Part 324

J. S. Harford.

Plastic clay (Geol.), one of the beds of the Eocene period; -- so called because used in making pottery. Lyell. -- Plastic element (Physiol.), one that bears within the germs of a higher form. -- Plastic exudation (Med.), an exudation thrown out upon a wounded surface and constituting the material of repair by which the process of healing is effected. -- Plastic foods. (Physiol.) See the second Note under Food. -- Plastic force. (Physiol.) See under Force. -- Plastic operation, an operation in plastic surgery. -- Plastic surgery, that branch of surgery which is concerned with the repair or restoration of lost, injured, or deformed parts of the body.

Plas"tic*al (?), a. See Plastic. [R.]

Plas"tic*al*ly, adv. In a plastic manner.

Plas*tic"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F. plasticitÈ.] 1. The quality or state of being plastic.

2. (Physiol.) Plastic force. Dunglison.

{ Plas"tid (?), Plas"tide (?), } n. [Gr. &?;, &?;, a creator.] 1. (Biol.) A formative particle of albuminous matter; a monad; a cytode. See the Note under Morphon. Haeckel.

2. (Bot.) One of the many minute granules found in the protoplasm of vegetable cells. They are divided by their colors into three classes, chloroplastids, chromoplastids, and leucoplastids.

||Plas`ti*do*zo"a (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. &?;, &?;, creator + &?; ||animal.] (Zoˆl.) Same as Protoza.

Plas"ti*dule (?), n. [Dim. fr. Plastid.] (Biol.) One of the small particles or organic molecules of protoplasm. Haeckel.

Plas"tin (?), n. [Gr. &?; to form, mold.] (Biol.) A substance associated with nuclein in cell nuclei, and by some considered as the fundamental substance of the nucleus.

Plas*tog"ra*phy (?), n. [Gr. &?;; &?; fored, molded + &?; to write.] 1. The art of forming figures in any plastic material.

2. Imitation of handwriting; forgery.

Plas"tron (?), n. [F. plastron breastplate, plastron, LL. plastra a thin plate of metal. See Plaster.] 1. A piece of leather stuffed or padded, worn by fencers to protect the breast. Dryden.

3. (Anc. Armor) An iron breastplate, worn under the hauberk.

3. (Anat.) The ventral shield or shell of tortoises and turtles. See Testudinata.

4. A trimming for the front of a woman's dress, made of a different material, and narrowing from the shoulders to the waist.

-plas"ty (?). [Gr. &?; to mold, form.] A combining form denoting the act or process of forming, development, growth; as, autoplasty, perineoplasty.

Plat (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Platted; p. pr. & vb. n. Platting.] [See Plait.] To form by interlaying interweaving; to braid; to plait. "They had platted a crown of thorns." Matt. xxvii. 29.

Plat, n. Work done by platting or braiding; a plait.

Her hair, nor loose, nor tied in formal plat.

Shak.

Plat, n. [Cf. Plat flat, which perh. caused this spelling, and Plot a piece of ground.] A small piece or plot of ground laid out with some design, or for a special use; usually, a portion of flat, even ground.

This flowery plat, the sweet recess of Eve.

Milton.

I keep smooth plat of fruitful ground.

Tennyson.

Plat, v. t. To lay out in plats or plots, as ground.