Emily Dickinson Lexicon

PEN'E-TRATE, v.t. [L. penetro, from the root of pen, a point.]

1. To enter or pierce; to make way into another body; as, a sword or dart penetrates the body; oil penetrates wood; marrow, the most penetrating of oily substances. Arbuthnot.
2. To affect the mind; to cause to feel. I am penetrated with a lively sense of your generosity.
3. To reach by the intellect; to understand; as, to penetrate the meaning or design of any thing.
4. To enter; to pass into the interior; as, to penetrate a country.

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 ehurch 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.