Pectic Pec"tic adjective [ Greek ... curdled.] (Chemistry) Of or pertaining to pectin; specifically, designating an acid obtained from ordinary vegetable jelly (pectin) as an amorphous substance, tough and horny when dry, but gelatinous when moist.

Pectin Pec"tin noun [ Greek ... curdled, congealed, from ... to make fast or stiff: confer French pectine .] (Chemistry) One of a series of carbohydrates, commonly called vegetable jelly , found very widely distributed in the vegetable kingdom, especially in ripe fleshy fruits, as apples, cranberries, etc. It is extracted as variously colored, translucent substances, which are soluble in hot water but become viscous on cooling.

Pectinal Pec"ti·nal adjective [ Latin pecten comb. See Pectinate .] Of or pertaining to a comb; resembling a comb.

Pectinal Pec"ti·nal noun A fish whose bone... resemble comb teeth. Sir T. Browne.

Pectinate, Pectinated Pec"ti·na`te, Pec"ti·na`ted adjective [ Latin pectinatus , present participle of pectinare to comb, from pecten , -inis , a comb; confer Greek ... to comb, Anglo-Saxon feax hair, Old High German fahs , English paxwax .] 1. Resembling the teeth of a comb.

2. (Nat. Hist.) Having very narrow, close divisions, in arrangement and regularity resembling those of a comb; comblike; as, a pectinate leaf; pectinated muscles. See Illust. (e) of Antennæ .

3. Interlaced, like two combs. [ R.] "Our fingers pectinated , or shut together." Sir T. Browne.

Pectinate claw (Zoology) , a claw having a serrate edge, found in some birds, and supposed to be used in cleaning the feathers.

Pectinately Pec"ti·nate·ly adverb In a pectinate manner.

Pectination Pec`ti·na"tion noun 1. The state of being pectinated; that which is pectinated. Sir T. Browne.

2. The act of combing; the combing of the head.

3. (Nat. Hist.) Comblike toothing.

Pectineal Pec·tin"e·al adjective [ See Pecten .] (Anat.) (a) Of or pertaining to the pecten. (b) Relating to, or connected with, the pubic bone.

Pectinibranch Pec·tin"i·branch noun (Zoology) One of the Pectinibranchiata. Also used adjectively.

Pectinibranchiata Pec`ti·ni·bran`chi·a"ta noun plural [ New Latin See Pecten , and Branchia .] (Zoology) A division of Gastropoda, including those that have a comblike gill upon the neck.

Pectinibranchiate Pec`ti·ni·bran"chi·ate adjective [ Latin pecten , -inis , a comb + English branchiate .] (Zoology) Having pectinated gills.

Pectiniform Pec·tin"i·form adjective Comblike in form.

Pectize Pec·tize" intransitive verb [ Greek ... solid.] To congeal; to change into a gelatinous mass. [ R.] H. Spencer.

Pectolite Pec"to·lite noun [ Latin pecten a comb + -lite .] (Min.) A whitish mineral occurring in radiated or fibrous crystalline masses. It is a hydrous silicate of lime and soda.

Pectoral Pec"to·ral adjective [ Latin pectoralis , from pectus , -oris the breast; confer French pectoral .] 1. Of or pertaining to the breast, or chest; as, the pectoral muscles.

2. Relating to, or good for, diseases of the chest or lungs; as, a pectoral remedy.

3. (Zoology) Having the breast conspicuously colored; as, the pectoral sandpiper.

Pectoral arch , or Pectoral girdle (Anat.) , the two or more bony or cartilaginous pieces of the vertebrate skeleton to which the fore limbs are articulated; the shoulder girdle. In man it consists of two bones, the scapula and clavicle, on each side. -- Pectorial cross (Eccl.) , a cross worn on the breast by bishops and abbots, and sometimes also by canons. - - Pectorial fins, or Pectorials (Zoology) , fins situated on the sides, behind the gills. See Illust. under Fin . -- Pectorial rail . (Zoology) See Land rail (b) under Land . -- Pectorial sandpiper (Zoology) , the jacksnipe (b) .

Pectoral Pec"to·ral noun [ Latin pectorale a breastplate, neut. of pectorials .] 1. A covering or protecting for the breast.

2. (Eccl.) (a) A breastplate, esp. that worn by the Jewish high person. (b) A clasp or a cross worn on the breast.

3. A medicine for diseases of the chest organs, especially the lungs.

Pectorally Pec"to·ral·ly adverb As connected with the breast.

Pectoriloquial Pec`to·ri·lo"qui·al adjective [ Confer French pectoriloque .] Pertaining to, or of the nature of, pectoriloquy.

Pectoriloquism Pec`to·ril"o·quism noun Pectoriloquy.

Pectoriloquous Pec`to·ril"o·quous adjective Pectoriloquial.

Pectoriloquy Pec`to·ril"o·quy noun [ Latin pectus , -oris , the breast + loqui to speak: confer French pectoriloquie .] (Medicine) The distinct articulation of the sounds of a patient's voice, heard on applying the ear to the chest in auscultation. It usually indicates some morbid change in the lungs or pleural cavity.

Pectose Pec"tose` noun [ Pect ic + cellul ose .] (Chemistry) An amorphous carbohydrate found in the vegetable kingdom, esp. in unripe fruits. It is associated with cellulose, and is converted into substances of the pectin group.

Pectosic Pec·to"sic adjective (Chemistry) Of, pertaining to, resembling, or derived from, pectose; specifically, designating an acid supposed to constitute largely ordinary pectin or vegetable jelly.

Pectostraca Pec·tos"tra·ca noun plural [ New Latin , from Greek ... fixed + ... shell of a testacean.] (Zoology) A degenerate order of Crustacea, including the Rhizocephala and Cirripedia.

Pectous Pec"tous adjective (Chemistry) Of, pertaining to, or consisting of, pectose.

Pectus Pec"tus noun ; plural Pectora . [ Latin , the breast.] (Zoology) The breast of a bird.

Pecul Pec"ul noun See Picul .

Peculate Pec"u·late intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Peculated ; present participle & verbal noun Peculating .] [ Latin peculatus , past participle of peculari to peculate, akin to peculium private property. See Peculiar .] To appropriate to one's own use the property of the public; to steal public moneys intrusted to one's care; to embezzle.

An oppressive, . . . rapacious, and peculating despotism.

Burke.

Peculation Pec`u·la"tion noun The act or practice of peculating, or of defrauding the public by appropriating to one's own use the money or goods intrusted to one's care for management or disbursement; embezzlement.

Every British subject . . . active in the discovery of peculations has been ruined.

Burke.

Peculator Pec"u·la`tor noun [ Latin ] One who peculates. " Peculators of the public gold." Cowper.

Peculiar Pe·cul"iar adjective [ Latin peculiaris , from peculium private property, akin to pecunia money: confer Old French peculier . See Pecuniary .] 1. One's own; belonging solely or especially to an individual; not possessed by others; of private, personal, or characteristic possession and use; not owned in common or in participation.

And purify unto himself a peculiar people.

Titus ii. 14.

Hymns . . . that Christianity hath peculiar unto itself.

Hooker.

2. Particular; individual; special; appropriate.

While each peculiar power forgoes his wonted seat.

Milton.

My fate is Juno's most peculiar care.

Dryden.

3. Unusual; singular; rare; strange; as, the sky had a peculiar appearance.

Syn. -- Peculiar , Special , Especial . Peculiar is from the Roman peculium , which was a thing emphatically and distinctively one's own, and hence was dear. The former sense always belongs to peculiar (as, a peculiar style, peculiar manners, etc.), and usually so much of the latter as to involve feelings of interest; as, peculiar care, watchfulness, satisfaction, etc. Nothing of this kind belongs to special and especial . They mark simply the relation of species to genus , and denote that there is something in this case more than ordinary; as, a special act of Congress; especial pains, etc.

Beauty, which, either walking or asleep,
Shot forth peculiar graces.

Milton.

For naught so vile that on the earth doth live,
But to the earth some special good doth give.

Shak.

Peculiar Pe·cul"iar noun 1. That which is peculiar; a sole or exclusive property; a prerogative; a characteristic.

Revenge is . . . the peculiar of Heaven.

South.

2. (Eng. Canon Law) A particular parish or church which is exempt from the jurisdiction of the ordinary.

Court of Peculiars (Eng. Law) , a branch of the Court of Arches having cognizance of the affairs of peculiars. Blackstone. -- Dean of peculiars . See under Dean , 1.

Peculiarity Pe·cul`iar"i·ty noun ; plural Peculiarities 1. The quality or state of being peculiar; individuality; singularity. Swift.

2. That which is peculiar; a special and distinctive characteristic or habit; particularity.

The smallest peculiarity of temper on manner.

Macaulay.

3. Exclusive possession or right. [ Obsolete] Bp. Hall.

Peculiarize Pe·cul"iar·ize transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Pecularized ; present participle & verbal noun Pecularizing .] To make peculiar; to set appart or assign, as an exclusive possession. [ R.] Dr. John Smith.

Peculiarly Pe·cul"iar·ly adverb In a peculiar manner; particulary; in a rare and striking degree; unusually.

Peculiarness Pe·cul"iar·ness noun The quality or state of being peculiar; peculiarity. Mede.

Peculium Pe·cu"li·um noun [ Latin See Peculiar .] 1. (Rom. Law) The saving of a son or a slave with the father's or master's consent; a little property or stock of one's own; any exclusive personal or separate property. Burrill.

2. A special fund for private and personal uses.

A slight peculium only subtracted to supply his snuff box and tobacco pouch.

Sir W. Scott.

Pecunial Pe·cu"ni·al adjective Pecuniary. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Pecuniarily Pe·cun"ia·ri·ly adverb In a pecuniary manner; as regards money.

Pecuniary Pe·cun"ia·ry adjective [ Latin pecuniarius , from pecunia money, orig., property in cattle, from pecus cattle: confer French pécuniaire . See Fee , and confer Peculiar .] 1. Relating to money; monetary; as, a pecuniary penalty; a pecuniary reward. Burke.

Pecunious Pe·cu"ni·ous adjective [ Latin pecuniosus , from pecunia : confer French pécunieux .] Abounding in money; wealthy; rich. [ Obsolete] Sherwood.

Ped Ped noun [ Middle English See Peddler .] A basket; a hammer; a pannier. [ Obsolete] Halliwell.

Pedage Ped"age noun [ Late Latin pedagium , for pedaticum . See Paage .] A toll or tax paid by passengers, entitling them to safe-conduct and protection. [ Obsolete] Spelman.

Pedagog Ped"a·gog noun Pedagogue.

Pedagogic Ped`a·gog"ic noun [ From Pedagogic , adjective ; confer German pedagogik .] See Pedagogics .

Pedagogic, Pedagogical Ped`a·gog"ic, Ped`a·gog"ic·al adjective [ Greek ...: confer French pédagogique . See Pedagogue .] Of or pertaining to a pedagogue; suited to, or characteristic of, a pedagogue.

Pedagogics Ped`a·gog"ics noun The science or art of teaching; the principles and rules of teaching; pedagogy.

Pedagogism Ped"a·gog·ism noun [ Confer French pédagogisme .] The system, occupation, character, or manner of pedagogues. Milton.

Avocation of pedantry and pedagogism .

De Foe.

Pedagogue Ped"a·gogue noun [ French pédagogue , Latin paedagogus , Greek ...; pai^s , paido`s , a boy + ... to lead, guide; confer ... leading. See Page a servant, Agent .] 1. (Gr. Antiq.) A slave who led his master's children to school, and had the charge of them generally.

2. A teacher of children; one whose occupation is to teach the young; a schoolmaster.

3. One who by teaching has become formal, positive, or pedantic in his ways; one who has the manner of a schoolmaster; a pedant. Goldsmith.

Pedagogue Ped"a·gogue transitive verb [ Confer Latin paedagogare to instruct.] To play the pedagogue toward. [ Obsolete] Prior.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
You are here: Webster > Letter P > Page 39 of 206.
« Previous ¦31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 ¦ Next »