Perforce Perˇforce" adverb [ French par (L. per ) + force .] By force; of necessary; at any rate. Shak.

Perforce Perˇforce" transitive verb To force; to compel. [ Obsolete]

Perform Perˇform" transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Performed ; present participle & verbal noun Performing .] [ Middle English performen , parfourmen , parfournen , Old French parfornir , parfournir , to finish, complete; Old French & French par (see Par ) + fournir to finish, complete. The word has been influenced by form ; confer Latin performare to form thoroughly. See Furnish .] 1. To carry through; to bring to completion; to achieve; to accomplish; to execute; to do.

I will cry unto God most high, unto God that performeth all things for me.

Ps. lvii. 2.

Great force to perform what they did attempt.

Sir P. Sidney.

2. To discharge; to fulfill; to act up to; as, to perform a duty; to perform a promise or a vow.

To perform your father's will.

Shak.

3. To represent; to act; to play; as in drama.

Perform a part thou hast not done before.

Shak.

Syn. -- To accomplish; do; act; transact; achieve; execute; discharge; fulfill; effect; complete; consummate. See Accomplish .

Perform Perˇform" intransitive verb To do, execute, or accomplish something; to acquit one's self in any business; esp., to represent sometimes by action; to act a part; to play on a musical instrument; as, the players perform poorly; the musician performs on the organ.

Performable Perˇform"aˇble adjective Admitting of being performed, done, or executed; practicable.

Performance Perˇform"ance noun The act of performing; the carrying into execution or action; execution; achievement; accomplishment; representation by action; as, the performance of an undertaking of a duty.

Promises are not binding where the performance is impossible.

Paley.

2. That which is performed or accomplished; a thing done or carried through; an achievement; a deed; an act; a feat; esp., an action of an elaborate or public character. "Her walking and other actual performances ." Shak. "His musical performances ." Macaulay.

Syn. -- Completion; consummation; execution; accomplishment; achievement; production; work; act; action; deed; exploit; feat.

Performer Perˇform"er noun One who performs, accomplishes, or fulfills; as, a good promiser, but a bad performer ; especially, one who shows skill and training in any art; as, a performer of the drama; a performer on the harp.

Perfricate Per"friˇcate transitive verb [ Latin perfricatus , past participle of perfricare .] To rub over. Bailey.

Perfumatory Perˇfu"maˇtoˇry adjective Emitting perfume; perfuming. [ R.] Sir E. Leigh.

Perfume Perˇfume" transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Perfumed ; present participle & verbal noun Perfuming .] [ French parfumer (cf. Spanish perfumar ); par (see Par ) + fumer to smoke, Latin fumare , from fumus smoke. See Fume .] To fill or impregnate with a perfume; to scent.

And Carmel's flowery top perfumes the skies.

Pope.

Perfume Per"fume noun [ French parfum ; confer Spanish perfume . See Perfume , v. ] 1. The scent, odor, or odoriferous particles emitted from a sweet-smelling substance; a pleasant odor; fragrance; aroma.

No rich perfumes refresh the fruitful field .

Pope.

2. A substance that emits an agreeable odor.

And thou shalt make it a perfume .

Ex. xxx. 35.

Perfumer Perˇfum"er noun 1. One who, oe that which, perfumes.

2. One whose trade is to make or sell perfumes.

Perfumery Perˇfum"erˇy noun 1. Perfumes, in general.

2. [ Confer French parfumerie .] The art of preparing perfumes.

Perfunctorily Perˇfunc"toˇriˇly adverb In a perfunctory manner; formally; carelessly. Boyle.

Perfunctoriness Perˇfunc"toˇriˇness noun The quality or state of being perfunctory.

Perfunctory Perˇfunc"toˇry adjective [ Latin perfunctorius , from perfunctus dispatched, past participle of perfungi to discharge, dispatch; per (see Per ) + fungi to perform. See Function .] 1. Done merely to get rid of a duty; performed mechanically and as a thing of rote; done in a careless and superficial manner; characterized by indifference; as, perfunctory admonitions. Macaulay.

2. Hence: Mechanical; indifferent; listless; careless. " Perfunctory in his devotions." Sharp.

Perfuncturate Perˇfunc"tuˇrate transitive verb To perform in a perfunctory manner; to do negligently. [ R.]

Perfuse Perˇfuse" transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Perfused ; present participle & verbal noun Perfusing .] [ Latin perfusus , past participle of perfundere to pour over; per + fundere to pour.] To suffuse; to fill full or to excess. Harvey.

Perfusion Perˇfu"sion noun [ Latin perfusio .] The act of perfusing.

Perfusive Perˇfu"sive adjective Of a nature to flow over, or to spread through.

Pergamenous, Pergamentaceous Per`gaˇme"noˇus, Per`gaˇmenˇta"ceous adjective [ Latin pergamena parchment. See Parchment .] Like parchment.

Pergola Per"goˇla noun [ Italian , from Latin pergula shed, shop, vine arbor.] Lit., an arbor or bower; specif.: (Italian art) An arbor or trellis treated architecturally, as with stone columns or similar massive structure.

Pergolo Per"goˇlo noun [ Italian ] A continuous colonnade or arcade; -- applied to the decorative groups of windows, as in Venetian palazzi.

Perhaps Perˇhaps" adverb [ Per + hap chance.] By chance; peradventure; perchance; it may be.

And pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.

Acts viii. 22.

Peri Pe"ri noun ; plural Peris . [ Persian perī a female genus, a fairy.] (Persian Myth.) An imaginary being, male or female, like an elf or fairy, represented as a descendant of fallen angels, excluded from paradise till penance is accomplished. Moore.

Peri- Per"i- [ Greek ..., preposition ] A prefix used to signify around , by , near , over , beyond , or to give an intensive sense; as, peri meter, the measure around; peri gee, point near the earth; peri ergy, work beyond what is needed; peri spherical, quite spherical.

Periœci, Periœcians Per`iˇœ"ci, Per`iˇœ"cians noun plural [ New Latin perioeci , from Greek ...; ... around + ... house, dwelling.] Those who live on the same parallel of latitude but on opposite meridians, so that it is noon in one place when it is midnight in the other. Compare Antœci .

Periagua Per`iˇa"gua noun See Pirogue .

Perianth Per"iˇanth noun [ Prefix peri- + Greek ... flower: confer French périanthe .] (Botany) (a) The leaves of a flower generally, especially when the calyx and corolla are not readily distinguished. (b) A saclike involucre which incloses the young fruit in most hepatic mosses. See Illust. of Hepatica .

Perianthium Per`iˇan"thiˇum noun [ New Latin ] (Botany) The perianth.

Periapt Per"iˇapt noun [ Greek ..., from ... hung about, ... to hang about; ... about + ... to tie: confer French périapte .] A charm worn as a protection against disease or mischief; an amulet. Coleridge.

Now help, ye charming spells and periapts .

Shak.

Periastral Per`iˇas"tral adjective Among or around the stars. "Comets in periastral passage." R. A. Proctor.

Periastron Per`iˇas"tron noun [ New Latin , from Greek ... about + ... a star.] (Astron.) That point, in the real or apparent orbit of one star revolving around another, at which the former is nearest to the latter.

Periauger Per"iˇau"ger noun See Pirogue . W. Irving.

Periblast Per"iˇblast adjective [ Greek ... to grow around. See Peri- , and -blast .] (Biol.) The protoplasmic matter which surrounds the entoblast, or cell nucleus, and undergoes segmentation. -- Per`i*blas"tic , adjective

Periblem Per"iˇblem noun [ Prefix peri- + root of Greek ... to sprout.] (Botany) Nascent cortex, or immature cellular bark.

Peribolos Peˇrib"oˇlos noun [ Nl., from Greek ..., from ..., adj., going round, from ... to throw round; confer Latin peribolus .] In ancient architecture, an inclosed court, esp., one surrounding a temple.

Peribranchial Per`iˇbran"chiˇal adjective (Anat.) Surrounding the branchić; as, a peribranchial cavity.

Peribranchial Per`iˇbran"chiˇal adjective (Anat.) Around the bronchi or bronchial tubes; as, the peribronchial lymphatics.

Pericambium Per`iˇcam"biˇum noun [ New Latin See Peri- , and Cambium .] (Biol.) A layer of thin-walled young cells in a growing stem, in which layer certain new vessels originate.

Pericardiac, Pericardial Per`iˇcar"diˇac, Per`iˇcar"diˇal adjective (Anat.) Of or pertaining to pericardium; situated around the heart.

Pericardial fluid (Physiol.) , a serous fluid of a pale yellow color contained in the pericardium.

Pericardian Per`iˇcar"diˇan adjective Pericardiac.

Pericardic Per`iˇcar"dic adjective Pericardiac.

Pericarditus Per`iˇcarˇdi"tus noun [ New Latin See Pericardium , and -itis .] (Medicine) Inflammation of the pericardium. Dunglison.

Pericardium Per`iˇcar"diˇum noun [ New Latin , from Greek ..., from ... about or near the heart; ... about + ... heart.] (Anat.) The double baglike fold of serous membrane which incloses the heart.

» The inner layer is closely adherent to the outer surface of the heart, and is called the cardiac pericardium . The outer layer loosely incloses the heart and the adherent inner layer, and is called the parietal pericardium . At the base of the heart the two layers are continuous, and form a narrow closed cavity filled with fluid, in which the pulsations of the heart cause little friction.

Pericarp Per"iˇcarp noun [ Greek ...; ... around + ... fruit: confer French péricarpe .] (Botany) The ripened ovary; the walls of the fruit. See Illusts . of Capsule , Drupe , and Legume .

Pericarpial, Pericarpic Per`iˇcar"piˇal, Per`iˇcar"pic adjective (Botany) Of or pertaining to a pericarp.

Pericellular Per`iˇcel"luˇlar adjective (Anat.) Surrounding a cell; as, the pericellular lymph spaces surrounding ganglion cells.

Perichete Per"iˇchete noun Same as Perichćth .

Perichondrial Per`iˇchon"driˇal adjective (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the perichondrium; situated around cartilage.

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