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Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary - Contents
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    PUKING — PUNICE

    PUKING, ppr. Vomiting.

    PULCHRITUDE, n. [L. pulchritudo, from pulcher, beautiful.]

    1. Beauty; handsomeness; grace; comeliness; that quality of form which pleases the eye.NWAD PULCHRITUDE.2

    2. Moral beauty; those qualities of the mind which good men love and approve.NWAD PULCHRITUDE.3

    PULE, v.i. [L. pello.]

    1. To cry like a chicken.NWAD PULE.2

    2. To whine; to cry as a complaining child; to whimper.NWAD PULE.3

    To speak puling like a beggar at halimass.NWAD PULE.4

    PULIC, n. A plant.

    PULICOSE, PULICOUS, a. [L. pulicosus, from pulex, a flea.]

    Abounding n with fleas. [Not used.]NWAD PULICOSE.2

    PULING, ppr. Crying like a chicken; whining.

    PULING, n. A cry, as of a chicken; a whining.

    PULINGLY, adv. With whining or complaint.

    PULIOL, n. A plant.

    PULKHA, n. A Laplander’s traveling sled or sleigh.

    PULL, v.t. [L. vello.]

    1. To draw; to draw towards one or to make an effort to draw. Pull differs from draw; we use draw when motion follows the effort, and pull is used in the same sense; but we may also pull forever without drawing or moving the thing. This distinction may not be universal. Pull is opposed to push.NWAD PULL.2

    Then he put forth his hand and took her and pulled her in to him into the ark. Genesis 8:9.NWAD PULL.3

    2. To pluck; to gather by drawing or forcing off or out; as, to pull fruit; to pull flax.NWAD PULL.4

    3. To tear; to rend; but in this sense followed by some qualifying word or phrase; as, to pull in pieces; to pull asunder or apart. To pull in two, is to separate or tear by violence into two parts.NWAD PULL.5

    To pull down, to demolish or to take in pieces by separating the parts; as, to pull down a house.NWAD PULL.6

    1. To demolish; to subvert; to destroy.NWAD PULL.7

    In political affairs, as well as mechanical, it is easier to pull down than to build up.NWAD PULL.8

    2. To bring down; to degrade; to humble.NWAD PULL.9

    To raise the wretched and pull down the proud.NWAD PULL.10

    To pull off, to separate by pulling; to pluck; also, to take off without force; as, to pull off a coat or hat.NWAD PULL.11

    To pull out, to draw out; to extract.NWAD PULL.12

    To pull up, to pluck up; to tear up by the roots; hence, to extirpate; to eradicate; to destroy.NWAD PULL.13

    PULL, n. The act of pulling or drawing with force; an effort to move by drawing towards one.

    1. A contest; a struggle.NWAD PULL.15

    2. Pluck; violence suffered.NWAD PULL.16

    PULLBACK, n. That which keeps back, or restrains from proceeding.

    PULLED, pp. Drawn towards one; plucked.

    PULLEN, n. [L. pullus. See Pullet and Foal.] Poultry.

    [Not used.]NWAD PULLEN.2

    PULLER, n. One that pulls.

    PULLET, n. [L. pullus; Gr. coinciding with Eng. foal.]

    A young hen or female of the gallinaceous kind of fowls.NWAD PULLET.2

    PULLEY, n. plu. pulleys. [L. polus; Gr. to turn.]

    A small wheel turning on a pin in a block, with a furrow or groove in which runs the rope that turns it.NWAD PULLEY.2

    The pulley is one of the mechanical powers. The word is used also in the general sense of tackle, to denote all parts of the machine for raising weights, of which the pulley forms a part.NWAD PULLEY.3

    PULLICAT, n. A kind of silk handkerchief.

    PULLING, ppr. Drawing; making an effort to draw; plucking.

    PULLULATE, v.i. [L. pullulo, from pullus, a shoot.]

    To germinate; to bud.NWAD PULLULATE.2

    PULLULATION, n. A germinating or budding; the first shooting of a bud.

    PULMONARY, a. [L. pulmonarius, from pulmo, the lungs, from pello, pulsus, pulso, to drive or beat.] Pertaining to the lungs; affecting the lungs; as a pulmonary disease or consumption; the pulmonary artery.

    PULMONARY, n. [L. pulmonaria.] A plant, lungwort.

    PULMONIC, a. [L. pulmo, the lungs.] Pertaining to the lungs; affecting the lungs; as a pulmonic disease; pulmonic consumption.

    PULMONIC, n. A medicine for diseases of the lungs.

    1. One affected by a disease of the lungs.NWAD PULMONIC.3

    PULP, n. [L. pulpa. This is probably allied to L. puls, pulmentum; Gr. from softness.]

    1. A soft mass; in general.NWAD PULP.2

    2. The soft substance within a bone; marrow.NWAD PULP.3

    3. The soft, succulent part of fruit; as the pulp of an orange.NWAD PULP.4

    4. The aril or exterior covering of a coffee-berry.NWAD PULP.5

    PULP, v.t. To deprive of the pulp or integument, as the coffee-berry.

    The other mode is to pulp the coffee immediately as it comes from the tree. By a simple machine, a man will pulp a bushel in a minute.NWAD PULP.7

    PULPIT, n. [L. pulpitum, a state, scaffold, or higher part of a stage.]

    1. An elevated place or inclosed stage in a church, in which the preacher stands. It is called also a desk.NWAD PULPIT.2

    2. In the Roman theater, the pulpitum was the place where the players performed their parts, lower than the scene and higher than the orchestra.NWAD PULPIT.3

    3. A movable desk, from which disputants pronounced their dissertations, and authors recited their works.NWAD PULPIT.4

    PULPIT-ELOQUENCE, PULPIT-ORATORY, n. Eloquence or oratory in delivering sermons.

    Pulpitically in Chesterfield, is not an authorized word.NWAD PULPIT-ELOQUENCE.2

    PULPIT-ORATOR, n. An eloquent preacher.

    PULPOUS, a. [from pulp.] Consisting of pulp or resembling it; soft like pap.

    PULPOUSNESS, n. Softness; the quality of being pulpous.

    PULPY, a. Like pulp; soft; fleshy; succulent; as the pulpy covering of a nut; the pulpy substance of a peach or cherry.

    PULSATE, v.i. [L. pulsatus, pulso, to beat, from the root of pello, to drive.] To beat or throb.

    The heart of a viper or frog will continue to pulsate long after it is taken from the body.NWAD PULSATE.2

    PULSATILE, a. [L. pulsatilis, from pulso, to beat.]

    That is or may be struck or beaten; played by beating; as a pulsatile instrument of music.NWAD PULSATILE.2

    PULSATION, n. [L. pulsatio, supra.] The beating or throbbing of the heart or of an artery, in the process of carrying on the circulation of the blood. The blood being propelled by the contraction of the heart, causes the arteries to dilate, so as to render each dilation perceptible to the touch in certain parts of the body, as in the radial artery, etc.

    1. In law, any touching of another’s body willfully or in anger. This constitutes battery.NWAD PULSATION.2

    By the Cornelian law, pulsation as well as verberation is prohibited.NWAD PULSATION.3

    PULSATIVE, a. Beating; throbbing.

    PULSATOR, n. A beater; a striker.

    PULSATORY, a. Beating; throbbing; as the heart and arteries.

    PULSE, n. puls. [L. pulsus, from pello, to drive.]

    1. In animals, the beating or throbbing of the heart and arteries; more particularly, the sudden dilatation of an artery, caused by the projectile force of the blood, which is perceptible to the touch. Hence we say, to feel the pulse. The pulse is frequent or rare, quick or slow, equal or unequal, regular or intermitting, hard or soft, strong or weak, etc. The pulses of an adult in health, are little more than one pulse to a second; in certain fevers, the number is increased to 90, 100, or even to 140 in a minute.NWAD PULSE.2

    2. The stroke with which a medium is affected by the motion of light, sound, etc.; oscillation; vibration.NWAD PULSE.3

    Sir Isaac Newton demonstrates that the velocities of the pulses of an elastic fluid medium are in a ratio compounded of half the ratio of the elastic force directly, and half the ratio of the density inversely.NWAD PULSE.4

    To feel one’s pulse, metaphorically, to sound one’s opinion; to try or to know one’s mind.NWAD PULSE.5

    PULSE, v.i. To beat, as the arteries. [Little used.]

    PULSE, v.t. [L. pulso.] To drive, as the pulse. [Little used.]

    PULSE, n. [L. pulsus, beaten out, as seeds; Heb. a bean, to separate.] Leguminous plants or their seeds; the plants whose pericarp is a legume or pod, as beans, peas, etc.

    PULSIFIC, a. [pulse and L. facio, to make.]

    Exciting the pulse; causing pulsation.NWAD PULSIFIC.2

    PULSION, n. [from L. pulsus.] The act of driving forward; in opposition to suction or traction. [Little used.]

    PULTACEOUS, a. [L. puls. See Pulp.]

    Macerated; softened; nearly fluid.NWAD PULTACEOUS.2

    PULVERABLE, a. [from L. pulvis, dust, probably from pello, pulso, or its root, that which is beaten fine, or that which is driven. See Powder.] That may be reduced to fine powder; capable of being pulverized.

    PULVERATE, v.t. To beat or reduce to powder or dust.

    [But pulverize is generally used.]NWAD PULVERATE.2

    PULVERIN, PULVERINE, n. Ashes of barilla.

    PULVERIZATION, n. [from pulverize.]

    The act of reducing to dust or powder.NWAD PULVERIZATION.2

    PULVERIZE, v.t. To reduce to fine powder, as by beating, grinding, etc. Friable substances may be pulverized by grinding or beating; but to pulverize malleable bodies, other methods must be pursued.

    PULVERIZED, pp. Reduced to fine powder.

    PULVERIZING, ppr. Reducing to fine powder.

    PULVEROUS, a. Consisting of dust or powder; like powder.

    PULVERULENCE, n. Dustiness; abundance of dust or powder.

    PULVERULENT, a. Dusty; consisting of fine powder; powdery.

    1. Addicted to lying and rolling in the dust, as fowls.NWAD PULVERULENT.2

    PULVIL, n. A sweet scented powder. [Little used.]

    PULVIL, v.t. To sprinkle with a perfumed powder. [Not used.]

    PUMA, n. A rapacious quadruped of America, of the genus Felis.

    PUMICE, n. [L. pumex, supposed to be from the root of spuma, foam.]

    A substance frequently ejected from volcanoes, of various colors, gray, white, reddish brown or black; hard, rough and porous; specifically lighter than water, and resembling the slag produced in an iron furnace. It consists of parallel fibers, and is supposed to be asbestos decomposed by the action of fire.NWAD PUMICE.2

    Pumice is of three kinds, glassy, common, and porphyritic.NWAD PUMICE.3

    PUMICE-STONE, n. The same as pumice.

    PUMICEOUS, a. Pertaining to pumice; consisting of pumice or resembling it.

    PUMMEL. [See Pommel.]

    PUMP, n. [The L. bombus is of the same family, as is the Eng. bombast.]

    1. A hydraulic engine for raising water, by exhausting the incumbent air of a tube or pipe, in consequence of which the water rises in the tube by means of the pressure of the air on the surrounding water. There is however a forcing pump in which the water is raised in the tube by a force applied to a lateral tube, near the bottom of the pump.NWAD PUMP.2

    2. A shoe with a thin sole.NWAD PUMP.3

    PUMP, v.i. To work a pump; to raise water with a pump.

    PUMP, v.t. To raise with a pump; as, to pump water.

    1. To draw out by artful interrogatories; as, to pump put secrets.NWAD PUMP.6

    2. To examine by artful questions for the purpose of drawing out secrets.NWAD PUMP.7

    But pump not me for politics.NWAD PUMP.8

    Chain-pump, is a chain equipped with a sufficient number of valves at proper distances, which working on two wheels, passes down through one tube and returns through another.NWAD PUMP.9

    PUMP-BOLTS, n. Two pieces of iron, one used to fasten the pump-spear to the brake, the other as a fulcrum for the brake to work upon.

    PUMP-BRAKE, n. The arm or handle of a pump.

    PUMP-DALE, n. A long wooden tube, used to convey the water from a chain-pump across the ship and through the side.

    PUMPER, n. The person or the instrument that pumps.

    PUMP-GEAR, n. The materials for fitting and repairing pumps.

    PUMP-HOOD, n. A semi-cylindrical frame of wood, covering the upper wheel of a chain-pump.

    PUMPION, n. A plant and its fruit, of the genus Cucurbita.

    PUMPKIN, n. A pompion. [This is the common orthography of the word in the United States.]

    PUMP-SPEAR, n. The bar to which the upper box of a pump is fastened, and which is attached to the brake or handle.

    PUN, n. An expression in which a word has at once different meanings; an expression in which two different applications of a word present an odd or ludicrous idea; a kind of quibble or equivocation; a low species of wit. Thus a man who had a tall wife named Experience, observed that he had, by long experience, proved the blessings of a married life.

    A pun can be no more engraven, than it can be translated.NWAD PUN.2

    PUN, v.i. To quibble; to use the same word at once in different senses.

    PUN, v.t. To persuade by a pun.

    PUNCH, n. [L. punctum, pungo.] An instrument of iron or steel, used in several arts for perforating holes in plates of metal, and so contrived as to cut out a piece.

    PUNCH, n. A drink composed of water sweetened with sugar, with a mixture of lemon juice and spirit.

    PUNCH, n. The buffoon or harlequin of a puppet show. [See Punchinello.]

    PUNCH, n. A well set horse with a short back, thin shoulders, broad neck, and well covered with flesh.

    1. A short fat fellow.NWAD PUNCH.5

    PUNCH, v.t. [L. pungo.]

    1. To perforate with an iron instrument, either pointed or not; as, to punch a hole in a plate of metal.NWAD PUNCH.7

    2. In popular usage, to thrust against with something obtuse; as, to punch one with the elbow.NWAD PUNCH.8

    PUNCHBOWL, n. A bowl in which punch is made, or from which it is drank.

    PUNCHED, pp. Perforated with a punch.

    PUNCHEON, n.

    1. A small piece of steel, on the end of which is engraved a figure or letter, in creux or relievo, with which impressions are stamped on metal or other substance; used in coinage, in forming the matrices of types, and in various arts.NWAD PUNCHEON.2

    2. In carpentry, a piece of timber placed upright between two posts, whose bearing is too great; also, a piece of timber set upright under the ridge of a building, wherein the legs of a couple, etc. are jointed.NWAD PUNCHEON.3

    3. A measure of liquids, or a cask containing usually 120 gallons. Rum or spirits is imported from the West Indies in puncheons, but there are often called also hogsheads.NWAD PUNCHEON.4

    PUNCHER, n. One that punches.

    1. A punch or perforating instrument.NWAD PUNCHER.2

    PUNCHINELLO, n. A punch; a buffoon.

    PUNCHING, ppr. Perforating with a punch; driving against.

    PUNCHY, a. Short and thick, or fat.

    PUNCTATE, PUNCTATED, a. [L. punctus, pungo.] Pointed.

    1. In botany, perforated; full of small holes; having hollow dots scattered over the surface.NWAD PUNCTATE.2

    PUNCTIFORM, a. [L. punctum, point, and form.] Having the form of a point.

    PUNCTILIO, n. A nice point of exactness in conduct, ceremony or proceeding; particularity or exactness in forms; as the punctilios of a public ceremony.

    PUNCTILIOUS, a. Very nice or exact in the forms of behavior, ceremony or mutual intercourse; very exact in the observance of rules prescribed by law or custom; sometimes, exact to excess.

    PUNCTILIOUSLY, adv. With exactness or great nicety.

    PUNCTILIOUSNESS, n. Exactness in the observance of forms or rules; attentive to nice points of behavior or ceremony.

    PUNCTO, n. [L. punctum, from pungo, to prick.]

    1. Nice point of form or ceremony.NWAD PUNCTO.2

    2. The point in fencing.NWAD PUNCTO.3

    PUNCTUAL, a. [L. punctum, a point.]

    1. Consisting in a point; as this punctual spot. [Little used.]NWAD PUNCTUAL.2

    2. Exact; observant of nice points; punctilious, particularly in observing time, appointments or promises. It is honorable in a man to be punctual to appointments, or to appointed hours; it is just to be punctual in paying debts.NWAD PUNCTUAL.3

    3. Exact; as a punctual correspondence between a prediction and an event.NWAD PUNCTUAL.4

    4. Done at the exact time; as punctual payment.NWAD PUNCTUAL.5

    PUNCTUALIST, n. One that is very exact in observing forms and ceremonies.

    PUNCTUALITY, n. Nicety; scrupulous exactness. He served his prince with punctuality.

    1. It is now used chiefly in regard to time. He pays his debts with punctuality. He is remarkable for the punctuality of his attendance.NWAD PUNCTUALITY.2

    PUNCTUALLY, adv. Nicely; exactly; with scrupulous regard to time, appointments, promises or rules; as, to attend a meeting punctually; to pay debts or rent punctually; to observe punctually one’s engagements.

    PUNCTUALNESS, n. Exactness; punctuality.

    PUNCTUATE, v.t. [L. punctum, a point.] To mark with points; to designate sentences, clauses or other divisions of a writing by points, which mark the proper pauses.

    PUNCTUATED, pp. Pointed.

    1. Having the divisions marked with points.NWAD PUNCTUATED.2

    PUNCTUATING, ppr. Marking with points.

    PUNCTUATION, n. In grammar, the act or art of pointing a writing or discourse, or the act or art of marking with points the divisions of a discourse into sentences and clauses or members of a sentence. Punctuation is performed by four points, the period (.); the colon (:); the semicolon (;); and the comma (,). The ancients were unacquainted with punctuation; they wrote without any distinction of members, period or words.

    PUNCTULATE, v.t. [L. punctulum.] To mark with small spots. [Not used.]

    PUNCTURE, n. [L. punctura.] The act of perforating with a pointed instrument; or a small hole made by it; as the puncture of a nail, needle or pin.

    A lion may perish by the puncture of an asp.NWAD PUNCTURE.2

    PUNCTURE, v.t. To prick; to pierce with a small pointed instrument; as, to puncture the skin.

    PUNCTURED, pp. Pricked; pierced with a sharp point.

    PUNCTURING, ppr. Piercing with a sharp point.

    PUNDIT, n. In Hindoostan, a learned Bramin; one versed in the Sanscrit language, and in the science, laws and religion of that country.

    PUNDLE, n. A short and fat woman. [Not used.]

    PUNGAR, n. A fish.

    PUNGENCY, n. [L. pungens, pungo, to prick.]

    1. The power of pricking or piercing; as the pungency of a substance.NWAD PUNGENCY.2

    2. That quality of a substance which produces the sensation of pricking, or affecting the taste like minute sharp points; sharpness; acridness.NWAD PUNGENCY.3

    3. Power to pierce the mind or excite keen reflections or remorse; as the pungency of a discourse.NWAD PUNGENCY.4

    4. Acrimoniousness; keenness; as the pungency of wit or of expressions.NWAD PUNGENCY.5

    PUNGENT, a. [L. pungens, pungo.] Pricking; stimulating; as pungent snuff.

    The pungent grains of titillating dust.NWAD PUNGENT.2

    1. Acrid; affecting the tongue like small sharp points; as the sharp and pungent taste of acids.NWAD PUNGENT.3

    2. Piercing; sharp; as pungent pains; pungent grief.NWAD PUNGENT.4

    3. Acrimonious; biting.NWAD PUNGENT.5

    PUNIC, a. [L. punicus, pertaining to Carthage or its inhabitants, from Poeni, the Carthaginians.] Pertaining to the Carthaginians; faithless; treacherous; deceitful; as punic faith.

    PUNIC, n. The ancient language of the Carthaginians, of which Plautus has left a specimen.

    PUNICE, n. A wall-louse; a bug. [Not in use.]

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