Defn: The work of a coal miner who is paid by a share of his product.
PITCHYPitch"y, a. Etym: [From 1st Pitch.]
1. Partaking of the qualities of pitch; resembling pitch.
2. Smeared with pitch.
3. Black; pitch-dark; dismal. "Pitchy night." Shak.
PITEOUSPit"e*ous, a. Etym: [OE. pitous, OF. pitos, F. piteux. See Pity.]
1. Pious; devout. [Obs.] The Lord can deliver piteous men from temptation. Wyclif.
2. Evincing pity, compassion, or sympathy; compassionate; tender. "[She] piteous of his case." Pope. She was so charitable and so pitous. Chaucer.
3. Fitted to excite pity or sympathy; wretched; miserable; lamentable; sad; as, a piteous case. Spenser. The most piteous tale of Lear. Shak.
4. Paltry; mean; pitiful. "Piteous amends." Milton.
Syn.— Sorrowful; mournful; affecting; doleful; woeful; rueful; sad;wretched; miserable; pitiable; pitiful; compassionate.— Pit"e*ous*ly, adv.— Pit"e*ous*ness, n.
PITFALLPit"fall`, n.
Defn: A pit deceitfully covered to entrap wild beasts or men; a trap of any kind. Sir T. North.
PITFALLINGPit"fall`ing, a.
Defn: Entrapping; insnaring. [R.] "Full of . . . contradiction and pitfalling dispenses." Milton.
PITHPith, n. Etym: [AS. pi; akin to D. pit pith, kernel, LG. peddik. Cf.Pit a kernel.]
1. (Bot.)
Defn: The soft spongy substance in the center of the stems of many plants and trees, especially those of the dicotyledonous or exogenous classes. It consists of cellular tissue.
2. (a) (Zoöl.) The spongy interior substance of a feather. (b) (Anat.) The spinal cord; the marrow.
3. Hence: The which contains the strength of life; the vital or essential part; concentrated force; vigor; strength; importance; as, the speech lacked pith. Enterprises of great pith and moment. Shak. Pith paper. Same as Rice paper, under Rice.
PITHPith, v. t. (Physiol.)
Defn: To destroy the central nervous system of (an animal, as a frog), as by passing a stout wire or needle up and down the vertebral canal.
PITHECANTHROPUSPith`e*can*thro"pus, n. [NL.; Gr. ape + man.]
1. A hypothetical genus of primates intermediate between man and the anthropoid apes. Haeckel.
2. A genus consisting of an primate (P. erectus) apparently intermediate between man and the existing anthropoid apes, known from bones of a single individual found in Java (hence called Java man) in 1891-92. These bones include a thigh bone of the human type, two molar teeth intermediate between those of man and the anthropoids, and the calvaria of the skull, indicating a brain capacity of about 900 cubic centimeters, and resembling in form that of the Neanderthal man. Also [pl. -thropi],
Defn: an animal of this genus. —Pith`e*can"thrope (#), n. —Pith`e*can"thro*poid (#), a.
PITHECIPi*the"ci, n. pl. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A division of mammals including the apes and monkeys. Sometimes used in the sense of Primates.
PITHECOIDPith"e*coid, a. Etym: [Gr. -oid.] (Zoöl.)
1. Of or pertaining to the genus Pithecia, or subfamily Pithecinæ, which includes the saki, ouakari, and other allied South American monkeys.
2. Of or pertaining to the anthropoid apes in particular, or to the higher apes of the Old World, collectively.
PITHFULPith"ful, a.
Defn: Full of pith. [R.] W. Browne.
PITHILYPith"i*ly, adv.
Defn: In a pithy manner.
PITHINESSPith"i*ness, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being pithy.
PITHLESSPith"less, a.
Defn: Destitute of pith, or of strength; feeble. Dryden. "Pithless argumentation." Glandstone.
PIT-HOLEPit"-hole`, n.
Defn: A pit; a pockmark.
PITHSOMEPith"some, a.
Defn: Pithy; robust. [R.] "Pithsome health and vigor." R. D.Blackmore.
PITHYPith"y, a. [Compar. Pithier; superl. Pithiest.]
1. Consisting wholly, or in part, of pith; abounding in pith; as, a pithy stem; a pithy fruit.
2. Having nervous energy; forceful; cogent. This pithy speech prevailed, and all agreed. Dryden. In all these Goodman Fact was very short, but pithy. Addison. Pithy gall (Zoöl.), a large, rough, furrowed, oblong gall, formed on blackberry canes by a small gallfly (Diastrophus nebulosus).
PITIABLEPit"i*a*ble, a. Etym: [Cf. OF. pitiable, F. pitoyable.]
Defn: Deserving pity; wworthy of, or exciting, compassion; miserable; lamentable; piteous; as, pitiable persons; a pitiable condition; pitiable wretchedness.
Syn.— Sorrowful; woeful; sad. See Piteous.— Pit"i*a*ble*ness, n.— Pit"i*a*bly, adv.
PITIERPit"i*er, n.
Defn: One who pities. Gauden.
PITIFULPit"i*ful, a.
1. Full of pity; tender-hearted; compassionate; kind; merciful; sympathetic. The Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. James v. 11.
2. Piteous; lamentable; eliciting compassion. A thing, indeed, very pitiful and horrible. Spenser.
3. To be pitied for littleness or meanness; miserable; paltry; contemptible; despicable. That's villainous, and shows a most pitiful ambition in the fool that uses it. Shak.
Syn.— Despicable; mean; paltry. See Contemptible.— Pit"i*ful*ly, adv.— Pit"i*ful*ness, n.
PITILESSPit"i*less, a.
1. Destitute of pity; hard-hearted; merciless; as, a pitilessmaster; pitiless elements.
2. Exciting no pity; as, a pitiless condition.— Pit"i*less*ly, adv.— Pit"i*less*ness, n.
PITMANPit"man, n.; pl. Pitmen (.
1. One who works in a pit, as in mining, in sawing timber, etc.
2. (Mach.)
Defn: The connecting rod in a sawmill; also, sometimes, a connecting rod in other machinery.
PITOT'S TUBEPi*tot's" tube`. (Hydraul.)
Defn: A bent tube used to determine the velocity of running water, by placing the curved end under water, and observing the height to which the fluid rises in the tube; a kind of current meter.
PITPANPit"pan`, n.
Defn: A long, flat-bottomed canoe, used for the navigation of rivers and lagoons in Central America. Squier.
PITPATPit"pat`, n. & adv.
Defn: See Pitapat.
PITTAPit"ta, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any one of a large group of bright-colored clamatorial birds belonging to Pitta, and allied genera of the family Pittidæ. Most of the species are varied with three or more colors, such as blue, green, crimson, yellow, purple, and black. They are called also ground thrushes, and Old World ant thrushes; but they are not related to the true thrushes.
Note: The pittas are most abundant in the East Indies, but some inhabit Southern Asia, Africa, and Australia. They live mostly upon the ground, and feed upon insects of various kinds.
PITTACALPit"ta*cal, n. Etym: [Gr. pittacale.] (Chem.)
Defn: A dark blue substance obtained from wood tar. It consists of hydrocarbons which when oxidized form the orange-yellow eupittonic compounds, the salts of which are dark blue.
PITTANCE Pit"tance, n. Etym: [OE. pitance, pitaunce, F. pitance; cf. It. pietanza, LL. pitancia, pittantia, pictantia; perh. fr. L. pietas pity, piety, or perhaps akin to E. petty. Cf. Petty, and Pity.]
1. An allowance of food bestowed in charity; a mess of victuals; hence, a small charity gift; a dole. "A good pitaunce." Chaucer. One half only of this pittance was ever given him in money. Macaulay.
2. A meager portion, quality, or allowance; an inconsiderable salary or compensation. "The small pittance of learning they received." Swift. The inconsiderable pittance of faithful professors. Fuller.
PITTEDPit"ted, a.
1. Marked with little pits, as in smallpox. See Pit, v. t., 2.
2. (Bot.)
Defn: Having minute thin spots; as, pitted ducts in the vascular parts of vegetable tissue.
PITTERPit"ter, n.
Defn: A contrivance for removing the pits from peaches, plums, and other stone fruit.
PITTERPit"ter, v. i.
Defn: To make a pattering sound; to murmur; as, pittering streams.[Obs.] R. Greene.
PITTER-PATTERPit"ter-pat`ter, n.
Defn: A sound like that of alternating light beats. Also, a pattering of words.
PITTER-PATTERPit"ter-pat`ter, adv.
Defn: With, or with the sound of, alternating light beats; as, his heart went pitter-patter.
PITTLE-PATTLEPit"tle-pat`tle, v. i.
Defn: To talk unmeaningly; to chatter or prattle. [R.] Latimer.
PITUITARY Pi*tu"i*ta*ry, a. Etym: [L. pituita phlegm, pituite: cf. F. pituitarie.] (Anat.) (a) Secreting mucus or phlegm; as, the pituitary membrane, or the mucous membrane which lines the nasal cavities. (b) Of or pertaining to the pituitary body; as, the pituitary fossa. Pituitary body or gland (Anat.), a glandlike body of unknown function, situated in the pituitary fossa, and connected with the infundibulum of the brain; the hypophysis. — Pituitary fossa (Anat.), the ephippium.
PITUITE Pit"u*ite, n. Etym: [L. pituita: cf. F. pituite. Cf. Pip a disease of fowls.]
Defn: Mucus, phlegm.
PITUITOUSPi*tu"i*tous, a. Etym: [L. pituitosus: cf. F. pituiteux.]
Defn: Consisting of, or resembling, pituite or mucus; full of mucus; discharging mucus. Pituitous fever (Med.), typhoid fever; enteric fever.
PITUITRINPi*tu"i*trin, n. (Biol. Chem.)
Defn: A substance or extract from the pituitary body.
PITY Pit"y, n.; pl. Pities. Etym: [OE. pite, OF. pité, pitié, F. pitié, L. pietas piety, kindness, pity. See Pious, and cf. Piety.]
1. Piety. [Obs.] Wyclif.
2. A feeling for the sufferings or distresses of another or others; sympathy with the grief or misery of another; compassion; fellow- feeling; commiseration. He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord. Prov. xix. 17. He . . . has no more pity in him than a dog. Shak.
3. A reason or cause of pity, grief, or regret; a thing to be regretted. "The more the pity." Shak. What pity is it That we can die but once to serve our country! Addison.
Note: In this sense, sometimes used in the plural, especially in the colloquialism: "It is a thousand pities."
Syn. — Compassion; mercy; commiseration; condolence; sympathy, fellow- suffering; fellow-feeling. — Pity, Sympathy, Compassion. Sympathy is literally fellow-feeling, and therefore requiers a certain degree of equality in situation, circumstances, etc., to its fullest exercise. Compassion is deep tenderness for another under severe or inevitable misfortune. Pity regards its object not only as suffering, but weak, and hence as inferior.
PITYPit"y, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pitied; p. pr. & vb. n. Pitying.]
1. To feel pity or compassion for; to have sympathy with; to compassionate; to commiserate; to have tender feelings toward (any one), awakened by a knowledge of suffering. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. Ps. ciii. 13.
2. To move to pity; — used impersonally. [Obs.] It pitieth them to see her in the dust. Bk. of Com. Prayer.
PITYPit"y, v. i.
Defn: To be compassionate; to show pity.I will not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy. Jer. xiii. 14.
PITYINGPit"y*ing, a.
Defn: Expressing pity; as, a pitying eye, glance, or word.— Pit"y*ing*ly, adv.
PITYRIASISPit`y*ri"a*sis, n. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Med.)
Defn: A superficial affection of the skin, characterized by irregular patches of thin scales which are shed in branlike particles. Pityriasis versicolor Etym: [NL.] (Med.), a parasitic disease of the skin, characterized by the development of reddish or brownish patches.
PITYROIDPit"y*roid, a. Etym: [Gr. -oid.]
Defn: Having the form of, or resembling, bran. Smart.
PIUPi"ù, adv. Etym: [It., fr. L. plus. See Plus.] (Mus.)
Defn: A little more; as, più allegro, a little more briskly.
PIVOTPiv"ot, n. Etym: [F.; prob. akin to It. piva pipe, F. pipe. SeePipe.]
1. A fixed pin or short axis, on the end of which a wheel or other body turns.
2. The end of a shaft or arbor which rests and turns in a support; as, the pivot of an arbor in a watch.
3. Hence, figuratively: A turning point or condition; that on which important results depend; as, the pivot of an enterprise.
4. (Mil.)
Defn: The officer or soldier who simply turns in his place whike the company or line moves around him in wheeling; — called also pivot man. Pivot bridge, a form of drawbridge in which one span, called the pivot span, turns about a central vertical axis. — Pivot gun, a gun mounted on a pivot or revolving carriage, so as to turn in any direction. — Pivot tooth (Dentistry), an artificial crown attached to the root of a natural tooth by a pin or peg.
PIVOTPiv"ot, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pivoted; p. pr. & vb. n. Pivoting.]
Defn: To place on a pivot. Clarke.
PIVOTALPiv"ot*al, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to a pivot or turning point; belonging to, or constituting, a pivot; of the nature of a pivot; as, the pivotalopportunity of a career; the pivotal position in a battle.
PIXPix, n. & v.
Defn: See Pyx.
PIXY; PIXIEPix"y, Pix"ie, n.; pl. Pixies. Etym: [For Pucksy, from Puck.]
1. An old English name for a fairy; an elf. [Written also picksy.]
2. (Bot.)
Defn: A low creeping evergreen plant (Pyxidanthera barbulata), with mosslike leaves and little white blossoms, found in New Jersey and southward, where it flowers in earliest spring. Pixy ring, a fairy ring or circle. [Prov. Eng.] — Pixy stool (Bot.), a toadstool or mushroom. [Prov. Eng.]
PIXY-LEDPix"y-led`, a.
Defn: Led by pixies; bewildered.
PIZZICATOPiz`zi*ca"to. Etym: [It., pinched.] (Mus.)
Defn: A direction to violinists to pluck the string with the finger, instead of using the bow. (Abrev. pizz.)
PIZZLE Piz"zle, n. Etym: [Cf. Prov. G. pissel, pesel, peisel, peserich, D. pees a tendon or spring.]
Defn: The penis; — so called in some animals, as the bull. Shak.
PLACABILITYPla`ca*bil"i*ty, n. Etym: [L. placabilitas: cf. F. placabilité.]
Defn: The quality or state of being placable or appeasable; placable disposition.
PLACABLE Pla"ca*ble, a. Etym: [L. placabilis, fr. placare to quiet, pacify: cf. F. placable. See Placate.]
Defn: Capable of being appeased or pacified; ready or willing to be pacified; willing to forgive or condone. Methought I saw him placable and mild. Milton.
PLACABLENESSPla"ca*ble*ness, n.
Defn: The quality of being placable.
PLACARD Pla*card", n. Etym: [F., fr. plaquer to lay or clap on, plaque plate, tablet; probably from Dutch, cf. D. plakken to paste, post up, plak a flat piece of wood.]
1. A public proclamation; a manifesto or edict issued by authority. [Obs.] All placards or edicts are published in his name. Howell.
2. Permission given by authority; a license; as, to give a placard to do something. [Obs.] ller.
3. A written or printed paper, as an advertisement or a declaration, posted, or to be posted, in a public place; a poster.
4. (Anc. Armor)
Defn: An extra plate on the lower part of the breastplate or backplate. Planché.
5. Etym: [Cf. Placket.]
Defn: A kind of stomacher, often adorned with jewels, worn in the fifteenth century and later.
PLACARDPla*card", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Placarded; p. pr. & vb. n.Placarding.]
1. To post placards upon or within; as, to placard a wall, to placard the city.
2. To announce by placards; as, to placard a sale.
PLACATEPlac"ate, n.
Defn: Same as Placard, 4 & 5.
PLACATEPla"cate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Placated; p. pr. & vb. n. Placating.]Etym: [L. placatus, p.p. of placare to placate, akin to placere toplease. See Please.]
Defn: To appease; to pacify; to concilate. "Therefore is he always propitiated and placated." Cudworth.
PLACATIONPla*ca"tion, n. Etym: [L. placatio.]
Defn: The act of placating. [R.] Puttenham (1589).
PLACE Place, n. Etym: [F., fr. L. platea a street, an area, a courtyard, from Gr. platei^a a street, properly fem. of platy`s, flat, broad; akin to Skr. prsthu, Lith. platus. Cf. Flawn, Piazza, Plate, Plaza.]
1. Any portion of space regarded as measured off or distinct from all other space, or appropriated to some definite object or use; position; ground; site; spot; rarely, unbounded space. Here is the place appointed. Shak. What place can be for us Within heaven's bound Milton. The word place has sometimes a more confused sense, and stands for that space which any body takes up; and so the universe is a place. Locke.
2. A broad way in a city; an open space; an area; a court or short part of a street open only at one end. "Hangman boys in the market place." Shak.
3. A position which is occupied and held; a dwelling; a mansion; a village, town, or city; a fortified town or post; a stronghold; a region or country. Are you native of this place Shak.
4. Rank; degree; grade; order of priority, advancement, dignity, or importance; especially, social rank or position; condition; also, official station; occupation; calling. "The enervating magic of place." Hawthorne. Men in great place are thrice servants. Bacon. I know my place as I would they should do theirs. Shak.
5. Vacated or relinquished space; room; stead (the departure or removal of another being or thing being implied). "In place of Lord Bassanio." Shak.
6. A definite position or passage of a document. The place of the scripture which he read was this. Acts viii. 32.
7. Ordinal relation; position in the order of proceeding; as, he said in the first place.
8. Reception; effect; — implying the making room for. My word hath no place in you. John viii. 37.
9. (Astron.)
Defn: Position in the heavens, as of a heavenly body; — usually defined by its right ascension and declination, or by its latitude and longitude. Place of arms (Mil.), a place calculated for the rendezvous of men in arms, etc., as a fort which affords a safe retreat for hospitals, magazines, etc. Wilhelm. — High place (Script.), a mount on which sacrifices were offered. "Him that offereth in the high place." Jer. xlviii. 35. — In place, in proper position; timely. — Out of place, inappropriate; ill-timed; as, his remarks were out of place. — Place kick (Football), the act of kicking the ball after it has been placed on the ground. — Place name, the name of a place or locality. London Academy. — To give place, to make room; to yield; to give way; to give advantage. "Neither give place to the devil." Eph. iv. 27. "Let all the rest give place." Shak. — To have place, to have a station, room, or seat; as, such desires can have no place in a good heart. — To take place. (a) To come to pass; to occur; as, the ceremony will not take place. (b) To take precedence or priority. Addison. (c) To take effect; to prevail. "If your doctrine takes place." Berkeley. "But none of these excuses would take place." Spenser. — To take the place of, to be substituted for.
Syn. — Situation; seat; abode; position; locality; location; site; spot; office; employment; charge; function; trust; ground; room; stead.
PLACEPlace, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Placed; p. pr. & vb. n. Placing.] Etym:[Cf. F. placer. See Place, n.]
1. To assign a place to; to put in a particular spot or place, or in a certain relative position; to direct to a particular place; to fix; to settle; to locate; as, to place a book on a shelf; to place balls in tennis. Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown. Shak.
2. To put or set in a particular rank, office, or position; to surround with particular circumstances or relations in life; to appoint to certain station or condition of life; as, in whatever sphere one is placed. Place such over them to be rulers. Ex. xviii. 21.
3. To put out at interest; to invest; to loan; as, to place money in a bank.
4. To set; to fix; to repose; as, to place confidence in a friend. "My resolution 's placed." Shak.
5. To attribute; to ascribe; to set down. Place it for her chief virtue. Shak. To place (a person), to identify him. [Colloq. U.S.]
Syn.— See Put.
PLACEBOPla*ce"bo, n. Etym: [L., I shall please, fut. of placere to please.]
1. (R. C. Ch.)
Defn: The first antiphon of the vespers for the dead.
2. (Med.)
Defn: A prescription intended to humor or satisfy. To sing placebo, to agree with one in his opinion; to be complaisant to. Chaucer.
PLACEFULPlace"ful, a.
Defn: In the appointed place. [Obs.]
PLACE-KICKPlace"-kick`, v. t. & i.
Defn: To make a place kick; to make (a goal) by a place kick. —Place"-kick`er, n.
PLACELESSPlace"less, a.
Defn: Having no place or office.
PLACEMANPlace"man, n.; pl. Placemen (.
Defn: One who holds or occupies a place; one who has office under government. Sir W. Scott.
PLACEMENTPlace"ment, n. Etym: [Cf. F. placement.]
1. The act of placing, or the state of being placed.
2. Position; place.
PLACENTAPla*cen"ta, n.; pl. L. Placentæ, E. Placentas. Etym: [L., a cake, Gr.
1. (Anat.)
Defn: The vascular appendage which connects the fetus with the parent, and is cast off in parturition with the afterbirth.
Note: In most mammals the placenta is principally developed from the allantois and chorion, and tufts of vascular villi on its surface penetrate the blood vessels of the parental uterus, and thus establish a nutritive and excretory connection between the blood of the fetus and that of the parent, though the blood itself does not flow from one to the other.
2. (Bot.)
Defn: The part of a pistil or fruit to which the ovules or seeds are attached.
PLACENTALPla*cen"tal, a.
1. Of or pertaining to the placenta; having, or characterized by having, a placenta; as, a placental mammal.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Of or pertaining to the Placentalia.
PLACENTALPla*cen"tal, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: One of the Placentalia.
PLACENTALIAPlac`en*ta"li*a, n. pl. Etym: [NL.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A division of Mammalia including those that have a placenta, or all the orders above the marsupials.
PLACENTARYPla*cen"ta*ry, a.
Defn: Having reference to the placenta; as, the placentary system of classification.
PLACENTATIONPlac`en*ta"tion, n.
1. (Anat.)
Defn: The mode of formation of the placenta in different animals; as, the placentation of mammals.
2. (Bot.)
Defn: The mode in which the placenta is arranged or composed; as, axile placentation; parietal placentation.
PLACENTIFEROUSPlac`en*tif"er*ous, a. Etym: [Placenta + -ferous.] (Bot. & Zoöl.)
Defn: Having or producing a placenta.
PLACENTIFORMPla*cen"ti*form, a. Etym: [Placenta + -form.] (Bot.)
Defn: Having the shape of a placenta, or circular thickened disk somewhat thinner about the middle.
PLACENTIOUSPla*cen"tious, a. Etym: [See Please.]
Defn: Pleasing; amiable. [Obs.] "A placentious person." Fuller.
PLACE-PROUDPlace"-proud`, a.
Defn: Proud of rank or office. Beau. & Fl.
PLACERPla"cer, n.
Defn: One who places or sets. Spenser.
PLACERPlac"er, n. Etym: [Sp.]
Defn: A deposit of earth, sand, or gravel, containing valuable mineral in particles, especially by the side of a river, or in the bed of a mountain torrent. [U.S.]
PLACETPla"cet, n. Etym: [L. placet it pleases.]
1. A vote of assent, as of the governing body of a university, of an ecclesiastical council, etc.
2. The assent of the civil power to the promulgation of an ecclesiastical ordinance. Shipley. The king . . . annulled the royal placet. J. P. Peters.
PLACID Plac"id, a. Etym: [L. placidus, originally, pleasing, mild, from placere to please: cf. F. placide. See Please.]
Defn: Pleased; contented; unruffied; undisturbed; serene; peaceful; tranquil; quiet; gentle. "That placid aspect and meek regard." Milton. "Sleeping . . . the placid sleep of infancy." Macaulay.
PLACIDITYPla*cid"i*ty, n. Etym: [L. placiditas: cf. F. placidité.]
Defn: The quality or state of being placid; calmness; serenity.Hawthorne.
PLACIDLYPlac"id*ly, adv.
Defn: In a placid manner.
PLACIDNESSPlac"id*ness, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being placid.
PLACITPlac"it, n. Etym: [L. placitum. See Plea.]
Defn: A decree or determination; a dictum. [Obs.] "The placits and opinions of other philosophers." Evelyn.
PLACITORYPlac"i*to*ry, a. Etym: [See Placit.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to pleas or pleading, in courts of law. [Obs.]Clayton.
PLACITUMPlac"i*tum, n.; pl. Placita. Etym: [LL. See Placit.]
1. A public court or assembly in the Middle Ages, over which the sovereign president when a consultation was held upon affairs of state. Brande & C.
2. (Old Eng. Law)
Defn: A court, or cause in court.
3. (Law)
Defn: A plea; a pleading; a judicial proceeding; a suit. Burrill.
PLACKPlack, n. Etym: [F. plaque a plate of metal. Cf. Plaque.]
Defn: A small copper coin formerly current in Scotland, worth lessthan a cent.With not a plack in the pocket of the poet. Prof. Wilson.
PLACKETPlack"et, n. Etym: [F. plaquer to lay or clap on. See Placard.]
1. A petticoat, esp. an under petticoat; hence, a cant term for a woman. [Obs.] Beau. & Fl.
2. The opening or slit left in a petticoat or skirt for convenience in putting it on; — called also placket hole.
3. A woman's pocket.
PLACODERMPlac"o*derm, n. Etym: [Gr. (Paleon.)
Defn: One of the Placodermi.
PLACODERMALPlac`o*der"mal, a. (Paleon.)
Defn: Of or pertaining to the placoderms; like the placoderms.
PLACODERMATAPlac`o*der"ma*ta, n. pl. Etym: [NL.] (Paleon.)
Defn: Same as Placodermi.
PLACODERMIPlac`o*der"mi, n. pl. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Paleon.)
Defn: An extinct group of fishes, supposed to be ganoids. The body and head were covered with large bony plates. See Illust. under Pterichthys, and Coccosteus.
PLACOGANOIDPlac`o*ga"noid, a. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Pertaining to the Placoganoidei.
PLACOGANOIDEIPlac`o*ga*noi"de*i, n. pl. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. ganoidei. SeeGanoidei.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A division of ganoid fishes including those that have large external bony plates and a cartilaginous skeleton.
PLACOIDPlac"oid, a. Etym: [Gr. -oid.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Platelike; having irregular, platelike, bony scales, often bearing spines; pertaining to the placoids.
PLACOID Plac"oid, n. (Zoöl.) (a) Any fish having placoid scales, as the sharks. (b) One of the Placoides.
PLACOIDESPla*coi"des, n. pl. Etym: [NL.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A group of fishes including the sharks and rays; theElasmobranchii; — called also Placoidei.
PLACOIDIANPla*coid"i*an, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: One of the placoids.
PLACOPHORAPla*coph"o*ra, n. pl. Etym: [NL., from Gr. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A division of gastropod Mollusca, including the chitons. The back is covered by eight shelly plates. Called also Polyplacophora. See Illust. under Chiton, and Isopleura.
PLAGAPla"ga, n.; pl. Plagæ. Etym: [L. plaga a blow, a welt, a stripe.](Zoöl.)
Defn: A stripe of color.
PLAGALPla"gal, a. Etym: [F., from Gr. (Mus.)
Defn: Having a scale running from the dominant to its octave; — said of certain old church modes or tunes, as opposed to those called authentic, which ran from the tonic to its octave. Plagal cadence, a cadence in which the final chord on the tonic is preceded by the chord on the subdominant.
PLAGATEPla"gate, a. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Having plagæ, or irregular enlongated color spots.
PLAGEPlage, n. Etym: [F., fr. L. plaga.]
Defn: A region; country. [Obs.] "The plages of the north." Chaucer.
PLAGIARISMPla"gia*rism, n. Etym: [Cf. F. plagiarisme.]
1. The act or practice of plagiarizing.
2. That which plagiarized.
PLAGIARISTPla"gia*rist, n.
Defn: One who plagiarizes; or purloins the words, writings, or ideas of another, and passes them off as his own; a literary thief; a plagiary.
PLAGIARIZEPla"gia*rize, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Plagiarized; p. pr. & vb. n.Plagiarizing.]
Defn: To steal or purloin from the writings of another; to appropriate without due acknowledgement (the ideas or expressions of another).
PLAGIARYPla"gia*ry, v. i.
Defn: To commit plagiarism.
PLAGIARYPla"gia*ry, n.; pl. Plagiaries. Etym: [L. plagiarius a kidnaper, aliterary thief, fr. plagium kidnaping; cf. plaga a net, perh. akin toE. plait: cf. F. plagiaire.]
1. A manstealer; a kidnaper. [Obs.]
2. One who purloins another's expressions or ideas, and offers them as his own; a plagiarist. Dryden.
3. Plagiarism; literary thief. Milton.
PLAGIARYPla"gia*ry, a.
1. Kidnaping. [Obs.] E. Browne.
2. Practicing plagiarism. Bp. Hall.
PLAGIHEDRALPla`gi*he"dral, a. Etym: [Gr. (Crystallog.)
Defn: Having an oblique spiral arrangement of planes, as levogyrate and dextrogyrate crystals.
PLAGIOCEPHALICPla`gi*o*ce*phal"ic, a. Etym: [Gr. (Anat.)
Defn: Having an oblique lateral deformity of the skull.
PLAGIOCEPHALYPla`gi*o*ceph"a*ly, n. (Anat.)
Defn: Oblique lateral deformity of the skull.
PLAGIOCLASEPla"gi*o*clase, n. Etym: [Gr. (Min.)
Defn: A general term used of any triclinic feldspar. See the Note under Feldspar.
PLAGIONITEPla"gi*o*nite, n. Etym: [Gr. (Min.)
Defn: A sulphide of lead and antimony, of a blackish lead-gray color and metallic luster.
PLAGIOSTOMATOUSPla`gi*o*stom"a*tous, a. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Same as Plagiostomous.
PLAGIOSTOMEPla"gi*o*stome, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: One of the Plagiostomi.
PLAGIOSTOMIPla`gi*os"to*mi, n. pl. Etym: [NL., from Gr. (Zoöl.)
Defn: An order of fishes including the sharks and rays; — called also Plagiostomata.
PLAGIOSTOMOUSPla`gi*os"to*mous, a. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Of or pertaining to the Plagiostomi.
PLAGIOTREMATAPla`gi*o*trem"a*ta, n. pl.; Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Same as Lepidosauria.
PLAGIOTROPICPla`gi*o*trop"ic, a. Etym: [Gr. (Bot.)
Defn: Having the longer axis inclined away from the vertical line.
PLAGIUMPla"gi*um, n. Etym: [L.] (Civil Law)
Defn: Manstealing; kidnaping.
PLAGOSEPla*gose", a. Etym: [L. plagosus. See Plague.]
Defn: Fond of flogging; as, a plagose master. [R.]
PLAGUE Plague, n. Etym: [L. plaga a blow, stroke, plague; akin to Gr. plangere to strike, beat. Cf. Plaint.]
1. That which smites, wounds, or troubles; a blow; a calamity; any afflictive evil or torment; a great trail or vexation. Shak. And men blasphemed God for the plague of hail. Wyclif. The different plague of each calamity. Shak.
2. (Med.)
Defn: An acute malignant contagious fever, that often prevails in Egypt, Syria, and Turkey, and has at times visited the large cities of Europe with frightful mortality; hence, any pestilence; as, the great London plague. "A plague upon the people fell." Tennyson. Cattle plague. See Rinderpest. — Plague mark, Plague spot, a spot or mark of the plague; hence, a token of something incurable.
PLAGUEPlague, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Plagued; p. pr. & vb. n. Plaguing.]
1. To infest or afflict with disease, calamity, or natural evil of any kind. Thus were they plagued And worn with famine. Milton.
2. Fig.: To vex; to tease; to harass. She will plague the man that loves her most. Spenser.
Syn. — To vex; torment; distress; afflict; harass; annoy; tease; tantalize; trouble; molest; embarrass; perplex.
PLAGUEFULPlague"ful, a.
Defn: Abounding, or infecting, with plagues; pestilential; as, plagueful exhalations.
PLAGUELESSPlague"less, a.
Defn: Free from plagues or the plague.
PLAGUERPla"guer, n.
Defn: One who plagues or annoys.
PLAGUILYPla"gui*ly, adv.
Defn: In a plaguing manner; vexatiously; extremely. [Colloq.]"Ronsard is so plaguily stiff and stately." Landor.
PLAGUYPla"guy, a.
Defn: Vexatious; troublesome; tormenting; as, a plaguy horse.[Colloq.] Also used adverbially; as, "He is so plaguy proud." Shak.
PLAICE Plaice, n. Etym: [F. plaise, plais, prob. fr. L. platessa flatish, plaice. See Place.] (Zoöl.) (a) A European food fish (Pleuronectes platessa), allied to the flounder, and growing to the weight of eight or ten pounds or more. (b) A large American flounder (Paralichthys dentatus; called also brail, puckermouth, and summer flounder. The name is sometimes applied to other allied species. [Written also plaise.] Plaice mouth, a mouth like that of a plaice; a small or wry mouth. [R.] B. Jonson.
PLAID Plaid, n. Etym: [Gael. plaide a blanket or plaid, contr. fr. peallaid a sheepskin, fr. peall a skin or hide. CF. Pillion.]
1. A rectangular garment or piece of cloth, usually made of the checkered material called tartan, but sometimes of plain gray, or gray with black stripes. It is worn by both sexes in Scotland.
2. Goods of any quality or material of the pattern of a plaid or tartan; a checkered cloth or pattern.
PLAIDPlaid, a.
Defn: Having a pattern or colors which resemble a Scotch plaid; checkered or marked with bars or stripes at right angles to one another; as, plaid muslin.
PLAIDEDPlaid"ed, a.
1. Of the material of which plaids are made; tartan. "In plaided vest." Wordsworth.
2. Wearing a plaid. Campbell.
PLAIDINGPlaid"ing, n.
Defn: Plaid cloth.
PLAINPlain, v. i. Etym: [OE. playne, pleyne, fr. F. plaindre. See Plaint.]
Defn: To lament; to bewail; to complain. [Archaic & Poetic] Milton.We with piteous heart unto you pleyne. Chaucer.
PLAINPlain, v. t.
Defn: To lament; to mourn over; as, to plain a loss. [Archaic &Poetic] Sir J. Harrington.
PLAINPlain, a. [Compar. Plainer; superl. Plainest.] Etym: [F., level,flat, fr. L. planus, perhaps akin to E. floor. Cf. Llano, Piano,Plan, Plane level, a level surface.]
1. Without elevations or depressions; flat; level; smooth; even. See Plane. The crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain. Isa. xl. 4.
2. Open; clear; unencumbered; equal; fair. Our troops beat an army in plain fight. Felton.
3. Not intricate or difficult; evident; manifest; obvious; clear; unmistakable. "'T is a plain case." Shak.
4. (a) Void of extraneous beauty or ornament; without conspicious embellishment; not rich; simple. (b) Not highly cultivated; unsophisticated; free from show or pretension; simple; natural; homely; common. "Plain yet pious Christians." Hammond. "The plain people." A. Lincoln. (c) Free from affectation or disguise; candid; sincere; artless; honest; frank. "An honest mind, and plain." Shak. (d) Not luxurious; not highly seasoned; simple; as, plain food. (e) Without beauty; not handsome; homely; as, a plain woman. (f) Not variegated, dyed, or figured; as, plain muslin. (g) Not much varied by modulations; as, a plain tune. Plain battle, open battle; pitched battle. [Obs.] Chaucer. — Plain chant (Mus.) Same as Plain song, below. — Plain chart (Naut.), a chart laid down on Mercator's projection. — Plain dealer. (a) One who practices plain dealing. (b) A simpleton. [Obs.] Shak. — Plain dealing. See under Dealing. — Plain molding (Join.), molding of which the surfaces are plain figures. — Plain sewing, sewing of seams by simple and common stitches, in distinct from fancy work, embroidery, etc.; — distinguished also from designing and fitting garments. — Plain song. (a) The Gregorian chant, or canto fermo; the prescribed melody of the Roman Catholic service, sung in unison, in tones of equal length, and rarely extending beyond the compass of an octave. (b) A simple melody. — Plain speaking, plainness or bluntness of speech.
Syn. — Level; flat; smooth; open; artless; unaffected; undisguised; frank; sincere; honest; candid; ingenuous; unembellished; downright; blunt; clear; simple; distinct; manifest; obvious; apparent. See Manifest.
PLAINPlain, adv.
Defn: In a plain manner; plainly. "To speak short and pleyn."Chaucer. "To tell you plain." Shak.
PLAINPlain, n. Etym: [Cf. OF. plaigne, F. plaine. See Plain, a.]
1. Level land; usually, an open field or a broad stretch of land with an even surface, or a surface little varied by inequalities; as, the plain of Jordan; the American plains, or prairies. Descending fro the mountain into playn. Chaucer. Him the Ammonite Worshiped in Rabba and her watery plain. Milton.
2. A field of battle. [Obs.] Arbuthnot. Lead forth my soldiers to the plain. Shak.
PLAINPlain, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Plained (; p. pr. & vb. n. Plaining.]Etym: [Cf. Plane, v.]
1. To plane or level; to make plain or even on the surface. [R.] We would rake Europe rather, plain the East. Wither.
2. To make plain or manifest; to explain. What's dumb in show, I'll plain in speech. Shak.
PLAINANTPlain"ant, n. Etym: [See 1st Plain.] (Law)
Defn: One who makes complaint; the plaintiff. [Obs.]
PLAIN-DEALINGPlain"-deal`ing, a.
Defn: Practicing plain dealing; artless. See Plain dealing, underDealing. Shak.
PLAIN-HEARTEDPlain"-heart`ed, a.
Defn: Frank; sincere; artless. Milton.— Plain"-heart`ed*ness, n.
PLAININGPlain"ing, n.
Defn: Complaint. [Poetic] Shak.
PLAININGPlain"ing, a.
Defn: Complaining. [Poetic] Bryant.
PLAIN-LAIDPlain"-laid`, a. (Naut.)
Defn: Consisting of strands twisted together in the ordinary way; as, a plain-laid rope. See Illust. of Cordage.
PLAINLYPlain"ly, adv.
Defn: In a plain manner; clearly.
PLAINNESSPlain"ness, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being plain.
PLAINSMANPlains"man, n.; pl. -men (.
Defn: One who lives in the plains.
PLAIN-SPOKENPlain"-spo`ken, a.
Defn: Speaking with plain, unreserved sincerity; also, spoken sincerely; as, plain-spoken words. Dryden.
PLAINTPlaint, n. Etym: [OE. plainte, pleynte, F. plainte, fr. L. plangere,planctum (plancta, fem. p.p.), to beat, beat the breast, lament. Cf.Complain, Plague, Plangent.]
1. Audible expression of sorrow; lamentation; complaint; hence, a mournful song; a lament. Chaucer."The Psalmist's mournful plaint." Wordsworth.
2. An accusation or protest on account of an injury. There are three just grounds of war with Spain: one of plaint, two upon defense. Bacon.
3. (Law)
Defn: A private memorial tendered to a court, in which a person sets forth his cause of action; the exhibiting of an action in writing. Blackstone.
PLAINTFULPlaint"ful, a.
Defn: Containing a plaint; complaining; expressing sorrow with an audible voice. "My plaintful tongue." Sir P. Sidney.
PLAINTIFFPlain"tiff, n. Etym: [F. plaintif making complaint, plaintive; in OldFrench equiv. to plaignant complainant, prosecutor, fr. plaindre. SeePlaint, and cf. Plaintive.] (Law)
Defn: One who commences a personal action or suit to obtain a remedy for an injury to his rights; — opposed to Ant: defendant.
PLAINTIFFPlain"tiff, a.
Defn: See Plaintive. [Obs.] Prior.
PLAINTIVEPlain"tive, a. Etym: [F. plaintif. See Plaintiff, n.]
1. Repining; complaining; lamenting. Dryden.
2. Expressive of sorrow or melancholy; mournful; sad. "The mostplaintive ditty." Landor.— Plain"tive*ly, adv.— Plain"tive*ness, n.
PLAINTLESSPlaint"less, a.
Defn: Without complaint; unrepining. "Plaintless patience." Savage.
PLAISANCEPlai`sance", n. Etym: [F.]
Defn: See Pleasance.
PLAISEPlaise, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: See Plaice. [Obs.]
PLAISTERPlais"ter, n. [Obs.]
Defn: See Plaster.
PLAIT Plait, n. Etym: [OE. playte, OF. pleit, L. plicatum, plicitum, p.p. of plicare to fold, akin to plectere to plait. See Ply, and cf. Plat to weave, Pleat, Plight fold.]
1. A flat fold; a doubling, as of cloth; a pleat; as, a box plait. The plaits and foldings of the drapery. Addison.
2. A braid, as of hair or straw; a plat. Polish plait. (Med.) Same as Plica.
PLAITPlait, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Plaited; p. pr. & vb. n. Plaiting.]
1. To fold; to double in narrow folds; to pleat; as, to plait a ruffle.
2. To interweave the strands or locks of; to braid; to plat; as, to plait hair; to plait rope.
PLAITEDPlait"ed, a.
Defn: Folded; doubled over; braided; figuratively, involved;intricate; artful.Time shall unfold what plaited cunning hides. Shak.
PLAITERPlait"er, n.
Defn: One who, or that which, plaits.
PLANPlan, n. Etym: [F., fr. L. planus flat, level. See Plain, a.]
1. A draught or form; properly, a representation drawn on a plane, as a map or a chart; especially, a top view, as of a machine, or the representation or delineation of a horizontal section of anything, as of a building; a graphic representation; a diagram.
2. A scheme devised; a method of action or procedure expressed or described in language; a project; as, the plan of a constitution; the plan of an expedition. God's plans like lines pure and white unfold. M. R. Smith.
3. A method; a way of procedure; a custom. The simple plan, That they should take who have the power, And they should keep who can. Wordsworth. Body plan, Floor plan, etc. See under Body, Floor, etc.
Syn. — Scheme; draught; delineation; plot; sketch; project; design; contrivance; device. See Scheme.
PLANPlan, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Planned; p. pr. & vb. n. Planning.]
1. To form a delineation of; to draught; to represent, as by a diagram.
2. To scheme; to devise; to contrive; to form in design; as, to plan the conquest of a country. Even in penance, planning sins anew. Goldsmith.
PLANARIAPla*na"ri*a, n.; pl. L. Planariæ, E. -rias. Etym: [NL. See Planary.](Zoöl.)
Defn: Any species of turbellarian worms belonging to Planaria, and many allied genera. The body is usually flat, thin, and smooth. Some species, in warm countries, are terrestrial.
PLANARIANPla*na"ri*an, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: One of the Planarida, or Dendrocoela; any turbellarian worm.— Pla*na"ri*an, a.
PLANARIDAPla*nar"i*da, n. pl. Etym: [NL.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A division of Turbellaria; the Dendrocoela.
PLANARIOIDPla*na"ri*oid, a. Etym: [Planaria + -oid.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Like the planarians.
PLANARYPla"na*ry, a. Etym: [L. planarius level. See Plane, a.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to a plane. [R.]
PLANCHPlanch, n. Etym: [F. planche.]
Defn: A plank. [Obs.] Ld. Berners.
PLANCHPlanch, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Planched; p. pr. & vb. n. Planching.]Etym: [F. planche a board, plank. See Plank.]
Defn: To make or cover with planks or boards; to plank. [Obs.] "To that vineyard is a planched gate." Shak.
PLANCHERPlanch"er, n. Etym: [F., planche. See Planch.]
1. A floor of wood; also, a plank. [Obs.] Bacon.
2. (Arch.)
Defn: The under side of a cornice; a soffit.
PLANCHERPlanch"er, v. t.
Defn: To form of planks. [Obs.] Golding.
PLANCHETPlanch"et, n. Etym: [F. planchette a small board, dim. of planche.See Planch.]
Defn: A flat piece of metal; especially, a disk of metal ready to be stamped as a coin.
PLANCHETTEPlan`chette", n. Etym: [F. See Planchet.]
1. A circumferentor. See Circumferentor.
2. A small tablet of wood supported on casters and having a pencil attached. The characters produced by the pencil on paper, while the hand rests on the instrument and it is allowed to move, are sometimes translated as of oracular or supernatural import.
PLANCHINGPlanch"ing, n.
Defn: The laying of floors in a building; also, a floor of boards or planks.
PLANEPlane, n. Etym: [F., fr. L. platanus, Gr. Place, and cf. Platane,Plantain the tree.] (Bot.)
Defn: Any tree of the genus Platanus.
Note: The Oriental plane (Platanus orientalis) is a native of Asia. It rises with a straight, smooth, branching stem to a great height, with palmated leaves, and long pendulous peduncles, sustaining several heads of small close-sitting flowers. The seeds are downy, and collected into round, rough, hard balls. The Occidental plane (Platanus occidentalis), which grows to a great height, is a native of North America, where it is popularly called sycamore, buttonwood, and buttonball, names also applied to the California species (Platanus racemosa).
PLANEPlane, a. Etym: [L. planus: cf. F. plan. See Plan, a.]
Defn: Without elevations or depressions; even; level; flat; lying in, or constituting, a plane; as, a plane surface.
Note: In science, this word (instead of plain) is almost exclusively used to designate a flat or level surface. Plane angle, the angle included between two straight lines in a plane. — Plane chart, Plane curve. See under Chart and Curve. — Plane figure, a figure all points of which lie in the same plane. If bounded by straight lines it is a rectilinear plane figure, if by curved lines it is a curvilinear plane figure. — Plane geometry, that part of geometry which treats of the relations and properties of plane figures. — Plane problem, a problem which can be solved geometrically by the aid of the right line and circle only. — Plane sailing (Naut.), the method of computing a ship's place and course on the supposition that the earth's surface is a plane. — Plane scale (Naut.), a scale for the use of navigators, on which are graduated chords, sines, tangents, secants, rhumbs, geographical miles, etc. — Plane surveying, surveying in which the curvature of the earth is disregarded; ordinary field and topographical surveying of tracts of moderate extent. — Plane table, an instrument used for plotting the lines of a survey on paper in the field. — Plane trigonometry, the branch of trigonometry in which its principles are applied to plane triangles.
PLANEPlane, n. Etym: [F. plane, L. plana. See Plane, v. & a.]
1. (Geom.)
Defn: A surface, real or imaginary, in which, if any two points are taken, the straight line which joins them lies wholly in that surface; or a surface, any section of which by a like surface is a straight line; a surface without curvature.
2. (Astron.)
Defn: An ideal surface, conceived as coinciding with, or containing, some designated astronomical line, circle, or other curve; as, the plane of an orbit; the plane of the ecliptic, or of the equator.
3. (Mech.)
Defn: A block or plate having a perfectly flat surface, used as a standard of flatness; a surface plate.
4. (Joinery)
Defn: A tool for smoothing boards or other surfaces of wood, for forming moldings, etc. It consists of a smooth-soled stock, usually of wood, from the under side or face of which projects slightly the steel cutting edge of a chisel, called the iron, which inclines backward, with an apperture in front for the escape of shavings; as, the jack plane; the smoothing plane; the molding plane, etc. Objective plane (Surv.), the horizontal plane upon which the object which is to be delineated, or whose place is to be determined, is supposed to stand. — Perspective plane. See Perspective. — Plane at infinity (Geom.), a plane in which points infinitely distant are conceived as situated. — Plane iron, the cutting chisel of a joiner's plane. — Plane of polarization. (Opt.) See Polarization. — Plane of projection. (a) The plane on which the projection is made, corresponding to the perspective plane in perspective; — called also principal plane. (b) (Descriptive Geom.) One of the planes to which points are referred for the purpose of determining their relative position in space. — Plane of refraction or reflection (Opt.), the plane in which lie both the incident ray and the refracted or reflected ray.
PLANEPlane, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Planed; p. pr. & vb. n. Planing.] Etym:[Cf. F. planer, L. planare, fr. planus. See Plane, a., Plain, a., andcf. Planish.]
1. To make smooth; to level; to pare off the inequalities of the surface of, as of a board or other piece of wood, by the use of a plane; as, to plane a plank.
2. To efface or remove. He planed away the names . . . written on his tables. Chaucer.
3. Figuratively, to make plain or smooth. [R.] What student came but that you planed her path. Tennyson.
PLANE-PARALLELPlane`-par"al*lel, a. (Optics)
Defn: Having opposite surfaces exactly plane and parallel, as a piece of glass.
PLANERPlan"er, n.
1. One who, or that which, planes; a planing machine; esp., a machine for planing wood or metals.
2. (Print.)
Defn: A wooden block used for forcing down the type in a form, and making the surface even. Hansard. Planer centers. See under Center.
PLANER TREEPlan"er tree`. Etym: [From J.S.Planer, a German botanist.] (Bot.)
Defn: A small-leaved North American tree (Planera aquatica) related to the elm, but having a wingless, nutlike fruit.
PLANETPlan"et, n. Etym: [OE. planete, F. planète, L. planeta, fr. Gr.
1. (Astron.)
Defn: A celestial body which revolves about the sun in an orbit of a moderate degree of eccentricity. It is distinguished from a comet by the absence of a coma, and by having a less eccentric orbit. See Solar system.
Note: The term planet was first used to distinguish those stars which have an apparent motion through the constellations from the fixed stars, which retain their relative places unchanged. The inferior planets are Mercury and Venus, which are nearer to the sun than is the earth; the superior planets are Mars, the asteroids, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, which are farther from the sun than is the earth. Primary planets are those which revolve about the sun; secondary planets, or moons, are those which revolve around the primary planets as satellites, and at the same time revolve with them about the sun.
2. A star, as influencing the fate of a men. There's some ill planet reigns. Shak. Planet gear. (Mach.) See Epicyclic train, under Epicyclic. — Planet wheel, a gear wheel which revolves around the wheel with which it meshes, in an epicyclic train.
PLANE TABLEPlane" ta`ble.
Defn: See under Plane, a.
PLANETARIUMPlan`e*ta"ri*um, n. Etym: [NL.: cf. F. planétaire. See Planetary.]
Defn: An orrery. See Orrery.
PLANETARY Plan"et*a*ry, a. Etym: [Cf. L. planetarius an astrologer, F. planétaire planetary. See Planet.]
1. Of or pertaining to the planets; as, planetary inhabitants; planetary motions; planetary year.
2. Consisting of planets; as, a planetary system.
3. (Astrol.)
Defn: Under the dominion or influence of a planet. "Skilled in the planetary hours." Drayton.
4. Caused by planets. "A planetary plague." Shak.
5. Having the nature of a planet; erratic; revolving; wandering. "Erratical and planetary life." Fuller. Planetary days, the days of the week as shared among the planets known to the ancients, each having its day. Hutton. — Planetary nebula, a nebula exhibiting a uniform disk, like that of a planet.
PLANETEDPlan"et*ed, a.
Defn: Belonging to planets. [R.] Young.
PLANETIC; PLANETICALPla*net"ic, Pla*net"ic*al, a. Etym: [L. planeticus, Gr.
Defn: Of or pertaining to planets. Sir T. Browne.
PLANETOIDPlan"et*oid, n. Etym: [Planet + -oid.] (Astron.)
Defn: A body resembling a planet; an asteroid.
PLANETOIDALPlan"et*oid*al, a.