Emily Dickinson Lexicon

PEN'E-TRA-TED, pp.

Entered; pierced; understood; fathomed.

PEN'E-TRA-TING, ppr.

1. Entering; piercing; understanding.
2. adj. Having the power of entering or piercing another body; sharp; subtil. Oil is a penetrating substance.
3. Acute; discerning; quick to understand; as, a penetrating mind.

PEN'E-TRA-TING-LY, adv.

Piercingly; discerningly.

PEN-E-TRA'TION, n.

1. The act of entering a body. – Milton.
2. Menial entrance into any thing abstruse; as, a penetration into the abstruse difficulties of algebra. – Watts.
3. Acuteness; sagacity; as, a man of great or nice penetration.

PEN'E-TRA-TIVE, a.

1. Piercing; sharp; subtil. Let not air be too gross nor too penetrative. – Wotton.
2. Acute; sagacious; discerning; as, penetrative wisdom. – Swift.
3. Having the power to affect or impress the mind; as, penetrative shame. – Shak.

PEN'E-TRA-TIVE-NESS, n.

The quality of being penetrative.

PEN'FISH, n.

A kind of eelpout without a smooth skin. – Dict. Nat. Hist.

PEN'GUIN, n. [W. pen, head, and gwyn, white; or L. pinguidine, with fatness.]

1. Aptenodytes, a genus of fowls of the order of Palmipeds. One species of penguin is an aquatic fowl with very short legs, with four toes, three of which are webbed; the boil is clothed with short feathers, set as compactly as the scales of a fish; the wings are small like fins, and covered with short scale-like feathers, so that they are useless it flight. Penguins seldom go on shore, except in the season of breeding, when they burrow like rabbits. On land they stand erect; they are tame and may be driven like a flock of sheep. In water they swim with rapidity, being assisted with their wings. These fowls are found only in the southern latitudes. – Encyc.
2. A species of fruit. – Miller.

PEN'I-CIL, n. [L. penicillus. See Pencil.]

1. Among physicians, a tent or pledget for wounds or ulcers.
2. A species of shell.

PEN-IC'IL-LATE, a. [L. penicillus, a pencil or small brush.]

In botany, having the form of a pencil; consisting of a bundle of short, compact or close fibers.

PEN-IN'SU-LA, n. [L. pene, almost, and insula, an isle; It. penesolo.]

1. A portion of land, connected with a continent by a narrow neck or isthmus, but nearly surrounded with water. Thus Boston stands on a peninsula.
2. A large extent of country joining the main land by a part narrower than the tract itself. Thus Spain and Portugal are said to be situated on a peninsula.

PEN-IN'SU-LAR, a.

In the form or state of a peninsula pertaining to a peninsula; inhabiting a peninsula.

PEN-IN'SU-LATE, v.t.

To encompass almost with water; to form a peninsula. South river peninsulates Castle Hill farm, and at high rides surrounds it. – Bentley's Hist. Coll.

PEN-IN'SU-LA-TED, pp.

Almost surrounded with water.

PEN-IN'SU-LA-TING, ppr.

Nearly surrounding with water.

PEN'I-TENCE, or PEN'I-TEN-CY, n. [Fr. penitence, from L. pœnitentia, from pœniteo, from pœna, pain, punishment. See Pain.]

Repentance; pain; sorrow or grief of heart for sins or offenses; contrition. Real penitence springs from a conviction of guilt and ingratitude to God, and is followed by amendment of life.

PEN'I-TENT, a. [Fr. from L. pœnitens.]

Suffering pain or sorrow of heart on account of sins, crimes or offenses; contrite; sincerely affected by a sense of guilt and resolving on amendment of life. The proud he tam'd, the penitent he cheer'd. – Dryden.

PEN'I-TENT, n.

1. One that repents of sin; one sorrowful on account of his transgressions.
2. One under church censure, but admitted to penance. – Stillingfleet.
3. One under the direction of a confessor. Penitents is an appellation given to certain fraternities in Catholic countries, distinguished by their habits and employed in charitable acts. – Encyc. Order of penitents, a religious order established by one Bernard of Marseilles, about the year 1272, for the reception of reformed courtesans. The congregation of penitents at Paris, was founded with a similar view. – Encyc.

PEN-I-TEN'TIAL, a. [Fr. penitentiel; It. penitenziale.]

Proceeding from or expressing penitence or contrition of heart; as, penitential sorrow or tears. – South.

PEN-I-TEN'TIAL, n.

Among the Romanists, a book containing the rules which relate to penance and the reconciliation of penitents. – Encyc.

PEN-I-TEN'TIAL-LY, adv.

In a contrite manner.

PEN-I-TEN'TIA-RY, a.

Relating to penance, or to the rules and measures of penance. – Bramhall.

PEN-I-TEN'TIA-RY, n.

1. One that prescribes the rules and measures of penance. – Bacon. Ayliffe.
2. A penitent; one that does penance. – Hammond.
3. At the court of Rome, an office in which are examined and delivered out the secret bulls, graces or dispensations relating to cases of conscience, confession, &c. – Encyc.
4. An officer in some cathedrals, vested with power from the bishop to absolve in cases reserved to him. The pope has a grand penitentiary, who is a cardinal and is chief of the other penitentiaries. – Encyc.
5. A house of correction in which offenders are confined for punishment and reformation, and compelled to labor; a work-house. A state prison is a penitentiary.

PEN'I-TENT-LY, adv.

With penitence; with repentance, sorrow or contrition for sin.

PEN'KNIFE, a. [See Pen and Knife.]

A small knife used for making and mending pens.