Emily Dickinson Lexicon

PEN'SION, n. [Fr. and Sp. id; It. pensione; from L. pensio, from pendo, pensum, to pay.]

1. An annual allowance of a sum of money to a person by government in consideration of past services, civil or military. Men often receive pensions for eminent services on retiring from office. But in particular, officers, soldiers and seamen receive pensions when they are disabled for further services.
2. An annual payment by an individual to an old or disabled servant.
3. An annual allowance made by government to indigent widows of officers killed or dying in public service.
4. Payment of money; rent. – 1 Esdras.
5. A yearly payment in the inns of court. – Eng.
6. A certain sum of money paid to a clergyman in lieu of tithesvCyc.
7. An allowance or annual payment, considered in the light of a bribe.

PEN'SION, v.t.

To grant a pension to; to grant annuity from the public treasury to a person for past services, or on account of disability incurred in public service, or of old age.

PEN'SION-A-RY, a.

1. Maintained by a pension; receiving pension; as, pensionary spies. – Donne.
2. Consisting in a pension; as, a pensionary provision for maintenance.

PEN'SION-A-RY, n.

1. A person who receives a pension from government for past services, or a yearly allowance from some prince, company or individual.
2. The first minister of the states of the province of Holland also, the first minister of the regency of a city in Holland. – Encyc.

PEN'SION-ED, pp.

Having a pension.

PEN'SION-ER, n.

1. One to whom an annual sum of money is paid by government in consideration of past services.
2. One who receives an annual allowance for services.
3. A dependant.
4. In the university of Cambridge, and in that of Dublin, an undergraduate or bachelor of arts who lives at his own expense. – Encyc.
5. One of an honorable band of gentlemen who attend the king of England, and receive a pension or an annual allowance of a hundred pounds. This band was instituted by Henry VII. Their duty is to guard the king's person in his own house.

PEN'SION-ING, ppr.

Granting an annual allowance for past services.

PEN'SIVE, a. [It. pensivo, pensieroso; Sp. pensativo; Fr. pensif, from penser, to think or reflect; L. penso, to weigh, to consider; pendo, to weigh.]

1. Literally, thoughtful; employed in serious study or reflection; but it often implies some degree of sorrow, anxiety, depression or gloom of mind; thoughtful and sad, or sorrowful. Anxious cares the pensive nymph oppress'd. – Pope.
2. Expressing thoughtfulness with sadness; as, pensive numbers; pensive strains. – Prior.

PEN'SIVE-LY, adv.

With thoughtfulness; with gloomy seriousness or some degree of melancholy. – Spenser.

PEN'SIVE-NESS, n.

Gloomy thoughtfulness; melancholy; seriousness from depressed spirits. – Hooker.

PEN'STOCK, n. [pen and stock.]

A narrow or confined place formed by a frame of timber planked or boarded, for holding or conducting the water of a mill-pond to a wheel, and furnished with a flood gate which may be shut or opened at pleasure.

PENT, pp. [of Pen.]

Shut up; closely confined.

PEN'TA-CHORD, n. [Gr. πεντε, five, and chord.]

1. An instrument of music with fire strings.
2. An order or system of five sounds. – Busby.

PEN'TA-COC-COUS, a. [Gr. πεντε, five, and L. coccus, a berry.]

Having or containing five grains or seeds, or having five united cells with one seed in each. Martyn.

PEN'TA-COS-TER, n. [Gr.]

In ancient Greece, a military officer commanding fifty men; but the number varied.

PEN'TA-COST-YS, n. [Gr.]

A body of fifty soldiers; but the number varied. Mitford.

PEN-TAC'RI-NITE, n.

The fossil remains of a zoophyte.

PEN-TA-CROS'TIC, a. [Gr. πεντε, five, and acrostic.]

Containing five acrostics of the same name in five divisions of each verse.

PEN-TA-CROSTIC, n.

A set of verses so disposed as to have five acrostics of the same name in five divisions of each verse. Encyc.

PEN-TA-DACTYL, n. [Gr. πεντε, five, and δακτυλος, finger.]

1. In botany, a plant called five fingers; a name given to the Ricinus or Palma Christi, from the shape of its leaf. – Encyc.
2. In ichthyology, the five-fingered fish; a name given to a fish common in the East Indian seas, which has five black streaks on each side resembling the prints of five fingers. – Encyc.

PEN'TA-GON, n. [Gr. πεντε, five, and γωνια, a corner.]

1. In geometry, a figure of five sides and five angles. – Encyc.
2. In fortification, a fort with five bastions. – Encyc.

PEN-TAG'O-NAL, or PEN-TAG'ON-OUS, a.

Having five corners or angles. – Woodward. Lee. Martyn.

PEN'TA-GRAPH, n. [Gr. πεντε, five, and γραφη, a writing.]

An instrument for drawing figures in any proportion at pleasure, or for copying or reducing a figure, plan, print, &c. to any desired size.

PEN-TA-GRAPH'IC, or PEN-TA-GRAPH'IC-AL, a.

Pertaining to a pentagraph; performed by a pentagraph.

PEN-TA-GYN, n. [Gr. πεντε, five, and γυνη, a female.]

In botany, a plant having five styles.