Chapter 1138

Pes`ti*la"tion (?) , n. [LL. pestillum , L. pistillum . See Pestle .] The act of pounding and bruising with a pestle in a mortar.

Sir T. Browne.

Pestle <Xpage=1072>

Pes"tle (?) , n. [OE. pestel , OF. pestel , LL. pestellum , L. pistillum , pistillus , a pounder, pestle, fr. pisere , pinsere , to pound, crush, akin to Gr. <?/, Skr. pish . Cf. Pistil .] 1. An implement for pounding and breaking or braying substances in a mortar.

2. A constable's or bailiff's staff; -- so called from its shape. [Obs.]

Chapman.

3. The leg and leg bone of an animal, especially of a pig; as, a pestle of pork .

Pestle <Xpage=1072>

Pes"tle (?) , v. t. & i. [ imp. & p. p. Pestled (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Pestling (?) .] To pound, pulverize, bray, or mix with a pestle, or as with a pestle; to use a pestle.

Pet <Xpage=1072>

Pet (?) , n. [Formerly peat , perhaps from Ir. peat , akin to Gael. peata .] 1. A cade lamb; a lamb brought up by hand.

2. Any person or animal especially cherished and indulged; a fondling; a darling; often, a favorite child.

The love of cronies, pets , and favorites. Tatler.

3. [Prob. fr. Pet a fondling, hence, the behavior or humor of a spoiled child.] A slight fit of peevishness or fretfulness. "In a pet she started up."

Tennyson.

Pet <Xpage=1072>

Pet , a. Petted; indulged; admired; cherished; as, a pet child; a pet lamb; a pet theory.

Some young lady's pet curate. F. Harrison.

Pet cock . [Perh. for petty cock .] (Mach.) A little faucet in a water pipe or pump, to let air out, or at the end of a steam cylinder, to drain it. <-- also petcock -->

Pet <Xpage=1072>

Pet , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Petted ; p. pr. & vb. n. Petting .] To treat as a pet; to fondle; to indulge; as, she was petted and spoiled .

Pet <Xpage=1072>

Pet , v. i. To be a pet.

Feltham.

Petal <Xpage=1072>

Pet"al (?) , n. [Gr. <?/ a leaf, a leaf or plate of metal, fr. <?/ outspread, broad, flat: cf. F. p\'82tale . See Fathom .] 1. (Bot.) One of the leaves of the corolla, or the colored leaves of a flower. See Corolla , and Illust . of Flower .

2. (Zo\'94l.) One of the expanded ambulacra which form a rosette on the black of certain Echini.

Petaled <Xpage=1072>

Pet"aled (?) , a. (Bot.) Having petals; as, a petaled flower ; -- opposed to apetalous , and much used in compounds; as, one- petaled , three- petaled , etc .

Petaliferous <Xpage=1072>

Pet`al*if"er*ous (?) , a. [ Petal + -ferous .] Bearing petals.

Petaliform <Xpage=1072>

Pe*tal"i*form (?) , a. (Bot.) Having the form of a petal; petaloid; petal-shaped.

Petaline <Xpage=1072>

Pet"al*ine (?) , a. [Cf. F. p\'82talin .] (Bot.) Pertaining to a petal; attached to, or resembling, a petal.

Petalism <Xpage=1072>

Pet"al*ism (?) , n. [Gr. <?/, fr. <?/ a leaf: cf. F. p\'82talisme .] (Gr. Antiq.) A form of sentence among the ancient Syracusans by which they banished for five years a citizen suspected of having dangerous influence or ambition. It was similar to the ostracism in Athens; but olive leaves were used instead of shells for ballots.

Petalite <Xpage=1072>

Pet"al*ite (?) , n. [Cf. F. p\'82talite .] (Min.) A rare mineral, occurring crystallized and in cleavable masses, usually white, or nearly so, in color. It is a silicate of aluminia and lithia.

Petalody <Xpage=1072>

Pe*tal"o*dy (?) , n. [ Petal + Gr. <?/ form.] (Bot.) The metamorphosis of various floral organs, usually stamens, into petals.

Petaloid <Xpage=1072>

Pet"al*oid (?) , a. [ Petal + -oid : cf. F. p\'82talo\'8bde .] (Bot.) Petaline.

Petaloideous <Xpage=1072>

Pet`al*oid"e*ous (?) , a. (Bot.) Having the whole or part of the perianth petaline.

Petaloideous division , that division of endogenous plants in which the perianth is wholly or partly petaline, embracing the Liliace\'91 , Orchidace\'91 , Amaryllide\'91 , etc.

Petalosticha <Xpage=1072>

Pet`a*los"ti*cha (?) , n. pl. [NL., from Gr. <?/ a leaf + <?/ a row.] (Zo\'94l.) An order of Echini, including the irregular sea urchins, as the spatangoids. See Spatangoid .

Petalous <Xpage=1072>

Pet"al*ous (?) , a. Having petals; petaled; -- opposed to apetalous .

Petalum <Xpage=1072>

Pet"a*lum (?) , n. ; pl. Petala (#) . [NL.] A petal.

Petar <Xpage=1072>

Pe*tar" (?) , n. See Petard . [Obs.] "Hoist with his own petar ."

Shak.

Petard <Xpage=1072>

Pe*tard" (?) , n. [F. p\'82tard , fr. p\'82ter to break wind, to crack, to explode, L. pedere , peditum .] (Mil.) A case containing powder to be exploded, esp. a conical or cylindrical case of metal filled with powder and attached to a plank, to be exploded against and break down gates, barricades, drawbridges, etc. It has been superseded.

Petardeer, Petardier <Xpage=1072>

Pet`ar*deer" , Pet`ar*dier" (?) , n. [F. p\'82tardier .] (Mil.) One who managed a petard.

Petasus <Xpage=1072>

Pet"a*sus (?) , n. [L., from Gr. <?/.] (Gr. & Rom. Antiq.) The winged cap of Mercury; also, a broad-brimmed, low-crowned hat worn by Greeks and Romans.

Petaurist <Xpage=1072>

Pe*tau"rist (?) , n. [L. petaurista a ropedancer, Gr. <?/, fr. <?/ to dance on a rope, fr. <?/ a pole, a stage for ropedancers: cf. F. p\'82tauriste .] (Zo\'94l.) Any flying marsupial of the genera Petaurus , Phalangista , Acrobata , and allied genera. See Flying mouse , under Flying , and Phalangister .

Petechi\'91 <Xpage=1072>

Pe*tech"i*\'91 (?) , n. pl. ; sing. Petechia (<?/) . [NL., fr. LL. peteccia ; cf. F. p\'82t\'82chie , It. petecchia , Sp. petequia , Gr. <?/ a label, plaster.] (Med.) Small crimson, purple, or livid spots, like flea-bites, due to extravasation of blood, which appear on the skin in malignant fevers, etc.

Petechial <Xpage=1072>

Pe*tech"i*al (?) , a. [Cf. F. p\'82t\'82chial , LL. petecchialis .] (Med.) Characterized by, or pertaining to, petechi\'91; spotted.

Petechial fever , a malignant fever, accompanied with livid spots on the skin.

Peter <Xpage=1072>

Pe"ter (?) , n. A common baptismal name for a man. The name of one of the apostles,

Peter boat , a fishing boat, sharp at both ends, originally of the Baltic Sea, but now common in certain English rivers. -- Peter Funk , the auctioneer in a mock auction. [Cant, U.S.] -- Peter pence , &or; Peter's pence . (a) An annual tax or tribute, formerly paid by the English people to the pope, being a penny for every house, payable on Lammas or St.Peter's day; -- called also Rome scot , and hearth money . (b) In modern times, a voluntary contribution made by Roman Catholics to the private purse of the pope. -- Peter's fish (Zo\'94l.) , a haddock; -- so called because the black spots, one on each side, behind the gills, are traditionally said to have been caused by the fingers of St. Peter, when he caught the fish to pay the tribute. The name is applied, also, to other fishes having similar spots.

<page="1073"> Page 1073

Peter <Xpage=1073>

Pet"er (?) , v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Petered (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Petering .] [Etymol. uncertain.] To become exhausted; to run out; to fail; -- used generally with out ; as, that mine has petered out . [Slang, U.S.]

Peterel <Xpage=1073>

Pet"er*el (?) , n. (Zo\'94l.) See Petrel .

Peterero <Xpage=1073>

Pet`e*re"ro (?) , n. (Mil.) See Pederero .

Peterman <Xpage=1073>

Pe"ter*man (?) , n. ; pl. Petermen (<?/) . A fisherman; -- so called after the apostle Peter. [An obs. local term in Eng.]

Chapman.

Petersham <Xpage=1073>

Pe"ter*sham (?) , n. [Named after Lord Petersham .] A rough, knotted woolen cloth, used chiefly for men's overcoats; also, a coat of that material.

Peterwort <Xpage=1073>

Pe"ter*wort` (?) , n. (Bot.) See Saint Peter's-wort , under Saint .

Petiolar, Petiolary <Xpage=1073>

Pet"i*o*lar (?) , Pet"i*o*la*ry (?) , a. [Cf. F. p\'82tiolarie .] (Bot.) Of or pertaining to petiole, or proceeding from it; as, a petiolar tendril ; growing or supported upon a petiole; as, a petiolar gland; a petiolar bud.

Petiolate, Petiolated <Xpage=1073>

Pet"i*o*late (?) , Pet"i*o*la`ted (?) , a. (Bot. & Zo\'94l.) Having a stalk or petiole; as, a petioleate leaf; the petiolated abdomen of certain Hymenoptera.

Petiole <Xpage=1073>

Pet"i*ole (?) , n. [F. p\'82tiole , fr. L. petiolus a little foot, a fruit stalk; cf. pes , pedis , a foot.] 1. (Bot.) A leafstalk; the footstalk of a leaf, connecting the blade with the stem. See Illust . of Leaf .

2. (Zo\'94l.) A stalk or peduncle.

Petioled <Xpage=1073>

Pet"i*oled (?) , a. Petiolate.

Petiolulate <Xpage=1073>

Pet`i*ol"u*late (?) , a. (Bot.) Supported by its own petiolule.

Gray.

Petiolule <Xpage=1073>

Pet"i*o*lule (?) , n. [Cf. F. p\'82tiolule .] (Bot.) A small petiole, or the petiole of a leaflet.

Petit <Xpage=1073>

Pet"it (?) , a. [F. See Petty .] Small; little; insignificant; mean; -- Same as Petty . [Obs., except in legal language.]

By what small, petit hints does the mind catch hold of and recover a vanishing notion. South.

Petit constable , an inferior civil officer, subordinate to the high constable. -- Petit jury , a jury of twelve men, impaneled to try causes at the bar of a court; -- so called in distinction from the grand jury . -- Petit larceny , the stealing of goods of, or under, a certain specified small value; -- opposed to grand larceny . The distinction is abolished in England. -- Petit ma\'8ctre (<?/) . [F., lit., little master.] A fop; a coxcomb; a ladies' man. Goldsmith . -- Petit serjeanty (Eng. Law) , the tenure of lands of the crown, by the service of rendering annually some implement of war, as a bow, an arrow, a sword, a flag, etc. -- Petit treason , formerly, in England, the crime of killing a person to whom the offender owed duty or subjection, as one's husband, master, mistress, etc. The crime is now not distinguished from murder.

Petition <Xpage=1073>

Pe*ti"tion (?) , n. [F. p\'82tition , L. petitio , fr. petere , petitum , to beg, ask, seek; perh. akin to E. feather , or find .] 1. A prayer; a supplication; an imploration; an entreaty; especially, a request of a solemn or formal kind; a prayer to the Supreme Being, or to a person of superior power, rank, or authority; also, a single clause in such a prayer.

A house of prayer and petition for thy people. 1 Macc. vii. 37.

This last petition heard of all her prayer. Dryden.

2. A formal written request addressed to an official person, or to an organized body, having power to grant it; specifically (Law) , a supplication to government, in either of its branches, for the granting of a particular grace or right; -- in distinction from a memorial , which calls certain facts to mind; also, the written document.

Petition of right (Law) , a petition to obtain possession or restitution of property, either real or personal, from the Crown, which suggests such a title as controverts the title of the Crown, grounded on facts disclosed in the petition itself. Mozley & W. -- The Petition of Right (Eng. Hist.) , the parliamentary declaration of the rights of the people, assented to by Charles I.

Petition <Xpage=1073>

Pe*ti"tion , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Petitioned (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Petitioning .] To make a prayer or request to; to ask from; to solicit; to entreat; especially, to make a formal written supplication, or application to, as to any branch of the government; as, to petition the court; to petition the governor.

You have . . . petitioned all the gods for my prosperity. Shak.

Petition <Xpage=1073>

Pe*ti"tion , v. i. To make a petition or solicitation.

Petitionarily <Xpage=1073>

Pe*ti"tion*a*ri*ly (?) , adv. By way of begging the question; by an assumption. [R.]

Sir T. Browne.

Petitionary <Xpage=1073>

Pe*ti"tion*a*ry (?) , a. 1. Supplicatory; making a petition.

Pardon Rome, and any petitionary countrymen. Shak.

2. Containing a petition; of the nature of a petition; as, a petitionary epistle .

Swift.

Petitionee <Xpage=1073>

Pe*ti`tion*ee" (?) , n. A person cited to answer, or defend against, a petition.

Petitioner <Xpage=1073>

Pe*ti"tion*er (?) , n. One who presents a petition.

Petitioning <Xpage=1073>

Pe*ti"tion*ing , n. The act of presenting apetition; a supplication.

Petitor <Xpage=1073>

Pet"i*tor (?) , n. [L., fr. petere to seek.] One who seeks or asks; a seeker; an applicant. [R.]

Fuller.

Petitory <Xpage=1073>

Pet"i*to*ry (?) , a. [L. petitorius , fr. petere , petitum , to beg, ask: cf. F. p\'82titore .] Petitioning; soliciting; supplicating.

Sir W. Hamilton.

Petitory suit &or; action (Admiralty Law) , a suit in which the mere title to property is litigated and sought to be enforced, as distinguished from a possessory suit; also (Scots Law) , a suit wherein the plaintiff claims something as due him by the defendant.

Burrill.

Petong <Xpage=1073>

Pe*tong" (?) , n. (Metal.) See Packfong .

Petralogy <Xpage=1073>

Pe*tral"o*gy (?) , n. See Petrology .

Petrary <Xpage=1073>

Pet"ra*ry (?) , n. [L. petra stone. Cf. Sp. petraria , and E. Pederero .] An ancient war engine for hurling stones.

Petrean <Xpage=1073>

Pe*tre"an (?) , a. [L. petraeus , Gr. <?/, fr. <?/ a rock.] Of or pertaining to to rock.

G. S. Faber.

Petre <Xpage=1073>

Pe"tre (?) , n. See Saltpeter .

Petrel <Xpage=1073>

Pe"trel (?) , n. [F. p\'82trel ; a dim. of the name Peter , L. Petrus , Gr. <?/ a stone ( John i . 42 ); -- probably so called in allusion to St. Peter's walking on the sea. See Petrify .] (Zo\'94l.) Any one of numerous species of longwinged sea birds belonging to the family Procellarid\'91 . The small petrels, or Mother Carey's chickens, belong to Oceanites , Oceanodroma , Procellaria , and several allied genera.

Diving petrel , any bird of the genus Pelecanoides . They chiefly inhabit the southern hemisphere. -- Fulmar petrel , Giant petrel . See Fulmar . -- Pintado petrel , the Cape pigeon. See under Cape . -- Pintado petrel , any one of several small petrels, especially Procellaria pelagica , or Mother Carey's chicken, common on both sides of the Atlantic.

Petrescence <Xpage=1073>

Pe*tres"cence (?) , n. The process of changing into stone; petrification.

Petrescent <Xpage=1073>

Pe*tres"cent (?) , a. [L. petra rock, stone, Gr. <?/.] Petrifying; converting into stone; as, petrescent water .

Boyle.

Petrifaction <Xpage=1073>

Pet`ri*fac"tion (?) , n. [See Petrify .] 1. The process of petrifying, or changing into stone; conversion of any organic matter (animal or vegetable) into stone, or a substance of stony hardness.

2. The state or condition of being petrified.

3. That which is petrified; popularly, a body incrusted with stony matter; an incrustation.

4. Fig.: Hardness; callousness; obduracy. " Petrifaction of the soul."

Cudworth.

Petrifactive <Xpage=1073>

Pet`ri*fac"tive (?) , a. 1. Having the quality of converting organic matter into stone; petrifying.

2. Pertaining to, or characterized by, petrifaction.

The . . . petrifactive mutations of hard bodies. Sir T. Browne.

Petrific <Xpage=1073>

Pe*trif"ic (?) , a. [Cf. F. p\'82trifique .] Petrifying; petrifactive.

Death with his mace petrific , cold and dry. Milton.

Petrificate <Xpage=1073>

Pet"ri*fi*cate (?) , v. t. To petrify. [Obs.]

Our hearts petrificated were. J. Hall (1646).

Petrification <Xpage=1073>

Pet`ri*fi*ca"tion (?) , n. [Cf. F. p\'82trification . See Petrify .] 1. See Petrifaction .

2. Fig.: Obduracy; callousness.

Hallywell.

Petrify <Xpage=1073>

Pet"ri*fy (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Petrified (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Petrifying (?) .] [L. petra rock, Gr. <?/ (akin to <?/ a stone) + -fy : cf. F. p\'82trifier . Cf. Parrot , Petrel , Pier .] 1. To convert, as any animal or vegetable matter, into stone or stony substance.

A river that petrifies any sort of wood or leaves. Kirwan.

2. To make callous or obdurate; to stupefy; to paralyze; to transform; as by petrifaction; as, to petrify the heart . Young . " Petrifying accuracy."

Sir W. Scott.

And petrify a genius to a dunce. Pope.

The poor, petrified journeyman, quite unconscious of what he was doing. De Quincey.

A hideous fatalism, which ought, logically, to petrify your volition. G. Eliot.

Petrify <Xpage=1073>

Pet"ri*fy , v. i. 1. To become stone, or of a stony hardness, as organic matter by calcareous deposits.

2. Fig.: To become stony, callous, or obdurate.

Like Niobe we marble grow, And petrify with grief. Dryden.

Petrine <Xpage=1073>

Pe"trine (?) , a. Of or pertaining to St.Peter; as, the Petrine Epistles .

Petro- <Xpage=1073>