Dictionary
An American Dictionary of the English Language
Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)
Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865
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Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
Per-nī'ciŏŭs-ly, adv. p. 972In a pernicious manner; destructively; with ruinous effect.Per-nī'cioŭs-ness, n. p. 972The quality of being pernicious or very injurious, mischievous, or destructive.Per-nĭs'i-ty, n. p. 972Swiftness of motion; celerity. [Obs.]Pēr'ni-o, n. p. 972(Med.) A chilblain. Dunglison.Pēr'nis, n. p. 972(Ornith.) A genus of birds; the pern, or honey-buzzard.Pēr'noe-tā'li-an, n. p. 972One who watches or keeps awake all night. [Obs.]Pĕr'/noe-tā/tion, n. p. 972The act of passing the whole night; a remaining all night. “By instruments of humility, by self-denial, by fasting, and sackcloth, and pernoctations in prayer.” Bp. Taylor.Pēr'nor, n. p. 972(Law.) One who takes the profits.Pe-rōgue', n. p. 972See PIROGUE.Pĕr'o-nate, a. p. 972(Bot.) Laid thickly over with a woolly substance ending in a sort of meal.Pĕr'ō-ne, n. p. 972(Anat.) The small bone of the leg; the fibula.Pēr'o-nē'al, a. p. 972Pertaining to the fibula, or small bone of the leg.Pĕr/o-rā'tion, n. p. 972(Rhet.) The concluding part of an oration; a final summing up, review, and re-urging of the principal topics of a discourse. His enthusiasm kindles as he advances; and, when he arrives at his…Per-ŏx'ide, n. p. 972(Chem.) That oxide of a given base which contains the greatest quantity of oxygen.Per-ŏx'id-īze, v. t. p. 972To oxidize to the utmost degree. Cutbush.Per-pĕnd', v. t. p. 972To weigh in the mind; to consider attentively. [Rare.] “Perpend my words.” Shak.Per-pend'er, n. p. 972A large stone reaching through a wall so as to appear on both sides of it, and therefore having the ends smooth;—called also perbend, per-pend-stone, and perpent-stone.Per-pĕn'di-cle, n. p. 972Something hanging down in a direct line; a plumb line. [Obs.]Pēr'pen-dī'e'ū-lar, a. p. 972Exactly upright; pointing to the zenith; at right angles to the plane of the horizon; extending in a right line from any point toward the center of the earth. 2. (Geom.) At right angles to a given…Pēr'pen-dĭc'ū-lar, n. p. 972A line at right angles to the plane of the horizon; a vertical line or direction. 2. (Geom.) A line or plane falling at right angles on another line or surface, or making equal angles with it on each…Pēr'pen-dī'e'ū-lār'i-ty, n. p. 972The state of being perpendicular.Pēr'pen-dī'e'ū-lar-ly, adv. p. 972In a perpendicular manner or relation; so as to be perpendicular.Pēr'pend-stōne, n. p. 972See PERPENDER.Per-pēn'sion, n. p. 972Consideration; a pondering. [Obs.] Browne.Per-pĕn'si-ty, n. p. 972Perpension. [Obs.]Pēr'pent-stōne, n. p. 972See PERPENDER.Per-pĕs'sion, n. p. 972Suffering; endurance. [Obs.] Pearson.Pēr'pe-trāte, v. t. p. 972To do or perform, as a base or hurtful act; to execute, in a bad sense; to commit; to be guilty of. Can we conceive a disregard in heaven What the worst perpetrable, or best endure? Young.Pĕr'pe-trā'tion, n. p. 973The act of perpetrating, or of committing, a crime. Wotton. 2. The thing perpetrated; an evil action.Pēr'pe-trā'tor, n. p. 973One who perpetrates.Per-pĕt'ū-a-ble, a. p. 973Capable of being perpetuated or continued. Varieties are perpetuable, like species. A. Gray.Per-pĕt'ū-al, a. p. 973Never ceasing; continuing indefinitely or infinitely; unending; not subject to, or suffering, cessation or interruption; everlasting; enduring; incessant. “The kingdom of perpetual night.” Shak.…Per-pĕt'ū-al-ly, adv. p. 973In a perpetual manner; constantly; continually. The Bible and Common Prayer Book, in the vulgar tongue, being perpetually read in churches, have proved a kind of standard for language. Swift.Per-pĕt'ū-al-ty, n. p. 973The state or condition of being perpetual. [Obs.]Per-pĕt'ū-āte, v. t. p. 973To make perpetual; to cause to endure, or to be continued, indefinitely; to preserve from extinction or oblivion; to eternize.Per-pĕt′ū-ate, a. p. 973Made perpetual; perpetuated. The trees and flowers remain, By Nature’s care perpetuate and self-sown. Southey.Per-pĕt'ū-ā'ted, p. a. p. 973Made perpetual; continued through eternity, or for an indefinite time.Per-pĕt'ū-ā'tion, n. p. 973The act of making perpetual, or of preserving from extinction through an endless existence, or for an indefinite period of time.Pĕr'pe-tū'i-ty, n. p. 973The state or quality of being perpetual; endless duration; continued, uninterrupted existence, or duration for an indefinite period of time; as, the perpetuity of laws and institutions; the…Per-plĕx’, v. t. p. 973To make intricate; to involve; to entangle; to make complicated and difficult to be understood or unraveled. What was thought obscure, perplexed, and too hard for our weak parts, will lie open to the…Per-pléx’, a. p. 973Intricate; difficult. [Obs.] Glanville.Per-pléx'ed-ly, adv. p. 973In a perplexed manner; intricately; with involution.Per-plēx'ed-ness, n. p. 973The state of being perplexed; perplexity; embarrassment.Per-plex'i-ty, n. p. 973The state of being perplexed; intricacy; entanglement; embarrassment; doubt. “Into perplexity and new amaze.” Milton. Perplexity not suffering them to be idle, they think and do, as it were, in a…Per-plĕx'ive-ness, n. p. 973The quality of being perplexing; tendency to perplex or embarrass. [Obs.]Per-plēx'ly, adv. p. 973In a perplexed manner; perplexedly. [Obs.] Milton.Per-plēx'tly, adv. p. 973Perplexedly. [Obs.]Pĕr'po-tā'tion, n. p. 973The act of drinking largely. [Obs.]Pēr'qui-site, n. p. 973An allowance paid in money or things, beyond the ordinary salary or fixed wages for services rendered; especially, a fee allowed by law to an officer for a specific service. “The pillage of a place…Pēr'qui-sit-ed, a. p. 973Supplied with perquisites. [Obs.] Scroope.Pēr'qui-si'tion, n. p. 973An accurate inquiry or search. [Rare.] Our hero, who had attended Evan Dhu during his perquisitions, was much struck with the ingenuity which he displayed in collecting information. W. Scott.Pēr'ri-er, n. p. 973A kind of short mortar much used for stone-shot. [Obs.] Halliwell.Pēr'rie, n. p. 973A precious stone; a jewel. [Obs.]Pĕr'ron, n. p. 973(Arch.) A staircase outside of a building, or a flight of steps leading into the first story. Gwilt.Pĕr'ro-quĕt', n. p. 973See PARO-QUET. Perroquet auk (Ornith.), a bird of the genus Alca (A. psittacula) of Linnæus, or of the genus Phaleris (P. psittacula) of Temminck; a species of auk. Eng. Cyc.Perruquier, n. p. 973One who makes perukes or wigs.Pĕr'ry, n. p. 973The fermented juice of pears; a liquor prepared from pears in the same manner as cider from apples.Pēr'sant, a. p. 973Piercing. [Obs.] Spenser.Pěr'scru-tā'tion, n. p. 973A searching thoroughly; minute search or inquiry.Pēr'se-cot, n. p. 973A kind of cordial made of the kernels of apricots, nectarines, and the like, with refined spirit; persicot.