Webster's Unabridged Dictionary - Letter P - Page 30
Pease (n.) A plural form of Pea. See the Note under Pea.
Pea (n.; pl. Peas or Pease.) (Bot.) A plant, and its fruit, of the genus Pisum, of many varieties, much cultivated for food. It has a papilionaceous flower, and the pericarp is a legume, popularly called a pod.
Note: When a definite number, more than one, is spoken of, the plural form peas is used; as, the pod contained nine peas; but, in a collective sense, the form pease is preferred; as, a bushel of pease; they had pease at dinner. This distinction is not always preserved, the form peas being used in both senses.
Pea (n.; pl. Peas or Pease.) A name given, especially in the Southern States, to the
seed of several leguminous plants (species of Dolichos, Cicer, Abrus, etc.) esp. those having a scar (hilum) of a different color from the rest of the seed.
Note: The name pea is given to many leguminous plants more or less closely related to the common pea. See the Phrases, below.
Beach pea (Bot.), A seashore plant, Lathyrus maritimus.
Black-eyed pea, A West Indian name for Dolichos sph[ae]rospermus and its seed.
Butterfly pea, The American plant Clitoria Mariana, having showy blossoms.
Chick pea. See Chick-pea.
Egyptian pea. Same as Chick-pea.
Everlasting pea. See under Everlasting.
Glory pea. See under Glory, n.
Hoary pea, any plant of the genus Tephrosia; goat's rue.
Issue pea, Orris pea. (Med.) See under Issue, and Orris.
Milk pea. (Bot.) See under Milk.
Pea berry, A kind of a coffee bean or grain which grows single, and is round or pea-shaped; often used adjectively; as, pea-berry coffee.
Pea bug. (Zool.) Same as Pea weevil.
Pea coal, A size of coal smaller than nut coal.
Pea crab (Zool.), Any small crab of the genus Pinnotheres, living as a commensal in bivalves; esp., the European species ({Pinnotheres pisum) which lives in the common mussel and the cockle.
Pea dove (Zool.), The American ground dove.
Pea-flower+tribe+(Bot.),+A+suborder+({Papilionace[ae]">Pea-flower tribe (Bot.), a suborder ({Papilionace[ae]) of leguminous plants having blossoms essentially like that of the pea. -- G. Bentham.
Pea maggot (Zool.), The larva of a European moth ({Tortrix pisi), which is very destructive to peas.
Pea ore (Min.), Argillaceous oxide of iron, occurring in round grains of a size of a pea; pisolitic ore.
Pea starch, The starch or flour of the common pea, which is sometimes used in adulterating wheat flour, pepper, etc.
Pea tree (Bot.), The name of several leguminous shrubs of the genus Caragana, natives of Siberia and China.
Pea vine. (Bot.) (a) Any plant which bears peas.
Pea
vine. (Bot.) (b)
A kind of vetch or tare, common in the United States ({Lathyrus Americana, and
other similar species).
Pea+weevil+(Zool.),+A+small+weevil+({Bruchus+pisi">Pea weevil
(Zool.), a small weevil ({Bruchus pisi) which destroys peas by eating out the
interior.
Pigeon pea. (Bot.) See Pigeon pea.
Sweet pea (Bot.), The annual plant Lathyrus odoratus; also, its many-colored, sweet-scented blossoms.
Pease (n.) obs. pl. Peases, Peasen. [See Pea.] A pea. [Obs.] "A peose." "Bread . . . of beans and of peses." -- Piers Plowman.
Pease (n.) A plural form of Pea. See the Note under Pea.
Pease, MN -- U.S. city in Minnesota
Population (2000): 163
Housing Units (2000): 67
Land area (2000): 0.433095 sq. miles (1.121712 sq. km)
Water area (2000): 0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km)
Total area (2000): 0.433095 sq. miles (1.121712 sq. km)
FIPS code: 50056
Located within: Minnesota (MN), FIPS 27
Location: 45.697946 N, 93.648411 W
ZIP Codes (1990): 56363
Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
Headwords:
Pease, MN
Pease
Peastone (n.) (Min.) Pisolite.
Pisolite (n.) (Min.) A variety of calcite, or calcium carbonate, consisting of aggregated globular concretions about the size of a pea; -- called also peastone, peagrit.
Note: Oolite is similar in structure, but the concretions are as small as the roe of a fish.
Compare: Greenfinch
Greenfinch (n.) (Zool.) A European
finch ({Ligurinus chloris); -- called also green bird, green linnet, green
grosbeak, green olf, greeny, and peasweep.
Greenfinch (n.) (Zool.) The Texas sparrow ({Embernagra
rufivirgata), in which the general color is olive green, with four rufous
stripes on the head.
Peasweep (n.) (Zool.) The pewit, or lapwing.
Peasweep (n.) (Zool.) The greenfinch.
Peat (n.) A small person; a pet; -- sometimes used contemptuously. [Obs.] -- Shak.
Peat (n.) A substance of vegetable origin, consisting of roots and fibers, moss, etc., in various stages of decomposition, and found, as a kind of turf or bog, usually in low situations, where it is always more or less saturated with water. It is often dried and used for fuel.
Peat bog, A bog containing peat; also, peat as it occurs in such places; peat moss.
Peat moss. (a) The plants which, when decomposed, become peat.
Peat moss. (b) A fen producing peat.
Peat moss. (c) (Bot.) Moss of the genus Sphagnum, which often grows abundantly in boggy or peaty places.
Peat reek, The reek or smoke of peat; hence, also, the peculiar flavor given to whisky by being distilled with peat as fuel. [Scot.]
Peat (n.) Partially carbonized vegetable matter saturated with water; can be used as a fuel when dried.
Peaty (a.) Composed of peat; abounding in peat; resembling peat.
Peaty (a.) Of or pertaining to or of the nature of peat.
Peba (n.) (Zool.) An armadillo
({Tatusia novemcincta) which is found from
Peba (n.) Having nine hinged bands of bony plates; ranges from Texas to Paraguay [syn: peba, nine-banded armadillo, Texas armadillo, Dasypus novemcinctus].
Pebble (n.) A small roundish stone or bowlder; especially, a stone worn and rounded by the action of water; a pebblestone. "The pebbles on the hungry beach." -- Shak.
As children gathering pebbles on the shore. -- Milton.
Pebble (n.) Transparent and colorless rock crystal; as, Brazilian pebble; -- so called by opticians.
Pebble powder, Slow-burning gunpowder, in large cubical grains.
Scotch pebble, Varieties of quartz, as agate, chalcedony, etc., obtained from cavities in amygdaloid.
Pebbled (imp. & p. p.) of Pebble.
Pebbling (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Pebble.
Pebble (v. t.) To grain (leather) so as to produce a surface covered with small rounded prominences.
Pebble (n.) A small smooth rounded rock.
Pebble, () A polymorphic language.
["A Kernel Language for Abstract Data Types and Modules", R.M. Burstall & B. Lampson, in Semantics of Data Types, LNCS 173, Springer 1984].
(1995-01-26)
Pebbled (a.) Abounding in pebbles. -- Thomson.
Pebblestone () A pebble; also, pebbles collectively. "Chains of pebblestone." -- Marlowe.
Pebbly (a.) Full of pebbles; pebbled. "A hard, pebbly bottom." -- Johnson.
Pebbly (a.) Abounding in small stones; "landed at a shingly little beach" [syn: gravelly, pebbly, shingly].
Pebrine (n.) [F.] An epidemic disease of the silkworm, characterized by the presence of minute vibratory corpuscles in the blood.
Pecan (n.) (Bot.) A species of hickory ({Carya olivaeformis), growing in North America, chiefly in the Mississippi valley and in Texas, where it is one of the largest of forest trees; also, its fruit, a smooth, oblong nut, an inch or an inch and a half long, with a thin shell and well-flavored meat. [Written also pacane.]
Pecan (n.) Wood of a pecan tree.
Pecan (n.) Tree of southern United States and Mexico cultivated for its nuts [syn: pecan, pecan tree, Carya illinoensis, Carya illinoinsis].
Pecan (n.) Smooth brown oval nut of south central United States.
Pecary (n.) (Zool.) See Peccary.
Peccability (n.) The state or quality of being peccable; lability to sin.
The common peccability of mankind. -- Dr. H. More.
Peccable (a.) Liable to sin; subject to transgress the divine law. "A frail and peccable mortal." -- Sir W. Scott.
Peccable (a.) Liable to sin; "a frail and peccable mortal" -- Sir Walter Scott [syn: peccable, peccant].
Peccadillos (n. pl. ) of Peccadillo.
Peccadillo (n.) A slight trespass or offense; a petty crime; a trifling fault. -- Sir W. Scott.
Peccancy (n.) The quality or state of being peccant.
Peccancy (n.) A sin; an offense. -- W. Montagu.
Peccant (a.) Sinning; guilty of transgression; criminal; as, peccant angels. -- Milton.
Peccant (a.) Morbid; corrupt; as, peccant humors. -- Bacon.
Peccant (a.) Wrong; defective; faulty. [R.] -- Ayliffe.
Peccant (n.) An offender. [Obs.] -- Whitlock.
Peccant (a.) Liable to sin; "a frail and peccable mortal" -- Sir Walter Scott [syn: peccable, peccant].
Peccantly (adv.) In a peccant manner.
Peccaries (n. pl. ) of Peccary.
Peccary (n.) (Zool.) A pachyderm of the genus Dicotyles.
Note: The collared peccary, or tajacu ({Dicotyles torquatus), is about the size and shape of a small hog, and has a white ring aroung the neck. It ranges from Arkansas to Brazil. A larger species ({Dicotyles labiatus), with white cheeks, is found in South America.
Peccary (n.) Nocturnal gregarious pig-like wild animals of North America and South America [syn: peccary, musk hog].
Peccavi () [L.] I have sinned; -- used colloquially to express confession or acknowledgment of an offense; -- used rarely, superseded by the approximate equivalent mea culpa. -- Aubrey.
Pekoe (n.) A kind of black tea. [Written also pecco.]
Pecco (n.) See Pekoe.
Peck (n.) The fourth part of a bushel; a dry measure of eight quarts; as, a peck of wheat. "A peck of provender." -- Shak.
Peck (n.) A great deal; a large or excessive quantity. "A peck of uncertainties and doubts." -- Milton.
Pecked (imp. & p. p.) of Peck.
Pecking (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Peck.
Peck (v. t.) To strike with the beak; to thrust the beak into; as, a bird pecks a tree.
Peck (v. t.) Hence: To strike, pick, thrust against, or dig into, with a pointed instrument; especially, to strike, pick, etc., with repeated quick movements.
Peck (v. t.) To seize and pick up with the beak, or as with the beak; to bite; to eat; -- often with up. -- Addison.
This fellow pecks up wit as pigeons peas. -- Shak.
Peck (v. t.) To make, by striking with the beak or a pointed instrument; as, to peck a hole in a tree.
Peck (v. i.) To make strokes with the beak, or with a pointed instrument. -- Carew.
Peck (v. i.) To pick up food with the beak; hence, to eat.
[The hen] went pecking by his side. -- Dryden.
To peck at, (a) To attack with petty and repeated blows; to carp at; to nag; to tease.
To peck at, (b) To eat slowly and in small portions, with litle interest; as, to peck at one's food.
Peck (n.) A quick, sharp stroke, as with the beak of a bird or a pointed instrument.
Peck (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].
Peck (n.) A British imperial capacity measure (liquid or dry) equal to 2 gallons.
Peck (n.) A United States dry measure equal to 8 quarts or 537.605 cubic inches.
Peck (v.) Hit lightly with a picking motion [syn: peck, pick, beak].
Peck (v.) Eat by pecking at, like a bird [syn: peck, pick up].
Peck (v.) Kiss lightly [syn: smack, peck].
Peck (v.) Eat like a bird; "The anorexic girl just picks at her food" [syn: pick at, peck at, peck].
Peck (v.) Bother persistently with trivial complaints; "She nags her husband all day long" [syn: nag, peck, hen-peck].
Peck. () A measure of capacity, equal to two gallons. Vide Measure.
Peck, ID -- U.S. city in Idaho
Population (2000): 186
Housing Units (2000): 96
Land area (2000): 0.268318 sq. miles (0.694941 sq. km)
Water area (2000): 0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km)
Total area (2000): 0.268318 sq. miles (0.694941 sq. km)
FIPS code: 61840
Located within: Idaho (ID), FIPS 16
Location: 46.473786 N, 116.425083 W
ZIP Codes (1990): 83545
Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
Headwords:
Peck, ID
Peck
Peck, MI -- U.S. village in Michigan
Population (2000): 599
Housing Units (2000): 253
Land area (2000): 1.010187 sq. miles (2.616372 sq. km)
Water area (2000): 0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km)
Total area (2000): 1.010187 sq. miles (2.616372 sq. km)
FIPS code: 63260
Located within: Michigan (MI), FIPS 26
Location: 43.258223 N, 82.816428 W
ZIP Codes (1990): 48466
Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
Headwords:
Peck, MI
Peck
Pecker (n.) One who, or that which, pecks; specif., a bird that pecks holes in trees; a woodpecker.
Pecker (n.) An instrument for pecking; a pick. -- Garth.
Pecker (n.) The penis; -- an obscene term for the male sexual organ. [Vulgar]
Syn: penis, cock, prick, tool, peter, dick, shaft [all but the first considered obscene].
Flower pecker. (Zool.) See under Flower.
Pecker (n.) Obscene terms for penis [syn: cock, prick, dick, shaft, pecker, peter, tool, putz].
Pecker (n.) Bird with strong claws and a stiff tail adapted for climbing and a hard chisel-like bill for boring into wood for insects [syn: woodpecker, peckerwood, pecker].
Pecker (n.) Horny projecting mouth of a bird [syn: beak, bill, neb, nib, pecker].
Peckish (a.) Inclined to eat; hungry. [Colloq.] "When shall I feel puckish again?" -- Beaconsfield.
Peckish (a.) Somewhat hungry.
Peckish (a.) Easily irritated or annoyed; "an incorrigibly fractious young man"; "not the least nettlesome of his countrymen" [syn: cranky, fractious, irritable, nettlesome, peevish, peckish, pettish, petulant, scratchy, testy, tetchy, techy].
Peckled (a.) Speckled; spotted. [Obs.]
Pecopteris (n.) (Paleon.) An extensive genus of fossil ferns; -- so named from the regular comblike arrangement of the leaflets.
Pecopteris (n.) Carboniferous fossil fern characterized by a regular arrangement of the leaflets resembling a comb.
Pecora (n. pl.) (Zool.) An extensive division of ruminants, including the antelopes, deer, and cattle.
Pectate (n.) (Chem.) A salt of pectic acid.
Pecten (n.) (Anat.) A vascular pigmented membrane projecting into the vitreous humor within the globe of the eye in birds, and in many reptiles and fishes; -- also called marsupium.
Pecten (n.) (Anat.) The pubic bone.
Pecten (n.) (Zool.) Any species of bivalve mollusks of the genus Pecten, and numerous allied genera (family Pectinidae); a scallop. See Scallop.
Pecten (n.) (Zool.) The comb of a scorpion. See Comb, 4 (b).
Pectic (a.) (Chem.) Of or pertaining to pectin; specifically, designating an acid obtained from ordinary vegetable jelly (pectin) as an amorphous substance, tough and horny when dry, but gelatinous when moist.
Pectic (a.) Of or relating to or derived from pectin; "pectic acid."
Pectin (n.) (Chem.) One of a series of carbohydrates, commonly called vegetable jelly, found very widely distributed in the vegetable kingdom, especially in ripe fleshy fruits, as apples, cranberries, etc. It is extracted as variously colored, translucent substances, which are soluble in hot water but become viscous on cooling. It is commonly used in making fruit jelllies.
Pectin (n.) Any of various water-soluble colloidal carbohydrates that occur in ripe fruit and vegetables; used in making fruit jellies and jams.
Pectinal (a.) Of or pertaining to a comb; resembling a comb.
Pectinal (n.) A fish whose bones resemble comb teeth. -- Sir T. Browne. Pectinate
Pectinate (a.) Alt. of Pectinated.
Pectinated (a.) Resembling the teeth of a comb.
Pectinated (a.) (Nat. Hist.) Having very narrow, close divisions, in arrangement and regularity resembling those of a comb; comblike; as, a pectinate leaf; pectinated muscles. See Illust. (e) of Antennae.
Pectinated (a.) Interlaced, like two combs. [R.] "Our fingers pectinated, or shut together." -- Sir T. Browne.
Pectinate claw (Zool.), A claw having a serrate edge, found in some birds, and supposed to be used in cleaning the feathers.
Pectinate (a.) Like a comb.
Pectinately (adv.) In a pectinate manner.
Pectination (n.) The state of being pectinated; that which is pectinated. -- Sir T. Browne.
Pectination (n.) The act of combing; the combing of the head.
Pectination (n.) (Nat. Hist.) Comblike toothing.
Pectineal (a.) (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the pecten.
Pectineal (a.) (Anat.) Relating to, or connected with, the pubic bone.
Pectineal (a.) Of or relating to the pubis.
Pectinibranch (n.) (Zool.) One of the Pectinibranchiata. Also used adjectively.
Pectinibranchiata (n. pl.) (Zool.) A division of Gastropoda, including those that have a comblike gill upon the neck.
Pectinibranchiate (a.) (Zool.) Having pectinated gills.
Pectiniform (a.) Comblike in form.
Pectize (v. i.) To congeal; to change into a gelatinous mass. [R.] -- H. Spencer.
Pectolite (n.) (Min.) A whitish mineral occurring in radiated or fibrous crystalline masses. It is a hydrous silicate of lime and soda.
Compare: Girdle
Girdle (n.) That which girds, encircles, or incloses; a circumference; a belt; esp., a belt, sash, or article of dress encircling the body usually at the waist; a cestus.
Within the girdle of these walls. -- Shak.
Their breasts girded with golden girdles. -- Rev. xv. 6.
Girdle (n.) The zodiac; also, the equator. [Poetic] -- Bacon.
From the world's girdle to the frozen pole. -- Cowper.
That gems the starry girdle of the year. -- Campbell.
Girdle (n.) (Jewelry) The line ofgreatest circumference of a brilliant-cut diamond, at which it is grasped by the setting. See Illust. of Brilliant. -- Knight.
Girdle (n.) (Mining) A thin bed or stratum of stone. -- Raymond.
Girdle (n.) (Zool.) The clitellus of an earthworm.
Girdle bone (Anat.), The sphenethmoid. See under Sphenethmoid.
Girdle wheel, A spinning wheel.
Sea girdle (Zool.), A ctenophore. See Venus's girdle, under Venus.
Shoulder, Pectoral, & Pelvic, girdle. (Anat.) See under Pectoral, and Pelvic.
To have under the girdle, to have bound to one, that is, in subjection.
Pectoral (a.) Of or pertaining to the breast, or chest; as, the pectoral muscles.
Pectoral (a.) Relating to, or good for, diseases of the chest or lungs; as, a pectoral remedy.
Pectoral (a.) (Zool.) Having the breast conspicuously colored; as, the pectoral sandpiper.
Pectoral arch, or Pectoral girdle (Anat.), The two or more bony or cartilaginous pieces of the vertebrate skeleton to which the fore limbs are articulated; the shoulder girdle. In man it consists of two bones, the scapula and clavicle, on each side.
Pectoral cross (Eccl.), A cross worn on the breast by bishops and abbots, and sometimes also by canons.
Pectoral fins, or Pectorals (Zool.), Fins situated on the sides, behind the gills. See Illust. under Fin.
Pectoral rail. (Zool.) See Land rail (b) under Land.
Pectoral sandpiper (Zool.), The jacksnipe (b).
Pectoral (n.) A covering or protecting for the breast.
Pectoral (n.) (Eccl.) A breastplate, esp. that worn by the Jewish high person.
Pectoral (n.) (Eccl.) A clasp or a cross worn on the breast.
Pectoral (n.) A medicine for diseases of the chest organs, especially the lungs.
Pectoral (a.) Of or relating to the chest or thorax; "pectoral organ" [syn: pectoral, thoracic].
Pectoral (n.) Either of two large muscles of the chest [syn: pectoral, pectoral muscle, pectoralis, musculus pectoralis, pecs].
Pectoral (n.) An adornment worn on the chest or breast [syn: pectoral, pectoral medallion].
Pectorally (adv.) As connected with the breast.
Pectoriloquial (a.) Pertaining to, or of the nature of, pectoriloquy.
Pectoriloquism (n.) Pectoriloquy.
Pectoriloquous (a.) Pectoriloquial.
Pectoriloquy (n.) (Med.) The distinct articulation of the sounds of a patient's voice, heard on applying the ear to the chest in auscultation. It usually indicates some morbid change in the lungs or pleural cavity.
Pectose (n.) (Chem.) An amorphous carbohydrate found in the vegetable kingdom, esp. in unripe fruits. It is associated with cellulose, and is converted into substances of the pectin group.
Pectosic (a.) (Chem.) Of, pertaining to, resembling, or derived from, pectose; specifically, designating an acid supposed to constitute largely ordinary pectin or vegetable jelly.
Pectostraca (n. pl.) (Zool.) A degenerate order of Crustacea, including the Rhizocephala and Cirripedia.
Pectous (a.) (Chem.) Of, pertaining to, or consisting of, pectose.
Pectora (n. pl. ) of Pectus.
Pectus (n.) (Zool.) The breast of a bird.
Pecul (n.) See Picul.
Picul (n.) A commercial weight varying in different countries and for different commodities. In Borneo it is 1355/8 lbs.; in China and Sumatra, 1331/2 lbs.; in Japan, 1331/3 lbs.; but sometimes 130 lbs., etc. Called also, by the Chinese, tan. [Written also pecul, and pecal.]
Peculated (imp. & p. p.) of Peculate.
Peculating (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Peculate.
Peculate (v. i.) To appropriate to one's own use the property of the public; to steal public moneys intrusted to one's care; to embezzle.
An oppressive, . . . rapacious, and peculating despotism. -- Burke.
Peculate (v.) Appropriate (as property entrusted to one's care) fraudulently to one's own use; "The accountant embezzled thousands of dollars while working for the wealthy family" [syn: embezzle, defalcate, peculate, misappropriate, malversate].
Peculation (n.) The act or practice of peculating, or of defrauding the public by appropriating to one's own use the money or goods intrusted to one's care for management or disbursement; embezzlement.
Every British subject . . . active in the discovery of peculations has been ruined. -- Burke.
Peculation (n.) The fraudulent appropriation of funds or property entrusted to your care but actually owned by someone else [syn: embezzlement, peculation, defalcation, misapplication, misappropriation].
Peculation, () civil law. The unlawful appropriation by a depositary of public funds, of the property of the government entrusted to his care, to his own use or that of others. Domat, Suppl. au Droit Public, liv. 3, tit. 5.
Peculator (n.) [L.] One who peculates. "Peculators of the public gold." -- Cowper.
Peculator (n.) Someone who violates a trust by taking (money) for his own use [syn: embezzler, defalcator, peculator].