Emily Dickinson Lexicon

PORT-BAR, n.

A bar to secure the ports of a ship in a gale of wind.

PORT-CHARGES, n. [Port-charges.]

In commerce, charges to which a ship or its cargo is subjected in a harbor, as wharfage, &c.

PORT-CRAY-ON, n.

A pencil-case. – Encyc.

PORT-CUL'LIS, n. [coulisse, in French, is from couler, to flow or slip down. It signifies a groove or gutter. I think it can not be from L. clausus.]

In fortification, an assemblage of timbers joined across one another, like those of a harrow, and each pointed with iron; hung over the gateway of a fortified town, to be let down in case of surprise, to prevent the entrance of an enemy. – Encyc.

PORT-CUL'LIS, v.t.

To shut; to bar; to obstruct. – Shak.

PORT-CUL'LIS-ED, a.

Having a portcullis. – Shenstone.

PORTE, n.

The Ottoman court, so called from the gate of the Sultan's palace where justice is administered; as, the Sublime Porte.

PORT-ED, a.

1. Having gates. [Not used.] – B. Jonson.
2. Borne in a certain or regular order. Jones.

POR-TEND', v.t. [L. portendo; por, Eng. fore, and tendo, to stretch.]

To foreshow; to foretoken; to indicate something future by previous signs. A moist and cool summer portends a hard winter. – Bacon.

POR-TEND'ED, pp.

Foreshown; previously indicated by signs.

POR-TEND'ING, ppr.

Foreshowing.

POR-TEN'SION, n.

The act of foreshowing. [Not in use.] – Brown.

POR-TENT', n. [L. portentum.]

An omen of ill; any previous sign or prodigy indicating the approach of evil or calamity. My loss by dire portents the god foretold. – Dryden.

POR-TENT'OUS, a. [L. portentosus.]

1. Ominous; foreshowing ill. Ignorance and superstition hold meteors to be portentous.
2. Monstrous; prodigious; wonderful; in an ill sense. No beast of more portentous size, / In the Hercynian forest lies. – Roscommon.

POR-TEN'TOUS-LY, adv.

Ominously.

PORT-ER, n. [It. portiere; Fr. portier; Sp. portero; from L. porta, a gate.]

1. A man that has the charge of a door or gate; a door-keeper. – Arbuthnot.
2. One that waits at the door to receive messages. – Pope.
3. [Fr. porteur, from porter, to carry, L. porto.] A carrier; a person who carries or conveys burdens for hire. – Howell. Watts.
4. A malt liquor which differs from ale and pale beer, in being made with high dried malt.

PORT-ER-AGE, n.

1. Money charged or paid for the carriage of burdens by a porter. – Tooke.
2. The business of a porter or door-keeper. – Churchill.

PORT-ER-LY, a.

Coarse; vulgar. [Little used.] – Bray.

PORT-ESSE, n. [See PORTASS.]

PORT-FIRE, n.

A composition for setting fire to powder, &c. frequently used in preference to a match. It is wet or dry. The wet is composed of saltpeter four parts, of sulphur one, and of mealed powder four; mixed and sifted, moistened with a little lintseed oil and well-rubbed. The dry is composed of saltpeter four parts, sulphur one, mealed powder two, and antimony one. These compositions are driven into small papers for use. – Encyc.

PORT-FO'LIO, n. [Fr. porte-feuille; porter, to carry, and feuille, a leaf, L. folium.]

A case of the size of a large book, to keep loose papers in. To have or hold the portfolio, is to hold the office of minister of foreign affairs. – E. Everett.

PORT-GLAVE, n. [Fr. porter, to carry, and W. glaiv, a crooked sword; llaiv, a shave, Celtic.]

A sword-bearer. [Not in use.] – Ainsworth.

PORT-GRAVE, or PORT-GREVE, n. [or PORT-REEVE. L. portus, a port, and G. graf, D. graaf; Sax. gerefa, a count, an earl.]

Formerly, the chief magistrate of a port or maritime town. This officer is now called mayor or bailif.

PORT'-HOLE, n. [port and hole.]

The embrasure of a ship of war. [See Port.]

POR-TI-CO, n. [It. portico; L. porticus, from porta or portus.]

In architecture, a kind of gallery on the ground, or a piazza encompassed with arches supported by columns; a covered walk. The roof is sometimes flat; sometimes vaulted. – Encyc.