Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary

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PYROLIGNITE — PYX

PYROLIGNITE, n. [supra.] A salt formed by the combination of pyrolignous acid with another substance.

PYROLITHIC, a. [Gr., fire; stone.] The pyrolithic acid is an acid of recent discovery. It is obtained from the silvery white plates which sublime from uric acid concretions, when distilled in a retort.

PYROLOGIST, n. [See Pyrology.] A believer in the doctrine of latent heat.

PYROLOGY, n. [Gr., fire; discourse.] A treatise on heat; or the natural history of heat, latent and sensible.

PYROMALATE, n. [See Pyromalic.] A compound of malic acid and a salifiable base.

PYROMALIC, a. [Gr., fire; L., an apple.] The pyromalic acid is a substance obtained by the distillation from the malic acid.

PYROMANCY, n. [Gr., fire; divination.] Divination by fire.

PYROMANTIC, a. Pertaining to pyromancy.

PYROMANTIC, n. One who pretends to divine by fire.

PYROMETER, n. [Gr., fire; measure.]

1. An instrument for measuring the expansion of bodies by heat.

2. An instrument for measuring degrees of heat above those indicated by the mercurial thermometer; as the pyrometer of Wedgewood.

PYROMUCITE, n. A combination of pyromucous acid with another substance.

PYROMUCOUS, a. [Gr., fire; L.] The pyromucous acid is obtained by the distillation of sugar or other saccharine substance.

PYROPE, n. [Gr., fire; face.] A mineral regarded as a variety of garnet, occurring in small masses or grains, never in crystals. Its color is a poppy or blood red, frequently with a tinge of orange.

PYROPHANE, n. [Gr., fire; clear.] A mineral which in its natural state is opake, but rendered transparent by heat.

PYROPHANOUS, a. Rendered transparent by heat.

PYROPHOROUS, a. Pertaining to or resembling pyrophorus.

PYROPHORUS, n. [Gr., fire; bearing.] A substance which takes fire on exposure to air, or which maintains or retains light.

PYROPHYSALITE. [See Topaz and Physalite.]

PYRORTHITE, n. A mineral little known, resembling orthite, but very different from it, for it burns in the flame of the blowpipe like charcoal; whereas orthite melts. Pyrorthite is in black plates, thin and almost parallel.

PYROSCOPE, n. [Gr., fire; to view.] An instrument for measuring the pulsatory motion of the air, or the intensity of heat radiating from a fire.

PYROSMALITE, n. A mineral of a liver brown color, or pistachio green, occurring in six sided prisms, of a lamellar structure, found in Sweden.

PYROTARTARIC, PYROTARTAROUS, a. [Gr., fire and tartar.] Denoting an acid obtained by distilling pure tartrite of potash.

PYROTARTRITE, n. A salt formed by the combination of pyrotartarous acid with another substance.

PYROTECHNIC, PYROTECHNICAL, a. [Gr., fire, art.] Pertaining to fire works or the art of forming them.

PYROTECHNICS, PYROTECHNY, n. [supra.] The art of making fire words; or the science which teaches the management and application of fire in its various operations, in gunnery, rockets, etc.

PYROTECHNIST, n. One skilled in pyrotechny.

PYROTIC, a. [Gr., to burn.] Caustic. [See Caustic.]

PYROTIC, n. A caustic machine.

PYROXENE, n. [Gr., fire; a stranger; a guest in fire, unaltered.] Augite. A species of minerals of the class of stones, which has been named volcanic shorl; but it is a family which comprehends many substances of different appearances. It is almost always crystalized, but in complicated forms.

PYROXENIC, a. Pertaining to pyroxene, or partaking of its qualities.

PYRRHIC, n. [L., Gr., a nimble dance.]

1. In poetry, a foot consisting of two short syllables.

2. An ancient military dance.

PYRRHIN, n. [Gr.] A vegeto-animal substance, detected in rain water by M. Brandes.

PYRRHONIC, a. Pertaining to Pyrrhonism.

PYRRHONISM, n. [from Pyrrho, the founder of the sceptics.] Scepticism; universal doubt.

PYRRHONIST, n. A sceptic; one who doubts of every thing.

PHTHAGOREAN, n. A follower of Pythagoras, the founder of the Italic sect of philosophers.

PYTHAGOREAN, PYTHAGORIC, PYTHAGORICAL, a. Belonging to the philosophy of Pythagoras.

PYTHAGORISM, n. The doctrines of Pythagoras.

PYTHIAN, a. [from Pythia, the priestess of Apollo.] Pertaining to the priestess of Apollo, who delivered oracles.

PYTHONESS, n. [L., Gr., a dragon or serpent.] A sort of witch; also, the female or priestess who gave oracular answers at Delphi, in Greece.

PYTHONIC, a. Pretending to foretell future events.

PYTHONIST, n. A conjurer.

PYX, n. [L, Gr.] The box in which the catholics keep the host.