Webster's Unabridged Dictionary - Letter P - Page 87

Polarization (n.) A peculiar affection or condition of the rays of light or heat, in consequence of which they exhibit different properties in different directions.

Polarization (n.) An effect produced upon the plates of a voltaic battery, or the electrodes in an electrolytic cell, by the deposition upon them of the gases liberated by the action of the current. It is chiefly due to the hydrogen, and results in an increase of the resistance, and the setting up of an opposing electro-motive force, both of which tend materially to weaken the current of the battery, or that passing through the cell.

Polarized (imp. & p. p.) of Polarize

Polarizing (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Polarize

Polarize (v. t.) To communicate polarity to.

Polarizer (n.) That which polarizes; especially, the part of a polariscope which receives and polarizes the light. It is usually a reflecting plate, or a plate of some crystal, as tourmaline, or a doubly refracting crystal.

Polary (a.) Tending to a pole; having a direction toward a pole.

Polatouche (n.) A flying squirrel (Sciuropterus volans) native of Northern Europe and Siberia; -- called also minene.

Polder (n.) A tract of low land reclaimed from the sea by of high embankments.

Poldway (n.) A kind of coarse bagging, -- used for coal sacks.

Pole (n.) A native or inhabitant of Poland; a Polander.

Pole (n.) A long, slender piece of wood; a tall, slender piece of timber; the stem of a small tree whose branches have been removed; as, specifically: (a) A carriage pole, a wooden bar extending from the front axle of a carriage between the wheel horses, by which the carriage is guided and held back. (b) A flag pole, a pole on which a flag is supported. (c) A Maypole. See Maypole. (d) A barber's pole, a pole painted in stripes, used as a sign by barbers and hairdressers. (e) A pole on which climbing beans, hops, or other vines, are trained.

Pole (n.) A measuring stick; also, a measure of length equal to 5/ yards, or a square measure equal to 30/ square yards; a rod; a perch.

Poled (imp. & p. p.) of Pole

Poling (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Pole

Pole (v. t.) To furnish with poles for support; as, to pole beans or hops.

Pole (v. t.) To convey on poles; as, to pole hay into a barn.

Pole (v. t.) To impel by a pole or poles, as a boat.

Pole (v. t.) To stir, as molten glass, with a pole.

Pole (n.) Either extremity of an axis of a sphere; especially, one of the extremities of the earth's axis; as, the north pole.

Pole (n.) A point upon the surface of a sphere equally distant from every part of the circumference of a great circle; or the point in which a diameter of the sphere perpendicular to the plane of such circle meets the surface. Such a point is called the pole of that circle; as, the pole of the horizon; the pole of the ecliptic; the pole of a given meridian.

Pole (n.) One of the opposite or contrasted parts or directions in which a polar force is manifested; a point of maximum intensity of a force which has two such points, or which has polarity; as, the poles of a magnet; the north pole of a needle.

Pole (n.) The firmament; the sky.

Pole (n.) See Polarity, and Polar, n.

Poleax (n.) Alt. of Poleaxe

Poleaxe (n.) Anciently, a kind of battle-ax with a long handle; later, an ax or hatchet with a short handle, and a head variously patterned; -- used by soldiers, and also by sailors in boarding a vessel.

Polecat (n.) A small European carnivore of the Weasel family (Putorius foetidus). Its scent glands secrete a substance of an exceedingly disagreeable odor. Called also fitchet, foulmart, and European ferret.

Polecat (n.) The zorilla. The name is also applied to other allied species.

Poledavy (n.) A sort of coarse canvas; poldway.

Poleless (a.) Without a pole; as, a poleless chariot.

Polemarch (n.) In Athens, originally, the military commanderin-chief; but, afterward, a civil magistrate who had jurisdiction in respect of strangers and sojourners. In other Grecian cities, a high military and civil officer.

Polemic (a.) Of or pertaining to controversy; maintaining, or involving, controversy; controversial; disputative; as, a polemic discourse or essay; polemic theology.

Polemic (a.) Engaged in, or addicted to, polemics, or to controversy; disputations; as, a polemic writer.

Polemic (n.) One who writes in support of one opinion, doctrine, or system, in opposition to another; one skilled in polemics; a controversialist; a disputant.

Polemic (n.) A polemic argument or controversy.

Polemical (a.) Polemic; controversial; disputatious.

Polemicist (n.) A polemic.

Polemics (n.) The art or practice of disputation or controversy, especially on religious subjects; that branch of theological science which pertains to the history or conduct of ecclesiastical controversy.

Polemist (n.) A polemic.

Polemoniaceous (a.) Of or pertaining to a natural order of plants (Polemoniaceae), which includes Polemonium, Phlox, Gilia, and a few other genera.

Polemonium (n.) A genus of gamopetalous perennial herbs, including the Jacob's ladder and the Greek valerian.

Polemoscope (n.) An opera glass or field glass with an oblique mirror arranged for seeing objects do not lie directly before the eye; -- called also diagonal, / side, opera glass.

Polemy (n.) Warfare; war; hence, contention; opposition.

Polenta (n.) Pudding made of Indian meal; also, porridge made of chestnut meal.

Poler (n.) One who poles.

Poler (n.) An extortioner. See Poller.

Polestar (n.) Polaris, or the north star. See North star, under North.

Polestar (n.) A guide or director.

Polewards (adv.) Toward a pole of the earth.

Polewig (n.) The European spotted goby (Gobius minutus); -- called also pollybait.

Poley (n.) See Poly.

Poley (a.) Without horns; polled.

Polianite (n.) Manganese dioxide, occurring in tetragonal crystals nearly as hard as quartz.

Policate (a.) Same as Pollicate.

Police (n.) A judicial and executive system, for the government of a city, town, or district, for the preservation of rights, order, cleanliness, health, etc., and for the enforcement of the laws and prevention of crime; the administration of the laws and regulations of a city, incorporated town, or borough.

Police (n.) That which concerns the order of the community; the internal regulation of a state.

Police (n.) The organized body of civil officers in a city, town, or district, whose particular duties are the preservation of good order, the prevention and detection of crime, and the enforcement of the laws.

Police (n.) Military police, the body of soldiers detailed to preserve civil order and attend to sanitary arrangements in a camp or garrison.

Police (n.) The cleaning of a camp or garrison, or the state / a camp as to cleanliness.

Policed (imp. & p. p.) of Police

Policing (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Police

Police (v. t.) To keep in order by police.

Police (v. t.) To make clean; as, to police a camp.

Policed (a.) Regulated by laws for the maintenance of peace and order, enforced by organized administration.

Policemen (pl. ) of Policeman

Policeman (n.) A member of a body of police; a constable.

Policial (a.) Relating to the police.

Policied (a.) Policed.

Policies (pl. ) of Policy

Policy (n.) Civil polity.

Policy (n.) The settled method by which the government and affairs of a nation are, or may be, administered; a system of public or official administration, as designed to promote the external or internal prosperity of a state.

Policy (n.) The method by which any institution is administered; system of management; course.

Policy (n.) Management or administration based on temporal or material interest, rather than on principles of equity or honor; hence, worldly wisdom; dexterity of management; cunning; stratagem.

Policy (n.) Prudence or wisdom in the management of public and private affairs; wisdom; sagacity; wit.

Policy (n.) Motive; object; inducement.

Policied (imp. & p. p.) of Policy

Policying (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Policy

Policy (v. t.) To regulate by laws; to reduce to order.

Policy (n.) A ticket or warrant for money in the public funds.

Policy (n.) The writing or instrument in which a contract of insurance is embodied; an instrument in writing containing the terms and conditions on which one party engages to indemnify another against loss arising from certain hazards, perils, or risks to which his person or property may be exposed. See Insurance.

Policy (n.) A method of gambling by betting as to what numbers will be drawn in a lottery; as, to play policy.

Poling (n.) The act of supporting or of propelling by means of a pole or poles; as, the poling of beans; the poling of a boat.

Poling (n.) The operation of dispersing worm casts over the walks with poles.

Poling (n.) One of the poles or planks used in upholding the side earth in excavating a tunnel, ditch, etc.

Polish (a.) Of or pertaining to Poland or its inhabitants.

Polish (n.) The language of the Poles.

Polished (imp. & p. p.) of Polish

Polishing (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Polish

Polish (v. t.) To make smooth and glossy, usually by friction; to burnish; to overspread with luster; as, to polish glass, marble, metals, etc.

Polish (v. t.) Hence, to refine; to wear off the rudeness, coarseness, or rusticity of; to make elegant and polite; as, to polish life or manners.

Polish (v. i.) To become smooth, as from friction; to receive a gloss; to take a smooth and glossy surface; as, steel polishes well.

Polish (n.) A smooth, glossy surface, usually produced by friction; a gloss or luster.

Polish (n.) Anything used to produce a gloss.

Polish (n.) Fig.: Refinement; elegance of manners.

Polishable (a.) Capable of being polished.

Polished (a.) Made smooth and glossy, as by friction; hence, highly finished; refined; polite; as, polished plate; polished manners; polished verse.

Polishedness (n.) The quality of being polished.

Polisher (n.) One who, or that which, polishes; also, that which is used in polishing.

Polishing () a. & n. from Polish.

Polishment (n.) The act of polishing, or the state of being polished.

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