Part 179

||Per`co*mor"phi (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. L. perca perch + Gr. &?; form.] ||(Zoˆl.) A division of fishes including the perches and related kinds.

Per"cu*laced (?), a. [Prob. corrupt. fr. portcullised.] (Her.) Latticed. See Lattice, n., 2.

Per*cur"rent (?), a. [L. percurrens, p. pr. of percurrere to run through; per through + currere to run.] Running through the entire length.

Per*cur"so*ry (?), a. [L. percursor one who runs through, fr. percurrere. See Percurrent.] Running over slightly or in haste; cursory. [R.]

Per*cuss" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Percussed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Percussing.] [L. percussus, p. p. of percutere; per + quatere to shake, strike. See Quash.] To strike smartly; to strike upon or against; as, to percuss the chest in medical examination.

Flame percussed by air giveth a noise.

Bacon.

Per*cuss", v. i. (Med.) To strike or tap in an examination by percussion. See Percussion, 3. Quain.

Per*cus"sion (?), n. [L. percussio: cf. F. percussion. See Percuss.] 1. The act of percussing, or striking one body against another; forcible collision, esp. such as gives a sound or report. Sir I. Newton.

2. Hence: The effect of violent collision; vibratory shock; impression of sound on the ear.

The thunderlike percussion of thy sounds.

Shak.

3. (Med.) The act of tapping or striking the surface of the body in order to learn the condition of the parts beneath by the sound emitted or the sensation imparted to the fingers. Percussion is said to be immediate if the blow is directly upon the body; if some interventing substance, as a pleximeter, is, used, it is called mediate.

Center of percussion. See under Center. -- Percussion bullet, a bullet containing a substance which is exploded by percussion; an explosive bullet. -- Percussion cap, a small copper cap or cup, containing fulminating powder, and used with a percussion lock to explode gunpowder. -- Percussion fuze. See under Fuze. -- Percussion lock, the lock of a gun that is fired by percussion upon fulminating powder. -- Percussion match, a match which ignites by percussion. -- Percussion powder, powder so composed as to ignite by slight percussion; fulminating powder. -- Percussion sieve, Percussion table, a machine for sorting ores by agitation in running water.

Per*cuss"ive (?), a. Striking against; percutient; as, percussive force.

Per*cu"tient (?), a. [L. percutiens, p. pr. of percutere. See Percuss.] Striking; having the power of striking. -- n. That which strikes, or has power to strike. Bacon.

Per"di*cine (?), a. [See Perdix.] (Zoˆl.) Of or pertaining to the family PerdicidÊ, or partridges.

Per*die" (?), adv. See Parde. Spenser.

Per"di*foil (?), n. [L. perdere to lose + folium leaf.] (Bot.) A deciduous plant; - - opposed to evergreen. J. Barton.

Per*di"tion (?), n. [F., fr. L. perditio, fr. perdere, perditum, to ruin, to lose; per (cf. Skr. par away) + -dere (only in comp.) to put; akin to Gr. &?;, E. do. See Do.] 1. Entire loss; utter destruction; ruin; esp., the utter loss of the soul, or of final happiness in a future state; future misery or eternal death.

The mere perdition of the Turkish fleet.

Shak.

If we reject the truth, we seal our own perdition.

J. M. Mason.

2. Loss of diminution. [Obs.] Shak.

Per*di"tion*a*ble (?), a. Capable of being ruined; worthy of perdition. [R.] Pollok.

||Per"dix (pr"dks), n. [L., a partridge, Gr. pe`rdix.] (Zoˆl.) A genus ||of birds including the common European partridge. Formerly the word ||was used in a much wider sense to include many allied genera.

Per*du" (pr*d" or pr"d), n. [See Perdu, a.] 1. One placed on watch, or in ambush.