Chapter 29

Pe*rus"al (?), n. [From Peruse.] 1. The act of carefully viewing or examining. [R.] Tatler.

2. The act of reading, especially of reading through or with care. Woodward.

Pe*ruse" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Perused (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Perusing.] [Pref. per- + use.] 1. To observe; to examine with care. [R.]

Myself I then perused, and limb by limb Surveyed.

Milton.

2. To read through; to read carefully. Shak.

Pe*rus"er (?), n. One who peruses.

Pe*ru"vi*an (?), a. [Cf. F. pÈruvien, Sp. peruviano.] Of or pertaining to Peru, in South America. -- n. A native or an inhabitant of Peru.

Peruvian balsam. See Balsam of Peru, under Balsam. -- Peruvian bark, the bitter bark of trees of various species of Cinchona. It acts as a powerful tonic, and is a remedy for malarial diseases. This property is due to several alkaloids, as quinine, cinchonine, etc., and their compounds; -- called also Jesuit's bark, and cinchona. See Cinchona.

Per*vade" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pervaded; p. pr. & vb. n. Pervading.] [L. pervadere, pervasum; per + vadere to go, to walk. See Per-, and Wade.] 1. To pass or flow through, as an aperture, pore, or interstice; to permeate.

That labyrinth is easily pervaded.

Blackstone.

2. To pass or spread through the whole extent of; to be diffused throughout.

A spirit of cabal, intrigue, and proselytism pervaded all their thoughts, words, and actions.

Burke.

Per*va"sion (?), n. [L. pervasio. See Pervade.] The act of pervading, passing, or spreading through the whole extent of a thing. Boyle.

Per*va"sive (?), a. Tending to pervade, or having power to spread throughout; of a pervading quality. "Civilization pervasive and general." M. Arnold.

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Per*verse" (?), a. [L. perversus turned the wrong way, not right, p. p. of pervertereto turn around, to overturn: cf. F. pervers. See Pervert.] 1. Turned aside; hence, specifically, turned away from the right; willfully erring; wicked; perverted.

The only righteous in a word perverse.

Milton.

2. Obstinate in the wrong; stubborn; intractable; hence, wayward; vexing; contrary.

To so perverse a sex all grace is vain.

Dryden.

Syn. -- Froward; untoward; wayward; stubborn; ungovernable; intractable; cross; petulant; vexatious. -- Perverse, Froward. One who is froward is capricious, and reluctant to obey. One who is perverse has a settled obstinacy of will, and likes or dislikes by the rule of contradiction to the will of others.

Per*versed" (?), a. Turned aside. [Obs.]

Per*vers"ed*ly (?), adv. Perversely. [Obs.]

Per*verse"ly, adv. In a perverse manner.

Per*verse"ness, n. The quality or state of being perverse. "Virtue hath some perverseness." Donne.

Per*ver"sion (?), n. [L. perversio: cf. F. perversion. See Pervert.] The act of perverting, or the state of being perverted; a turning from truth or right; a diverting from the true intent or object; a change to something worse; a turning or applying to a wrong end or use. "Violations and perversions of the laws." Bacon.

Per*ver"si*ty (?), n. [L. perversitas: cf. F. perversitÈ.] The quality or state of being perverse; perverseness.

Per*ver"sive (?), a.Tending to pervert.

Per*vert" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Perverted; p. pr. & vb. n. Perverting.] [F. pervertir, L. pervertere, perversum; per + vertere to turn. See Per-, and Verse.] 1. To turnanother way; to divert. [Obs.]

Let's follow him, and pervert the present wrath.

Shak.

2. To turn from truth, rectitude, or propriety; to divert from a right use, end, or way; to lead astray; to corrupt; also, to misapply; to misinterpret designedly; as, to pervert one's words. Dryden.

He, in the serpent, had perverted Eve.

Milton.

Per*vert", v. i. To become perverted; to take the wrong course. [R.] Testament of Love.

Per"vert (?), n. One who has been perverted; one who has turned to error, especially in religion; -- opposed to convert. See the Synonym of Convert.

That notorious pervert, Henry of Navarre.

Thackeray.

Per*vert"er (?), n. One who perverts (a person or thing). "His own parents his perverters." South. "A perverter of his law." Bp. Stillingfleet.

Per*vert"i*ble (?), a. Capable of being perverted.

Per*ves"ti*gate (?), v. t. [L. pervestigatus, p. p. of pervestigare.] To investigate thoroughly. [Obs.]

Per*ves`ti*ga"tion (?), n. [L. pervestigatio.] Thorough investigation. [Obs.] Chillingworth.

Per"vi*al (?), a. [See Pervious.] Pervious. [Obs.] -- Per"vi*al*ly, adv. [Obs.] Chapman.

Per`vi*ca"cious (?), a. [L. pervicax, -acis.] Obstinate; willful; refractory. [Obs.] -- Per`vi*ca"cious*ly, adv. -- Per`vi*ca"cious*ness, n. [Obs.]

Per`vi*cac"i*ty (?), n. Obstinacy; pervicaciousness. [Obs.] Bentley.

Per"vi*ca*cy (?), n. [L. pervicacia.] Pervicacity. [Obs.]

Per*vig`i*la"tion (?), n. [L. pervigilatio, fr. pervigilare.] Careful watching. [Obs.]

Per"vi*ous (?), a. [L. pervis; per + via a way. See Per-, and Voyage.] 1. Admitting passage; capable of being penetrated by another body or substance; permeable; as, a pervious soil.

[Doors] . . . pervious to winds, and open every way.

Pope.

2. Capable of being penetrated, or seen through, by physical or mental vision. [R.]

God, whose secrets are pervious to no eye.

Jer. Taylor.

3. Capable of penetrating or pervading. [Obs.] Prior.

4. (Zoˆl.) Open; -- used synonymously with perforate, as applied to the nostrils or birds.

Per"vi*ous*ness, n. The quality or state of being pervious; as, the perviousness of glass. Boyle.

Per"vis (?), n. See Parvis.

Per"y (?), n. A pear tree. See Pirie. [Obs.]

||Pes (?), n.; pl. Pedes . [L., the foot.] (Anat.) The distal segment ||of the hind limb of vertebrates, including the tarsus and foot.

Pe*sade" (?), n. [F.] (Man.) The motion of a horse when, raising his fore quarters, he keeps his hind feet on the ground without advancing; rearing.

Pes"age (?), n. [F., fr. peser to weigh.] A fee, or toll, paid for the weighing of merchandise.

Pes"ane (?), n. (Anc. Armor.) See Pusane.

Pes"ant*ed (?), a. [F. pesant heavy.] Made heavy or dull; debased. [Obs.] "Pesanted to each lewd thought's control." Marston.

Pe*schit"o (?), n. See Peshito.

Pese (?), n. [See Pea.] A pea. [Obs.] Chaucer.

||Pe*se"ta (?), n. [Sp.] A Spanish silver coin, and money of account, ||equal to about nineteen cents, and divided into 100 centesimos.

{ Pe*shit"o (?), Pe*shit"to (?), } n. [Syriac peshÓt‚ simple.] The earliest Syriac version of the Old Testament, translated from Hebrew; also, the incomplete Syriac version of the New Testament. [Written also peschito.]

Pes"ky (?), a. [Etymol. uncertain.] Pestering; vexatious; troublesome. Used also as an intensive. [Colloq. & Low, U.S.] Judd.

||Pe"so (?), n. [Sp.] A Spanish dollar; also, an Argentine, Chilian, ||Colombian, etc., coin, equal to from 75 cents to a dollar; also, a ||pound weight.

Pes"sa*ry (?), n.; pl. Pessaries (#). [L. pessarium, pessum, pessus, Gr. &?;: cf. F. pessaire.] (Med.) (a) An instrument or device to be introduced into and worn in the vagina, to support the uterus, or remedy a malposition. (b) A medicinal substance in the form of a bolus or mass, designed for introduction into the vagina; a vaginal suppository.

Pes"si*mism (?), n. [L. pessimus worst, superl. of pejor worse: cf. F. pessimisme. Cf. Impair.] 1. (Metaph.) The opinion or doctrine that everything in nature is ordered for or tends to the worst, or that the world is wholly evil; -- opposed to optimism.

2. A disposition to take the least hopeful view of things.

Pes"si*mist (?), n. [L. pessimus worst: cf. F. pessimiste.] 1. (Metaph.) One who advocates the doctrine of pessimism; -- opposed to optimist.

2. One who looks on the dark side of things.

{ Pes"si*mist (?), Pes`si*mis"tic (?), } a. (Metaph.) Of or pertaining to pessimism; characterized by pessimism; gloomy; foreboding. "Giving utterance to pessimistic doubt." Encyc. Brit.

Pes`si*mis"tic*al (?), a. Pessimistic.

Pes"si*mize (?), v. i. To hold or advocate the doctrine of pessimism. London Sat. Rev.

||Pes"su*lus (?), n.; pl. Pessuli (#). [L., a bolt.] (Anat.) A delicate ||bar of cartilage connecting the dorsal and ventral extremities of the ||first pair of bronchial cartilages in the syrinx of birds.

Pest (?), n. [L. pestis: cf. F. peste.] 1. A fatal epidemic disease; a pestilence; specif., the plague.

England's sufferings by that scourge, the pest.

Cowper.

2. Anything which resembles a pest; one who, or that which, is troublesome, noxious, mischievous, or destructive; a nuisance. "A pest and public enemy." South.

Pes`ta*loz"zi*an (?), a. Belonging to, or characteristic of, a system of elementary education which combined manual training with other instruction, advocated and practiced by Jean Henri Pestalozzi (1746-1827), a Swiss teacher. -- n. An advocate or follower of the system of Pestalozzi.

Pes`ta*loz"zi*an*ism (?), n. The system of education introduced by Pestalozzi.

Pes"ter (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pestered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Pestering.] [Abbrev. fr. impester, fr. OF. empaistrier, empestrer, to entangle the feet or legs, to embarrass, F. empÍtrer; pref. em-, en- (L. in in) + LL. pastorium, pastoria, a fetter by which horses are prevented from wandering in the pastures, fr. L. pastorius belonging to a herdsman or shepherd, pastor a herdsman. See In, and Pasture, Pastor.] 1. To trouble; to disturb; to annoy; to harass with petty vexations.

We are pestered with mice and rats.

Dr. H. More.

A multitude of scribblers daily pester the world.

Dryden.

2. To crowd together in an annoying way; to overcrowd; to infest. [Obs.] Milton.

All rivers and pools . . . pestered full with fishes.

Holland.

Pes"ter*er (?), n. One who pesters or harasses.

Pes"ter*ment (?), n. The act of pestering, or the state of being pestered; vexation; worry. "The trouble and pesterment of children." B. Franklin.

Pes"ter*ous (?), a.Inclined to pester. Also, vexatious; encumbering; burdensome. [Obs.] Bacon.

Pest"ful (?), a. Pestiferous. "After long and pestful calms." Coleridge.

Pest`house" (?), n. A house or hospital for persons who are infected with any pestilential disease.

Pes"ti*duct (?), n. [L. pestis pest + ductus a leading, fr. ducere to lead.] That which conveys contagion or infection. [Obs.] Donne.

Pes*tif"er*ous (?), a. [L. pestiferus, pestifer; pestis pest + ferre to bear: cf. F. pestifËre.] 1. Pest-bearing; pestilential; noxious to health; malignant; infectious; contagious; as, pestiferous bodies. "Poor, pestiferous creatures begging alms." Evelyn. "Unwholesome and pestiferous occupations." Burke.

2. Noxious to peace, to morals, or to society; vicious; hurtful; destructive; as, a pestiferous demagogue.

Pestiferous reports of men very nobly held.

Shak.

Pes*tif"er*ous*ly, adv. In a pestiferuos manner.

Pes"ti*lence (?), n. [F. pestilence, L. pestilentia. See Pestilent.] 1. Specifically, the disease known as the plague; hence, any contagious or infectious epidemic disease that is virulent and devastating.

The pestilence That walketh in darkness.

Ps. xci. 6.

2. Fig.: That which is pestilent, noxious, or pernicious to the moral character of great numbers.

I'll pour this pestilence into his ear.

Shak.

Pestilence weed (Bot.), the butterbur coltsfoot (Petasites vulgaris), so called because formerly considered a remedy for the plague. Dr. Prior.

Pes"ti*lent (?), a. [L. pestilens, -entis, fr. pestis pest: cf. F. pestilent.] Pestilential; noxious; pernicious; mischievous. "Corrupt and pestilent." Milton. "What a pestilent knave is this same!" Shak.

Pes`ti*len"tial (?), a. [Cf. F. pestilentiel.] 1. Having the nature or qualities of a pestilence. "Sends the pestilential vapors." Longfellow.

2. Hence: Mischievous; noxious; pernicious; morally destructive.

So pestilential, so infectious a thing is sin.

Jer. Taylor.

Pes`ti*len"tial*ly, adv. Pestilently.

Pes`ti*len"tious (?), a. Pestilential. [Obs.]

Pes"ti*lent*ly (?), adv. In a pestilent manner; mischievously; destructively. "Above all measure pestilently noisome." Dr. H. More.

Pes"ti*lent*ness, n. The quality of being pestilent.

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

Pes"tle (ps"'l; 277), 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.

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 (?), 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, 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.

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, v. i. To be a pet. Feltham.

Pet"al (?), n. [Gr. &?; a leaf, a leaf or plate of metal, fr. &?; outspread, broad, flat: cf. F. pÈtale. 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. (Zoˆl.) One of the expanded ambulacra which form a rosette on the black of certain Echini.

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

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

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

Pet"al*ine (?), a. [Cf. F. pÈtalin.] (Bot.) Pertaining to a petal; attached to, or resembling, a petal.

Pet"al*ism (?), n. [Gr. &?;, fr. &?; a leaf: cf. F. pÈtalisme.] (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.

Pet"al*ite (?), n. [Cf. F. pÈtalite.] (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.

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

Pet"al*oid (?), a. [Petal + - oid: cf. F. pÈtaloÔde.] (Bot.) Petaline.

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 LiliaceÊ, OrchidaceÊ, AmaryllideÊ, etc.

||Pet`a*los"ti*cha (?), n. pl. [NL., from Gr. &?; a leaf + &?; a row.] ||(Zoˆl.) An order of Echini, including the irregular sea urchins, as ||the spatangoids. See Spatangoid.

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

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

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

Pe*tard" (?), n. [F. pÈtard, fr. pÈter 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.

{ Pet`ar*deer", Pet`ar*dier" } (?), n. [F. pÈtardier.] (Mil.) One who managed a petard.

||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.

Pe*tau"rist (?), n. [L. petaurista a ropedancer, Gr. &?;, fr. &?; to dance on a rope, fr. &?; a pole, a stage for ropedancers: cf. F. pÈtauriste.] (Zoˆl.) Any flying marsupial of the genera Petaurus, Phalangista, Acrobata, and allied genera. See Flying mouse, under Flying, and Phalangister.

||Pe*tech"i*Ê (?), n. pl.; sing. Petechia (&?;). [NL., fr. LL. ||peteccia; cf. F. pÈtÈchie, 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.

Pe*tech"i*al (?), a. [Cf. F. pÈtÈchial, LL. petecchialis.] (Med.) Characterized by, or pertaining to, petechiÊ; spotted.

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

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 (Zoˆl.), 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.

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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.]

Pet"er*el (?), n. (Zoˆl.) See Petrel.

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

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

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.

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

{ Pet"i*o*lar (?), Pet"i*o*la*ry (?), } a. [Cf. F. pÈtiolarie.] (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.

{ Pet"i*o*late (?), Pet"i*o*la`ted (?), } a. (Bot. & Zoˆl.) Having a stalk or petiole; as, a petioleate leaf; the petiolated abdomen of certain Hymenoptera.

Pet"i*ole (?), n. [F. pÈtiole, 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. (Zoˆl.) A stalk or peduncle.

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

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

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

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 maÓtre (&?;). [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.

Pe*ti"tion (?), n. [F. pÈtition, 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.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

Pet"i*to*ry (?), a. [L. petitorius, fr. petere, petitum, to beg, ask: cf. F. pÈtitore.] 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.

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

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

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

Pe"tre (p"tr), n. See Saltpeter.

Pe*tre"an (p*tr"an), a. [L. petraeus, Gr. petrai^os, fr. pe`tra a rock.] Of or pertaining to rock. G. S. Faber.

Pe"trel (?), n. [F. pÈtrel; 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.] (Zoˆl.) Any one of numerous species of longwinged sea birds belonging to the family ProcellaridÊ. The small petrels, or Mother Carey's chickens, belong to Oceanites, Oceanodroma, Procellaria, and several allied genera.