Part 647

Puc*coon" (?), n. [From the American Indian name.] (Bot.) Any one of several plants yielding a red pigment which is used by the North American Indians, as the bloodroot and two species of Lithospermum (L. hirtum, and L. canescens); also, the pigment itself.

Puce (?), a. [F., fr. puce a flea, L. pulex, pulicis.] Of a dark brown or brownish purple color.

Pu"cel (?), n. See Pucelle. [Obs.]

Pu"cel*age (?; 48), n. [F.] Virginity. [R.]

||Pu*celle" (?), n. [F., fr. LL. pulicella, fr. L. pullus a young ||animal. See Pullet.] A maid; a virgin. [Written also pucel.] [Obs.]

Lady or pucelle, that wears mask or fan.

B. Jonson.

La Pucelle, the Maid of Orleans, Joan of Arc.

Pu"ce*ron (?), n. [F., from puce a flea. See Puce.] (Zoˆl.) Any plant louse, or aphis.

Pu"cher*ite (?), n. [So named from the Pucher Mine, in Saxony.] (Min.) Vanadate of bismuth, occurring in minute reddish brown crystals.

Puck (?), n. [OE. pouke; cf. OSw. puke, Icel. pki an evil demon, W. pwca a hobgoblin. Cf. Poker a bugbear, Pug.] 1. (MediÊval Myth.) A celebrated fairy, "the merry wanderer of the night;" -- called also Robin Goodfellow, Friar Rush, Pug, etc. Shak.

He meeteth Puck, whom most men call Hobgoblin, and on him doth fall.

Drayton.

2. (Zoˆl.) The goatsucker. [Prov. Eng.]

Puck"ball` (?), n. [Puck + ball.] A puffball.

Puck"er (?), v. t. & i. [imp. & p. p. Puckered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Puckering.] [From Poke a pocket, small bag.] To gather into small folds or wrinkles; to contract into ridges and furrows; to corrugate; -- often with up; as, to pucker up the mouth. "His skin puckered up in wrinkles." Spectator.

Puck"er, n. 1. A fold; a wrinkle; a collection of folds.

2. A state of perplexity or anxiety; confusion; bother; agitation. [Prov. Eng. & Colloq. U. S.]

Puck"er*er, n. One who, or that which, puckers.

Puck"er*y (?), a. 1. Producing, or tending to produce, a pucker; as, a puckery taste. Lowell.

2. Inclined to become puckered or wrinkled; full of puckers or wrinkles.

Puck"fist` (?), n. A puffball.

Puck"ish, a. [From Puck.] Resembling Puck; merry; mischievous. "Puckish freaks." J. R. Green.

Pu"cras (?), n. [From a native name in India.] (Zoˆl.) See Koklass.

Pud (?), n. Same as Pood.

Pud (?), n. The hand; the first. [Colloq.] Lamb.

Pud"den*ing (?), n. [Probably fr. pudden, for pudding, in allusion to its softness.] (Naut.) (a) A quantity of rope-yarn, or the like, placed, as a fender, on the bow of a boat. (b) A bunch of soft material to prevent chafing between spars, or the like.

Pud"der (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Puddered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Puddering.] [Cf. Pother.] To make a tumult or bustle; to splash; to make a pother or fuss; to potter; to meddle.