PICE, p[=i]s, _n.sing._ and _pl._ a money of account and a copper coin, anna. [Marathi _paisa_.]
PICEA, p[=i]'s[=e]-a, _n._ a genus of coniferous trees, including the spruce.
PICEOUS, pish'[=e]-us, _adj._ pitch-black.
PICIFORM, pis'i-form, _adj._ like to, or relating to, the woodpecker.
PICK, pik, _v.t._ to prick with a sharp-pointed instrument: to peck, as a bird: to pierce: to open with a pointed instrument, as a lock: to pluck or gather, as flowers, &c.: to separate or pull apart: to clean with the teeth: to gather: to choose: to select: to call: to seek, as a quarrel: to steal.--_v.i._ to do anything carefully: to eat by morsels.--_n._ any sharp-pointed instrument, esp. for loosening and breaking up hard soil, &c.: a picklock: foul matter collecting on printing-types, &c.: right or opportunity of first choice.--_n._ PICK'-CHEESE, the blue titmouse: the fruit of the mallow.--_adj._ PICKED (pikt), selected, hence the choicest or best: having spines or prickles, sharp-pointed.--_ns._ PICK'EDNESS; PICK'ER, one who picks or gathers up: one who removes defects from and finishes electrotype plates: a pilferer; PICK'ING, the act of picking, selecting, gathering, pilfering: that which is left to be picked: dabbing in stone-working: the final finishing of woven fabrics by removing burs, &c.: removing defects from electrotype plates; PICK'LOCK, an instrument for picking or opening locks; PICK'-ME-UP, a stimulating drink; PICK'POCKET, one who picks or steals from other people's pockets; PICK'-PURSE, one who steals the purse or from the purse of another.--_adj._ PICK'SOME, given to picking and choosing.--_n._ PICK'-THANK, an officious person who does what he is not desired to do in order to gain favour: a flatterer: a parasite.--_v.t._ to gain favour by unworthy means.--PICK A HOLE IN ONE'S COAT, to find fault with one; PICK A QUARREL, to find an occasion of quarrelling; PICK AT, to find fault with; PICK FAULT, to seek occasions of fault-finding; PICK OAKUM, to make oakum by untwisting old ropes; PICK OFF, to aim at and kill or wound, as with a rifle; PICK ONE'S WAY, to move carefully; PICK OUT, to make out: to mark with spots of colour, &c.; PICK TO PIECES, to tear asunder: to damage, as character; PICK UP, to improve gradually: to gain strength bit by bit: to take into a vehicle, or into one's company: to get as if by chance.--_adj._ gathered together by chance.
[Celt., as Gael. _pioc_, to pick, W. _pigo_; cf. _Pike_.]
PICKABACK, pik'a-bak, _adv._ on the back like a pack.--Also PICK'BACK, PICK'APACK.
PICKAXE, pik'aks, _n._ a picking tool, with a point at one end of the head and a cutting blade at the other, used in digging. [M. E. _pikois_--O. Fr.
_picois_, a mattock, _piquer_, to pierce, _pic_, a pick--Celt.]
PICKEER, pi-k[=e]r', _v.i._ (_obs._) to act as a skirmisher.--_n._ PICKEER'ER.
PICKEREL, pik'e-rel, _n._ an American pike: a wading bird, the dunlin.
[_Pike_ + _er_ + _el_.]
PICKET, pik'et, _n._ a pointed stake used in fortification: a small outpost or guard stationed in front of an army: a number of men sent out by a trades-union to prevent others from working against the wishes or decisions of the union: a game at cards: a punishment inflicted by making a person stand on one foot on a pointed stake.--_v.i._ to fasten to a stake, as a horse: to post a vanguard: to place a picket at or near.--_ns._ PICK'ET-FENCE, a fence of pickets or pales; PICK'ET-GUARD, a guard kept in readiness in case of alarm. [Fr. _piquet_, dim. of _pic_, a pickaxe.]
PICKLE, pik'l, _n._ a liquid of salt and water in which flesh and vegetables are preserved: vinegar, &c., in which articles of food are preserved: anything pickled: a disagreeable position: (_coll._) a troublesome child.--_v.t._ to season or preserve with salt, vinegar, &c.--_ns._ PICK'LE-HERR'ING, a pickled herring: (_obs._) a merry-andrew; PICK'LE-WORM, the larva of a pyralid moth.--HAVE A ROD IN PICKLE, to have a punishment ready. [M. E. _pikil_, prob. _pick-le_; Dut. _pekel_; Ger.
_pokel_.]
PICKLE, pik'l, _n._ (_Scot._) a small quantity.--_v.t._ and _v.i._ to eat sparingly: to pilfer.
PICKWICKIAN, pik-wik'i-an, _adj._ relating to or resembling Mr _Pickwick_, the hero of Dickens's _Pickwick Papers_.--IN A PICKWICKIAN SENSE, in a merely hypothetical sense--a phrase by which the members of the Pickwick Club explained away unparliamentary language.
PICNIC, pik'nik, _n._ a short excursion into the country by a pleasure-party who take their own provisions with them: an entertainment in the open air, towards which each person contributes.--_v.i._ to go on a picnic:--_pr.p._ pic'nicking; _pa.t._ and _pa.p._ pic'nicked.--_n._ PIC'NICKER. [Prob. _pick_, to nibble, and _nick_, for _knack_, a trifle.]
PICOT, p[=e]-k[=o]', _n._ a loop in an ornamental edging, the front of a flounce, &c.--_adj._ PICOTTe. [Fr.]
PICOTEE, pik-[=o]-t[=e]', _n._ a florist's variety of carnation. [From the French botanist _Picot_, Baron de la Peyrouse, 1744-1818.]
PICQUET. Same as PIQUET.
PICQUe-WORK, p[=e]-k[=a]'-wurk, _n._ decoration by dots or slight depressions.--Also POUNCED-WORK.
PICRA, pik'ra, _n._ a cathartic powder of aloes and canella. [Gr. _pikros_, bitter.]
PICRIC, pik'rik, _adj._ carbazotic.--_n._ PIC'R[=A]TE, a salt of picric acid.--_adj._ PIC'R[=A]TED, mixed with a picrate as in a composition for a whistling rocket.--_ns._ PIC'R[=I]TE, one of the peridotites or olivine-rocks; PICROTOX'INE, a bitter poisonous principle in the seeds of _Cocculus indicus_.--PICRIC ACID, an acid used as a dye for wool, &c. [Gr.
_pikros_, bitter.]
PICT, pikt, _n._ one of an ancient race for 5 centuries (296-844 A.D.) inhabiting eastern Scotland, from the Forth to the Pentland Firth, most probably Celts, but more nearly allied to the Cymry than to the Gael.--_adj._ PIC'TISH.--PICTISH TOWERS, a name sometimes given to brochs (q.v.); PICTS' HOUSES, a name popularly given in many parts of Scotland to rude underground dwellings or earth-houses; PICTS' WORK, a name sometimes given to the Catrail, the remains of a large earthwork extending for about fifty miles through the counties of Selkirk and Roxburgh. [L. _picti_, pl.
of pa.p. of _ping[)e]re_, _pictum_, to paint.]
PICTURE, pik't[=u]r, _n._ a painting: a likeness in colours: a drawing: painting: a resemblance: an image: a vivid verbal description.--_v.t._ to paint, to represent by painting: to form a likeness of in the mind: to describe vividly in words.--_n._ PIC'TOGRAPH, a picture or pictorial sign: a piece of picture-writing.--_adj._ PICTOGRAPH'IC.--_n._ PICTOG'RAPHY.--_adjs._ PICT[=O]'RIAL, PIC'T[=U]RAL, relating to pictures: illustrated by pictures: consisting of pictures.--_adv._ PICT[=O]'RIALLY.--_ns._ PIC'T[=U]RAL (_Spens._), a picture; PIC'TURE-BOOK, a book of pictures; PIC'TURE-FRAME, a frame surrounding a picture; PIC'TURE-GALL'ERY, a gallery, or large room, in which pictures are hung up for exhibition; PIC'TURE-ROD, a rod running round the upper part of the wall of a room, from which pictures are hung; PIC'TURE-WRIT'ING, the use of pictures to express ideas or relate events. [L. _pictura_--_ping[)e]re_, _pictum_, to paint.]
PICTURESQUE, pik-t[=u]-resk', _adj._ like a picture: such as would make a good or striking picture: expressing the pleasing beauty of a picture.--_adv._ PICTURESQUE'LY.--_n._ PICTURESQUE'NESS. [It.
_pittoresco_--_pittura_, a picture--L. _pictura_.]
PICUL, PECUL, pik'ul, _n._ a Chinese weight of about 133-1/3 lb.
PICUS, p[=i]'kus, _n._ a Linnaean genus of woodpeckers.
PIDDLE, pid'l, _v.i._ to deal in trifles: to trifle: to eat with little relish: to make water.--_n._ PIDD'LER, a trifler.--_adj._ PIDD'LING, trifling, squeamish. [_Peddle._]
PIDDOCK, pid'ok, _n._ the pholas.
PIDGIN-ENGLISH, pij'in-ing'glish, _n._ a mixture of corrupted English with Chinese and other words, a sort of _lingua franca_ which grew up between Chinese on the sea-board and foreigners, as a medium of intercommunication in business transactions. [_Pidgin_, a Chinese corruption of _business_.]
PIE, p[=i], _n._ a magpie: (_print._) type mixed or unsorted (cf. _Pi_).
[Fr.,--L. _pica_.]
PIE, p[=i], _n._ a book which ordered the manner of performing divine service: a service-book: an ordinal.--BY COCK AND PIE (_Shak._), a minced oath=By God and the service-book. [Fr.,--L. _pica_, lit. magpie, from its old black-letter type on white paper resembling the colours of the magpie.]
PIE, p[=i], _n._ the smallest Indian copper coin, equal to 1/3 of a pice, or 1/12 of an anna. [Marathi _p[=a]'[=i]_, a fourth.]
PIE, p[=i], _n._ a quantity of meat or fruit baked within a crust of prepared flour.--A FINGER IN THE PIE (see FINGER); HUMBLE-PIE (see HUMBLE); MINCE-PIE (see MINCE); PERIGORD PIE, a pie flavoured with truffles, abundant in _Perigord_ in France. [Perh. Ir. and Gael. _pighe_, pie.]
PIEBALD, PYEBALD, p[=i]'bawld, _adj._ of various colours: having spots and patches. [For _pie-balled_--_pie_, a magpie, W. _bal_, a streak on a horse's forehead.]
PIECE, p[=e]s, _n._ a part of anything: a single article: a definite quantity, as of cloth or paper: an amount of work to be done at one time: a separate performance: a literary or artistic composition: a gun: a coin: a man in chess or draughts: a person, generally a woman, in contempt.--_v.t._ to enlarge by adding a piece: to patch.--_v.i._ to unite by a joining of parts: to join.--_n.pl_. PIECE'-GOODS, cotton, linen, woollen, or silk fabrics sold retail in varying lengths.--_adj._ PIECE'LESS, not made of pieces: entire.--_adv._ PIECE'MEAL, in pieces or fragments: by pieces: little by little: bit by bit: gradually.--_adj._ made of pieces: single: separate.--_ns._ PIEC'ENER, a piecer; PIEC'ENING, or PIEC'ING, the act of mending, esp. the joining of the ends of yarn, thread, &c. so as to repair breaks; PIEC'ER, a boy or girl employed in a spinning-factory to join broken threads; PIECE'WORK, work done by the piece or quantity rather than by time.--PIeCE DE ReSISTANCE, principal piece: chief event or performance: chief dish at a dinner; PIECE OF EIGHT, the Spanish _peso duro_ ('hard dollar'), bearing the numeral 8, of the value of 8 reals (prob. the sign $ is derived from this); PIECE OUT, to put together bit by bit; PIECE UP, to patch up.--GIVE A PIECE OF ONE'S MIND, to give a rating frankly to any one's face; OF A PIECE, as if of the same piece, the same in nature, &c.
[O. Fr. _piece_--Low L. _petium_, a piece of land--prob. L. _pes_, _pedis_, a foot.]
PIED, p[=i]d, _adj._ variegated like a magpie: of various colours: spotted.--_n._ PIED'NESS.
PIELED, p[=e]ld, _adj._ (_Shak._) peeled, bare, bald.
PIEND, p[=e]nd, _n._ the sharp point or edge of a hammer: a salient angle.
PIEPOWDER, p[=i]'pow-d[.e]r, _n._ an ancient court held in fairs and markets to administer justice in a rough-and-ready way to all comers--also _Court of Dusty Foot_.--_adj._ PIE'POWDERED, with dusty feet. [O. Fr.
_piepoudreux_, a hawker, _pied_--L. _pes_, a foot, _poudre_, powder.]
PIER, p[=e]r, _n._ the mass of stone-work between the openings in the wall of a building: an arch, bridge, &c.: a stone pillar on which the hinges of a gate are fixed: a mass of stone or wood-work projecting into the sea for landing purposes: a wharf.--_ns._ PIER'AGE, toll paid for using a pier; PIER'-GLASS, a mirror hung in the space between windows; PIER'-T[=A]'BLE, a table fitted for the space between two windows. [O. Fr. _pierre_, a stone--L. _petra_--Gr. _petra_, a rock.]
PIERCE, p[=e]rs, _v.t._ to thrust or make a hole through: to enter, or force a way into: to touch or move deeply: to dive into, as a secret.--_v.i._ to penetrate.--_adj._ PIERCE'ABLE, capable of being pierced.--_n._ PIERC'ER, one who, or that which, pierces: any sharp instrument used for piercing: a stiletto.--_adj._ PIERC'ING.--_adv._ PIERC'INGLY.--_n._ PIERC'INGNESS. [O. Fr. _percer_, prob.
_pertuisier_--_pertuis_, a hole--L. _pertund[)e]re_, _pertusum_, to thrust through.]
PIERIAN, p[=i]-[=e]'ri-an, _adj._ pertaining to the Muses.--_n._ PIER'IDES, the nine Muses. [L. _Pierius_--Mt. _Pierus_, in Thessaly, the haunt of the Muses.]
PIERROT, pye-r[=o]', _n._ a buffoon with loose long-sleeved white robe: an 18th-century women's low-cut basque, with sleeves. [Fr.]
PIET, p[=i]'et, _n._ a pie or magpie. [_Pie._]
PIETa, p[=e]-[=a]-ta', _n._ a representation of the Virgin embracing the dead body of Jesus.
PIETRA-DURA, py[=a]'tra-d[=oo]'ra, _n._ Florentine mosaic-work, in which the inlaid materials are hard stones--jasper, agate, &c.