Defn: One who is potent; one who possesses great power or sway; aprince, sovereign, or monarch.The blessed and only potentate. 1 Tim. vi. 15.Cherub and seraph, potentates and thrones. Milton.
POTENTIALPo*ten"tial, a. Etym: [Cf. F. potentiel. See Potency.]
1. Being potent; endowed with energy adequate to a result; efficacious; influential. [Obs.] "And hath in his effect a voice potential." Shak.
2. Existing in possibility, not in actuality. "A potential hero." Carlyle. Potential existence means merely that the thing may be at ome time; actual existence, that it now is. Sir W. Hamilton. Potential cautery. See under Cautery. — Potential energy. (Mech.) See the Note under Energy. — Potential mood, or mode (Gram.), that form of the verb which is used to express possibility, liberty, power, will, obligation, or necessity, by the use of may, can, must, might, could, would, or should; as, I may go; he can write.
POTENTIALPo*ten"tial, n.
1. Anything that may be possible; a possibility; potentially. Bacon.
2. (Math.)
Defn: In the theory of gravitation, or of other forces acting in space, a function of the rectangular coordinates which determine the position of a point, such that its differential coefficients with respect to the coördinates are equal to the components of the force at the point considered; — also called potential function, or force function. It is called also Newtonian potential when the force is directed to a fixed center and is inversely as the square of the distance from the center.
3. (Elec.)
Defn: The energy of an electrical charge measured by its power to do work; hence, the degree of electrification as referred to some standard, as that of the earth; electro-motive force.
POTENTIALITYPo*ten`ti*al"i*ty, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being potential; possibility, not actuality; inherent capability or disposition, not actually exhibited.
POTENTIALLYPo*ten"tial*ly, adv.
1. With power; potently. [Obs.]
2. In a potential manner; possibly, not positively. The duration of human souls is only potentially infinite. Bentley.
POTENTIATEPo*ten"ti*ate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Potentiated; p. pr. & vb. n.Potentiating.]
Defn: To render active or potent. Coleridge.
POTENTIOMETERPo*ten`ti*om"e*ter, n. Etym: [Potential + -meter.] (Elec.)
Defn: An instrument for measuring or comparing electrial potentials or electro-motive forces.
POTENTIZEPo"ten*tize, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Potentized; p. pr. & vb. n.Potentizing.]
Defn: To render the latent power of (anything) available. Dunglison.
POTENTLYPo"tent*ly, adv.
Defn: With great force or energy; powerfully; efficaciously. "You are potently opposed." Shak.
POTENTNESSPo"tent*ness, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being potent; powerfulness; potency; efficacy.
POTESTATEPo"tes*tate, n.
Defn: A chief ruler; a potentate. [Obs.] Wyclif. "An irous potestate." Chaucer.
POTESTATIVE Po*tes"ta*tive, a. Etym: [L. potestativus, fr. potestas power: cf. F. potestatif. See Potent.]
Defn: Authoritative. [Obs.] Bp. Pearson.
POTGUNPot"gun`, n.
1. A pot-shaped cannon; a mortar. [Obs.] "Twelve potguns of brass." Hakluyt.
2. A popgun. [Obs.] Swift.
POTHECARYPoth"e*ca*ry, n.
Defn: An apothecary. [Obs.]
POTHEENPo*theen", n.
Defn: See Poteen.
POTHERPoth"er, n. Etym: [Cf. D. peuteren to rummage, poke. Cf. Potter,Pudder.]
Defn: Bustle; confusion; tumult; flutter; bother. [Written also potter, and pudder.] "What a pother and stir!" Oldham. "Coming on with a terrible pother." Wordsworth.
POTHERPoth"er, v. i.
Defn: To make a bustle or stir; to be fussy.
POTHERPoth"er, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pothered; p. pr. & vb. n. Pothering.]
Defn: To harass and perplex; to worry. "Pothers and wearies himself."Locke.
POTHOLEPot"hole`, n.
Defn: A circular hole formed in the rocky beds of rivers by the grinding action of stones or gravel whirled round by the water in what was at first a natural depression of the rock.
POTHOOKPot"hook`, n.
1. An
2. A written character curved like a pothook; (pl.) a scrawled writing. "I long to be spelling her Arabic scrawls and pothooks." Dryden.
POTHOUSEPot"house`, n.
Defn: An alehouse. T. Warton.
POTICHEPo`tiche", n.; pl. -tiches (#). [F., fr. pot a pot.] (Ceramics)
Defn: A vase with a separate cover, the body usually rounded or polygonal in plan with nearly vertical sides, a neck of smaller size, and a rounded shoulder.
POTICHOMANIA; POTICHOMANIE Po`ti*cho*ma"ni*a, Po`ti*cho*ma"nie, n. Etym: [F. potichomanie; potiche a porcelain vase + manie mania.]
Defn: The art or process of coating the inside of glass vessels with engravings or paintings, so as to give them the appearance of painted ware.
POTIONPo"tion, n. Etym: [L. potio, from potare to drink: cf. F. potion. SeePoison.]
Defn: A draught; a dose; usually, a draught or dose of a liquid medicine. Shak.
POTIONPo"tion, v. t.
Defn: To drug. [Obs.] Speed.
POT LACEPot lace.
Defn: Lace whose pattern includes one or more representations of baskets or bowls from which flowers spring.
POTLATCH Pot"latch`, n. [Chinook potlatch, pahtlatch, fr. Nootka pahchilt, pachalt, a gift.]
1. Among the Kwakiutl, Chimmesyan, and other Indians of the northwestern coast of North America, a ceremonial distribution by a man of gifts to his own and neighboring tribesmen, often, formerly, to his own impoverishment. Feasting, dancing, and public ceremonies accompany it.
2. Hence, a feast given to a large number of persons, often accompanied by gifts. [Colloq., Northwestern America]
POT LEADPot lead.
Defn: Graphite, or black lead, often used on the bottoms of racing vessels to diminish friction.
POTLIDPot"lid`, n.
Defn: The lid or cover of a pot. Potlid valve, a valve covering a round hole or the end of a pipe or pump barrel, resembling a potlid in form.
POTLUCKPot"luck`, n.
Defn: Whatever may chance to be in the pot, or may be provided for ameal.A woman whose potluck was always to be relied on. G. Eliot.To take potluck, to take what food may chance to be provided.
POTMANPot"man, n.; pl. Potmen (.
1. A pot companion. [Obs.] Life of A. Wood (1663).
2. A servant in a public house; a potboy.
POTOOPo*too", n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A large South American goatsucker (Nyctibius grandis).
POTOROOPo`to*roo", n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any small kangaroo belonging to Hypsiprymnus, Bettongia, and allied genera, native of Australia and Tasmania. Called also kangaroo rat.
POTPIEPot"pie`, n.
Defn: A meat pie which is boiled instead of being baked.
POTPOURRI Pot`pour`ri", n. Etym: [F., fr. pot pot + pourri, p. p. of pourrir to rot, L. putrere. Cf. Olla-podrida.]
Defn: A medley or mixture. Specifically: (a) A ragout composed of different sorts of meats, vegetables, etc., cooked together. (b) A jar or packet of flower leaves, perfumes, and spices, used to scent a room. (c) A piece of music made up of different airs strung together; a medley. (d) A literary production composed of parts brought together without order or bond of connection.
POTSDAM GROUPPots"dam group` (. (Geol.)
Defn: A subdivision of the Primordial or Cambrian period in American geology; — so named from the sandstone of Potsdam, New York. See Chart of Geology.
POTSHARD; POTSHAREPot"shard`, Pot"share`, n.
Defn: A potsherd. [Obs.] Spenser.
POTSHERDPot"sherd`, n. Etym: [Pot + sherd or shard.]
Defn: A piece or fragment of a broken pot. Job ii. 8.
POT SHOTPot shot.
Defn: Lit., a shot fired simply to fill the pot; hence, a shot fired at an animal or person when at rest or within easy range, or fired simply to kill, without reference to the rules of sport; a shot needling no special skill.
POTSTONEPot"stone`, n. (Min.)
Defn: A variety of steatite sometimes manufactured into culinary vessels.
POTSUREPot"*sure`, a.
Defn: Made confident by drink. [Obs.]
POT-SUREPot"-sure` (-shur), a.
Defn: Made confident by drink. [Obs.]
POTTPott, n.
Defn: A size of paper. See under Paper.
POTTAGEPot"tage (; 48), n. Etym: [F. potage, fr. pot pot. See Pot, and cf.Porridge, Porringer.]
Defn: A kind of food made by boiling vegetables or meat, or bothtogether, in water, until soft; a thick soup or porridge. [Writtenalso potage.] Chaucer.Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils. Gen. xxv. 34.
POTTAINPot"tain, n.
Defn: Old pot metal. [Obs.] Holland.
POTTEENPot*teen", n.
Defn: See Poteen.
POTTERPot"ter, n. Etym: [Cf. F. potier.]
1. One whose occupation is to make earthen vessels. Ps. ii. 9. The potter heard, and stopped his wheel. Longfellow.
2. One who hawks crockery or earthenware. [Prov. Eng.] De Quincey.
3. One who pots meats or other eatables.
4. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The red-bellied terrapin. See Terrapin. Potter's asthma (Med.), emphysema of the lungs; — so called because very prevalent among potters. Parkers. — Potter's clay. See under Clay. — Potter's field, a public burial place, especially in a city, for paupers, unknown persons, and criminals; — so named from the field south of Jerusalem, mentioned in Matt. xxvii. 7. — Potter's ore. See Alquifou. — Potter's wheel, a horizontal revolving disk on which the clay is molded into form with the hands or tools. "My thoughts are whirled like a potter's wheel." Shak. Potter wasp (Zoöl.), a small solitary wasp (Eumenes fraternal) which constructs a globular nest of mud and sand in which it deposits insect larvæ, such as cankerworms, as food for its young.
POTTERPot"ter, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Pottered; p. pr. & vb. n. Pottering.]Etym: [Cf. W. pwtio to poke, or OD. poteren to search one thoroughly,Sw. påta, peta, to pick, E. pother, put.]
1. To busy one's self with trifles; to labor with little purpose, energy, of effect; to trifle; to pother. Pottering about the Mile End cottages. Mrs. Humphry Ward.
2. To walk lazily or idly; to saunter.
POTTERPot"ter, v. t.
Defn: To poke; to push; also, to disturb; to confuse; to bother.[Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.
POTTERNPot"tern, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to potters. Pottern ore, a species of ore which, from its aptness to vitrify like the glazing of potter's wares, the miners call by this name. Boyle.
POTTERYPot"ter*y, n.; pl. Potteries. Etym: [F. poterie, fr. pot. See Pot.]
1. The vessels or ware made by potters; earthenware, glazed and baked.
2. The place where earthen vessels are made.
POTTINGPot"ting, n.
1. Tippling. [Obs.] Shak.
2. The act of placing in a pot; as, the potting of plants; the potting of meats for preservation.
3. The process of putting sugar in casks for cleansing and draining. [West Indies] B. Edwards.
POTTLEPot"tle, n. Etym: [OE. potel, OF. potel, dim. of pot. See Pot.]
1. A liquid measure of four pints.
2. A pot or tankard. Shak. A dry pottle of sack before him. Sir W. Scott.
3. A vessel or small basket for holding fruit.He had a . . . pottle of strawberries in one hand. Dickens.Pottle draught, taking a pottle of liquor at one draught. [ Prov.Eng.] Halliwell.
POTTO Pot"to, n. (Zoöl.) (a) A nocturnal mammal (Perodictius potto) of the Lemur family, found in West Africa. It has rudimentary forefingers. Called also aposoro, and bush dog. (b) The kinkajou.
POTT'S DISEASEPott's" dis*ease". (Med.)
Defn: Caries of the vertebræ, frequently resulting in curvature of the spine and paralysis of the lower extremities; — so named from Percival Pott, an English surgeon. Pott's fracture, a fracture of the lower end of the fibula, with displacement of the tibia. Dunglison.
POTULENT Pot"u*lent, a. Etym: [L. potulentus, fr. potus a drinking, drink, fr. potare to drink.]
1. Fit to drink; potable. [Obs.] Johnson.
2. Nearly drunk; tipsy. [Obs.]
POT-VALIANTPot"-val`iant, a.
Defn: Having the courage given by drink. Smollett.
POT-WALLOPERPot"-wal`lop*er, n.
1. A voter in certain boroughs of England, where, before the passage of the reform bill of 1832, the qualification for suffrage was to have boiled (walloped) his own pot in the parish for six months.
2. One who cleans pots; a scullion. [Slang, U. S.]
POUCH Pouch, n. Etym: [F. poche a pocket, pouch, bag; probably of Teutonic origin. See Poke a bag, and cf. Poach to cook eggs, to plunder.]
1. A small bag; usually, a leathern bag; as, a pouch for money; a shot pouch; a mail pouch, etc.
2. That which is shaped like, or used as, a pouch; as: (a) A protuberant belly; a paunch; — so called in ridicule. (b) (Zoöl.) A sac or bag for carrying food or young; as, the cheek pouches of certain rodents, and the pouch of marsupials. (c) (Med.) A cyst or sac containing fluid. S. Sharp. (d) (Bot.) A silicle, or short pod, as of the shepherd's purse. (e) A bulkhead in the hold of a vessel, to prevent grain, etc., from shifting. Pouch mouth, a mouth with blubbered or swollen lips.
POUCHPouch, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pouched; p. pr. & vb. n. Pouching.]
1. To put or take into a pouch.
2. To swallow; — said of fowls. Derham.
3. To pout. [Obs.] Ainsworth.
4. To pocket; to put up with. [R.] Sir W. Scott.
POUCHED Pouched, a. (Zoöl.) (a) Having a marsupial pouch; as, the pouched badger, or the wombat. (b) Having external cheek pouches; as, the pouched gopher. (c) Having internal cheek pouches; as, the pouched squirrels. Pouched dog. (Zoöl.) See Zebra wolf, under Zebra. — Pouched frog (Zoöl.), the nototrema, the female of which has a dorsal pouch in which the eggs are hatched, and in which the young pass through their brief tadpole stage. — Pouched gopher, or Pouched rat. (Zoöl.) See Pocket gopher, under Pocket. — Pouched mouse. (Zoöl.) See Pocket mouse, under Pocket.
POUCHET BOXPou"chet box`.
Defn: See Pouncet box.
POUCH-MOUTHEDPouch"-mouthed`, a.
Defn: Having a pouch mouth; blobber-lipped.
POUCHONGPou*chong", n.
Defn: A superior kind of souchong tea. De Colange.
POUCH-SHELLPouch"-shell`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A small British and American pond snail (Bulinus hypnorum).
POUDREPou"dre, n. Etym: [See Powder.]
Defn: Dust; powder. [Obs.] Chaucer. Poudre marchant Etym: [seeMerchant], a kind of flavoring powder used in the Middle Ages. [Obs.]Chaucer.
POUDRETTEPou*drette", n. Etym: [F., dim. of poudre dust, powder. See Powder.]
Defn: A manure made from night soil, dried and mixed with charcoal, gypsum, etc.
POUF; POUFFE Pouf Pouffe (poof), n. [Written also pouff.] [F. pouf. Cf. Puff, n.] Lit., a puff; specif.: (a) A soft cushion, esp. one circular in shape and not, like a pilow, of bag form, or thin at the edges. (b) A piece of furniture like an ottoman, generally circular and affording cushion seats on all sides.
POULAINEPou*laine", n. Etym: [F. soulier à la poulaine.]
Defn: A long pointed shoe. See Cracowes.
POULARDPou*lard" (poo*lärd"), n. [F. poularde pullet, fr. poule hen. SeePullet.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A pullet from which the ovaries have been removed to produce fattening; hence, a fat pullet.
POULDAVISPoul"da`vis, n.
Defn: Same as Poledavy. [Obs.]
POULDERPoul"der, n. & v.
Defn: Powder. [Obs.]
POULDRONPoul"dron, n.
Defn: See Pauldron.
POULP; POULPEPoulp, Poulpe, n. Etym: [F. poulpe, fr. L. polypus. See Polyp.](Zoöl.)
Defn: Same as Octopus. Musk poulp (Zoöl.), a Mediterranean octopod(Eledone moschata) which emits a strong odor of musk.
POULTPoult, n. Etym: [OF. pulte, F. poulet, dim. of poule fowl. SeePullet.]
Defn: A young chicken, partridge, grouse, or the like. King. Chapman.Starling the heath poults or black game. R. Jefferise.
POULTERPoul"ter, n. Etym: [OE. pulter. See Poult.]
Defn: A poulterer. [Obs.] Shak.
POULTERERPoul"ter*er, n.
Defn: One who deals in poultry.
POULTICE Poul"tice, n. Etym: [L. puls, pl. pultes, a thick pap; akin to Gr. po`ltos. Cf. Pulse seeds.]
Defn: A soft composition, as of bread, bran, or a mucilaginous substance, to be applied to sores, inflamed parts of the body, etc.; a cataplasm. "Poultice relaxeth the pores." Bacon.
POULTICEPoul"tice, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Poulticed; p. pr. & vb. n.Poulticing.]
Defn: To apply a poultice to; to dress with a poultice.
POULTIVEPoul"tive, n.
Defn: A poultice. [Obs.] W. Temple.
POULTRYPoul"try, n. Etym: [From Poult.]
Defn: Domestic fowls reared for the table, or for their eggs or feathers, such as cocks and hens, capons, turkeys, ducks, and geese.
POUNCE Pounce, n. Etym: [F. ponce pumice, pounce, fr. L. pumex, -icis, pumice. See Pumice.]
1. A fine powder, as of sandarac, or cuttlefish bone, — formerly used to prevent ink from spreading on manuscript.
2. Charcoal dust, or some other colored powder for making patterns through perforated designs, — used by embroiderers, lace makers, etc. Pounce box, a box for sprinkling pounce. — Pounce paper, a transparent paper for tracing.
POUNCEPounce, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pounded; p. pr. & vb. n. Pouncing.]
Defn: To sprinkle or rub with pounce; as, to pounce paper, or a pattern.
POUNCE Pounce, n. Etym: [Prob. through French, from an assumed LL. punctiare to prick, L. pungere, punctum. See Puncheon, Punch, v. t.]
1. The claw or talon of a bird of prey. Spenser. Burke.
2. A punch or stamp. [Obs.] "A pounce to print money with." Withals.
3. Cloth worked in eyelet holes. [Obs.] Homilies.
POUNCEPounce, v. t.
1. To strike or seize with the talons; to pierce, as with the talons.[Archaic]Stooped from his highest pitch to pounce a wren. Cowper.Now pounce him lightly, And as he roars and rages, let's go deeper.J. Fletcher.
2. To punch; to perforate; to stamp holes in, or dots on, by way of ornament. [Obs.] Sir T. Elyot.
POUNCEPounce, v. i.
Defn: To fall suddenly and seize with the claws; — with on or upon; as, a hawk pounces upon a chicken. Also used figuratively. Derision is never so agonizing as when it pounces on the wanderings of misguided sensibility. Jeffrey.
POUNCEDPounced, a.
1. Furnished with claws or talons; as, the pounced young of the eagle. Thomson.
2. Ornamented with perforations or dots. [Obs.] "Gilt bowls pounced and pierced." Holinshed.
POUNCET BOX Poun"cet box`. Etym: [Cf. F. poncette, fr. ponce pounce. See Pounce a powder.]
Defn: A box with a perforated lid, for sprinkling pounce, or for holding perfumes. Shak.
POUNCINGPoun"cing, n.
1. The art or practice of transferring a design by means of pounce.
2. Decorative perforation of cloth. [Obs.]
POUNDPound, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pounded; p. pr. & vb. n. Pounding.] Etym:[OE. pounen, AS. punian to bruise. Cf. Pun a play on words.]
1. To strike repeatedly with some heavy instrument; to beat. With cruel blows she pounds her blubbered cheeks. Dryden.
2. To comminute and pulverize by beating; to bruise or break into fine particles with a pestle or other heavy instrument; as, to pound spice or salt.
POUNDPound, v. i.
1. To strike heavy blows; to beat.
2. (Mach.)
Defn: To make a jarring noise, as in running; as, the engine pounds.
POUND Pound, n. Etym: [AS. pund an inclosure: cf. forpyndan to turn away, or to repress, also Icel. pynda to extort, torment, Ir. pont, pond, pound. Cf. Pinder, Pinfold, Pin to inclose, Pond.]
1. An inclosure, maintained by public authority, in which cattle or other animals are confined when taken in trespassing, or when going at large in violation of law; a pinfold. Shak.
2. A level stretch in a canal between locks.
3. (Fishing)
Defn: A kind of net, having a large inclosure with a narrow entrance into which fish are directed by wings spreading outward. Pound covert, a pound that is close or covered over, as a shed. — Pound overt, a pound that is open overhead.
POUNDPound, v. t.
Defn: To confine in, or as in, a pound; to impound. Milton.
POUNDPound, n; pl. Pounds, collectively Pound pr Pounds. Etym: [AS. pund,fr. L. pondo, akin to pondus a weight, pendere top weigh. SeePendant.]
1. A certain specified weight; especially, a legal standard consisting of an established number of ounces.
Note: The pound in general use in the United States and in England is the pound avoirdupois, which is divided into sixteen ounces, and contains 7,000 grains. The pound troy is divided into twelve ounces, and contains 5,760 grains. 144 pounds avoirdupois are equal to 175 pounds troy weight. See Avoirdupois, and Troy.
2. A British denomination of money of account, equivalent to twenty shillings sterling, and equal in value to about $4.86. There is no coin known by this name, but the gold sovereign is of the same value.
Note: The pound sterling was in Saxon times, about A. D. 671, a pound troy of silver, and a shilling was its twentieth part; consequently the latter was three times as large as it is at present. Peacham.
POUNDAGEPound"age, n.
1. A sum deducted from a pound, or a certain sum paid for each pound; a commission.
2. A subsidy of twelve pence in the pound, formerly granted to the crown on all goods exported or imported, and if by aliens, more. [Eng.] Blackstone.
3. (Law)
Defn: The sum allowed to a sheriff or other officer upon the amount realized by an execution; — estimated in England, and formerly in the United States, at so much of the pound. Burrill. Bouvier.
POUNDAGEPound"age, v. t.
Defn: To collect, as poundage; to assess, or rate, by poundage. [R.]
POUNDAGEPound"age, n. Etym: [See 3d Pound.]
1. Confinement of cattle, or other animals, in a public pound.
2. A charge paid for the release of impounded cattle.
POUNDALPound"al, n. Etym: [From 5th Pound.] (Physics & Mech.)
Defn: A unit of force based upon the pound, foot, and second, being the force which, acting on a pound avoirdupois for one second, causes it to acquire by the of that time a velocity of one foot per second. It is about equal to the weight of half an ounce, and is 13,825 dynes.
POUND-BREACHPound"-breach`, n.
Defn: The breaking of a public pound for releasing impounded animals.Blackstone.
POUNDCAKEPound"cake`, n.
Defn: A kind of rich, sweet cake; — so called from the ingredients being used by pounds, or in equal quantities.
POUNDERPound"er, n.
1. One who, or that which, pounds, as a stamp in an ore mill.
2. An instrument used for pounding; a pestle.
3. A person or thing, so called with reference to a certain number of pounds in value, weight, capacity, etc.; as, a cannon carrying a twelve-pound ball is called a twelve pounder.
Note: Before the English reform act of 1867, one who was an elector by virtue of paying ten pounds rent was called a ten pounder.
POUNDINGPound"ing, n.
1. The act of beating, bruising, or breaking up; a beating.
2. A pounded or pulverized substance. [R.] "Covered with the poundings of these rocks." J. S. Blackie.
POUNDKEEPER; POUND-KEEPERPound"keep`er, n.
Defn: The keeper of a pound.
POUNDRATEPound"*rate`, n.
Defn: A rate or proportion estimated at a certain amount for each pound; poundage.
POUPPoup, v. i.
Defn: See Powp. [Obs.] Chaucer.
POUPART'S LIGAMENTPou*part's" lig"a*ment. (Anat.)
Defn: A ligament, of fascia, extending, in most mammals, from the ventral side of the ilium to near the symphysis of the pubic bones.
POUPETONPou"pe*ton, n. Etym: [See Puppet.]
Defn: A puppet, or little baby. [Obs.] Palsgrave.
POURPour, a.
Defn: Poor. [Obs.] Chaucer.
POURPour, v. i.
Defn: To pore. [Obs.] Chaucer.
POURPour, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Poured; p. pr. & vb. n. Pouring.] Etym:[OE. pouren, of uncertain origin; cf. W. bwrw to cast, throw, shed,bwrw gwlaw to rain.]
1. To cause to flow in a stream, as a liquid or anything flowing like a liquid, either out of a vessel or into it; as, to pour water from a pail; to pour wine into a decanter; to pour oil upon the waters; to pour out sand or dust.
2. To send forth as in a stream or a flood; to emit; to let escape freely or wholly. I . . . have poured out my soul before the Lord. 1 Sam. i. 15. Now will I shortly pour out my fury upon thee. Ezek. vii. 8. London doth pour out her citizens ! Shak. Wherefore did Nature pour her bounties forth With such a full and unwithdrawing hand Milton.
3. To send forth from, as in a stream; to discharge uninterruptedly. Is it for thee the linnet pours his throat Pope.
POURPour, v. i.
Defn: To flow, pass, or issue in a stream, or as a stream; to fallcontinuously and abundantly; as, the rain pours; the people pouredout of the theater.In the rude throng pour on with furious pace. Gay.
POURPour, n.
Defn: A stream, or something like a stream; a flood. [Colloq.] "A pour of rain." Miss Ferrier.
POURELICHEPoure"liche`, adv.
Defn: Poorly. [Obs.] Chaucer.
POURERPour"er, n.
Defn: One who pours.
POURLIEUPour"lieu, n.
Defn: See Purlieu.
POURPARLERPour`par`ler", n. Etym: [F.] (Diplomacy)
Defn: A consultation preliminary to a treaty.
POURPARTYPour`par"ty, n.; pl. Pourparties. Etym: [See Purparty.] (Law)
Defn: A division; a divided share. To make pourparty, to divide and apportion lands previously held in common.
POURPOINTPour"point, n. Etym: [F.]
Defn: A quilted military doublet or gambeson worn in the 14th and 15th centuries; also, a name for the doublet of the 16th and 17th centuries worn by civilians.
POURPRESTUREPour*pres"ture, n. (Law)
Defn: See Purpresture.
POURSUIVANTPour"sui*vant, n.
Defn: See Pursuivant.
POURTRAYPour*tray", v. t.
Defn: See Portray.
POURVEYANCEPour*vey"ance, n.
Defn: See Purveyance.
POUSSEPousse, n.
Defn: Pulse; pease. [Obs.] Spenser.
POUSSE-CAFEPousse"-ca`fé", n. [F., fr. pousser to push + café coffee.]
Defn: A drink served after coffee at dinner, usually one of several liqueurs, or cordials, of different specific gravities poured so as to remain separate in layers; hence, such a drink of cordials served at any time.
POUSSETTEPous*sette", n. Etym: [F., pushpin, fr. pousser to push. See Push.]
Defn: A movement, or part of a figure, in the contradance. Dickens.
POUSSETTEPous*sette", v. i.
Defn: To perform a certain movement in a dance. [R.] Tennyson.Down the middle, up again, poussette, and cross. J. & H. Smith.
POU STO Pou sto (poo sto; pou sto). [Gr. poy^ stw^ where I may stand; — from the reputed saying of Archimedes, "Give me where I may stand and I will move the whole world with my steelyard."]
Defn: A place to stand upon; a locus standi; hence, a foundation or basis for operations.
POUTPout, n. Etym: [F. poulet. See Poult.]
Defn: The young of some birds, as grouse; a young fowl. Carew.
POUTPout, v. i.
Defn: To shoot pouts. [Scot.]
POUT Pout, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Pouted; p. pr. & vb. n. Pouting.] Etym: [OE. pouten, of uncertain origin; cf. Prov. pot lip, Prov. F. potte, faire la potte to pout, W. pwdu to pout, be sullen, poten, potten, a paunch, belly.]
1. To thrust out the lips, as in sullenness or displeasure; hence, to look sullen. Thou poutest upon thy fortune and thy love. Shak.
2 2
Defn: To protrude. "Pouting lips." Dryden.
POUTPout, n.
Defn: A sullen protrusion of the lips; a fit of sullenness. "Jack's in the pouts." J. & H. Smith.
POUTPout, n. Etym: [Cf. Eelpout.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: The European whiting pout or bib. Eel pout. (Zoöl.) SeeEelpout.— Horn pout, or Horned pout. (Zoöl.) See Bullhead (b).
POUTERPout"er, n.
1. One who, or that which, pouts.
2. Etym: [Cf. E. pout, and G. puter turkey.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A variety of the domestic pigeon remarkable for the extent to which it is able to dilate its throat and breast.
POUTINGPout"ing, n.
Defn: Childish sullenness.
POUTINGLYPout"ing*ly, adv.
Defn: In a pouting, or a sullen, manner.
POVERTPov"ert, n.
Defn: Poverty. [Obs.] Chaucer.
POVERTY Pov"er*ty, n. Etym: [OE. poverte, OF. poverté, F. pauvreté, fr. L. paupertas, fr. pauper poor. See Poor.]
1. The quality or state of being poor or indigent; want or scarcity of means of subsistence; indigence; need. "Swathed in numblest poverty." Keble. The drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty. Prov. xxiii. 21.
2. Any deficiency of elements or resources that are needed or desired, or that constitute richness; as, poverty of soil; poverty of the blood; poverty of ideas. Poverty grass (Bot.), a name given to several slender grasses (as Aristida dichotoma, and Danthonia spicata) which often spring up on old and worn-out fields.
Syn. — Indigence; penury; beggary; need; lack; want; scantiness; sparingness; meagerness; jejuneness. Poverty, Indigence, Pauperism. Poverty is a relative term; what is poverty to a monarch, would be competence for a day laborer. Indigence implies extreme distress, and almost absolute destitution. Pauperism denotes entire dependence upon public charity, and, therefore, often a hopeless and degraded state.
POWAN; POWENPow"an, Pow"en, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A small British lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeoides, or C. ferus); — called also gwyniad and lake herring.
POWDER Pow"der, n. Etym: [OE. poudre, pouldre, F. poudre, OF. also poldre, puldre, L. pulvis, pulveris: cf. pollen fine flour, mill dust, E. pollen. Cf. Polverine, Pulverize.]
1. The fine particles to which any dry substance is reduced by pounding, grinding, or triturating, or into which it falls by decay; dust. Grind their bones to powder small. Shak.
2. An explosive mixture used in gunnery, blasting, etc.; gunpowder.See Gunpowder. Atlas powder, Baking powder, etc. See under Atlas,Baking, etc.— Powder down (Zoöl.), the peculiar dust, or exfoliation, ofpowder-down feathers.— Powder-down feather (Zoöl.), one of a peculiar kind of modifiedfeathers which sometimes form patches on certain parts of some birds.They have a greasy texture and a scaly exfoliation.— Powder-down patch (Zoöl.), a tuft or patch of powder-downfeathers.— Powder hose, a tube of strong linen, about an inch in diameter,filled with powder and used in firing mines. Farrow.— Powder hoy (Naut.), a vessel specially fitted to carry powder forthe supply of war ships. They are usually painted red and carry a redflag.— Powder magazine, or Powder room. See Magazine, 2.— Powder mine, a mine exploded by gunpowder. See Mine.— Powder monkey (Naut.), a boy formerly employed on war vessels tocarry powder; a powder boy.— Powder post. See Dry rot, under Dry.— Powder puff. See Puff, n.
POWDERPow"der, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Powdered; p. pr. & vb. n. Powdering.]Etym: [F. poudrer.]
1. To reduce to fine particles; to pound, grind, or rub into a powder; to comminute; to pulverize; to triturate.
2. To sprinkle with powder, or as with powder; to be sprinkle; as, to powder the hair. A circling zone thou seest Powdered with stars. Milton.
3. To sprinkle with salt; to corn, as meat. [Obs.]
POWDERPow"der, v. i.
1. To be reduced to powder; to become like powder; as, some salts powder easily.
2. To use powder on the hair or skin; as, she paints and powders.
POWDEREDPow"dered, a.
1. Reduced to a powder; sprinkled with, or as with, powder.
2. Sprinkled with salt; salted; corned. [Obs.] Powdered beef, pickled meats. Harvey.
3. (Her.)
Defn: Same as Semé. Walpole.
POWDERFLASKPow"der*flask`, n.
Defn: A flask in which gunpowder is carried, having a charging tube at the end.
POWDERHORNPow"der*horn`, n.
Defn: A horn in which gunpowder is carried.
POWDERINGPow"der*ing,
Defn: a. & n. from Powder, v. t. Powdering tub. (a) A tub or vessel in which meat is corned or salted. (b) A heated tub in which an infected lecher was placed for cure. [Obs.] Shak.
POWDERMILLPow"der*mill`, n.
Defn: A mill in which gunpowder is made.
POWDER-POSTEDPow"der-post`ed, a.
Defn: Affected with dry rot; reduced to dust by rot. See Dry rot, under Dry. [U.S.]
POWDERYPow"der*y, a.
1. Easily crumbling to pieces; friable; loose; as, a powdery spar.
2. Sprinkled or covered with powder; dusty; as, the powdery bloom on plums.
3. Resembling powder; consisting of powder. "The powdery snow." Wordsworth.
POWDIKE Pow"dike, n. Etym: [Scot. pow, pou, a pool, a watery or marshy place, fr. E. pool.]
Defn: A dike a marsh or fen. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.
POWDRYPow"dry, a.
Defn: See Powdery.
POWERPow"er, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Same as Poor, the fish.
POWERPow"er, n. Etym: [OE. pouer, poer, OF. poeir, pooir, F. pouvoir, n. &v., fr. LL. potere, for L. posse, potesse, to be able, to have power.See Possible, Potent, and cf. Posse comitatus.]
1. Ability to act, regarded as latent or inherent; the faculty of doing or performing something; capacity for action or performance; capability of producing an effect, whether physical or moral: potency; might; as, a man of great power; the power of capillary attraction; money gives power. "One next himself in power, and next in crime." Milton.
2. Ability, regarded as put forth or exerted; strength, force, or energy in action; as, the power of steam in moving an engine; the power of truth, or of argument, in producing conviction; the power of enthusiasm. "The power of fancy." Shak.
3. Capacity of undergoing or suffering; fitness to be acted upon; susceptibility; — called also passive power; as, great power of endurance. Power, then, is active and passive; faculty is active power or capacity; capacity is passive power. Sir W. Hamilton.
4. The exercise of a faculty; the employment of strength; the exercise of any kind of control; influence; dominion; sway; command; government. Power is no blessing in itself but when it is employed to protect the innocent. Swift.
5. The agent exercising an ability to act; an individual invested with authority; an institution, or government, which exercises control; as, the great powers of Europe; hence, often, a superhuman agent; a spirit; a divinity. "The powers of darkness." Milton. And the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. Matt. xxiv. 29.
6. A military or naval force; an army or navy; a great host. Spenser. Never such a power . . . Was levied in the body of a land. Shak.
7. A large quantity; a great number; as, a power o. [Colloq.] Richardson.
8. (Mech.) (a) The rate at which mechanical energy is exerted or mechanical work performed, as by an engine or other machine, or an animal, working continuously; as, an engine of twenty horse power.
Note: The English unit of power used most commonly is the horse power. See Horse power. (b) A mechanical agent; that from which useful mechanical energy is derived; as, water power; steam power; hand power, etc. (c) Applied force; force producing motion or pressure; as, the power applied at one and of a lever to lift a weight at the other end.
Note: This use in mechanics, of power as a synonym for force, is improper and is becoming obsolete. (d) A machine acted upon by an animal, and serving as a motor to drive other machinery; as, a dog power.
Note: Power is used adjectively, denoting, driven, or adapted to be driven, by machinery, and not actuated directly by the hand or foot; as, a power lathe; a power loom; a power press.
9. (Math.)
Defn: The product arising from the multiplication of a number into itself; as, a square is the second power, and a cube is third power, of a number.
10. ( (Metaph.)
Defn: Mental or moral ability to act; one of the faculties which are possessed by the mind or soul; as, the power of thinking, reasoning, judging, willing, fearing, hoping, etc. I. Watts. The guiltiness of my mind, the sudden surprise of my powers, drove the grossness . . . into a received belief. Shak.
11. (Optics)
Defn: The degree to which a lens, mirror, or any optical instrument, magnifies; in the telescope, and usually in the microscope, the number of times it multiplies, or augments, the apparent diameter of an object; sometimes, in microscopes, the number of times it multiplies the apparent surface.
12. (Law)
Defn: An authority enabling a person to dispose of an interest vested either in himself or in another person; ownership by appointment. Wharton.
13. Hence, vested authority to act in a given case; as, the business was referred to a committee with power.
Note: Power may be predicated of inanimate agents, like the winds and waves, electricity and magnetism, gravitation, etc., or of animal and intelligent beings; and when predicated of these beings, it may indicate physical, mental, or moral ability or capacity. Mechanical powers. See under Mechanical. — Power loom, or Power press. See Def. 8 (d), note. — Power of attorney. See under Attorney. — Power of a point (relative to a given curve) (Geom.), the result of substituting the coördinates of any point in that expression which being put equal to zero forms the equation of the curve; as, x2 + y2 - 100 is the power of the point x, y, relative to the circle x2 + y2 - 100 = 0.
POWERABLEPow"er*a*ble, a.
1. Capable of being effected or accomplished by the application of power; possible. [R.] J. Young.
2. Capable of exerting power; powerful. Camden.
POWERFULPow"er*ful, a.
1. Full of power; capable of producing great effects of any kind; potent; mighty; efficacious; intense; as, a powerful man or beast; a powerful engine; a powerful argument; a powerful light; a powerful vessel. The powerful grace that lies In herbs, plants, stones, and their true qualities. Shak.
2. (Mining)
Defn: Large; capacious; — said of veins of ore.
Syn.— Mighty; strong; potent; forcible; efficacious; energetic;intense.— Pow"er*ful*ly, adv.— Pow"er*ful*ness, n.
POWERLESSPow"er*less, a.
Defn: Destitute of power, force, or energy; weak; impotent; not ableto produce any effect.— Pow"er*less*ly, adv.— Pow"er*less*ness, n.
POWLDRON Powl"dron, n. Etym: [OF. espauleron, from espaule shoulder, F. épaule.]
Defn: Same as Pauldron.
POWPPowp, v. i.
Defn: See Poop, v. i. [Obs.] Chaucer.
POWTERPow"ter, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: See Pouter.
POWWOWPow"wow`, n.
1. A priest, or conjurer, among the North American Indians. Be it sagamore, sachem, or powwow. Longfellow.
2. Conjuration attended with great noise and confusion, and often with feasting, dancing, etc., performed by Indians for the cure of diseases, to procure success in hunting or in war, and for other purposes.
3. Hence: Any assembly characterized by noise and confusion; a noisy frolic or gathering. [Colloq. U. S.]
POWWOWPow"wow`, v. i.
1. To use conjuration, with noise and confusion, for the cure of disease, etc., as among the North American Indians.
2. Hence: To hold a noisy, disorderly meeting. [Colloq. U. S.]
POX Pox, n. Etym: [For pocks, OE. pokkes. See Pock. It is plural in form but is used as a singular.] (Med.)
Defn: Strictly, a disease by pustules or eruptions of any kind, but chiefly or wholly restricted to three or four diseases, — the smallpox, the chicken pox, and the vaccine and the venereal diseases.
Note: Pox, when used without an epithet, as in imprecations, formerly signified smallpox; but it now signifies syphilis.
POXPox, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Poxed; p. pr. & vb. n. Poxing.]
Defn: To infect with the pox, or syphilis.
POYPoy, n. Etym: [OF. apui, apoi, a support, prop., staff, F. appui, fr.OF. apuier, apoier, to support, F. appuyer, fr. à to (L. ad) + OF.pui, poi, a rising ground, hill, L. podium. See Podium, Pew.]
1. A support; — used in composition; as, teapoy.
2. A ropedancer's balancing pole. Johnson.
3. A long boat hook by which barges are propelled against the stream. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.
POYNADOPoy*na"do, n.
Defn: A poniard. [Obs.] Lyly.
POYND; POYNDERPoynd, v., Poynd"er (, n.
Defn: See Poind, Poinder.
POY NETTEPoy nette", n. Etym: [Cf. Point.]
Defn: A bodkin. [Obs.]
POYNTELPoyn"tel, n. Etym: [See Pointal.] (Arch.)
Defn: Paving or flooring made of small squares or lozenges set diagonally. [Formerly written pointal.]
POYOUPoy"ou, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A South American armadillo (Dasypus sexcinctus). Called also sixbanded armadillo.
POZEPoze, v. t.
Defn: See 5th Pose.
POZZUOLANA; POZZOLANAPoz`zu*o*la"na, Poz`zo*la"*na, n. Etym: [It.]
Defn: Volcanic ashes from Pozzuoli, in Italy, used in the manufacture of a kind of mortar which hardens under water.
PRAAM Praam, n. Etym: [D. praam; cf. G. prahm, F. prame; all of Slavonic origin, from a word akin to E. fare. See Fare.] (Naut.)
Defn: A flat-bottomed boat or lighter, — used in Holland and the Baltic, and sometimes armed in case of war. [Written also pram, and prame.]
PRACTICPrac"tic, a. Etym: [See Practical.]
1. Practical.
2. Artful; deceitful; skillful. [Obs.] "Cunning sleights and practick knavery." Spenser.
PRACTICABILITYPrac"ti*ca*bil"i*ty, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being practicable; practicableness; feasibility. "The practicability of such a project." Stewart.
PRACTICABLEPrac"ti*ca*ble, a. Etym: [LL. practicare to act, transact, fr. L.practicus active, Gr. practicable, pratiquer to practice. SeePractical.]
1. That may be practiced or performed; capable of being done or accomplished with available means or resources; feasible; as, a practicable method; a practicable aim; a practicable good.
2. Capable of being used; passable; as, a practicable weapon; a practicable road. Practicable breach (Mil.), a breach which admits of approach and entrance by an assailing party.
Syn.— Possible; feasible.— Practicable, Possible. A thing may be possible, i. e., notforbidden by any law of nature, and yet may not now be practicablefor want of the means requisite to its performance.— Prac"ti*ca*ble*ness, n.— Prac"ti*ca*bly, adv.
PRACTICAL Prac"ti*cal, a. Etym: [L. practicus active, Gr. pratique, formerly also practique. Cf. Pragmatic, Practice.]
1. Of or pertaining to practice or action.
2. Capable of being turned to use or account; useful, in distinction from ideal or theoretical; as, practical chemistry. "Man's practical understanding." South. "For all practical purposes." Macaulay.
3. Evincing practice or skill; capable of applying knowledge to some useful end; as, a practical man; a practical mind.
4. Derived from practice; as, practical skill. Practical joke, a joke put in practice; a joke the fun of which consists in something done, in distinction from something said; esp., a trick played upon a person.
PRACTICALITYPrac`ti*cal"i*ty, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being practical; practicalness.
PRACTICALIZEPrac"ti*cal*ize, v. t.
Defn: To render practical. [R.] "Practicalizing influences." J. S.Mill.
PRACTICALLYPrac"ti*cal*ly, adv.
Defn: 1. In a practical way; not theoretically; really; as, to look at things practically; practically worthless.
2. By means of practice or use; by experience or experiment; as, practically wise or skillful; practically acquainted with a subject.
3. In practice or use; as, a medicine practically safe; theoretically wrong, but practically right. 4. Almost.
PRACTICALNESSPrac"ti*cal*ness, n.
Defn: Same as Practicality.
PRACTICEPrac"tice, n. Etym: [OE. praktike, practique, F. pratique, formerlyalso, practique, LL. practica, fr. Gr. Practical, and cf. Pratique,Pretty.]
1. Frequently repeated or customary action; habitual performance; a succession of acts of a similar kind; usage; habit; custom; as, the practice of rising early; the practice of making regular entries of accounts; the practice of daily exercise. A heart . . . exercised with covetous practices. 2 Pet. ii. 14.
2. Customary or constant use; state of being used. Obsolete words may be revived when they are more sounding or more significant than those in practice. Dryden.
3. Skill or dexterity acquired by use; expertness. [R.] "His nice fence and his active practice." Shak.
4. Actual performance; application of knowledge; — opposed to theory. There are two functions of the soul, — contemplation and practice. South. There is a distinction, but no opposition, between theory and practice; each, to a certain extent, supposes the other; theory is dependent on practice; practice must have preceded theory. Sir W. Hamilton.
5. Systematic exercise for instruction or discipline; as, the troops are called out for practice; she neglected practice in music.
6. Application of science to the wants of men; the exercise of any profession; professional business; as, the practice of medicine or law; a large or lucrative practice. Practice is exercise of an art, or the application of a science in life, which application is itself an art. Sir W. Hamilton.
7. Skillful or artful management; dexterity in contrivance or the use of means; art; stratagem; artifice; plot; — usually in a bad sense. [Obs.] Bacon. He sought to have that by practice which he could not by prayer. Sir P. Sidney.
8. (Math.)
Defn: A easy and concise method of applying the rules of arithmetic to questions which occur in trade and business.
9. (Law)
Defn: The form, manner, and order of conducting and carrying on suits and prosecutions through their various stages, according to the principles of law and the rules laid down by the courts. Bouvier.
Syn.— Custom; usage; habit; manner.
PRACTICEPrac"tice, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Practiced; p. pr. & vb. n.Practicing.] Etym: [Often written practise, practised, practising.]
1. To do or perform frequently, customarily, or habitually; to make a practice of; as, to practice gaming. "Incline not my heart . . . practice wicked works." Ps. cxli. 4.
2. To exercise, or follow, as a profession, trade, art, etc., as, to practice law or medicine.
2. To exercise one's self in, for instruction or improvement, or to acquire discipline or dexterity; as, to practice gunnery; to practice music.
4. To put into practice; to carry out; to act upon; to commit; to execute; to do. "Aught but Talbot's shadow whereon to practice your severity." Shak. As this advice ye practice or neglect. Pope.
5. To make use of; to employ. [Obs.] In malice to this good knight's wife, I practiced Ubaldo and Ricardo to corrupt her. Massinger.
6. To teach or accustom by practice; to train. In church they are taught to love God; after church they are practiced to love their neighbor. Landor.
PRACTICEPrac"tice, v. i. Etym: [Often written practise.]
1. To perform certain acts frequently or customarily, either for instruction, profit, or amusement; as, to practice with the broadsword or with the rifle; to practice on the piano. practise
2. To learn by practice; to form a habit. They shall practice how to live secure. Milton. Practice first over yourself to reign. Waller.
3. To try artifices or stratagems. He will practice against thee by poison. Shak.
4. To apply theoretical science or knowledge, esp. by way of experiment; to exercise or pursue an employment or profession, esp. that of medicine or of law. [I am] little inclined to practice on others, and as little that others should practice on me. Sir W. Temple.
PRACTICEDPrac"ticed, a. Etym: [Often written practised.]
1. Experienced; expert; skilled; as, a practiced marksman. "A practiced picklock." Ld. Lytton.
2. Used habitually; learned by practice.
PRACTICERPrac"ti*cer, n. Etym: [Often written practiser.]
1. One who practices, or puts in practice; one who customarily performs certain acts. South.
2. One who exercises a profession; a practitioner.
3. One who uses art or stratagem. [Obs.] B. Jonson.
PRACTICIANPrac*ti"cian, n. Etym: [F. praticien, OF. also practicien.]
Defn: One who is acquainted with, or skilled in, anything by practice; a practitioner.
PRACTICKPrac"tick, n.
Defn: Practice. [Obs.] Chaucer.
PRACTICOPrac"ti*co, n.; pl. Practicos (#). [Sp., lit., experienced, skilled.Cf. Practical.]
Defn: A guide. [Cuba & Phil. Islands] D. C. Worcester.
PRACTISANTPrac"ti*sant, n.
Defn: An agent or confederate in treachery. [Obs.] Shak.
PRACTISEPrac"tise, v. t. & i.
Defn: See Practice.
Note: The analogy of the English language requires that the noun and verb which are pronounced alike should agree in spelling. Thus we have notice (n. & v.), noticed, noticing, noticer; poultice (n. & v.); apprentice (n. & v.); office (n. & v.), officer (n.); lattice (n.), latticed (a.); benefice (n.), beneficed (a.), etc. Cf. sacrifice (surmise (promise (compromise (advice (advise (device (devise (
PRACTISOURPrac"ti*sour, n.
Defn: A practitioner. [Obs.]
PRACTITIONERPrac*ti"tion*er, n. Etym: [From Practician.]
1. One who is engaged in the actual use or exercise of any art or profession, particularly that of law or medicine. Crabbe.
2. One who does anything customarily or habitually.
3. A sly or artful person. Whitgift. General practitioner. See under General, 2.
PRACTIVEPrac"tive, a.
Defn: Doing; active. [Obs.] Sylvester.— Prac"tive*ly, adv. [Obs.]The preacher and the people both, Then practively did thrive. Warner.
PRADPrad, n. Etym: [Cf. D. paard.]
Defn: A horse. [Colloq. Eng.]
PRAE-Præ-.
Defn: A prefix. See Pre-.
PRAECAVAPræ"ca`va, n. Etym: [NL. See Pre-, and 1st Cave.] (Anat.)
Defn: The superior vena cava.— Præ"ca`val, a. B. G. Wilder.
PRAECIPE Præc"i*pe, n. Etym: [L., imperative of praecipere to give rules or precepts. See Precept.] (Law) (a) A writ commanding something to be done, or requiring a reason for neglecting it. (b) A paper containing the particulars of a writ, lodged in the office out of which the writ is to be issued. Wharton.
PRAECOCESPræ"co*ces, n. pl. Etym: [NL. See Precocious.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A division of birds including those whose young are able to run about when first hatched.