P P (pe), (continued 7)

Defn: By chance; perhaps; peradventure.

PERCHANT Perch"ant, n. Etym: [F.]

Defn: A bird tied by the foot, to serve as decoy to other birds by its fluttering.

PERCHER Perch"er, n. Etym: [From Perch, v. i.]

1. One who, or that which, perches. J. Burroughs.

2. One of the Insessores.

3. Etym: [From Perch a pole.]

Defn: A Paris candle anciently used in England; also, a large wax candle formerly set upon the altar. [Obs.] Bailey.

PERCHERON Per"che*ron, n. Etym: [F.]

Defn: One of a breed of draught horses originating in Perche, an old district of France; — called also Percheron-Norman.

PERCHLORATE Per*chlo"rate, n. (Chem.)

Defn: A salt of perchloric acid.

PERCHLORIC Per*chlo"ric, a. Etym: [Pref. per- + chloric.] (Chem.)

Defn: Pertaining to, or designating, the highest oxygen acid (HClO4), of chlorine; — called also hyperchloric.

PERCHLORIDE Per*chlo"ride, n. (Chem.)

Defn: A chloride having a higher proportion of chlorine than any other chloride of the same substance or series.

PERCHROMIC Per*chro"mic, a. Etym: [Pref. per- + chromic.] (Chem.)

Defn: Pertaining to, or designating, a certain one of the highly oxidized compounds of chromium, which has a deep blue color, and is produced by the action of hydrogen peroxide.

PERCIFORM Per"ci*form, a. Etym: [NL., & L. perca a perch + -form.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: Pertaining to the Perciformes.

PERCIFORMES Per`ci*for"mes, n. pl. Etym: [NL.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: An extensive tribe or suborder of fishes, including the true perches (Percidæ); the pondfishes (Centrarchidæ); the sciænoids (Sciænidæ); the sparoids (Sparidæ); the serranoids (Serranidæ), and some other related families.

PERCIPIENCE; PERCIPIENCY Per*cip"i*ence, Per*cip"i*en*cy, n.

Defn: The faculty, act or power of perceiving; perception. Mrs. Browning.

PERCIPIENT Per*cip"i*ent, a. Etym: [L. percipiens, -entis, p.pr. of percipere. See Perceive.]

Defn: Having the faculty of perception; perceiving; as, a percipient being. Bentley. — n.

Defn: One who, or that which, is percipient. Glanvill.

PERCLOSE Per*close", n. Etym: [OF. parclose an inclosed place; L. per through + claudere, clausum, to shut.]

1. (Eccl. Arch.)

Defn: Same as Parclose.

2. Conclusion; end. [Obs.] Sir W. Raleigh.

PERCOID Per"coid, a. Etym: [L. perca a perch + -oid: cf. F. percoïde.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: Belonging to, or resembling, the perches, or family Percidæ. — n.

Defn: Any fish of the genus Perca, or allied genera of the family Percidæ.

PERCOIDEA Per*coi"de*a, n. pl. Etym: [NL.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: Same as Perciformes.

PERCOLATE Per"co*late, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Percolated; p. pr. & vb. n. Percolating.] Etym: [L. percolatus, p.p. of percolare to percolate; per through + colare to strain.]

Defn: To cause to pass through fine interstices, as a liquor; to filter; to strain. Sir M. Hale.

PERCOLATE Per"co*late, v. i.

Defn: To pass through fine interstices; to filter; as, water percolates through porous stone.

PERCOLATION Per`co*la"tion, n. Etym: [L. percolatio.]

Defn: The act or process of percolating, or filtering; filtration; straining. Specifically (Pharm.), the process of exhausting the virtues of a powdered drug by letting a liquid filter slowly through it.

PERCOLATOR Per"co*la`tor, n.

Defn: One who, or that which, filters. "[Tissues] act as percolators." Henfrey.

PERCOMORPHI Per`co*mor"phi, n. pl. Etym: [NL., fr. L. perca perch + Gr. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A division of fishes including the perches and related kinds.

PERCULACED Per"cu*laced, a. Etym: [Prob. corrupt. fr. portcullised.] (Her.)

Defn: Latticed. See Lattice, n., 2.

PERCURRENT Per*cur"rent, a. Etym: [L. percurrens, p.pr. of percurrere to run through; per through + currere to run.]

Defn: Running through the entire length.

PERCURSORY Per*cur"so*ry, a. Etym: [L. percursor one who runs through, fr. percurrere. See Percurrent.]

Defn: Running over slightly or in haste; cursory. [R.]

PERCUSS Per*cuss", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Percussed; p. pr. & vb. n. Percussing.] Etym: [L. percussus, p.p. of percutere; per + quatere to shake, strike. See Quash.]

Defn: To strike smartly; to strike upon or against; as, to percuss the chest in medical examination. Flame percussed by air giveth a noise. Bacon.

PERCUSS Per*cuss", v. i. (Med.)

Defn: To strike or tap in an examination by percussion. See Percussion, 3. Quain.

PERCUSSION Per*cus"sion, n. Etym: [L. percussio: cf. F. percussion. See Percuss.]

1. The act of percussing, or striking one body against another; forcible collision, esp. such as gives a sound or report. Sir I. Newton.

2. Hence: The effect of violent collision; vibratory shock; impression of sound on the ear. The thunderlike percussion of thy sounds. Shak.

3. (Med.)

Defn: The act of tapping or striking the surface of the body in order to learn the condition of the parts beneath by the sound emitted or the sensation imparted to the fingers. Percussion is said to be immediate if the blow is directly upon the body; if some interventing substance, as a pleximeter, is, used, it is called mediate. Center of percussion. See under Center. — Percussion bullet, a bullet containing a substance which is exploded by percussion; an explosive bullet. — Percussion cap, a small copper cap or cup, containing fulminating powder, and used with a percussion lock to explode gunpowder. — Percussion fuze. See under Fuze. — Percussion lock, the lock of a gun that is fired by percussion upon fulminating powder. — Percussion match, a match which ignites by percussion. — Percussion powder, powder so composed as to ignite by slight percussion; fulminating powder. — Percussion sieve, Percussion table, a machine for sorting ores by agitation in running water.

PERCUSSIVE Per*cuss"ive, a.

Defn: Striking against; percutient; as, percussive force.

PERCUTIENT Per*cu"tient, a. Etym: [L. percutiens, p.pr. of percutere. See Percuss.]

Defn: Striking; having the power of striking. — n.

Defn: That which strikes, or has power to strike. Bacon.

PERDICINE Per"di*cine, a. Etym: [See Perdix.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to the family Perdicidæ, or partridges.

PERDIE Per*die", adv.

Defn: See Parde. Spenser.

PER DIEM Per di"em. [L.]

Defn: By the day; substantively (chiefly U. S.), an allowance or amount of so much by the day.

PERDIFOIL Per"di*foil, n. Etym: [L. perdere to lose + folium leaf.] (Bot.)

Defn: A deciduous plant; — opposed to Ant: evergreen. J. Barton.

PERDITION Per*di"tion, n. Etym: [F., fr. L. perditio, fr. perdere, perditum, to ruin, to lose; per (cf. Skr. para away) + -dere (only in comp.) to put; akin to Gr. do. See Do.]

1. Entire loss; utter destruction; ruin; esp., the utter loss of the soul, or of final happiness in a future state; future misery or eternal death. The mere perdition of the Turkish fleet. Shak. If we reject the truth, we seal our own perdition. J. M. Mason.

2. Loss of diminution. [Obs.] Shak.

PERDITIONABLE Per*di"tion*a*ble, a.

Defn: Capable of being ruined; worthy of perdition. [R.] Pollok.

PERDIX Per"dix, n. Etym: [L., a partridge, Gr. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A genus of birds including the common European partridge. Formerly the word was used in a much wider sense to include many allied genera.

PERDU Per*du", n. Etym: [See Perdu, a.]

1. One placed on watch, or in ambush.

2. A soldier sent on a forlorn hope. Shak.

PERDU; PERDUE Per*du", Per*due", a. Etym: [F. perdu, f. perdue, lost, p.p. of perdre to lose, L. perdere. See Perdition.]

1. Lost to view; in concealment or ambush; close. He should lie perdue who is to walk the round. Fuller.

2. Accustomed to, or employed in, desperate enterprises; hence, reckless; hopeless. "A perdue captain." Beau. & Fl.

PERDUELLION Per`du*el"lion, n. Etym: [L. perduellio; per + duellum, bellum, war.] (Civil Law)

Defn: Treason.

PERDULOUS Per"du*lous, a. Etym: [See Perdu, a.]

Defn: Lost; thrown away. [Obs.] Abp. Bramhall.

PERDURABILITY Per*dur`a*bil"i*ty, n.

Defn: Durability; lastingness. [Archaic] Chaucer.

PERDURABLE Per*dur"a*ble, n. Etym: [Cf. F. perdurable, OE. pardurable. See Perdure.]

Defn: Very durable; lasting; continuing long. [Archaic] Chaucer. Shak. — Per*dur"a*bly, adv. [Archaic]

PERDURANCE; PERDURATION Per*dur"ance, Per`du*ra"tion, n.

Defn: Long continuance. [Archaic]

PERDURE Per*dure", v. i. Etym: [L. perdurare; per trough + durare to last.]

Defn: To last or endure for a long time; to be perdurable or lasting. [Archaic] The mind perdures while its energizing may construct a thousand lines. Hickok.

PERDY Per*dy", adv.

Defn: Truly. See Parde. [Obs.] Ah, dame! perdy ye have not done me right. Spenser.

PERE Pere, n.

Defn: A peer. [Obs.] Chaucer.

PEREGAL Per*e"gal, a. Etym: [OF. par very (L. per) + egal equal, L. aequalis.]

Defn: Fully equal. [Obs.] Chaucer. "Peregal to the best." Spenser.

PEREGRINATE Per"e*gri*nate, v. i. Etym: [L. peregrinatus, p.p. of peregrinari to travel. See Pilgrim.]

Defn: To travel from place to place, or from one country to another; hence, to sojourn in foreign countries.

PEREGRINATE Per"e*gri*nate, a. Etym: [L. peregrinatus, p.p.]

Defn: Having traveled; foreign. [Obs.] Shak.

PEREGRINATION Per`e*gri*na"tion, n. Etym: [L. peregrinatio: cf. F. pérégrination.]

Defn: A traveling from one country to another; a wandering; sojourn in foreign countries. "His peregrination abroad." Bacon.

PEREGRINATOR Per"e*gri*na`tor, n. Etym: [L.]

Defn: One who peregrinates; one who travels about.

PEREGRINE Per"e*grine, a. Etym: [L. peregrinus. See Pilgrim.]

Defn: Foreign; not native; extrinsic or from without; exotic. [Spelt also pelegrine.] "Peregrine and preternatural heat." Bacon. Peregrine falcon (Zoöl.), a courageous and swift falcon (Falco peregrinus), remarkable for its wide distribution over all the continents. The adult plumage is dark bluish ash on the back, nearly black on the head and cheeks, white beneath, barred with black below the throat. Called also peregrine hawk, duck hawk, game hawk, and great-footed hawk.

PEREGRINE Per"e*grine, n.

Defn: The peregrine falcon.

PEREGRINITY Per`e*grin"i*ty, n. Etym: [L. peregrinitas: cf. F. pérégrinité.]

1. Foreignness; strangeness. [Obs.] "Somewhat of a peregrinity in their dialect." Johnson.

2. Travel; wandering. [R.] Carlyle.

PEREL Per"el, n.

Defn: Apparel. [Obs.] Chaucer.

PEREMPT Per*empt", v. t. Etym: [L. peremptus, p.p. of perimere to take away entirely, to destroy; per (see Per-) + OL. emere to take. See Redeem.] (Law)

Defn: To destroy; to defeat. [R.] Ayliffe.

PEREMPTION Per*emp"tion, n. Etym: [L. peremptio: cf. F. péremption.] (Law)

Defn: A quashing; a defeating. [Obs.]

PEREMPTORILY Per"emp*to*ri*ly, adv.

Defn: In a peremptory manner; absolutely; positively. Bacon.

PEREMPTORINESS Per"emp*to*ri*ness, n.

Defn: The quality of being peremptory; positiveness.

PEREMPTORY Per"emp*to*ry, a. Etym: [L. peremptorius destructive, deadly, decisive, final: cf. F. péremptorie. See Perempt.]

1. Precluding debate or expostulation; not admitting of question or appeal; positive; absolute; decisive; conclusive; final. Think of heaven with hearty purposes and peremptory designs to get thither. Jer. Taylor.

2. Positive in opinion or judgment; decided; dictatorial; dogmatical. Be not too positive and peremptory. Bacon. Briefly, then, for we are peremptory. Shak.

3. Firmly determined; unawed. [Poetic] Shak. Peremptory challenge (Law) See under Challenge. — Peremptory mandamus, a final and absolute mandamus. — Peremptory plea, a plea by a defendant tending to impeach the plaintiff's right of action; a plea in bar.

Syn. — Decisive; positive; absolute; authoritative; express; arbitrary; dogmatical.

PERENNIAL Per*en"ni*al, a. Etym: [L. perennis that lasts the whole year through; per through + annus year. See Per-, and Annual.]

1. ing or continuing through the year; as, perennial fountains.

2. Continuing without cessation or intermission; perpetual; unceasing; never failing. The perennial existence of bodies corporate. Burke.

3. (Bot.)

Defn: Continuing more than two years; as, a perennial steam, or root, or plant.

Syn. — Perpetual; unceasing; never failing; enduring; continual; permanent; uninterrupted.

PERENNIAL Per*en"ni*al, n. (Bot.)

Defn: A perennial plant; a plant which lives or continues more than two years, whether it retains its leaves in winter or not.

PERENNIALLY Per*en"ni*al*ly, adv.

Defn: In a perennial manner.

PERENNIBRANCHIATA Per*en`ni*bran`chi*a"ta, n. pl. Etym: [NL. See Perennial, and Branchia.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: Those Batrachia which retain their gills through life, as the menobranchus.

PERENNIBRANCHIATE Per*en`ni*bran"chi*ate, a. Etym: [See Perennial, and Branchiate.]

1. (Anat.)

Defn: Having branchæ, or gills, through life; — said especially of certain Amphibia, like the menobranchus. Opposed to caducibranchiate.

2. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Belonging to the Perennibranchiata.

PERENNITY Per*en"ni*ty, n. Etym: [L. perennitas.]

Defn: The quality of being perennial. [R.] Derham.

PERERRATION Per`er*ra"tion, n. Etym: [L. pererrare, pererratum, to wander through.]

Defn: A wandering, or rambling, through various places. [R.] Howell.

PERFECT Per"fect, a. Etym: [OE. parfit, OF. parfit, parfet, parfait, F. parfait, L. perfectus, p.p. of perficere to carry to the end, to perform, finish, perfect; per (see Per-) + facere to make, do. See Fact.]

1. Brought to consummation or completeness; completed; not defective nor redundant; having all the properties or qualities requisite to its nature and kind; without flaw, fault, or blemish; without error; mature; whole; pure; sound; right; correct. My strength is made perfect in weakness. 2 Cor. xii. 9. Three glorious suns, each one a perfect sun. Shak. I fear I am not in my perfect mind. Shak. O most entire perfect sacrifice! Keble. God made thee perfect, not immutable. Milton.

2. Well informed; certain; sure. I am perfect that the Pannonains are now in arms. Shak.

3. (Bot.)

Defn: Hermaphrodite; having both stamens and pistils; — said of flower. Perfect cadence (Mus.), a complete and satisfactory close in harmony, as upon the tonic preceded by the dominant. — Perfect chord (Mus.), a concord or union of sounds which is perfectly coalescent and agreeable to the ear, as the unison, octave, fifth, and fourth; a perfect consonance; a common chord in its original position of keynote, third, fifth, and octave. — Perfect number (Arith.), a number equal to the sum of all its divisors; as, 28, whose aliquot parts, or divisors, are 14, 7, 4, 2, 1. See Abundant number, under Abundant. Brande & C. — Perfect tense (Gram.), a tense which expresses an act or state completed.

Syn. — Finished; consummate; complete; entire; faultless; blameless; unblemished.

PERFECT Per"fect, n.

Defn: The perfect tense, or a form in that tense.

PERFECT Per"fect, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Perfected; p. pr. & vb. n. Perfecting.] Etym: [L. perfectus, p.p. of perficere. See Perfect, a.]

Defn: To make perfect; to finish or complete, so as to leave nothing wanting; to give to anything all that is requisite to its nature and kind. God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfect in us. 1 John iv. 12. Inquire into the nature and properties of the things, . . . and thereby perfect our ideas of their distinct species. Locke. Perfecting press (Print.), a press in which the printing on both sides of the paper is completed in one passage through the machine.

Syn. — To finish; accomplish; complete; consummate.

PERFECTER Per"fect*er, n.

Defn: One who, or that which, makes perfect. "The . . . perfecter of our faith." Barrow.

PERFECTIBILIAN Per*fect`i*bil"i*an, n.

Defn: A perfectionist. [R.] Ed. Rev.

PERFECTIBILIST Per`fec*tib"i*list, n.

Defn: A perfectionist. See also Illuminati, 2. [R.]

PERFECTIBILITY Per*fect`i*bil"i*ty, n. Etym: [Cf. F. perfectibilité.]

Defn: The quality or state of being perfectible.

PERFECTIBLE Per*fect"i*ble, a. Etym: [Cf. F. perfectible.]

Defn: Capable of becoming, or being made, perfect.

PERFECTION Per*fec"tion, n. Etym: [F. perfection, L. perfectio.]

1. The quality or state of being perfect or complete, so that nothing requisite is wanting; entire development; consummate culture, skill, or moral excellence; the highest attainable state or degree of excellence; maturity; as, perfection in an art, in a science, or in a system; perfection in form or degree; fruits in perfection.

2. A quality, endowment, or acquirement completely excellent; an ideal faultlessness; especially, the divine attribute of complete excellence. Shak. What tongue can her perfections tell Sir P. Sidney. To perfection, in the highest degree of excellence; perfectly; as, to imitate a model to perfection.

PERFECTION Per*fec"tion, v. t.

Defn: To perfect. [Obs.] Foote.

PERFECTIONAL Per*fec"tion*al, a.

Defn: Of or pertaining to perfection; characterized by perfection. [R.] Bp. Pearson.

PERFECTIONATE Per*fec"tion*ate, v. t.

Defn: To perfect. Dryden.

PERFECTIONISM Per*fec"tion*ism, n.

Defn: The doctrine of the Perfectionists.

PERFECTIONIST Per*fec"tion*ist, n.

Defn: One pretending to perfection; esp., one pretending to moral perfection; one who believes that persons may and do attain to moral perfection and sinlessness in this life. South.

PERFECTIONMENT Per*fec"tion*ment, n. Etym: [Cf. F. perfectionnement.]

Defn: The act of bringing to perfection, or the state of having attained to perfection. [R.] I. Taylor.

PERFECTIVE Per*fect"ive, a.

Defn: Tending or conducing to make perfect, or to bring to perfection; — usually followed by of. "A perfective alteration." Fuller. Actions perfective of their natures. Ray.

PERFECTIVELY Per*fec"tive*ly, adv.

Defn: In a perfective manner.

PERFECTLY Per"fect*ly, adv.

Defn: In a perfect manner or degree; in or to perfection; completely; wholly; throughly; faultlessly. "Perfectly divine." Milton. As many as touched were made perfectly whole. Matt. xiv. 36.

PERFECTNESS Per"fect*ness, n.

Defn: The quality or state of being perfect; perfection. "Charity, which is the bond of perfectness." Col. iii. 14.

PERFERVID Per*fer"vid, a. Etym: [Pref. per- + fervid.]

Defn: Very fervid; too fervid; glowing; ardent.

PERFICIENT Per*fi"cient, a. Etym: [L. perficiens, p.pr. of perficere to perform. See Perfect.]

Defn: Making or doing throughly; efficient; effectual. [R.] Blackstone.

PERFICIENT Per*fi"cient, n.

Defn: One who performs or perfects a work; especially, one who endows a charity. [R.]

PERFIDIOUS Per*fid"i*ous, a. Etym: [L. perfidious.]

1. Guilty of perfidy; violating good faith or vows; false to trust or confidence reposed; teacherous; faithless; as, a perfidious friend. Shak.

2. Involving, or characterized by, perfidy. "Involved in this perfidious fraud." Milton.

PERFIDIOUSLY Per*fid"i*ous*ly, adv.

Defn: In a perfidious manner.

PERFIDIOUSNESS Per*fid"i*ous*ness, n.

Defn: The quality of being perfidious; perfidy. Clarendon.

PERFIDY Per"fi*dy, n.; pl. Perfidies. Etym: [L. perfidia, fr. L. perfidus faithless; per (cf. Skr. para away) + fides faith: cf. F. perfidie. See Faith.]

Defn: The act of violating faith or allegiance; violation of a promise or vow, or of trust reposed; faithlessness; teachery. The ambition and perfidy of tyrants. Macaulay. His perfidy to this sacred engagement. DeQuincey.

PERFIT Per"fit, a.

Defn: Perfect. [Obs.] Chaucer.

PERFIX Per*fix", v. t. Etym: [Pref. per- + fix.]

Defn: To fix surely; to appoint. [Obs.]

PERFLABLE Per"fla*ble, a. Etym: [L. perflabilis. See Perflate.]

Defn: Capable of being blown through. [Obs.]

PERFLATE Per*flate", v. t. Etym: [L. perflatus, p.p. of perflare to blow through.]

Defn: To blow through. [Obs.] Harvey.

PERFLATION Per*fla"tion, n. Etym: [L. perflatio.]

Defn: The act of perflating. [Obs.] Woodward.

PERFOLIATE Per*fo"li*ate, a. Etym: [Pref. per- + L. folium leaf.]

1. (Bot.)

Defn: Having the basal part produced around the stem; — said of leaves which the stem apparently passes directory through.

2. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Surrounded by a circle of hairs, or projections of any kind.

PERFORATA Per`fo*ra"ta, n. pl. Etym: [NL. See Perforate.] (Zoöl.) (a) A division of corals including those that have a porous texture, as Porites and Madrepora; — opposed to Aporosa. (b) A division of Foraminifera, including those having perforated shells.

PERFORATE Per"fo*rate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Perforated; p. pr. & vb. n. Perforating.] Etym: [L. perforatus, p.p. of perforare to perforate; per through + forare to bore. See Bore, v.]

Defn: To bore through; to pierce through with a pointed instrument; to make a hole or holes through by boring or piercing; to pierce or penetrate the surface of. Bacon.

PERFORATE; PERFORATED Per"fo*rate, Per"fo*ra`ted, a.

Defn: Pierced with a hole or holes, or with pores; having transparent dots resembling holes.

PERFORATION Per`fo*ra"tion, n. Etym: [Cf. F. perforation.]

1. The act of perforating, or of boring or piercing through. Bacon.

2. A hole made by boring or piercing; an aperture. "Slender perforations." Sir T. Browne.

PERFORATIVE Per"fo*ra*tive, a. Etym: [Cf. F. perforatif.]

Defn: Having power to perforate or pierce.

PERFORATOR Per"fo*ra`tor, n. Etym: [Cf. F. perforateur.]

Defn: One who, or that which, perforates; esp., a cephalotome.

PERFORCE Per*force", adv. Etym: [F. par (L. per) + force.]

Defn: By force; of necessary; at any rate. Shak.

PERFORCE Per*force", v. t.

Defn: To force; to compel. [Obs.]

PERFORM Per*form", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Performed; p. pr. & vb. n. Performing.] Etym: [OE. performen, parfourmen, parfournen, OF. parfornir, parfournir, to finish, complete; OF. & F. par (see Par) + fournir to finish, complete. The word has been influenced by form; cf. L. performare to form thoroughly. See Furnish.]

1. To carry through; to bring to completion; to achieve; to accomplish; to execute; to do. I will cry unto God most high, unto God that performeth all things for me. Ps. lvii. 2. Great force to perform what they did attempt. Sir P. Sidney.

2. To discharge; to fulfill; to act up to; as, to perform a duty; to perform a promise or a vow. To perform your father's will. Shak.

3. To represent; to act; to play; as in drama. Perform a part thou hast not done before. Shak.

Syn. — To accomplish; do; act; transact; achieve; execute; discharge; fulfill; effect; complete; consummate. See Accomplish.

PERFORM Per*form", v. i.

Defn: To do, execute, or accomplish something; to acquit one's self in any business; esp., to represent sometimes by action; to act a part; to play on a musical instrument; as, the players perform poorly; the musician performs on the organ.

PERFORMABLE Per*form"a*ble, a.

Defn: Admitting of being performed, done, or executed; practicable.

PERFORMANCE Per*form"ance, n.

Defn: The act of performing; the carrying into execution or action; execution; achievement; accomplishment; representation by action; as, the performance of an undertaking of a duty. Promises are not binding where the performance is impossible. Paley.

2. That which is performed or accomplished; a thing done or carried through; an achievement; a deed; an act; a feat; esp., an action of an elaborate or public character. "Her walking and other actual performances." Shak. "His musical performances." Macaulay.

Syn. — Completion; consummation; execution; accomplishment; achievement; production; work; act; action; deed; exploit; feat.

PERFORMER Per*form"er, n.

Defn: One who performs, accomplishes, or fulfills; as, a good promiser, but a bad performer; especially, one who shows skill and training in any art; as, a performer of the drama; a performer on the harp.

PERFRICATE Per"fri*cate, v. t. Etym: [L. perfricatus, p.p. of perfricare.]

Defn: To rub over. Bailey.

PERFUMATORY Per*fu"ma*to*ry, a.

Defn: Emitting perfume; perfuming. [R.] Sir E. Leigh.

PERFUME Per*fume", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Perfumed; p. pr. & vb. n. Perfuming.] Etym: [F. parfumer (cf. Sp. perfumar); par (see Par) + fumer to smoke, L. fumare, fr. fumus smoke. See Fume.]

Defn: To fill or impregnate with a perfume; to scent. And Carmel's flowery top perfumes the skies. Pope.

PERFUME Per"fume, n. Etym: [F. parfum; cf. Sp. perfume. See Perfume, v.]

1. The scent, odor, or odoriferous particles emitted from a sweet- smelling substance; a pleasant odor; fragrance; aroma. No rich perfumes refresh the fruitful field. Pope.

2. A substance that emits an agreeable odor. And thou shalt make it a perfume. Ex. xxx. 35.

PERFUMER Per*fum"er, n.

1. One who, oe that which, perfumes.

2. One whose trade is to make or sell perfumes.

PERFUMERY Per*fum"er*y, n.

1. Perfumes, in general.

2. Etym: [Cf. F. parfumerie.]

Defn: The art of preparing perfumes.

PERFUNCTORILY Per*func"to*ri*ly, adv.

Defn: In a perfunctory manner; formally; carelessly. Boyle.

PERFUNCTORINESS Per*func"to*ri*ness, n.

Defn: The quality or state of being perfunctory.

PERFUNCTORY Per*func"to*ry, a. Etym: [L. perfunctorius, fr. perfunctus dispatched, p.p. of perfungi to discharge, dispatch; per (see Per) + fungi to perform. See Function.]

1. Done merely to get rid of a duty; performed mechanically and as a thing of rote; done in a careless and superficial manner; characterized by indifference; as, perfunctory admonitions. Macaulay.

2. Hence: Mechanical; indifferent; listless; careless. "Perfunctory in his devotions." Sharp.

PERFUNCTURATE Per*func"tu*rate, v. t.

Defn: To perform in a perfunctory manner; to do negligently. [R.]

PERFUSE Per*fuse", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Perfused; p. pr. & vb. n. Perfusing.] Etym: [L. perfusus, p.p. of perfundere to pour over; per + fundere to pour.]

Defn: To suffuse; to fill full or to excess. Harvey.

PERFUSION Per*fu"sion, n. Etym: [L. perfusio.]

Defn: The act of perfusing.

PERFUSIVE Per*fu"sive, a.

Defn: Of a nature to flow over, or to spread through.

PERGAMENOUS; PERGAMENTACEOUS Per`ga*me"no*us, Per`ga*men*ta"ceous, a. Etym: [L. pergamena parchment. See Parchment.]

Defn: Like parchment.

PERGOLA Per"go*la, n. [It., fr. L. pergula shed, shop, vine arbor.]

Defn: Lit., an arbor or bower; specif.: (Italian art)

Defn: An arbor or trellis treated architecturally, as with stone columns or similar massive structure.

PERGOLO Per"go*lo, n. [It.]

Defn: A continuous colonnade or arcade; — applied to the decorative groups of windows, as in Venetian palazzi.

PERHAPS Per*haps", adv. Etym: [Per + hap chance.]

Defn: By chance; peradventure; perchance; it may be. And pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. Acts viii. 22.

PERI- Per"i-. Etym: [Gr.

Defn: A prefix used to signify around, by, near, over, beyond, or to give an intensive sense; as, perimeter, the measure around; perigee, point near the earth; periergy, work beyond what is needed; perispherical, quite spherical.

PERI Pe"ri, n.; pl. Peris. Etym: [Per. peri a female genus, a fairy.] (Persian Myth.)

Defn: An imaginary being, male or female, like an elf or fairy, represented as a descendant of fallen angels, excluded from paradise till penance is accomplished. Moore.

PERIAGUA Per`i*a"gua, n.

Defn: See Pirogue.

PERIANTH Per"i*anth, n. Etym: [Pref. peri- + Gr. périanthe.] (Bot.) (a) The leaves of a flower generally, especially when the calyx and corolla are not readily distinguished. (b) A saclike involucre which incloses the young fruit in most hepatic mosses. See Illust. of Hepatica.

PERIANTHIUM Per`i*an"thi*um, n. Etym: [NL.] (Bot.)

Defn: The perianth.

PERIAPT Per"i*apt, n. Etym: [Gr. périapte.]

Defn: A charm worn as a protection against disease or mischief; an amulet. Coleridge. Now help, ye charming spells and periapts. Shak.

PERIASTRAL Per`i*as"tral, a.

Defn: Among or around the stars. "Comets in periastral passage." R. A. Proctor.

PERIASTRON Per`i*as"tron, n. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Astron.)

Defn: That point, in the real or apparent orbit of one star revolving around another, at which the former is nearest to the latter.

PERIAUGER Per"i*au"ger, n.

Defn: See Pirogue. W. Irving.

PERIBLAST Per"i*blast, a. Etym: [Gr. Peri-, and -blast.] (Biol.)

Defn: The protoplasmic matter which surrounds the entoblast, or cell nucleus, and undergoes segmentation. — Per`i*blas"tic, a.

PERIBLEM Per"i*blem, n. Etym: [Pref. peri- + root of Gr. (Bot.)

Defn: Nascent cortex, or immature cellular bark.

PERIBOLOS Pe*rib"o*los, n. Etym: [Nl., fr. Gr. peribolus.]

Defn: In ancient architecture, an inclosed court, esp., one surrounding a temple.

PERIBRANCHIAL Per`i*bran"chi*al, a. (Anat.)

Defn: Surrounding the branchiæ; as, a peribranchial cavity.

PERIBRANCHIAL Per`i*bran"chi*al, a. (Anat.)

Defn: Around the bronchi or bronchial tubes; as, the peribronchial lymphatics.

PERICAMBIUM Per`i*cam"bi*um, n. Etym: [NL. See Peri-, and Cambium.] (Biol.)

Defn: A layer of thin-walled young cells in a growing stem, in which layer certain new vessels originate.

PERICARDIAC; PERICARDIAL Per`i*car"di*ac, Per`i*car"di*al, a. (Anat.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to pericardium; situated around the heart. Pericardial fluid (Physiol.), a serous fluid of a pale yellow color contained in the pericardium.

PERICARDIAN Per`i*car"di*an, a.

Defn: Pericardiac.

PERICARDIC Per`i*car"dic, a.

Defn: Pericardiac.

PERICARDITUS Per`i*car*di"tus, n. Etym: [NL. See Pericardium, and -itis.] (Med.)

Defn: Inflammation of the pericardium. Dunglison.

PERICARDIUM Per`i*car"di*um, n. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Anat.)

Defn: The double baglike fold of serous membrane which incloses the heart.

Note: The inner layer is closely adherent to the outer surface of the heart, and is called the cardiac pericardium. The outer layer loosely incloses the heart and the adherent inner layer, and is called the parietal pericardium. At the base of the heart the two layers are continuous, and form a narrow closed cavity filled with fluid, in which the pulsations of the heart cause little friction.

PERICARP Per"i*carp, n. Etym: [Gr. péricarpe.] (Bot.)

Defn: The ripened ovary; the walls of the fruit. See Illusts. of Capsule, Drupe, and Legume.

PERICARPIAL; PERICARPIC Per`i*car"pi*al, Per`i*car"pic, a. (Bot.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to a pericarp.

PERICELLULAR Per`i*cel"lu*lar, a. (Anat.)

Defn: Surrounding a cell; as, the pericellular lymph spaces surrounding ganglion cells.

PERICHAETH Per"i*chæth, n. Etym: [See Perichætium.] (Bot.)

Defn: The leafy involucre surrounding the fruit stalk of mosses; perichætium; perichete.

PERICHAETIAL Per`i*chæ"ti*al, a. (Bot.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to the perichæth.

PERICHAETIUM Per`i*chæ"ti*um, n.; pl. Perichætia. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Bot.)

Defn: Same as Perichæth.

PERICHAETOUS Per`i*chæ"tous, a. Etym: [See Perichætium.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: Surrounded by setæ; — said of certain earthworms (genus Perichætus).

PERICHETE Per"i*chete, n.

Defn: Same as Perichæth.

PERICHONDRIAL Per`i*chon"dri*al, a. (Anat.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to the perichondrium; situated around cartilage.

PERICHONDRITIS Per`i*chon*dri"tis, n. Etym: [NL. See Perichondrium, and -itis.] (Med.)

Defn: Inflammation of the perichondrium.

PERICHONDRIUM Per`i*chon"dri*um, n. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Anat.)

Defn: The membrane of fibrous connective tissue which closely invests cartilage, except where covering articular surfaces.

PERICHORDAL Per`i*chor"dal, a.

Defn: Around the notochord; as, a perichordal column. See Epichordal.

PERICLASE; PERICLASITE Per"i*clase, Per`i*cla"site, n. Etym: [Pref. peri- + Gr. (Min.)

Defn: A grayish or dark green mineral, consisting essentially of magnesia (magnesium oxide), occurring in granular forms or in isometric crystals.

PERICLINIUM Per`i*clin"i*um, n.; pl. Periclinia. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Bot.)

Defn: The involucre which surrounds the common receptacle in composite flowers.

PERICLITATE Pe*ric"li*tate, v. t. Etym: [L. periclitatus, p.p. of periclitari, fr. periculum.]

Defn: To endanger. [Obs.] Periclitating, pardi! the whole family. Sterne.

PERICLITATION Pe*ric`li*ta"tion, n. Etym: [L. periclitatio: cf. F. périclitation.]

1. Trial; experiment. [Obs.]

2. The state of being in peril. [Obs.]

PERICOPE Pe*ric"o*pe, n. Etym: [L., section of a book, Gr.

Defn: A selection or extract from a book; especially (Theol.), a selection from the Bible, appointed to be read in the churches or used as a text for a sermon.

PERICRANIAL Per`i*cra"ni*al, a. (Anat.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to the pericranium.

PERICRANIUM Per`i*cra"ni*um, n. Etym: [NL.] (Anat.)

Defn: The periosteum which covers the cranium externally; the region around the cranium.

PERICULOUS Pe*ric"u*lous, a. Etym: [L. periculosus. See Perilous.]

Defn: Dangerous; full of peril. [Obs.]

PERICULUM Pe*ric"u*lum, n.; pl. Pericula. Etym: [L.] (Rom. & O.Eng. Law)

1. Danger; risk.

2. In a narrower, judicial sense: Accident or casus, as distinguished from dolus and culpa, and hence relieving one from the duty of performing an obligation.

PERICYSTITIS Per`i*cys*ti"tis, n. [NL. See Peri-, and Cystitis.] (Med.)

Defn: Inflammation of the tissues surrounding the bladder.

PERIDERM Per"i*derm, n.

1. (Bot.)

Defn: The outer layer of bark.

2. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The hard outer covering of hydroids and other marine animals; the perisarc.

PERIDIASTOLE Per`i*di*as"to*le, n. (Physiol.)

Defn: The almost inappreciable time which elapses between the systole and the diastole of the heart.

PERIDIUM Pe*rid"i*um, n.; pl. Peridia. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Bot.)

Defn: The envelope or coat of certain fungi, such as the puffballs and earthstars.

PERIDOT Per"i*dot, n. Etym: [F. péridot.] (Min.)

Defn: Chrysolite.

PERIDOTITE Per"i*do*tite, n. Etym: [Cf. F. péridotite.] (Min.)

Defn: An eruptive rock characterized by the presence of chrysolite (peridot). It also usually contains pyroxene, enstatite, chromite, etc. It is often altered to serpentine.

Note: The chief diamond deposits in South Africa occur in a more or less altered peridotite.

PERIDROME Per"i*drome, n. Etym: [Gr. péridrome.] (Archæol.)

Defn: The space between the columns and the wall of the cella, in a Greek or a Roman temple.

PERIECIANS Per`i*e"cians, n. pl.

Defn: See Perioecians.

PERIENTERON Per`i*en"te*ron, n. Etym: [NL. See Peri-, and Enteron.] (Anat.)

Defn: The primitive perivisceral cavity.

PERIERGY Per"i*er`gy, n. Etym: [Gr.

1. Excessive care or diligence. [Obs.]

2. (Rhet.)

Defn: A bombastic or labored style. [R.]

PERIGANGLIONIC Per`i*gan`gli*on"ic, a. (Anat.)

Defn: Surrounding a ganglion; as, the periganglionic glands of the frog.

PERIGASTRIC Per`i*gas"tric, a. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Surrounding the stomach; — applied to the body cavity of Bryozoa and various other Invertebrata.

PERIGEAN Per`i*ge"an, a.

Defn: Pertaining to the perigee. Perigean tides, those spring tides which occur soon after the moon passes her perigee.

PERIGEE; PERIGEUM Per"i*gee, Per`i*ge"um, n. Etym: [NL. perigeum, fr. Gr. périgée.] (Astron.)

Defn: That point in the orbit of the moon which is nearest to the earth; — opposed to Ant: apogee. It is sometimes, but rarely, used of the nearest points of other orbits, as of a comet, a planet, etc. Called also epigee, epigeum.

PERIGENESIS Per`i*gen"e*sis, n. (Biol.)

Defn: A theory which explains inheritance by the transmission of the type of growth force possessed by one generation to another.

PERIGENETIC Per`i*gen"e*tic, a. (Biol.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to perigenesis.

PERIGONE Per"i*gone, n. Etym: [Pref. peri- + Gr.

1. (Bot.) (a) Any organ inclosing the essential organs of a flower; a perianth. (b) In mosses, the involucral bracts of a male flower.

2. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A sac which surrounds the generative bodies in the gonophore of a hydroid.

PERIGONIUM Per`i*go"ni*um, n.; pl. Perigonia. Etym: [NL.]

Defn: Same as Perigone.

PERIGORD PIE Per"i*gord pie`. Etym: [From Périgord, a former province of France.]

Defn: A pie made of truffles, much esteemed by epicures.

PERIGRAPH Per"i*graph, n. Etym: [Gr.

Defn: A careless or inaccurate delineation of anything. Etym: [R.]

PERIGYNIUM Per`i*gyn"i*um, n.; pl. Perigynia. Etym: [NL. See Perigynous.] (Bot.)

Defn: Some unusual appendage about the pistil, as the bottle-shaped body in the sedges, and the bristles or scales in some other genera of the Sedge family, or Cyperaceæ.

PERIGYNOUS Pe*rig"y*nous, a. Etym: [Pref. peri- + Gr. (Bot.)

Defn: Having the ovary free, but the petals and stamens borne on the calyx; — said of flower such as that of the cherry or peach.

PERIHELION; PERIHELIUM Per`i*hel"ion, Per`i*he"li*um, n.; pl. Perihelia. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Astron.)

Defn: That point of the orbit of a planet or comet which is nearest to the sun; — opposed to Ant: aphelion.

PERIL Per"il, n. Etym: [F. péril, fr. L. periculum, periclum, akin to peritus experienced, skilled, and E. fare. See Fare, and cf. Experience.]

Defn: Danger; risk; hazard; jeopardy; exposure of person or property to injury, loss, or destruction. In perils of waters, in perils of robbers. 2 Cor. xi. 26. Adventure hard With peril great achieved. Milton. At, or On, one's peril, with risk or danger to one; at the hazard of. "On thy soul's peril." Shak.

Syn. — Hazard; risk; jeopardy. See Danger.

PERIL Per"il, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Periled or Perilled; p. pr. & vb. n. Periling or Perilling.]

Defn: To expose to danger; to hazard; to risk; as, to peril one's life.

PERIL Per"il, v. i.

Defn: To be in danger. [Obs.] Milton.

PERILLA Pe*ril"la, n. Etym: [Etymol. uncertain.] (Bot.)

Defn: A genus of labiate herbs, of which one species (Perilla ocimoides, or P. Nankinensis) is often cultivated for its purple or variegated foliage.

PERILOUS Per"il*ous, a. Etym: [OF. perillous, perilleus, F. périlleux, L. periculosus. See Peril.] [Written also perillous.]

1. Full of, attended with, or involving, peril; dangerous; hazardous; as, a perilous undertaking. Infamous hills, and sandy, perilous wilds. Milton.

2. Daring; reckless; dangerous. [Obs.] Latimer. For I am perilous with knife in hand. Chaucer. — Per"il*ous*ly, adv. — Per"il*ous*ness, n.

PERILYMPH Per"i*lymph, n. (Anat.)

Defn: The fluid which surrounds the membranous labyrinth of the internal ear, and separates it from the walls of the chambers in which the labyrinth lies.

PERILYMPHANGIAL Per`i*lym*phan"gi*al, a. (Anat.)

Defn: Around, or at the side of, a lymphatic vessel.

PERILYMPHATIC Per`i*lym*phat"ic, a. (Anat.) (a) Pertaining to, or containing, perilymph. (b) Perilymphangial.

PERIMETER Per*im"e*ter, n. Etym: [Gr. périmètre.]

1. (Geom.)

Defn: The outer boundary of a body or figure, or the sum of all the sides.

2. An instrument for determining the extent and shape of the field of vision.

PERIMETRIC; PERIMETRICAL Per`i*met"ric, Per`i*met"ric*al, a.

Defn: Of or pertaining to the perimeter, or to perimetry; as, a perimetric chart of the eye.

PERIMETRY Per*im"e*try, n.

Defn: The art of using the perimeter; measurement of the field of vision.

PERIMORPH Per"i*morph, n. Etym: [Pref. peri- + Gr. (Min.)

Defn: A crystal of one species inclosing one of another species. See Endomorph.

PERIMYSIAL Per`i*my"sial, a. (Anat.) (a) Surrounding a muscle or muscles. (b) Of or pertaining to the perimysium.

PERIMYSIUM Per`i*my"si*um, n. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Anat.)

Defn: The connective tissue sheath which surrounds a muscle, and sends partitions inwards between the bundles of muscular fibers.

PERINAEUM Per`i*næ"um, n.

Defn: See Perineum.

PERINEAL Per`i*ne"al, a. (Anat.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to the perineum.

PERINEOPLASTY Per`i*ne"o*plas`ty, n. Etym: [Perineum + -plasty.] (Med.)

Defn: The act or process of restoring an injured perineum.

PERINEORRHAPHY Per`i*ne*or"rha*phy, n. Etym: [Perineum + Gr. (Med.)

Defn: The operation of sewing up a ruptured perineum.

PERINEPHRITIS Per`i*ne*phri"tis, n. Etym: [NL. See Peri-, and Nephritis.] (Med.)

Defn: Inflammation of the cellular tissue around the kidney. — Per`i*ne*phrit"ic, a.

PERINEUM Per`i*ne"um, n. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Anat.)

Defn: The region which is included within the outlet of the pelvis, and is traversed by the urinogenital canal and the rectum.

PERINEURIAL Per`i*neu"ri*al, a. (Anat.)

Defn: Surrounding nerves or nerve fibers; of or pertaining to the perineurium.

PERINEURIUM Per`i*neu"ri*um, n. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Anat.)

Defn: The connective tissue sheath which surrounds a bundle of nerve fibers. See Epineurium, and Neurilemma.

PERINUCLEAR Per`i*nu"cle*ar, a. (Biol.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to a nucleus; situated around a nucleus; as, the perinuclear protoplasm.

PERIOD Pe"ri*od, n. Etym: [L. periodus, Gr. période.]

1. A portion of time as limited and determined by some recurring phenomenon, as by the completion of a revolution of one of the heavenly bodies; a division of time, as a series of years, months, or days, in which something is completed, and ready to recommence and go on in the same order; as, the period of the sun, or the earth, or a comet.

2. Hence: A stated and recurring interval of time; more generally, an interval of time specified or left indefinite; a certain series of years, months, days, or the like; a time; a cycle; an age; an epoch; as, the period of the Roman republic. How by art to make plants more lasting than their ordinary period. Bacon.

3. (Geol.)

Defn: One of the great divisions of geological time; as, the Tertiary period; the Glacial period. See the Chart of Geology.

4. The termination or completion of a revolution, cycle, series of events, single event, or act; hence, a limit; a bound; an end; a conclusion. Bacon. So spake the archangel Michael; then paused, As at the world's great period. Milton. Evils which shall never end till eternity hath a period. Jer. Taylor. This is the period of my ambition. Shak.

5. (Rhet.)

Defn: A complete sentence, from one full stop to another; esp., a well-proportioned, harmonious sentence. "Devolved his rounded periods." Tennyson. Periods are beautiful when they are not too long. B. Johnson.

Note: The period, according to Heyse, is a compound sentence consisting of a protasis and apodosis; according to Becker, it is the appropriate form for the coördinate propositions related by antithesis or causality. Gibbs.

6. (Print.)

Defn: The punctuation point [.] that marks the end of a complete sentence, or of an abbreviated word.

7. (Math.)

Defn: One of several similar sets of figures or terms usually marked by points or commas placed at regular intervals, as in numeration, in the extraction of roots, and in circulating decimals.

8. (Med.)

Defn: The time of the exacerbation and remission of a disease, or of the paroxysm and intermission.

9. (Mus.)

Defn: A complete musical sentence. The period, the present or current time, as distinguished from all other times.

Syn. — Time; date; epoch; era; age; duration; limit; bound; end; conclusion; determination.

PERIOD Pe"ri*od, v. t.

Defn: To put an end to. [Obs.] Shak.

PERIOD Pe"ri*od, v. i.

Defn: To come to a period; to conclude. [Obs.] "You may period upon this, that," etc. Felthman.

PERIODATE Per*i"o*date, n. (Chem.)

Defn: A salt of periodic acid.

PERIODIC Per`i*od"ic, a. Etym: [Pref. per- + iodic.] (Chem.)

Defn: Pertaining to, derived from, or designating, the highest oxygen acid (HIO

PERIODIC; PERIODICAL Pe`ri*od"ic, Pe`ri*od"ic*al, a. Etym: [L. periodicus, Gr. périodique.]

1. Of or pertaining to a period or periods, or to division by periods. The periodicaltimes of all the satellites. Sir J. Herschel.

2. Performed in a period, or regular revolution; proceeding in a series of successive circuits; as, the periodical motion of the planets round the sun.

3. Happening, by revolution, at a stated time; returning regularly, after a certain period of time; acting, happening, or appearing, at fixed intervals; recurring; as, periodical epidemics. The periodic return of a plant's flowering. Henslow. To influence opinion through the periodical press. Courthope.

4. (Rhet.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to a period; constituting a complete sentence. Periodic comet (Astron.), a comet that moves about the sun in an elliptic orbit; a comet that has been seen at two of its approaches to the sun. — Periodic function (Math.), a function whose values recur at fixed intervals as the variable uniformly increases. The trigonomertic functions, as sin x, tan x, etc., are periodic functions. Exponential functions are also periodic, having an imaginary period, and the elliptic functions have not only a real but an imaginary period, and are hence called doubly periodic. — Periodic law (Chem.), the generalization that the properties of the chemical elements are periodic functions of their atomic wieghts. "In other words, if the elements are grouped in the order of their atomic weights, it will be found that nearly the same properties recur periodically throughout the entire series." The following tabular arrangement of the atomic weights shows the regular recurrence of groups (under I., II., III., IV., etc.), each consisting of members of the same natural family. The gaps in the table indicate the probable existence of unknown elements. TABLE OF THE PERIODIC LAW OF THE CHEMICAL ELEMENTS (The vertical columns contain the periodic groups) Series1{ 2{ 3{ 4{ 5{ 6{ 7{ 8{ 9{ 10{ 11{ 12{ ————————————————————————————- ——-|I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. | RH4 RH3 RH3 RH |R2O RO R3O3 RO2 R2O5 RO3 R2O7 RO4 ———————————————————————- ———————-H 1 Li 7 Na 23 K 39 (Cu) 63 Rb 85.2 (Ag) (108) Cs 133 (-) (-) (Au) (197) (-) ——————————————————————— —————————-

Note: A similar relation had been enunciated in a crude way by Newlands; but the law in its effective form was developed and elaborated by Mendelejeff, whence it is sometimes called Mendelejeff's law. Important extensions of it were also made by L. Meyer. By this means Mendelejeff predicted with remarkable accuracy the hypothetical elements ekaboron, ekaluminium, and ekasilicon, afterwards discovered and named respectively scandium, gallium, and germanium. — Periodic star (Astron.), a variable star whose changes of brightness recur at fixed periods. — Periodic time of a heavenly body (Astron.), the time of a complete revolution of the body about the sun, or of a satellite about its primary.

PERIODICAL Pe`ri*od"ic*al, n.

Defn: A magazine or other publication which appears at stated or regular intervals.

PERIODICALIST Pe`ri*od"ic*al*ist, n.

Defn: One who publishes, or writes for, a periodical.

PERIODICALLY Pe`ri*od"ic*al*ly, adv.

Defn: In a periodical manner.

PERIODICALNESS Pe`ri*od"ic*al*ness, n.

Defn: Periodicity.

PERIODICITY Pe`ri*o*dic"i*ty, n.; pl. Periodicities. Etym: [Cf. F. périodicité.]

Defn: The quality or state of being periodical, or regularly recurrent; as, the periodicity in the vital phenomena of plants. Henfrey.

PERIODIDE Per*i"o*dide, n. Etym: [Pref. per- + iodide.]

Defn: An iodide containing a higher proportion of iodine than any other iodide of the same substance or series.

PERIODONTAL Per`i*o*don"tal, a. Etym: [Pref. peri- + Gr. (Anat.)

Defn: Surrounding the teeth.

PERIODOSCOPE Pe`ri*od"o*scope, n. Etym: [Period + -scope.] (Med.)

Defn: A table or other means for calculating the periodical functions of women. Dunglison.

PERIOECI; PERIOECIANS Per`i*oe"ci, Per`i*oe"cians, n. pl. Etym: [NL. perioeci, fr. Gr.

Defn: Those who live on the same parallel of latitude but on opposite meridians, so that it is noon in one place when it is midnight in the other. Compare Antoeci.

PERIOPLE Per"i*o*ple, n. Etym: [F. périople, from Gr. (Anat.)

Defn: The external smooth horny layer of the hoof of the horse and allied animals.

PERIOPLIC Per`i*op"lic, a. (Anat.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to the periople; connected with the periople.

PERIOSTEAL Per`i*os"te*al, a. (Anat.)

Defn: Situated around bone; of or pertaining to the periosteum.

PERIOSTEUM Per`i*os"te*um, n. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. periosteon.] (Anat.)

Defn: The membrane of fibrous connective tissue which closely invests all bones except at the articular surfaces.

PERIOSTITIS Per`i*os*ti"tis, n. Etym: [NL. See Periosteum, and -itis.] (Med.)

Defn: Inflammation of the periosteum.

PERIOSTRACUM Per`i*os"tra*cum, n.; pl. Periostraca. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A chitinous membrane covering the exterior of many shells; — called also epidermis.

PERIOTIC Per`i*o"tic, a. Etym: [Pref. peri- + Gr. (Anat.)

Defn: Surrounding, or pertaining to the region surrounding, the internal ear; as, the periotic capsule. — n.

Defn: A periotic bone.

PERIPATECIAN Per`i*pa*te"cian, n.

Defn: A peripatetic. [Obs.]

PERIPATETIC Per`i*pa*tet"ic, a. Etym: [L. peripateticus, Gr. péripatétique.]

1. Walking about; itinerant.

2. Of or pertaining to the philosophy taught by Aristotle (who gave his instructions while walking in the Lyceum at Athens), or to his followers. "The true peripatetic school." Howell.

PERIPATETIC Per`i*pa*tet"ic, n.

1. One who walks about; a pedestrian; an itinerant. Tatler.

2. A disciple of Aristotle; an Aristotelian.

PERIPATETICAL Per`i*pa*tet"ic*al, a.

Defn: Peripatetic. [R.] Hales.

PERIPATETICISM Per`i*pa*tet"i*cism, n. Etym: [Cf. F. péripatétisme.]

Defn: The doctrines or philosophical system of the peripatetics. See Peripatetic, n., 2. Lond. Sat. Rev.

PERIPATUS Pe*rip"a*tus, n. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A genus of lowly organized arthropods, found in South Africa, Australia, and tropical America. It constitutes the order Malacopoda.

PERIPETALOUS Per`i*pet"al*ous, a. (Bot.)

Defn: Surrounding, or situated about, the petals.

PERIPHERAL Pe*riph"er*al, a.

1. Of or pertaining to a periphery; constituting a periphery; peripheric.

2. (Anat.)

Defn: External; away from the center; as, the peripheral portion of the nervous system.

PERIPHERIC; PERIPHERICAL Per`i*pher"ic, Per`i*pher"ic*al, a. Etym: [Cf. F. périphérique. See Periphery.]

Defn: See Peripheral.

PERIPHERY Pe*riph"er*y, n.; pl. Peripheries. Etym: [L. peripheria, Gr. périphérie.]

1. The outside or superficial portions of a body; the surface.

2. (Geom.)

Defn: The circumference of a circle, ellipse, or other figure.

PERIPHRASE Per"i*phrase, n. Etym: [L. periphrasis, Gr. périphrase. See Phrase.] (Rhet.)

Defn: The use of more words than are necessary to express the idea; a roundabout, or indirect, way of speaking; circumlocution. "To describe by enigmatic periphrases." De Quincey.

PERIPHRASE Per"i*phrase, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Periphrased; p. pr. & vb. n. Periphrasing.] Etym: [Cf. F. périphraser.]

Defn: To express by periphrase or circumlocution.

PERIPHRASE Per"i*phrase, v. i.

Defn: To use circumlocution.

PERIPHRASIS Pe*riph"ra*sis, n.; pl. Periphrases. Etym: [L.]

Defn: See Periphrase.

PERIPHRASTIC; PERIPHRASTICAL Per`i*phras"tic, Per`i*phras"tic*al, a. Etym: [Gr. périphrastique.]

Defn: Expressing, or expressed, in more words than are necessary; characterized by periphrase; circumlocutory. Periphrastic conjugation (Gram.), a conjugation formed by the use of the simple verb with one or more auxiliaries.

PERIPHRASTICALLY Per`i*phras"tic*al*ly, adv.

Defn: With circumlocution.

PERIPLAST Per"i*plast, n. Etym: [Pref. peri- + Gr. (Biol.)

Defn: Same as Periblast. — Per`i*plas"tic, a. Huxley.

PERIPNEUMONIA; PERIPNEUMONY Per`ip*neu*mo"ni*a, Per`ip*neu"mo*ny, n. Etym: [L. peripneumonia, Gr. péripneumonie. See Peri-, Pneumonia.] (Med.)

Defn: Pneumonia. (Obsoles.)

PERIPNEUMONIC Per`ip*neu*mon"ic, a. Etym: [L. peripneumonicus, Gr. péripneumonique.] (Med.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to peripneumonia.

PERIPROCT Per"i*proct, n. Etym: [Pref. peri- + Gr. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The region surrounding the anus, particularly of echinoderms.

PERIPROCTITIS Per`i*proc*ti"tis, n. Etym: [NL. See Peri-, and Proctitus.] (Med.)

Defn: Inflammation of the tissues about the rectum.

PERIPTERAL Pe*rip"ter*al, a. Etym: [Gr., fr. (Arch.)

Defn: Having columns on all sides; — said of an edifice. See Apteral.

PERIPTEROUS Pe*rip"ter*ous, a.

1. (Arch.)

Defn: Peripteral.

2. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Feathered all around.

PERIPTERY Pe*rip"ter*y, n. [Gr. flying round about.]

Defn: The region surrounding a moving body, such as the wing of a bird or a gliding aëroplane, within which cyclic or vortical motion of the air occur.

PERIQUE Pe*rique", n. [Louisiana F.]

Defn: A kind of tobacco with medium-sized leaf, small stem, tough and gummy fiber, raised in Louisiana, and cured in its own juices, so as to be very dark colored, usually black. It is marketed in tightly wrapped rolls called carottes.

PERISARC Per"i*sarc, n. Etym: [Pref. peri- + Gr. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The outer, hardened integument which covers most hydroids.

PERISCIAN Pe*ris"cian, a. Etym: [Gr. périscien.]

Defn: Having the shadow moving all around.

PERISCIANS; PERISCII Pe*ris"cians, Pe*ris"ci*i, n. pl. Etym: [NL. See Periscian.]

Defn: Those who live within a polar circle, whose shadows, during some summer days, will move entirely round, falling toward every point of the compass.

PERISCOPE Per"i*scope, n. Etym: [Pref. peri- + -scope.]

Defn: A general or comprehensive view. [R.]

PERISCOPIC Per`i*scop"ic, a. Etym: [Cf. F. périscopique.]

Defn: Viewing all around, or on all sides. Periscopic spectacles (Opt.), spectacles having concavo-convex or convexo-concave lenses with a considerable curvature corresponding to that of the eye, to increase the distinctness of objects viewed obliquely.

PERISH Per"ish, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Perished; p. pr. & vb. n. Perishing.] Etym: [OE. perissen, perisshen, F. périr, p.pr. périssant, L. perire to go or run through, come to nothing, perish; per through + ire to go. Cf. Issue, and see -ish.]

Defn: To be destroyed; to pass away; to become nothing; to be lost; to die; hence, to wither; to waste away. I perish with hunger! Luke xv. 17. Grow up and perish, as the summer fly. Milton. The thoughts of a soul that perish in thinking. Locke.

PERISH Per"ish, v. t.

Defn: To cause perish. [Obs.] Bacon.

PERISHABILITY Per`ish*a*bil"i*ty, n.

Defn: Perishableness.

PERISHABLE Per"ish*a*ble, a. Etym: [F. périssable.]

Defn: Liable to perish; subject to decay, destruction, or death; as, perishable goods; our perishable bodies.

PERISHABLENESS Per"ish*a*ble*ness, n.

Defn: The quality or state of being perishable; liability to decay or destruction. Locke.

PERISHABLY Per"ish*a*bly, adv.

Defn: In a perishable degree or manner.

PERISHMENT Per"ish*ment, n. Etym: [Cf. OF. perissement.]

Defn: The act of perishing. [R.] Udall.

PERISOMA Per`i*so"ma, n.; pl. Perisomata. Etym: [NL.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: Same as Perisome.

PERISOME Per"i*some, n. Etym: [Pref. peri- + -some body.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: The entire covering of an invertebrate animal, as echinoderm or coelenterate; the integument.

PERISPERM Per"i*sperm, n. Etym: [F. périsperme. See Peri-, and Sperm.] (Bot.)

Defn: The albumen of a seed, especially that portion which is formed outside of the embryo sac. — Per`i*sper"mic, a.

PERISPHERIC; PERISPHERICAL Per`i*spher"ic, Per`i*spher"ic*al, a.

Defn: Exactly spherical; globular.

PERISPOMENON Per`i*spom"e*non, n.; pl. Perispomena. Etym: [NL., from Gr. (Gr. Gram.)

Defn: A word which has the circumflex accent on the last syllable. Goodwin.

PERISPORE Per"i*spore, n. (Bot.)

Defn: The outer covering of a spore.

PERISSAD Per"is*sad, a. Etym: [Gr. (Chem.)

Defn: Odd; not even; — said of elementary substances and of radicals whose valence is not divisible by two without a remainder. Contrasted with artiad.

PERISSE Per"isse, v. i.

Defn: To perish. [Obs.] Chaucer.

PERISSODACTYL Per`is*so*dac"tyl, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: One of the Perissodactyla.

PERISSODACTYLA Per`is*so*dac"ty*la, n. pl. Etym: [NL., from Gr. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A division of ungulate mammals, including those that have an odd number of toes, as the horse, tapir, and rhinoceros; — opposed to Artiodactyla.

PERISSOLOGICAL Per`is*so*log"ic*al, a. Etym: [Cf. F. périssologique.]

Defn: Redundant or excessive in words. [R.]

PERISSOLOGY Per`is*sol"o*gy, n. Etym: [L. perissologia, Gr.

Defn: Superfluity of words. [R.] G. Campbell.

PERISTALSIS Per`i*stal"sis, n. Etym: [NL. See Peristaltic.] (Physiol.)

Defn: Peristaltic contraction or action.

PERISTALTIC Per`i*stal"tic, a. Etym: [Gr. péristaltique.] (Physiol.)

Defn: Applied to the peculiar wormlike wave motion of the intestines and other similar structures, produced by the successive contraction of the muscular fibers of their walls, forcing their contents onwards; as, peristaltic movement. — Per`i*stal"tic*al*ly, adv.

PERISTERIA Per`is*te"ri*a, n. Etym: [NL. See Peristerion.] (Bot.)

Defn: A genus of orchidaceous plants. See Dove plant.

PERISTERION Per`is*te"ri*on, n. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. peristereon.] (Bot.)

Defn: The herb vervain (Verbena officinalis).

PERISTERITE Pe*ris"ter*ite, n. Etym: [Gr. (Min.)

Defn: A variety of albite, whitish and slightly iridescent like a pigeon's neck.

PERISTEROMORPHOUS Pe*ris`ter*o*mor"phous, a. Etym: [Gr. -morphous.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: Like or pertaining to the pigeons or Columbæ.

PERISTEROPODOUS Pe*ris`ter*op"o*dous, a. Etym: [Gr. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Having pigeonlike feet; — said of those gallinaceous birds that rest on all four toes, as the curassows and megapods.

PERISTOLE Pe*ris"to*le, n. Etym: [NL.: cf. F. péristole. See Peristaltic.] (Physiol.)

Defn: Peristaltic action, especially of the intestines.

PERISTOMA Pe*ris"to*ma, n.; pl. Peristomata. Etym: [NL.]

Defn: Same as Peristome.

PERISTOME Per"i*stome, n. Etym: [Pref. peri- + Gr.

1. (Bot.)

Defn: The fringe of teeth around the orifice of the capsule of mosses. It consists of 4, 8, 16, 32, or 64 teeth, and may be either single or double.

2. (Zoöl.) (a) The lip, or edge of the aperture, of a spiral shell. (b) The membrane surrounding the mouth of an invertebrate animal.

PERISTOMIAL Per`i*sto"mi*al, a. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to a peristome.

PERISTOMIUM Per`i*sto"mi*um, n. Etym: [NL.]

Defn: Same as Peristome.

PERISTREPHIC Per`i*streph"ic, a. Etym: [Gr.

Defn: Turning around; rotatory; revolving; as, a peristrephic painting (of a panorama).

PERISTYLE Per"i*style, n. Etym: [L. peristylum, Gr. péristyle.] (Arch.)

Defn: A range of columns with their entablature, etc.; specifically, a complete system of columns, whether on all sides of a court, or surrounding a building, such as the cella of a temple. Used in the former sense, it gives name to the larger and inner court of a Roman dwelling, the peristyle. See Colonnade.

PERISYSTOLE Per`i*sys"to*le, n. Etym: [Pref. peri- + systole: cf. F. périsystole.] (Physiol.)

Defn: The interval between the diastole and systole of the heart. It is perceptible only in the dying.

PERITE Pe*rite", a. Etym: [L. peritus.]

Defn: Skilled. [Obs.]

PERITHECIUM Per`i*the"ci*um, n. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Bot.)

Defn: An organ in certain fungi and lichens, surrounding and enveloping the masses of fructification. Henslow.

PERITOMOUS Pe*rit"o*mous, a. Etym: [Gr. Peri-, and Tome.] (Min.)

Defn: Cleaving in more directions than one, parallel to the axis.

PERITONAEUM Per`i*to*næ"um, n. (Anat.)

Defn: Same as Peritoneum.

PERITONEAL Per`i*to*ne"al, a. Etym: [Cf. F. péritonéal.] (Anat.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to the peritoneum.

PERITONEUM Per`i*to*ne"um, n. Etym: [L. peritoneum, peritonaeum, Gr. (Anat.)

Defn: The smooth serous membrane which lines the cavity of the abdomen, or the whole body cavity when there is no diaphragm, and, turning back, surrounds the viscera, forming a closed, or nearly closed, sac. [Written also peritonæum.]

PERITONITIS Per`i*to*ni"tis, n. Etym: [NL. See Peritoneum, and -itis.] (Med.)

Defn: Inflammation of the peritoneum.

PERITRACHEAL Per`i*tra"che*al, a. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Surrounding the tracheæ.

PERITREME Per"i*treme, n. Etym: [Pref. peri- + Gr. (Zoöl.) (a) That part of the integument of an insect which surrounds the spiracles. (b) The edge of the aperture of a univalve shell.

PERITRICHA Pe*rit"ri*cha, n. pl. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A division of ciliated Infusoria having a circle of cilia around the oral disk and sometimes another around the body. It includes the vorticellas. See Vorticella.

PERITROCHIUM Per`i*tro"chi*um, n. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Mech.)

Defn: The wheel which, together with the axle, forms the axis in peritrochio, which see under Axis.

PERITROPAL Per*it"ro*pal, a. Etym: [Gr. péritrope.]

1. Rotatory; circuitous. [R.]

2. Having the axis of the seed perpendicular to the axis of the pericarp to which it is attached.

PERITROPOUS Per*it"ro*pous, a.

Defn: Peritropal.

PERITYPHLITIS Per`i*typh*li"tis, n. Etym: [NL. See Peri-, and Typhlitis.] (Med.)

Defn: Inflammation of the connective tissue about the cæcum.

PERIUTERINE Per`i*u"ter*ine, a. (Med.)

Defn: Surrounding the uterus.

PERIVASCULAR Per`i*vas"cu*lar, a.

Defn: Around the blood vessels; as, perivascular lymphatics.

PERIVERTEBRAL Per`i*ver"te*bral, a. (Anat.)

Defn: Surrounding the vertebræ.

PERIVISCERAL Per`i*vis"cer*al, a. (Anat.)

Defn: Around the viscera; as, the perivisceral cavity.

PERIVITELLINE Per`i*vi*tel"line, a. Etym: [Pref. peri- + vitelline.] (Biol.)

Defn: Situated around the vitellus, or between the vitellus and zona pellucida of an ovum.

PERIWIG Per"i*wig, n. Etym: [OE. perrwige, perwicke, corrupt. fr. F. perruque; cf. OD. peruyk, from French. See Peruke, and cf. Wig.]

Defn: A headdress of false hair, usually covering the whole head, and representing the natural hair; a wig. Shak.

PERIWIG Per"i*wig, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Perwigged; p. pr. & vb. n. Perwigging.]

Defn: To dress with a periwig, or with false hair. Swift.

PERIWINKLE Per"i*win`kle, n. Etym: [From AS. pinewincla a shellfish, in which pine- is fr. L. pina, pinna, a kind of mussel, akin to Gr. Winkle.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: Any small marine gastropod shell of the genus Littorina. The common European species (Littorina littorea), in Europe extensively used as food, has recently become naturalized abundantly on the American coast. See Littorina.

Note: In America the name is often applied to several large univalves, as Fulgur carica, and F. canaliculata.

PERIWINKLE Per"i*win`kle, n. Etym: [OE. pervenke, AS. pervince, fr. L. pervinca.] (Bot.)

Defn: A trailing herb of the genus Vinca.

Note: The common perwinkle (Vinca minor) has opposite evergreen leaves and solitary blue or white flowers in their axils. In America it is often miscalled myrtle. See under Myrtle.

PERJENET Per"jen*et, n. Etym: [Cf. Pear, and Jenneting.]

Defn: A kind of pear. [Obs.] Chaucer.

PERJURE Per"jure, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Perjured; p. pr. & vb. n. Perjuring.] Etym: [F. parjurer, L. perjurare, perjerare; per through, over + jurare to swear. See Jury.]

1. To cause to violate an oath or a vow; to cause to make oath knowingly to what is untrue; to make guilty of perjury; to forswear; to corrupt; — often used reflexively; as, he perjured himself. Want will perjure The ne'er-touched vestal. Shak.

2. To make a false oath to; to deceive by oaths and protestations. [Obs.] And with a virgin innocence did pray For me, that perjured her. J. Fletcher.

Syn. — To Perjure, Forswear. These words have been used interchangeably; but there is a tendency to restrict perjure to that species of forswearing which constitutes the crime of perjury at law, namely, the willful violation of an oath administered by a magistrate or according to law.

PERJURE Per"jure, n. Etym: [L. perjurus: cf. OF. parjur, F. parjure.]

Defn: A perjured person. [Obs.] Shak.

PERJURED Per"jured, a.

Defn: Guilty of perjury; having sworn falsely; forsworn. Shak. "Perjured persons." 1 Tim. i. 10. "Their perjured oath." Spenser.

PERJURER Per"jur*er, n.

Defn: One who is guilty of perjury; one who perjures or forswears, in any sense.

PERJURIOUS; PERJUROUS Per*ju"ri*ous, Per"ju*rous, a. Etym: [L. perjuriosus, perjurus.]

Defn: Guilty of perjury; containing perjury. [Obs.] Quarles. B. Johnson.

PERJURY Per"ju*ry, n.; pl. Perjuries. Etym: [L. perjurium. See Perjure, v.]

1. False swearing.

2. (Law)

Defn: At common law, a willfully false statement in a fact material to the issue, made by a witness under oath in a competent judicial proceeding. By statute the penalties of perjury are imposed on the making of willfully false affirmations.

Note: If a man swear falsely in nonjudicial affidavits, it is made perjury by statute in some jurisdictions in the United States.

PERK Perk, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Perked; p. pr. & vb. n. Perking.] Etym: [Cf. W. percu to trim, to make smart.]

Defn: To make trim or smart; to straighten up; to erect; to make a jaunty or saucy display of; as, to perk the ears; to perk up one's head. Cowper. Sherburne.

PERK Perk, v. i.

Defn: To exalt one's self; to bear one's self loftily. "To perk over them." Barrow. To perk it, to carry one's self proudly or saucily. Pope.

PERK Perk, a.

Defn: Smart; trim; spruce; jaunty; vain. "Perk as a peacock." Spenser.

PERK Perk, v. i.

Defn: To peer; to look inquisitively. Dickens.

PERKIN Per"kin, n.

Defn: A kind of weak perry.

PERKINISM Per"kin*ism, n. (Med.)

Defn: A remedial treatment, by drawing the pointed extremities of two rods, each of a different metal, over the affected part; tractoration, — first employed by Dr. Elisha Perkins of Norwich, Conn. See Metallotherapy.

PERKY Perk"y, a.

Defn: Perk; pert; jaunty; trim. There amid perky larches and pines. Tennyson.

PERLACEOUS Per*la"ceous, a. Etym: [See Pearl.]

Defn: Pearly; resembling pearl.

PERLID Per"lid, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Any insect of the genus Perla, or family Perlidæ. See Stone fly, under Stone.

PERLITE Per"lite, n. (Min.)

Defn: Same as Pearlite.

PERLITIC Per*lit"ic, a. (Min.)

Defn: Relating to or resembling perlite, or pearlstone; as, the perlitic structure of certain rocks. See Pearlite.

PERLOUS Per"lous, a.

Defn: Perilous. [Obs.] Spenser.

PERLUSTRATION Per`lus*tra"tion, n. Etym: [L. perlustrare to wander all through, to survey. See 3d Luster.]

Defn: The act of viewing all over. [Archaic] Howell.

PERMANABLE Per"ma*na*ble, a.

Defn: Permanent; durable. [Obs.] Lydgate.

PERMANENCE; PERMANENCY Per"ma*nence, Per"ma*nen*cy, n. Etym: [Cf. F. permanence.]

Defn: The quality or state of being permanent; continuance in the same state or place; duration; fixedness; as, the permanence of institutions; the permanence of nature.

PERMANENT Per"ma*nent, a. Etym: [L. permanens, -entis, p.pr. of permanere to stay or remain to the end, to last; per + manere to remain: cf. F. permanent. See Per-, and Mansion.]

Defn: Continuing in the same state, or without any change that destroys form or character; remaining unaltered or unremoved; abiding; durable; fixed; stable; lasting; as, a permanent impression. Eternity stands permanent and fixed. Dryden. Permanent gases (Chem. & Physics), hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon monoxide; — also called incondensible or incoercible gases, before their liquefaction in 1877. — Permanent way, the roadbed and superstructure of a finished railway; — so called in distinction from the contractor's temporary way. — Permanent white (Chem.), barium sulphate (heavy spar), used as a white pigment or paint, in distinction from white lead, which tarnishes and darkens from the formation of the sulphide.

Syn. — Lasting; durable; constant. See Lasting.

PERMANENTLY Per"ma*nent*ly, adv.

Defn: In a permanent manner.

PERMANGANATE Per*man"ga*nate, n. (Chem.)

Defn: A salt of permanganic acid. Potassium permanganate. (Chem.) See Potassium permanganate, under Potassium.

PERMANGANIC Per`man*gan"ic, a. (Chem.)

Defn: Pertaining to, or designating, one of the higher acids of manganese, HMnO4, which forms salts called permanganates.

PERMANSION Per*man"sion, n. Etym: [L. permansio. See Permanent.]

Defn: Continuance. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.

PERMEABILITY Per`me*a*bil"i*ty, n. Etym: [Cf. F. perméabilité.]

Defn: The quality or state of being permeable. Magnetic permeability (Physics), the specific capacity of a body for magnetic induction, or its conducting power for lines of magnetic force. Sir W. Thomson.

PERMEABLE Per"me*a*ble, a. Etym: [L. permeabilis: cf. F. perméable. See Permeate.]

Defn: Capable of being permeated, or passed through; yielding passage; passable; penetrable; — used especially of substances which allow the passage of fluids; as, wood is permeable to oil; glass is permeable to light. I. Taylor.

PERMEABLY Per"me*a*bly, adv.

Defn: In a permeable manner.

PERMEANCE Per"me*ance, n. [See Permeant.]

Defn: Permeation; specif. (Magnetism),

Defn: the reciprocal of reluctance.

PERMEANT Per"me*ant, a. Etym: [L. permeans, p.pr.]

Defn: Passing through; permeating. [R.] Sir T. Browne.

PERMEATE Per"me*ate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Permeated; p. pr. & vb. n. Permeating.] Etym: [L. permeatus, p.p. of permeare to permeate; per + meare to go, pass.]

1. To pass through the pores or interstices of; to penetrate and pass through without causing rupture or displacement; — applied especially to fluids which pass through substances of loose texture; as, water permeates sand. Woodward.

2. To enter and spread through; to pervade. God was conceived to be diffused throughout the whole world, to permeate and pervade all things. Cudworth.

PERMEATION Per`me*a"tion, n.

Defn: The act of permeating, passing through, or spreading throughout, the pores or interstices of any substance. Here is not a mere involution only, but a spiritual permeation and inexistence. Bp. Hall.

PERMIAN Per"mi*an, a. Etym: [From the ancient kingdom of Permia, where the Permian formation exists.] (Geol.)

Defn: Belonging or relating to the period, and also to the formation, next following the Carboniferous, and regarded as closing the Carboniferous age and Paleozoic era. — n.

Defn: The Permian period. See Chart of Geology.

PERMIANS Per"mi*ans, n. pl.; sing. Permian (. (Ethnol.)

Defn: A tribe belonging to the Finnic race, and inhabiting a portion of Russia.

PERMISCIBLE Per*mis"ci*ble, a. Etym: [L. permiscere to mingle; per + miscere to mix.]

Defn: Capable of being mixed.

PERMISS Per*miss", n. Etym: [See Permit.]

Defn: A permitted choice; a rhetorical figure in which a thing is committed to the decision of one's opponent. [Obs.] Milton.

PERMISSIBILITY Per*mis`si*bil"i*ty, n.

Defn: The quality of being permissible; permissibleness; allowableness.

PERMISSIBLE Per*mis"si*ble, a.

Defn: That may be permitted; allowable; admissible. — Per*mis"si*ble*ness, n. — Per*mis"si*bly, adv.

PERMISSION Per*mis"sion, n. Etym: [L. permissio: cf. F. permission. See Permit.]

Defn: The act of permitting or allowing; formal consent; authorization; leave; license or liberty granted. High permission of all-ruling Heaven. Milton. You have given me your permission for this address. Dryden.

Syn. — Leave; liberty; license. — Leave, Permission. Leave implies that the recipient may decide whether to use the license granted or not. Permission is the absence on the part of another of anything preventive, and in general, at least by implication, signifies approval.

PERMISSIVE Per*mis"sive, a.

1. Permitting; granting leave or liberty. "By his permissive will." Milton.

2. Permitted; tolerated; suffered. Milton.

PERMISSIVELY Per*mis"sive*ly, adv.

Defn: In a permissive manner.

PERMISTION Per*mis"tion, n. Etym: [L. permistio, permixtio, fr. permiscere, permistum, and permixtum. See Permiscible.]

Defn: The act of mixing; the state of being mingled; mixture. [Written also permixtion.]

PERMIT Per*mit", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Permitted; p. pr. & vb. n. Permitting.] Etym: [L. permittere, permissum, to let through, to allow, permit; per + mittere to let go, send. See Per-, and Mission.]

1. To consent to; to allow or suffer to be done; to tolerate; to put up with. What things God doth neither command nor forbid . . . he permitteth with approbation either to be done or left undone. Hooker.

2. To grant (one) express license or liberty to do an act; to authorize; to give leave; — followed by an infinitive. Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Acis xxvi. 1.

3. To give over; to resign; to leave; to commit. Let us not aggravate our sorrows, But to the gods permit the event of things. Addison.

Syn. — To allow; let; grant; admit; suffer; tolerate; endure; consent to. — To Allow, Permit, Suffer, Tolerate. To allow is more positive, denoting (at least originally and etymologically) a decided assent, either directly or by implication. To permit is more negative, and imports only acquiescence or an abstinence from prevention. The distinction, however, is often disregarded by good writers. To suffer has a stronger passive or negative sense than to permit, sometimes implying against the will, sometimes mere indifference. To tolerate is to endure what is contrary to will or desire. To suffer and to tolerate are sometimes used without discrimination.

PERMIT Per*mit", v. i.

Defn: To grant permission; to allow.

PERMIT Per"mit, n.

Defn: Warrant; license; leave; permission; specifically, a written license or permission given to a person or persons having authority; as, a permit to land goods subject to duty.

PERMITTANCE Per*mit"tance, n.

Defn: The act of permitting; allowance; permission; leave. Milton.

PERMITTEE Per`mit*tee", n.

Defn: One to whom a permission or permit is given.

PERMITTER Per*mit"ter, n.

Defn: One who permits. A permitter, or not a hinderer, of sin. J. Edwards.

PERMIX Per*mix", v. t.

Defn: To mix; to mingle. [Obs.]

PERMIXTION Per*mix"tion, n.

Defn: See Permission.

PERMULATOR Per"mu*la`tor, n. (Elec.)

Defn: A special form of rotary converter with stationary commutator and rotating brushes, in which the exciting field is induced by the alternating current in a short-circuited magnetic core instead of being produced by an external magnet.

PERMUTABLE Per*mut"a*ble, a. Etym: [Cf. F. permutable.]

Defn: Capable of being permuted; exchangeable. — Per*mut"a*ble*ness, n. — Per*mut"a*bly, adv.

PERMUTATION Per`mu*ta"tion, n. Etym: [L. permutatio: cf. F. permutation. See Permute.]

1. The act of permuting; exchange of the thing for another; mutual transference; interchange. The violent convulsions and permutations that have been made in property. Burke.

2. (Math.) (a) The arrangement of any determinate number of things, as units, objects, letters, etc., in all possible orders, one after the other; — called also alternation. Cf. Combination, n., 4. (b) Any one of such possible arrangements.

3. (Law)

Defn: Barter; exchange. Permutation lock, a lock in which the parts can be transposed or shifted, so as to require different arrangements of the tumblers on different occasions of unlocking.

PERMUTE Per*mute", v. t. Etym: [L. permutare, permutatum; per + mutare to change: cf. F. permuter.]

1. To interchange; to transfer reciprocally.

2. To exchange; to barter; to traffic. [Obs.] Bought, trucked, permuted, or given. Hakluyt.

PERMUTER Per*mut"er, n.

Defn: One who permutes.

PERN Pern, v. t. Etym: [See Pernancy.]

Defn: To take profit of; to make profitable. [Obs.] Sylvester.

PERN Pern, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The honey buzzard.

PERNANCY Per"nan*cy, n. Etym: [OF. prenance, fr. prendre, prenre, penre, to take, L. prendere, prehendere.] (Law)

Defn: A taking or reception, as the receiving of rents or tithes in kind, the receiving of profits. Blackstone.

PERNEL Per"nel, n.

Defn: See Pimpernel. [Obs.]

PERNICION Per*ni"cion, n. Etym: [See 2d Pernicious.]

Defn: Destruction; perdition. [Obs.] hudibras.

PERNICIOUS Per*ni"cious, a. Etym: [L. pernix, -icis.]

Defn: Quick; swift (to burn). [R.] Milton.

PERNICIOUS Per*ni"cious, a. Etym: [L. perniciosus, from pernicies destruction, from pernecare to kill or slay outright; per + necare to kill, slay: cf. F. pernicieux. Cf. Nuisance, Necromancy.]

Defn: Having the quality of injuring or killing; destructive; very mischievous; baleful; malicious; wicked. Let this pernicious hour Stand aye accursed in the calendar. Shak. Pernicious to his health. Prescott.

Syn. — Destructive; ruinous; deadly; noxious; injurious; baneful; deleterious; hurtful; mischievous. — Per*ni"cious*ly, adv., — Per*ni"cious*ness, n.

PERNICITY Per*nic"i*ty, n. Etym: [L. pernicitas. See 1st Pernicious.]

Defn: Swiftness; celerity. [R.] Ray.

PERNICKETY PERNICKETTY { Per*nick"et*y Per*nick"et*ty }, a.

Defn: Finical or fussy; full of petty details. [Colloq.]

PERNIO Per"ni*o, n. Etym: [L.] (Med.)

Defn: A chilblain.

PERNOCTALIAN Per`noc*ta"li*an, n.

Defn: One who watches or keeps awake all night.

PERNOCTATION Per`noc*ta"tion, n. Etym: [L. pernoctatio, fr. pernoctare to stay all night; per + nox, noctis, night.]

Defn: The act or state of passing the whole night; a remaining all night. "Pernoctation in prayer." Jer. Taylor.

PERNOR Per"nor, n. Etym: [See Pern, v.] (Law)

Defn: One who receives the profits, as of an estate.

PERNOT FURNACE Per"not fur"nace. Etym: [So called from Charles Pernot, its inventor.]

Defn: A reverberatory furnace with a circular revolving hearth, — used in making steel.

PERNYI MOTH Per"ny*i moth". (Zoöl.)

Defn: A silk-producing moth (Attacus Pernyi) which feeds upon the oak. It has been introduced into Europe and America from China.

PEROFSKITE Per*of"skite, n. Etym: [From von Perovski, of St.Petersburg.] (Min.)

Defn: A titanate of lime occurring in octahedral or cubic crystals. [Written also Perovskite.]

PEROGUE Pe*rogue, n.

Defn: See Pirogue.

PERONATE Per"o*nate, a. Etym: [L. peronatus roughpero, -onis, a kind of rough boot.] (Bot.)

Defn: A term applied to the stipes or stalks of certain fungi which are covered with a woolly substance which at length becomes powdery. Henslow.

PERONEAL Per`o*ne"al, a. Etym: [Gr. (Anat.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to the fibula; in the region of the fibula.

PERORATE Per"o*rate, v. i. Etym: [See Peroration.]

Defn: To make a peroration; to harangue. [Colloq.]

PERORATION Per`o*ra"tion, n. Etym: [L. peroratio, fr. perorate, peroratum, to speak from beginning to end; per + orate to speak. See Per-, and Oration.] (Rhet.)

Defn: The concluding part of an oration; especially, a final summing up and enforcement of an argument. Burke.

PEROXIDATION Per*ox`i*da"tion, n.

Defn: Act, process, or result of peroxidizing; oxidation to a peroxide.

PEROXIDE Per*ox"ide, n. (Chem.)

Defn: An oxide containing more oxygen than some other oxide of the same element. Formerly peroxides were regarded as the highest oxides. Cf. Per-, 2.

PEROXIDIZE Per*ox"i*dize, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Peroxidized; p. pr. & vb. n. Peroxidizing.] (Chem.)

Defn: To oxidize to the utmost degree, so as to form a peroxide.

PERPEND Per*pend", v. t. Etym: [L. perpendere, perpensum; per + pendere to weight.]

Defn: To weight carefully in the mind. [R.] "Perpend my words." Shak.

PERPEND Per*pend", v. i.

Defn: To attend; to be attentive. [R.] Shak.

PERPENDER Per*pend"er, n. Etym: [F. parpaing, pierre parpaigne; of uncertain origin.] (Masonry)

Defn: A large stone reaching through a wall so as to appear on both sides of it, and acting as a binder; — called also perbend, perpend stone, and perpent stone.

PERPENDICLE Per*pen"di*cle, n. Etym: [L. perpendiculum; per + pendere to hang: cf. F. perpendicule.]

Defn: Something hanging straight down; a plumb line. [Obs.]

PERPENDICULAR Per`pen*dic"u*lar, a. Etym: [L. perpendicularis, perpendicularius: cf. F. perpendiculaire. See Perpendicle, Pension.]

1. Exactly upright or vertical; pointing to the zenith; at right angles to the plane of the horizon; extending in a right line from any point toward the center of the earth.

2. (Geom.)

Defn: At right angles to a given line or surface; as, the line ad is perpendicular to the line bc. Perpendicular style (Arch.), a name given to the latest variety of English Gothic architecture, which prevailed from the close of the 14th century to the early part of the 16th; — probably so called from the vertical style of its window mullions.

PERPENDICULAR Per`pen*dic"u*lar, n.

1. A line at right angles to the plane of the horizon; a vertical line or direction.

2. (Geom.)

Defn: A line or plane falling at right angles on another line or surface, or making equal angles with it on each side.

PERPENDICULARITY Per`pen*dic`u*lar"i*ty, n. Etym: [Cf. F. perpendicularité.]

Defn: The quality or state of being perpendicular.

PERPENDICULARLY Per`pen*dic"u*lar*ly, adv.

Defn: In a perpendicular manner; vertically.

PERPEND STONE Per"pend stone`.

Defn: See Perpender.

PERPENSION Per*pen"sion, n. Etym: [See Perpend.]

Defn: Careful consideration; pondering. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.

PERPENSITY Per*pen"si*ty, n.

Defn: Perpension. [Obs.]

PERPENT STONE Per"pent stone`.

Defn: See Perpender.

PERPESSION Per*pes"sion, n. Etym: [L. perpessio, fr. perpeti, perpessus, to bear steadfastly; per + pati to bear.]

Defn: Suffering; endurance. [Obs.] Bp. Pearson.

PERPETRABLE Per"pe*tra"ble, a.

Defn: Capable of being perpetrated. R. North.

PERPETRATE Per"pe*trate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Perpetrated; p. pr. & vb. n. Perpetrating.] Etym: [L. perpetratus, p.p. of perpetrare to effect, perpetrare; per + patrare to perform.]

Defn: To do or perform; to carry through; to execute, commonly in a bad sense; to commit (as a crime, an offense); to be guilty of; as, to perpetrate a foul deed. What the worst perpetrate, or best endure. Young.

PERPETRATION Per`pe*tra"tion, n. Etym: [L. perpetratio: cf. F. perpétration.]

1. The act of perpetrating; a doing; — commonly used of doing something wrong, as a crime.

2. The thing perpetrated; an evil action.

PERPETRATOR Per"pe*tra`tor, n. Etym: [L.]

Defn: One who perpetrates; esp., one who commits an offense or crime.

PERPETUABLE Per*pet"u*a*ble, a.

Defn: Capable of being perpetuated or continued. Varieties are perpetuable, like species. Gray.

PERPETUAL Per*pet"u*al, a. Etym: [OE. perpetuel, F. perpétuel, fr. L. perpetualis, fr. perpetuus continuing throughout, continuous, fr. perpes, -etis, lasting throughout.]

Defn: Neverceasing; continuing forever or for an unlimited time; unfailing; everlasting; continuous. Unto the kingdom of perpetual night. Shak. Perpetual feast of nectared sweets. Milton. Circle of perpetual apparition, or occultation. See under Circle. — Perpetual calendar, a calendar so devised that it may be adjusted for any month or year. — Perpetual curacy (Ch. of Eng.), a curacy in which all the tithes are appropriated, and no vicarage is endowed. Blackstone. — Perpetual motion. See under Motion. — Perpetual screw. See Endless screw, under Screw.

Syn. — Continual; unceasing; endless; everlasting; incessant; constant; eternal. See Constant.

PERPETUAL CALENDAR Per*pet"u*al cal"en*dar.

Defn: A calendar that can be used perpetually or over a wide range of years. That of Capt. Herschel covers, as given below, dates from 1750 to 1961 only, but is capable of indefinite extension.

PERPETUAL CALENDAR Day of the monthJan. Oct.Apr. July Jan.Sept. Dec.JuneFeb. Mar. Nov.Aug. Feb.MayDay of the Week 1815 2229 2916 2330 31017 2431 41118 25 51219 26 61320 27 @71421 28 To find the day of the week corresponding to any date, find the small letter directly under the month and opposite the day of the month; the same small letter also appears in the vertical column that contains the number of the year, and if the line in which it stands is followed out to the right, the day of the week is found. Thus, the small letter under March and opposite 18 is b; b appears again directly over 1904, and at its right is the word Friday. March 18 fell on Friday in 1904, and also in 1898, 1892, etc. The calendar has other uses, as for finding the months which begin on Sunday in a particular year, etc. |1753 |1754 |1755 |1750 |1751 |1757 |*1752 |1759 |1765 |*1760 |1761 |*1756 |1763 |1758

PERPETUALLY Per*pet"u*al*ly, adv.

Defn: In a perpetual manner; constantly; continually. The Bible and Common Prayer Book in the vulgar tongue, being perpetually read in churches, have proved a kind of standard for language. Swift.

PERPETUALTY Per*pet"u*al*ty, n.

Defn: The state or condition of being perpetual. [Obs.] Testament of Love.

PERPETUANCE Per*pet"u*ance, n.

Defn: Perpetuity. [Obs.]

PERPETUATE Per*pet"u*ate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Perpetuated; p. pr. & vb. n. Perpetuating.] Etym: [L. perpetuatus, p.p. of perpetuare to perpetuate. See Perpetual.]

Defn: To make perpetual; to cause to endure, or to be continued, indefinitely; to preserve from extinction or oblivion; to eternize. Addison. Burke.

PERPETUATE Per*pet"u*ate, a. Etym: [L. perpetuatus, p.p.]

Defn: Made perpetual; perpetuated. [R.] Southey.

PERPETUATION Per*pet`u*a"tion, n. Etym: [Cf. F. perpétuation.]

Defn: The act of making perpetual, or of preserving from extinction through an endless existence, or for an indefinite period of time; continuance. Sir T. Browne.

PERPETUITY Per`pe*tu"i*ty, n. Etym: [L. perpetuitas: cf. F. perpétuité.]

1. The quality or state of being perpetual; as, the perpetuity of laws. Bacon. A path to perpetuity of fame. Byron. The perpetuity of single emotion is insanity. I. Taylor.

2. Something that is perpetual. South.

3. Endless time. "And yet we should, for perpetuity, go hence in debt." Shak.

4. (Annuities) (a) The number of years in which the simple interest of any sum becomes equal to the principal. (b) The number of years' purchase to be given for an annuity to continue forever. (c) A perpetual annuity.

5. (Law) (a) Duration without limitations as to time. (b) The quality or condition of an estate by which it becomes inalienable, either perpetually or for a very long period; also, the estate itself so modified or perpetuated.

PERPLEX Per*plex", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Perplexed; p. pr. & vb. n. Perplexing.] Etym: [L. perplexari. See Perplex, a.]

1. To involve; to entangle; to make intricate or complicated, and difficult to be unraveled or understood; as, to perplex one with doubts. No artful wildness to perplex the scene. Pope. What was thought obscure, perplexed, and too hard for our weak parts, will lie open to the understanding in a fair view. Locke.

2. To embarrass; to puzzle; to distract; to bewilder; to confuse; to trouble with ambiguity, suspense, or anxiety. "Perplexd beyond self- explication." Shak. We are perplexed, but not in despair. 2 Cor. iv. 8. We can distinguish no general truths, or at least shall be apt to perplex the mind. Locke.

3. To plague; to vex; to tormen. Glanvill.

Syn. — To entangle; involve; complicate; embarrass; puzzle; bewilder; confuse; distract. See Embarrass.

PERPLEX Per*plex", a. Etym: [L. perplexus entangled, intricate; per + plectere, plexum, to plait, braid: cf. F. perplexe. See Per-, and Plait.]

Defn: Intricate; difficult. [Obs.] Glanvill.

PERPLEXED Per*plexed", a.

Defn: Entangled, involved, or confused; hence, embarrassd; puzzled; doubtful; anxious. — Per*plex"ed*ly, adv. — Per*plex"ed*ness, n.

PERPLEXING Per*plex"ing, a.

Defn: Embarrassing; puzzling; troublesome. "Perplexing thoughts." Milton.

PERPLEXITY Per*plex"i*ty, n.; pl. Perplexities. Etym: [L. perplexitas: cf. F. perplexité.]

Defn: The quality or state of being perplexed or puzzled; complication; intricacy; entanglement; distraction of mind through doubt or difficulty; embarrassment; bewilderment; doubt. By their own perplexities involved, They ravel more. Milton.

PERPLEXIVENESS Per*plex"ive*ness, n.

Defn: The quality of being perplexing; tendency to perplex. [Obs.] Dr. H. More.

PERPLEXLY Per*plex"ly, adv.

Defn: Perplexedly. [Obs.] Milton.

PERPOTATION Per`po*ta"tion, n. Etym: [L. perpotatio, fr. perpotate. See Per-, and Potation.]

Defn: The act of drinking excessively; a drinking bout. [Obs.]

PERQUISITE Per"qui*site, n. Etym: [L. perquisitum, fr. perquisitus, p.p. of perquirere to ask for diligently; per + quaerere to seek. See Per-, and Quest.]

1. Something gained from a place or employment over and above the ordinary salary or fixed wages for services rendered; especially, a fee allowed by law to an officer for a specific service. The pillage of a place taken by storm was regarded as the perquisite of the soldiers. Prescott. The best perquisites of a place are the advantages it gaves a man of doing good. Addison.

2. pl. (Law)

Defn: Things gotten by a man's own industry, or purchased with his own money, as opposed to things which come to him by descent. Mozley & W.

PERQUISITED Per"qui*sit*ed, a.

Defn: Supplied with perquisites. [Obs.] "Perquisited varlets frequent stand." Savage.

PERQUISITION Per`qui*si"tion, n. Etym: [Cf. F. perquisition.]

Defn: A thorough inquiry of search. [R.] Berkeley.

PERRADIAL Per*ra"di*al, a. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Situated around the radii, or radial tubes, of a radiate.

PERRIE Per"rie, n. Etym: [F. pierreries, pl., fr. pierre stone, L. petra.]

Defn: Precious stones; jewels. [Obs.] [Written also perre, perrye, etc.] Chaucer.

PERRIER Per"ri*er, n. Etym: [OF. perriere, perrier, F. perrier. Cf. Pederero.] (Mil.)

Defn: A short mortar used formerly for throwing stone shot. Hakluyt.

PERRON Per"ron, n. [F.] (Arch.)

Defn: An out-of-door flight of steps, as in a garden, leading to a terrace or to an upper story; — usually applied to mediævel or later structures of some architectural pretensions.

PERROQUET Per`ro*quet", n. Etym: [F.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: See Paroquet, Parakeet.

PERRUQUE Per`ruque", n. Etym: [F.]

Defn: See Peruke.

PERRUQUIER Per*ru"qui*er, n. Etym: [F.]

Defn: A marker of perukes or wigs.

PERRY Per"ry, n. Etym: [OF. peré, F. poiré, fr. poire a pear, L. pirum. See Pear the fruit.]

Defn: A fermented liquor made from pears; pear cider. Mortimer.

PERRY Per"ry, n.

Defn: A suddent squall. See Pirry. [Obs.]

PERS Pers, a. Etym: [F. pers.]

Defn: Light blue; grayish blue; — a term applied to different shades at different periods. — n.

Defn: A cloth of sky-blue color. [Obs.] "A long surcoat of pers." Chaucer.

PERSALT Per"salt`, n. (Chem.)

Defn: A term formerly given to the salts supposed to be formed respectively by neutralizing acids with certain peroxides. [Obsoles.]

PERSANT Per"sant, a. Etym: [F. perçant, p.pr. of percer to pierce.]

Defn: Piercing. [Obs.] Spenser.

PERSCRUTATION Per`scru*ta"tion, n. Etym: [L. perscrutatio, fr. perscrutari to search through.]

Defn: A thorough searching; a minute inquiry or scrutiny. Carlyle

PERSECOT Per"se*cot, n.

Defn: See Persicot.

PERSECUTE Per"se*cute, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Persecuted; p. pr. & vb. n. Persecuting.] Etym: [F. persécueter, L. persequi, persecutus, to pursue, prosecute; per + sequi to follow, pursue. See Per-, and Second.]

1. To pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict; to beset with cruelty or malignity; to harass; especially, to afflict, harass, punish, or put to death, for adherence to a particular religious creed or mode of worship. Do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you. Matt. v. 44.

2. To harass with importunity; to pursue with persistent solicitations; to annoy. Johnson.

Syn. — To oppress; harass; distress; worry; annoy.

PERSECUTION Per`se*cu"tion, n. Etym: [F. persécution, L. persecutio.]

1. The act or practice of persecuting; especially, the infliction of loss, pain, or death for adherence to a particular creed or mode of worship. Persecution produces no sincere conviction. Paley.

2. The state or condition of being persecuted. Locke.

3. A carrying on; prosecution. [Obs.]

PERSECUTOR Per"se*cu`tor, n. Etym: [L.: cf. F. persécuteur.]

Defn: One who persecutes, or harasses. Shak.

PERSECUTRIX Per"se*cu`trix, n. Etym: [L.]

Defn: A woman who persecutes.

PERSEID Per"se*id, n. (Astron.)

Defn: One of a group of shooting stars which appear yearly about the 10th of August, and cross the heavens in paths apparently radiating from the constellation Perseus. They are beleived to be fragments once connected with a comet visible in 1862.

PERSEUS Per"se*us, n. Etym: [L., from Gr.

1. (Class. Myth.)

Defn: A Grecian legendary hero, son of Jupiter and Danaë, who slew the Gorgon Medusa.

2. (Astron.)

Defn: A consellation of the northern hemisphere, near Taurus and Cassiopea. It contains a star cluster visible to the naked eye as a nebula.

PERSEVER Per*sev"er, v. i.

Defn: To persevere. [Obs.]

PERSEVERANCE Per`se*ver"ance, n. Etym: [F. persévérance, L. perseverantia.]

1. The act of persevering; persistence in anything undertaken; continued pursuit or prosecution of any business, or enterprise begun. "The king-becoming graces . . . perseverance, mercy, lowliness." Shak. Whose constant perseverance overcame Whate'er his cruel malice could invent. Milton.

2. Discrimination. [Obs.] Sir J. Harrington.

3. (Theol.)

Defn: Continuance in a state of grace until it is succeeded by a state of glory; sometimes called final perseverance, and the perseverance of the saints. See Calvinism.

Syn. — Persistence; steadfastness; constancy; steadiness; pertinacity.

PERSEVERANT Per`se*ver"ant, a. Etym: [L. perseverans, -antis, p.pr.: cf. F. persévérant.]

Defn: Persevering. [R.] "Perseverant faith." Whitby. — Per`se*ver"ant*ly, adv. [R.]

PERSEVERE Per`se*vere", v. i. [imp. & p. p. Persevered; p. pr. & vb. n. Persevering.] Etym: [F. persévérer, L. perseverare, fr. perseverus very strict; per + severus strict, severe. See Per-, and Severe.]

Defn: To persist in any business or enterprise undertaken; to pursue steadily any project or course begun; to maintain a purpose in spite of counter influences, opposition, or discouragement; not to give or abandon what is undertaken. Thrice happy, if they know Their happiness, and persevere upright. Milton.

Syn. — To Persevere, Continue, Persist. The idea of not laying aside is common to these words. Continue is the generic term, denoting simply to do as one has done hitherto. To persevere is to continue in a given course in spite of discouragements, etc., from a desire to obtain our end. To persist is to continue from a determination of will not to give up. Persist is frequently used in a bad sense, implying obstinacy in pursuing an unworthy aim.

PERSEVERING Per`se*ver"ing, a.

Defn: Characterized by perseverance; persistent. — Per`se*ver"ing*ly, adv.

PERSIAN Per"sian, a. Etym: [From Persia: cf. It. Persiano. Cf. Parsee, Peach, Persic.]

Defn: Of or pertaining to Persia, to the Persians, or to their language. Persian berry, the fruit of Rhamnus infectorius, a kind of buckthorn, used for dyeing yellow, and imported chiefly from Trebizond. — Persian cat. (Zoöl.) Same as Angora cat, under Angora. — Persian columns (Arch.), columns of which the shaft represents a Persian slave; — called also Persians. See Atlantes. — Persian drill (Mech.), a drill which is turned by pushing a nut back and forth along a spirally grooved drill holder. — Persian fire (Med.), malignant pustule. — Persian powder. See Insect powder, under Insect. — Persian red. See Indian red (a), under Indian. — Persian wheel, a noria; a tympanum. See Noria.

PERSIAN Per"sian, n.

1. A native or inhabitant of Persia.

2. The language spoken in Persia.

3. A thin silk fabric, used formerly for linings. Beck.

4. pl. (Arch.)

Defn: See Persian columns, under Persian, a.

PERSIC Per"sic, a. Etym: [L. Persicus. Cf. Persian.]

Defn: Of or relating to Persia. — n.

Defn: The Persian language.

PERSICARIA Per`si*ca"ri*a, n. Etym: [NL., from LL. persicarius a peach tree. See Peach.] (Bot.)

Defn: See Lady's thumb.

PERSICO Per"si*co, n.

Defn: = Persicot.

PERSICOT Per"si*cot, n. Etym: [F. See Peach.]

Defn: A cordial made of the kernels of apricots, nectarines, etc., with refined spirit.

PERSIENNE Per`si*enne" (per`si*en"; -shi*en"; F. per`syen"), n. [F., fem. of presien Persian.]

Defn: Properly, printed calico, whether Oriental or of fanciful design with flowers, etc., in Western work. Hence, as extended in English, material of a similar character.

PERSIENNES Per`si*ennes" (-enz"; F. per`syen"), n. pl. [F.]

Defn: Window blinds having movable slats, similar to Venetian blinds.

PERSIFLAGE Per`si`flage", n. Etym: [F., fr. persifler to quiz, fr. L. per + siffler to whistle, hiss, L. sibilare, sifilare.]

Defn: Frivolous or bantering talk; a frivolous manner of treating any subject, whether serious or otherwise; light raillery. Hannah More.

PERSIFLEUR Per`si`fleur, n. Etym: [F.]

Defn: One who indulges in persiflage; a banterer; a quiz. Carlyle.

PERSIMMON Per*sim"mon, n. Etym: [Virginia Indian.] (Bot.)

Defn: An American tree (Diospyros Virginiana) and its fruit, found from New York southward. The fruit is like a plum in appearance, but is very harsh and astringent until it has been exposed to frost, when it becomes palatable and nutritious. Japanese persimmon, Diospyros Kaki and its red or yellow edible fruit, which outwardly resembles a tomato, but contains a few large seeds.

PERSIS Per"sis, n. Etym: [Etymol. uncertain.]

Defn: A kind of coloring matter obtained from lichens.

PERSISM Per"sism, n.

Defn: A Persian idiom.

PERSIST Per*sist", v. i. [imp. & p. p. Persisted; p. pr. & vb. n. Persisting.] Etym: [L. persistere; per + sistere to stand or be fixed, fr. stare to stand: cf. F. persister. See Per-, and Stand.]

Defn: To stand firm; to be fixed and unmoved; to stay; to continue steadfastly; especially, to continue fixed in a course of conduct against opposing motives; to persevere; — sometimes conveying an unfavorable notion, as of doggedness or obstinacy. If they persist in pointing their batteries against particular persons, no laws of war forbid the making reprisals. Addison. Some positive, persisting fops we know, Who, if once wrong, will needs be always so. Pope. That face persists. It floats up; it turns over in my mind. Mrs. Browning.

Syn. — See Persevere, and Insist.

PERSISTENCE; PERSISTENCY Per*sist"ence, Per*sist"en*cy, n. Etym: [See Persistent.]

1. The quality or state of being persistent; staying or continuing quality; hence, in an unfavorable sense, doggedness; obstinacy.

2. The continuance of an effect after the cause which first gave rise to it is removed; as: (a) (Physics)

Defn: The persistence of motion. (b) (Physiol.) Visual persistence, or persistence of the visual impression; auditory persistence, etc.

PERSISTENT Per*sist"ent, a. Etym: [L. persistens, -entis, p.pr. of persistere. See Persist.]

1. Inclined to persist; having staying qualities; tenacious of position or purpose.

2. (Biol.)

Defn: Remaining beyond the period when parts of the same kind sometimes fall off or are absorbed; permanent; as, persistent teeth or gills; a persistent calyx; — opposed to deciduous, and caducous.

PERSISTENTLY Per*sist"ent*ly, adv.

Defn: In a persistent manner.

PERSISTING Per*sist"ing, a.

Defn: Inclined to persist; tenacious of purpose; persistent. — Per*sist"ing*ly, adv.

PERSISTIVE Per*sist"ive, a.

Defn: See Persistent. Shak.

PERSOLVE Per*solve", v. t. Etym: [L. persolvere.]

Defn: To pay wholly, or fully. [Obs.] E. Hall.

PERSON Per"son, n. Etym: [OE. persone, persoun, person, parson, OF. persone, F. personne, L. persona a mask (used by actors), a personage, part, a person, fr. personare to sound through; per + sonare to sound. See Per-, and cf. Parson.]

1. A character or part, as in a play; a specific kind or manifestation of individual character, whether in real life, or in literary or dramatic representation; an assumed character. [Archaic] His first appearance upon the stage in his new person of a sycophant or juggler. Bacon. No man can long put on a person and act a part. Jer. Taylor. To bear rule, which was thy part And person, hadst thou known thyself aright. Milton. How different is the same man from himself, as he sustains the person of a magistrate and that of a friend! South.

2. The bodily form of a human being; body; outward appearance; as, of comely person. A fair persone, and strong, and young of age. Chaucer. If it assume my noble father's person. Shak. Love, sweetness, goodness, in her person shined. Milton.

3. , self-conscious being, as distinct from an animal or a thing; a moral agent; a human being; a man, woman, or child. Consider what person stands for; which, I think, is a thinking, intelligent being, that has reason and reflection. Locke.

4. A human being spoken of indefinitely; one; a man; as, any person present.

5. A parson; the parish priest. [Obs.] Chaucer.

6. (Theol.)

Defn: Among Trinitarians, one of the three subdivisions of the Godhead (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost); an hypostasis. "Three persons and one God." Bk. of Com. Prayer.

7. (Gram.)

Defn: One of three relations or conditions (that of speaking, that of being spoken to, and that of being spoken of) pertaining to a noun or a pronoun, and thence also to the verb of which it may be the subject.

Note: A noun or pronoun, when representing the speaker, is said to be in the first person; when representing what is spoken to, in the second person; when representing what is spoken of, in the third person.

8. (Biol.)

Defn: A shoot or bud of a plant; a polyp or zooid of the compound Hydrozoa Anthozoa, etc.; also, an individual, in the narrowest sense, among the higher animals. Haeckel. True corms, composed of united personæ . . . usually arise by gemmation, . . . yet in sponges and corals occasionally by fusion of several originally distinct persons. Encyc. Brit. Artificial, or Fictitious, person (Law), a corporation or body politic. blackstone. — Natural person (Law), a man, woman, or child, in distinction from a corporation. — In person, by one's self; with bodily presence; not by representative. "The king himself in person is set forth." Shak. — In the person of, in the place of; acting for. Shak.

PERSON Per"son, v. t.

Defn: To represent as a person; to personify; to impersonate. [Obs.] Milton.

PERSONA Per*so"na, n.; pl. Personæ. Etym: [L.] (Biol.)

Defn: Same as Person, n., 8.

PERSONABLE Per"son*a*ble, a.

1. Having a well-formed body, or person; graceful; comely; of good appearance; presentable; as, a personable man or woman. Wise, warlike, personable, courteous, and kind. Spenser. The king, . . . so visited with sickness, was not personable. E. Hall.

2. (Law) (a) Enabled to maintain pleas in court. Cowell. (b) Having capacity to take anything granted.

PERSONAGE Per"son*age, n. Etym: [F. personnage.]

1. Form, appearance, or belongings of a person; the external appearance, stature, figure, air, and the like, of a person. "In personage stately." Hayward. The damsel well did view his personage. Spenser.

2. Character assumed or represented. "The actors and personages of this fable." Broome. "Disguised in a false personage." Addison.

3. A notable or distinguished person; a conspicious or peculiar character; as, an illustrious personage; a comely personage of stature tall. Spenser.

PERSONAL Per"son*al, a. Etym: [L. personalis: cf. F. personnel.]

1. Pertaining to human beings as distinct from things. Every man so termed by way of personal difference. Hooker.

2. Of or pertaining to a particular person; relating to, or affecting, an individual, or each of many individuals; peculiar or proper to private concerns; not public or general; as, personal comfort; personal desire. The words are conditional, — If thou doest well, — and so personal to Cain. Locke.

3. Pertaining to the external or bodily appearance; corporeal; as, personal charms. Addison.

4. Done in person; without the intervention of another. "Personal communication." Fabyan. The immediate and personal speaking of God. White.

5. Relating to an individual, his character, conduct, motives, or private affairs, in an invidious and offensive manner; as, personal reflections or remarks.

6. (Gram.)

Defn: Denoting person; as, a personal pronoun. Personal action (Law), a suit or action by which a man claims a debt or personal duty, or damages in lieu of it; or wherein he claims satisfaction in damages for an injury to his person or property, or the specific recovery of goods or chattels; — opposed to real action. — Personal equation. (Astron.) See under Equation. — Personal estate or property (Law), movables; chattels; — opposed to real estate or property. It usually consists of things temporary and movable, including all subjects of property not of a freehold nature. — Personal identity (Metaph.), the persistent and continuous unity of the individual person, which is attested by consciousness. — Personal pronoun (Gram.), one of the pronouns I, thou, he, she, it, and their plurals. — Personal representatives (Law), the executors or administrators of a person deceased. — Personal rights, rights appertaining to the person; as, the rights of a personal security, personal liberty, and private property. — Personal tithes. See under Tithe. — Personal verb (Gram.), a verb which is modified or inflected to correspond with the three persons.

PERSONAL Per"son*al, n. (Law)

Defn: A movable; a chattel.

PERSONALISM Per"son*al*ism, n.

Defn: The quality or state of being personal; personality. [R.]

PERSONALITY Per`son*al"i*ty, n.; pl. Personalities. Etym: [Cf. F. personnalité. Cf. Personality.]

1. That which constitutes distinction of person; individuality. Personality is individuality existing in itself, but with a nature as a ground. Coleridge.

2. Something said or written which refers to the person, conduct, etc., of some individual, especially something of a disparaging or offensive nature; personal remarks; as, indulgence in personalities. Sharp personalities were exchanged. Macaulay.

3. (Law)

Defn: That quality of a law which concerns the condition, state, and capacity of persons. Burrill.

PERSONALIZE Per"son*al*ize, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Personalized; p. pr. & vb. n. Personalizing.]

Defn: To make personal. "They personalize death." H. Spencer.

PERSONALLY Per"son*al*ly, adv.

1. In a personal manner; by bodily presence; in person; not by representative or substitute; as, to deliver a letter personally. He, being cited, personally came not. Grafton.

2. With respect to an individual; as regards the person; individually; particularly. She bore a mortal hatred to the house of Lancaster, and personally to the king. Bacon.