Dictionary: P – PA-CIF'IC

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P,

is the sixteenth letter of the English Alphabet, and a labial articulation formed by a close compression of the anterior part of the lips, as in ep. It is convertible into b and f, sometimes into v, and in Greek, into φ. This letter is found in the oriental languages, from which it was received into the Greek and Latin; except however the Arabic, which has not this letter, and the Arabians can not easily pronounce it. In some words which we have borrowed from the Greek, p is mute, as in psalm, ptisan; but is not silent in English words, unless it may be in receipt, and a few irregular words. P aspirated or followed by h, represents the Greek φ, which answers to the English f, as in philosophy. As an abbreviation, P. stands for Publius, pondo, &c.; P. A. DIG. for patricia dignitas; P. C. for Patres Conscripti; P. F. for Publius Fabius; P. P. for propositum publice; P. R. for populus Romanus; P. R. S. for prætoris sententia; P. R. S. P. for præses provinciæ. P. M. stands for post meridiem, afternoon. As a numeral, P, like G, stands for one hundred, and with a dash over it, P̅, for four hundred thousand. Among physicians, P. stands for pugil, or the eighth part of a handful; P. Æ. for partes æquales, equal parts of the ingredients; P. P. for pulvis patrum, or the Jesuits' bark in powder; and ppt. for præparatus, prepared. – Encyc.

PA'AGE, n. [Norm. paage, payment. See Pay.]

A toll for passage over another person's grounds. [Not used.] – Burke.

PAASCH, n. [Gr. πασχα, passover, from the Hebrew.]

Easter; a Dutch word.

PAB'U-LAR, a. [L. pabulum, food.]

Pertaining to food; affording food or aliment.

PAB-U-LA'TION, n. [L. pabulatio, from pabulor, to feed.]

The act of feeding or procuring provender. – Cockeram.

PAB'U-LOUS, a. [L. pabulum, food.]

Affording aliment or food; alimental. – Brown.

PAB'U-LUM, n. [L.]

  1. Food; aliment; that which feeds.
  2. Fuel; that which supplies the means of combustion. – Encyc.

PA'CA, n.

A name sometimes applied to two species of rodent mammals, Celogenys subnigra and C. fulva, small animals, the one brown, the other fulvous, and both spotted with white, which inhabit South America, particularly Brazil and Paraguay. They are nearly allied to the Agouti, the Guinea-pig, &c.

PA'CATE, a. [L. pacatus.]

Peaceful; tranquil. [Not used.]

PA'CA-TED, a.

Appeased. [Little used.] – Bailey.

PA-CA'TION, n. [L. paco, to calm or appease.]

The act of appeasing.

PAC-CAN', or PAC-CAN'-NUT, n.

A species of hickory, in America, the Carya oliviformis.

PACE, n. [Fr. pas; It. passo; Sp. paso; L. passus, from pando, to open, or Gr. πατεω, to tread. See Pass.]

  1. A step.
  2. The space between the two feet in walking, estimated at two feet and a half. But the geometrical pace is five feet, or the whole space passed over by the same foot from one step to another. Sixty thousand such paces make one degree on the equator. – Encyc.
  3. Manner of walking; gait; as, a languishing pace; a heavy pace; a quick or slow pace. – Addison.
  4. Step; gradation in business. [Little used.] – Temple.
  5. A mode of stepping among horses, in which the legs on the same side are lifted together. In a general sense, the word may be applied to any other mode of stepping.
  6. Degree of celerity. Let him mend his pace. To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow, / Creeps in this petty pace from day to day. – Shak. To keep or hold pace, to keep up; to go or move as fast as something else.

PACE, v.i.

  1. To go; to walk; to move. – Spenser. Shak.
  2. To go, move or walk slowly.
  3. To move by lifting the legs on the same side together, as a horse.

PACE, v.t.

  1. To measure by steps; as, to pace a piece of ground.
  2. To regulate in motion. If you can, pace your wisdom / In that good path that I would wish it go. – Shak.

PAC'ED, a.

  1. Having a particular gait; used chiefly in composition; as, slow-paced.
  2. In composition, going all lengths; as, a thorough-paced intriguer.

PAC'ER, n.

One that paces; a horse that paces.

PA-CHA', n. [Fr. See PASHAW.]

PA-CHAL'IC, a.

Pertaining to the government of a pacha. [See Pashawlic.]

PACH-Y-DAC'TYL, n. [Gr. παχυς, thick, and δακτυλος, a toe.]

A bird or other animal having thick toes. – Hitchcock.

PACH'Y-DERM, n. [Gr. παχυς, thick, and δερμα, skin.]

A non-ruminant hoofed animal.

PACH-Y-DER'MA-TA, n.

In zoology, an order of mammals which have hoofs, but do not ruminate, including the elephant, mastodon, hippopotamus, rhinoceros, tapir, horse, hog, &c.

PACH-Y-DERM'A-TOUS, a.

Relating to a pachyderm, or to the order Pachydermata.

PA-CIF'IC, a. [L. pacificus, from pacifico, to make peace. See Peace.]

  1. Peace-making; conciliatory; suited to make or restore peace; adapted to reconcile differences; mild; appeasing; as, to offer pacific propositions to a belligerent power. The measures proposed are in their nature pacific.
  2. Calm; tranquil; as, a pacific state of things.

PA-CIF'IC, n.

The appellation given to the ocean situated between America on the west, and Asia; so called on account of its exemption from violent tempests.