Part 413

Po*raille" (?), n. [OF. pouraille. See Poor.] Poor people; the poor. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Por"bea`gle (?), n. (Zoˆl.) A species of shark (Lamna cornubica), about eight feet long, having a pointed nose and a crescent-shaped tail; -- called also mackerel shark. [Written also probeagle.]

Por"cate (?), a. [L. porca a ridge between two furrows.] (Zoˆl.) Having grooves or furrows broader than the intervening ridges; furrowed.

Por"ce*lain (?), n. (Bot.) Purslain. [Obs.]

Por"ce*lain (277), n. [F. porcelaine, It. porcellana, orig., the porcelain shell, or Venus shell (CyprÊa porcellana), from a dim. fr. L. porcus pig, probably from the resemblance of the shell in shape to a pig's back. Porcelain was called after this shell, either on account of its smoothness and whiteness, or because it was believed to be made from it. See Pork.] A fine translucent or semitransculent kind of earthenware, made first in China and Japan, but now also in Europe and America; -- called also China, or China ware.

Porcelain, by being pure, is apt to break.

Dryden.

Ivory porcelain, porcelain with a surface like ivory, produced by depolishing. See Depolishing. -- Porcelain clay. See under Clay. -- Porcelain crab (Zoˆl.), any crab of the genus Porcellana and allied genera (family PorcellanidÊ). They have a smooth, polished carapace. -- Porcelain jasper. (Min.) See Porcelanite. -- Porcelain printing, the transferring of an impression of an engraving to porcelain. -- Porcelain shell (Zoˆl.), a cowry.

Por"ce*lain*ized (?), a. (Geol.) Baked like potter's lay; -- applied to clay shales that have been converted by heat into a substance resembling porcelain.

{ Por`ce*la"ne*ous (?), Por`cel*la"ne*ous (?), } a. 1. Of or pertaining to porcelain; resembling porcelain; as, porcelaneous shells.

2. (Zoˆl.) Having a smooth, compact shell without pores; -- said of certain Foraminifera.

Por"ce*la*nite (?), n. [Cf. F. porcelanite.] (Min.) A semivitrified clay or shale, somewhat resembling jasper; -- called also porcelain jasper.

{ Por"ce*la`nous (?), Por"cel*la`nous (?), } a. Porcelaneous. Ure.

Porch (?), n. [F. porche, L. porticus, fr. porta a gate, entrance, or passage. See Port a gate, and cf. Portico.] 1. (Arch.) A covered and inclosed entrance to a building, whether taken from the interior, and forming a sort of vestibule within the main wall, or projecting without and with a separate roof. Sometimes the porch is large enough to serve as a covered walk. See also Carriage porch, under Carriage, and Loggia.

The graceless Helen in the porch I spied Of Vesta's temple.

Dryden.

2. A portico; a covered walk. [Obs.]

Repair to Pompey's porch, where you shall find find us.

Shak.

The Porch, a public portico, or great hall, in Athens, where Zeno, the philosopher, taught his disciples; hence, sometimes used as equivalent to the school of the Stoics. It was called "h poiki`lh stoa`. [See Poicile.]

Por"cine (?), a. [L. porcinus, from porcus a swine. See Pork.] Of or pertaining to swine; characteristic of the hog. "Porcine cheeks." G. Eliot.

Por"cu*pine (?), n. [OE. porkepyn, porpentine, OF. porc-espi, F. porc- Èpic (cf. It. porco spino, porco spinoso, Sp. puerco espino, puerco espin, fr. L. porcus swine + spina thorn, spine). The last part of the French word is perhaps a corruption from the It. or Sp.; cf. F. Èpi ear, a spike of grain, L. spica. See Pork, Spike a large nail, Spine.] 1. (Zoˆl.) Any Old Word rodent of the genus Hystrix, having the back covered with long, sharp, erectile spines or quills, sometimes a foot long. The common species of Europe and Asia (Hystrix cristata) is the best known.

2. (Zoˆl.) Any species of Erethizon and related genera, native of America. They are related to the true porcupines, but have shorter spines, and are arboreal in their habits. The Canada porcupine (Erethizon dorsatus) is a well known species.

Porcupine ant-eater (Zoˆl.), the echidna. -- Porcupine crab (Zoˆl.), a large spiny Japanese crab (Acantholithodes hystrix). -- Porcupine disease (Med.). See Ichthyosis. -- Porcupine fish (Zoˆl.), any plectognath fish having the body covered with spines which become erect when the body is inflated. See Diodon, and Globefish. -- Porcupine grass (Bot.), a grass (Stipa spartea) with grains bearing a stout twisted awn, which, by coiling and uncoiling through changes in moisture, propels the sharp-pointed and barbellate grain into the wool and flesh of sheep. It is found from Illinois westward. See Illustration in Appendix. -- Porcupine wood (Bot.), the hard outer wood of the cocoa palm; -- so called because, when cut horizontally, the markings of the wood resemble the quills of a porcupine.

Pore (?), n. [F., fr. L. porus, Gr. &?; a passage, a pore. See Fare, v.] 1. One of the minute orifices in an animal or vegetable membrane, for transpiration, absorption, etc.

2. A minute opening or passageway; an interstice between the constituent particles or molecules of a body; as, the pores of stones.

Pore, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Pored (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Poring.] [OE. poren, of uncertain origin; cf. D. porren to poke, thrust, Gael. purr.] To look or gaze steadily in reading or studying; to fix the attention; to be absorbed; -- often with on or upon, and now usually with over."Painfully to pore upon a book." Shak.

The eye grows weary with poring perpetually on the same thing.