Webster's Dictionary 1913

4726

Pistillation

Pis′til‐la″tion (?), n. [L. pistillum a pestle.] The act of pounding or breaking in a mortar; pestillation. Sir T. Browne.

4727

Pistillidium

‖Pis′til‐lid″i‐um (?), n.; pl.Pistillida (#). [NL., fr. E. pistil.] (Bot.) Same as Archegonium.

4728

Pistilliferous

Pis′til‐lif″er‐ous (?), a. [Pistil + -ferous: cf. F. pistillifère.] (Bot.) Pistillate.

4729

Pistillody

Pis″til‐lo‐dy (?), n. [Pistil + Gr. εἰ̑δοσ form.] (Bot.) The metamorphosis of other organs into pistils.

4730

Pistol

Pis″tol (?), n. [F. pistole, pistolet, It. pistola; prob. from a form Pistola, for Pistoja, a town in Italy where pistols were first made. Cf. Pistole.] The smallest firearm use...

4731

Pistol (2)

Pis″tol, v. t. [imp. & p. p.Pistoled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.Pistoling.] [Cf. F. pistoler.] To shoot with a pistol. “To pistol a poacher.” Sydney Smith.

4732

Pistolade

Pis″to‐lade′ (?), n. A pistol shot.

4733

Pistole

Pis‐tole″ (?), n. [F., probably a name given in jest in France to a Spanish coin. Cf. Pistol.] The name of certain gold coins of various values formerly coined in some countries...

4734

Pistoleer

Pis′to‐leer″ (?), n. [Cf. F. pistolier.] One who uses a pistol. Carlyle.

4735

Pistolet

Pis″to‐let′ (?), n. [F., a dim. of pistole.] A small pistol. Donne. Beau. & Fl.

4736

Piston

Pis″ton (?), n. [F. piston; cf. It. pistone piston, also pestone a large pestle; all fr. L. pinsere, pistum, to pound, to stamp. See Pestle, Pistil.] (Mach.) A sliding piece whi...

4737

Piston ring

Pis″ton ring. (Mach.) A spring packing ring, or any of several such rings, for a piston.

4738

Pit

Pit (?), n. [OE. pit, put, AS. pytt a pit, hole, L. puteus a well, pit.] 1. A large cavity or hole in the ground, either natural or artificial; a cavity in the surface of a body...

4739

Pit (2)

Pit, v. t. [imp. & p. p.Pitted (?); p. pr. & vb. n.Pitting.] 1. To place or put into a pit or hole.They lived like beasts, and were pitted like beasts, tumbled into the grave. T...

4740

Pit-hole

Pit″–hole′ (?), n. A pit; a pockmark.

4741

Pita

‖Pi″ta (?), n.(Bot.) (a) A fiber obtained from the Agave Americana and other related species, — used for making cordage and paper. Called also pita fiber, and pita thread. (b) T...

4742

Pitahaya

Pit′a‐ha″ya (?), n.(Bot.) A cactaceous shrub (Cereus Pitajaya) of tropical America, which yields a delicious fruit.

4743

Pitapat

Pit″a‐pat′ (?), adv. [An onomatopoetic reduplication of pat a light, quick blow.] In a flutter; with palpitation or quick succession of beats. Lowell. “The fox's heart went pita...

4744

Pitapat (2)

Pit″a‐pat′, n. A light, repeated sound; a pattering, as of the rain. “The pitapat of a pretty foot.” Dryden.

4745

Pitch

Pitch (?), n. [OE. pich, AS. pic, L. pix; akin to Gr. �.] 1. A thick, black, lustrous, and sticky substance obtained by boiling down tar. It is used in calking the seams of ship...

4746

Pitch (2)

Pitch, v. t. [imp. & p. p.Pitched (?); p. pr. & vb. n.Pitching.] [See Pitch, n.] 1. To cover over or smear with pitch. Gen. vi. 14.2. Fig.: To darken; to blacken; to obscure.The...

4747

Pitch (3)

Pitch (?), v. t. [OE. picchen; akin to E. pick, pike.] 1. To throw, generally with a definite aim or purpose; to cast; to hurl; to toss; as, to pitch quoits; to pitch hay; to pi...

4748

Pitch (4)

Pitch, v. i. 1. To fix or place a tent or temporary habitation; to encamp. “Laban with his brethren pitched in the Mount of Gilead.” Gen. xxxi. 25.2. To light; to settle; to com...

4749

Pitch (5)

Pitch, n. 1. A throw; a toss; a cast, as of something from the hand; as, a good pitch in quoits.Pitch and toss, a game played by tossing up a coin, and calling “Heads or tails;”...

4750

Pitch (6)

Pitch, n.(Elec.) The distance between symmetrically arranged or corresponding parts of an armature, measured along a line, called the pitch line, drawn around its length. Someti...

4751

Pitch-black

Pitch″–black′ (?), a. Black as pitch or tar.

4752

Pitch-dark

Pitch″–dark′, a. Dark as a pitch; pitch-black.