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The Gutenberg Webster's Unabridged Dictionary: Section P and Q · Project Gutenberg — chapter 700 of 752 · ~601 words · public domain

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Py*rol"a*tor (?), n. [See Pyrolatry.] A fire worshiper. [R.] Southey.

Py*rol"a*try (?), n. [Pyro- + Gr. &?; worship: cf. F. pyrol‚trie.] The worship of fire. Young.

{ Pyr`o*lig"ne*ous (?), Pyr`o*lig"nic (?), } a. [Pyro-+ L. lignum wood: cf. F. pyroligneux.] (Old Chem.) Pertaining to, or designating, the acid liquid obtained in the distillation of wood, consisting essentially of impure acetic acid.

Pyr`o*lig"nous (?), a. Same as Pyroligneous.

Pyr`o*lith"ic (?), a. [Pyro- + lithic.] (Old Chem.) Same as Pyrouric, or Cyanuric.

Py*rol"o*gist (?), n. One who is versed in, or makes a study of, pyrology.

Py*rol"o*gy (?), n. [Pyro- + - logy: cf. F. pyrologie.] That branch of physical science which treats of the properties, phenomena, or effects of heat; also, a treatise on heat.

Pyr`o*lu"site (?), n. [Pyro- + Gr. &?; to loose, or &?; a loosing.] (Min.) Manganese dioxide, a mineral of an iron-black or dark steel-gray color and metallic luster, usually soft. Pyrolusite parts with its oxygen at a red heat, and is extensively used in discharging the brown and green tints of glass (whence its name).

Pyr`o*mag*net"ic (?), a. [Pyro- + magnetic.] (Physics) Acting by the agency of heat and magnetism; as, a pyromagnetic machine for producing electric currents.

Pyr`o*ma"late (?), n. (Chem.) A salt of pyromalic acid. [Obs.]

Pyr`o*ma"lic (?), a. [Pyro- + malic.] (Old Chem.) Pertaining to, or designating, an acid now called maleic acid.

Pyr"o*man`cy (?), n. [Gr. &?;; &?; fire + &?; divination: cf. F. pyromancie.] Divination by means of fire.

Pyr"o*ma"ni*a (?), n. [Pyro- + mania.] An insane disposition to incendiarism.

Pyr"o*man"tic (?), a. Of or pertaining to pyromancy.

Pyr`o*man"tic, n. [Cf. Gr. &?;.] One who pretends to divine by fire. Sir T. Herbert.

Py*rom"e*ter (?), n. [Pyro- + -meter: cf. F. pyromËtre.] 1. (Physics) An instrument used for measuring the expansion of solid bodies by heat.

2. (Physics) An instrument for measuring degrees of heat above those indicated by the mercurial thermometer.

It is usually constructed so as to register the change which the heat to be measured produces in the length of some expansible substance, as a metallic rod, or in the intensity of a thermo-electric current.

{ Pyr`o*met"ric (?), Pyr`o*met"ric*al } a. [Cf. F. pyromÈtrique.] (Physics) Pertaining to, or obtained by, the pyrometer; as, pyrometrical instruments; pyrometrical measurements.

Py*rom"e*try (?), n. The art of measuring degrees of heat, or the expansion of bodies by heat.

Pyr`o*mor"phite (?), n. [G. pyromorphit, from Gr. &?; fire + &?; form.] (Min.) Native lead phosphate with lead chloride, occurring in bright green and brown hexagonal crystals and also massive; -- so called because a fused globule crystallizes in cooling.

Pyr`o*mor"phous (?), a. [Pyro- + -morphous.] (Min.) Having the property of crystallizing by the agency of fire.

Pyr`o*mu"cate (?), n. (Chem.) A salt of pyromucic acid.

Pyr`o*mu"cic (?), a. [Pyro- + mucic.] (Chem.) Pertaining to, derived from, or designating, an acid obtained as a white crystalline substance by the distillation of mucic acid, or by the oxidation of furfurol.

Pyr`o*nom"ics (?), n. [Pyro- + Gr. &?; law.] The science of heat.

Pyr"ope (?), n. [L. pyropus a kind of red bronze, fr. Gr. &?;; &?; fire + &?; the eye, face: cf. F. pyrope.] (Min.) A variety of garnet, of a poppy or blood-red color, frequently with a tinge of orange. It is used as a gem. See the Note under Garnet.

Pyr"o*phane (?), n. [See Pyrophanous.] (Min.) A mineral which is opaque in its natural state, but is said to change its color and become transparent by heat.

Py*roph"a*nous (?), a. [Pyro- + Gr. &?; to show, pass, to shine.] Rendered transparent by heat.

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