Emily Dickinson Lexicon

PY-RAL'LO-LITE, n. [Gr. πυρ, fire, αλλος and λιθος; alluding to its changes of color before the blowpipe.]

A mineral found in Finland, massive and in crystals, friable and yielding to the knife. Its color is greenish. – Cleaveland.

PYR'A-MID, n. [Fr. pyramide; It. piramide; L. pyramis; Gr. πυραμις. The origin and composition of this word are not ascertained. It is supposed that the Gr. πυρ, fire, forms one of its component parts; and it may be named from being shaped like flame. – Elmes.]

A solid body standing on a triangular, square or polygonal base, and terminating in a point at the top; or in geometry, a solid figure consisting of several triangles, whose bases are all in the same plane, and which have one common vertex. – Encyc. The pyramids of Egypt may have been erected to the sun, during the prevalence of Sabianism. A pyramid is formed by the meeting of three or more planes at a point termed the apex. – Philips.

PY-RAM'ID-AL, a. [Fr. pyramidale; It. piramidale.]

1. Pyramidical.
2. Relating to the pyramids.

PYR-A-MID'IC-AL, a.

Having the form of a pyramid. The particles of earth being cubical, those of fire, pyramidical. – Enfield on Plato. A pyramidical rock. – Goldsmith.

PYR-A-MID'IC-AL-LY, adv.

In the form of a pyramid. – Bacon.

PYR-A-MID'IC-AL-NESS, n.

The state of being pyramidical.

PY-RAM'I-DOID, or PYR'A-MOID, n. [pyramid and Gr. ειδος, form.]

A solid figure, formed by the rotation of a semi-parabola about its base or greatest ordinate.

PYR'A-MIS, n. [L.]

A pyramid. – Bacon.

PYRE, n. [L. pyra.]

A funeral pile; a pile to be burnt. – Pope.

PYR'EN-ITE, n.

A mineral of a grayish black color, found in the Pyrenees, and considered as a variety of garnet. It occurs in minute rhombic dodecahedrons. – Cleaveland.

PYR'ET-ICS, n.

Medicines for the cure of fever.

PYR-E-TOL'O-GY, n. [Gr. πυρετος, fever, from πυρ, fire, and λογος, discourse.]

A discourse or treatise on fevers, or the doctrine of fevers. – Hooper.

PY-REX'I-AL, a.

Relating to fever.

PY-REX'IC-AL, a.

Pertaining to fever; feverish.

PY-REX'Y, n. [Gr. πυρεξις.]

Fever.

PYR'GOM, n.

A mineral, called also fassalite.

PYR'I-FORM, a. [L. pyrum, a pear, and form.]

Having the form of a pear. – Gregory.

PYR-I-TA'CEOUS, a.

Pertaining to pyrite. [See Pyritic.] – Lavoisier.

PYR'ITE, n. [plur. Pyrites. Gr. πυριτης, from πυρ, fire.]

Fire-stone; a genus of inflammable substances composed of sulphur and iron or other metal; a sulphuret of iron or other metal. Hence sable coal his massy couch extends, / And stars of gold the sparkling pyrite blends. – Darwin. [I have anglicized this word, according to Darwin and the French mineralogists; making pyrites a regular plural.]

PY-RIT'IC, or PY-RIT'IC-AL, a. [or PYR'IT-OUS]

Pertaining to pyrite; consisting of or resembling pyrite.

PYR-I-TIF'ER-OUS, a. [pyrite and L. fero, to produce.]

Containing or producing pyrite.

PYR'IT-IZE, v.t.

To convert into pyrite. – Ed. Encyc.

PYR'IT-IZ-ED, pp.

Converted into pyrite.

PYR-I-TOL'O-GY, n. [pyrite and Gr. λογος, discourse.]

A discourse or treatise on pyrites. – Fourcroy.

PY-ROG'EN-OUS, a. [Gr. πυρ, fire, and γενναω, to generate.]

1. Produced by fire; igneous. – Mantell.
2. Produced in fire. [1841 Addenda only.]