Part 137

Peat bog, a bog containing peat; also, peat as it occurs in such places; peat moss. -- Peat moss. (a) The plants which, when decomposed, become peat. (b) A fen producing peat. (c) (Bot.) Moss of the genus Sphagnum, which often grows abundantly in boggy or peaty places. -- Peat reek, the reek or smoke of peat; hence, also, the peculiar flavor given to whisky by being distilled with peat as fuel. [Scot.]

Peat"y (?), a. Composed of peat; abounding in peat; resembling peat.

Pe"ba (?), n. [Cf. Pg. peba.] (Zoˆl.) An armadillo (Tatusia novemcincta) which is found from Texas to Paraguay; -- called also tatouhou.

Peb"ble (?), n. [AS. papolstn; cf. L. papula pimple, mote. See Stone.] 1. A small roundish stone or bowlder; especially, a stone worn and rounded by the action of water; a pebblestone. "The pebbles on the hungry beach." Shak.

As children gathering pebbles on the shore.

Milton.

2. Transparent and colorless rock crystal; as, Brazilian pebble; -- so called by opticians.

Pebble powder, slow-burning gunpowder, in large cubical grains. -- Scotch pebble, varieties of quartz, as agate, chalcedony, etc., obtained from cavities in amygdaloid.

Peb"ble, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pebbled; p. pr. & vb. n. Pebbling.] To grain (leather) so as to produce a surface covered with small rounded prominences.

Peb"bled (?), a. Abounding in pebbles. Thomson.

Peb"ble*stone` (?). A pebble; also, pebbles collectively. "Chains of pebblestone." Marlowe.

Peb"bly (?), a. Full of pebbles; pebbled. "A hard, pebbly bottom." Johnson.

||Pe`brine" (?), n. [F.] An epidemic disease of the silkworm, ||characterized by the presence of minute vibratory corpuscles in the ||blood.

Pe*can" (?), n. [Cf. F. pacane the nut.] (Bot.) A species of hickory (Carya olivÊformis), growing in North America, chiefly in the Mississippi valley and in Texas, where it is one of the largest of forest trees; also, its fruit, a smooth, oblong nut, an inch or an inch and a half long, with a thin shell and well-flavored meat. [Written also pacane.]

Pec"a*ry (?), n. (Zoˆl.) See Peccary.

Pec`ca*bil"i*ty (?), n. The state or quality of being peccable; lability to sin.

The common peccability of mankind.

Dr. H. More.

Pec"ca*ble (?), a. [Cf. F. peccable. See Peccant.] Liable to sin; subject to transgress the divine law. "A frail and peccable mortal." Sir W. Scott.

Pec`ca*dil"lo (?), n.; pl. Peccadillos (#). [Sp. pecadillo, dim. of pecado a sin, fr. L. peccatum. See Peccant.] A slight trespass or offense; a petty crime or fault. Sir W. Scott.

Pec"can*cy (?), n. [L. peccantia.] 1. The quality or state of being peccant.

2. A sin; an offense. W. Montagu.

Pec"cant (?), a. [L. peccans, -antis, p. pr. of peccare to sin: cf. F. peccant.] 1. Sinning; guilty of transgression; criminal; as, peccant angels. Milton.

2. Morbid; corrupt; as, peccant humors. Bacon.

3. Wrong; defective; faulty. [R.] Ayliffe.

Pec"cant, n. An offender. [Obs.] Whitlock.

Pec"cant*ly, adv. In a peccant manner.

Pec"ca*ry (?), n.; pl. Peccaries (#). [From the native South American name: cf. F. pÈcari, Sp. pecar.] (Zoˆl.) A pachyderm of the genus Dicotyles.