Plesiosauria Ple`si·o·sau"ri·a noun plural [ New Latin See
Plesiosaurus .]
(Paleon.) An extinct order of Mesozoic marine reptiles including the genera Plesiosaurus, and allied forms; -- called also Sauropterygia .
Plesiosaurian Ple`si·o·sau"ri·an noun (Paleon.) A plesiosaur.
Plesiosaurus Ple`si·o·sau"rus noun ;
plural Plesiosauri . [ New Latin , from Gr ... near + ... a lizard.]
(Paleon.) A genus of large extinct marine reptiles, having a very long neck, a small head, and paddles for swimming. It lived in the Mesozoic age.
Plessimeter Ples·sim"e·ter noun See Pleximeter .
Plete Plete transitive verb & i. To plead. [ Obsolete]
P. Plowman.
Plethora Pleth"o·ra noun [ New Latin , from Greek ..., from ... to be or become full. Confer
Pleonasm .]
1. Overfullness; especially, excessive fullness of the blood vessels; repletion; that state of the blood vessels or of the system when the blood exceeds a healthy standard in quantity; hyperæmia; -- opposed to anæmia . 2. State of being overfull; excess; superabundance. He labors under a plethora of wit and imagination.
Jeffrey.
Plethoretic Pleth`o·ret"ic adjective Plethoric. [ Obsolete]
Johnson.
Plethoric Ple·thor"ic adjective [ Greek ...; confer French
pléthorique .]
Haeving a full habit of body; characterized by plethora or excess of blood; as, a plethoric constitution; -- used also metaphorically. "
Plethoric phrases."
Sydney Smith. "
Plethoric fullness of thought."
De Quincey.
Plethorical Ple·thor"ic·al adjective Plethoric. [ R.] --
Ple*thor"ic*al*ly ,
adverb Burke.
Plethory Pleth"o·ry noun Plethora. Jer. Taylor.
Plethron Pleth"ron Pleth"rum noun ; plural Plethra . [ New Latin , from Greek ....] (Gr. Antiq.) A long measure of 100 Greek, or 101 English, feet; also, a square measure of 10,000 Greek feet.
Plethysmograph Pleth"ys·mo·graph noun [ Greek ... an enlargement +
-graph .]
(Physiol.) An instrument for determining and registering the variations in the size or volume of a limb, as the arm or leg, and hence the variations in the amount of blood in the limb. --
Pleth`ys*mo*graph"ic adjective
Plethysmography Pleth`ys·mog"ra·phy noun (Physiol.) The study, by means of the plethysmograph, of the variations in size of a limb, and hence of its blood supply.
Pleura Pleu"ra noun ,
plural of Pleuron .
Pleura Pleu"ra noun ;
plural Latin
Pleuræ , English
Pleuras . [ New Latin ,
noun fem. , from Greek ... a rib, the side.]
1. (Anat.) (a) The smooth serous membrane which closely covers the lungs and the adjacent surfaces of the thorax; the pleural membrane. (b) The closed sac formed by the pleural membrane about each lung, or the fold of membrane connecting each lung with the body wall. 2. (Zoology) Same as Pleuron .
Pleural Pleu"ral adjective (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the pleura or pleuræ, or to the sides of the thorax.
Pleuralgia Pleu·ral"gi·a noun [ New Latin , from Greek ... rib + ... pain.]
(Medicine) Pain in the side or region of the ribs.
Pleurapophysis Pleu`ra·poph"y·sis noun ;
plural Pleurapophyses . [ New Latin See
Pleura , and
Apophysis .]
(Anat.) One of the ventral processes of a vertebra, or the dorsal element in each half of a hemal arch, forming, or corresponding to, a vertebral rib. --
Pleu*rap`o*phys"i*al adjective Owen.
Pleurenchyma Pleu·ren"chy·ma noun [ Greek ... side + ..., as in
parenchyma .]
(Botany) A tissue consisting of long and slender tubular cells, of which wood is mainly composed.
Pleuric Pleu"ric adjective (Anat.) Pleural.
Pleurisy Pleu"ri·sy noun [ French
pleurésie , Latin
pleurisis ,
pleuritis , Gr
pleyri^tis (sc.
no`sos ), from
pleyra` rib, side.]
(Medicine) An inflammation of the pleura, usually accompanied with fever, pain, difficult respiration, and cough, and with exudation into the pleural cavity. Pleurisy root .
(Botany) (a) The large tuberous root of a kind of milkweed ( Asclepias tuberosa ) which is used as a remedy for pleuritic and other diseases .
(b) The plant itself, which has deep orange-colored flowers; -- called also butterfly weed .
Pleurite Pleu"rite noun (Zoology) Same as Pleuron .
Pleuritic, Pleuritical Pleu·rit"ic, Pleu·rit"ic·al adjective [ Latin
pleuriticus , Greek ...: confer French
pleurétique .]
(Medicine) (a) Of or pertaining to pleurisy; as, pleuritic symptoms. (b) Suffering from pleurisy.
Pleuritis Pleu·ri"tis noun [ Latin ]
(Medicine) Pleurisy.
Pleuro- Pleu"ro- [ See Pleura .] A combining form denoting relation to a side ; specif., connection with , or situation in or near , the pleura ; as, pleuro peritoneum.
Pleurobrachia Pleu`ro·brach"i·a noun [ New Latin See
Pleuro- , and
Brachium .]
(Zoology) A genus of ctenophores having an ovate body and two long plumose tentacles.
Pleurobranch Pleu"ro·branch noun [ See
Pleuro- , and
Branchia .]
(Zoology) Any one of the gills of a crustacean that is attached to the side of the thorax.
Pleurobranchia Pleu`ro·bran"chi·a noun ;
plural Pleuroeranchiæ . [ New Latin ]
(Zoology) Same as Pleurobranch .
Pleurocarp Pleu"ro·carp noun [
Pleuro- + Greek ... fruit.]
(Botany) Any pleurocarpic moss.
Pleurocarpic, Pleurocarpous Pleu`ro·car"pic, Pleu`ro·car"pous adjective (Botany) Side-fruited; -- said of those true mosses in which the pedicels or the capsules are from lateral archegonia; -- opposed to acrocarpous .
Pleurocentrum Pleu`ro·cen"trum noun [ New Latin see
Pleuro- , and
Centrum .]
(Anat.) One of the lateral elements in the centra of the vertebræ in some fossil batrachians.
Pleuroderes Pleu·rod"e·res noun plural [ New Latin , from Greek ... the side + ... the neck.]
(Zoology) A group of fresh-water turtles in which the neck can not be retracted, but is bent to one side, for protection. The matamata is an example.
Pleurodont Pleu"ro·dont adjective [
Pleuro- + Greek ..., ..., a tooth.]
(Anat.) Having the teeth consolidated with the inner edge of the jaw, as in some lizards.
Pleurodont Pleu"ro·dont noun (Zoology) Any lizard having pleurodont teeth.
Pleurodynia Pleu`ro·dyn"i·a noun [ New Latin , from Greek ... side + ... pain.]
(Medicine) A painful affection of the side, simulating pleurisy, usually due to rheumatism.
Pleuron Pleu"ron noun ;
plural Pleura . [ New Latin , from Greek ... a rib.]
(Zoology) (a) One of the sides of an animal. (b) One of the lateral pieces of a somite of an insect. (c) One of lateral processes of a somite of a crustacean.
Pleuronectoid Pleu`ro·nec"toid adjective [ New Latin
Pleuronectes , name of a genus (fr. Greek ... rib + ... a swimmer) +
-oid .]
(Zoology) Pertaining to the Pleuronectidæ , or Flounder family.
Pleuropericardial Pleu`ro·per`i·car"di·al adjective (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the pleura and pericardium.
Pleuroperipneumony Pleu`ro·per`ip·neu"mo·ny noun [
Pleuro- +
peripneumony .]
(Medicine) Pleuropneumonia.
Pleuroperitoneal Pleu`ro·per`i·to·ne"al adjective (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the pleural and peritoneal membranes or cavities, or to the pleuroperitoneum.
Pleuroperitoneum Pleu`ro·per`i·to·ne"um noun [
Pleuro- +
peritoneum .]
(Anat.) The pleural and peritoneal membranes, or the membrane lining the body cavity and covering the surface of the inclosed viscera; the peritoneum; -- used especially in the case of those animals in which the body cavity is not divided. »
Peritoneum is now often used in the sense of
pleuroperitoneum , the pleuræ being regarded as a part of the peritoneum, when the body cavity is undivided.
Pleuropneumonia Pleu`ro·pneu·mo"ni·a noun [
Pleuro- +
pneumonia .]
(Medicine) Inflammation of the pleura and lungs; a combination of pleurisy and pneumonia, esp. a kind of contagions and fatal lung plague of cattle.
Pleuroptera Pleu·rop"te·ra noun pl [ New Latin , from Greek ... side + ... wing.]
(Zoology) A group of Isectivora, including the colugo.
Pleurosigma Pleu`ro·sig"ma noun [ New Latin See
Pleuro- , and
Sigma .]
(Botany) A genus of diatoms of elongated elliptical shape, but having the sides slightly curved in the form of a letter S . Pleurosigma angulatum has very fine striations, and is a favorite object for testing the high powers of microscopes.
Pleurosteon Pleu·ros"te·on noun ;
plural Latin
Pleurostea , English
-ons . [ New Latin , from Greek ... a rib + ... a bone.]
(Anat.) The antero- lateral piece which articulates the sternum of birds.
Pleurothotonus Pleu`ro·thot"o·nus noun [ New Latin , from Greek
pleyro`qen from the side +
to`nos a stretching.]
(Medicine) A species of tetanus, in which the body is curved laterally. Quain. Dunglison.
Pleurotoma Pleu·rot"o·ma noun ;
plural Latin
Pleurotomæ , English
Pleurotomas . [ New Latin , from Greek ... the side +
tomh` a cut.]
(Zoology) Any marine gastropod belonging to Pleurotoma , and ether allied genera of the family Pleurotmidæ . The species are very numerous, especially in tropical seas. The outer lip has usually a posterior notch or slit.
Plevin Plev"in noun [ Old French
plevine . See
Replevin .]
A warrant or assurance. [ Obsolete]
Plexiform Plex"i·form adjective [
Plexus +
-form : confer French
Plexiforme .]
Like network; complicated. Quincy.
Pleximeter Plex·im"e·ter noun [ Greek ... stroke, percussion (from ... to strike) +
-meter .]
(Medicine) A small, hard, elastic plate, as of ivory, bone, or rubber, placed in contact with body to receive the blow, in examination by mediate percussion. [ Written also
plexometer .]
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