Chapter LI: Bella (67)

Defn: The act of permeating, passing through, or spreading throughout, the pores or interstices of any substance. Here is not a mere involution only, but a spiritual permeation and inexistence. Bp. Hall.

PERMIAN Per"mi*an, a. Etym: [From the ancient kingdom of Permia, where the Permian formation exists.] (Geol.)

Defn: Belonging or relating to the period, and also to the formation, next following the Carboniferous, and regarded as closing the Carboniferous age and Paleozoic era. -- n.

Defn: The Permian period. See Chart of Geology.

PERMIANS Per"mi*ans, n. pl.; sing. Permian (. (Ethnol.)

Defn: A tribe belonging to the Finnic race, and inhabiting a portion of Russia.

PERMISCIBLE Per*mis"ci*ble, a. Etym: [L. permiscere to mingle; per + miscere to mix.]

Defn: Capable of being mixed.

PERMISS Per*miss", n. Etym: [See Permit.]

Defn: A permitted choice; a rhetorical figure in which a thing is committed to the decision of one's opponent. [Obs.] Milton.

PERMISSIBILITY Per*mis`si*bil"i*ty, n.

Defn: The quality of being permissible; permissibleness; allowableness.

PERMISSIBLE Per*mis"si*ble, a.

Defn: That may be permitted; allowable; admissible. -- Per*mis"si*ble*ness, n. -- Per*mis"si*bly, adv.

PERMISSION Per*mis"sion, n. Etym: [L. permissio: cf. F. permission. See Permit.]

Defn: The act of permitting or allowing; formal consent; authorization; leave; license or liberty granted. High permission of all-ruling Heaven. Milton. You have given me your permission for this address. Dryden.

Syn. -- Leave; liberty; license. -- Leave, Permission. Leave implies that the recipient may decide whether to use the license granted or not. Permission is the absence on the part of another of anything preventive, and in general, at least by implication, signifies approval.

PERMISSIVE Per*mis"sive, a.

1. Permitting; granting leave or liberty. "By his permissive will." Milton.

2. Permitted; tolerated; suffered. Milton.

PERMISSIVELY Per*mis"sive*ly, adv.

Defn: In a permissive manner.

PERMISTION Per*mis"tion, n. Etym: [L. permistio, permixtio, fr. permiscere, permistum, and permixtum. See Permiscible.]

Defn: The act of mixing; the state of being mingled; mixture. [Written also permixtion.]

PERMIT Per*mit", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Permitted; p. pr. & vb. n. Permitting.] Etym: [L. permittere, permissum, to let through, to allow, permit; per + mittere to let go, send. See Per-, and Mission.]

1. To consent to; to allow or suffer to be done; to tolerate; to put up with. What things God doth neither command nor forbid . . . he permitteth with approbation either to be done or left undone. Hooker.

2. To grant (one) express license or liberty to do an act; to authorize; to give leave; -- followed by an infinitive. Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Acis xxvi. 1.

3. To give over; to resign; to leave; to commit. Let us not aggravate our sorrows, But to the gods permit the event of things. Addison.

Syn. -- To allow; let; grant; admit; suffer; tolerate; endure; consent to. -- To Allow, Permit, Suffer, Tolerate. To allow is more positive, denoting (at least originally and etymologically) a decided assent, either directly or by implication. To permit is more negative, and imports only acquiescence or an abstinence from prevention. The distinction, however, is often disregarded by good writers. To suffer has a stronger passive or negative sense than to permit, sometimes implying against the will, sometimes mere indifference. To tolerate is to endure what is contrary to will or desire. To suffer and to tolerate are sometimes used without discrimination.

PERMIT Per*mit", v. i.

Defn: To grant permission; to allow.

PERMIT Per"mit, n.

Defn: Warrant; license; leave; permission; specifically, a written license or permission given to a person or persons having authority; as, a permit to land goods subject to duty.

PERMITTANCE Per*mit"tance, n.

Defn: The act of permitting; allowance; permission; leave. Milton.

PERMITTEE Per`mit*tee", n.

Defn: One to whom a permission or permit is given.

PERMITTER Per*mit"ter, n.

Defn: One who permits. A permitter, or not a hinderer, of sin. J. Edwards.

PERMIX Per*mix", v. t.

Defn: To mix; to mingle. [Obs.]

PERMIXTION Per*mix"tion, n.

Defn: See Permission.

PERMULATOR Per"mu*la`tor, n. (Elec.)

Defn: A special form of rotary converter with stationary commutator and rotating brushes, in which the exciting field is induced by the alternating current in a short-circuited magnetic core instead of being produced by an external magnet.

PERMUTABLE Per*mut"a*ble, a. Etym: [Cf. F. permutable.]

Defn: Capable of being permuted; exchangeable. -- Per*mut"a*ble*ness, n. -- Per*mut"a*bly, adv.

PERMUTATION Per`mu*ta"tion, n. Etym: [L. permutatio: cf. F. permutation. See Permute.]

1. The act of permuting; exchange of the thing for another; mutual transference; interchange. The violent convulsions and permutations that have been made in property. Burke.

2. (Math.) (a) The arrangement of any determinate number of things, as units, objects, letters, etc., in all possible orders, one after the other; -- called also alternation. Cf. Combination, n., 4. (b) Any one of such possible arrangements.

3. (Law)

Defn: Barter; exchange. Permutation lock, a lock in which the parts can be transposed or shifted, so as to require different arrangements of the tumblers on different occasions of unlocking.

PERMUTE Per*mute", v. t. Etym: [L. permutare, permutatum; per + mutare to change: cf. F. permuter.]

1. To interchange; to transfer reciprocally.

2. To exchange; to barter; to traffic. [Obs.] Bought, trucked, permuted, or given. Hakluyt.

PERMUTER Per*mut"er, n.

Defn: One who permutes.

PERN Pern, v. t. Etym: [See Pernancy.]

Defn: To take profit of; to make profitable. [Obs.] Sylvester.

PERN Pern, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The honey buzzard.

PERNANCY Per"nan*cy, n. Etym: [OF. prenance, fr. prendre, prenre, penre, to take, L. prendere, prehendere.] (Law)

Defn: A taking or reception, as the receiving of rents or tithes in kind, the receiving of profits. Blackstone.

PERNEL Per"nel, n.

Defn: See Pimpernel. [Obs.]

PERNICION Per*ni"cion, n. Etym: [See 2d Pernicious.]

Defn: Destruction; perdition. [Obs.] hudibras.

PERNICIOUS Per*ni"cious, a. Etym: [L. pernix, -icis.]

Defn: Quick; swift (to burn). [R.] Milton.

PERNICIOUS Per*ni"cious, a. Etym: [L. perniciosus, from pernicies destruction, from pernecare to kill or slay outright; per + necare to kill, slay: cf. F. pernicieux. Cf. Nuisance, Necromancy.]

Defn: Having the quality of injuring or killing; destructive; very mischievous; baleful; malicious; wicked. Let this pernicious hour Stand aye accursed in the calendar. Shak. Pernicious to his health. Prescott.

Syn. -- Destructive; ruinous; deadly; noxious; injurious; baneful; deleterious; hurtful; mischievous. -- Per*ni"cious*ly, adv., -- Per*ni"cious*ness, n.

PERNICITY Per*nic"i*ty, n. Etym: [L. pernicitas. See 1st Pernicious.]

Defn: Swiftness; celerity. [R.] Ray.

PERNICKETY PERNICKETTY { Per*nick"et*y Per*nick"et*ty }, a.

Defn: Finical or fussy; full of petty details. [Colloq.]

PERNIO Per"ni*o, n. Etym: [L.] (Med.)

Defn: A chilblain.

PERNOCTALIAN Per`noc*ta"li*an, n.

Defn: One who watches or keeps awake all night.

PERNOCTATION Per`noc*ta"tion, n. Etym: [L. pernoctatio, fr. pernoctare to stay all night; per + nox, noctis, night.]

Defn: The act or state of passing the whole night; a remaining all night. "Pernoctation in prayer." Jer. Taylor.

PERNOR Per"nor, n. Etym: [See Pern, v.] (Law)

Defn: One who receives the profits, as of an estate.

PERNOT FURNACE Per"not fur"nace. Etym: [So called from Charles Pernot, its inventor.]

Defn: A reverberatory furnace with a circular revolving hearth, -- used in making steel.

PERNYI MOTH Per"ny*i moth". (Zoöl.)

Defn: A silk-producing moth (Attacus Pernyi) which feeds upon the oak. It has been introduced into Europe and America from China.

PEROFSKITE Per*of"skite, n. Etym: [From von Perovski, of St.Petersburg.] (Min.)

Defn: A titanate of lime occurring in octahedral or cubic crystals. [Written also Perovskite.]

PEROGUE Pe*rogue, n.

Defn: See Pirogue.

PERONATE Per"o*nate, a. Etym: [L. peronatus roughpero, -onis, a kind of rough boot.] (Bot.)

Defn: A term applied to the stipes or stalks of certain fungi which are covered with a woolly substance which at length becomes powdery. Henslow.

PERONEAL Per`o*ne"al, a. Etym: [Gr. (Anat.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to the fibula; in the region of the fibula.

PERORATE Per"o*rate, v. i. Etym: [See Peroration.]

Defn: To make a peroration; to harangue. [Colloq.]

PERORATION Per`o*ra"tion, n. Etym: [L. peroratio, fr. perorate, peroratum, to speak from beginning to end; per + orate to speak. See Per-, and Oration.] (Rhet.)

Defn: The concluding part of an oration; especially, a final summing up and enforcement of an argument. Burke.

PEROXIDATION Per*ox`i*da"tion, n.

Defn: Act, process, or result of peroxidizing; oxidation to a peroxide.

PEROXIDE Per*ox"ide, n. (Chem.)

Defn: An oxide containing more oxygen than some other oxide of the same element. Formerly peroxides were regarded as the highest oxides. Cf. Per-, 2.

PEROXIDIZE Per*ox"i*dize, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Peroxidized; p. pr. & vb. n. Peroxidizing.] (Chem.)

Defn: To oxidize to the utmost degree, so as to form a peroxide.

PERPEND Per*pend", v. t. Etym: [L. perpendere, perpensum; per + pendere to weight.]

Defn: To weight carefully in the mind. [R.] "Perpend my words." Shak.

PERPEND Per*pend", v. i.

Defn: To attend; to be attentive. [R.] Shak.

PERPENDER Per*pend"er, n. Etym: [F. parpaing, pierre parpaigne; of uncertain origin.] (Masonry)

Defn: A large stone reaching through a wall so as to appear on both sides of it, and acting as a binder; -- called also perbend, perpend stone, and perpent stone.

PERPENDICLE Per*pen"di*cle, n. Etym: [L. perpendiculum; per + pendere to hang: cf. F. perpendicule.]

Defn: Something hanging straight down; a plumb line. [Obs.]

PERPENDICULAR Per`pen*dic"u*lar, a. Etym: [L. perpendicularis, perpendicularius: cf. F. perpendiculaire. See Perpendicle, Pension.]

1. Exactly upright or vertical; 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.)

Defn: At right angles to a given line or surface; as, the line ad is perpendicular to the line bc. Perpendicular style (Arch.), a name given to the latest variety of English Gothic architecture, which prevailed from the close of the 14th century to the early part of the 16th; -- probably so called from the vertical style of its window mullions.

PERPENDICULAR Per`pen*dic"u*lar, n.

1. A line at right angles to the plane of the horizon; a vertical line or direction.

2. (Geom.)

Defn: A line or plane falling at right angles on another line or surface, or making equal angles with it on each side.

PERPENDICULARITY Per`pen*dic`u*lar"i*ty, n. Etym: [Cf. F. perpendicularité.]

Defn: The quality or state of being perpendicular.

PERPENDICULARLY Per`pen*dic"u*lar*ly, adv.

Defn: In a perpendicular manner; vertically.

PERPEND STONE Per"pend stone`.

Defn: See Perpender.

PERPENSION Per*pen"sion, n. Etym: [See Perpend.]

Defn: Careful consideration; pondering. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.

PERPENSITY Per*pen"si*ty, n.

Defn: Perpension. [Obs.]

PERPENT STONE Per"pent stone`.

Defn: See Perpender.

PERPESSION Per*pes"sion, n. Etym: [L. perpessio, fr. perpeti, perpessus, to bear steadfastly; per + pati to bear.]

Defn: Suffering; endurance. [Obs.] Bp. Pearson.

PERPETRABLE Per"pe*tra"ble, a.

Defn: Capable of being perpetrated. R. North.

PERPETRATE Per"pe*trate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Perpetrated; p. pr. & vb. n. Perpetrating.] Etym: [L. perpetratus, p.p. of perpetrare to effect, perpetrare; per + patrare to perform.]

Defn: To do or perform; to carry through; to execute, commonly in a bad sense; to commit (as a crime, an offense); to be guilty of; as, to perpetrate a foul deed. What the worst perpetrate, or best endure. Young.

PERPETRATION Per`pe*tra"tion, n. Etym: [L. perpetratio: cf. F. perpétration.]

1. The act of perpetrating; a doing; -- commonly used of doing something wrong, as a crime.

2. The thing perpetrated; an evil action.

PERPETRATOR Per"pe*tra`tor, n. Etym: [L.]

Defn: One who perpetrates; esp., one who commits an offense or crime.

PERPETUABLE Per*pet"u*a*ble, a.

Defn: Capable of being perpetuated or continued. Varieties are perpetuable, like species. Gray.

PERPETUAL Per*pet"u*al, a. Etym: [OE. perpetuel, F. perpétuel, fr. L. perpetualis, fr. perpetuus continuing throughout, continuous, fr. perpes, -etis, lasting throughout.]

Defn: Neverceasing; continuing forever or for an unlimited time; unfailing; everlasting; continuous. Unto the kingdom of perpetual night. Shak. Perpetual feast of nectared sweets. Milton. Circle of perpetual apparition, or occultation. See under Circle. -- Perpetual calendar, a calendar so devised that it may be adjusted for any month or year. -- Perpetual curacy (Ch. of Eng.), a curacy in which all the tithes are appropriated, and no vicarage is endowed. Blackstone. -- Perpetual motion. See under Motion. -- Perpetual screw. See Endless screw, under Screw.

Syn. -- Continual; unceasing; endless; everlasting; incessant; constant; eternal. See Constant.

PERPETUAL CALENDAR Per*pet"u*al cal"en*dar.

Defn: A calendar that can be used perpetually or over a wide range of years. That of Capt. Herschel covers, as given below, dates from 1750 to 1961 only, but is capable of indefinite extension.

PERPETUAL CALENDAR Day of the monthJan. Oct.Apr. July Jan.Sept. Dec.JuneFeb. Mar. Nov.Aug. Feb.MayDay of the Week 1815 2229 2916 2330 31017 2431 41118 25 51219 26 61320 27 @71421 28 To find the day of the week corresponding to any date, find the small letter directly under the month and opposite the day of the month; the same small letter also appears in the vertical column that contains the number of the year, and if the line in which it stands is followed out to the right, the day of the week is found. Thus, the small letter under March and opposite 18 is b; b appears again directly over 1904, and at its right is the word Friday. March 18 fell on Friday in 1904, and also in 1898, 1892, etc. The calendar has other uses, as for finding the months which begin on Sunday in a particular year, etc. |1753 |1754 |1755 |1750 |1751 |1757 |*1752 |1759 |1765 |*1760 |1761 |*1756 |1763 |1758

PERPETUALLY Per*pet"u*al*ly, adv.

Defn: In 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.

PERPETUALTY Per*pet"u*al*ty, n.

Defn: The state or condition of being perpetual. [Obs.] Testament of Love.

PERPETUANCE Per*pet"u*ance, n.

Defn: Perpetuity. [Obs.]

PERPETUATE Per*pet"u*ate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Perpetuated; p. pr. & vb. n. Perpetuating.] Etym: [L. perpetuatus, p.p. of perpetuare to perpetuate. See Perpetual.]

Defn: To make perpetual; to cause to endure, or to be continued, indefinitely; to preserve from extinction or oblivion; to eternize. Addison. Burke.

PERPETUATE Per*pet"u*ate, a. Etym: [L. perpetuatus, p.p.]

Defn: Made perpetual; perpetuated. [R.] Southey.

PERPETUATION Per*pet`u*a"tion, n. Etym: [Cf. F. perpétuation.]

Defn: The act of making perpetual, or of preserving from extinction through an endless existence, or for an indefinite period of time; continuance. Sir T. Browne.

PERPETUITY Per`pe*tu"i*ty, n. Etym: [L. perpetuitas: cf. F. perpétuité.]

1. The quality or state of being perpetual; as, the perpetuity of laws. Bacon. A path to perpetuity of fame. Byron. The perpetuity of single emotion is insanity. I. Taylor.

2. Something that is perpetual. South.

3. Endless time. "And yet we should, for perpetuity, go hence in debt." Shak.

4. (Annuities) (a) The number of years in which the simple interest of any sum becomes equal to the principal. (b) The number of years' purchase to be given for an annuity to continue forever. (c) A perpetual annuity.

5. (Law) (a) Duration without limitations as to time. (b) The quality or condition of an estate by which it becomes inalienable, either perpetually or for a very long period; also, the estate itself so modified or perpetuated.

PERPLEX Per*plex", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Perplexed; p. pr. & vb. n. Perplexing.] Etym: [L. perplexari. See Perplex, a.]

1. To involve; to entangle; to make intricate or complicated, and difficult to be unraveled or understood; as, to perplex one with doubts. No artful wildness to perplex the scene. Pope. What was thought obscure, perplexed, and too hard for our weak parts, will lie open to the understanding in a fair view. Locke.

2. To embarrass; to puzzle; to distract; to bewilder; to confuse; to trouble with ambiguity, suspense, or anxiety. "Perplexd beyond self- explication." Shak. We are perplexed, but not in despair. 2 Cor. iv. 8. We can distinguish no general truths, or at least shall be apt to perplex the mind. Locke.

3. To plague; to vex; to tormen. Glanvill.

Syn. -- To entangle; involve; complicate; embarrass; puzzle; bewilder; confuse; distract. See Embarrass.

PERPLEX Per*plex", a. Etym: [L. perplexus entangled, intricate; per + plectere, plexum, to plait, braid: cf. F. perplexe. See Per-, and Plait.]

Defn: Intricate; difficult. [Obs.] Glanvill.

PERPLEXED Per*plexed", a.

Defn: Entangled, involved, or confused; hence, embarrassd; puzzled; doubtful; anxious. -- Per*plex"ed*ly, adv. -- Per*plex"ed*ness, n.

PERPLEXING Per*plex"ing, a.

Defn: Embarrassing; puzzling; troublesome. "Perplexing thoughts." Milton.

PERPLEXITY Per*plex"i*ty, n.; pl. Perplexities. Etym: [L. perplexitas: cf. F. perplexité.]

Defn: The quality or state of being perplexed or puzzled; complication; intricacy; entanglement; distraction of mind through doubt or difficulty; embarrassment; bewilderment; doubt. By their own perplexities involved, They ravel more. Milton.

PERPLEXIVENESS Per*plex"ive*ness, n.

Defn: The quality of being perplexing; tendency to perplex. [Obs.] Dr. H. More.

PERPLEXLY Per*plex"ly, adv.

Defn: Perplexedly. [Obs.] Milton.

PERPOTATION Per`po*ta"tion, n. Etym: [L. perpotatio, fr. perpotate. See Per-, and Potation.]

Defn: The act of drinking excessively; a drinking bout. [Obs.]

PERQUISITE Per"qui*site, n. Etym: [L. perquisitum, fr. perquisitus, p.p. of perquirere to ask for diligently; per + quaerere to seek. See Per-, and Quest.]

1. Something gained from a place or employment over and above 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 taken by storm was regarded as the perquisite of the soldiers. Prescott. The best perquisites of a place are the advantages it gaves a man of doing good. Addison.

2. pl. (Law)

Defn: Things gotten by a man's own industry, or purchased with his own money, as opposed to things which come to him by descent. Mozley & W.

PERQUISITED Per"qui*sit*ed, a.

Defn: Supplied with perquisites. [Obs.] "Perquisited varlets frequent stand." Savage.

PERQUISITION Per`qui*si"tion, n. Etym: [Cf. F. perquisition.]

Defn: A thorough inquiry of search. [R.] Berkeley.

PERRADIAL Per*ra"di*al, a. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Situated around the radii, or radial tubes, of a radiate.

PERRIE Per"rie, n. Etym: [F. pierreries, pl., fr. pierre stone, L. petra.]

Defn: Precious stones; jewels. [Obs.] [Written also perre, perrye, etc.] Chaucer.

PERRIER Per"ri*er, n. Etym: [OF. perriere, perrier, F. perrier. Cf. Pederero.] (Mil.)

Defn: A short mortar used formerly for throwing stone shot. Hakluyt.

PERRON Per"ron, n. [F.] (Arch.)

Defn: An out-of-door flight of steps, as in a garden, leading to a terrace or to an upper story; -- usually applied to mediævel or later structures of some architectural pretensions.

PERROQUET Per`ro*quet", n. Etym: [F.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: See Paroquet, Parakeet.

PERRUQUE Per`ruque", n. Etym: [F.]

Defn: See Peruke.

PERRUQUIER Per*ru"qui*er, n. Etym: [F.]

Defn: A marker of perukes or wigs.

PERRY Per"ry, n. Etym: [OF. peré, F. poiré, fr. poire a pear, L. pirum. See Pear the fruit.]

Defn: A fermented liquor made from pears; pear cider. Mortimer.

PERRY Per"ry, n.

Defn: A suddent squall. See Pirry. [Obs.]

PERS Pers, a. Etym: [F. pers.]

Defn: Light blue; grayish blue; -- a term applied to different shades at different periods. -- n.

Defn: A cloth of sky-blue color. [Obs.] "A long surcoat of pers." Chaucer.

PERSALT Per"salt`, n. (Chem.)

Defn: A term formerly given to the salts supposed to be formed respectively by neutralizing acids with certain peroxides. [Obsoles.]

PERSANT Per"sant, a. Etym: [F. perçant, p.pr. of percer to pierce.]

Defn: Piercing. [Obs.] Spenser.

PERSCRUTATION Per`scru*ta"tion, n. Etym: [L. perscrutatio, fr. perscrutari to search through.]

Defn: A thorough searching; a minute inquiry or scrutiny. Carlyle

PERSECOT Per"se*cot, n.

Defn: See Persicot.

PERSECUTE Per"se*cute, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Persecuted; p. pr. & vb. n. Persecuting.] Etym: [F. persécueter, L. persequi, persecutus, to pursue, prosecute; per + sequi to follow, pursue. See Per-, and Second.]

1. To pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict; to beset with cruelty or malignity; to harass; especially, to afflict, harass, punish, or put to death, for adherence to a particular religious creed or mode of worship. Do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you. Matt. v. 44.

2. To harass with importunity; to pursue with persistent solicitations; to annoy. Johnson.

Syn. -- To oppress; harass; distress; worry; annoy.

PERSECUTION Per`se*cu"tion, n. Etym: [F. persécution, L. persecutio.]

1. The act or practice of persecuting; especially, the infliction of loss, pain, or death for adherence to a particular creed or mode of worship. Persecution produces no sincere conviction. Paley.

2. The state or condition of being persecuted. Locke.

3. A carrying on; prosecution. [Obs.]

PERSECUTOR Per"se*cu`tor, n. Etym: [L.: cf. F. persécuteur.]

Defn: One who persecutes, or harasses. Shak.

PERSECUTRIX Per"se*cu`trix, n. Etym: [L.]

Defn: A woman who persecutes.

PERSEID Per"se*id, n. (Astron.)

Defn: One of a group of shooting stars which appear yearly about the 10th of August, and cross the heavens in paths apparently radiating from the constellation Perseus. They are beleived to be fragments once connected with a comet visible in 1862.

PERSEUS Per"se*us, n. Etym: [L., from Gr.

1. (Class. Myth.)

Defn: A Grecian legendary hero, son of Jupiter and Danaë, who slew the Gorgon Medusa.

2. (Astron.)

Defn: A consellation of the northern hemisphere, near Taurus and Cassiopea. It contains a star cluster visible to the naked eye as a nebula.

PERSEVER Per*sev"er, v. i.

Defn: To persevere. [Obs.]

PERSEVERANCE Per`se*ver"ance, n. Etym: [F. persévérance, L. perseverantia.]

1. The act of persevering; persistence in anything undertaken; continued pursuit or prosecution of any business, or enterprise begun. "The king-becoming graces . . . perseverance, mercy, lowliness." Shak. Whose constant perseverance overcame Whate'er his cruel malice could invent. Milton.

2. Discrimination. [Obs.] Sir J. Harrington.

3. (Theol.)

Defn: Continuance in a state of grace until it is succeeded by a state of glory; sometimes called final perseverance, and the perseverance of the saints. See Calvinism.

Syn. -- Persistence; steadfastness; constancy; steadiness; pertinacity.

PERSEVERANT Per`se*ver"ant, a. Etym: [L. perseverans, -antis, p.pr.: cf. F. persévérant.]

Defn: Persevering. [R.] "Perseverant faith." Whitby. -- Per`se*ver"ant*ly, adv. [R.]

PERSEVERE Per`se*vere", v. i. [imp. & p. p. Persevered; p. pr. & vb. n. Persevering.] Etym: [F. persévérer, L. perseverare, fr. perseverus very strict; per + severus strict, severe. See Per-, and Severe.]

Defn: To persist in any business or enterprise undertaken; to pursue steadily any project or course begun; to maintain a purpose in spite of counter influences, opposition, or discouragement; not to give or abandon what is undertaken. Thrice happy, if they know Their happiness, and persevere upright. Milton.

Syn. -- To Persevere, Continue, Persist. The idea of not laying aside is common to these words. Continue is the generic term, denoting simply to do as one has done hitherto. To persevere is to continue in a given course in spite of discouragements, etc., from a desire to obtain our end. To persist is to continue from a determination of will not to give up. Persist is frequently used in a bad sense, implying obstinacy in pursuing an unworthy aim.

PERSEVERING Per`se*ver"ing, a.

Defn: Characterized by perseverance; persistent. -- Per`se*ver"ing*ly, adv.

PERSIAN Per"sian, a. Etym: [From Persia: cf. It. Persiano. Cf. Parsee, Peach, Persic.]

Defn: Of or pertaining to Persia, to the Persians, or to their language. Persian berry, the fruit of Rhamnus infectorius, a kind of buckthorn, used for dyeing yellow, and imported chiefly from Trebizond. -- Persian cat. (Zoöl.) Same as Angora cat, under Angora. -- Persian columns (Arch.), columns of which the shaft represents a Persian slave; -- called also Persians. See Atlantes. -- Persian drill (Mech.), a drill which is turned by pushing a nut back and forth along a spirally grooved drill holder. -- Persian fire (Med.), malignant pustule. -- Persian powder. See Insect powder, under Insect. -- Persian red. See Indian red (a), under Indian. -- Persian wheel, a noria; a tympanum. See Noria.

PERSIAN Per"sian, n.

1. A native or inhabitant of Persia.

2. The language spoken in Persia.

3. A thin silk fabric, used formerly for linings. Beck.

4. pl. (Arch.)

Defn: See Persian columns, under Persian, a.

PERSIC Per"sic, a. Etym: [L. Persicus. Cf. Persian.]

Defn: Of or relating to Persia. -- n.

Defn: The Persian language.

PERSICARIA Per`si*ca"ri*a, n. Etym: [NL., from LL. persicarius a peach tree. See Peach.] (Bot.)

Defn: See Lady's thumb.

PERSICO Per"si*co, n.

Defn: = Persicot.

PERSICOT Per"si*cot, n. Etym: [F. See Peach.]

Defn: A cordial made of the kernels of apricots, nectarines, etc., with refined spirit.

PERSIENNE Per`si*enne" (per`si*en"; -shi*en"; F. per`syen"), n. [F., fem. of presien Persian.]

Defn: Properly, printed calico, whether Oriental or of fanciful design with flowers, etc., in Western work. Hence, as extended in English, material of a similar character.

PERSIENNES Per`si*ennes" (-enz"; F. per`syen"), n. pl. [F.]

Defn: Window blinds having movable slats, similar to Venetian blinds.

PERSIFLAGE Per`si`flage", n. Etym: [F., fr. persifler to quiz, fr. L. per + siffler to whistle, hiss, L. sibilare, sifilare.]

Defn: Frivolous or bantering talk; a frivolous manner of treating any subject, whether serious or otherwise; light raillery. Hannah More.

PERSIFLEUR Per`si`fleur, n. Etym: [F.]

Defn: One who indulges in persiflage; a banterer; a quiz. Carlyle.

PERSIMMON Per*sim"mon, n. Etym: [Virginia Indian.] (Bot.)

Defn: An American tree (Diospyros Virginiana) and its fruit, found from New York southward. The fruit is like a plum in appearance, but is very harsh and astringent until it has been exposed to frost, when it becomes palatable and nutritious. Japanese persimmon, Diospyros Kaki and its red or yellow edible fruit, which outwardly resembles a tomato, but contains a few large seeds.

PERSIS Per"sis, n. Etym: [Etymol. uncertain.]

Defn: A kind of coloring matter obtained from lichens.

PERSISM Per"sism, n.

Defn: A Persian idiom.

PERSIST Per*sist", v. i. [imp. & p. p. Persisted; p. pr. & vb. n. Persisting.] Etym: [L. persistere; per + sistere to stand or be fixed, fr. stare to stand: cf. F. persister. See Per-, and Stand.]

Defn: To stand firm; to be fixed and unmoved; to stay; to continue steadfastly; especially, to continue fixed in a course of conduct against opposing motives; to persevere; -- sometimes conveying an unfavorable notion, as of doggedness or obstinacy. If they persist in pointing their batteries against particular persons, no laws of war forbid the making reprisals. Addison. Some positive, persisting fops we know, Who, if once wrong, will needs be always so. Pope. That face persists. It floats up; it turns over in my mind. Mrs. Browning.

Syn. -- See Persevere, and Insist.

PERSISTENCE; PERSISTENCY Per*sist"ence, Per*sist"en*cy, n. Etym: [See Persistent.]

1. The quality or state of being persistent; staying or continuing quality; hence, in an unfavorable sense, doggedness; obstinacy.

2. The continuance of an effect after the cause which first gave rise to it is removed; as: (a) (Physics)

Defn: The persistence of motion. (b) (Physiol.) Visual persistence, or persistence of the visual impression; auditory persistence, etc.

PERSISTENT Per*sist"ent, a. Etym: [L. persistens, -entis, p.pr. of persistere. See Persist.]

1. Inclined to persist; having staying qualities; tenacious of position or purpose.

2. (Biol.)

Defn: Remaining beyond the period when parts of the same kind sometimes fall off or are absorbed; permanent; as, persistent teeth or gills; a persistent calyx; -- opposed to deciduous, and caducous.

PERSISTENTLY Per*sist"ent*ly, adv.

Defn: In a persistent manner.

PERSISTING Per*sist"ing, a.

Defn: Inclined to persist; tenacious of purpose; persistent. -- Per*sist"ing*ly, adv.

PERSISTIVE Per*sist"ive, a.

Defn: See Persistent. Shak.

PERSOLVE Per*solve", v. t. Etym: [L. persolvere.]

Defn: To pay wholly, or fully. [Obs.] E. Hall.

PERSON Per"son, n. Etym: [OE. persone, persoun, person, parson, OF. persone, F. personne, L. persona a mask (used by actors), a personage, part, a person, fr. personare to sound through; per + sonare to sound. See Per-, and cf. Parson.]

1. A character or part, as in a play; a specific kind or manifestation of individual character, whether in real life, or in literary or dramatic representation; an assumed character. [Archaic] His first appearance upon the stage in his new person of a sycophant or juggler. Bacon. No man can long put on a person and act a part. Jer. Taylor. To bear rule, which was thy part And person, hadst thou known thyself aright. Milton. How different is the same man from himself, as he sustains the person of a magistrate and that of a friend! South.

2. The bodily form of a human being; body; outward appearance; as, of comely person. A fair persone, and strong, and young of age. Chaucer. If it assume my noble father's person. Shak. Love, sweetness, goodness, in her person shined. Milton.

3. , self-conscious being, as distinct from an animal or a thing; a moral agent; a human being; a man, woman, or child. Consider what person stands for; which, I think, is a thinking, intelligent being, that has reason and reflection. Locke.

4. A human being spoken of indefinitely; one; a man; as, any person present.

5. A parson; the parish priest. [Obs.] Chaucer.

6. (Theol.)

Defn: Among Trinitarians, one of the three subdivisions of the Godhead (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost); an hypostasis. "Three persons and one God." Bk. of Com. Prayer.

7. (Gram.)

Defn: One of three relations or conditions (that of speaking, that of being spoken to, and that of being spoken of) pertaining to a noun or a pronoun, and thence also to the verb of which it may be the subject.

Note: A noun or pronoun, when representing the speaker, is said to be in the first person; when representing what is spoken to, in the second person; when representing what is spoken of, in the third person.

8. (Biol.)

Defn: A shoot or bud of a plant; a polyp or zooid of the compound Hydrozoa Anthozoa, etc.; also, an individual, in the narrowest sense, among the higher animals. Haeckel. True corms, composed of united personæ . . . usually arise by gemmation, . . . yet in sponges and corals occasionally by fusion of several originally distinct persons. Encyc. Brit. Artificial, or Fictitious, person (Law), a corporation or body politic. blackstone. -- Natural person (Law), a man, woman, or child, in distinction from a corporation. -- In person, by one's self; with bodily presence; not by representative. "The king himself in person is set forth." Shak. -- In the person of, in the place of; acting for. Shak.

PERSON Per"son, v. t.

Defn: To represent as a person; to personify; to impersonate. [Obs.] Milton.

PERSONA Per*so"na, n.; pl. Personæ. Etym: [L.] (Biol.)

Defn: Same as Person, n., 8.

PERSONABLE Per"son*a*ble, a.

1. Having a well-formed body, or person; graceful; comely; of good appearance; presentable; as, a personable man or woman. Wise, warlike, personable, courteous, and kind. Spenser. The king, . . . so visited with sickness, was not personable. E. Hall.

2. (Law) (a) Enabled to maintain pleas in court. Cowell. (b) Having capacity to take anything granted.

PERSONAGE Per"son*age, n. Etym: [F. personnage.]

1. Form, appearance, or belongings of a person; the external appearance, stature, figure, air, and the like, of a person. "In personage stately." Hayward. The damsel well did view his personage. Spenser.

2. Character assumed or represented. "The actors and personages of this fable." Broome. "Disguised in a false personage." Addison.

3. A notable or distinguished person; a conspicious or peculiar character; as, an illustrious personage; a comely personage of stature tall. Spenser.

PERSONAL Per"son*al, a. Etym: [L. personalis: cf. F. personnel.]

1. Pertaining to human beings as distinct from things. Every man so termed by way of personal difference. Hooker.

2. Of or pertaining to a particular person; relating to, or affecting, an individual, or each of many individuals; peculiar or proper to private concerns; not public or general; as, personal comfort; personal desire. The words are conditional, -- If thou doest well, -- and so personal to Cain. Locke.

3. Pertaining to the external or bodily appearance; corporeal; as, personal charms. Addison.

4. Done in person; without the intervention of another. "Personal communication." Fabyan. The immediate and personal speaking of God. White.

5. Relating to an individual, his character, conduct, motives, or private affairs, in an invidious and offensive manner; as, personal reflections or remarks.

6. (Gram.)

Defn: Denoting person; as, a personal pronoun. Personal action (Law), a suit or action by which a man claims a debt or personal duty, or damages in lieu of it; or wherein he claims satisfaction in damages for an injury to his person or property, or the specific recovery of goods or chattels; -- opposed to real action. -- Personal equation. (Astron.) See under Equation. -- Personal estate or property (Law), movables; chattels; -- opposed to real estate or property. It usually consists of things temporary and movable, including all subjects of property not of a freehold nature. -- Personal identity (Metaph.), the persistent and continuous unity of the individual person, which is attested by consciousness. -- Personal pronoun (Gram.), one of the pronouns I, thou, he, she, it, and their plurals. -- Personal representatives (Law), the executors or administrators of a person deceased. -- Personal rights, rights appertaining to the person; as, the rights of a personal security, personal liberty, and private property. -- Personal tithes. See under Tithe. -- Personal verb (Gram.), a verb which is modified or inflected to correspond with the three persons.

PERSONAL Per"son*al, n. (Law)

Defn: A movable; a chattel.

PERSONALISM Per"son*al*ism, n.

Defn: The quality or state of being personal; personality. [R.]

PERSONALITY Per`son*al"i*ty, n.; pl. Personalities. Etym: [Cf. F. personnalité. Cf. Personality.]

1. That which constitutes distinction of person; individuality. Personality is individuality existing in itself, but with a nature as a ground. Coleridge.

2. Something said or written which refers to the person, conduct, etc., of some individual, especially something of a disparaging or offensive nature; personal remarks; as, indulgence in personalities. Sharp personalities were exchanged. Macaulay.

3. (Law)

Defn: That quality of a law which concerns the condition, state, and capacity of persons. Burrill.

PERSONALIZE Per"son*al*ize, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Personalized; p. pr. & vb. n. Personalizing.]

Defn: To make personal. "They personalize death." H. Spencer.

PERSONALLY Per"son*al*ly, adv.

1. In a personal manner; by bodily presence; in person; not by representative or substitute; as, to deliver a letter personally. He, being cited, personally came not. Grafton.

2. With respect to an individual; as regards the person; individually; particularly. She bore a mortal hatred to the house of Lancaster, and personally to the king. Bacon.

3. With respect to one's individuality; as regards one's self; as, personally I have no feeling in the matter.

PERSONALTY Per"son*al*ty, n.

1. The state of being a person; personality. [R.]

2. (Law)

Defn: Personal property, as distinguished from realty or real property.

PERSONATE Per"son*ate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Personated; p. pr. & vb. n. Personating.] Etym: [L. personare to cry out, LL., to extol. See Person.]

Defn: To celebrate loudly; to extol; to praise. [Obs.] In fable, hymn, or song so personating Their gods ridiculous. Milton.

PERSONATE Per"son*ate, v. t. Etym: [L. personatus masked, assumed, fictitious, fr. persona a mask. See Person.]

1. To assume the character of; to represent by a fictitious appearance; to act the part of; hence, to counterfeit; to feign; as, he tried to personate his brother; a personated devotion. Hammond.

2. To set forth in an unreal character; to disguise; to mask. [R.] "A personated mate." Milton.

3. To personify; to typify; to describe. Shak.

PERSONATE Per"son*ate, v. i.

Defn: To play or assume a character.

PERSONATE Per"son*ate, a. Etym: [L. personatus masked.] (Bot.)

Defn: Having the throat of a bilabiate corolla nearly closed by a projection of the base of the lower lip; masked, as in the flower of the snapdragon.

PERSONATION Per`son*a"tion, n.

Defn: The act of personating, or conterfeiting the person or character of another.

PERSONATOR Per"son*a`tor, n.

Defn: One who personates. "The personators of these actions." B. Jonson.

PERSONEITY Per`son*e"i*ty, n.

Defn: Personality. [R.] Coleridge.

PERSONIFICATION Per*son`i*fi*ca"tion, n. Etym: [Cf. F. personnification.]

1. The act of personifying; impersonation; embodiment. C. Knight.

2. (Rhet.)

Defn: A figure of speech in which an inanimate object or abstract idea is represented as animated, or endowed with personality; prosopopas, the floods clap their hands. "Confusion heards his voice." Milton.

PERSONIFIER Per*son"i*fi`er, n.

Defn: One who personifies.

PERSONIFY Per*son"i*fy, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Personified; p. pr. & vb. n. Personifying.] Etym: [Person + -fy: cf. F. personnifier.]

1. To regard, treat, or represent as a person; to represent as a rational being. The poets take the liberty of personifying inanimate things. Chesterfield.

2. To be the embodiment or personification of; to impersonate; as, he personifies the law.

PERSONIZE Per"son*ize, v. t.

Defn: To personify. [R.] Milton has personized them. J. Richardson.

PERSONNEL Per`son`nel", n. Etym: [F. See Personal.]

Defn: The body of persons employed in some public service, as the army, navy, etc.; -- distinguished from matériel.

PERSPECTIVE Per*spec"tive, a. Etym: [L. perspicere, perspectum, to look through; per + spicere, specere, to look: cf. F. perspectif; or from E. perspective, n. See Spy, n.]

1. Of or pertaining to the science of vision; optical. [Obs.] Bacon.

2. Pertaining to the art, or in accordance with the laws, of perspective. Perspective plane, the plane or surface on which the objects are delineated, or the picture drawn; the plane of projection; -- distinguished from the ground plane, which is that on which the objects are represented as standing. When this plane is oblique to the principal face of the object, the perspective is called oblique perspective; when parallel to that face, parallel perspective. -- Perspective shell (Zoöl.), any shell of the genus Solarium and allied genera. See Solarium.

PERSPECTIVE Per*spec"tive, n. Etym: [F. perspective, fr. perspectif: cf. It. perspettiva. See Perspective, a.]

1. A glass through which objects are viewed. [Obs.] "Not a perspective, but a mirror." Sir T. Browne.

2. That which is seen through an opening; a view; a vista. "The perspective of life." Goldsmith.

3. The effect of distance upon the appearance of objects, by means of which the eye recognized them as being at a more or less measurable distance. Hence, aërial perspective, the assumed greater vagueness or uncertainty of outline in distant objects. Aërial perspective is the expression of space by any means whatsoever, sharpness of edge, vividness of color, etc. Ruskin.

4. The art and the science of so delineating objects that they shall seem to grow smaller as they recede from the eye; -- called also linear perspective.

5. A drawing in linear perspective. Isometrical perspective, an inaccurate term for a mechanical way of representing objects in the direction of the diagonal of a cube. -- Perspective glass, a telescope which shows objects in the right position.

PERSPECTIVELY Per*spec"tive*ly, adv.

1. Optically; as through a glass. [R.] You see them perspectively. Shak.

2. According to the rules of perspective.

PERSPECTOGRAPH Per*spec"to*graph, n. Etym: [L. perspectus (p.p. of perspicere to look through) + -graph.]

Defn: An instrument for obtaining, and transferring to a picture, the points and outlines of objects, so as to represent them in their proper geometrical relations as viewed from some one point.

PERSPECTOGRAPHY Per`spec*tog"ra*phy, n.

Defn: The science or art of delineating objects according to the laws of perspective; the theory of perspective.

PERSPICABLE Per"spi*ca*ble, a. Etym: [L. perspicabilis, fr. perspicere.]

Defn: Discernible. [Obs.] Herbert.

PERSPICACIOUS Per`spi*ca"cious, a. Etym: [L. perspicax, -acis, fr. perspicere to look through: cf. F. perspicace. See Perspective.]

1. Having the power of seeing clearly; quick-sighted; sharp of sight.

2. Fig.: Of acute discernment; keen. -- Per`spi*ca"cious*ly, adv. -- Per`spi*ca"cious*ness, n.

PERSPICACITY Per`spi*cac"i*ty, n. Etym: [L. perspicacitas: cf. F. perspicacité. See Perspicacious.]

Defn: The state of being perspicacious; acuteness of sight or of intelligence; acute discernment. Sir T. Browne.

PERSPICACY Per"spi*ca*cy, n.

Defn: Perspicacity. [Obs.]

PERSPICIENCE Per*spi"cience, n. Etym: [L. perspicientia, fr. perspiciens, p.p. of perspicere. See Perspective.]

Defn: The act of looking sharply. [Obs.] Bailey.

PERSPICIL Per"spi*cil, n. Etym: [LL. perspicilla, fr. L. perspicere to look through.]

Defn: An optical glass; a telescope. [Obs.] Crashaw.

PERSPICUITY Per`spi*cu"i*ty, n. Etym: [L. perspicuitas: cf. F. perspicuité.]

1. The quality or state of being transparent or translucent. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.

2. The quality of being perspicuous to the understanding; clearness of expression or thought.

3. Sagacity; perspicacity.

Syn. -- Clearness; perspicuousness; plainness; distinctness; lucidity; transparency. See Clearness.

PERSPICUOUS Per*spic"u*ous, a. Etym: [L. perspicuus, from perspicere to look through. See Perspective.]

1. Capable of being through; transparent; translucent; not opaque. [Obs.] Peacham.

2. Clear to the understanding; capable of being clearly understood; clear in thought or in expression; not obscure or ambiguous; as, a perspicuous writer; perspicuous statements. "The purpose is perspicuous." Shak. -- Per*spic"u*ous*ly, adv. -- Per*spic"u*ous*ness, n.

PERSPIRABILITY Per*spir`a*bil"i*ty, n.

Defn: The quality or state of being perspirable.

PERSPIRABLE Per*spir"a*ble, a. Etym: [Cf. F. perspirable.]

1. Capable of being perspired. Sir T. Browne.

2. Emitting perspiration; perspiring. [R.] Bacon.

PERSPIRATION Per`spi*ra"tion, n. Etym: [Cf. F. perspiration.]

1. The act or process of perspiring.

2. That which is excreted through the skin; sweat.

Note: A man of average weight throws off through the skin during 24 hours about 18 ounces of water, 300 grains of solid matter, and 400 grains of carbonic acid gas. Ordinarily, this constant exhalation is not apparent, and the excretion is then termed insensible perspiration.

PERSPIRATIVE Per*spir"a*tive, a.

Defn: Performing the act of perspiration; perspiratory.

PERSPIRATORY Per*spir"a*to*ry, a.

Defn: Of, pertaining to, or producing, perspiration; as, the perspiratory ducts.

PERSPIRE Per*spire", v. i. [imp. & p. p. Perspired; p. pr. & vb. n. Perspiring.] Etym: [L. perspirare to breathe through; per + spirare. See Per-, and Spirit.]

1. (Physiol.)

Defn: To excrete matter through the skin; esp., to excrete fluids through the pores of the skin; to sweat.

2. To be evacuated or excreted, or to exude, through the pores of the skin; as, a fluid perspires.

PERSPIRE Per*spire", v. t.

Defn: To emit or evacuate through the pores of the skin; to sweat; to excrete through pores. Firs . . . perspire a fine balsam of turpentine. Smollett.

PERSTREPEROUS Per*strep"er*ous, a. Etym: [L. perstrepere to make a great noise.]

Defn: Noisy; obstreperous. [Obs.] Ford.

PERSTRINGE Per*stringe", v. t. Etym: [L. perstringere; per + stringere to bind up, to touch upon.]

1. To touch; to graze; to glance on. [Obs.]

2. To criticise; to touch upon. [R.] Evelyn.

PERSUADABLE Per*suad"a*ble, a.

Defn: That may be persuaded. -- Per*suad"a*ble*ness, n. -- Per*suad"a*bly, adv.

PERSUADE Per*suade", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Persuaded; p. pr. & vb. n. Persuading.] Etym: [L. persuadere, persuasum; per + suadere to advise, persuade: cf. F. persuader. See Per-, and Suasion.]

1. To influence or gain over by argument, advice, entreaty, expostulation, etc.; to draw or incline to a determination by presenting sufficient motives. Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. Acts xxvi. 28. We will persuade him, be it possible. Shak.

2. To try to influence. [Obsolescent] Hearken not unto Hezekiah, when he persuadeth you. 2 Kings xviii. 32.

3. To convince by argument, or by reasons offered or suggested from reflection, etc.; to cause to believe. Beloved, we are persuaded better things of you. Heb. vi. 9.

4. To inculcate by argument or expostulation; to advise; to recommend. Jer. Taylor.

Syn. -- To convince; induce; prevail on; win over; allure; entice. See Convince.

PERSUADE Per*suade", v. i.

Defn: To use persuasion; to plead; to prevail by persuasion. Shak.

PERSUADE Per*suade", n.

Defn: Persuasion. [Obs.] Beau. & Fl.

PERSUADED Per*suad"ed, p. p. & a.

Defn: Prevailed upon; influenced by argument or entreaty; convinced. -- Per*suad"ed*ly, adv. -- Per*suad"ed*ness, n.

PERSUADER Per*suad"er, n.

Defn: One who, or that which, persuades or influences. "Powerful persuaders." Milton.

PERSUASIBILITY Per*sua`si*bil"i*ty, n.

Defn: Capability of being persuaded. Hawthorne.

PERSUASIBLE Per*sua"si*ble, a. Etym: [Cf. L. persuasibilis persuasive, F. persuasible persuasible.]

1. Capable of being persuaded; persuadable.

2. Persuasive. [Obs.] Bale. -- Per*sua"si*ble*ness, n. -- Per*sua"si*bly, adv.

PERSUASION Per*sua"sion, n. Etym: [L. persuasio; Cf. F. persuasion.]

1. The act of persuading; the act of influencing the mind by arguments or reasons offered, or by anything that moves the mind or passions, or inclines the will to a determination. For thou hast all the arts of fine persuasion. Otway.

2. The state of being persuaded or convinced; settled opinion or conviction, which has been induced. If the general persuasion of all men does so account it. Hooker. My firm persuasion is, at least sometimes, That Heaven will weigh man's virtues and his crimes With nice attention. Cowper.

3. A creed or belief; a sect or party adhering to a certain creed or system of opinions; as, of the same persuasion; all persuasions are agreed. Of whatever state or persuasion, religious or political. Jefferson.

4. The power or quality of persuading; persuasiveness. Is 't possible that my deserts to you Can lack persuasion Shak.

5. That which persuades; a persuasive. [R.]

Syn. -- See Conviction.

PERSUASIVE Per*sua"sive, a. Etym: [Cf. F. persuasif.]

Defn: Tending to persuade; having the power of persuading; as, persuasive eloquence. "Persuasive words." Milton.

PERSUASIVE Per*sua"sive, n.

Defn: That which persuades; an inducement; an incitement; an exhortation. -- Per*sua"sive*ly, adv. -- Per*sua"sive*ness, n.

PERSUASORY Per*sua"so*ry, a.

Defn: Persuasive. Sir T. Browne.

PERSULPHATE Per*sul"phate, n. (Chem.)

Defn: A sulphate of the peroxide of any base. [R.]

PERSULPHIDE Per*sul"phide, n. (Chem.)

Defn: A sulphide containing more sulphur than some other compound of the same elements; as, iron pyrites is a persulphide; -- formerly called persulphuret.

PERSULPHOCYANATE Per*sul`pho*cy"a*nate, n. (Chem.)

Defn: A salt of persulphocyanic acid. [R.]

PERSULPHOCYANIC Per*sul`pho*cy*an"ic, a. (Chem.)

Defn: Pertaining to, or designating, a yellow crystalline substance (called also perthiocyanic acid), analogous to sulphocyanic acid, but containing more sulphur.

PERSULPHOCYANOGEN Per*sul`pho*cy*an"o*gen, n. (Chem.)

Defn: An orange-yellow substance, produced by the action of chlorine or boiling dilute nitric acid and sulphocyanate of potassium; -- called also pseudosulphocyanogen, perthiocyanogen, and formerly sulphocyanogen.

PERSULPHURET Per*sul"phu*ret, n. (Chem.)

Defn: A persulphide. [Obs.]

PERT Pert, a. Etym: [An aphetic form of OE. & OF. apert open, known, true, free, or impudent. See Apert.]

1. Open; evident; apert. [Obs.] Piers Plowman.

2. Lively; brisk; sprightly; smart. [Obs.] Shak.

3. Indecorously free, or presuming; saucy; bold; impertinent. "A very pert manner." Addison. The squirrel, flippant, pert, and full of play. Cowper.

PERT Pert, v. i.

Defn: To behave with pertness. [Obs.] Gauden.

PERTAIN Per*tain", v. i. [imp. & p. p. Pertained; p. pr. & vb. n. Pertaining.] Etym: [OE. partenen, OF. partenir, fr. L. pertinere to stretch out, reach, pertain; per + tenere to hold, keep. See Per-, and Tenable, and cf. Appertain, Pertinent.]

1. To belong; to have connection with, or dependence on, something, as an appurtenance, attribute, etc.; to appertain; as, saltness pertains to the ocean; flowers pertain to plant life. Men hate those who affect that honor by ambition which pertaineth not to them. Hayward.

2. To have relation or reference to something. These words pertain unto us at this time as they pertained to them at their time. Latimer.

PERTEREBRATION Per*ter`e*bra"tion, n. Etym: [L. perterebratus, p.p. of perterebrare to bore through.]

Defn: The act of boring through. [Obs.] Ainsworth.

PERTHIOCYANOGEN Per*thi`o*cy*an"o*gen, n. (Chem.)

Defn: Same as Persulphocyanogen.

PERTHITE Perth"ite, n. Etym: [So called from Perth, in canada.] (Min.)

Defn: A kind of feldspar consisting of a laminated intertexture of albite and orthoclase, usually of different colors. -- Per*thit"ic, a.

PERTINACIOUS Per`ti*na"cious, a.Etym: [L. pertinax, -acis; per + tenax tenacious. See Per-, and Tenacious.]

1. Holding or adhering to any opinion, purpose, or design, with obstinacy; perversely persistent; obstinate; as, pertinacious plotters; a pertinacious beggar.

2. Resolute; persevering; constant; steady. Diligence is a steady, constant, and pertinacious study. South.

Syn. -- Obstinate; stubborn; inflexible; unyielding; resolute; determined; firm; constant; steady. -- Per`ti*na"cious*ly, adv. -- Per`ti*na"cious*ness, n.

PERTINACITY Per`ti*nac"i*ty, n. Etym: [Cf. F. pertinacité.]

Defn: The quality or state of being pertinacious; obstinacy; perseverance; persistency. Macaulay.

Syn. -- See Obstinacy.

PERTINACY Per"ti*na*cy, n. Etym: [L. pertinere to pertain. See Pertinence.]

Defn: The quality or state of being pertinent; pertinence. [Obs.]

PERTINACY Per"ti*na*cy, n. Etym: [L. pertinacia, fr. pertinax. See Pertinacious.]

Defn: Pertinacity. [Obs.] Chaucer.

PERTINATE Per"ti*nate, a.

Defn: Pertinacious. [Obs.]

PERTINATELY Per"ti*nate*ly, adv.

Defn: Pertinaciously. [Obs.]

PERTINENCE; PERTINENCY Per"ti*nence, Per"ti*nen*cy, n. Etym: [Cf. F. pertinence. See Pertinent.]

Defn: The quality or state of being pertinent; justness of relation to the subject or matter in hand; fitness; appositeness; relevancy; suitableness. The fitness and pertinency of the apostle's discourse. Bentley.

PERTINENT Per"ti*nent, a. Etym: [L. pertinens, -entis, p.pr. of pertinere: cf. F. pertinent. See Pertain.]

1. Belonging or related to the subject or matter in hand; fit or appropriate in any way; adapted to the end proposed; apposite; material; relevant; as, pertinent illustrations or arguments; pertinent evidence.

2. Regarding; concerning; belonging; pertaining. [R.] "Pertinent unto faith." Hooker.

Syn. -- Apposite; relevant; suitable; appropriate; fit. -- Per"ti*nent*ly, adv. -- Per"ti*nent*ness, n.

PERTLY Pert"ly, adv.

Defn: In a pert manner.

PERTNESS Pert"ness, n.

Defn: The quality or state of being pert.

PERTRANSIENT Per*tran"sient, a. Etym: [L. pertransiens, p.pr. of pertransire.]

Defn: Passing through or over. [R.]

PERTURB Per*turb", v. t. Etym: [L. perturbare, perturbatum; per + turbare to disturb, fr. turba a disorder: cf. OF. perturber. See Per-, and Turbid.]

1. To disturb; to agitate; to vex; to trouble; to disquiet. Ye that . . . perturb so my feast with crying. Chaucer.

2. To disorder; to confuse. [R.] Sir T. Browne.

PERTURBABILITY Per*turb`a*bil"i*ty, n.

Defn: The quality or state of being perturbable.

PERTURBABLE Per*turb"a*ble, a.

Defn: Liable to be perturbed or agitated; liable to be disturbed or disquieted.

PERTURBANCE Per*turb"ance, n.

Defn: Disturbance; perturbation. [R.] "Perturbance of the mind." Sharp.

PERTURBATE Per"tur*bate, v. t. Etym: [From L. perturbatus, p.p.]

Defn: To perturb. [Obs.] Dr. H. More.

PERTURBATE Per"tur*bate, a.

Defn: Perturbed; agitated. [R.]

PERTURBATION Per`tur*ba"tion, n. Etym: [L. perturbatio: cf. F. perturbation.]

1. The act of perturbing, or the state of being perturbed; esp., agitation of mind.

2. (Astron.)

Defn: A disturbance in the regular elliptic or other motion of a heavenly body, produced by some force additional to that which causes its regular motion; as, the perturbations of the planets are caused by their attraction on each other. Newcomb.

PERTURBATIONAL Per`tur*ba"tion*al, a.

Defn: Of or pertaining to perturbation, esp. to the perturbations of the planets. "The perturbational theory." Sir J. Herschel.

PERTURBATIVE Per"tur*ba*tive, a.

Defn: Tending to cause perturbation; disturbing. Sir J. Herschel.

PERTURBATOR Per"tur*ba`tor, n.

Defn: A perturber. [R.]

PERTURBED Per*turbed", a.

Defn: Agitated; disturbed; troubled. Shak. -- Per*turb"ed*ly, adv.

PERTURBER Per*turb"er, n.

Defn: One who, or that which, perturbs, or cause perturbation.

PERTUSATE Per*tus"ate, a. Etym: [See Pertuse.] (Bot.)

Defn: Pierced at the apex.

PERTUSE; PERTUSED Per*tuse", Per*tused", a. Etym: [L. pertusus, p.p. of pertundere to beat or thrust through, to bore through; per + tundere to beat: cf. F. pertus. Cf. Pierce.]

Defn: Punched; pierced with, or having, holes.

PERTUSION Per*tu"sion, n. Etym: [L. pertusio.]

Defn: The act of punching or piercing with a pointed instrument; as, pertusion of a vein. [R.] Arbuthnot.

2. A punched hole; a perforation. Bacon.

PERTUSSIS Per*tus"sis, n. Etym: [NL., fr. L. per through, very + tussis cough.] (Med.)

Defn: The whooping cough.

PERUKE Per"uke, n. Etym: [F. perruque, It. perrucca, parrucca, fr. L. pilus hair. Cf. Periwig, Wig, Peel to strip off, Plush, Pile a hair.]

Defn: A wig; a periwig.

PERUKE Per"uke, v. t.

Defn: To dress with a peruke. [R.]

PERULA Per"u*la, n.; pl. Perulæ. Etym: [L., dim. of pera wallet, Gr. pérule.]

1. (Bot.)

Defn: One of the scales of a leaf bud.

2. (Bot.)

Defn: A pouchlike portion of the perianth in certain orchides.

PERULE Per"ule, n.

Defn: Same as Perula.

PERUSAL Pe*rus"al, n. Etym: [From Peruse.]

1. The act of carefully viewing or examining. [R.] Tatler.

2. The act of reading, especially of reading through or with care. Woodward.

PERUSE Pe*ruse", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Perused; p. pr. & vb. n. Perusing.] Etym: [Pref. per- + use.]

1. To observe; to examine with care. [R.] Myself I then perused, and limb by limb Surveyed. Milton.

2. To read through; to read carefully. Shak.

PERUSER Pe*rus"er, n.

Defn: One who peruses.

PERUVIAN Pe*ru"vi*an, a. Etym: [Cf. F. péruvien, Sp. peruviano.]

Defn: Of or pertaining to Peru, in South America. -- n.

Defn: A native or an inhabitant of Peru. Peruvian balsam. See Balsam of Peru, under Balsam. -- Peruvian bark, the bitter bark of trees of various species of Cinchona. It acts as a powerful tonic, and is a remedy for malarial diseases. This property is due to several alkaloids, as quinine, cinchonine, etc., and their compounds; -- called also Jesuit's bark, and cinchona. See Cinchona.

PERVADE Per*vade", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pervaded; p. pr. & vb. n. Pervading.] Etym: [L. pervadere, pervasum; per + vadere to go, to walk. See Per-, and Wade.]

1. To pass or flow through, as an aperture, pore, or interstice; to permeate. That labyrinth is easily pervaded. Blackstone.

2. To pass or spread through the whole extent of; to be diffused throughout. A spirit of cabal, intrigue, and proselytism pervaded all their thoughts, words, and actions. Burke.

PERVASION Per*va"sion, n. Etym: [L. pervasio. See Pervade.]

Defn: The act of pervading, passing, or spreading through the whole extent of a thing. Boyle.

PERVASIVE Per*va"sive, a.

Defn: Tending to pervade, or having power to spread throughout; of a pervading quality. "Civilization pervasive and general." M. Arnold.

PERVERSE Per*verse", a. Etym: [L. perversus turned the wrong way, not right, p.p. of pervertereto turn around, to overturn: cf. F. pervers. See Pervert.]

1. Turned aside; hence, specifically, turned away from the right; willfully erring; wicked; perverted. The only righteous in a word perverse. Milton.

2. Obstinate in the wrong; stubborn; intractable; hence, wayward; vexing; contrary. To so perverse a sex all grace is vain. Dryden.

Syn. -- Froward; untoward; wayward; stubborn; ungovernable; intractable; cross; petulant; vexatious. -- Perverse, Froward. One who is froward is capricious, and reluctant to obey. One who is perverse has a settled obstinacy of will, and likes or dislikes by the rule of contradiction to the will of others.

PERVERSED Per*versed", a.

Defn: Turned aside. [Obs.]

PERVERSEDLY Per*vers"ed*ly, adv.

Defn: Perversely. [Obs.]

PERVERSELY Per*verse"ly, adv.

Defn: In a perverse manner.

PERVERSENESS Per*verse"ness, n.

Defn: The quality or state of being perverse. "Virtue hath some perverseness." Donne.

PERVERSION Per*ver"sion, n. Etym: [L. perversio: cf. F. perversion. See Pervert.]