Emily Dickinson Lexicon

PURSE'-PROUD, a.

Proud of wealth; puffed up with the possession of money or riches.

PURS'ER, n.

In the navy, an officer who has charge of the provisions of a ship of war, and attends to their preservation and distribution among the officers and crew. – Mar. Dict.

PURS'I-NESS, n.

A mistake for Pussiness. [See Pussy.]

PURS'LAIN, n. [It. porcellana, porcelain and purslain; Sp. verdolaga, purslain, which seems to be green leek, green plant. The Portuguese write very corruptly beldroega. The Latin is portulaca. See Leek.]

A plant of the genus Portulaca. The sea purslain is of the genus Atriplex. The tree sea purslain is the Atriplex halimus. [See Purslain tree.] The water Purslain is of the genus Peplis. – Lee.

PURS'LAIN-TREE, n. [L. halimus.]

A shrub proper for hedges.

PUR-SU'A-BLE, a. [from pursue.]

That may be pursued, followed or prosecuted. – Sherwood.

PUR-SU'ANCE, n. [from pursue.]

1. A following; prosecution, process or continued exertion to reach or accomplish something; as, in pursuance of the main design.
2. Consequence; as, in pursuance of an order from the commander in chief.

PUR-SU'ANT, a. [from pursue, or rather from Fr. poursuivant.]

Done in consequence or prosecution of any thing; hence, agreeable; conformable. Pursuant to a former resolution, the house proceeded to appoint the standing committees. This measure was adopted pursuant to a former order.

PUR-SU'ANT-LY, adv.

Agreeably; conformably.

PUR-SUE', v.i.

To go on; to proceed; to continue; a Galicism. I have, pursues Carneades, wondered chimists should not consider … – Boyle.

PUR-SUE', v.t. [Fr. poursuivre; pour and suivre, to follow, L. sequor; prosequor, or persequor. See Seek.]

1. To follow; to go or proceed after or in a like direction. The captain pursued the same course as former navigators have taken. A subsequent legislature pursued the course of their predecessors.
2. To take and proceed in, without following another. Captain Cook pursued a new and unexplored course. New circumstances often compel us to pursue new expedients and untried courses. What course shall we pursue?
3. To follow with a view to overtake; to follow with haste; to chase; as, to pursue a hare; to pursue an enemy.
4. To seek; to use measures to obtain; as, to pursue a remedy at law.
5. To prosecute; to continue. A stream proceeds from a lake and pursues a southerly course to the ocean. He that pursueth evil, pursueth it to his own death. – Prov. xi.
6. To follow as an example; to imitate. The fame of ancient matrons you pursue. – Dryden.
7. To endeavor to attain to; to strive to reach or gain. We happiness pursue; we fly from pain. – Prior.
8. To follow with enmity; to persecute. This verb is frequently followed by after. – Gen. xxxv.

PUR-SU'ED, pp.

Followed; chased; prosecuted; continued.

PUR-SU'ER, n.

One that followes; one that chases; one that follows in haste with a view to overtake. – Shak. Milton.

PUR-SU'ING, ppr.

Following; chasing; hastening after to overtake; prosecuting; proceeding in; continuing.

PUR-SUIT', n. [Fr. poursuite.]

1. The act of following with a view to overtake; a following with haste, either for sport or in hostility; as, the pursuit of game; the pursuit of an enemy.
2. A following with a view to reach, accomplish or obtain; endeavor to attain to or gain; as, the pursuit of knowledge; the pursuit of happiness or pleasure; the pursuit of power, of honor, of distinction, of a phantom.
3. Proceeding; course of business or occupation; continued employment with a view to some end; as, mercantile pursuits; literary pursuits.
4. Prosecution; continuance of endeavor. – Clarendon.

PUR'SUI-VANT, n. [Fr. poursuivant.]

A state messenger; an attendant on the heralds. – Spenser. Camden.

PURS'Y, n. [a corrupt orthography. See Pussy.]

PUR'TE-NANCE, n. [from the L. pertinens, pertineo. See Appurtenance.]

Appurtenance; but applied to the pluck of an animal. – Exod. xii.

PU'RU-LENCE, or PU'RU-LEN-CY, n. [L. purulentus, from pus, puris, matter.]

The generation of pus or matter; pus. – Arbuthnot.

PU'RU-LENT, a.

Consisting of pus or matter; partaking of the nature of pus. – Bacon.

PUR-VEY', v.i.

To purchase provisions; to provide. – Milton.

PUR-VEY, v.t. [Fr. pourvoir; pour and voir, to see; L. provideo; It. provedere; Sp. proveer.]

1. To provide; to provide with conveniences. – Dryden.
2. To procure. – Thomson.

PUR-VEY'ANCE, n.

1. Procurement of provisions or victuals.
2. Provisions; victuals provided. – Spenser.
3. In English laws, the royal prerogative or right of pre-emption, by which the king was authorized to buy provisions and necessaries for the use of his household at an apprized value, in preference to all his subjects, and even without the consent of the owner; also, the right of impressing horses and carriages, &c.; a right abolished by Stat. 12 Charles II, 24.

PUR-VEY'ED, pp.

Purchased provisions.

PUR-VEY'ING, ppr.

Providing necessaries.