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.
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.Pĕr'ti-nent-ness, n. p. 975The quality of being pertinent; appositeness.Pêr'ti-nents, n. pl. p. 975(Scots Law.) Appurtenances. Burrill.Per-tĭn'ġent, a. p. 975Reaching to; meeting; touching. [Obs.] Bailey.Pĕrt'ly, adv. p. 975In a pert manner; smartly; saucily.Pĕrt'ness, n. p. 975The state of being pert; briskness; sauciness; sprightliness without dignity; impudence.Per-trăn'sient, a. p. 975Passing through; traversing. [Obs.] Bailey.Per-tū'i-sane, n. p. 975A spear; a partisan. [Obs. and very rare.] “Bearing a spear, or pertuisane.” Holland.Per-tûrb', v. t. p. 975To disturb; to agitate; to disquiet. “Rest, rest, perturbed spirit.” Shak. 2. To disorder; to confuse. Browne.Pĕr'turb-ate or Per-tûrb'āte, v. t. p. 975To perturb. [Obs.]Per-tûrb'ançe, n. p. 975The same as PERTURBATION.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.Pĕr'tur-bā'tor, n. p. 975One who perturbs, or raises commotion. [Rare.]Per-tûrb'er, n. p. 975One who perturbs; a perturbator.Per-tūse' or Per-tūsed', a. p. 975Punched; pierced with holes. 2. (Bot.) Perforated or pierced irregularly with holes.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…Per-tûs'sis, n. p. 975(Med.) The hooping-cough.Pĕr'uke, n. p. 975An artificial cap of hair; a periwig.Pêr'uke, v. i. p. 975To dress with a peruke. [Rare.]Pĕr'ule, n. p. 975(Bot.) The cover of a seed. Henslow.Pe-rū'sal, n. p. 975The act of perusing. This treatise requires application in the perusal. Woodward. 2. Careful view or examination. [Rare.] Tatler.Pe-rūse′, v. t. p. 975To read, or to read with attention. Addison. 2. To observe; to consider; to examine with careful survey. [Obs.] I have perused her well. Shak. Myself I then perused, and limb by limb Surveyed. Milton.Pe-rūs'er, n. p. 975One who peruses.Pe-rū'vi-an, a. p. 975(Geog.) Of or pertaining to Peru, in South America. Peruvian balsam. See BALSAM OF PERU.—Peruvian bark, the bark of trees of various species of Cinchona. It is of a bitter taste, and acts as a…Pe-rū'vi-an, n. p. 975(Geog.) A native or an inhabitant of Peru.Per-vāde', v. t. p. 975To pass through, as an aperture, pore, or interstice; to permeate. “Substances soaked in such liquors as will immediately pervade their little pores.” Newton. 2. To pass or spread through the whole…Per-vā'sion, n. p. 976The act of pervading, or passing through the whole extent of a thing.Per-vā'sive, a. p. 976Tending, or having power, to pervade.Per-vērse', a. p. 976Turned aside; hence, distorted from the right. Best friends might loathe us, if what things perverse We know of our own selves they also know. Trench. 2. Obstinate in the wrong; disposed to be…Per-vērsed', a. p. 976Turned. [Obs. and rare.] “With perversed eyes.” Phaer.Per-vĕrs'ed-ly, adv. p. 976In a perverse manner; perversely.Per-vērse'ly, adv. p. 976In a perverse manner.Per-vērse'ness, n. p. 976The state of being perverse. Her whom he wishes most shall seldom gain Through her perverseness. Milton. 2. Perversion. [Obs.] Bacon.Per-vĕr'sion, n. p. 976The act of perverting; a turning from truth or propriety; a diverting from the true intent or object; change to something worse; a turning or applying in an unauthorized manner to a wrong end or use.Per-vēr'si-ty, n. p. 976The state of being perverse; perverseness.Per-vēr'sive, a. p. 976Tending to pervert or corrupt.Per-vĕrt’, v. t. p. 976To turn from truth, propriety, or from its proper purpose; to distort from its true use or end; specifically, to misinterpret through evil motives or bias. The acute and distinct Arminius was…Per-vĕrt’, v. i. p. 976To become perverted; to take the wrong course. [Obs.]Pĕr'vert, n. p. 976One who has turned from a right way to that which is wrong. Conybeare.Per-vĕrt'er, n. p. 976One who perverts, distorts, misinterprets, or misapplies.Per-vĕrt'i-ble, a. p. 976Capable of being perverted.Per-vĕs'ti-gāte, v. t. p. 976To find out by research. [Obs.] Cockeram.Per-vĕs'ti-gā'tion, n. p. 976The act of pervestigating; diligent or thorough research. [Obs.] Chillingworth.Pĕr'vi-al, a. p. 976Pervious. [Obs.]Pĕr'vi-al-ly, adv. p. 976In a pervial or pervious manner; so as to be pervious. [Obs.] Chapman.Pĕr'vi-cā'cioŭs, a. p. 976Very obstinate; willfully contrary or refractory; stubborn. [Obs.] Denham.Pěr'vi-eā'ciōs-ly, adv. p. 976In a pervicacious manner; stubbornly. [Obs.]Pēr'vi-eā'ciōñs-ness or Pēr'vi-eāc'i-ty, n. p. 976The state of being pervicacious. [Obs.]Pēr'vi·ea·cy, n. p. 976Pervicacity. [Obs.]Per-vĭg'ĭ-lā'tion, n. p. 976A careful watching. [Obs.]Për'vi-ous, a. p. 976Admitting passage; capable of being penetrated by another body or substance; permeable; penetrable. A country pervious to the arms and authority of a conqueror. Gibbon. Not less in number were the…Pēr'vi-ōus-ness, n. p. 976The quality of being pervious.Pe-sāde', n. p. 976(Man.) The motion of a horse when he raises his fore quarters, keeping his hind feet on the ground without advancing; rearing.Pĕs'age, n. p. 976A sum paid for the weighing of merchandise. Craig.Pĕs'ane, n. p. 976See PUSANE.Pĕs'ant-ed, a. p. 976Debased; enslaved. [Obs.] “Thus pesanted to each lewd thought's control.” Marston.Pēsh'i-to, a. p. 976Simple; literal; verbal;— a term applied to the earliest Syriac version of the Scriptures, in distinction, probably, from those versions which abounded in allegorical interpretation. Davidson.Pĕsk'i-ly, adv. p. 976Exceedingly; very; mischievously; annoyingly; vexingly. [Colloq. and low. U. S.]Pĕs'ky, a. p. 976Great; exceeding; mischievous; troublesome; vexing. [Colloq. and low. U. S.]Pē'so, n. p. 976The Spanish dollar of exchange; also, the pound weight. Simmonds.