Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary
PSAMMITE — PUKER
PSAMMITE, n. [Gr. sand.] A species of micaceous sandstone.
PSEUDO, Gr. false, a prefix signifying false, counterfeit or spurious.
PSEUDO-APOSTLE, n. A false apostle; one who falsely pretends to be an apostle.
PSEUDO-CHINA, n. The false China root, a plant of the genus Smilax, found in America.
PSEUDO-GALENA, n. False galena or black jack.
PSEUDOGRAPH, PSEUDOGRAPHY, n. [Gr. false, and writing.] False writing.
PSEUDOLOGY, n. [Gr. false, and discourse.] Falsehood of speech.
PSEUDO-METALLIC, a. Pseudo-metallic luster is that which is perceptible only when held towards the light; as in minerals.
PSEUDOMORPHOUS, a. [pseudo and Gr. form.] Not having the true form. A pseudomorphous mineral is one which has received its form from some extraneous cause, not from natural crystallization.
PSEUDO-TINEA, n. In natural history, the name of a remarkable species of insect or larva, resembling a moth. It feeds on wax, and is a terrible enemy to bees, as it enters the hive and sometimes compels the bees to abandon it, being covered with a coat that is impervious to their stings.
PSEUDO-VOLCANIC, a. Pertaining to or produced by a pseudo-volcano.
PSEUDO-VOLCANO, n. A volcano that emits smoke and sometimes flame, but no lava; also, a burning mine of coal.
PSHAW, exclam. An expression of contempt, disdain or dislike.
PSOAS, n. [Gr.] The name of two inside muscles of the loins.
PSORA, n. [Gr.] The itch.
PSYCHOLOGIC, PSYCHOLOGICAL, a. Pertaining to a treatise on the soul, or to the study of the soul of man.
PSYCHOLOGY, n. [Gr. soul, and discourse.] A discourse or treatise on the human soul; or the doctrine of the nature and properties of the soul.
PTARMIGAN, n. A fowl of the genus Tetrao, the lagopus or white game. The color of the plumage is a pale brown or ash, elegantly crossed or mottled with dusky spots and minute bars; the belly and wings are white. This fowl is seen on the summits of mountains in the north of England and of Scotland.
PTISAN, n. tiz’an. [L. ptisana; Gr. to pound.]
A decoction of barley with other ingredients.
PTOLEMAIC, a. [from Ptolemy, the geographer and astrologer.]
Pertaining to Ptolemy. The Ptolemaic system, in astronomy, is that maintained by Ptolemy, who supposed the earth to be fixed in the center of the universe, and that the sun and stars revolve around it. This theory was received for ages, but has been rejected for the Copernican system.
PTYALISM, n. [Gr. a spitting, to spit often.]
In medicine, salivation; an unnatural or copious flow of saliva.
PTSYMAGOGUE, n. [Gr. saliva, and to drive.]
A medicine that promotes discharges of saliva.
PUBERTY, n. [L. pubertas, from pubes.] The age at which persons are capable of procreating and bearing children. This age is different in different climates, but is with us considered to be at fourteen years in males, and twelve in females.
PUBES, n. [L.] In botany, the hairiness of plants; a downy or villous substance which grows on plants; pubescence.
PUBESCENCE, n. [L. pubescens, pubesco, to shoot, to grow mossy or hairy.]
1. The state of a youth who has arrived at puberty; or the state of puberty.
2. In botany, hairiness; shagginess; the hairy or downy substance on plants.
PUBESCENT, a. Arriving at puberty.
1. In botany, covered with pubescence, such as hair, bristles, beard, down, etc.; as the leaves of plants.
PUBLIC, a. [L. publicus, from the root of populus, people; that is, people-like.]
1. Pertaining to a nation, state or community; extending to a whole people; as a public law, which binds the people of a nation or state, as opposed to a private statute or resolve, which respects an individual or a corporation only. Thus we say, public welfare, public good, public calamity, public service, public property.
2. Common to many; current or circulated among people of all classes; general; as public report; public scandal.
3. Open; notorious; exposed to all persons without restriction.
Joseph her husband being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. Matthew 1:19.
4. Regarding the community; directed to the interest of a nation, state or community; as public spirit; public mindedness; opposed to private or selfish.
5. Open for general entertainment; as a public house.
6. Open to common use; as a public road.
7. In general, public expresses something common to mankind at large, to a nation, state, city or town, and is opposed to private, which denotes what belongs to an individual, to a family, to a company or corporation.
Public law, is often synonymous with the law of nations.
PUBLIC, 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.
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 secrecy.
In private grieve, but with a careless scorn,
In public seem to triumph, not to mourn.
PUBLICAN, 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. Matthew 9:10.
2. The keeper of a public house; an innkeeper.
PUBLICATION, 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.
PUBLIC-HEARTED, a. Public-spirited. [Not used.]
PUBLICIST, n. A writer on the laws of nature and nations; one who treats of the rights of nations.
PUBLICITY, n. The state of being public or open to the knowledge of a community; notoriety.
PUBLICLY, adv. Openly; with exposure to popular view or notice; without concealment; as property publicly offered for sale; an opinion publicly avowed; a declaration publicly made.
1. 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.
PUBLIC-MINDED, a. Disposed to promote the public interest. [Little used.]
PUBLIC-MINDEDNESS, n. A disposition to promote the public weal or advantage. [Little used.]
PUBLICNESS, n. The state of being public, or open to the view or notice of people at large; as the publicness of a sale.
1. State of belonging to the community; as the publicness of property.
PUBLIC-SPIRITED, a. 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.
1. Dictated by a regard to public good; as a public-spirited project or measure.
PUBLIC-SPIRITEDNESS, n. A disposition to advance the public good, or a willingness to make sacrifices of private interest to promote the common weal.
PUBLISH, v.t. [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.
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.
4. To make known by posting, or by reading in a church; as, to publish banns of matrimony. We say also, the persons intending marriage are published; that is, their intention of marriage is published.
PUBLISHED, pp. Made known to the community; divulged; promulgated; proclaimed.
PUBLISHER, n. One who makes known what was before private or unknown; one that divulges, promulgates or proclaims.
1. One who sends a book or writing into the world for common use; one that offers a book, pamphlet, etc., for sale.
2. One who utters, passes or puts into circulation a counterfeit paper.
PUBLISHING, ppr. Making known; divulging; promulgating; proclaiming; selling or offering publicly for sale; uttering.
PUBLISHMENT, n. In popular usage in New England, a notice of intended marriage.
PUCCOON, n. A plant, a species of Sanguinaria; the blood-root.
PUCE, a. Of a dark brown color.
PUCELAGE, n. A state of virginity. [Little used.]
PUCERON, n. The 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 Aphid, vine fretter, or plant louse.
PUCK, n. A demon; a mischievous spirit.
PUCK-BALL, PUCK-FIST, n. [from puck.] A kind of mushroom full of dust.
PUCKER, v.t. [L. pectus; Gr. signifies closely, densely, to cover.] To gather into small folds or wrinkles; to contract into ridges and furrows; to corrugate.
His face pale and withered, and his skin puckered in wrinkles.
It is usually followed by up; as, to pucker up cloth; but up is superfluous. It is a popular word, but not elegant.
PUCKER, n. A fold or wrinkle, or a collection of folds.
PUCKERED, pp. Gathered in folds; wrinkled.
PUCKERING, ppr. Wrinkling.
PUDDER, n. [This is supposed to be the same as pother.]
A tumult; a confused noise; bustle. [Vulgar.]
PUDDER, v.i. To make a tumult or bustle.
PUDDER, v.t. To perplex; to embarrass; to confuse; vulgarly to bother.
PUDDING, n.
1. A species of food of a soft or moderately hard consistence, variously made, but usually a compound of flour, or meal of maiz, with milk and eggs, sometimes enriched with raisins and called plum-pudding.
2. An intestine.
3. An intestine stuffed with meat, etc. now called a sausage.
4. Proverbially, food or victuals.
Eat your pudding, slave, and hold your tongue.
PUDDING, PUDDENING, n. In seamen’s language, a thick wreath or circle of cordage, tapering from the middle towards the ends, and fastened about the mast below the trusses, to prevent the yards from falling down when the ropes sustaining them are shot away.
PUDDING-GRASS, n. A plant of the genus Mentha.
PUDDING-GROSS, n. A plant.
PUDDING-PIE, n. A pudding with meat baked in it.
PUDDING PIPE-TREE, n. A plant of the genus Cassia.
PUDDING-SLEEVE, n. A sleeve of the full dress clerical gown.
PUDDING-STONE, n. Conglomerate; a coarse sandstone composed of silicious pebbles, flint, etc. united by a cement.
PUDDING-TIME, n. The time of dinner; pudding being formerly the first dish set on the table, or rather first eaten; a practice not yet obsolete among the common people of New England.
1. The nick of time; critical time.
PUDDLE, n. A small stand of dirty water; a muddy splash.
PUDDLE, v.t. To make foul or muddy; to pollute with dirt; to mix dirt and water.
1. To make thick or close.
PUDDLED, pp. Made muddy or foul.
PUDDLING, ppr. Making muddy or dirty.
PUDDLY, a. Muddy; foul; dirty.
PUDDOCK, PURROCK, n. [for paddock or parrock, park.] A small enclosure.
PUDENCY, n. [L. pudens, pudeo, to blush or be ashamed.]
Modesty; shamefacedness.
PUDENDA, n. plu. [L.] The parts of generation.
PUDIC, PUDICAL, a. [L. pudicus, modest.] Pertaining to the parts which modesty requires to be concealed; as the pudic artery.
PUDICITY, n. [L. pudicitia.] Modesty; chastity.
PUE-FELLOW. [See Pew-fellow.]
PUERILE, a. [L. puerilis, from puer, a boy.]
Boyish; childish; trifling; as a puerile amusement.
PUERILITY, n. [L. puerilitas, from puer, a boy.]
1. Childishness; boyishness; the manners or actions of a boy; that which is trifling.
2. In discourse, a thought or expression which is flat, insipid or childish.
PUERPERAL, a. [L. puerpera, a lying-in-woman; puer, a boy, and pario, to bear.] Pertaining to childbirth; as a puerperal fever.
PUERPEROUS, a. [L. puerperus, supra.] Bearing children; lying in.
PUET. [See Pewet.]
PUFF, n.
1. A sudden and single emission of breath from the mouth; a quick forcible blast; a whiff.
2. A sudden and short blast of wind.
3. A fungous ball filled with dust.
4. Any thing light and porous, or something swelled and light; as puff-paste.
5. A substance of loose texture, used to sprinkle powder on the hair.
6. A tumid or exaggerated statement or commendation.
PUFF, v.i.
1. To drive air from the mouth in a single and quick blast.
2. To swell the cheeks with air.
3. To blow as an expression of scorn or contempt.
It is really to defy heaven, to puff at damnation.
4. To breathe with vehemence, as after violent exertion.
The ass comes back again, puffing and blowing from the chase.
5. To do or move with hurry, agitation and a tumid, bustling appearance.
Then came brave glory puffing by.
6. To swell with air; to dilate or inflate.
PUFF, v.t. To drive with a blast of wind or air; as, the north wind puffs away the clouds.
1. To swell; to inflate; to dilate with air; as a bladder puffed with air.
The sea puffed up with winds.
2. To swell; to inflate; to blow up; as puffed up with pride, vanity or conceit; to puff up with praise or flattery.
3. To drive with a blast in scorn or contempt.
I puff the prostitute away.
4. To praise with exaggeration; as to puff a pamphlet.
PUFF-BALL, n. A fungus or mushroom full of dust, of the genus Lycoperdon.
PUFFED, pp. Driven out suddenly, as air or breath; blown up; swelled with air; inflated with vanity or pride; praised.
PUFFER, n. One that puffs; one that praises with noisy commendation.
PUFFIN, n. A water fowl of the genus Alca or auk.
1. A kind of fish.
2. A kind of fungus with dust; a fuzzball.
PUFFIN-APPLE, n. A sort of apple so called.
PUFFING, ppr. Driving out the breath with a single, sudden blast; blowing up; inflating; praising pompously.
PUFFINGLY, adv. Tumidly; with swell.
1. With vehement breathing or shortness of breath.
PUFFY, a. Swelled with air or any soft matter; tumid with a soft substance; as a puffy tumor.
1. Tumid; turgid; bombastic; as a puffy style.
PUG, n. The name given to a little animal treated with familiarity, as a monkey, a little dog, etc.
PUGGERED, for puckered, is not in use.
PUGH, exclam. A word used in contempt or disdain.
PUGIL, n. [L. pugillum, from the root of pugnus, the fist; probably coinciding with the Greek, to make thick, that is, to close or press.]
As much as is taken up between the thumb and two first fingers.
PUGILISM, n. [L. pugil, a champion or prize-fighter, from the Gr. id.; the fist; with the fist; to close or make fast; allied probably to pack, L. pango.]
The practice of boxing or fighting with the fist.
PUGILIST, n. A boxer; one who fights with his fists.
PUGILISTIC, a. Pertaining to boxing or fighting with the fist.
PUGNACIOUS, a. [L. pugnax, from pugna, a fight; from pugnus, the fist. See Pugil.]
Disposed to fight; inclined to fighting; quarrelsome; fighting.
PUGNACITY, n. Inclination to fight; quarrelsomeness. [Little used.]
PUISNE, a. pu’ny.
1. In law, younger or inferior in rank; as a chief justice and three puisne justices of the court of common please; the puisne barons of the court of exchequer.
2. Later in date. [Not used.]
PUISSANCE, n. [L. posse, possum, potes, potest.]
Power; strength; might; force.