Dictionary
An American Dictionary of the English Language
Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)
Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865
- Entries
- 95,912
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Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
Plăt'-i-tūde, n. p. 997Flatness; dullness; insipidity. “To hammer one golden grain of wit into a sheet of infinite platitude.” Motley. 2. That which exhibits flatness or dullness; a weak or empty remark.Pla-tŏm'e-ter, n. p. 997The same as PLANIMETER, q. v.Pla-tŏn'ic, n. p. 997One who adopts the views of Plato.Pla-tŏn'ic or Pla-tŏn'ic-al, a. p. 997Pertaining to Plato the philosopher, or to his philosophy, his school, or his opinions. Platonic bodies, the five regular geometrical solids; namely, the tetrahedron, hexahedron or cube, octahedron…Pla-tŏn'ic-al-ly, adv. p. 997After the manner of Plato, or of the Platonists.Plā'to-nĭsm, n. p. 997The doctrines of Plato and his followers. ☞ Plato believed God to be an infinitely wise, just, and powerful Spirit; and that he formed the visible universe out of pre-existent amorphous matter…Plā'to-nīst, n. p. 997One who professes to be a follower of Plato, and to philosophize as he did. Hammond.Plā'to-nīze, v. i. p. 997To adopt the opinions of the Platonic school. Milner.Plā'to-nīze, v. t. p. 997To explain on the principles of the Platonic school, or to accommodate to those principles. Enfield.Plā'to-nīz'er, n. p. 997One who Platonizes; a Platonist.Pla-tōōn', n. p. 997(Mil.) (a.) A small body of soldiers or musketeers, drawn out of a battalion of foot, when they form a hollow square, to strengthen the angles. [Obs.] (b.) In present usage, half of a company.Plăt'ter, n. p. 997A large, shallow dish, for holding the provisions of a table. 2. [See PLAT.] One who plats or forms by weaving.Plăt'ter-fāced, a. p. 997Having a broad face.Plāt'ting, n. p. 997Slips of bast, cane, straw, and the like, woven or plaited for making into hats, &c.Pla-tū'rus, n. p. 997(Zoöl.) A genus of marine serpents having a flattened tail. Baird.Plāt'y, a. p. 997Like plates; consisting of plates.Plāt'y-cēph'a-loŭs, a. p. 997Broad-headed.Plăt'y-cœ'li-an, a. p. 997Flat at the front end and concave at the hinder, as the vertebræ of the extinct cetiosaurs. Dana.Plāt'y-erī'nīte, a. p. 997(Palæon.) A kind of encrinite, the body of which is stout, and made up of a few large plates. It is confined mostly to the sub-carboniferous limestone in geology. Dana.Plăt'y-pŏd, n. p. 997(Zoöl.) An animal having broad feet.Plăt'y-pūs, n. p. 997(Zool.) The same as ORNITHORHYNCHUS. See ORNITHORHYNCHUS.Plăt'y-rhīne, n. p. 997(Zoöl.) One of a group of monkeys, characterized by having a round head and wide nostrils. See MONKEY.Plaud'it, n. p. 997A mark or expression of applause; praise bestowed. The plaudits on which it lives are as welcome when shouted by the most ignoble as when uttered by the wise. J. Taylor. Syn.—Acclamation; shouting…Plaud'it-o-ry, a. p. 997Applauding; commending.Plau'si-bil'i-ty, n. p. 997The state of being plausible; pretext; speciousness. Swift. To give any plausibility to a scheme of perpetual peace, war must have already become rare. De Quincey.Plau'si-ble, a. p. 997Capable of being applauded; fitted to gain favor or approbation; hence, superficially pleasing; apparently right; specious; popular; as, a plausible argument; a plausible pretext; a plausible…Plau'si-ble-īze, v. t. p. 997To render plausible. [Obs. and rare.] Fuller.Plau'si-ble-ness, n. p. 997The state of being plausible.Plau'si-bly, adv. p. 997In a plausible manner. They could talk plausibly about what they did not understand. Collier.Plau'sive, a. p. 997Applauding; manifesting praise. 2. Plausible. [Obs.] It must be a very plausive invention. Shak.Plāy, v. i. p. 997To engage in sport or lively recreation; to frolic; to engage in some exercise for the sake of amusement. The lamb thy riot dooms to bleed to-day, Had he thy reason, would he skip and play? Pope. 2.…Plāy, v. t. p. 997To put in action or motion; as, to play cannon or a fire-engine. First Peace and Silence all disputes control, Then Order plays the soul. Herbert. 2. To perform music upon; as, to play the flute or…Plāy, n. p. 997Any exercise or series of actions intended for pleasure, amusement, or diversion, as at cricket or quoit, or at blind-man’s-buff; a game. “John naturally loved rough play.” Arbuthnot. 2. Amusement…Plāy'-ăct/or, n. p. 997One who acts, or performs a part in a drama; a player; an actor.Plāy'-bill, n. p. 997A printed advertisement of a play, with the parts assigned to the actors.Plāy'-book, n. p. 997A book of dramatic compositions.Plāy'-dāy, n. p. 997A day given to play or diversion; a day exempt from work. Swift.Play'-dĕbt, n. p. 998A debt contracted by gaming. Arbuthnot.Plāy'er, n. p. 998One who plays; as, (a.) An actor of dramatic scenes; one whose occupation is to imitate characters on the stage. All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players. Shak. (b.) A mimic.…Plāy'fĕl-lōw, n. p. 998A companion in amusements or sports; a playmate.Plāy'fēre, n. p. 998A playfellow. [Obs.] Beau. & Fl.Plāy'ful, a. p. 998Sportive; given to levity; as, a playful child. Spectator. 2. Indulging a sportive fancy; as, a playful genius.Plāy'ful-ly, adv. p. 998In a playful manner.Plāy'ful-ness, n. p. 998The state of being playful.Plāy'-gāme, n. p. 998Play of children. Locke.Plāy'-gō'er, n. p. 998One who frequents plays.Plāy'-gō'ing, a. p. 998Frequenting the exhibitions of the stage.Plāy'-house, n. p. 998A house appropriated to the exhibition of dramatic compositions; a theater.Plāy'ing-cārd, n. p. 998One of a set of fifty two cards, made in four suits of thirteen each, bearing painted figures and devices, and used in playing games.Plāy'less, a. p. 998Without play; not playing. Coleridge.Plāy'māte, n. p. 998A playfellow; a companion in diversions.Plāy'-plēas'ure, n. p. 998Idle amusement. [Obs.] Bacon.Plāy'sōme, a. p. 998Playful; wanton. [Rare.]Plā'yṡōme-ness, n. p. 998Playfulness; wantonness. [Rare.]Plāy'thing, n. p. 998Any thing that serves to amuse; a child's toy. A child knows his nurse, and by degrees the playthings of a little more advanced age. Locke.Plāy'wright, n. p. 998A maker of plays. “The coarse caricatures of modern playwrights.” Jeffreys.Plēa, n. p. 998(Law.) That which is alleged by a party in support of his cause; in a stricter sense, an allegation of fact in a cause, as distinguished from a demurrer; in a still more limited sense, and in modern…Plēach, v. t. p. 998To unite by interweaving, as branches of trees; to plash. Round thee blow, self-pleached deep, Bramble roses, faint and pale. Tennyson.Plēad, v. i. p. 998To argue in support of a claim, or in defense against the claim of another; to urge reasons for or against a thing; to attempt to persuade one by argument or supplication; as, to plead for the life…Plēad, v. t. p. 998To allege or adduce in proof, support, or vindication; to offer in excuse; as, the law of nations may be pleaded in favor of the rights of ambassadors. I will neither plead my age nor sickness in…