PERMITTANCE given by officers of the customs or excise, or by other competent authority, for conveying spirits, wine, tea, coffee, &c., from one place to another. Permittance (per-mit'ans), n. Allowance; forbearance of prohibition; permission. This unclean permittance defeats the sacred and glorious end both of the moral and judicial law. Milton. Permittee (per-mit-te'), n. One to whom anything is permitted; one to whom a permit is granted. Permitter (per-mit'èr), n. One who permits. The permitter, or not a hinderer of sin. Edwards. Permix (per-miks'), v. t. To mix together; to mingle. Permixtion (per-miks'chon), n. A mixing or state of being mixed. Brerewood. Permutable (per-mu'ta-bl), a. Capable of being permuted; exchangeable. Permutableness (pėr-mu'ta-bl-nes), n. State of being permutable. Permutably (per-mu'ta-bli), adv. In a permutable manner; by interchange. Permutation (pér-mu-ta'shon), n. [L. permutatio. See PERMUTE.] 1. Intermutation; concurrent changes; mutual change; interchange. "The intolerable distresses brought upon them by the violent convulsions and permutations that have been made in property.' Burke.-2. In math. change or different combination of any number of quantities. Permutations differ from combinations in this, that the latter has no reference to the order in which the quantities are combined; whereas in the former this order is considered, and consequently the number of permutations always exceeds the number of combinations. If n represent the number of quantities, then the number of permutations that can be formed out of them, taking two by two together, is n x(n-1); taken three and three together, is nx (n-1) x (n-2), and so on. See COMBINATION. -Permutation lock, a lock in which the moving parts are capable of transposition, so that being arranged in any concerted order, it becomes necessary before shooting the bolt to arrange the tumblers. E. H. Knight. Permute (per-müt'), v. t. pret. & pp. permuted; ppr. permuting. [L. permuto-prefix per, and muto, to change.] 1. To interchange.-2. To exchange; to barter. Hackluyt. Permutert (per-müt'èr), n. One that exchanges. Huloet. Pern (pern), n. Pernis apivorus, the honeybuzzard. Pernt (pêrn), v.t. To turn to profit; to sell. Hudibras. Pernicious (per-nish'us), a. [L. perniciosus, from pernicies, destruction, from perneco, to kill-per, thoroughly, and neco, to kill, nex, necis, death.] 1. Having the quality of killing, destroying, or injuring; very injurious or mischievous; destructive; as, a habit pernicious to health. Every eye Glared lightning, and shot forth pernicious fire. Milton. 2. Harbouring evil designs or intentions; evil-hearted; malicious; wicked. "This pernicious caitiff deputy.' Shak. 'His pernicious soul.' Shak.-SYN. Destructive, ruinous, deadly, noxious, injurious, hurtful, mischievous. Pernicious (pêr-nish'us), a. [L. pernix, pernicis, swift, nimble.] Quick. Part incentive reed Provide, pernicious with one touch to fire. Milton. Perniciously (per-nish'us-li), adv. 1. In a pernicious manner; destructively; with ruinous tendency or effects.-2.† Maliciously; malignantly. All the commons hate him perniciously. Shak. The Perniciousness (pér-nish'us-nes), n. quality of being pernicious, very injurious, mischievous, or destructive. Pernicityt (pèr-nis'i-ti), n. [L. pernicitas, from pernix, pernicis, nimble, swift.] Swiftness of motion; celerity. Endued with great swiftness or pernicity.' Ray. [Rare.] Pernicketty (per-nik'et-ti), a. [Probably Fr. par, through, by, and niquet, a trifle.] 415 Precise in trifles; fastidious; very trim in dress. [Scotch.] Pernio (per'ni-o), n. [L., from Gr. perna, the heel.] A chilblain. Dunglison. Pernis (per'nis), n. A genus Pernoctaliant (per-nok-ta'- Peronate (per'ō-nāt), a. [L. Perone (per'o-ne), n. [Gr. perone, a brooch.] In anat. the fibula or small bone of the leg, so called from its resemblance to the pin of a brooch. Peroneal (per-o-ne'al), a. [See above.] Pertaining to the fibula; as, peroneal muscles. Perorate (pero-rat), v.i. To make a peroration; also, to speechify; to spout. Excited crowds filled Hyde Park, and infuriated persons perorated from chairs. Sat. Rev. Peroration (per-o-ra'shon), n. [L. peroratio, from peroro, to speak from beginning to end-per, through, and oro, to speak, to pray.] The concluding part of an oration, in which the speaker recapitulates the principal points of his discourse or argument, and urges them with greater earnestness and force, with a view to make a deep impression on his hearers. Hence, the conclusion of a speech, however constructed. His enthusiasm kindles as he advances, and when he arrives at his peroration, it is in full blaze. Burke. Peroxide (per-oks'id), n. That oxide of a given base which contains the greatest quantity of oxygen. Peroxidize (per-oks'id-iz), v. t. pret. & pp. peroxidized; ppr. peroxidizing. To oxidize to the utmost degree. Perpend (per-pend'), v. t. [L. perpendo, to weigh carefully-per, intens., and pendo, to cause to hang down, to weigh.] To weigh in the mind; to consider attentively. Oft and well Have I prepended this, devising ways For flight, and schemes of plausible disguise. Southey. Perpend, Perpender (per'pend, per-pend'ér), n. [Fr. parpaing, parpain, from par, through, and pan, the side of a wall.] In arch. a long stone reaching through the thickness of a wall so as to be visible on both sides, and therefore wrought and smoothed at the ends. Now usually called a Bond-stone, Bonder, or Through, also Perbend, Perpend-stone, Perpent-stone.-Perpend or perpyn wall, a wall formed of perpends, that is, of ashlar stones, each stone reaching from side to side.-Keeping the perpends, in brickwork, a phrase used to denote the occurrence of the vertical joints over each other. See Perpendiclet (per-pen'di-kl), n. [Fr. perpendicule, from L. perpendiculum.] Something hanging down in a direct line; a plumb-line. Perpendicular (per-pen-dik'ú-ler), a. [Fr. perpendiculaire; L. perpendicularis, from perpendiculum, a plumb-line-per, intens., and pendeo, to hang, to hang down. PENDANT.] 1. Perfectly upright or vertical; extending in a straight line from any point toward the centre of the earth, or at right angles with the plane of the horizon.-2. In geom. falling directly on a line or surface at right angles; at right angles to a given line or surface. A straight line is said to be perpendicular to a curve, when it cuts the curve in a point where another straight line PERPETRATION to which it is perpendicular makes a tangent with the curve. In this case the perpendicular is usually called a normal to the Perpendicular Style, Abbey Church, Bath. curve.-Perpendicular style, in arch. the florid or Tudor style of Gothic. The window affords the most striking character of this style; and the eye at once distinguishes it from any other by observing that perpendicular lines prevail throughout all the tracery. This style of Gothic was peculiar to England. The building shown in the annexed cut is an excellent specimen of this style.-Perpendicular lift, a contrivance on canals for passing boats from one level to another. Perpendicular (pêr-pen-dik'ü-lér), n. 1. A line at right angles to the plane of the horizon; a vertical line or any body standing in that direction.-2. In geom. a line falling at right angles on another line or on a plane, A C or making equal angles with it on each side. Thus if the straight line A B, falling on the straight line DC, makes the angles ABC, ABD equal to one another, AB is called a perpendicular to DC.3. In gun. a small instrument for finding the centre line of a piece of ordnance, in the operation of pointing it at an object. Perpendicularity (per-pen-dik'u-lari-ti), n. The state of being perpendicular. The perpendicularity of these lines.' Watts. Perpendicularly (per-pen-dik'ü-lér-li), adv. In a perpendicular manner; so as to be perpendicular; vertically. D B Perpension (per-pen'shon), n. [From L. perpendo, perpensum, to weigh carefully. See PERPEND.] Consideration. Unto reasonable perpensions it hath no place in some sciences. Sir T. Browne. Considera Perpensity † (per-pen'si-ti), n. tion; a pondering. Swift. Perpent-stone (per'pent-stōn), n. In arch. see PERPEND. Perpessiont (per-pesh'on), n. [L. perpessio, perpessionis, from perpetior, to bear with patience-per, thoroughly, and patior, to suffer, to endure.] Suffering; endurance. Bp. Pearson. Perpetrate (per'pe-trat), v.t. pret. & pp. perpetrated; ppr. perpetrating. [L. perpetro-per, through, thoroughly, and patro, to finish.] To do, execute, or perform, generally in a bad sense; to be guilty of; to commit; as, to perpetrate a crime. For whatsoe'er we perpetrate, We do but row, we're steer'd by fate. Hudibras. Also used humorously for to produce something execrable or shocking; as, to perpetrate a pun. Sir P. induced two of his sisters to perpetrate a duet. Charlotte Bronte. Perpetration (per-pe-tra'shon), n. 1. The act of perpetrating; the act of "committing a crime.-2. An evil action. The strokes of divine vengeance, or of men's own consciences, always attend injurious perpetrations. Eikon Basilike. PERPETRATOR Perpetrator (për pe-tră-tér), n. One that perpetrates; one that commits a crime. Perpetuable (pèr-pet'u-a-bl), a. That may be perpetuated or continued indefinitely. Varieties are perpetuable, like species. Asa Gray. Perpetual (per-pet'u-al), a. [Fr. perpétuel; L. perpetualis, from perpetuus, perpetual, continuous-per, through, and peto, to direct one's course to, to seek, to go to or towards.] 1. Never ceasing; continuing for ever in future time; destined to be eternal; as, a perpetual covenant; a perpetual statute.2. Continuing or continued without intermission; uninterrupted; as, a perpetual stream; the perpetual action of the heart and arteries. Capital is kept in existence from age to age not by preservation but by perpetual reproduction. F. S. Mill. -Perpetual curate, a permanent minister of a curacy in which all the tithes are appropriated and no vicarage is endowed. -Perpetual motion, motion that once originated generates a power of continuing itself for ever or indefinitely, by means of mechanism or some application of the force of gravity. The celebrated problem of a perpetual motion consists in the inventing of a machine which shall have the principles of its motion within itself, and numberless schemes have been proposed for its solution; but it has been demonstrated again and again that such a machine is impossible, unless friction and the resistance of the air, which necessarily retard, and finally stop the motions of machines, could be removed. In speaking of the perpetual motion, it is to be understood that from the forces by which motion may be produced we are to exclude air, water, and other natural agents, as heat, atmospheric changes, &c. The only admissible agents are, the inertia of matter, and its attractive forces, which may all be considered of the same kind as gravitation.-Perpetual screw, an endless screw. See ENDLESS.-Continuous, Incessant, Continual, Perpetual. See under CONTINUOUS. SYN. Never-ceasing, endless, eternal, everlasting, never-failing, unceasing, ceaseless, unfailing, perennial, enduring, permanent, lasting, uninterrupted, incessant, constant. Perpetually (per-pet'ù-al-li), adv. 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-ti), n. The state or condition of being perpetual. Perpetuate (pèr-pet'ū-āt), v. t. pret. & pp. perpetuated; ppr. perpetuating. [L. perpetuo, perpetuatum, from perpetuus. See PERPETUAL.] To make perpetual; to cause to endure or to be continued indefinitely; to preserve from extinction or oblivion; to eternize; as, to perpetuate the remembrance of a great event or of an illustrious character. The fondness which some have felt to perpetuate their names when their race has fallen extinct, is well known. I. D'Israeli. Perpetuate, Perpetuated (pér-pet'ū-āt, per-pet'u-at-ed), p. and a. Made perpetual; continued through eternity, or for an indefinite time; recurring continuously; continually repeated or reiterated. What is it but a continued perpetuated voice from heaven resounding for ever in our ears? Hammond. The trees and flowers remain By Nature's care derpetuate and self-sown. Southey. Perpetuation (pèr-pet'ū-ā"shon), n. The act of perpetuating or making perpetual; the act of preserving from extinction or oblivion through an endless existence, or for an indefinite period of time. - Perpetuation of testimony, in law, the taking of testimony, in certain cases, in order to preserve it for future use. Thus a party who is in possession of property, and fears that his right may at some future time be disputed, is entitled to examine witnesses in order to preserve that testimony which may be lost by the death of such witnesses before he can prosecute his claim, or before he is called on to defend his right. Perpetuity (pėr-pe-tū'i-ti), n. [Fr. perpétuité; L. perpetuitas, from perpetuus, perpetual (which see).] 1. The state or quality of being perpetual; endless duration; continued uninterrupted existence, or duration for an indefinite period of time; as, the perpetuity of laws and institutions. 'Those laws which God for perpetuity hath established.' Hooker. 416 Mortals who sought and found, by dangerous roads, A path to perpetuity of fame. Byron. 2. Something of which there will be no end; something lasting for ever or for an indefinitely long time. 'A mess of pottage for a birthright, a present repast for a perpetuity.' South.-3. In law, (a) duration to all futurity; exemption from intermission or ceasing. (b) An estate which is so settled in tail that it cannot be made void.-4. In the doctrine of annuities, the number of years in which the simple interest of any principal sum will amount to the same as the principal itself; or it is the number of years' purchase to be given for an annuity which is to continue for ever; also, the annuity itself. Perplex (per-pleks), v. t. [From L. perplexus, entangled, interwoven, confused, intricate, involved, from per, intens., and plecto, plexum, to twist, from the root of Gr. pleko, L. plico, to fold.] 1. To make intricate; to involve; to entangle; to make complicated and difficult to be understood or unravelled. What was thought obscure, perplexed, and too hard for our weak parts, will lie open to the understanding in a fair view. Locke. His tongue Dropped manna, and could make the worse appear The better reason, to perplex and dash Maturest counsels. Milton. 2. To embarrass; to puzzle; to distract; to tease with suspense, anxiety, or ambiguity. 'We are perplexed, but not in despair.' 2 Cor. iv. 8. He perplexes the minds of the fair sex with nice speculations of philosophy, when he should engage their hearts. Dryden, 3. To plague; to vex. Glanville. - Embarrass, Puzzle, Perplex. See under EMBARRASS. SYN. To entangle, involve, complicate, embarrass, puzzle, bewilder, confuse, distract, harass, vex, plague, tease, molest. Perplext (per-pleks), a. [L. perplexus. See above.] Intricate; difficult. Glanville. Perplexedly (per-pleks'ed-li), adv. 1. In a perplexed manner; with perplexity.-2. In a perplexing manner; intricately; with involution. He handles the question very perplexedly. Bp. Bull. Perplexedness (per-pleks'ed-nes), n. Perplexity. Locke. Perplexing (per-pleks'ing), p. and a. Embarrassing; difficult; intricate. Perplexity (per-pleks'i-ti), n. 1. The state of being perplexed; distraction of mind through doubt or difficulty; anxiety; embarrassment. Walking slow, in doubt and great perplexity.' Tennyson. Such perplexity of mind As dreams too lively leave behind. Coleridge. 2. The state of being intricate or involved. Let him look for the labyrinth; for I cannot discern any unless in the perplexity of his own thoughts. Stilling fleet. Perplexiveness † (per-pleks'iv-nes), n. The quality of being perplexing; tendency to perplex. The perplexiveness of imagination.' Dr. H. More. Perplexly + (per-pleksli), adv. Perplexedly. 'Set down so perplexly by the Saxon annalist.' Milton. Perplextly† (per-plekst'li), adv. Perplexedly. Perpotation (per-pō-ta'shon), n. [Prefix per, and potation.] The act of drinking largely; a thorough drinking-bout. Perquisite (per'kwi-zit), n. [L. perquisitum, something diligently inquired after, from perquiro-per, intens., and quæro, to seek, look, or search for.] 1. Something obtained from a place or office over and above the settled wages or emoluments; something in addition to regular wages or salary.-2. In law, whatever a man gets by industry or purchases with his money: opposed to things which come to him by descent. Perquisited † (pér'kwi-zit-ed), a. Supplied with perquisites. Perquisited varlets.' Savage. Perquisition (pèr-kwi-zi'shon), n. [Fr. perquisition. See above.] A thorough inquiry or search. Sir W. Scott. Perrie, n. [Fr. pierrerie, jewels, from pierre, L. and Gr. petra, a stone.] Jewels; precious stones. Chaucer. Perrier (per'i-ér), n. [O. Fr. perriere. See PERRIE.] An engine for throwing stones. Hackluyt. Perron (peron), n. [Fr.; L.L. petronus, a perron, from L. and Gr. petra (Fr. pierre), a stone.] In arch, an external stair by which access is given to the entrance-door of a building when the principal floor is raised above the level of the ground. Perruque (per-rük), n. [Fr.] A peruke. Perruquier (pe-ru'ki-ér), n. [Fr. See PERUKE] A wig-maker. Perry (per'i), n. [Fr. poiré, perry, from poire, a pear, L. pyrum, a pear.] A fermented liquor made from the juice of pears. It is analogous to cider, and prepared much in the same way. It forms a pleasant and wholesome beverage. Perry (per'i), n. See PIRRY. Persant, a. [Fr. perçant, ppr. of percer, to pierce.] Piercing. Chaucer; Spenser. Perscrutation (per-skrö-ta'shon), n. [L perscrutatio, perscrutor-per, thoroughly, and scrutor, to search.] A searching thoroughly; minute search or inquiry. Perscrutet (pér-skröt'), v. t. and i. To make a thorough search or inquiry; to investigate. Borde. To perscrute the matter.' Perse,t a. [Fr.] Sky-coloured; bluish-gray. Chaucer. Persea (per-sĕ'a), n. A genus of Lauracea. See AVOCADO. Persecot (per'sē-kot), n. Same as Persicot. Persecute (pèr'se-kút), v.t. pret. & pp. persecuted; ppr. persecuting. [Fr. persecuter, L. persequor, persecutus, to persecute-per, intens., and sequor, to follow.] 1. To harass or afflict with repeated acts of cruelty or annoyance; to injure or afflict persistently; specifically, to afflict, harass, or punish on account of opinions, for adherence to a particular creed or system of religious principles, or to a mode of worship. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and per secute you. Mat. v. II. Should banded unions persecute Opinion, and induce a time Tennyson. 2. To harass with solicitations or importunity. Johnson. Persecuting (pèr'se-kūt-ing), a. Given to persecution. Persecution (pèr-se-ku'shon), n. 1. The act or practice of persecuting; especially the infliction of pain or death upon others unjustly, for adhering to a religious creed or mode of worship, either by way of penalty or in order to force them to renounce their principles. By persecution, I mean, the employment of any pains or penalties, the administration of any uneasi ness to body or mind, in consequence of a man's be lief, or with a view to change it. Its essential feature is this; that it addresses itself to the will, not to the understanding; it seeks to modify opinion by the use of fears, instead of reasons-of motives, instead of arguments. F. Martineau. 2. The state of being persecuted; the suffering of pain. Our necks are under persecution; we labour and have no rest. 3. A carrying on; prosecution. Persecutive (per'se-ku-tiv), a. persecuting. Lam. v. 5 Hales. Following; Persecutor (pėrse-kūt-ér), n. One who persecutes; one who pursues and harasses another unjustly and vexatiously, particularly on account of religious principles. Henry rejected the Pope's supremacy, but retained every corruption beside, and became a cruel perse Swift. A female cutor. Persecutrix (pèrse-kūt-riks), n. who persecutes. Perseides (per-sē’i-dēz), n. pl. A name given to the August meteors, because they seem to radiate from the constellation Perseus. Perselee,+ n. Parsley. Chaucer. Persepolitan (per-se-pol'i-tan), n. A native or inhabitant of Persepolis, the capital of ancient Persia. Of or Persepolitan (për-se-pol'i-tan), a. pertaining to Persepolis or its inhabitants. Perseus (pèr'sus), n. 1. In Greek myth. the celebrated legendary hero, son of Zeus and Danaë, who slew the Gorgon Medusa.2. In astron, one of the forty-eight constellations. It is surrounded by Andromeda, Aries, Taurus, Auriga, Camelopardalus, and Cassiopeia, and contains, according to the British Catalogue, fifty-nine stars. Persevert (per-sev'èr), v.i. To persevere. To persever In obstinate condolement is a course Shak [This is the form of the word generally used by Shakspere.] Perseverance (për-se-vē'rans), n. [Fr., from L. perseverantia. See PERSEVERE.] 1. The act or habit of persevering; persistence in 2. In theol. continuance in a state of grace to a state of glory. Sometimes called Final Perseverance and Perseverance of Saints.SYN. Persistence, steadfastness, constancy, steadiness. Perseverant (pêr-se-vē'rant), a. Constant in pursuit of an undertaking." Bp. Hall. Perseverantly (pér-se-ve'rant-li), adv. Perseveringly. Persevere (per-se-ver), v.i. pret. & pp. persevered; ppr. persevering. [L. persevero, from perseverus, very severe or strict-per, intens., and severus, severe, serious, grave, strict.] To persist in any business or enterprise undertaken; to pursue steadily any design or course commenced; not to give over or abandon what is undertaken. See PERSIST. Would those, who, by opinion placed on high, Churchill. To persevere in any evil course makes you unhappy in this life, and will certainly throw you into everlasting torments in the next. Abp. Wake. Persevering (pèr-se-vēring), p. and a. Persisting in any business or course begun; constant in the execution of a purpose or enterprise; as, a persevering student. Perseveringly (per-se-ver'ing-li), adv. In a persevering manner; with perseverance or continued pursuit of what is undertaken. Persian (per'shi-an), a. Pertaining to Persia, to the Persians or their language; Persic. Persian (per'shi-an), n. 1. A native of Persia. 2. The language spoken in Persia.-3. In arch. a male figure draped after the ancient Persian manner, and serving to support an entablature after the manner of a column or pilaster. See ATLANTES and CARYATID.-4. A thin silk, used principally for lining coats, gowns, and petticoats in the seventeenth century. Planché.-Persian apple, the peach.-Persian berry, the fruit of Rhamnus infectorius, and probably of other species, used by the modern Greeks to dye morocco leather, and employed also in calico-printing.-Persian blinds, jalousies; venetian blinds. Persian carpet, a carpet made in one piece, instead of in breadths or strips to be joined. The warp and weft are of linen or hemp, and the tufts of coloured wool are inserted by twisting them around the warp all along the row. A line of tufts being inserted, a shoot of the weft is made, and then beaten up to close the fabric.-Persian fire, in med. same as Anthrax.-Persian lily, a plant of the genus Fritillaria (F. persica), a native of Persia, and cultivated as a garden flower. See FRITILLARIA.-Persian powder, a preparation of the flowers of the composite plant Pyrethrum carneum or roseum, which are dried and reduced to the form of a powder, which has wonderful efficacy in destroying noxious insects. The plant belongs to the nat. order Compositæ. It is often grown in gardens as an ornamental plant.-Persian wheel, an engine contrived for raising water to irrigate lands which lie on the borders or banks of rivers, and for other purposes. It usually consists of a large wheel with a series of buckets fixed to its circumference, which raise the water. Persic (per'sik), n. The Persian language. It is a member of the Iranian group of the Aryan family of tongues. Persic (per'sik), a. Of or belonging to Persia; Persian. Persicaria (per-si-kā'ri-a), n. [Fr. persicaire, from L. L. persicarius, from L. persica, a peach.] The common name of various British plants of the genus Polygonum; also the generic name of P. orientale, a tall handsome annual, strikingly ornamented with drooping clusters of pink flowers. See POLY GONUM. Persicot (pér'si-kot), n. [Fr., from L. persica, a peach or nectarine.] A kind of cordial made of the kernels of apricots, nectarines, &c., with refined spirit. Written also Persecot. Persiflage (pār-se-fläzh), n. [Fr., from persifler, to quiz, L. sibilo, to hiss.] Idle bantering talk or humour; frivolous jeering style of treating or regarding any subject, serious or otherwise. Persifleur (par-se-flér, é long), n. One who indulges in persiflage; a banterer; a quiz. ch, chain: ch, Sc. loch; g, go; j, job; 417 No people ever were so little prone to admire at all as the French of Voltaire. Persiflage was the char acter of their whole mind. . . . They feel withal that, if persiflage be the great thing, there never was such a persifleur. Carlyle. Persimmon, Persimon (pér-sim'mon), n. [Virginia Indian.] The fruit of the Diospyros virginiana, a tree inhabiting the United States of America, more especially the southern states, where it attains the height of 60 feet or more. The fruit is succulent, reddish, and about the size of a small plum, containing a few oval stones. It is powerfully astringent when green, but when fully ripe the pulp becomes soft, palatable, and very sweet. It is eaten both by man and wild and domestic animals; it is also pounded, dried, and made into cakes, or it is fermented and yields by distillation an ardent spirit.-To rake up the persimmons, to rake up the plums of the persimmon-tree; to draw in the money; to pocket the stakes. [American.] Persis (per'sis), n. A kind of colouring matter prepared from lichens, the mass being of a drier character than archil. Simmonds. Persism (per'sizm), n. A Persian idiom. Persist (pèr-sist'), v.i. [Fr. persister, L. persisto-per, through, and sisto, to stand.] To continue steadily and firmly in the pursuit of any business or course commenced; to continue determined in speech or action against some amount of opposition; to persevere. [Persist is nearly synonymous with persevere; but persist frequently implies more obstinacy than persevere, particularly in that which is evil or injurious to others.] Thus to persist In doing wrong extenuates not wrong, Shak 3. In physics, the continuance of an effect after the cause which first gave rise to it is removed; as, the persistence of the impression of light on the retina after the luminous object is withdrawn; the persistence of the motion of an object after the moving force is withdrawn. Persistent (per-sist'ent), a. 1. Inclined to persist; enduring; persevering; tenacious. Persistent as they have been.' Is. Taylor. Henceforward scarcely could she front in hall, Or elsewhere Modred's narrow, foxy face, Heart-hiding smile, and gray, persistent eye. Tennyson. 2. In bot. continuing without withering: opposed to caducous or marcescent; as, a persistent calyx, one remaining after the corolla has withered. Persistently (per-sist'ent-li), adv. In a persistent manner. Persistingly (per-sist'ing-li), adv. In a persisting manner; perseveringly; steadily. Persistive (per-sist'iv), a. Steady in pursuit; not receding from a purpose or undertaking; persevering; persistent. To find persistive constancy in men.' Shak. Persolvet (per-solv'), v. t. To pay completely, thoroughly, or wholly. Bale. Person (person), n. [L. persona, primarily a mask used by actors on the stage, hence, a character, a person-said to be from persono, to sound through-per, through, and sono, to sound. This, however, is uncertain.] 1. An individual human being, consisting of body and soul; a being possessed of personality; a man, woman, or child. A person... is a thinking intelligent being that has reason and reflection, and can consider itself as itself, the same thinking thing, in different times and places. Locke. 2. A man, woman, or child, considered as opposed to things, or distinct from them. A zeal for persons is far more easy to be perverted than a zeal for things. Sprat. 3. Bodily form; human frame, with its characteristic appearance; living body; as, tall of person; cleanly in person. 'Tis in her heart alone that you must reign; You'll find her person difficult to gain. Dryden. Yniol's rusted arms Were on his princely person, but thro' these Princelike his bearing shone. Tennyson. 4. A human being, indefinitely; one; a man; , Fr. ton; ng, sing; TH, then; th, thin; 6. The parson or rector of a parish. Holinshed.-7. A human being represented in dialogue, fiction, or on the stage; character. From his first appearance upon the stage, in his new person of a sycophant or juggler, instead of his former person of a prince, he was exposed to the derision of the courtiers and the common people. Bacon. 8. Character or part sustained by one in the ordinary relationships of life. How different is the same man from himself, as he sustains the person of a magistrate and that of a friend. South. 9. In gram. one of three relations in which nouns and pronouns are regarded as standing to the act of speaking, a pronoun of the first person denoting the speaker, the second person one who is spoken to, and the third person one who or that which is spoken of. All nouns are of the third person. Hence we apply the term person to one of the three inflections of a verb singular and plural.-An artificial person, in law, a corporation or body politic.-In person, by one's self; with bodily presence; not by representative. We paid in person.' Tennyson. The king in person visits all around.' Dryden. Person (per'son), v.t. To represent as a person; to make to resemble; to image. Milton. Personable (pêr'son-a-bl), a. 1. Having a well-formed body or person; graceful; of good appearance; as, a personable man or woman. Wise, warlike, personable, courteous, and kind.' Spenser.-2. In law, (a) enabled to maintain pleas in court. (b) Having capacity to take anything granted or given. Personage (per'son-aj), n. [Fr. personnage, personage, character, part.] 1. An individual; a person; especially, a man or woman of distinction; as, an illustrious personage. The monumental pomp of age Was with this goodly personage. Wordsworth. Some persons must be found, already known in history, whom we may make the actors and personages of this fable. W. Broome. Personal (per'son-al), a. [L. personalis. ] 1. Pertaining to a person as distinct from a thing; belonging to men or women, not to things. 2. Relating to an individual; affecting individuals; peculiar or proper to him or her, or to private actions or character; individual; as, to have a personal spite against a man. The words are conditional; if thou doest well; and so personal to Cain.' Locke. The Divine Comedy is a personal narrative. Dante is the eye-witness and ear-witness of that which he relates. Macaulay. 3. Applying to the person, character, or conduct of an individual, generally in a disparaging manner; as, personal reflections or reTenmarks. Splenetic, personal, base.' nyson.-4. Pertaining to the person or bodily form; belonging to face and figure; corporeal. This heroick constancy now determined him to desire in marriage a princess, whose personal charms were now become the least part of her character. Addison. 5. Done in person; not effected or constituted by representatives; as, a personal interview. The daughter of the king of France, Importunes personal conference with his grace. Shak. 6. Present in person. "The absent king when he was personal in the Irish war.' Shak.-7. In gram. denoting or pointing to the person; having the modifications of the three persons; as, a personal pronoun; a personal verb.-Personal acts of parliament, statutes confined to particular persons, such as an act authorizing a person to change his name, &c. Per w, wig; wh, whig; zh, azure.-See KEY. PERSPECTIVE Like perspectives, which rightly gazed upon, Show nothing but confusion; eyed awry. Distinguish form. Shak. Hazlitt in a note on the above passage defines perspectives as cut glasses used for reflecting images,' and the following extract from an old work called Humane Industry goes to show that the word was also used to denote a glass through which pictures drawn out of proportion were viewed and reduced to the natural appearance of the objects they were meant to represent. A picture of a chancellor of France presented to the common beholder a multitude of little faces;but if one did look at it through a perspective, there appeared only the single portraicture of the chancellor.] 2. The art or science which teaches how to produce the representation of an object or objects on a definite surface so as to affect the eye, when viewed from a given point, in the same manner as the object or objects themselves. Correctly defined, a perspective delineation is a section, by the plane or other surface on which the delineation is made, of the cone of rays proceeding from every part of the object to the eye of the spectator. It is intimately connected with the arts of design, and is particularly necessary in the art of painting, as without a correct observance of the rules of perspective no picture can have truth and life. Perspective alone enables us to represent foreshortenings with accuracy, and it is requisite in delineating even the simplest positions of objects. Perspective may be divided into two brancheslinear and aerial. Linear perspective has reference to the position, form, magnitude, &c., of the several lines or contours of objects. The outlines of such objects as buildings, machinery, and most works which consist of geometrical forms, or which can be reduced to them, may be most accurately obtained by the rules of linear perspective, since the intersection with an interposed plane of the rays of light proceeding from every point of such objects may be obtained by the principles of geometry. Linear perspective includes the various kinds of projections, as scenographic, orthographic, ichnographic, stereographic projections, &c. Aerial perspective teaches how to give due diminution to the strength of light, shade, and colours of objects according to their distances, and the quantity of light falling on them, and to the medium through which they are seen.Isometrical perspective, a kind of perspective on the principles of orthographic projection, which solids of the form of rectangular parallelopipeds, or such as are reducible to this form, can be presented with their three pair of planes in one figure, which gives a more intelligible idea of their form than can be done by a separate plan and elevation. At the same time, this method admits of their dimensions being measured by a scale as directly as by the usual mode of delineation. As applied to machinery it gives the elevation and ground-plan in one by view. It is considered, for such purposes, to be preferable to the methods in common use, as it is easier and simpler in its appli PERSPECTIVELY cation. Oblique or angular perspective is where the plane of the picture is supposed to be at an angle to the side of the principal object in the picture, as a building, for instance. Parallel perspective, when the plane of the picture is parallel to the side of the principal object.-Perspective plane, the surface on which the object or picture is delineated, or it is the transparent surface or plane through which we may suppose objects to be viewed. It is also termed the Plane of Projection and the Plane of the Picture.-3. A representation of objects in perspective.-4. View; vista. Perspectives of pleasant glades.' Dryden.-5. A kind of painting designed expressly to deceive the sight by representing the continuation of an alley, a building, a landscape, or the like. Perspectively (per-spek'tiv-li), adv. 1. According to the rules of perspective.--2.† Optically; as through some optical arrangement. Yes, my lord, you see them perspectively, the cities turn'd into a maid. Shak. Perspectograph (per-spek'tō-graf), n. An instrument of various forms for obtaining or transferring to a picture the points and outlines of original objects. Perspectography (per-spek-tog'ra-fi), n. [E. perspective, and Gr. graphō, to write.] The science or theory of perspective; the art of delineating objects according to the rules of perspective. Perspicable (per'spi-ka-bl), a. [See below.] Discernible. The sea. to the eye, with out any perspicable motion.' Sir T. Herbert. Perspicacious (per-spi-ka'shus), a. [L. perspicax, perspicacis, from perspicio - per, through, and specio, to view, to look at.] 1. Quick-sighted; sharp of sight. 'Perspicacious and quick in seeing.' South. 2. Of acute discernment. Perspicaciously (per-spi-ka'shus-li), adv. In a perspicacious manner. Perspicaciousness (per-spi-kā'shus-nes), n. The quality of being perspicacious; acuteness of sight; perspicacity. Perspicacity (per-spi-kas'i-ti), n. [L. perspicacitas.] The state or quality of being perspicacious: (a) acuteness of sight; quickness of sight. (b) Acuteness of discernment or understanding; penetration; sagacity; as, a man of great perspicacity. Perspicacy (per'spi-ka-si), n. Perspicacity. B. Jonson. Perspiciencet (per-spi'shens), n. [L. perspicientia, insight, knowledge of a thing.] The act of looking with sharpness. Bailey. Perspicilt (pèr'spi-sil), n. [L. per, through, and speculum, a glass.] An optical glass; a telescope. B. Jonson. [Rare.] Perspicuity (pèr-spi-kū'i-ti), n. [Fr. perspicuité; L. perspicuitas, from perspicio, to look or see through.] 1. The state or quality of being seen through; transparency; clearness; that quality of a substance which renders objects visible through it. 2. The quality of being perspicuous; clearness to mental vision; easiness to be understood; freedom from obscurity or ambiguity; that quality of writing or language which readily presents to the mind of another the precise ideas of the author. SYN. Perspicuousness, plainness, distinctness, clearness, lucidity, intelligibility. Perspicuous (per-spik'ū-us), a. [L. perspicuus, transparent, clear.] 1. Capable of being seen through; transparent; translucent. Peacham. 2. Clear to the understanding; that may be clearly understood; not obscure or ambiguous; lucid; as, a perspicuous statement. Shak. Perspicuously (pèr-spik'ü-us-li), adv. In a perspicuous manner; clearly; plainly; in a manner to be easily understood. Bacon. Perspicuousness (pèr-spik'ū-us-nes), n. The state of being perspicuous; clearness to intellectual vision; plainness; freedom from obscurity. Perspirability (per-spi'ra-bil”i-ti), n. The quality of being perspirable. Perspirable (per-spi'ra-bl), a. [From L. perspiro, to perspire. See PERSPIRE.] 1. Capable of being perspired or evacuated through the pores of the skin.-2.† Emitting perspiration. Hair cometh not upon the palms of the hands or soles of the feet, which are parts more perspirable. Bacon. Perspiration (pêr-spi-ra'shon), n. [L. L. perspiratio, from L. perspiro, to breathe 419 through-per, through, and spiro, to breathe. See SPIRIT.] 1. The act of perspiring; excretion of watery fluid (sweat) and fatty or sebaceous matters from the surface of the body. It is divided into insensible and sensible, the former being separated in the form of an invisible vapour, the latter so as to become visible by condensation in the form of very little drops adhering to the skin. According to Valentin the quantity of sweat evolved from the skin is nearly 14 lb. daily; it is at its maximum immediately after taking food, and decreases during digestion. Insensible perspiration is not visible to the naked eye. Its uses are, (1) To liberate from the blood superfluous animal gas, nitrogen, and water. (2) To eliminate the noxious and heterogeneous excrements. (3) To moisten the external surface of the body lest the epidermis and its nervous papillæ be dried up by the atmospheric air, thus at the same time moderating the temperature of the body. And (4) To counterbalance the suppressed pulmonary transpiration. -2. Matter perspired, consisting of water, carbonic acid, saline substances, lactic acid, and some fatty matter. Perspirative (pèr-spi'ra-tiv), a. Performing the act of perspiration. Johnson. Perspiratory (per-spi'ra-to-ri), a. Pertaining to perspiration; causing perspiration; perspirative. Perspiratory ducts, spiral tubes which commence apparently in the corium or true skin, proceed upwards between the papillæ, and terminate by open pores upon the surface of the cuticle. Perspire (per-spir'), v.i. pret. perspired; ppr. perspiring. [L. perspiro-per, through, and spiro, to breathe.] 1. To evacuate the fluids of the body through the excretories of the skin; to perform excretion by the cuticular pores; to sweat; as, a person perspires freely.-2. To be evacuated or excreted through the excretories of the skin; to exude by or through the skin; as, a fluid perspires. Perspire (pèr-spir'), v. t. pret. & pp. perspired; ppr. perspiring. To emit or evacuate through the excretories of the skin; to give out through external pores. Firs... perspire a fine balsam of turpentine. Smollett. Perstreperous (per-strep'er-us), a. [From L. perstrepo, to make a great noise-per, intens., and strepo, to make a noise.] Noisy; obstreperous. You are too perstreperous, sauce-box. Ford. Perstringe (pėr-strinj'), v. t. pret. & pp. perstringed; ppr. perstringing. [L. perstringo -per, through, and stringo, to graze or brush.] 1. To graze; to glance on.-2. To touch upon; to criticise. Gently to perstringe your errors.' De Quincey. The womanishness of the Church of Rome in this period is perstringed. Dr. H. More. Persuadable (per-swād'a-bl), a. Capable of being persuaded. Persuadably (pèr-swād'a-bli), adv. In a persuadable manner; so as to be persuaded. Persuade (pèr-swad'), v.t. pret. & pp. persuaded; ppr. persuading. [L. persuadeoper, effectively, and suadeo, to advise, urge.] 1. To influence by argument, advice, entreaty, or expostulation; to argue or reason into a certain course of action. Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. I should be glad if I could persuade him to write such another critic on anything of mine. Dryden. 2. To advise; to try to influence; to counsel. Sir Hugh, persuade me not; I will make a Starchamber matter of it: if he were twenty Sir John Falstaffs he shall not abuse Robert Shallow, Esquire. Shak 3. To convince by argument or reasons offered; to bring into a certain opinion or belief. Beloved, we are persuaded better things of you. Heb. vi. 9. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. Rom, xiv. 5. 4. To inculcate by argument or expostulation. Jer. Taylor.-SYN. To induce, prevail on, win over, convince, advise, counsel. Persuade † (pèr-swad'), n. Persuasion. The king's entreats, Persuades of friends, business of state, my honours, Marriage rites, nor aught that can be nam'd, Since Lelia's loss, can move him. Beau. & Fl. Persuade (pèr-swād'), v. i. To use persuasion. Twenty merchants have all persuaded with him. Shak. PERT In a The Persuadedly † (per-swad'ed-li), adv. persuaded manner; assuredly. 'He's our own, surely, nay, most persuadedly.' Ford. Persuadedness (per-swäd'ed-nes), n. state of being persuaded or convinced. Persuader (per-swad'er), n. One who or that which persuades or influences another. 'Hunger and thirst at once, powerful persuaders. Milton. Persuasibility (per-swaʼzi-bil"i-ti), n. Capability of being persuaded. Hallywell. Persuasible (per-swaʼzi-bl), a. [L. persuasibilis.] 1. Capable of being persuaded or influenced by reasons offered. Dr. II. More.2. Having power to persuade or influence; persuasive. Bale. Persuasibleness (per-swa'zi-bl-nes), n. The quality of being persuasible. Persuasion (per-swa'zhon), n. [L. persuasio, persuasionis. See PERSUADE.] 1. The act of persuading; the act of influencing by arguinents 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. In agony, she promised that no force, Persuasion, no, nor death could alter her. Tennyson. 2. The state of being persuaded or convinced; settled opinion or conviction. When we have no other certainty of being in the right but our own persuasion that we are so, this may often be but making one error the gage for another. Dr. H. More. One in whom persuasion and belief 3. A creed or belief; or a sect or party adhering to a creed or system of opinions; as, men of the same persuasion; all persuasions concur in the measure. Persuasion, Conviction.-These words agree in expressing an assent of the mind, and they differ thus-Persuasion is assent founded on what appeals to the feelings and imagination, and has but imperfect proof; conviction is assent founded on satisfac tory proofs which appeal to the reason. That which is pleasant persuades; that which is binding con vinces. Conviction is certainty; persuasion is ever liable to become doubt. Angus. Persuasion, Conviction, Faith, Opinion, Belief.— A persuasion may perhaps be an opinion adopted without repugnance; a conviction probably originally meant an opinion which a man struggled against but was compelled to adopt with regret; faith rather implies some degree of personal confidence in and affection for a person on whose authority a proposition is believed; opinion and belief are much more nearly neutral, but opinion has, so to speak, an intellectual, and belief more or less of a moral, complexion. Fraser's Magazine. Persuasive (pèr-swa'ziv), a. Having the power of persuading; influencing the mind or passions; as, persuasive eloquence; persuasive evidence. By magic numbers and persuasive sound.' Congreve. Oh that Fate had let me see That triumph of the sweet persuasive lyre. Matt. Arnold. Persuasive (per-swa'ziv), n. That which persuades; an incitement; an exhortation. The most flowing rhetoric of words would be but a South. poor and faint persuasive. Persuasively (per-swa'ziv-li), adv. In a persuasive manner; convincingly. Milton. Persuasiveness (per-swa'ziv-nes), n. quality of being persuasive or of having influence on the mind or passions. Hammond. The Persuasory (pèr-swäʼzo-ri), a. Having power or tendency to persuade; persuasive. Sir T. Browne. Persuet (per-sü'), n. Pursuit. Spenser. Persulphate (pér-sulfāt), n. That sulphate of a metal which contains the greater relative quantity of acid. Persultation (pér-sul-tá'shon), n. [L. persulto, to leap through, from per, through, and salto, to leap.] In med. exudation, as of blood in the form of dew at the surface of the skin or any membrane; sweating of blood. Perswayt (per-swa'), v. t. To soften; to mitigate; to allay; to assuage. B. Jonson. Pert (pért), a. [0. Fr. apert, L. apertus, open, free, hence forward, impudent. But the sense may have been affected by W. pert, trim, spruce, if this word is not from the English. More probably there are two words under one form, the one from the Latin, the other from Welsh. Comp. perk.] 1. † Open; evident; plain. Spenser.-2. Lively; brisk; smart. Awake the pert and nimble spirit of mirth. Shak. Trip the pert faeries, and the dapper elves. |