Part 188

Pat"ter, n. The language or oratory of a street peddler, conjurer, or the like, hence, glib talk; a voluble harangue; mere talk; chatter; also, specif., rapid speech, esp. as sometimes introduced in songs. [Cant or Colloq.]

Pat"tern, n. (Gun.) A diagram showing the distribution of the pellets of a shotgun on a vertical target perpendicular to the plane of fire.

Pat"tin*son's proc"ess (?). (Metal.) A process of desilverizing argentiferous lead by repeated meltings and skimmings, which concentrate the silver in the molten bath, the final skimmings being nearly pure lad. The processwas invented in 1833 by Hugh Lee Pattinson, an English metallurgist.

Pax (?), n. Friendship, or a friend; -- esp. in the phrases to make pax with, to make friends with, to be good pax, to be good friends; also, truce; -- used esp. interjectionally. [Eng. Schoolboy Slang]

Pay Cerps. A staff corps in the United States navy, consisting of pay directors, pay inspectors, paymasters, passed assistant paymasters, and assistant paymasters, having relative rank from captain to ensign, respectively.

{ Pay dirt, Pay rock, etc. } (Mining) Earth, rock, etc., which yields a profit to the miner. [Western U. S.]

Pay"mas`ter-gen"er*al. 1. (a) (Mil.) In the United States army, an officer of the rank of brigadier general, who commands the pay department, which is charged with the payment of the officers and men. (b) (Nav.) In the United States navy, the Chief of the Bureau of Provisions and Clothing, who has charge of the payment of officers and men and their clothing and subsistence. He has the rank of rear admiral.

2. In Great Britain, an officer of the Treasury who makes all payments and disbursements, civil as well as military. He is a member of the ministry, but not of the cabinet.

Payne's process (?). A process for preserving timber and rendering it incombustible by impregnating it successively with solutions of sulphate of iron and calcium chloride in vacuo. -- Payn"ize, v. t.

Pay streak. 1. (Mining) The zone, parallel to the walls of a vein, in which the ore is concentrated, or any narrow streak of paying ore in less valuable material.

2. (Oil Boring) A stratum of oil sand thick enough to make a well pay.

Peach"blow`, a. (Ceramics) Of the delicate purplish pink color likened to that of peach blooms; -- applied esp. to a Chinese porcelain, small specimens of which bring great prices in the Western countries.

Pea"cock` Throne. 1. A famous throne formerly of the kings of Delhi, India, but since 1739, when it was carried off by Nadir Shah, held by the shahs of Persia (later Iran); - - so called from its bearing a fully expanded peacock's tail done in gems.

Peag (?), n. [Written also peage, peak, peeke.] [Prob. of North Amer. Indian origin.] A kind of aboriginal shell money, or wampum, of the Atlantic coast of the United States; -- originally applied only to polished white cylindrical beads.

Pea"nut but"ter. A paste made by mixing ground fresh roasted peanuts with a small quantity of water or oil, and used chiefly as a relish on sandwiches, etc.

{ Pea"vey Pea"vy } (?), n. [Said to be from the inventor's name.] (Lumbering) A cant hook having the end of its lever armed with a spike.

Ped`i*at"ric (pd`*t"rk or pd`*t"rk), a. [Gr. pai^s, paido`s, child + 'iatrei`a healing.] (Med.) Pertaining to the care and medical treatment of children. [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

Ped`i*at"rics (?), n. That branch of medical science which treats of the hygiene and diseases of children.

Ped"i*cure (?), n. [Pedi- + L. cura care.] 1. The care of the feet and nails.

2. One who cares for the feet and nails; a chiropodist. -- Ped"i*cure, v. t. -- Ped"i*cur*ism (#), n. -- Ped"i*cur*ist (#), n.

Ped"i*gree clause. A clause sometimes inserted in contracts or specifications, requiring that a material of construction, as cement, must be of a brand that has stood the test of a specified number of years' use in an important public work. [Cant, U. S.]

Ped"o*graph (?), n. [Gr. &?; ground + -graph.] An instrument carried by a pedestrian for automatically making a topographical record of the ground covered during a journey.

Pe*dol"o*gy (?), n. [Gr. &?;, &?;, child + -logy.] (Med.) Pediatrics.

Ped"rail` (?), n. [See Pedi-; Rail.] (Mach.) (a) A device intended to replace the wheel of a self-propelled vehicle for use on rough roads and to approximate to the smoothness in running of a wheel on a metal track. The tread consists of a number of rubber shod feet which are connected by ball-and-socket joints to the ends of sliding spokes. Each spoke has attached to it a small roller which in its turn runs under a short pivoted rail controlled by a powerful set of springs. This arrangement permits the feet to accomodate themselves to obstacles even such as steps or stairs. The pedrail was invented by one B. J. Diplock of London, Eng. (b) A vehicle, as a traction engine, having such pedrails.

Pe"dro (?), n. [From Sp. Pedro Peter, L. Petrus, Gr. &?;.] (Card Playing) (a) The five of trumps in certain varieties of auction pitch. (b) A variety of auction pitch in which the five of trumps counts five.

Peep sight. An adjustable piece, pierced with a small hole to peep through in aiming, attached to a rifle or other firearm near the breech; -- distinguished from an open sight.

Peg, n. A drink of spirits, usually whisky or brandy diluted with soda water. [India]

This over, the club will be visted for a "peg," Anglice drink.