Potentize Po"ten·tize transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Potentized ;
present participle & verbal noun Potentizing .]
To render the latent power of (anything) available. Dunglison.
Potently Po"tent·ly adverb With great force or energy; powerfully; efficaciously. "You are
potently opposed."
Shak.
Potentness Po"tent·ness noun The quality or state of being potent; powerfulness; potency; efficacy.
Potestate Po"tes·tate noun A chief ruler; a potentate. [ Obsolete] Wyclif . "An irous
potestate ."
Chaucer.
Potestative Po·tes"ta·tive adjective [ Latin
potestativus , from
potestas power: confer French
potestatif . See
Potent .]
Authoritative. [ Obsolete]
Bp. Pearson.
Potgun Pot"gun` noun 1. A pot-shaped cannon; a mortar. [ Obsolete] "Twelve
potguns of brass."
Hakluyt. 2. A popgun. [ Obsolete]
Swift.
Pothecary Poth"e·ca·ry noun An apothecary. [ Obsolete]
Potheen Po·theen" noun See Poteen .
Pother Poth"er noun [ Confer Dutch
peuteren to rummage, poke. Confer
Potter ,
Pudder .]
Bustle; confusion; tumult; flutter; bother. [ Written also
potter , and
pudder .] "What a
pother and stir!"
Oldham. "Coming on with a terrible
pother ."
Wordsworth.
Pother Poth"er intransitive verb To make a bustle or stir; to be fussy.
Pother Poth"er transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Pothered ;
present participle & verbal noun Pothering .]
To harass and perplex; to worry. "
Pothers and wearies himself."
Locke.
Pothole Pot"hole` noun 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.
Pothook Pot"hook` noun 1. An S -shaped hook on which pots and kettles are hung over an open fire. 2. A written character curved like a pothook; ( plural ) a scrawled writing. "I long to be spelling her Arabic scrawls and
pothooks ."
Dryden.
Pothouse Pot"house` noun An alehouse. T. Warton.
Potiche Po`tiche" noun ; plural
- tiches . [ French, from
pot a pot.]
(Ceramics) A vase with a separate cover, the body usually rounded or polygonal in plan with nearly vertical sides, a neck of smaller size, and a rounded shoulder.
Potichomania Po`ti·cho·ma"ni·a Po`ti*cho*ma"nie noun [ French potichomanie ; potiche a porcelain vase + manie mania.] The art or process of coating the inside of glass vessels with engravings or paintings, so as to give them the appearance of painted ware.
Potion Po"tion noun [ Latin
potio , from
potare to drink: confer French
potion . See
Poison .]
A draught; a dose; usually, a draught or dose of a liquid medicine. Shak.
Potion Po"tion transitive verb To drug. [ Obsolete]
Speed.
Potlatch Pot"latch` noun [ Chinook
potlatch ,
pahtlatch , from Nootka
pahchilt ,
pachalt , a gift.]
1. Among the Kwakiutl, Chimmesyan, and other Indians of the northwestern coast of North America, a ceremonial distribution by a man of gifts to his own and neighboring tribesmen, often, formerly, to his own impoverishment. Feasting, dancing, and public ceremonies accompany it. 2. Hence, a feast given to a large number of persons, often accompanied by gifts. [ Colloq., Northwestern America]
Potlid Pot"lid` noun The lid or cover of a pot. Potlid valve ,
a valve covering a round hole or the end of a pipe or pump barrel, resembling a potlid in form.
Potluck Pot"luck` noun Whatever may chance to be in the pot, or may be provided for a meal. A woman whose potluck was always to be relied on.
G. Eliot. To take potluck ,
to take what food may chance to be provided.
Potman Pot"man noun ;
plural Potmen 1. A pot companion. [ Obsolete]
Life of A. Wood (1663). 2. A servant in a public house; a potboy.
Potoo Po·too" noun (Zoology) A large South American goatsucker ( Nyctibius grandis ).
Potoroo Po`to·roo" noun (Zoology) Any small kangaroo belonging to Hypsiprymnus , Bettongia , and allied genera, native of Australia and Tasmania. Called also kangaroo rat .
Potpie Pot"pie` noun A meat pie which is boiled instead of being baked.
Potpourri Pot`pour`ri" noun [ French, from
pot pot +
pourri , past participle of
pourrir to rot, Latin
putrere . Confer
Olla-podrida .]
A medley or mixture. Specifically:
(a) A ragout composed of different sorts of meats, vegetables, etc., cooked together. (b) A jar or packet of flower leaves, perfumes, and spices, used to scent a room. (c) A piece of music made up of different airs strung together; a medley. (d) A literary production composed of parts brought together without order or bond of connection.
Potsdam group Pots"dam group` (Geol.) A subdivision of the Primordial or Cambrian period in American geology; -- so named from the sandstone of Potsdam , New York. See Chart of Geology .
Potshard, Potshare Pot"shard`, Pot"share` noun A potsherd. [ Obsolete]
Spenser.
Potsherd Pot"sherd` noun [
Pot +
sherd or
shard .]
A piece or fragment of a broken pot. Job ii. 8.
Potstone Pot"stone` noun (Min.) A variety of steatite sometimes manufactured into culinary vessels.
Pott Pott noun A size of paper. See under Paper .
Pott's disease Pott's" dis·ease" (Medicine) Caries of the vertebrę, frequently resulting in curvature of the spine and paralysis of the lower extremities; -- so named from Percival Pott , an English surgeon.
Pott's fracture , a fracture of the lower end of the fibula, with displacement of the tibia. Dunglison.
Pottage Pot"tage noun [ French
potage , from
pot pot. See
Pot , and confer
Porridge ,
Porringer .]
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.
Pottain Pot"tain noun Old pot metal. [ Obsolete]
Holland.
Potteen Pot·teen" noun See Poteen .
Potter Pot"ter noun [ Confer French
potier .]
1. One whose occupation is to make earthen vessels. Ps. ii. 9. The potter heard, and stopped his wheel.
Longfellow. 2. One who hawks crockery or earthenware. [ Prov. Eng.]
De Quincey. 3. One who pots meats or other eatables. 4. (Zoology) The red-bellied terrapin. See Terrapin . Potter's asthma (Medicine) ,
emphysema of the lungs; -- so called because very prevalent among potters. Parkers. --
Potter's clay .
See under Clay . --
Potter's field ,
a public burial place, especially in a city, for paupers, unknown persons, and criminals; -- so named from the field south of Jerusalem, mentioned in Matt. xxvii. 7. --
Potter's ore .
See Alquifou . --
Potter's wheel ,
a horizontal revolving disk on which the clay is molded into form with the hands or tools. "My thoughts are whirled like a
potter's wheel ."
Shak. --
Potter wasp (Zoology) ,
a small solitary wasp ( Eumenes fraternal ) which constructs a globular nest of mud and sand in which it deposits insect larvę, such as cankerworms, as food for its young.
Potter Pot"ter intransitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Pottered ;
present participle & verbal noun Pottering .] [ Confer W.
pwtio to poke, or OD.
poteren to search one thoroughly, Swedish
påta ,
peta , to pick, English
pother ,
put .]
1. To busy one's self with trifles; to labor with little purpose, energy, of effect; to trifle; to pother. Pottering about the Mile End cottages.
Mrs. Humphry Ward. 2. To walk lazily or idly; to saunter.
Potter Pot"ter transitive verb To poke; to push; also, to disturb; to confuse; to bother. [ Prov. Eng.]
Halliwell.
Pottern Pot"tern adjective Of or pertaining to potters. Pottern ore ,
a species of ore which, from its aptness to vitrify like the glazing of potter's wares, the miners call by this name. Boyle.
Pottery Pot"ter·y noun ;
plural Potteries . [ French
poterie , from
pot . See
Pot .]
1. The vessels or ware made by potters; earthenware, glazed and baked. 2. The place where earthen vessels are made.
Potting Pot"ting noun 1. Tippling. [ Obsolete]
Shak. 2. The act of placing in a pot; as, the potting of plants; the potting of meats for preservation. 3. The process of putting sugar in casks for cleansing and draining. [ West Indies]
B. Edwards.
Pottle Pot"tle noun [ Middle English
potel , Old French
potel , dim. of
pot . See
Pot .]
1. A liquid measure of four pints. 2. A pot or tankard. Shak. A dry pottle of sack before him.
Sir W. Scott. 3. A vessel or small basket for holding fruit. He had a . . . pottle of strawberries in one hand.
Dickens. Pottle draught ,
taking a pottle of liquor at one draught. [ Prov. Eng.]
Halliwell.
Potto Pot"to noun (Zoology) (a) A nocturnal mammal ( Perodictius potto ) of the Lemur family, found in West Africa. It has rudimentary forefingers. Called also aposoro , and bush dog . (b) The kinkajou.
Potulent Pot"u·lent adjective [ Latin
potulentus , from
potus a drinking, drink, from
potare to drink.]
1. Fit to drink; potable. [ Obsolete]
Johnson. 2. Nearly drunk; tipsy. [ Obsolete]
Pou sto Pou sto (pō stō; pou stō). [ Greek poy^ stw^ where I may stand; -- from the reputed saying of Archimedes, "Give me where I may stand and I will move the whole world with my steelyard."] A place to stand upon; a locus standi; hence, a foundation or basis for operations.
Pouch Pouch noun [ French
poche a pocket, pouch, bag; probably of Teutonic origin. See
Poke a bag, and confer
Poach to cook eggs, to plunder.]
1. A small bag; usually, a leathern bag; as, a pouch for money; a shot pouch ; a mail pouch , etc. 2. That which is shaped like, or used as, a pouch ; as:
(a) A protuberant belly; a paunch; -- so called in ridicule. (b) (Zoology) A sac or bag for carrying food or young; as, the cheek pouches of certain rodents, and the pouch of marsupials. (c) (Medicine) A cyst or sac containing fluid. S. Sharp. (d) (Botany) A silicle, or short pod, as of the shepherd's purse. (e) A bulkhead in the hold of a vessel, to prevent grain, etc., from shifting. Pouch mouth ,
a mouth with blubbered or swollen lips.
Pouch Pouch transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Pouched ;
present participle & verbal noun Pouching .]
1. To put or take into a pouch. 2. To swallow; -- said of fowls. Derham. 3. To pout. [ Obsolete]
Ainsworth. 4. To pocket; to put up with. [ R.]
Sir W. Scott.
Pouch-mouthed Pouch"-mouthed` adjective Having a pouch mouth; blobber-lipped.
Pouch-shell Pouch"-shell` noun (Zoology) A small British and American pond snail ( Bulinus hypnorum ).
Pouched Pouched adjective (Zoology) (a) Having a marsupial pouch; as, the pouched badger, or the wombat. (b) Having external cheek pouches; as, the pouched gopher. (c) Having internal cheek pouches; as, the pouched squirrels. Pouched dog .
(Zoology) See Zebra wolf , under Zebra . --
Pouched frog (Zoology) ,
the nototrema, the female of which has a dorsal pouch in which the eggs are hatched, and in which the young pass through their brief tadpole stage. --
Pouched gopher , or
Pouched rat .
(Zoology) See Pocket gopher , under Pocket . --
Pouched mouse .
(Zoology) See Pocket mouse , under Pocket .
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