Part 369

PLANCHES, Fr. Boards, planks.

PLANCHES d’entrevoux, Fr. Boards or planks that are laid between the joists or posts of a building.

PLANCHEYER, Fr. to board or floor.

PLANCONS, Fr. literally twigs, or small round pieces of wood. A term used in hydraulics. See Belidor.

PLANIMETRY, (planimetrie, Fr.) that part of geometry which considers lines and plane figures, without any reference to heights or depths, in opposition to stenometry, or the mensuration of solids.

PLANISPHERE, (planisphere, Fr.) a representation of the globe or sphere on paper, for geometrical and astronomical purposes.

To PLANT, in a military sense, to place, to fix; as to plant a standard. It likewise signifies to arrange different pieces of ordnance for the purpose of doing execution against an enemy or his works. Hence to plant a battery. Johnson applies it to the act of directing a cannon properly. The French use the word generally as we do, except in the last mentioned sense. They say, metre le canon en batterie. In others the term bears the same signification, with occasional deviations when they apply it figuratively, viz.

PLANTER le piquet chez quelqu’un, Fr. To quarter one-self upon any body.

PLANTER là quelqu’un, Fr. To leave a person abruptly, or, as we familiarly say, to leave another in the lurch.

PLANTER quelque chose au nez de quelqu’un, Fr. To reproach a person with any thing, or, as we familiarly say, to throw it in his teeth. Il lui planter sa poltronnerie au nez; he reproached him openly for his cowardice, or he threw his cowardice in his teeth.

PLANTE, Fr. To be fixed, to be stationary. Un soldat bien plante sur ses pieds, Fr. A soldier that is well set up.

PLANTER un bâtiment, Fr. To lay the first stones, or the foundations of a building.

PLAQUE, Fr. The shell of a sword. See PLACAGE.

PLAQUES de Plomb, Fr. Sheets of lead. These are used for various purposes. In the artillery, to cover the vent of a cannon; and on board ships of war, to stop the holes, &c. that are made by cannon shot.

PLAQUER, Fr. to lay one plank over another. To cover any space with earth or turf, &c.

PLASM. See MOULD.

PLASTER, a piece of greased leather or rag used by riflemen, &c. to make the ball fit the bore of the piece.

PLASTER, in building, a substance made of water and some absorbent matter, such as chalk or lime, well pulverised, with which walls are overlaid.

PLASTRON, a piece of leather stuffed, used by fencing-masters, to receive thereon the pushes made at them by their pupils.

PLASTRON, Fr. A breast plate or half cuirass. In the old French service the gens d’armes, the heavy cavalry, the light horse, &c. were obliged to wear breast-plates on all occasions at reviews, &c. The hussars were an exception to this order which took place on the 28th of May, 1733. In the original order, dated the 1st of February, 1703, it was particularly specified, that in order to be accustomed to their weight, the above-mentioned corps should wear half cuirasses in time of peace. The captains of troops were obliged to keep the half cuirasses belonging to their men in constant repair.

PLAT, ate, Fr. Flat, level, low. The flat side of any thing; as, Plat de Sabre.

PLAT pays. A flat or low country. It is generally used among the French to signify that extent, or space of country, on which scattered houses and villages are built, in contradistinction to towns and fortified places. It is likewise used in opposition to a mountainous country. Les soldats de la garnison vivoient aux dépens du plat pays. The soldiers of the garrison lived upon the adjacent villages or country.

Punir à PLAT de Sabre. To punish a man by striking him with the flat side of a sabre blade. The French likewise say, des coups de plat d’epée. Blows given with the flat side of a sword. This mode of punishing is frequently adopted in foreign services, particularly among the Germans. M. de St. Germain, minister of the war department under Louis XVI. attempted to introduce it in France, but it was resisted by the army at large.

Battre à PLATE couture, Fr. To gain a complete and decided victory, or to beat an enemy so as to kill or take almost every man he had to oppose. Hence, une armée battue à plate couture, Fr. An army completely routed and undone.

PLAT de l’équipage d’un vaisseau, Fr. A dish or mess, consisting of seven rations or portions put together, and served out for the subsistence of seven men, on board French ships of war.

Etre mis au PLAT des malades sur mer, Fr. To be put upon the sick list on board a king’s ship; or to receive such rations as were ordered to be served out to the sick.

PLATAIN, Fr. Flat coast. A spot near the sea which is well calculated for a descent. As Le Platain de d’Angoulin, and the Platain de Chatelaillon, near Rochelle.

PLATES, or prise plates, in artillery, two plates of iron on the cheeks of a gun-carriage, from the cap-square to the centre, through which the prise bolts go, and on which the handspike rest, when used in raising the breech of the gun, &c.