Webster's Unabridged Dictionary - Letter P - Page 41

Performance (n.) That which is performed or accomplished; a thing done or carried through; an achievement; a deed; an act; a feat; esp., an action of an elaborate or public character.

Performer (n.) One who performs, accomplishes, or fulfills; as, a good promiser, but a bad performer; especially, one who shows skill and training in any art; as, a performer of the drama; a performer on the harp.

Perfricate (v. t.) To rub over.

Perfumatory (a.) Emitting perfume; perfuming.

Perfumed (imp. & p. p.) of Perfume

Perfuming (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Perfume

Perfume (v. t.) To fill or impregnate with a perfume; to scent.

Perfume (v.) The scent, odor, or odoriferous particles emitted from a sweet-smelling substance; a pleasant odor; fragrance; aroma.

Perfume (v.) A substance that emits an agreeable odor.

Perfumer (n.) One who, oe that which, perfumes.

Perfumer (n.) One whose trade is to make or sell perfumes.

Perfumery (n.) Perfumes, in general.

Perfumery (n.) The art of preparing perfumes.

Perfunctorily (adv.) In a perfunctory manner; formally; carelessly.

Perfunctoriness (n.) The quality or state of being perfunctory.

Perfunctory (a.) Done merely to get rid of a duty; performed mechanically and as a thing of rote; done in a careless and superficial manner; characterized by indifference; as, perfunctory admonitions.

Perfunctory (a.) Hence: Mechanical; indifferent; listless; careless.

Perfuncturate (v. t.) To perform in a perfunctory manner; to do negligently.

Perfused (imp. & p. p.) of Perfuse

Perfusing (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Perfuse

Perfuse (v. t.) To suffuse; to fill full or to excess.

Perfusion (n.) The act of perfusing.

Perfusive (a.) Of a nature to flow over, or to spread through.

Pergamenous (a.) Alt. of Pergamentaceous

Pergamentaceous (a.) Like parchment.

Perhaps (adv.) By chance; peradventure; perchance; it may be.

Peri- () A prefix used to signify around, by, near, over, beyond, or to give an intensive sense; as, perimeter, the measure around; perigee, point near the earth; periergy, work beyond what is needed; perispherical, quite spherical.

Peris (pl. ) of Peri

Peri (n.) An imaginary being, male or female, like an elf or fairy, represented as a descendant of fallen angels, excluded from paradise till penance is accomplished.

Periagua (n.) See Pirogue.

Perianth (n.) The leaves of a flower generally, especially when the calyx and corolla are not readily distinguished.

Perianth (n.) A saclike involucre which incloses the young fruit in most hepatic mosses. See Illust. of Hepatica.

Perianthium (n.) The perianth.

Periapt (n.) A charm worn as a protection against disease or mischief; an amulet.

Periastral (a.) Among or around the stars.

Periastron (n.) That point, in the real or apparent orbit of one star revolving around another, at which the former is nearest to the latter.

Periauger (n.) See Pirogue.

Periblast (a.) The protoplasmic matter which surrounds the entoblast, or cell nucleus, and undergoes segmentation.

Periblem (n.) Nascent cortex, or immature cellular bark.

Peribolos (n.) In ancient architecture, an inclosed court, esp., one surrounding a temple.

Peribranchial (a.) Surrounding the branchiae; as, a peribranchial cavity.

Peribranchial (a.) Around the bronchi or bronchial tubes; as, the peribronchial lymphatics.

Pericambium (n.) A layer of thin-walled young cells in a growing stem, in which layer certain new vessels originate.

Pericardiac (a.) Alt. of Pericardial

Pericardial (a.) Of or pertaining to pericardium; situated around the heart.

Pericardian (a.) Pericardiac.

Pericardic (a.) Pericardiac.

Pericarditus (n.) Inflammation of the pericardium.

Pericardium (n.) The double baglike fold of serous membrane which incloses the heart.

Pericarp (n.) The ripened ovary; the walls of the fruit. See Illusts. of Capsule, Drupe, and Legume.

Pericarpial (a.) Alt. of Pericarpic

Pericarpic (a.) Of or pertaining to a pericarp.

Pericellular (a.) Surrounding a cell; as, the pericellular lymph spaces surrounding ganglion cells.

Perichaeth (n.) The leafy involucre surrounding the fruit stalk of mosses; perichaetium; perichete.

Perichaetial (a.) Of or pertaining to the perichaeth.

Perichaetia (pl. ) of Perichaetium

Perichaetium (n.) Same as Perichaeth.

Perichaetous (a.) Surrounded by setae; -- said of certain earthworms (genus Perichaetus).

Perichete (n.) Same as Perichaeth.

Perichondrial (a.) Of or pertaining to the perichondrium; situated around cartilage.

Perichondritis (n.) Inflammation of the perichondrium.

Perichondrium (n.) The membrane of fibrous connective tissue which closely invests cartilage, except where covering articular surfaces.

Perichordal (a.) Around the notochord; as, a perichordal column. See Epichordal.

Periclase (n.) Alt. of Periclasite

Periclasite (n.) A grayish or dark green mineral, consisting essentially of magnesia (magnesium oxide), occurring in granular forms or in isometric crystals.

Periclinia (pl. ) of Periclinium

Periclinium (n.) The involucre which surrounds the common receptacle in composite flowers.

Periclitate (v. t.) To endanger.

Periclitation (n.) Trial; experiment.

Periclitation (n.) The state of being in peril.

Pericope (n.) A selection or extract from a book; especially (Theol.), a selection from the Bible, appointed to be read in the churches or used as a text for a sermon.

Pericranial (a.) Of or pertaining to the pericranium.

Pericranium (n.) The periosteum which covers the cranium externally; the region around the cranium.

Periculous (a.) Dangerous; full of peril.

Pericula (pl. ) of Periculum

Periculum (n.) Danger; risk.

Periculum (n.) In a narrower, judicial sense: Accident or casus, as distinguished from dolus and culpa, and hence relieving one from the duty of performing an obligation.

Periderm (n.) The outer layer of bark.

Periderm (n.) The hard outer covering of hydroids and other marine animals; the perisarc.

Peridiastole (n.) The almost inappreciable time which elapses between the systole and the diastole of the heart.

Peridia (pl. ) of Peridium

Peridium (n.) The envelope or coat of certain fungi, such as the puffballs and earthstars.

Peridot (n.) Chrysolite.

Peridotite (n.) An eruptive rock characterized by the presence of chrysolite (peridot). It also usually contains pyroxene, enstatite, chromite, etc. It is often altered to serpentine.

Peridrome (n.) The space between the columns and the wall of the cella, in a Greek or a Roman temple.

Periecians (n. pl.) See Perioecians.

Perienteron (n.) The primitive perivisceral cavity.

Periergy (n.) Excessive care or diligence.

Periergy (n.) A bombastic or labored style.

Periganglionic (a.) Surrounding a ganglion; as, the periganglionic glands of the frog.

Perigastric (a.) Surrounding the stomach; -- applied to the body cavity of Bryozoa and various other Invertebrata.

Perigean (a.) Pertaining to the perigee.

Perigee (n.) Alt. of Perigeum

Perigeum (n.) That point in the orbit of the moon which is nearest to the earth; -- opposed to apogee. It is sometimes, but rarely, used of the nearest points of other orbits, as of a comet, a planet, etc. Called also epigee, epigeum.

Perigenesis (n.) A theory which explains inheritance by the transmission of the type of growth force possessed by one generation to another.

Perigenetic (a.) Of or pertaining to perigenesis.

Perigone (n.) Any organ inclosing the essential organs of a flower; a perianth.

Perigone (n.) In mosses, the involucral bracts of a male flower.

Perigone (n.) A sac which surrounds the generative bodies in the gonophore of a hydroid.

Perigonia (pl. ) of Perigonium

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