Part 367

Po*des"ta (?), n. [It. podest‡, fr. L. potestas power, magistracy. See Potent.]

1. One of the chief magistrates of the Italian republics in the Middle Ages. Brande & C.

2. A mayor, alderman, or other magistrate, in some towns of Italy.

||Po*de"ti*um (?), n.; pl. Podetia (#), E. Podetiums (#). [NL., fr. Gr. ||&?;, &?;, foot.] (Bot.) A stalk which bears the fructification in ||some lichens, as in the so-called reindeer moss.

Podge (?), n. [Cf. G. patsche puddle, mire.] 1. A puddle; a plash. Skinner.

2. Porridge. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.

Podg"y (?), a. Fat and short; pudgy.

Pod"i*cal (?), a. [L. podex, podicis, the anus.] (Zoˆl.) Anal; -- applied to certain organs of insects.

||Pod"i*ceps (?), n. [NL., fr. L. podex, podicis, anus + pes foot.] ||(Zoˆl.) See Grebe.

||Po"di*um (?), n.; pl. Podia (#). [L., fr. Gr. &?;, dim. of &?;, &?;, ||foot. See Pew.] 1. (Arch.) A low wall, serving as a foundation, a ||substructure, or a terrace wall. It is especially employed by ||archÊologists in two senses: (a) The dwarf wall surrounding the arena ||of an amphitheater, from the top of which the seats began. (b) The ||masonry under the stylobate of a temple, sometimes a mere foundation, ||sometimes containing chambers. See Illust. of Column.

2. (Zoˆl.) The foot.

Pod"ley (?), n. (Zoˆl.) A young coalfish.

Pod"o- (?). [See Foot.] A combining form or prefix from Gr. poy`s, podo`s, foot; as, podocarp, podocephalous, podology.

Pod"o*branch (?), n. [See Podo-, and Branchia.] (Zoˆl.) One of the branchiÊ attached to the bases of the legs in Crustacea.

||Pod`o*bran"chi*a (?), n., pl. PodobranchiÊ (-). [NL.] (Zoˆl.) Same as ||Podobranch.

Pod"o*carp (?), n. [Podo- + Gr. karpo`s fruit.] (Bot.) A stem, or footstalk, supporting the fruit.

Pod`o*ceph"a*lous (?), a. [Podo- + Gr. &?; head.] (Bot.) Having a head of flowers on a long peduncle, or footstalk.

||Pod`o*gyn"i*um (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. poy`s, podo`s, foot + gynh` ||woman.] (Bot.) Same as Basigynium

||Pod`oph*thal"mi*a (?), n. pl. [NL. See Podophthalmic.] (Zoˆl.) The ||stalk-eyed Crustacea, -- an order of Crustacea having the eyes ||supported on movable stalks. It includes the crabs, lobsters, and ||prawns. Called also Podophthalmata, and Decapoda.

{ Pod`oph*thal"mic (?), Pod`oph*thal"mous (?), } a. [Podo- + Gr. &?; an eye.] (Zoˆl.) (a) Having the eyes on movable footstalks, or pedicels. (b) Of or pertaining to the Podophthalmia.

Pod`oph*thal"mite (?), n. (Zoˆl.) The eyestalk of a crustacean.

Pod`o*phyl"lin (?), n. [From Podophyllum.] (Chem.) A brown bitter gum extracted from the rootstalk of the May apple (Podophyllum peltatum). It is a complex mixture of several substances.

Pod`o*phyl"lous (?), a. 1. (Zoˆl.) Having thin, flat, leaflike locomotive organs.

2. (Anat.) Pertaining to, or composing, the layer of tissue, made up of laminÊ, beneath a horse's hoof.

||Pod`o*phyl"lum (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. poy`s, podo`s, foot + &?; leaf.] ||1. (Bot.) A genus of herbs of the Barberry family, having large ||palmately lobed peltate leaves and solitary flower. There are two ||species, the American Podohyllum peltatum, or May apple, the ||Himalayan P. Emodi.

2. (Med.) The rhizome and rootlet of the May apple (Podophyllum peltatum), -- used as a cathartic drug.

Pod"o*scaph (?), n. [Podo- + Gr. &?; boat.] A canoe-shaped float attached to the foot, for walking on water.

Pod"o*sperm (?), n. [Podo- + Gr. &?; seed: cf. F. podosperme.] (Bot.) The stalk of a seed or ovule.