Webster's Unabridged Dictionary - Letter P - Page 101
Posy (n.) A flower; a bouquet; a nosegay. "Bridegroom's posies." -- Spenser.
We make a difference between suffering thistles to grow among us, and wearing them for posies. -- Swift.
Posy (n.) An arrangement of flowers that is usually given as a present [syn: bouquet, corsage, posy, nosegay].
Pot (n.) A metallic or earthen vessel, appropriated to any of a great variety of uses, as for boiling meat or vegetables, for holding liquids, for plants, etc.; as, a quart pot; a flower pot; a bean pot.
Pot (n.) An earthen or pewter cup for liquors; a mug.
Pot (n.) The quantity contained in a pot; a potful; as, a pot of ale. "Give her a pot and a cake." -- De Foe.
Pot (n.) A metal or earthenware extension of a flue above the top of a chimney; a chimney pot.
Pot (n.) A crucible; as, a graphite pot; a melting pot.
Pot (n.) A wicker vessel for catching fish, eels, etc.
Pot (n.) A perforated cask for draining sugar. -- Knight.
Pot (n.) A size of paper. See Pott.
Pot (n.) Marijuana. [slang]
Pot (n.) The total of the bets at stake at one time, as in racing or card playing; the pool; also (Racing, Eng.) a horse heavily backed; a favorite. [Slang]
Pot (n.) (Armor) A plain defensive headpiece; later, and perhaps in a jocose sense, any helmet; -- called also pot helmet.
Pot (n.) (Card Playing) The total of the bets at one time; the pool.
Jack pot. See under 2d Jack.
Pot cheese, Cottage cheese. See under Cottage.
Pot companion, A companion in drinking.
Pot hanger, A pothook.
Pot herb, Any plant, the leaves or stems of which are boiled for food, as spinach, lamb's-quarters, purslane, and many others.
Pot hunter, One who kills anything and everything that will help to fill has bag; also, a hunter who shoots game for the table or for the market.
Pot metal. The metal from which iron pots are made, different from common pig iron.
Pot metal. An alloy of copper with lead used for making large vessels for various purposes in the arts. -- Ure.
Pot metal. A kind of stained glass, the colors of which are incorporated with the melted glass in the pot. -- Knight.
Pot plant (Bot.), Either of the trees which bear the monkey-pot.
Pot wheel (Hydraul.), A noria.
To go to pot, To go to destruction; to come to an end of usefulness; to become refuse. [Colloq.] -- Dryden. -- J. G. Saxe.
Potted (imp. & p. p.) of Pot.
Potting (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Pot.
Pot (v. t.) To place or inclose in pots; as:
Pot (v. t.) To preserve seasoned in pots. "Potted fowl and fish." -- Dryden.
Pot (v. t.) To set out or cover in pots; as, potted plants or bulbs.
Pot (v. t.) To drain; as, to pot sugar, by taking it from the cooler, and placing it in hogsheads, etc., having perforated heads, through which the molasses drains off. -- B. Edwards.
Pot (v. t.) (Billiards) To pocket.
Pot (v. t.) To shoot for the pot, i.e., cooking; to secure or hit by a pot shot; to shoot when no special skill is needed.
When hunted, it [the jaguar] takes refuge in trees, and this habit is well known to hunters, who pursue it with dogs and pot it when treed. -- Encyc. of Sport.
Pot (v. t.) To secure; gain; win; bag. [Colloq.]
Pot (v. i.) To tipple; to drink. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]
It is less labor to plow than to pot it. -- Feltham.
Pot (v. i.) To take a pot shot or shots, as at game or an enemy.
Consolation game, match, pot, race, etc. A game, match, etc., open only to losers in early stages of contests.
Pot (n.) Metal or earthenware cooking vessel that is usually round and deep; often has a handle and lid.
Pot (n.) A plumbing fixture for defecation and urination [syn: toilet, can, commode, crapper, pot, potty, stool, throne].
Pot (n.) The quantity contained in a pot [syn: pot, potful].
Pot (n.) A container in which plants are cultivated [syn: pot, flowerpot].
Pot (n.) (Often followed by `of') A large number or amount or extent; "a batch of letters"; "a deal of trouble"; "a lot of money"; "he made a mint on the stock market"; "see the rest of the winners in our huge passel of photos"; "it must have cost plenty"; "a slew of journalists"; "a wad of money" [syn: batch, deal, flock, good deal, great deal, hatful, heap, lot, mass, mess, mickle, mint, mountain, muckle, passel, peck, pile, plenty, pot, quite a little, raft, sight, slew, spate, stack, tidy sum, wad].
Pot (n.) The cumulative amount involved in a game (such as poker) [syn: pot, jackpot, kitty].
Pot (n.) Slang for a paunch [syn: pot, potbelly, bay window, corporation, tummy].
Pot (n.) A resistor with three terminals, the third being an adjustable center terminal; used to adjust voltages in radios and TV sets [syn: potentiometer, pot].
Pot (n.) Street names for marijuana [syn: pot, grass, green goddess, dope, weed, gage, sess, sens, smoke, skunk, locoweed, Mary Jane].
Pot (v.) Plant in a pot; "He potted the palm."
Pot, () Plenty of Torrents.
Potable (a.) 適於飲用的 Fit to be drunk; drinkable. "Water fresh and potable." -- Bacon.
Potable (n.) （常複數）飲料 A potable liquid; a beverage. "Useful in potables." -- J. Philips.
Potable (a.) Suitable for drinking [syn: drinkable, potable] [ant: undrinkable].
Potable (n.) Any liquid suitable for drinking; "may I take your beverage order?" [syn: beverage, drink, drinkable, potable].
Potable, (n.) Suitable for drinking. Water is said to be potable; indeed, some declare it our natural beverage, although even they find it palatable only when suffering from the recurrent disorder known as thirst, for which it is a medicine. Upon nothing has so great and diligent ingenuity been brought to bear in all ages and in all countries, except the most uncivilized, as upon the invention of substitutes for water. To hold that this general aversion to that liquid has no basis in the preservative instinct of the race is to be unscientific -- and without science we are as the snakes and toads.
Potableness (n.) The quality of being drinkable.
Potage (n.) See Pottage.
Pottage (n.) A kind of food made by boiling vegetables or meat, or both together, in water, until soft; a thick soup or porridge. [Written also potage.] -- Chaucer.
Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils. -- Gen. xxv. 34.
Potage (n.) Thick (often creamy) soup [syn: potage, pottage].
Potager (n.) A porringer. [Obs.] -- Grew.
Potagro (n.) See Potargo.
Potale (n.) The refuse from a grain distillery, used to fatten swine.
Potamian (n.) (Zool.) A river tortoise; one of a group of tortoises (Potamites, or Trionychoidea) having a soft shell, webbed feet, and a sharp beak. See Trionyx.
Potamography (n.) An account or description of rivers; potamology.
Potamology (n.) A scientific account or discussion of rivers; a treatise on rivers; potamography.
Potamospongiae (n. pl.) (Zool.) The fresh-water sponges. See Spongilla.
Potance (n.) (Watch Making) The stud in which the bearing for the lower pivot of the verge is made.
Potargo (n.) A kind of sauce or pickle. -- King.
Potash (n.) [U] 碳酸鉀，草鹼；苛性鉀；（工農業上用的）鉀；鉀化合物 The hydroxide of potassium hydrate, a hard white brittle substance, KOH, having strong caustic and alkaline properties; -- hence called also caustic potash.
Potash (n.) The impure potassium carbonate obtained by leaching wood ashes, either as a strong solution (lye), or as a white crystalline (pearlash).
Potash (n.) A potassium compound often used in agriculture and industry [syn: {potash}, {caustic potash}, {potassium hydroxide}]
Potash (n.) [ U ] 鉀鹼，碳酸鉀，草鹼 A white powder containing potassium that is put on soil to make crops grow better.
Potashes (n. pl.) Potash.
Potassa (n.) Potassium oxide.
Potassa (n.) Potassium hydroxide, commonly called caustic potash.
Potassamide (n.) A yellowish brown substance obtained by heating potassium in ammonia.
Pottassic (a.) Pertaining to, or containing, potassium.
Potassium (n.) 【化】鉀 [U] An Alkali element, occurring abundantly but always combined, as in the chloride, sulphate, carbonate, or silicate, in the minerals sylvite, kainite, orthoclase, muscovite, etc. Atomic weight 39.0. Symbol K (Kalium).
Potassoxyl (n.) The radical KO, derived from, and supposed to exist in, potassium hydroxide and other compounds.
Potation (n.) The act of drinking. -- Jer. Taylor.
Potation (n.) A draught. "Potations pottle deep." -- Shak.
Potation (n.) Drink; beverage. "Thin potations." -- Shak.
Potation (n.) A serving of drink (usually alcoholic) drawn from a keg; "they served beer on draft" [syn: draft, draught, potation, tipple].
Potation (n.) The act of drinking (especially an alcoholic drink)
Potatoes (n. pl. ) of Potato.
Potato (n.) (Bot.) A plant ({Solanum tuberosum) of the Nightshade family, and its esculent farinaceous tuber, of which there are numerous varieties used for food. It is native of South America, but a form of the species is found native as far north as New Mexico.
Potato (n.) The sweet potato (see below).
Potato beetle, Potato bug. (Zool.) (a) A beetle ({Doryphora decemlineata) which feeds, both in the larval and adult stages, upon the leaves of the potato, often doing great damage. Called also Colorado potato beetle, and Doryphora. See Colorado beetle.
Potato beetle, Potato bug. (Zool.) (b) The Lema trilineata, a smaller and more slender striped beetle which feeds upon the potato plant, bur does less injury than the preceding species.
Potato fly (Zool.), Any one of several species of blister beetles infesting the potato vine. The black species ({Lytta atrata), the striped ({Lytta vittata}), and the gray ({Lytta Fabricii syn. Lytta cinerea) are the most common. See Blister beetle, under Blister.
Potato rot, A disease of the tubers of the potato, supposed to be caused by a kind of mold ({Peronospora infestans), which is first seen upon the leaves and stems.
Potato weevil (Zool.), An American weevil ({Baridius trinotatus) whose larva lives in and kills the stalks of potato vines, often causing serious damage to the crop.
Potato whisky, A strong, fiery liquor, having a hot, smoky taste, and rich in amyl alcohol (fusel oil); it is made from potatoes or potato starch.
Potato worm (Zool.), The large green larva of a sphinx, or hawk moth ({Macrosila quinquemaculata); -- called also tomato worm. See Illust. under Tomato.
Seaside potato (Bot.), Ipom[oe]a Pes-Capr[ae], A kind of morning-glory with rounded and emarginate or bilobed leaves. [West Indies]
Sweet potato (Bot.), A climbing plant ({Ipom[oe]a Balatas"> Sweet potato (Bot.), a climbing plant ({Ipom[oe]a Balatas) allied to the morning-glory. Its farinaceous tubers have a sweetish taste, and are used, when cooked, for food. It is probably a native of Brazil, but is cultivated extensively in the warmer parts of every continent, and even as far north as New Jersey. The name potato was applied to this plant before it was to the Solanum tuberosum, and this is the "potato" of the Southern United States.
Wild potato. (Bot.) (a) A vine ({Ipom[oe]a pandurata) having a pale purplish flower and an enormous root. It is common in sandy places in the United States.
Wild potato. (Bot.) (b) A similar tropical American plant ({Ipom[oe]a fastigiata) which it is thought may have been the original stock of the sweet potato.
Potato (n.) An edible tuber native to South America; a staple food of Ireland [syn: potato, white potato, Irish potato, murphy, spud, tater].
Potato (n.) Annual native to South America having underground stolons bearing edible starchy tubers; widely cultivated as a garden vegetable; vines are poisonous [syn: potato, white potato, white potato vine, Solanum tuberosum].
Potator (n.) [L.] A drinker. [R.] -- Southey.
Potatory (a.) Of or pertaining to drinking. -- Ld. Lytton.
Pot-bellied (a.) Having a protuberant belly, like the bottom of a pot.
Pot-belly (n.) A protuberant belly.
Potboiler (n.) A term applied derisively to any literary or artistic work, and esp. a painting, done simply for money and the means of living. [Cant]
Potboy (n.) A boy who carries pots of ale, beer, etc.; a menial in a public house.
Potboy (n.) A worker in an inn or public house who serves customers and does various chores [syn: potboy, potman].
Potch (v. i.) To thrust; to push. [Obs.] "I 'll potch at him some way." -- Shak.
Potch (v. t.) See Poach, to cook. [Obs.] -- Wiseman.
Potcher (n.) One who, or that which, potches.
Potcher engine (Paper Making), A machine in which washed rags are stirred in a bleaching solution.
Potecary (n.) An apothecary. [Obs.] Poteen
Compare: Apothecary
Apothecary (n.; pl. Apothecaries.) One who prepares and sells drugs or compounds for medicinal purposes; a druggist; a pharmacist.
Note: In England an apothecary is one of a privileged class of practitioners, licensed to prescribe medicine -- a kind of sub-physician. The surgeon apothecary is the ordinary family medical attendant. One who sells drugs and makes up prescriptions is now commonly called in England a druggist or a pharmaceutical chemist.
Apothecary (n.) A drugstore; a store where medicines are sold.
Apothecaries' weight, The system of weights by which medical prescriptions were formerly compounded. The pound and ounce are the same as in Troy weight; they differ only in the manner of subdivision. The ounce is divided into 8 drams, 24 scruples, 480 grains. See Troy weight.
Apothecary (n.) A health professional trained in the art of preparing and dispensing drugs [syn: pharmacist, druggist, chemist, apothecary, pill pusher, pill roller].
Apothecary, () Rendered in the margin and the Revised Version "perfumer," in Ex. 30:25; 37:29; Eccl. 10:1. The holy oils and ointments were prepared by priests properly qualified for this office. The feminine plural form of the Hebrew word is rendered "confectionaries" in 1 Sam. 8:13.
Apothecary, (n.) The physician's accomplice, undertaker's benefactor and grave worm's provider.
When Jove sent blessings to all men that are, And Mercury conveyed them in a jar, That friend of tricksters introduced by stealth Disease for the apothecary's health, Whose gratitude impelled him to proclaim: "My deadliest drug shall bear my patron's name!" G.J.
Poteen (n.) Whisky; especially, whisky illicitly distilled by the Irish peasantry. [Written also potteen.]
Poteen (n.) Especially, whisky illicitly distilled by the Irish peasantry.
Poteen (n.) Unlawfully distilled Irish whiskey.
Potelot (n.) (Old Chem. & Min.) Molybdenum sulphide.
Potence (n.) Potency; capacity. [R.] -- Sir W. Hamilton.
Potence (n.) The state of being potent; a male's capacity to have sexual intercourse [syn: potency, potence] [ant: impotence, impotency].
Potency (n.) The quality or state of being potent; physical or moral power; inherent strength; energy; ability to effect a purpose; capability; efficacy; influence. "Drugs of potency." -- Hawthorne.
A place of potency and away o' the state. -- Shak.
Potency (n.) The power or right to give orders or make decisions; "he has the authority to issue warrants"; "deputies are given authorization to make arrests"; "a place of potency in the state" [syn: authority, authorization, authorisation, potency, dominance, say-so].
Potency (n.) Capacity to produce strong physiological or chemical effects; "the toxin's potency"; "the strength of the drinks" [syn: potency, effectiveness, strength].
Potency (n.) The inherent capacity for coming into being [syn: potential, potentiality, potency].
Potency (n.) The state of being potent; a male's capacity to have sexual intercourse [syn: potency, potence] [ant: impotence, impotency].
Potent (n.) A prince; a potentate. [Obs.] -- Shak.
Potent (n.) [See Potence.] A staff or crutch. [Obs.]
Potent (n.) (Her.) One of the furs; a surface composed of patches which are supposed to represent crutch heads; they are always alternately argent and azure, unless otherwise specially mentioned.
Counter potent (Her.), A fur differing from potent in the arrangement of the patches.
Potent (a.) Producing great physical effects; forcible; powerful' efficacious; as, a potent medicine. "Harsh and potent
injuries." -- Shak.
Moses once more his potent rod extends. -- Milton.
Potent (a.) Having great authority, control, or dominion; puissant; mighty; influential; as, a potent prince. "A potent
dukedom." -- Shak.
Most potent, grave, and reverend signiors. -- Shak.
Potent (a.) Powerful, in an intellectual or moral sense; having great influence; as, potent interest; a potent argument.
Cross potent. (Her.) See Illust. (7) of Cross.
Syn: Powerful; mighty; puissant; strong; able; efficient; forcible; efficacious; cogent; influential.
Potent (a.) Having great influence [syn: potent, powerful].
Potent (a.) Having or wielding force or authority; "providing the ground soldier with increasingly potent weapons" [syn: potent, strong].
Potent (a.) Having a strong physiological or chemical effect; "a potent toxin"; "potent liquor"; "a potent cup of tea", "a stiff drink" [syn: potent, strong, stiff] [ant: impotent].
Potent (a.) (Of a male) Capable of copulation [syn: potent, virile] [ant: impotent].
Potentacy (n.) Sovereignty. [Obs.]
Potentate (a.) One who is potent; one who possesses great power or sway; a prince, sovereign, or monarch.
The blessed and only potentate. -- 1 Tim. vi. 15.
Cherub and seraph, potentates and thrones. -- Milton.
Potentate (n.) A ruler who is unconstrained by law [syn: dictator, potentate].
Potential (a.) Being potent; endowed with energy adequate to a result; efficacious; influential. [Obs.] "And hath in his effect a voice potential." -- Shak.
Potential (a.) 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 Potential 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.
Potential (n.) Anything that may be possible; a possibility; potentially. -- Bacon.
Potential (n.) (Math.) 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 coordinates 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.
Potential (n.) (Elec.) 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.
Potential (a.) Existing in possibility; "a potential problem"; "possible uses of nuclear power" [syn: potential, possible] [ant: actual, existent].
Potential (a.) Expected to become or be; in prospect; "potential clients" [syn: likely, potential].
Potential (n.) The inherent capacity for coming into being [syn: potential, potentiality, potency].
Potential (n.) The difference in electrical charge between two points in a circuit expressed in volts [syn: electric potential, potential, potential difference, potential drop, voltage].
Potentiality (n.) The quality or state of being potential; possibility, not actuality; inherent capability or disposition, not actually exhibited.
Potentiality (n.) The inherent capacity for coming into being [syn: potential, potentiality, potency].
Potentiality (n.) An aptitude that may be developed [syn: capability, capableness, potentiality] [ant: incapability, incapableness].
Potentially (adv.) With power; potently. [Obs.]
Potentially (adv.) In a potential manner; possibly, not positively.
The duration of human souls is only potentially infinite. -- Bentley.
Potentially (adv.) With a possibility of becoming actual; "he is potentially dangerous"; "potentially useful."
Potentiated (imp. & p. p.) of Potentiate.
Potentiating (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Potentiate.
Potentiate (v. t.) To render active or potent. -- Coleridge.
Potentiate (v.) Increase the effect of or act synergistically with (a drug or a physiological or biochemical phenomenon); "potentiate the drug."
Potentiometer (n.) (Elec.) An instrument for measuring or comparing electrial potentials or electro-motive forces.
Potentized (imp. & p. p.) of Potentize.
Potentizing (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Potentize.
Potentize (v. t.) To render the latent power of (anything) available. -- Dunglison.
Potently (adv.) With great force or energy; powerfully; efficaciously. "You are potently opposed." --Shak.
Potently (adv.) In a manner having a powerful influence; "Clytemnestra's ghost crying in the night for vengeance remained most potently in the audience's mind" [syn: potently, powerfully].
Potentness (n.) The quality or state of being potent; powerfulness; potency; efficacy.
Potestate (n.) A chief ruler; a potentate. [Obs.] Wyclif. "An irous potestate." -- Chaucer.
Potestative (a.) Authoritative. [Obs.] -- Bp. Pearson.
Potgun (n.) A pot-shaped cannon; a mortar. [Obs.] "Twelve potguns of brass." -- Hakluyt.
Potgun (n.) A popgun. [Obs.] -- Swift.
Pothecary (n.) An apothecary. [Obs.]
Compare: Poteen
Poteen, Potheen (n.) Whisky; especially whisky distilled in a small way privately or illicitly by the Irish peasantry. [Written also potteen.]
Potheen (n.) See Poteen.
Pother (v. t.) To harass and perplex; to worry. "Pothers and wearies himself." -- Locke.
Pother (n.) Bustle; confusion; tumult; flutter; bother. [Written also potter, and pudder.] "What a pother and stir!" -- Oldham. "Coming on with a terrible pother." -- Wordsworth.
Pother (v. i.) To make a bustle or stir; to be fussy.
Pther (n.) An excited state of agitation; "he was in a dither"; "there was a terrible flap about the theft" [syn: dither, pother, fuss, tizzy, flap].
Pther (v.) Make upset or troubled.
Pther (v.) Make a fuss; be agitated [syn: dither, flap, pother].
Pothered (imp. & p. p.) of Pother.
Pothering (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Pother.
Pothole (n.) 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.
Pothole (n.) A pit or hole produced by wear or weathering (especially in a road surface) [syn: pothole, chuckhole].
Pothook (n.) An S-shaped hook on which pots and kettles are hung over an open fire.
Pothook (n.) A written character curved like a pothook; (pl.) A scrawled writing. "I long to be spelling her Arabic scrawls and pothooks." -- Dryden.
Pothook (n.) An S-shaped hook to suspend a pot over a fire.
Pothouse (n.) An alehouse. -- T. Warton.
Pothouse (n.) Tavern consisting of a building with a bar and public rooms; often provides light meals [syn: public house, pub, saloon, pothouse, gin mill, taphouse].
Potichomania (n.) Alt. of Potichomanie.