Chapter 1148

Phy"ton (?) , n. ; pl. Phytons (#) . [NL., fr. Gr. <?/ plant.] (Bot.) One of the parts which by their repetition make up a flowering plant, each being a single joint of a stem with its leaf or leaves; a phytomer.

Phytonomy <Xpage=1082>

Phy*ton"o*my (?) , n. [ Phyto- + Gr. <?/ law: cf. F. phytonomie .] The science of the origin and growth of plants.

Phytopathologist <Xpage=1082>

Phy`to*pa*thol"o*gist (?) , n. One skilled in diseases of plants.

Phytopathology <Xpage=1082>

Phy`to*pa*thol"o*gy (?) , n. [ Phyto- + pathology .] The science of diseases to which plants are liable.

Phytophaga <Xpage=1082>

Phy*toph"a*ga (?) , n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. <?/ a plant + <?/ to eat.] (Zo\'94l.) A division of Hymenoptera; the sawflies.

Phytophagic <Xpage=1082>

Phy`to*phag"ic (?) , a. (Zo\'94l.) Phytophagous.

Phytophagous <Xpage=1082>

Phy*toph"a*gous (?) , a. [ Phyto- + Gr. <?/ to eat.] (Zo\'94l.) Feeding on plants; herbivorous; as, a phytophagous animal .

Phytophagy <Xpage=1082>

Phy*toph"a*gy (?) , n. The eating of plants.

Phytophysiology <Xpage=1082>

Phy`to*phys`i*ol"o*gy (?) , n. [ Phyto- + physiology .] Vegetable physiology.

Phytotomist <Xpage=1082>

Phy*tot"o*mist (?) , n. One versed in phytotomy.

Phytotomy <Xpage=1082>

Phy*tot"o*my (?) , n. [ Phyto- + Gr. <?/ to cut.] The dissection of plants; vegetable anatomy.

Phytozoaria <Xpage=1082>

Phy`to*zo*a"ri*a (?) , n. pl. [NL. See Phytozo\'94n .] (Zo\'94l.) Same as Infusoria .

Phytozo\'94n <Xpage=1082>

Phy`to*zo"\'94n (?) , n. ; pl. Phytozoa (#) . [NL., fr. Gr. <?/ + <?/ an animal.] (Zo\'94l.) A plantlike animal. The term is sometimes applied to zo\'94phytes.

Phyz <Xpage=1082>

Phyz (?) , n. See Phiz .

Pi <Xpage=1082>

Pi (?) , n. [See Pica , Pie magpie, service-book.] (Print.) A mass of type confusedly mixed or unsorted. [Written also pie .]

<-- math. the ratio of the circumference to the diameter of a circle -->

Pi <Xpage=1082>

Pi , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Pied (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Pieing (?) .] (Print.) To put into a mixed and disordered condition, as type; to mix and disarrange the type of; as, to pi a form . [Written also pie .]

Pia\'87aba <Xpage=1082>

Pi*a\'87"a*ba (?) , n. See Piassava .

Piacle <Xpage=1082>

Pi"a*cle (?) , n. [L. piaculum a propitiatory sacrifice, that which requires expiation, a wicked action, fr. piare to appease, to expiate, pius pious.] A heinous offense which requires expiation. [R.]

Howell.

Piacular <Xpage=1082>

Pi*ac"u*lar (?) , a. [L. piacularis : cf. F. piaculaire .] 1. Expiatory; atoning.

Sir G. C. Lewis.

2. Requiring expiation; criminal; atrociously bad. " Piacular pollution."

De Quincey.

Piacularity <Xpage=1082>

Pi*ac`u*lar"i*ty (?) , n. The quality or state of being piacular; criminality; wickedness.

De Quincey.

Piaculous <Xpage=1082>

Pi*ac"u*lous (?) , a. Same as Piacular .

Pial <Xpage=1082>

Pi"al (?) , a. (Anat.) Pertaining to the pia mater.

Pia mater <Xpage=1082>

Pi"a ma"ter (?) . [NL., fr. L. pia (fem. of pius tender, kind) + mater mother.] (Anat.) The delicate and highly vascular membrane immediately investing the brain and spinal cord.

Pian <Xpage=1082>

Pian (?) , n. [Pg. pian , epian , or. Sp. pian ; from the native name in South America: cf. F. pian .] (Med.) The yaws. See Yaws .

Pianet <Xpage=1082>

Pi"a*net` (?) , n. [Cf. Pie magpie.] (Zo\'94l.) (a) The magpie. [Written also pianate , and pyenate .] (b) The lesser woodpecker. [Obs.]

Bailey.

Pianette <Xpage=1082>

Pi*a*nette" (?) , n. [Dim. of piano .] (Mus.) A small piano; a pianino.

Pianino <Xpage=1082>

Pi`a*ni"no (?) , n. [It., dim. of piano , adj. See Piano .] (Mus.) A pianette, or small piano.

Pianissimo <Xpage=1082>

Pi`a*nis"si*mo (?) , a. [It., superl. of piano .] (Mus.) Very soft; -- a direction to execute a passage as softly as possible. (Abbrev. pp .)

Pianist <Xpage=1082>

Pi*an"ist (?) , n. [Cf. F. pianiste , It. pianista .] A performer, esp. a skilled performer, on the piano.

Piano <Xpage=1082>

Pi*a"no (?) , a. & adv. [It., even, smooth, soft, fr. L. planus even, level.] (Mus.) Soft; -- a direction to the performer to execute a certain passage softly, and with diminished volume of tone. (Abbrev. p .)

Piano, Pianoforte <Xpage=1082>

Pi*an"o (?) , Pi*an"o*for`te (?) , n. [It. piano soft (fr. L. planus even, smooth; see Plain , a. ) + It. forte strong, fr. L. fortis (see Fort ).] (Mus.) A well-known musical instrument somewhat resembling the harpsichord, and consisting of a sreies of wires of graduated length, thickness, and tension, struck by hammers moved by keys.

Dumb piano . See Digitorium . -- Grand piano . See under Grand . -- Square piano , one with a horizontal frame and an oblong case. -- Upright piano , one with an upright frame and vertical wires.

Pianograph <Xpage=1082>

Pi*an"o*graph (?) , n. [ Piano + -graph .] (Mus.) A form of melodiograph applied to a piano.

Piapec <Xpage=1082>

Pi"a*pec (?) , n. [Cf. Pie a magpie.] (Zo\'94l.) A West African pie ( Ptilostomus Senegalensis ).

Piarist <Xpage=1082>

Pi"a*rist (?) , n. [L. pius pious.] (R. C. Ch.) One of a religious order who are the regular clerks of the Scuole Pie (religious schools), an institute of secondary education, founded at Rome in the last years of the 16th century.

Addis & Arnold.

Piassava <Xpage=1082>

Pi*as"sa*va (?) , n. [Pg. piasaba .] A fibrous product of two Brazilian palm trees ( Attalea funifera and Leopoldinia Piassaba ), -- used in making brooms, and for other purposes. Called also pia\'87aba and piasaba .

Piaster <Xpage=1082>

Pi*as"ter (?) , n. [F. piastre , It. piastra a thin plate of metal, a dollar, LL. piastra , fr. L. emplastrum . See Plaster .] A silver coin of Spain and various other countries. See Peso . The Spanish piaster (commonly called peso , or peso duro ) is of about the value of the American dollar. The Italian piaster, or scudo, was worth from 80 to 100 cents. The Turkish and Egyptian piasters are now worth about four and a half cents.

Piastre <Xpage=1082>

Pi*as"tre (?) , n. See Piaster .

Piation <Xpage=1082>

Pi*a"tion (?) , n. [L. piatio . See Piacle .] The act of making atonement; expiation. [Obs.]

Piatti <Xpage=1082>

Pi*at"ti (?) , n. pl. [It., prop., plates.] (Mus.) Cymbals. [Written also pyatti .]

Piazza <Xpage=1082>

Pi*az"za (?) , n. ; pl. Piazzas (#) . [It., place, square, market place, L. platea street, courtyard. See Place .] An open square in a European town, especially an Italian town; hence (Arch.) , an arcaded and roofed gallery; a portico. In the United States the word is popularly applied to a veranda.

We walk by the obelisk, and meditate in piazzas . Jer. Taylor.

Pibcorn <Xpage=1082>

Pib"corn` (?) , n. [W. pib pipe + corn horn.] (Mus.) A wind instrument or pipe, with a horn at each end, -- used in Wales.

Pibroch <Xpage=1082>

Pi"broch (?) , n. [Gael. piobaireachd pipe music, fr. piobair a piper, fr. pioba pipe, bagpipe, from English. See Pipe , n. ] A Highland air, suited to the particular passion which the musician would either excite or assuage; generally applied to those airs that are played on the bagpipe before the Highlanders when they go out to battle.

Jamieson.

Pic <Xpage=1082>

Pic (?) , n. [Cf. F. pic .] A Turkish cloth measure, varying from 18 to 28 inches.

Pica <Xpage=1082>

Pi"ca (?) , n. [L. pica a pie, magpie; in sense 3 prob. named from some resemblance to the colors of the magpie. Cf. Pie magpie.] 1. (Zo\'94l.) The genus that includes the magpies.

2. (Med.) A vitiated appetite that craves what is unfit for food, as chalk, ashes, coal, etc.; chthonophagia.

3. (R. C. Ch.) A service-book. See Pie . [Obs.]

4. (Print.) A size of type next larger than small pica, and smaller than English.

&hand; This line is printed in pica

&hand; Pica is twice the size of nonpareil, and is used as a standard of measurement in casting leads, cutting rules, etc., and also as a standard by which to designate several larger kinds of type, as double pica , two-line pica , four-line pica , and the like.

Small pica (Print.) , a size of type next larger than long primer, and smaller than pica.

&hand; This line is printed in small pica

Picador <Xpage=1082>

Pic`a*dor" (?) , n. [Sp.] A horseman armed with a lance, who in a bullfight receives the first attack of the bull, and excites him by picking him without attempting to kill him.

Picamar <Xpage=1082>

Pic"a*mar` (?) , n. [L. pix , picis , pitch + amarus bitter.] (Chem.) An oily liquid hydrocarbon extracted from the creosote of beechwood tar. It consists essentially of certain derivatives of pyrogallol.

Picapare <Xpage=1082>

Pic"a*pare (?) , n. (Zo\'94l.) The finfoot.

Picard <Xpage=1082>

Pic"ard (?) , n. (Eccl. Hist.) One of a sect of Adamites in the fifteenth century; -- so called from one Picard of Flanders. See Adamite .

Picaresque <Xpage=1082>

Pic`a*resque" (?) , a. [F., fr. Sp. picaro rogue.] Applied to that class of literature in which the principal personage is the Spanish picaro , meaning a rascal, a knave, a rogue, an adventurer.

Picari\'91 <Xpage=1082>

Pi*ca"ri*\'91 (?) , n. pl. [NL., fr. L. picus a woodpecker.] (Zo\'94l.) An extensive division of birds which includes the woodpeckers, toucans, trogons, hornbills, kingfishers, motmots, rollers, and goatsuckers. By some writers it is made to include also the cuckoos, swifts, and humming birds.

Picarian <Xpage=1082>

Pi*ca"ri*an (?) , a. (Zo\'94l.) Of or pertaining to Picari\'91. -- n. One of the Picari\'91.

Picaroon <Xpage=1082>

Pic`a*roon" (?) , n. [Sp. picaron , aug. of picaro roguish, n., a rogue.] One who plunders; especially, a plunderer of wrecks; a pirate; a corsair; a marauder; a sharper.

Sir W. Temple.

Picayune <Xpage=1082>

Pic`a*yune" (?) , n. [From the language of the Caribs.] A small coin of the value of six and a quarter cents. See Fippenny bit . [Local, U.S.]

<-- adj. picayunish; small-minded -->

Picayunish <Xpage=1082>

Pic`a*yun"ish (?) , a. Petty; paltry; mean; as, a picayunish business . [Colloq. U.S.]

Piccadil, Piccadilly <Xpage=1082>

Pic"ca*dil (?) , Pic`ca*dil"ly (?) , n. [OF. piccagilles the several divisions of pieces fastened together about the brim of the collar of a doublet, a dim. fr. Sp. picado , p.p. of picar to prick. See Pike .] A high, stiff collar for the neck; also, a hem or band about the skirt of a garment, -- worn by men in the 17th century.

Piccage <Xpage=1082>

Pic"cage (?) , n. [LL. piccadium , fr. F. piquer to prick.] (O. Eng. Law) Money paid at fairs for leave to break ground for booths.

Ainsworth.

Piccalilli <Xpage=1082>

Pic"ca*lil`li (?) , n. A pickle of various vegetables with pungent species, -- originally made in the East Indies.

Piccolo <Xpage=1082>

Pic"co*lo (?) , n. [It., small.] 1. (Mus.) A small, shrill flute, the pitch of which is an octave higher than the ordinary flute; an octave flute.

2. (Mus.) A small upright piano.

3. (Mus.) An organ stop, with a high, piercing tone.

Pice <Xpage=1082>

Pice (?) , n. [Hind. pais\'be ] A small copper coin of the East Indies, worth less than a cent.

Malcom.

Picea <Xpage=1082>

Pic"e*a (?) , n. [L., the pitch pine, from pix , picis , pitch.] (Bot.) A genus of coniferous trees of the northen hemisphere, including the Norway spruce and the American black and white spruces. These trees have pendent cones, which do not readily fall to pieces, in this and other respects differing from the firs.

Picene <Xpage=1082>

Pi"cene (?) , n. [See Piceous .] (Chem.) A hydrocarbon (C<?/H<?/) extracted from the pitchy residue of coal tar and petroleum as a bluish fluorescent crystalline substance.

Piceous <Xpage=1082>

Pic"e*ous (?) , a. [L. piceus , fr. pix , picis , pitch.] Of or pertaining to pitch; resembling pitch in color or quality; pitchy.

Pichey <Xpage=1082>

Pi"chey (?) , n. [Native name.] (Zo\'94l.) A Brazilian armadillo ( Dasypus minutus ); the little armadillo. [Written also pichiy .]

Pichiciago <Xpage=1082>

Pi`chi*ci*a"go (?) , n. [Native name.] (Zo\'94l.) A small, burrowing, South American edentate ( Chlamyphorus truncatus ), allied to the armadillos. The shell is attached only along the back. [Written also pichyciego .]

Pichurim bean <Xpage=1082>

Pich"u*rim bean` (?) . (Bot.) The seed of a Brazilian lauraceous tree ( Nectandra Puchury ) of a taste and smell between those of nutmeg and of sassafras, -- sometimes used medicinally. Called also sassafras nut .

Pici <Xpage=1082>

Pi"ci (?) , n. pl. [NL., fr. L. picus a woodpecker.] (Zo\'94l.) A division of birds including the woodpeckers and wrynecks.

Piciform <Xpage=1082>

Pi"ci*form (?) , a. (Zo\'94l.) Of or pertaining to Piciformes.

Piciformes <Xpage=1082>

Pic`i*for"mes (?) , n. pl. [NL. See Picus , and -Form .] (Zo\'94l.) A group of birds including the woodpeckers, toucans, barbets, colies, kingfishes, hornbills, and some other related groups.

Picine <Xpage=1082>

Pi"cine (?) , a. (Zo\'94l.) Of or pertaining to the woodpeckers ( Pici ), or to the Piciformes.

Pick <Xpage=1082>

Pick (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Picked (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Picking .] [OE. picken , pikken , to prick, peck; akin to Icel. pikka , Sw. picka , Dan. pikke , D. pikken , G. picken , F. piquer , W. pigo . Cf. Peck , v. , Pike , Pitch to throw.] 1. To throw; to pitch. [Obs.]

As high as I could pick my lance. Shak.

2. To peck at, as a bird with its beak; to strike at with anything pointed; to act upon with a pointed instrument; to pierce; to prick, as with a pin.

3. To separate or open by means of a sharp point or points; as, to pick matted wool, cotton, oakum, etc .

4. To open (a lock) as by a wire.

5. To pull apart or away, especially with the fingers; to pluck; to gather, as fruit from a tree, flowers from the stalk, feathers from a fowl, etc.

6. To remove something from with a pointed instrument, with the fingers, or with the teeth; as, to pick the teeth; to pick a bone; to pick a goose; to pick a pocket.

Did you pick Master Slender's purse? Shak.

He picks clean teeth, and, busy as he seems With an old tavern quill, is hungry yet. Cowper.

7. To choose; to select; to separate as choice or desirable; to cull; as, to pick one's company; to pick one's way ; -- often with out . "One man picked out of ten thousand."

Shak.

8. To take up; esp., to gather from here and there; to collect; to bring together; as, to pick rags ; -- often with up ; as, to pick up a ball or stones; to pick up information.

9. To trim. [Obs.]

Chaucer.

To pick at , to tease or vex by pertinacious annoyance. -- To pick a bone with . See under Bone . -- To pick a thank , to curry favor. [Obs.] Robynson (More's Utopia) . -- To pick off . (a) To pluck; to remove by picking . (b) To shoot or bring down, one by one; as, sharpshooters pick off the enemy . -- To pick out . (a) To mark out; to variegate; as, to pick out any dark stuff with lines or spots of bright colors . (b) To select from a number or quantity. -- To pick to pieces , to pull apart piece by piece; hence [Colloq.] , to analyze; esp., to criticize in detail. -- To pick a quarrel , to give occasion of quarrel intentionally. -- To pick up . (a) To take up, as with the fingers . (b) To get by repeated efforts; to gather here and there; as, to pick up a livelihood; to pick up news . <-- (c) to acquire (an infectious disease); as, to pick up a cold on the airplane. (d) To meet (a person) and induce to accompany one; as, to pick up a date at the mall. [See several other defs in MW10] -->

<page="1083"> Page 1083

Pick <Xpage=1083>

Pick (?) , v. i. 1. To eat slowly, sparingly, or by morsels; to nibble. <-- = to pick at -->

Why stand'st thou picking ? Is thy palate sore? Dryden.

2. To do anything nicely or carefully, or by attending to small things; to select something with care.

3. To steal; to pilfer. "To keep my hands from picking and stealing."

Book of Com. Prayer.

To pick up , to improve by degrees; as, he is picking up in health or business. [Colloq. U.S.] <-- or, to increase gradually, as the car picked up speed rolling downhill -->

Pick <Xpage=1083>

Pick , n. [F. pic a pickax, a pick. See Pick , and cf. Pike .] 1. A sharp-pointed tool for picking; -- often used in composition; as, a tooth pick ; a pick lock.