Emily Dickinson Lexicon

PUB'LIC, n.

The general body of mankind or of a nation, state or community; the people, indefinitely. The public is more disposed to censure than to praise. – Addison. In this passage, public is followed by a verb in the singular number; but being a noun of multitude, it is more generally followed by a plural verb; the public are. In public, in open view; before the people at large; not in private or secresy. In private grieve, but with a careless scorn, / In public seem to triumph, not to mourn. – Granville.

PUB'LI-CAN, n. [L. publicanus, from publicus.]

1. A collector of toll or tribute. Among the Romans, a publican was a farmer of the taxes and public revenues, and the inferior officers of this class were deemed oppressive. As Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. – Matth. ix.
2. The keeper of a public house; an inn-keeper.

PUB-LI-CA'TION, n. [L. publicatio, from publico, from publicus.]

1. The act of publishing or offering to public notice; notification to a people at large, either by words, writing or printing; proclamation; divulgation; promulgation; as, the publication of the law at mount Sinai; the publication of the Gospel; the publication of statutes or edicts.
2. The act of offering a book or writing to the public by sale or by gratuitous distribution. The author consented to the publication of his manuscripts.
3. A work printed and published; any pamphlet or book offered for sale or to public notice; as, a new publication; a monthly publication.

PUB'LIC-HEART-ED, a.

Public-spirited. [Not used.] – Clarendon.

PUB'LIC-HOUSE, n.

A house of entertainment.

PUB'LI-CIST, n.

A writer on the laws of nature and nations; one who treats of the rights of nations. – Kent. Du Ponceau.

PUB-LIC'I-TY, n. [Fr. publicité.]

The state of being public or open to the knowledge of a community; notoriety.

PUB'LIC-LY, adv.

1. Openly; with exposure to popular view or notice; without concealment; as, property publicly offered for sale; an opinion publicly avowed; a declaration publicly made.
2. In the name of the community. A reward is publicly offered for the discovery of the longitude, or for finding a northwestern passage to Asia.

PUB'LIC-MIND-ED, a.

Disposed to promote the public interest. [Little used.]

PUB'LIC-MIND-ED-NESS, n.

A disposition to promote the public weal or advantage. [Little used.] – South.

PUB'LIC-NESS, n.

1. The state of being public, or open to the view or notice of people at large; as, the publicness of a sale.
2. State of belonging to the community; as, the publicness of property. – Boyle.

PUB-LIC-SPIR'IT-ED, a.

1. Having or exercising a disposition to advance the interest of the community; disposed to make private sacrifices for the public good; as, public-spirited men. – Dryden.
2. Dictated by a regard to public good; as, a public-spirited project or measure. – Addison.

PUB-LIC-SPIR'IT-ED-LY, adv.

With public spirit.

PUB-LIC-SPIR'IT-ED-NESS, n.

A disposition to advance the public good, or a willingness to make sacrifices of private interest to promote the common weal. – Whitlock.

PUB'LISH, v.t. [Fr. publier; Sp. publicar; It. publicare; L. publico. See Public.]

1. To discover or make known to mankind or to people in general what before was private or unknown; to divulge, as a private transaction; to promulgate or proclaim, as a law or edict. We publish a secret, by telling it to people without reserve. Laws are published by printing or by proclamation. Christ and his apostles published the glad tidings of salvation. Th' unwearied sun, from day to day, / Does his Creator's power display; / And publishes to every land / The work of an Almighty hand. – Spectator.
2. To send a book into the world; or to sell or offer for sale a book, map or print.
3. To utter; to put off or into circulation; as, to publish a forged or counterfeit paper. – Laws of Mass. and Conn.
4. To make known by posting, or by reading in a church; as, to publish bans of matrimony. We say also, the persons intending marriage are published; that is, their intention of marriage is published.

PUB'LISH-ED, pp.

Made known to the community; divulged; promulgated; proclaimed.

PUB'LISH-ER, n.

1. One who makes known what was before private or unknown; one that divulges, promulgates or proclaims. – Atterbury.
2. One who sends a book or writing into the world for common use; one that offers a book, pamphlet, &c., for sale.
3. One who uses, passes, or puts into circulation a counterfeit paper.

PUB'LISH-ING, ppr.

Making known; divulging; promulgating; proclaiming; selling or offering publicly for sale; uttering.

PUB'LISH-MENT, n.

In popular usage in New England, a notice of intended marriage.

PUC-COON', n.

A plant, Sanguinaria; the blood-root. – Fam. of Plants.

PUCE, a.

Of a dark brown color. Qu.

PU'CEL-AGE, n. [Fr.]

A state of virginity. [Little used.] – Robinson.

PU'CE-RON, n. [Fr. from puce, a flea.]

The French name of a tribe of small insects which are found in great numbers on the bark and leaves of plants, and live by sucking the sap; the Aphis, vine fretter, or plant louse. – Encyc.

PUCK, n. [Ice. and Sw. puke, a demon; Scot. puck.]

A demon; a mischievous spirit. – Shak.

PUCK'-BALL, or PUCK'-FIST, n. [from puck.]

A kind of mushroom full of dust. – Dict.