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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. Per-spīr'a-bĭl'i-ty, n.p. 975The quality of being perspirable.
  2. Per-spīr'a-ble, a.p. 975Capable of being perspired, or evacuated through the pores of the skin. 2. Emitting perspiration. [Rare.] Bacon.
  3. Pĕr/spi-rā'tion, n.p. 975The act of perspiring. 2. That which is perspired; sweat.
  4. Per-spīr'a-tive, a.p. 975Performing the act of perspiration; perspiring.
  5. Per-spīr'a-to-ry, a.p. 975Pertaining to perspiration; causing perspiration.
  6. Per-spīre', v. i.p. 975To evacuate the fluids of the body through the pores of the skin; to sweat; as, a person perspires freely. 2. To be evacuated or excreted insensibly through the excretories of the skin; as, a fluid…
  7. Per-spīre', v. t.p. 975To emit or evacuate insensibly through the excretories of the skin; to sweat.
  8. Per-strēp'er-oŭs, a.p. 975Noisy; violent; sharp-tongued; obstreperous. [Obs.] You are too perstreperous, saucebox. Ford.
  9. Per-strĭn'ge', v. t.p. 975To graze; to glance on. [Obs.] 2. To criticise severely. [Rare.] The Dean of Peterborough preached on the feast of Pentecost, perstringing those of Geneva for their irreverence of the Blessed Virgin.…
  10. Per-suād′a-ble, a.p. 975Capable of being persuaded.
  11. Per-suād'a-bly, adv.p. 975In a persuadable manner; so as to be persuaded.
  12. Per-suāde', v. t.p. 975To influence by argument, advice, entreaty, or expostulation; to draw or incline to a determination by presenting sufficient motives. We will persuade him, be it possible. Shak. I should be glad if I…
  13. Per-suāde’, n.p. 975Persuasion. [Obs. and rare.] The king’s entreats, persuades of friends, Nor aught that can be named, Can move him. Beau. & Fl.
  14. Per-suād'ed-ly, adv.p. 975In a persuaded manner; assuredly. He's our own, Surely, nay, most persuadedly. Ford.
  15. Per-suād'ed-ness, n.p. 975The state of being persuaded or convinced; persuasion. [Rare.]
  16. Per-suād’er, n.p. 975One who, or that which, persuades or influences another; that which incites Hunger and thirst at once, Powerful persuaders. Milton.
  17. Per-suā'si-bil'i-ty, n.p. 975Capability of being persuaded.
  18. Per-suā'si-ble, a.p. 975Capable of being persuaded or influenced by reasons offered.
  19. Per-suā'si-ble-ness, n.p. 975The quality of being persuasible.
  20. Per-suā'sion, n.p. 975The act of persuading; the act of influencing the mind by arguments or reasons offered, or by any thing that moves the mind or passions, or inclines the will to a determination. For thou hast all the…
  21. Per-suā'sĭve, a.p. 975Tending to persuade; having the power of persuading; influencing the mind or passions; as, persuasive eloquence; persuasive evidence. “The sound, yet young, of his persuasive words.” Milton.
  22. Per-suā'sĭve, n.p. 975That which persuades; an incitement; an exhortation.
  23. Per-suā'sĭve-ly, adv.p. 975In a persuasive manner; convincingly. Milton.
  24. Per-suā'sive-ness, n.p. 975The quality of being persuasive.
  25. Per-suā'so-ry, a.p. 975Having power or tendency to persuade; persuasive. Browne.
  26. Pēr'/sul-tā'tion, n.p. 975(Med.) Exhalation, as of blood, in the form of dew, at the surface of the skin, or of any membrane; sweating of blood. Dunglison.
  27. Pêrt, a.p. 975Lively; brisk; smart. [Obs.] Awake the pert and nimble spirit of mirth. Shak. On the lawny sands and shelves Trip the pert fairies and the dapper elves. Milton. 2. Indecorously free, or presuming…
  28. Pĕrt, n.p. 975An assuming, forward, or saucy person.
  29. Pêrt, v. i.p. 975To behave with pertness or impudence; to be saucy. [Obs.] Bp. Gauden.
  30. Per-tāin’, v. i.p. 975To be the property, right, or duty of; to belong. Men hate those who affect honor by ambition which pertaineth not to them. Hayward. 2. To have relation to; to relate. These words pertain unto us at…
  31. Per-tĕr′e-brā′tion, n.p. 975The act of boring through. [Obs.] Ainsworth.
  32. Pĕr'ti-nā'cioŭs, a.p. 975Holding or adhering to any opinion, purpose, or design, with obstinacy; obstinate; perversely resolute; as, pertinacious in opinion. 2. Resolute; firm; constant; steady. Diligence is a steady…
  33. Pêr'ti-nā'cioûs-ly, adv.p. 975In a pertinacious manner.
  34. Pĕr'ti-nā'cioūs-ness or Pĕr'ti-nā'ç'i-ty, n.p. 975The state or quality of being pertinacious; obstinacy. Syn. — See OBSTINACY.
  35. Pĕr'ti-na-cy, n.p. 975Obstinacy; stubbornness; persistency; resolution; steadiness. Bp. Taylor. 2. [Lat. pertinere, to pertain. See PERTINENCE.] The quality of being pertinent; pertinence.
  36. Pĕr'ti-nate, a.p. 975Pertinacious. [Obs.]
  37. Pĕr'ti-nate-ly, adv.p. 975In a pertinate or pertinacious manner; pertinaciously. [Obs.]
  38. Pêr'ti-nence or Pêr'ti-nen-cy, n.p. 975The state of being pertinent; justness of relation to the subject or matter in hand; fitness; appositeness; suitableness. I have shown the fitness and pertinency of the apostle's discourse to the…
  39. Pĕr'ti-nent, a.p. 975Related to the subject or matter in hand; fitted or appropriate, in any way; adapted to the end proposed. “The most pertinent and complete of all instances.” I. Taylor. 2. Regarding; concerning…
  40. Pêr'ti-nent-ly, adv.p. 975In a pertinent manner. Every one who may speak well and pertinently enough upon a text is not, therefore, fit presently to rule a diocese. South.
  41. Pĕr'ti-nent-ness, n.p. 975The quality of being pertinent; appositeness.
  42. Pêr'ti-nents, n. pl.p. 975(Scots Law.) Appurtenances. Burrill.
  43. Per-tĭn'ġent, a.p. 975Reaching to; meeting; touching. [Obs.] Bailey.
  44. Pĕrt'ly, adv.p. 975In a pert manner; smartly; saucily.
  45. Pĕrt'ness, n.p. 975The state of being pert; briskness; sauciness; sprightliness without dignity; impudence.
  46. Per-trăn'sient, a.p. 975Passing through; traversing. [Obs.] Bailey.
  47. Per-tū'i-sane, n.p. 975A spear; a partisan. [Obs. and very rare.] “Bearing a spear, or pertuisane.” Holland.
  48. Per-tûrb', v. t.p. 975To disturb; to agitate; to disquiet. “Rest, rest, perturbed spirit.” Shak. 2. To disorder; to confuse. Browne.
  49. Pĕr'turb-ate or Per-tûrb'āte, v. t.p. 975To perturb. [Obs.]
  50. Per-tûrb'ançe, n.p. 975The same as PERTURBATION.
  51. Pĕr'tur-bā'tion, n.p. 975The act of perturbing, or the state of being perturbed. 2. (Astron.) An irregularity in the motion of a heavenly body through its orbit.
  52. Pĕr'tur-bā'tor, n.p. 975One who perturbs, or raises commotion. [Rare.]
  53. Per-tûrb'er, n.p. 975One who perturbs; a perturbator.
  54. Per-tūse' or Per-tūsed', a.p. 975Punched; pierced with holes. 2. (Bot.) Perforated or pierced irregularly with holes.
  55. Per-tū'sion, n.p. 975The act of punching, piercing, or thrusting through with a pointed instrument. The manner of opening a vein in Hippocrates’s time was by stabbing, or pertusion. Arbuthnot. 2. A little hole made by…
  56. Per-tûs'sis, n.p. 975(Med.) The hooping-cough.
  57. Pĕr'uke, n.p. 975An artificial cap of hair; a periwig.
  58. Pêr'uke, v. i.p. 975To dress with a peruke. [Rare.]
  59. Pĕr'ule, n.p. 975(Bot.) The cover of a seed. Henslow.
  60. Pe-rū'sal, n.p. 975The act of perusing. This treatise requires application in the perusal. Woodward. 2. Careful view or examination. [Rare.] Tatler.