Puzzlement noun The state of being puzzled; perplexity. Miss Mitford.

Puzzler noun One who, or that which, puzzles or perplexes.

Hebrew, the general puzzler of old heads.

Brome.

Puzzlingly adverb In a puzzling manner.

Puzzolan, Puzzolana noun See Pozzuolana .

Pycnaspidean adjective [ Greek ... thick, crowded + ..., ..., a shield.] (Zoology) Having the posterior side of the tarsus covered with small irregular scales; -- said of certain birds.

Pycnidium noun ; plural Pycnidia . [ New Latin , from Greek ... crowded.] (Botany) In certain fungi, a flask-shaped cavity from the surface of the inner walls of which spores are produced.

Pycnite noun [ Greek ... thick.] (Min.) A massive subcolumnar variety of topaz.

Pycnodont noun [ Greek ... thick, crowded + ..., ..., a tooth.] (Paleon.) Any fossil fish belonging to the Pycnodontini. They have numerous round, flat teeth, adapted for crushing.

Pycnodontini noun plural [ New Latin ] (Zoology) An extinct order of ganoid fishes. They had a compressed body, covered with dermal ribs ( pleurolepida ) and with enameled rhomboidal scales.

Pycnogonid noun (Zoology) One of the Pycnogonida.

Pycnogonida noun plural [ New Latin , from Greek ... thick crowded + ... knee.] (Zoology) A class of marine arthropods in which the body is small and thin, and the eight legs usually very long; -- called also Pantopoda .

» The abdomen is rudimentary, and the triangular mouth is at the end of a tubular proboscis. Many of them live at great depths in the sea, and the largest of them measure two feet across the extended legs.

Pycnometer noun [ Greek ... dense, compact + -meter .] (Physics) A specific gravity bottle; a standard flask for measuring and comparing the densities of liquids. [ Also written pyknometer .]

Pycnostyle adjective [ Greek ... with the pillars close together; ... close + ... a column, pillar: confer French pycnostyle .] (Anc. Arch.) See under Intercolumniation . - noun A pycnostyle colonnade.

Pye noun See 2d Pie (b) .

Pyebald adjective See Piebald .

Pyelitis noun [ Greek basin + - itis .] (Medicine) Inflammation of the pelvis of the kidney.

Pyemia noun (Medicine) See PyÆmia .

Pyet noun A magpie; a piet. [ Prov. Eng.]

Here cometh the worthy prelate as pert as a pyet .

Sir W. Scott.

Pygal adjective [ Greek ... the rump.] (Anat.) Situated in the region of the rump, or posterior end of the backbone; -- applied especially to the posterior median plates in the carapace of chelonians.

Pygarg Py*gar"gus }[ Latin pygargus , Greek ..., literally, white rump; ... the rump + white: confer French pygargue .]
1. (Zoology) A quadruped, probably the addax, an antelope having a white rump. Deut. xiv. 5.

2. (Zoology) (a) The female of the hen harrier. (b) The sea eagle.

Pygidium noun ; plural Pygidia . [ New Latin , from Greek ..., dim. of ... the rump.] (Zoology) The caudal plate of trilobites, crustacean, and certain insects. See Illust. of Limulus and Trilobite .

Pygmy noun ; plural Pygmies . [ Latin pygmaeus , Greek ..., from ... the fist, a measure of length, the distance from the elbow to the knuckles, about 131 inches. Confer Pugnacious , Fist .] [ Written also pigmy .]
1. (Class. Myth.) One of a fabulous race of dwarfs who waged war with the cranes, and were destroyed.

2. Hence, a short, insignificant person; a dwarf.

Pygmies are pygmies still, though perched on Alps.
And pyramids are pyramids in vales.

Young.

Pygmy noun One of a race of Central African Negritos found chiefly in the great forests of the equatorial belt. THey are the shortest of known races, the adults ranging from less than four to about five feet in stature. They are timid and shy, dwelling in the recesses of the forests, though often on good terms with neighboring Negroes.

Pygmy, Pygmean adjective [ Latin pygmaeus . See Pygmy .] Of or pertaining to a pygmy; resembling a pygmy or dwarf; dwarfish; very small. " Like that Pygmean race." Milton.

Pygmy antelope (Zoology) , the kleeneboc. -- Pygmy goose (Zoology) , any species of very small geese of the genus Nettapus , native of Africa, India, and Australia. -- Pygmy owl (Zoology) , the gnome. -- Pygmy parrot (Zoology) , any one of several species of very small green parrots ( Nasiternæ ), native of New Guinea and adjacent islands. They are not larger than sparrows.

Pygobranchia noun plural [ New Latin , from Greek pugh` the rump + ... a gill.] (Zoology) A division of opisthobranchiate mollusks having the branchiæ in a wreath or group around the anal opening, as in the genus Doris.

Pygopod noun [ Greek pygh` rump + -pod .]

1. (Zoology) One of the Pygopodes.

2. (Zoology) Any species of serpentiform lizards of the family Pygopodidæ , which have rudimentary hind legs near the anal cleft, but lack fore legs.

Pygopodes noun plural [ New Latin ] (Zoology) A division of swimming birds which includes the grebes, divers, auks, etc., in which the legs are placed far back.

Pygopodous adjective (Zoology) Of or pertaining to the Pygopodes.

Pygostyle noun [ Greek pygh` the rump + ... a pillar.] (Anat.) The plate of bone which forms the posterior end of the vertebral column in most birds; the plowshare bone; the vomer. It is formed by the union of a number of the last caudal vertebræ, and supports the uropigium.

Pyin noun [ Greek ... pus.] (Physiol. (Chemistry) An albuminoid constituent of pus, related to mucin, possibly a mixture of substances rather than a single body.

Pyjama noun [ Hind. pāe- jāma , literally, leg clothing.] In India and Persia, thin loose trowsers or drawers; in Europe and America, drawers worn at night, or a kind of nightdress with legs. [ Written also paijama .]

Pyjamas, Pajamas noun plural A garment, similar to the Oriental pyjama (which see), adopted among Europeans, Americans, and other Occidentals, for wear in the dressing room and during sleep; also, a suit of drawers and blouse for such wear.

Pykar noun An ancient English fishing boat.

Pyla noun ; plural Latin Pylæ , English Pylas . [ New Latin , from Greek ... an entrance.] (Anat.) The passage between the iter and optocœle in the brain. B. G. Wilder.

Pylagore noun [ Greek ...; ... Pylæ, or Thermopylæ, where the Amphictyonic council met + ... to assemble: confer French pylagore .] (Gr. Antiq.) a deputy of a State at the Amphictyonic council.

Pylangium noun ; plural Pylangia [ New Latin , from Greek ... an entrance + ... a vessel.] (Anat.) The first and undivided part of the aortic trunk in the amphibian heart. -- Py*lan"gi*al adjective

Pylon noun [ New Latin , from Greek ... a gateway.] (a) A low tower, having a truncated pyramidal form, and flanking an ancient Egyptian gateway.

Massive pylons adorned with obelisks in front.

J. W. Draper.

(b) An Egyptian gateway to a large building (with or without flanking towers).

Pylon noun
1. A tower, commonly of steelwork, for supporting either end of a wire, as for a telegraph line, over a long span.

2. (Aëronautics) (a) Formerly, a starting derrick (the use of which is now abandoned) for an aëroplane. (b) A post, tower, or the like, as on an aërodrome, or flying ground, serving to bound or mark a prescribed course of flight.

Pyloric adjective [ Confer French pylorique .] (Anat.) Of, pertaining to, or in the region of, the pylorus; as, the pyloric end of the stomach.

Pylorus noun ; plural Pylori . [ Latin , from Greek ... pylorus, gate keeper; ... a gate + ... watcher, guardian.] (Anat.) (a) The opening from the stomach into the intestine. (b) A posterior division of the stomach in some invertebrates.

Pyne noun & v. See Pine . [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Pynoun noun A pennant. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Pyocyanin noun [ Greek ... pus + ... dark blue.] (Physiol. (Chemistry) A blue coloring matter found in the pus from old sores, supposed to be formed through the agency of a species of bacterium ( Bacillus pyocyaneus ).

Pyogenic adjective [ Greek ... pus + root of ... to be born.] (Medicine) Producing or generating pus.

Pyoid adjective [ Greek ... pus + - - oid .] (Medicine) Of or pertaining to pus; of the nature of, or like, pus.

Pyoid corpuscles (Medicine) , cells of a size larger than pus corpuscles, containing two or more of the latter.

Pyopneumothorax noun [ Greek ... pus + English pneumothorax .] (Medicine) Accumulation of air, or other gas, and of pus, in the pleural cavity.

Pyot noun (Zoology) The magpie. See Piet .

Pyæmia noun [ New Latin , from Greek ... pus + ... blood.] (Medicine) A form of blood poisoning produced by the absorption into the blood of morbid matters usually originating in a wound or local inflammation. It is characterized by the development of multiple abscesses throughout the body, and is attended with irregularly recurring chills, fever, profuse sweating, and exhaustion.

Pyæmia Py*e"mi*a noun [ New Latin , from Greek ... pus + ... blood.] (Medicine) A form of blood poisoning produced by the absorption of pyogenic microorganisms into the blood, usually from a wound or local inflammation. It is characterized by multiple abscesses throughout the body, and is attended with irregularly recurring chills, fever, profuse sweating, and exhaustion. -- Py*æ"mic , Py*e"mic adjective

Pyæmic adjective Of or pertaining to pyæmia; of the nature of pyæmia.