Part 196

Per"i*wig (?), n. [OE. perrwige, perwicke, corrupt. fr. F. perruque; cf. OD. peruyk, from French. See Peruke, and cf. Wig.] A headdress of false hair, usually covering the whole head, and representing the natural hair; a wig. Shak.

Per"i*wig, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Perwigged (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Perwigging (?).] To dress with a periwig, or with false hair. Swift.

Per"i*win`kle (?), n. [From AS. pinewincla a shellfish, in which pine- is fr. L. pina, pinna, a kind of mussel, akin to Gr. &?;. Cf. Winkle.] (Zoˆl.) Any small marine gastropod shell of the genus Littorina. The common European species (Littorina littorea), in Europe extensively used as food, has recently become naturalized abundantly on the American coast. See Littorina.

In America the name is often applied to several large univalves, as Fulgur carica, and F. canaliculata.

Per"i*win`kle, n. [OE. pervenke, AS. pervince, fr. L. pervinca.] (Bot.) A trailing herb of the genus Vinca.

The common perwinkle (Vinca minor) has opposite evergreen leaves and solitary blue or white flowers in their axils. In America it is often miscalled myrtle. See under Myrtle.

Per"jen*et (?), n. [Cf. Pear, and Jenneting.] A kind of pear. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Per"jure (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Perjured (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Perjuring.] [F. parjurer, L. perjurare, perjerare; per through, over + jurare to swear. See Jury.] 1. To cause to violate an oath or a vow; to cause to make oath knowingly to what is untrue; to make guilty of perjury; to forswear; to corrupt; -- often used reflexively; as, he perjured himself.

Want will perjure The ne'er-touched vestal.

Shak.

2. To make a false oath to; to deceive by oaths and protestations. [Obs.]

And with a virgin innocence did pray For me, that perjured her.

J. Fletcher.

Syn. -- To Perjure, Forswear. These words have been used interchangeably; but there is a tendency to restrict perjure to that species of forswearing which constitutes the crime of perjury at law, namely, the willful violation of an oath administered by a magistrate or according to law.

Per"jure, n. [L. perjurus: cf. OF. parjur, F. parjure.] A perjured person. [Obs.] Shak.

Per"jured (?), a. Guilty of perjury; having sworn falsely; forsworn. Shak. "Perjured persons." 1 Tim. i. 10. "Their perjured oath." Spenser.

Per"jur*er (?), n. One who is guilty of perjury; one who perjures or forswears, in any sense.

{ Per*ju"ri*ous (?), Per"ju*rous (?), } a. [L. perjuriosus, perjurus.] Guilty of perjury; containing perjury. [Obs.] Quarles. B. Johnson.

Per"ju*ry (?), n.; pl. Perjuries (#). [L. perjurium. See Perjure, v.] 1. False swearing.

2. (Law) At common law, a willfully false statement in a fact material to the issue, made by a witness under oath in a competent judicial proceeding. By statute the penalties of perjury are imposed on the making of willfully false affirmations.

If a man swear falsely in nonjudicial affidavits, it is made perjury by statute in some jurisdictions in the United States.

Perk (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Perked (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Perking.] [Cf. W. percu to trim, to make smart.] To make trim or smart; to straighten up; to erect; to make a jaunty or saucy display of; as, to perk the ears; to perk up one's head. Cowper. Sherburne.

Perk, v. i. To exalt one's self; to bear one's self loftily. "To perk over them." Barrow.

To perk it, to carry one's self proudly or saucily. Pope.

Perk, a. Smart; trim; spruce; jaunty; vain. "Perk as a peacock." Spenser.

Perk, v. i. To peer; to look inquisitively. Dickens.

Per"kin (?), n. A kind of weak perry.

Per"kin*ism (?), n. (Med.) A remedial treatment, by drawing the pointed extremities of two rods, each of a different metal, over the affected part; tractoration, -- first employed by Dr. Elisha Perkins of Norwich, Conn. See Metallotherapy.