P P (pē), the sixteenth letter of the English alphabet, is a nonvocal consonant whose form and value come from the Latin, into which language the letter was brought, through the ancient Greek, from the Phœnician, its probable origin being Egyptian. Etymologically P is most closely related to b , f , and v ; as ho bb le, ho pp le; f ather, p aternal; reci p ient, recei v e. See B , F , and M .

See Guide to Pronunciation , §§ 247, 248, and 184- 195.

Pœcile Pœ"ci·le noun Same as Poicile .

Pœcilitic Pœ`ci·lit"ic adjective [ Greek poiki`los many-colored, variegated.] (Geol.) (a) Mottled with various colors; variegated; spotted; -- said of certain rocks. (b) Specifically: Of or pertaining to, or characterizing, Triassic and Permian sandstones of red and other colors. [ Also written poikilitic .]

Pœcilopod Pœ·cil"o·pod noun [ Confer French pœcilopode .] (Zoology) One of the Pœcilopoda. Also used adjectively.

Pœcilopoda Pœ`ci·lop"o·da noun plural [ New Latin , from Greek ... variegated, manifold + -poda .] (Zoology) (a) Originally, an artificial group including many parasitic Entomostraca, together with the horseshoe crabs ( Limuloidea ). (b) By some recent writers applied to the Merostomata.

Pœnology Pœ·nol"o·gy (pe*nŏl"o*jȳ) noun See Penology .

Pa Pa (pä) noun A shortened form of Papa .

Paage Pa"age (pā"aj; 48) noun [ Old French paage , paiage , French péage , from (assumed) Late Latin pedaticum , from Latin pes , pedis , foot. See Pedage , Pedal .] (O. Eng. Law) A toll for passage over another person's grounds. [ Written also peage and pedage .] Burke.

Paard Paard (pärd) noun [ Dutch, a horse.] The zebra. [ S. Africa]

Paas Paas (päs) noun Pace [ Obsolete] Chaucer

Paas Paas (pas) noun [ Dutch paash . See Pasch .] The Easter festival. [ Local, U. S.] Bartlett.

Paas egg . See Easter egg , under Easter .

Pabular Pab"u·lar adjective [ Latin pabularis .] Of, pertaining to, or fit for, pabulum or food; affording food.

Pabulation Pab`u·la"tion noun [ Latin pabulatio , from pabulari to feed, from pabulum food. See Pabulum .]

1. The act of feeding, or providing food. [ Obsolete] Cockeram.

2. Food; fodder; pabulum. [ Obsolete]

Pabulous Pab"u·lous adjective [ Latin pabulosus .] Affording pabulum, or food; alimental. [ R.] Sir T. Browne.

Pabulum Pab"u·lum noun [ Latin , akin to pascere to pasture. See Pastor .] The means of nutriment to animals or plants; food; nourishment; hence, that which feeds or sustains, as fuel for a fire; that upon which the mind or soul is nourished; as, intellectual pabulum .

Pac Pac noun A kind of moccasin, having the edges of the sole turned up and sewed to the upper. Knight.

Paca Pa"ca noun [ Portuguese , from the native name.] (Zoology) A small South American rodent ( Cœlogenys paca ), having blackish brown fur, with four parallel rows of white spots along its sides; the spotted cavy. It is nearly allied to the agouti and the Guinea pig.

Pacable Pa"ca·ble adjective [ Latin pacare to pacify.] Placable. [ R.] Coleridge.

Pacane Pa·cane" noun (Botany) A species of hickory. See Pecan .

Pacate Pa"cate adjective [ Latin pacatus , past participle of pacare to pacify, from pax , pacis , peace. See Pay to requite, Peace .] Appeased; pacified; tranquil. [ R.]

Pacated Pa"ca·ted adjective Pacified; pacate.

Pacation Pa·ca"tion noun [ Latin pacatio .] The act of pacifying; a peacemaking. Coleridge.

Pace Pace noun [ Middle English pas , French pas , from Latin passus a step, pace, orig., a stretching out of the feet in walking; confer pandere , passum , to spread, stretch; perhaps akin to English patent . Confer Pas , Pass .] 1. A single movement from one foot to the other in walking; a step.

2. The length of a step in walking or marching, reckoned from the heel of one foot to the heel of the other; -- used as a unit in measuring distances; as, he advanced fifty paces . "The heigh of sixty pace ." Chaucer.

» Ordinarily the pace is estimated at two and one half linear feet; but in measuring distances be stepping, the pace is extended to three feet (one yard) or to three and three tenths feet (one fifth of a rod). The regulation marching pace in the English and United States armies is thirty inches for quick time, and thirty-six inches for double time. The Roman pace ( passus ) was from the heel of one foot to the heel of the same foot when it next touched the ground, five Roman feet.

3. Manner of stepping or moving; gait; walk; as, the walk, trot, canter, gallop, and amble are paces of the horse; a swaggering pace ; a quick pace . Chaucer.

To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day.

Shak.

In the military schools of riding a variety of paces are taught.

Walsh.

4. A slow gait; a footpace. [ Obsolete] Chucer.

5. Specifically, a kind of fast amble; a rack.

6. Any single movement, step, or procedure. [ R.]

The first pace necessary for his majesty to make is to fall into confidence with Spain.

Sir W. Temple.

7. (Architecture) A broad step or platform; any part of a floor slightly raised above the rest, as around an altar, or at the upper end of a hall.

8. (Weaving) A device in a loom, to maintain tension on the warp in pacing the web.

Geometrical pace , the space from heel to heel between the spot where one foot is set down and that where the same foot is again set down, loosely estimated at five feet, or by some at four feet and two fifths. See Roman pace in the Note under def. 2. [ Obsolete] -- To keep, or hold , pace with , to keep up with; to go as fast as. "In intellect and attainments he kept pace with his age." Southey.

Pace Pace intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Paced ; present participle & verbal noun Pacing .] 1. To go; to walk; specifically, to move with regular or measured steps. "I paced on slowly." Pope. "With speed so pace ." Shak.

2. To proceed; to pass on. [ Obsolete]

Or [ ere] that I further in this tale pace .

Chaucer.

3. To move quickly by lifting the legs on the same side together, as a horse; to amble with rapidity; to rack.

4. To pass away; to die. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Pace Pace transitive verb 1. To walk over with measured tread; to move slowly over or upon; as, the guard paces his round. " Pacing light the velvet plain." T. Warton.

2. To measure by steps or paces; as, to pace a piece of ground.

3. To develop, guide, or control the pace or paces of; to teach the pace; to break in.

If you can, pace your wisdom
In that good path that I would wish it go.

Shak

To pace the web (Weaving) , to wind up the cloth on the beam, periodically, as it is woven, in a loom.

Paced Paced adjective Having, or trained in, [ such] a pace or gait; trained; -- used in composition; as, slow- paced ; a thorough- paced villain.

Pacer Pa"cer noun One who, or that which, paces; especially, a horse that paces.

Pacha Pa·cha" noun [ French] See Pasha .

Pachacamac Pa`cha·ca·mac" noun A divinity worshiped by the ancient Peruvians as the creator of the universe.

Pachak Pa·chak" noun (Botany) The fragrant roots of the Saussurea Costus , exported from India to China, and used for burning as incense. It is supposed to be the costus of the ancients. [ Written also putchuck .]

Pachalic Pa·cha"lic adjective & noun See Pashalic .

Pachisi Pa·chi"si noun Commonly spelt Par*che"si Par*chi"si A game adopted from the Indian game, using disks, as of pasteboard, and dice. [ U. S. & Eng.]

Pachisi, Parchesi Pa·chi"si, Par·che"si noun [ Hind., from pachis twenty-five, the highest throw in the game.] A game, somewhat resembling backgammon, originating in India.

Pachometer Pa·chom"e·ter noun [ Greek pa`chos thickness + -meter .] (Physics) An instrument for measuring thickness, as of the glass of a mirror, or of paper; a pachymeter.

Pachonta Pa·chon"ta noun (Botany) A substance resembling gutta-percha, and used to adulterate it, obtained from the East Indian tree Isonandra acuminata .

Pachuca tank Pa·chu"ca tank (Metallurgy) A high and narrow tank, with a central cylinder for the introduction of compressed air, used in the agitation and settling of pulp (pulverized ore and water) during treatment by the cyanide process; -- so named because, though originally devised in New Zealand, it was first practically introduced in Pachuca, Mexico.

Pachy- Pach"y- [ Greek ... thick.] A combining form meaning thick ; as, pachy derm, pachy dactyl.

Pachycarpous Pach`y·car"pous adjective [ Pachy- + Greek ... fruit.] (Botany) Having the pericarp thick.

Pachydactyl Pach`y·dac"tyl noun [ Pachy- + dactyl .] (Zoology) A bird or other animal having thick toes.

Pachydactylous Pach`y·dac"tyl·ous adjective (Zoology) Having thick toes.

Pachyderm Pach"y·derm noun [ Confer French pachyderme .] (Zoology) One of the Pachydermata.

Pachydermal Pach`y·der"mal adjective (Zoology) Of or relating to the pachyderms; as, pachydermal dentition.

Pachydermata Pach`y·der"ma·ta noun plural [ New Latin , from Greek ... thick-skinned; pachy`s thick + ... skin.] (Zoology) A group of hoofed mammals distinguished for the thickness of their skins, including the elephant, hippopotamus, rhinoceros, tapir, horse, and hog. It is now considered an artificial group.

Pachydermatous Pach`y·der"ma·tous adjective 1. (Zoology) Of or pertaining to the pachyderms.

2. Thick-skinned; not sensitive to ridicule.

Pachydermoid Pach`y·der"moid adjective [ Pachyderm + -oid .] (Zoology) Related to the pachyderms.

Pachyglossal Pach`y·glos"sal adjective [ Pachy- + Greek ... tongue.] (Zoology) Having a thick tongue; -- applied to a group of lizards ( Pachyglossæ ), including the iguanas and agamas.

Pachymeningitis Pach`y·men`in·gi"tis noun [ Pachy- + meningitis .] (Medicine) Inflammation of the dura mater or outer membrane of the brain.

Pachymeter Pa·chym"e·ter noun [ Pachy- + -meter .] Same as Pachometer .

Pachyote Pach"y·ote noun [ Pachy- + Greek ..., ..., ear.] (Zoology) One of a family of bats, including those which have thick external ears.

Pacifiable Pac"i·fi`a·ble adjective Capable of being pacified or appeased; placable.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
You are here: Webster > Letter P > Page 1 of 206.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ¦ Next »