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Pipit

Any one of numerous species of small singing birds belonging to Anthus and allied genera, of the family Motacillid/. They strongly resemble the true larks in habits, colors, and the great length of the hind claw. They are, therefore, often called titlarks, and pipit larks.

Pippin

An apple from a tree raised from the seed and not grafted; a seedling apple. A name given to apples of several different kinds, as Newtown pippin, summer pippin, fall pippin, golden pippin.

Pipra

Any one of numerous species of small clamatorial birds belonging to Pipra and allied genera, of the family Piprid/. The male is usually glossy black, varied with scarlet, yellow, or sky blue. They chiefly inhabit South America.

Piprine

Of or pertaining to the pipras, or the family Piprid/.

Pipsissewa

A low evergreen plant (Chimaphila umbellata), with narrow, wedge-lanceolate leaves, and an umbel of pretty nodding fragrant blossoms. It has been used in nephritic diseases. Called also prince's pine.

Pipy

Like a pipe; hollow-stemmed.

Piquancy

The quality or state of being piquant.

Piquant

Stimulating to the taste; giving zest; tart; sharp; pungent; as, a piquant anecdote.

Pique

To cause annoyance or irritation.

Piquet

A game at cards played between two persons, with thirty-two cards, all the deuces, threes, fours, fives, and sixes, being set aside.

Piracy

The act or crime of a pirate.

Pirameter

A dynamometer for ascertaining the power required to draw carriages over roads.

Pirate

To publish, as books or writings, without the permission of the author.

Piratical

Of or pertaining to a pirate; acquired by, or practicing, piracy; as, a piratical undertaking.

Piraya

A large voracious fresh-water fish (Serrasalmo piraya) of South America, having lancet-shaped teeth.

Piririgua

A South American bird (Guira guira) allied to the cuckoos.

Pirl

To spin, as a top.

Pirn

A quill or reed on which thread or yarn is wound; a bobbin; also, the wound yarn on a weaver's shuttle; also, the reel of a fishing rod.

Pirogue

A dugout canoe; by extension, any small boat.

Pirouette

To perform a pirouette; to whirl, like a dancer.

Piscary

The right or privilege of fishing in another man's waters.

Pisces

The twelfth sign of the zodiac, marked / in almanacs. A zodiacal constellation, including the first point of Aries, which is the vernal equinoctial point; the Fish.

Pisciform

Having the form of a fish; resembling a fish.

Piscina

A niche near the altar in a church, containing a small basin for rinsing altar vessels.

Piscinal

Belonging to a fishpond or a piscina.

Piscine

Of or pertaining to a fish or fishes; as, piscine remains.

Pise

A species of wall made of stiff earth or clay rammed in between molds which are carried up as the wall rises; -- called also pis/ work.

Pish

To express contempt.

Pisiform

A small bone on the ulnar side of the carpus in man and many mammals. See Illust. of Artiodactyla.

Pisolite

A variety of calcite, or calcium carbonate, consisting of aggregated globular concretions about the size of a pea; -- called also peastone, peagrit.

Pisolitic

Composed of, containing, or resembling, pisolite.

piss away

To waste; to squander; to fritter away; as, he pissed away his opportunity to get the job by arriving late for the interview.

piss off

To leave immediately; to scram; -- chiefly British, and sometimes considered vulgar.

Pissabed

A name locally applied to various wild plants, as dandelion, bluet, oxeye daisy, etc.

pissant

Worthless or of no significance.

Pissasphalt

Earth pitch; a soft, black bitumen of the consistency of tar, and of a strong smell. It is inflammable, and intermediate between petroleum and asphalt.

pisser

Something very difficult or troublesome.

pissoir

a public urinal, in European countries.

Pistache

The anacardiaceous tree Pistacia vera, which yields the pistachio nut; also, the nut itself and the flavoring extract prepared from it. Called also pistachio.

Pistachio

The nut of the Pistacia vera, a tree of the order Anacardiace/, containing a kernel of a pale greenish color, which has a pleasant taste, resembling that of the almond, and yields an oil of agreeable taste and odor; -- called also pistachio nut. It is wholesome and nutritive. The tree grows in Arabia, Persia, Syria, and Sicily.

Pistacia

The name of a genus of trees, including the tree which bears the pistachio (Pistacia vera), the Mediterranean mastic tree (Pistacia Lentiscus), and the species (Pistacia Terebinthus) which yields Chian or Cyprus turpentine.

Pistareen

An old Spanish silver coin of the value of about twenty cents.

Piste

The track or tread a horseman makes upon the ground he goes over.

Pistil

The seed-bearing organ of a flower. It consists of an ovary, containing the ovules or rudimentary seeds, and a stigma, which is commonly raised on an elongated portion called a style. When composed of one carpel a pistil is simple; when composed of several, it is compound. See Illust. of Flower, and Ovary.

Pistillaceous

Growing on, or having nature of, the pistil; of or pertaining to a pistil.

Pistillate

Having a pistil or pistils; -- usually said of flowers having pistils but no stamens.

Pistillation

The act of pounding or breaking in a mortar; pestillation.

Pistillody

The metamorphosis of other organs into pistils.

Pistole

The name of certain gold coins of various values formerly coined in some countries of Europe. In Spain it was equivalent to a quarter doubloon, or about $3.90, and in Germany and Italy nearly the same. There was an old Italian pistole worth about $5.40.

Piston

A sliding piece which either is moved by, or moves against, fluid pressure. It usually consists of a short cylinder fitting within a cylindrical vessel along which it moves, back and forth. It is used in steam engines to receive motion from the steam, and in pumps to transmit motion to a fluid; also for other purposes.

Pit

To place or put into a pit or hole.

pit stop

A stop by one of the competing cars in a pit by the side of the racetrack, to take on gasoline, change tires, or perform other maintenance.

Pita

A thin flat bread that is formed in two layers, to make a pocket into which other foods may be placed.

Pitahaya

A cactaceous shrub (Cereus Pitajaya) of tropical America, which yields a delicious fruit.

Pitapat

A light, repeated sound; a pattering, as of the rain.

Pitch

A throw; a toss; a cast, as of something from the hand; as, a good pitch in quoits.

Pitch-faced

Having the arris defined by a line beyond which the rock is cut away, so as to give nearly true edges; -- said of squared stones that are otherwise quarry-faced.

Pitchblende

A pitch-black mineral consisting chiefly of the oxide of uranium; uraninite. See Uraninite.

Pitcher

A wide-mouthed, deep vessel for holding liquids, with a spout or protruding lip and a handle; a water jug or jar with a large ear or handle.

Pitchfork

To pitch or throw with, or as with, a pitchfork.

Pitching

The act of throwing or casting; a cast; a pitch; as, wild pitching in baseball.

Pitchstone

An igneous rock of semiglassy nature, having a luster like pitch.

Pitchwork

The work of a coal miner who is paid by a share of his product.

Pitchy

Partaking of the qualities of pitch; resembling pitch.

Pitfall

A pit deceitfully covered to entrap wild beasts or men; a trap of any kind.

Pith

To destroy the central nervous system of (an animal, as a frog), as by passing a stout wire or needle up and down the vertebral canal.

Pithecanthropus

A hypothetical genus of primates intermediate between man and the anthropoid apes.

Pitheci

A division of mammals including the apes and monkeys. Sometimes used in the sense of Primates.

Pithecoid

Of or pertaining to the genus Pithecia, or subfamily Pithecin/, which includes the saki, ouakari, and other allied South American monkeys.

Pithiness

The quality or state of being pithy.

Pithless

Destitute of pith, or of strength; feeble.

Pithy

Consisting wholly, or in part, of pith; abounding in pith; as, a pithy stem; a pithy fruit.

Pitiable

Deserving pity; wworthy of, or exciting, compassion; miserable; lamentable; piteous; as, pitiable persons; a pitiable condition; pitiable wretchedness.

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