List of Abbreviations Used in This Dictionary (part 5)

Poor, pōōr, adj. having little or nothing: without means: needy: spiritless: depressed: (B.) humble: contrite: wanting in appearance: lean: wanting in strength: weak: wanting in value: inferior: wanting in fertility: sterile: wanting in fitness, beauty, or dignity: trifling: paltry: dear (endearingly).—ns. Poor′house, a house established at the public expense for sheltering the poor: an almshouse; Poor′john (Shak.), a coarse kind of fish, the hake when salted.—n.pl. Poor′-laws, laws providing for the support of the poor.—adv. Poor′ly.—ns. Poor′ness; Poor′-rate, a rate or tax for the support of the poor; Poor′-Rob′in, an almanac; Poor's′-box, a box for receiving contributions to the poor.—adj. Poor′-spir′ited, cowardly: mean.—ns. Poor′-spir′itedness, cowardice; Poor's′-roll (Scots law), the list of poor persons who are litigants, but unable to pay the expenses of litigation, and therefore are allowed to sue in formâ pauperis.—Poor man of mutton (Scot.), cold mutton broiled, esp. the shoulder; Poor man's herb, the hedge-hyssop; Poor Will, a common American bird of the genus Phalænoptilus.—The poor, poor people collectively: those depending on public or private charity. [O. Fr. poure, povre (Fr. pauvre)—L. pauper, poor.]

Poortith, pōōr′tith, n. (Scot.) poverty.

Pop, pop, v.i. to make a sharp, quick sound: to dart: to move quickly: to propose marriage.—v.t. to cause to make a sudden report: to thrust suddenly: to bring suddenly into notice: (slang) to pawn:—pr.p. pop′ping; pa.t. and pa.p. popped.—n. a sharp, quick sound or report: an effervescent beverage: (slang) a pistol.—adv. suddenly.—adj. coming without warning.—v.t. Pop′-corn, to parch maize till it bursts open.—n. corn so prepared.—n.pl. Pop′-eyes, prominent eyes.—ns. Pop′-gun, a tube and rammer for shooting pellets, which makes a noise by the expansion of compressed air; Pop′per, anything that makes a popping sound; Pop′-shop, a pawnshop; Pop′-weed, a name for the bladderwort.—Pop off, to disappear all at once; Pop the question, to make an offer of marriage. [Imit.]

Pope, pōp, n. the bishop of Rome, head of the R.C. Church: a priest of the Eastern Church: the autocratic head of any church or organisation.—ns. Pope′dom, office, dignity, or jurisdiction of the pope; Pope′hood, Pope′ship, the condition of being pope; Pope′ling, a little pope; Pop′ery, the religion of which the pope is the head: Roman Catholicism; Pope's′-eye, the gland surrounded with fat in the middle of the thigh of an ox or a sheep; Pope's′-head, a long-handled brush; Pope's′-nose, the fleshy part of a bird's tail.—adj. Pop′ish, relating to the pope or to popery: taught by popery.—adv. Pop′ishly.—Pope Joan, a game at cards in which the eight of diamonds is removed. [A.S. pápa—L. papa, a father.]

Pope, pōp, n. a kind of perch. [Ety. obscure.]

Popinjay, pop′in-jā, n. a parrot: a mark like a parrot, put on a pole to be shot at: a fop or coxcomb. [O. Fr. papegai—Low L. papagallus—Late Gr. papagas, a parrot; prob. Eastern.]

Popjoying, pop′joi-ing, n. sport: amusement. [Perh. conn. with popinjay.]

Poplar, pop′lar, n. a tree common in the northern hemisphere, of rapid growth, and having diœcious flowers arranged in catkins, both male and female flowers with an oblique cup-shaped perianth. [O. Fr. poplier—L. pōpulus, poplar-tree.]

Poplin, pop′lin, n. a kind of cloth consisting of a warp of silk and a weft of worsted, the latter, being thicker than the former, giving a corded appearance. [Fr. popeline. Ety. unknown.]

Popliteal, pop-li-tē′al, adj. of or pertaining to the back of the knee.—Also Poplit′ic. [L. poples, poplitis, the hock.]

Poppet, pop′et, n. a puppet: a piece of timber used to support a vessel while being launched: one of the heads of a lathe. [Puppet.]

Popple, pop′l, v.i. to flow, to bob up and down.

Poppy, pop′i, n. a plant having large showy flowers, from one species of which opium is obtained.—adj. Popp′ied, covered or filled with poppies: listless, as the effects of opium.—ns. Popp′y-head, a carved ornament in wood, often finishing the end of a pew; Popp′y-oil, a fixed oil from the seeds of the opium-poppy. [A.S. popig—L. papaver, poppy.]

Populace, pop′ū-lās, n. the common people: those who are not distinguished by rank, education, office, &c. [Fr.,—It. popolazzo—L. populus, people.]

Popular, pop′ū-lar, adj. pertaining to the people: pleasing to, or prevailing among, the people: enjoying the favour of the people: easily understood: inferior: (Shak.) vulgar.—n. Popularisā′tion.—v.t. Pop′ularise, to make popular or suitable to the people: to spread among the people.—ns. Pop′ulariser; Popular′ity, Pop′ularness, quality or state of being popular or pleasing to the people: favour with the people: a desire to obtain favour with the people.—adv. Pop′ularly.—v.t. Pop′ulāte, to people: to furnish with inhabitants.—v.i. to increase in numbers.—adj. populous.—n. Populā′tion, act of populating: the number of the inhabitants of any place.—adj. Pop′ulous, full of people: numerously inhabited: (Shak.) numerous.—adv. Pop′ulously.—n. Pop′ulousness. [Fr. populaire—L. popularis—populus, the people.]

Poral, pō′ral. See Pore.

Porbeagle, por-bē′gl, n. a kind of tope or mackerel-shark. [Fr. porc, a hog + Eng. beagle.]

Porcate, por′kāt, adj. ridged.

Porcelain, pors′lān, n. a fine earthenware, white, thin, semi-transparent, first made in China: china-ware.—adj. of the nature of porcelain.—adjs. Por′celānous, Porcellā′neous, Por′cellānous.—n. Por′cellanite, a very hard, impure, jaspideous rock.—Cast, or Fusible, porcelain, a milky glass made of silica and cryolite with oxide of zinc; Egg-shell porcelain, an extremely thin and translucent porcelain; False porcelain, a name given to the artificial or soft-paste porcelain; Frit porcelain, a name given to artificial soft-paste English porcelain, from its vitreous nature; Tender porcelain, a ware imitating hard-paste or natural porcelain. [O. Fr. porcelaine—It. porcellana, the Venus' shell—L. porcella, a young sow—porcus, a pig.]

Porch, pōrch, n. a building forming an enclosure or protection for a doorway: a portico at the entrance of churches and other buildings: the public porch on the agora of Athens where Zeno the Stoic taught: (fig.) the Stoic philosophy. [O. Fr. porche (It. portico)—L. porticus—porta, a gate.]

Porcine, por′sīn, adj. pertaining to or resembling swine: swinish. [L. porcinus—porcus, a swine.]

Porcupine, por′kū-pīn, n. one of the largest of rodent quadrupeds, covered with spines or quills. [O. Fr. porc espin—L. porcus, a pig, spina, a spine.]

Pore, pōr, n. a minute passage in the skin for the perspiration: an opening between the molecules of a body.—adjs. Pō′ral, of or pertaining to pores; Pō′riform, in the form of a pore.—ns. Pō′riness, Poros′ity, Pō′rousness, quality of being porous—opp. to Density.—adjs. Pō′rose, containing pores; Pō′rous, Pō′ry, having pores: that can be penetrated by fluid.—adv. Pō′rously. [Fr.,—L. porus—Gr. poros, a passage.]

Pore, pōr, v.i. to look with steady attention on: to study closely.—n. Pō′rer. [Peer, to peep.]

Porgy, Porgie, por′ji, n. a fish of the genus Pagrus.

Porifera, pō-rif′e-ra, n.pl. sponges:—sing. Por′ifer.—adjs. Porif′eral, Porif′erous. [L. porus, a pore, ferre, to bear.]

Porism, por′ism, n. a proposition affirming the possibility of finding such conditions as will render a certain problem capable of innumerable solutions.—adjs. Porismat′ic, -al; Poris′tic, -al, reducing a determinate problem to an indeterminate. [Gr. porizein, to procure—poros, a way.]

Pork, pōrk, n. the flesh of swine: (Milt.) a stupid fellow.—ns. Pork′-butch′er, one who kills pigs; Pork′-chop, a slice from a pig's rib; Pork′er, a young hog: a pig fed for pork; Pork′ling, a young pig; Pork′-pie, a pie made of pastry and minced pork.—adj. Pork′y, fat.—Pork-pie hat, a hat somewhat like a pie in shape worn by men and women about the middle of the 19th century. [Fr. porc—L. porcus, a hog.]

Pornocracy, pōr-nok′rā-si, n. the influence of courtezans—applied esp. to the dominant influence of certain profligate women over the Papal court in the earlier half of the 10th century.—ns. Por′nograph, an obscene picture or writing; Pornog′rapher, a writer of such.—adj. Pornograph′ic.—n. Pornog′raphy, the discussion of prostitution: obscene writing. [Gr. pornē, a whore, kratein, to rule.]

Porosis, pō-rō′sis, n. formation of callus, the knitting together of broken bones.

Porotype, pō′rō-tīp, n. a copy of an engraved print made by placing it on chemically prepared paper and subjecting to the action of a gas. [Gr. poros, a pore, typos, an impression.]

Porpentine, por′pen-tīn, n. (Shak.) a porcupine.

Porpess, Porpesse, por′pes, n. Same as Porpoise.

Porphyrio, por-fir′i-ō, n. a genus of Rallidæ, the hyacinthine gallinules.

Porphyrogenitus, por-fir-ō-jen′i-tus, n. a title given to the Byzantine emperor, Constantine VII. (912-959), meaning 'born in the purple.'—n. Porphyrogen′itism, the Byzantine principle of the first son born after his father's accession succeeding to the throne. [Gr. porphyra, purple, gennain, to beget.]

Porphyry, por′fir-i, n. a very hard, variegated rock, of a purple and white colour, used in sculpture (porfido rosso antico): an igneous rock having a ground-mass enclosing crystals of feldspar or quartz.—v.t. Por′phyrise, to cause to resemble porphyry: to make of a spotted appearance.—n. Por′phyrite, one of the crystalline igneous rocks, which consists principally of plagioclase.—adjs. Porphyrit′ic, Porphyrā′ceous, resembling or consisting of porphyry.—n. Por′phyroid, a crystalline and schistose rock containing porphyritic crystals of feldspar. [Through Fr. and L. from Gr. porphyrites—porphyra, purple.]

Porpoise, por′pus, n. a genus of Cetecea in the family Delphinidæ, 4 to 8 feet long, gregarious, affording oil and leather—anciently Por′pess. [O. Fr. porpeis—L. porcus, a hog, piscis, a fish.]

Porporino, por-pō-rē′nō, n. an old alloy of quicksilver, tin, and sulphur, used in place of gold. [It.]

Porraceous, po-rā′shus, adj. greenish like the leek. [L. porrum, a leek.]

Porrection, po-rek′shun, n. the action of delivering as by outstretched hands.—adj. Porrect′, extended forward. [L., porrigĕre, to stretch out.]

Porridge, por′ij, n. a kind of pudding usually made by slowly stirring oatmeal amongst boiling water: a kind of broth, made by boiling vegetables in water. [Through O. Fr., from Low L. porrata—L. porrum, a leek. The affix -idge (= -age) arose through confusion with pottage.]

Porrigo, po-rī′gō, n. a general name for various skin diseases.—adj. Porrig′inous. [L.]

Porringer, por′in-jėr, n. a small dish for porridge: (Shak.) a head-dress shaped like such a dish.—Also Porr′enger. [From porrige=porridge, with inserted n as in passenger.]

Port, pōrt, n. the larboard or left side of a ship.—v.t. to turn to the left, as the helm.—v.i. to turn to larboard or left. [Ety. dub.]

Port, pōrt, n. martial music on the bagpipes. [Gael.]

Port, pōrt, n. bearing: demeanour: carriage of the body.—v.t. to hold, as a musket, in a slanting direction upward across the body.—ns. Portabil′ity, Port′ableness, the state of being portable.—adj. Port′able, that may be carried: not bulky or heavy.—ns. Port′age, act of carrying: carriage: price of carriage: a space between two rivers, canals, &c., over which goods and boats have to be carried; Port′ance (Spens.), carriage, bearing.—adjs. Por′tāte (her.), in a position as if being carried; Por′tatile, portable; Por′tative, easily carried.—ns. Port′-cray′on, a metallic handle for holding a crayon; Porte′-bonheur′, a charm carried for luck; Porte′-cochère, a carriage entrance leading from the street into a building; Porte′-mon′naie, a small clasped pocket-book for holding money; Port′-fire, a slow-match or match-cord. [Fr.,—L. portāre, to carry.]

Port, pōrt, n. a harbour: a haven or safe station for vessels: a place from which vessels start, and at which they finish their voyages.—n. Port′-ad′miral, the admiral commanding at a naval port.—n.pl. Port′-charg′es, payments which a ship has to pay while in harbour.—n. Port′-ward′en, the officer in charge of a port: a harbour-master.—Port of call, a port where vessels can call for stores or repairs; Port of entry, a port where merchandise is allowed by law to enter.—Free port, a port where no duty has to be paid on landing goods. [A.S. port—L. portus; akin to L. porta, a gate.]

Port, pōrt, n. a gate or entrance, esp. of a walled town: an opening in the side of a ship for light or air: an opening through which guns can be fired: the lid of a porthole: a passage in a machine for oil, steam, &c.—n. Port′age (Shak.), an opening. [Fr. porte—L. porta, gate.]

Port, pōrt, n. a dark-red wine from Oporto, Portugal.

Porta, pōr′ta, n. the part of an organ where its vessels and ducts enter, esp. the transverse fissure of the liver: the foramen of Monro.

Portal, pōrt′al, n. a small gate: any entrance: (archit.) the arch over a gate: the lesser of two gates.—Portal circulation, the capillary transmission of venous blood from one organ to another in its passage to the heart; Portal system, the portal vein with its tributaries, &c.; Portal vein, the vein which conveys to the liver the venous blood from intestines, spleen, and stomach. [O. Fr. (Fr. portail)—Low L. portale—L. porta, a gate.]

Portcullis, pōrt-kul′is, n. a sliding door of cross timbers pointed with iron, hung over a gateway, so as to be let down in a moment to keep out an enemy: (her.) a lattice: one of the pursuivants of the English College of Heralds: an Elizabethan coin bearing a portcullis on the reverse.—v.t. to obstruct, as with a portcullis. [O. Fr. portecoulisse—porte, a gate, coulisse, a groove—L. colāre, to strain.]

Porte, pōrt, n. the Turkish government, so called from the 'High Gate,' or 'Sublime Porte,' the chief office of the Ottoman government.

Portend, por-tend′, v.t. to indicate the future by signs: to betoken: presage.—n. Por′tent, that which portends or foreshows: an evil omen.—adj. Portent′ous, serving to portend: foreshadowing ill: wonderful, dreadful, prodigious.—adv. Portent′ously. [L. portendĕre, portentum—pro, forth, tendĕre, to stretch.]

Porter, pōrt′ėr, n. a door-keeper or gate-keeper: one who waits at the door to receive messages:—fem. Port′eress, Port′ress.—n. Port′erage, the office or duty of a porter.—Porter's lodge, a house or an apartment near a gate for the use of the porter. [O. Fr. portier—Low L. portarius—L. porta, a gate.]

Porter, pōrt′ėr, n. one who carries burdens for hire: a dark-brown malt liquor, prob. because a favourite drink with London porters.—ns. Port′erage, carriage: charge made by a porter for carrying goods; Port′er-house, a restaurant; Port′erhouse-steak (U.S.), a choice cut of beef-steak next to the sirloin.—adv. Port′erly, like a porter: coarse. [O. Fr. porteur—L. portāre, to carry.]

Portfolio, pōrt-fō′li-ō, n. a portable case for loose papers, drawings, &c.: a collection of such papers: the office of a minister of state. [Sp. portafolio—L. portāre, to carry, folium, a leaf.]

Porthole, pōrt′hōl, n. a hole or opening in a ship's side for light and air, or for pointing a gun through. [Port, a gate, and hole.]

Portico, pōr′ti-kō, n. (archit.) a range of columns in the front of a building: a colonnade: a porch before the entrance to a building: the Stoic philosophy:—pl. Por′ticoes, Por′ticos.—adj. Por′ticoed, furnished with a portico. [It.,—L. porticus, a porch.]

Portière, por-tyār′, n. a curtain hung over the door or doorway of a room. [Fr.]

Portiforium, pōr-ti-fō′ri-um, n. a breviary:—pl. Portifō′ria.—Also Port′fory, Port′ous, Port′uary.

Portify, pōr′ti-fī, v.t. (hum.) to give one's self undue importance. [Port, the wine of that name, -fy, from L. facĕre, to make, from the saying, 'Claret would be port if it could.']

Portion, pōr′shun, n. a part: an allotment: fate: destiny: dividend: the part of an estate descending to an heir: a wife's fortune.—v.t. to divide into portions: to allot a share: to furnish with a portion.—adj. Por′tioned, having a portion or endowment.—ns. Por′tioner, one who portions or assigns shares: (Scots law) the occupier of a small feu or portion of land: one of two or more incumbents on a benefice at one time; Por′tionist, one who has an academical allowance: the incumbent of a benefice which has more than one rector or vicar.—adj. Por′tionless, having no portion, dowry, or property.—Marriage portion, a gift given by a parent or guardian to a bride on her marriage. [O. Fr.,—L. portio, portionis, akin to pars, a part.]

Portland vase. See Vase.

Portly, pōrt′li, adj. having a dignified port or mien: corpulent: (Shak.) swelling.—n. Port′liness, state of being portly. [Port, bearing.]

Portman, pōrt′man, n. an inhabitant of a port-town, or one of the Cinque Ports.—n. Port′-mote, a mote composed of such citizens.

Portmanteau, port-man′tō, n. a bag for carrying apparel, &c., on journeys: a hook on which to hang clothing.—Also Portman′tua (obs.). [Fr.,—porter, to carry, manteau, a cloak.]

Portoise, pōr′tiz, n. the gunwale of a boat.—Also Port′last.

Portrait, pōr′trāt, n. the likeness of a person, esp. of his face: a vivid description in words.—v.t. (obs.) to portray.—ns. Por′traitist, a portrait-painter; Por′traiture, a likeness: the drawing of portraits, or describing in words: a collection of pictures.—v.t. Portray (pōr-trā′), to paint or draw the likeness of: to describe in words: (obs.) to adorn.—ns. Portray′al, the act of portraying; Portray′er.—Composite portraits, a method of indicating the facial characteristics of a family or group of persons, while at the same time suppressing the peculiarities of individual members. [O. Fr. portrait, portraire—L. pro, forth, trahĕre, to draw.]

Portreeve, pōrt′rēv, n. once the name of the principal magistrate in a port-town, esp. in London. [A.S. portgeréfa—port, a port, geréfa, a reeve.]

Portuguese, pōr′tū-gēz, adj. of or pertaining to Portugal or to its inhabitants.—n. the people, a single inhabitant, or the language of Portugal.—Portuguese man-of-war, a species of Physalia.

Portulaceæ, pōr-tū-lā′sē-ē, n.pl. a natural order of exogenous plants, shrubby or herbaceous, generally succulent, mostly growing in dry places. [L. portulaca, purslane.]

Porzana, pōr-zā′na, n. an old name of the small European water-rail or crake.

Pos, poz, adj. (slang) an abbreviation of positive.

Posada, pō-sä′dä, n. an inn. [Sp.,—posar, to lodge.]

Posaune, pō-zow′ne, n. the trombone. [Ger.]

Pose, pōz, n. a position: an attitude, either natural or assumed.—v.i. to assume an attitude.—v.t. to put in a suitable attitude: to posit. [Fr.,—poser, to place—Low L. pausare, to cease—L. pausa, pause—Gr. pausis. Between Fr. poser and L. ponĕre, positum, there has been confusion, which has influenced the derivatives of both words.]

Pose, pōz, v.t. to puzzle: to perplex by questions: to bring to a stand.—ns. Pō′ser, one who, or that which, poses: a difficult question; Pō′sing.—adv. Pō′singly. [M. E. apposen, a corr. of oppose, which in the schools meant to 'argue against.']

Posé, po-zā′, adj. (her.) standing still.

Position, po-zish′un, n. place, situation: attitude: a place taken or to be taken by troops: state of affairs: the ground taken in argument or in a dispute: principle laid down: place in society: method of finding the value of an unknown quantity by assuming one or more values (single, when one is assumed; double, when two).—v.t. Posit (poz′it), to place in right position or relation: to lay down as something true or granted.—adj. Posi′tional.—Strategic position, a position taken up by troops to check the movements of an enemy. [Fr.,—L.—ponĕre, positum, to place.]

Positive, poz′i-tiv, adj. definitely placed or laid down: clearly expressed: really existing: actual: not admitting of any doubt or qualification: decisive: settled by distinct appointment: arbitrarily prescribed, laid down—opp. to Natural: too confident in opinion: fully assured: certain: (gram.) noting the simple form of an adjective—as Positive degree of comparison: (math.) greater than zero, to be added, as Positive quantity: (phot.) having the lights and shades in the picture the same as in the original, instead of being reversed: (electr.) having a relatively high potential—opp. to Negative (q.v.).—n. that which is placed or laid down: that which may be affirmed: reality: a positive picture—opp. to Negative.—adv. Pos′itively.—ns. Pos′itiveness, state or quality of being positive: certainty: confidence; Pos′itivism, actual or absolute knowledge; Pos′itivist, a believer in positivism.—Pos′itivism, Positive philosophy, the philosophical system originated by Comte (1798-1857)—its foundation the doctrine that man can have no knowledge of anything but phenomena, and that the knowledge of phenomena is relative, not absolute. [Fr.,—L. positivus, fixed by agreement—ponĕre, to place.]

Posnet, pos′net, n. a small basin. [O. Fr. pocenet.]

Posology, pō-sol′ō-ji, n. the science of quantity.—adjs. Posolog′ic, -al. [Gr. posos, how much, logia, discourse.]

Posse, pos′ē, n. power: possibility.—Posse comitatus, the power of the county: the body of men entitled to be called out by the sheriff to aid in enforcing the law. [L. posse, to be able.]

Possess, poz-zes′, v.t. to have or hold as an owner: to have the control of: to inform: to seize: to enter into and influence: to put (one's self) in possession (of): (Spens.) to achieve: (Shak.) put in possession of information, convince.—adj. Possessed′, influenced by some evil spirit, demented.—n. Posses′sion, act of possessing: the thing possessed: a country taken by conquest: property: state of being possessed, as by an evil spirit: madness.—adjs. Posses′sionary, Posses′sive, pertaining to or denoting possession.—n. Posses′sive (gram.), a pronoun denoting possession: the possessive case.—adv. Posses′sively.—n. Posses′sor, one who possesses: owner: proprietor: occupant.—adj. Posses′sory, relating to a possessor or possession: having possession.—Give possession, to put in another's power or occupancy; Take possession, to assume ownership; Writ of possession, a process directing a sheriff to put a person in possession of property recovered in ejectment. [Fr.,—L. possidēre, possessum.]

Posset, pos′et, n. a dietetic preparation, made by curdling milk with some acidulous liquor, such as wine, ale, or vinegar.—v.t. (Shak.) to curdle.—Posset cup, a large cup or covered bowl for posset. [Prob. Ir. pusoid, a posset; cf. W. posel.]

Possible, pos′i-bl, adj. that may be or happen: that may be done: not contrary to the nature of things.—n. Possibil′ity, state of being possible: that which is possible: a contingency.—adv. Poss′ibly. [Fr.,—L. possibilis—posse, to be able.]

Possum, pos′um, n. Same as Opossum.

Post, pōst, n. a piece of timber fixed in the ground, generally as a support to something else: a pillar.—v.t. to fix on or to a post, or to any conspicuous position, in a public place: to expose to public reproach, to placard as having failed in an examination, &c.—n. Post′er, one who posts bills: a large printed bill or placard for posting.—From pillar to post (see Pillar). [A.S. post—L. postis, a doorpost—ponĕre, to place.]

Post, pōst, n. a fixed place, as a military station: a fixed place or stage on a road: an office: one who travels by stages, esp. carrying letters, &c.: a public letter-carrier: an established system of conveying letters: (Shak.) a post-horse: (Shak.) haste: a size of writing-paper, double that of common note-paper (so called from the water-mark, a postman's horn).—v.t. to set or station: to put in the post-office: (book-k.) to transfer from the journal to the ledger: to supply with necessary information, as to post up (cf. Well posted up).—v.i to travel with post-horses, or with speed.—adv. with posthorses: with speed.—ns. Post′age, the act of going by post: journey: money paid for conveyance of letters, &c., by post or mail; Post′age-stamp, an adhesive stamp for affixing to letters to show that the postal charge has been paid.—adj. Post′al, of or pertaining to the mail-service.—ns. Post′-bag, a mail-bag; Post′-bill, a way-bill of the letters sent from a post-office; Post′boy, a boy that rides posthorses, or who carries letters; Post′-card, a stamped card on which a message may be sent by post; Post′-chaise, Post′-char′iot, a chaise or carriage with four wheels let for hire for the conveyance of those who travel with posthorses.—v.i. Post′-chaise, to travel by post-chaise.—ns. Post′-day, the day on which the post or mail arrives or departs; Post′er, one who travels by post: (Shak.) a courier: one who travels expeditiously: a posthorse.—adj. Post′-free, delivered by the post without payment.—n. Posthaste′, haste in travelling like that of a post.—adj. speedy: immediate.—adv. with haste or speed.—ns. Post′-horn, a postman's horn: a horn blown by the driver of a mail-coach; Post′horse, a horse kept for posting; Post′house, a house where horses are kept for the use of parties posting: a post-office; Post′man, a post or courier: a letter-carrier; Post′mark, the mark or stamp put upon a letter at a post-office showing the time and place of reception and delivery; Post′master, the manager or superintendent of a post-office: one who supplies posthorses: at Merton College, Oxford, a scholar who is supported on the foundation; Post′master-Gen′eral, the minister who is the chief officer of the post-office department; Post′-off′ice, an office for receiving and transmitting letters by post: a department of the government which has charge of the reception and conveyance of letters.—adj. Post′-paid, having the postage paid, as a letter.—ns. Post′-time, the time for the despatch or for the delivery of letters; Post′-town, a town with a post-office.—Postal note, a note for a fixed designated sum issued by a postmaster, payable at any office; Postal order, an order issued by the postmaster authorising the holder to receive at some particular post-office payment of the sum marked on it. [Fr. poste—L. ponĕre, positum, to place.]

Post, pōst, adv. and prep. after, behind—in compounds as Post-abdominal, Post-anal, Post-axial, Post-brachial, Post-canonical, Post-clavicle, Post-embryonic, &c.—adj. Post′-class′ical, after those Greek and Latin writers styled classical, but before the medieval.—n. Post′-commun′ion, the part of the eucharistic office after the act of communion.—adj. succeeding communion.—v.t. Postdate′, to date after the real time.—n. a date on a letter later than the real date on which it was written.—adjs. Post′-dilū′vial, Post′-dilū′vian, being or happening after the deluge.—ns. Post′-dilū′vian, one who has lived since the deluge; Post′-en′try, an additional entry of merchandise at a custom-house.—adjs. Post′-exil′ic, Post′-exil′ian, after the time of the Babylonian captivity of the Jews.—ns. Post′-exist′ence, future existence; Post′fix, a letter, syllable, or word fixed to or put after another word, an affix.—v.t. Postfix′, to add to the end of another word.—adjs. Post′-glā′cial, after the glacial epoch; Post′-grad′uate, belonging to study pursued after graduation; Post′-merid′ian, coming after the sun has crossed the meridian: in the afternoon (written P.M.).—n. Post′-millenā′rian, one who believes in post-millennialism.—adj. Post′-millenn′ial.—n. Post′-millenn′ialism, the doctrine that the second coming of Christ will follow the millennium.—adj. Post′-mor′tem, after death.—n. a post-mortem examination.—adjs. Post′-nā′tal, after birth; Post′-nī′cene, after the first general council at Nicæa in 325 A.D.—n. Post′-note, a note issued by a bank, payable at some future time.—adj. Post′-nup′tial, being or happening after marriage.—ns. Post′-ō′bit, a bond or security given by heirs and others entitled to reversionary interests, whereby in consideration of a sum of money presently advanced, the debtor binds himself to pay a much larger sum after the death of some person, or of himself; Post′-posi′tion, the state of being put back or out of the regular place: (gram.) a word or particle placed after a word—opp. to a preposition, which is placed before.—adjs. Post′-pos′itive; Post′-remote′, more remote in subsequent time or order; Post′-ter′tiary, more recent than the Tertiary.—n. the most recent geological division. [L.]

Post-captain, pōst′-kap′tān, n. a captain in the British navy, so called in contradistinction to a commander because his name was 'posted' in the seniority list.

Poste restante, pōst res-tant′, n. a place in a post-office where letters are kept till called for. [Fr. poste, post-office, and pr.p. of rester, to remain.]

Posterior, pos-tē′ri-or, adj. coming after: later in time or in position: situated behind: hinder.—n. Posterior′ity, state of being posterior—opp. to Priority.—adv. Postē′riorly.—n.pl. Postē′riors, short for posterior parts: (hum.) the latter part, buttock.—n. Poster′ity, those coming after: succeeding generations: descendants: a race. [L., comp. of posterus, coming after—post, after.]

Postern, pōst′ėrn, n. a back door or gate: a small private door: (fort.) a covered passage between the main ditch and the outworks of a fort, usually closed by a gate.—adj. back: private. [O. Fr. posterne, posterle—L. posterula, a dim. from posterus.]

Posthumous, post′ū-mus, adj. born after the father's death: published after the death of the author.—adv. Post′humously. [L. posthumus, postumus, superl. of posterus, coming after—post, after.]

Postiche, pos-tēsh′, adj. added after the work is finished. [Fr.]

Postil, pos′til, n. a note in the margin of the Bible, so called because written after the text or other words: a marginal note: (R.C.) a homily read after the gospel.—v.t. and v.i. to make such notes.—n. Postil′la, a sermon or homily explanatory of the gospel in the mass: any sermon.—v.t. and v.i. Pos′tillate, to write or deliver a postil.—ns. Postillā′tion; Pos′tiller, one who comments: a preacher. [O. Fr. postille (It. postilla)—Low L. postilla—L. post illa (verba), after those (words).]

Postillion, pōs-til′yun, n. a postboy: one who guides posthorses, or horses in any carriage, riding on one of them. [Fr. postillon.]

Postliminy, post-lim′i-ni, n. the right by which persons or things taken in war by the enemy are restored to their former status upon their coming again under the power of the nation to which they belonged: the return of a prisoner, exile, &c. to his former status.—adjs. Postlim′inary, Postlimin′iary. [L. postliminium.]

Postpone, pōst-pōn′, v.t. to put off to a future time: to defer: to delay: to subordinate.—n. Postpone′ment, act of putting off to an after-time: temporary delay—also Postpō′nence (obs.). [L. postponĕre, -positum—post, after, ponĕre, to put.]

Post-prandial, pōst-pran′di-al, adj. after dinner. [L. post, after, prandium, a repast.]

Postscript, pōst′skript, n. a part added to a letter after the signature: an addition to a book after it is finished.—adj. Post′scriptal. [L., from post, after, scriptum, written, pa.p. of scribĕre, to write.]

Postulate, pos′tū-lāt, v.t. to assume without proof: to take for granted or without positive consent: (eccles.) to ask legitimate authority to admit a nominee by dispensation, when a canonical impediment is supposed to exist.—v.i. to make demands.—n. a position assumed as self-evident: (geom.) a self-evident problem: a petition: a condition for the accomplishment of anything.—ns. Pos′tulant, a candidate; Postulā′tion, the act of postulating: solicitation.—adjs. Pos′tulātory, supplicatory: assuming or assumed without proof as a postulate; Pos′tural. [L. postulāre, -ātum, to demand—poscĕre, to ask urgently.]

Posture, pos′tūr, n. the placing or position of the body, esp. of the parts of it with reference to each other: attitude: state or condition: disposition of mind.—v.t. to place in a particular manner.—v.i. to assume an affected manner.—ns. Pos′ture-mā′ker, Pos′ture-mas′ter, one who teaches or practises artificial postures of the body: an acrobat; Pos′turer, Pos′turist, an acrobat. [Fr.,—L. positura—ponĕre, positum, to place.]

Posy, pō′zi, n. a verse of poetry, esp. a motto or an inscription on a ring: a motto sent with a bouquet: a bouquet. [Poesy.]

Pot, pot, n. a metallic vessel for various purposes, esp. for cooking: a drinking vessel: an earthen vessel for plants: the quantity in a pot: (slang) a large sum of money, a prize.—v.t. to preserve in pots: to put in pots: to cook in a pot: to plant in a pot: to drain, as sugar, in a perforated cask: to shoot an enemy.—v.i. (Shak.) to tipple:—pr.p. pot′ting; pa.t. and pa.p. pot′ted.—n. Pot′-ale, refuse from a grain distillery.—adj. Pot′-bell′ied, having a prominent belly.—ns. Pot′-bell′y, a protuberant belly; Pot′-boil′er, a work in art or literature produced merely to secure the necessaries of life; Pot′-boy, a boy in a public-house who carries pots of ale to customers; Pot′-compan′ion, a comrade in drinking; Pot′-hang′er, a hook on which to hang a pot; Pot′-hat, a high-crowned felt hat, worn by men; Pot′-head, a stupid person; Pot′herb, any vegetable which is boiled and used as food.—n.pl. Pot′-holes, holes in the beds of rapid streams, made by an eddying current of water, which gives the stones a gyratory motion.—ns. Pot′-hook, a hook hung in a chimney for supporting a pot: a letter shaped like a pot-hook; Pot′-house, an ale-house; Pot′-hunt′er, one who hunts or fishes for profit; Pot′-lid, the cover of a pot; Pot′-liq′uor, a thin broth in which meat has been boiled; Pot′-luck, what may happen to be in the pot for a meal without special preparation; Pot′-man, a pot-companion: a pot-boy; Pot′-met′al, an alloy of copper and lead; Pot′-shop, a small public-house; Pot′-stick, a stick for stirring what is being cooked in a pot; Pot′stone, a massive variety of talc-schist, composed of a finely felted aggregate of talc, mica, and chlorite.—adj. Pot′-val′iant, brave owing to drink.—Potted meats, meats cooked, seasoned, and hermetically sealed in tins or jars.—Go to pot, to go to ruin, originally said of old metal, to go into the melting-pot; Keep the pot boiling, to procure the necessaries of life; Take pot-luck, to accept an invitation to a meal where no preparation for guests has been made. [M. E. pot, from the Celt., as Ir. pota, Gael. poit, W. pot.]

Potable, pō′ta-bl, adj. that may be drunk: liquid.—n. something drinkable.—n. Pō′tableness. [Fr.,—L. potabilis—pōtāre, to drink.]

Potamology, pot-a-mol′ō-ji, n. the scientific study of rivers.—n. Potamog′raphy.—adj. Potamolog′ical.

Potash, pot′ash, n. a powerful alkali, obtained from the ashes of plants—also Potass′.—n. Pot′ash-wa′ter, a kind of aerated water, which, when of full medicinal strength, contains fifteen grains of the bicarbonate of potash in each bottle—usually much less is put in. [Pot ashes.]

Potassa, pō-tas′a, n. [Latinised form of potash.]

Potassium, pō-tas′i-um, n. the metallic base of the alkali potash—it is of a bluish colour, and presents a strong metallic lustre. [Potassa.]

Potation, pō-tā′shun, n. act of drinking: a draught: the liquor drunk.—n. Potā′tor, a drinker.—adj. Pō′tātory. [L. potatio—pōtāre, -ātum, to drink.]

Potato, pō-tā′tō, n. one of the tubers of a plant almost universally cultivated for food in the temperate parts of the globe: the plant itself:—pl. Potā′toes.—ns. Potā′to-bee′tle, a North American beetle which commits fearful ravages among potatoes; Potā′to-bing (Scot.), a heap of potatoes to be preserved; Potā′to-bō′gle (Scot.), a scarecrow; Potā′to-disease′, -rot, a destructive disease of the potato caused by a parasitic fungus; Potā′to-fing′er (Shak.), a fat finger, used in contempt; Potā′to-fly, a dipterous insect of the same genus as the radish-fly, whose maggots are often abundant in bad potatoes in autumn.—Small potatoes (U.S.), anything petty or contemptible. [Sp. patata, batata, orig. Haytian.]

Potch, poch, v.i. (Shak.) to thrust, to push. [Fr. pocher; from root of poke.]

Potching-engine, poch′ing-en′jin, n. in paper-making, a machine in which washed rags are bleached.

Poteen, Potheen, po-tēn′, n. Irish whisky, esp. that illicitly distilled. [Ir. poitim, I drink.]

Potent, pō′tent, adj. strong: powerful in a physical or a moral sense: having great authority or influence.—n. a prince, potentate.—ns. Pō′tence, power: (her.) a marking of the shape of : in horology, the stud or counterbridge forming a step for the lower pivot of a verge (also Pō′tance); Pō′tency, power: authority: influence; Pō′tentate, one who possesses power: a prince.—adj. Pōten′tial, powerful, efficacious: existing in possibility, not in reality: (gram.) expressing power, possibility, liberty, or obligation.—n. anything that may be possible: a possibility: the name for a function in the mathematical theory of attractions: the power of a charge or current of electricity to do work.—n. Pōtential′ity.—adv. Pōten′tially.—n. Pōten′tiary, a person invested with power or influence.—v.t. Pōten′tiate, to give power to.—n. Pō′tentite, a blasting substance.—adv. Pō′tently.—n. Pō′tentness.—Potential energy, the power of doing work possessed by a body in virtue of the stresses which result from its position relatively to other bodies. [L. potens—potis, able, esse, to be.]

Potentilla, pō-ten-til′ä, n. a genus of plants of the natural order Rosaceæ, differing from Fragaria (strawberry) in the fruit having a dry instead of a succulent receptacle—well-known varieties are silver-weed and wild strawberry.

Pother, poth′ėr, n. bustle: confusion.—v.t. to puzzle: to perplex: to tease.—v.i. to make a pother. [Potter.]

Potiche, pō-tēsh′, n. a vase or jar of rounded form and short neck.—n. Potichomā′nia, the process of coating glass vessels on the inside with paper or linen decorations. [Fr.]

Potin, pō-tang′, n. an old compound of copper, zinc, lead, and tin. [Fr.]

Potion, pō′shun, n. a draught: a liquid medicine: a dose. [Fr.,—L. potio—pōtāre, to drink.]

Pot-pourri, pō-pōō-rē′, n. a ragout of meats, vegetables, &c.: a mixture of sweet-scented materials, chiefly dried flowers: medley of musical airs: a literary production composed of unconnected parts. [Fr. pot, pot, pourrir, to rot—L. putrēre, to putrefy.]

Potsherd, pot′shėrd, n. a piece of a broken pot—(obs.) Pot′-shard, Pot′-share. [Pot and A.S. sceard, a shred—sceran, to divide.]

Pottage, pot′āj, n. anything cooked in a pot: a thick soup of meat and vegetables: oatmeal porridge.—n. Pot′tinger, a pottage-maker. [Fr. potage—pot.]

Potter, pot′ėr, n. one who makes earthenware.—n. Pott′ery, earthenware vessels: a place where earthenware is manufactured: the business of a potter.—Potter's clay, clay used in the making of earthenware; Potter's field, a burial-place for strangers (Matt. xxvii. 7); Potter's wheel, a horizontal wheel on which clay vessels are shaped.

Potter, pot′ėr, v.i. to be fussily engaged about trifles: to loiter.—n. Pott′erer. [Prov. pote, to push.]

Potting, pot′ing, n. placing in a pot, as plants: preserving in a pot, as meats.

Pottle, pot′l, n. a little pot: a measure of four pints: a small basket for fruit.—adjs. Pott′le-bod′ied, having a body shaped like a pottle; Pott′le-deep, to the bottom of the tankard.—n. Pott′le-pot (Shak.), a drinking-vessel holding two quarts. [Pot.]

Pot-waller, pot′-wol′ėr, Pot-walloper, pot-wol′op-ėr, n. a pot-boiler: a voter in certain English boroughs where, before the Reform Bill of 1832, every one who boiled a pot—i.e. every male householder or lodger, was entitled to vote—also Pot′-wall′oner.—adj. Pot′-wall′oping. [Lit., 'pot-boiler,' the latter part of the word being from an Old Low Ger. wallen, to boil.]

Pouch, powch, n. a poke, pocket, or bag: the bag or sac of an animal.—v.t. to put into a pouch: to pocket, submit to.—adj. Pouched, having a pouch.—Pouched mouse, a genus of small, lean, long-tailed, agile rodents, with cheek-pouches; Pouched rat, a genus of plump, short-tailed rodents, with cheek-pouches which open externally. [O. Fr. poche; cf. Poke, a bag.]

Pouchong, pōō-shong′, n. a superior black tea.

Poudrette, pōō-dret′, n. manure of dried night-soil, charcoal, &c. [Fr.]

Pouffe, pōōf, n. in dressmaking, material gathered up into a kind of knot: a cushion stuffed so as to be very soft.—n. Pouf, plaited gauze attached to a head-dress, as in 18th century. [Fr.]

Poulaine, pōō-lān′, n. a long, pointed shoe. [O. Fr.]

Pouldred, powl′drd, adj. (Spens.) powdered.

Poulp, Poulpe, pōōlp, n. the octopus. [Fr.—L. polypus.]

Poult, pōlt, n. a little hen or fowl: a chicken.—ns. Poult′er (Shak.), Poult′erer, one who deals in fowls; Poult′-foot, a club-foot.—adj. Poult′-foot′ed (arch.), club-footed.—ns. Poult′ry, domestic fowls; Poult′ry-yard, a yard where poultry are confined and bred. [Fr. poulet, dim. of poule, fowl—L. pullus, the young of any animal.]

Poultice, pōl′tis, n. a soft composition of meal, bran, &c. applied to sores.—v.t. to put a poultice upon. [L. pultes, pl. of puls, pultis (Gr. poltos), porridge.]

Pounce, powns, v.i. to fall (upon) and seize with the claws: to dart suddenly (upon).—v.t. to ornament with small holes: to strike with the claws.—n. a hawk's claw: the paw of a lion or other animal.—adj. Pounced, furnished with talons. [Orig. to pierce, to stamp holes in for ornament; through Romance forms, from L. pungĕre, punctum.]

Pounce, powns, n. a fine powder for preparing a surface for writing on: coloured powder sprinkled over holes pricked in paper to form a pattern on paper underneath.—v.t. to sprinkle with pounce, as paper or a pattern.—ns. Pounce′-box, Poun′cet-box, a box with a perforated lid for sprinkling pounce. [Fr. ponce, pumice—L. pumex, pumicis, pumice-stone.]

Pound, pownd, n. long the unit of weight in the western and central states of Europe, differing, however, in value in all of them—a weight of 16 oz. avoirdupois for general goods, the troy-pound of 12 oz. being for bullion (the troy lb. is defined as 5760 grains, of which the lb. avoirdupois contains 7000): the pound sterling, a money of account: a sovereign or 20s., also represented in Scotland by a note (the Pound Scots is 1⁄12th of the pound sterling, or 1s. 8d.—of its twenty shillings each is worth an English penny): (Spens.) a balance.—v.t. (slang) to wager a pound on.—ns. Pound′age, a charge or tax made on each pound; Pound′al, a name sometimes used for the absolute foot pound second unit of force, which will produce in one pound a velocity of one foot per second, after acting for one second; Pound′-cake, a sweet cake whose ingredients are measured by weight; Pound′er, he who has, or that which weighs, many pounds—used only after a number, as a 12-pounder.—adj. Pound′-fool′ish, neglecting the care of large sums in attending to little ones. [A.S. pund—L. pondo, by weight, pondus, a weight—pendĕre, to weigh.]

Pound, pownd, v.t. to shut up or confine, as strayed animals.—n. an enclosure in which strayed animals are confined: a level part of a canal between two locks: a pound-net.—ns. Pound′age, a charge made for pounding stray cattle; Pound′-keep′er; Pound′-net, a kind of weir in fishing, forming a trap by an arrangement of nets (the wings, leader, and pocket, bowl, or pound). [A.S. pund, enclosure.]

Pound, pownd, v.t. to beat into fine pieces: to bruise: to bray with a pestle.—v.i. to walk with heavy steps.—n. Pound′er. [M. E. pounen—A.S. punian, to beat; -d excrescent.]

Pour, pōr, v.t. to cause to flow or fall in streams or drops: to throw with force: to send forth in great quantity: to give vent to: to utter.—v.i. to flow: to issue forth: to rush.—n. Pour′er. [Celt., as W. bwrw, to throw, Gael. purr, to push.]

Pourboire, pōōr-bwor′, n. drink-money: a bribe. [Fr. pour, for, boire, to drink.]

Pourparler, pōōr-pär′lā, n. a conference to arrange for some important transaction, as the formation of a treaty. [Fr. pour=L. pro, before, parler, to speak.]

Pourpoint, pōōr′point, n. a close-fitting men's quilted garment worn in the 14th century.

Pourtrahed, pōōr-trād′, adj. (Spens.) portrayed or drawn.

Pourtray. Same as Portray.

Pousse, pows, n. (Spens.) pulse, pease. [Pulse or pease.]

Pousse-café, pōōs′-ka-fā′, n. a cordial served after coffee.

Poussette, pōōs-set′, v.t. (Tenn.) to waltz round each other, as two couples in a contra-dance. [Fr. poussette, pouser, to push.]

Pout, powt, v.i. to push out the lips, in contempt or displeasure: to look sulky: to push out or be prominent.—n. a fit of sulkiness or ill-humour.—ns. Pout′er, one who pouts: a variety of pigeon, having its breast inflated; Pout′ing, childish sullenness.—adv. Pout′ingly, in a pouting or sullen manner. [Ety. dub.; cf. prov. Fr. pot, pout, lip, Fr. bouder, to pout; W. pwdu, pout.]

Poverty, pov′ėr-ti, n. the state of being poor: necessity: want: meanness: defect.—adjs. Pov′erty-strick′en, Pov′erty-struck, reduced to a state of poverty: in great suffering from poverty. [O. Fr. poverte (Fr. pauvreté)—L. paupertas, -tatis—pauper, poor.]

Powan, pow′an, n. (Scot.) the pollan, vendace, or Coregonus.

Powder, pow′dėr, n. dust: any substance in fine particles: gunpowder, a mixture of charcoal, sulphur, and saltpetre: hair-powder.—v.t. to reduce to powder: to sprinkle with powder: to salt by sprinkling.—v.i. to crumble into powder: to use powder for the hair.—n. Pow′der-box, a box for toilet-powder, &c.—adj. Pow′dered, reduced to powder: sprinkled with powder: salted.—ns. Pow′der-flask, Pow′der-horn, a flask or horn for carrying powder, fitted with a means of measuring the amount of each charge; Pow′dering-gown, a loose dressing-gown worn while the hair was being powdered; Pow′dering-tub, a vessel in which meat is salted: a vessel in which venereal disease is treated by sweating; Pow′der-mag′azine, a strongly built place where powder is stored; Pow′der-mill, a mill in which gunpowder is made; Pow′der-mine, an excavation filled with gunpowder for blasting rocks, &c.; Pow′der-monk′ey, a boy formerly employed to carry powder to the gunners on board a ship-of-war; Pow′der-room, the room in a ship where powder is kept.—adj. Pow′dery, resembling or sprinkled with powder: dusty: friable. [O. Fr. poudre—L. pulvis, pulveris, dust.]

Power, pow′ėr, n. that in a person or a thing which enables them to act on other persons or things: strength: energy: faculty of the mind: any agency: moving force of anything: right to command: rule: authority: influence: ability: capacity of suffering: a ruler: a divinity: the result of the continued multiplication of a quantity by itself any given number of times: (optics) magnifying strength: (obs.) a great many.—adjs. Pow′ered, having power; Pow′erful, having great power: mighty: intense: forcible: efficacious.—adv. Pow′erfully.—ns. Pow′erfulness; Pow′er-house, a house where mechanical power (esp. electric) is generated.—adj. Pow′erless, without power: weak: impotent.—adv. Pow′erlessly.—ns. Pow′erlessness; Pow′er-loom, a loom worked by some mechanical power, as water, steam, &c.—Power of attorney (see Attorney); Power of sale, a clause in securities and wills empowering property referred to to be sold on certain conditions; Powers, or Great Powers (see Great).—Absolute power, power subject to no control by law; Civil power, power of governing a state; Mechanical powers (see Mechanical). [O. Fr. poer (Fr. pouvoir)—Low L. pot-ĕre, to be able.]

Powsowdy, pow-sow′di, n. (Scot.) any mixture of heterogeneous kinds of food.—Also Powsow′die.

Powter, pow′tėr, n. a pigeon, the pouter.

Powwow, pow′wow, n. a Red Indian conjurer: a dance, feast, &c. before an expedition: any rowdy meeting.—v.i. to hold such a meeting: to deliberate: to perform conjurations.—Also Paw′waw.

Pox, poks, n. pustules: an eruptive disease. [Written for pocks, pl. of pock.]

Poynant, poin′ant, adj. (Spens.). Same as Poignant.

Pozzuolana. See Puzzolana.

Practice, prak′tis, n. the habit of doing anything: frequent use: state of being used: regular exercise for instruction: performance: method: medical treatment: exercise of any profession: a rule or method in arithmetic.—ns. Practicabil′ity, Prac′ticableness, quality of being practicable.—adj. Prac′ticable, that may be practised, used, or followed: passable, as a road.—adv. Prac′ticably.—adj. Prac′tical, that can be put in practice: useful: applying knowledge to some useful end: derived from practice.—ns. Practical′ity; Prac′tical-joke, a trick of an annoying kind played on any one; Prac′tical-knowl′edge, knowledge which results in action.—adv. Prac′tically, in a practical way: actually: by actual trial.—n. Prac′ticalness. [M. E. praktike—O. Fr. practique—Gr. praktikos, fit for doing—prassein, to do.]

Practick, Practic, prak′tik, adj. (Spens., Shak.) skilful, hence treacherous, deceitful.

Practise, prak′tis, v.t. to put into practice or to do habitually: to perform: to exercise, as a profession: to use or exercise: to teach by practice: to commit.—v.i. to have or to form a habit: to exercise any employment or profession: to try artifices.—n. Prac′tisant (Shak.), an agent.—adj. Prac′tised, skilled through practice.—n. Prac′tiser.—adj. Prac′tising, actively engaged in professional employment. [From practice.]

Practitioner, prak-tish′un-ėr, n. one who practises or is engaged in the exercise of any profession, esp. medicine or law.—General practitioner, one who practises in all the branches of medicine and surgery. [Older form practician—O. Fr. practicien.]

Practive, prak′tiv, adj. directly tending towards action.

Prad, prad, n. a horse in thieves' cant.

Præ-. See Pre-.

Præmunire, Premunire, prē-mū-nī′re, n. the offence of disregard or contempt of the king and his government, especially the offence of introducing papal or other foreign authority into England: the writ founded on such an offence: the penalty incurred by the offence. [A corr. of L. præmonēre, to cite.]

Prænomen, prē-nō′men, n. the name prefixed to the family name in ancient Rome, as Caius in Caius Julius Cæsar: the generic name in zoology put before the specific name.

Prætexta, prē-teks′ta, n. the outer garment, bordered with purple, worn at Rome by the higher magistrates and by free-born children till they assumed the toga virilis. [L., prætexĕre, to fringe.]

Prætor, Pretor, prē′tor, n. a magistrate of ancient Rome, next in rank to the consuls.—adjs. Prætō′rial, Pretō′rial, Prætō′rian, Pretō′rian, pertaining to a prætor or magistrate: authorised or exercised by the prætor: judicial.—ns. Prætō′rium, Pretō′rium, the official residence of the Roman prætor, proconsul, or governor in a province: the general's tent in a camp: the council of officers who attended the general and met in his tent; Præ′torship.—Prætorian band of guard, the bodyguard of the Roman Emperor; Prætorian gate, the gate of a Roman camp directly in front of the general's tent, and nearest to the enemy. [L. prætor, for præitor—præ, before, īre, itum, to go.]

Pragmatic, -al, prag-mat′ik, -al, adj. of or pertaining to public business: skilled in affairs: active: practical: interfering with the affairs of others: officious: meddlesome: self-important.—n. Pragmat′ic, a man of business, a busybody: a public decree.—adv. Pragmat′ically.—ns. Pragmat′icalness, Prag′matism, activity: earnestness: meddlesomeness; Prag′matist.—Pragmatic method, a method of treating events with reference to their causes, conditions, and results—also called Prag′matism; Pragmatic sanction, a special decree issued by a sovereign, such as that passed by the Emperor Charles VI. of Germany, securing the crown to Maria Theresa, and which led to the war so called in 1741. [Fr.,—L.,—Gr. pragmatikos—pragma—pragmatos, deed—prassein, to do.]

Prairie, prā′ri, n. an extensive meadow or tract of land, level or rolling, without trees, and covered with tall coarse grass.—adj. Prai′ried.—ns. Prai′rie-dog, a small gregarious North American marmot; Prai′rie-hawk, the American sparrow-hawk; Prai′rie-hen, a gallinaceous North American bird: the sharp-tailed grouse; Prai′rie-war′bler, an American warbler, yellow with black spots; Prai′rie-wolf, the coyote. [Fr.,—Low L. prataria, meadow-land—L. pratum, a meadow.]

Praise, prāz, n. the expression of the honour or value in which any person or thing is held: commendation on account of excellence or beauty: tribute of gratitude: a glorifying, as of God in worship: reason or ground of praise.—v.t. to express estimation of: to commend: to honour: to glorify, as in worship.—n. Prais′er, one who praises.—adv. Praise′worthily.—n. Praise′worthiness.—adj. Praise′worthy, worthy of praise: commendable. [O. Fr. preis (Fr. prix)—L. pretium, price.]

Prâkrit, prä′krit, n. the collective name of those languages or dialects which are immediately derived from, or stand in an immediate relation to, Sanskrit.—adj. Prâkrit′ic. [Sans. prākrita, the natural—prakriti, nature.]

Pram, präm, n. a flat-bottomed Dutch lighter: a barge fitted as a floating battery. [Dut. praam.]

Pram, pram, n. a vulgar abbrev. of perambulator.

Prance, prans, v.i. to strut about in a showy or warlike manner: to ride showily: to bound gaily, as a horse.—adj. Pranc′ing, riding showily: springing or bounding gaily.—n. the action of a horse in rearing, bounding, &c.—adv. Pranc′ingly. [Prank.]

Prandial, pran′di-al, adj. relating to dinner. [L. prandium, breakfast.]

Prank, prangk, v.t. to display or adorn showily: to put in right order.—v.i. to make great show.—n. a sportive action: a mischievous trick.—n. Prank′er.—adv. Prank′ingly.—adjs. Prank′ish, Prank′some. [Closely akin to prink, a form of prick.]

Prase, prāz, n. a leek-green quartz.—adjs. Pras′ine, Pras′inous, lightish-green.

Prate, prāt, v.i. to talk idly: to tattle: to be loquacious.—v.t. to speak without meaning or purpose: to let out, as a secret.—n. trifling talk.—n. Prā′ter, one who prates or talks idly.—adj. Prā′ting, talking idly or unmeaningly.—n. idle talk.—adv. Prā′tingly. [Low Ger. prāten, Dan. prate, Dut. praaten.]

Pratique, prat′ēk, n. converse, intercourse: a license or permission to hold intercourse, or to trade after quarantine. [Fr.]

Prattle, prat′l, v.i. to talk much and idly: to utter child's talk.—v.t. to talk about in a prattling way.—n. empty talk.—ns. Pratt′lebox, a prattler; Pratt′lement, prattle; Pratt′ler, one who prattles: a child. [Freq. of prate.]

Pravity, prav′i-ti, n. wickedness.

Prawn, prawn, n. a small edible crustacean like the shrimp. [L. perna, a mussel.]

Praxis, praks′is, n. practice: an example or a collection of examples for exercise: a specimen.—n. Prax′inoscope, an optical instrument showing a body as if in motion, by means of successive pictures and an arrangement of mirrors in a horizontally rotating box. [Gr. praxein, to do.]

Pray, prā, v.i. to ask earnestly: to entreat: to speak and make known one's desires to God.—v.t. to ask earnestly and reverently, as in worship: to supplicate: to get by praying:—pr.p. prāy′ing; pa.t. and pa.p. prāyed.—ns. Pray′er, the act of praying: entreaty: the words used: solemn giving of thanks and praise to God, and a making known of our requests to Him: a form of prayer used in worship: a petition to a public body; Pray′er-book, a book containing prayers or forms of devotion.—adj. Pray′erful, full of, or given to, prayer: praying much or often: devotional.—adv. Pray′erfully.—n. Pray′erfulness.—adj. Pray′erless, without or not using prayer.—adv. Pray′erlessly.—ns. Pray′erlessness; Pray′er-meet′ing, a shorter and simpler form of public religious service, in which laymen often take part; Pray′er-mong′er, one who prays mechanically; Pray′er-rug, a small carpet on which a Moslem kneels at prayer; Pray′ing, the act of making a prayer: a prayer made.—adj. given to prayer.—ns. Pray′ing-machine′, -mill, -wheel, a revolving apparatus used for prayer in Tibet and elsewhere. [O. Fr. preier (Fr. prier)—L. precāri—prex, precis, a prayer.]

Pre-, prē, before, in compound words like preanal, preauditory, preaxial, prebasal, prebrachial, precardiac, precentral, precerebral, precloacal, precordial, precoracoid, predentate, pre-esophageal, &c.

Preace, prēs, n. (Spens.). Same as Prease.

Preach, prēch, v.i. to pronounce a public discourse on sacred subjects: to discourse earnestly: to give advice in an offensive or obtrusive manner.—v.t. to publish in religious discourses: to deliver, as a sermon: to teach publicly.—n. (coll.) a sermon.—ns. Preach′er, one who discourses publicly on religious matter: a minister or clergyman; Preach′ership.—v.i. Preach′ify, to preach tediously: to weary with lengthy advice.—ns. Preach′ing, the act of preaching: a public religious discourse: a sermon; Preach′ing-cross, a cross in an open place at which monks, &c., preached.—n.pl. Preach′ing-frī′ars, the Dominicans.—n. Preach′ment, a sermon, in contempt: a discourse affectedly solemn.—adj. Preach′y, given to tedious moralising.—Preach down, and up, to decry, or the opposite. [Fr. prêcher (It. predicare)—L. prædicāre, -ātum, to proclaim.]

Preacquaint, prē-ak-kwānt′, v.t. to acquaint beforehand.—n. Preacquaint′ance, previous knowledge.

Pre-Adamite, prē-ad′a-mīt, n. one who lived before Adam.—adjs. Preadam′ic, -al; Preadamit′ic, -al.

Preadaptation, prē-ad-ap-tā′shun, n. previous adjustment of means to some end.

Preadjustment, prē-ad-just′ment, n. previous arrangement.

Preadmission, prē-ad-mish′un, n. previous admission.

Preadmonish, prē-ad-mon′ish, v.t. to admonish or caution beforehand.—n. Preadmoni′tion, previous warning.

Preadvertise, prē-ad-vėr-tīz′, v.t. to announce beforehand.

Preamble, prē-am′bl, n. preface: introduction, esp. that of an Act of Parliament, giving its reasons and purpose.—adj. Pream′bulary. [Fr. préambule—L. præ, before, ambulāre, to go.]

Preannounce, prē-an-nowns′, v.t. to announce beforehand.

Preappoint, prē-ap-point′, v.t. to appoint beforehand.—n. Preappoint′ment, previous appointment.

Prearrange, prē-ar-rānj′, v.t. to arrange beforehand.—n. Prearrange′ment.

Prease, prēs, v.t. or v.i. (Spens.) to press, to crowd.—n. (Spens.) a press, a crowd.

Preassurance, prē-a-shōōr′ans, n. previous assurance.

Pre-audience, prē-aw′di-ens, n. right to be heard before another: precedence at the bar among lawyers.

Prebend, preb′end, n. the share of the revenues of a cathedral or collegiate church allowed to a clergyman who officiates in it at stated times.—adj. Preb′endal, relating to a prebend.—ns. Preb′endary, a resident clergyman who enjoys a prebend, a canon: the honorary holder of a disendowed prebendal stall; Preb′endaryship. [L. præbenda, a payment from a public source—præbēre, to allow.]

Precarious, prē-kā′ri-us, adj. uncertain, because depending upon the will of another: held by a doubtful tenure: depending on chance: dangerous, risky.—adv. Precā′riously.—n. Precā′riousness. [L. precarius—precāri, to pray.]

Precatory, prek′a-tō-ri, adj. relating to prayer, supplicatory.—adj. Prec′ative (obs.), suppliant.

Precaution, prē-kaw′shun, n. caution or care beforehand: a preventive measure: something done beforehand to ward off evil or secure good.—v.t. to warn or advise beforehand.—adjs. Precau′tional, Precau′tionary, containing or proceeding from precaution: taking precaution. [Fr.,—L. præ, before, cavēre, to be careful.]

Precede, pre-sēd′, v.t. to go before in time, rank, or importance.—v.i. to be before in time, or place. [Fr. précéder—L. præcedĕre—præ, before, cedĕre, go.]

Precedence, prē-sē′dens, n. the act of going before in time: priority: the state of being before in rank: the place of honour: the foremost place in ceremony—also Precē′dency.—adj. Precē′dent, going before in order of time: anterior.—n. Precedent (pres′ēdent), a past action which may serve as an example or rule in the future: a parallel case in the past: an established habit or custom.—adjs. Prec′edented, having a precedent: warranted by an example; Preceden′tial, of the nature of a precedent.—adv. Precē′dently.—adj. Precē′ding, going before in time, rank, &c.: antecedent: previous: former.—Order of precedence, the rules which fix the places of persons at a ceremony; Patent of precedence, a royal grant giving to certain barristers right of superior rank; Take precedence of, to have a right to a more honourable place. [Fr.,—L. præcedens, -entis, pr.p. of præcedĕre, to go before.]

Precentor, pre-sen′tor, n. he that leads in music: the leader of a choir in a cathedral, &c.: the leader of the psalmody in Scotch churches.—n. Precen′torship. [L. præ, before, cantor, a singer.]

Precept, prē′sept, n. rule of action: a commandment: principle, or maxim: (law) the written warrant of a magistrate: a mandate.—adj. Precep′tial (Shak.), consisting of precepts.—n. Precep′tion (obs.), a precept.—adj. Precep′tive, containing or giving precepts: directing in moral conduct: didactic.—n. Precep′tor, one who delivers precepts: a teacher: an instructor: the head of a school: the head of a preceptory of Knights Templars:—fem. Precep′tress.—adjs. Preceptō′rial; Precep′tory, giving precepts.—n. a religious house or college of the Knights Templars. [Fr.,—L. præceptum—præcipĕre, to take beforehand—præ, before, capĕre, to take.]

Preces, prē′sez, n.pl. the alternate responsive petitions, as the versicles and suffrages, between the clergyman and the congregation in liturgical worship. [L., pl. of prex, a prayer.]

Precession, prē-sesh′un, n. the act of going before: a moving forward.—adj. Preces′sional.—Precession of the equinoxes, a slow backward motion of the equinoctial points along the ecliptic, caused by the greater attraction of the sun and moon on the excess of matter at the equator, such that the times at which the sun crosses the equator come at shorter intervals than they would otherwise do.

Prechristian, prē-krist′yan, adj. existing before the Christian era.

Precinct, prē′singkt, n. limit or boundary of a place: a district or division within certain boundaries: limit of jurisdiction or authority. [L. præcinctus, pa.p. of præcingĕre—præ, before, cingĕre, to gird.]

Precious, presh′us, adj. of great price or worth: costly: highly esteemed: worthless, contemptible (in irony): fastidious, overnice: (coll.) considerable: (B.) valuable because rare.—adv. (coll.) extremely.—n. Precios′ity, fastidiousness, affected overrefinement.—adv. Prec′iously.—ns. Prec′ious-met′al, a metal of great value, as gold or silver; Prec′iousness; Prec′ious-stone, a stone of value and beauty for ornamentation: a gem or jewel. [O. Fr. precios (Fr. précieux)—L. pretiosus—pretium, price.]

Precipice, pres′i-pis, n. a very steep place: any steep descent: a perpendicular bank or cliff.—adj. Precip′itous, like a precipice: very steep: hasty: rash.—adv. Precip′itously.—n. Precip′itousness. [Fr.,—L. præcipitium—præceps, præcipitis, headlong—præ, before, caput, capitis, the head.]

Precipitate, prē-sip′i-tāt, v.t. to throw head-foremost: to urge with eagerness: to hurry rashly: to hasten: (chem.) to cause to fall to the bottom, as a substance in solution or suspension.—v.i. to fall headlong: to make too great haste.—adj. falling, flowing, or rushing headlong: lacking deliberation: overhasty: (med.) ending soon in death.—n. (chem.) a part of a solution, falling or causing to fall to the bottom.—n. Precipitabil′ity.—adj. Precip′itable (chem.), that may be precipitated.—ns. Precip′itance, Precip′itancy, quality of being precipitate: haste in resolving or executing a purpose.—adj. Precip′itant, falling headlong: rushing down with too great velocity: hasty: unexpectedly brought on.—n. anything that causes part of a solution to fall to the bottom.—advs. Precip′itantly; Precip′itātely, in a precipitate manner: headlong: without due thought.—n. Precipitā′tion, act of precipitating: great hurry: rash haste: rapid movement: (chem.) the process by which any substance is made to separate from another in solution, and fall to the bottom.—adj. Precip′itātive.—n. Precipitā′tor, one who, or that which, precipitates or causes precipitation.—Precipitate ointment is of two kinds, red and white—the former containing red oxide of mercury, the latter ammoniated mercury. [L. præcipitāre, -ātum—præceps.]

Précis, prā-sē′, n. a precise or abridged statement: an abstract: summary. [Fr.]

Precise, prē-sīs′, adj. definite: exact: not vague: just of the right amount or measure: adhering too much to rule: excessively nice, punctilious, prim.—adv. Precise′ly.—ns. Precise′ness; Preci′sian, an over-precise person: a formalist: a puritan; Preci′sianism; Preci′sianist, Preci′sionist, a precisian; Preci′sion, quality of being precise: exactness: accuracy.—v.t. Preci′sionise, to make precise.—adj. Precī′sive, cutting off: pertaining to precision. [Fr. précis—L. præcisus, pa.p. of præcidĕre—præ, before, cædĕre, to cut.]

Preclassical, prē-klas′i-kal, adj. previous to the classical time or usage.

Preclude, prē-klud′, v.t. to shut out beforehand: to hinder by anticipation: to keep back: to prevent from taking place.—n. Preclū′sion, act of precluding or hindering: state of being precluded.—adj. Preclū′sive, tending to preclude: hindering beforehand.—adv. Preclū′sively. [L. præcludĕre, -clusum—præ, before, claudĕre, to shut.]

Precocious, prē-kō′shus, adj. having the mind developed very early, or too early: premature: forward: (bot.) appearing before the leaves.—adv. Precō′ciously.—ns. Precō′ciousness, Precoc′ity, state or quality of being precocious: too early ripeness of the mind. [L. præcox, præcocis—præ, before, coquĕre, to cook.]

Precognition, prē-kog-nish′un, n. cognition, knowledge, or examination beforehand: (Scots law) an examination of witnesses as to whether there is ground for prosecution.—v.t. Precognosce (prē-kog-nos′), to examine witnesses beforehand: to take a precognition.

Precompose, prē-kom-pōz′, v.t. to compose beforehand.

Preconceive, prē-kon-sēv′, v.t. to conceive or form a notion of before having actual knowledge.—ns. Preconceit′, a preconceived notion; Preconcep′tion, act of preconceiving: previous opinion formed without actual knowledge.

Preconcert, prē-kon-sėrt′, v.t. to settle beforehand.—n. Precon′cert, a previous arrangement.—adv. Preconcert′edly.—n. Preconcert′edness.

Precondemn, prē-kon-dem′, v.t. to condemn beforehand.—n. Precondemnā′tion.

Precondition, prē-kon-dish′un, n. a previous condition.

Preconform, prē-kon-form′, v.t. and v.i. to conform in anticipation.—n. Preconfor′mity.

Preconise, prē′kon-īz, v.t. to call upon or summon publicly: to confirm officially, of the pope.—n. Preconisā′tion. [Fr.,—L. præco, a herald.]

Preconscious, prē-kon′shus, adj. pertaining to a state prior to consciousness.

Preconsent, prē-kon-sent′, n. a previous consent.

Preconsign, prē-kon-sīn′, v.t. to consign beforehand.

Preconstitute, prē-kon′sti-tūt, v.t. to constitute beforehand.

Preconsume, prē-kon-sūm′, v.t. to consume beforehand.

Precontemporaneous, prē-kon-tem-pō-rā′nē-us, adj. prior to what is contemporaneous.

Precontract, prē-kon-trakt′, v.t. to contract beforehand: to betroth previously.—n. Precon′tract, a previous contract or betrothal.

Precontrive, prē-kon-trīv′, v.t. and v.i. to contrive beforehand.

Precordial, Præcordial, prē-kor′di-al, adj. situated in front of the heart.

Precourse, prē-kōrs′, v.t. to announce beforehand.

Precritical, prē-krit′i-kal, adj. previous to the critical philosophy of Kant.

Precular, prek′ū-lär, n. a beadsman.

Precurrent, prē-kur′ent, adj. running forward: antrorse—opp. to Recurrent.—ns. Precurr′er (Shak.), a forerunner; Precurse′ (Shak.), a prognostication.—adj. Precur′sive, anticipatory.—n. Precur′sor, a forerunner: one who, or that which, indicates the approach of an event.—adj. Precur′sory, forerunning: indicating something to follow. [L.,—præ, before, cursor—currĕre, to run.]

Predaceous, prē-dā′shus, adj. living by prey: predatory.—adj. Pred′able, raptorial.—n. Predā′cean, a carnivorous animal.—adj. Prē′dal, pertaining to prey: plundering.—n. Predā′tion, the act of plundering.—adv. Pred′atorily, plunderingly.—n. Pred′atoriness, inclination to plunder.—adj. Pred′atory, plundering: characterised by plundering: living by plunder: ravenous. [L. præda, booty.]

Predate, prē-dāt′, v.t. to date before the true date: to date by anticipation: to be earlier than.

Predecease, prē-dē-sēs′, n. decease or death before some one or something else.—v.t. to die before.

Predecessor, prē-dē-ses′or, n. one who has been before another in any office.—v.t. Predecess′ (rare), to precede.—adj. Predeces′sive. [L. præ, before, decessor, a retiring officer, decedĕre, decessum, to withdraw—de, away, cedĕre.]

Predeclare, prē-dē-klār′, v.t. to declare beforehand.

Predefine, prē-dē-fīn′, v.t. to define beforehand.—n. Predefini′tion.

Predelineation, prē-dē-lin-ē-ā′shun, n. the old theory which supposed the whole body to be predelineated in little in the spermatozoon.

Predella, prē-del′a, n. the gradino, the step or ledge sometimes seen at the back of an altar, also the frieze along the bottom of an altar-piece. [It.]

Predesign, prē-dē-zīn′, v.t. to design beforehand.—v.t. Predes′ignate, to determine upon in advance.—adj. designated in advance: (logic) having the quantification of the predicate distinctly expressed (Sir W. Hamilton).—n. Predesignā′tion.—adj. Predes′ignātory.

Predestine, prē-des′tin, v.t. to destine or decree beforehand: to foreordain.—adj. Predestinā′rian, pertaining to predestination.—n. one who holds the doctrine of predestination.—n. Predestinā′rianism.—v.t. Predes′tinate, to determine beforehand: to preordain by an unchangeable purpose.—adj. fore-ordained: fated.—n. Predestinā′tion, act of predestinating: (theol.) the doctrine that God has from all eternity unalterably fixed whatever is to happen, esp. the eternal happiness or misery of men.—n. Predestinā′tor, one who predestinates or foreordains: a predestinarian.

Predetermine, prē-dē-tėr′min, v.t. to determine or settle beforehand.—adjs. Predeter′minable, capable of being determined beforehand; Predeter′mināte, determined beforehand.—ns. Predeterminā′tion, act of predetermining, or state of being predetermined; Predeter′minism, determinism.

Predevote, prē-dē-vōt′, adj. foreordained.

Predial, prē′di-al, adj. consisting of land or farms: connected with land: growing from land. [Fr. prédial—L. prædium, an estate.]

Predicable, pred′i-ka-bl, adj. that may be predicated or affirmed of something: attributable.—n. anything that can be predicated of another, or esp. of many others: one of the five attributes—genus, species, difference, property, and accident.—n. Predicabil′ity, quality of being predicable.

Predicament, prē-dik′a-ment, n. (logic) one of the classes or categories which include all predicables: condition: an unfortunate or trying position.—adj. Predicamen′tal. [Low L. predicamentum, something predicated or asserted.]

Predicant, pred′i-kant, adj. predicating: preaching.—n. one who affirms anything: a preacher, esp. a preaching-friar.

Predicate, pred′i-kāt, v.t. to affirm one thing of another: to assert: to base on certain grounds.—n. (logic and gram.) that which is stated of the subject.—n. Predicā′tion, act of predicating: assertion: affirmation.—adj. Predicā′tive, expressing predication or affirmation: affirming: asserting.—adv. Pred′icātively.—adj. Pred′icātory, affirmative. [L. prædicāre, -ātum, to proclaim.]

Predict, prē-dikt′, v.t. to declare or tell beforehand: to prophesy.—adj. Predic′table.—n. Predic′tion, act of predicting: that which is predicted or foretold: prophecy.—adj. Predic′tive, foretelling: prophetic.—n. Predic′tor. [L. prædictus, pa.p. of prædicĕre—præ, before, dicĕre, to say.]

Predigest, prē-di-jest′, v.t. to digest artificially before introducing into the body.—n. Prediges′tion.

Predilection, prē-di-lek′shun, n. a choosing beforehand: favourable prepossession of mind: partiality.—v.t. Predilect′, to prefer. [L. præ, before, dilectio, -onis, choice—diligĕre, dilectum, to love—dis, apart, legĕre, to choose.]

Prediscover, prē-dis-kuv′ėr, v.t. to discover beforehand.—n. Prediscov′ery.

Predispose, prē-dis-pōz′, v.t. to dispose or incline beforehand: to render favourable.—adj. Predispō′sing, inclining beforehand: making liable.—n. Predisposi′tion, state of being predisposed or previously inclined: a state of body in which disease is easily excited.—adj. Predisposi′tional.

Predominate, prē-dom′in-āt, v.t. to dominate or rule over.—v.i. to be dominant over: to surpass in strength or authority: to prevail.—ns. Predom′inance, Predom′inancy, condition of being predominant: superior influence: superiority: ascendency.—adj. Predom′inant, ruling: having superior power: ascendant.—adv. Predom′inantly.—n. Predominā′tion, ascendency.—Predominant partner, the partner who has a larger stake in any business than the others—applied by Lord Rosebery (1894) to England as a member of the United Kingdom.

Predone, prē-dun′, adj. worn out, exhausted.

Predoom, prē-dōōm′, v.t. to doom in anticipation or beforehand.

Predorsal, prē-dor′sal, adj. situated before the dorsal region of the spine: cervical.

Predy, prē′di, adj. (naut.) cleared for action.

Pree, prē, v.t. (Scot.) to prove, esp. to taste.

Pre-elect, prē-e-lekt′, v.t. to elect or choose beforehand.—n. Prē-elec′tion, choice or election made by previous decision.

Pre-eminence, prē-em′i-nens, n. state of being pre-eminent: superiority in excellence: (Shak.) prerogative.—adj. Prē-em′inent, eminent above others: surpassing others in good or bad qualities: outstanding: extreme.—adv. Prē-em′inently.

Pre-employ, prē-em-ploi′, v.t. to employ beforehand.

Pre-emption, prē-em′shun, n. act or right of purchasing before others.—v.t. Prē-empt′ (U.S.), to secure, as land, by the right of pre-emption.—adjs. Prē-empt′ible; Prē-empt′ive.—n. Prē-empt′or. [L. præ, before, emptio, a buying—emĕre, to buy.]

Preen, prēn, v.t. to compose and arrange as birds do their feathers. [Prune (v.).]

Preen, prēn, n. (Scot.) a pin.—v.t. to fasten. [A.S. preón, a pin.]

Pre-engage, prē-en-gāj′, v.t. to establish beforehand.—n. Prē-engage′ment.

Pre-establish, prē-es-tab′lish, v.t. to establish beforehand.—n. Prē-estab′lishment.—Pre-established harmony (see Harmony).

Preeve, prēv, n. and v.t. obs. form of proof and prove.

Pre-examination, prē-egz-am-i-nā′shun, n. previous examination.—v.t. Prē-exam′ine.

Pre-exilic, prē-eg-zil′ik, adj. before the exile—of O.T. writings prior to the Jewish exile (c. 586-537 B.C.).

Pre-exist, prē-egz-ist′, v.i. to exist beforehand.—n. Prē-exist′ence, the existence of the soul in a previous state, before the generation of the body with which it is united in this world.—adj. Prē-exist′ent, existent or existing beforehand.

Preface, pref′ās, n. something usually of an explanatory kind, spoken before: the introduction to a book, &c.: the ascription of glory, &c., in the liturgy of consecration of the eucharist: a title or epithet.—v.t. to introduce with a preface.—adj. Prefatō′rial, serving as a preface or introduction.—adv. Pref′atorily.—adj. Pref′atory, pertaining to a preface: serving as an introduction: introductory. [Fr. préface—L. præfatio—præ, before, fāri, fatus, to speak.]

Prefect, prē′fekt, n. one placed in authority over others: a commander: the administrative head of a modern French department.—ns. Prē′fectship, his office or jurisdiction; Prē′fecture, the office or district of a prefect: the house occupied by a prefect. [Fr. préfet—L. præfectus, pa.p. of præficĕre—præ, over, facĕre, to make.]

Prefer, prē-fėr′, v.t. to esteem above another: to regard or hold in higher estimation: to choose or select before others: to promote: to exalt: to offer or present, as a request: to bring forward for consideration: to place in advance:—pr.p. prefer′ring; pa.t. and pa.p. preferred′.—ns. Preferabil′ity, Pref′erableness.—adj. Pref′erable, worthy to be preferred or chosen: more desirable or excellent: of better quality.—adv. Pref′erably, by choice: in preference.—n. Pref′erence, the act of preferring: estimation above another: the state of being preferred: that which is preferred: choice.—adj. Preferential (pref-ėr-en′shal), having a preference.—adv. Preferen′tially.—ns. Prefer′ment, the act of preferring: the state of being preferred or advanced: advancement to a higher position: promotion: superior place, esp. in the church; Prefer′rer, one who prefers.—Preference shares, or stock, shares or stock on which the dividends must be paid before those on other kinds. [Fr. préférer—L. præferre—præ, before, ferre, to bear.]

Prefigure, prē-fig′ūr, v.t. to represent beforehand: to suggest by former types or figures.—ns. Prefigurā′tion, Prefig′urement.—adj. Prefig′urātive, showing by previous figures, types, or similitudes.

Prefix, prē-fiks′, v.t. to put before, or at the beginning: to fix beforehand.—ns. Prē′fix, a letter, syllable, or word put before another word to affect its meaning; Prefix′ion, act of prefixing.

Preform, prē-form′, v.t. (Shak.) to form beforehand: to determine the shape of beforehand.—n. Preformā′tion.—adj. Prefor′mative.

Prefrontal, prē-fron′tal, adj. pertaining to the forepart of the forehead.—n. a bone of this region.

Prefulgency, prē-ful′jen-si, n. superior brightness.

Preglacial, prē-glā′shal, adj. (geol.) prior to the glacial or drift period.

Pregnable, preg′na-bl, adj. that may be taken by assault or force. [Fr. prenable—prendre, to take—L. prehendĕre.]

Pregnant, preg′nant, adj. being with child or young: fruitful: abounding with results: full of meaning: implying more than is actually expressed: ready-witted: clever: ingenious: full of promise: free: evident: clear.—n. Preg′nancy, state of being pregnant: fertility: unusual capacity.—adv. Preg′nantly. [O. Fr.—L. prægnans, -antis.]

Prehallux, prē-hal′uks, n. a cartilaginous spur on the inner side of the foot in some batrachians.

Prehensile, prē-hen′sil, adj. seizing: adapted for seizing or holding—also Prehen′sory.—adj. Prehen′sible, that may be seized.—ns. Prehen′sion, act of seizing or taking hold; Prehen′sor, one who takes hold. [L. pre-hendĕre, -hensum, to seize.]

Prehistoric, prē-his-tor′ik, adj. relating to a time before that treated of in history.—n. Prēhis′tory, history prior to record—the Ger. Urgeschichte.

Prehnite, pren′īt, n. a hydrous silicate of alumina and lime, usually of a pale-green colour. [Named after Prehn, the discoverer of the mineral.]

Preignac, prā-nyak′, n. an esteemed white wine of Bordeaux. [From Preignac in the Gironde.]

Pre-instruct, prē-in-strukt′, v.t. to instruct beforehand.

Pre-intimation, prē-in-ti-mā′shun, n. an intimation or suggestion made beforehand.

Prejink, prē-jingk′, adj. (Scot.) tricked out with dress.—Also Perjink′.

Prejudge, prē-juj′, v.t. to judge or decide upon before hearing the whole case: to condemn unheard.—n. Prejudg′ment.—adj. Prejudical (pre-jōō′di-kal), pertaining to the determination of some undecided matter.—v.t. Prejudicāte (-jōōd′-), to judge beforehand: to prejudge.—v.i. to decide without examination.—n. Prejudicā′tion (-jōōd-).—adj. Prejudicātive (-jōōd′-), forming a judgment or opinion beforehand. [L. præjudicāre, -ātum—præ, before, judicāre, to judge.]

Prejudice, prej′ū-dis, n. a judgment or opinion formed beforehand or without due examination: a prejudgment: unreasonable prepossession for or against anything: bias: injury or wrong of any kind: disadvantage: mischief.—v.t. to fill with prejudice: to cause a prejudice against: to prepossess: to bias the mind of: to injure or hurt.—adj. Prejudi′cial, causing prejudice or injury: disadvantageous: injurious: mischievous: tending to obstruct.—adv. Prejudi′cially.—n. Prejudi′cialness. [O. Fr.,—L. præjudicium—præ, before, judicium, judgment.]

Preknowledge, prē-nol′ej, n. prior knowledge.

Prelate, prel′āt, n. the holder of one of those higher dignities in the church to which, of their own right, is attached a proper jurisdiction, not derived by delegation from any superior official: a church dignitary.—ns. Prel′acy, the office of a prelate: the order of bishops or the bishops collectively: church government by prelates: episcopacy; Prel′ateship.—adjs. Prelat′ic, -al, pertaining to prelates or prelacy.—adv. Prelat′ically.—v.t. and v.i. Prel′atise, to make or to become prelatical.—ns. Prel′atism, Prel′ature, prelacy: the time during which a prelate exercises authority; Prel′atist, an upholder of prelacy. [Fr. prélat—L. prelatus—præ, before, latus, borne.]

Prelect, prē-lekt′, v.i. to read before or in presence of others: to read a discourse: to lecture.—ns. Prelec′tion, a lecture or discourse read to others; Prelec′tor, one who prelects: a lecturer. [L. prælegĕre—præ, before, legĕre, lectum, to read.]

Prelibation, prē-lī-bā′shun, n. a tasting beforehand, foretaste. [L. prælibatio—præ, before, libāre, -ātum, to taste.]

Preliminary, prē-lim′in-ar-i, adj. introductory: preparatory: preceding or preparing for the main discourse or business.—n. that which precedes: introduction—used mostly in pl.—adv. Prelim′inarily. [L. præ, before, liminaris, relating to a threshold—limen, liminis, a threshold.]

Prelingual, prē-ling′gwal, adj. prior to language.

Prelude, prē-lūd′, or prel′ūd, n. the introductory movement of a musical work: a prefatory piece to an oratorio, &c.: an organ voluntary before a church service: a preface: a forerunner.—v.t. Prelude′, to play before: to preface, as an introduction.—v.i. to perform a prelude: to serve as a prelude.—adjs. Prelū′dial and Prelū′dious (rare); Prelū′sive, of the nature of a prelude: introductory.—advs. Prelū′sively; Prelū′sorily.—adj. Prelū′sory, introductory. [Fr.,—Late L. præludium—L. præ, before, ludĕre, to play.]

Premandibular, prē-man-dib′ū-lar, adj. in front of the lower jaw, as a bone of some reptiles.

Premature, prē-ma-tūr′, adj. mature before the proper time: happening before the proper time: too soon believed: unauthenticated (as a report).—adv. Prēmatūre′ly.—ns. Prematūr′ity, Prēmatūre′ness. [L. præmaturus—præ, before, maturus, ripe.]

Premaxillary, prē-mak′si-lā-ri, adj. in front of the maxilla.—n. such a bone.

Premeditate, prē-med′i-tāt, v.t. to meditate upon beforehand: to design previously.—v.i. to deliberate beforehand.—adv. Premed′itātedly.—n. Premeditā′tion.—adj. Premed′itātive. [L., præmeditāri, -ātus—præ, before, meditāri, to meditate.]

Premier, prē′mi-ėr, adj. prime or first: chief: (her.) most ancient.—n. the first or chief: the prime-minister.—v.i. to govern as premier.—adj. and n. Première (pre-myār′), first or leading actress, dancer, forewoman, &c.—n. Prē′miership. [Fr.,—L. primarius, of the first rank—primus, first.]

Premillennial, prē-mi-len′i-al, adj. of or pertaining to the times before the millennium—also Premillenā′rian.—n. one who believes in the premillennial advent of Christ.—ns. Premillenā′rianism; Premillenn′ialism.

Premise, Premiss, prem′is, n. that which is premised or stated at the outset: a proposition previously stated or proved for after-reasoning: (logic) one of the two propositions in a syllogism from which the conclusion is drawn: the thing set forth in the beginning of a deed.—n.pl. Prem′ises, a building and its adjuncts.

Premise, prē-mīz′, v.t. to send or state before the rest: to make an introduction: to lay down propositions for subsequent reasonings. [Fr.,—L. (sententia) præmissa, (a sentence) put before—præ, before, mittĕre, missum, to send.]

Premium, prē′mi-um, n. a reward: a prize: a bounty: payment made for insurance: the difference in value above the original price or par of stock—opp. to Discount: anything offered as an incentive.—adjs. Prē′mial, Prē′miant.—v.t. Prē′miate, to reward with a premium.—At a premium, above par (see Par). [L. præmium—præ, above, emĕre, to buy.]

Premolar, prē-mō′lar, adj. before a molar, in place or time, deciduous.—n. a milk-molar.

Premonish, prē-mon′ish, v.t. to admonish or warn beforehand.—n. Prēmoni′tion, a warning or sign (often a feeling) of what is going to happen.—adjs. Prēmon′itive, Prēmon′itory, giving warning or notice beforehand.—n. Prēmon′itor, one who, or that which, gives warning beforehand.—adv. Prēmon′itorily. [Pre-, before, monish, a corr. form through O. Fr., from L. monēre, to warn.]

Premonstrant, prē-mon′strant, n. a member of an order of regular canons founded by St Norbert, in 1119, at a place in the forest of Coucy (near Laon in the dep. of Aisne), pointed out in a vision, and thence called Prémontré (L. Pratum monstratum=the meadow pointed out)—called also Norbertines, and in England, from their habit, White Canons.—Also Premonstraten′sian (n. and adj.).

Premorse, prē-mors′, adj. ending abruptly, as if bitten off. [L. præmordēre, præmorsum, to bite in front.]

Premosaic, prē-mō-zā′ik, adj. before the time of Moses.

Premotion, prē-mō′shun, n. previous motion.

Prenasal, prē-nā′sal, adj. in front of the nasal passages.

Prenatal, prē-nā′tal, adj. previous to birth.

Prenominate, prē-nom′in-āt, p.adj. (Shak.) forenamed.

Prenotion, prē-nō′shun, n. preconception.

Prentice, pren′tis, n. Short for apprentice.

Preoccipital, prē-ok-sip′i-tal, adj. situated before the occipital region or lobe.

Preoccupy, prē-ok′ū-pī, v.t. to occupy or take possession of beforehand: to fill beforehand or with prejudices.—ns. Prēoc′cupancy, the act or the right of occupying beforehand; Prēoc′cupant, a prior occupant.—v.t. Prēoc′cupāte (Bacon), to occupy before others.—n. Prēoccupā′tion.—adj. Prēoc′cupied, already occupied: lost in thought, abstracted.

Preoption, prē-op′shun, n. the right of first choice.

Preoral, prē-ō′ral, adj. situated in front of the mouth.—adv. Preō′rally.

Preordain, prē-or-dān′, v.t. to ordain, appoint, or determine beforehand.—n. Preordinā′tion.

Preorder, prē-or′dėr, v.t. to arrange beforehand.—n. Preor′dinance, a rule previously established.

Prepaid, prē-pād′, adj. paid beforehand.

Preparation, prep-a-rā′shun, n. the act of preparing: previous arrangement: the state of being prepared or ready: that which is prepared or made ready: (anat.) a part of any animal body preserved as a specimen: the day before the Sabbath or other Jewish feast-day: devotional exercises introducing an office: (mus.) the previous introduction, as an integral part of a chord, of a note continued into a succeeding dissonance.—adj. Prēpar′ative, having the power of preparing or making ready: fitting for anything.—n. that which prepares the way: preparation.—adv. Prēpar′atively, by way of preparation.—adj. Prēpar′atory, preparing for something coming: previous: introductory. [Fr.,—L.]

Prepare, prē-pār′, v.t. to make ready beforehand: to fit for any purpose: to make ready for use: to adapt: to form: to set or appoint: to provide: to equip.—v.i. to get one's self ready: to put everything in proper order: to lead up to.—n. (Shak.) preparation.—adj. Prepared′, made ready, fit, or suitable: ready.—adv. Prepā′redly.—ns. Prepā′redness; Prepā′rer. [Fr.,—L. præparāre—præ, before, parāre, to make ready.]

Prepay, prē-pā′, v.t. to pay before or in advance.—n. Prepay′ment.

Prepense, prē-pens′, adj. premeditated: intentional, chiefly in the phrase 'malice prepense'=malice aforethought or intentional—(obs.) Prepen′sive.—v.t. (Spens.) to consider or deliberate beforehand.—adv. Prepense′ly, intentionally. [Fr.,—L. præ, before, pensāre—pendĕre, pensum, to weigh.]

Prepollence, prē-pol′ens, n. prevalence—also Prepoll′ency.—adj. Prepoll′ent.

Preponderate, prē-pon′dėr-āt, v.t. to outweigh: to incline to one side: to exceed in power or influence.—ns. Prepon′derance, Prepon′derancy, Preponderā′tion, power or state of outweighing: excess of weight, number, or quantity: predominance.—adj. Prepon′derant, outweighing: superior in weight, power, or influence.—advs. Prepon′derantly, Preponderā′tingly. [L. præ, before, ponderāre, -ātum, to weigh—pondus, a weight.]

Preposition, prep-ō-zish′un, n. a word placed before a noun or pronoun to show its relation to some other word of the sentence.—adj. Preposi′tional.—adv. Preposi′tionally.—adj. Preposi′tive, put before: prefixed.—n. a word or particle put before another word—opp. to Post-positive.—n. Prepos′itor, a school-monitor. [Fr.,—L. præpositio—præ, before, ponĕre, positum, to place.]

Prepossess, prē-poz-zes′, v.t. to possess beforehand: to fill beforehand, as the mind with some opinion: to bias or prejudice.—adj. Prepossess′ing, tending to prepossess in one's favour: making a favourable impression.—adv. Prepossess′ingly.—n. Preposses′sion, previous possession: impression formed beforehand, usually a favourable one.

Preposterous, prē-pos′tėr-us, adj. contrary to nature or reason: wrong: absurd: foolish.—adv. Prepos′terously.—n. Prepos′terousness, unreasonableness. [L. præposterus—præ, before, posterus, after—post, after.]

Prepotent, prē-pō′tent, adj. powerful in a very high degree: excelling others in influence or authority.—ns. Prepō′tence, Prepō′tency.—adj. Prepoten′tial.

Prepuce, prē′pūs, n. the loose skin of the penis covering the glans: the foreskin.—adj. Prepū′tial. [L. præputium.]

Prepunctual, prē-pungk′tū-al, adj. excessively prompt.—n. Prepunctual′ity.

Preraphaelitism, prē-raf′ā-el-ī-tizm, n. a style of painting begun in 1847-49 by D. G. Rossetti, W. Holman Hunt, J. E. Millais, and others in imitation of the painters who lived before Raphael (1483-1523), and characterised by a truthful, almost rigid, adherence to natural forms and effects—also Preraph′aelism.—adj. Preraph′aelite, pertaining to, or resembling, the style of art before the time of Raphael—also n.—adj. Preraph′aelitish.

Preremote, prē-rē-mōt′, adj. more remote in previous time or order.

Prerequisite, prē-rek′wi-zit, n. something previously necessary: something needed in order to gain an end.—adj. required as a condition of something else.

Prerogative, prē-rog′a-tiv, n. a peculiar privilege shared by no other: a right arising out of one's rank, position, or nature.—adj. arising out of, or held by, prerogative.—v.t. to endow with a prerogative.—adj. Prerog′atived (Shak.), having a prerogative or exclusive privilege.—adv. Prerog′atively, by prerogative or exclusive privilege.—Prerogative court, formerly a court having jurisdiction over testamentary matters.—Royal prerogative, the rights which a sovereign has by right of office, which are different in different countries. [Fr.,—L. prærogativus, that is asked before others for his opinion or vote—præ, before, rogāre, -ātum, to ask.]

Presage, prēs′āj, n. something that gives warning of a future event: a foreboding: a presentiment.—v.t. Prēsage′, to forebode: to warn of something to come: to predict.—v.i. to have a presentiment of.—adj. Presage′ful.—ns. Presage′ment, the act of presaging: that which is presaged: prediction; Presag′er. [Fr. présage—L. præsagium—præsagīre—præ, before, sagīre, to perceive quickly.]

Presanctify, prē-sangk′ti-fī, v.t. to consecrate beforehand.

Presartorial, prē-sär-tō′ri-al, adj. before the age of tailoring. [L. sartor—sarcīre, to patch.]

Presbyopia, pres-bi-ō′pi-a, n. long-sightedness, together with diminished power of distinguishing things near, common in old age—also Pres′byopy.—n. Pres′byope, one so affected.—adj. Presbyop′ic.—n. Pres′byte, one affected with presbyopia. [Gr. presbys, old, ōps, ōpos, the eye.]

Presbyter, prez′bi-tėr, n. an elder, a priest: a minister or priest in rank between a bishop and a deacon: a member of a presbytery.—adjs. Presbyt′eral, Presbytē′rial, Presbytē′rian, pertaining to, or consisting of, presbyters: pertaining to Presbytery or that form of church government in which all the clergy or presbyters are equal—opp. to Episcopacy.—n. Presbyt′erāte, the office of a presbyter: a presbytery.—adv. Presbytē′rially.—ns. Presbytē′rian; Presbytē′rianism, the form of church government by presbyters; Pres′bytership; Pres′bytery, a church court ranking between the Kirk-session and the Synod, consisting of the ministers and one elder, a layman, from each church within a certain district: that part of the church reserved for the officiating priests: (R.C.) a clergyman's house.—Reformed Presbyterian Church, a religious body in Scotland, called also Cameronians, who remained separate from the Church of Scotland and maintained the perpetual obligation of the Covenants—the greater part joined the Free Church in 1876; United Presbyterian Church, a religious body formed by the union of the Secession and Relief Churches in 1847—itself uniting with the Free Church in 1900. [L.,—Gr. presbyteros, comp. of presbys, old.]

Prescience, prē′shi-ens, n. knowledge of events beforehand: foresight.—adj. Prē′scient, knowing things beforehand.—adv. Prē′sciently. [L. præsciens, pr.p. of præscīre—præ, before, scīre, to know.]

Prescientific, prē-sī-en-tif′ik, adj. before the scientific age, before knowledge was systematised.

Prescind, prē-sind′, v.t. to abstract from other facts or ideas.—v.i. to withdraw the attention (from).—adj. Prēscin′dent.—n. Prēscis′sion.

Prescribe, prē-skrīb′, v.t. to lay down as a rule or direction: to give as an order: to appoint: (med.) to give directions for, as a remedy: to render useless or invalid through lapse of time.—v.i. to lay down rules: to claim on account of long possession: to become of no force through time.—ns. Prēscrib′er; Prē′script, something prescribed: direction: model prescribed; Prēscriptibil′ity.—adj. Prēscrip′tible, that may be prescribed.—n. Prēscrip′tion, act of prescribing or directing: (med.) a written direction for the preparation of a medicine: a recipe: (law) custom continued until it becomes a right or has the force of law.—adj. Prēscrip′tive, consisting in, or acquired by, custom or long-continued use: customary.—Prescriptive title, a title established by right of prescription. [L. præscribĕre, -scriptum—præ, before, scribĕre, to write.]

Presee, prē-sē′, v.t. to foresee.

Presence, prez′ens, n. state of being present—opp. of Absence: situation near or within sight, &c., companionship: approach face to face: nearness to the person of a superior: an assembly of great persons: mien: personal appearance: an apparition: calmness, readiness, as of mind: (Shak.) a presence-chamber.—ns. Pres′ence-cham′ber, -room, the chamber or room in which a great personage receives company.—adj. Pres′ent, being in a certain place—opp. to Absent: now under view or consideration: being at this time: not past or future: ready at hand: attentive: not absent-minded: (gram.) denoting time just now, or making a general statement.—n. present time or business: (pl.) the writing of a letter, or a deed of any kind as actually shown at any time: any deed or writing.—adj. Prēsen′tial, having or implying actual presence.—n. Prēsential′ity.—adv. Prēsen′tially.—n. Pres′entness, state of being present.—Presence of mind, a state of mind which enables a person to speak or act with calmness and promptness in circumstances of great and sudden difficulties.—At present, at the present time, now; Real presence, a doctrine or belief that the body and blood of Christ are really and substantially present in the eucharist; The present, the present time. [O. Fr.,—L. præsentia—præsens, -sentis—præ, before, sens, being.]

Present, prē-zent′, v.t. to set before, to introduce into the presence of: to exhibit to view: to offer as a gift: to put into the possession of another: to make a gift of: to appoint to a benefice: to lay before for consideration: to point, as a gun before firing.—n. Pres′ent, that which is presented or given, a gift.—adj. Prēsent′able, fit to be presented: capable of being presented to a church living.—n. Presentā′tion, act of presenting: a setting forth, as of a truth: representation: the act or the right of presenting to a benefice: the appearance of a particular part of the fetus at the superior pelvic strait during labour.—adj. Present′ative, having the right of presentation: pertaining to immediate cognition.—ns. Presentēē′, one who is presented to a benefice; Prēsent′er.—adj. Prēsent′ive, presentative, non-symbolic (of words).—n. Prēsent′iveness.—adv. Pres′ently, after a little, by-and-by, shortly: (arch.) without delay, at once.—n. Present′ment, act of presenting: the thing presented or represented: (law) notice taken of an offence by a grand-jury from their own knowledge or observation: accusation presented to a court by a grand-jury.—Present arms, to bring the gun or rifle to a perpendicular position in front of the body, as a token of respect to a superior officer. [Fr.,—L. præsentāre—præsens.]

Presentient, prē-sen′shi-ent, adj. perceiving beforehand.—n. Prēsen′sion.

Presentiment, prē-sen′ti-ment, n. a sentiment or feeling beforehand: previous opinion: an impression as of something unpleasant soon to happen. [O. Fr.,—L. præsentīre.]

Presentoir, prez-en-twor′, n. a tray or salver: a Japanese lacquered stand for a bowl. [Fr.]

Preserve, prē-zėrv′, v.t. to keep safe from harm or injury: to defend: to keep in a sound state: to season for preservation: to make lasting: to keep up, as appearances.—n. that which is preserved, as fruit, &c.: that which preserves: a place for the protection of animals, as game: (pl.) spectacles to protect the eyes from strong light, &c.—n. Prēservabil′ity.—adj. Prēser′vable.—n. Prēservā′tion, act of preserving or keeping safe: state of being preserved: safety.—adjs. Prēser′vative, Prēser′vatory, tending to preserve: having the quality of preserving.—n. that which preserves: a preventive of injury or decay.—n. Prēserv′er. [Fr. préserver—L. præ, beforehand, servāre, to preserve.]

Preses, prē′sēz, n. (Scot.) a president or chairman.

Preside, prē-zīd′, v.i. to direct or control, esp. at a meeting: to superintend.—ns. Pres′idency, the office of a president, or his dignity, term of office, jurisdiction, or residence: a division of British India, as the Presidency of Bengal; Pres′ident, one who presides over a meeting: a chairman: the chief officer of a college, institution, &c.: an officer elected from time to time, as chief ruler of a republic—also adj. (Milt.).—n.fem. Pres′identess.—adj. Presiden′tial, presiding over: pertaining to a president.—n. Pres′identship.—Lord President, the presiding judge of the Court of Session in Scotland; Lord President of the Council, a member of the House of Lords who presides over the privy council, with especial charge of education, sanitation, &c. [Fr. présider—L. præsidēre—præ, before, sedēre, to sit.]

Presidial, prē-sid′i-al, adj. pertaining to a garrison.—adj. and n. Prēsid′iary.—n. Prēsid′io (Sp. Amer.), a military post: a penitentiary.

Presignify, prē-sig′ni-fī, v.t. to signify beforehand.—n. Prēsignificā′tion, the act of showing beforehand.

Press, pres, v.t. to push on or against with a heavy weight or with great force: to squeeze out, as juice: to clasp or embrace: to bear heavily on: to distress: to urge strongly: to present to the mind with earnestness: to lay stress upon: to hurry on with great speed: to shape or smooth by the application of weight.—v.i. to exert pressure: to push with force: to crowd: to go forward with violence: to urge with vehemence and importunity: to exert a strong influence.—n. Press′er.—adj. Press′ing, urgent: importunate: forcible.—adv. Press′ingly.—n. Pres′sion. [Fr. presser—L. pressāre—premĕre, pressum, to squeeze.]

Press, pres, n. an instrument for squeezing bodies: a printing-machine: the art or business of printing and publishing: act of urging forward: urgency: strong demand: a crowd: a closet for holding articles.—ns. Press′-bed, a bed enclosed in a cupboard, or folding up into it; Press′fat (B.), the vat of an olive or wine press for collecting the liquor; Press′man, one who works a printing-press: a journalist or reporter: a member of a pressgang; Press′mark, a mark upon a book to show its place among others in a library; Press′-room, a room where printing-presses are worked; Press′-work, the operation of taking impressions from type or plates by means of the printing-press.—Press of sail, as much sail as can be carried.—Brahmah press, a hydraulic press called after Mr Brahmah, its inventor; Cylinder press, a printing-press in which the types are laid on a cylinder which revolves, instead of on a flat surface; Hydraulic press (see Hydraulic); Liberty of the press, the right of publishing books, &c., without submitting them to a government authority for permission; The Press, the literature of a country, esp. its newspapers.

Press, pres, v.t. to carry men off by violence to become soldiers or sailors.—ns. Press′gang, a gang or body of sailors under an officer empowered to impress men into the navy; Press′-mon′ey (for prest-money), earnest-money. [Corr. from old form prest, from O. Fr. prester (Fr. prêter), to lend—præstāre, to offer—præ, before, stāre, to stand.]

Pressiroster, pres-si-ros′tėr, n. one of a tribe of wading birds, the Pressiros′tres, having a flattened beak.—adj. Pressiros′tral. [L. pressus, pa.p. of premĕre, to press, rostrum, a beak.]

Pressure, presh′ūr, n. act of pressing or squeezing: the state of being pressed: impulse: constraining force or influence: that which presses or afflicts: difficulties: urgency: strong demand: (physics) the action of force on something resisting it.—Centre of pressure (see Centre). [O. Fr.,—L. pressura—premĕre, to press.]

Prest, prest, adj. ready: neat: at hand.—n. ready-money: a loan.—v.t. to pay out: to lend. [L. præsto, ready.]

Prester John, pres′tėr jon, n. the name applied by medieval credulity (12th-14th cent.) to the supposed Christian sovereign of a vast empire in Central Asia. [O. Fr. prester (Fr. prêtre), priest.]

Prestidigitation, pres-ti-dij-i-tā′shun, n. sleight of hand—also Prestig′iātion.—adj. Prestidig′ital.—ns. Prestidig′itātor, Prestig′iātor, one who practises sleight of hand.

Prestige, pres-tēzh′, or pres′tij, n. influence arising from past conduct or from reputation. [Fr.,—L. præstigium, delusion—præstinguĕre, to deceive.]

Presto, pres′to, adv. quick: at once: (mus.) quickly, quicker than allegro:—superl. Prestis′simo. [It.,—L. præsto, ready.]

Prestriction, prē-strik′shun, n. blindness. [L. præstringĕre, præstrictum, to draw tight.]

Prestudy, prē-stud′i, v.t. to study beforehand.

Presultor, prē-sul′tor, n. a leader of a dance.

Presume, prē-zūm′, v.t. to take as true without examination or proof: to take for granted.—v.i. to venture beyond what one has ground for: to act forwardly or without proper right.—adj. Presūm′able, that may be presumed or supposed to be true.—adv. Presūm′ably.—adj. Presūm′ing, venturing without permission: unreasonably bold.—adv. Presūm′ingly.—n. Presump′tion, act of presuming: supposition: strong probability: that which is taken for granted: confidence grounded on something not proved: conduct going beyond proper bounds: (law) an assuming of the truth of certain facts from the existence of others having some connection with them.—adj. Presump′tive, presuming: grounded on probable evidence: (law) proving circumstantially.—adv. Presump′tively.—Presumptive evidence, evidence for a fact derived from other facts having some connection with it: indirect evidence.—Heir presumptive, the person, not son or daughter, at present next in succession to any living person. [Fr. présumer—L. præsumĕre—præ, before, sumĕre, to take—sub, under, emĕre, to buy.]

Presumptuous, prē-zump′tū-us, adj. full of presumption: going beyond the bounds of right or duty: bold and confident: founded on presumption: wilful.—adv. Presump′tuously.—n. Presump′tuousness. [L. præsumptuosus.]

Presuppose, prē-sup-pōz′, v.t. to suppose before actual knowledge: to assume or take for granted.—n. Presupposi′tion.

Presurmise, prē-sur-mīz′, n. (Shak.) a surmise previously formed.

Pretend, prē-tend′, v.t. to hold out as a cloak for something else: to lay claim to: to attempt, undertake: to offer as true something that is not so: to affect to feel: (obs.) to offer, present.—v.i. to put in a claim: to make-believe.—ns. Pretence′, something pretended: appearance or show to hide reality: false show or reason: pretext: assumption: claim; Preten′dant, -ent, a pretender.—adjs. Preten′ded, Preten′sed, ostensible, assumed.—adv. Preten′dedly.—ns. Preten′der; Preten′dership.—adv. Preten′dingly.—n. Preten′sion, act of pretending: something pretended: false or fictitious appearance: claim either true or false.—adj. Preten′tious, marked by or containing pretence: claiming more than is warranted: presumptuous: arrogant.—adv. Preten′tiously, in a pretentious manner.—n. Preten′tiousness, the quality of being pretentious. [Fr. prétendre—L. prætendĕre—præ, before, tendĕre, tentum, tensum, to stretch.]

Pretense. Same as Pretence.

Pretercanine, prē-tėr-ka-nīn′, adj. more than canine.

Preterhuman, prē-tėr-hū′man, adj. more than human.

Preterimperfect, prē-tėr-im-pėr′fekt, adj. implying that an event was happening at a certain past time.

Preterite, pret′ėr-it, adj. gone by: past: noting the past tense.—n. the past tense.—ns. Pret′erist, one who holds the prophecies of the Apocalypse already fulfilled; Pret′eriteness.—adj. Preteri′tial (biol.), once active but now latent.—n. Preteri′tion, the act of passing over: the doctrine that God passes over the non-elect in electing to eternal life those predestinated to salvation.—adj. Preter′itive, expressing past times. [L. præteritus—præter, beyond, īre, ītum, to go.]

Pretermit, prē-tėr-mit′, v.t. to pass by: to omit: to leave undone:—pr.p. prētermit′ting; pa.t. and pa.p. prētermit′ted.—n. Pretermis′sion, the act of passing by: omission. [L. præter, past, mittĕre, to send.]

Preternatural, prē-tėr-nat′ū-ral, adj. beyond what is natural: out of the regular course of things: extraordinary.—n. Preternat′uralism, belief in the preternatural: preternatural existence.—adv. Preternat′urally.—n. Preternat′uralness.

Preternuptial, prē-ter-nup′shal, adj. adulterous.

Preterperfect, prē-tėr-pėr′fekt, adj. denoting the perfect tense.

Preterpluperfect, prē-tėr-plōō′pėr-fekt, adj. denoting the pluperfect tense.

Pretext, prē′tekst, or prē-tekst′, n. an assumed motive or reason put forward to conceal the real one: a pretence. [L. prætextum—prætexĕre—præ, before, texĕre, to weave.]

Prethoughtful, prē-thawt′fōōl, adj. forethoughtful, prudent.

Pretibial, prē-tib′i-al, adj. situated upon the front of the lower part of the leg.

Pretor, &c. See Prætor, &c.

Pretty, pret′i, adj. tasteful: pleasing to the eye: having attractive but not striking beauty: neat: beautiful without dignity: small: affected: moderately large, considerable: puny, weak (a term of endearment): (in contempt) fine: (obs.) shrewd, cunning: (obs.) strong, warlike.—adv. in some degree: moderately.—v.t. Prett′ify, to make pretty in an excessively ornamental way.—adv. Prett′ily, in a pretty manner: pleasingly: elegantly: neatly.—n. Prett′iness.—adj. Prett′yish, somewhat pretty.—n. Prett′ypretty (coll.), a knick-knack.—adj. Prett′y-spō′ken, speaking or spoken prettily.—Pretty much, very nearly. [A.S. prættig, tricky—prætt, trickery; prob. Low L. practicus—Gr. praktikos—prattein, to do.]

Pretypify, prē-tip′i-fī, v.t. to represent by a type what is to happen: to prefigure.

Pretzel, pret′sel, n. a brittle biscuit, cracknel. [Ger.,—Old High Ger. brizilla, prezitella—Low L. bracellus, also braciolum, a kind of cake.]

Prevail, prē-vāl′, v.i. to be very powerful: to gain the victory: to have the upper hand: to have greater influence or effect: to overcome: to be in force: to succeed.—v.t. (obs.) avail.—adj. Prevail′ing, having great power: controlling: bringing about results: very general or common.—adv. Prevail′ingly.—ns. Prevail′ment (Shak.), prevalence; Prev′alence, Prev′alency, the state of being prevalent or wide-spread: superior strength or influence: preponderance: efficacy.—adj. Prev′alent, prevailing: having great power: victorious: wide-spread: most common.—adv. Prev′alently. [Fr. prévaloir—L. prævalēre—præ, before, valēre, to be powerful.]

Prevaricate, prē-var′i-kāt, v.i. to shift about from side to side, to evade the truth: to quibble: (obs.) to undertake a thing with the purpose of defeating or destroying it: (law) to betray a client by collusion with his opponent.—v.t. (obs.) to pervert, transgress.—ns. Prēvaricā′tion, the act of quibbling to evade the truth; Prēvar′icātor, one who prevaricates to evade the truth: a quibbler. [L. prævaricāri, -ātus—præ, inten., varicus, straddling—varus, bent.]

Prevenancy, prev′ē-nan-si, n. complaisance.

Prevent, prē-vent′, v.t. to hinder: to check: to render impossible: (orig.) to go before: to be earlier than.—v.t. Prēvene′ (rare), to precede.—n. Prevē′nience.—adj. Prevē′nient (Milt.), going before: preceding: preventive.—n. Preventabil′ity, the quality of being preventable.—adj. Preven′table, that may be prevented or hindered.—ns. Preven′ter, one who, or that which, prevents or hinders: (naut.) an additional rope or spar for strengthening the ordinary one; Preven′tion, act of preventing: anticipation or forethought: obstruction.—adjs. Preven′tive, Preven′tative, tending to prevent or hinder: preservative.—n. that which prevents: a preservative.—adv. Preven′tively.—n. Preven′tiveness.—Preventive service, the service rendered by the coastguard in preventing smuggling. [L. præventus, pa.p. of prævenīre—præ, before, venīre, to come.]

Prevertebral, prē-vėr′te-bral, adj. situated or developing before the vertebræ.

Previous, prē′vi-us, adj. going before in time: former.—adv. Prē′viously.—n. Prē′viousness, antecedence: priority in time.—Previous question, a motion made during a debate, 'that the main question be now put.' If the decision be 'yes,' the debate is ended and the question put and decided; if it be 'no,' the debate is adjourned in the British parliament, but continues in the American assembly. [L. præevius—præ, before, via, a way.]

Previse, prē-viz′, v.t. to foresee: to forewarn.—n. Previ′sion, foresight: foreknowledge. [L. prævidēre, prævisum, to foresee—præ, before, vidēre, to see.]

Prewarn, prē-wawrn′, v.t. to warn beforehand.

Prex, preks, n. in U.S. college slang the president of a college.—Also Prex′y.

Prey, prā, n. that which is taken by robbery or force: booty: plunder: that which is or may be seized to be devoured: a victim: depredation: (Shak.) the act of seizing.—v.i. to take plunder: to seize and devour: to waste or impair gradually: to weigh heavily (on or upon), as the mind.—adj. Prey′ful (Shak.), having a disposition to prey on others.—Beast of prey, one who devours other animals. [O. Fr. praie (Fr. proie)—L. præda, booty.]

Priapus, prī-ā′pus, n. an ancient deity personifying male generative power.—adjs. Priap′ic, Priapē′an.—n. Prī′apism.

Price, prīs, n. that at which anything is prized, valued, or bought: excellence: recompense.—v.t. to set value on: (coll.) to ask the price of: (Spens.) to pay the price of.—ns. Price′-curr′ent, -list, a list of the prices paid for any class of goods, &c.—adjs. Priced, set at a value; Price′less, beyond price: invaluable: without value: worthless.—n. Price′lessness.—Price of money, the rate of discount in lending or borrowing capital.—Without price, priceless. [O. Fr. pris (Fr. prix)—L. pretium, price.]

Prick, prik, n. that which pricks or penetrates: a sharp point: the act or feeling of pricking: a puncture: a sting: remorse: (Shak.) a thorn, prickle, skewer, point of time: (Spens.) point, pitch.—v.t. to pierce with a prick: to erect any pointed thing: to fix by the point: to put on by puncturing: to mark or make by pricking: to incite: to deck out as with flowers or feathers: to pain.—v.i. to have a sensation of puncture: to stand erect: to ride with spurs:—pa.t. and pa.p. pricked.—adj. Prick′-eared, having pointed ears.—ns. Prick′er, that which pricks: a sharp-pointed instrument: light-horseman: a priming wire; Prick′ing; Prickle (prik′l), a little prick: a sharp point growing from the bark of a plant or from the skin of an animal.—v.t. to prick slightly.—v.i. (Spens.) to be prickly.—ns. Prick′le-back, the stickle-back; Prick′liness; Prick′ling, the act of piercing with a sharp point: (Shak.) the sensation of being pricked.—adj. prickly.—adj. Prick′ly, full of prickles.—ns. Prick′ly-heat, a severe form of the skin disease known as lichen, with itching and stinging sensations; Prick′ly-pear, a class of plants with clusters of prickles and fruit like the pear; Prick′-me-dain′ty (Scot.), an affected person.—adj. over-precise.—ns. Prick′-song (Shak.), a song set to music: music in parts; Prick′-spur, a goad-spur; Prick′-the-gar′ter (cf. Fast-and-loose); Prick′-the-louse (Scot.), a tailor. [A.S. pricu, a point; Ger. prickeln, Dut. prikkel, a prickle.]

Pricket, prik′et, n. (Shak.) a buck in his second year.

Pride, prīd, n. state or feeling of being proud: too great self-esteem: haughtiness: overbearing treatment of others: a proper sense of what is becoming to one's self: a feeling of pleasure on account of something worthily done: that of which men are proud: that which excites boasting: elevation, loftiness: beauty displayed, ornament, ostentation: high spirit, mettle: (Shak.) lust.—v.t. to have or take pride: to value, as one's self, &c.—adj. Pride′ful.—adv. Pride′fully.—n. Pride′fulness.—adj. Pride′less. [A.S. prýte—prút, proud.]

Pridian, prid′i-an, adj. pertaining to yesterday. [L. pridie—prius, before, dies, day.]

Prie-dieu, prē-diū′, n. a praying-desk. [Fr.]

Prief, prēf, n. (Spens.) proof, trial, experiment.

Prier, Pryer, prī′er, n. one who pries.

Priest, prēst, n. one who offers sacrifices or officiates in sacred offices: a minister above a deacon and below a bishop: a clergyman:—fem. Priest′ess.—ns. Priest′craft, priestly policy: the schemes of priests to gain wealth or power; Priest′hood, the office or character of a priest: the priestly order.—adjs. Priest′-like, Priest′ly, pertaining to or like a priest.—n. Priest′liness.—adj. Priest′-rid′den, controlled by priests.—High priest, a chief priest, esp. the chief ecclesiastical officer in the ancient Jewish church. [A.S. preóst (O. Fr. prestre, Fr. prêtre)—L. presbyter, an elder.]

Prieve, prēv, v.t. (Spens.) to prove.

Prig, prig, n. a pert fellow who gives himself airs of superior wisdom.—adj. Prig′gish, conceited and affected.—adv. Prig′gishly.—ns. Prig′gishness, Prig′gism. [From prick, to adorn.]

Prig, prig, n. a thief.—v.t. (slang) to filch.—v.i. (Scot.) to plead hard, haggle: to cheapen.—ns. Prig′ger; Prig′gery.—adj. Prig′gish.—n. Prig′gism. [Prob. the same as prick, to spur.]

Prill, pril, n. (prov.) a very rich piece of ore.

Prill, pril, v.i. (prov.) to grow sour: to become tipsy.

Prim, prim, adj. exact and precise in manner: affectedly nice.—v.t. to deck with great nicety: to form with affected preciseness:—pr.p. prim′ming; pa.t. and pa.p. primmed.—adv. Prim′ly.—n. Prim′ness. [O. Fr. prim, fem. prime—L. primus, prima, first.]

Primacy, prī′ma-si, n. state of being first in order of time, rank, &c.: the office or dignity of a primate or archbishop.

Prima-donna, prē′ma-don′a, n. the first or leading female singer in an opera. [It.,—L. prima domina.]

Prima facie, prī′ma fā′shi-ē, at first view or sight.—Prima facie case (law), a case established by sufficient evidence: a case consisting of evidence sufficient to go to a jury. [L. prima, abl. fem. of primus, first, facie, abl. of facies, a face.]

Primage, prīm′āj, n. an allowance to the captain of a vessel by the shipper or consignee of goods for care in lading the same (hat-money): amount or percentage of water carried from a boiler in priming. [Prime, first.]

Primary, prī′mar-i, adj. first: original: chief: primitive: elementary, preparatory.—n. that which is highest in rank or importance: a planet in relation to its satellite or satellites.—adv. Prī′marily.—ns. Prī′mariness, the state of being first in time, act, or intention; Prī′mary-ac′cent, the accent immediately after a bar in music.—ns.pl. Prī′mary-col′ours, the colours obtained by passing the sun's rays through a prism: the colours of the rainbow—red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet; Prī′mary-plan′ets, planets revolving round the sun—not satellites; Prī′mary-quills, the largest feathers of a bird's wing; Prī′mary-rocks, the rocks which seem to have been first formed and contain no animal remains, as granites, &c.

Primate, prī′māt, n. the first or highest dignitary in a church: an archbishop.—n. Prī′māteship.—adj. Primā′tial.

Prime, prīm, adj. first in order of time, rank, or importance: chief: excellent: original: early: in early manhood: (Shak.) eager, bold: (math.) incapable of being separated into factors.—n. the beginning: the dawn: the spring: the best part: the height of perfection: full health and strength: a religious service during the first hour after sunrise: (fencing) the first guard against sword-thrusts, also the first and simplest thrust.—adj. Prī′mal, first: original: chief.—n. Primal′ity.—adv. Prime′ly.—ns. Prime′-min′ister, the chief minister of state; Prime′-mov′er, the force which puts a machine in motion: a steam-engine or a water-wheel; Prime′ness; Prime′-num′ber, a first number—i.e. one divisible only by itself or unity.—Prime cost (see Cost). [L. prīmus (for pro-i-mus).]

Prime, prīm, v.t. to put powder on the nipple of a firearm: to lay on the first coating of colour: to instruct or prepare beforehand.—v.i. to serve for the charge of a gun: in the steam-engine, to carry over hot water with the steam from the boiler into the cylinder.—ns. Prī′mer; Prī′ming; Prī′ming-pow′der, detonating powder: train of powder connecting a fuse with a charge. [Prime (adj.).]

Primer, prim′ėr, or prī′mer, n. a first book: a work of elementary religious instruction: a first reading-book: an elementary introduction to any subject: a kind of type of two species, long-primer (10 point) and great-primer (18 point). [Orig. a small prayer-book.]

Primero, pri-mā′rō, n. an old game at cards. [Sp.]

Primeval, prī-mē′val, adj. belonging to the first ages: original: primitive.—adv. Primē′vally. [L. primævus—primus, first, ævum, an age.]

Primigenial, prī-mi-jē′ni-al, adj. first-born or made: primary: constituent—also Primogē′nial.—adjs. Primig′enous, Primigē′nious, first formed; Primogen′ital (obs.), Primogen′itary, Primogen′itive, of or belonging to primogeniture.—ns. Primogen′itor, the first begetter or father: a forefather; Primogen′iture, state of being born first of the same parents: (law) the right of the eldest son to inherit his father's estates; Primogen′itureship. [Fr.,—L. primo-genitus, first-born—primus, first, gignĕre, genitum, to beget.]

Primitiæ, pri-mish′i-ē, n.pl. first-fruits offered to the gods—also Primi′tias (Spens.): the first year's revenue of a benefice. [L.,—primus, first.]

Primitive, prim′i-tiv, adj. belonging to the beginning, or to the first times: original: ancient: antiquated, old-fashioned: not derived: (biol.) rudimentary, primary or first of its kind: (geol.) of the earliest formation.—n. a primitive word, or one not derived from another: (math.) a form from which another is derived.—ns.pl. Prim′itive-col′ours, the colours from which all others are supposed to be derived—viz. red, yellow, and blue; Prim′itive-fa′thers, the Christian writers before the Council of Nice, 325 A.D.—adv. Prim′itively.—n.pl. Prim′itive-Meth′odists, a religious body founded in 1810, whose beliefs are the same as those of other Methodists, but whose working arrangements are nearly Presbyterian.—n. Prim′itiveness.—n.pl. Prim′itive-rocks (see Primary-rocks). [Fr.,—L. primitivus, an extension of primus.]

Primo, prē′mō, n. (mus.) the first or principal part.

Primordial, prī-mor′di-al, adj. first in order: original: existing from the beginning: (anat.) in a rudimentary state: (bot.) first formed, as leaves or fruit.—n. first principle or element.—ns. Primor′dialism; Primor′dium. [L. primus, first, ordo, order.]

Primp, primp, v.t. (Scot.) to dress in an affected manner.—v.i. to be affected. [Prink.]

Primrose, prim′rōz, n. an early spring flower common in woods and meadows: a plant of the genus Primula: (Spens.) the first or earliest flower, the first or choicest.—adj. resembling a primrose in colour: flowery, gay.—Primrose League, a political association for the spread of Conservative opinions—formed in 1883 in memory of Lord Beaconsfield, whose favourite flower is said to have been the primrose. [Fr. prime rose—as if L. prima rosa; really through O. Fr. primerole and Low L. dim. forms from L. primus.]

Primsie, prim′si, adj. (Scot.) prim, demure.

Primula, prim′ū-la, n. the genus of plants to which the primrose belongs. [L. primus, first.]

Primum mobile, prī′mum mob′i-lē, in the Ptolemaic system the outermost of the ten revolving spheres of the universe, supposed to carry the others with it: any great source of motion. [L.]

Primus, prī′mus, n. the bishop in the Scottish Episcopal Church who presides over the meetings of the other bishops, but without metropolitan authority.

Primy, prī′mi, adj. (Shak.) blooming.

Prince, prins, n. one of the highest rank: a sovereign: son of a king or emperor: a title of nobility, as in Germany: the chief of any body of men:—fem. Prin′cess.—v.i. to play the prince (usually with it).—ns. Prince′-bish′op, a bishop who was also the civil ruler or prince of his diocese; Prince′-Con′sort, the husband of a reigning queen; Prince′dom, the estate, jurisdiction, sovereignty, or rank of a prince; Prince′hood, rank or quality of a prince; Prince′-Impē′rial, the eldest son of an emperor; Prince′kin, Prince′let, Prince′ling, a little or inferior prince.—adj. Prince′-like, becoming a prince.—n. Prince′liness.—adj. Prince′ly, prince-like: becoming a prince: grand: august: regal.—adv. in a prince-like manner.—adv. Prin′cessly, like a princess.—n. Prin′cess-Roy′al, the eldest daughter of a sovereign.—adj. Prin′cified, ridiculously dignified.—n. Mer′chant-prince, a merchant who has gained great wealth.—Prince of darkness, Prince of this world, Satan; Prince of Peace, Christ: the Messiah; Prince of Wales, the eldest son of the British sovereign; Prince Rupert's drops (see Drop); Prince's feather, a tall showy annual with spikes of rose-coloured flowers; Prince's metal, a gold-like alloy of 70 parts of copper and 25 of zinc. [Fr.,—L. princeps—primus, first, capĕre, to take.]

Princeps, prin′seps, n. one who, or that which, is foremost, original, &c.: short for editio princeps, the first edition of a book. [L.]

Princesse, prin-ses′, adj. of a woman's garment, close-fitting, the skirt and waist in one, and undraped. [Fr.]

Principal, prin′si-pal, adj. taking the first place: highest in rank, character, or importance: chief.—n. a principal person or thing: a head, as of a school or college: one who takes a leading part: money on which interest is paid: (archit.) a main beam or timber: (law) the person who commits a crime, or one who aids and abets him in doing it: a person for whom another becomes surety, a person who, being sui juris, employs another to do an act which he is competent himself to do: (mus.) an organ-stop: (Shak.) the principal rafter.—n. Principal′ity, supreme power: the territory of a prince or the country which gives title to him: (B.) a prince: (obs.) a power: (pl.) an order of angels, the seventh in the hierarchy of Dionysius.—adv. Prin′cipally.—ns. Prin′cipalness, the state of being principal or chief; Prin′cipalship, position of a principal; Prin′cipate, primary: a principality, esp. the office of the ancient Roman emperors. [L. principalis.]

Principia, prin-sip′i-a, n.pl. first principles: elements, used often as the contracted title of the 'Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica' of Newton.—adj. Princip′ial, elementary. [L., pl. of principium.]

Principle, prin′si-pl, n. a fundamental truth on which others are founded or from which they spring: a law or doctrine from which others are derived: an original faculty of the mind: a settled rule of action: (chem.) a constituent part: (obs.) a beginning.—v.t. to establish in principles: to impress with a doctrine.—adj. Prin′cipled, holding certain principles.—Principle of contradiction, the logical principle that a thing cannot both be and not be; Principle of excluded middle (logic), the principle that a thing must be either one thing or its contradictory; Principle of sufficient reason (see Reason).—First principle, a very general principle not deducible from others. [L. principium, beginning—princeps.]

Princock, prin′kok, n. (Shak.) a conceited fellow: a coxcomb.—Also Prin′cox.

Prink, pringk, v.t. to adorn ostentatiously.—n. Prink′er. [Weakened from prank.]

Print, print, v.t. to press or impress: to mark by pressure: to impress letters on paper, &c.: to publish: (phot.) to produce a positive picture from a negative.—v.i. to practise the art of printing: to publish a book.—n. a mark or character made by impression: the impression of types in general: a copy: a printed picture: an engraving: a newspaper: a printed cloth: calico stamped with figures: that which impresses its form on anything: a cut, in wood or metal: (archit.) a plaster-cast in low relief.—ns. Print′er, one who prints, esp. books, newspapers, &c.; Print′ing, act, art, or practice of printing; Print′ing-ink, ink used in printing; Print′ing-machine′, a printing-press worked by machinery; Print′ing-off′ice, an establishment where books, &c., are printed; Print′ing-pā′per, a paper suitable for printing purposes; Print′ing-press, a machine by which impressions are taken in ink upon paper from types.—adj. Print′less, receiving or leaving no impression.—ns. Print′-sell′er, one who sells prints or engravings; Print′-shop, a shop where prints are sold; Print′-works, an establishment where cloth is printed.—Printer's devil (see Devil); Printer's ink (same as Printing-ink); Printer's mark, an engraved device used by printers as a trade-mark.—In print, published in printed form: in stock, as opposed to books which cannot now be got—Out of print. [Shortened from O. Fr. empreindre, empreint—L. imprimĕre—in, into, premĕre, to press.]

Prior, prī′or, adj. former: previous: coming before in time.—n. the head of a priory: (in Italy) formerly a chief magistrate:—fem. Prī′oress.—ns. Prī′orāte, Prī′orship, the government or office of a prior: the time during which a prior is in office; Prior′ity, state of being prior or first in time, place, or rank: preference; Prī′ory, a convent of either sex, under a prior or prioress, and next in rank below an abbey. [L. prior, former, comp. from pro-, in front.]

Prisage, prī′zāj, n. formerly a right of the English kings to seize for crown purposes, esp. that of taking two tuns of wine from every ship importing twenty tuns or more. [O. Fr.,—prise, taking.]

Prise, prīz, n. (Spens.) an enterprise or adventure.

Priser, prīz′ėr, n. (Shak.). Same as Prizer.

Prism, prizm, n. (geom.) a solid whose ends are similar, equal, and parallel planes, and whose sides are parallelograms: (opt.) a solid glass, triangular-shaped body, used for resolving rays of light into their separate colours.—adjs. Prismat′ic, -al, resembling or pertaining to a prism: separated or formed by a prism.—adv. Prismat′ically.—ns. Pris′matoid, Pris′moid, a figure in the form of a prism.—adjs. Pris′matoidal, Pris′moidal; Pris′my, prismatic in colour. [L.,—Gr. prisma, -atos.]

Prison, priz′n, n. a building for the confinement of criminals, &c.: a jail: any place of confinement.—v.t. to shut in prison, restrain.—n.pl. Pris′on-bars, whatever confines or restrains.—ns. Pris′oner, one arrested or confined in prison: a captive; Pris′oner's-, Pris′on-base, a game among boys, in which those who are caught in a certain way are confined as prisoners—a corr. of prison-bars; Pris′on-fē′ver, typhus-fever; Pris′on-house, place of confinement; Pris′onment (Shak.), confinement in a prison—usually imprisonment; Pris′on-ship; Pris′on-van, a closed conveyance for carrying prisoners.—State prisoner, one confined for a political offence in a state prison. [Fr.,—L. prensio, -onis, for prehensio, a seizing—prehendĕre, -hensum, to seize.]

Pristine, pris′tin, adj. as at first: former: belonging to the earliest time: ancient. [O. Fr.,—L. pristinus; cf. priscus, antique, prior, former.]

Prithee, prith′ē, a corruption of I pray thee.

Prittle-prattle, prit′l-prat′l, n. empty talk.

Privacy, prī′va-si, or priv′-, n. state of being private or retired from company or observation: a place of seclusion: retreat: retirement: secrecy.

Privat docent, prē-vat′ dō-tsent′, n. a teacher in connection with a German university, without share in its government or endowment, only receiving fees. [Ger.,—L. privatus, private, docens, -entis, teaching, docēre, to teach.]

Private, prī′vāt, adj. apart from the state: not invested with public office: peculiar to one's self: belonging to an individual person or company: not public: retired from observation: secret: not publicly known: not holding a commission.—n. a common soldier: (Shak.) a person without public office, a secret message, privacy, retirement.—adv. Prī′vately.—n. Prī′vateness.—Private act, &c., an act, &c., which deals with the concerns of private persons—opp. to General act, &c.; Private judgment, the judgment of an individual, esp. on the meaning of a passage or doctrine of Scripture, as distinguished from the interpretation of the church; Private law, that part of law which deals with the rights and duties of persons quâ individuals; Private legislation, legislation affecting the interests of private persons; Private parts, the sexual organs; Private property, rights, the property, rights of individual persons, as distinguished from that which belongs to a public body and is devoted to public use; Private trust, a trust managed in the interest of private parties; Private wrong, an injury done to an individual in his private capacity.—In private, privately, in secret; The private (obs.), the private life of individuals. [L. privatus, pa.p. of privāre, to separate—privus, single.]

Privateer, prī-va-tēr′, n. an armed private vessel commissioned by a government to seize and plunder an enemy's ships: the commander of a privateer.—v.i. to cruise in a privateer: to fit out privateers.—ns. Privateer′ing; Privateer′sman.

Privation, prī-vā′shun, n. state of being deprived of something, esp. of what is necessary for comfort: destitution: (logic) absence of any quality: (obs.) degradation or suspension from an office.—adj. Priv′ative, causing privation: consisting in the absence of something.—n. that which is privative or depends on the absence of something else: (logic) a term denoting the absence of a quality: (gram.) a prefix denoting absence or negation.—adv. Priv′atively.—n. Priv′ativeness. [L.; cf. Private.]

Privet, priv′et, n. a half-evergreen European shrub used for hedges. [Perh. primet—prim.]

Privilege, priv′i-lej, n. an advantage to an individual: a right enjoyed only by a few: freedom from burdens borne by others: prerogative: a sacred and vital civil right: (Shak.) superiority.—v.t. to grant a privilege to: to exempt: to authorise, license.—adj. Priv′ileged.—Breach of privilege, any interference with or slight done to the rights or privileges of a legislative body; Question of privilege, any question arising out of the rights of an assembly or of its members; Writ of privilege, an order for the release of a person from custody. [Fr.,—L. privilegium—privus, single, lex, legis, a law.]

Privy, priv′i, adj. private: pertaining to one person: for private uses: secret: appropriated to retirement: admitted to the knowledge of something secret.—n. (law) a person having an interest in an action: a necessary house.—adv. Priv′ily, privately: secretly.—ns. Priv′ity, secrecy: something kept private: knowledge, shared with another, of something private or confidential: knowledge implying concurrence: relation between different interests, as, for example, in feudal tenure the interests of several persons in the same land, the mutual relationships of contractor and contractee, the relation caused by common knowledge in breaches of contract: (obs.) seclusion, intimacy; Priv′y-cham′ber, private apartment in a royal residence; Priv′y-coun′cil, the private council of a sovereign to advise in the administration of government; Priv′y-coun′cillor, a member of the privy-council; Priv′y-purse, the purse or money for the private or personal use of the sovereign; Priv′y-seal, -sig′net, the seal used by or for the king in subordinate matters, or those which are not to pass the great seal; Priv′y-ver′dict, a verdict given to a judge out of court.—Gentlemen ushers of the privy-chamber, four officials in the royal household who attend certain court ceremonies. [Fr. privé—L. privatus, private.]

Prize, Prise, prīz, v.t. to force open by means of a lever. [Fr.; cf. Prize, below.]

Prize, prīz, n. that which is taken or gained by competition: anything taken from an enemy in war: (hunting) the note of the trumpet blown at the capture of the game: a captured vessel: that which is won in a lottery: anything offered for competition: a gain: a reward: (Shak.) a competition.—adj. worthy of a prize: to which a prize is given.—adjs. Priz′able, -eable, valuable.—ns. Prize′-court, a court for judging regarding prizes made on the high seas; Prize′-fight, a combat in which those engaged fight for a prize or wager; Prize′-fight′er, a boxer who fights publicly for a prize; Prize′-fight′ing; Prize′-list, recorded of the winners in a competition; Prize′man; Prize′-mon′ey, share of the money or proceeds from any prizes taken from an enemy; Priz′er (Shak.), one who competes for a prize; Prize′-ring, a ring for prize-fighting: the practice itself. [Fr. prise—pris, taken, pa.p. prendre—L. prehendĕre, to seize.]

Prize, prīz, v.t. to set a price on: to value: to value highly.—n. valuation, estimate.—n. Priz′er (Shak.), an appraiser. [Fr. priser—O. Fr. pris, price (Fr. prix)—L. pretium, price.]

Pro, prō, Latin prep. meaning before, used in English in many phrases.—Pro and con, abbrev. of pro et contra, for and against.—v.i. to consider impartially.—n.pl. Pros and cons, arguments for and against an opinion.—Pro bono publico, for the public good.

Proa, prō′a, n. a small and swift Malay sailing-vessel, with both ends equally sharp. [Malay prau.]

Probable, prob′a-bl, adj. that can be proved: having more evidence for than against: giving ground for belief: likely: (Shak.) plausible.—n. probable opinion.—ns. Probabil′iorist; Prob′abilism (R.C. theol.), the doctrine in casuistry that of two probable opinions, both reasonable, one may follow his own inclination, as a doubtful law cannot impose a certain obligation—opp. to Probabil′iorism, according to which it is lawful to follow one's inclination only when there is a more probable opinion in its favour; Prob′abilist; Probabil′ity, quality of being probable: appearance of truth: that which is probable: chance or likelihood of something happening:—pl. Probabil′ities.—adv. Prob′ably.—adj. Prō′bal (Shak.), probable.—Probable cause, a reasonable ground that an accusation is true; Probable error, a quantity assumed as the value of an error, such that the chances of the real error being greater are equal to those of it being less than this quantity; Probable evidence, evidence not conclusive, but admitting of some degree of force. [Fr.,—L. probabilis—probāre, -ātum, to prove.]

Probang, prō′bang, n. an instrument for pushing obstructions down the œsophagus of a choking animal.

Probate, prō′bāt, n. the proof before a competent court that a written paper purporting to be the will of a person who has died is indeed his lawful act: the official copy of a will, with the certificate of its having been proved: the right or jurisdiction of proving wills.—adj. relating to the establishment of wills and testaments.—Probate court, a court created in 1858 to exercise jurisdiction in matters touching the succession to personal estate; Probate duty, a tax on property passing by will. [Cf. Probable.]

Probation, prō-bā′shun, n. act of proving: any proceeding to elicit truth, &c.: trial: time of trial: moral trial: noviciate.—adjs. Probā′tional, Probā′tionary, relating to probation or trial.—n. Probā′tioner, one who is on probation or trial: (Scot.) one licensed to preach, but not ordained to a pastorate.—adjs. Prō′bative, Prō′batory, serving for proof or trial: relating to proof.—n. Probā′tor, an examiner.—The doctrine of future probation, the doctrine that the gospel will be preached in another life to the unregenerate dead or to those who never heard it in life. [Fr.,—L.]

Probatum est, prō-bā′tum est, it has been proved. [L., 3d sing. perf. indic. pass. of probāre, to prove.]

Probe, prōb, n. a proof or trial: a long, thin instrument for examining a wound, &c.: that which tries or probes.—v.t. to examine with or as with a probe: to examine thoroughly.—n.pl. Probe′-sciss′ors, scissors used to open wounds, the blade having a button at the end. [L. probāre, to prove.]

Probity, prob′i-ti, n. uprightness: honesty: virtue that has been tested. [Fr.,—L. probitas, probus, good.]

Problem, prob′lem, n. a matter difficult of settlement or solution: (geom.) a proposition in which something is required to be done.—adjs. Problemat′ic, -al, of the nature of a problem: questionable: doubtful.—adv. Problemat′ically.—v.i. Prob′lematise. [Fr.,—L.,—Gr. problēma—pro, before, ballein, to throw.]

Proboscis, prō-bos′is, n. the trunk of some animals, as the elephant, for conveying food to the mouth: anything like a trunk:—pl. Probos′cides.—adjs. Probos′cidāte; Proboscid′ean, having a proboscis.—n. a mammal of the Proboscidea.—n. Probos′cis-monk′ey, a monkey of Borneo, having a long mobile and retractile nose. [L.,—Gr. proboskis, a trunk—pro, in front, boskein, to feed.]

Procacity, prō-kas′i-ti, n. petulance.—adj. Procā′cious.

Procathedral, prō-ka-thē′dral, n. a church used temporarily as a cathedral.

Proceed, prō-sēd′, v.i. to go forward: to advance: to act according to a method: to go from point to point: to issue: to be produced: to prosecute: to take an academic degree: (Shak.) to be transacted, done.—ns. Procē′dure, the act of proceeding or moving forward: a step taken or an act performed: progress: process: conduct; Proceed′er, one who goes forward or makes progress; Proceed′ing, a going forward: progress: step: operation: transaction: (pl.) a record of the transactions of a society: (Shak.) advancement.—n.pl. Pro′ceeds, the money arising from anything: rent: produce.—Special proceeding, a judicial proceeding other than an action, as, for example, a writ of mandamus; Summary proceedings, certain statutory remedies taken without the formal bringing of an action by process and pleading. [Fr. procéder—L. procedĕre—pro, before, cedĕre, cessum, to go.]

Proceleusmatic, pros-e-lūs-mat′ik, adj. inciting, encouraging.—n. in ancient prosody, a foot consisting of four short syllables. [Gr.,—prokeleuein, to incite before—pro, before, keleuein, to order.]

Procellaria, pros-e-lā′ri-a, n. a Linnæan genus of petrels.

Procephalic, prō-se-fal′ik, or prō-sef′a-lik, adj. of or pertaining to the forepart of the head.—Procephalic lobes, two lobes in the embryo of the Podophthalmia which develop into the anterior parts of the head. [Gr. pro, before, kephalē, head.]

Procerebrum, prō-ser′ē-brum, n. the fore-brain, consisting of the cerebral hemispheres, corpora striata, and olfactory lobes.—adj. Procer′ebral. [L. pro, before, cerebrum, brain.]

Procerite, pros′e-rīt, n. the last segment of the antennæ in the Crustacea. [Gr. pro, before, keras, a horn.]

Procerity, prō-ser′i-ti, n. tallness, loftiness.—adj. Procē′rous, tall. [L.,—procērus, tall.]

Procès, prō-sā′, n. a law-suit: a trial.—Procès verbal, a written account of facts in connection with a trial or other proceeding. [Fr.]

Process, pros′es, or prō-, n. a gradual progress: manner of acting or happening: operation: the whole proceedings in an action or prosecution: series of measures: a projection on a bone or plant (also Proces′sus): the same as photo-process, the reproduction as a drawing, &c., by any mechanical (esp. photographic) process: (Shak.) a narrative, account.—v.t. to proceed against by legal process: to produce a reproduction of a drawing as above.—n. Proc′ess-serv′er (Shak.), a bailiff. [Fr. procès—L. processus.]

Procession, prō-sesh′un, n. the act of proceeding: a train of persons in a formal march.—adj. Proces′sional, pertaining to a procession: consisting in a procession.—n. a book of the processions of the Romish Church: a hymn sung during a procession, esp. of clergy in a church.—n. Proces′sionalist.—adj. Proces′sionary.—ns. Proces′sioner (U.S.), a county officer in Tennessee and North Carolina whose duty it is to survey lands; Proces′sioning (U.S.), periodical survey and inspection of boundaries.—Procession of the Holy Ghost (theol.), the emanation of the Holy Spirit from the Father (single procession), or from the Father and Son (double procession). [Fr.,—L.]

Prochein, prō′shen, adj. next, nearest.—Prochein ami, amy, next friend, one who undertakes to assist a minor in prosecuting his or her rights. [Fr.,—L. proximus, nearest.]

Prochronism, prō′kron-izm, n. a dating of an event before the right time: a making earlier than it really was—opp. to Parachronism. [Gr. pro, before, chronos, time.]

Procidence, pros′i-dens, n. a falling down, a prolapsus.—adjs. Proc′ident; Procid′uous, falling from its proper place.

Procinct, prō-singkt′, n. (Milt.) complete preparation. [L., pro, before, cingĕre, cinctum, to gird.]

Proclaim, prō-klām′, v.t. to cry aloud: to publish abroad: to announce officially.—ns. Proclaim′; Proclaim′ant; Proclaim′er; Proclamā′tion, the act of proclaiming: official notice given to the public.—Proclaimed district, a district in which some unusually strict law is brought into force by a form of proclamation. [Fr. proclamer—L. proclamāre—pro, out, clamāre, to cry.]

Proclitic, prō-klit′ik, adj. dependent in accent upon the following word.—n. a monosyllabic word which depends so much on the following word as to lose its accent. [Gr. pro, forward, klinein, lean.]

Proclivity, prō-kliv′i-ti, n. an inclining forward: tendency: inclination: aptitude.—adjs. Proclive′, inclining to a thing: having a natural tendency: prone; Proclī′vous, slanting forward and downward. [L. proclivitas—proclivus, having a slope forward—pro, forward, clivus, a slope.]

Procœlian, prō-sē′li-an, adj. hollowed or cupped in front.—Also Procœ′lous. [Gr. pro, before, koilos, hollow.]

Proconsul, prō-kon′sul, n. a Roman official having the authority of a consul without his office: the governor of a province.—adj. Procon′sular, pertaining to, or under the government of, a proconsul.—ns. Procon′sulate, Procon′sulship, the office, or term of office, of a proconsul.

Procrastinate, prō-kras′ti-nāt, v.t. to put off till some future time: to postpone.—v.i. to delay.—n. Procrastinā′tion, a putting off till a future time: dilatoriness.—adjs. Procras′tinātive, Procras′tinātory.—n. Procras′tinātor. [L.—pro, off, crastinus—cras, to-morrow.]

Procreate, prō′krē-āt, v.t. to bring into being: to generate: to propagate: to produce.—n. Prō′creant, one who, or that which, procreates or generates.—adj. procreating, connected with or related to reproduction.—n. Procreā′tion, the act of procreating: generation: production.—adj. Prō′creātive, having the power to procreate: generative: productive.—ns. Prō′creātiveness; Prō′creātor, one who procreates: a father. [L. procreāre, -ātum—pro, forth, creāre, to produce.]

Procrustean, prō-krus′tē-an, adj. violently making conformable to a standard—from Procrustes, a Greek robber, who stretched or cut a piece off the legs of his captives, so as to fit them to an iron bed.

Proctalgia, prok-tal′ji-a, n. pain of the anus or rectum.—n. Proctī′tis, inflammation thereof. [Gr. proktos, the anus, algos, pain.]

Proctor, prok′tor, n. a procurator or manager for another: an attorney in the spiritual courts: a representative of the clergy in Convocation: an official in the English universities who attends to the morals of the students and enforces university regulations.—ns. Proc′torage, Proc′torship.—adj. Proctō′rial, pertaining to a proctor: magisterial.—v.t. Proc′torise (slang), in the English universities, to summon before a proctor. [Procurator.]

Proctucha, prok-tū′ka, n.pl. a group of the Turbellaria in which the digestive canal is furnished with an anal aperture.—adj. Proctū′chous. [Gr. prōktos, the anus, echein, to have.]

Procumbent, prō-kum′bent, adj. leaning forward: lying down or on the face: (bot.) trailing: without putting out roots, as a stem. [L. pro, forward, cumbĕre, to lie down.]

Procure, prō-kūr′, v.t. to obtain for one's self or for another: to bring about: to attract: (Spens.) to urge earnestly.—v.i. to pander, pimp.—adj. Procur′able, that may be procured.—ns. Pro′curācy, office of a procurator; Procurā′tion, the act of managing another's affairs: the instrument giving power to do this: a sum paid by incumbents to the bishop or archdeacon on visitations; Proc′urātor, one who takes care of a thing for another: a lawyer: a financial agent in an imperial province under the Roman emperors; Proc′urator-fis′cal (see Fiscal).—adj. Procuratō′rial.—n. Proc′uratorship.—adj. Proc′urātory.—ns. Procure′ment, the act of procuring: a bringing about: management: agency; Procur′er, one who procures: a pander:—fem. Proc′uress. [Fr. procurer—L. procurāre, to manage—pro, for, curāre, -ātum, to care for.]

Procureur, prō-kü-rer′, n. a procurator.—Procureur général (French law), the public prosecutor-in-chief.

Procyonidæ, prō-si-on′i-dē, n.pl. an American family of plantigrade carnivorous mammals, including raccoons and coatis. [Gr. pro, before, kyōn, a dog.]

Prod, prod, n. a goad, awl: a prick or punch with a pointed instrument.—v.t. to prick. [Perh. brod.]

Prodigal, prod′i-gal, adj. spending without necessity: wasteful: lavish: profuse.—n. one who throws away without necessity: a waster: a spendthrift.—v.t. Prod′igalise, Prod′igāte, to spend lavishly, waste.—n. Prodigal′ity, state or quality of being prodigal: extravagance: profusion: great liberality.—adv. Prod′igally, wastefully. [Fr.,—L. prodigus—prodigĕre, to squander—pro, forth, agĕre, to drive.]

Prodigy, prod′i-ji, n. a portent: any person or thing that causes great wonder: a wonder: a monster.—adj. Prodig′ious, like a prodigy: astonishing: more than usually large in size or degree: monstrous.—adv. Prodig′iously.—n. Prodig′iousness. [Fr. prodige—L. prodigium, a prophetic sign—pro, before, dicĕre, to say.]

Proditor, prod′i-tor, n. a traitor. [L.,—prodĕre, -itum, to betray—pro, forth, dăre, to give.]

Prodromus, prod′rō-mus, n. a sign of approaching disease: a preliminary course or treatise:—pl. Prod′romi (-ī).—adj. Prodrom′ic. [Gr.]

Produce, prō-dūs′, v.t. to bring forward: to make longer: to bring forth: to bear: to exhibit: to yield: to bring about: to cause: (geom.) to extend.—v.i. to yield: to create value.—ns. Prod′uce, that which is produced: product: proceeds: crops: yield; Prod′uce-brok′er, a dealer in natural products, esp. foreign or colonial; Produc′er; Producibil′ity.—adj. Produc′ible, that may be produced: that may be generated or made: that may be exhibited.—n. Produc′ibleness.—adj. Produc′tile, capable of being drawn out in length. [L. producĕre, -ductum—pro, forward, ducĕre, to lead.]

Product, prod′ukt, n. that which grows or is produced: work: composition: effect: (arith.) the result of numbers multiplied together: (Milt.) offspring.—v.t. Product′ (rare), to produce.—ns. Productibil′ity, capability of being produced; Produc′tion, act of producing: that which is produced: fruit: product: (pol. econ.) creation of values: (zool.) extension, protrusion: (pl.) in Scots law, written documents produced in support of the action or defence.—adj. Produc′tive, having the power to produce: generative: fertile: efficient.—adv. Produc′tively.—ns. Produc′tiveness, Productiv′ity.

Proem, prō′em, n. an introduction: a prelude: a preface.—adj. Proē′mial. [Fr. proème—L. proœmium—Gr. prooimion—pro, before, oimos, a way.]

Proembryo, prō-em′bri-ō, n. a cellular structure produced from the spore of some plants, from which the embryo arises.

Proemptosis, prō-emp-tō′sis, n. the addition of a day to a calendar or cycle, to correct error. [Gr.]

Proface, prō′fas, interj. (Shak.) may it profit you!—a phrase of welcome. [O. Fr.,—prou, profit, face, fasse, 3d pers. sing. pres. subj. of faire, to do.]

Profane, prō-fān′, adj. not sacred: common: secular: speaking or acting in contempt of sacred things: uninitiated: impious: impure.—v.t. to violate anything holy: to abuse anything sacred: to put to a wrong use: to pollute: to debase.—n. Profanā′tion, desecration: irreverence to what is holy: a treating of anything with disrespect.—adj. Profan′atory.—adv. Profane′ly.—ns. Profane′ness; Profān′er; Profan′ity, irreverence: that which is profane: profane language or conduct. [Fr.,—L. profanus—pro, before, fanum, a temple.]

Profectitious, prō-fek-tish′us, adj. derived from an ancestor or ancestors. [Low L.,—L. proficisci, profectus, to proceed.]

Profess, prō-fes′, v.t. to own freely: to make open declaration of: to declare in strong terms: to announce publicly one's skill in: to affirm one's belief in: (Spens.) to present the appearance of: (R.C.) to receive into a religious order by profession.—v.i. to enter publicly into a religious state: (Shak.) to pretend friendship.—adj. Professed′, openly declared: avowed: acknowledged.—adv. Profess′edly.—n. Profes′sion, the act of professing: open declaration: pretence: an employment not mechanical and requiring some degree of learning: calling or known employment: the collective body of persons engaged in any profession: entrance into a religious order.—adj. Profes′sional, pertaining to a profession: engaged in a profession: undertaken as a means of subsistence, as opposed to Amateur.—n. one who makes his living by an art, as opposed to an amateur who practises it merely for pastime.—n. Profes′sionalism.—adv. Profes′sionally.—ns. Profess′or, one who professes: one who openly declares belief in certain doctrines: one who publicly practises or teaches any branch of knowledge: a public and authorised teacher in a university:—fem. Profess′oress; Profess′orate, Professō′riāte, the office of a professor or public teacher: his period of office: body of professors.—adj. Professō′rial.—adv. Professō′rially.—n. Profess′orship. [Fr. profès, professed, said of a member of a religious order—L. professus, perf. p. of profitēri—pro, publicly, fatēri, to confess.]

Proffer, prof′ėr, v.t. to bring forward: to propose: to offer for acceptance.—n. an offer made: a proposal.—n. Proff′erer. [Fr. proférer—L. proferre—pro, forward, ferre, to bring.]

Proficience, prō-fish′ens, n. state of being proficient: improvement in anything: advancement—also Profi′ciency.—adj. Profi′cient, competent: well skilled: thoroughly qualified.—n. one who has made considerable advancement in anything: an adept: an expert.—adv. Profi′ciently. [L. proficiens, -entis, pr.p. of proficĕre, to make progress—pro, forward, facĕre, to make.]

Profile, prō′fīl, n. an outline: a head or portrait in a side-view: the side-face: the outline of any object without foreshortening: a vertical section of country to show the elevations and depressions.—v.t. to draw in profile: to make an outline of: (mech.) to give a definite form by chiselling, milling, &c.—ns. Prō′filist, one who takes or makes profiles; Profil′ograph, an instrument for automatically recording the profile of the ground it traverses. [It. profilo (Fr. profil)—L. pro, before, filum, a thread.]

Profit, prof′it, n. gain: the gain resulting from the employment of capital: the difference between the selling price and the first cost: advantage: addition to good or value: benefit: improvement.—v.t. to benefit or to be of advantage to: to improve.—v.i. to gain advantage: to receive profit: to improve: to be of advantage: to bring good.—adj. Prof′itable, yielding or bringing profit or gain: lucrative: productive: advantageous: beneficial.—n. Prof′itableness.—adv. Prof′itably.—ns. Prof′iter; Prof′iting, profit, gain, or advantage: (B.) progress or proficiency.—adj. Prof′itless, without profit, gain, or advantage.—adv. Prof′itlessly.—n. Prof′it-shar′ing, a voluntary agreement under which the employee receives a share, fixed beforehand, in the profits of a business.—Profit and loss, gain or loss arising from buying and selling, &c.—Net profits, clear gain after deduction of all outlay and expenses; Rate of profit, the amount of profit compared with the capital used in its production. [Fr.,—L. profectus, progress—proficĕre, profectum, to make progress.]

Profligate, prof′li-gāt, adj. abandoned to vice: without virtue or decency: dissolute: prodigal: (obs.) overthrown, defeated.—n. one leading a profligate life: one shamelessly vicious: an abandoned person.—ns. Prof′ligacy, Prof′ligateness, state or quality of being profligate: a vicious course of life.—adv. Prof′ligately. [L. profligatus, pa.p. of profligāre—pro, forward, fligĕre, to dash.]

Profluent, prof′lū-ent, adj. flowing forth.—n. Prof′luence. [L. pro, forth, fluere, to flow.]

Pro forma, prō for′ma, as a matter of form. [L. pro, for, forma, abl. of forma, form.]

Profound, prō-fownd′, adj. far below the surface: low: very deep: intense: abstruse: mysterious: occult: intellectually deep: penetrating deeply into knowledge.—n. the sea or ocean: an abyss, great depth.—adv. Profound′ly, deeply: with deep knowledge or insight: with deep concern.—ns. Profound′ness, Profund′ity, the state or quality of being profound: depth of place, of knowledge, &c.: that which is profound. [Fr. profond—L. profundus—pro, forward, fundus, bottom.]

Profunda, prō-fun′dä, n. a deep-seated artery, as of the arm, neck, or leg:—pl. Profun′dæ.

Profuse, prō-fūs′, adj. liberal to excess: lavish: extravagant.—adv. Profūse′ly.—ns. Profūse′ness, Profū′sion, state of being profuse: extravagance: prodigality. [L. profusus, pa.p. of profundĕre—pro, forth, fundĕre, to pour.]

Prog, prog, v.t. to thrust.—v.i. to go about, as if picking and plundering: to beg.—n. a pointed instrument: food got by begging. [Prob. related to W. procio, to stab.]

Progenerate, prō-jen′e-rāt, v.t. to beget.—n. Progen′itor, a forefather: an ancestor: a parent: the founder of a family:—fem. Progen′itress, Progen′itrix.—ns. Prōgen′iture, a begetting; Prog′eny, that which is brought forth: descendants: race: children. [Fr.,—L.,—pro, before, genitor, a parent, gignĕre, genitum, to beget.]

Proglottis, prō-glot′is, n. a term applied to the detached segments of the body in the Cestoidea:—pl. Proglott′idēs.—adj. Proglott′ic. [Gr.,—pro, before, glōssa, glōtta, tongue.]

Prognathous, prog′nā-thus, adj. having jaws projecting far forward—also Prognath′ic.—n. Prog′nathism. [Gr. pro, forward, gnathos, a jaw.]

Prognosis, prog-nō′sis, n. foreknowledge: (med.) the act or art of foretelling the course of a disease from the symptoms: the opinion thus formed.—n. Prognos′tic, a foreshowing: a foretelling: an indication: a presage.—adj. foreknowing: foreshowing: indicating what is to happen by signs or symptoms.—v.t. Prognos′ticāte, to foreshow: to foretell: to indicate as future by signs.—n. Prognosticā′tion, the act of prognosticating or foretelling something future by present signs: a foretoken or previous sign.—adj. Prognos′ticātive.—n. Prognos′ticātor, a predictor of future events, esp. a weather prophet. [Gr.,—pro, before, gignōskein, to know.]

Programme, Program, prō′gram, n. a public notice in writing: an outline of subjects and the order in which they are to be taken up at a meeting, exhibition, concert, &c.: a preliminary outline.—n. Prō′grammer, one who makes up a programme.—Programme music, music meant to give the hearers, by means of instruments, without words, the impressions of scenes and incidents. [Fr.,—L.,—Gr. programma—pro, before, graphein, to write.]

Progress, prog′res, n. a going forward or onward: advance: improvement of any kind: proficiency: course: passage from place to place: procession: a journey of state: a circuit.—v.i. Prōgress′, to go forward: to make progress: to grow better: to proceed: to advance: to improve.—v.t. (Shak.) to move or push forward.—n. Prōgres′sion, motion onward: act or state of moving onward: progress: regular and gradual advance: increase or decrease of numbers or magnitudes according to a fixed law: (mus.) a regular succession of chords or the movements of the parts in harmony.—adj. Prōgres′sional.—ns. Prōgres′sionist, Prog′ressist, one who believes in the progress of society and its future perfection: one who believes in the development of animals and plants from one simple form.—adj. Prōgress′ive, progressing or moving forward: advancing gradually: improving.—n. one in favour of reform.—adv. Prōgress′ively.—n. Prōgress′iveness.—Arithmetical progression (see Arithmetic); Geometrical progression, a series of numbers or quantities in which each succeeding one is produced by multiplying or dividing the preceding one by a fixed number or quantity, as 1, 4, 16, 64, &c., or 18, 6, 2; Harmonic progression (see Harmonic); Musical progression, the regular succession of chords or the movement of the parts of a musical composition in harmony, where the key continues unchanged. [Fr.,—L. progressus—progredi, to go forward—pro, forward, gradi, to go.]

Progymnasium, prō-jim-nā′zi-um, n. in Germany, a classical school in which the higher classes are wanting: a school preparatory to a gymnasium.

Prohibit, prō-hib′it, v.t. to hinder: to check or repress: to prevent: to forbid: to interdict by authority.—ns. Prohib′iter; Prohibi′tion, the act of prohibiting, forbidding, or interdicting: an interdict: the forbidding by law of the manufacture and sale of alcoholic drinks; Prohib′itionism; Prohibi′tionist, one who favours prohibitory duties in commerce: one who advocates the forbidding by law of the manufacture and sale of alcoholic drinks.—adj. Prohib′itive.—adv. Prohib′itively.—adj. Prohib′itory, that prohibits or forbids: forbidding.—Prohibited degrees (see Forbidden degrees, under Degree).—Writ of prohibition (law), a writ from a superior tribunal staying proceedings in a lower court: (Scots law) a clause in a deed of entail forbidding the heir to sell the estate, contract debt, &c. [L. prohibēre, prohibitum—pro, before, habēre, to have.]

Proin, proin, v.t. an obsolete form of prune.

Pro indiviso, prō in-di-vī′so, (law) applied to rights which two or more persons hold in common.

Project, prōj′ekt, n. a plan: a scheme: contrivance. [O. Fr. project (Fr. projet)—L. projectum—pro, before, jacĕre, to throw.]

Project, prō-jekt′, v.t. to throw out or forward: to cast forward in the mind: to contrive or devise: to exhibit (as in a mirror): to draw straight lines from a fixed point through every point of any body or figure, and let these fall upon a surface so as to form the points of a new figure: to exhibit in relief.—v.i. to shoot forward: to jut out: to be prominent.—adj. Projec′tile, projecting or throwing forward: impelling or impelled forward: that can be thrust forward.—n. a body projected by force, esp. through the air: a cannon or rifle ball.—adj. Projec′ting.—n. Projec′tion, the act of projecting: that which juts out: a plan or design: a delineation: a representation of any object on a plane, esp. (geom.) the earth's surface: (alch.) the act of throwing anything into a crucible, hence the act or result of transmutation of metals: the crisis of any process, esp. a culinary process.—adj. Projec′tive, produced by projection: (geom.) capable, as two plane figures, of being derived from one another by a number of projections and sections.—ns. Projectiv′ity; Project′ment (rare), design; Projec′tor, one who projects or forms schemes: a parabolic mirror: a camera for throwing an image on a screen; Projec′ture, a jutting out beyond the main line or surface.—Mercator's projection, a map of the world with meridian lines which are straight and parallel, and with parallels of latitude at distances from each other, increasing towards the poles, invented by the Flemish cosmographer, Mercator, in 1550.

Proker, prō′ker, n. (prov.) a poker.

Prolapse, prō-laps′, n. (med.) a falling down, or out, of some part of the body from the position which it usually occupies—also Prolap′sus.—v.i. to fall down: to protrude. [L. prolabi, prolapsus, to fall forward—pro, forward, labi, to fall.]

Prolate, prō′lāt, adj. extended lengthwise: having the diameter between the poles longer than at right angles to it, as a spheroid.—ns. Prolāte′ness, Prolā′tion, a bringing forth: pronunciation: delay: (mus.) a division. [L. prolatus, pa.p. of proferre, to bring forward—pro, forth, ferre, to bear.]

Proleg, prō′leg, n. one of the abdominal limbs of the larvæ of insects.

Prolegomena, prō-leg-om′en-a, n.pl. an introduction to a treatise:—sing. Prolegom′enon.—adjs. Prolegom′enary, Prolegom′enous, prefatory: prolix. [Gr.,—pro, before, legein, to say.]

Prolepsis, prō-lep′sis, n. (rhet.) a figure by which objections are anticipated and answered: the dating of an event before its proper time:—pl. Prolep′sēs.—adjs. Prolep′tic, -al.—adv. Prolep′tically. [Gr.,—pro, before, lambanein, to take.]

Proletarian, prō-le-tā′ri-an, adj. belonging to the poorest labouring class: having little or no property: plebeian: vulgar.—n. a member of the poorest class—also Proletaire′, Prō′letary.—adj. Proletā′neous, having numerous offspring.—ns. Proletā′rianism, the condition of the poorest classes; Proletā′riat, -e, the lowest class. [L. proletarius (in ancient Rome), a citizen of the sixth and lowest class, who served the state not with his property, but with his children—proles, offspring.]

Prolicide, prō′li-sīd, n. infanticide.

Proliferate, prō-lif′e-rāt, v.i. to grow by multiplication of elementary parts: (zool.) to reproduce by proliferation.—v.t. to bear by reproduction.—n. Proliferā′tion, the birth and growth of generative zoöids.—adjs. Prolif′erātive, Prolif′erous.—adv. Prolif′erously. [L. proles, progeny, ferre, to bear.]

Prolific, -al, prō-lif′ik, -al, adj. bringing forth offspring: producing young or fruit: productive: bringing about results: (bot.) applied to a flower from which another is produced.—ns. Prolif′icacy, Prolif′icness.—adv. Prolif′ically.—n. Prolificā′tion, the generation of young animals or plants: (bot.) development of a shoot from an organ normally ultimate. [Fr. prolifique—L. proles (for pro-oles), offspring, facĕre, to make.]

Prolix, prō′liks, adj. tedious: long and wordy: dwelling too long on particulars: (obs.) long.—adj. Prolix′ious (Shak.), dilatory, tedious.—ns. Prolix′ity, Prolix′ness.—adv. Prolix′ly. [Fr. prolixe—L. prolixus—pro, forward, liqui, to flow.]

Proll, prōl, v.i. (Spens.) to prowl, rob. [Prowl.]

Prolocutor, prō-lok′ū-tor, n. the chairman of a convocation, or meeting of clergy: (rare) a spokesman:—fem. Prōloc′utrix.—n. Prōloc′utorship. [L., pro, before, loqui, locutus, to speak.]

Prologue, prō′log, n. a preface: the introductory verses before a play: (Shak.) the speaker of a prologue.—v.t. to introduce with a prologue or preface.—v.i. Prō′logise, -uise, to deliver a prologue. [Fr.,—L.,—Gr. prologos—pro, before, logos, speech.]

Prolong, prō-long′, v.t. to lengthen out: (Shak.) to put off to another time: to continue.—v.i. to lengthen out.—v.t. Prolong′āte, to lengthen.—ns. Prolongā′tion, act of prolonging in space or time: the additional length made by prolonging; Prolong′er. [Fr. prolonger—L. prolongāre—pro, forward, longus, long.]

Prolonge, prō-lonj′, n. a hemp rope consisting of three pieces joined by two open rings, and having a hook at one end and a toggle at the other. [Fr.]

Prolusion, prō-lū′zhun, n. a prelude, introduction: an essay preparatory to a more solid treatise. [L.,—pro, before, ludĕre, lusum, to play.]

Promachos, prom′a-kos, n. a deity who fights in front of, or champions, some person or state. [Gr.]

Promenade, prom-e-näd′, or -nād′, n. a walk for pleasure, show, or exercise: a place for walking.—v.i. to walk for amusement, show, or exercise.—n. Promenä′der.—Promenade concert, an entertainment in which the audience promenades or dances during the music. [Fr.,—from (se) promener, to walk—L. promināre, to drive forwards—pro, forward, mināre, to drive.]

Promethean, prō-mē′thē-an, adj. pertaining to Prometheus, who stole fire from heaven, for which Zeus chained him to a rock, to be tortured by a vulture.—n. a glass tube containing sulphuric acid and an inflammable mixture: a kind of lucifer-match.—n. Promē′theus, a large silk-spinning moth. [Gr., lit. 'forethinker;' or Sans. pramantha, a fire-stick.]

Prominent, prom′i-nent, adj. standing out beyond the line or surface of something: projecting: most easily seen: conspicuous: principal: eminent: distinguished.—ns. Prom′inence, Prom′inency, state or quality of being prominent: conspicuousness: distinction.—adv. Prom′inently. [Fr.,—L. prominēre, to jut forth—pro, forth, minēre, to jut.]

Promiscuous, prō-mis′kū-us, adj. mixed: confused: collected together without order: indiscriminate: not restricted to one individual: (prov.) casual, accidental.—n. Promiscū′ity, mixture without order or distinction: promiscuous sexual intercourse.—adv. Promis′cuously.—n. Promis′cuousness. [L. promiscuus—pro, inten., miscēre, to mix.]

Promise, prom′is, n. an engagement made by a person either verbally or in writing to do or keep from doing something: expectation or that which causes expectation: a ground for hope of future excellence: (rare) fulfilment of what is promised.—v.t. to make an engagement to do or not to do something: to afford reason to expect: to assure: to engage to bestow.—v.i. to assure one by a promise: to afford hopes or expectations: (rare) to stand sponsor.—ns. Prom′ise-breach (Shak.), violation of promise; Prom′ise-break′er (Shak.), a violator of promises.—adj. Prom′ise-crammed (Shak.), crammed or filled with promises.—ns. Promisēē′, the person to whom a promise is made; Prom′iser, Prom′isor.—adj. Prom′ising, affording ground for hope or expectation: likely to turn out well.—advs. Prom′isingly; Prom′issorily.—adj. Prom′issory, containing a promise of some engagement to be fulfilled.—n. Prom′issory-note, a note by one person promising to pay a sum of money to another, or to bearer, at a certain date, or at sight, or on demand.—Promised land, the land promised by God to Abraham and his seed: Canaan: heaven.—Be promised (rare), to have an engagement; Breach of promise (see Breach); Conditional promise, a promise of which the obligation depends on certain conditions—opp. to Absolute promise; Express promise, a promise expressed orally or in writing; The Promise, the assurance of God to Abraham that his descendants should become the chosen people. [Fr. promesse—L. promissa, promittĕre, to send forward—pro, forward, mittĕre, to send.]

Promontory, prom′on-tor-i, n. a headland or high cape jutting out into the sea: (anat.) a projection on the sacrum: a rounded elevation in the tympanum of the ear. [L. promontorium—pro, forward, mons, montis, a mountain.]

Promote, prō-mōt′, v.t. to move forward: to help on the growth or improvement of anything: to advance: to further: to encourage: to raise to a higher position: to elevate.—ns. Promō′ter; Promō′tion, the act of promoting: advancement in rank or in honour: encouragement: preferment.—adj. Promō′tive.—Be on one's promotion, to have right or hope of promotion: to be on good behaviour with a view to chances of promotion. [L. promotus, pa.p. of promovēre—pro, forward, movēre, to move.]

Prompt, promt, adj. prepared: ready and willing: acting with alacrity: cheerful: unhesitating: (obs.) inclined, disposed.—v.t. to incite: to move to action: to assist a speaker when at a loss for words: to suggest to the mind.—n. a limit of time given for payment for merchandise purchased, the limit being stated on the prompt-note, the note of reminder.—ns. Prompt′-book, a copy of a play arranged for the prompter's use; Prompt′er; Prompt′ing, the act of prompting or suggesting: that which is prompted or suggested; Prompt′itūde, promptness: readiness: willingness: quickness of decision and action.—adv. Prompt′ly.—ns. Prompt′ness; Prompt′ūary, a magazine, repository, a handbook; Prompt′ūre (Shak.), suggestion: instigation. [Fr.,—L. promptus—prōmĕre, to bring forward—pro, forth, emĕre, to bring.]

Promulgate, prō-mul′gāt, v.t. to publish: to proclaim: to make widely known—(arch.) Promulge′.—ns. Promulgā′tion, act of promulgating: publication: open declaration: (law) the first official publication of a new law; Prom′ulgātor. [L. promulgāre, -ātum.]

Promuscis, prō-mus′is, n. a proboscis, esp. of hemipters.—adj. Promus′cidāte, like or having a promuscis.

Pronaos, prō-nā′os, n. the open porch in front of a temple. [Gr., pro, before, naos, a temple.]

Pronation, prō-nā′shun, n. the act of turning the palm of the hand downwards—opp. to Supination.—v.t. Prō′nate, to turn the palm downwards effected by means of the pronator muscle.—n. Pronā′tor, a muscle of the forearm by which pronation is effected. [L. pronāre, -ātum, to lead forward—pronus.]

Prone, prōn, adj. with the face downward: bending forward: headlong: disposed: inclined or sloping.—adv. Prone′ly.—n. Prone′ness. [O. Fr.,—L. pronus; cog. with Gr. prēnēs, prone.]

Prong, prong, n. the spike of a fork or similar instrument: one of several points or projections, as on an antler.—v.t. to stab with a prong.—adj. Pronged, having prongs.—n. Prong′-hoe.—adj. Prong′-horn, having horns with a prong.—n. the prong-buck or cabrit, the American antelope. [Nasalised form of Prov. Eng. prog, to prick—W. procio; cf. Gael. brog, to goad, brog, an awl.]

Pronominal. See Pronoun.

Prononcé, prō-nong-sā′, adj. decided: self-asserting:—fem. Prononcée. [Fr.; cf. Pronounce.]

Pronotum, prō-nō′tum, n. the tergal portion of the prothorax in the Insecta:—pl. Pronō′ta.—adj. Pronō′tal. [Gr. pro, before, nōtos, back.]

Pronoun, prō′nown, n. a word used instead of a noun.—adj. Pronom′inal, belonging to, or of the nature of, a pronoun.—adv. Pronom′inally.

Pronounce, prō-nowns′, v.t. to make known by speaking: to utter with the proper sound and accent: to speak distinctly: to utter formally: to utter rhetorically: to declare.—v.i. to utter confidently: to utter words.—adjs. Pronounce′able, capable of being pronounced; Pronounced′, marked with emphasis: marked.—adv. Pronoun′cedly.—ns. Pronounce′ment, act of pronouncing: an announcement or proclamation; Pronoun′cer.—adjs. Pronoun′cing, Pronun′cial, giving or marking pronunciation.—n. Pronunciā′tion, act or mode of pronouncing: art of speaking distinctly and correctly: utterance. [Fr. prononcer—L. pronuntiāre—pro, forth, nunciāre, to announce—nuntius, a messenger.]

Pronunciamento, prō-nun-si-a-men′to, n. a manifesto: a formal proclamation. [Sp.]

Proœmium, prō-ē′mi-um, n. same as Proem—also Prœ′mion: (rhet.) exordium.—adj. Proœ′mise.

Proof, prōōf, n. that which proves or establishes the truth of anything: test: (obs.) experience: experiment: any process to discover or establish a truth: that which convinces: demonstration: evidence which convinces the mind: state of having been proved: (pl.) in equity practice, the instruments of evidence in their documentary form: (Scots law) the taking of evidence by a judge upon an issue framed in pleading: a test, hence 'Armour of proof,' armour proved to be trustworthy: (arith.) an operation checking the accuracy of a calculation: firmness of mind: a certain strength of alcoholic spirits: (print.) an impression taken for correction, also 'proof-sheet:' an early impression of an engraving—'proof before letter'=one taken before the title is engraved on the plate: (phot.) the first print from a negative.—adj. firm in resisting: noting alcoholic liquors having the specific gravity 0.920:—pl. Proofs.—ns. Proof′-arm′our, armour proved to be able to resist ordinary weapons; Proof′-charge, an extraordinary amount of powder and shot put into a gun to test its strength; Proof′-house, a house fitted up for proving the barrels of firearms; Proof′-leaf (same as Proof-sheet).—adj. Proof′less, wanting proof or evidence.—ns. Proof′-mark, a mark stamped on a gun to show that it has stood the test; Proof′-read′er, a person who reads printed proofs to discover and correct errors; Proof′-sheet, an impression taken on a slip of paper for correction before printing finally; Proof′-spir′it, a mixture containing fixed proportions of alcohol and water—nearly half its weight and fully half its volume of alcohol; Proof′-text, a passage of Scripture held to prove a certain doctrine.—Artist's proof, a first impression from an engraved plate or block; Burden of proof (see Burden); India proof (see Indian). [O. Fr. prove (Fr. preuve)—L. probāre, to prove.]

Proostracum, prō-os′tra-kum, n. the forward continuation of the guard or rostrum in the Belemnites. [Gr. pro, before, ostrakon, shell.]

Prootic, prō-ot′ik, n. a bone developed in some vertebrata in front of the ear—also adj. [Gr. pro, before, ous, ōtos, ear.]

Prop, prop, n. anything on which a weight rests for support: a support: a stay.—v.t. to keep from falling by means of something placed under or against: to support or to sustain in any way:—pr.p. prop′ping; pa.t. and pa.p. propped.—n. Prop′page. [Allied to Sw. propp, Ger. propf, a stopper; some connect also with Ger. pfropf, a graft—L. propago, a set, layer.]

Propædeutic, -al, prō-pē-dū′tik, -al, adj. pertaining to preliminary instruction.—n. Propædeū′tic, a preliminary branch of knowledge: (pl.) the introduction to an art or science. [Gr. pro, before, paideuein, to teach.]

Propagate, prop′a-gāt, v.t. to increase by generation or other natural process: to multiply plants by layers: to extend: to produce: to impel forward in space, as sound, light, energy, &c.: to spread from one to another: to promote: to extend the knowledge of: (obs.) to increase.—v.i. to be produced or multiplied: to have young.—adj. Prop′agable, that can be propagated or increased by generation or other natural process.—ns. Propagan′da, Prop′agand, a committee (congregatio de propaganda fide) at Rome charged with the management of the R.C. missions: any association for the spread of opinions and principles, esp. such as are opposed to the existing government; Propagand′ism, practice of propagating tenets or principles: zeal in spreading one's opinions: proselytism; Propagand′ist, one who devotes himself to propagandism; Propagā′tion, act of propagating: the spreading or extension of anything, as light, sound, energy, &c.: increase: enlargement.—adj. Prop′agātive.—ns. Prop′agātor; Propagatō′rium (biol.), the reproductive apparatus.—adj. Prop′agātory.—ns. Propā′go, a layer or branch laid down to root; Propag′ūlum, a runner or sucker ending in an expanded bud: a gemma or bud affecting asexual propagation in many algæ. [L. propāgāre, -ātum, conn. with pro-pāg-o, a layer.]

Propale, prō-pāl′, v.t. to disclose.

Propalinal, prō-pal′i-nal, adj. moving backward and forward, as the under jaw in mastication. [L. pro, forward, Gr. palin, backward.]

Proparoxytone, prō-par-ok′si-tōn, adj. having the acute accent on the antepenultimate or third last syllable.—n. a word having the acute accent on the antepenultimate.

Propel, prō-pel′, v.t. to drive forward: to urge onward by force:—pr.p. propel′ling; pa.t. and pa.p. propelled′.—n. Propel′lant, that which drives forward.—adj. Propel′lent.—ns. Propel′ler, one who, or that which, propels: any kind of mechanism for moving a ship through the water, by a paddle-wheel, oar, screw, &c.: a vessel thus propelled: a spinning-bait; Propel′ment, act of propelling: propelling mechanism. [L. pro, forward, pellĕre, to drive.]

Propend, prō-pend′, v.i. (Shak.) to lean toward: to be in favour of anything.—adj. Propend′ent. [L. propendēre—pro, forward, pendēre, pensum, to hang.]

Propense. prō-pens′, adj. leaning towards in a moral sense: inclined: disposed.—adv. Propense′ly.—ns. Propense′ness, Propens′ity, inclination of mind: tendency to good or evil: disposition; Propen′sion, tendency to move in a certain direction.—adj. Propen′sive. [L. propensus, hanging forward.]

Proper, prop′ėr, adj. one's own: fitted for a person's nature or qualities: peculiar: belonging to only one of a species (as a name): natural: suitable: correct: just: right: becoming: (B.) comely, pretty: in liturgics, used only on a particular day or festival.—n. something set apart for a special use.—adv. (coll.) very, exceedingly.—adv. Prop′erly, in a proper manner: (coll.) entirely, extremely.—n. Prop′erness.—Properly speaking, in the strict sense: speaking without qualification. [Fr. propre—L. proprius, one's own, akin to prope, near.]

Properispomenon, prō-per-i-spōm′e-non, n. a word with the circumflex accent on the penult. [Gr.,—pro, before, peri, round, spān, to draw.]

Property, prop′ėr-ti, n. that which is proper to any person or thing: a quality which is always present: any quality: that which is one's own: an estate: right of possessing, employing, &c.: ownership: (Shak.) individuality: (pl.) articles required by actors in a play.—v.t. (Shak.) to invest with certain properties: to make a tool of, appropriate.—adj. Prop′ertied, possessed of property or possessions.—ns. Prop′erty-man, -mas′ter, one who has charge of the stage properties in a theatre; Prop′erty-room, the room in which the stage properties of a theatre are kept; Prop′erty-tax, a tax paid by persons possessed of property, at the rate of so much per cent. on its value.—Movable or Personal property, property that may attend the person of the owner, movables; Private property, that which belongs to an individual for his personal disposition and use—opp. to Public property; Real property, lands, tenements, and hereditaments, real estate; Qualified property, the right a man has in reclaimed wild animals—also called Special property: such right as a bailee has in the chattel transferred to him by the bailment. [O. Fr. properte—a doublet of propriety.]

Prophasis, prof′a-sis, n. prognosis. [Gr.]

Prophecy, prof′e-si, n. a prediction: public interpretation of Scripture: instruction: (B.) a book of prophecies. [O. Fr. prophecie—L. prophetīa—Gr. prophēteia—prophētēs.]

Prophesy, prof′e-sī, v.t. to foretell: to predict.—v.i. (B.) to exhort: to expound religious subjects.—pa.t. and pa.p. proph′esīed.—ns. Proph′esīer; Proph′esying. [s has been arbitrarily substituted for c, to distinguish the verb from the noun.]

Prophet, prof′et, n. one who proclaims or interprets the will of God: one who announces things to come: one who predicts or foretells events: (B.) one inspired by God to warn and teach: (pl.) the writings of the prophets.—n.fem. Proph′etess.—ns. Proph′ethood, Proph′etship, quality, office of a prophet.—adjs. Prophet′ic, -al, pertaining to a prophet: containing prophecy: foreseeing or foretelling events.—adv. Prophet′ically.—n. Proph′etism.—Prophetic office, the office of a prophet.—Former prophets, Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings; Latter prophets, the prophets properly so called; Major prophets, the prophets whose books come before that of Hosea; Minor prophets, the prophets from Hosea to Malachi; School of the prophets, a school among the ancient Jews for training young men as teachers of the people; The prophets, one of the three divisions into which the ancient Jews divided their Scriptures—consisting of the former and the latter prophets (see above). [Fr.,—L. prophēta—Gr. prophētēs—pro, before, in behalf of, phē-mi, phanai, to speak.]

Prophylactic, prof-i-lak′tik, adj. guarding against: defending from disease.—n. a medicine which wards off disease.—n. Prophylax′is. [Gr. pro, before, phylassein, to guard.]

Propine, prō-pīn′, v.t. to pledge in drinking: to present, guarantee.—n. (obs.) money given as drink-money, any pledge or gift: the power of giving.—n. Propinā′tion, act of drinking healths. [O. Fr.,—L.,—Gr. propinein, pro, before, pinein, to drink.]

Propinquity, prō-ping′kwi-ti, n. nearness in time, place, or blood: proximity: neighbourhood.—v.i. Propinq′uate, to approach. [L. propinquitas—propinquus, near—prope, near.]

Propitiate, prō-pish′i-āt, v.t. to make propitious: to render favourable.—v.i. to make propitiation: to atone.—adj. Propi′tiable, that maybe propitiated or rendered favourable.—ns. Propitiā′tion, act of propitiating: (theol.) that which propitiates: atonement: the death of Christ as a ground of the forgiveness of sin; Propi′tiātor.—adv. Propi′tiatorily.—adj. Propi′tiātory, having power to propitiate: expiatory.—n. the Jewish mercy-seat.—adj. Propi′tious, favourable: disposed to be gracious or merciful: ready to forgive.—adv. Propi′tiously.—n. Propi′tiousness. [L. propitiāre, -ātum, to make favourable—propitius, well disposed; orig. perh. an augur's term with reference to the flying of birds—pro, forward, petĕre, to seek, orig. fly; by others conn. with prope, near.]

Proplasm, prō′plazm, n. a mould, matrix.—adj. Proplas′tic, forming a mould.

Propodite, prop′ō-dīt, n. the sixth joint of the typical limb of a Crustacean.

Propodium, prō-pō′di-um, n. the anterior division of the foot in some Gasteropoda and Pteropoda. [Gr. pro, before, pous, podos, the foot.]

Propolis, prop′ō-lis, n. a red, resinous, odorous substance like wax collected by bees and used to stop crevices in the hive, strengthen cells, &c. [Gr.,—pro, before, polis, city.]

Proponent, prō-pō′nent, adj. proposing.—n. one who makes a proposal or proposition: (law) one who propounds a will for probate.

Proportion, prō-pōr′shun, n. the relation of one thing to another in regard to magnitude: fitness of parts to each other: symmetrical arrangement: (math.) the identity or equality of ratios: the 'rule of three,' in which three terms are given to find a fourth: equal or just share: (obs.) form, figure.—v.t. to adjust: to form symmetrically: to correspond to: to divide into proper shares.—adj. Propor′tionable, that may be proportioned: having a proper proportion.—n. Propor′tionableness.—adv. Propor′tionably.—adj. Propor′tional, having a due proportion: relating to proportion: (math.) having the same or a constant ratio.—n. (math.) a number or quantity in a proportion.—n. Proportional′ity.—adv. Propor′tionally.—adj. Propor′tionate, adjusted according to a proportion: proportional.—v.t. to make proportional: to adjust in proportion.—adv. Propor′tionately.—ns. Propor′tionateness, the quality of being adjusted according to settled rates or comparative relation; Propor′tioning, adjustment of proportions.—adj. Propor′tionless, without proportion or symmetry of parts.—Proportional representation, representation in a parliament, &c., according to the number of electors in an electoral district.—Compound proportion, a proportion between two quantities, each of which is the product of two or more, those of the first set being in their order proportional to those of the other; In proportion, in the degree or measure, according; Inverse, or Reciprocal, proportion, an equality of ratio between two quantities and the reciprocals of other two, as 6 : 3 = ½ : ¼. [L. proportio—pro, in comparison with, portio, portionis, part, share.]

Propose, prō-pōz′, v.t. to put forward or offer for consideration, &c.: to purpose or intend: (obs.) to place out, state, utter, discourse: (Shak.) to face, confront.—v.i. to form an intention or design: to offer, especially marriage: (Shak.) to converse—n. (obs.) talk, discourse.—n. Propō′sal, anything proposed: terms or conditions proposed.—n. Propō′ser. [Fr.,—pfx. pro-, poser, to place.]

Proposition, prop-ō-zish′un, n. a placing before: offer of terms: that which is proposed: the act of stating anything: that which is stated: (gram. and logic) a complete sentence, or one which affirms or denies something: (math.) a theorem or problem to be demonstrated or solved.—adj. Proposi′tional, pertaining to, or of the nature of, a proposition: considered as a proposition. [Fr.,—L. propositio.]

Propound, prō-pownd′, v.t. to offer for consideration: to exhibit.—n. Propound′er. [Orig. propone—L.,—pro, forth, ponĕre, to place.]

Proprætor, Propretor, prō-prē′tor, n. a magistrate of ancient Rome, who, after acting as prætor in Rome, was appointed to the government of a province.

Proprietor, prō-prī′e-tor, n. one who has anything as his property: an owner:—fem. Proprī′etress, Proprī′etrix.—adjs. Proprī′etary, Proprietō′rial, belonging to a proprietor.—n. Proprī′etary, a proprietor, owner: a body of proprietors: the rights of a proprietor.—n. Proprī′etorship, state or right of a proprietor: ownership.—Proprietary right, the right of a proprietor: the common-law right of a playwright to control production or representation of his drama so long as unpublished: the right when protected by copyright after publication.

Propriety, prō-prī′e-ti, n. a person's right of possession: state of being proper or right: agreement with established principles or customs: fitness: accuracy: property: (obs.) individuality.—The proprieties, conventional customs of society. [Fr.,—L. proprietas—proprius, one's own.]

Proprium, prō′pri-um, n. selfhood.

Proproctor, prō-prok′tor, n. a substitute or assistant proctor.

Propterygium, prō-tē-rij′i-um, n. the anterior basal cartilage of the fins in the Elasmobranchii:—pl. Proptery′gia.—adj. Proptery′gial. [L. pro, before, L.,—Gr. pterygion, a fin, pteron, a wing.]

Propugnation, prō-pug-nā′shun, n. (Shak.) defence. [L., pro, for, pugnāre, to fight.]

Propulsion, prō-pul′shun, n. act of propelling: a driving forward.—adjs. Propul′sive, Propul′sory, tending or having power to propel. [Low L. propulsio—L. propellĕre, propulsum, to push forward.]

Propylæum, prō-pi-lē′um, n. a gateway of architectural importance, leading into a temple, &c.:—pl. Propylæ′a.—n. Prō′pylon, a monumental gateway before the entrance of an ancient Egyptian temple, &c. [Gr. pro, before, pylē, a gate.]

Pro rata, prō rā′ta, according to one's share: in proportion.—v.t. Prorāte′, to assess pro rata.

Prore, prōr, n. Same as Prow.

Prorector, prō-rek′tor, n. a substitute or assistant rector.

Pro re nata, prō rē nā′ta, dealing with something that arises unexpectedly or out of due course, for special business. [L. pro, for, re, abl. of res, thing, nata, abl. fem. of natus, born.]

Prorogue, prō-rōg′, v.t. to bring the meetings of parliament to an end for a time: to put off from one session to another:—pr.p. prorōg′uing: pa.t. and pa.p. prorōgued′.—v.t. Prō′rogāte.—n. Prorogā′tion, act of proroguing: a lengthening out: a putting off to another time, esp. the bringing to an end of a session of parliament. [Fr.,—L. prorogāre, -ātum—pro, forward, rogāre, to ask.]

Prorsad, pror′sad, adv. (anat.) forward.—adj. Pror′sal, anterior.

Prosaic, -al, prō-zā′ik, -al, adj. pertaining to prose: like prose: commonplace in style, manner, or thought: dull.—adv. Prosā′ically.—ns. Prosā′icism, Prosā′icness, quality of being prosaic; Prō′saism, a prose idiom: a prosaic phrase; Prō′saist, a writer of prose: a commonplace person.

Proscenium, prō-sē′ni-um, n. the front part of the stage: the curtain and its framework. [L.,—Gr. proskēnion—pro, before, skēnē, the stage.]

Proscribe, prō-skrīb′, v.t. to publish the names of persons to be punished: to put beyond the protection of law: to banish: to prohibit: to denounce, as doctrine.—ns. Prōscrib′er; Prō′script; Proscrip′tion, the act of proscribing or dooming to death or outlawry: utter rejection.—adj. Prōscrip′tive, pertaining to, or consisting in, proscription.—adv. Prōscrip′tively. [L. proscribĕre—pro, before, publicly, scribĕre, scriptum, to write.]

Prose, prōz, n. the direct, straightforward arrangement of words, free from poetical measures: ordinary spoken and written language: all writings not in verse.—adj. pertaining to prose: not poetical: plain: dull.—v.i. to write prose: to speak or write tediously.—v.t. to compose in prose.—ns. Prose′-man, Prō′ser, Prose′-writ′er, a writer of prose.—adv. Prō′sily, in a prosy manner: tediously.—ns. Prō′siness, the state or quality of being prosy; Prō′sing, speaking or writing in a dull or prosy way.—adj. Prō′sy, dull, tedious. [Fr.,—L. prosa—prorsus, straightforward—pro, forward, vertĕre, versum, to turn.]

Prosect, prō-sekt′, v.t. to dissect beforehand.—v.i. to perform the duties of a prosector, one who dissects a body for the illustration of anatomical lectures.—ns. Prosec′tion; Prosec′tor.—adj. Prosectō′rial.—n. Prosec′torship. [L. pro, before, secāre, to cut.]

Prosecute, pros′ē-kūt, v.t. to follow onwards or pursue, in order to reach or accomplish: to continue: to pursue by law: to bring before a court.—v.i. to carry on a legal prosecution.—ns. Prosecū′tion, the act of prosecuting or pursuing, esp. a civil or criminal suit: the party by which legal proceedings are instituted; Pros′ecūtor, one who prosecutes or pursues any plan or business: one who carries on a civil or criminal suit:—fem. Pros′ecūtrix.—Public prosecutor, a person whose duty it is to conduct prosecutions in the public interest. [L. prosequi—pro, onwards, sequi, secutus, to follow.]

Proselyte, pros′e-līt, n. one who has come over from one religion or opinion to another: a convert, esp. one who left the heathen and joined a Jewish community.—v.t. to convert.—v.t. Pros′elytīse, to make proselytes.—ns. Pros′elytīser, one who proselytises; Pros′elytism, the act of proselytising or of making converts: conversion.—Proselyte of the gate, a convert who was not compelled to submit to the regulations of the Mosaic law. [Fr.,—L.,—Gr. prosēlytos—proserchomai, I come to—pros, to, erchomai, ēlthon, to come.]

Prosencephalon, pros-en-sef′a-lon, n. the fore-brain, comprising the cerebral hemispheres and olfactory processes.—adj. Prosencephal′ic. [Gr. pros, before, enkephalon, the brain—en, in, kephalē, the head.]

Prosenchyma, pros-eng′ki-ma, n. the fibro-vascular system or tissue of plants—opp. to Parenchyma, the soft tissues.—adj. Prosenchym′atous. [Gr. pros, to, enchyma, an infusion.]

Proseuche, (-a), pros-ū′kē, (-kä), n. a place of prayer: among the Jews one that was not a synagogue, or the temple, usually roofless:—pl. Proseu′chæ. [Gr. pros, towards, euchesthai, to pray.]

Prosiliency, prō-sil′i-en-si, n. a standing forward.

Prosit, prō′sit, interj. good luck to you, a salutation in drinking healths customary among German students. [3d pers. sing. pres. subj. of prodesse, to be of use—pro, for, esse, to be.]

Prosobranchiata, pros-ō-brangk-i-ā′ta, n.pl. an order or sub-class of gasteropods having the gills anterior to the heart.—adj. Prosobranch′iāte. [Gr. prosō, forward, branchia, gills.]

Prosody, pros′ō-di, n. that part of grammar which treats of quantity, accent, and the laws of verse or versification.—adjs. Prosō′dial, Prosod′ic, -al, pertaining to prosody: according to the rules of prosody.—ns. Prosō′dian, Pros′odist, one skilled in prosody.—adv. Prosod′ically. [Fr.,—L. prosōdia, Gr. prosōdia—pros, to, ōdē, a song.]

Prosopopeia, Prosopopœia, pros-ō-pō-pē′ya, n. a rhetorical figure by which inanimate objects are spoken of as persons: personification. [Gr. prosōpopoiia—prosōpon, a person, poiein, to make.]

Prosopulmonata, pros-ō-pul-mō-nā′ta, n.pl. a group of air-breathing gasteropods in which the pulmonary sac occupies a forward position.—adj. Prosopul′monāte. [Gr. prosō, forward, L. pulmo, a lung.]

Prospect, pros′pekt, n. a looking forward: that which the eye takes in at once: a view: object of view: a scene: expectation: a long, straight, wide street: outlook, exposure.—v.i. Prospect′, to make a search, esp. for chances of mining for precious metals.—ns. Prospec′ter, -or, one who explores for valuable minerals; Prospec′ting, searching a district for gold or silver mines with a view to further operations; Prospec′tion, the act of looking forward or of providing for future wants.—adj. Prospec′tive, looking forward: expected: acting with foresight: relating to the future: distant.—n. outlook: prospect.—adv. Prospec′tively.—ns. Prospec′tiveness; Prospec′tus, the outline of any plan submitted for public approval, particularly of a literary work or of a joint-stock concern. [L. prospectus—prospicĕre, prospectum—pro, forward, specĕre, to look.]

Prosper, pros′pėr, v.t. to make fortunate or happy: (B.) to make to prosper.—v.i. to be successful: to succeed: to turn out well.—n. Prosper′ity, the state of being prosperous: success: good fortune.—adj. Pros′perous, according to hope: in accordance with one's wishes: making good progress: favourable: successful.—adv. Pros′perously.—n. Pros′perousness. [L. prosper, prosperus—pro, in accordance with, spes, hope.]

Prosphysis, pros′-fi-sis, n. morbid adhesion of the eyelids to each other or to the eyeball. [Gr.]

Prostate, pros′tāt, adj. standing in front, applied to a gland in males at the neck of the bladder.—n. the gland at the neck of the bladder.—adj. Prostat′ic.—n. Prostatī′tis, inflammation of the prostate gland. [Gr. prostatēs—pro, before, sta, root of histēmi, I set up.]

Prosthenic, pros-then′ik, adj. strong in the fore-parts.

Prosthesis, pros′the-sis, n. addition, affixion, as of letters at the beginning of a word: the fitting of artificial parts to the body.—adj. Prosthet′ic. [Gr.]

Prostitute, pros′ti-tūt, v.t. to expose for sale for bad ends: to sell to lewdness: to devote to any improper purpose.—adj. openly devoted to lewdness: sold to wickedness.—n. a female who indulges in lewdness, esp. for hire, a whore: a base hireling.—ns. Prostitū′tion, the act or practice of prostituting: lewdness for hire: the being devoted to infamous purposes; Pros′titūtor, one who prostitutes either himself or another. [L. prostituĕre, -ūtum—pro, before, statuĕre, to place.]

Prostrate, pros′trāt, adj. thrown forwards on the ground: lying at length: lying at mercy: bent in adoration.—v.t. to throw forwards on the ground: to lay flat: to overthrow: to sink totally: to bow in humble reverence.—n. Prostrā′tion, act of throwing down or laying flat: act of falling down in adoration: dejection: complete loss of strength. [L. pro, forwards, sternĕre, stratum, to strew.]

Prostyle, prō′stīl, adj. (archit.) having a range of detached columns in front.

Prosy. See Prose.

Prosyllogism, prō-sil′ō-jizm, n. a syllogism of which the conclusion is the premise of another.

Protactic, prō-tak′tik, adj. placed at the beginning, introductory.

Protagonist, prō-tag′on-ist, n. a leading character, esp. in a play.—n. Prō′tagon, a nitrogenous substance obtained from the brain and other tissues. [Gr. prōtos, first, agōnistēs, a combatant.]

Protamœba, prō-ta-mē′ba, n. a low form of the Monera, which is constantly changing its form by sending out and withdrawing pseudopodia.

Pro tanto, prō tan′to, for so much: to a certain extent: to the extent mentioned.

Protasis, prot′a-sis, n. (rhet.) the first part of a conditional sentence—opp. to Apodosis: the first part of a dramatic composition.—adj. Protat′ic. [Gr.,—pro, before, tasis, a stretching, teinein, to stretch.]

Protean, prō′tē-an, adj. readily assuming different shapes, like Proteus, the sea-god, fabled to have the power of changing himself into an endless variety of forms: variable: inconstant.

Protect, prō-tekt′, v.t. to cover in front: to cover over: to shield from danger: to defend: to shelter.—adv. Protec′tingly.—ns. Protec′tion, act of protecting: state of being protected: preservation: defence: that which protects: guard: refuge: security: a writing guaranteeing against molestation or interference: passport: a fostering of home produce and manufactures by laying taxes on the importation of foreign goods; Protec′tionism, the doctrine of the protectionists; Protec′tionist, one who favours the protection of trade by law.—adj. favouring the economic doctrine of protection.—adj. Protec′tive, affording protection: defensive: sheltering.—n. that which protects.—adv. Protec′tively.—ns. Protec′tiveness; Protec′tor, one who protects from injury or oppression: a guardian: a regent:—fem. Protec′tress, Protec′trix.—adjs. Protec′toral, Protectō′rial, pertaining to a protector or a regent.—n. Protec′torāte, government by a protector: the authority assumed by a superior: relation assumed by a strong nation to a weak one, whereby the latter is protected from hostile or foreign interference.—adj. Protec′torless.—ns. Protec′torship; Protec′tory, an institution for destitute children. [L., pro, in front, tegĕre, tectum, to cover.]

Protégé, prō-tā-zhā′, n. one under the protection of another: a pupil: a ward:—fem. Protégée. [Fr., pa.p. of protéger, to protect—L. protegĕre.]

Protein, prō′tē-in, n. the first element in any compound: formerly the supposed common radical of the group of bodies which form the most essential articles of food, albumen, fibrine, &c.—n. Prō′tēid, a body containing protein: one of several bodies which go to make up the soft tissues of animals and vegetables. [Gr. prōtos, first, suffix -in.]

Pro tempore, prō tem′po-rē, for the time being: temporary—sometimes written pro tem.—adj. Protemporā′neous, temporary.

Protend, prō-tend′, v.t. to stretch or hold out.—ns. Protense′ (Spens.), extension; Proten′sion, duration; Proten′sity.—adj. Proten′sive. [L.,—pro, forth, tendĕre, tensum, to stretch.]

Proteolytic, prō-tē-ō-lit′ik, adj. converting food material into protein.—n. Proteol′ysis. [Proteid, Gr. lyein, to relax.]

Proterandry, prot-e-ran′dri, n. the maturity of the anthers of a perfect flower before its stigma is ready to receive the pollen.—adj. Proteran′drous.

Proteroglypha, prot-e-rog′li-fa, n.pl. a group of snakes having the anterior maxillary teeth grooved. [Gr. proteros, fore, glyphein, to carve.]

Proterogyny, prot-e-roj′i-ni, n. the maturity of the stigmas of a perfect flower before its anthers have matured their pollen.—adj. Proterog′ynous.

Protervity, prō-ter′vi-ti, n. peevishness, wantonness:—pl. Proter′vities. [O. Fr.,—L.,—protervus, wanton—pro, forth, terĕre, to bruise.]

Protest, prō-test′, v.i. to bear witness before others: to declare openly: to give a solemn declaration of opinion (against).—v.t. to make a solemn declaration of: to note, as a bill of exchange, on account of non-acceptance or non-payment: (rare) to call as a witness: (obs.) to publish, make known: (Shak.) to vow.—n. Prō′test, a solemn or formal declaration, esp. in writing, expressing dissent: the noting by a notary-public of an unpaid or unaccepted bill: a written declaration, usually by the master of a ship, stating the circumstances attending loss or injury of ship or cargo, &c.—adj. Prot′estant, protesting: pertaining to the faith of those who protest against the errors of the Church of Rome.—n. one of those who, in 1529, protested against an edict of Charles V. and the Diet of Spires denouncing the Reformation: a member of one of those churches founded by the Reformers: one who protests.—v.t. Prot′estantise.—ns. Prot′estantism, the Protestant religion: state of being a Protestant; Protestā′tion, an act of protesting: a solemn declaration: a declaration of dissent: a declaration in pleading; Prot′estātor; Protest′er.—adv. Protest′ingly. [Fr.,—L. protestāri, -ātus, to bear witness in public—pro, before, testāri—testis, a witness.]

Proteus. See Protean.

Protevangelium, prō-tē-van-jel′i-um, n. the earliest announcement of the gospel (Gen. iii. 15): an apocryphal gospel ascribed to James, Jesus' brother.

Prothalamium, prō-tha-lā′mi-um, n. a piece written to celebrate a marriage.—Also Prothalā′mion. [Gr. pro, before, thalamos, a bride-chamber.]

Prothallium, prō-thal′i-um, n. the green, leaf-like, cellular expansion which grows from the spore of a fern.—Also Prothall′us. [Gr. pro, before, thallus, a young shoot.]

Prothesis, proth′e-sis, n. in the Greek Church the preliminary oblation of the eucharistic elements before the liturgy: the table used. [Gr.,—pro, before, tithenai, to place.]

Prothonotary, prō-thon′ō-ta-ri, n. a chief notary or clerk: one of the chief secretaries of the chancery at Rome: a chief clerk or registrar of a court, in certain of the United States—also Proton′otary.—adj. Prothonotā′rial.—n. Prothonotā′riat, the college constituted by the twelve apostolical prothonotaries in Rome. [Late L.,—Gr. prōtos, first, L. notarius, a clerk.]

Prothorax, prō-thō′raks, n. the anterior segment of the thorax of insects.—adj. Prothorac′ic (-ras-).

Protista, prō-tis′ta, n.pl. a proposed term for a zoological kingdom including Protozoa and Protophyta. [Gr. prōtistos, superl. of prōtos, first.]

Protococcus, prō-tō-kok′us, n. a microscopic vegetable organism forming the green scum upon trees, tiles, &c. [Gr. prōtos, first, kokkos, a berry.]

Protocol, prō′tō-kol, n. the first copy of any document: the rough draft of an instrument or transaction: the original copy.—v.i. to issue, form protocols.—v.t. to make a protocol of—also Prō′tocolīse.—n. Prō′tocolist, a registrar or clerk. [Fr.,—Low L. protocollum—Late Gr. prōtokollon, the first leaf, containing the writer's name, date, &c.—Gr. prōtos, first, kolla, glue.]

Protogenal, prō-toj′e-nal, adj. primitive.—n. Protogen′esis, abiogenesis.—adjs. Protogenet′ic, Protogen′ic, noting crystalline or fire-formed rocks: noting intercellular spaces formed within undifferentiated plant tissues.—n. Prō′togine, a variety of granite in the Alps.

Protomartyr, prō′tō-mär-tėr, n. St Stephen, the first Christian martyr: the first who suffers in any cause.

Protophyte, prō′tō-fīt, n. the first or lowest order of plants.—n.pl. Protoph′yta.—adj. Protophyt′ic. [Gr. prōtos, first, phyton, a plant.]

Protoplasm, prō′tō-plazm, n. living matter: a homogeneous, structureless substance, forming the physical basis of life, endowed with contractility, with a chemical composition allied to that of albumen.—adj. Protoplasm′ic.—n. Prō′toplast, he who, or that which, was first formed: an original: the first parent.—adj. Protoplast′ic. [Gr. prōtos, first, plasma, form—plassein, to form.]

Prototheria, prō-tō-thē′ri-a, n.pl. the hypothetical primitive mammals, ancestors of the monotremes. [Gr. prōtos, first, thēr, wild beast.]

Prototype, prō′tō-tīp, n. the first or original type or model from which anything is copied: an exemplar: a pattern.—adjs. Prō′totypal, Prōtotyp′ical. [Fr.,—L.,—Gr., prōtos, first, typos, a type.]

Protovertebræ, prō-tō-ver′te-brē, n.pl. the rudimentary segments formed in the vertebrate embryo from the medullary plates, from which the bodies of the vertebræ, spinal nerve-roots, &c. are developed.—adjs. Protover′tebral, Protover′tebrate.

Protoxide, prō-tok′sīd, n. the first oxide—that is, an oxide containing one equivalent of oxygen combined with one equivalent of a base.

Protozoa, prō-tō-zō′ä, n.pl. the first or lowest class of animals:—sing. Protozō′on.—adjs. Protozō′an; Protozō′ic, pertaining to the protozoa: containing remains of the earliest life of the globe. [Gr. prōtos, first, zōon, an animal.]

Protract, prō-trakt′, v.t. to draw out or lengthen in time: to prolong: to put off in time: to draw to a scale.—p.adj. Protrac′ted, drawn out in time: tedious: prolonged: postponed.—adv. Protrac′tedly.—n. Protrac′ter.—adj. Protrac′tile, susceptible of being thrust out.—n. Protrac′tion, act of protracting or prolonging: the delaying of the termination of a thing: the plotting or laying down of the dimensions of anything on paper.—adj. Protrac′tive, drawing out in time: prolonging: delaying.—n. Protrac′tor, one who, or that which, protracts: a mathematical instrument for laying down angles on paper, used in surveying, &c. [L.,—pro, forth, trahĕre, to draw.]

Protrude, prō-trōōd′, v.t. to thrust or push forward: to drive along: to put out.—v.i. to be thrust forward or beyond the usual limit.—adjs. Protrud′able, Protru′sile, protractile; Protru′sible, able to be protruded.—n. Protru′sion, the act of thrusting forward or beyond the usual limit: the state of being protruded: that which protrudes.—adj. Protru′sive, thrusting or impelling forward: protruding.—adv. Protru′sively.—n. Protru′siveness. [L. protrudĕre—pro, forward, trudĕre, to thrust.]

Protuberance, prō-tūb′ėr-ans, n. a prominence: a tumour.—adj. Protū′berant, swelling: prominent.—adv. Protū′berantly.—v.i. Protū′berāte, to bulge out.—n. Protūberā′tion. [L. protuberāre, -ātum—pro, forward, tuber, a swelling.]

Proud, prowd (comp. Proud′er; superl. Proud′est), adj. having excessive self-esteem: arrogant: haughty: having a proper sense of what is becoming: daring: grand: ostentatious: giving reason for pride or boasting.—n. Proud′-flesh, a growth or excrescence of flesh in a wound.—adjs. Proud′-heart′ed (Shak.), having a proud spirit; Proud′ish, somewhat proud.—adv. Proud′ly.—adj. Proud′-mind′ed (Shak.), proud in mind.—n. Proud′ness, the state or quality of being proud: pride.—adjs. Proud′-pied (Shak.), gorgeously variegated; Proud′-stom′ached, of haughty spirit, arrogant. [A.S. prut, proud, prýte, pride.]

Provable, prōōv′a-bl, adj. that may be proved.—n. Prov′ableness.—adv. Prov′ably, in a manner capable of proof. [O. Fr. provable, prouvable—L. probabilis, probable.]

Provand, prov′and, n. (Shak.) provender: provision—also Prov′end.—adj. Prov′ant, belonging to a regular allowance: of common or inferior quality. [O. Fr.,—Low L. præbenda, a payment, pittance.]

Prove, prōōv, v.t. to try by experiment or by a test or standard: to make certain: to try by suffering: to establish or ascertain as truth by argument or other evidence: to demonstrate: to ascertain the genuineness of: to experience or suffer: (math.) to ascertain the correctness of any result.—v.i. to make trial: to turn out: to be shown afterwards.—n. Prov′er.—The exception proves the rule, the exception tests the rule, proving its general truth. [O. Fr. prover (Fr. prouver), which, like A.S. prófian and Ger. proben, is from L. probāre—probus, excellent.]

Provection, prō-vek′shun, n. the transfer of the final consonant from a word to the beginning of the next.—n. Prōvec′tor (math.), a contravariant operator formed by substituting signs of partial differentiation for the facients of a quantic. [L. provehĕre, provectum, to carry forward.]

Provedor, (-e), prov′edor, (-dōr), n. a purveyor. [Sp.]

Proven, prov′n, (Scots law) same as Proved, pa.p. of Prove.—Not proven, a verdict declaring that guilt has not been fully made out, but which leaves the accused still under serious suspicion.

Provenance, prov′e-nans, n. the source from which anything comes or is derived.—Also Provē′nience. [Fr.,—L. pro, forth, venīre, to come.]

Provençal, prō-vang-sal′, adj. of or pertaining to Provence, in France, or to its inhabitants—also Proven′cial.—n. a native, or the language of Provence, the langue d'oc (q.v.).

Provender, prov′en-dėr, n. dry food for beasts, as hay or corn: esp. a mixture of meal and cut straw or hay.—v.t. to feed. [O. Fr.,—L. præbenda, in Late L. a daily allowance of food.]

Proverb, prov′ėrb, n. a short familiar sentence expressing a well-known truth or moral lesson: a byword: (B.) a difficult saying that requires explanation: (pl.) a book of the Old Testament: a dramatic composition in which a proverb gives name and character to the plot.—v.t. to speak of proverbially: make a byword of: to provide with a proverb.—adj. Prover′bial, like or pertaining to proverbs: widely spoken of.—v.t. Prover′bialise, to turn into a proverb.—ns. Prover′bialism, a saying in the form of, or like, a proverb; Prover′bialist.—adv. Prover′bially. [Fr. proverbe—L. proverbium—pro, publicly, verbum, a word.]

Provide, prō-vīd′, v.t. to make ready beforehand: to prepare for future use: to supply: to appoint or give a right to a benefice before it is actually vacant.—v.i. to procure supplies or means of defence: to take measures: to arrange for as a necessary condition or arrangement.—adj. Provī′dable.—conj. Provī′ded, (often with that) on condition: upon these terms: with the understanding.—n. Provī′der. [L. providēre—pro, before, vidēre, to see.]

Providence, prov′i-dens, n. timely preparation: (theol.) the foresight and care of God over all His creatures: God, considered in this relation: something occurring in which God's care is clearly shown: prudence in managing one's affairs.—adjs. Prov′ident, seeing beforehand, and providing for the future: cautious: prudent: economical; Providen′tial, effected by, or proceeding from, divine providence.—advs. Providen′tially; Prov′idently.—n. Prov′identness. [L. provid-ens, -entis, pr.p. of providēre.]

Province, prov′ins, n. a portion of an empire or a state marked off for purposes of government: a part of a country as distinguished from the capital: the district over which a governor or an archbishop has jurisdiction: a region: a business or duty: a person's business or calling: a department of knowledge.—adj. Provin′cial, relating to a province: belonging to a division of a country: local: showing the habits and manners of a province: unpolished: narrow.—n. an inhabitant of a province or country district: (R.C.) the superintendent of the heads of the religious houses in a province.—v.t. Provin′cialise, to render provincial:—pr.p. provin′cialīsing; pa.p. provin′cialīsed.—ns. Provin′cialism, a manner, a mode of speech, or a turn of thought peculiar to a province or a country district: a local expression: narrowness; Provincial′ity.—adv. Provin′cially.—Provincial letters, a series of letters written (1656-57) by Pascal against the doctrines and policy of the Jesuits. [Fr.,—L. provincia, a province; perh. pro, for, vincĕre, to conquer.]