Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary
POLT — POMPOUSLY
POLT, n. A blow, stroke or striking; a word in common popular use in N. England.
POLT-FOOT, n. A distorted foot. [Not in use.]
POLT-FOOT, POLT-FOOTED, a. Having distorted feet. [Not in use.]
POLTROON, n. An arrant coward; a dastard; a wretch without spirit or courage.
POLTROONERY, n. Cowardice; baseness of mind; want of spirit.
POLVERIN, POLVERINE, n. [L. pulvis, dust.] The calcined ashes of a plant, of the nature of pot and pearl ashes, brought from the Levant and Syria. In the manufacture of glass, it is preferred to other ashes, as the glass made with it is perfectly white.
POLY, POLEY, n. [L. polium; Gr. white.] A plant. The poley grass is of the genus Lythrum.
POLY, in compound words, is from the Greek, and signifies many; as in polygon, a figure of many angles.
POLYACOUSTIC, a. [Gr. many, and to hear.] That multiples or magnifies sound; as a noun, an instrument to multiply sounds.
POLYADELPH, n. [Gr. many, and brother.]
1. In botany, a plant having its stamens united in three or more bodies or bundles by the filaments.
POLYADELPHIAN, a. Having its stamens united in three or more bundles.
POLYANDER, n. [Gr. many, and a male.] In botany, a plant having many stamens, or any number above twenty, inserted in the receptacle.
POLYANDRIAN, a. Having many stamens, that is, any number above twenty, inserted in the receptacle.
POLYANDRY, n. [supra.] The practice of females’ having more husbands than one at the same time; plurality of husbands.
POLYANTH, POLYANTHOS, n. [Gr. many, and a flower.] A plant of the genus Primula or primrose, whose flower stalks produce flowers in clusters.
POLYAUTOGRAPHY, n. [Gr. many, he himself, and to write.]
The act or practice of multiplying copies of one’s own handwriting or of manuscripts, by engraving on stone; a species of lithography.
POLYCHORD, a. [Gr. many and chord.]
Having many chords or strings.
POLYCHREST, n. [Gr. many, and useful.] In pharmacy, a medicine that serves for many uses, or that cures many diseases.
POLYCHROITE, n. [Gr. many, and to color.]
The coloring matter of saffron.
POLYCOTYLEDON, n. [Gr. many, and a cavity.] In botany, a plant that has many or more than two cotyledons or lobes to the seed.
POLYCOTYLEDONOUS, a. Having more than two lobes to the seed.
POLYEDRIC, POLYEDROUS. [See Polyhedron and Polyhedral.]
POLYGAM, POLYGAMIAN, n. [Gr. many, and marriage.] In botany, a plant which bears hermaphrodite flowers, with male or female flowers, or both, not inclosed in the same common calyx, but scattered either on the same plant, or on two or three distinct individuals.
POLYGAMIAN, a. Producing hermaphrodite flowers, with male or female flowers, or both.
POLYGAMIST, n. [See Polygamy.] A person who maintains the lawfulness of polygamy.
POLYGAMOUS, a. Consisting of polygamy.
1. Inclined to polygamy; having a plurality of wives.
POLYGAMY, n. [Gr. many, and marriage.] A plurality of wives or husbands at the same time; or the having of such plurality. When a man has more wives than one, or a woman more husbands than one, at the same time, the offender is punishable for polygamy. Such is the fact in christian countries. But polygamy is allowed in some countries, as in Turkey.
POLYGAR, n. In Hindoostan, an inhabitant of the woods.
POLYGENOUS, a. [Gr. many, and kind.] Consisting of many kinds; as a polygenous mountain, which is composed of strata of different species of stone.
POLYGLOT, a. [Gr. many, and tongue.] Having or containing many languages; as a polyglot lexicon or Bible.
POLYGLOT, n. A book containing many languages, particularly the Bible containing the Scriptures in several languages.
1. One who understands many languages. [Not in use.]
POLYGON, n. [Gr. many, and an angle.] In geometry, a figure of many angles and sides, and whose perimeter consists at least of more than four sides.
POLYGONAL, POLYGONOUS, a. Having many angles.
POLYGONUM, POLYGON, n. [Gr. many, and knee or knot.] Knotgrass, a genus of plants so names from the numerous joints in the stem.
POLYGRAM, n. [Gr. many, and a writing.]
A figure consisting of many lines.
POLYGRAPH, n. [See Polygraphy.] An instrument for multiplying copies of a writing with ease and expedition.
POLYGRAPHIC, POLYGRAPHICAL, a. Pertaining to polygraphy; as a polygraphic instrument.
1. Done with a polygraph; as a polygraphic copy or writing.
POLYGRAPHY, n. [Gr. many, and a writing; to write.]
The art of writing in various ciphers, and of deciphering the same.
POLYGYN, n. [Gr. many, and a female.]
In botany, a plant having many pistils.
POLYGYNIAN, a. Having many pistils.
POLYGYNY, n. [Gr. many, and a female.]
The practice of having more wives than one at the same time.
POLYHALITE, n. [Gr. many, and salt.] A mineral or salt occurring in masses of a fibrous structure, of a brick red color, being tinged with iron. It contains sulphates of lime, of magnesia, of potash and of soda.
POLYHEDRAL, POLYHEDROUS, a. [See Polyhedron.] Having many sides; as a solid body.
POLYHEDRON, n. [Gr. many, and side.]
1. In geometry, a body or solid contained under many sides or planes.
2. In optics, a multiplying glass or lens consisting of several plane surfaces disposed in a convex form.
POLYLOGY, n. [Gr. many, and discourse.]
A talking much; talkativeness; garrulity. [Not in use.]
POLYMATHIC, a. [See Polymathy.] Pertaining to polymathy.
POLYMATHY, n. [Gr. many, and learning; to learn.] The knowledge of many arts and sciences; acquaintance with many branches of learning or with various subjects.
POLYMNITE, n. [stone of many marshes.] A stone marked with dendrites and black lines, and so disposed as to represent rivers, marshes and ponds.
POLYMORPH, n. [Gr. many and form.] A name given by Soldani to a numerous tribe or series of shells, which are very small, irregular and singular in form, and which cannot be referred to any known genus.
POLYMORPHOUS, a. [supra.] Having many forms.
POLYNEME, n. A fish having a scaly compressed head, with a blunt prominent nose, and pliform appendages to the pectoral fins.
POLYNESIA, n. s as z. [Gr. many and isle.] A new term in geography, used to designate a great number of isles in the Pacific ocean, as the Pelew isles, the Ladrones, the Carolinas, the Sandwich isles, the Marquesas, the Society isles and the Friendly isles.
POLYNESIAN, a. Pertaining to Polynesia.
POLYNOME, n. [Gr. many and name.] In algebra, a quantity consisting of many terms.
POLYNOMIAL, a. Containing many names or terms.
POLYONOMOUS, a. [Gr. many and name.]
Having many names or titles; many-titled.
POLYONOMY, n. [supra.] Variety of different names.
POLYOPTRUM, n. [Gr. many and to see.] A glass through which objects appear multiplied.
POLYPE, POLYPUS, n. [Gr. many and foot.]
1. Something that has many feet or roots.
2. In zoology, a species of fresh water insect, belonging to the genus Hydra and order of zoophytes. Of this animal it is remarkable, that if cut into pieces, each part will shoot out a new head and tail and become a distinct animal. The general character of this animal is, it fixes itself by its base, is gelatinous, linear, naked, contractile, and capable of changing place.
The common name of all those small gelatinous animals, whose mouth is surrounded by tentacula or feelers, (whence the name,) and conducts to a simple stomach, or one followed by intestines in the form of vessels. They constitute a distinct class or order of zoophytes, and include those compound animals, with a fixed and solid stem, which were formerly regarded as marine plants.
3. A concretion of blood in the heart and blood vessels.
4. A tumor with a narrow base, somewhat resembling a pear; found in the nose, uterus, etc.
POLYPETALOUS, a. [Gr. many and a petal.] In botany, having many petals; as a polypetalous corol.
POLYPHONIC, a. [infra.] Having or consisting of many voices or sounds.
POLYPHONISM, POLYPHONY, n. [Gr. many and sound.] Multiplicity of sounds, as in the reverberations of an echo.
POLYPHYLLOUS, a. [Gr. many and leaf.] In botany, many-leafed; as a polyphyllous calyx or perianth.
POLYPIER, n. The name given to the habitations of polypes, or to the common part of those compound animals called polypes.
POLYPITE, n. Fossil polype.
POLYPODE, n. [Gr.] An animal having many feet; the milleped or wood-louse.
POLYPODY, n. [L. polypodium, from the Greek. See Polype.]
A plant of the genus Polypodium, of the order of Filices or ferns. The fructifications are in roundish points, scattered over the inferior disk of the frons or leaf. There are numerous species, of which the most remarkable is the common male fern.
POLYPOUS, a. [from polypus.] Having the nature of the polypus; having many feet or roots, like the polypus; as a polypous concretion.
POLYSCOPE, n. [Gr. many and to view.] A glass which makes a single object appear as many.
POLYSPAST, n. [Gr. many and to draw.] A machine consisting of many pulleys.
POLYSPERM, n. [Gr. many and seed.] A tree whose fruit contains many seeds.
POLYSPERMOUS, a. Containing many seeds; as a polyspermous capsule or berry.
POLYSYLLABIC, POLYSYLLABICAL, a. [from polysyllable.] Pertaining to a polysyllable; consisting of many syllables, or of more than three.
POLYSYLLABLE, n. [Gr. many and a syllable.] A word of many syllables, that is, consisting of more syllables than three, for words of a less number than four are called monosyllables, dissyllables and trisyllables.
POLYSYNDETON, n. [Gr. many and connecting.] A figure of rhetoric by which the copulative is often repeated; as, “we have ships and men and money and stores.”
POLYTECHNIC, a. [Gr. many and art.] Denoting or comprehending many arts; as a polytechnic school.
POLYTHEISM, n. [Gr. many and God.] The doctrine of a plurality of gods or invisible beings superior to man, and having an agency in the government of the world.
POLYTHEIST, n. A person who believes in or maintains the doctrine of a plurality of gods.
POLYTHEISTIC, POLYTHEISTICAL, a. Pertaining to polytheism; as polytheistic belief or worship.
1. Holding a plurality of gods; as a polytheistic writer.
POMACE, n. [from L. pomum, an apple.] The substance of apples or of similar fruit crushed by grinding. In America, it is so called before and after being pressed. [See Pomp and Pommel.]
POMACEOUS, a. Consisting of apples; as pomaceous harvests.
1. Like pomace.
POMADE, n. Perfumed ointment. [Little used.]
POMANDER, n. A sweet ball; a perfumed ball or powder.
POMATUM, n. An unguent or composition used in dressing the hair. It is also used in medicine.
POMATUM, v.t. To apply pomatum to the hair.
POME, n. [L. pomum.] In botany, a pulpy pericarp without valves, containing a capsule or core, as the apple, pear, etc.
POME, v.i. To grow to a head, or form a head in growing. [Not used.]
POMECITRON, n. A citron apple.
POMEGRANATE, n. [L. pomum, an apple, and granatum, grained. See Grain and Granate.]
1. The fruit of a tree belonging to the genus Punica. This fruit is as large as an orange, having a hard rind filled with a soft pulp and numerous seeds. It is of a reddish color.
2. The tree that produces pomegranates.
3. An ornament resembling a pomegranate, on the robe and ephod of the Jewish high priest.
POMEGRANATE-TREE, n. The tree which produces pomegranates.
POMEROY, POMEROYAL, n. Royal apple; a particular sort of apple.
POME-WATER, n. A sort of apple.
POMIFEROUS, a. [L. pomum, an apple, and fero, to produce.]
Apple-bearing; an epithet applied to plants which bear the larger fruits, such as melons, gourds, pumpkins, cucumbers, etc. in distinction from the bacciferous or berry-bearing plants.
POMME, POMMETTE, n. In heraldry, a cross with one or more knobs at each of the ends.
POMMEL, n. [L. pomum, an apple, or a similar fruit.]
1. A knob or ball. 2 Chronicles 4:12-13.
2. The knob on the hilt of a sword; the protuberant part of a saddle-bow; the round knob on the frame of a chair, etc.
POMMEL, v.t. [from the noun.] To beat as with a pommel, that is, with something thick or bulky; to bruise.
[The French se pommeler, to grow dapple, to curdle, is from the same source; but the sense is to make knobs or lumps, and hence to variegate, or make spots like knobs. The Welsh have from the same root, or pwmp, a mass, pwmpiaw, to form a round mass, and to thump, to bang, Eng. to bump.]
POMMELED, pp. Beaten; bruised.
1. In heraldry, having pommels; as a sword or dagger.
POMMELION, n. [from pommel.] The cascabel or hindmost knob of a cannon.
POMP, n. [L. pompa; bombus; Eng. bomb, bombast.]
1. A procession distinguished by ostentation of grandeur and splendor; as the pomp of a Roman triumph.
2. Show of magnificence; parade; splendor.
Hearts formed for love, but doom’d in vain to glow
In prison’d pomp, and weep in splendid woe.
POMPATIC, a. [Low L. pompaticus, pompatus.]
Pompous; splendid; ostentatious. [Not in use.]
POMPET, n. The ball which printers use to black the types.
POMPHOLYX, n. [L. from Gr. a tumor; a blast, a puff, a bubble, a pustule. See Pomp.] The white oxyd which sublimes during the combustion of zink; called flowers of zink. It rises and adheres to the dome of the furnace and the covers of crucibles.
POMPION, n. [See Pomp and Pomace.] A pumpkin; a plant and its fruit of the genus Cucurbita.
POMPIRE, n. [L. pomum, apple, and pyrus, pear.]
A sort of pearmain.
POMPOSITY, n. Pompousness; ostentation; boasting.
POMPOUS, a.
1. Displaying pomp; showy with grandeur; splendid; magnificent; as a pompous procession; a pompous triumph.
2. Ostentatious; boastful; as a pompous account of private adventures.