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An American Dictionary of the English Language

Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)

Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865

Entries
95,912
Pages
1,538
Illustrations
2,133

Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.

  1. Pēn'ny-roy'al, n.p. 966(Bot.) An aromatic herb growing in Europe, the Mentha pulegium; also, a North American plant resembling it, the Hedeoma pulegioides.
  2. Pēn'ny-wed'ding, n.p. 966A wedding where the guests contribute to the household outfit.
  3. Pēn'ny-weight, n.p. 966A troy weight containing twenty-four grains, or the twentieth part of an ounce. It was anciently the weight of a silver penny, whence the name.
  4. Pĕn'ny-wīse', a.p. 966Saving small sums at the hazard of larger; niggardly on important occasions;—used chiefly in the phrase penny wise and pound foolish.
  5. Pēn'ny-worth, n.p. 966As much as is bought for a penny. “It being a dear pennyworth.” Evelyn. 2. Hence, familiarly, the full value of one's penny expended; due return for money laid out; good or advantageous bargain…
  6. Pēn'oek, n.p. 966Oil-cake; — so called in the East.
  7. Pēn/o-lŏg'ic-al, a.p. 966Pertaining to public punishment.
  8. Pe-nŏl'o-gy, n.p. 966The science which treats of public punishments, as they respect the public and the sufferer.
  9. Pĕn'-răck, n.p. 966A contrivance for supporting pens when not in use.
  10. Pēn’sile, a.p. 966Hanging; suspended; pendent; pendulous. “The long, pensile branches of the birches.” Howitt.
  11. Pēn'sile-ness, n.p. 966The state of being pensile; pendulousness.
  12. Pēn'sion, n.p. 966A payment made; rent; interest paid. 2. Specifically, a stated allowance to a person in consideration of past services; payment made to one retired from service, for age, disability, or other cause…
  13. Pĕn’sion, v. t.p. 966To grant a pension to; to support by an annual allowance from the public treasury.
  14. Pēn'sion-a-ry, a.p. 966Maintained by a pension; receiving a pension; as, pensionary spies. Donne. 2. Consisting of a pension; as, a pensionary provision for maintenance.
  15. Pēn'sion-a-ry, n.p. 966A person who receives a pension from government for past services, or a yearly allowance from some prince, company, or individual. 2. Hence, one of the chief municipal magistrates of the towns in…
  16. Pēn'sion-er, n.p. 966One to whom an annual sum of money is paid by government in consideration of past services; one who receives an annual allowance for services; a dependent. “The fickle pensioners of Morpheus’ train.”…
  17. Pēn'sīve, a.p. 966Thoughtful, sober, or sad; employed in serious reflection; given to earnest or melancholy musing. “The pensive secrecy of desert cell.” Milton. Anxious cares the pensive nymph oppressed. Pope. 2.…
  18. Pĕn'sīved, a.p. 966Made pensive or sober; saddened. [Rare.] Shak.
  19. Pēn'sive-ly, adv.p. 966In a pensive manner; with thoughtfulness; with gloomy seriousness or some degree of melancholy.
  20. Pĕn'sive-ness, n.p. 966The state of being pensive; gloomy thoughtfulness; melancholy; seriousness from depressed spirits.
  21. Pĕn'-slide, n.p. 966An instrument for writing used in map-drawing, &c. Simmonds.
  22. Pēn'-stōck, n.p. 966[Probably from Eng. pen, that is, quill, and stock, the water often being discharged through a quill or other small pipe, or, possibly, from Fr. pente, inclination, slope, and Eng. stock. Cf.…
  23. Pēnt, p. p. or a.p. 966Shut up; closely confined;—often with up.
  24. Pēn'ta-cāp'su-lar, a.p. 966(Bot.) Having five capsules.
  25. Pēn’ta-chōrd, n.p. 966An instrument of music with five strings. 2. An order or system of five sounds. Busby.
  26. Pĕn’ta-cle, n.p. 966A figure composed of two equilateral triangles intersecting so as to form a six-pointed star, used in early ornamental art, and also, with superstitious import, by the astrologers and mystics of the…
  27. Pēn’ta-cŏc’cous, a.p. 966(Bot.) Having or containing five grains or seeds, or having five united cells with one seed in each.
  28. Pen-tăc'ri-nite, n.p. 966(Palæon.) A fossil crinoid;—so called from the pentagonal form of its jointed pedicel. Dana.
  29. Pĕn’ta-crŏs’tic, a.p. 966Containing five acrostics of the same name in five divisions of each verse.
  30. Pēnʹta-crōsʹtic, n.p. 966A set of verses so disposed as to have five acrostics of the same name in five divisions of each verse.
  31. Pēn’ta-dăc’tyl, a.p. 966Having five fingers to the hand or five toes to the foot. 2. Characterized by marks, structure, &c., resembling five fingers.
  32. Pēn’ta-gon, n.p. 966(Geom.) A plane figure having five angles, and, consequently, five sides. Regular pentagon, a pentagon in which the angles are all equal, and likewise the sides all equal.
  33. Pen-tăg'o-nal, a.p. 966Having five corners or angles.
  34. Pen-tăg'o-nal-ly, adv.p. 966So as to have the form of a pentagon; with five angles.
  35. Pen-täg'o-noŭs, a.p. 966Pentagonal.
  36. Pĕn’ta-grāph, n.p. 966The same as PANTOGRAPH, q. v.
  37. Pĕn’ta-grāph’ic or Pĕn’ta-grāph’ic-al, a.p. 966Pertaining to, or performed by, a pentagraph.
  38. Pēn'ta-gyn'i-ā, n.p. 966(Bot.) An order of plants, in the artificial system of Linnæus, having five styles or pistils.
  39. Pĕn′ta-gȳn′i-an or Pen-tāg′y-nŏus, a.p. 966(Bot.) Of, or pertaining to, plants of the order Pentagynia; having five styles.
  40. Pēn’ta-hē’/dral, a.p. 966Having five equal sides.
  41. Pēn'ta-hēd'ric-al, a.p. 966Pentahedral. [Rare.]
  42. Pēn′ta-hē′dron, n.p. 966A solid figure having five equal sides.
  43. Pēn’ta-hē’drous, a.p. 966Pentahedral.
  44. Pĕn’ta-hĕx/a-hĕ’/dral, a.p. 966(Crystallog.) Exhibiting five ranges of faces, one above another, each range containing six faces.
  45. Pen-tăm'er-an, n.p. 966(Entom.) One of a section of coleopterous insects, having five joints on the tarsus of each leg. Brande.
  46. Pen-tām'er-oŭs, a.p. 966(Bot.) Divided into, or consisting of, five parts, as a flower. Gray.
  47. Pen-tām'e-ter, n.p. 966(Gr. & Lat. Pros.) A verse of five feet, of which the first two may be either dactyls or spondees, the third is always a spondee, and the last two anapests. ☞ A pentameter verse, joined to a…
  48. Pen-tăm'e-ter, a.p. 966Having five metrical feet.
  49. Pen-tăm'y-rōn, n.p. 966(Med.) An ancient ointment, composed of five ingredients, supposed to have been storax, mastic, wax, opobalsam, and nard ointment. Dunglison.
  50. Pen-tān'dri-ā, n.p. 966(Bot.) A class of plants in the artificial system of Linnæus, having five separate stamens.
  51. Pen-tăn'dri-an or Pen-tăn'drous, a.p. 966(Bot.) Belonging to the class Pentandria; having five stamens.
  52. Pēn'tan-gle, n.p. 966A pentagon. [Rare.] Browne.
  53. Pent-ăn’gu-lar, a.p. 966Having five corners or angles.
  54. Pĕn’ta-pĕt’al-ōŭs, a.p. 966(Bot.) Having five petals or flower-leaves.
  55. Pen-tăph'yl-lous or Pĕn-ta-phyl'lous, a.p. 966Having five leaves.
  56. Pent-ăp'o-dy, n.p. 966(Pros.) A measure consisting of five feet; five feet taken together.
  57. Pēn'tap-tōte, n.p. 966(Gram.) A noun having five cases.
  58. Pĕn’tarch-y, n.p. 966A government in the hands of five persons. Brewer.
  59. Pén'ta-spāst, n.p. 966An engine with five pulleys.
  60. Pĕn′ta-spĕrm′oüs, a.p. 966(Bot.) Containing five seeds.