Pietist Pi"e·tist noun [ Confer German pietist , French piétiste . See Piety .] (Eccl. Hist.) One of a class of religious reformers in Germany in the 17th century who sought to revive declining piety in the Protestant churches; -- often applied as a term of reproach to those who make a display of religious feeling. Also used adjectively.

Pietistic, Pietistical Pi`e·tis"tic, Pi`e·tis"tic·al adjective Of or pertaining to the Pietists; hence, in contempt, affectedly or demonstratively religious. Addison.

Pietra dura Pi·e"tra du"ra [ Italian , hard stone.] (Fine Arts) Hard and fine stones in general, such as are used for inlay and the like, as distinguished from the softer stones used in building; thus, a Florentine mosaic is a familiar instance of work in pietra dura , though the ground may be soft marble.

Piety Pi"e·ty noun [ French piété ; confer Italian pietà ; both from Latin pietas piety, from pius pious. See Pious , and confer Pity .] 1. Veneration or reverence of the Supreme Being, and love of his character; loving obedience to the will of God, and earnest devotion to his service.

Piety is the only proper and adequate relief of decaying man.

Rambler.

2. Duty; dutifulness; filial reverence and devotion; affectionate reverence and service shown toward parents, relatives, benefactors, country, etc.

Conferred upon me for the piety
Which to my country I was judged to have shown.

Milton.

Syn. -- Religion; sanctity; devotion; godliness; holiness. See Religion .

Piewipe Pie"wipe` noun [ So called from its note.] (Zoology) The lapwing, or pewit. [ Prov. Eng.]

Piezometer Pi`e·zom"e·ter noun [ Greek ... to press + -meter : confer French piézomètre .] 1. (Physics) An instrument for measuring the compressibility of liquids.

2. (Physics) A gauge connected with a water main to show the pressure at that point.

Piffero Pif"fe·ro Pif"fa*ra noun [ Italian piffero .] (Mus.) A fife; also, a rude kind of oboe or a bagpipe with an inflated skin for reservoir.

Piffle Pif"fle intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Piffled ; present participle & verbal noun Piffling .] To be sequeamish or delicate; hence, to act or talk triflingly or ineffectively; to twaddle; piddle. [ Dial. or Slang]

Piffle Pif"fle noun Act of piffling; trifling talk or action; piddling; twaddle. [ Dial. or Slang] "Futile piffle ." Kipling .

Pig Pig noun A piggin. [ Written also pigg .]

Pig Pig noun [ Confer Dutch big , bigge , LG. bigge , also Danish pige girl, Swedish piga , Icelandic pīka .] 1. The young of swine, male or female; also, any swine; a hog. "Two pigges in a poke." Chaucer.

2. (Zoology) Any wild species of the genus Sus and related genera.

3. [ Confer Sow a channel for melted iron.] An oblong mass of cast iron, lead, or other metal. See Mine pig , under Mine .

4. One who is hoggish; a greedy person. [ Low]

Masked pig . (Zoology) See under Masked . -- Pig bed (Founding) , the bed of sand in which the iron from a smelting furnace is cast into pigs. -- Pig iron , cast iron in pigs, or oblong blocks or bars, as it comes from the smelting furnace. See Pig , 4. -- Pig yoke (Nautical) , a nickname for a quadrant or sextant. -- A pig in a poke (that is, bag ), a blind bargain; something bought or bargained for, without the quality or the value being known. [ Colloq.]

Pig Pig transitive verb & i. [ imperfect & past participle Pigged ; present participle & verbal noun Pigging .] 1. To bring forth (pigs); to bring forth in the manner of pigs; to farrow.

2. To huddle or lie together like pigs, in one bed.

Pig-eyed Pig"-eyed` adjective Having small, deep-set eyes.

Pig-headed Pig"-head`ed adjective Having a head like a pig; hence, figuratively: stupidity obstinate; perverse; stubborn. B. Jonson. -- Pig"-head`ed*ness , noun

Pig-jawed Pig"-jawed` adjective (Zoology) Having the upper jaw projecting beyond the lower, with the upper incisors in advance of the lower; -- said of dogs.

Pig-sticking Pig"-stick`ing noun Boar hunting; -- so called by Anglo-Indians. [ Colloq.] Tackeray.

Pigeon Pi"geon noun [ French, from Latin pipio a young pipping or chirping bird, from pipire to peep, chirp. Confer Peep to chirp.] 1. (Zoology) Any bird of the order Columbæ, of which numerous species occur in nearly all parts of the world.

» The common domestic pigeon, or dove, was derived from the Old World rock pigeon ( Columba livia ). It has given rise to numerous very remarkable varieties, such as the carrier, fantail, nun, pouter, tumbler, etc. The common wild pigeons of the Eastern United States are the passenger pigeon, and the Carolina dove. See under Passenger , and Dove . See, also, Fruit pigeon , Ground pigeon , Queen pigeon , Stock pigeon , under Fruit , Ground , etc.

2. An unsuspected victim of sharpers; a gull. [ Slang]

Blue pigeon (Zoology) , an Australian passerine bird ( Graucalus melanops ); -- called also black-faced crow . -- Green pigeon (Zoology) , any one of numerous species of Old World pigeons belonging to the family Treronidæ . -- Imperial pigeon (Zoology) , any one of the large Asiatic fruit pigeons of the genus Carpophada . - - Pigeon berry (Botany) , the purplish black fruit of the pokeweed; also, the plant itself. See Pokeweed . -- Pigeon English [ perhaps a corruption of business English ], an extraordinary and grotesque dialect, employed in the commercial cities of China, as the medium of communication between foreign merchants and the Chinese. Its base is English, with a mixture of Portuguese and Hindoostanee. Johnson's Cyc. -- Pigeon grass (Botany) , a kind of foxtail grass ( Setaria glauca ), of some value as fodder. The seeds are eagerly eaten by pigeons and other birds. - - Pigeon hawk . (Zoology) (a) A small American falcon ( Falco columbarius ). The adult male is dark slate-blue above, streaked with black on the back; beneath, whitish or buff, streaked with brown. The tail is banded. (b) The American sharp- shinned hawk ( Accipiter velox, or fuscus ). -- Pigeon hole . (a) A hole for pigeons to enter a pigeon house . (b) See Pigeonhole . (c) plural An old English game, in which balls were rolled through little arches. Halliwell. -- Pigeon house , a dovecote. -- Pigeon pea (Botany) , the seed of Cajanus Indicus ; a kind of pulse used for food in the East and West Indies; also, the plant itself. -- Pigeon plum (Botany) , the edible drupes of two West African species of Chrysobalanus ( C. ellipticus and C. luteus ). -- Pigeon tremex . (Zoology) See under Tremex . -- Pigeon wood (Botany) , a name in the West Indies for the wood of several very different kinds of trees, species of Dipholis , Diospyros , and Coccoloba . -- Pigeon woodpecker (Zoology) , the flicker. -- Prairie pigeon . (Zoology) (a) The upland plover . (b) The golden plover. [ Local, U.S.]

Pigeon Pi"geon transitive verb To pluck; to fleece; to swindle by tricks in gambling. [ Slang] Smart.

He's pigeoned and undone.

Observer.

Pigeon-breasted Pi"geon-breast`ed adjective Having a breast like a pigeon, -- the sternum being so prominent as to constitute a deformity; chicken-breasted.

Pigeon-hearted Pi"geon-heart`ed adjective Timid; easily frightened; chicken-hearted. Beau. & Fl.

Pigeon-livered Pi"geon-liv`ered adjective Pigeon- hearted.

Pigeonfoot Pi"geon·foot` noun (Botany) The dove's-foot geranium ( Geranium molle ).

Pigeonhole Pi"geon·hole` noun A small compartment in a desk or case for the keeping of letters, documents, etc.; -- so called from the resemblance of a row of them to the compartments in a dovecote. Burke.

Pigeonhole Pi"geon·hole` transitive verb To place in the pigeonhole of a case or cabinet; hence, to put away; to lay aside indefinitely; as, to pigeonhole a letter or a report.

Pigeonry Pi"geon·ry noun A place for pigeons; a dovecote.

Pigeontoed Pi"geon·toed` adjective Having the toes turned in.

Pigeonwing Pi"geon·wing` noun 1. A wing of a pigeon, or a wing like it.

2. An old mode of dressing men's side hair in a form likened to a pigeon's wings; also, a wig similarly shaped.

3. (Dancing) A fancy step executed by jumping and striking the legs together; as, to cut a pigeonwing .

4. A certain fancy figure in skating.

5. (Tempering) A color, brown shaded with purple, coming between dark brown and light blue in the table of colors in drawing the temper of hardened steel.

Pigfish Pig"fish` noun (Zoology) (a) Any one of several species of salt-water grunts; -- called also hogfish . (b) A sculpin. The name is also applied locally to several other fishes.

Pigfoot Pig"foot` noun (Zoology) A marine fish ( Scorpæna porcus ), native of Europe. It is reddish brown, mottled with dark brown and black.

Pigg Pigg noun A piggin. See 1st Pig . Sir W. Scott.

Piggery Pig"ger·y noun ; plural Piggeries A place where swine are kept.

Piggin Pig"gin noun [ Scot.; confer Gael. pigean , dim. of pigeadh , pige , an earthen jar, pitcher, or pot, Ir. pigin , pighead , W. piccyn .] A small wooden pail or tub with an upright stave for a handle, -- often used as a dipper.

Piggish Pig"gish adjective Relating to, or like, a pig; greedy.

Pight Pight imperfect & past participle of Pitch , to throw; -- used also adjectively. Pitched; fixed; determined. [ Obsolete]

[ His horse] pight him on the pommel of his head.

Chaucer.

I found him pight to do it.

Shak.

Pightel Pigh"tel noun [ Confer Pight , Picle .] A small inclosure. [ Written also pightle .] [ Obsolete or Prov. Eng.]

Pigmean Pig·me"an adjective See Pygmean .

Pigment Pig"ment noun [ Latin pigmentum , from the root of pingere to paint: confer French pigment . See Paint , and confer Pimento , Orpiment .] 1. Any material from which a dye, a paint, or the like, may be prepared; particularly, the refined and purified coloring matter ready for mixing with an appropriate vehicle.

2. (Physiol.) Any one of the colored substances found in animal and vegetable tissues and fluids, as bilirubin, urobilin, chlorophyll, etc.

3. Wine flavored with species and honey. Sir W. Scott.

Pigment cell (Physiol.) , a small cell containing coloring matter, as the pigmented epithelial cells of the choroid and iris, or the pigmented connective tissue cells in the skin of fishes, reptiles, etc.

Pigmental, Pigmentary Pig·men"tal, Pig"men·ta·ry adjective Of or pertaining to pigments; furnished with pigments. Dunglison.

Pigmentary degeneration (Medicine) , a morbid condition in which an undue amount of pigment is deposited in the tissues.

Pigmentation Pig`men·ta"tion noun (Physiol.) A deposition, esp. an excessive deposition, of coloring matter; as, pigmentation of the liver.

Pigmented Pig"ment·ed adjective Colored; specifically (Biol.) , filled or imbued with pigment; as, pigmented epithelial cells; pigmented granules.

Pigmentous Pig·men"tous adjective Pigmental.

Pigmy Pig"my noun See Pygmy .

Pigmy falcon . (Zoology) Same as Falconet , 2 (a) .

Pignerate Pig"ner·ate transitive verb [ Latin pigneratus , past participle of pignerate to pledge.] 1. To pledge or pawn. [ Obsolete]

2. to receive in pawn, as a pawnbroker does. [ Obsolete]

Pignoration Pig`no·ra"tion noun [ Late Latin pignoratio , Latin pigneratio , from pignerate to pledge, from pignus , gen. -ous and -eris , a pledge, a pawn: confer French pignoration .] 1. The act of pledging or pawning.

2. (Civil Law) The taking of cattle doing damage, by way of pledge, till satisfaction is made. Burrill.

Pignorative Pig"no·ra·tive adjective [ Confer French pignoratif .] Pledging, pawning. [ R.]

Pignus Pig"nus noun ; plural Pignora . [ Latin ] (Rom. Law) A pledge or pawn.

Pignut Pig"nut noun (Botany) (a) See Groundnut (d) . (b) The bitter- flavored nut of a species of hickory ( Carya glabra, or porcina ); also, the tree itself.

Pigpen Pig"pen` noun A pen, or sty, for pigs.

Pigskin Pig"skin` noun The skin of a pig, -- used chiefly for making saddles; hence, a colloquial or slang term for a saddle.

Pigskin Pig"skin` noun A football; -- so called because the covering is often made of pigskin. [ Colloq.]

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