Paddlefish noun (Zoöl) A large ganoid fish ( Polyodon spathula ) found in the rivers of the Mississippi Valley. It has a long spatula-shaped snout. Called also duck-billed cat , and spoonbill sturgeon .

Paddler noun One who, or that which, paddles.

Paddlewood noun (Botany) The light elastic wood of the Aspidosperma excelsum , a tree of Guiana having a fluted trunk readily split into planks.

Paddock noun [ Middle English padde toad, frog + -ock ; akin to Dutch pad , padde , toad, Icelandic & Swedish padda , Danish padde .] (Zoology) A toad or frog. Wyclif. "Loathed paddocks ." Spenser

Paddock pipe (Botany) , a hollow-stemmed plant of the genus Equisetum , especially E. limosum and the fruiting stems of E. arvense ; -- called also padow pipe and toad pipe . See Equisetum . -- Paddock stone . See Toadstone . -- Paddock stool (Botany) , a toadstool.

Paddock noun [ Corrupted from parrock . See Parrock .]

1. A small inclosure or park for sporting. [ Obsolete]

2. A small inclosure for pasture; esp., one adjoining a stable. Evelyn. Cowper.

Paddy adjective [ Prov. English paddy worm-eaten.] Low; mean; boorish; vagabond. "Such pady persons." Digges (1585). "The paddy persons." Motley.

Paddy noun ; plural Paddies . [ Corrupted from St. Patrick , the tutelar saint of Ireland.] A jocose or contemptuous name for an Irishman.

Paddy noun [ Either from Canarese bhatta or Malay pādī .] (Botany) Unhusked rice; -- commonly so called in the East Indies.

Paddy bird . (Zoology) See Java sparrow , under Java .

Padelion noun [ French pas de lion on's foot.] (Botany) A plant with pedately lobed leaves; the lady's mantle.

Padella noun [ Italian , prop., a pan, a friing pan, from Latin patella a pan.] A large cup or deep saucer, containing fatty matter in which a wick is placed, -- used for public illuminations, as at St. Peter's, in Rome. Called also padelle .

Pademelon noun (Zoology) See Wallaby .

Padesoy noun See Paduasoy .

Padge noun (Zoology) The barn owl; -- called also pudge , and pudge owl . [ Prov. Eng.]

Padishah noun [ Persian pādishāh . Confer Pasha .] Chief ruler; monarch; sovereign; -- a title of the Sultan of Turkey, and of the Shah of Persia.

Padlock noun [ Perh. orig., a lock for a pad gate, or a gate opening to a path , or perhaps , a lock for a basket or pannier, and from Prov. English pad a pannier. Confer Pad a path, Paddler .]
1. A portable lock with a bow which is usually jointed or pivoted at one end so that it can be opened, the other end being fastened by the bolt, -- used for fastening by passing the bow through a staple over a hasp or through the links of a chain, etc.

2. Fig.: A curb; a restraint.

Padlock transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Padlocked ; present participle & verbal noun Padlocking .] To fasten with, or as with, a padlock; to stop; to shut; to confine as by a padlock. Milton. Tennyson.

Padnag noun [ lst pad + nag .] An ambling nag. "An easy padnag ." Macaulay.

Padow noun (Zoology) A paddock, or toad.

Padow pipe . (Botany) See Paddock pipe , under Paddock .

Padre noun ; plural Spanish & Portuguese Padres ; Italian Padri . [ Spanish , Portuguese , & Italian , from Latin pater father. See Father .]
1. A Christian priest or monk; -- used in Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Spanish America.

2. In India (from the Portuguese), any Christian minister; also, a priest of the native region. Kipling.

Padrone noun ; plural Italian Padroni , English Padrones . [ Italian See Patron .]
1. A patron; a protector.

2. The master of a small coaster in the Mediterranean.

3. A man who imports, and controls the earnings of, Italian laborers, street musicians, etc.

Paduasoy noun [ From Padua , in Italy + French soie silk; or confer French pou-de-soie .] A rich and heavy silk stuff. [ Written also padesoy .]

Paducahs (pȧ*dū"kȧz) noun plural ; sing. Paducah (-kȧ). (Ethnol.) See Comanches .

Pagan (pā"g a n) noun [ Latin paganus a countryman, peasant, villager, a pagan, from paganus of or pertaining to the country, rustic, also, pagan, from pagus a district, canton, the country, perhaps orig., a district with fixed boundaries: confer pangere to fasten. Confer Painim , Peasant , and Pact , also Heathen .] One who worships false gods; an idolater; a heathen; one who is neither a Christian, a Mohammedan, nor a Jew.

Neither having the accent of Christians, nor the gait of Christian, pagan , nor man.

Shak.

Syn. -- Gentile; heathen; idolater. -- Pagan , Gentile , Heathen . Gentile was applied to the other nations of the earth as distinguished from the Jews. Pagan was the name given to idolaters in the early Christian church, because the villagers , being most remote from the centers of instruction, remained for a long time unconverted. Heathen has the same origin. Pagan is now more properly applied to rude and uncivilized idolaters, while heathen embraces all who practice idolatry.

Pagan adjective [ Latin paganus of or pertaining to the country, pagan. See Pagan , noun ] Of or pertaining to pagans; relating to the worship or the worshipers of false goods; heathen; idolatrous, as, pagan tribes or superstitions.

And all the rites of pagan honor paid.

Dryden.

Pagandom (-dŭm) noun The pagan lands; pagans, collectively; paganism. [ R.]

Paganic (pȧ*găn"ĭk), Pa*gan"ic*al (-ĭ*k a l) adjective Of or pertaining to pagans or paganism; heathenish; paganish. [ R.] "The paganic fables of the goods." Cudworth. -- Pa*gan"ic*al*ly , adverb [ R.]

Paganish (pā"g a n*ĭsh) adjective Of or pertaining to pagans; heathenish. "The old paganish idolatry." Sharp

Paganism (-ĭz'm) noun [ Latin paganismus : confer French paganisme . See Pagan , and confer Painim .] The state of being pagan; pagan characteristics; esp., the worship of idols or false gods, or the system of religious opinions and worship maintained by pagans; heathenism.

Paganity (pȧ*găn"ĭ*tȳ) noun [ Latin Paganitas .] The state of being a pagan; paganism. [ R.] Cudworth.

Paganize (pā"g a n*īz) transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Paganized ; present participle & verbal noun Paganizing .] To render pagan or heathenish; to convert to paganism. Hallywell.

Paganize intransitive verb To behave like pagans. Milton.

Paganly adverb In a pagan manner. Dr. H. More.

Page (pāj) noun [ French, from Italian paggio , Late Latin pagius , from Greek paidi`on , dim. of pai^s , paido`s , a boy, servant; perhaps akin to Latin puer . Confer Pedagogue , Puerile .]
1. A serving boy; formerly, a youth attending a person of high degree, especially at courts, as a position of honor and education; now commonly, in England, a youth employed for doing errands, waiting on the door, and similar service in households; in the United States, a boy employed to wait upon the members of a legislative body.

He had two pages of honor -- on either hand one.

Bacon.

2. A boy child. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

3. A contrivance, as a band, pin, snap, or the like, to hold the skirt of a woman's dress from the ground.

4. (Brickmaking.) A track along which pallets carrying newly molded bricks are conveyed to the hack.

5. (Zoology) Any one of several species of beautiful South American moths of the genus Urania .

Page transitive verb To attend (one) as a page. [ Obsolete] Shak.

Page noun [ French, from Latin pagina ; probably akin to pagere , pangere , to fasten, fix, make, the pages or leaves being fastened together. Confer Pact , Pageant , Pagination .]

1. One side of a leaf of a book or manuscript.

Such was the book from whose pages she sang.

Longfellow.

2. Fig.: A record; a writing; as, the page of history.

3. (Print.) The type set up for printing a page.

Page transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Paged ; present participle & verbal noun Paging .] To mark or number the pages of, as a book or manuscript; to furnish with folios.

Pageant (păj" e nt or pā"j e nt; 277) noun [ Middle English pagent , pagen , originally, a movable scaffold or stage, hence, what was exhibited on it, from Late Latin pagina , akin to pangere to fasten; confer Latin pagina page, leaf, slab, compaginare to join together, compages a joining together, structure. See Pact , Page of a book.]

1. A theatrical exhibition; a spectacle. "A pageant truly played." Shak.

To see sad pageants of men's miseries.

Spenser.

2. An elaborate exhibition devised for the entertainmeut of a distinguished personage, or of the public; a show, spectacle, or display.

The gaze of fools, and pageant of a day !

Pope.

We love the man, the paltry pageant you.

Cowper.

Pageant adjective Of the nature of a pageant; spectacular. " Pageant pomp." Dryden.

Pageant transitive verb To exhibit in show; to represent; to mimic. [ R.] "He pageants us." Shak.

Pageantry (-rȳ) noun Scenic shows or spectacles, taken collectively; spectacular quality; splendor.

Such pageantry be to the people shown.

Dryden.

The pageantry of festival.

J. A. Symonds.

Syn. -- Pomp; parade; show; display; spectacle.

Pagehood noun The state of being a page.

Pagina noun ; plural Paginæ . [ Latin ] (Botany) The surface of a leaf or of a flattened thallus.

Paginal adjective [ Latin paginalis .] Consisting of pages. " Paginal books." Sir T. Browne.