Part 304

Pit"i*ful (?), a. 1. Full of pity; tender-hearted; compassionate; kind; merciful; sympathetic.

The Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

James v. 11.

2. Piteous; lamentable; eliciting compassion.

A thing, indeed, very pitiful and horrible.

Spenser.

3. To be pitied for littleness or meanness; miserable; paltry; contemptible; despicable.

That's villainous, and shows a most pitiful ambition in the fool that uses it.

Shak.

Syn. -- Despicable; mean; paltry. See Contemptible.

-- Pit"i*ful*ly, adv. -- Pit"i*ful*ness, n.

Pit"i*less, a. 1. Destitute of pity; hard-hearted; merciless; as, a pitilessmaster; pitiless elements.

2. Exciting no pity; as, a pitiless condition.

-- Pit"i*less*ly, adv. -- Pit"i*less*ness, n.

Pit"man (?), n.; pl. Pitmen (&?;). 1. One who works in a pit, as in mining, in sawing timber, etc.

2. (Mach.) The connecting rod in a sawmill; also, sometimes, a connecting rod in other machinery.

Pi*tot's" tube` (?). (Hydraul.) A bent tube used to determine the velocity of running water, by placing the curved end under water, and observing the height to which the fluid rises in the tube; a kind of current meter.

Pit"pan` (?), n. A long, flat- bottomed canoe, used for the navigation of rivers and lagoons in Central America. Squier.

Pit"pat` (?), n. & adv. See Pitapat.

Pit"ta (pt"t), n. (Zoˆl.) Any one of a large group of bright-colored clamatorial birds belonging to Pitta, and allied genera of the family PittidÊ. Most of the species are varied with three or more colors, such as blue, green, crimson, yellow, purple, and black. They are called also ground thrushes, and Old World ant thrushes; but they are not related to the true thrushes.

The pittas are most abundant in the East Indies, but some inhabit Southern Asia, Africa, and Australia. They live mostly upon the ground, and feed upon insects of various kinds.

Pit"ta*cal (pt"t*kl), n. [Gr. pi`tta, pi`ssa, pitch + kalo`s beautiful: cf. F. pittacale.] (Chem.) A dark blue substance obtained from wood tar. It consists of hydrocarbons which when oxidized form the orange-yellow eupittonic compounds, the salts of which are dark blue.

Pit"tance (pt"tans), n. [OE. pitance, pitaunce, F. pitance; cf. It. pietanza, LL. pitancia, pittantia, pictantia; perh. fr. L. pietas pity, piety, or perhaps akin to E. petty. Cf. Petty, and Pity.] 1. An allowance of food bestowed in charity; a mess of victuals; hence, a small charity gift; a dole. "A good pitaunce." Chaucer.

One half only of this pittance was ever given him in money.

Macaulay.

2. A meager portion, quantity, or allowance; an inconsiderable salary or compensation. "The small pittance of learning they received." Swift.

The inconsiderable pittance of faithful professors.

Fuller.