Part 182

Per*en"ni*ty (?), n. [L. perennitas.] The quality of being perennial. [R.] Derham.

Per`er*ra"tion (?), n. [L. pererrare, pererratum, to wander through.] A wandering, or rambling, through various places. [R.] Howell.

Per"fect (?), a. [OE. parfit, OF. parfit, parfet, parfait, F. parfait, L. perfectus, p. p. of perficere to carry to the end, to perform, finish, perfect; per (see Per-) + facere to make, do. See Fact.] 1. Brought to consummation or completeness; completed; not defective nor redundant; having all the properties or qualities requisite to its nature and kind; without flaw, fault, or blemish; without error; mature; whole; pure; sound; right; correct.

My strength is made perfect in weakness.

2 Cor. xii. 9.

Three glorious suns, each one a perfect sun.

Shak.

I fear I am not in my perfect mind.

Shak.

O most entire perfect sacrifice!

Keble.

God made thee perfect, not immutable.

Milton.

2. Well informed; certain; sure.

I am perfect that the Pannonains are now in arms.

Shak.

3. (Bot.) Hermaphrodite; having both stamens and pistils; -- said of flower.

Perfect cadence (Mus.), a complete and satisfactory close in harmony, as upon the tonic preceded by the dominant. -- Perfect chord (Mus.), a concord or union of sounds which is perfectly coalescent and agreeable to the ear, as the unison, octave, fifth, and fourth; a perfect consonance; a common chord in its original position of keynote, third, fifth, and octave. -- Perfect number (Arith.), a number equal to the sum of all its divisors; as, 28, whose aliquot parts, or divisors, are 14, 7, 4, 2, 1. See Abundant number, under Abundant. Brande & C. -- Perfect tense (Gram.), a tense which expresses an act or state completed.

Syn. -- Finished; consummate; complete; entire; faultless; blameless; unblemished.

Per"fect (?), n. The perfect tense, or a form in that tense.

Per"fect (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Perfected; p. pr. & vb. n. Perfecting.] [L. perfectus, p. p. of perficere. See Perfect, a.] To make perfect; to finish or complete, so as to leave nothing wanting; to give to anything all that is requisite to its nature and kind.

God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfect in us.

1 John iv. 12.

Inquire into the nature and properties of the things, . . . and thereby perfect our ideas of their distinct species.

Locke.

Perfecting press (Print.), a press in which the printing on both sides of the paper is completed in one passage through the machine.

Syn. -- To finish; accomplish; complete; consummate.

Per"fect*er (?), n. One who, or that which, makes perfect. "The . . . perfecter of our faith." Barrow.