Part 697

Py"ral (?), a. Of or pertaining to a pyre. [R.]

Pyr"a*lid (?), n. [L. pyralis, -idis, a kind of winged insect.] (Zoˆl.) Any moth of the family PyralidÊ. The species are numerous and mostly small, but some of them are very injurious, as the bee moth, meal moth, hop moth, and clover moth.

Pyr"a*mid (?), n. [L. pyramis, -idis, fr. Gr. &?;, &?;, of Egyptian origin: cf. F. pyramide.]

1. A solid body standing on a triangular, square, or polygonal base, and terminating in a point at the top; especially, a structure or edifice of this shape.

2. (Geom.) A solid figure contained by a plane rectilineal figure as base and several triangles which have a common vertex and whose bases are sides of the base.

3. pl. (Billiards) The game of pool in which the balls are placed in the form of a triangle at spot. [Eng.]

Altitude of a pyramid (Geom.), the perpendicular distance from the vertex to the plane of the base. -- Axis of a pyramid (Geom.), a straight line drawn from the vertex to the center of the base. -- Earth pyramid. (Geol.) See Earth pillars, under Earth. -- Right pyramid (Geom.) a pyramid whose axis is perpendicular to the base.

Py*ram`i*dal (?), a. [Cf. F. pyramidal.]

1. Of or pertaining to a pyramid; in the form of a a pyramid; pyramidical; as, pyramidal cleavage.

The mystic obelisks stand up Triangular, pyramidal.

Mrs. Browning.

<! p. 1169 !>

2. (Crystallog.) Same as Tetragonal.

Pyramidal numbers (Math.), certain series of figurate numbers expressing the number of balls or points that may be arranged in the form of pyramids. Thus 1, 4, 10, 20, 35, etc., are triangular pyramidal numbers; and 1, 5, 14, 30, 55, etc., are square pyramidal numbers.

Py*ram"i*dal (?), n. (Anat.) One of the carpal bones. See Cuneiform, n., 2 (b).

Py*ram"i*dal*ly, adv. Like a pyramid.

{ Pyr`a*mid"ic (?), Pyr`a*mid"ic*al (?), } a. Of or pertaining to a pyramid; having the form of a pyramid; pyramidal. " A pyramidical rock." Goldsmith. "Gold in pyramidic plenty piled." Shenstone. -- Pyr`a*mid"ic*al*ly, adv. Pyr`a*mild"ic*al*ness, n.

||Pyr`a*mid"i*on (?), n.; pl. Pyramidia (#). [NL., from L. pyramis. See ||Pyramid.] The small pyramid which crowns or completes an obelisk.

Py*ram"i*doid (?), n. [Gr. &?;, &?;, pyramid + -id: cf. F. pyramidoÔde.] A solid resembling a pyramid; -- called also pyramoid. Barlow.

||Pyr"a*mis (?), n.; pl. Pyramides (#). [L.] A pyramid.

Pyr"a*moid (?), n. See Pyramidoid.

Py*rar"gy*rite (?), n. [Gr. &?; fire + &?; silver.] (Min.) Ruby silver; dark red silver ore. It is a sulphide of antimony and silver, occurring in rhombohedral crystals or massive, and is of a dark red or black color with a metallic adamantine luster.

Pyre (?), n. [L. pure, Gr. &?;, fr. &?; fire. See Fire.] A funeral pile; a combustible heap on which the dead are burned; hence, any pile to be burnt.

For nine long nights, through all the dusky air, The pyres thick flaming shot a dismal glare.

Pope.

||Py*re"na (?), n.; pl. PyrenÊ (#). [NL., fr. Gr. &?;, the stone of ||fruit.] (Bot.) A nutlet resembling a seed, or the kernel of a drupe. ||Gray.

Py"rene (?), n. [Gr. &?; fire.] (Chem.) One of the less volatile hydrocarbons of coal tar, obtained as a white crystalline substance, C16H10.

Py"rene, n. (Bot.) Same as Pyrena.