Part 364

Pneu`mo*ther"a*py (?), n. [Gr. &?; air + therapy.] (Med.) The treatment of disease by inhalations of compressed or rarefied air.

Pneu`mo*tho"rax (?), n. [Gr. &?; air + E. thorax.] (Med.) A condition in which air or other gas is present in the cavity of the chest; -- called also pneumatothorax.

||Pni*ga"li*on (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?; nightmare, fr. &?; to ||throttle.] (Med.) Nightmare.

Pnyx (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?;.] (Gr. Antiq.) The place at Athens where the meetings of the people were held for making decrees, etc.

Po"a (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?; grass.] (Bot.) A genus of grasses, including a great number of species, as the kinds called meadow grass, Kentucky blue grass, June grass, and spear grass (which see).

Poach (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Poached (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Poaching.] [F. pocher to place in a pocket, to poach eggs (the yolk of the egg being as it were pouched in the white), from poche pocket, pouch. See Pouch, v. & n.] 1. To cook, as eggs, by breaking them into boiling water; also, to cook with butter after breaking in a vessel. Bacon.

2. To rob of game; to pocket and convey away by stealth, as game; hence, to plunder. Garth.

Poach, v. i. To steal or pocket game, or to carry it away privately, as in a bag; to kill or destroy game contrary to law, especially by night; to hunt or fish unlawfully; as, to poach for rabbits or for salmon.

Poach, v. t. [Cf. OF. pocher to thrust or dig out with the fingers, to bruise (the eyes), F. pouce thumb, L. pollex, and also E. poach to cook eggs, to plunder, and poke to thrust against.] 1. To stab; to pierce; to spear, \as fish. [Obs.] Carew.

2. To force, drive, or plunge into anything. [Obs.]

His horse poching one of his legs into some hollow ground.

Sir W. Temple.

3. To make soft or muddy by trampling Tennyson.

4. To begin and not complete. [Obs.] Bacon.

Poach, v. i. To become soft or muddy.

Chalky and clay lands . . . chap in summer, and poach in winter.

Mortimer.

Poach"ard (?), n. [From Poach to stab.] [Written also pocard, pochard.] (Zoˆl.) (a) A common European duck (Aythya ferina); -- called also goldhead, poker, and fresh-water, or red-headed, widgeon. (b) The American redhead, which is closely allied to the European poachard.

Red-crested poachard (Zoˆl.), an Old World duck (Branta rufina). -- Scaup poachard, the scaup duck. -- Tufted poachard, a scaup duck (Aythya, or Fuligula cristata), native of Europe and Asia.

Poach"er (?), n. 1. One who poaches; one who kills or catches game or fish contrary to law.

2. (Zoˆl.) The American widgeon. [Local, U.S.]

Sea poacher (Zoˆl.), the lyrie.

Poach"i*ness (?), n. The state of being poachy; marshiness.

Poach"y (?), a. [See Poach to stab.] Wet and soft; easily penetrated by the feet of cattle; -- said of land

{ Poak, Poake } (?), n. Waste matter from the preparation of skins, consisting of hair, lime, oil, etc.

Po"can (?), n. (Bot.) The poke (Phytolacca decandra); -- called also pocan bush.

Po"chard (?), n. (Zoˆl.) See Poachard.

Pock (?), n. [OE. pokke, AS. pocc, poc; akin to D. pok, G. pocke, and perh. to E. poke a pocket. Cf. Pox.] (Med.) A pustule raised on the surface of the body in variolous and vaccine diseases.