Plant-eating Plant"-eat`ing adjective Eating, or subsisting on, plants; as, a plant-eating beetle.
Plantable Plant"a·ble adjective Capable of being planted; fit to be planted. B. Edwards.
Plantage Plant"age noun A word used once by Shakespeare to designate plants in general, or anything that is planted. As true as steel, as plantage to the moon.
Shak. (Troil. iii. sc. 2).
Plantain Plan"tain noun [ Confer French
plantain- arbre ,
plantanier , Spanish
plántano ,
plátano ; probably same word as
plane tree.]
1. (Botany) A treelike perennial herb ( Musa paradisiaca ) of tropical regions, bearing immense leaves and large clusters of the fruits called plantains . See Musa . 2. The fruit of this plant. It is long and somewhat cylindrical, slightly curved, and, when ripe, soft, fleshy, and covered with a thick but tender yellowish skin. The plantain is a staple article of food in most tropical countries, especially when cooked. Plantain cutter , or
Plantain eater (Zoology) ,
any one of several large African birds of the genus Musophaga , or family Musophagidĉ , especially Musophaga violacea . See Turaco . They are allied to the cuckoos. --
Plantain squirrel (Zoology) ,
a Java squirrel ( Sciurus plantani ) which feeds upon plantains. --
Plantain tree (Botany) ,
the treelike herb Musa paradisiaca . See def. 1 (above).
Plantain Plan"tain noun [ French, from Latin
plantago . Confer
Plant .]
(Botany) Any plant of the genus Plantago , but especially the P. major , a low herb with broad spreading radical leaves, and slender spikes of minute flowers. It is a native of Europe, but now found near the abode of civilized man in nearly all parts of the world. Indian plantain .
(Botany) See under Indian . --
Mud plantain ,
a homely North American aquatic plant ( Heteranthera reniformis ), having broad, reniform leaves. --
Rattlesnake plantain ,
an orchidaceous plant ( Goodyera pubescens ), with the leaves blotched and spotted with white. --
Ribwort plantain .
See Ribwort . --
Robin's plantain ,
the Erigeron bellidifolium , a common daisylike plant of North America. --
Water plantain ,
a plant of the genus Alisma , having acrid leaves, and formerly regarded as a specific against hydrophobia. Loudon.
Plantal Plant"al adjective [ Latin
planta a plant.]
Belonging to plants; as, plantal life. [ Obsolete]
Dr. H. More.
Plantar Plan"tar adjective [ Latin
plantaris , from
planta the sole of the foot.]
(Anat.) Of or pertaining to the sole of the foot; as, the plantar arteries.
Plantation Plan·ta"tion noun [ Latin
plantatio : confer French
plantation .]
1. The act or practice of planting, or setting in the earth for growth. [ R.]
2. The place planted; land brought under cultivation; a piece of ground planted with trees or useful plants; esp., in the United States and West Indies, a large estate appropriated to the production of the more important crops, and cultivated by laborers who live on the estate; as, a cotton plantation ; a coffee plantation . 3. An original settlement in a new country; a colony. While these plantations were forming in Connecticut.
B. Trumbull.
Planted Plant"ed adjective (Joinery) Fixed in place, as a projecting member wrought on a separate piece of stuff; as, a planted molding.
Planter Plant"er noun 1. One who, or that which, plants or sows; as, a planter of corn; a machine planter . 2. One who owns or cultivates a plantation; as, a sugar planter ; a coffee planter . 3. A colonist in a new or uncultivated territory; as, the first planters in Virginia.
Plantership Plant"er·ship noun The occupation or position of a planter, or the management of a plantation, as in the United States or the West Indies.
Planticle Plant"i·cle noun [ Dim. of
Plant .]
A young plant, or plant in embryo. E. Darwin.
Plantigrada Plan`ti·gra"da noun plural [ New Latin ]
(Zoology) A subdivision of Carnivora having plantigrade feet. It includes the bears, raccoons, and allied species.
Plantigrade Plan"ti·grade adjective [ Latin
planta sole of the foot +
gradi to walk: confer French
plantigrade .]
(Zoology) (a) Walking on the sole of the foot; pertaining to the plantigrades. (b) Having the foot so formed that the heel touches the ground when the leg is upright.
Plantigrade Plan"ti·grade noun (Zoology) A plantigrade animal, or one that walks or steps on the sole of the foot, as man, and the bears.
Planting Plant"ing noun 1. The act or operation of setting in the ground for propagation, as seeds, trees, shrubs, etc.; the forming of plantations, as of trees; the carrying on of plantations, as of sugar, coffee, etc. 2. That which is planted; a plantation. Trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord.
Isa. lxi. 3. 3. (Architecture) The laying of the first courses of stone in a foundation. [ Eng.]
Plantless Plant"less adjective Without plants; barren of vegetation.
Plantlet Plant"let noun A little plant.
Plantocracy Plan·toc"ra·cy noun [
Planter +
-cracy , as in
democracy .]
Government by planters; planters, collectively. [ R.]
Plantule Plant"ule noun [ French, dim. of
plante a plant, Latin
planta .]
(Botany) The embryo which has begun its development in the act of germination.
Planula Plan"u·la noun ;
plural Planulĉ . [ Latin , a little plane.]
1. (Biol.) In embryonic development, a vesicle filled with fluid, formed from the morula by the divergence of its cells in such a manner as to give rise to a central space, around which the cells arrange themselves as an envelope; an embryonic form intermediate between the morula and gastrula. Sometimes used as synonymous with gastrula . 2. (Zoology) The very young, free- swimming larva of the cœlenterates. It usually has a flattened oval or oblong form, and is entirely covered with cilia.
Planxty Planx"ty noun [ Confer Latin
plangere to mourn aloud.]
(Mus.) An Irish or Welsh melody for the harp, sometimes of a mournful character.
Plaque Plaque noun [ French Confer
Plack , and see
Placard .]
Any flat, thin piece of metal, clay, ivory, or the like, used for ornament, or for painting pictures upon, as a slab, plate, dish, or the like, hung upon a wall; also, a smaller decoration worn on the person, as a brooch.
Plaquette Pla`quette" noun [ French, dim. of
plaque plate, plaque. See
Plaque .]
A small plaque, esp., in modern medal engraving, a small and delicate bas-relief, whether cast or struck from a die, or of form other than circular.
Plash Plash noun [ OD.
plasch . See
Plash ,
v. ]
1. A small pool of standing water; a puddle. Bacon. "These shallow
plashes ."
Barrow. 2. A dash of water; a splash.
Plash Plash intransitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Plashed ;
present participle & verbal noun Plashing .] [ Confer Dutch
plassen , German
platschen . Confer
Splash .]
To dabble in water; to splash. "
Plashing among bedded pebbles."
Keats. Far below him plashed the waters.
Longfellow.
Plash Plash transitive verb 1. To splash, as water. 2. To splash or sprinkle with coloring matter; as, to plash a wall in imitation of granite.
Plash Plash transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Plashed ;
present participle & verbal noun Plashing .] [ Old French
plaissier ,
plessier , to bend. Confer
Pleach .]
To cut partly, or to bend and intertwine the branches of; as, to plash a hedge. Evelyn.
Plash Plash noun The branch of a tree partly cut or bent, and bound to, or intertwined with, other branches.
Plashet Plash"et noun [
Plash +
- et .]
A small pond or pool; a puddle.
Plashing Plash"ing noun 1. The cutting or bending and intertwining the branches of small trees, as in hedges. 2. The dashing or sprinkling of coloring matter on the walls of buildings, to imitate granite, etc.
Plashoot Plash"oot noun A hedge or fence formed of branches of trees interlaced, or plashed . [ Obsolete]
Carew.
Plashy Plash"y adjective [ From 1st
Plash .]
1. Watery; abounding with puddles; splashy. "
Plashy fens."
Milton. "The
plashy earth."
Wordsworth. 2. Specked, as if plashed with color. Keats.
Plasm Plasm noun [ Latin
plasma anything formed or molded, that which is molded, Greek ..., ..., from ... to form, mold: confer French
plasme . Confer
Plasma .]
1. A mold or matrix in which anything is cast or formed to a particular shape. [ R.]
Woodward. 2. (Biol.) Same as Plasma .
Plasma Plas"ma noun [ See
Plasm .]
1. (Min.) A variety of quartz, of a color between grass green and leek green, which is found associated with common chalcedony. It was much esteemed by the ancients for making engraved ornaments. 2. (Biol.) The viscous material of an animal or vegetable cell, out of which the various tissues are formed by a process of differentiation; protoplasm. 3. Unorganized material; elementary matter. 4. (Medicine) A mixture of starch and glycerin, used as a substitute for ointments. U. S. Disp. Blood plasma (Physiol.) ,
the colorless fluid of the blood, in which the red and white blood corpuscles are suspended. --
Muscle plasma (Physiol.) ,
the fundamental part of muscle fibers, a thick, viscid, albuminous fluid contained within the sarcolemma, which on the death of the muscle coagulates to a semisolid mass.
Plasmatic, Plasmatical Plas·mat"ic, Plas·mat"ic·al adjective [ Greek ....]
1. Forming; shaping; molding. [ Obsolete]
Dr. H. More. 2. (Biol.) Of or pertaining to plasma; having the character of plasma; containing, or conveying, plasma.
Plasmation Plas·ma"tion noun [ Latin
plasmatio .]
The act of forming or molding. [ R.]
Grafton.
Plasmator Plas·ma"tor noun [ Latin ]
A former; a fashioner. [ R.] "The sovereign
plasmator , God Almighty."
Urquhart.
Plasmature Plas"ma·ture noun Form; mold. [ R.]
Plasmic Plas"mic adjective Of, pertaining to, or connected with, plasma; plasmatic.
Plasmin Plas"min noun (Physiol. Chem.) A proteid body, separated by some physiologists from blood plasma. It is probably identical with fibrinogen.
Plasmodial Plas·mo"di·al adjective (Biol.) Of or pertaining to, or like, a plasmodium; as, the plasmodial form of a life cycle.
Plasmodium Plas·mo"di·um noun ;
plural Plasmodia . [ New Latin See
Plasma .]
1. (Biol.) A jellylike mass of free protoplasm, without any union of amœboid cells, and endowed with life and power of motion. 2. (Zoology) A naked mobile mass of protoplasm, formed by the union of several amœbalike young, and constituting one of the stages in the life cycle of Mycetozoa and other low organisms.
Plasmogen Plas"mo·gen noun [
Plasma +
-gen .]
(Biol.) The important living portion of protoplasm, considered a chemical substance of the highest elaboration. Germ plasm and idioplasm are forms of plasmogen.
Plasmon Plas"mon noun [ Confer
Plasma .]
A flourlike food preparation made from skim milk, and consisting essentially of the unaltered proteid of milk. It is also used in making biscuits and crackers, for mixing with cocoa, etc. A mixture of this with butter, water, and salt is called Plasmon butter and resembles clotted cream in appearance.
Plasson Plas"son noun [ New Latin , from Greek ... to form.]
(Biol.) The albuminous material composing the body of a cytode. » It is considered simpler than protoplasm of an ordinary cell in that it has not undergone differentiation into the inner cell nucleus and the outer cell substance.
Haeckel.
Plaster Plas"ter noun [ Anglo-Saxon , a plaster (in sense 1), from Latin
emplastrum , Greek ..., ..., from ... to daub on, stuff in; ... in + ... to mold: confer Old French
plastre a plaster (in sense 2), French
plâtre . Confer
Plastic ,
Emplaster ,
Piaster .] [ Formerly written also
plaister .]
1. (Medicine) An external application of a consistency harder than ointment, prepared for use by spreading it on linen, leather, silk, or other material. It is adhesive at the ordinary temperature of the body, and is used, according to its composition, to produce a medicinal effect, to bind parts together, etc.; as, a porous plaster ; sticking plaster . 2. A composition of lime, water, and sand, with or without hair as a bond, for coating walls, ceilings, and partitions of houses. See Mortar . 3. Calcined gypsum, or plaster of Paris, especially when ground, as used for making ornaments, figures, moldings, etc.; or calcined gypsum used as a fertilizer. Plaster cast ,
a copy of an object obtained by pouring plaster of Paris mixed with water into a mold. --
Plaster of Paris . [ So called because originally brought from a suburb of Paris.]
(Chemistry) Anhydrous calcium sulphate, or calcined gypsum, which forms with water a paste which soon sets or hardens, and is used for casts, moldings, etc. The term is loosely applied to any plaster stone or species of gypsum. --
Plaster of Paris bandage (Surg.) ,
a bandage saturated with a paste of plaster of Paris, which on drying forms a perfectly fitting splint. --
Plaster stone ,
any species of gypsum. See Gypsum .
Plaster Plas"ter transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Plastered ;
present participle & verbal noun Plastering .] [ Confer Old French
plastrer to plaster (in sense 2), French
plâtrer .]
1. To cover with a plaster, as a wound or sore. 2. To overlay or cover with plaster, as the ceilings and walls of a house. 3. Fig.: To smooth over; to cover or conceal the defects of; to hide, as with a covering of plaster. Bale.
Plasterer Plas"ter·er noun 1. One who applies plaster or mortar. "Thy father was a
plasterer ."
Shak. 2. One who makes plaster casts. "The
plasterer doth make his figures by addition."
Sir H. Wotton.
Plastering Plas"ter·ing noun 1. Same as Plaster , noun , 2. 2. The act or process of overlaying with plaster. 3. A covering of plaster; plasterwork.
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