P P (pe), (continued 14)

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 Poise, v. i.

Defn: 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.

POISER Pois"er, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The balancer of dipterous insects.

POISON Poi"son, n. Etym: [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.

POISON Poi"son, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Poisoned; p. pr. & vb. n. Poisoning.] Etym: [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.

POISON Poi"son, v. i.

Defn: To act as, or convey, a poison. Tooth that poisons if it bite. Shak.

POISONABLE Poi"son*a*ble, a.

1. Capable of poisoning; poisonous. [Obs.] "Poisonable heresies." Tooker.

2. Capable of being poisoned.

POISON BUSH Poison bush. In Australia: (a) Any fabaceous shrub of the genus Gastrolobium, the herbage of which is poisonous to stock; also, any species of several related genera, as Oxylobium, Gompholobium, etc. (b) The plant Myoporum deserti, often distinguished as Ellangowan poison bush or dogwood poison bush. (c) The ulmaceous plant Trema cannabina, which, though not poisonous, is injurious to stock because of its large amount of fiber.

POISON CUP Poison cup.

1. A cup containing poison.

2. A cup that was supposed to break on having poison put into it.

POISONER Poi"son*er, n.

Defn: One who poisons. Shak.

POISONOUS Poi"son*ous, a.

Defn: Having the qualities or effects of poison; venomous; baneful; corrupting; noxious. Shak. — Poi"son*ous*ly, adv. — Poi"son*ous*ness, n.

POISONSOME Poi"son*some, a.

Defn: Poisonous.[Obs.] Holland.

POISURE Poi"sure, n. Etym: [See Poise.]

Defn: Weight. [Obs.]

POITREL Poi"trel, n. Etym: [OE. poitrel, F. poitrail, fr. L. pectorale a breastplate, fr. pectoralis, a. See Pectoral, a.] (Anc. Armor)

Defn: The breastplate of the armor of a horse. See Peytrel. [Obs.] Chaucer.

POIZE Poize, n.

Defn: See Poise. [Obs.]

POKAL Po*kal", n. Etym: [G.]

Defn: A tall drinking cup.

POKE Poke, n. (Bot.)

Defn: 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 Poke, n. Etym: [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 Poke, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Poked; p. pr. & vb. n. Poking.] Etym: [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. Etym: [From 5th Poke, 3.]

Defn: 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 Poke, v. i.

Defn: 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 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.

POKEBAG Poke"bag`, n. Etym: [So called in allusion to its baglike nest.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: The European long-tailed titmouse; — called also poke-pudding. [Prov. Eng.]

POKER Pok"er, n. Etym: [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.)

Defn: 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.

POKER Pok"er, n. Etym: [Of uncertain etymol.]

Defn: A game at cards derived from brag, and first played about 1835 in the Southwestern United States. Johnson's Cyc.

Note: A poker hand is played with a poker deck, composed of fifty-two cards, of thirteeen values, each card value being represented once in each of four "suits", namely spades, hearts, diamonds, and clubs. The game is played in many variations, but almost invariably the stage of decision as to who wins occurs when each player has five cards (or chooses five cards from some larger number available to him). The winner usually is the player with the highest-valued hand, but, in some variations, the winner may be the player with the lowest-valued hand. The value of a hand is ranked by hand types, representing the relationships of the cards to each other. [The hand types are ranked by the probability of receiving such a hand when dealt five cards.] Within each hand type the value is also ranked by the values of the cards. The hand types are labeled, in decreasing value: five of a kind; royal flush; straight flush; four of a kind; full house (coll. full boat, or boat); flush; straight; three of a kind; two pairs; one pair; and, when the contending players have no hands of any of the above types, the player with the highest-valued card wins — if there is a tie, the next-highest-valued card of the tied players determines the winner, and so on. If two players have the same type of hand, the value of the cards within each type determines the winner; thus, if two players both have three of a kind (and no other player has a higher type of hand), the player whose three matched cards have the highest card value is the winner.

POKER Pok"er, n. Etym: [Cf. Dan. pokker the deuce, devil, also W. pwci, a hobgoblin, bugbear, and E. puck.]

Defn: Any imagined frightful object, especially one supposed to haunt the darkness; a bugbear. [Colloq. U. S.]

POKER DICE Poker dice.

Defn: A game played with five dice in which the count is usually made, in order, by pairs, two pairs, three of a kind, full houses, four of a kind, and five of a kind (the highest throw), similar to poker; also, the dice used in this game, esp. when marked with the ace, king, queen, jack, ten, and nine instead of the usual digits.

POKERISH Pok"er*ish, a.

Defn: Infested by pokers; adapted to excite fear; as, a pokerish place. [Colloq. U. S.] There is something pokerish about a deserted dwelling. Lowell.

POKERISH Pok"er*ish, a.

Defn: Stiff like a poker. [Colloq.]

POKET Pok"et, n.

Defn: A pocket. [Obs.] Chaucer.

POKEWEED Poke"weed`, n. (Bot.)

Defn: See Poke, the plant.

POKEY Pok"ey, a.

Defn: See Poky.

POKING Pok"ing, a.

Defn: Drudging; servile. [Colloq.] Bred to some poking profession. Gray.

POKING-STICK Pok"ing-stick`, n.

Defn: A small stick or rod of steel, formerly used in adjusting the plaits of ruffs. Shak.

POKY Pok"y, a. Etym: [Written also pokey.]

1. Confined; cramped. [Prov. Eng.]

2. Dull; tedious; uninteresting. [Colloq.]

POLACCA Po*lac"ca, n. Etym: [It. polacca, polaccra, polacra; cf. F. polaque, polacre, Sp. polacre,] [Written also polacre.]

1. (Naut.)

Defn: 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.)

Defn: See Polonaise.

POLACK Po"lack, n.

Defn: A Polander. Shak.

POLACRE Po*la"cre, n.

Defn: Same as Polacca, 1.

POLANDER Po"land*er, n.

Defn: A native or inhabitant of Poland; a Pole.

POLAR Po"lar, a. Etym: [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.)

Defn: 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 23º 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 90º 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.

POLAR Po"lar, n. (Conic Sections)

Defn: 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.

POLARCHY Pol"ar*chy, n.

Defn: See Polyarchy.

POLARIC Po*lar"ic, a.

Defn: See Polar. [R.]

POLARILY Po"lar*i*ly, adv.

Defn: In a polary manner; with polarity. [R.] Sir T. Browne.

POLARIMETER Po`lar*im"e*ter, n. Etym: [Polar + -meter.] (Opt.)

Defn: An instrument for determining the amount of polarization of light, or the proportion of polarized light, in a partially polarized ray.

POLARIMETRY Po`lar*im"e*try, n. (Opt.)

Defn: The art or process of measuring the polarization of light.

POLARIS Po*la"ris, n. Etym: [NL. See Polar.] (Astron.)

Defn: The polestar. See North star, under North.

POLARISCOPE Po*lar"i*scope, n. Etym: [Polar + -scope.] (Opt.)

Defn: An instrument consisting essentially of a polarizer and an analyzer, used for polarizing light, and analyzing its properties.

POLARISCOPIC Po*lar`i*scop"ic, a. (Opt.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to the polariscope; obtained by the use of a polariscope; as, polariscopic observations.

POLARISCOPY Po`lar*is"co*py, n. (Opt.)

Defn: The art or rocess of making observations with the polariscope.

POLARISTIC Po`lar*is"tic, a.

Defn: 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.

POLARITY Po*lar"i*ty, n. Etym: [Cf. F. polarité.]

1. (Physics)

Defn: 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.)

Defn: 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.

POLARIZABLE Po"lar*i`za*ble, a.

Defn: Susceptible of polarization.

POLARIZATION Po`lar*i*za"tion, n. Etym: [Cf. F. polarisation.]

1. The act of polarizing; the state of being polarized, or of having polarity.

2. (Opt.)

Defn: A peculiar affection or condition of the rays of light or heat, in consequence of which they exhibit different properties in different directions.

Note: 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.)

Defn: 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.

POLARIZE Po"lar*ize, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Polarized; p. pr. & vb. n. Polarizing.] Etym: [Cf. F. polariser.]

Defn: To communicate polarity to.

POLARIZER Po"lar*i`zer, n. (Physics)

Defn: 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.

POLARY Po"lar*y, a.

Defn: Tending to a pole; having a direction toward a pole. [R.] Sir T. Browne.

POLATOUCHE Po`la`touche", n. Etym: [F.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: A flying squirrel (Sciuropterus volans) native of Northern Europe and Siberia; — called also minene.

POLDER Pol"der, n. Etym: [D.]

Defn: A tract of low land reclaimed from the sea by of high embankments. [Holland & Belgium]

POLDWAY Pold"way`, n. Etym: [Cf. Poledavy.]

Defn: A kind of coarse bagging, — used for coal sacks. Weale.

POLE Pole, n. Etym: [Cf. G. Pole a Pole, Polen Poland.]

Defn: A native or inhabitant of Poland; a Polander.

POLE Pole, n. Etym: [As. pal, 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 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 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 Pole, n. Etym: [L. polus, Gr. 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)

Defn: 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)

Defn: 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.)

Defn: 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.

POLEAX; POLEAXE Pole"ax`, Pole"axe`, n. Etym: [OE. pollax; cf. OD. pollexe. See Poll head, and Ax.]

Defn: 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.

POLECAT Pole"cat`, n. Etym: [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 foetidus). 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.

POLEDAVY Pole"da`vy, n. Etym: [Etymology uncertain.]

Defn: A sort of coarse canvas; poldway. [Obs.] Howell.

POLELESS Pole"less, a.

Defn: Without a pole; as, a poleless chariot.

POLEMARCH Pol"e*march, n. Etym: [Gr. (Gr. Antiq.)

Defn: 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.

POLEMIC Po*lem"ic, a. Etym: [Gr. 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.

POLEMIC 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.

POLEMICAL Po*lem"ic*al, a.

Defn: Polemic; controversial; disputatious. — Po*lem"ic*al*ly, adv. Polemical and impertinent disputations. Jer. Taylor.

POLEMICIST Po*lem"i*cist, n.

Defn: A polemic. [R.]

POLEMICS Po*lem"ics, n. Etym: [Cf. F. polémique.]

Defn: 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.

POLEMIST Pol"e*mist, n.

Defn: A polemic. [R.]

POLEMONIACEOUS Pol`e*mo`ni*a"ceous, a. (Bot.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to a natural order of plants (Polemoniaceæ), which includes Polemonium, Phlox, Gilia, and a few other genera.

POLEMONIUM Pol`e*mo"ni*um. n. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Bot.)

Defn: A genus of gamopetalous perennial herbs, including the Jacob's ladder and the Greek valerian.

POLEMOSCOPE Po*lem"o*scope, n. Etym: [Gr. -scope: cf. F. polémoscope.]

Defn: 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.

POLEMY Pol"e*my, n. Etym: [See Polemic.]

Defn: Warfare; war; hence, contention; opposition. [Obs.]

POLENTA Po*len"ta, n. Etym: [It., fr. L. polenta peeled barley.]

Defn: Pudding made of Indian meal; also, porridge made of chestnut meal. [Italy]

POLER Pol"er, n.

Defn: One who poles.

POLER Pol"er, n.

Defn: An extortioner. See Poller. [Obs.] Bacon.

POLESTAR Pole"star`, n.

1. Polaris, or the north star. See North star, under North.

2. A guide or director.

POLEWARDS Pole"wards, adv.

Defn: Toward a pole of the earth. "The regions further polewards." Whewell.

POLEWIG Pole"wig, n. Etym: [Cf. Polliwig.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: The European spotted goby (Gobius minutus); — called also pollybait. [Prov. Eng.]

POLEY Po"ley, n. (Bot.)

Defn: See Poly.

POLEY Po"ley, a.

Defn: Without horns; polled. [Prov. Eng.] "That poley heifer." H. Kingsley.

POLIANITE Po"li*a*nite, n. Etym: [Gr. (Min.)

Defn: Manganese dioxide, occurring in tetragonal crystals nearly as hard as quartz.

POLICATE Pol"i*cate, a. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Same as Pollicate.

POLICE Po*lice", n. Etym: [F., fr. L. politia the condition of a state, government, administration, Gr. 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.)

Defn: 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 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.

POLICE Po*lice", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Policed; p. pr. & vb. n. Policing.]

1. To keep in order by police.

2. (Mil.)

Defn: To make clean; as, to police a camp.

POLICED Po*liced", a.

Defn: Regulated by laws for the maintenance of peace and order, enforced by organized administration. "A policed kingdom." Howell.

POLICEMAN Po*lice"man, n.; pl. Policemen (.

Defn: A member of a body of police; a constable.

POLICE POWER Police power. (Law)

Defn: The inherent power of a government to regulate its police affairs. The term police power is not definitely fixed in meaning. In the earlier cases in the United States it was used as including the whole power of internal government, or the powers of government inherent in every sovereignty to the extent of its dominions (11 Peters (U. S.) 102). The later cases have excepted from its domain the development and administration of private law. Modern political science defines the power as a branch of internal administration in the exercise of which the executive should move within the lines of general principles prescribed by the constitution or the legislature, and in the exercise of which the most local governmental organizations should participate as far as possible (Burgess). Under this limitation the police power, as affecting persons, is the power of the state to protect the public against the abuse of individual liberty, that is, to restrain the individual in the exercise of his rights when such exercise becomes a danger to the community. The tendency of judicial and popular usage is towards this narrower definition.

POLICIAL Po*li"cial (, a.

Defn: Relating to the police. [R.]

POLICIED Pol"i*cied, a.

Defn: Policed. [Obs.] Bacon.

POLICY Pol"i*cy, n.; pl. Policies. Etym: [L. politia, Gr. 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.

POLICY Pol"i*cy, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Policied; p. pr. & vb. n. Policying.]

Defn: To regulate by laws; to reduce to order. [Obs.] "Policying of cities." Bacon.

POLICY Pol"i*cy, n. Etym: [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. 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.

POLING Pol"ing, n. Etym: [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)

Defn: 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.

POLISH Pol"ish, a. Etym: [From Pole a Polander.]

Defn: Of or pertaining to Poland or its inhabitants. — n.

Defn: The language of the Poles.

POLISH Pol"ish, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Polished; p. pr. & vb. n. Polishing.] Etym: [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.

POLISH Pol"ish, v. i.

Defn: To become smooth, as from friction; to receive a gloss; to take a smooth and glossy surface; as, steel polishes well. Bacon.

POLISH 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.

POLISHABLE Pol"ish*a*ble, a.

Defn: Capable of being polished.

POLISHED Pol"ished, a.

Defn: Made smooth and glossy, as by friction; hence, highly finished; refined; polite; as, polished plate; polished manners; polished verse.

POLISHEDNESS Pol"ished*ness, n.

Defn: The quality of being polished.

POLISHER Pol"ish*er, n.

Defn: One who, or that which, polishes; also, that which is used in polishing. Addison.

POLISHING Pol"ish*ing,

Defn: 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.

POLISHMENT Pol"ish*ment, n.

Defn: The act of polishing, or the state of being polished. [R.]

POLISSOIR Po`lis`soir", n. [F.]

1. A polishing or grinding implement or instrument.

2. (Glass Making) A tool consisting of a flat wooden block with a long iron handle, used for flattening out split cylinders of blown glass.

POLITE Po*lite", a. [Compar. Politer; superl. Politest.] Etym: [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.

POLITE Po*lite", v. t.

Defn: To polish; to refine; to render polite. [Obs.] Ray.

POLITELY 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.

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.

POLITESSE Pol`i*tesse", n. Etym: [F.]

Defn: Politeness.

POLITIC Pol"i*tic, a. Etym: [L. politicus political, Gr. 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.

POLITIC Pol`i*tic, n.

Defn: 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.

POLITICAL 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.

POLITICALISM Po*lit"i*cal*ism, n.

Defn: Zeal or party spirit in politics.

POLITICALLY Po*lit"i*cal*ly, adv.

1. In a political manner.

2. Politicly; artfully. [Obs.] Knolles.

POLITICASTER Po*lit"i*cas`ter, n. Etym: [Cf. It. politicastro.]

Defn: A petty politician; a pretender in politics. Milton.

POLITICIAN Pol`i*ti"cian, n. Etym: [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.

POLITICIAN Pol`i*ti"cian, a.

Defn: Cunning; using artifice; politic; artful. "Ill-meaning politician lords." Milton.

POLITICIST Po*lit"i*cist, n.

Defn: A political writer. [R.]

POLITICLY Pol"i*tic*ly, adv.

Defn: In a politic manner; sagaciously; shrewdly; artfully. Pope.

POLITICS Pol"i*tics, n. Etym: [Cf. F. politique, Gr. 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.

POLITIZE Pol"i*tize, v. i.

Defn: To play the politician; to dispute as politicians do. [Obs.] Milton.

POLITURE Pol"i*ture, n. Etym: [L. politura, fr. polire to polish. See Polish, v.]

Defn: Polish; gloss. [Obs.] Donne.

POLITY Pol"i*ty, n.; pl. Polities. Etym: [L. politia, Gr. 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.

POLITZERIZATION Po*litz`er*i*za"tion, n. (Med.)

Defn: 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.

POLIVE Pol"ive, n.

Defn: A pulley. [Obs.] Chaucer.

POLKA Pol"ka, n. Etym: [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.)

Defn: 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 Poll, n. Etym: [From Polly, The proper name.]

Defn: A parrot; — familiarly so called.

POLL Poll, n. Etym: [Gr.

Defn: One who does not try for honors, but is content to take a degree merely; a passman. [Cambridge Univ., Eng.]

POLL Poll, n. Etym: [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.

Defn: 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.)

Defn: 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 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)

Defn: To cut or shave smooth or even; to cut in a straight line without indentation; as, a polled deed. See Dee. 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 Poll, v. i.

Defn: To vote at an election. Beaconsfield.

POLLACK Pol"lack, n. Etym: [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.

POLLAGE Poll"age, n.

Defn: A head or poll tax; hence, extortion. [Obs.] Foxe.

POLLAN Pol"lan, n. Etym: [Cf. Gael. pollag a kind of fish.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: A lake whitefish (Coregonus pollan), native of Ireland. In appearance it resembles a herring.

POLLARD Pol"lard, n. Etym: [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).

POLLARD Pol"lard, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pollarded; p. pr. & vb. n. Pollarding.]

Defn: To lop the tops of, as trees; to poll; as, to pollard willows. Evelyn.

POLLAX Poll"ax`, n.

Defn: A poleax. [Obs.] Chaucer.

POLLED Polled, a.

Defn: 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.

POLLEN Pol"len, n. Etym: [L. pollen fine flour, fine dust; cf. Gr.

1. Fine bran or flour. [Obs.] Bailey.

2. (Bot.)

Defn: 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.

POLLENARIOUS Pol`len*a"ri*ous, a.

Defn: Consisting of meal or pollen.

POLLENED Pol"lened, a.

Defn: Covered with pollen. Tennyson.

POLLENIFEROUS Pol`len*if"er*ous, a. Etym: [Pollen + -ferous.] (Bot.)

Defn: Producing pollen; polliniferous.

POLLENIN Pol"len*in, n. Etym: [Cf. F. pollénine.] (Chem.)

Defn: A substance found in the pollen of certain plants. [R.]

POLLENIZE Pol"len*ize, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pollenized; p. pr. & vb. n. Pollenizing.]

Defn: To supply with pollen; to impregnate with pollen.

POLLER Poll"er, n. Etym: [From Poll]

Defn: 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.] Bacon. (d) One who registers voters, or one who enters his name as a voter.

POLLEX Pol"lex, n.; pl. Pollices. Etym: [L., the thumb.] (Anat.)

Defn: 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.

POLLICATE Pol"li*cate, a. Etym: [L. pollex, pollicis, a thumb.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: Having a curved projection or spine on the inner side of a leg joint; — said of insects.

POLLICITATION Pol*lic`i*ta"tion, n. Etym: [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)

Defn: A promise without mutuality; a promise which has not been accepted by the person to whom it is made. Bouvier.

POLLINATE Pol"li*nate, a. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Pollinose.

POLLINATE Pol"li*nate, v. t. (Bot.)

Defn: To apply pollen to (a stigma). — Pol`li*na"tion, n. (Bot.)

POLLINCTOR Pol*linc"tor, n. Etym: [L., fr. pollingere.] (Rom. Antiq.)

Defn: One who prepared corpses for the funeral.

POLLING Poll"ing, n. Etym: [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.

POLLINIFEROUS Pol`li*nif"er*ous, a. Etym: [L. pollen, -inis, pollen + -ferous: cf. F. pollinifère.] (Bot.)

Defn: Producing pollen; polleniferous.

POLLINIUM Pol*lin"i*um, n.; pl. Pollinia. Etym: [NL. See Pollen.] (Bot.)

Defn: A coherent mass of pollen, as in the milkweed and most orchids.

POLLINOSE Pol"li*nose`, a. Etym: [L. pollen, -inis, dust.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: Having the surface covered with a fine yellow dust, like pollen.

POLLIWIG; POLLIWOG Pol"li*wig, Pol"li*wog, n. Etym: [OE. polwigle. Cf. Poll head, and Wiggle.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: A tadpole; — called also purwiggy and porwigle.

POLLOCK Pol"lock, n. Etym: [See Pollack.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: 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.

POLLUCITE Pol"lu*cite, n. Etym: [See Pollux, and 4th Castor.] (Min.)

Defn: 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.

POLLUTE Pol*lute", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Polluted; p. pr. & vb. n. Polluting.] Etym: [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)

Defn: 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.

POLLUTE Pol*lute", a. Etym: [L. pollutus.]

Defn: Polluted. [R.] Milton.

POLLUTED Pol*lut"ed, a.

Defn: Defiled; made unclean or impure; debauched. — Pol*lut"ed*ly, adv. — Pol*lut"ed*ness, n.

POLLUTER Pol*lut"er, n.

Defn: One who pollutes. Dryden.

POLLUTING Pol*lut"ing, a.

Defn: Adapted or tending to pollute; causing defilement or pollution. — Pol*lut"ing*ly, adv.

POLLUTION Pol*lu"tion, n. Etym: [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.)

Defn: The emission of semen, or sperm, at other times than in sexual intercourse. Dunglison.

POLLUX Pol"lux, n. Etym: [L., the twin brother of castor; also, the constellation.]

1. (Astron.)

Defn: A fixed star of the second magnitude, in the constellation Gemini. Cf. 3d Castor.

2. (Min.)

Defn: Same as Pollucite.

POLLY Pol"ly, n.

Defn: A woman's name; also, a popular name for a parrot.

POLLYWOG Pol"ly*wog, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A polliwig.

POLO Po"lo, n. Etym: [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.

POLONAISE Po`lo*naise", a. Etym: [F. polonais, polonaise, Polish.]

Defn: Of or pertaining to the Poles, or to Poland. [Written also Polonese.]

POLONAISE Po`lo*naise", n. Etym: [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.)

Defn: 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.

POLONESE Po`lo*nese", a. & n.

Defn: See Polonaise.

POLONIUM Po*lo"ni*um, n. [NL. So named after Poland, in L. form Polonia, one of the discoverers being a Pole.] (Chem.)

Defn: A supposed new element, a radioactive substance discovered by M. and MMe. Curie in pitchblende. It is closely related chemically to bismuth. It emits only alpha rays and is perhaps identical with radium F.

POLONY Po*lo"ny, n. Etym: [Prob. corrupt. fr. Bologna.]

Defn: A kind of sausage made of meat partly cooked.

POLRON Pol"ron, n.

Defn: See Pauldron.

POLT Polt, n. Etym: [Cf. E. pelt, L. pultare to beat, strike.]

Defn: A blow or thump. Halliwell. — a.

Defn: Distorted. Pot foot, a distorted foot. Sir T. Herbert.

POLT-FOOT; POLT-FOOTED Polt"-foot`, Polt"-foot`ed, a.

Defn: Having a distorted foot, or a clubfoot or clubfeet. B. Jonson.

POLTROON Pol*troon", n. Etym: [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.]

Defn: An arrant coward; a dastard; a craven; a mean-spirited wretch. Shak.

POLTROON Pol*troon", a.

Defn: Base; vile; contemptible; cowardly.

POLTROONERY Pol*troon"er*y, n. Etym: [F. poltronnerie; cf. It. poltroneria.]

Defn: Cowardice; want of spirit; pusillanimity.

POLTROONISH Pol*troon"ish, a.

Defn: Resembling a poltroon; cowardly.

POLVERINE Pol"ve*rine, n. Etym: [It. polverino, fr. polvere ust, L. pulvis, - veris. See Powder.]

Defn: Glassmaker's ashes; a kind of potash or pearlash, brought from the Levant and Syria, — used in the manufacture of fine glass.

POLWIG Pol"wig, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A polliwig. Holland.

POLY- Pol"y-. Etym: [See Full, a.]

Defn: A combining form or prefix from Gr. poly`s, many; as, polygon, a figure of many angles; polyatomic, having many atoms; polychord, polyconic.

POLY Po"ly, n. Etym: [L. polium, the name of a plant, perhaps Teucrium polium, Gr. (Bot.)

Defn: 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.

POLYACID Pol`y*ac"id, a. Etym: [Poly- + acid.] (Chem.)

Defn: 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.

POLYACOUSTIC Pol`y*a*cous"tic, a. Etym: [Poly- + acoustic: cf. F. polyacoustique.]

Defn: Multiplying or magnifying sound. — n.

Defn: A polyacoustic instrument.

POLYACOUSTICS Pol`y*a*cous"tics, n.

Defn: The art of multiplying or magnifying sounds.

POLYACRON Pol`y*a"cron, n.; pl. Polyacra, E. Polyacrons. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. poly`s many + 'a`kron summit.] (Geom.)

Defn: A solid having many summits or angular points; a polyhedron.

POLYACTINIA Pol`y*ac*tin"i*a, n. pl. Etym: [NL. See Poly-, and Actinia.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: An old name for those Anthozoa which, like the actinias, have numerous simple tentacles.

POLYADELPHIA Pol`y*a*del"phi*a, n. pl. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Bot.)

Defn: A Linnæan class of plants having stamens united in three or more bodies or bundles by the filaments.

POLYADELPHIAN; POLYADELPHOUS Pol`y*a*del"phi*an, Pol`y*a*del"phous, a. (Bot.)

Defn: Belonging to the class Polyadelphia; having stamens united in three or more bundles.

POLYANDRIA Pol`y*an"dri*a, n. pl. Etym: [NL. See Polyandry.] (Bot.)

Defn: A Linnæan class of monoclinous or hermaphrodite plants, having many stamens, or any number above twenty, inserted in the receptacle.

POLYANDRIAN Pol`y*an"dri*an, a. (Bot.)

Defn: Polyandrous.

POLYANDRIC Pol`y*an"dric, a. Etym: [Cf. polyandrique.]

Defn: Pertaining to, or characterized by, polyandry; mating with several males. "Polyandric societies." H. Spencer.

POLYANDROUS Pol`y*an"drous, a. (Bot.)

Defn: Belonging to the class Polyandria; having many stamens, or any number above twenty, inserted in the receptacle.

POLYANDRY Pol`y*an"dry, n. Etym: [Poly- + Gr. polyandrie.]

Defn: The possession by a woman of more than one husband at the same time; — contrasted with Ant: monandry.

Note: In law, this falls under the head of polygamy.

POLYANTHUS Pol`y*an"thus, n.; pl. Polyanthuses. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. [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.

POLYARCHIST Pol"y*ar`chist, n.

Defn: One who advocates polyarchy; — opposed to monarchist. Cudworth.

POLYARCHY Pol"y*ar`chy, n. Etym: [Poly- + -archy: cf. F. polyarchie. Cf. Polarchy.]

Defn: A government by many persons, of whatever order or class. Cudworth.

POLYATOMIC Pol`y*a*tom"ic, a. Etym: [Poly- + atomic.] (Chem.) (a) Having more than one atom in the molecule; consisting of several atoms. (b) Having a valence greater than one. [Obs.]

POLYAUTOGRAPHY Pol`y*au*tog"ra*phy, n. Etym: [Poly- + autography.]

Defn: The act or practice of multiplying copies of one's own handwriting, or of manuscripts, by printing from stone, — a species of lithography.

POLYBASIC Pol`y*ba"sic, a. Etym: [Poly- + basic.] (Chem.)

Defn: 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.

POLYBASITE Pol`y*ba"site, n. Etym: [See Polybasic.] (Min.)

Defn: An iron-black ore of silver, consisting of silver, sulphur, and antimony, with some copper and arsenic.

POLYBRANCHIA Pol`y*bran"chi*a, n. pl. Etym: [NL. See Poly-, and Branchia.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: A division of Nudibranchiata including those which have numerous branchiæ on the back.

POLYBROMIDE Pol`y*bro"mide, n. Etym: [Poly- + bromide.] (Chem.)

Defn: A bromide containing more than one atom of bromine in the molecule.

POLYCARPELLARY Pol`y*car"pel*la*ry, a. (Bot.)

Defn: Composed of several or numerous carpels; — said of such fruits as the orange.

POLYCARPIC; POLYCARPOUS Pol`y*car"pic, Pol`y*car"pous, a. Etym: [Poly- + Gr. (Bot.) (a) Bearing fruit repeatedly, or year after year. (b) Having several pistils in one flower.

POLYCHAETA Pol`y*chæ"ta, n. pl. Etym: [NL., from Gr. (Zoöl.)

Defn: One of the two principal groups of Chætopoda. It includes those that have prominent parapodia and fascicles of setæ. See Illust. under Parapodia.

POLYCHLORIDE Pol`y*chlo"ride, n. Etym: [Poly- + chloride.] (Chem.)

Defn: A chloride containing more than one atom of chlorine in the molecule.

POLYCHOERANY Pol`y*choer"a*ny, n. Etym: [Gr.

Defn: A government by many chiefs, princes, or rules. [Obs.] Cudworth.

POLYCHORD Pol"y*chord, a. Etym: [Gr.

Defn: Having many strings.

POLYCHORD 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.

POLYCHREST Pol"y*chrest, n. Etym: [Gr. polychreste.] (Med.)

Defn: 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.

POLYCHROISM Pol"y*chro*ism, n. Etym: [Poly- + Gr.

Defn: Same as Pleochroism.

POLYCHROITE Pol"y*chro*ite, n. Etym: [Poly- + Gr. polychroïte.] (Chem.)

Defn: The coloring matter of saffron; — formerly so called because of the change of color on treatment with certain acids; — called also crocin, and safranin.

POLYCHROMATE Pol`y*chro"mate, n. Etym: [See Polychromic.] (Chem.)

Defn: A salt of a polychromic acid.

POLYCHROMATE Pol`y*chro"mate, n. Etym: [See Polychromatic.] (Chem.)

Defn: 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.

POLYCHROMATIC Pol`y*chro*mat"ic, a. Etym: [Poly- + chromatic.]

Defn: Showing a variety, or a change, of colors. Polychromatic acid (Old Chem.), a substance obtained by the action of nitric acid on aloes.

POLYCHROME Pol"y*chrome, n. Etym: [Poly- + Gr. (Chem.)

Defn: Esculin; — so called in allusion to its fluorescent solutions. [R.]

POLYCHROME Pol"y*chrome, a. Etym: [Cf. F. polychrome.]

Defn: Executed in the manner of polychromy; as, polychrome printing.

POLYCHROMIC Pol`y*chro"mic, a. Etym: [Poly- + (sense 1) Gr. chromic.]

1. Polychromatic.

2. (Chem.)

Defn: Pertaining to, or designating, any one of several acids (known only in their salts) which contain more than one atom of chromium.

POLYCHROMOUS Pol`y*chro"mous, a.

Defn: Of or pertaining to polychromy; many-colored; polychromatic.

POLYCHROMY Pol"y*chro`my, n. Etym: [Poly- + Gr. (Anc. Art)

Defn: The art or practice of combining different colors, especially brilliant ones, in an artistic way.

POLYCHRONIOUS Pol`y*chro"ni*ous, a. Etym: [Poly- + Gr.

Defn: Enduring through a long time; chronic.

POLYCLINIC Pol`y*clin"ic, n. Etym: [Poly- + clinic.] (Med.)

Defn: A clinic in which diseases of many sorts are treated; especially, an institution in which clinical instruction is given in all kinds of disease.

POLYCONIC Pol`y*con"ic, a. Etym: [Poly- + conic.]

Defn: 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.

POLYCOTYLEDON Pol`y*cot`y*le"don, n. Etym: [Poly- + cotyledon: cf. F. polycotylédone.] (Bot.)

Defn: A plant that has many, or more than two, cotyledons in the seed. — Pol`y*cot`y*led"on*ous, a.

POLYCOTYLEDONARY Pol`y*cot`y*led"on*a*ry, a. Etym: [Poly- + cotyledonary.] (Anat.)

Defn: Having the villi of the placenta collected into definite patches, or cotyledons.

POLYCRACY Po*lyc"ra*cy, n. Etym: [Poly- + -cracy, as in democracy.]

Defn: Government by many rulers; polyarchy.

POLYCROTIC Pol`y*crot"ic, a. Etym: [Poly- + Gr. (Physiol.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to polycrotism; manifesting polycrotism; as, a polycrotic pulse; a polycrotic pulse curve.

POLYCROTISM Po*lyc"ro*tism, n. (Physiol.)

Defn: 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.

POLYCYSTID Pol`y*cys"tid, n. (Zoöl.) (a) One of the Polycystidea. (b) One of the Polycystina. — a.

Defn: Pertaining to the Polycystidea, or the Polycystina.

POLYCYSTIDEA Pol`y*cys*tid"e*a, n. pl. Etym: [NL. See Poly-, and Cystidea.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: A division of Gregarinæ including those that have two or more internal divisions of the body.

POLYCYSTINA Pol`y*cys*ti"na, n. pl. Etym: [NL. See Poly-, and Cyst.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: 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.

POLYCYSTINE Pol`y*cys"tine, a. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Pertaining to the Polycystina. — n.

Defn: One of the Polycystina.

POLYCYTTARIA Pol`y*cyt*ta"ri*a, n. pl. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A division of Radiolaria. It includes those having one more central capsules.

POLYDACTYLISM Pol`y*dac"tyl*ism, n. Etym: [Poly- + Gr. polydactylisme.] (Anat.)

Defn: The possession of more that the normal number of digits.

POLYDIPSIA Pol`y*dip"si*a, n. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Med.)

Defn: Excessive and constant thirst occasioned by disease.

POLYEDRON Pol`y*e"dron, n.

Defn: See Polyhedron.

POLYEDROUS Pol`y*e"drous, a.

Defn: See Polyhedral.

POLYEIDIC Pol`y*ei"dic, a. Etym: [Poly- + Gr. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Passing through several distinct larval forms; — having several distinct kinds of young.

POLYEIDISM Pol`y*ei"dism, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The quality or state of being polyeidic.

POLYEMBRYONATE Pol`y*em"bry*o*nate, a. Etym: [Poly- + embryonate.] (Bot.)

Defn: Consisting of, or having, several embryos; polyembryonic.

POLYEMBRYONIC Pol`y*em`bry*on"ic, a. Etym: [Poly- + embryonic.] (Bot.)

Defn: Polyembryonate.

POLYEMBRYONY Pol`y*em"bry*o*ny, n. Etym: [See Poly-, and Embryo.] (Bot.)

Defn: 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.

POLYFOIL Pol"y*foil, n. Etym: [Poly- + foil, n.] (Arch.)

Defn: Same as Multifoil.

POLYGALA Po*lyg"a*la, n. Etym: [L., milkwort, fr. Gr.

Defn: A genus of bitter herbs or shrubs having eight stamens and a two-celled ovary (as the Seneca snakeroot, the flowering wintergreen, etc.); milkwort.

POLYGALACEOUS Pol`y*ga*la"ceous, a.

Defn: Of or pertaining to a natural order of plants (Polygalaceæ) of which Polygala is the type.

POLYGALIC Po*lyg"a*lic, a. (Chem.)

Defn: Of, pertaining to, or obtained from, Polygala; specifically, designating an acrid glucoside (called polygalic acid, senegin, etc.), resembling, or possibly identical with, saponin.

POLYGAMIA Pol`y*ga"mi*a, n. pl. Etym: [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.

POLYGAMIAN Pol`y*ga"mi*an, a. (Bot.)

Defn: Polygamous.

POLYGAMIST Po*lyg"a*mist, n. Etym: [Cf. F. polygamiste, polygame, Gr. a.]

Defn: One who practices polygamy, or maintains its lawfulness.

POLYGAMIZE Po*lyg"a*mize, v. i.

Defn: To practice polygamy; to marry several wives. Sylvester. Coleridge.

POLYGAMOUS Po*lyg"a*mous, a. Etym: [Gr. 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.)

Defn: Pairing with more than one female. Most deer, cattle, and sheep are polygamous. Darwin.

3. (Bot.)

Defn: Belonging to the Polygamia; bearing both hermaphrodite and unisexual flowers on the same plant.

POLYGAMY Po*lyg"a*my, n. Etym: [Gr. 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.)

Defn: The state or habit of having more than one mate.

3. (Bot.)

Defn: The condition or state of a plant which bears both perfect and unisexual flowers.

POLYGASTRIAN Pol`y*gas"tri*an, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: One of the Polygastrica. [Obs.]

POLYGASTRIC Pol`y*gas"tric, a. Etym: [Poly- + gastric: cf. F. polygastrique.]

1. (Anat.)

Defn: Having several bellies; — applied to muscles which are made up of several bellies separated by short tendons.

2. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Pertaining to the Polygastrica. [Obs.]

POLYGASTRIC Pol`y*gas"tric, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: One of the Polygastrica.

POLYGASTRICA Pol`y*gas"tri*ca, n. pl. Etym: [NL. So called because they were supposed to have several stomachs, or digestive cavities.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: The Infusoria. [Obs.]

POLYGENESIS; POLYGENY Pol`y*gen"e*sis, Po*lyg"e*ny, n. Etym: [Poly- + genesis, or root of Gr. (Biol.)

Defn: The theory that living organisms originate in cells or embryos of different kinds, instead of coming from a single cell; — opposed to monogenesis.

POLYGENETIC 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.

POLYGENIC Pol`y*gen"ic, a. (Biol.)

Defn: Of or relating to polygeny; polygenetic.

POLYGENISM Po*lyg"e*nism, n. Etym: [Cf. F. polygénisme.] (Biol.)

Defn: The doctrine that animals of the same species have sprung from more than one original pair.

POLYGENIST Po*lyg"e*nist, n. (Biol.)

Defn: One who maintains that animals of the same species have sprung from more than one original pair; — opposed to monogenist.

POLYGENOUS Po*lyg"e*nous, a. Etym: [Poly- + -genous: cf. Gr.

Defn: Consisting of, or containing, many kinds; as, a polygenous mountain. Kirwan.

POLYGLOT Pol"y*glot, a. Etym: [Gr. polyglotte.]

1. Containing, or made up, of, several languages; as, a polyglot lexicon, Bible.

2. Versed in, or speaking, many languages.

POLYGLOT 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.

POLYGLOTTOUS Pol`y*glot"tous, a. Etym: [See Polyglot.]

Defn: Speaking many languages; polyglot. [R.] "The polyglottous tribes of America." Max Müller.

POLYGON Pol"y*gon, n. Etym: [Gr. polygone.] (Geom.)

Defn: 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.

POLYGONACEOUS Pol`y*go*na"ceous, a. Etym: [See Polygonum.] (Bot.)

Defn: 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.

POLYGONAL Po*lyg"o*nal, a.

Defn: Having many angles. Polygonal numbers, certain figurate numbers. See under Figurate.

POLYGONEUTIC Pol`y*go*neu"tic, a. Etym: [Poly- + Gr. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Having two or more broods in a season.

POLYGONOMETRY Pol`y*go*nom"e*try, n. Etym: [Polygon + -metry.]

Defn: The doctrine of polygons; an extension of some of the principles of trigonometry to the case of polygons.

POLYGONOUS Po*lyg"o*nous, a.

Defn: Polygonal.

POLYGONUM Po*lyg"o*num, n. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Bot.)

Defn: A genus of plants embracing a large number of species, including bistort, knotweed, smartweed, etc.

POLYGONY Po*lyg"o*ny, n. (Bot.)

Defn: Any plant of the genus Polygonum.

POLYGORDIUS Pol`y*gor"di*us, n. Etym: [NL. See Poly-, and Gordius.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: 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.

POLYGRAM Pol"y*gram, n. Etym: [Gr.

Defn: A figure consisting of many lines. [R.] Barlow.

POLYGRAPH Pol"y*graph, n. Etym: [Gr. 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.

POLYGRAPHIC; POLYGRAPHICAL Pol`y*graph"ic, Pol`y*graph"ic*al, a. Etym: [Cf. F. polygraphique.]

Defn: Pertaining to, or employed in, polygraphy; as, a polygraphic instrument.

2. Done with a polygraph; as, a polygraphic copy.

POLYGRAPHY Po*lyg"ra*phy, n. Etym: [Gr. 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.

POLYGROOVED Pol"y*grooved`, a. Etym: [Poly- + groove.]

Defn: Having many grooves; as, a polygrooved rifle or gun (referring to the rifling).

POLYGYN Pol"y*gyn, n. Etym: [Cf. F. polygyne. See Polygyny.] (Bot.)

Defn: A plant of the order Polygynia.

POLYGYNIA Pol`y*gyn"i*a, n. pl. Etym: [NL. See Polygyny.] (Bot.)

Defn: A Linnæan order of plants having many styles.

POLYGYNIAN; POLYGYNOUS Pol`y*gyn"i*an, Po*lyg"y*nous, a. (Bot.)

Defn: Having many styles; belonging to the order Polygynia.

POLYGYNIST Po*lyg"y*nist, n.

Defn: One who practices or advocates polygyny. H. Spenser.

POLYGYNY Po*lyg"y*ny, n. Etym: [Poly- + Gr.

Defn: The state or practice of having several wives at the same time; marriage to several wives. H. Spenser.

POLYHALITE Pol`y*ha"lite, n. Etym: [Poly- + Gr. (Min.)

Defn: 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.

POLYHEDRAL; POLYHEDRICAL Pol`y*he"dral, Pol`y*hed"ric*al, a. Etym: [See Polyhedron.] (Geom.)

Defn: Having many sides, as a solid body. Polyhedral angle, an angle bounded by three or more plane angles having a common vertex.

POLYHEDRON Pol`y*he"dron, n.; pl. E. Polyhedrons., L. Polyhedra. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. polyèdre.]

1. (Geom.)

Defn: A body or solid contained by many sides or planes.

2. (Opt.)

Defn: A polyscope, or multiplying glass.

POLYHEDROUS Pol`y*he"drous, a.

Defn: Polyhedral.

POLYHISTOR Pol`y*his"tor, n. Etym: [Gr.

Defn: One versed in various learning. [R.]

POLYHYMNIA Pol`y*hym"ni*a, n. Etym: [L., from Gr. (Anc. Myth.)

Defn: The Muse of lyric poetry.

POLYIODIDE Pol`y*i"o*dide, n. (Chem.)

Defn: A iodide having more than one atom of iodine in the molecule.

POLYLOGY Po*lyl"o*gy, n. Etym: [Gr.

Defn: Talkativeness. [R.]

POLYLOQUENT Po*lyl"o*quent, a. Etym: [Poly- + L. loquens, p. pr. of logui to speak.]

Defn: Garrulous; loquacious. [R.]

POLYMASTISM Pol`y*mas"tism, n. Etym: [Poly- + Gr. (Anat.)

Defn: The condition of having more than two mammæ, or breasts.

POLYMATHIC Pol`y*math"ic, a. Etym: [Cf. F. polymathique. See Polymathy.]

Defn: Pertaining to polymathy; acquainted with many branches of learning.

POLYMATHIST Po*lym"a*thist, n.

Defn: One versed in many sciences; a person of various learning.

POLYMATHY Po*lym"a*thy, n. Etym: [Gr.

Defn: The knowledge of many arts and sciences; variety of learning. Johnson.

POLYMENISCOUS Pol`y*me*nis"cous, a. Etym: [See Poly-, and Meniscus.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: Having numerous facets; — said of the compound eyes of insects and crustaceans.

POLYMER Pol"y*mer, n. Etym: [See Polymeric.] (Chem.)

Defn: 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.]

POLYMERIC Pol`y*mer"ic, a. Etym: [Poly- + Gr. (Chem.)

Defn: 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.

Note: 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.

POLYMERISM 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.

POLYMERIZATION Pol`y*mer`i*za"tion, n. (Chem.)

Defn: The act or process of changing to a polymeric form; the condition resulting from such change.

POLYMERIZE Pol"y*mer*ize, v. t. (Chem.)

Defn: To cause polymerization of; to produce polymers from; to increase the molecular weight of, without changing the atomic proportions; thus, certain acids polymerize aldehyde.

POLYMERIZE Pol"y*mer*ize, v. i. (Chem.)

Defn: To change into another substance having the same atomic proportions, but a higher molecular weight; to undergo polymerization; thus, aldehyde polymerizes in forming paraldehyde.

POLYMEROUS Po*lym"er*ous, a.

1. (Bot.)

Defn: Having many parts or members in each set. Gray.

2. (Chem.)

Defn: Polymeric. [Obs.]

POLYMNIA Po*lym"ni*a, n.

Defn: See Polyhymnia.

POLYMNITE Pol"ym*nite, n. Etym: [Gr. (Min.)

Defn: A stone marked with dendrites and black lines, and so disposed as to represent rivers, marshes, etc.

POLYMORPH Pol"y*morph, n. Etym: [Gr. polymorphe.] (Crystallog.)

Defn: A substance capable of crystallizing in several distinct forms; also, any one of these forms. Cf. Allomorph.

POLYMORPHIC Pol`y*mor"phic, a.

Defn: Polymorphous.

POLYMORPHISM Pol`y*mor"phism, n.

1. (Crystallog.)

Defn: 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.

POLYMORPHOSIS Pol`y*mor*pho"sis, n. Etym: [NL. See Poly-, and Morphosis.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: The assumption of several structural forms without a corresponding difference in function; — said of sponges, etc.

POLYMORPHOUS Pol`y*mor"phous, a.

1. Having, or assuming, a variety of forms, characters, or styles; as, a polymorphous author. De Quincey.

2. (Biol.)

Defn: Having, or occurring in, several distinct forms; — opposed to monomorphic.

POLYMORPHY Pol"y*mor`phy, n.

Defn: Existence in many forms; polymorphism.

POLY-MOUNTAIN 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.

POLYMYODAE Pol`y*my"o*dæ, n. pl. Etym: [NL. See Polymyoid.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: Same as Oscines.

POLYMYODOUS Pol`y*my"o*dous, a. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Polymyoid.

POLYMYOID Po*lym"y*oid, a. Etym: [Poly- + Gr. -oid.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: Having numerous vocal muscles; of or pertaining to the Polymyodæ.

POLYNEME Pol"y*neme, n. Etym: [Poly- + Gr. (Zoöl.)

Defn: 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.

POLYNEMOID Pol`y*ne"moid, a. Etym: [Polyneme + -oid.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to the polynemes, or the family Polynemidæ.

POLYNESIAN Pol`y*ne"sian, a.

Defn: Of or pertaining to Polynesia (the islands of the eastern and central Pacific), or to the Polynesians.

POLYNESIANS Pol`y*ne"sians, n. pl.; sing. Polynesian. (Ethnol.)

Defn: The race of men native in Polynesia.

POLYNIA Po*lyn"i*a, n. Etym: [Russ. poluineia a warm place in water, i. e., a place which does not freeze.]

Defn: The open sea supposed to surround the north pole. Kane.

POLYNOMIAL Pol`y*no"mi*al, n. Etym: [Poly- + -nomial, as in monomial, binomial: cf. F. polynôme.] (Alg.)

Defn: An expression composed of two or more terms, connected by the signs plus or minus; as, a2 - 2ab + b2.

POLYNOMIAL 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.

POLYNUCLEAR Pol`y*nu"cle*ar, a. Etym: [Poly- + nuclear.] (Biol.)

Defn: Containing many nuclei.

POLYNUCLEOLAR Pol`y*nu*cle"o*lar, a. Etym: [Poly- + nucleolar.] (Biol.)

Defn: Having more than one nucleolus.

POLYOMMATOUS Pol`y*om"ma*tous, a. Etym: [Poly- + Gr.

Defn: Having many eyes.

POLYONOMOUS Pol`y*on"o*mous, a. Etym: [Poly- + Gr.

Defn: Having many names or titles; polyonymous. Sir W. Jones.

POLYONOMY Pol`y*on"o*my, n. Etym: [Cf. Gr.

Defn: The use of a variety of names for the same object. G. S. Faber.

POLYONYM Pol"y*o*nym, n.

1. An object which has a variety of names.

2. A polynomial name or term.

POLYONYMOUS Pol`y*on"y*mous, a.

Defn: Polyonomous.

POLYOPTRON; POLYOPTRUM Pol`y*op"tron, Pol`y*op"trum, n. Etym: [NL., from Gr. (Opt.)

Defn: A glass through which objects appear multiplied, but diminished in size. [R.]

POLYORAMA Pol`y*o*ra"ma, n. Etym: [Poly- + Gr.

Defn: A view of many objects; also, a sort of panorama with dissolving views.

POLYP Pol"yp, n. Etym: [L. polypus, Gr. 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.

Defn: 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.

POLYPAROUS Po*lyp"a*rous, a. Etym: [Poly- + L. parere to produce.]

Defn: Producing or bearing a great number; bringing forth many.

POLYPARY Pol"y*pa*ry, n.; pl. Polyparies. Etym: [See Polyp.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: Same as Polypidom.

POLYPE Pol"ype, n. Etym: [F.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: See Polyp.

POLYPEAN Pol`y*pe"an, a. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to a polyp, or polyps.

POLYPERYTHRIN Pol`y*pe*ryth"rin, n. Etym: [Polyp + Gr. (Physiol. Chem.)

Defn: A coloring matter found in many simple Anthozoa and some hydroids.

POLYPETALOUS Pol`y*pet"al*ous, a. Etym: [Poly- + petal.] (Bot.)

Defn: Consisting of, or having, several or many separate petals; as, a polypetalous corolla, flower, or plant. Martyn.

POLYPHAGOUS Po*lyph"a*gous, a. Etym: [L. polyphagus, Gr. polyphage.]

Defn: Eating, or subsisting on, many kinds of food; as, polyphagous animals.

POLYPHAGY Po*lyph""a*gy, n.

Defn: The practice or faculty of subsisting on many kinds of food.

POLYPHARMACY Pol`y*phar"ma*cy, n. Etym: [Poly- + Gr. polypharmacie.] (Med.) (a) The act or practice of prescribing too many medicines. (b) A prescription made up of many medicines or ingredients. Dunglison.

POLYPHASE Pol"y*phase, a. [Poly- + phase.] (Elec.)

Defn: Having or producing two or more phases; multiphase; as, a polyphase machine, a machine producing two or more pressure waves of electro-motive force, differing in phase; a polyphase current.

POLYPHASER Pol"y*phas`er, n. (Elec.)

Defn: A machine generating more than one pressure wave; a multiphaser.

POLYPHEMUS Pol`y*phe"mus, n. Etym: [L. Polyphemus the one-eyed Cyclops who was blinded by Ulysses.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: 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.

POLYPHONE Pol"y*phone, n.

Defn: A character or vocal sign representing more than one sound, as read, which is pronounced red or rèd.

POLYPHONIC Pol`y*phon"ic, a. Etym: [Gr. polyphone.]

1. Having a multiplicity of sounds.

2. Characterized by polyphony; as, Assyrian polyphonic characters.

3. (Mus.)

Defn: 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.

POLYPHONISM Po*lyph"o*nism, n.

Defn: Polyphony.

POLYPHONIST Po*lyph"o*nist, n.

1. A proficient in the art of multiplying sounds; a ventriloquist.

2. (Mus.)

Defn: A master of polyphony; a contrapuntist.

POLYPHONOUS Po*lyph"o*nous, a.

Defn: Same as Polyphonic.

POLYPHONY Po*lyph"o*ny, n. Etym: [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.)

Defn: 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.

POLYPHORE Pol"y*phore, n. Etym: [Poly- + Gr. (Bot.)

Defn: A receptacle which bears many ovaries.

POLYPHOTAL; POLYPHOTE Pol`y*pho"tal, Pol"y*phote, a. [Poly- + Gr., , light.] (Elec.)

Defn: Pertaining to or designating arc lamps so constructed that more than one can be used on a single circuit.

POLYPHYLETIC Pol`y*phy*let"ic, a. Etym: [Poly- + Gr. (Biol.)

Defn: Pertaining to, or characterized by, descent from more than one root form, or from many different root forms; polygenetic; — opposed to Ant: monophyletic.

POLYPHYLLOUS Po*lyph"yl*lous, a. Etym: [Gr. (Bot.)

Defn: Many-leaved; as, a polyphyllous calyx or perianth.

POLYPI Pol"y*pi, n. pl. Etym: [NL.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: The Anthozoa.

POLYPIDE Pol"y*pide, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: One of the ordinary zooids of the Bryozoa. [Spellt also polypid.]

POLYPIDOM Po*lyp"i*dom, n. Etym: [Polypus + L. domus house.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: A coral, or corallum; also, one of the coral-like structure made by bryozoans and hydroids.

POLYPIER Po`ly`pier", n. Etym: [F.]

Defn: A polypidom.

POLYPIFERA Pol`y*pif"e*ra, n. pl. Etym: [NL.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: The Anthozoa.

POLYPIFEROUS Pol*y*pif"er*ous, a. Etym: [Polypus + -ferous.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: Bearing polyps, or polypites.

POLYPIPAROUS Pol`y*pip"a*rous, a. Etym: [Polypus + L. parere to produce.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: Producing polyps.

POLYPITE 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.)

Defn: A fossil coral.

POLYPLACOPHORA Pol`y*pla*coph"o*ra, n. pl. Etym: [NL. See Poly-, and Placophora.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: See Placophora.

POLYPLASTIC Pol`y*plas"tic, a. Etym: [Poly- + -plastic.] (Biol.)

Defn: Assuming, or having the power of assuming, many forms; as, a polyplastic element which does not preserve its original shape.

POLYPODE Pol`y*pode, n. Etym: [Cf. F. polypode. See Polypody.] (Bot.)

Defn: A plant of the genus Polypodium; polypody. [Written also polypod.]

POLYPODE Pol"y*pode, n. Etym: [Gr. polypode. See Polyp.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: An animal having many feet; a myriapod.

POLYPODIUM Pol"y*po`di*um, n. Etym: [L., fr. Gr. Polyp, and cf. 2d Polypode.] (Bot.)

Defn: 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.

POLYPODY Pol"y*po`dy, n. (Bot.)

Defn: Any plant of the genus Polypodium.

POLYPOID Pol"y*poid, a. Etym: [Polyp + -oid.]

1. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Like a polyp; having the nature of a polyp, but lacking the tentacles or other parts.

2. (Med.)

Defn: Resembling a polypus in appearance; having a character like that of a polypus.

POLYPOMEDUSAE Pol`y*po*me*du"sæ, n. pl. Etym: [NL. See Polyp, and Medusa.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: Same as Hydrozoa.

POLYPOROUS Po*lyp"o*rous, a. Etym: [Poly- + porous.]

Defn: Having many pores. Wright.

POLYPORUS Po*lyp"o*rus, n.; pl. Polypori. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Bot.)

Defn: A genus of fungi having the under surface full of minute pores; also, any fungus of this genus.

Note: 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.

POLYPOUS Pol"y*pous, a. Etym: [Cf. F. polypeux. See Polyp.]

Defn: Of the nature of a polypus; having many feet or roots, like the polypus; affected with polypus.

POLYPRAGMATIC; POLYPRAGMATICAL Pol`y*prag*mat"ic, Pol`y*prag*mat"ic*al, a. Etym: [Poly- + pragmatic, -ical.]

Defn: Overbusy; officious. [R.] Heywood.

POLYPRAGMATY Pol`y*prag"ma*ty, n. Etym: [Poly- + Gr.

Defn: The state of being overbusy. [R.]

POLYPROTODONTA Pol`y*pro`to*don"ta, n. pl. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A division of marsupials in which there are more fore incisor teeth in each jaw.

POLYPTEROIDEI Po*lyp`te*roi"de*i, n. pl. Etym: [NL. See Polypterus, and -oid.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: A suborder of existing ganoid fishes having numerous fins along the back. The bichir, or Polypterus, is the type. See Illust. under Crossopterygian.

POLYPTERUS Po*lyp`te*rus, n. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Zoöl.)

Defn: An African genus of ganoid fishes including the bichir.

POLYPTOTON Pol`yp*to"ton, n. Etym: [L., fr. Gr. (Rhet.)

Defn: 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."

POLYPUS Pol"y*pus, n.; pl. E. Polypuses, L. Polypi. Etym: [L. See Polyp.]

1. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Same as Polyp.

2. (Med.)

Defn: 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.

POLYRHIZOUS Pol`y*rhi"zous, a. Etym: [Gr. (Bot.)

Defn: Having numerous roots, or rootlets.

POLYSCHEMATIST Pol`y*sche"ma*tist, a. Etym: [Poly- + Gr.

Defn: Having, or existing in, many different forms or fashions; multiform.

POLYSCOPE Pol"y*scope, n. Etym: [Gr. polyscope.]

1. (Opt.)

Defn: A glass which makes a single object appear as many; a multiplying glass. Hutton.

2. (Med.)

Defn: An apparatus for affording a view of the different cavities of the body.

POLYSEPALOUS Pol`y*sep"al*ous, a. Etym: [Poly- + sepal.] (Bot.)

Defn: Having the sepals separate from each other.

POLYSILICIC Pol`y*si*lic"ic, a. Etym: [Poly- + silicic.] (Chem.)

Defn: 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.

POLYSPAST Pol"y*spast, n. Etym: [L. polyspaston, fr. Gr. polyspaste.] (Surg.)

Defn: A machine consisting of many pulleys; specifically, an apparatus formerly used for reducing luxations.

POLYSPERMOUS Pol`y*sper"mous, a. Etym: [Gr. (Bot.)

Defn: Containing many seeds; as, a polyspermous capsule or berry. Martyn.

POLYSPERMY Pol"y*sper`my, n. (Biol.)

Defn: Fullness of sperm, or seed; the passage of more than one spermatozoön into the vitellus in the impregnation of the ovum.

POLYSPOROUS Pol`y*spor"ous, a. Etym: [Poly- + spore.] (Bot.)

Defn: Containing many spores.

POLYSTOMATA Pol`y*stom"a*ta, n. pl. Etym: [NL., from Gr. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A division of trematode worms having more two suckers. Called also Polystomea and Polystoma.

POLYSTOME Pol"y*stome, a. Etym: [Gr. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Having many mouths.

POLYSTOME Pol"y*stome, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: An animal having many mouths; — applied to Protozoa.

POLYSTYLE Pol"y*style, a. Etym: [Gr. polystyle.] (Arch.)

Defn: Having many columns; — said of a building, especially of an interior part or court; as, a polystyle hall. — n.

Defn: A polystyle hall or edifice.

POLYSULPHIDE Pol`y*sul"phide, n. Etym: [Poly- + sulphide.] (Chem.)

Defn: A sulphide having more than one atom of sulphur in the molecule; — contrasted with monosulphide.

POLYSULPHURET Pol`y*sul"phu*ret, n. (Chem.)

Defn: A polysulphide. [Obsoles.]

POLYSYLLABIC; POLYSYLLABICAL Pol`y*syl*lab"ic, Pol`y*syl*lab"ic*al, a. Etym: [Gr. polysyllabique.]

Defn: Pertaining to a polysyllable; containing, or characterized by, polysyllables; consisting of more than three syllables.

POLYSYLLABICISM Pol`y*syl*lab"i*cism, n.

Defn: Polysyllabism.

POLYSYLLABICITY Pol`y*syl`la*bic"i*ty, n.

Defn: Polysyllabism.

POLYSYLLABISM Pol`y*syl"la*bism, n.

Defn: The quality or state of being polysyllabic.

POLYSYLLABLE Pol"y*syl`la*ble, n. Etym: [Poly- + syllable.]

Defn: A word of many syllables, or consisting of more syllables than three; — words of less than four syllables being called monosyllables, dissyllables, and trisyllables.

POLYSYNDETIC Pol`y*syn*det"ic, a.

Defn: Characterized by polysyndeton, or the multiplication of conjunctions. — Pol`y*syn*det"ic*al*ly, adv.

POLYSYNDETON Pol`y*syn"de*ton, n. Etym: [NL., from Gr. (Rhet.)

Defn: 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.

POLYSYNTHESIS Pol`y*syn"the*sis, n. Etym: [Poly- + synthesis.]

1. The act or process of combining many separate elements into a whole.

2. (Philol.)

Defn: The formation of a word by the combination of several simple words, as in the aboriginal languages of America; agglutination. Latham.

POLYSYNTHETIC Pol`y*syn*thet"ic, a. Etym: [Poly- + synthetic.]

Defn: Characterized by polysynthesis; agglutinative. Polysynthetic twinning (Min.), repeated twinning, like that of the triclinic feldspar, producing fine parallel bands in alternately reversed positions.

POLYSYNTHETICISM Pol`y*syn*thet"i*cism, n.

Defn: Polysynthesis.

POLYTECHNIC Pol`y*tech"nic, a. Etym: [Gr. polytechnique.]

Defn: 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.

POLYTECHNICAL Pol`y*tech"nic*al, a.

Defn: Polytechnic.

POLYTECHNICS Pol`y*tech"nics, n.

Defn: The science of the mechanic arts.

POLYTHALAMIA Pol`y*tha*la"mi*a, n. pl. Etym: [NL. See Polythalamous.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: A division of Foraminifera including those having a manychambered shell.

POLYTHALAMOUS Pol`y*thal"a*mous, a. Etym: [Poly- + Gr. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Many-chambered; — applied to shells of Foraminifera and cephalopods. See Illust. of Nautilus.

POLYTHEISM Pol"y*the*ism, n. Etym: [Poly- + Gr. polythéisme.]

Defn: 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.

POLYTHEIST Pol"y*the*ist, n. Etym: [Cf. F. polythéiste.]

Defn: One who believes in, or maintains the doctrine of, a plurality of gods.

POLYTHEISTIC; POLYTHEISTICAL Pol`y*the*is"tic, Pol`y*the*is"tic*al, a.

Defn: 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.

POLYTHEIZE Pol"y*the*ize, v. i.

Defn: To adhere to, advocate, or inculcate, the doctrine of polytheism. Milman.

POLYTHELISM Pol`y*the"lism, n. Etym: [Poly- + Gr. qhlh` a nipple.] (Anat.)

Defn: The condition of having more than two teats, or nipples.

POLYTOCOUS Po*lyt"o*cous, a. Etym: [Gr.

1. (Bot.)

Defn: Bearing fruit repeatedly, as most perennial plants; polycarpic.

2. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Producing many or young.

POLYTOMOUS Po*lyt"o*mous, a. Etym: [Poly- + Gr. (Bot.)

Defn: Subdivided into many distinct subordinate parts, which, however, not being jointed to the petiole, are not true leaflets; — said of leaves. Henslow.

POLYTOMY Po*lyt"o*my, n. (Logic)

Defn: A division into many members. F. Bowen.

POLYTUNGSTATE Pol`y*tung"state, n.

Defn: A salt of polytungstic acid.

POLYTUNGSTIC Pol`y*tung"stic, a. (Chem.)

Defn: 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.

POLYTYPE Pol"y*type, n. Etym: [Poly- + -type.] (Print.)

Defn: 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.

POLYTYPE Pol"y*type, a. (Print.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to polytypes; obtained by polytyping; as, a polytype plate.

POLYTYPE Pol"y*type, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Polytyped; p. pr. & vb. n. Polytyping.] (Print.)

Defn: To produce a polytype of; as, to polytype an engraving.

POLYURIA Pol`y*u"ri*a, n. Etym: [NL. See Poly-, and Urine.] (Med.)

Defn: 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.

POLYVALENT Po*lyv"a*lent, a. Etym: [Poly- + L. valens, p. pr. See Valent.] (Chem.)

Defn: Multivalent.

POLYVE Pol"yve, n. Etym: [See Polive.]

Defn: A pulley. [Obs.]

POLYZOA Pol`y*zo"a, n. pl. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Same as Bryozoa. See Illust. under Bryozoa, and Phylactolæmata.

POLYZOAN Pol`y*zo"an, n. (Zoöl.) (a) Any species of Polyzoa; one of the Polyzoa. (b) A polyzoön.

POLYZOARIUM Pol`y*zo*a"ri*um, n.; pl. Polyzoaria. Etym: [NL.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: Same as Polyzoary.

POLYZOARY Pol`y*zo"a*ry, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The compound organism of a polyzoan.

POLYZONAL Pol`y*zon"al, a. Etym: [Poly- + zonal.]

Defn: 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.

POLYZOON; POLYZOOEN Pol`y*zo"ön, n.; pl. Polyzoa. Etym: [NL. See Polyzoan.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: One of the individual zooids forming the compound organism of a polyzoan.

POMACE Pom"ace, n. Etym: [L. ponum a fruit, LL., an apple: cf. LL. pomagium, pomacium.]

Defn: The substance of apples, or of similar fruit, crushed by grinding.

POMACENTROID Po`ma*cen"troid, a. Etym: [Gr. -oid.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: Pertaining to the Pomacentridæ, a family of bright-colored tropical fishes having spiny opercula; — often called coral fishes.

POMACEOUS Po*ma"ceous, a. Etym: [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.

POMADE Po*made", n. Etym: [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.]