Dictionary
An American Dictionary of the English Language
Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)
Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865
- Entries
- 95,912
- Pages
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- 2,133
Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
Pēn'sile-ness, n. p. 966The state of being pensile; pendulousness.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…Pĕn’sion, v. t. p. 966To grant a pension to; to support by an annual allowance from the public treasury.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.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…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.”…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.…Pĕn'sīved, a. p. 966Made pensive or sober; saddened. [Rare.] Shak.Pēn'sive-ly, adv. p. 966In a pensive manner; with thoughtfulness; with gloomy seriousness or some degree of melancholy.Pĕn'sive-ness, n. p. 966The state of being pensive; gloomy thoughtfulness; melancholy; seriousness from depressed spirits.Pĕn'-slide, n. p. 966An instrument for writing used in map-drawing, &c. Simmonds.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.…Pēnt, p. p. or a. p. 966Shut up; closely confined;—often with up.Pēn'ta-cāp'su-lar, a. p. 966(Bot.) Having five capsules.Pēn’ta-chōrd, n. p. 966An instrument of music with five strings. 2. An order or system of five sounds. Busby.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…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.Pen-tăc'ri-nite, n. p. 966(Palæon.) A fossil crinoid;—so called from the pentagonal form of its jointed pedicel. Dana.Pĕn’ta-crŏs’tic, a. p. 966Containing five acrostics of the same name in five divisions of each verse.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.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.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.Pen-tăg'o-nal, a. p. 966Having five corners or angles.Pen-tăg'o-nal-ly, adv. p. 966So as to have the form of a pentagon; with five angles.Pen-täg'o-noŭs, a. p. 966Pentagonal.Pĕn’ta-grāph, n. p. 966The same as PANTOGRAPH, q. v.Pĕn’ta-grāph’ic or Pĕn’ta-grāph’ic-al, a. p. 966Pertaining to, or performed by, a pentagraph.Pēn'ta-gyn'i-ā, n. p. 966(Bot.) An order of plants, in the artificial system of Linnæus, having five styles or pistils.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.Pēn’ta-hē’/dral, a. p. 966Having five equal sides.Pēn'ta-hēd'ric-al, a. p. 966Pentahedral. [Rare.]Pēn′ta-hē′dron, n. p. 966A solid figure having five equal sides.Pēn’ta-hē’drous, a. p. 966Pentahedral.Pĕn’ta-hĕx/a-hĕ’/dral, a. p. 966(Crystallog.) Exhibiting five ranges of faces, one above another, each range containing six faces.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.Pen-tām'er-oŭs, a. p. 966(Bot.) Divided into, or consisting of, five parts, as a flower. Gray.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…Pen-tăm'e-ter, a. p. 966Having five metrical feet.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.Pen-tān'dri-ā, n. p. 966(Bot.) A class of plants in the artificial system of Linnæus, having five separate stamens.Pen-tăn'dri-an or Pen-tăn'drous, a. p. 966(Bot.) Belonging to the class Pentandria; having five stamens.Pēn'tan-gle, n. p. 966A pentagon. [Rare.] Browne.Pent-ăn’gu-lar, a. p. 966Having five corners or angles.Pĕn’ta-pĕt’al-ōŭs, a. p. 966(Bot.) Having five petals or flower-leaves.Pen-tăph'yl-lous or Pĕn-ta-phyl'lous, a. p. 966Having five leaves.Pent-ăp'o-dy, n. p. 966(Pros.) A measure consisting of five feet; five feet taken together.Pēn'tap-tōte, n. p. 966(Gram.) A noun having five cases.Pĕn’tarch-y, n. p. 966A government in the hands of five persons. Brewer.Pén'ta-spāst, n. p. 966An engine with five pulleys.Pĕn′ta-spĕrm′oüs, a. p. 966(Bot.) Containing five seeds.Pén'ta-stich, n. p. 966A composition consisting of five verses.Pén’ta-stÿle, n. p. 966(Arch.) An edifice with five columns in front.Pĕn’ta-teūch, n. p. 966The first five books of the Old Testament.Pĕn’ta-tēuch’al, a. p. 966Pertaining to the Pentateuch. Williams.Pĕn’te-cŏn’ter, n. p. 966(Gr. Antiq.) A Grecian vessel of fifty oars, smaller than a trireme. ☞ “The Greek η being represented in Latin by a, Mitford spells this word pentacont er, and other similar compounds…Pĕn’te-cōst, n. p. 966A solemn festival of the Jews, so called because celebrated on the fiftieth day after the feast of the passover. It was instituted in commemoration of the gift of the law on the fiftieth day after…Pĕn’te-cōst’al, a. p. 966Pertaining to Pentecost, or to Whitsuntide.Pēnʹte-cōstʹals, n. pl. p. 966Oblations formerly made to the parish priest at Whitsuntide, and sometimes to the Romish see. Cowell.Pĕn'/te-cŏs'ter, n. p. 966(Gr. Antiq.) A military officer commanding fifty men. Milford.Pĕn’te-cŏs’tys, n. p. 967A body of fifty soldiers. Milford.