Part 140

Pec`to*ril"o*quism (?), n. Pectoriloquy.

Pec`to*ril"o*quous (?), a. Pectoriloquial.

Pec`to*ril"o*quy (?), n. [L. pectus, -oris, the breast + loqui to speak: cf. F. pectoriloquie.] (Med.) The distinct articulation of the sounds of a patient's voice, heard on applying the ear to the chest in auscultation. It usually indicates some morbid change in the lungs or pleural cavity.

Pec"tose` (?), n. [Pectic + cellulose.] (Chem.) An amorphous carbohydrate found in the vegetable kingdom, esp. in unripe fruits. It is associated with cellulose, and is converted into substances of the pectin group.

Pec*to"sic (?), a. (Chem.)Of, pertaining to, resembling, or derived from, pectose; specifically, designating an acid supposed to constitute largely ordinary pectin or vegetable jelly.

||Pec*tos"tra*ca (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. &?; fixed + &?; shell of a ||testacean.] (Zoˆl.) A degenerate order of Crustacea, including the ||Rhizocephala and Cirripedia.

Pec"tous (?), a. (Chem.) Of, pertaining to, or consisting of, pectose.

||Pec"tus (?), n.; pl. Pectora (#). [L., the breast.] (Zoˆl.) The ||breast of a bird.

Pec"ul (?), n. See Picul.

Pec"u*late (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Peculated (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Peculating.] [L. peculatus, p. p. of peculari to peculate, akin to peculium private property. See Peculiar.] To appropriate to one's own use the property of the public; to steal public moneys intrusted to one's care; to embezzle.

An oppressive, . . . rapacious, and peculating despotism.

Burke.

Pec`u*la"tion (?), n. The act or practice of peculating, or of defrauding the public by appropriating to one's own use the money or goods intrusted to one's care for management or disbursement; embezzlement.

Every British subject . . . active in the discovery of peculations has been ruined.

Burke.

Pec"u*la`tor (?), n. [L.] One who peculates. "Peculators of the public gold." Cowper.

Pe*cul"iar (?), a. [L. peculiaris, fr. peculium private property, akin to pecunia money: cf. OF. peculier. See Pecuniary.] 1. One's own; belonging solely or especially to an individual; not possessed by others; of private, personal, or characteristic possession and use; not owned in common or in participation.

And purify unto himself a peculiar people.

Titus ii. 14.

Hymns . . . that Christianity hath peculiar unto itself.

Hooker.

2. Particular; individual; special; appropriate.

While each peculiar power forgoes his wonted seat.

Milton.

My fate is Juno's most peculiar care.

Dryden.

3. Unusual; singular; rare; strange; as, the sky had a peculiarappearance.

Syn. -- Peculiar, Special, Especial. Peculiar is from the Roman peculium, which was a thing emphatically and distinctively one's own, and hence was dear. The former sense always belongs to peculiar (as, a peculiar style, peculiar manners, etc.), and usually so much of the latter as to involve feelings of interest; as, peculiar care, watchfulness, satisfaction, etc. Nothing of this kind belongs to special and especial. They mark simply the relation of species to genus, and denote that there is something in this case more than ordinary; as, a special act of Congress; especial pains, etc.