Peristomial adjective (Zoology) Of or pertaining to a peristome.

Peristomium noun [ New Latin ] Same as Peristome .

Peristrephic adjective [ Greek ... to turn round.] Turning around; rotatory; revolving; as, a peristrephic painting (of a panorama).

Peristyle noun [ Latin peristylum , Greek ..., ...; ... about + ... a column: confer French péristyle .] (Architecture) A range of columns with their entablature, etc.; specifically, a complete system of columns, whether on all sides of a court, or surrounding a building, such as the cella of a temple. Used in the former sense, it gives name to the larger and inner court of a Roman dwelling, the peristyle . See Colonnade .

Perisystole noun [ Prefix peri- + systole : confer French périsystole .] (Physiol.) The interval between the diastole and systole of the heart. It is perceptible only in the dying.

Perite adjective [ Latin peritus .] Skilled. [ Obsolete]

Perithecium noun [ New Latin , from Greek ... around + ... box.] (Botany) An organ in certain fungi and lichens, surrounding and enveloping the masses of fructification. Henslow.

Peritomous adjective [ Greek ... cut off all around. See Peri- , and Tome .] (Min.) Cleaving in more directions than one, parallel to the axis.

Peritoneal adjective [ Confer French péritonéal .] (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the peritoneum.

Peritoneum noun [ Latin peritoneum , peritonaeum , Greek ..., ..., from ... to stretch all around or over; ... around + ... to stretch.] (Anat.) The smooth serous membrane which lines the cavity of the abdomen, or the whole body cavity when there is no diaphragm, and, turning back, surrounds the viscera, forming a closed, or nearly closed, sac. [ Written also peritonæum .]

Peritonitis noun [ New Latin See Peritoneum , and -itis .] (Medicine) Inflammation of the peritoneum.

Peritonæum noun (Anat.) Same as Peritoneum .

Peritracheal adjective (Zoology) Surrounding the tracheæ.

Peritreme noun [ Prefix peri- + Greek ... a hole.] (Zoology) (a) That part of the integument of an insect which surrounds the spiracles. (b) The edge of the aperture of a univalve shell.

Peritricha noun plural [ New Latin , from Greek ... about + ..., ..., hair.] (Zoology) A division of ciliated Infusoria having a circle of cilia around the oral disk and sometimes another around the body. It includes the vorticellas. See Vorticella .

Peritrochium noun [ New Latin , from Greek ...; ... around + ... a wheel.] (Mech.) The wheel which, together with the axle, forms the axis in peritrochio , which see under Axis .

Peritropal adjective [ Greek ..., from ... to turn around; ... around + ... to turn: confer French péritrope .]
1. Rotatory; circuitous. [ R.]

2. Having the axis of the seed perpendicular to the axis of the pericarp to which it is attached.

Peritropous adjective Peritropal.

Perityphlitis noun [ New Latin See Peri- , and Typhlitis .] (Medicine) Inflammation of the connective tissue about the cæcum.

Periuterine adjective (Medicine) Surrounding the uterus.

Perivascular adjective Around the blood vessels; as, perivascular lymphatics.

Perivertebral adjective (Anat.) Surrounding the vertebræ.

Perivisceral adjective (Anat.) Around the viscera; as, the perivisceral cavity.

Perivitelline adjective [ Prefix peri- + vitelline .] (Biol.) Situated around the vitellus, or between the vitellus and zona pellucida of an ovum.

Periwig noun [ Middle English perrwige , perwicke , corrupt. from French perruque ; confer OD. peruyk , from French. See Peruke , and confer Wig .] A headdress of false hair, usually covering the whole head, and representing the natural hair; a wig. Shak.

Periwig transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Perwigged ; present participle & verbal noun Perwigging .] To dress with a periwig, or with false hair. Swift.

Periwinkle noun [ From Anglo-Saxon pinewincla a shellfish, in which pine- is from Latin pina , pinna , a kind of mussel, akin to Greek .... Confer Winkle .] (Zoology) Any small marine gastropod shell of the genus Littorina. The common European species ( Littorina littorea ), in Europe extensively used as food, has recently become naturalized abundantly on the American coast. See Littorina .

» In America the name is often applied to several large univalves, as Fulgur carica , and F. canaliculata .

Periwinkle noun [ Middle English pervenke , Anglo-Saxon pervince , from Latin pervinca .] (Botany) A trailing herb of the genus Vinca .

» The common perwinkle ( Vinca minor ) has opposite evergreen leaves and solitary blue or white flowers in their axils. In America it is often miscalled myrtle . See under Myrtle .

Perjenet noun [ Confer Pear , and Jenneting .] A kind of pear. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Perjure transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Perjured ; present participle & verbal noun Perjuring .] [ French parjurer , Latin perjurare , perjerare ; per through, over + jurare to swear. See Jury .]
1. To cause to violate an oath or a vow; to cause to make oath knowingly to what is untrue; to make guilty of perjury; to forswear; to corrupt; -- often used reflexively; as, he perjured himself.

Want will perjure
The ne'er-touched vestal.

Shak.

2. To make a false oath to; to deceive by oaths and protestations. [ Obsolete]

And with a virgin innocence did pray
For me, that perjured her.

J. Fletcher.

Syn. -- To Perjure , Forswear . These words have been used interchangeably; but there is a tendency to restrict perjure to that species of forswearing which constitutes the crime of perjury at law, namely, the willful violation of an oath administered by a magistrate or according to law.

Perjure noun [ Latin perjurus : confer Old French parjur , French parjure .] A perjured person. [ Obsolete] Shak.

Perjured adjective Guilty of perjury; having sworn falsely; forsworn. Shak. " Perjured persons." 1 Tim. i. 10. "Their perjured oath." Spenser.

Perjurer noun One who is guilty of perjury; one who perjures or forswears, in any sense.

Perjurious, Perjurous adjective [ Latin perjuriosus , perjurus .] Guilty of perjury; containing perjury. [ Obsolete] Quarles. B. Johnson.

Perjury noun ; plural Perjuries . [ Latin perjurium . See Perjure , v. ]
1. False swearing.

2. (Law) At common law, a willfully false statement in a fact material to the issue, made by a witness under oath in a competent judicial proceeding. By statute the penalties of perjury are imposed on the making of willfully false affirmations.

» If a man swear falsely in nonjudicial affidavits, it is made perjury by statute in some jurisdictions in the United States.

Perk transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Perked ; present participle & verbal noun Perking .] [ Confer W. percu to trim, to make smart.] To make trim or smart; to straighten up; to erect; to make a jaunty or saucy display of; as, to perk the ears; to perk up one's head. Cowper. Sherburne.

Perk intransitive verb To exalt one's self; to bear one's self loftily. "To perk over them." Barrow.

To perk it , to carry one's self proudly or saucily. Pope.

Perk adjective Smart; trim; spruce; jaunty; vain. " Perk as a peacock." Spenser.

Perk intransitive verb To peer; to look inquisitively. Dickens.

Perkin noun A kind of weak perry.

Perkinism noun (Medicine) A remedial treatment, by drawing the pointed extremities of two rods, each of a different metal, over the affected part; tractoration, -- first employed by Dr. Elisha Perkins of Norwich, Conn. See Metallotherapy .

Perky adjective Perk; pert; jaunty; trim.

There amid perky larches and pines.

Tennyson.

Perlaceous adjective [ See Pearl .] Pearly; resembling pearl.

Perlid noun (Zoology) Any insect of the genus Perla , or family Perlidæ . See Stone fly , under Stone .

Perlite noun (Min.) Same as Pearlite .

Perlitic adjective (Min.) Relating to or resembling perlite, or pearlstone; as, the perlitic structure of certain rocks. See Pearlite .

Perlous adjective Perilous. [ Obsolete] Spenser.

Perlustration noun [ Latin perlustrare to wander all through, to survey. See 3d Luster .] The act of viewing all over. [ Archaic] Howell.

Permanable adjective Permanent; durable. [ Obsolete] Lydgate.

Permanence, Permanency noun [ Confer French permanence .] The quality or state of being permanent; continuance in the same state or place; duration; fixedness; as, the permanence of institutions; the permanence of nature.