Personate Per"son·ate intransitive verb To play or assume a character.

Personate Per"son·ate adjective [ Latin personatus masked.] (Botany) Having the throat of a bilabiate corolla nearly closed by a projection of the base of the lower lip; masked, as in the flower of the snapdragon.

Personation Per`son·a"tion noun The act of personating, or conterfeiting the person or character of another.

Personator Per"son·a`tor noun One who personates. "The personators of these actions." B. Jonson.

Personeity Per`son·e"i·ty noun Personality. [ R.] Coleridge.

Personification Per·son`i·fi·ca"tion noun [ Confer French personnification .] 1. The act of personifying; impersonation; embodiment. C. Knight. 2. (Rhet.) A figure of speech in which an inanimate object or abstract idea is represented as animated, or endowed with personality; prosopop...ia; as, the floods clap their hands. "Confusion heards his voice." Milton.

Personifier Per·son"i·fi`er noun One who personifies.

Personify Per·son"i·fy transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Personified ; present participle & verbal noun Personifying .] [ Person + -fy : confer French personnifier .] 1. To regard, treat, or represent as a person; to represent as a rational being.

The poets take the liberty of personifying inanimate things.

Chesterfield. 2. To be the embodiment or personification of; to impersonate; as, he personifies the law.

Personize Per"son·ize transitive verb To personify. [ R.]

Milton has personized them.

J. Richardson.

Personnel Per`son`nel" noun [ French See Personal .] The body of persons employed in some public service, as the army, navy, etc.; -- distinguished from matériel .

Perspective Per·spec"tive adjective [ Latin perspicere , perspectum , to look through; per + spicere , specere , to look: confer French perspectif ; or from English perspective , noun See Spy , noun ] 1. Of or pertaining to the science of vision; optical. [ Obsolete] Bacon. 2. Pertaining to the art, or in accordance with the laws, of perspective. Perspective plane , the plane or surface on which the objects are delineated, or the picture drawn; the plane of projection; -- distinguished from the ground plane , which is that on which the objects are represented as standing. When this plane is oblique to the principal face of the object, the perspective is called oblique perspective ; when parallel to that face, parallel perspective . -- Perspective shell (Zoology) , any shell of the genus Solarium and allied genera. See Solarium .

Perspective Per·spec"tive noun [ French perspective , from perspectif : confer Italian perspettiva . See Perspective , adjective ] 1. A glass through which objects are viewed. [ Obsolete] "Not a perspective , but a mirror." Sir T. Browne. 2. That which is seen through an opening; a view; a vista. "The perspective of life." Goldsmith. 3. The effect of distance upon the appearance of objects, by means of which the eye recognized them as being at a more or less measurable distance. Hence, aërial perspective , the assumed greater vagueness or uncertainty of outline in distant objects.

Aërial perspective is the expression of space by any means whatsoever, sharpness of edge, vividness of color, etc.

Ruskin. 4. The art and the science of so delineating objects that they shall seem to grow smaller as they recede from the eye; -- called also linear perspective . 5. A drawing in linear perspective. Isometrical perspective , an inaccurate term for a mechanical way of representing objects in the direction of the diagonal of a cube. -- Perspective glass , a telescope which shows objects in the right position.

Perspectively Per·spec"tive·ly adverb 1. Optically; as through a glass. [ R.]

You see them perspectively .

Shak. 2. According to the rules of perspective.

Perspectograph Per·spec"to·graph noun [ Latin perspectus (past participle of perspicere to look through) + - graph .] An instrument for obtaining, and transferring to a picture, the points and outlines of objects, so as to represent them in their proper geometrical relations as viewed from some one point.

Perspectography Per`spec·tog"ra·phy noun The science or art of delineating objects according to the laws of perspective; the theory of perspective.

Perspicable Per"spi·ca·ble adjective [ Latin perspicabilis , from perspicere .] Discernible. [ Obsolete] Herbert.

Perspicacious Per`spi·ca"cious adjective [ Latin perspicax , -acis , from perspicere to look through: confer French perspicace . See Perspective .] 1. Having the power of seeing clearly; quick-sighted; sharp of sight. 2. Fig.: Of acute discernment; keen. -- Per`spi*ca"cious*ly , adverb -- Per`spi*ca"cious*ness , noun

Perspicacity Per`spi·cac"i·ty noun [ Latin perspicacitas : confer French perspicacité . See Perspicacious .] The state of being perspicacious; acuteness of sight or of intelligence; acute discernment. Sir T. Browne.

Perspicacy Per"spi·ca·cy noun Perspicacity. [ Obsolete]

Perspicience Per·spi"cience noun [ Latin perspicientia , from perspiciens , past participle of perspicere . See Perspective .] The act of looking sharply. [ Obsolete] Bailey.

Perspicil Per"spi·cil noun [ Late Latin perspicilla , from Latin perspicere to look through.] An optical glass; a telescope. [ Obsolete] Crashaw.

Perspicuity Per`spi·cu"i·ty noun [ Latin perspicuitas : confer French perspicuité .] 1. The quality or state of being transparent or translucent. [ Obsolete] Sir T. Browne. 2. The quality of being perspicuous to the understanding; clearness of expression or thought. 3. Sagacity; perspicacity. Syn. -- Clearness; perspicuousness; plainness; distinctness; lucidity; transparency. See Clearness .

Perspicuous Per·spic"u·ous adjective [ Latin perspicuus , from perspicere to look through. See Perspective .] 1. Capable of being through; transparent; translucent; not opaque. [ Obsolete] Peacham. 2. Clear to the understanding; capable of being clearly understood; clear in thought or in expression; not obscure or ambiguous; as, a perspicuous writer; perspicuous statements. "The purpose is perspicuous ." Shak. -- Per*spic"u*ous*ly , adverb -- Per*spic"u*ous*ness , noun

Perspirability Per·spir`a·bil"i·ty noun The quality or state of being perspirable.

Perspirable Per·spir"a·ble adjective [ Confer French perspirable .] 1. Capable of being perspired. Sir T. Browne. 2. Emitting perspiration; perspiring. [ R.] Bacon.

Perspiration Per`spi·ra"tion noun [ Confer French perspiration .] 1. The act or process of perspiring. 2. That which is excreted through the skin; sweat. » A man of average weight throws off through the skin during 24 hours about 18 ounces of water, 300 grains of solid matter, and 400 grains of carbonic acid gas. Ordinarily, this constant exhalation is not apparent, and the excretion is then termed insensible perspiration .

Perspirative Per·spir"a·tive adjective Performing the act of perspiration; perspiratory.

Perspiratory Per·spir"a·to·ry adjective Of, pertaining to, or producing, perspiration; as, the perspiratory ducts.

Perspire Per·spire" intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Perspired ; present participle & verbal noun Perspiring .] [ Latin perspirare to breathe through; per + spirare . See Per- , and Spirit .] 1. (Physiol.) To excrete matter through the skin; esp., to excrete fluids through the pores of the skin; to sweat. 2. To be evacuated or excreted, or to exude, through the pores of the skin; as, a fluid perspires .

Perspire Per·spire" transitive verb To emit or evacuate through the pores of the skin; to sweat; to excrete through pores.

Firs . . . perspire a fine balsam of turpentine.

Smollett.

Perstreperous Per·strep"er·ous adjective [ Latin perstrepere to make a great noise.] Noisy; obstreperous. [ Obsolete] Ford.

Perstringe Per·stringe" transitive verb [ Latin perstringere ; per + stringere to bind up, to touch upon.] 1. To touch; to graze; to glance on. [ Obsolete] 2. To criticise; to touch upon. [ R.] Evelyn.

Persuadable Per·suad"a·ble adjective That may be persuaded. -- Per*suad"a*ble*ness , noun -- Per*suad"a*bly , adverb

Persuade Per·suade" transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Persuaded ; present participle & verbal noun Persuading .] [ Latin persuadere , persuasum ; per + suadere to advise, persuade: confer French persuader . See Per- , and Suasion .] 1. To influence or gain over by argument, advice, entreaty, expostulation, etc.; to draw or incline to a determination by presenting sufficient motives.

Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.

Acts xxvi. 28.

We will persuade him, be it possible.

Shak. 2. To try to influence. [ Obsolescent]

Hearken not unto Hezekiah, when he persuadeth you.

2 Kings xviii. 32. 3. To convince by argument, or by reasons offered or suggested from reflection, etc.; to cause to believe.

Beloved, we are persuaded better things of you.

Hebrew vi. 9. 4. To inculcate by argument or expostulation; to advise; to recommend. Jer. Taylor. Syn. -- To convince; induce; prevail on; win over; allure; entice. See Convince .

Persuade Per·suade" intransitive verb To use persuasion; to plead; to prevail by persuasion. Shak.

Persuade Per·suade" noun Persuasion. [ Obsolete] Beau. & Fl.

Persuaded Per·suad"ed past participle & adjective Prevailed upon; influenced by argument or entreaty; convinced. -- Per*suad"ed*ly , adverb -- Per*suad"ed*ness , noun

Persuader Per·suad"er noun One who, or that which, persuades or influences. "Powerful persuaders ." Milton.

Persuasibility Per·sua`si·bil"i·ty noun Capability of being persuaded. Hawthorne.

Persuasible Per·sua"si·ble adjective [ Confer Latin persuasibilis persuasive, French persuasible persuasible.] 1. Capable of being persuaded; persuadable. 2. Persuasive. [ Obsolete] Bale. -- Per*sua"si*ble*ness , noun -- Per*sua"si*bly , adverb

Persuasion Per·sua"sion noun [ Latin persuasio ; Confer French persuasion .] 1. The act of persuading; the act of influencing the mind by arguments or reasons offered, or by anything that moves the mind or passions, or inclines the will to a determination.

For thou hast all the arts of fine persuasion .

Otway. 2. The state of being persuaded or convinced; settled opinion or conviction, which has been induced.

If the general persuasion of all men does so account it.

Hooker.

My firm persuasion is, at least sometimes,
That Heaven will weigh man's virtues and his crimes
With nice attention.

Cowper. 3. A creed or belief; a sect or party adhering to a certain creed or system of opinions; as, of the same persuasion ; all persuasions are agreed.

Of whatever state or persuasion , religious or political.

Jefferson. 4. The power or quality of persuading; persuasiveness.

Is 't possible that my deserts to you
Can lack persuasion ?

Shak. 5. That which persuades; a persuasive. [ R.] Syn. -- See Conviction .

Persuasive Per·sua"sive adjective [ Confer French persuasif .] Tending to persuade; having the power of persuading; as, persuasive eloquence. " Persuasive words." Milton.

Persuasive Per·sua"sive noun That which persuades; an inducement; an incitement; an exhortation. -- Per*sua"sive*ly , adverb -- Per*sua"sive*ness , noun

Persuasory Per·sua"so·ry adjective Persuasive. Sir T. Browne.

Persulphate Per·sul"phate noun (Chemistry) A sulphate of the peroxide of any base. [ R.]

Persulphide Per·sul"phide noun (Chemistry) A sulphide containing more sulphur than some other compound of the same elements; as, iron pyrites is a persulphide ; -- formerly called persulphuret .

Persulphocyanate Per·sul`pho·cy"a·nate noun (Chemistry) A salt of persulphocyanic acid. [ R.]

Persulphocyanic Per·sul`pho·cy·an"ic adjective (Chemistry) Pertaining to, or designating, a yellow crystalline substance (called also perthiocyanic acid ), analogous to sulphocyanic acid, but containing more sulphur.

Persulphocyanogen Per·sul`pho·cy·an"o·gen noun (Chemistry) An orange-yellow substance, produced by the action of chlorine or boiling dilute nitric acid and sulphocyanate of potassium; -- called also pseudosulphocyanogen , perthiocyanogen , and formerly sulphocyanogen .

Persulphuret Per·sul"phu·ret noun (Chemistry) A persulphide. [ Obsolete]