Part 136

Pearl*a"ceous (?), a. Resembling pearl or mother-of-pearl; pearly in quality or appearance.

Pearl"ash` (?), n. (Chem.) A white amorphous or granular substance which consists principally of potassium carbonate, and has a strong alkaline reaction. It is obtained by lixiviating wood ashes, and evaporating the lye, and has been an important source of potassium compounds. It is used in making soap, glass, etc.

Pearl"-eyed` (?), a. Having a pearly speck in the eye; afflicted with the cataract.

Pearl"fish` (?), n. (Zoˆl.) Any fish whose scales yield a pearl-like pigment used in manufacturing artificial pearls, as the bleak, and whitebait.

{ Pearl"ins (?), Pearl"ings (?), } n. pl. [Prob. a corruption of purflings. See Purfle.] A kind of lace of silk or thread. [Scot.] Sir W. Scott.

{ Pearl"ite (?), Pearl"stone` (?), } n. (Min.) A glassy volcanic rock of a grayish color and pearly luster, often having a spherulitic concretionary structure due to the curved cracks produced by contraction in cooling. See Illust. under Perlitic.

Pearl"wort` (?), n. (Bot.) A name given to several species of Sagina, low and inconspicuous herbs of the Chickweed family.

Pearl"y (?), a. 1. Containing pearls; abounding with, or yielding, pearls; as, pearly shells. Milton.

2. Resembling pearl or pearls; clear; pure; transparent; iridescent; as, the pearly dew or flood.

Pear"main (?), n. (Bot.) The name of several kinds of apples; as, the blue pearmain, winter pearmain, and red pearmain.

Pear"-shaped` (?), a. Of the form of a pear.

Peart (?), a. [A variant of pert, a.] Active; lively; brisk; smart; -- often applied to convalescents; as, she is quite peart to-day. [O. Eng. & Colloq. U. S.]

There was a tricksy girl, I wot, albeit clad in gray, As peart as bird, as straight as bolt, as fresh as flowers in May.

Warner (1592).

Peas"ant (?), n. [OF. paÔsant (the i being perh. due to confusion with the p. pr. of verbs), paÔsan, F. paysan, fr. OF. & F. pays country, fr. L. pagus the country. See Pagan.] A countryman; a rustic; especially, one of the lowest class of tillers of the soil in European countries.

Syn. -- Countryman; rustic; swain; hind.

Peas"ant, a. Rustic, rural. Spenser.

Peas"ant*like` (?), a. Rude; clownish; illiterate.

Peas"ant*ly, a. Peasantlike. [Obs.] Milton.

Peas"ant*ry (?), n. 1. Peasants, collectively; the body of rustics. "A bold peasantry." Goldsmith.

2. Rusticity; coarseness. [Obs.] p. Butler.

Peas"cod` (?), n. The legume or pericarp, or the pod, of the pea.

Pease (?), n.; obs.pl. Peases (#), Peasen (#). [See Pea.] 1. A pea. [Obs.] "A peose." "Bread . . . of beans and of peses." Piers Plowman.

2. A plural form of Pea. See the Note under Pea.

Pea"stone` (?), n. (Min.) Pisolite.

Peas"weep` (?), n. [So called from its note.] [Prov. Eng.] (Zoˆl.) (a) The pewit, or lapwing. (b) The greenfinch.

Peat (?), n. [Cf. Pet a fondling.] A small person; a pet; -- sometimes used contemptuously. [Obs.] Shak.

Peat, n. [Prob. for beat, prop., material used to make the fire burn better, fr. AS. b&?;tan to better, mend (a fire), b&?;t advantage. See Better, Boot advantage.] A substance of vegetable origin, consisting of roots and fibers, moss, etc., in various stages of decomposition, and found, as a kind of turf or bog, usually in low situations, where it is always more or less saturated with water. It is often dried and used for fuel.