Emily Dickinson Lexicon

PEC'U-LA-TING, ppr.

Defrauding the public of money or goods.

PEC-U-LA'TION, n.

The act, practice or crime of defrauding the public by appropriating to one's own use the money or goods intrusted to one's care for management or disbursement; embezzlement of public money or goods.

PEC'U-LA-TOR, n. [L.]

One that defrauds the public by appropriating to his own use money intrusted to his care.

PE-CUL-IAR, a. [L. peculiaris, from peculium, one's own property, from pecus, cattle.]

1. Appropriate; belonging to a person and to him only. Almost every writer has a peculiar style. Most men hate manners peculiar to themselves.
2. Singular; particular. The man has something peculiar in his deportment.
3. Particular; special. My fate is Juno's most peculiar care. – Dryden. [Most can not, in strict propriety, be prefixed to peculiar, but it is used to give emphasis to the word.]
4. Belonging to a nation, system or other thing, and not to others.

PE-CUL-IAR, n.

1. Exclusive property; that which belongs to a person in exclusion of others. – Milton.
2. In the canon law, a particular parish or church which has the probate of wills within itself, exempt from the jurisdiction of the ordinary or bishop's court. – Encyc. Court of peculiars, in England, is a branch of the court of arches. It has jurisdiction over all the parishes dispersed through the province of Canterbury, in the midst of other dioceses, which are exempt from the ordinary jurisdiction, and subject to the metropolitan only. Blackstone.

PE-CUL-IAR'I-TY, n.

Something peculiar to a person or thing; that which belongs to or is found in one person or thing and in no other; as, a peculiarity of style or manner of thinking; peculiarity in dress.

PE-CUL-IAR-IZE, v.t.

To appropriate; to make peculiar. – Smith.

PE-CUL-IAR-IZ-ED, pp.

Appropriated; made peculiar.

PE-CUL-IAR-IZ-ING, ppr.

Making peculiar.

PE-CUL-IAR-LY, adv.

1. Particularly; singly. Woodward.
2. In a manner not common to others. – Drayton.

PE-CUL-IAR-NESS, n.

The state of being peculiar; propriation. [Little used.] – Mede.

PECU'NI-A-RI-LY, a.

In a pecuniary manner. – West. Rev.

PE-CUN-IA-RY, a. [Fr. pecuniaire; It. pecuniale; L. pecuniarius, from pecunia, money, from pecus, cattle.]

1. Relating to money; as, pecuniary affairs or losses.
2. Costing money; as, a pecuniary mulct or penalty. – Bacon.

PE-CU'NI-OUS, a.

Full of money. [Not used.] – Sherwood.

PED, a. [for pad.]

1. A small pack-saddle. – Tusser.
2. A basket; a hamper. – Spenser.

PED-A-GOG'IC, or PED-A-GOG'IC-AL, a. [from pedagogue.]

Suiting or belonging to a teacher of children or to a pedagogue.

PED'A-GOG-ISM, n.

The business, character or manners of a pedagogue.

PED-A-GOGUE, n. [ped'agog; Gr. παιδαγωγος; παις, a child, and αγω, to lead.]

1. A teacher of children; one whose occupation is to instruct young children; a schoolmaster.
2. A pedant.

PED'A-GOGUE, v.t.

To teach with the air of a pedagogue; to instruct superciliously. – Prior.

PED'A-GO-GY, n.

Instruction in the first rudiments; preparatory discipline. – South.

PE'DAL, a. [L. pedalis, from pes, pedis, foot.]

Pertaining to a foot.

PED'AL, n.

1. One of the large pipes of an organ, so called because played and stopped with the foot. – Encyc.
2. The board used for playing with the foot, or an appendage to an instrument to prolong sound.
3. A fixed or stationary base. – Busby.

PED'AL-NOTE, n.

In music, a holding-note. – Busby.

PE-DA'NE-OUS, a. [L. pedaneus, from pes, the foot.]

Going on foot; walking. – Dict.

PED'ANT, n. [Fr. pedant; It. Sp. and Port. pedante. See Pedagogue.]

1. A schoolmaster. – Shak.
2. A person who makes a vain display of his learning. – Addison.