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Physa

A genus of fresh-water Pulmonifera, having reversed spiral shells. See Pond snail, under Pond.

Physali/

An order of Siphonophora which includes Physalia.

Physalia

A genus of large oceanic Siphonophora which includes the Portuguese man-of-war.

Physaria

A small genus of Western North American herbs similar to Lesquerella; the bladderpods.

Physemaria

A group of simple marine organisms, usually classed as the lowest of the sponges. They have inflated hollow bodies.

Physeter

The genus that includes the sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus).

Physianthropy

The philosophy of human life, or the doctrine of the constitution and diseases of man, and their remedies.

Physic

To treat with physic or medicine; to administer medicine to, esp. a cathartic; to operate on as a cathartic; to purge.

Physical

Of or pertaining to nature (as including all created existences); in accordance with the laws of nature; also, of or relating to natural or material things, or to the bodily structure, as opposed to things mental, moral, spiritual, or imaginary; material; natural; as, armies and navies are the physical force of a nation; the body is the physical part of man.

physicalism

The doctrine that matter is the only reality.

physicality

A preoccupation with satisfaction of physical drives and appetites; -- of people.

Physically

In a physical manner; according to the laws of nature or physics; by physical force; not morally.

physicalness

The quality of being physical; consisting of matter; materiality.

Physician

A person skilled in medicine, or the art of healing; especially, one trained and licensed to treat illness and prescribe medicines; a doctor of medicine.

Physicism

The tendency of the mind toward, or its preoccupation with, physical phenomena; materialism in philosophy and religion.

Physico-theology

Theology or divinity illustrated or enforced by physics or natural philosophy.

Physicochemical

Involving the principles of both physics and chemistry; dependent on, or produced by, the joint action of physical and chemical agencies.

Physics

The science of nature, or of natural objects; that branch of science which treats of the laws and properties of matter, and the forces acting upon it; especially, that department of natural science which treats of the causes (as gravitation, heat, light, magnetism, electricity, etc.) that modify the general properties of bodies; natural philosophy.

Physiocrat

One of the followers of Quesnay of France, who, in the 18th century, founded a system of political economy based upon the supremacy of natural order.

Physiogeny

The germ history of the functions, or the history of the development of vital activities, in the individual, being one of the branches of ontogeny. See Morphogeny.

Physiognomy

The art and science of discovering the predominant temper, and other characteristic qualities of the mind, by the outward appearance, especially by the features of the face.

Physiography

The science which treats of the earth's exterior physical features, climate, life, etc., and of the physical movements or changes on the earth's surface, as the currents of the atmosphere and ocean, the secular variations in heat, moisture, magnetism, etc.; physical geography.

Physiolatry

The worship of the powers or agencies of nature; materialism in religion; nature worship.

Physiological

Of or pertaining to physiology; relating to the science of the functions of living organism; as, physiological botany or chemistry.

Physiologist

One who is versed in the science of physiology; a student of the properties and functions of animal and vegetable organs and tissues.

Physiologize

To speculate in physiology; to make physiological investigations.

physiology

The science which treats of the phenomena of living organisms; the study of the processes incidental to, and characteristic of, life.

Physiophyly

The tribal history of the functions, or the history of the paleontological development of vital activities, -- being a branch of phylogeny. See Morphophyly.

physiotherapy

Therapy that uses physical agents: exercise and massage and so on.

Physique

The natural constitution, or physical structure, of a person.

Physoclisti

An order of teleost in which the air bladder has no opening.

Physograde

Any siphonophore which has an air sac for a float, as the Physalia.

Physophorae

An order of Siphonophora, furnished with an air sac, or float, and a series of nectocalyces. See Illust. under Nectocalyx.

Physostigmine

An alkaloid found in the Calabar bean (the seed of Physostigma venenosum), and extracted as a white, tasteless, substance, amorphous or crystalline; -- formerly called eserine, with which it was regarded as identical.

Physostomi

An order of fishes in which the air bladder is provided with a duct, and the ventral fins, when present, are abdominal. It includes the salmons, herrings, carps, catfishes, and others.

Physostomous

Having a duct to the air bladder. Pertaining to the Physostomi.

Phytelephas

A genus of South American palm trees, the seeds of which furnish the substance called vegetable ivory.

Phytivorous

Feeding on plants or herbage; phytophagous; as, phytivorous animals.

Phytochemistry

Chemistry in its relation to vegetable bodies; vegetable chemistry.

Phytography

The science of describing plants in a systematic manner; also, a description of plants.

Phytoid

Resembling a plant; plantlike.

Phytolacca

A genus of herbaceous plants, some of them having berries which abound in intensely red juice; poke, or pokeweed.

Phytolithology

The branch of science which treats of fossil plants; -- usually called paleobotany, sometimes paleophytology.

Phytologist

One skilled in phytology; a writer on plants; a botanist.

Phytology

The science of plants; a description of the kinds and properties of plants; botany.

Phyton

One of the parts which by their repetition make up a flowering plant, each being a single joint of a stem with its leaf or leaves; a phytomer.

Phytonomy

The science of the origin and growth of plants.

Phytophaga

A division of Hymenoptera; the sawflies.

Phytophagous

Feeding on plants; herbivorous; as, a phytophagous animal.

Phytotomy

The dissection of plants; vegetable anatomy.

Phytozoon

A plantlike animal. The term is sometimes applied to zoophytes.

Pi

To put into a mixed and disordered condition, as type; to mix and disarrange the type of; as, to pi a form.

Pi/a

The pineapple. Pi/a cloth or the fiber of which it is made.

Pi/douche

A pedestal of small size, used to support small objects, as busts, vases, and the like.

Pi/on

The edible seed of several species of pine; also, the tree producing such seeds, as Pinus Pinea of Southern Europe, and Pinus Parryana, cembroides, edulis, and monophylla, the nut pines of Western North America. See Monkey's puzzle.

Piacle

A heinous offense which requires expiation.

Piacularity

The quality or state of being piacular; criminality; wickedness.

Pial

Pertaining to the pia mater.

Pian

The yaws. See Yaws.

Pianet

The magpie. The lesser woodpecker.

Pianissimo

Very soft; -- a direction to execute a passage as softly as possible. (Abbrev. pp.)

Pianist

A performer, esp. a skilled performer, on the piano.

Piano

Soft; -- a direction to the performer to execute a certain passage softly, and with diminished volume of tone. (Abbrev. p.)

Piano Pianoforte

A well-known musical instrument somewhat resembling the harpsichord, and consisting of a series of wires of graduated length, thickness, and tension, struck by hammers moved by keys.

Pianograph

A form of melodiograph applied to a piano.

Pianola

A mechanically operated piano that uses a roll of perforated paper to activate the keys.

Piapec

A West African pie (Ptilostomus Senegalensis).

Piarist

One of a religious order who are the regular clerks of the Scuole Pie (religious schools), an institute of secondary education, founded at Rome in the last years of the 16th century.

Piassava

A fibrous product of two Brazilian palm trees (Attalea funifera and Leopoldinia Piassaba), -- used in making brooms, and for other purposes. Called also pia/aba and piasaba.

Piaster

A silver coin of Spain and various other countries. See Peso. The Spanish piaster (commonly called peso, or peso duro) is of about the value of the American dollar. The Italian piaster, or scudo, was worth from 80 to 100 cents. The Turkish and Egyptian piasters are now worth about four and a half cents.

Piation

The act of making atonement; expiation.

Piazza

An open square in a European town, especially an Italian town; hence (Arch.), an arcaded and roofed gallery; a portico. In the United States the word is popularly applied to a veranda.

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