.] 1. A floor of wood; also, a
plank. [Obs.] Bacon.
2. (Arch.) The under side of a cornice;
a soffit.
Planch"er, v. t. To form of
planks. [Obs.] Golding.
Planch"et (?), n. [F. planchette
a small board, dim. of planche. See Planch.] A flat
piece of metal; especially, a disk of metal ready to be stamped as a
coin.
Plan`chette" (?), n. [F. See
Planchet.] 1. A circumferentor. See
Circumferentor.
2. A small tablet of wood supported on casters
and having a pencil attached. The characters produced by the pencil on
paper, while the hand rests on the instrument and it is allowed to
move, are sometimes translated as of oracular or supernatural
import.
Planch"ing (?), n. The laying of
floors in a building; also, a floor of boards or planks.
Plane (?), n. [F., fr. L.
platanus, Gr. &?;, fr. &?; broad; -- so called on account of
its broad leaves and spreading form. See Place, and cf.
Platane, Plantain the tree.] (Bot.) Any tree
of the genus Platanus.
&fist; The Oriental plane (Platanus orientalis) is a native
of Asia. It rises with a straight, smooth, branching stem to a great
height, with palmated leaves, and long pendulous peduncles, sustaining
several heads of small close-sitting flowers. The seeds are downy, and
collected into round, rough, hard balls. The Occidental plane
(Platanus occidentalis), which grows to a great height, is a
native of North America, where it is popularly called sycamore,
buttonwood, and buttonball, names also applied to the
California species (Platanus racemosa).
Plane (?), a. [L. planus: cf. F.
plan. See Plan, a.] Without
elevations or depressions; even; level; flat; lying in, or
constituting, a plane; as, a plane surface.
&fist; In science, this word (instead of plain) is almost
exclusively used to designate a flat or level surface.
Plane angle, the angle included between two
straight lines in a plane. -- Plane chart,
Plane curve. See under Chart and
Curve. -- Plane figure, a figure all
points of which lie in the same plane. If bounded by straight lines it
is a rectilinear plane figure, if by curved lines it is a
curvilinear plane figure. -- Plane
geometry, that part of geometry which treats of the
relations and properties of plane figures. -- Plane
problem, a problem which can be solved geometrically by
the aid of the right line and circle only. -- Plane
sailing (Naut.), the method of computing a ship's
place and course on the supposition that the earth's surface is a
plane. -- Plane scale (Naut.), a
scale for the use of navigators, on which are graduated chords, sines,
tangents, secants, rhumbs, geographical miles, etc. --
Plane surveying, surveying in which the
curvature of the earth is disregarded; ordinary field and
topographical surveying of tracts of moderate extent. --
Plane table, an instrument used for plotting the
lines of a survey on paper in the field. -- Plane
trigonometry, the branch of trigonometry in which its
principles are applied to plane triangles.
Plane, n. [F. plane, L.
plana. See Plane, v. &
a.] 1. (Geom.) A
surface, real or imaginary, in which, if any two points are taken, the
straight line which joins them lies wholly in that surface; or a
surface, any section of which by a like surface is a straight line; a
surface without curvature.
2. (Astron.) An ideal surface,
conceived as coinciding with, or containing, some designated
astronomical line, circle, or other curve; as, the plane of an
orbit; the plane of the ecliptic, or of the equator.
3. (Mech.) A block or plate having a
perfectly flat surface, used as a standard of flatness; a surface
plate.
4. (Joinery) A tool for smoothing
boards or other surfaces of wood, for forming moldings, etc. It
consists of a smooth-soled stock, usually of wood, from the under side
or face of which projects slightly the steel cutting edge of a chisel,
called the iron, which inclines backward, with an apperture in
front for the escape of shavings; as, the jack plane; the
smoothing plane; the molding plane, etc.
Objective plane (Surv.), the
horizontal plane upon which the object which is to be delineated, or
whose place is to be determined, is supposed to stand. --
Perspective plane. See Perspective.
-- Plane at infinity (Geom.), a plane in
which points infinitely distant are conceived as situated. --
Plane iron, the cutting chisel of a joiner's
plane. -- Plane of polarization. (Opt.)
See Polarization. -- Plane of
projection. (a) The plane on which the
projection is made, corresponding to the perspective plane in
perspective; -- called also principal plane.
(b) (Descriptive Geom.) One of the planes
to which points are referred for the purpose of determining their
relative position in space. -- Plane of
refraction or reflection (Opt.),
the plane in which lie both the incident ray and the refracted or
reflected ray.
Plane, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Planed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Planing.] [Cf. F. planer, L. planare, fr.
planus. See Plane, a., Plain,
a., and cf. Planish.] 1.
To make smooth; to level; to pare off the inequalities of the
surface of, as of a board or other piece of wood, by the use of a
plane; as, to plane a plank.
2. To efface or remove.
He planed away the names . . . written on his
tables.
Chaucer.
3. Figuratively, to make plain or
smooth. [R.]
What student came but that you planed her
path.
Tennyson.
Plane`-par"al*lel (?), a.
(Optics) Having opposite surfaces exactly plane and
parallel, as a piece of glass.
Plan"er (?), n. 1.
One who, or that which, planes; a planing machine; esp., a
machine for planing wood or metals.
2. (Print.) A wooden block used for
forcing down the type in a form, and making the surface even.
Hansard.
Planer centers. See under
Center.
Plan"er tree` (?). [From J. S. Planer, a German
botanist.] (Bot.) A small-leaved North American tree
(Planera aquatica) related to the elm, but having a wingless,
nutlike fruit.
Plan"et (?), n. [OE. planete, F.
planète, L. planeta, fr. Gr. &?;, and &?; a
planet; prop. wandering, fr. &?; to wander, fr. &?; a wandering.]
1. (Astron.) A celestial body which
revolves about the sun in an orbit of a moderate degree of
eccentricity. It is distinguished from a comet by the absence
of a coma, and by having a less eccentric orbit. See Solar
system.
&fist; The term planet was first used to distinguish those
stars which have an apparent motion through the constellations from
the fixed stars, which retain their relative places unchanged.
The inferior planets are Mercury and Venus, which are nearer to
the sun than is the earth; the superior planets are Mars, the
asteroids, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, which are farther
from the sun than is the earth. Primary planets are those which
revolve about the sun; secondary planets, or moons, are
those which revolve around the primary planets as satellites, and at
the same time revolve with them about the sun.
2. A star, as influencing the fate of a
men.
There's some ill planet reigns.
Shak.
Planet gear. (Mach.) See Epicyclic
train, under Epicyclic. -- Planet
wheel, a gear wheel which revolves around the wheel with
which it meshes, in an epicyclic train.
Plane" ta`ble (?). See under Plane,
a.
Plan`e*ta"ri*um (?), n. [NL.: cf. F.
planétaire. See Planetary.] An orrery. See
Orrery.
Plan"et*a*ry (?), a. [Cf. L.
planetarius an astrologer, F. planétaire
planetary. See Planet.] 1. Of or
pertaining to the planets; as, planetary inhabitants;
planetary motions; planetary year.
2. Consisting of planets; as, a
planetary system.
3. (Astrol.) Under the dominion or
influence of a planet. "Skilled in the planetary hours."
Drayton.
4. Caused by planets. "A
planetary plague." Shak.
5. Having the nature of a planet; erratic;
revolving; wandering. "Erratical and planetary life."
Fuller.
Planetary days, the days of the week as
shared among the planets known to the ancients, each having its
day. Hutton. -- Planetary nebula, a
nebula exhibiting a uniform disk, like that of a planet.
Plan"et*ed, a. Belonging to
planets. [R.] Young.
{ Pla*net"ic (?), Pla*net"ic*al (?), }
a. [L. planeticus, Gr. &?;.] Of or
pertaining to planets. Sir T. Browne.
Plan"et*oid (?), n. [Planet +
-oid.] (Astron.) A body resembling a planet; an
asteroid.
Plan"et*oid*al (?), a. Pertaining
to a planetoid.
Plane" tree` (?). (Bot.) Same as 1st
Plane.
{ Plan"et-strick`en (?), Plan"et-struck` (?), }
a. Affected by the influence of planets;
blasted. Milton.
Like planet-stricken men of yore
He trembles, smitten to the core
By strong compunction and remorse.
Wordsworth.
Plan"et*ule (?), n. A little
planet. [R.] Conybeare.
Plan"gen*cy (?), n. The quality or
state of being plangent; a beating sound. [R.]
Plan"gent (?), a. [L. plangens,
-entis, fr. plangere to beat. See Plaint.]
Beating; dashing, as a wave. [R.] "The plangent
wave." H. Taylor.
{ Plan"i- (?), Plan"o- (?) }. [L. planus.
See Plane, a.] Combining forms
signifying flat, level, plane; as
planifolious, planimetry, plano-
concave.
Plan`i*fo"li*ous (?), a. [Plani-
+ L. folium leaf.] (Bot.) Flat-leaved.
Plan"i*form (?), a. (Anat.)
Having a plane surface; as, a planiform, gliding, or
arthrodial articulation.
Pla*nim"e*ter (?), n. [Plani- +
-meter. Cf. Planometer.] An instrument for
measuring the area of any plane figure, however irregular, by passing
a tracer around the bounding line; a platometer.
{ Plan`i*met"ric (?; 277), Plan`i*met"ric*al (?),
} a. [Cf. F. planimétrique.] Of
or pertaining to planimetry.
Pla*nim"e*try (?), n. [Cf. F.
planimétrie.] The mensuration of plane surfaces; --
distinguished from stereometry, or the mensuration of
volumes.
Plan"ing (?), a. & vb. n. fr.
Plane, v. t.
Planing machine. (a) See
Planer. (b) A complex machine for
planing wood, especially boards, containing usually a rapidly
revolving cutter, which chips off the surface in small shavings as the
piece to be planed is passed under it by feeding apparatus.
Pla`ni*pen"nate (?), a. Of or
pertaining to Planipennia.
||Pla`ni*pen"ni*a (?), n. pl. [NL., fr.
L. planus plane + penna wing.] (Zoöl.)
A suborder of Neuroptera, including those that have broad, flat
wings, as the ant-lion, lacewing, etc. Called also
Planipennes.
Plan`i*pet"al*ous (?), a. [Plani-
+ petal.] (Bot.) Having flat petals.
Plan"ish (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Planished (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Planishing.] [OF. planir, F. planer. See
Plane, v., and -ish.] To make
smooth or plane, as a metallic surface; to condense, toughen, and
polish by light blows with a hammer.
Plan"ish*er (?), n. One who, or
that which, planishes. Weale.
Plan"ish*ing, a. & vb. n. from
Planish, v. t.
Planishing rolls (Coining), rolls
between which metal strips are passed while cold, to bring them to
exactly the required thickness.
Plan"i*sphere (?), n. [Plani- +
sphere: cf. F. planisphère. See Plain, and
Sphere.] The representation of the circles of the sphere
upon a plane; especially, a representation of the celestial sphere
upon a plane with adjustable circles, or other appendages, for showing
the position of the heavens, the time of rising and setting of stars,
etc., for any given date or hour.
Plan`i*spher"ic (?), a. Of or
pertaining to a planisphere.
Plank (?), n. [OE. planke, OF.
planque, planche, F. planche, fr. L.
planca; cf. Gr. &?;, &?;, anything flat and broad. Cf.
Planch.] 1. A broad piece of sawed timber,
differing from a board only in being thicker. See
Board.
2. Fig.: That which supports or upholds, as a
board does a swimmer.
His charity is a better plank than the faith of
an intolerant and bitter-minded bigot.
Southey.
3. One of the separate articles in a
declaration of the principles of a party or cause; as, a plank
in the national platform. [Cant]
Plank road, or Plank way, a
road surface formed of planks. [U.S.] -- To walk the
plank, to walk along a plank laid across the bulwark of
a ship, until one overbalances it and falls into the sea; -- a method
of disposing of captives practiced by pirates.
Plank (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Planked (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Planking.] 1. To cover or lay with planks;
as, to plank a floor or a ship. "Planked with
pine." Dryden.
2. To lay down, as on a plank or table; to
stake or pay cash; as, to plank money in a wager.
[Colloq. U.S.]
3. To harden, as hat bodies, by
felting.
4. (Wooden Manuf.) To splice together
the ends of slivers of wool, for subsequent drawing.
Planked shad, shad split open, fastened to a
plank, and roasted before a wood fire.
Plank"ing, n. 1.
The act of laying planks; also, planks, collectively; a series of
planks in place, as the wooden covering of the frame of a
vessel.
2. The act of splicing slivers. See
Plank, v. t., 4.
Plank"-sheer` (?), n.
(Shipbuilding) The course of plank laid horizontally over
the timberheads of a vessel's frame.
Plan"less (?), a. Having no
plan.
Plan"ner (?), n. One who plans; a
projector.
Pla"no- (?). See Plani-.
Plan"o*blast (?), n. [Gr. &?; to wander
+ -blast.] (Zoöl.) Any free-swimming gonophore
of a hydroid; a hydroid medusa.
Pla"no-con"cave (?), a. [Plano- +
concave.] Plane or flat on one side, and concave on the
other; as, a plano-concave lens. See Lens.
Pla"no-con"ic*al (?), a. [Plano-
+ conical.] Plane or flat on one side, and conical on the
other. Grew.
Pla"no-con"vex (?), a. [Plano- +
convex.] Plane or flat on one side, and convex on the
other; as, a plano-convex lens. See Convex, and
Lens.
Pla"no-hor`i*zon"tal (?), a. [Plano-
+ horizontal.] Having a level horizontal surface or
position. Lee.
Pla*nom"e*ter (?), n. [Plano- +
-meter. Cf. Planimeter.] An instrument for gauging
or testing a plane surface. See Surface gauge, under
Surface.
Pla*nom"e*try (?), n. (Mech.)
The art or process of producing or gauging a plane
surface.
Pla"no-or*bic"u*lar (?), a. [Plano-
+ orbicular.] Plane or flat on one side, and
spherical on the other.
||Pla*nor"bis (?), n. [NL., fr. L.
planus flat + orbis a circle.] (Zoöl.)
Any fresh-water air-breathing mollusk belonging to
Planorbis and other allied genera, having shells of a discoidal
form.
Pla"no-su"bu*late (?), a. [Plano-
+ subulate.] Smooth and awl-shaped. See
Subulate.
Plant (?), n. [AS. plante, L.
planta.] 1. A vegetable; an organized
living being, generally without feeling and voluntary motion, and
having, when complete, a root, stem, and leaves, though consisting
sometimes only of a single leafy expansion, or a series of cellules,
or even a single cellule.
&fist; Plants are divided by their structure and methods of
reproduction into two series, phænogamous or flowering
plants, which have true flowers and seeds, and cryptogamous
or flowerless plants, which have no flowers, and reproduce by
minute one-celled spores. In both series are minute and simple forms
and others of great size and complexity.
As to their mode of nutrition, plants may be considered as
self-supporting and dependent. Self-supporting
plants always contain chlorophyll, and subsist on air and moisture
and the matter dissolved in moisture, and as a general rule they
excrete oxygen, and use the carbonic acid to combine with water and
form the material for their tissues. Dependent plants comprise
all fungi and many flowering plants of a parasitic or saprophytic
nature. As a rule, they have no chlorophyll, and subsist mainly or
wholly on matter already organized, thus utilizing carbon compounds
already existing, and not excreting oxygen. But there are plants which
are partly dependent and partly self-supporting.
The movements of climbing plants, of some insectivorous plants,
of leaves, stamens, or pistils in certain plants, and the ciliary
motion of zoöspores, etc., may be considered a kind of voluntary
motion.
2. A bush, or young tree; a sapling; hence, a
stick or staff. "A plant of stubborn oak."
Dryden.
3. The sole of the foot. [R.] "Knotty
legs and plants of clay." B. Jonson.
4. (Com.) The whole machinery and
apparatus employed in carrying on a trade or mechanical business;
also, sometimes including real estate, and whatever represents
investment of capital in the means of carrying on a business, but not
including material worked upon or finished products; as, the
plant of a foundry, a mill, or a railroad.
5. A plan; an artifice; a swindle; a
trick. [Slang]
It was n't a bad plant, that of mine, on
Fikey.
Dickens.
6. (Zoöl.) (a) An
oyster which has been bedded, in distinction from one of natural
growth. (b) A young oyster suitable for
transplanting. [Local, U.S.]
Plant bug (Zoöl.), any one of
numerous hemipterous insects which injure the foliage of plants, as
Lygus lineolaris, which damages wheat and trees. --
Plant cutter (Zoöl.), a South
American passerine bird of the genus Phytotoma, family
Phytotomidæ. It has a serrated bill with which it cuts
off the young shoots and buds of plants, often doing much injury.
-- Plant louse (Zoöl.), any small
hemipterous insect which infests plants, especially those of the
families Aphidæ and Psyllidæ; an
aphid.
Plant (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Planted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Planting.] [AS. plantian, L. plantare. See
Plant, n.] 1. To put in
the ground and cover, as seed for growth; as, to plant
maize.
2. To set in the ground for growth, as a young
tree, or a vegetable with roots.
Thou shalt not plant thee a grove of any
trees.
Deut. xvi. 21.
3. To furnish, or fit out, with plants; as, to
plant a garden, an orchard, or a forest.
4. To engender; to generate; to set the germ
of.
It engenders choler, planteth
anger.
Shak.
5. To furnish with a fixed and organized
population; to settle; to establish; as, to plant a
colony.
Planting of countries like planting of
woods.
Bacon.
6. To introduce and establish the principles
or seeds of; as, to plant Christianity among the
heathen.
7. To set firmly; to fix; to set and direct,
or point; as, to plant cannon against a fort; to plant a
standard in any place; to plant one's feet on solid ground; to
plant one's fist in another's face.
8. To set up; to install; to
instate.
We will plant some other in the
throne.
Shak.
Plant, v. i. To perform the act of
planting.
I have planted; Apollos watered.
1 Cor. iii. 6.
Plant"a*ble (?), a. Capable of
being planted; fit to be planted. B. Edwards.
Plant"age (?), n. A word used once
by Shakespeare to designate plants in general, or anything that is
planted.
As true as steel, as plantage to the
moon.
Shak. (Troil. iii. sc. 2).
Plan"tain (?), n. [Cf. F. plantain-
arbre, plantanier, Sp. plántano,
plátano; prob. same word as plane tree.]
1. (Bot.) A treelike perennial herb
(Musa paradisiaca) of tropical regions, bearing immense leaves
and large clusters of the fruits called plantains. See
Musa.
2. The fruit of this plant. It is long and
somewhat cylindrical, slightly curved, and, when ripe, soft, fleshy,
and covered with a thick but tender yellowish skin. The plantain is a
staple article of food in most tropical countries, especially when
cooked.
Plantain cutter, or Plantain
eater (Zoöl.), any one of several large
African birds of the genus Musophaga, or family
Musophagidæ, especially Musophaga violacea. See
Turaco. They are allied to the cuckoos. --
Plantain squirrel (Zoöl.), a Java
squirrel (Sciurus plantani) which feeds upon plantains. --
Plantain tree (Bot.), the treelike herb
Musa paradisiaca. See def. 1 (above).
Plan"tain, n. [F., fr. L.
plantago. Cf. Plant.] (Bot.) Any plant of
the genus Plantago, but especially the P. major, a low
herb with broad spreading radical leaves, and slender spikes of minute
flowers. It is a native of Europe, but now found near the abode of
civilized man in nearly all parts of the world.
Indian plantain. (Bot.) See under
Indian. -- Mud plantain, a homely
North American aquatic plant (Heteranthera reniformis), having
broad, reniform leaves. -- Rattlesnake
plantain, an orchidaceous plant (Goodyera
pubescens), with the leaves blotched and spotted with white.
-- Ribwort plantain. See Ribwort. --
Robin's plantain, the Erigeron
bellidifolium, a common daisylike plant of North America. --
Water plantain, a plant of the genus
Alisma, having acrid leaves, and formerly regarded as a
specific against hydrophobia. Loudon.
Plant"al (?), a. [L. planta a
plant.] Belonging to plants; as, plantal life.
[Obs.] Dr. H. More.
Plan"tar (?), a. [L. plantaris,
fr. planta the sole of the foot.] (Anat.) Of or
pertaining to the sole of the foot; as, the plantar
arteries.
Plan*ta"tion (?), n. [L.
plantatio: cf. F. plantation.] 1.
The act or practice of planting, or setting in the earth for
growth. [R.]
2. The place planted; land brought under
cultivation; a piece of ground planted with trees or useful plants;
esp., in the United States and West Indies, a large estate
appropriated to the production of the more important crops, and
cultivated by laborers who live on the estate; as, a cotton
plantation; a coffee plantation.
3. An original settlement in a new country; a
colony.
While these plantations were forming in
Connecticut.
B. Trumbull.
Plant"-cane` (?), n. A stalk or
shoot of sugar cane of the first growth from the cutting. The growth
of the second and following years is of inferior quality, and is
called rattoon.
Plant"-eat`ing (?), a. Eating, or
subsisting on, plants; as, a plant-eating beetle.
Plant"ed (?), a. (Joinery)
Fixed in place, as a projecting member wrought on a separate
piece of stuff; as, a planted molding.
Plant"er (?), n. 1.
One who, or that which, plants or sows; as, a planterof
corn; a machine planter.
2. One who owns or cultivates a plantation;
as, a sugar planter; a coffee planter.
3. A colonist in a new or uncultivated
territory; as, the first planters in Virginia.
Plant"er*ship, n. The occupation or
position of a planter, or the management of a plantation, as in the
United States or the West Indies.
Plant"i*cle (?), n. [Dim. of
Plant.] A young plant, or plant in embryo. E.
Darwin.
||Plan`ti*gra"da (?), n. pl. [NL.]
(Zoöl.) A subdivision of Carnivora having plantigrade
feet. It includes the bears, raccoons, and allied species.
Plan"ti*grade (?), a. [L. planta
sole of the foot + gradi to walk: cf. F. plantigrade.]
(Zoöl.) (a) Walking on the sole of
the foot; pertaining to the plantigrades. (b)
Having the foot so formed that the heel touches the ground when
the leg is upright.
Plan"ti*grade, n. (Zoöl.)
A plantigrade animal, or one that walks or steps on the sole of
the foot, as man, and the bears.
Plant"ing (?), n. 1.
The act or operation of setting in the ground for propagation, as
seeds, trees, shrubs, etc.; the forming of plantations, as of trees;
the carrying on of plantations, as of sugar, coffee, etc.
2. That which is planted; a
plantation.
Trees of righteousness, the planting of the
Lord.
Isa. lxi. 3.
3. (Arch.) The laying of the first
courses of stone in a foundation. [Eng.]
Plant"less, a. Without plants;
barren of vegetation.
Plant"let, n. A little
plant.
Plan*toc"ra*cy (?), n. [Planter +
-cracy, as in democracy.] Government by planters;
planters, collectively. [R.]
Plant"ule (?), n. [F., dim. of
plante a plant, L. planta.] (Bot.) The
embryo which has begun its development in the act of
germination.
||Plan"u*la (?), n.; pl.
Planulæ (#). [L., a little plane.]
1. (Biol.) In embryonic development, a
vesicle filled with fluid, formed from the morula by the divergence of
its cells in such a manner as to give rise to a central space, around
which the cells arrange themselves as an envelope; an embryonic form
intermediate between the morula and gastrula. Sometimes used as
synonymous with gastrula.
2. (Zoöl.) The very young, free-
swimming larva of the cœlenterates. It usually has a flattened
oval or oblong form, and is entirely covered with cilia.
Planx"ty (?), n. [Cf. L. plangere
to mourn aloud.] (Mus.) An Irish or Welsh melody for the
harp, sometimes of a mournful character.
Plaque (?), n. [F. Cf. Plack,
and see Placard.] Any flat, thin piece of metal, clay,
ivory, or the like, used for ornament, or for painting pictures upon,
as a slab, plate, dish, or the like, hung upon a wall; also, a smaller
decoration worn on the person, as a brooch.
Plash (?), n. [OD. plasch. See
Plash, v.] 1. A small
pool of standing water; a puddle. Bacon. "These shallow
plashes." Barrow.
2. A dash of water; a splash.
Plash, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Plashed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Plashing.] [Cf. D. plassen, G. platschen. Cf.
Splash.] To dabble in water; to splash.
"Plashing among bedded pebbles." Keats.
Far below him plashed the waters.
Longfellow.
Plash, v. t. 1. To
splash, as water.
2. To splash or sprinkle with coloring matter;
as, to plash a wall in imitation of granite.
Plash, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Plashed (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n.
Plashing.] [OF. plaissier, plessier, to bend.
Cf. Pleach.] To cut partly, or to bend and intertwine the
branches of; as, to plash a hedge. Evelyn.
Plash, n. The branch of a tree
partly cut or bent, and bound to, or intertwined with, other
branches.
Plash"et (?), n. [Plash + -
et.] A small pond or pool; a puddle.
Plash"ing, n. 1.
The cutting or bending and intertwining the branches of small
trees, as in hedges.
2. The dashing or sprinkling of coloring
matter on the walls of buildings, to imitate granite, etc.
Plash"oot (?), n. A hedge or fence
formed of branches of trees interlaced, or plashed.
[Obs.] Carew.
Plash"y (?), a. [From 1st Plash.]
1. Watery; abounding with puddles; splashy.
"Plashy fens." Milton. "The plashy earth."
Wordsworth.
2. Specked, as if plashed with color.
Keats.
Plasm (?), n. [L. plasma anything
formed or molded, that which is molded, Gr. &?;, &?;, from &?; to
form, mold: cf. F. plasme. Cf. Plasma.]
1. A mold or matrix in which anything is cast or
formed to a particular shape. [R.] Woodward.
2. (Biol.) Same as
Plasma.
Plas"ma (?), n. [See Plasm.]
1. (Min.) A variety of quartz, of a color
between grass green and leek green, which is found associated with
common chalcedony. It was much esteemed by the ancients for making
engraved ornaments.
2. (Biol.) The viscous material of an
animal or vegetable cell, out of which the various tissues are formed
by a process of differentiation; protoplasm.
3. Unorganized material; elementary
matter.
4. (Med.) A mixture of starch and
glycerin, used as a substitute for ointments. U. S.
Disp.
Blood plasma (Physiol.), the colorless
fluid of the blood, in which the red and white blood corpuscles are
suspended. -- Muscle plasma (Physiol.),
the fundamental part of muscle fibers, a thick, viscid, albuminous
fluid contained within the sarcolemma, which on the death of the
muscle coagulates to a semisolid mass.
{ Plas*mat"ic (?), Plas*mat"ic*al (?), }
a. [Gr. &?;.] 1. Forming;
shaping; molding. [Obs.] Dr. H. More.
2. (Biol.) Of or pertaining to plasma;
having the character of plasma; containing, or conveying,
plasma.
Plas*ma"tion (?), n. [L.
plasmatio.] The act of forming or molding. [R.]
Grafton.
Plas*ma"tor (?), n. [L.] A former;
a fashioner. [R.] "The sovereign plasmator, God
Almighty." Urquhart.
Plas"ma*ture (?), n. Form;
mold. [R.]
Plas"mic (?), a. Of, pertaining to,
or connected with, plasma; plasmatic.
Plas"min (?), n. (Physiol. Chem.)
A proteid body, separated by some physiologists from blood
plasma. It is probably identical with fibrinogen.
Plas*mo"di*al (?), a. (Biol.)
Of or pertaining to, or like, a plasmodium; as, the
plasmodial form of a life cycle.
||Plas*mo"di*um (?), n.; pl.
Plasmodia (#). [NL. See Plasma.]
1. (Biol.) A jellylike mass of free
protoplasm, without any union of amœboid cells, and endowed with
life and power of motion.
2. (Zoöl.) A naked mobile mass of
protoplasm, formed by the union of several amœbalike young, and
constituting one of the stages in the life cycle of Mycetozoa and
other low organisms.
Plas"mo*gen (?), n. [Plasma +
-gen.] (Biol.) The important living portion of
protoplasm, considered a chemical substance of the highest
elaboration. Germ plasm and idioplasm are forms of
plasmogen.
||Plas"son (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?; to
form.] (Biol.) The albuminous material composing the body
of a cytode.
&fist; It is considered simpler than protoplasm of an ordinary cell
in that it has not undergone differentiation into the inner cell
nucleus and the outer cell substance. Haeckel.
Plas"ter (?), n. [AS., a plaster (in
sense 1), fr. L. emplastrum, Gr. &?;, &?;, fr. &?; to daub on,
stuff in; &?; in + &?; to mold: cf. OF. plastre a plaster (in
sense 2), F. plâtre. Cf. Plastic,
Emplaster, Piaster.] [Formerly written also
plaister.] 1. (Med.) An external
application of a consistency harder than ointment, prepared for use by
spreading it on linen, leather, silk, or other material. It is
adhesive at the ordinary temperature of the body, and is used,
according to its composition, to produce a medicinal effect, to bind
parts together, etc.; as, a porous plaster; sticking
plaster.
2. A composition of lime, water, and sand,
with or without hair as a bond, for coating walls, ceilings, and
partitions of houses. See Mortar.
3. Calcined gypsum, or plaster of Paris,
especially when ground, as used for making ornaments, figures,
moldings, etc.; or calcined gypsum used as a fertilizer.
Plaster cast, a copy of an object obtained by
pouring plaster of Paris mixed with water into a mold. --
Plaster of Paris. [So called because originally
brought from a suburb of Paris.] (Chem.) Anhydrous calcium
sulphate, or calcined gypsum, which forms with water a paste which
soon sets or hardens, and is used for casts, moldings, etc. The term
is loosely applied to any plaster stone or species of gypsum. --
Plaster of Paris bandage (Surg.), a
bandage saturated with a paste of plaster of Paris, which on drying
forms a perfectly fitting splint. -- Plaster
stone, any species of gypsum. See
Gypsum.
Plas"ter, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Plastered (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Plastering.] [Cf. OF. plastrer to plaster (in sense 2),
F. plâtrer.] 1. To cover with a
plaster, as a wound or sore.
2. To overlay or cover with plaster, as the
ceilings and walls of a house.
3. Fig.: To smooth over; to cover or conceal
the defects of; to hide, as with a covering of plaster.
Bale.
Plas"ter*er (?), n. 1.
One who applies plaster or mortar. "Thy father was a
plasterer." Shak.
2. One who makes plaster casts. "The
plasterer doth make his figures by addition." Sir H.
Wotton.
Plas"ter*ing, n. 1.
Same as Plaster, n., 2.
2. The act or process of overlaying with
plaster.
3. A covering of plaster;
plasterwork.
Plas"ter*ly, a. Resembling plaster
of Paris. [R.] "Out of gypseous or plasterly ground."
Fuller.
Plas"ter*work` (?), n. Plastering
used to finish architectural constructions, exterior or interior,
especially that used for the lining of rooms. Ordinarly, mortar is
used for the greater part of the work, and pure plaster of Paris for
the moldings and ornaments.
Plas"ter*y, a. Of the nature of
plaster.
The stone . . . is a poor plastery
material.
Clough.
-plas"tic (-plăs"t&ibreve;k). [Gr. &?; fit for
molding, plastic, fr. &?; to mold, to form.] A combining form
signifying developing, forming, growing; as,
heteroplastic, monoplastic,
polyplastic.
Plas"tic (plăs"t&ibreve;k), a.
[L. plasticus, Gr. &?;, fr. &?; to form, mold: cf. F.
plastique.] 1. Having the power to give
form or fashion to a mass of matter; as, the plastic hand of
the Creator. Prior.
See plastic Nature working to his
end.
Pope.
2. Capable of being molded, formed, or
modeled, as clay or plaster; -- used also figuratively; as, the
plastic mind of a child.
3. Pertaining or appropriate to, or
characteristic of, molding or modeling; produced by, or appearing as
if produced by, molding or modeling; -- said of sculpture and the
kindred arts, in distinction from painting and the graphic
arts.
Medallions . . . fraught with the plastic beauty
and grace of the palmy days of Italian art.
J. S.
Harford.
Plastic clay (Geol.), one of the beds
of the Eocene period; -- so called because used in making
pottery. Lyell. -- Plastic element
(Physiol.), one that bears within the germs of a higher
form. -- Plastic exudation (Med.),
an exudation thrown out upon a wounded surface and constituting
the material of repair by which the process of healing is
effected. -- Plastic foods. (Physiol.)
See the second Note under Food. -- Plastic
force. (Physiol.) See under Force. --
Plastic operation, an operation in plastic
surgery. -- Plastic surgery, that branch of
surgery which is concerned with the repair or restoration of lost,
injured, or deformed parts of the body.
Plas"tic*al (?), a. See
Plastic. [R.]
Plas"tic*al*ly, adv. In a plastic
manner.
Plas*tic"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F.
plasticité.] 1. The quality or
state of being plastic.
2. (Physiol.) Plastic force.
Dunglison.
{ Plas"tid (?), Plas"tide (?), }
n. [Gr. &?;, &?;, a creator.] 1.
(Biol.) A formative particle of albuminous matter; a
monad; a cytode. See the Note under Morphon.
Haeckel.
2. (Bot.) One of the many minute
granules found in the protoplasm of vegetable cells. They are divided
by their colors into three classes, chloroplastids, chromoplastids,
and leucoplastids.
||Plas`ti*do*zo"a (?), n. pl. [NL., fr.
Gr. &?;, &?;, creator + &?; animal.] (Zoöl.) Same as
Protoza.
Plas"ti*dule (?), n. [Dim. fr.
Plastid.] (Biol.) One of the small particles or
organic molecules of protoplasm. Haeckel.
Plas"tin (?), n. [Gr. &?; to form,
mold.] (Biol.) A substance associated with nuclein in cell
nuclei, and by some considered as the fundamental substance of the
nucleus.
Plas*tog"ra*phy (?), n. [Gr. &?;; &?;
fored, molded + &?; to write.] 1. The art of
forming figures in any plastic material.
2. Imitation of handwriting;
forgery.
Plas"tron (?), n. [F. plastron
breastplate, plastron, LL. plastra a thin plate of metal. See
Plaster.] 1. A piece of leather stuffed or
padded, worn by fencers to protect the breast.
Dryden.
3. (Anc. Armor) An iron breastplate,
worn under the hauberk.
3. (Anat.) The ventral shield or shell
of tortoises and turtles. See Testudinata.
4. A trimming for the front of a woman's
dress, made of a different material, and narrowing from the shoulders
to the waist.
-plas"ty (?). [Gr. &?; to mold, form.] A combining
form denoting the act or process of forming,
development, growth; as, autoplasty,
perineoplasty.
Plat (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Platted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Platting.] [See Plait.] To form by interlaying
interweaving; to braid; to plait. "They had platted a
crown of thorns." Matt. xxvii. 29.
Plat, n. Work done by platting or
braiding; a plait.
Her hair, nor loose, nor tied in formal
plat.
Shak.
Plat, n. [Cf. Plat flat, which
perh. caused this spelling, and Plot a piece of ground.] A
small piece or plot of ground laid out with some design, or for a
special use; usually, a portion of flat, even ground.
This flowery plat, the sweet recess of
Eve.
Milton.
I keep smooth plat of fruitful
ground.
Tennyson.
Plat, v. t. To lay out in plats or
plots, as ground.
Plat, a. [F. plat. See
Plate, n.] Plain; flat; level.
[Obs.] Gower.
Plat, adv. 1.
Plainly; flatly; downright. [Obs.]
But, sir, ye lie, I tell you plat.
Rom. of R.
2. Flatly; smoothly; evenly. [Obs.]
Drant.
Plat, n. 1. The
flat or broad side of a sword. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]
Chaucer.
2. A plot; a plan; a design; a diagram; a map;
a chart. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] "To note all the islands, and to
set them down in plat." Hakluyt.
Plat"an (?), n. [L. platanus. See
Plane the tree.] [Written also platane.] The plane
tree. Tennyson.
Plat"a*nist (?), n. [L.
platanista a sort of fish, Gr. &?;: cf. F. plataniste.]
(Zoöl.) The soosoo.
||Plat"a*nus (?), n. [See Plane
the tree.] (Bot.) A genus of trees; the plane
tree.
Plat"band` (?), n. [F. plate-
bande; plat, plate, flat, level + bande a
band.] 1. A border of flowers in a garden, along
a wall or a parterre; hence, a border.
2. (Arch.) (a) A flat
molding, or group of moldings, the width of which much exceeds its
projection, as the face of an architrave. (b)
A list or fillet between the flutings of a column.
Plate (?), n. [OF. plate a plate
of metal, a cuirsas, F. plat a plate, a shallow vessel of
silver, other metal, or earth, fr. plat flat, Gr. &?;. See
Place, n.] 1. A flat, or
nearly flat, piece of metal, the thickness of which is small in
comparison with the other dimensions; a thick sheet of metal; as, a
steel plate.
2. Metallic armor composed of broad
pieces.
Mangled . . . through plate and
mail.
Milton.
3. Domestic vessels and utensils, as flagons,
dishes, cups, etc., wrought in gold or silver.
4. Metallic ware which is plated, in
distinction from that which is genuine silver or gold.
5. A small, shallow, and usually circular,
vessel of metal or wood, or of earth glazed and baked, from which food
is eaten at table.
6. [Cf. Sp. plata silver.] A piece of
money, usually silver money. [Obs.] "Realms and islands were as
plates dropp'd from his pocket." Shak.
7. A piece of metal on which anything is
engraved for the purpose of being printed; hence, an impression from
the engraved metal; as, a book illustrated with plates; a
fashion plate.
8. A page of stereotype, electrotype, or the
like, for printing from; as, publisher's plates.
9. That part of an artificial set of teeth
which fits to the mouth, and holds the teeth in place. It may be of
gold, platinum, silver, rubber, celluloid, etc.
10. (Arch.) A horizontal timber laid
upon a wall, or upon corbels projecting from a wall, and supporting
the ends of other timbers; also used specifically of the roof
plate which supports the ends of the roof trusses or, in simple
work, the feet of the rafters.
11. (Her.) A roundel of silver or
tinctured argent.
12. (Photog.) A sheet of glass,
porcelain, metal, etc., with a coating that is sensitive to
light.
13. A prize giving to the winner in a
contest.
&fist; Plate is sometimes used in an adjectival sense or in
combination, the phrase or compound being in most cases of obvious
signification; as, plate basket or plate-basket,
plate rack or plate-rack.
Home plate. (Baseball) See Home
base, under Home. -- Plate armor.
(a) See Plate, n.,
2. (b) Strong metal plates for protecting war
vessels, fortifications, and the like. -- Plate
bone, the shoulder blade, or scapula. --
Plate girder, a girder, the web of which is
formed of a single vertical plate, or of a series of such plates
riveted together. -- Plate glass. See under
Glass. -- Plate iron, wrought iron
plates. -- Plate layer, a workman who lays
down the rails of a railway and fixes them to the sleepers or
ties. -- Plate mark, a special mark or
emblematic figure stamped upon gold or silver plate, to indicate the
place of manufacture, the degree of purity, and the like; thus, the
local mark for London is a lion. -- Plate
paper, a heavy spongy paper, for printing from engraved
plates. Fairholt. -- Plate press, a
press with a flat carriage and a roller, -- used for printing from
engraved steel or copper plates. -- Plate
printer, one who prints from engraved plates. --
Plate printing, the act or process of printing
from an engraved plate or plates. -- Plate
tracery. (Arch.) See under Tracery. -
- Plate wheel (Mech.), a wheel, the rim
and hub of which are connected by a continuous plate of metal, instead
of by arms or spokes.
Plate (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Plated; p. pr. & vb. n.
Plating.] 1. To cover or overlay with
gold, silver, or other metals, either by a mechanical process, as
hammering, or by a chemical process, as electrotyping.
2. To cover or overlay with plates of metal;
to arm with metal for defense.
Thus plated in habiliments of war.
Shak.
3. To adorn with plated metal; as, a
plated harness.
4. To beat into thin, flat pieces, or
laminæ.
5. To calender; as, to plate
paper.
Pla*teau" (?), n.; pl. F.
Plateaux (F. &?;; E. &?;), E.
Plateaus (#). [F., fr. OF. platel, properly a
little plate. See Plate.] 1. A flat
surface; especially, a broad, level, elevated area of land; a table-
land.
2. An ornamental dish for the table; a tray or
salver.
Plate"ful (?), n.; pl.
Platefuls (&?;). Enough to fill a plate; as
much as a plate will hold.
Plate"-gilled` (?), a.
(Zoöl.) Having flat, or leaflike, gills, as the
bivalve mollusks.
Pla"tel (?), n. [OF. See
Plateau.] A small dish.
Plat"en (?), n. [F. platine, fr.
plat flat. See Plate, and cf. Platin.]
(Mach.) (a) The part of a printing press
which presses the paper against the type and by which the impression
is made. (b) Hence, an analogous part of a
typewriter, on which the paper rests to receive an impression.
(c) The movable table of a machine tool, as a
planer, on which the work is fastened, and presented to the action of
the tool; -- also called table.
Plat"er (?), n. One who plates or
coats articles with gold or silver; as, a silver
plater.
2. A machine for calendering paper.
Plat`er*esque" (?), a. [Sp.
resco, from plata silver.] (Arch.)
Resembling silver plate; -- said of certain architectural
ornaments.
Plat"e*trope (?), n. [Gr. &?; breadth +
&?; to turn.] (Anat.) One of a pair of a paired
organs.
Plat"form` (?), n. [Plat, a. +
-form: cf. F. plateforme.] 1. A
plat; a plan; a sketch; a model; a pattern. Used also
figuratively. [Obs.] Bacon.
2. A place laid out after a model.
[Obs.]
lf the platform just reflects the
order.
Pope.
3. Any flat or horizontal surface; especially,
one that is raised above some particular level, as a framework of
timber or boards horizontally joined so as to form a roof, or a raised
floor, or portion of a floor; a landing; a dais; a stage, for
speakers, performers, or workmen; a standing place.
4. A declaration of the principles upon which
a person, a sect, or a party proposes to stand; a declared policy or
system; as, the Saybrook platform; a political
platform. "The platform of Geneva."
Hooker.
5. (Naut.) A light deck, usually placed
in a section of the hold or over the floor of the magazine. See
Orlop.
Platform car, a railway car without permanent
raised sides or covering; a f&?;at. -- Platform
scale, a weighing machine, with a flat platform on which
objects are weighed.
Plat"form`, v. t. 1.
To place on a platform. [R.]
2. To form a plan of; to model; to lay
out. [Obs.]
Church discipline is platformed in the
Bible.
Milton.
Plat*hel"minth (?), n.
(Zoöl.) One of the Platyelminthes.
||Plat`hel*min"thes (?), n. pl. [NL.]
(Zoöl.) Same as Platyelminthes.
Plat"in (?), n. (Mach.) See
Platen.
Plat"i*na (?), n. [Sp. or NL. See
Platinum.] (Chem.) Platinum.
Platina mohr, platinum black. --
Platina yellow, a pigment prepared from
platinum.
Plat"ing (?), n. 1.
The art or process of covering anything with a plate or plates,
or with metal, particularly of overlaying a base or dull metal with a
thin plate of precious or bright metal, as by mechanical means or by
electro-magnetic deposition.
2. A thin coating of metal laid upon another
metal.
3. A coating or defensive armor of metal
(usually steel) plates.
Pla*tin"ic (?), a. (Chem.)
Of, pertaining to, or containing, platinum; -- used specifically
to designate those compounds in which the element has a higher
valence, as contrasted with the platinous compounds; as,
platinic chloride (PtCl4).
Plat`i*ni*chlo"ric (?), a.
(Chem.) Of, pertaining to, or designating, an acid
consisting of platinic chloride and hydrochloric acid, and obtained as
a brownish red crystalline substance, called platinichloric, or
chloroplatinic, acid.
Plat`i*nif"er*ous (?), a.
[Platinum + -ferous.] Yielding platinum; as,
platiniferous sand.
Plat`i*ni*rid"i*um (?), n. (Chem. &
Min.) A natural alloy of platinum and iridium occurring in
grayish metallic rounded or cubical grains with platinum.
Plat"i*nize (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Platinized (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Platinizing (?).] To cover or combine with
platinum.
Plat`i*no*chlo"ric (?), a.
(Chem.) Pertaining to, derived from, or designating, an
acid consisting of platinous chloride and hydrochloric acid, called
platinochloric, or chloroplatinous, acid.
Plat`i*no*chlo"ride (?), n.
(Chem.) A double chloride of platinum and some other metal
or radical; a salt of platinochloric acid.
Plat`i*no*cy*an"ic (?), a.
(Chem.) Pertaining to, derived from, or designating, an
acid compound of platinous cyanide and hydrocyanic acid. It is
obtained as a cinnaber-red crystalline substance.
Plat`i*no*cy"a*nide (?), n.
(Chem.) A double cyanide of platinum and some other metal
or radical; a salt of platinocyanic acid.
Plat"i*node (?), n. [Platinum +
Gr. &?; a way.] (Physics) A cathode. [R.]
Plat"i*noid (?), a. [Platinum +
-oid.] Resembling platinum.
Plat"i*noid, n. (Chem.) An
alloy of German silver containing tungsten; -- used for forming
electrical resistance coils and standards.
Plat"i*no*type (?), n. [Platinum
+ -type.] (Photog.) 1. A permanent
photographic picture or print in platinum black.
2. The process by which such pictures are
produced.
Plat"i*nous (?), a. (Chem.)
Of, pertaining to, or containing, platinum; -- used specifically
to designate those compounds in which the element has a lower valence,
as contrasted with the platinic compounds; as, platinous
chloride (PtCl2).
Plat"i*num (?), n. [NL., fr. Sp.
platina, from plata silver, LL. plata a thin
plate of metal. See Plate, and cf. Platina.]
(Chem.) A metallic element, intermediate in value between
silver and gold, occurring native or alloyed with other metals, also
as the platinum arsenide (sperrylite). It is heavy tin-white metal
which is ductile and malleable, but very infusible, and characterized
by its resistance to strong chemical reagents. It is used for
crucibles, for stills for sulphuric acid, rarely for coin, and in the
form of foil and wire for many purposes. Specific gravity 21.5. Atomic
weight 194.3. Symbol Pt. Formerly called platina.
Platinum black (Chem.), a soft, dull
black powder, consisting of finely divided metallic platinum obtained
by reduction and precipitation from its solutions. It absorbs oxygen
to a high degree, and is employed as an oxidizer. --
Platinum lamp (Elec.), a kind of
incandescent lamp of which the luminous medium is platinum. See under
Incandescent. -- Platinum metals
(Chem.), the group of metallic elements which in their
chemical and physical properties resemble platinum. These consist of
the light platinum group, viz., rhodium, ruthenium, and
palladium, whose specific gravities are about 12; and the heavy
platinum group, viz., osmium, iridium, and platinum, whose
specific gravities are over 21. -- Platinum
sponge (Chem.), metallic platinum in a gray,
porous, spongy form, obtained by reducing the double chloride of
platinum and ammonium. It absorbs oxygen, hydrogen, and certain other
gases, to a high degree, and is employed as an agent in
oxidizing.
Plat"i*tude (?), n. [F., from
plat flat. See Plate.] 1. The
quality or state of being flat, thin, or insipid; flat commonness;
triteness; staleness of ideas of language.
To hammer one golden grain of wit into a sheet of
infinite platitude.
Motley.
2. A thought or remark which is flat, dull,
trite, or weak; a truism; a commonplace.
Plat`i*tu`di*na"ri*an (?), n. One
addicted to uttering platitudes, or stale and insipid truisms.
"A political platitudinarian." G. Eliot.
Plat`i*tu"di*nize (?), v. i. To
utter platitudes or truisms.
Plat`i*tu"di*nous (?), a. Abounding
in platitudes; of the nature of platitudes; uttering platitudes.
-- Plat`i*tu"di*nous*ness, n.
Plat"ly (?), a. Flatly. See
Plat, a. [Obs.]
Plat"ness, n. Flatness.
[Obs.] Palsgrave.
Pla*tom"e*ter (?), n. [Gr. &?; flat +
-meter.] See Planimeter.
{ Pla*ton"ic (?), Pla*ton"ic*al (?), }
a. [L. Platonicus, Gr. &?;: cf. F.
platonique.] 1. Of or pertaining to Plato,
or his philosophy, school, or opinions.
2. Pure, passionless; nonsexual;
philosophical.
Platonic bodies, the five regular geometrical
solids; namely, the tetrahedron, hexahedron or cube, octahedron,
dodecahedron, and icosahedron. -- Platonic
love, a pure, spiritual affection, subsisting between
persons of opposite sex, unmixed with carnal desires, and regarding
the mind only and its excellences; -- a species of love for which
Plato was a warm advocate. -- Platonic year
(Astron.), a period of time determined by the revolution of
the equinoxes, or the space of time in which the stars and
constellations return to their former places in respect to the
equinoxes; -- called also great year. This revolution, which is
caused by the precession of the equinoxes, is accomplished in about
26,000 years. Barlow.
Pla*ton"ic, n. A follower of Plato;
a Platonist.
Pla*ton"ic*al*ly, adv. In a
Platonic manner.
Pla"to*nism (?), n. [Cf. F.
Platonisme.] 1. The doctrines or
philosophy by Plato or of his followers.
&fist; Plato believed God to be an infinitely wise, just, and
powerful Spirit; and also that he formed the visible universe out of
preëxistent amorphous matter, according to perfect patterns of
ideas eternally existent in his own mind. Philosophy he considered as
being a knowledge of the true nature of things, as discoverable in
those eternal ideas after which all things were fashioned. In other
words, it is the knowledge of what is eternal, exists necessarily, and
is unchangeable; not of the temporary, the dependent, and changeable;
and of course it is not obtained through the senses; neither is it the
product of the understanding, which concerns itself only with the
variable and transitory; nor is it the result of experience and
observation; but it is the product of our reason, which, as
partaking of the divine nature, has innate ideas resembling the
eternal ideas of God. By contemplating these innate ideas, reasoning
about them, and comparing them with their copies in the visible
universe, reason can attain that true knowledge of things which is
called philosophy. Plato's professed followers, the Academics,
and the New Platonists, differed considerably from him, yet are called
Platonists. Murdock.
2. An elevated rational and ethical conception
of the laws and forces of the universe; sometimes, imaginative or
fantastic philosophical notions.
Pla"to*nist (?), n. One who adheres
to the philosophy of Plato; a follower of Plato.
Hammond.
Pla"to*nize (?), v. i. [imp. &
p. p. Platonized (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Platonizing.] To adopt the opinion of Plato
or his followers. Milner.
Pla"to*nize, v. t. To explain by,
or accomodate to, the Platonic philosophy. Enfield.
Pla"to*ni`zer (?), n. One who
Platonizes.
Pla*toon" (?), n. [F. peloton a
ball of thread, a knot or group of men, a platoon, from pelote
a ball formed of things wound round. See Pellet.] (Mil.)
(a) Formerly, a body of men who fired together;
also, a small square body of soldiers to strengthen the angles of a
hollow square. (b) Now, in the United
States service, half of a company.
Platt (?), n. (Mining) See
Lodge, n. Raymond.
Platt"deutsch` (?), n. The modern
dialects spoken in the north of Germany, taken collectively; modern
Low German. See Low German, under German.
Plat"ten (?), v. t. [See Plat,
a.] (Glass Making) To flatten and make
into sheets or plates; as, to platten cylinder glass.
Plat"ter (?), n. [From Plat to
braid.] One who plats or braids.
Plat"ter, n. [Probably fr. OF.
platel, F. plateau. See Plateau.] A large
plate or shallow dish on which meat or other food is brought to the
table.
The attendants . . . speedly brought in several large,
smoking platters, filled with huge pieces of beef.
Sir W. Scott.
Plat"ter-faced` (?), a. Having a
broad, flat face.
Plat"ting (?), n. Plaited strips or
bark, cane, straw, etc., used for making hats or the like.
Plat"y (?), a. Like a plate;
consisting of plates.
Plat"y- (?). A combining form from Gr.
platy`s broad, wide, flat; as,
platypus, platycephalous.
{ Plat`y*ce*phal"ic (?), Plat`y*ceph"a*lous (?),
} a. [Platy + Gr. &?; head.] (Anat.)
Broad-headed.
Plat`yc*ne"mic (?), a. [Platy +
Gr. &?; leg: cf. F. platycnémique.] (Anat.)
Of, relating to, or characterized by, platycnemism.
Pla*tyc"ne*mism (?), n. (Anat.)
Lateral flattening of the tibia.
Plat`y*cœ"li*an (?), a.
[Platy + Gr. &?; hollow.] (Anat.) Flat at the
anterior and concave at the posterior end; -- said of the centra of
the vertebræ of some extinct dinouaurs.
||Plat`y*el*min"thes (?), n. pl. [NL.
See Platy-, and Helminthes.] (Zoöl.) A
class of helminthes including the cestodes, or tapeworms, the
trematodes, and the turbellarians. Called also
flatworms.
||Plat`y*hel"mi*a (?), n. pl. [NL.]
(Zoöl.) Same as Platyelminthes. [Written
also Platyelmia.]
Pla*tym"e*ter (?), n. [Platy +
-meter.] (Elec.) An apparatus for measuring the
capacity of condensers, or the inductive capacity of
dielectrics.
Plat"y*pod (?), n. [Platy + -
pod.] (Zoöl.) An animal having broad feet, or a
broad foot.
||Pla*typ"o*da (?), n. pl. [NL.]
(Zoöl.) Same as Prosobranchiata.
||Pla*typ"te*ra (?), n. pl. [NL., fr.
Gr. &?; broad + &?; a wing.] (Zoöl.) A division of
Pseudoneuroptera including the species which have four broad, flat
wings, as the termites, or white-ants, and the stone flies
(Perla).
Plat"y*pus (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?; +
&?; foot.] (Zoöl.) The duck mole. See under
Duck.
Plat"y*rhine (?), a. [Platy + Gr.
&?;, &?;, nose.] (Anat.) Having the nose broad; -- opposed
to leptorhine. -- n.
(Zoöl.) One of the Platyrhini.
||Plat`y*rhi"ni (?), n. pl. [NL., fr.
Gr. &?; broad + &?;, &?;, nose.] (Zoöl.) A division
of monkeys, including the American species, which have a broad nasal
septum, thirty-six teeth, and usually a prehensile tail. See
Monkey. [Written also Platyrrhini.]
Plaud (?), v. t. To applaud.
[Obs.] Chapman.
Plau"dit (?), n. [From L.
plaudite do ye praise (which was said by players at the end of
a performance), 2d pers. pl. imperative of plaudere. Cf.
Plausible.] A mark or expression of applause; praise
bestowed.
Not in the shouts and plaudits of the
throng.
Longfellow.
Syn. -- Acclamation; applause; encomium; commendation;
approbation; approval.
Plau"di*to*ry (?), a. Applauding;
commending.
Plau`si*bil"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F.
plausibilité.] 1. Something worthy
of praise. [Obs.]
Integrity, fidelity, and other gracious
plausibilities.
E. Vaughan.
2. The quality of being plausible;
speciousness.
To give any plausibility to a
scheme.
De Quincey.
3. Anything plausible or specious.
R. Browning.
Plau"si*ble (?), a. [L.
plausibilis praiseworthy, from plaudere, plausum,
to applaud, clap the hands, strike, beat.] 1.
Worthy of being applauded; praiseworthy; commendable;
ready. [Obs.] Bp. Hacket.
2. Obtaining approbation; specifically
pleasing; apparently right; specious; as, a plausible pretext;
plausible manners; a plausible delusion.
"Plausible and popular arguments." Clarendon.
3. Using specious arguments or discourse; as,
a plausible speaker.
Syn. -- Plausible, Specious. Plausible
denotes that which seems reasonable, yet leaves distrust in the
judgment. Specious describes that which presents a fair
appearance to the view and yet covers something false. Specious
refers more definitely to the act or purpose of false representation;
plausible has more reference to the effect on the beholder or
hearer. An argument may by specious when it is not
plausible because its sophistry is so easily discovered.
Plau"si*ble*ize (?), v. t. To
render plausible. [R.]
Plau"si*ble*ness, n. Quality of
being plausible.
Plau"si*bly, adv. 1.
In a plausible manner.
2. Contentedly, readily. [Obs.]
The Romans plausibly did give
consent.
Shak.
Plau"sive (?), a. [L. plaudere,
plausum, to applaud.] 1. Applauding;
manifesting praise. Young.
2. Plausible, specious. [Obs.]
Shak.
Play (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Played (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Playing.] [OE. pleien, AS. plegian,
plegan, to play, akin to plega play, game, quick motion,
and probably to OS. plegan to promise, pledge, D. plegen
to care for, attend to, be wont, G. pflegen; of unknown origin.
√28. Cf. Plight, n.]
1. To engage in sport or lively recreation; to
exercise for the sake of amusement; to frolic; to spot.
As Cannace was playing in her walk.
Chaucer.
The lamb thy riot dooms to bleed to-day,
Had he thy reason, would he skip and play!
Pope.
And some, the darlings of their Lord,
Play smiling with the flame and sword.
Keble.
2. To act with levity or thoughtlessness; to
trifle; to be careless.
"Nay," quod this monk, "I have no lust to
pleye."
Chaucer.
Men are apt to play with their
healths.
Sir W. Temple.
3. To contend, or take part, in a game; as, to
play ball; hence, to gamble; as, he played for heavy
stakes.
4. To perform on an instrument of music; as,
to play on a flute.
One that . . . can play well on an
instrument.
Ezek. xxxiii. 32.
Play, my friend, and charm the
charmer.
Granville.
5. To act; to behave; to practice
deception.
His mother played false with a
smith.
Shak.
6. To move in any manner; especially, to move
regularly with alternate or reciprocating motion; to operate; to act;
as, the fountain plays.
The heart beats, the blood circulates, the lungs
play.
Cheyne.
7. To move gayly; to wanton; to
disport.
Even as the waving sedges play with
wind.
Shak.
The setting sun
Plays on their shining arms and burnished helmets.
Addison.
All fame is foreign but of true desert,
Plays round the head, but comes not to the heart.
Pope.
8. To act on the stage; to personate a
character.
A lord will hear your play to-
night.
Shak.
Courts are theaters where some men
play.
Donne.
To play into a person's hands, to act, or to
manage matters, to his advantage or benefit. -- To play
off, to affect; to feign; to practice artifice. --
To play upon. (a) To make sport
of; to deceive.
Art thou alive?
Or is it fantasy that plays upon our eyesight.
Shak.
(b) To use in a droll manner; to give a droll
expression or application to; as, to play upon words.
Play, v. t. 1. To
put in action or motion; as, to play cannon upon a
fortification; to play a trump.
First Peace and Silence all disputes control,
Then Order plays the soul.
Herbert.
2. To perform music upon; as, to play
the flute or the organ.
3. To perform, as a piece of music, on an
instrument; as, to play a waltz on the violin.
4. To bring into sportive or wanton action; to
exhibit in action; to execute; as, to play tricks.
Nature here
Wantoned as in her prime, and played at will
Her virgin fancies.
Milton.
5. To act or perform (a play); to represent in
music action; as, to play a comedy; also, to act in the
character of; to represent by acting; to simulate; to behave like; as,
to play King Lear; to play the woman.
Thou canst play the rational if thou
wilt.
Sir W. Scott.
6. To engage in, or go together with, as a
contest for amusement or for a wager or prize; as, to play a
game at baseball.
7. To keep in play, as a hooked fish, in order
to land it.
To play off, to display; to show; to put in
exercise; as, to play off tricks. -- To play one's
cards, to manage one's means or opportunities; to
contrive. -- Played out, tired out;
exhausted; at the end of one's resources. [Colloq.]
Play, n. 1.
Amusement; sport; frolic; gambols.
2. Any exercise, or series of actions,
intended for amusement or diversion; a game.
John naturally loved rough play.
Arbuthnot.
3. The act or practice of contending for
victory, amusement, or a prize, as at dice, cards, or billiards;
gaming; as, to lose a fortune in play.
4. Action; use; employment; exercise;
practice; as, fair play; sword play; a play of
wit. "The next who comes in play." Dryden.
5. A dramatic composition; a comedy or
tragedy; a composition in which characters are represented by dialogue
and action.
A play ought to be a just image of human
nature.
Dryden.
6. The representation or exhibition of a
comedy or tragedy; as, he attends ever play.
7. Performance on an instrument of
music.
8. Motion; movement, regular or irregular; as,
the play of a wheel or piston; hence, also, room for motion;
free and easy action. "To give them play, front and
rear." Milton.
The joints are let exactly into one another, that they
have no play between them.
Moxon.
9. Hence, liberty of acting; room for
enlargement or display; scope; as, to give full play to
mirth.
Play actor, an actor of dramas.
Prynne. -- Play debt, a gambling
debt. Arbuthnot. -- Play pleasure,
idle amusement. [Obs.] Bacon. -- A play upon
words, the use of a word in such a way as to be capable
of double meaning; punning. -- Play of colors,
prismatic variation of colors. -- To bring into
play, To come into play, to bring or
come into use or exercise. -- To hold in play,
to keep occupied or employed.
I, with two more to help me,
Will hold the foe in play.
Macaulay.
||Pla"ya (?), n. [Sp.] A beach; a
strand; in the plains and deserts of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, a
broad, level spot, on which subsequently becomes dry by
evaporation. Bartlett.
Play"bill` (?), n. A printed
programme of a play, with the parts assigned to the actors.
Play"book` (?), n. A book of
dramatic compositions; a book of the play. Swift.
Play"day` (?), n. A day given to
play or diversion; a holiday. Swift.
Play"er (?), n. 1.
One who plays, or amuses himself; one without serious aims; an
idler; a trifler. Shak.
2. One who plays any game.
3. A dramatic actor. Shak.
4. One who plays on an instrument of
music. "A cunning player on a harp." 1 Sam. xvi.
16.
5. A gamester; a gambler.
Play"fel`low (?), n. A companion in
amusements or sports; a playmate. Shak.
Play"fere` (?), n. [Play + 1st
fere.] A playfellow. [Obs.] [Also, playfeer,
playphere.] Holinsheld.
Play"ful (?), a. Sportive;
gamboling; frolicsome; indulging a sportive fancy; humorous; merry;
as, a playful child; a playful writer. --
Play"ful*ly, adv. --
Play"ful*ness, n.
Play"game` (?), n. Play of
children. Locke.
Play"go`er (?), n. One who
frequents playhouses, or attends dramatic performances.
Play"go`ing, a. Frequenting
playhouses; as, the playgoing public. --
n. The practice of going to plays.
Play"ground` (?), n. A piece of
ground used for recreation; as, the playground of a
school.
Play"house` (?), n. [AS.
pleghūs.] 1. A building used for
dramatic exhibitions; a theater. Shak.
2. A house for children to play in; a
toyhouse.
Play"ing, a. & vb. n. of
Play.
Playing cards. See under
Card.
Play"mak`er (?), n. A
playwright. [R.]
Play"mate` (?), n. A companion in
diversions; a playfellow.
Play"some (?), a. Playful; wanton;
sportive. [R.] R. Browning. -- Play"some*ness,
n. [R.]
Playte (?), n. (Naut.) See
Pleyt.
Play"thing` (?), n. A thing to play
with; a toy; anything that serves to amuse.
A child knows his nurse, and by degrees the
playthings of a little more advanced age.
Locke.
Play"time` (?), n. Time for play or
diversion.
Play"wright` (?), n. A maker or
adapter of plays.
Play"writ`er (?), n. A writer of
plays; a dramatist; a playwright. Lecky.
||Pla"za (?), n. [Sp. See Place.]
A public square in a city or town.
Plea (?), n. [OE. plee,
plai, plait, fr. OF. plait, plaid,
plet, LL. placitum judgment, decision, assembly, court,
fr. L. placitum that which is pleasing, an opinion, sentiment,
from placere to please. See Please, and cf.
Placit, Plead.] 1. (Law)
That which is alleged by a party in support of his cause; in a
stricter sense, an allegation of fact in a cause, as distinguished
from a demurrer; in a still more limited sense, and in modern
practice, the defendant's answer to the plaintiff's declaration and
demand. That which the plaintiff alleges in his declaration is
answered and repelled or justified by the defendant's plea. In
chancery practice, a plea is a special answer showing or
relying upon one or more things as a cause why the suit should be
either dismissed, delayed, or barred. In criminal practice, the
plea is the defendant's formal answer to the indictment or
information presented against him.
2. (Law) A cause in court; a lawsuit;
as, the Court of Common Pleas. See under
Common.
The Supreme Judicial Court shall have cognizance of
pleas real, personal, and mixed.
Laws of
Massachusetts.
3. That which is alleged or pleaded, in
defense or in justification; an excuse; an apology. "Necessity,
the tyrant's plea." Milton.
No plea must serve; 't is cruelty to
spare.
Denham.
4. An urgent prayer or entreaty.
Pleas of the crown (Eng. Law),
criminal actions.
Pleach (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pleached (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pleaching.] [Cf. OF. plaissier to bend, and also F.
plisser to plait, L. plicare, plicitum, to fold,
lay, or wind together. Cf. Plash to pleach.] To unite by
interweaving, as branches of trees; to plash; to interlock. "The
pleached bower." Shak.
Plead (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pleaded (colloq. Plead (?) or Pled);
p. pr. & vb. n. Pleading.] [OE.
pleden, plaiden, OF. plaidier, F. plaider, fr.
LL. placitare, fr. placitum. See Plea.]
1. To argue in support of a claim, or in defense
against the claim of another; to urge reasons for or against a thing;
to attempt to persuade one by argument or supplication; to speak by
way of persuasion; as, to plead for the life of a criminal; to
plead with a judge or with a father.
O that one might plead for a man with God, as a
man pleadeth for his neighbor!
Job xvi.
21.
2. (Law) To present an answer, by
allegation of fact, to the declaration of a plaintiff; to deny the
plaintiff's declaration and demand, or to allege facts which show that
ought not to recover in the suit; in a less strict sense, to make an
allegation of fact in a cause; to carry on the allegations of the
respective parties in a cause; to carry on a suit or plea.
Blackstone. Burrill. Stephen.
3. To contend; to struggle. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Plead (?), v. t. 1.
To discuss, defend, and attempt to maintain by arguments or
reasons presented to a tribunal or person having uthority to
determine; to argue at the bar; as, to plead a cause before a
court or jury.
Every man should plead his own
matter.
Sir T. More.
&fist; In this sense, argue is more generally used by
lawyers.
2. To allege or cite in a legal plea or
defense, or for repelling a demand in law; to answer to an indictment;
as, to plead usury; to plead statute of limitations; to
plead not guilty. Kent.
3. To allege or adduce in proof, support, or
vendication; to offer in excuse; as, the law of nations may be
pleaded in favor of the rights of ambassadors.
Spenser.
I will neither plead my age nor sickness, in
excuse of faults.
Dryden.
Plead"a*ble (?), a. Capable of
being pleaded; capable of being alleged in proof, defense, or
vindication; as, a right or privilege pleadable at law.
Dryden.
Plead"er (?), n. [F. plaideur.]
1. One who pleads; one who argues for or against;
an advotate.
So fair a pleader any cause may
gain.
Dryden.
2. (Law) One who draws up or forms
pleas; the draughtsman of pleas or pleadings in the widest sense; as,
a special pleader.
Plead"ing, n. The act of
advocating, defending, or supporting, a cause by arguments.
Plead"ing*ly, adv. In a pleading
manner.
Plead"ings (?), n. pl. (Law)
The mutual pleas and replies of the plaintiff and defendant, or
written statements of the parties in support of their claims,
proceeding from the declaration of the plaintiff, until issue is
joined, and the question made to rest on some single point.
Blackstone.
Pleas"ance (?), n. [F. plaisance.
See Please.] 1. Pleasure; merriment;
gayety; delight; kindness. [Archaic] Shak. "Full great
pleasance." Chaucer. "A realm of pleasance."
Tennyson.
2. A secluded part of a garden.
[Archaic]
The pleasances of old Elizabethan
houses.
Ruskin.
Pleas"ant (?), a. [F. plaisant.
See Please.] 1. Pleasing; grateful to the
mind or to the senses; agreeable; as, a pleasant journey;
pleasant weather.
Behold, how good and pleasant it is for brethren
to dwell together in unity!
Ps. cxxxiii. 1.
2. Cheerful; enlivening; gay; sprightly;
humorous; sportive; as, pleasant company; a pleasant
fellow.
From grave to light, from pleasant to
serve.
Dryden.
Syn. -- Pleasing; gratifying; agreeable; cheerful; good-
humored; enlivening; gay; lively; merry; sportive; humorous; jocose;
amusing; witty. -- Pleasant, Pleasing,
Agreeable. Agreeable is applied to that which agrees
with, or is in harmony with, one's tastes, character, etc.
Pleasant and pleasing denote a stronger degree of the
agreeable. Pleasant refers rather to the state or condition;
pleasing, to the act or effect. Where they are applied to the
same object, pleasing is more energetic than pleasant;
as, she is always pleasant and always pleasing. The
distinction, however, is not radical and not rightly observed.
Pleas"ant, n. A wit; a humorist; a
buffoon. [Obs.]
Pleas"ant*ly, adv. In a pleasant
manner.
Pleas"ant*ness, n. The state or
quality of being pleasant.
Pleas"ant*ry (?), n.; pl.
Pleasantries (#). [F. plaisanterie. See
Pleasant.] That which denotes or promotes pleasure or good
humor; cheerfulness; gayety; merriment; especially, an agreeable
playfulness in conversation; a jocose or humorous remark;
badinage.
The grave abound in pleasantries, the dull in
repartees and points of wit.
Addison.
The keen observation and ironical pleasantry of
a finished man of the world.
Macaulay.
Pleas"ant-tongued` (?), a. Of
pleasing speech.
Please (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pleased; p. pr. & vb. n.
Pleasing.] [OE. plesen, OF. plaisir, fr. L.
placere, akin to placare to reconcile. Cf.
Complacent, Placable, Placid, Plea,
Plead, Pleasure.] 1. To give
pleasure to; to excite agreeable sensations or emotions in; to make
glad; to gratify; to content; to satisfy.
I pray to God that it may plesen
you.
Chaucer.
What next I bring shall please thee, be
assured.
Milton.
2. To have or take pleasure in; hence, to
choose; to wish; to desire; to will.
Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did
he.
Ps. cxxxv. 6.
A man doing as he wills, and doing as he
pleases, are the same things in common speech.
J. Edwards.
3. To be the will or pleasure of; to seem good
to; -- used impersonally. "It pleased the Father that in
him should all fullness dwell." Col. i. 19.
To-morrow, may it please you.
Shak.
To be pleased in or with,
to have complacency in; to take pleasure in. -- To be
pleased to do a thing, to take pleasure in doing it; to
have the will to do it; to think proper to do it.
Dryden.
Please (?), v. i. 1.
To afford or impart pleasure; to excite agreeable
emotions.
What pleasing scemed, for her now pleases
more.
Milton.
For we that live to please, must please
to live.
Johnson.
2. To have pleasure; to be willing, as a
matter of affording pleasure or showing favor; to vouchsafe; to
consent.
Heavenly stranger, please to taste
These bounties.
Milton.
That he would please 8give me my
liberty.
Swift.
Pleased (?), a. Experiencing
pleasure. -- Pleas"ed*ly (#), adv. --
Pleas"ed*ness, n.
Please"man (?), n. An officious
person who courts favor servilely; a pickthank. [Obs.]
Shak.
Pleas"er (?), n. One who pleases or
gratifies.
Pleas"ing, a. Giving pleasure or
satisfaction; causing agreeable emotion; agreeable; delightful; as, a
pleasing prospect; pleasing manners.
"Pleasing harmony." Shak. "Pleasing features."
Macaulay. -- Pleas"ing*ly, adv. --
Pleas"ing*ness, n.
Syn. -- Gratifying; delightful; agreeable. See
Pleasant.
Pleas"ing, n. An object of
pleasure. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Pleas"ur*a*ble (?), a. Capable of
affording pleasure or satisfaction; gratifying; abounding in
pleasantness or pleasantry.
Planting of orchards is very . . .
pleasurable.
Bacon.
O, sir, you are very pleasurable.
B. Jonson.
-- Pleas"ur*a*ble*ness, n. --
Pleas"ur*a*bly, adv.
Pleas"ure (?), n. [F. plaisir,
originally an infinitive. See Please.] 1.
The gratification of the senses or of the mind; agreeable
sensations or emotions; the excitement, relish, or happiness produced
by the expectation or the enjoyment of something good, delightful, or
satisfying; -- opposed to pain, sorrow, etc.
At thy right hand there are pleasures for
evermore.
Ps. xvi. 11.
2. Amusement; sport; diversion; self-
indulgence; frivolous or dissipating enjoyment; hence, sensual
gratification; -- opposed to labor, service,
duty, self-denial, etc. "Not sunk in carnal
pleasure." Milton.
He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor
man.
Prov. xxi. 17.
Lovers of pleasures more than lovers of
God.
2 Tim. iii. 4.
3. What the will dictates or prefers as
gratifying or satisfying; hence, will; choice; wish; purpose.
"He will do his pleasure on Babylon." Isa. xlviii.
14.
Use your pleasure; if your love do not presuade
you to come, let not my letter.
Shak.
4. That which pleases; a favor; a
gratification. Shak.
Festus, willing to do the Jews a
pleasure
Acts xxv. 9.
At pleasure, by arbitrary will or
choice. Dryden. -- To take pleasure in,
to have enjoyment in. Ps. cxlvii. 11.
&fist; Pleasure is used adjectively, or in the formation of
self-explaining compounds; as, pleasure boat, pleasure
ground; pleasure house, etc.
Syn. -- Enjoyment; gratification; satisfaction; comfort;
solace; joy; gladness; delight; will; choice; preference; purpose;
command; favor; kindness.
Pleas"ure, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pleasured (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pleasuring.] To give or afford pleasure to; to please; to
gratify. Shak.
[Rolled] his hoop to pleasure
Edith.
Tennyson.
Pleas"ure, v. i. To take pleasure;
to seek pursue pleasure; as, to go pleasuring.
Pleas"ure*ful (?), a. Affording
pleasure. [R.]
Pleas"ure*less, a. Devoid of
pleasure. G. Eliot.
Pleas"ur*er (?), n. A pleasure
seeker. Dickens.
Pleas"ur*ist, n. A person devoted
to worldly pleasure. [R.] Sir T. Browne.
Pleat (plēt), n. & v. t. See
Plait.
Plebe (plēb), n. [F.
plèbe, fr. L. plebs.] 1. The
common people; the mob. [Obs.]
The plebe with thirst and fury
prest.
Sylvester.
2. [Cf. Plebeian.] A member of the
lowest class in the military academy at West Point. [Cant,
U.S.]
Ple*be"ian (pl&esl;*bē"yan),
a. [L. plebeius, from plebs,
plebis, the common people: cf. F.
plébéien.] 1. Of or
pertaining to the Roman plebs, or common people.
2. Of or pertaining to the common people;
vulgar; common; as, plebeian sports; a plebeian
throng.
Ple*be"ian, n. 1.
One of the plebs, or common people of ancient Rome, in
distinction from patrician.
2. One of the common people, or lower rank of
men.
Ple*be"iance (?), n. 1.
Plebeianism. [Obs.]
2. Plebeians, collectively. [Obs.]
Ple*be"ian*ism (?), n. [Cf. F.
plébéianisme.] 1. The
quality or state of being plebeian.
2. The conduct or manners of plebeians;
vulgarity.
Ple*be"ian*ize (?), v. t. [imp.
& p. p. Plebeianized (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Plebeianizing.] To render plebeian, common,
or vulgar.
Ple*bic"o*list (?), n. [L. plebs
the common people + colere to cultivate.] One who
flatters, or courts the favor of, the common people; a
demagogue. [R.]
Pleb`i*fi*ca"tion (?), n. [L.
plebs the common people + -ficare (in comp.) to make.
See -fy.] A rendering plebeian; the act of
vulgarizing. [R.]
You begin with the attempt to popularize learning . . .
but you will end in the plebification of
knowledge.
Coleridge.
Ple*bis"ci*ta*ry (?), a. Of or
pertaining to plebiscite. The Century.
Pleb"i*scite (?), n. [F.
plébiscite, fr. L. plebiscitum.] A vote by
universal male suffrage; especially, in France, a popular vote, as
first sanctioned by the National Constitution of 1791. [Written
also plebiscit.]
Plebiscite we have lately taken, in popular use,
from the French.
Fitzed. Hall.
||Ple`bis*ci"tum (?), n. [L., fr.
plebs, plebis, common people + scitum decree.]
(Rom. Antiq.) A law enacted by the common people, under
the superintendence of a tribune or some subordinate plebeian
magistrate, without the intervention of the senate.
Plec"tile (?), a. [L. plectilis.]
Woven; plaited. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.
Plec"tog*nath (?), a.
(Zoöl.) Of or pertaining to the Plectognathi. -
- n. One of the Plectognathi.
||Plec*to"gna*thi (?), n. pl. [NL., from
Gr. &?; twisted (fr. &?; to plait, twist) + &?; jaw.]
(Zoöl.) An order of fishes generally having the
maxillary bone united with the premaxillary, and the articular united
with the dentary.
&fist; The upper jaw is immovably joined to the skull; the ventral
fins are rudimentary or wanting; and the body is covered with bony
plates, spines, or small rough ossicles, like shagreen. The order
includes the diodons, filefishes, globefishes, and trunkfishes.
{ Plec`tog*nath"ic (?), Plec-tog"na*thous (?), }
a. (Zoöl.) Of or pertaining to the
Plectognathi.
||Plec`to*spon"dy*li (?), n. pl. [NL.,
fr. Gr. &?; plaited + &?;, &?;, a vertebra.] (Zoöl.)
An extensive suborder of fresh-water physostomous fishes having
the anterior vertebræ united and much modified; the
Eventognathi.
Plec`to*spon"dy*lous (?), a.
(Zoöl.) Of or pertaining to the
Plectospondyli.
||Plec"trum (?), n.; pl. L.
Plectra (#), E. Plectrums (#). [L., fr. Gr. &?;
anything to strike with, fr.&?; to strike.] A small instrument of
ivory, wood, metal, or quill, used in playing upon the lyre and other
stringed instruments.
Pled (?), imp. & p. p. of
Plead [Colloq.] Spenser.
Pledge (?), n. [OF. plege,
pleige, pledge, guaranty, LL. plegium, plivium;
akin to OF. plevir to bail, guaranty, perhaps fr. L.
praebere to proffer, offer (sc. fidem a trust, a
promise of security), but cf. also E. play. √28. Cf.
Prebend, Replevin.] 1. (Law)
The transfer of possession of personal property from a debtor to
a creditor as security for a debt or engagement; also, the contract
created between the debtor and creditor by a thing being so delivered
or deposited, forming a species of bailment; also, that which is so
delivered or deposited; something put in pawn.
&fist; Pledge is ordinarily confined to personal property;
the title or ownership does not pass by it; possession is essential to
it. In all these points it differs from a mortgage [see
Mortgage]; and in the last, from the hypotheca of the
Roman law. See Hypotheca. Story. Kent.
2. (Old Eng. Law) A person who
undertook, or became responsible, for another; a bail; a surety; a
hostage. "I am Grumio's pledge." Shak.
3. A hypothecation without transfer of
possession.
4. Anything given or considered as a security
for the performance of an act; a guarantee; as, mutual interest is the
best pledge for the performance of treaties. "That voice,
their liveliest pledge of hope." Milton.
5. A promise or agreement by which one binds
one's self to do, or to refrain from doing, something; especially, a
solemn promise in writing to refrain from using intoxicating liquors
or the like; as, to sign the pledge; the mayor had made no
pledges.
6. A sentiment to which assent is given by
drinking one's health; a toast; a health.
Dead pledge. [A translation of LL.
mortuum vadium.] (Law) A mortgage. See
Mortgage. -- Living pledge. [A
translation of LL. vivum vadium.] (Law) The
conveyance of an estate to another for money borrowed, to be held by
him until the debt is paid out of the rents and profits. --
To hold in pledge, to keep as security. --
To put in pledge, to pawn; to give as
security.
Syn. -- See Earnest.
Pledge, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pledged (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pledging.] [Cf. OF. pleiger to give security. See
Pledge, n.] 1. To
deposit, as a chattel, in pledge or pawn; to leave in possession of
another as security; as, to pledge one's watch.
2. To give or pass as a security; to
guarantee; to engage; to plight; as, to pledge one's word and
honor.
We mutually pledge to each other our lives, our
fortunes, and our sacred honor.
The Declaration of
Independence.
3. To secure performance of, as by a
pledge. [Obs.]
To pledge my vow, I give my hand.
Shak.
4. To bind or engage by promise or
declaration; to engage solemnly; as, to pledge one's
self.
5. To invite another to drink, by drinking of
the cup first, and then handing it to him, as a pledge of good will;
hence, to drink the health of; to toast.
Pledge me, my friend, and drink till thou be'st
wise.
Cowley.
Pledg*ee" (?), n. The one to whom a
pledge is given, or to whom property pledged is delivered.
Pledge"less (?), a. Having no
pledge.
{ Pledge*or", Pledg*or" } (?),
n. (Law) One who pledges, or delivers
anything in pledge; a pledger; -- opposed to pledgee.
&fist; This word analogically requires the e after g,
but the spelling pledgor is perhaps commoner.
Pledg"er (?), n. One who
pledges.
Pledg"er*y (?), n. [Cf. OF.
pleigerie.] A pledging; suretyship. [Obs.]
Pledg"et (?), n. [Prov. E., a small
plug.] 1. A small plug. [Prov. End.]
2. (Naut.) A string of oakum used in
calking.
3. (Med.) A compress, or small flat
tent of lint, laid over a wound, ulcer, or the like, to exclude air,
retain dressings, or absorb the matter discharged.
||Ple*gep"o*da (?), n. pl. [NL., from
Gr. (&?;) a stroke + -poda. In allusion to the rapid strokes
of the vibrating cilia.] (Zoöl.) Same as
Infusoria.
Ple"iad (?), n. One of the
Pleiades.
Ple"ia*des (?; 277), n. pl. [L., fr. Gr.
(&?;)] 1. (Myth.) The seven daughters of
Atlas and the nymph Pleione, fabled to have been made by Jupiter a
constellation in the sky.
2. (Astron.) A group of small stars in
the neck of the constellation Taurus. Job xxxviii.
31.
&fist; Alcyone, the brightest of these, a star of the third
magnitude, was considered by Mädler the central point around
which our universe is revolving, but there is no sufficient evidence
of such motion. Only six pleiads are distinctly visible to the naked
eye, whence the ancients supposed that a sister had concealed herself
out of shame for having loved a mortal, Sisyphus.
Plein (?), a. Plan. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Plein, v. i. & t. To complain. See
Plain. [Obs.]
Plein, a. [OF. & F., fr. L.
plenus.] Full; complete. [Obs.] "Plein
remission." Chaucer. -- Plein"ly,
adv.
Plei"o*cene (?), a. (Geol.)
See Pliocene.
Plei*oph"yl*lous (?), a. [Gr. &?; more +
&?; leaf.] (Bot.) Having several leaves; -- used
especially when several leaves or leaflets appear where normally there
should be only one.
||Plei`o*sau"rus (?), n. [NL.]
(Paleon.) Same as Pliosaurus.
Pleis"to*cene (?), a. [Gr. &?; most +
&?; new.] (Geol.) Of or pertaining to the epoch, or the
deposits, following the Tertiary, and immediately preceding man.
-- n. The Pleistocene epoch, or
deposits.
Ple"nal (?), a. [L. plenus full.
Cf. Plenary.] Full; complete; as, a plenal view or
act. [Obs.]
Ple"na*ri*ly (?), adv. In a plenary
manner.
Ple"na*ri*ness, n. Quality or state
of being plenary.
Plen"ar*ty (?), n. The state of a
benefice when occupied. Blackstone.
Ple"na*ry (?), a. [LL. plenarius,
fr. L. plenus full. See Plenty.] Full; entire;
complete; absolute; as, a plenary license; plenary
authority.
A treatise on a subject should be plenary or
full.
I. Watts.
Plenary indulgence (R. C. Ch.), an
entire remission of temporal punishment due to, or canonical penance
for, all sins. -- Plenary inspiration.
(Theol.) See under Inspiration.
Ple"na*ry, n. (Law) Decisive
procedure. [Obs.]
Plene (?), æ. [L. plenus
full.] Full; complete; plenary. [Obs.]
Ple"ni*corn (?), n. [L. plenus
full + cornu horn.] (Zoöl.) A ruminant having
solid horns or antlers, as the deer. Brande & C.
Plen`i*lu"na*ry (?), a. Of or
pertaining to the full moon. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.
Plen"i*lune (?), n. [L.
plenilunium; plenus full + luna the moon.]
The full moon. [Obs.] B. Jonson.
{ Ple*nip"o*tence (?), Ple*nip"o*ten*cy (?), }
n. The quality or state of being
plenipotent. [R.]
Ple*nip"o*tent (?), a. [L. plenus
full + potens, -entis, potent.] Possessing full
power. [R.] Milton.
Plen`i*po*ten"ti*a*ry (?), n.;
pl. Plenipotentiaries (#). [LL.
plenipotentiarius: cf. F. plénipotentiaire.]
A person invested with full power to transact any business;
especially, an ambassador or envoy to a foreign court, with full power
to negotiate a treaty, or to transact other business.
Plen`i*po*ten"ti*a*ry, a.
Containing or conferring full power; invested with full power;
as, plenipotentiary license; plenipotentiary
ministers. Howell.
Plen"ish (?), v. t. [See
Replenish.] 1. To replenish. [Obs.]
T. Reeve.
2. To furnish; to stock, as a house or
farm. [Scot.]
Plen"ish*ing, n. Household
furniture; stock. [Scot.]
Ple"nist (?), n. [L. plenus full;
cf. F. pléniste.] One who holds that all space is
full of matter.
Plen"i*tude (?), n. [L.
plenitudo, fr. plenus full; cf. F. plenitude.]
1. The quality or state of being full or
complete; fullness; completeness; abundance; as, the plenitude
of space or power.
2. Animal fullness; repletion; plethora.
[Obs.]
Plen`i*tu`di*na"ri*an (?), n. A
plenist.
Plen`i*tu"di*na*ry (?), a. Having
plenitude; full; complete; thorough. [Obs.]
Plen"te*ous (?), a. [From
Plenty.] 1. Containing plenty; abundant;
copious; plentiful; sufficient for every purpose; as, a
plenteous supply. "Reaping plenteous crop."
Milton.
2. Yielding abundance; productive;
fruitful. "The seven plenteous years." Gen. xli.
34.
3. Having plenty; abounding; rich.
The Lord shall make thee plenteous in
goods.
Deut. xxviii. 11.
Syn. -- Plentiful; copious; full. See Ample.
-- Plen"te*ous*ly, adv. --
Plen"te*ous*ness, n.
Plen"te*vous (?), a.
Plenteous. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Plen"ti*ful (?), a. 1.
Containing plenty; copious; abundant; ample; as, a
plentiful harvest; a plentiful supply of
water.
2. Yielding abundance; prolific;
fruitful.
If it be a long winter, it is commonly a more
plentiful year.
Bacon.
3. Lavish; profuse; prodigal. [Obs.]
He that is plentiful in expenses will hardly be
preserved from
Bacon.
-- Plen"ti*ful*ly, adv. --
Plen"ti*ful*ness, n.
Plen"ty (?), n.; pl.
Plenties (#), in Shak. [OE. plentee,
plente, OF. plenté, fr. L. plenitas, fr.
plenus full. See Full, a., and cf.
Complete.] Full or adequate supply; enough and to spare;
sufficiency; specifically, abundant productiveness of the earth; ample
supply for human wants; abundance; copiousness. "Plenty
of corn and wine." Gen. xxvii. 28. "Promises Britain peace and
plenty." Shak.
Houses of office stuffed with
plentee.
Chaucer.
The teeming clouds Descend in gladsome plenty
o'er the world.
Thomson.
Syn. -- Abundance; exuberance. See Abundance.
Plen"ty, a. Plentiful;
abundant. [Obs. or Colloq.]
If reasons were as plenty as
blackberries.
Shak. (Folio ed.)
Those countries where shrubs are
plenty.
Goldsmith.
||Ple"num (?), n. [L., fr. plenus
full.] That state in which every part of space is supposed to be
full of matter; -- opposed to vacuum. G.
Francis.
Ple`o*chro"ic (?), a. Having the
property of pleochroism.
Ple*och"ro*ism (?), n. [Gr.&?; mor&?; +
&?; color.] (Crystallog.) The property possessed by some
crystals, of showing different colors when viewed in the direction of
different axes.
Ple*och`ro*mat"ic (?), a.
Pleochroic.
Ple`o*chro"ma*tism (?), n.
Pleochroism.
Ple*och"ro*ous (?), a.
Pleochroic.
Ple`o*mor"phic (?), a. Pertaining
to pleomorphism; as, the pleomorphic character of
bacteria.
Ple`o*mor"phism (?), n. [Gr. &?; more +
&?; form.] 1. (Crystallog.) The property
of crystallizing under two or more distinct fundamental forms,
including dimorphism and trimorphism.
2. (Biol.) The theory that the various
genera of bacteria are phases or variations of growth of a number of
Protean species, each of which may exhibit, according to undetermined
conditions, all or some of the forms characteristic of the different
genera and species.
Ple`o*mor"phous (?), a. Having the
property of pleomorphism.
Ple"o*nasm, (&?;), n. [L.
pleonasmus, Gr. &?;, fr. &?; to be more than enough, to abound,
fr.&?;, neut. of &?;, more, compar. of &?; much. See Full, a.,
and cf. Poly-, Plus.] (Rhet.) Redundancy of
language in speaking or writing; the use of more words than are
necessary to express the idea; as, I saw it with my own
eyes.
Ple"o*nast (?), n. One who is
addicted to pleonasm. [R.] C. Reade.
Ple"o*naste, n. [Gr.&?; abundant, rich;
cf. F. pléonaste.] (Min.) A black
variety of spinel.
{ Ple`o*nas"tic (?), Ple`o*nas"tic*al (?), }
a. [Cf. F. pléonastique.] Of or
pertaining to pleonasm; of the nature of pleonasm;
redundant.
Ple`o*nas"tic*al*ly, adv. In a
pleonastic manner.
Ple"o*pod (?), n.; pl. E.
Pleopods (#), L. Pleopoda (#).
[Gr. &?; to swim + -pod.] (Zoöl.) One of the
abdominal legs of a crustacean. See Illust. under
Crustacea.
Ple"rome (?), n. [Gr. &?; that which
fills up, fr. &?; to fill.] (Bot.) The central column of
parenchyma in a growing stem or root.
Ple*roph"o*ry (?), n. [Gr. &?;; &?; full
+ &?; to bear.] Fullness; full persuasion. "A
plerophory of assurance." Bp. Hall.
Ples"ance (?), n. Pleasance.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
Plesh (?), n. A pool; a
plash. [Obs.] Spenser.
Ple`si*mor"phism (?), n. [Gr. &?; near +
&?; form.] (Crystallog.) The property possessed by some
substances of crystallizing in closely similar forms while unlike in
chemical composition.
Ple`si*o*mor"phous (?), a. Nearly
alike in form.
Ple"si*o*saur (?), n. (Paleon.)
One of the Plesiosauria.
||Ple`si*o*sau"ri*a (?), n. pl. [NL. See
Plesiosaurus.] (Paleon.) An extinct order of
Mesozoic marine reptiles including the genera Plesiosaurus, and allied
forms; -- called also Sauropterygia.
Ple`si*o*sau"ri*an (?), n.
(Paleon.) A plesiosaur.
||Ple`si*o*sau"rus (?), n.; pl.
Plesiosauri (#). [NL., fr. Gr &?; near + &?; a
lizard.] (Paleon.) A genus of large extinct marine
reptiles, having a very long neck, a small head, and paddles for
swimming. It lived in the Mesozoic age.
Ples*sim"e*ter (?), n. See
Pleximeter.
Plete (?), v. t. & i. To
plead. [Obs.] P. Plowman.
Pleth"o*ra (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?;,
fr. &?; to be or become full. Cf. Pleonasm.]
1. Overfullness; especially, excessive fullness
of the blood vessels; repletion; that state of the blood vessels or of
the system when the blood exceeds a healthy standard in quantity;
hyperæmia; -- opposed to anæmia.
2. State of being overfull; excess;
superabundance.
He labors under a plethora of wit and
imagination.
Jeffrey.
Pleth`o*ret"ic (?), a.
Plethoric. [Obs.] Johnson.
Ple*thor"ic (?), a. [Gr. &?;; cf. F.
pléthorique.] Haeving a full habit of body;
characterized by plethora or excess of blood; as, a plethoric
constitution; -- used also metaphorically. "Plethoric
phrases." Sydney Smith. "Plethoric fullness of thought."
De Quincey.
Ple*thor"ic*al (?), a.
Plethoric. [R.] -- Ple*thor"ic*al*ly,
adv. Burke.
Pleth"o*ry (?), n. Plethora.
Jer. Taylor.
{ ||Pleth"ron (?), ||Pleth"rum (?), }
n.; pl. Plethra (#). [NL.,
fr. Gr. &?;.] (Gr. Antiq.) A long measure of 100 Greek, or
101 English, feet; also, a square measure of 10,000 Greek
feet.
||Pleth"ys*mo*graph (?), n. [Gr. &?; an
enlargement + -graph.] (Physiol.) An instrument for
determining and registering the variations in the size or volume of a
limb, as the arm or leg, and hence the variations in the amount of
blood in the limb.
-- Pleth`ys*mo*graph"ic (#), a.
Pleth`ys*mog"ra*phy (?), n.
(Physiol.) The study, by means of the plethysmograph, of
the variations in size of a limb, and hence of its blood
supply.
||Pleu"ra (?), n.,
pl. of Pleuron.
Pleu"ra, n.; pl. L.
Pleuræ (#), E. Pleuras (#).
[NL., n. fem., fr. Gr. &?; a rib, the side.]
1. (Anat.) (a) The smooth
serous membrane which closely covers the lungs and the adjacent
surfaces of the thorax; the pleural membrane.
(b) The closed sac formed by the pleural membrane
about each lung, or the fold of membrane connecting each lung with the
body wall.
2. (Zoöl.) Same as
Pleuron.
Pleu"ral (?), a. (Anat.) Of
or pertaining to the pleura or pleuræ, or to the sides of the
thorax.
||Pleu*ral"gi*a (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr.
&?; rib + &?; pain.] (Med.) Pain in the side or region of
the ribs.
||Pleu`ra*poph"y*sis (?), n.; pl.
Pleurapophyses (#). [NL. See Pleura, and
Apophysis.] (Anat.) One of the ventral processes of
a vertebra, or the dorsal element in each half of a hemal arch,
forming, or corresponding to, a vertebral rib. --
Pleu*rap`o*phys"i*al (#), a.
Owen.
Pleu*ren"chy*ma (?), n. [Gr. &?; side +
&?;, as in parenchyma.] (Bot.) A tissue consisting
of long and slender tubular cells, of which wood is mainly
composed.
Pleu"ric (?), a. (Anat.)
Pleural.
Pleu"ri*sy (?), n. [F.
pleurésie, L. pleurisis, pleuritis, Gr
pleyri^tis (sc. no`sos), fr. pleyra`
rib, side.] (Med.) An inflammation of the pleura, usually
accompanied with fever, pain, difficult respiration, and cough, and
with exudation into the pleural cavity.
Pleurisy root. (Bot.) (a)
The large tuberous root of a kind of milkweed (Asclepias
tuberosa) which is used as a remedy for pleuritic and other
diseases. (b) The plant itself, which has
deep orange-colored flowers; -- called also butterfly
weed.
Pleu"rite (?), n. (Zoöl.)
Same as Pleuron.
{ Pleu*rit"ic (?), Pleu*rit"ic*al (?), }
a. [L. pleuriticus, Gr. &?;: cf. F.
pleurétique.] (Med.) (a) Of
or pertaining to pleurisy; as, pleuritic symptoms.
(b) Suffering from pleurisy.
||Pleu*ri"tis (?), n. [L.] (Med.)
Pleurisy.
Pleu"ro- (?). [See Pleura.] A combining form
denoting relation to a side; specif., connection with,
or situation in or near, the pleura; as,
pleuroperitoneum.
||Pleu`ro*brach"i*a (?), n. [NL. See
Pleuro-, and Brachium.] (Zoöl.) A genus
of ctenophores having an ovate body and two long plumose
tentacles.
Pleu"ro*branch (?), n. [See Pleuro-
, and Branchia.] (Zoöl.) Any one of the
gills of a crustacean that is attached to the side of the
thorax.
||Pleu`ro*bran"chi*a (?), n.; pl.
Pleuroeranchiæ (#). [NL.] (Zoöl.)
Same as Pleurobranch.
Pleu"ro*carp (?), n. [Pleuro- +
Gr. &?; fruit.] (Bot.) Any pleurocarpic moss.
{ Pleu`ro*car"pic (?), Pleu`ro*car"pous (?), }
a. (Bot.) Side-fruited; -- said of those
true mosses in which the pedicels or the capsules are from lateral
archegonia; -- opposed to acrocarpous.
||Pleu`ro*cen"trum (?), n. [NL. see
Pleuro-, and Centrum.] (Anat.) One of the
lateral elements in the centra of the vertebræ in some fossil
batrachians.
||Pleu*rod"e*res (?), n. pl. [NL., fr.
Gr. &?; the side + &?; the neck.] (Zoöl.) A group of
fresh-water turtles in which the neck can not be retracted, but is
bent to one side, for protection. The matamata is an
example.
Pleu"ro*dont (?), a. [Pleuro- +
Gr. &?;, &?;, a tooth.] (Anat.) Having the teeth
consolidated with the inner edge of the jaw, as in some
lizards.
Pleu"ro*dont, n. (Zoöl.)
Any lizard having pleurodont teeth.
||Pleu`ro*dyn"i*a (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr.
&?; side + &?; pain.] (Med.) A painful affection of the
side, simulating pleurisy, usually due to rheumatism.
||Pleu"ron (?), n.; pl.
Pleura (#). [NL., fr. Gr. &?; a rib.]
(Zoöl.) (a) One of the sides of an
animal. (b) One of the lateral pieces of a
somite of an insect. (c) One of lateral
processes of a somite of a crustacean.
Pleu`ro*nec"toid (?), a. [NL.
Pleuronectes, name of a genus (fr. Gr. &?; rib + &?; a swimmer)
+ -oid.] (Zoöl.) Pertaining to the
Pleuronectidæ, or Flounder family.
Pleu`ro*per`i*car"di*al (?), a.
(Anat.) Of or pertaining to the pleura and
pericardium.
Pleu`ro*per`ip*neu"mo*ny (?), n.
[Pleuro- + peripneumony.] (Med.)
Pleuropneumonia.
Pleu`ro*per`i*to*ne"al (?), a.
(Anat.) Of or pertaining to the pleural and peritoneal
membranes or cavities, or to the pleuroperitoneum.
Pleu`ro*per`i*to*ne"um (?), n.
[Pleuro- + peritoneum.] (Anat.) The pleural
and peritoneal membranes, or the membrane lining the body cavity and
covering the surface of the inclosed viscera; the peritoneum; -- used
especially in the case of those animals in which the body cavity is
not divided.
&fist; Peritoneum is now often used in the sense of
pleuroperitoneum, the pleuræ being regarded as a part of
the peritoneum, when the body cavity is undivided.
Pleu`ro*pneu*mo"ni*a (?), n. [Pleuro-
+ pneumonia.] (Med.) Inflammation of the
pleura and lungs; a combination of pleurisy and pneumonia, esp. a kind
of contagions and fatal lung plague of cattle.
||Pleu*rop"te*ra (?), n. pl [NL., fr.
Gr. &?; side + &?; wing.] (Zoöl.) A group of
Isectivora, including the colugo.
||Pleu`ro*sig"ma (?), n. [NL. See
Pleuro-, and Sigma.] (Bot.) A genus of
diatoms of elongated elliptical shape, but having the sides slightly
curved in the form of a letter S.
Pleurosigma angulatum has very fine striations, and is a
favorite object for testing the high powers of microscopes.
||Pleu*ros"te*on (?), n.; pl. L.
Pleurostea (#), E. -ons (#). [NL.,
fr. Gr. &?; a rib + &?; a bone.] (Anat.) The antero-
lateral piece which articulates the sternum of birds.
||Pleu`ro*thot"o*nus (?), n. [NL., fr.
Gr. pleyro`qen from the side + to`nos a
stretching.] (Med.) A species of tetanus, in which the
body is curved laterally. Quain. Dunglison.
||Pleu*rot"o*ma (?), n.; pl. L.
Pleurotomæ (#), E.
Pleurotomas (#). [NL., fr. Gr. &?; the side +
tomh` a cut.] (Zoöl.) Any marine gastropod
belonging to Pleurotoma, and ether allied genera of the family
Pleurotmidæ. The species are very numerous, especially in
tropical seas. The outer lip has usually a posterior notch or
slit.
Plev"in (?), n. [OF. plevine. See
Replevin.] A warrant or assurance. [Obs.]
Plex"i*form (?), a. [Plexus +
-form: cf. F. Plexiforme.] Like network;
complicated. Quincy.
Plex*im"e*ter (?), n. [Gr. &?; stroke,
percussion (from &?; to strike) + -meter.] (Med.) A
small, hard, elastic plate, as of ivory, bone, or rubber, placed in
contact with body to receive the blow, in examination by mediate
percussion. [Written also plexometer.]
Plex"ure (?), n. [See Plexus.]
The act or process of weaving together, or interweaving; that
which is woven together. H. Brooke.
Plex"us (?), n.; pl. L.
Plexus, E. Plexuses (#). [L., a
twining, braid, fr. plectere, plexum, to twine, braid.]
1. (Anat.) A network of vessels, nerves,
or fibers.
2. (Math.) The system of equations
required for the complete expression of the relations which exist
between a set of quantities. Brande & C.
Pley (?), v. & n. See
Play. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Pley (?), a. Full See
Plein. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Pleyt (?), n. (Naut.) An old
term for a river boat.
Pli`a*bil"i*ty (?), n. The quality
or state of being pliable; flexibility; as, pliability of
disposition. "Pliability of movement." Sir W.
Scott.
Pli"a*ble (?), a. [F., fr. plier
to bend, to fold. See Ply, v.]
1. Capable of being plied, turned, or bent; easy
to be bent; flexible; pliant; supple; limber; yielding; as, willow is
a pliable plant.
2. Flexible in disposition; readily yielding
to influence, arguments, persuasion, or discipline; easy to be
persuaded; -- sometimes in a bad sense; as, a pliable
youth. "Pliable she promised to be." Dr. H.
More.
-- Pli"a*ble*ness, n. --
Pli"a*bly, adv.
Pli"an*cy (?), n. The quality or
state of being pliant in sense; as, the pliancy of a rod.
"Avaunt all specious pliancy of mind." Wordsworth.
Pli"ant (?), a. [F. pliant, p.
pr. of plier to bend. See Ply, v.]
1. Capable of plying or bending; readily yielding
to force or pressure without breaking; flexible; pliable; lithe;
limber; plastic; as, a pliant thread; pliant wax. Also
used figuratively: Easily influenced for good or evil; tractable; as,
a pliant heart.
The will was then ductile and pliant to right
reason.
South.
2. Favorable to pliancy. [R.] "A
pliant hour." Shak. -- Pli"ant*ly,
adv. -- Pli"ant*ness,
n.
||Pli"ca (?), n. [LL., a fold, fr. L.
plicare to fold. See Ply, v.]
1. (Med.) A disease of the hair (Plica
polonica), in which it becomes twisted and matted together. The
disease is of Polish origin, and is hence called also Polish
plait. Dunglison.
2. (Bot.) A diseased state in plants in
which there is an excessive development of small entangled twigs,
instead of ordinary branches.
3. (Zoöl.) The bend of the wing of
a bird.
{ Pli"cate (?), Pli"ca*ted (?), }
a. [L. plicatus, p. p. of plicare to
fold.] Plaited; folded like a fan; as, a plicate
leaf. -- Pli"cate*ly (#), adv.
Pli*ca"tion (?), n. A folding or
fold; a plait. Richardson.
Plic"a*ture (?), n. [L.
plicatura, fr. plicare to fold.] A fold; a
doubling; a plication. Dr. H. More.
Plic`i*den"tine (?), n. [LL.
plica fold + E. dentine.] (Anat.) A form of
dentine which shows sinuous lines of structure in a transverse section
of the tooth.
Plied (?), imp. & p. p. of
Ply.
Pli"ers (?), n. pl. [From Ply to
bend, fold.] A kind of small pinchers with long jaws, -- used for
bending or cutting metal rods or wire, for handling small objects such
as the parts of a watch, etc.
Pli"form (?), a. [Ply a fold +
-form.] In the form of a ply, fold, or doubling.
[Obs.] Pennant.
Plight (?), obs. imp. & p. p. of
Plight, to pledge. Chaucer.
Plight, obs. imp. & p. p. of
Pluck. Chaucer.
Plight, v. t. [OE. pliten;
probably through Old French, fr. LL. plectare, L.
plectere. See Plait, Ply.] To weave; to
braid; to fold; to plait.[Obs.] "To sew and plight."
Chaucer.
A plighted garment of divers
colors.
Milton.
Plight (?), n. A network; a plait;
a fold; rarely a garment. [Obs.] "Many a folded plight."
Spenser.
Plight, n. [OE. pliht danger,
engagement, AS. pliht danger, fr. pleón to risk;
akin to D. plicht duty, G. pflicht, Dan. pligt.
√28. Cf. Play.] 1. That which is
exposed to risk; that which is plighted or pledged; security; a gage;
a pledge. "That lord whose hand must take my plight."
Shak.
2. [Perh. the same word as plight a pledge,
but at least influenced by OF. plite, pliste,
ploit, ploi, a condition, state; cf. E. plight to
fold, and F. pli a fold, habit, plier to fold, E.
ply.] Condition; state; -- risk, or exposure to danger,
often being implied; as, a luckless plight. "Your
plight is pitied." Shak.
To bring our craft all in another
plight
Chaucer.
Plight, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Plighted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Plighting.] [AS. plihtan to expose to danger,
pliht danger;cf. D. verplichten to oblige, engage,
impose a duty, G. verpflichten, Sw. förplikta, Dan.
forpligte. See Plight, n.]
1. To pledge; to give as a pledge for the
performance of some act; as, to plight faith, honor, word; --
never applied to property or goods. " To do them plighte
their troth." Piers Plowman.
He plighted his right hand
Unto another love, and to another land.
Spenser.
Here my inviolable faith I plight.
Dryden.
2. To promise; to engage; to
betroth.
Before its setting hour, divide
The bridegroom from the plighted bride.
Sir W.
Scott.
Plight"er (?), n. One who, or that
which, plights.
Plim (?), v. i. [Cf. Plump.]
To swell, as grain or wood with water. [Prov. Eng.]
Grose.
Plim"soll's mark` (?). (Naut.) A mark
conspicuously painted on the port side of all British sea-going
merchant vessels, to indicate the limit of submergence allowed by law;
-- so called from Samuel Plimsoll, by whose efforts the act of
Parliament to prevent overloading was procured.
Plinth (?), n. [L. plinthus, Gr.
&?; a brick or tile, a plinth, perh. akin to E. flint: cf. F.
plinthe.] (Arch.) In classical architecture, a
vertically faced member immediately below the circular base of a
column; also, the lowest member of a pedestal; hence, in general, the
lowest member of a base; a sub-base; a block upon which the moldings
of an architrave or trim are stopped at the bottom. See Illust.
of Column.
Pli"o*cene (?), a. [Written also
pleiocene.] [Gr. &?; more + &?; new, recent.] (Geol.)
Of, pertaining to, or characterizing, the most recent division of
the Tertiary age.
Pli"o*cene, n. (Geol.) The
Pliocene period or deposits.
||Pli`o*hip"pus (?), n. [NL., fr. E.
pliocene + Gr. &?; horse.] (Paleon.) An extinct
genus of horses from the Pliocene deposits. Each foot had a single toe
(or hoof), as in the common horse.
||Pli`o*sau"rus (?), n. [NL., from Gr.
&?; greater + &?; lizard.] (Paleon.) An extinct genus of
marine reptiles allied to Plesiosaurus, but having a much shorter
neck.
Plitt (?), n. [Russ. plete.]
An instrument of punishment or torture resembling the knout, used
in Russia.
Ploc (?), n. [F.] (Naut.) A
mixture of hair and tar for covering the bottom of a ship.
||Plo"ce (?), n. [L., fr. Gr. &?;
complication, fr. &?; to entwine.] (Rhet.) A figure in
which a word is separated or repeated by way of emphasis, so as not
only to signify the individual thing denoted by it, but also its
peculiar attribute or quality; as, "His wife's a wife
indeed." Bailey.
Plod (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Plodded (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Plodding.] [Gf. Gael. plod a clod, a pool; also, to
strike or pelt with a clod or clods.] 1. To
travel slowly but steadily; to trudge. Shak.
2. To toil; to drudge; especially, to study
laboriously and patiently. "Plodding schoolmen."
Drayton.
Plod, v. t. To walk on slowly or
heavily.
The ploughman homeward plods his weary
way.
Gray.
Plod"der (?), n. One who plods; a
drudge.
Plod"ding (?), a. Progressing in a
slow, toilsome manner; characterized by laborious diligence; as, a
plodding peddler; a plodding student; a man of
plodding habits. --Plod"ding*ly,
adv.
Plonge (?), v. t. [See Plunge.]
To cleanse, as open drains which are entered by the tide, by
stirring up the sediment when the tide ebbs.
||Plon`gée" (?), n. [F. See
Plunge.] (Mil.) A slope or sloping toward the
front; as, the plongée of a parapet; the
plongée of a shell in its course. [Sometimes
written plonge.]
Plot (?), n. [AS. plot; cf. Goth.
plats a patch. Cf. Plat a piece of ground.]
1. A small extent of ground; a plat; as, a garden
plot. Shak.
2. A plantation laid out. [Obs.] Sir
P. Sidney.
3. (Surv.) A plan or draught of a
field, farm, estate, etc., drawn to a scale.
Plot, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Plotted (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Plotting.] To make a plot, map, pr plan, of; to mark the
position of on a plan; to delineate.
This treatise plotteth down Cornwall as it now
standeth.
Carew.
Plot, n. [Abbrev. from complot.]
1. Any scheme, stratagem, secret design, or plan,
of a complicated nature, adapted to the accomplishment of some
purpose, usually a treacherous and mischievous one; a conspiracy; an
intrigue; as, the Rye-house Plot.
I have overheard a plot of death.
Shak.
O, think what anxious moments pass between
The birth of plots and their last fatal periods!
Addison.
2. A share in such a plot or scheme; a
participation in any stratagem or conspiracy. [Obs.]
And when Christ saith, Who marries the divorced commits
adultery, it is to be understood, if he had any plot in the
divorce.
Milton.
3. Contrivance; deep reach of thought; ability
to plot or intrigue. [Obs.] "A man of much plot."
Denham.
4. A plan; a purpose. "No other
plot in their religion but serve God and save their souls."
Jer. Taylor.
5. In fiction, the story of a play, novel,
romance, or poem, comprising a complication of incidents which are
gradually unfolded, sometimes by unexpected means.
If the plot or intrigue must be natural, and
such as springs from the subject, then the winding up of the
plot must be a probable consequence of all that went
before.
Pope.
Syn. -- Intrigue; stratagem; conspiracy; cabal; combination;
contrivance.
Plot (pl&obreve;t), v. i.
1. To form a scheme of mischief against another,
especially against a government or those who administer it; to
conspire. Shak.
The wicked plotteth against the
just.
Ps. xxxvii. 12.
2. To contrive a plan or stratagem; to
scheme.
The prince did plot to be secretly
gone.
Sir H. Wotton.
Plot, v. t. To plan; to scheme; to
devise; to contrive secretly. "Plotting an unprofitable
crime." Dryden. "Plotting now the fall of others."
Milton
Plot"ful (?), a. Abounding with
plots.
Plo*tin"i*an (?), a.Of pertaining
to the Plotinists or their doctrines.
Plo*ti"nist (?), n. (Eccl. Hist.)
A disciple of Plotinus, a celebrated Platonic philosopher of the
third century, who taught that the human soul emanates from the divine
Being, to whom it reunited at death.
Plot"-proof` (?), a. Secure against
harm by plots. Shak.
Plot"ter (?), n. One who plots or
schemes; a contriver; a conspirator; a schemer.
Dryden.
Plough (?), n. & v. See
Plow.
Plov"er (?), n. [OF. plovier, F.
pluvier, prop., the rain bird, fr. LL. (assumed)
pluviarius, fr. L. pluvia rain, from pluere to
rain; akin to E. float, G. fliessen to flow. See
Float.] 1. (Zoöl.) Any one of
numerous species of limicoline birds belonging to the family
Charadridæ, and especially those belonging to the
subfamily Charadrinsæ. They are prized as game
birds.
2. (Zoöl.) Any grallatorial bird
allied to, or resembling, the true plovers, as the crab plover
(Dromas ardeola); the American upland, plover (Bartramia
longicauda); and other species of sandpipers.
&fist; Among the more important species are the blackbellied, or
blackbreasted, plover (Charadrius squatarola) of America
and Europe; -- called also gray plover, bull-head
plover, Swiss plover, sea plover, and oxeye;
the golden plover (see under Golden); the ring or
ringed plover (Ægialitis hiaticula). See
Ringneck. The piping plover (Ægialitis
meloda); Wilson's plover (Æ. Wilsonia); the
mountain plover (Æ. montana); and the
semipalmated plover (Æ. semipalmata), are all
small American species.
Bastard plover (Zoöl.), the
lapwing. -- Long-legged, or yellow-
legged, plover. See
Tattler. -- Plover's page, the
dunlin. [Prov. Eng.] -- Rock plover, or
Stone plover, the black-bellied plover.
[Prov. Eng.] -- Whistling plover.
(a) The golden plover. (b)
The black-bellied plover.
{ Plow, Plough } (plou), n.
[OE. plouh, plou, AS. plōh; akin to D.
ploeg, G. pflug, OHG. pfluog, pfluoh,
Icel. plōgr, Sw. plog, Dan. ploug,
plov, Russ. plug', Lith. plugas.]
1. A well-known implement, drawn by horses,
mules, oxen, or other power, for turning up the soil to prepare it for
bearing crops; also used to furrow or break up the soil for other
purposes; as, the subsoil plow; the draining
plow.
Where fern succeeds ungrateful to the
plow.
Dryden.
2. Fig.: Agriculture; husbandry.
Johnson.
3. A carucate of land; a plowland.
[Obs.] [Eng.]
Johan, mine eldest son, shall have plowes
five.
Tale of Gamelyn.
4. A joiner's plane for making grooves; a
grooving plane.
5. (Bookbinding) An implement for
trimming or shaving off the edges of books.
6. (Astron.) Same as Charles's
Wain.
Ice plow, a plow used for cutting ice on
rivers, ponds, etc., into cakes suitable for storing. [U. S.] --
Mackerel plow. See under Mackerel. -
- Plow alms, a penny formerly paid by every
plowland to the church. Cowell. -- Plow
beam, that part of the frame of a plow to which the
draught is applied. See Beam, n., 9. --
Plow Monday, the Monday after Twelth Day, or the
end of Christmas holidays. -- Plow staff.
(a) A kind of long-handled spade or paddle for
cleaning the plowshare; a paddle staff. (b) A
plow handle. -- Snow plow, a structure,
usually Λ-shaped, for removing snow from sidewalks, railroads,
etc., -- drawn or driven by a horse or a locomotive.
{ Plow, Plough, } v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Plowed (ploud) or
Ploughed; p. pr. & vb. n. Plowing or
Ploughing.] 1. To turn up, break up, or
trench, with a plow; to till with, or as with, a plow; as, to
plow the ground; to plow a field.
2. To furrow; to make furrows, grooves, or
ridges in; to run through, as in sailing.
Let patient Octavia plow thy visage up
With her prepared nails.
Shak.
With speed we plow the watery way.
Pope.
3. (Bookbinding) To trim, or shave off
the edges of, as a book or paper, with a plow. See Plow,
n., 5.
4. (Joinery) To cut a groove in, as in
a plank, or the edge of a board; especially, a rectangular groove to
receive the end of a shelf or tread, the edge of a panel, a tongue,
etc.
To plow in, to cover by plowing; as, to
plow in wheat. -- To plow up, to turn
out of the ground by plowing.
{ Plow, Plough } (plou), v. i.
To labor with, or as with, a plow; to till or turn up the soil
with a plow; to prepare the soil or bed for anything.
Shak.
Doth the plowman plow all day to sow
?
Isa. xxviii. 24.
{ Plow"a*ble, Plough"a*ble } (?),
a. Capable of being plowed; arable.
{ Plow"bote`, Plough"bote` } (?),
n. (Eng. Law) Wood or timber allowed to
a tenant for the repair of instruments of husbandry. See
Bote.
{ Plow"boy`, Plough"boy` }, n.
A boy that drives or guides a team in plowing; a young
rustic.
{ Plow"er, Plough"er } (?), n.
One who plows; a plowman; a cultivator.
{ Plow"foot`, Plough"foot` } (?),
n. An adjustable staff formerly attached to the
plow beam to determine the depth of the furrow. Piers
Plowman.
{ Plow"gang`, Plough"gang` } (?),
n. Same as Plowgate.
{ Plow"gate`, Plough"gate` } (?),
n. The Scotch equivalent of the English word
plowland.
Not having one plowgate of land.
Sir W. Scott.
{ Plow"head`, Plough"head` } (?),
n. The clevis or draught iron of a
plow.
{ Plow"land`, Ploug"land` } (?),
n. 1. Land that is plowed, or
suitable for tillage.
2. (O. Eng. Law) the quantity of land
allotted for the work of one plow; a hide.
{ Plow"man, Plough"man } (?),
n.; pl. -men (&?;).
1. One who plows, or who holds and guides a plow;
hence, a husbandman. Chaucer. Macaulay.
2. A rustic; a countryman; a field
laborer.
Plowman's spikenard (Bot.), a European
composite weed (Conyza squarrosa), having fragrant roots.
Dr. Prior.
{ Plow"point`, Plough"point` } (?),
n. A detachable share at the extreme front end
of the plow body.
{ Plow"share`, Plough"share" } (?),
n. The share of a plow, or that part which cuts
the slice of earth or sod at the bottom of the furrow.
Plowshare bone (Anat.), the
pygostyle.
{ Plow"tail`, Plough"tail` } (?),
n. The hind part or handle of a plow.
{ Plow"wright`, Plough"wright` } (?),
n. One who makes or repairs plows.
Ploy (?), n. Sport; frolic.
[Prov. Eng. & Scot.]
Ploy, v. i. [Prob. abbrev. fr.
deploy.] (Mil.) To form a column from a line of
troops on some designated subdivision; -- the opposite of
deploy. Wilhelm.
Ploy"ment (?), n. (Mil.) The
act or movement of forming a column from a line of troops on some
designated subdivision; -- the opposite of
deployment.
Pluck (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Plucked (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Plucking.] [AS. pluccian; akin to LG. & D.
plukken, G. pflücken, Icel. plokka,
plukka, Dan. plukke, Sw. plocka. &?;27.]
1. To pull; to draw.
Its own nature . . . plucks on its own
dissolution.
Je&?;. Taylor.
2. Especially, to pull with sudden force or
effort, or to pull off or out from something, with a twitch; to
twitch; also, to gather, to pick; as, to pluck feathers from a
fowl; to pluck hair or wool from a skin; to pluck
grapes.
I come to pluck your berries harsh and
crude.
Milton.
E'en children followed, with endearing wile,
And plucked his gown to share the good man's
smile.
Goldsmith.
3. To strip of, or as of, feathers; as, to
pluck a fowl.
They which pass by the way do pluck
her.
Ps. lxxx.&?;2.
4. (Eng. Universities) To reject at an
examination for degrees. C. Bronté.
To pluck away, to pull away, or to separate
by pulling; to tear away. -- To pluck down,
to pull down; to demolish; to reduce to a lower state. --
to pluck off, to pull or tear off; as, to
pluck off the skin. -- to pluck up.
(a) To tear up by the roots or from the
foundation; to eradicate; to exterminate; to destroy; as, to pluck
up a plant; to pluck up a nation. Jer. xii. 17.
(b) To gather up; to summon; as, to pluck
up courage.
Pluck, v. i. To make a motion of
pulling or twitching; -- usually with at; as, to pluck
at one's gown.
Pluck, n. 1. The
act of plucking; a pull; a twitch.
2. [Prob. so called as being plucked out
after the animal is killed; or cf. Gael. & Ir. pluc a lump, a
knot, a bunch.] The heart, liver, and lights of an
animal.
3. Spirit; courage; indomitable resolution;
fortitude.
Decay of English spirit, decay of manly
pluck.
Thackeray.
4. The act of plucking, or the state of being
plucked, at college. See Pluck, v. t.,
4.
5. (Zoöl.) The lyrie. [Prov.
Eng.]
Plucked (?), a. Having courage and
spirit. [R.]
Pluck"er, n. 1. One
who, or that which, plucks.
Thou setter up and plucker down of
kings.
Shak.
2. A machine for straightening and cleaning
wool.
Pluck"i*ly (?), adv. In a plucky
manner.
Pluck"i*ness, n. The quality or
state of being plucky.
Pluck"less, a. Without pluck;
timid; faint-hearted.
Pluck"y (?), a.
[Compar. Pluckier (?);
superl. Pluckiest.] Having pluck or
courage; characterized by pluck; displaying pluck; courageous;
spirited; as, a plucky race.
If you're plucky, and not over subject to
fright.
Barham.
Pluff (?), v. t. [Prob. of imitative
origin.] To throw out, as smoke, dust, etc., in puffs.
[Scot.]
Pluff, n. 1. A
puff, as of smoke from a pipe, or of dust from a puffball; a slight
explosion, as of a small quantity of gunpowder. [Scot.]
2. A hairdresser's powder puff; also, the act
of using it. [Scot.]
Plug (?), n. [Akin to D. plug, G.
pflock, Dan. plök, plug, Sw. plugg;
cf. W. ploc.] 1. Any piece of wood, metal,
or other substance used to stop or fill a hole; a stopple.
2. A flat oblong cake of pressed
tobacco. [U. S.]
3. A high, tapering silk hat. [Slang,
U.S.]
4. A worthless horse. [Slang, U.S.]
5. (Building) A block of wood let into
a wall, to afford a hold for nails.
Fire plug, a street hydrant to which hose may
be attached. [U. S.] -- Hawse plug
(Naut.), a plug to stop a hawse hole. -- Plug
and feather. (Stone Working) See Feather,
n., 7. -- Plug centerbit,
a centerbit ending in a small cylinder instead of a point, so as
to follow and enlarge a hole previously made, or to form a counterbore
around it. -- Plug rod (Steam Eng.)
, a rod attached to the beam for working the valves, as in the
Cornish engine. -- Plug valve (Mech.),
a tapering valve, which turns in a case like the plug of a
faucet.
Plug (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Plugged (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Plugging (?).] To stop with a plug; to make tight by
stopping a hole.
Plug"ger (?), n. One who, or that
which, plugs.
Plug"ging, n. 1.
The act of stopping with a plug.
2. The material of which a plug or stopple is
made.
Plum (?), n. [AS. plūme,
fr. L. prunum; akin to Gr. &?;, &?;. Cf. Prune a dried
plum.]
1. (Bot.) The edible drupaceous fruit
of the Prunus domestica, and of several other species of
Prunus; also, the tree itself, usually called plum
tree.
The bullace, the damson, and the numerous varieties of
plum, of our gardens, although growing into thornless trees,
are believed to be varieties of the blackthorn, produced by long
cultivation.
G. Bentham.
&fist; Two or three hundred varieties of plums derived from the
Prunus domestica are described; among them the
greengage, the Orleans, the purple gage, or
Reine Claude Violette, and the German prune, are some of
the best known.
&fist; Among the true plums are;
Beach plum, the
Prunus maritima, and its crimson or purple globular drupes, --
Bullace plum. See Bullace. --
Chickasaw plum, the American Prunus Chicasa,
and its round red drupes. -- Orleans plum, a dark
reddish purple plum of medium size, much grown in England for sale in
the markets. -- Wild plum of America, Prunus
Americana, with red or yellow fruit, the original of the Iowa
plum and several other varieties.
Among plants called plum, but of other genera than
Prunus, are;
Australian plum, Cargillia
arborea and C. australis, of the same family with the
persimmon. -- Blood plum, the West African
Hæmatostaphes Barteri. -- Cocoa plum,
the Spanish nectarine. See under Nectarine. -- Date
plum. See under Date. -- Gingerbread
plum, the West African Parinarium macrophyllum. --
Gopher plum, the Ogeechee lime. -- Gray
plum, Guinea plum. See under
Guinea. -- Indian plum, several species of
Flacourtia.
2. A grape dried in the sun; a
raisin.
3. A handsome fortune or property; formerly,
in cant language, the sum of £100,000 sterling; also, the person
possessing it.
Plum bird, Plum budder
(Zoöl.), the European bullfinch. -- Plum
gouger (Zoöl.), a weevil, or curculio
(Coccotorus scutellaris), which destroys plums. It makes round
holes in the pulp, for the reception of its eggs. The larva bores into
the stone and eats the kernel. -- Plum weevil
(Zoöl.), an American weevil which is very destructive
to plums, nectarines, cherries, and many other stone fruits. It lays
its eggs in crescent-shaped incisions made with its jaws. The larva
lives upon the pulp around the stone. Called also turk, and
plum curculio. See Illust. under
Curculio.
||Plu"ma (plū"m&adot;), n.;
pl. Plumæ (-mē). [L.]
(Zoöl.) A feather.
Plum"age (plūm"&asl;j), n. [F.,
from plume a feather.] (Zoöl.) The entire
clothing of a bird.
&fist; It consist of the contour feathers, or the ordinary
feathers covering the head, neck, and body; the tail feathers,
with their upper and lower coverts; the wing feathers,
including primaries, secondaries, and tertiaries, with their coverts;
and the down which lies beneath the contour feathers. See
Illust. under Bird.
Plu*mas"sa*ry (?), n. [Cf. F.
plumasseau.] A plume or collection of ornamental
feathers.
||Plu`mas`sier" (?), n. [F.] One
who prepares or deals in ornamental plumes or feathers.
Plumb (plŭm), n. [F.
plomb, L. plumbum lead, a leaden ball or bullet; cf. Gr.
mo`lybos, mo`libos, mo`lybdos. Cf.
Plummet, Plunge.] A little mass or weight of lead,
or the like, attached to a line, and used by builders, etc., to
indicate a vertical direction; a plummet; a plumb bob. See Plumb
line, below.
Plumb bob. See Bob, 4. --
Plumb joint, in sheet-metal work, a lap joint,
fastened by solder. -- Plumb level. See
under Level. -- Plumb line.
(a) The cord by which a plumb bob is suspended; a
plummet. (b) A line directed to the center of
gravity of the earth. -- Plumb rule, a
narrow board with a plumb line, used by builders and
carpenters.
Plumb, a. Perpendicular; vertical;
conforming the direction of a line attached to a plumb; as, the wall
is plumb.
Plumb, adv. In a plumb direction;
perpendicularly. "Plumb down he falls."
Milton.
Plumb, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Plumbed (plŭmd); p. pr. & vb.
n. Plumbing (plŭm"&ibreve;ng).]
1. To adjust by a plumb line; to cause to be
perpendicular; as, to plumb a building or a wall.
2. To sound with a plumb or plummet, as the
depth of water; hence, to examine by test; to ascertain the depth,
quality, dimension, etc.; to sound; to fathom; to test.
He did not attempt to plumb his
intellect.
Ld. Lytton.
3. To seal with lead; as, to plumb a
drainpipe.
4. To supply, as a building, with a system of
plumbing.
Plumb"age (plŭm"&asl;j; 48), n.
Leadwork [R.]
Plum*ba"gin (plŭm*bā"j&ibreve;n),
n. [L. plumbago leadwort, fr. plumbum
lead; cf. F. plombagin.] (Chem.) A crystalline
substance said to be found in the root of a certain plant of the
Leadwort (Plumbago) family.
Plum`ba*gin"e*ous
(plŭm`b&adot;*j&ibreve;n"&esl;*ŭs), a.
(Bot.) Pertaining to natural order
(Plumbagineæ) of gamopetalous herbs, of which Plumbago is
the type. The order includes also the marsh rosemary, the thrift, and
a few other genera.
Plum*bag"i*nous (?), a. Resembling
plumbago; consisting of, or containing, plumbago; as, a
plumbaginous slate.
Plum*ba"go, n. [L., from plumbum
lead.] 1. (Min.) Same as
Graphite.
2. (Bot.) A genus of herbaceous plants
with pretty salver-shaped corollas, usually blue or violet;
leadwort.
{ Plum"be*an (?), Plum"be*ous (?), }
a. [L. plumbeus, from plumbum the
metal lead.] 1. Consisting of, or resembling,
lead. J. Ellis.
2. Dull; heavy; stupid. [R.] J. P.
Smith.
Plumb"er (?), n. [F. plombier.
See Plumb.] One who works in lead; esp., one who
furnishes, fits, and repairs lead, iron, or glass pipes, and other
apparatus for the conveyance of water, gas, or drainage in
buildings.
Plumb"er block` (?). A pillow block.
Plumb"er*y (?), n. [F.
plomberie.] 1. The business of a
plumber. [Obs.]
2. A place where plumbing is carried on; lead
works.
Plum"bic (?), a. [From Plumbum.]
(Chem.) Of, pertaining to, resembling, or containing,
lead; -- used specifically to designate those compounds in which it
has a higher valence as contrasted with plumbous compounds; as,
plumbic oxide.
Plum*bif"er*ous (?), a. [Plumbum
+ -ferous.] Producing or containing lead.
Kirwan.
Plumb"ing (?), n. 1.
The art of casting and working in lead, and applying it to
building purposes; especially, the business of furnishing, fitting,
and repairing pipes for conducting water, sewage, etc.
Gwilt.
2. The lead or iron pipes, and other
apparatus, used in conveying water, sewage, etc., in a
building.
Plum"bism (?), n. [From Plumbum.]
(Med.) A diseased condition, produced by the absorption of
lead, common among workers in this metal or in its compounds, as among
painters, typesetters, etc. It is characterized by various symptoms,
as lead colic, lead line, and wrist drop. See under Colic,
Lead, and Wrist.
Plum"bous (?), a. [From Plumbum.]
(Chem.) Of, pertaining to, or containing, lead; -- used
specifically to designate those compounds in which it has a lower
valence as contrasted with plumbic compounds.
||Plum"bum (?), n. [L.] (Chem.)
The technical name of lead. See Lead.
Plume (?), n. [F., fr. L. pluma.
Cf. Fly, v.]
1. A feather; esp., a soft, downy feather, or
a long, conspicuous, or handsome feather.
Wings . . . of many a colored
plume.
Milton.
2. (Zoöl.) An ornamental tuft of
feathers.
3. A feather, or group of feathers, worn as an
ornament; a waving ornament of hair, or other material resembling
feathers.
His high plume, that nodded o'er his
head.
Dryden.
4. A token of honor or prowess; that on which
one prides himself; a prize or reward. "Ambitious to win from me
some plume." Milton.
5. (Bot.) A large and flexible panicle
of inflorescence resembling a feather, such as is seen in certain
large ornamental grasses.
Plume bird (Zoöl.), any bird that
yields ornamental plumes, especially the species of Epimarchus from
New Guinea, and some of the herons and egrets, as the white heron of
Florida (Ardea candidissima). -- Plume
grass. (Bot) (a) A kind of grass
(Erianthus saccharoides) with the spikelets arranged in great
silky plumes, growing in swamps in the Southern United States.
(b) The still finer E. Ravennæ from
the Mediterranean region. The name is sometimes extended to the whole
genus. -- Plume moth (Zoöl.),
any one of numerous small, slender moths, belonging to the family
Pterophoridæ. Most of them have the wings deeply divided
into two or more plumelike lobes. Some species are injurious to the
grapevine. -- Plume nutmeg (Bot.),
an aromatic Australian tree (Atherosperma moschata), whose
numerous carpels are tipped with long plumose persistent
styles.
Plume, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Plumed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pluming.] [Cf. F. plumer to pluck, to strip, L.
plumare to cover with feathers.] 1. To
pick and adjust the plumes or feathers of; to dress or
prink.
Pluming her wings among the breezy
bowers.
W. Irving.
2. To strip of feathers; to pluck; to strip;
to pillage; also, to peel. [Obs.] Bacon. Dryden.
3. To adorn with feathers or plumes.
"Farewell the plumed troop." Shak.
4. To pride; to vaunt; to boast; -- used
reflexively; as, he plumes himself on his skill.
South.
Plumed adder (Zoöl.), an African
viper (Vipera, or Clotho cornuta), having a plumelike
structure over each eye. It is venomous, and is related to the African
puff adder. Called also horned viper and hornsman.
-- Plumed partridge (Zoöl.), the
California mountain quail (Oreortyx pictus). See Mountain
quail, under Mountain.
Plume"less (?), a. Without
plumes.
Plume"let (?), n. [Plume + -
let.] A small plume.
When rosy plumelets tuft the larch.
Tennyson.
Plum"er*y (?), n. Plumes,
collectively or in general; plumage. [R.] Southey.
Plu"mi*corn (?), n. [L. pluma
feather + cornu horn.] (Zoöl.) An ear tuft of
feathers, as in the horned owls.
Plu*mig"er*ous (?), a. [L.
plumiger; pluma a feather + gerere to bear.]
Feathered; having feathers. Bailey
Plu*mil"i*form (?), a. [L.
plumula, or plumella a little feather (dim. of
pluma feather) + -form.] Having the of a plume or
feather. [R.]
Plu"mi*ped (?), a. [L. plumipes,
-edis; pluma a feather + pes: cf. F.
plumipède.] (Zoöl.) Having feet covered
with feathers. -- n. A plumiped
bird.
Plum"met (?), n. [OE. plommet,
OF. plommet, fr. plom, plum, lead, F.
plomb. See Plumb.] 1. A piece of
lead attached to a line, used in sounding the depth of
water.
I'll sink him deeper than e'er plummet
sounded.
Shak.
2. A plumb bob or a plumb line. See under
Plumb, n.
3. Hence, any weight.
4. A piece of lead formerly used by school
children to rule paper for writing.
Plummet line, a line with a plummet; a
sounding line.
Plum"ming (?), n. [See Plumb.]
(Min.) The operation of finding, by means of a mine dial,
the place where to sink an air shaft, or to bring an adit to the work,
or to find which way the lode inclines.
Plum"my (?), a. [From Plum.]
Of the nature of a plum; desirable; profitable;
advantageous. [Colloq.] "For the sake of getting something
plummy." G. Eliot.
{ Plu*mose" (?), Plu"mous (?), }
a. [L. plumosus, fr. pluma feather:
cf. F. plumeux.]
1. Having feathers or plumes.
2. Having hairs, or other párts,
arranged along an axis like a feather; feathery; plumelike; as, a
plumose leaf; plumose tentacles.
Plu"mo*site (?), n. (Min.)
Same as Jamesonite.
Plu*mos"i*ty (?), n. The quality or
state of being plumose.
Plump (plŭmp), a.
[Compar. Plumper (-&etilde;r);
superl. Plumpest.] [OE. plomp rude,
clumsy; akin to D. plomp, G., Dan., & Sw. plump;
probably of imitative origin. Cf. Plump,
adv.] Well rounded or filled out; full; fleshy;
fat; as, a plump baby; plump cheeks.
Shak.
The god of wine did his plump clusters
bring.
T. Carew.
Plump, n. A knot; a cluster; a
group; a crowd; a flock; as, a plump of trees, fowls, or
spears. [Obs.]
To visit islands and the plumps of
men.
Chapman.
Plump, v. i. [Cf. D. plompen, G.
plumpen, Sw. plumpa, Dan. plumpe. See
Plump, a.] 1. To grow
plump; to swell out; as, her cheeks have plumped.
2. To drop or fall suddenly or heavily, all at
once."Dulcissa plumps into a chair."
Spectator.
3. To give a plumper. See
Plumper, 2.
Plump, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Plumped (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Plumping.] 1. To make plump; to fill (out)
or support; -- often with up.
To plump up the hollowness of their history with
improbable miracles.
Fuller.
2. To cast or let drop all at once, suddenly
and heavily; as, to plump a stone into water.
3. To give (a vote), as a plumper. See
Plumper, 2.
Plump, adv. [Cf. D. plomp,
interj., G. plump, plumps. Cf. Plump, a.
& v.] Directly; suddenly; perpendicularly. "Fall
plump." Beau. & Fl.
Plump"er (?), n. 1.
One who, or that which, plumps or swells out something else;
hence, something carried in the mouth to distend the cheeks.
2. (English Elections) A vote given to
one candidate only, when two or more are to be elected, thus giving
him the advantage over the others. A person who gives his vote thus is
said to plump, or to plump his vote.
3. A voter who plumps his vote.
[Eng.]
4. A downright, unqualified lie.
[Colloq. or Low]
Plump"ly, adv. Fully; roundly;
plainly; without reserve. [Colloq.]
Plump"ness, n. The quality or state
of being plump.
Plump"y (?), a. Plump; fat;
sleek. "Plumpy Bacchus." Shak.
||Plu"mu*la (?), n.; pl. L.
Plumule (#), E.-las (#). [L. See
Plumule.] 1. (Bot.) A
plumule.
2. (Zoöl.) A down
feather.
Plu`mu*la"ceous (?), a.
(Zoöl.) Downy; bearing down.
Plu"mu*lar (?), a. (Bot.)
Relating to a plumule.
||Plu`mu*la"ri*a (?), n.; pl. L.
Plumularlæ (#), E.
Plumularias (#). [NL.] (Zoöl.) Any
hydroid belonging to Plumularia and other genera of the family
Plumularidæ. They generally grow in plumelike
forms.
Plu`mu*la"ri*an (?), n.
(Zoöl.) Any Plumularia. Also used
adjectively.
Plu"mule (?), n. [L. plumula,
dim. of pluma a feather; cf. F. plumule.]
1. (Bot.) The first bud, or gemmule, of a
young plant; the bud, or growing point, of the embryo, above the
cotyledons. See Illust. of Radicle.
Gray.
2. (Zoöl.) (a) A
down feather. (b) The aftershaft of a
feather. See Illust. under Feather.
(c) One of the featherlike scales of certain male
butterflies.
Plu"mu*lose" (?), a. Having hairs
branching out laterally, like the parts of a feather.
Plum"y (?), a. Covered or adorned
with plumes, or as with plumes; feathery. "His plumy
crest." Addison. "The plumy trees." J. S.
Blackie.
Plun"der (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Plundered (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Plundering.] [G. plündern to plunder,
plunder frippery, baggage.] 1. To take the
goods of by force, or without right; to pillage; to spoil; to sack; to
strip; to rob; as, to plunder travelers.
Nebuchadnezzar plunders the temple of
God.
South.
2. To take by pillage; to appropriate
forcibly; as, the enemy plundered all the goods they
found.
Syn. -- To pillage; despoil; sack; rifle; strip; rob.
Plun"der (?), n. 1.
The act of plundering or pillaging; robbery. See Syn. of
Pillage.
Inroads and plunders of the
Saracens.
Sir T. North.
2. That which is taken by open force from an
enemy; pillage; spoil; booty; also, that which is taken by theft or
fraud. "He shared in the plunder." Cowper.
3. Personal property and effects; baggage or
luggage. [Slang, Southwestern U.S.]
Plun"der*age (?), n. (Mar. Law)
The embezzlement of goods on shipboard.
Wharton.
Plun"der*er (?), n. One who
plunders or pillages.
Plunge (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Plunged (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Plunging (?).] [OE. ploungen, OF. plongier, F.
plonger, fr. (assumed) LL. plumbicare, fr. L.
plumbum lead. See Plumb.] 1. To
thrust into water, or into any substance that is penetrable; to
immerse; to cause to penetrate or enter quickly and forcibly; to
thrust; as, to plunge the body into water; to plunge a
dagger into the breast. Also used figuratively; as, to plunge
a nation into war. "To plunge the boy in pleasing sleep."
Dryden.
Bound and plunged him into a cell.
Tennyson.
We shall be plunged into perpetual
errors.
I. Watts.
2. To baptize by immersion.
3. To entangle; to embarrass; to
overcome. [Obs.]
Plunged and graveled with three lines of
Seneca.
Sir T. Browne.
Plunge, v. i. 1. To
thrust or cast one's self into water or other fluid; to submerge one's
self; to dive, or to rush in; as, he plunged into the river.
Also used figuratively; as, to plunge into debt.
Forced to plunge naked in the raging
sea.
Dryden.
To plunge into guilt of a murther.
Tillotson.
2. To pitch or throw one's self headlong or
violently forward, as a horse does.
Some wild colt, which . . . flings and
plunges.
Bp. Hall.
3. To bet heavily and with seeming
recklessness on a race, or other contest; in an extended sense, to
risk large sums in hazardous speculations. [Cant]
Plunging fire (Gun.), firing directed
upon an enemy from an elevated position.
Plunge, n. 1. The
act of thrusting into or submerging; a dive, leap, rush, or pitch
into, or as into, water; as, to take the water with a
plunge.
2. Hence, a desperate hazard or act; a state
of being submerged or overwhelmed with difficulties. [R.]
She was brought to that plunge, to conceal her
husband's murder or accuse her son.
Sir P.
Sidney.
And with thou not reach out a friendly arm,
To raise me from amidst this plunge of sorrows?
Addison.
3. The act of pitching or throwing one's self
headlong or violently forward, like an unruly horse.
4. Heavy and reckless betting in horse racing;
hazardous speculation. [Cant]
Plunge bath, an immersion by plunging; also,
a large bath in which the bather can wholly immerse himself. --
Plunge, or plunging,
battery (Elec.), a voltaic battery so
arranged that the plates can be plunged into, or withdrawn from, the
exciting liquid at pleasure.
Plun"ger (?), n. 1.
One who, or that which, plunges; a diver.
2. A long solid cylinder, used, instead of a
piston or bucket, as a forcer in pumps.
3. One who bets heavily and recklessly on a
race; a reckless speculator. [Cant]
4. (Pottery) A boiler in which clay is
beaten by a wheel to a creamy consistence. Knight.
5. (Gun.) The firing pin of a
breechloader.
Plunger bucket, a piston, without a valve, in
a pump. -- Plunger pole, the pump rod of a
pumping engine. -- Plunger pump, a pump, as
for water, having a plunger, instead of a piston, to act upon the
water. It may be single-acting or double-acting
Plun"ket (?), n. A kind of blue
color; also, anciently, a kind of cloth, generally blue.
Plu"per`fect (?), a. [L. plus
more + perfectus perfect; cf. F. plus-que-parfait, L.
plusquamperfectum.] More than perfect; past perfect; --
said of the tense which denotes that an action or event was completed
at or before the time of another past action or event. --
n. The pluperfect tense; also, a verb in the
pluperfect tense.
Plu"ral (?), a. [L. pluralis,
from plus, pluris, more; cf. F. pluriel, OF.
plurel. See Plus.] Relating to, or containing, more
than one; designating two or more; as, a plural word.
Plural faith, which is too much by
one.
Shak.
Plural number (Gram.), the number
which designates more than one. See Number,
n., 8.
Plu"ral, n. (Gram.) The
plural number; that form of a word which expresses or denotes more
than one; a word in the plural form.
Plu"ral*ism (?), n. 1.
The quality or state of being plural, or in the plural
number.
2. (Eccl.) The state of a pluralist;
the holding of more than one ecclesiastical living at a time.
[Eng.]
Plu"ral*ist, n. (Eccl.) A
clerk or clergyman who holds more than one ecclesiastical
benefice. [Eng.]
Of the parochial clergy, a large proportion were
pluralists.
Macaulay.
Plu*ral"i*ty (?), n.; pl.
pluralities (#). [L. pluralitas: cf. F.
pluralité.] 1. The state of being
plural, or consisting of more than one; a number consisting of two or
more of the same kind; as, a plurality of worlds; the
plurality of a verb.
2. The greater number; a majority; also, the
greatest of several numbers; in elections, the excess of the votes
given for one candidate over those given for another, or for any
other, candidate. When there are more than two candidates, the one who
receives the plurality of votes may have less than a majority.
See Majority.
Take the plurality of the world, and they are
neither wise nor good.
L'Estrange.
3. (Eccl.) See Plurality of
benefices, below.
Plurality of benefices (Eccl.), the
possession by one clergyman of more than one benefice or living. Each
benefice thus held is called a plurality. [Eng.]
Plu`ral*i*za"tion (?), n. The act
of pluralizing. H. Spencer.
Plu"ral*ize (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Pluralized (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Pluralizing (?).] 1. To make
plural by using the plural termination; to attribute plurality to; to
express in the plural form.
2. To multiply; to make manifold.
[R.]
Plu"ral*ize, v. i. 1.
To take a plural; to assume a plural form; as, a noun
pluralizes. Earle.
2. (Eccl.) To hold more than one
benefice at the same time. [Eng.]
Plu"ral*i`zer (?), n. (Eccl.)
A pluralist. [R.]
Plu"ral*ly, adv. In a plural manner
or sense.
Plu"ri- (?). [See Plus.] A combining form from
L. plus, pluris, more, many; as
pluriliteral.
||Plu"ri*es (?), n. [So called from L.
pluries many times, often, which occurs in the first clause.]
(Law) A writ issued in the third place, after two former
writs have been disregarded. Mozley & W.
Plu`ri*fa"ri*ous (?), a. [L.
plurifarius, fr. L. plus, pluris, many. Cf.
Bifarious.] Of many kinds or fashions;
multifarious.
Plu`ri*fo"li*o*late (?), a. [Pluri-
+ foliolate.] (Bot.) Having several or many
leaflets.
Plu`ri*lit"er*al (?), a. [Pluri-
+ literal.] Consisting of more letters than three. -
- n. A pluriliteral word.
Plu`ri*loc"u*lar (?), a. [Pluri-
+ locular.] Having several cells or loculi;
specifically (Bot.), having several divisions containing
seeds; as, the lemon and the orange are plurilocular
fruits.
Plurilocular sporangia (Bot.), many-
celled sporangia, each cell containing a single spore, as in many
algæ.
Plu*rip"a*rous (?), a. [Pluri- +
L. parere to bring forth.] Producing several young at a
birth; as, a pluriparous animal.
Plu`ri*par"tite (?), a. [Pluri- +
partite.] (Bot.) Deeply divided into several
portions.
Plu`ri*pres"ence (?), n. [Pluri-
+ presence.] Presence in more places than one. [R.]
Johnson.
Plu"ri*sy (?), n. [L. plus,
pluris, more.] Superabundance; excess; plethora.
[Obs.] Shak.
Plus (?), a. [L., more; akin to Gr. &?;,
&?;, and E. full. See Full, a., and
cf. Più, Pleonasm.]
1. (Math.) More, required to be added;
positive, as distinguished from negative; -- opposed to
minus.
2. Hence, in a literary sense, additional;
real; actual.
Success goes invariably with a certain plus or
positive power.
Emerson.
Plus sign (Math.), the sign (+) which
denotes addition, or a positive quantity.
Plush (?), n. [F. pluche,
peluche (cf. It. peluzzo), fr. L. pilus hair. See
pile hair, and cf. Peruke.] A textile fabric with a
nap or shag on one side, longer and softer than the nap of
velvet. Cowper.
Plush"y (?), a. Like plush; soft
and shaggy. H. Kingsley.
Plu"tar*chy (?), n. [Gr. &?; wealth +
-archy.] Plutocracy; the rule of wealth. [R.]
Plu"te*al (?), a. (Zoöl.)
Of or pertaining to a pluteus.
||Plu"te*us (?), n.; pl. L.
Plutei (#), E. Pluteuses (#). [L.,
a shed.] (Zoöl.) The free-swimming larva of sea
urchins and ophiurans, having several long stiff processes inclosing
calcareous rods.
Plu"to (?), n. [L., fr. Gr. &?;.]
(Class. Myth.) The son of Saturn and Rhea, brother of
Jupiter and Neptune; the dark and gloomy god of the Lower
World.
Pluto monkey (Zoöl.), a long-
tailed African monkey (Cercopithecus pluto), having side
whiskers. The general color is black, more or less grizzled; the
frontal band is white.
Plu*toc"ra*cy (?), n. [Gr. &?;; &?;
wealth + &?; to be strong, to rule, fr.&?; strength: cf. F.
plutocratie.] A form of government in which the supreme
power is lodged in the hands of the wealthy classes; government by the
rich; also, a controlling or influential class of rich men.
Plu"to*crat (?), n. One whose
wealth gives him power or influence; one of the plutocracy.
Plu`to*crat"ic (?), a. Of or
pertaining to plutocracy; as, plutocratic ideas.
Bagehot.
Plu*tol"o*gy (?), n. [Gr. &?; wealth +
-logy.] The science which treats of wealth.
Plu*to"ni*an (?), a. [L.
Plutonius, Gr. &?;: cf. F. plutonien.]
Plutonic. Poe.
Plu*to"ni*an (?), n. (Geol.)
A Plutonist.
Plu*ton"ic (?), a. [Cf. F.
plutonique. See Pluto.] 1. Of or
pertaining to Pluto; Plutonian; hence, pertaining to the interior of
the earth; subterranean.
2. Of, pertaining to, or designating, the
system of the Plutonists; igneous; as, the Plutonic
theory.
Plutonic action (Geol.), the influence
of volcanic heat and other subterranean forces under pressure. --
Plutonic rocks (Geol.), granite,
porphyry, and some other igneous rocks, supposed to have consolidated
from a melted state at a great depth from the surface. Cf.
Intrusive rocks, under Intrusive. --
Plutonic theory. (Geol.) See
Plutonism.
Plu"to*nism (?), n. [Cf. F.
plutonisme.] The theory, early advanced in geology, that
the successive rocks of the earth\'b6s crust were formed by igneous
fusion; -- opposed to the Neptunian theory.
Plu"to*nist (?), n. [Cf. F.
plutoniste.] One who adopts the geological theory of
igneous fusion; a Plutonian. See Plutonism.
Plu"tus (?), n. [L., fr. Gr. &?;.]
(Class. Myth.) The son of Jason and Ceres, and the god of
wealth. He was represented as bearing a cornucopia, and as blind,
because his gifts were bestowed without discrimination of
merit.
Plu"vi*al, a. [L. pluvialis, fr.
pluvia rain: cf. F. pluvial. See Plover.]
1. Of or pertaining to rain; rainy.
[R.]
2. (Geol.) Produced by the action of
rain.
Plu"vi*al, n. [LL. pluviale a
garment which keeps off the rain: cf. F. pluvial.] A
priest's cope.
Plu`vi*am"e*ter (?), n. See
Pluviometer.
Plu`vi*a*met"ric*al (?), a. See
Pluviometrical.
Plu"vi*an (?), n. (Zoöl.)
The crocodile bird.
Plu`vi*om"e*ter (?), n. [L.
pluvia rain + -meter: cf. F. pluviomètre.]
An instrument for ascertaining the amount of rainfall at any
place in a given time; a rain gauge.
Plu`vi*o*met"ric*al (?), a. [Cf. F.
pluviométrique.] Of or pertaining to a pluviometer;
determined by a pluviometer.
||Plu`vi`ôse" (?), n. [F. See
Pluvious.] The fifth month of the French republican
calendar adopted in 1793. It began January 20, and ended February 18.
See Vendémiaire.
Plu"vi*ous (?), a. [L. pluviosus,
pluvius, fr. pluvia rain: cf. F. pluvieux. See
Pluvial, a.] Abounding in rain; rainy;
pluvial. Sir T. Browne.
Ply (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Plied (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Plying (?).] [OE. plien, F. plier to fold, to
bend, fr. L. plicare; akin to Gr. &?;, G. flechten. Cf.
Apply, Complex, Display, Duplicity,
Employ, Exploit, Implicate, Plait,
Pliant, Flax.] 1. To bend.
[Obs.]
As men may warm wax with handes
plie.
Chaucer.
2. To lay on closely, or in folds; to work
upon steadily, or with repeated acts; to press upon; to urge
importunately; as, to ply one with questions, with
solicitations, or with drink.
And plies him with redoubled
strokes
Dryden.
He plies the duke at morning and at
night.
Shak.
3. To employ diligently; to use
steadily.
Go ply thy needle; meddle not.
Shak.
4. To practice or perform with diligence; to
work at.
Their bloody task, unwearied, still they
ply.
Waller.
Ply, v. i. 1. To
bend; to yield. [Obs.]
It would rather burst atwo than
plye.
Chaucer.
The willow plied, and gave way to the
gust.
L'Estrange.
2. To act, go, or work diligently and
steadily; especially, to do something by repeated actions; to go back
and forth; as, a steamer plies between certain ports.
Ere half these authors be read (which will soon be with
plying hard and daily).
Milton.
He was forced to ply in the streets as a
porter.
Addison.
The heavy hammers and mallets
plied.
Longfellow.
3. (Naut.) To work to windward; to
beat.
Ply, n. [Cf. F. pli, fr.
plier. See Ply, v.] 1.
A fold; a plait; a turn or twist, as of a cord.
Arbuthnot.
2. Bent; turn; direction; bias.
The late learners can not so well take the
ply.
Bacon.
Boswell, and others of Goldsmith's contemporaries, . .
. did not understand the secret plies of his
character.
W. Irving.
The czar's mind had taken a strange ply, which
it retained to the last.
Macaulay.
&fist; Ply is used in composition to designate folds, or the
number of webs interwoven; as, a three-ply carpet.
Ply"er (?), n. One who, or that
which, plies; specifically: (a) pl.
A kind of balance used in raising and letting down a drawbridge.
It consists of timbers joined in the form of a St. Andrew's
cross. (b) pl. See
Pliers.
Plyght (?), v. & n. See
Plight. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Plym"outh Breth"ren (?). The members of a religious
sect which first appeared at Plymouth, England, about 1830. They
protest against sectarianism, and reject all official ministry or
clergy. Also called Brethren, Christian Brethren,
Plymouthists, etc. The Darbyites are a division of the
Brethren.
Pne*om"e*ter (?), n. [Gr. &?; to breathe
+ -meter.] (Physiol.) A spirometer.
{ Pneu*mat"ic (?), Pneu*mat"ic*al (?), }
a. [L. pneumaticus, Gr. &?;, fr. &?;, &?;,
wind, air, &?; to blow, breathe; cf. OHG. fnehan: cf. F.
pneumatique. Cf. Pneumonia.] 1.
Consisting of, or resembling, air; having the properties of an
elastic fluid; gaseous; opposed to dense or
solid.
The pneumatical substance being, in some bodies,
the native spirit of the body.
Bacon.
2. Of or pertaining to air, or to elastic
fluids or their properties; pertaining to pneumatics; as,
pneumatic experiments. "Pneumatical discoveries."
Stewart.
3. Moved or worked by pressure or flow of air;
as, a pneumatic instrument; a pneumatic
engine.
4. (Biol.) Fitted to contain air;
Having cavities filled with air; as, pneumatic cells;
pneumatic bones.
Pneumatic action, or Pneumatic
lever (Mus.), a contrivance for overcoming the
resistance of the keys and other movable parts in an organ, by causing
compressed air from the wind chest to move them. --
Pneumatic dispatch, a system of tubes, leading
to various points, through which letters, packages, etc., are sent, by
the flow and pressure of air. -- Pneumatic
elevator, a hoisting machine worked by compressed
air. -- Pneumatic pile, a tubular pile or
cylinder of large diameter sunk by atmospheric pressure. --
Pneumatic pump, an air-exhausting or forcing
pump. -- Pneumatic railway. See
Atmospheric railway, under Atmospheric. --
Pneumatic syringe, a stout tube closed at one
end, and provided with a piston, for showing that the heat produced by
compressing a gas will ignite substances. -- Pneumatic
trough, a trough, generally made of wood or sheet metal,
having a perforated shelf, and used, when filled with water or
mercury, for collecting gases in chemical operations. --
Pneumatic tube. See Pneumatic dispatch,
above.
Pneu`ma*tic"i*ty (?), n. (Biol.)
The state of being pneumatic, or of having a cavity or cavities
filled with air; as, the pneumaticity of the bones of
birds.
Pneu*mat"ics (?), n. [Cf. F.
pneumatique.]
1. That branch of science which treats of the
mechanical properties of air and other elastic fluids, as of their
weight, pressure, elasticity, etc. See Mechanics.
2. (Philos. & Theol.) The scientific
study or knowledge of spiritual beings and their relations to God,
angels, and men.
Pneu"ma*to- (nū"m&adot;*t&osl;- or
n&usl;*măt"&osl;-). A combining form from Gr.
pney^ma, pney`matos, wind, air,
breath, respiration; as, pneumatograph,
pneumatology.
[1913 Webster]
Pneu*mat"o*cele (?), n. [Pneumato-
+ Gr. &?; a tumor; cf. F. pneumatocèle.]
(Med.) A distention of the scrotum by air; also, hernia of
the lungs.
Pneu*mat"o*cyst (?), n. [Pneumato-
+ cyst.] (Zoöl.) A cyst or sac of a
siphonophore, containing air, and serving as a float, as in
Physalia.
Pneu*mat"o*garm (?), n. [Pneumato-
+ -gram.] (Physiol.) A tracing of the
respiratory movements, obtained by a pneumatograph or
stethograph.
Pneu*mat"o*graph (?), n. [Pneumato-
+ -graph.] (Physiol.) An instrument for
recording the movements of the thorax or chest wall during
respiration; -- also called stethograph.
Pneu`ma*to*log"ic*al (?), a. [Cf. F.
pneumatologique.] Of or pertaining to
pneumatology.
Pneu`ma*tol"o*gist (?), n. [Cf. F.
pneumatologiste.] One versed in pneumatology.
Pneu`ma*tol"o*gy (?), n. [Pneumato-
+ -logy: cf. F. pneumatologie.] 1.
The doctrine of, or a treatise on, air and other elastic fluids.
See Pneumatics, 1.
2. (Philos. & Theol.) The science of
spiritual being or phenomena of any description.
Pneu`ma*tom"e*ter (?), n. [Pneumato-
+ -meter.] (Physiol.) An instrument for
measuring the amount of force exerted by the lungs in
respiration.
Pneu`ma*tom"e*try (?), n. See
Spirometry.
Pneu*mat"o*phore (?), n. [Pneumato-
+ Gr. &?; to bear.] (Zoöl.) One of the
Pneumonophora.
Pneu`ma*to*tho"rax (?), n. [Pneumato-
+ thorax.] (Med.) See
Pneumothorax.
Pneu"mo- (?). A combining form from Gr.
pney`mwn, pney`monos, a lung; as,
pneumogastric, pneumology.
Pneu`mo*coc"cus (?), n. [See Pneumo-
, and Coccus.] (Biol.) A form of micrococcus
found in the sputum (and elsewhere) of persons suffering with
pneumonia, and thought to be the cause of this disease.
Pneu`mo*gas"tric (?), a. [Pneumo-
+ gastric.] (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the lungs
and the stomach. -- n. The pneumogastric
nerve.
Pneumogastric nerve (Anat.), one of
the tenth pair of cranial nerves which are distributed to the pharynx,
esophagus, larynx, lungs, heart, stomach, liver, and spleen, and, in
fishes and many amphibia, to the branchial apparatus and also to the
sides of the body.
Pneu"mo*graph (?), n. Same as
Pneumatograph.
Pneu*mog"ra*phy (?), n. [Pneumo-
+ -graphy.] A description of the lungs.
Dunglison.
Pneu*mol"o*gy (?), n. [Pneumo- +
-logy.] (Anat.) The science which treats of the
lungs.
Pneu*mom"e*ter (?), n. [Pneumo- +
-meter.] (Physiol.) A spirometer.
Pneu*mom"e*try (?), n. Measurement
of the capacity of the lungs for air. Dunglison.
Pneu*mo"ni*a (n&usl;*mō"n&ibreve;*&adot;),
n. [NL., fr. Gr. pneymoni`a, fr.
pney`mwn, pl. pney`mones the lungs, also,
pley`mwn, which is perh. the original form. Cf.
Pneumatio, Pulmonary.] (Med.) Inflammation
of the lungs.
&fist;
Catarrhal pneumonia, or Broncho-
pneumonia, is inflammation of the lung tissue, associated
with catarrh and with marked evidences of inflammation of bronchial
membranes, often chronic; -- also called lobular pneumonia,
from its affecting single lobules at a time. -- Croupous
pneumonia, or ordinary pneumonia, is an acute affection
characterized by sudden onset with a chill, high fever, rapid course,
and sudden decline; -- also called lobar pneumonia, from its
affecting a whole lobe of the lung at once. See under Croupous.
-- Fibroid pneumonia is an inflammation of the
interstitial connective tissue lying between the lobules of the lungs,
and is very slow in its course, producing shrinking and atrophy of the
lungs.
Pneu*mon"ic (?), a. [Gr. &?;: cf. F.
pneumonique.] (a) Of or pertaining to the
lungs; pulmonic. (b) Of or pertaining to
pneumonia; as, pneumonic symptoms.
Pneu*mon"ic, n. (Med.) A
medicine for affections of the lungs.
Pneu`mo*nit"ic (?), a. (Med.)
Of or pertaining to pneumonitis.
||Pneu`mo*ni"tis (?), n. [NL. See
Pneumo-, and -itis.] (Med.) Inflammation of
the lungs; pneumonia.
Pneu`mo*nom"e*ter (?), n. [See
Pneumo-, and -meter.] (Physiol.) A
spirometer; a pneumometer.
||Pneu`mo*noph"o*ra (?), n. pl. [NL.,
fr. Gr. &?; a lung + &?; to bear.] (Zoöl.) The
division of Siphonophora which includes the Physalia and allied
genera; -- called also Pneumatophoræ.
Pneu"mo*ny (?), n. [Cf. F.
pneumonie.] See Pneumonia.
||Pneu`mo*öt"o*ka (?), n. pl. [NL.
See Pneumo-, and Oöticoid.] (Zoöl.)
Same as Sauropsida.
||Pneu*moph"o*ra (?), n. pl. [NL. See
Pneumonophora.] (Zoöl.) (Zoöl.) A
division of holothurians having an internal gill, or respiratory
tree.
Pneu`mo*skel"e*ton (?), n. [Pneumo-
+ skeleton.] (Zoöl.) A chitinous
structure which supports the gill in some invertebrates.
Pneu`mo*ther"a*py (?), n. [Gr. &?; air +
therapy.] (Med.) The treatment of disease by
inhalations of compressed or rarefied air.
Pneu`mo*tho"rax (?), n. [Gr. &?; air +
E. thorax.] (Med.) A condition in which air or
other gas is present in the cavity of the chest; -- called also
pneumatothorax.
||Pni*ga"li*on (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?;
nightmare, fr. &?; to throttle.] (Med.)
Nightmare.
Pnyx (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?;.] (Gr.
Antiq.) The place at Athens where the meetings of the people
were held for making decrees, etc.
Po"a (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?; grass.]
(Bot.) A genus of grasses, including a great number of
species, as the kinds called meadow grass, Kentucky blue
grass, June grass, and spear grass (which
see).
Poach (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Poached (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Poaching.] [F. pocher to place in a pocket, to poach
eggs (the yolk of the egg being as it were pouched in the
white), from poche pocket, pouch. See Pouch, v.
& n.] 1. To cook, as eggs, by breaking
them into boiling water; also, to cook with butter after breaking in a
vessel. Bacon.
2. To rob of game; to pocket and convey away
by stealth, as game; hence, to plunder. Garth.
Poach, v. i. To steal or pocket
game, or to carry it away privately, as in a bag; to kill or destroy
game contrary to law, especially by night; to hunt or fish unlawfully;
as, to poach for rabbits or for salmon.
Poach, v. t. [Cf. OF. pocher to
thrust or dig out with the fingers, to bruise (the eyes), F.
pouce thumb, L. pollex, and also E. poach to cook
eggs, to plunder, and poke to thrust against.]
1. To stab; to pierce; to spear, \as fish.
[Obs.] Carew.
2. To force, drive, or plunge into
anything. [Obs.]
His horse poching one of his legs into some
hollow ground.
Sir W. Temple.
3. To make soft or muddy by trampling
Tennyson.
4. To begin and not complete. [Obs.]
Bacon.
Poach, v. i. To become soft or
muddy.
Chalky and clay lands . . . chap in summer, and
poach in winter.
Mortimer.
Poach"ard (?), n. [From Poach to
stab.] [Written also pocard, pochard.]
(Zoöl.) (a) A common European duck
(Aythya ferina); -- called also goldhead, poker,
and fresh-water, or red-headed, widgeon.
(b) The American redhead, which is closely allied
to the European poachard.
Red-crested poachard (Zoöl.), an
Old World duck (Branta rufina). -- Scaup
poachard, the scaup duck. -- Tufted
poachard, a scaup duck (Aythya, or Fuligula
cristata), native of Europe and Asia.
Poach"er (?), n. 1.
One who poaches; one who kills or catches game or fish contrary
to law.
2. (Zoöl.) The American
widgeon. [Local, U.S.]
Sea poacher (Zoöl.), the
lyrie.
Poach"i*ness (?), n. The state of
being poachy; marshiness.
Poach"y (?), a. [See Poach to
stab.] Wet and soft; easily penetrated by the feet of cattle; --
said of land
{ Poak, Poake } (?), n.
Waste matter from the preparation of skins, consisting of hair,
lime, oil, etc.
Po"can (?), n. (Bot.) The
poke (Phytolacca decandra); -- called also pocan
bush.
Po"chard (?), n. (Zoöl.)
See Poachard.
Pock (?), n. [OE. pokke, AS.
pocc, poc; akin to D. pok, G. pocke, and
perh. to E. poke a pocket. Cf. Pox.] (Med.)
A pustule raised on the surface of the body in variolous and
vaccine diseases.
Of pokkes and of scab every sore.
Chaucer.
Pock"arred (?), a. See
Pockmarked. [Obs.]
Pock"-bro`ken (?), a. Broken out,
or marked, with smallpox; pock-fretten.
Pock"et (?), n. [OE. poket, Prov.
F. & OF. poquette, F. pochette, dim. fr. poque,
pouque, F. poche; probably of Teutonic origin. See
Poke a pocket, and cf. Poach to cook eggs, to plunder,
and Pouch.] 1. A bag or pouch; especially;
a small bag inserted in a garment for carrying small articles,
particularly money; hence, figuratively, money; wealth.
2. One of several bags attached to a billiard
table, into which the balls are driven.
3. A large bag or sack used in packing various
articles, as ginger, hops, cowries, etc.
&fist; In the wool or hop trade, the pocket contains half a
sack, or about 168 Ibs.; but it is a variable quantity, the articles
being sold by actual weight.
4. (Arch.) A hole or space covered by a
movable piece of board, as in a floor, boxing, partitions, or the
like.
5. (Mining.) (a) A
cavity in a rock containing a nugget of gold, or other mineral; a
small body of ore contained in such a cavity.
(b) A hole containing water.
6. (Nat.) A strip of canvas, sewn upon
a sail so that a batten or a light spar can placed in the
interspace.
7. (Zoöl.) Same as
Pouch.
&fist; Pocket is often used adjectively, or in the formation
of compound words usually of obvious signification; as, pocket
comb, pocket compass, pocket edition, pocket
handkerchief, pocket money, pocket picking, or
pocket-picking, etc.
Out of pocket. See under Out,
prep. -- Pocket borough,
a borough "owned" by some person. See under Borough.
[Eng.] -- Pocket gopher (Zoöl.), any
one of several species of American rodents of the genera
Geomys, and Thomomys, family Geomydæ. They
have large external cheek pouches, and are fossorial in their habits.
they inhabit North America, from the Mississippi Valley west to the
Pacific. Called also pouched gopher. -- Pocket
mouse (Zoöl.), any species of American mice
of the family Saccomyidæ. They have external cheek
pouches. Some of them are adapted for leaping (genus
Dipadomys), and are called kangaroo mice. They are
native of the Southwestern United States, Mexico, etc. --
Pocket piece, a piece of money kept in the
pocket and not spent. -- Pocket pistol, a
pistol to be carried in the pocket. -- Pocket
sheriff (Eng. Law), a sheriff appointed by the
sole authority of the crown, without a nomination by the judges in the
exchequer. Burrill.
Pock"et (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pocketed; p. pr. & vb. n.
Pocketing.] 1. To put, or conceal, in the
pocket; as, to pocket the change.
He would pocket the expense of the
license.
Sterne.
2. To take clandestinely or
fraudulently.
He pocketed pay in the names of men who had long
been dead.
Macaulay.
To pocket a ball (Billiards), to drive
a ball into a pocket of the table. -- To pocket an
insult, affront, etc., to receive an
affront without open resentment, or without seeking redress. "I
must pocket up these wrongs." Shak.
Pock"et*book` (?), n. A small book
or case for carrying papers, money, etc., in the pocket; also, a
notebook for the pocket.
Pock"et*ful (?), n.; pl.
Pocketfuls (&?;). As much as a pocket will
hold; enough to fill a pocket; as, pocketfuls of
chestnuts.
Pock"et*knife` (?), n.; pl.
-knives (&?;). A knife with one or more blades,
which fold into the handle so as to admit of being carried in the
pocket.
Pock"-fret`ten (?), a. See
Pockmarked.
Pock"i*ness (?), n. The state of
being pocky.
Pock"mark (?), n. A mark or pit
made by smallpox.
Pock"marked` (?), a. Marked by
smallpox; pitted.
Pock"-pit`ted (?), a. Pockmarked;
pitted.
Pock"-pud`ding (?), n. A bag
pudding; a name of reproach or ridicule formerly applied by the Scotch
to the English.
Pock"wood` (?), n. [So called because
formerly used as a specific for the pock.] (Bot.) Lignum-
vitæ.
Pock"y (?), a.
[Compar. Pockier (?);
superl. Pockiest.] Full of pocks;
affected with smallpox or other eruptive disease. Bp.
Hall.
||Po"co (?), adv. [It.] (Mus.)
A little; -- used chiefly in phrases indicating the time or
movement; as, poco più allegro, a little faster;
poco largo, rather slow.
||Poco a poco [It.] (Mus.) Little by
little; as, poco a poco crescendo, gradually increasing in
loudness.
Po"cock (?), n. Peacock.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
Po`co*cu*ran"te (?), n. [It. poco
curante caring little.] A careless person; a trifler.
[R.]
Po`co*cu*ran"tism (?). n.
Carelessness; apathy; indifference. [R.]
Carlyle.
Po*co"son (?), n. Low, wooded
grounds or swamps in Eastern Maryland and Virginia. [Written
also poquoson.] Washington.
Poc"u*lent (?), a. [L.
poculentus, fr. poculum a cup.] Fit for
drink. [Obs.] "Some those herbs which are not esculent, are . .
. poculent." Bacon.
Poc"u*li*form (?), a. [L. poculum
a cup + -form: cf. F. poculiforme.] Having the
shape of a goblet or drinking cup.
-pod (?). [See Foot.] A combining form or
suffix from Gr. poy`s, podo`s, foot; as,
decapod, an animal having ten feet; phyllopod, an animal
having leaflike feet; myriapod, hexapod.
Pod (?), n. [Probably akin to
pudding, and perhaps the same word as pad a cushion; cf.
also Dan. pude pillow, cushion, and also E. cod a husk,
pod.] 1. A bag; a pouch. [Obs. or Prov.
Eng.] Tusser.
2. (Bot.) A capsule of plant,
especially a legume; a dry dehiscent fruit. See Illust. of
Angiospermous.
3. (Zoöl.) A considerable number
of animals closely clustered together; -- said of seals.
Pod auger, or pod bit, an
auger or bit the channel of which is straight instead of
twisted.
Pod, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Podded; p. pr. & vb. n.
Podding.] To swell; to fill; also, to produce
pods.
-po*da (?). A New Latin plural combining form or
suffix from Gr. &?;, &?;, foot; as, hexapoda,
myriapoda. See -pod.
Pod"a*gra (?), n. [L. See
Podagric.] (Med.) Gout in the joints of the foot; -
- applied also to gout in other parts of body.
{ Po*dag"ric (?), Po*dag"ric*al (?), }
a. [L. podagricus, Gr. &?;, fr. &?; gout in
the feet; &?;, &?;, Foot + &?; a catching.]
1. Pertaining to the gout; gouty; caused by
gout.
2. Afflicted with gout. Sir T.
Browne.
Pod"a*grous (?), a. Gouty;
podagric.
Po*dal"gi*a (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?;,
&?;, foot + &?; pain.] (Med.) pain in the foot, due to
gout, rheumatism, etc.
||Po*dar"thrum (?), n.; pl.
Podarthra (#). [NL., fr. Gr. &?;, &?;, foot + &?;
joint.] (Anat.) The foot joint; in birds, the joint
between the metatarsus and the toes.
Pod"ded (?), a. Having
pods.
Pod"der (?), n. One who collects
pods or pulse.
Po*des"ta (?), n. [It.
podestà, fr. L. potestas power, magistracy. See
Potent.]
1. One of the chief magistrates of the Italian
republics in the Middle Ages. Brande & C.
2. A mayor, alderman, or other magistrate, in
some towns of Italy.
||Po*de"ti*um (?), n.; pl.
Podetia (#), E. Podetiums (#).
[NL., fr. Gr. &?;, &?;, foot.] (Bot.) A stalk which bears
the fructification in some lichens, as in the so-called reindeer
moss.
Podge (?), n. [Cf. G. patsche
puddle, mire.] 1. A puddle; a plash.
Skinner.
2. Porridge. [Prov. Eng.]
Halliwell.
Podg"y (?), a. Fat and short;
pudgy.
Pod"i*cal (?), a. [L. podex,
podicis, the anus.] (Zoöl.) Anal; -- applied
to certain organs of insects.
||Pod"i*ceps (?), n. [NL., fr. L.
podex, podicis, anus + pes foot.]
(Zoöl.) See Grebe.
||Po"di*um (?), n.; pl.
Podia (#). [L., fr. Gr. &?;, dim. of &?;, &?;, foot.
See Pew.] 1. (Arch.) A low wall,
serving as a foundation, a substructure, or a terrace wall. It
is especially employed by archæologists in two senses:
(a) The dwarf wall surrounding the arena of an
amphitheater, from the top of which the seats began.
(b) The masonry under the stylobate of a temple,
sometimes a mere foundation, sometimes containing chambers. See
Illust. of Column.
2. (Zoöl.) The foot.
Pod"ley (?), n. (Zoöl.)
A young coalfish.
Pod"o- (?). [See Foot.] A combining form or
prefix from Gr. poy`s, podo`s, foot; as,
podocarp, podocephalous, podology.
Pod"o*branch (?), n. [See Podo-,
and Branchia.] (Zoöl.) One of the
branchiæ attached to the bases of the legs in
Crustacea.
||Pod`o*bran"chi*a (?), n., pl.
Podobranchiæ (-ē). [NL.]
(Zoöl.) Same as Podobranch.
Pod"o*carp (?), n. [Podo- + Gr.
karpo`s fruit.] (Bot.) A stem, or footstalk,
supporting the fruit.
Pod`o*ceph"a*lous (?), a. [Podo-
+ Gr. &?; head.] (Bot.) Having a head of flowers on a long
peduncle, or footstalk.
||Pod`o*gyn"i*um (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr.
poy`s, podo`s, foot + gynh` woman.]
(Bot.) Same as Basigynium
||Pod`oph*thal"mi*a (?), n. pl. [NL. See
Podophthalmic.] (Zoöl.) The stalk-eyed
Crustacea, -- an order of Crustacea having the eyes supported on
movable stalks. It includes the crabs, lobsters, and prawns. Called
also Podophthalmata, and Decapoda.
{ Pod`oph*thal"mic (?), Pod`oph*thal"mous (?), }
a. [Podo- + Gr. &?; an eye.]
(Zoöl.) (a) Having the eyes on
movable footstalks, or pedicels. (b) Of or
pertaining to the Podophthalmia.
Pod`oph*thal"mite (?), n.
(Zoöl.) The eyestalk of a crustacean.
Pod`o*phyl"lin (?), n. [From
Podophyllum.] (Chem.) A brown bitter gum extracted
from the rootstalk of the May apple (Podophyllum peltatum). It
is a complex mixture of several substances.
Pod`o*phyl"lous (?), a.
1. (Zoöl.) Having thin, flat,
leaflike locomotive organs.
2. (Anat.) Pertaining to, or composing,
the layer of tissue, made up of laminæ, beneath a horse's
hoof.
||Pod`o*phyl"lum (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr.
poy`s, podo`s, foot + &?; leaf.]
1. (Bot.) A genus of herbs of the Barberry
family, having large palmately lobed peltate leaves and solitary
flower. There are two species, the American Podohyllum
peltatum, or May apple, the Himalayan P. Emodi.
2. (Med.) The rhizome and rootlet of
the May apple (Podophyllum peltatum), -- used as a cathartic
drug.
Pod"o*scaph (?), n. [Podo- + Gr.
&?; boat.] A canoe-shaped float attached to the foot, for walking
on water.
Pod"o*sperm (?), n. [Podo- + Gr.
&?; seed: cf. F. podosperme.] (Bot.) The stalk of a
seed or ovule.
||Pod`o*stom"a*ta (?), n. pl. [NL., fr.
Gr. poy`s, podo`s, foot + &?;, &?;, mouth.]
(Zoöl.) An order of Bryozoa of which Rhabdopleura is
the type. See Rhabdopleura.
||Pod`o*the"ca (?), n.; pl.
Podothecæ (#). [NL., fr. Gr. poy`s,
podo`s, foot + &?; case.] (Zoöl.) The
scaly covering of the foot of a bird or reptile.
||Po*dri"da (?), n. [Sp., rotten.]
A miscellaneous dish of meats. See Olla-podrida.
Po*du"ra (?), n.; pl. L.
Poduræ (#), E. Poduras (#).
[NL.; Gr. poy`s, podo`s, foot + &?; tail.]
Any small leaping thysanurous insect of the genus Podura
and related genera; a springtail.
Podura scale (Zoöl.), one of the
minute scales with which the body of a podura is covered. They are
used as test objects for the microscope.
Po*du"rid (?), n. (Zoöl.)
Any species of Podura or allied genera. --
a. Pertaining to the poduras.
Po"e (?), n. Same as
Poi.
Po"e*bird` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
The parson bird.
Pœ"ci*le (?), n. Same as
Poicile.
Pœ`ci*lit"ic (?), a. [Gr.
poiki`los many-colored, variegated.] (Geol.)
(a) Mottled with various colors; variegated;
spotted; -- said of certain rocks. (b)
Specifically: Of or pertaining to, or characterizing, Triassic
and Permian sandstones of red and other colors. [Also written
poikilitic.]
Pœ*cil"o*pod (?), n. [Cf. F.
pœcilopode.] (Zoöl.) One of the
Pœcilopoda. Also used adjectively.
||Pœ`ci*lop"o*da (?), n. pl. [NL.,
fr. Gr. &?; variegated, manifold + -poda.] (Zoöl.)
(a) Originally, an artificial group including
many parasitic Entomostraca, together with the horseshoe crabs
(Limuloidea). (b) By some recent
writers applied to the Merostomata.
Po"em (?), n. [L. poëma, Gr.
&?;, fr. &?; to make, to compose, to write, especially in verse: cf.
F. poëme.] 1. A metrical composition;
a composition in verse written in certain measures, whether in blank
verse or in rhyme, and characterized by imagination and poetic
diction; -- contradistinguished from prose; as, the
poems of Homer or of Milton.
2. A composition, not in verse, of which the
language is highly imaginative or impassioned; as, a prose
poem; the poems of Ossian.
Po`em*at"ic (?), a. [Gr. &?;.]
Pertaining to a poem, or to poetry; poetical. [R.]
Coleridge.
Po*e"na*mu (?), n. (Min.) A
variety of jade or nephrite, -- used in New Zealand for the
manufacture of axes and weapons.
Pœ*nol"o*gy (p&esl;*n&obreve;l"&osl;*j&ybreve;),
n. See Penology.
||Po*eph"a*ga (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr.
pohfa`gos grass eating; po`a grass +
fagei^n to eat.] (Zoöl.) A group of
herbivorous marsupials including the kangaroos and their allies.
-- Po*eph"a*gous (#), a.
Po"e*sy (?), n. [F. poésie
(cf. It. poesia), L. poesis, from Gr. &?;. from &?; to
make. Cf. Posy.]
1. The art of composing poems; poetical skill
or faculty; as, the heavenly gift of poesy.
Shak.
2. Poetry; metrical composition;
poems.
Music and poesy used to quicken
you.
Shak.
3. A short conceit or motto engraved on a ring
or other thing; a posy. Bacon.
Po"et (?), n. [F. poëte, L.
poëta, fr. Gr. &?;, fr. &?; to make. Cf. Poem.]
One skilled in making poetry; one who has a particular genius for
metrical composition; the author of a poem; an imaginative thinker or
writer.
The poet's eye, in a fine frenzy rolling,
Doth glance from heaven to earth, from earth to heaven.
Shak.
A poet is a maker, as the word
signifies.
Dryden.
Poet laureate. See under
Laureate.
Po"et*as`ter (?), n. An inferior
rhymer, or writer of verses; a dabbler in poetic art.
The talk of forgotten poetasters.
Macaulay.
Po"et*as`try (?), n. The works of a
poetaster. [R.]
Po"et*ess, n. [Cf. F.
poétesse.] A female poet.
{ Po*et"ic (?), Po*et"ic*al (?), }
a. [L. poëticus, Gr. &?;: cf. F.
poétiquee.] 1. Of or pertaining to
poetry; suitable for poetry, or for writing poetry; as, poetic
talent, theme, work, sentiments. Shak.
2. Expressed in metrical form; exhibiting the
imaginative or the rhythmical quality of poetry; as, a poetical
composition; poetical prose.
Poetic license. See License,
n., 4.
Po*et"ic*al*ly, adv. In a poetic
manner.
Po*et"ics (?), n. [Cf. F.
poétique, L. poëtica, poëtice,
Gr. &?; (sc. &?;.] The principles and rules of the art of
poetry. J. Warton.
Po*et"i*cule (?), n. A
poetaster. Swinburne.
Po"et*ize (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Poetized (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Poetizing.] [Cf. F. poétiser.] To write as a
poet; to compose verse; to idealize.
I versify the truth, not poetize.
Donne.
Po"et*ry (?), n. [OF. poeterie.
See Poet.] 1. The art of apprehending and
interpreting ideas by the faculty of imagination; the art of
idealizing in thought and in expression.
For poetry is the blossom and the fragrance of
all human knowledge, human thoughts, human passions, emotions,
language.
Coleridge.
2. Imaginative language or composition,
whether expressed rhythmically or in prose. Specifically: Metrical
composition; verse; rhyme; poems collectively; as, heroic
poetry; dramatic poetry; lyric or Pindaric
poetry. "The planetlike music of poetry." Sir
P. Sidney.
She taketh most delight
In music, instruments, and poetry.
Shak.
Po"et*ship, n. The state or
personality of a poet. [R.]
Pog"gy (?), n. (Zoöl.)
(a) See Porgy. (b)
A small whale.
Po"gy (?), n. (Zoöl.)
The menhaden.
&fist; Pogy is often confounded with porgy, and
therefore incorrectly applied to various fishes.
Poh (?), interj. An exclamation
expressing contempt or disgust; bah !
Po*ha"gen, n. (Zoöl.)
See Pauhaugen.
Po"i (?), n. A national food of the
Hawaiians, made by baking and pounding the kalo (or taro) root, and
reducing it to a thin paste, which is allowed to ferment.
{ Poi"ci*le (?), or Pœ"ci*le (?) },
n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?; (sc. &?;); cf. L.
poecile.] The frescoed porch or gallery in Athens where
Zeno taught. R. Browning.
Poign"an*cy (?), n. The quality or
state of being poignant; as, the poignancy of satire; the
poignancy of grief. Swift.
Poign"ant (?), a. [F., p. pr. of
poindre to sting, fr. L. pungere to prick, sting. See
Pungent.] 1. Pricking; piercing; sharp;
pungent. "His poignant spear." Spenser.
"Poynaunt sauce." Chaucer.
2. Fig.: Pointed; keen; satirical.
His wit . . . became more lively and
poignant.
Sir W. Scott.
Poign"ant*ly, adv. In a poignant
manner.
Poi`ki*lit"ic (?), a. (Geol.)
See Pœcilitic.
Poi"ki*lo*cyte (poi"k&ibreve;*l&osl;*sīt),
n. [Gr. poiki`los diversified, changeable
+ ky`tos hollow vessel.] (Physiol.) An
irregular form of corpuscle found in the blood in cases of profound
anæmia, probably a degenerated red blood corpuscle.
{ Poi`ki*lo*ther"mal (-th&etilde;r"mal),
Poi`ki*lo*ther"mic (-th&etilde;r"m&ibreve;k), }
a. [Gr. poiki`los changeable + E.
thermal, thermic.] (Physiol.) Having a
varying body temperature. See Homoiothermal.
Poi`ki*lo*ther"mous (-mŭs), a.
(Physiol.) Poikilothermal.
||Poin`ci*a"na (?), n. [NL. Named after
M. de Poinci, a governor of the French West Indies.]
(Bot.) A prickly tropical shrub (Cæsalpinia,
formerly Poinciana, pulcherrima), with bipinnate leaves, and
racemes of showy orange-red flowers with long crimson
filaments.
&fist; The genus Poinciana is kept up for three trees of
Eastern Africa, the Mascarene Islands, and India.
Poind (poind), v. t. [See Pound
to confine.] 1. To impound, as cattle.
[Obs. or Scot.] Flavel.
2. To distrain. [Scot.] Sir W.
Scott.
Poind"er (-&etilde;r), n.
1. The keeper of a cattle pound; a pinder.
[Obs. or Scot.] T. Adams.
2. One who distrains property. [Scot.]
Jamieson.
||Poin*set"ti*a (poin*s&ebreve;t"t&ibreve;*&adot;),
n. [NL. Named after Joel R. Poinsett of South
Carolina.] (Bot.) A Mexican shrub (Euphorbia
pulcherrima) with very large and conspicuous vermilion bracts
below the yellowish flowers.
Point (point), v. t. & i. To
appoint. [Obs.] Spenser.
Point, n. [F. point, and probably
also pointe, L. punctum, puncta, fr.
pungere, punctum, to prick. See Pungent, and cf.
Puncto, Puncture.] 1. That which
pricks or pierces; the sharp end of anything, esp. the sharp end of a
piercing instrument, as a needle or a pin.
2. An instrument which pricks or pierces, as a
sort of needle used by engravers, etchers, lace workers, and others;
also, a pointed cutting tool, as a stone cutter's point; --
called also pointer.
3. Anything which tapers to a sharp, well-
defined termination. Specifically: A small promontory or cape; a tract
of land extending into the water beyond the common shore
line.
4. The mark made by the end of a sharp,
piercing instrument, as a needle; a prick.
5. An indefinitely small space; a mere spot
indicated or supposed. Specifically: (Geom.) That which has
neither parts nor magnitude; that which has position, but has neither
length, breadth, nor thickness, -- sometimes conceived of as the limit
of a line; that by the motion of which a line is conceived to be
produced.
6. An indivisible portion of time; a moment;
an instant; hence, the verge.
When time's first point begun
Made he all souls.
Sir J. Davies.
7. A mark of punctuation; a character used to
mark the divisions of a composition, or the pauses to be observed in
reading, or to point off groups of figures, etc.; a stop, as a comma,
a semicolon, and esp. a period; hence, figuratively, an end, or
conclusion.
And there a point, for ended is my
tale.
Chaucer.
Commas and points they set exactly
right.
Pope.
8. Whatever serves to mark progress, rank, or
relative position, or to indicate a transition from one state or
position to another, degree; step; stage; hence, position or condition
attained; as, a point of elevation, or of depression; the stock
fell off five points; he won by tenpoints. "A
point of precedence." Selden. "Creeping on from
point to point." Tennyson.
A lord full fat and in good point.
Chaucer.
9. That which arrests attention, or indicates
qualities or character; a salient feature; a characteristic; a
peculiarity; hence, a particular; an item; a detail; as, the good or
bad points of a man, a horse, a book, a story, etc.
He told him, point for point, in short
and plain.
Chaucer.
In point of religion and in point of
honor.
Bacon.
Shalt thou dispute
With Him the points of liberty ?
Milton.
10. Hence, the most prominent or important
feature, as of an argument, discourse, etc.; the essential matter;
esp., the proposition to be established; as, the point of an
anecdote. "Here lies the point." Shak.
They will hardly prove his point.
Arbuthnot.
11. A small matter; a trifle; a least
consideration; a punctilio.
This fellow doth not stand upon
points.
Shak.
[He] cared not for God or man a
point.
Spenser.
12. (Mus.) A dot or mark used to
designate certain tones or time; as: (a)
(Anc. Mus.) A dot or mark distinguishing or characterizing
certain tones or styles; as, points of perfection, of
augmentation, etc.; hence, a note; a tune. "Sound the trumpet -
- not a levant, or a flourish, but a point of war." Sir W.
Scott. (b) (Mod. Mus.) A dot placed at
the right hand of a note, to raise its value, or prolong its time, by
one half, as to make a whole note equal to three half notes, a half
note equal to three quarter notes.
13. (Astron.) A fixed conventional
place for reference, or zero of reckoning, in the heavens, usually the
intersection of two or more great circles of the sphere, and named
specifically in each case according to the position intended; as, the
equinoctial points; the solstitial points; the nodal
points; vertical points, etc. See Equinoctial
Nodal.
14. (Her.) One of the several different
parts of the escutcheon. See Escutcheon.
15. (Naut.) (a) One of
the points of the compass (see Points of the compass, below);
also, the difference between two points of the compass; as, to fall
off a point. (b) A short piece of
cordage used in reefing sails. See Reef point, under
Reef.
16. (Anc. Costume) A a string or lace
used to tie together certain parts of the dress. Sir W.
Scott.
17. Lace wrought the needle; as, point
de Venise; Brussels point. See Point lace,
below.
18. pl. (Railways) A
switch. [Eng.]
19. An item of private information; a hint; a
tip; a pointer. [Cant, U. S.]
20. (Cricket) A fielder who is
stationed on the off side, about twelve or fifteen yards from, and a
little in advance of, the batsman.
21. The attitude assumed by a pointer dog when
he finds game; as, the dog came to a point. See
Pointer.
22. (Type Making) A standard unit of
measure for the size of type bodies, being one twelfth of the
thickness of pica type. See Point system of type, under
Type.
23. A tyne or snag of an antler.
24. One of the spaces on a backgammon
board.
25. (Fencing) A movement executed with
the saber or foil; as, tierce point.
&fist; The word point is a general term, much used in the
sciences, particularly in mathematics, mechanics, perspective, and
physics, but generally either in the geometrical sense, or in that of
degree, or condition of change, and with some accompanying descriptive
or qualifying term, under which, in the vocabulary, the specific uses
are explained; as, boiling point, carbon point, dry
point, freezing point, melting point, vanishing
point, etc.
At all points, in every particular,
completely; perfectly. Shak. -- At
point, In point, At,
In, or On, the point, as near
as can be; on the verge; about (see About,
prep., 6); as, at the point of death; he was
on the point of speaking. "In point to fall down."
Chaucer. "Caius Sidius Geta, at point to have been
taken, recovered himself so valiantly as brought day on his side."
Milton. -- Dead point. (Mach.)
Same as Dead center, under Dead. -- Far
point (Med.), in ophthalmology, the farthest
point at which objects are seen distinctly. In normal eyes the nearest
point at which objects are seen distinctly; either with the two eyes
together (binocular near point), or with each eye separately
(monocular near point). -- Nine points of the
law, all but the tenth point; the greater weight of
authority. -- On the point. See At
point, above. -- Point lace, lace
wrought with the needle, as distinguished from that made on the
pillow. -- Point net, a machine-made lace
imitating a kind of Brussels lace (Brussels ground). --
Point of concurrence (Geom.), a point
common to two lines, but not a point of tangency or of intersection,
as, for instance, that in which a cycloid meets its base. --
Point of contrary flexure, a point at which a
curve changes its direction of curvature, or at which its convexity
and concavity change sides. -- Point of order,
in parliamentary practice, a question of order or propriety under
the rules. -- Point of sight (Persp.),
in a perspective drawing, the point assumed as that occupied by
the eye of the spectator. -- Point of view,
the relative position from which anything is seen or any subject
is considered. -- Points of the compass
(Naut.), the thirty-two points of division of the compass
card in the mariner's compass; the corresponding points by which the
circle of the horizon is supposed to be divided, of which the four
marking the directions of east, west, north, and south, are called
cardinal points, and the rest are named from their respective
directions, as N. by E., N. N. E., N. E. by N., N. E., etc. See
Illust. under Compass. -- Point
paper, paper pricked through so as to form a stencil for
transferring a design. -- Point system of type.
See under Type. -- Singular point
(Geom.), a point of a curve which possesses some property
not possessed by points in general on the curve, as a cusp, a point of
inflection, a node, etc. -- To carry one's
point, to accomplish one's object, as in a
controversy. -- To make a point of, to
attach special importance to. -- To make, or
gain, a point, accomplish that
which was proposed; also, to make advance by a step, grade, or
position. -- To mark, or
score, a point, as in
billiards, cricket, etc., to note down, or to make, a successful hit,
run, etc. -- To strain a point, to go
beyond the proper limit or rule; to stretch one's authority or
conscience. -- Vowel point, in Hebrew, and
certain other Eastern and ancient languages, a mark placed above or
below the consonant, or attached to it, representing the vowel, or
vocal sound, which precedes or follows the consonant.
Point (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pointed; p. pr. & vb. n.
Pointing.] [Cf. F. pointer. See Point,
n.] 1. To give a point to; to
sharpen; to cut, forge, grind, or file to an acute end; as, to
point a dart, or a pencil. Used also figuratively; as, to
point a moral.
2. To direct toward an abject; to aim; as, to
point a gun at a wolf, or a cannon at a fort.
3. Hence, to direct the attention or notice
of.
Whosoever should be guided through his battles by
Minerva, and pointed to every scene of them.
Pope.
4. To supply with punctuation marks; to
punctuate; as, to point a composition.
5. To mark (as Hebrew) with vowel
points.
6. To give particular prominence to; to
designate in a special manner; to indicate, as if by pointing; as, the
error was pointed out. Pope.
He points it, however, by no deviation from his
straightforward manner of speech.
Dickens.
7. To indicate or discover by a fixed look, as
game.
8. (Masonry) To fill up and finish the
joints of (a wall), by introducing additional cement or mortar, and
bringing it to a smooth surface.
9. (Stone Cutting) To cut, as a
surface, with a pointed tool.
To point a rope (Naut.), to taper and
neatly finish off the end by interweaving the nettles. --
To point a sail (Naut.), to affix points
through the eyelet holes of the reefs. -- To point
off, to divide into periods or groups, or to separate,
by pointing, as figures. -- To point the yards
(of a vessel) (Naut.), to brace them so that the wind shall
strike the sails obliquely. Totten.
Point (point), v. i. 1.
To direct the point of something, as of a finger, for the purpose
of designating an object, and attracting attention to it; -- with
at.
Now must the world point at poor
Katharine.
Shak.
Point at the tattered coat and ragged
shoe.
Dryden.
2. To indicate the presence of game by fixed
and steady look, as certain hunting dogs do.
He treads with caution, and he points with
fear.
Gay.
3. (Med.) To approximate to the
surface; to head; -- said of an abscess.
To point at, to treat with scorn or contempt
by pointing or directing attention to. -- To point
well (Naut.), to sail close to the wind; -- said
of a vessel.
Point"al (?), n. [From Point: cf.
F. pointal an upright wooden prop, OF. pointille a prick
or prickle.]
1. (Bot.) The pistil of a
plant.
2. A kind of pencil or style used with the
tablets of the Middle Ages. "A pair of tablets [i. e.,
tablets] . . . and a pointel." Chaucer.
3. (Arch.) See Poyntel.
[Obs. or R.]
Point`-blank" (?), n. [F. point
point + blanc white.] 1. The white spot on
a target, at which an arrow or other missile is aimed. [Obs.]
Jonson.
2. (Mil.) (a) With all
small arms, the second point in which the natural line of sight, when
horizontal, cuts the trajectory. (b) With
artillery, the point where the projectile first strikes the horizontal
plane on which the gun stands, the axis of the piece being
horizontal.
Point`-blank", a. 1.
Directed in a line toward the object aimed at; aimed directly
toward the mark.
2. Hence, direct; plain; unqualified; -- said
of language; as, a point-blank assertion.
Point-blank range, the extent of the apparent
right line of a ball discharged. -- Point-blank
shot, the shot of a gun pointed directly toward the
object to be hit.
Point`-blank", adv. In a point-
blank manner.
To sin point-blank against God's
word.
Fuller.
Point` d'ap`pui" (?). [F.] (Mil.) See under
Appui.
{ Point`-de*vice", Point`-de*vise" } (?),
a. [OE. at point devis; at at +
point point, condition + devis exact, careful, OF.
devis fixed, set. See Device.] Uncommonly nice and
exact; precise; particular.
You are rather point-devise in your
accouterments.
Shak.
Thus he grew up, in logic point-devise,
Perfect in grammar, and in rhetoric nice.
Longfellow.
{ Point`-de*vice", Point`-de*vise", }
adv. Exactly. [Obs.] Shak.
Point"ed (?), a. 1.
Sharp; having a sharp point; as, a pointed rock.
2. Characterized by sharpness, directness, or
pithiness of expression; terse; epigrammatic; especially, directed to
a particular person or thing.
His moral pleases, not his pointed
wit.
Pope.
Pointed arch (Arch.), an arch with a
pointed crown. -- Pointed style (Arch.),
a name given to that style of architecture in which the pointed
arch is the predominant feature; -- more commonly called
Gothic.
-- Point"ed*ly, adv. --
Point"ed*ness, n.
Point"el (?), n. [From Point.
Cf. Pointal.] See Pointal.
Point"er (?), n. One who, or that
which, points. Specifically: (a) The hand
of a timepiece. (b) (Zoöl.) One
of a breed of dogs trained to stop at scent of game, and with the nose
point it out to sportsmen. (c) pl.
(Astron.) The two stars (Merak and Dubhe) in the Great
Bear, the line between which points nearly in the direction of the
north star. See Illust. of Ursa Major.
(b) pl. (Naut.) Diagonal braces
sometimes fixed across the hold.
Point"ing, n. 1.
The act of sharpening.
2. The act of designating, as a position or
direction, by means of something pointed, as a finger or a
rod.
3. The act or art of punctuating;
punctuation.
4. The act of filling and finishing the joints
in masonry with mortar, cement, etc.; also, the material so
used.
5. The rubbing off of the point of the wheat
grain in the first process of high milling.
6. (Sculpt.) The act or process of
measuring, at the various distances from the surface of a block of
marble, the surface of a future piece of statuary; also, a process
used in cutting the statue from the artist's model.
Point`ing*stock` (?), n. An object
of ridicule or scorn; a laughingstock. Shak.
Point"less, a. Having no point;
blunt; wanting keenness; obtuse; as, a pointless sword; a
pointless remark.
Syn. -- Blunt; obtuse, dull; stupid.
Point"less*ly, adv. Without
point.
Point"let*ed (?), a. (Bot.)
Having a small, distinct point; apiculate.
Henslow.
Poin"trel (?), n. A graving
tool. Knight.
Points"man (?), n.; pl. -
men (-men). A man who has charge of railroad
points or switches. [Eng.]
Poise (?), n. [OE. pois,
peis, OF. pois, peis, F. poids, fr. L.
pensum a portion weighed out, pendere to weigh, weigh
out. Cf. Avoirdupois, Pendant, Poise,
v.] [Formerly written also peise.]
1. Weight; gravity; that which causes a body to
descend; heaviness. "Weights of an extraordinary poise."
Evelyn.
2. The weight, or mass of metal, used in
weighing, to balance the substance weighed.
3. The state of being balanced by equal weight
or power; equipoise; balance; equilibrium; rest.
Bentley.
4. That which causes a balance; a
counterweight.
Men of unbounded imagination often want the
poise of judgment.
Dryden.
Poise (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Poised, (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n.
Poising.] [OE. poisen, peisen, OF. & F.
peser, to weigh, balance, OF. il peise, il poise,
he weighs, F. il pèse, fr. L. pensare, v. intens.
fr. pendere to weigh. See Poise, n.,
and cf. Pensive.] [Formerly written also peise.]
1. To balance; to make of equal weight; as, to
poise the scales of a balance.
2. To hold or place in equilibrium or
equiponderance.
Nor yet was earth suspended in the sky;
Nor poised, did on her own foundation lie.
Dryden.
3. To counterpoise; to
counterbalance.
One scale of reason to poise another of
sensuality.
Shak.
To poise with solid sense a sprightly
wit.
Dryden.
4. To ascertain, as by the balance; to
weigh.
He can not sincerely consider the strength,
poise the weight, and discern the evidence.
South.
5. To weigh (down); to oppress.
[Obs.]
Lest leaden slumber peise me down to-
morrow.
Shak.
Poise, v. i. To hang in
equilibrium; to be balanced or suspended; hence, to be in suspense or
doubt.
The slender, graceful spars
Poise aloft in air.
Longfellow.
Pois"er (?), n. (Zoöl.)
The balancer of dipterous insects.
Poi"son (?), n. [F. poison, in
Old French also, a potion, fr. L. potio a drink, draught,
potion, a poisonous draught, fr. potare to drink. See
Potable, and cf. Potion.] 1. Any
agent which, when introduced into the animal organism, is capable of
producing a morbid, noxious, or deadly effect upon it; as, morphine is
a deadly poison; the poison of pestilential
diseases.
2. That which taints or destroys moral purity
or health; as, the poison of evil example; the poison of
sin.
Poison ash. (Bot.) (a)
A tree of the genus Amyris (A. balsamifera) found in
the West Indies, from the trunk of which a black liquor distills,
supposed to have poisonous qualities. (b) The
poison sumac (Rhus venenata). [U. S.] -- Poison
dogwood (Bot.), poison sumac. --
Poison fang (Zoöl.), one of the
superior maxillary teeth of some species of serpents, which, besides
having the cavity for the pulp, is either perforated or grooved by a
longitudinal canal, at the lower end of which the duct of the poison
gland terminates. See Illust. under Fang. --
Poison gland (Biol.), a gland, in animals
or plants, which secretes an acrid or venomous matter, that is
conveyed along an organ capable of inflicting a wound. --
Poison hemlock (Bot.), a poisonous
umbelliferous plant (Conium maculatum). See
Hemlock. -- Poison ivy (Bot.),
a poisonous climbing plant (Rhus Toxicodendron) of North
America. It is common on stone walls and on the trunks of trees, and
has trifoliate, rhombic-ovate, variously notched leaves. Many people
are poisoned by it, if they touch the leaves. See Poison sumac.
Called also poison oak, and mercury. --
Poison nut. (Bot.) (a)
Nux vomica. (b) The tree which yields
this seed (Strychnos Nuxvomica). It is found on the Malabar and
Coromandel coasts. -- Poison oak (Bot.),
the poison ivy; also, the more shrubby Rhus diversiloba of
California and Oregon. -- Poison sac.
(Zoöl.) Same as Poison gland, above. See
Illust. under Fang. -- Poison
sumac (Bot.), a poisonous shrub of the genus
Rhus (R. venenata); -- also called poison ash,
poison dogwood, and poison elder. It has pinnate leaves
on graceful and slender common petioles, and usually grows in swampy
places. Both this plant and the poison ivy (Rhus Toxicodendron)
have clusters of smooth greenish white berries, while the red-fruited
species of this genus are harmless. The tree (Rhus vernicifera)
which yields the celebrated Japan lacquer is almost identical with the
poison sumac, and is also very poisonous. The juice of the poison
sumac also forms a lacquer similar to that of Japan.
Syn. -- Venom; virus; bane; pest; malignity. --
Poison, Venom. Poison usually denotes something
received into the system by the mouth, breath, etc. Venom is
something discharged from animals and received by means of a wound, as
by the bite or sting of serpents, scorpions, etc. Hence, venom
specifically implies some malignity of nature or purpose.
Poi"son, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Poisoned (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Poisoning.] [Cf. OF. poisonner, F. empoissoner,
L. potionare to give to drink. See Poison,
n.]
1. To put poison upon or into; to infect with
poison; as, to poison an arrow; to poison food or
drink. "The ingredients of our poisoned chalice."
Shak.
2. To injure or kill by poison; to administer
poison to.
If you poison us, do we not die ?
Shak.
3. To taint; to corrupt; to vitiate; as, vice
poisons happiness; slander poisoned his mind.
Whispering tongues can poison
truth.
Coleridge.
Poi"son, v. i. To act as, or
convey, a poison.
Tooth that poisons if it bite.
Shak.
Poi"son*a*ble (?), a. 1.
Capable of poisoning; poisonous. [Obs.] "Poisonable
heresies." Tooker.
2. Capable of being poisoned.
Poi"son*er (?), n. One who
poisons. Shak.
Poi"son*ous (?), a. Having the
qualities or effects of poison; venomous; baneful; corrupting;
noxious. Shak. -- Poi"son*ous*ly,
adv. -- Poi"son*ous*ness,
n.
Poi"son*some (?), a.
Poisonous.[Obs.] Holland.
Poi"sure (?), n. [See Poise.]
Weight. [Obs.]
Poi"trel (?), n. [OE. poitrel, F.
poitrail, fr. L. pectorale a breastplate, fr.
pectoralis, a. See Pectoral, a.]
(Anc. Armor) The breastplate of the armor of a horse. See
Peytrel. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Poize (?), n. See
Poise. [Obs.]
Po*kal" (?), n. [G.] A tall
drinking cup.
Poke (?), n. (Bot.) A large
North American herb of the genus Phytolacca (P.
decandra), bearing dark purple juicy berries; -- called also
garget, pigeon berry, pocan, and pokeweed.
The root and berries have emetic and purgative properties, and are
used in medicine. The young shoots are sometimes eaten as a substitute
for asparagus, and the berries are said to be used in Europe to color
wine.
Poke, n. [AS. poca, poha,
pohha; akin to Icel. poki, OD. poke, and perh. to
E. pock; cf. also Gael. poca, and OF. poque. Cf.
Pock, Pocket, Pouch.] 1. A
bag; a sack; a pocket. "He drew a dial from his poke."
Shak.
They wallowed as pigs in a poke.
Chaucer.
2. A long, wide sleeve; -- called also poke
sleeve.
To boy a pig a poke (that is, in a bag), to
buy a thing without knowledge or examination of it.
Camden.
Poke, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Poked (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Poking.] [Cf. LG. poken to prick, pierce, thrust,
pok a dagger, knife, D. pook, G. pocken to beat,
also Ir. poc a blow, Gael. puc to push.]
1. To thrust or push against or into with
anything pointed; hence, to stir up; to excite; as, to poke a
fire.
He poked John, and said "Sleepest thou
?"
Chaucer.
2. To thrust with the horns; to
gore.
3. [From 5th Poke, 3.] To put a poke
on; as, to poke an ox. [Colloq. U. S.]
To poke fun, to excite fun; to joke; to
jest. [Colloq.] -- To poke fun at, to make
a butt of; to ridicule. [Colloq.]
Poke, v. i. To search; to feel
one's way, as in the dark; to grope; as, to poke
about.
A man must have poked into Latin and
Greek.
Prior.
Poke, n. 1. The act
of poking; a thrust; a jog; as, a poke in the ribs.
Ld. Lytton.
2. A lazy person; a dawdler; also, a stupid or
uninteresting person. [Slang, U.S.] Bartlett.
3. A contrivance to prevent an animal from
leaping or breaking through fences. It consists of a yoke with a pole
inserted, pointed forward. [U.S.]
Poke bonnet, a bonnet with a straight,
projecting front.
Poke"bag` (?), n. [So called in allusion
to its baglike nest.] (Zoöl.) The European long-
tailed titmouse; -- called also poke-pudding. [Prov.
Eng.]
Pok"er (?), n. [From Poke to
push.] 1. One who pokes.
2. That which pokes or is used in poking,
especially a metal bar or rod used in stirring a fire of
coals.
3. A poking-stick. Decker.
4. (Zoöl.) The poachard.
[Prov. Eng.]
Poker picture, a picture formed in imitation
of bisterwashed drawings, by singeing the surface of wood with a
heated poker or other iron. Fairholt.
Pok"er, n. [Of uncertain etymol.] A
game at cards derived from brag, and first played about 1835 in the
Southwestern United States. Johnson's Cyc.
Pok"er, n. [Cf. Dan. pokker the
deuce, devil, also W. pwci, a hobgoblin, bugbear, and E.
puck.] Any imagined frightful object, especially one
supposed to haunt the darkness; a bugbear. [Colloq. U. S.]
Pok"er*ish, a. Infested by pokers;
adapted to excite fear; as, a pokerish place. [Colloq. U.
S.]
There is something pokerish about a deserted
dwelling.
Lowell.
Pok"er*ish, a. Stiff like a
poker. [Colloq.]
Pok"et (?), n. A pocket.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
Poke"weed` (?), n. (Bot.)
See Poke, the plant.
Pok"ey (?), a. See
Poky.
Pok"ing (?), a. Drudging;
servile. [Colloq.]
Bred to some poking profession.
Gray.
Pok"ing-stick` (?), n. A small
stick or rod of steel, formerly used in adjusting the plaits of
ruffs. Shak.
Pok"y (?), a. [Written also
pokey.] 1. Confined; cramped. [Prov.
Eng.]
2. Dull; tedious; uninteresting.
[Colloq.]
Po*lac"ca (?), n. [It. polacca,
polaccra, polacra; cf. F. polaque,
polacre, Sp. polacre,] [Written also polacre.]
1. (Naut.) A vessel with two or three
masts, used in the Mediterranean. The masts are usually of one piece,
and without tops, caps, or crosstrees.
2. (Mus.) See
Polonaise.
Po"lack (?), n. A Polander.
Shak.
Po*la"cre (?), n. Same as
Polacca, 1.
Po"land*er (?), n. A native or
inhabitant of Poland; a Pole.
Po"lar (?), a. [Cf. F. polaire.
See Pole of the earth.] 1. Of or
pertaining to one of the poles of the earth, or of a sphere; situated
near, or proceeding from, one of the poles; as, polar regions;
polar seas; polar winds.
2. Of or pertaining to the magnetic pole, or
to the point to which the magnetic needle is directed.
3. (Geom.) Pertaining to, reckoned
from, or having a common radiating point; as, polar
coördinates.
Polar axis, that axis of an astronomical
instrument, as an equatorial, which is parallel to the earths
axis. -- Polar bear (Zoöl.), a
large bear (Ursus, or Thalarctos, maritimus) inhabiting the
arctic regions. It sometimes measures nearly nine feet in length and
weighs 1,600 pounds. It is partially amphibious, very powerful, and
the most carnivorous of all the bears. The fur is white, tinged with
yellow. Called also White bear. See Bear. --
Polar body, cell, or
globule (Biol.), a minute cell which
separates by karyokinesis from the ovum during its maturation. In the
maturation of ordinary ova two polar bodies are formed, but in
parthogenetic ova only one. The first polar body formed is usually
larger than the second one, and often divides into two after its
separation from the ovum. Each of the polar bodies removes maternal
chromatin from the ovum to make room for the chromatin of the
fertilizing spermatozoön; but their functions are not fully
understood. -- Polar circles (Astron. &
Geog.), two circles, each at a distance from a pole of the
earth equal to the obliquity of the ecliptic, or about 23°
28′, the northern called the arctic circle, and the
southern the antarctic circle. -- Polar
clock, a tube, containing a polarizing apparatus,
turning on an axis parallel to that of the earth, and indicating the
hour of the day on an hour circle, by being turned toward the plane of
maximum polarization of the light of the sky, which is always 90°
from the sun. -- Polar coördinates.
See under 3d Coördinate. -- Polar
dial, a dial whose plane is parallel to a great circle
passing through the poles of the earth. Math. Dict. --
Polar distance, the angular distance of any
point on a sphere from one of its poles, particularly of a heavenly
body from the north pole of the heavens. -- Polar
equation of a line or surface, an
equation which expresses the relation between the polar
coördinates of every point of the line or surface. --
Polar forces (Physics), forces that are
developed and act in pairs, with opposite tendencies or properties in
the two elements, as magnetism, electricity, etc. --
Polar hare (Zoöl.), a large hare of
Arctic America (Lepus arcticus), which turns pure white in
winter. It is probably a variety of the common European hare (L.
timidus). -- Polar lights, the aurora
borealis or australis. -- Polar, or
Polaric, opposition or
contrast (Logic), an opposition or
contrast made by the existence of two opposite conceptions which are
the extremes in a species, as white and black in colors; hence, as
great an opposition or contrast as possible. -- Polar
projection. See under Projection. --
Polar spherical triangle (Spherics), a
spherical triangle whose three angular points are poles of the sides
of a given triangle. See 4th Pole, 2. -- Polar
whale (Zoöl.), the right whale, or bowhead.
See Whale.
Po"lar (?), n. (Conic Sections)
The right line drawn through the two points of contact of the two
tangents drawn from a given point to a given conic section. The given
point is called the pole of the line. If the given point lies
within the curve so that the two tangents become imaginary, there is
still a real polar line which does not meet the curve, but which
possesses other properties of the polar. Thus the focus and directrix
are pole and polar. There are also poles and polar curves to curves of
higher degree than the second, and poles and polar planes to surfaces
of the second degree.
Pol"ar*chy (?), n. See
Polyarchy.
Po*lar"ic (?), a. See
Polar. [R.]
Po"lar*i*ly (?), adv. In a polary
manner; with polarity. [R.] Sir T. Browne.
Po`lar*im"e*ter (?), n. [Polar +
-meter.] (Opt.) An instrument for determining the
amount of polarization of light, or the proportion of polarized light,
in a partially polarized ray.
Po`lar*im"e*try (?), n. (Opt.)
The art or process of measuring the polarization of
light.
||Po*la"ris (?), n. [NL. See
Polar.] (Astron.) The polestar. See North
star, under North.
Po*lar"i*scope (?), n. [Polar +
-scope.] (Opt.) An instrument consisting
essentially of a polarizer and an analyzer, used for polarizing light,
and analyzing its properties.
Po*lar`i*scop"ic (?), a. (Opt.)
Of or pertaining to the polariscope; obtained by the use of a
polariscope; as, polariscopic observations.
Po`lar*is"co*py (?), n. (Opt.)
The art or rocess of making observations with the
polariscope.
Po`lar*is"tic (?), a. Pertaining
to, or exhibiting, poles; having a polar arrangement or disposition;
arising from, or dependent upon, the possession of poles or polar
characteristics; as, polaristic antagonism.
Po*lar"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F.
polarité.] 1. (Physics) That
quality or condition of a body in virtue of which it exhibits
opposite, or contrasted, properties or powers, in opposite, or
contrasted, parts or directions; or a condition giving rise to a
contrast of properties corresponding to a contrast of positions, as,
for example, attraction and repulsion in the opposite parts of a
magnet, the dissimilar phenomena corresponding to the different sides
of a polarized ray of light, etc.
2. (Geom.) A property of the conic
sections by virtue of which a given point determines a corresponding
right line and a given right line determines a corresponding point.
See Polar, n.
Po"lar*i`za*ble (?), a. Susceptible
of polarization.
Po`lar*i*za"tion (?), n. [Cf. F.
polarisation.]
1. The act of polarizing; the state of being
polarized, or of having polarity.
2. (Opt.) A peculiar affection or
condition of the rays of light or heat, in consequence of which they
exhibit different properties in different directions.
&fist; If a beam of light, which has been reflected from a plate of
unsilvered glass at an angle of about 56°, be received upon a
second plate of glass similar to the former, and at the same angle of
incidence, the light will be readily reflected when the two planes of
incidence are parallel to each other, but will not be reflected when
the two planes of incidence are perpendicular to each other. The light
has, therefore, acquired new properties by reflection from the first
plate of glass, and is called polarized light, while the
modification which the light has experienced by this reflection is
called polarization. The plane in which the beam of light is
reflected from the first mirror is called the plane of
polarization. The angle of polarization is the angle at
which a beam of light must be reflected, in order that the
polarization may be the most complete. The term polarization
was derived from the theory of emission, and it was conceived that
each luminous molecule has two poles analogous to the poles of a
magnet; but this view is not now held. According to the undulatory
theory, ordinary light is produced by vibrations transverse or
perpendicular to the direction of the ray, and distributed as to show
no distinction as to any particular direction. But when, by any means,
these, vibrations are made to take place in one plane, the light is
said to be plane polarized. If only a portion of the vibrations
lie in one plane the ray is said to be partially polarized.
Light may be polarized by several methods other than by reflection, as
by refraction through most crystalline media, or by being transmitted
obliquely through several plates of glass with parallel faces. If a
beam of polarized light be transmitted through a crystal of quartz in
the direction of its axis, the plane of polarization will be changed
by an angle proportional to the thickness of the crystal. This
phenomenon is called rotatory polarization. A beam of light
reflected from a metallic surface, or from glass surfaces under
certain peculiar conditions, acquires properties still more complex,
its vibrations being no longer rectilinear, but circular, or
elliptical. This phenomenon is called circular or elliptical
polarization.
3. (Elec.) An effect produced upon the
plates of a voltaic battery, or the electrodes in an electrolytic
cell, by the deposition upon them of the gases liberated by the action
of the current. It is chiefly due to the hydrogen, and results in an
increase of the resistance, and the setting up of an opposing electro-
motive force, both of which tend materially to weaken the current of
the battery, or that passing through the cell.
Po"lar*ize (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Polarized (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Polarizing (?).] [Cf. F. polariser.] To communicate
polarity to.
Po"lar*i`zer (?), n. (Physics)
That which polarizes; especially, the part of a polariscope which
receives and polarizes the light. It is usually a reflecting plate, or
a plate of some crystal, as tourmaline, or a doubly refracting
crystal.
Po"lar*y (?), a. Tending to a pole;
having a direction toward a pole. [R.] Sir T.
Browne.
||Po`la`touche" (?), n. [F.]
(Zoöl.) A flying squirrel (Sciuropterus
volans) native of Northern Europe and Siberia; -- called also
minene.
Pol"der (?), n. [D.] A tract of low
land reclaimed from the sea by of high embankments. [Holland &
Belgium]
Pold"way` (?), n. [Cf. Poledavy.]
A kind of coarse bagging, -- used for coal sacks.
Weale.
Pole (?), n. [Cf. G. Pole a Pole,
Polen Poland.] A native or inhabitant of Poland; a
Polander.
Pole, n. [As. pāl, L.
palus, akin to pangere to make fast. Cf. Pale a
stake, Pact.] 1. A long, slender piece of
wood; a tall, slender piece of timber; the stem of a small tree whose
branches have been removed; as, specifically: (a) A
carriage pole, a wooden bar extending from the front axle of a
carriage between the wheel horses, by which the carriage is guided and
held back. (b) A flag pole, a pole on which a flag is
supported. (c) A Maypole. See Maypole.
(d) A barber's pole, a pole painted in stripes, used
as a sign by barbers and hairdressers. (e) A pole on
which climbing beans, hops, or other vines, are trained.
2. A measuring stick; also, a measure of
length equal to 5&?; yards, or a square measure equal to 30&?; square
yards; a rod; a perch. Bacon.
Pole bean (Bot.), any kind of bean
which is customarily trained on poles, as the scarlet runner or the
Lima bean. -- Pole flounder
(Zoöl.), a large deep-water flounder
(Glyptocephalus cynoglossus), native of the northern coasts of
Europe and America, and much esteemed as a food fish; -- called also
craig flounder, and pole fluke. -- Pole
lathe, a simple form of lathe, or a substitute for a
lathe, in which the work is turned by means of a cord passing around
it, one end being fastened to the treadle, and the other to an elastic
pole above. -- Pole mast (Naut.), a
mast formed from a single piece or from a single tree. --
Pole of a lens (Opt.), the point where
the principal axis meets the surface. -- Pole
plate (Arch.), a horizontal timber resting on the
tiebeams of a roof and receiving the ends of the rafters. It differs
from the plate in not resting on the wall.
Pole, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Poled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Poling.] 1. To furnish with poles for
support; as, to pole beans or hops.
2. To convey on poles; as, to pole hay
into a barn.
3. To impel by a pole or poles, as a
boat.
4. To stir, as molten glass, with a
pole.
Pole, n. [L. polus, Gr. &?; a
pivot or hinge on which anything turns, an axis, a pole; akin to &?;
to move: cf. F. pôle.] 1. Either
extremity of an axis of a sphere; especially, one of the extremities
of the earth's axis; as, the north pole.
2. (Spherics) A point upon the surface
of a sphere equally distant from every part of the circumference of a
great circle; or the point in which a diameter of the sphere
perpendicular to the plane of such circle meets the surface. Such a
point is called the pole of that circle; as, the pole of
the horizon; the pole of the ecliptic; the pole of a
given meridian.
3. (Physics) One of the opposite or
contrasted parts or directions in which a polar force is manifested; a
point of maximum intensity of a force which has two such points, or
which has polarity; as, the poles of a magnet; the north
pole of a needle.
4. The firmament; the sky. [Poetic]
Shoots against the dusky pole.
Milton.
5. (Geom.) See Polarity, and
Polar, n.
Magnetic pole. See under
Magnetic. -- Poles of the earth, or
Terrestrial poles (Geog.), the two
opposite points on the earth's surface through which its axis
passes. -- Poles of the heavens, or
Celestial poles, the two opposite points in the
celestial sphere which coincide with the earth's axis produced, and
about which the heavens appear to revolve.
{ Pole"ax`, Pole"axe` } (?),
n. [OE. pollax; cf. OD. pollexe. See
Poll head, and Ax.] Anciently, a kind of battle-ax with a
long handle; later, an ax or hatchet with a short handle, and a head
variously patterned; -- used by soldiers, and also by sailors in
boarding a vessel.
Pole"cat` (?), n. [Probably fr. F.
poule hen, and originally, a poultry cat, because it feeds on
poultry. See Poultry.] (Zoöl.) (a)
A small European carnivore of the Weasel family (Putorius
fœtidus). Its scent glands secrete a substance of an
exceedingly disagreeable odor. Called also fitchet,
foulmart, and European ferret. (b)
The zorilla. The name is also applied to other allied
species.
Pole"da`vy (?), n. [Etymology
uncertain.] A sort of coarse canvas; poldway. [Obs.]
Howell.
Pole"less, a. Without a pole; as, a
poleless chariot.
Pol"e*march (?), n. [Gr. &?;; &?; war +
&?; leader, from &?; to be first.] (Gr. Antiq.) In Athens,
originally, the military commanderin-chief; but, afterward, a civil
magistrate who had jurisdiction in respect of strangers and
sojourners. In other Grecian cities, a high military and civil
officer.
Po*lem"ic (?), a. [Gr. &?; warlike,
fr.&?; war: cf. F. polémique.] 1.
Of or pertaining to controversy; maintaining, or involving,
controversy; controversial; disputative; as, a polemic
discourse or essay; polemic theology.
2. Engaged in, or addicted to, polemics, or to
controversy; disputations; as, a polemic writer.
South.
Po*lem"ic, n. 1.
One who writes in support of one opinion, doctrine, or system, in
opposition to another; one skilled in polemics; a controversialist; a
disputant.
The sarcasms and invectives of the young
polemic.
Macaulay.
2. A polemic argument or
controversy.
Po*lem"ic*al (?), a. Polemic;
controversial; disputatious. -- Po*lem"ic*al*ly,
adv.
Polemical and impertinent
disputations.
Jer. Taylor.
Po*lem"i*cist (?), n. A
polemic. [R.]
Po*lem"ics (?), n. [Cf. F.
polémique.] The art or practice of disputation or
controversy, especially on religious subjects; that branch of
theological science which pertains to the history or conduct of
ecclesiastical controversy.
Pol"e*mist (?), n. A polemic.
[R.]
Pol`e*mo`ni*a"ceous (?), a.
(Bot.) Of or pertaining to a natural order of plants
(Polemoniaceæ), which includes Polemonium,
Phlox, Gilia, and a few other genera.
||Pol`e*mo"ni*um (?). n. [NL., fr.
Gr.&?; a kind of plant.] (Bot.) A genus of gamopetalous
perennial herbs, including the Jacob's ladder and the Greek
valerian.
Po*lem"o*scope (?), n. [Gr. &?; war +
-scope: cf. F. polémoscope.] An opera glass
or field glass with an oblique mirror arranged for seeing objects do
not lie directly before the eye; -- called also diagonal, or side,
opera glass.
Pol"e*my (?), n. [See Polemic.]
Warfare; war; hence, contention; opposition. [Obs.]
||Po*len"ta (?), n. [It., fr. L.
polenta peeled barley.] Pudding made of Indian meal; also,
porridge made of chestnut meal. [Italy]
Pol"er (?), n. One who
poles.
Pol"er, n. An extortioner. See
Poller. [Obs.] Bacon.
Pole"star` (?), n. 1.
Polaris, or the north star. See North star, under
North.
2. A guide or director.
Pole"wards (?), adv. Toward a pole
of the earth. "The regions further polewards."
Whewell.
Pole"wig (?), n. [Cf. Polliwig.]
(Zoöl.) The European spotted goby (Gobius
minutus); -- called also pollybait. [Prov. Eng.]
Po"ley (?), n. (Bot.) See
Poly.
Po"ley, a. Without horns;
polled. [Prov. Eng.] "That poley heifer." H.
Kingsley.
Po"li*a*nite (?), n. [Gr. &?; to become
gray.] (Min.) Manganese dioxide, occurring in tetragonal
crystals nearly as hard as quartz.
Pol"i*cate (?), a. (Zoöl.)
Same as Pollicate.
Po*lice" (?), n. [F., fr. L.
politia the condition of a state, government, administration,
Gr. &?;, fr. &?; to be a citizen, to govern or administer a state, fr.
&?; citizen, fr. &?; city; akin to Skr. pur, puri. Cf.
Policy polity, Polity.] 1. A
judicial and executive system, for the government of a city, town, or
district, for the preservation of rights, order, cleanliness, health,
etc., and for the enforcement of the laws and prevention of crime; the
administration of the laws and regulations of a city, incorporated
town, or borough.
2. That which concerns the order of the
community; the internal regulation of a state.
3. The organized body of civil officers in a
city, town, or district, whose particular duties are the preservation
of good order, the prevention and detection of crime, and the
enforcement of the laws.
4. (Mil.) Military police, the body of
soldiers detailed to preserve civil order and attend to sanitary
arrangements in a camp or garrison.
5. The cleaning of a camp or garrison, or the
state &?; a camp as to cleanliness.
Police commissioner, a civil officer, usually
one of a board, commissioned to regulate and control the appointment,
duties, and discipline of the police. -- Police
constable, or Police officer, a
policeman. -- Police court, a minor court
to try persons brought before it by the police. -- Police
inspector, an officer of police ranking next below a
superintendent. -- Police jury, a body of
officers who collectively exercise jurisdiction in certain cases of
police, as levying taxes, etc.; -- so called in Louisiana.
Bouvier. -- Police justice, or Police
magistrate, a judge of a police court. --
Police offenses (Law), minor offenses
against the order of the community, of which a police court may have
final jurisdiction. -- Police station, the
headquarters of the police, or of a section of them; the place where
the police assemble for orders, and to which they take arrested
persons.
Po*lice", v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Policed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Policing.] 1. To keep in order by
police.
2. (Mil.) To make clean; as, to
police a camp.
Po*liced" (?), a. Regulated by laws
for the maintenance of peace and order, enforced by organized
administration. "A policed kingdom." Howell.
Po*lice"man (?), n.; pl.
Policemen (&?;). A member of a body of police;
a constable.
Po*li"cial (&?;), a. Relating to
the police. [R.]
Pol"i*cied (?), a. Policed.
[Obs.] Bacon.
Pol"i*cy (?), n.; pl.
Policies (#). [L. politia, Gr. &?;; cf. F.
police, Of. police. See Police,
n.] 1. Civil polity.
[Obs.]
2. The settled method by which the government
and affairs of a nation are, or may be, administered; a system of
public or official administration, as designed to promote the external
or internal prosperity of a state.
3. The method by which any institution is
administered; system of management; course.
4. Management or administration based on
temporal or material interest, rather than on principles of equity or
honor; hence, worldly wisdom; dexterity of management; cunning;
stratagem.
5. Prudence or wisdom in the management of
public and private affairs; wisdom; sagacity; wit.
The very policy of a hostess, finding his purse
so far above his clothes, did detect him.
Fuller.
6. Motive; object; inducement.
[Obs.]
What policy have you to bestow a benefit where
it is counted an injury?
Sir P. Sidney.
Syn. -- See Polity.
Pol"i*cy, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Policied (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Policying.] To regulate by laws; to reduce to order.
[Obs.] "Policying of cities." Bacon.
Pol"i*cy, n. [F. police; cf. Pr.
polissia, Sp. pólizia, It. pólizza;
of uncertain origin; cf. L. pollex thumb (as being used in
pressing the seal), in LL. also, seal; or cf. LL. politicum,
poleticum, polecticum, L. polyptychum, account
book, register, fr. Gr. &?; having many folds or leaves; &?; many +
&?; fold, leaf, from &?; to fold; or cf. LL. apodixa a
receipt.] 1. A ticket or warrant for money in the
public funds.
2. The writing or instrument in which a
contract of insurance is embodied; an instrument in writing containing
the terms and conditions on which one party engages to indemnify
another against loss arising from certain hazards, perils, or risks to
which his person or property may be exposed. See
Insurance.
3. A method of gambling by betting as to what
numbers will be drawn in a lottery; as, to play
policy.
Interest policy, a policy that shows by its
form that the assured has a real, substantial interest in the matter
insured. -- Open policy, one in which the
value of the goods or property insured is not mentioned. --
Policy book, a book to contain a record of
insurance policies. -- Policy holder, one
to whom an insurance policy has been granted. -- Policy
shop, a gambling place where one may bet on the numbers
which will be drawn in lotteries. -- Valued
policy, one in which the value of the goods, property,
or interest insured is specified. -- Wager
policy, a policy that shows on the face of it that the
contract it embodies is a pretended insurance, founded on an ideal
risk, where the insured has no interest in anything insured.
Pol"ing (?), n. [From Pole a
stick.] 1. The act of supporting or of propelling
by means of a pole or poles; as, the poling of beans; the
poling of a boat.
2. (Gardening) The operation of
dispersing worm casts over the walks with poles.
3. One of the poles or planks used in
upholding the side earth in excavating a tunnel, ditch, etc.
Pol"ish (?), a. [From Pole a
Polander.] Of or pertaining to Poland or its inhabitants. -
- n. The language of the Poles.
Pol"ish (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Polished (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Polishing.] [F. polir, L. polire. Cf.
Polite, -ish] 1. To make smooth and
glossy, usually by friction; to burnish; to overspread with luster;
as, to polish glass, marble, metals, etc.
2. Hence, to refine; to wear off the rudeness,
coarseness, or rusticity of; to make elegant and polite; as, to
polish life or manners. Milton.
To polish off, to finish completely, as an
adversary. [Slang] W. H. Russell.
Pol"ish, v. i. To become smooth, as
from friction; to receive a gloss; to take a smooth and glossy
surface; as, steel polishes well. Bacon.
Pol"ish, n. 1. A
smooth, glossy surface, usually produced by friction; a gloss or
luster.
Another prism of clearer glass and better
polish.
Sir I. Newton.
2. Anything used to produce a gloss.
3. Fig.: Refinement; elegance of
manners.
This Roman polish and this smooth
behavior.
Addison.
Pol"ish*a*ble (?), a. Capable of
being polished.
Pol"ished (?), a. Made smooth and
glossy, as by friction; hence, highly finished; refined; polite; as,
polished plate; polished manners; polished
verse.
Pol"ished*ness, n. The quality of
being polished.
Pol"ish*er (?), n. One who, or that
which, polishes; also, that which is used in polishing.
Addison.
Pol"ish*ing, a. & n. from
Polish.
Polishing iron, an iron burnisher; esp., a
small smoothing iron used in laundries. -- Polishing
slate. (a) A gray or yellow slate, found
in Bohemia and Auvergne, and used for polishing glass, marble, and
metals. (b) A kind of hone or whetstone; hone
slate. -- Polishing snake, a tool used in
cleaning lithographic stones. -- Polishing
wheel, a wheel or disk coated with, or composed of,
abrading material, for polishing a surface.
Pol"ish*ment (?), n. The act of
polishing, or the state of being polished. [R.]
Po*lite" (?), a.
[Compar. Politer (?);
superl. Politest.] [L. politus, p. p.
of polire to polish: cf. F. poli. See Polish,
v.] 1. Smooth; polished.
[Obs.]
Rays of light falling on a polite
surface.
Sir I. Newton.
2. Smooth and refined in behavior or manners;
well bred; courteous; complaisant; obliging; civil.
He marries, bows at court, and grows
polite.
Pope.
3. Characterized by refinement, or a high
degree of finish; as, polite literature.
Macaulay.
Syn. -- Polished; refined; well bred; courteous; affable;
urbane; civil; courtly; elegant; genteel.
Po*lite", v. t. To polish; to
refine; to render polite. [Obs.] Ray.
Po*lite"ly (?), adv. 1.
In a polished manner; so as to be smooth or glossy. [Obs.]
Milton.
2. In a polite manner; with
politeness.
Po*lite"ness, n. 1.
High finish; smoothness; burnished elegance. [R.]
Evelyn.
2. The quality or state of being polite;
refinement of manners; urbanity; courteous behavior; complaisance;
obliging attentions.
Syn. -- Courtesy; good breeding; refinement; urbanity;
courteousness; affability; complaisance; civility; gentility;
courtliness. -- Politeness, Courtesy. Politeness
denotes that ease and gracefulness of manners which first sprung up in
cities, connected with a desire to please others by anticipating their
wants and wishes, and studiously avoiding whatever might give them
pain. Courtesy is, etymologically, the politeness of
courts. It displays itself in the address and manners; it is shown
more especially in receiving and entertaining others, and is a union
of dignified complaisance and kindness.
||Pol`i*tesse" (?), n. [F.]
Politeness.
Pol"i*tic (?), a. [L. politicus
political, Gr. &?; belonging to the citizens or to the state, fr.&?;
citizen: cf. F. politique. See Police, and cf.
ePolitical.] 1. Of or pertaining to
polity, or civil government; political; as, the body politic.
See under Body.
He with his people made all but one politic
body.
Sir P. Sidney.
2. Pertaining to, or promoting, a policy,
especially a national policy; well-devised; adapted to its end,
whether right or wrong; -- said of things; as, a politic
treaty. "Enrich'd with politic grave counsel."
Shak.
3. Sagacious in promoting a policy; ingenious
in devising and advancing a system of management; devoted to a scheme
or system rather than to a principle; hence, in a good sense, wise;
prudent; sagacious; and in a bad sense, artful; unscrupulous; cunning;
-- said of persons.
Politic with my friend, smooth with mine
enemy.
Shak.
Syn. -- Wise; prudent; sagacious; discreet; provident; wary;
artful; cunning.
Pol`i*tic, n. A politician.
[Archaic] Bacon.
Swiftly the politic goes; is it dark? he borrows
a lantern;
Slowly the statesman and sure, guiding his feet by the
stars.
Lowell.
Po*lit"i*cal (?), a. 1.
Having, or conforming to, a settled system of
administration. [R.] "A political government."
Evelyn.
2. Of or pertaining to public policy, or to
politics; relating to affairs of state or administration; as, a
political writer. "The political state of Europe."
Paley.
3. Of or pertaining to a party, or to parties,
in the state; as, his political relations were with the
Whigs.
4. Politic; wise; also, artful. [Obs.]
Sterne.
Political economy, that branch of political
science or philosophy which treats of the sources, and methods of
production and preservation, of the material wealth and prosperity of
nations.
Po*lit"i*cal*ism (?), n. Zeal or
party spirit in politics.
Po*lit"i*cal*ly, adv. 1.
In a political manner.
2. Politicly; artfully. [Obs.]
Knolles.
Po*lit"i*cas`ter (?), n. [Cf. It.
politicastro.] A petty politician; a pretender in
politics. Milton.
Pol`i*ti"cian (?), n. [Cf. F.
politicien.]
1. One versed or experienced in the science of
government; one devoted to politics; a statesman.
While empiric politicians use
deceit.
Dryden.
2. One primarily devoted to his own
advancement in public office, or to the success of a political party;
-- used in a depreciatory sense; one addicted or attached to politics
as managed by parties (see Politics, 2); a schemer; an
intriguer; as, a mere politician.
Like a scurvy politician, seem
To see the things thou dost not.
Shak.
The politician . . . ready to do anything that
he apprehends for his advantage.
South.
Pol`i*ti"cian, a. Cunning; using
artifice; politic; artful. "Ill-meaning politician
lords." Milton.
Po*lit"i*cist (?), n. A political
writer. [R.]
Pol"i*tic*ly (?), adv. In a politic
manner; sagaciously; shrewdly; artfully. Pope.
Pol"i*tics (?), n. [Cf. F.
politique, Gr. &?; (sc.&?;). See Politic.]
1. The science of government; that part of ethics
which has to do with the regulation and government of a nation or
state, the preservation of its safety, peace, and prosperity, the
defense of its existence and rights against foreign control or
conquest, the augmentation of its strength and resources, and the
protection of its citizens in their rights, with the preservation and
improvement of their morals.
2. The management of a political party; the
conduct and contests of parties with reference to political measures
or the administration of public affairs; the advancement of candidates
to office; in a bad sense, artful or dishonest management to secure
the success of political candidates or parties; political
trickery.
When we say that two men are talking politics,
we often mean that they are wrangling about some mere party
question.
F. W. Robertson.
Pol"i*tize (?), v. i. To play the
politician; to dispute as politicians do. [Obs.]
Milton.
Pol"i*ture (?), n. [L. politura,
fr. polire to polish. See Polish, v.]
Polish; gloss. [Obs.] Donne.
Pol"i*ty (?), n.; pl.
Polities (#). [L. politia, Gr. &?;: cf. F.
politie. See 1st Policy, Police.]
1. The form or constitution of the civil
government of a nation or state; the framework or organization by
which the various departments of government are combined into a
systematic whole. Blackstone. Hooker.
2. Hence: The form or constitution by which
any institution is organized; the recognized principles which lie at
the foundation of any human institution.
Nor is possible that any form of polity, much
less polity ecclesiastical, should be good, unless God himself
be author of it.
Hooker.
3. Policy; art; management. [Obs.]
B. Jonson.
Syn. -- Policy. -- Polity, Policy. These two
words were originally the same. Polity is now confined to the
structure of a government; as, civil or ecclesiastical polity;
while policy is applied to the scheme of management of public
affairs with reference to some aim or result; as, foreign or domestic
policy. Policy has the further sense of skillful or
cunning management.
Po*litz`er*i*za"tion (?), n.
(Med.) The act of inflating the middle ear by blowing air
up the nose during the act of swallowing; -- so called from Prof.
Politzer of Vienna, who first practiced it.
Pol"ive (?), n. A pulley.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
Pol"ka (?), n. [Pol. Polka a
Polish woman: cf. F. & G. polka.] 1. A
dance of Polish origin, but now common everywhere. It is performed by
two persons in common time.
2. (Mus.) A lively Bohemian or Polish
dance tune in 2-4 measure, with the third quaver accented.
Polka jacket, a kind of knit jacket worn by
women.
Poll (?), n. [From Polly, The
proper name.] A parrot; -- familiarly so called.
Poll, n. [Gr. &?; the many, the rabble.]
One who does not try for honors, but is content to take a degree
merely; a passman. [Cambridge Univ., Eng.]
Poll (?), n. [Akin to LG. polle
the head, the crest of a bird, the top of a tree, OD. pol,
polle, Dan. puld the crown of a hat.] 1.
The head; the back part of the head. "All flaxen was his
poll." Shak.
2. A number or aggregate of heads; a list or
register of heads or individuals.
We are the greater poll, and in true fear
They gave us our demands.
Shak.
The muster file, rotten and sound, upon my life,
amounts not to fifteen thousand poll.
Shak.
3. Specifically, the register of the names of
electors who may vote in an election.
4. The casting or recording of the votes of
registered electors; as, the close of the poll.
All soldiers quartered in place are to remove . . . and
not to return till one day after the poll is
ended.
Blackstone.
5. pl. The place where the votes are
cast or recorded; as, to go to the polls.
6. The broad end of a hammer; the but of an
ax.
7. (Zoöl.) The European chub. See
Pollard, 3 (a).
Poll book, a register of persons entitled to
vote at an election. -- Poll evil
(Far.), an inflammatory swelling or abscess on a horse's
head, confined beneath the great ligament of the neck. --
Poll pick (Mining), a pole having a heavy
spike on the end, forming a kind of crowbar. -- Poll
tax, a tax levied by the head, or poll; a capitation
tax.
Poll, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Polled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Polling.] 1. To remove the poll or head
of; hence, to remove the top or end of; to clip; to lop; to shear; as,
to poll the head; to poll a tree.
When he [Absalom] pollled his head.
2 Sam. xiv. 26.
His death did so grieve them that they polled
themselves; they clipped off their horse and mule's
hairs.
Sir T. North.
2. To cut off; to remove by clipping,
shearing, etc.; to mow or crop; -- sometimes with off; as, to
poll the hair; to poll wool; to poll
grass.
Who, as he polled off his dart's head, so sure
he had decreed
That all the counsels of their war he would poll off like
it.
Chapman.
3. To extort from; to plunder; to strip.
[Obs.]
Which polls and pills the poor in piteous
wise.
Spenser.
4. To impose a tax upon. [Obs.]
5. To pay as one's personal tax.
The man that polled but twelve pence for his
head.
Dryden.
6. To enter, as polls or persons, in a list or
register; to enroll, esp. for purposes of taxation; to enumerate one
by one.
Polling the reformed churches whether they
equalize in number those of his three kingdoms.
Milton.
7. To register or deposit, as a vote; to
elicit or call forth, as votes or voters; as, he polled a
hundred votes more than his opponent.
And poll for points of faith his trusty
vote.
Tickell.
8. (Law) To cut or shave smooth or
even; to cut in a straight line without indentation; as, a
polled deed. See Dee&?; poll. Burrill.
To poll a jury, to call upon each member of
the jury to answer individually as to his concurrence in a verdict
which has been rendered.
Poll, v. i. To vote at an
election. Beaconsfield.
Pol"lack (?), n. [Cf. G. & D.
pollack, and Gael. pollag a little pool, a sort of
fish.] (Zoöl.) (a) A marine gadoid
food fish of Europe (Pollachius virens). Called also
greenfish, greenling, lait, leet,
lob, lythe, and whiting pollack.
(b) The American pollock; the coalfish.
Poll"age (?), n. A head or poll
tax; hence, extortion. [Obs.] Foxe.
Pol"lan (?), n. [Cf. Gael. pollag
a kind of fish.] (Zoöl.) A lake whitefish
(Coregonus pollan), native of Ireland. In appearance it
resembles a herring.
Pol"lard (?), n. [From Poll the
head.] 1. A tree having its top cut off at some
height above the ground, that may throw out branches.
Pennant.
2. A clipped coin; also, a counterfeit.
[Obs.] Camden.
3. (Zoöl.) (a) A
fish, the chub. (b) A stag that has cast
its antlers. (c) A hornless animal (cow or
sheep).
Pol"lard, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pollarded; p. pr. & vb. n.
Pollarding.] To lop the tops of, as trees; to poll; as, to
pollard willows. Evelyn.
Poll"ax` (?), n. A poleax.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
Polled (?), a. Deprived of a poll,
or of something belonging to the poll. Specifically:
(a) Lopped; -- said of trees having their tops cut
off. (b) Cropped; hence, bald; -- said of a person.
"The polled bachelor." Beau. & Fl. (c)
Having cast the antlers; -- said of a stag. (d)
Without horns; as, polled cattle; polled
sheep.
Pol"len (?), n. [L. pollen fine
flour, fine dust; cf. Gr. &?;] 1. Fine bran or
flour. [Obs.] Bailey.
2. (Bot.) The fecundating dustlike
cells of the anthers of flowers. See Flower, and Illust.
of Filament.
Pollen grain (Bot.), a particle or
call of pollen. -- Pollen mass, a
pollinium. Gray. -- Pollen sac, a
compartment of an anther containing pollen, -- usually there are four
in each anther. -- Pollen tube, a slender
tube which issues from the pollen grain on its contact with the
stigma, which it penetrates, thus conveying, it is supposed, the
fecundating matter of the grain to the ovule.
Pol`len*a"ri*ous (?), a. Consisting
of meal or pollen.
Pol"lened (?), a. Covered with
pollen. Tennyson.
Pol`len*if"er*ous (?), a. [Pollen
+ -ferous.] (Bot.) Producing pollen;
polliniferous.
Pol"len*in (?), n. [Cf. F.
pollénine.] (Chem.) A substance found in the
pollen of certain plants. [R.]
Pol"len*ize (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Pollenized (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Pollenizing (?).] To supply with pollen; to
impregnate with pollen.
Poll"er (?), n. [From Poll]
One who polls; specifically: (a) One who polls or
lops trees. (b) One who polls or cuts hair; a barber.
[R.] (c) One who extorts or plunders. [Obs.] Baex>.
(d) One who registplws votplws, or one who enters his
name as a voter.
||Pol"lex (?), n.; pl.
Pollices (#). [the thumb.] (Anat.) The
first, or preaxial, digit of the fore limb, corresponding to the
hallux in the hind limb; the thumb. In birds, the pollex is the joint
which bears the bastard wing.
Pol"li*cate (?), a. [L. pollex,
pollicis, a thumb.] (Zoöl.) Having a curved
projection or spine on the inner side of a leg joint; -- said of
insects.
Pol*lic`i*ta"tion (?), n. [L.
pollicitatio, fr. pollicitari to promise, v. intens. fr.
polliceri to promise: cf. F. pollicitation.]
1. A voluntary engagement, or a paper containing
it; a promise. Bp. Burnet.
2. (Roman Law) A promise without
mutuality; a promise which has not been accepted by the person to whom
it is made. Bouvier.
Pol"li*nate (?), a. (Zoöl.)
Pollinose.
Pol"li*nate (?), v. t. (Bot.)
To apply pollen to (a stigma). -- Pol`li*na"tion
(#), n. (Bot.)
||Pol*linc"tor (?), n. [L., fr.
pollingere.] (Rom. Antiq.) One who prepared corpses
for the funeral.
Poll"ing (?), n. [See Poll the
head.] 1. The act of topping, lopping, or
cropping, as trees or hedges.
2. Plunder, or extortion. [Obs.] E.
Hall.
3. The act of voting, or of registering a
vote.
Polling booth, a temporary structure where
the voting at an election is done; a polling place.
Pol`li*nif"er*ous (?), a. [L.
pollen, -inis, pollen + -ferous: cf. F.
pollinifère.] (Bot.) Producing pollen;
polleniferous.
||Pol*lin"i*um (?), n.; pl.
Pollinia (#). [NL. See Pollen.]
(Bot.) A coherent mass of pollen, as in the milkweed and
most orchids.
Pol"li*nose` (?), a. [L. pollen,
-inis, dust.] (Zoöl.) Having the surface
covered with a fine yellow dust, like pollen.
{ Pol"li*wig (?), Pol"li*wog (?) },
n. [OE. polwigle. Cf. Poll head, and
Wiggle.] (Zoöl.) A tadpole; -- called also
purwiggy and porwigle.
Pol"lock (?), n. [See Pollack.]
(Zoöl.) A marine gadoid fish (Pollachius
carbonarius), native both of the European and American coasts. It
is allied to the cod, and like it is salted and dried. In England it
is called coalfish, lob, podley, podling,
pollack, etc.
Pol"lu*cite (?), n. [See Pollux,
and 4th Castor.] (Min.) A colorless transparent
mineral, resembling quartz, occurring with castor or castorite on the
island of Elba. It is a silicate of alumina and cæsia. Called
also pollux.
Pol*lute" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Polluted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Polluting.] [L. pollutus, p. p. of polluere to
defile, to pollute, from a prep. appearing only in comp. +
luere to wash. See Position, Lave.]
1. To make foul, impure, or unclean; to defile;
to taint; to soil; to desecrate; -- used of physical or moral
defilement.
The land was polluted with blood.
Ps. cvi. 38
Wickedness . . . hath polluted the whole
earth.
2 Esd. xv. 6.
2. To violate sexually; to debauch; to
dishonor.
3. (Jewish Law) To render ceremonially
unclean; to disqualify or unfit for sacred use or service, or for
social intercourse.
Neither shall ye pollute the holy things of the
children of Israel, lest ye die.
Num. xviii.
32.
They have polluted themselves with
blood.
Lam. iv. 14.
Syn. -- To defile; soil; contaminate; corrupt; taint;
vitiate; debauch; dishonor; ravish.
Pol*lute", a. [L. pollutus.]
Polluted. [R.] Milton.
Pol*lut"ed, a. Defiled; made
unclean or impure; debauched. -- Pol*lut"ed*ly,
adv. -- Pol*lut"ed*ness,
n.
Pol*lut"er (?), n. One who
pollutes. Dryden.
Pol*lut"ing, a. Adapted or tending
to pollute; causing defilement or pollution. --
Pol*lut"ing*ly, adv.
Pol*lu"tion (?), n. [L. pollutio:
cf. F. pollution.] 1. The act of
polluting, or the state of being polluted (in any sense of the verb);
defilement; uncleanness; impurity.
2. (Med.) The emission of semen, or
sperm, at other times than in sexual intercourse.
Dunglison.
||Pol"lux (?), n. [L., the twin brother
of castor; also, the constellation.] 1.
(Astron.) A fixed star of the second magnitude, in the
constellation Gemini. Cf. 3d Castor.
2. (Min.) Same as
Pollucite.
Pol"ly (?), n. A woman's name;
also, a popular name for a parrot.
Pol"ly*wog (?), n. (Zoöl.)
A polliwig.
Po"lo (?), n. [Of Eastern origin; --
properly, the ball used in the game.] 1. A game
of ball of Eastern origin, resembling hockey, with the players on
horseback.
2. A similar game played on the ice, or on a
prepared floor, by players wearing skates.
Po`lo*naise" (?), a. [F.
polonais, polonaise, Polish.] Of or pertaining to
the Poles, or to Poland. [Written also Polonese.]
Po`lo*naise" (?), n. [Written also
Polonese and Polonoise.] 1. The
Polish language.
2. An article of dress for women, consisting
of a body and an outer skirt in one piece.
3. (Mus.) A stately Polish dance tune,
in 3-4 measure, beginning always on the beat with a quaver followed by
a crotchet, and closing on the beat after a strong accent on the
second beat; also, a dance adapted to such music; a polacca.
Po`lo*nese" (?), a. & n. See
Polonaise.
Po*lo"ny (?), n. [Prob. corrupt. fr.
Bologna.] A kind of sausage made of meat partly
cooked.
Pol"ron (?), n. See
Pauldron.
Polt (?), n. [Cf. E. pelt, L.
pultare to beat, strike.] A blow or thump.
Halliwell. -- a. Distorted.
Pot foot, a distorted foot. Sir T.
Herbert.
{ Polt"-foot` (?), Polt"-foot`ed (?), }
a. Having a distorted foot, or a clubfoot or
clubfeet. B. Jonson.
Pol*troon" (?), n. [F. poltron,
from It. poltrone an idle fellow, sluggard, coward,
poltro idle, lazy, also, bed, fr. OHG. polstar,
bolstar, cushion, G. polster, akin to E. bolster.
See Bolster.] An arrant coward; a dastard; a craven; a
mean-spirited wretch. Shak.
Pol*troon", a. Base; vile;
contemptible; cowardly.
Pol*troon"er*y (?), n. [F.
poltronnerie; cf. It. poltroneria.] Cowardice; want
of spirit; pusillanimity.
Pol*troon"ish, a. Resembling a
poltroon; cowardly.
Pol"ve*rine (?), n. [It.
polverino, fr. polvere &?;ust, L. pulvis, -
veris. See Powder.] Glassmaker's ashes; a kind of
potash or pearlash, brought from the Levant and Syria, -- used in the
manufacture of fine glass.
Pol"wig (?), n. (Zoöl.)
A polliwig. Holland.
Pol"y- (?). [See Full, a.] A
combining form or prefix from Gr. poly`s, many; as,
polygon, a figure of many angles; polyatomic, having
many atoms; polychord, polyconic.
Po"ly (?), n. [L. polium, the
name of a plant, perhaps Teucrium polium, Gr. &?;.]
(Bot.) A whitish woolly plant (Teucrium Polium) of
the order Labiatæ, found throughout the Mediterranean
region. The name, with sundry prefixes, is sometimes given to other
related species of the same genus. [Spelt also
poley.]
Poly mountain. See Poly-mountain, in
Vocabulary.
Pol`y*ac"id (?), a. [Poly- +
acid.] (Chem.) Capable of neutralizing, or of
combining with, several molecules of a monobasic acid; having more
than one hydrogen atom capable of being replaced by acid radicals; --
said of certain bases; as, calcium hydrate and glycerin are
polyacid bases.
Pol`y*a*cous"tic (?), a. [Poly- +
acoustic: cf. F. polyacoustique.] Multiplying or
magnifying sound. -- n. A polyacoustic
instrument.
Pol`y*a*cous"tics (?), n. The art
of multiplying or magnifying sounds.
||Pol`y*a"cron (?), n.; pl.
Polyacra (#), E. Polyacrons (#).
[NL., fr. Gr. poly`s many + 'a`kron summit.]
(Geom.) A solid having many summits or angular points; a
polyhedron.
||Pol`y*ac*tin"i*a (?), n. pl. [NL. See
Poly-, and Actinia.] (Zoöl.) An old
name for those Anthozoa which, like the actinias, have numerous simple
tentacles.
||Pol`y*a*del"phi*a (?), n. pl. [NL.,
fr. Gr. poly`s many + &?; brother.] (Bot.) A
Linnæan class of plants having stamens united in three or more
bodies or bundles by the filaments.
{ Pol`y*a*del"phi*an (?), Pol`y*a*del"phous (?),
} a. (Bot.) Belonging to the class
Polyadelphia; having stamens united in three or more
bundles.
||Pol`y*an"dri*a (?), n. pl. [NL. See
Polyandry.] (Bot.) A Linnæan class of
monoclinous or hermaphrodite plants, having many stamens, or any
number above twenty, inserted in the receptacle.
Pol`y*an"dri*an (?), a. (Bot.)
Polyandrous.
Pol`y*an"dric (?), a. [Cf.
polyandrique.] Pertaining to, or characterized by,
polyandry; mating with several males. "Polyandric
societies." H. Spencer.
Pol`y*an"drous (?), a. (Bot.)
Belonging to the class Polyandria; having many stamens, or any
number above twenty, inserted in the receptacle.
Pol`y*an"dry (?), n. [Poly- + Gr.
&?;, &?;, man, male: cf. F. polyandrie.] The possession by
a woman of more than one husband at the same time; -- contrasted with
monandry.
&fist; In law, this falls under the head of polygamy.
Pol`y*an"thus (?), n.; pl.
Polyanthuses (#). [NL., fr. Gr. &?; rich in flowers;
poly`s many + &?; flower.] [Written also
polyanthos.] (Bot.) (a) The oxlip.
So called because the peduncle bears a many-flowered umbel. See
Oxlip. (b) A bulbous flowering plant of the
genus Narcissus (N. Tazetta, or N. polyanthus of
some authors). See Illust. of Narcissus.
Pol"y*ar`chist (?), n. One who
advocates polyarchy; -- opposed to monarchist.
Cudworth.
Pol"y*ar`chy (?), n. [Poly- +
-archy: cf. F. polyarchie. Cf. Polarchy.] A
government by many persons, of whatever order or class.
Cudworth.
Pol`y*a*tom"ic (?), a. [Poly- +
atomic.] (Chem.) (a) Having more
than one atom in the molecule; consisting of several atoms.
(b) Having a valence greater than one.
[Obs.]
Pol`y*au*tog"ra*phy (?), n. [Poly-
+ autography.] The act or practice of multiplying
copies of one's own handwriting, or of manuscripts, by printing from
stone, -- a species of lithography.
Pol`y*ba"sic (?), a. [Poly- +
basic.] (Chem.) Capable of neutralizing, or of
combining with, several molecules of a monacid base; having several
hydrogen atoms capable of being replaced by basic radicals; -- said of
certain acids; as, sulphuric acid is polybasic.
Pol`y*ba"site (?), n. [See
Polybasic.] (Min.) An iron-black ore of silver,
consisting of silver, sulphur, and antimony, with some copper and
arsenic.
||Pol`y*bran"chi*a (?), n. pl. [NL. See
Poly-, and Branchia.] (Zoöl.) A
division of Nudibranchiata including those which have numerous
branchiæ on the back.
Pol`y*bro"mide (?), n. [Poly- +
bromide.] (Chem.) A bromide containing more than
one atom of bromine in the molecule.
Pol`y*car"pel*la*ry (?), a.
(Bot.) Composed of several or numerous carpels; -- said of
such fruits as the orange.
{ Pol`y*car"pic (?), Pol`y*car"pous (?), }
a. [Poly- + Gr. &?; fruit.] (Bot.)
(a) Bearing fruit repeatedly, or year after
year. (b) Having several pistils in one
flower.
||Pol`y*chæ"ta (?), n. pl. [NL.,
from Gr. poly`s many + &?; hair.] (Zoöl.)
One of the two principal groups of Chætopoda. It includes
those that have prominent parapodia and fascicles of setæ. See
Illust. under Parapodia.
Pol`y*chlo"ride (?), n. [Poly- +
chloride.] (Chem.) A chloride containing more than
one atom of chlorine in the molecule.
Pol`y*chœr"a*ny (?), n. [Gr. &?;,
fr. &?; wide-ruling.] A government by many chiefs, princes, or
rules. [Obs.] Cudworth.
Pol"y*chord (?), a. [Gr. &?;;
poly`s many + &?; string, cord.] Having many
strings.
Pol"y*chord, n. (Mus.)
(a) A musical instrument of ten strings.
(b) An apparatus for coupling two octave notes,
capable of being attached to a keyed instrument.
Pol"y*chrest (?), n. [Gr. &?; useful for
many purposes; poly`s many + &?; useful, fr. &?; to use:
cf. F. polychreste.] (Med.) A medicine that serves
for many uses, or that cures many diseases. [Obs.]
Polychrest salt (Old Med. Chem.),
potassium sulphate, specifically obtained by fusing niter with
sulphur.
Pol"y*chro*ism (?), n. [Poly- +
Gr. &?; color.] Same as Pleochroism.
Pol"y*chro*ite (?), n. [Poly- +
Gr. &?; color: cf. F. polychroïte.] (Chem.)
The coloring matter of saffron; -- formerly so called because of
the change of color on treatment with certain acids; -- called also
crocin, and safranin.
Pol`y*chro"mate (?), n. [See
Polychromic.] (Chem.) A salt of a polychromic
acid.
Pol`y*chro"mate, n. [See
Polychromatic.] (Chem.) A compound which exhibits,
or from which may be prepared, a variety of colors, as certain
solutions derived from vegetables, which display colors by
fluorescence.
Pol`y*chro*mat"ic (?), a. [Poly-
+ chromatic.] Showing a variety, or a change, of
colors.
Polychromatic acid (Old Chem.), a
substance obtained by the action of nitric acid on aloes.
Pol"y*chrome (?), n. [Poly- + Gr.
&?; color.] (Chem.) Esculin; -- so called in allusion to
its fluorescent solutions. [R.]
Pol"y*chrome, a. [Cf. F.
polychrome.] Executed in the manner of polychromy; as,
polychrome printing.
Pol`y*chro"mic (?), a. [Poly- +
(sense 1) Gr. &?;, or (sense 2) chromic.] 1.
Polychromatic.
2. (Chem.) Pertaining to, or
designating, any one of several acids (known only in their salts)
which contain more than one atom of chromium.
Pol`y*chro"mous (?), a. Of or
pertaining to polychromy; many-colored; polychromatic.
Pol"y*chro`my (?), n. [Poly- +
Gr. &?; color.] (Anc. Art) The art or practice of
combining different colors, especially brilliant ones, in an artistic
way.
Pol`y*chro"ni*ous (?), a. [Poly-
+ Gr. &?; for a long time, &?; time.] Enduring through a long
time; chronic.
Pol`y*clin"ic (?), n. [Poly- +
clinic.] (Med.) A clinic in which diseases of many
sorts are treated; especially, an institution in which clinical
instruction is given in all kinds of disease.
Pol`y*con"ic (?), a. [Poly- +
conic.] Pertaining to, or based upon, many
cones.
Polyconic projection (Map Making), a
projection of the earth's surface, or any portion thereof, by which
each narrow zone is projected upon a conical surface that touches the
sphere along this zone, the conical surface being then unrolled. This
projection differs from conic projection in that latter assumes
but one cone for the whole map. Polyconic projection is that in use in
the United States coast and geodetic survey.
Pol`y*cot`y*le"don (?), n. [Poly-
+ cotyledon: cf. F. polycotylédone.]
(Bot.) A plant that has many, or more than two, cotyledons
in the seed. -- Pol`y*cot`y*led"on*ous (#),
a.
Pol`y*cot`y*led"on*a*ry (?), a.
[Poly- + cotyledonary.] (Anat.) Having the
villi of the placenta collected into definite patches, or
cotyledons.
Po*lyc"ra*cy (?), n. [Poly- +
-cracy, as in democracy.] Government by many
rulers; polyarchy.
Pol`y*crot"ic (p&obreve;l`&ibreve;*kr&obreve;t"&ibreve;k),
a. [Poly- + Gr. krotei^n to beat.]
(Physiol.) Of or pertaining to polycrotism; manifesting
polycrotism; as, a polycrotic pulse; a polycrotic pulse
curve.
Po*lyc"ro*tism (?), n. (Physiol.)
That state or condition of the pulse in which the pulse curve, or
sphygmogram, shows several secondary crests or elevations; --
contrasted with monocrotism and dicrotism.
Pol`y*cys"tid (?), n.
(Zoöl.) (a) One of the
Polycystidea. (b) One of the
Polycystina. -- a. Pertaining to the
Polycystidea, or the Polycystina.
||Pol`y*cys*tid"e*a (?), n. pl. [NL. See
Poly-, and Cystidea.] (Zoöl.) A
division of Gregarinæ including those that have two or more
internal divisions of the body.
||Pol`y*cys*ti"na (?), n. pl. [NL. See
Poly-, and Cyst.] (Zoöl.) A division of
Radiolaria including numerous minute marine species. The skeleton is
composed of silica, and is often very elegant in form and sculpture.
Many have been found in the fossil state.
Pol`y*cys"tine (?), a.
(Zoöl.) Pertaining to the Polycystina. --
n. One of the Polycystina.
||Pol`y*cyt*ta"ri*a (?), n. pl. [NL.,
fr. Gr. poly`s many + &?;, dim. fr. &?; a hollow vessel.]
(Zoöl.) A division of Radiolaria. It includes those
having one more central capsules.
Pol`y*dac"tyl*ism (?), n. [Poly-
+ Gr. &?; finger: cf. F. polydactylisme.] (Anat.)
The possession of more that the normal number of digits.
||Pol`y*dip"si*a (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr.
poly`s much + &?; thirst.] (Med.) Excessive and
constant thirst occasioned by disease.
Pol`y*e"dron (?), n. See
Polyhedron.
Pol`y*e"drous (?), a. See
Polyhedral.
Pol`y*ei"dic (?), a. [Poly- + Gr.
&?; form.] (Zoöl.) Passing through several distinct
larval forms; -- having several distinct kinds of young.
Pol`y*ei"dism (?), n.
(Zoöl.) The quality or state of being
polyeidic.
Pol`y*em"bry*o*nate (?), a. [Poly-
+ embryonate.] (Bot.) Consisting of, or
having, several embryos; polyembryonic.
Pol`y*em`bry*on"ic (?), a. [Poly-
+ embryonic.] (Bot.) Polyembryonate.
Pol`y*em"bry*o*ny (?), n. [See Poly-
, and Embryo.] (Bot.) The production of two or
more embryos in one seed, due either to the existence and
fertilization of more than one embryonic sac or to the origination of
embryos outside of the embryonic sac.
Pol"y*foil (?), n. [Poly- +
foil, n.] (Arch.) Same as
Multifoil.
||Po*lyg"a*la (?), n. [L., milkwort, fr.
Gr. &?;; poly`s much + &?; milk.] A genus of bitter
herbs or shrubs having eight stamens and a two-celled ovary (as the
Seneca snakeroot, the flowering wintergreen, etc.);
milkwort.
Pol`y*ga*la"ceous (?), a. Of or
pertaining to a natural order of plants (Polygalaceæ) of
which Polygala is the type.
Po*lyg"a*lic (?), a. (Chem.)
Of, pertaining to, or obtained from, Polygala; specifically,
designating an acrid glucoside (called polygalic acid,
senegin, etc.), resembling, or possibly identical with,
saponin.
||Pol`y*ga"mi*a (?), n. pl. [NL. See
Polygamous.] (Bot.) (a) A
Linnæan class of plants, characterized by having both
hermaphrodite and unisexual flowers on the same plant.
(b) A name given by Linnæus to file orders
of plants having syngenesious flowers.
Pol`y*ga"mi*an (?), a. (Bot.)
Polygamous.
Po*lyg"a*mist (?), n. [Cf. F.
polygamiste, polygame, Gr. &?;, a.]
One who practices polygamy, or maintains its
lawfulness.
Po*lyg"a*mize (?), v. i. To
practice polygamy; to marry several wives. Sylvester.
Coleridge.
Po*lyg"a*mous (?), a. [Gr. &?; living
&?; polygamy; poly`s many + &?; marriage. Cf.
Bigamy.]
1. Of or pertaining to polygamy; characterized
by, or involving, polygamy; having a plurality of wives; as,
polygamous marriages; -- opposed to
monogamous.
2. (Zoöl.) Pairing with more than
one female.
Most deer, cattle, and sheep are
polygamous.
Darwin.
3. (Bot.) Belonging to the Polygamia;
bearing both hermaphrodite and unisexual flowers on the same
plant.
Po*lyg"a*my (?), n. [Gr. &?;; cf. F.
polygamie.] 1. The having of a plurality
of wives or husbands at the same time; usually, the marriage of a man
to more than one woman, or the practice of having several wives, at
the same time; -- opposed to monogamy; as, the nations of the
East practiced polygamy. See the Note under Bigamy, and
cf. Polyandry.
2. (Zoöl.) The state or habit of
having more than one mate.
3. (Bot.) The condition or state of a
plant which bears both perfect and unisexual flowers.
Pol`y*gas"tri*an
(p&obreve;l`&ibreve;*găs"tr&ibreve;*an),
n. (Zoöl.) One of the
Polygastrica. [Obs.]
Pol`y*gas"tric (-tr&ibreve;k), a.
[Poly- + gastric: cf. F. polygastrique.]
1. (Anat.) Having several bellies; --
applied to muscles which are made up of several bellies separated by
short tendons.
2. (Zoöl.) Pertaining to the
Polygastrica. [Obs.]
Pol`y*gas"tric
(p&obreve;l`&ibreve;*găs"tr&ibreve;k), n.
(Zoöl.) One of the Polygastrica.
||Pol`y*gas"tri*ca (-tr&ibreve;*k&adot;), n.
pl. [NL. So called because they were supposed to have
several stomachs, or digestive cavities.] (Zoöl.) The
Infusoria. [Obs.]
{ Pol`y*gen"e*sis (-j&ebreve;n"&esl;*s&ibreve;s),
Po*lyg"e*ny (p&osl;*l&ibreve;j"&esl;*n&ybreve;), }
n. [Poly- + genesis, or root of Gr.
gi`gnesqai to be born.] (Biol.) The theory that
living organisms originate in cells or embryos of different kinds,
instead of coming from a single cell; -- opposed to
monogenesis.
Pol`y*ge*net"ic (?), a.
1. Having many distinct sources; originating at
various places or times.
2. (Biol.) Of or pertaining to
polygenesis; polyphyletic.
Polygenetic mountain range (Geol.),
one which is composite, or consists of two or more monogenetic
ranges, each having had its own history of development.
Dana.
Pol`y*gen"ic (-j&ebreve;n"&ibreve;k), a.
(Biol.) Of or relating to polygeny; polygenetic.
Po*lyg"e*nism (p&osl;*l&ibreve;j"&esl;*n&ibreve;z'm),
n. [Cf. F. polygénisme.]
(Biol.) The doctrine that animals of the same species have
sprung from more than one original pair.
Po*lyg"e*nist (-n&ibreve;st), n.
(Biol.) One who maintains that animals of the same species
have sprung from more than one original pair; -- opposed to
monogenist.
Po*lyg"e*nous (?), a. [Poly- +
-genous: cf. Gr. &?; of many families.] Consisting of, or
containing, many kinds; as, a polygenous mountain.
Kirwan.
Pol"y*glot (?), a. [Gr.
poly`glwttos many-tongued; poly`s many +
glw^tta, glw^ssa, tongue, language: cf. F.
polyglotte.] 1. Containing, or made up,
of, several languages; as, a polyglot lexicon, Bible.
2. Versed in, or speaking, many
languages.
Pol"y*glot, n. 1.
One who speaks several languages. [R.] "A polyglot,
or good linguist." Howell.
2. A book containing several versions of the
same text, or containing the same subject matter in several languages;
esp., the Scriptures in several languages.
Enriched by the publication of
polyglots.
Abp. Newcome.
Pol`y*glot"tous (?), a. [See
Polyglot.] Speaking many languages; polyglot. [R.]
"The polyglottous tribes of America." Max
Müller.
Pol"y*gon (?), n. [Gr.
poly`gwnos polygonal; poly`s many +
gwni`a angle: cf. F. polygone.] (Geom.)
A plane figure having many angles, and consequently many sides;
esp., one whose perimeter consists of more than four sides; any figure
having many angles.
Polygon of forces (Mech.), a polygonal
figure, the sides of which, taken successively, represent, in length
and direction, several forces acting simultaneously upon one point, so
that the side necessary to complete the figure represents the
resultant of those forces. Cf. Parallelogram of forces, under
Parallelogram.
Pol`y*go*na"ceous (?), a. [See
Polygonum.] (Bot.) Of or pertaining to a natural
order of apetalous plants (Polygonaceæ), of which the
knotweeds (species of Polygonum) are the type, and which
includes also the docks (Rumex), the buckwheat, rhubarb, sea
grape (Coccoloba), and several other genera.
Po*lyg"o*nal (?), a. Having many
angles.
Polygonal numbers, certain figurate numbers.
See under Figurate.
Pol`y*go*neu"tic (?), a. [Poly- +
Gr. &?; offspring.] (Zoöl.) Having two or more broods
in a season.
Pol`y*go*nom"e*try (?), n.
[Polygon + -metry.] The doctrine of polygons; an
extension of some of the principles of trigonometry to the case of
polygons.
Po*lyg"o*nous (?), a.
Polygonal.
||Po*lyg"o*num (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?;
a kind of plant; poly`s many + go`ny the knee, a
joint of a plant. So called in allusion to the numerous joints.]
(Bot.) A genus of plants embracing a large number of
species, including bistort, knotweed, smartweed, etc.
Po*lyg"o*ny (?), n. (Bot.)
Any plant of the genus Polygonum.
||Pol`y*gor"di*us (?), n. [NL. See
Poly-, and Gordius.] (Zoöl.) A genus of
marine annelids, believed to be an ancient or ancestral type. It is
remarkable for its simplicity of structure and want of parapodia. It
is the type of the order Archiannelida, or Gymnotoma. See Loeven's
larva.
Pol"y*gram (?), n. [Gr. &?; marked with
many stripes; poly`s many + &?; a line.] A figure
consisting of many lines. [R.] Barlow.
Pol"y*graph (?), n. [Gr. &?; writing
much; poly`s much, many + &?; to write: cf. F.
polygraphe.] 1. An instrument for
multiplying copies of a writing; a manifold writer; a copying
machine.
2. In bibliography, a collection of different
works, either by one or several authors. Brande & C.
{ Pol`y*graph"ic (?), Pol`y*graph"ic*al (?), }
a. [Cf. F. polygraphique.] Pertaining
to, or employed in, polygraphy; as, a polygraphic
instrument.
2. Done with a polygraph; as, a
polygraphic copy.
Po*lyg"ra*phy (?), n. [Gr. &?;;
poly`s much + gra`fein to write: cf. F.
polygraphie.] 1. Much writing; writing of
many books. [Obs.] Fuller.
2. The art of writing in various ciphers, and
of deciphering the same. [R.]
3. The art or practice of using a
polygraph.
Pol"y*grooved` (?), a. [Poly- +
groove.] Having many grooves; as, a polygrooved
rifle or gun (referring to the rifling).
Pol"y*gyn (?), n. [Cf. F.
polygyne. See Polygyny.] (Bot.) A plant of
the order Polygynia.
||Pol`y*gyn"i*a (?), n. pl. [NL. See
Polygyny.] (Bot.) A Linnæan order of plants
having many styles.
{ Pol`y*gyn"i*an (?), Po*lyg"y*nous (?), }
a. (Bot.) Having many styles; belonging
to the order Polygynia.
Po*lyg"y*nist (?), n. One who
practices or advocates polygyny. H. Spenser.
Po*lyg"y*ny (?), n. [Poly- + Gr.
&?; woman, wife.] The state or practice of having several wives
at the same time; marriage to several wives. H.
Spenser.
Pol`y*ha"lite (?), n. [Poly- +
Gr. &?; salt.] (Min.) A mineral usually occurring in
fibrous masses, of a brick-red color, being tinged with iron, and
consisting chiefly of the sulphates of lime, magnesia, and
soda.
{ Pol`y*he"dral (?), Pol`y*hed"ric*al (?), }
a. [See Polyhedron.] (Geom.)
Having many sides, as a solid body.
Polyhedral angle, an angle bounded by three
or more plane angles having a common vertex.
Pol`y*he"dron (?), n.; pl. E.
Polyhedrons. (#), L. Polyhedra
(#). [NL., fr. Gr. &?; with many seats or sides; poly`s
many + &?; a seat or side: cf. F. polyèdre.]
1. (Geom.) A body or solid contained by
many sides or planes.
2. (Opt.) A polyscope, or multiplying
glass.
Pol`y*he"drous (?), a.
Polyhedral.
Pol`y*his"tor (?), n. [Gr. &?; very
learned.] One versed in various learning. [R.]
Pol`y*hym"ni*a (?), n. [L., from Gr.
&?;; poly`s many + &?; hymn.] (Anc. Myth.) The
Muse of lyric poetry.
Pol`y*i"o*dide (?), n. (Chem.)
A iodide having more than one atom of iodine in the
molecule.
Po*lyl"o*gy (?), n. [Gr. &?;;
poly`s much + &?; discourse.] Talkativeness.
[R.]
Po*lyl"o*quent (?), a. [Poly- +
L. loquens, p. pr. of logui to speak.] Garrulous;
loquacious. [R.]
Pol`y*mas"tism (?), n. [Poly- +
Gr. &?; a breast.] (Anat.) The condition of having more
than two mammæ, or breasts.
Pol`y*math"ic (?), a. [Cf. F.
polymathique. See Polymathy.] Pertaining to
polymathy; acquainted with many branches of learning.
Po*lym"a*thist (?), n. One versed
in many sciences; a person of various learning.
Po*lym"a*thy (?), n. [Gr. &?;;
poly`s much + &?;, &?;, to learn.] The knowledge of
many arts and sciences; variety of learning.
Johnson.
Pol`y*me*nis"cous (?), a. [See Poly-
, and Meniscus.] (Zoöl.) Having numerous
facets; -- said of the compound eyes of insects and
crustaceans.
Pol"y*mer (?), n. [See
Polymeric.] (Chem.) Any one of two or more
substances related to each other by polymerism; specifically, a
substance produced from another substance by chemical
polymerization. [Formerly also written polymere.]
Pol`y*mer"ic (?), a. [Poly- + Gr.
&?; part.] (Chem.) Having the same percentage composition
(that is, having the same elements united in the same proportion by
weight), but different molecular weights; -- often used with
with; thus, cyanic acid (CNOH), fulminic acid
(C2N2O2H2), and cyanuric
acid (C3N3O3H3), are
polymeric with each other.
&fist; The figures expressing the number of atoms of each element
in a number of polymeric substances are respectively multiples and
factors of each other, or have some simple common divisor. The
relation may be merely a numerical one, as in the example given above,
or a chemical one, as in the case of aldehyde, paraldehyde, and
metaldehyde.
Po*lym"er*ism (?), n. (Chem.)
(a) The state, quality, or relation of two or
more polymeric substances. (b) The act or
process of forming polymers.
Pol`y*mer`i*za"tion (?), n.
(Chem.) The act or process of changing to a polymeric
form; the condition resulting from such change.
Pol"y*mer*ize (?), v. t. (Chem.)
To cause polymerization of; to produce polymers from; to increase
the molecular weight of, without changing the atomic proportions;
thus, certain acids polymerize aldehyde.
Pol"y*mer*ize, v. i. (Chem.)
To change into another substance having the same atomic
proportions, but a higher molecular weight; to undergo polymerization;
thus, aldehyde polymerizes in forming paraldehyde.
Po*lym"er*ous (?), a. 1.
(Bot.) Having many parts or members in each set.
Gray.
2. (Chem.) Polymeric. [Obs.]
Po*lym"ni*a (?), n. See
Polyhymnia.
Pol"ym*nite (?), n. [Gr. &?; full of
moss; poly`s much + &?; moss.] (Min.) A stone
marked with dendrites and black lines, and so disposed as to represent
rivers, marshes, etc.
Pol"y*morph (?), n. [Gr. &?; multiform;
poly`s many + &?; form: cf. F. polymorphe.]
(Crystallog.) A substance capable of crystallizing in
several distinct forms; also, any one of these forms. Cf.
Allomorph.
Pol`y*mor"phic (?), a.
Polymorphous.
Pol`y*mor"phism (?), n.
1. (Crystallog.) Same as
Pleomorphism.
2. (Biol.) (a) The
capability of assuming different forms; the capability of widely
varying in form. (b) Existence in many
forms; the coexistence, in the same locality, of two or more distinct
forms independent of sex, not connected by intermediate gradations,
but produced from common parents.
||Pol`y*mor*pho"sis (?), n. [NL. See
Poly-, and Morphosis.] (Zoöl.) The
assumption of several structural forms without a corresponding
difference in function; -- said of sponges, etc.
Pol`y*mor"phous (?), a.
1. Having, or assuming, a variety of forms,
characters, or styles; as, a polymorphous author. De
Quincey.
2. (Biol.) Having, or occurring in,
several distinct forms; -- opposed to monomorphic.
Pol"y*mor`phy (?), n. Existence in
many forms; polymorphism.
Po`ly-moun"tain (?), n. (Bot.)
(a) Same as Poly,
n. (b) The closely
related Teucrium montanum, formerly called Polium
montanum, a plant of Southern Europe. (c)
The Bartsia alpina, a low purple-flowered herb of
Europe.
||Pol`y*my"o*dæ (?), n. pl. [NL.
See Polymyoid.] (Zoöl.) Same as
Oscines.
Pol`y*my"o*dous (?), a.
(Zoöl.) Polymyoid.
Po*lym"y*oid (?), a. [Poly- + Gr.
&?;, &?;, muscle + -oid.] (Zoöl.) Having
numerous vocal muscles; of or pertaining to the
Polymyodæ.
Pol"y*neme (?), n. [Poly- + Gr.
&?; thread.] (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of
tropical food fishes of the family Polynemidæ. They have
several slender filaments, often very long, below the pectoral fin.
Some of them yield isinglass of good quality. Called also
threadfish.
Pol`y*ne"moid (?), a. [Polyneme +
-oid.] (Zoöl.) Of or pertaining to the
polynemes, or the family Polynemidæ.
Pol`y*ne"sian (?), a. Of or
pertaining to Polynesia (the islands of the eastern and central
Pacific), or to the Polynesians.
Pol`y*ne"sians (?), n. pl.; sing.
Polynesian. (Ethnol.) The race of
men native in Polynesia.
Po*lyn"i*a (?), n. [Russ.
poluineia a warm place in water, i. e., a place which does not
freeze.] The open sea supposed to surround the north pole.
Kane.
Pol`y*no"mi*al (?), n. [Poly- +
-nomial, as in monomial, binomial: cf. F.
polynôme.] (Alg.) An expression composed of
two or more terms, connected by the signs plus or minus;
as, a2 - 2ab + b2.
Pol`y*no"mi*al, a. 1.
Containing many names or terms; multinominal; as, the
polynomial theorem.
2. Consisting of two or more words; having
names consisting of two or more words; as, a polynomial name;
polynomial nomenclature.
Pol`y*nu"cle*ar (?), a. [Poly- +
nuclear.] (Biol.) Containing many nuclei.
Pol`y*nu*cle"o*lar (?), a. [Poly-
+ nucleolar.] (Biol.) Having more than one
nucleolus.
Pol`y*om"ma*tous (?), a. [Poly- +
Gr. &?;, &?;, the eye.] Having many eyes.
Pol`y*on"o*mous (?), a. [Poly- +
Gr. &?;, &?;, name: cf. Gr. &?;.] Having many names or titles;
polyonymous. Sir W. Jones.
Pol`y*on"o*my (?), n. [Cf. Gr. &?; a
multitude of names.] The use of a variety of names for the same
object. G. S. Faber.
Pol"y*o*nym (?), n. 1.
An object which has a variety of names.
2. A polynomial name or term.
Pol`y*on"y*mous, a.
Polyonomous.
{ Pol`y*op"tron (?), Pol`y*op"trum (?), }
n. [NL., from Gr. poly`s many + &?;
seen.] (Opt.) A glass through which objects appear
multiplied, but diminished in size. [R.]
Pol`y*o*ra"ma (?), n. [Poly- +
Gr. &?; a sight, view.] A view of many objects; also, a sort of
panorama with dissolving views.
Pol"yp (?), n. [L. polypus, Gr.
&?;, &?;, literally, many-footed; poly`s many + &?;, &?;,
foot: cf. F. polype. See Poly- and Foot, and cf.
Polypode, Polypody, Poulp.] (Zoöl.)
(a) One of the feeding or nutritive zooids of a
hydroid or coral. (b) One of the
Anthozoa. (c) pl. Same as
Anthozoa. See Anthozoa, Madreporaria,
Hydroid. [Written also polype.]
Fresh-water polyp, the hydra. --
Polyp stem (Zoöl.), that portion of
the stem of a siphonophore which bears the polypites, or feeding
zooids.
Po*lyp"a*rous (?), a. [Poly- + L.
parere to produce.] Producing or bearing a great number;
bringing forth many.
Pol"y*pa*ry (?), n.; pl.
Polyparies (#). [See Polyp.]
(Zoöl.) Same as Polypidom.
Pol"ype (?), n. [F.] (Zoöl.)
See Polyp.
Pol`y*pe"an (?), a. (Zoöl.)
Of or pertaining to a polyp, or polyps.
Pol`y*pe*ryth"rin (?), n. [Polyp
+ Gr. &?; red.] (Physiol. Chem.) A coloring matter found
in many simple Anthozoa and some hydroids.
Pol`y*pet"al*ous (?), a. [Poly- +
petal.] (Bot.) Consisting of, or having, several or
many separate petals; as, a polypetalous corolla, flower, or
plant. Martyn.
Po*lyph"a*gous (?), a. [L.
polyphagus, Gr. &?;; poly`s much, many + &?; to eat:
cf. F. polyphage.] Eating, or subsisting on, many kinds of
food; as, polyphagous animals.
Po*lyph""a*gy (?), n. The practice
or faculty of subsisting on many kinds of food.
Pol`y*phar"ma*cy (?), n. [Poly- +
Gr. &?; the using of medicine, fr. &?; medicine: cf. F.
polypharmacie.] (Med.) (a) The act
or practice of prescribing too many medicines.
(b) A prescription made up of many medicines or
ingredients. Dunglison.
Pol`y*phe"mus (?), n. [L.
Polyphemus the one-eyed Cyclops who was blinded by Ulysses.]
(Zoöl.) A very large American moth (Telea
polyphemus) belonging to the Silkworm family
(Bombycidæ). Its larva, which is very large, bright
green, with silvery tubercles, and with oblique white stripes on the
sides, feeds on the oak, chestnut, willow, cherry, apple, and other
trees. It produces a large amount of strong silk. Called also
American silkworm.
Pol"y*phone (?), n. A character or
vocal sign representing more than one sound, as read, which is
pronounced rēd or r&ebreve;d.
Pol`y*phon"ic (?), a. [Gr. &?;;
poly`s many + &?; sound: cf. F. polyphone.]
1. Having a multiplicity of sounds.
2. Characterized by polyphony; as, Assyrian
polyphonic characters.
3. (Mus.) Consisting of several tone
series, or melodic parts, progressing simultaneously according to the
laws of counterpoint; contrapuntal; as, a polyphonic
composition; -- opposed to homophonic, or
monodic.
Po*lyph"o*nism (?), n.
Polyphony.
Po*lyph"o*nist (?), n.
1. A proficient in the art of multiplying sounds;
a ventriloquist.
2. (Mus.) A master of polyphony; a
contrapuntist.
Po*lyph"o*nous (?), a. Same as
Polyphonic.
Po*lyph"o*ny (?), n. [Gr. &?;.]
1. Multiplicity of sounds, as in the
reverberations of an echo.
2. Plurality of sounds and articulations
expressed by the same vocal sign.
3. (Mus.) Composition in mutually
related, equally important parts which share the melody among them;
contrapuntal composition; -- opposed to homophony, in which the
melody is given to one part only, the others filling out the harmony.
See Counterpoint.
Pol"y*phore (?), n. [Poly- + Gr.
&?; to bear.] (Bot.) A receptacle which bears many
ovaries.
Pol`y*phy*let"ic (?), a. [Poly- +
Gr. &?; clan.] (Biol.) Pertaining to, or characterized by,
descent from more than one root form, or from many different root
forms; polygenetic; -- opposed to monophyletic.
Po*lyph"yl*lous (?), a. [Gr. &?;;
poly`s many + &?; leaf.] (Bot.) Many-leaved;
as, a polyphyllous calyx or perianth.
||Pol"y*pi (?), n. pl. [NL.]
(Zoöl.) The Anthozoa.
Pol"y*pide (?), n. (Zoöl.)
One of the ordinary zooids of the Bryozoa. [Spellt also
polypid.]
Po*lyp"i*dom (?), n. [Polypus +
L. domus house.] (Zoöl.) A coral, or corallum;
also, one of the coral-like structure made by bryozoans and
hydroids.
||Po`ly`pier" (?), n. [F.] A
polypidom.
||Pol`y*pif"e*ra (?), n. pl. [NL.]
(Zoöl.) The Anthozoa.
Pol*y*pif"er*ous (?), a. [Polypus
+ -ferous.] (Zoöl.) Bearing polyps, or
polypites.
Pol`y*pip"a*rous (?), a. [Polypus
+ L. parere to produce.] (Zoöl.) Producing
polyps.
Pol"y*pite (?), n. 1.
(Zoöl.) (a) One of the feeding
zooids, or polyps, of a coral, hydroid, or siphonophore; a hydranth.
See Illust. of Campanularian. (b)
Sometimes, the manubrium of a hydroid medusa.
2. (Paleon.) A fossil coral.
||Pol`y*pla*coph"o*ra (?), n. pl. [NL.
See Poly-, and Placophora.] (Zoöl.) See
Placophora.
Pol`y*plas"tic (?), a. [Poly- +
-plastic.] (Biol.) Assuming, or having the power of
assuming, many forms; as, a polyplastic element which does not
preserve its original shape.
Pol`y*pode (?), n. [Cf. F.
polypode. See Polypody.] (Bot.) A plant of
the genus Polypodium; polypody. [Written also
polypod.]
Pol"y*pode, n. [Gr. &?;, &?;, the wood
louse, milleped: cf. F. polypode. See Polyp.]
(Zoöl.) An animal having many feet; a
myriapod.
Pol"y*po`di*um (?), n. [L., fr. Gr. &?;,
dim. of &?;. See Polyp, and cf. 2d Polypode.]
(Bot.) A genus of plants of the order Filices or
ferns. The fructifications are in uncovered roundish points, called
sori, scattered over the inferior surface of the frond or leaf.
There are numerous species.
Pol"y*po`dy (?), n. (Bot.)
Any plant of the genus Polypodium.
Pol"y*poid (?), a. [Polyp + -
oid.] 1. (Zoöl.) Like a polyp;
having the nature of a polyp, but lacking the tentacles or other
parts.
2. (Med.) Resembling a polypus in
appearance; having a character like that of a polypus.
||Pol`y*po*me*du"sæ (?), n. pl.
[NL. See Polyp, and Medusa.] (Zoöl.)
Same as Hydrozoa.
Po*lyp"o*rous (?; 277), a. [Poly-
+ porous.] Having many pores. Wright.
||Po*lyp"o*rus (?), n.; pl.
Polypori (#). [NL., fr. Gr. poly`s many +
&?; a pore.] (Bot.) A genus of fungi having the under
surface full of minute pores; also, any fungus of this
genus.
&fist; Polyporus fomentarius was formerly dried and cut in
slices for tinder, called amadou. P. betulinus is common
in America, and forms very large thick white semicircular excrescences
on birch trees. Several species of Polyporous are considered
edible.
Pol"y*pous (?), a. [Cf. F.
polypeux. See Polyp.] Of the nature of a polypus;
having many feet or roots, like the polypus; affected with
polypus.
{ Pol`y*prag*mat"ic (?), Pol`y*prag*mat"ic*al
(?), } a. [Poly- + pragmatic, -
ical.] Overbusy; officious. [R.] Heywood.
Pol`y*prag"ma*ty (?), n. [Poly- +
Gr. &?; business.] The state of being overbusy. [R.]
||Pol`y*pro`to*don"ta (?), n. pl. [NL.,
fr. Gr. poly`s many + &?; first + &?;, &?;, tooth.]
(Zoöl.) A division of marsupials in which there are
more fore incisor teeth in each jaw.
||Po*lyp`te*roi"de*i (?), n. pl. [NL.
See Polypterus, and -oid.] (Zoöl.) A
suborder of existing ganoid fishes having numerous fins along the
back. The bichir, or Polypterus, is the type. See Illust. under
Crossopterygian.
Po*lyp`te*rus (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr.
poly`s many + &?; feather, wing.] (Zoöl.)
An African genus of ganoid fishes including the bichir.
||Pol`yp*to"ton (?), n. [L., fr. Gr. &?;
having, or being in, many cases; poly`s many + &?; case.]
(Rhet.) A figure by which a word is repeated in different
forms, cases, numbers, genders, etc., as in Tennyson's line, -- "My
own heart's heart, and ownest own, farewell."
Pol"y*pus (?), n.; pl. E.
Polypuses (#), L. Polypi (#). [L.
See Polyp.] 1. (Zoöl.) Same as
Polyp.
2. (Med.) A tumor, usually with a
narrow base, somewhat resembling a pear, -- found in the nose, uterus,
etc., and produced by hypertrophy of some portion of the mucous
membrane.
Pol`y*rhi"zous (?), a. [Gr. &?;;
poly`s many + &?; root.] (Bot.) Having numerous
roots, or rootlets.
Pol`y*sche"ma*tist (?), a. [Poly-
+ Gr. &?; form, manner.] Having, or existing in, many different
forms or fashions; multiform.
Pol"y*scope (?), n. [Gr. &?; farseeing;
poly`s much, many + &?; to view: cf. F. polyscope.]
1. (Opt.) A glass which makes a single
object appear as many; a multiplying glass. Hutton.
2. (Med.) An apparatus for affording a
view of the different cavities of the body.
Pol`y*sep"al*ous (?), a. [Poly- +
sepal.] (Bot.) Having the sepals separate from each
other.
Pol`y*si*lic"ic (?), a. [Poly- +
silicic.] (Chem.) Of or pertaining to compounds
formed by the condensation of two or more molecules of silicic
acid.
Polysilicic acid (Chem.), any one of a
series of acids formed by the condensation of two or more molecules of
silicic acid, with elimination of water.
Pol"y*spast (?), n. [L.
polyspaston, fr. Gr. &?;, fr. &?; drawn by several cords;
poly`s many + &?; to draw: cf. F. polyspaste.]
(Surg.) A machine consisting of many pulleys;
specifically, an apparatus formerly used for reducing
luxations.
Pol`y*sper"mous (?), a. [Gr. &?;;
poly`s many + &?; seed.] (Bot.) Containing many
seeds; as, a polyspermous capsule or berry.
Martyn.
Pol"y*sper`my (?), n. (Biol.)
Fullness of sperm, or seed; the passage of more than one
spermatozoön into the vitellus in the impregnation of the
ovum.
Pol`y*spor"ous (?), a. [Poly- +
spore.] (Bot.) Containing many spores.
||Pol`y*stom"a*ta (?), n. pl. [NL., from
Gr. poly`s many + &?;, &?;, mouth.] (Zoöl.)
A division of trematode worms having more two suckers. Called
also Polystomea and Polystoma.
Pol"y*stome (?), a. [Gr. &?; many-
mouthed; poly`s + sto`ma mouth.]
(Zoöl.) Having many mouths.
Pol"y*stome, n. (Zoöl.)
An animal having many mouths; -- applied to Protozoa.
Pol"y*style (?), a. [Gr. &?; with many
columns; poly`s many + &?; column: cf. F.
polystyle.] (Arch.) Having many columns; -- said of
a building, especially of an interior part or court; as, a
polystyle hall. -- n. A polystyle
hall or edifice.
Pol`y*sul"phide (?), n. [Poly- +
sulphide.] (Chem.) A sulphide having more than one
atom of sulphur in the molecule; -- contrasted with
monosulphide.
Pol`y*sul"phu*ret (?), n. (Chem.)
A polysulphide. [Obsoles.]
{ Pol`y*syl*lab"ic (?), Pol`y*syl*lab"ic*al (?),
} a. [Gr. &?;; poly`s many + &?;
syllable: cf. F. polysyllabique.] Pertaining to a
polysyllable; containing, or characterized by, polysyllables;
consisting of more than three syllables.
Pol`y*syl*lab"i*cism (?), n.
Polysyllabism.
Pol`y*syl`la*bic"i*ty (?), n.
Polysyllabism.
Pol`y*syl"la*bism (?), n. The
quality or state of being polysyllabic.
Pol"y*syl`la*ble (?), n. [Poly- +
syllable.] A word of many syllables, or consisting of more
syllables than three; -- words of less than four syllables being
called monosyllables, dissyllables, and
trisyllables.
Pol`y*syn*det"ic (?), a.
Characterized by polysyndeton, or the multiplication of
conjunctions. -- Pol`y*syn*det"ic*al*ly (#),
adv.
||Pol`y*syn"de*ton (?), n. [NL., from
Gr. poly`s many + &?; bound together, fr. &?; to bind
together; &?; with + &?; to bind.] (Rhet.) A figure by
which the conjunction is often repeated, as in the sentence, "We have
ships and men and money and stores." Opposed to
asyndeton.
Pol`y*syn"the*sis (?), n. [Poly-
+ synthesis.] 1. The act or process of
combining many separate elements into a whole.
2. (Philol.) The formation of a word by
the combination of several simple words, as in the aboriginal
languages of America; agglutination. Latham.
Pol`y*syn*thet"ic (-s&ibreve;n*th&ebreve;t"&ibreve;k),
a. [Poly- + synthetic.]
Characterized by polysynthesis; agglutinative.
Polysynthetic twinning (Min.),
repeated twinning, like that of the triclinic feldspar, producing
fine parallel bands in alternately reversed positions.
Pol`y*syn*thet"i*cism (-&ibreve;*s&ibreve;z'm),
n. Polysynthesis.
Pol`y*tech"nic
(p&obreve;l`&ibreve;*t&ebreve;k"n&ibreve;k), a. [Gr.
poly`technos; poly`s many + te`chnh
an art: cf. F. polytechnique.] Comprehending, or relating
to, many arts and sciences; -- applied particularly to schools in
which many branches of art and science are taught with especial
reference to their practical application; also to exhibitions of
machinery and industrial products.
Pol`y*tech"nic*al (?), a.
Polytechnic.
Pol`y*tech"nics (?), n. The science
of the mechanic arts.
||Pol`y*tha*la"mi*a (?), n. pl. [NL. See
Polythalamous.] (Zoöl.) A division of
Foraminifera including those having a manychambered shell.
Pol`y*thal"a*mous (?), a. [Poly-
+ Gr. &?; a chamber.] (Zoöl.) Many-chambered; --
applied to shells of Foraminifera and cephalopods. See Illust.
of Nautilus.
Pol"y*the*ism (?), n. [Poly- +
Gr. &?; cf. F. polythéisme.] The doctrine of, or
belief in, a plurality of gods.
In the Old Testament, the gradual development of
polytheism from the primitive monotheism may be
learned.
Shaff-Herzog.
Pol"y*the*ist, n. [Cf. F.
polythéiste.] One who believes in, or maintains the
doctrine of, a plurality of gods.
{ Pol`y*the*is"tic (?), Pol`y*the*is"tic*al (?),
} a. Of or pertaining to polytheism;
characterized by polytheism; professing or advocating polytheism; as,
polytheistic worship; a polytheistic author, or
nation. -- Pol`y*the*is"tic*al*ly,
adv.
Pol"y*the*ize (?), v. i. To adhere
to, advocate, or inculcate, the doctrine of polytheism.
Milman.
Pol`y*the"lism (?), n. [Poly- +
Gr. qhlh` a nipple.] (Anat.) The condition of
having more than two teats, or nipples.
Po*lyt"o*cous (?), a. [Gr. &?;;
poly`s many + &?; offspring.] 1.
(Bot.) Bearing fruit repeatedly, as most perennial plants;
polycarpic.
2. (Zoöl.) Producing many or
young.
Po*lyt"o*mous (?), a. [Poly- +
Gr. &?; a cutting, fr. &?; to cut.] (Bot.) Subdivided into
many distinct subordinate parts, which, however, not being jointed to
the petiole, are not true leaflets; -- said of leaves.
Henslow.
Po*lyt"o*my (?), n. (Logic)
A division into many members. F. Bowen.
Pol`y*tung"state (?), n. A salt of
polytungstic acid.
Pol`y*tung"stic (?), a. (Chem.)
Containing several tungsten atoms or radicals; as,
polytungstic acid.
Polytungstic acid (Chem.), any one of
several complex acids of tungsten containing more than one atom of
tungsten.
Pol"y*type (?), n. [Poly- + -
type.] (Print.) A cast, or facsimile copy, of an
engraved block, matter in type, etc. (see citation); as, a
polytype in relief.
By pressing the wood cut into semifluid metal, an
intaglio matrix is produced: and from this matrix, in a similar way, a
polytype in relief is obtained.
Hansard.
Pol"y*type, a. (Print.) Of
or pertaining to polytypes; obtained by polytyping; as, a
polytype plate.
Pol"y*type, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Polytyped (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Polytyping (?).] (Print.) To produce a polytype of;
as, to polytype an engraving.
||Pol`y*u"ri*a (?), n. [NL. See Poly-
, and Urine.] (Med.) A persistently excessive
flow of watery urine, with low specific gravity and without the
presence of either albumin or sugar. It is generally accompanied with
more or less thirst.
Po*lyv"a*lent (?), a. [Poly- + L.
valens, p. pr. See Valent.] (Chem.)
Multivalent.
Pol"yve (?), n. [See Polive.]
A pulley. [Obs.]
||Pol`y*zo"a (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr.
poly`s many + &?; an animal.] (Zoöl.) Same
as Bryozoa. See Illust. under Bryozoa, and
Phylactolæmata.
Pol`y*zo"an (?), n. (Zoöl.)
(a) Any species of Polyzoa; one of the
Polyzoa. (b) A polyzoön.
||Pol`y*zo*a"ri*um (?), n.; pl.
Polyzoaria (#). [NL.] (Zoöl.) Same
as Polyzoary.
Pol`y*zo"a*ry (?), n.
(Zoöl.) The compound organism of a
polyzoan.
Pol`y*zon"al (?), a. [Poly- +
zonal.] Consisting of many zones or rings.
Polyzonal lens (Opt.), a lens made up
of pieces arranged zones or rings, -- used in the lanterns of
lighthouses.
||Pol`y*zo"ön (?), n.; pl.
Polyzoa (#). [NL. See Polyzoan.]
(Zoöl.) One of the individual zooids forming the
compound organism of a polyzoan.
Pom"ace (?; 277), n. [L. ponum a
fruit, LL., an apple: cf. LL. pomagium, pomacium.]
The substance of apples, or of similar fruit, crushed by
grinding.
Po`ma*cen"troid (?), a. [Gr. &?; a cover
+ &?; a prickle + -oid.] (Zoöl.) Pertaining to
the Pomacentridæ, a family of bright-colored tropical
fishes having spiny opercula; -- often called coral
fishes.
Po*ma"ceous (?), a. [LL. ponum an
apple.] 1. (Bot.) (a) Like
an apple or pear; producing pomes. (b) Of
or pertaining to a suborder (Pomeæ) of rosaceous plants,
which includes the true thorn trees, the quinces, service berries,
medlars, and loquats, as well as the apples, pears, crabs,
etc.
2. Like pomace.
Po*made" (?; 277), n. [F. pommade
pomatum, OF. pomade cider (cf. Sp. pomada, It.
pomata, LL. pomata a drink made of apples), from L.
pomum fruit, LL., an apple. Cf. Pomatum.]
1. Cider. [Obs.] Piers Plowman.
2. Perfumed ointment; esp., a fragrant unguent
for the hair; pomatum; -- originally made from apples.
Po*man"der (?), n. [Sp. poma.]
(a) A perfume to be carried with one, often in
the form of a ball. (b) A box to contain
such perfume, formerly carried by ladies, as at the end of a chain; --
more properly pomander box. [Obs.] Bacon.
Po"ma*rine (?), a. [Gr. &?; a lid + &?;,
&?;, nose.] (Zoöl.) Having the nostril covered with a
scale.
Pomarine jager (Zoöl.), a North
Atlantic jager (Stercorarius pomarinus) having the elongated
middle tail feathers obtuse. The adult is black.
Po*ma"tum (?), n. [See Pomade.]
A perfumed unguent or composition, chiefly used in dressing the
hair; pomade. Wiseman.
Po*ma"tum, v. t. To dress with
pomatum.
Pome (?), n. [L. pomum a fruit:
cf. F. pomme apple. Cf. Pomade.] 1.
(Bot.) A fruit composed of several cartilaginous or bony
carpels inclosed in an adherent fleshy mass, which is partly
receptacle and partly calyx, as an apple, quince, or pear.
2. (R. C. Ch.) A ball of silver or
other metal, which is filled with hot water, and used by the priest in
cold weather to warm his hands during the service.
Pome, v. i. [Cf. F. pommer. See
Pome, n.] To grow to a head, or form a
head in growing. [Obs.]
Pome"gran`ate (?; 277), n. [OE.
pomgarnet, OF. pome de grenate, F. grenade, L.
pomum a fruit + granatus grained, having many grains or
seeds. See Pome, and Garnet, Grain.]
1. (Bot.) The fruit of the tree Punica
Granatum; also, the tree itself (see Balaustine), which is
native in the Orient, but is successfully cultivated in many warm
countries, and as a house plant in colder climates. The fruit is as
large as an orange, and has a hard rind containing many rather large
seeds, each one separately covered with crimson, acid pulp.
2. A carved or embroidered ornament resembling
a pomegranate. Ex. xxviii. 33.
Pom"el (?), n. A pommel.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
Pom"e*lo (?), n. [Cf.
Pompelmous.] A variety of shaddock, called also grape
fruit.
Pome"ly (?), a. [OF.
pomelé, F. pommelé. See Pome.]
Dappled. [Obs.] "Pomely gray." Chaucer.
Pom`e*ra"ni*an (?), a. Of or
pertaining to Pomerania, a province of Prussia on the Baltic
Sea. -- n. A native or inhabitant of
Pomerania.
Pomeranian dog (Zoöl.), the loup-
loup, or Spitz dog.
Pome"wa`ter (?), n. A kind of
sweet, juicy apple. [Written also pomwater.]
Shak.
Pom"ey (?), n.; pl.
Pomeys (#). [F. pommé grown round, or
like an apple, p. p. of pommer to pome.] (Her.) A
figure supposed to resemble an apple; a roundel, -- always of a green
color.
Pom"fret (?), n. [Perhaps corrupt. fr.
Pg. pampano a kind of fish.] (Zoöl.)
(a) One of two or more species of marine food
fishes of the genus Stromateus (S. niger, S.
argenteus) native of Southern Europe and Asia.
(b) A marine food fish of Bermuda (Brama
Raji).
Po*mif"er*ous (?), a. [L.
pomifer; pomum fruit + ferre to bear: cf. F.
pomifère.] (Bot.) (a)
Bearing pomes, or applelike fruits. (b)
Bearing fruits, or excrescences, more or less resembling an
apple.
Pom"mage (?; 48), n. See
Pomage.
||Pom`mé" (?), a. [F. See
Pomey.] (Her.) Having the ends terminating in
rounded protuberances or single balls; -- said of a cross.
||Pomme` blanche" (?). [F., literally, white apple.]
The prairie turnip. See under Prairie.
Pom"mel (?), n. [OE. pomel, OF.
pomel, F. pommeau, LL. pomellus, fr. L.
pomum fruit, LL. also, an apple. See Pome.] A knob
or ball; an object resembling a ball in form; as:
(a) The knob on the hilt of a sword.
Macaulay. (b) The knob or protuberant part
of a saddlebow. (c) The top (of the
head). Chaucer. (d) A knob forming
the finial of a turret or pavilion.
Pom"mel, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pommeled (?) or Pommelled; p. pr. &
vb. n. Pommeling or Pommelling.] To beat
soundly, as with the pommel of a sword, or with something knoblike;
hence, to beat with the fists. [Written also pummel.]
Pom*mel"ion (?), n. [See Pommel:
cf. LL. pomilio pygmy.] (Mil.) The cascabel, or
hindmost knob, of a cannon. [R.]
||Pom`met`té" (?), a. [F.]
Having two balls or protuberances at each end; -- said of a
cross.
Po`mo*log"ic*al (?), a. [Cf. F.
pomologique.] Of or pertaining to pomology.
Po*mol"o*gist (?), n. One versed in
pomology; one who culticvates fruit trees.
Po*mol"o*gy (?), n. [L. pomum
fruit + -logy: cf. F. pomologie.] The science of
fruits; a treatise on fruits; the cultivation of fruits and fruit
trees.
Po*mo"na (?), n. [L., from pomum
fruit.] (Class. Myth.) The goddess of fruits and fruit
trees.
Pomp (?), n. [OE. pompe, F.
pompe, L. pompa, fr. Gr. &?; a sending, a solemn
procession, pomp, fr. &?; to send. Cf. Pump a shoe.]
1. A procession distinguished by ostentation and
splendor; a pageant. "All the pomps of a Roman triumph."
Addison.
2. Show of magnificence; parade; display;
power.
Syn. -- Display; parade; pageant; pageantry; splendor;
state; magnificence; ostentation; grandeur; pride.
Pomp (?), v. i. To make a pompons
display; to conduct. [Obs.] B. Jonson.
Pom"pa*dour (?), n. A crimson or
pink color; also, a style of dress cut low and square in the neck;
also, a mode of dressing the hair by drawing it straight back from the
forehead over a roll; -- so called after the Marchioness de
Pompadour of France. Also much used adjectively.
Pom"pa*no (?), n. [Sp.
pámpano.] [Written also pampano.]
(Zoöl.) 1. Any one of several species
of marine fishes of the genus Trachynotus, of which four
species are found on the Atlantic coast of the United States; --
called also palometa.
&fist; They have a brilliant silvery or golden luster, and are
highly esteemed as food fishes. The round pompano (T.
thomboides) and the Carolina pompano (T. Carolinus) are the
most common. Other species occur on the Pacific coast.
2. A California harvest fish (Stromateus
simillimus), highly valued as a food fish.
Pompano shell (Zoöl.), a small
bivalve shell of the genus Donax; -- so called because eaten by
the pompano. [Florida]
Pom*pat"ic (?), a. [L.
pompaticus.] Pompous. [Obs.] Barrow.
Pom"pel*mous (?), n.; pl.
Pompelmouses (#). [D. pompelmoes; cf. G.
pompelmuse, F. pamplemousse, and F.
pompoléon.] (Bot.) A shaddock, esp. one of
large size.
Pom"pet (?), n. [OF. pompette.]
(Print.) The ball formerly used to ink the type.
Pom"pho*lyx (?), n. [L., fr. Gr. &?; a
bubble, the slag on the surface of smelted ore, from &?; a blister.]
1. (Old Chem.) Impure zinc
oxide.
2. (Med.) A skin disease in which there
is an eruption of bullæ, without inflammation or
fever.
Pom*pil"lion (?), n. An ointment or
pomatum made of black poplar buds. [Obs.] Cotgrave.
Pom"pi*on (?), n. [OF. pompon.
See Pumpkin.] See Pumpion.
Pom"pire (?), n. [L. pomum a
fruit, LL. also, an apple + pirum a pear.] A
pearmain. [Obs.]
Pom*po"le*on (?), n. (Bot.)
See Pompelmous.
Pom"pon (?), n. [F.] 1.
Any trifling ornament for a woman's dress or bonnet.
2. (Mil.) A tuft or ball of wool, or
the like, sometimes worn by soldiers on the front of the hat, instead
of a feather.
Pom*pos"i*ty (?), n.; pl.
Pomposities (&?;). The quality or state of
being pompous; pompousness. Thackeray.
||Pom*po"so (?), a. & adv. [It.]
(Mus.) Grand and dignified; in grand style.
Pomp"ous (?), a. [F. pompeux, L.
pomposus. See Pomp.] 1. Displaying
pomp; stately; showy with grandeur; magnificent; as, a pompous
procession.
2. Ostentatious; pretentious; boastful;
vainlorious; as, pompous manners; a pompous style.
"Pompous in high presumption." Chaucer.
he pompous vanity of the old
schoolmistress.
Thackeray.
-- Pom"ous*ly, adv. --
Pomp"ous*ness, n.
Pomp"tine (?), a. See
Pontine.
Pom"wa`ter (?), n. Same as
Pomewater.
Pon"cho (?), n.; pl.
Ponchos (&?;). [Sp.] 1. A kind
of cloak worn by the Spanish Americans, having the form of a blanket,
with a slit in the middle for the head to pass through. A kind of
poncho made of rubber or painted cloth is used by the mounted
troops in the United States service.
2. A trade name for camlets, or stout
worsteds.
Pond (?), n. [Probably originally, an
inclosed body of water, and the same word as pound. See
Pound an inclosure.] A body of water, naturally or
artificially confined, and usually of less extent than a lake.
"Through pond or pool." Milton.
Pond hen (Zoöl.), the American
coot. See Coot (a). -- Pond
lily (Bot.), the water lily. See under
Water, and Illust. under Nymphæa. --
Pond snail (Zoöl.), any gastropod
living in fresh-water ponds or lakes. The most common kinds are air-
breathing snails (Pulmonifera) belonging to Limnæa,
Physa, Planorbis, and allied genera. The operculated species are
pectinibranchs, belonging to Melantho, Valvata, and
various other genera. -- Pond spice
(Bot.), an American shrub (Tetranthera geniculata)
of the Laurel family, with small oval leaves, and axillary clusters of
little yellow flowers. The whole plant is spicy. It grows in ponds and
swamps from Virginia to Florida. -- Pond
tortoise, Pond turtle (Zoöl.),
any freshwater tortoise of the family Emydidæ.
Numerous species are found in North America.
Pond (?), v. t. To make into a
pond; to collect, as water, in a pond by damming.
Pond, v. t. [See Ponder.] To
ponder. [Obs.]
Pleaseth you, pond your suppliant's
plaint.
Spenser.
Pon"der (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pondered (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pondering.] [L. ponderare, fr. pondus,
ponderis, a weight, fr. pendere to weigh: cf. F.
pondérer. See Pendant, and cf. Pound a
weight.]
1. To weigh. [Obs.]
2. To weigh in the mind; to view with
deliberation; to examine carefully; to consider attentively.
Ponder the path of thy feet.
Prov. iv. 26.
Syn. -- To Ponder, Consider, Muse. To
consider means to view or contemplate with fixed thought. To
ponder is to dwell upon with long and anxious attention, with a
view to some practical result or decision. To muse is simply to
think upon continuously with no definite object, or for the pleasure
it gives. We consider any subject which is fairly brought
before us; we ponder a concern involving great interests; we
muse on the events of childhood.
Pon"der, v. i. To think; to
deliberate; to muse; -- usually followed by on or
over. Longfellow.
Pon`der*a*bil"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F.
pondérabilité.] The quality or state of
being ponderable.
Pon"der*a*ble (?), a. [L.
ponderabilis: cf. F. pondérable.] Capable of
being weighed; having appreciable weight. --
Pon"der*a*ble*ness, n.
Pon"der*al (?), a. [Cf. F.
pondéral.] Estimated or ascertained by weight; --
distinguished from numeral; as, a ponderal
drachma. [R.] Arbuthnot.
Pon"der*ance (?), n. [L.
ponderans, p. pr. of ponderare to weigh: cf. OF.
ponderant of weight.] Weight; gravity. [R.]
Gregory.
Pon"der*a*ry (?), a. Of or
pertaining to weight; as, a ponderary system. [R.]
M'Culloch.
Pon"der*ate (?), v. t. [L.
ponderatus, p. p. of ponderare. See Ponder.]
To consider; to ponder. [R.]
Pon"der*ate, v. i. To have weight
or influence. [R.]
Pon`der*a"tion (?), n. [L.
ponderatio: cf. F. pondération.] The act of
weighing. [R.] Arbuthnot.
Pon"der*er (?), n. One who
ponders.
Pon"der*ing, a. Deliberating.
-- Pon"der*ing*ly, adv.
Pon`der*os"i*ty (?), n.; pl.
Ponderosities (#). [OF. ponderosité.]
The quality or state of being ponderous; weight; gravity;
heaviness, ponderousness; as, the ponderosity of gold.
Ray.
Pon"der*ous (?), a. [L.
ponderosus, from pondus, -eris, a weight: cf. F.
pondéreux. See Ponder.] 1.
Very heavy; weighty; as, a ponderous shield; a
ponderous load; the ponderous elephant.
The sepulcher . . .
Hath oped his ponderous and marble jaws.
Shak.
2. Important; momentous; forcible. "Your
more ponderous and settled project." Shak.
3. Heavy; dull; wanting; lightless or spirit;
as, a ponderous style; a ponderous joke.
Ponderous spar (Min.), heavy spar, or
barytes. See Barite.
Pon"der*ous*ly, adv. In a ponderous
manner.
Pon"der*ous*ness, n. The quality or
state of being ponderous; ponderosity.
Pond"fish` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
Any one of numerous species of American fresh-water fishes
belonging to the family Centrarchidæ; -- called also
pond perch, and sunfish.
&fist; The common pondfish of New England (Lepomis gibbosus)
is called also bream, pumpkin seed, and sunny.
See Sunfish. The long-eared pondfish (Lepomis auritus)
of the Eastern United States is distinguished by its very long
opercular flap.
Pond"weed` (?), n. (Bot.)
Any aquatic plant of the genus Potamogeton, of which many
species are found in ponds or slow-moving rivers.
Choke pondweed, an American water weed
(Anarcharis, or Elodea, Canadensis.) See Anacharis.
-- Horned pondweed, the Zannichellia
palustris, a slender, branching aquatic plant, having pointed
nutlets.
Pone (pōn), n. [Of Amer. Indian
origin.] A kind of johnnycake. [Written also paune.]
[Southern U. S.]
Po"nent (?), a. [OF., fr. It.
ponente, properly, setting (applied to the setting sun), fr. L.
ponens, p. pr. of ponere to set, put.] Western;
occidental. [R.]
Forth rush the levant and the ponent
winds.
Milton.
Pon*gee" (?), n. [Of East Indian
origin.] A fabric of undyed silk from India and China.
Pon*ghee" (?), n. [From the native
name.] A Buddhist priest of the higher orders in Burmah.
Malcom.
Pon"go (?), n. (Zoöl.)
Any large ape; especially, the chimpanzee and the orang-
outang.
Pon"iard (?), n. [F. poignard
(cf. It. pugnale, Sp. puñal), fr. L.
pugio, -onis; probably akin to pugnus fist, or
fr. pugnus fist, as held in the fist. See Pugnacious.]
A kind of dagger, -- usually a slender one with a triangular or
square blade.
She speaks poniards, and every word
stabs.
Shak.
Pon"iard, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Poniarded; p. pr. & vb. n.
Poniarding.] To pierce with a poniard; to stab.
Cowper.
Po`ni*bil"i*ty (?), n. [L. ponere
to place.] The capability of being placed or located.
[Obs.] Barrow.
||Pons (?), n.; pl.
Pontes (#). [L., a bridge.] (Anat.) A
bridge; -- applied to several parts which connect others, but
especially to the pons Varolii, a prominent band of nervous
tissue situated on the ventral side of the medulla oblongata and
connected at each side with the hemispheres of the cerebellum; the
mesocephalon. See Brain.
||Pons asinorum. [L., literally, bridge of
asses.] See Asses' bridge, under Ass.
Pon"tage (?; 48), n. [LL.
pontagium, from L. pons, pontis, a bridge: cf. F.
pontage.] (O. Eng. Law) A duty or tax paid for
repairing bridges. Ayliffe.
Pon*tee" (?), n. [F. pontil,
pontis.] (Glass Making) An iron rod used by glass
makers for manipulating the hot glass; -- called also, puntil,
puntel, punty, and ponty. See
Fascet.
Pon"tic (?), a. [L. Ponticus, Gr.
&?;, fr. &?; the sea, especially, the Black Sea.] Of or
pertaining to the Pontus, Euxine, or Black Sea.
||Pon"ti*fex (?), n.; pl.
Pontifices (#). [L.] A high priest; a
pontiff.
Pon"tiff (?), n. [F. pontife, L.
pontifex, -ficis; pons, pontis, a bridge
(perhaps originally, a way, path) + facere to make. Cf.
Pontoon.] A high priest. Especially:
(a) One of the sacred college, in ancient Rome,
which had the supreme jurisdiction over all matters of religion, at
the head of which was the Pontifex Maximus. Dr. W.
Smith. (b) (Jewish Antiq.) The chief
priest. (c) (R. C. Ch.) The
pope.
Pon*tif"ic (?), a. [Cf. L.
pontificius.] 1. Relating to, or
consisting of, pontiffs or priests. "The pontific college
with their augurs and flamens." Milton.
2. Of or pertaining to the pope; papal.
Shenstone.
Pon*tif"ic*al (?), a. [L.
pontificalis: cf. F. pontifical. See Pontiff.]
1. Of or pertaining to a pontiff, or high priest;
as, pontifical authority; hence, belonging to the pope;
papal.
2. Of or pertaining to the building of
bridges. [R.]
Now had they brought the work by wondrous art
Pontifical, a ridge of pendent rock
Over the vexed abyss.
Milton.
Pon*tif"ic*al, n. [F.]
1. A book containing the offices, or formulas,
used by a pontiff. South.
2. pl. The dress and ornaments of a
pontiff. "Dressed in full pontificals." Sir W.
Scott.
Pon*tif`i*cal"i*ty (?), n. The
state and government of the pope; the papacy. [R.]
Bacon.
Pon*tif"ic*al*ly, adv. In a
pontifical manner.
Pon*tif"i*cate (?), n. [L.
pontificatus: cf. F. pontificat. See Pontiff.]
1. The state or dignity of a high priest;
specifically, the office of the pope. Addison.
2. The term of office of a pontiff.
Milman.
Pon*tif"i*cate (?), v. i. (R. C.
Ch.) To perform the duty of a pontiff.
Pon"ti*fice (?), n. [L. pons,
pontis, a bridge + facere to make. Cf. Pontiff.]
Bridgework; structure or edifice of a bridge. [R.]
Milton.
Pon`ti*fi"cial (?), a. [L.
pontificius.] Papal; pontifical. [Obs.]
"Pontificial writers." Burton.
Pon`ti*fi"cian (?), a. Of or
pertaining to the pontiff or pope. [Obs.] Bp. Hall.
Pon`ti*fi"cian, n. One who adheres
to the pope or papacy; a papist. [Obs.] Bp. Montagu.
Pon"til (?), n. Same as
Pontee.
Pon"tile (?), a. [L. pontilis
pertaining to a bridge.] (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the
pons Varolii. See Pons.
Pon"tine (?), a. [L. Pontinus or
Pomptinus, an appellation given to a district in Latium, near
Pometia.] Of or pertaining to an extensive marshy district
between Rome and Naples. [Written also Pomptine.]
Pont"le*vis (?), n. [F., properly, a
drawbridge.] (Man.) The action of a horse in rearing
repeatedly and dangerously.
Pon*ton" (?), n. [F.] See
Pontoon.
Pon*toon" (?), n. [F. ponton (cf.
It. pontone), from L. ponto, -onis, fr.
pons, pontis, a bridge, perhaps originally, a way, path:
cf. Gr. &?; path, Skr. path, pathi, panthan. Cf.
Punt a boat.] 1. (Mil.) A wooden
flat-bottomed boat, a metallic cylinder, or a frame covered with
canvas, India rubber, etc., forming a portable float, used in building
bridges quickly for the passage of troops.
2. (Naut.) A low, flat vessel,
resembling a barge, furnished with cranes, capstans, and other
machinery, used in careening ships, raising weights, drawing piles,
etc., chiefly in the Mediterranean; a lighter.
Pontoon bridge, a bridge formed with
pontoons. -- Pontoon train, the carriages
of the pontoons, and the materials they carry for making a pontoon
bridge.
&fist; The French spelling ponton often appears in
scientific works, but pontoon is more common form.
Pon*toon"ing, n. The act, art, or
process of constructing pontoon bridges. "Army instruction in
pontooning." Gen. W. T. Shermah.
Pont`vo*lant" (?; F. ?), n. [F.
pont bridge + volant flying.] (Mil.) A kind
of light bridge, used in sieges, for surprising a post or outwork
which has but a narrow moat; a flying bridge.
Pon"ty (?), n. (Class Making)
See Pontee.
Po"ny (?), n.; pl.
Ponies (&?;). [Written also poney.] [Gael.
ponaidh.] 1. A small horse.
2. Twenty-five pounds sterling. [Slang,
Eng.]
3. A translation or a key used to avoid study
in getting lessons; a crib. [College Cant]
4. A small glass of beer. [Slang]
Pony chaise, a light, low chaise, drawn by a
pony or a pair of ponies. -- Pony engine, a
small locomotive for switching cars from one track to another.
[U.S.] -- Pony truck (Locomotive Engine),
a truck which has only two wheels. -- Pony
truss (Bridge Building), a truss which has so
little height that overhead bracing can not be used.
Pood (?), n. [Russ. pud'.] A
Russian weight, equal to forty Russian pounds or about thirty-six
English pounds avoirdupois.
Poo"dle (?), n. [G. pudel.]
(Zoöl.) A breed of dogs having curly hair, and often
showing remarkable intelligence in the performance of
tricks.
Pooh (?), interj. [Of. imitative origin;
cf. Icel. pū.] Pshaw! pish! nonsense! -- an
expression of scorn, dislike, or contempt.
Pooh`-pooh" (?), v. t. To make
light of; to treat with derision or contempt, as if by saying
pooh! pooh! [Colloq.] Thackeray.
||Poo"koo (?), n. [From the native
name.] (Zoöl.) A red African antelope (Kobus
Vardoni) allied to the water buck.
Pool (?), n. [AS. pōl; akin
to LG. pool, pohl, D. poel, G. pfuhl; cf.
Icel. pollr, also W. pwll, Gael. poll.]
1. A small and rather deep collection of
(usually) fresh water, as one supplied by a spring, or occurring in
the course of a stream; a reservoir for water; as, the pools of
Solomon. Wyclif.
Charity will hardly water the ground where it must
first fill a pool.
Bacon.
The sleepy pool above the dam.
Tennyson.
2. A small body of standing or stagnant water;
a puddle. "The filthy mantled pool beyond your cell."
Shak.
Pool, n. [F. poule, properly, a
hen. See Pullet.] [Written also poule.]
1. The stake played for in certain games of
cards, billiards, etc.; an aggregated stake to which each player has
contributed a snare; also, the receptacle for the stakes.
2. A game at billiards, in which each of the
players stakes a certain sum, the winner taking the whole; also, in
public billiard rooms, a game in which the loser pays the entrance fee
for all who engage in the game; a game of skill in pocketing the balls
on a pool table.
&fist; This game is played variously, but commonly with fifteen
balls, besides one cue ball, the contest being to drive the most balls
into the pockets.
He plays pool at the billiard
houses.
Thackeray.
3. In rifle shooting, a contest in which each
competitor pays a certain sum for every shot he makes, the net
proceeds being divided among the winners.
4. Any gambling or commercial venture in which
several persons join.
5. A combination of persons contributing money
to be used for the purpose of increasing or depressing the market
price of stocks, grain, or other commodities; also, the aggregate of
the sums so contributed; as, the pool took all the wheat
offered below the limit; he put $10,000 into the
pool.
6. (Railroads) A mutual arrangement
between competing lines, by which the receipts of all are aggregated,
and then distributed pro rata according to agreement.
7. (Law) An aggregation of properties
or rights, belonging to different people in a community, in a common
fund, to be charged with common liabilities.
Pin pool, a variety of the game of billiards
in which small wooden pins are set up to be knocked down by the
balls. -- Pool ball, one of the colored
ivory balls used in playing the game at billiards called
pool. -- Pool snipe (Zoöl.),
the European redshank. [Prov. Eng.] -- Pool
table, a billiard table with pockets.
Pool, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pooled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pooling.] To put together; to contribute to a common fund,
on the basis of a mutual division of profits or losses; to make a
common interest of; as, the companies pooled their
traffic.
Finally, it favors the poolingof all
issues.
U. S. Grant.
Pool, v. i. To combine or
contribute with others, as for a commercial, speculative, or gambling
transaction.
Pool"er (?), n. A stick for
stirring a tan vat.
Pool"ing, n. (Law) The act
of uniting, or an agreement to unite, an aggregation of properties
belonging to different persons, with a view to common liabilities or
profits.
Poon (?), n. [Canarese ponne.]
A name for several East Indian, or their wood, used for the masts
and spars of vessels, as Calophyllum angustifolium, C.
inophullum, and Sterculia fœtida; -- called also
peon.
Poo"nac (?), n. A kind of oil cake
prepared from the cocoanut. See Oil cake, under
Cake.
Poon"ga oil` (?). A kind of oil used in India for
lamps, and for boiling with dammar for pitching vessels. It is pressed
from the seeds of a leguminous tree (Pongamia
glabra).
Poop (?), n. (Arch.) See 2d
Poppy.
Poop, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Pooped (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pooping.] [Cf. D. poepen. See Pop.] To make
a noise; to pop; also, to break wind.
Poop, n. [F. poupe; cf. Sp. & Pg.
popa, It. poppa; all fr. L. puppis.]
(Naut.) A deck raised above the after part of a vessel;
the hindmost or after part of a vessel's hull; also, a cabin covered
by such a deck. See Poop deck, under Deck. See also
Roundhouse.
With wind in poop, the vessel plows the
sea.
Dryden.
The poop was beaten gold.
Shak.
Poop, v. t. (Naut.)
(a) To break over the poop or stern, as a
wave. "A sea which he thought was going to poop her."
Lord Dufferin. (b) To strike in the stern,
as by collision.
Pooped (?), p. p. & a. (Naut.)
(a) Having a poop; furnished with a poop.
(b) Struck on the poop.
Poop"ing (?), n. (Naut.) The
act or shock of striking a vessel's stern by a following wave or
vessel.
Poor (?), a. [Compar.
Poorer (?; 254); superl. Poorest.]
[OE. poure or povre, OF. povre, F. pauvre,
L. pauper; the first syllable of which is probably akin to
paucus few (see Paucity, Few), and the second to
parare to prepare, procure. See Few, and cf.
Parade, Pauper, Poverty.] 1.
Destitute of property; wanting in material riches or goods;
needy; indigent.
&fist; It is often synonymous with indigent and with
necessitous denoting extreme want. It is also applied to
persons who are not entirely destitute of property, but who are not
rich; as, a poor man or woman; poor people.
2. (Law) So completely destitute of
property as to be entitled to maintenance from the public.
3. Hence, in very various applications:
Destitute of such qualities as are desirable, or might naturally
be expected; as: (a) Wanting in fat,
plumpness, or fleshiness; lean; emaciated; meager; as, a poor
horse, ox, dog, etc. "Seven other kine came up after them,
poor and very ill-favored and lean-fleshed." Gen. xli.
19. (b) Wanting in strength or vigor; feeble;
dejected; as, poor health; poor spirits. "His
genius . . . poor and cowardly." Bacon.
(c) Of little value or worth; not good; inferior;
shabby; mean; as, poor clothes; poor lodgings. "A
poor vessel." Clarendon. (d)
Destitute of fertility; exhausted; barren; sterile; -- said of
land; as, poor soil. (e) Destitute
of beauty, fitness, or merit; as, a poor discourse; a
poor picture. (f) Without prosperous
conditions or good results; unfavorable; unfortunate; unconformable;
as, a poor business; the sick man had a poor
night. (g) Inadequate; insufficient;
insignificant; as, a poor excuse.
That I have wronged no man will be a poor plea
or apology at the last day.
Calamy.
4. Worthy of pity or sympathy; -- used also
sometimes as a term of endearment, or as an expression of modesty, and
sometimes as a word of contempt.
And for mine own poor part,
Look you, I'll go pray.
Shak.
Poor, little, pretty, fluttering
thing.
Prior.
5. Free from self-assertion; not proud or
arrogant; meek. "Blessed are the poor in spirit."
Matt. v. 3.
Poor law, a law providing for, or regulating,
the relief or support of the poor. -- Poor man's
treacle (Bot.), garlic; -- so called because it
was thought to be an antidote to animal poison. [Eng] Dr.
Prior. -- Poor man's weatherglass (Bot.),
the red-flowered pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis), which
opens its blossoms only in fair weather. -- Poor
rate, an assessment or tax, as in an English parish, for
the relief or support of the poor. -- Poor
soldier (Zoöl.), the friar bird. --
The poor, those who are destitute of property;
the indigent; the needy. In a legal sense, those who depend on charity
or maintenance by the public. "I have observed the more public
provisions are made for the poor, the less they provide for
themselves." Franklin.
Poor (?), n. (Zoöl.) A
small European codfish (Gadus minutus); -- called also power
cod.
Poor"box` (?), n. A receptacle in
which money given for the poor is placed.
Poor"house` (?), n. A dwelling for
a number of paupers maintained at public expense; an almshouse; a
workhouse.
Poor"-john` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
A small European fish, similar to the cod, but of inferior
quality.
Poor-john and apple pies are all our
fare.
Sir J. Harrington.
Poor"li*ness (?), n. The quality or
state of being poorly; ill health.
Poor"ly, adv. 1. In
a poor manner or condition; without plenty, or sufficiency, or
suitable provision for comfort; as, to live poorly.
2. With little or no success; indifferently;
with little profit or advantage; as, to do poorly in
business.
3. Meanly; without spirit.
Nor is their courage or their wealth so low,
That from his wars they poorly would retire.
Dryden.
4. Without skill or merit; as, he performs
poorly.
Poorly off, not well off; not rich.
Poor"ly, a. Somewhat ill;
indisposed; not in health. "Having been poorly in
health." T. Scott.
Poor"ness, n. The quality or state
of being poor (in any of the senses of the adjective).
Bacon.
Poor"-spir`it*ed (?), a. Of a mean
spirit; cowardly; base. -- Poor"-spir`it*ed*ness,
n.
Poor"-will` (?), n. [So called in
imitation of its note.] (Zoöl.) A bird of the Western
United States (Phalænoptilus Nutalli) allied to the whip-
poor-will.
Poor"-wil`lie (?), n. [So called in
imitation of its note.] (Zoöl.) The bar-tailed
godwit. [Prov. Eng.]
Pop (?), n. [Of imitative origin. Cf.
Poop.] 1. A small, sharp, quick explosive
sound or report; as, to go off with a pop.
Addison.
2. An unintoxicating beverage which expels the
cork with a pop from the bottle containing it; as, ginger pop;
lemon pop, etc. Hood.
3. (Zoöl.) The European
redwing. [Prov. Eng.]
Pop corn. (a) Corn, or maize,
of peculiar excellence for popping; especially, a kind the grains of
which are small and compact. (b) Popped corn;
which has been popped.
Pop, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Popped (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Popping.] 1. To make a pop, or sharp,
quick sound; as, the muskets popped away on all
sides.
2. To enter, or issue forth, with a quick,
sudden movement; to move from place to place suddenly; to dart; --
with in, out, upon, off, etc.
He that killed my king . . .
Popp'd in between the election and my hopes.
Shak.
A trick of popping up and down every
moment.
Swift.
3. To burst open with a pop, when heated over
a fire; as, this corn pops well.
Pop, v. t. 1. To
thrust or push suddenly; to offer suddenly; to bring suddenly and
unexpectedly to notice; as, to pop one's head in at the
door.
He popped a paper into his hand.
Milton.
2. To cause to pop; to cause to burst open by
heat, as grains of Indian corn; as, to pop corn or
chestnuts.
To pop off, to thrust away, or put off
promptly; as, to pop one off with a denial. Locke.
-- To pop the question, to make an offer of
marriage to a lady. [Colloq.] Dickens.
Pop (?), adv. Like a pop; suddenly;
unexpectedly. "Pop goes his plate." Beau. &
Fl.
Pope (?), n. [AS. pāpa, L.
papa father, bishop. Cf. Papa, Papal.]
1. Any ecclesiastic, esp. a bishop. [Obs.]
Foxe.
2. The bishop of Rome, the head of the Roman
Catholic Church. See Note under Cardinal.
3. A parish priest, or a chaplain, of the
Greek Church.
4. (Zoöl.) A fish; the
ruff.
Pope Joan, a game at cards played on a round
board with compartments. -- Pope's eye, the
gland surrounded with fat in the middle of the thigh of an ox or
sheep. R. D. Blackmore. -- Pope's nose,
the rump, or uropygium, of a bird. See Uropygium.
Pope"dom (?), n. [AS.
pāpedōm.] 1. The place,
office, or dignity of the pope; papal dignity. Shak.
2. The jurisdiction of the pope.
Pope"ling (?), n. 1.
A petty or deputy pope.
2. An adherent of the pope. [R.]
Marlowe.
Pop"e*lote (?), n. A word variously
explained as "a little puppet," "a little doll," or "a young
butterfly." Cf. Popet. [Obs.]
So gay a popelote, so sweet a
wench.
Chaucer.
Pop"er*y (?), n. The religion of
the Roman Catholic Church, comprehending doctrines and practices; --
generally used in an opprobrious sense.
Pop"et (?), n. A puppet.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
Pop"gun` (?), n. A child's gun; a
tube and rammer for shooting pellets, with a popping noise, by
compression of air.
Pop"in*jay (?), n. [OE. popingay,
papejay, OF. papegai, papegaut; cf. Pr.
papagai, Sp. & Pg. papagayo, It. pappagallo, LGr.
&?;, NGr. &?;; in which the first syllables are perhaps imitative of
the bird's chatter, and the last either fr. L. gallus cock, or
the same word as E. jay, F. geai. Cf.
Papagay.]
1. (Zoöl.) (a) The
green woodpecker. (b) A parrot.
The pye and popyngay speak they know not
what.
Tyndale.
2. A target in the form of a parrot.
[Scot.]
3. A trifling, chattering, fop or
coxcomb. "To be so pestered with a popinjay."
Shak.
Pop"ish (?), a. Of or pertaining to
the pope; taught or ordained by the pope; hence, of or pertaining to
the Roman Catholic Church; -- often used opprobriously. --
Pop"ish*ly, adv. -- Pop"ish*ness,
n.
Pop"lar (?), n. [OE. popler, OF.
poplier, F. peuplier, fr. L. populus poplar.]
(Bot.) 1. Any tree of the genus
Populus; also, the timber, which is soft, and capable of many
uses.
&fist; The aspen poplar is Populus tremula and P.
tremuloides; Balsam poplar is P. balsamifera; Lombardy
poplar (P. dilatata) is a tall, spiry tree; white poplar is
Populus alba.
2. The timber of the tulip tree; -- called
also white poplar. [U.S.]
Po*plex"y (?), n. Apoplexy.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
Pop"lin (?), n. [F. popeline,
papeline.] A fabric of many varieties, usually made of
silk and worsted, -- used especially for women's dresses.
Irish poplin, a fabric with silk warp and
worsted weft, made in Ireland.
Pop*lit"e*al (?; 277), a. [From L.
poples, -itis, the ham.] (Anat.) Of or
pertaining to the ham; in the region of the ham, or behind the knee
joint; as, the popliteal space.
Pop*lit"ic (?), a. (Anat.)
Popliteal.
Pop"per (?), n. A utensil for
popping corn, usually a wire basket with a long handle.
Pop"per, n. A dagger. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Pop"pet (?), n. 1.
See Puppet.
2. (Naut.) One of certain upright
timbers on the bilge ways, used to support a vessel in
launching. Totten.
3. (Mach.) An upright support or guide
fastened at the bottom only.
Poppet head, Puppet head.
See Headstock (a).
Pop"pied (?), a. [See 1st Poppy.]
1. Mingled or interspersed with poppies.
"Poppied corn." Keats.
2. Affected with poppy juice; hence,
figuratively, drugged; drowsy; listless; inactive. [R.]
The poppied sails doze on the yard.
Lowell.
Pop"ping (?), a. & n. from
Pop.
Popping crease. (Cricket) See under
Crease.
Pop"ple (?), v. i. [Cf. Pop.]
To move quickly up and down; to bob up and down, as a cork on
rough water; also, to bubble. Cotton.
Pop"ple, n. 1. The
poplar. [Prov. Eng. & Local, U. S.]
2. Tares. [Obs.] "To sow popple
among wheat." Bale.
Pop"py (?), n.; pl.
Poppies (#). [OE. popy, AS. popig, L.
papaver.] (Bot.) Any plant or species of the genus
Papaver, herbs with showy polypetalous flowers and a milky
juice. From one species (Papaver somniferum) opium is obtained,
though all the species contain it to some extent; also, a flower of
the plant. See Illust. of Capsule.
California poppy (Bot.), any yellow-
flowered plant of the genus Eschscholtzia. -- Corn
poppy. See under Corn. --
Horn, or Horned,
poppy. See under Horn. --
Poppy bee (Zoöl.), a leaf-cutting
bee (Anthocopa papaveris) which uses pieces cut from poppy
petals for the lining of its cells; -- called also upholsterer
bee. -- Prickly poppy (Bot.),
Argemone Mexicana, a yellow-flowered plant of the Poppy
family, but as prickly as a thistle. -- Poppy
seed, the seed the opium poppy (P.
somniferum). -- Spatling poppy
(Bot.), a species of Silene (S. inflata). See
Catchfly.
{ Pop"py (?), Pop"py*head` (?), }
n. [F. poupée doll, puppet. See
Puppet.] (Arch.) A raised ornament frequently
having the form of a final. It is generally used on the tops of the
upright ends or elbows which terminate seats, etc., in Gothic
churches.
Pop"u*lace (?), n. [F. populace,
fr. It. popolaccio, popolazzo, fr. popolo people,
L. populus. See People.] The common people; the
vulgar; the multitude, -- comprehending all persons not distinguished
by rank, office, education, or profession. Pope.
To . . . calm the peers and please the
populace.
Daniel.
They . . . call us Britain's barbarous
populaces.
Tennyson.
Syn. -- Mob; people; commonalty.
Pop"u*la*cy (?), n. Populace.
[Obs.] Feltham.
Pop"u*lar (?), a. [L. popularis,
fr. populus people: cf. F. populaire. See
People.] 1. Of or pertaining to the common
people, or to the whole body of the people, as distinguished from a
select portion; as, the popular voice; popular
elections. "Popular states." Bacon. "So the
popular vote inclines." Milton.
The men commonly held in popular estimation are
greatest at a distance.
J. H. Newman.
2. Suitable to common people; easy to be
comprehended; not abstruse; familiar; plain.
Homilies are plain popular
instructions.
Hooker.
3. Adapted to the means of the common people;
possessed or obtainable by the many; hence, cheap; common; ordinary;
inferior; as, popular prices; popular
amusements.
The smallest figs, called popular figs, . . .
are, of all others, the basest and of least account.
Holland.
4. Beloved or approved by the people; pleasing
to people in general, or to many people; as, a popular
preacher; a popular law; a popular
administration.
5. Devoted to the common people; studious of
the favor of the populace. [R.]
Such popular humanity is treason.
Addison.
6. Prevailing among the people; epidemic; as,
a popular disease. [Obs.] Johnson.
Popular action (Law), an action in
which any person may sue for penalty imposed by statute.
Blackstone.
||Pop`u*la"res (?), n. pl. [L.] The
people or the people's party, in ancient Rome, as opposed to the
optimates.
Pop`u*lar"i*ty (?), n.; pl.
Popularities (#). [L. popularitas an effort
to please the people: cf. F. popularité.]
1. The quality or state of being popular;
especially, the state of being esteemed by, or of being in favor with,
the people at large; good will or favor proceeding from the people;
as, the popularity of a law, statesman, or a book.
A popularity which has lasted down to our
time.
Macaulay.
2. The quality or state of being adapted or
pleasing to common, poor, or vulgar people; hence, cheapness;
inferiority; vulgarity.
This gallant laboring to avoid popularity falls
into a habit of affectation.
B. Jonson.
3. Something which obtains, or is intended to
obtain, the favor of the vulgar; claptrap.
Popularities, and circumstances which . . . sway
the ordinary judgment.
Bacon.
4. The act of courting the favor of the
people. [Obs.] "Indicted . . . for popularity and
ambition." Holland.
5. Public sentiment; general passion.
[R.]
A little time be allowed for the madness of
popularity to cease.
Bancroft.
Pop`u*lar*i*za"tion (?), n. The act
of making popular, or of introducing among the people.
Pop"u*lar*ize (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Popularized (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Popularizing (?).] [Cf. F. populariser.]
To make popular; to make suitable or acceptable to the common
people; to make generally known; as, to popularize
philosophy. "The popularizing of religious teaching."
Milman.
Pop"u*lar*i`zer (?), n. One who
popularizes.
Pop"u*lar*ly, adv. In a popular
manner; so as to be generally favored or accepted by the people;
commonly; currently; as, the story was popularity
reported.
The victor knight,
Bareheaded, popularly low had bowed.
Dryden.
Pop"u*lar*ness, n. The quality or
state of being popular; popularity. Coleridge.
Pop"u*late (?), a. [L. populus
people. See People.] Populous. [Obs.]
Bacon.
Pop"u*late (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Populated (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Populating.] To furnish with inhabitants, either by
natural increase or by immigration or colonization; to cause to be
inhabited; to people.
Pop"u*late, v. i. To
propagate. [Obs.]
Great shoals of people which go on to
populate.
Bacon.
Pop`u*la"tion (?), n. [L.
populatio: cf. F. population.] 1.
The act or process of populating; multiplication of
inhabitants.
2. The whole number of people, or inhabitants,
in a country, or portion of a country; as, a population of ten
millions.
Pop"u*la`tor (?), n. One who
populates.
Pop"u*li*cide` (?), n. [L.
populus people + caedere to kill.] Slaughter of the
people. [R.]
Pop"u*lin (?), n. [L. populus
poplar: cf. F. populine.] (Chem.) A glycoside,
related to salicin, found in the bark of certain species of the poplar
(Populus), and extracted as a sweet white crystalline
substance.
Pop`u*los"i*ty (?), n. [L.
populositas: cf. F. populosité.]
Populousness.[Obs.]
Pop"u*lous (?), a. [L. populosus,
fr. populus people: cf. F. populeux.] 1.
Abounding in people; full of inhabitants; containing many
inhabitants in proportion to the extent of the country.
Heaven, yet populous, retains
Number sufficient to possess her realms.
Milton.
2. Popular; famous. [Obs.] J.
Webster.
3. Common; vulgar. [Obs.] Arden of
Feversham.
4. Numerous; in large number. [Obs.]
"The dust . . . raised by your populous troops."
Shak.
-- Pop"u*lous*ly, adv. --
Pop"u*lous*ness, n.
Po*raille" (?), n. [OF.
pouraille. See Poor.] Poor people; the poor.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
Por"bea`gle (?), n. (Zoöl.)
A species of shark (Lamna cornubica), about eight feet
long, having a pointed nose and a crescent-shaped tail; -- called also
mackerel shark. [Written also probeagle.]
Por"cate (?), a. [L. porca a
ridge between two furrows.] (Zoöl.) Having grooves or
furrows broader than the intervening ridges; furrowed.
Por"ce*lain (?), n. (Bot.)
Purslain. [Obs.]
Por"ce*lain (277), n. [F.
porcelaine, It. porcellana, orig., the porcelain shell,
or Venus shell (Cypræa porcellana), from a dim. fr. L.
porcus pig, probably from the resemblance of the shell in shape
to a pig's back. Porcelain was called after this shell, either on
account of its smoothness and whiteness, or because it was believed to
be made from it. See Pork.] A fine translucent or
semitransculent kind of earthenware, made first in China and Japan,
but now also in Europe and America; -- called also China, or
China ware.
Porcelain, by being pure, is apt to
break.
Dryden.
Ivory porcelain, porcelain with a surface
like ivory, produced by depolishing. See Depolishing. --
Porcelain clay. See under Clay. --
Porcelain crab (Zoöl.), any crab of
the genus Porcellana and allied genera (family
Porcellanidæ). They have a smooth, polished
carapace. -- Porcelain jasper. (Min.)
See Porcelanite. -- Porcelain
printing, the transferring of an impression of an
engraving to porcelain. -- Porcelain shell
(Zoöl.), a cowry.
Por"ce*lain*ized (?), a. (Geol.)
Baked like potter's lay; -- applied to clay shales that have been
converted by heat into a substance resembling porcelain.
{ Por`ce*la"ne*ous (?), Por`cel*la"ne*ous (?), }
a. 1. Of or pertaining to
porcelain; resembling porcelain; as, porcelaneous
shells.
2. (Zoöl.) Having a smooth,
compact shell without pores; -- said of certain
Foraminifera.
Por"ce*la*nite (?), n. [Cf. F.
porcelanite.] (Min.) A semivitrified clay or shale,
somewhat resembling jasper; -- called also porcelain
jasper.
{ Por"ce*la`nous (?), Por"cel*la`nous (?), }
a. Porcelaneous. Ure.
Porch (?), n. [F. porche, L.
porticus, fr. porta a gate, entrance, or passage. See
Port a gate, and cf. Portico.] 1.
(Arch.) A covered and inclosed entrance to a building,
whether taken from the interior, and forming a sort of vestibule
within the main wall, or projecting without and with a separate roof.
Sometimes the porch is large enough to serve as a covered walk. See
also Carriage porch, under Carriage, and
Loggia.
The graceless Helen in the porch I spied
Of Vesta's temple.
Dryden.
2. A portico; a covered walk. [Obs.]
Repair to Pompey's porch, where you shall find
find us.
Shak.
The Porch, a public portico, or great hall,
in Athens, where Zeno, the philosopher, taught his disciples; hence,
sometimes used as equivalent to the school of the Stoics. It
was called "h poiki`lh stoa`. [See
Poicile.]
Por"cine (?), a. [L. porcinus,
from porcus a swine. See Pork.] Of or pertaining to
swine; characteristic of the hog. "Porcine cheeks."
G. Eliot.
Por"cu*pine (?), n. [OE.
porkepyn, porpentine, OF. porc-espi, F. porc-
épic (cf. It. porco spino, porco spinoso, Sp.
puerco espino, puerco espin, fr. L. porcus swine
+ spina thorn, spine). The last part of the French word is
perhaps a corruption from the It. or Sp.; cf. F. épi
ear, a spike of grain, L. spica. See Pork, Spike
a large nail, Spine.] 1. (Zoöl.)
Any Old Word rodent of the genus Hystrix, having the back
covered with long, sharp, erectile spines or quills, sometimes a foot
long. The common species of Europe and Asia (Hystrix cristata)
is the best known.
2. (Zoöl.) Any species of
Erethizon and related genera, native of America. They are
related to the true porcupines, but have shorter spines, and are
arboreal in their habits. The Canada porcupine (Erethizon
dorsatus) is a well known species.
Porcupine ant-eater (Zoöl.), the
echidna. -- Porcupine crab (Zoöl.),
a large spiny Japanese crab (Acantholithodes hystrix).
-- Porcupine disease (Med.). See
Ichthyosis. -- Porcupine fish
(Zoöl.), any plectognath fish having the body covered
with spines which become erect when the body is inflated. See
Diodon, and Globefish. -- Porcupine
grass (Bot.), a grass (Stipa spartea) with
grains bearing a stout twisted awn, which, by coiling and uncoiling
through changes in moisture, propels the sharp-pointed and barbellate
grain into the wool and flesh of sheep. It is found from Illinois
westward. See Illustration in Appendix. --
Porcupine wood (Bot.), the hard outer
wood of the cocoa palm; -- so called because, when cut horizontally,
the markings of the wood resemble the quills of a porcupine.
Pore (?), n. [F., fr. L. porus,
Gr. &?; a passage, a pore. See Fare, v.]
1. One of the minute orifices in an animal or
vegetable membrane, for transpiration, absorption, etc.
2. A minute opening or passageway; an
interstice between the constituent particles or molecules of a body;
as, the pores of stones.
Pore, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Pored (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Poring.] [OE. poren, of uncertain origin; cf. D.
porren to poke, thrust, Gael. purr.] To look or
gaze steadily in reading or studying; to fix the attention; to be
absorbed; -- often with on or upon, and now usually with
over."Painfully to pore upon a book."
Shak.
The eye grows weary with poring perpetually on
the same thing.
Dryden.
Pore"blind` (?), a. [Probably influenced
by pore, v. See Purblind.] Nearsighted;
shortsighted; purblind. [Obs.] Bacon.
Por"er (?), n. One who
pores.
Por"gy (?), n.; pl.
Porgies (#). [See Paugie.]
(Zoöl.) (a) The scup.
(b) The sailor's choice, or pinfish.
(c) The margate fish. (d)
The spadefish. (e) Any one of several
species of embiotocoids, or surf fishes, of the Pacific coast. The
name is also given locally to several other fishes, as the bur
fish. [Written also porgee, porgie, and
paugy.]
||Po*rif"e*ra (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. L.
porus pore + ferre to bear.] (Zoöl.) A
grand division of the Invertebrata, including the sponges; -- called
also Spongiæ, Spongida, and Spongiozoa. The
principal divisions are Calcispongiæ, Keratosa or
Fibrospongiæ, and Silicea.
Po*rif"er*an (?), n. (Zoöl.)
One of the Polifera.
||Po*rif`e*ra"ta (?), n. pl. [NL.]
The Polifera.
Po"ri*form (?), a. [L. porus pore
+ -form: cf. F. poriforme.] Resembling a pore, or
small puncture.
Po"rime (?), n. [Gr. &?; practicable.]
(Math.) A theorem or proposition so easy of demonstration
as to be almost self-evident. [R.] Crabb.
Por"i*ness (?), n. Porosity.
Wiseman.
Po"rism (?), n. [Gr. &?; a thing
procured, a deduction from a demonstration, fr. &?; to bring, provide:
cf. F. porisme.] 1. (Geom.) A
proposition affirming the possibility of finding such conditions as
will render a certain determinate problem indeterminate or capable of
innumerable solutions. Playfair.
2. (Gr. Geom.) A corollary.
Brande & C.
&fist; Three books of porisms of Euclid have been lost, but
several attempts to determine the nature of these propositions and to
restore them have been made by modern geometers.
{ Po`ris*mat"ic (?), Po`ris*mat"ic*al (?), }
a. Of or pertaining to a porism;
poristic.
{ Po*ris"tic (?), Po*ris"tic*al (?), }
a.[Gr. &?; for providing, &?; provided.] Of or
pertaining to a porism; of the nature of a porism.
Po"rite (?), n. [Cf. F. porite.
See Pore, n.] (Zoöl.) Any
coral of the genus Porites, or family Poritidæ.
||Po*ri"tes (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr.
po`ros a pore.] (Zoöl.) An important genus
of reef-building corals having small twelve-rayed calicles, and a very
porous coral. Some species are branched, others grow in large massive
or globular forms.
Pork (?), n. [F. porc, L.
porcus hog, pig. See Farrow a litter of pigs, and cf.
Porcelain, Porpoise.] The flesh of swine, fresh or
salted, used for food.
Pork"er (?), n. A hog.
Pope.
Pork"et (?), n. [Dim. of F. porc.
See Pork.] A young hog; a pig. [R.] Dryden. W.
Howitt.
Pork"ling (?), n. A pig; a
porket. Tusser.
Pork"wood` (?), n. (Bot.)
The coarse-grained brownish yellow wood of a small tree
(Pisonia obtusata) of Florida and the West Indies. Also called
pigeon wood, beefwood, and corkwood.
Por`ne*ras"tic (?), a. [Gr. &?; harlot +
&?; to love.] Lascivious; licentious. [R.] F.
Harrison.
Por`no*graph"ic (?), a. Of or
pertaining to pornography; lascivious; licentious; as,
pornographic writing.
Por*nog"ra*phy (?), n. [Gr. &?; a harlot
+ -graphy.] 1. Licentious painting or
literature; especially, the painting anciently employed to decorate
the walls of rooms devoted to bacchanalian orgies.
2. (Med.) A treatise on prostitutes, or
prostitution.
Po*ros"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F.
porosité.] The quality or state of being porous; --
opposed to density.
Po*rot"ic (?), n. [Gr. &?; callus.]
(Med.) A medicine supposed to promote the formation of
callus.
Por"ous (?), a. [Cf. F. poreux.
See Pore, n.] Full of pores; having
interstices in the skin or in the substance of the body; having
spiracles or passages for fluids; permeable by liquids; as, a
porous skin; porous wood. "The veins of
porous earth." Milton.
Por"ous*ly, adv. In a porous
manner.
Por"ous*ness, n. 1.
The quality of being porous.
2. The open parts; the interstices of
anything. [R.]
They will forcibly get into the porousness of
it.
Sir K. Digby.
Por"pen*tine (?), n.
Porcupine. [Obs.] Shak.
Por"pesse (?), n. A porpoise.
[Obs.]
Por`phy*ra"ceous (?), a.
Porphyritic.
Por"phyre (?), n. Porphyry.
[Obs.] Locke.
Por"phy*rite (?), n. (Min.)
A rock with a porphyritic structure; as, augite
porphyrite.
Por`phy*rit"ic (?), a. [Cf. F.
porphyritique.] (Min.) Relating to, or resembling,
porphyry, that is, characterized by the presence of distinct crystals,
as of feldspar, quartz, or augite, in a relatively fine-grained base,
often aphanitic or cryptocrystalline.
Por`phy*ri*za"tion (?), n. The act
of porphyrizing, or the state of being porphyrized.
Por`phy*rize (?), v. t. [Cf. F.
porphyriser, Gr. &?; to purplish.] To cause to resemble
porphyry; to make spotted in composition, like porphyry.
Por`phy*ro*gen"i*tism (?), n. [LL.
porphyro genitus, fr. Gr. &?;; &?; purple + root of &?; to be
born.] The principle of succession in royal families, especially
among the Eastern Roman emperors, by which a younger son, if born
after the accession of his father to the throne, was preferred to an
elder son who was not so born. Sir T. Palgrave.
Por"phy*ry (?), n.; pl.
Porphyries (#). [F. porphyre, L.
porphyrites, fr. Gr. &?; like purple, fr. &?; purple. See
Purple.] (Geol.) A term used somewhat loosely to
designate a rock consisting of a fine-grained base (usually
feldspathic) through which crystals, as of feldspar or quartz, are
disseminated. There are red, purple, and green varieties, which are
highly esteemed as marbles.
Porphyry shell (Zoöl.), a
handsome marine gastropod shell (Oliva porphyria), having a
dark red or brown polished surface, marked with light spots, like
porphyry.
||Por"pi*ta (?), n. [NL., from Gr. &?;
brooch.] (Zoöl.) A genus of bright-colored
Siphonophora found floating in the warmer parts of the ocean. The
individuals are round and disk-shaped, with a large zooid in the
center of the under side, surrounded by smaller nutritive and
reproductive zooids, and by slender dactylozooids near the margin. The
disk contains a central float, or pneumatocyst.
Por"poise (?), n. [OE. porpeys,
OF. porpeis, literally, hog fish, from L. porcus swine +
piscis fish. See Pork, and Fish.]
1. (Zoöl.) Any small cetacean of the
genus Phocæna, especially P. communis, or P.
phocæna, of Europe, and the closely allied American species
(P. Americana). The color is dusky or blackish above, paler
beneath. They are closely allied to the dolphins, but have a shorter
snout. Called also harbor porpoise, herring hag,
puffing pig, and snuffer.
2. (Zoöl.) A true dolphin
(Delphinus); -- often so called by sailors.
Skunk porpoise, or Bay porpoise
(Zoöl.), a North American porpoise (Lagenorhynchus
acutus), larger than the common species, and with broad stripes of
white and yellow on the sides. See Illustration in
Appendix.
||Por`po*ri"no (?), n. [It.] A
composition of quicksilver, tin, and sulphur, forming a yellow powder,
sometimes used by mediæval artists, for the sake of economy,
instead of gold. Fairholt.
Por"pus (?), n. A porpoise.
[Obs.] Swift.
Por*ra"ceous (?), a. [L.
porraceus, from porrum, porrus, a leek.]
Resembling the leek in color; greenish. [R.]
"Porraceous vomiting." Wiseman.
Por*rect" (?), a. [L. porrectus,
p. p. of porrigere to stretch out before one's self, to but
forth.] Extended horizontally; stretched out.
Por*rec"tion (?), n. [L.
porrectio: cf. F. porrection.] The act of
stretching forth.
Por"ret (?), n. [F. porrette, fr.
L. porrum, porrus, leek. See Porraceous.] A
scallion; a leek or small onion. [R.] Sir T. Browne.
Por"ridge (?), n. [Probably corrupted
fr. pottage; perh. influenced by OE. porree a kind of
pottage, OF. porrée, fr. L. porrum,
porrus, leek. See Pottage, and cf. Porringer.]
A food made by boiling some leguminous or farinaceous substance,
or the meal of it, in water or in milk, making of broth or thin
pudding; as, barley porridge, milk porridge, bean
porridge, etc.
Por"rin*ger (?), n. [OE.
pottanger, for pottager; cf. F. potager a soup
basin. See Porridge.] A porridge dish; esp., a bowl or cup
from which children eat or are fed; as, a silver
porringer. Wordsworth.
Port (?), n. [From Oporto, in
Portugal, i. e., &?; porto the port, L. portus. See
Port harbor.] A dark red or purple astringent wine made in
Portugal. It contains a large percentage of alcohol.
Port, n. [AS. port, L.
portus: cf. F. port. See Farm,
v., Ford, and 1st, 3d, & 4h Port.]
1. A place where ships may ride secure from
storms; a sheltered inlet, bay, or cove; a harbor; a haven. Used also
figuratively.
Peering in maps for ports and piers and
roads.
Shak.
We are in port if we have Thee.
Keble.
2. In law and commercial usage, a harbor where
vessels are admitted to discharge and receive cargoes, from whence
they depart and where they finish their voyages.
Free port. See under Free. --
Port bar. (Naut,) (a) A
boom. See Boom, 4, also Bar, 3. (b)
A bar, as of sand, at the mouth of, or in, a port. --
Port charges (Com.), charges, as
wharfage, etc., to which a ship or its cargo is subjected in a
harbor. -- Port of entry, a harbor where a
customhouse is established for the legal entry of merchandise. --
Port toll (Law), a payment made for the
privilege of bringing goods into port. -- Port
warden, the officer in charge of a port; a harbor
master.
Port (?), n. [F. porte, L.
porta, akin to portus; cf. AS. porte, fr. L.
porta. See Port a harbor, and cf. Porte.]
1. A passageway; an opening or entrance to an
inclosed place; a gate; a door; a portal. [Archaic]
Him I accuse
The city ports by this hath entered.
Shak.
Form their ivory port the cherubim
Forth issuing.
Milton.
2. (Naut.) An opening in the side of a
vessel; an embrasure through which cannon may be discharged; a
porthole; also, the shutters which close such an opening.
Her ports being within sixteen inches of the
water.
Sir W. Raleigh.
3. (Mach.) A passageway in a machine,
through which a fluid, as steam, water, etc., may pass, as from a
valve to the interior of the cylinder of a steam engine; an opening in
a valve seat, or valve face.
Air port, Bridle port, etc.
See under Air, Bridle, etc. -- Port
bar (Naut.), a bar to secure the ports of a ship
in a gale. -- Port lid (Naut.), a
lid or hanging for closing the portholes of a vessel. --
Steam port, ∧ Exhaust port
(Steam Engine), the ports of the cylinder communicating
with the valve or valves, for the entrance or exit of the steam,
respectively.
Port, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Ported; p. pr. & vb. n.
Porting.] [F. porter, L. portare to carry. See
Port demeanor.] 1. To carry; to bear; to
transport. [Obs.]
They are easily ported by boat into other
shires.
Fuller.
2. (Mil.) To throw, as a musket,
diagonally across the body, with the lock in front, the right hand
grasping the small of the stock, and the barrel sloping upward and
crossing the point of the left shoulder; as, to port
arms.
Began to hem him round with ported
spears.
Milton.
Port arms, a position in the manual of arms,
executed as above.
Port, n. [F. port, fr.
porter to carry, L. portare, prob. akin to E.
fare, v. See Port harbor, and cf. Comport,
Export, Sport.] The manner in which a person bears
himself; deportment; carriage; bearing; demeanor; hence, manner or
style of living; as, a proud port. Spenser.
And of his port as meek as is a
maid.
Chaucer.
The necessities of pomp, grandeur, and a suitable
port in the world.
South.
Port, n. [Etymology uncertain.]
(Naut.) The larboard or left side of a ship (looking from
the stern toward the bow); as, a vessel heels to port. See
Note under Larboard. Also used adjectively.
Port, v. t. (Naut.) To turn
or put to the left or larboard side of a ship; -- said of the helm,
and used chiefly in the imperative, as a command; as, port your
helm.
||Por"ta (?), n.; pl.
Portæ (#). [L., a gate. See Port a
hole.] (Anat.) (a) The part of the liver
or other organ where its vessels and nerves enter; the hilus.
(b) The foramen of Monro. B. G.
Wilder.
Port`a*bil"i*ty (?), n. The quality
or state of being portable; fitness to be carried.
Port"a*ble (?), a. [L.
portabilis, fr. portare to carry: cf. F.
portable. See Port demeanor.] 1.
Capable of being borne or carried; easily transported; conveyed
without difficulty; as, a portable bed, desk, engine.
South.
2. Possible to be endured; supportable.
[Obs.]
How light and portable my pain seems
now!
Shak.
Portable forge. See under Forge.
-- Portable steam engine. See under Steam
engine.
Port"a*ble*ness, n. The quality or
state of being portable; portability.
Por"tace (?; 48), n. See
Portass. [Obs.]
Port"age (?; 48), n. [From 2d
Port.] (Naut.) (a) A sailor's wages
when in port. (b) The amount of a sailor's
wages for a voyage.
Port"age, n. [3d Port.] A
porthole. [Obs.] Shak.
Por"tage (?), n. [F., from porter
to carry. See Port to carry.] 1. The act
of carrying or transporting.
2. The price of carriage; porterage.
Bp. Fell.
3. Capacity for carrying; tonnage.
[Obs.] Hakluyt.
4. A carry between navigable waters. See 3d
Carry.
Por"tage (?), v. t. & i. To carry
(goods, boats, etc.) overland between navigable waters.
Por"tage group` (?). [So called from the township of
Portage in New York.] (Geol.) A subdivision of the
Chemung period in American geology. See Chart of
Geology.
Por"ta*gue (?), n. [See
Portuguese.] A Portuguese gold coin formerly current, and
variously estimated to be worth from three and one half to four and
one half pounds sterling. [Obs.] [Written also portegue
and portigue.]
Ten thousand portagues, besides great
pearls.
Marlowe.
Por"tal (?), n. [OF. portal, F.
portail, LL. portale, fr. L. porta a gate. See
Port a gate.] 1. A door or gate; hence, a
way of entrance or exit, especially one that is grand and
imposing.
Thick with sparkling orient gems
The portal shone.
Milton.
From out the fiery portal of the
east.
Shak.
2. (Arch.) (a) The
lesser gate, where there are two of different dimensions.
(b) Formerly, a small square corner in a room
separated from the rest of the apartment by wainscoting, forming a
short passage to another apartment. (c) By
analogy with the French portail, used by recent writers for the
whole architectural composition which surrounds and includes the
doorways and porches of a church.
3. (Bridge Building) The space, at one
end, between opposite trusses when these are terminated by inclined
braces.
4. A prayer book or breviary; a portass.
[Obs.]
Portal bracing (Bridge Building), a
combination of struts and ties which lie in the plane of the inclined
braces at a portal, serving to transfer wind pressure from the upper
parts of the trusses to an abutment or pier of the bridge.
Por"tal (?), a. (Anat.) Of
or pertaining to a porta, especially the porta of the liver; as, the
portal vein, which enters the liver at the porta, and divides
into capillaries after the manner of an artery.
&fist; Portal is applied to other veins which break up into
capillaries; as, the renal portal veins in the frog.
||Por`ta*men"to (?), n. [It., fr.
portare to carry.] (Mus.) In singing, or in the use
of the bow, a gradual carrying or lifting of the voice or sound very
smoothly from one note to another; a gliding from tone to
tone.
Por"tance (?), n. See Port,
carriage, demeanor. [Obs.] Spenser. Shak.
Por"tass (?), n. [OF. porte-hors
a kind of prayer book, so called from being portable; cf. LL.
portiforium.] A breviary; a prayer book. [Written
variously portace, portasse, portesse,
portise, porthose, portos, portus,
portuse, etc.] [Obs.] Spenser. Camden.
By God and by this porthors I you
swear.
Chaucer.
Por"tate (?), a. [L. portatus, p.
p. of portare to carry.] (Her.) Borne not erect,
but diagonally athwart an escutcheon; as, a cross
portate.
Por"ta*tive (?), a. [Cf. F.
portatif.] 1. Portable. [Obs.]
2. (Physics) Capable of holding up or
carrying; as, the portative force of a magnet, of atmospheric
pressure, or of capillarity.
Port"cluse (?), n. A
portcullis. [Obs.]
Port`cray"on (?), n. [F. porte-
crayon; porter to carry + crayon a crayon.] A
metallic handle with a clasp for holding a crayon.
Port*cul"lis (?), n. [OF. porte
coulisse, coleïce, a sliding door, fr. L.
colare, colatum, to filter, to strain: cf. F.
couler to glide. See Port a gate, and cf. Cullis,
Colander.] 1. (Fort.) A grating of
iron or of timbers pointed with iron, hung over the gateway of a
fortress, to be let down to prevent the entrance of an enemy.
"Let the portcullis fall." Sir W. Scott.
She . . . the huge portcullis high
updrew.
Milton.
2. An English coin of the reign of Elizabeth,
struck for the use of the East India Company; -- so called from its
bearing the figure of a portcullis on the reverse.
Port*cul"lis, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Portcullised (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Portcullising.] To obstruct with, or as with,
a portcullis; to shut; to bar. [R.] Shak.
Porte (?), n. [F. porte a gate,
L. porta. See Port a gate.] The Ottoman court; the
government of the Turkish empire, officially called the Sublime
Porte, from the gate (port) of the sultan's palace at which
justice was administered.
||Porte"-co`chère" (?), n. [F.
See Port a gate, and Coach.] (Arch.) A large
doorway allowing vehicles to drive into or through a building. It is
common to have the entrance door open upon the passage of the
porte-cochère. Also, a porch over a driveway before an
entrance door.
Port"ed (?), a. Having gates.
[Obs.]
We took the sevenfold-ported
Thebes.
Chapman.
Por"te*gue (?), n. See
Portague. [Obs.]
Porte"mon*naie` (?), n. [F., fr.
porter to carry + monnaie money.] A small
pocketbook or wallet for carrying money.
Por*tend" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Portended; p. pr. & vb. n.
Portending.] [L. portendre, portentum, to
foretell, to predict, to impend, from an old preposition used in comp.
+ tendere to stretch. See Position, Tend.]
1. To indicate (events, misfortunes, etc.) as in
future; to foreshow; to foretoken; to bode; -- now used esp. of
unpropitious signs. Bacon.
Many signs portended a dark and stormy
day.
Macaulay.
2. To stretch out before. [R.] "Doomed
to feel the great Idomeneus' portended steel."
Pope.
Syn. -- To foreshow; foretoken; betoken; forebode; augur;
presage; foreshadow; threaten.
Por*ten"sion (?), n. The act of
foreshowing; foreboding. [R.] Sir T. Browne.
Por*tent" (?; 277), n. [L.
portentum. See Portend.] That which portends, or
foretoken; esp., that which portends evil; a sign of coming calamity;
an omen; a sign. Shak.
My loss by dire portents the god
foretold.
Dryden.
Por*tent"ive (?), a. Presaging;
foreshadowing.
Por*tent"ous (?), a. [L.
portentosus.] 1. Of the nature of a
portent; containing portents; foreshadowing, esp. foreshadowing ill;
ominous.
For, I believe, they are portentous
things.
Shak.
Victories of strange and almost portentous
splendor.
Macaulay.
2. Hence: Monstrous; prodigious; wonderful;
dreadful; as, a beast of portentous size.
Roscommon.
-- Por*tent"ous*ly, adv. --
Por*tent"ous*ness, n.
Por"ter (?), n. [F. portier, L.
portarius, from porta a gate, door. See Port a
gate.] A man who has charge of a door or gate; a doorkeeper; one
who waits at the door to receive messages. Shak.
To him the porter openeth.
John
x. 3.
Por"ter, n. [F. porteur, fr.
porter to carry, L. portare. See Port to carry.]
1. A carrier; one who carries or conveys burdens,
luggage, etc.; for hire.
2. (Forging) A bar of iron or steel at
the end of which a forging is made; esp., a long, large bar, to the
end of which a heavy forging is attached, and by means of which the
forging is lifted and handled in hammering and heating; -- called also
porter bar.
3. A malt liquor, of a dark color and
moderately bitter taste, possessing tonic and intoxicating
qualities.
&fist; Porter is said to be so called as having been first used
chiefly by the London porters, and this application of the word
is supposed to be not older than 1750.
Por"ter*age (?), n. 1.
The work of a porter; the occupation of a carrier or of a
doorkeeper.
2. Money charged or paid for the carriage of
burdens or parcels by a porter.
Por"ter*ess, n. See
Portress.
Por"ter*house, n. A house where
porter is sold.
Porterhouse steak, a steak cut from a sirloin
of beet, including the upper and under part.
Por"tesse (?), n. See
Porteass. [Obs.] Tyndale.
Port"fire` (?), n. A case of strong
paper filled with a composition of niter, sulphur, and mealed powder,
-- used principally to ignite the priming in proving guns, and as an
incendiary material in shells.
Port*fol"io (?), n. [F.
portefeuille; porter to carry + feuille a leaf.
See Port to carry, and Folio.] 1. A
portable case for holding loose papers, prints, drawings,
etc.
2. Hence: The office and functions of a
minister of state or member of the cabinet; as, to receive the
portfolio of war; to resign the portfolio.
Port"glave (?), n. [F. porte-
glaive; porter to carry + glaive a sword.] A
sword bearer. [Obs.]
{ Port"greve` (?), Port"grave` (?), }[AS.
portgerēfa; port a harbor + gerēfa a
reeve or sheriff. See Reeve a steward, and cf.
Portreeve.] In old English law, the chief magistrate of a
port or maritime town.; a portreeve. [Obs.] Fabyan.
Port"hole` (?), n. (Naut.)
An embrasure in a ship's side. See 3d Port.
Port"hook` (?), n. (Naut.)
One of the iron hooks to which the port hinges are
attached. J. Knowles.
Port"hors` (?), n. See
Portass. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Por"ti*co, n.; pl.
Porticoes (#) or Porticos.
[It., L. porticus. See Porch.] (Arch.) A
colonnade or covered ambulatory, especially in classical styles of
architecture; usually, a colonnade at the entrance of a
building.
Por"ti*coed (?), a. Furnished with
a portico.
||Por`tière"" (?), n. [F., fr.
porte gate, door. See Port a gate.] A curtain
hanging across a doorway.
Por"ti*gue (?), n. See
Portague. Beau. & Fl.
Por"tin*gal (?), a. Of or
pertaining to Portugal; Portuguese. [Obs.] --
n. A Portuguese. [Obs.]
Por"tion (?), n. [F., from L.
portio, akin to pars, partis, a part. See
Part, n.] 1. That which
is divided off or separated, as a part from a whole; a separated part
of anything.
2. A part considered by itself, though not
actually cut off or separated from the whole.
These are parts of his ways; but how little a
portion is heard of him!
Job xxvi. 14.
Portions and parcels of the dreadful
past.
Tennyson.
3. A part assigned; allotment; share;
fate.
The lord of that servant . . . will appoint him his
portion with the unbelievers.
Luke xii.
46.
Man's portion is to die and rise
again.
Keble.
4. The part of an estate given to a child or
heir, or descending to him by law, and distributed to him in the
settlement of the estate; an inheritance.
Give me the portion of goods that falleth to
me.
Luke xv. 12.
5. A wife's fortune; a dowry.
Shak.
Syn. -- Division; share; parcel; quantity; allotment;
dividend. -- Portion, Part. Part is generic,
having a simple reference to some whole. Portion has the
additional idea of such a division as bears reference to an
individual, or is allotted to some object; as, a portion of
one's time; a portion of Scripture.
Por"tion, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Portioned (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Portioning.] 1. To separate or divide into
portions or shares; to parcel; to distribute.
And portion to his tribes the wide
domain.
Pope.
2. To endow with a portion or
inheritance.
Him portioned maids, apprenticed orphans,
blest.
Pope.
Por"tion*er (?), n. 1.
One who portions.
2. (Eccl.) See Portionist,
2.
Por"tion*ist (?), n. 1.
A scholar at Merton College, Oxford, who has a certain academical
allowance or portion; -- corrupted into postmaster.
Shipley.
2. (Eccl.) One of the incumbents of a
benefice which has two or more rectors or vicars.
Por"tion*less, a. Having no
portion.
Por"tise (?), n. See
Portass. [Obs.]
Port"land ce*ment" (?). A cement having the color of
the Portland stone of England, made by calcining an artificial mixture
of carbonate of lime and clay, or sometimes certain natural limestones
or chalky clays. It contains a large proportion of clay, and hardens
under water.
Port"land stone" (?). A yellowish-white calcareous
freestone from the Isle of Portland in England, much used in
building.
Port"land vase` (?). A celebrated cinerary urn or
vase found in the tomb of the Emperor Alexander Severus. It is owned
by the Duke of Portland, and kept in the British Museum.
Port"last (?), n. (Naut.)
The portoise. See Portoise.
Port"li*ness (?), n. 1.
The quality or state of being portly; dignity of mien or of
personal appearance; stateliness.
Such pride is praise; such portliness is
honor.
Spenser.
2. Bulkiness; corpulence.
Port"ly, a. [From Port demeanor.]
1. Having a dignified port or mien; of a noble
appearance; imposing.
2. Bulky; corpulent. "A portly
personage." Dickens.
Port"man (?), n.; pl.
Portmen (&?;). An inhabitant or burgess of a
port, esp. of one of the Cinque Ports.
Port*man"teau (?), n.; pl.
Portmanteaus (#). [F. porte-manteau;
porter to carry + manteau a cloak, mantle. See
Port to carry, and Mantle.] A bag or case, usually
of leather, for carrying wearing apparel, etc., on journeys.
Thackeray.
Port*man"tle (?), n. A
portmanteau. [Obs.]
Port"mote` (?), n. In old English
law, a court, or mote, held in a port town. [Obs.]
Blackstone.
Por"toir (?), n. [OF., fr. porter
to bear.] One who, or that which, bears; hence, one who, or that
which, produces. [Obs.]
Branches . . . which were portoirs, and bare
grapes.
Holland.
Por"toise (?), n. [Perhaps fr. OF.
porteis portative, portable.] (Naut.) The gunwale
of a ship.
To lower the yards a-portoise, to lower them
to the gunwale. -- To ride a portoise, to
ride an anchor with the lower yards and topmasts struck or lowered, as
in a gale of wind.
Por"tos (?), n. See
Portass. [Obs.]
Port"pane (?), n. [From L.
portare to carry + panis bread; prob. through French.]
A cloth for carrying bread, so as not to touch it with the
hands. [Obs.]
Por"trait (?), n. [F., originally p. p.
of portraire to portray. See Portray.]
1. The likeness of a person, painted, drawn, or
engraved; commonly, a representation of the human face painted from
real life.
In portraits, the grace, and, we may add, the
likeness, consists more in the general air than in the exact
similitude of every feature.
Sir J. Reynolds.
&fist; The meaning of the word is sometimes extended so as to
include a photographic likeness.
2. Hence, any graphic or vivid delineation or
description of a person; as, a portrait in words.
Portrait bust, or Portrait
statue, a bust or statue representing the actual
features or person of an individual; -- in distinction from an
ideal bust or statue.
Por"trait, v. t. To portray; to
draw. [Obs.] Spenser.
Por"trait*ist, n. A portrait
painter. [R.] Hamerton.
Por"trai*ture (?; 135), n. [F.
portraiture.] 1. A portrait; a likeness; a
painted resemblance; hence, that which is copied from some example or
model.
For, by the image of my cause, I see
The portraiture of his.
Shak.
Divinity maketh the love of ourselves the pattern; the
love of our neighbors but the portraiture.
Bacon.
2. Pictures, collectively; painting.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
3. The art or practice of making
portraits. Walpole.
Por"trai*ture, v. t. To represent
by a portrait, or as by a portrait; to portray. [R.]
Shaftesbury.
Por*tray" (?), v. t. [Written also
pourtray.] [imp. & p. p. portrayed
(&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Portraying.] [OE.
pourtraien, OF. portraire, pourtraire, F.
portraire, fr. L. protrahere, protractum, to draw
or drag forth; pro forward, forth + trahere to draw. See
Trace, v. t., and cf. Protract.]
1. To paint or draw the likeness of; as, to
portray a king on horseback.
Take a tile, and lay it before thee, and portray
upon it the city, even Jerusalem.
Ezek. iv. 1.
2. Hence, figuratively, to describe in
words.
3. To adorn with pictures. [R.]
Spear and helmets thronged, and shields
Various with boastful arguments potrayed.
Milton.
Por*tray"al (?), n. The act or
process of portraying; description; delineation.
Por*tray"er (?), n. One who
portrays. Chaucer.
Port"reeve` (?), n. A port
warden.
Por"tress (?), n. A female
porter. Milton.
Port-roy"al*ist (?), n. (Eccl.
Hist.) One of the dwellers in the Cistercian convent of Port
Royal des Champs, near Paris, when it was the home of the Jansenists
in the 17th century, among them being Arnauld, Pascal, and other
famous scholars. Cf. Jansenist.
Port"sale` (?), n. [Port gate +
sale.] Public or open sale; auction. [Obs.]
Holland.
Por"tu*a*ry (?; 135), n. [Cf.
Portass.] (R. C. Ch.) A breviary. [Eng.]
Por"tu*guese (?), a. [Cf. F.
portugais, Sp. portugues, Pg. portuguez.] Of
or pertaining to Portugal, or its inhabitants. -- n.
sing. & pl. A native or inhabitant of Portugal; people
of Portugal.
Portuguese man-of-war. (Zoöl.)
See Physalia.
||Por`tu*la"ca (?), n. [L., purslane.]
(Bot.) A genus of polypetalous plants; also, any plant of
the genus.
&fist; Portulaca oleracea is the common purslane. P.
grandiflora is a South American herb, widely cultivated for its
showy crimson, scarlet, yellow, or white, ephemeral blossoms.
Por`tu*la*ca"ceous (?), a. (Bot.)
Of or pertaining to a natural order of plants
(Portulacaceæ), of which Portulaca is the type, and which
includes also the spring beauty (Claytonia) and other
genera.
Por"wi`gle (?), n. See
Polliwig.
Por"y (?), a. Porous; as,
pory stone. [R.] Dryden.
||Po`sé" (?), a. [F., placed,
posed.] (Her.) Standing still, with all the feet on the
ground; -- said of the attitude of a lion, horse, or other
beast.
Pose (?), n. [AS. gepose; of
uncertain origin; cf. W. pas a cough, Skr. kās to
cough, and E. wheeze.] A cold in the head; catarrh.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
Pose (?), n. [F. pose, fr.
poser. See Pose, v. t.] The
attitude or position of a person; the position of the body or of any
member of the body; especially, a position formally assumed for the
sake of effect; an artificial position; as, the pose of an
actor; the pose of an artist's model or of a statue.
Pose, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Posed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Posing.] [F. poser to place, to put, L. pausare
to pause, in LL. also, to place, put, fr. L. pausa a pause, Gr.
&?;, fr. &?; to make to cease, prob. akin to E. few. In
compounds, this word appears corresponding to L. ponere to put,
place, the substitution in French having been probably due to
confusion of this word with L. positio position, fr.
ponere. See Few, and cf. Appose, Dispose,
Oppose, Pause, Repose, Position.] To
place in an attitude or fixed position, for the sake of effect; to
arrange the posture and drapery of (a person) in a studied manner; as,
to pose a model for a picture; to pose a sitter for a
portrait.
Pose, v. i. To assume and maintain
a studied attitude, with studied arrangement of drapery; to strike an
attitude; to attitudinize; figuratively, to assume or affect a certain
character; as, she poses as a prude.
He . . . posed before her as a
hero.
Thackeray.
Pose, v. t. [Shortened from
appose, for oppose. See 2d Appose,
Oppose.] 1. To interrogate; to
question. [Obs.] "She . . . posed him and sifted him."
Bacon.
2. To question with a view to puzzling; to
embarrass by questioning or scrutiny; to bring to a stand.
A question wherewith a learned Pharisee thought to
pose and puzzle him.
Barrow.
Posed (?), a. Firm; determined;
fixed. "A most posed . . . and grave behavior." [Obs.]
Urquhart.
Pos"er (?), n. One who, or that
which, puzzles; a difficult or inexplicable question or fact.
Bacon.
Po"sied (?), a. Inscribed with a
posy.
In poised lockets bribe the fair.
Gay.
Pos"ing*ly (?), adv. So as to pose
or puzzle.
Pos"it (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Posited; p. pr. & vb. n.
Positing.] [L. ponere, positum, to place. See
Position.] 1. To dispose or set firmly or
fixedly; to place or dispose in relation to other objects.
Sir M. Hale.
2. (Logic) To assume as real or
conceded; as, to posit a principle. Sir W.
Hamilton.
Po*si"tion (?), n. [F. position,
L. positio, fr. ponere, positum, to put, place;
prob. for posino, fr. an old preposition used only in comp.
(akin to Gr. &?;) + sinere to leave, let, permit, place. See
Site, and cf. Composite, Compound,
v., Depone, Deposit, Expound,
Impostor, Opposite, Propound, Pose,
v., Posit, Post,
n.]
1. The state of being posited, or placed; the
manner in which anything is placed; attitude; condition; as, a firm,
an inclined, or an upright position.
We have different prospects of the same thing,
according to our different positions to it.
Locke.
2. The spot where a person or thing is placed
or takes a place; site; place; station; situation; as, the
position of man in creation; the fleet changed its
position.
3. Hence: The ground which any one takes in an
argument or controversy; the point of view from which any one proceeds
to a discussion; also, a principle laid down as the basis of
reasoning; a proposition; a thesis; as, to define one's
position; to appear in a false position.
Let not the proof of any position depend on the
positions that follow, but always on those which go
before.
I. Watts.
4. Relative place or standing; social or
official rank; as, a person of position; hence, office; post;
as, to lose one's position.
5. (Arith.) A method of solving a
problem by one or two suppositions; -- called also the rule of
trial and error.
Angle of position (Astron.), the angle
which any line (as that joining two stars) makes with another fixed
line, specifically with a circle of declination. --
Double position (Arith.), the method of
solving problems by proceeding with each of two assumed numbers,
according to the conditions of the problem, and by comparing the
difference of the results with those of the numbers, deducing the
correction to be applied to one of them to obtain the true
result. -- Guns of position (Mil.),
heavy fieldpieces, not designed for quick movements. --
Position finder (Mil.), a range finder.
See under Range. -- Position micrometer,
a micrometer applied to the tube of an astronomical telescope for
measuring angles of position in the field of view. --
Single position (Arith.), the method of
solving problems, in which the result obtained by operating with an
assumed number is to the true result as the number assumed is to the
number required. -- Strategic position
(Mil.), a position taken up by an army or a large
detachment of troops for the purpose of checking or observing an
opposing force.
Syn. -- Situation; station; place; condition; attitude;
posture; proposition; assertion; thesis.
Po*si"tion (?), v. t. To indicate
the position of; to place. [R.] Encyc. Brit.
Po*si"tion*al (?), a. Of or pertaining
to position.
Ascribing unto plants positional
operations.
Sir T. Browne.
Pos"i*tive (?), a. [OE. positif,
F. positif, L. positivus. See Position.]
1. Having a real position, existence, or energy;
existing in fact; real; actual; -- opposed to negative.
"Positive good." Bacon.
2. Derived from an object by itself; not
dependent on changing circumstances or relations; absolute; -- opposed
to relative; as, the idea of beauty is not positive, but
depends on the different tastes individuals.
3. Definitely laid down; explicitly stated;
clearly expressed; -- opposed to implied; as, a positive
declaration or promise.
Positive words, that he would not bear arms
against King Edward's son.
Bacon.
4. Hence: Not admitting of any doubt,
condition, qualification, or discretion; not dependent on
circumstances or probabilities; not speculative; compelling assent or
obedience; peremptory; indisputable; decisive; as, positive
instructions; positive truth; positive proof. "'T
is positive 'gainst all exceptions." Shak.
5. Prescribed by express enactment or
institution; settled by arbitrary appointment; said of laws.
In laws, that which is natural bindeth universally;
that which is positive, not so.
Hooker.
6. Fully assured; confident; certain;
sometimes, overconfident; dogmatic; overbearing; -- said of
persons.
Some positive, persisting fops we know,
That, if once wrong, will needs be always.
Pope.
7. Having the power of direct action or
influence; as, a positive voice in legislation.
Swift.
8. (Photog.) Corresponding with the
original in respect to the position of lights and shades, instead of
having the lights and shades reversed; as, a positive
picture.
9. (Chem.) (a) Electro-
positive. (b) Hence, basic; metallic; not
acid; -- opposed to negative, and said of metals, bases, and
basic radicals.
Positive crystals (Opt.), a doubly
refracting crystal in which the index of refraction for the
extraordinary ray is greater than for the ordinary ray, and the former
is refracted nearer to the axis than the latter, as quartz and ice; --
opposed to negative crystal, or one in which this
characteristic is reversed, as Iceland spar, tourmaline, etc. --
Positive degree (Gram.), that state of an
adjective or adverb which denotes simple quality, without comparison
or relation to increase or diminution; as, wise,
noble. -- Positive electricity
(Elec), the kind of electricity which is developed when
glass is rubbed with silk, or which appears at that pole of a voltaic
battery attached to the plate that is not attacked by the exciting
liquid; -- formerly called vitreous electricity; -- opposed to
negative electricity. -- Positive
eyepiece. See under Eyepiece. --
Positive law. See Municipal law, under
Law. -- Positive motion (Mach.),
motion which is derived from a driver through unyielding
intermediate pieces, or by direct contact, and not through elastic
connections, nor by means of friction, gravity, etc.; definite
motion. -- Positive philosophy. See
Positivism. -- Positive pole.
(a) (Elec.) The pole of a battery or pile
which yields positive or vitreous electricity; -- opposed to
negative pole. (b) (Magnetism)
The north pole. [R.] -- Positive quantity
(Alg.), an affirmative quantity, or one affected by the
sign plus [+]. -- Positive rotation
(Mech.), left-handed rotation. -- Positive
sign (Math.), the sign [+] denoting plus,
or more, or addition.
Pos"i*tive, n. 1.
That which is capable of being affirmed; reality.
South.
2. That which settles by absolute
appointment.
3. (Gram.) The positive degree or
form.
4. (Photog.) A picture in which the
lights and shades correspond in position with those of the original,
instead of being reversed, as in a negative. R.
Hunt.
5. (Elec.) The positive plate of a
voltaic or electrolytic cell.
Pos"i*tive*ly, adv. In a positive
manner; absolutely; really; expressly; with certainty; indubitably;
peremptorily; dogmatically; -- opposed to negatively.
Good and evil which is removed may be esteemed good or
evil comparatively, and positively simply.
Bacon.
Give me some breath, some little pause, my lord,
Before I positively speak herein.
Shak.
I would ask . . . whether . . . the divine law does not
positively require humility and meekness.
Sprat.
Positively charged or
electrified (Elec.), having a charge of
positive electricity; -- opposed to negatively
electrified.
Pos"i*tive*ness, n. The quality or
state of being positive; reality; actualness; certainty; confidence;
peremptoriness; dogmatism. See Positive,
a.
Positiveness, pedantry, and ill
manners.
Swift.
The positiveness of sins of commission lies both
in the habitude of the will and in the executed act too; the
positiveness of sins of omission is in the habitude of the will
only.
Norris.
Pos"i*tiv*ism (?), n. A system of
philosophy originated by M. Auguste Comte, which deals only with
positives. It excludes from philosophy everything but the
natural phenomena or properties of knowable things, together with
their invariable relations of coexistence and succession, as occurring
in time and space. Such relations are denominated laws, which
are to be discovered by observation, experiment, and comparison. This
philosophy holds all inquiry into causes, both efficient and
final, to be useless and unprofitable.
Pos"i*tiv*ist, n. A believer in
positivism. -- a. Relating to
positivism.
Pos`i*tiv"i*ty (?), n.
Positiveness. J. Morley.
Pos"i*ture (?; 135), n. See
Posture. [Obs.]
Pos"net (?), n. [OF.
poçonet, dim. of poçon a pot, a vessel.]
A little basin; a porringer; a skillet.
{ Pos`o*log"ic (?), Pos`o*log"ic*al (?), }
a. [Cf. F. posologique.] Pertaining to
posology.
Po*sol"o*gy (?), n. [Gr. &?; how much +
-logy: cf. F. posologie.] (Med.) The science
or doctrine of doses; dosology.
Pos"po*lite (?), n. [Pol. pospolite
ruszenie a general summons to arms, an arriere-ban;
pospolity general + ruszenie a stirring.] A kind of
militia in Poland, consisting of the gentry, which, in case of
invasion, was summoned to the defense of the country.
Poss (?), v. t. [See Push.]
To push; to dash; to throw. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]
A cat . . . possed them [the rats]
about.
Piers Plowman.
Pos"se (?), n. See Posse
comitatus.
In posse. See In posse in the
Vocabulary.
||Pos"se com`i*ta"tus (?). [L. posse to be able, to
have power + LL. comitatus a county, from comes,
comitis, a count. See County, and Power.]
1. (Law) The power of the county, or
the citizens who may be summoned by the sheriff to assist the
authorities in suppressing a riot, or executing any legal precept
which is forcibly opposed. Blackstone.
2. A collection of people; a throng; a
rabble. [Colloq.]
&fist; The word comitatus is often omitted, and posse
alone used. "A whole posse of enthusiasts."
Carlyle.
As if the passion that rules were the sheriff of the
place, and came off with all the posse.
Locke.
Pos*sess" (?; 277), v. t. [imp.
& p. p. Possessed (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Possessing.] [L. possessus, p. p. of
possidere to have, possess, from an inseparable prep. (cf.
Position) + sedere to sit. See Sit.]
1. To occupy in person; to hold or actually have
in one's own keeping; to have and to hold.
Houses and fields and vineyards shall be
possessed again in this land.
Jer. xxxii.
15.
Yet beauty, though injurious, hath strange power,
After offense returning, to regain
Love once possessed.
Milton.
2. To have the legal title to; to have a just
right to; to be master of; to own; to have; as, to possess
property, an estate, a book.
I am yours, and all that I possess.
Shak.
3. To obtain occupation or possession of; to
accomplish; to gain; to seize.
How . . . to possess the purpose they
desired.
Spenser.
4. To enter into and influence; to control the
will of; to fill; to affect; -- said especially of evil spirits,
passions, etc. "Weakness possesseth me."
Shak.
Those which were possessed with
devils.
Matt. iv. 24.
For ten inspired, ten thousand are
possessed.
Roscommon.
5. To put in possession; to make the owner or
holder of property, power, knowledge, etc.; to acquaint; to inform; --
followed by of or with before the thing possessed, and
now commonly used reflexively.
I have possessed your grace of what I
purpose.
Shak.
Record a gift . . . of all he dies possessed
Unto his son.
Shak.
We possessed our selves of the kingdom of
Naples.
Addison.
To possess our minds with an habitual good
intention.
Addison.
Syn. -- To have; hold; occupy; control; own. --
Possess, Have. Have is the more general word. To
possess denotes to have as a property. It usually
implies more permanence or definiteness of control or ownership than
is involved in having. A man does not possess his wife
and children: they are (so to speak) part of himself. For the same
reason, we have the faculties of reason, understanding, will,
sound judgment, etc.: they are exercises of the mind, not
possessions.
Pos*ses"sion (?), n. [F.
possession, L. possessio.] 1. The
act or state of possessing, or holding as one's own.
2. (Law) The having, holding, or
detention of property in one's power or command; actual seizin or
occupancy; ownership, whether rightful or wrongful.
&fist; Possession may be either actual or constructive; actual,
when a party has the immediate occupancy; constructive, when he has
only the right to such occupancy.
3. The thing possessed; that which any one
occupies, owns, or controls; in the plural, property in the aggregate;
wealth; dominion; as, foreign possessions.
When the young man heard that saying, he went away
sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
Matt.
xix. 22.
Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a
possession.
Acts v. 1.
The house of Jacob shall possess their
possessions.
Ob. 17.
4. The state of being possessed or controlled,
as by an evil spirit, or violent passions; madness; frenzy; as,
demoniacal possession.
How long hath this possession held the
man?
Shak.
To give possession, to put in another's power
or occupancy. -- To put in possession.
(a) To invest with ownership or occupancy; to
provide or furnish with; as, to put one in possession of
facts or information. (b) (Law) To
place one in charge of property recovered in ejectment or writ of
entry. -- To take possession, to enter
upon, or to bring within one's power or occupancy. --
Writ of possession (Law), a precept
directing a sheriff to put a person in peaceable possession of
property recovered in ejectment or writ of entry.
Pos*ses"sion, v. t. To invest with
property. [Obs.]
Pos*ses"sion*a*ry (?), a. Of or
pertaining to possession; arising from possession.
Pos*ses"sion*er (?), n.
1. A possessor; a property holder. [Obs.]
"Possessioners of riches." E. Hall.
Having been of old freemen and
possessioners.
Sir P. Sidney.
2. An invidious name for a member of any
religious community endowed with property in lands, buildings, etc.,
as contrasted with mendicant friars. [Obs.] Wyclif.
Pos`ses*si"val (?), a. Of or
pertaining to the possessive case; as, a possessival
termination. Earle.
Pos*sess"ive (?), a. [L.
possessivus: cf. F. possessif.] Of or pertaining to
possession; having or indicating possession.
Possessive case (Eng. Gram.), the
genitive case; the case of nouns and pronouns which expresses
ownership, origin, or some possessive relation of one thing to
another; as, Homer's admirers; the pear's flavor; the
dog's faithfulness. -- Possessive
pronoun, a pronoun denoting ownership; as, his
name; her home; my book.
Pos*sess"ive (?), n. 1.
(Gram.) The possessive case.
2. (Gram.) A possessive pronoun, or a
word in the possessive case.
Pos*sess"ive*ly, adv. In a
possessive manner.
Pos*sess"or (?), n. [L.: cf. F.
possesseur.] One who possesses; one who occupies, holds,
owns, or controls; one who has actual participation or enjoyment,
generally of that which is desirable; a proprietor.
"Possessors of eternal glory." Law.
As if he had been possessor of the whole
world.
Sharp.
Syn. -- Owner; proprietor; master; holder; occupant.
Pos*sess"o*ry (?), a. [L.
possessorius: cf. F. possessoire.] Of or pertaining
to possession, either as a fact or a right; of the nature of
possession; as, a possessory interest; a possessory
lord.
Possessory action or suit
(Law), an action to regain or obtain possession of
something. See under Petitory.
Pos"set (?), n. [W. posel curdled
milk, posset.] A beverage composed of hot milk curdled by some
strong infusion, as by wine, etc., -- much in favor formerly. "I
have drugged their posset." Shak.
Pos"set, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Posseted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Posseting.] 1. To curdle; to turn, as
milk; to coagulate; as, to posset the blood. [Obs.]
Shak.
2. To treat with possets; to pamper.
[R.] "She was cosseted and posseted." O. W. Holmes.
Pos`si*bil"i*ty (?), n.; pl.
Possibilities (#). [F. possibilité, L.
possibilitas.] 1. The quality or state of
being possible; the power of happening, being, or existing. "All
possibility of error." Hooker. "Latent
possibilities of excellence." Johnson.
2. That which is possible; a contingency; a
thing or event that may not happen; a contingent interest, as in real
or personal estate. South. Burrill.
Pos"si*ble (?), a. [F., fr. L.
possibilis, fr. posse to be able, to have power;
potis able, capable + esse to be. See Potent,
Am, and cf. Host a landlord.] Capable of existing
or occurring, or of being conceived or thought of; able to happen;
capable of being done; not contrary to the nature of things; --
sometimes used to express extreme improbability; barely able to be, or
to come to pass; as, possibly he is honest, as it is possible
that Judas meant no wrong.
With God all things are possible.
Matt. xix. 26.
Syn. -- Practicable; likely. See Practicable.
Pos"si*bly, adv. In a possible
manner; by possible means; especially, by extreme, remote, or
improbable intervention, change, or exercise of power; by a chance;
perhaps; as, possibly he may recover.
Can we . . . possibly his love
desert?
Milton.
When possibly I can, I will return.
Shak.
Pos"sum (?), n. [Shortened from
opossum.] (Zoöl.) An opossum. [Colloq.
U. S.]
To play possum, To act possum,
to feign ignorance, indifference or inattention, with the intent
to deceive; to dissemble; -- in allusion to the habit of the opossum,
which feigns death when attacked or alarmed.
Post- (pōst). [L. post behind, after; cf.
Skr. paçcābehind, afterwards.] A prefix
signifying behind, back, after; as,
postcommissure, postdot, postscript.
Post, a. [F. aposter to place in
a post or position, generally for a bad purpose.] Hired to do
what is wrong; suborned. [Obs.] Sir E. Sandys.
Post, n. [AS., fr. L. postis,
akin to ponere, positum, to place. See Position,
and cf. 4th Post.] 1. A piece of timber,
metal, or other solid substance, fixed, or to be fixed, firmly in an
upright position, especially when intended as a stay or support to
something else; a pillar; as, a hitching post; a fence
post; the posts of a house.
They shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two
side posts and on the upper doorpost of the
houses.
Ex. xii. 7.
Then by main force pulled up, and on his shoulders
bore,
The gates of Azza, post and massy bar.
Milton.
Unto his order he was a noble post.
Chaucer.
&fist; Post, in the sense of an upright timber or strut, is
used in composition, in such words as king-post, queen-
post, crown-post, gatepost, etc.
2. The doorpost of a victualer's shop or inn,
on which were chalked the scores of customers; hence, a score; a
debt. [Obs.]
When God sends coin
I will discharge your post.
S.
Rowlands.
From pillar to post. See under
Pillar. -- Knight of the post. See
under Knight. -- Post hanger
(Mach.), a bearing for a revolving shaft, adapted to be
fastened to a post. -- Post hole, a hole in
the ground to set the foot of a post in. -- Post
mill, a form of windmill so constructed that the whole
fabric rests on a vertical axis firmly fastened to the ground, and
capable of being turned as the direction of the wind varies. --
Post and stall (Coal Mining), a mode of
working in which pillars of coal are left to support the roof of the
mine.
Post, n. [F. poste, LL.
posta station, post (where horses were kept), properly, a fixed
or set place, fem. fr. L. positus placed, p. p. of
ponere. See Position, and cf. Post a pillar.]
1. The place at which anything is stopped,
placed, or fixed; a station. Specifically: (a)
A station, or one of a series of stations, established for the
refreshment and accommodation of travelers on some recognized route;
as, a stage or railway post. (b) A
military station; the place at which a soldier or a body of troops is
stationed; also, the troops at such a station.
(c) The piece of ground to which a sentinel's
walk is limited.
2. A messenger who goes from station; an
express; especially, one who is employed by the government to carry
letters and parcels regularly from one place to another; a letter
carrier; a postman.
In certain places there be always fresh posts,
to carry that further which is brought unto them by the
other.
Abp. Abbot.
I fear my Julia would not deign my lines,
Receiving them from such a worthless post.
Shak.
3. An established conveyance for letters from
one place or station to another; especially, the governmental system
in any country for carrying and distributing letters and parcels; the
post office; the mail; hence, the carriage by which the mail is
transported.
I send you the fair copy of the poem on dullness, which
I should not care to hazard by the common post.
Pope.
4. Haste or speed, like that of a messenger or
mail carrier. [Obs.] "In post he came." Shak.
5. One who has charge of a station, especially
of a postal station. [Obs.]
He held office of postmaster, or, as it was then
called, post, for several years.
Palfrey.
6. A station, office, or position of service,
trust, or emolument; as, the post of duty; the post of
danger.
The post of honor is a private
station.
Addison.
7. A size of printing and writing paper. See
the Table under Paper.
Post and pair, an old game at cards, in which
each player a hand of three cards. B. Jonson. --
Post bag, a mail bag. -- Post
bill, a bill of letters mailed by a postmaster. --
Post chaise, or Post coach, a
carriage usually with four wheels, for the conveyance of travelers who
travel post. -- Post day, a day on which
the mall arrives or departs. -- Post hackney,
a hired post horse. Sir H. Wotton. -- Post
horn, a horn, or trumpet, carried and blown by a carrier
of the public mail, or by a coachman. -- Post
horse, a horse stationed, intended, or used for the
post. -- Post hour, hour for posting
letters. Dickens. -- Post office.
(a) An office under governmental superintendence,
where letters, papers, and other mailable matter, are received and
distributed; a place appointed for attending to all business connected
with the mail. (b) The governmental system
for forwarding mail matter. -- Postoffice
order. See Money order, under Money.
-- Post road, or Post route, a
road or way over which the mail is carried. -- Post
town. (a) A town in which post horses
are kept. (b) A town in which a post office
is established by law. -- To ride post, to
ride, as a carrier of dispatches, from place to place; hence, to ride
rapidly, with as little delay as possible. -- To travel
post, to travel, as a post does, by relays of horses, or
by keeping one carriage to which fresh horses are attached at each
stopping place.
Post (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Posted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Posting.] 1. To attach to a post, a wall,
or other usual place of affixing public notices; to placard; as, to
post a notice; to post playbills.
&fist; Formerly, a large post was erected before the sheriff's
office, or in some public place, upon which legal notices were
displayed. This way of advertisement has not entirely gone of use.
2. To hold up to public blame or reproach; to
advertise opprobriously; to denounce by public proclamation; as, to
post one for cowardice.
On pain of being posted to your sorrow
Fail not, at four, to meet me.
Granville.
3. To enter (a name) on a list, as for
service, promotion, or the like.
4. To assign to a station; to set; to place;
as, to post a sentinel. "It might be to obtain a ship for
a lieutenant, . . . or to get him posted." De
Quincey.
5. (Bookkeeping) To carry, as an
account, from the journal to the ledger; as, to post an
account; to transfer, as accounts, to the ledger.
You have not posted your books these ten
years.
Arbuthnot.
6. To place in the care of the post; to mail;
as, to post a letter.
7. To inform; to give the news to; to make
(one) acquainted with the details of a subject; -- often with
up.
Thoroughly posted up in the politics and
literature of the day.
Lond. Sat. Rev.
To post off, to put off; to delay.
[Obs.] "Why did I, venturously, post off so great a business?"
Baxter. -- To post over, to hurry
over. [Obs.] Fuller.
Post, v. i. [Cf. OF. poster. See
4th Post.] 1. To travel with post horses;
figuratively, to travel in haste. "Post seedily to my
lord your husband." Shak.
And post o'er land and ocean without
rest.
Milton.
2. (Man.) To rise and sink in the
saddle, in accordance with the motion of the horse, esp. in
trotting. [Eng.]
Post, adv. With post horses; hence,
in haste; as, to travel post.
Post`-ab*do"men (?), n. [Pref. post-
+ abdomen.] (Zoöl.) That part of a
crustacean behind the cephalothorax; -- more commonly called
abdomen.
Post"a*ble (?), a. Capable of being
carried by, or as by, post. [Obs.] W. Montagu.
Post"act` (?), n. An act done
afterward.
Post"age (?), n. The price
established by law to be paid for the conveyance of a letter or other
mailable matter by a public post.
Postage stamp, a government stamp required to
be put upon articles sent by mail in payment of the postage, esp. an
adhesive stamp issued and sold for that purpose.
Post"al (?), a. [Cf. F. postal.]
Belonging to the post office or mail service; as, postal
arrangements; postal authorities.
Postal card, or Post card,
a card sold by the government for transmission through the mails,
at a lower rate of postage than a sealed letter. The message is
written on one side of the card, and the direction on the other.
-- Postal money order. See Money order,
under Money. -- Postal note, an
order payable to bearer, for a sum of money (in the United States less
than five dollars under existing law), issued from one post office and
payable at another specified office. -- Postal
Union, a union for postal purposes entered into by the
most important powers, or governments, which have agreed to transport
mail matter through their several territories at a stipulated
rate.
Post*a"nal (?), a. [Pref. post- +
anal.] (Anat.) Situated behind, or posterior to,
the anus.
Post*ax"i*al (?), a. [Pref. post-
+ axial.] (Anat.) Situated behind any transverse
axis in the body of an animal; caudal; posterior; especially, behind,
or on the caudal or posterior (that is, ulnar or fibular) side of, the
axis of a vertebrate limb.
Post"boy` (?), n. 1.
One who rides post horses; a position; a courier.
2. A boy who carries letters from the
post.
Post"-cap`tain (?), n. A captain of
a war vessel whose name appeared, or was "posted," in the seniority
list of the British navy, as distinguished from a commander whose name
was not so posted. The term was also used in the United States navy;
but no such commission as post-captain was ever recognized in
either service, and the term has fallen into disuse.
||Post"ca`va (?), n.; pl.
Postcavæ . [NL. See Post-, and
Cave, n.] (Anat.) The inferior
vena cava. -- Post"ca`val (#), a.
B. G. Wilder.
Post*clav"i*cle (?), n. [Pref. post-
+ clavicle.] (Anat.) A bone in the pectoral
girdle of many fishes projecting backward from the clavicle. --
Post`*cla*vic"u*lar (#), a.
Post*com"mis*sure (?), n. [Pref.
post- + commisure.] (Anat.) A transverse
commisure in the posterior part of the roof of the third ventricle of
the brain; the posterior cerebral commisure. B. G.
Wilder.
Post`com*mun"ion (?), n. [Pref. post-
+ communion.] 1. (Ch. of Eng. & Prot.
Epis. Ch.) The concluding portion of the communion
service.
2. (R. C. Ch.) A prayer or prayers
which the priest says at Mass, after the ablutions.
||Post*cor"nu (?), n.; pl.
Postcornua (#). [NL. See Post-, and
Cornu.] (Anat.) The posterior horn of each lateral
ventricle of the brain. B. G. Wilder.
Post"date` (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Postdated; p. pr. & vb. n.
Postdating.] [Pref. post- + date.]
1. To date after the real time; as, to
postdate a contract, that is, to date it later than the time
when it was in fact made.
2. To affix a date to after the
event.
Post"date`, a. Made or done after
the date assigned.
Of these [predictions] some were postdate;
cunningly made after the thing came to pass.
Fuller.
Post"date`, n. A date put to a bill
of exchange or other paper, later than that when it was actually
made.
{ Post`di*lu"vi*al (?), Post`di*lu"vi*an (?), }
a. [Pref. post- + diluvial,
diluvian.] Being or happening after the flood in Noah's
days.
Post`di*lu"vi*an, n. One who lived
after the flood.
Post"-dis*sei"zin (?), n. [Pref.
post- + disseizin.] (O. Eng. Law) A
subsequent disseizin committed by one of lands which the disseizee had
before recovered of the same disseizor; a writ founded on such
subsequent disseizin, now abolished. Burrill.
Tomlins.
Post`-dis*sei"zor (?), n. [Pref.
post- + disseizor.] (O. Eng. Law) A person
who disseizes another of lands which the disseizee had before
recovered of the same disseizor. Blackstone.
||Post"e*a (?), n. [L., after these or
those (things), afterward.] (Law) The return of the judge
before whom a cause was tried, after a verdict, of what was done in
the cause, which is indorsed on the nisi prius record.
Wharton.
Pos"tel (?), n. Apostle.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
Post`en*ceph"a*lon (?), n.
(Anat.) The metencephalon.
Post"en*try (?), n. [Pref. post-
+ entry.] 1. A second or subsequent, at
the customhouse, of goods which had been omitted by mistake.
2. (Bookkeeping) An additional or
subsequent entry.
Post"er (?), n. 1.
A large bill or placard intended to be posted in public
places.
2. One who posts bills; a
billposter.
Post"er, n. 1. One
who posts, or travels expeditiously; a courier. "Posters
of the sea and land." Shak.
2. A post horse. "Posters at full
gallop." C. Lever.
Pos*te"ri*or (p&obreve;s*tē"r&ibreve;*&etilde;r),
a. [L. posterior, compar. of posterus
coming after, from post after. See Post-.]
1. Later in time; hence, later in the order of
proceeding or moving; coming after; -- opposed to
prior.
Hesiod was posterior to Homer.
Broome.
2. Situated behind; hinder; -- opposed to
anterior.
3. (Anat.) At or toward the caudal
extremity; caudal; -- in human anatomy often used for
dorsal.
4. (Bot.) On the side next the axis of
inflorescence; -- said of an axillary flower. Gray.
Pos*te`ri*or"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F.
postériorité.] The state of being later or
subsequent; as, posteriority of time, or of an event; --
opposed to priority.
Pos*te"ri*or*ly (?), adv.
Subsequently in time; also, behind in position.
Pos*te"ri*ors (?), n. pl. The
hinder parts, as of an animal's body. Swift.
Pos*ter"i*ty (?), n. [L.
posteritas: cf. F. postérité. See
Posterior.] 1. The race that proceeds from
a progenitor; offspring to the furthest generation; the aggregate
number of persons who are descended from an ancestor of a generation;
descendants; -- contrasted with ancestry; as, the
posterity of Abraham.
If [the crown] should not stand in thy
posterity.
Shak.
2. Succeeding generations; future times.
Shak.
Their names shall be transmitted to
posterity.
Shak.
Their names shall be transmitted to
posterity.
Smalridge.
Pos"tern (?), n. [OF. posterne,
posterle, F. poterne, fr. L. posterula, fr.
posterus coming after. See Posterior.]
1. Originally, a back door or gate; a private
entrance; hence, any small door or gate.
He by a privy postern took his
flight.
Spenser.
Out at the postern, by the abbey
wall.
Shak.
2. (Fort.) A subterraneous passage
communicating between the parade and the main ditch, or between the
ditches and the interior of the outworks. Mahan.
Pos"tern, a. Back; being behind;
private. "The postern door." Dryden.
Pos"te*ro- (&?;). A combining form meaning
posterior, back; as, postero-inferior, situated
back and below; postero-lateral, situated back and at the
side.
Post`ex*ist" (?), v. i. [Pref. post-
+ exist.] To exist after; to live subsequently.
[Obs. or R.]
Post`ex*ist"ence (?), n. Subsequent
existence.
Post`ex*ist"ent (?), a. Existing or
living after. [R.] "Postexistent atoms."
Cudworth.
Post"fact` (?), a. [See Post-,
and Fact.] Relating to a fact that occurs after
another.
Post"fact`, n. A fact that occurs
after another. "Confirmed upon the postfact."
Fuller.
||Post`fac"tum (?), n. [LL.] (Rom. &
Eng. Law) Same as Postfact.
Post"-fine` (?), n. [Pref. post-
+ fine.] (O. Eng. Law) A duty paid to the king by
the cognizee in a fine of lands, when the same was fully passed; --
called also the king's silver.
Post"fix (?), n.; pl.
Postfixes (#). [Pref. post- + -fix, as
in prefix: cf. F. postfixe.] (Gram.) A
letter, syllable, or word, added to the end of another word; a
suffix. Parkhurst.
Post*fix" (?), v. t. To annex;
specifically (Gram.), to add or annex, as a letter, syllable,
or word, to the end of another or principal word; to suffix.
Parkhurst.
Post*fron"tal (?), a. [Pref. post-
+ frontal.] (Anat.) Situated behind the
frontal bone or the frontal region of the skull; -- applied especially
to a bone back of and below the frontal in many animals. --
n. A postfrontal bone.
||Post*fur"ca (?), n.; pl.
Postfurcæ (#). [NL., fr. post behind +
furca a fork.] (Zoöl.) One of the internal
thoracic processes of the sternum of an insect.
Post*gen"i*ture (?; 135), n. [Pref.
post- + L. genitura birth, geniture.] The condition
of being born after another in the same family; -- distinguished from
primogeniture. [R.] Sir T. Browne.
Post*gle"noid (?), a. [Pref. post-
+ glenoid.] (Anat.) Situated behind the
glenoid fossa of the temporal bone.
Post`haste" (?), n. Haste or speed
in traveling, like that of a post or courier. Shak.
Post`haste, adv. With speed or
expedition; as, he traveled posthaste; to send
posthaste. Shak.
Pos*thet"o*my (?), n. [Gr.
po`sqh prepuce + te`mnein to cut.] (Med.)
Circumcision. Dunglison.
Post"house` (?), n. 1.
A house established for the convenience of the post, where relays
of horses can be obtained.
2. A house for distributing the malls; a post
office.
{ Post"hume (?), Post"humed (?), }
a. Posthumous. [Obs.] I. Watts.
Fuller.
Post"hu*mous (?; 277), a. [L.
posthumus, postumus, properly, last; hence, late born
(applied to children born after the father's death, or after he had
made his will), superl. of posterus, posterior. See
Posterior.] 1. Born after the death of the
father, or taken from the dead body of the mother; as, a
posthumous son or daughter.
2. Published after the death of the author;
as, posthumous works; a posthumous edition.
3. Being or continuing after one's death; as,
a posthumous reputation. Addison. Sir T.
Browne.
Post"hu*mous*ly, adv. In a
posthumous manner; after one's decease.
Pos"tic (?), a. [L. posticus, fr.
post after, behind.] Backward. [Obs.] Sir T.
Browne.
Pos"ti*cous (?), a. [L.
posticus.] (Bot.) (a)
Posterior. (b) Situated on the outer
side of a filament; -- said of an extrorse anther.
Pos"til (?), n. [F. postille,
apostille, LL. postilla, probably from L. post
illa (sc. verba) after those (words). Cf. Apostil.]
1. Originally, an explanatory note in the margin
of the Bible, so called because written after the text; hence, a
marginal note; a comment.
Langton also made postils upon the whole
Bible.
Foxe.
2. (R. C. Ch. & Luth. Ch.) A short
homily or commentary on a passage of Scripture; as, the first
postils were composed by order of Charlemagne.
Pos"til, v. t. [Cf. LL.
postillare.] To write marginal or explanatory notes on; to
gloss. Bacon.
Pos"til, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Postiled (&?;) or Postilled; p. pr.
& vb. n. Postiling or Postilling.] To
write postils, or marginal notes; to comment; to postillate.
Postiling and allegorizing on
Scripture.
J. H. Newman.
Pos"til*er (?), n. [Written also
postiller.] One who writers marginal notes; one who
illustrates the text of a book by notes in the margin. Sir
T. Browne.
Pos*til"ion (?), n. [F.
postillon, It. postiglione, fr. posta post. See
Post a postman.] One who rides and guides the first pair
of horses of a coach or post chaise; also, one who rides one of the
horses when one pair only is used. [Written also
postillion.]
Pos"til*late (?), v. t. [LL.
postillatus, p. p. of postillare.] To explain by
marginal notes; to postil.
Tracts . . . postillated by his own
hand.
C. Knight.
Pos"til*late, v. i. 1.
To write postils; to comment.
2. To preach by expounding Scripture verse by
verse, in regular order.
Pos`til*la"tion (?), n. [LL.
postillatio.] The act of postillating; exposition of
Scripture in preaching.
Pos"til*la`tor (?), n. [LL.] One
who postillates; one who expounds the Scriptures verse by
verse.
Pos"til*ler (?), n. See
Postiler.
Post"ing (?), n. 1.
The act of traveling post.
2. (Bookkeeping) The act of
transferring an account, as from the journal to the ledger.
Posting house, a post house.
Post`li*min"i*ar (?), a. [See
Postliminium.] Contrived, done, or existing
subsequently. "Postliminious after applications of them
to their purposes." South.
Post`li*min"i*a*ry (?), a.
Pertaining to, or involving, the right of postliminium.
{ ||Post`li*min"i*um (?), Post*lim"i*ny (?), }
n. [L. postliminium, post after +
limen, liminis, a threshold.] 1.
(Rom. Antiq.) The return to his own country, and his
former privileges, of a person who had gone to sojourn in a foreign
country, or had been banished, or taken by an enemy.
Burrill.
2. (Internat. Law) The right by virtue
of which persons and things taken by an enemy in war are restored to
their former state when coming again under the power of the nation to
which they belonged. Kent.
Post"lude (?), n. [Pref. post- +
-lude, as in prelude.] (Med.) A voluntary at
the end of a service.
Post"man (?), n.; pl.
Postmen (&?;). 1. A post or
courier; a letter carrier.
2. (Eng. Law) One of the two most
experienced barristers in the Court of Exchequer, who have precedence
in motions; -- so called from the place where he sits. The other of
the two is called the tubman. Whishaw.
Post"mark` (?), n. The mark, or
stamp, of a post office on a letter, giving the place and date of
mailing or of arrival.
Post"mark`, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Postmarked (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Postmarking.] To mark with a post-office stamp; as, to
postmark a letter or parcel.
Post"mas`ter (?), n. 1.
One who has charge of a station for the accommodation of
travelers; one who supplies post horses.
2. One who has charge of a post office, and
the distribution and forwarding of mails.
Post"mas`ter-gen"er*al (?), n.;
pl. Postmasters-general. The chief
officer of the post-office department of a government. In the United
States the postmaster-general is a member of the cabinet.
Post"mas`ter*ship, n. The office of
postmaster.
Post`me*rid"i*an (?), a. [L.
postmeridianus; post after + meridianus. See
Meridian.] 1. Coming after the sun has
passed the meridian; being in, or belonging to, the afternoon.
(Abbrev. P. M.)
2. Fig., belonging to the after portion of
life; late. [R.]
||Post-mor"tem (?), a. [L., after
death.] After death; as, post-mortem rigidity.
Post-mortem examination (Med.), an
examination of the body made after the death of the patient; an
autopsy.
||Post*na"res (?), n. pl. [NL. See
Post-, and Nares.] (Anat.) The posterior
nares. See Nares.
Post*na"tal (?), a. [Pref. post-
+ natal.] After birth; subsequent to birth; as,
postnatal infanticide; postnatal diseases.
Post"nate (?), a. [LL. postnatus
second or subsequently born; L. post after + natus
born.] Subsequent. "The graces and gifts of the spirit are
postnate." [Archaic] Jer. Taylor.
Post" note` (?). (Com.) A note issued by a
bank, payable at some future specified time, as distinguished from a
note payable on demand. Burrill.
Post*nup"tial (?), a. [Pref. post-
+ nuptial.] Being or happening after marriage; as, a
postnuptial settlement on a wife. Kent.
{ Post-o"bit (?), n., or Post-o"bit
bond` }. [Pref. post- + obit.] (Law) A
bond in which the obligor, in consideration of having received a
certain sum of money, binds himself to pay a larger sum, on unusual
interest, on the death of some specified individual from whom he has
expectations. Bouvier.
||Post*ob`lon*ga"ta (?), n. [NL. See
Post-, and Oblongata.] (Anat.) The posterior
part of the medulla oblongata. B. G. Wilder.
Post*oc"u*lar (?), a. & n. [Pref.
post- + ocular.] (Zoöl.) Same as
Postorbital.
Post" of`fice (?), n. See under 4th
Post.
Post*o"ral (?), a. [Pref. post- +
oral.] (Anat.) Situated behind, or posterior to,
the mouth.
Post*or"bit*al (?), a. [Pref. post-
+ orbital.] (Anat. & Zoöl.) Situated
behind the orbit; as, the postorbital scales of some fishes and
reptiles. -- n. A postorbital bone or
scale.
Post"paid` (?), a. Having the
postage prepaid, as a letter.
Post*pal"a*tine (?), a. [Pref. post-
+ palatine.] (Anat.) Situated behind the
palate, or behind the palatine bones.
Post*pli"o*cene (?), a. (Geol.)
[Pref. post- + pliocene.] Of or pertaining to the
period immediately following the Pliocene; Pleistocene. Also used as a
noun. See Quaternary.
Post*pone" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Postponed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Postponing.] [L. postponere, postpositum;
post after + ponere to place, put. See Post-, and
Position.] 1. To defer to a future or
later time; to put off; also, to cause to be deferred or put off; to
delay; to adjourn; as, to postpone the consideration of a bill
to the following day, or indefinitely.
His praise postponed, and never to be
paid.
Cowper.
2. To place after, behind, or below something,
in respect to precedence, preference, value, or importance.
All other considerations should give way and be
postponed to this.
Locke.
Syn. -- To adjourn; defer; delay; procrastinate.
Post*pone"ment (?), n. The act of
postponing; a deferring, or putting off, to a future time; a temporary
delay. Macaulay.
Post*pon"ence (?), n. [From L.
postponens, p. pr.] The act of postponing, in sense
2. [Obs.] Johnson.
Post*pon"er (?), n. One who
postpones.
Post*pose" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Postposed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Postposing.] [F. postposer. See Post-, and
Pose, v. t.] To postpone. [Obs.]
Fuller.
Post*pos"it (?), v. t. [L.
postpositus, p. p. See Postpone.] To
postpone. [Obs.] Feltham.
Post`po*si"tion (?), n. [Cf. F.
postposition. See Postpone.] 1. The
act of placing after, or the state of being placed after. "The
postposition of the nominative case to the verb."
Mede.
2. A word or particle placed after, or at the
end of, another word; -- distinguished from
preposition.
Post`po*si"tion*al (?), a. Of or
pertaining to postposition.
Post*pos"i*tive (?), a. [See
Postpone.] Placed after another word; as, a
postpositive conjunction; a postpositive letter. -
- Post*pos"i*tive*ly, adv.
Post*pran"di*al (?), a. [Pref. post-
+ prandial.] Happening, or done, after dinner; after-
dinner; as, postprandial speeches.
Pos*tre`mo*gen"i*ture (?; 135), n. [L.
postremus last + genitura birth, geniture.] The
right of the youngest born. Mozley & W.
Post`re*mote" (?), a. [Pref. post-
+ remote.] More remote in subsequent time or
order.
Post"rid`er (?), n. One who rides
over a post road to carry the mails. Bancroft.
||Post*scap"u*la (?), n. [NL. See
Post-, and Scapula.] (Anat.) The part of the
scapula behind or below the spine, or mesoscapula.
Post*scap"u*lar (?), a. (Anat.)
Of or pertaining to the postscapula; infraspinous.
||Post*sce"ni*um (?), n. [L., fr.
post + scena a scene.] The part of a theater behind the
scenes; the back part of the stage of a theater.
Post*scribe" (?), v. t. [L.
postscribere. See Postscript.] To make a
postscript. [R.] T. Adams.
Post"script (?), n. [L.
postscriptus, (assumed) p. p. of postscribere to write
after; post after + scribere to write: cf. F.
postscriptum. See Post-, and Scribe.] A
paragraph added to a letter after it is concluded and signed by the
writer; an addition made to a book or composition after the main body
of the work has been finished, containing something omitted, or
something new occurring to the writer. [Abbrev. P. S.]
Post"script*ed, a. Having a
postscript; added in a postscript. [R.] J. Q. Adams.
||Post`scu*tel"lum (?), n. [NL. See
Post-, and Scutellum.] (Zoöl.) The
hindermost dorsal piece of a thoracic somite of an insect; the plate
behind the scutellum.
Post*sphe"noid (?), a. [Pref. post-
+ sphenoid.] (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the
posterior part of the sphenoid bone.
Post-tem"po*ral (?), a. [Pref. post-
+ temporal.] (Anat.) Situated back of the
temporal bone or the temporal region of the skull; -- applied
especially to a bone which usually connects the supraclavicle with the
skull in the pectoral arch of fishes. -- n.
A post-temporal bone.
Post*ter"ti*a*ry (?), a. [Pref. post-
+ tertiary.] (Geol.) Following, or more recent
than, the Tertiary; Quaternary.
||Post"-tra`gus (?), n. [NL. See
Post-, and Tragus.] (Anat.) A ridge within
and behind the tragus in the ear of some animals.
Post`-tym*pan"ic (?), a. [Pref. post-
+ tympanic.] (Anat.) Situated behind the
tympanum, or in the skull, behind the auditory meatus.
Pos"tu*lant (?; 135), n. [F., fr. L.
postulans, p. pr. of postulare. See Postulate.]
One who makes a request or demand; hence, a candidate.
Pos"tu*late (?), n. [L.
postulatum a demand, request, prop. p. p. of postulare
to demand, prob. a dim. of poscere to demand, prob. for
porcscere; akin to G. forschen to search, investigate,
Skr. prach to ask, and L. precari to pray: cf. F.
postulat. See Pray.] 1. Something
demanded or asserted; especially, a position or supposition assumed
without proof, or one which is considered as self-evident; a truth to
which assent may be demanded or challenged, without argument or
evidence.
2. (Geom.) The enunciation of a self-
evident problem, in distinction from an axiom, which is the
enunciation of a self-evident theorem.
The distinction between a postulate and an axiom
lies in this, -- that the latter is admitted to be self-evident, while
the former may be agreed upon between two reasoners, and admitted by
both, but not as proposition which it would be impossible to
deny.
Eng. Cyc.
Pos"tu*late, a. Postulated.
[Obs.] Hudibras.
Pos"tu*late (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Postulated (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Postulating.] 1. To beg, or
assume without proof; as, to postulate conclusions.
2. To take without express consent; to
assume.
The Byzantine emperors appear to have . . .
postulated a sort of paramount supremacy over this
nation.
W. Tooke.
3. To invite earnestly; to solicit.
[Obs.] Bp. Burnet.
Pos"tu*la`ted (?), a. Assumed
without proof; as, a postulated inference. Sir T.
Browne.
Pos`tu*la"tion (?), n. [L.
postulatio: cf. F. postulation.] The act of
postulating, or that which is postulated; assumption; solicitation;
suit; cause.
Pos"tu*la*to*ry (?), a. [L.
postulatorius.] Of the nature of a postulate.
Sir T. Browne.
||Pos`tu*la"tum (?), n.; pl.
Postulata (#). [L. See Postulate,
n.] A postulate. Addison.
Pos"tu*mous (?), a. See
Posthumous. [R.]
Pos"tur*al (?; 135), a. Of or
pertaining to posture.
Pos"ture (?; 135), n. [F., fr. L.
positura, fr. ponere, positum, to place. See
Position.] 1. The position of the body;
the situation or disposition of the several parts of the body with
respect to each other, or for a particular purpose; especially
(Fine Arts), the position of a figure with regard to the
several principal members by which action is expressed;
attitude.
Atalanta, the posture of whose limbs was so
lively expressed . . . one would have sworn the very picture had
run.
Sir P. Sidney.
In most strange postures
We have seen him set himself.
Shak.
The posture of a poetic figure is a description
of his heroes in the performance of such or such an
action.
Dryden.
2. Place; position; situation. [Obs.]
Milton.
His [man's] noblest posture and station in this
world.
Sir M. Hale.
3. State or condition, whether of external
circumstances, or of internal feeling and will; disposition; mood; as,
a posture of defense; the posture of affairs.
The several postures of his devout
soul.
Atterbury.
Syn. -- Attitude; position. See Attitude.
Pos"ture (?; 135), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Postured (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Posturing.] To place in a particular position or attitude;
to dispose the parts of, with reference to a particular purpose; as,
to posture one's self; to posture a model.
Howell.
Pos"ture, v. i. 1.
To assume a particular posture or attitude; to contort the body
into artificial attitudes, as an acrobat or contortionist; also, to
pose.
2. Fig.: To assume a character; as, to
posture as a saint.
Pos`tur*er (?), n. One who
postures.
||Post*zyg`a*poph"y*sis (?), n.;
pl. Postzygapophyses (#). [NL. See Post-
, and Zygapophysis.] (Anat.) A posterior
zygapophysis.
Po"sy (?), n.; pl.
Posies (#). [Contr. fr. poesy.]
1. A brief poetical sentiment; hence, any brief
sentiment, motto, or legend; especially, one inscribed on a
ring. "The posy of a ring." Shak.
2. [Probably so called from the use of flowers as
having an enigmatical significance. Wedgwood.] A flower; a
bouquet; a nosegay. "Bridegroom's posies."
Spenser.
We make a difference between suffering thistles to grow
among us, and wearing them for posies.
Swift.
Pot (?), n. [Akin to LG. pott, D.
pot, Dan. potte, Sw. potta, Icel. pottr,
F. pot; of unknown origin.] 1. A metallic
or earthen vessel, appropriated to any of a great variety of uses, as
for boiling meat or vegetables, for holding liquids, for plants, etc.;
as, a quart pot; a flower pot; a bean
pot.
2. An earthen or pewter cup for liquors; a
mug.
3. The quantity contained in a pot; a potful;
as, a pot of ale. "Give her a pot and a cake."
De Foe.
4. A metal or earthenware extension of a flue
above the top of a chimney; a chimney pot.
5. A crucible; as, a graphite pot; a
melting pot.
6. A wicker vessel for catching fish, eels,
etc.
7. A perforated cask for draining sugar.
Knight.
8. A size of paper. See Pott.
Jack pot. See under 2d Jack. --
Pot cheese, cottage cheese. See under
Cottage. -- Pot companion, a
companion in drinking. -- Pot hanger, a
pothook. -- Pot herb, any plant, the leaves
or stems of which are boiled for food, as spinach, lamb's-quarters,
purslane, and many others. -- Pot hunter,
one who kills anything and everything that will help to fill has
bag; also, a hunter who shoots game for the table or for the
market. -- Pot metal. (a)
The metal from which iron pots are made, different from common pig
iron. (b) An alloy of copper with lead used
for making large vessels for various purposes in the arts.
Ure. (c) A kind of stained glass, the
colors of which are incorporated with the melted glass in the
pot. Knight. -- Pot plant (Bot.),
either of the trees which bear the monkey-pot. -- Pot
wheel (Hydraul.), a noria. -- To go
to pot, to go to destruction; to come to an end of
usefulness; to become refuse. [Colloq.] Dryden. J.
G. Saxe.
Pot, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Potted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Potting.] To place or inclose in pots; as:
(a) To preserve seasoned in pots.
"Potted fowl and fish." Dryden. (b)
To set out or cover in pots; as, potted plants or
bulbs. (c) To drain; as, to pot
sugar, by taking it from the cooler, and placing it in hogsheads,
etc., having perforated heads, through which the molasses drains
off. B. Edwards. (d) (Billiards)
To pocket.
Pot, v. i. To tipple; to
drink. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]
It is less labor to plow than to pot
it.
Feltham.
Po"ta*ble (?), a. [F., fr. L.
potabilis, fr. potare to drink; akin to Gr.
po`tos a drinking, po`sis a drink, Skr.
pā to drink, OIr. ibim I drink. Cf.
Poison, Bib, Imbibe.] Fit to be drunk;
drinkable. "Water fresh and potable." Bacon. --
n. A potable liquid; a beverage. "Useful
in potables." J. Philips.
Po"ta*ble*ness, n. The quality of
being drinkable.
Pot"age (?; 48), n. See
Pottage.
Pot"a*ger (?), n. [F. fr. potage
soup, porridge. See Pottage.] A porringer. [Obs.]
Grew.
Po*tag"ro (?), n. See
Potargo.
Pot"ale` (?), n. The refuse from a
grain distillery, used to fatten swine.
Po*ta"mi*an (?), n. [Gr. &?; river.]
(Zoöl.) A river tortoise; one of a group of tortoises
(Potamites, or Trionychoidea) having a soft shell,
webbed feet, and a sharp beak. See Trionyx.
Pot`a*mog"ra*phy (?), n. [Gr. &?; river
+ -graphy.] An account or description of rivers;
potamology.
Pot`a*mol"o*gy (?), n. [Gr. &?; river +
-logy.] A scientific account or discussion of rivers; a
treatise on rivers; potamography.
||Pot`a*mo*spon"gi*æ (?), n. pl.
[NL., fr. Gr. &?; river + &?; a sponge.] (Zoöl.) The
fresh-water sponges. See Spongilla.
Po"tance (?), n. [F. potence. See
Potence, Potency.] (Watch Making) The stud
in which the bearing for the lower pivot of the verge is
made.
Po*tar"go (?), n. [Cf. Botargo.]
A kind of sauce or pickle. King.
Pot"ash` (?), n. [Pot +
ash.] (Chem.) (a) The hydroxide of
potassium hydrate, a hard white brittle substance, KOH, having strong
caustic and alkaline properties; -- hence called also caustic
potash. (b) The impure potassium
carbonate obtained by leaching wood ashes, either as a strong solution
(lye), or as a white crystalline (pearlash).
Pot"ash`es (?), n. pl. (Chem.)
Potash. [Obs.]
Po*tas"sa (?), n. [NL., fr. E.
potash.] (Chem.) (a) Potassium
oxide. [Obs.] (b) Potassium hydroxide,
commonly called caustic potash.
Pot`ass*am"ide (?), n. [Potassium
+ amide.] (Chem.) A yellowish brown substance
obtained by heating potassium in ammonia.
Po*tas"sic (?), a. (Chem.)
Pertaining to, or containing, potassium.
Po*tas"si*um (?), n. [NL. See
Potassa, Potash.] (Chem.) An Alkali element
having atomic number 19, occurring abundantly but always combined, as
in the chloride, sulphate, carbonate, or silicate, in the minerals
sylvite, kainite, orthoclase, muscovite, etc. Atomic weight 39.1.
Symbol K (Kalium).
&fist; It is reduced from the carbonate as a soft white metal,
lighter than water, which oxidizes with the greatest readiness, and,
to be preserved, must be kept under liquid hydrocarbons, as naphtha or
kerosene. Its compounds are very important, being used in glass
making, soap making, in fertilizers, and in many drugs and
chemicals.
Potassium permanganate, the salt
KMnO4, crystallizing in dark red prisms having a greenish
surface color, and dissolving in water with a beautiful purple red
color; -- used as an oxidizer and disinfectant. The name chameleon
mineral is applied to this salt and also to potassium
manganate. -- Potassium bitartrate. See
Cream of tartar, under Cream.
Pot`ass*ox"yl (?), n. [Potassium
+ oxygen + -yl.] (Chem.) The radical KO,
derived from, and supposed to exist in, potassium hydroxide and other
compounds.
Po*ta"tion (?), n. [L. potatio,
fr. potare. See Potable.] 1. The
act of drinking. Jer. Taylor.
2. A draught. "Potations pottle
deep." Shak.
3. Drink; beverage. "Thin
potations." Shak.
Po*ta"to (?), n.; pl.
Potatoes (#). [Sp. patata potato,
batata sweet potato, from the native American name (probably
batata) in Hayti.] (Bot.) (a) A
plant (Solanum tuberosum) of the Nightshade family, and its
esculent farinaceous tuber, of which there are numerous varieties used
for food. It is native of South America, but a form of the species is
found native as far north as New Mexico. (b)
The sweet potato (see below).
Potato beetle, Potato bug.
(Zoöl.) (a) A beetle (Doryphora
decemlineata) which feeds, both in the larval and adult stages,
upon the leaves of the potato, often doing great damage. Called also
Colorado potato beetle, and Doryphora. See
Colorado beetle. (b) The Lema
trilineata, a smaller and more slender striped beetle which feeds
upon the potato plant, bur does less injury than the preceding
species. -- Potato fly (Zoöl.),
any one of several species of blister beetles infesting the potato
vine. The black species (Lytta atrata), the striped (L.
vittata), and the gray (L. cinerea, or Fabricii) are the
most common. See Blister beetle, under Blister. --
Potato rot, a disease of the tubers of the
potato, supposed to be caused by a kind of mold (Peronospora
infestans), which is first seen upon the leaves and stems. --
Potato weevil (Zoöl.), an American
weevil (Baridius trinotatus) whose larva lives in and kills the
stalks of potato vines, often causing serious damage to the crop.
-- Potato whisky, a strong, fiery liquor, having
a hot, smoky taste, and rich in amyl alcohol (fusel oil); it is
made from potatoes or potato starch. -- Potato
worm (Zoöl.), the large green larva of a
sphinx, or hawk moth (Macrosila quinquemaculata); -- called
also tomato worm. See Illust. under Tomato.
-- Seaside potato (Bot.), Ipomœa
Pes-Capræ, a kind of morning-glory with rounded and
emarginate or bilobed leaves. [West Indies] -- Sweet
potato (Bot.), a climbing plant (Ipomœa
Balatas) allied to the morning-glory. Its farinaceous tubers have
a sweetish taste, and are used, when cooked, for food. It is probably
a native of Brazil, but is cultivated extensively in the warmer parts
of every continent, and even as far north as New Jersey. The name
potato was applied to this plant before it was to the
Solanum tuberosum, and this is the "potato" of the Southern
United States. -- Wild potato. (Bot.)
(a) A vine (Ipomœa pandurata) having
a pale purplish flower and an enormous root. It is common in sandy
places in the United States. (b) A similar
tropical American plant (I. fastigiata) which it is thought may
have been the original stock of the sweet potato.
Po*ta"tor (?), n. [L.] A
drinker. [R.] Southey.
Po"ta*to*ry (?), a. [L.
potatorius, from potare to drink.] Of or pertaining
to drinking. Ld. Lytton.
Pot"-bel`lied (?), a. Having a
protuberant belly, like the bottom of a pot.
Pot"-bel`ly (?), n. A protuberant
belly.
Pot"boil`er (?), n. A term applied
derisively to any literary or artistic work, and esp. a painting, done
simply for money and the means of living. [Cant]
Pot"boy` (?), n. A boy who carries
pots of ale, beer, etc.; a menial in a public house.
Potch (?), v. i. [Cf. Poach to
stab.] To thrust; to push. [Obs.] "I 'll potch at
him some way." Shak.
Potch, v. t. See Poach, to
cook. [Obs.] Wiseman.
Potch"er (?), n. One who, or that
which, potches.
Potcher engine (Paper Making), a
machine in which washed rags are stirred in a bleaching
solution.
Pot"e*ca*ry (?), n. An
apothecary. [Obs.]
Po*teen" (?), n. [Cf. Ir. potaim,
poitim, I drink, poitin a small pot.] Whisky;
especially, whisky illicitly distilled by the Irish peasantry.
[Written also potheen, and potteen.]
Po"te*lot (?), n. [F.,; cf. G.
pottloth black lead.] (Old Chem. & Min.) Molybdenum
sulphide.
Po"tence (?), n. [F., fr. LL.
potentia staff, crutch, L., might, power. See Potency.]
Potency; capacity. [R.] Sir W. Hamilton.
Po"ten*cy (?), n. [L. potentia,
from potens, -entis, potent. See Potent, and cf.
Potance, Potence, Puissance.] The quality or
state of being potent; physical or moral power; inherent strength;
energy; ability to effect a purpose; capability; efficacy;
influence. "Drugs of potency." Hawthorne.
A place of potency and away o' the
state.
Shak.
Po"tent (?), a. [L. potens, -
entis, p. pr. of posse to be able, to have power, fr.
potis able, capable (akin to Skr. pati master, lord) +
esse to be. See Host a landlord, Am, and cf.
Despot, Podesta, Possible, Power,
Puissant.] 1. Producing great physical
effects; forcible; powerful' efficacious; as, a potent
medicine. "Harsh and potent injuries." Shak.
Moses once more his potent rod
extends.
Milton.
2. Having great authority, control, or
dominion; puissant; mighty; influential; as, a potent
prince. "A potent dukedom." Shak.
Most potent, grave, and reverend
signiors.
Shak.
3. Powerful, in an intellectual or moral
sense; having great influence; as, potent interest; a
potent argument.
Cross potent. (Her.) See
Illust. (7) of Cross.
Syn. -- Powerful; mighty; puissant; strong; able; efficient;
forcible; efficacious; cogent; influential.
Po"tent, n. 1. A
prince; a potentate. [Obs.] Shak.
2. [See Potence.] A staff or
crutch. [Obs.]
3. (Her.) One of the furs; a surface
composed of patches which are supposed to represent crutch heads; they
are always alternately argent and azure, unless otherwise specially
mentioned.
Counter potent (Her.), a fur differing
from potent in the arrangement of the patches.
Po"ten*ta*cy (?), n. [See
Potentate.] Sovereignty. [Obs.]
Po"ten*tate (?), n. [LL.
potentatus, fr. potentare to exercise power: cf. F.
potentat. See Potent, a.] One who
is potent; one who possesses great power or sway; a prince, sovereign,
or monarch.
The blessed and only potentate.
1 Tim. vi. 15.
Cherub and seraph, potentates and
thrones.
Milton.
Po*ten"tial (?), a. [Cf. F.
potentiel. See Potency.] 1. Being
potent; endowed with energy adequate to a result; efficacious;
influential. [Obs.] "And hath in his effect a voice
potential." Shak.
2. Existing in possibility, not in
actuality. "A potential hero." Carlyle.
Potential existence means merely that the thing
may be at ome time; actual existence, that it now
is.
Sir W. Hamilton.
Potential cautery. See under
Cautery. -- Potential energy.
(Mech.) See the Note under Energy. --
Potential mood, or mode
(Gram.), that form of the verb which is used to express
possibility, liberty, power, will, obligation, or necessity, by the
use of may, can, must, might,
could, would, or should; as, I may go; he
can write.
Po*ten"tial, n. 1.
Anything that may be possible; a possibility; potentially.
Bacon.
2. (Math.) In the theory of
gravitation, or of other forces acting in space, a function of the
rectangular coordinates which determine the position of a point, such
that its differential coefficients with respect to the
coördinates are equal to the components of the force at the point
considered; -- also called potential function, or force
function. It is called also Newtonian potential when the
force is directed to a fixed center and is inversely as the square of
the distance from the center.
3. (Elec.) The energy of an electrical
charge measured by its power to do work; hence, the degree of
electrification as referred to some standard, as that of the earth;
electro-motive force.
Po*ten`ti*al"i*ty (?), n. The
quality or state of being potential; possibility, not actuality;
inherent capability or disposition, not actually exhibited.
Po*ten"tial*ly (?), adv.
1. With power; potently. [Obs.]
2. In a potential manner; possibly, not
positively.
The duration of human souls is only potentially
infinite.
Bentley.
Po*ten"ti*ate (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Potentiated (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Potentiating.] To render active or
potent. Coleridge.
Po*ten`ti*om"e*ter (?), n.
[Potential + -meter.] (Elec.) An instrument
for measuring or comparing electrial potentials or electro-motive
forces.
Po"ten*tize (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Potentized; p. pr. & vb. n.
Potentizing.] To render the latent power of (anything)
available. Dunglison.
Po"tent*ly (?), adv. With great
force or energy; powerfully; efficaciously. "You are
potently opposed." Shak.
Po"tent*ness, n. The quality or
state of being potent; powerfulness; potency; efficacy.
Po"tes*tate (?), n. A chief ruler;
a potentate. [Obs.] Wyclif. "An irous potestate."
Chaucer.
Po*tes"ta*tive (?), a. [L.
potestativus, fr. potestas power: cf. F.
potestatif. See Potent.] Authoritative.
[Obs.] Bp. Pearson.
Pot"gun` (?), n. 1.
A pot-shaped cannon; a mortar. [Obs.] "Twelve
potguns of brass." Hakluyt.
2. A popgun. [Obs.] Swift.
Poth"e*ca*ry (?), n. An
apothecary. [Obs.]
Po*theen" (?), n. See
Poteen.
Poth"er (?), n. [Cf. D. peuteren
to rummage, poke. Cf. Potter, Pudder.] Bustle;
confusion; tumult; flutter; bother. [Written also potter,
and pudder.] "What a pother and stir!" Oldham.
"Coming on with a terrible pother." Wordsworth.
Poth"er, v. i. To make a bustle or
stir; to be fussy.
Poth"er, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pothered (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pothering.] To harass and perplex; to worry.
"Pothers and wearies himself." Locke.
Pot"hole` (?), n. A circular hole
formed in the rocky beds of rivers by the grinding action of stones or
gravel whirled round by the water in what was at first a natural
depression of the rock.
Pot"hook` (?), n. 1.
An S-shaped hook on which pots and
kettles are hung over an open fire.
2. A written character curved like a pothook;
(pl.) a scrawled writing. "I long to be spelling her
Arabic scrawls and pothooks." Dryden.
Pot"house` (?), n. An
alehouse. T. Warton.
{ ||Po`ti*cho*ma"ni*a (?), ||Po`ti*cho*ma"nie
(?), } n. [F. potichomanie; potiche a
porcelain vase + manie mania.] The art or process of
coating the inside of glass vessels with engravings or paintings, so
as to give them the appearance of painted ware.
Po"tion (?), n. [L. potio, from
potare to drink: cf. F. potion. See Poison.]
A draught; a dose; usually, a draught or dose of a liquid
medicine. Shak.
Po"tion (?), v. t. To drug.
[Obs.] Speed.
Pot"lid` (?), n. The lid or cover
of a pot.
Potlid valve, a valve covering a round hole
or the end of a pipe or pump barrel, resembling a potlid in
form.
Pot"luck` (?), n. Whatever may
chance to be in the pot, or may be provided for a meal.
A woman whose potluck was always to be relied
on.
G. Eliot.
To take potluck, to take what food may chance
to be provided.
Pot"man (?), n.; pl.
Potmen (&?;). 1. A pot
companion. [Obs.] Life of A. Wood (1663).
2. A servant in a public house; a
potboy.
||Po*too" (?), n. (Zoöl.)
A large South American goatsucker (Nyctibius
grandis).
||Po`to*roo" (?), n. (Zoöl.)
Any small kangaroo belonging to Hypsiprymnus,
Bettongia, and allied genera, native of Australia and Tasmania.
Called also kangaroo rat.
Pot"pie` (?), n. A meat pie which
is boiled instead of being baked.
Pot`pour`ri" (?), n. [F., fr. pot
pot + pourri, p. p. of pourrir to rot, L.
putrere. Cf. Olla-podrida.] A medley or
mixture. Specifically: (a) A ragout
composed of different sorts of meats, vegetables, etc., cooked
together. (b) A jar or packet of flower
leaves, perfumes, and spices, used to scent a room.
(c) A piece of music made up of different airs
strung together; a medley. (d) A literary
production composed of parts brought together without order or bond of
connection.
Pots"dam group` (&?;). (Geol.) A subdivision
of the Primordial or Cambrian period in American geology; -- so named
from the sandstone of Potsdam, New York. See Chart of
Geology.
{ Pot"shard` (?), Pot"share` (?), }
n. A potsherd. [Obs.]
Spenser.
Pot"sherd` (?), n. [Pot +
sherd or shard.] A piece or fragment of a broken
pot. Job ii. 8.
Pot"stone` (?), n. (Min.) A
variety of steatite sometimes manufactured into culinary
vessels.
Pot"-sure` (-sh&udd;r), a. Made
confident by drink. [Obs.]
Pott (?), n. A size of paper. See
under Paper.
Pot"tage (?; 48), n. [F. potage,
fr. pot pot. See Pot, and cf. Porridge,
Porringer.] A kind of food made by boiling vegetables or
meat, or both together, in water, until soft; a thick soup or
porridge. [Written also potage.] Chaucer.
Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of
lentils.
Gen. xxv. 34.
Pot"tain (?), n. Old pot
metal. [Obs.] Holland.
Pot*teen" (?), n. See
Poteen.
Pot"ter (?), n. [Cf. F. potier.]
1. One whose occupation is to make earthen
vessels. Ps. ii. 9.
The potter heard, and stopped his
wheel.
Longfellow.
2. One who hawks crockery or
earthenware. [Prov. Eng.] De Quincey.
3. One who pots meats or other
eatables.
4. (Zoöl.) The red-bellied
terrapin. See Terrapin.
Potter's asthma (Med.), emphysema of
the lungs; -- so called because very prevalent among potters.
Parkers. -- Potter's clay. See under
Clay. -- Potter's field, a public
burial place, especially in a city, for paupers, unknown persons, and
criminals; -- so named from the field south of Jerusalem, mentioned in
Matt. xxvii. 7. -- Potter's ore. See
Alquifou. -- Potter's wheel, a
horizontal revolving disk on which the clay is molded into form with
the hands or tools. "My thoughts are whirled like a potter's
wheel." Shak. -- Potter wasp
(Zoöl.), a small solitary wasp (Eumenes
fraternal) which constructs a globular nest of mud and sand in
which it deposits insect larvæ, such as cankerworms, as food for
its young.
Pot"ter, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Pottered (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pottering.] [Cf. W. pwtio to poke, or OD. poteren
to search one thoroughly, Sw. påta, peta, to pick,
E. pother, put.] 1. To busy one's
self with trifles; to labor with little purpose, energy, of effect; to
trifle; to pother.
Pottering about the Mile End
cottages.
Mrs. Humphry Ward.
2. To walk lazily or idly; to
saunter.
Pot"ter, v. t. To poke; to push;
also, to disturb; to confuse; to bother. [Prov. Eng.]
Halliwell.
Pot"tern (?), a. Of or pertaining
to potters.
Pottern ore, a species of ore which, from its
aptness to vitrify like the glazing of potter's wares, the miners call
by this name. Boyle.
Pot"ter*y (?), n.; pl.
Potteries (#). [F. poterie, fr. pot.
See Pot.] 1. The vessels or ware made by
potters; earthenware, glazed and baked.
2. The place where earthen vessels are
made.
Pot"ting (?), n. 1.
Tippling. [Obs.] Shak.
2. The act of placing in a pot; as, the
potting of plants; the potting of meats for
preservation.
3. The process of putting sugar in casks for
cleansing and draining. [West Indies] B. Edwards.
Pot"tle (?), n. [OE. potel, OF.
potel, dim. of pot. See Pot.] 1.
A liquid measure of four pints.
2. A pot or tankard. Shak.
A dry pottle of sack before him.
Sir W. Scott.
3. A vessel or small basket for holding
fruit.
He had a . . . pottle of strawberries in one
hand.
Dickens.
Pottle draught, taking a pottle of liquor at
one draught. [ Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.
||Pot"to (?), n. (Zoöl.)
(a) A nocturnal mammal (Perodictius potto)
of the Lemur family, found in West Africa. It has rudimentary
forefingers. Called also aposoro, and bush dog.
(b) The kinkajou.
Pott's" dis*ease" (?). (Med.) Caries of the
vertebræ, frequently resulting in curvature of the spine and
paralysis of the lower extremities; -- so named from Percival
Pott, an English surgeon.
Pott's fracture, a fracture of the lower end
of the fibula, with displacement of the tibia.
Dunglison.
Pot"u*lent (?), a. [L.
potulentus, fr. potus a drinking, drink, fr.
potare to drink.] 1. Fit to drink;
potable. [Obs.] Johnson.
2. Nearly drunk; tipsy. [Obs.]
Pot"-val`iant (?), a. Having the
courage given by drink. Smollett.
Pot"-wal`lop*er (?), n.
1. A voter in certain boroughs of England, where,
before the passage of the reform bill of 1832, the qualification for
suffrage was to have boiled (walloped) his own pot in the parish for
six months.
2. One who cleans pots; a scullion.
[Slang, U. S.]
Pouch (?), n. [F. poche a pocket,
pouch, bag; probably of Teutonic origin. See Poke a bag, and
cf. Poach to cook eggs, to plunder.] 1. A
small bag; usually, a leathern bag; as, a pouch for money; a
shot pouch; a mail pouch, etc.
2. That which is shaped like, or used as, a
pouch; as: (a) A protuberant belly; a
paunch; -- so called in ridicule. (b)
(Zoöl.) A sac or bag for carrying food or young; as,
the cheek pouches of certain rodents, and the pouch of
marsupials. (c) (Med.) A cyst or sac
containing fluid. S. Sharp. (d)
(Bot.) A silicle, or short pod, as of the shepherd's
purse. (e) A bulkhead in the hold of a
vessel, to prevent grain, etc., from shifting.
Pouch mouth, a mouth with blubbered or
swollen lips.
Pouch, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pouched (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pouching.] 1. To put or take into a
pouch.
2. To swallow; -- said of fowls.
Derham.
3. To pout. [Obs.]
Ainsworth.
4. To pocket; to put up with. [R.]
Sir W. Scott.
Pouched (?), a. (Zoöl.)
(a) Having a marsupial pouch; as, the
pouched badger, or the wombat. (b)
Having external cheek pouches; as, the pouched
gopher. (c) Having internal cheek pouches;
as, the pouched squirrels.
Pouched dog. (Zoöl.) See Zebra
wolf, under Zebra. -- Pouched frog
(Zoöl.), the nototrema, the female of which has a
dorsal pouch in which the eggs are hatched, and in which the young
pass through their brief tadpole stage. -- Pouched
gopher, or Pouched rat.
(Zoöl.) See Pocket gopher, under
Pocket. -- Pouched mouse.
(Zoöl.) See Pocket mouse, under
Pocket.
Pou"chet box` (?). See Pouncet box.
Pouch"-mouthed` (?), a. Having a
pouch mouth; blobber-lipped.
Pou*chong" (?), n. A superior kind
of souchong tea. De Colange.
Pouch"-shell` (?), n.
(Zoöl.) A small British and American pond snail
(Bulinus hypnorum).
Pou"dre (?), n. [See Powder.]
Dust; powder. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Poudre marchant [see Merchant], a kind
of flavoring powder used in the Middle Ages. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Pou*drette" (?), n. [F., dim. of
poudre dust, powder. See Powder.] A manure made
from night soil, dried and mixed with charcoal, gypsum, etc.
Pou*laine" (?), n. [F. soulier à
la poulaine.] A long pointed shoe. See
Cracowes.
Poul"da`vis (?), n. Same as
Poledavy. [Obs.]
Poul"der (?), n. & v. Powder.
[Obs.]
Poul"dron (?), n. See
Pauldron.
{ Poulp, Poulpe (?) }, n. [F.
poulpe, fr. L. polypus. See Polyp.]
(Zoöl.) Same as Octopus.
Musk poulp (Zoöl.), a
Mediterranean octopod (Eledone moschata) which emits a strong
odor of musk.
Poult (?), n. [OF. pulte, F.
poulet, dim. of poule fowl. See Pullet.] A
young chicken, partridge, grouse, or the like. King.
Chapman.
Starling the heath poults or black
game.
R. Jefferise.
Poul"ter (?), n. [OE. pulter. See
Poult.] A poulterer. [Obs.] Shak.
Poul"ter*er (?), n. One who deals
in poultry.
Poul"tice (?), n. [L. puls, pl.
pultes, a thick pap; akin to Gr. po`ltos. Cf.
Pulse seeds.] A soft composition, as of bread, bran, or a
mucilaginous substance, to be applied to sores, inflamed parts of the
body, etc.; a cataplasm. "Poultice relaxeth the pores."
Bacon.
Poul"tice, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Poulticed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Poulticing (?).] To apply a poultice to; to dress with a
poultice.
Poul"tive (?), n. A poultice.
[Obs.] W. Temple.
Poul"try (?), n. [From Poult.]
Domestic fowls reared for the table, or for their eggs or
feathers, such as cocks and hens, capons, turkeys, ducks, and
geese.
Pounce (?), n. [F. ponce pumice,
pounce, fr. L. pumex, -icis, pumice. See Pumice.]
1. A fine powder, as of sandarac, or cuttlefish
bone, -- formerly used to prevent ink from spreading on
manuscript.
2. Charcoal dust, or some other colored powder
for making patterns through perforated designs, -- used by
embroiderers, lace makers, etc.
Pounce box, a box for sprinkling pounce.
-- Pounce paper, a transparent paper for
tracing.
Pounce (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pounded (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pouncing (?).] To sprinkle or rub with pounce; as, to
pounce paper, or a pattern.
Pounce, n. [Prob. through French, from
an assumed LL. punctiare to prick, L. pungere,
punctum. See Puncheon, Punch, v.
t.] 1. The claw or talon of a bird of
prey. Spenser. Burke.
2. A punch or stamp. [Obs.] "A
pounce to print money with." Withals.
3. Cloth worked in eyelet holes. [Obs.]
Homilies.
Pounce, v. t. 1. To
strike or seize with the talons; to pierce, as with the talons.
[Archaic]
Stooped from his highest pitch to pounce a
wren.
Cowper.
Now pounce him lightly,
And as he roars and rages, let's go deeper.
J.
Fletcher.
2. To punch; to perforate; to stamp holes in,
or dots on, by way of ornament. [Obs.] Sir T. Elyot.
Pounce, v. i. To fall suddenly and
seize with the claws; -- with on or upon; as, a hawk
pounces upon a chicken. Also used figuratively.
Derision is never so agonizing as when it
pounces on the wanderings of misguided
sensibility.
Jeffrey.
Pounced (?), a. 1.
Furnished with claws or talons; as, the pounced young of
the eagle. Thomson.
2. Ornamented with perforations or dots.
[Obs.] "Gilt bowls pounced and pierced." Holinshed.
Poun"cet box` (?). [Cf. F. poncette, fr.
ponce pounce. See Pounce a powder.] A box with a
perforated lid, for sprinkling pounce, or for holding perfumes.
Shak.
Poun"cing (?), n. 1.
The art or practice of transferring a design by means of
pounce.
2. Decorative perforation of cloth.
[Obs.]
Pound (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pounded; p. pr. & vb. n.
Pounding.] [OE. pounen, AS. punian to bruise.
Cf. Pun a play on words.] 1. To strike
repeatedly with some heavy instrument; to beat.
With cruel blows she pounds her blubbered
cheeks.
Dryden.
2. To comminute and pulverize by beating; to
bruise or break into fine particles with a pestle or other heavy
instrument; as, to pound spice or salt.
Pound, v. i. 1. To
strike heavy blows; to beat.
2. (Mach.) To make a jarring noise, as
in running; as, the engine pounds.
Pound, n. [AS. pund an inclosure:
cf. forpyndan to turn away, or to repress, also Icel.
pynda to extort, torment, Ir. pont, pond, pound. Cf.
Pinder, Pinfold, Pin to inclose, Pond.]
1. An inclosure, maintained by public authority,
in which cattle or other animals are confined when taken in
trespassing, or when going at large in violation of law; a
pinfold. Shak.
2. A level stretch in a canal between
locks.
3. (Fishing) A kind of net, having a
large inclosure with a narrow entrance into which fish are directed by
wings spreading outward.
Pound covert, a pound that is close or
covered over, as a shed. -- Pound overt, a
pound that is open overhead.
Pound, v. t. To confine in, or as
in, a pound; to impound. Milton.
Pound, n.; pl.
Pounds (#), collectively Pound or
Pounds. [AS. pund, fr. L. pondo, akin
to pondus a weight, pendere to weigh. See
Pendant.] 1. A certain specified weight;
especially, a legal standard consisting of an established number of
ounces.
&fist; The pound in general use in the United States and in England
is the pound avoirdupois, which is divided into sixteen ounces,
and contains 7,000 grains. The pound troy is divided into
twelve ounces, and contains 5,760 grains. 144 pounds avoirdupois are
equal to 175 pounds troy weight. See Avoirdupois, and
Troy.
2. A British denomination of money of account,
equivalent to twenty shillings sterling, and equal in value to about
$4.86. There is no coin known by this name, but the gold sovereign is
of the same value.
&fist; The pound sterling was in Saxon times, about a.
d. 671, a pound troy of silver, and a shilling was its
twentieth part; consequently the latter was three times as large as it
is at present. Peacham.
Pound"age (?), n. 1.
A sum deducted from a pound, or a certain sum paid for each
pound; a commission.
2. A subsidy of twelve pence in the pound,
formerly granted to the crown on all goods exported or imported, and
if by aliens, more. [Eng.] Blackstone.
3. (Law) The sum allowed to a sheriff
or other officer upon the amount realized by an execution; --
estimated in England, and formerly in the United States, at so much of
the pound. Burrill. Bouvier.
Pound"age, v. t. To collect, as
poundage; to assess, or rate, by poundage. [R.]
Pound"age, n. [See 3d Pound.]
1. Confinement of cattle, or other animals, in a
public pound.
2. A charge paid for the release of impounded
cattle.
Pound"al (?), n. [From 5th
Pound.] (Physics & Mech.) A unit of force based
upon the pound, foot, and second, being the force which, acting on a
pound avoirdupois for one second, causes it to acquire by the of that
time a velocity of one foot per second. It is about equal to the
weight of half an ounce, and is 13,825 dynes.
Pound"-breach` (?), n. The breaking
of a public pound for releasing impounded animals.
Blackstone.
Pound"cake` (?), n. A kind of rich,
sweet cake; -- so called from the ingredients being used by pounds, or
in equal quantities.
Pound"er (?), n. 1.
One who, or that which, pounds, as a stamp in an ore
mill.
2. An instrument used for pounding; a
pestle.
3. A person or thing, so called with reference
to a certain number of pounds in value, weight, capacity, etc.; as, a
cannon carrying a twelve-pound ball is called a twelve
pounder.
&fist; Before the English reform act of 1867, one who was an
elector by virtue of paying ten pounds rent was called a ten
pounder.
Pound"ing (?), n. 1.
The act of beating, bruising, or breaking up; a
beating.
2. A pounded or pulverized substance.
[R.] "Covered with the poundings of these rocks." J. S.
Blackie.
Pound"keep`er (?), n. The keeper of
a pound.
Pound"*rate` (?), n. A rate or
proportion estimated at a certain amount for each pound;
poundage.
Poup (?), v. i. See
Powp. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Pou*part's" lig"a*ment (?). (Anat.) A
ligament, of fascia, extending, in most mammals, from the ventral side
of the ilium to near the symphysis of the pubic bones.
Pou"pe*ton (?), n. [See Puppet.]
A puppet, or little baby. [Obs.] Palsgrave.
Pour (?), a. Poor. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Pour (?), v. i. To pore.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
Pour (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Poured (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pouring.] [OE. pouren, of uncertain origin; cf. W.
bwrw to cast, throw, shed, bwrw gwlaw to rain.]
1. To cause to flow in a stream, as a liquid or
anything flowing like a liquid, either out of a vessel or into it; as,
to pour water from a pail; to pour wine into a decanter;
to pour oil upon the waters; to pour out sand or
dust.
2. To send forth as in a stream or a flood; to
emit; to let escape freely or wholly.
I . . . have poured out my soul before the
Lord.
1 Sam. i. 15.
Now will I shortly pour out my fury upon
thee.
Ezek. vii. 8.
London doth pour out her citizens !
Shak.
Wherefore did Nature pour her bounties forth
With such a full and unwithdrawing hand ?
Milton.
3. To send forth from, as in a stream; to
discharge uninterruptedly.
Is it for thee the linnet pours his throat
?
Pope.
Pour, v. i. To flow, pass, or issue
in a stream, or as a stream; to fall continuously and abundantly; as,
the rain pours; the people poured out of the
theater.
In the rude throng pour on with furious
pace.
Gay.
Pour, n. A stream, or something
like a stream; a flood. [Colloq.] "A pour of rain."
Miss Ferrier.
Poure"liche` (?), adv.
Poorly. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Pour"er (?), n. One who
pours.
Pour"lieu (?), n. See
Purlieu.
||Pour`par`ler" (?), n. [F.]
(Diplomacy) A consultation preliminary to a
treaty.
Pour`par"ty (?), n.; pl.
Pourparties (#). [See Purparty.] (Law)
A division; a divided share.
To make pourparty, to divide and apportion
lands previously held in common.
Pour"point (?), n. [F.] A quilted
military doublet or gambeson worn in the 14th and 15th centuries;
also, a name for the doublet of the 16th and 17th centuries worn by
civilians.
Pour*pres"ture (?; 135), n. (Law)
See Purpresture.
Pour"sui*vant (?), n. See
Pursuivant.
Pour*tray" (?), v. t. See
Portray.
Pour*vey"ance (?), n. See
Purveyance.
Pousse (p&oomac;s), n. Pulse;
pease. [Obs.] Spenser.
Pous*sette" (p&oomac;*s&ebreve;t"), n.
[F., pushpin, fr. pousser to push. See Push.] A
movement, or part of a figure, in the contradance.
Dickens.
Pous*sette", v. i. To perform a
certain movement in a dance. [R.] Tennyson.
Down the middle, up again, poussette, and
cross.
J. & H. Smith.
Pout (p&oomac;t), n. [F. poulet.
See Poult.] The young of some birds, as grouse; a young
fowl. Carew.
Pout (p&oomac;t), v. i. To shoot
pouts. [Scot.]
Pout (pout), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Pouted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Pouting.] [OE. pouten, of uncertain origin; cf. Prov.
pot lip, Prov. F. potte, faire la potte to pout,
W. pwdu to pout, be sullen, poten, potten, a
paunch, belly.] 1. To thrust out the lips, as in
sullenness or displeasure; hence, to look sullen.
Thou poutest upon thy fortune and thy
love.
Shak.
2. To protrude. "Pouting lips."
Dryden.
Pout, n. A sullen protrusion of the
lips; a fit of sullenness. "Jack's in the pouts." J.
& H. Smith.
Pout, n. [Cf. Eelpout.]
(Zoöl.) The European whiting pout or bib.
Eel pout. (Zoöl.) See
Eelpout. -- Horn pout, or Horned
pout. (Zoöl.) See Bullhead
(b).
Pout"er (-&etilde;r), n.
1. One who, or that which, pouts.
2. [Cf. E. pout, and G. puter
turkey.] (Zoöl.) A variety of the domestic pigeon
remarkable for the extent to which it is able to dilate its throat and
breast.
Pout"ing, n. Childish
sullenness.
Pout"ing*ly, adv. In a pouting, or
a sullen, manner.
Pov"ert (p&obreve;v"&etilde;rt), n.
Poverty. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Pov"er*ty (p&obreve;v"&etilde;r*t&ybreve;),
n. [OE. poverte, OF. poverté,
F. pauvreté, fr. L. paupertas, fr. pauper
poor. See Poor.] 1. The quality or state
of being poor or indigent; want or scarcity of means of subsistence;
indigence; need. "Swathed in numblest poverty."
Keble.
The drunkard and the glutton shall come to
poverty.
Prov. xxiii. 21.
2. Any deficiency of elements or resources
that are needed or desired, or that constitute richness; as,
poverty of soil; poverty of the blood; poverty of
ideas.
Poverty grass (Bot.), a name given to
several slender grasses (as Aristida dichotoma, and
Danthonia spicata) which often spring up on old and worn-out
fields.
Syn. -- Indigence; penury; beggary; need; lack; want;
scantiness; sparingness; meagerness; jejuneness. Poverty,
Indigence, Pauperism. Poverty is a relative term;
what is poverty to a monarch, would be competence for a day
laborer. Indigence implies extreme distress, and almost
absolute destitution. Pauperism denotes entire dependence upon
public charity, and, therefore, often a hopeless and degraded
state.
{ Pow"an (?), Pow"en (?) }, n.
(Zoöl.) A small British lake whitefish (Coregonus
clupeoides, or C. ferus); -- called also gwyniad and
lake herring.
Pow"der (?), n. [OE. poudre,
pouldre, F. poudre, OF. also poldre,
puldre, L. pulvis, pulveris: cf. pollen
fine flour, mill dust, E. pollen. Cf. Polverine,
Pulverize.] 1. The fine particles to which
any dry substance is reduced by pounding, grinding, or triturating, or
into which it falls by decay; dust.
Grind their bones to powder small.
Shak.
2. An explosive mixture used in gunnery,
blasting, etc.; gunpowder. See Gunpowder.
Atlas powder, Baking powder,
etc. See under Atlas, Baking, etc. --
Powder down (Zoöl.), the peculiar
dust, or exfoliation, of powder-down feathers. -- Powder-
down feather (Zoöl.), one of a peculiar kind
of modified feathers which sometimes form patches on certain parts of
some birds. They have a greasy texture and a scaly exfoliation. -
- Powder-down patch (Zoöl.), a tuft
or patch of powder-down feathers. -- Powder
hose, a tube of strong linen, about an inch in diameter,
filled with powder and used in firing mines. Farrow. --
Powder hoy (Naut.), a vessel specially
fitted to carry powder for the supply of war ships. They are usually
painted red and carry a red flag. -- Powder
magazine, or Powder room. See
Magazine, 2. -- Powder mine, a mine
exploded by gunpowder. See Mine. -- Powder
monkey (Naut.), a boy formerly employed on war
vessels to carry powder; a powder boy. -- Powder
post. See Dry rot, under Dry. --
Powder puff. See Puff,
n.
Pow"der, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Powdered (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Powdering.] [F. poudrer.] 1. To
reduce to fine particles; to pound, grind, or rub into a powder; to
comminute; to pulverize; to triturate.
2. To sprinkle with powder, or as with powder;
to be sprinkle; as, to powder the hair.
A circling zone thou seest
Powdered with stars.
Milton.
3. To sprinkle with salt; to corn, as
meat. [Obs.]
Pow"der, v. i. 1.
To be reduced to powder; to become like powder; as, some salts
powder easily.
2. To use powder on the hair or skin; as, she
paints and powders.
Pow"dered (?), a. 1.
Reduced to a powder; sprinkled with, or as with,
powder.
2. Sprinkled with salt; salted; corned.
[Obs.]
Powdered beef, pickled meats.
Harvey.
3. (Her.) Same as
Semé. Walpole.
Pow"der*flask` (?), n. A flask in
which gunpowder is carried, having a charging tube at the
end.
Pow"der*horn` (?), n. A horn in
which gunpowder is carried.
Pow"der*ing, a. & n. from
Powder, v. t.
Powdering tub. (a) A tub or
vessel in which meat is corned or salted. (b)
A heated tub in which an infected lecher was placed for cure.
[Obs.] Shak.
Pow"der*mill` (?), n. A mill in
which gunpowder is made.
Pow"der-post`ed (?), a. Affected
with dry rot; reduced to dust by rot. See Dry rot, under
Dry. [U.S.]
Pow"der*y (?), a. 1.
Easily crumbling to pieces; friable; loose; as, a powdery
spar.
2. Sprinkled or covered with powder; dusty;
as, the powdery bloom on plums.
3. Resembling powder; consisting of
powder. "The powdery snow." Wordsworth.
Pow"dike (?), n. [Scot. pow,
pou, a pool, a watery or marshy place, fr. E. pool.]
A dike a marsh or fen. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.
Pow"dry (?), a. See
Powdery.
Pow"er (?), n. (Zoöl.)
Same as Poor, the fish.
Pow"er, n. [OE. pouer,
poer, OF. poeir, pooir, F. pouvoir, n. &
v., fr. LL. potere, for L. posse, potesse, to be
able, to have power. See Possible, Potent, and cf.
Posse comitatus.] 1. Ability to act,
regarded as latent or inherent; the faculty of doing or performing
something; capacity for action or performance; capability of producing
an effect, whether physical or moral: potency; might; as, a man of
great power; the power of capillary attraction; money
gives power. "One next himself in power, and next
in crime." Milton.
2. Ability, regarded as put forth or exerted;
strength, force, or energy in action; as, the power of steam in
moving an engine; the power of truth, or of argument, in
producing conviction; the power of enthusiasm. "The
power of fancy." Shak.
3. Capacity of undergoing or suffering;
fitness to be acted upon; susceptibility; -- called also passive
power; as, great power of endurance.
Power, then, is active and passive; faculty is
active power or capacity; capacity is passive
power.
Sir W. Hamilton.
4. The exercise of a faculty; the employment
of strength; the exercise of any kind of control; influence; dominion;
sway; command; government.
Power is no blessing in itself but when it is
employed to protect the innocent.
Swift.
5. The agent exercising an ability to act; an
individual invested with authority; an institution, or government,
which exercises control; as, the great powers of Europe; hence,
often, a superhuman agent; a spirit; a divinity. "The
powers of darkness." Milton.
And the powers of the heavens shall be
shaken.
Matt. xxiv. 29.
6. A military or naval force; an army or navy;
a great host. Spenser.
Never such a power . . .
Was levied in the body of a land.
Shak.
7. A large quantity; a great number; as, a
power o&?; good things. [Colloq.] Richardson.
8. (Mech.) (a) The rate
at which mechanical energy is exerted or mechanical work performed, as
by an engine or other machine, or an animal, working continuously; as,
an engine of twenty horse power.
&fist; The English unit of power used most commonly is the horse
power. See Horse power.
(b) A mechanical agent; that from which useful
mechanical energy is derived; as, water power; steam
power; hand power, etc. (c)
Applied force; force producing motion or pressure; as, the
power applied at one and of a lever to lift a weight at the
other end.
&fist; This use in mechanics, of power as a synonym for
force, is improper and is becoming obsolete.
(d) A machine acted upon by an animal, and
serving as a motor to drive other machinery; as, a dog
power.
&fist; Power is used adjectively, denoting, driven, or
adapted to be driven, by machinery, and not actuated directly by the
hand or foot; as, a power lathe; a power loom; a
power press.
9. (Math.) The product arising from the
multiplication of a number into itself; as, a square is the second
power, and a cube is third power, of a number.
10. (Metaph.) Mental or moral ability
to act; one of the faculties which are possessed by the mind or soul;
as, the power of thinking, reasoning, judging, willing,
fearing, hoping, etc. I. Watts.
The guiltiness of my mind, the sudden surprise of my
powers, drove the grossness . . . into a received
belief.
Shak.
11. (Optics) The degree to which a
lens, mirror, or any optical instrument, magnifies; in the telescope,
and usually in the microscope, the number of times it multiplies, or
augments, the apparent diameter of an object; sometimes, in
microscopes, the number of times it multiplies the apparent
surface.
12. (Law) An authority enabling a
person to dispose of an interest vested either in himself or in
another person; ownership by appointment. Wharton.
13. Hence, vested authority to act in a given
case; as, the business was referred to a committee with
power.
&fist; Power may be predicated of inanimate agents, like the
winds and waves, electricity and magnetism, gravitation, etc., or of
animal and intelligent beings; and when predicated of these beings, it
may indicate physical, mental, or moral ability or capacity.
Mechanical powers. See under
Mechanical. -- Power loom, or
Power press. See Def. 8 (d),
note. -- Power of attorney. See under
Attorney. -- Power of a point (relative
to a given curve) (Geom.), the result of substituting the
coördinates of any point in that expression which being put equal
to zero forms the equation of the curve; as, x2 +
y2 - 100 is the power of the point x, y,
relative to the circle x2 + y2 - 100 =
0.
Pow"er*a*ble (?), a. 1.
Capable of being effected or accomplished by the application of
power; possible. [R.] J. Young.
2. Capable of exerting power; powerful.
Camden.
Pow"er*ful (?), a. 1.
Full of power; capable of producing great effects of any kind;
potent; mighty; efficacious; intense; as, a powerful man or
beast; a powerful engine; a powerful argument; a
powerful light; a powerful vessel.
The powerful grace that lies
In herbs, plants, stones, and their true qualities.
Shak.
2. (Mining) Large; capacious; -- said
of veins of ore.
Syn. -- Mighty; strong; potent; forcible; efficacious;
energetic; intense.
-- Pow"er*ful*ly, adv. --
Pow"er*ful*ness, n.
Pow"er*less, a. Destitute of power,
force, or energy; weak; impotent; not able to produce any
effect. -- Pow"er*less*ly, adv. --
Pow"er*less*ness, n.
Powl"dron (?), n. [OF.
espauleron, from espaule shoulder, F.
épaule.] Same as Pauldron.
Powp (?), v. i. See Poop,
v. i. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Pow"ter (pou"t&etilde;r), n.
(Zoöl.) See Pouter.
Pow"wow` (?), n. 1.
A priest, or conjurer, among the North American
Indians.
Be it sagamore, sachem, or powwow.
Longfellow.
2. Conjuration attended with great noise and
confusion, and often with feasting, dancing, etc., performed by
Indians for the cure of diseases, to procure success in hunting or in
war, and for other purposes.
3. Hence: Any assembly characterized by noise
and confusion; a noisy frolic or gathering. [Colloq. U. S.]
Pow"wow`, v. i. 1.
To use conjuration, with noise and confusion, for the cure of
disease, etc., as among the North American Indians.
2. Hence: To hold a noisy, disorderly
meeting. [Colloq. U. S.]
Pox (?), n. [For pocks, OE.
pokkes. See Pock. It is plural in form but is used as a
singular.] (Med.) Strictly, a disease by pustules or
eruptions of any kind, but chiefly or wholly restricted to three or
four diseases, -- the smallpox, the chicken pox, and the vaccine and
the venereal diseases.
&fist; Pox, when used without an epithet, as in
imprecations, formerly signified smallpox; but it now signifies
syphilis.
Pox, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Poxed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Poxing.] To infect with the pox, or syphilis.
Poy (?), n. [OF. apui,
apoi, a support, prop., staff, F. appui, fr. OF.
apuier, apoier, to support, F. appuyer, fr.
à to (L. ad) + OF. pui, poi, a
rising ground, hill, L. podium. See Podium, Pew.]
1. A support; -- used in composition; as,
teapoy.
2. A ropedancer's balancing pole.
Johnson.
3. A long boat hook by which barges are
propelled against the stream. [Prov. Eng.]
Halliwell.
Poy*na"do (?), n. A poniard.
[Obs.] Lyly.
Poynd (?), v., Poynd"er (&?;),
n. See Poind, Poinder.
Poy nette" (?), n. [Cf. Point.]
A bodkin. [Obs.]
Poyn"tel (?), n. [See Pointal.]
(Arch.) Paving or flooring made of small squares or
lozenges set diagonally. [Formerly written pointal.]
Poy"ou (?), n. (Zoöl.)
A South American armadillo (Dasypus sexcinctus). Called
also sixbanded armadillo.
Poze (?), v. t. See 5th
Pose.
{ Poz`zu*o*la"na (?), Poz`zo*la"*na (?) },
n. [It.] Volcanic ashes from Pozzuoli, in
Italy, used in the manufacture of a kind of mortar which hardens under
water.
Praam (?), n. [D. praam; cf. G.
prahm, F. prame; all of Slavonic origin, from a word
akin to E. fare. See Fare.] (Naut.) A flat-
bottomed boat or lighter, -- used in Holland and the Baltic, and
sometimes armed in case of war. [Written also pram, and
prame.]
Prac"tic (?), a. [See Practical.]
1. Practical.
2. Artful; deceitful; skillful. [Obs.]
"Cunning sleights and practick knavery." Spenser.
Prac"ti*ca*bil"i*ty (?), n. The
quality or state of being practicable; practicableness;
feasibility. "The practicability of such a project."
Stewart.
Prac"ti*ca*ble (?), a. [LL.
practicare to act, transact, fr. L. practicus active,
Gr. &?;: cf. F. practicable, pratiquer to practice. See
Practical.] 1. That may be practiced or
performed; capable of being done or accomplished with available means
or resources; feasible; as, a practicable method; a
practicable aim; a practicable good.
2. Capable of being used; passable; as, a
practicable weapon; a practicable road.
Practicable breach (Mil.), a breach
which admits of approach and entrance by an assailing party.
Syn. -- Possible; feasible. -- Practicable,
Possible. A thing may be possible, i. e., not forbidden
by any law of nature, and yet may not now be practicable for
want of the means requisite to its performance.
-- Prac"ti*ca*ble*ness, n. --
Prac"ti*ca*bly, adv.
Prac"ti*cal (?), a. [L. practicus
active, Gr. &?; fit for doing or performing, practical, active, fr.
&?; to do, work, effect: cf. F. pratique, formerly also
practique. Cf. Pragmatic, Practice.]
1. Of or pertaining to practice or
action.
2. Capable of being turned to use or account;
useful, in distinction from ideal or theoretical; as,
practical chemistry. "Man's practical
understanding." South. "For all practical purposes."
Macaulay.
3. Evincing practice or skill; capable of
applying knowledge to some useful end; as, a practical man; a
practical mind.
4. Derived from practice; as, practical
skill.
Practical joke, a joke put in practice; a
joke the fun of which consists in something done, in distinction from
something said; esp., a trick played upon a person.
Prac`ti*cal"i*ty (?), n. The
quality or state of being practical; practicalness.
Prac"ti*cal*ly (?), adv.
1. In a practical way; not theoretically; really;
as, to look at things practically; practically
worthless.
2. By means of practice or use; by experience
or experiment; as, practically wise or skillful;
practically acquainted with a subject.
3. In practice or use; as, a medicine
practically safe; theoretically wrong, but practically
right.
Prac"ti*cal*ness, n. Same as
Practicality.
Prac"ti*cal*ize (?), v. t. To
render practical. [R.] "Practicalizing influences."
J. S. Mill.
Prac"tice (?), n. [OE. praktike,
practique, F. pratique, formerly also, practique,
LL. practica, fr. Gr. &?;, fr. &?; practical. See
Practical, and cf. Pratique, Pretty.]
1. Frequently repeated or customary action;
habitual performance; a succession of acts of a similar kind; usage;
habit; custom; as, the practice of rising early; the
practice of making regular entries of accounts; the
practice of daily exercise.
A heart . . . exercised with covetous
practices.
2 Pet. ii. 14.
2. Customary or constant use; state of being
used.
Obsolete words may be revived when they are more
sounding or more significant than those in
practice.
Dryden.
3. Skill or dexterity acquired by use;
expertness. [R.] "His nice fence and his active
practice." Shak.
4. Actual performance; application of
knowledge; -- opposed to theory.
There are two functions of the soul, -- contemplation
and practice.
South.
There is a distinction, but no opposition, between
theory and practice; each, to a certain extent, supposes the
other; theory is dependent on practice; practice must
have preceded theory.
Sir W. Hamilton.
5. Systematic exercise for instruction or
discipline; as, the troops are called out for practice; she
neglected practice in music.
6. Application of science to the wants of men;
the exercise of any profession; professional business; as, the
practice of medicine or law; a large or lucrative
practice.
Practice is exercise of an art, or the
application of a science in life, which application is itself an
art.
Sir W. Hamilton.
7. Skillful or artful management; dexterity in
contrivance or the use of means; art; stratagem; artifice; plot; --
usually in a bad sense. [Obs.] Bacon.
He sought to have that by practice which he
could not by prayer.
Sir P. Sidney.
8. (Math.) A easy and concise method of
applying the rules of arithmetic to questions which occur in trade and
business.
9. (Law) The form, manner, and order of
conducting and carrying on suits and prosecutions through their
various stages, according to the principles of law and the rules laid
down by the courts. Bouvier.
Syn. -- Custom; usage; habit; manner.
Prac"tice (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Practiced (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Practicing (?).] [Often written practise,
practised, practising.] 1. To do or
perform frequently, customarily, or habitually; to make a practice of;
as, to practice gaming. "Incline not my heart . . .
practice wicked works."
Ps. cxli. 4.
2. To exercise, or follow, as a profession,
trade, art, etc., as, to practice law or medicine.
2. To exercise one's self in, for instruction
or improvement, or to acquire discipline or dexterity; as, to
practice gunnery; to practice music.
4. To put into practice; to carry out; to act
upon; to commit; to execute; to do. "Aught but Talbot's shadow
whereon to practice your severity." Shak.
As this advice ye practice or
neglect.
Pope.
5. To make use of; to employ. [Obs.]
In malice to this good knight's wife, I
practiced Ubaldo and Ricardo to corrupt her.
Massinger.
6. To teach or accustom by practice; to
train.
In church they are taught to love God; after church
they are practiced to love their neighbor.
Landor.
Prac"tice, v. i. [Often written
practise.] 1. To perform certain acts
frequently or customarily, either for instruction, profit, or
amusement; as, to practice with the broadsword or with the
rifle; to practice on the piano.
2. To learn by practice; to form a
habit.
They shall practice how to live
secure.
Milton.
Practice first over yourself to
reign.
Waller.
3. To try artifices or stratagems.
He will practice against thee by
poison.
Shak.
4. To apply theoretical science or knowledge,
esp. by way of experiment; to exercise or pursue an employment or
profession, esp. that of medicine or of law.
[I am] little inclined to practice on others,
and as little that others should practice on me.
Sir W. Temple.
Prac"ticed (?), a. [Often written
practised.] 1. Experienced; expert;
skilled; as, a practiced marksman. "A practiced
picklock." Ld. Lytton.
2. Used habitually; learned by
practice.
Prac"ti*cer (?), n. [Often written
practiser.] 1. One who practices, or puts
in practice; one who customarily performs certain acts.
South.
2. One who exercises a profession; a
practitioner.
3. One who uses art or stratagem. [Obs.]
B. Jonson.
Prac*ti"cian (?), n. [F.
praticien, OF. also practicien.] One who is
acquainted with, or skilled in, anything by practice; a
practitioner.
Prac"tick (?), n. Practice.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
Prac"ti*sant (?), n. An agent or
confederate in treachery. [Obs.] Shak.
Prac"tise (?), v. t. & i. See
Practice.
&fist; The analogy of the English language requires that the noun
and verb which are pronounced alike should agree in spelling. Thus we
have notice (n. & v.), noticed, noticing,
noticer; poultice (n. & v.); apprentice (n. &
v.); office (n. & v.), officer (n.); lattice
(n.), latticed (a.); benefice (n.), beneficed
(a.), etc. Cf. sacrifice (&?;; n. & v.), surmise (&?;;
n. & v.), promise (&?;; n. & v.); compromise (&?;; n. &
v.), etc. Contrast advice (&?;; n.), and advise (&?;);
device (&?;), and devise (&?;), etc.
Prac"ti*sour (?), n. A
practitioner. [Obs.]
Prac*ti"tion*er (?), n. [From
Practician.] 1. One who is engaged in the
actual use or exercise of any art or profession, particularly that of
law or medicine. Crabbe.
2. One who does anything customarily or
habitually.
3. A sly or artful person.
Whitgift.
General practitioner. See under
General, 2.
Prac"tive (?), a. Doing;
active. [Obs.] Sylvester. -- Prac"tive*ly,
adv. [Obs.]
The preacher and the people both,
Then practively did thrive.
Warner.
Prad (?), n. [Cf. D. paard.]
A horse. [Colloq. Eng.]
Præ- (?). A prefix. See Pre-.
||Præ"ca`va (?), n. [NL. See
Pre-, and 1st Cave.] (Anat.) The superior
vena cava. -- Præ"ca`val (#),
a. B. G. Wilder.
Præc"i*pe (?), n. [L., imperative
of praecipere to give rules or precepts. See Precept.]
(Law) (a) A writ commanding something to
be done, or requiring a reason for neglecting it.
(b) A paper containing the particulars of a writ,
lodged in the office out of which the writ is to be issued.
Wharton.
||Præ"co*ces (?), n. pl. [NL. See
Precocious.] (Zoöl.) A division of birds
including those whose young are able to run about when first
hatched.
Præ*co"cial (?), a.
(Zoöl.) Of or pertaining to the
Præcoces.
||Præ*cog"ni*ta (?), n. pl. [L.
praecognitus, p. p. of praecognoscere to foreknow. See
Pre-, and Cognition.] This previously known, or
which should be known in order to understand something else.
Præ*com"mis*sure (?), n. [Pref.
præ + commissure.] (Anat.) A transverse
commissure in the anterior part of the third ventricle of the brain;
the anterior cerebral commissure.
Præ*cor"a*coid (?), n.
(Anat.) See Precoracoid.
||Præ*cor"di*a (?), n. [L., fr.
prae before + cor, cordis, the heart.]
(Anat.) The front part of the thoracic region; the
epigastrium.
Præ*cor"di*al (?), a.
(Anat.) Same as Precordial.
||Præ*cor"nu (?), n.; pl.
Præcornua (#). [NL. See Pre-, and
Cornu.] (Anat.) The anterior horn of each lateral
ventricle of the brain. B. G. Wilder.
Præ"di*al (?), a. See
Predial.
Præ`flo*ra"tion (?), n. Same
as Prefloration. Gray.
Præ*fo`li*a"tion (?), n. Same
as Prefoliation. Gray.
Præ`max*il"la (?), n. See
Premaxilla.
Præ*mo"lar (?), a. See
Premolar.
Præ*morse" (?), a. Same as
Premorse.
||Præm`u*ni"re (?), n. [Corrupted
from L. praemonere to forewarn, cite. See Admonish.]
(Eng. Law) (a) The offense of introducing
foreign authority into England, the penalties for which were
originally intended to depress the civil power of the pope in the
kingdom. (b) The writ grounded on that
offense. Wharton. (c) The penalty
ascribed for the offense of præmunire.
Wolsey incurred a præmunire, and forfeited
his honor, estate, and life.
South.
&fist; The penalties of præmunire were subsequently
applied to many other offenses; but prosecutions upon a
præmunire are at this day unheard of in the English
courts. Blackstone.
Præm`u*ni"re, v. t.
1. To subject to the penalties of
præmunire. [Obs.] T. Ward.
Præ*mu"ni*to*ry (?), a. See
Premunitory.
||Præ*na"res (?), n. pl. [NL. See
Pre-, Nares.] (Anat.) The anterior nares.
See Nares. B. G. Wilder.
Præ*na"sal (?), a. (Anat.)
Same as Prenasal.
Præ*no"men (?), n.; pl.
Prænomina (#). [L., fr. prae before +
nomen name.] (Rom. Antiq.) The first name of a
person, by which individuals of the same family were distinguished,
answering to our Christian name, as Caius, Lucius, Marcus,
etc.
Præ`no*min"ic*al (?), a. Of
or pertaining to a prænomen. [Obs.] M. A.
Lower.
Præ`o*per"cu*lum, n. [NL.]
(Anat.) Same as Preoperculum. --
Præ`o*per"cu*lar, a.
Præ*o"ral, n.,
Præ*pu"bis, n.,
Præ*scap"u*la, n.,
Præ*scu"tum, n.,
Præ*ster"num, n. Same as
Preoral, Prepubis, Prescapula, etc.
Præ"ter- (?). A prefix. See Preter-
.
Præt"er*ist (?), n.
(Theol.) See Preterist.
Præ`ter*mit" (?), v. t. See
Pretermit.
Præ*tex"ta (?), n.; pl.
Prætextæ (#), E.
Prætextas (#). [L. (sc. toga), fr.
praetextus, p. p. of praetexere to weave before, to
fringe, border; prae before + texere to weave.] (Rom.
Antiq.) A white robe with a purple border, worn by a Roman
boy before he was entitled to wear the toga virilis, or until
about the completion of his fourteenth year, and by girls until their
marriage. It was also worn by magistrates and priests.
Præ"tor (?), n. See
Pretor.
||Præ*to"res (?), n. pl. [NL. See
Pretor.] (Zoöl.) A division of butterflies
including the satyrs.
Præ*to"ri*an (?), a. See
Pretorian.
Præ*to"ri*um (?), n. See
Pretorium.
||Præ*zyg`a*poph"y*sis (?), n.
(Anat.) Same as Prezygapophysis.
{ Prag*mat"ic (?), Prag*mat"ic*al (?), }
a. [L. pragmaticus busy, active, skilled in
business, especially in law and state affairs, systematic, Gr. &?;,
fr. &?; a thing done, business, fr. &?; to do: cf. F.
pragmatique. See Practical.] 1. Of
or pertaining to business or to affairs; of the nature of business;
practical; material; businesslike in habit or manner.
The next day . . . I began to be very
pragmatical.
Evelyn.
We can not always be contemplative, diligent, or
pragmatical, abroad; but have need of some delightful
intermissions.
Milton.
Low, pragmatical, earthly views of the
gospel.
Hare.
2. Busy; specifically, busy in an
objectionable way; officious; fussy and positive; meddlesome.
"Pragmatical officers of justice." Sir W. Scott.
The fellow grew so pragmatical that he took upon
him the government of my whole family.
Arbuthnot.
3. Philosophical; dealing with causes,
reasons, and effects, rather than with details and circumstances; --
said of literature. "Pragmatic history." Sir W.
Hamilton. "Pragmatic poetry." M. Arnold.
Pragmatic sanction, a solemn ordinance or
decree issued by the head or legislature of a state upon weighty
matters; -- a term derived from the Byzantine empire. In European
history, two decrees under this name are particularly celebrated. One
of these, issued by Charles VII. of France, A. D. 1438, was the
foundation of the liberties of the Gallican church; the other, issued
by Charles VI. of Germany, A. D. 1724, settled his hereditary
dominions on his eldest daughter, the Archduchess Maria
Theresa.
Prag*mat"ic, n. 1.
One skilled in affairs.
My attorney and solicitor too; a fine
pragmatic.
B. Jonson.
2. A solemn public ordinance or
decree.
A royal pragmatic was accordingly
passed.
Prescott.
Prag*mat"ic*al*ly (?), adv. In a
pragmatical manner.
Prag*mat"ic*al*ness, n. The quality
or state of being pragmatical.
Prag"ma*tism (?), n. The quality or
state of being pragmatic; in literature, the pragmatic, or
philosophical, method.
The narration of this apparently trifling circumstance
belongs to the pragmatism of the history.
A.
Murphy.
Prag"ma*tist (?), n. One who is
pragmatic.
Prag"ma*tize (?), v. t. To
consider, represent, or embody (something unreal) as fact; to
materialize. [R.] "A pragmatized metaphor."
Tylor.
||Prai`ri`al" (?), n. [F., fr.
prairie meadow.] The ninth month of the French Republican
calendar, which dated from September 22, 1792. It began May, 20, and
ended June 18. See Vendemiaire.
Prai"rie (?), n. [F., an extensive
meadow, OF. praerie, LL. prataria, fr. L. pratum
a meadow.] 1. An extensive tract of level or
rolling land, destitute of trees, covered with coarse grass, and
usually characterized by a deep, fertile soil. They abound throughout
the Mississippi valley, between the Alleghanies and the Rocky
mountains.
From the forests and the prairies,
From the great lakes of the northland.
Longfellow.
2. A meadow or tract of grass; especially, a
so called natural meadow.
Prairie chicken (Zoöl.), any
American grouse of the genus Tympanuchus, especially T.
Americanus (formerly T. cupido), which inhabits the
prairies of the central United States. Applied also to the sharp-
tailed grouse. -- Prairie clover (Bot.),
any plant of the leguminous genus Petalostemon, having
small rosy or white flowers in dense terminal heads or spikes. Several
species occur in the prairies of the United States. --
Prairie dock (Bot.), a coarse composite
plant (Silphium terebinthaceum) with large rough leaves and
yellow flowers, found in the Western prairies. -- Prairie
dog (Zoöl.), a small American rodent
(Cynomys Ludovicianus) allied to the marmots. It inhabits the
plains west of the Mississippi. The prairie dogs burrow in the ground
in large warrens, and have a sharp bark like that of a dog. Called
also prairie marmot. -- Prairie grouse.
Same as Prairie chicken, above. -- Prairie
hare (Zoöl.), a large long-eared Western
hare (Lepus campestris). See Jack rabbit, under 2d
Jack. -- Prairie hawk, Prairie
falcon (Zoöl.), a falcon of Western North
America (Falco Mexicanus). The upper parts are brown. The tail
has transverse bands of white; the under parts, longitudinal streaks
and spots of brown. -- Prairie hen.
(Zoöl.) Same as Prairie chicken, above. --
Prairie itch (Med.), an affection of the
skin attended with intense itching, which is observed in the Northern
and Western United States; -- also called swamp itch, winter
itch. -- Prairie marmot.
(Zoöl.) Same as Prairie dog, above. --
Prairie mole (Zoöl.), a large
American mole (Scalops argentatus), native of the Western
prairies. -- Prairie pigeon,
plover, or snipe
(Zoöl.), the upland plover. See Plover,
n., 2. -- Prairie rattlesnake
(Zoöl.), the massasauga. -- Prairie
snake (Zoöl.), a large harmless American
snake (Masticophis flavigularis). It is pale yellow, tinged
with brown above. -- Prairie squirrel
(Zoöl.), any American ground squirrel of the genus
Spermophilus, inhabiting prairies; -- called also
gopher. -- Prairie turnip (Bot.),
the edible turnip-shaped farinaceous root of a leguminous plant
(Psoralea esculenta) of the Upper Missouri region; also, the
plant itself. Called also pomme blanche, and pomme de
prairie. -- Prairie warbler
(Zoöl.), a bright-colored American warbler
(Dendroica discolor). The back is olive yellow, with a group of
reddish spots in the middle; the under parts and the parts around the
eyes are bright yellow; the sides of the throat and spots along the
sides, black; three outer tail feathers partly white. --
Prairie wolf. (Zoöl.) See
Coyote.
Prais"a*ble (?), a. Fit to be
praised; praise-worthy; laudable; commendable. Wyclif (2
Tim. ii. 15).
Prais"a*bly, adv. In a praisable
manner.
Praise (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Praised (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Praising.] [OE. preisen, OF. preisier,
prisier, F. priser, L. pretiare to prize, fr.
pretium price. See Price, n., and cf.
Appreciate, Praise, n., Prize,
v.] 1. To commend; to applaud;
to express approbation of; to laud; -- applied to a person or his
acts. "I praise well thy wit." Chaucer.
Let her own works praise her in the
gates.
Prov. xxxi. 31.
We praise not Hector, though his name, we
know,
Is great in arms; 't is hard to praise a foe.
Dryden.
2. To extol in words or song; to magnify; to
glorify on account of perfections or excellent works; to do honor to;
to display the excellence of; -- applied especially to the Divine
Being.
Praise ye him, all his angels; praise ye
him, all his hosts!
Ps. cxlviii. 2.
3. To value; to appraise. [Obs.]
Piers Plowman.
Syn. -- To commend; laud; eulogize; celebrate; glorify;
magnify. -- To Praise, Applaud, Extol. To
praise is to set at high price; to applaud is to greet
with clapping; to extol is to bear aloft, to exalt. We may
praise in the exercise of calm judgment; we usually
applaud from impulse, and on account of some specific act; we
extol under the influence of high admiration, and usually in
strong, if not extravagant, language.
Praise, n. [OE. preis, OF.
preis price, worth, value, estimation. See Praise,
v., Price.] 1.
Commendation for worth; approval expressed; honor rendered
because of excellence or worth; laudation; approbation.
There are men who always confound the praise of
goodness with the practice.
Rambler.
&fist; Praise may be expressed by an individual, and thus
differs from fame, renown, and celebrity, which
are always the expression of the approbation of numbers, or public
commendation.
2. Especially, the joyful tribute of gratitude
or homage rendered to the Divine Being; the act of glorifying or
extolling the Creator; worship, particularly worship by song,
distinction from prayer and other acts of worship; as, a service of
praise.
3. The object, ground, or reason of
praise.
He is thy praise, and he is thy
God.
Deut. x.&?;&?;.
Syn. -- Encomium; honor; eulogy; panegyric; plaudit;
applause; acclaim; eclat; commendation; laudation.
Praise"ful (?), a.
Praiseworthy. [Obs.]
Praise"ful (?), a.
Praiseworthy. [Obs.]
Praise"less, a. Without praise or
approbation.
Praise"-meet`*ing (?), n. A
religious service mainly in song. [Local, U. S.]
Praise"ment (?), n.
Appraisement. [Obs.]
Prais"er (?), n. 1.
One who praises. "Praisers of men." Sir P.
Sidney.
2. An appraiser; a valuator. [Obs.]
Sir T. North.
Praise"wor`thi*ly (?), adv. In a
praiseworthy manner. Spenser.
Praise"wor`thi*ness, n. The quality
or state of being praiseworthy.
Praise"wor`thy (?), a. Worthy of
praise or applause; commendable; as, praiseworthy action; he
was praiseworthy. Arbuthnot.
Pra"krit (?), n. [Skr.
prāk&rsdot;ta original, natural, usual, common, vulgar.]
Any one of the popular dialects descended from, or akin to,
Sanskrit; -- in distinction from the Sanskrit, which was used as a
literary and learned language when no longer spoken by the people.
Pali is one of the Prakrit dialects.
Pra*krit"ic (?), a. Pertaining to
Prakrit.
{ Pram (?), Prame (?) }, n.
(Naut.) See Praam.
Prance (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Pranced (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Prancing (?).] [OE. prauncen; probably akin to
prank, v. t. See Prank.] 1. To spring or
bound, as a horse in high mettle.
Now rule thy prancing steed.
Gay.
2. To ride on a prancing horse; to ride in an
ostentatious manner.
The insulting tyrant prancing o'er the
field.
Addison.
3. To walk or strut about in a pompous, showy
manner, or with warlike parade. Swift.
Pran"cer (?), n. A horse which
prances.
Then came the captain . . . upon a brave
prancer.
Evelyn.
Pran"di*al (?), a. [L. prandium a
repast.] Of or pertaining to a repast, especially to
dinner.
||Pran"gos (?), n. [From the native name
in Afghanistan.] (Bot.) A genus of umbelliferous plants,
one species of which (P. pabularia), found in Thibet, Cashmere,
Afghanistan, etc., has been used as fodder for cattle. It has
decompound leaves with very long narrow divisions, and a highly
fragrant smell resembling that of new clover hay.
Prank (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pranked (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pranking.] [Cf. E. prink, also G. prangen,
prunken, to shine, to make a show, Dan. prange,
prunke, Sw. prunka, D. pronken.] To adorn in
a showy manner; to dress or equip ostentatiously; -- often followed by
up; as, to prank up the body. See
Prink.
In sumptuous tire she joyed herself to
prank.
Spenser.
Prank, v. i. To make ostentatious
show.
White houses prank where once were
huts.
M. Arnold.
Prank, n. A gay or sportive action;
a ludicrous, merry, or mischievous trick; a caper; a frolic.
Spenser.
The harpies . . . played their accustomed
pranks.
Sir W. Raleigh.
His pranks have been too broad to bear
with.
Shak.
Prank, a. Full of gambols or
tricks. [Obs.]
Prank"er (?), n. One who dresses
showily; a prinker. "A pranker or a dancer."
Burton.
Prank"ish, a. Full of pranks;
frolicsome.
Prase (?), n. [L. prasius, fr.
Gr. &?; of a leek-green, fr. Gr. &?; a leek: cf. F. prase.]
(Min.) A variety of cryptocrystalline of a leek-green
color.
Pra"se*o- (?). [Gr. &?; leek-green, green, fr. &?; a
leek.] A combining form signifying green; as,
praseocobalt, a green variety of cobalt.
Pra`se*o*dym"i*um (?), n. [Praseo-
+ didymium.] (Chem.) An elementary substance,
one of the constituents of didymium; -- so called from the green color
of its salts. Symbol Ps. Atomic weight 143.6.
Pra"se*o*lite (?), n. [Praseo- +
-lite.] (Min.) A variety of altered iolite of a
green color and greasy luster.
Pras"i*nous (?), a. [L. prasinus,
Gr. &?;, fr. &?; a leek.] Grass-green; clear, lively green,
without any mixture. Lindley.
Pra"soid (?), a. [Gr. &?; leek + -
oid.] (Min.) Resembling prase.
Prate (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Prated; p. pr. & vb. n.
Prating.] [Akin to LG. & D. praten, Dan. prate,
Sw. & Icel. prata.] To talk much and to little purpose; to
be loquacious; to speak foolishly; to babble.
To prate and talk for life and
honor.
Shak.
And make a fool presume to prate of
love.
Dryden.
Prate, v. t. To utter foolishly; to
speak without reason or purpose; to chatter, or babble.
What nonsense would the fool, thy master,
prate,
When thou, his knave, canst talk at such a rate !
Dryden.
Prate, n. [Akin to LG. & D.
praat, Sw. prat.] Talk to little purpose; trifling
talk; unmeaning loquacity.
Sick of tops, and poetry, and
prate.
Pope.
Prate"ful (?), a. Talkative.
[R.] W. Taylor.
Prat"er (?), n. One who
prates. Shak.
Prat"ic (?), n. See
Pratique.
Pra"tin*cole (?), n. (Zoöl.)
Any bird of the Old World genus Glareola, or family
Glareolidæ, allied to the plovers. They have long,
pointed wings and a forked tail.
Prat"ing*ly (?), adv. With idle
talk; with loquacity.
Prat"ique (?), n. [F.; cf. It.
pratica, Sp. practica. See Practice.]
1. (Com.) Primarily, liberty of converse;
intercourse; hence, a certificate, given after compliance with
quarantine regulations, permitting a ship to land passengers and crew;
-- a term used particularly in the south of Europe.
2. Practice; habits. [Obs.] "One of
English education and pratique." R. North.
Prat"tle (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Prattled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Prattling (?).] [Freq. of prate.] To talk much and
idly; to prate; hence, to talk lightly and artlessly, like a child; to
utter child's talk.
Prat"tle, v. t. To utter as
prattle; to babble; as, to prattle treason.
Addison.
Prat"tle, n. Trifling or childish
tattle; empty talk; loquacity on trivial subjects; prate;
babble.
Mere prattle, without practice.
Shak.
Prat"tle*ment (?), n.
Prattle. [R.] Jeffrey.
Prat"tler (?), n. One who
prattles. Herbert.
Prav"i*ty (?), n. [L. pravitas,
from pravus crooked, perverse.] Deterioration; degeneracy;
corruption; especially, moral crookedness; moral perversion;
perverseness; depravity; as, the pravity of human nature.
"The pravity of the will." South.
Prawn (?), n. [OE. prane, of
unknown origin; cf. L. perna a sea mussel.] (Zoöl.)
Any one of numerous species of large shrimplike Crustacea having
slender legs and long antennæ. They mostly belong to the genera
Pandalus, Palæmon, Palæmonetes, and
Peneus, and are much used as food. The common English prawn is
Palæmon serratus.
&fist; The name is often applied to any large shrimp.
Prax*in"o*scope (?), n. [Gr. &?; action
+ -scope.] (Opt.) An instrument, similar to the
phenakistoscope, for presenting to view, or projecting upon a screen,
images the natural motions of real objects.
Prax"is (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?;, fr.
&?; to do. See Practice.] 1. Use;
practice; especially, exercise or discipline for a specific purpose or
object. "The praxis and theory of music."
Wood.
2. An example or form of exercise, or a
collection of such examples, for practice.
Pray (?), n. & v. See
Pry. [Obs.] Spenser.
Pray (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Prayed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Praying.] [OE. preien, OF. preier, F.
prier, L. precari, fr. prex, precis, a
prayer, a request; akin to Skr. prach to ask, AS.
frignan, frīnan, fricgan, G. fragen,
Goth. fraíhnan. Cf. Deprecate, Imprecate,
Precarious.] To make request with earnestness or zeal, as
for something desired; to make entreaty or supplication; to offer
prayer to a deity or divine being as a religious act; specifically, to
address the Supreme Being with adoration, confession, supplication,
and thanksgiving.
And to his goddess pitously he
preyde.
Chaucer.
When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and
when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in
secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee
openly.
Matt. vi. 6.
I pray, or (by ellipsis) Pray,
I beg; I request; I entreat you; -- used in asking a question,
making a request, introducing a petition, etc.; as, Pray, allow
me to go.
I pray, sir. why am I beaten?
Shak.
Syn. -- To entreat; supplicate; beg; implore; invoke;
beseech; petition.
Pray, v. t. 1. To
address earnest request to; to supplicate; to entreat; to implore; to
beseech.
And as this earl was preyed, so did
he.
Chaucer.
We pray you . . . by ye reconciled to
God.
2 Cor. v. 20.
2. To ask earnestly for; to seek to obtain by
supplication; to entreat for.
I know not how to pray your
patience.
Shak.
3. To effect or accomplish by praying; as, to
pray a soul out of purgatory. Milman.
To pray in aid. (Law) (a)
To call in as a helper one who has an interest in the cause.
Bacon. (b) A phrase often used to signify
claiming the benefit of an argument. See under Aid.
Mozley & W.
Pray"er (?), n. One who prays; a
supplicant.
Prayer (&?;; 277), n. [OE.
preiere, OF. preiere, F. prière, fr. L.
precarius obtained by prayer, fr. precari to pray. See
Pray, v. i.] 1. The act
of praying, or of asking a favor; earnest request or entreaty; hence,
a petition or memorial addressed to a court or a legislative
body. "Their meek preyere." Chaucer
2. The act of addressing supplication to a
divinity, especially to the true God; the offering of adoration,
confession, supplication, and thanksgiving to the Supreme Being; as,
public prayer; secret prayer.
As he is famed for mildness, peace, and
prayer.
Shak.
3. The form of words used in praying; a
formula of supplication; an expressed petition; especially, a
supplication addressed to God; as, a written or extemporaneous
prayer; to repeat one's prayers.
He made those excellent prayers which were
published immediately after his death.
Bp.
Fell.
Prayer book, a book containing devotional
prayers. -- Prayer meeting, a meeting or
gathering for prayer to God.
Syn. -- Petition; orison; supplication; entreaty; suit.
Prayer"ful (?), a. Given to prayer;
praying much or often; devotional. "The prayerful man."
J. S. Blackie. -- Prayer"ful*ly,
adv. -- Prayer"ful*ness,
n.
Prayer"less (?; 277), a. Not using
prayer; habitually neglecting prayer to God; without prayer.
"The next time you go prayerless to bed." Baxter.
-- Prayer"less*ly, adv. --
Prayer"less*ness, n.
Pray"ing (?), a. & n. from
Pray, v.
Praying insect, locust, or
mantis (Zoöl.), a mantis, especially Mantis
religiosa. See Mantis. -- Praying
machine, or Praying wheel, a wheel on
which prayers are pasted by Buddhist priests, who then put the wheel
in rapid revolution. Each turn in supposed to have the efficacy of an
oral repetition of all the prayers on the wheel. Sometimes it is
moved by a stream.
Pray"ing*ly, adv. With supplication
to God.
Pre- (?). [L. prae, adv. & prep., before, akin to
pro, and to E. for, prep.: cf. F. pré-.
See Pro-, and cf. Prior.] A prefix denoting
priority (of time, place, or rank); as, precede, to go
before; precursor, a forerunner; prefix, to fix or place
before; preëminent eminent before or above others. Pre-
is sometimes used intensively, as in prepotent, very
potent. [Written also præ-.]
Pre*ac`cu*sa"tion (?), n. Previous
accusation.
Preace (?), v. & n. Press.
[Obs.] Spenser.
Preach (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Preached (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Preaching.] [OE. prechen, OF. preechier, F.
prêcher, fr. L. praedicare to cry in public, to
proclaim; prae before + dicare to make known,
dicere to say; or perhaps from (assumed) LL.
praedictare. See Diction, and cf. Predicate,
Predict.] 1. To proclaim or publish
tidings; specifically, to proclaim the gospel; to discourse publicly
on a religious subject, or from a text of Scripture; to deliver a
sermon.
How shall they preach, except they be
sent?
Rom. x. 15.
From that time Jesus began to
preach.
Matt. iv. 17.
2. To give serious advice on morals or
religion; to discourse in the manner of a preacher.
Preach, v. t. 1. To
proclaim by public discourse; to utter in a sermon or a formal
religious harangue.
That Cristes gospel truly wolde
preche.
Chaucer.
The Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings
unto the meek.
Isa. lxi. 1.
2. To inculcate in public discourse; to urge
with earnestness by public teaching. "I have preached
righteousness in the great congregation." Ps. xl. 9.
3. To deliver or pronounce; as, to
preach a sermon.
4. To teach or instruct by preaching; to
inform by preaching. [R.] "As ye are preached."
Southey.
5. To advise or recommend earnestly.
My master preaches patience to him.
Shak.
To preach down, to oppress, or humiliate by
preaching. Tennyson. -- To preach up,
to exalt by preaching; to preach in support of; as, to preach
up equality.
Preach, n. [Cf. F. prêche,
fr. prêcher. See Preach, v.]
A religious discourse. [Obs.] Hooker.
Preach"er (?), n. [Cf. OF.
preeschierre, prescheur, F. prêcheur, L.
praedicator.] 1. One who preaches; one who
discourses publicly on religious subjects.
How shall they hear without a
preacher?
Rom. x. 14.
2. One who inculcates anything with
earnestness.
No preacher is listened to but
Time.
Swift.
Preacher bird (Zoöl.), a
toucan.
Preach"er*ship, n. The office of a
preacher. "The preachership of the Rolls."
Macaulay.
Preach"i*fy (?), v. i. [Preach +
-fy.] To discourse in the manner of a preacher.
[Colloq.] Thackeray.
Preach"ing, n. The act of
delivering a religious discourse; the art of sermonizing; also, a
sermon; a public religious discourse; serious, earnest advice.
Milner.
Preaching cross, a cross, sometimes
surmounting a pulpit, erected out of doors to designate a preaching
place. -- Preaching friars. See
Dominican.
Preach"man (?), n.; pl.
Preachmen (&?;). A preacher; -- so called in
contempt. [Obs.] Howell.
Preach"ment (?), n. A religious
harangue; a sermon; -- used derogatively. Shak.
Pre`ac*quaint" (?), v. t. To
acquaint previously or beforehand. Fielding.
Pre`ac*quaint"ance (?), n. Previous
acquaintance or knowledge. Harris.
Pre*act" (?), v. t. To act
beforehand; to perform previously.
Pre*ac"tion (?), n. Previous
action.
Pre`a*dam"ic (?), a. Prior to
Adam.
Pre*ad"am*ite (?), n. [Cf. F.
préadamite.] 1. An inhabitant of
the earth before Adam.
2. One who holds that men existed before
Adam.
Pre*ad`am*it"ic (?), a. Existing or
occurring before Adam; preadamic; as, preadamitic
periods.
Pre`ad*just"ment (?), n. Previous
adjustment.
Pre`ad*min`is*tra"tion (?), n.
Previous administration. Bp. Pearson.
Pre`ad*mon"ish, v. t. To admonish
previously.
Pre*ad`mo*ni"tion (?), n. Previous
warning or admonition; forewarning.
Pre*ad`ver*tise" (?), v. t. To
advertise beforehand; to preannounce publicly.
Pre"am`ble (?), n. [LL.
praeambulum, from L. praeambulus walking before, fr.
praeambulare to walk before; prae before +
ambulare to walk: cf. F. préambule. See
Amble.] A introductory portion; an introduction or
preface, as to a book, document, etc.; specifically, the introductory
part of a statute, which states the reasons and intent of the
law.
Pre"am`ble, v. t. & i. To make a
preamble to; to preface; to serve as a preamble. [R.]
Feltham. Milton.
Pre*am"bu*la*ry (?), a. [Cf. OF.
preambulaire.] Of or pertaining to a preamble;
introductory; contained or provided for in a preamble. "A
preambulary tax." [R.] Burke.
Pre*am"bu*late (?), v. i. [L.
praeambulare. See Preamble.] To walk before.
[R.] Jordan.
Pre*am`bu*la"tion (?), n.
1. A walking or going before; precedence.
[R.]
2. A preamble. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Pre*am"bu*la*to*ry (?), a.
Preceding; going before; introductory. [R.]
Simon Magus had preambulatory
impieties.
Jer. Taylor.
Pre*am"bu*lous (?), a. [See
Preamble, n.] See
Perambulatory. [R.] Sir T. Browne.
Pre`an*nounce" (?), v. t. To
announce beforehand. Coleridge.
Pre*an`te*nul"ti*mate (?), a. Being
or indicating the fourth syllable from the end of a word, or that
before the antepenult.
Pre`a*or"tic (?), a. (Anat.)
In front, or on the ventral side, of the aorta.
Pre`ap*point" (?), v. t. To appoint
previously, or beforehand. Carlyle.
Pre`ap*point"ment (?), n. Previous
appointment.
Pre*ap`pre*hen"sion (?), n. An
apprehension or opinion formed before examination or knowledge.
[R.] Sir T. Browne.
Pre*arm" (?), v. t. To
forearm. [R.]
Pre`ar*range" (?), v. t. To arrange
beforehand.
Prease (?), v. t. & i. To press; to
crowd. [Obs.] -- n. A press; a
crowd. [Obs.] Spenser.
Pre`as*sur"ance (?), n. Previous
assurance. Coleridge.
Pre`a*tax"ic (?), a. (Med.)
Occurring before the symptom ataxia has developed; -- applied to
the early symptoms of locomotor ataxia.
Pre*au"di*ence (?), n. (Eng. Law)
Precedence of rank at the bar among lawyers.
Blackstone.
Pre*ax"i*al (?), a. (Anat.)
Situated in front of any transverse axis in the body of an
animal; anterior; cephalic; esp., in front, or on the anterior, or
cephalic (that is, radial or tibial) side of the axis of a
limb.
Preb"end (pr&ebreve;b"&ebreve;nd), n.
[F. prébende (cf. It. & Sp. prebenda), from L.
praebenda, from L. praebere to hold forth, afford,
contr. fr. praehibere; prae before + habere to
have, hold. See Habit, and cf. Provender.]
1. A payment or stipend; esp., the stipend or
maintenance granted to a prebendary out of the estate of a cathedral
or collegiate church with which he is connected. See Note under
Benefice.
2. A prebendary. [Obs.]
Bacon.
Dignitary prebend, one having jurisdiction
annexed to it. -- Simple prebend, one
without jurisdiction.
Pre*ben"dal (pr&esl;*b&ebreve;n"dal),
a. Of or pertaining to a prebend; holding a
prebend; as, a prebendal priest or stall.
Chesterfield.
Preb"en*da*ry (pr&ebreve;b"&ebreve;n*d&asl;*r&ybreve;),
n. [LL. praebendarius: cf. F.
prébendaire. See Prebend.] 1.
A clergyman attached to a collegiate or cathedral church who
enjoys a prebend in consideration of his officiating at stated times
in the church. See Note under Benefice,
n., 3. Hook.
2. A prebendaryship. [Obs.]
Bailey.
Preb"en*da*ry*ship, n. The office
of a prebendary.
Preb"en*date (?), v. t. [LL.
praebendatus, p. p. of praebendari.] To invest with
the office of prebendary; to present to a prebend. [Obs.]
Grafton.
Preb"end*ship (?), n. A
prebendaryship. [Obs.] Foxe.
Pre*bron"chi*al (?), a. (Anat.)
Situated in front of the bronchus; -- applied especially to an
air sac on either side of the esophagus of birds.
Pre*cal"cu*late (?), v. t. To
calculate or determine beforehand; to prearrange.
Masson.
Pre"cant (?), n. [L. precans,
-antis, p. pr. of precari to pray.] One who
prays. [R.] Coleridge.
Pre*ca"ri*ous (?), a. [L.
precarius obtained by begging or prayer, depending on request
or on the will of another, fr. precari to pray, beg. See
Pray.] 1. Depending on the will or
pleasure of another; held by courtesy; liable to be changed or lost at
the pleasure of another; as, precarious privileges.
Addison.
2. Held by a doubtful tenure; depending on
unknown causes or events; exposed to constant risk; not to be depended
on for certainty or stability; uncertain; as, a precarious
state of health; precarious fortunes. "Intervals of
partial and precarious liberty." Macaulay.
Syn. -- Uncertain; unsettled; unsteady; doubtful; dubious;
equivocal. -- Precarious, Uncertain. Precarious
in stronger than uncertain. Derived originally from the Latin
precari, it first signified "granted to entreaty," and, hence,
"wholly dependent on the will of another." Thus it came to express the
highest species of uncertainty, and is applied to such things as
depend wholly on future casualties.
-- Pre*ca"ri*ous*ly, adv. --
Pre*ca"ri*ous*ness, n.
Pre*ca"tion (?), n. [L.
precatio.] The act of praying; supplication;
entreaty. Cotton.
{ Prec"a*tive (?), Prec"a*to*ry (?), }
a. [L. precativus, precatorius, fr.
precari to pray. See Precarious.] Suppliant;
beseeching. Bp. Hopkins.
Precatory words (Law), words of
recommendation, request, entreaty, wish, or expectation, employed in
wills, as distinguished from express directions; -- in some
cases creating a trust. Jarman.
Pre*cau"tion (?), n. [F.
précation, L. praecautio, fr. praecavere,
praecautum, to guard against beforehand; prae before +
cavere be on one's guard. See Pre-, and Caution.]
1. Previous caution or care; caution previously
employed to prevent mischief or secure good; as, his life was saved by
precaution.
They [ancient philosophers] treasured up their supposed
discoveries with miserable precaution.
J. H.
Newman.
2. A measure taken beforehand to ward off evil
or secure good or success; a precautionary act; as, to take
precautions against accident.
Pre*cau"tion, v. t. [Cf. F.
précautionner.] 1. To warn or
caution beforehand. Locke.
2. To take precaution against. [R.]
Dryden.
Pre*cau"tion*al (?), a.
Precautionary.
Pre*cau"tion*a*ry (?), a. Of or
pertaining to precaution, or precautions; as, precautionary
signals.
Pre*cau"tious (?), a. Taking or
using precaution; precautionary. -- Pre*cau"tious*ly,
adv. -- Pre*cau"*tious*ness,
n.
Pre`ce*da"ne*ous (?), a. Preceding;
antecedent; previous. [Obs.] Hammond.
Pre*cede" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Preceded; p. pr. & vb. n.
Preceding.] [L. praecedere, praecessum;
prae before + cedere to go, to be in motion: cf. F.
préceder. See Pre-, and Cede.]
1. To go before in order of time; to occur first
with relation to anything. "Harm precedes not sin."
Milton.
2. To go before in place, rank, or
importance.
3. To cause to be preceded; to preface; to
introduce; -- used with by or with before the
instrumental object. [R.]
It is usual to precede hostilities by a public
declaration.
Kent.
{ Pre*ced"ence (?), Pre*ced"en*cy (?), }
n. [Cf. F. précédence. See
Precede.] 1. The act or state of preceding
or going before in order of time; priority; as, one event has
precedence of another.
2. The act or state of going or being before
in rank or dignity, or the place of honor; right to a more honorable
place; superior rank; as, barons have precedence of
commoners.
Which of them [the different desires] has the
precedency in determining the will to the next
action?
Locke.
Syn. -- Antecedence; priority; preëminence; preference;
superiority.
Pre*ced"ent (?), a. [L.
praecedens, -entis, p. pr. of praecedere: cf. F.
précédent. See Precede.] Going
before; anterior; preceding; antecedent; as, precedent
services. Shak. "A precedent injury."
Bacon.
Condition precedent (Law), a condition
which precede the vesting of an estate, or the accruing of a
right.
Prec"e*dent (?), n. 1.
Something done or said that may serve as an example to authorize
a subsequent act of the same kind; an authoritative example.
Examples for cases can but direct as precedents
only.
Hooker.
2. A preceding circumstance or condition; an
antecedent; hence, a prognostic; a token; a sign. [Obs.]
3. A rough draught of a writing which precedes
a finished copy. [Obs.] Shak.
4. (Law) A judicial decision which
serves as a rule for future determinations in similar or analogous
cases; an authority to be followed in courts of justice; forms of
proceeding to be followed in similar cases. Wharton.
Syn. -- Example; antecedent. -- Precedent,
Example. An example in a similar case which may serve as
a rule or guide, but has no authority out of itself. A
precedent is something which comes down to us from the past
with the sanction of usage and of common consent. We quote
examples in literature, and precedents in law.
Prec"e*dent*ed, a. Having a
precedent; authorized or sanctioned by an example of a like
kind. Walpole.
Prec`e*den"tial (?), a. Of the
nature of a precedent; having force as an example for imitation; as,
precedential transactions.
All their actions in that time are not
precedential to warrant posterity.
Fuller.
Pre*ced"ent*ly (?), adv.
Beforehand; antecedently.
Pre*ced"ing, a. 1.
Going before; -- opposed to following.
2. (Astron.) In the direction toward
which stars appear to move. See Following, 2.
Pre*cel" (?), v. t. & i. [See
Precellence.] To surpass; to excel; to exceed.
[Obs.] Howell.
{ Pre*cel"lence (?), Pre*cel"len*cy (?), }
n. [L. praecellentia, from
praecellens, p. pr. of praecellere to excel, surpass:
cf. OF. precellence.] Excellence; superiority.
[Obs.] Sheldon.
Pre*cel"lent (?), a. [L.
praecellens, p. pr.] Excellent; surpassing. [Obs.]
Holland.
Pre*cen"tor (?), n. [L.
praecentor, fr. praecinere to sing before; prae
before + canere to sing. See Chant.] A leader of a
choir; a directing singer. Specifically: (a)
The leader of the choir in a cathedral; -- called also the
chanter or master of the choir. Hook.
(b) The leader of the congregational singing in
Scottish and other churches.
Pre*cen"tor*ship, n. The office of
a precentor.
Pre"cept (?), n. [L. praeceptum,
from praecipere to take beforehand, to instruct, teach;
prae before + capere to take: cf. F.
précepte. See Pre-, and Capacious.]
1. Any commandment, instruction, or order
intended as an authoritative rule of action; esp., a command
respecting moral conduct; an injunction; a rule.
For precept must be upon
precept.
Isa. xxviii. 10.
No arts are without their precepts.
Dryden.
2. (Law) A command in writing; a
species of writ or process. Burrill.
Syn. -- Commandment; injunction; mandate; law; rule;
direction; principle; maxim. See Doctrine.
Pre"cept, v. t. To teach by
precepts. [Obs.] Bacon.
Pre*cep"tial (?), a.
Preceptive. [Obs.]
[Passion] would give preceptial medicine to
rage.
Shak.
Pre*cep"tion (?), n. [L.
praeceptio.] A precept. [R.] Bp. Hall.
Pre*cep"tive (?), a. [L.
praeceptivus.] Containing or giving precepts; of the
nature of precepts; didactic; as, the preceptive parts of the
Scriptures.
The lesson given us here is preceptive to
us.
L'Estrange.
Pre*cep"tor (?), n. [L.
praeceptor, fr. praecipere to teach: cf. F.
précepteur. See Precept.] 1.
One who gives commands, or makes rules; specifically, the master
or principal of a school; a teacher; an instructor.
2. The head of a preceptory among the Knights
Templars. Sir W. Scott.
Pre`cep*to"ri*al (?), a. Of or
pertaining to a preceptor.
Pre*cep"to*ry (?; 277), a.
Preceptive. "A law preceptory." Anderson
(1573).
Pre*cep"to*ry, n.; pl.
Preceptories (#). [LL. praeceptoria an estate
assigned to a preceptor, from L. praeceptor a commander, ruler,
teacher, in LL., procurator, administrator among the Knights Templars.
See Preceptor.] A religious house of the Knights Templars,
subordinate to the temple or principal house of the order in London.
See Commandery, n., 2.
Pre*cep"tress (?), n. A woman who
is the principal of a school; a female teacher.
Pre*ces"sion (?), n. [L.
praecedere, praecessum, to go before: cf. F.
précession. See Precede.] The act of going
before, or forward.
Lunisolar precession. (Astron.) See
under Lunisolar. -- Planetary
precession, that part of the precession of the equinoxes
which depends on the action of the planets alone. --
Precession of the equinoxes (Astron.),
the slow backward motion of the equinoctial points along the
ecliptic, at the rate of 50.2″ annually, caused by the action of
the sun, moon, and planets, upon the protuberant matter about the
earth's equator, in connection with its diurnal rotation; -- so called
because either equinox, owing to its westerly motion, comes to the
meridian sooner each day than the point it would have occupied without
the motion of precession, and thus precedes that point
continually with reference to the time of transit and motion.
Pre*ces"sion*al (?), a. Of or
pertaining to pression; as, the precessional movement of the
equinoxes.
Pre*ces"sor (?), n. [L.
praecessor.] A predecessor. [Obs.]
Fuller.
Pre"cinct (?; 277), n. [LL.
praecinctum, fr. L. praecingere, praecinctum, to
gird about, to encompass; prae before + cingere to gird,
surround. See Pre-, and Cincture.] 1.
The limit or exterior line encompassing a place; a boundary; a
confine; limit of jurisdiction or authority; -- often in the plural;
as, the precincts of a state. "The precincts of
light." Milton.
2. A district within certain boundaries; a
minor territorial or jurisdictional division; as, an election
precinct; a school precinct.
3. A parish or prescribed territory attached
to a church, and taxed for its support. [U.S.]
The parish, or precinct, shall proceed to a new
choice.
Laws of Massachusetts.
Pre`ci*os"i*ty (?), n.
Preciousness; something precious. [Obs.] Sir T.
Browne.
Pre"cious (?), a. [OF. precious,
precius, precios, F. précieux, L.
pretiosus, fr. pretium price, worth, value. See
Price.] 1. Of great price; costly; as, a
precious stone. "The precious bane."
Milton.
2. Of great value or worth; very valuable;
highly esteemed; dear; beloved; as, precious
recollections.
She is more precious than rules.
Prov. iii. 15.
Many things which are most precious are
neglected only because the value of them lieth hid.
Hooker.
Also used ironically; as, a precious rascal.
3. Particular; fastidious; overnice.
[Obs.]
Lest that precious folk be with me
wroth.
Chaucer.
Precious metals, the uncommon and highly
valuable metals, esp. gold and silver. -- Precious
stones, gems; jewels.
Pre"cious*ly, adv. In a precious
manner; expensively; extremely; dearly. Also used
ironically.
Pre"cious*ness, n. The quality or
state of being precious; costliness; dearness.
Prec"i*pe (?), n. (Law) See
Præcipe, and Precept.
Prec"i*pice (?), n. [F.
précipice, L. praecipitium, fr. praeceps,
-cipitis, headlong; prae before + caput,
capitis, the head. See Pre-, and Chief.]
1. A sudden or headlong fall. [Obs.]
Fuller.
2. A headlong steep; a very steep,
perpendicular, or overhanging place; an abrupt declivity; a
cliff.
Where wealth like fruit on precipices
grew.
Dryden.
Pre*cip"i*ent (?), a. [L.
praecipiens, p. pr. See Precept.] Commanding;
directing.
Pre*cip`i*ta*bil"i*ty (?), n. The
quality or state of being precipitable.
Pre*cip"i*ta*ble (?), a. Capable of
being precipitated, or cast to the bottom, as a substance in solution.
See Precipitate, n. (Chem.)
{ Pre*cip"i*tance (?), Pre*cip"i*tan*cy (?), }
n. [From Precipitant.] The quality or
state of being precipitant, or precipitate; headlong hurry; excessive
or rash haste in resolving, forming an opinion, or executing a
purpose; precipitation; as, the precipitancy of youth.
"Precipitance of judgment." I. Watts.
Pre*cip"i*tant (?), a. [L.
praecipitans, -antis, p. pr. of praecipitare: cf.
F. précipitant. See Precipitate.]
1. Falling or rushing headlong; rushing swiftly,
violently, or recklessly; moving precipitately.
They leave their little lives
Above the clouds, precipitant to earth.
J.
Philips.
Should he return, that troop so blithe and bold,
Precipitant in fear would wing their flight.
Pope.
2. Unexpectedly or foolishly brought on or
hastened; rashly hurried; hasty; sudden; reckless. Jer.
Taylor. "Precipitant rebellion." Eikon Basilike.
Pre*cip"i*tant, n. (Chem.)
Any force or reagent which causes the formation of a
precipitate.
Pre*cip"i*tant*ly, adv. With rash
or foolish haste; in headlong manner. Milton.
Pre*cip"i*tant*ness, n. The quality
or state of being precipitant; precipitation.
Pre*cip"i*tate (?), a. [L.
praecipitatus, p. p. of praecipitare to precipitate, fr.
praeceps headlong. See Precipice.] 1.
Overhasty; rash; as, the king was too precipitate in
declaring war. Clarendon.
2. Lacking due deliberation or care; hurried;
said or done before the time; as, a precipitate measure.
"The rapidity of our too precipitate course."
Landor.
3. Falling, flowing, or rushing, with steep
descent; headlong.
Precipitate the furious torrent
flows.
Prior.
4. Ending quickly in death; brief and fatal;
as, a precipitate case of disease. [Obs.]
Arbuthnot.
Pre*cip"i*tate (?), n. [NL.
praecipitatum: cf. F. précipité.]
1. (Chem.) An insoluble substance
separated from a solution in a concrete state by the action of some
reagent added to the solution, or of some force, such as heat or cold.
The precipitate may fall to the bottom (whence the name), may be
diffused through the solution, or may float at or near the
surface.
Red precipitate (Old. Chem), mercuric
oxide (HgO) a heavy red crystalline powder obtained by heating
mercuric nitrate, or by heating mercury in the air. Prepared in the
latter manner, it was the precipitate per se of the
alchemists. -- White precipitate (Old
Chem.) (a) A heavy white amorphous powder
(NH2.HgCl) obtained by adding ammonia to a solution of
mercuric chloride or corrosive sublimate; -- formerly called also
infusible white precipitate, and now amido-mercuric
chloride. (b) A white crystalline
substance obtained by adding a solution of corrosive sublimate to a
solution of sal ammoniac (ammonium chloride); -- formerly called also
fusible white precipitate.
Pre*cip"i*tate (?), v. t. [imp.
& p. p. Precipitated (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Precipitating.] 1. To throw
headlong; to cast down from a precipice or height.
She and her horse had been precipitated to the
pebbled region of the river.
W. Irving.
2. To urge or press on with eager haste or
violence; to cause to happen, or come to a crisis, suddenly or too
soon; as, precipitate a journey, or a conflict.
Back to his sight precipitates her
steps.
Glover.
If they be daring, it may precipitate their
designs, and prove dangerous.
Bacon.
3. (Chem.) To separate from a solution,
or other medium, in the form of a precipitate; as, water
precipitates camphor when in solution with alcohol.
The light vapor of the preceding evening had been
precipitated by the cold.
W. Irving.
Pre*cip"i*tate, v. i. 1.
To dash or fall headlong. [R.]
So many fathom down precipitating.
Shak.
2. To hasten without preparation.
[R.]
3. (Chem.) To separate from a solution
as a precipitate. See Precipitate,
n.
Pre*cip"i*tate*ly (?), adv. In a
precipitate manner; headlong; hastily; rashly.
Swift.
Pre*cip`i*ta"tion (?), n. [L.
praecipitatio: cf. F. précipitation.]
1. The act of precipitating, or the state of
being precipitated, or thrown headlong.
In peril of precipitation
From off rock Tarpeian.
Shak.
2. A falling, flowing, or rushing downward
with violence and rapidity.
The hurry, precipitation, and rapid motion of
the water, returning . . . towards the sea.
Woodward.
3. Great hurry; rash, tumultuous haste;
impetuosity. "The precipitation of inexperience."
Rambler.
4. (Chem.) The act or process of
precipitating from a solution.
Pre*cip"i*ta`tor (?), n. [L.
praecipitator an overthrower.] One who precipitates, or
urges on with vehemence or rashness. Hammond.
Prec`i*pi"tious (?), a.
Precipitous. [Obs.] -- Prec`i*pi"tious*ly,
adv. [Obs.] Dr. H. More.
Pre*cip"i*tous (?), a. [L.
praeceps, -cipitis: cf. OF. precipiteux. See
Precipice.] 1. Steep, like a precipice;
as, a precipitous cliff or mountain.
2. Headlong; as, precipitous
fall.
3. Hasty; rash; quick; sudden; precipitate;
as, precipitous attempts. Sir T. Browne. "Marian's
low, precipitous ‘Hush!'" Mrs. Browning.
-- Pre*cip"i*tous*ly, adv. --
Pre*cip"i*tous*ness, n.
||Pré`cis" (pr&asl;`sē"),
n. [F. See Precise.] A concise or
abridged statement or view; an abstract; a summary.
Pre*cise" (?), a. [L. praecisus
cut off, brief, concise, p. p. of praecidere to cut off in
front, to cut off; prae before + caedere to cut: cf. F.
précis. Cf. Concise.] 1.
Having determinate limitations; exactly or sharply defined or
stated; definite; exact; nice; not vague or equivocal; as,
precise rules of morality.
The law in this point is not
precise.
Bacon.
For the hour precise
Exacts our parting hence.
Milton.
2. Strictly adhering or conforming to rule;
very nice or exact; punctilious in conduct or ceremony; formal;
ceremonious. Addison.
He was ever precise in promise-
keeping.
Shak.
Syn. -- Accurate; exact; definite; correct; scrupulous;
punctilious; particular; nice; formal. See Accurate.
-- Pre*cise"ly, adv. --
Pre*cise"ness, n.
Pre*ci"sian (?), n. 1.
One who limits, or restrains. [Obs.]
2. An overprecise person; one rigidly or
ceremoniously exact in the observance of rules; a formalist; --
formerly applied to the English Puritans.
The most dissolute cavaliers stood aghast at the
dissoluteness of the emancipated precisian.
Macaulay.
Pre*ci"sian*ism (?), n. The quality
or state of being a precisian; the practice of a precisian.
Milton.
Pre*ci"sian*ist, n. A
precisian.
Pre*ci"sion (?), n. [Cf. F.
précision, L. praecisio a cutting off. See
Precise.] The quality or state of being precise; exact
limitation; exactness; accuracy; strict conformity to a rule or a
standard; definiteness.
I have left out the utmost precisions of
fractions.
Locke.
Syn. -- Preciseness; exactness; accuracy; nicety. --
Precision, Preciseness. Precision is always used
in a good sense; as, precision of thought or language;
precision in military evolutions. Preciseness is
sometimes applied to persons or their conduct in a disparaging sense,
and precise is often used in the same way.
Pre*ci"sive (?), a. Cutting off;
(Logic) exactly limiting by cutting off all that is not
absolutely relative to the purpose; as, precisive censure;
precisive abstraction. I. Watts.
Pre*clude" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Precluded; p. pr. & vb. n.
Precluding.] [L. praecludere, praeclusum;
prae before + claudere to shut. See Close,
v.] 1. To put a barrier before;
hence, to shut out; to hinder; to stop; to impede.
The valves preclude the blood from entering the
veins.
E. Darwin.
2. To shut out by anticipative action; to
prevent or hinder by necessary consequence or implication; to deter
action of, access to, employment of, etc.; to render ineffectual; to
obviate by anticipation.
This much will obviate and preclude the
objections.
Bentley.
Pre*clu"sion (?), n. [L.
praeclusio. See Preclude.] The act of precluding,
or the state of being precluded; a shutting out.
Pre*clu"sive (?), a. Shutting out;
precluding, or tending to preclude; hindering. --
Pre*clu"sive*ly, adv.
Pre*coce" (?), a. [F.
précoce.] Precocious. [Obs.]
||Pre"co*ces, n. pl. [NL.]
(Zoöl.) Same as Præcoces.
Pre*co"cious (?), a. [L. praecox,
-ocis, and praecoquus, fr. praecoquere to cook or
ripen beforehand; prae before + coquere to cook. See 3d
Cook, and cf. Apricot.] 1. Ripe or
mature before the proper or natural time; early or prematurely ripe or
developed; as, precocious trees. [R.] Sir T.
Browne.
2. Developed more than is natural or usual at
a given age; exceeding what is to be expected of one's years; too
forward; -- used especially of mental forwardness; as, a
precocious child; precocious talents.
Pre*co"cious*ly, adv. In a
precocious manner.
{ Pre*co"cious*ness, Pre*coc"i*ty (?), }
n. [Cf. F. précocité.] The
quality or state of being precocious; untimely ripeness; premature
development, especially of the mental powers; forwardness.
Saucy precociousness in learning.
Bp. Mannyngham.
That precocity which sometimes distinguishes
uncommon genius.
Wirt.
Pre*co`e*ta"ne*an (?), n. One
contemporary with, but older than, another. [Obs.]
Fuller.
Pre*cog"i*tate (?), v. t. [L.
praecogitatus, p. p. of praecogitare. See Pre-,
and Cogitate.] To cogitate beforehand. [R.]
Sherwood.
Pre*cog`i*ta"tion (?), n. [L.
praecogitatio.] Previous cogitation. [R.]
Bailey.
Pre`cog*ni"tion (?), n. [L.
praecognitio, fr. praecognoscere to foreknow. See
Pre-, and Cognition.] 1. Previous
cognition. Fotherby.
2. (Scots Law) A preliminary
examination of a criminal case with reference to a prosecution.
Erskine.
Pre*cog"ni*za*ble (?), a.
Cognizable beforehand.
Pre*cog"nosce (?), v. t. [L.
praecognoscere to foreknow.] (Scots Law) To examine
beforehand, as witnesses or evidence.
A committee of nine precognoscing the
chances.
Masson.
Pre`col*lec"tion (?), n. A
collection previously made. [R.]
Pre`com*pose" (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Precomposed (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Precomposing.] To compose beforehand.
Johnson.
Pre`con*ceit" (?), n. An opinion or
notion formed beforehand; a preconception. Hooker.
Pre`con*ceive" (?), v. t. [imp.
& p. p. Preconceived (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Preconceiving.] To conceive, or form an
opinion of, beforehand; to form a previous notion or idea
of.
In a dead plain the way seemeth the longer, because the
eye hath preconceived it shorter than the truth.
Bacon.
Pre`con*cep"tion (?), n. The act of
preconceiving; conception or opinion previously formed.
Pre`con*cert" (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Preconcerted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Preconcerting.] To concert or arrange beforehand; to
settle by previous agreement.
Pre*con"cert (?), n. Something
concerted or arranged beforehand; a previous agreement.
Pre`con*cert"ed (?), a. Previously
arranged; agreed upon beforehand. --
Pre`con*cert"ed*ly, adv. --
Pre`con*cert"ed*ness, n.
Pre`con*cer"tion (?), n. The act of
preconcerting; preconcert. Dr. T. Dwight.
Pre`con*demn` (?), v. t. To condemn
beforehand. -- Pre*con`dem*na"tion (#),
n.
Pre`con*di"tion (?), n. A previous
or antecedent condition; a preliminary condition.
Pre`con*form" (?), v. t. & i. To
conform by way anticipation. De Quincey.
Pre`con*form"i*ty (?), n.
Anticipative or antecedent conformity.
Coleridge.
Pre*con"i*zate (?), v. t. [Cf. F.
préconiser.] To proclaim; to publish; also, to
summon; to call. [Obs.] Bp. Burnet.
Pre*con`i*za"tion (?), n. [L.
praeconium a crying out in public, fr. praeco, -
onis, a crier, a herald: cf. F. préconisation.]
1. A publishing by proclamation; a public
proclamation. Bp. Hall.
2. (Eccl.) A formal approbation by the
pope of a person nominated to an ecclesiastical dignity.
Addis & Arnold.
Pre"con*ize (?), v. t. (Eccl.)
To approve by preconization.
Pre*con"quer (?), v. t. To conquer
in anticipation. [R.] Fuller.
Pre*con""scious (?), a. Of or
pertaining to a state before consciousness.
Pre`con*sent" (?), n. A previous
consent.
Pre`con*sign" (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Preconsigned (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Preconsigning.] To consign beforehand; to
make a previous consignment of.
Pre`con*sol"i*da`ted (?), a.
Consolidated beforehand.
Pre*con"sti*tute (?), v. t. To
constitute or establish beforehand.
Pre`con*tract" (?), v. t. [imp.
& p. p. Precontracted; p. pr. & vb.
n. Precontracting.] To contract, engage, or
stipulate previously.
Pre`con*tract" (?), v. i. To make a
previous contract or agreement. Ayliffe.
Pre*con"tract (?), n. A contract
preceding another; especially (Law), a contract of
marriage which, according to the ancient law, rendered void a
subsequent marriage solemnized in violation of it.
Abbott.
Pre`con*trive" (?), v. t. & i. To
contrive or plan beforehand.
Pre*cor"a*coid (?), n. (Anat.)
The anterior part of the coracoid (often closely united with the
clavicle) in the shoulder girdle of many reptiles and
amphibians.
Pre*cor"di*al (?), a. [Pref. pre-
+ L. cor, cordis, heart: cf. F.
précordial.] (Anat.) Situated in front of
the heart; of or pertaining to the præcordia.
Pre*cru"ral (?), a. (Anat.)
Situated in front of the leg or thigh; as, the precrural
glands of the horse.
Pre*cur"rer (?), n. A
precursor. [Obs.] Shak.
Pre*curse" (?), n. [L.
praecursus.] A forerunning. [Obs.] Shak.
Pre*cur"sive (?), a. Preceding;
introductory; precursory. "A deep precursive sound."
Coleridge.
Pre*cur"sor (?), n. [L.
praecursor, fr. praecurrere to run before; prae
before + currere to run. See Course.] One who, or
that which, precedes an event, and indicates its approach; a
forerunner; a harbinger.
Evil thoughts are the invisible, airy precursors
of all the storms and tempests of the soul.
Buckminster.
Syn. -- Predecessor; forerunner; harbinger; messenger; omen;
sign.
Pre*cur"sor*ship, n. The position
or condition of a precursor. Ruskin.
Pre*cur"so*ry (?), a. [L.
praecursorius.] Preceding as a precursor or harbinger;
indicating something to follow; as, precursory symptoms of a
fever.
Pre*cur"so*ry, n. An
introduction. [Obs.]
Pre*da"cean (?), n. [L. praeda
prey.] (Zoöl.) A carnivorous animal.
Kirby.
Pre*da"ceous (?), a. [L. praeda
prey. See Prey.] Living by prey; predatory.
Derham.
Pre"dal (?), a. [L. praeda prey.]
Of or pertaining to prey; plundering; predatory. [R.]
Boyse.
Pre*date" (?), v. t. To date
anticipation; to affix to (a document) an earlier than the actual
date; to antedate; as, a predated deed or letter.
Pre*da"tion (?), n. [L.
praedatio, fr. praedari to plunder.] The act of
pillaging. E. Hall.
Pred"a*to*ri*ly (?), adv. In a
predatory manner.
Pred"a*to*ry (?), a. [L.
praedatorius, fr. praedari to plunder, fr. praeda
prey. See Prey.] 1. Characterized by
plundering; practicing rapine; plundering; pillaging; as, a
predatory excursion; a predatory party. "A
predatory war." Macaulay.
2. Hungry; ravenous; as, predatory
spirits. [Obs.]
Exercise . . . maketh the spirits more hot and
predatory.
Bacon.
3. (Zoöl.) Living by preying upon
other animals; carnivorous.
Prede (?), v. i. [L. praedari.
See Prey.] To prey; to plunder. [Obs.]
Holinshed.
Prede, n. Prey; plunder;
booty. [Obs.] Holinshed.
Pre"de*cay` (?), n. Premature
decay.
Pre`de*cease (?), v. t. To die
sooner than. "If children predecease progenitors."
Shak.
Pre"de*cease` (?), n. The death of
one person or thing before another. [R.] Brougham.
Pred`e*ces"sive (?), a. Going
before; preceding. "Our predecessive students."
Massinger.
Pred`e*ces"sor (?; 277), n. [L.
praedecessor; prae before + decessor one who
withdraws from the province he has governed, a retiring officer (with
reference to his successor), a predecessor, fr. decedere: cf.
F. prédécesseur. See Decease.] One
who precedes; one who has preceded another in any state, position,
office, etc.; one whom another follows or comes after, in any office
or position.
A prince who was as watchful as his predecessor
had been over the interests of the state.
Prescott.
Pre`de*clare" (?), v. t. To declare
or announce beforehand; to preannounce. Milman.
Pre*ded`i*ca"tion (?), n. A
dedication made previously or beforehand.
Pre`de*fine (?), v. t. To define
beforehand.
Pre`de*lib`er*a"tion, n. Previous
deliberation.
Pre`de*lin`e*a"tion, n. Previous
delineation.
||Pre*del"la (?), n. [It.] The
step, or raised secondary part, of an altar; a superaltar; hence, in
Italian painting, a band or frieze of several pictures running along
the front of a superaltar, or forming a border or frame at the foot of
an altarpiece.
Pre`de*sign" (?), v. t. To design
or purpose beforehand; to predetermine. Mitford.
Pre*des"ig*nate (?), a. (Logic)
A term used by Sir William Hamilton to define propositions having
their quantity indicated by a verbal sign; as, all,
none, etc.; -- contrasted with preindesignate, defining
propositions of which the quantity is not so indicated.
Pre*des`ti*na"ri*an (?), a. Of or
pertaining to predestination; as, the predestinarian
controversy. Waterland.
Pre*des`ti*na"ri*an, n. One who
believes in or supports the doctrine of predestination. Dr.
H. More.
Pre*des`ti*na"ri*an*ism (?), n. The
system or doctrine of the predestinarians.
Pre*des"ti*na*ry (?), a.
Predestinarian. [Obs.] Heylin.
Pre*des"ti*nate (?), a. [L.
praedestinatus, p. p. of praedestinare to predestine;
prae before + destinare to determine. See
Destine.] Predestinated; foreordained; fated. "A
predestinate scratched face." Shak.
Pre*des"ti*nate (?), v. t. [imp.
& p. p. Predestinated (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Predestinating.] [Cf. Predestine.] To
predetermine or foreordain; to appoint or ordain beforehand by an
unchangeable purpose or decree; to preëlect.
Whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate
to be conformed to the image of his Son.
Rom. viii.
29.
Syn. -- To predetermine; foreordain; preordain; decree;
predestine; foredoom.
Pre*des`ti*na"tion (?), n. [L.
praedestinatio: cf. F. prédestination.]
1. The act of predestinating.
Predestination had overruled their
will.
Milton.
2. (Theol.) The purpose of Good from
eternity respecting all events; especially, the preordination of men
to everlasting happiness or misery. See Calvinism.
Pre*des"ti*na*tive (?), a.
Determining beforehand; predestinating. [R.]
Coleridge.
Pre*des"ti*na`tor (?), n. [Cf. F.
prédestinateur.] 1. One who
predestinates, or foreordains.
2. One who holds to the doctrine of
predestination; a predestinarian. Cowley.
Pre*des"tine (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Predestined (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Predestining.] [Cf. F. prédestiner.
See Predestinate.] To decree beforehand; to foreordain; to
predestinate. Young.
Pre*des"ti*ny (?), n.
Predestination. [Obs.]
Pre`de*ter"mi*na*ble (?), a.
Capable of being determined beforehand.
Coleridge.
Pre`de*ter"mi*nate (?), a.
Determined beforehand; as, the predeterminate counsel of
God.
Pre`de*ter`mi*na"tion (?), n. [Cf. F.
prédétermination.] The act of previous
determination; a purpose formed beforehand; as, the
predetermination of God's will. Hammond.
Pre`de*ter"mine (?), v. t. [imp.
& p. p. Predetermined (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Predermining.] [Pref. pre- +
determine: cf. F. prédéterminer.]
1. To determine (something) beforehand.
Sir M. Hale.
2. To doom by previous decree; to
foredoom.
Pre`de*ter"mine, v. i. To determine
beforehand.
Pre"di*al (?), a. [L. praedium a
farm, estate: cf. F. prédial.] 1.
Consisting of land or farms; landed; as, predial estate;
that is, real estate. Ayliffe.
2. Attached to land or farms; as,
predial slaves.
3. Issuing or derived from land; as,
predial tithes.
Pre*di`as*tol"ic (?), a.
(Physiol.) Preceding the diastole of the heart; as, a
prediastolic friction sound.
Pred`i*ca*bil"i*ty (?), n. The
quality or state of being predicable, or affirmable of something, or
attributed to something. Reid.
Pred"i*ca*ble (?), a. [Cf. F.
prédicable, L. praedicabilis praiseworthy. See
Predicate.] Capable of being predicated or affirmed of
something; affirmable; attributable.
Pred"i*ca*ble, n. 1.
Anything affirmable of another; especially, a general attribute
or notion as affirmable of, or applicable to, many
individuals.
2. (Logic) One of the five most general
relations of attributes involved in logical arrangements, namely,
genus, species, difference, property, and accident.
Pre*dic"a*ment (?), n. [Cf. F.
prédicament, L. praedicamentum. See
Predicate.] 1. A class or kind described
by any definite marks; hence, condition; particular situation or
state; especially, an unfortunate or trying position or
condition. "O woeful sympathy; piteous predicament!"
Shak.
2. (Logic) See
Category.
Syn. -- Category; condition; state; plight.
Pre*dic`a*men"tal (?), a. Of or
pertaining to a predicament. John Hall (1646).
Pred"i*cant (?), a. [L.
praedicans, -antis, p. pr. of praedicare. See
Predicate.] Predicating; affirming; declaring;
proclaiming; hence; preaching. "The Roman predicant
orders." N. Brit. Rev.
Pred"i*cant, n. One who predicates,
affirms, or proclaims; specifically, a preaching friar; a
Dominican.
Pred"i*cate (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Predicated (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Predicating.] [L. praedicatus, p. p. of
praedicare to cry in public, to proclaim. See Preach.]
1. To assert to belong to something; to affirm
(one thing of another); as, to predicate whiteness of
snow.
2. To found; to base. [U.S.]
&fist; Predicate is sometimes used in the United States for
found or base; as, to predicate an argument
on certain principles; to predicate a statement
on information received. Predicate is a term in logic,
and used only in a single case, namely, when we affirm one thing
of another. "Similitude is not predicated of essences or
substances, but of figures and qualities only." Cudworth.
Pred"i*cate, v. i. To affirm
something of another thing; to make an affirmation. Sir M.
Hale.
Pred"i*cate (?), n. [L.
praedicatum, neut. of praedicatus, p. p.
praedicare: cf. F. prédicat. See
Predicate, v. t.] 1.
(Logic) That which is affirmed or denied of the subject.
In these propositions, "Paper is white," "Ink is not
white," whiteness is the predicate affirmed of
paper and denied of ink.
2. (Gram.) The word or words in a
proposition which express what is affirmed of the subject.
Syn. -- Affirmation; declaration.
Pred"i*cate, a. [L. praedicatus,
p. p.] Predicated.
Pred`i*ca"tion (?), n. [L.
praedicatio: cf. F. prédication.]
1. The act of predicating, or of affirming one
thing of another; affirmation; assertion. Locke.
2. Preaching. [Obs. or Scot.]
Chaucer.
Pred"i*ca*tive (?), a. [L.
praedicativus.] Expressing affirmation or predication;
affirming; predicating, as, a predicative term. --
Pred"i*ca*tive*ly, adv.
Pred"i*ca*to*ry (?), a. [Cf. L.
praedicatorius praising.] Affirmative; positive.
Bp. Hall.
Pre`di*crot"ic (?), a. (Physiol.)
A term applied to the pulse wave sometimes seen in a pulse curve
or sphygmogram, between the apex of the curve and the dicrotic
wave.
The predicrotic or tidal wave is best marked in
a hard pulse, i. e., where the blood pressure is
high.
Landois & Stirling.
Pre*dict" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Predicted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Predicting.] [L. praedictus, p. p. of praedicere
to predict; prae before + dicere to say, tell. See
Diction, and cf. Preach.] To tell or declare
beforehand; to foretell; to prophesy; to presage; as, to
predict misfortune; to predict the return of a
comet.
Syn. -- To foretell; prophesy; prognosticate; presage;
forebode; foreshow; bode.
Pre*dict", n. A prediction.
[Obs.] Shak.
Pre*dict"a*ble (?), a. That may be
predicted.
Pre*dic"tion (?), n. [L.
praedictio: cf. F. prédiction.] The act of
foretelling; also, that which is foretold; prophecy.
The predictions of cold and long
winters.
Bacon.
Syn. -- Prophecy; prognostication; foreboding; augury;
divination; soothsaying; vaticination.
Pre*dic"tion*al (?), a. Prophetic;
prognostic. [R.]
Pre*dict"ive (?), a. [L.
praedictivus.] Foretelling; prophetic; foreboding. -
- Pre*dict"ive*ly, adv.
Pre*dict"or (?), n. One who
predicts; a foreteller.
Pre*dict"o*ry (?), a.
Predictive. [R.] Fuller.
Pre`di*gest" (?), v. t. (Med.)
To subject (food) to predigestion or artificial
digestion.
Pre`di*ges"tion (?), n.
1. Digestion too soon performed; hasty
digestion. [Obs.] Bacon.
2. (Med.) Artificial digestion of food
for use in illness or impaired digestion.
Pre`di*lect" (?), v. t. To elect or
choose beforehand. [R.] Walter Harte.
Pre`di*lec"tion (?), n. [Pref. pre-
+ L. dilectus, p. p. diligere to prefer: cf. F.
prédilection. See Diligent.] A previous
liking; a prepossession of mind in favor of something; predisposition
to choose or like; partiality. Burke.
Pre`dis*cov"er (?), v. t. To
discover beforehand.
Pre`dis*cov"er*y (?), n. A previous
discovery.
Pre`dis*po"nen*cy (?), n. The state
of being predisposed; predisposition. [R.]
Pre`dis*po"nent (?), a. Disposing
beforehand; predisposing. -- n. That
which predisposes.
Predisponent causes. (Med.) See
Predisposing causes, under Predispose.
Dunglison.
Pre`dis*pose" (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Predisposed (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Predisposing.] [Pref. pre- +
dispose: cf. F. prédisposer.] 1.
To dispose or incline beforehand; to give a predisposition or
bias to; as, to predispose the mind to friendship.
2. To make fit or susceptible beforehand; to
give a tendency to; as, debility predisposes the body to
disease.
Predisposing causes (Med.), causes
which render the body liable to disease; predisponent causes.
Pre*dis`po*si"tion (?), n.[Pref. pre-
+ disposition: cf. F. prédisposition.]
1. The act of predisposing, or the state of being
predisposed; previous inclination, tendency, or propensity;
predilection; -- applied to the mind; as, a predisposition to
anger.
2. Previous fitness or adaptation to any
change, impression, or purpose; susceptibility; -- applied to material
things; as, the predisposition of the body to
disease.
Pre*dom"i*nance (?), n. [Cf. F.
prédominance.] 1. The quality or
state of being predominant; superiority; ascendency; prevalence;
predomination.
The predominance of conscience over
interest.
South.
2. (Astrol.) The superior influence of
a planet. Shak.
Pre*dom"i*nan*cy (?), n.
Predominance. Bacon.
Pre*dom"i*nant (?), a. [Cf. F.
prédominant. See Predominante.] Having the
ascendency over others; superior in strength, influence, or authority;
prevailing; as, a predominant color; predominant
excellence.
Those help . . . were predominant in the king's
mind.
Bacon.
Foul subordination is predominant.
Shak.
Syn. -- Prevalent; superior; prevailing; ascendant; ruling;
reigning; controlling; overruling.
Pre*dom"i*nant*ly, adv. In a
predominant manner.
Pre*dom"i*nate (?), v. i. [imp.
& p. p. Predominated (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Predominating.] [Pref. pre- +
dominate: cf. F. prédominer.] To be superior
in number, strength, influence, or authority; to have controlling
power or influence; to prevail; to rule; to have the mastery; as, love
predominated in her heart.
[Certain] rays may predominate over the
rest.
Sir. I. Newton.
Pre*dom"i*nate, v. t. To rule over;
to overpower. [R.]
Pre*dom`i*na"tion (?), n. [Cf. F.
prédomination.] The act or state of predominating;
ascendency; predominance. W. Browne.
Pre*doom" (?), v. t. To
foredoom.
Pre*dor"sal (?), a. (Anat.)
Situated in front of the back; immediately in front, or on the
ventral side the dorsal part of the vertebral column.
Pre"dy (?), a. [Cf. F. prêt
ready.] Cleared and ready for engagement, as a ship.
Smart.
Preed"y (?), adv. With ease.
[Prov. Eng.]
Preef (?), n. Proof. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Pre`ë*lect" (?), v. t. To
elect beforehand.
Pre`ë*lec"tion (?), n.
Election beforehand.
Pre*ëm"i*nence (?), n. [F.
prééminence, L. praeeminentia. See
Preëminent.] The quality or state of being
preëminent; superiority in prominence or in excellence;
distinction above others in quality, rank, etc.; rarely, in a bad
sense, superiority or notoriety in evil; as, preëminence
in honor.
The preëminence of Christianity to any
other religious scheme.
Addison.
Painful preëminence! yourself to view
Above life's weakness, and its comforts too.
Pope.
Beneath the forehead's walled
preëminence.
Lowell.
Pre*ëm"i*nent (?), a. [L.
praeminens, -entis, p. pr. praeminere to be
prominent, to surpass: cf. F. prééminent. See
Pre-, and Eminent.] Eminent above others; prominent
among those who are eminent; superior in excellence; surpassing, or
taking precedence of, others; rarely, surpassing others in evil, or in
bad qualities; as, preëminent in guilt.
In goodness and in power
preëminent.
Milton.
Pre*ëm"i*nent*ly, adv. In a
preëminent degree.
Pre`ëm*ploy (?), v. t. To
employ beforehand. "Preëmployed by him."
Shak.
Pre*ëmpt" (?; 215), v. t. & i.
[imp. & p. p. Preëmpted; p. pr.
& vb. n. Preëmpting.] [See
Preëmption.] To settle upon (public land) with a
right of preemption, as under the laws of the United States; to take
by preëmption.
Pre*ëmp"tion (?; 215), n. [Pref.
pre- + emption: cf. F. préemption. See
Redeem.] The act or right of purchasing before
others. Specifically: (a) The privilege or
prerogative formerly enjoyed by the king of buying provisions for his
household in preference to others. [Eng.] (b)
The right of an actual settler upon public lands (particularly
those of the United States) to purchase a certain portion at a fixed
price in preference to all other applicants. Abbott.
Pre*ëmp"tion*er (?), n. One
who holds a prior right to purchase certain public land.
Abbott.
Pre*ëmp"tive (?), a. Of or
pertaining to preëmption; having power to preëmpt;
preëmpting.
Pre*ëmpt"or (?; 215), n. [Cf. L.
praeemptor.] One who preëmpts; esp., one who
preëmpts public land.
Pre*ëmpt"o*ry (?), a.
Pertaining to preëmption.
Preen (?), n. [AS. preón a
clasp, bodkin; akin to D. priem punch, bodkin, awl, G.
pfriem, Icel. prjōnn a knitting needle, pin, Dan.
preen a bodkin, punch.] A forked tool used by clothiers in
dressing cloth.
Preen, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Preened (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Preening.] [See Preen, n.; or cf.
Prune.] 1. To dress with, or as with, a
preen; to trim or dress with the beak, as the feathers; -- said of
birds. Derham.
2. To trim up, as trees. [Prov. Eng.]
Halliwell.
Pre`ën*gage" (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Preëngaged (?); p.
pr. & vb. n. Preëngaging (?).] To engage by
previous contract; to bind or attach previously; to
preoccupy.
But he was preëngaged by former
ties.
Dryden.
Pre`ën*gage"ment (?), n. Prior
engagement, obligation, or attachment, as by contract, promise, or
affection.
My preëngagements to other themes were not
unknown to those for whom I was to write.
Boyle.
Pre`ë*rect" (?), v. t. To
erect beforehand.
Prees (?), n. Press; throng.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
Pre`ës*tab"lish, v. t. To
establish beforehand.
Pre`ës*tab"lish*ment, n.
Settlement beforehand.
Pre`ë*ter"ni*ty (?), n.
Infinite previous duration. [R.] "The world's
preëternity." Cudworth.
Pre`ëx*am`i*na"tion (?), n.
Previous examination.
Pre`ëx*am"ine (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Preëxamined (?);
p. pr. & vb. n. Preëxamining.] To
examine beforehand.
Pre`ëx*ist" (?), v. i.
[imp. & p. p. Preëxisted; p. pr.
& vb. n. Preëxisting.] To exist previously;
to exist before something else.
Pre`ëx*ist"ence (?), n.
1. Existence in a former state, or previous to
something else.
Wisdom declares her antiquity and
preëxistence to all the works of this earth.
T. Burnet.
2. Existence of the soul before its union with
the body; -- a doctrine held by certain philosophers.
Addison.
Pre`ëx*ist"en*cy (?), n.
Preëxistence. [Obs.]
Pre`ëx*ist"ent (?), a.
Existing previously; preceding existence; as, a
preëxistent state. Pope.
Pre`ëx*ist"ent*ism (?), n.
(Philos.) The theory of a preëxistence of souls
before their association with human bodies. Emerson.
Pre`ëx*is`ti*ma"tion (?), n.
Previous esteem or estimation. [Obs.] Sir T.
Browne.
Pre*ëx`pec*ta"tion (?), n.
Previous expectation.
Pref"ace (?; 48), n. [F.
préface; cf. Sp. prefacio, prefacion, It.
prefazio, prefazione; all fr. L. praefatio, fr.
praefari to speak or say beforehand; prae before +
fari, fatus, to speak. See Fate.]
1. Something spoken as introductory to a
discourse, or written as introductory to a book or essay; a proem; an
introduction, or series of preliminary remarks.
This superficial tale
Is but a preface of her worthy praise.
Shak.
Heaven's high behest no preface
needs.
Milton.
2. (R. C. Ch.) The prelude or
introduction to the canon of the Mass. Addis &
Arnold.
Proper preface (Ch. of Eng. & Prot. Epis.
Ch.), a portion of the communion service, preceding the prayer
of consecration, appointed for certain seasons.
Syn. -- Introduction; preliminary; preamble; proem; prelude;
prologue.
Pref"ace, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Prefaced (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Prefacing.] To introduce by a preface; to give a preface
to; as, to preface a book discourse.
Pref"ace, v. i. To make a
preface. Jer. Taylor.
Pref"a*cer (?), n. The writer of a
preface.
Pref`a*to"ri*al (?), a.
Prefatory.
Pref"a*to*ri*ly (?), adv. In a
prefatory manner; by way of preface.
Pref"a*to*ry (?), a. Pertaining to,
or of the nature of, a preface; introductory to a book, essay, or
discourse; as, prefatory remarks.
That prefatory addition to the
Creed.
Dryden.
Pre"fect (?), n. [L. praefectus,
fr. praefectus, p. p. of praeficere to set over;
prae before + facere to make: cf. F.
préfet.] 1. A Roman officer who
controlled or superintended a particular command, charge, department,
etc.; as, the prefect of the aqueducts; the prefect of a
camp, of a fleet, of the city guard, of provisions; the pretorian
prefect, who was commander of the troops guarding the emperor's
person.
2. A superintendent of a department who has
control of its police establishment, together with extensive powers of
municipal regulation. [France] Brande & C.
3. In the Greek and Roman Catholic churches, a
title of certain dignitaries below the rank of bishop.
Apostolic prefect (R. C. Ch.), the
head of a mission, not of episcopal rank. Shipley.
Pre`fec*to"ri*al (?), a. Of or
pertaining to a prefect.
Pre"fect*ship (?), n. The office or
jurisdiction of a prefect.
Pre"fec*ture (?; 277), n. [L.
praefectura: cf. F. préfecture.] The office,
position, or jurisdiction of a prefect; also, his official
residence.
Pre*fec`un*da"tion (?), n.
(Physiol.) A term collectively applied to the changes or
conditions preceding fecundation, especially to the changes which the
ovum undergoes before fecundation.
Pre`fe*cun"da*to*ry (?), a. Of or
pertaining to prefecundation.
Pre*fer" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Preferred (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Preferring.] [F. préférer, L.
praeferre; prae before + ferre to bear or carry.
See 1st Bear.] 1. To carry or bring
(something) forward, or before one; hence, to bring for consideration,
acceptance, judgment, etc.; to offer; to present; to proffer; to
address; -- said especially of a request, prayer, petition, claim,
charge, etc.
He spake, and to her hand preferred the
bowl.
Pope.
Presently prefer his suit to
Cæsar.
Shak.
Three tongues prefer strange orisons on
high.
Byron.
2. To go before, or be before, in estimation;
to outrank; to surpass. [Obs.] "Though maidenhood prefer
bigamy." Chaucer.
3. To cause to go before; hence, to advance
before others, as to an office or dignity; to raise; to exalt; to
promote; as, to prefer an officer to the rank of
general.
I would prefer him to a better
place.
Shak.
4. To set above or before something else in
estimation, favor, or liking; to regard or honor before another; to
hold in greater favor; to choose rather; -- often followed by
to, before, or above.
If I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief
joy.
Ps. cxxxvii. 6.
Preferred an infamous peace before a most just
war.
Knolles.
Preferred stock, stock which takes a dividend
before other capital stock; -- called also preference stock and
preferential stock.
Syn. -- To choose; elect. See Choose.
Pref`er*a*bil"i*ty (?), n. The
quality or state of being preferable; preferableness. J. S.
Mill.
Pref"er*a*ble (?), a. [Cf. F.
préférable.] Worthy to be preferred or
chosen before something else; more desirable; as, a preferable
scheme. Addison.
Pref"er*a*ble*ness, n. The quality
or state of being preferable.
Pref"er*a*bly, adv. In preference;
by choice.
To choose Plautus preferably to
Terence.
Dennis.
Pref"er*ence (?), n. [Cf. F.
préférence.] 1. The act of
Preferring, or the state of being preferred; the setting of one thing
before another; precedence; higher estimation; predilection; choice;
also, the power or opportunity of choosing; as, to give him his
preference.
Leave the critics on either side to contend about the
preference due to this or that sort of poetry.
Dryden.
Knowledge of things alone gives a value to our
reasonings, and preference of one man's knowledge over
another's.
Locke.
2. That which is preferred; the object of
choice or superior favor; as, which is your
preference?
Pref`er*en"tial (?), a. Giving,
indicating, or having a preference or precedence; as, a
preferential claim; preferential shares.
Pre*fer"ment (?), n. 1.
The act of choosing, or the state of being chosen;
preference. [R.]
Natural preferment of the one . . . before the
other.
Sir T. Browne.
2. The act of preferring, or advancing in
dignity or office; the state of being advanced; promotion.
Neither royal blandishments nor promises of valuable
preferment had been spared.
Macaulay.
3. A position or office of honor or profit;
as, the preferments of the church.
Pre*fer"rer (?), n. One who
prefers.
Pref"i*dence (?), n. The quality or
state of being prefident. [Obs.] Baxter.
Pref"i*dent (?), a. [Cf. L.
praefidens overconfident. See Pre-, and
Confident.] Trusting beforehand; hence,
overconfident. [Obs.] Baxter.
Pre*fig"u*rate (?), v. t. [L.
praefiguratus, p. p. See Prefigure.] To
prefigure. [R.] Grafton.
Pre*fig`u*ra"tion (?), n. [L.
praefiguratio.] The act of prefiguring, or the state of
being prefigured.
A variety of prophecies and
prefigurations.
Norris.
Pre*fig"ur*a*tive (?), a. Showing
by prefiguration. "The prefigurative atonement." Bp.
Horne.
Pre*fig"ure (?; 135), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Prefigured (?); p. pr.
& vb. n. Prefiguring.] [F. préfigurer,
or L. praefigurare, praefiguratum; prae before +
figurare to figure. See Figure, and cf.
Prefigurate.] To show, suggest, or announce, by antecedent
types and similitudes; to foreshadow. "Whom all the various
types prefigured." South.
Pre*fig"ure*ment (?), n. The act of
prefiguring; prefiguration; also, that which is prefigured.
Carlyle.
Pre*fine" (?), v. t. [L.
praefinire; prae before + finire to limit,
determine: cf. F. préfiner.] To limit
beforehand. [Obs.] Knolles.
Pre*fi"nite (?), a. [L.
praefinitus, p. p.] Prearranged. [Obs.] " Set and
prefinite time." Holland.
Pref`i*ni"tion (?), n. [L.
praefinitio.] Previous limitation. [Obs.]
Fotherby.
Pre*fix" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Prefixed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Prefixing.] [L. praefixus, p. p. of praefigere to
fix or fasten before; prae before + figere to fix: cf.
F. préfix fixed beforehand, determined,
préfixer to prefix. See Fix.]
1. To put or fix before, or at the beginning
of, another thing; as, to prefix a syllable to a word, or a
condition to an agreement.
2. To set or appoint beforehand; to settle or
establish antecedently. [Obs.] " Prefixed bounds. "
Locke.
And now he hath to her prefixt a
day.
Spenser.
Pre"fix (?), n. [Cf. F.
préfixe.] That which is prefixed; esp., one
or more letters or syllables combined or united with the beginning of
a word to modify its signification; as, pre- in prefix,
con- in conjure.
Pre*fix"ion (?), n. [Cf. OF.
prefixion.] The act of prefixing. [R.]
Bailey.
Pre`flo*ra"tion (?), n. [Pref. pre-
+ L. flos, floris, flower.] (Bot.)
Æstivation.
Pre*fo`li*a"tion (?), n. [Pref. pre-
+ L. folium leaf.] (Bot.) Vernation.
Pre*form" (&?;), v. t. [L.
praeformare. See Pre-, and Form.] To form
beforehand, or for special ends. "Their natures and
preformed faculties. " Shak.
Pre`for*ma"tion (?), n. (Biol.)
An old theory of the preëxistence of germs. Cf.
Emboîtement.
Pre*form"a*tive (?), n. A formative
letter at the beginning of a word. M. Stuart.
Pre*fron"tal (?), a. (Anat. &
Zoöl.) Situated in front of the frontal bone, or the
frontal region of the skull; ectethmoid, as a certain bone in the
nasal capsule of many animals, and certain scales of reptiles and
fishes. -- n. A prefrontal bone or
scale.
Pre*ful"gen*cy (?), n. [L.
praefulgens, p. pr. of praefulgere to shine forth. See
Pre-, and Fulgent.] Superior brightness or
effulgency. [R.] Barrow.
Pre*gage" (&?;), v. t. To
preëngage. [Obs.] Fuller.
Pre*gla"cial (?), a. (Geol.)
Prior to the glacial or drift period.
Preg"na*ble (?), a., [F.
prenable. See Impregnable.] Capable of being
entered, taken, or captured; expugnable; as, a pregnable
fort. [R.] Cotgrave.
Preg"nance (?), n. Pregnancy.
[Obs.] Milton.
Preg"nan*cy (?), n. 1.
The condition of being pregnant; the state of being with
young.
2. Figuratively: The quality of being heavy
with important contents, issue, significance, etc.; unusual
consequence or capacity; fertility. Fuller.
Preg"nant (?), a. [L. praegnans,
-antis; prae before + genere, gignere, to
beget: cf. F. prégnant. See Gender, 2d
Kin.]
1. Being with young, as a female; having
conceived; great with young; breeding; teeming; gravid; preparing to
bring forth.
2. Heavy with important contents,
significance, or issue; full of consequence or results; weighty; as,
pregnant replies. " A pregnant argument."
Prynne. " A pregnant brevity." E. Everett.
3. Full of promise; abounding in ability,
resources, etc.; as, a pregnant youth. [Obs.]
Evelyn.
Wherein the pregnant enemy does
much.
Shak.
Pregnant construction (Rhet.), one in
which more is implied than is said; as, the beasts trembled
forth from their dens, that is, came forth trembling with
fright.
Preg"nant, n. A pregnant
woman. [R.] Dunglison.
Preg"nant, a. [F. prenant taking.
Cf. Pregnable.] Affording entrance; receptive; yielding;
willing; open; prompt. [Obs.] " Pregnant to good pity."
Shak.
Preg"nant*ly, adv. In a pregnant
manner; fruitfully; significantly.
Preg"nant*ly, adv. Unresistingly;
openly; hence, clearly; evidently. [Obs.] Shak.
Pre"gra*vate (?), v. t. [L.
praegravatus, p. p. of praegravare to be heavy upon, fr.
praegravis very heavy.] To bear down; to depress.
[Obs.] Bp. Hall.
Pre*grav"i*tate (?), v. i. To
descend by gravity; to sink. [R.] Boyle.
Pre*gus"tant (?), a. [L.
praegustans, p. pr. of praegustare to taste beforehand;
prae before + gustare to taste.] Tasting
beforehand; having a foretaste. [R.] Ed. Rev.
Pre`gus*ta"tion (?), n. The act of
tasting beforehand; foretaste. [R.] Dr. Walker
(1678).
||Pre*hal"lux (?), n. [NL. See Pre-
, and Hallux.] (Anat.) An extra first toe, or
rudiment of a toe, on the preaxial side of the hallux.
Pre*hend" (&?;), v. t. [L.
prehendere. See Prehensile.] To lay hold of; to
seize. [Obs.] Middleton.
Pre*hen"si-ble (?), a. [Cf. F.
préhensible.] Capable of being seized.
Pre*hen"sile (?), a. [L.
prehensus, p. p. of prehendere to lay hold of, seize;
pre- (equiv. to prae before) + hendere (in
comp.), akin to E. get: cf. F. préhensile. See
Get, and cf. Prison, Prize, n.]
Adapted to seize or grasp; seizing; grasping; as, the
prehensile tail of a monkey.
Pre*hen"sion (?), n. [L.
prehensio; cf. F. préhension. See
Prehensile.] The act of taking hold, seizing, or grasping,
as with the hand or other member.
Pre*hen"so*ry (?), a. Adapted to
seize or grasp; prehensile.
Pre`his*tor"ic (?), a. Of or
pertaining to a period before written history begins; as, the
prehistoric ages; prehistoric man.
Prehn"ite (?), n. [So called from the
German Colonel Prehn, who first found it.] (Min.) A
pale green mineral occurring in crystalline aggregates having a
botryoidal or mammillary structure, and rarely in distinct crystals.
It is a hydrous silicate of alumina and lime.
Prehn*it"ic (?), a. (Chem.)
Pertaining to, or designating, a tetrabasic acid of benzene
obtained as a white crystalline substance; -- probably so called from
the resemblance of the wartlike crystals to the mammillæ on the
surface of prehnite.
Pre`in*des"ig*nate (?), a.
(Logic.) Having no sign expressive of quantity;
indefinite. See Predesignate.
Pre*in`dis*pose" (&?;), v. t. To
render indisposed beforehand. Milman.
Pre`in*struct" (&?;), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Preinstructed; p. pr. &
vb. n. Preinstructing.] To instruct previously
or beforehand. Dr. H. More.
Pre*in`ti*ma"tion (?), n. Previous
intimation; a suggestion beforehand. T. Scott.
Pre*judge" (&?;), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Prejudged (&?;); p. pr. & vb.
n. Prejudging.] [Pref. pre + judge: cf.
F. préjuger. Cf. Prejudicate, Prejudice.]
To judge before hearing, or before full and sufficient
examination; to decide or sentence by anticipation; to condemn
beforehand.
The committee of council hath prejudged the
whole case, by calling the united sense of both houses of Parliament"
a universal clamor."
Swift.
Pre*judg"ment (?), n. The act of
prejudging; decision before sufficient examination.
Pre*ju"di*ca*cy (?), n. Prejudice;
prepossession. [Obs.] Sir. H. Blount.
Pre*ju"di*cal (?), a. Of or
pertaining to the determination of some matter not previously decided;
as, a prejudical inquiry or action at law.
Pre*ju"di*cant (?), a. [L.
praejudicans, p. pr.] Influenced by prejudice;
biased. [R.] " With not too hasty and prejudicant ears."
Milton.
Pre*ju"di*cate (?), a. [L.
praejudicatus, p. p. of praejudicare to prejudge;
prae before + judicare to judge. See Judge.]
1. Formed before due examination.
"Ignorance and prejudicate opinions." Jer. Taylor.
2. Biased by opinions formed prematurely;
prejudiced. "Prejudicate readers." Sir T.
Browne.
Pre*ju"di*cate (?), v. t. [imp.
& p. p. Prejudicated (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Prejudicating.] [Cf. Prejudge.] To
determine beforehand, especially to disadvantage; to
prejudge.
Our dearest friend
Prejudicates the business.
Shak.
Pre*ju"di*cate, v. i. To
prejudge. Sir P. Sidney.
Pre*ju"di*cate*ly (?), adv. With
prejudice.
Pre*ju`di*ca"tion (?), n.
1. The act of prejudicating, or of judging
without due examination of facts and evidence; prejudgment.
2. (Rom. Law) (a) A
preliminary inquiry and determination about something which belongs to
a matter in dispute. (b) A previous
treatment and decision of a point; a precedent.
Pre*ju"di*ca*tive (?), a. Forming a
judgment without due examination; prejudging. Dr. H.
More.
Prej"u*dice (?), n. [F.
préjudice, L. praejudicium; prae before +
judicium judgment. See Prejudicate, Judicial.]
1. Foresight. [Obs.]
Naught might hinder his quick
prejudize.
Spenser.
2. An opinion or judgment formed without due
examination; prejudgment; a leaning toward one side of a question from
other considerations than those belonging to it; an unreasonable
predilection for, or objection against, anything; especially, an
opinion or leaning adverse to anything, without just grounds, or
before sufficient knowledge.
Though often misled by prejudice and passion, he
was emphatically an honest man.
Macaulay.
3. (Law) A bias on the part of judge,
juror, or witness which interferes with fairness of
judgment.
4. Mischief; hurt; damage; injury;
detriment. Locke.
England and France might, through their amity,
Breed him some prejudice.
Shak.
Syn. -- Prejudgment; prepossession; bias; harm; hurt;
damage; detriment; mischief; disadvantage.
Prej"u*dice, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Prejudiced (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Prejudicing (?).] [Cf. F. préjudicier. See
Prejudice, n.] 1. To
cause to have prejudice; to prepossess with opinions formed without
due knowledge or examination; to bias the mind of, by hasty and
incorrect notions; to give an unreasonable bent to, as to one side or
the other of a cause; as, to prejudice a critic or a
juryman.
Suffer not any beloved study to prejudice your
mind so far as to despise all other learning.
I.
Watts
2. To obstruct or injure by prejudices, or by
previous bias of the mind; hence, generally, to hurt; to damage; to
injure; to impair; as, to prejudice a good cause.
Seek how may prejudice the foe.
Shak
Prej`u*di"cial (?), a. [L.
praejudicialis belonging to a preceding judgment: cf. F.
préjudiciel.]
1. Biased, possessed, or blinded by
prejudices; as, to look with a prejudicial eye. [Obs.]
Holyday.
2. Tending to obstruct or impair; hurtful;
injurious; disadvantageous; detrimental. Hooker.
His going away . . . was most prejudicial and
most ruinous to the king's affairs.
Clarendon.
-- Prej`u*di"cial*ly, adv. --
Prej`u*di"cial*ness, n.
Pre*knowl"edge (?), n. Prior
knowledge.
Prel"a*cy (?), n.; pl.
Prelacies (#). [LL. praelatia. See
Prelate; cf. Prelaty.] 1. The
office or dignity of a prelate; church government by
prelates.
Prelacies may be termed the greater
benefices.
Ayliffe.
2. The order of prelates, taken collectively;
the body of ecclesiastical dignitaries. "Divers of the reverend
prelacy, and other most judicious men." Hooker.
Pre"lal (?), a. [L. prelum a
press.] Of or pertaining to printing; typographical. [Obs.]
Fuller.
Prel"ate (?; 48), n. [F.
prélat, LL. praelatus, fr. L. praelatus,
used as p. p. of praeferre to prefer, but from a different
root. See Elate.] A clergyman of a superior order, as an
archbishop or a bishop, having authority over the lower clergy; a
dignitary of the church.
&fist; This word and the words derived from it are often used
invidiously, in English ecclesiastical history, by dissenters,
respecting the Established Church system.
Hear him but reason in divinity, . . .
You would desire the king were made a prelate.
Shak.
Prel"ate (?), v. i. To act as a
prelate. [Obs.]
Right prelating is busy laboring, and not
lording.
Latimer.
Prel`a*te"i*ty (?), n.
Prelacy. [Obs.] Milton.
Prel"ate*ship, n. The office of a
prelate. Harmar.
Prel"a*tess (?), n. A woman who is
a prelate; the wife of a prelate. Milton.
Pre*la"tial (?), a.
Prelatical. Beaconsfield.
{ Pre*lat"ic (?), Pre*lat"ic*al (?), }
a. Of or pertaining to prelates or prelacy; as,
prelatical authority. Macaulay.
Pre*lat"ic*al*ly, adv. In a
prelatical manner; with reference to prelates.
Milton.
The last Georgic was a good prelude to the
Æneis.
Pre*la"tion (?), n. [L.
praelatio: cf. F. prélation. See Prelate,
and cf. Prefer.] The setting of one above another;
preference. [R.] Jer. Taylor.
Prel"a*tism (?), n. Prelacy;
episcopacy.
Prel"a*tist (?), n. One who
supports of advocates prelacy, or the government of the church by
prelates; hence, a high-churchman. Hume.
I am an Episcopalian, but not a
prelatist.
T. Scott.
Prel"a*tize (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Prelatized (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Prelatizing (?).] To bring under the
influence of prelacy. Palfrey.
Prel"a*tize, v. i. To uphold or
encourage prelacy; to exercise prelatical functions.
An episcopacy that began then to
prelatize.
Milton.
Prel"a*try (?), n. Prelaty;
prelacy. [Obs.]
{ Prel"a*ture (?; 135), Prel"a*ture*ship },
n. [F. prélature, or LL.
praelatura.] The state or dignity of a prelate;
prelacy. Milman.
Prel"a*ty (?), n. Prelacy.
[Obs.] Milton.
Pre*lect" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Prelected; p. pr. & vb. n.
Prelecting.] [L. praelectus, p. p. of praelegere
to read before. See Pre-, and Lection.] To read
publicly, as a lecture or discourse.
Pre*lect", v. i. To discourse
publicly; to lecture.
Spitting . . . was publicly prelected
upon.
De. Quincey.
To prelect upon the military art.
Bp. Horsley.
Pre*lec"tion (?), n. [L.
praelectio.] A lecture or discourse read in public or to a
select company. "The prelections of Faber." Sir M.
Hale.
Pre*lec"tor (?), n. [L.
praelector.] A reader of lectures or discourses; a
lecturer. Sheldon.
Pre`li*ba"tion (?), n. [L.
praelibatio, fr. praelibare to taste beforehand: cf. F.
prelibation.] 1. A tasting beforehand, or
by anticipation; a foretaste; as, a prelibation of heavenly
bliss.
2. A pouring out, or libation, before
tasting.
Pre*lim"i*na*ri*ly (?), adv. In a
preliminary manner.
Pre*lim"i*na*ry (?), a. [Pref.
pre + L. liminaris belonging to a threshold, fr.
limen, liminis, threshold, entrance: cf. F.
préliminaire. Cf. Limit.] Introductory;
previous; preceding the main discourse or business; prefatory; as,
preliminary observations to a discourse or book;
preliminary articles to a treaty; preliminary measures;
preliminary examinations.
Syn. -- Introductory; preparatory; prefatory; proemial;
previous; prior; precedent; antecedent.
Pre*lim"i*na*ry, n.; pl.
Preliminaries (&?;). That which precedes the
main discourse, work, design, or business; something introductory or
preparatory; as, the preliminaries to a negotiation or duel; to
take one's preliminaries the year before entering
college.
Syn. -- Introduction; preface; prelude.
Pre*lim"it (?), v. t. To limit
previously. [R.]
Pre*look", v. i. To look
forward. [Obs.] Surrey.
Pre"lude (?), n. [F.
prélude (cf. It. preludio, LL.
praeludium), fr. L. prae before + ludus play. See
Prelude, v. t.] An introductory
performance, preceding and preparing for the principal matter; a
preliminary part, movement, strain, etc.; especially (Mus.), a
strain introducing the theme or chief subject; a movement introductory
to a fugue, yet independent; -- with recent composers often synonymous
with overture.
The last Georgic was a good prelude to the
Ænis
Addison.
The cause is more than the prelude, the effect
is more than the sequel, of the fact.
Whewell.
Syn. -- Preface; introduction; preliminary; preamble;
forerunner; harbinger; precursor.
Pre*lude" (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Preluded; p. pr. & vb. n.
Preluding.] [L. praeludere, praelusum;
prae before + ludere to play: cf. F.
préluder. See Ludicrous.] To play an
introduction or prelude; to give a prefatory performance; to serve as
prelude.
The musicians preluded on their
instruments.
Sir. W. Scott.
We are preluding too largely, and must come at
once to the point.
Jeffrey.
Pre*lude", v. t. 1.
To introduce with a previous performance; to play or perform a
prelude to; as, to prelude a concert with a lively
air.
2. To serve as prelude to; to precede as
introductory.
[Music] preluding some great
tragedy.
Longfellow
Pre*lud"er (?), n. One who, or that
which, preludes; one who plays a prelude. Mason.
Pre*lud"i*al (?), a. Of or
pertaining to a prelude; of the nature of a prelude;
introductory. [R.]
Pre*lud"i*ous (?), a.
Preludial. [R.] Dr. H. More.
Pre*lum"bar (?), a. (Anat.)
Situated immediately in front of the loins; -- applied to the
dorsal part of the abdomen.
Pre*lu"sive (?), a. [See
Prelude.] Of the nature of a prelude; introductory;
indicating that something of a like kind is to follow.
"Prelusive drops." Thomson. --Pre*lu"sive*ly,
adv.
Pre*lu"so*ri*ly (?), adv. In a
prelusory way.
Pre*lu"so*ry (?), a. Introductory;
prelusive. Bacon.
Pre`ma*ture" (?), a. [L.
praematurus; prae before + maturus ripe. See
Mature.] 1. Mature or ripe before the
proper time; as, the premature fruits of a hotbed.
2. Happening, arriving, existing, or performed
before the proper or usual time; adopted too soon; too early;
untimely; as, a premature fall of snow; a premature
birth; a premature opinion; premature decay.
3. Arriving or received without due
authentication or evidence; as, a premature report.
-- Pre`ma*ture"ly, adv. --
Pre`ma*ture"ness, n.
Pre`ma*tu"ri*ty (?), n. [Cf. F.
prématurité.] The quality or state of being
premature; early, or untimely, ripeness; as, the prematurity of
genius.
||Pre"max*il"la (?), n.; pl.
Premaxillæ (#). [NL. See Pre-, and
Maxilla.] (Anat.) A bone on either side of the
middle line between the nose and mouth, forming the anterior part of
each half of the upper jawbone; the intermaxilla. In man the
premaxillæ become united and form the incisor part of the
maxillary bone.
Pre*max"il*la*ry (?), a. (Anat.)
Situated in front of the maxillary bones; pertaining to the
premaxillæ; intermaxillary. -- n. A
premaxilla.
Pre*me"di*ate (?), v. t. To
advocate. [R.]
Pre*med"i*tate (?), v. t. [imp.
& p. p. Premeditated (-tā`t?d); p. pr.
& vb. n. Premeditating.] [L. praemeditatus, p.
p. of praemeditari; prae before + meditari to
meditate. See Meditate.] To think on, and revolve in the
mind, beforehand; to contrive and design previously; as, to
premeditate robbery.
With words premeditated thus he
said.
Dryden.
Pre*med"i*tate, v. i. To think,
consider, deliberate, or revolve in the mind, beforehand.
Pre*med"i*tate (?), a. [L.
praemeditatus, p. p.] Premeditated; deliberate.
[Archaic] Bp. Burnet.
Pre*med"i*tate*ly, adv. With
premeditation. Burke.
Pre*med`i*ta"tion (?), n. [L.
praemeditatio: cf. F. préméditation.]
The act of meditating or contriving beforehand; previous
deliberation; forethought.
Pre*mer"it (?), v. t. To merit or
deserve beforehand. [Obs.] Eikon Basi&?;&?;ke.
{ Pre"mi*al (?), Pre"mi*ant (?), }
a. [L. praemialis. See Premium.]
Serving to reward; rewarding. [R.] Baxter.
Prem"i*ces (?), n. pl. [F.
prémices, L. primitiae. See Primitia.]
First fruits. [Obs.] Dryden.
Pre"mi*er (?), a. [F. premier,
fr. L. primarius of the first rank, principal, fr.
primus the first. See Primary, Prime,
a.] 1. First; chief; principal;
as, the premier place; premier minister.
Camden. Swift.
2. Most ancient; -- said of the peer bearing
the oldest title of his degree.
Pre"mi*er (?), n. The first
minister of state; the prime minister.
Pre"mi*er*ship, n. The office of
the premier.
Pre`mil*len"ni*al (?), a. Previous
to the millennium.
Pre"mi*ous (?), a. [L.
praemiosus, fr. praemium a premium.] Rich in
gifts. [R.] Clarke.
Prem"ise (?), n.; pl.
Premises (&?;). [Written also, less properly,
premiss.] [F. prémisse, fr. L. praemissus,
p. p. of praemittere to send before; prae before +
mittere to send. See Mission.] 1. A
proposition antecedently supposed or proved; something previously
stated or assumed as the basis of further argument; a condition; a
supposition.
The premises observed,
Thy will by my performance shall be served.
Shak.
2. (Logic) Either of the first two
propositions of a syllogism, from which the conclusion is
drawn.
"All sinners deserve punishment: A B is a sinner."
These propositions, which are the premises, being true or
admitted, the conclusion follows, that A B deserves punishment.
While the premises stand firm, it is impossible
to shake the conclusion.
Dr. H. More.
3. pl. (Law) Matters previously
stated or set forth; esp., that part in the beginning of a deed, the
office of which is to express the grantor and grantee, and the land or
thing granted or conveyed, and all that precedes the habendum;
the thing demised or granted.
4. pl. A piece of real estate; a
building and its adjuncts; as, to lease premises; to trespass
on another's premises.
Pre*mise" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Premised (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Premising.] [From L. praemissus, p. p., or E.
premise, n. See Premise, n.]
1. To send before the time, or beforehand; hence,
to cause to be before something else; to employ previously.
[Obs.]
The premised flames of the last
day.
Shak.
If venesection and a cathartic be
premised.
E. Darwin.
2. To set forth beforehand, or as introductory
to the main subject; to offer previously, as something to explain or
aid in understanding what follows; especially, to lay down premises or
first propositions, on which rest the subsequent reasonings.
I premise these particulars that the reader may
know that I enter upon it as a very ungrateful task.
Addison.
Pre*mise" (?), v. i. To make a
premise; to set forth something as a premise. Swift.
Prem"iss (?), n. Premise.
Whately. I. Watts
Pre*mit" (?), v. t. To
premise. [Obs.] Donne.
Pre"mi*um (?), n.; pl.
Premiums (#). [L. praemium, originally, what
one has got before or better than others; prae before +
emere to take, buy. See Redeem.] 1.
A reward or recompense; a prize to be won by being before
another, or others, in a competition; reward or prize to be adjudged;
a bounty; as, a premium for good behavior or scholarship, for
discoveries, etc.
To think it not the necessity, but the premium
and privilege of life, to eat and sleep without any regard to
glory.
Burke.
The law that obliges parishes to support the poor
offers a premium for the encouragement of
idleness.
Franklin.
2. Something offered or given for the loan of
money; bonus; -- sometimes synonymous with interest, but
generally signifying a sum in addition to the capital.
People were tempted to lend, by great premiums
and large interest.
Swift.
3. A sum of money paid to underwriters for
insurance, or for undertaking to indemnify for losses of any
kind.
4. A sum in advance of, or in addition to, the
nominal or par value of anything; as, gold was at a premium; he
sold his stock at a premium.
Pre*mo"lar (?), a. (Anat.)
Situated in front of the molar teeth. --
n. An anterior molar tooth which has replaced a
deciduous molar. See Tooth.
Pre*mon"ish (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Premonished (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Premonishing.] [Pref. pre- + monish:
cf. L. praemonere.] To forewarn; to admonish
beforehand. [R.] Herrick.
To teach, and to premonish.
Bk.
of Com. Prayer.
Pre*mon"ish*ment (?), n. Previous
warning or admonition; forewarning. Sir H. Wotton.
Pre`mo*ni"tion (?), n. [L.
praemonitio. See Premonish.] Previous warning,
notice, or information; forewarning; as, a premonition of
danger.
Pre*mon"i*tor (?), n. [L.
praemonitor.] One who, or that which, gives
premonition.
Pre*mon"i*to*ry (?), a. [L.
praemonitorius.] Giving previous warning or notice; as,
premonitory symptoms of disease. --
Pre*mon"i*to*ri*ly (#), adv.
Pre*mon"strant (?), n. A
Premonstratensian.
Pre*mon"strate (?), v. t. [L.
praemonstratus, p. p. of praemonstrare; prae
before + monstrate to show.] To show beforehand; to
foreshow. [R.] Herbert.
Pre*mon`stra*ten"sian (?), n. [F.
prémontré, fr. Prémontré,
fr. L. pratum monstratum.] (R. C. Ch.) One of a
religious order of regular canons founded by St. Norbert at
Prémontré, in France, in 1119. The members of the order
are called also White Canons, Norbertines, and
Premonstrants.
Pre`mon*stra"tion (?), n. [L.
praemonstratio.] A showing beforehand;
foreshowing.
Pre*mon"stra*tor (?), n. [L.
praemonstrator.] One who, or that which,
premonstrates. [R.]
Pre*morse" (?), a. [L.
praemorsus, p. p. of praemordere to bite off;
prae before + mordere to bite.] Terminated
abruptly, or as it bitten off.
Premorse root or leaves
(Bot.), such as have an abrupt, ragged, and irregular
termination, as if bitten off short.
Pre`mo*sa"ic (?), a. Relating to
the time before Moses; as, premosaic history.
Pre*mo"tion (?), n. [Pref. pre- +
motion.] Previous motion or excitement to
action.
Prem`u*ni"re (?), n. (Law)
See Præmunire.
Prem`u*nite" (?), v. t. [L.
praemunitus, p. p. of praemunire to fortify in front;
prae before + munire to fortify.] To fortify
beforehand; to guard against objection. [Obs.]
Fotherby.
Pre`mu*ni"tion (?), n. [L.
praemunitio: cf. F. prémunition.] The act of
fortifying or guarding against objections. [Obs.]
Pre*mu"ni*to*ry (?), a. Of or
pertaining to a premunire; as, a premunitory process.
Pre*na"sal (?), a. (Anat.)
Situated in front of the nose, or in front of the nasal
chambers.
Pre*na"tal (?), a. Being or
happening before birth.
Pren"der (?), n. [F. prendre to
take, fr. L. prehendere to take.] (Law) The power
or right of taking a thing before it is offered.
Burrill.
Pre*no"men (?), n. See
Prænomen.
Pre*nom"i*nal (?), a. Serving as a
prefix in a compound name. Sir T. Browne.
Pre*nom"i*nate (?), a. [L.
praenominatus, p. p. of praenominare to give the
prenomen to, to prenominate, fr. praenomen prenomen.]
Forenamed; named beforehand. [R.] "Prenominate
crimes." Shak.
Pre*nom"i*nate (?), v. t. To
forename; to name beforehand; to tell by name beforehand.
Shak.
Pre*nom`i*na*tion (?), n. The act
of prenominating; privilege of being named first. Sir T.
Browne.
Pre*nos"tic (?), n. [L.
praenoscere to foreknow; prae before + noscere,
notum, to know.] A prognostic; an omen. [Obs.]
Gower.
Pre*note" (?), v. t. [L.
praenotare; prae before + notare to note.]
To note or designate beforehand. Foxe.
Pre*no"tion (?), n. [L.
praenotio: cf. F. prénotion. See
Prenostic.] A notice or notion which precedes something
else in time; previous notion or thought; foreknowledge.
Bacon.
Pren*sa"tion (?), n. [L.
prensatio, from prensare, prehensare, v. freq.
from prehendere to seize.] The act of seizing with
violence. [Obs.] Barrow .
Pren"tice (?), n. [Aphetic form of
apprentice.] An apprentice. [Obs. or Colloq.]
Piers Plowman. "My accuser is my prentice."
Shak.
Pren"tice*hood (&?;), n.
Apprenticehood. [Obs.]
This jolly prentice with his master bode
Till he was out nigh of his prenticehood.
Chaucer.
Pren"tice*ship, n.
Apprenticeship. [Obs. or Colloq.]
He served a prenticeship who sets up
shop.
Pope.
Pre*nun`ci*a"tion (?), n. [L.
praenunciatio, fr. praenunciare to announce beforehand.
See Pre-, and Announce.] The act of announcing or
proclaiming beforehand. [Obs.]
Pre*nun"cious (?), a. [L.
praenuncius.] Announcing beforehand; presaging.
[Obs.] Blount.
||Pre*ob`lon*ga"ta (?), n. [NL. See
Pre-, and Oblongata.] (Anat.) The anterior
part of the medulla oblongata. B. G. Wilder.
Pre`ob*tain" (?), v. t. To obtain
beforehand.
Pre*oc"cu*pan*cy (?), n. [See
Preoccupate.] The act or right of taking possession before
another; as, the preoccupancy of wild land.
Pre*oc"cu*pate (?), v. t. [L.
praeoccupatus, p. p. of praeoccupare to preoccupy. See
Preoccupy.]
1. To anticipate; to take before. [Obs.]
"Fear preoccupateth it [death]." Bacon.
2. To prepossess; to prejudice. [Obs.]
Sir H. Wotton.
Pre*oc`cu*pa"tion (?), n. [L.
praeoccupatio: cf. F. préoccupation.]
1. The act of preoccupying, or taking possession
of beforehand; the state of being preoccupied;
prepossession.
2. Anticipation of objections. [R.]
South.
Pre*oc"cu*py (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Preoccupied (-pīd); p. pr. & vb.
n. Preoccupying (?).] [Cf. F.
préoccuper. See Preoccupate, Occupy.]
1. To take possession of before another; as, to
preoccupy a country not before held.
2. To prepossess; to engage, occupy, or
engross the attention of, beforehand; hence, to prejudice.
I Think it more respectful to the reader to leave
something to reflections than to preoccupy his
judgment.
Arbuthnot.
Pre*oc"u*lar (?), a. (Zoöl.)
Placed just in front of the eyes, as the antennæ of certain
insects. -- n. One of the scales just in
front of the eye of a reptile or fish.
Pre*om"i*nate (?), v. t. To ominate
beforehand; to portend. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.
Pre`o*per"cu*lar (?), a. (Anat.)
Situated in front of the operculum; pertaining to the
preoperculum. -- n. The
preoperculum.
||Pre`o*per"cu*lum (?), n. [NL.]
(Anat.) The anterior opercular bone in fishes.
Pre`o*pin"ion (?), n. Opinion
previously formed; prepossession; prejudice. Sir T.
Browne.
Pre*op"tion (?), n. Right of first
choice.
Pre*o"ral (?), a. (Anat.)
Situated in front of, or anterior to, the mouth; as,
preoral bands.
Pre*or"bit*al (?), a. (Anat.)
Situated in front or the orbit.
Pre`or*dain" (?), v. t. [Pref. pre +
ordain: cf. L. praeordinare.] To ordain or appoint
beforehand: to predetermine: to foreordain. Milton.
Pre*or"der (?), v. t. To order to
arrange beforehand; to foreordain. Sir W. Hamilton.
Pre*or"di*nance (?), n. Antecedent
decree or determination. Shak.
Pre*or"di*nate (?), a. [L.
praeordinatus, p. p. See Preordain.]
Preordained. [R.] Sir T. Elyot.
Pre*or`di*na"tion (?), n. [Cf. F.
préordination.] The act of foreordaining: previous
determination. "The preordination of God."
Bale.
Pre*par"a*ble (?), a. Capable of
being prepared. "Medicine preparable by art."
Boyle.
Prep`a*ra"tion (?), n. [F.
préparation, L. praeparatio. See
Prepare.]
1. The act of preparing or fitting beforehand
for a particular purpose, use, service, or condition; previous
arrangement or adaptation; a making ready; as, the preparation
of land for a crop of wheat; the preparation of troops for a
campaign.
2. The state of being prepared or made ready;
preparedness; readiness; fitness; as, a nation in good
preparation for war.
3. That which makes ready, prepares the way,
or introduces; a preparatory act or measure.
I will show what preparations there were in
nature for this dissolution.
T. Burnet.
4. That which is prepared, made, or compounded
by a certain process or for a particular purpose; a combination.
Specifically: (a) Any medicinal substance fitted for
use. (b) Anything treated for preservation or
examination as a specimen. (c) Something prepared for
use in cookery.
I wish the chemists had been more sparing who magnify
their preparations.
Sir T. Browne.
In the preparations of cookery, the most
volatile parts of vegetables are destroyed.
Arbuthnot.
5. An army or fleet. [Obs.]
Shak.
6. (Mus.) The holding over of a note
from one chord into the next chord, where it forms a temporary
discord, until resolved in the chord that follows; the anticipation of
a discordant note in the preceding concord, so that the ear is
prepared for the shock. See Suspension.
7. Accomplishment; qualification. [Obs.]
Shak.
Pre*par"a*tive (?), a. [Cf. F.
préparatif.] Tending to prepare or make ready;
having the power of preparing, qualifying, or fitting;
preparatory.
Laborious quest of knowledge preparative to this
work.
South.
Pre*par"a*tive, n.
1. That which has the power of preparing, or
previously fitting for a purpose; that which prepares. "A
preparative unto sermons." Hooker.
2. That which is done in the way of
preparation. "Necessary preparatives for our voyage."
Dryden.
Pre*par"a*tive*ly, adv. By way of
preparation.
Pre*par"a*tor (?), n. [L.
praeparator.] One who prepares beforehand, as subjects for
dissection, specimens for preservation in collections, etc.
Agassiz.
Pre*par"a*to*ry (?), a. [L.
praeparatorius: cf. F. préparatoire.]
Preparing the way for anything by previous measures of
adaptation; antecedent and adapted to what follows; introductory;
preparative; as, a preparatory school; a preparatory
condition.
Pre*pare" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Prepare&?; (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Preparing.] [F. préparer, L. praeparare;
prae before + parare to make ready. See
Pare.]
1. To fit, adapt, or qualify for a particular
purpose or condition; to make ready; to put into a state for use or
application; as, to prepare ground for seed; to prepare
a lesson.
Our souls, not yet prepared for upper
light.
Dryden.
2. To procure as suitable or necessary; to get
ready; to provide; as, to prepare ammunition and provisions for
troops; to prepare ships for defence; to prepare an
entertainment. Milton.
That they may prepare a city for
habitation.
Ps. cvii. 36
Syn. -- To fit; adjust; adapt; qualify; equip; provide;
form; make; make; ready.
Pre*pare" (&?;), v. i.
1. To make all things ready; to put things in
order; as, to prepare for a hostile invasion. "Bid them
prepare for dinner." Shak.
2. To make one's self ready; to get ready; to
take the necessary previous measures; as, to prepare for
death.
Pre*pare", n. Preparation.
[Obs.] Shak.
Pre*pared" (?), a. Made fit or
suitable; adapted; ready; as, prepared food; prepared
questions. -- Pre*par"ed*ly (#), adv.
Shak. -- Pre*par"ed*ness, n.
Pre*par"er (?), n. One who, or that
which, prepares, fits, or makes ready. Wood.
Pre*pay" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Prepaid (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Prepaying.] To pay in advance, or beforehand; as, to
prepay postage.
Pre*pay"ment (?), n. Payment in
advance.
Pre*pe"ni*al (?), a. (Anat.)
Situated in front of, or anterior to, the penis.
Pre*pense" (?), v. t. [Pref. pre
+ F. penser to think. See Pansy.] To weigh or
consider beforehand; to premeditate. [Obs.] Spenser. Sir T.
Elyot.
Pre*pense", v. i. To deliberate
beforehand. [Obs.]
Pre*pense", a. [See Pansy, and
cf. Prepense, v. t.] Devised, contrived,
or planned beforehand; preconceived; premeditated; aforethought; --
usually placed after the word it qualifies; as, malice
prepense.
This has not arisen from any misrepresentation or error
prepense.
Southey.
Pre*pense"ly, adv. In a
premeditated manner.
{ Pre*pol"lence (?), Pre*pol"len*cy (?), }
n. [L. praepollentia.] The quality or
state of being prepollent; superiority of power; predominance;
prevalence. [R.] Coventry.
Pre*pol"lent (?), a. [L.
praepollens, p. p. of praepollere to surpass in power;
prae before + pollere to be powerful.] Having
superior influence or power; prevailing; predominant. [R.]
Boyle.
||Pre*pol"lent (?), n.; pl.
Prepollices (#). [NL. See Pre-,
Pollex.] (Anat.) An extra first digit, or rudiment
of a digit, on the preaxial side of the pollex.
Pre*pon"der (?) v. t. To
preponderate. [Obs.]
{ Pre*pon"der*ance (?), Pre*pon"der*an*cy (?), }
n. [Cf. F. prépondérance.]
1. The quality or state of being preponderant;
superiority or excess of weight, influence, or power, etc.; an
outweighing.
The mind should . . . reject or receive proportionably
to the preponderancy of the greater grounds of
probability.
Locke.
In a few weeks he had changed the relative position of
all the states in Europe, and had restored the equilibrium which the
preponderance of one power had destroyed.
Macaulay.
2. (Gun.) The excess of weight of that
part of a canon behind the trunnions over that in front of
them.
Pre*pon"der*ant (?), a. [L.
praeponderans, -antis: cf. F.
prépondérant. See Preponderate.]
Preponderating; outweighing; overbalancing; -- used literally and
figuratively; as, a preponderant weight; of preponderant
importance. -- Pre*pon"der*ant*ly,
adv.
Pre*pon"der*ate (?), v. t. [imp.
& p. p. Preponderated (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Preponderating.] [L. praeponderatus, p. p.
of praeponderare; prae before + ponderare to
weigh, fr., pondus, ponderis, a weight. See
Ponder.] 1. To outweigh; to overpower by
weight; to exceed in weight; to overbalance.
An inconsiderable weight, by distance from the center
of the balance, will preponderate greater
magnitudes.
Glanvill.
2. To overpower by stronger or moral
power.
3. To cause to prefer; to incline; to
decide. [Obs.]
The desire to spare Christian blood
preponderates him for peace.
Fuller.
Pre*pon"der*ate, v. i. To exceed in
weight; hence, to incline or descend, as the scale of a balance;
figuratively, to exceed in influence, power, etc.; hence; to incline
to one side; as, the affirmative side preponderated.
That is no just balance in which the heaviest side will
not preponderate.
Bp. Wilkins.
Pre*pon"der*a`ting*ly (?), adv. In
a preponderating manner; preponderantly.
Pre*pon`der*a"tion (?), n. [L.
praeponderatio.] The act or state of preponderating;
preponderance; as, a preponderation of reasons. I.
Watts.
Pre*pose" (?), v. t. [F.
préposer; pref. pré- (L. prae
before) + poser. See Pose.] To place or set before;
to prefix. [Obs.] Fuller.
Prep`o*si"tion (?), n. [L.
praepositio, fr. praeponere to place before; prae
before + ponere to put, place: cf. F.
préposition. See Position, and cf.
Provost.]
1. (Gram.) A word employed to connect a
noun or a pronoun, in an adjectival or adverbial sense, with some
other word; a particle used with a noun or pronoun (in English always
in the objective case) to make a phrase limiting some other word; --
so called because usually placed before the word with which it is
phrased; as, a bridge of iron; he comes from town; it is
good for food; he escaped by running.
2. A proposition; an exposition; a
discourse. [Obs.]
He made a long preposition and
oration.
Fabyan.
Prep`o*si"tion*al (?), a. [Cf. F.
prépositionnel.] Of or pertaining to a preposition;
of the nature of a preposition. Early. --
Prep`o*si"tion*al*ly, adv.
Pre*pos"i*tive (?), a. [L.
praepositivus: cf. F. prépositif.] (Gram.)
Put before; prefixed; as, a prepositive particle. --
n. A prepositive word. Tooke.
||Pre*pos"i*tor (?), n. [NL.] A
scholar appointed to inspect other scholars; a monitor.
Todd.
Pre*pos"i*ture (?), n. [L.
praepositura. See Preposition, and cf. Provost.]
The office or dignity of a provost; a provostship.
Lowth.
Pre`pos*sess" (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Prepossessed (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Prepossessing.]
1. To preoccupy, as ground or land; to take
previous possession of. Dryden.
2. To preoccupy, as the mind or heart, so as
to preclude other things; hence, to bias or prejudice; to give a
previous inclination to, for or against anything; esp., to induce a
favorable opinion beforehand, or at the outset.
It created him enemies, and prepossessed the
lord general.
Evelyn.
Pre`pos*sess"ing (?), a. Tending to
invite favor; attracting confidence, favor, esteem, or love;
attractive; as, a prepossessing manner. --
Pre`pos*sess"ing*ly, adv.
Pre`pos*ses"sion (?), n.
1. Preoccupation; prior possession.
Hammond.
2. Preoccupation of the mind by an opinion, or
impression, already formed; preconceived opinion; previous impression;
bias; -- generally, but not always, used in a favorable sense; as, the
prepossessions of childhood. "The prejudices and
prepossessions of the country." Sir W. Scott.
Syn. -- Bent; bias; inclination; preoccupancy; prejudgment.
See Bent.
Pre`*pos*sess"or (?), n. One who
possesses, or occupies, previously. R. Brady.
Pre*pos"ter*ous (?), a.[L.
praeposterus; prae before + posterus coming
after, latter. See Posterior.]
1. Having that first which ought to be last;
inverted in order. [Obs.]
The method I take may be censured as
preposterous, because I thus treat last of the antediluvian
earth, which was first in the order of nature.
Woodward.
2. Contrary to nature or reason; not adapted
to the end; utterly and glaringly foolish; unreasonably absurd;
perverted. "Most preposterous conclusions."
Shak.
Preposterous ass, that never read so
far!
Shak.
Syn. -- Absurd; perverted; wrong; irrational; foolish;
monstrous. See Absurd.
-- Pre*pos"ter*ous*ly, adv. -
Pre*pos"ter*ous*ness, n.
Pre*pos"tor (?), n. See
Prepositor.
Pre*po"ten*cy (?), n. [L.
praepotentia: cf. F. prépotence.]
1. The quality or condition of being
prepotent; predominance. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.
2. (Biol.) The capacity, on the part of
one of the parents, as compared with the other, to transmit more than
his or her own share of characteristics to their offspring.
Pre*po"tent (?), a. [L.
praepotens. See Pre-, and Potent.]
1. Very powerful; superior in force,
influence, or authority; predominant. Plaifere.
2. (Biol.) Characterized by
prepotency. Darwin.
Pre`pro*vide" (?), v. t. To provide
beforehand. "The materials preprovided."
Fuller.
Pre*pu"bic (?), a. (Anat.)
Situated in front of, or anterior to, the pubis; pertaining to
the prepubis.
||Pre*pu"bis (?), n. [NL. See Pre-
, and Pubis.] (Anat.)A bone or cartilage, of
some animals, situated in the middle line in front of the pubic
bones.
Pre"puce (?), n. [F.
prépuce, L. praeputium.] (Anat.) The
foreskin.
Pre*pu"tial (?), a. (Anat.)
Of or pertaining to the prepuce.
{ Pre*raph"a*el*ism (?), Pre*raph"a*el*i`tism
(?), } n. (Fine Arts) The doctrine or
practice of a school of modern painters who profess to be followers of
the painters before Raphael. Its adherents advocate careful study from
nature, delicacy and minuteness of workmanship, and an exalted and
delicate conception of the subject.
Pre*raph"a*el*ite (?), a. Of or
pertaining to the style called preraphaelitism; as, a
preraphaelite figure; a preraphaelite landscape.
Ruskin.
Pre*raph"a*el*ite, n. One who
favors or practices art as it was before Raphael; one who favors or
advocates preraphaelitism.
Pre*reg"nant (?), n. One who reigns
before another; a sovereign predecessor. [R.]
Warner.
Pre`re*mote (?), a. More remote in
previous time or prior order.
In some cases two more links of causation may be
introduced; one of them may be termed the preremote cause, the
other the postremote effect.
E. Darwin.
Pre`re*quire" (?), v. t. To require
beforehand.
Some things are prerequired of us.
Bp. Hall.
Pre*req"ui*site (?), a. Previously
required; necessary as a preliminary to any proposed effect or end;
as, prerequisite conditions of success.
Pre*req"ui*site, n. Something
previously required, or necessary to an end or effect
proposed.
The necessary prerequisites of
freedom.
Goldsmith.
Pre`re*solve" (?), v. t. & i.
[imp. & p. p. Preresolved (?); p. pr.
& vb. n. Preresolving.] To resolve beforehand;
to predetermine. Sir E. Dering.
Pre*rog"a*tive (?), n. [F.
prérogative, from L. praerogativa precedence in
voting, preference, privilege, fr. praerogativus that is asked
before others for his opinion, that votes before or first, fr.
praerogare to ask before another; prae before +
rogare to ask. See Rogation.]
1. An exclusive or peculiar privilege; prior
and indefeasible right; fundamental and essential possession; -- used
generally of an official and hereditary right which may be asserted
without question, and for the exercise of which there is no
responsibility or accountability as to the fact and the manner of its
exercise.
The two faculties that are the prerogative of
man -- the powers of abstraction and imagination.
I.
Taylor.
An unconstitutional exercise of his
prerogative.
Macaulay.
2. Precedence; preëminence; first
rank. [Obs.]
Then give me leave to have
prerogative.
Shak.
&fist; The term came into general use in the conflicts between the
Crown and Parliaments of Great Britain, especially in the time of the
Stuarts.
Prerogative Court (Eng. Law), a court
which formerly had authority in the matter of wills and
administrations, where the deceased left bona notabilia, or
effects of the value of five pounds, in two or more different
dioceses. Blackstone. -- Prerogative
office, the office in which wills proved in the
Prerogative Court were registered.
Syn. -- Privilege; right. See Privilege.
Pre*rog"a*tived (?), a. Endowed
with a prerogative, or exclusive privilege. [R.]
Shak.
Pre*rog"a*tive*ly (?), adv. By
prerogative.
Pre"sage (?), n. [F.
présage, L. praesagium, from praesagire.
See Presage, v. t. ]
1. Something which foreshows or portends a
future event; a prognostic; an omen; an augury. "Joy and shout -
- presage of victory." Milton.
2. Power to look the future, or the exercise
of that power; foreknowledge; presentiment.
If there be aught of presage in the
mind.
Milton.
Syn. -- Prognostic; omen; token; sign; presentiment.
Pre*sage" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Presaged (-sājd"); p. pr. & vb.
n. Presaging. ] [F. présager, L.
praesagire: prae before + sagire to perceive
acutely or sharply. See Sagacious.]
1. To have a presentiment of; to feel
beforehand; to foreknow.
2. To foretell; to predict; to foreshow; to
indicate.
My dreams presage some joyful news at
hand.
Shak.
Pre*sage", v. i. To form or utter a
prediction; -- sometimes used with of.
Dryden.
Pre*sage"ful (?), a. Full of
presages; ominous.
Dark in the glass of some presageful
mood.
Tennyson.
Pre*sage"ment (?), n.
1. The act or art of presaging; a
foreboding. [R.] Sir T. Browne.
2. That which is presaged, or foretold.
[R.] "Ominous presagement before his end. " Sir H.
Wotton.
Pre*sa"ger (?), n. One who, or that
which, presages; a foreteller; a foreboder. Shak.
Pre*sa"gious (?), a. Foreboding;
ominous. [Obs.]
Pres"by*ope (?), n. (Med.)
One who has presbyopia; a farsighted person.
||Pres`by*o"pi*a (?) [NL., from Gr. &?; old, n., an old
man + &?;, &?;, the eye.] (Med.) A defect of vision
consequent upon advancing age. It is due to rigidity of the
crystalline lens, which produces difficulty of accommodation and
recession of the near point of vision, so that objects very near the
eyes can not be seen distinctly without the use of convex glasses.
Called also presbytia.
Pres`by*op"ic (?), a. Affected by
presbyopia; also, remedying presbyopia; farsighted.
Pres"by*o`py (?), n. [Cf. F.
presbyopie.] See Presbyopia.
Pres"byte (?), n. [Gr. &?; an old man.]
Same as Presbyope.
Pres"by*ter (?), n. [L. an elder, fr.
Gr. &?;. See Priest.]
1. An elder in the early Christian church. See
2d Citation under Bishop, n., 1.
2. (Ch. of Eng. & Prot. Epis. Ch.) One
ordained to the second order in the ministry; -- called also
priest.
I rather term the one sort presbyter than
priest.
Hooker.
New presbyter is but old priest writ
large.
Milton.
3. (Presbyterian Ch.) A member of a
presbytery whether lay or clerical.
4. A Presbyterian. [Obs.]
Hudibras.
Pres*byt"er*al (?), a. Of or
pertaining to a presbyter or presbytery; presbyterial.
Pres*byt"er*ate (?), n. [L.
presbyteratus: cf. F. presbytérat.] A
presbytery; also, presbytership. Heber.
Pres"by*ter*ess, n. A female
presbyter. Bale.
Pres`by*te"ri*al (?), a. [Cf. F.
presbytéral.] Presbyterian.
"Presbyterial government." Milton.
Pres`by*te"ri*an (?), a. [Cf. F.
presbytérien.] Of or pertaining to a presbyter, or
to ecclesiastical government by presbyters; relating to those who
uphold church government by presbyters; also, to the doctrine,
discipline, and worship of a communion so governed.
Pres`by*te"ri*an, n. [Cf. F.
presbytérien.] One who maintains the validity of
ordination and government by presbyters; a member of the Presbyterian
church.
Reformed Presbyterians. See
Cameronian.
Pres`by*te"ri*an*ism (?), n. [Cf. F.
presbytérianisme.] That form of church government
which invests presbyters with all spiritual power, and admits no
prelates over them; also, the faith and polity of the Presbyterian
churches, taken collectively.
||Pres`by*te"ri*um (?), n. [L.]
(Arch.) Same as Presbytery, 4.
Pres"by*ter*ship (?), n. The office
or station of a presbyter; presbyterate.
Pres"by*ter*y (?), n.; pl.
Presbyteries (#). [L. presbyterium, Gr. &?;.
See Presbyter, and cf. Presbyterium.]
1. A body of elders in the early Christian
church.
2. (Presbyterian Ch.) A judicatory
consisting of all the ministers within a certain district, and one
layman, who is a ruling elder, from each parish or church,
commissioned to represent the church in conjunction with the pastor.
This body has a general jurisdiction over the churches under its care,
and next below the provincial synod in authority.
3. The Presbyterian religion of polity.
[R.] Tatler.
4. (a) (Arch.) That
part of the church reserved for the officiating priest.
(b) The residence of a priest or clergyman.
Gwilt.
||Pres*byt"i*a (?), n. [NL. See
Presbyte.] (Med.) Presbyopia.
Pres*byt"ic (?), a. (Med.)
Same as Presbyopic.
Pres"byt*ism (?), n.
Presbyopia.
||Pre*scap"u*la (?), n. [NL.]
(Anat.) The part of the scapula in front of, or above, the
spine, or mesoscapula.
Pre*scap"u*lar (?), a. (Anat.)
Of or pertaining to the prescapula; supraspinous.
Pre"sci*ence (prē"sh&ibreve;*ens or -
shens; 277), n. [F. prescience, L.
praescientia. See Prescient.] Knowledge of events
before they take place; foresight.
God's certain prescience of the volitions of
moral agents.
J. Edwards.
Pre"sci*ent (prē"sh&ibreve;*ent or -
shent), a. [L. praesciens, -
entis, p. pr. of praescire to foreknow; prae before
+ scire to know: cf. F. prescient. See Science.]
Having knowledge of coming events; foreseeing; conscious
beforehand. Pope.
Henry . . . had shown himself sensible, and almost
prescient, of this event.
Bacon.
Pre"sci*ent*ly, adv. With
prescience or foresight.
Pre*scind" (pr&esl;*s&ibreve;nd"), v. t.
[L. praescindere to cut off in front; prae before +
scindere to cut asunder: cf. F. prescinder.]
1. To cut off; to abstract. [Obs.]
Norris.
2. (Metaph.) To consider by a separate
act of attention or analysis. Sir W. Hamilton.
Pre*scind"ent (?), a. [L.
praescius; prae before + scius knowing, fr.
scire to know.] Cutting off; abstracting. [R.]
Cheyne.
Pre"scious (prē"shŭs), a.
[L. praescius; prae before + scius knowing, fr.
scire to know.] Foreknowing; having foreknowledge; as,
prescious of ills. [R.] Dryden.
Pre*scribe" (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Prescribed (?); p. pr & vb.
n. Prescribing.] [L. praescribere,
praescriptum; prae before + scriebe to write. See
Scribe.]
1. To lay down authoritatively as a guide,
direction, or rule of action; to impose as a peremptory order; to
dictate; to appoint; to direct.
Prescribe not us our duties.
Shak.
Let streams prescribe their fountains where to
run.
Dryden.
2. (Med.) To direct, as a remedy to be
used by a patient; as, the doctor prescribed quinine.
Syn. -- To appoint; order; command; dictate; ordain;
institute; establish.
Pre*scribe", v. i. 1.
To give directions; to dictate.
A forwardness to prescribe to their
opinions.
Locke.
2. To influence by long use [Obs.]
Sir T. Browne.
3. (Med.) To write or to give medical
directions; to indicate remedies; as, to prescribe for a
patient in a fever.
4. (Law) To claim by prescription; to
claim a title to a thing on the ground of immemorial use and
enjoyment, that is, by a custom having the force of law.
Pre*scrib"er (?), n. One who
prescribes.
Pre"script (?), a. [L.
praescriptus, p. p. of praescribere: cf. F.
prescrit. See Prescribe.] Directed;
prescribed. " A prescript from of words." Jer.
Taylor.
Pre"script, n. [L. praescriptum:
cf. OF. prescript.]
1. Direction; precept; model prescribed.
Milton.
2. A medical prescription. [Obs.]
Bp. Fell.
Pre*scrip`ti*bil"i*ty (?), n. The
quality or state of being prescriptible. Story.
Pre*scrip"ti*ble (pr&esl;*skr&ibreve;p"t&ibreve;*b'l),
a. [Cf. F. prescriptible.] Depending on,
or derived from, prescription; proper to be prescribed.
Grafton.
Pre*scrip"tion (-shŭn), n. [F.
prescription, L. praescriptio, an inscription, preface,
precept, demurrer, prescription (in sense 3), fr. praescribere.
See Prescribe.]
1. The act of prescribing, directing, or
dictating; direction; precept; also, that which is
prescribed.
2. (Med.) A direction of a remedy or of
remedies for a disease, and the manner of using them; a medical
recipe; also, a prescribed remedy.
3. (Law) A prescribing for title; the
claim of title to a thing by virtue of immemorial use and enjoyment;
the right or title acquired by possession had during the time and in
the manner fixed by law. Bacon.
That profound reverence for law and prescription
which has long been characteristic of Englishmen.
Macaulay.
&fist; Prescription differs from custom, which is a
local usage, while prescription is personal, annexed to the
person only. Prescription only extends to incorporeal rights,
such as aright of way, or of common. What the law gives of common
rights is not the subject of prescription.
Blackstone. Cruise. Kent. In Scotch law,
prescription is employed in the sense in which
limitation is used in England and America, namely, to express
that operation of the lapse of time by which obligations are
extinguished or title protected. Sir T. Craig.
Erskine.
Pre*scrip"tive (?), a. [L.
praescriptivus of a demurrer or legal exception.] (Law)
Consisting in, or acquired by, immemorial or long-continued use
and enjoyment; as, a prescriptive right of title; pleading the
continuance and authority of long custom.
The right to be drowsy in protracted toil has become
prescriptive.
J. M. Mason.
Pre*scrip"tive*ly, adv. By
prescription.
||Pre*scu"tum (?), n.; pl.
Prescuta (&?;). [NL. See Præ-, and
Scutum.] (Zoöl.) The first of the four pieces
composing the dorsal part, or tergum, of a thoracic segment of an
insect. It is usually small and inconspicuous.
Pre"se*ance (?), n. [F.
préséance. See Preside.] Priority of
place in sitting.[Obs.] Carew.
Pre`se*lect" (?), v. t. To select
beforehand.
Pres"ence (?), n. [F.
présence, L. praesentia. See Present.]
1. The state of being present, or of being within
sight or call, or at hand; -- opposed to absence.
2. The place in which one is present; the part
of space within one's ken, call, influence, etc.; neighborhood without
the intervention of anything that forbids intercourse.
Wrath shell be no more
Thenceforth, but in thy presence joy entire.
Milton.
3. Specifically, neighborhood to the person of
one of superior of exalted rank; also, presence chamber.
In such a presence here to plead my
thoughts.
Shak.
An't please your grace, the two great cardinals.
Wait in the presence.
Shak.
4. The whole of the personal qualities of an
individual; person; personality; especially, the person of a superior,
as a sovereign.
The Sovran Presence thus replied.
Milton.
5. An assembly, especially of person of rank
or nobility; noble company.
Odmar, of all this presence does contain,
Give her your wreath whom you esteem most fair.
Dryden.
6. Port, mien; air; personal appearence.
"Rather dignity of presence than beauty of aspect." Bacon.
A graceful presence bespeaks
acceptance.
Collier.
Presence chamber, or Presence
room, the room in which a great personage receives
company. Addison. " Chambers of presence."
Bacon. -- Presence of mind, that state of
the mind in which all its faculties are alert, prompt, and acting
harmoniously in obedience to the will, enabling one to reach, as it
were spontaneously or by intuition, just conclusions in sudden
emergencies.
Pre`sen*sa"tion (?), n. Previous
sensation, notion, or idea. [Obs.] Dr. H. More.
Pre*sen"sion (?), n. [L.
praesensio, fr. praesentire to perceive beforehand. See
Presentient.] Previous perception. [Obs.] Sir T.
Browne.
Pres"ent (?), a. [F.
présent, L. praesens,-entis, that is
before one, in sight or at hand, p. p. of praeesse to be
before; prae before + esse to be. See
Essence.]
1. Being at hand, within reach or call, within
certain contemplated limits; -- opposed to absent.
These things have I spoken unto you, being yet
present with you.
John xiv. 25.
2. Now existing, or in process; begun but not
ended; now in view, or under consideration; being at this time; not
past or future; as, the present session of Congress; the
present state of affairs; the present
instance.
I'll bring thee to the present
business
Shak.
3. Not delayed; immediate; instant;
coincident. "A present recompense." "A present
pardon." Shak.
An ambassador . . . desires a present
audience.
Massinger.
4. Ready; quick in emergency; as a
present wit. [R.]
5. Favorably attentive; propitious.
[Archaic]
To find a god so present to my
prayer.
Dryden.
Present tense (Gram.), the tense or
form of a verb which expresses action or being in the present time;
as, I am writing, I write, or I do
write.
Pres"ent, n. [Cf. F.
présent. See Present, a.]
1. Present time; the time being; time in progress
now, or at the moment contemplated; as, at this
present.
Past and present, wound in one.
Tennyson.
2. pl. (Law) Present letters or
instrument, as a deed of conveyance, a lease, letter of attorney, or
other writing; as in the phrase, " Know all men by these
presents," that is, by the writing itself, " per has literas
praesentes; " -- in this sense, rarely used in the
singular.
3. (Gram.) A present tense, or the form
of the verb denoting the present tense.
At present, at the present time; now. --
For the present, for the tine being;
temporarily. -- In present, at once,
without delay. [Obs.] "With them, in present, half his
kingdom; the rest to follow at his death." Milton.
Pre*sent" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Presented; p. pr. & vb. n.
Presenting.] [F. présenter, L.
praesentare, fr. praesens, a. See Present,
a.] 1. To bring or introduce
into the presence of some one, especially of a superior; to introduce
formally; to offer for acquaintance; as, to present an envoy to
the king; (with the reciprocal pronoun) to come into the presence of a
superior.
Now there was a day when the sons of God came to
present themselves before the lord.
Job i.
6
2. To exhibit or offer to view or notice; to
lay before one's perception or cognizance; to set forth; to
present a fine appearance.
Lectorides's memory is ever . . . presenting him
with the thoughts of other persons.
I. Watts.
3. To pass over, esp. in a ceremonious manner;
to give in charge or possession; to deliver; to make over.
So ladies in romance assist their knight,
Present the spear, and arm him for the fight.
Pope.
4. To make a gift of; to bestow; to give,
generally in a formal or ceremonious manner; to grant; to
confer.
My last, least offering, I present thee
now.
Cowper.
5. Hence: To endow; to bestow a gift upon; to
favor, as with a donation; also, to court by gifts.
Octavia presented the poet for him admirable
elegy on her son Marcellus.
Dryden.
6. To present; to personate. [Obs.]
Shak.
7. In specific uses; (a) To
nominate to an ecclesiastical benefice; to offer to the bishop or
ordinary as a candidate for institution.
The patron of a church may present his clerk to
a parsonage or vicarage; that is, may offer him to the bishop of the
diocese to be instituted.
Blackstone.
(b) To nominate for support at a public school
or other institution . Lamb. (c) To
lay before a public body, or an official, for consideration, as before
a legislature, a court of judicature, a corporation, etc.; as, to
present a memorial, petition, remonstrance, or
indictment. (d) To lay before a court as an
object of inquiry; to give notice officially of, as a crime of
offence; to find or represent judicially; as, a grand jury
present certain offenses or nuisances, or whatever they think
to be public injuries. (e) To bring an
indictment against . [U.S] (f) To aim,
point, or direct, as a weapon; as, to present a pistol or the
point of a sword to the breast of another.
Pesent arms (Mil.), the command in
response to which the gun is carried perpendicularly in front of the
center of the body, and held there with the left hand grasping it at
the lower band, and the right hand grasping the small of the stock, in
token of respect, as in saluting a superior officer; also, the
position taken at such a command.
Pre*sent", v. i. (Med.) To
appear at the mouth of the uterus so as to be perceptible to the
finger in vaginal examination; -- said of a part of an infant during
labor.
Pres"ent (?), n. [F.
présent .] Anything presented or given; a gift; a
donative; as, a Christmas present.
Syn. -- Gift; donation; donative; benefaction. See
Gift.
Pre*sent" (?), n. (Mil.) The
position of a soldier in presenting arms; as, to stand at
present.
Pre*sent"a*ble (?), a. [Cf. F.
présentable.] 1. Capable or
admitting of being presented; suitable to be exhibited, represented,
or offered; fit to be brought forward or set forth; hence, fitted to
be introduced to another, or to go into society; as, ideas that are
presentable in simple language; she is not presentable
in such a gown.
2. Admitting of the presentation of a
clergiman; as, a church presentable. [R.]
Ayliffe.
Pres`en*ta"ne*ous (?), a. [L.
praesentaneus. See Present, a.]
Ready; quick; immediate in effect; as, presentaneous
poison. [Obs.] Harvey.
Pres`en*ta"tion (?), n. [L.
praesentatio a showing, representation: cf. F.
présentation.] 1. The act of
presenting, or the state of being presented; a setting forth; an
offering; bestowal.
Prayers are sometimes a presentation of mere
desires.
Hooker.
2. Hence, exhibition; representation; display;
appearance; semblance; show.
Under the presentation of the shoots his
wit.
Shak.
3. That which is presented or given; a
present; a gift, as, the picture was a presentation.
[R.]
4. (Eccl.) The act of offering a
clergyman to the bishop or ordinary for institution in a benefice; the
right of presenting a clergyman.
If the bishop admits the patron's presentation,
the clerk so admitted is next to be instituted by him.
Blackstone.
5. (Med.) The particular position of
the child during labor relatively to the passage though which it is to
be brought forth; -- specifically designated by the part which first
appears at the mouth of the uterus; as, a breech
presentation.
Presentation copy, a copy of a book,
engraving, etc., presented to some one by the author or artist, as a
token of regard.
Pre*sent"a*tive (?), a.
1. (Eccl.) Having the right of
presentation, or offering a clergyman to the bishop for institution;
as, advowsons are presentative, collative, or donative.
Blackstone.
2. Admitting the presentation of a clergyman;
as, a presentative parsonage. Spelman.
3. (Metaph.) Capable of being directly
known by, or presented to, the mind; intuitive; directly
apprehensible, as objects; capable of apprehending, as
faculties.
The latter term, presentative faculty, I use . .
. in contrast and correlation to a "representative
faculty."
Sir W. Hamilton.
Pres`en*tee" (?), n. [F.
présenté, p. p. See Present, v.
t. ] One to whom something is presented; also, one who
is presented; specifically (Eccl.), one presented to
benefice. Ayliffe.
Pre*sent"er (?), n. One who
presents.
Pre*sen"tial (?), a. [LL.
praesentialis.] Implying actual presence; present,
immediate. [Obs.]
God's mercy is made presential to
us.
Jer. Taylor.
-- Pre*sen"tial*ly, adv. [Obs.]
Pre*sen`ti*al"i*ty (?), n. State of
being actually present. [Obs.] South.
Pre*sen"ti*ate (?), v. t. To make
present. [Obs.]
Pre*sen"tient (?), a. [L.
praesentiens, p. pr. of praesentire to perceive
beforehand; prae before + sentire to feel.] Feeling
or perceiving beforehand.
Pres`en*tif"ic (?), a. [L.
praesens, -entis, present + facere to make.]
Making present. [Obs.]
-- Pres`en*tif"ic*ly, adv. [Obs.]
Dr. H. More.
Pres`en*tif"ic*al (?), a.
Presentific. [Obs.]
Pre*sen"ti*ment (?), n. [Pref. pre-
+ sentiment: cf. F. pressentiment. See
Presentient.] Previous sentiment, conception, or opinion;
previous apprehension; especially, an antecedent impression or
conviction of something unpleasant, distressing, or calamitous, about
to happen; anticipation of evil; foreboding.
Pre*sen`ti*men"tal (?), a. Of
nature of a presentiment; foreboding. [R.]
Coleridge.
Pre*sen"tion (?), n. See
Presension. [Obs.]
Pre*sent"ive (?), a. (Philol.)
Bringing a conception or notion directly before the mind;
presenting an object to the memory of imagination; -- distinguished
from symbolic.
How greatly the word "will" is felt to have lost
presentive power in the last three centuries.
Earle.
-- Pre*sent"ive*ly, adv. --
Pre*sent"ive*ness, n.
Pres"ent*ly (?), adv. 1.
At present; at this time; now. [Obs.]
The towns and forts you presently
have.
Sir P. Sidney.
2. At once; without delay; forthwith; also,
less definitely, soon; shortly; before long; after a little while; by
and by. Shak.
And presently the fig tree withered
away.
Matt. xxi. 19.
3. With actual presence; actually .
[Obs.]
His precious body and blood presently
three.
Bp. Gardiner.
Pre*sent"ment (?), n. 1.
The act of presenting, or the state of being presented;
presentation. " Upon the heels of my presentment."
Shak.
2. Setting forth to view; delineation;
appearance; representation; exhibition.
Power to cheat the eye with blear illusion,
And give it false presentment.
Milton.
3. (Law) (a) The notice
taken by a grand jury of any offence from their own knowledge or
observation, without any bill of indictment laid before them, as, the
presentment of a nuisance, a libel, or the like; also, an
inquisition of office and indictment by a grand jury; an official
accusation presented to a tribunal by the grand jury in an indictment,
or the act of offering an indictment; also, the indictment
itself. (b) The official notice (formerly
required to be given in court) of the surrender of a copyhold
estate. Blackstone.
Presentment of a bill of exchange, the
offering of a bill to the drawee for acceptance, or to the acceptor
for payment. See Bill of exchange, under Bill.
Mozley & W.
Pres"ent*ness (?), n. The quality
or state of being present; presence. [Obs.] "Presentness
of mind in danger." Clarendon.
Pres`en*toir" (?), n. [Formed after
analogy of French.] An ornamental tray, dish, or the like, used
as a salver.
Pre*serv"a*ble (?), a. Capable of
being preserved; admitting of preservation.
Pres`er*va"tion (?), n. [Cf. F.
préservation.] The act or process of preserving, or
keeping safe; the state of being preserved, or kept from injury,
destruction, or decay; security; safety; as, preservation of
life, fruit, game, etc.; a picture in good
preservation.
Give us particulars of thy
preservation.
Shak.
Pre*serv"a*tive (?), a. [Cf. F.
préservatif.] Having the power or quality of
preserving; tending to preserve, or to keep from injury, decay,
etc.
Pre*serv"a*tive, n. That which
preserves, or has the power of preserving; a presevative
agent.
To wear tablets as preservatives against the
plague.
Bacon.
Pre*serv"a*to*ry (?), a.
Preservative. Bp. Hall.
Pre*serv"a*to*ry, n.; pl.
Preservatories (&?;). 1. A
preservative. [Obs.] Whitlock.
2. A room, or apparatus, in which perishable
things, as fruit, vegetables, etc., can be preserved without
decay.
Pre*serve" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Preserved (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Preserving.] [F. préserver, from L. prae
before + servare to save, preserve; cf. L. praeservare
to observe beforehand. See Serve.] 1. To
keep or save from injury or destruction; to guard or defend from evil,
harm, danger, etc.; to protect.
O Lord, thou preserved man and
beast.
Ps. xxxvi. 6.
Now, good angels preserve the king.
Shak.
2. To save from decay by the use of some
preservative substance, as sugar, salt, etc.; to season and prepare
for remaining in a good state, as fruits, meat, etc.; as, to
preserve peaches or grapes.
You can not preserve it from
tainting.
Shak.
3. To maintain throughout; to keep intact; as,
to preserve appearances; to preserve silence.
To preserve game, to protect it from
extermination.
Syn. -- To keep; save; secure; uphold; sustain; defend;
spare; protect; guard; shield. See Keep.
Pre*serve", v. i. 1.
To make preserves. Shak.
2. To protect game for purposes of
sport.
Pre*serve", n. 1.
That which is preserved; fruit, etc., seasoned and kept by
suitable preparation; esp., fruit cooked with sugar; -- commonly in
the plural.
2. A place in which game, fish, etc., are
preserved for purposes of sport, or for food.
Pre*serv"er (?), n. 1.
One who, or that which, preserves, saves, or defends, from
destruction, injury, or decay; esp., one who saves the life or
character of another. Shak.
2. One who makes preserves of fruit.
Game preserver. See under
Game.
Pre*show" (?), v. t. To
foreshow.
Pre*side" (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Presided; p. pr. & vb. n.
Presiding.] [L. praesidere; prae before +
sedere to sit: cf. F. présider. See Sit.]
1. To be set, or to sit, in the place of
authority; to occupy the place of president, chairman, moderator,
director, etc.; to direct, control, and regulate, as chief officer;
as, to preside at a public meeting; to preside over the
senate.
2. To exercise superintendence; to watch
over.
Some o'er the public magazines
preside.
Dryden.
Pres"i*dence (?), n. See
Presidency. [Obs.]
Pres"i*den*cy (?), n.; pl.
Presidencies (#). [Cf. F. présidence.]
1. The function or condition of one who presides;
superintendence; control and care.
2. The office of president; as, Washington was
elected to the presidency.
3. The term during which a president holds his
office; as, during the presidency of Madison.
4. One of the three great divisions of British
India, the Bengal, Madras, and Bombay Presidencies, each of which had
a council of which its governor was president.
Pres"i*dent (?), n.
Precedent. [Obs.] Bacon.
Pres"i*dent, a. Occupying the first
rank or chief place; having the highest authority; presiding.
[R.]
His angels president
In every province.
Milton.
Pres"i*dent, n. [F.
président, L. praesidens, -entis, p. pr.
of praesidere. See Preside.] 1. One
who is elected or appointed to preside; a presiding officer, as of a
legislative body. Specifically: (a) The
chief officer of a corporation, company, institution, society, or the
like. (b) The chief executive officer of
the government in certain republics; as, the president of the
United States.
2. A protector; a guardian; a presiding
genius. [Obs.]
Just Apollo, president of verse.
Waller.
Pres`i*den"tial (?), a.
1. Presiding or watching over.
"Presidential angels." Glanvill.
2. Of or pertaining to a president; as, the
presidential chair; a presidential election.
Pres"i*dent*ship (?), n. The office
and dignity of president; presidency. Hooker.
Pre*sid"er (?), n. One who
presides.
{ Pre*sid"i*al (?), Pre*sid"i*a*ry (?), }
a. [L. praesidialis and praesidiarius,
fr. praesidium a presiding over, defense, guard. See
Preside.] Of or pertaining to a garrison; having a
garrison.
There are three presidial castles in this
city.
Howell.
Pre*sid"i*a*ry, n. [L.
praesidiarium.] A guard. [Obs.] "Heavenly
presidiaries." Bp. Hall.
Pre*sid"ing (?), a. & n. from
Preside.
Presiding elder. See under 2d
Elder.
||Pre*si"di*o (?), n. [Sp.] A place
of defense; a fortress; a garrison; a fortress; a garrison or
guardhouse.
Pre*sig`ni*fi*ca"tion (?), n. [&?;.
praesignificatio. See Presignify.] The act of
signifying or showing beforehand.
Pre*sig"ni*fy (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Presignified (?); imp. & p.
p. Presignifying.] [L. praesignificare;
prae before + significare to signify.] To intimate
or signify beforehand; to presage.
Pre*sphe"noid (?), a. (Anat.)
Situated in front of the sphenoid bone; of or pertaining to the
anterior part of the sphenoid bone (i. e., the presphenoid
bone).
Presphenoid bone (Anat.), the anterior
part of the body of the sphenoid bone in front of the basisphenoid. It
is usually a separate bone in the young or fetus, but becomes a part
of the sphenoid in the adult.
Pre*sphe"noid, n. (Anat.)
The presphenoid bone.
Pre`sphe*noid"al (?), a. (Anat.)
Of or pertaining to the presphenoid bone; presphenoid.
Pre*spi"nal (?), a. (Anat.)
Prevertebral.
Press (?), n. (Zoöl.)
An East Indian insectivore (Tupaia ferruginea). It is
arboreal in its habits, and has a bushy tail. The fur is soft, and
varies from rusty red to maroon and to brownish black.
Press, v. t. [Corrupt. fr. prest
ready money advanced, a loan; hence, earnest money given soldiers on
entering service. See Prest, n.] To
force into service, particularly into naval service; to
impress.
To peaceful peasant to the wars is
pressed.
Dryden.
Press, n. [For prest, confused
with press.] A commission to force men into public
service, particularly into the navy.
I have misused the king's press.
Shak.
Press gang, or Pressgang, a
detachment of seamen under the command of an officer empowered to
force men into the naval service. See Impress gang, under
Impress. -- Press money, money paid
to a man enlisted into public service. See Prest money, under
Prest, a.
Press, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pressed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pressing.] [F. presser, fr. L. pressare to press,
fr. premere, pressum, to press. Cf. Print,
v.] 1. To urge, or act upon,
with force, as weight; to act upon by pushing or thrusting, in
distinction from pulling; to crowd or compel by a gradual and
continued exertion; to bear upon; to squeeze; to compress; as, we
press the ground with the feet when we walk; we press
the couch on which we repose; we press substances with the
hands, fingers, or arms; we are pressed in a crowd.
Good measure, pressed down, and shaken
together.
Luke vi. 38.
2. To squeeze, in order to extract the juice
or contents of; to squeeze out, or express, from something.
From sweet kernels pressed,
She tempers dulcet creams.
Milton.
And I took the grapes, and pressed them into
Pharaoh's cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand.
Gen. xl. 11.
3. To squeeze in or with suitable instruments
or apparatus, in order to compact, make dense, or smooth; as, to
press cotton bales, paper, etc.; to smooth by ironing; as, to
press clothes.
4. To embrace closely; to hug.
Leucothoe shook at these alarms,
And pressed Palemon closer in her arms.
Pope.
5. To oppress; to bear hard upon.
Press not a falling man too far.
Shak.
6. To straiten; to distress; as, to be
pressed with want or hunger.
7. To exercise very powerful or irresistible
influence upon or over; to constrain; to force; to compel.
Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to
the Jews that Jesus was Christ.
Acts xviii. 5.
8. To try to force (something upon some one);
to urge or inculcate with earnestness or importunity; to enforce; as,
to press divine truth on an audience.
He pressed a letter upon me within this
hour.
Dryden.
Be sure to press upon him every
motive.
Addison.
9. To drive with violence; to hurry; to urge
on; to ply hard; as, to press a horse in a race.
The posts . . . went cut, being hastened and
pressed on, by the king's commandment.
Esther
viii. 14.
&fist; Press differs from drive and strike in
usually denoting a slow or continued application of force; whereas
drive and strike denote a sudden impulse of force.
Pressed brick. See under
Brick.
Press, v. i. 1. To
exert pressure; to bear heavily; to push, crowd, or urge with steady
force.
2. To move on with urging and crowding; to
make one's way with violence or effort; to bear onward forcibly; to
crowd; to throng; to encroach.
They pressed upon him for to touch
him.
Mark iii. 10.
3. To urge with vehemence or importunity; to
exert a strong or compelling influence; as, an argument presses
upon the judgment.
Press, n. [F. presse. See 4th
Press.] 1. An apparatus or machine by
which any substance or body is pressed, squeezed, stamped, or shaped,
or by which an impression of a body is taken; sometimes, the place or
building containing a press or presses.
&fist; Presses are differently constructed for various purposes in
the arts, their specific uses being commonly designated; as, a cotton
press, a wine press, a cider press, a copying
press, etc. See Drill press.
2. Specifically, a printing press.
3. The art or business of printing and
publishing; hence, printed publications, taken collectively, more
especially newspapers or the persons employed in writing for them; as,
a free press is a blessing, a licentious press is a
curse.
4. An upright case or closet for the safe
keeping of articles; as, a clothes press.
Shak.
5. The act of pressing or thronging
forward.
In their throng and press to that last
hold.
Shak.
6. Urgent demands of business or affairs;
urgency; as, a press of engagements.
7. A multitude of individuals crowded
together; &?; crowd of single things; a throng.
They could not come nigh unto him for the
press.
Mark ii. 4.
Cylinder press, a printing press in which the
impression is produced by a revolving cylinder under which the form
passes; also, one in which the form of type or plates is curved around
a cylinder, instead of resting on a flat bed. --
Hydrostatic press. See under
Hydrostatic. -- Liberty of the press,
the free right of publishing books, pamphlets, or papers, without
previous restraint or censorship, subject only to punishment for
libelous, seditious, or morally pernicious matters. --
Press bed, a bed that may be folded, and
inclosed, in a press or closet. Boswell. -- Press
of sail, (Naut.), as much sail as the state of
the wind will permit.
Press"er (?), n. One who, or that
which, presses.
Presser bar, or Presser wheel
(Knitting machine), a bar or wheel which closes the barbs
of the needles to enable the loops of the yarn to pass over them.
-- Presser foot, the part of a sewing machine
which rests on the cloth and presses it down upon the table of the
machine.
Press"gang` (?), n. See Press
gang, under Press.
Press"ing, a. Urgent; exacting;
importunate; as, a pressing necessity. --
Press"ing*ly, adv.
Pres"sion (?), n. [L. pressio:
cf. F. pression. See 4th Press.] 1.
The act of pressing; pressure. Sir I. Newton.
2. (Cartesian Philos.) An endeavor to
move.
Pres`si*ros"ter (?), n. [L.
presssus pressed (p. p. of premere) + rostrum
beak: cf. F. pressirostre. See 4th Press.]
(Zoöl.) One of a tribe of wading birds
(Pressirostres) including those which have a compressed beak,
as the plovers.
Pres`si*ros"tral (?), a.
(Zoöl.) Of or pertaining to the
pressirosters.
Pres"si*tant (?), a. [See 4th
Press.] Gravitating; heavy. [Obs.] Dr. H.
More.
Pres"sive (?), a. Pressing; urgent;
also, oppressive; as, pressive taxation. [R.] Bp.
Hall.
Press"ly (?), adv. Closely;
concisely. [Obs.]
Press"man (?), n.; pl.
Pressmen (&?;). 1. One who
manages, or attends to, a press, esp. a printing press.
2. One who presses clothes; as, a tailor's
pressman.
Press"man, n. [See 2d Press.]
One of a press gang, who aids in forcing men into the naval
service; also, one forced into the service.
Press"or (?), a. (Physiol.)
Causing, or giving rise to, pressure or to an increase of
pressure; as, pressor nerve fibers, stimulation of which
excites the vasomotor center, thus causing a stronger contraction of
the arteries and consequently an increase of the arterial blood
pressure; -- opposed to depressor. Landois &
Stirling.
Press"pack` (?), v. t. To pack, or
prepare for packing, by means of a press.
Pres"sur*age (?), n. [F.]
1. Pressure.
2. The juice of the grape extracted by the
press; also, a fee paid for the use of a wine press.
Pres"sure (?; 138), n. [OF., fr. L.
pressura, fr. premere. See 4th Press.]
1. The act of pressing, or the condition of being
pressed; compression; a squeezing; a crushing; as, a pressure
of the hand.
2. A contrasting force or impulse of any kind;
as, the pressure of poverty; the pressure of taxes; the
pressure of motives on the mind; the pressure of
civilization.
Where the pressure of danger was not
felt.
Macaulay.
3. Affliction; distress; grievance.
My people's pressures are grievous.
Eikon Basilike.
In the midst of his great troubles and
pressures.
Atterbury.
4. Urgency; as, the pressure of
business.
5. Impression; stamp; character
impressed.
All saws of books, all forms, all pressures
past.
Shak.
6. (Mech.) The action of a force
against some obstacle or opposing force; a force in the nature of a
thrust, distributed over a surface, often estimated with reference to
the amount upon a unit's area.
Atmospheric pressure, Center of
pressure, etc. See under Atmospheric,
Center, etc. -- Back pressure (Steam
engine), pressure which resists the motion of the piston, as
the pressure of exhaust steam which does not find free outlet. --
Fluid pressure, pressure like that exerted by a
fluid. It is a thrust which is normal and equally intense in all
directions around a point. Rankine. -- Pressure
gauge, a gauge for indicating fluid pressure; a
manometer.
Press"work` (?), n. The art of
printing from the surface of type, plates, or engravings in relief, by
means of a press; the work so done. MacKellar.
Prest (pr&ebreve;st), imp. & p. p.
of Press.
Prest, a. [OF. prest, F.
prêt, fr. L. praestus ready. Cf. Presto.]
1. Ready; prompt; prepared. [Obs.]
All prest to such battle he was.
R. of Gloucester.
2. Neat; tidy; proper. [Obs.]
Tusser.
Prest money, money formerly paid to men when
they enlisted into the British service; -- so called because it bound
those that received it to be ready for service when called
upon.
Prest, n. [OF. prest, F.
prêt, fr. OF. prester to lend, F.
prêter, fr. L. praestare to stand before, to
become surety for, to fulfill, offer, supply; prae before +
stare to stand. See Pre-, and Stand, and cf.
Press to force into service.] 1. Ready
money; a loan of money. [Obs.]
Requiring of the city a prest of six thousand
marks.
Bacon.
2. (Law) A duty in money formerly paid
by the sheriff on his account in the exchequer, or for money left or
remaining in his hands. Cowell.
Prest, v. t. To give as a loan; to
lend. [Obs.]
Sums of money . . . prested out in
loan.
E. Hall.
Prest"a*ble (?), a. Payable.
[Scot.]
Pres*ta"tion (?), n. [L.
praestatio a performing, paying, fr. praestare: cf. F.
prestation.] (O. Eng. Law) A payment of money; a
toll or duty; also, the rendering of a service.
Burrill.
Prestation money, a sum of money paid yearly
by archdeacons and other dignitaries to their bishop.
Pres"ter (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?;, from
&?; to kindle or burn, and &?; to blow up, swell out by blowing.]
1. A meteor or exhalation formerly supposed to be
thrown from the clouds with such violence that by collision it is set
on fire. [Obs.]
2. pl. One of the veins of the neck
when swollen with anger or other excitement. [Obs.]
Pres"ter, n. [OF. prestre. See
Priest.] A priest or presbyter; as, Prester
John. [Obs.]
Pre*ster"num (?), n. [NL.]
(Anat.) The anterior segment of the sternum; the
manubrium. -- Pre*ster"nal (#),
a.
Pres`ti*dig"i*tal (?), a. Nimble-
fingered; having fingers fit for prestidigitation, or juggling.
[R.] "His prestidigital hand." Charles Reade.
Pres`ti*dig`i*ta"tion (?), n.
Legerdemain; sleight of hand; juggling.
Pres`ti*dig"i*ta`tor (?), n. [L.
praesto ready + digitus finger: cf. F.
prestidigitateur.] One skilled in legerdemain or sleight
of hand; a juggler.
Pres"tige (?; 277), n. [F., fr. L.
praestigum delusion, illusion, praestigae deceptions,
jugglers' tricks, prob. fr. prae before + the root of
stinguere to extinguish, originally, to prick. See
Stick, v.] 1. Delusion;
illusion; trick. [Obs.]
The sophisms of infidelity, and the prestiges of
imposture.
Bp. Warburton.
2. Weight or influence derived from past
success; expectation of future achievements founded on those already
accomplished; force or charm derived from acknowledged character or
reputation. "The prestige of his name must go for
something." Sir G. C. Lewis.
Pres*tig`i*a"tion (?), n. [L.
praestigiare to deceive by juggling tricks, fr.
praestigae. See Prestige.] Legerdemain;
prestidigitation. [Obs.]
Pres*tig"i*a`tor (?), n. [L.
praestigiator.] A juggler; prestidigitator. [Obs.]
Dr. H. More.
Pres*tig"i*a*to*ry (?), a.
Consisting of impostures; juggling. [Obs.]
Barrow.
Pres*tig"i*ous (?), a. [L.
praestigiosus.] Practicing tricks; juggling. [Obs.]
Cotton Mather.
Pres"ti*mo*ny (?), n. [LL.
praestimonium, fr. L. praestare to furnish, supply: cf.
F. prestimonie. See Prest, n.]
(Canon Law) A fund for the support of a priest, without
the title of a benefice. The patron in the collator.
||Pres*tis"si*mo (?), adv. [It., superl.
of presto.] (Mus.) Very quickly; with great
rapidity.
Pres"to (?), adv. [It. or Sp.
presto quick, quickly. See Prest, a.]
1. Quickly; immediately; in haste;
suddenly.
Presto! begone! 'tis here again.
Swift.
2. (Mus.) Quickly; rapidly; -- a
direction for a quick, lively movement or performance; quicker than
allegro, or any rate of time except prestissimo.
Pre*stric"tion (?), n. [L.
praestrictio a binding fast, fr. praestringere. See
Pre-, and Stringent.] Obstruction, dimness, or
defect of sight. [Obs.] Milton.
Pre*sul"tor (?), n. [L.
praesultor; prae before + salire to dance.]
A leader in the dance. [R.]
Pre*sum"a*ble (?), a. [Cf. F.
présumable.] Such as may be presumed or supposed to
be true; that seems entitled to belief without direct
evidence.
Pre*sum"a*bly, adv. In a presumable
manner; by, or according to, presumption.
Pre*sume" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Presumed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Presuming.] [F. présumer, L. praesumere,
praesumptum; prae before + sumere to take. See
Assume, Redeem.] 1. To assume or
take beforehand; esp., to do or undertake without leave or authority
previously obtained.
Dare he presume to scorn us in this
manner?
Shak.
Bold deed thou hast presumed, adventurous
Eve.
Milton.
2. To take or suppose to be true, or entitled
to belief, without examination or proof, or on the strength of
probability; to take for granted; to infer; to suppose.
Every man is to be presumed innocent till he is
proved to be guilty.
Blackstone.
What rests but that the mortal sentence pass, . . .
Which he presumes already vain and void,
Because not yet inflicted?
Milton.
Pre*sume", v. i. 1.
To suppose or assume something to be, or to be true, on grounds
deemed valid, though not amounting to proof; to believe by
anticipation; to infer; as, we may presume too far.
2. To venture, go, or act, by an assumption of
leave or authority not granted; to go beyond what is warranted by the
circumstances of the case; to venture beyond license; to take
liberties; -- often with on or upon before the ground of
confidence.
Do not presume too much upon my
love.
Shak.
This man presumes upon his parts.
Locke.
Pre*sum"ed*ly, adv. By
presumption.
Pre*sum"er (?), n. One who
presumes; also, an arrogant person. Sir H. Wotton.
Pre*sum"ing*ly, adv. Confidently;
arrogantly.
Pre*sump"tion (?; 215), n. [L.
praesumptio: cf. F. présomption, OF. also
presumpcion. See Presume.] 1. The
act of presuming, or believing upon probable evidence; the act of
assuming or taking for granted; belief upon incomplete
proof.
2. Ground for presuming; evidence probable,
but not conclusive; strong probability; reasonable supposition; as,
the presumption is that an event has taken place.
3. That which is presumed or assumed; that
which is supposed or believed to be real or true, on evidence that is
probable but not conclusive. "In contradiction to these very
plausible presumptions." De Quincey.
4. The act of venturing beyond due beyond due
bounds; an overstepping of the bounds of reverence, respect, or
courtesy; forward, overconfident, or arrogant opinion or conduct;
presumptuousness; arrogance; effrontery.
Thy son I killed for his
presumption.
Shak.
I had the presumption to dedicate to you a very
unfinished piece.
Dryden.
Conclusive presumption. See under
Conclusive. -- Presumption of fact
(Law), an argument of a fact from a fact; an inference as
to the existence of one fact not certainly known, from the existence
of some other fact known or proved, founded on a previous experience
of their connection; supposition of the truth or real existence of
something, without direct or positive proof of the fact, but grounded
on circumstantial or probable evidence which entitles it to
belief. Burrill. Best. Wharton. --
Presumption of law (Law), a postulate
applied in advance to all cases of a particular class; e. g.,
the presumption of innocence and of regularity of records. Such a
presumption is rebuttable or irrebuttable.
Pre*sump"tive (?), a. [Cf. F.
présomptif.] 1. Based on
presumption or probability; grounded on probable evidence; probable;
as, presumptive proof.
2. Presumptuous; arrogant. [R.] Sir
T. Browne.
Presumptive evidence (Law), that which
is derived from circumstances which necessarily or usually attend a
fact, as distinct from direct evidence or positive proof; indirect or
circumstantial evidence. "Presumptive evidence of felony should
be cautiously admitted." Blackstone. The distinction, however,
between direct and presumptive (or circumstantial) evidence is now
generally abandoned; all evidence being now more or less direct and
more or less presumptive. -- Presumptive heir.
See Heir presumptive, under Heir.
Pre*sump"tive*ly, adv. By
presumption, or supposition grounded or probability;
presumably.
Pre*sump"tu*ous (?; 135), a. [L.
praesumptuosus: cf. F. présomptueux, OF. also
presumptuous. See Presumption.] 1.
Full of presumption; presuming; overconfident or venturesome;
audacious; rash; taking liberties unduly; arrogant; insolent; as, a
presumptuous commander; presumptuous conduct.
A class of presumptuous men, whom age has not
made cautious, nor adversity wise.
Buckminster.
2. Founded on presumption; as, a
presumptuous idea. "False, presumptuous hope."
Milton.
3. Done with hold design, rash confidence, or
in violation of known duty; willful. "Keep back the servant also
from presumptuous sins." Ps. xix. 13.
Syn. -- Overconfident; foolhardy; rash; presuming; forward;
arrogant; insolent.
Pre*sump"tu*ous*ly, adv. In a
presumptuous manner; arrogantly.
Pre*sump"tu*ous*ness, n. The
quality or state of being presumptuous.
Pre`sup*pos"al (?), n.
Presupposition. [R.] "Presupposal of knowledge."
Hooker.
Pre`sup*pose" (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Presupposed (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Presupposing.] [Pref. pre- +
suppose: cf. F. présupposer.] To suppose
beforehand; to imply as antecedent; to take for granted; to assume;
as, creation presupposes a creator.
Each [kind of knowledge] presupposes many
necessary things learned in other sciences, and known
beforehand.
Hooker.
Pre*sup`po*si"tion (?), n. [Pref.
pre- + supposition: cf. F.
présupposition.] 1. The act of
presupposing; an antecedent implication; presumption.
2. That which is presupposed; a previous
supposition or surmise.
Pre`sur*mise" (?), n. A surmise
previously formed. Shak.
Pre`sys*tol"ic (?), a. (Physiol.)
Preceding the systole or contraction of the heart; as, the
presystolic friction sound.
Pre*tem"po*ral (?), a. (Anat.)
Situated in front of the temporal bone.
Pre*tence" (?), n.,
Pre*tence"ful, a.,
Pre*tence"*less, a. See
Pretense, Pretenseful, Pretenseless.
Pre*tend" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pretended; p. pr. & vb. n.
Pretending.] [OE. pretenden to lay claim to, F.
prétendre, L. praetendere, praetentum, to
stretch forward, pretend, simulate, assert; prae before +
tendere to stretch. See Tend, v. t. ]
1. To lay a claim to; to allege a title to; to
claim.
Chiefs shall be grudged the part which they
pretend.
Dryden.
2. To hold before, or put forward, as a cloak
or disguise for something else; to exhibit as a veil for something
hidden. [R.]
Lest that too heavenly form, pretended
To hellish falsehood, snare them.
Milton.
3. To hold out, or represent, falsely; to put
forward, or offer, as true or real (something untrue or unreal); to
show hypocritically, or for the purpose of deceiving; to simulate; to
feign; as, to pretend friendship.
This let him know,
Lest, willfully transgressing, he pretend
Surprisal.
Milton.
4. To intend; to design; to plot; to
attempt. [Obs.]
Such as shall pretend
Malicious practices against his state.
Shak.
5. To hold before one; to extend. [Obs.]
"His target always over her pretended." Spenser.
Pre*tend", v. i. 1.
To put in, or make, a claim, truly or falsely; to allege a title;
to lay claim to, or strive after, something; -- usually with
to. "Countries that pretend to freedom."
Swift.
For to what fine he would anon pretend,
That know I well.
Chaucer.
2. To hold out the appearance of being,
possessing, or performing; to profess; to make believe; to feign; to
sham; as, to pretend to be asleep. "[He]
pretended to drink the waters." Macaulay.
Pre*tend"ant (?), n. A pretender; a
claimant.
Pre*tend"ed, a. Making a false
appearance; unreal; false; as, pretended friend. --
Pre*tend"ed*ly, adv.
Pre*tend"ence (?), n. The act of
pretending; pretense. [Obs.] Daniel.
Pre*tend"er (?), n. 1.
One who lays claim, or asserts a title (to something); a
claimant. Specifically, The pretender (Eng.
Hist.), the son or the grandson of James II., the heir of the
royal family of Stuart, who laid claim to the throne of Great Britain,
from which the house was excluded by law.
It is the shallow, unimproved intellects that are the
confident pretenders to certainty.
Glanvill.
2. One who pretends, simulates, or
feigns.
Pre*tend"er*ship, n. The character,
right, or claim of a pretender. Swift.
Pre*tend"ing*ly, adv. As by right
or title; arrogantly; presumptuously. Collier.
{ Pre*tense", Pre*tence } (?),
n. [LL. praetensus, for L. praetentus,
p. p. of praetendere. See Pretend, and cf.
Tension.] 1. The act of laying claim; the
claim laid; assumption; pretension. Spenser.
Primogeniture can not have any pretense to a
right of solely inheriting property or power.
Locke.
I went to Lambeth with Sir R. Brown's pretense
to the wardenship of Merton College, Oxford.
Evelyn.
2. The act of holding out, or offering, to
others something false or feigned; presentation of what is deceptive
or hypocritical; deception by showing what is unreal and concealing
what is real; false show; simulation; as, pretense of illness;
under pretense of patriotism; on pretense of revenging
Cæsar's death.
3. That which is pretended; false, deceptive,
or hypocritical show, argument, or reason; pretext; feint.
Let not the Trojans, with a feigned pretense
Of proffered peace, delude the Latian prince.
Dryden.
4. Intention; design. [Obs.]
A very pretense and purpose of
unkindness.
Shak.
&fist; See the Note under Offense.
Syn. -- Mask; appearance; color; show; pretext; excuse. --
Pretense, Pretext. A pretense is something held
out as real when it is not so, thus falsifying the truth. A
pretext is something woven up in order to cover or conceal
one's true motives, feelings, or reasons. Pretext is often, but
not always, used in a bad sense.
Pre*tensed" (?), a. Pretended;
feigned. [Obs.] -- Pre*tens"ed*ly (#),
adv. [Obs.]
Pre*tense"ful (?), a. Abounding in
pretenses.
Pre*tense"less, a. Not having or
making pretenses.
Pre*ten"sion (?), n. [Cf. F.
prétention. See Pretend, Tension.]
1. The act of pretending, or laying claim; the
act of asserting right or title.
The arrogant pretensions of Glengarry
contributed to protract the discussion.
Macaulay.
2. A claim made, whether true or false; a
right alleged or assumed; a holding out the appearance of possessing a
certain character; as, pretensions to scholarship.
This was but an invention and pretension given
out by the Spaniards.
Bacon.
Men indulge those opinions and practices that favor
their pretensions.
L'Estrange.
Pre*ten"ta*tive (?), a. [Pref. pre-
+ tentative: cf. L. praetentare to try beforehand.]
Fitted for trial beforehand; experimental. [R.] Sir H.
Wotton.
Pre*ten"tious (?), a. [Cf. F.
prétentieux. See Pretend.] Full of
pretension; disposed to lay claim to more than is one's; presuming;
assuming. -- Pre*ten"tious*ly, adv. -
- Pre*ten"tious*ness, n.
Pre"ter- (?). [L. praeter past, beyond, originally
a compar. of prae before. See For, prep.] A
prefix signifying past, by, beyond, more
than; as, preter- mission, a permitting to go by;
preternatural, beyond or more than is natural. [Written
also præter.]
Pre`ter*hu"man (?), a. [Pref. preter-
+ human.] More than human.
Pre*te"ri*ent (?), a. [L.
praeteriens, p. pr. See Preterit.] Passed through;
antecedent; previous; as, preterient states. [R.]
Pre`ter*im*per"fect (?), a. & n. [Pref.
preter- + imperfect.] (Gram.) Old name of
the tense also called imperfect.
Pret"er*ist (?), n. [Pref. preter-
+ -ist.] 1. One whose chief interest
is in the past; one who regards the past with most pleasure or
favor.
2. (Theol.) One who believes the
prophecies of the Apocalypse to have been already fulfilled.
Farrar.
Pret"er*it (?; 277), a. [L.
praeteritus, p. p. of praeterire to go or pass by;
praeter beyond, by + ire to go: cf. F.
prétérit. See Issue.] [Written also
preterite and præterite.] 1.
(Gram.) Past; -- applied to a tense which expresses an
action or state as past.
2. Belonging wholly to the past; passed
by. [R.]
Things and persons as thoroughly preterite as
Romulus or Numa.
Lowell.
Pret"er*it, n. (Gram.) The
preterit; also, a word in the preterit tense.
Pret"er*ite (?), a. & n. Same as
Preterit.
Pret"er*ite*ness, n. Same as
Preteritness.
Pre`ter*i"tion (?; 277), n. [L.
praeteritio: cf. F. prétérition.]
1. The act of passing, or going past; the state
of being past. Bp. Hall.
2. (Rhet.) A figure by which, in
pretending to pass over anything, a summary mention of it is made; as,
"I will not say, he is valiant, he is learned, he is just." Called
also paraleipsis.
3. (Law) The omission by a testator of
some one of his heirs who is entitled to a portion.
Bouvier.
Pre*ter"i*tive (?), a. (Gram.)
Used only or chiefly in the preterit or past tenses, as certain
verbs.
Pret"er*it*ness (?), n. The quality
or state of being past. Bentley. Lowell.
Pre`ter*lapsed" (?), a. [L.
praeterlapsus, p. p. of praeterlabi to glide by. See
Preter-, Lapse.] Past; as, preterlapsed
ages. [R.] Glanvill.
Pre`ter*le"gal (?), a. [Pref. preter-
+ legal.] Exceeding the limits of law. [R.]
Pre`ter*mis"sion (?), n. [L.
praetermissio. See Pretermit.] 1.
The act of passing by or omitting; omission.
Milton.
2. (Rhet.) See
Preterition.
Pre`ter*mit" (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Pretermitted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Pretermitting.] [L. praetermittere,
praetermissum; praeter beyond + mittere to send.
See Mission.] To pass by; to omit; to disregard.
Bacon.
Pre`ter*nat"u*ral (?; 135), a. [Pref.
preter + natural.] Beyond of different from what is
natural, or according to the regular course of things, but not clearly
supernatural or miraculous; strange; inexplicable; extraordinary;
uncommon; irregular; abnormal; as, a preternatural appearance;
a preternatural stillness; a preternatural presentation
(in childbirth) or labor.
This vile and preternatural temper of
mind.
South.
Syn. -- See Supernatural.
Pre`ter*nat"u*ral*ism (?), n. The
state of being preternatural; a preternatural condition.
Pre`ter*nat`u*ral"i*ty (?), n.
Preternaturalness. [R.] Dr. John Smith.
Pre`ter*nat"u*ral*ly (?; 135), adv.
In a preternatural manner or degree. Bacon.
Pre`ter*nat"u*ral*ness, n. The
quality or state of being preternatural.
Pre`ter*per"fect (?), a. & n. [Pref.
preter- + perfect.] (Gram.) Old name of the
tense also called preterit.
Pre`ter*plu"per`fect (?), a. & n. [Pref.
preter- + pluperfect.] (Gram.) Old name of
the tense also called pluperfect.
Pre*ter"ti*a*ry (?), a. (Geol.)
Earlier than Tertiary.
Pre`ter*vec"tion (?), n. [L.
praetervectio, fr. praetervehere to carry beyond. See
Invection.] The act of carrying past or beyond. [R.]
Abp. Potter.
Pre*tex" (?), v. t. [L.
praetexere. See Pretext.] To frame; to devise; to
disguise or excuse; hence, to pretend; to declare falsely.
[Obs.]
Pre"text (?; 277), n. [F.
prétexte, L. praetextum, fr. praetextus,
p. p. of praetexere to weave before, allege as an excuse;
prae before + texere to weave. See Text.]
Ostensible reason or motive assigned or assumed as a color or
cover for the real reason or motive; pretense; disguise.
They suck the blood of those they depend on, under a
pretext of service and kindness.
L'Estrange.
With how much or how little pretext of
reason.
Dr. H. More.
Syn. -- Pretense; excuse; semblance; disguise; appearance.
See Pretense.
Pre*tex"ture (?; 135), n. A
pretext. [Obs.]
Pre*tib"i*al (?), a. (Anat.)
Situated in front of the tibia.
Pre"tor (?), n. [L. praetor, for
praeitor, fr. praeire to go before; prae before +
ire to go. See Issue.] 1. (Rom.
Antiq.) A civil officer or magistrate among the ancient
Romans.
&fist; Originally the pretor was a kind of third consul; but
at an early period two pretors were appointed, the first of whom
(praetor urbanus) was a kind of mayor or city judge; the other
(praetor peregrinus) was a judge of cases in which one or both
of the parties were foreigners. Still later, the number of pretors, or
judges, was further increased.
2. Hence, a mayor or magistrate. [R.]
Dryden.
Pre*to"ri*al (?), a.
Pretorian. Burke.
Pre*to"ri*an (?), a. [L.
praetorians: cf. F. prétorien.] Of or
pertaining to a pretor or magistrate; judicial; exercised by, or
belonging to, a pretor; as, pretorian power or
authority.
Pretorian bands or guards, or
Pretorians (Rom. Hist.), the emperor's
bodyguards, instituted by the Emperor Augustus in nine cohorts of
1,000 men each. -- Pretorian gate (Rom.
Antiq.), that one of the four gates in a camp which lay next
the enemy. Brande & C.
Pre*to"ri*an, n. A soldier of the
pretorian guard.
||Pre*to"ri*um (?), n. [L.
praetorium, fr. praetor.] 1. The
general's tent in a Roman camp; hence, a council of war, because held
in the general's tent.
2. The official residence of a governor of a
province; hence, a place; a splendid country seat.
Pre"tor*ship (?), n. The office or
dignity of a pretor. J. Warton
Pre*tor"ture (?; 135), v. t. To
torture beforehand. Fuller.
Pret"ti*ly (?), adv. In a pretty
manner.
Pret"ti*ness, n. The quality or
state of being pretty; -- used sometimes in a disparaging
sense.
A style . . . without sententious pretension or
antithetical prettiness.
Jeffrey.
Pret"ty (?), a.
[Compar. Prettier (?);
superl. Prettiest.] [OE. prati, AS.
prættig, prætig, crafty, sly, akin to
præt, prætt, deceit, trickery, Icel.
prettugr tricky, prettr a trick; probably fr. Latin,
perhaps through Celtic; cf. W. praith act, deed, practice, LL.
practica execution, practice, plot. See Practice.]
1. Pleasing by delicacy or grace; attracting, but
not striking or impressing; of a pleasing and attractive form a color;
having slight or diminutive beauty; neat or elegant without elevation
or grandeur; pleasingly, but not grandly, conceived or expressed; as,
a pretty face; a pretty flower; a pretty
poem.
This is the prettiest lowborn lass that ever
Ran on the greensward.
Shak.
2. Moderately large; considerable; as, he had
saved a pretty fortune. "Wavering a pretty while."
Evelyn.
3. Affectedly nice; foppish; -- used in an ill
sense.
The pretty gentleman is the most complaisant in
the world.
Spectator.
4. Mean; despicable; contemptible; -- used
ironically; as, a pretty trick; a pretty
fellow.
5. Stout; strong and brave; intrepid;
valiant. [Scot.]
[He] observed they were pretty men, meaning not
handsome.
Sir W. Scott.
Syn. -- Elegant; neat; fine. See Handsome.
Pret"ty (?), adv. In some degree;
moderately; considerably; rather; almost; -- less emphatic than
very; as, I am pretty sure of the fact; pretty
cold weather.
Pretty plainly professes himself a sincere
Christian.
Atterbury.
Pret"ty*ish, a. Somewhat
pretty. Walpole.
Pret"ty*ism (?), n. Affectation of
a pretty style, manner, etc. [R.] Ed. Rev.
Pret"ty-spo`ken (?), a. Spoken or
speaking prettily. [Colloq.]
Pre*typ"i*fy (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Pretypified (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Pretypifying.] To prefigure; to exhibit
previously in a type. Bp. Pearson.
Pret"zel (?), n. [G. pretzel,
bretzel. Cf. Bretzel.] A kind of German biscuit or
cake in the form of a twisted ring, salted on the outside.
Pre*vail" (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Prevailed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Prevailing.] [F. prévaloir, OF. prevaleir,
L. praevalere; prae before + valere to be strong,
able, or worth. See Valiant.] 1. To
overcome; to gain the victory or superiority; to gain the advantage;
to have the upper hand, or the mastery; to succeed; -- sometimes with
over or against.
When Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed,
and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.
Ex. xvii. 11.
So David prevailed over the
Philistine.
1 Sam. xvii. 50.
This kingdom could never prevail against the
united power of England.
Swift.
2. To be in force; to have effect, power, or
influence; to be predominant; to have currency or prevalence; to
obtain; as, the practice prevails this day.
This custom makes the short-sighted bigots, and the
warier skeptics, as far as it prevails.
Locke.
3. To persuade or induce; -- with on,
upon, or with; as, I prevailedon him to
wait.
He was prevailed with to restrain the
Earl.
Clarendon.
Prevail upon some judicious friend to be your
constant hearer, and allow him the utmost freedom.
Swift.
Pre*vail"ing, a. 1.
Having superior force or influence; efficacious;
persuasive. Shak.
Saints shall assist thee with prevailing
prayers.
Rowe.
2. Predominant; prevalent; most general; as,
the prevailing disease of a climate; a prevailing
opinion.
Syn. See Prevalent.
Pre*vail"ing*ly, adv. So as to
prevail.
Pre*vail"ment (?), n. Prevalence;
superior influence; efficacy. [Obs.] Shak.
Prev"a*lence (?), n. [L.
praevalentia: cf. F. prévalence. See
Prevail.] The quality or condition of being prevalent;
superior strength, force, or influence; general existence, reception,
or practice; wide extension; as, the prevalence of virtue, of a
fashion, or of a disease; the prevalence of a rumor.
The duke better knew what kind of argument were of
prevalence with him.
Clarendon.
Prev"a*len*cy (?), n. See
Prevalence.
Prev"a*lent (?), a. [L.
praevalens, -entis, p. pr. of praevalere. See
Prevail.] 1. Gaining advantage or
superiority; having superior force, influence, or efficacy;
prevailing; predominant; successful; victorious.
Brennus told the Roman embassadors, that
prevalent arms were as good as any title.
Sir
W. Raleigh.
2. Most generally received or current; most
widely adopted or practiced; also, generally or extensively existing;
widespread; prevailing; as, a prevalent observance;
prevalent disease.
This was the most received and prevalent
opinion.
Woodward.
Syn. -- Prevailing; predominant; successful; efficacious;
powerful. -- Prevalent, Prevailing. What customarily
prevails is prevalent; as, a prevalent fashion. What
actually prevails is prevailing; as, the prevailing
winds are west. Hence, prevailing is the livelier and more
pointed word, since it represents a thing in action. It is sometimes
the stronger word, since a thing may prevail sufficiently to be called
prevalent, and yet require greater strength to make it actually
prevailing.
Prev"a*lent"ly, adv. In a prevalent
manner. Prior.
Pre*var"i*cate (?), v. i. [imp.
& p. p. Prevaricated (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Prevaricating.] [L. praevaricatus, p. p. of
praevaricari to walk crookedly, to collude; prae before
+ varicare to straddle, fr. varicus straddling,
varus bent. See Varicose.] 1. To
shift or turn from one side to the other, from the direct course, or
from truth; to speak with equivocation; to shuffle; to quibble; as, he
prevaricates in his statement.
He prevaricates with his own
understanding.
South.
2. (Civil Law) To collude, as where an
informer colludes with the defendant, and makes a sham
prosecution.
3. (Eng. Law) To undertake a thing
falsely and deceitfully, with the purpose of defeating or destroying
it.
Syn. -- To evade; equivocate; quibble; shuffle. --
Prevaricate, Evade, Equivocate. One who
evades a question ostensibly answers it, but really turns aside
to some other point. He who equivocate uses words which have a
double meaning, so that in one sense he can claim to have said the
truth, though he does in fact deceive, and intends to do it. He who
prevaricates talks all round the question, hoping to "dodge"
it, and disclose nothing.
Pre*var"i*cate, v. t. To evade by a
quibble; to transgress; to pervert. [Obs.] Jer.
Taylor.
Pre*var`i*ca"tion (?), n. [L.
praevaricatio: cf. F. prévarication.]
1. The act of prevaricating, shuffling, or
quibbling, to evade the truth or the disclosure of truth; a deviation
from the truth and fair dealing.
The august tribunal of the skies, where no
prevarication shall avail.
Cowper.
2. A secret abuse in the exercise of a public
office.
3. (Law) (a) (Roman
Law) The collusion of an informer with the defendant, for the
purpose of making a sham prosecution. (b)
(Common Law) A false or deceitful seeming to undertake a
thing for the purpose of defeating or destroying it.
Cowell.
Pre*var"i*ca`tor (?), n. [L.
praevaricator: cf. F. prévaricateur.]
1. One who prevaricates.
2. (Roman Law) A sham dealer; one who
colludes with a defendant in a sham prosecution.
3. One who betrays or abuses a trust.
Prynne.
Preve (?), v. i. & i. To
prove. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Preve, n. Proof. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Prev"e*nance (?), n. [F.
prévenance.] (Metaph.) A going before;
anticipation in sequence or order. "The law of prevenance
is simply the well-known law of phenomenal sequence."
Ward.
Prev"e*nan*cy (?), n. The act of
anticipating another's wishes, desires, etc., in the way of favor or
courtesy; hence, civility; obligingness. [Obs.]
Sterne.
Pre*vene" (?), v. t. & i. [F.
prévenir, L. praevenire. See Prevent.]
To come before; to anticipate; hence, to hinder; to
prevent. [Obs.] Philips.
Pre*ven"i*ence (?; 106), n. The act
of going before; anticipation. [R.]
Pre*ven"i*ent (?), a. [L.
praeveniens, p. pr.] Going before; preceding; hence,
preventive. "Prevenient grace descending."
Milton.
Pre*vent" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Prevented; p. pr. & vb. n.
Preventing.] [L. praevenire, praeventum;
prae before + venire to come. See Come.]
1. To go before; to precede; hence, to go before
as a guide; to direct. [Obs.]
We which are alive and remain unto the coming of the
Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
1
Thess. iv. 15.
We pray thee that thy grace may always prevent
and follow us.
Bk. of Common Prayer.
Then had I come, preventing Sheba's
queen.
Prior.
2. To be beforehand with; to anticipate.
[Obs.]
Their ready guilt preventing thy
commands.
Pope.
3. To intercept; to hinder; to frustrate; to
stop; to thwart. "This vile purpose to prevent."
Shak.
Perhaps forestalling night prevented
them.
Milton.
Pre*vent", v. i. To come before the
usual time. [Obs.]
Strawberries . . . will prevent and come
early.
Bacon.
Pre*vent`a*bil"i*ty (?), n. The
quality or state of being preventable.
Pre*vent"a*ble (?), a. Capable of
being prevented or hindered; as, preventable
diseases.
Pre*vent"a*tive (?), n. That which
prevents; -- incorrectly used instead of preventive.
Pre*vent"er (?), n. 1.
One who goes before; one who forestalls or anticipates
another. [Obs.] Bacon.
2. One who prevents or obstructs; a hinderer;
that which hinders; as, a preventer of evils or of
disease.
3. (Naut.) An auxiliary rope to
strengthen a mast.
Preventer bolts, or Preventer
plates (Naut.), fixtures connected with
preventers to reënforce other rigging. -- Preventer
stay. (Naut.) Same as Preventer,
3.
Pre*vent"ing*ly, adv. So as to
prevent or hinder.
Pre*ven"tion (?), n. [Cf. F.
prévention.] 1. The act of going,
or state of being, before. [Obs.]
The greater the distance, the greater the
prevention.
Bacon.
2. Anticipation; esp., anticipation of needs
or wishes; hence, precaution; forethought. [Obs.] Hammond.
Shak.
3. The act of preventing or hindering;
obstruction of action, access, or approach; thwarting.
South.
Casca, be sudden, for we fear
prevention.
Shak.
4. Prejudice; prepossession. [A
Gallicism] Dryden.
Pre*ven"tion*al (?), a. Tending to
prevent. [Obs.]
Pre*vent"ive (?), a. [Cf. F.
préventif.] 1. Going before;
preceding. [Obs.]
Any previous counsel or preventive
understanding.
Cudworth.
2. Tending to defeat or hinder; obviating;
preventing the access of; as, a medicine preventive of
disease.
Physic is either curative or
preventive.
Sir T. Browne.
Preventive service, the duty performed by the
armed police in guarding the coast against smuggling. [Eng]
Pre*vent"ive, n. That which
prevents, hinders, or obstructs; that which intercepts access; in
medicine, something to prevent disease; a prophylactic.
Pre*vent"ive*ly, adv. In a
preventive manner.
Pre*ver"te*bral (?), a. (Anat.)
Situated immediately in front, or on the ventral side, of the
vertebral column; prespinal.
Pre"vi*ous (?), a. [L. praevius
going before, leading the way; prae before + via the
way. See Voyage.] Going before in time; being or happening
before something else; antecedent; prior; as, previous
arrangements; a previous illness.
The dull sound . . . previous to the storm,
Rolls o'er the muttering earth.
Thomson.
Previous question. (Parliamentary
Practice) See under Question, and compare
Closure. -- Previous to, before; --
often used adverbially for previously. "Previous to
publication." M. Arnold. "A policy . . . his friends had
advised previous to 1710." J. H. Newman.
Syn. -- Antecedent; preceding; anterior; prior; foregoing;
former.
Pre"vi*ous*ly, adv. Beforehand;
antecedently; as, a plan previously formed.
Pre"vi*ous*ness, n. The quality or
state of being previous; priority or antecedence in time.
Pre*vise" (?), v. t. [L.
praevisus, p. p. of praevidere to foresee; prae
before + videre to see. See Vision.] 1.
To foresee. [R.]
2. To inform beforehand; to warn.
Ld. Lytton.
Pre*vi"sion (?), n. [Cf. F.
prévision.] Foresight; foreknowledge;
prescience. H. Spencer.
Pre*voy"ant (?), a. [F.
prévoyant.] Foreseeing; prescient. [R.]
Mrs. Oliphant.
Pre*warn" (?), v. t. & i. [imp.
& p. p. Prewarned (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Prewarning.] To warn beforehand; to
forewarn. [R.]
Prey (?), n. [OF. preie, F.
proie, L. praeda, probably for praeheda. See
Prehensile, and cf. Depredate, Predatory.]
Anything, as goods, etc., taken or got by violence; anything
taken by force from an enemy in war; spoil; booty; plunder.
And they brought the captives, and the prey, and
the spoil, unto Moses, and Eleazar the priest.
Num.
xxxi. 12.
2. That which is or may be seized by animals
or birds to be devoured; hence, a person given up as a
victim.
The old lion perisheth for lack of
prey.
Job iv. ii.
Already sees herself the monster's
prey.
Dryden.
3. The act of devouring other creatures;
ravage.
Hog in sloth, fox in stealth, . . . lion in
prey.
Shak.
Beast of prey, a carnivorous animal; one that
feeds on the flesh of other animals.
Prey (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Preyed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Preying.] [OF. preier, preer, L. praedari,
fr. praeda. See Prey, n.] To take
booty; to gather spoil; to ravage; to take food by violence.
More pity that the eagle should be mewed,
While kites and buzzards prey at liberty.
Shak.
To prey on or upon.
(a) To take prey from; to despoil; to pillage; to
rob. Shak. (b) To seize as prey; to
take for food by violence; to seize and devour. Shak.
(c) To wear away gradually; to cause to waste or
pine away; as, the trouble preyed upon his mind.
Addison.
Prey"er (?), n. One who, or that
which, preys; a plunderer; a waster; a devourer.
Hooker.
Prey"ful (?), a. 1.
Disposed to take prey. [Obs.]
The preyful brood of savage beasts.
Chapman.
2. Rich in prey. [Obs.]
Shak.
||Pre*zyg`a*poph"y*sis (?), n.;
pl. Prezygapophyses (#). [NL. See Pre-
, and Zygapophysis.] (Anat.) An anterior
zygapophysis.
Pri"al (?), n. A corruption of
pair royal. See under Pair,
n.
Pri"an (?), n. [Cornish, clayey ground,
from pri clay.] (Mining) A fine, white, somewhat
friable clay; also, the ore contained in a mixture of clay and
pebbles. [Written also pryan.]
Pri`a*pe"an (?), n. [Cf. L.
Priapeius pertaining to Priapus.] (Lat. Pros.) A
species of hexameter verse so constructed as to be divisible into two
portions of three feet each, having generally a trochee in the first
and the fourth foot, and an amphimacer in the third; -- applied also
to a regular hexameter verse when so constructed as to be divisible
into two portions of three feet each. Andrews.
Pri"a*pism, n. [L. priapismus,
Gr. &?;, from Priapus the god of procreation, the penis, Gr.
&?;: cf. F. priapisme.] (Med.) More or less
permanent erection and rigidity of the penis, with or without sexual
desire.
||Pri*ap`u*la"ce*a (?), n. pl. [NL. See
Priapism.] (Zoöl.) A suborder of
Gephyræa, having a cylindrical body with a terminal anal
opening, and usually with one or two caudal gills.
Pric"a*sour (?), n. A hard
rider. [Obs.]
Price (?), n. [OE. pris, OF.
pris, F. prix, L. pretium; cf. Gr. &?; I sell &?;
to buy, Skr. pa&?; to buy, OI. renim I sell. Cf.
Appreciate, Depreciate, Interpret, Praise,
n. & v., Precious, Prize.]
1. The sum or amount of money at which a thing is
valued, or the value which a seller sets on his goods in market; that
for which something is bought or sold, or offered for sale; equivalent
in money or other means of exchange; current value or rate paid or
demanded in market or in barter; cost. "Buy wine and milk
without money and without price." Isa. lv. 1.
We can afford no more at such a
price.
Shak.
2. Value; estimation; excellence;
worth.
Her price is far above rubies.
Prov. xxxi. 10.
New treasures still, of countless
price.
Keble.
3. Reward; recompense; as, the price of
industry.
'T is the price of toil,
The knave deserves it when he tills the soil.
Pope.
Price current, or Price list,
a statement or list of the prevailing prices of merchandise,
stocks, specie, bills of exchange, etc., published statedly or
occasionally.
Price, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Priced (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pricing.] 1. To pay the price of.
[Obs.]
With thine own blood to price his
blood.
Spenser.
2. To set a price on; to value. See
Prize.
3. To ask the price of; as, to price
eggs. [Colloq.]
Priced (?), a. Rated in price;
valued; as, high-priced goods; low-priced
labor.
Price"ite (?), n. [From Thomas
Price of San Francisco.] (Min.) A hydrous borate of
lime, from Oregon.
Price"less, a. 1.
Too valuable to admit of being appraised; of inestimable worth;
invaluable.
2. Of no value; worthless. [R.] J.
Barlow.
Prick (?), n. [AS. prica,
pricca, pricu; akin to LG. prick, pricke,
D. prik, Dan. prik, prikke, Sw. prick.
Cf. Prick, v.] 1. That
which pricks, penetrates, or punctures; a sharp and slender thing; a
pointed instrument; a goad; a spur, etc.; a point; a skewer.
Pins, wooden pricks, nails, sprigs of
rosemary.
Shak.
It is hard for thee to kick against the
pricks.
Acts ix. 5.
2. The act of pricking, or the sensation of
being pricked; a sharp, stinging pain; figuratively, remorse.
"The pricks of conscience." A. Tucker.
3. A mark made by a pointed instrument; a
puncture; a point. Hence: (a) A point or
mark on the dial, noting the hour. [Obs.] "The prick of
noon." Shak. (b) The point on a target at
which an archer aims; the mark; the pin. "They that shooten
nearest the prick." Spenser. (c) A
mark denoting degree; degree; pitch. [Obs.] "To prick of
highest praise forth to advance." Spenser. (d)
A mathematical point; -- regularly used in old English
translations of Euclid. (e) The footprint
of a hare. [Obs.]
4. (Naut.) A small roll; as, a
prick of spun yarn; a prick of tobacco.
Prick (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pricked (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pricking.] [AS. prician; akin to LG. pricken, D.
prikken, Dan. prikke, Sw. pricka. See
Prick, n., and cf. Prink,
Prig.] 1. To pierce slightly with a sharp-
pointed instrument or substance; to make a puncture in, or to make by
puncturing; to drive a fine point into; as, to prick one with a
pin, needle, etc.; to prick a card; to prick holes in
paper.
2. To fix by the point; to attach or hang by
puncturing; as, to prick a knife into a board. Sir I.
Newton.
The cooks prick it [a slice] on a prong of
iron.
Sandys.
3. To mark or denote by a puncture; to
designate by pricking; to choose; to mark; -- sometimes with
off.
Some who are pricked for sheriffs.
Bacon.
Let the soldiers for duty be carefully pricked
off.
Sir W. Scott.
Those many, then, shall die: their names are
pricked.
Shak.
4. To mark the outline of by puncturing; to
trace or form by pricking; to mark by punctured dots; as, to
prick a pattern for embroidery; to prick the notes of a
musical composition. Cowper.
5. To ride or guide with spurs; to spur; to
goad; to incite; to urge on; -- sometimes with on, or
off.
Who pricketh his blind horse over the
fallows.
Chaucer.
The season pricketh every gentle
heart.
Chaucer.
My duty pricks me on to utter that.
Shak.
6. To affect with sharp pain; to sting, as
with remorse. "I was pricked with some reproof."
Tennyson.
Now when they heard this, they were pricked in
their heart.
Acts ii. 37.
7. To make sharp; to erect into a point; to
raise, as something pointed; -- said especially of the ears of an
animal, as a horse or dog; and usually followed by up; --
hence, to prick up the ears, to listen sharply; to have the
attention and interest strongly engaged. "The courser . . .
pricks up his ears." Dryden.
8. To render acid or pungent. [Obs.]
Hudibras.
9. To dress; to prink; -- usually with
up. [Obs.]
10. (Naut) (a) To run a
middle seam through, as the cloth of a sail. (b)
To trace on a chart, as a ship's course.
11. (Far.) (a) To drive
a nail into (a horse's foot), so as to cause lameness.
(b) To nick.
Prick, v. i. 1. To
be punctured; to suffer or feel a sharp pain, as by puncture; as, a
sore finger pricks.
2. To spur onward; to ride on horseback.
Milton.
A gentle knight was pricking on the
plain.
Spenser.
3. To become sharp or acid; to turn sour, as
wine.
4. To aim at a point or mark.
Hawkins.
Prick"-eared` (?), a.
(Zoöl.) Having erect, pointed ears; -- said of
certain dogs.
Thou prick-eared cur of Iceland.
Shak.
Prick"er (?), n. 1.
One who, or that which, pricks; a pointed instrument; a sharp
point; a prickle.
2. One who spurs forward; a light
horseman.
The prickers, who rode foremost, . . .
halted.
Sir W. Scott.
3. A priming wire; a priming needle, -- used
in blasting and gunnery. Knight.
4. (Naut.) A small marline spike having
generally a wooden handle, -- used in sailmaking. R. H.
Dana, Ir.
Prick"et (?), n. [Perhaps so called from
the state of his horns. See Prick, and cf. Brocket.]
(Zoöl.) A buck in his second year. See Note
under 3d Buck. Shak.
Prick"ing, n. 1.
The act of piercing or puncturing with a sharp point.
"There is that speaketh like the prickings of a sword."
Prov. xii. 18 [1583].
2. (Far.) (a) The
driving of a nail into a horse's foot so as to produce lameness.
(b) Same as Nicking.
3. A sensation of being pricked.
Shak.
4. The mark or trace left by a hare's foot; a
prick; also, the act of tracing a hare by its footmarks.
[Obs.]
5. Dressing one's self for show;
prinking. [Obs.]
Prick"ing-up (?), n. (Arch.)
The first coating of plaster in work of three coats upon laths.
Its surface is scratched once to form a better key for the next coat.
In the United States called scratch coat. Brande &
C.
Pric"kle (?), n. [AS. pricele,
pricle; akin to LG. prickel, D. prikkel. See
Prick, n.] 1. A little
prick; a small, sharp point; a fine, sharp process or projection, as
from the skin of an animal, the bark of a plant, etc.; a spine.
Bacon.
2. A kind of willow basket; -- a term still
used in some branches of trade. B. Jonson.
3. A sieve of filberts, -- about fifty
pounds. [Eng.]
Pric"kle, v. t. To prick slightly,
as with prickles, or fine, sharp points.
Felt a horror over me creep,
Prickle skin, and catch my breath.
Tennyson.
{ Pric"kle*back` (?), Pric"kle*fish` (?), }
n. (Zoöl.) The
stickleback.
Prick"li*ness (?), n. [From
Prickly.] The quality of being prickly, or of having many
prickles.
Prick"ling (?), a. Prickly.
[Obs.] Spenser.
Prick"louse` (?), n. A tailor; --
so called in contempt. [Old slang] L'Estrange.
Prick"ly, a. Full of sharp points
or prickles; armed or covered with prickles; as, a prickly
shrub.
Prickly ash (Bot.), a prickly shrub
(Xanthoxylum Americanum) with yellowish flowers appearing with
the leaves. All parts of the plant are pungent and aromatic. The
southern species is X. Carolinianum. Gray. --
Prickly heat (Med.), a noncontagious
cutaneous eruption of red pimples, attended with intense itching and
tingling of the parts affected. It is due to inflammation of the sweat
glands, and is often brought on by overheating the skin in hot
weather. -- Prickly pear (Bot.), a
name given to several plants of the cactaceous genus Opuntia,
American plants consisting of fleshy, leafless, usually flattened, and
often prickly joints inserted upon each other. The sessile flowers
have many petals and numerous stamens. The edible fruit is a large
pear-shaped berry containing many flattish seeds. The common species
of the Northern Atlantic States is Opuntia vulgaris. In the
South and West are many others, and in tropical America more than a
hundred more. O. vulgaris, O. Ficus-Indica, and O.
Tuna are abundantly introduced in the Mediterranean region, and
O. Dillenii has become common in India. -- Prickly
pole (Bot.), a West Indian palm (Bactris
Plumierana), the slender trunk of which bears many rings of long
black prickles. -- Prickly withe (Bot.),
a West Indian cactaceous plant (Cereus triangularis) having
prickly, slender, climbing, triangular stems. -- Prickly
rat (Zoöl.), any one of several species of
South American burrowing rodents belonging to Ctenomys and
allied genera. The hair is usually intermingled with sharp
spines.
Prick"mad`am (?), n. [F. trique-
madame. Cf. Tripmadam.] (Bot.) A name given to
several species of stonecrop, used as ingredients of vermifuge
medicines. See Stonecrop.
Prick"punch` (?), n. A pointed
steel punch, to prick a mark on metal.
Prick"shaft` (?), n. An
arrow. [Obs.]
Prick"song` (?; 115), n. [See
Prick, v. t., 4.] Music written, or
noted, with dots or points; -- so called from the points or dots with
which it is noted down. [Obs.]
He fights as you sing pricksong.
Shak.
Prick"wood` (?), n. (Bot.) A
shrub (Euonymus Europæus); -- so named from the use of
its wood for goads, skewers, and shoe pegs. Called also spindle
tree.
Prick"y (?), a. Stiff and sharp;
prickly. Holland.
Pride (?), n. [Cf. AS. lamprede,
LL. lampreda, E. lamprey.] (Zoöl.) A
small European lamprey (Petromyzon branchialis); -- called also
prid, and sandpiper.
Pride, n. [AS. pr&ymacr;te; akin
to Icel. pr&ymacr;ði honor, ornament, pr&?;&?;a to
adorn, Dan. pryde, Sw. pryda; cf. W. prydus
comely. See Proud.] 1. The quality or
state of being proud; inordinate self-esteem; an unreasonable conceit
of one's own superiority in talents, beauty, wealth, rank, etc., which
manifests itself in lofty airs, distance, reserve, and often in
contempt of others.
Those that walk in pride he is able to
abase.
Dan. iv. 37.
Pride that dines on vanity sups on
contempt.
Franklin.
2. A sense of one's own worth, and abhorrence
of what is beneath or unworthy of one; lofty self-respect; noble self-
esteem; elevation of character; dignified bearing; proud delight; --
in a good sense.
Thus to relieve the wretched was his
pride.
Goldsmith.
A people which takes no pride in the noble
achievements of remote ancestors will never achieve anything worthy to
be remembered with pride by remote descendants.
Macaulay.
3. Proud or disdainful behavior or treatment;
insolence or arrogance of demeanor; haughty bearing and conduct;
insolent exultation; disdain.
Let not the foot of pride come against
me.
Ps. xxxvi. 11.
That hardly we escaped the pride of
France.
Shak.
4. That of which one is proud; that which
excites boasting or self-gratulation; the occasion or ground of self-
esteem, or of arrogant and presumptuous confidence, as beauty,
ornament, noble character, children, etc.
Lofty trees yclad with summer's
pride.
Spenser.
I will cut off the pride of the
Philistines.
Zech. ix. 6.
A bold peasantry, their country's
pride.
Goldsmith.
5. Show; ostentation; glory.
Pride, pomp, and circumstance of glorious
war.
Shak.
6. Highest pitch; elevation reached;
loftiness; prime; glory; as, to be in the pride of one's
life.
A falcon, towering in her pride of
place.
Shak.
7. Consciousness of power; fullness of animal
spirits; mettle; wantonness; hence, lust; sexual desire; esp., an
excitement of sexual appetite in a female beast. [Obs.]
Pride of India, or Pride of
China. (Bot.) See Margosa. --
Pride of the desert (Zoöl.), the
camel.
Syn. -- Self-exaltation; conceit; hauteur; haughtiness;
lordliness; loftiness. -- Pride, Vanity. Pride
is a high or an excessive esteem of one's self for some real or
imagined superiority, as rank, wealth, talents, character, etc.
Vanity is the love of being admired, praised, exalted, etc., by
others. Vanity is an ostentation of pride; but one may
have great pride without displaying it. Vanity, which is
etymologically "emptiness," is applied especially to the exhibition of
pride in superficialities, as beauty, dress, wealth, etc.
Pride, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Prided; p. pr. & vb. n.
Priding.] To indulge in pride, or self-esteem; to rate
highly; to plume; -- used reflexively. Bp. Hall.
Pluming and priding himself in all his
services.
South.
Pride, v. i. To be proud; to
glory. [R.]
Pride"ful (?), a. Full of pride;
haughty. Tennyson.
-- Pride"ful*ly, adv. -- Pride"ful-
ness, n.
Pride"less, a. Without pride.
Chaucer.
Prid"i*an (?), a. [L. pridianus.]
Of or pertaining to the day before, or yesterday. [R.]
Thackeray.
Prid"ing*ly (?), adv.
Proudly. [Obs.]
Prie (?), n. (Bot.) The
plant privet. [Obs.] Tusser.
Prie, v. i. To pry. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Pried (?), imp. & p. p. of
Pry.
Prie`dieu" (?), n. [F., literally, pray
God.] A kneeling desk for prayers.
Prief (?), n. Proof. [Obs.]
Spenser. Lydgate.
Pri"er (?), n. [From Pry.]
One who pries; one who inquires narrowly and searches, or is
inquisitive.
So pragmatical a prier he is into divine
secrets.
Fuller.
Priest (?), n. [OE. prest,
preost, AS. preóst, fr. L. presbyter, Gr.
&?; elder, older, n., an elder, compar. of &?; an old man, the first
syllable of which is probably akin to L. pristinus. Cf.
Pristine, Presbyter.]
1. (Christian Church) A presbyter
elder; a minister; specifically: (a) (R. C.
Ch. & Gr. Ch.) One who is authorized to consecrate the host
and to say Mass; but especially, one of the lowest order possessing
this power. Murdock. (b) (Ch. of Eng.
& Prot. Epis. Ch.) A presbyter; one who belongs to the
intermediate order between bishop and deacon. He is authorized to
perform all ministerial services except those of ordination and
confirmation.
2. One who officiates at the altar, or
performs the rites of sacrifice; one who acts as a mediator between
men and the divinity or the gods in any form of religion; as, Buddhist
priests. "The priests of Dagon." 1 Sam. v.
5.
Then the priest of Jupiter . . . brought oxen
and garlands . . . and would have done sacrifice with the
people.
Acts xiv. 13.
Every priest taken from among men is ordained
for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and
sacrifices for sins.
Heb. v. 1.
&fist; In the New Testament presbyters are not called
priests; but Christ is designated as a priest, and as a
high priest, and all Christians are designated
priests.
Priest (?), v. t. To ordain as
priest.
Priest"cap` (?), n. (Fort.)
A form of redan, so named from its shape; -- called also
swallowtail.
Priest"craft` (?), n. Priestly
policy; the policy of a priesthood; esp., in an ill sense, fraud or
imposition in religious concerns; management by priests to gain wealth
and power by working upon the religious motives or credulity of
others.
It is better that men should be governed by
priestcraft than by violence.
Macaulay.
Priest"er*y (?), n. Priests,
collectively; the priesthood; -- so called in contempt. [R.]
Milton.
Priest"ess, n. A woman who
officiated in sacred rites among pagans. Abp.
Potter.
Priest"hood (?), n. 1.
The office or character of a priest; the priestly function.
Bk. of Com. Prayer.
2. Priests, taken collectively; the order of
men set apart for sacred offices; the order of priests.
Priest"ing, n. The office of a
priest. [Obs.] Milton.
Priest"ism (?), n. The influence,
doctrines, principles, etc., of priests or the priesthood.
[R.]
Priest"less, a. Without a
priest. Pope.
Priest"like` (?), a.
Priestly. B. Jonson.
Priest"li*ness (?), n. The quality
or state of being priestly. R. Browning.
Priest"ly, a. Of or pertaining to a
priest or the priesthood; sacerdotal; befitting or becoming a priest;
as, the priestly office; a priestly farewell.
Shak.
Priest"-rid`den (?), a. Controlled
or oppressed by priests; as, a priest-ridden people.
Swift.
Prieve (?), v. t. To prove.
[Obs. or Scot.]
Prig (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Prigged (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Prigging (?).] [A modification of prick.] To haggle
about the price of a commodity; to bargain hard. [Prov. Eng. &
Scot.]
Prig, v. t. 1. To
cheapen. [Scot.]
2. [Perhaps orig., to ride off with. See
Prick, v. t.] To filch or steal; as, to
prig a handkerchief. [Cant]
Prig, n. 1. A pert,
conceited, pragmatical fellow.
The queer prig of a doctor.
Macaulay.
2. A thief; a filcher. [Cant]
Shak.
Prig"ger*y (?), n.
Priggism.
Prig"gish (?), a. Like a prig;
conceited; pragmatical. -- Prig"gish*ly,
adv. -- Prig"gish-ness,
n.
Prig"gism (?), n. 1.
The quality or state of being priggish; the manners of a
prig. Ed. Rev.
2. Roguery; thievery. [Obs.]
Fielding.
Prigh"te (?), obs. imp. of
Prick. Chaucer.
Prill (?), n. [Cf. Brill.]
(Zoöl.) The brill.
Prill, v. i. To flow. [Obs.]
Stow.
Prill, n. A stream. [Obs.]
Davies (Microcosmos).
Prill, n. [Etymol. uncertain.]
1. (Mining) (a) A nugget
of virgin metal. (b) Ore selected for
excellence.
2. The button of metal from an
assay.
Pril"lion (?), n. Tin extracted
from the slag.
Prim (?), n. [See Privet.]
(Bot) The privet.
Prim, a. [OF. prim, prin,
prime, first, principal. sharp, thin, piercing, fr. L. primus
first. See Prime, a.] Formal; precise;
affectedly neat or nice; as, prim regularity; a prim
person. Swift.
Prim, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Primmed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Primming.] To deck with great nicety; to arrange with
affected preciseness; to prink.
Prim, v. i. To dress or act
smartly. [R.]
Pri"ma*cy (?), n. [LL. primatia,
fr. L. primas, -atis, one of the first or principal,
chief, fr. primus first: cf. F. primatie. See
Prime, a.] 1. The state
or condition of being prime or first, as in time, place, rank, etc.,
hence, excellency; supremacy. [R.] De Quincey.
2. The office, rank, or character of a
primate; the chief ecclesiastical station or dignity in a national
church; the office or dignity of an archbishop; as, the primacy
of England.
||Pri"ma don"na (?); pl. E. Prima
donnas (#), It. Prime (#) Donne (#). [It.,
fr. primo, prima, the first + donna lady,
mistress. See Prime, a., and Donna.]
The first or chief female singer in an opera.
||Pri"ma fa"ci*e (?). [L., from abl. of primus
first + abl. of facies appearance.] At first view; on the
first appearance.
Prima facie evidence (of a fact)
(Law), evidence which is sufficient to establish the fact
unless rebutted. Bouvier.
Pri"mage (?; 48), n. [F.] (Com.)
A charge in addition to the freight; originally, a gratuity to
the captain for his particular care of the goods (sometimes called
hat money), but now belonging to the owners or freighters of
the vessel, unless by special agreement the whole or part is assigned
to the captain. Homans.
Pri"mal (?), a. [LL. primalis,
fr. L. primus the first. See Prime,
a.] First; primary; original; chief.
It hath the primal eldest curse upon
it.
Shak.
The primal duties shine aloft like
stars.
Wordsworth.
Pri*mal"i*ty (?), n. The quality or
state of being primal. [Obs.]
Pri"ma*ri*ly (?), adv. In a primary
manner; in the first place; in the first place; in the first
intention; originally.
Pri"ma*ri*ness, n. The quality or
state of being primary, or first in time, in act, or in
intention. Norris.
Pri"ma*ry (?), a. [L. primarius,
fr. primus first: cf. F. primaire. See Prime,
a., and cf. Premier, Primero.]
1. First in order of time or development or in
intention; primitive; fundamental; original.
The church of Christ, in its primary
institution.
Bp. Pearson.
These I call original, or primary, qualities of
body.
Locke.
2. First in order, as being preparatory to
something higher; as, primary assemblies; primary
schools.
3. First in dignity or importance; chief;
principal; as, primary planets; a matter of primary
importance.
4. (Geol.) Earliest formed;
fundamental.
5. (Chem.) Illustrating, possessing, or
characterized by, some quality or property in the first degree; having
undergone the first stage of substitution or replacement.
Primary alcohol (Organic Chem.), any
alcohol which possess the group CH2.OH, and can be oxidized
so as to form a corresponding aldehyde and acid having the same number
of carbon atoms; -- distinguished from secondary ∧ tertiary
alcohols. -- Primary amine (Chem.),
an amine containing the amido group, or a derivative of ammonia in
which only one atom of hydrogen has been replaced by a basic radical;
-- distinguished from secondary ∧ tertiary amines. --
Primary amputation (Surg.), an amputation
for injury performed as soon as the shock due to the injury has passed
away, and before symptoms of inflammation supervene. --
Primary axis (Bot.), the main stalk which
bears a whole cluster of flowers. -- Primary
colors. See under Color. -- Primary
meeting, a meeting of citizens at which the first steps
are taken towards the nomination of candidates, etc. See
Caucus. -- Primary pinna (Bot.),
one of those portions of a compound leaf or frond which branch off
directly from the main rhachis or stem, whether simple or
compounded. -- Primary planets.
(Astron.) See the Note under Planet. --
Primary qualities of bodies, such are essential
to and inseparable from them. -- Primary quills
(Zoöl.), the largest feathers of the wing of a bird;
primaries. -- Primary rocks (Geol.),
a term early used for rocks supposed to have been first formed,
being crystalline and containing no organic remains, as granite,
gneiss, etc.; -- called also primitive rocks. The terms
Secondary, Tertiary, and Quaternary rocks have
also been used in like manner, but of these the last two only are now
in use. -- Primary salt (Chem.), a
salt derived from a polybasic acid in which only one acid hydrogen
atom has been replaced by a base or basic radical. --
Primary syphilis (Med.), the initial
stage of syphilis, including the period from the development of the
original lesion or chancre to the first manifestation of symptoms
indicative of general constitutional infection. --
Primary union (Surg.), union without
suppuration; union by the first intention.
Pri"ma*ry, n.; pl.
Primaries (&?;). 1. That which
stands first in order, rank, or importance; a chief matter.
2. A primary meeting; a caucus.
3. (Zoöl.) One of the large
feathers on the distal joint of a bird's wing. See Plumage, and
Illust. of Bird.
4. (Astron.) A primary planet; the
brighter component of a double star. See under
Planet.
Pri"mate (?), n. [OE. primat, F.
primat, L. primas, -atis one of the first, chief,
fr. primus the first. See Prime, a.]
1. The chief ecclesiastic in a national church;
one who presides over other bishops in a province; an
archbishop.
2. (Zoöl.) One of the
Primates.
||Pri*ma"tes (?), n. pl. [NL.]
(Zoöl.) The highest order of mammals. It includes
man, together with the apes and monkeys. Cf.
Pitheci.
Pri"mate*ship (?), n. The office,
dignity, or position of a primate; primacy.
Pri*ma"tial (?), a. [Cf. F.
primatial.] Primatical. [R.] D'Anville (Trans.
).
Pri*mat"ic*al (?), a. Of or
pertaining to a primate. Barrow.
Prime (?), a. [F., fr. L. primus
first, a superl. corresponding to the compar. prior former. See
Prior, a., Foremost, Former,
and cf. Prim, a., Primary,
Prince.] 1. First in order of time;
original; primeval; primitive; primary. "Prime forests."
Tennyson.
She was not the prime cause, but I
myself.
Milton.
&fist; In this sense the word is nearly superseded by
primitive, except in the phrase prime cost.
2. First in rank, degree, dignity, authority,
or importance; as, prime minister. "Prime
virtues." Dryden.
3. First in excellence; of highest quality;
as, prime wheat; a prime quality of cloth.
4. Early; blooming; being in the first
stage. [Poetic]
His starry helm, unbuckled, showed him prime
In manhood where youth ended.
Milton.
5. Lecherous; lustful; lewd. [Obs.]
Shak.
6. Marked or distinguished by a mark (′)
called a prime mark.
Prime and ultimate ratio. (Math.). See
Ultimate. -- Prime conductor.
(Elec.) See under Conductor. -- Prime
factor (Arith.), a factor which is a prime
number. -- Prime figure (Geom.), a
figure which can not be divided into any other figure more simple than
itself, as a triangle, a pyramid, etc. -- Prime
meridian (Astron.), the meridian from which
longitude is reckoned, as the meridian of Greenwich or
Washington. -- Prime minister, the
responsible head of a ministry or executive government; applied
particularly to that of England. -- Prime
mover. (Mech.) (a) A natural
agency applied by man to the production of power. Especially: Muscular
force; the weight and motion of fluids, as water and air; heat
obtained by chemical combination, and applied to produce changes in
the volume and pressure of steam, air, or other fluids; and
electricity, obtained by chemical action, and applied to produce
alternation of magnetic force. (b) An engine,
or machine, the object of which is to receive and modify force and
motion as supplied by some natural source, and apply them to drive
other machines; as a water wheel, a water-pressure engine, a steam
engine, a hot-air engine, etc. (c) Fig.: The
original or the most effective force in any undertaking or work; as,
Clarkson was the prime mover in English antislavery
agitation. -- Prime number (Arith.),
a number which is exactly divisible by no number except itself or
unity, as 5, 7, 11. -- Prime vertical
(Astron.), the vertical circle which passes through the
east and west points of the horizon. -- Prime-vertical
dial, a dial in which the shadow is projected on the
plane of the prime vertical. -- Prime-vertical transit
instrument, a transit instrument the telescope of which
revolves in the plane of the prime vertical, -- used for observing the
transit of stars over this circle.
Prime (?), n. 1.
The first part; the earliest stage; the beginning or opening, as
of the day, the year, etc.; hence, the dawn; the spring.
Chaucer.
In the very prime of the world.
Hooker.
Hope waits upon the flowery prime.
Waller.
2. The spring of life; youth; hence, full
health, strength, or beauty; perfection. "Cut off in their
prime." Eustace. "The prime of youth."
Dryden.
3. That which is first in quantity; the most
excellent portion; the best part.
Give him always of the prime.
Swift.
4. [F. prime, LL. prima (sc.
hora). See Prime, a.] The
morning; specifically (R. C. Ch.), the first canonical hour,
succeeding to lauds.
Early and late it rung, at evening and at
prime.
Spenser.
&fist; Originally, prime denoted the first quarter of the
artificial day, reckoned from 6 a. m. to 6 p. m.
Afterwards, it denoted the end of the first quarter, that is, 9 a.
m. Specifically, it denoted the first canonical hour, as now.
Chaucer uses it in all these senses, and also in the sense of def. 1,
above.
They sleep till that it was pryme
large.
Chaucer.
5. (Fencing) The first of the chief
guards.
6. (Chem.) Any number expressing the
combining weight or equivalent of any particular element; -- so called
because these numbers were respectively reduced to their lowest
relative terms on the fixed standard of hydrogen as 1. [Obs. or
Archaic]
7. (Arith.) A prime number. See under
Prime, a.
8. An inch, as composed of twelve seconds in
the duodecimal system; -- denoted by [′]. See 2d Inch,
n., 1.
Prime of the moon, the new moon at its first
appearance.
Prime, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Primed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Priming.] [From Prime, a.]
1. To apply priming to, as a musket or a cannon;
to apply a primer to, as a metallic cartridge.
2. To lay the first color, coating, or
preparation upon (a surface), as in painting; as, to prime a
canvas, a wall.
3. To prepare; to make ready; to instruct
beforehand; to post; to coach; as, to prime a witness; the boys
are primed for mischief. [Colloq.] Thackeray.
4. To trim or prune, as trees. [Obs. or
Prov. Eng.]
5. (Math.) To mark with a prime
mark.
To prime a pump, to charge a pump with water,
in order to put it in working condition.
Prime, v. i. 1. To
be renewed, or as at first. [Obs.]
Night's bashful empress, though she often wane,
As oft repeats her darkness, primes again.
Quarles.
2. To serve as priming for the charge of a
gun.
3. To work so that foaming occurs from too
violent ebullition, which causes water to become mixed with, and be
carried along with, the steam that is formed; -- said of a steam
boiler.
Prime"ly, adv. 1.
At first; primarily. [Obs.] South.
2. In a prime manner; excellently.
Prime"ness, n. 1.
The quality or state of being first.
2. The quality or state of being prime, or
excellent.
Prim"er (?), n. One who, or that
which, primes; specifically, an instrument or device for
priming; esp., a cap, tube, or water containing percussion powder or
other compound for igniting a charge of gunpowder.
Prim"er, a. [OF. primer,
primier, premier, F. premier. See
Premier.] First; original; primary. [Obs.] "The
primer English kings." Drayton.
Primer fine (O. Eng. Law), a fine due
to the king on the writ or commencement of a suit by fine.
Blackstone. -- Primer seizin (Feudal
Law), the right of the king, when a tenant in capite
died seized of a knight's fee, to receive of the heir, if of full age,
one year's profits of the land if in possession, and half a year's
profits if the land was in reversion expectant on an estate for life;
-- now abolished. Blackstone.
Prim"er (?), n. [Originally, the book
read at prime, the first canonical hour. LL. primae
liber. See Prime, n., 4.]
1. Originally, a small prayer book for church
service, containing the little office of the Virgin Mary; also, a work
of elementary religious instruction.
The primer, or office of the Blessed
Virgin.
Bp. Stillingfleet.
2. A small elementary book for teaching
children to read; a reading or spelling book for a beginner.
As he sat in the school at his
prymer.
Chaucer.
3. (Print.) A kind of type, of which
there are two species; one, called long primer, intermediate in
size between bourgeois and small pica [see Long primer]; the
other, called great primer, larger than pica.
Great primer
type.
Pri*me"ro (?), n. [Sp. primera,
fr. primero first, from L. primarius. See
Premier.] A game at cards, now unknown.
Shak.
Prim"er*ole (?), n. (Bot.)
See Primrose. [Obs.] "She was a primerole."
Chaucer.
Pri*me"val (?), a. [L. primaevus;
primus first + aevum age. See Prime,
a., and Age.] Belonging to the
first ages; pristine; original; primitive; primary; as, the
primeval innocence of man. "This is the forest
primeval." Longfellow.
From chaos, and primeval darkness, came
Light.
Keats.
Pri*me"val*ly, adv. In a primeval
manner; in or from the earliest times; originally.
Darwin.
Pri*me"vous, a. Primeval.
[Obs.]
Pri`mi*ge"ni*al (?), a. First born,
or first of all; original; primary. See Primogenial.
{ Pri`mi*ge"ni*ous (?), Pri*mig"e*nous (?), }
a. [L. primigenus, primigenius. See
Primogeniture.] First formed or generated; original;
primigenial. Bp. Hall.
Pri"mine (?), n. [L. primus
first: cf. F. primine.] (Bot.) The outermost of the
two integuments of an ovule.
&fist; This word has been used by some writers to denote the inner
integument, which is formed earlier than the outer. Cf.
Secundine.
Prim"ing (?), n. 1.
The powder or other combustible used to communicate fire to a
charge of gunpowder, as in a firearm.
2. (Paint.) The first coating of color,
size, or the like, laid on canvas, or on a building, or other
surface.
3. (Steam Eng.) The carrying over of
water, with the steam, from the boiler, as into the
cylinder.
Priming of the tide. See Lag of the
tide, under 2d Lag. -- Priming tube,
a small pipe, filled with a combustible composition for firing
cannon. -- Priming valve (Steam Eng.),
a spring safety valve applied to the cylinder of a steam engine
for discharging water carried into the cylinder by priming. --
Priming wire, a pointed wire used to penetrate
the vent of a piece, for piercing the cartridge before
priming.
||Pri*mip"a*ra (?), n. [L., fr.
primus first + parere to bring forth.] (Med.)
A woman who bears a child for the first time.
Pri*mip"a*rous (?), a. [See
Primipara.] Belonging to a first birth; bearing young for
the first time.
Pri*mip"i*lar (?), a. [L.
primipilaris, fr. primipilus the centurion of the first
cohort of a Roman legion, fr. primus pilus the division made up
of the triarii in the Roman army.] Of or pertaining to the
captain of the vanguard of a Roman army. Barrow.
||Pri*mi"ti*a (?), n.; pl.
Primitiæ (#) (Primitias (#),
obs.). [L. primitiae, pl., fr. primus first. Cf.
Premices.] (Eng. Law) The first fruit; the first
year's whole profit of an ecclesiastical preferment.
The primitias of your parsonage.
Spenser.
Pri*mi"tial (?), a. Being of the
first production; primitive; original. [Obs.]
Ainsworth.
Prim"i*tive (?), a. [L.
primitivus, fr. primus the first: cf. F.
primitif. See Prime, a.]
1. Of or pertaining to the beginning or origin,
or to early times; original; primordial; primeval; first; as,
primitive innocence; the primitive church. "Our
primitive great sire." Milton.
2. Of or pertaining to a former time; old-
fashioned; characterized by simplicity; as, a primitive style
of dress.
3. Original; primary; radical; not derived;
as, primitive verb in grammar.
Primitive axes of coördinate (Geom.),
that system of axes to which the points of a magnitude are first
referred, with reference to a second set or system, to which they are
afterward referred. -- Primitive chord
(Mus.), that chord, the lowest note of which is of the same
literal denomination as the fundamental base of the harmony; --
opposed to derivative. Moore (Encyc. of Music). --
Primitive circle (Spherical Projection),
the circle cut from the sphere to be projected, by the primitive
plane. -- Primitive colors (Paint.),
primary colors. See under Color. -- Primitive
Fathers (Eccl.), the acknowledged Christian
writers who flourished before the Council of Nice, A. D.
325. Shipley. -- Primitive groove
(Anat.), a depression or groove in the epiblast of the
primitive streak. It is not connected with the medullary groove, which
appears later and in front of it. -- Primitive
plane (Spherical Projection), the plane upon
which the projections are made, generally coinciding with some
principal circle of the sphere, as the equator or a meridian. --
Primitive rocks (Geol.), primary rocks.
See under Primary. -- Primitive sheath.
(Anat.) See Neurilemma. -- Primitive
streak or trace (Anat.), an
opaque and thickened band where the mesoblast first appears in the
vertebrate blastoderm.
Syn. -- First; original; radical; pristine; ancient;
primeval; antiquated; old-fashioned.
Prim"i*tive, n. An original or
primary word; a word not derived from another; -- opposed to
derivative.
Prim"i*tive*ly, adv. 1.
Originally; at first.
2. Primarily; not derivatively.
3. According to the original rule or ancient
practice; in the ancient style. South.
Prim"i*tive*ness, n. The quality or
state of being primitive; conformity to primitive style or
practice.
Prim"i*ty (?), n. Quality of being
first; primitiveness. [Obs.] Bp. Pearson.
Prim"ly, adv. In a prim or precise
manner.
Prim"ness, n. The quality or state
of being prim; affected formality or niceness; preciseness;
stiffness.
||Pri"mo (?), a. [It.] (Mus.)
First; chief.
Pri`mo*ge"ni*al (?), a. [See
Primigenial.] First born, made, or generated; original;
primary; elemental; as, primogenial light.
Glanvill.
Pri`mo*gen"i*tive (?), a. [See
Primogeniture.] Of or pertaining to primogeniture.
[R.]
Pri`mo*gen"i*tive, n.
Primogeniture. [Obs.]
The primogenitive and due of birth.
Shak.
Pri`mo*gen"i*tor (?), n. [LL., fr. L.
primus first + genitor a begetter.] The first
ancestor; a forefather.
Pri`mo*gen"i*ture (?; 135), n. [LL., fr.
L. primus first + genitura a begetting, birth,
generation, fr. genere, gignere, to beget: cf. F.
primogéniture, L. primogenitus firstborn. See
Prime, a., and Genus, Kin.]
1. The state of being the firstborn of the same
parents; seniority by birth among children of the same
family.
2. (Eng. Law) The exclusive right of
inheritance which belongs to the eldest son. Thus in England the right
of inheriting the estate of the father belongs to the eldest son, and
in the royal family the eldest son of the sovereign is entitled to the
throne by primogeniture. In exceptional cases, among the female
children, the crown descends by right of primogeniture to the
eldest daughter only and her issue. Blackstone.
Pri`mo*gen"i*ture*ship (?), n. The
state or privileges of the firstborn. Burke.
Pri*mor"di*al (?), a. [L.
primordialis, from primordium the first beginning;
primus first + ordiri to begin a web, to begin: cf. F.
primordial.] 1. First in order; primary;
original; of earliest origin; as, primordial condition.
"The primordial facts of our intelligent nature." Sir W.
Hamilton.
2. (Geol.) Of or pertaining to the
lowest beds of the Silurian age, corresponding to the Acadian and
Potsdam periods in American geology. It is called also
Cambrian, and by many geologists is separated from the
Silurian.
3. (Biol.) Originally or earliest
formed in the growth of an individual or organ; as, a
primordial leaf; a primordial cell.
Primordial utricle (Bot.), the
interior lining of a young vegetable cell.
Pri*mor"di*al, n. A first principle
or element.
Pri*mor"di*al*ism (?), n. Devotion
to, or persistence in, conditions of the primordial state.
H. Spencer.
Pri*mor"di*al*ly, adv. At the
beginning; under the first order of things; originally.
Pri*mor"di*an (?), n. [L.
primordius first of all, fr. primordium.] (Bot.)
A name given to several kinds of plums; as, red
primordian, amber primordian, etc.
Pri*mor"di*ate (?), a.
Primordial. [R.] Boyle.
Primp (?), v. i. & t. [Cf. Prim,
a.] To be formal or affected in dress or
manners; -- often with up. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.]
Halliwell.
Prim"rose` (?), n. [OE.
primerole, F. primerole, a derivative fr. LL.
primula, from L. primus first. See Prime,
a.] (Bot.) (a) An early
flowering plant of the genus Primula (P. vulgaris)
closely allied to the cowslip. There are several varieties, as the
white-, the red-, the yellow-flowered, etc. Formerly called also
primerole, primerolles. (b)
Any plant of the genus Primula.
Evening primrose, an erect biennial herb
(Enothera biennis), with yellow vespertine flowers, common in
the United States. The name is sometimes extended to other species of
the same genus. -- Primrose peerless, the
two-flowered Narcissus (N. biflorus). [Obs.]
Prim"rose`, a. Of or pertaining to
the primrose; of the color of a primrose; -- hence, flowery;
gay. "The primrose path of dalliance." Shak.
||Prim"u*la (?), n. [LL. See
Primrose.] (Bot.) The genus of plants including the
primrose (Primula vera).
Prim`u*la"ceous (?), a. (Bot.)
Of or pertaining to an order of herbaceous plants
(Primulaceæ), of which the primrose is the type, and the
pimpernel, the cyclamen, and the water violet are other
examples.
||Pri"mum mob"i*le (?). [L., first cause of motion.]
(Astron.) In the Ptolemaic system, the outermost of the
revolving concentric spheres constituting the universe, the motion of
which was supposed to carry with it all the inclosed spheres with
their planets in a daily revolution from east to west. See
Crystalline heavens, under Crystalline.
The motions of the greatest persons in a government
ought to be, as the motions of the planets, under primum
mobile.
Bacon.
||Pri"mus (?), n. [L., the first.]
One of the bishops of the Episcopal Church of Scotland, who
presides at the meetings of the bishops, and has certain privileges
but no metropolitan authority. Internat. Cyc.
Prim"y (?), a. [From Prime,
a.] Being in its prime. [Obs.] "The youth
of primy nature." Shak.
Prince (?), n. [F., from L.
princeps, -cipis, the first, chief; primus first
+ capere to take. See Prime, a., and
Capacious.] 1. The one of highest rank;
one holding the highest place and authority; a sovereign; a monarch; -
- originally applied to either sex, but now rarely applied to a
female. Wyclif (Rev. i. 5).
Go, Michael, of celestial armies
prince.
Milton.
Queen Elizabeth, a prince admirable above her
sex.
Camden.
2. The son of a king or emperor, or the issue
of a royal family; as, princes of the blood.
Shak.
3. A title belonging to persons of high rank,
differing in different countries. In England it belongs to dukes,
marquises, and earls, but is given to members of the royal family
only. In Italy a prince is inferior to a duke as a member of a
particular order of nobility; in Spain he is always one of the royal
family.
4. The chief of any body of men; one at the
head of a class or profession; one who is preëminent; as, a
merchant prince; a prince of players. "The
prince of learning." Peacham.
Prince-Albert coat, a long double-breasted
frock coat for men. -- Prince of the blood,
Prince consort, Prince of
darkness. See under Blood, Consort, and
Darkness. -- Prince of Wales, the
oldest son of the English sovereign. -- Prince's
feather (Bot.), a name given to two annual herbs
(Amarantus caudatus and Polygonum orientale), with
apetalous reddish flowers arranged in long recurved panicled
spikes. -- Prince's metal, Prince
Rupert's metal. See under Metal. Prince's
pine. (Bot.) See Pipsissewa.
Prince, v. i. To play the
prince. [R.] Shak.
Prince"dom (?), n. The
jurisdiction, sovereignty, rank, or estate of a prince.
Thrones, princedoms, powers, dominions, I
reduce.
Milton.
Prince"hood (?), n.
Princeliness. [Obs.] E. Hall.
Prince"kin (?), n. A petty prince;
a princeling.
The princekins of private life.
Thackeray.
Prince"less, a. Without a
prince. Fuller.
Prince"let (?), n. A petty
prince. [R.]
Prince"like` (?), a.
Princely. Shak.
Prince"li*ness (?), n. The quality
of being princely; the state, manner, or dignity of a
prince.
Prince"ling (?), n. A petty prince;
a young prince.
Prince"ly, a. 1. Of
or relating to a prince; regal; royal; of highest rank or authority;
as, princely birth, character, fortune, etc.
2. Suitable for, or becoming to, a prince;
grand; august; munificent; magnificent; as, princely virtues; a
princely fortune. "Most princely gifts."
Shak.
Prince"ly (?), adv. In a princely
manner.
My appetite was not princely got.
Shak.
Prin"cess (?), n. [F. princesse.
See Prince, and cf. Princesse.] 1.
A female prince; a woman having sovereign power, or the rank of a
prince. Dryden.
So excellent a princess as the present
queen.
Swift.
2. The daughter of a sovereign; a female
member of a royal family. Shak.
3. The consort of a prince; as, the
princess of Wales.
Princess royal, the eldest daughter of a
sovereign.
Prin*cesse" (?), a. [F., a princess.]
A term applied to a lady's long, close-fitting dress made with
waist and skirt in one.
Prin"cess*like` (?), a. Like a
princess.
Prince"wood` (?), n. (Bot.)
The wood of two small tropical American trees (Hamelia
ventricosa, and Cordia gerascanthoides). It is brownish,
veined with lighter color.
Prin"ci*fied (?), a. [Prince + L.
-ficare (in comp.).] Imitative of a prince. [R. &
Colloq.] Thackeray.
Prin"ci*pal (?), a. [F., from L.
principalis. See Prince.] 1.
Highest in rank, authority, character, importance, or degree;
most considerable or important; chief; main; as, the principal
officers of a Government; the principal men of a state; the
principal productions of a country; the principal
arguments in a case.
Wisdom is the principal thing.
Prov. iv. 7.
2. Of or pertaining to a prince;
princely. [A Latinism] [Obs.] Spenser.
Principal axis. See Axis of a curve,
under Axis. -- Principal axes of a
quadric (Geom.), three lines in which the
principal planes of the solid intersect two and two, as in an
ellipsoid. -- Principal challenge. (Law)
See under Challenge. -- Principal
plane. See Plane of projection
(a), under Plane. -- Principal of
a quadric (Geom.), three planes each of which is
at right angles to the other two, and bisects all chords of the
quadric perpendicular to the plane, as in an ellipsoid. --
Principal point (Persp.), the projection
of the point of sight upon the plane of projection. --
Principal ray (Persp.), the line drawn
through the point of sight perpendicular to the perspective
plane. -- Principal section
(Crystallog.), a plane passing through the optical axis of
a crystal.
Prin"ci*pal, n. 1.
A leader, chief, or head; one who takes the lead; one who acts
independently, or who has controlling authority or influence; as, the
principal of a faction, a school, a firm, etc.; --
distinguished from a subordinate, abettor,
auxiliary, or assistant.
2. Hence: (Law) (a) The
chief actor in a crime, or an abettor who is present at it, -- as
distinguished from an accessory. (b)
A chief obligor, promisor, or debtor, -- as distinguished from a
surety. (c) One who employs another
to act for him, -- as distinguished from an agent.
Wharton. Bouvier. Burrill.
3. A thing of chief or prime importance;
something fundamental or especially conspicuous. Specifically:
(a) (Com.) A capital sum of money, placed
out at interest, due as a debt or used as a fund; -- so called in
distinction from interest or profit.
(b) (Arch. & Engin.) The construction
which gives shape and strength to a roof, -- generally a truss of
timber or iron, but there are roofs with stone principals.
Also, loosely, the most important member of a piece of framing.
(c) (Mus.) In English organs the chief
open metallic stop, an octave above the open diapason. On the manual
it is four feet long, on the pedal eight feet. In Germany this term
corresponds to the English open diapason. (d)
(O. Eng. Law) A heirloom; a mortuary. Cowell.
(e) pl. The first two long feathers of a
hawk's wing. Spenser. J. H. Walsh.
(f) One of turrets or pinnacles of waxwork and
tapers with which the posts and center of a funeral hearse were
formerly crowned. Oxf. Gloss. (g) A
principal or essential point or rule; a principle. [Obs.]
Prin`ci*pal"i*ty (?), n.; pl.
Principalities (#). [L. principalitas
preëminence, excellence: cf. F. principalité,
principauté. See Principal.] 1.
Sovereignty; supreme power; hence, superiority; predominance;
high, or the highest, station. Sir P. Sidney.
Your principalities shall come down, even the
crown of your glory.
Jer. xiii. 18.
The prerogative and principality above
everything else.
Jer. Taylor.
2. A prince; one invested with
sovereignty. "Next upstood Nisroch, of principalities the
prime." Milton.
3. The territory or jurisdiction of a prince;
or the country which gives title to a prince; as, the
principality of Wales.
Prin"ci*pal*ly (?), adv. In a
principal manner; primarily; above all; chiefly; mainly.
Prin"ci*pal*ness, n. The quality of
being principal.
Prin"ci*pate (?), n. [L.
principatus: cf. F. principat.] Principality;
supreme rule. [Obs.] Barrow.
||Prin*cip"i*a (?), n. pl. [L.
principium. See Principle.] First principles;
fundamental beginnings; elements; as. Newton's
Principia.
Prin*cip"i*al (?), a.
Elementary. [Obs.] Bacon.
Prin*cip"i*ant (?), a. [L.
principians, p. pr. of principiare to begin, fr.
principium. See Principle.] Relating to principles
or beginnings. [R.] Jer. Taylor.
Prin*cip"i*ate (?), v. t. [See
Principiant.] To begin; to initiate. [Obs.] Sir
M. Hale.
Prin*cip`i*a"tion (?), n. Analysis
into primary or elemental parts. [Archaic] Bacon.
Prin"ci*ple (?), n. [F. principe,
L. principium beginning, foundation, fr. princeps, -
cipis. See Prince.] 1. Beginning;
commencement. [Obs.]
Doubting sad end of principle
unsound.
Spenser.
2. A source, or origin; that from which
anything proceeds; fundamental substance or energy; primordial
substance; ultimate element, or cause.
The soul of man is an active
principle.
Tillotson.
3. An original faculty or endowment.
Nature in your principles hath set
[benignity].
Chaucer.
Those active principles whose direct and
ultimate object is the communication either of enjoyment or
suffering.
Stewart.
4. A fundamental truth; a comprehensive law or
doctrine, from which others are derived, or on which others are
founded; a general truth; an elementary proposition; a maxim; an
axiom; a postulate.
Therefore, leaving the principles of the
doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection.
Heb.
vi. 1.
A good principle, not rightly understood, may
prove as hurtful as a bad.
Milton.
5. A settled rule of action; a governing law
of conduct; an opinion or belief which exercises a directing influence
on the life and behavior; a rule (usually, a right rule) of conduct
consistently directing one's actions; as, a person of no
principle.
All kinds of dishonesty destroy our pretenses to an
honest principle of mind.
Law.
6. (Chem.) Any original inherent
constituent which characterizes a substance, or gives it its essential
properties, and which can usually be separated by analysis; -- applied
especially to drugs, plant extracts, etc.
Cathartine is the bitter, purgative principle of
senna.
Gregory.
Bitter principle, Principle of
contradiction, etc. See under Bitter,
Contradiction, etc.
Prin"ci*ple (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Principled (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Principling (?).] To equip with principles;
to establish, or fix, in certain principles; to impress with any
tenet, or rule of conduct, good or ill.
Governors should be well
principled.
L'Estrange.
Let an enthusiast be principled that he or his
teacher is inspired.
Locke.
{ Prin"cock (?), Prin"cox (?), }
n. [Prim + cock.] A coxcomb; a
pert boy. [Obs.]
Prink (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Prinked (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Prinking.] [Probably a nasalized form of prick. See
Prick, v. t., and cf. Prig,
Prank.] To dress or adjust one's self for show; to
prank.
Prink, v. t. To prank or dress up;
to deck fantastically. "And prink their hair with
daisies." Cowper.
Prink"er (?), n. One who
prinks.
Prin"prid`dle (?), n.
(Zoöl.) The long-tailed titmouse. [Prov.
Eng.]
Print (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Printed; p. pr. & vb. n.
Printing.] [Abbrev. fr. imprint. See Imprint, and
Press to squeeze.] 1. To fix or impress,
as a stamp, mark, character, idea, etc., into or upon
something.
A look will print a thought that never may
remove.
Surrey.
Upon his breastplate he beholds a dint,
Which in that field young Edward's sword did
print.
Sir John Beaumont.
Perhaps some footsteps printed in the
clay.
Roscommon.
2. To stamp something in or upon; to make an
impression or mark upon by pressure, or as by pressure.
Forth on his fiery steed betimes he rode,
That scarcely prints the turf on which he trod.
Dryden.
3. Specifically: To strike off an impression
or impressions of, from type, or from stereotype, electrotype, or
engraved plates, or the like; in a wider sense, to do the typesetting,
presswork, etc., of (a book or other publication); as, to print
books, newspapers, pictures; to print an edition of a
book.
4. To stamp or impress with colored figures or
patterns; as, to print calico.
5. (Photog.) To take (a copy, a
positive picture, etc.), from a negative, a transparent drawing, or
the like, by the action of light upon a sensitized surface.
Printed goods, textile fabrics printed in
patterns, especially cotton cloths, or calicoes.
Print, v. i. 1. To
use or practice the art of typography; to take impressions of letters,
figures, or electrotypes, engraved plates, or the like.
2. To publish a book or an article.
From the moment he prints, he must except to
hear no more truth.
Pope.
Print, n. [See Print,
v., Imprint, n.]
1. A mark made by impression; a line, character,
figure, or indentation, made by the pressure of one thing on another;
as, the print of teeth or nails in flesh; the print of
the foot in sand or snow.
Where print of human feet was never
seen.
Dryden.
2. A stamp or die for molding or impressing an
ornamental design upon an object; as, a butter print.
3. That which receives an impression, as from
a stamp or mold; as, a print of butter.
4. Printed letters; the impression taken from
type, as to excellence, form, size, etc.; as, small print;
large print; this line is in print.
5. That which is produced by printing.
Specifically: (a) An impression taken from
anything, as from an engraved plate. "The prints which we
see of antiquities." Dryden. (b) A printed
publication, more especially a newspaper or other periodical.
Addison. (c) A printed cloth; a fabric
figured by stamping, especially calico or cotton cloth.
(d) A photographic copy, or positive picture, on
prepared paper, as from a negative, or from a drawing on transparent
paper.
6. (Founding) A core print. See under
Core.
Blue print, a copy in white lines on a blue
ground, of a drawing, plan, tracing, etc., or a positive picture in
blue and white, from a negative, produced by photographic printing on
peculiarly prepared paper. -- In print.
(a) In a printed form; issued from the press;
published. Shak. (b) To the letter;
with accurateness. "All this I speak in print."
Shak. -- Out of print. See under
Out. -- Print works, a factory where
cloth, as calico, is printed.
Print"a-ble (?), a. Worthy to be
published. [R.]
Print"er (?), n. One who prints;
especially, one who prints books, newspapers, engravings, etc., a
compositor; a typesetter; a pressman.
Printer's devil, Printer's
gauge. See under Devil, and Gauge. --
Printer's ink. See Printing ink,
below.
Print"er*y (?), n. A place where
cloth is printed; print works; also, a printing office. [R.]
Print"ing, n. The act, art, or
practice of impressing letters, characters, or figures on paper,
cloth, or other material; the business of a printer, including
typesetting and presswork, with their adjuncts; typography; also, the
act of producing photographic prints.
Block printing. See under Block.
-- Printing frame (Photog.), a shallow
box, usually having a glass front, in which prints are made by
exposure to light. -- Printing house, a
printing office. -- Printing ink, ink used
in printing books, newspapers, etc. It is composed of lampblack or
ivory black mingled with linseed or nut oil, made thick by boiling and
burning. Other ingredients are employed for the finer qualities.
Ure. -- Printing office, a place where
books, pamphlets, or newspapers, etc., are printed. --
Printing paper, paper used in the printing of
books, pamphlets, newspapers, and the like, as distinguished from
writing paper, wrapping paper, etc. -- Printing
press, a press for printing, books, newspaper,
handbills, etc. -- Printing wheel, a wheel
with letters or figures on its periphery, used in machines for paging
or numbering, or in ticket-printing machines, typewriters, etc.; a
type wheel.
Print"less, a. Making no
imprint. Milton.
Print"less, a. Making no
imprint. Milton.
Print"shop`, n. A shop where prints
are sold.
Pri"or (?), a. [L. prior former,
previous, better, superior; compar. corresponding to primus
first, and pro for. See Former, and cf. Prime,
a., and Pre-, Pro-.] Preceding in
the order of time; former; antecedent; anterior; previous; as, a
prior discovery; prior obligation; -- used elliptically
in cases like the following: he lived alone [in the time] prior
to his marriage.
Pri"or, n. [OE. priour, OF.
priour, prior, priur, F. prieur, from L.
prior former, superior. See Prior, a.]
(Eccl.) The superior of a priory, and next below an abbot
in dignity.
Conventical, or Conventual,
prior, a prior who is at the head of his own
house. See the Note under Priory. -- Claustral
prior, an official next in rank to the abbot in a
monastery; prior of the cloisters.
Pri"or*ate (?), n. [LL.
prioratus: cf. F. priorat.] The dignity, office, or
government, of a prior. T. Warton.
Pri"or*ess, n. [OF. prioresse.]
A lady superior of a priory of nuns, and next in dignity to an
abbess.
Pri*or"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F.
priorité. See Prior, a.]
1. The quality or state of being prior or
antecedent in time, or of preceding something else; as,
priority of application.
2. Precedence; superior rank.
Shak.
Priority of debts, a superior claim to
payment, or a claim to payment before others.
Syn. -- Antecedence; precedence; preëminence.
Pri"or*ly (?), adv.
Previously. [R.] Geddes.
Pri"or*ship, n. The state or office
of prior; priorate.
Pri"o*ry (?), n.; pl.
Priories (#). [Cf. LL. prioria. See
Prior, n.] A religious house presided
over by a prior or prioress; -- sometimes an offshoot of, an
subordinate to, an abbey, and called also cell, and
obedience. See Cell, 2.
&fist; Of such houses there were two sorts: one where the prior was
chosen by the inmates, and governed as independently as an abbot in an
abbey; the other where the priory was subordinate to an abbey, and the
prior was placed or displaced at the will of the abbot.
Alien priory, a small religious house
dependent on a large monastery in some other country.
Syn. -- See Cloister.
Pris (?), n. See Price, and
1st Prize. [Obs.]
Pris"age (?; 48), n. [OF. prisage
a praising, valuing, taxing; cf. LL. prisagium prisage; or from
F. prise a taking, capture, prize. See Prize.] (O.
Eng. Law) (a) A right belonging to the crown
of England, of taking two tuns of wine from every ship importing
twenty tuns or more, -- one before and one behind the mast. By charter
of Edward I. butlerage was substituted for this.
Blackstone. (b) The share of merchandise
taken as lawful prize at sea which belongs to the king or
admiral.
Pris*cil"lian*ist (?), n. (Eccl.
Hist.) A follower of Priscillian, bishop of Avila in
Spain, in the fourth century, who mixed various elements of Gnosticism
and Manicheism with Christianity.
Prise (?), n. An enterprise.
[Obs.] Spenser.
Prise, n. & v. See Prize,
n., 5. Also Prize, v.
t.
Pris"er (?), n. See 1st
Prizer. [Obs.]
Prism (pr&ibreve;z'm), n. [L.
prisma, Gr. pri`sma, fr. pri`zein,
pri`ein, to saw: cf. F. prisme.] 1.
(Geom.) A solid whose bases or ends are any similar,
equal, and parallel plane figures, and whose sides are
parallelograms.
&fist; Prisms of different forms are often named from the
figure of their bases; as, a triangular prism, a quadrangular
prism, a rhombic prism, etc.
2. (Opt.) A transparent body, with
usually three rectangular plane faces or sides, and two equal and
parallel triangular ends or bases; -- used in experiments on
refraction, dispersion, etc.
3. (Crystallog.) A form the planes of
which are parallel to the vertical axis. See Form,
n., 13.
Achromatic prism (Opt.), a prism
composed usually of two prisms of different transparent substances
which have unequal dispersive powers, as two different kinds of glass,
especially flint glass and crown glass, the difference of dispersive
power being compensated by giving them different refracting angles, so
that, when placed together so as to have opposite relative positions,
a ray of light passed through them is refracted or bent into a new
position, but is free from color. -- Nicol's
prism, Nicol prism. [So called from Wm.
Nicol, of Edinburgh, who first proposed it.] (Opt.)
An instrument for experiments in polarization, consisting of a
rhomb of Iceland spar, which has been bisected obliquely at a certain
angle, and the two parts again joined with transparent cement, so that
the ordinary image produced by double refraction is thrown out of the
field by total reflection from the internal cemented surface, and the
extraordinary, or polarized, image alone is transmitted.
{ Pris*mat"ic (?), Pris*mat"ic*al (?), }
a. [Cf. F. prismatique.] 1.
Resembling, or pertaining to, a prism; as, a prismatic
form or cleavage.
2. Separated or distributed by a prism; formed
by a prism; as, prismatic colors.
3. (Crystallog.) Same as
Orthorhombic.
Prismatic borax (Chem.), borax
crystallized in the form of oblique prisms, with ten molecules of
water; -- distinguished from octahedral borax. --
Prismatic colors (Opt.), the seven colors
into which light is resolved when passed through a prism; primary
colors. See Primary colors, under Color. --
Prismatic compass (Surv.), a compass
having a prism for viewing a distant object and the compass card at
the same time. -- Prismatic spectrum
(Opt.), the spectrum produced by the passage of light
through a prism.
Pris*mat"ic*al*ly, adv. In the form
or manner of a prism; by means of a prism.
Pris`ma*toid"al (?), a. [Gr. &?;, &?;,
prism + -oid: F. prismatoïde.] Having a
prismlike form. Ure.
Pris"moid (pr&ibreve;z"moid), n. [Cf. F.
prismtoïde.] A body that approaches to the form of a
prism.
Pris*moid"al (?), a. Having the
form of a prismoid; as, prismoidal solids.
Pris"my (?), a. Pertaining to a
prism. [R.]
Pris"on (?; 277), n. [F., fr. L.
prehensio, prensio, a seizing, arresting, fr.
prehendre, prendere, to lay hold of, to seize. See
Prehensile, and cf. Prize, n.,
Misprision.] 1. A place where persons are
confined, or restrained of personal liberty; hence, a place or state
o&?; confinement, restraint, or safe custody.
Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise
thy name.
Ps. cxlii. 7.
The tyrant Æolus, . . .
With power imperial, curbs the struggling winds,
And sounding tempests in dark prisons binds.
Dryden.
2. Specifically, a building for the safe
custody or confinement of criminals and others committed by lawful
authority.
Prison bars, or Prison base.
See Base, n., 24. -- Prison
breach. (Law) See Note under 3d Escape,
n., 4. -- Prison house, a
prison. Shak. -- Prison ship
(Naut.), a ship fitted up for the confinement of
prisoners. -- Prison van, a carriage in
which prisoners are conveyed to and from prison.
Pris"on, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Prisoned (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Prisoning.] 1. To imprison; to shut up in,
or as in, a prison; to confine; to restrain from liberty.
The prisoned eagle dies for rage.
Sir W. Scott.
His true respect will prison false
desire.
Shak.
2. To bind (together); to enchain.
[Obs.]
Sir William Crispyn with the duke was led
Together prisoned.
Robert of Brunne.
Pris"on*er (?), n. [F.
prisonnier.] 1. One who is confined in a
prison. Piers Plowman.
2. A person under arrest, or in custody,
whether in prison or not; a person held in involuntary restraint; a
captive; as, a prisoner at the bar of a court.
Bouvier.
Prisoner of Hope thou art, -- look up and
sing.
Keble.
Prisoner's base. See Base,
n., 24.
Pris"on*ment (?), n.
Imprisonment. [Obs.] Shak.
Pris"tin*ate (?), a. Pristine;
primitive. [Obs.] "Pristinate idolatry."
Holinshed.
Pris"tine (?), a. [L. pristinus,
akin to prior: cf. F. pristin. See Prior,
a.] Belonging to the earliest period or state;
original; primitive; primeval; as, the pristine state of
innocence; the pristine manners of a people; pristine
vigor.
Pritch (?), n. [See Prick.]
1. A sharp-pointed instrument; also, an
eelspear. [Prov. Eng.]
2. Pique; offense. [Obs.] D.
Rogers.
Pritch"el (?), n. A tool employed
by blacksmiths for punching or enlarging the nail holes in a
horseshoe.
Prith"ee (?), interj. A corruption
of pray thee; as, I prithee; generally used without
I. Shak.
What was that scream for, I
prithee?
L'Estrange.
Prithee, tell me, Dimple-chin.
E. C. Stedman.
Prit"tle-prat`tle (?), n. [See
Prattle.] Empty talk; trifling loquacity; prattle; -- used
in contempt or ridicule. [Colloq.] Abp. Bramhall.
Pri"va*cy (?), n.; pl.
Privacies (#). [See Private.]
1. The state of being in retirement from the
company or observation of others; seclusion.
2. A place of seclusion from company or
observation; retreat; solitude; retirement.
Her sacred privacies all open lie.
Rowe.
3. Concealment of what is said or done.
Shak.
4. A private matter; a secret.
Fuller.
5. See Privity, 2. [Obs.]
Arbuthnot.
Pri*va"do (?), n. [Sp., fr. L.
privatus. See Private.] A private friend; a
confidential friend; a confidant. [Obs.] Fuller.
Pri"vate (?; 48), a. [L. privatus
apart from the state, peculiar to an individual, private, properly p.
p. of privare to bereave, deprive, originally, to separate, fr.
privus single, private, perhaps originally, put forward (hence,
alone, single) and akin to prae before. See Prior,
a., and cf. Deprive, Privy,
a.] 1. Belonging to, or
concerning, an individual person, company, or interest; peculiar to
one's self; unconnected with others; personal; one's own; not public;
not general; separate; as, a man's private opinion;
private property; a private purse; private
expenses or interests; a private secretary.
2. Sequestered from company or observation;
appropriated to an individual; secret; secluded; lonely; solitary; as,
a private room or apartment; private prayer.
Reason . . . then retires
Into her private cell when nature rests.
Milton.
3. Not invested with, or engaged in, public
office or employment; as, a private citizen; private
life. Shak.
A private person may arrest a
felon.
Blackstone.
4. Not publicly known; not open; secret; as, a
private negotiation; a private understanding.
5. Having secret or private knowledge;
privy. [Obs.]
Private act or statute, a
statute exclusively for the settlement of private and personal
interests, of which courts do not take judicial notice; -- opposed to
a general law, which operates on the whole community. --
Private nuisance or wrong. See
Nuisance. -- Private soldier. See
Private, n., 5. -- Private
way, a right of private passage over another man's
ground. Kent.
Pri"vate (prī"v&asl;t), n.
1. A secret message; a personal unofficial
communication. [Obs.] Shak.
2. Personal interest; particular
business.[Obs.]
Nor must I be unmindful of my
private.
B. Jonson.
3. Privacy; retirement. [Archaic] "Go
off; I discard you; let me enjoy my private." Shak.
4. One not invested with a public
office. [Archaic]
What have kings, that privates have not
too?
Shak.
5. (Mil.) A common soldier; a soldier
below the grade of a noncommissioned officer.
Macaulay.
6. pl. The private parts; the
genitals.
In private, secretly; not openly or
publicly.
Pri`va*teer" (prī`v&adot;*tēr"),
n. [From Private.] 1. An
armed private vessel which bears the commission of the sovereign power
to cruise against the enemy. See Letters of marque, under
Marque.
2. The commander of a privateer.
Kidd soon threw off the character of a privateer
and became a pirate.
Macaulay.
Pri`va*teer", v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Privateered (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Privateering.] To cruise in a privateer.
Pri`va*teer"ing, n. Cruising in a
privateer.
Pri`va*teers"man (?), n.; pl.
Privateersmen (&?;). An officer or seaman of a
privateer.
Pri"vate*ly (prī"v&asl;t*l&ybreve;),
adv.
1. In a private manner; not openly; without
the presence of others.
2. In a manner affecting an individual;
personally; not officially; as, he is not privately
benefited.
Pri"vate*ness, n.
1. Seclusion from company or society;
retirement; privacy; secrecy. Bacon.
2. The state of one not invested with public
office.
Pri*va"tion (pr&isl;*vā"shŭn),
n. [L. privatio: cf. F. privation. See
Private.] 1. The act of depriving, or
taking away; hence, the depriving of rank or office; degradation in
rank; deprivation. Bacon.
2. The state of being deprived or destitute of
something, especially of something required or desired; destitution;
need; as, to undergo severe privations.
3. The condition of being absent; absence;
negation.
Evil will be known by consequence, as being only a
privation, or absence, of good.
South.
Privation mere of light and absent
day.
Milton.
Priv"a*tive (?), a. [L.
privativus: cf. F. privatif. See Private.]
1. Causing privation; depriving.
2. Consisting in the absence of something; not
positive; negative.
Privative blessings, blessings of immunity,
safeguard, liberty, and integrity.
Jer.
Taylor.
3. (Gram.) Implying privation or
negation; giving a negative force to a word; as, alpha
privative; privative particles; -- applied to such
prefixes and suffixes as a- (Gr. &?;), un-, non-,
-less.
Priv"a*tive, n.
1. That of which the essence is the absence of
something.
Blackness and darkness are indeed but
privatives.
Bacon.
2. (Logic) A term indicating the
absence of any quality which might be naturally or rationally
expected; -- called also privative term.
3. (Gram.) A privative prefix or
suffix. See Privative, a., 3.
Priv"a*tive*ly, adv. In a privative
manner; by the absence of something; negatively. [R.]
Hammond.
Priv"a*tive*ness, n. The state of
being privative.
Priv"et (?), n. [Cf. Scot.
privie, Prov. E. prim-print, primwort. Prob. for
primet, and perh. named from being cut and trimmed. See,
Prim, a., and cf. Prime to prune,
Prim, n., Prie, n.] (Bot.)
An ornamental European shrub (Ligustrum vulgare), much
used in hedges; -- called also prim.
Egyptian privet. See Lawsonia. --
Evergreen privet, a plant of the genus
Rhamnus. See Alatern. -- Mock
privet, any one of several evergreen shrubs of the genus
Phillyrea. They are from the Mediterranean region, and have
been much cultivated for hedges and for fancifully clipped
shrubberies.
Priv"i*lege (?), n. [F.
privilège, L. privilegium an ordinance or law
against or in favor of an individual; privus private +
lex, legis, law. See Private, and
Legal.]
1. A peculiar benefit, advantage, or favor; a
right or immunity not enjoyed by others or by all; special enjoyment
of a good, or exemption from an evil or burden; a prerogative;
advantage; franchise.
He pleads the legal privilege of a
Roman.
Kettlewell.
The privilege birthright was a double
portion.
Locke.
A people inheriting privileges, franchises, and
liberties.
Burke.
2. (Stockbroker's Cant) See
Call, Put, Spread, etc.
Breach of privilege. See under
Breach. -- Question of privilege
(Parliamentary practice), a question which concerns the
security of a member of a legislative body in his special privileges
as such. -- Water privilege, the advantage
of having machinery driven by a stream, or a place affording such
advantage. [ U. S.] -- Writ of privilege
(Law), a writ to deliver a privileged person from custody
when arrested in a civil suit. Blackstone.
Syn. -- Prerogative; immunity; franchise; right; claim;
liberty. -- Privilege, Prerogative. Privilege,
among the Romans, was something conferred upon an individual by a
private law; and hence, it denotes some peculiar benefit or advantage,
some right or immunity, not enjoyed by the world at large.
Prerogative, among the Romans, was the right of voting first;
and, hence, it denotes a right of precedence, or of doing certain
acts, or enjoying certain privileges, to the exclusion of others. It
is the privilege of a member of Congress not to be called in
question elsewhere for words uttered in debate. It is the
prerogative of the president to nominate judges and executive
officers. It is the privilege of a Christian child to be
instructed in the true religion. It is the prerogative of a
parent to govern and direct his children.
Priv"i*lege (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Privileged (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Privileging.] [Cf. F.
privilégier.]
1. To grant some particular right or exemption
to; to invest with a peculiar right or immunity; to authorize; as, to
privilege representatives from arrest.
To privilege dishonor in thy name.
Shak.
2. To bring or put into a condition of
privilege or exemption from evil or danger; to exempt; to
deliver.
He took this place for sanctuary, And it shall
privilege him from your hands.
Shak.
Priv"i*leged (?), a. Invested with
a privilege; enjoying a peculiar right, advantage, or
immunity.
Privileged communication. (Law)
(a) A communication which can not be disclosed
without the consent of the party making it, -- such as those made by a
client to his legal adviser, or by persons to their religious or
medical advisers. (b) A communication which
does not expose the party making it to indictment for libel, -- such
as those made by persons communicating confidentially with a
government, persons consulted confidentially as to the character of
servants, etc. -- Privileged debts
(Law), those to which a preference in payment is given out
of the estate of a deceased person, or out of the estate of an
insolvent. Wharton. Burrill. -- Privileged
witnesses (Law) witnesses who are not obliged to
testify as to certain things, as lawyers in relation to their dealings
with their clients, and officers of state as to state secrets; also,
by statute, clergymen and physicans are placed in the same category,
so far as concerns information received by them
professionally.
Priv"i*ly, adv. In a privy manner;
privately; secretly. Chaucer. 2 Pet. ii. 1.
Priv"i*ty (?), n.; pl.
Privities (-t&ibreve;z). [From Privy,
a.: cf. F. privauté extreme
familiarity.]
1. Privacy; secrecy; confidence.
Chaucer.
I will unto you, in privity, discover . . . my
purpose.
Spenser.
2. Private knowledge; joint knowledge with
another of a private concern; cognizance implying consent or
concurrence.
All the doors were laid open for his departure, not
without the privity of the Prince of Orange.
Swift.
3. A private matter or business; a
secret. Chaucer.
4. pl. The genitals; the
privates.
5. (Law) A connection, or bond of
union, between parties, as to some particular transaction; mutual or
successive relationship to the same rights of property.
Priv"y (?), a. [F. privé,
fr. L. privatus. See Private.]
1. Of or pertaining to some person
exclusively; assigned to private uses; not public; private; as, the
privy purse. " Privee knights and squires."
Chaucer.
2. Secret; clandestine. " A
privee thief." Chaucer.
3. Appropriated to retirement; private; not
open to the public. " Privy chambers." Ezek. xxi.
14.
4. Admitted to knowledge of a secret
transaction; secretly cognizant; privately knowing.
His wife also being privy to it.
Acts v. 2.
Myself am one made privy to the
plot.
Shak.
Privy chamber, a private apartment in a royal
residence. [Eng.] -- Privy council (Eng.
Law), the principal council of the sovereign, composed of the
cabinet ministers and other persons chosen by the king or queen.
Burrill. -- Privy councilor, a member of
the privy council. -- Privy purse, moneys
set apart for the personal use of the monarch; also, the title of the
person having charge of these moneys. [Eng.] Macaulay. --
Privy seal or signet, the seal
which the king uses in grants, etc., which are to pass the great seal,
or which he uses in matters of subordinate consequence which do not
require the great seal; also, elliptically, the principal secretary of
state, or person intrusted with the privy seal. [Eng.] --
Privy verdict, a verdict given privily to the
judge out of court; -- now disused. Burrill.
Priv"y, n.; pl.
Privies (&?;).
1. (Law) A partaker; a person having an
interest in any action or thing; one who has an interest in an estate
created by another; a person having an interest derived from a
contract or conveyance to which he is not himself a party. The term,
in its proper sense, is distinguished from party.
Burrill. Wharton.
2. A necessary house or place; a
backhouse.
Priz"a*ble (?), a. Valuable.
H. Taylor.
Prize (prīz), n. [F. prise
a seizing, hold, grasp, fr. pris, p. p. of prendre to
take, L. prendere, prehendere; in some senses, as 2
(b), either from, or influenced by, F. prix
price. See Prison, Prehensile, and cf. Pry, and
also Price.]
1. That which is taken from another; something
captured; a thing seized by force, stratagem, or superior
power.
I will depart my pris, or my prey, by
deliberation.
Chaucer.
His own prize,
Whom formerly he had in battle won.
Spenser.
2. Hence, specifically; (a)
(Law) Anything captured by a belligerent using the rights
of war; esp., property captured at sea in virtue of the rights of war,
as a vessel. Kent. Brande & C. (b)
An honor or reward striven for in a competitive contest; anything
offered to be competed for, or as an inducement to, or reward of,
effort.
I'll never wrestle for prize more.
Shak.
I fought and conquered, yet have lost the
prize.
Dryden.
(c) That which may be won by chance, as in a
lottery.
3. Anything worth striving for; a valuable
possession held or in prospect.
I press toward the mark for the prize of the
high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Phil. iii.
14.
4. A contest for a reward; competition.
[Obs.] Shak.
5. A lever; a pry; also, the hold of a
lever. [Written also prise.]
Prize court, a court having jurisdiction of
all captures made in war on the high seas. Bouvier. --
Prize fight, an exhibition contest, esp. one of
pugilists, for a stake or wager. -- Prize
fighter, one who fights publicly for a reward; --
applied esp. to a professional boxer or pugilist. Pope. --
Prize fighting, fighting, especially boxing, in
public for a reward or wager. -- Prize master,
an officer put in charge or command of a captured vessel. --
Prize medal, a medal given as a prize. --
Prize money, a dividend from the proceeds of a
captured vessel, etc., paid to the captors. -- Prize
ring, the ring or inclosure for a prize fight; the
system and practice of prize fighting. -- To make prize
of, to capture. Hawthorne.
Prize (?), v. t. To move with a
lever; to force up or open; to pry. [Written also
prise.]
Prize, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Prized (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Prizing.] [F. priser, OF. prisier,
preisier, fr. L. pretiare, fr. pretium worth,
value, price. See Price, and cf. Praise.] [Formerly
written also prise. ]
1. To set or estimate the value of; to
appraise; to price; to rate.
A goodly price that I was prized
at.
Zech. xi. 13.
I prize it [life] not a straw, but for mine
honor.
Shak.
2. To value highly; to estimate to be of great
worth; to esteem. "[I] do love, prize, honor you. "
Shak.
I prized your person, but your crown
disdain.
Dryden.
Prize, n. [F. prix price. See 3d
Prize. ] Estimation; valuation. [Obs.]
Shak.
Prize"man (?), n.; pl.
Prizemen (&?;). The winner of a
prize.
Priz"er (?), n. [See 3d Prize.]
One who estimates or sets the value of a thing; an
appraiser. Shak.
Priz"er, n. [See 1st Prize.]
One who contends for a prize; a prize fighter; a
challenger. [Obs.] Shak.
Appeareth no man yet to answer the
prizer.
B. Jonson.
Priz"ing, n. [See 2d Prize.]
The application of a lever to move any weighty body, as a cask,
anchor, cannon, car, etc. See Prize, n.,
5.
Pro- (?). [L. pro, or Gr. &?;. See Pro.]
A prefix signifying before, in front, forth,
for, in behalf of, in place of, according
to; as, propose, to place before; proceed, to go
before or forward; project, to throw forward; prologue,
part spoken before (the main piece); propel,
prognathous; provide, to look out for; pronoun, a
word instead of a noun; proconsul, a person acting in place of
a consul; proportion, arrangement according to parts.
||Pro, prep. [L.; akin to prae
before, Gr. &?;, and E. for. See For, prep., and
cf. Prior, a.] A Latin preposition
signifying for, before, forth.
Pro confesso [L.] (Law), taken as
confessed. The action of a court of equity on that portion of the
pleading in a particular case which the pleading on the other side
does not deny. -- Pro rata. [L. See
Prorate.] In proportion; proportion. -- Pro re
nata [L.] (Law), for the existing occasion; as
matters are.
Pro, adv. For, on, or in behalf of,
the affirmative side; -- in contrast with con.
Pro and con, for and against, on the
affirmative and on the negative side; as, they debated the question
pro and con; -- formerly used also as a verb. --
Pros and cons, the arguments or reasons on
either side.
Pro"a (?), n. [Malay
prā&?;, prāh&?;.] (Naut.) A
sailing canoe of the Ladrone Islands and Malay Archipelago, having its
lee side flat and its weather side like that of an ordinary boat. The
ends are alike. The canoe is long and narrow, and is kept from
overturning by a cigar-shaped log attached to a frame extending
several feet to windward. It has been called the flying proa,
and is the swiftest sailing craft known.
Proach (?), v. i. See
Approach. [Obs.]
Pro*at"las (?), n. [Pref. pro- +
atlas.] (Anat.) A vertebral rudiment in front of
the atlas in some reptiles.
Prob`a*bil"i*o*rism (?), n. The
doctrine of the probabiliorists.
Prob`a*bil"i*o*rist (?), n. [From L.
probabilior, compar. of probabilis probable.]
(Casuistry) One who holds, in opposition to the
probabilists, that a man is bound to do that which is most probably
right.
Prob"a*bil*ism (?), n. [Cf. F.
probabilisme.] The doctrine of the probabilists.
Prob"a*bil*ist, n. [Cf. F.
probabiliste.]
1. One who maintains that certainty is
impossible, and that probability alone is to govern our faith and
actions.
2. (Casuistry) One who maintains that a
man may do that which has a probability of being right, or which is
inculcated by teachers of authority, although other opinions may seem
to him still more probable.
Prob`a*bil"i*ty, n.; pl.
Probabilities (#). [L. probabilitas: cf. F.
probabilité.]
1. The quality or state of being probable;
appearance of reality or truth; reasonable ground of presumption;
likelihood.
Probability is the appearance of the agreement
or disagreement of two ideas, by the intervention of proofs whose
connection is not constant, but appears for the most part to be
so.
Locke.
2. That which is or appears probable; anything
that has the appearance of reality or truth.
The whole life of man is a perpetual comparison of
evidence and balancing of probabilities.
Buckminster.
We do not call for evidence till antecedent
probabilities fail.
J. H. Newman.
3. (Math.) Likelihood of the occurrence
of any event in the doctrine of chances, or the ratio of the number of
favorable chances to the whole number of chances, favorable and
unfavorable. See 1st Chance, n., 5.
Syn. -- Likeliness; credibleness; likelihood; chance.
Prob"a*ble (?), a. [L.
probabilis, fr. probare to try, approve, prove: cf. F.
probable. See Prove, and cf. Provable.]
1. Capable of being proved. [Obs.]
2. Having more evidence for than against;
supported by evidence which inclines the mind to believe, but leaves
some room for doubt; likely.
That is accounted probable which has better
arguments producible for it than can be brought against
it.
South.
I do not say that the principles of religion are merely
probable; I have before asserted them to be morally
certain.
Bp. Wilkins.
3. Rendering probable; supporting, or giving
ground for, belief, but not demonstrating; as, probable
evidence; probable presumption. Blackstone.
Probable cause (Law), a reasonable
ground of presumption that a charge is, or my be, well founded. -
- Probable error (of an observation, or of the
mean of a number), that within which, taken positively and negatively,
there is an even chance that the real error shall lie. Thus, if
3″ is the probable error in a given case, the chances that the
real error is greater than 3″ are equal to the chances that it
is less. The probable error is computed from the observations made,
and is used to express their degree of accuracy. -- The
probable, that which is within the bounds of
probability; that which is not unnatural or preternatural; -- opposed
to the marvelous.
Prob"a*bly (?), adv. In a probable
manner; in likelihood.
Distinguish between what may possibly and what will
probably be done.
L'Estrange.
Pro"ba*cy (?), n. [See Probate.]
Proof; trial. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Pro"bal (?), a. Approved;
probable. [Obs.] Shak.
Pro*bal"i*ty (?), n.
Probability. [Obs.] "With as great probality."
Holland.
Pro"bang (?), n. [See Probe.]
A slender elastic rod, as of whalebone, with a sponge on the end,
for removing obstructions from the esophagus, etc.
Pro"bate (?), n. [From L.
probatus, p. p. of probare to prove. See
Prove.]
1. Proof. [Obs.] Skelton.
2. (Law) (a) Official
proof; especially, the proof before a competent officer or tribunal
that an instrument offered, purporting to be the last will and
testament of a person deceased, is indeed his lawful act; the copy of
a will proved, under the seal of the Court of Probate, delivered to
the executors with a certificate of its having been proved.
Bouvier. Burrill. (b) The right or
jurisdiction of proving wills.
Pro"bate, a. Of or belonging to a
probate, or court of probate; as, a probate record.
Probate Court, or Court of
Probate, a court for the probate of wills. --
Probate duty, a government tax on property
passing by will. [Eng.]
Pro"bate (?), v. t. To obtain the
official approval of, as of an instrument purporting to be the last
will and testament; as, the executor has probated the
will.
Pro*ba"tion (?), n. [L. probatio,
fr. probare to try, examine, prove: cf. F. probation.
See Prove.]
1. The act of proving; also, that which proves
anything; proof. [Obs.]
When by miracle God dispensed great gifts to the laity,
. . . he gave probation that he intended that all should
prophesy and preach.
Jer. Taylor.
2. Any proceeding designed to ascertain truth,
to determine character, qualification, etc.; examination; trial; as,
to engage a person on probation. Hence, specifically:
(a) The novitiate which a person must pass in a
convent, to probe his or her virtue and ability to bear the severities
of the rule. (b) The trial of a ministerial
candidate's qualifications prior to his ordination, or to his
settlement as a pastor. (c) Moral trial;
the state of man in the present life, in which he has the opportunity
of proving his character, and becoming qualified for a happier
state.
No [view of human life] seems so reasonable as that
which regards it as a state of probation.
Paley.
Pro*ba"tion*al (?), a.
Probationary.
Pro*ba"tion*a*ry (?), a. Of or
pertaining to probation; serving for trial.
To consider this life . . . as a probationary
state.
Paley.
Pro*ba"tion*er (?), n.
1. One who is undergoing probation; one who is
on trial; a novice.
While yet a young probationer,
And candidate of heaven.
Dryden.
2. A student in divinity, who, having received
certificates of good morals and qualifications from his university, is
admitted to several trials by a presbytery, and, on acquitting himself
well, is licensed to preach. [Scot.]
Pro*ba"tion*er*ship, n. The state
of being a probationer; novitiate. Locke.
Pro*ba"tion*ship, n. A state of
probation.
Pro"ba*tive (?), a. [L.
probativus: cf. F. probatif.] Serving for trial or
proof; probationary; as, probative judgments; probative
evidence. South.
Pro*ba"tor (?), n. [L.]
1. An examiner; an approver.
Maydman.
2. (O. Eng. Law) One who, when indicted
for crime, confessed it, and accused others, his accomplices, in order
to obtain pardon; a state's evidence.
Pro"ba*to*ry (?), a. [Cf. F.
probatoire.] 1. Serving for trial;
probationary. Abp. Bramhall.
2. Pertaining to, or serving for, proof.
Jer. Taylor.
Probatory term (Law), a time for
taking testimony.
Probe (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Probed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Probing.] [L. probare to try, examine. See
Prove.]
1. To examine, as a wound, an ulcer, or some
cavity of the body, with a probe.
2. Fig.: to search to the bottom; to
scrutinize or examine thoroughly. Dryden.
The growing disposition to probe the legality of
all acts, of the crown.
Hallam.
Probe, n. (Surg.) An
instrument for examining the depth or other circumstances of a wound,
ulcer, or cavity, or the direction of a sinus, of for exploring for
bullets, for stones in the bladder, etc. Parr.
Probe, or Probe-pointed,
scissors (Surg.), scissors used to open
wounds, the blade of which, to be thrust into the orifice, has a
button at the end. Wiseman.
Pro"bea`gle (?), n. (Zoöl.)
See Porbeagle.
Probe"-point`ed (?), a. (Surg.)
Having a blunt or button-shaped extremity; -- said of cutting
instruments.
Prob"i*ty (?), n. [F.
probité, fr. L. probitas, fr. probus good,
proper, honest. Cf. Prove.] Tried virtue or integrity;
approved moral excellence; honesty; rectitude; uprightness.
"Probity of mind." Pope.
Syn. -- Probity, Integrity. Probity
denotes unimpeachable honesty and virtue, shown especially by the
performance of those obligations, called imperfect, which the
laws of the state do not reach, and can not enforce. Integrity
denotes a whole-hearted honesty, and especially that which
excludes all injustice that might favor one's self. It has a peculiar
reference to uprightness in mutual dealings, transfer of property, and
the execution of trusts for others.
Prob"lem (?), n. [F.
problème, L. problema, fr. Gr. &?; anything
thrown forward, a question proposed for solution, fr. &?; to throw or
lay before; &?; before, forward + &?; to throw. Cf. Parable.
]
1. A question proposed for solution; a matter
stated for examination or proof; hence, a matter difficult of solution
or settlement; a doubtful case; a question involving doubt.
Bacon.
2. (Math.) Anything which is required
to be done; as, in geometry, to bisect a line, to draw a
perpendicular; or, in algebra, to find an unknown quantity.
&fist; Problem differs from theorem in this, that a
problem is something to be done, as to bisect a triangle, to describe
a circle, etc.; a theorem is something to be proved, as that all the
angles of a triangle are equal to two right angles.
Plane problem (Geom.), a problem that
can be solved by the use of the rule and compass. --
Solid problem (Geom.), a problem
requiring in its geometric solution the use of a conic section or
higher curve.
{ Prob`lem*at"ic (?), Prob`lem*at"ic*al (?), }
a. [L. problematicus, Gr. &?;: cf. F.
problématique.] Having the nature of a problem; not
shown in fact; questionable; uncertain; unsettled; doubtful. --
Prob`lem*at"ic*al*ly, adv.
Diligent inquiries into remote and problematical
guilt leave a gate wide open to . . . informers.
Swift.
Prob"lem*a*tist (?), n. One who
proposes problems. [R.] Evelyn.
Prob"lem*a*tize (?), v. t. To
propose problems. [R.] "Hear him problematize." B.
Jonson.
Pro*bos"ci*date (?), a. [See
Proboscis.] (Zoöl.) Having a proboscis;
proboscidial.
||Pro`bos*cid"e*a (?), n. pl. [NL. See
Proboscis.] (Zoöl.) An order of large mammals
including the elephants and mastodons.
Pro`bos*cid"e*an (?), a.
(Zoöl.) Proboscidian.
Pro`bos*cid"i*al (?), a.
(Zoöl.) Proboscidate.
Pro`bos*cid"i*an (?), a.
(Zoöl.) Pertaining to the Proboscidea. --
n. One of the Proboscidea.
||Pro*bos`ci*dif"e*ra (?), n. pl. [NL.
See Proboscis, and -ferous.]
1. (Zoöl.) An extensive division
of pectinibranchiate gastropods, including those that have a long
retractile proboscis, with the mouth at the end, as the cones, whelks,
tritons, and cowries. See Illust. of Gastropoda, and of
Winkle.
2. (Zoöl.) A subdivision of the
tænioglossate gastropods, including the fig-shells
(Pyrula), the helmet shells (Cassis), the tritons, and
allied genera.
Pro`bos*cid"i*form (?), a. Having
the form or uses of a proboscis; as, a proboscidiform
mouth.
Pro*bos"cis (?), n.; pl.
Proboscides (#). [L. fr. Gr. &?;; &?; before + &?;
to feed, graze.] 1. (Zoöl.) A hollow
organ or tube attached to the head, or connected with the mouth, of
various animals, and generally used in taking food or drink; a snout;
a trunk.
&fist; The proboscis of an elephant is a flexible muscular
elongation of the nose. The proboscis of insects is usually a
chitinous tube formed by the modified maxillæ, or by the labium.
See Illusts. of Hemiptera and Lepidoptera.
2. (Zoöl.) By extension, applied
to various tubelike mouth organs of the lower animals that can be
everted or protruded.
&fist; The proboscis of annelids and of mollusks is usually a
portion of the pharynx that can be everted or protruded. That of
nemerteans is a special long internal organ, not connected with the
mouth, and not used in feeding, but capable of being protruded from a
pore in the head. See Illust. in Appendix.
3. The nose. [Jocose]
Proboscis monkey. (Zoöl.) See
Kahau.
Pro*ca"cious (?), a. [L. procax,
-acis, fr. procare to ask, demand.] Pert; petulant;
forward; saucy. [R.] Barrow.
Pro*cac"i*ty (?), n. [L.
procacitas.] Forwardness; pertness; petulance. [R.]
Burton.
||Pro*cam"bi*um (?), n. [NL. See Pro-
, and Cambium.] (Bot.) The young tissue of a
fibrovascular bundle before its component cells have begun to be
differentiated. Sachs.
Pro`cat*arc"tic (?), a. [Gr. &?;
beginning beforehand. fr. &?; to begin first; &?; before + &?; to
begin; &?; intens. + &?; to begin: cf. F. procatarctique. ]
(Med.) Beginning; predisposing; exciting; initial.
[Obs.]
&fist; The words procatarctic causes have been used with
different significations. Thus they have been employed synonymously
with prime causes, exciting causes, and
predisposing or remote causes.
The physician inquires into the procatarctic
causes.
Harvey.
||Pro`cat*arx"is (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr.
&?; first beginning.] (Med.) The kindling of a disease
into action; also, the procatarctic cause. Quincy.
||Pro`ce*den"do (?), n. [Abl. of the
gerundive of L. procedere. see Proceed.] (Law)
(a) A writ by which a cause which has been
removed on insufficient grounds from an inferior to a superior court
by certiorari, or otherwise, is sent down again to the same
court, to be proceeded in there. (b)
In English practice, a writ issuing out of chancery in cases
where the judges of subordinate courts delay giving judgment,
commanding them to proceed to judgment. (c)
A writ by which the commission of the justice of the peace is
revived, after having been suspended. Tomlins.
Burrill.
Pro*ce"dure (?), n. [F.
procédure. See Proceed.] 1.
The act or manner of proceeding or moving forward; progress;
process; operation; conduct. "The true procedure of
conscience." South.
2. A step taken; an act performed; a
proceeding; the steps taken in an action or other legal
proceeding. "Gracious procedures." I. Taylor.
3. That which results; issue; product.
[Obs.] Bacon.
Pro*ceed" (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Proceeded; p. pr. & vb. n.
Proceeding.] [F. procéder. fr. L.
procedere, processum, to go before, to proceed;
pro forward + cedere to move. See Cede.]
1. To move, pass, or go forward or onward; to
advance; to continue or renew motion begun; as, to proceed on a
journey.
If thou proceed in this thy
insolence.
Shak.
2. To pass from one point, topic, or stage, to
another; as, to proceed with a story or argument.
3. To issue or come forth as from a source or
origin; to come from; as, light proceeds from the
sun.
I proceeded forth and came from
God.
John viii. 42.
It proceeds from policy, not love.
Shak.
4. To go on in an orderly or regulated manner;
to begin and carry on a series of acts or measures; to act by method;
to prosecute a design.
He that proceeds upon other principles in his
inquiry.
Locke.
5. To be transacted; to take place; to
occur. [Obs.]
He will, after his sour fashion, tell you
What hath proceeded worthy note to-day.
Shak.
6. To have application or effect; to
operate.
This rule only proceeds and takes place when a
person can not of common law condemn another by his
sentence.
Ayliffe.
7. (Law) To begin and carry on a legal
process.
Syn. -- To advance; go on; continue; progress; issue; arise;
emanate.
Pro"ceed (?), n. See
Proceeds. [Obs.] Howell.
Pro*ceed"er (?), n. One who
proceeds.
Pro*ceed"ing, n. 1.
The act of one who proceeds, or who prosecutes a design or
transaction; progress or movement from one thing to another; a measure
or step taken in a course of business; a transaction; as, an illegal
proceeding; a cautious or a violent
proceeding.
The proceedings of the high
commission.
Macaulay.
2. pl. (Law) The course of
procedure in the prosecution of an action at law.
Blackstone.
Proceedings of a society, the published
record of its action, or of things done at its meetings.
Syn. -- Procedure; measure; step, See
Transaction.
Pro"ceeds (?), n. pl. That which
comes forth or results; effect; yield; issue; product; sum accruing
from a sale, etc.
Proc`e*leus*mat"ic (?), a. [L.
proceleusmaticus, Gr. &?;, fr. &?; to rouse to action
beforehand; &?; + &?; to incite; cf. F.
procéleusmatique.]
1. Inciting; animating; encouraging.
[R.] Johnson.
2. (Pros.) Consisting of four short
syllables; composed of feet of four short syllables each.
Proc`e*leus*mat"ic (?), n.
(Pros.) A foot consisting of four short
syllables.
Pro`cel*la"ri*an (?), n. [L.
procella a storm.] (Zoöl.) One of a family of
oceanic birds (Procellaridæ) including the petrels,
fulmars, and shearwaters. They are often seen in great abundance in
stormy weather.
Pro*cel"lous (?), a. [L.
procellosus, fr. procella a storm.] Stormy.
[Obs.] Bailey.
Pro`ce*phal"ic (?), a. [Pref. pro-
+ cephalic.] (Zoöl.) Pertaining to, or
forming, the front of the head.
Procephalic lobe (Zoöl.), that
part of the head of an invertebrate animal which is in front of the
mouth.
Pro*cep"tion (?), n. [Pref. pro-
+ L. capere to take.] Preoccupation. [Obs.]
Eikon Basilik&?;.
Pro*cere" (?), a. [L. procerus
tall.] Of high stature; tall. [Obs.] Evelyn.
Pro*cer"e*brum (?), n. [Pref. pro-
+ cerebrum.] (Anat.) The
prosencephalon.
||Proc"e*res (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. L.
procer &?; chief.] (Zoöl.) An order of large
birds; the Ratitæ; -- called also Proceri.
Proc"er*ite (?), n. [Pref. pro- +
Gr. &?; &?; horn.] (Zoöl.) The segment next to the
flagellum of the antennæ of Crustacea.
Pro*cer"i*ty (?), n. [L.
proceritas.] Height of stature; tallness. [R.]
Johnson.
Proc"ess, n. [F. procès,
L. processus. See Proceed.]
1. The act of proceeding; continued forward
movement; procedure; progress; advance. "Long process of
time." Milton.
The thoughts of men are widened with the process
of the suns.
Tennyson.
2. A series of actions, motions, or
occurrences; progressive act or transaction; continuous operation;
normal or actual course or procedure; regular proceeding; as, the
process of vegetation or decomposition; a chemical
process; processes of nature.
Tell her the process of Antonio's
end.
Shak.
3. A statement of events; a narrative.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
4. (Anat. & Zoöl.) Any marked
prominence or projecting part, especially of a bone;
anapophysis.
5. (Law) The whole course of
proceedings in a cause real or personal, civil or criminal, from the
beginning to the end of the suit; strictly, the means used for
bringing the defendant into court to answer to the action; -- a
generic term for writs of the class called judicial.
Deacon's process [from H. Deacon, who
introduced it] (Chem.), a method of obtaining chlorine gas
by passing hydrochloric acid gas over heated slag which has been
previously saturated with a solution of some metallic salt, as
sulphate of copper. -- Final process
(Practice), a writ of execution in an action at law.
Burrill. -- In process, in the condition
of advance, accomplishment, transaction, or the like; begun, and not
completed. -- Jury process (Law),
the process by which a jury is summoned in a cause, and by which
their attendance is enforced. Burrill. --
Leblanc's process (Chem.), the process of
manufacturing soda by treating salt with sulphuric acid, reducing the
sodium sulphate so formed to sodium sulphide by roasting with
charcoal, and converting the sodium sulphide to sodium carbonate by
roasting with lime. -- Mesne process. See
under Mesne. -- Process milling, the
process of high milling for grinding flour. See under
Milling. -- Reversible process
(Thermodynamics), any process consisting of a cycle of
operations such that the different operations of the cycle can be
performed in reverse order with a reversal of their effects.
Pro*ces"sion (?), n. [F., fr. L.
processio. See Proceed.]
1. The act of proceeding, moving on,
advancing, or issuing; regular, orderly, or ceremonious progress;
continuous course. Bp. Pearson.
That the procession of their life might
be
More equable, majestic, pure, and free.
Trench.
2. That which is moving onward in an orderly,
stately, or solemn manner; a train of persons advancing in order; a
ceremonious train; a retinue; as, a procession of mourners; the
Lord Mayor's procession.
Here comes the townsmen on
procession.
Shak.
3. (Eccl.) An orderly and ceremonial
progress of persons, either from the sacristy to the choir, or from
the choir around the church, within or without.
Shipley.
4. pl. (Eccl.) An old term for
litanies which were said in procession and not kneeling.
Shipley.
Procession of the Holy Ghost, a theological
term applied to the relation of the Holy Spirit to the Father and the
Son, the Eastern Church affirming that the Spirit proceeds from the
Father only, and the Western Church that the Spirit proceeds from the
Father and the Son. Shipley. -- Procession
week, a name for Rogation week, when processions were
made; Cross-week. Shipley.
Pro*ces"sion, v. t. (Law) To
ascertain, mark, and establish the boundary lines of, as lands.
[Local, U. S. (North Carolina and Tennessee).] "To procession
the lands of such persons as desire it." Burrill.
Pro*ces"sion, v. i. To march in
procession. [R.]
Pro*ces"sion, v. i. To honor with a
procession. [R.]
Pro*ces"sion*al (?), a. Of or
pertaining to a procession; consisting in a procession.
The processional services became more
frequent.
Milman.
Pro*ces"sion*al, n. [F.
processionnal, LL. processionale.]
1. (R. C. Ch.) A service book relating
to ecclesiastical processions. J. Gregory.
2. A hymn, or other selection, sung during a
church procession; as, the processional was the 202d
hymn.
Pro*ces"sion*al*ist, n. One who
goes or marches in a procession. [R.]
Pro*ces"sion*a*ry (?), a. [Cf. LL.
processionarius, F. processionnaire.] Pertaining to
a procession; consisting in processions; as, processionary
service.
Processionary moth (Zoöl.), any
moth of the genus Cnethocampa, especially C.
processionea of Europe, whose larvæ make large webs on oak
trees, and go out to feed in regular order. They are covered with
stinging hairs.
Pro*ces"sion*er (?), n.
1. One who takes part in a
procession.
2. A manual of processions; a
processional. Fuller.
3. An officer appointed to procession
lands. [Local, U. S. (North Carolina and Tennessee).]
Burrill.
Pro*ces"sion*ing, n. A proceeding
prescribed by statute for ascertaining and fixing the boundaries of
land. See 2d Procession. [ Local, U. S.]
Bouvier.
Pro*ces"sive (?), a. Proceeding;
advancing.
Because it is language, -- ergo,
processive.
Coleridge.
||Pro`cès" ver`bal" (?). [ F.] (French Law)
An authentic minute of an official act, or statement of
facts.
Pro"chein (?), a. [F. prochain,
fr. L. (assumed) proximanus, fr. proximus.] Next;
nearest.
Prochein ami or amy (&?;)
(Law), the next friend. See under Next.
Pro*chor"dal (?), a. [Pref. pro +
chordal.] (Anat.) Situated in front of the notochord;
-- applied especially to parts of the cartilaginous rudiments in the
base of the skull.
Pro"chro*nism (?), n. [Gr. &?; preceding
in time; &?; before + &?; time: cf. F. prochronisme.] The
dating of an event before the time it happened; an antedating; --
opposed to metachronism.
Pro"chro*nize (?), v. t. To
antedate. Fitzed. Hall.
{ Proc"i*dence, ||Proc*i*den"ti*a (?), },
n. [L. procidentia, fr. procidens, p.
pr. of procidere to fall down forward.] (Med.) A
falling down; a prolapsus. [R.] Parr.
Pro*cid"u*ous (&?;), a. [ L.
prociduus.] Falling from its proper place.
Pro*cinct" (?), n. [L.
procinctus, fr. procingere, procinctum, to gird
up.] A state of complete readiness for action. [Obs.] "War
in procinct." Milton.
Pro*claim" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Proclaimed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Proclaiming.] [OE. proclamen, L. proclamare;
pro before, forward + clamare to call or cry out: cf. F.
proclamer. See Claim.]
1. To make known by public announcement; to
give wide publicity to; to publish abroad; to promulgate; to declare;
as, to proclaim war or peace.
To proclaim liberty to the
captives.
Isa. lxi. 1.
For the apparel oft proclaims the
man.
Shak.
Throughout the host proclaim
A solemn council forthwith to be held.
Milton.
2. To outlaw by public proclamation.
I heard myself proclaimed.
Shak.
Syn. -- To publish; promulgate; declare; announce. See
Announce.
Pro*claim"er (?), n. One who
proclaims.
Proc`la*ma"tion (?), n. [F.
proclamation, L. proclamatio. See Proclaim.]
1. The act of proclaiming; official or general
notice; publication.
King Asa made a proclamation throughout all
Judah; none was exempted.
1 Kings xv. 22.
2. That which is proclaimed, publicly
announced, or officially declared; a published ordinance; as, the
proclamation of a king; a Thanksgiving
proclamation.
Pro*clit"ic (?), a. [Gr. &?; to lean
forward; &?; forward + &?; to lean or incline. Cf. Enclitic.]
(Gr. Gram.) Leaning forward; -- said of certain
monosyllabic words which are so closely attached to the following word
as not to have a separate accent.
Pro*clive" (?), a. [L. proclivis
sloping, inclined; pro forward + clivus hill: cf. F.
proclive. See Declivity, and cf. Proclivous.]
Having a tendency by nature; prone; proclivous. [R.]
Mrs. Browning.
Pro*cliv"i*ty (?), n. [L.
proclivitas: cf. F. proclivité.]
1. Inclination; propensity; proneness;
tendency. "A proclivity to steal." Abp.
Bramhall.
2. Readiness; facility; aptitude.
He had such a dexterous proclivity as his
teachers were fain to restrain his forwardness.
Sir H.
Wotton.
Pro*cli"vous (?), a. [L.
proclivus. See Proclive.]
1. Inclined; tending by nature. [R.]
2. (Zoöl.) Having the incisor
teeth directed forward.
Pro*cœle" (?), n. [Pref.
pro + Gr. &?; hollow.] (Anat.) A lateral cavity of
the prosencephalon; a lateral ventricle of the brain. B. G.
Wilder.
||Pro*cœ"li*a (?), n.; pl.
Procœliæ (&?;). [ NL.] (Anat.)
Same as Procœle.
||Pro*cœ"li*a, n. pl. [NL.]
(Zoöl.) A division of Crocodilia, including the true
crocodiles and alligators, in which the dorsal vertebræ are
concave in front.
Pro*cœ"li*an (?), a. [See
Procœle.] (Anat & Zoöl.) Concave in
front; as, procœlian vertebræ, which have the
anterior end of the centra concave and the posterior convex.
Pro*cœ"li*an, n.
(Zoöl.) A reptile having procœlian
vertebræ; one of the Procœlia.
Pro*cœ"lous (?), a.Same as
Procœlian.
Pro*con"sul (?), n. [L., fr. pro
for + consul consul.] (Rom. Antiq.) An officer who
discharged the duties of a consul without being himself consul; a
governor of, or a military commander in, a province. He was usually
one who had previously been consul.
{ Pro*con"su*lar (?), Pro*con"su*la*ry (?), }
a. [L. proconsularis: cf. F.
proconsulaire.]
1. Of or pertaining of a proconsul; as,
proconsular powers.
2. Under the government of a proconsul; as, a
proconsular province.
Pro*con"su*late (?), n. [L.
proconsulatus: cf. F. proconsulat.] The office
jurisdiction of a proconsul, or the term of his office.
Pro*con"sul*ship (?), n.
Proconsulate.
Pro*cras"ti*nate (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Procrastinated (?); p.
pr. & vb. n. Procrastinating.] [L.
procrastinatus, p. p. of procrastinare to procrastinate;
pro forward + crastinus of to-morrow, fr. cras
to-morrow.] To put off till to-morrow, or from day to day; to
defer; to postpone; to delay; as, to procrastinate
repentance. Dr. H. More.
Hopeless and helpless Ægeon wend,
But to procrastinate his lifeless end.
Shak.
Syn. -- To postpone; adjourn; defer; delay; retard;
protract; prolong.
Pro*cras"ti*nate, v. i. To delay;
to be dilatory.
I procrastinate more than I did twenty years
ago.
Swift.
Pro*cras`ti*na"tion (?), n. [L.
procrastinatio: cf. F. procrastination.] The act or
habit of procrastinating, or putting off to a future time; delay;
dilatoriness.
Procrastination is the thief of
time.
Young.
Pro*cras"ti*na`tor (?), n. One who
procrastinates, or defers the performance of anything.
Pro*cras"ti*na*to*ry (?), a. Of or
pertaining to procrastination; dilatory.
Pro*cras"tine (?), v. t. To
procrastinate. [Obs.]
Pro"cre*ant (?), a. [L.
procreans, p. pr. of procreare. See Procreate.]
Generating; producing; productive; fruitful; assisting in
procreation. [R.] "His pendent bed and procreant cradle."
Shak.
Pro"cre*ant, n. One who, or that
which, procreates.
Pro"cre*ate (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Procreated (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Procreating.] [L. procreatus, p. p. of
procreare; pro forward, forth + create to
create.] To generate and produce; to beget; to
engender.
Pro`cre*a"tion (?), n. [F.
procréation, L, procreatio.] The act of
begetting; generation and production of young.
South.
Pro"cre*a`tive (?), a. Having the
power to beget; generative. Sir M. Hale.
Pro"cre*a`tive*ness, n. The power
of generating.
Pro"cre*a`tor (?), n. [L.] One who
begets; a father or sire; a generator.
||Pro"cris (?), n. [L., the wife of
Cephalus, Gr. &?;.] (Zoöl.) Any species of small
moths of the genus Procris. The larvæ of some species
injure the grapevine by feeding in groups upon the leaves.
Pro*crus"te*an (?), a. Of or
pertaining to Procrustes, or the mode of torture practiced by
him; producing conformity by violent means; as, the Procrustean
treatment; a Procrustean limit. See
Procrustes.
Pro*crus"te*an*ize (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Procrusteanized (?); p.
pr. & vb. n. Procrusteanizing (?).] To stretch
or contract according to some rule or standard.
Pro*crus"tes (?), n. [L., fr. Gr. &?;,
fr. &?; to beat out, to stretch; &?; forward + &?; to strike.] (Gr.
Antiq.) A celebrated legendary highwayman of Attica, who tied
his victims upon an iron bed, and, as the case required, either
stretched or cut of their legs to adapt them to its length; -- whence
the metaphorical phrase, the bed of
Procrustes.
Pro`crus*te"si*an (?), a. See
Procrustean.
||Proc*ti"tis (?), n. [NL., from Gr. &?;
anus + -itis.] (Med.) Inflammation of the
rectum.
Proc"to*cele (?), n. [Gr. &?; anus + &?;
tumor.] (Med.) Inversion and prolapse of the mucous coat
of the rectum, from relaxation of the sphincter, with more or less
swelling; prolapsus ani. Dunglison.
||Proc`to*dæ"um (?), n. [NL., fr.
Gr. &?; the anus + &?; to divide.] (Anat.) See
Mesenteron.
Proc"tor (?), n. [OE. proketour,
contr. fr. procurator. See Procurator.] One who is
employed to manage to affairs of another. Specifically:
(a) A person appointed to collect alms for those
who could not go out to beg for themselves, as lepers, the bedridden,
etc.; hence a beggar. [Obs.] Nares. (b)
(Eng. Law) An officer employed in admiralty and
ecclesiastical causes. He answers to an attorney at common law,
or to a solicitor in equity. Wharton.
(c) (Ch. of Eng.) A representative of the
clergy in convocation. (d) An officer in a
university or college whose duty it is to enforce obedience to the
laws of the institution.
Proc"tor, v. t. To act as a proctor
toward; to manage as an attorney or agent. Bp.
Warburton.
Proc"tor*age (?), n. Management by
a proctor, or as by a proctor; hence, control; superintendence; -- in
contempt. "The fogging proctorage of money."
Milton.
Proc*to"ri*al (?), a. Of or
pertaining to a proctor, esp. an academic proctor;
magisterial.
Proc*tor"ic*al (?), a.
Proctorial. [R.]
Proc"tor*ship (?), n. The office or
dignity of a proctor; also, the term of his office.
Clarendon.
Proc*tot"o*my (?), n. [Gr. &?; anus +
&?; to cut.] (Surg.) An incision into the rectum, as for
the division of a stricture.
||Proc"tu*cha (?), n. pl. [NL., from Gr.
&?; anus + &?; to have.] (Zoöl.) (a)
A division of Turbellaria including those that have an intestine
terminating posteriorly. (b) The
Nemertina.
Pro*cum"bent (?), a. [L.
procumbens, -entis, p. pr. of procumbere to fall,
bend, or lean forward; pro forward + cumbere (in comp.),
akin to cubare to lie down: cf. F. procombant. Cf.
Incumbent.]
1. Lying down, or on the face; prone. "
Procumbent each obeyed." Cowper.
2. (Bot.) Lying on the ground, but
without putting forth roots; trailing; prostrate; as, a
procumbent stem.
Pro*cur"a*ble (?), a. Capable of
being procured; obtainable. Boyle.
Proc"u*ra*cy (?), n.; pl.
Procuracies (#). [LL. procuratia: cf. F.
procuratie. See Procuration, and cf,. Proxy.]
1. The office or act of a proctor or
procurator; management for another.
2. Authority to act for another; a
proxy. [Obs.]
Proc`u*ra"tion (?), n. [L.
procuratio: cf. F. procuration. See Procure.]
1. The act of procuring;
procurement.
2. The management of another's
affairs.
3. The instrument by which a person is
empowered to transact the affairs of another; a proxy.
4. (Ch. of Eng.) A sum of money paid
formerly to the bishop or archdeacon, now to the ecclesiastical
commissioners, by an incumbent, as a commutation for entertainment at
the time of visitation; -- called also proxy.
Procuration money (Law), money paid
for procuring a loan. Blackstone.
Proc"u*ra`tor (?), n. [L.: cf. F.
procurateur. See Procure, and cf. Proctor. ]
1. (Law) One who manages another's
affairs, either generally or in a special matter; an agent; a
proctor. Chaucer. Shak.
2. (Rom. Antiq.) A governor of a
province under the emperors; also, one who had charge of the imperial
revenues in a province; as, the procurator of Judea.
Procurator fiscal (Scots Law), public
prosecutor, or district attorney.
Proc`u*ra*to"ri*al (&?;), a. Of or
pertaining to a procurator, or proctor; made by a proctor.
Ayliffe.
Proc"u*ra`tor*ship (?), n. The
office or term of a procurator. Bp. Pearson.
Pro*cu"ra*to*ry (?), a. [L.
procuratorius.] Tending to, or authorizing,
procuration.
Pro*cure" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Procured (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Procuring.] [F. procurer, L. procurare,
procuratum, to take care of; pro for + curare to
take care, fr. cura care. See Cure, and cf.
Proctor, Proxy.]
1. To bring into possession; to cause to
accrue to, or to come into possession of; to acquire or provide for
one's self or for another; to gain; to get; to obtain by any means, as
by purchase or loan.
If we procure not to ourselves more
woe.
Milton.
2. To contrive; to bring about; to effect; to
cause.
By all means possible they procure to have gold
and silver among them in reproach.
Robynson (More's
Utopia) .
Proceed, Solinus, to procure my
fall.
Shak.
3. To solicit; to entreat. [Obs.]
The famous Briton prince and faery knight, . . .
Of the fair Alma greatly were procured
To make there longer sojourn and abode.
Spenser.
4. To cause to come; to bring; to
attract. [Obs.]
What unaccustomed cause procures her
hither?
Shak.
5. To obtain for illicit intercourse or
prostitution.
Syn. -- See Attain.
Pro*cure" (?), v. i.
1. To pimp. Shak.
2. To manage business for another in
court. [Scot.]
Pro*cure"ment (?), n.
1. The act of procuring or obtaining;
obtainment; attainment.
2. Efficient contrivance; management;
agency.
They think it done
By her procurement.
Dryden.
Pro*cur"er (?), n. [Cf. F.
procureur.]
1. One who procures, or obtains; one who, or
that which, brings on, or causes to be done, esp. by corrupt
means.
2. One who procures the gratification of lust
for another; a pimp; a pander. South.
Pro*cur"ess, n. A female procurer,
or pander.
Pro"cy*on (?), n. [L., a constellation
which rises before the Dog Star, Gr. &?;; &?; before + &?; a dog.
]
1. (Astron.) A star of the first
magnitude in the constellation Canis Minor, or the Little
Dog.
2. (Zoöl.) A genus of mammals
including the raccoon.
Prod (?), n. [Cf. Gael. & Ir.
brod goad, prickle, sting, and E. brad, also W.
procio to poke, thrust.]
1. A pointed instrument for pricking or
puncturing, as a goad, an awl, a skewer, etc.
2. A prick or stab which a pointed
instrument.
3. A light kind of crossbow; -- in the sense,
often spelled prodd. Fairholt.
Prod, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Prodded (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Prodding.] To thrust some pointed instrument into; to
prick with something sharp; as, to prod a soldier with a
bayonet; to prod oxen; hence, to goad, to incite, to worry; as,
to prod a student. H. Taylor.
Prodd (?), n. A crossbow. See
Prod, 3.
Prod"i*gal (?), a. [L. prodigus,
from prodigere to drive forth, to squander away; pro
forward, forth + agere to drive; cf. F. prodigue. See
Agent. ] Given to extravagant expenditure; expending money
or other things without necessity; recklessly or viciously profuse;
lavish; wasteful; not frugal or economical; as, a prodigal man;
the prodigal son; prodigal giving; prodigal
expenses.
In fighting fields [patriots] were prodigal of
blood.
Dryden.
Syn. -- Profuse; lavish; extravagant; squandering; wasteful.
See Profuse.
Prod"i*gal, n. One who expends
money extravagantly, viciously, or without necessity; one that is
profuse or lavish in any expenditure; a waster; a spendthrift.
"Noble prodigals of life." Trench.
Prod`i*gal"i*ty (?), n. [F.
prodigalité, L. prodigalitas. See
Prodigal.] Extravagance in expenditure, particularly of
money; excessive liberality; profusion; waste; -- opposed to
frugality, economy, and parsimony."The
prodigality of his wit." Dryden.
Prod"i*gal*ize (?), v. i. To act as
a prodigal; to spend liberally. Sherwood.
Prod"i*gal*ize, v. t. To expend
lavishly. Ld. Lytton.
Prod"i*gal*ly, adv. In a prodigal
manner; with profusion of expense; extravagantly; wasteful; profusely;
lavishly; as, an estate prodigally dissipated.
Nature not bounteous now, but lavish grows;
Our paths with flowers she prodigally strows.
Dryden.
Prod"i*gate (?), v. t. To
squander. Thackeray.
Prod"i*gence (?), n. [L.
prodigentia, fr. prodigens, p. pr. of prodigere.
See Prodigal. ] Waste; profusion; prodigality. [R.]
Bp. Hall.
Pro*di"gious (?), a. [L.
prodigiosus, fr. prodigium a prodigy; cf. F.
prodigieux. See Prodigy.]
1. Of the nature of a prodigy; marvelous;
wonderful; portentous. [Obs. or R.] Spenser.
It is prodigious to have thunder in a clear
sky.
Sir T. Browne.
2. Extraordinary in bulk, extent, quantity, or
degree; very great; vast; huge; immense; as, a prodigious
mountain; a prodigious creature; a prodigious
blunder. "Prodigious might." Milton.
Syn. -- Huge; enormous; monstrous; portentous; marvelous;
amazing; astonishing; extraordinary.
Pro*di"gious*ly, adv.
1. Enormously; wonderfully; astonishingly; as,
prodigiously great.
2. Very much; extremely; as, he was
prodigiously pleased. [Colloq.] Pope.
Pro*di"gious*ness, n. The quality
or state of being prodigious; the state of having qualities that
excite wonder or astonishment; enormousness; vastness.
Prod"i*gy (?), n.; pl.
Prodigies (#). [ L. prodigium; pro
before + (perh.) a word appearing in adagium adage: cf. F.
prodige. Cf. Adage. ]
1. Something extraordinary, or out of the
usual course of nature, from which omens are drawn; a portent; as,
eclipses and meteors were anciently deemed prodigies.
So many terrors, voices, prodigies,
May warn thee, as a sure foregoing sign.
Milton.
2. Anything so extraordinary as to excite
wonder or astonishment; a marvel; as, a prodigy of
learning.
3. A production out of ordinary course of
nature; an abnormal development; a monster. B.
Jonson.
Syn. -- Wonder; miracle; portent; marvel; monster.
Pro*di"tion (?), n. [L. proditio,
from prodere to give forth, betray: cf. OF. prodition.]
Disclosure; treachery; treason. [Obs.]
Ainsworth.
Prod"i*tor (?), n. [L.] A
traitor. [Obs.]
Prod`i*to"ri*ous (?), a. [Cf. OF.
proditoire.]
1. Treacherous; perfidious; traitorous.
[Obs.] Daniel.
2. Apt to make unexpected revelations.
[Obs.] "Nature is proditorious." Sir H. Wotton.
Prod"i*to*ry (?), a.
Treacherous. [Obs.]
Prod"ro*mal (?), a. (Med.)
Of or pertaining to prodromes; as, the prodromal stage of
a disease.
Pro"drome (?), n. [Gr. &?; running
before; &?; before + &?; to run: cf. F. prodrome.] A
forerunner; a precursor.
Prod"ro*mous (?), a.
Precursory. [R.]
Prod"ro*mus (?), n. [NL.]
1. A prodrome.
2. A preliminary course or publication; --
used esp. in the titles of elementary works.
Pro*duce" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Produced (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Producing (?).] [L. producere, productum, to
bring forward, beget, produce; pro forward, forth +
ducere to lead. See Duke.]
1. To bring forward; to lead forth; to offer
to view or notice; to exhibit; to show; as, to produce a
witness or evidence in court.
Produce your cause, saith the Lord.
Isa. xli. 21.
Your parents did not produce you much into the
world.
Swift.
2. To bring forth, as young, or as a natural
product or growth; to give birth to; to bear; to generate; to
propagate; to yield; to furnish; as, the earth produces grass;
trees produce fruit; the clouds produce rain.
This soil produces all sorts of palm
trees.
Sandys.
[They] produce prodigious births of body or
mind.
Milton.
The greatest jurist his country had
produced.
Macaulay.
3. To cause to be or to happen; to originate,
as an effect or result; to bring about; as, disease produces
pain; vice produces misery.
4. To give being or form to; to manufacture;
to make; as, a manufacturer produces excellent wares.
5. To yield or furnish; to gain; as, money at
interest produces an income; capital produces
profit.
6. To draw out; to extend; to lengthen; to
prolong; as, to produce a man's life to threescore.
Sir T. Browne.
7. (Geom.) To extend; -- applied to a
line, surface, or solid; as, to produce a side of a
triangle.
Pro*duce", v. i. To yield or
furnish appropriate offspring, crops, effects, consequences, or
results.
Prod"uce (?; 277), n. That which is
produced, brought forth, or yielded; product; yield; proceeds; result
of labor, especially of agricultural labors; hence,
specifically, agricultural products.
Pro*duce"ment (?), n.
Production. [Obs.]
Pro*du"cent (?), n. [L.
producens, p. pr.] One who produces, or offers to
notice. [Obs.] Ayliffe.
Pro*du"cer (?), n.
1. One who produces, brings forth, or
generates.
2. One who grows agricultural products, or
manufactures crude materials into articles of use.
3. (Iron & Steel Manuf.) A furnace for
producing combustible gas which is used for fuel.
Pro*du`ci*bil"i*ty (?), n. The
quality or state of being producible. Barrow.
Pro*du"ci*ble (?), a. Capable of
being produced, brought forward, brought forth, generated, made, or
extended. -- Pro*du"ci*ble*ness,
n.
Prod"uct (?), n. [L. productus,
p. pr. of producere. See Produce.]
1. Anything that is produced, whether as the
result of generation, growth, labor, or thought, or by the operation
of involuntary causes; as, the products of the season, or of
the farm; the products of manufactures; the products of
the brain.
There are the product
Of those ill-mated marriages.
Milton.
These institutions are the products of
enthusiasm.
Burke.
2. (Math.) The number or sum obtained
by adding one number or quantity to itself as many times as there are
units in another number; the number resulting from the multiplication
of two or more numbers; as, the product of the multiplication
of 7 by 5 is 35. In general, the result of any kind of multiplication.
See the Note under Multiplication.
Syn. -- Produce; production; fruit; result; effect;
consequence; outcome; work; performance.
Pro*duct" (?), v. t.
1. To produce; to bring forward.
"Producted to . . . examination." [Obs.] Foxe.
2. To lengthen out; to extend.
[Obs.]
He that doth much . . . products his
mortality.
Hackett.
3. To produce; to make. [Obs.]
Holinshed.
Pro*duct`i*bil"i*ty (?), n. The
state of being productible; producibility. Ruskin.
Pro*duct"i*ble (?), a. [Cf. F.
productible.] Capable of being produced;
producible.
Pro*duc"tile (?), a. [L.
productilis, fr. producere to stretch out.] Capable
of being extended or prolonged; extensible; ductile.
Pro*duc"tion (?), n. [L.
productio a lengthening, prolonging: cf. F. production.
See Produce. ]
1. The act or process or producing, bringing
forth, or exhibiting to view; as, the production of
commodities, of a witness.
2. That which is produced, yielded, or made,
whether naturally, or by the application of intelligence and labor;
as, the productions of the earth; the productions of
handicraft; the productions of intellect or genius.
3. The act of lengthening out or
prolonging.
Syn. -- Product; produce; fruit; work; performance;
composition.
Pro*duc"tive (?), a. [F.
productif, L. productivus fit for prolongation.]
1. Having the quality or power of producing;
yielding or furnishing results; as, productive soil;
productive enterprises; productive labor, that which
increases the number or amount of products.
2. Bringing into being; causing to exist;
producing; originative; as, an age productive of great men; a
spirit productive of heroic achievements.
And kindle with thy own productive
fire.
Dryden.
This is turning nobility into a principle of virtue,
and making it productive of merit.
Spectator.
3. Producing, or able to produce, in large
measure; fertile; profitable.
-- Pro*duc"tive*ly, adv. --
Pro*duc"tive*ness, n.
Pro`duc*tiv"i*ty (?), n. The
quality or state of being productive; productiveness.
Emerson.
Not indeed as the product, but as the producing power,
the productivity.
Coleridge.
Pro*duc"tress (?), n. A female
producer.
||Pro*duc"tus (?), n. [NL. See
Product.] (Paleon.) An extinct genus of
brachiopods, very characteristic of the Carboniferous rocks.
Pro`e*gu"mi*nal (?), a. [Gr. &?;, p. pr.
of &?; to lead the way: cf. F. proégumène.]
(Med.) Serving to predispose; predisposing; as, a
proeguminal cause of disease.
Pro"em (?), n. [L. prooemium, Gr.
&?;; &?; before + &?; way, course or strain of a song: cf. F.
proème.] Preface; introduction; preliminary
observations; prelude.
Thus much may serve by way of
proem.
Swift.
Pro"em, v. t. To preface.
[Obs.] South.
Pro*em"bry*o (?), n. [Pref. pro-
+ embryo. ] (Bot.) (a) The series
of cells formed in the ovule of a flowering plant after fertilization,
but before the formation of the embryo. (b)
The primary growth from the spore in certain cryptogamous plants;
as, the proembryo, or protonema, of mosses.
Pro*e"mi*al (?), a. Introductory;
prefatory; preliminary. [R.] Hammond.
Pro`emp*to"sis (?), n. [NL., from Gr.
&?; to fall in before; &?; before + &?; in + &?; to fall.]
(Chron.) The addition of a day to the lunar
calendar. [R.] See Metemptosis.
Pro"face (?), interj. [OF. prou
face, prou fasse; prou profit + faire to
make, do.] Much good may it do you! -- a familiar salutation or
welcome. [Obs.]
Master page, good master page, sit.
Proface!
Shak.
Prof"a*nate (?), v. t. To
profane. [Obs.]
Prof`a*na"tion (?), n. [L.
profanatio: cf. F. profanation. See Profane,
v. t.] 1. The act of violating
sacred things, or of treating them with contempt or irreverence;
irreverent or too familiar treatment or use of what is sacred;
desecration; as, the profanation of the Sabbath; the
profanation of a sanctuary; the profanation of the name
of God.
2. The act of treating with abuse or
disrespect, or with undue publicity, or lack of delicacy.
'T were profanation of our joys
To tell the laity our love.
Donne.
Pro*fane" (?), a. [F., fr. L.
profanus, properly, before the temple, i. e., without the
temple, unholy; pro before + fanum temple. See 1st
Fane.]
1. Not sacred or holy; not possessing peculiar
sanctity; unconsecrated; hence, relating to matters other than sacred;
secular; -- opposed to sacred, religious, or
inspired; as, a profane place. "Profane
authors." I. Disraeli.
The profane wreath was suspended before the
shrine.
Gibbon.
2. Unclean; impure; polluted;
unholy.
Nothing is profane that serveth to holy
things.
Sir W. Raleigh.
3. Treating sacred things with contempt,
disrespect, irreverence, or undue familiarity; irreverent;
impious. Hence, specifically; Irreverent in language;
taking the name of God in vain; given to swearing; blasphemous; as, a
profane person, word, oath, or tongue. 1 Tim. i.
9.
Syn. -- Secular; temporal; worldly; unsanctified;
unhallowed; unholy; irreligious; irreverent; ungodly; wicked; godless;
impious. See Impious.
Pro*fane", v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Profaned (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Profaning.] [L. profanare: cf. F. profaner. See
Profane, a.]
1. To violate, as anything sacred; to treat
with abuse, irreverence, obloquy, or contempt; to desecrate; to
pollute; as, to profane the name of God; to profane the
Scriptures, or the ordinance of God.
The priests in the temple profane the
sabbath.
Matt. xii. 5.
2. To put to a wrong or unworthy use; to make
a base employment of; to debase; to abuse; to defile.
So idly to profane the precious
time.
Shak.
Pro*fane"ly, adv. In a profane
manner.
The character of God profanely
impeached.
Dr. T. Dwight.
Pro*fane"ness, n. The quality or
state of being profane; especially, the use of profane
language.
Pro*fan"er (?), n. One who treats
sacred things with irreverence, or defiles what is holy; one who uses
profane language. Hooker.
Pro*fan"i*ty (?), n. [L.
profanitas.]
1. The quality or state of being profane;
profaneness; irreverence; esp., the use of profane language;
blasphemy.
2. That which is profane; profane language or
acts.
The brisk interchange of profanity and
folly.
Buckminster.
Pro*fec"tion (?), n. [See
Proficient.] A setting out; a going forward; advance;
progression. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.
Pro`fec*ti"tious (?), a. [L.
profectitius, fr. proficisci to set out, proceed.]
Proceeding from, as from a parent; derived, as from an
ancestor. [R.]
The threefold distinction of profectitious,
adventitious, and professional was ascertained.
Gibbon.
Pro"fert (?), n. [L., he brings forward,
3d pers. pr. of proferre. See Proffer. ] (Law)
The exhibition or production of a record or paper in open court,
or an allegation that it is in court.
Pro*fess" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Professed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Professing.] [F. profès, masc., professe,
fem., professed (monk or nun), L. professus, p. p. of
profiteri to profess; pro before, forward +
fateri to confess, own. See Confess.]
1. To make open declaration of, as of one's
knowledge, belief, action, etc.; to avow or acknowledge; to confess
publicly; to own or admit freely. "Hear me profess
sincerely." Shak.
The best and wisest of them all professed
To know this only, that he nothing knew.
Milton.
2. To set up a claim to; to make presence to;
hence, to put on or present an appearance of.
I do profess to be no less than I
seem.
Shak.
3. To present to knowledge of, to proclaim
one's self versed in; to make one's self a teacher or practitioner of,
to set up as an authority respecting; to declare (one's self to be
such); as, he professes surgery; to profess one's self a
physician.
Pro*fess" (?), v. i. 1.
To take a profession upon one's self by a public declaration; to
confess. Drayton.
2. To declare friendship. [Obs.]
Shak.
Pro*fessed" (?), a. Openly
declared, avowed, acknowledged, or claimed; as, a professed
foe; a professed tyrant; a professed
Christian.
The professed (R. C. Ch.) , a certain
class among the Jesuits bound by a special vow. See the note under
Jesuit.
Pro*fess"ed*ly (?), adv. By
profession.
Pro*fes"sion (?), n. [F., fr. L.
professio. See Profess, v.]
1. The act of professing or claiming; open
declaration; public avowal or acknowledgment; as, professions
of friendship; a profession of faith.
A solemn vow, promise, and
profession.
Bk. of Com. Prayer.
2. That which one professed; a declaration; an
avowal; a claim; as, his professions are insincere.
The Indians quickly perceive the coincidence or the
contradiction between professions and conduct.
J. Morse.
3. That of which one professed knowledge; the
occupation, if not mechanical, agricultural, or the like, to which one
devotes one's self; the business which one professes to understand,
and to follow for subsistence; calling; vocation; employment; as, the
profession of arms; the profession of a clergyman,
lawyer, or physician; the profession of lecturer on
chemistry.
Hi tried five or six professions in
turn.
Macaulay.
&fist; The three professions, or learned professions,
are, especially, theology, law, and medicine.
4. The collective body of persons engaged in a
calling; as, the profession distrust him.
5. (Eccl. Law.) The act of entering, or
becoming a member of, a religious order.
Pro*fes"sion*al (?), a.
1. Of or pertaining to a profession, or calling;
conforming to the rules or standards of a profession; following a
profession; as, professional knowledge; professional
conduct. "Pride, not personal, but professional."
Macaulay. "A professional sneerer." De
Quincey.
2. Engaged in by professionals; as, a
professional race; -- opposed to amateur.
Pro*fes"sion*al, n. A person who
prosecutes anything professionally, or for a livelihood, and not in
the character of an amateur; a professional worker.
Pro*fes"sion*al*ism (?), n. The
following of a profession, sport, etc., as an occupation; -- opposed
to amateurism.
Pro*fes"sion*al*ist, n.
professional person. [R.]
Pro*fes"sion*al*ly, adv. In a
professional manner or capacity; by profession or calling; in the
exercise of one's profession; one employed
professionally.
Pro*fess"or (?), n. [L., a teacher, a
public teacher: cf. F. professeur. See Profess.]
1. One who professed, or makes open declaration
of, his sentiments or opinions; especially, one who makes a public
avowal of his belief in the Scriptures and his faith in Christ, and
thus unites himself to the visible church. "Professors of
religion." Bacon.
2. One who professed, or publicly teaches, any
science or branch of learning; especially, an officer in a university,
college, or other seminary, whose business it is to read lectures, or
instruct students, in a particular branch of learning; as a
professor of theology, of botany, of mathematics, or of
political economy.
Pro`fes*so"ri*al (?), a. [L.
professorius: cf. F. professorial.] Of or
pertaining to a professor; as, the professional chair;
professional interest.
Pro`fes*so"ri*al*ism (?), n. The
character, manners, or habits of a professor. [R.]
Pro`fes*so"ri*at (?), n. See
Professoriate.
Pro`fes*so"ri*ate (?), n.
1. The body of professors, or the professorial
staff, in a university or college.
2. A professorship.
Pro*fess"or*ship (?), n. The office
or position of a professor, or public teacher.
Walton.
Pro*fes"so*ry (?), a. [L.
professorius.] Of or pertaining to a professor;
professorial. [R.] Bacon.
Prof"fer (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Proffered (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Proffering.] [OE. profren, proferen, F.
proférer, fr. L. proferre to bring forth or
forward, to offer; pro forward + ferre to bring. See
Bear to produce.] 1. To offer for
acceptance; to propose to give; to make a tender of; as, to
proffer a gift; to proffer services; to proffer
friendship. Shak.
I reck not what wrong that thou me
profre.
Chaucer.
2. To essay or attempt of one's own accord; to
undertake, or propose to undertake. [R.] Milton.
Prof"fer, n. 1. An
offer made; something proposed for acceptance by another; a tender;
as, proffers of peace or friendship.
He made a proffer to lay down his
commission.
Clarendon.
2. Essay; attempt. [R.]
Bacon.
Prof"fer*er (?), n. One who
proffers something.
{ Pro*fi"cience (?), Pro*fi"cien*cy (?) },
n. The quality of state of being proficient;
advance in the acquisition of any art, science, or knowledge;
progression in knowledge; improvement; adeptness; as, to acquire
proficiency in music.
Pro*fi"cient (?), n. [L.
proficiens, -entis, p. pr. of proficere to go
forward, make progress; pro forward + facere to make.
See Fact, and cf. Profit, (&?;)] One who has made
considerable advances in any business, art, science, or branch of
learning; an expert; an adept; as, proficient in a trade; a
proficient in mathematics, music, etc.
Pro*fi"cient (?), a. Well advanced
in any branch of knowledge or skill; possessed of considerable
acquirements; well-skilled; versed; adept,
Pro*fi"cient*ly, adv. In a
proficient manner.
Pro*fic"u*ous (?), a. [L.
proficuus.] Profitable; advantageous; useful. [Obs.]
Harvey.
Pro"file (?), n. [It. profilo,
fr. L. pro before + filum a thread, an outline, shape:
cf. F. profil. See File arow, and cf. Purfle,
Purl, a fringe.] 1. An outline, or
contour; as, the profile of an apple.
2. (Paint & Sculp.) A human head
represented sidewise, or in a side view; the side face or half
face.
3. (a) (Arch.) A
section of any member, made at right angles with its main lines,
showing the exact shape of moldings and the like.
(b) (Civil Engin.) A drawing exhibiting a
vertical section of the ground along a surveyed line, or graded work,
as of a railway, showing elevations, depressions, grades,
etc.
Profile paper (Civil Engin.), paper
ruled with vertical and horizontal lines forming small oblong
rectangles, adapted for drawing profiles.
Pro"file, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Profiled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Profiling] [Cf. F. profiler, It. profilare. See
Profile, n.] 1. to draw
the outline of; to draw in profile, as an architectural
member.
2. (Mech.) To shape the outline of an
object by passing a cutter around it.
Profiling machine, a jigging
machine.
Pro"fil*ing, n. (Fort.) In
the construction of fieldworks, the erection at proper intervals of
wooden profiles, to show to the workmen the sectional form of the
parapets at those points.
Pro"fil*ist, n. One who takes
profiles.
Pro"fit (?), n. [F., fr. L.
profectus advance, progress, profit, fr. profectum. See
Proficient.] 1. Acquisition beyond
expenditure; excess of value received for producing, keeping, or
selling, over cost; hence, pecuniary gain in any transaction or
occupation; emolument; as, a profit on the sale of
goods.
Let no man anticipate uncertain
profits.
Rambler.
2. Accession of good; valuable results; useful
consequences; benefit; avail; gain; as, an office of
profit,
This I speak for your own profit.
1 Cor. vii. 35.
If you dare do yourself a profit and a
right.
Shak.
Syn. -- Benefit; avail; service; improvement; advancement;
gain; emolument.
Prof"it, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Profited; p. pr. & vb. n.
Profiting.] [F. profiter. See Profit,
n.] To be of service to; to be good to; to help
on; to benefit; to advantage; to avail; to aid; as, truth
profits all men.
The word preached did not profit
them.
Heb. iv. 2.
It is a great means of profiting yourself, to
copy diligently excellent pieces and beautiful designs.
Dryden.
Prof"it, v. i. 1.
To gain advantage; to make improvement; to improve; to gain; to
advance.
I profit not by thy talk.
Shak.
2. To be of use or advantage; to do or bring
good.
Riches profit not in the day of
wrath.
Prov. xi. 4.
Prof"it*a*ble (?), a. [F.
profitable.] Yielding or bringing profit or gain; gainful;
lucrative; useful; helpful; advantageous; beneficial; as, a
profitable trade; profitable business; a
profitable study or profession.
What was so profitable to the empire became
fatal to the
emperor.
Arbuthnot.
-- Prof"it*a*ble*ness, n. --
Prof"it*a*bly, adv.
Prof"it*ing, n. Gain; advantage;
profit.
That thy profiting may appear to
all.
1 Tim. iv. 15.
Prof"it*less, a. Without profit;
unprofitable. Shak.
Prof"li*ga*cy (?), n. [See
Profligate, a.] The quality of state of
being profligate; a profligate or very vicious course of life; a state
of being abandoned in moral principle and in vice;
dissoluteness.
Prof"li*gate (?), a. [L.
profligatus, p. p. of profligare to strike or dash to
the ground, to destroy; pro before + a word akin to
fligere to strike. See Afflict.]
1. Overthrown; beaten; conquered.
[Obs.]
The foe is profligate, and run.
Hudibras.
2. Broken down in respect of rectitude,
principle, virtue, or decency; openly and shamelessly immoral or
vicious; dissolute; as, profligate man or wretch.
A race more profligate than we.
Roscommon.
Made prostitute and profligate
muse.
Dryden.
Syn. -- Abandoned; corrupt; dissolute; vitiated; depraved;
vicious; wicked. See Abandoned.
Prof"li*gate, n. An abandoned
person; one openly and shamelessly vicious; a dissolute person.
"Such a profligate as Antony." Swift.
Prof"li*gate (?), v. t. To drive
away; to overcome. [A Latinism] [Obs.] Harvey.
Prof"li*gate*ly (?), adv. In a
profligate manner.
Prof"li*gate*ness, n. The quality
of being profligate; an abandoned course of life;
profligacy.
Prof`li*ga"tion (?), n. [L.
profligatio.] Defeat; rout; overthrow. [Obs.]
Bacon.
Prof"lu*ence (?), n. [L.
profluentia.] Quality of being profluent; course.
[R.] Sir H. Wotton.
Prof"lu*ent (?), a. [L.
profluens, p. pr. of profluere; pro forward +
fluere to flow.] Flowing forward, [R.] "In the
profluent stream." Milton.
Pro*found", a. [F. profond, L.
profundus; pro before, forward + fundus the bottom. See
Found to establish, Bottom lowest part.]
1. Descending far below the surface; opening or
reaching to a great depth; deep. "A gulf profound."
Milton.
2. Intellectually deep; entering far into
subjects; reaching to the bottom of a matter, or of a branch of
learning; thorough; as, a profound investigation or treatise; a
profound scholar; profound wisdom.
3. Characterized by intensity; deeply felt;
pervading; overmastering; far-reaching; strongly impressed; as, a
profound sleep. "Profound sciatica."
Shak.
Of the profound corruption of this class there
can be no doubt.
Milman.
4. Bending low, exhibiting or expressing deep
humility; lowly; submissive; as, a profound bow.
What humble gestures! What profound
reverence!
Duppa.
Pro*found" (?), n. 1.
The deep; the sea; the ocean.
God in the fathomless profound
Hath all this choice commanders drowned.
Sandys.
2. An abyss. Milton.
Pro*found", v. t. To cause to sink
deeply; to cause to dive or penetrate far down. [Obs.] Sir
T. Browne.
Pro*found", v. i. To dive deeply;
to penetrate. [Obs.]
Pro*found"ly, adv. In a profound
manner.
Why sigh you so profoundly?
Shak.
Pro*found"ness, n. The quality or
state of being profound; profundity; depth. Hooker.
Pro*ful"gent (?), a. [Pref. pro-
+ L. fulgere to shine.] Shining forth; brilliant;
effulgent. [Obs.] "Profulgent in preciousness."
Chaucer.
Pro*fun"di*ty (?), n.; pl.
-ties (#). [L. profunditas: cf. F.
profondite. See Profound.] The quality or state of
being profound; depth of place, knowledge, feeling, etc. "The
vast profundity obscure." Milton.
Pro*fuse" (?), a. [L. profusus,
p. p. of profundere to pour forth or out; pro forward,
forth + fundere to pour: cf. F. profus. See Fuse
to melt.] 1. Pouring forth with fullness or
exuberance; bountiful; exceedingly liberal; giving without stint; as,
a profuse government; profuse hospitality.
A green, shady bank, profuse of
flowers.
Milton.
2. Superabundant; excessive; prodigal; lavish;
as, profuse expenditure. "Profuse ornament."
Kames.
Syn. -- Lavish; exuberant; bountiful; prodigal; extravagant.
-- Profuse, Lavish, Prodigal. Profuse
denotes pouring out (as money, etc.) with great fullness or freeness;
as, profuse in his expenditures, thanks, promises, etc.
Lavish is stronger, implying unnecessary or wasteful excess;
as, lavish of his bounties, favors, praises, etc.
Prodigal is stronger still, denoting unmeasured or reckless
profusion; as, prodigal of one's strength, life, or blood, to
secure some object. Dryden.
Pro*fuse" (?), v. t. To pour out;
to give or spend liberally; to lavish; to squander. [Obs.]
Chapman.
Pro*fuse"ly (?), adv. In a profuse
manner.
Pro*fuse"ness, n. Extravagance;
profusion.
Hospitality sometimes degenerates into
profuseness.
Atterbury.
Pro*fu"sion (?), n. [L. profusio:
cf. F. profusion.]
1. The act of one who is profuse; a lavishing
or pouring out without sting.
Thy vast profusion to the factious
nobles?
Rowe.
2. Abundance; exuberant plenty; lavish supply;
as, a profusion of commodities. Addison.
Pro*fu"sive (?), a. Profuse;
lavish; prodigal.[Obs.]
Prog (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Progged (&?;). p. pr. & vb. n.
Progging.] [Cf. D. prachen, G. prachern, Dan.
prakke, Sw. pracka, to beg, L. procare,
procari, to ask, demand, and E. prowl.]
1. To wander about and beg; to seek food or other
supplies by low arts; to seek for advantage by mean shift or
tricks. [Low]
A perfect artist in progging for
money.
Fuller.
I have been endeavoring to prog for
you.
Burke.
2. To steal; to rob; to filch. [Low]
Johnson.
3. To prick; to goad; to progue.
[Scot.]
Prog, n. 1.
Victuals got by begging, or vagrancy; victuals of any kind; food;
supplies. [Slang] Swift.
So long as he picked from the filth his
prog.
R. Browning.
2. A vagrant beggar; a tramp.
[Slang]
3. A goal; progue. [Scot.]
Pro*gen"er*ate (?), v. t. [L.
progeneratus, p. p. of progenerare to beget; pro
forth, forward + generare to generate.] To beget; to
generate; to produce; to procreate; as, to progenerate a
race. [R.] Landor.
Pro*gen`er*a"tion (?), n. [L.
progeneratio.] The act of begetting; propagation.
[R.]
Pro*gen"i*tor (?), n. [OF.
progeniteur, L. progenitor, fr. progignere,
progenitum, to bring forth, to beget; pro forth +
gignere to beget. See Gender kind.] An ancestor in
the direct line; a forefather.
And reverence thee their great
progenitor.
Milton.
Pro*gen"i*tor*ship, n. The state of
being a progenitor.
Pro*gen"i*tress (?), n. A female
progenitor.
Pro*gen"i*ture (?), n. [F.
progéniture.] A begetting, or birth. [R.]
Prog"e*ny (?), n. [OE. progenie,
F. progénie, fr. L. progenies, fr.
progignere. See Progenitor.] Descendants of the
human kind, or offspring of other animals; children; offspring; race,
lineage. " Issued from the progeny of kings."
Shak.
Pro*glot"tid (?), n. (Zoöl)
Proglottis.
||Pro*glot"tis (?), n.; pl.
Proglottides (#). [NL. fr. Gr. &?; the tip of the
tongue; &?; forward + &?; the tongue.] (Zoöl) One of
the free, or nearly free, segments of a tapeworm. It contains both
male and female reproductive organs, and is capable of a brief
independent existence.
||Prog"na*thi (?), n. pl. [NL. See
Prognathous.] (Zoöl) A comprehensive group of
mankind, including those that have prognathous jaws.
Prog*nath"ic, a. (Anat.)
Prognathous.
Prog"na*thism (?), n. (Anat.)
Projection of the jaws. -- Prog"na*thy (#),
n.
Prog"na*thous (?), a. [Gr. &?; before +
&?; the jaw] (Anat.) Having the jaws projecting beyond the
upper part of the face; -- opposed to orthognathous. See
Gnathic index, under Gnathic.
Their countenances had the true prognathous
character.
Kane.
Prog"ne (?), n. [L., a swallow,
traditionally said to be fr. Progne (The sister of Philomela),
who was changed into a swallow, Gr. &?;.] (Zoöl.)
(a) A swallow. (b) A
genus of swallows including the purple martin. See
Martin. (c) An American butterfly
(Polygonia, or Vanessa, Progne). It is orange and black above,
grayish beneath, with an L-shaped silver
mark on the hind wings. Called also gray comma.
Prog*no"sis (?), n. [L., fr. Gr. &?;,
fr. &?; to know beforehand; &?; before + &?; to know. See
Know.] (Med.) The act or art of foretelling the
course and termination of a disease; also, the outlook afforded by
this act of judgment; as, the prognosis of hydrophobia is
bad.
Prog*nos"tic (?), a. [Gr. &?;. See
Prognosis.] Indicating something future by signs or
symptoms; foreshowing; aiding in prognosis; as, the prognostic
symptoms of a disease; prognostic signs.
Prog*nos"tic, n. [L.
prognosticum, Gr. &?;: cf. F. pronostic,
prognostic. See Prognostic, a.]
1. That which prognosticates; a sign by which
a future event may be known or foretold; an indication; a sign or
omen; hence, a foretelling; a prediction.
That choice would inevitably be considered by the
country
as a prognostic of the highest import.
Macaulay.
2. (Med.) A sign or symptom indicating
the course and termination of a disease. Parr.
Syn. -- Sign; omen; presage; token; indication.
Prog*nos"tic, v. t. To
prognosticate. [Obs.]
Prog*nos"tic*a*ble (?), a. Capable
of being prognosticated or foretold. Sir T. Browne.
Prog*nos"ti*cate (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Prognosticated (?); p.
pr. & vb. n. Prognosticating.] [See
Prognostic.] To indicate as future; to foretell from signs
or symptoms; to prophesy; to foreshow; to predict; as, to
prognosticate evil. Burke.
I neither will nor can prognosticate
To the young gaping heir his father's fate.
Dryden.
Syn. -- To foreshow; foretoken; betoken; forebode; presage;
predict; prophesy.
Prog*nos`ti*ca"tion (?), n. [Cf. F.
prognostication.]
1. The act of foreshowing or foretelling
something future by present signs; prediction.
2. That which foreshows; a foretoken.
Shak.
Prog*nos"ti*ca`tor (?), n. One who
prognosticates; a foreknower or foreteller of a future course or event
by present signs. Isa. xlvii. 13.
Pro"gram (?), n. Same as
Programme.
||Pro*gram"ma (?), n.; pl.
Programmata (#). [ L. See Programme.]
1. (Gr. Antiq.) Any law, which, after
it had passed the Athenian senate, was fixed on a tablet for public
inspection previously to its being proposed to the general assembly of
the people.
2. An edict published for public information;
an official bulletin; a public proclamation.
3. See Programme.
4. A preface. [Obs.] T.
Warton.
Pro"gramme (?), n. [L. programma
a public proclamation, manifesto, Gr. &?;, fr. &?; to write before or
in public; &?; before, forth + &?; to write; cf. F. programme.
See Graphic.] That which is written or printed as a public
notice or advertisement; a scheme; a prospectus; especially, a brief
outline or explanation of the order to be pursued, or the subjects
embraced, in any public exercise, performance, or entertainment; a
preliminary sketch.
Programme music (Mus.), descriptive
instrumental music which requires an argument or programme to explain
the meaning of its several movements.
Prog"ress (?; 277), n. [L.
progressus, from progredi, p. p. progressus, to
go forth or forward; pro forward + gradi to step, go:
cf. F. progrès. See Grade.]
1. A moving or going forward; a proceeding
onward; an advance; specifically: (a) In
actual space, as the progress of a ship, carriage, etc.
(b) In the growth of an animal or plant;
increase. (c) In business of any kind; as,
the progress of a negotiation; the progress of
art. (d) In knowledge; in proficiency; as,
the progress of a child at school. (e)
Toward ideal completeness or perfection in respect of quality or
condition; -- applied to individuals, communities, or the race; as,
social, moral, religious, or political progress.
2. A journey of state; a circuit; especially,
one made by a sovereign through parts of his own dominions.
The king being returned from his
progresse.
Evelyn.
Pro*gress" (?; formerly pronounced like
Progress, n.), v. i.
[imp. & p. p. Progressed (?); p. pr.
& vb. n. Progressing.]
1. To make progress; to move forward in space;
to continue onward in course; to proceed; to advance; to go on; as,
railroads are progressing. "As his recovery
progressed." Thackeray.
Let me wipe off this honorable dew,
That silverly doth progress on thy checks.
Shak.
They progress in that style in proportion as
their pieces are treated with contempt.
Washington.
The war had progressed for some
time.
Marshall.
2. To make improvement; to advance.
Bayard.
If man progresses, art must progress
too.
Caird.
Prog"ress (?; see Progress, v.
i.), v. t. To make progress in; to
pass through. [Obs.] Milton.
Pro*gres"sion (?), n. [L.
progressio: cf. F. progression.]
1. The act of moving forward; a proceeding in
a course; motion onward.
2. Course; passage; lapse or process of
time.
I hope, in a short progression, you will be
wholly immerged in the delices and joys of religion.
Evelyn.
3. (Math.) Regular or proportional
advance in increase or decrease of numbers; continued proportion,
arithmetical, geometrical, or harmonic.
4. (Mus.) A regular succession of tones
or chords; the movement of the parts in harmony; the order of the
modulations in a piece from key to key.
Arithmetical progression, a progression in
which the terms increase or decrease by equal differences, as the
numbers &lbrace2;2, 4, 6, 8, 10
10, 8, 6, 4,
2
&rbrace2; by the difference 2.
--
Geometrical progression, a progression in
which the terms increase or decrease by equal ratios, as the numbers
&lbrace2;2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64
64, 32, 16, 8,
4, 2
&rbrace2; by a continual multiplication or
division by 2.
--
Harmonic progression, a progression in
which the terms are the reciprocals of quantities in arithmetical
progression, as ½, ¼, ⅙, ⅛,
&frac1x10;.
Pro*gres"sion*al (?), a. Of or
pertaining to progression; tending to, or capable of,
progress.
Pro*gres"sion*ist, n.
1. One who holds to a belief in the
progression of society toward perfection.
2. One who maintains the doctrine of
progression in organic forms; -- opposed to
uniformitarian. H. Spencer.
Prog"ress*ist (?), n. One who
makes, or holds to, progress; a progressionist.
Pro*gress"ive (?), a. [Cf. F.
progressif.]
1. Moving forward; proceeding onward;
advancing; evincing progress; increasing; as, progressive
motion or course; -- opposed to retrograde.
2. Improving; as, art is in a
progressive state.
Progressive euchre or whist,
a way of playing at card parties, by which after every game, the
losers at the first table go to the last table, and the winners at all
the tables, except the first, move up to the next table. --
Progressive muscular atrophy (Med.), a
nervous disorder characterized by continuous atrophy of the
muscles.
-- Pro*gress"ive*ly, adv. --
Pro*gress"ive*ness, n.
Progue (?), v. i. To prog.
[Obs.] P. Fletcher.
Progue, n. A sharp point; a
goad. [Scot. & Local, U. S.] -- v. t. To
prick; to goad. [ Scot. & Local, U. S.].
Pro"heme (?), n. Proem.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
Pro*hib"it (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Prohibited; p. pr. & vb. n.
Prohibiting.] [L. prohibitus, p. p. of prohibere
to prohibit; pro before, forth + habere to have, hold.
See Habit.]
1. To forbid by authority; to interdict; as,
God prohibited Adam from eating of the fruit of a certain tree;
we prohibit a person from doing a thing, and also the doing of
the thing; as, the law prohibits men from stealing, or it
prohibits stealing.
&fist; Prohibit was formerly followed by to with the
infinitive, but is now commonly followed by from with the
verbal noun in -ing.
2. To hinder; to debar; to prevent; to
preclude.
Gates of burning adamant,
Barred over us, prohibit all egress.
Milton.
Syn. -- To forbid; interdict; debar; prevent; hinder. --
Prohibit, Forbid. To forbid is Anglo-Saxon, and
is more familiar; to prohibit is Latin, and is more formal or
official. A parent forbids his child to be out late at night;
he prohibits his intercourse with the profane and vicious.
Pro*hib"it*er (?), n. One who
prohibits or forbids; a forbidder; an interdicter.
Pro`hi*bi"tion (?), n. [L.
prohibitio: cf. F. prohibition.]
1. The act of prohibiting; a declaration or
injunction forbidding some action; interdict.
The law of God, in the ten commandments, consists
mostly of prohibitions.
Tillotson.
2. Specifically, the forbidding by law of the
sale of alcoholic liquors as beverages.
Writ of prohibition (Law), a writ
issued by a superior tribunal, directed to an inferior court,
commanding the latter to cease from the prosecution of a suit
depending before it. Blackstone.
&fist; By ellipsis, prohibition is used for the writ
itself.
Pro`hi*bi"tion*ist, n.
1. One who favors prohibitory duties on
foreign goods in commerce; a protectionist.
2. One who favors the prohibition of the sale
(or of the sale and manufacture) of alcoholic liquors as
beverages.
Pro*hib"it*ive, a. [Cf. F.
prohibitif.] That prohibits; prohibitory; as, a tax whose
effect is prohibitive.
Pro*hib"it*o*ry (?), a. [L.
prohibitorius.] Tending to prohibit, forbid, or exclude;
implying prohibition; forbidding; as, a prohibitory law; a
prohibitory price.
Prohibitory index. (R. C. Ch.) See
under Index.
Proin (proin), v. t. [See Prune
to trim.] To lop; to trim; to prune; to adorn. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
The sprigs that did about it grow
He proined from the leafy arms.
Chapman.
Proin, v. i. To employed in
pruning. [Obs.]
Proj"ect (?; 277), n. [OF.
project, F. projet, fr. L. projectus, p. p. of
projicere to project; pro forward + jacere to
throw. See Jet a shooting forth, and cf. Projet.]
1. The place from which a thing projects, or
starts forth. [Obs.] Holland.
2. That which is projected or designed;
something intended or devised; a scheme; a design; a plan.
Vented much policy, and projects
deep.
Milton.
Projects of happiness devised by human
reason.
Rogers.
He entered into the project with his customary
ardor.
Prescott.
3. An idle scheme; an impracticable design;
as, a man given to projects.
Syn. -- Design; scheme; plan; purpose. -- Project,
Design. A project is something of a practical nature
thrown out for consideration as to its being done. A design is
a project when matured and settled, as a thing to be accomplished. An
ingenious man has many projects, but, if governed by sound
sense, will be slow in forming them into designs. See also
Scheme.
Pro*ject" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Projected; p. pr. & vb. n.
Projecting.] [Cf. OF. projecter, F.
projeter.]
1. To throw or cast forward; to shoot
forth.
Before his feet herself she did
project.
Spenser.
Behold! th' ascending villas on my side
Project long shadows o'er the crystal tide.
Pope.
2. To cast forward or revolve in the mind; to
contrive; to devise; to scheme; as, to project a
plan.
What sit then projecting peace and
war?
Milton.
3. (Persp.) To draw or exhibit, as the
form of anything; to delineate; as, to project a sphere, a map,
an ellipse, and the like; -- sometimes with on, upon,
into, etc.; as, to project a line or point upon a plane.
See Projection, 4.
Pro*ject" (?), v. i.
1. To shoot forward; to extend beyond
something else; to be prominent; to jut; as, the cornice
projects; branches project from the tree.
2. To form a project; to scheme. [R.]
Fuller.
Pro*ject"ile (?), a. [Cf. F.
projectile.]
1. Projecting or impelling forward; as, a
projectile force.
2. Caused or imparted by impulse or
projection; impelled forward; as, projectile motion.
Arbuthnot.
Pro*ject"ile, n. [Cf. F.
projectile.]
1. A body projected, or impelled forward, by
force; especially, a missile adapted to be shot from a
firearm.
2. pl. (Mech.) A part of
mechanics which treats of the motion, range, time of flight, etc., of
bodies thrown or driven through the air by an impelling
force.
Pro*jec"tion (?), n. [L.
projectio: cf. F. projection.]
1. The act of throwing or shooting
forward.
2. A jutting out; also, a part jutting out, as
of a building; an extension beyond something else.
3. The act of scheming or planning; also, that
which is planned; contrivance; design; plan.
Davenant.
4. (Persp.) The representation of
something; delineation; plan; especially, the representation of any
object on a perspective plane, or such a delineation as would result
were the chief points of the object thrown forward upon the plane,
each in the direction of a line drawn through it from a given point of
sight, or central point; as, the projection of a sphere. The
several kinds of projection differ according to the assumed point of
sight and plane of projection in each.
5. (Geog.) Any method of representing
the surface of the earth upon a plane.
Conical projection, a mode of representing
the sphere, the spherical surface being projected upon the
surface of a cone tangent to the sphere, the point of sight being at
the center of the sphere. -- Cylindric
projection, a mode of representing the sphere, the
spherical surface being projected upon the surface of a
cylinder touching the sphere, the point of sight being at the center
of the sphere. -- Globular,
Gnomonic, Orthographic,
projection,etc. See under Globular,
Gnomonic, etc. -- Mercator's projection,
a mode of representing the sphere in which the meridians are drawn
parallel to each other, and the parallels of latitude are straight
lines whose distance from each other increases with their distance
from the equator, so that at all places the degrees of latitude and
longitude have to each other the same ratio as on the sphere
itself. -- Oblique projection, a projection
made by parallel lines drawn from every point of a figure and meeting
the plane of projection obliquely. -- Polar
projection, a projection of the sphere in which the
point of sight is at the center, and the plane of projection passes
through one of the polar circles. -- Powder of
projection (Alchemy.), a certain powder cast into
a crucible or other vessel containing prepared metal or other matter
which is to be thereby transmuted into gold. --
Projection of a point on a plane (Descriptive
Geom.), the foot of a perpendicular to the plane drawn through
the point. -- Projection of a straight line of a
plane, the straight line of the plane connecting the
feet of the perpendiculars let fall from the extremities of the given
line.
Syn. -- See Protuberance.
Pro*ject"ment (?), n. Design;
contrivance; projection. [Obs.] Clarendon.
Pro*ject"or (?), n. [Cf. F.
projeteur.] One who projects a scheme or design; hence,
one who forms fanciful or chimerical schemes.
L'Estrange.
Pro*jec"ture (?), n. [L.
projectura: cf. F. projecture.] A jutting out
beyond a surface.
||Pro`jet" (?), n. [F. See
Project, n.] A plan proposed; a draft of
a proposed measure; a project.
Proke (?), v. i. To poke; to
thrust. [Obs.] Holland.
Pro*lapse" (?), n. [L. prolapsus,
fr. prolapsus, p. p. of prolabi to fall forward;
pro forward + labi to glide, fall.] (Med.)
The falling down of a part through the orifice with which it is
naturally connected, especially of the uterus or the rectum.
Dunglison.
Pro*lapse", v. i. To fall down or
out; to protrude.
Pro*lap"sion (?), n. [L.
prolapsio.] (Med.) Prolapse. [ Written also
prolaption.] [Obs.]
Pro*lap"sus (?), n. [L.] (Med.)
Prolapse.
Pro"late (?), a. [L. prolatus,
used as p. p. of proferre to bring forth, to extend; pro +
latus, p. p. See Pro-, and Tolerate. ]
Stretched out; extended; especially, elongated in the direction
of a line joining the poles; as, a prolate spheroid; -- opposed
to oblate.
Prolate cycloid. See the Note under
Cycloid. -- Prolate ellipsoid or
spheroid (Geom.), a figure generated by
the revolution of an ellipse about its major axis. See Ellipsoid of
revolution, under Ellipsoid.
Pro*late" (?), v. t. To utter; to
pronounce. [Obs.] "Foun-der-ed; prolate it right." B.
Jonson.
Pro*la"tion (?), n. [L. prolatio:
cf. F. prolation.]
1. The act of prolating or pronouncing;
utterance; pronunciation. [Obs.] Ray.
2. The act of deferring; delay. [Obs.]
Ainsworth.
3. (Mus.) A mediæval method of
determining of the proportionate duration of semibreves and
minims. Busby.
||Pro*la"tum (?), n.; pl.
Prolata (#). [ NL. See Prolate.]
(Geom.) A prolate spheroid. See Ellipsoid of
revolution, under Ellipsoid.
Pro"leg (?), n. [Pref. pro- for,
in place of + leg.] (Zoöl.) One of the fleshy
legs found on the abdominal segments of the larvæ of
Lepidoptera, sawflies, and some other insects. Those of Lepidoptera
have a circle of hooks. Called also proped, propleg, and
falseleg.
Pro"leg`ate (?; 48), n. [L.
prolegatus; pro for + legatus legate.] (Rom.
Hist.) The deputy or substitute for a legate.
Prol`e*gom"e*na*ry (?), a. Of the
nature of a prolegomenon; preliminary; introductory;
prefatory.
||Prol`e*gom"e*non (?), n.; pl.
Prolegomena (#). [ NL., fr. Gr. &?;, properly neut.
pass. p. pr. of &?; to say beforehand; &?; before + &?; to say.]
A preliminary remark or observation; an introductory discourse
prefixed to a book or treatise. D. Stokes (1659). Sir W.
Scott.
||Pro*lep"sis (?), n. [L., fr. Gr. &?;,
from &?; to take beforehand; &?; before + &?; to take.]
1. (Rhet.) (a) A figure
by which objections are anticipated or prevented. Abp.
Bramhall. (b) A necessary truth or
assumption; a first or assumed principle.
2. (Chron.) An error in chronology,
consisting in an event being dated before the actual time.
3. (Gram.) The application of an
adjective to a noun in anticipation, or to denote the result, of the
action of the verb; as, to strike one dumb.
{ Pro*lep"tic (?), Pro*lep"tic*al (?), }
a. [Gr. &?;: cf. F. proleptique.]
1. Of or pertaining to prolepsis;
anticipative. "A far-seeing or proleptic wisdom." De
Quincey.
2. Previous; antecedent.
Glanvill.
3. (Med.) Anticipating the usual time;
-- applied to a periodical disease whose paroxysms return at an
earlier hour at every repetition.
Pro*lep"tic*al*ly, adv. In a
proleptical manner.
Pro*lep"tics (?), n. (Med.)
The art and science of predicting in medicine.
Laycock.
||Pro`lé`taire" (?), n. [F. See
Proletary.] One of the common people; a low person; also,
the common people as a class or estate in a country.
Prol`e*ta"ne*ous (?), a. [L.
proletaneus.] Having a numerous offspring. [R.]
Prol`e*ta"ri*an (?), a. [L.
proletarius. See Proletary.] Of or pertaining to the
proletaries; belonging to the commonalty; hence, mean; vile;
vulgar. "Every citizen, if he were not a proletarian
animal kept at the public cost." De Quincey. --
n. A proletary.
Prol`e*ta"ri*at (?), n. [F.] The
indigent class in the State; the body of proletarians.
Prol`e*ta"ri*ate (?), n. The lower
classes; beggars. "The Italian proletariate." J. A.
Symonds.
Prol"e*ta*ry (?), n.; pl.
Proletaries (#). [ L. proletarius, fr.
proles offspring. Cf. Prolétaire.] (Rom.
Antiq.) A citizen of the lowest class, who served the state,
not with property, but only by having children; hence, a common
person.
Prol"i*cide (?), n. [L. proles
offspring + caedere to kill.] The crime of destroying
one's offspring, either in the womb or after birth.
Bouvier.
Pro*lif"er*ate (?), v. t. [L.
proles offspring + ferre to bear.]
1. (Biol.) To produce or form cells;
especially, to produce cells rapidly.
2. (Zoöl.) To produce zooids by
budding.
Pro*lif`er*a"tion (?), n.
1. (Biol.) The continuous development
of cells in tissue formation; cell formation.
Virchow.
2. (Zoöl.) The production of
numerous zooids by budding, especially when buds arise from other buds
in succession.
Pro*lif"er*ous (?), a. [L. proles
offspring + -ferous.]
1. (Bot.) Bearing offspring; -- applied
to a flower from within which another is produced, or to a branch or
frond from which another rises, or to a plant which is reproduced by
buds or gemmæ.
2. (Zoöl.) (a)
Producing young by budding. (b)
Producing sexual zooids by budding; -- said of the blastostyle of
a hydroid. (c) Producing a cluster of
branchlets from a larger branch; -- said of corals.
Proliferous cyst (Med.), a cyst that
produces highly-organized or even vascular structures.
Paget.
-- Pro*lif"er*ous*ly, adv.
Pro*lif"ic (?), a. [F.
prolifique, fr. L. proles offspring (from pro
for, forward + the root of alere to nourish) + facere to
make. See Adult, Old, and Fact.]
1. Having the quality of generating; producing
young or fruit; generative; fruitful; productive; -- applied to plants
producing fruit, animals producing young, etc.; -- usually with the
implied idea of frequent or numerous production; as, a prolific
tree, female, and the like.
2. Serving to produce; fruitful of results;
active; as, a prolific brain; a controversy prolific of
evil.
3. (Bot.) Proliferous.
Pro*lif"ic*a*cy (?), n.
Prolificness. [R.]
Pro*lif"ic*al (?), a. Producing
young or fruit abundantly; fruitful; prolific. --
Pro*lif"ic*al*ly, adv.
Pro*lif"ic*ate (?), v. t. [See
Prolific.] To make prolific; to fertilize; to
impregnate. Sir T. Browne.
Pro*lif`i*ca"tion (?), n. [Cf. F.
prolification, LL. prolificatio.]
1. The generation of young.
2. (Bot.) Reproduction by the growth of
a plant, or part of a plant, directly from an older one, or by
gemmæ.
Pro*lif"ic*ness (?), n. The quality
or state of being prolific; fruitfulness; prolificacy.
Pro*lix" (?; 277), a. [L.
prolixus extended, long, prolix, probably fr. pro
before, forward + liqui to flow, akin to liquidus
liquid; cf. OL. lixa water: cf. F. prolixe. See
Liquid.]
1. Extending to a great length; unnecessarily
long; minute in narration or argument; excessively particular in
detail; -- rarely used except with reference to discourse written or
spoken; as, a prolix oration; a prolix poem; a
prolix sermon.
With wig prolix, down flowing to his
waist.
Cowper.
2. Indulging in protracted discourse; tedious;
wearisome; -- applied to a speaker or writer.
Syn. -- Long; diffuse; prolonged; protracted; tedious;
tiresome; wearisome. -- Prolix, Diffuse. A
prolix writer delights in circumlocution, extended detail, and
trifling particulars. A diffuse writer is fond of amplifying,
and abounds in epithets, figures, and illustrations.
Diffuseness often arises from an exuberance of imagination;
prolixity is generally connected with a want of it.
Pro*lix"ious (?), a. Dilatory;
tedious; superfluous. [Obs.] "Lay by all nicety, and
prolixious blushes." Shak.
Pro*lix"i*ty (?), n. [L.
prolixitas: cf. F. prolixité.] The quality
or state of being prolix; great length; minute detail; as,
prolixity in discourses and writings. "For fulsomeness of
his prolixitee." Chaucer.
Idly running on with vain
prolixity.
Drayton.
Pro*lix"ly, adv. In a prolix
manner. Dryden.
Pro*lix"ness, n. Prolixity.
Adam Smith.
Proll (?), v. t. [See Prowl.]
[imp. & p. p. Prolled (&?;); p. pr. &
vb. n. Prolling.] To search or prowl after; to
rob; to plunder. [Obs.] Barrow.
Proll, v. i. To prowl about; to
rob. [Obs.] South.
Though ye prolle aye, ye shall it never
find.
Chaucer.
Proll"er (?), n. Prowler;
thief. [Obs.] Chapman.
Prol`o*cu"tor (?), n. [L., from
proloqui, p. p. prolocutus, to speak out; pro for
+ loqui to speak.]
1. One who speaks for another.
Jeffrey.
2. The presiding officer of a
convocation. Macaulay.
Prol`o*cu"tor*ship, n. The office
of a prolocutor.
Pro"log (?), n. & v.
Prologue.
Pro"lo*gize (?), v. i. [Gr. &?;. See
Prologue.] To deliver a Prologue. [R.]
Whewell.
Pro"lo*gi`zer (?), n. One who
prologizes. [R.]
Pro"logue (?), n. [F., fr. L.
prologus, fr. Gr. &?;, fr. &?; to say beforehand; &?; before +
&?; to say. See Logic.]
1. The preface or introduction to a discourse,
poem, or performance; as, the prologue of Chaucer's "Canterbury
Tales;" esp., a discourse or poem spoken before a dramatic
performance
2. One who delivers a prologue. [R.]
Shak.
Pro"logue, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Prologued (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Prologuing.] To introduce with a formal preface, or
prologue. [R.] Shak.
Pro*long" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Prolonged (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Prolonging.] [F. prolonger, L. prolongare;
pro before, forth + longus long. See Long,
a., and cf. Prolongate, Purloin. ]
1. To extend in space or length; as, to
prolong a line.
2. To lengthen in time; to extend the duration
of; to draw out; to continue; as, to prolong one's
days.
Prolong awhile the traitor's life.
Shak.
The unhappy queen with talk prolonged the
night.
Dryden.
3. To put off to a distant time; to
postpone. Shak.
Pro*long"a*ble (?), a. Capable of
being prolonged; as, life is prolongable by care.
Each syllable being a prolongable
quantity.
Rush.
Pro*lon"gate (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Prolongated (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Prolongating.] [L. prolongatus, p. p. of
prolongare. See Prolong.] To prolong; to extend in
space or in time. [R.]
Pro`lon*ga"tion (?), n. [F.
prolongation.]
1. The act of lengthening in space or in time;
extension; protraction. Bacon.
2. That which forms an additional
length.
Pro*longe" (?), n. [F. See
Prolong.] (Field Artillery) A rope with a hook and
a toggle, sometimes used to drag a gun carriage or to lash it to the
limber, and for various other purposes.
Pro*long"er (?), n. One who, or
that which, causes an extension in time or space.
Pro*long"ment (?), n.
Prolongation.
Pro*lu"sion (?), n. [L. prolusio,
fr. proludere to prelude; pro before + ludere to
play: cf. F. prolusion, It. prolusione.] A trial
before the principal performance; a prelude; hence, an introductory
essay or exercise. "Domestic prolusions."
Thackeray.
Her presence was in some measure a restraint on the
worthy divine, whose prolusion lasted.
Sir W.
Scott.
Prom`a*na"tion (?), n. [Pref. pro-
+ L. manatio a flowing, fr. manare to flow.]
The act of flowing forth; emanation; efflux. [Obs.] Dr.
H. More.
Prom`e*nade" (?), n. [F. (with a foreign
suffix), from promener to lead, take for a walk, se
promener to walk, from L. prominare to drive forward or
along; pro forward + minare to drive animals. See
Amenable, Menace.]
1. A walk for pleasure, display, or
exercise. Burke.
2. A place for walking; a public walk.
Bp. Montagu.
Prom`e*nade", v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Promenaded; p. pr. & vb. n.
Promenading.] To walk for pleasure, display, or
exercise.
Prom`e*nad"er (?), n. One who
promenades.
Pro*mer"it (?), v. t. [L.
promeritus, p. p. of promerere to deserve; pro
before + merere to merit.]
1. To oblige; to confer a favor on.
[Obs.] Bp. Hall.
2. To deserve; to procure by merit.
[Obs.] Davenant.
||Prom"e*rops (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?;
before + &?; bee-eater.] (Zoöl.) Any one of several
species of very brilliant birds belonging to Promerops,
Epimarchus, and allied genera, closely related to the paradise
birds, and mostly native of New Guinea. They have a long curved beak
and a long graduated tail.
||Pro*me"the*a (?), n. [NL. See
Prometheus.] (Zoöl.) A large American bombycid
moth (Callosamia promethea). Its larva feeds on the sassafras,
wild cherry, and other trees, and suspends its cocoon from a branch by
a silken band.
Pro*me"the*an (?), a. [L.
Prometh&?;us: cf. F.
prométhéen.]
1. Of or pertaining to Prometheus. See
Prometheus. "Promethean fire." Shak.
2. Having a life-giving quality;
inspiring.
Pro*me"the*an (?), n. (Old Chem.)
(a) An apparatus for automatic ignition.
(b) A kind of lucifer match.
Pro*me"the*us (?), n. [L., fr. Gr. &?;,
from &?; to have forethought for.] (Class. Myth.) The son
of Iapetus (one of the Titans) and Clymene, fabled by the poets to
have surpassed all mankind in knowledge, and to have formed men of
clay to whom he gave life by means of fire stolen from heaven.
Jupiter, being angry at this, sent Mercury to bind Prometheus to Mount
Caucasus, where a vulture preyed upon his liver.
{ Prom"i*nence (?), Prom"i*nen*cy (?), }
n. [L. prominentia: cf. F. prominence.
See Prominent. ]
1. The quality or state of being prominent; a
standing out from something; conspicuousness.
2. That which is prominent; a
protuberance.
Solar prominences. (Astron.) See
Solar Protuberances, under Protuberance.
Prom"i*nent (?), a. [L.
prominens, -entis, p. pr. of prominere to jut
out, to project; pro before, forward + minere (in comp.)
to jut, project: cf. F. prominent. See Imminent,
Eminent.]
1. Standing out, or projecting, beyond the
line surface of something; jutting; protuberant; in high relief; as, a
prominent figure on a vase.
2. Hence; Distinctly manifest; likely to
attract attention from its size or position; conspicuous; as, a
prominent feature of the face; a prominent
building.
3. Eminent; distinguished above others; as, a
prominent character.
Prominent' moth (Zoöl.), any moth
of the family Notodontidæ; a notodontian; -- so called
because the larva has a hump or prominence on its back. Several of the
species are injurious to fruit trees.
Prom"i*nent*ly, adv. In a prominent
manner.
Pro`mis*cu"i*ty (?), n.
Promiscuousness; confusion. H. Spencer.
Pro*mis"cu*ous (?), a. [L.
promiscuus; pro before, in place of, for +
miscere to mix. See Mix. ]
1. Consisting of individuals united in a body
or mass without order; mingled; confused; undistinguished; as, a
promiscuous crowd or mass.
A wild, where weeds and flowers promiscuous
shoot.
Pope.
2. Distributed or applied without order or
discrimination; not restricted to an individual; common;
indiscriminate; as, promiscuous love or intercourse.
Pro*mis"cu*ous*ly, adv. In a
promiscuous manner.
Pro*mis"cu*ous*ness, n. The quality
or state of being promiscuous.
Prom"ise (?), a. [F. promesse, L.
promissum, fr. promittere, promissum, to put
forth, foretell, promise; pro forward, for + mittere to
send. See Mission. ]
1. In general, a declaration, written or
verbal, made by one person to another, which binds the person who
makes it to do, or to forbear to do, a specified act; a declaration
which gives to the person to whom it is made a right to expect or to
claim the performance or forbearance of a specified act.
For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of
promise: but God gave it to Abraham by
promise.
Gal. iii. 18.
2. (Law) An engagement by one person to
another, either in words or in writing, but properly not under seal,
for the performance or nonperformance of some particular thing. The
word promise is used to denote the mere engagement of a person,
without regard to the consideration for it, or the corresponding duty
of the party to whom it is made. Chitty. Parsons.
Burrill.
3. That which causes hope, expectation, or
assurance; especially, that which affords expectation of future
distinction; as, a youth of great promise.
Shak.
My native country was full of youthful
promise.
W. Irving.
4. Bestowal, fulfillment, or grant of what is
promised.
He . . . commanded them that they should not depart
from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the
Father.
Acts i. 4.
Prom"ise, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Promised (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Promising.]
1. To engage to do, give, make, or to refrain
from doing, giving, or making, or the like; to covenant; to engage;
as, to promise a visit; to promise a cessation of
hostilities; to promise the payment of money. "To
promise aid." Shak.
2. To afford reason to expect; to cause hope
or assurance of; as, the clouds promise rain.
Milton.
3. To make declaration of or give assurance
of, as some benefit to be conferred; to pledge or engage to bestow;
as, the proprietors promised large tracts of land; the city
promised a reward.
Promised land. See Land of promise,
under Land. -- To promise one's self.
(a) To resolve; to determine; to vow.
(b) To be assured; to have strong
confidence.
I dare promise myself you will attest the truth
of all I have advanced.
Rambler.
Prom"ise, v. i.
1. To give assurance by a promise, or binding
declaration.
2. To afford hopes or expectation; to give
ground to expect good; rarely, to give reason to expect
evil.
Will not the ladies be afeard of the lion?
I fear it, I promise you.
Shak.
Prom`is*ee" (?), n. (Law)
The person to whom a promise is made.
Prom"is*er (?), n. One who
promises.
Prom"is*ing, a. Making a promise or
promises; affording hope or assurance; as, promising person; a
promising day. -- Prom"is*ing*ly,
adv.
Prom"is*or (?), n. (Law) One
who engages or undertakes; a promiser. Burrill.
Pro*mis"sive (?), a. Making a
promise; implying a promise; promising. [R.]
Prom"is*so*ri*ly (?), adv. In a
promissory manner. Sir T. Browne.
Prom"is*so*ry (?), a. Containing a
promise or binding declaration of something to be done or
forborne.
Promissory note (Law), a written
promise to pay to some person named, and at a time specified therein,
or on demand, or at sight, a certain sum of money, absolutely and at
all events; -- frequently called a note of hand. Kent.
Byles. Story.
Prom"ont (?), n. Promontory.
[R.] Drayton.
Prom"on*to*ry (?), n.; pl.
Promontories (#). [ L. promonturium,
promunturium; pro before + mons, montis,
mountain: cf. F. promontoire. See Mount,
n.]
1. (Phys. Geog.) A high point of land
or rock projecting into the sea beyond the line of coast; a headland;
a high cape.
Like one that stands upon a
promontory.
Shak.
2. (Anat.) A projecting part.
Especially: (a) The projecting angle of the ventral
side of the sacrum where it joins the last lumbar vertebra.
(b) A prominence on the inner wall of the tympanum of
the ear.
Pro*mor`pho*log"ic*al (?), a.
(Biol.) Relating to promorphology; as, a
promorphological conception.
Pro`mor*phol"o*gist (?), n.
(Biol.) One versed in the science of
promorphology.
Pro`mor*phol"o*gy (?), n. [Pref. pro-
+ morphology.] (Biol.) Crystallography of
organic forms; -- a division of morphology created by Haeckel. It is
essentially stereometric, and relates to a mathematical conception of
organic forms. See Tectology.
Pro*mote" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Promoted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Promoting.] [L. promotus, p. p. of promovere to
move forward, to promote; pro forward + movere to move.
See Move.]
1. To contribute to the growth, enlargement,
or prosperity of (any process or thing that is in course); to forward;
to further; to encourage; to advance; to excite; as, to promote
learning; to promote disorder; to promote a business
venture. "Born to promote all truth." Milton.
2. To exalt in station, rank, or honor; to
elevate; to raise; to prefer; to advance; as, to promote an
officer.
I will promote thee unto very great
honor.
Num. xxii. 17.
Exalt her, and she shall promote
thee.
Prov. iv. 18.
Syn. -- To forward; advance; further; patronize; help;
exalt; prefer; elevate; dignify.
Pro*mote", v. i. To urge on or
incite another, as to strife; also, to inform against a person.
[Obs.]
Pro*mot"er (?), n. 1.
One who, or that which, forwards, advances, or promotes; an
encourager; as, a promoter of charity or philosophy.
Boyle.
2. Specifically, one who sets on foot, and
takes the preliminary steps in, a scheme for the organization of a
corporation, a joint-stock company, or the like.
3. One who excites; as, a promoter of
sedition.
4. An informer; a makebate. [Obs.]
Tusser.
Pro*mo"tion (-mō"shŭn), n.
[L. promotio: cf. F. promotion.] The act of
promoting, advancing, or encouraging; the act of exalting in rank or
honor; also, the condition of being advanced, encouraged, or exalted
in honor; preferment. Milton.
Promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from
the west, nor from the south.
Ps. lxxv. 6.
Pro*mo"tive (?), a. Tending to
advance, promote, or encourage. Hume.
Pro*move" (?), v. t. [See
Promote.] To move forward; to advance; to promote.
[Obs.] Bp. Fell.
Pro*mov"er (?), n. A
promoter. [Obs.]
Prompt (pr&obreve;mt; 215), a.
[Compar. Prompter (?);
superl. Promptest.] [F. prompt, L.
promptus, properly, brought forth (to light or view), hence,
visible, evident, at hand, ready, quick, -- p. p. of promere to
take or bring forth; pro forth + emere to take. See
Redeem. ]
1. Ready and quick to act as occasion demands;
meeting requirements readily; not slow, dilatory, or hesitating in
decision or action; responding on the instant; immediate; as,
prompt in obedience or compliance; -- said of
persons.
Very discerning and prompt in giving
orders.
Clarendon.
Tell him I am prompt
To lay my crown at's feet.
Shak.
And you, perhaps, too prompt in your
replies.
Dryden.
2. Done or rendered quickly, readily, or
immediately; given without delay or hesitation; -- said of conduct;
as, prompt assistance.
When Washington heard the voice of his country in
distress,
his obedience was prompt.
Ames.
3. Easy; unobstructed. [Obs.]
The reception of the light into the body of the
building was very prompt.
Sir H.
Wotton.
Syn. -- Ready; expeditious; quick; agile; alert; brisk;
nimble. -- Prompt, Ready, Expeditious. One who
is ready is prepared to act at the moment. One who is
prompt acts at the moment. One who is expeditious
carries through an undertaking with constant promptness.
Prompt, n. (Com.) A limit of
time given for payment of an account for produce purchased, this limit
varying with different goods. See Prompt-note.
To cover any probable difference of price which might
arise before the expiration of the prompt, which for this
article [tea] is three months.
J. S. Mill.
Prompt, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Prompted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Prompting.]
1. To assist or induce the action of; to move
to action; to instigate; to incite.
God first . . . prompted on the infirmities of
the infant world by temporal prosperity.
Jer.
Taylor.
2. To suggest; to dictate.
And whispering angles prompt her golden
dreams.
Pope.
3. To remind, as an actor or an orator, of
words or topics forgotten.
Prompt"-book` (&?;), n. The book
used by a prompter of a theater.
Prompt"er (?), n.
1. One who, or that which, prompts; one who
admonishes or incites to action.
2. One who reminds another, as an actor or an
orator, of the words to be spoken next; specifically, one employed for
this purpose in a theater.
Prompt"i*tude (?), n. [F., fr. L.
promptitudo. See Prompt, a.] The
quality of being prompt; quickness of decision and action when
occasion demands; alacrity; as, promptitude in
obedience.
Men of action, of promptitude, and of
courage.
I. Taylor.
Prompt"ly, adv. In a prompt
manner.
Prompt"ness, n.
1. Promptitude; readiness; quickness of
decision or action.
2. Cheerful willingness; alacrity.
Prompt"-note` (?), n. (Com.)
A memorandum of a sale, and time when payment is due, given to
the purchaser at a sale of goods.
Promp"tu*a*ry (?), a. Of or
pertaining to preparation. [R.] Bacon.
Promp"tu*a*ry, n. [L.
promptuarium, fr. promptuarius belonging to
distribution, distributing: cf, F. promptuaire. See
Prompt, a.] That from which supplies are
drawn; a storehouse; a magazine; a repository.
Woodward.
Promp"ture (?; 135), n. [See
Prompt, a.] Suggestion; incitement;
prompting. [R.] Shak. Coleridge.
Pro*mul"gate (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Promulgated (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Promulgating.] [L. promulgatus, p. p. of
promulgare to promulgate; of unknown origin. Cf.
Promulge.] To make known by open declaration, as laws,
decrees, or tidings; to publish; as, to promulgate the secrets
of a council.
Syn. -- To publish; declare; proclaim. See
Announce.
Pro`mul*ga"tion (?), n. [L.
promulgatio: cf. F. promulgation.] The act of
promulgating; publication; open declaration; as, the
promulgation of the gospel. South.
Pro"mul*ga`tor (?), n. [L.] One who
promulgates or publishes. Dr. H. More.
Pro*mulge" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Promulged (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Promulging (?).] [Cf. F. promulguer. See
Promulgate.] To promulgate; to publish or teach.
Blackstone.
Extraordinary doctrines these for the age in which they
were promulged.
Prescott.
Pro*mul"ger (?), n. One who
promulges or publishes what was before unknown.
Atterbury.
||Pro*mus"cis (?), n. [L., corruption of
proboscis.] (Zoöl.) The proboscis of
hemipterous insects. See Illust. under
Hemiptera.
||Pro*na"os (?), n. [L., fr. Gr. &?;;
&?; before + &?; temple.] (Arch.) The porch or vestibule
of a temple.
Pro"nate (?), a. [L. pronatus, p.
p. of pronare to bend forward. See Prone.] Somewhat
prone; inclined; as, pronate trees. Kane.
Pro*na"tion (?), n. [Cf. F.
pronation.] (Physiol.) (a) The act
of turning the palm or palmar surface of the forefoot downward.
(b) That motion of the forearm whereby the palm
or palmar, surface is turned downward. (c)
The position of the limb resulting from the act of pronation.
Opposed to supination.
Pro*na"tor (?), n. [NL.] (Anat.)
A muscle which produces pronation.
Prone (?), a. [L. pronus, akin to
Gr. &?;, &?;, Skr. pravana sloping, inclined, and also to L.
pro forward, for. See Pro-.]
1. Bending forward; inclined; not
erect.
Towards him they bend
With awful reverence prone.
Milton.
2. Prostrate; flat; esp., lying with the face
down; -- opposed to supine.
Which, as the wind,
Blew where it listed, laying all things prone.
Byron.
3. Headlong; running downward or
headlong. "Down thither prone in flight."
Milton.
4. Sloping, with reference to a line or
surface; declivous; inclined; not level.
Since the floods demand,
For their descent, a prone and sinking land.
Blackmore.
5. Inclined; propense; disposed; -- applied to
the mind or affections, usually in an ill sense. Followed by
to. "Prone to mischief." Shak.
Poets are nearly all prone to
melancholy.
Landor.
Prone"ly, adv. In a prone manner or
position.
Prone"ness, n.
1. The quality or state of being prone, or of
bending downward; as, the proneness of beasts is opposed to the
erectness of man.
2. The state of lying with the face down; --
opposed to supineness.
3. Descent; declivity; as, the
proneness of a hill.
4. Inclination of mind, heart, or temper;
propension; disposition; as, proneness to self-
gratification.
Pro*neph"ric (?), a. (Anat.)
Of or pertaining to the pronephros.
||Pro*neph"ros (?), ||Pro*neph"ron (&?;),
n. [ NL., fr. Gr. &?; before + &?; a kidney.]
(Anat.) The head kidney. See under Head.
Prong (?), n. [Cf. D. prangen to
pinch, press, LG. prange a stick, or W. procio to
thrust, E. prowl, pang.]
1. A sharp-pointed instrument.
Prick it on a prong of iron.
Sandys.
2. The tine of a fork, or of a similar
instrument; as, a fork of two or three prongs.
3. (Zoöl.) (a) A
sharp projection, as of an antler. (b) The
fang of a tooth.
Prong"buck` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
(a) The springbuck. (b)
The pronghorn.
Pronged (?), a. Having prongs or
projections like the tines of a fork; as, a three-pronged
fork.
Prong"-hoe` (?), n. A hoe with
prongs to break the earth.
Prong"horn` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
An American antelope (Antilocapra Americana), native of
the plain near the Rocky Mountains. The upper parts are mostly
yellowish brown; the under parts, the sides of the head and throat,
and the buttocks, are white. The horny sheath of the horns is shed
annually. Called also cabrée, cabut,
prongbuck, and pronghorned antelope.
Pro"ni*ty (?), n. [L. pronitas.]
Proneness; propensity. [R.] Dr. H. More.
Pro*nom"i*nal (?), a. [L.
pronominalis: cf. F. pronominal. See Pronoun.]
Belonging to, or partaking of the nature of, a pronoun.
Pro*nom"i*nal*ize (?), v. t. To
give the effect of a pronoun to; as, to pronominalize the
substantives person, people, etc.
Early.
Pro*nom"i*nal*ly, adv. In a
pronominal manner&?; with the nature or office of a pronoun; as a
pronoun.
||Pro`non`cé" (?), a. [F. See
Pronounce.] Strongly marked; decided, as in manners,
etc.
Pro*no"ta*ry (?), n. See
Prothonotary.
||Pro*no"tum (?), n.; pl.
Pronota (#). [NL. See Pro-, and
Notum.] (Zoöl.) The dorsal plate of the
prothorax in insects. See Illust. of
Coleoptera.
Pro"noun (?), n. [Pref. pro- +
noun: cf. F. pronom, L. pronomen. See
Noun.] (Gram.) A word used instead of a noun or
name, to avoid the repetition of it. The personal pronouns in English
are I, thou or you, he, she,
it, we, ye, and they.
Pro*nounce" (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Pronounced (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Pronounging (?).] [F. prononcer, L.
pronunciare; pro before, forth + nunciare,
nuntiare, to announce. See Announce.]
1. To utter articulately; to speak out or
distinctly; to utter, as words or syllables; to speak with the proper
sound and accent as, adults rarely learn to pronounce a foreign
language correctly.
2. To utter officially or solemnly; to
deliver, as a decree or sentence; as, to pronounce sentence of
death.
Sternly he pronounced
The rigid interdiction.
Milton.
3. To speak or utter rhetorically; to deliver;
to recite; as, to pronounce an oration.
Speak the speech, I pray you, as I pronounced it
to you.
Shak.
4. To declare or affirm; as, he
pronounced the book to be a libel; he pronounced the act
to be a fraud.
The God who hallowed thee and blessed,
Pronouncing thee all good.
Keble.
Syn. -- To deliver; utter; speak. See Deliver.
Pro*nounce", v. i.
1. To give a pronunciation; to articulate; as,
to pronounce faultlessly. Earle.
2. To make declaration; to utter on opinion;
to speak with confidence. [R.] Dr. H. More.
Pro*nounce", n. Pronouncement;
declaration; pronunciation. [Obs.] Milton.
Pro*nounce"a*ble (?), a. [Cf. L.
pronunciabilis declarative.] Capable of being
pronounced.
Pro*nounced" (?), a. [F.
prononcé.] Strongly marked; unequivocal; decided.
[A Gallicism]
[His] views became every day more
pronounced.
Thackeray.
Pro*nounce"ment (?), n. The act of
pronouncing; a declaration; a formal announcement.
Pro*noun"cer (?), n. One who
pronounces, utters, or declares; also, a pronouncing book.
Pro*noun"cing (?), a. Pertaining
to, or indicating, pronunciation; as, a pronouncing
dictionary.
Pro*nu"bi*al (?), a. [L. pronuba
bridesmaid; pro before + nubere to marry.]
Presiding over marriage. [R.]
Pro*nu"cle*us (?), n.; pl.
Pronuclei (-ī). [NL. See Pro-, and
Nucleus.] (Biol.) One of the two bodies or nuclei
(called male and female pronuclei) which unite to form
the first segmentation nucleus of an impregnated ovum.
&fist; In the maturing of the ovum preparatory to impregnation, a
part of the germinal vesicle (see Polar body, under
Polar) becomes converted into a number of small vesicles, which
aggregate themselves into a single clear nucleus. which travels
towards the center of the egg and is called the female
pronucleus. In impregnation, the spermatozoön which enters
the egg soon loses its tail, while the head forms a nucleus, called
the male pronucleus, which gradually travels towards the female
pronucleus and eventually fuses with it, forming the first
segmentation nucleus.
Pro*nun"cial (?), a. Of or
pertaining to pronunciation; pronunciative.
Pro*nun`ci*a*men"to (?), n. A
proclamation or manifesto; a formal announcement or
declaration.
||Pro*nun`ci*a`mi"en"to (?), n. [Sp. See
Pronounce.] See Pronunciamento.
Pro*nun`ci*a"tion (?; 277), n. [F.
pronunciation, L. pronunciatio. See
Pronounce.]
1. The act of uttering with articulation; the
act of giving the proper sound and accent; utterance; as, the
pronunciation of syllables of words; distinct or indistinct
pronunciation.
2. The mode of uttering words or
sentences.
3. (Rhet.) The art of manner of
uttering a discourse publicly with propriety and gracefulness; -- now
called delivery. J. Q. Adams.
Pro*nun"ci*a*tive (?), a. [L.
pronunciativus.]
1. Of or pertaining to
pronunciation.
2. Uttering confidently; dogmatical.
[Obs.] Bacon.
Pro*nun"ci*a`tor (?), n. [L., a
reciter.] One who pronounces; a pronouncer.
Pro*nun"ci*a*to*ry (?), a. Of or
pertaining to pronunciation; that pronounces.
Proof (?), n. [OF. prove,
proeve, F. preuve, fr. L. proba, fr.
probare to prove. See Prove.]
1. Any effort, process, or operation designed
to establish or discover a fact or truth; an act of testing; a test; a
trial.
For whatsoever mother wit or art
Could work, he put in proof.
Spenser.
You shall have many proofs to show your
skill.
Ford.
Formerly, a very rude mode of ascertaining the strength
of spirits was practiced, called the proof.
Ure.
2. That degree of evidence which convinces the
mind of any truth or fact, and produces belief; a test by facts or
arguments that induce, or tend to induce, certainty of the judgment;
conclusive evidence; demonstration.
I'll have some proof.
Shak.
It is no proof of a man's understanding to be
able to confirm whatever he pleases.
Emerson.
&fist; Properly speaking, proof is the effect or result of
evidence, evidence is the medium of proof. Cf. Demonstration,
1.
3. The quality or state of having been proved
or tried; firmness or hardness that resists impression, or does not
yield to force; impenetrability of physical bodies.
4. Firmness of mind; stability not to be
shaken.
5. (Print.) A trial impression, as from
type, taken for correction or examination; -- called also proof
sheet.
6. (Math.) A process for testing the
accuracy of an operation performed. Cf. Prove, v.
t., 5.
7. Armor of excellent or tried quality, and
deemed impenetrable; properly, armor of proof. [Obs.]
Shak.
Artist's proof, a very early proof impression
of an engraving, or the like; -- often distinguished by the artist's
signature. -- Proof reader, one who reads,
and marks correction in, proofs. See def. 5, above.
Syn. -- Testimony; evidence; reason; argument; trial;
demonstration. See Testimony.
Proof, a.
1. Used in proving or testing; as, a
proof load, or proof charge.
2. Firm or successful in resisting; as,
proof against harm; waterproof;
bombproof.
I . . . have found thee
Proof against all temptation.
Milton.
This was a good, stout proof article of
faith.
Burke.
3. Being of a certain standard as to strength;
-- said of alcoholic liquors.
Proof charge (Firearms), a charge of
powder and ball, greater than the service charge, fired in an arm, as
a gun or cannon, to test its strength. -- Proof
impression. See under Impression. --
Proof load (Engin.), the greatest load
than can be applied to a piece, as a beam, column, etc., without
straining the piece beyond the elastic limit. -- Proof
sheet. See Proof, n., 5. -
- Proof spirit (Chem.), a strong
distilled liquor, or mixture of alcohol and water, containing not less
than a standard amount of alcohol. In the United States "proof spirit
is defined by law to be that mixture of alcohol and water which
contains one half of its volume of alcohol, the alcohol when at a
temperature of 60° Fahrenheit being of specific gravity 0.7939
referred to water at its maximum density as unity. Proof spirit has at
60° Fahrenheit a specific gravity of 0.93353, 100 parts by volume
of the same consisting of 50 parts of absolute alcohol and 53.71 parts
of water," the apparent excess of water being due to contraction of
the liquids on mixture. In England proof spirit is defined by Act 58,
George III., to be such as shall at a temperature of 51°
Fahrenheit weigh exactly the ½x13; part of an equal measure of
distilled water. This contains 49.3 per cent by weight, or 57.09 by
volume, of alcohol. Stronger spirits, as those of about 60, 70, and 80
per cent of alcohol, are sometimes called second, third,
and fourth proof spirits respectively. -- Proof
staff, a straight-edge used by millers to test the
flatness of a stone. -- Proof stick (Sugar
Manuf.), a rod in the side of a vacuum pan, for testing the
consistency of the sirup. -- Proof text, a
passage of Scripture used to prove a doctrine.
Proof`-arm" (?), v. t. To arm with
proof armor; to arm securely; as, to proof-arm herself.
[R.] Beau. & Fl.
Proof"less, a. Wanting sufficient
evidence to induce belief; not proved. Boyle. --
Proof"less*ly, adv.
Proof"-proof`, a. Proof against
proofs; obstinate in the wrong. "That might have shown to any
one who was not proof-proof." Whateley.
||Pro*ös"tra*cum (?), n.;
pl. Proöstraca (#). [NL., fr. Gr. &?;
before + &?; shell of a testacean.] (Zoöl.) The
anterior prolongation of the guard of the phragmocone of belemnites
and allied fossil cephalopods, whether horny or calcareous. See
Illust. of Phragmocone.
Pro*ö"tic (?), a. [Pref. pro-
+ Gr. &?;, &?;, an ear.] (Anat.) In front of the
auditory capsule; -- applied especially to a bone, or center of
ossification, in the periotic capsule. -- n.
A proötic bone.
Prop (?), n. A shell, used as a
die. See Props.
Prop (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Propped (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Propping.] [Akin to LG. & D. proppen to cram, stuff,
thrust into, stop, G. pfropfen, Dan. proppe, Sw.
proppa; of uncertain origin, cf. G. pfropfen to graft,
fr. L. propago set, layer of a plant, slip, shoot. Cf. 3d.
Prop, Propagate.] To support, or prevent from
falling, by placing something under or against; as, to prop up
a fence or an old building; (Fig.) to sustain; to maintain; as, to
prop a declining state. Shak.
Till the bright mountains prop the incumbent
sky.
Pope.
For being not propp'd by ancestry.
Shak.
I prop myself upon those few supports that are
left me.
Pope.
Prop, n. [Akin to LG., D., & Dan.
prop stopple, stopper, cork, Sw. propp, G.
pfropf. See Prop, v.] That which
sustains an incumbent weight; that on which anything rests or leans
for support; a support; a stay; as, a prop for a
building. "Two props of virtue." Shak.
{ Pro`pæ*deu"tic (?),
Pro`pæ*deu"tic*al (?) }, a. [Gr. &?;
to teach beforehand; &?; before + &?; to bring up a child, to educate,
teach, fr. &?;, &?;, a child.] Of, pertaining to, or conveying,
preliminary instruction; introductory to any art or science;
instructing beforehand.
Pro`pæ*deu"tics (?), n. The
preliminary learning connected with any art or science; preparatory
instruction.
Prop"a*ga*ble (?), a. [See
Propagate.]
1. Capable of being propagated, or of being
continued or multiplied by natural generation or production.
2. Capable of being spread or extended by any
means; -- said of tenets, doctrines, or principles.
Prop`a*gan"da (?), n. [Abbrev. fr. L.
de propaganda fide: cf. F. propagande. See
Propagate.]
1. (R. C. Ch.) (a) A
congregation of cardinals, established in 1622, charged with the
management of missions. (b) The college of
the Propaganda, instituted by Urban VIII. (1623-1644) to educate
priests for missions in all parts of the world.
2. Hence, any organization or plan for
spreading a particular doctrine or a system of principles.
Prop`a*gan"dism (?), n. [Cf. F.
propagandisme.] The art or practice of propagating tenets
or principles; zeal in propagating one's opinions.
Prop`a*gan"dist (?), n. [Cf. F.
propagandiste.] A person who devotes himself to the spread
of any system of principles. "Political propagandists."
Walsh.
Prop"a*gate (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Propagated (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Propagating.] [L. propagatus, p. p. of
propagare to propagate, akin to propages,
propago, a layer of a plant, slip, shoot. See Pro-, and
cf. Pact, Prop, Prune, v.
t.]
1. To cause to continue or multiply by
generation, or successive production; -- applied to animals and
plants; as, to propagate a breed of horses or sheep; to
propagate a species of fruit tree.
2. To cause to spread to extend; to impel or
continue forward in space; as, to propagate sound or
light.
3. To spread from person to person; to extend
the knowledge of; to originate and spread; to carry from place to
place; to disseminate; as, to propagate a story or report; to
propagate the Christian religion.
The infection was propagated
insensibly.
De Foe.
4. To multiply; to increase. [Obs.]
Griefs of mine own lie heavy in my breast,
Which thou wilt propagate.
Shak.
5. To generate; to produce.
Motion propagated motion, and life threw off
life.
De Quincey.
Syn. -- To multiply; continue; increase; spread; diffuse;
disseminate; promote.
Prop"a*gate, v. i. To have young or
issue; to be produced or multiplied by generation, or by new shoots or
plants; as, rabbits propagate rapidly.
No need that thou
Should'st propagate, already infinite.
Milton.
Prop`a*ga"tion (?), n. [L.
propagatio: cf. F. propagation.]
1. The act of propagating; continuance or
multiplication of the kind by generation or successive production; as,
the propagation of animals or plants.
There is not in nature any spontaneous generation, but
all come by propagation.
Ray.
2. The spreading abroad, or extension, of
anything; diffusion; dissemination; as, the propagation of
sound; the propagation of the gospel. Bacon.
Prop"a*ga*tive (?), a. Producing by
propagation, or by a process of growth.
Prop"a*ga`tor (?), n. [L.: cf. F.
propagateur.] One who propagates; one who continues or
multiplies.
||Pro*pag"u*lum (?), n.; pl.
Propagula (#). [NL. See Propagate.]
(Bot.) A runner terminated by a germinating bud.
Pro"pane (?), n. [Propyl +
methane.] (Chem.) A heavy gaseous hydrocarbon,
C3H8, of the paraffin series, occurring
naturally dissolved in crude petroleum, and also made artificially; --
called also propyl hydride.
Pro*par"gyl (?), n. [Propinyl +
Gr. &?; silver + -yl. So called because one hydrogen atom may
be replaced by silver.] (Chem.) Same as
Propinyl.
Pro`par*ox"y*tone (?), n. [Gr. &?;. See
Pro-, and Paroxytone.] (Gr. Gram.) A word
which has the acute accent on the antepenult.
Pro"ped (?), n. [Pref. pro- + L.
pes, pedis, foot.] (Zoöl.) Same as
Proleg.
Pro*pel" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Propelled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Propelling.] [L. propellere, propulsum;
pro forward + pellere to drive. See Pulse a
beating.] To drive forward; to urge or press onward by force; to
move, or cause to move; as, the wind or steam propels ships;
balls are propelled by gunpowder.
Pro*pel"ler (?), n.
1. One who, or that which, propels.
2. A contrivance for propelling a steam
vessel, usually consisting of a screw placed in the stern under water,
and made to revolve by an engine; a propeller wheel.
3. A steamboat thus propelled; a screw
steamer.
Propeller wheel,the screw, usually having two
or more blades, used in propelling a vessel.
Pro*pend" (?), v. i. [L.
propendere, propensum; pro forward, forth +
pendere to hang. See Pendent.] To lean toward a
thing; to be favorably inclined or disposed; to incline; to
tend. [R.] Shak.
We shall propend to it, as a stone falleth
down.
Barrow.
Pro*pend"en*cy (?), n.
1. Propensity. [R.]
2. Attentive deliberation. [R.] Sir
M. Hale.
Pro*pend"ent (?), a. [L.
propendens, p. pr.] Inclining forward or toward.
South.
Pro"pene (?), n. [Propyl +
ethylene.] (Chem.) Same as
Propylene.
Pro*pense" (?), a. [L. propensus,
p. p. See Propend.] Leaning toward, in a moral sense;
inclined; disposed; prone; as, women propense to
holiness. Hooker. -- Pro*pense"ly,
adv. -- Pro*pense"ness,
n.
Pro*pen"sion (?), n. [L.
propensio: cf. F. propension. See Propend,
Propense.] The quality or state of being propense;
propensity. M. Arnold.
Your full consent
Gave wings to my propension.
Shak.
Pro*pen"si*ty (?), n.; pl.
Propensities (&?;). The quality or state of
being propense; natural inclination; disposition to do good or evil;
bias; bent; tendency. "A propensity to utter blasphemy."
Macaulay.
Syn. -- Disposition; bias; inclination; proclivity;
proneness; bent; tendency.
Pro"pe*nyl (?), n. [Propene +
-yl.] (Chem.) A hypothetical hydrocarbon radical,
C3H5, isomeric with allyl and glyceryl, and
regarded as the essential residue of glycerin. Cf. Allyl, and
Glyceryl.
Pro*pep"sin (?), n. [Pref. pro- +
pepsin.] (Physiol. Chem.) See
Persinogen.
Pro*pep"tone (?), n. [Pref. pro-
+ peptone.] (Physiol. Chem.) A product of gastric
digestion intermediate between albumin and peptone, identical with
hemialbumose.
Prop"er (?), a. [OE. propre, F.
propre, fr. L. proprius. Cf. Appropriate.]
1. Belonging to one; one's own;
individual. "His proper good" [i. e., his
own possessions]. Chaucer. "My proper son."
Shak.
Now learn the difference, at your proper
cost,
Betwixt true valor and an empty boast.
Dryden.
2. Belonging to the natural or essential
constitution; peculiar; not common; particular; as, every animal has
his proper instincts and appetites.
Those high and peculiar attributes . . . which
constitute our proper humanity.
Coleridge.
3. Befitting one's nature, qualities, etc.;
suitable in all respect; appropriate; right; fit; decent; as, water is
the proper element for fish; a proper dress.
The proper study of mankind is man.
Pope.
In Athens all was pleasure, mirth, and play,
All proper to the spring, and sprightly May.
Dryden.
4. Becoming in appearance; well formed;
handsome. [Archaic] "Thou art a proper man."
Chaucer.
Moses . . . was hid three months of his parents,
because they saw he was a proper child.
Heb.
xi. 23.
5. Pertaining to one of a species, but not
common to the whole; not appellative; -- opposed to common; as,
a proper name; Dublin is the proper name of a
city.
6. Rightly so called; strictly considered; as,
Greece proper; the garden proper.
7. (Her.) Represented in its natural
color; -- said of any object used as a charge.
In proper, individually; privately.
[Obs.] Jer. Taylor. -- Proper flower or
corolla (Bot.), one of the single
florets, or corollets, in an aggregate or compound flower. --
Proper fraction (Arith.) a fraction in
which the numerator is less than the denominator. --
Proper nectary (Bot.), a nectary separate
from the petals and other parts of the flower. -- Proper
noun (Gram.), a name belonging to an individual,
by which it is distinguished from others of the same class; -- opposed
to common noun; as, John, Boston,
America. -- Proper perianth or
involucre (Bot.), that which incloses
only a single flower. -- Proper receptacle
(Bot.), a receptacle which supports only a single flower or
fructification.
Prop"er, adv. Properly; hence, to a
great degree; very; as, proper good. [Colloq &
Vulgar]
Prop"er*ate (?), v. t. & i. [L.
properatus, p. p. of properare to hasten.] To
hasten, or press forward. [Obs.]
Prop`er*a"tion (?), n. [L.
properatio.] The act of hastening; haste. [Obs.]
T. Adams.
Pro*per"i*spome (?), n. (Gr.
Gram.) Properispomenon.
||Pro*per`i*spom"e*non (?), n.;
pl. Properispomena (#). [NL., fr. Gr. &?;,
fr. &?; to circumflex on the penult; &?; before + &?; to circumflex.
See Perispomenon.] (Gr. Gram.) A word which has the
circumflex accent on the penult.
Prop"er*ly (?), adv.
1. In a proper manner; suitably; fitly;
strictly; rightly; as, a word properly applied; a dress
properly adjusted. Milton.
2. Individually; after one's own manner.
[Obs.]
Now, harkeneth, how I bare me
properly.
Chaucer.
Prop"er*ness, n.
1. The quality of being proper.
2. Tallness; comeliness. [Obs.]
Udall.
Prop"er*tied (?), a. Possessing
property; holding real estate, or other investments of money.
"The propertied and satisfied classes." M. Arnold.
Prop"er*ty (?), n.; pl.
Properties (#). [OE. proprete, OF.
propreté property, F. propreté neatness,
cleanliness, propriété property, fr. L.
proprietas. See Proper, a., and cf.
Propriety.]
1. That which is proper to anything; a
peculiar quality of a thing; that which is inherent in a subject, or
naturally essential to it; an attribute; as, sweetness is a
property of sugar.
Property is correctly a synonym for peculiar
quality; but it is frequently used as coextensive with quality in
general.
Sir W. Hamilton.
&fist; In physical science, the properties of matter are
distinguished to the three following classes: 1. Physical
properties, or those which result from the relations of bodies to
the physical agents, light, heat, electricity, gravitation, cohesion,
adhesion, etc., and which are exhibited without a change in the
composition or kind of matter acted on. They are color, luster,
opacity, transparency, hardness, sonorousness, density, crystalline
form, solubility, capability of osmotic diffusion, vaporization,
boiling, fusion, etc. 2. Chemical properties, or those which
are conditioned by affinity and composition; thus, combustion,
explosion, and certain solutions are reactions occasioned by chemical
properties. Chemical properties are identical when there is identity
of composition and structure, and change according as the composition
changes. 3. Organoleptic properties, or those forming a class
which can not be included in either of the other two divisions. They
manifest themselves in the contact of substances with the organs of
taste, touch, and smell, or otherwise affect the living organism, as
in the manner of medicines and poisons.
2. An acquired or artificial quality; that
which is given by art, or bestowed by man; as, the poem has the
properties which constitute excellence.
3. The exclusive right of possessing,
enjoying, and disposing of a thing; ownership; title.
Here I disclaim all my paternal care,
Propinquity and property of blood.
Shak.
Shall man assume a property in man?
Wordsworth.
4. That to which a person has a legal title,
whether in his possession or not; thing owned; an estate, whether in
lands, goods, or money; as, a man of large property, or small
property.
5. pl. All the adjuncts of a play
except the scenery and the dresses of the actors; stage
requisites.
I will draw a bill of properties.
Shak.
6. Propriety; correctness. [Obs.]
Camden.
Literary property. (Law) See under
Literary. -- Property man, one who
has charge of the "properties" of a theater.
Prop"er*ty (?), v. t.
1. To invest which properties, or
qualities. [Obs.] Shak.
2. To make a property of; to
appropriate. [Obs.]
They have here propertied me.
Shak.
Pro*phane" (?), a. & v. t. See
Profane. [Obs.]
||Proph"a*sis (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?;
to show beforehand. See Pro-, and Phasis.] (Med.)
Foreknowledge of a disease; prognosis.
Proph"e*cy (?), n.; pl.
Prophecies (#), [OE. prophecie, OF.
profecie, F. prophétie, L. prophetia, fr.
Gr. &?;, fr. &?; to be an interpreter of the gods, to prophesy,
fr. &?; prophet. See Prophet.] 1. A
declaration of something to come; a foretelling; a prediction; esp.,
an inspired foretelling.
He hearkens after prophecies and
dreams.
Shak.
Prophecy came not in old time by the will of
man.
2. Pet. i. 21.
2. (Script.) A book of prophecies; a
history; as, the prophecy of Ahijah. 2 Chron. ix.
29.
3. Public interpretation of Scripture;
preaching; exhortation or instruction.
Proph"e*si`er (?), n. A
prophet. Shak.
Proph"e*sy (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Prophesied (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Prophesying (?).] [See Prophecy.] 1.
To foretell; to predict; to prognosticate.
He doth not prophesy good concerning
me.
1 Kings xxii. 8.
Then I perceive that will be verified
Henry the Fifth did sometime prophesy.
Shak.
2. To foreshow; to herald; to
prefigure.
Methought thy very gait did prophesy
A royal nobleness; I must embrace thee.
Shak.
Proph"e*sy, v. i.
1. To utter predictions; to make declaration
of events to come. Matt. xv. 7.
2. To give instruction in religious matters; to
interpret or explain Scripture or religious subjects; to preach; to
exhort; to expound. Ezek. xxxvii. 7.
Proph"et (?), n. [F.
prophète, L. propheta, fr. Gr. &?;, literally,
one who speaks for another, especially, one who speaks for a god an
interprets his will to man, fr. &?; to say beforehand; &?; for, before
+ &?; to say or speak. See Fame. ]
1. One who prophesies, or foretells events; a
predicter; a foreteller.
2. One inspired or instructed by God to speak
in his name, or announce future events, as, Moses, Elijah,
etc.
3. An interpreter; a spokesman. [R.]
Ex. vii. 1.
4. (Zoöl.) A mantis.
School of the prophets (Anc. Jewish
Hist.), a school or college in which young men were educated
and trained for public teachers or members of the prophetic order.
These students were called sons of the prophets.
Proph"et*ess, n. [Cf. F.
prophétesse, L. prophetissa.] A female
prophet.
{ Pro*phet"ic (?), Pro*phet"ic*al (?) },
a. [L. propheticus, Gr. &?;: cf. F.
prophétique.] Containing, or pertaining to,
prophecy; foretelling events; as, prophetic writings;
prophetic dreams; -- used with of before the thing
foretold.
And fears are oft prophetic of the
event.
Dryden.
Pro*phet`ic*al"i*ty (?), n.
Propheticalness.
Pro*phet"ic*al*ly (?), adv. In a
prophetical manner; by way of prediction.
Pro*phet"ic*al*ness, n. The quality
or state of being prophetical; power or capacity to
foretell.
Proph"et*ize (?), v. i. [L.
prophetizare, Gr. &?;: cf. F. prophétiser. Cf.
Prophesy.] To give predictions; to foreshow events; to
prophesy. [R.] "Prophetizing dreams." Daniel.
Pro*phor"ic (?), a. [Gr. &?;, fr. &?;
utterance.] Enunciative. [R.]
||Pro*phrag"ma (?), n.; pl.
Prophragmata (#). [NL., fr. Gr. &?; before + &?;,
&?;, fence, screen. ] (Zoöl.) An internal dorsal
chitinous process between the first two divisions of the thorax of
insects.
Proph`y*lac"tic (?), n. [Cf. F.
prophylactique.] (Med.) A medicine which preserves
or defends against disease; a preventive.
{ Proph`y*lac"tic (?), Proph`y*lac"tic*al (?) },
a. [Gr. &?;, fr. &?; to guard against; &?; before +
&?; to guard: cf. F. prophylactique.] (Med.)
Defending or preserving from disease; preventive.
Coxe.
||Proph`y*lax"is (?), n. [NL. See
Prophylactic.] (Med.) The art of preserving from,
or of preventing, disease; the observance of the rules necessary for
the preservation of health; preservative or preventive
treatment.
Pro*pice" (?), a. [OE., fr. F.
propice, See Propitious.] Fit; propitious.
[Obs.] E. Hall.
Pro"pi*dene (?), n. [Propyl +
ethylidene.] (Chem.) The unsymmetrical hypothetical
hydrocarbon radical, CH3.CH2.CH, analogous to
ethylidene, and regarded as the type of certain derivatives of
propane; -- called also propylidene.
Prop`i*na"tion (?), n. [L.
propinatio. See Propine.] The act of pledging, or
drinking first, and then offering the cup to another. [Obs.]
Abp. Potter.
Pro*pine" (?), v. t. [L.
propinare, Gr. &?;; &?; before + &?; to drink.]
1. To pledge; to offer as a toast or a health
in the manner of drinking, that is, by drinking first and passing the
cup. [Obs.]
The lovely sorceress mixed, and to the prince
Health, peace, and joy propined.
C.
Smart.
2. Hence, to give in token of
friendship. [Obs.]
3. To give, or deliver; to subject.
[Obs.] Fotherby.
Pro*pine" (?), n.
1. A pledge. [Obs. or Scot.]
2. A gift; esp., drink money. [Obs or
Scot.]
Pro"pine (?), n. [Propyl +
ethine.] (Chem.) Same as Allylene.
Pro*pin"qui*ty (?), n. [L.
propinquitas, from propinquus near, neighboring, from
prope near.]
1. Nearness in place; neighborhood;
proximity.
2. Nearness in time. Sir T.
Browne.
3. Nearness of blood; kindred; affinity.
Shak.
Pro"pi*nyl (?), n. [Propine +
-yl.] (Chem.) A hydrocarbon radical regarded as an
essential residue of propine and allied compounds.
Pro"pi*o*late (?), n. A salt of
propiolic acid.
Pro`pi*ol"ic (?), a. [Propionic +
tetrolic.] (Chem.) Pertaining to, or designating,
an organic acid (called also propargylic acid) of the acetylene
or tetrolic series, analogous to propionic acid, and obtained as a
white crystalline substance.
Pro"pi*o*nate (?), n. (Chem.)
A salt of propionic acid.
Pro"pi*one (?), n. (Chem.)
The ketone of propionic acid, obtained as a colorless fragrant
liquid.
Pro`pi*on"ic (?), a. [Proto- +
Gr. pi`wn fat.] (Chem.) Pertaining to, derived
from, or designating, an organic acid which is produced in the
distillation of wood, in the fermentation of various organic
substances, as glycerin, calcium lactate, etc., and is obtained as a
colorless liquid having a sharp, pungent odor. Propionic acid is so
called because it is the first or lowest member of the fatty
acid series whose salts have a fatty feel.
Pro"pi*o*nyl (?), n. (Chem.)
The hypothetical radical C3H5O, regarded as
the essential residue of propionic acid and certain related
compounds.
||Prop`i*the"cus (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr.
&?; before, for + &?; ape.] (Zoöl.) A genus including
the long-tailed, or diadem, indris. See Indris.
Pro*pi"ti*a*ble (?), a. [L.
propitiabilis.] Capable of being propitiated.
Pro*pi"ti*ate (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Propitiated (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Propitiating.] [L. propitiatus, p. p. of
propitiare to propitiate, fr. propitius favorable. See
Propitious.] To appease to render favorable; to make
propitious; to conciliate.
Let fierce Achilles, dreadful in his rage,
The god propitiate, and the pest assuage.
Pope.
Pro*pi"ti*ate, v. i. To make
propitiation; to atone.
Pro*pi`ti*a"tion (?), n. [L.
propitiatio: cf. F. propitiation.]
1. The act of appeasing the wrath and
conciliating the favor of an offended person; the act of making
propitious.
2. (Theol.) That which propitiates;
atonement or atoning sacrifice; specifically, the influence or effects
of the death of Christ in appeasing the divine justice, and
conciliating the divine favor.
He [Jesus Christ] is the propitiation for our
sins.
1 John ii. 2.
Pro*pi"ti*a`tor (?), n. [L.] One
who propitiates or appeases.
Pro*pi"ti*a*to*ri*ly (?), adv. By
way of propitiation.
Pro*pi"ti*a*to*ry (?), a. [L.
propitiatorius: cf. F. propitiatoire.] Having the
power to make propitious; pertaining to, or employed in, propitiation;
expiatory; as, a propitiatory sacrifice.
Sharp.
Pro*pi"ti*a*to*ry, n. [L.
propitiatorium.] (Jewish Antiq.) The mercy seat; --
so called because a symbol of the propitiated Jehovah. Bp.
Pearson.
Pro*pi"tious (?), a. [L.
propitius, perhaps originally a term of augury meaning, flying
forward (pro) or well; cf. Skr. pat to fly, E.
petition, feather.]
1. Convenient; auspicious; favorable; kind;
as, a propitious season; a propitious breeze.
2. Hence, kind; gracious; merciful; helpful; -
- said of a person or a divinity. Milton.
And now t' assuage the force of this new flame,
And make thee [Love] more propitious in my need.
Spenser.
Syn. -- Auspicious; favorable; kind. -- Propitious,
Auspicious. Auspicious (from the ancient idea of
auspices, or omens) denotes "indicative of success," or
"favored by incidental occurrences;" as, an auspicious opening;
an auspicious event. Propitious denotes that which
efficaciously protect us in some undertaking, speeds our exertions,
and decides our success; as, propitious gales;
propitious influences.
-- Pro*pi"tious*ly, adv. --
Pro*pi"tious*ness, n.
Pro"plasm (?), n. [L. proplasma,
Gr. &?;; &?; before + &?; a thing formed, fr. &?; to mold.] A
mold; a matrix. [R.] Woodward.
Pro*plas"tic (?), a. Forming a
mold.
Pro*plas"tics (?), n. The art of
making molds for castings. [R.]
Prop"leg` (?), n. [So called because it
props up or supports the body.] (Zoöl.) Same
as Proleg.
Pro*po"di*al (?), a. (Anat.)
Of or pertaining to the propodialia, or the parts of the limbs to
which they belong.
||Pro*po`di*a"le (?), n.; pl.
Propodialia. (#). [NL., fr. Gr. &?; before + &?;,
dim. of &?;, &?;, foot.] (Anat.) The bone of either the
upper arm or the thing, the propodialia being the humerus and
femur.
Prop"o*dite (?), n. [Pref. pro- +
Gr. &?;, &?;, foot.] (Zoöl.) The sixth joint of a
typical leg of a crustacean; usually, the penultimate joint.
||Pro*po"di*um (?), n.; pl.
Propodia (#). [NL. See Propodiale.]
(Zoöl.) (a) The anterior portion of
the foot of a mollusk. (b) The segment
which forms the posterior part of the thorax of a hymenopterous
insect. [Written also propodeum.]
Pro"po*lis (?), n. [L., fr. Gr. &?;; &?;
before + &?; city.] Same as Bee glue, under
Bee.
Pro*pone" (?), v. t. [L.
proponere to propose. See Propound.] To propose; to
bring forward.
Pro*po"nent (?), a. [L.
proponens, p. pr.] Making proposals; proposing.
Pro*po"nent, n.
1. One who makes a proposal, or lays down a
proposition. Dryden.
2. (Law) The propounder of a
thing.
Pro*por"tion (?), n. [F., fr. L.
proportio; pro before + portio part or share. See
Portion.]
1. The relation or adaptation of one portion
to another, or to the whole, as respect magnitude, quantity, or
degree; comparative relation; ratio; as, the proportion of the
parts of a building, or of the body.
The image of Christ, made after his own
proportion.
Ridley.
Formed in the best proportions of her
sex.
Sir W. Scott.
Documents are authentic and facts are true precisely in
proportion to the support which they afford to his
theory.
Macaulay.
2. Harmonic relation between parts, or between
different things of the same kind; symmetrical arrangement or
adjustment; symmetry; as, to be out of proportion. "Let
us prophesy according to the proportion of faith." Rom.
xii. 6.
3. The portion one receives when a whole is
distributed by a rule or principle; equal or proper share;
lot.
Let the women . . . do the same things in their
proportions and capacities.
Jer.
Taylor.
4. A part considered comparatively; a
share.
5. (Math.) (a) The
equality or similarity of ratios, especially of geometrical ratios; or
a relation among quantities such that the quotient of the first
divided by the second is equal to that of the third divided by the
fourth; -- called also geometrical proportion, in distinction
from arithmetical proportion, or that in which the difference
of the first and second is equal to the difference of the third and
fourth.
&fist; Proportion in the mathematical sense differs from
ratio. Ratio is the relation of two quantities of the
same kind, as the ratio of 5 to 10, or the ratio of 8 to 16.
Proportion is the sameness or likeness of two such relations.
Thus, 5 to 10 as 8 to 16; that is, 5 bears the same relation to 10 as
8 does to 16. Hence, such numbers are said to be in proportion.
Proportion is expressed by symbols thus:
a:b::c:d, or a:b = c:d, or a/b =
c/d.
(b) The rule of three, in arithmetic, in which
the three given terms, together with the one sought, are
proportional.
Continued proportion, Inverse
proportion, etc. See under Continued,
Inverse, etc. -- Harmonical, or Musical,
proportion, a relation of three or four
quantities, such that the first is to the last as the difference
between the first two is to the difference between the last two; thus,
2, 3, 6, are in harmonical proportion; for 2 is to 6 as 1 to 3. Thus,
24, 16, 12, 9, are harmonical, for 24:9::8:3. --
In proportion, according as; to the degree
that. "In proportion as they are metaphysically true, they
are morally and politically false."
Burke.
Pro*por"tion, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Proportioned (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Proportioning.] [Cf. F. proportionner. Cf.
Proportionate, v.] 1.
To adjust in a suitable proportion, as one thing or one part to
another; as, to proportion the size of a building to its
height; to proportion our expenditures to our income.
In the loss of an object we do not proportion
our grief to the real value . . . but to the value our fancies set
upon it.
Addison.
2. To form with symmetry or suitableness, as
the parts of the body.
Nature had proportioned her without any
fault.
Sir P. Sidney.
3. To divide into equal or just shares; to
apportion.
Pro*por"tion*a*ble (?), a. Capable
of being proportioned, or made proportional; also, proportional;
proportionate. -- Pro*por"tion*a*ble*ness,
n.
But eloquence may exist without a proportionable
degree of wisdom.
Burke.
Proportionable, which is no longer much
favored, was of our [i. e., English writers'] own
coining.
Fitzed. Hall.
Pro*por"tion*a*bly, adv.
Proportionally. Locke.
Pro*por"tion*al (?), a. [L.
proportionalis: cf. F. proportionnel.]
1. Having a due proportion, or comparative
relation; being in suitable proportion or degree; as, the parts of an
edifice are proportional. Milton.
2. Relating to, or securing, proportion.
Hutton.
3. (Math.) Constituting a proportion;
having the same, or a constant, ratio; as, proportional
quantities; momentum is proportional to quantity of
matter.
Proportional logarithms, logistic logarithms.
See under Logistic. -- Proportional
scale, a scale on which are marked parts proportional to
the logarithms of the natural numbers; a logarithmic scale. --
Proportional scales, compasses,
dividers, etc. (Draughting), instruments used in
making copies of drawings, or drawings of objects, on an enlarged or
reduced scale.
Pro*por"tion*al, n. 1.
(Math.) Any number or quantity in a proportion; as, a mean
proportional.
2. (Chem.) The combining weight or
equivalent of an element. [Obs.]
Pro*por`tion*al"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F.
proportionnalité.] The state of being in
proportion. Coleridge.
Pro*por"tion*al*ly (?), adv. In
proportion; in due degree; adapted relatively; as, all parts of the
building are proportionally large. Sir I.
Newton.
Pro*por"tion*ate (?), a. [L.
proportionatus. See Proportion.] Adjusted to
something else according to a proportion; proportional.
Longfellow.
What is proportionate to his
transgression.
Locke.
Pro*por"tion*ate (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Proportionated (?); p.
pr. & vb. n. Proportionating.] [Cf.
Proportion, v.] To make proportional; to
adjust according to a settled rate, or to due comparative relation; to
proportion; as, to proportionate punishment to
crimes.
Pro*por"tion*ate*ly (&?;), adv. In
a proportionate manner; with due proportion; proportionally.
Pro*por"tion*ate*ness, n. The
quality or state of being proportionate. Sir M.
Hale.
Pro*por"tion*less (?), a. Without
proportion; unsymmetrical.
Pro*por"tion*ment (?), n. The act
or process of dividing out proportionally.
Pro*pos"al (?), n. [From
Propose.] 1. That which is proposed, or
propounded for consideration or acceptance; a scheme or design; terms
or conditions proposed; offer; as, to make proposals for a
treaty of peace; to offer proposals for erecting a building; to
make proposals of marriage. "To put forth
proposals for a book." Macaulay.
2. (Law) The offer by a party of what
he has in view as to an intended business transaction, which, with
acceptance, constitutes a contract.
Syn. -- Proffer; tender; overture. See
Proposition.
Pro*pose" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Proposed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Proposing.] [F. proposer; pref. pro- (L.
pro for, forward) + poser to place. See Pose,
v.] 1. To set forth.
[Obs.]
That being proposed brimfull of wine, one scarce
could lift it up.
Chapman.
2. To offer for consideration, discussion,
acceptance, or adoption; as, to propose terms of peace; to
propose a question for discussion; to propose an
alliance; to propose a person for office.
3. To set before one's self or others as a
purpose formed; hence, to purpose; to intend.
I propose to relate, in several volumes, the
history of the people of New England.
Palfrey.
To propose to one's self, to intend; to
design.
Pro*pose", v. i. 1.
To speak; to converse. [Obs.]
There shalt thou find my cousin Beatrice,
Proposing with the prince and Claudio.
Shak.
2. To form or declare a purpose or intention;
to lay a scheme; to design; as, man proposes, but God
disposes.
3. To offer one's self in marriage.
Pro*pose", n. [F. propos, L.
propositum. See Propound, Purpose,
n.] Talk; discourse. [Obs.]
Shak.
Pro*pos"er (?), n. 1.
One who proposes or offers anything for consideration or
adoption.
2. A speaker; an orator. [Obs.]
Shak.
Prop`o*si"tion (?), n. [L.
propositio: cf. F. proposition. See Propound.]
1. The act of setting or placing before; the act
of offering. "Oblations for the altar of proposition."
Jer. Taylor.
2. That which is proposed; that which is
offered, as for consideration, acceptance, or adoption; a proposal;
as, the enemy made propositions of peace; his
proposition was not accepted.
3. A statement of religious doctrine; an
article of faith; creed; as, the propositions of Wyclif and
Huss.
Some persons . . . change their propositions
according as their temporal necessities or advantages do
turn.
Jer. Taylor.
4. (Gram. & Logic) A complete sentence,
or part of a sentence consisting of a subject and predicate united by
a copula; a thought expressed or propounded in language; a from of
speech in which a predicate is affirmed or denied of a subject; as,
snow is white.
5. (Math.) A statement in terms of a
truth to be demonstrated, or of an operation to be
performed.
&fist; It is called a theorem when it is something to be
proved, and a problem when it is something to be done.
6. (Rhet.) That which is offered or
affirmed as the subject of the discourse; anything stated or affirmed
for discussion or illustration.
7. (Poetry) The part of a poem in which
the author states the subject or matter of it.
Leaves of proposition (Jewish Antiq.),
the showbread. Wyclif (Luke vi. 4).
Syn. -- Proposal; offer; statement; declaration. --
Proposition, Proposal. These words are both from the
Latin verb proponere, to set forth, and as here compared they
mark different forms or stages of a negotiation. A proposition
is something presented for discussion or consideration; as,
propositions of peace. A proposal is some definite thing
offered by one party to be accepted or rejected by the other. If the
proposition is favorably received, it is usually followed by
proposals which complete the arrangement.
Prop`o*si"tion*al (?), a.
Pertaining to, or in the nature of, a proposition; considered as
a proposition; as, a propositional sense. I.
Watts.
Pro*pound" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Propounded; p. pr. & vb. n.
Propounding.] [From earlier propone, L.
proponere, propositum, to set forth, propose, propound;
pro for, before + ponere to put. See Position,
and cf. Provost.] 1. To offer for
consideration; to exhibit; to propose; as, to propound a
question; to propound an argument. Shak.
And darest thou to the Son of God propound
To worship thee, accursed?
Milton.
It is strange folly to set ourselves no mark, to
propound no end, in the hearing of the gospel.
Coleridge.
2. (Eccl.) To propose or name as a
candidate for admission to communion with a church.
Pro*pound"er (?), n. One who
propounds, proposes, or offers for consideration.
Chillingworth.
Pro*pre"tor (?), n. [L.
propraetor; pro for, before + praetor a pretor.]
(Rom. Antiq.) A magistrate who, having been pretor at
home, was appointed to the government of a province. [Written
also proprætor.]
Pro*pri"e*ta*ry (?), n.; pl.
Proprietaries (#). [L. proprietarius: cf. F.
propriétaire. See Propriety, and cf.
Proprietor.] 1. A proprietor or owner; one
who has exclusive title to a thing; one who possesses, or holds the
title to, a thing in his own right. Fuller.
2. A body proprietors, taken
collectively.
3. (Eccl.) A monk who had reserved
goods and effects to himself, notwithstanding his renunciation of all
at the time of profession.
Pro*pri"e*ta*ry, a. [L.
proprietarius.] Belonging, or pertaining, to a proprietor;
considered as property; owned; as, proprietary
medicine.
Proprietary articles, manufactured articles
which some person or persons have exclusive right to make and
sell. U. S. Statutes.
Pro*pri"e*tor (?), n. [For older
proprietary: cf. F. propriétarie.] One who
has the legal right or exclusive title to anything, whether in
possession or not; an owner; as, the proprietor of farm or of a
mill.
Pro*pri`e*to"ri*al (?), a. Of or
pertaining to ownership; proprietary; as, proprietorial
rights.
Pro*pri"e*tor*ship (?), n. The
state of being proprietor; ownership.
Pro*pri"e*tress (?), n. A female
proprietor.
Pro*pri"e*ty (?), n.; pl.
Proprieties (#). [F. propriété,
L. proprietas, fr. proprius one's own, proper. See
Property, Proper.] 1. Individual
right to hold property; ownership by personal title; property.
[Obs.] "Onles this propriety be exiled." Robynson (More's
Utopia).
So are the proprieties of a wife to be disposed
of by her lord, and yet all are for her provisions, it being a part of
his need to refresh and supply hers.
Jer.
Taylor.
2. That which is proper or peculiar; an
inherent property or quality; peculiarity. [Obs.]
Bacon.
We find no mention hereof in ancient zoögraphers,
. . . who seldom forget proprieties of such a
nature.
Sir T. Browne.
3. The quality or state of being proper;
suitableness to an acknowledged or correct standard or rule;
consonance with established principles, rules, or customs; fitness;
appropriateness; as, propriety of behavior, language, manners,
etc. "The rule of propriety," Locke.
Pro*proc"tor (?), n. [Pref. pro-
+ proctor.] [Eng. Univ.] A assistant proctor.
Hook.
Props (?), n. pl. A game of chance,
in which four sea shells, each called a prop, are used instead
of dice.
||Prop`te*ryg"i*um (?), n.; pl.
Propterygia (#). [NL., fr. Gr. &?; before + &?; a
fin.] (Anat.) The anterior of three principal cartilages
in the fins of some fishes. -- Prop`ter*yg"i*al (#),
a.
Pro*pugn" (?), v. t. [L.
propugnare; pro for + pugnare to fight.] To
contend for; to defend; to vindicate. [Obs.]
Hammond.
Pro*pug"na*cle (?), n. [L.
propugnaculum.] A fortress. [Obs.]
Howell.
Pro`pug*na"tion (?), n. [L.
propugnatio.] Means of defense; defense. [Obs.]
Shak.
Pro*pugn"er (?), n. A defender; a
vindicator. "Zealous propugners." Gov. of
Tongue.
Pro`pul*sa"tion (?), n. [L.
propulsatio. See Propulse.] The act of driving away
or repelling; a keeping at a distance. [Obs.] Bp.
Hall.
Pro*pulse" (?), v. t. [L.
propulsare, v. intens. from propellere to propel. See
Propel.] To repel; to drive off or away. [Obs.]
Cotgrave.
Pro*pul"sion (?), n. [Cf. F.
propulsion. See Propel.] 1. The act
driving forward or away; the act or process of propelling; as, steam
propulsion.
2. An impelling act or movement.
God works in all things; all obey
His first propulsion.
Whittier.
Pro*pul"sive (?), a. Tending, or
having power, to propel; driving on; urging. "[The]
propulsive movement of the verse." Coleridge.
Pro*pul"so*ry (?), a.
Propulsive.
Pro"pyl (?), n. [Propionic + -
yl.] (Chem.) The hypothetical radical
C3H7, regarded as the essential residue of
propane and related compounds.
||Prop`y*læ"um (?), n.; pl.
Propylæa (#). [L., fr. Gr. &?;; &?; before +
&?; a gate.] (Anc. Classical Arch.) Any court or vestibule
before a building or leading into any inclosure.
Pro"pyl*ene (?), n. [Cf. F.
propylène.] (Chem.) A colorless gaseous
hydrocarbon (C3H6) of the ethylene series,
having a garlic odor. It occurs in coal gas, and is produced
artificially in various ways. Called also propene.
Pro*pyl"ic (?), a. (Chem.)
Pertaining to, derived from, or containing, propyl; as,
propylic alcohol.
Pro*pyl"i*dene (?), n. (Chem.)
See Propidene.
||Prop"y*lon, n.; pl.
Propyla (#). [NL., from Gr. &?;; &?; before + &?; a
gate.] (Anc. Arch.) The porch, vestibule, or entrance of
an edifice.
||Pro` ra"ta (?). [L.] In proportion;
proportionately; according to the share, interest, or liability of
each.
Pro*rat"a*ble (?), a. Capable of
being prorated, or divided proportionately. [U.S.]
Pro*rate" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Prorated; p. pr. & vb. n.
Prorating.] [From L. pro rata (sc. parte)
according to a certain part, in proportion.] To divide or
distribute proportionally; to assess pro rata. [U.S.]
Prore (?), n. [L. prora, Gr. &?;:
cf. It. & Sp. prora. See Prow, n.]
The prow or fore part of a ship. [Poetic] "Galleys with
vermilion prores." Pope.
Pro*rec"tor (?), n. [NL. See Pro-
, and Rector.] An officer who presides over the
academic senate of a German university. Heyse.
Pro*rec"tor*ate (?), n. The office
of prorector.
Pro*re"nal (?), a. [Pref. pro- +
renal.] (Anat.) Pronephric.
Pro*rep"tion (?), n. [L.
prorepere, proreptum, to creep forth; pro +
repere.] A creeping on.
Pro*rhi"nal (?), a. [Pref. pro- +
rhinal.] (Anat.) Situated in front of the nasal
chambers.
Pro"ro*gate (?), v. t. To
prorogue. [R.]
Pro`ro*ga"tion (?), n. [L.
prorogatio: cf. F. prorogation.] 1.
The act of counting in duration; prolongation. [Obs.]
South.
2. The act of proroguing; the ending of the
session of Parliament, and postponing of its business, by the command
of the sovereign. [Eng.]
&fist; After an adjournment all things continue as they were at the
adjournment; whereas, after a prorogation, bill introduced and
nut passed are as if they had never been begun at all. Mozley &
W.
Pro*rogue" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Prorogued (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Proroguing (?).] [F. proroger, L. prorogare,
prorogatum; pro forward + rogare to ask, to ask
one for his opinion or vote, or about a law. See Rogation.]
1. To protract; to prolong; to extend.
[Obs.]
He prorogued his government.
Dryden.
2. To defer; to delay; to postpone; as, to
proroguedeath; to prorogue a marriage.
Shak.
3. To end the session of a parliament by an
order of the sovereign, thus deferring its business.
Parliament was prorogued to [meet at]
Westminster.
Bp. Hall.
The Parliament was again prorogued to a distant
day.
Macaulay.
Syn. -- To adjourn; postpone; defer. See Adjourn.
Pro*rup"tion (?), n. [L.
proruptio, fr. prorumpere, proruptum, to break
forth; pro forth + rumpere to break.] The act or
state of bursting forth; a bursting out. [R.] Sir T.
Browne.
{ Pro*sa"ic (?), Pro*sa"ic*al (?), }
a. [L. prosaius, from prosa prose: cf.
F,. prosaïque. See Prose.] 1.
Of or pertaining to prose; resembling prose; in the form of
prose; unpoetical; writing or using prose; as, a prosaic
composition. Cudworth.
2. Dull; uninteresting; commonplace;
unimaginative; prosy; as, a prosaic person. Ed.
Rev.
-- Pro*sa"ic*al*ly, adv. --
Pro*sa"ic*al*ness, n.
Pro*sa"i*cism (?), n. The quality
or state of being prosaic; a prosaic manner or style. [R.]
Poe.
Pro"sa*ism (?), n. That which is in
the form of prose writing; a prosaic manner.
Coleridge.
Pro"sa*ist (?; 277), n. A writer of
prose; an unpoetical writer. "An estimable prosaist."
I. Taylor.
Pro"sal (?), a. Of or pertaining to
prose; prosaic. [R.] Sir T. Browne.
Pro*sce"ni*um (?), n.; pl.
Proscenia (#). [L., fr. Gr. &?;; &?; before + &?; a
tent, a wooden stage, the stage. See Scene.] 1.
(Anc. Theater) The part where the actors performed; the
stage.
2. (Modern Theater) The part of the
stage in front of the curtain; sometimes, the curtain and its
framework.
||Pro*sco"lex (?), n.; pl.
Proscolices (#). [NL., fr. Gr. &?; before + &?;,
&?;, a worm.] (Zoöl.) An early larval form of a
trematode worm; a redia. See Redia.
Pro*scribe" (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Proscribed (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Proscribing.] [L. proscribere,
proscriptum, to write before, to publish, proscribe; pro
before + scribere to write. See Scribe. The sense of
this word originated in the Roman practice of writing the names of
persons doomed to death, and posting the list in public.]
1. To doom to destruction; to put out of the
protection of law; to outlaw; to exile; as, Sylla and Marius
proscribed each other's adherents.
Robert Vere, Earl of Oxford, . . . was banished the
realm, and proscribed.
Spenser.
2. To denounce and condemn; to interdict; to
prohibit; as, the Puritans proscribed theaters.
The Arian doctrines were proscribed and
anathematized in the famous Council of Nice.
Waterland.
Pro*scrib"er (?), n. One who, or
that which, proscribes, denounces, or prohibits.
Pro"script (?), n. [See
Proscribe.] 1. A proscription; a
prohibition; an interdict. [R.]
2. One who is proscribed. [R.]
Pro*scrip"tion (?), n. [L.
proscriptio: cf. F. proscription.] 1.
The act of proscribing; a dooming to death or exile; outlawry;
specifically, among the ancient Romans, the public offer of a reward
for the head of a political enemy; as, under the triumvirate, many of
the best Roman citizens fell by proscription.
Every victory by either party had been followed by a
sanguinary proscription.
Macaulay.
2. The state of being proscribed;
denunciation; interdiction; prohibition. Macaulay.
Pro*scrip"tion*al (?), a.
Proscriptive.
Pro*scrip"tion*ist, n. One who
proscribes.
Pro*scrip"tive (?), a. Of or
pertaining to proscription; consisting in, or of the nature of,
proscription; proscribing. Burke. --
Pro*scrip"tive*ly, adv.
Prose (?), n. [F. prose, L.
prosa, fr. prorsus, prosus, straight forward,
straight on, for proversus; pro forward + versus,
p. p. of vertere to turn. See Verse.] 1.
The ordinary language of men in speaking or writing; language not
cast in poetical measure or rhythm; -- contradistinguished from
verse, or metrical composition.
I speak in prose, and let him rymes
make.
Chaucer.
Things unattempted yet in prose or
rhyme.
Milton.
I wish our clever young poets would remember my homely
definitions of prose and poetry, that is; prose -- words
in their best order; poetry -- the best order.
Coleridge.
2. Hence, language which evinces little
imagination or animation; dull and commonplace discourse.
3. (R. C. Ch.) A hymn with no regular
meter, sometimes introduced into the Mass. See
Sequence.
Prose, a. 1.
Pertaining to, or composed of, prose; not in verse; as,
prose composition.
2. Possessing or exhibiting unpoetical
characteristics; plain; dull; prosaic; as, the prose duties of
life.
Prose, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Prosed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Prosing.] 1. To write in prose.
2. To write or repeat in a dull, tedious, or
prosy way.
Prose, v. i. 1. To
write prose.
Prosing or versing, but chiefly this
latter.
Milton.
Pro*sec"tor (?), n. [L., an anatomist,
from prosecare to cut up; pro before + secare to
cut.] One who makes dissections for anatomical illustration;
usually, the assistant of a professional anatomist.
Pros"e*cu`ta*ble (?), a. Capable of
being prosecuted; liable to prosecution.
Pros"e*cute (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Prosecuted (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Prosecuting.] [L. prosecutus, p. p. of
prosequi to follow, pursue. See Pursue.]
1. To follow or pursue with a view to reach,
execute, or accomplish; to endeavor to obtain or complete; to carry
on; to continue; as, to prosecute a scheme, hope, or
claim.
I am beloved Hermia;
Why should not I, then, prosecute my right ?
Shak.
2. To seek to obtain by legal process; as, to
prosecute a right or a claim in a court of law.
3. (Law) To pursue with the intention
of punishing; to accuse of some crime or breach of law, or to pursue
for redress or punishment, before a legal tribunal; to proceed against
judicially; as, to prosecute a man for trespass, or for a
riot.
To acquit themselves and prosecute their
foes.
Milton.
Pros"e*cute, v. i. 1.
To follow after. [Obs.] Latimer.
2. (Law) To institute and carry on a
legal prosecution; as, to prosecute for public offenses.
Blackstone.
Pros`e*cu"tion (?), n. [L.
prosecutio a following.] 1. The act or
process of prosecuting, or of endeavoring to gain or accomplish
something; pursuit by efforts of body or mind; as, the
prosecution of a scheme, plan, design, or undertaking; the
prosecution of war.
Keeping a sharp eye on her domestics . . . in
prosecution of their various duties.
Sir W.
Scott.
2. (Law) (a) The
institution and carrying on of a suit in a court of law or equity, to
obtain some right, or to redress and punish some wrong; the carrying
on of a judicial proceeding in behalf of a complaining party,
as distinguished from defense. (b)
The institution, or commencement, and continuance of a criminal
suit; the process of exhibiting formal charges against an offender
before a legal tribunal, and pursuing them to final judgment on behalf
of the state or government, as by indictment or information.
(c) The party by whom criminal proceedings are
instituted. Blackstone. Burrill. Mozley & W.
Pros"e*cu`tor (?), n. [Cf. L.
prosecutor an attendant.] 1. One who
prosecutes or carries on any purpose, plan, or business.
2. (Law) The person who institutes and
carries on a criminal suit against another in the name of the
government. Blackstone.
Pros"e*cu`trix (?), n. [NL.] A
female prosecutor.
Pros"e*lyte (?), n. [OE.
proselite, OF. proselite, F. proselytus, Gr. &?;,
adj., that has come, n., a new comer, especially, one who has come
over from heathenism to the Jewish religion; &?; toward, to + (prob.)
the root of &?; to come.] A new convert especially a convert to
some religion or religious sect, or to some particular opinion,
system, or party; thus, a Gentile converted to Judaism, or a pagan
converted to Christianity, is a proselyte.
Ye [Scribes and Pharisees] compass sea and land to make
one proselyte.
Matt. xxiii. 15.
Fresh confidence the speculatist takes
From every harebrained proselyte he makes.
Cowper.
Syn. -- See Convert.
Pros"e*lyte, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Proselyted (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Proselyting.] To convert to some religion, opinion, or
system; to bring over. Dr. H. More.
Pros"e*ly*tism (?), n. [Cf. F.
prosélytisme.] 1. The act or
practice of proselyting; the making of converts to a religion or a
religious sect, or to any opinion, system, or party.
They were possessed of a spirit of proselytism
in the most fanatical degree.
Burke.
2. Conversion to a religion, system, or
party.
Pros"e*ly*tize (?), v. t. [imp.
& p. p. proselytized (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Proselytizing (?).] To convert to some
religion, system, opinion, or the like; to bring, or cause to come,
over; to proselyte.
One of those whom they endeavor to
proselytize.
Burke.
Pros"e*ly*tize, v. i. To make
converts or proselytes.
Pros"e*ly*ti`zer, n. One who
proselytes.
Prose"man (?), n. A writer of
prose. [R.]
Pro*sem"i*na*ry (?), n. A seminary
which prepares pupils for a higher institution. T.
Warton.
Pro*sem`i*na"tion (?), n. [L.
proseminare, proseminatum, to disseminate.]
Propagation by seed. [Obs.] Sir M. Hale.
Pros*en`ce*phal"ic (?), a.
(Anat.) Of or pertaining to the prosencephalon.
Pros`en*ceph"a*lon (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr.
&?; toward, near to + E. encephalon.] [Sometimes abbreviated to
proen.] (Anat.) (a) The anterior segment
of the brain, including the cerebrum and olfactory lobes; the
forebrain. (b) The cerebrum.
Huxley.
Pros*en"chy*ma (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?;
near + -enchyma, as in parenchyma.] (Bot.) A
general term applied to the tissues formed of elongated cells,
especially those with pointed or oblique extremities, as the principal
cells of ordinary wood.
Pros"er (?), n. 1.
A writer of prose. [Obs.]
2. One who talks or writes tediously.
Sir W. Scott.
Pro*sil"i*en*cy (?), n. [L.
prosilere to leap forth.] The act of leaping forth or
forward; projection. "Such prosiliency of relief."
Coleridge.
Pros"i*ly (?), adv. In a prosy
manner.
Pros`i*met"ric*al (?), a. [Prose
+ metrical.] Consisting both of prose and verse.
Clarke.
||Pro*sim"i*æ (?), n. pl. [NL. See
Pro-. and Simia.] (Zoöl.) Same as
Lemuroidea.
Pros"i*ness (?), n. The quality or
state of being prosy; tediousness; tiresomeness.
Pros"ing, n. Writing prose;
speaking or writing in a tedious or prosy manner. Sir W.
Scott.
Pros"ing*ly, adv.
Prosily.
Pro*si"phon (?), n. [Pref. pro-
for + siphon.] (Zoöl.) A minute tube found in
the protoconch of ammonites, and not connected with the true
siphon.
Pro*slav"er*y (?), a. [Pref. pro-
+ slavery.] Favoring slavery. --
n. Advocacy of slavery.
Pros"o*branch (?), n.
(Zoöl.) One of the Prosobranchiata.
||Pros`o*bran`chi*a"ta (?), n. pl. [NL.,
fr. Gr. &?; forward, further + &?; a gill.] (Zoöl.)
The highest division, or subclass, of gastropod mollusks,
including those that have the gills situated anteriorly, or forward of
the heart, and the sexes separate.
Pros"o*cœle (?), n. [Gr. &?;
forward + &?; hollow.] (Anat.) The entire cavity of the
prosencephalon. B. G. Wilder.
||Pros`o*cœ"li*a (?), n.;
pl. Prosocœlle (#), [NL.]
(Anat.) Same as Prosocœle.
Pros`o*di"a*cal (?), a.
Prosodical.
Pros`o*di"a*cal*ly, adv.
Prosodically.
Pro*so"di*al (?), a.
Prosodical.
Pro*so"di*an (?), n. A
prosodist. Rush.
Pro*sod"ic*al (?), a. [Cf. F.
prosodique, L. prosodiacus.] Of or pertaining to
prosody; according to the rules of prosody. --
Pro*sod"ic*al*ly, adv.
Pros"o*dist (?), n. One skilled in
prosody.
Pros"o*dy (?), n. [L. prosodia
the tone or accent of a syllable, Gr. &?; a song sung to, or with, an
accompanying song, the accent accompanying the pronunciation; &?; to +
&?; song, ode: cf. F. prosodie. See Ode.] That part
of grammar which treats of the quantity of syllables, of accent, and
of the laws of versification or metrical composition.
||Pro*so"ma (?), n.; pl.
Prosomata. [NL., fr. Gr. &?; before + &?;, &?;,
body.] (Zoöl.) The anterior of the body of an animal,
as of a cephalopod; the thorax of an arthropod.
||Pros`o*pal"gi*a (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr.
&?; face + &?; pain.] (Med.) Facial neuralgia.
||Pros`o*po*ceph`a*la (?), n. pl. [NL.,
fr. Gr. pro`swpon face, appearance + &?; head.]
(Zoöl.) Same as Scaphopoda.
Pros`o*po*lep"sy (?), n. [Gr. &?;;
pro`swpon a face, a person + &?; a taking, receiving, &?;
to take.] Respect of persons; especially, a premature opinion or
prejudice against a person, formed from his external appearance.
[R.] Addison.
||Pros`o*po*pœ"ia (?), n. [L., fr.
Gr. &?;; pro`swpon a face, a person + &?; to make.]
(Rhet.) A figure by which things are represented as
persons, or by which things inanimate are spoken of as animated
beings; also, a figure by which an absent person is introduced as
speaking, or a deceased person is represented as alive and present. It
includes personification, but is more extensive in its
signification.
||Pros`o*pul`mo*na"ta (?), n. pl. [NL.,
fr. Gr. &?; forward + L. pulmo a lung.] (Zoöl.)
A division of pulmonate mollusks having the breathing organ
situated on the neck, as in the common snail.
Pros"pect (?), n. [L. prospectus,
fr. prospicere, prospectum, to look forward; pro
before, forward + specere, spicere, look, to see: cf.
OF. prospect. See Spy, v., and cf.
Prospectus.] 1. That which is embraced by
eye in vision; the region which the eye overlooks at one time; view;
scene; outlook.
His eye discovers unaware
The goodly prospect of some foreign land.
Milton.
2. Especially, a picturesque or widely
extended view; a landscape; hence, a sketch of a landscape.
I went to Putney . . . to take prospects in
crayon.
Evelyn.
3. A position affording a fine view; a
lookout. [R.]
Him God beholding from his prospect
high.
Milton.
4. Relative position of the front of a
building or other structure; face; relative aspect.
And their prospect was toward the
south.
Ezek. xl. 44.
5. The act of looking forward; foresight;
anticipation; as, a prospect of the future state.
Locke.
Is he a prudent man as to his temporal estate, that
lays designs only for a day, without any prospect to, or
provision for, the remaining part of life ?
Tillotson.
6. That which is hoped for; ground for hope or
expectation; expectation; probable result; as, the prospect of
success. "To brighter prospects born."
Cowper.
These swell their prospectsd exalt their
pride,
When offers are disdain'd, and love deny'd.
Pope.
Pros"pect, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Prospected; p. pr. & vb. n.
Prospecting.] To look over; to explore or examine for
something; as, to prospect a district for gold.
Pros"pect, v. i. To make a search;
to seek; to explore, as for mines or the like; as, to prospect
for gold.
Pro*spec"tion (?), n. The act of
looking forward, or of providing for future wants;
foresight.
Pro*spec"tive (?), a. [L.
prospectivus: cf. F. prospectif. See Prospect,
n.] 1. Of or pertaining to a
prospect; furnishing a prospect; perspective. [Obs.]
Time's long and dark prospective
glass.
Milton.
2. Looking forward in time; acting with
foresight; -- opposed to retrospective.
The French king of Sweden are circumspect, industrious,
and prospective, too, in this affair.
Sir J.
Child.
3. Being within view or consideration, as a
future event or contingency; relating to the future: expected; as, a
prospective benefit.
Points on which the promises, at the time of
ordination, had no prospective bearing.
W.
Jay.
Pro*spec"tive (?), n. 1.
The scene before or around, in time or in space; view;
prospect. Sir H. Wotton.
2. A perspective glass. [Obs.]
Chaucer. Beau. & Fl.
Pro*spec"tive*ly, adv. In a
prospective manner.
Pro*spec"tive*ness, n. Quality of
being prospective.
Pros"pect*less (?), a. Having no
prospect.
Pros"pect*or (?), n. [L., one who looks
out.] One who prospects; especially, one who explores a region
for minerals and precious metals.
Pro*spec"tus (?), n. [L., a prospect,
sight, view: cf. F. prospectus. See Prospect.] A
summary, plan, or scheme of something proposed, affording a prospect
of its nature; especially, an exposition of the scheme of an
unpublished literary work.
Pros"per (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Prospered (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Prospering.] [F. prospérer v. i., or L.
prosperare, v. i., or L. prosperare, v. t., fr.
prosper or prosperus. See Prosperous.] To favor; to
render successful. "Prosper thou our handiwork." Bk.
of Common Prayer.
All things concur toprosper our
design.
Dryden.
Pros"per, v. i. 1.
To be successful; to succeed; to be fortunate or prosperous; to
thrive; to make gain.
They, in their earthly Canaan placed,
Long time shall dwell and prosper.
Milton.
2. To grow; to increase. [Obs.]
Black cherry trees prosper even to considerable
timber.
Evelyn.
Pros*per"i*ty (?), n. [F.
prospérité, L. prosperitas. See
Prosperous.] The state of being prosperous; advance or
gain in anything good or desirable; successful progress in any
business or enterprise; attainment of the object desired; good
fortune; success; as, commercial prosperity; national
prosperity.
Now prosperity begins to mellow.
Shak.
Prosperities can only be enjoyed by them who
fear not at all to lose them.
Jer. Taylor.
Syn. -- Prosperousness; thrift; weal; welfare; well being;
happiness.
Pros"per*ous (&?;), a. [L.
prosperus or prosper, originally, answering to hope;
pro according to + the root of sperare to hope. See
Despair.] 1. Tending to prosperity;
favoring; favorable; helpful.
A happy passage and a prosperous
wind.
Denham.
2. Being prospered; advancing in the pursuit
of anything desirable; making gain, or increase; thriving; successful;
as, a prosperous voyage; a prosperous undertaking; a
prosperous man or nation.
By moderation either state to bear
Prosperous or adverse.
Milton.
Syn. -- Fortunate; successful; flourishing; thriving;
favorable; auspicious; lucky. See Fortunate.
-- Pros"per*ous*ly, adv. --
Pros"per*ous*ness, n.
||Pros"phy*sis (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr.
&?;; &?; to + &?; to grow.] (Med.) A growing together of
parts; specifically, a morbid adhesion of the eyelids to each other or
to the eyeball. Dunglison.
Pro*spi"cience (?), n. [L.
prospicientia, fr. prospiciens, p. pr. of
prospicere. See Prospect.] The act of looking
forward.
Pros"tate (?), a.[Gr. &?; standing
before, fr. &?; to set before; &?; before + &?; to set: cf. F.
prostate.] (Anat.) Standing before; -- applied to a
gland which is found in the males of most mammals, and is situated at
the neck of the bladder where this joins the urethra. --
n. The prostate gland.
Pro*stat"ic (?), a. (Anat.)
Of or pertaining to the prostate gland.
Prostatic catheter. (Med.) See under
Catheter.
||Pros`ta*ti"tis (?), n. [NL. See
Prostate, and -itis.] (Med.) Inflammation of
the prostate.
Pros`ter*na"tion (?), n. [F. See
Prostration.] Dejection; depression. [Obs.]
Wiseman.
Pro*ster"num (?), n. [NL. See Pro-
and Sternum.] (Zoöl.) The ventral plate
of the prothorax of an insect.
||Pros"the*sis (?), n. [L., fr. Gr. &?;
an addition, fr. &?; to put to, to add; &?; to + &?; to put, place.]
1. (Surg.) The addition to the human body
of some artificial part, to replace one that is wanting, as a log or
an eye; -- called also prothesis.
2. (Gram.) The prefixing of one or more
letters to the beginning of a word, as in beloved.
Pros*thet"ic (?), a. [Cf. Gr. &?;
disposed to add, &?; put on.] Of or pertaining to prosthesis;
prefixed, as a letter or letters to a word.
Pros*tib"u*lous (?), a. [L.
prostibulum prostitute.] Of or pertaining to prostitutes
or prostitution; meretricious. [Obs.] Bale.
Pros"ti*tute (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Prostituted (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Prostituting.] [L. prostitutus, p. p. of
prostituere to prostitute; pro before, forth +
statuere to put, place. See Statute.] 1.
To offer, as a woman, to a lewd use; to give up to lewdness for
hire. "Do not prostitute thy daughter." Lev. xix. 29.
2. To devote to base or unworthy purposes; to
give up to low or indiscriminate use; as, to prostitute
talents; to prostitute official powers.
Milton.
Pros"ti*tute, a. [L. prostitutus,
p. p.] Openly given up to lewdness; devoted to base or infamous
purposes.
Made bold by want, and prostitute for
bread.
Prior
Pros"ti*tute, n. [L. prostituta.]
1. A woman giver to indiscriminate lewdness; a
strumpet; a harlot.
2. A base hireling; a mercenary; one who
offers himself to infamous employments for hire.
No hireling she, no prostitute to
praise.
Pope.
Pros`ti*tu"tion (?), n. [L.
prostitutio: cf. F. prostitution.] 1.
The act or practice of prostituting or offering the body to an
indiscriminate intercourse with men; common lewdness of a
woman.
2. The act of setting one's self to sale, or
of devoting to infamous purposes what is in one's power; as, the
prostitution of abilities; the prostitution of the
press. "Mental prostitution." Byron.
Pros"ti*tu`tor (?), n. [L.] One who
prostitutes; one who submits himself, of or offers another, to vile
purposes. Bp. Hurd.
||Pro*sto"mi*um (?), n.; pl.
Prostomia (#). [NL., fr. Gr. &?; before + &?;, &?;,
mouth.] (Zoöl.) That portion of the head of an
annelid situated in front of the mouth. --
Pro*sto"mi*al (#), a.
Pros"trate (?), a. [L.
prostratus, p. p. of prosternere to prostrate;
pro before, forward + sternere to spread out, throw
down. See Stratum.] 1. Lying at length, or
with the body extended on the ground or other surface; stretched out;
as, to sleep prostrate. Elyot.
Groveling and prostrate on yon lake of
fire.
Milton.
2. Lying at mercy, as a supplicant.
Dryden.
3. Lying in a humble, lowly, or suppliant
posture.
Prostrate fall
Before him reverent, and there confess
Humbly our faults.
Milton.
4. (Bot.) Trailing on the ground;
procumbent.
Pros"trate (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Prostrated (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Prostrating.] 1. To lay fiat; to throw
down; to level; to fell; as, to prostrate the body; to
prostrate trees or plants. Evelyn.
2. to overthrow; to demolish; to destroy; to
deprive of efficiency; to ruin; as, to prostrate a village; to
prostrate a government; to prostrate law or
justice.
3. To throw down, or cause to fall in humility
or adoration; to cause to bow in humble reverence; used reflexively;
as, he prostrated himself. Milman.
4. To cause to sink totally; to deprive of
strength; to reduce; as, a person prostrated by
fever.
Pros*tra"tion (?), n. [L.
prostratio: cf. F. prostration.] 1.
The act of prostrating, throwing down, or laying fiat; as, the
prostration of the body.
2. The act of falling down, or of bowing in
humility or adoration; primarily, the act of falling on the face, but
usually applied to kneeling or bowing in reverence and
worship.
A greater prostration of reason than of
body.
Shak.
3. The condition of being prostrate; great
depression; lowness; dejection; as, a postration of
spirits. "A sudden prostration of strength."
Arbuthnot.
4. (Med.) A latent, not an exhausted,
state of the vital energies; great oppression of natural strength and
vigor.
&fist; Prostration, in its medical use, is analogous to the
state of a spring lying under such a weight that it is incapable of
action; while exhaustion is analogous to the state of a spring
deprived of its elastic powers. The word, however, is often used to
denote any great depression of the vital powers.
Pro"style (?), a. [L. prostylus,
Gr. &?;; &?; before + &?; pillar, column: cf. F. prostyle.]
(Arch.) Having columns in front. --
n. A prostyle portico or building.
Pros"y (?), a.
[Compar. Prosier (?);
superl. Prosiest.]
1. Of or pertaining to prose; like
prose.
2. Dull and tedious in discourse or writing;
prosaic.
Pro*sy"lo*gism (?), n. [Pref. pro-
+ syllogism.] (Logic) A syllogism preliminary
or logically essential to another syllogism; the conclusion of such a
syllogism, which becomes a premise of the following
syllogism.
Pro*tac"tic (?), a. [Gr. &?; placing or
placed before, fr. &?; to place in front; &?; before + &?; to
arrange.] Giving a previous narrative or explanation, as of the
plot or personages of a play; introductory.
Pro"ta*gon (?), n. [Proto- + Gr.
&?; a contest. See. Protagonist. So called because it was the
first definitely ascertained principle of the brain.] (Physiol.
Chem.) A nitrogenous phosphorized principle found in brain
tissue. By decomposition it yields neurine, fatty acids, and other
bodies.
Pro*tag"o*nist (?), n. [Gr. &?;;
prw^tos first + &?; an actor, combatant, fr. &?; a
contest.] One who takes the leading part in a drama; hence, one
who takes lead in some great scene, enterprise, conflict, or the
like.
Shakespeare, the protagonist on the great of
modern poetry.
De Quincey.
Pro"ta*min (?), n. [Gr.
prw^tos first.] (Physiol. Chem.) An amorphous
nitrogenous substance found in the spermatic fluid of salmon. It is
soluble in water, which an alkaline reaction, and unites with acids
and metallic bases.
Pro*tan"dric (?), a. [Proto- +
Gr. &?;, &?;, a man.] (Zoöl.) Having male sexual
organs while young, and female organs later in life. --
Pro*tan"trism (#), n.
Pro*tan"drous (?), a. (Bot.)
Proterandrous.
||Prot"a*sis (?), n. [L., fr. Gr. &?;,
fr. &?; to stretch before, forward; &?; before + &?; to stretch.]
1. A proposition; a maxim.
Johnson.
2. (Gram.) The introductory or
subordinate member of a sentence, generally of a conditional sentence;
-- opposed to apodosis. See Apodosis.
3. The first part of a drama, of a poem, or
the like; the introduction; opposed to epitasis. B.
Jonson.
Pro*tat"ic (?), a. [Gr. &?;: cf. L.
protaticus, F. protatique.] Of or pertaining to the
protasis of an ancient play; introductory.
Pro`te*a"ceous (?), a. [From
Proteus.] (Bot.) Of or pertaining to the
Proteaceæ, an order of apetalous evergreen shrubs, mostly
natives of the Cape of Good Hope or of Australia.
Pro"te*an (?), a. 1.
Of or pertaining to Proteus; characteristic of Proteus. "
Protean transformations." Cudworth.
2. Exceedingly variable; readily assuming
different shapes or forms; as, an amœba is a protean
animalcule.
Pro"te*an*ly, adv. In a protean
manner. Cudworth.
Pro*tect" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Protected; p. pr. & vb. n.
Protecting.] [L. protectus, p. p. of protegere,
literally, to cover in front; pro before + tegere to
cover. See Tegument.] To cover or shield from danger or
injury; to defend; to guard; to preserve in safety; as, a father
protects his children.
The gods of Greece protect you!
Shak.
Syn. -- To guard; shield; preserve. See Defend.
Pro*tect"ing*ly (?), adv. By way of
protection; in a protective manner.
Pro*tec"tion (?), n. [L.
protectio: cf. F. protection.] 1.
The act of protecting, or the state of being protected;
preservation from loss, injury, or annoyance; defense; shelter; as,
the weak need protection.
To your protection I commend me,
gods.
Shak.
2. That which protects or preserves from
injury; a defense; a shield; a refuge.
Let them rise up . . . and be your
protection.
Deut. xxxii. 38.
3. A writing that protects or secures from
molestation or arrest; a pass; a safe-conduct; a passport.
He . . . gave them protections under his
hand.
Macaulay.
4. (Polit. Econ.) A theory, or a
policy, of protecting the producers in a country from foreign
competition in the home market by the imposition of such
discriminating duties on goods of foreign production as will restrict
or prevent their importation; -- opposed to free
trade.
Writ of protection. (Law)
(a) A writ by which the king formerly exempted a
person from arrest; -- now disused. [Eng.] Blackstone.
(b) A judicial writ issued to a person required to
attend court, as party, juror, etc., intended to secure him from
arrest in coming, staying, and returning.
Syn. -- Preservation; defense; guard; shelter; refuge;
security; safety.
Pro*tec"tion*ism (?), n. (Polit.
Econ.) The doctrine or policy of protectionists. See
Protection, 4.
Pro*tec"tion*ist, n. (Polit.
Econ.) One who favors protection. See Protection,
4.
Pro*tect"ive (?), a. [Cf. F.
protectif.] Affording protection; sheltering;
defensive. " The favor of a protective Providence."
Feltham.
Protective coloring (Zoöl.),
coloring which serves for the concealment and preservation of a
living organism. Cf. Mimicry. Wallace. --
Protective tariff (Polit. Econ.), a
tariff designed to secure protection (see Protection, 4.), as
distinguished from a tariff designed to raise revenue. See
Tariff, and Protection, 4.
Pro*tect"ive*ness, n. The quality
or state of being protective. W. Pater.
Pro*tect"or (?), n. [L.: cf. F.
protecteur.] 1. One who, or that which,
defends or shields from injury, evil, oppression, etc.; a defender; a
guardian; a patron.
For the world's protector shall be
known.
Waller.
2. (Eng. Hist.) One having the care of
the kingdom during the king's minority; a regent.
Is it concluded he shall be protector
!
Shak.
3. (R. C. Ch.) A cardinal, from one of
the more considerable Roman Catholic nations, who looks after the
interests of his people at Rome; also, a cardinal who has the same
relation to a college, religious order, etc.
Lord Protector (Eng. Hist.), the title
of Oliver Cromwell as supreme governor of the British Commonwealth
(1653-1658).
Pro*tect"or*al (?), a. Of or
pertaining to a protector; protectorial; as, protectoral
power.
Pro*tect"or*ate (?), n. [Cf. F.
protectorat.] 1. Government by a
protector; -- applied especially to the government of England by
Oliver Cromwell.
2. The authority assumed by a superior power
over an inferior or a dependent one, whereby the former protects the
latter from invasion and shares in the management of its
affairs.
Pro`tec*to"ri*al (?), a. [Cf. L.
protectorius.] Same as Protectoral.
Pro*tect"or*less (?), a. Having no
protector; unprotected.
Pro*tect"or*ship, n. The office of
a protector or regent; protectorate.
{ Pro*tect"ress (?), Pro*tect"rix (?), }
n. [NL. protectrix.] A woman who
protects.
{ ||Pro`té`gé" (?), n. m.
||Pro`té`gée" (?), n. f.}
[F., p. p. of protéger. See Protect.] One
under the care and protection of another.
Pro"te*id (?), n. [Gr.
prw^tos first.] (Physiol. Chem.) One of a class
of amorphous nitrogenous principles, containing, as a rule, a small
amount of sulphur; an albuminoid, as blood fibrin, casein of milk,
etc. Proteids are present in nearly all animal fluids and make up the
greater part of animal tissues and organs. They are also important
constituents of vegetable tissues. See 2d Note under
Food. -- Pro"te*id, a.
||Pro`te*id"e*a (?), n. pl. [NL. See
Proteus, and -oid.] (Zoöl.) An order of
aquatic amphibians having prominent external gills and four legs. It
includes Proteus and Menobranchus (Necturus). Called also
Proteoidea, and Proteida.
Pro*te"i*form (?), a.
(Zoöl.) Changeable in form; resembling a Proteus, or
an amœba.
Pro"te*in (?), n. [Gr.
prw^tos first: cf. prwtei^on the first place.]
(Physiol. Chem.) A body now known as alkali albumin, but
originally considered to be the basis of all albuminous substances,
whence its name.
Protein crystal. (Bot.) See
Crystalloid, n., 2.
Pro`te*i*na"*ceous (?), a. (Physiol.
Chem.) Of or related to protein; albuminous;
proteid.
Pro*te"i*nous (?), a.
Proteinaceuos.
Pro"te*les (?), n. [NL.]
(Zoöl.) A South Africa genus of Carnivora, allied to
the hyenas, but smaller and having weaker jaws and teeth. It includes
the aard-wolf.
Pro*tend" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Protended; p. pr. & vb. n.
Protending.] [L. protendere, protensum;
pro before, forth + tendere to stretch.] To hold
out; to stretch forth. [Obs.]
With his protended lance he makes
defence.
Dryden.
Pro*tense" (?), n. [See Protend.]
Extension.[Obs.] " By due degrees and long
protense." Spenser.
Pro*ten"sion (?), n. [L.
protensio.] A drawing out; extension. [R.] Sir
W. Hamilton.
Pro*ten"sive (?), a. Drawn out;
extended. [R.]
Time is a protensive quantity.
Sir W. Hamilton.
||Pro`te*ol"y*sis (?), n. [NL. See
Proteolytic.] (Physiol. Chem.) The digestion or
dissolving of proteid matter by proteolytic ferments.
Pro`te*o*lyt"ic (?), a. [Proteid
+ Gr. &?; to loose.] (Physiol.) Converting proteid or
albuminous matter into soluble and diffusible products, as
peptones. " The proteolytic ferment of the pancreas."
Foster.
Pro`ter*an"drous (?), a. [Gr. &?;
earlier (fr. &?; before) + &?;, &?;, man, male.] (Bot.)
Having the stamens come to maturity before the pistil; -- opposed
to proterogynous.
Pro`ter*an"dry (?), n. (Bot.)
The condition of being proterandrous.
Pro`ter*an"thous (?), a. [Gr. &?;
earlier (fr. &?; before) + &?; flower.] (Bot.) Having
flowers appearing before the leaves; -- said of certain plants.
Gray.
Pro`te*rog"ly*pha (?), n. pl. [NL., fr.
Gr. &?; before + &?; to carve.] (Zoöl.) A suborder of
serpents including those that have permanently erect grooved poison
fangs, with ordinary teeth behind them in the jaws. It includes the
cobras, the asps, and the sea snakes. Called also
Proteroglyphia.
Pro`ter*og"y*nous (?), a. [Gr. &?;
earlier (fr. &?; before) + &?; woman, female.] (Bot.)
Having the pistil come to maturity before the stamens;
protogynous; -- opposed to proterandrous.
||Pro`te*ro*sau"rus (?), n. [NL., from
Gr. &?; earlier (fr. &?; before) + &?; a lizard.] (Paleon.)
An extinct genus of reptiles of the Permian period. Called also
Protosaurus.
Pro*ter"vi*ty (?), n. [L.
protervitas, from protervus violent.] Peevishness;
petulance. [Obs.] Fuller.
Pro*test" (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Protested; p. pr. & vb. n.
Protesting.] [F. protester, L. protestari,
pro before + testari to be a witness, testis a
witness. See Testify.] 1. To affirm in a
public or formal manner; to bear witness; to declare solemnly; to
avow.
He protest that his measures are
pacific.
Landor.
The lady doth protest too much,
methinks.
Shak.
2. To make a solemn declaration (often a
written one) expressive of opposition; -- with against; as, he
protest against your votes. Denham.
The conscience has power . . . to protest
againts the exorbitancies of the passions.
Shak.
Syn. -- To affirm; asseverate; assert; aver; attest;
testify; declare; profess. See Affirm.
Pro*test", v. t. 1.
To make a solemn declaration or affirmation of; to proclaim; to
display; as, to protest one's loyalty.
I will protest your cowardice.
Shak.
2. To call as a witness in affirming or
denying, or to prove an affirmation; to appeal to.
Fiercely [they] opposed
My journey strange, with clamorous uproar
Protesting fate supreme.
Milton.
To protest a bill or note (Law), to
make a solemn written declaration, in due form, on behalf of the
holder, against all parties liable for any loss or damage to be
sustained by the nonacceptance or the nonpayment of the bill or note,
as the case may be. This should be made by a notary public, whose seal
it is the usual practice to affix. Kent. Story.
Pro"test (?), n. [Cf. F.
protêt, It. protesto. See Protest,
v.] 1. A solemn declaration of
opinion, commonly a formal objection against some act; especially, a
formal and solemn declaration, in writing, of dissent from the
proceedings of a legislative body; as, the protest of lords in
Parliament.
2. (Law) (a) A solemn
declaration in writing, in due form, made by a notary public, usually
under his notarial seal, on behalf of the holder of a bill or note,
protesting against all parties liable for any loss or damage by the
nonacceptance or nonpayment of the bill, or by the nonpayment of the
note, as the case may be. (b) A declaration
made by the master of a vessel before a notary, consul, or other
authorized officer, upon his arrival in port after a disaster, stating
the particulars of it, and showing that any damage or loss sustained
was not owing to the fault of the vessel, her officers or crew, but to
the perils of the sea, etc., ads the case may be, and protesting
against them. (c) A declaration made by a
party, before or while paying a tax, duty, or the like, demanded of
him, which he deems illegal, denying the justice of the demand, and
asserting his rights and claims, in order to show that the payment was
not voluntary. Story. Kent.
Prot"es*tan*cy (?), n.
Protestantism. [R.]
Prot"es*tant (?), n. [F.
protestant, fr. L. protestans, -antis, p. pr. of
protestare. See Protest, v.] One
who protests; -- originally applied to those who adhered to Luther,
and protested against, or made a solemn declaration of dissent from, a
decree of the Emperor Charles V. and the Diet of Spires, in 1529,
against the Reformers, and appealed to a general council; -- now used
in a popular sense to designate any Christian who does not belong to
the Roman Catholic or the Greek Church.
Prot"es*tant (?), a. [Cf. F.
protestant.] 1. Making a protest;
protesting.
2. Of or pertaining to the faith and practice
of those Christians who reject the authority of the Roman Catholic
Church; as, Protestant writers.
Prot`es*tant"ic*al (?), a.
Protestant. [Obs.]
Prot"es*tant*ism (?), n. [Cf. F.
protestantisme.] The quality or state of being protestant,
especially against the Roman Catholic Church; the principles or
religion of the Protestants.
Prot"es*tant*ly, adv. Like a
Protestant; in conformity with Protestantism. [R.]
Milton.
Prot`es*ta"tion (?), n. [L.
protestatio: cf. F. protestation. See Protest.]
1. The act of making a protest; a public avowal;
a solemn declaration, especially of dissent. " The
protestation of our faith." Latimer.
2. (Law) Formerly, a declaration in
common-law pleading, by which the party interposes an oblique
allegation or denial of some fact, protesting that it does or does not
exist, and at the same time avoiding a direct affirmation or
denial.
Prot"es*ta`tor (?), n. [Cf. F.
protestateur.] One who makes protestation; a
protester.
Pro*test"er (?), n. 1.
One who protests; one who utters a solemn declaration.
Shak.
2. (Law) One who protests a bill of
exchange, or note.
Pro*test"ing*ly, adv. By way of
protesting.
Pro"te*us (?), n. [L., Gr. &?;.]
1. (Class. Myth.) A sea god in the service
of Neptune who assumed different shapes at will. Hence, one who easily
changes his appearance or principles.
2. (Zoöl.) (a) A
genus of aquatic eel-shaped amphibians found in caves in Austria. They
have permanent external gills as well as lungs. The eyes are small and
the legs are weak. (b) A changeable
protozoan; an amœba.
{ Pro`tha*la"mi*on (?), Pro`tha*la"mi*um (?), }
n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?; before + &?; chamber,
especially, the bridal chamber.] A song in celebration of a
marriage. Drayton.
||Pro*thal"li*um (?), n.; pl.
Prothallia (#). [NL.] (Bot.) Same as
Prothallus.
||Pro*thal"lus (?), n.; pl.
Prothalli (#). [NL., fr. Gr. &?; before + &?; a
young shoot.] (Bot.) The minute primary growth from the
spore of ferns and other Pteridophyta, which bears the true
sexual organs; the oöphoric generation of ferns, etc.
||Proth"e*sis (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?;
a placing in public, fr. &?; to set before; &?; before + &?; to set,
put.] 1. (Eccl.) A credence table; -- so
called by the Eastern or Greek Church.
2. (Med.) See Prosthesis.
Dunglison.
Pro*thet"ic (?), a. [Gr. &?;.] Of
or pertaining to prothesis; as, a prothetic
apparatus.
{ Pro*thon"o*ta*ry (?), or Pro*ton"o*ta*ry (?) },
n.; pl> -ries (#). [LL.
protonotarius, fr. Gr. prw^tos first + L.
notarius a shorthand writer, a scribe: cf. F.
protonotaire.] 1. A chief notary or
clerk. " My private prothonotary." Herrick.
2. Formerly, a chief clerk in the Court of
King's Bench and in the Court of Common Pleas, now superseded by the
master. [Eng.] Wharton. Burrill.
3. A register or chief clerk of a court in
certain States of the United States.
4. (R. C. Ch.) Formerly, one who had
the charge of writing the acts of the martyrs, and the circumstances
of their death; now, one of twelve persons, constituting a college in
the Roman Curia, whose office is to register pontifical acts and to
make and preserve the official record of beatifications.
5. (Gr. Ch.) The chief secretary of the
patriarch of Constantinople.
Prothonotary warbler (Zoöl.), a
small American warbler (Protonotaria citrea). The general color
is golden yellow, the back is olivaceous, the rump and tail are ash-
color, several outer tail feathers are partly white.
Pro*thon"o*ta*ry*ship, n. Office of
a prothonotary.
Pro`tho*rac"ic (?), a.
(Zoöl.) Of or pertaining to the prothorax.
Pro*tho"rax (?), n. [Pref. pro- +
thorax.] (Zoöl.) The first or anterior segment
of the thorax in insects. See Illusts. of Butterfly and
Coleoptera.
||Pro* thy`a*lo*so"ma (?), n.;
pl. Prothyalosomata (#). [NL., fr. Gr.
prw^tos first + "y`alos glass + &?;, &?;, body.]
(Biol.) The investing portion, or spherical envelope,
surrounding the eccentric germinal spot of the germinal
vesicle.
Pro*thy"a*lo*some (?), n. (Biol.)
Same as Prothyalosoma.
Pro"tist (?), n. (Zoöl.)
One of the Protista.
||Pro*tis"ta (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr.
prw`tistos first.] (Zoöl.) A provisional
group in which are placed a number of low microscopic organisms of
doubtful nature. Some are probably plants, others animals.
||Pro*tis"ton (?), n.; pl.
Protista (#). [NL.] (Zoöl.) One of
the Protista.
Pro"to- (?). [Gr. prw^tos first, a superl. fr.
pro` before. See Pro-.] 1. A
combining form prefix signifying first, primary,
primordial; as, protomartyr, the first martyr;
protomorphic, primitive in form; protoplast, a
primordial organism; prototype, protozoan.
2. (Chem.) (a) Denoting
the first or lowest of a series, or the one having the
smallest amount of the element to the name of which it is
prefixed; as protoxide, protochloride, etc.
(b) Sometimes used as equivalent to mono-,
as indicating that the compound has but one atom of the element
to the name of which it is prefixed. Also used adjectively.
Pro`to*ca*non"ic*al (?), a. Of or
pertaining to the first canon, or that which contains the authorized
collection of the books of Scripture; -- opposed to deutero-
canonical.
Pro`to*cat`e*chu"ic (?), a.
(Chem.) Pertaining to, derived from, or designating, an
organic acid which is obtained as a white crystalline substance from
catechin, asafetida, oil of cloves, etc., and by distillation itself
yields pyrocatechin.
Pro`to*cer"cal (?), a. [Proto- +
Gr. &?; the tail.] (Zoöl.) Having a caudal fin
extending around the end of the vertebral column, like that which is
first formed in the embryo of fishes; diphycercal.
||Pro`to*coc"cus (?), n. [NL. See
Proto-, and Coccus.] (Bot.) A genus of
minute unicellular algæ including the red snow plant
(Protococcus nivalis).
Pro"to*col (?), n. [F. protocole,
LL. protocollum, fr. Gr. &?; the first leaf glued to the rolls
of papyrus and the notarial documents, on which the date was written;
prw^tos the first (see Proto-) + &?; glue.]
1. The original copy of any writing, as of a
deed, treaty, dispatch, or other instrument.
Burrill.
2. The minutes, or rough draught, of an
instrument or transaction.
3. (Diplomacy) (a) A
preliminary document upon the basis of which negotiations are carried
on. (b) A convention not formally
ratified. (c) An agreement of diplomatists
indicating the results reached by them at a particular stage of a
negotiation.
Pro"to*col, v. t. To make a
protocol of.
Pro"to*col, v. i. To make or write
protocols, or first draughts; to issue protocols.
Carlyle.
Pro"to*col`ist, n. One who draughts
protocols.
Pro"to*conch (?), n. [Proto- +
conch.] (Zoöl.) The embryonic shell, or first
chamber, of ammonites and other cephalopods.
Pro`to-Dor*ic (?), a. [Proto- +
Doric.] (Arch.) Pertaining to, or designating,
architecture, in which the beginnings of the Doric style are supposed
to be found.
Pro"to*gine (?), n. [Proto- +
root of Gr. &?; to be born: cf. F. protogyne.] (Min.)
A kind of granite or gneiss containing a silvery talcose
mineral.
Pro*tog"y*nous (?), a. [Proto +
Gr. gynh` a woman.] (Bot.) Same as
Proterogynous.
||Pro`to*hip"pus (?), n. [NL., from Gr.
&?; first + &?; horse.] (Paleon.) A genus of fossil horses
from the Lower Pliocene. They had three toes on each foot, the lateral
ones being small.
Pro"to*mar`tyr (?), n. [LL., fr. Gr.
&?;; &?; first + &?; martyr: cf. F. protomartyr. See Proto-
, and Martyr.] The first martyr; the first who
suffers, or is sacrificed, in any cause; -- applied esp. to Stephen,
the first Christian martyr.
Pro`to*mer"ite (?), n. [Proto- +
-mere + -ite.] (Zoöl.) The second
segment of one of the Gregarinæ.
Pro`to*mor"phic (?), a. [Proto- +
Gr. &?; form.] (Biol.) Having the most primitive
character; in the earliest form; as, a protomorphic layer of
tissue. H. Spencer.
||Pro`to*ne"ma (?), n.; pl.
Protonemata (#). [NL., fr. Gr. &?; first + &?;, &?;,
a thread.] (Bot.) The primary growth from the spore of a
moss, usually consisting of branching confervoid filaments, on any
part of which stem and leaf buds may be developed.
Pro*ton"o*ta*ry (?), n. Same as
Prothonotary.
Pro`to*ör"gan*ism (?), n.
[Proto- + organism.] (Biol.) An organism
whose nature is so difficult to determine that it might be referred to
either the animal or the vegetable kingdom.
||Pro`to*pap"as (&?;), n. [NL., from Gr.
&?; a chief priest.] (Gr. Ch.) A protopope.
Pro"to*phyte (?), n. [Proto- +
Gr. &?; a plant.] (Bot.) Any unicellular plant, or plant
forming only a plasmodium, having reproduction only by fission,
gemmation, or cell division.
&fist; The protophytes (Protophyta) are by some botanists
considered an independent branch or class of the vegetable kingdom,
and made to include the lowest forms of both fungi and algæ, as
slime molds, Bacteria, the nostocs, etc. Cf. Carpophyte, and
Oöphyte.
Pro`to*phy*tol"o*gy (?), n. [Proto-
+ phytology.] Paleobotany.
Pro"to*pine (?), n. [Proto- +
opium.] (Chem.) An alkaloid found in opium in small
quantities, and extracted as a white crystalline substance.
Pro"to*plasm (?), n. [Proto- +
Gr. &?; form, fr. &?; to mold.] (Biol.) The viscid and
more or less granular material of vegetable and animal cells,
possessed of vital properties by which the processes of nutrition,
secretion, and growth go forward; the so-called " physical basis of
life;" the original cell substance, cytoplasm, cytoblastema, bioplasm
sarcode, etc.
&fist; The lowest forms of animal and vegetable life (unicellular
organisms) consist of simple or unaltered protoplasm;
the tissues of the higher organisms, of differentiated
protoplasm.
Pro`to*plas*mat"ic (?), a.
Protoplasmic.
Pro`to*plas"mic (?), a.
1. Of or pertaining to the first formation of
living bodies.
2. (Biol.) Of or pertaining to
protoplasm; consisting of, or resembling, protoplasm.
Pro"to*plast (?), n. [L.
protoplastus the first man, Gr. &?; formed or created first;
&?; first + &?; formed, fr. &?; to form.]
1. The thing first formed; that of which there
are subsequent copies or reproductions; the original.
2. (Biol.) A first-formed organized
body; the first individual, or pair of individuals, of a
species.
A species is a class of individuals, each of which is
hypothetically considered to be the descendant of the same
protoplast, or of the same pair of
protoplasts.
Latham.
||Pro`to*plas"ta (?), n. pl. [NL.]
(Zoöl.) A division of fresh-water rhizopods including
those that have a soft body and delicate branched pseudopodia. The
genus Gromia is one of the best-known.
Pro`to*plas"tic (?), a. First-
formed. Howell.
Pro*top"o*dite (?), n. [Proto- +
Gr. &?;, &?;, foot.] (Zoöl.) The basal portion, or
two proximal and more or less consolidated segments, of an appendage
of a crustacean.
Pro"to*pope (?), n. [Proto- +
pope: cf. F. protopope, Russ. protopop'.] (Gr.
Ch.) One of the clergy of first rank in the lower order of
secular clergy; an archpriest; -- called also
protopapas.
||Pro*top"te*rus (?), n. [NL., from Gr.
&?; first + &?; a feather (taken to mean, fin).] (Zoöl.)
See Komtok.
Pro"to*salt (?), n. [Proto- +
salt.] (Chem.) A salt derived from a protoxide
base. [Obs.]
Pro`to*sil"i*cate (?), n. [Proto-
+ silicate.] (Chem.) A silicate formed with the
lowest proportion of silicic acid, or having but one atom of silicon
in the molecule.
Pro`to*so"mite (?), n. [Proto- +
somite.] (Zoöl.) One of the primitive
segments, or metameres, of an animal.
Pro`to*sul"phide (?), n. [Proto-
+ sulphide.] (Chem.) That one of a series of
sulphides of any element which has the lowest proportion of sulphur; a
sulphide with but one atom of sulphur in the molecule.
Pro`to*sul"phu*ret (?), n. [Proto-
+ sulphuret.] (Chem.) A protosulphide.
[Obs.]
||Pro`to*the"ri*a (?), n. pl. [NL., from
Gr. prw^tos first + qhri`on, dim. of
qh`r beast.] (Zoöl.) Same as
Monotremata.
||Pro`to*tra`che*a"ta (?), n. pl. [NL.
See Proto-, and Trachea.] (Zoöl.) Same
as Malacopoda.
Pro"to*type (?), n. [F., from L.
prototypus original, primitive, Gr. &?;, &?;; &?; first + &?;
type, model. See Proto-, and Type] An original or
model after which anything is copied; the pattern of anything to be
engraved, or otherwise copied, cast, or the like; a primary form;
exemplar; archetype.
They will turn their backs on it, like their great
precursor and prototype.
Burke.
Pro`to*ver"te*bra (?), n.; pl.
Protovertebræ . [Proto- +
vertebra.] (Anat.) One of the primitive masses, or
segments, into which the mesoblast of the vertebrate embryo breaks up
on either side of the anterior part of the notochord; a mesoblastic,
or protovertebral, somite. See Illust. of
Ectoderm.
&fist; The protovertebræ were long regarded as rudiments of
the permanent vertebræ, but they are now known to give rise to
the dorsal muscles and other structures as well as the vertebral
column. See Myotome.
Pro`to*ver"te*bral (?), a.
(Anat.) Of or pertaining to the
protovertebræ.
Pro*tox"ide (?), n. [Proto- +
oxide: cf. F. protoxide.] (Chem.) That one
of a series of oxides having the lowest proportion of oxygen. See
Proto-, 2 (b).
protoxide of nitrogen, laughing gas, now
called hyponitrous oxide. See under Laughing.
Pro*tox"i*dize (?), v. t. (Chem.)
To combine with oxygen, as any elementary substance, in such
proportion as to form a protoxide.
||Pro`to*zo"a (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr.
&?; first + &?; an animal.] (Zoöl.) The lowest of the
grand divisions of the animal kingdom.
&fist; The entire animal consists of a single cell which is
variously modified; but in many species a number of these simple
zooids are united together so as to form a compound body or organism,
as in the Foraminifera and Vorticellæ. The reproduction takes
place by fission, or by the breaking up of the contents of the body
after encystment, each portion becoming a distinct animal, or in other
ways, but never by true eggs. The principal divisions are Rhizopoda,
Gregarinæ, and Infusoria. See also Foraminifera,
Heliozoa, Protoplasta, Radiolaria,
Flagellata, Ciliata.
Pro`to*zo"an (?), a. (Zoöl.)
Of or pertaining to the Protozoa. --
n. One of the Protozoa.
Pro`to*zo"ic (?), a. 1.
(Zoöl.) Of or pertaining to the Protozoa.
2. (Geol.) Containing remains of the
earliest discovered life of the globe, which included mollusks,
radiates and protozoans.
||Pro`to*zo"ön (-&obreve;n), n.;
pl. Protozoa (#). [NL.] (Zoöl.)
(a) One of the Protozoa.
(b) A single zooid of a compound
protozoan.
Pro`to*zo"ö*nite (?), n.
(Zoöl.) One of the primary, or first-formed, segments
of an embryonic arthropod.
||Pro*tra`che*a"ta (?), n. pl. [NL. See
Pro-, and Trachea.] (Zoöl.) Same as
Malacopoda.
Pro*tract" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Protracted; p. pr. vb. n.
Protracting.] [L. protractus, p. p. of protrahere
to forth, protract; pro forward + trahere to draw. See
Portrait, Portray.] 1. To draw out
or lengthen in time or (rarely) in space; to continue; to prolong; as,
to protract an argument; to protract a war.
2. To put off to a distant time; to delay; to
defer; as, to protract a decision or duty.
Shak.
3. (Surv.) To draw to a scale; to lay
down the lines and angles of, with scale and protractor; to
plot.
4. (Zoöl.) To extend; to protrude;
as, the cat can protract its claws; -- opposed to
retract.
Pro*tract", n. [L. protractus.]
Tedious continuance or delay. [Obs.] Spenser.
Pro*tract`ed (?), a. Prolonged;
continued.
Protracted meeting,a religious meeting
continued for many successive days. [U. S.]
-- Pro*tract"ed*ly, adv. --
Pro*tract"ed*ness, n.
Pro*tract"er (?), n. A
protractor.
Pro*tract"ile (?), a. Capable of
being protracted, or protruded; protrusile.
Pro*trac"tion (?), n. [L.
protractio.] 1. A drawing out, or
continuing; the act of delaying the termination of a thing;
prolongation; continuance; delay; as, the protraction of a
debate.
A protraction only of what is worst in
life.
Mallock.
2. (Surv.) (a) The act
or process of making a plot on paper. (b) A
plot on paper.
Pro*tract"ive (?), a. Drawing out
or lengthening in time; prolonging; continuing; delaying.
He suffered their protractive arts.
Dryden.
Pro*tract"or (?), n. 1.
One who, or that which, protracts, or causes
protraction.
2. A mathematical instrument for laying down
and measuring angles on paper, used in drawing or in plotting. It is
of various forms, semicircular, rectangular, or circular.
3. (Surg.) An instrument formerly used
in extracting foreign or offensive matter from a wound.
4. (Anat.) A muscle which extends an
organ or part; -- opposed to retractor.
5. An adjustable pattern used by
tailors. Knight.
Pro*trep"tic*al (?), a. [Gr. &?;, fr.
&?; to turn forward, to urge on.] Adapted to persuade; hortatory;
persuasive. [Obs.] Bp. Ward.
Pro*trud"a*ble (?), a. That may be
protruded; protrusile. Darwin.
Pro*trude" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Protruded; p. pr. & vb. n.
Protruding.] [L. protrudere, protrusum;
pro forward + trudere to thrust. See Threat.]
1. To thrust forward; to drive or force
along. Locke.
2. To thrust out, as through a narrow orifice
or from confinement; to cause to come forth.
When . . . Spring protrudes the bursting
gems.
Thomson.
Pro*trude", v. i. To shoot out or
forth; to be thrust forward; to extend beyond a limit; to
project.
The parts protrude beyond the skin.
Bacon.
Pro*tru"sile (?), a. Capable of
being protruded or thrust out; protractile; protrusive.
Pro*tru"sion (?), n. 1.
The act of protruding or thrusting forward, or beyond the usual
limit.
2. The state of being protruded, or thrust
forward.
Pro*tru"sive (?), a. 1.
Thrusting or impelling forward; as, protrusive
motion. E. Darwin.
2. Capable of being protruded;
protrusile.
Pro*tru"sive*ly, adv. In a
protrusive manner.
Pro*tu"ber*ance (?), n. [Cf. F.
protubérance. See Protuberant.] That which
is protuberant swelled or pushed beyond the surrounding or adjacent
surface; a swelling or tumor on the body; a prominence; a bunch or
knob; an elevation.
Solar protuberances (Astron.), certain
rose-colored masses on the limb of the sun which are seen to extend
beyond the edge of the moon at the time of a solar eclipse. They may
be discovered with the spectroscope on any clear day. Called also
solar prominences. See Illust. in Append.
Syn. -- Projection, Protuberance.
protuberance differs from projection, being applied to
parts that rise from the surface with a gradual ascent or small angle;
whereas a projection may be at a right angle with the
surface.
Pro*tu"ber*an*cy (?), n. The
quality or state of being protuberant; protuberance;
prominence.
Pro*tu"ber*ant (?), a. [L.
protuberans, -antis, p. pr. of protuberare. See
Protuberate.] Prominent, or excessively prominent; bulging
beyond the surrounding or adjacent surface; swelling; as, a
protuberant joint; a protuberant eye. --
Pro*tu"ber*ant*ly, adv.
Pro*tu"ber*ate (?), v. i. [L.
protuberare; pro forward + tuber a hump,
protuberance. See Tuber.] To swell, or be prominent,
beyond the adjacent surface; to bulge out. S. Sharp.
Pro*tu`ber*a"tion (?), n. The act
of swelling beyond the surrounding surface. Cooke
(1615).
Pro*tu"ber*ous (?), a.
Protuberant. [R.]
||Pro`tu*re"ter (?), n. [NL. See
Proto-, Ureter.] (Anat.) The duct of a
pronephros. Haeckel.
Pro"tyle (?), n. [Proto- + Gr.
&?; stuff, material.] (Chem. & Astron.) The hypothetical
homogeneous cosmic material of the original universe, supposed to have
been differentiated into what are recognized as distinct chemical
elements.
Proud (?), a. [Compar.
Prouder (?); superl. Proudest.] [OE.
proud, prout, prud, prut, AS.
prūt; akin to Icel. prūðr stately, handsome,
Dan. prud handsome. Cf. Pride.] 1.
Feeling or manifesting pride, in a good or bad sense; as:
(a) Possessing or showing too great self-esteem;
overrating one's excellences; hence, arrogant; haughty; lordly;
presumptuous.
Nor much expect
A foe so proud will first the weaker seek.
Milton.
O death, made proud with pure and princely
beauty !
Shak.
And shades impervious to the proud world's
glare.
Keble.
(b) Having a feeling of high self-respect or
self-esteem; exulting (in); elated; -- often with of; as,
proud of one's country. "Proud to be checked and
soothed." Keble.
Are we proud men proud of being proud
?
Thackeray.
2. Giving reason or occasion for pride or
self-gratulation; worthy of admiration; grand; splendid; magnificent;
admirable; ostentatious. "Of shadow proud."
Chapman. "Proud titles." Shak. " The proud
temple's height." Dryden.
Till tower, and dome, and bridge-way proud
Are mantled with a golden cloud.
Keble.
3. Excited by sexual desire; -- applied
particularly to the females of some animals. Sir T.
Browne.
&fist; Proud is often used with participles in the formation
of compounds which, for the most part, are self-explaining; as,
proud-crested, proud-minded, proud-swelling.
Proud flesh (Med.), a fungous growth
or excrescence of granulations resembling flesh, in a wound or
ulcer.
Proud"ish (?), a. Somewhat
proud. Ash.
Proud"ling, n. A proud or haughty
person. Sylvester.
Proud"ly, adv. In a proud manner;
with lofty airs or mien; haughtily; arrogantly; boastfully.
Proudly he marches on, and void of
fear.
Addison.
Proud"ness, n. The quality of being
proud; pride.
Set aside all arrogancy and
proudness.
Latimer.
Proust"ite (?), n. [From the French
chemist, J. L. Proust.] (Min.) A sulphide of
arsenic and silver of a beautiful cochineal-red color, occurring in
rhombohedral crystals, and also massive; ruby silver.
Prov"a*ble (?), a. [See Prove,
and cf. Probable.] Capable of being proved;
demonstrable. -- Prov"a*ble*ness, n.
-- Prov"a*bly, adv.
{ Prov"and (?), Pro"ant (?), }
n. [See Provender.] Provender or
food. [Obs.]
One pease was a soldier's provant a whole
day.
Beau. & Fl.
Pro*vant" (?), v. t. To supply with
provender or provisions; to provide for. [Obs.]
Nash.
Prov"ant (?), a. Provided for
common or general use, as in an army; hence, common in quality;
inferior. "A poor provant rapier." B. Jonson.
Prove (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Proved (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Proving.] [OE. prover, F. prouver, fr. L.
probare to try, approve, prove, fr. probus good, proper.
Cf. Probable, Proof, Probe.] 1.
To try or to ascertain by an experiment, or by a test or
standard; to test; as, to prove the strength of gunpowder or of
ordnance; to prove the contents of a vessel by a standard
measure.
Thou hast proved mine heart.
Ps.
xvii. 3.
2. To evince, establish, or ascertain, as
truth, reality, or fact, by argument, testimony, or other
evidence.
They have inferred much from slender premises, and
conjectured when they could not prove.
J. H.
Newman.
3. To ascertain or establish the genuineness
or validity of; to verify; as, to prove a will.
4. To gain experience of the good or evil of;
to know by trial; to experience; to suffer.
Where she, captived long, great woes did
prove.
Spenser.
5. (Arith.) To test, evince, ascertain,
or verify, as the correctness of any operation or result; thus, in
subtraction, if the difference between two numbers, added to the
lesser number, makes a sum equal to the greater, the correctness of
the subtraction is proved.
6. (Printing) To take a trial
impression of; to take a proof of; as, to prove a
page.
Syn. -- To try; verify; justify; confirm; establish; evince;
manifest; show; demonstrate.
Prove, v. i. 1. To
make trial; to essay.
2. To be found by experience, trial, or
result; to turn out to be; as, a medicine proves salutary; the
report proves false. "The case proves mortal."
Arbuthnot.
So life a winter's morn may prove.
Keble.
3. To succeed; to turn out as expected.
[Obs.] "The experiment proved not." Bacon.
Pro*vect" (?), a. [L. provectus,
p. p. of provehere to carry forward.] Carried forward;
advanced. [Obs.] "Provect in years." Sir T.
Flyot.
Pro*vec"tion (?), n. [L.
provectio an advancement.] (Philol.) A carrying
forward, as of a final letter, to a following word; as, for example, a
nickname for an ekename.
Pro*ved"i*tor (?), n. [It.
proveditore, provveditore, fr. provedere, L.
providere. See Provide, and cf. Purveyor,
Provedore.] One employed to procure supplies, as for an
army, a steamer, etc.; a purveyor; one who provides for another.
Jer. Taylor.
Prov"e*dore (?), n. [Cf. Sp.
proveedor. See Proveditor.] A proveditor; a
purveyor.
Busied with the duties of a
provedore.
W. Irving.
Prov"en (?), p. p. or a.
Proved. "Accusations firmly proven in his mind."
Thackeray.
Of this which was the principal charge, and was
generally believed to beproven, he was acquitted.
Jowett (Thucyd. ).
Not proven (Scots Law), a verdict of a
jury that the guilt of the accused is not made out, though not
disproved. Mozley & W.
||Pro`ven`çal" (?), a. [F., fr.
Provence, fr. L. provincia province. See
Provincial.] Of or pertaining to Provence or its
inhabitants.
||Pro`ven`çal", n. [F.]
1. A native or inhabitant of Provence in
France.
2. The Provencal language. See Langue
d'oc.
Prov"ence rose` (?). [Provence the place +
rose.] (a) The cabbage rose (Rosa
centifolia). (b) A name of many kinds
of roses which are hybrids of Rosa centifolia and R.
Gallica.
Pro*ven"cial (?), a. [See
Provençal.] Of or pertaining to Provence in
France.
Prov"end (?), n. See
Provand. [Obs.]
Prov"en*der (?), n. [OE.
provende, F. provende, provisions, provender, fr. LL.
praebenda (prae and pro being confused), a daily
allowance of provisions, a prebend. See Prebend.]
1. Dry food for domestic animals, as hay, straw,
corn, oats, or a mixture of ground grain; feed. "Hay or other
provender." Mortimer.
Good provender laboring horses would
have.
Tusser.
2. Food or provisions. [R or Obs.]
Prov"ent (?), n. See
Provand. [Obs.]
Pro*ven"tri*cle (?), n. (Anat.)
Proventriculus.
||Pro`ven*tri"u*lus (?), n. [NL. See
Pro-, and Ventricle.] (Anat.) The glandular
stomach of birds, situated just above the crop.
Prov"er (?), n. One who, or that
which, proves.
Prov"erb (?), n. [OE. proverbe,
F. proverbe, from L. proverbium; pro before, for
+ verbum a word. See Verb.] 1. An
old and common saying; a phrase which is often repeated; especially, a
sentence which briefly and forcibly expresses some practical truth, or
the result of experience and observation; a maxim; a saw; an
adage. Chaucer. Bacon.
2. A striking or paradoxical assertion; an
obscure saying; an enigma; a parable.
His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou
plainly, and speakest no proverb.
John xvi.
29.
3. A familiar illustration; a subject of
contemptuous reference.
Thou shalt become an astonishment, a proverb,
and a by word, among all nations.
Deut. xxviii.
37.
4. A drama exemplifying a proverb.
Book of Proverbs, a canonical book of the Old
Testament, containing a great variety of wise maxims.
Syn. -- Maxim; aphorism; apothegm; adage; saw.
Prov"erb, v. t. 1.
To name in, or as, a proverb. [R.]
Am I not sung and proverbed for a fool
?
Milton.
2. To provide with a proverb. [R.]
I am proverbed with a grandsire
phrase.
Shak.
Prov"erb, v. i. To write or utter
proverbs. [R.]
Pro*ver"bi*al (?), a. [L.
proverbialis: cf. F. proverbial.] 1.
Mentioned or comprised in a proverb; used as a proverb; hence,
commonly known; as, a proverbial expression; his meanness was
proverbial.
In case of excesses, I take the German
proverbial cure, by a hair of the same beast, to be the
worst.
Sir W. Temple.
2. Of or pertaining to proverbs; resembling a
proverb. "A proverbial obscurity." Sir T.
Browne.
Pro*ver"bi*al*ism (?), n. A
proverbial phrase.
Pro*ver"bi*al*ist, n. One who makes
much use of proverbs in speech or writing; one who composes, collects,
or studies proverbs.
Pro*ver"bi*al*ize (?), v. t. & i. [Cf.
F. proverbialiser.] To turn into a proverb; to speak in
proverbs.
Pro*ver"bi*al*ly, adv. In a
proverbial manner; by way of proverb; hence, commonly; universally;
as, it is proverbially said; the bee is proverbially
busy.
Pro*vex"i*ty (?), n. [L.
provehere to advance. Cf. Provect.] Great advance
in age. [Obs.]
Pro*vide" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Provided; p. pr. & vb. n.
Providing.] [L. providere, provisum; pro
before + videre to see. See Vision, and cf.
Prudent, Purvey.] 1. To look out
for in advance; to procure beforehand; to get, collect, or make ready
for future use; to prepare. "Provide us all things
necessary." Shak.
2. To supply; to afford; to
contribute.
Bring me berries, or such cooling fruit
As the kind, hospitable woods provide.
Milton.
3. To furnish; to supply; -- formerly followed
by of, now by with. "And yet provided him
of but one." Jer. Taylor. "Rome . . . was well provided
with corn." Arbuthnot.
4. To establish as a previous condition; to
stipulate; as, the contract provides that the work be well
done.
5. To foresee. [A Latinism]
[Obs.] B. Jonson.
6. To appoint to an ecclesiastical benefice
before it is vacant. See Provisor. Prescott.
Pro*vide", v. i. 1.
To procure supplies or means in advance; to take measures
beforehand in view of an expected or a possible future need,
especially a danger or an evil; -- followed by against or for;
as, to provide against the inclemency of the weather; to
provide for the education of a child.
Government is a contrivance of human wisdom to
provide for human wants.
Burke.
2. To stipulate previously; to condition; as,
the agreement provides for an early completion of the
work.
Pro*vid"ed (?), conj. On condition;
by stipulation; with the understanding; if; -- usually followed by
that; as, provided that nothing in this act shall
prejudice the rights of any person whatever.
Provided the deductions are logical, they seem
almost indifferent to their truth.
G. H.
Lewes.
&fist; This word is strictly a participle, and the word
being is understood, the participle provided agreeing
with the whole sentence absolute, and being equivalent to this
condition being previously stipulated or established.
Prov"i*dence (?), n. [L.
providentia: cf. F. providence. See Provident,
and cf. Prudence.] 1. The act of providing
or preparing for future use or application; a making ready;
preparation.
Providence for war is the best prevention of
it.
Bacon.
2. Foresight; care; especially, the foresight
and care which God manifests for his creatures; hence, God himself,
regarded as exercising a constant wise prescience.
The world was all before them, where to choose
Their place of rest, and Providence their guide.
Milton.
3. (Theol.) A manifestation of the care
and superintendence which God exercises over his creatures; an event
ordained by divine direction.
He that hath a numerous family, and many to provide
for, needs a greater providence of God.
Jer.
Taylor.
4. Prudence in the management of one's
concerns; economy; frugality.
It is a high point of providence in a prince to
cast an eye rather upon actions than persons.
Quarles.
Prov"i*dent (?), a. [L.
providens, -entis, p. pr. of providere: cf. F.
provident. See Provide, and cf. Prudent.]
Foreseeing wants and making provision to supply them; prudent in
preparing for future exigencies; cautious; economical; -- sometimes
followed by of; as, aprovident man; an animal
provident of the future.
And of our good and of our dignity,
How provident he is.
Milton.
Syn. -- Forecasting; cautious; careful; prudent; frugal;
economical.
Prov`i*den"tial (?), a. [Cf. F.
providentiel.] Effected by, or referable to, divine
direction or superintendence; as, the providential contrivance
of thing; a providential escape. --
Prov"i*den"tial*ly, adv.
Prov"i*dent*ly (?), adv. In a
provident manner.
Prov"i*dent*ness, n. The quality or
state of being provident; carefulness; prudence; economy.
Pro*vid"er (?), n. One who
provides, furnishes, or supplies; one who procures what is
wanted.
Prov"i*dore (?), n. [See
Provedore.] One who makes provision; a purveyor.
[R.] De Foe.
Prov"ince (?), n. [F., fr. L.
provincia; prob. fr. pro before, for + the root of
vincere to conquer. See Victor.] 1.
(Roman Hist.) A country or region, more or less remote
from the city of Rome, brought under the Roman government; a conquered
country beyond the limits of Italy. Wyclif (Acts xiii. 34).
Milton.
2. A country or region dependent on a distant
authority; a portion of an empire or state, esp. one remote from the
capital. "Kingdoms and provinces." Shak.
3. A region of country; a tract; a
district.
Over many a tract
of heaven they marched, and many a province wide.
Milton.
Other provinces of the intellectual
world.
I. Watts.
4. A region under the supervision or direction
of any special person; the district or division of a country,
especially an ecclesiastical division, over which one has
jurisdiction; as, the province of Canterbury, or that in which
the archbishop of Canterbury exercises ecclesiastical
authority.
5. The proper or appropriate business or duty
of a person or body; office; charge; jurisdiction; sphere.
The woman'sprovince is to be careful in her
economy, and chaste in her affection.
Tattler.
6. Specif.: Any political division of the
Dominion of Canada, having a governor, a local legislature, and
representation in the Dominion parliament. Hence, colloquially, The
Provinces, the Dominion of Canada.
Pro*vin"cial (?), a. [L.
provincialis: cf. F. provincial. See Province,
and cf. Provencal.] 1. Of or pertaining to
province; constituting a province; as, a provincial government;
a provincial dialect.
2. Exhibiting the ways or manners of a
province; characteristic of the inhabitants of a province; not
cosmopolitan; countrified; not polished; rude; hence, narrow;
illiberal. "Provincial airs and graces."
Macaulay.
3. Of or pertaining to an ecclesiastical
province, or to the jurisdiction of an archbishop; not ecumenical; as,
a provincial synod. Ayliffe.
4. Of or pertaining to Provence;
Provencal. [Obs.]
With two Provincial roses on my razed
shoes.
Shak.
Pro*vin"cial, n. 1.
A person belonging to a province; one who is
provincial.
2. (R. C. Ch.) A monastic superior,
who, under the general of his order, has the direction of all the
religious houses of the same fraternity in a given district, called a
province of the order.
Pro*vin"cial*ism (?), n. [Cf. F.
provincialisme.] A word, or a manner of speaking, peculiar
to a province or a district remote from the mother country or from the
metropolis; a provincial characteristic; hence, narrowness;
illiberality. M. Arnold.
Pro*vin"cial*ist, n. One who lives
in a province; a provincial.
Pro*vin`ci*al"i*ty (?), n. The
quality or state of being provincial; peculiarity of language
characteristic of a province. T. Warton.
Pro*vin"cial*ize (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Provincialized (?); p.
pr. & vb. n. Provincializing (?).] To render
provincial. M. Arnold.
Pro*vin"cial*ly, adv. In a
provincial manner.
Pro*vin"ci*ate (?), v. t. To
convert into a province or provinces. [Obs.] Howell.
Pro*vine" (?), v. i. [F.
provingner, fr. provin a set, layer of a plant, OF.
provain, from L. propago, -aginis, akin to
propagare to propagate. See Propagate, Prune,
v. t.] To lay a stock or branch of a vine in
the ground for propagation. [Obs.] Johnson.
Pro*vi"sion (?), n. [L. provisio:
cf. F. provision. See Provide.] 1.
The act of providing, or making previous preparation.
Shak.
2. That which is provided or prepared; that
which is brought together or arranged in advance; measures taken
beforehand; preparation.
Making provision for the relief of
strangers.
Bacon.
3. Especially, a stock of food; any kind of
eatables collected or stored; -- often in the plural.
And of provisions laid in large,
For man and beast.
Milton.
4. That which is stipulated in advance; a
condition; a previous agreement; a proviso; as, the provisions
of a contract; the statute has many provisions.
5. (R. C. Ch.) A canonical term for
regular induction into a benefice, comprehending nomination,
collation, and installation.
6. (Eng. Hist.) A nomination by the
pope to a benefice before it became vacant, depriving the patron of
his right of presentation. Blackstone.
Pro*vi"sion (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Provisioned (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Provisioning.] To supply with food; to
victual; as, to provision a garrison.
They were provisioned for a
journey.
Palfrey.
Pro*vi"sion*al (?), a. [Cf. F.
provisionnel.] Of the nature of a provision; serving as a
provision for the time being; -- used of partial or temporary
arrangements; as, a provisional government; a
provisional treaty.
Pro*vi"sion*al*ly, adv. By way of
provision for the time being; temporarily. Locke.
Pro*vi"sion*a*ry (?), a.
Provisional. Burke.
Pro*vi"so (?), n.; pl.
Provisos (#). [L., (it) being provided, abl. of
provisus, p. p. of providere. See Provide, and
cf. Purview.] An article or clause in any statute,
agreement, contract, grant, or other writing, by which a condition is
introduced, usually beginning with the word provided; a
conditional stipulation that affects an agreement, contract, law,
grant, or the like; as, the contract was impaired by its
proviso.
He doth deny his prisoners,
But with proviso and exception.
Shak.
Pro*vi"sor (?), n. [L., fr.
providere: cf. F. proviseur. See Provide.]
1. One who provides; a purveyor. [Obs.]
"The chief provisor of our horse." Ford.
2. (R. C. Ch.) (a) The
purveyor, steward, or treasurer of a religious house.
Cowell. (b) One who is regularly inducted
into a benefice. See Provision, 5. P.
Plowman.
3. (Eng. Hist.) One who procures or
receives a papal provision. See Provision, 6.
Pro*vi"so*ri*ly (?), adv. In a
provisory manner; conditionally; subject to a proviso; as, to admit a
doctrine provisorily. Sir W. Hamilton.
Pro*vi"sor*ship (?), n. The office
or position of a provisor. [R.] J. Webster.
Pro*vi"so*ry (?), a. [Cf. F.
provisoire.] 1. Of the nature of a
proviso; containing a proviso or condition; conditional; as, a
provisory clause.
2. Making temporary provision;
provisional.
Prov`o*ca"tion (?), n. [F.
provocation, L. provocatio. See Provoke.]
1. The act of provoking, or causing vexation or,
anger. Fabyan.
2. That which provokes, or excites anger; the
cause of resentment; as, to give provocation.
Paley.
3. Incitement; stimulus; as,
provocation to mirth.
4. (Law) Such prior insult or injury as
may be supposed, under the circumstances, to create hot blood, and to
excuse an assault made in retort or redress.
5. An appeal to a court. [A Latinism]
[Obs.] Ayliffe.
Pro*vo"ca*tive (?), a. [L.
provocativus: cf. OF. provocatif.] Serving or
tending to provoke, excite, or stimulate; exciting.
Pro*vo"ca*tive, n. Anything that is
provocative; a stimulant; as, a provocative of
appetite.
Pro*vo"ca*tive*ness, n. Quality of
being provocative.
Pro*vo"ca*to*ry (?), a.
Provocative.
Pro*vok"a*ble (?), a. That may be
provoked.
Pro*voke" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Provoked (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Provoking.] [F. provoquer, L. provocare to call
forth; pro forth + vocare to call, fr. vox,
vocis, voice, cry, call. See Voice.] To call forth;
to call into being or action; esp., to incense to action, a faculty or
passion, as love, hate, or ambition; hence, commonly, to incite, as a
person, to action by a challenge, by taunts, or by defiance; to
exasperate; to irritate; to offend intolerably; to cause to
retaliate.
Obey his voice, provoke him not.
Ex. xxiii. 21.
Ye fathers, provoke not your children to
wrath.
Eph. vi. 4.
Such acts
Of contumacy will provoke the Highest
To make death in us live.
Milton.
Can honor's voice provoke the silent
dust?
Gray.
To the poet the meaning is what he pleases to make it,
what it provokes in his own soul.
J.
Burroughs.
Syn. -- To irritate; arouse; stir up; awake; excite; incite;
anger. See Irritate.
Pro*voke", v. i. 1.
To cause provocation or anger.
2. To appeal. [A Latinism] [Obs.]
Dryden.
Pro*voke"ment (?), n. The act that
which, provokes; one who excites anger or other passion, or incites to
action; as, a provoker of sedition.
Drink, sir, is a great provoker of three
things.
Shak.
Pro*vok"ing, a. Having the power or
quality of exciting resentment; tending to awaken passion or vexation;
as, provoking words or treatment. --
Pro*vok"ing*ly, adv.
Prov"ost (?), n. [OF. provost (L.
prae and pro being confused), F. prevôt,
fr. L. praepositus placed before, a chief, fr.
praeponere to place before: cf. AS. prāfost,
prōfast. See Preposition, and cf.
Propound.] 1. A person who is appointed to
superintend, or preside over, something; the chief magistrate in some
cities and towns; as, the provost of Edinburgh or of Glasgow,
answering to the mayor of other cities; the provost of a
college, answering to president; the provost or head of certain
collegiate churches.
2. The keeper of a prison. [Obs.]
Shak.
&fist; In France, formerly, a provost was an inferior judge
who had cognizance of civil causes. The grand provost of
France, or of the household, had jurisdiction in the king's
house, and over its officers.
Provost marshal (often pronounced &?;).
(a) (Mil.) An officer appointed in every
army, in the field, to secure the prisoners confined on charges of a
general nature. He also performs such other duties pertaining to
police and discipline as the regulations of the service or the
commander's orders impose upon him. (b)
(Nav.) An officer who has charge of prisoners on trial by
court-martial, serves notices to witnesses, etc.
Prov"ost*ship, n. The office of a
provost.
Prow (?), n. [F. proue (cf. Sp. &
Pg. proa, It. prua), L. prora, Gr. &?;, akin to
&?; before. See Pro-, and cf. Prore.] The fore part
of a vessel; the bow; the stem; hence, the vessel itself.
Wordsworth.
The floating vessel swum
Uplifted, and secure with beaked prow
rode tilting o'er the waves.
Milton.
Prow (?), n. See
Proa.
Prow, a. [Compar.
Prower (?); superl. Prowest.] [OF.
prou, preu, F. preux, fr. L. pro,
prod, in prodesse to be useful. See Pro-, and cf.
Prude.] Valiant; brave; gallant; courageous.
[Archaic] Tennyson.
The prowest knight that ever field did
fight.
Spenser.
Prow, n. [OE. & OF. prou. See
Prow, a.] Benefit; profit; good;
advantage. [Obs.]
That shall be for your hele and for your
prow.
Chaucer.
Prow"ess (?), n. [OF. proece,
proesce, F. prouesse. See Prow,
a.] Distinguished bravery; valor; especially,
military bravery and skill; gallantry; intrepidity;
fearlessness. Chaucer. Sir P. Sidney.
He by his prowess conquered all
France.
Shak.
Prowl (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Prowled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Prowling.] [OE. prollen to search about; of uncertain
origin, perh. for proglen, a dim. of prog to beg, or
proke to poke. Cf. Proke.] 1. To
rove over, through, or about in a stealthy manner; esp., to search in,
as for prey or booty.
He prowls each place, still in new colors
decked.
Sir P. Sidney.
2. To collect by plunder; as, to prowl
money. [Obs.]
Prowl, v. i. To rove or wander
stealthily, esp. for prey, as a wild beast; hence, to prey; to
plunder.
Prowl, n. The act of
prowling. [Colloq.] Smart.
Prowl"er (?), n. One that
prowls. Thomson.
Prowl"ing, a. Accustomed to prowl,
or engaged in roving stealthily, as for prey. "A prowling
wolf." Milton. -- Prowl"ing*ly,
adv.
Prox (?), n. [Cf. Proxy.]
"The ticket or list of candidates at elections, presented to the
people for their votes." [Rhode Island] Bartlett.
Prox"ene (?), n. [Cf. &?;; &?; before +
&?; a guest, stranger: cf. F. proxène.] (Gr.
Antiq.) An officer who had the charge of showing hospitality
to those who came from a friendly city or state.
Prox"e*net (?), n. [L. proxeneta,
Gr. &?;.] A negotiator; a factor. [R.] Dr. H.
More.
Prox"i*mad (?), adv. [Proximal +
L. ad to.] (Anat.) Toward a proximal part; on the
proximal side of; proximally.
Prox"i*mal (?), a. 1.
Toward or nearest, as to a body, or center of motion of
dependence; proximate.
2. (Biol.) (a) Situated
near the point of attachment or origin; as, the proximal part
of a limb. (b) Of or pertaining to that
which is proximal; as, the proximal bones of a limb. Opposed to
distal.
Prox"i*mal*ly, adv. (Anat.)
On or toward a proximal part; proximad.
Prox"i*mate (?), a. [L.
proximatus, p. p. of proximare to come near, to
approach, fr. proximus the nearest, nest, superl. of
propior nearer, and prope, adv., near.] Nearest;
next immediately preceding or following. "Proximate
ancestors." J. S. Harford.
The proximate natural causes of it [the
deluge].
T. Burnet.
Proximate analysis (Chem.), an
analysis which determines the proximate principles of any substance,
as contrasted with an ultimate analysis. --
Proximate cause. (a) A cause
which immediately precedes and produces the effect, as distinguished
from the remote, mediate, or predisposing
cause. I. Watts. (b) That which in
ordinary natural sequence produces a specific result, no independent
disturbing agencies intervening. -- Proximate
principle (Physiol. Chem.), one of a class of
bodies existing ready formed in animal and vegetable tissues, and
separable by chemical analysis, as albumin, sugar, collagen, fat,
etc.
Syn. -- Nearest; next; closest; immediate; direct.
Prox"i*mate*ly, adv. In a proximate
manner, position, or degree; immediately.
Prox"ime (?), a. [L. proximus.
See Proximate.] Next; immediately preceding or
following. [Obs.]
Prox*im"i*ous (?), a.
Proximate. [Obs.]
Prox*im"i*ty (?), n. [L.
proximitas: cf. F. proximité See
Proximate, and cf. Propinquity, Approach.]
The quality or state of being next in time, place, causation,
influence, etc.; immediate nearness, either in place, blood, or
alliance.
If he plead proximity of blood
That empty title is with ease withstood.
Dryden.
Prox"i*mo (?). [L., on the next, abl. of proximus
next.] In the next month after the present; -- often contracted
to prox.; as, on the 3d proximo.
Prox"y (?), n.; pl.
Proxies (#). [Contr. from procuracy. Cf.
Proctor.] 1. The agency for another who
acts through the agent; authority to act for another, esp. to vote in
a legislative or corporate capacity.
I have no man's proxy: I speak only for
myself.
Burke.
2. The person who is substituted or deputed to
act or vote for another.
Every peer . . . may make another lord of parliament
his proxy, to vote for him in his absence.
Blackstone.
3. A writing by which one person authorizes
another to vote in his stead, as in a corporation meeting.
4. (Eng. Law) The written appointment
of a proctor in suits in the ecclesiastical courts.
Burrill.
5. (Eccl.) See
Procuration. [Obs.]
Prox"y, v. i. To act or vote by
proxy; to do anything by the agency of another. [R.]
Prox"y*ship, n. The office or
agency of a proxy.
Pruce (?), n. [OE. for Prussia:
cf. F. Prusse.] Prussian leather. [Obs.]
Dryden.
Prude (?), n. [F., prudish, originally,
discreet, modest; shortened from OF. prudefeme,
preudefeme, a discreet or excellent woman; OF. preu,
prou, excellent, brave + de of + fete woman. See
Prow, a., Prowess.] A woman of
affected modesty, reserve, or coyness; one who is overscrupulous or
sensitive; one who affects extraordinary prudence in conduct and
speech.
Less modest than the speech of
prudes.
Swift.
Pru"dence (?), n. [F., fr. L.
prudentia, contr. from providentia. See Prudent,
and cf. Providence.] The quality or state of being
prudent; wisdom in the way of caution and provision; discretion;
carefulness; hence, also, economy; frugality.
Prudence is principally in reference to actions
to be done, and due means, order, seasons, and method of doing or not
doing.
Sir M. Hale.
Prudence supposes the value of the end to be
assumed, and refers only to the adaptation of the means. It is the
relation of right means for given ends.
Whewell.
Syn. -- Wisdom; forecast; providence; considerateness;
judiciousness; discretion; caution; circumspection; judgment. See
Wisdom.
Pru"den*cy (?), n. Prudence.
[Obs.] Hakluyt.
Pru"dent (?), a. [L. prudens,
-entis, contr. from providens: cf. F. prudent.
See Provident.] 1. Sagacious in adapting
means to ends; circumspect in action, or in determining any line of
conduct; practically wise; judicious; careful; discreet; sensible; --
opposed to rash; as, a prudent man; dictated or directed
by prudence or wise forethought; evincing prudence; as, prudent
behavior.
Moses established a grave and prudent
law.
Milton.
2. Frugal; economical; not extravagant; as, a
prudent woman; prudent expenditure of money.
Syn. -- Cautious; wary; circumspect; considerate; discreet;
judicious; provident; economical; frugal.
Pru*den"tial (?), a. 1.
Proceeding from, or dictated or characterized by, prudence;
prudent; discreet; sometimes, selfish or pecuniary as distinguished
from higher motives or influences; as, prudential
motives. " A prudential line of conduct." Sir W.
Scott.
2. Exercising prudence; discretionary;
advisory; superintending or executive; as, a prudential
committee.
Pru*den"tial, n. That which relates
to or demands the exercise of, discretion or prudence; -- usually in
the pl.
Many stanzas, in poetic measures, contain rules
relating to common prudentials as well as to
religion.
I. Watts.
Pru*den"tial*ist, n. One who is
governed by, or acts from, prudential motives. [R.]
Coleridge.
Pru*den`ti*al"i*ty (?), n. The
quality or state of being prudential. Sir T. Browne.
Pru*den"tial*ly (?), adv. In a
prudential manner; prudently. South.
Pru"dent*ly (?), adv. In a prudent
manner.
Prud"er*y (?), n.; pl.
Pruderies (#). [F. pruderie. See
Prude.] The quality or state of being prudish; excessive
or affected scrupulousness in speech or conduct; stiffness;
coyness. Cowper.
Prud*homme" (?), n. [F.
prud'homme. cf. Prude.] A trustworthy citizen; a
skilled workman. See Citation under 3d Commune, 1.
Prud"ish (?), a. Like a prude; very
formal, precise, or reserved; affectedly severe in virtue; as, a
prudish woman; prudish manners.
A formal lecture, spoke with prudish
face.
Garrick.
Prud"ish*ly, adv. In a prudish
manner.
Pru"i*nate (?), a. Same as
Pruinose.
Pru"i*nose` (?), a. [L.
pruinosus, fr. pruina hoarfrost.] Frosty; covered
with fine scales, hairs, dust, bloom, or the like, so as to give the
appearance of frost.
Pru"i*nous (?), a. Frosty;
pruinose.
Prune (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pruned (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pruning.] [OE. proine, probably fr. F. provigner
to lay down vine stocks for propagation; hence, probably, the meaning,
to cut away superfluous shoots. See Provine.]
1. To lop or cut off the superfluous parts,
branches, or shoots of; to clear of useless material; to shape or
smooth by trimming; to trim: as, to prune trees; to
prune an essay. Thackeray.
Taking into consideration how they [laws] are to be
pruned and reformed.
Bacon.
Our delightful task
To prune these growing plants, and tend these
flowers.
Milton.
2. To cut off or cut out, as useless
parts.
Horace will our superfluous branches
prune.
Waller.
3. To preen; to prepare; to dress.
Spenser.
His royal bird
Prunes the immortal wing and cloys his beak.
Shak.
Prune, v. i. To dress; to prink; -
used humorously or in contempt. Dryden.
Prune, n. [F. prune, from L.
prunum a plum. See Plum.] A plum; esp., a dried
plum, used in cookery; as, French or Turkish prunes; California
prunes.
German prune (Bot.), a large dark
purple plum, of oval shape, often one-sided. It is much used for
preserving, either dried or in sirup. -- Prune
tree. (Bot.) (a) A tree of the
genus Prunus (P. domestica), which produces prunes.
(b) The West Indian tree, Prunus
occidentalis. -- South African prune
(Bot.), the edible fruit of a sapindaceous tree (Pappea
Capensis).
||Pru*nel"la (?), n. [NL., perhaps from
G. bræune quinsy, croup.] (Med.)
(a) Angina, or angina pectoris.
(b) Thrush.
Prunella salt (Old Chem.), niter fused
and cast into little balls.
{ Pru*nel"la, Pru*nel"lo, } n.
[F. prunelle, probably so called from its color resembling that
of prunes. See Prune, n.] A smooth
woolen stuff, generally black, used for making shoes; a kind of
lasting; -- formerly used also for clergymen's gowns.
Pru*nelle" (?), n. [F., dim. of
prune. See Prune, n.] A kind of
small and very acid French plum; -- applied especially to the stoned
and dried fruit.
Pru*nel"lo (?), n. [F. prunelle,
dim. of prune. See Prune a plum.] A species of
dried plum; prunelle.
Prun"er (?), n. 1.
One who prunes, or removes, what is superfluous.
2. (Zoöl.) Any one of several
species of beetles whose larvæ gnaw the branches of trees so as
to cause them to fall, especially the American oak pruner (Asemum
mœstum), whose larva eats the pith of oak branches, and when
mature gnaws a circular furrow on the inside nearly to the bark. When
the branches fall each contains a pupa.
Pru*nif"er*ous (?), a. [L. prunum
a plum + -ferous.] Bearing plums.
Prun"ing (?), n. 1.
The act of trimming, or removing what is superfluous.
2. (Falconry) That which is cast off by
bird in pruning her feathers; leavings. Beau. & Fl.
Pruning hook, or Pruning knife,
cutting instrument used in pruning trees, etc. --
Pruning shears, shears for pruning trees, vines,
etc.
||Pru"nus (?), n. [L., a plum tree.]
(Bot.) A genus of trees with perigynous rosaceous flowers,
and a single two-ovuled carpel which usually becomes a drupe in
ripening.
&fist; Originally, this genus was limited to the plums, then, by
Linnæus, was made to include the cherries and the apricot. Later
botanists separated these into several genera, as Prunus,
Cerasus, and Armeniaca, but now, by Bentham and Hooker,
the plums, cherries, cherry laurels, peach, almond, and nectarine are
all placed in Prunus.
{ Pru"ri*ence (?), Pru"ri*en*cy (?), }
n. The quality or state of being
prurient.
The pruriency of curious ears.
Burke.
There is a prurience in the speech of
some.
Cowper.
Pru"ri*ent (?), a. [L. pruries, -
entis, p. pr. of prurire to itch. Cf. Freeze.]
Uneasy with desire; itching; especially, having a lascivious
curiosity or propensity; lustful. -- Pru"ri*ent*ly,
adv.
The eye of the vain and prurient is darting from
object to object of illicit attraction.
I.
Taylor.
Pru*rig"i*nous (?), a. [L.
pruriginosus: cf. F. prurigineux.] (Med.)
Tending to, or caused by, prurigo; affected by, or of the nature
of, prurigo.
||Pru*ri"go (?), n. [L., an itching, the
itch, fr. prurire to itch.] (Med.) A papular
disease of the skin, of which intense itching is the chief symptom,
the eruption scarcely differing from the healthy cuticle in
color.
||Pru*ri"tus (?), n. [L.] (Med.)
Itching.
Prus"sian (?), a. [From Prussia,
the country: cf. F. prussien.] Of or pertaining to
Prussia. -- n. A native or inhabitant of
Prussia.
Prussian blue (Chem.), any one of
several complex double cyanides of ferrous and ferric iron;
specifically, a dark blue amorphous substance having a coppery luster,
obtained by adding a solution of potassium ferrocyanide (yellow
prussiate of potash) to a ferric salt. It is used in dyeing, in ink,
etc. Called also Williamson's blue, insoluble Prussian
blue, Berlin blue, etc. -- Prussian
carp (Zoöl.) See Gibel. --
Prussian green. (Chem.) Same as Berlin
green, under Berlin.
Prus"si*ate (?), n. [Cf. F.
prussiate.] (Chem.) A salt of prussic acid; a
cyanide.
Red prussiate of potash. See Potassium
ferricyanide, under Ferricyanide. -- Yellow
prussiate of potash. See Potassium ferrocyanide,
under Ferrocyanide.
Prus"sic (?), a. [Cf. F.
prussique.] (Old Chem.) designating the acid now
called hydrocyanic acid, but formerly called prussic acid,
because Prussian blue is derived from it or its compounds. See
Hydrocyanic.
Pru*ten"ic (?), a. (Astron.)
Prussian; -- applied to certain astronomical tables published in
the sixteenth century, founded on the principles of Copernicus, a
Prussian.
Pry (?), n. [Corrupted fr. prize
a lever. See Prize, n.] A lever; also,
leverage. [Local, U. S. & Eng.]
Pry pole, the pole which forms the prop of a
hoisting gin, and stands facing the windlass.
Pry, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pried (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Prying.] To raise or move, or attempt to raise or move,
with a pry or lever; to prize. [Local, U. S. & Eng.]
Pry, v. i. [OE. prien. Cf.
Peer to peep.] To peep narrowly; to gaze; to inspect
closely; to attempt to discover something by a scrutinizing curiosity;
-- often implying reproach. " To pry upon the stars."
Chaucer.
Watch thou and wake when others be asleep,
To pry into the secrets of the state.
Shak.
Pry, n. Curious inspection;
impertinent peeping.
Pry"an (?), n. (Mining) See
Prian.
Pry"ing, a. Inspecting closely or
impertinently.
Syn. -- Inquisitive; curious. See Inquisitive.
Pry"ing*ly, adv. In a prying
manner.
||Pryt`a*ne"um (?), n. [L., fr. Gr. &?;,
fr. &?; prytanis.] (Gr. Antiq.) A public building in
certain Greek cities; especially, a public hall in Athens regarded as
the home of the community, in which official hospitality was extended
to distinguished citizens and strangers.
||Pryt"a*nis (?), n.; pl.
Prytanes (#). [L., fr. Gr. &?;.] (Gr. Antiq.)
A member of one of the ten sections into which the Athenian
senate of five hundred was divided, and to each of which belonged the
presidency of the senate for about one tenth of the year.
Pryt"a*ny (?), n. [Gr. &?;.] (Gr.
Antiq.) The period during which the presidency of the senate
belonged to the prytanes of the section.
Pryth"ee (?), interj. See
Prithee.
Psalm (?), n. [OE. psalm,
salm, AS. sealm, L. psalmus, psalma, fr.
Gr. &?;, &?;, fr. &?; to pull, twitch, to play upon a stringed
instrument, to sing to the harp: cf. OF. psalme, salme,
F. psaume.] 1. A sacred song; a poetical
composition for use in the praise or worship of God.
Humus devout and holy psalms
Singing everlastingly.
Milton.
2. Especially, one of the hymns by David and
others, collected into one book of the Old Testament, or a modern
metrical version of such a hymn for public worship.
Psalm, v. t. To extol in psalms; to
sing; as, psalming his praises. Sylvester.
Psalm"ist (?), n. [L. psalmista,
Gr. &?;: cf. F. psalmiste. See Psalm.]
1. A writer or composer of sacred songs; -- a
title particularly applied to David and the other authors of the
Scriptural psalms.
2. (R. C. Ch.) A clerk, precentor,
singer, or leader of music, in the church.
Psalm"ist*ry (?), n. The use of
psalms in devotion; psalmody.
{ Psal*mod"ic (?), Psal*mod"ic*al (?), }
a. [Cf. F. psalmodique.] Relating to
psalmody.
Psal"mo*dist (?), n. One who sings
sacred songs; a psalmist.
Psal"mo*dize (?), v. i. To practice
psalmody. " The psalmodizing art." J. G.
Cooper.
Psal"mo*dy (?), n. [Gr. &?;; &?; psalm +
&?; a song, an ode: cf. F. psalmodie, LL. psalmodia. See
Psalm, and Ode.] The act, practice, or art of
singing psalms or sacred songs; also, psalms collectively, or a
collection of psalms.
Psal"mo*graph (?), n. [See
Psalmographer.] A writer of psalms; a
psalmographer.
{ Psal*mog"ra*pher (?), Psal*mog"ra*phist (?), }
n. [L. psalmographus, Gr. &?;; &?; a psalm +
&?; to write.] A writer of psalms, or sacred songs and
hymns.
Psal*mog"ra*phy (?), n. [Cf. F.
psalmographie.] The act or practice of writing psalms, or
sacred songs.
Psal"ter (?), n. [OE. psauter,
sauter, OF. sautier, psaltier, F.
psautier, from L. psalterium. See Psaltery.]
1. The Book of Psalms; -- often applied to a book
containing the Psalms separately printed.
2. Specifically, the Book of Psalms as printed
in the Book of Common Prayer; among the Roman Catholics, the part of
the Breviary which contains the Psalms arranged for each day of the
week.
3. (R. C. Ch.) A rosary, consisting of
a hundred and fifty beads, corresponding to the number of the
psalms.
Psal*te"ri*al (?), a. Of or
pertaining to the psalterium.
||Psal*te"ri*um (?), n.; pl.
Psalteria (#). [L., a psaltery.] (Anat.)
(a) The third stomach of ruminants. See
Manyplies. (b) The lyra of the
brain.
Psal"ter*y (?), n.; pl.
Psalteries (#). [OE. sautrie, OF.
psalterie, F. psaltérion, L. psalterium
psaltery, psalter, from Gr. &?;, fr. &?;. See Psalm,
Psalter.] A stringed instrument of music used by the
Hebrews, the form of which is not known.
Praise the Lord with harp; sing unto him with the
psaltery and an instrument of ten strings.
Ps.
xxxiii. 2.
Psam"mite (?), n. [Gr. &?; sandy, from
&?; sand: cf. F. psammite.] (Min.) A species of
micaceous sandstone. -- Psam*mit"ic (#),
a.
Psar"o*lite (?), n. [Gr. &?; speckled +
-lite.] (Paleon.) A silicified stem of tree fern,
found in abundance in the Triassic sandstone.
Psel"lism (?), n. [Gr. &?;, fr. &?; to
stammer.] Indistinct pronunciation; stammering.
Pse"phism (?), n. [Gr. &?; a decree, fr.
&?; to vote with a pebble, fr. &?; pebble.] (Gr. Antiq.) A
proposition adopted by a majority of votes; especially, one adopted by
vote of the Athenian people; a statute. J. P.
Mahaffy.
||Pseu`dæs*the"si*a (?), n. [NL.
See Pseudo-, and Æsthesia.] (Physiol.)
False or imaginary feeling or sense perception such as occurs in
hypochondriasis, or such as is referred to an organ that has been
removed, as an amputated foot.
Pseu*dem"bry*o (?), n. [Pseudo- +
embryo.] (Zoöl.) (a) A false
embryo. (b) An asexual form from which the
true embryo is produced by budding.
{ Pseu*dep`i*graph"ic (?), Pseu*dep`i*graph"ic
(?), } a. Of or pertaining to
pseudepigraphy.
Pseu`de*pig"ra*phous (?), a. [Gr. &?;
falsely inscribed. See Pseudo-, and Epigraphy.]
Inscribed with a false name. Cudworth.
Pseu`de*pig"ra*phy (?), n. The
ascription of false names of authors to works.
Pseud*hæ"mal (?), a. [Pseudo-
+ hæmal.] (Zoöl.) Pertaining to the
vascular system of annelids.
Pseudhæmal fluid, the circulatory
fluid, or blood, of annelids, analogous to the blood of vertebrates.
It is often red, but is sometimes green or colorless. --
Pseudhæmal vessels, the blood vessels of
annelids.
Pseu"do- (?). [Gr. pseydh`s lying, false, akin
to psey`dein to belie; cf. psydro`s lying,
psy`qos a lie.] A combining form or prefix signifying
false, counterfeit, pretended, spurious;
as, pseudo-apostle, a false apostle; pseudo-clergy,
false or spurious clergy; pseudo-episcopacy, pseudo-
form, pseudo-martyr, pseudo-philosopher. Also used
adjectively.
Pseu`do*bac*te"ri*a (?), n. pl.
[Pseudo- + bacteria.] (Biol.) Microscopic
organic particles, molecular granules, powdered inorganic substances,
etc., which in form, size, and grouping resemble bacteria.
The globules which divide and develop in form of chains are
organized beings; when this does not occur, we are dealing with
pseudobacteria.
Sternberg.
||Pseu`do*blep"sis (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr.
pseydh`s false + ble`psis sight.] (Med.)
False or depraved sight; imaginary vision of objects.
Forsyth.
Pseu"do*branch (?), n. (Anat.)
Same as Pseudobranchia.
||Pseu`do*bran"chi*a (?), n.; pl.
Pseudobranchiæ (#). [NL. See Pseudo-,
and Branchia.] (Anat.) A rudimentary branchia, or
gill. -- Pseu`do*bran"chi*al (#),
a.
Pseu"do-bulb` (?), n. [Pseudo- +
bulb.] (Bot.) An aërial corm, or thickened
stem, as of some epiphytic orchidaceous plants.
Pseu"do*carp (?), n. [Pseudo- +
Gr. &?; fruit.] (Bot.) That portion of an anthocarpous
fruit which is not derived from the ovary, as the soft part of a
strawberry or of a fig.
Pseu`do-chi"na (?), n. [Pseudo- +
china.] (Bot.) The false china root, a plant of the
genus Smilax (S. Pseudo-china), found in
America.
Pseu"do*cœle (?), n. Same as
Pseudocœlia.
||Pseu`do*cœ"li*a (?), n. [NL.,
fr. Gr. pseydh`s false + &?; hollow.] (Anat.)
The fifth ventricle in the mammalian brain. See
Ventricle. B. G. Wilder.
Pseu"do-cone` (?), n. [Pseudo- +
cone.] (Zoöl.) One of the soft gelatinous
cones found in the compound eyes of certain insects, taking the place
of the crystalline cones of others.
Pseu`do-cu"mene (?), n. [Pseudo-
+ cumene.] (Chem.) A hydrocarbon of the aromatic
series, metameric with mesitylene and cumene, found in coal tar, and
obtained as a colorless liquid.
Pseu`do-dip"ter*al (?), a. [Pseudo-
+ dipteral: cf. F. pseudodiptère.]
(Arch.) Falsely or imperfectly dipteral, as a temple with
the inner range of columns surrounding the cella omitted, so that the
space between the cella wall and the columns is very great, being
equal to two intercolumns and one column. --
n. A pseudo-dipteral temple.
Pseu"do*dox (?), a. [Gr.
pseydo`doxos; pseydh`s false + do`xa
an opinion.] Not true in opinion or doctrine; false. --
n. A false opinion or doctrine. "To
maintain the atheistical pseudodox which judgeth evil good, and
darkness light." T. Adams.
||Pseu`do*fi*la"ri*a (?), n.; pl.
Pseudofilari&?; (#). [NL. See Pseudo-, and
Filaria.] (Zoöl.) One of the two elongated
vibratile young formed by fission of the embryo during the development
of certain Gregarinæ.
Pseu`do-ga*le"na (?), n. [Pseudo-
+ galena.] (Min.) False galena, or blende. See
Blende (a).
Pseu"do*graph (?), n. [See
Pseudography.] A false writing; a spurious document; a
forgery.
Pseu*dog"ra*phy (?), n. [Gr. &?;;
pseydh`s false + &?; to write.] False writing;
forgery.
||Pseu`do*hal"ter (?), n.; pl.
Pseudohalteres (#). [NL. See Pseudo-, and
Halteres.] (Zoöl.) One of the rudimentary
front wings of certain insects (Stylops). They resemble the
halteres, or rudimentary hind wings, of Diptera.
Pseu"do-heart` (?), n. [Pseudo- +
heart.] (Zoöl.) Any contractile vessel of
invertebrates which is not of the nature of a real heart, especially
one of those pertaining to the excretory system.
Pseu`do-hy`per*thoph"ic (?), a.
[Pseudo- + hypertrophic.] (Med.) Falsely
hypertrophic; as, pseudo-hypertrophic paralysis, a variety of
paralysis in which the muscles are apparently enlarged, but are really
degenerated and replaced by fat.
Pseu*dol"o*gist (?), n. [Gr. &?;.]
One who utters falsehoods; a liar.
Pseu*dol"o*gy (?), n. [Gr. &?;;
pseydh`s false + &?; speech: cf. F. pseudologie.]
Falsehood of speech. Arbuthnot.
Pseu`do-me*tal"lic (?), a. [Pseudo-
+ metallic.] Falsely or imperfectly metallic; -- said
of a kind of luster, as in minerals.
Pseu`do-mon`o*cot`y*led"on*ous (?), a.
[Pseudo- + monocotyledonous.] (Bot.) Having
two coalescent cotyledons, as the live oak and the horse-
chestnut.
Pseu"do*morph (?), n. [See
Pseudomorphous.] 1. An irregular or
deceptive form.
2. (Crystallog.) A pseudomorphous
crystal, as a crystal consisting of quartz, but having the cubic form
of fluor spar, the fluor crystal having been changed to quartz by a
process of substitution.
Pseu`do*mor"phism (?), n.
(Crystallog.) The state of having, or the property of
taking, a crystalline form unlike that which belongs to the
species.
Pseu`do*mor"phous (?), a. [Gr. &?;;
pseydh`s false + &?; form: cf. F. pseudomorphe.]
Not having the true form.
Pseudomorphous crystal, one which has a form
that does not result from its own powers of crystallization.
||Pseu`do*nav`i*cel"la (?), n.;
pl. Pseudonavicullæ (#). [NL.]
(Zoöl.) Same as Pseudonavicula.
||Pseu`do*na*vic"u*la (?), n.;
pl. Pseudonaviculæ (#). [NL., fr. Gr.
pseydh`s false + NL. navicula, a genus of diatoms.
See Navicular.] (Zoöl.) One of the minute
spindle-shaped embryos of Gregarinæ and some other
Protozoa.
||Pseu`do*neu*rop"te*ra (?), n. pl. [NL.
See Pseudo-, and Neuroptera.] (Zoöl.)
division of insects (Zoöl.) reticulated wings, as in
the Neuroptera, but having an active pupa state. It includes the
dragon flies, May flies, white ants, etc. By some zoölogists they
are classed with the Orthoptera; by others, with the
Neuroptera.
Pseu`do*neu*rop"ter*ous (?), a.
(Zool.) Of or pertaining to the
Pseudoneuroptera.
Pseu"do*nym (?), n. [Cf. F.
pseudonyme. See Pseudonymous.] A fictitious name
assumed for the time, as by an author; a pen name. [Written also
pseudonyme.]
Pseu`do*nym"i*ty (?), n. The using
of fictitious names, as by authors.
Pseu*don"y*mous (?), a. [Gr. &?;;
pseydh`s false + &?;, &?;, a name: cf. F.
pseudonyme. See Pseudo-, and Name.] Bearing
a false or fictitious name; as, a pseudonymous work. --
Pseu*don"y*mous*ly, adv. --
Pseu*don"y*mous*ness, n.
Pseu`do-pe*rip"ter*al (?), a.
[Pseudo- + peripteral: cf. F.
pseudopériptère.] (Arch.) Falsely or
imperfectly peripteral, as a temple having the columns at the sides
attached to the walls, and an ambulatory only at the ends or only at
one end. -- n. A pseudo-peripteral
temple. Oxf. Gloss.
||Pseu"do*pod (?), n. [Pseudo- +
-pod.] 1. (Biol.) Any protoplasmic
filament or irregular process projecting from any unicellular
organism, or from any animal or plant call.
2. (Zoöl.) A rhizopod.
Pseu`do*po"di*al (?), a. Of or
pertaining to a pseudopod, or to pseudopodia. See Illust. of
Heliozoa.
||Pseu`do*po"di*um (?), n.; pl.
Pseudopodia (&?;). [NL.] Same as
Pseudopod.
||Pseu`do*pu"pa (?), n.; pl. L.
Pseudopupæ (#), E.
Pseudopupas (#). [NL. See Pseudo-, and
Pupa.] (Zoöl.) A stage intermediate between
the larva and pupa of bees and certain other hymenopterous
insects.
Pseu`do*rhab"dite (?), n. [Pseudo-
+ Gr. &?; a rod.] (Zoöl.) One of the peculiar
rodlike corpuscles found in the integument of certain Turbellaria.
They are filled with a soft granular substance.
Pseu`do-ro*man"tic (?), a. Pseudo-
+ romantic.] Falsely romantic.
The false taste, the pseudo-romantic
rage.
De Quincey.
Pseu"do*scope (?), n. [Pseudo- +
-scope.] (Opt.) An instrument which exhibits
objects with their proper relief reversed; -- an effect opposite to
that produced by the stereoscope. Wheatstone.
Pseu`do*scop"ic (?), a. (Opt.)
Of, pertaining to, or formed by, a pseudoscope; having its parts
appearing with the relief reversed; as, a pseudoscopic
image.
||Pseu`do*scor`pi*o"nes (?), n. pl. [NL.
See Pseudo-, and Scorpion.] (Zoöl.) An
order of Arachnoidea having the palpi terminated by large claws, as in
the scorpions, but destitute of a caudal sting; the false scorpions.
Called also Pseudoscorpii, and Pseudoscorpionina. See
Illust. of Book scorpion, under Book.
Pseu"do*sphere` (?), n. [Pseudo-
+ sphere.] (Geom.) The surface of constant negative
curvature generated by the revolution of a tractrix. This surface
corresponds in non-Euclidian space to the sphere in ordinary space. An
important property of the surface is that any figure drawn upon it can
be displaced in any way without tearing it or altering in size any of
its elements.
Pseu"do*spore` (?), n. [Pseudo-
+ spore.] (Bot.)A peculiar reproductive cell found
in some fungi.
||Pseu`do*stel"la (?), n.; pl.
-læ. [NL., fr. Gr. pseydh`s false +
L. stella star.] (Astron.) Any starlike meteor or
phenomenon. [R.]
||Pseu*dos"to*ma (?), n.; pl.
Pseudostomata (#). [NL. See Pseudo-, and
Stoma.] (Anat.) A group of cells resembling a
stoma, but without any true aperture among them.
Pseu`do-sym*met"ric (?), a.
(Crystallog.) Exhibiting pseudo-symmetry.
Pseu`do-sym"me*try (?), n. [Pseudo-
+ symmetry.] (Crystallog.) A kind of symmetry
characteristic of certain crystals which from twinning, or other
causes, come to resemble forms of a system other than that to which
they belong, as the apparently hexagonal prisms of
aragonite.
||Pseu`do*te*tram"e*ra (?), n. pl. [NL.
See Pseudo-, and Tetramerous.] (Zoöl.)
A division of beetles having the fifth tarsal joint minute and
obscure, so that there appear to be but four joints. --
Pseu`do*te*tram"er*al (#), a.
||Pseu`do*tin"e*a (&?;), n.; pl.
Pseudotineæ (#). [NL. See Pseudo-, and
Tinea.] (Zoöl.) The bee moth, or wax moth
(Galleria).
Pseu`do*tur"bi*nal (?), a. [Pseudo-
+ turbinal.] (Anat.) See under
Turbinal.
Pseu*do"va*ry (?), n.; pl.
Pseudovaries (#). [Pseudo- + ovary.]
(Zoöl.) The organ in which pseudova are produced; --
called also pseudovarium.
||Pseu*do"vum (?), n.; pl.
Pseudova (#). [NL. See Pseudo-, and
Ovum.] (Zoöl.) An egglike germ produced by the
agamic females of some insects and other animals, and by the
larvæ of certain insects. It is capable of development without
fertilization. See Illust. of
Pædogenesis.
Pshaw (?), interj. [Of imitative
origin.] Pish! pooch! -- an exclamation used as an expression of
contempt, disdain, dislike, etc. [Written also psha.]
Pshaw (?), v. i. To express disgust
or contemptuous disapprobation, as by the exclamation "
Pshaw!"
The goodman used regularly to frown and pshaw
wherever this topic was touched upon.
Sir W.
Scott.
Psi`lan*throp"ic (?), a. [see
Psilanthropist.] Pertaining to, or embodying,
psilanthropy. "A psilanthropic explanation."
Coleridge.
Psi*lan"thro*pism (?), n.
Psilanthropy.
Psi*lan"thro*pist (?), n. [Gr. &?; bare,
mere + &?; a man.] One who believes that Christ was a mere
man. Smart.
Psi*lan"thro*py (?), n. The
doctrine of the merely human existence of Christ.
Psi*lol"o*gy (?), n. [Gr &?; mere + -
logy.] Love of empty of empty talk or noise.
Coleridge.
Psi*lom"e*lane (?), n. [Gr. &?; bare +
&?;, &?;, black.] (Min.) A hydrous oxide of manganese,
occurring in smooth, botryoidal forms, and massive, and having an
iron-black or steel-gray color.
||Psi`lo*pæ"des (?), n. pl. [NL.,
from Gr.&?; bare + &?;, &?;, offspring.] (Zoöl.)
birds whose young at first have down on the pterylæ only; -
- called also Gymnopædes.
Psi`lo*pæd"ic (?), a.
(Zoöl.) Having down upon the pterylæ only; --
said of the young of certain birds.
Psi*los"o*pher, n. [Gr. &?; bare, mere +
&?; wise.] A superficial or narrow pretender to philosophy; a
sham philosopher.
{ Psit*ta"ceous (?), Psit"ta*cid (?), }
a. [L. psittacus a parrot, Gr. &?;: cf. F.
psittacide.] (Zoöl.) Of or pertaining to the
parrots, or the Psittaci. -- n. One of
the Psittaci.
||Psit"ta*ci (?), n. pl. [NL.]
(Zoöl.) The order of birds which comprises the
parrots.
Psit`ta-co-ful"*vine (?), n. [Gr. &?; a
parrot + L. fulvus yellow.] A yellow pigment found in the
feathers of certain parrots.
Pso"as (?), n. [Gr. &?; a muscle of the
loin: cf. f. psoas.] (Anat.) An internal muscle
arising from the lumbar vertebræ and inserted into the femur. In
man there are usually two on each side, and the larger one, or great
psoas, forms a part of the iliopsoas.
||Pso"ra (?), n. [L., fr. Gr. &?;.]
(Med.) A cutaneous disease; especially, the
itch.
||Pso*ri"a*sis (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr.
&?;, fr. &?; psora.] (Med.) (a) The state
of being affected with psora. [Obs.] (b) A
cutaneous disease, characterized by imbricated silvery scales,
affecting only the superficial layers of the skin.
Pso"ric (?), a. [L. psoricus, Gr.
&?;: cf. F. psorique.] (Med.) Of or pertaining to
psora.
Pso"ro*sperm (?), n. [Gr. &?; itching +
&?; seed.] (Zoöl.) A minute parasite, usually the
young of Gregarinæ, in the pseudonavicula stage.
Psy`cha*gog"ic (?), a. [Gr. &?;. See
Psychagogue.] Attractive; persuasive. J.
Morley.
Psy"cha*gogue (?), n. [Gr.&?;; &?; the
soul + &?; to lead.] A necromancer. [R.]
Psy"chal (?), a. [See Psychical.]
Of or pertaining to the soul; psychical. Bayne.
Psy"che (?), n. [L., fr. Gr.
PSychh` Psyche, fr. psychh` the soul.]
1. (Class Myth.) A lovely maiden, daughter
of a king and mistress of Eros, or Cupid. She is regarded as the
personification of the soul.
2. The soul; the vital principle; the
mind.
3. [F. psyché.] A cheval
glass.
Psy"chi*an (?), n. (Zoöl.)
Any small moth of the genus Psyche and allied genera
(family Psychidæ). The larvæ are called basket
worms. See Basket worm, under Basket.
{ ||Psy*chi`a*tri"a (?), Psy*chi"a*try (?), }
n. [NL. psychiatria, fr. Gr. &?; the mind +
&?; healing.] (Med.) The application of the healing art to
mental diseases. Dunglison.
Psy`chi*at"ric (?), a. (Med.)
Of or pertaining to psychiatria.
{ Psy"chic (?), Psy"chic*al (?), }
a. [L. psychicus, Gr. &?;, fr.
psychh` the soul, mind; cf. &?; to blow: cf. F.
psychique.] 1. Of or pertaining to the
human soul, or to the living principle in man.
&fist; This term was formerly used to express the same idea as
psychological. Recent metaphysicians, however, have employed it
to mark the difference between psychh` the living principle
in man, and pney^ma the rational or spiritual part of his
nature. In this use, the word describes the human soul in its relation
to sense, appetite, and the outer visible world, as distinguished from
spiritual or rational faculties, which have to do with the
supersensible world.
Heyse.
2. Of or pertaining to the mind, or its
functions and diseases; mental; -- contrasted with
physical.
Psychical blindness, Psychical
deafness (Med.), forms of nervous disease in
which, while the senses of sight and hearing remain unimpaired, the
mind fails to appreciate the significance of the sounds heard or the
images seen. -- Psychical contagion, the
transference of disease, especially of a functional nervous disease,
by mere force of example. -- Psychical
medicine, that department of medicine which treats of
mental diseases.
Psy"chics (?), n.
Psychology.
Psy"chism (?), n. [Cf. F.
psychisme.] (Philos.) The doctrine of Quesne, that
there is a fluid universally diffused, end equally animating all
living beings, the difference in their actions being due to the
difference of the individual organizations. Fleming.
Psy"cho- (?). A combining form from Gr.
psychh` the soul, the mind, the
understanding; as, psychology.
Psy`cho*gen"e*sis (?), n. Genesis
through an internal force, as opposed to natural
selection.
Psy*chog"ra*phy (?), n. [Psycho-
+ -graphy.] 1. A description of the
phenomena of mind.
2. (Spiritualism) Spirit
writing.
{ Psy`cho*log"ic (?), Psy`cho*log"ic*al (?), }
a. [Cf. F. psychologique.] Of or
pertaining to psychology. See Note under Psychic. --
Psy`cho*log"ic*al*ly, adv.
Psy*chol"o*gist (?), n. [Cf. F.
psychologiste.] One who is versed in, devoted to,
psychology.
Psy"cho*logue (?), n. A
psychologist.
Psy*chol"o*gy (?), n. pl.
Psychologies (&?;). [Psycho- + -logy:
cf. F. psychologie. See Psychical.] The science of
the human soul; specifically, the systematic or scientific knowledge
of the powers and functions of the human soul, so far as they are
known by consciousness; a treatise on the human soul.
Psychology, the science conversant about the
phenomena of the mind, or conscious subject, or self.
Sir W. Hamilton.
Psy*chom"a*chy (?), n. [L.
psychomachia, fr. Gr. psychh` the soul + &?; fight:
cf. &?; desperate fighting.] A conflict of the soul with the
body.
Psy"cho*man`cy (?), n. [Psycho- +
-mancy: cf. F. psychomancie.] Necromancy.
Psy*chom"e*try (?), n. [Psycho- +
-metry.] (Physiol.) The art of measuring the
duration of mental processes, or of determining the time relations of
mental phenomena. -- Psy`cho*met"ric (#),
a.
Psy`cho-mo"tor (?), a. [Psycho- +
motor.] Of or pertaining to movement produced by action of
the mind or will.
Psy"cho*pan"ny*chism (?), n. [Psycho-
+ Gr. &?; to spend all night long; &?;, &?;, all + &?; night.]
(Theol.) The doctrine that the soul falls asleep at death,
and does not wake until the resurrection of the body. --
Psy`cho*pan"ny*chism (#), n.
Psy*chop"a*thy (?), n. [Psycho- +
Gr. &?;, &?;.] (Med.) Mental disease. See
Psychosis, 2. -- Psy`cho*path"ic,
a. -- Psy*chop"a*thist,
n.
Psy`cho*phys"ic*al (?), a. Of or
pertaining to psychophysics; involving the action or mutual relations
of the psychical and physical in man.
Psychophysical time (Physiol.), the
time required for the mind to transform a sensory impression into a
motor impulse. It is an important part of physiological or
reaction time. See under Reaction.
Psy`cho*phys"ics (?), n. [Psycho-
+ physics.] The science of the connection between nerve
action and consciousness; the science which treats of the relations of
the psychical and physical in their conjoint operation in man; the
doctrine of the relation of function or dependence between body and
soul.
Psy"cho*pomp (?), n. [Gr. &?;;
psychh` the soul + &?; to send: cf. F. psychopompe.]
(Myth.) A leader or guide of souls . J.
Fiske.
Psy*cho"sis (?), n. [NL. See Psycho-
.]
1. Any vital action or activity.
Mivart.
2. (Med.) A disease of the mind;
especially, a functional mental disorder, that is, one unattended with
evident organic changes.
Psy`cho*zo"ic (?), a. [Psycho- +
Gr. &?; life.] (Geol.)Designating, or applied to the Era
of man; as, the psychozoic era.
Psy*chrom"e*ter (?), n. [Gr.
psychro`s cold + -meter: cf. F.
psychromètre.] An instrument for measuring the
tension of the aqueous vapor in the atmosphere, being essentially a
wet and dry bulb hygrometer.
Psy`chro*met"ric*al (?), a. Of or
pertaining to the psychrometer or psychrometry.
Psy*chrom"e*try (?), n.
Hygrometry.
||Psyl"la (?), n.; pl.
Psyllæ (#). [NL., from Gr. &?; a flea.]
(Zoöl.) Any leaping plant louse of the genus
Psylla, or family Psyllidæ.
Ptar"mi*gan (?), n. [Gael.
tarmachan; cf. Ir. tarmochan, tarmonach.]
(Zoöl.) Any grouse of the genus Lagopus, of
which numerous species are known. The feet are completely feathered.
Most of the species are brown in summer, but turn white, or nearly
white, in winter.
&fist; They chiefly inhabit the northern countries and high
mountains of Europe, Asia, and America. The common European species is
Lagopus mutus. The Scotch grouse, red grouse, or moor fowl
(L. Scoticus), is reddish brown, and does not turn white in
winter. The white, or willow, ptarmigan (L. albus) is found in
both Europe and America.
||Pte`no*glos"sa (?), n. pl. [NL., fr.
Gr.&?; feathered + &?; tongue.] (Zoöl.) A division of
gastropod mollusks having the teeth of the radula arranged in long
transverse rows, somewhat like the barbs of a feather.
Pte`no*glos"sate (?), a.
(Zoöl.) Of or pertaining to the
Ptenoglossa.
Pte*ran"o*don (?), n. [Gr. &?; wing +
&?; priv. + &?;, &?;, a tooth.] (Paleon.) A genus of
American Cretaceous pterodactyls destitute of teeth. Several species
are known, some of which had an expanse of wings of twenty feet or
more.
||Pte*ran`o*don"ti*a (?), n. pl. [NL.]
(Paleon.) A group of pterodactyls destitute of teeth, as
in the genus Pteranodon.
||Pte*rich"thys (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr.
&?; wing + &?; fish.] (Paleon.) A genus of Devonian fossil
fishes with winglike appendages. The head and most of the body were
covered with large bony plates. See Placodermi.
Pter`i*dol"o*gist (?), n. One who
is versed in pteridology.
Pter`i*dol"o*gy (?), n. [Gr. &?;, &?;, a
fern + -logy.] That department of botany which treats of
ferns.
Pter`i*do*ma"ni*a (?), n. [Gr. &?;, &?;,
a fern + E. mania.] A madness, craze, or strong fancy, for
ferns. [R.] C. Kingsley.
||Pter`i*doph"y*ta (?), n. pl. [NL.,
from Gr. &?;, &?;, a fern + &?; a plant.] (Bot.) A class
of flowerless plants, embracing ferns, horsetails, club mosses,
quillworts, and other like plants. See the Note under
Cryptogamia. -- Pter"i*do*phyte` (#),
n.
&fist; This is a modern term, devised to replace the older ones
acrogens and vascular Cryptogamia.
||Pter`o*bran"chi*a (?), n. pl. [NL.,
fr. Gr. &?; a wing + &?; &?;.] (Zoöl.) An order of
marine Bryozoa, having a bilobed lophophore and an axial cord. The
genus Rhabdopleura is the type. Called also Podostomata. See
Rhabdopleura.
||Pte*roc"e*ras (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr.
&?; a wing + &?; a horn.] (Zoöl.) A genus of large
marine gastropods having the outer border of the lip divided into
lobes; -- called also scorpion shell.
||Pter`o*cle"tes (?), n. pl. [NL., fr
Pterocles, the typical genus, fr. Gr. &?; feather + &?;, &?;, a
key, tongue of a clasp.] (Zoöl.) A division of birds
including the sand grouse. They are in some respects intermediate
between the pigeons and true grouse. Called also
Pteroclomorphæ.
Pter`o*dac"tyl (?), n. [Gr. &?; a wing +
&?; finger, toe: cf. F. ptérodactyle.] (Paleon.)
An extinct flying reptile; one of the Pterosauria. See
Illustration in Appendix.
||Pter`o*dac"ty*li (?), n. pl. [NL.]
(Paleon.) Same as Pterosauria.
Pter`o*glos"sal (?), a. [Gr. &?; a
feather + &?; tongue.] (Zoöl.) Having the tongue
finely notched along the sides, so as to have a featherlike
appearance, as the toucans.
Pte"ron (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?; a
wing.] (Anat.) The region of the skull, in the temporal
fossa back of the orbit, where the great wing of the sphenoid, the
temporal, the parietal, and the frontal hones approach each
other.
||Pter`o*pap"pi (?), n. pl. [NL., from
Gr. &?; a feather, a bird + &?; a grandfather.] (Zool.)
Same as Odontotormæ.
Pter"o*phore (?), n. [Gr. &?; a feather
+ &?; to bear.] (Zoöl.) Any moth of the genus
Pterophorus and allied genera; a plume moth. See Plume
moth, under Plume.
Pter"o*pod (?), n. [Gr. &?; wing-footed;
&?; a feather, wing + &?;, &?;, foot: cf. F. ptéropode.]
(Zoöl.) One of the Pteropoda.
||Pte*rop"o*da (?), n. pl. [NL.]
(Zoöl.) A class of Mollusca in which the anterior
lobes of the foot are developed in the form of broad, thin, winglike
organs, with which they swim at near the surface of the sea.
&fist; The Pteropoda are divided into two orders:
Cymnosomata, which have the body entirely naked and the head
distinct from the wings; and Thecosomata, which have a delicate
transparent shell of various forms, and the head not distinct from the
wings.
Pte*rop"o*dous (?), a.
(Zoöl.) Of or pertaining to the Pteropoda.
Pter"o*saur (?), n. [Gr. &?; wind + &?;
a lizard.] (Paleon.) A pterodactyl.
||Pter`o*sau"ri*a (?), n. pl. [NL.]
(Paleon.) An extinct order of flying reptiles of the
Mesozoic age; the pterodactyls; -- called also Pterodactyli,
and Ornithosauria.
&fist; The wings were formed, like those of bats, by a leathery
expansion of the skin, principally supported by the greatly enlarged
outer or " little" fingers of the hands. The American Cretaceous
pterodactyls had no teeth. See Pteranodontia, and
Pterodactyl.
Pter`o*sau"ri*an (?), a.
(Paleon.) Of or pertaining to the Pterosauria.
||Pter`o*stig"ma (?), n.; pl.
Pterostigmata (#). [NL., fr. Gr. &?; wing + &?;,
&?;, a mark.] (Zoöl.) A thickened opaque spot on the
wings of certain insects.
Pte*ro"tic (?), a. [Gr. &?; wing + &?;,
&?;, ear.] (Anat.) Of or pertaining to, or designating, a
bone between the proötic and epiotic in the dorsal and outer part
of the periotic capsule of many fishes. -- n.
The pterotic bone.
&fist; The pterotic bone is so called because fancied in
some cases to resemble in form a bird's wing
||Pte*ryg"i*um (?), n.; pl. E.
Pterygiums (#), L. Pterygia (#).
[NL., fr. Gr. &?;, properly a dim, akin to &?; a feather.]
(Med.) A superficial growth of vascular tissue radiating
in a fanlike manner from the cornea over the surface of the
eye.
Pter"y*goid (?), a. [Gr. &?;, &?;, a
wing + -oid.] (Anat.) (a) Like a
bird's wing in form; as, a pterygoid bone.
(b) Of, pertaining to, or in the region of, the
pterygoid bones, pterygoid processes, or the whole sphenoid
bone. -- n. A pterygoid bone.
Pterygoid bone (Anat.), a bone which
corresponds to the inner plate of the pterygoid process of the human
skull, but which, in all vertebrates below mammals, is not connected
with the posterior nares, but serves to connect the palatine bones
with the point of suspension of the lower jaw. --
Pterygoid process (Anat.), a process
projecting downward from either side of the sphenoid bone, in man
divided into two plates, an inner and an outer. The posterior nares
pass through the space, called the pterygoid fossa, between the
processes.
Pter`y*go*max"il*la*ry (?), a.
[Pterygoid + maxillary.] (Anat.) Of or
pertaining to the inner pterygoid plate, or pterygoid bone, and the
lower jaw.
Pter`y*go*pal"a*tine (?), a.
[Pterygoid + palatine.] (Anat.) Of or
pertaining to the pterygoid processes and the palatine
bones.
||Pter`y*go*po"di*um (?), n.; pl.
Pterygopodia (#). [NL., fr. Gr. &?;, &?;, a fin +
&?;, dim. of &?;, &?;, a foot.] (Anat.) A specially
modified part of the ventral fin in male elasmobranchs, which serves
as a copulatory organ, or clasper.
Pter`y*go*quad"rate (?), a.
[Pterygoid + quadrate.] (Anat.) Of,
pertaining to, or representing the pterygoid and quadrate bones or
cartilages.
||Pte*ry"la (?), n.; pl.
Pterylæ (#). [NL., fr. Gr. &?; feather + &?;
wood, forest.] (Zoöl.) One of the definite areas of
the skin of a bird on which feathers grow; -- contrasted with
apteria.
Pter`y*log"ra*phy (?), n.
[Pteryla + -graphy.] (Zoöl.) The study
or description of the arrangement of feathers, or of the
pterylæ, of birds.
||Pter`y*lo"sis (?), n. [NL., fr. NL. &
E. pteryla.] (Zoöl.) The arrangement of
feathers in definite areas.
Ptil"o*cerque (?), n. [Gr. &?; a feather
+ &?; tail.] (Zool.) The pentail.
||Ptil`o*pæ"des (?), n. pl. [NL.,
fr. Gr. &?; a feather + &?;, &?;, offspring.] (Zoöl.)
Same as Dasypædes.
Ptil`o*pæd"ic (?), a.
(Zoöl.) Having nearly the whole surface of the skin
covered with down; dasypædic; -- said of the young of certain
birds.
||Pti*lop"te*ri (?), n. pl. [NL., fr.
Gr. &?; a downy feather + &?; wing.] (Zoöl.) An order
of birds including only the penguins.
||Pti*lo"sis (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr &?; a
feather.] (Zoöl.) Same as
Pterylosis.
Ptis"an (?), n. [L. ptisana
peeled barley, barley water, Gr. &?;, from &?; to peel, husk; cf. F.
ptisane, tisane.] 1. A decoction of
barley with other ingredients; a farinaceous drink.
2. (Med.) An aqueous medicine,
containing little, if any, medicinal agent; a tea or tisane.
Ptol`e*ma"ic (?), a. Of or
pertaining to Ptolemy, the geographer and astronomer.
Ptolemaic system (Astron.), the system
maintained by Ptolemy, who supposed the earth to be fixed in the
center of the universe, with the sun and stars revolving around it.
This theory was received for ages, until superseded by the Copernican
system.
Ptol"e*ma`ist (?), n. One who
accepts the astronomical system of Ptolemy.
Pto"ma*ine (?), n. [From Gr. &?; a dead
body.] (Physiol. Chem.) One of a class of animal bases or
alkaloids formed in the putrefaction of various kinds of albuminous
matter, and closely related to the vegetable alkaloids; a cadaveric
poison. The ptomaines, as a class, have their origin in dead matter,
by which they are to be distinguished from the
leucomaines.
||Pto"sis (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?; a
falling.] (Med.) Drooping of the upper eyelid, produced by
paralysis of its levator muscle.
Pty"a*lin (?), n. [Gr. &?; spittle. See
Ptyalism.] (Physiol. Chem.) An unorganized
amylolytic ferment, on enzyme, present in human mixed saliva and in
the saliva of some animals.
Pty"a*lism (?), n. [Gr. &?;, fr. &?; to
spit much, fr. &?; spittle, fr. &?; to spit: cf. F. ptyalisme.]
Salivation, or an excessive flow of saliva.
Quain.
Pty*al"o*gogue (?), n. [Gr. &?; spittle
+ &?; driving.] (Med.) A ptysmagogue.
Ptys"ma*gogue (?), n. [Gr. &?; spittle +
&?; driving: cf. F. ptysmagogue.] (Med.) A medicine
that promotes the discharge of saliva.
||Ptyx"is (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?; a
folding.] (Bot.) The way in which a leaf is sometimes
folded in the bud.
Pub"ble (?), a. [Perhaps fr.
bubble.] Puffed out, pursy; pudgy; fat. [Obs.]
Drant.
Pu"ber*al (?), a. [From L. puber,
pubes, grown up, adult.] Of or pertaining to
puberty.
Pu"ber*ty (?), n. [L. pubertas,
fr. puber, pubes, adult: cf. F. puberté.]
1. The earliest age at which persons are capable
of begetting or bearing children, usually considered, in temperate
climates, to be about fourteen years in males and twelve in
females.
2. (Bot.) The period when a plant first
bears flowers.
Pu*ber"u*lent (?), a. [See
Pubis.] (Bot.) Very minutely downy.
Pu"bes (?), n. [L., the hair which
appears on the body at puberty, from pubes adult.]
1. (Anat.) (a) The hair
which appears upon the lower part of the hypogastric region at the age
of puberty. (b) Hence (as more commonly
used), the lower part of the hypogastric region; the pubic
region.
2. (Bot.) The down of plants; a downy
or villous substance which grows on plants; pubescence.
Pu*bes"cence (?), n. [Cf. F.
pubescence.] 1. The quality or state of
being pubescent, or of having arrived at puberty. Sir T.
Browne.
2. A covering of soft short hairs, or down, as
one some plants and insects; also, the state of being so
covered.
Pu*bes"cen*cy (?), n.
Pubescence.
Pu*bes"cent (?), a. [L.
pubescens, -entis, p. pr. of pubescere to reach
puberty, to grow hairy or mossy, fr. pubes pubes: cf. F.
pubescent.] 1. Arrived at
puberty.
That . . . the men (are) pubescent at the age of
twice seven, is accounted a punctual truth.
Sir T.
Browne.
2. Covered with pubescence, or fine short
hairs, as certain insects, and the leaves of some plants.
Pu"bic (?), a. (Anat.) Of or
pertaining to the pubes; in the region of the pubes; as, the
pubic bone; the pubic region, or the lower part of the
hypogastric region. See Pubes. (b)
Of or pertaining to the pubis.
||Pu"bis (?), n. [NL. See Pubes.]
(Anat.) The ventral and anterior of the three principal
bones composing either half of the pelvis; sharebone; pubic
bone.
Pub"lic (?), a. [L. publicus,
poblicus, fr. populus people: cf. F. public. See
People.] 1. Of or pertaining to the
people; belonging to the people; relating to, or affecting, a nation,
state, or community; -- opposed to private; as, the
public treasury.
To the public good
Private respects must yield.
Milton.
He [Alexander Hamilton] touched the dead corpse of the
public credit, and it sprung upon its feet.
D.
Webster.
2. Open to the knowledge or view of all;
general; common; notorious; as, public report; public
scandal.
Joseph, . . . not willing to make her a public
example, was minded to put her away privily.
Matt. i.
19.
3. Open to common or general use; as, a
public road; a public house. "The public
street." Shak.
Public act or statute
(Law), an act or statute affecting matters of public
concern. Of such statutes the courts take judicial notice. --
Public credit. See under Credit. --
Public funds. See Fund, 3. --
Public house, an inn, or house of
entertainment. -- Public law.
(a) See International law, under
International. (b) A public act or
statute. -- Public nuisance. (Law)
See under Nuisance. -- Public
orator. (Eng. Universities) See Orator,
3. -- Public stores, military and naval
stores, equipments, etc. -- Public works,
all fixed works built by civil engineers for public use, as
railways, docks, canals, etc.; but strictly, military and civil
engineering works constructed at the public cost.
Pub"lic, n. 1. The
general body of mankind, or of a nation, state, or community; the
people, indefinitely; as, the American public; also, a
particular body or aggregation of people; as, an author's
public.
The public is more disposed to censure than to
praise.
Addison.
2. A public house; an inn. [Scot.]
Sir W. Scott.
In public, openly; before an audience or the
people at large; not in private or secrecy. "We are to speak
in public." Shak.
Pub"li*can (?), n. [L.
publicanus: cf. F. publicain. See Public.]
1. (Rom. Antiq.) A farmer of the taxes and
public revenues; hence, a collector of toll or tribute. The inferior
officers of this class were often oppressive in their exactions, and
were regarded with great detestation.
As Jesus at meat . . . many publicans and
sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.
Matt. 1x. 10.
How like a fawning publican he
looks!
Shak.
2. The keeper of an inn or public house; one
licensed to retail beer, spirits, or wine.
Pub`li*ca"tion (?), n. [L.
publicatio confiscation: cf. F. publication. See
Publish.] 1. The act of publishing or
making known; notification to the people at large, either by words,
writing, or printing; proclamation; divulgation; promulgation; as, the
publication of the law at Mount Sinai; the publication
of the gospel; the publication of statutes or edicts.
2. The act of offering a book, pamphlet,
engraving, etc., to the public by sale or by gratuitous
distribution.
The publication of these papers was not owing to
our folly, but that of others.
Swift.
3. That which is published or made known;
especially, any book, pamphlet, etc., offered for sale or to public
notice; as, a daily or monthly publication.
4. An act done in public. [R. &
Obs.]
His jealousy . . . attends the business, the
recreations, the publications, and retirements of every
man.
Jer. Taylor.
Publication of a libel (Law), such an
exhibition of a libel as brings it to the notice of at least one
person other than the person libeled. -- Publication of a
will (Law), the delivery of a will, as his own,
by a testator to witnesses who attest it.
Pub"lic-heart`ed (?), a. Public-
spirited. [R.]
Pub"li*cist (?), n. [Cf. F.
publiciste.] A writer on the laws of nature and nations;
one who is versed in the science of public right, the principles of
government, etc.
The Whig leaders, however, were much more desirous to
get rid of Episcopacy than to prove themselves consummate
publicists and logicians.
Macaulay.
Pub*lic"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F.
publicité.] The quality or state of being public,
or open to the knowledge of a community; notoriety;
publicness.
Pub"lic*ly (?), adv. 1.
With exposure to popular view or notice; without concealment;
openly; as, property publicly offered for sale; an opinion
publicly avowed; a declaration publicly made.
2. In the name of the community.
Addison.
Pub"lic-mind`ed (?), a. Public-
spirited. -- Pub"lic-mind`ed*ness,
n.
Pub"lic*ness, n. 1.
The quality or state of being public, or open to the view or
notice of people at large; publicity; notoriety; as, the
publicness of a sale.
2. The quality or state of belonging to the
community; as, the publicness of property.
Boyle.
Pub"lic-spir`it*ed (?), a.
1. Having, or exercising, a disposition to
advance the interest of the community or public; as, public-
spirited men.
2. Dictated by a regard to public good; as, a
public-spirited project or measure. Addison.
-- Pub"lic-spir`it*ed*ly, adv. --
Pub"lic-spir`it*ed*ness, n.
Pub"lish (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Published (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Publishing.] [F. publier, L. publicare,
publicatum. See Public, and -ish.]
1. To make public; to make known to mankind, or
to people in general; to divulge, as a private transaction; to
promulgate or proclaim, as a law or an edict.
Published was the bounty of her
name.
Chaucer.
The unwearied sun, from day to day,
Does his Creator's power display,
And publishes to every land
The work of an almighty hand.
Addison.
2. To make known by posting, or by reading in
a church; as, to publish banns of marriage.
3. To send forth, as a book, newspaper,
musical piece, or other printed work, either for sale or for general
distribution; to print, and issue from the press.
4. To utter, or put into circulation; as, to
publish counterfeit paper. [U.S.]
To publish a will (Law), to
acknowledge it before the witnesses as the testator's last will and
testament.
Syn. -- To announce; proclaim; advertise; declare;
promulgate; disclose; divulge; reveal. See Announce.
Pub"lish*a*ble (?), a. Capable of
being published; suitable for publication.
Pub"lish*er (?), n. One who
publishes; as, a publisher of a book or magazine.
For love of you, not hate unto my friend,
Hath made me publisher of this pretense.
Shak.
Pub"lish*ment (?), n. 1.
The act or process of making publicly known;
publication.
2. A public notice of intended marriage,
required by the laws of some States. [U.S.]
Puc*coon" (?), n. [From the American
Indian name.] (Bot.) Any one of several plants yielding a
red pigment which is used by the North American Indians, as the
bloodroot and two species of Lithospermum (L. hirtum,
and L. canescens); also, the pigment itself.
Puce (?), a. [F., fr. puce a
flea, L. pulex, pulicis.] Of a dark brown or
brownish purple color.
Pu"cel (?), n. See
Pucelle. [Obs.]
Pu"cel*age (?; 48), n. [F.]
Virginity. [R.]
||Pu*celle" (?), n. [F., fr. LL.
pulicella, fr. L. pullus a young animal. See
Pullet.] A maid; a virgin. [Written also
pucel.] [Obs.]
Lady or pucelle, that wears mask or
fan.
B. Jonson.
La Pucelle, the Maid of Orleans, Joan of
Arc.
Pu"ce*ron (?), n. [F., from puce
a flea. See Puce.] (Zoöl.) Any plant louse, or
aphis.
Pu"cher*ite (?), n. [So named from the
Pucher Mine, in Saxony.] (Min.) Vanadate of
bismuth, occurring in minute reddish brown crystals.
Puck (?), n. [OE. pouke; cf. OSw.
puke, Icel. pūki an evil demon, W. pwca a
hobgoblin. Cf. Poker a bugbear, Pug.]
1. (Mediæval Myth.) A celebrated
fairy, "the merry wanderer of the night;" -- called also Robin
Goodfellow, Friar Rush, Pug, etc.
Shak.
He meeteth Puck, whom most men call
Hobgoblin, and on him doth fall.
Drayton.
2. (Zoöl.) The goatsucker.
[Prov. Eng.]
Puck"ball` (?), n. [Puck +
ball.] A puffball.
Puck"er (?), v. t. & i. [imp. &
p. p. Puckered (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Puckering.] [From Poke a pocket, small bag.] To
gather into small folds or wrinkles; to contract into ridges and
furrows; to corrugate; -- often with up; as, to pucker
up the mouth. "His skin [was] puckered up in wrinkles."
Spectator.
Puck"er, n. 1. A
fold; a wrinkle; a collection of folds.
2. A state of perplexity or anxiety;
confusion; bother; agitation. [Prov. Eng. & Colloq. U. S.]
Puck"er*er, n. One who, or that
which, puckers.
Puck"er*y (?), a. 1.
Producing, or tending to produce, a pucker; as, a puckery
taste. Lowell.
2. Inclined to become puckered or wrinkled;
full of puckers or wrinkles.
Puck"fist` (?), n. A
puffball.
Puck"ish, a. [From Puck.]
Resembling Puck; merry; mischievous. "Puckish
freaks." J. R. Green.
Pu"cras (?), n. [From a native name in
India.] (Zoöl.) See Koklass.
Pud (?), n. Same as
Pood.
Pud (?), n. The hand; the
first. [Colloq.] Lamb.
Pud"den*ing (?), n. [Probably fr.
pudden, for pudding, in allusion to its softness.]
(Naut.) (a) A quantity of rope-yarn, or
the like, placed, as a fender, on the bow of a boat.
(b) A bunch of soft material to prevent chafing
between spars, or the like.
Pud"der (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Puddered (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Puddering.] [Cf. Pother.] To make a tumult or
bustle; to splash; to make a pother or fuss; to potter; to
meddle.
Puddering in the designs or doings of
others.
Barrow.
Others pudder into their food with their broad
nebs.
Holland.
Pud"der, v. t. To perplex; to
embarrass; to confuse; to bother; as, to pudder a man.
Locke.
Pud"der, n. A pother; a tumult; a
confused noise; turmoil; bustle. "All in a pudder."
Milton.
Pud"ding (?), n. [Cf. F. boudin
black pudding, sausage, L. botulus, botellus, a sausage,
G. & Sw. pudding pudding, Dan. podding, pudding,
LG. puddig thick, stumpy, W. poten, potten, also
E. pod, pout, v.] 1. A species of
food of a soft or moderately hard consistence, variously made, but
often a compound of flour or meal, with milk and eggs, etc.
And solid pudding against empty
praise.
Pope.
2. Anything resembling, or of the softness and
consistency of, pudding.
3. An intestine; especially, an intestine
stuffed with meat, etc.; a sausage. Shak.
4. Any food or victuals.
Eat your pudding, slave, and hold your
tongue.
Prior.
5. (Naut.) Same as
Puddening.
Pudding grass (Bot.), the true
pennyroyal (Mentha Pulegium), formerly used to flavor stuffing
for roast meat. Dr. Prior. -- Pudding
pie, a pudding with meat baked in it. Taylor
(1630). -- Pudding pipe (Bot.), the
long, cylindrical pod of the leguminous tree Cassia Fistula.
The seeds are separately imbedded in a sweetish pulp. See
Cassia. -- Pudding sleeve, a full
sleeve like that of the English clerical gown. Swift. --
Pudding stone. (Min.) See
Conglomerate, n., 2. -- Pudding
time. (a) The time of dinner, pudding
being formerly the dish first eaten. [Obs.] Johnson.
(b) The nick of time; critical time.
[Obs.]
Mars, that still protects the stout,
In pudding time came to his aid.
Hudibras.
Pud"ding-head`ed (?), a.
Stupid. [Colloq.]
Pud"dle (?), n. [OE. podel; cf.
LG. pudel, Ir. & Gael. plod pool.] 1.
A small quantity of dirty standing water; a muddy plash; a small
pool. Spenser.
2. Clay, or a mixture of clay and sand,
kneaded or worked, when wet, to render it impervious to
water.
Puddle poet, a low or worthless poet.
[R.] Fuller.
Pud"dle, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Puddled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Puddling (?).] 1. To make foul or muddy;
to pollute with dirt; to mix dirt with (water).
Some unhatched practice . . .
Hath puddled his clear spirit.
Shak.
2. (a) To make dense or close,
as clay or loam, by working when wet, so as to render impervious to
water. (b) To make impervious to liquids by
means of puddle; to apply puddle to.
3. To subject to the process of puddling, as
iron, so as to convert it from the condition of cast iron to that of
wrought iron. Ure.
Puddled steel, steel made directly from cast
iron by a modification of the puddling process.
Pud"dle, v. i. To make a dirty
stir. [Obs.] R. Junius.
Pud"dle-ball` (?), n. The lump of
pasty wrought iron as taken from the puddling furnace to be hammered
or rolled.
Pud"dle-bar" (?), n. An iron bar
made at a single heat from a puddle-ball hammering and
rolling.
Pud"dler (?), n. One who converts
cast iron into wrought iron by the process of puddling.
Pud"dling (?), n. 1.
(Hydraul. Engin.) (a) The process of
working clay, loam, pulverized ore, etc., with water, to render it
compact, or impervious to liquids; also, the process of rendering
anything impervious to liquids by means of puddled material.
(b) Puddle. See Puddle,
n., 2.
2. (Metal.) The art or process of
converting cast iron into wrought iron or steel by subjecting it to
intense heat and frequent stirring in a reverberatory furnace in the
presence of oxidizing substances, by which it is freed from a portion
of its carbon and other impurities.
Puddling furnace, a reverberatory furnace in
which cast iron is converted into wrought iron or into steel by
puddling.
Pud"dly (?), a. Consisting of, or
resembling, puddles; muddy; foul. "Thick puddly water."
Carew.
Pud"dock (?), n. [For paddock, or
parrock, a park.] A small inclosure. [Written also
purrock.] [Prov. Eng.]
Pu"den*cy (?), n. [L. pudens, p.
pr. of pudere to be ashamed.] Modesty;
shamefacedness. "A pudency so rosy." Shak.
||Pu*den"da (?), n. pl. [L., from
pudendus that of which one ought to be ashamed, fr.
pudere to be ashamed.] (Anat.) The external organs
of generation.
Pu*den"dal (?), a. (Anat.)
Of or pertaining to the pudenda, or pudendum.
||Pu*den"dum (?), n. [NL. See
Pudenda.] (Anat.) The external organs of
generation, especially of the female; the vulva.
Pudg"y (?), a. Short and fat or
sturdy; dumpy; podgy; as, a short, pudgy little man; a
pudgy little hand. Thackeray.
Pu"dic (?), a. [L. pudicus
modest, fr. pudere to be ashamed: cf. F. pudique.]
(Anat.) Of or pertaining to the external organs of
generation.
Pu"dic*al (?), a. (Anat.)
Pudic.
Pu*dic"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F.
pudicité, L. pudicitia.] Modesty;
chastity. Howell.
Pu"du (?), n. (Zoöl.) A
very small deer (Pudua humilis), native of the Chilian Andes.
It has simple spikelike antlers, only two or three inches
long.
Pue (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Pued (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Puing.] To make a low whistling sound; to chirp, as
birds. Halliwell.
Pueb"lo (?), n. [Sp., a village, L.
populus people. See People.] A communistic building
erected by certain Indian tribes of Arizona and New Mexico. It is
often of large size and several stories high, and is usually built
either of stone or adobe. The term is also applied to any Indian
village in the same region.
Pueblo Indians (Ethnol.), any tribe or
community of Indians living in pueblos. The principal Pueblo tribes
are the Moqui, the Zuñi, the Keran, and the Tewan.
Pue"fel`low (?), n. A
pewfellow. [Obs.]
Pu"er (?), n. [Etymol. uncertain.]
The dung of dogs, used as an alkaline steep in tanning.
Simmonds.
||Pu*er"co (?), n. [Sp.] A
hog.
Puerco beds (Geol.), a name given to
certain strata belonging to the earliest Eocene. They are developed in
Northwestern New Mexico, along the Rio Puerco, and are characterized
by their mammalian remains.
Pu"er*ile (?), a. [L. puerilis,
fr. puer a child, a boy: cf. F. puéril.]
Boyish; childish; trifling; silly.
The French have been notorious through generations for
their puerile affectation of Roman forms, models, and historic
precedents.
De Quincey.
Syn. -- Youthful; boyish; juvenile; childish; trifling;
weak. See Youthful.
Pu"er*ile*ly, adv. In a puerile
manner; childishly.
Pu"er*ile*ness, n. The quality of
being puerile; puerility.
Pu`er*il"i*ty (?), n.; pl.
Puerilities (#). [L. puerilitas: cf. F.
puérilité.] 1. The quality
of being puerile; childishness; puerileness. Sir T.
Browne.
2. That which is puerile or childish;
especially, an expression which is flat, insipid, or silly.
Pu*er"per*al (?), a. [L. puerpera
a lying-in woman; puer child + parere to bear: cf. F.
puerpéral.] Of or pertaining to childbirth; as, a
puerperal fever.
Pu*er"per*ous (?), a. Bearing
children. [R.]
Pu"et (?), n. (Zoöl.)
The pewit.
Puff (pŭf), n. [Akin to G. & Sw.
puff a blow, Dan. puf, D. pof; of imitative
origin. Cf. Buffet.] 1. A sudden and
single emission of breath from the mouth; hence, any sudden or short
blast of wind; a slight gust; a whiff. " To every puff of
wind a slave." Flatman.
2. Anything light and filled with air.
Specifically: (a) A puffball.
(b) a kind of light pastry.
(c) A utensil of the toilet for dusting the skin
or hair with powder.
3. An exaggerated or empty expression of
praise, especially one in a public journal.
Puff adder. (Zoöl.)
(a) Any South African viper belonging to
Clotho and allied genera. They are exceedingly venomous, and
have the power of greatly distending their bodies when irritated. The
common puff adder (Vipera, or Clotho arietans) is the largest
species, becoming over four feet long. The plumed puff adder (C.
cornuta) has a plumelike appendage over each eye.
(b) A North American harmless snake (Heterodon
platyrrhinos) which has the power of puffing up its body. Called
also hog-nose snake, flathead, spreading adder,
and blowing adder. -- Puff bird
(Zoöl.), any bird of the genus Bucco, or family
Bucconidæ. They are small birds, usually with dull-
colored and loose plumage, and have twelve tail feathers. See
Barbet (b).
Puff, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Puffed (pŭft); p. pr. & vb.
n. Puffing.] [Akin to G. puffen to pop,
buffet, puff, D. poffen to pop, puffen to blow, Sw.
puffa to push, to cuff, Dan. puffe to pop, thump. See
Puff, n.] 1. To blow in
puffs, or with short and sudden whiffs.
2. To blow, as an expression of scorn; -- with
at.
It is really to defy Heaven to puff at
damnation.
South.
3. To breathe quick and hard, or with puffs,
as after violent exertion.
The ass comes back again, puffing and blowing,
from the chase.
L' Estrange.
4. To swell with air; to be dilated or
inflated. Boyle.
5. To breathe in a swelling, inflated, or
pompous manner; hence, to assume importance.
Then came brave Glory puffing by.
Herbert.
Puff, v. t. 1. To
drive with a puff, or with puffs.
The clearing north will puff the clouds
away.
Dryden.
2. To repel with words; to blow at
contemptuously.
I puff the prostitute away.
Dryden.
3. To cause to swell or dilate; to inflate; to
ruffle with puffs; -- often with up; as, a bladder
puffed with air.
The sea puffed up with winds.
Shak.
4. To inflate with pride, flattery, self-
esteem, or the like; -- often with up.
Puffed up with military success.
Jowett (Thucyd. )
5. To praise with exaggeration; to flatter; to
call public attention to by praises; to praise unduly. " Puffed
with wonderful skill." Macaulay.
Puff, a. Puffed up; vain.
[R.] Fanshawe.
Puff"ball` (?), n. (Bot.) A
kind of ball-shaped fungus (Lycoperdon giganteum, and other
species of the same genus) full of dustlike spores when ripe; --
called also bullfist, bullfice, puckfist,
puff, and puffin.
Puff"er (?), n. 1.
One who puffs; one who praises with noisy or extravagant
commendation.
2. One who is employed by the owner or seller
of goods sold at suction to bid up the price; a by-bidder.
Bouvier.
3. (Zoöl.) (a) Any
plectognath fish which inflates its body, as the species of
Tetrodon and Diodon; -- called also blower,
puff-fish, swellfish, and globefish.
(b) The common, or harbor, porpoise.
4. (Dyeing) A kier.
Puff"er*y (?), n. The act of
puffing; bestowment of extravagant commendation.
Puf"fin (pŭf"f&ibreve;n), n.
[Akin to puff.] 1. (Zoöl.) An
arctic sea bird Fratercula arctica) allied to the auks, and
having a short, thick, swollen beak, whence the name; -- called also
bottle nose, cockandy, coulterneb, marrot,
mormon, pope, and sea parrot.
&fist; The name is also applied to other related species, as the
horned puffin (F. corniculata), the tufted puffin (Lunda
cirrhata), and the razorbill.
Manx puffin, the Manx shearwater. See under
Manx.
2. (Bot.) The puffball.
3. A sort of apple. [Obs.] Rider's
Dict. (1640).
Puff"i*ness (?), n. The quality or
state of being puffy.
Puff"ing, a. & n. from Puff,
v. i. & t.
Puffing adder. (Zoöl.) Same as
Puff adder (b), under Puff. --
Puffing pig (Zoöl.), the common
porpoise.
Puff"ing*ly, adv. In a puffing
manner; with vehement breathing or shortness of breath; with
exaggerated praise.
Puff"-leg` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
Any one of numerous species of beautiful humming birds of the
genus Eriocnemis having large tufts of downy feathers on the
legs.
Puff"-legged` (?), a.
(Zoöl.) Having a conspicuous tuft of feathers on the
legs.
Puff"y (?), a. 1.
Swelled with air, or any soft matter; tumid with a soft
substance; bloated; fleshy; as, a puffy tumor. " A very
stout, puffy man." Thackeray.
2. Hence, inflated; bombastic; as, a
puffy style.
Pug (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pugged (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pugging.] [Cf. G. pucken to thump. beat.]
1. To mix and stir when wet, as clay for
bricks, pottery, etc.
2. To fill or stop with clay by tamping; to
fill in or spread with mortar, as a floor or partition, for the
purpose of deadening sound. See Pugging, 2.
Pug, n. 1. Tempered
clay; clay moistened and worked so as to be plastic.
2. A pug mill.
Pug mill, a kind of mill for grinding and
mixing clay, either for brickmaking or the fine arts; a clay mill. It
consists essentially of an upright shaft armed with projecting knives,
which is caused to revolve in a hollow cylinder, tub, or vat, in which
the clay is placed.
Pug, n. [Corrupted fr. puck. See
Puck.] 1. An elf, or a hobgoblin; also
same as Puck. [Obs.] B. Jonson.
2. A name for a monkey. [Colloq.]
Addison.
3. A name for a fox. [Prov. Eng.] C.
Kingsley.
4. An intimate; a crony; a dear one.
[Obs.] Lyly.
5. pl. Chaff; the refuse of
grain. [Obs.] Holland.
6. A prostitute. [Obs.]
Cotgrave.
7. (Zoöl.) One of a small breed of
pet dogs having a short nose and head; a pug dog.
8. (Zoöl.) Any geometrid moth of
the genus Eupithecia.
Pug"-faced` (?), a. Having a face
like a monkey or a pug; monkey-faced.
Pug"ger (?), v. t. To pucker.
[Obs.]
Pug"gered (?), a. Puckered.
[Obs.] Dr. H. More.
Pug"ging (?), n. [See Pug,
v. t.] 1. The act or process of
working and tempering clay to make it plastic and of uniform
consistency, as for bricks, for pottery, etc.
2. (Arch.) Mortar or the like, laid
between the joists under the boards of a floor, or within a partition,
to deaden sound; -- in the United States usually called
deafening.
Pug"ging, a. Thieving. [Obs.]
Shak.
Pugh (?), interj. Pshaw! pish! -- a
word used in contempt or disdain.
Pu"gil (?), n. [L. pugillus,
pugillum, a handful, akin to pugnus the fist.] As
much as is taken up between the thumb and two first fingers.
[Obs.] Bacon.
Pu"gil*ism (?), n. [L. pugil a
pugilist, boxer, akin to pugnus the fist. Cf.
Pugnacious, Fist.] The practice of boxing, or
fighting with the fist.
Pu"gil*ist, n. [L. pugil.]
One who fights with his fists; esp., a professional prize
fighter; a boxer.
Pu`gil*is"tic (?), a. Of or
pertaining to pugillism.
Pug*na"cious (?), a. [L. pugnax,
-acis, fr. pugnare to fight. Cf. Pugilism,
Fist.] Disposed to fight; inclined to fighting;
quarrelsome; fighting. --Pug*na"cious*ly,
adv. -- Pug*na"cious*ness,
n.
Pug*nac"i*ty (?), n. [L.
pugnacitas: cf. F. pugnacité.] Inclination
or readiness to fight; quarrelsomeness. " A national
pugnacity of character." Motley.
Pug" nose` (?). A short, thick nose; a
snubnose. -- Pug"-nosed` (#), a.
Pug-nose eel (Zoöl.), a deep-
water marine eel (Simenchelys parasiticus) which sometimes
burrows into the flesh of the halibut.
Puh (?), interj. The same as
Pugh.
Puis"ne (pū"n&ybreve;), a. [See
Puny.] 1. Later in age, time, etc.;
subsequent. [Obs.] " A puisne date to eternity." Sir
M. Hale.
2. Puny; petty; unskilled. [Obs.]
3. (Law) Younger or inferior in rank;
junior; associate; as, a chief justice and three puisne
justices of the Court of Common Pleas; the puisne barons of the
Court of Exchequer. Blackstone.
Puis"ne, n. One who is younger, or
of inferior rank; a junior; esp., a judge of inferior rank.
It were not a work for puisnes and
novices.
Bp. Hall.
Puis"ny (?), a. Puisne; younger;
inferior; petty; unskilled. [R.]
A puisny tilter, that spurs his horse but on one
side.
Shak.
Pu"is*sance, n. [F., fr.
puissant. See Puissant, and cf. Potency,
Potance, Potence.] Power; strength; might; force;
potency. " Youths of puissance." Tennyson.
The power and puissance of the
king.
Shak.
&fist; In Spenser, Shakespeare, and Milton, puissance and
puissant are usually dissyllables.
Pu"is*sant (?), a. [F., originally, a p.
pr. formed fr. L. posse to be able: cf. L. potens
powerful. See Potent.] Powerful; strong; mighty; forcible;
as, a puissant prince or empire. " Puissant
deeds." Milton.
Of puissant nations which the world
possessed.
Spenser.
And worldlings in it are less merciful,
And more puissant.
Mrs. Browning.
Pu"is*sant*ly, adv. In a puissant
manner; powerfully; with great strength.
Pu"is*sant*ness, n. The state or
quality of being puissant; puissance; power.
||Puit (?), n. [F. puits, from L.
puteus well.] A well; a small stream; a fountain; a
spring. [Obs.]
The puits flowing from the fountain of
life.
Jer. Taylor.
Puke (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Puked (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Puking.] [Cf. G. spucken to spit, and E. spew.]
To eject the contests of the stomach; to vomit; to
spew.
The infant
Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms.
Shak.
Puke, v. t. To eject from the
stomach; to vomit up.
Puke, n. A medicine that causes
vomiting; an emetic; a vomit.
Puke, a. [Etymol. uncertain.] Of a
color supposed to be between black and russet. Shak.
&fist; This color has by some been regarded as the same with
puce; but Nares questions the identity.
Puk"er (?), n. 1.
One who pukes, vomits.
2. That which causes vomiting. Garth
.
Pu"las (?), n. [Skr.
palāça.] (Bot.) The East Indian
leguminous tree Butea frondosa. See Gum Butea, under
Gum. [Written also pales and palasa.]
Pul"chri*tude (?), n. [L.
pulchritudo, fr. pulcher beautiful.] 1.
That quality of appearance which pleases the eye; beauty;
comeliness; grace; loveliness.
Piercing our heartes with thy
pulchritude.
Court of Love.
2. Attractive moral excellence; moral
beauty.
By the pulchritude of their souls make up what
is wanting in the beauty of their bodies.
Ray.
Pule (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Puled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Puling.] [F. piauler; cf. L. pipilare,
pipire, to peep, pip, chirp, and E. peep to chirp.]
1. To cry like a chicken.
Bacon.
2. To whimper; to whine, as a complaining
child.
It becometh not such a gallant to whine and
pule.
Barrow.
Pul"er (?), n. One who pules; one
who whines or complains; a weak person.
||Pu"lex (?), n. [L., a flea.]
(Zoöl.) A genus of parasitic insects including the
fleas. See Flea.
Pu"li*cene (?), a. [From L.
pulex, pulicis, a flea.] Pertaining to, or
abounding in, fleas; pulicose.
{ Pu"li*cose` (?), Pu"li*cous (?), }
a. [L. pulicosus, from pulex, a flea.]
Abounding with fleas.
Pul"ing (?), n. A cry, as of a
chicken,; a whining or whimpering.
Leave this faint puling and lament as I
do.
Shak.
Pul"ing, a. Whimpering; whining;
childish.
Pul"ing*ly, adv. With whining or
complaint.
||Pulk"ha (?), n. A Laplander's
traveling sledge. See Sledge.
Pull (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pulled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pulling.] [AS. pullian; cf. LG. pulen, and Gael.
peall, piol, spiol.] 1. To
draw, or attempt to draw, toward one; to draw forcibly.
Ne'er pull your hat upon your
brows.
Shak.
He put forth his hand . . . and pulled her
in.
Gen. viii. 9.
2. To draw apart; to tear; to rend.
He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in
pieces; he hath made me desolate.
Lam. iii.
11.
3. To gather with the hand, or by drawing
toward one; to pluck; as, to pull fruit; to pull flax;
to pull a finch.
4. To move or operate by the motion of drawing
towards one; as, to pull a bell; to pull an
oar.
5. (Horse Racing) To hold back, and so
prevent from winning; as, the favorite was pulled.
6. (Print.) To take or make, as a proof
or impression; -- hand presses being worked by pulling a
lever.
7. (Cricket) To strike the ball in a
particular manner. See Pull, n., 8.
Never pull a straight fast ball to
leg.
R. H. Lyttelton.
To pull and haul, to draw hither and
thither. " Both are equally pulled and hauled to do that
which they are unable to do. " South. -- To pull
down, to demolish; to destroy; to degrade; as, to
pull down a house. " In political affairs, as well as
mechanical, it is easier to pull down than build up."
Howell. " To raise the wretched, and pull down the
proud." Roscommon. -- To pull a finch.
See under Finch. -- To pull off,
take or draw off.
Pull (?), v. i. To exert one's self
in an act or motion of drawing or hauling; to tug; as, to pull
at a rope.
To pull apart, to become separated by
pulling; as, a rope will pull apart. -- To pull
up, to draw the reins; to stop; to halt. --
To pull through, to come successfully to the end
of a difficult undertaking, a dangerous sickness, or the
like.
Pull, n. 1. The act
of pulling or drawing with force; an effort to move something by
drawing toward one.
I awakened with a violent pull upon the ring
which was fastened at the top of my box.
Swift.
2. A contest; a struggle; as, a wrestling
pull. Carew.
3. A pluck; loss or violence suffered.
[Poetic]
Two pulls at once;
His lady banished, and a limb lopped off.
Shak.
4. A knob, handle, or lever, etc., by which
anything is pulled; as, a drawer pull; a bell
pull.
5. The act of rowing; as, a pull on the
river. [Colloq.]
6. The act of drinking; as, to take a
pull at the beer, or the mug. [Slang]
Dickens.
7. Something in one's favor in a comparison or
a contest; an advantage; means of influencing; as, in weights the
favorite had the pull. [Slang]
8. (Cricket) A kind of stroke by which
a leg ball is sent to the off side, or an off ball to the
side.
The pull is not a legitimate stroke, but bad
cricket.
R. A. Proctor.
Pul"lail (?), n. [F. poulaille.]
Poultry. [Obs.] Rom. of R.
Pull"back` (?), n. 1.
That which holds back, or causes to recede; a drawback; a
hindrance.
2. (Arch) The iron hook fixed to a
casement to pull it shut, or to hold it party open at a fixed
point.
Pulled (?), a. Plucked; pilled;
moulting. " A pulled hen." Chaucer.
Pul"len (?), n. [Cf. L. pullinus
belonging to young animals. See Pullet.] Poultry.
[Obs.]
Pull"er (?), n. One who, or that
which, pulls.
Proud setter up and puller down of
kings.
Shak.
Pul"let (?), n. [OE. polete, OF.
polete, F. poulette, dim. of poule a hen, fr. L.
pullus a young animal, a young fowl. See Foal, and cf.
Poult, Poultry, Pool stake.] A young hen, or
female of the domestic fowl.
Pullet sperm, the treadle of an egg.
[Obs.] Shak.
Pul"ley (?), n.; pl.
Pulleys (#). [F. poulie, perhaps of Teutonic
origin (cf. Poll, v. t.); but cf. OE.
poleine, polive, pulley, LL. polanus, and F.
poulain, properly, a colt, fr. L. pullus young animal,
foal (cf. Pullet, Foal). For the change of sense, cf. F.
poutre beam, originally, a filly, and E. easel.]
(Mach.) A wheel with a broad rim, or grooved rim, for
transmitting power from, or imparting power to, the different parts of
machinery, or for changing the direction of motion, by means of a
belt, cord, rope, or chain.
&fist; The pulley, as one of the mechanical powers,
consists, in its simplest form, of a grooved wheel, called a
sheave, turning within a movable frame or block, by
means of a cord or rope attached at one end to a fixed point. The
force, acting on the free end of the rope, is thus doubled, but can
move the load through only half the space traversed by itself. The
rope may also pass over a sheave in another block that is fixed. The
end of the rope may be fastened to the movable block, instead of a
fixed point, with an additional gain of power, and using either one or
two sheaves in the fixed block. Other sheaves may be added, and the
power multiplied accordingly. Such an apparatus is called by workmen a
block and tackle, or a fall and tackle. See
Block. A single fixed pulley gives no increase of power,
but serves simply for changing the direction of motion.
Band pulley, or Belt
pulley, a pulley with a broad face for transmitting
power between revolving shafts by means of a belt, or for guiding a
belt. -- Cone pulley. See Cone
pulley. -- Conical pulley, one of a
pair of belt pulleys, each in the shape of a truncated cone, for
varying velocities. -- Fast pulley, a
pulley firmly attached upon a shaft. -- Loose
pulley, a pulley loose on a shaft, to interrupt the
transmission of motion in machinery. See Fast and loose
pulleys, under Fast. -- Parting
pulley, a belt pulley made in semicircular halves, which
can be bolted together, to facilitate application to, or removal from,
a shaft. -- Pulley block. Same as
Block, n. 6. -- Pulley
stile (Arch.), the upright of the window frame
into which a pulley is fixed and along which the sash slides. --
Split pulley, a parting pulley.
Pul"ley, v. t. To raise or lift by
means of a pulley. [R.] Howell.
Pul"li*cate (?), n. A kind of
checked cotton or silk handkerchief.
Pull"man car` (?). [Named after Mr. Pullman, who
introduced them.] A kind of sleeping car; also, a palace car; --
often shortened to Pullman.
Pul"lu*late (?), v. i. [L.
pullulatus, p. p. of pullulare to sprout, from
pullulus a young animal, a sprout, dim. of pullus. See
pullet.] To germinate; to bud; to multiply
abundantly. Warburton.
Pul`lu*la"tion (?), n. [Cf. F.
pullulation.] A germinating, or budding. Dr. H.
More.
||Pul"lus (?), n.; pl.
Pulli (#). [L.] (Zoöl.) A chick; a
young bird in the downy stage.
||Pul`mo*bran`chi*a"ta (?), n. pl.
[NL.], Pul`mo*bran"chi*ate. (&?;), a. & n.
(Zoöl.) Same as Pulmonibranchiata, -
ate.
Pul`mo*cu*ta"ne*ous (?), a. [L.
pulmo a lung + E. cutaneous.] (Anat.) Of or
pertaining to the lungs and the akin; as, the pulmocutaneous
arteries of the frog.
||Pul`mo*gas`te*rop"o*da (?), n. pl.
[NL. & E. Gasteropoda.] (Zoöl.) Same as
Pulmonata.
Pul"mo*grade (?), a. [L. pulmo a
lung + gradi to walk.] (Zoöl.) Swimming by the
expansion and contraction, or lunglike movement, of the body, or of
the disk, as do the medusæ.
Pul*mom"e*ter (?), n. [L. pulmo a
lung + -meter.] (Physiol.) A spirometer.
Pul"mo*na"ri*an (?), n.
(Zoöl.) Any arachnid that breathes by lunglike
organs, as the spiders and scorpions. Also used adjectively.
Pul"mo*na*ry (?), a. [L.
pulmonarius, from pulmo, -onis, a lung; of
uncertain origin, perh. named from its lightness, and akin to E.
float: cf. F. pulmonaire. Cf. Pneumonia.]
Of or pertaining to the lungs; affecting the lungs;
pulmonic.
Pulmonary artery. See the Note under
Artery.
Pul"mo*na*ry, n. [Cf. F.
pulmonaire. See Pulmonary, a. ]
(Bot.) Lungwort. Ainsworth.
||Pul`mo*na"ta (?), n. pl. [NL., from L.
pulmo, -onis, a lung.] (Zoöl.) An
extensive division, or sub-class, of hermaphrodite gastropods, in
which the mantle cavity is modified into an air-breathing organ, as in
Helix, or land snails, Limax, or garden slugs, and many pond snails,
as Limnæa and Planorbis.
Pul"mo*nate (?), a. (Zoöl.)
(a) Having breathing organs that act as
lungs. (b) Pertaining to the
Pulmonata. -- n. One of the
Pulmonata.
Pul"mo*na`ted (?), a. same as
Pulmonate (a).
||Pul`mo*ni*bran`chi*a"ta (?), n. pl.
[NL., fr. L. pulmo, -onis, a lung + Gr. &?; a gill.]
(Zoöl.) Same as Pulmonata.
Pul`mo*ni*bran"chi*ate (?), a. & n.
(Zoöl.) Same as Pulmonate.
Pul*mon"ic (?), a. [L. pulmo,
-onis, a lung: cf. F. pulmonique.] Relating to, or
affecting the lungs; pulmonary. -- n. A
pulmonic medicine.
||Pul`mo*nif"e*ra (?), n. pl. [NL. See
Pulmoniferous.] (Zoöl.) Same as
Pulmonata.
Pul`mo*nif"er*ous (?), a. [L.
pulmo, -onis, a lung + -ferous.]
(Zoöl.) Having lungs; pulmonate.
Pulp (?), n. [L. pulpa flesh,
pith, pulp of fruit: cf. F. pulpe.] A moist, slightly
cohering mass, consisting of soft, undissolved animal or vegetable
matter. Specifically: (a) (Anat.) A
tissue or part resembling pulp; especially, the soft, highly vascular
and sensitive tissue which fills the central cavity, called the
pulp cavity, of teeth. (b) (Bot.)
The soft, succulent part of fruit; as, the pulp of a
grape. (c) The exterior part of a coffee
berry. B. Edwards. (d) The material
of which paper is made when ground up and suspended in
water.
Pulp, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pulped (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pulping.] 1. To reduce to pulp.
2. To deprive of the pulp, or
integument.
The other mode is to pulp the coffee immediately
as it comes from the tree. By a simple machine a man will pulp
a bushel in a minute.
B. Edwards.
Pul`pa*toon" (?), n. [F.
poulpeton, poupeton, a sort of ragout.] A kind of
delicate confectionery or cake, perhaps made from the pulp of
fruit. [Obs.] Nares.
Pulp"i*ness (?), n. the quality or
state of being pulpy.
Pul"pit (?), n. [L. pulpitum: cf.
OF. pulpite, F. pulpitre.]
1. An elevated place, or inclosed stage, in a
church, in which the clergyman stands while preaching.
I stand like a clerk in my pulpit.
Chaucer.
2. The whole body of the clergy; preachers as
a class; also, preaching.
I say the pulpit (in the sober use
Of its legitimate, peculiar powers)
Must stand acknowledged, while the world shall stand,
The most important and effectual guard,
Support, and ornament of virtue's cause.
Cowper.
3. A desk, or platform, for an orator or
public speaker.
Pul"pit, a. Of or pertaining to the
pulpit, or preaching; as, a pulpit orator; pulpit
eloquence.
Pul"pit*ed (?), a. Placed in a
pulpit. [R.]
Sit . . . at the feet of a pulpited
divine.
Milton.
Pul*pit*eer" (?), n. One who speaks
in a pulpit; a preacher; -- so called in contempt.
Howell.
We never can think it sinful that Burns should have
been humorous on such a pulpiteer.
Prof.
Wilson.
Pul"pit*er (?), n. A
preacher. [Obs.]
Pul*pit"ic*al (?), a. Of or
pertaining to the pulpit; suited to the pulpit. [R.] --
Pul*pit"ic*al*ly, adv. [R.]
Chesterfield.
Pul"pit*ish (?), a. Of or
pertaining to the pulpit; like preaching. Chalmers.
Pul"pit*ry (?), n. The teaching of
the pulpit; preaching. [R. & Obs.] " Mere pulpitry."
Milton.
Pulp"ous (?), a. [L. pulposus:
cf. F. pulpeux. See Pulp.] Containing pulp;
pulpy. " Pulpous fruit." J. Philips. --
Pulp"ous*ness, n.
Pulp"y (?), n. Like pulp;
consisting of pulp; soft; fleshy; succulent; as, the pulpy
covering of a nut; the pulpy substance of a peach or a
cherry.
||Pul"que (?), n. [Sp.] An
intoxicating Mexican drink. See Agave.
Pul"sate (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Pulsated (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pulsating.] [L. pulsatus, p. p. of pulsare to
beat, strike, v. intens. fr. pellere to beat, strike, drive.
See Pulse a beating, and cf. Pulse,
v.] To throb, as a pulse; to beat, as the
heart.
The heart of a viper or frog will continue to
pulsate long after it is taken from the body.
E. Darwin.
Pul"sa*tile (?), a. [Cf. It.
pulsatile, Sp. pulsatil.] 1.
Capable of being struck or beaten; played by beating or by
percussion; as, a tambourine is a pulsatile musical
instrument.
2. Pulsating; throbbing, as a tumor.
||Pul`sa*til"la (?), n. [NL.]
(Bot.) A genus of ranunculaceous herbs including the
pasque flower. This genus is now merged in Anemone. Some
species, as Anemone Pulsatilla, Anemone pratensis, and
Anemone patens, are used medicinally.
Pul*sa"tion (?), n. [L. pulsatio
a beating or striking: cf. F. pulsation.] 1.
(Physiol.) A beating or throbbing, especially of the heart
or of an artery, or in an inflamed part; a beat of the
pulse.
2. A single beat or throb of a
series.
3. A stroke or impulse by which some medium is
affected, as in the propagation of sounds.
4. (Law) Any touching of another's body
willfully or in anger. This constitutes battery.
By the Cornelian law, pulsation as well as
verberation is prohibited.
Blackstone.
Pul"sa*tive (?), a. [Cf. F.
pulsatif.] Beating; throbbing.
Pul*sa"tor (?), n. [L.]
1. A beater; a striker.
2. (Mech.) That which beats or throbs
in working.
Pul"sa*to*ry (?), a. [Cf. F.
pulsatoire.] Capable of pulsating; throbbing.
Sir H. Wotton. .
Pulse (?), n. [OE. puls, L.
puls, pultis, a thick pap or pottage made of meal,
pulse, etc. See Poultice, and cf. Pousse.]
Leguminous plants, or their seeds, as beans, pease,
etc.
If all the world
Should, in a pet of temperance, feed on pulse.
Milton.
Pulse, n. [OE. pous, OF.
pous, F. pouls, fr. L. pulsus (sc.
venarum), the beating of the pulse, the pulse, from
pellere, pulsum, to beat, strike; cf. Gr. &?; to swing,
shake, &?; to shake. Cf. Appeal, Compel, Impel,
Push.] 1. (Physiol.) The beating or
throbbing of the heart or blood vessels, especially of the
arteries.
&fist; In an artery the pulse is due to the expansion and
contraction of the elastic walls of the artery by the action of the
heart upon the column of blood in the arterial system. On the
commencement of the diastole of the ventricle, the semilunar valves
are closed, and the aorta recoils by its elasticity so as to force
part of its contents into the vessels farther onwards. These, in turn,
as they already contain a certain quantity of blood, expand, recover
by an elastic recoil, and transmit the movement with diminished
intensity. Thus a series of movements, gradually diminishing in
intensity, pass along the arterial system (see the Note under
Heart). For the sake of convenience, the radial artery at the
wrist is generally chosen to detect the precise character of the
pulse. The pulse rate varies with age, position, sex, stature,
physical and psychical influences, etc.
2. Any measured or regular beat; any short,
quick motion, regularly repeated, as of a medium in the transmission
of light, sound, etc.; oscillation; vibration; pulsation; impulse;
beat; movement.
The measured pulse of racing oars.
Tennyson.
When the ear receives any simple sound, it is struck by
a single pulse of the air, which makes the eardrum and the
other membranous parts vibrate according to the nature and species of
the stroke.
Burke.
Pulse glass, an instrument consisting to a
glass tube with terminal bulbs, and containing ether or alcohol, which
the heat of the hand causes to boil; -- so called from the
pulsating motion of the liquid when thus warmed. --
Pulse wave (Physiol.), the wave of
increased pressure started by the ventricular systole, radiating from
the semilunar valves over the arterial system, and gradually
disappearing in the smaller branches.
the pulse wave travels over the arterial system
at the rate of about 29.5 feet in a second.
H. N.
Martin.
--
To feel one's pulse. (a)
To ascertain, by the sense of feeling, the condition of the
arterial pulse. (b) Hence, to sound one's
opinion; to try to discover one's mind.
Pulse, v. i. To beat, as the
arteries; to move in pulses or beats; to pulsate; to throb.
Ray.
Pulse, v. t. [See Pulsate,
Pulse a beating.] To drive by a pulsation; to cause to
pulsate. [R.]
Pulse"less, a. Having no pulsation;
lifeless.
Pulse"less*ness, n. The state of
being pulseless.
Pul*sif"ic (?), a. [Pulse + L.
facere to make.] Exciting the pulse; causing
pulsation.
Pul*sim"e*ter (?), n. [Pulse +
-meter.] (Physiol.) A sphygmograph.
Pul"sion (?), n. [L. pulsio, fr.
pellere, pulsum, to drive: cf. F. pulsion.]
The act of driving forward; propulsion; -- opposed to
suction or traction. [R.]
Pul"sive (?), a. Tending to compel;
compulsory. [R.] "The pulsive strain of conscience."
Marston.
Pul*som"e*ter (?), n. [Pulse +
-meter.]
1. A device, with valves, for raising water by
steam, partly by atmospheric pressure, and partly by the direct action
of the steam on the water, without the intervention of a piston; --
also called vacuum pump.
2. A pulsimeter.
Pult (?), v. t. To put.
[Obs.] Piers Plowman.
Pul*ta"ceous (?), a. [Cf. F.
pultacé. See 1st Pulse.] Macerated;
softened; nearly fluid.
{ Pul"tesse (?), Pul"tise (?), }
n. Poultry. [Obs.] Chaucer.
||Pu"lu (?), n. A vegetable
substance consisting of soft, elastic, yellowish brown chaff, gathered
in the Hawaiian Islands from the young fronds of free ferns of the
genus Cibotium, chiefly C. Menziesii; -- used for
stuffing mattresses, cushions, etc., and as an absorbent.
Pul"ver*a*ble (?), a. Capable of
being reduced to fine powder. Boyle.
Pul`ver*a"ceous (?), a. (Bot.)
Having a finely powdered surface; pulverulent.
Pul"ver*ate (?), v. t. [L.
pulveratus, p. p. of pulverare to pulverize. See
Pulverize.] To beat or reduce to powder or dust; to
pulverize. [R.]
Pul"ver*ine (?), n. [L. pulvis,
pulveris, dust, powder; cf. F. pulvérin.]
Ashes of barilla. Ure.
Pul"ver*i`za*ble (?), a. Admitting
of being pulverized; pulverable. Barton.
Pul`ver*i*za"tion (?), n. [Cf. F.
pulvérisation.] The action of reducing to dust or
powder.
Pul"ver*ize (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Pulverized (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Pulverizing (?).] [F. pulvériser, L.
pulverizare, fr. pulvis dust, powder. See
Powder.] To reduce of fine powder or dust, as by beating,
grinding, or the like; as, friable substances may be pulverized
by grinding or beating, but to pulverize malleable bodies other
methods must be pursued.
Pul"ver*ize, v. i. To become
reduced to powder; to fall to dust; as, the stone pulverizes
easily.
Pul"ver*i`zer (?), n. One who, or
that which, pulverizes.
Pul"ver*ous (?), a. [Cf. L.
pulvereus, from pulvis, pulveris, dust, powder.]
Consisting of dust or powder; like powder.
Pul*ver"u*lence (?), n. The state
of being pulverulent; abundance of dust or powder;
dustiness.
Pul*ver"u*lent (?), a. [L.
pulverulentus, fr. pulvis, pulveris, dust,
powder: cf. F. pulvérulent.] Consisting of, or
reducible to, fine powder; covered with dust or powder; powdery;
dusty.
Pul"vil (?), n. [It. polviglio,
fr. L. pulvis, pulveris, dust, powder: cf. Sp.
polvillo.] A sweet-scented powder; pulvillio.
[Written also pulville.] [Obs.] Gay.
Pul"vil, v. t. To apply pulvil
to. [Obs.] Congreve.
{ Pul*vil"li*o (?), Pul*vil"lo (?), }
n. [See Pulvil.] A kind of perfume in
the form of a powder, formerly much used, -- often in little
bags.
Smells of incense, ambergris, and
pulvillios.
Addison.
||Pul*vil"lus (?), n.; pl.
Pulvilli (#). [L., a little cushion.]
(Zoöl.) One of the minute cushions on the feet of
certain insects.
||Pul*vi"nar (?), n. [L., a cushion.]
(Anat.) A prominence on the posterior part of the thalamus
of the human brain.
{ Pul"vi*nate (?), Pul"vi*na`ted (?), }
a. [L. pulvinatus, fr. pulvinus a
cushion, an elevation.] 1. (Arch.) Curved
convexly or swelled; as, a pulvinated frieze. Brande
& C.
2. (Zoöl.) Having the form of a
cushion.
Pul*vin"ic (?), a. [From
Vulpinic, by transposition of the letters.] (Chem.)
Pertaining to, or designating, an acid obtained by the
decomposition of vulpinic acid, as a white crystalline
substance.
||Pul*vin"u*lus (?), n.; pl.
Pulvinuli (#). [L., a little mound.]
(Zoöl.) Same as Pulvillus.
Pu"ma (pū"m&adot;), n. [Peruv.
puma.] (Zoöl.) A large American carnivore
(Felis concolor), found from Canada to Patagonia, especially
among the mountains. Its color is tawny, or brownish yellow, without
spots or stripes. Called also catamount, cougar,
American lion, mountain lion, and panther or
painter.
Pume (?), n. (Zoöl.) A
stint.
Pu"mi*cate (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pumicated (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pumicating.] [L. pumicatus, p. p. of pumicare to
pumicate, fr. pumex. See Pumice.] To make smooth
with pumice. [R.]
Pum"ice (?), n. [L. pumex,
pumicis, prob. akin to spuma foam: cf. AS. pumic-
stān. Cf. Pounce a powder, Spume.]
(Min.) A very light porous volcanic scoria, usually of a
gray color, the pores of which are capillary and parallel, giving it a
fibrous structure. It is supposed to be produced by the disengagement
of watery vapor without liquid or plastic lava. It is much used, esp.
in the form of powder, for smoothing and polishing. Called also
pumice stone.
Pum"iced (?), a. (Far.)
Affected with a kind of chronic laminitis in which there is a
growth of soft spongy horn between the coffin bone and the hoof wall.
The disease is called pumiced foot, or pumice
foot.
Pu*mi`ceous (?), a. [L.
pumiceus.] Of or pertaining to pumice; resembling
pumice.
Pum"ice stone` (?). Same as Pumice.
Pu*mic"i*form (?), a. [Pumice +
-form.] Resembling, or having the structure of,
pumice.
Pum"mace (?), n. Same as
Pomace.
Pum"mel (?), n. & v. t. Same as
Pommel.
Pump (pŭmp), n. [Probably so
called as being worn for pomp or ornament. See Pomp.]
A low shoe with a thin sole. Swift.
Pump, n. [Akin to D. pomp, G.
pumpe, F. pompe; of unknown origin.] An hydraulic
machine, variously constructed, for raising or transferring fluids,
consisting essentially of a moving piece or piston working in a hollow
cylinder or other cavity, with valves properly placed for admitting or
retaining the fluid as it is drawn or driven through them by the
action of the piston.
&fist; for various kinds of pumps, see Air pump, Chain
pump, and Force pump; also, under Lifting,
Plunger, Rotary, etc.
Circulating pump (Steam Engine), a
pump for driving the condensing water through the casing, or tubes, of
a surface condenser. -- Pump brake. See
Pump handle, below. -- Pump dale.
See Dale. -- Pump gear, the
apparatus belonging to a pump. Totten. -- Pump
handle, the lever, worked by hand, by which motion is
given to the bucket of a pump. -- Pump hood,
a semicylindrical appendage covering the upper wheel of a chain
pump. -- Pump rod, the rod to which the
bucket of a pump is fastened, and which is attached to the brake or
handle; the piston rod. -- Pump room, a
place or room at a mineral spring where the waters are drawn and
drunk. [Eng.] -- Pump spear. Same as
Pump rod, above. -- Pump stock, the
stationary part, body, or barrel of a pump. -- Pump
well. (Naut.) See Well.
Pump, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pumped (pŭmt; 215); p. pr. & vb.
n. pumping.] 1. To raise with a
pump, as water or other liquid.
2. To draw water, or the like, from; to from
water by means of a pump; as, they pumped the well dry; to
pump a ship.
3. Figuratively, to draw out or obtain, as
secrets or money, by persistent questioning or plying; to question or
ply persistently in order to elicit something, as information, money,
etc.
But pump not me for politics.
Otway.
Pump, v. i. To work, or raise
water, a pump.
Pump"age (?), n. That which is
raised by pumps, or the work done by pumps.
The pumpage last year amounted to . . .
gallons.
Sci. Amer.
Pump"er (?), n. One who pumps; the
instrument or machine used in pumping. Boyle.
Pump"er*nick`el (?), n. [G.] A sort
of bread, made of unbolted rye, which forms the chief food of the
Westphalian peasants. It is acid but nourishing.
Pum"pet (?), n. A pompet.
Pumpet ball (Print.), a ball for
inking types; a pompet.
Pump"ing, a. & n. from
pump.
Pumping engine, a steam engine and pump
combined for raising water. See Steam engine.
Pump"ion (?), n. (Bot.) See
Pumpkin.
Pump"kin (?), n. [For older
pompion, pompon, OF. pompon, L. pepo,
peponis, Gr. &?;, properly, cooked by the sun, ripe, mellow; --
so called because not eaten till ripe. Cf. Cook,
n.] (Bot.) A well-known trailing plant
(Cucurbita pepo) and its fruit, -- used for cooking and for
feeding stock; a pompion.
Pumpkin seed. (a) The
flattish oval seed of the pumpkin. (b)
(Zoöl.) The common pondfish.
Pu"my (?), a. [Cf. Prov. E.
pummer big, large, and E. pomey pommel.] Large and
rounded. [Obs.]
A gentle stream, whose murmuring wave did play
Amongst the pumy stones.
Spenser.
Pun (?), v. t. [See Pound to
beat.] To pound. [Obs.]
He would pun thee into shivers with his
fist.
Shak.
Pun, n. [Cf. Pun to pound,
Pound to beat.] A play on words which have the same sound
but different meanings; an expression in which two different
applications of a word present an odd or ludicrous idea; a kind of
quibble or equivocation. Addison.
A better put on this word was made on the
Beggar's Opera, which, it was said, made Gay rich, and Rich
gay.
Walpole.
Pun, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Punned (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Punning.] To make puns, or a pun; to use a word in a
double sense, especially when the contrast of ideas is ludicrous; to
play upon words; to quibble. Dryden.
Pun, v. t. To persuade or affect by
a pun. Addison.
Punch (?), n. [Hind. pānch
five, Skr. pa&?;can. So called because composed of five
ingredients, viz., sugar, arrack, spice, water, and lemon juice. See
Five.] A beverage composed of wine or distilled liquor,
water (or milk), sugar, and the juice of lemon, with spice or mint; --
specifically named from the kind of spirit used; as rum punch,
claret punch, champagne punch, etc.
Milk punch, a sort of punch made with spirit,
milk, sugar, spice, etc. -- Punch bowl, a
large bowl in which punch is made, or from which it is served. --
Roman punch, a punch frozen and served as an
ice.
Punch, n. [Abbrev, fr.
punchinello.] The buffoon or harlequin of a puppet
show.
Punch and Judy, a puppet show in which a
comical little hunchbacked Punch, with a large nose, engages in
altercation with his wife Judy.
Punch (?), n. [Prov. E. Cf.
Punchy.] 1. A short, fat fellow; anything
short and thick.
I . . . did hear them call their fat child
punch, which pleased me mightily, that word being become a word
of common use for all that is thick and short.
Pepys.
2. One of a breed of large, heavy draught
horses; as, the Suffolk punch.
Punch, v. t. [OE. punchen,
perhaps the same word as E. punish: or cf. E. bunch.]
To thrust against; to poke; as, to punch one with the end
of a stick or the elbow.
Punch, n. A thrust or blow.
[Colloq.]
Punch, n. [Abbrev. fr. puncheon.]
1. A tool, usually of steel, variously shaped at
one end for different uses, and either solid, for stamping or for
perforating holes in metallic plates and other substances, or hollow
and sharpedged, for cutting out blanks, as for buttons, steel pens,
jewelry, and the like; a die.
2. (Pile Driving) An extension piece
applied to the top of a pile; a dolly.
3. A prop, as for the roof of a
mine.
Bell punch. See under Bell. --
Belt punch (Mach.), a punch, or punch
pliers, for making holes for lacings in the ends of driving
belts. -- Punch press. See Punching
machine, under Punch, v. i. --
Punch pliers, pliers having a tubular, sharp-
edged steel punch attached to one of the jaws, for perforating
leather, paper, and the like.
Punch, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Punched (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Punching.] [From Punch, n., a tool;
cf. F. poinçonner.] To perforate or stamp with an
instrument by pressure, or a blow; as, to punch a hole; to
punch ticket.
Punching machine, or Punching
press, a machine tool for punching holes in metal or
other material; -- called also punch press.
Punch"eon (?), n. [F.
poinçon awl, bodkin, crown, king-post, fr. L.
punctio a pricking, fr. pungere to prick. See
Pungent, and cf. Punch a tool, Punction.]
1. A figured stamp, die, or punch, used by
goldsmiths, cutlers, etc.
2. (Carp.) A short, upright piece of
timber in framing; a short post; an intermediate stud. Oxf.
Gloss.
3. A split log or heavy slab with the face
smoothed; as, a floor made of puncheons. [U.S.]
Bartlett.
4. [F. poinçon, perh. the same as
poinçon an awl.] A cask containing, sometimes 84,
sometimes 120, gallons.
Punch"er (?), n. One who, or that
which, punches.
Pun"chin (?), n. See
Puncheon.
Pun`chi*nel"lo (?), n. [It.
pulcinella, probably originally a word of endearment, dim. of
pulcina, pulcino, a chicken, from L. pullicenus,
pullus. See Pullet.] A punch; a buffoon;
originally, in a puppet show, a character represented as fat, short,
and humpbacked. Spectator.
Punch"y (?), a. [Perhaps for
paunchy, from paunch. See 3d Punch.] Short
and thick, or fat.
{ Punc"ta*ted (?), Punc"ta*ted (?), }
a. [From L. punctum point. See Point
.] 1. Pointed; ending in a point or
points.
2. (Nat. Hist.) Dotted with small spots
of color, or with minute depressions or pits.
Punc*ta"tor (?), n. One who marks
with points. specifically, one who writes Hebrew with points; --
applied to a Masorite. E. Robinson.
Punc*tic"u*lar (?), a. Comprised
in, or like, a point; exact. [Obs. & R.] Sir T.
Browne.
Punc"ti*form (?), a. [L. punctum
point + -form.] Having the form of a point.
Punc*til"io (pŭ&nsm;k*t&ibreve;l"y&osl;),
n.; pl. Punctilios (-
yōz). [It. puntiglio, or Sp. puntillo, dim. fr. L.
punctum point. See Point, n.] A
nice point of exactness in conduct, ceremony, or proceeding;
particularity or exactness in forms; as, the punctilios of a
public ceremony.
They will not part with the least punctilio in
their opinions and practices.
Fuller.
Punc*til"ious (-yŭs), a. [Cf. It.
puntiglioso, Sp. puntilloso.] Attentive to
punctilio; very nice or exact in the forms of behavior, etiquette, or
mutual intercourse; precise; exact in the smallest particulars.
"A punctilious observance of divine laws." Rogers. "Very
punctilious copies of any letters." The Nation.
Punctilious in the simple and intelligible
instances of common life.
I. Taylor.
-- Punc*til"ious*ly, adv. --
Punc*til"ious*ness, n.
Punc"tion (?), n. [L. punctio,
fr. pungere, punctum, to prick: cf. F. ponction.
Cf. Puncheon.] A puncturing, or pricking; a
puncture.
Punc"tist (?), n. A
punctator. E. Henderson.
Punc"to (?), n. [See Punto.]
1. A nice point of form or ceremony.
Bacon.
2. A term applied to the point in
fencing. Farrow.
Punc"tu*al (?), a. [F. ponctuel
(cf. Sp. puntual, It. puntuale), from L. punctum
point. See Point.] 1. Consisting in a
point; limited to a point; unextended. [R.] "This
punctual spot." Milton.
The theory of the punctual existence of the
soul.
Krauth.
2. Observant of nice points; punctilious;
precise.
Punctual to tediousness in all that he
relates.
Bp. Burnet.
So much on punctual niceties they
stand.
C. Pitt.
3. Appearing or done at, or adhering exactly
to, a regular or an appointed time; precise; prompt; as, a
punctual man; a punctual payment. "The race of the
undeviating and punctual sun." Cowper.
These sharp strokes [of a pendulum], with their
inexorably steady intersections, so agree with our successive thoughts
that they seem like the punctual stops counting off our very
souls into the past.
J. Martineau.
Punc"tu*al*ist (?), n. One who is
very exact in observing forms and ceremonies.
Milton.
Punc`tu*al"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F.
ponctualité.] The quality or state of being
punctual; especially, adherence to the exact time of an engagement;
exactness.
Punc"tu*al*ly (?), adv. In a
punctual manner; promptly; exactly.
Punc"tu*al*ness, n. Punctuality;
exactness.
Punc"tu*ate (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Punctuated (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Punctuating.] [Cf. F. ponctuer. See
Punctual.] To mark with points; to separate into
sentences, clauses, etc., by points or stops which mark the proper
pauses in expressing the meaning.
Punc`tu*a"tion (?), n. [Cf. F.
ponctuation.] (Gram.) The act or art of punctuating
or pointing a writing or discourse; the art or mode of dividing
literary composition into sentences, and members of a sentence, by
means of points, so as to elucidate the author's meaning.
&fist; Punctuation, as the term is usually understood, is
chiefly performed with four points: the period [.], the
colon [:], the semicolon [;], and the comma [,].
Other points used in writing and printing, partly rhetorical and
partly grammatical, are the note of interrogation [?], the
note of exclamation [!], the parentheses [()], the
dash [--], and brackets []. It was not until the 16th
century that an approach was made to the present system of punctuation
by the Manutii of Venice. With Caxton, oblique strokes took the place
of commas and periods.
Punc"tu*a*tive (?), a. Of or
belonging to points of division; relating to punctuation.
The punctuative intonation of feeble
cadence.
Rush.
Punc"tu*a`tor (?), n. One who
punctuates, as in writing; specifically, a punctator.
Punc"tu*ist, n. A
punctator.
{ Punc"tu*late (?), Punc"tu*la`ted (?), }
a. [L. punctulum, dim. of punctum
point.] Marked with small spots.
The studs have their surface punctulated, as if
set all over with other studs infinitely lesser.
Woodward.
||Punc"tum (?), n. [L., a point.] A
point.
||Punctum cæcum. [L., blind point.]
(Anat.) Same as Blind spot, under Blind.
-- ||Punctum proximum, near point. See under
Point. -- ||Punctum remotum, far
point. See under Point. -- ||Punctum
vegetationis [L., point of vegetation] (Bot.),
the terminal cell of a stem, or of a leaf bud, from which new
growth originates.
Punc`tu*ra"tion (?), n. The act or
process of puncturing. See Acupuncture.
Punc"ture (?), n. [L. punctura,
fr. pungere, punctum, to prick. See Pungent.]
1. The act of puncturing; perforating with
something pointed.
2. A small hole made by a point; a slight
wound, bite, or sting; as, the puncture of a nail, needle, or
pin.
A lion may perish by the puncture of an
asp.
Rambler.
Punc"ture, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Punctured (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Puncturing.] To pierce with a small, pointed instrument,
or the like; to prick; to make a puncture in; as, to puncture
the skin.
Punc"tured (?), a. 1.
Having the surface covered with minute indentations or
dots.
2. (Med.) Produced by puncture; having
the characteristics of a puncture; as, a punctured
wound.
Pun"dit (?), n. [Hind. pandit,
Skr. pandita a learned man.] A learned man; a teacher;
esp., a Brahman versed in the Sanskrit language, and in the science,
laws, and religion of the Hindoos; in Cashmere, any clerk or native
official. [Written also pandit.] [India]
Pun"dle (?), n. [Cf. Bundle.]
A short and fat woman; a squab. [Obs.]
Pu"nese (?), n. [F. punaise, fr.
punais stinking, fr. L. putere.] (Zoöl.)
A bedbug. [R or Obs.]
Pung (?), n. [Etymol. uncertain.] A
kind of plain sleigh drawn by one horse; originally, a rude oblong box
on runners. [U.S.]
Sledges or pungs, coarsely framed of split
saplings, and surmounted with a large crockery crate.
Judd.
They did not take out the pungs to-
day.
E. E. Hale.
Pun"gence (?), n. [See Pungent.]
Pungency.
Pun"gen*cy (?), n. The quality or
state of being pungent or piercing; keenness; sharpness; piquancy; as,
the pungency of ammonia. "The pungency of
menaces." Hammond.
Pun"gent (?), a. [L. pungens,
-entis, p. pr. of pungere, punctum, to prick.
Cf. Compunction, Expunge, Poignant, Point,
n., Puncheon, Punctilio, Punt,
v. t.] 1. Causing a sharp
sensation, as of the taste, smell, or feelings; pricking; biting;
acrid; as, a pungent spice.
Pungent radish biting infant's
tongue.
Shenstone.
The pungent grains of titillating
dust.
Pope.
2. Sharply painful; penetrating; poignant;
severe; caustic; stinging.
With pungent pains on every side.
Swift.
His pungent pen played its part in rousing the
nation.
J. R. Green.
3. (Bot.) Prickly-pointed; hard and
sharp.
Syn. -- Acrid; piercing; sharp; penetrating; acute; keen;
acrimonious; biting; stinging.
Pun"gent*ly, adv. In a pungent
manner; sharply.
Pun"gled (?), a. [Etymol. uncertain.]
Shriveled or shrunken; -- said especially of grain which has lost
its juices from the ravages of insects, such as the wheat midge, or
Trips (Thrips cerealium).
Pung"y (?), n. [Etymol. uncertain.]
A small sloop or shallop, or a large boat with sails.
Pu"nic (?), a. [L. Punicus
pertaining to Carthage, or its inhabitants, fr. Poeni the
Carthaginians.]
1. Of or pertaining to the ancient
Carthaginians.
2. Characteristic of the ancient
Carthaginians; faithless; treacherous; as, Punic
faith.
Yes, yes, his faith attesting nations own;
'T is Punic all, and to a proverb known.
H.
Brooke.
Pu"nice (?), n. (Zoöl.)
See Punese. [Obs. or R.]
Pu"nice, v. t. To punish.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
{ Pu*ni"ceous (?), Pu*ni"cial (?), }
a. [L. puniceus, fr. Punicus Punic.]
Of a bright red or purple color. [R.]
Pu"ni*ness (?), n. The quality or
state of being puny; littleness; pettiness; feebleness.
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.
A greater power
Now ruled him, punished in the shape he sinned.
Milton.
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.
3. To injure, as by beating; to pommel.
[Low]
Syn. -- To chastise; castigate; scourge; whip; lash;
correct; discipline. See Chasten.
Pun"ish*a*ble (?), a. [Cf. F.
punissable.] Deserving of, or liable to, punishment;
capable of being punished by law or right; -- said of person or
offenses.
That time was, when to be a Protestant, to be a
Christian, was by law as punishable as to be a
traitor.
Milton.
-- Pun"ish*a*ble*ness, n.
Pun"ish*er (?), n. One who inflicts
punishment.
Pun"ish*ment (?), n. 1.
The act of punishing.
2. Any pain, suffering, or loss inflicted on a
person because of a crime or offense.
I never gave them condign
punishment.
Shak.
The rewards and punishments of another
life.
Locke.
3. (Law) A penalty inflicted by a court
of justice on a convicted offender as a just retribution, and
incidentally for the purposes of reformation and prevention.
Pu*ni"tion (?), n. [L. punitio:
cf. F. punition. See Punish.] Punishment.
[R.] Mir. for Mag.
Pu"ni*tive (?), a. Of or pertaining
to punishment; involving, awarding, or inflicting punishment; as,
punitive law or justice.
If death be punitive, so, likewise, is the
necessity imposed upon man of toiling for his
subsistence.
I. Taylor.
We shall dread a blow from the punitive
hand.
Bagehot.
Pu"ni*to*ry (?), a. Punishing;
tending to punishment; punitive.
God . . . may make moral evil, as well as natural, at
the same time both prudential and punitory.
A.
Tucker.
Punk (?), n. [Cf. Spunk.]
1. Wood so decayed as to be dry, crumbly, and
useful for tinder; touchwood.
2. A fungus (Polyporus fomentarius,
etc.) sometimes dried for tinder; agaric.
3. An artificial tinder. See Amadou,
and Spunk.
4. A prostitute; a strumpet. [Obsoles.]
Shak.
||Pun"ka (?), n. [Hind.
pankhā fan.] A machine for fanning a room, usually a
movable fanlike frame covered with canvas, and suspended from the
ceiling. It is kept in motion by pulling a cord. [Hindostan]
[Written also punkah.] Malcom.
Pun"kin (?), n. A pumpkin.
[Colloq. U. S.]
Punk"ling (?), n. A young
strumpet. [Obs.]
Pun"ner (?), n. A punster.
Beau. & Fl.
Pun"net (?), n. [Cf. Ir. buinne a
shoot, branch.] A broad, shallow basket, for displaying fruit or
flowers.
Pun*nol"o*gy (?), n. [Pun + -
logy.] The art or practice of punning; paronomasia.
[R.] Pope.
Pun"ster (?), n. One who puns, or
is skilled in, or given to, punning; a quibbler; a low wit.
Punt (?), v. i. [F. ponter, or
It. puntare, fr. L. punctum point. See Point.]
To play at basset, baccara, faro. or omber; to gamble.
She heard . . . of his punting at gaming
tables.
Thackeray.
Punt, n. Act of playing at basset,
baccara, faro, etc.
Punt, n. [AS., fr. L. ponto punt,
pontoon. See Pontoon.] (Naut.) A flat-bottomed boat
with square ends. It is adapted for use in shallow waters.
Punt, v. t. 1. To
propel, as a boat in shallow water, by pushing with a pole against the
bottom; to push or propel (anything) with exertion.
Livingstone.
2. (Football) To kick (the ball) before
it touches the ground, when let fall from the hands.
Punt, n. (Football) The act
of punting the ball.
Punt"er (?), n.[Cf. F. ponte. See
Punt, v. t.] One who punts;
specifically, one who plays against the banker or dealer, as in
baccara and faro. Hoyle.
Punt"er, n. One who punts a
football; also, one who propels a punt.
{ Pun"til (?), Pun"tel (?) },
n. (Glass Making) See
Pontee.
Pun"to (?), n. [It. punto, L.
punctum point. See Point.] (Fencing) A point
or hit.
||Punto diritto [It.], a direct stroke or
hit. -- ||Punto reverso [It. riverso
reverse], a backhanded stroke. Halliwell. "Ah, the
immortal passado! the punto reverso!"
Shak.
Pun"ty (?), n. (Glass Making)
See Pontee.
Pu"ny (?), a. [Compar.
Punier (?); superl. Puniest.] [F.
puîté younger, later born, OF.
puisné; puis afterwards (L. post; see
Post-) + né born, L. natus. See
Natal, and cf. Puisne.] Imperfectly developed in
size or vigor; small and feeble; inferior; petty.
A puny subject strikes at thy great
glory.
Shak.
Breezes laugh to scorn our puny
speed.
Keble.
Pu"ny (?), n. A youth; a
novice. [R.] Fuller.
Puoy (?), n. Same as Poy,
n., 3.
Pup (?), n. [See Puppy.]
(Zoöl.) (a) A young dog; a
puppy. (b) a young seal.
Pup, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Pupped (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pupping.] To bring forth whelps or young, as the female of
the canine species.
Pu"pa (?), n.; pl. L.
Pup&?; (#), E. Pupas (#). [L.
pupa girl. doll, puppet, fem. of pupus. Cf.
Puppet.] 1. (Zoöl.) Any insect
in that stage of its metamorphosis which usually immediately precedes
the adult, or imago, stage.
&fist; Among insects belonging to the higher orders, as the
Hymenoptera, Diptera, Lepidoptera, the pupa is inactive and takes no
food; in the lower orders it is active and takes food, and differs
little from the imago except in the rudimentary state of the sexual
organs, and of the wings in those that have wings when adult. The term
pupa is sometimes applied to other invertebrates in analogous
stages of development.
2. (Zoöl.) A genus of air-
breathing land snails having an elongated spiral shell.
Coarctate, or Obtected,
pupa, a pupa which is incased in the dried-up
skin of the larva, as in many Diptera. -- Masked
pupa, a pupa whose limbs are bound down and partly
concealed by a chitinous covering, as in Lepidoptera.
Pu"pal (?), a. (Zoöl.)
Of or pertaining to a pupa, or the condition of a pupa.
Pu"pate (?), v. i. (Zoöl.)
To become a pupa.
Pu*pa"tion (?), n. (Zoöl.)
the act of becoming a pupa.
Pupe (?), n. [F.] (Zoöl.)
A pupa.
Pu*pe"lo (?), n. Cider
brandy. [Local, U. S.] Bartlett.
Pu*pig"er*ous, a. [Pupa + -
gerous.] (Zoöl.) Bearing or containing a pupa; --
said of dipterous larvæ which do not molt when the pupa is
formed within them.
Pu"pil (?), n. [F. pupille, n.
fem., L. pupilla the pupil of the eye, originally dim. of
pupa a girl. See Puppet, and cf. Pupil a
scholar.] (Anat.) The aperture in the iris; the sight,
apple, or black of the eye. See the Note under Eye, and
Iris.
Pin-hole pupil (Med.), the pupil of
the eye when so contracted (as it sometimes is in typhus, or opium
poisoning) as to resemble a pin hole. Dunglison.
Pu"pil, n. [F. pupille, n. masc.
& fem., L. pupillus, pupilla, dim. of pupus boy,
pupa girl. See Puppet, and cf. Pupil of the eye.]
1. A youth or scholar of either sex under the
care of an instructor or tutor.
Too far in years to be a pupil now.
Shak.
Tutors should behave reverently before their
pupils.
L'Estrange.
2. A person under a guardian; a ward.
Dryden.
3. (Civil Law) A boy or a girl under
the age of puberty, that is, under fourteen if a male, and under
twelve if a female.
Syn. -- Learner; disciple; tyro. -- See Scholar.
Pu"pil*age (?), n. The state of
being a pupil.
As sons of kings, loving in pupilage,
Have turned to tyrants when they came to power.
Tennyson.
Pu`pil*lar"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F.
pupillarité. See Pupillary.] (Scots Law)
The period before puberty, or from birth to fourteen in males,
and twelve in females.
Pu"pil*la*ry (?), a. [L.
pupillaris: cf. F. pupillaire. See Pupil.]
1. Of or pertaining to a pupil or ward.
Johnson.
2. (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the
pupil of the eye.
Pu`pil*lom"e*ter (?), n. [L.
pupilla pupil of the eye + -meter.] (Physiol.)
An instrument for measuring the size of the pupil of the pupil of
the eye.
||Pu*pip"a*ra (?), n. pl. [NL. See
Pupiparous.] (Zoöl.) A division of Diptera in
which the young are born in a stage like the pupa. It includes the
sheep tick, horse tick, and other parasites. Called also
Homaloptera.
Pu*pip"a*rous (?), a. [Pupa + L.
parere to bring forth.] (Zoöl.) (a)
Bearing, or containing, a pupa; -- said of the matured
larvæ, or larval skins, of certain Diptera.
(b) Of or pertaining to the Pupipara.
||Pu*piv"o*ra (?), n. pl. [NL. See
Pupivorous.] (Zoöl.) A group of parasitic
Hymenoptera, including the ichneumon flies, which destroy the
larvæ and pupæ of insects.
Pu*piv"o*rous (?), a. [Pupa + L.
vorare to devour.] (Zoöl.) Feeding on the
pupæ of insects.
Pup"li*can (?), n. Publican.
[Obs.]
Pup"pet (?), n. [OE. popet, OF.
poupette; akin to F. poupée a doll, probably from
L. puppa, pupa, a girl, doll, puppet. Cf.
Poupeton, Pupa, Pupil, Puppy.] [Written
also poppet.] 1. A small image in the
human form; a doll.
2. A similar figure moved by the hand or by a
wire in a mock drama; a marionette; a wooden actor in a
play.
At the pipes of some carved organ move,
The gilded puppets dance.
Pope.
3. One controlled in his action by the will of
another; a tool; -- so used in contempt. Sir W.
Scott.
4. (Mach.) The upright support for the
bearing of the spindle in a lathe.
Puppet master. Same as Puppetman.
-- Puppet play, a puppet show. --
Puppet player, one who manages the motions of
puppets. -- Puppet show, a mock drama
performed by puppets moved by wires. -- Puppet
valve, a valve in the form of a circular disk, which
covers a hole in its seat, and opens by moving bodily away from the
seat while remaining parallel with it, -- used in steam engines,
pumps, safety valves, etc. Its edge is often beveled, and fits in a
conical recess in the seat when the valve is closed. See the valves
shown in Illusts. of Plunger pump, and Safety
valve, under Plunger, and Safety.
Pup"pet*ish (?), a. Resembling a
puppet in appearance or action; of the nature of a puppet.
Pup"pet*man (?), n. A master of a
puppet show.
Pup"pet*ry (?), n. Action or
appearance resembling that of a puppet, or puppet show; hence, mere
form or show; affectation.
Puppetry of the English laws of
divorce.
Chambers.
Pup"py (?), n.; pl.
Puppies (#). [F. poupée doll, puppet.
See Puppet, and cf. Pup, n.]
1. (Zoöl.) The young of a canine
animal, esp. of the common dog; a whelp.
2. A name of contemptuous reproach for a
conceited and impertinent person.
I found my place taken by an ill-bred, awkward
puppy with a money bag under each arm.
Addison.
Pup"py, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Puppied (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Puppying.] To bring forth whelps; to pup.
Pup"py*hood (?), n. The time or
state of being a puppy; the time of being young and
undisciplined.
Pup"py*ish, a. Like a
puppy.
Pup"py*ism (?), n. Extreme
meanness, affectation, conceit, or impudence. A.
Chalmers.
Pur (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Purred (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Purring.] [Of imitative origin; cf. Prov. G. purren.]
To utter a low, murmuring, continued sound, as a cat does when
pleased. [Written also purr.]
Pur, v. t. To signify or express by
purring. Gray.
Pur, n. The low, murmuring sound
made by a cat to express contentment or pleasure. [Written also
purr.]
||Pu*ra"na (?), n. [Skr.
purā&?;, properly. old, ancient, fr. purā
formerly.] One of a class of sacred Hindoo poetical works in the
Sanskrit language which treat of the creation, destruction, and
renovation of worlds, the genealogy and achievements of gods and
heroes, the reigns of the Manus, and the transactions of their
descendants. The principal Puranas are eighteen in number, and there
are the same number of supplementary books called Upa
Puranas.
Pu*ran"ic (?), a. Pertaining to the
Puranas.
Pur"beck beds` (?). [So called from the Isle of
Purbeck in England.] (Geol.) The strata of the
Purbeck stone, or Purbeck limestone, belonging to the Oölitic
group. See the Chart of Geology.
Pur"beck stone` (?). (Geol.) A limestone from
the Isle of Purbeck in England.
Pur"blind` (?), a. [For pure-
blind, i. e., wholly blind. See Pure, and cf.
Poreblind.] 1. Wholly blind.
"Purblind Argus, all eyes and no sight." Shak.
2. Nearsighted, or dim-sighted; seeing
obscurely; as, a purblind eye; a purblind
mole.
The saints have not so sharp eyes to see down from
heaven; they be purblindand sand-blind.
Latimer.
O purblind race of miserable men.
Tennyson.
-- Pur"blind`ly, adv. --
Pur"blind`ness, n.
Purce"lane (?), n. (Bot.)
Purslane. [Obs.]
Pur"chas*a*ble (?), a. Capable of
being bought, purchased, or obtained for a consideration; hence,
venal; corrupt.
Money being the counterbalance to all things
purchasable by it, as much as you take off from the value of
money, so much you add to the price of things exchanged.
Locke.
Pur"chase (?; 48), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Purchased (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Purchasing.] [OE. purchasen,
porchacen, OF. porchacier, purchacier, to pursue,
to seek eagerly, F. pourchasser; OF. pour, por,
pur, for (L. pro) + chacier to pursue, to chase.
See Chase.] 1. To pursue and obtain; to
acquire by seeking; to gain, obtain, or acquire.
Chaucer.
That loves the thing he can not
purchase.
Spenser.
Your accent is Something finer than you could
purchase in so removed a dwelling.
Shak.
His faults . . . hereditary
Rather than purchased.
Shak.
2. To obtain by paying money or its
equivalent; to buy for a price; as, to purchase land, or a
house.
The field which Abraham purchased of the sons of
Heth.
Gen. xxv. 10.
3. To obtain by any outlay, as of labor,
danger, or sacrifice, etc.; as, to purchase favor with
flattery.
One poor retiring minute . . .
Would purchase thee a thousand thousand friends.
Shak.
A world who would not purchase with a
bruise?
Milton.
4. To expiate by a fine or forfeit.
[Obs.]
Not tears nor prayers shall purchase out
abuses.
Shak.
5. (Law) (a) To acquire
by any means except descent or inheritance. Blackstone.
(b) To buy for a price.
6. To apply to (anything) a device for
obtaining a mechanical advantage; to get a purchase upon, or apply a
purchase to; as, to purchase a cannon.
Pur"chase, v. i. 1.
To put forth effort to obtain anything; to strive; to exert one's
self. [Obs.]
Duke John of Brabant purchased greatly that the
Earl of Flanders should have his daughter in marriage.
Ld. Berners.
2. To acquire wealth or property.
[Obs.]
Sure our lawyers
Would not purchase half so fast.
J.
Webster.
Pur"chase (?; 48), n. [OE.
purchds, F. pourchas eager pursuit. See Purchase,
v. t.] 1. The act of seeking,
getting, or obtaining anything. [Obs.]
I'll . . . get meat to have thee,
Or lose my life in the purchase.
Beau. &
Fl.
2. The act of seeking and acquiring
property.
3. The acquisition of title to, or properly
in, anything for a price; buying for money or its
equivalent.
It is foolish to lay out money in the purchase
of repentance.
Franklin.
4. That which is obtained, got, or acquired,
in any manner, honestly or dishonestly; property; possession;
acquisition. Chaucer. B. Jonson.
We met with little purchase upon this coast,
except two small vessels of Golconda.
De Foe.
A beauty-waning and distressed widow . . .
Made prize and purchase of his lustful eye.
Shak.
5. That which is obtained for a price in money
or its equivalent. "The scrip was complete evidence of his right
in the purchase." Wheaton.
6. Any mechanical hold, or advantage, applied
to the raising or removing of heavy bodies, as by a lever, a tackle,
capstan, and the like; also, the apparatus, tackle, or device by which
the advantage is gained.
A politician, to do great things, looks for a power --
what our workmen call a purchase.
Burke.
7. (Law) Acquisition of lands or
tenements by other means than descent or inheritance, namely, by one's
own act or agreement. Blackstone.
Purchase criminal, robbery. [Obs.]
Spenser. -- Purchase money, the money
paid, or contracted to be paid, for anything bought.
Berkeley. -- Worth, or At, [so many]
years' purchase, a phrase by which the value or cost of
a thing is expressed in the length of time required for the income to
amount to the purchasing price; as, he bought the estate at a twenty
years' purchase. To say one's life is not worth a day's
purchase in the same as saying one will not live a day, or is in
imminent peril.
Pur"chas*er (?), n. 1.
One who purchases; one who acquires property for a consideration,
generally of money; a buyer; a vendee.
2. (Law) One who acquires an estate in
lands by his own act or agreement, or who takes or obtains an estate
by any means other than by descent or inheritance.
Pur"dah (?), n. [Per. parda a
curtain.] A curtain or screen; also, a cotton fabric in blue and
white stripes, used for curtains. McElrath.
Pure (?), a. [Compar.
Purer (?); superl. Purest.] [OE.
pur, F. pur, fr. L. purus; akin to putus
pure, clear, putare to clean, trim, prune, set in order,
settle, reckon, consider, think, Skr. p&?; to clean, and perh.
E. fire. Cf. Putative.] 1.
Separate from all heterogeneous or extraneous matter; free from
mixture or combination; clean; mere; simple; unmixed; as, pure
water; pure clay; pure air; pure
compassion.
The pure fetters on his shins
great.
Chaucer.
A guinea is pure gold if it has in it no
alloy.
I. Watts.
2. Free from moral defilement or quilt; hence,
innocent; guileless; chaste; -- applied to persons. "Keep
thyself pure." 1 Tim. v. 22.
Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a
pure heart, and of a good conscience.
1 Tim. i.
5.
3. Free from that which harms, vitiates,
weakens, or pollutes; genuine; real; perfect; -- applied to things and
actions. "Pure religion and impartial laws."
Tickell. "The pure, fine talk of Rome."
Ascham.
Such was the origin of a friendship as warm and
pure as any that ancient or modern history
records.
Macaulay.
4. (Script.) Ritually clean; fitted for
holy services.
Thou shalt set them in two rows, six on a row, upon the
pure table before the Lord.
Lev. xxiv.
6.
5. (Phonetics) Of a single, simple
sound or tone; -- said of some vowels and the unaspirated
consonants.
Pure-impure, completely or totally
impure. "The inhabitants were pure-impure pagans."
Fuller. -- Pure blue. (Chem.) See
Methylene blue, under Methylene. -- Pure
chemistry. See under Chemistry. --
Pure mathematics, that portion of mathematics
which treats of the principles of the science, or contradistinction to
applied mathematics, which treats of the application of the
principles to the investigation of other branches of knowledge, or to
the practical wants of life. See Mathematics. Davies &
Peck (Math. Dict. ) -- Pure villenage (Feudal
Law), a tenure of lands by uncertain services at the will of
the lord. Blackstone.
Syn. -- Unmixed; clear; simple; real; true; genuine;
unadulterated; uncorrupted; unsullied; untarnished; unstained;
stainless; clean; fair; unspotted; spotless; incorrupt; chaste;
unpolluted; undefiled; immaculate; innocent; guiltless; guileless;
holy.
Pured (?), a. Purified;
refined. [Obs.] "Bread of pured wheat." "Pured
gold." Chaucer.
||Pu`rée" (?), n. [F.] A
dish made by boiling any article of food to a pulp and rubbing it
through a sieve; as, a purée of fish, or of potatoes;
especially, a soup the thickening of which is so treated.
Pure"ly (?), adv. 1.
In a pure manner (in any sense of the adjective).
2. Nicely; prettily. [Archaic]
Halliwell.
Pure"ness, n. The state of being
pure (in any sense of the adjective).
Pur"file (?), n. [See Purfle.]
A sort of ancient trimming of tinsel and thread for women's
gowns; -- called also bobbinwork. [Obs.] Piers
Plowman.
Pur"fle (?), v. t. [OF.
pourfiler; pour for + fil a thread, L.
filum. See Profile, and cf. Purl a border.]
1. To decorate with a wrought or flowered border;
to embroider; to ornament with metallic threads; as, to purfle
with blue and white. P. Plowman.
A goodly lady clad in scarlet red,
Purfled with gold and pearl of rich assay.
Spenser.
2. (Her.) To ornament with a bordure of
emines, furs, and the like; also, with gold studs or
mountings.
{ Pur"fle (?), Pur"flew (?), }
n. 1. A hem, border., or
trimming, as of embroidered work.
2. (Her.) A border of any heraldic
fur.
Pur"fled (?), a. Ornamented;
decorated; esp., embroidered on the edges.
Purfled work (Arch.), delicate
tracery, especially in Gothic architecture.
Pur"fling (?), n. Ornamentation on
the border of a thing; specifically, the inlaid border of a musical
instrument, as a violin.
Pur"ga*ment (?), n. [L.
purgamentum offscourings, washings, expiatory sacrifice. See
Purge.] 1. That which is excreted;
excretion. [Obs.]
2. (Med.) A cathartic; a
purgative. [Obs.] Bacon.
Pur*ga"tion (?), n. [L. purgatio:
cf. F. purgation. See Purge.] 1.
The act of purging; the act of clearing, cleansing, or putifying,
by separating and carrying off impurities, or whatever is superfluous;
the evacuation of the bowels.
2. (Law) The clearing of one's self
from a crime of which one was publicly suspected and accused. It was
either canonical, which was prescribed by the canon law, the
form whereof used in the spiritual court was, that the person
suspected take his oath that he was clear of the matter objected
against him, and bring his honest neighbors with him to make oath that
they believes he swore truly; or vulgar, which was by fire or
water ordeal, or by combat. See Ordeal.
Wharton.
Let him put me to my purgation.
Shak.
Pur"ga*tive (?), a. [L.
purgativus: cf. F. purgatif.] Having the power or
quality of purging; cathartic. -- n.
(Med.) A purging medicine; a cathartic.
Pur"ga*tive*ly, adv. In a purgative
manner.
{ Pur`ga*to"ri*al (?), Pur`ga*to"ri*an (?), }
a. Of or pertaining to purgatory;
expiatory.
Pur`ga*to"ri*an, n. One who holds
to the doctrine of purgatory. Boswell.
Pur"ga*to*ry (?), a. [L.
purgatorius.] Tending to cleanse; cleansing;
expiatory. Burke.
Pur"ga*to*ry, n. [Cf. F.
purgatoire.] A state or place of purification after death;
according to the Roman Catholic creed, a place, or a state believed to
exist after death, in which the souls of persons are purified by
expiating such offenses committed in this life as do not merit eternal
damnation, or in which they fully satisfy the justice of God for sins
that have been forgiven. After this purgation from the impurities of
sin, the souls are believed to be received into heaven.
Purge (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Purged (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Purging (?).] [F. purger, L. purgare;
purus pure + agere to make, to do. See Pure, and
Agent.] 1. To cleanse, clear, or purify by
separating and carrying off whatever is impure, heterogeneous,
foreign, or superfluous. "Till fire purge all things
new." Milton.
2. (Med.) To operate on as, or by means
of, a cathartic medicine, or in a similar manner.
3. To clarify; to defecate, as
liquors.
4. To clear of sediment, as a boiler, or of
air, as a steam pipe, by driving off or permitting escape.
5. To clear from guilt, or from moral or
ceremonial defilement; as, to purge one of guilt or
crime.
When that he hath purged you from
sin.
Chaucer.
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be
clean.
Ps. li. 7.
6. (Law) To clear from accusation, or
the charge of a crime or misdemeanor, as by oath or in
ordeal.
7. To remove in cleansing; to deterge; to wash
away; -- often followed by away.
Purge away our sins, for thy name's
sake.
Ps. lxxix. 9.
We 'll join our cares to purge away
Our country's crimes.
Addison.
Purge, v. i. 1. To
become pure, as by clarification.
2. To have or produce frequent evacuations
from the intestines, as by means of a cathartic.
Purge, n. [Cf. F. purge. See
Purge, v. t.] 1. The act
of purging.
The preparative for the purge of paganism of the
kingdom of Northumberland.
Fuller.
2. That which purges; especially, a medicine
that evacuates the intestines; a cathartic.
Arbuthnot.
Pur"ger (?), n. One who, or that
which, purges or cleanses; especially, a cathartic medicine.
Pur"ger*y (?), n. The part of a
sugarhouse where the molasses is drained off from the sugar.
Pur"ging (?), a. That purges;
cleansing.
Purging flax (Bot.), an annual
European plant of the genus Linum (L. catharticum);
dwarf wild flax; -- so called from its use as a cathartic
medicine.
Pur"ging, n. (Med.) The act
of cleansing; excessive evacuations; especially, diarrhea.
Pur"i (?), n. (Chem.) See
Euxanthin.
Pu`ri*fi*ca"tion (?), n. [F.
purification, L. purificatio. See Purify.]
1. The act of purifying; the act or operation of
separating and removing from anything that which is impure or noxious,
or heterogeneous or foreign to it; as, the purification of
liquors, or of metals.
2. The act or operation of cleansing
ceremonially, by removing any pollution or defilement.
When the days of her purification according to
the law of Moses were accomplished.
Luke ii.
22.
3. A cleansing from guilt or the pollution of
sin; the extinction of sinful desires, appetites, and
inclinations.
Pu"ri*fi*ca*tive (?), a. [Cf. F.
purificatif.] Having power to purify; tending to
cleanse. [R.]
Pu"ri*fi*ca`tor (?), n. One who, or
that which, purifies; a purifier.
Pu*rif"i*ca*to*ry (?), a. [L.
purificatorius.] Serving or tending to purify;
purificative.
Pu"ri*fi`er (?), n. One who, or
that which, purifies or cleanses; a cleanser; a refiner.
Pu"ri*form (pū"r&ibreve;*fôrm),
a. [L. pus, puris, pus + -form:
cf. F. puriforme.] (Med.) In the form of
pus.
Pu"ri*fy (-fī), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Purified (?); p. pr. &
vb. n. Purifying (?).] [F. purifier, L.
purificare; purus pure + -ficare (in comp.) to
make. See Pure, and -fy.] 1. To
make pure or clear from material defilement, admixture, or
imperfection; to free from extraneous or noxious matter; as, to
purify liquors or metals; to purify the blood; to
purify the air.
2. Hence, in figurative uses:
(a) To free from guilt or moral defilement; as, to
purify the heart.
And fit them so
Purified to receive him pure.
Milton.
(b) To free from ceremonial or legal
defilement.
And Moses took the blood, and put it upon the horns of
the altar, . . . and purified the altar.
Lev.
viii. 15.
Purify both yourselves and your
captives.
Num. xxxi. 19.
(c) To free from improprieties or barbarisms;
as, to purify a language. Sprat.
Pu"ri*fy, v. i. To grow or become
pure or clear.
||Pu"rim (?), n. [Heb. pūr,
pl. pūrīm, a lot.] A Jewish festival, called
also the Feast of Lots, instituted to commemorate the deliverance of
the Jews from the machinations of Haman. Esther ix.
26.
Pur"ism (?), n. [Cf. F. purisme.]
Rigid purity; the quality of being affectedly pure or nice,
especially in the choice of language; over-solicitude as to
purity. "His political purism." De Quincey.
The English language, however, . . . had even already
become too thoroughly and essentially a mixed tongue for his doctrine
of purism to be admitted to the letter.
Craik.
Pur"ist, n. [Cf. F. puriste.]
1. One who aims at excessive purity or nicety,
esp. in the choice of language.
He [Fox] . . . purified vocabulary with a scrupulosity
unknown to any purist.
Macaulay.
2. One who maintains that the New Testament
was written in pure Greek. M. Stuart.
{ Pu*ris"tic (?), Pu*ris"tic*al (?), }
a. Of or pertaining to purists or
purism.
Pu"ri*tan (?), n. [From Purity.]
1. (Eccl. Hist.) One who, in the time of
Queen Elizabeth and the first two Stuarts, opposed traditional and
formal usages, and advocated simpler forms of faith and worship than
those established by law; -- originally, a term of reproach. The
Puritans formed the bulk of the early population of New
England.
&fist; The Puritans were afterward distinguished as
Political Puritans, Doctrinal Puritans, and Puritans
in Discipline. Hume.
2. One who is scrupulous and strict in his
religious life; -- often used reproachfully or in contempt; one who
has overstrict notions.
She would make a puritan of the
devil.
Shak.
Pu"ri*tan, a. Of or pertaining to
the Puritans; resembling, or characteristic of, the
Puritans.
{ Pu`ri*tan"ic (?), Pu`ri*tan"ic*al (?), }
a. 1. Of or pertaining to the
Puritans, or to their doctrines and practice.
2. Precise in observance of legal or religious
requirements; strict; overscrupulous; rigid; -- often used by way of
reproach or contempt.
Paritanical circles, from which plays and novels
were strictly excluded.
Macaulay.
He had all the puritanic traits, both good and
evil.
Hawthorne.
Pu`ri*tan"ic*al*ly, adv. In a
puritanical manner.
Pu"ri*tan*ism (?), n. The
doctrines, notions, or practice of Puritans.
Pu"ri*tan*ize (?), v. i. [imp. &
p. p. Puritanized (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Puritanizing (?).] To agree with, or teach,
the doctrines of Puritans; to conform to the practice of
Puritans. Bp. Montagu.
Pu"ri*ty (?), n. [OE. purete,
purte, OF. purté, F. pureté, from
L. puritas, fr. purus pure. See Pure.] The
condition of being pure. Specifically: (a)
freedom from foreign admixture or deleterious matter; as, the
purity of water, of wine, of drugs, of metals.
(b) Cleanness; freedom from foulness or
dirt. "The purity of a linen vesture." Holyday.
(c) Freedom from guilt or the defilement of sin;
innocence; chastity; as, purity of heart or of life.
(d) Freedom from any sinister or improper motives
or views. (e) Freedom from foreign idioms,
or from barbarous or improper words or phrases; as, purity of
style.
Pur"kin*je's cells` (?). [From J. E. Purkinje,
their discoverer.] (Anat.) Large ganglion cells forming a
layer near the surface of the cerebellum.
Purl (?), v. t. [Contr. fr.
purfile, purfle. See Purfle.] To decorate
with fringe or embroidery. "Nature's cradle more enchased and
purled." B. Jonson.
Purl, n. 1. An
embroidered and puckered border; a hem or fringe, often of gold or
silver twist; also, a pleat or fold, as of a band.
A triumphant chariot made of carnation velvet, enriched
withpurl and pearl.
Sir P. Sidney.
2. An inversion of stitches in knitting, which
gives to the work a ribbed or waved appearance.
Purl stitch. Same as Purl,
n., 2.
Purl, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Purled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Purling.] [Cf. Sw. porla, and E. pur to murmur as
a cat.] 1. To run swiftly round, as a small
stream flowing among stones or other obstructions; to eddy; also, to
make a murmuring sound, as water does in running over or through
obstructions.
Swift o'er the rolling pebbles, down the hills,
Louder and louder purl the falling rills.
Pope.
2. [Perh. fr. F. perler to pearl, to bead.
See Pearl, v. & n.] To rise in circles,
ripples, or undulations; to curl; to mantle.
thin winding breath which purled up to the
sky.
Shak.
Purl, n. [See 3d Purl.]
1. A circle made by the notion of a fluid; an
eddy; a ripple.
Whose stream an easy breath doth seem to blow,
Which on the sparkling gravel runs in purles,
As though the waves had been of silver curls.
Drayton.
2. A gentle murmur, as that produced by the
running of a liquid among obstructions; as, the purl of a
brook.
3. [Perh. from F. perler, v. See
Purl to mantle.] Malt liquor, medicated or spiced;
formerly, ale or beer in which wormwood or other bitter herbs had been
infused, and which was regarded as tonic; at present, hot beer mixed
with gin, sugar, and spices. "Drank a glass of purl to
recover appetite." Addison. "Drinking hot purl, and
smoking pipes." Dickens.
4. (Zoöl.) A tern. [Prov.
Eng.]
Pur"lieu (?), n. [Corrupted (by
influence of lieu place) fr. OF. puralée,
poralée (equiv. to LL. perambulatio a survey of
boundaries, originally, a going through); por (L. pro,
confused, however, with L. per through) + alée.
See Pro-, and Alley.] [Written also pourlieu.]
1. Originally, the ground near a royal forest,
which, having been unlawfully added to the forest, was afterwards
severed from it, and disafforested so as to remit to the former owners
their rights.
Then as a tiger, who by chance hath spied
In some purlieu two gentle fawns at play.
Milton.
2. Hence, the outer portion of any place; an
adjacent district; environs; neighborhood. "The purlieus
of St. James."
brokers had been incessantly plying for custom in the
purlieus of the court.
Macaulay.
{ Pur"lin, Pur"line } (?), n.
[Etymol. uncertain.] (Arch.) In root construction, a
horizontal member supported on the principals and supporting the
common rafters.
Purl"ing (?), n. [See 3d Purl.]
The motion of a small stream running among obstructions; also,
the murmur it makes in so doing.
Pur*loin" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Purloined (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Purloining.] [OF. purloignier, porloignier, to
retard, delay; pur, por, pour, for (L.
pro) + loin far, far off (L. longe). See
Prolong, and cf. Eloign.] To take or carry away for
one's self; hence, to steal; to take by theft; to filch.
Had from his wakeful custody purloined
The guarded gold.
Milton.
when did the muse from Fletcher scenes purloin
?
Dryden.
Pur*loin", v. i. To practice theft;
to steal. Titus ii. 10.
Pur*loin"er (?), n. One who
purloins. Swift.
Pur"par`ty (?), n. [OF.
pourpartie; pour for + partie a part; cf. OF.
purpart a respective part.] (Law) A share, part, or
portion of an estate allotted to a coparcener. [Written also
purpart, and pourparty.]
I am forced to eat all the game of your
purparties, as well as my own thirds.
Walpole.
Pur"ple (?), n.; pl.
Purples (#). [OE. purpre, pourpre, OF.
purpre, porpre, pourpre, F. pourpre, L.
purpura purple fish, purple dye, fr. Gr. &?; the purple fish, a
shell from the purple dye was obtained, purple dye; cf. &?; dark (said
of the sea), purple, &?; to grow dark (said of the sea), to be
troubled; perh. akin to L. furere to rage, E. fury: cf.
AS. purpure. Cf. Porphyry, Purpure.]
1. A color formed by, or resembling that formed
by, a combination of the primary colors red and blue.
Arraying with reflected purple and gold
The clouds that on his western throne attend.
Milton.
&fist; The ancient words which are translated purple are
supposed to have been used for the color we call crimson. In
the gradations of color as defined in art, purple is a mixture
of red and blue. When red predominates it is called violet, and
when blue predominates, hyacinth.
2. Cloth dyed a purple color, or a garment of
such color; especially, a purple robe, worn as an emblem of rank or
authority; specifically, the purple rode or mantle worn by Roman
emperors as the emblem of imperial dignity; as, to put on the imperial
purple.
Thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of
fine twined linen, and purple, and scarlet.
Ex.
xxvi. 1.
3. Hence: Imperial sovereignty; royal rank,
dignity, or favor; loosely and colloquially, any exalted station;
great wealth. "He was born in the purple."
Gibbon.
4. A cardinalate. See
Cardinal.
5. (Zoöl.) Any species of large
butterflies, usually marked with purple or blue, of the genus
Basilarchia (formerly Limenitis) as, the banded
purple (B. arthemis). See Illust. under
Ursula.
6. (Zoöl.) Any shell of the genus
Purpura.
7. pl.(Med.) See
Purpura.
8. pl. A disease of wheat. Same as
Earcockle.
&fist; Purple is sometimes used in composition, esp. with
participles forming words of obvious signification; as, purple-
colored, purple-hued, purple-stained, purple-
tinged, purple-tinted, and the like.
French purple. (Chem.) Same as
Cudbear. -- Purple of Cassius. See
Cassius. -- Purple of mollusca
(Zoöl.), a coloring matter derived from certain
mollusks, which dyes wool, etc., of a purple or crimson color, and is
supposed to be the substance of the famous Tyrian dye. It is obtained
from Ianthina, and from several species of Purpura, and Murex. --
To be born in the purple, to be of princely
birth; to be highborn.
Pur"ple, a. 1.
Exhibiting or possessing the color called purple, much esteemed
for its richness and beauty; of a deep red, or red and blue color; as,
a purple robe.
2. Imperial; regal; -- so called from the
color having been an emblem of imperial authority.
Hide in the dust thy purple pride.
Shelley.
3. Blood-red; bloody.
May such purple tears be alway
shed.
Shak.
I view a field of blood,
And Tiber rolling with a purple blood.
Dryden.
Purple bird (Zoöl.), the European
purple gallinule. See under Gallinule. -- Purple
copper ore. (Min.) See Bornite. --
Purple grackle (Zoöl.), the crow
blackbird. See under Crow. -- Purple
martin. See under Martin. -- Purple
sandpiper. See under Sandpiper. --
Purple shell. See Ianthina.
Pur"ple (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Purpled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Purpling.] To make purple; to dye of purple or deep red
color; as, hands purpled with blood.
When morn
Purples the east.
Milton.
Reclining soft in blissful bowers,
Purpled sweet with springing flowers.
Fenton.
Pur"ple*heart` (?), n. (Bot.)
A strong, durable, and elastic wood of a purplish color, obtained
from several tropical American leguminous trees of the genus
Copaifera (Copaifera pubiflora, Copaifera
bracteata, and Copaifera officinalis). Used for
decorative veneering. See Copaiba.
Pur"ple*wood` (?), n. Same as
Purpleheart.
Pur"plish (?), a. Somewhat
purple. Boyle.
Pur"port (?), n. [OF. purport;
pur, pour, for (L. pro) + porter to bear,
carry. See Port demeanor.]
1. Design or tendency; meaning; import;
tenor.
The whole scope and purport of that dialogue.
Norris.
With a look so piteous in purport
As if he had been loosed out of hell.
Shak.
2. Disguise; covering. [Obs.]
For she her sex under that strange purport
Did use to hide.
Spenser.
Pur"port, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Purported; p. pr. & vb. n.
Purporting.] [OF. purporter, pourporter. See
Purport, n.] To intend to show; to
intend; to mean; to signify; to import; -- often with an object clause
or infinitive.
They in most grave and solemn wise unfolded
Matter which little purported.
Rowe.
Pur"port*less, a. Without purport
or meaning.
Pur"pose (?), n. [OF. purpos,
pourpos, propos, L. propositum. See
Propound.] 1. That which a person sets
before himself as an object to be reached or accomplished; the end or
aim to which the view is directed in any plan, measure, or exertion;
view; aim; design; intention; plan.
He will his firste purpos modify.
Chaucer.
As my eternal purpose hath decreed.
Milton.
The flighty purpose never is o'ertook
Unless the deed go with it.
Shak.
2. Proposal to another; discourse.
[Obs.] Spenser.
3. Instance; example. [Obs.]
L'Estrange.
In purpose, Of purpose,
On purpose, with previous design; with the mind
directed to that object; intentionally. On purpose is the form
now generally used.
Syn. -- design; end; intention; aim. See Design.
Pur"pose, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Purposed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Purposing.] [OF. purposer, proposer. See
Propose.] 1. To set forth; to bring
forward. [Obs.]
2. To propose, as an aim, to one's self; to
determine upon, as some end or object to be accomplished; to intend;
to design; to resolve; -- often followed by an infinitive or dependent
clause. Chaucer.
Did nothing purpose against the
state.
Shak.
I purpose to write the history of England from
the accession of King James the Second down to a time which is within
the memory of men still living.
Macaulay.
Pur"pose, v. i. To have a purpose
or intention; to discourse. [Obs.] Spenser.
Pur"posed*ly (?), adv. In a
purposed manner; according to purpose or design; purposely.
A poem composed purposedly of the Trojan war.
Holland.
Pur"pose*ful (?), a. Important;
material. "Purposeful accounts." Tylor. --
Pur"pose*ful*ly, adv.
Pur"pose*less, a. Having no purpose
or result; objectless. Bp. Hall. --
Pur"pose*less*ness, n.
Pur"pose*ly, adv. With purpose or
design; intentionally; with predetermination; designedly.
In composing this discourse, I purposely
declined all offensive and displeasing truths.
Atterbury.
So much they scorn the crowd, that if the throng
By chance go right, they purposely go wrong.
Pope.
Pur"pos*er (?), n. 1.
One who brings forward or proposes anything; a proposer.
[Obs.]
2. One who forms a purpose; one who
intends.
Pur"po*sive (?), a. Having or
indicating purpose or design. "Purposive characters."
Bastian.
Purposive modification of structure in a
bone.
Owen.
It is impossible that the frog should perform actions
morepurposive than these.
Huxley.
Pur"pre (?), n. & a. Purple.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
Pur*pres"ture (?), n. [Probably
corrupted (see Prest) fr. OF. pourprisure, fr.
pourprendre: cf. LL. purprestura. Cf. Purprise.]
(Law) Wrongful encroachment upon another's property; esp.,
any encroachment upon, or inclosure of, that which should be common or
public, as highways, rivers, harbors, forts, etc. [Written also
pourpresture.]
Pur"prise (?), n. [OF.
pourpris,fr. pourprendre to take away entirely;
pour for + prendre to take.] A close or inclosure;
the compass of a manor. Bacon.
||Pur"pu*ra (?), n. [L., purple, purple
fish: cf. F. purpura. See Purple.] 1.
(Med.) A disease characterized by livid spots on the skin
from extravasated blood, with loss of muscular strength, pain in the
limbs, and mental dejection; the purples. Dunglison.
2. (Zoöl.) A genus of marine
gastropods, usually having a rough and thick shell. Some species yield
a purple dye.
Pur"pu*rate (?), a. Of or
pertaining to purpura.
Pur"pu*rate, n. (Chem.) A
salt of purpuric acid.
Pur"pure (?), n. [L. purpura
purple. See Purple.] (Her.) Purple, -- represented
in engraving by diagonal lines declining from the right top to the
left base of the escutcheon (or from sinister chief to dexter
base).
Pur*pu"re*al (?), a. Of a purple
color; purple.
Pur*pu"re*o- (?). A combining form signifying of a
purple or purple-red color. Specif. (Chem.), used in
designating certain brilliant purple-red compounds of cobaltic
chloride and ammonia, similar to the roseocobaltic compounds. See
Cobaltic.
Pur*pu"ric (?), a. [Cf. F.
purpurique.]
1. (Med.) Of or pertaining to
purpura. Dunglison.
2. (Chem.) Pertaining to or
designating, a nitrogenous acid contained in uric acid. It is not
known in the pure state, but forms well-known purple-red compounds (as
murexide), whence its name.
&fist; Purpuric acid was formerly used to designate murexan.
See Murexan.
Pur"pu*rin (?), n. (Chem.) A
dyestuff resembling alizarin, found in madder root, and extracted as
an orange or red crystalline substance.
Pur`pu*rip"a*rous (?), a. [L.
purpura purple + parere to produce.] (Biol.)
Producing, or connected with, a purple-colored secretion; as, the
purpuriparous gland of certain gastropods.
Pur`pu*rog"e*nous (?), a. [L.
purpura purple + -genous.] (Biol.) Having
the power to produce a purple color; as, the purpurogenous
membrane, or choroidal epithelium, of the eye. See Visual
purple, under Visual.
Purr (?), v. i. & t. To murmur as a
cat. See Pur.
Purr, n. The low murmuring sound
made by a cat; pur. See Pur.
Purre (?), n. (Zoöl.)
The dunlin. [Prov. Eng.]
Pur"ree (?), n. [Hind. peori
yellow.] (Chem.) A yellow coloring matter. See
Euxanthin.
Pur"rock (?), n. See
Puddock, and Parrock.
Purse (?), n. [OE. purs,
pors, OF. burse, borse, bourse, F.
bourse, LL. bursa, fr. Gr. &?; hide, skin, leather. Cf.
Bourse, Bursch, Bursar, Buskin.]
1. A small bag or pouch, the opening of which is
made to draw together closely, used to carry money in; by extension,
any receptacle for money carried on the person; a wallet; a
pocketbook; a portemonnaie. Chaucer.
Who steals my purse steals trash.
Shak.
2. Hence, a treasury; finances; as, the public
purse.
3. A sum of money offered as a prize, or
collected as a present; as, to win the purse; to make up a
purse.
4. A specific sum of money; as:
(a) In Turkey, the sum of 500 piasters.
(b) In Persia, the sum of 50 tomans.
Light purse, or Empty purse,
poverty or want of resources. -- Long
purse, or Heavy purse, wealth;
riches. -- Purse crab (Zoöl.),
any land crab of the genus Birgus, allied to the hermit
crabs. They sometimes weigh twenty pounds or more, and are very
strong, being able to crack cocoanuts with the large claw. They
chiefly inhabit the tropical islands of the Pacific and Indian Oceans,
living in holes and feeding upon fruit. Called also palm
crab. -- Purse net, a fishing net, the
mouth of which may be closed or drawn together like a purse.
Mortimer. -- Purse pride, pride of money;
insolence proceeding from the possession of wealth. Bp.
Hall. -- Purse rat. (Zoöl.) See
Pocket gopher, under Pocket. -- Sword and
purse, the military power and financial resources of a
nation.
Purse, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pursed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pursing.] 1. To put into a
purse.
I will go and purse the ducats
straight.
Shak.
2. To draw up or contract into folds or
wrinkles, like the mouth of a purse; to pucker; to knit.
Thou . . . didst contract and purse thy
brow.
Shak.
Purse, v. i. To steal purses; to
rob. [Obs. & R.]
I'll purse: . . . I'll bet at bowling
alleys.
Beau. & Fl.
Purse"ful (?), n.; pl.
Pursefuls (&?;). All that is, or can be,
contained in a purse; enough to fill a purse.
Purse"-proud` (?), a. Affected with
purse pride; puffed up with the possession of riches.
Purs"er (?), n. [See Purse, and
cf. Bursar.]
1. (Naut.) A commissioned officer in
the navy who had charge of the provisions, clothing, and public moneys
on shipboard; -- now called paymaster.
2. A clerk on steam passenger vessels whose
duty it is to keep the accounts of the vessels, such as the receipt of
freight, tickets, etc.
3. Colloquially, any paymaster or
cashier.
Purser's name (Naut.), a false
name. [Slang]
Purs"er*ship, n. The office of
purser. Totten.
Purs"et (?), n. A purse or purse
net. B. Jonson.
Pur"si*ness (?), n. State of being
pursy.
Pur"sive (?), a. Pursy.
[Obs.] Holland.
Pur"sive*ness, n. Pursiness.
[Obs. & R.]
Purs"lain (?), n. Same as
Purslane.
Purs"lane (?), n. [OF.
porcelaine, pourcelaine (cf. It. porcellana),
corrupted fr. L. porcilaca for portulaca.] (Bot.)
An annual plant (Portulaca oleracea), with fleshy,
succulent, obovate leaves, sometimes used as a pot herb and for
salads, garnishing, and pickling.
Flowering purslane, or Great flowered
purslane, the Portulaca grandiflora. See
Portulaca. -- Purslane tree, a South
African shrub (Portulacaria Afra) with many small opposite
fleshy obovate leaves. -- Sea purslane, a
seashore plant (Arenaria peploides) with crowded opposite
fleshy leaves. -- Water purslane, an
aquatic plant (Ludwiqia palustris) but slightly resembling
purslane.
Pur*su"a*ble (?), a. Capable of
being, or fit to be, pursued, followed, or prosecuted.
Sherwood.
Pur*su"al (?), n. The act of
pursuit. [R.]
Pur*su"ance (?), n. [See
Pursuant.] 1. The act of pursuing or
prosecuting; a following out or after.
Sermons are not like curious inquiries after new
nothings, but pursuances of old truths.
Jer.
Taylor.
2. The state of being pursuant;
consequence.
In pursuance of, in accordance with; in
prosecution or fulfillment of.
Pur*su"ant (?), a. [From Pursue:
cf. OE. poursuiant. Cf. Pursuivant.] Acting in
consequence or in prosecution (of anything); hence, agreeable;
conformable; following; according; -- with to or
of.
The conclusion which I draw from these premises,
pursuant to the query laid down, is, etc.
Waterland.
{ Pur*su"ant, Pur*su"ant*ly, }
adv. Agreeably; conformably.
Pur*sue" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pursued (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pursuing.] [OE. pursuen, porsuen, OF.
porsivre, poursuivre, poursuir, F.
poursuivre, fr. L. prosequi; pro forward +
sequi to follow. See Sue, and cf. Prosecute,
Pursuivant.] 1. To follow with a view to
overtake; to follow eagerly, or with haste; to chase; as, to
pursue a hare.
We happiness pursue; we fly from
pain.
Prior.
The happiness of men lies in purswing,
Not in possessing.
Longfellow.
2. To seek; to use or adopt measures to
obtain; as, to pursue a remedy at law.
The fame of ancient matrons you
pursue.
Dryden.
3. To proceed along, with a view to some and
or object; to follow; to go in; as, Captain Cook pursued a new
route; the administration pursued a wise course.
4. To prosecute; to be engaged in; to
continue. " Insatiate to pursue vain war."
Milton.
5. To follow as an example; to
imitate.
6. To follow with enmity; to persecute; to
call to account.
The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have
pursued me, they shall pursue you also.
Wyclif (John xv. 20).
Syn. -- To follow; chase; seek; persist. See
Follow.
Pur*sue", v. i. 1.
To go in pursuit; to follow.
The wicked flee when no man
pursueth.
Prov. xxviii. 1.
Men hotly pursued after the objects of their
ambition.
Earle.
2. To go on; to proceed, especially in
argument or discourse; to continue.
[A Gallicism]
I have, pursues Carneades, wondered chemists
should not consider.
Boyle.
3. (Law) To follow a matter judicially,
as a complaining party; to act as a prosecutor.
Burrill.
Pur*su"er (?), n. 1.
One who pursues or chases; one who follows in haste, with a view
to overtake.
2. (Eccl. & Scots Law) A plaintiff; a
prosecutor.
Pur*suit" (?), n. [F. poursuite,
fr. poursuivre. See Pursue, v. t.]
1. The act of following or going after; esp., a
following with haste, either for sport or in hostility; chase;
prosecution; as, the pursuit of game; the pursuit of an
enemy. Clarendon.
Weak we are, and can not shun
pursuit.
Shak.
2. A following with a view to reach,
accomplish, or obtain; endeavor to attain to or gain; as, the
pursuit of knowledge; the pursuit of happiness or
pleasure.
3. Course of business or occupation; continued
employment with a view to same end; as, mercantile pursuits; a
literary pursuit.
4. (Law) Prosecution. [Obs.]
That pursuit for tithes ought, and of ancient
time did pertain to the spiritual court.
Fuller.
Curve of pursuit (Geom.), a curve
described by a point which is at each instant moving towards a second
point, which is itself moving according to some specified
law.
Pur"sui*vant (?), n. [F.
poursuivant, fr. poursuivre. See Pursue, and cf.
Pursuant.] [Written also poursuivant.]
1. (Heralds' College) A functionary of
lower rank than a herald, but discharging similar duties; -- called
also pursuivant at arms; an attendant of the heralds. Also used
figuratively.
The herald Hope, forerunning Fear,
And Fear, the pursuivant of Hope.
Longfellow.
2. The king's messenger; a state
messenger.
One pursuivant who attempted to execute a
warrant there was murdered.
Macaulay.
Pur"sui*vant, v. t. To
pursue. [Obs. & R.]
Their navy was pursuivanted after with a
horrible tempest.
Fuller.
Pur"sy (?), a. [OF. pourcif,
poulsif, poussif, fr. pousser to push, thrust,
heave, OF. also poulser: cf. F. pousse the heaves,
asthma. See Push.] Fat and short-breathed; fat, short, and
thick; swelled with pampering; as, pursy insolence.
Shak.
Pursy important he sat him down.
Sir W. Scot.
Pur"te*nance (?), n. [Abbrev. fr.
appurtenance.] That which pertains or belongs to
something; esp., the heard, liver, and lungs of an animal.
[Obs.] " The purtenaunces of purgatory." Piers
Plowman.
Roast [it] with fire, his head with his legs, and with
the purtenance [Rev. Ver., inwards]
thereof.
Ex. xii. 9.
{ Pu"ru*lence (?), Pu"ru*len*cy (?), }
n. [L. purulentia: cf. F. purulence.]
(Med.) The quality or state of being purulent; the
generation of pus; also, the pus itself. Arbuthnot.
Pu"ru*lent (?), a. [L.
purulentus, fr. pus, puris, pus, matter: cf. F.
purulent. See Pus.] (Med.) Consisting of
pus, or matter; partaking of the nature of pus; attended with
suppuration; as, purulent inflammation.
Pu"ru*lent*ly, v. In a purulent
manner.
{ Pur"ve*ance (?), Pur"vei*aunce` (?) },
n. Purveyance. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Pur*vey" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Purveyed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Purveying.] [OE. purveien, porveien, OF.
porveeir, porveoir, F. pourvoir, fr. L.
providere. See Provide, and cf. Purview.]
1. To furnish or provide, as with a convenience,
provisions, or the like.
Give no odds to your foes, but do purvey
Yourself of sword before that bloody day.
Spenser.
2. To procure; to get.
I mean to purvey me a wife after the fashion of
the children of Benjamin.
Sir W. Scot.
Pur*vey", v. i. 1.
To purchase provisions; to provide; to make provision.
Chaucer. Milton.
2. To pander; -- with to. " Their
turpitude purveys to their malice." [R.] Burke.
Pur*vey"ance (?), n. [Cf. F.
pourvoyance.] 1. The act or process of
providing or procuring; providence; foresight; preparation;
management. Chaucer.
The ill purveyance of his page.
Spenser.
2. That which is provided; provisions;
food.
3. (Eng. Law) A providing necessaries
for the sovereign by buying them at an appraised value in preference
to all others, and oven without the owner's consent. This was formerly
a royal prerogative, but has long been abolished.
Wharton.
Pur*vey"or (?), n. [OE. porveour,
OF. pourveor, F. pourvoyeur. See Purvey, and cf.
Proveditor.] 1. One who provides victuals,
or whose business is to make provision for the table; a victualer; a
caterer.
2. An officer who formerly provided, or
exacted provision, for the king's household. [Eng.]
3. a procurer; a pimp; a bawd.
Addison.
Pur"view (?), n. [OF. purveu,
pourveu, F. pourvu, provided, p. p. of OF.
porveoir, F. pourvoir. See Purvey, View,
and cf. Proviso.] 1. (a)
(Law) The body of a statute, or that part which begins
with " Be it enacted, " as distinguished from the
preamble. Cowell. (b) Hence:
The limit or scope of a statute; the whole extent of its
intention or provisions. Marshall.
Profanations within the purview of several
statutes.
Bacon.
2. Limit or sphere of authority; scope;
extent.
In determining the extent of information required in
the exercise of a particular authority, recourse must be had to the
objects within the purview of that authority.
Madison.
Pus (?), n. [L., akin to Gr. &?;, &?;,
and to E. foul: cf. F. pus. See Foul,
a.] (Med.) The yellowish white opaque
creamy matter produced by the process of suppuration. It consists of
innumerable white nucleated cells floating in a clear
liquid.
Pu"sane (?), n. (Anc. Armor)
A piece of armor for the breast; often, an addition to, or
reënforcement of. the breastplate; -- called also
pesane.
Pu"sey*ism (?), n. (Ch. of Eng.)
The principles of Dr. Pusey and others at Oxford, England,
as exhibited in various publications, esp. in a series which appeared
from 1833 to 1841, designated " Tracts for the Times;" tractarianism.
See Tractarianism.
{ Pu"sey*is"tic (?), Pu"sey*ite (?), }
a. Of or pertaining to Puseyism.
Pu"sey*ite, n. One who holds the
principles of Puseyism; -- often used opprobriously.
Push (?), n. [Probably F. poche.
See Pouch.] A pustule; a pimple. [Obs. or Prov.
Eng.] Bacon.
Push, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Pushed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Pushing.] [OE. possen, pussen, F. pousser,
fr. L. pulsare, v. intens. fr. pellere, pulsum,
to beat, knock, push. See Pulse a beating, and cf.
Pursy.] 1. To press against with force; to
drive or impel by pressure; to endeavor to drive by steady pressure,
without striking; -- opposed to draw.
Sidelong had pushed a mountain from his
seat.
Milton.
2. To thrust the points of the horns against;
to gore.
If the ox shall push a manservant or
maidservant, . . . the ox shall be stoned.
Ex. xxi.
32.
3. To press or urge forward; to drive; to
push an objection too far. " To push his fortune."
Dryden.
Ambition pushes the soul to such actions as are
apt to procure honor to the actor.
Spectator.
We are pushed for an answer.
Swift.
4. To bear hard upon; to perplex; to
embarrass.
5. To importune; to press with solicitation;
to tease.
To push down, to overthrow by pushing or
impulse.
Push, v. i. 1. To
make a thrust; to shove; as, to push with the horns or with a
sword. Shak.
2. To make an advance, attack, or effort; to
be energetic; as, a man must push in order to
succeed.
At the time of the end shall the kind of the south
push at him and the king of the north shall come against
him.
Dan. xi. 40.
War seemed asleep for nine long years; at length
Both sides resolved to push, we tried our
strength.
Dryden.
3. To burst pot, as a bud or shoot.
To push on, to drive or urge forward; to
hasten.
The rider pushed on at a rapid
pace.
Sir W. Scott.
Push, n. 1. A
thrust with a pointed instrument, or with the end of a
thing.
2. Any thrust. pressure, impulse, or force, or
force applied; a shove; as, to give the ball the first
push.
3. An assault or attack; an effort; an
attempt; hence, the time or occasion for action.
Exact reformation is not perfected at the first
push.
Milton.
When it comes to the push, 'tis no more than
talk.
L' Estrange.
4. The faculty of overcoming obstacles;
aggressive energy; as, he has push, or he has no
push.
[Colloq.]
Syn. -- See Thrust.
Push"er (?), n. One who, or that
which, pushes.
Push"ing, a. Pressing forward in
business; enterprising; driving; energetic; also, forward; officious,
intrusive. -- Push"ing*ly, adv.
Push"pin` (?), n. A child's game
played with pins. L. Estrange.
Pu"sil (?), a. [L. pusillus very
little.] Very small; little; petty. [Obs.]
Bacon.
Pu`sil*la*nim"i*ty (?), n. [L.
pusillanimitas: cf. F. pusillanimité.] The
quality of being pusillanimous; weakness of spirit;
cowardliness.
The badge of pusillanimity and
cowardice.
Shak.
It is obvious to distinguished between an act of . . .
pusillanimity and an act of great modesty or
humility.
South.
Syn. -- Cowardliness; cowardice; fear; timidity.
Pu`sil*lan"i*mous (?), a. [L.
pusillanimis; pusillus very little (dim. of pusus
a little boy; cf. puer a boy, E. puerile) +
animus the mind: cf. F. pusillanime. See
Animosity.] 1. Destitute of a manly or
courageous strength and firmness of mind; of weak spirit; mean-
spirited; spiritless; cowardly; -- said of persons, as, a
pusillanimous prince.
2. Evincing, or characterized by, weakness of
mind, and want of courage; feeble; as, pusillanimous
counsels. "A low and pusillanimous spirit."
Burke.
Syn. -- Cowardly; dastardly; mean-spirited; fainthearted;
timid; weak; feeble.
Pu`sil*lan"i*mous*ly
(pū`s&ibreve;l*lăn"&ibreve;*mŭs*l&ybreve;),
adv. With pusillanimity.
Pus"ley (?), n. (Bot.)
Purslane. [Colloq. U. S]
Puss (p&usdot;s), n. [Cf. D.
poes, Ir. & Gael. pus.] 1. A cat; -
- a fondling appellation.
2. A hare; -- so called by
sportsmen.
Puss in the corner, a game in which all the
players but one occupy corners of a room, or certain goals in the open
air, and exchange places, the one without a corner endeavoring to get
a corner while it is vacant, leaving some other without one. --
Puss moth (Zoöl.), any one of
several species of stout bombycid moths belonging to Cerura,
Harpyia, and allied genera, esp. Harpyia vinuli, of
Europe. The larvæ are humpbacked, and have two caudal
appendages.
Pussy (?), n. [Dim. of puss.]
1. A pet name for a cat; also, an endearing name
for a girl.
2. A catkin of the pussy willow.
3. The game of tipcat; -- also called pussy
cat.
Pussy willow (Bot.), any kind of
willow having large cylindrical catkins clothed with long glossy
hairs, especially the American Salix discolor; -- called also
glaucous willow, and swamp willow.
Pus"sy (?), a. See
Pursy. [Colloq. or Low]
Pus"tu*lant (?; 135), a. [L.
pustulans, p. pr. See Pustulate, v.
t.] (Med.) Producing pustules. --
n. A medicine that produces pustules, as croton
oil.
Pus"tu*lar (?), a. 1.
Of or pertaining to pustules; as, pustular prominences;
pustular eruptions.
2. Covered with pustulelike prominences;
pustulate.
Pus"tu*late (?), v. t. [L.
pustulatus, p. p. of pustulare to blister, fr.
pustula. See Pustule.] To form into pustules, or
blisters.
{ Pus"tu*late (?), Pus"tu*la`ted (?), }
a. Covered with pustulelike prominences;
pustular; pustulous; as, a pustulate leaf; a pustulate
shell or coral.
Pus*tu*la"tion (?), n. [L.
pustulatio.] The act of producing pustules; the state of
being pustulated.
Pus"tule (?; 135), n. [L.
pustula, and pusula: cf. F. pustule.]
(Med.) A vesicle or an elevation of the cuticle with an
inflamed base, containing pus.
Malignant pustule. See under
Malignant.
Pus"tu*lous (?), a. [L.
pustulosus, fr. pustula a pustule: cf. F.
pustuleux.] Resembling, or covered with, pustules;
pustulate; pustular.
Put (?), n. [See Pit.] A
pit. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Put, obs. 3d pers. sing. pres. of
Put, contracted from putteth. Chaucer.
Put (?), n. [Cf. W. pwt any short
thing, pwt o ddyn a squab of a person, pwtog a short,
thick woman.] A rustic; a clown; an awkward or uncouth
person.
Queer country puts extol Queen Bess's
reign.
Bramston.
What droll puts the citizens seem in it
all.
F. Harrison.
Put (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Put; p. pr. & vb. n.
Putting.] [AS. potian to thrust: cf. Dan. putte
to put, to put into, Fries. putje; perh. akin to W.
pwtio to butt, poke, thrust; cf. also Gael. put to push,
thrust, and E. potter, v. i.] 1. To move
in any direction; to impel; to thrust; to push; -- nearly obsolete,
except with adverbs, as with by (to put by = to thrust
aside; to divert); or with forth (to put forth = to
thrust out).
His chief designs are . . . to put thee by from
thy spiritual employment.
Jer. Taylor.
2. To bring to a position or place; to place;
to lay; to set; figuratively, to cause to be or exist in a specified
relation, condition, or the like; to bring to a stated mental or moral
condition; as, to put one in fear; to put a theory in
practice; to put an enemy to fight.
This present dignity,
In which that I have put you.
Chaucer.
I will put enmity between thee and the
woman.
Gen. iii. 15.
He put no trust in his servants.
Job iv. 18.
When God into the hands of their deliverer
Puts invincible might.
Milton.
In the mean time other measures were put in
operation.
Sparks.
3. To attach or attribute; to assign; as, to
put a wrong construction on an act or expression.
4. To lay down; to give up; to
surrender. [Obs.]
No man hath more love than this, that a man put
his life for his friends.
Wyclif (John xv.
13).
5. To set before one for judgment, acceptance,
or rejection; to bring to the attention; to offer; to state; to
express; figuratively, to assume; to suppose; -- formerly sometimes
followed by that introducing a proposition; as, to put a
question; to put a case.
Let us now put that ye have leave.
Chaucer.
Put the perception and you put the
mind.
Berkeley.
These verses, originally Greek, were put in
Latin.
Milton.
All this is ingeniously and ably
put.
Hare.
6. To incite; to entice; to urge; to
constrain; to oblige.
These wretches put us upon all
mischief.
Swift.
Put me not use the carnal weapon in my own
defense.
Sir W. Scott.
Thank him who puts me, loath, to this
revenge.
Milton.
7. To throw or cast with a pushing motion
"overhand," the hand being raised from the shoulder; a practice in
athletics; as, to put the shot or weight.
8. (Mining) To convey coal in the mine,
as from the working to the tramway. Raymond.
Put case, formerly, an elliptical expression
for, put or suppose the case to be.
Put case that the soul after departure from the
body may live.
Bp. Hall.
--
To put about (Naut.), to turn, or
change the course of, as a ship. -- To put
away. (a) To renounce; to discard; to
expel. (b) To divorce. -- To put
back. (a) To push or thrust backwards;
hence, to hinder; to delay. (b) To refuse; to
deny.
Coming from thee, I could not put him
back.
Shak.
(c) To set, as the hands of a clock, to an
earlier hour. (d) To restore to the original
place; to replace. --
To put by.
(a) To turn, set, or thrust, aside. "Smiling
put the question by." Tennyson.
(b) To lay aside; to keep; to sore up; as, to
put by money. -- To put down.
(a) To lay down; to deposit; to set down.
(b) To lower; to diminish; as, to put down
prices. (c) To deprive of position or power;
to put a stop to; to suppress; to abolish; to confute; as, to put
down rebellion or traitors.
Mark, how a plain tale shall put you
down.
Shak.
Sugar hath put down the use of
honey.
Bacon.
(d) To subscribe; as, to put down one's
name. --
To put forth. (a)
To thrust out; to extend, as the hand; to cause to come or push
out; as, a tree puts forth leaves. (b)
To make manifest; to develop; also, to bring into action; to
exert; as, to put forth strength. (c)
To propose, as a question, a riddle, and the like.
(d) To publish, as a book. -- To put
forward. (a) To advance to a position of
prominence or responsibility; to promote. (b)
To cause to make progress; to aid. (c) To
set, as the hands of a clock, to a later hour. -- To put
in. (a) To introduce among others; to
insert; sometimes, to introduce with difficulty; as, to put in
a word while others are discoursing. (b)
(Naut.) To conduct into a harbor, as a ship.
(c) (Law) To place in due form before a
court; to place among the records of a court. Burrill.
(d) (Med.) To restore, as a dislocated
part, to its place. -- To put off.
(a) To lay aside; to discard; as, to put
off a robe; to put off mortality. "Put off thy
shoes from off thy feet." Ex. iii. 5. (b)
To turn aside; to elude; to disappoint; to frustrate; to
baffle.
I hoped for a demonstration, but Themistius hoped to
put me off with an harangue.
Boyle.
We might put him off with this
answer.
Bentley.
(c) To delay; to defer; to postpone; as, to
put off repentance. (d) To get rid of; to
dispose of; especially, to pass fraudulently; as, to put off a
counterfeit note, or an ingenious theory. (e)
To push from land; as, to put off a boat. --
To put on or upon.
(a) To invest one's self with, as clothes; to
assume. "Mercury . . . put on the shape of a man."
L'Estrange. (b) To impute (something) to;
to charge upon; as, to put blame on or upon
another. (c) To advance; to promote.
[Obs.] "This came handsomely to put on the peace."
Bacon. (d) To impose; to inflict.
"That which thou puttest on me, will I bear." 2 Kings xviii.
14. (e) To apply; as, to put on
workmen; to put on steam. (f) To
deceive; to trick. "The stork found he was put upon."
L'Estrange. (g) To place upon, as a means
or condition; as, he put him upon bread and water.
"This caution will put them upon considering."
Locke. (h) (Law) To rest upon; to
submit to; as, a defendant puts himself on or
upon the country. Burrill. -- To put
out. (a) To eject; as, to put out
and intruder. (b) To put forth; to shoot, as
a bud, or sprout. (c) To extinguish; as,
to put out a candle, light, or fire. (d)
To place at interest; to loan; as, to put out funds.
(e) To provoke, as by insult; to displease; to
vex; as, he was put out by my reply. [Colloq.]
(f) To protrude; to stretch forth; as, to put
out the hand. (g) To publish; to make
public; as, to put out a pamphlet. (h)
To confuse; to disconcert; to interrupt; as, to put one
out in reading or speaking. (i)
(Law) To open; as, to put out lights, that is, to
open or cut windows. Burrill. (j)
(Med.) To place out of joint; to dislocate; as, to put
out the ankle. (k) To cause to cease
playing, or to prevent from playing longer in a certain inning, as in
base ball. -- To put over. (a)
To place (some one) in authority over; as, to put a general
over a division of an army. (b) To
refer.
For the certain knowledge of that truth
I put you o'er to heaven and to my mother.
Shak.
(c) To defer; to postpone; as, the court put
over the cause to the next term. (d) To
transfer (a person or thing) across; as, to put one over
the river. --
To put the hand to or
unto. (a) To take hold of, as of an
instrument of labor; as, to put the hand to the plow; hence, to
engage in (any task or affair); as, to put one's hand to
the work. (b) To take or seize, as in
theft. "He hath not put his hand unto his neighbor's
goods." Ex. xxii. 11. -- To put through,
to cause to go through all conditions or stages of a progress;
hence, to push to completion; to accomplish; as, he put through
a measure of legislation; he put through a railroad
enterprise. [U.S.] -- To put to.
(a) To add; to unite; as, to put one sum
to another. (b) To refer to; to
expose; as, to put the safety of the state to
hazard. "That dares not put it to the touch."
Montrose. (c) To attach (something) to; to
harness beasts to. Dickens. -- To put to a
stand, to stop; to arrest by obstacles or
difficulties. -- To put to bed.
(a) To undress and place in bed, as a child.
(b) To deliver in, or to make ready for,
childbirth. -- To put to death, to
kill. -- To put together, to attach; to
aggregate; to unite in one. -- To put this and
that (or two and two)
together, to draw an inference; to form a
correct conclusion. -- To put to it, to
distress; to press hard; to perplex; to give difficulty to. "O
gentle lady, do not put me to 't." Shak. --
To put to rights, to arrange in proper order; to
settle or compose rightly. -- To put to the
sword, to kill with the sword; to slay. --
To put to trial, or on
trial, to bring to a test; to try. -- To
put trust in, to confide in; to repose confidence
in. -- To put up. (a) To
pass unavenged; to overlook; not to punish or resent; to put up with;
as, to put up indignities. [Obs.] "Such national injuries
are not to be put up." Addison. (b)
To send forth or upward; as, to put up goods for sale.
(d) To start from a cover, as game. "She has
been frightened; she has been put up." C. Kingsley.
(e) To hoard. "Himself never put up
any of the rent." Spelman. (f) To lay side
or preserve; to pack away; to store; to pickle; as, to put up
pork, beef, or fish. (g) To place out of
sight, or away; to put in its proper place; as, put up that
letter. Shak. (h) To incite; to
instigate; -- followed by to; as, he put the lad
up to mischief. (i) To raise; to
erect; to build; as, to put up a tent, or a house.
(j) To lodge; to entertain; as, to put up
travelers. -- To put up a job, to arrange a
plot. [Slang]
Syn. -- To place; set; lay; cause; produce; propose; state.
-- Put, Lay, Place, Set. These words agree
in the idea of fixing the position of some object, and are often used
interchangeably. To put is the least definite, denoting merely
to move to a place. To place has more particular reference to
the precise location, as to put with care in a certain or proper
place. To set or to lay may be used when there is
special reference to the position of the object.
Put (put; often pŭt in def. 3),
v. i. 1. To go or move; as,
when the air first puts up. [Obs.] Bacon.
2. To steer; to direct one's course; to
go.
His fury thus appeased, he puts to
land.
Dryden.
3. To play a card or a hand in the game called
put.
To put about (Naut.), to change
direction; to tack. -- To put back
(Naut.), to turn back; to return. "The French . . .
had put back to Toulon." Southey. -- To put
forth. (a) To shoot, bud, or
germinate. "Take earth from under walls where nettles put
forth." Bacon. (b) To leave a port or
haven, as a ship. Shak. -- To put in
(Naut.), to enter a harbor; to sail into port. --
To put in for. (a) To make a
request or claim; as, to put in for a share of profits.
(b) To go into covert; -- said of a bird escaping
from a hawk. (c) To offer one's self; to
stand as a candidate for. Locke. -- To put
off, to go away; to depart; esp., to leave land, as a
ship; to move from the shore. -- To put on,
to hasten motion; to drive vehemently. -- To put
over (Naut.), to sail over or across. --
To put to sea (Naut.), to set sail; to
begin a voyage; to advance into the ocean. -- To put
up. (a) To take lodgings; to lodge.
(b) To offer one's self as a candidate.
L'Estrange. -- To put up to, to advance
to. [Obs.] "With this he put up to my lord." Swift.
-- To put up with. (a) To
overlook, or suffer without recompense, punishment, or resentment; as,
to put up with an injury or affront. (b)
To take without opposition or expressed dissatisfaction; to
endure; as, to put up with bad fare.
Put (?), n. 1. The
act of putting; an action; a movement; a thrust; a push; as, the
put of a ball. "A forced put."
L'Estrange.
2. A certain game at cards.
Young.
3. A privilege which one party buys of another
to "put" (deliver) to him a certain amount of stock, grain, etc., at a
certain price and date. [Brokers' Cant]
A put and a call may be combined in one
instrument, the holder of which may either buy or sell as he chooses
at the fixed price.
Johnson's Cyc.
Put (?), n. [OF. pute.] A
prostitute. [Obs.]
Pu"tage (?; 48), n. [OF. putage.]
Prostitution or fornication on the part of a woman.
||Pu*ta"men (?), n. [L.] (Bot.)
The shell of a nut; the stone of a drupe fruit. See
Endocarp.
Pu"tan*ism (?), n. [F. putanisme,
fr. putain harlot.] Habitual lewdness or prostitution of a
woman; harlotry.
Pu"ta*tive (?), a. [L. putativus,
fr. putare, putatum, to reckon, suppose, adjust, prune,
cleanse. See Pure, and cf. Amputate, Compute,
Dispute, Impute.] Commonly thought or deemed;
supposed; reputed; as, the putative father of a child.
"His other putative (I dare not say feigned) friends." E.
Hall.
Thus things indifferent, being esteemed useful or
pious, became customary, and then came for reverence into a
putative and usurped authority.
Jer.
Taylor.
Put*chuck" (?), n. (Bot.)
Same as Pachak.
||Pu"te*al (?), n. [L., fr.
puteus well.] (Arch.) An inclosure surrounding a
well to prevent persons from falling into it; a well curb.
Weale.
||Put"e*li (?), n. Same as
Patela.
Pu"ter*y, n. [OF. puterie.]
Putage. [Obs.]
Pu"tid (?), a. [L. putidus: cf.
F. putide. Cf. Putrid.] Rotten; fetid; stinking;
base; worthless. Jer. Taylor. "Thy putid
muse." Dr. H. More.
{ Pu*tid"i*ty (?), Pu"tid*ness (?), }
n. The quality or state of being
putrid.
Put"log` (?; 277), n. (Arch.)
One of the short pieces of timber on which the planks forming the
floor of a scaffold are laid, -- one end resting on the ledger of the
scaffold, and the other in a hole left in the wall temporarily for the
purpose. Oxf. Gloss.
Put"-off` (?; 115), n. A shift for
evasion or delay; an evasion; an excuse. L'Estrange.
Pu"tour (?), n. [See Put a
prostitute.] A keeper of a brothel; a procurer. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Pu*tred"i*nous (?), a. [L.
putredo rottenness, fr. putrere to be rotten. See
Putrid.] Proceeding from putrefaction, or partaking of the
putrefactive process; having an offensive smell; stinking;
rotten.
Pu`tre*fac"tion (?), n. [L.
putrefactio: cf. F. putréfaction. See
Putrefy.] 1. The act or the process of
putrefying; the offensive decay of albuminous or other
matter.
&fist; Putrefaction is a complex phenomenon involving a
multiplicity of chemical reactions, always accompanied by, and without
doubt caused by, bacteria and vibriones; hence, putrefaction is a form
of fermentation, and is sometimes called putrefaction
fermentative. Putrefaction is not possible under conditions that
preclude the development of living organisms. Many of the products of
putrefaction are powerful poisons, and are called cadaveric
poisons, or ptomaïnes.
2. The condition of being putrefied; also,
that which putrefied. "Putrefaction's breath."
Shelley.
Pu`tre*fac"tive (?), a. [Cf.
putréfactif. See Putrefy.] 1.
Of or pertaining to putrefaction; as, the putrefactive
smell or process. Wiseman.
2. Causing, or tending to promote,
putrefaction.
-- Pu``tre*fac"tive*ness, n.
Pu"tre*fy (?), v. t. [Written also
putrify.] [imp. & p. p. Putrefied
(&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Putrefying (&?;).] [F.
putréfier; L. putrere to be rotten + -
ficare (in. comp.) to make; cf. L. putrefacere. See
Putrid, and -fy.] 1. To render
putrid; to cause to decay offensively; to cause to be decomposed; to
cause to rot.
2. To corrupt; to make foul.
Private suits do putrefy the public
good.
Bacon.
They would but stink, and putrefy the
air.
Shak.
3. To make morbid, carious, or gangrenous; as,
to putrefy an ulcer or wound.
Pu"tre*fy, v. i. To become putrid;
to decay offensively; to rot. Isa. 1. 6.
Pu*tres"cence (?), n. The state of
being putrescent; putrescent matter.
Pu*tres"cent (?), a. [L.
putrescens, p. pr.of putrescere to grow rotten, v.
incho. fr. putrere to be rotten. See Putrid.]
1. Becoming putrid or rotten.
Externally powerful, although putrescent at the
core.
Motley.
2. Of or pertaining to the process of
putrefaction; as, a putrescent smell.
Pu*tres"ci*ble (?), a. Capable of
putrefaction; liable to become putrid; as, putrescible
substances.
Pu*tres"ci*ble, n. A substance,
usually nitrogenous, which is liable to undergo decomposition when in
contact with air and moisture at ordinary temperatures.
Pu*tres"cin (?), n. (Physiol.
Chem.) A nontoxic diamine,
C4H12N2, formed in the putrefaction
of the flesh of mammals and some other animals.
Pu"trid (?), a. [L. putridus,
fr. putrere to be rotten, fr. puter, or
putris, rotten, fr. putere to stink, to be
rotten: cf. F. putride. See Pus, Foul,
a.] 1. Tending to decomposition
or decay; decomposed; rotten; -- said of animal or vegetable matter;
as, putrid flesh. See Putrefaction.
2. Indicating or proceeding from a decayed
state of animal or vegetable matter; as, a putrid
smell.
Putrid fever (Med.), typhus fever; --
so called from the decomposing and offensive state of the discharges
and diseased textures of the body. -- Putrid sore
throat (Med.), a gangrenous inflammation of the
fauces and pharynx.
Pu*trid"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F.
putridité.] The quality of being putrid;
putrefaction; rottenness.
Pu"trid*ness (?), n.
Putridity. Floyer.
Pu"tri*fac`ted (?), a. [See
Putrefy.] Putrefied. [Obs.]
What vermin bred of putrifacted
slime.
Marston.
Pu`tri*fi*ca"tion (?), n.
Putrefaction.
Pu"tri*fy (?), v. t. & i. To
putrefy.
Pu"tri*lage (?), n. [F.
putrilage, L. putrilago putrefaction.] That which
is undergoing putrefaction; the products of putrefaction.
Pu"try (?), a. Putrid. [Obs.]
Marston.
Pu"try, n. Putage. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Put"ter (?), n. 1.
One who puts or plates.
2. Specifically, one who pushes the small
wagons in a coal mine, and the like. [Prov. Eng.]
Put"ter (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Puttered (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Puttering.] [See Potter.] To act inefficiently or
idly; to trifle; to potter.
Put"ter-on` (?), n. An
instigator. Shak.
Put"ti*er (?), n. One who putties;
a glazier.
Put"ting (?), n. The throwing of a
heavy stone, shot, etc., with the hand raised or extended from the
shoulder; -- originally, a Scottish game.
Putting stone, a heavy stone used in the game
of putting.
Put"tock (?), n. [Cf. Pout a
young bird, Poult.] (Zoöl.) (a)
The European kite. (b) The
buzzard. (c) The marsh harrier.
[Prov. Eng.]
Put"tock, n. (Naut.) See
Futtock. [Obs.]
Put"ty (?), n. [F. potée,
fr. pot pot; what was formerly called putty being a
substance resembling what is now called putty powder, and in
part made of the metal of old pots. See Pot.] A kind of
thick paste or cement compounded of whiting, or soft carbonate of
lime, and linseed oil, when applied beaten or kneaded to the
consistence of dough, -- used in fastening glass in sashes, stopping
crevices, and for similar purposes.
Putty powder, an oxide of tin, or of tin and
lead in various proportions, much used in polishing glass, metal,
precious stones, etc.
Put"ty, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Puttied (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Puttying.] To cement, or stop, with putty.
Put"ty-faced` (?), a. White-faced;
-- used contemptuously. Clarke.
Put"ty*root` (?), n. (Bot.)
An American orchidaceous plant (Aplectrum hyemale) which
flowers in early summer. Its slender naked rootstock produces each
year a solid corm, filled with exceedingly glutinous matter, which
sends up later a single large oval evergreen plaited leaf. Called also
Adam-and-Eve.
Put"-up (?), a. Arranged; plotted;
-- in a bad sense; as, a put-up job. [Colloq.]
Pu"y (?), n. See
Poy.
Puz"zel (?), n. [Cf. F. pucelle a
virgin.] A harlot; a drab; a hussy. [Obs.]
Shak.
Puz"zle (?), n. [For opposal, in
the sense of problem. See Oppose, Pose,
v.] 1. Something which
perplexes or embarrasses; especially, a toy or a problem contrived for
testing ingenuity; also, something exhibiting marvelous skill in
making.
2. The state of being puzzled; perplexity; as,
to be in a puzzle.
Puz"zle, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Puzzled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Puzzling (?).] 1. To perplex; to confuse;
to embarrass; to put to a stand; to nonplus.
A very shrewd disputant in those points is dexterous in
puzzling others.
Dr. H. More.
He is perpetually puzzled and perplexed amidst
his own blunders.
Addison.
2. To make intricate; to entangle.
They disentangle from the puzzled
skein.
Cowper.
The ways of Heaven are dark and intricate,
Puzzled in mazes, and perplexed with error.
Addison.
3. To solve by ingenuity, as a puzzle; --
followed by out; as, to puzzle out a mystery.
Syn. -- To embarrass; perplex; confuse; bewilder; confound.
See Embarrass.
Puz"zle, v. i. 1.
To be bewildered, or perplexed.
A puzzling fool, that heeds
nothing.
L'Estrange.
2. To work, as at a puzzle; as, to
puzzle over a problem.
Puz"zle*dom (?), n. The domain of
puzzles; puzzles, collectively. C. Kingsley.
Puz"zle-head`ed (?), a. Having the
head full of confused notions. Johnson.
Puz"zle*ment (?), n. The state of
being puzzled; perplexity. Miss Mitford.
Puz"zler (?), n. One who, or that
which, puzzles or perplexes.
Hebrew, the general puzzler of old
heads.
Brome.
Puz"zling*ly (?), adv. In a
puzzling manner.
{ Puz"zo*lan (?), Puz`zo*la"na (?), }
n. See Pozzuolana.
||Py*æ"mi*a (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr.
&?; pus + &?; blood.] (Med.) A form of blood poisoning
produced by the absorption into the blood of morbid matters usually
originating in a wound or local inflammation. It is characterized by
the development of multiple abscesses throughout the body, and is
attended with irregularly recurring chills, fever, profuse sweating,
and exhaustion.
Py*æ"mic (?), a. Of or
pertaining to pyæmia; of the nature of pyæmia.
Pyc`nas*pid"e*an (?), a. [Gr. &?; thick,
crowded + &?;, &?;, a shield.] (Zoöl.) Having the
posterior side of the tarsus covered with small irregular scales; --
said of certain birds.
||Pyc*nid"i*um (?), n.; pl.
Pycnidia (#). [NL., fr. Gr. &?; crowded.]
(Bot.) In certain fungi, a flask-shaped cavity from the
surface of the inner walls of which spores are produced.
Pyc"nite (?), n. [Gr. &?; thick.]
(Min.) A massive subcolumnar variety of topaz.
Pyc"no*dont (?), n. [Gr. &?; thick,
crowded + &?;, &?;, a tooth.] (Paleon.) Any fossil fish
belonging to the Pycnodontini. They have numerous round, flat teeth,
adapted for crushing.
||Pyc`no*don"ti*ni (?), n. pl. [NL.]
(Zoöl.) An extinct order of ganoid fishes. They had a
compressed body, covered with dermal ribs (pleurolepida) and
with enameled rhomboidal scales.
Pyc*nog"o*nid (?), n.
(Zoöl.) One of the Pycnogonida.
||Pyc`no*gon"i*da (?), n. pl. [NL., fr.
Gr. &?; thick crowded + &?; knee.] (Zoöl.) A class of
marine arthropods in which the body is small and thin, and the eight
legs usually very long; -- called also Pantopoda.
&fist; The abdomen is rudimentary, and the triangular mouth is at
the end of a tubular proboscis. Many of them live at great depths in
the sea, and the largest of them measure two feet across the extended
legs.
Pyc*nom"e*ter (?), n. [Gr. &?; dense,
compact + -meter.] (Physics) A specific gravity
bottle; a standard flask for measuring and comparing the densities of
liquids. [Also written pyknometer.]
Pyc"no*style (?), a. [Gr. &?; with the
pillars close together; &?; close + &?; a column, pillar: cf. F.
pycnostyle.] (Anc. Arch.) See under
Intercolumniation. -n. A
pycnostyle colonnade.
Pye (?), n. See 2d Pie
(b).
Pye"bald` (?), a. See
Piebald.
||Py`e*li"tis (?). n. [Gr. basin + -
itis.] (Med.) Inflammation of the pelvis of the
kidney.
Py*e"mi*a (?), n. (Med.) See
PyÆmia.
Py"et (?), n. A magpie; a
piet. [Prov. Eng.]
Here cometh the worthy prelate as pert as a
pyet.
Sir W. Scott.
Py"gal (?), a. [Gr. &?; the rump.]
(Anat.) Situated in the region of the rump, or posterior
end of the backbone; -- applied especially to the posterior median
plates in the carapace of chelonians.
{ Py"garg (?), ||Py*gar"gus (?), }[L.
pygargus, Gr. &?;, literally, white rump; &?; the rump + white:
cf. F. pygargue.] 1. (Zoöl.) A
quadruped, probably the addax, an antelope having a white rump.
Deut. xiv. 5.
2. (Zoöl.) (a) The
female of the hen harrier. (b) The sea
eagle.
||Py*gid"i*um (?), n.; pl.
Pygidia (#). [NL., fr. Gr. &?;, dim. of &?; the
rump.] (Zoöl.) The caudal plate of trilobites,
crustacean, and certain insects. See Illust. of Limulus
and Trilobite.
{ Pyg"my (?), Pyg*me"an (?), }
a. [L. pygmaeus. See Pygmy.] Of
or pertaining to a pygmy; resembling a pygmy or dwarf; dwarfish; very
small. " Like that Pygmean race." Milton.
Pygmy antelope (Zoöl.), the
kleeneboc. -- Pygmy goose (Zoöl.),
any species of very small geese of the genus Nettapus,
native of Africa, India, and Australia. -- Pygmy
owl (Zoöl.), the gnome. --
Pygmy parrot (Zoöl.), any one of
several species of very small green parrots (Nasiternæ),
native of New Guinea and adjacent islands. They are not larger than
sparrows.
Pyg"my, n.; pl.
Pygmies (#). [L. pygmaeus, Gr. &?;, fr. &?;
the fist, a measure of length, the distance from the elbow to the
knuckles, about 131 inches. Cf. Pugnacious, Fist.]
[Written also pigmy.] 1. (Class. Myth.)
One of a fabulous race of dwarfs who waged war with the cranes,
and were destroyed.
2. Hence, a short, insignificant person; a
dwarf.
Pygmies are pygmies still, though perched
on Alps.
And pyramids are pyramids in vales.
Young.
||Py`go*bran"chi*a (?), n. pl. [NL., fr.
Gr. pugh` the rump + &?; a gill.] (Zoöl.)
A division of opisthobranchiate mollusks having the
branchiæ in a wreath or group around the anal opening, as in the
genus Doris.
Py"go*pod (?), n. [Gr. pygh`
rump + -pod.]
1. (Zoöl.) One of the
Pygopodes.
2. (Zoöl.) Any species of
serpentiform lizards of the family Pygopodidæ, which have
rudimentary hind legs near the anal cleft, but lack fore
legs.
||Py*gop"o*des (?), n. pl. [NL.]
(Zoöl.) A division of swimming birds which includes
the grebes, divers, auks, etc., in which the legs are placed far
back.
Py*gop"o*dous (?), a.
(Zoöl.) Of or pertaining to the Pygopodes.
Py"go*style (?), n. [Gr.
pygh` the rump + &?; a pillar.] (Anat.) The
plate of bone which forms the posterior end of the vertebral column in
most birds; the plowshare bone; the vomer. It is formed by the union
of a number of the last caudal vertebræ, and supports the
uropigium.
Py"in (?), n. [Gr. &?; pus.]
(Physiol. (Chem.) An albuminoid constituent of pus,
related to mucin, possibly a mixture of substances rather than a
single body.
||Py*ja"ma (?), n. [Hind. pāe-
jāma, literally, leg clothing.] In India and Persia,
thin loose trowsers or drawers; in Europe and America, drawers worn at
night, or a kind of nightdress with legs. [Written also
paijama.]
Pyk"ar (?), n. An ancient English
fishing boat.
||Py"la n.; pl. L.
Pylæ (#), E. Pylas (#).
[NL., fr. Gr. &?; an entrance.] (Anat.) The passage
between the iter and optocœle in the brain. B. G.
Wilder.
Pyl"a*gore (?), n. [Gr. &?;; &?;
Pylæ, or Thermopylæ, where the Amphictyonic council met +
&?; to assemble: cf. F. pylagore.] (Gr. Antiq.) a
deputy of a State at the Amphictyonic council.
||Py*lan"gi*um (?), n.; pl.
Pylangia (&?;). [NL., from Gr. &?; an entrance + &?;
a vessel.] (Anat.) The first and undivided part of the
aortic trunk in the amphibian heart. -- Py*lan"gi*al
(#), a.
||Py"lon (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?; a
gateway.] (a) A low tower, having a truncated
pyramidal form, and flanking an ancient Egyptian gateway.
Massive pylons adorned with obelisks in
front.
J. W. Draper.
(b) An Egyptian gateway to a large building
(with or without flanking towers).
Py*lor"ic (?), a. [Cf. F.
pylorique.] (Anat.) Of, pertaining to, or in the
region of, the pylorus; as, the pyloric end of the
stomach.
||Py*lo"rus (?), n.; pl.
Pylori (#). [L., fr. Gr. &?; pylorus, gate keeper;
&?; a gate + &?; watcher, guardian.] (Anat.)
(a) The opening from the stomach into the
intestine. (b) A posterior division of the
stomach in some invertebrates.
Pyne (?), n. & v. See
Pine. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Py*noun" (?), n. A pennant.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
Py`o*cy"a*nin (?), n. [Gr. &?; pus + &?;
dark blue.] (Physiol. (Chem.) A blue coloring matter found
in the pus from old sores, supposed to be formed through the agency of
a species of bacterium (Bacillus pyocyaneus).
Py`o*gen"ic (?), a. [Gr. &?; pus + root
of &?; to be born.] (Med.) Producing or generating
pus.
Py"oid (?), a. [Gr. &?; pus + --
oid.] (Med.) Of or pertaining to pus; of the nature
of, or like, pus.
Pyoid corpuscles (Med.), cells of a
size larger than pus corpuscles, containing two or more of the
latter.
Py`op*neu`mo*tho"rax (?), n. [Gr. &?;
pus + E. pneumothorax.] (Med.) Accumulation of air,
or other gas, and of pus, in the pleural cavity.
Py"ot (?), n. (Zoöl.)
The magpie. See Piet.
Py`o*xan"those (?), n. [Gr. &?; pus +
&?; yellow.] (Physiol. (Chem.) A greenish yellow
crystalline coloring matter found with pyocyanin in pus.
Pyr"a*canth (?), n. [Gr. &?; fire + &?;
a thorn, prickly plant.] (Bot.) The evergreen thorn
(Cratægus Pyracantha), a shrub native of
Europe.
Py"ral (?), a. Of or pertaining to
a pyre. [R.]
Pyr"a*lid (?), n. [L. pyralis,
-idis, a kind of winged insect.] (Zoöl.) Any
moth of the family Pyralidæ. The species are numerous and
mostly small, but some of them are very injurious, as the bee moth,
meal moth, hop moth, and clover moth.
Pyr"a*mid (?), n. [L. pyramis,
-idis, fr. Gr. &?;, &?;, of Egyptian origin: cf. F.
pyramide.]
1. A solid body standing on a triangular,
square, or polygonal base, and terminating in a point at the top;
especially, a structure or edifice of this shape.
2. (Geom.) A solid figure contained by
a plane rectilineal figure as base and several triangles which have a
common vertex and whose bases are sides of the base.
3. pl. (Billiards) The game of
pool in which the balls are placed in the form of a triangle at
spot. [Eng.]
Altitude of a pyramid (Geom.), the
perpendicular distance from the vertex to the plane of the base.
-- Axis of a pyramid (Geom.), a straight
line drawn from the vertex to the center of the base. --
Earth pyramid. (Geol.) See Earth
pillars, under Earth. -- Right
pyramid (Geom.) a pyramid whose axis is
perpendicular to the base.
Py*ram`i*dal (?), a. [Cf. F.
pyramidal.]
1. Of or pertaining to a pyramid; in the form
of a a pyramid; pyramidical; as, pyramidal cleavage.
The mystic obelisks stand up
Triangular, pyramidal.
Mrs. Browning.
2. (Crystallog.) Same as
Tetragonal.
Pyramidal numbers (Math.), certain
series of figurate numbers expressing the number of balls or points
that may be arranged in the form of pyramids. Thus 1, 4, 10, 20, 35,
etc., are triangular pyramidal numbers; and 1, 5, 14, 30, 55,
etc., are square pyramidal numbers.
Py*ram"i*dal (?), n. (Anat.)
One of the carpal bones. See Cuneiform,
n., 2 (b).
Py*ram"i*dal*ly, adv. Like a
pyramid.
{ Pyr`a*mid"ic (?), Pyr`a*mid"ic*al (?), }
a. Of or pertaining to a pyramid; having the
form of a pyramid; pyramidal. " A pyramidical rock."
Goldsmith. "Gold in pyramidic plenty piled."
Shenstone. -- Pyr`a*mid"ic*al*ly,
adv. Pyr`a*mild"ic*al*ness,
n.
||Pyr`a*mid"i*on (?), n.; pl.
Pyramidia (#). [NL., from L. pyramis. See
Pyramid.] The small pyramid which crowns or completes an
obelisk.
Py*ram"i*doid (?), n. [Gr. &?;, &?;,
pyramid + -id: cf. F. pyramidoïde.] A solid
resembling a pyramid; -- called also pyramoid.
Barlow.
||Pyr"a*mis (?), n.; pl.
Pyramides (#). [L.] A pyramid.
Pyr"a*moid (?), n. See
Pyramidoid.
Py*rar"gy*rite (?), n. [Gr. &?; fire +
&?; silver.] (Min.) Ruby silver; dark red silver ore. It
is a sulphide of antimony and silver, occurring in rhombohedral
crystals or massive, and is of a dark red or black color with a
metallic adamantine luster.
Pyre (?), n. [L. pure, Gr. &?;,
fr. &?; fire. See Fire.] A funeral pile; a combustible
heap on which the dead are burned; hence, any pile to be
burnt.
For nine long nights, through all the dusky air,
The pyres thick flaming shot a dismal glare.
Pope.
||Py*re"na (?), n.; pl.
Pyrenæ (#). [NL., fr. Gr. &?;, the stone of
fruit.] (Bot.) A nutlet resembling a seed, or the kernel
of a drupe. Gray.
Py"rene (?), n. [Gr. &?; fire.]
(Chem.) One of the less volatile hydrocarbons of coal tar,
obtained as a white crystalline substance,
C16H10.
Py"rene, n. (Bot.) Same as
Pyrena.
Pyr`e*ne"an (?), a. [L. Pyrenaei
(sc. montes) the Pyrenees, fr. Pyrene, Gr.&?; a daughter
of Bebryx, beloved by Hercules, and buried upon these mountains.]
Of or pertaining to the Pyrenees, a range of mountains separating
France and Spain. -- n. The
Pyrenees. Shak.
Py*re"noid (?), n. [Gr. &?; like a
kernel. See Pyrena, and -oid.] (Zoöl.)
A transparent body found in the chromatophores of certain
Infusoria.
Pyr"eth*rin (?), n. [NL.
Pyrethrum, generic name of feverfew, Gr. &?; feverfew.]
(Chem.) A substance resembling, and isomeric with,
ordinary camphor, and extracted from the essential oil of feverfew; --
called also Pyrethrum camphor.
Pyr"eth*rine (?), n. (Chem.)
An alkaloid extracted from the root of the pellitory of Spain
(Anacyclus pyrethrum).
Py*ret"ic (?), a. [Gr. &?; burning heat,
fever, from &?; fire: cf. F. pyrétique.] (Med.)
Of or pertaining to fever; febrile.
Pyr`e*tol"o*gy (?), n. [Gr. &?; fever +
-logy: cf. F. pyrétologie.] (Med.) A
discourse or treatise on fevers; the doctrine of fevers.
Hooper.
||Py*rex"i*a (?), n.; pl.
Pyrexiæ (#). [NL., fr. Gr. &?; to be feverish,
akin to &?; fever.] (Med.) The febrile
condition.
{ Py*rex"i*al (?), Py*rex"ic*al (?), }
a. (Med.) Of or pertaining to fever;
feverish.
Pyr"gom (?), n. [Gr. &?; a place
furnished with towers, fr. &?; a tower.] (Min.) A variety
of pyroxene; -- called also fassaite.
Pyr*he`li*om"e*ter (?), n. [Gr. &?; fire
+ &?; sun + -meter.] (Physics) An instrument for
measuring the direct heating effect of the sun's rays.
Py*rid"ic (?), a. (Physiol.
Chem.) Related to, or formed from, pyridin or its homologues;
as, the pyridic bases.
Pyr"i*dine (?), n. [From Gr. &?; fire.]
(Physiol. Chem.) A nitrogenous base,
C5H5N, obtained from the distillation of bone
oil or coal tar, and by the decomposition of certain alkaloids, as a
colorless liquid with a peculiar pungent odor. It is the nucleus of a
large number of organic substances, among which several vegetable
alkaloids, as nicotine and certain of the ptomaïnes, may be
mentioned. See Lutidine.
Pyr"i*dyl (?), n. [Pyridine +
-yl.] (Chem.) A hypothetical radical,
C5H4N, regarded as the essential residue of
pyridine, and analogous to phenyl.
Pyr"i*form (?), a. [L. pyrum,
pirum, a pear + -form: cf. F. pyriforme,
piriforme.] Having the form of a pear; pear-
shaped.
Pyr`i*ta"ceous (?), a. (Min.)
Of or pertaining to pyrites. See Pyritic.
Pyr"ite (?), n.; pl.
Pyrites (#). [Cf. F. pyrite. See
Pyrites.] (Min.) A common mineral of a pale brass-
yellow color and brilliant metallic luster, crystallizing in the
isometric system; iron pyrites; iron disulphide.
Hence sable coal his massy couch extends,
And stars of gold the sparkling pyrite blends.
E. Darwin.
Py*ri"tes (?), n. [L., fr. Gr. &?;, fr.
&?; fire. See Pyre.] (Min.) A name given to a
number of metallic minerals, sulphides of iron, copper, cobalt,
nickel, and tin, of a white or yellowish color.
&fist; The term was originally applied to the mineral pyrite, or
iron pyrites, in allusion to its giving sparks when struck with
steel.
Arsenical pyrites, arsenopyrite. --
Auriferous pyrites. See under
Auriferous. -- Capillary pyrites,
millerite. -- Common pyrites, isometric
iron disulphide; pyrite. -- Hair pyrites,
millerite. -- Iron pyrites. See
Pyrite. -- Magnetic pyrites,
pyrrhotite. -- Tin pyrites,
stannite. -- White iron pyrites,
orthorhombic iron disulphide; marcasite. This includes cockscomb
pyrites (a variety of marcasite, named in allusion to its form), spear
pyrites, etc. -- Yellow, or
Copper, pyrites, the sulphide
of copper and iron; chalcopyrite.
{ Py*rit"ic (?), Py*rit"ic*al (?), }
a. (Min.) Of or pertaining to pyrites;
consisting of, or resembling, pyrites.
Pyr`i*tif"er*ous (?), a. [Pyrites
+ -ferous.] (Min.) Containing or producing
pyrites.
Pyr"i*tize (?), v. t. [Cf. F.
pyritiser.] To convert into pyrites.
Pyr`i*to*he"dral (?), a. [See
Pyritohedron.] (Crystallog.) Like pyrites in
hemihedral form.
Pyr`i*to*he"dron (?), n. [Pyrite
+ Gr. &?; base.] (Crystallog.) The pentagonal
dodecahedron, a common form of pyrite.
Pyr"i*toid (?), n. [Pyrite + -
oid.] (Crystallog.) Pyritohedron. [R.]
Pyr`i*tol"o*gy (?), n. [Gr. &?; of fire
+ -logy.] The science of blowpipe analysis.
Pyr"i*tous (?), a.
Pyritic.
{ Pyro-, Pyr- }. [Gr. &?;, &?;, fire.]
Combining forms designating fire or heat;
specifically (Chem.), used to imply an actual or theoretical
derivative by the action of heat; as in pyrophosphoric,
pyrosulphuric, pyrotartaric, pyrotungstic,
etc.
Py"ro (?), n. (Photog.)
Abbreviation of pyrogallic acid. [Colloq.]
Pyr`o*a*ce"tic (?), a. [Pyro- +
acetic: cf. F. pyroacétique.] (Chem.)
Pertaining to, and designating, a substance (acetone) obtained by
the distillation of the acetates. It is now called also pyroacetic
ether, and formerly was called pyroacetic spirit.
Pyr`o*ac"id (?), n. [Pyro- +
acid.] (Chem.) An acid obtained by sybjecting
another acid to the action of heat. Cf. Pyro-.
Pyr`o*an`ti*mo"nate (?), n.
(Chem.) A salt of pyroantimonic acid.
Pyr`o*an`ti*mon"ic (?), a. [Pyro-
+ antimonic.] (Chem.) Pertaining to, or
designating, an acid of antimony analogous to pyrophosphoric
acid.
Pyr`o*ar"se*nate (?), n. (Chem.)
A salt of pyroarsenic acid.
Pyr`o*ar*sen"ic (?), a. [Pyro- +
arsenic.] (Chem.) Pertaining to or designating, an
acid of arsenic analogous to pyrophosphoric acid.
Pyr`o*bo"rate (?), n. (Chem.)
A salt of pyroboric acid.
Pyr`o*bo"ric (?), a. [Pyro- +
boric.] (Chem.) Pertaining to derived from, or
designating, an acid, H2B4O7 (called
also tetraboric acid), which is the acid ingredient of ordinary
borax, and is obtained by heating boric acid.
Pyr`o*cat"e*chin (?), n. [Pyro- +
catechu.] (Chem.) A white crystalline substance,
C6H4(OH)2, of the phenol series,
found in various plants; -- so called because first obtained by
distillation of gum catechu. Called also catechol,
oxyphenol. etc.
Pyr"o*chlore (?), n. [Pyro- + Gr.
&?; pale green.] (Min.) A niobate of calcium, cerium, and
other bases, occurring usually in octahedrons of a yellowish or
brownish color and resinous luster; -- so called from its becoming
grass-green on being subjected to heat under the blowpipe.
Pyr`o*cit"ric (?), a. [Pyro- +
citric: cf. F. pyrocitrique.] (Chem.)
Pertaining to, or designating, any one of three acids obtained by
the distillation of citric acid, and called respectively
citraconic, itaconic, and mesaconic
acid.
Pyr"o*coll (p&ibreve;r"&osl;*k&obreve;l),
n. [Puro- + Gr. ko`lla glue.]
(Chem.) A yellow crystalline substance allied to pyrrol,
obtained by the distillation of gelatin.
Pyr`o*e*lec"tric (?), a. [Pyro- +
electric.] (Physics) Pertaining to, or dependent
on, pyroelectricity; receiving electric polarity when
heated.
Pyr`o*e*lec"tric, n. (Physics)
A substance which becomes electrically polar when heated,
exhibiting opposite charges of statical electricity at two separate
parts, especially the two extremities.
Pyr`o*e`lec*tric"i*ty (?), n.
(Physics) Electricity developed by means of heat; the
science which treats of electricity thus developed.
Pyr`o*gal"late (?), n. (Chem.)
A salt of pyrogallic acid; an ether of pyrogallol.
Pyr`o*gal"lic (?), a. [Pyro- +
gallic.] (Chem.) Pertaining to, derived from, or
designating, an acid called pyrogallol. See
Pyrogallol.
Pyr`o*gal"lol (?), n. [Pyrogallic
+ -ol.] (Chem.) A phenol metameric with
phloroglucin, obtained by the distillation of gallic acid as a
poisonous white crystalline substance having acid properties, and
hence called also pyrogallic acid. It is a strong reducer, and
is used as a developer in photography and in the production of certain
dyes.
Pyr"o*gen (?), n. [See
Pyrogenous.] 1. Electricity.
[R.]
2. (Physiol. Chem.) A poison separable
from decomposed meat infusions, and supposed to be formed from
albuminous matter through the agency of bacteria.
Pyr`o*gen"ic (?), a. [Pyro- +
-gen + -ic.] (Physiol.) Producing heat; --
said of substances, as septic poisons, which elevate the temperature
of the body and cause fever.
Py*rog"e*nous (?), a. [Gr. &?; fire +
genous: cf. F. purogène, Gr. &?;.] Produced
by fire; igneous. Mantell. .
Pyr`og*nos"tic (?), a. [Pyro- +
Gr. &?; to know.] (Min.) Of or pertaining to characters
developed by the use of heat; pertaining to the characters of minerals
when examined before the blowpipe; as, the pyrognostic
characters of galena.
Pyr`og*nos"tics (?), n. pl.
(Min.) The characters of a mineral observed by the use of
the blowpipe, as the degree of fusibility, flame coloration,
etc.
Py*rog"ra*phy (?), n. [Pyro- +
-graphy.] A process of printing, ornamenting, or carving,
by burning with heated instruments.
Py*rol"a*tor (?), n. [See
Pyrolatry.] A fire worshiper. [R.]
Southey.
Py*rol"a*try (?), n. [Pyro- + Gr.
&?; worship: cf. F. pyrolâtrie.] The worship of
fire. Young.
{ Pyr`o*lig"ne*ous (?), Pyr`o*lig"nic (?), }
a. [Pyro-+ L. lignum wood: cf. F.
pyroligneux.] (Old Chem.) Pertaining to, or
designating, the acid liquid obtained in the distillation of wood,
consisting essentially of impure acetic acid.
Pyr`o*lig"nous (?), a. Same as
Pyroligneous.
Pyr`o*lith"ic (?), a. [Pyro- +
lithic.] (Old Chem.) Same as Pyrouric, or
Cyanuric.
Py*rol"o*gist (?), n. One who is
versed in, or makes a study of, pyrology.
Py*rol"o*gy (?), n. [Pyro- + -
logy: cf. F. pyrologie.] That branch of physical
science which treats of the properties, phenomena, or effects of heat;
also, a treatise on heat.
Pyr`o*lu"site (?), n. [Pyro- +
Gr. &?; to loose, or &?; a loosing.] (Min.) Manganese
dioxide, a mineral of an iron-black or dark steel-gray color and
metallic luster, usually soft. Pyrolusite parts with its oxygen at a
red heat, and is extensively used in discharging the brown and green
tints of glass (whence its name).
Pyr`o*mag*net"ic (?), a. [Pyro- +
magnetic.] (Physics) Acting by the agency of heat
and magnetism; as, a pyromagnetic machine for producing
electric currents.
Pyr`o*ma"late (?), n. (Chem.)
A salt of pyromalic acid. [Obs.]
Pyr`o*ma"lic (?), a. [Pyro- +
malic.] (Old Chem.) Pertaining to, or designating,
an acid now called maleic acid.
Pyr"o*man`cy (?), n. [Gr. &?;; &?; fire
+ &?; divination: cf. F. pyromancie.] Divination by means
of fire.
Pyr"o*ma"ni*a (?), n. [Pyro- +
mania.] An insane disposition to incendiarism.
Pyr"o*man"tic (?), a. Of or
pertaining to pyromancy.
Pyr`o*man"tic, n. [Cf. Gr. &?;.]
One who pretends to divine by fire. Sir T.
Herbert.
Py*rom"e*ter (?), n. [Pyro- +
-meter: cf. F. pyromètre.] 1.
(Physics) An instrument used for measuring the expansion
of solid bodies by heat.
2. (Physics) An instrument for
measuring degrees of heat above those indicated by the mercurial
thermometer.
&fist; It is usually constructed so as to register the change which
the heat to be measured produces in the length of some expansible
substance, as a metallic rod, or in the intensity of a thermo-electric
current.
{ Pyr`o*met"ric (?), Pyr`o*met"ric*al }
a. [Cf. F. pyrométrique.]
(Physics) Pertaining to, or obtained by, the pyrometer;
as, pyrometrical instruments; pyrometrical
measurements.
Py*rom"e*try (?), n. The art of
measuring degrees of heat, or the expansion of bodies by
heat.
Pyr`o*mor"phite (?), n. [G.
pyromorphit, from Gr. &?; fire + &?; form.] (Min.)
Native lead phosphate with lead chloride, occurring in bright
green and brown hexagonal crystals and also massive; -- so called
because a fused globule crystallizes in cooling.
Pyr`o*mor"phous (?), a. [Pyro- +
-morphous.] (Min.) Having the property of
crystallizing by the agency of fire.
Pyr`o*mu"cate (?), n. (Chem.)
A salt of pyromucic acid.
Pyr`o*mu"cic (?), a. [Pyro- +
mucic.] (Chem.) Pertaining to, derived from, or
designating, an acid obtained as a white crystalline substance by the
distillation of mucic acid, or by the oxidation of furfurol.
Pyr`o*nom"ics (?), n. [Pyro- +
Gr. &?; law.] The science of heat.
Pyr"ope (?), n. [L. pyropus a
kind of red bronze, fr. Gr. &?;; &?; fire + &?; the eye, face: cf. F.
pyrope.] (Min.) A variety of garnet, of a poppy or
blood-red color, frequently with a tinge of orange. It is used as a
gem. See the Note under Garnet.
Pyr"o*phane (?), n. [See
Pyrophanous.] (Min.) A mineral which is opaque in
its natural state, but is said to change its color and become
transparent by heat.
Py*roph"a*nous (?), a. [Pyro- +
Gr. &?; to show, pass, to shine.] Rendered transparent by
heat.
Pyr"o*phone (?), n. [Pyro- + Gr.
&?; sound.] A musical instrument in which the tones are produced
by flames of hydrogen, or illuminating gas, burning in tubes of
different sizes and lengths.
{ Pyr`o*phor"ic (?), Py*roph"o*rous (?), }
a. [Pyro- + Gr. &?; to bear.] Light-
producing; of or pertaining to pyrophorus.
Pyrophoric iron (Chem.), finely
reduced iron, which ignites spontaneously on contact with
air.
||Py*roph"o*rus (?), n. [NL. See
Pyrophorous.] (Old Chem.) Any one of several
substances or mixtures which phosphoresce or ignite spontaneously on
exposure to air, as a heated mixture of alum, potash, and charcoal, or
a mixture of charcoal and finely divided lead.
Pyr"o*phos"phate (?), n. (Chem.)
A salt of pyrophosphoric acid.
Pyr`o*phos*phor"ic (?), a. [Pyro-
+ phosphoric.] (Chem.) Pertaining to, or
designating, an acid, H4P2O7, which
is obtained as a white crystalline substance. Its salts are obtained
by heating the phosphates.
Py*roph"yl*lite (?), n. [Pyro- +
Gr. &?; leaf.] (Min.) A mineral, usually of a white or
greenish color and pearly luster, consisting chiefly of the hydrous
silicate of alumina.
Pyr"o*scope (?), n. [Pyro- + -
scope: cf. F. pyroscope.] (Physics) An
instrument for measuring the intensity of heat radiating from a fire,
or the cooling influence of bodies. It is a differential thermometer,
having one bulb coated with gold or silver leaf. [R.]
||Py*ro"sis (?), n. [NL., fr Gr. &?; a
burning, an inflammation, fr. &?; to burn, fr. &?; fire.]
(Med.) See Water brash, under
Brash.
Py*ros"ma*lite (?), n. [Pyro- +
Gr. &?; odor + -like. ] (Min.) A mineral, usually
of a pale brown or of a gray or grayish green color, consisting
chiefly of the hydrous silicate of iron and manganese; -- so called
from the odor given off before the blowpipe.
Pyr"o*some (?), n. [Pyro- + -
some body.] (Zoöl.) Any compound ascidian of the
genus Pyrosoma. The pyrosomes form large hollow cylinders,
sometimes two or three feet long, which swim at the surface of the sea
and are very phosphorescent.
Pyr`o*sul"phate (?), n. (Chem.)
A salt of pyrosulphuric acid.
Pyr`o*sul*phu"ric (?), a. [Pyro-
+ -sulphuric.] (Chem.) Pertaining to, or
designating, an acid called also disulphuric acid)
obtained by distillation of certain sulphates, as a colorless, thick,
oily liquid, H2S2O7 resembling
sulphuric acid. It is used in the solution of indigo, in the
manufacture of alizarin, and in dehydration.
Pyr`o*tar*tar"ic (?), a. [Pyro- +
tartaric.] (Chem.) Pertaining to, or designating,
an acid obtained as a white crystalline substance by the distillation
of tartaric acid.
Pyr`o*tar"trate (?), n. (Chem.)
A salt of pyrotartaric acid.
Pyr`o*tech"ni*an (?), n. A
pyrotechnist.
{ Pyr`o*tech"nic (?), Pyr`o*tech"nic*al (?), }
a. [Pyro- + technic, technical: cf. F.
pyrotechnique. See Fire, Technical.] Of or
pertaining to fireworks, or the art of forming them.
Pyrotechnical sponge. See under
Sponge.
Pyr`o*tech*ni"cian (?), n. A
pyrotechnist.
Pyr`o*tech"nics (?), n. The art of
making fireworks; the manufacture and use of fireworks;
pyrotechny.
Pyr`o*tech"nist (?), n. One skilled
in pyrotechny; one who manufactures fireworks.
Steevens.
Pyr`o*tech`ny (?), n. [Cf. F.
pyrotechnie.] 1. The use and application
of fire in science and the arts. [Obs.] Sir M. Hale.
2. Same as Pyrotechnics.
Py*roth"o*nide (?), n. [Pyro- +
Gr. &?; linen.] (Med.) A kind of empyreumatic oil produced
by the combustion of textures of hemp, linen, or cotton in a copper
vessel, -- formerly used as a remedial agent.
Dunglison.
Py*rot"ic (?), a. [Gr. &?;, fr. &?; to
burn, fr. &?;, &?;, fire: cf. F. pyrotique.] Caustic. See
Caustic. -- n. (Med.) A
caustic medicine.
Pyr`o*tri`tar*tar"ic (?), a. [Pyro-
+ tri- + tartaric.] (Chem.) Designating
an acid which is more commonly called uric acid.
Pyr`o*tung"stic (?), a. (Chem.)
Polytungstic. See Metatungstic.
Pyr`o*ü"ric (?), a. [Pyro- +
uric.] (Old Chem.) Pertaining to, or designating,
an acid now called cyanuric acid. See
Cyanuric.
Pyr`o*va*nad"ic (?), a. [Pyro- +
vanadic.] (Chem.) Pertaining to, or designating, an
acid of vanadium, analogous to pyrophosphoric acid.
Pyr`o*xan"thin (?), n. [Pyro- +
Gr. &?; yellow.] (Chem.) A yellow crystalline hydrocardon
extracted from crude wood spirit; -- called also
eblanin.
Pyr"ox*ene (?), n. [F.
pyroxène, from Gr. &?; fire + &?; a stranger; -- so
called because it was supposed to the be a stranger, or of rare
occurrence, in igneous rocks,] (Min.) A common mineral
occurring in monoclinic crystals, with a prismatic angle of nearly
90°, and also in massive forms which are often laminated. It
varies in color from white to dark green and black, and includes many
varieties differing in color and composition, as diopside, malacolite,
salite, coccolite, augite, etc. They are all silicates of lime and
magnesia with sometimes alumina and iron. Pyroxene is an essential
constituent of many rocks, especially basic igneous rocks, as basalt,
gabbro, etc.
&fist; The pyroxene group contains pyroxene proper, also the
related orthorhombic species, enstatite, bronzite, hypersthene, and
various monoclinic and triclinic species, as rhodonite, etc.
Pyr`ox*en"ic (?), a. [Cf. F.
pyroxénique.] Containing pyroxene; composed chiefly
of pyroxene.
Py*rox"e*nite (?), n. (Min.)
A rock consisting essentially of pyroxene.
Py*rox"yle (?), n. [Cf. F.
pyroxyle. See Pyroxylic, -yl.]
Pyr`ox*yl"ic (?), a. [Pyro- + Gr.
&?; wood.] (Old Chem.) Derived from wood by distillation;
-- formerly used in designating crude wood spirit.
Py*rox"y*lin (?), n. (Chem.)
A substance resembling gun cotton in composition and properties,
but distinct in that it is more highly nitrified and is soluble in
alcohol, ether, etc.; -- called also pyroxyle.
Pyr"rhic (?), a. [L. pyrrhichius,
Gr. &?; belonging to the &?; (sc. &?;) a kind of war dance.]
1. Of or pertaining to an ancient Greek martial
dance. " ye have the pyrrhic dance as yet."
Byron.
2. (Pros.) Of or pertaining to a
pyrrhic, or to pyrrhics; containing pyrrhic; as, a pyrrhic
verse.
Pyr"rhic, n. 1. [Gr.
&?;: cf. F. pyrrhique, fem.] An ancient Greek martial
dance, to the accompaniment of the flute, its time being very
quick.
2. [L. pyrrhichius (sc. pes), Gr. &?;
(sc. &?;): cf. F. pyrrhique, masc.] (Pros.) A foot
consisting of two short syllables.
Pyr"rhi*cist (?), n. (Gr. Antiq.)
One two danced the pyrrhic.
{ Pyr*rho"ne*an (?), Pyr*rhon"ic (?), }
a. [L. Pyrrhonêus: cf. F.
pyrrhonien.] Of or pertaining to pyrrhonism.
Pyr"rho*nism (?), n. [From
Pyrrho, the founder of a school of skeptics in Greece (about
300 b. c.): cf. F. pyrrhonisme.] Skepticism;
universal doubt.
Pyr"rho*nist (?), n. A follower of
Pyrrho; a skeptic.
{ Pyr"rho*tine (?), Pyr"rho*tite (?), }
n. [Gr. &?; flame-colored, fr. &?; fire.]
(Min.) A bronze-colored mineral, of metallic luster. It is
a sulphide of iron, and is remarkable for being attracted by the
magnet. Called also magnetic pyrites.
Pyr"rol (?), n. [Gr. &?; flame-colored
(from &?; fire) + L. oleum oil.] (Chem.) A
nitrogenous base found in coal tar, bone oil, and other distillates of
organic substances, and also produced synthetically as a colorless
liquid, C4H5N, having on odor like that of
chloroform. It is the nucleus and origin of a large number of
derivatives. So called because it colors a splinter of wood moistened
with hydrochloric acid a deep red.
Pyr"ro*line (?), n. (Chem.)
A nitrogenous base, C4H7N, obtained as a
colorless liquid by the reduction of pyrrol.
||Pyr"u*la (?), n. [NL., fr. L.
pyrus a pear.] (Zoöl.) A genus of large marine
gastropods. having a pear-shaped shell. It includes the fig-shells.
See Illust. in Appendix.
Py*ru"ric (?), a. Same as
Pyroüric.
||Py"rus (?), n. [L. pyrus, or
better pirus, pear tree.] (Bot.) A genus of
rosaceous trees and shrubs having pomes for fruit. It includes the
apple, crab apple, pear, chokeberry, sorb, and mountain ash.
Py*ru"vic (?), a. [Pyro- + L.
uva a grape.] (Chem.) Pertaining to, or
designating, an acid (called also pyroracemic acid) obtained,
as a liquid having a pungent odor, by the distillation of racemic
acid.
Py*ru"vil (?), n. (Chem.) A
complex nitrogenous compound obtained by heating together pyruvic acid
and urea.
Pyth`a*go"re*an (?), a. [L.
Pythagoreus, Gr. &?;.] Of or pertaining to Pythagoras (a
Greek philosopher, born about 582 b. c.), or his
philosophy.
The central thought of the Pythagorean
philosophy is the idea of number, the recognition of the numerical and
mathematical relations of things.
Encyc. Brit.
Pythagorean proposition (Geom.), the
theorem that the square described upon the hypothenuse of a plane
right-angled triangle is equal to the sum of the squares described
upon the other two sides. -- Pythagorean system
(Astron.), the commonly received system of astronomy, first
taught by Pythagoras, and afterward revived by Copernicus, whence it
is also called the Copernican system. --
Pythagorean letter. See Y.
Pyth`a*go"re*an (?), n. A follower
of Pythagoras; one of the school of philosophers founded by
Pythagoras.
Pyth`a*go"re*an*ism (?), n. The
doctrines of Pythagoras or the Pythagoreans.
As a philosophic school Pythagoreanism became
extinct in Greece about the middle of the 4th century [B.
C.].
Encyc. Brit.
{ Pyth`a*gor"ic (?), Pyth`a*gor"ic*al (?), }
a.[L. Pythagoricus, Gr. &?;: cf. F.
pythagorique.] See Pythagorean,
a.
Py*thag"o*rism (?), n. [Gr. &?;.]
The doctrines taught by Pythagoras.
&fist; Pythagoras made numbers the basis of his philosophical
system, as well physical as metaphysical. The doctrine of the
transmigration of souls (metempsychosis) is associated closely with
name of Pythagoras.
Py*thag"o*rize (?), v. i. [imp.
& p. p. Pythagorized (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Pythagorizing (?).] [Gr. &?;.] To speculate
after the manner of Pythagoras.
Pyth"i*ad (?), n. [See Pythian.]
(Gr. Antiq.) The period intervening between one
celebration of the Pythian games and the next.
Pyth"i*an (?), a. [L. Pythius,
Gr. &?; belonging to Pytho, the older name of Delphi and its environs:
cf. F. pythien.] Of or pertaining to Delphi, to the temple
of Apollo, or to the priestess of Apollo, who delivered oracles at
Delphi.
Pythian games (Gr. Antiq.), one of the
four great national festivals of ancient Greece, celebrated near
Delphi, in honor of Apollo, the conqueror of the dragon Python, at
first once in eight years, afterward once in four.
Pyth`o*cen"ic (?), a. [Gr. &?; to rot +
&?; origin.] Producing decomposition, as diseases which are
supposed to be accompanied or caused by decomposition.
Py"thon (?), n. [NL., fr. L.
Python the serpent slain near Delphi by Apollo, Gr. &?;.]
1. (Zoöl.) Any species of very large
snakes of the genus Python, and allied genera, of the family
Pythonidæ. They are nearly allied to the boas. Called
also rock snake.
&fist; The pythons have small pelvic bones, or anal spurs, two rows
of subcaudal scales, and pitted labials. They are found in Africa,
Asia, and the East Indies.
2. A diviner by spirits. "[Manasses]
observed omens, and appointed pythons." 4 Kings xxi. 6
(Douay version).
Pyth"o*ness (?), n. [L.
pythonissa: cf. F. pythonisse. See Pythian.]
1. (Gr. Antiq.) The priestess who gave
oracular answers at Delphi in Greece.
2. Any woman supposed to have a spirit of
divination; a sort of witch. Bp. Hall.
Py*thon"ic (?), a. [L.
pythonicus, Gr. &?;. See Pythian.] Prophetic;
oracular; pretending to foretell events.
Pyth"o*nism (?), n. The art of
predicting events after the manner of the priestess of Apollo at
Delphi; equivocal prophesying.
Pyth"o*nist (?), n. A conjurer; a
diviner.
||Pyth`o*no*mor"pha (?), n. pl. [NL. See
Python, and -morphous.] (Paleon.) Same as
Mosasauria.
||Py*u"ri*a (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?;
pus + &?; urine.] (Med.) A morbid condition in which pus
is discharged in the urine.
Pyx (?), n. [L. pyxis a box, Gr.
pyxi`s a box, especially of boxwood, fr. py`xos
the box tree or boxwood. See Box a receptacle.] [Written also
pix.] 1. (R. C. Ch.) The box, case,
vase, or tabernacle, in which the host is reserved.
2. A box used in the British mint as a place
of deposit for certain sample coins taken for a trial of the weight
and fineness of metal before it is sent from the mint.
Mushet.
3. (Naut.) The box in which the compass
is suspended; the binnacle. Weale.
4. (Anat.) Same as
Pyxis.
Pyx cloth (R. C. Ch.), a veil of silk
or lace covering the pyx. -- Trial of the pyx,
the annual testing, in the English mint, of the standard of gold
and silver coins. Encyc. Brit.
Pyx, v. t. To test as to weight and
fineness, as the coins deposited in the pyx. [Eng.]
Mushet.
Pyx"i*date (?), a. Having a
pyxidium.
||Pyx*id"i*um (?), n.; pl.
Pyxidia (#). [NL., fr. Gr. &?;, dim. a &?; a box.
See Pyx.] (Bot.) (a) A pod which
divides circularly into an upper and lower half, of which the former
acts as a kind of lid, as in the pimpernel and purslane.
(b) The theca of mosses.
Pyx"ie (p&ibreve;ks"&ibreve;), n.
(Bot.) Same as Pixy.
||Pyx*is (?), n. [L.] 1.
A box; a pyx.
2. (Bot.) A pyxidium.
3. (Anat.) The acetabulum. See
Acetabulum, 2.
Q.
Q (kū), the seventeenth letter of the English
alphabet, has but one sound (that of k), and is always followed
by u, the two letters together being sounded like kw,
except in some words in which the u is silent. See Guide to
Pronunciation, § 249. Q is not found in Anglo-Saxon,
cw being used instead of qu; as in cwic, quick;
cwen, queen. The name (kū) is from the French ku,
which is from the Latin name of the same letter; its form is from the
Latin, which derived it, through a Greek alphabet, from the
Phœnician, the ultimate origin being Egyptian.
Etymologically, q or qu is most nearly related to
a (ch, tch), p, q, and wh; as in
cud, quid, L. equus, ecus, horse, Gr. &?;, whence
E. equine, hippic; L. quod which, E. what;
L. aquila, E. eaqle; E. kitchen, OE.
kichene, AS. cycene, L. coquina.
Qua (?), conj. [L., abl. of qui
who.] In so far as; in the capacity or character of;
as.
It is with Shelley's biographers qua biographers
that we have to deal.
London Spectator.
Quab (?), n. [Cf. D. kwab
eelpout, Dan. quabbe, G. quabbe, quappe, LG.
quabbe a fat lump of flesh, and L. capito a kind of fish
with a large head, fr. caput the head, also E. squab.]
An unfledged bird; hence, something immature or unfinished.
Ford.
Quab, v. i. See Quob,
v. i.
Qua"-bird` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
The American night heron. See under Night.
Qua"cha (?), n. (Zoöl.)
The quagga.
Quack (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Qvacked (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Quacking.] [Of imitative origin; cf. D. kwaken, G.
quacken, quaken, Icel. kvaka to twitter.]
1. To utter a sound like the cry of a
duck.
2. To make vain and loud pretensions; to
boast. " To quack of universal cures."
Hudibras.
3. To act the part of a quack, or
pretender.
Quack, n. 1. The
cry of the duck, or a sound in imitation of it; a hoarse, quacking
noise. Chaucer.
2. [Cf. Quacksalver.] A boastful
pretender to medical skill; an empiric; an ignorant
practitioner.
3. Hence, one who boastfully pretends to skill
or knowledge of any kind not possessed; a charlatan.
Quacks political; quacks scientific,
academical.
Carlyle.
Quack, a. Pertaining to or
characterized by, boasting and pretension; used by quacks; pretending
to cure diseases; as, a quack medicine; a quack
doctor.
Quack"er*y (?), n.; pl.
Quackeries (&?;). The acts, arts, or boastful
pretensions of a quack; false pretensions to any art;
empiricism. Carlyle.
Quack" grass` (?). (Bot.) See Quitch
grass.
Quack"ish, a. Like a quack;
boasting; characterized by quackery. Burke.
Quack"ism (?), n. Quackery.
Carlyle.
Quac"kle (?), v. i. & t. [imp. &
p. p. Quackled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Quackling (?).] [Cf.Querken.] To suffocate; to
choke. [Prov. Eng.]
Quack"sal*ver (?), n. [D.
kwakzalver; cf. kwakzalven to quack or boast of one's
salves. See Quack, Salve, n.] One
who boasts of his skill in medicines and salves, or of the efficacy of
his prescriptions; a charlatan; a quack; a mountebank. [Obs.]
Burton.
{ Quad (?), Quade (?) }, a.
[Akin to AS. cw&aemacr;d, cwead, dung, evil, G.
kot, dung, OHG. quāt.] Evil; bad; baffling;
as, a quade wind. [Obs.]
Sooth play, quad play, as the Fleming
saith.
Chaucer.
Quad, n. (Print.) A
quadrat.
Quad, n. (Arch.) A
quadrangle; hence, a prison. [Cant or Slang]
||Quad"ra (?), n.; pl.
Quadræ (#). [L., a square, the socle, a
platband, a fillet.] (Arch.) (a) The
plinth, or lowest member, of any pedestal, podium, water table, or the
like. (b) A fillet, or listel.
Quad"ra*ble (?), a.[See
Quadrate.] (Math.) That may be sqyared, or reduced
to an equivalent square; -- said of a surface when the area limited by
a curve can be exactly found, and expressed in a finite number of
algebraic terms.
Quad`ra*ge*na"ri*ous (?), a. [L.
quadragenarius, fr. qyadrageni forty each.]
Consisting of forty; forty years old.
Quad"ra*gene (?), n. [LL.
quadragena, fr. L. quadrageni forty each, akin to
quadraginta forty.] (R. C. Ch.) An indulgence of
forty days, corresponding to the forty days of ancient canonical
penance.
||Quad`ra*ges"i*ma (?), n. [L., fr.
quadragesimus the fortieth, fr. quadraginta forty; akin
to quattuor four. See Four.] (Eccl.) The
forty days of fast preceding Easter; Lent.
Quadragesima Sunday, the first Sunday in
Lent, about forty days before Easter.
Quad`ra*ges"i*mal (?), a. [Cf. F.
quadragésimal.] Belonging to Lent; used in Lent;
Lenten.
Quad`ra*ges"i*mals (?), n. pl.
Offerings formerly made to the mother church of a diocese on Mid-
Lent Sunday.
Quad"ran`gle (?), n. [F., fr. L.
quadrangulum; quattuor four + angulus an angle.
See Four, and Angle a corner.]
1. (Geom.) A plane figure having four
angles, and consequently four sides; any figure having four
angles.
2. A square or quadrangular space or
inclosure, such a space or court surrounded by buildings, esp. such a
court in a college or public school in England.
Quad*ran"gu*lar (?), a. [Cf. F.
quadrangulaire.] Having four angles, and consequently four
sides; tetragonal. -- Quad*ran"gu*lar*ly,
adv.
||Quad"rans (?), n.; pl.
Quadrantes (#). [L.] 1. (Rom.
Antiq.) A fourth part of the coin called an as. See 3d As,
2.
2. The fourth of a penny; a farthing. See
Cur.
Quad"rant (?), n. [L. quadrans,
-antis, a fourth part, a fourth of a whole, fr. quattuor
four: cf. F. quadrant, cadran. See Four, and cf.
Cadrans.] 1. The fourth part; the
quarter. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.
2. (Geom.) The quarter of a circle, or
of the circumference of a circle, an arc of 90°, or one subtending
a right angle at the center.
3. (Anal. (Geom.) One of the four parts
into which a plane is divided by the coördinate axes. The upper
right-hand part is the first quadrant; the upper left-hand part
the second; the lower left-hand part the third; and the
lower right-hand part the fourth quadrant.
4. An instrument for measuring altitudes,
variously constructed and mounted for different specific uses in
astronomy, surveying, gunnery, etc., consisting commonly of a
graduated arc of 90°, with an index or vernier, and either plain
or telescopic sights, and usually having a plumb line or spirit level
for fixing the vertical or horizontal direction.
Gunner's quadrant, an instrument consisting
of a graduated limb, with a plumb line or spirit level, and an arm by
which it is applied to a cannon or mortar in adjusting it to the
elevation required for attaining the desired range. --
Gunter's quadrant. See Gunter's quadrant,
in the Vocabulary. -- Hadley's quadrant, a
hand instrument used chiefly at sea to measure the altitude of the sun
or other celestial body in ascertaining the vessel's position. It
consists of a frame in the form of an octant having a graduated scale
upon its arc, and an index arm, or alidade pivoted at its apex.
Mirrors, called the index glass and the horizon glass, are fixed one
upon the index arm and the other upon one side of the frame,
respectively. When the instrument is held upright, the index arm may
be swung so that the index glass will reflect an image of the sun upon
the horizon glass, and when the reflected image of the sun coincides,
to the observer's eye, with the horizon as seen directly through an
opening at the side of the horizon glass, the index shows the sun's
altitude upon the scale; -- more properly, but less commonly, called
an octant. -- Quadrant of altitude,
an appendage of the artificial globe, consisting of a slip of
brass of the length of a quadrant of one of the great circles of the
globe, and graduated. It may be fitted to the meridian, and being
movable round to all points of the horizon, serves as a scale in
measuring altitudes, azimuths, etc.
Quad*ran"tal (?), a. [L.
quadrantalis containing the fourth fourth part of a measure.]
(Geom.) Of or pertaining to a quadrant; also, included in
the fourth part of a circle; as, quadrantal space.
Quadrantal triangle, a spherical triangle
having one side equal to a quadrant or arc of 90°. --
Quadrantal versor, a versor that expresses
rotation through one right angle.
Quad*ran"tal, n. [L.] 1.
(Rom. Antiq.) A cubical vessel containing a Roman cubic
foot, each side being a Roman square foot; -- used as a
measure.
2. A cube. [R.]
Quad"rat (?), n. [F. quadrat,
cadrat. See Quadrate.] 1.
(Print.) A block of type metal lower than the letters, --
used in spacing and in blank lines. [Abbrev. quad.]
2. An old instrument used for taking
altitudes; -- called also geometrical square, and line of
shadows.
Quad"rate (?), a. [L. quadratus
squared, p. p. of quadrare to make four-cornered, to make
square, to square, to fit, suit, from quadrus square,
quattuor four. See Quadrant, and cf. Quadrat,
Quarry an arrow, Square.] 1. Having
four equal sides, the opposite sides parallel, and four right angles;
square.
Figures, some round, some triangle, some
quadrate.
Foxe.
2. Produced by multiplying a number by itself;
square. " Quadrate and cubical numbers." Sir T.
Browne.
3. Square; even; balanced; equal; exact.
[Archaic] " A quadrate, solid, wise man." Howell.
4. Squared; suited; correspondent.
[Archaic] " A generical description quadrate to both."
Harvey.
Quadrate bone (Anat.), a bone between
the base of the lower jaw and the skull in most vertebrates below the
mammals. In reptiles and birds it articulates the lower jaw with the
skull; in mammals it is represented by the malleus or incus.
Quad"rate (?), n. [L. quadratum.
See Quadrate, a.] 1.
(Geom.) A plane surface with four equal sides and four
right angles; a square; hence, figuratively, anything having the
outline of a square.
At which command, the powers militant
That stood for heaven, in mighty quadrate joined.
Milton.
2. (Astrol.) An aspect of the heavenly
bodies in which they are distant from each other 90°, or the
quarter of a circle; quartile. See the Note under
Aspect, 6.
3. (Anat.) The quadrate bone.
Quad"rate (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Quadrated (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Quadrating.] [See Quadrate, a.]
To square; to agree; to suit; to correspond; -- followed by
with. [Archaic]
The objections of these speculatists of its forms do
not quadrate with their theories.
Burke.
Quad"rate, v. t. To adjust (a gun)
on its carriage; also, to train (a gun) for horizontal
firing.
Quad*rat"ic (?), a. [Cf. F.
quadratique.]
1. Of or pertaining to a square, or to
squares; resembling a quadrate, or square; square.
2. (Crystallog.) Tetragonal.
3. (Alg.) Pertaining to terms of the
second degree; as, a quadratic equation, in which the highest
power of the unknown quantity is a square.
Quad*rat"ics (?), n. (Alg.)
That branch of algebra which treats of quadratic
equations.
Quad*ra`to*ju"gal (?), a. (Anat.)
(a) Of or pertaining to the quadrate and jugal
bones. (b) Of or pertaining to the
quadratojugal bone. -- n. The
quadratojugal bone.
Quadratojugal bone (Anat.), a bone at
the base of the lower jaw in many animals.
Quad*ra"trix (?), n.; pl.
-trixes (#), or -trices
(#). [NL.] (Geom.) A curve made use of in the quadrature
of other curves; as the quadratrix, of Dinostratus, or of
Tschirnhausen.
Quad"ra*ture (?), n. [L.
quadratura: cf. F. quadrature. See Quadrate,
a.] 1. (Math.) The act
of squaring; the finding of a square having the same area as some
given curvilinear figure; as, the quadrature of a circle; the
operation of finding an expression for the area of a figure bounded
wholly or in part by a curved line, as by a curve, two ordinates, and
the axis of abscissas.
2. A quadrate; a square.
Milton.
3. (Integral Calculus) The integral
used in obtaining the area bounded by a curve; hence, the definite
integral of the product of any function of one variable into the
differential of that variable.
4. (Astron.) The position of one
heavenly body in respect to another when distant from it 90°, or a
quarter of a circle, as the moon when at an equal distance from the
points of conjunction and opposition.
Quadrature of the moon (Astron.), the
position of the moon when one half of the disk is illuminated. --
Quadrature of an orbit (Astron.), a point
in an orbit which is at either extremity of the latus rectum drawn
through the empty focus of the orbit.
Quad"rel (?), n. [It. quadrello,
LL. quadrellus, fr. L. quadrus square. See
Quadrate, and cf. Quarrel an arrow.] 1.
A square piece of turf or peat. [Prov. Eng.]
2. A square brick, tile, or the
like.
Quad*ren"ni*al (?), a. [L.
quadriennium a space of four years; quattuor four +
annus year; cf. L. quadriennis. See Quadrate, and
Annual.] 1. Comprising four years; as, a
quadrennial period.
2. Occurring once in four years, or at the end
of every four years; as, quadrennial games.
Quad*ren"ni*al*ly, adv. Once in
four years.
||Quad*ren"ni*um (?), n. [NL. See
Quadrennial.] A space or period of four years.
Quad"ri- (?). [L., from quattuor four. See
Four.] A combining form meaning four, four
times, fourfold; as, quadricapsular, having
four capsules.
Quad`ri*ba"sic (?), a. [Quadri- +
basic.] (Chem.) Same as
Tetrabasic.
Quad"ri*ble (?), a.
Quadrable. [R.]
Quad"ric (?), a. (Math.) Of
or pertaining to the second degree.
Quad"ric, n. (a)
(Alg.) A quantic of the second degree. See
Quantic. (b) (Geom.) A
surface whose equation in three variables is of the second degree.
Spheres, spheroids, ellipsoids, paraboloids, hyperboloids, also cones
and cylinders with circular bases, are quadrics.
Quad`ri*cap"su*lar (?), a. [Quadri-
+ capsular.] (Bot.) Having four
capsules.
||Quad"ri*ceps (?), n. [NL., fr. L.
qyattuor four + caput head.] (Anat.) The
great extensor muscle of the knee, divided above into four parts which
unite in a single tendon at the knee.
Quad`ri*cip"i*tal (?), n. (Anat.)
Of or pertaining to the quadriceps.
Quad"ri*corn (?), n. [See
Quadricornous.] (Zoöl.) Any quadricornous
animal.
Quad`ri*cor"nous (?), a. [Quadri-
+ L. cornu horn: cf. F. quadricorne.]
(Zoöl.) Having four horns, or hornlike organs; as, a
quadricornous beetle.
Quad`ri*cos"tate (?), a. [Quadri-
+ costate.] Having four ribs.
Quad`ri*den"tate (?), a. [Quadri-
+ dentate.] Having four teeth; as, a quadridentate
leaf.
Quad`ri*en"ni*al (?), a. Same as
Quadrennial.
Quad`ri*fa"ri*ous (?), a. [L.
quadrifarius fourfold, fr. quattuor four: cf. F.
quadrifarié. Cf. Multifarious.] Arranged in
four rows or ranks; as, quadrifarious leaves.
Loudon.
Quad"ri*fid (?), a. [L.
quadrifidus; quattuor four + findere to cleave:
cf. F. quadrifide.] Divided, or deeply cleft, into four
parts; as, a quadrifid perianth; a quadrifid
leaf.
{ Quad"ri*foil (?), Quad`ri*fo"li*ate (?), }
a. [Quadri- + L. folium leaf.]
(Bot.) Four-leaved; having the leaves in whorls of
four.
Quad`ri*fur"ca*ted (?), a. [Quadri-
+ furcated.] Having four forks, or
branches.
||Quad*ri"ga (?), n.; pl.
Quadrigæ (#). [L. See Quadrijugous.]
(Rom. Antiq.) A car or chariot drawn by four horses
abreast.
{ Quad`ri*gem"i*nal (?), Quad`ri*gem"i*nous (?),
} a. [Quadri- + L. gemini twins.]
Fourfold; having four similar parts, or two pairs of similar
parts.
Quadrigeminal bodies (Anat.), two
pairs of lobes, or elevations, on the dorsal side of the midbrain of
most mammals; the optic lobes. The anterior pair are called the
nates, and the posterior the testes.
Quad`ri*ge*na"ri*ous (?), a. [L.
quadrigeni, quadringeni, four hundred each.]
Consisting of four hundred.
Quad*rij"u*gate (?), a. Same as
Quadrijugous.
Quad*rij"u*gous (?), a. [L.
quadrijugus of a team of four; quattuor four +
jugum yoke.] (Bot.) Pinnate, with four pairs of
leaflets; as, a quadrijugous leaf.
Quad`ri*lat"er*al (?), a. [L.
quadrilaterus: cf. F. quadrilatère,
quadrilatéral. See Quadri- and Lateral.]
Having four sides, and consequently four angles;
quadrangular.
Quad`ri*lat"er*al, n. 1.
(Geom.) A plane figure having four sides, and consequently
four angles; a quadrangular figure; any figure formed by four
lines.
2. An area defended by four fortresses
supporting each other; as, the Venetian quadrilateral,
comprising Mantua, Peschiera, Verona, and Legnano.
Complete quadrilateral (Geom.), the
figure made up of the six straight lines that can be drawn through
four points, A, B, C, I, the lines being
supposed to be produced indefinitely.
Quad`ri*lat"er*al*ness, n. The
property of being quadrilateral.
Quad`ri*lit"er*al (?), a. [Quadri-
+ literal.] Consisting of four letters.
Qua*drille" (?), n. [F.
quadrille, n. fem., fr. Sp. cuadrilla meeting of four or
more persons or It. quadriglia a band of soldiers, a sort of
dance; dim. fr. L. quadra a square, fr. quattuor four.
See Quadrate.] 1. A dance having five
figures, in common time, four couples of dancers being in each
set.
2. The appropriate music for a
quadrille.
Qua*drille", n. [F. quadrille, n.
masc., cf. It. quadriglio; or perhaps from the Spanish. See
Quadrille a dance.] A game played by four persons with
forty cards, being the remainder of an ordinary pack after the tens,
nines, and eights are discarded. Hoyle.
Quad*ril"lion (?), n. [F., fr. L.
quater four times, akin to quattuor four, E.
four; -- formed like million. See Four,
Million.] According to the French notation, which is
followed also upon the Continent and in the United States, a unit with
fifteen ciphers annexed; according to the English notation, the number
produced by involving a million to the fourth power, or the number
represented by a unit with twenty-four ciphers annexed. See the Note
under Numeration.
{ Quad`ri*lo"bate (?), Quad`ri*lobed (?), }
a. [Quadri- + lobe: cf. F.
quadrilobé.] Having four lobes; as, a
quadrilobate leaf.
Quad`ri*loc"u*lar (?), a. [Quadri-
+ locular: cf. F. quadriloculaire.] Having
four cells, or cavities; as, a quadrilocular heart.
Quad"rin (?), n. [OF., fr. L.
quadrini four each, fr. quattuor four.] A small
piece of money, in value about a farthing, or a half cent.
[Obs.]
Quad`ri*nod"al (?), a. [Quadri- +
nodal.] (Math.) Possessing four nodes; as,
quadrinodal curves.
Quad`ri*no"mi*al (?), n. [Quadri-
+ nomial, as in binomial: cf. F.
quadrinôme.] (Alg.) A polynomial of four
terms connected by the signs plus or minus.
Quad`ri*nom"ic*al (?), a.
Quadrinomial.
Quad`ri*nom"i*nal (?), a. [Quadri-
+ nominal.] (Alg.) Quadrinomial. Sir
W. R. Hamilton.
Quad*rip"ar*tite (?), a. [L.
quadripartitus, p. p. of quadripartire to divide into
four parts; quattuor four + partire to divide: cf. F.
quadripartite.] Divided into four parts.
Quad*rip"ar*tite*ly, adv. In four
parts.
Quad`ri*par*ti"tion (?), n. [L.
quadripartitio: cf. F. quadripartition.] A division
or distribution by four, or into four parts; also, a taking the fourth
part of any quantity or number.
Quad`ri*pen"nate (?), a. [Quadri-
+ pennate.] (Zoöl.) Having four wings; -- said
of insects.
Quad*riph"yl*lous (?), a. [Quadri
+ Gr. &?; leaf.] (Bot.) Having four leaves;
quadrifoliate.
Quad"ri*reme (?), n. [L.
quadriremis; quattuor four + remus an oar: cf. F.
quadrirème.] (Antiq.) A galley with four
banks of oars or rowers.
Quad`ri*sec"tion (?), n. [Quadri-
+ section.] A subdivision into four parts.
Quad`ri*sul"cate (?), a. [Quadri
+ sulcate.] (Zoöl.) Having four hoofs; as, a
quadrisulcate foot; a quadrisulcate animal.
{ Quad`ri*syl*lab"ic (?), Quad`ri-syl*lab"ic*al
(?), }Having four syllables; of or pertaining to quadrisyllables;
as, a quadrisyllabic word.
Quad`ri*syl"la*ble (?), n. [Quadri-
+ syllable: cf. F. quadrisyllabe.] A word
consisting of four syllables. De Quincey.
Quad*riv"a*lence (?), n. (Chem.)
The quality or state of being quadrivalent;
tetravalence.
Quad*riv"a*lent (?), a. [Quadri-
+ L. valens, -entis, p. pr. See Valence.]
(Chem.) Having a valence of four; capable of combining
with, being replaced by, or compared with, four monad atoms;
tetravalent; -- said of certain atoms and radicals; thus, carbon and
silicon are quadrivalent elements.
Quad"ri*valve (?), a. [Quadri- +
valve: cf. F. quadrivalve.] (Bot.)
Dehiscent into four similar parts; four-valved; as, a
quadrivalve pericarp.
Quad"ri*valve, n. (Arch.) A
door, shutter, or the like, having four folds.
Quad`ri*val"vu*lar (?), a. Having
four valves; quadrivalve.
Quad*riv"i*al (?), a. [L.
quadrivium a place where four ways meet; quattuor four +
via way.] Having four ways meeting in a point.
B. Jonson.
Quad*riv"i*al, n. One of the four
"liberal arts" making up the quadrivium.
||Quad*riv"i*um (?), n. [L.] The
four "liberal arts," arithmetic, music, geometry, and astronomy; -- so
called by the schoolmen. See Trivium.
Quad*roon" (?), n. [F. quarteron,
or Sp. cuarteron. See Quarter a fourth part, and cf.
Quarteron.] The offspring of a mulatto and a white person;
a person quarter-blooded. [Written also quarteron,
quarteroon, and quateron.]
Quad*rox"ide (?), n. [Quadri- +
oxide.] (Chem.) A tetroxide. [R.]
||Quad*ru"ma*na (?), n. pl. [NL. See
Quadrumane.] (Zoöl.) A division of the
Primates comprising the apes and monkeys; -- so called because the
hind foot is usually prehensile, and the great toe opposable somewhat
like a thumb. Formerly the Quadrumana were considered an order
distinct from the Bimana, which last included man alone.
Quad"ru*mane (?), n. [L. quattuor
four + manus a hand: cf. F. quadrumane.]
(Zoöl.) One of the Quadrumana.
Quad*ru"ma*nous (?), a.
(Zoöl.) Having four hands; of or pertaining to the
Quadrumana.
Quad"ru*ped (?), a. [L.
quadrupes, -pedis; quattuor four + pes,
pedis, a foot: cf. F. quadrupède. See
Quadrate, and Foot.] Having four feet.
Quad"ru*ped, n. (Zoöl.)
An animal having four feet, as most mammals and reptiles; --
often restricted to the mammals.
Quad*ru"pe*dal (?), a.
(Zoöl.) Having four feet; of or pertaining to a
quadruped.
Quad"ru*ple (?), a. [L.
quadruplus, from quattuor four: cf. F.
quadruple. See Quadrate, and cf. Double.]
Fourfold; as, to make quadruple restitution; a
quadruple alliance.
Quadruple time (Mus.), that in which
each measure is divided into four equal parts.
Quad"ru*ple, n. [Cf. F.
quadruple, L. quadruplum.] four times the sum or
number; a fourfold amount; as, to receive to quadruple of the
amount in damages.
Quad"ru*ple, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Quadrupled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Quadrupling (?).] [L. quadruplare: cf. F.
quadrupler.] To multiply by four; to increase fourfold; to
double; to double twice. A. Smith.
Quad"ru*ple, v. i. To be multiplied
by four; to increase fourfold; to become four times as much.
Quad"ru*plex (?), a. [L., from
quattuor four + plicare to fold.] Fourfold; folded
or doubled twice.
Quadruplex system (Electric Telegraph),
a system by which four messages, two in each direction, may be
sent simultaneously over the wire.
Quad*ru"pli*cate (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Quadruplicated (?); p.
pr. & vb. n. Quadruplicating.] [L.
quadruplicatus, p. p. of quadruplicare, fr.
quadruple&?; fourfold. See Quadruplex.] To make
fourfold; to double twice; to quadruple.
Quad*ru"pli*cate (?), a. [L.
quadruplicatus, p. p.]
1. Fourfold; doubled twice; four times
repeated; as, a quadruplicate ratio, or a quadruplicate
proportion.
2. (Math.) Raised to the fourth
power. [R.]
Quad`ru*pli*ca"tion (?), n. [L.
quadruplicatio: cf. F. quadruplication.] The act of
making fourfold; a taking four times the simple sum or
amount.
Quad"ru*ply (?), adv. To a fourfold
quantity; so as to be, or cause to be, quadruple; as, to be
quadruply recompensed.
||Quæ"re (?), v. imperative. [L.,
imperative of quaerere to seek.] Inquire; question; see; -
- used to signify doubt or to suggest investigation.
||Quæs"tor (?), n. [L.] Same
as Questor.
Quaff (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Quaffed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Quaffing.] [For quach, fr. Gael. & Ir. cuach a
drinking cup; cf. L. caucus a drinking vessel. Cf.
Quaigh.] To drink with relish; to drink copiously of; to
swallow in large draughts. "Quaffed off the muscadel."
Shak.
They eat, they drink, and in communion sweet
Quaff immortality and joy.
Milton.
Quaff (?), v. i. To drink largely
or luxuriously.
Twelve days the gods their solemn revels keep,
And quaff with blameless Ethiops in the deep.
Dryden.
Quaff"er (?), n. One who quaffs, or
drinks largely.
Quag (?), n. A quagmire. [R.]
"Crooked or straight, through quags or thorny dells."
Cowper.
Quag"ga (?), n. [Hottentot.]
(Zoöl.) A South African wild ass (Equus, or
Hippotigris, quagga). The upper parts are reddish brown, becoming
paler behind and behind and beneath, with dark stripes on the face,
neck, and fore part of the body.
Quag"gy (?), a.[See Quag,
Quagmire.] Of the nature of a quagmire; yielding or
trembling under the foot, as soft, wet earth; spongy; boggy.
"O'er the watery strath, or quaggy moss." Collins.
Quag"mire` (?), n. [Quake +
mire.] Soft, wet, miry land, which shakes or yields under
the feet. "A spot surrounded by quagmires, which rendered
it difficult of access." Palfrey.
Syn. -- Morass; marsh; bog; swamp; fen; slough.
{ Qua"hog, Qua"haug } (?), n.
[Abbrev. fr. Narragansett Indian poquaûhock.]
(Zoöl.) An American market clam (Venus
mercenaria). It is sold in large quantities, and is highly valued
as food. Called also round clam, and hard
clam.
&fist; The name is also applied to other allied species, as
Venus Mortoni of the Gulf of Mexico.
{ Quaigh, Quaich } (?), n.
[Gael. cuach. Cf. Quaff.] A small shallow cup or
drinking vessel. [Scot.] [Written also quegh.]
Quail (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Qualled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Qualling.] [AS. cwelan to die, perish; akin to
cwalu violent death, D. kwaal pain, G. qual
torment, OHG. quelan to suffer torment, Lith. gelti to
hurt, gela pain. Cf. Quell.] 1. To
die; to perish; hence, to wither; to fade. [Obs.]
Spenser.
2. To become quelled; to become cast down; to
sink under trial or apprehension of danger; to lose the spirit and
power of resistance; to lose heart; to give way; to shrink; to
cower.
The atheist power shall quail, and confess his
fears. I. Taylor.
Stouter hearts than a woman's have quailed in this terrible
winter.
Longfellow.
Syn. -- to cower; flinch; shrink; quake; tremble; blench;
succumb; yield.
Quail, v. t. [Cf. Quell.] To
cause to fail in spirit or power; to quell; to crush; to subdue.
[Obs.] Spenser.
Quail, v. i. [OF. coaillier, F.
cailler, from L. coagulare. See Coagulate.]
To curdle; to coagulate, as milk. [Obs.]
Holland.
Quail, n. [OF. quaille, F.
caille, LL. quaquila, qualia, qualea, of
Dutch or German origin; cf. D. kwakkel, kwartel, OHG.
wahtala, G. wachtel.]
1. (Zoöl.) Any gallinaceous bird
belonging to Coturnix and several allied genera of the Old
World, especially the common European quail (C. communis), the
rain quail (C. Coromandelica) of India, the stubble quail
(C. pectoralis), and the Australian swamp quail (Synoicus
australis).
2. (Zoöl.) Any one of several
American partridges belonging to Colinus, Callipepla,
and allied genera, especially the bobwhite (called Virginia
quail, and Maryland quail), and the California quail
(Calipepla Californica).
3. (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous
species of Turnix and allied genera, native of the Old World, as the
Australian painted quail (Turnix varius). See
Turnix.
4. A prostitute; -- so called because the
quail was thought to be a very amorous bird.[Obs.]
Shak.
Bustard quail (Zoöl.), a small
Asiatic quail-like bird of the genus Turnix, as T. taigoor, a
black-breasted species, and the hill bustard quail (T.
ocellatus). See Turnix. -- Button
quail (Zoöl.), one of several small Asiatic
species of Turnix, as T. Sykesii, which is said to be the
smallest game bird of India. -- Mountain quail.
See under Mountain. -- Quail call,
a call or pipe for alluring quails into a net or within
range. -- Quail dove (Zoöl.),
any one of several American ground pigeons belonging to
Geotrygon and allied genera. -- Quail
hawk (Zoöl.), the New Zealand sparrow hawk
(Hieracidea Novæ-Hollandiæ). -- Quail
pipe. See Quail call, above. --
Quail snipe (Zoöl.), the dowitcher,
or red-breasted snipe; -- called also robin snipe, and brown
snipe. -- Sea quail (Zoöl.),
the turnstone. [Local, U. S.]
Quail"y (?), n. [Cf. Quail the
bird.] (Zoöl.) The upland plover.
[Canadian]
Quaint (?), a. [OE. queint,
queynte, coint, prudent, wise, cunning, pretty, odd, OF.
cointe cultivated, amiable, agreeable, neat, fr. L.
cognitus known, p. p. of cognoscere to know; con +
noscere (for gnoscere) to know. See Know, and cf.
Acquaint, Cognition.] 1. Prudent;
wise; hence, crafty; artful; wily. [Obs.]
Clerks be full subtle and full
quaint.
Chaucer.
2. Characterized by ingenuity or art; finely
fashioned; skillfully wrought; elegant; graceful; nice; neat.
[Archaic] " The queynte ring." " His queynte spear."
Chaucer. " A shepherd young quaint."
Chapman.
Every look was coy and wondrous
quaint.
Spenser.
To show bow quaint an orator you
are.
Shak.
3. Curious and fanciful; affected; odd;
whimsical; antique; archaic; singular; unusual; as, quaint
architecture; a quaint expression.
Some stroke of quaint yet simple
pleasantry.
Macaulay.
An old, long-faced, long-bodied servant in
quaint livery.
W. Irving.
Syn. -- Quaint, Odd, Antique.
Antique is applied to that which has come down from the
ancients, or which is made to imitate some ancient work of art.
Odd implies disharmony, incongruity, or unevenness. An
odd thing or person is an exception to general rules of
calculation and procedure, or expectation and common experience. In
the current use of quaint, the two ideas of odd and
antique are combined, and the word is commonly applied to that
which is pleasing by reason of both these qualities. Thus, we speak
of the quaint architecture of many old buildings in London; or
a quaint expression, uniting at once the antique and the
fanciful.
Quain"tise (?), n. [OF.
cointise.] 1. Craft; subtlety;
cunning. [Obs.] Chaucer. R. of Glouces.
2. Elegance; beauty. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Quaint"ly (?), adv. In a quaint
manner. Shak.
Quaint"ness, n. The quality of
being quaint. Pope.
Quair (?), n. [See 3d Quire.]
A quire; a book. [Obs.] "The king's quhair."
James I. (of Scotland).
Quake (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Quaked (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Quaking.] [AS. cwacian; cf. G. quackeln. Cf.
Quagmire.] 1. To be agitated with quick,
short motions continually repeated; to shake with fear, cold, etc.; to
shudder; to tremble. "Quaking for dread."
Chaucer.
She stood quaking like the partridge on which
the hawk is ready to seize.
Sir P. Sidney.
2. To shake, vibrate, or quiver, either from
not being solid, as soft, wet land, or from violent convulsion of any
kind; as, the earth quakes; the mountains quake. "
Over quaking bogs." Macaulay.
Quake, v. t. [Cf. AS. cweccan to
move, shake. See Quake, v. t.] To cause
to quake. [Obs.] Shak.
Quake, n. A tremulous agitation; a
quick vibratory movement; a shudder; a quivering.
Quak"er (?), n. 1.
One who quakes.
2. One of a religious sect founded by George
Fox, of Leicestershire, England, about 1650, -- the members of
which call themselves Friends. They were called Quakers,
originally, in derision. See Friend, n.,
4.
Fox's teaching was primarily a preaching of repentance
. . . The trembling among the listening crowd caused or confirmed the
name of Quakers given to the body; men and women sometimes fell
down and lay struggling as if for life.
Encyc.
Brit.
3. (Zoöl.) (a) The
nankeen bird. (b) The sooty
albatross. (c) Any grasshopper or locust of
the genus (Edipoda; -- so called from the quaking noise made
during flight.
Quaker buttons. (Bot.) See Nux
vomica. -- Quaker gun, a dummy cannon
made of wood or other material; -- so called because the sect of
Friends, or Quakers, hold to the doctrine, of nonresistance. --
Quaker ladies (Bot.), a low American
biennial plant (Houstonia cærulea), with pretty four-
lobed corollas which are pale blue with a yellowish center; -- also
called bluets, and little innocents.
Quak"er*ess, n. A woman who is a
member of the Society of Friends.
Quak"er*ish, a. Like or pertaining
to a Quaker; Quakerlike.
Quak"er*ism (?), n. The peculiar
character, manners, tenets, etc., of the Quakers.
Quak"er*like (?), a. Like a
Quaker.
Quak"er*ly, a. Resembling Quakers;
Quakerlike; Quakerish. Macaulay.
Quak"er*y (?), n. Quakerism.
[Obs.] Hallywell.
Quake"tail` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
A wagtail.
Quak"i*ness (?), n. The state of
being quaky; liability to quake.
Quak"ing, a. & n. from
Quake, v.
Quaking aspen (Bot.), an American
species of poplar (Populus tremuloides), the leaves of which
tremble in the lightest breeze. It much resembles the European aspen.
See Aspen. -- Quaking bog, a bog of
forming peat so saturated with water that it shakes when trodden
upon. -- Quaking grass. (Bot.)
(a) One of several grasses of the genus
Briza, having slender-stalked and pendulous ovate spikelets,
which quake and rattle in the wind. Briza maxima is the large
quaking grass; B. media and B. minor are the smaller
kinds. (b) Rattlesnake grass (Glyceria
Canadensis).
Quak"ing*ly (?), adv. In a quaking
manner; fearfully. Sir P. Sidney.
Quak"y (?), a. Shaky, or tremulous;
quaking.
Qual"i*fi`a*ble (?), a. Capable of
being qualified; abatable; modifiable. Barrow.
Qual`i*fi*ca"tion (?), n. [Cf. F.
qualification. See Qualify.] 1. The
act of qualifying, or the condition of being qualified.
2. That which qualifies; any natural
endowment, or any acquirement, which fits a person for a place,
office, or employment, or which enables him to sustian any character
with success; an enabling quality or circumstance; requisite capacity
or possession.
There is no qualification for government but
virtue and wisdom, actual or presumptive.
Burke.
3. The act of limiting, or the state of being
limited; that which qualifies by limiting; modification; restriction;
hence, abatement; diminution; as, to use words without any
qualification.
Qual"i*fi*ca*tive (?), n. That
which qualifies, modifies, or restricts; a qualifying term or
statement.
How many qualificatives, correctives, and
restrictives he inserteth in this relation.
Fuller.
Qual"i*fi*ca`tor (?), n. [LL.] (R. C.
Ch.) An officer whose business it is to examine and prepare
causes for trial in the ecclesiastical courts.
Qual"i*fied (?), a. 1.
Fitted by accomplishments or endowments.
2. Modified; limited; as, a qualified
statement.
Qualified fee (Law), a base fee, or an
estate which has a qualification annexed to it, the fee ceasing with
the qualification, as a grant to A and his heirs, tenants of the
manor of Dale. -- Qualified indorsement
(Law), an indorsement which modifies the liability of the
indorser that would result from the general principles of law, but
does not affect the negotiability of the instrument.
Story. -- Qualified negative
(Legislation), a limited veto power, by which the chief
executive in a constitutional government may refuse assent to bills
passed by the legislative body, which bills therefore fail to become
laws unless upon a reconsideration the legislature again passes them
by a certain majority specified in the constitution, when they become
laws without the approval of the executive. -- Qualified
property (Law), that which depends on temporary
possession, as that in wild animals reclaimed, or as in the case of a
bailment.
Syn. -- Competent; fit; adapted. -- Qualified,
Competent. Competent is most commonly used with respect
to native endowments and general ability suited to the performance of
a task or duty; qualified with respect to specific acquirements
and training.
Qual"i*fied`ly, adv. In the way of
qualification; with modification or qualification.
Qual"i*fied`ness, n. The state of
being qualified.
Qual"i*fi`er (?), n. One who, or
that which, qualifies; that which modifies, reduces, tempers or
restrains.
Qual"i*fy (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Qualified (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Qualifying (?).] [F. qualifier, LL. qualificare,
fr. L. qualis how constituted, as + -ficare (in comp.)
to make. See Quality, and -Fy.] 1.
To make such as is required; to give added or requisite qualities
to; to fit, as for a place, office, occupation, or character; to
furnish with the knowledge, skill, or other accomplishment necessary
for a purpose; to make capable, as of an employment or privilege; to
supply with legal power or capacity.
He had qualified himself for municipal office by
taking the oaths to the sovereigns in possession.
Macaulay.
2. To give individual quality to; to modulate;
to vary; to regulate.
It hath no larynx . . . to qualify the sound.
Sir T. Browne.
3. To reduce from a general, undefined, or
comprehensive form, to particular or restricted form; to modify; to
limit; to restrict; to restrain; as, to qualify a statement,
claim, or proposition.
4. Hence, to soften; to abate; to diminish; to
assuage; to reduce the strength of, as liquors.
I do not seek to quench your love's hot fire,
But qualify the fire's extreme rage.
Shak.
5. To soothe; to cure; -- said of
persons. [Obs.]
In short space he has them
qualified.
Spenser.
Syn. -- To fit; equip; prepare; adapt; capacitate; enable;
modify; soften; restrict; restrain; temper.
Qual"i*fy, v. i. 1.
To be or become qualified; to be fit, as for an office or
employment.
2. To obtain legal power or capacity by taking
the oath, or complying with the forms required, on assuming an
office.
Qual"i*ta*tive (?), a. [Cf. LL.
gualitativus, F. qualitatif.] Relating to quality;
having the character of quality. -- Qual"i*ta*tive*ly,
adv.
Qualitative analysis (Chem.), analysis
which merely determines the constituents of a substance without any
regard to the quantity of each ingredient; -- contrasted with
quantitative analysis.
Qual"i*tied (?), a. Furnished with
qualities; endowed. [Obs.] "He was well qualitied."
Chapman.
Qual"i*ty (?), n.; pl.
Qualities (#). [F. qualité, L.
qualitas, fr. qualis how constituted, as; akin to E.
which. See Which.] 1. The condition
of being of such and such a sort as distinguished from others; nature
or character relatively considered, as of goods; character; sort;
rank.
We lived most joyful, obtaining acquaintance with many
of the city not of the meanest quality.
Bacon
2. Special or temporary character; profession;
occupation; assumed or asserted rank, part, or position.
I made that inquiry in quality of an
antiquary.
Gray.
3. That which makes, or helps to make,
anything such as it is; anything belonging to a subject, or predicable
of it; distinguishing property, characteristic, or attribute; peculiar
power, capacity, or virtue; distinctive trait; as, the tones of a
flute differ from those of a violin in quality; the great
quality of a statesman.
&fist; Qualities, in metaphysics, are primary or
secondary. Primary are those essential to the existence,
and even the conception, of the thing, as of matter or spirit
Secondary are those not essential to such a conception.
4. An acquired trait; accomplishment;
acquisition.
He had those qualities of horsemanship, dancing,
and fencing which accompany a good breeding.
Clarendon.
5. Superior birth or station; high rank;
elevated character. "Persons of quality."
Bacon.
Quality binding, a kind of worsted tape used
in Scotland for binding carpets, and the like. -- The
quality, those of high rank or station, as distinguished
from the masses, or common people; the nobility; the
gentry.
I shall appear at the masquerade dressed up in my
feathers, that the quality may see how pretty they will look in
their traveling habits.
Addison.
Syn. -- Property; attribute; nature; peculiarity; character;
sort; rank; disposition; temper.
Qualm (?), n. [AS. cwealm death,
slaughter, pestilence, akin to OS. & OHG. qualm. See
Quail to cower.] 1. Sickness; disease;
pestilence; death. [Obs.]
thousand slain and not of qualm ystorve
[dead].
Chaucer.
2. A sudden attack of illness, faintness, or
pain; an agony. " Qualms of heartsick agony."
Milton.
3. Especially, a sudden sensation of
nausea.
For who, without a qualm, hath ever looked
On holy garbage, though by Homer cooked?
Roscommon.
4. A prick or scruple of conscience;
uneasiness of conscience; compunction. Dryden.
Qualm"ish, a. Sick at the stomach;
affected with nausea or sickly languor; inclined to vomit.
Shak.
-- Qualm"ish*ly, adv. --
Qualm"ish*ness, n.
Quam"ash (?), n. (Bot.) See
Camass.
Quam"o*clit (?), n. [Gr. &?; a bean +
&?; to bend, to slope.] (Bot.) Formerly, a genus of plants
including the cypress vine (Quamoclit vulgaris, now called
Ipomœa Quamoclit). The genus is now merged in
Ipomœa.
Quan"da*ry (?), n.; pl.
Quandaries (#). [Prob. fr. OE. wandreth
adversity, perplexity, Icel. wandræði difficulty,
trouble, fr. vandr difficult.] A state of difficulty or
perplexity; doubt; uncertainty.
Quan"da*ry, v. t. To bring into a
state of uncertainty, perplexity, or difficulty. [Obs.]
Otway.
Quan"dong (?), n. (Bot.) The
edible drupaceous fruit of an Australian tree (Fusanus
acuminatus) of the Sandalwood family; -- called also
quandang.
Quan"dy (?), n. [Etymol. uncertain.]
(Zoöl.) The old squaw. [Local, U. S.]
Quan"net (?), n. A flat file having
the handle at one side, so as to be used like a plane.
Quant (?), n. A punting pole with a
broad flange near the end to prevent it from sinking into the mud; a
setting pole.
Quan"tic (?), n. [L. quantus how
much. See Quantity.] (Math.) A homogeneous
algebraic function of two or more variables, in general containing
only positive integral powers of the variables, and called
quadric, cubic, quartic, etc., according as it is
of the second, third, fourth, fifth, or a higher degree. These are
further called binary, ternary, quaternary, etc.,
according as they contain two, three, four, or more variables; thus,
the quantic &?; is a binary cubic.
Quan`ti*fi*ca"tion (?), n. [See
Quantity.] Modification by a reference to quantity; the
introduction of the element of quantity.
The quantification of the predicate belongs in
part to Sir William Hamilton; viz., in its extension to negative
propositions.
De Quincey.
Quan"ti*fy (?), v. t. [L. quantus
now much + -fy.] To modify or qualify with respect to
quantity; to fix or express the quantity of; to rate.
Quan"ti*ta*tive (?), a. [Cf. F.
quantitatif.] Relating to quantity. --
Quan"ti*ta*tive*ly, adv.
Quantitative analysis (Chem.),
analysis which determines the amount or quantity of each
ingredient of a substance, by weight or by volume; -- contrasted with
qualitative analysis.
Quan"ti*tive (?), a. [See
Quantity.] Estimable according to quantity;
quantitative. Sir K. Digby.
Quan"ti*tive*ly, adv. So as to be
measurable by quantity; quantitatively.
Quan"ti*ty (?), n.; pl.
Quantities (#). [F. quantite, L.
quantitas, fr. quantus bow great, how much, akin to
quam bow, E. how, who. See Who.]
1. The attribute of being so much, and not
more or less; the property of being measurable, or capable of increase
and decrease, multiplication and division; greatness; and more
concretely, that which answers the question "How much?"; measure in
regard to bulk or amount; determinate or comparative dimensions;
measure; amount; bulk; extent; size. Hence, in specific uses:
(a) (Logic) The extent or extension of a
general conception, that is, the number of species or individuals to
which it may be applied; also, its content or comprehension, that is,
the number of its constituent qualities, attributes, or
relations. (b) (Gram.) The measure
of a syllable; that which determines the time in which it is
pronounced; as, the long or short quantity of a vowel or
syllable. (c) (Mus.) The relative
duration of a tone.
2. That which can be increased, diminished, or
measured; especially (Math.), anything to which mathematical
processes are applicable.
&fist; Quantity is discrete when it is applied to separate
objects, as in number; continuous, when the parts are
connected, either in succession, as in time, motion, etc., or in
extension, as by the dimensions of space, viz., length, breadth, and
thickness.
3. A determinate or estimated amount; a sum or
bulk; a certain portion or part; sometimes, a considerable amount; a
large portion, bulk, or sum; as, a medicine taken in
quantities, that is, in large quantities.
The quantity of extensive and curious
information which he had picked up during many months of desultory,
but not unprofitable, study.
Macaulay.
Quantity of estate (Law), its time of
continuance, or degree of interest, as in fee, for life, or for
years. Wharton (Law Dict. ) -- Quantity of
matter, in a body, its mass, as determined by its
weight, or by its momentum under a given velocity. --
Quantity of motion (Mech.), in a body,
the relative amount of its motion, as measured by its momentum,
varying as the product of mass and velocity. -- Known
quantities (Math.), quantities whose values are
given. -- Unknown quantities (Math.),
quantities whose values are sought.
Quan*tiv"a*lence (?), n. [L.
quantus how much + E. valence.] (Chem.)
Valence. [Archaic]
Quan*tiv"a*lent (?), a. (Chem.)
Of or pertaining to quantivalence. [Archaic]
Quan"tum (?), n.; pl.
Quanta (#). [L., neuter of quantus how great,
how much. See Quantity,] 1. Quantity;
amount. "Without authenticating . . . the quantum of the
charges." Burke.
2. (Math.) A definite portion of a
manifoldness, limited by a mark or by a boundary. W. K.
Clifford.
||Quantum meruit (&?;) [L., as much as he
merited] (Law), a count in an action grounded on a promise
that the defendant would pay to the plaintiff for his service as much
as he should deserve. -- ||Quantum sufficit
(&?;), or Quantum suff. [L., as much suffices]
(Med.), a sufficient quantity. -- ||Quantum
valebat (&?;) [L., as much at it was worth] (Law),
a count in an action to recover of the defendant, for goods sold,
as much as they were worth. Blackstone.
Quap (?), v. i. To quaver.
[Obs.] See Quob.
Qua`qua*ver"sal (?), a. [L.
quaqua wheresoever, whithersoever + versus, p. p. of
vertere to turn.] 1. Turning or dipping in
any or every direction.
2. (Geol.) Dipping toward all points of
the compass round a center, as beds of lava round a crater.
Quar (?), n. A quarry. [Prov.
Eng.] B. Jonson.
Quar"an*tine (?), n. [F.
quarantaine, OF. quaranteine, fr. F. quarante
forty, L. quadraginta, akin to quattuor four, and E.
four: cf. It. quarantina, quarentine. See
Four, and cf. Quadragesima.] 1. A
space of forty days; -- used of Lent.
2. Specifically, the term, originally of forty
days, during which a ship arriving in port, and suspected of being
infected a malignant contagious disease, is obliged to forbear all
intercourse with the shore; hence, such restraint or inhibition of
intercourse; also, the place where infected or prohibited vessels are
stationed.
&fist; Quarantine is now applied also to any forced stoppage
of travel or communication on account of malignant contagious disease,
on land as well as by sea.
3. (Eng. Law) The period of forty days
during which the widow had the privilege of remaining in the mansion
house of which her husband died seized.
Quarantine flag, a yellow flag hoisted at the
fore of a vessel or hung from a building, to give warning of an
infectious disease; -- called also the yellow jack, and
yellow flag.
Quar`an*tine" (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Quarantined (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Quarantining.] To compel to remain at a
distance, or in a given place, without intercourse, when suspected of
having contagious disease; to put under, or in, quarantine.
Quarl (?), n. [Cf. G. qualle.]
(Zoöl.) A medusa, or jellyfish. [R.]
The jellied quarl that flings
At once a thousand streaming stings.
J. R.
Drake.
Quar"rel (?), n. [OE. quarel, OF.
quarrel, F. carreau, LL. quadrellus, from L.
quadrus square. See Quadrate, and cf. Quadrel,
Quarry an arrow, Carrel.] 1. An
arrow for a crossbow; -- so named because it commonly had a square
head. [Obs.]
To shoot with arrows and quarrel.
Sir J. Mandeville.
Two arblasts, . . . with windlaces and
quarrels.
Sir W. Scott.
2. (Arch.) Any small square or
quadrangular member; as: (a) A square of
glass, esp. when set diagonally. (b) A
small opening in window tracery, of which the cusps, etc., make the
form nearly square. (c) A square or
lozenge-shaped paving tile.
3. A glazier's diamond.
Simmonds.
4. A four-sided cutting tool or chisel having
a diamond-shaped end.
Quar"rel, n. [OE. querele, OF.
querele, F. querelle, fr. L. querela,
querella, a complaint, fr. queri to complain. See
Querulous.] 1. A breach of concord, amity,
or obligation; a falling out; a difference; a disagreement; an
antagonism in opinion, feeling, or conduct; esp., an angry dispute,
contest, or strife; a brawl; an altercation; as, he had a
quarrel with his father about expenses.
I will bring a sword upon you that shall avenge the
quarrel of my covenant.
Lev. xxvi. 25.
On open seas their quarrels they
debate.
Dryden.
2. Ground of objection, dislike, difference,
or hostility; cause of dispute or contest; occasion of
altercation.
Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would
have killed him.
Mark vi. 19.
No man hath any quarrel to me.
Shak.
He thought he had a good quarrel to attack
him.
Holinshed.
3. Earnest desire or longing. [Obs.]
Holland.
To pick a quarrel. See under Pick,
v. t.
Syn. -- Brawl; broil; squabble; affray; feud; tumult;
contest; dispute; altercation; contention; wrangle.
Quar"rel, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Quarreled (?) or Quarrelled; p. pr.
& vb. n. Quarreling or Quarrelling.]
1. To violate concord or agreement; to have a
difference; to fall out; to be or become antagonistic.
Our people quarrel with obedience.
Shak.
But some defect in her
Did quarrel with the noblest grace she owed.
Shak.
2. To dispute angrily, or violently; to
wrangle; to scold; to altercate; to contend; to fight.
Beasts called sociable quarrel in hunger and
lust.
Sir W. Temple.
3. To find fault; to cavil; as, to
quarrel with one's lot.
I will not quarrel with a slight
mistake.
Roscommon.
Quar"rel (?), v. t. 1.
To quarrel with. [R.] "I had quarelled my brother
purposely." B. Jonson.
2. To compel by a quarrel; as, to
quarrel a man out of his estate or rights.
Quar"rel (?), n. [Written also
quarreller.] One who quarrels or wrangles; one who is
quarrelsome. Shak.
Quar"rel*et (?), n. A little
quarrel. See 1st Quarrel, 2. [Obs.] "Quarrelets of
pearl [teeth]." Herrick.
Quar"rel*ing, a. Engaged in a
quarrel; apt or disposed to quarrel; as, quarreling factions; a
quarreling mood. -- Quar"rel*ing*ly,
adv.
Quar"rel*lous (?), a. [OF.
querelous, F. querelleux, L. querulosus and
querulus, fr. queri to complain. See 2d Quarrel.]
Quarrelsome. [Obs.] [Written also quarrellous.]
Shak.
Quar"rel*some (?), a. Apt or
disposed to quarrel; given to brawls and contention; easily irritated
or provoked to contest; irascible; choleric.
Syn. -- Pugnacious; irritable; irascible; brawling;
choleric; fiery; petulant.
-- Quar"rel*some*ly, adv. --
Quar"rel*some*ness, n.
Quar"ried (?), a. Provided with
prey.
Now I am bravely quarried.
Beau.
& Fl.
Quar"ri*er (?), n. A worker in a
stone quarry.
Quar"ry (?), n. [OE. quarre, OF.
quarré square, F. carré, from L.
quadratus square, quadrate, quadratum a square. See
Quadrate, and cf. Quarrel an arrow.] Same as 1st
Quarrel. [Obs.] Fairfax.
Quar"ry, a. [OF. quarré.]
Quadrate; square. [Obs.]
Quar"ry, n.; pl.
Quarries (#). [OE. querre, OF.
cuiriée, F. curée, fr. cuir hide,
leather, fr. L. corium; the quarry given to the dogs
being wrapped in the akin of the beast. See Cuirass.]
1. (a) A part of the entrails of
the beast taken, given to the hounds. (b) A
heap of game killed.
2. The object of the chase; the animal hunted
for; game; especially, the game hunted with hawks. "The stone-
dead quarry." Spenser.
The wily quarry shunned the shock.
Sir W. Scott.
Quar"ry, v. i. To secure prey; to
prey, as a vulture or harpy. L'Estrange.
Quar"ry, n. [OE. quarrere, OF.
quariere, F. carrière, LL. quadraria a
quarry, whence squared (quadrati) stones are dug, fr.
quadratus square. See Quadrate.] A place, cavern,
or pit where stone is taken from the rock or ledge, or dug from the
earth, for building or other purposes; a stone pit. See 5th
Mine (a).
Quar"ry, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Quarried (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Quarrying.] To dig or take from a quarry; as, to
quarry marble.
Quar"ry-faced` (?), a. (Stone
Masonry) Having a face left as it comes from the quarry and
not smoothed with the chisel or point; -- said of stones.
Quar"ry-man (?), n.; pl.
Quarrymen (&?;). A man who is engaged in
quarrying stones; a quarrier.
Quart (?), n. [F. quart, n.
masc., fr. L. quartus the fourth, akin to quattuor four.
See Four, and cf. 2d Carte, Quarto.] The
fourth part; a quarter; hence, a region of the earth. [Obs.]
Camber did possess the western
quart.
Spenser.
Quart, n. [F. quarte, n. fem.,
fr. quart fourth. See Quart a quarter.]
1. A measure of capacity, both in dry and in
liquid measure; the fourth part of a gallon; the eighth part of a
peck; two pints.
&fist; In imperial measure, a quart is forty English fluid ounces;
in wine measure, it is thirty-two American fluid ounces. The United
States dry quart contains 67.20 cubic inches, the fluid quart 57.75.
The English quart contains 69.32 cubic inches.
2. A vessel or measure containing a
quart.
Quart (?), n. [See Quart a
quarter.] In cards, four successive cards of the same suit. Cf.
Tierce, 4. Hoyle.
Quar"tan (?), a. [F. quartain, in
fièvre quartaine, L. quartanus, fr.
quartus the fourth. See Quart.] Of or pertaining to
the fourth; occurring every fourth day, reckoning inclusively; as, a
quartan ague, or fever.
Quar"tan, n. 1.
(Med.) An intermittent fever which returns every fourth
day, reckoning inclusively, that is, one in which the interval between
paroxysms is two days.
2. A measure, the fourth part of some other
measure.
Quar"tane (?), n. [L. quartus the
fourth.] (Chem.) Butane, each molecule of which has four
carbon atoms.
Quar*ta"tion (?), n. [L. quartus
the fourth: cf. F. quartation. So called because usually enough
silver is added to make the amount of gold in the alloyed button about
one fourth.] (Chem. & Assaying) The act, process,
or result (in the process of parting) of alloying a button of
nearly pure gold with enough silver to reduce the fineness so as to
allow acids to attack and remove all metals except the gold; -- called
also inquartation. Compare Parting.
||Quarte (?), n. [F.] Same as 2d
Carte.
Quar"tene (?), n. [Ouartane +
ethylene.] (Chem.) Same as
Butylene.
Quar"ten*yl"ic (?), a. [Quartene
+ -yl + -ic.] (Chem.) Pertaining to, or
designating, an acid of the acrylic acid series, metameric with
crotonic acid, and obtained as a colorless liquid; -- so called from
having four carbon atoms in the molecule. Called also isocrotonic
acid.
Quar"ter (?), n. [F. quartier, L.
quartarius a fourth part, fr. quartus the fourth. See
Quart.] 1. One of four equal parts into
which anything is divided, or is regarded as divided; a fourth part or
portion; as, a quarter of a dollar, of a pound, of a yard, of
an hour, etc. Hence, specifically: (a) The
fourth of a hundred-weight, being 25 or 28 pounds, according as the
hundredweight is reckoned at 100 or 112 pounds.
(b) The fourth of a ton in weight, or eight
bushels of grain; as, a quarter of wheat; also, the fourth part
of a chaldron of coal. Hutton. (c)
(Astron.) The fourth part of the moon's period, or monthly
revolution; as, the first quarter after the change or
full. (d) One limb of a quadruped with the
adjacent parts; one fourth part of the carcass of a slaughtered
animal, including a leg; as, the fore quarters; the hind
quarters. (e) That part of a boot or
shoe which forms the side, from the heel to the vamp.
(f) (Far.) That part on either side of a
horse's hoof between the toe and heel, being the side of the
coffin. (g) A term of study in a seminary,
college, etc, etc.; properly, a fourth part of the year, but often
longer or shorter. (h) pl. (Mil.)
The encampment on one of the principal passages round a place
besieged, to prevent relief and intercept convoys.
(i) (Naut.) The after-part of a vessel's
side, generally corresponding in extent with the quarter-deck; also,
the part of the yardarm outside of the slings.
(j) (Her.) One of the divisions of an
escutcheon when it is divided into four portions by a horizontal and a
perpendicular line meeting in the fess point.
&fist; When two coats of arms are united upon one escutcheon, as in
case of marriage, the first and fourth quarters display one shield,
the second and third the other. See Quarter, v.
t., 5.
(k) One of the four parts into which the horizon is
regarded as divided; a cardinal point; a direction' principal
division; a region; a territory.
Scouts each coast light-armed scour,
Each quarter, to descry the distant foe.
Milton.
(l) A division of a town, city, or county; a
particular district; a locality; as, the Latin quarter in
Paris. (m) (Arch.) A small upright
timber post, used in partitions; -- in the United States more commonly
called stud. (n) (Naut.) The
fourth part of the distance from one point of the compass to another,
being the fourth part of 11° 15′, that is, about 2°
49′; -- called also quarter point.
2. Proper station; specific place; assigned
position; special location.
Swift to their several quarters hasted then
The cumbrous elements.
Milton.
Hence, specifically: (a) (Naut.) A
station at which officers and men are posted in battle; -- usually in
the plural. (b) Place of lodging or
temporary residence; shelter; entertainment; -- usually in the
plural.
The banter turned as to what quarters each would
find.
W. Irving.
(c) pl. (Mil.) A station or
encampment occupied by troops; a place of lodging for soldiers or
officers; as, winter quarters. (d)
Treatment shown by an enemy; mercy; especially, the act of
sparing the life a conquered enemy; a refraining from pushing one's
advantage to extremes.
He magnified his own clemency, now they were at his
mercy, to offer them quarter for their lives.
Clarendon.
Cocks and lambs . . . at the mercy of cats and wolves .
. . must never expect better quarter.
L'Estrange.
3. Friendship; amity; concord. [Obs.]
To keep quarter, to keep one's proper place, and so be on good
terms with another. [Obs.]
In quarter, and in terms like bride and
groom.
Shak.
I knew two that were competitors for the secretary's
place, . . . and yet kept good quarter between
themselves.
Bacon.
False quarter, a cleft in the quarter of a
horse's foot. -- Fifth quarter, the hide
and fat; -- a butcher's term. -- On the quarter
(Naut.), in a direction between abeam and astern; opposite,
or nearly opposite, a vessel's quarter. -- Quarter
aspect. (Astrol.) Same as Quadrate. -
- Quarter back (Football), the player who
has position next behind center rush, and receives the ball on the
snap back. -- Quarter badge (Naut.),
an ornament on the side of a vessel near, the stern. Mar.
Dict. -- Quarter bill (Naut.), a list
specifying the different stations to be taken by the officers and crew
in time of action, and the names of the men assigned to each. --
Quarter block (Naut.), a block fitted
under the quarters of a yard on each side of the slings, through which
the clew lines and sheets are reeved. R. H. Dana, Jr. --
Quarter boat (Naut.), a boat hung at a
vessel's quarter. -- Quarter cloths
(Naut.), long pieces of painted canvas, used to cover the
quarter netting. -- Quarter day, a day
regarded as terminating a quarter of the year; hence, one on which any
payment, especially rent, becomes due. In matters influenced by United
States statutes, quarter days are the first days of January, April,
July, and October. In New York and many other places, as between
landlord and tenant, they are the first days of May, August, November,
and February. The quarter days usually recognized in England are 25th
of March (Lady Day), the 24th of June (Midsummer Day), the 29th of
September (Michaelmas Day), and the 25th of December (Christmas
Day). -- Quarter face, in fine arts,
portrait painting, etc., a face turned away so that but one quarter is
visible. -- Quarter gallery (Naut.),
a balcony on the quarter of a ship. See Gallery, 4. --
Quarter gunner (Naut.), a petty officer
who assists the gunner. -- Quarter look, a
side glance. [Obs.] B. Jonson. -- Quarter
nettings (Naut.), hammock nettings along the
quarter rails. -- Quarter note (Mus.),
a note equal in duration to half a minim or a fourth of semibreve;
a crochet. -- Quarter pieces (Naut.),
several pieces of timber at the after-part of the quarter gallery,
near the taffrail. Totten. -- Quarter
point. (Naut.) See Quarter,
n., 1 (n). -- Quarter
railing, or Quarter rails (Naut.),
narrow molded planks reaching from the top of the stern to the
gangway, serving as a fence to the quarter-deck. --
Quarter sessions (Eng. Law), a general
court of criminal jurisdiction held quarterly by the justices of peace
in counties and by the recorders in boroughs. -- Quarter
square (Math.), the fourth part of the square of
a number. Tables of quarter squares have been devised to save labor in
multiplying numbers. -- Quarter turn,
Quarter turn belt (Mach.), an arrangement
in which a belt transmits motion between two shafts which are at right
angles with each other. -- Quarter watch
(Naut.), a subdivision of the full watch (one fourth of the
crew) on a man-of- war. -- To give, or
show, quarter (Mil.),
to accept as prisoner, on submission in battle; to forbear to
kill, as a vanquished enemy. -- To keep
quarter. See Quarter, n.,
3.
Quar"ter (kwär"t&etilde;r), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Quartered (?); p. pr. &
vb. n. Quartering.] 1. To divide
into four equal parts.
2. To divide; to separate into parts or
regions.
Then sailors quartered heaven.
Dryden.
3. To furnish with shelter or entertainment;
to supply with the means of living for a time; especially, to furnish
shelter to; as, to quarter soldiers.
They mean this night in Sardis to be
quartered.
Shak.
4. To furnish as a portion; to allot.
[R.]
This isle . . .
He quarters to his blue-haired deities.
Milton.
5. (Her.) To arrange (different coats
of arms) upon one escutcheon, as when a man inherits from both father
and mother the right to bear arms.
&fist; When only two coats of arms are so combined they are
arranged in four compartments. See Quarter,
n., 1 (f).
Quar"ter (kwär"t&etilde;r), v. i.
To lodge; to have a temporary residence.
Quar"ter, v. i. [F. cartayer.]
To drive a carriage so as to prevent the wheels from going into
the ruts, or so that a rut shall be between the wheels.
Every creature that met us would rely on us for
quartering.
De Quincey.
Quar"ter*age (?), n. A quarterly
allowance.
Quar"ter-deck` (?), n. (Naut.)
That part of the upper deck abaft the mainmast, including the
poop deck when there is one.
&fist; The quarter-deck is reserved as a promenade for the officers
and (in passenger vessels) for the cabin passengers.
Quar"ter*foil` (?), n. [Quarier +
foil: cf. F. quatre.] (Arch.) An ornamental
foliation having four lobes, or foils.
Quar"ter*hung` (?), a. (Ordnance)
Having trunnions the axes of which lie below the bore; -- said of
a cannon.
Quar"ter*ing, a. 1.
(Naut.) Coming from a point well abaft the beam, but not
directly astern; -- said of waves or any moving object.
2. (Mach.) At right angles, as the
cranks of a locomotive, which are in planes forming a right angle with
each other.
Quar"ter*ing, n. 1.
A station. [Obs.] Bp. Montagu.
2. Assignment of quarters for soldiers;
quarters.
3. (Her.) (a) The
division of a shield containing different coats of arms into four or
more compartments. (b) One of the different
coats of arms arranged upon an escutcheon, denoting the descent of the
bearer.
4. (Arch.) A series of quarters, or
small upright posts. See Quarter, n., 1
(m) (Arch.) Gwilt.
Quartering block, a block on which the body
of a condemned criminal was quartered. Macaulay.
Quar"ter*ly, a. 1.
Containing, or consisting of, a fourth part; as, quarterly
seasons.
2. Recurring during, or at the end of, each
quarter; as, quarterly payments of rent; a quarterly
meeting.
Quar"ter*ly, n.; pl.
Quarterlies (&?;). A periodical work published
once a quarter, or four times in a year.
Quar"ter*ly, adv. 1.
By quarters; once in a quarter of a year; as, the returns are
made quarterly.
2. (Her.) In quarters, or quarterings;
as, to bear arms quarterly; in four or more parts; -- said of a
shield thus divided by lines drawn through it at right
angles.
Quar"ter*mas`ter (?), n. [Quarter
+ master: cf. F. quartier-maître.]
1. (Mil.) An officer whose duty is to
provide quarters, provisions, storage, clothing, fuel, stationery, and
transportation for a regiment or other body of troops, and superintend
the supplies.
2. (Naut.) A petty officer who attends
to the helm, binnacle, signals, and the like, under the direction of
the master. Totten.
Quartermaster general (Mil.), in the
United States a staff officer, who has the rank of brigadier general
and is the chief officer in the quartermaster's department; in
England, an officer of high rank stationed at the War Office having
similar duties; also, a staff officer, usually a general officer,
accompanying each complete army in the field. --
Quartermaster sergeant. See
Sergeant.
Quar"tern (?), n.[OE. quarteroun,
quartron, F. quarteron, the fourth part of a pound, or
of a hundred; cf. L. quartarius a fourth part, quarter of any
measure, quartern, gill. See Quarter, and cf. Quarteron,
Quadroon.] 1. A quarter. Specifically:
(a) The fourth part of a pint; a gill.
(b) The fourth part of a peck, or of a stone (14
ibs.).
2. A loaf of bread weighing about four pounds;
-- called also quartern loaf. Simmonds.
Quar"ter*on (?), n. [F. See
Quartern.] A quarter; esp., a quarter of a pound, or a
quarter of a hundred. Piers Plowman.
{ Quar"ter*on (?), Quar"ter*oon (?) },
n. A quadroon.
Quar"ter*pace` (?), n. (Arch.)
A platform of a staircase where the stair turns at a right angle
only. See Halfpace.
Quar"ter round` (?). (Arch.) An
ovolo.
Quar"ter*staff` (?), n.; pl.
Quarterstaves (&?;). A long and stout staff
formerly used as a weapon of defense and offense; -- so called because
in holding it one hand was placed in the middle, and the other between
the middle and the end.
{ Quar*tet", Quar*tette" } (?),
n. [It. quartetto, dim. of quarto the fourth,
a fourth part, fr. L. quartus the fourth. See Quart.]
1. (Mus.) (a) A
composition in four parts, each performed by a single voice or
instrument. (b) The set of four person who
perform a piece of music in four parts.
2. (Poet.) A stanza of four
lines.
Quar"tic (?), a. [L. quartus
fourth.] (Mach.) Of the fourth degree.
Quar"tic (?), n. (a)
(Alg.) A quantic of the fourth degree. See
Quantic. (b) (Geom.) A curve
or surface whose equation is of the fourth degree in the
variables.
Quar"tile (?), n. [F. quartile
aspect, fr. L. quartus the fourth. See Quart.]
(Astrol.) Same as Quadrate.
Quar"tine (?), n. [F., fr. L.
quartus the fourth.] (Bot.) A supposed fourth
integument of an ovule, counting from the outside.
Quar"to (?), a. [L. in quarto in
fourth, from quartus the fourth: cf. F. (in)
quarto. See Quart.] Having four leaves to the
sheet; of the form or size of a quarto.
Quar"to, n.; pl.
Quartos (&?;). Originally, a book of the size
of the fourth of sheet of printing paper; a size leaves; in present
usage, a book of a square or nearly square form, and usually of large
size.
Quar"tridge (?), n.
Quarterage. [Obs.]
Quartz (?), n. [G. quarz.]
(Min.) A form of silica, or silicon dioxide
(SiO2), occurring in hexagonal crystals, which are commonly
colorless and transparent, but sometimes also yellow, brown, purple,
green, and of other colors; also in cryptocrystalline massive forms
varying in color and degree of transparency, being sometimes
opaque.
&fist; The crystalline varieties include: amethyst,
violet; citrine and false topaz, pale yellow;
rock crystal, transparent and colorless or nearly so; rose
quartz, rosecolored; smoky quartz, smoky brown. The chief
crypto-crystalline varieties are: agate, a chalcedony in layers
or clouded with different colors, including the onyx and
sardonyx; carnelian and sard, red or flesh-
colored chalcedony; chalcedony, nearly white, and waxy in
luster; chrysoprase, an apple-green chalcedony; flint,
hornstone, basanite, or touchstone, brown to
black in color and compact in texture; heliotrope, green dotted
with red; jasper, opaque, red yellow, or brown, colored by iron
or ferruginous clay; prase, translucent and dull leek-green.
Quartz is an essential constituent of granite, and abounds in rocks of
all ages. It forms the rocks quartzite (quartz rock) and
sandstone, and makes most of the sand of the seashore.
Quartz*if"er*ous (?), a. [Quartz
+ -ferous.] (Min.) Consisting chiefly of quartz;
containing quartz.
Quartz"ite (?), n. [Cf. F.
quartzite.] (Min.) Massive quartz occurring as a
rock; a metamorphosed sandstone; -- called also quartz
rock.
Quartz"oid (?), n. [Quartz + -
oid.] (Crystallog.) A form of crystal common with
quartz, consisting of two six-sided pyramids, base to base.
Quartz"ose` (?), a. [Cf. F.
quartzeux, G. quarzig.] (Min.) Containing,
or resembling, quartz; partaking of the nature or qualities of
quartz.
quartz"ous (?), a. (Min.)
Quarzose.
Quartz"y (?), a. (Min.)
Quartzose.
Quas (?), n. A kind of beer. Same
as Quass.
{ Quas"chi (?), Quas"je (?) },
n. (Zoöl.) The brown coati. See
Coati.
Quash (?), n. Same as
Squash.
Quash, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Quashed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Quashing.] [OF. quasser, F. casser, fr. L.
cassare to annihilate, annul, fr. cassus empty, vain, of
uncertain origin. The word has been confused with L. quassare
to shake, F. casser to break, which is probably of different
origin. Cf. Cashier, v. t.] (Law)
To abate, annul, overthrow, or make void; as, to quash an
indictment. Blackstone.
Quash, v. t. [OF. quasser, F.
casser, fr. L. quassare to shake, shatter, shiver, v.
intens. fr. quatere, quassum, to shake, shatter. Cf.
Concussion, Discuss, Rescue, and also
Quash to annul.] 1. To beat down, or beat
in pieces; to dash forcibly; to crush.
The whales
Against sharp rocks, like reeling vessels, quashed,
Though huge as mountains, are in pieces dashed.
Waller.
2. To crush; to subdue; to suppress or
extinguish summarily and completely; as, to quash a
rebellion.
Contrition is apt to quash or allay all worldly
grief.
Barrow.
Quash, v. i. To be shaken, or
dashed about, with noise.
Quash"ee (?), n. A negro of the
West Indies.
Qua"si (?). [L.] As if; as though; as it were; in a
manner sense or degree; having some resemblance to; qualified; -- used
as an adjective, or a prefix with a noun or an adjective; as, a
quasi contract, an implied contract, an obligation which has
arisen from some act, as if from a contract; a quasi
corporation, a body that has some, but not all, of the peculiar
attributes of a corporation; a quasi argument, that which
resembles, or is used as, an argument; quasi historical,
apparently historical, seeming to be historical.
Quas`i*mo"do (?), n. [So called from the
first words of the Latin introit, quasi modo geniti infantes as
newborn babes, 1 Pet. ii. 2.] (R. C. Ch.) The first
Sunday after Easter; Low Sunday.
Quass (?), n. [Russ. kvas'.]
A thin, sour beer, made by pouring warm water on rye or barley
meal and letting it ferment, -- much used by the Russians.
[written also quas.]
Quas*sa"tion (?), n. [L.
quassatio, from quassare to shake. See Quash to
crush.] The act of shaking, or the state of being shaken.
Gayton.
Quas"si*a (?), n. [NL. From the name of
a negro, Quassy, or Quash, who prescribed this article
as a specific.] The wood of several tropical American trees of
the order Simarubeæ, as Quassia amara,
Picræna excelsa, and Simaruba amara. It is
intensely bitter, and is used in medicine and sometimes as a
substitute for hops in making beer.
Quas"sin (?), n. [Cf. F.
quassine. See Quassia.] (Chem.) The bitter
principle of quassia, extracted as a white crystalline substance; --
formerly called quassite. [Written also
quassīin, and quassine.]
Quat (?), n. [Etymol. uncertain.]
(a) A pustule. [Obs.] (b)
An annoying, worthless person. Shak.
Quat, v. t. To satiate; to
satisfy. [Prov. Eng.]
Qua"ta (?), n. (Zoöl.)
The coaita.
Quatch (?), a. Squat; flat.
[Obs.] Shak.
Qua"ter-cous`in (?), n. [F.
quatre four + cousin, E. cousin.] A cousin
within the first four degrees of kindred.
Qua*ter"na*ry (?), a. [L.
quaternarius consisting of four each, containing four, fr.
quaterni four each, fr. quattuor four: cf. F.
quaternaire. See Four.]
1. Consisting of four; by fours, or in sets of
four.
2. (Geol.) Later than, or subsequent
to, the Tertiary; Post-tertiary; as, the Quaternary age, or Age
of man.
Qua*ter"na*ry, n. [L. numerus
quaternarius: cf. F. quaternaire.] 1.
The number four. Boyle.
2. (Geol.) The Quaternary age, era, or
formation. See the Chart of Geology.
Qua*ter"nate (?), a. Composed of,
or arranged in, sets of four; quaternary; as, quaternate
leaves.
Qua*ter"ni*on (?), n. [L.
quaternio, fr. quaterni four each. See
Quaternary.] 1. The number four.
[Poetic]
2. A set of four parts, things, or person;
four things taken collectively; a group of four words, phrases,
circumstances, facts, or the like.
Delivered him to four quaternions of
soldiers.
Acts xii. 4.
Ye elements, the eldest birth
Of Nature's womb, that in quaternion run.
Milton.
The triads and quaternions with which he loaded
his sentences.
Sir W. Scott.
3. A word of four syllables; a
quadrisyllable.
4. (Math.) The quotient of two vectors,
or of two directed right lines in space, considered as depending on
four geometrical elements, and as expressible by an algebraic symbol
of quadrinomial form.
&fist; The science or calculus of quaternions is a new
mathematical method, in which the conception of a quaternion is
unfolded and symbolically expressed, and is applied to various classes
of algebraical, geometrical, and physical questions, so as to discover
theorems, and to arrive at the solution of problems. Sir W. R.
Hamilton.
Qua*ter"ni*on, v. t. To divide into
quaternions, files, or companies. Milton.
Qua*ter"ni*ty (?), n. [LL.
quaternitas, fr. L. quaterni four each: cf. F.
quaternité.] 1. The number
four. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.
2. The union of four in one, as of four
persons; -- analogous to the theological term
trinity.
Qua"ter*on (?), n. See 2d
Quarteron.
Qua*torz"ain (?), n. [See
Quatorze.] A poem of fourteen lines; a sonnet.
R. H. Stoddard.
Qua*torze" (?), n. [F. quatorze
fourteen, L. quattuordecim. See Fourteen.] The four
aces, kings, queens, knaves, or tens, in the game of piquet; -- so
called because quatorze counts as fourteen points.
Quat"rain (?), n. [F., fr. quatre
four, L. quattuor, quatuor. See Four.]
(Pros.) A stanza of four lines rhyming alternately.
Dryden.
Qua"tre (?), n. [F.] A card, die.
or domino, having four spots, or pips
{ Qua"tre*feuille (?), Qua"tre*foil (?), }
n. [F. quatre feuilles.] Same as
Quarterfoil.
Quat"u*or (?), n. [F., fr. L.
quattuor, quatuor, four. See Quartet.]
(Mus.) A quartet; -- applied chiefly to instrumental
compositions.
Quave (?), n. See
Quaver. [Obs.]
Quave, v. i. To quaver. [Obs.
or Prov. Eng.]
Quave"mire` (?), n. See
Quagmire. [Obs.]
Qua"ver, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Quavered (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Quavering.] [OE. quaven to shake, to tremble; cf. LG.
quabbeln to shake, to be soft, of fat substances, quabbe
a fat lump of flesh, a dewlap, D. kwabbe, and E. quiver,
v.] 1. To tremble; to vibrate; to shake.
Sir I. Newton.
2. Especially, to shake the voice; to utter or
form sound with rapid or tremulous vibrations, as in singing; also, to
trill on a musical instrument
Qua"ver, v. t. To utter with
quavers.
We shall hear her quavering them . . . to some
sprightly airs of the opera.
Addison.
Qua"ver, n. 1. A
shake, or rapid and tremulous vibration, of the voice, or of an
instrument of music.
2. (Mus.) An eighth note. See
Eighth.
Qua"ver*er (?), n. One who quavers;
a warbler.
Quay (?), n. [F. quai. See
Key quay.] A mole, bank, or wharf, formed toward the sea,
or at the side of a harbor, river, or other navigable water, for
convenience in loading and unloading vessels. [Written also
key.]
Quay (?), v. t. To furnish with
quays.
Quay"age (?), n. [F.]
Wharfage. [Also keyage.]
Quayd (?), p. p. of
Quail. [Obs.] Spenser.
Que (?), n. [Cf. 3d Cue.] A
half farthing. [Obs.]
Queach (?), n. [Cf. Quick.]
A thick, bushy plot; a thicket. [Obs.] Chapman.
Queach, v. i. [Cf. E. quich, v.
i., quick, v. i.; or AS. cweccan to shake.] To
stir; to move. See Quick, v. i.
[Obs.]
Queach"y (?), a. 1.
Yielding or trembling under the feet, as moist or boggy ground;
shaking; moving. "The queachy fens." "Godwin's
queachy sands." Drayton.
2. Like a queach; thick; bushy. [Obs.]
Cockeram.
Quean (?), n. [Originally, a woman, AS.
cwene; akin to OS. quena, OHG. quena, Icel.
kona, Goth qin&?;, and AS. cwén, also to
Gr. &?; woman, wife, Skr. gnā goddess. Cf.
Queen.] 1. A woman; a young or unmarried
woman; a girl. [Obs. or Scot.] Chaucer.
2. A low woman; a wench; a slut. "The
dread of every scolding quean." Gay.
Quea"si*ly (?), adv. In a queasy
manner.
Quea"si*ness, n. The state of being
queasy; nausea; qualmishness; squeamishness. Shak.
Quea"sy (?), a. [Icel. kweisa
pain; cf. Norw. kveis sickness after a debauch.]
1. Sick at the stomach; affected with nausea;
inclined to vomit; qualmish.
2. Fastidious; squeamish; delicate; easily
disturbed; unsettled; ticklish. " A queasy question."
Shak.
Some seek, when queasy conscience has its
qualms.
Cowper.
Que*bec" group` (?). (Geol.) The middle of the
three groups into which the rocks of the Canadian period have been
divided in the American Lower Silurian system. See the Chart of
Geology.
||Que*bra"cho (?), n. [Sp.]
(Bot.) A Chilian apocynaceous tree (Aspidosperma
Quebracho); also, its bark, which is used as a febrifuge, and for
dyspnœa of the lung, or bronchial diseases; -- called also
white quebracho, to distinguish it from the red
quebracho, a Mexican anacardiaceous tree (Loxopterygium
Lorentzii) whose bark is said to have similar properties.
J. Smith (Dict. Econ. Plants).
Queb"rith (?), n. [OE. quebrit,
quibrith, Ar. kibrīt.] (Alchemy)
Sulphur. [Obs.]
{ Quech (?), Queck (?), } v. i.
[Cf. Quick, Queach.] A word occurring in a corrupt
passage of Bacon's Essays, and probably meaning, to stir, to
move.
Queen (?), n. [OE. quen,
quene, queen, quean, AS. cwēn wife, queen, woman;
akin to OS. quān wife, woman, Icel. kvān
wife, queen, Goth. qēns. √221. See Quean.]
1. The wife of a king.
2. A woman who is the sovereign of a kingdom;
a female monarch; as, Elizabeth, queen of England; Mary,
queen of Scots.
In faith, and by the heaven's
quene.
Chaucer.
3. A woman eminent in power or attractions;
the highest of her kind; as, a queen in society; -- also used
figuratively of cities, countries, etc. " This queen of
cities." " Albion, queen of isles." Cowper.
4. The fertile, or fully developed, female of
social bees, ants, and termites.
5. (Chess) The most powerful, and
except the king the most important, piece in a set of
chessmen.
6. A playing card bearing the picture of a
queen; as, the queen of spades.
Queen apple. [Cf. OE. quyne aple quince
apple.] A kind of apple; a queening. "Queen apples and
red cherries." Spenser. -- Queen bee
(Zoöl.), a female bee, especially the female of the
honeybee. See Honeybee. -- Queen conch
(Zoöl.), a very large West Indian cameo conch
(Cassis cameo). It is much used for making cameos. --
Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king.
Blackstone. -- Queen dowager, the widow
of a king. -- Queen gold, formerly a
revenue of the queen consort of England, arising from gifts, fines,
etc. -- Queen mother, a queen dowager who
is also mother of the reigning king or queen. -- Queen of
May. See May queen, under May. --
Queen of the meadow (Bot.), a European
herbaceous plant (Spiræa Ulmaria). See
Meadowsweet. -- Queen of the prairie
(Bot.), an American herb (Spiræa lobata) with
ample clusters of pale pink flowers. -- Queen
pigeon (Zoöl.), any one of several species
of very large and handsome crested ground pigeons of the genus
Goura, native of New Guinea and the adjacent islands. They are
mostly pale blue, or ash-blue, marked with white, and have a large
occipital crest of spatulate feathers. Called also crowned
pigeon, goura, and Victoria pigeon. --
Queen regent, or Queen regnant,
a queen reigning in her own right. -- Queen's
Bench. See King's Bench. -- Queen's
counsel, Queen's evidence. See
King's counsel, King's evidence, under King.
-- Queen's delight (Bot.), an American
plant (Stillinqia sylvatica) of the Spurge family, having an
herbaceous stem and a perennial woody root. -- Queen's
metal (Metal.), an alloy somewhat resembling
pewter or britannia, and consisting essentially of tin with a slight
admixture of antimony, bismuth, and lead or copper. --
Queen's pigeon. (Zoöl.) Same as
Queen pigeon, above. -- Queen's ware,
glazed English earthenware of a cream color. --
Queen's yellow (Old Chem.), a heavy
yellow powder consisting of a basic mercuric sulphate; -- formerly
called turpetum minerale, or Turbith's mineral.
Queen, v. i. To act the part of a
queen. Shak.
Queen, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Queened (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Queening.] (Chess.) To make a queen (or other
piece, at the player's discretion) of by moving it to the eighth row;
as, to queen a pawn.
Queen"craft` (?), n. Craft or skill
in policy on the part of a queen.
Elizabeth showed much queencraft in procuring
the votes of the nobility.
Fuller.
Queen"dom (?), n. The dominion,
condition, or character of a queen. Mrs. Browning.
Queen"fish` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
A California sciænoid food fish (Seriphys politus).
The back is bluish, and the sides and belly bright silvery. Called
also kingfish.
Queen"hood (?), n. The state,
personality, or character of a queen; queenliness.
Tennyson.
Queen"ing (?), n. [See Queen
apple.] (Bot.) Any one of several kinds of apples, as
summer queening, scarlet queening, and early
queening. An apple called the queening was cultivated in
England two hundred years ago.
Queen"li*ness (?), n. The quality
of being queenly; the; characteristic of a queen; stateliness;
eminence among women in attractions or power.
Queen"ly, a. [AS. cwēnlic
feminine.] Like, becoming, or suitable to, a queen.
Queen"-post` (?), n. [Arch.] One of
two suspending posts in a roof truss, or other framed truss of similar
form. See King-post.
Queen"ship, n. The state, rank, or
dignity of a queen.
Queens"land nut` (?). (Bot.) The nut of an
Australian tree (Macadamia ternifolia). It is about an inch in
diameter, and contains a single round edible seed, or sometimes two
hemispherical seeds. So called from Queensland in
Australia.
Queen" truss (?). (Arch.) A truss framed with
queen-posts; a queen-post truss.
Queer (?), a. [Compar.
Queerer (?); superl. Queerest.] [G.
quer cross, oblique, athwart (cf. querkopf a queer
fellow), OHG. twer, twerh, dwerah; akin to
D. dvars, AS, þweorh thwart, bent, twisted, Icel.
þverr thwart, transverse, Goth.
þwaìrhs angry, and perh. to L. torqyere to
twist, and E. through. Cf. Torture, Through,
Thwart, a.] 1. At
variance with what is usual or normal; differing in some odd way from
what is ordinary; odd; singular; strange; whimsical; as, a
queer story or act. " A queer look." W.
Irving.
2. Mysterious; suspicious; questionable; as, a
queer transaction.
[Colloq.]
Queer, n. Counterfeit money.
[Slang]
To shove the queer, to put counterfeit money
in circulation. [Slang]
Queer"ish, a. Rather queer;
somewhat singular.
Queer"ly, adv. In a queer or odd
manner.
Queer"ness, n. The quality or state
of being queer.
Queest (?), n. [Cf. Icel. kvisa a
kind of bird, kvistr a branch of a tree, and E. cushat.]
(Zoöl.) The European ringdove (Columba
palumbus); the cushat. [Written also quist,
queeze, quice, queece.] See Ringdove.
Quegh (?), n. A drinking vessel.
See Quaich.
Queint (?), a. See
Quaint. [Obs.]
Queint, obs. imp. & p. p. of
Quench. Chaucer.
Queint"ise (?), n. See
Quaintise. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Quell (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Quelled (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n.
Quelling.] [See Quail to cower.]
1. To die. [Obs.]
Yet he did quake and quaver, like to
quell.
Spenser.
2. To be subdued or abated; to yield; to
abate. [R.]
Winter's wrath begins to quell.
Spenser.
Quell, v. t. [OE. quellen to
kill, AS. cwellan, causative of cwelan to die; akin to
OHG. quellen to torment, Icel. kvelja. See Quail
to cower.] 1. To take the life of; to kill.
[Obs.] Spenser.
The ducks cried as [if] men would them
quelle.
Chaucer.
2. To overpower; to subdue; to put
down.
The nation obeyed the call, rallied round the
sovereign, and enabled him to quell the disaffected
minority.
Macaulay.
Northward marching to quell the sudden
revolt.
Longfellow.
3. To quiet; to allay; to pacify; to cause to
yield or cease; as, to quell grief; to quell the tumult
of the soul.
Much did his words the gentle lady
quell.
Spenser.
Syn. -- to subdue; crush; overpower; reduce; put down;
repress; suppress; quiet; allay; calm; pacify.
Quell, n. Murder. [Obs.]
Shak.
Quell"er (?), n. 1.
A killer; as, Jack the Giant Queller. [Obs.]
Wyclif (Mark vi. 27).
2. One who quells; one who overpowers or
subdues.
Quel"li*o (?), n. [Sp. cuello, L.
collum neck.] A ruff for the neck. [Obs.] B.
Jonson.
||Quelque"chose` (?), n. [F. quelque
chose something.] A trifle; a kickshaw.
Donne.
Queme (?), v. t. & i. [AS.
cwēman, akin to cuman to come. √23.] To
please. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Queme"ful (?), a. Kindly;
merciful. [Obs.] Wyclif.
Quench (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Quenched (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Quenching.] [OE. quenchen, AS. cwencan in
ācwencan, to extinguish utterly, causative of
cwincan, ācwincan, to decrease, disappear; cf. AS.
cwīnan, ācwīnan, to waste or dwindle
away.] 1. To extinguish; to overwhelm; to make an
end of; -- said of flame and fire, of things burning, and figuratively
of sensations and emotions; as, to quench flame; to
quench a candle; to quench thirst, love, hate,
etc.
Ere our blood shall quench that
fire.
Shak.
The supposition of the lady's death
Will quench the wonder of her infamy.
Shak.
2. To cool suddenly, as heated steel, in
tempering.
Syn. -- To extinguish; still; stifle; allay; cool;
check.
Quench, v. i. To become
extinguished; to go out; to become calm or cool. [R.]
Dost thou think in time
She will not quench!
Shak.
Quench"a*ble (?), a. Capable of
being quenched.
Quench"er (?), n. One who, or that
which, quenches. Hammond.
Quench"less, a. Incapable of being
quenched; inextinguishable; as, quenchless fire or fury.
"Once kindled, quenchless evermore." Byron.
Syn. -- Inextinguishable; unquenchable.
-- Quench"less*ly, adv. --
Quench"less*ness, n.
Que*nelle" (?), n. [F.] (Cookery)
A kind of delicate forcemeat, commonly poached and used as a dish
by itself or for garnishing.
Que*nouille train"ing (?). [F. quenouille distaff.]
(Hort.) A method of training trees or shrubs in the shape
of a cone or distaff by tying down the branches and pruning.
Quer`ci*tan"nic (?), a. [L.
quercus an oak + E. tannic.] (Chem.)
Pertaining to, or designating, a tannic acid found in oak bark
and extracted as a yellowish brown amorphous substance.
Quer"cite (?), n. (Chem.) A
white crystalline substance,
C6H7(OH)5, found in acorns, the fruit
of the oak (Quercus). It has a sweet taste, and is regarded as
a pentacid alcohol.
Quer"ci*tin (?), n. (Chem.)
A yellow crystalline substance, occurring quite widely
distributed in the vegetable kingdom, as is apple-tree bark, horse-
chestnut leaves, etc., but originally obtained by the decomposition of
quercitrin. Called also meletin.
Quer"cit*rin (?), n. [Cf. F.
quercitrin. See Quercitron.] (Chem.) A
glucoside extracted from the bark of the oak (Quercus) as a
bitter citron-yellow crystalline substance, used as a pigment and
called quercitron.
Quer"cit*ron (?), n. [F.
quercitron, the name of the name of tree; L. quercus an
oak + citrus the citron tree.] 1.
The yellow inner bark of the Quercus tinctoria, the
American black oak, yellow oak, dyer's oak, or quercitron oak, a large
forest tree growing from Maine to eastern Texas.
2. Quercitrin, used as a pigment. See
Quercitrin.
||Quer"cus (?), n. [L., an oak.]
(Bot.) A genus of trees constituted by the oak. See
Oak.
Quer"ele (?), n. [See 2d
Quarrel.] (O. Eng. Law) A complaint to a court. See
Audita Querela. [Obs.] Ayliffe.
Que"rent (?), n. [L. querens, p.
pr. of queri to complain.] (O. Eng. Law) A
complainant; a plaintiff.
Que"rent, n. [L. quaerens, p. pr.
of quaerere to search for, to inquire.] An inquirer.
[Obs.] Aubrey.
Quer`i*mo"ni*ous (?), a. [L.
querimonia a complaint, fr. queri to complain. See
Querulous.] Complaining; querulous; apt to complain.
-- Quer`i*mo"ni*ous*ly, adv. --
Quer`i*mo"ni*ous*ness, n.
Quer"i*mo*ny (?), n. [L.
querimonia.] A complaint or complaining. [Obs.]
E. Hall.
Que"rist (?), n. [See Query.]
One who inquires, or asks questions. Swift.
Querk"en (?), v. t. [Icel. kverk
throat. &?;.] To stifle or choke. [Prov. Eng.]
Halliwell.
Querl (?), v. t. [G. querlen,
quirlen, to twirl, to turn round, fr. querl,
querl, a twirling stick. Cf. Twirl.] To twirl; to
turn or wind round; to coil; as, to querl a cord, thread, or
rope. [Local, U.S.]
Querl, n. A coil; a twirl; as, the
qwerl of hair on the fore leg of a blooded horse. [Local,
U. S.]
Quern (?), n. [AS. cweorn,
cwyrn; akin to D. kweern, OHG. quirn, Icel.
kvern, Sw. qvarn, Dan. quærn, Goth.
qairnus (in asiluqaírnus), Lith.
qìrnos, and perh. E. corn.] A mill for
grinding grain, the upper stone of which was turned by hand; -- used
before the invention of windmills and watermills.
Shak.
They made him at the querne grind.
Chaucer.
Quer"po (?), n. The inner or body
garments taken together. See Cuerpo. Dryden.
Quer"que*dule (?), n. [L.
querquedula.] (Zool.) (a) A
teal. (b) The pintail duck.
Quer"ry (?), n. A groom; an
equerry. [Obs.]
Quer`u*len"tial (?), a.
Querulous. [R.]
Quer"u*lous (?), a. [L. querulus
and querulosus, fr. queri to complain. Cf. Cry,
v., Quarrel a brawl, Quarrelous.]
1. Given to quarreling; quarrelsome. [Obs.]
land.
2. Apt to find fault; habitually complaining;
disposed to murmur; as, a querulous man or people.
Enmity can hardly be more annoying that
querulous, jealous, exacting fondness.
Macaulay.
3. Expressing complaint; fretful; whining; as,
a querulous tone of voice.
Syn. -- Complaining; bewailing; lamenting; whining;
mourning; murmuring; discontented; dissatisfied.
-- Quer"u*lous*ly, adv. --
Quer"u*lous*ness, n.
Que"ry (?), n.; pl.
Queries (#). [L. quaere, imperative sing. of
quaerere, quaesitum to seek or search for, to ask,
inquire. Cf. Acquire, Conquer, Exquisite,
Quest, Require.] 1. A question; an
inquiry to be answered or solved.
I shall conclude with proposing only some
queries, in order to a . . . search to be made by
others.
Sir I. Newton.
2. A question in the mind; a doubt; as, I have
a query about his sincerity.
3. An interrogation point [?] as the sign of a
question or a doubt.
Que"ry, v. i. 1. To
ask questions; to make inquiry.
Each prompt to query, answer, and
debate.
Pope.
2. To have a doubt; as, I query if he
is right.
Que"ry, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Queried (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Querying.] 1. To put questions about; to
elicit by questioning; to inquire into; as, to query the items
or the amount; to query the motive or the fact.
2. To address questions to; to examine by
questions.
3. To doubt of; to regard with
incredulity.
4. To write " query" (qu., qy., or ?) against,
as a doubtful spelling, or sense, in a proof. See
Quære.
Que*sal" (?), n. (Zoöl.)
The long-tailed, or resplendent, trogon (Pharomachus
mocinno, formerly Trogon resplendens), native of Southern
Mexico and Central America. Called also quetzal, and golden
trogon.
&fist; The male is remarkable for the brilliant metallic green and
gold colors of his plumage, and for his extremely long plumes, which
often exceed three feet in length.
Quest (?), n. [OF. queste, F.
quête, fr. L. quaerere, quaesitum, to seek
for, to ask. Cf. Query, Question.] 1.
The act of seeking, or looking after anything; attempt to find or
obtain; search; pursuit; as, to rove in quest of game, of a
lost child, of property, etc.
Upon an hard adventure yet in
quest.
Spenser.
Cease your quest of love.
Shak.
There ended was his quest, there ceased his
care.
Milton.
2. Request; desire; solicitation.
Gad not abroad at every quest and call
Of an untrained hope or passion.
Herbert.
3. Those who make search or inquiry, taken
collectively.
The senate hath sent about three several quests
to search you out.
Shak.
4. Inquest; jury of inquest.
What lawful quest have given their verdict
?
Shak.
Quest, v. t. [Cf. OF. quester, F.
quêter. See Quest, n.] To
search for; to examine. [R.] Sir T. Herbert.
Quest, v. i. To go on a quest; to
make a search; to go in pursuit; to beg. [R.]
If his questing had been unsuccessful, he
appeased the rage of hunger with some scraps of broken
meat.
Macaulay.
Quest"ant (?), n. [OF. questant,
F. quêtant, p. pr.] One who undertakes a quest; a
seeker. [Obs.] Shak.
Quest"er (?), n. One who seeks; a
seeker. [Obs.]
Ques"tion (?), n. [F., fr. L.
quaestio, fr. quaerere, quaesitum, to seek for,
ask, inquire. See Quest, n.]
1. The act of asking; interrogation; inquiry; as,
to examine by question and answer.
2. Discussion; debate; hence, objection;
dispute; doubt; as, the story is true beyond question; he
obeyed without question.
There arose a question between some of John's
disciples and the Jews about purifying.
John iii.
25.
It is to be to question, whether it be lawful
for Christian princes to make an invasive war simply for the
propagation of the faith.
Bacon.
3. Examination with reference to a decisive
result; investigation; specifically, a judicial or official
investigation; also, examination under torture.
Blackstone.
He that was in question for the robbery.
Shak.
The Scottish privy council had power to put state prisoners to the
question.
Macaulay.
4. That which is asked; inquiry;
interrogatory; query.
But this question asked
Puts me in doubt. Lives there who loves his pain ?
Milton.
5. Hence, a subject of investigation,
examination, or debate; theme of inquiry; matter to be inquired into;
as, a delicate or doubtful question.
6. Talk; conversation; speech; speech.
[Obs.] Shak.
In question, in debate; in the course of
examination or discussion; as, the matter or point in
question. -- Leading question. See
under Leading. -- Out of question,
unquestionably. "Out of question, 't is Maria's hand."
Shak. -- Out of the question. See under
Out. -- Past question, beyond
question; certainly; undoubtedly; unquestionably. --
Previous question, a question put to a
parliamentary assembly upon the motion of a member, in order to
ascertain whether it is the will of the body to vote at once, without
further debate, on the subject under consideration. The form of
the question is: "Shall the main question be now put?" If the vote is
in the affirmative, the matter before the body must be voted upon as
it then stands, without further general debate or the submission of
new amendments. In the House of Representatives of the United States,
and generally in America, a negative decision operates to keep the
business before the body as if the motion had not been made; but in
the English Parliament, it operates to postpone consideration for the
day, and until the subject may be again introduced. In American
practice, the object of the motion is to hasten action, and it is made
by a friend of the measure. In English practice, the object is to get
rid of the subject for the time being, and the motion is made with a
purpose of voting against it. Cushing. -- To beg the
question. See under Beg. -- To the
question, to the point in dispute; to the real matter
under debate.
Syn. -- Point; topic; subject.
Ques"tion, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Questioned (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Questioning.] [Cf. F. questionner. See Question,
n.] 1. To ask questions; to
inquire.
He that questioneth much shall learn
much.
Bacon.
2. To argue; to converse; to dispute.
[Obs.]
I pray you, think you question with the
Jew.
Shak.
Ques"tion, v. t. 1.
To inquire of by asking questions; to examine by interrogatories;
as, to question a witness.
2. To doubt of; to be uncertain of; to
query.
And most we question what we most
desire.
Prior.
3. To raise a question about; to call in
question; to make objection to. "But have power and right to
question thy bold entrance on this place." Milton.
4. To talk to; to converse with.
With many holiday and lady terms he questioned
me.
Shak.
Syn. -- To ask; interrogate; catechise; doubt; controvert;
dispute. -- Question, Inquire, Interrogate. To inquire is
merely to ask for information, and implies no authority in the one who
asks. To interrogate is to put repeated questions in a formal
or systematic fashion to elicit some particular fact or facts. To
question has a wider sense than to interrogate, and
often implies an attitude of distrust or opposition on the part of the
questioner.
Ques`tion*a*bil"i*ty (?), n. The
state or condition of being questionable. Stallo.
Ques"tion*a*ble (?), a.
1. Admitting of being questioned; inviting, or
seeming to invite, inquiry. [R.]
Thou com'st in such a questionable shape
That I will speak to thee.
Shak.
2. Liable to question; subject to be doubted
or called in question; problematical; doubtful; suspicious.
It is questionable whether Galen ever saw the
dissection of a human body.T.
Baker.
Syn. -- Disputable; debatable; uncertain; doubtful;
problematical; suspicious.
Ques"tion*a*ble*ness, n. The
quality or state of being questionable, doubtful, or
suspicious.
Ques"tion*a*bly, adv. In a
questionable manner.
Ques"tion*a*ry (?), a. Inquiring;
asking questions; testing. "Questionary epistles."
Pope.
Ques"tion*a*ry, n. One who makes it
his business to seek after relics and carry them about for
sale.
Ques"tion*er (?), n. One who asks
questions; an inquirer. "Little time for idle
questioners." Tennyson.
Ques"tion*ist, n. 1.
A questioner; an inquirer. [Obs.]
2. (Eng. Univ.) A candidate for honors
or degrees who is near the time of his examination.
Ques"tion*less, a. Unquestioning;
incurious. [R.]
Ques"tion*less, adv. Beyond a
question or doubt; doubtless; certainly.[R.] South.
What it was in the apostles' time, that,
questionless, it must be still.
Milton.
Quest"man (?), n.; pl.
Questmen (&?;). One legally empowered to make
quest of certain matters, esp. of abuses of weights and
measures. Specifically: (a) A
churchwarden's assistant; a sidesman. Blount. [Obs.]
(b) A collector of parish rents.
Blount. [Obs.]
Quest"mon`ger (?), n. One who lays
informations, and encourages petty lawsuits. [Obs.]
Bacon.
Ques"tor (?), n. [L. quaestor,
contr. fr. quaesitor, fr. quaerere, quaesitum, to
seek for, ask: cf. F. questeur.] (Rom. Antiq.) An
officer who had the management of the public treasure; a receiver of
taxes, tribute, etc.; treasurer of state. [Written also
quæstor.]
&fist; At an early period there were also public accusers styled
questors, but the office was soon abolished.
Ques"tor*ship, n. The office, or
the term of office, of a questor.
Quest"rist (?), n. [See Quest.]
A seeker; a pursuer. [Obs.] "Hot questrists after
him." Shak.
Ques"tu*a*ry (?), a. [L.
quaestuarius, from quaestus gain, profit,
quaerere, quaesitum, to seek for, earn.] Studious
of profit. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.
Ques"tu*a*ry, n. One employed to
collect profits. [R.] "The pope's questuaries." Jer.
Taylor.
Quet (?), n. (Zoöl.)
The common guillemot. [Prov. Eng.]
Queue (?), n. [F. See Cue.]
(a) A tail-like appendage of hair; a
pigtail. (b) A line of persons waiting
anywhere.
Queue, v. t. To fasten, as hair, in
a queue.
Quey (?), n. [Cf. Dan. qvie.]
A heifer. [Scot.]
Quib (?), n. [Cf. Quip.] A
quip; a gibe.
Quib"ble (?), n. [Probably fr.
quib, quip, but influenced by quillet, or
quiddity.] 1. A shift or turn from the
point in question; a trifling or evasive distinction; an evasion; a
cavil.
Quibbles have no place in the search after
truth.
I. Watts.
2. A pun; a low conceit.
Quib"ble, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Quibbled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Quibbling (?).] 1. To evade the point in
question by artifice, play upon words, caviling, or by raising any
insignificant or impertinent question or point; to trifle in argument
or discourse; to equivocate.
2. To pun; to practice punning.
Cudworth.
Syn. -- To cavil; shuffle; equivocate; trifle.
Quib"bler (?), n. One who quibbles;
a caviler; also, a punster.
Quib"bling*ly (?), adv. Triflingly;
evasively.
Qui"ca (?), n. [From the native
Brazilian name.] (Zoöl.) A small South American
opossum (Didelphys quica), native of Guiana and Brazil. It
feeds upon insects, small birds, and fruit.
Quice (?), n. (Zoöl.)
See Queest.
Quich (?), v. i. [Cf. Quinch.]
To stir. [Obs.]
He could not move nor quich at all.
Spenser.
Quick (?), a. [Compar.
Quicker (?); superl. Quickest.] [As.
cwic, cwicu, cwucu, cucu, living; akin to
OS. quik, D. kwik, OHG. quec, chec, G.
keck bold, lively, Icel. kvikr living, Goth.
qius, Lith. q&ymacr;vas, Russ. zhivoi, L.
vivus living, vivere to live, Gr. bi`os life,
Skr. jīva living, jīv to live. Cf.
Biography, Vivid, Quitch grass, Whitlow.]
1. Alive; living; animate; -- opposed to
dead or inanimate.
Not fully quyke, ne fully dead they
were.
Chaucer.
The Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick
and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom.
2 Tim.
iv. 1.
Man is no star, but a quick coal
Of mortal fire.
Herbert.
&fist; In this sense the word is nearly obsolete, except in some
compounds, or in particular phrases.
2. Characterized by life or liveliness;
animated; sprightly; agile; brisk; ready. " A quick wit."
Shak.
3. Speedy; hasty; swift; not slow; as, be
quick.
Oft he her his charge of quick return
Repeated.
Milton.
4. Impatient; passionate; hasty; eager; eager;
sharp; unceremonious; as, a quick temper.
The bishop was somewhat quick with them, and
signified that he was much offended.
Latimer.
5. Fresh; bracing; sharp; keen.
The air is quick there,
And it pierces and sharpens the stomach.
Shak.
6. Sensitive; perceptive in a high degree;
ready; as, a quick ear. "To have an open ear, a
quick eye." Shak.
They say that women are so quick.
Tennyson.
7. Pregnant; with child.
Shak.
Quick grass. (Bot.) See Quitch
grass. -- Quick match. See under
Match. -- Quick vein (Mining),
a vein of ore which is productive, not barren. --
Quick vinegar, vinegar made by allowing a weak
solution of alcohol to trickle slowly over shavings or other porous
material. -- Quick water, quicksilver
water. -- Quick with child, pregnant with a
living child.
Syn. -- Speedy; expeditious; swift; rapid; hasty; prompt;
ready; active; brisk; nimble; fleet; alert; agile; lively;
sprightly.
Quick (?), adv. In a quick manner;
quickly; promptly; rapidly; with haste; speedily; without delay; as,
run quick; get back quick.
If we consider how very quick the actions of the
mind are performed.
Locke.
Quick, n. 1. That
which is quick, or alive; a living animal or plant; especially, the
hawthorn, or other plants used in making a living hedge.
The works . . . are curiously hedged with
quick.
Evelyn.
2. The life; the mortal point; a vital part; a
part susceptible of serious injury or keen feeling; the sensitive
living flesh; the part of a finger or toe to which the nail is
attached; the tender emotions; as, to cut a finger nail to the
quick; to thrust a sword to the quick, to taunt one to
the quick; -- used figuratively.
This test nippeth, . . . this toucheth the
quick.
Latimer.
How feebly and unlike themselves they reason when they
come to the quick of the difference !
Fuller.
3. (Bot.) Quitch grass.
Tennyson.
Quick, v. t. & i. [See Quicken.]
To revive; to quicken; to be or become alive. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Quick"beam` (?), n. [A. S.
cwicbeám.] See Quicken tree.
Quick"en (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. quickened (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Quickening.] [AS. cwician. See Quick,
a.] 1. To make alive; to
vivify; to revive or resuscitate, as from death or an inanimate state;
hence, to excite; to, stimulate; to incite.
The mistress which I serve quickens what's
dead.
Shak.
Like a fruitful garden without an hedge, that
quickens the appetite to enjoy so tempting a
prize.
South.
2. To make lively, active, or sprightly; to
impart additional energy to; to stimulate; to make quick or rapid; to
hasten; to accelerate; as, to quicken one's steps or thoughts;
to quicken one's departure or speed.
3. (Shipbuilding) To shorten the radius
of (a curve); to make (a curve) sharper; as, to quicken the
sheer, that is, to make its curve more pronounced.
Syn. -- To revive; resuscitate; animate; reinvigorate;
vivify; refresh; stimulate; sharpen; incite; hasten; accelerate;
expedite; dispatch; speed.
Quick"en, v. i. 1.
To come to life; to become alive; to become vivified or
enlivened; hence, to exhibit signs of life; to move, as the fetus in
the womb.
The heart is the first part that quickens, and
the last that dies.
Ray.
And keener lightnings quicken in her
eye.
Pope.
When the pale and bloodless east began
To quicken to the sun.
Tennyson.
2. To move with rapidity or activity; to
become accelerated; as, his pulse quickened.
Quick"en*er, n. One who, or that
which, quickens.
Quick"en*ing, n. 1.
The act or process of making or of becoming quick.
2. (Physiol.) The first motion of the
fetus in the womb felt by the mother, occurring usually about the
middle of the term of pregnancy. It has been popularly supposed to be
due to the fetus becoming possessed of independent life.
Quick"ens (?), n. (Bot.)
Quitch grass.
Quick"en tree` (?). [Probably from quick, and first
applied to the aspen or some tree with quivering leaves; cf. G.
quickenbaum, quizenbaum, quitschenbaum. Cf.
Quitch grass.] (Bot.) The European rowan tree; --
called also quickbeam, and quickenbeam. See Rowan
tree.
Quick"hatch` (?), n. [From the American
Indian name.] (Zoöl.) The wolverine.
Quick"lime (?), n. [See Quick,
a.] (Chem.) Calcium oxide; unslacked
lime; -- so called because when wet it develops great heat. See 4th
Lime, 2.
Quick"ly, adv. Speedily; with haste
or celerity; soon; without delay; quick.
Quick"ness, n. 1.
The condition or quality of being quick or living; life.
[Obs.]
Touch it with thy celestial
quickness.
Herbert.
2. Activity; briskness; especially, rapidity
of motion; speed; celerity; as, quickness of wit.
This deed . . . must send thee hence
With fiery quickness.
Shak.
His mind had, indeed, great quickness and
vigor.
Macaulay.
3. Acuteness of perception; keen
sensibility.
Would not quickness of sensation be an
inconvenience to an animal that must lie still ?
Locke
4. Sharpness; pungency of taste.
Mortimer.
Syn. -- Velocity; celerity; rapidity; speed; haste;
expedition; promptness; dispatch; swiftness; nimbleness; fleetness;
agility; briskness; liveliness; readiness; sagacity; shrewdness;
shrewdness; sharpness; keenness.
Quick"sand` (?), n. Sand easily
moved or readily yielding to pressure; especially, a deep mass of
loose or moving sand mixed with water, sometimes found at the mouth of
a river or along some coasts, and very dangerous, from the difficulty
of extricating a person who begins sinking into it.
Life hath quicksands, -- Life hath
snares!
Longfellow.
Quick"-scent`ed (?), a. Acute of
smell.
Quick"set` (?), n. A living plant
set to grow, esp. when set for a hedge; specifically, the
hawthorn.
Quick"set`, a. Made of
quickset.
Dates and pomegranates on the quickset
hedges.
Walpole.
Quick"set`, v. t. To plant with
living shrubs or trees for a hedge; as, to quickset a
ditch. Mortimer.
Quick"-sight`ed (?), a. Having
quick sight or acute discernment; quick to see or to discern.
Locke.
--Quick"-sight`ed*ness, n.
Quick"sil`ver (?), n. [Quick
living + silver; -- so called from its fluidity; cf. G.
quecksilber, L. argentum vivum. See Quick,
a.] (Chem.) The metal mercury; -- so
called from its resemblance to liquid silver.
Quicksilver horizon, a mercurial artificial
horizon. See under Horizon. -- Quicksilver
water, a solution of mercury nitrate used in artificial
silvering; quick water.
Quick"sil`vered (?), a. Overlaid
with quicksilver, or with an amalgam of quicksilver and
tinfoil.
Quick"sil`ver*ing (?), n. The
mercury and foil on the back of a looking-glass.
Quick"step` (?), n. (Mus.) A
lively, spirited march; also, a lively style of dancing.
Quick"-wit`ted (?), a. Having ready
wit Shak.
Quick"-wit`ted*ness, n. Readiness
of wit. "Celtic quick-wittedness." M. Arnold.
Quick"work` (?), n. (Naut.) A
term somewhat loosely used to denote: (a) All the
submerged section of a vessel's planking. (b)
The planking between the spirketing and the clamps.
(c) The short planks between the
portholes.
Quid (?), n. [See Cud.] A
portion suitable to be chewed; a cud; as, a quid of
tobacco.
Quid, v. t. (Man.) To drop
from the mouth, as food when partially chewed; -- said of
horses. Youatt.
||Qui"dam (?), n. [L.] Somebody;
one unknown. Spenser.
Quid"da*ny (?), n. [L. cydoneum
quince juice, quince wine. See Quince.] A confection of
quinces, in consistency between a sirup and marmalade.
Quid"da*tive (?), a. [See
Quiddity.] Constituting, or containing, the essence of a
thing; quidditative.
Quid"dit (?), n. [Cf. Quiddity,
Quillet, and Quibble.] A subtilty; an
equivocation. [Obs.] Shak.
By some strange quiddit or some wrested
clause.
Drayton.
Quid"di*ta*tive (?), a.
Quiddative.
Quid"di*ty (?), n.; pl.
Quiddities (#). [LL. quidditas, fr. L.
quid what, neut. of quis who, akin to E. who: cf.
F. quiddité.] 1. The essence,
nature, or distinctive peculiarity, of a thing; that which answers the
question, Quid est? or, What is it? " The degree of
nullity and quiddity." Bacon.
The quiddity or characteristic difference of
poetry as distinguished from prose.
De
Quincey.
2. A trifling nicety; a cavil; a
quibble.
We laugh at the quiddities of those writers
now.
Coleridge.
Quid"dle (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Quiddled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Quiddling (?).] [L. quid what.] To spend time in
trifling employments, or to attend to useful subjects in an
indifferent or superficial manner; to dawdle.
{ Quid"dle (?), Quid"dler (?), }
n. One who wastes his energy about
trifles. Emerson.
Quid"nunc (?), n. [L., what now?]
One who is curious to know everything that passes; one who knows,
or pretends to know, all that is going on. "The idle stories of
quidnuncs." Motley.
Qui*esce" (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Quiesced (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Quiescing (?).] [L. quiescere, akin to quies
rest, quiet. See Quiet, a. & n.] To be
silent, as a letter; to have no sound. M. Stuart.
{ Qui*es"cence (?), Qui*es"cen*cy (?), }
n. [L. quiescentia, fr. quiescens, p.
pr.; cf. F. quiestence. See Quiesce.] The state or
quality of being quiescent. "Quiescence, bodily and
mental." H. Spencer.
Deeds will be done; -- while be boasts his
quiescence.
R. Browning.
Qui*es"cent (?), a. [L.
quiescens, -entis, p. pr. of quiescere: cf. F.
quiescent. See Quiesce.] 1. Being
in a state of repose; at rest; still; not moving; as, a
quiescent body or fluid.
2. Not ruffed with passion; unagitated; not in
action; not excited; quiet; dormant; resting.
In times of national security, the feeling of
patriotism . . . is so quiescent that it seems hardly to
exist.
Prof. Wilson.
3. (Gram.) Not sounded; silent; as, y
is quiescent in "day" and "say."
Qui*es"cent, n. (Gram.) A
silent letter. M. Stuart.
Qui*es"cent*ly, adv. In a quiescent
manner.
Qui"et (?), a.
[Compar. Quieter (?);
superl. Quietest.] [L. quietus, p. p.
pf quiescere to rest, keep quiet; akin to quies rest,
and prob. to E. while, n. See While, and cf. Coy,
a., Quiesce, Quietus, Quit,
a., Quite, Requiem.]
1. In a state of rest or calm; without stir,
motion, or agitation; still; as, a quiet sea; quiet
air.
They . . . were quiet all the night, saying, In
the morning, when it is day, we shall kill him.
Judg.
xvi. 2.
2. Free from noise or disturbance; hushed;
still.
3. Not excited or anxious; calm; peaceful;
placid; settled; as, a quiet life; a quiet
conscience. " So quiet and so sweet a style."
Shak.
That son, who on the quiet state of man
Such trouble brought.
Milton.
4. Not giving offense; not exciting disorder
or trouble; not turbulent; gentle; mild; meek; contented.
The ornament of a meek and quiet
spirit.
1 Pet. iii. 4.
I will sit as quiet as a lamb.
Shak.
5. Not showy; not such as to attract
attention; undemonstrative; as, a quiet dress; quiet
colors; a quiet movement.
Syn. -- Still; tranquil; calm; unruffled; smooth;
unmolested; undisturbed; placid; peaceful; mild; peaceable; meek;
contented.
Qui"et (?), n. [L. quies, -
etis. See Quiet, a.]
1. The quality or state of being quiet, or in
repose; as an hour or a time of quiet.
2. Freedom from disturbance, noise, or alarm;
stillness; tranquillity; peace; security.
And join with thee, calm Peace and
Quiet.
Milton.
At quiet, still; peaceful. -- In
quiet, quietly. " I will depart in quiet."
Shak. -- Out of quiet, disturbed;
restless. [Obs.] "She is much out of quiet."
Shak.
Qui"et, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Quieted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Quieting.] 1. To stop motion in; to still;
to reduce to a state of rest, or of silence.
2. To calm; to appease; to pacify; to lull; to
allay; to tranquillize; as, to quiet the passions; to
quiet clamors or disorders; to quiet pain or
grief.
Quiet yourselves, I pray, and be at
peace.
Shak.
Qui"et, v. i. To become still,
silent, or calm; -- often with down; as, be soon quieted
down.
Qui"et*age (?), n. Quietness.
[Obs.] Spenser.
Qui"et*er (?), n. One who, or that
which, quiets.
Qui"et*ism (?), n. [Cf. F.
quiétisme.] 1. Peace or
tranquillity of mind; calmness; indifference; apathy; dispassion;
indisturbance; inaction.
2. (Eccl. Hist.) The system of the
Quietists, who maintained that religion consists in the withdrawal of
the mind from worldly interests and anxieties and its constant
employment in the passive contemplation of God and his
attributes.
Qui"et*ist, n. [Cf. F.
quiétiste.] (Eccl. Hist.) One of a sect of
mystics originated in the seventeenth century by Molinos, a Spanish
priest living in Rome. See Quietism.
Qui`et*is"tic (?), a. Of or
pertaining to the Quietists, or to Quietism.
Qui"et*ly, adv. 1.
In a quiet state or manner; without motion; in a state of rest;
as, to lie or sit quietly.
2. Without tumult, alarm, dispute, or
disturbance; peaceably; as, to live quietly; to sleep
quietly.
3. Calmly, without agitation or violent
emotion; patiently; as, to submit quietly to unavoidable
evils.
4. Noiselessly; silently; without remark or
violent movement; in a manner to attract little or no observation; as,
he quietly left the room.
Qui"et*ness, n. The quality or
state of being quiet; freedom from noise, agitation, disturbance, or
excitement; stillness; tranquillity; calmness.
I would have peace and quietness.
Shak.
Qui"et*some (?), a. Calm;
still. [Obs.] Spenser.
Qui"e*tude, n. [L. quietudo: cf.
F. quiétude.] Rest; repose; quiet;
tranquillity. Shelley.
Qui*e"tus (?), n. [LL. quietus
quit, discharged, L., at rest, quiet, dead. See Quiet,
a., and cf. Quit, a.]
Final discharge or acquittance, as from debt or obligation; that
which silences claims; (Fig.) rest; death.
When he himself might his quietus make
With a bare bodkin.
Shak.
Quill (?), n. [Perhaps fr. F.
quille ninepin (see Kayless); but cf. also G.
kiel a quill. MHG. kil, and Ir. cuille a quill.]
1. One of the large feathers of a bird's wing, or
one of the rectrices of the tail; also, the stock of such a
feather.
2. A pen for writing made by sharpening and
splitting the point or nib of the stock of a feather; as, history is
the proper subject of his quill. Sir H.
Wotton.
3. (Zoöl.) (a) A
spine of the hedgehog or porcupine. (b) The
pen of a squid. See Pen.
4. (Mus.) (a) The
plectrum with which musicians strike the strings of certain
instruments. (b) The tube of a musical
instrument.
He touched the tender stops of various
quills.
Milton.
5. Something having the form of a quill;
as: (a) The fold or plain of a ruff.
(b) (Weaving) A spindle, or spool, as of
reed or wood, upon which the thread for the woof is wound in a
shuttle. (c) (Mach.) A hollow
spindle.
Quill bit, a bit for boring resembling the
half of a reed split lengthways and having its end sharpened like a
gouge. -- Quill driver, one who works with
a pen; a writer; a clerk. [Jocose] -- Quill
nib, a small quill pen made to be used with a
holder. Simmonds.
Quill, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Quilled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Quilling.] 1. To plaint in small
cylindrical ridges, called quillings; as, to quill a
ruffle.
His cravat seemed quilled into a
ruff.
Goldsmith.
2. To wind on a quill, as thread or
yarn. Judd.
Quil*la"ia bark` (?). (Bot.) The bark of a
rosaceous tree (Quillaja Saponaria), native of Chili. The bark
is finely laminated, and very heavy with alkaline substances, and is
used commonly by the Chilians instead of soap. Also called soap
bark.
Quill"back` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
An American fresh-water fish (Ictiobus, or Carpiodes,
cyprinus); -- called also carp sucker, sailfish,
spearfish, and skimback.
Quilled (?), a. Furnished with
quills; also, shaped like quills. "A sharp-quilled
porcupine." Shak.
Quilled suture (Surg.), a variety of
stitch in which the threads after being passed deeply through the
edges of a wound are secured about two quills or bodies of similar
shape, in order to produce a suitable degree of pressure.
Quil"let (?), n. [L. quidlibet
what you please. Cf. Quiddit, and Quibble.]
Subtilty; nicety; quibble. "Nice, sharp quillets of
the law." Shak.
Quill"ing (?), n. (a)
A band of linen, muslin, or the like, fluted, folded, or plaited
so as somewhat to resemble a row of quills. (b)
One of the rounded plaits or flutings of such a band.
Quill"wort` (?), n. (Bot.)
Any plant or species of the genus Isoetes, cryptogamous
plants with a cluster of elongated four-tubed rushlike leaves, rising
from a corm, and containing spores in their enlarged and excavated
bases. There are about seventeen American species, usually growing in
the mud under still, shallow water. So called from the shape of the
shape of the leaves.
Quilt (?), n. [OE. quilte, OF.
cuilte, L. culcita &?; bed, cushion, mattress. Cf. 2d
Counterpoint, Cushion.] Anything that is quilted;
esp., a quilted bed cover, or a skirt worn by women; any cover or
garment made by putting wool, cotton, etc., between two cloths and
stitching them together; also, any outer bed cover.
The beds were covered with magnificent
quilts.
Arbuthnot.
Quilt, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Quilted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Quilting.] 1. To stitch or sew together at
frequent intervals, in order to confine in place the several layers of
cloth and wadding of which a garment, comforter, etc., may be made;
as, to quilt a coat. Dryden.
2. To wad, as a garment, with warm soft
material.
3. To stitch or sew in lines or
patterns.
Quilt"er (?), n. One who, or that
which, quilts.
Quilt"ing, n. 1.
The act of stitching or running in patterns, as in making a
quilt.
2. A quilting bee. See Bee,
2.
3. The material used for making
quilts.
4. (Naut.) A coating of strands of rope
for a water vessel.
Quin (?), n. (Zoöl.) A
European scallop (Pecten opercularis), used as food.
[Prov. Eng.]
Quin*al"dine (?), n. [Quinoline +
aldehyde + aniline.] (Chem.) A colorless
liquid of a slightly pungent odor,
C9H6N.CH3, first obtained as a
condensation product of aldehyde and aniline, and regarded as a
derivative of quinoline; -- called also methyl quinoline.
[Written also chinaldine.]
Qui"na*ry (?), a. [L. quinarius,
from quini five each, akin to quinque five: cf. F.
quinaire. See Five.] Consisting of five; arranged
by fives. Boyle.
Quinary system (Zoöl.), a
fanciful classification based on the hypothesis that each group
contains five types.
Qui"nate (?), a. [L. quini five
each.] (Bot.) Growing in sets of five; -- said especially
of leaves composed of five leaflets set at the end of a common
petiole.
Qui"nate (?), n. (Chem.) A
salt of quinic acid. [Written also kinate.]
Quin"a*zol (?), n. [Quinoline +
azote.] (Chem.) A complex nitrogenous base related
to cinnoline. [Written also chinazol.]
Quince (kw&ibreve;ns), n. [Prob. a pl.
from OE. quyne, coin, OF. coin, cooin, F.
coing, from L. Cydonius a quince tree, as adj.,
Cydonian, Gr. &?; Cydonian, &?; &?; a quince, fr. &?; Cydonia, a city
in Crete, &?; the Cydonians. Cf. Quiddany.] 1.
The fruit of a shrub (Cydonia vulgaris) belonging to the
same tribe as the apple. It somewhat resembles an apple, but differs
in having many seeds in each carpel. It has hard flesh of high flavor,
but very acid, and is largely used for marmalade, jelly, and
preserves.
2. (Bot.) a quince tree or
shrub.
Japan quince (Bot.), an Eastern
Asiatic shrub (Cydonia, formerly Pyrus, Japonica) and
its very fragrant but inedible fruit. The shrub has very showy
flowers, usually red, but sometimes pink or white, and is much grown
for ornament. -- Quince curculio
(Zoöl.), a small gray and yellow curculio
(Conotrachelus cratægi) whose larva lives in
quinces. -- Quince tree (Bot.), the
small tree (Cydonia vulgaris) which produces the
quince.
Quince"wort` (?), n. (Bot.)
The squinancy. Called also quinsywort.
Quinch (?), v. i. [Cf. OD.
quincken to quiver, shake, Fries. quink hovering. Cf.
Quich.] To stir; to wince. [Obs.]
Spenser.
Quin*cun"cial (?), [L. quincuncialis, from
quincunx. See Quincunx.]
1. Having the form of a quincunx.
2. (Bot.) Having the leaves of a
pentamerous calyx or corolla so imbricated that two are exterior, two
are interior, and the other has one edge exterior and one interior;
as, quincuncial æstivation.
Quincuncial phyllotaxy (Bot.), an
arrangement of five leaves in a spiral, each leaf two fifths of a
circle from the next.
Quin*cun"cial*ly, adv. In the
manner or order of a quincunx.
Quin"cunx (?), n. [L., fr.
quinque five + uncia an ounce. The quincunx was marked
by five small spots or balls. See Five, and Ounce the
weight.] 1. An arrangement of things by fives in
a square or a rectangle, one being placed at each corner and one in
the middle; especially, such an arrangement of trees repeated
indefinitely, so as to form a regular group with rows running in
various directions.
2. (Astrol.) The position of planets
when distant from each other five signs, or 150°.
Hutton.
3. (Bot.) A quincuncial arrangement, as
of the parts of a flower in æstivation. See Quincuncial,
2.
Quin*dec"a*gon (?), n. [L.
quindecim fifteen + Gr. &?; angle.] (Geom.) A plane
figure with fifteen angles, and consequently fifteen sides.
||Quin`de*cem"vir (?), n.; pl. E.
Quindecemvirs (#), L.
Quindecemviri (#). [L., from quindecim
fifteen + vir a man.] (Rom. Antiq.) One of a
sacerdotal college of fifteen men whose chief duty was to take care of
the Sibylline books.
Quin`de*cem"vi*rate (?), n. [L.
quindecimviratus.] The body or office of the
quindecemviri.
Quin*dec"one (?), n. [L.
quindecim fifteen.] (Chem.) An unsaturated
hydrocarbon, C15H26, of the valylene series,
produced artificially as an oily liquid. [Written also
quindekone.]
Quin`de*cyl"ic (?), n. [L.
quindecim fifteen + -yl.] (Chem.) Pertaining
to, or designating, an acid of the fatty acid series, containing
fifteen atoms of carbon; called also pentadecylic
acid.
Quin"dem (?), n. A fifteenth
part. [Obs.]
Quin"dism (?), n. A
fifteenth. [Obs.] Prynne.
Quin*hy"drone (?), n. [Quinone +
hydroquinone.] (Chem.) A green crystalline
substance formed by the union of quinone with hydroquinone, or as an
intermediate product in the oxidation of hydroquinone or the reduction
of quinone. [Written also chinhydrone.]
||Quin"i*a (?), n. [NL.] (Chem.)
Quinine.
Quin"i*ble (?), n. [L. quini five
each.] (Mus.) An interval of a fifth; also, a part sung
with such intervals. [Obs.] "He sang . . . a loud
quynyble." Chaucer.
Quin"ic (?), a. [See Quinine, and
cf. Kinic.] (Chem.) Pertaining to, derived from, or
connected with, quinine and related compounds; specifically,
designating a nonnitrogenous acid obtained from cinchona bark, coffee,
beans, etc., as a white crystalline substance. [Written also
chinic, kinic.]
Quin"i*cine (?), n. (Chem.)
An uncrystallizable alkaloid obtained by the action of heat from
quinine, with which it is isomeric.
Quin"i*dine (?), n. (Chem.)
An alkaloid isomeric with, and resembling, quinine, found in
certain species of cinchona, from which it is extracted as a bitter
white crystalline substance; conchinine. It is used somewhat as a
febrifuge. [Written also chinidine.]
Qui"nine (?), n. [F. (cf. Sp.
quinina), fr. Sp. quina, or quinaquina, Peruvian
bark, fr. Peruv. kina, quina, bark. Cf. Kinic.]
(Chem.) An alkaloid extracted from the bark of several
species of cinchona (esp. Cinchona Calisaya) as a bitter white
crystalline substance,
C20H24N2O2. Hence, by
extension (Med.), any of the salts of this alkaloid, as the
acetate, chloride, sulphate, etc., employed as a febrifuge or
antiperiodic. Called also quinia, quinina, etc.
[Written also chinine.]
Qui*nin"ic (?), a. (Chem.)
Pertaining to, or designating, a nitrogenous acid obtained as a
yellow crystalline substance by the oxidation of quinine.
{ Qui"nin*ism (?), Qui"nism (?), }
n. (Med.) See
Cinchonism.
Qui*niz"a*rin (?), [Hydroquinone +
alizarin.] (Chem.) A yellow crystalline substance
produced artificially. It is isomeric with alizarin.
Quin"i*zine (?), n. [Quinoline +
hydrazine.] (Chem.) any one of a series of
nitrogenous bases, certain of which are used as
antipyretics.
Quin"nat (?), n. [From the native name.]
(Zoöl.) The California salmon (Oncorhynchus
choicha); -- called also chouicha, king salmon,
chinnook salmon, and Sacramento salmon. It is of great
commercial importance. [Written also quinnet.]
||Qui*no"a (?), n. The seeds of a
kind of goosewort (Chenopodium Quinoa), used in Chili and Peru
for making porridge or cakes; also, food thus made.
Quin"o*gen (?), n. [Quinine +
-gen.] (Chem.) A hypothetical radical of quinine
and related alkaloids.
Qui*noid"ine (?), n. [Quinine +
-oid.] (Med. (Chem.) A brownish resinous substance
obtained as a by-product in the treatment of cinchona bark. It
consists of a mixture of several alkaloids. [Written also
chinoidine.]
Quin"o*line (?), n. [Quinine + L.
oleum oil + -ine.] (Chem.) A nitrogenous
base, C9H7N obtained as a pungent colorless
liquid by the distillation of alkaloids, bones, coal tar, etc. It the
nucleus of many organic bodies, especially of certain alkaloids and
related substances; hence, by extension, any one of the series of
alkaloidal bases of which quinoline proper is the type. [Written
also chinoline.]
Qui*nol"o*gist (?), n. One who is
versed in quinology.
Qui*nol"o*gy (?), n. [Quinine +
-logy.] The science which treats of the cultivation of the
cinchona, and of its use in medicine.
Qui"none (?), n. [Quinine +
ketone.] (Chem.) A crystalline substance,
C6H4O2 (called also
benzoketone), first obtained by the oxidation of quinic acid
and regarded as a double ketone; also, by extension, any one of the
series of which quinone proper is the type. [Written also
chinone, kinone.]
Qui*no"vic (?), a. (Chem.)
Pertaining to, or designating, a crystalline acid obtained from
some varieties of cinchona bark. [Written also chinovic,
and kinovic.]
Qui*no"vin (?), n. [NL. quina
nova the tree Cosmibuena magnifolia, whose bark yields
quinovin.] (Chem.) An amorphous bitter glucoside derived
from cinchona and other barks. Called also quinova bitter, and
quinova. [Written also chinovin, and
kinovin.]
Quin*ox"a*line (?), n. [Quinoline
+ glyoxal.] (Chem.) Any one of a series of complex
nitrogenous bases obtained by the union of certain aniline derivatives
with glyoxal or with certain ketones. [Written also
chinoxaline.]
Quin*ox"yl (?), n. [Quinone +
oxygen + -yl.] (Chem.) The hypothetical
radical of certain quinone derivatives related to rhodizonic
acid.
Qui"noyl (?), n. [Quinone + -
yl.] (Chem.) A radical of which quinone is the
hydride, analogous to phenyl. [Written also kinoyl.]
Quin`qua*ges"i*ma (?), a. [L., fr.
quinquagesimus the fiftieth, akin to quinquaginta fifty,
quinque five. See Five.] Fiftieth.
Quinquagesima Sunday, the Sunday which is the
fiftieth day before Easter, both days being included in the reckoning;
-- called also Shrove Sunday.
Quin*quan"gu*lar (?), a. [L.
quinquanqulus; quinque five + angulus ad angle:
cf. F. quinquangulaire.] Having five angles or
corners.
Quin`quar*tic"u*lar (?), a.
[Quinque- + article.] (Theol.) Relating to
the five articles or points; as, the quinquarticular
controversy between Arminians and Calvinists. [Obs.] Bp.
Sanderson.
Quin"que- (?). [L. quinque five. See Five.]
A combining form meaning five, five times,
fivefold; as, quinquefid, five-cleft;
quinquedentate, five-toothed.
Quin"que*an`gled (?), a. [Quinque-
+ angle.] Having five angles;
quinquangular.
{ Quin`que*den"tate (?), Quin`que*den"ta*ted (?),
} a. [Quinque- + dentate, -
tated: cf. F. quinquédenté.] Five-
toothed; as, a quinquedentate leaf.
Quin`que*fa"ri*ous (?), a. [From L.
quinque five: cf. F. quinquéfarié. Cf.
Bifarious.] (Bot.) Arranged in five vertical rows;
pentastichous. Gray.
Quin"que*fid (?), a. [Quique- +
the root of L. findere to cleave: cf. F.
quinquéfide.] (Bot.) Sharply cut about
halfway to the middle or base into five segments; as, a
quinquefid leaf or corolla.
{ Quin`que*fo"li*ate (?), Quin`que*fo"li*a`ted
(?), } a. [Quinque- + foliate, -
ated: cf. F. quinquéfolié, L.
quinquefolius.] (Bot.) Having five leaves or
leaflets. Gray.
Quin`que fo"li*o*late (?), a.
(Bot.) Having five leaflets. Gray.
Quin`que*lit"er*al (?), a. [Quinque-
+ literal.] Consisting of five letters.
{ Quin`que*lo"bate (?), Quin`que*lo"ba*red (?), }
a. [Quinque- + lobate, -ated:
cf. F. quinquélobé.] Cut less than halfway
into portions, usually somewhat rounded; five-lobed; as, a
quinquelobate leaf or corolla.
Quin"que*lobed` (?), a. [Quinque-
+ lobe.] Same as Quinquelobate.
Quin`que*loc"u*lar (?), a. [Quinque-
+ locular: cf. F. quinquéloculaire.]
Having five cells or loculi; five-celled; as, a
quinquelocular pericarp.
Quin"que*nerved` (?), a. [Quinque-
+ nerve.] (Bot.) Having five nerves; -- said
of a leaf with five nearly equal nerves or ribs rising from the end of
the petiole.
||Quin`quen*na"li*a (?), n. pl. [L., fr.
quinquennalis. See Ouinquennial.] (Rom. Antiq.)
Public games celebrated every five years.
Quin*quen"ni*al (?), a. [L.
quinquennalis and quinquennis; quinque five +
annus year. See Five, and cf. Biennial.]
Occurring once in five years, or at the end of every five years;
also, lasting five years. A quinquennial event.
Quin*quen"ni*um (?), n. [L.] Space
of five years.
Quin*quep"ar*tite (?), a. [L.
quinquepartitus; quinque five + partitus, p. p.
of partire to divide: cf. F. quinquépartite.]
1. Consisting of five parts.
2. (Bot.) Divided into five parts
almost to the base.
Quin"que*reme (?), n. [L.
quinqueremis; quinque five + remus an oar: cf. F.
quinquérème] A galley having five benches or
banks of oars; as, an Athenian quinquereme.
Quin"que*syl`la*ble (?), n. [Quinque-
+ syllable.] A word of five syllables.
{ Quin"que*valve (?), Quin`que*val"vu*lar (?), }
a. [Quinque- + valve, valvular:
cf. F. quinquévalve.] (Bot.) Having five
valves, as a pericarp.
||Quin"que*vir (?), n.; pl; E.
Quinquevirs (#), L. Quinqueviri
(#). [L., fr. quinque Five + vir man.] (Bot.
Antiq.) One of five commissioners appointed for some special
object.
||Quin*qui"na (?), n. [NL. & F. See
Quinine.] Peruvian bark.
Quin*quiv"a*lent (?), a. [Quinque-
+ L. valens, -entis, p. pr. See Valence.]
(Chem.) Same as Pentavalent.
Quin"sy (?), n. [Contr. fr.
squinancy, F. esquinancie, L. cynanche a sort of
sore throat, Gr. &?; sore throat, dog quinsy, fr. &?; dog + &?; to
choke; cf. also L. synanche sore throat, Gr. &?;. Cf.
Hound, Anger, and Cynanche.] (Med.)
An inflammation of the throat, or parts adjacent, especially of
the fauces or tonsils, attended by considerable swelling, painful and
impeded deglutition, and accompanied by inflammatory fever. It
sometimes creates danger of suffocation; -- called also
squinancy, and squinzey.
Quint (?), n. [F. quinte, fr. L.
quintus, quinta, the fifth, quinque five. See
Five.] 1. A set or sequence of five, as in
piquet.
2. (Mus.) The interval of a
fifth.
Quin"tain (?), n. [F. quintaine,
LL. quintana; cf. W. chwintan a kind of hymeneal game.]
An object to be tilted at; -- called also quintel.
[Written also quintin.]
&fist; A common form in the Middle Ages was an upright post, on the
top of which turned a crosspiece, having on one end a broad board, and
on the other a sand bag. The endeavor was to strike the board with the
lance while riding under, and get away without being hit by the sand
bag. "But a quintain, a mere lifeless block." Shak.
Quin"tal (?), n. [F., fr. Sp.
quintal, fr. Ar. qintar a weight of 100 lbs., prob. fr.
L. centenarius consisting of a hundred, fr. centeni a
hundred each, fr. centum a hundred. See Hundred, and cf.
Kentle.] 1. A hundredweight, either 112 or
100 pounds, according to the scale used. Cf. Cental.
[Sometimes written and pronounced kentle.]
2. A metric measure of weight, being 100,000
grams, or 100 kilograms, equal to 220.46 pounds avoirdupois.
Quin"tan (?), a. [L. quintanus,
fr. quintus fifth, quinque five. See Five.]
Occurring as the fifth, after four others also, occurring every
fifth day, reckoning inclusively; as, a quintan fever. --
n. (Med.) An intermittent fever which
returns every fifth day, reckoning inclusively, or in which the
intermission lasts three days.
Quin"tel (?), n. See
Quintain.
Quin*tes"sence (?), n. [F., fr. L.
quinta essentia fifth essence. See Quint, and
Essence.] 1. The fifth or last and highest
essence or power in a natural body. See Ferment oils, under
Ferment. [Obs.]
&fist; The ancient Greeks recognized four elements, fire, air,
water, and earth. The Pythagoreans added a fifth and called it nether,
the fifth essence, which they said flew upward at creation and out of
it the stars were made. The alchemists sometimes considered alcohol,
or the ferment oils, as the fifth essence.
2. Hence: An extract from anything, containing
its rarest virtue, or most subtle and essential constituent in a small
quantity; pure or concentrated essence.
Let there be light, said God; and forthwith light
Ethereal, first of things, quintessence pure,
Sprung from the deep.
Milton.
Quin*tes"sence, v. t. To distil or
extract as a quintessence; to reduce to a quintessence. [R.]
Stirling. "Truth quintessenced and raised to the highest
power." J. A. Symonds.
Quin`tes*sen"tial (?), a. Of the
nature of a quintessence; purest. "Quintessential extract
of mediocrity." G. Eliot.
{ Quin*tet", Quin*tette" } (?),
n. [It. quintetto, dim. of quinto the
fifth, a fifth part, from L. quintus the fifth: cf. F.
quintette. See Quint.] (Mus.) A composition
for five voices or instruments; also, the set of five persons who sing
or play five-part music.
Quin"tic (?), a. [L. quintus
fifth, fr. quinque five.] (Alg.) Of the fifth
degree or order. -- n. (Alg.) A
quantic of the fifth degree. See Quantic.
Quin"tile (?), n. [F. quintil
aspect, fr. L. quintus the fifth.] (Astron.)
The aspect of planets when separated the fifth part of the
zodiac, or 72°.
Hutton.
Quin*till"lion (?), n. [Formed fr. L.
quintus the fifth, after the analogy of million: cf. F.
quintillion. See Quint.] According to the French
notation, which is used on the Continent and in America, the cube of a
million, or a unit with eighteen ciphers annexed; according to the
English notation, a number produced by involving a million to the
fifth power, or a unit with thirty ciphers annexed. See the Note under
Numeration.
Quin"tin (?), n. See
Quintain.
Quin"tine (?), n. [L. quintus the
fifth: cf. F. quintine.] (Bot.) The embryonic sac
of an ovule, sometimes regarded as an innermost fifth integument. Cf.
Quartine, and Tercine.
Quin"tole (?), n. [It. quinto
fifth.] (Mus.) A group of five notes to be played or sung
in the time of four of the same species.
Quin"tu*ple (?), a. [L. quintus
fifth: cf. F. quintuple, L. quintuplex. Cf.
Quadruple.] Multiplied by five; increased to five times
the amount; fivefold.
Quintuple time (Mus.), a time having
five beats in a measure. It is seldom used.
Quin"tu*ple, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Quintupled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Quintupling.] [Cf. F. quintupler.] To make
fivefold, or five times as much or many.
{ Quit"tu*ple-nerved` (?), Quin"tu*ple-ribbed`
(?), } a. (Bot.) The same as
Quinquenerved.
Quin"zaine (?), n. [F., from
quinze fifteen, L. quindecim. See Fifteen.]
The fifteenth day after a feast day, including both in the
reckoning. [Written also quinzain.]
Quinze (?), n. [F.] A game at cards
in which the object is to make fifteen points.
Quip (?), n. [Cf. W. chwip a
quick flirt or turn, chwipio to whip, to move briskly, and E.
whip. Cf. Quib, Quibble.] A smart,
sarcastic turn or jest; a taunt; a severe retort; a gibe.
Quips, and cranks, and wanton
wiles.
Milton.
He was full of joke and jest,
But all his merry quips are o'er.
Tennyson.
Quip, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Quipped (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Quipping (?).] To taunt; to treat with quips.
The more he laughs, and does her closely
quip.
Spenser.
Quip, v. i. To scoff; to use
taunts. Sir H. Sidney.
Qui"po (?), n. Same as
Quipu.
||Qui"pu (?), n.; pl.
Quipus (#). [Peruv. quipu a knot.] A
contrivance employed by the ancient Peruvians, Mexicans, etc., as a
substitute for writing and figures, consisting of a main cord, from
which hung at certain distances smaller cords of various colors, each
having a special meaning, as silver, gold, corn, soldiers. etc.
Single, double, and triple knots were tied in the smaller cords,
representing definite numbers. It was chiefly used for arithmetical
purposes, and to register important facts and events. [Written
also quipo.] Tylor.
The mysterious science of the quipus . . .
supplied the Peruvians with the means of communicating their ideas to
one another, and of transmitting them to future
generations.
Prescott.
Quir"boil*ly` (kw&ibreve;r"boi*lē`),
n. [OE. cuir bouilli.] Leather softened
by boiling so as to take any required shape. Upon drying, it becomes
exceedingly hard, and hence was formerly used for armor. [Obs.]
"His jambeux were of quyrboilly." Chaucer.
Quire (kwīr), n. See
Choir. [Obs.] Spenser.
A quire of such enticing birds.
Shak.
Quire, v. i. To sing in
concert. [R.] Shak.
Quire (kwīr), n. [OE.
quaer, quair, OF. quayer, cayer,
caïer, F. cahier, a book of loose sheets, a quarter
of a quire, LL. quaternus, quaternum, sheets of paper
packed together, properly, four together, fr. L. quaterni four
each, by fours, quattuor four. See Four, and cf.
Cahier.] A collection of twenty-four sheets of paper of
the same size and quality, unfolded or having a single fold; one
twentieth of a ream.
Quir"is*ter (kw&ibreve;r"&ibreve;s*t&etilde;r),
n. [See Quire, Chorister.] A
chorister. See Chorister. [R.] Thomson.
Quir`i*ta"tion
(kw&ibreve;r`&ibreve;*tā"shŭn), n. [L.
quiritatio, fr. quiritare to raise a plaintive cry, v.
freq. fr. queri to complain.] A crying for help.
[Obs.] Bp. Hall.
Qui"rite (kwī"rīt), n.
One of the Quirites.
||Qui*ri"tes (kw&ibreve;*rī"tēz), n.
pl. [L., fr. Cures, a Sabine town.] (Rom.
Antiq.) Roman citizens.
&fist; After the Sabines and Romans had united themselves into one
community, under Romulus, the name of Quirites was taken in
addition to that of Romani, the Romans calling themselves in a
civil capacity Quirites, while in a political and military
capacity they retained the name of Romani. Andrews.
Quirk (kw&etilde;rk), n. [Written also
querk.] [Cf. W. chwiori to turn briskly, or E.
queer.] 1. A sudden turn; a starting from
the point or line; hence, an artful evasion or subterfuge; a shift; a
quibble; as, the quirks of a pettifogger. "Some
quirk or . . . evasion." Spenser.
We ground the justification of our nonconformity on
dark subtilties and intricate quirks.
Barrow.
2. A fit or turn; a short paroxysm; a
caprice. [Obs.] "Quirks of joy and grief."
Shak.
3. A smart retort; a quibble; a shallow
conceit.
Some odd quirks and remnants of
wit.
Shak.
4. An irregular air; as, light quirks
of music. Pope.
5. (Building) A piece of ground taken
out of any regular ground plot or floor, so as to make a court, yard,
etc.; -- sometimes written quink. Gwilt.
6. (Arch.) A small channel, deeply
recessed in proportion to its width, used to insulate and give relief
to a convex rounded molding.
Quirk molding, a bead between two
quirks.
Quirked (kw&etilde;rkt), a. Having,
or formed with, a quirk or quirks.
Quirk"ish (kw&etilde;rk"&ibreve;sh), a.
Consisting of quirks; resembling a quirk.
Barrow.
Quirk"y (-&ybreve;), a. Full of
quirks; tricky; as, a quirky lawyer.
Quirl (kw&etilde;rl), n. & v. See
Querl.
Quir"pele (kw&etilde;r"pēl), n.
[Tamil kīrippi&lsdot;&lsdot;ai.] (Zoöl.)
The Indian ferret.
Quirt (kw&etilde;rt), n. A rawhide
whip plaited with two thongs of buffalo hide. T.
Roosevelt.
Quish (kw&ibreve;sh), n. See
Cuish.
Quit (kw&ibreve;t), n.
(Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of small
passerine birds native of tropical America. See Banana quit,
under Banana, and Guitguit.
Quit (kw&ibreve;t), a. [OE.
quite, OF. quite, F. quitte. See Quit,
v., Quiet.] Released from obligation,
charge, penalty, etc.; free; clear; absolved; acquitted.
Chaucer.
The owner of the ox shall be quit.
Ex. xxi. 28.
&fist; This word is sometimes used in the form quits,
colloquially; as, to be quits with one, that is, to have made
mutual satisfaction of demands with him; to be even with him; hence,
as an exclamation: Quits! we are even, or on equal terms. "To
cry quits with the commons in their complaints."
Fuller.
Quit, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Quit or Quitted; p. pr. & vb.
n. Quitting.] [OE. quiten, OF. quiter,
quitier, cuitier, F. quitter, to acquit, quit,
LL. quietare, fr. L. quietare to calm, to quiet, fr.
quietus quiet. See Quiet, a., and cf.
Quit, a., Quite, Acquit,
Requite.] 1. To set at rest; to free, as
from anything harmful or oppressive; to relieve; to clear; to
liberate. [R.]
To quit you of this fear, you have already
looked Death in the face; what have you found so terrible in
it?
Wake.
2. To release from obligation, accusation,
penalty, or the like; to absolve; to acquit.
There may no gold them quyte.
Chaucer.
God will relent, and quit thee all his
debt.
Milton.
3. To discharge, as an obligation or duty; to
meet and satisfy, as a claim or debt; to make payment for or of; to
requite; to repay.
The blissful martyr quyte you your
meed.
Chaucer.
Enkindle all the sparks of nature
To quit this horrid act.
Shak.
Before that judge that quits each soul his
hire.
Fairfax.
4. To meet the claims upon, or expectations
entertained of; to conduct; to acquit; -- used reflexively.
Be strong, and quit yourselves like
men.
1 Sam. iv. 9.
Samson hath quit himself
Like Samson.
Milton.
5. To carry through; to go through to the
end. [Obs.]
Never worthy prince a day did quit
With greater hazard and with more renown.
Daniel.
6. To have done with; to cease from; to stop;
hence, to depart from; to leave; to forsake; as, to quit work;
to quit the place; to quit jesting.
Such a superficial way of examining is to quit
truth for appearance.
Locke.
To quit cost, to pay; to reimburse. --
To quit scores, to make even; to clear mutually
from demands.
Does not the earth quit scores with all the
elements in the noble fruits that issue from it?
South.
Syn. -- To leave; relinquish; resign; abandon; forsake;
surrender; discharge; requite. -- Quit, Leave.
Leave is a general term, signifying merely an act of departure;
quit implies a going without intention of return, a final and
absolute abandonment.
Quit, v. i. To go away; to depart;
to stop doing a thing; to cease.
Quitch (kw&ibreve;ch), n.
1. (Bot.) Same as Quitch
grass.
2. Figuratively: A vice; a taint; an
evil.
To pick the vicious quitch
Of blood and custom wholly out of him.
Tennyson.
Quitch" grass` (kw&ibreve;ch" gr&adot;s`). [Properly
quick grass, being probably so called from its vigorous growth,
or from its tenacity of life. See Quick, and cf. Couch
grass.] (Bot.) A perennial grass (Agropyrum
repens) having long running rootstalks, by which it spreads
rapidly and pertinaciously, and so becomes a troublesome weed. Also
called couch grass, quack grass, quick grass,
twitch grass. See Illustration in Appendix.
Quit"claim` (kw&ibreve;t"klām`),
n. [Quit, a. + claim.] (Law)
A release or relinquishment of a claim; a deed of release; an
instrument by which some right, title, interest, or claim, which one
person has, or is supposed to have, in or to an estate held by himself
or another, is released or relinquished, the grantor generally
covenanting only against persons who claim under himself.
Quit"claim`, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Quitclaimed (-klāmd`); p. pr. & vb.
n. Quitclaiming.] (Law) To release or
relinquish a claim to; to release a claim to by deed, without
covenants of warranty against adverse and paramount titles.
Quite (kwīt), v. t. & i. See
Quit. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Quite (kwīt), adv. [F.
quitte discharged, free, clear; cf. OF. quitement
freely, frankly, entirely. See Quit, a.]
1. Completely; wholly; entirely; totally;
perfectly; as, the work is not quite done; the object is
quite accomplished; to be quite mistaken.
Man shall not quite be lost, but saved who
will.
Milton.
The same actions may be aimed at different ends, and
arise from quite contrary principles.
Spectator.
2. To a great extent or degree; very; very
much; considerably. "Quite amusing."
Macaulay.
He really looks quite concerned.
Landor.
The island stretches along the land and is quite
close to it.
Jowett (Thucyd. ).
Quit"ly (kw&ibreve;t"l&ybreve;), adv.
Quite. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Quit"rent` (kw&ibreve;t"r&ebreve;nt`),
n. [Quit, a. + rent.] (Law)
A rent reserved in grants of land, by the payment of which the
tenant is quit from other service. Blackstone.
&fist; In some of the United States a fee-farm rent is so termed.
Burrill.
Quits (kw&ibreve;ts), interj. See
the Note under Quit, a.
Quit"ta*ble (kw&ibreve;t"t&adot;*b'l),
a. Capable of being quitted.
Quit"tal (-tal), n. Return;
requital; quittance. [Obs.]
Quit"tance (-tans), n. [OE.
quitaunce, OF. quitance, F. quittance. See
Quit, v. t.] 1.
Discharge from a debt or an obligation; acquittance.
Omittance is no quittance.
Shak.
2. Recompense; return; repayment. [Obs.]
Shak.
Quit"tance, v. t. To repay; to
requite. [Obs.] Shak.
Quit"ter (-t&etilde;r), n.
1. One who quits.
2. A deliverer. [Obs.]
Ainsworth.
Quit"tor (-t&etilde;r), n. [Perhaps for
quitture.] (Far.) A chronic abscess, or fistula of
the coronet, in a horse's foot, resulting from inflammation of the
tissues investing the coffin bone.
Quit"ture (-t&usl;r; 135), n. A
discharge; an issue. [Obs.]
To cleanse the quitture from thy
wound.
Chapman.
Quiv"er (kw&ibreve;v"&etilde;r), a.
[Akin to AS. cwiferlice anxiously; cf. OD. kuiven,
kuiveren. Cf. Quaver.] Nimble; active.
[Obs.] " A little quiver fellow." Shak.
Quiv"er, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Quivered (-&etilde;rd); p. pr. & vb.
n. Quivering.] [Cf. Quaver.] To shake or
move with slight and tremulous motion; to tremble; to quake; to
shudder; to shiver.
The green leaves quiver with the cooling
wind.
Shak.
And left the limbs still quivering on the
ground.
Addison.
Quiv"er, n. The act or state of
quivering; a tremor.
Quiv"er, n. [OF. cuivre,
cuevre, coivre, LL. cucurum, fr. OHG.
chohhāri quiver, receptacle, G. köcher
quiver; akin to AS. cocor, cocur, cocer, D.
koker. Cf. Cocker a high shoe.] A case or sheath
for arrows to be carried on the person.
Beside him hung his bow
And quiver, with three-bolted thunder stored.
Milton.
Quiv"ered (-&etilde;rd), a.
1. Furnished with, or carrying, a quiver.
"Like a quivered nymph with arrows keen." Milton.
2. Sheathed, as in a quiver. "Whose
quills stand quivered at his ear." Pope.
Quiv"er*ing*ly (-&etilde;r*&ibreve;ng*l&ybreve;),
adv. With quivering motion.
||Qui` vive" (k&esl;` v&esl;v"). [F., fr. qui who +
vive, pres. subj. of vivre to live.] The challenge
of a French sentinel, or patrol; -- used like the English challenge:
"Who comes there?"
To be on the qui vive, to be on guard; to be
watchful and alert, like a sentinel.
Quix*ot"ic (kw&ibreve;ks*&obreve;t"&ibreve;k),
a. Like Don Quixote; romantic to extravagance;
absurdly chivalric; apt to be deluded. "Feats of quixotic
gallantry." Prescott.
Quix*ot"ic*al*ly (-&ibreve;*kal*l&ybreve;),
adv. In a quixotic way.
Quix"ot*ism (kw&ibreve;ks"&obreve;t*&ibreve;z'm),
n. That form of delusion which leads to
extravagant and absurd undertakings or sacrifices in obedience to a
morbidly romantic ideal of duty or honor, as illustrated by the
exploits of Don Quixote in knight-errantry.
Quix"ot*ry (-r&ybreve;), n.
Quixotism; visionary schemes.
Quiz (kw&ibreve;z), n. [It is said that
Daly, the manager of a Dublin playhouse, laid a wager that a new word
of no meaning should be the common talk and puzzle of the city in
twenty-four hours. In consequence of this the letters q u i z
were chalked by him on all the walls of Dublin, with an effect that
won the wager. Perhaps, however, originally a variant of whiz,
and formerly the name of a popular game.] 1. A
riddle or obscure question; an enigma; a ridiculous hoax.
2. One who quizzes others; as, he is a great
quiz.
3. An odd or absurd fellow. Smart.
Thackeray.
4. An exercise, or a course of exercises,
conducted as a coaching or as an examination. [Cant, U.S.]
Quiz (kw&ibreve;z), v. t. [imp.
& p. p. Quizzed (kw&ibreve;zd); p. pr. & vb.
n. Quizzing (-z&ibreve;ng).] 1.
To puzzle; to banter; to chaff or mock with pretended seriousness
of discourse; to make sport of, as by obscure questions.
He quizzed unmercifully all the men in the
room.
Thackeray.
2. To peer at; to eye suspiciously or
mockingly.
3. To instruct in or by a quiz. See
Quiz, n., 4. [U.S.]
Quizzing glass, a small eyeglass.
Quiz, v. i. To conduct a quiz. See
Quiz, n., 4. [U.S.]
Quiz"zer (-z&etilde;r), n. One who
quizzes; a quiz.
Quiz"zic*al (-z&ibreve;*kal), a.
Relating to quizzing; given to quizzing; of the nature of a quiz;
farcical; sportive.
-- Quiz"zic*al*ly, adv.
Quiz"zism (-z&ibreve;z'm), n. The
act or habit of quizzing.
Quob (kw&obreve;b), v. i. [Cf.
Quaver.] [Written also quop and quab.] To
throb; to quiver. [Local & Vulgar]
Quod (kw&obreve;d), n. [For quad,
abbrev. of quadrangle.] A quadrangle or court, as of a
prison; hence, a prison. [Slang] "Flogged or whipped in
quod." T. Hughes.
Quod, v. Quoth; said. See
Quoth. [Obs.]
"Let be," quod he, "it shall not
be."
Chaucer.
Quod"dies (kw&obreve;d"d&ibreve;z), n.
pl. Herring taken and cured or smoked near Quoddy Head,
Maine, or near the entrance of Passamaquoddy Bay.
||Quod"li*bet (-l&ibreve;*b&ebreve;t),
n. [L., what you please.]
1. A nice point; a subtilty; a debatable
point.
These are your quodlibets, but no
learning.
P. Fletcher.
2. (Mus.) A medley improvised by
several performers.
Quod`lib*e*ta"ri*an (-
l&ibreve;b*&esl;*tā"r&ibreve;*an), n.
One who discusses any subject at pleasure.
Quod`li*bet"ic*al (-
l&ibreve;*b&ebreve;t"&ibreve;*kal), a.
Not restricted to a particular subject; discussed for curiosity
or entertainment. -- Quod`li*bet"ic*al*ly,
adv.
Quoif (kwoif or koif), n. & v. t.
See Coif. Shak.
Quoif"fure (kwoif"f&usl;r or koif"-), n.
See Coiffure.
Quoil (kwoil or koil), n. See
Coil. [Obs.]
Quoin (kwoin or koin; 277), n. [See
Coin, and cf. Coigne.] 1. (Arch.)
Originally, a solid exterior angle, as of a building; now,
commonly, one of the selected pieces of material by which the corner
is marked.
&fist; In stone, the quoins consist of blocks larger than those
used in the rest of the building, and cut to dimension. In brickwork,
quoins consist of groups or masses of brick laid together, and in a
certain imitation of quoins of stone.
2. A wedgelike piece of stone, wood, metal, or
other material, used for various purposes; as:
(a) (Masonry) To support and steady a
stone. (b) (Gun.) To support the
breech of a cannon. (c) (Print.) To
wedge or lock up a form within a chase. (d)
(Naut.) To prevent casks from rolling.
Hollow quoin. See under Hollow. -
- Quoin post (Canals), the post of a lock
gate which abuts against the wall.
Quoit (kwoit or koit), n. [OE.
coite; cf. OF. coitier to spur, press, (assumed) LL.
coctare, fr. L. coquere, coctum, to cook, burn,
vex, harass, E. cook, also W. coeten a quoit.]
1. (a) A flattened ring-shaped
piece of iron, to be pitched at a fixed object in play; hence, any
heavy flat missile used for the same purpose, as a stone, piece of
iron, etc. (b) pl. A game played
with quoits. Shak.
2. The discus of the ancients. See
Discus.
3. A cromlech. [Prov. Eng.] J.
Morley.
Quoit, v. i. To throw quoits; to
play at quoits.
To quoit, to run, and steeds and chariots
drive.
Dryden.
Quoit, v. t. To throw; to
pitch. [Obs. or R.] Shak.
Quoke (kwōk), obs. imp. of
Quake. Chaucer.
Quoll (kw&obreve;l), n.
(Zoöl.) A marsupial of Australia (Dasyurus
macrurus), about the size of a cat.
Quon"dam (kw&obreve;n"dăm), a.
[L., formerly.] Having been formerly; former; sometime.
"This is the quondam king." Shak.
Quon"dam, n. A person dismissed or
ejected from a position. [R.] "Make them quondams; . . .
cast them out of their office." Latimer.
Quook (kw&oocr;k), imp. of
Quake. [Obs.] Spenser.
Quop (kw&obreve;p), v. i. See
Quob.
Quo"rum (kwō"rŭm), n. [L.,
of whom, gen. pl. of qui who, akin to E. who. See the
Note below.] Such a number of the officers or members of any body
as is competent by law or constitution to transact business; as, a
quorum of the House of Representatives; a constitutional
quorum was not present.
&fist; The term arose from the Latin words, Quorum aliquem
vestrum . . . unum esse volumus (of whom we wish some one
of you to be one), which were used in the commission formerly issued
to justices of the peace in England, by which commission it was
directed that no business of certain kinds should be done without the
presence of one or more of certain justices specially designated.
Justice of the peace and of the quorum designates a class of
justices of the peace in some of the United States.
Quo"ta (kwō"t&adot;), n. [LL., fr.
L. quota (sc. pars), fr. quotus which or what in
number, of what number, how many, fr. quot how many, akin to
quis, qui, who: cf. It. quota a share. See
Who.] A proportional part or share; the share or
proportion assigned to each in a division. "Quota of
troops and money." Motley.
Quot"a*ble (kwōt"&adot;*b'l), a.
Capable or worthy of being quoted; as, a quotable writer;
a quotable sentence.
-- Quot`a*bil"i*ty (-b&ibreve;l"&ibreve;*t&ybreve;),
n. Poe.
Quo*ta"tion (kw&osl;*tā"shŭn),
n. [From Quote.] 1. The
act of quoting or citing.
2. That which is quoted or cited; a part of a
book or writing named, repeated, or adduced as evidence or
illustration. Locke.
3. (Com.) The naming or publishing of
the current price of stocks, bonds, or any commodity; also, the price
named.
4. Quota; share. [Obs.]
5. (Print.) A piece of hollow type
metal, lower than type, and measuring two or more pica ems in length
and breadth, used in the blank spaces at the beginning and end of
chapters, etc.
Quotation marks (Print.), two inverted
commas placed at the beginning, and two apostrophes at the end, of a
passage quoted from an author in his own words.
Quo*ta"tion*ist (kw&osl;*tā"shŭn*&ibreve;st),
n. One who makes, or is given to making,
quotations.
The narrow intellectuals of
quotationists.
Milton.
Quote (kwōt), v. t. [imp.
& p. p. Quoted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Quoting.] [OF. quoter, F. coter to letter,
number, to quote, LL. quotare to divide into chapters and
verses, fr. L. quotus. See Quota.] [Formerly written
also cote.] 1. To cite, as a passage from
some author; to name, repeat, or adduce, as a passage from an author
or speaker, by way of authority or illustration; as, to quote a
passage from Homer.
2. To cite a passage from; to name as the
authority for a statement or an opinion; as, to quote
Shakespeare.
3. (Com.) To name the current price
of.
4. To notice; to observe; to examine.
[Obs.] Shak.
5. To set down, as in writing. [Obs.]
"He's quoted for a most perfidious slave." Shak.
Syn. -- To cite; name; adduce; repeat. -- Quote,
Cite. To cite was originally to call into court as a
witness, etc., and hence denotes bringing forward any thing or person
as evidence. Quote usually signifies to reproduce another's
words; it is also used to indicate an appeal to some one as an
authority, without adducing his exact words.
Quote (kwōt), n. A note upon
an author. [Obs.] Cotgrave.
Quot"er (-&etilde;r), n. One who
quotes the words of another.
Quoth (kwōth or kwŭth), v.
t. [AS. cweðan, imp. cwæð, pl.
cw&aemacr;don; akin to OS. queðan, OHG.
quethan, quedan, Icel. kveða, Goth.
qiþan. √22. Cf. Bequeath.] Said;
spoke; uttered; -- used only in the first and third persons in the
past tenses, and always followed by its nominative, the word or words
said being the object: as, quoth I, quoth he. "Let
me not live, quoth he." Shak.
Quoth"a (-&adot;), interj. [For quoth
'a said he, 'a being corrupted from he.]
Indeed; forsooth.
To affront the blessed hillside drabs and thieves
With mended morals, quotha, -- fine new lives !
Mrs. Browning.
Quo*tid"i*an (kw&osl;*t&ibreve;d"&ibreve;*an),
a. [OE. cotidian, L. quotidianus, fr.
quotidie daily; quotus how many + dies day: cf.
OF. cotidien, F. quotidien. See Quota,
Deity.] Occurring or returning daily; as, a
quotidian fever.
Quo*tid"i*an (kw&osl;*t&ibreve;d"&ibreve;*an),
n. Anything returning daily; especially
(Med.), an intermittent fever or ague which returns every
day. Milton.
Quo"tient (kwō"shent), n.
[F., fr. L. quoties how often, how many times, fr. quot
how many. See Quota.]
1. (Arith.) The number resulting from
the division of one number by another, and showing how often a less
number is contained in a greater; thus, the quotient of twelve
divided by four is three.
2. (Higher Alg.) The result of any
process inverse to multiplication. See the Note under
Multiplication.
Quo*ti"e*ty (kw&osl;*tī"&esl;*t&ybreve;),
n. [L. quotus of what number, quot how
many.] (Scholastic Philos.) The relation of an object to
number. Krauth-Fleming.
Quo"tum (kwō"tŭm), n. [NL.,
fr. L. quotus of what number. See Quota.] Part or
proportion; quota. [R.] "A very small quotum." Max
Müller.
||Quo` war*ran"to (kwō`
w&obreve;r*răn"t&osl;). [So called from the Law L. words quo
warranto (by what authority), in the original Latin form of the
writ. See Which, and Warrant.] (Law) A writ
brought before a proper tribunal, to inquire by what warrant a person
or a corporation acts, or exercises certain powers.
Blackstone.
&fist; An information in the nature of a quo warranto is now
common as a substitute for the writ.
Wharton.
Qu*ran" (k&usd;*rän"), n. See
Koran.