Emily Dickinson Lexicon

PUR-VEY'OR, n.

1. One who provides victuals, or whose business is to make provision for the table; a victualer. – Ralegh.
2. An officer who formerly provided or exacted provision for the king's household. England.
3. One who provides the means of gratifying lust; a procurer; a pimp; a bawd. – Dryden. Addison.

PUR'VIEW, n. [Norm. and Fr. pourveu, purvieu, purvey; Fr. pourvu, provided, from pourvoir. See Purvey.]

1. Primarily, a condition or proviso; but in this sense not used.
2. The body of a statute, or that part which begins with “Be it enacted,” as distinguished from the preamble. – Cowel. Encyc.
3. In modern usage, the limit or scope of a statute; the whole extent of its intention or provisions. – Marshall.
4. Superintendence. The federal power … is confined to objects of a general nature, more within the purview of the United States, than of any particular one. [Unusual.] – Ramsay.
5. Limit or sphere intended; scope; extent. In determining the extent of information required in the exercise of a particular authority, recourse must be had to the objects within the purview of that authority. – Federalist, Madison.

PUS, n. [L.]

The yellowish white matter secreted in ulcers and wounds in the process of healing. – Encyc.

PUSH, n.

1. A thrust with a pointed instrument, or with the end of a thing. – Spenser.
2. Any pressure, impulse or force applied; as, to give the ball the first push. – Addison.
3. An assault or attack. – Watts.
4. A forcible onset; a vigorous effort. – Addison.
5. Exigence; trial; extremity. When it comes to the push, it is no more than talk. – L'Estrange.
6. A sudden emergence. – Shak.
7. A little swelling or pustule; a wheal; a pimple; an eruption. – Bacon.

PUSH, v.i.

1. To make a thrust; as, to push with the horns or with a sword. – Dryden. Addison.
2. To make an effort. At length / Both sides resolv'd to push, we tried our strength. – Dryden.
3. To make an attack. The king of the south shall push at him. – Dan. xi.
4. To burst out. To push on, to drive or urge forward; to hasten. Push on, brave men.

PUSH, v.t. [Fr. pousser; D. puis, a push; Sw. pösa, to swell; W. pos, growth, increase; posiaw, to increase, or pwysaw, to press, to weigh. The sense is to thrust, press or urge. See Class Bz.]

1. To press against with force; to drive or impel by pressure; or to endeavor to drive by steady pressure, without striking; opposed to draw. We push a thing forward by force applied behind it; we draw by applying force before it. We may push without moving the object.
2. To butt; to strike with the end of the horns; to thrust the points of horns against. If the ox shall push a man-servant or maid-servant … he shall be stoned. – Exod. xxi.
3. To press or urge forward; as, to push an objection too far. He forewarns his care / With rules to push his fortune or to bear. – Dryden.
4. To urge; to drive. Ambition pushes the soul to such actions as are apt to procure honor to the actor. – Spectator.
5. To enforce; to press; to drive to a conclusion. We are pushed for an answer. – Swift.
6. To importune; to press with solicitation; to tease. To push down, to overthrow by pushing or impulse.

PUSH'ED, pp.

Pressed; urged; driven.

PUSH'ER, n.

One that drives forward.

PUSH'ING, ppr.

1. Pressing; driving; urging forward.
2. adj. Pressing forward in business; enterprising; driving; vigorous.

PUSH'ING-LY, adv.

In a vigorous driving manner.

PUSH'-PIN, n.

A child's play in which pins are pushed alternately. – L'Estrange.

PU-SIL-LA-NIM'I-TY, n. [Fr. pusillanimité; L. pusillanimitas; pusillus, small, weak, and animus, courage.]

Want of that firmness and strength of mind which constitutes courage or fortitude; weakness of spirit; cowardliness; that feebleness of mind which shrinks from trifling or imaginary dangers. It is obvious to distinguish between an act of pusillanimity and an act of great modesty or humility. – South.

PU-SIL-LAN'I-MOUS, a. [Fr. pusillanime; It. pusillanimo.]

1. Destitute of that strength and firmness of mind which constitutes courage, bravery and fortitude; being of weak courage; mean spirited; cowardly; applied to persons; as, a pusillanimous prince.
2. Proceeding from weakness of mind or want of courage; feeble; as, pusillanimous counsels. – Bacon.

PU-SIL-LAN'I-MOUS-LY, adv.

With want of courage.

PU-SIL-LAN'I-MOUS-NESS, n.

Pusillanimity; want of courage.

PUSS, n. [D. poes, puss, a fur tippet, and a kiss; Ir. pus, a cat, and the lip; L. pusa, pusus, from the root of pustule, a pushing out, issue.]

1. The fondling name of a cat. – Watts.
2. The sportman's name for a hare. Gay.

PUS'SI-NESS, n. [from pussy.]

A state of being swelled or bloated; inflation; hence, shortness of breath.

PUS'SY, a. [Fr. poussif, from pousser, to push; Sw. pösa, to swell or inflate; Ir. baois, lust, vanity; allied to boast. This word has been written pursy, evidently by mistake. We have the word probably from the French poussif, from pousser, to push.]

Properly, inflated, swelled; hence, fat, short and thick; and as persons of this class make labor in respiration, the word is used for short breathed.

PUS'TU-LATE, v.t. [L. pustulatus. See Pustule.]

To form into pustules or blisters. Stackhouse.

PUS'TU-LA-TED, pp.

Formed into pustules.

PUS'TU-LA-TING, ppr.

Forming into pustules.

PUS-TULE, n. [pus'l or pus'tul; the former is the usual pronunciation in America. Fr. pustule; L. pustula; from the root of push.]

In medicine, an elevation of the cuticle, with an inflamed base, containing pus. Pustules are various in their size; but, the diameter of the largest seldom exceeds two lines. – Willan.

PUS'TU-LOUS, a. [L. pustulosus.]

Full of pustules.

PUT, n.¹

1. An action of distress; as, a forced put. – L'Estrange.
2. A game at cards.

PUT, n.² [Qu. W. pwt, a short thick person.]

A rustic; a clown.