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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- 2,133
Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
Pow'ter, n. p. 1021A variety of the common domestic pigeon. See POUTER.Pow'wow, n. p. 1021A priest, or conjurer, among the North American Indians. 2. Conjuration performed for the cure of diseases and other purposes, attended with great noise and confusion, and often with dancing. 3.…Pow'wow, v. i. p. 1021To use conjuration, with noise and confusion, as among the American Indians; hence, to carry on a noisy frolic or gathering.Pŏx, n. p. 1021(Med.) Strictly, pustules or eruptions of any kind, but chiefly or wholly restricted to three or four diseases — the small-pox, chicken-pox, the vaccine, and the venereal diseases. ☞ Pox, when used…Pŏx, v. t. p. 1021To infect with the pox, or venereal disease.Poy, n. p. 1021A rope-dancer’s pole. 2. A long boat-hook, by which barges are impelled against the stream. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.Poy'al, n. p. 1021A kind of striped stuff for covering seats and benches. Simmonds.Poy-nā'do, n. p. 1021A poniard; a dagger. [Obs. and rare.] I will have it so sharp-pointed, that it shall stab Motto like a poynado. Lily.Poynd'ing, n. p. 1021See POINDING.Poy-nĕt'tē', n. p. 1021A small bodkin, or point, to punch holes with. [Obs.]Poynt'ell, n. p. 1021(Arch.) A mode of paving, or flooring, in small squares or lozenges. Weale.Poy'gu, n. p. 1021(Zoöl.) An animal of the genus Dasypus (D. Encoubert); a species of armadillo found in South America.Pōze, v. t. p. 1021To pose; to puzzle. See POSE.Pŏz'/zo-lä'nä or Pŏz'/zu-o-lä'nä, n. p. 1021Volcanic ashes from Pozzuoli, in Italy, used in the manufacture of a kind of mortar which hardens under water. Brande.Prāam, n. p. 1021(Naut.) A flat-bottomed boat, or lighter; — used in Holland and the Baltic for conveying goods to and from a vessel, in loading and unloading.Präc'tic, a. p. 1021The same as PRACTICAL. 2. Artful. “His practic will.” Spenser.Prăc'ti·ca·bil'i·ty, n. p. 1021The quality or state of being practicable; feasibility.Prā'c·ti-ca-ble, a. p. 1021Capable of being practiced or performed; capable of being done or accomplished; possible to be accomplished with known means or resources; feasible; as, a practicable plan. “A practicable virtue.”…Prăc'ti·ca-ble-ness, n. p. 1021The quality of being practicable; practicability.Präc'ti·ca·bly, adv. p. 1021In a practicable manner; in such a manner as may be performed.Prăc'ti·cal, a. p. 1021Pertaining to practice. 2. Capable of being turned to use or account; useful, in distinction from ideal, or theoretical. “Man’s practical understanding.” South. “For all practical purposes.”…Prăc'ti·căl'i·ty, n. p. 1021The quality of being practical; practicalness.Prăc'ti-cal-ly, adv. p. 1021In relation to practice. 2. By means of practice or use; by experiment; as, practically wise or skillful. 3. In practice or use; as, a medicine practically safe; theoretically wrong, but practically…Prăc'ti·cal·ness, n. p. 1021The quality of being practical.Prac'tice, n. p. 1021Frequently repeated or customary actions; a succession of acts of a similar kind; as, the practice of rising early or of dining late; the practice of making regular entries of accounts; the practice…Prăc'tice, v. t. p. 1021To do or perform frequently, customarily, or habitually; to perform by a succession of acts; as, to practice gaming; to practice fraud or deception. 2. To carry on in practice, or repeated action; to…Præ'tiçe, v. i. p. 1021To perform certain acts frequently or customarily, either for instruction, profit, or amusement; as, to practice with the broadsword; to practice with the rifle, or on the piano. 2. To learn by…Præc'ti-cer, n. p. 1021One who practices; one who customarily performs certain acts. 2. One who exercises a profession; a practitioner.Prac-ti'cian, n. p. 1021One who is, by practice, acquainted with, or skilled in, any thing.Præ'ti-sant, n. p. 1021An agent. [Obs.] Shak.Præ'ctise, v. t. & i. p. 1021See PRACTICE. ☞ There is no reason why the noun and verb should not both be spelled with c, as in notice, sacrifice, apprentice, and all like cases where the accent precedes the last syllable. The…Prac-ti'tion-er, n. p. 1021One who is engaged in the actual use or exercise of any art or profession, particularly in law or medicine. 2. One who does any thing customarily or habitually. Whitgift. 3. One who practices sly or…Præ'tive-ly, adv. p. 1021In a practical manner; by practice. [Obs.] The preachers and the people both Then practically did thrive. Warner.Præ'çi-pe, n. p. 1021(Law.) (a.) A writ commanding something to be done, or requiring a reason for neglecting it. (b.) A paper containing the particulars of a writ, lodged in the office out of which the writ is to be…Præ-cŏg'ni-tā, n. pl. p. 1021Things previously known, in order to understand something else.Præ-cōr'di-ā, n. pl. p. 1021(Anat.) (a.) The midrift, or diaphragm. (b.) The thoracic viscera and the epigastrium. Dunglison.Præ-cōr'di-al, a. p. 1021See PRECORDIAL.Præ'di-al, a. p. 1021See PREDIAL.Præ'flo-rā'tion, n. p. 1021See PREFLORATION.Præ'fo-li-ā'tion, n. p. 1021See PREFOLIATION.Præ'li-ōg'ra-phy, n. p. 1021See PRELIOGRAPHY.Præ-mō'lar, a. p. 1021See PREMOLAR.Præ-môrse', a. p. 1021See PREMORSE.Præmū'nī-re, n. p. 1021(Eng. Law.) (a.) The offense of introducing foreign authority into England, the penalties for which were originally intended to depress the civil power of the pope in the kingdom. (b.) The writ…Præ-mū'ni-to-ry, a. p. 1021See PREMUNITORY.Præ-nō'men, n. p. 1021(Rom. Antiq.) The first name of a person, by which individuals of the same family were distinguished, answering to our Christian name, as Caius, Lucius, Marcus, &c.Præt'er-ĭst, n. p. 1021(Theol.) One who holds that the whole or the greater part of the prophecies of the Apocalypse have been fulfilled.Præ-ter-mĭt', v. t. p. 1022See PRETERMIT. W. Scott.Præ-tĕx'tȧ, n. p. 1022(Rom. Antiq.) A white robe with a purple border, worn by a Roman boy before he was entitled to wear the toga virilis, or until about the completion of his fourteenth year. It was worn by girls until…Præ'tor, n. p. 1022See PRETOR.Præ-tō'ri-ŭm, n. p. 1022See PRETORIUM.Præ-văr'i-cā'tion, n. p. 1022See PREVARICATION.Prag-măt'ic or Prag-măt'ic-al, a. p. 1022Ready to act; acquainted with business; versed in affairs; skillful. [Obs.] 2. Active in performing work; diligent; busy. [Obs.] The next day I began to be very pragmatical. Evelyn. We can not always…Prag-măt'ic, n. p. 1022One who is active or skilled in business. He's my attorney and solicitor too; a fine pragmatic. B. Jon. 2. A solemn ordinance or decree issued by the head of a state. A royal pragmatic was passed…Prag-măt'ic-al-ly, adv. p. 1022In a pragmatic manner; actively; zealously; officiously; impertinently. 2. In a manner that displays the connection and causes of occurrences.Prag-măt'ic-al-ness, n. p. 1022The quality of being pragmatic; activity; earnestness; meddlesomeness; impertinence.Prăg'ma-tĭsm, n. p. 1022The state of being pragmatic. 2. A mode of treating history in which the narration of events is accompanied by a view of the causes and results. The narration of this apparently trifling circumstance…Prăg'ma-tĭst, n. p. 1022One who is pragmatic. 2. One who uses pragmatism.Prairial, n. p. 1022The ninth month of the French republican calendar, which dated from September 22, 1792. It commenced May 20, and ended June 18. See VENDEMIAIRE.Prāi'rie, n. p. 1022An extensive tract of land, destitute of trees, covered with coarse grass, and usually characterized by a deep, fertile soil. Prairies are level or rolling. 2. A meadow or tract of grass land…