POTATO, p[=o]-t[=a]'t[=o], _n._ one of the tubers of a plant almost universally cultivated for food in the temperate parts of the globe: the plant itself:--_pl._ POT[=A]'TOES.--_ns._ POT[=A]'TO-BEE'TLE, a North American beetle which commits fearful ravages among potatoes; POT[=A]'TO-BING (_Scot._), a heap of potatoes to be preserved; POT[=A]'TO-B[=O]'GLE (_Scot._), a scarecrow; POT[=A]'TO-DISEASE', -ROT, a destructive disease of the potato caused by a parasitic fungus; POT[=A]'TO-FING'ER (_Shak._), a fat finger, used in contempt; POT[=A]'TO-FLY, a dipterous insect of the same genus as the radish-fly, whose maggots are often abundant in bad potatoes in autumn.--SMALL POTATOES (_U.S._), anything petty or contemptible. [Sp. _patata_, _batata_, orig.
Haytian.]
POTCH, poch, _v.i._ (_Shak._) to thrust, to push. [Fr. _pocher_; from root of _poke_.]
POTCHING-ENGINE, poch'ing-en'jin, _n._ in paper-making, a machine in which washed rags are bleached.
POTEEN, POTHEEN, po-t[=e]n', _n._ Irish whisky, esp. that illicitly distilled. [Ir. _poitim_, I drink.]
POTENT, p[=o]'tent, _adj._ strong: powerful in a physical or a moral sense: having great authority or influence.--_n._ a prince, potentate.--_ns._ P[=O]'TENCE, power: (_her._) a marking of the shape of [T shape]: in horology, the stud or counterbridge forming a step for the lower pivot of a verge (also P[=O]'TANCE); P[=O]'TENCY, power: authority: influence; P[=O]'TENTATE, one who possesses power: a prince.--_adj._ P[=O]TEN'TIAL, powerful, efficacious: existing in possibility, not in reality: (_gram._) expressing power, possibility, liberty, or obligation.--_n._ anything that may be possible: a possibility: the name for a function in the mathematical theory of attractions: the power of a charge or current of electricity to do work.--_n._ P[=O]TENTIAL'ITY.--_adv._ P[=O]TEN'TIALLY.--_n._ P[=O]TEN'TIARY, a person invested with power or influence.--_v.t._ P[=O]TEN'TIATE, to give power to.--_n._ P[=O]'TENTITE, a blasting substance.--_adv._ P[=O]'TENTLY.--_n._ P[=O]'TENTNESS.--POTENTIAL ENERGY, the power of doing work possessed by a body in virtue of the stresses which result from its position relatively to other bodies. [L. _potens_--_potis_, able, _esse_, to be.]
POTENTILLA, p[=o]-ten-til'a, _n._ a genus of plants of the natural order _Rosaceae_, differing from _Fragaria_ (strawberry) in the fruit having a dry instead of a succulent receptacle--well-known varieties are _silver-weed_ and _wild strawberry_.
POTHER, poth'[.e]r, _n._ bustle: confusion.--_v.t._ to puzzle: to perplex: to tease.--_v.i._ to make a pother. [_Potter._]
POTICHE, p[=o]-t[=e]sh', _n._ a vase or jar of rounded form and short neck.--_n._ POTICHOM[=A]'NIA, the process of coating glass vessels on the inside with paper or linen decorations. [Fr.]
POTIN, p[=o]-tang', _n._ an old compound of copper, zinc, lead, and tin.
[Fr.]
POTION, p[=o]'shun, _n._ a draught: a liquid medicine: a dose. [Fr.,--L.
_potio_--_p[=o]t[=a]re_, to drink.]
POT-POURRI, p[=o]-p[=oo]-r[=e]', _n._ a ragout of meats, vegetables, &c.: a mixture of sweet-scented materials, chiefly dried flowers: medley of musical airs: a literary production composed of unconnected parts. [Fr.
_pot_, pot, _pourrir_, to rot--L. _putr[=e]re_, to putrefy.]
POTSHERD, pot'sh[.e]rd, _n._ a piece of a broken pot--(_obs._) POT'-SHARD, POT'-SHARE. [_Pot_ and A.S. _sceard_, a shred--_sceran_, to divide.]
POTTAGE, pot'[=a]j, _n._ anything cooked in a pot: a thick soup of meat and vegetables: oatmeal porridge.--_n._ POT'TINGER, a pottage-maker. [Fr.
_potage_--_pot_.]
POTTER, pot'[.e]r, _n._ one who makes earthenware.--_n._ POTT'ERY, earthenware vessels: a place where earthenware is manufactured: the business of a potter.--POTTER'S CLAY, clay used in the making of earthenware; POTTER'S FIELD, a burial-place for strangers (Matt. xxvii. 7); POTTER'S WHEEL, a horizontal wheel on which clay vessels are shaped.
POTTER, pot'[.e]r, _v.i._ to be fussily engaged about trifles: to loiter.--_n._ POTT'ERER. [Prov. _pote_, to push.]
POTTING, pot'ing, _n._ placing in a pot, as plants: preserving in a pot, as meats.
POTTLE, pot'l, _n._ a little pot: a measure of four pints: a small basket for fruit.--_adjs._ POTT'LE-BOD'IED, having a body shaped like a pottle; POTT'LE-DEEP, to the bottom of the tankard.--_n._ POTT'LE-POT (_Shak._), a drinking-vessel holding two quarts. [_Pot._]
POT-WALLER, pot'-wol'[.e]r, POT-WALLOPER, pot-wol'op-[.e]r, _n._ a pot-boiler: a voter in certain English boroughs where, before the Reform Bill of 1832, every one who boiled a pot--i.e. every male householder or lodger, was entitled to vote--also POT'-WALL'ONER.--_adj._ POT'-WALL'OPING.
[Lit., 'pot-boiler,' the latter part of the word being from an Old Low Ger.
_wallen_, to boil.]
POUCH, powch, _n._ a poke, pocket, or bag: the bag or sac of an animal.--_v.t._ to put into a pouch: to pocket, submit to.--_adj._ POUCHED, having a pouch.--POUCHED MOUSE, a genus of small, lean, long-tailed, agile rodents, with cheek-pouches; POUCHED RAT, a genus of plump, short-tailed rodents, with cheek-pouches which open externally. [O. Fr. _poche_; cf.
_Poke_, a bag.]
POUCHONG, p[=oo]-shong', _n._ a superior black tea.
POUDRETTE, p[=oo]-dret', _n._ manure of dried night-soil, charcoal, &c.
[Fr.]
POUFFE, p[=oo]f, _n._ in dressmaking, material gathered up into a kind of knot: a cushion stuffed so as to be very soft.--_n._ POUF, plaited gauze attached to a head-dress, as in 18th century. [Fr.]
POULAINE, p[=oo]-l[=a]n', _n._ a long, pointed shoe. [O. Fr.]
POULDRED, powl'drd, _adj._ (_Spens._) powdered.
POULP, POULPE, p[=oo]lp, _n._ the octopus. [Fr.--L. _polypus._]
POULT, p[=o]lt, _n._ a little hen or fowl: a chicken.--_ns._ POULT'ER (_Shak._), POULT'ERER, one who deals in fowls; POULT'-FOOT, a club-foot.--_adj._ POULT'-FOOT'ED (_arch._), club-footed.--_ns._ POULT'RY, domestic fowls; POULT'RY-YARD, a yard where poultry are confined and bred.
[Fr. _poulet_, dim. of _poule_, fowl--L. _pullus_, the young of any animal.]
POULTICE, p[=o]l'tis, _n._ a soft composition of meal, bran, &c. applied to sores.--_v.t._ to put a poultice upon. [L. _pultes_, pl. of _puls_, _pultis_ (Gr. _poltos_), porridge.]
POUNCE, powns, _v.i._ to fall (_upon_) and seize with the claws: to dart suddenly (_upon_).--_v.t._ to ornament with small holes: to strike with the claws.--_n._ a hawk's claw: the paw of a lion or other animal.--_adj._ POUNCED, furnished with talons. [Orig. to _pierce_, to stamp holes in for ornament; through Romance forms, from L. _pung[)e]re_, _punctum_.]
POUNCE, powns, _n._ a fine powder for preparing a surface for writing on: coloured powder sprinkled over holes pricked in paper to form a pattern on paper underneath.--_v.t._ to sprinkle with pounce, as paper or a pattern.--_ns._ POUNCE'-BOX, POUN'CET-BOX, a box with a perforated lid for sprinkling pounce. [Fr. _ponce_, pumice--L. _pumex_, _pumicis_, pumice-stone.]
POUND, pownd, _n._ long the unit of weight in the western and central states of Europe, differing, however, in value in all of them--a weight of 16 oz. avoirdupois for general goods, the troy-pound of 12 oz. being for bullion (the troy lb. is defined as 5760 grains, of which the lb.
avoirdupois contains 7000): the pound sterling, a money of account: a sovereign or 20s., also represented in Scotland by a note (the POUND SCOTS is 1/12th of the pound sterling, or 1s. 8d.--of its twenty shillings each is worth an English penny): (_Spens._) a balance.--_v.t._ (_slang_) to wager a pound on.--_ns._ POUND'AGE, a charge or tax made on each pound; POUND'AL, a name sometimes used for the absolute foot pound second unit of force, which will produce in one pound a velocity of one foot per second, after acting for one second; POUND'-CAKE, a sweet cake whose ingredients are measured by weight; POUND'ER, he who has, or that which weighs, many pounds--used only after a number, as a 12-pounder.--_adj._ POUND'-FOOL'ISH, neglecting the care of large sums in attending to little ones. [A.S.
_pund_--L. _pondo_, by weight, _pondus_, a weight--_pend[)e]re_, to weigh.]
POUND, pownd, _v.t._ to shut up or confine, as strayed animals.--_n._ an enclosure in which strayed animals are confined: a level part of a canal between two locks: a pound-net.--_ns._ POUND'AGE, a charge made for pounding stray cattle; POUND'-KEEP'ER; POUND'-NET, a kind of weir in fishing, forming a trap by an arrangement of nets (the _wings_, _leader_, and _pocket_, _bowl_, or _pound_). [A.S. _pund_, enclosure.]
POUND, pownd, _v.t._ to beat into fine pieces: to bruise: to bray with a pestle.--_v.i._ to walk with heavy steps.--_n._ POUND'ER. [M. E.
_pounen_--A.S. _punian_, to beat; _-d_ excrescent.]
POUR, p[=o]r, _v.t._ to cause to flow or fall in streams or drops: to throw with force: to send forth in great quantity: to give vent to: to utter.--_v.i._ to flow: to issue forth: to rush.--_n._ POUR'ER. [Celt., as W. _bwrw_, to throw, Gael. _purr_, to push.]
POURBOIRE, p[=oo]r-bwor', _n._ drink-money: a bribe. [Fr. _pour_, for, _boire_, to drink.]
POURPARLER, p[=oo]r-par'l[=a], _n._ a conference to arrange for some important transaction, as the formation of a treaty. [Fr. _pour_=L. _pro_, before, _parler_, to speak.]
POURPOINT, p[=oo]r'point, _n._ a close-fitting men's quilted garment worn in the 14th century.
POURTRAHED, p[=oo]r-tr[=a]d', _adj._ (_Spens._) portrayed or drawn.
POURTRAY. Same as PORTRAY.
POUSSE, pows, _n._ (_Spens._) pulse, pease. [_Pulse_ or _pease_.]
POUSSE-CAFe, p[=oo]s'-ka-f[=a]', _n._ a cordial served after coffee.
POUSSETTE, p[=oo]s-set', _v.t._ (_Tenn._) to waltz round each other, as two couples in a contra-dance. [Fr. _poussette_, _pouser_, to push.]
POUT, powt, _v.i._ to push out the lips, in contempt or displeasure: to look sulky: to push out or be prominent.--_n._ a fit of sulkiness or ill-humour.--_ns._ POUT'ER, one who pouts: a variety of pigeon, having its breast inflated; POUT'ING, childish sullenness.--_adv._ POUT'INGLY, in a pouting or sullen manner. [Ety. dub.; cf. prov. Fr. _pot_, _pout_, lip, Fr.
_bouder_, to pout; W. _pwdu_, pout.]
POVERTY, pov'[.e]r-ti, _n._ the state of being poor: necessity: want: meanness: defect.--_adjs._ POV'ERTY-STRICK'EN, POV'ERTY-STRUCK, reduced to a state of poverty: in great suffering from poverty. [O. Fr. _poverte_ (Fr.
_pauvrete_)--L. _paupertas_, _-tatis_--_pauper_, poor.]