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The Gutenberg Webster's Unabridged Dictionary: Section P and Q · Project Gutenberg — chapter 701 of 752 · ~611 words · public domain

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Pyr"o*phone (?), n. [Pyro- + Gr. &?; sound.] A musical instrument in which the tones are produced by flames of hydrogen, or illuminating gas, burning in tubes of different sizes and lengths.

{ Pyr`o*phor"ic (?), Py*roph"o*rous (?), } a. [Pyro- + Gr. &?; to bear.] Light- producing; of or pertaining to pyrophorus.

Pyrophoric iron (Chem.), finely reduced iron, which ignites spontaneously on contact with air.

||Py*roph"o*rus (?), n. [NL. See Pyrophorous.] (Old Chem.) Any one of ||several substances or mixtures which phosphoresce or ignite ||spontaneously on exposure to air, as a heated mixture of alum, ||potash, and charcoal, or a mixture of charcoal and finely divided ||lead.

Pyr"o*phos"phate (?), n. (Chem.) A salt of pyrophosphoric acid.

Pyr`o*phos*phor"ic (?), a. [Pyro- + phosphoric.] (Chem.) Pertaining to, or designating, an acid, H4P2O7, which is obtained as a white crystalline substance. Its salts are obtained by heating the phosphates.

Py*roph"yl*lite (?), n. [Pyro- + Gr. &?; leaf.] (Min.) A mineral, usually of a white or greenish color and pearly luster, consisting chiefly of the hydrous silicate of alumina.

Pyr"o*scope (?), n. [Pyro- + - scope: cf. F. pyroscope.] (Physics) An instrument for measuring the intensity of heat radiating from a fire, or the cooling influence of bodies. It is a differential thermometer, having one bulb coated with gold or silver leaf. [R.]

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||Py*ro"sis (?), n. [NL., fr Gr. &?; a burning, an inflammation, fr. ||&?; to burn, fr. &?; fire.] (Med.) See Water brash, under Brash.

Py*ros"ma*lite (?), n. [Pyro- + Gr. &?; odor + -like. ] (Min.) A mineral, usually of a pale brown or of a gray or grayish green color, consisting chiefly of the hydrous silicate of iron and manganese; -- so called from the odor given off before the blowpipe.

Pyr"o*some (?), n. [Pyro- + - some body.] (Zoˆl.) Any compound ascidian of the genus Pyrosoma. The pyrosomes form large hollow cylinders, sometimes two or three feet long, which swim at the surface of the sea and are very phosphorescent.

Pyr`o*sul"phate (?), n. (Chem.) A salt of pyrosulphuric acid.

Pyr`o*sul*phu"ric (?), a. [Pyro- + -sulphuric.] (Chem.) Pertaining to, or designating, an acid called also disulphuric acid) obtained by distillation of certain sulphates, as a colorless, thick, oily liquid, H2S2O7 resembling sulphuric acid. It is used in the solution of indigo, in the manufacture of alizarin, and in dehydration.

Pyr`o*tar*tar"ic (?), a. [Pyro- + tartaric.] (Chem.) Pertaining to, or designating, an acid obtained as a white crystalline substance by the distillation of tartaric acid.

Pyr`o*tar"trate (?), n. (Chem.) A salt of pyrotartaric acid.

Pyr`o*tech"ni*an (?), n. A pyrotechnist.

{ Pyr`o*tech"nic (?), Pyr`o*tech"nic*al (?), } a. [Pyro- + technic, technical: cf. F. pyrotechnique. See Fire, Technical.] Of or pertaining to fireworks, or the art of forming them.

Pyrotechnical sponge. See under Sponge.

Pyr`o*tech*ni"cian (?), n. A pyrotechnist.

Pyr`o*tech"nics (?), n. The art of making fireworks; the manufacture and use of fireworks; pyrotechny.

Pyr`o*tech"nist (?), n. One skilled in pyrotechny; one who manufactures fireworks. Steevens.

Pyr`o*tech`ny (?), n. [Cf. F. pyrotechnie.] 1. The use and application of fire in science and the arts. [Obs.] Sir M. Hale.

2. Same as Pyrotechnics.

Py*roth"o*nide (?), n. [Pyro- + Gr. &?; linen.] (Med.) A kind of empyreumatic oil produced by the combustion of textures of hemp, linen, or cotton in a copper vessel, -- formerly used as a remedial agent. Dunglison.

Py*rot"ic (?), a. [Gr. &?;, fr. &?; to burn, fr. &?;, &?;, fire: cf. F. pyrotique.] Caustic. See Caustic. -- n. (Med.) A caustic medicine.

Pyr`o*tri`tar*tar"ic (?), a. [Pyro- + tri- + tartaric.] (Chem.) Designating an acid which is more commonly called uric acid.

Pyr`o*tung"stic (?), a. (Chem.) Polytungstic. See Metatungstic.

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