Chapter 1119

2. A set of bells tuned to each other according to the diatonic scale; also, the changes rung on a set of bells.

To ring a peal . See under Ring .

Peal <Xpage=1055>

Peal , v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Pealed (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Pealing .] 1. To utter or give out loud sounds.

There let the pealing organ blow. Milton.

2. To resound; to echo.

And the whole air pealed With the cheers of our men . Longfellow.

Peal <Xpage=1055>

Peal , v. t. 1. To utter or give forth loudly; to cause to give out loud sounds; to noise abroad.

The warrior's name, Though pealed and chimed on all the tongues of fame. J. Barlow.

2. To assail with noise or loud sounds.

Nor was his ear less pealed . Milton.

3. To pour out. [Prov. Eng.]

Halliwell.

Pean <Xpage=1055>

Pean (?) , n. [OF. pene , F. panne .] (Her.) One of the furs, the ground being sable , and the spots or tufts or .

Pean <Xpage=1055>

Pe"an (?) , n. A song of praise and triumph. See P\'91an .

Peanism <Xpage=1055>

Pe"an*ism (?) , n. [Gr. <?/, fr. <?/ to chant the p\'91an.] The song or shout of praise, of battle, or of triumph. [R.]

Peanut <Xpage=1055>

Pea"nut (?) , n. (Bot.) The fruit of a trailing leguminous plant ( Arachis hypog\'91a ); also, the plant itself, which is widely cultivated for its fruit.

&hand; The fruit is a hard pod, usually containing two or three seeds, sometimes but one, which ripen beneath the soil. Called also earthnut , groundnut , and goober .

Pear <Xpage=1055>

Pear (?) , n. [OE. pere , AS. peru , L. pirum : cf. F. poire . Cf. Perry .] (Bot.) The fleshy pome, or fruit, of a rosaceous tree ( Pyrus communis ), cultivated in many varieties in temperate climates; also, the tree which bears this fruit. See Pear family , below.

Pear blight . (a) (Bot.) A name of two distinct diseases of pear trees, both causing a destruction of the branches, viz., that caused by a minute insect ( Xyleborus pyri ), and that caused by the freezing of the sap in winter. A. J. Downing . (b) (Zo\'94l.) A very small beetle ( Xyleborus pyri ) whose larv\'91 bore in the twigs of pear trees and cause them to wither. -- Pear family (Bot.) , a suborder of rosaceous plants ( Pome\'91 ), characterized by the calyx tube becoming fleshy in fruit, and, combined with the ovaries, forming a pome. It includes the apple, pear, quince, service berry, and hewthorn. -- Pear gauge (Physics) , a kind of gauge for measuring the exhaustion of an air-pump receiver; -- so called because consisting in part of a pear-shaped glass vessel. Pear shell (Zo\'94l.) , any marine gastropod shell of the genus Pyrula , native of tropical seas; -- so called from the shape. -- Pear slug (Zo\'94l.) , the larva of a sawfly which is very injurious to the foliage of the pear tree.

<-- Illustr. of pear slug (Celandria cerasi) -->

Pearch <Xpage=1055>

Pearch (?) , n. [Obs.] See Perch .

Pearl <Xpage=1055>

Pearl (?) , n. A fringe or border. [Obs.] -- v. t. To fringe; to border. [Obs.] See Purl .

Pearl stitch . See Purl stitch , under Purl .

Pearl <Xpage=1055>

Pearl , n. [OE. perle , F. perle , LL. perla , perula , probably fr. (assumed) L. pirulo , dim. of L. pirum a pear. See Pear , and cf. Purl to mantle.] 1. (Zo\'94l.) A shelly concretion, usually rounded, and having a brilliant luster, with varying tints, found in the mantle, or between the mantle and shell, of certain bivalve mollusks, especially in the pearl oysters and river mussels, and sometimes in certain univalves. It is usually due to a secretion of shelly substance around some irritating foreign particle. Its substance is the same as nacre, or mother-of-pearl. Pearls which are round, or nearly round, and of fine luster, are highly esteemed as jewels, and compare in value with the precious stones.

2. Hence, figuratively, something resembling a pearl; something very precious.

I see thee compassed with thy kingdom's pearl . Shak.

And those pearls of dew she wears. Milton.

3. Nacre, or mother-of-pearl.

4. (Zo\'94l.) A fish allied to the turbot; the brill.

5. (Zo\'94l.) A light-colored tern.

6. (Zo\'94l.) One of the circle of tubercles which form the bur on a deer's antler.

7. A whitish speck or film on the eye. [Obs.]

Milton.

8. A capsule of gelatin or similar substance containing some liquid for medicinal application, as ether.

9. (Print.) A size of type, between agate and diamond.

\'b5 This line is printed in the type called pearl .

Ground pearl . (Zo\'94l.) See under Ground . -- Pearl barley , kernels of barley, ground so as to form small, round grains. -- Pearl diver , one who dives for pearl oysters. -- Pearl edge , an edge of small loops on the side of some kinds of ribbon; also, a narrow kind of thread edging to be sewed on lace. -- Pearl eye , cataract. [R.] -- Pearl gray , a very pale and delicate blue-gray color. -- Pearl millet , Egyptian millet ( Penicillaria spicata ). -- Pearl moss . See Carrageen . -- Pearl moth (Zo\'94l.) , any moth of the genus Margaritia ; -- so called on account of its pearly color. -- Pearl oyster (Zo\'94l.) , any one of several species of large tropical marine bivalve mollusks of the genus Meleagrina , or Margaritifera , found in the East Indies (especially at Ceylon), in the Persian Gulf, on the coast of Australia, and on the Pacific coast of America. Called also pearl shell , and pearl mussel . -- Pearl powder . See Pearl white , below. -- Pearl sago , sago in the form of small pearly grains. -- Pearl sinter (Min.) , fiorite. -- Pearl spar (Min.) , a crystallized variety of dolomite, having a pearly luster. -- Pearl white . (a) Basic bismuth nitrate, or bismuth subchloride; -- used chiefly as a cosmetic . (b) A variety of white lead blued with indigo or Berlin blue. <-- cultured pearl, a pearl grown by a pearl oyster into which a round pellet has been placed, to serve as the seed for more predictable growth of the pearl. The pellet is usually made from mother-of-pearl, and additional layers of nacre are deposited onto the seed by the oyster. Such pearls, being more easily obtained than natural pearls, are less expensive. -->

Pearl <Xpage=1055>

Pearl (?) , a. Of or pertaining to pearl or pearls; made of pearls, or of mother-of-pearl.

Pearl <Xpage=1055>

Pearl , v. t. 1. To set or adorn with pearls, or with mother-of-pearl. Used also figuratively.

2. To cause to resemble pearls; to make into small round grains; as, to pearl barley .

Pearl <Xpage=1055>

Pearl , v. i. 1. To resemble pearl or pearls.

2. To give or hunt for pearls; as, to go pearling .

Pearlaceous <Xpage=1055>

Pearl*a"ceous (?) , a. Resembling pearl or mother-of-pearl; pearly in quality or appearance.

Pearlash <Xpage=1055>

Pearl"ash` (?) , n. (Chem.) A white amorphous or granular substance which consists principally of potassium carbonate, and has a strong alkaline reaction. It is obtained by lixiviating wood ashes, and evaporating the lye, and has been an important source of potassium compounds. It is used in making soap, glass, etc.

Pearl-eyed <Xpage=1055>

Pearl"-eyed` (?) , a. Having a pearly speck in the eye; afflicted with the cataract.

Pearlfish <Xpage=1055>

Pearl"fish` (?) , n. (Zo\'94l.) Any fish whose scales yield a pearl-like pigment used in manufacturing artificial pearls, as the bleak, and whitebait.

Pearlins, Pearlings <Xpage=1055>

Pearl"ins (?) , Pearl"ings (?) , n. pl. [Prob. a corruption of purflings . See Purfle .] A kind of lace of silk or thread. [Scot.]

Sir W. Scott.

Pearlite, Pearlstone <Xpage=1055>

Pearl"ite (?) , Pearl"stone` (?) , n. (Min.) A glassy volcanic rock of a grayish color and pearly luster, often having a spherulitic concretionary structure due to the curved cracks produced by contraction in cooling. See Illust . under Perlitic .

Pearlwort <Xpage=1055>

Pearl"wort` (?) , n. (Bot.) A name given to several species of Sagina , low and inconspicuous herbs of the Chickweed family.

Pearly <Xpage=1055>

Pearl"y (?) , a. 1. Containing pearls; abounding with, or yielding, pearls; as, pearly shells .

Milton.

2. Resembling pearl or pearls; clear; pure; transparent; iridescent; as, the pearly dew or flood .

Pearmain <Xpage=1055>

Pear"main (?) , n. (Bot.) The name of several kinds of apples; as, the blue pearmain , winter pearmain , and red pearmain .

Pear-shaped <Xpage=1055>

Pear"-shaped` (?) , a. Of the form of a pear.

Peart <Xpage=1055>

Peart (?) , a. [A variant of pert , a. ] Active; lively; brisk; smart; -- often applied to convalescents; as, she is quite peart to-day . [O. Eng. & Colloq. U. S.]

There was a tricksy girl, I wot, albeit clad in gray, As peart as bird, as straight as bolt, as fresh as flowers in May. Warner (1592).

Peasant <Xpage=1055>

Peas"ant (?) , n. [OF. pa\'8bsant (the i being perh. due to confusion with the p.pr. of verbs), pa\'8bsan , F. paysan , fr. OF. & F. pays country, fr. L. pagus the country. See Pagan .] A countryman; a rustic; especially, one of the lowest class of tillers of the soil in European countries.

Syn. -- Countryman; rustic; swain; hind.

Peasant <Xpage=1055>

Peas"ant , a. Rustic, rural.

Spenser.

Peasantlike <Xpage=1055>

Peas"ant*like` (?) , a. Rude; clownish; illiterate.

Peasantly <Xpage=1055>

Peas"ant*ly , a. Peasantlike. [Obs.]

Milton.

Peasantry <Xpage=1055>

Peas"ant*ry (?) , n. 1. Peasants, collectively; the body of rustics. "A bold peasantry ."

Goldsmith.

2. Rusticity; coarseness. [Obs.]

p. Butler.

Peascod <Xpage=1055>

Peas"cod` (?) , n. The legume or pericarp, or the pod, of the pea.

Pease <Xpage=1055>

Pease (?) , n. ; obs. pl . Peases (#) , Peasen (#) . [See Pea .] 1. A pea. [Obs.] "A peose ." "Bread . . . of beans and of peses ."

Piers Plowman.

2. A plural form of Pea . See the Note under Pea .

Peastone <Xpage=1055>

Pea"stone` (?) , n. (Min.) Pisolite.

Peasweep <Xpage=1055>

Peas"weep` (?) , n. [So called from its note.] [Prov. Eng.] (Zo\'94l.) (a) The pewit, or lapwing. (b) The greenfinch.

Peat <Xpage=1055>

Peat (?) , n. [Cf. Pet a fondling.] A small person; a pet; -- sometimes used contemptuously. [Obs.]

Shak.

Peat <Xpage=1055>

Peat , n. [Prob. for beat , prop., material used to make the fire burn better , fr. AS. b<?/tan to better, mend (a fire), b<?/t advantage. See Better , Boot advantage.] A substance of vegetable origin, consisting of roots and fibers, moss, etc., in various stages of decomposition, and found, as a kind of turf or bog, usually in low situations, where it is always more or less saturated with water. It is often dried and used for fuel.

Peat bog , a bog containing peat; also, peat as it occurs in such places; peat moss. -- Peat moss . (a) The plants which, when decomposed, become peat . (b) A fen producing peat . (c) (Bot.) Moss of the genus Sphagnum , which often grows abundantly in boggy or peaty places. -- Peat reek , the reek or smoke of peat; hence, also, the peculiar flavor given to whisky by being distilled with peat as fuel. [Scot.]

Peaty <Xpage=1055>

Peat"y (?) , a. Composed of peat; abounding in peat; resembling peat.

Peba <Xpage=1055>

Pe"ba (?) , n. [Cf. Pg. peba .] (Zo\'94l.) An armadillo ( Tatusia novemcincta ) which is found from Texas to Paraguay; -- called also tatouhou .

Pebble <Xpage=1055>

Peb"ble (?) , n. [AS. papolst\'ben ; cf. L. papula pimple, mote. See Stone .] 1. A small roundish stone or bowlder; especially, a stone worn and rounded by the action of water; a pebblestone. "The pebbles on the hungry beach."

Shak.

As children gathering pebbles on the shore. Milton.

2. Transparent and colorless rock crystal; as, Brazilian pebble ; -- so called by opticians .

Pebble powder , slow-burning gunpowder, in large cubical grains. -- Scotch pebble , varieties of quartz, as agate, chalcedony, etc., obtained from cavities in amygdaloid.

Pebble <Xpage=1055>

Peb"ble , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Pebbled ; p. pr. & vb. n. Pebbling .] To grain (leather) so as to produce a surface covered with small rounded prominences.

Pebbled <Xpage=1055>

Peb"bled (?) , a. Abounding in pebbles.

Thomson.

Pebblestone <Xpage=1055>

Peb"ble*stone` (?) . A pebble; also, pebbles collectively. "Chains of pebblestone ."

Marlowe.

Pebbly <Xpage=1055>

Peb"bly (?) , a. Full of pebbles; pebbled. "A hard, pebbly bottom."

Johnson.

Pebrine <Xpage=1055>

Pe`brine" (?) , n. [F.] An epidemic disease of the silkworm, characterized by the presence of minute vibratory corpuscles in the blood.

Pecan <Xpage=1055>

Pe*can" (?) , n. [Cf. F. pacane the nut.] (Bot.) A species of hickory ( Carya oliv\'91formis ), growing in North America, chiefly in the Mississippi valley and in Texas, where it is one of the largest of forest trees; also, its fruit, a smooth, oblong nut, an inch or an inch and a half long, with a thin shell and well-flavored meat. [Written also pacane .]

Pecary <Xpage=1055>

Pec"a*ry (?) , n. (Zo\'94l.) See Peccary .

Peccability <Xpage=1055>

Pec`ca*bil"i*ty (?) , n. The state or quality of being peccable; lability to sin.

The common peccability of mankind. Dr. H. More.

Peccable <Xpage=1055>

Pec"ca*ble (?) , a. [Cf. F. peccable . See Peccant .] Liable to sin; subject to transgress the divine law. "A frail and peccable mortal."

Sir W. Scott.

Peccadillo <Xpage=1055>

Pec`ca*dil"lo (?) , n ; pl. Peccadillos (#) . [Sp. pecadillo , dim. of pecado a sin, fr. L. peccatum . See Peccant .] A slight trespass or offense; a petty crime or fault.

Sir W. Scott.

Peccancy <Xpage=1055>

Pec"can*cy (?) , n. [L. peccantia .] 1. The quality or state of being peccant.

2. A sin; an offense.

W. Montagu.

Peccant <Xpage=1055>

Pec"cant (?) , a. [L. peccans , -antis , p.pr. of peccare to sin: cf. F. peccant .] 1. Sinning; guilty of transgression; criminal; as, peccant angels .

Milton.

2. Morbid; corrupt; as, peccant humors .

Bacon.

3. Wrong; defective; faulty. [R.]

Ayliffe.

Peccant <Xpage=1055>

Pec"cant , n. An offender. [Obs.]

Whitlock.

Peccantly <Xpage=1055>

Pec"cant*ly , adv. In a peccant manner.

Peccary <Xpage=1055>

Pec"ca*ry (?) , n. ; pl. Peccaries (#) . [From the native South American name: cf. F. p\'82cari , Sp. pecar .] (Zo\'94l.) A pachyderm of the genus Dicotyles .

&hand; The collared peccary, or tajacu ( Dicotyles torquatus ), is about the size and shape of a small hog, and has a white ring aroung the neck. It ranges from Arkansas to Brazil. A larger species ( D. labiatus ), with white cheeks, is found in South America.

Peccavi <Xpage=1055>

Pec*ca"vi (?) . [L.] I have sinned; -- used colloquially to express confession or acknowledgment of an offense.

Aubrey. <-- seldom used -- same purpose served by mea culpa -->

Pecco <Xpage=1055>

Pec"co (?) , n. See Pekoe .

Peck <Xpage=1055>

Peck , n. [Perh. akin to pack ; or, orig., an indefinite quantity, and fr. peck , v. (below): cf. also F. picotin a peak.] 1. The fourth part of a bushel; a dry measure of eight quarts; as, a peck of wheat . "A peck of provender."

Shak.

2. A great deal; a large or excessive quantity. "A peck of uncertainties and doubts." Milton .

Peck <Xpage=1055>

Peck , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Pecked (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Pecking .] [See Pick , v. ] 1. To strike with the beak; to thrust the beak into; as, a bird pecks a tree .

2. Hence: To strike, pick, thrust against, or dig into, with a pointed instrument; especially, to strike, pick, etc., with repeated quick movements.

3. To seize and pick up with the beak, or as with the beak; to bite; to eat; -- often with up .

Addison.

This fellow pecks up wit as pigeons peas. Shak.

4. To make, by striking with the beak or a pointed instrument; as, to peck a hole in a tree .

Peck <Xpage=1055>

Peck , v. i. 1. To make strokes with the beak, or with a pointed instrument.

Carew.

2. To pick up food with the beak; hence, to eat.

[The hen] went pecking by his side. Dryden.

To peck at , to attack with petty and repeated blows; to carp at; to nag; to tease.

<page="1056"> Page 1056

Peck <Xpage=1056>

Peck (?) , n. A quick, sharp stroke, as with the beak of a bird or a pointed instrument.

Pecker <Xpage=1056>

Peck"er (?) , n. 1. One who, or that which, pecks; specif., a bird that pecks holes in trees; a woodpecker.

2. An instrument for pecking; a pick.

Garth.

Flower pecker . (Zo\'94l.) See under Flower .

Peckish <Xpage=1056>

Peck"ish , a. Inclined to eat; hungry. [Colloq.] "When shall I feel peckish again?"

Beaconsfield.

Peckled <Xpage=1056>

Pec"kled (?) , a. Speckled; spotted. [Obs.]

Pecopteris <Xpage=1056>