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Petty

Little; trifling; inconsiderable; unimportant; also, inferior; subordinate; as, a petty fault; petty complaints; a petty prince.

Pettychaps

Any one of several species of small European singing birds of the subfamily Sylviin/, as the willow warbler, the chiff-chaff, and the golden warbler (Sylvia hortensis).

Petulancy Petulance

The quality or state of being petulant; temporary peevishness; pettishness; capricious ill humor.

Petulant

Forward; pert; insolent; wanton.

Petune

To spray (tobacco) with a liquid intended to produce flavor or aroma.

Petunia

A genus of solanaceous herbs with funnel-form or salver-shaped corollas. Two species are common in cultivation, Petunia violacea, with reddish purple flowers, and Petunia nyctaginiflora, with white flowers. There are also many hybrid forms with variegated corollas.

Petzite

A telluride of silver and gold, related to hessite.

Peucedanin

A tasteless white crystalline substance, extracted from the roots of the sulphurwort (Peucedanum), masterwort (Imperatoria), and other related plants; -- called also imperatorin.

Peucil

A liquid resembling camphene, obtained by treating turpentine hydrochloride with lime.

Pew

To furnish with pews.

Pewee

A common American tyrant flycatcher (Sayornis ph/be, or Sayornis fuscus). Called also pewit, and ph/be.

Pewfellow

One who occupies the same pew with another.

Pewit

The lapwing. The European black-headed, or laughing, gull (Xema ridibundus). See under Laughing. The pewee.

Pewter

A hard, tough, but easily fusible, alloy, originally consisting of tin with a little lead, but afterwards modified by the addition of copper, antimony, or bismuth.

Pewterer

One whose occupation is to make utensils of pewter; a pewtersmith.

Pewtery

Belonging to, or resembling, pewter; as, a pewtery taste.

Peytrel

The breastplate of a horse's armor or harness. [Spelt also peitrel.] See Poitrel.

Peziza

A genus of fungi embracing a great number of species, some of which are remarkable for their regular cuplike form and deep colors.

Pezizaceae

A large natural family comprising many typical cup fungi.

Pezizales

An order of mostly saprophytic fungi having cup-shaped ascocarps.

Pezizoid

Resembling a fungus of the genus Peziza; having a cuplike form.

Pezophaps

A genus constituted by the extinct solitaire.

Pfalz

A territory in southwestern Germany formerly ruled by the counts palatine.

pfannkuchen

A puffy mildly sweet lemon-flavored egg mixture sprinkled with confectioners' sugar and served with jam or a wine or fruit sauce.

Pfennig

A small copper coin of Germany. It is the hundredth part of a mark. In 2001 it was superseded by the euro.

Ph.D. PhD

A scholastic degree awarded for study beyond college; the Doctorate degree in Philosophy. In America it is usually based on at least 3 years graduate study and a dissertation; the doctorate is the highest degree awarded by a graduate school, and is awarded in other fields, such as Doctor of Arts. The Ph.D. is broadly applicable, as in most fields of science and technology; -- the term philosophy being derived from an earlier label for experimental science as Natural Philosophy.

Phacellus

One of the filaments on the inner surface of the gastric cavity of certain jellyfishes.

Phacoid

Resembling a lentil; lenticular.

Phacolite

A colorless variety of chabazite; the original was from Leipa, in Bohemia.

Phacops

A genus of trilobites found in the Silurian and Devonian formations. Phacops bufo is one of the most common species.

Phaeacian

Of or pertaining to the Ph/acians, a fabulous seafaring people fond of the feast, the lyre, and the dance, mentioned by Homer.

Phaenogamia

The class of flowering plants including all which have true flowers with distinct floral organs; phanerogamia.

Phaenogamous

Having true flowers with distinct floral organs; flowering.

Phaeospore

A brownish zoospore, characteristic of an order (Ph/ospore/) of dark green or olive-colored alg/.

Phaethon

The son of Helios (Ph/bus), that is, the son of light, or of the sun. He is fabled to have obtained permission to drive the chariot of the sun, in doing which his want of skill would have set the world on fire, had he not been struck with a thunderbolt by Jupiter, and hurled headlong into the river Po.

Phaeton

A four-wheeled carriage (with or without a top), open, or having no side pieces, in front of the seat. It is drawn by one or two horses.

Phagedena

A canine appetite; bulimia. Spreading, obstinate ulceration.

Phagedenical Phagedenic

Of, like, or pertaining to, phagedena; used in the treatment of phagedena; as, a phagedenic ulcer or medicine. A phagedenic medicine.

phagocyte

A leucocyte which plays a part in immunity and retrogressive processes by taking up (eating), in the form of fine granules, foreign objects such as bacteria or cellular parts to be removed. There are two principle subtypes, (1) microphages, polymorphonuclear lymphocytes which principally digest bacteria; and (2) macrophages, mononucleated cells which primarily scavenge dead tissue and degenerate cells.

Phainopepla

A small crested passerine bird (Pha/nopepla nitens), native of Mexico and the Southern United States. The adult male is of a uniform glossy blue-black; the female is brownish. Called also black flycatcher.

Phakoscope

An instrument for studying the mechanism of accommodation.

Phalaena

A linn/an genus which included the moths in general.

Phalaenid

Any moth of the family Phal/nid/, of which the cankerworms are examples; a geometrid.

Phalaenopsis

A genus of ornamental epiphytic orchids of Asia and Australia.

Phalanger

Any marsupial belonging to Phalangista, Cuscus, Petaurus, and other genera of the family Phalangistid/. They are arboreal, and the species of Petaurus are furnished with lateral parachutes. See Flying phalanger, under Flying.

Phalangist

Any arboreal marsupial of the genus Phalangista. The vulpine phalangist (Phalangista vulpina) is the largest species, the full grown male being about two and a half feet long. It has a large bushy tail.

Phalangoidea

A division of Arachnoidea, including the daddy longlegs or harvestman (Phalangium) and many similar kinds. They have long, slender, many-jointed legs; usually a rounded, segmented abdomen; and chelate jaws. They breathe by trache/. Called also Phalangides, Phalangidea, Phalangiida, and Opilionea.

Phalansterian

One who favors the system of phalansteries proposed by Fourier.

Phalanstery

An association or community organized on the plan of Fourier. See Fourierism.

Phalanx

A body of heavy-armed infantry formed in ranks and files close and deep. There were several different arrangements, the phalanx varying in depth from four to twenty-five or more ranks of men.

Phalarope

Any species of Phalaropus and allied genera of small wading birds (Grall/), having lobate toes. They are often seen far from land, swimming in large flocks. Called also sea goose.

Phalaropidae

A natural family of birds, consisting of the phalaropes.

Phalaropus

The type genus of the Phalaropidae: the phalaropes.

Phallaceae

A natural family of fungi consisting of the true stinkhorns.

Phallales

An order of fungi comprising the stinkhorns and related forms whose mature hymenium is slimy and fetid; sometimes placed in the subclass Homobasidiomycetes.

Phallic

Of or pertaining to the phallus, or to phallism.

Phallism

The worship of the generative principle in nature, symbolized by the phallus.

Phallus

The emblem of the generative power in nature, carried in procession in the Bacchic orgies, or worshiped in various ways.

Phanar

A quarter of Constantinople which, after the Turkish conquest of the city, became the chief Greek quarter; hence, the Greek officials of Turkey, or phanariots, as a class.

Phanariote Phanariot

One of the Greeks of Constantinople who after the Turkish conquest became powerful in clerical and other offices under Turkish patronage.

Phanerocodonic

Having an umbrella-shaped or bell-shaped body, with a wide, open cavity beneath; -- said of certain jellyfishes.

Phanerogamia

That one of the two primary divisions of the vegetable kingdom which contains the phanerogamic, or flowering, plants.

Phaneroglossal

Having a conspicious tongue; -- said of certain reptiles and insects.

Phantascope

An optical instrument or toy, resembling the phenakistoscope, and illustrating the same principle; -- called also phantasmascope.

Phantasm

An image formed by the mind, and supposed to be real or material; a shadowy or airy appearance; sometimes, an optical illusion; a phantom; a dream.

Phantasmagoria

An optical effect produced by a magic lantern. The figures are painted in transparent colors, and all the rest of the glass is opaque black. The screen is between the spectators and the instrument, and the figures are often made to appear as in motion, or to merge into one another.

Phantasmagorial

Of, relating to, or resembling phantasmagoria; phantasmagoric.

Phantasmal

Pertaining to, of the nature of, or resembling, a phantasm; spectral; illusive.

Phantom

Being, or of the nature of, a phantom.

Pharaoh

A title by which the sovereigns of ancient Egypt were designated.

Pharaonic

Of or pertaining to the Pharaohs, or kings of ancient Egypt.

Phare

A beacon tower; a lighthouse.

Pharisaism

The notions, doctrines, and conduct of the Pharisees, as a sect.

Pharisean

Following the practice of Pharisees; Pharisaic.

Pharisee

One of a sect or party among the Jews, noted for a strict and formal observance of rites and ceremonies and of the traditions of the elders, and whose pretensions to superior sanctity led them to separate themselves from the other Jews.

Pharmaceutical Pharmaceutic

Of or pertaining to the knowledge or art of pharmacy, or to the art of preparing medicines according to the rules or formulas of pharmacy; as, pharmaceutical preparations.

Pharmaceutist

One skilled in pharmacy; a pharmacist; a druggist. See the Note under Apothecary.

Pharmacist

One skilled in pharmacy; a pharmaceutist; a druggist; an apothecary.

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