Chapter 1149

2. (Mining & Mech.) A heavy iron tool, curved and sometimes pointed at both ends, wielded by means of a wooden handle inserted in the middle, -- used by quarrymen, roadmakers, etc.; also, a pointed hammer used for dressing millstones. <-- used for digging -->

3. A pike or spike; the sharp point fixed in the center of a buckler. [Obs.] "Take down my buckler . . . and grind the pick on 't."

Beau. & Fl.

4. Choice; right of selection; as, to have one's pick .

France and Russia have the pick of our stables. Ld. Lytton.

5. That which would be picked or chosen first; the best; as, the pick of the flock .

6. (Print.) A particle of ink or paper imbedded in the hollow of a letter, filling up its face, and occasioning a spot on a printed sheet.

MacKellar.

7. (Painting) That which is picked in, as with a pointed pencil, to correct an unevenness in a picture.

8. (Weawing) The blow which drives the shuttle, -- the rate of speed of a loom being reckoned as so many picks per minute; hence, in describing the fineness of a fabric, a weft thread; as, so many picks to an inch .

Pick dressing (Arch.) , in cut stonework, a facing made by a pointed tool, leaving the surface in little pits or depressions. -- Pick hammer , a pick with one end sharp and the other blunt, used by miners.

Pickaback <Xpage=1083>

Pick"a*back` (?) , adv. On the back or shoulders; as, to ride pickback . [Written also pickapack , pickback , and pickpack .] <-- = piggyback -->

A woman stooping to take a child pickaback . R,Jefferies.

Pickaninny <Xpage=1083>

Pick"a*nin`ny (?) , n. ; pl. Pickaninnies (#) . [Cf. Sp. peque\'a4o little, young.] A small child; especially, a negro or mulatto infant. [U.S. & West Indies]

Pickapack <Xpage=1083>

Pick"a*pack` (?) , adv. Pickaback.

Pickax, Pickaxe <Xpage=1083>

Pick"ax` , Pick"axe` (?) , n. [A corruption of OE. pikois , pikeis , F. picois , fr. pic . See Pick , n. ] A pick with a point at one end, a transverse edge or blade at the other, and a handle inserted at the middle; a hammer with a flattened end for driving wedges and a pointed end for piercing as it strikes.

Shak.

Pickback <Xpage=1083>

Pick"back` (?) , adv. On the back.

Picked <Xpage=1083>

Pick"ed (?) , a. 1. Pointed; sharp. " Picked and polished."

Chapman.

Let the stake be made picked at the top. Mortimer.

2. (Zo\'94l.) Having a pike or spine on the back; -- said of certain fishes.

3. Carefully selected; chosen; as, picked men .

4. Fine; spruce; smart; precise; dianty. [Obs.]

Shak.

Picked dogfish . (Zo\'94l.) See under Dogfish . -- Picked out , ornamented or relieved with lines, or the like, of a different, usually a lighter, color; as, a carriage body dark green, picked out with red.

Pickedness <Xpage=1083>

Pick"ed*ness (?) , n. 1. The state of being sharpened; pointedness.

2. Fineness; spruceness; smartness. [Obs.]

Too much pickedness is not manly. B. Jonson.

Pickeer <Xpage=1083>

Pick*eer" (?) , v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Pickeered (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Pickeering .] [F. picorer to go marauding, orig., to go to steal cattle, ultimately fr. L. pecus , pecoris , cattle; cf. F. picor\'82e , Sp. pecorea robbery committed by straggling soldiers.] To make a raid for booty; to maraud; also, to skirmish in advance of an army. See Picaroon . [Obs.]

Bp. Burnet.

Pickeerer <Xpage=1083>

Pick*eer"er (?) , n. One who pickeers. [Obs.]

Picker <Xpage=1083>

Pick"er (?) , n. [From Pick .] 1. One who, or that which, picks, in any sense, -- as, one who uses a pick; one who gathers; a thief; a pick; a pickax; as, a cotton picker . " Pickers and stealers."

Shak.

2. (Mach.) A machine for picking fibrous materials to pieces so as to loosen and separate the fiber.

3. (Weaving) The piece in a loom which strikes the end of the shuttle, and impels it through the warp.

4. (Ordnance) A priming wire for cleaning the vent.

Pickerel <Xpage=1083>

Pick"er*el (?) , n. [Dim. of Pike .] [Written also pickerell .] 1. A young or small pike. [Obs.]

Bet [better] is, quoth he, a pike than a pickerel . Chaucer.

2. (Zo\'94l.) (a) Any one of several species of freshwater fishes of the genus Esox , esp. the smaller species. (b) The glasseye, or wall-eyed pike. See Wall-eye .

&hand; The federation, or chain, pickerel ( Esox reticulatus ) and the brook pickerel ( E. Americanus ) are the most common American species. They are used for food, and are noted for their voracity. About the Great Lakes the pike is called pickerel .

Pickerel weed (Bot.) , a blue-flowered aquatic plant ( Pontederia cordata ) having large arrow-shaped leaves. So called because common in slow-moving waters where pickerel are often found.

Pickering <Xpage=1083>

Pick"er*ing (?) , n. [Probably a corruption of Pickerel .] (Zo\'94l.) The sauger of the St.Lawrence River.

Pickery <Xpage=1083>

Pick"er*y (?) , n. [From Pick to steal; or perhaps from Pickeer .] Petty theft. [Scot.]

Holinshed.

Picket <Xpage=1083>

Pick"et (?) , n. [F. piquet , properly dim. of pique spear, pike. See Pike , and cf. Piquet .] 1. A stake sharpened or pointed, especially one used in fortification and encampments, to mark bounds and angles; or one used for tethering horses.

2. A pointed pale, used in marking fences.

3. [Probably so called from the picketing of the horses.] (Mil.) A detached body of troops serving to guard an army from surprise, and to oppose reconnoitering parties of the enemy; -- called also outlying picket .

4. By extension, men appointed by a trades union, or other labor organization, to intercept outsiders, and prevent them from working for employers with whom the organization is at variance. [Cant] <-- any individual standing at the entrance to a building (typically a business establishement), usually for the purpose of inhibiting or preventing others from entering that establishment, but sometimes only for demonstration or protest, and usually bearing a sign informing others of the nature of the grievance causing the picketing. -->

5. A military punishment, formerly resorted to, in which the offender was forced to stand with one foot on a pointed stake.

6. A game at cards. See Piquet .

Inlying picket (Mil.) , a detachment of troops held in camp or quarters, detailed to march if called upon. -- Picket fence , a fence made of pickets. See def. 2, above. -- Picket guard (Mil.) , a guard of horse and foot, always in readiness in case of alarm. -- Picket line . (Mil.) (a) A position held and guarded by small bodies of men placed at intervals . (b) A rope to which horses are secured when groomed. -- Picketpin , an iron pin for picketing horses.

Picket <Xpage=1083>

Pick"et , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Picketed ; p. pr. & vb. n. Picketing .] 1. To fortify with pointed stakes.

2. To inclose or fence with pickets or pales.

3. To tether to, or as to, a picket; as, to picket a horse .

4. To guard, as a camp or road, by an outlying picket.

5. To torture by compelling to stand with one foot on a pointed stake. [Obs.]

Picketee <Xpage=1083>

Pick`e*tee" (?) , n. (Bot.) See Picotee .

Pick-fault <Xpage=1083>

Pick"-fault` (?) , n. One who seeks out faults.

Picking <Xpage=1083>

Pick"ing , n. 1. The act of digging or breaking up, as with a pick.

2. The act of choosing, plucking, or gathering.

3. That which is, or may be, picked or gleaned.

4. Pilfering; also, that which is pilfered.

5. pl. The pulverized shells of oysters used in making walks. [Eng.]

Simmonds.

6. (Mining) Rough sorting of ore.

7. Overburned bricks.

Simmonds.

Picking <Xpage=1083>

Pick"ing , a. 1. Done or made as with a pointed tool; as, a picking sound .

2. Nice; careful. [Obs.]

was too warm on picking work to dwell. Dryden.

Picking peg . (Weaving) See Picker , n. , 3.

Pickle <Xpage=1083>

Pic"kle (?) , n. [Obs.] See Picle .

Pickle <Xpage=1083>

Pic"kle , n. [Cf. D. pekel . Probably a dim. fr. Pick , v. t. , alluding to the cleaning of the fish.] 1. (a) A solution of salt and water, in which fish, meat, etc., may be preserved or corned; brine. (b) Vinegar, plain or spiced, used for preserving vegetables, fish, eggs, oysters, etc.

2. Any article of food which has been preserved in brine or in vinegar. <-- esp., a cucumber thus preserved -->

3. (Founding) A bath of dilute sulphuric or nitric acid, etc., to remove burnt sand, scale rust, etc., from the surface of castings, or other articles of metal, or to brighten them or improve their color.

4. A troublesome child; as, a little pickle . [Colloq.]

To be in a pickle , to be in disagreeable position; to be in a condition of embarrassment, difficulty, or disorder. "How cam'st thou in this pickle ?" Shak . -- To put a rod in pickle , to prepare a particular reproof, punishment, or penalty for future application.

Pickle <Xpage=1083>

Pic"kle , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Pickled (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Pickling (?) .] 1. To preserve or season in pickle; to treat with some kind of pickle; as, to pickle herrings or cucumbers .

2. To give an antique appearance to; -- said of copies or imitations of paintings by the old masters.

Pickled <Xpage=1083>

Pic"kled (?) , a. Preserved in a pickle.

Pickle-herring <Xpage=1083>

Pic"kle-her"ring (?) , n. 1. A herring preserved in brine; a pickled herring. [Obs.]

Shak.

2. A merry-andrew; a buffoon. [Obs.]

Addison.

Pickler <Xpage=1083>

Pic"kler (?) , n. One who makes pickles.

Picklock <Xpage=1083>

Pick"lock` (?) , n. 1. An instrument for picking locks.

Shak.

2. One who picks locks; a thief. "A picklock of secrets."

Jer. Taylor.

Pickmire <Xpage=1083>

Pick"mire` (?) , n. [So called from its picking its food from the mire .] (Zo\'94l.) The pewit, or black-headed gull. [Prov. Eng.]

Picknick <Xpage=1083>

Pick"nick (?) , n. See Picnic .

Pickpack <Xpage=1083>

Pick"pack` (?) , adv. Pickaback.

Pickpenny <Xpage=1083>

Pick"pen`ny (?) , n. ; pl. Pickpennies (<?/) . A miser; also, a sharper.

Dr. H. More.

Pickpocket <Xpage=1083>

Pick"pock`et (?) , n. One who steals purses or other articles from pockets.

Bentley.

Pickpurse <Xpage=1083>

Pick"purse` (?) , n. One who steals purses, or money from purses.

Latimer. Shak.

Picksy <Xpage=1083>

Pick"sy (?) , n. See Pixy .

Pickthank <Xpage=1083>

Pick"thank` (?) , n. One who strives to put another under obligation; an officious person; hence, a flatterer. Used also adjectively.

Smiling pickthanks , and base newsmongers. Shak.

Picktooth <Xpage=1083>

Pick"tooth` (?) , n. A toothpick. [Obs.]

Swift.

Picke <Xpage=1083>

Pi"cke (?) , n. [Prob. fr. pightel or pingle .] A small piece of land inclosed with a hedge; a close. [Obs.] [Written also pickle .]

Picnic <Xpage=1083>

Pic"nic (?) , n. [Cf. F. piquenique . See Pick , v. , and cf. Knickknack .] Formerly, an entertainment at which each person contributed some dish to a common table; now, an excursion or pleasure party in which the members partake of a collation or repast (usually in the open air, and from food carried by themselves).

Picnic <Xpage=1083>

Pic"nic (?) , v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Picnicked (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Picnicking (?) .] To go on a picnic, or pleasure excursion; to eat in public fashion.

Picnicker <Xpage=1083>

Pic"nick*er (?) , n. One who takes part in a picnic.

Picoid <Xpage=1083>

Pi"coid (?) , a. [ Picus + -oid .] (Zo\'94l.) Like or pertaining to the Pici.

Picoline <Xpage=1083>

Pic"o*line (?) , n. [L. pix , picis , pitch + ol eum oil + -ine .] (Chem.) Any one of three isometric bases ( C6H7N ) related to pyridine, and obtained from bone oil, acrolein ammonia, and coal-tar naphtha, as colorless mobile liquids of strong odor; -- called also methyl pyridine .

Picotee, Picotine <Xpage=1083>

Pic`o*tee" (?) , Pic`o*tine" (?) , n. [F. picot\'82 dotted, picked.] (Bot.) A variety of carnation having petals of a light color variously dotted and spotted at the edges.

Picquet <Xpage=1083>

Pic"quet (?) , n. See Piquet .

Picra <Xpage=1083>

Pi"cra (?) , n. [L., fr. Gr. <?/ sharp, bitter.] (Med.) The powder of aloes with canella, formerly officinal, employed as a cathartic.

Picrate <Xpage=1083>

Pi"crate (?) , n. (Chem.) A salt of picric acid.

Picric <Xpage=1083>

Pi"cric (?) , a. [Gr. <?/ bitter.] (Chem.) Pertaining to, or designating, a strong organic acid (called picric acid ), intensely bitter.

&hand; Picric acid is obtained by treating phenol with strong nitric acid, as a brilliant yellow crystalline substance, C6H2(NO2)3.OH . It is used in dyeing silk and wool, and also in the manufacture of explosives, as it is very unstable when heated. Called also trinitrophenol , and formerly carbazotic acid .

Picrite <Xpage=1083>

Pic"rite (?) , n. [From Gr. <?/ bitter.] (Min.) A dark green igneous rock, consisting largely of chrysolite, with hornblende, augite, biotite, etc.

Picrolite <Xpage=1083>

Pic"ro*lite (?) , n. [Gr. <?/ bitter + -lite .: cf. F. picrolithe .] (Min.) A fibrous variety of serpentine.

Picromel <Xpage=1083>

Pic"ro*mel (?) , n. [Gr. <?/ bitter + <?/ honey: cf. F. picromel .] (Old Chem.) A colorless viscous substance having a bitter-sweet taste.

&hand; It was formerly supposed to be the essential principle of the bile, but is now known to be a mixture, principally of salts of glycocholic and taurocholic acids.

Picrotoxin <Xpage=1083>

Pic`ro*tox"in (?) , n. [Gr. <?/ bitter + tox ic + -in .] (Chem.) A bitter white crystalline substance found in the cocculus indicus. It is a peculiar poisonous neurotic and intoxicant, and consists of a mixture of several neutral substances.

Picryl <Xpage=1083>

Pi"cryl (?) , n. [ Picr ic + -yl .] (Chem.) The hypothetical radical of picric acid, analogous to phenyl.

Pictish <Xpage=1083>

Pict"ish (?) , a. Of or pertaining to Picts; resembling the Picts. "The Pictish peer."

Byron.

Pictograph <Xpage=1083>

Pic"to*graph (?) , n. [See Picture , and -graph .] A picture or hieroglyph representing and expressing an idea. -- Pic`to*graph"ic (#) , a.

Pictorial <Xpage=1083>

Pic*to"ri*al (?) , a. [L. pictorius , fr. pictor a painter, fr. pingere to paint. See Paint .] Of or pertaining to pictures; illustrated by pictures; forming pictures; representing with the clearness of a picture; as, a pictorial dictionary; a pictorial imagination. " Pictorial rhetoric." Ruskin . -- Pic*to"ri*al*ly , adv.

Pictoric, Pictorical <Xpage=1083>

Pic*tor"ic (?) , Pic*tor"ic*al (?) , a. Pictorial. [Obs.]

Picts <Xpage=1083>

Picts (?) , n. pl. ; sing. Pict (<?/) . [L. Picti ; cf. AS. Peohtas .] (Ethnol.) A race of people of uncertain origin, who inhabited Scotland in early times.

Pictura <Xpage=1083>

Pic*tu"ra (?) , n. [L., a painting.] (Zo\'94l.) Pattern of coloration.

Picturable <Xpage=1083>

Pic"tur*a*ble (?) , a. Capable of being pictured, or represented by a picture.

Pictural <Xpage=1083>

Pic"tur*al (?) , a. Pictorial. [R.]

Sir W. Scott.

Pictural <Xpage=1083>

Pic"tur*al , n. A picture. [Obs.]

Spenser.

Picture <Xpage=1083>

Pic"ture (?) , n. [L. pictura , fr. pingere , pictum , to paint: cf. F. peinture . See Paint .] 1. The art of painting; representation by painting. [Obs.]

Any well-expressed image . . . either in picture or sculpture. Sir H. Wotton.

2. A representation of anything (as a person, a landscape, a building) upon canvas, paper, or other surface, produced by means of painting, drawing, engraving, photography, etc.; a representation in colors. By extension, a figure; a model.

Pictures and shapes are but secondary objects. Bacon.

The young king's picture . . . in virgin wax. Howell.

3. An image or resemblance; a representation, either to the eye or to the mind; that which, by its likeness, brings vividly to mind some other thing; as, a child is the picture of his father; the man is the picture of grief.

My eyes make pictures when they are shut. Coleridge.

&hand; Picture is often used adjectively, or in forming self-explaining compounds; as, picture book or picture -book, picture frame or picture -frame, picture seller or picture -seller, etc.

Picture gallery , a gallery, or large apartment, devoted to the exhibition of pictures. -- Picture red , a rod of metal tube fixed to the walls of a room, from which pictures are hung. -- Picture writing . (a) The art of recording events, or of expressing messages, by means of pictures representing the actions or circumstances in question . Tylor . (b) The record or message so represented; as, the picture writing of the American Indians .