PLIEDPlied,
Defn: imp. & p. p. of Ply.
PLIERSPli"ers, n. pl. Etym: [From Ply to bend, fold.]
Defn: A kind of small pinchers with long jaws, — used for bending or cutting metal rods or wire, for handling small objects such as the parts of a watch, etc.
PLIFORMPli"form, a Etym: [Ply a fold + -form.]
Defn: In the form of a ply, fold, or doubling. [Obs.] Pennant.
PLIGHTPlight, obs.
Defn: imp. & p. p. of Plight, to pledge. Chaucer.
PLIGHTPlight, obs.
Defn: imp. & p. p. of Pluck. Chaucer.
PLIGHT Plight, v. t. Etym: [OE. pliten; probably through Old French, fr. LL. plectare, L. plectere. See Plait, Ply.]
Defn: To weave; to braid; to fold; to plait.[Obs.] "To sew andplight." Chaucer.A plighted garment of divers colors. Milton.
PLIGHTPlight, n.
Defn: A network; a plait; a fold; rarely a garment. [Obs.] "Many a folded plight." Spenser.
PLIGHT Plight, n. Etym: [OE. pliht danger, engagement, AS. pliht danger, fr. pleón to risk; akin to D. plicht duty, G. pflicht, Dan. pligt. sq. root28. Cf. Play.]
1. That which is exposed to risk; that which is plighted or pledged; security; a gage; a pledge. "That lord whose hand must take my plight." Shak.
2. Etym: [Perh. the same word as plight a pledge, but at least influenced by OF. plite, pliste, ploit, ploi, a condition, state; cf. E. plight to fold, and F. pli a fold, habit, plier to fold, E. ply.]
Defn: Condition; state; — risk, or exposure to danger, often being implied; as, a luckless plight. "Your plight is pitied." Shak. To bring our craft all in another plight Chaucer.
PLIGHT Plight, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Plighted; p. pr. & vb. n. Plighting.] Etym: [AS. plihtan to expose to danger, pliht danger;cf. D. verplichten to oblige, engage, impose a duty, G. verpflichten, Sw. förplikta, Dan. forpligte. See Plight, n.]
1. To pledge; to give as a pledge for the performance of some act; as, to plight faith, honor, word; — never applied to property or goods. " To do them plighte their troth." Piers Plowman. He plighted his right hand Unto another love, and to another land. Spenser. Here my inviolable faith I plight. Dryden.
2. To promise; to engage; to betroth. Before its setting hour, divide The bridegroom from the plighted bride. Sir W. Scott.
PLIGHTERPlight"er, n.
Defn: One who, or that which, plights.
PLIMPlim, v. i. Etym: [Cf. Plump.]
Defn: To swell, as grain or wood with water. [Prov. Eng.] Grose.
PLIMSOLL'S MARKPlim"soll's mark`. (Naut.)
Defn: A mark conspicuously painted on the port side of all British sea-going merchant vessels, to indicate the limit of submergence allowed by law; — so called from Samuel Plimsoll, by whose efforts the act of Parliament to prevent overloading was procured.
PLINTHPlinth, n. Etym: [L. plinthus, Gr. flint: cf. F. plinthe.]
Defn: (Arch.) In classical architecture, a vertically faced member immediately below the circular base of a column; also, the lowest member of a pedestal; hence, in general, the lowest member of a base; a sub-base; a block upon which the moldings of an architrave or trim are stopped at the bottom. See Illust. of Column.
PLIOCENEPli"o*cene, a. [Written also pleiocene.] Etym: [Gr. (Geol.)
Defn: Of, pertaining to, or characterizing, the most recent division of the Tertiary age.
PLIOCENEPli"o*cene, n. (Geol.)
Defn: The Pliocene period or deposits.
PLIOHIPPUSPli`o*hip"pus, n. Etym: [NL., fr. E. pliocene + Gr. (Paleon.)
Defn: An extinct genus of horses from the Pliocene deposits. Each foot had a single toe (or hoof), as in the common horse.
PLIOSAURUSPli`o*sau"rus, n. Etym: [NL., from Gr. (Paleon.)
Defn: An extinct genus of marine reptiles allied to Plesiosaurus, but having a much shorter neck.
PLITTPlitt, n. Etym: [Russ. plete.]
Defn: An instrument of punishment or torture resembling the knout, used in Russia.
PLOCPloc, n. Etym: [F.] (Naut.)
Defn: A mixture of hair and tar for covering the bottom of a ship.
PLOCEPlo"ce, n. Etym: [L., fr. Gr. (Rhet.)
Defn: A figure in which a word is separated or repeated by way of emphasis, so as not only to signify the individual thing denoted by it, but also its peculiar attribute or quality; as, "His wife's a wife indeed." Bailey.
PLODPlod, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Plodded; p. pr. & vb. n. Plodding.] Etym:[Gf. Gael. plod a clod, a pool; also, to strike or pelt with a clodor clods.]
1. To travel slowly but steadily; to trudge. Shak.
2. To toil; to drudge; especially, to study laboriously and patiently. "Plodding schoolmen." Drayton.
PLODPlod, v. t.
Defn: To walk on slowly or heavily.The ploughman homeward plods his weary way. Gray.
PLODDERPlod"der, n.
Defn: One who plods; a drudge.
PLODDINGPlod"ding, a.
Defn: Progressing in a slow, toilsome manner; characterized by laborious diligence; as, a plodding peddler; a plodding student; a man of plodding habits. —Plod"ding*ly, adv.
PLONGEPlonge, v. t. Etym: [See Plunge.]
Defn: To cleanse, as open drains which are entered by the tide, by stirring up the sediment when the tide ebbs.
PLONGEEPlon`gée", n. Etym: [F. See Plunge.] (Mil.)
Defn: A slope or sloping toward the front; as, the plongée of a parapet; the plongée of a shell in its course. [Sometimes written plonge.]
PLOPPlop, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Plopped; p. pr. & vb. n. Plopping.][Imitative.]
Defn: To fall, drop, or move in any way, with a sudden splash or slap, as on the surface of water.
The body plopped up, turning on its side.Kipling.
PLOPPlop, n.
Defn: Act of plopping; the sound made in plopping.
PLOT Plot, n. Etym: [AS. plot; cf. Goth. plats a patch. Cf. Plat a piece of ground.]
1. A small extent of ground; a plat; as, a garden plot. Shak.
2. A plantation laid out. [Obs.] Sir P. Sidney.
3. (Surv.)
Defn: A plan or draught of a field, farm, estate, etc., drawn to a scale.
PLOTPlot, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Plotted; p. pr. & vb. n. Plotting.]
Defn: To make a plot, map, pr plan, of; to mark the position of on aplan; to delineate.This treatise plotteth down Cornwall as it now standeth. Carew.
PLOTPlot, n. Etym: [Abbrev. from complot.]
1. Any scheme, stratagem, secret design, or plan, of a complicated nature, adapted to the accomplishment of some purpose, usually a treacherous and mischievous one; a conspiracy; an intrigue; as, the Rye-house Plot. I have overheard a plot of death. Shak. O, think what anxious moments pass between The birth of plots and their last fatal periods! Addison.
2. A share in such a plot or scheme; a participation in any stratagem or conspiracy. [Obs.] And when Christ saith. Who marries the divorced commits adultery, it is to be understood, if he had any plot in the divorce. Milton.
3. Contrivance; deep reach thought; ability to plot or intrigue. [Obs.] "A man of much plot." Denham.
4. A plan; a purpose. "No other plot in their religion but serve Got and save their souls." Jer. Taylor.
5. In fiction, the story of a play, novel, romance, or poem, comprising a complication of incidents which are gradually unfolded, sometimes by unexpected means. If the plot or intrigue must be natural, and such as springs from the subject, then the winding up of the plot must be a probable consequence of all that went before. Pope.
Syn.— Intrigue; stratagem; conspiracy; cabal; combination; contrivance.
PLOTPlot, v. i.
1. To form a scheme of mischief against another, especially against a government or those who administer it; to conspire. Shak. The wicked plotteth against the just. Ps. xxxvii. 12.
2. To contrive a plan or stratagem; to scheme. The prince did plot to be secretly gone. Sir H. Wotton.
PLOTPlot, v. t.
Defn: To plan; to scheme; to devise; to contrive secretly. "Plotting an unprofitable crime." Dryden. "Plotting now the fall of others." Milton
PLOTFULPlot"ful, a.
Defn: Abounding with plots.
PLOTINIANPlo*tin"i*an, a.
Defn: Of pertaining to the Plotinists or their doctrines.
PLOTINISTPlo*ti"nist, n. (Eccl. Hist.)
Defn: A disciple of Plotinus, a celebrated Platonic philosopher of the third century, who taught that the human soul emanates from the divine Being, to whom it reunited at death.
PLOT-PROOFPlot"-proof`, a.
Defn: Secure against harm by plots. Shak.
PLOTTERPlot"ter, n.
Defn: One who plots or schemes; a contriver; a conspirator; a schemer. Dryden.
PLOUGHPlough, n. & v.
Defn: See Plow.
PLOUTERPlout"er, v. i. [Also plowter, plotter.] [Perh. imitative.]
Defn: To wade or move about with splashing; to dabble; also, to potter; trifle; idle. [Scot. & Dial. Eng.]
I did not want to plowter about any more.Kipling.
PLOUTERPlout"er, n. [Also plowter.]
Defn: Act of ploutering; floundering; act or sound of splashing.[Scot. & Dial.Eng.]
PLOVERPlov"er, n. Etym: [OF. plovier, F. pluvier, prop., the rain bird, fr.LL. (assumed) pluviarius, fr. L. pluvia rain, from pluere to rain;akin to E. float, G. fliessen to flow. See Float.]
1. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any one of numerous species of limicoline birds belonging to the family Charadridæ, and especially those belonging to the subfamily Charadrinsæ. They are prized as game birds.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any grallatorial bird allied to, or resembling, the true plovers, as the crab plover (Dromas ardeola); the American upland, plover (Bartramia longicauda); and other species of sandpipers.
Note: Among the more important species are the blackbellied, or blackbreasted, plover (Charadrius squatarola) of America and Europe; — called also gray plover, bull-head plover, Swiss plover, sea plover, and oxeye; the golden plover (see under Golden); the ring or ringed plover (Ægialitis hiaticula). See Ringneck. The piping plover (Ægialitis meloda); Wilson's plover (Æ. Wilsonia); the mountain plover (Æ. montana); and the semipalmated plover (Æ. semipalmata), are all small American species. Bastard plover (Zoöl.), the lapwing. — Long-legged, or yellow-legged, plover. See Tattler. — Plover's page, the dunlin. [Prov. Eng.] — Rock plover, or Stone plover, the black-bellied plover. [Prov. Eng.] — Whistling plover. (a) The golden plover. (b) The black-bellied plover.
PLOW; PLOUGH Plow, Plough (plou), n. Etym: [OE. plouh, plou, AS. ploh; akin to D. ploeg, G. pflug, OHG. pfluog, pfluoh, Icel. plogr, Sw. plog, Dan. ploug, plov, Russ. plug', Lith. plugas.]
1. A well-known implement, drawn by horses, mules, oxen, or other power, for turning up the soil to prepare it for bearing crops; also used to furrow or break up the soil for other purposes; as, the subsoil plow; the draining plow. Where fern succeeds ungrateful to the plow. Dryden.
2. Fig.: Agriculture; husbandry. Johnson.
3. A carucate of land; a plowland. [Obs.] [Eng.] Johan, mine eldest son, shall have plowes five. Tale of Gamelyn.
4. A joiner's plane for making grooves; a grooving plane.
5. (Bookbinding)
Defn: An implement for trimming or shaving off the edges of books.
6. (Astron.)
Defn: Same as Charles's Wain. Ice plow, a plow used for cutting iceon rivers, ponds, etc., into cakes suitable for storing. [U. S.] —Mackerel plow. See under Mackerel.— Plow alms, a penny formerly paid by every plowland to the church.Cowell.— Plow beam, that part of the frame of a plow to which the draughtis applied. See Beam, n., 9.— Plow Monday, the Monday after Twelth Day, or the end of Christmasholidays.— Plow staff. (a) A kind of long-handled spade or paddle forcleaning the plowshare; a paddle staff. (b) A plow handle.— Snow plow, a structure, usually
PLOW; PLOUGH Plow, Plough, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Plowed (ploud) or Ploughed; p. pr. & vb. n. Plowing or Ploughing.]
1. To turn up, break up, or trench, with a plow; to till with, or as with, a plow; as, to plow the ground; to plow a field.
2. To furrow; to make furrows, grooves, or ridges in; to run through,as in sailing.Let patient Octavia plow thy visage up With her prepared nails. Shak.With speed we plow the watery way. Pope.
3. (Bookbinding)
Defn: To trim, or shave off the edges of, as a book or paper, with a plow. See Plow, n., 5.
4. (Joinery)
Defn: To cut a groove in, as in a plank, or the edge of a board; especially, a rectangular groove to receive the end of a shelf or tread, the edge of a panel, a tongue, etc. To plow in, to cover by plowing; as, to plow in wheat. — To plow up, to turn out of the ground by plowing.plow ahead, to continue in spite of obstacles or resistence by others.
Note: Often used in a bad sense, meaning to continue obstinately in spite of the contrary advice of others. plow through, to execute a difficult or laborious task steadily, esp. one containing many parts; as, he plowed through the stack of correspondence until all had been answered.
PLOW; PLOUGHPlow, Plough (plou), v. i.
Defn: To labor with, or as with, a plow; to till or turn up the soil with a plow; to till or turn up the soil with a plow; to prepare the soil or bed for anything. Shak. Doth the plowman plow all day to sow Isa. xxviii. 24.
PLOWABLE; PLOUGHABLEPlow"a*ble, Plough"a*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being plowed; arable.
PLOWBOTE; PLOUGHBOTEPlow"bote`, Plough"bote`, n. (Eng. Law)
Defn: Wood or timber allowed to a tenant for the repair of instruments of husbandry. See Bote.
PLOWBOY; PLOUGHBOYPlow"boy`, Plough"boy`, n.
Defn: A boy that drives or guides a team in plowing; a young rustic.
PLOWER; PLOUGHERPlow"er, Plough"er, n.
Defn: One who plows; a plowman; a cultivator.
PLOWFOOT; PLOUGHFOOTPlow"foot`, Plough"foot`, n.
Defn: An adjustable staff formerly attached to the plow beam to determine the depth of the furrow. Piers Plowman.
PLOWGANG; PLOUGHGANGPlow"gang`, Plough"gang`, n.
Defn: Same as Plowgate.
PLOWGATE; PLOUGHGATEPlow"gate`, Plough"gate`, n.
Defn: The Scotch equivalent of the English word plowland.Not having one plowgate of land. Sir W. Scott.
PLOWHEAD; PLOUGHHEADPlow"head`, Plough"head`, n.
Defn: The clevis or draught iron of a plow.
PLOWLAND; PLOUGLANDPlow"land`, Ploug"land`, n.
1. Land that is plowed, or suitable for tillage.
2. (O. Eng. Law)
Defn: the quantity of land allotted for the work of one plow; a hide.
PLOWMAN; PLOUGHMANPlow"man, Plough"man, n.; pl. -men (.
1. One who plows, or who holds and guides a plow; hence, a husbandman. Chaucer. Macaulay.
2. A rustic; a countryman; a field laborer. Plowman's spikenard (Bot.), a European composite weed (Conyza squarrosa), having fragrant roots. Dr. Prior.
PLOWPOINT; PLOUGHPOINTPlow"point`, Plough"point`, n.
Defn: A detachable share at the extreme front end of the plow body.
PLOWSHARE; PLOUGHSHAREPlow"share`, Plough"share", n.
Defn: The share of a plow, or that part which cuts the slice of earth or sod at the bottom of the furrow. Plowshare bone (Anat.), the pygostyle.
PLOWTAIL; PLOUGHTAILPlow"tail`, Plough"tail`, n.
Defn: The hind part or handle of a plow.
PLOWWRIGHT; PLOUGHWRIGHTPlow"wright`, Plough"wright`, n.
Defn: One who makes or repairs plows.
PLOYPloy, n.
Defn: Sport; frolic. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.]
PLOYPloy, v. i. Etym: [Prob. abbrev. fr. deploy.] (Mil.)
Defn: To form a column from a line of troops on some designated subdivision; — the opposite of deploy. Wilhelm.
PLOYMENTPloy"ment, n. (Mil.)
Defn: The act or movement of forming a column from a line of troops on some designated subdivision; — the opposite of deployment.
PLUCKPluck, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Plucked; p. pr. & vb. n. Plucking.] Etym:[AS. pluccian; akin to LG. & D. plukken, G. pflücken, Icel. plokka,plukka, Dan. plukke, Sw. plocka.
1. To pull; to draw. Its own nature . . . plucks on its own dissolution. Je
2. Especially, to pull with sudden force or effort, or to pull off or out from something, with a twitch; to twitch; also, to gather, to pick; as, to pluck feathers from a fowl; to pluck hair or wool from a skin; to pluck grapes. I come to pluck your berries harsh and crude. Milton. E'en children followed, with endearing wile, And plucked his gown to share the good man's smile. Goldsmith.
3. To strip of, or as of, feathers; as, to pluck a fowl. They which pass by the way do pluck her. Ps. lxxx.
4. (Eng. Universities)
Defn: To reject at an examination for degrees. C. Bronté. To pluck away, to pull away, or to separate by pulling; to tear away. — To pluck down, to pull down; to demolish; to reduce to a lower state. — to pluck off, to pull or tear off; as, to pluck off the skin. — to pluck up. (a) To tear up by the roots or from the foundation; to eradicate; to exterminate; to destroy; as, to pluck up a plant; to pluk up a nation. Jer. xii. 17. (b) To gather up; to summon; as, to pluck up courage.
PLUCKPluck, v. i.
Defn: To make a motion of pulling or twitching; — usually with at; as, to pluck at one's gown.
PLUCKPluck, n.
1. The act of plucking; a pull; a twitch.
2. Etym: [Prob. so called as being plucked out after the animal is killed; or cf. Gael. & Ir. pluc a lump, a knot, a bunch.]
Defn: The heart, liver, and lights of an animal.
3. Spirit; courage; indomitable resolution; fortitude. Decay of English spirit, decay of manly pluck. Thackeray.
4. The act of plucking, or the state of being plucked, at college. See Pluck, v. t., 4.
5. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The lyrie. [Prov. Eng.]
PLUCKEDPlucked, a.
Defn: Having courage and spirit. [R.]
PLUCKERPluck"er, n.
1. One who, or that which, plucks. Thou setter up and plucker down of kings. Shak.
2. A machine for straightening and cleaning wool.
PLUCKER TUBE Plück"er tube. [So named after Julius Plücker, a German physicist.] (Physics) (a) A vacuum tube, used in spectrum analysis, in which the part through which the discharge takes place is a capillary tube, thus producing intense incandescence of the contained gases. (b) Crookes tube.
PLUCKILYPluck"i*ly, adv.
Defn: In a plucky manner.
PLUCKINESSPluck"i*ness, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being plucky.
PLUCKLESSPluck"less, a.
Defn: Without pluck; timid; faint-hearted.
PLUCKYPluck"y, a. [Compar. Pluckier; superl. Pluckiest.]
Defn: Having pluck or courage; characterized by pluck; displaying pluck; courageous; spirited; as, a plucky race. If you're plucky, and not over subject to fright. Barham.
PLUFFPluff, v. t. Etym: [Prob. of imitative origin.]
Defn: To throw out, as smoke, dust, etc., in puffs. [Scot.]
PLUFFPluff, n.
1. A puff, as of smoke from a pipe, or of dust from a puffball; a slight explosion, as of a small quantity of gunpowder. [Scot.]
2. A hairdresser's powder puff; also, the act of using it. [Scot.]
PLUG Plug, n. Etym: [Akin to D. plug, G. pflock, Dan. plök, plug, Sw. plugg; cf. W. ploc.]
1. Any piece of wood, metal, or other substance used to stop or fill a hole; a stopple.
2. A flat oblong cake of pressed tobacco. [U. S.]
3. A high, tapering silk hat. [Slang, U.S.]
4. A worthless horse. [Slang, U.S.]
5. (Building)
Defn: A block of wood let into a wall, to afford a hold for nails. Fire plug, a street hydrant to which hose may be attached. [U. S.] — Hawse plug (Naut.), a plug to stop a hawse hole. — Plug and feather. (Stone Working) See Feather, n., 7. — Plug centerbit, a centerbit ending in a small cylinder instead of a point, so as to follow and enlarge a hole previously made, or to form a counterbore around it. — Plug rod (Steam Eng.) , a rod attached to the beam for working the valves, as in the Cornish engine. — Plug valve (Mech.), a tapering valve, which turns in a case like the plug of a faucet.
PLUGPlug, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Plugged; p. pr. & vb. n. Plugging.]
Defn: To stop with a plug; to make tight by stopping a hole.
PLUG BOARDPlug board. (Elec.)
Defn: A switchboard in which connections are made by means of plugs.
PLUGGERPlug"ger, n.
Defn: One who, or that which, plugs.
PLUGGINGPlug"ging, n.
1. The act of stopping with a plug.
2. The material of which a plug or stopple is made.
PLUM Plum, n. Etym: [AS.plume, fr. L. prunum; akin to Gr. Prune a dried plum.]
1. (Bot.)
Defn: The edible drupaceous fruit of the Prunus domestica, and of several other species of Prunus; also, the tree itself, usually called plum tree. The bullace, the damson, and the numerous varieties of plum, of our gardens, although growing into thornless trees, are believed to be varieties of the blackthorn, produced by long cultivation. G. Bentham. are in bold format, like collocations.
Note: Two or three hundred varieties of plums derived from the Prunus domestica are described; among them the greengage, the Orleans, the purple gage, or Reine Claude Violette, and the German prune, are some of the best known.
Note: Among the true plums are; Beach plum, the Prunus maritima, andits crimson or purple globular drupes, — Bullace plum. See Bullace.— Chickasaw plum, the American Prunus Chicasa, and its round reddrupes.— Orleans plum, a dark reddish purple plum of medium size, muchgrown in England for sale in the markets.— Wild plum of America, Prunus Americana, with red or yellow fruit,the original of the Iowa plum and several other varieties. Amongplants called plum, but of other genera than Prunus, are; Australianplum, Cargillia arborea and C. australis, of the same family with thepersimmon.— Blood plum, the West African Hæmatostaphes Barteri.— Cocoa plum, the Spanish nectarine. See under Nectarine.— Date plum. See under Date.— Gingerbread plum, the West African Parinarium macrophyllum.— Gopher plum, the Ogeechee lime.— Gray plum, Guinea plum. See under Guinea.— Indian plum, several species of Flacourtia.
2. A grape dried in the sun; a raisin.
3. A handsome fortune or property; formerly, in cant language, the sum of £100,000 sterling; also, the person possessing it. Plum bird, Plum budder (Zoöl.), the European bullfinch. — Plum gouger (Zoöl.), a weevil, or curculio (Coccotorus scutellaris), which destroys plums. It makes round holes in the pulp, for the reception of its eggs. The larva bores into the stone and eats the kernel. — Plum weevil (Zoöl.), an American weevil which is very destructive to plums, nectarines cherries, and many other stone fruits. It lays its eggs in crescent-shaped incisions made with its jaws. The larva lives upon the pulp around the stone. Called also turk, and plum curculio. See Illust. under Curculio.
PLUMAPlu"ma, n.; pl. Plumæ. Etym: [L.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A feather.
PLUMAGEPlum"age, n. Etym: [F., from plume a feather.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: The entire clothing of a bird.
Note: It consist of the contour feathers, or the ordinary feathers covering the head, neck, and body; the tail feathers, with their upper and lower coverts; the wing feathers, including primaries, secondaries, and tertiaries, with their coverts; and the down which lies beneath the contour feathers. See Illust. under Bird.
PLUMASSARYPlu*mas"sa*ry, n. Etym: [Cf. F. plumasseau.]
Defn: A plume or collection of ornamental feathers.
PLUMASSIERPlu`mas`sier", n. Etym: [F.]
Defn: One who prepares or deals in ornamental plumes or feathers.
PLUMB Plumb, n. Etym: [F. plomb, L. plumbum lead, a leaden ball or bullet; cf. Gr. Plummet, Plunge.]
Defn: A little mass or weight of lead, or the like, attached to a line, and used by builders, etc., to indicate a vertical direction; a plummet; a plumb bob. See Plumb line, below. Plumb bob. See Bob, 4. — Plumb joint, in sheet-metal work, a lap joint, fastened by solder. — Plumb level. See under Level. — Plumb line. (a) The cord by which a plumb bob is suspended; a plummet. (b) A line directed to the center of gravity of the earth. — Plumb rule, a narrow board with a plumb line, used by builders and carpenters.
PLUMBPlumb, a.
Defn: Perpendicular; vertical; conforming the direction of a line attached to a plumb; as, the wall is plumb.
PLUMBPlumb, adv.
Defn: In a plumb direction; perpendicularly. "Plumb down he falls."Milton.
PLUMBPlumb, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Plumbed; p. pr. & vb. n. Plumbing.]
1. To adjust by a plumb line; to cause to be perpendicular; as, to plumb a building or a wall.
2. To sound with a plumb or plummet, as the depth of water; hence, to examine by test; to ascertain the depth, quality, dimension, etc.; to sound; to fathom; to test. He did not attempt to plumb his intellect. Ld. Lytton.
3. To seal with lead; as, to plumb a drainpipe.
4. To supply, as a building, with a system of plumbing.
PLUMBAGEPlumb"age, n.
Defn: Leadwork [R.]
PLUMBAGIN Plum*ba"gin, n. Etym: [L. plumbago leadwort, fr. plumbum lead; cf. F. plombagin.] (Chem.)
Defn: A crystalline substance said to be found in the root of a certain plant of the Leadwort (Plumbago) family.
PLUMBAGINEOUSPlum`ba*gin"e*ous, a. (Bot.)
Defn: Pertaining to natural order (Plumbagineæ) of gamopetalous herbs, of which plumbago is the type. The order includes also the marsh rosemary, the thrift, and a few other genera.
PLUMBAGINOUSPlum*bag"i*nous, a.
Defn: Resembling plumbago; consisting of, or containing, plumbago; as, a plumbaginous slate.
PLUMBAGOPlum*ba"go, n. Etym: [L., from plumbum lead.]
1. (Min.)
Defn: Same as Graphite.
2. (Bot.)
Defn: A genus of herbaceous plants with pretty salver-shaped corollas, usually blue or violet; leadwort.
PLUMBEAN; PLUMBEOUS Plum"be*an, Plum"be*ous, a. Etym: [L. plumbeus, from plumbum the metal lead.]
1. Consisting of, or resembling, lead. J. Ellis.
2. Dull; heavy; stupid. [R.] J. P. Smith.
PLUMBERPlumb"er, n. Etym: [F. plombier. See Plumb.]
Defn: One who works in lead; esp., one who furnishes, fits, and repairs lead, iron, or glass pipes, and other apparatus for the conveyance of water, gas, or drainage in buildings.
PLUMBER BLOCKPlumb"er block`.
Defn: A pillow block.
PLUMBERYPlumb"er*y, n. Etym: [F. plomberie.]
1. The business of a plumber. [Obs.]
2. A place where plumbing is carried on; lead works.
PLUMBICPlum"bic, a. Etym: [From Plumbum.] (Chem.)
Defn: Of, pertaining to, resembling, or containing, lead; — used specifically to designate those compounds in which it has a higher valence as contrasted with plumbous compounds; as, plumbic oxide.
PLUMBIFEROUSPlum*bif"er*ous, a. Etym: [Plumbum + -ferous.]
Defn: Producing or containing lead. Kirwan.
PLUMBINGPlumb"ing, n.
1. The art of casting and working in lead, and applying it to building purposes; especially, the business of furnishing, fitting, and repairing pipes for conducting water, sewage, etc. Gwilt.
2. The lead or iron pipes, and other apparatus, used in conveying water, sewage, etc., in a building.
PLUMBISMPlum"bism, n. Etym: [From Plumbum.] (Med.)
Defn: A diseased condition, produced by the absorption of lead, common among workers in this metal or in its compounds, as among painters, typesetters, etc. It is characterized by various symptoms, as lead colic, lead line, and wrist drop. See under Colic, Lead, and Wrist.
PLUMBOUSPlum"bous, a. Etym: [From Plumbum.] (Chem.)
Defn: Of, pertaining to, or containing, lead; — used specifically to designate those compounds in which it has a lower valence as contrasted with plumbic compounds.
PLUMBUMPlum"bum, n. Etym: [L.] (Chem.)
Defn: The technical name of lead. See Lead.
PLUMCOTPlum"cot, n. [Plum + apricot.] (Hort.)
Defn: A cross between the plum and apricot.
PLUMEPlume, n. Etym: [F., fr. L. pluma. Cf. Fly, v.]
1. A feather; esp., a soft, downy feather, or a long, conspicuous, or handsome feather. Wings . . . of many a colored plume. Milton.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: An ornamental tuft of feathers.
3. A feather, or group of feathers, worn as an ornament; a waving ornament of hair, or other material resembling feathers. His high plume, that nodded o'er his head. Dryden.
4. A token of honor or prowess; that on which one prides himself; a prize or reward. "Ambitious to win from me some plume." Milton.
5. (Bot.)
Defn: A large and flexible panicle of inflorescence resembling a feather, such as is seen in certain large ornamental grasses. Plume bird (Zoöl.), any bird that yields ornamental plumes, especially the species of Epimarchus from New Guinea, and some of the herons and egrets, as the white heron of Florida (Ardea candidissima). — Plume grass. (Bot) (a) A kind of grass (Erianthus saccharoides) with the spikelets arranged in great silky plumes, growing in swamps in the Southern United States. (b) The still finer E. Ravennæ from the Mediterranean region. The name is sometimes extended to the whole genus. — Plume moth (Zoöl.), any one of numerous small, slender moths, belonging to the family Pterophoridæ. Most of them have the wings deeply divided into two or more plumelike lobes. Some species are injurious to the grapevine. — Plume nutmeg (Bot.), an aromatic Australian tree (Atherosperma moschata), whose numerous carpels are tipped with long plumose persistent styles.
PLUMEPlume, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Plumed; p. pr. & vb. n. Pluming.] Etym:[Cf. F. plumer to pluck, to strip, L. plumare to cover withfeathers.]
1. To pick and adjust the plumes or feathers of; to dress or prink. Pluming her wings among the breezy bowers. W. Irving.
2. To strip of feathers; to pluck; to strip; to pillage; also, to peel. [Obs.] Bacon. Dryden.
3. To adorn with feathers or plumes. "Farewell the plumed troop." Shak.
4. To pride; to vaunt; to boast; — used reflexively; as, he plumes himself on his skill. South. Plumed adder (Zoöl.), an African viper (Vipera, or Clotho, cornuta), having a plumelike structure over each eye. It is venomous, and is related to the African puff adder. Called also horned viper and hornsman. — Plumed partridge (Zoöl.), the California mountain quail (Oreortyx pictus). See Mountain quail, under Mountain.
PLUMELESSPlume"less, a.
Defn: Without plumes.
PLUMELETPlume"let, n. Etym: [Plume + -let.]
Defn: A small plume.When rosy plumelets tuft the larch. Tennyson.
PLUMERYPlum"er*y, n.
Defn: Plumes, collectively or in general; plumage. [R.] Southey.
PLUMICORNPlu"mi*corn, n. Etym: [L. pluma feather + cornu horn.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: An ear tuft of feathers, as in the horned owls.
PLUMIGEROUS Plu*mig"er*ous, a. Etym: [L. plumiger; pluma a feather + gerere to bear.]
Defn: Feathered; having feathers. Bailey
PLUMILIFORM Plu*mil"i*form, a. Etym: [L. plumula, or plumella a little feather (dim. of pluma feather) + -form.]
Defn: Having the of a plume or feather. [R.]
PLUMIPEDPlu"mi*ped, a. Etym: [L. plumipes, -edis; pluma a feather + pes: cf.F. plumipède.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Having feet covered with feathers.— n.
Defn: A plumiped bird.
PLUMMETPlum"met, n. Etym: [OE. plommet, OF. plommet, fr. plom, plum, lead,F. plomb. See Plumb.]
1. A piece of lead attached to a line, used in sounding the depth of water. I'll sink him deeper than e'er plummet sounded. Shak.
2. A plumb bob or a plumb line. See under Plumb, n.
3. Hence, any weight.
4. A piece of lead formerly used by school children to rule paper for writing. Plummet line, a line with a plummet; a sounding line.
PLUMMINGPlum"ming, n. Etym: [See Plumb.] (Min.)
Defn: The operation of finding, by means of a mine dial, the place where to sink an air shaft, or to bring an adit to the work, or to find which way the lode inclines.
PLUMMYPlum"my, a. Etym: [From Plum.]
Defn: Of the nature of a plum; desirable; profitable; advantageous.[Colloq.] "For the sake of getting something plummy." G. Eliot.
PLUMOSE; PLUMOUS Plu*mose", Plu"mous, a. Etym: [L. plumosus, fr. pluma feather: cf. F. plumeux.]
1. Having feathers or plumes.
2. Having hairs, or other párts, arranged along an axis like a feather; feathery; plumelike; as, a plumose leaf; plumose tentacles.
PLUMOSITEPlu"mo*site, n. (Min.)
Defn: Same as Jamesonite.
PLUMOSITYPlu*mos"i*ty, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being plumose.
PLUMP Plump, a. [Compar. Plumper; superl. Plumpest.] Etym: [OE. plomp rude, clumsy; akin to D. plomp, G., Dan., & Sw. plump; probably of imitative origin. Cf. Plump, adv.]
Defn: Well rounded or filled out; full; fleshy; fat; as, a plump baby; plump cheeks. Shak. The god of wine did his plump clusters bring. T. Carew.
PLUMPPlump, n.
Defn: A knot; a cluster; a group; a crowd; a flock; as, a plump of trees, fowls, or spears. [Obs.] To visit islands and the plumps of men. Chapman.
PLUMP Plump, v. i. Etym: [Cf. D. plompen, G. plumpen, Sw. plumpa, Dan. plumpe. See Plump, a.]
1. To grow plump; to swell out; as, her cheeks have plumped.
2. To drop or fall suddenly or heavily, all at once."Dulcissa plumps into a chair." Spectator.
3. To give a plumper. See Plumper, 2.
PLUMPPlump, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Plumped; p. pr. & vb. n. Plumping.]
1. To make plump; to fill (out) or support; — often with up.plump upthe pillowsTo plump up the hollowness of their history with improbable miracles.Fuller.
2. To cast or let drop all at once, suddenly and heavily; as, to plump a stone into water.
3. To give (a vote), as a plumper. See Plumper, 2.
PLUMPPlump, adv. Etym: [Cf. D. plomp, interj., G. plump, plumps. Cf.Plump, a. &v.]
Defn: Directly; suddenly; perpendicularly. "Fall plump." Beau. & Fl.
PLUMPERPlump"er, n.
1. One who, or that which, plumps or swells out something else; hence, something carried in the mouth to distend the cheeks.
2. (English Elections)
Defn: A vote given to one candidate only, when two or more are to be elected, thus giving him the advantage over the others. A person who gives his vote thus is said to plump, or to plump his vote.
3. A voter who plumps his vote. [Eng.]
4. A downright, unqualified lie. [Colloq. or Low]
PLUMPLYPlump"ly, adv.
Defn: Fully; roundly; plainly; without reserve. [Colloq.]
PLUMPNESSPlump"ness, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being plump.
PLUMPYPlump"y, a.
Defn: Plump; fat; sleek. "Plumpy Bacchus." Shak.
PLUMULAPlu"mu*la, n.; pl. L. Plumule, E.-las. Etym: [L. See Plumule.]
1. (Bot.)
Defn: A plumule.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A down feather.
PLUMULACEOUSPlu`mu*la"ceous, a. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Downy; bearing down.
PLUMULARPlu"mu*lar, a. (Bot.)
Defn: Relating to a plumule.
PLUMULARIAPlu`mu*la"ri*a, n.; pl. L. Plumularlæ, E. Plumularias. Etym: [NL.](Zoöl.)
Defn: Any hydroid belonging to Plumularia and other genera of the family Plumularidæ. They generally grow in plumelike forms.
PLUMULARIANPlu`mu*la"ri*an, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any Plumularia. Also used adjectively.
PLUMULE Plu"mule, n. Etym: [L. plumula, dim. of pluma a feather; cf. F. plumule.]
1. (Bot.)
Defn: The first bud, or gemmule, of a young plant; the bud, or growing point, of the embryo, above the cotyledons. See Illust. of Radicle. Gray.
2. (Zoöl.) (a) A down feather. (b) The aftershaft of a feather. See Illust. under Feather. (c) One of the featherlike scales of certain male butterflies.
PLUMULOSEPlu"mu*lose", a.
Defn: Having hairs branching out laterally, like the parts of a feather.
PLUMYPlum"y, a.
Defn: Covered or adorned with plumes, or as with plumes; feathery."His plumy crest." Addison. "The plumy trees." J. S. Blackie.
PLUNDERPlun"der, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Plundered; p. pr. & vb. n. Plundering.]Etym: [G. plündern to plunder, plunder frippery, baggage.]
1. To take the goods of by force, or without right; to pillage; to spoil; to sack; to strip; to rob; as, to plunder travelers. Nebuchadnezzar plunders the temple of God. South.
2. To take by pillage; to appropriate forcibly; as, the enemy plundered all the goods they found.
Syn.— To pillage; despoil; sack; rifle; strip; rob.
PLUNDERPlun"der, n.
1. The act of plundering or pillaging; robbery. See Syn. of Pillage. Inroads and plunders of the Saracens. Sir T. North.
2. That which is taken by open force from an enemy; pillage; spoil; booty; also, that which is taken by theft or fraud. "He shared in the plunder." Cowper.
3. Personal property and effects; baggage or luggage. [Slang, Southwestern U.S.]
PLUNDERAGEPlun"der*age, n. (Mar. Law)
Defn: The embezzlement of goods on shipboard. Wharton.
PLUNDERERPlun"der*er, n.
Defn: One who plunders or pillages.
PLUNGEPlunge, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Plunged; p. pr. & vb. n. Plunging.] Etym:[OE. ploungen, OF. plongier, F. plonger, fr. (assumed) LL.plumbicare, fr. L. plumbum lead. See Plumb.]
1. To thrust into water, or into any substance that is penetrable; to immerse; to cause to penetrate or enter quickly and forcibly; to thrust; as, to plunge the body into water; to plunge a dagger into the breast. Also used figuratively; as, to plunge a nation into war. "To plunge the boy in pleasing sleep." Dryden. Bound and plunged him into a cell. Tennyson. We shall be plunged into perpetual errors. I. Watts.
2. To baptize by immersion.
3. To entangle; to embarrass; to overcome. [Obs.] Plunged and graveled with three lines of Seneca. Sir T. Browne.
PLUNGEPlunge, v. i.
1. To thrust or cast one's self into water or other fluid; to submerge one's self; to dive, or to rush in; as, he plunged into the river. Also used figuratively; as, to plunge into debt. Forced to plunge naked in the raging sea. Dryden. To plunge into guilt of a murther. Tillotson.
2. To pitch or throw one's self headlong or violently forward, as a horse does. Some wild colt, which . . . flings and plunges. Bp. Hall.
3. To bet heavily and with seeming recklessness on a race, or other contest; in an extended sense, to risk large sums in hazardous speculations. [Cant] Plunging fire (Gun.), firing directed upon an enemy from an elevated position.
PLUNGEPlunge, n.
1. The act of thrusting into or submerging; a dive, leap, rush, or pitch into, or as into, water; as, to take the water with a plunge.
2. Hence, a desperate hazard or act; a state of being submerged or overwhelmed with difficulties. [R.] She was brought to that plunge, to conceal her husband's murder or accuse her son. Sir P. Sidney. And with thou not reach out a friendly arm, To raise me from amidst this plunge of sorrows Addison.
3. The act of pitching or throwing one's self headlong or violently forward, like an unruly horse.
4. Heavy and reckless betting in horse racing; hazardous speculation. [Cant] Plunge bath, an immersion by plunging; also, a large bath in which the bather can wholly immerse himself. — Plunge, or plunging, battery (Elec.), a voltaic battery so arranged that the plates can be plunged into, or withdrawn from, the exciting liquid at pleasure.
PLUNGERPlun"ger, n.
1. One who, or that which, plunges; a diver.
2. A long solid cylinder, used, instead of a piston or bucket, as a forcer in pumps.
3. One who bets heavily and recklessly on a race; a reckless speculator. [Cant]
4. (Pottery)
Defn: A boiler in which clay is beaten by a wheel to a creamy consistence. Knight.
5. (Gun.)
Defn: The firing pin of a breechloader. Plunger bucket, a piston, without a valve, in a pump. — Plunger pole, the pump rod of a pumping engine. — Plunger pump, a pump, as for water, having a plunger, instead of a piston, to act upon the water. It may be single-acting or double- acting
PLUNKPlunk, v. t. [Imitative.] [Chiefly Colloq.]
1. To pluck and release quickly (a musical string); to twang.
2. To throw, push, drive heavily, plumply, or suddenly; as, to plunk down a dollar; also, to hit or strike.
3. To be a truant from (school). [Scot.]
PLUNKPlunk, n.
1. Act or sound of plunking. [Colloq.]
2. [Slang] (a) A large sum of money. [Obs.] (b) A dollar. [U. S.]
PLUNKPlunk, v. i. [Chiefly Colloq.]
1. To make a quick, hollow, metallic, or harsh sound, as by pulling hard on a taut string and quickly releasing it; of a raven, to croak.
2. To drop or sink down suddenly or heavily; to plump.
3. To play truant, or "hooky". [Scot.]
PLUNKETPlun"ket, n.
Defn: A kind of blue color; also, anciently, a kind of cloth, generally blue.
PLUPERFECT Plu"per`fect, a. Etym: [L. plus more + perfectus perfect; cf. F. plus-que-parfait, L. plusquamperfectum.]
Defn: More than perfect; past perfect; — said of the tense which denotes that an action or event was completed at or before the time of another past action or event. — n.
Defn: The pluperfect tense; also, a verb in the pluperfect tense.
PLURAL Plu"ral, a Etym: [L. pluralis, from plus, pluris, more; cf. F. pluriel, OF. plurel. See Plus.]
Defn: Relating to, or containing, more than one; designating two ormore; as, a plural word.Plural faith, which is too much by one. Shak.Plural number (Gram.), the number which designates more than one. SeeNumber, n., 8.
PLURALPlu"ral, n. (Gram.)
Defn: The plural number; that form of a word which expresses or denotes more than one; a word in the plural form.
PLURALISMPlu"ral*ism, n.
1. The quality or state of being plural, or in the plural number.
2. (Eccl.)
Defn: The state of a pluralist; the holding of more than one ecclesiastical living at a time. [Eng.]
PLURALISTPlu"ral*ist, n. (Eccl.)
Defn: A clerk or clergyman who holds more than one ecclesiasticalbenefice. [Eng.]Of the parochial clergy, a large proportion were pluralists.Macaulay.
PLURALITY Plu*ral"i*ty, n.; pl. pluralities. Etym: [L. pluralitas: cf. F. pluralité.]
1. The state of being plural, or consisting of more than one; a number consisting of two or more of the same kind; as, a plurality of worlds; the plurality of a verb.
2. The greater number; a majority; also, the greatest of several numbers; in elections, the excess of the votes given for one candidate over those given for another, or for any other, candidate. When there are more than two candidates, the one who receives the plurality of votes may have less than a majority. See Majority. Take the plurality of the world, and they are neither wise nor good. L'Estrange.
3. (Eccl.)
Defn: See Plurality of benefices, below. Plurality of benefices (Eccl.), the possession by one clergyman of more than one benefice or living. Each benefice thus held is called a plurality. [Eng.]
PLURALIZATIONPlu`ral*i*za"tion, n.
Defn: The act of pluralizing. H. Spencer.
PLURALIZEPlu"ral*ize, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pluralized; p. pr. & vb. n.Pluralizing.]
1. To make plural by using the plural termination; to attribute plurality to; to express in the plural form.
2. To multiply; to make manifold. [R.]
PLURALIZEPlu"ral*ize, v. i.
1. To take a plural; to assume a plural form; as, a noun pluralizes. Earle.
2. (Eccl.)
Defn: To hold more than one benefice at the same time. [Eng.]
PLURALIZERPlu"ral*i`zer, n. (Eccl.)
Defn: A pluralist. [R.]
PLURALLYPlu"ral*ly, adv.
Defn: In a plural manner or sense.
PLURI-Plu"ri-. Etym: [See Plus.]
Defn: A combining form from L. plus, pluris, more, many; as pluriliteral.
PLURIES Plu"ri*es, n. Etym: [So called from L. pluries many times, often, which occurs in the first clause.] (Law)
Defn: A writ issued in the third place, after two former writs have been disregarded. Mozley & W.
PLURIFARIOUS Plu`ri*fa"ri*ous, a. Etym: [L. plurifarius, fr. L. plus, pluris, many. Cf. Bifarious.]
Defn: Of many kinds or fashions; multifarious.
PLURIFOLIOLATEPlu`ri*fo"li*o*late, a. Etym: [Pluri- + foliolate.] (Bot.)
Defn: Having several or many leaflets.
PLURILITERALPlu`ri*lit"er*al, a. Etym: [Pluri- + literal.]
Defn: Consisting of more letters than three.— n.
Defn: A pluriliteral word.
PLURILOCULARPlu`ri*loc"u*lar, a. Etym: [Pluri- + locular.]
Defn: Having several cells or loculi; specifically (Bot.),
Defn: having several divisions containing seeds; as, the lemon and the orange are plurilocular fruits. Plurilocular sporangia (Bot.), many-celled sporangia, each cell containing a single spore, as in many algæ.
PLURIPAROUSPlu*rip"a*rous, a. Etym: [Pluri- + L. parere to bring forth.]
Defn: Producing several young at a birth; as, a pluriparous animal.
PLURIPARTITEPlu`ri*par"tite, a. Etym: [Pluri- + partite.] (Bot.)
Defn: Deeply divided into several portions.
PLURIPRESENCEPlu`ri*pres"ence, n. Etym: [Pluri- + presence.]
Defn: Presence in more places than one. [R.] Johnson.
PLURISYPlu"ri*sy, n. Etym: [L. plus, pluris, more.]
Defn: Superabundance; excess; plethora. [Obs.] Shak.
PLUSPlus, a. Etym: [L., more; akin to Gr. full. See Full, a., and cf.Più, Pleonasm.]
1. (Math.)
Defn: More, required to be added; positive, as distinguished from negative; — opposed to Ant: minus.
2. Hence, in a literary sense, additional; real; actual. Success goes invariably with a certain plus or positive power. Emerson. Plus sign (Math.), the sign (+) which denotes addition, or a positive quantity.
PLUSH Plush, n. Etym: [F. pluche, peluche (cf. It. peluzzo), fr. L. pilus hair. See pile hair, and cf. Peruke.]
Defn: A textile fabric with a nap or shag on one side, longer and softer than the nap of velvet. Cowper.
PLUSHYPlush"y, a.
Defn: Like plush; soft and shaggy. H. Kingsley.
PLUTARCHYPlu"tar*chy, n. Etym: [Gr. -archy.]
Defn: Plutocracy; the rule of wealth. [R.]
PLUTEALPlu"te*al, a. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Of or pertaining to a pluteus.
PLUTEUSPlu"te*us, n.; pl. L. Plutei, E. Pluteuses. Etym: [L., a shed.](Zoöl.)
Defn: The free-swimming larva of sea urchins and ophiurans, having several long stiff processes inclosing calcareous rods.
PLUTOPlu"to, n. Etym: [L., fr. Gr. (Class. Myth.)
Defn: The son of Saturn and Rhea, brother of Jupiter and Neptune; the dark and gloomy god of the Lower World. Pluto monkey (Zoöl.), a long- tailed African monkey (Cercopithecus pluto), having side whiskers. The general color is black, more or less grizzled; the frontal band is white.
PLUTOCRACYPlu*toc"ra*cy, n. Etym: [Gr. plutocratie.]
Defn: A form of government in which the supreme power is lodged in the hands of the wealthy classes; government by the rich; also, a controlling or influential class of rich men.
PLUTOCRATPlu"to*crat, n.
Defn: One whose wealth gives him power or influence; one of the plutocracy.
PLUTOCRATICPlu`to*crat"ic, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to plutocracy; as, plutocratic ideas. Bagehot.
PLUTOLOGYPlu*tol"o*gy, n. Etym: [Gr. -logy.]
Defn: The science which treats of wealth.
PLUTONIANPlu*to"ni*an, a. Etym: [L. Plutonius, Gr. plutonien.]
Defn: Plutonic. Poe.
PLUTONIANPlu*to"ni*an, n. (Geol.)
Defn: A Plutonist.
PLUTONICPlu*ton"ic, a. Etym: [Cf. F. plutonique. See Pluto.]
1. Of or pertaining to Pluto; Plutonian; hence, pertaining to the interior of the earth; subterranean.
2. Of, pertaining to, or designating, the system of the Plutonists; igneous; as, the Plutonic theory. Plutonic action (Geol.), the influence of volcanic heat and other subterranean forces under pressure. — Plutonic rocks (Geol.), granite, porphyry, and some other igneous rocks, supposed to have consolidated from a melted state at a great depth from the surface. Cf. Intrusive rocks, under Intrusive. — Plutonic theory. (Geol.) See Plutonism.
PLUTONISMPlu"to*nism, n. Etym: [Cf. F. plutonisme.]
Defn: The theory, early advanced in geology, that the successive rocks of the earth''s crust were formed by igneous fusion; — opposed to the Neptunian theory.
PLUTONISTPlu"to*nist, n. Etym: [Cf. F. plutoniste.]
Defn: One who adopts the geological theory of igneous fusion; aPlutonian. See Plutonism.
PLUTUSPlu"tus, n. Etym: [L., fr. Gr. (Class. Myth.)
Defn: The son of Jason and Ceres, and the god of wealth. He was represented as bearing a cornucopia, and as blind, because his gifts were bestowed without discrimination of merit.
PLUVIALPlu"vi*al, a. Etym: [L. pluvialis, fr. pluvia rain: cf. F. pluvial.See Plover.]
1. Of or pertaining to rain; rainy. [R.]
2. (Geol.)
Defn: Produced by the action of rain.
PLUVIAL Plu"vi*al, n. Etym: [LL. pluviale a garment which keeps off the rain: cf. F. pluvial.]
Defn: A priest's cope.
PLUVIAMETERPlu`vi*am"e*ter, n.
Defn: See Pluviometer.
PLUVIAMETRICALPlu`vi*a*met"ric*al, a.
Defn: See Pluviometrical.
PLUVIANPlu"vi*an, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The crocodile bird.
PLUVIOGRAPHPlu"vi*o*graph, n. [L. pluvia rain + -graph.]
Defn: A self-registering rain gauge.
PLUVIOGRAPHYPlu`vi*og"ra*phy, n. [L. pluvia rain + -graphy.]
Defn: The branch of meteorology treating of the automatic registration of the precipitation of rain, snow, etc.; also, the graphic presentation of precipitation data.
PLUVIOMETER Plu`vi*om"e*ter, n. Etym: [L. pluvia rain + -meter: cf. F. pluviomètre.]
Defn: An instrument for ascertaining the amount of rainfall at any place in a given time; a rain gauge.
PLUVIOMETRICALPlu`vi*o*met"ric*al, a. Etym: [Cf. F. pluviométrique.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to a pluviometer; determined by a pluviometer.
PLUVIOMETRYPlu`vi*om"e*try, n. [L. pluvia rain + -metry.]
Defn: That department of meteorology that treats of the measurement of the precipitation of rain, snow, etc.
PLUVIOSCOPEPlu"vi*o*scope, n. [L. pluvia rain + -scope.]
Defn: A rain gauge.
PLUVIOSEPlu`vi`ôse", n. Etym: [F. See Pluvious.]