Part 274

Pig"tailed` (?), a. Having a tail like a pig's; as, the pigtailed baboon.

Pig"weed` (?), n. (Bot.) A name of several annual weeds. See Goosefoot, and Lamb's- quarters.

Pig"wid`geon (?), n. [Written also pigwidgin and pigwiggen.] A cant word for anything petty or small. It is used by Drayton as the name of a fairy.

Pi"ka (?), n. (Zoˆl.) Any one of several species of rodents of the genus Lagomys, resembling small tailless rabbits. They inhabit the high mountains of Asia and America. Called also calling hare, and crying hare. See Chief hare.

Pike (?), n. [F. pique; perhaps of Celtic origin; cf. W. pig a prick, a point, beak, Arm. pik pick. But cf. also L. picus woodpecker (see Pie magpie), and E. spike. Cf. Pick, n. & v., Peak, Pique.] 1. (Mil.) A foot soldier's weapon, consisting of a long wooden shaft or staff, with a pointed steel head. It is now superseded by the bayonet.

2. A pointed head or spike; esp., one in the center of a shield or target. Beau. & Fl.

3. A hayfork. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] Tusser.

4. A pick. [Prov. Eng.] Wright. Raymond.

5. A pointed or peaked hill. [R.]

6. A large haycock. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.

7. A turnpike; a toll bar. Dickens.

8. (Zoˆl.) sing. & pl. A large fresh-water fish (Esox lucius), found in Europe and America, highly valued as a food fish; -- called also pickerel, gedd, luce, and jack.

Blue pike, grass pike, green pike, wall-eyed pike, and yellow pike, are names, not of true pike, but of the wall-eye. See Wall-eye.

Gar pike. See under Gar. -- Pike perch (Zoˆl.), any fresh-water fish of the genus Stizostedion (formerly Lucioperca). See Wall-eye, and Sauger. -- Pike pole, a long pole with a pike in one end, used in directing floating logs. -- Pike whale (Zoˆl.), a finback whale of the North Atlantic (BalÊnoptera rostrata), having an elongated snout; -- called also piked whale. -- Sand pike (Zoˆl.), the lizard fish. -- Sea pike (Zoˆl.), the garfish (a).

Piked (?), a. Furnished with a pike; ending in a point; peaked; pointed. "With their piked targets bearing them down." Milton.

Pike`-de*vant" (?), n. [Pike point (fr. F. pique) + F. devant before.] A pointed beard. [Obs.]

{ Pike"let (?), Pike"lin (?), } n. A light, thin cake or muffin. [Prov. Eng.] Wright.

Pike"man (?), n.; pl. Pikeman (&?;). 1. A soldier armed with a pike. Knolles.

2. A miner who works with a pick. Beaconsfield.

3. A keeper of a turnpike gate. T. Hughes.

Pike"staff` (?), n. 1. The staff, or shaft, of a pike.

2. A staff with a spike in the lower end, to guard against slipping. Sir W. Scott.

Pike"tail` (?), n. (Zoˆl.) See Pintail, 1.

Pik"ro*lite (?), n. (Min.) See Picrolite.

Pi"lage (?), n. See Pelage.

Pi*las"ter (?), n. [F. pilastre, It. pilastro, LL. pilastrum, fr. L. pila a pillar. See Pillar.] (Arch.) An upright architectural member right-angled in plan, constructionally a pier (See Pier, 1 (b)), but architecturally corresponding to a column, having capital, shaft, and base to agree with those of the columns of the same order. In most cases the projection from the wall is one third of its width, or less.

Pi*las"tered (?), a. Furnished with pilasters.

||Pi*lau" (?), n. See Pillau.