Thomas Davidson

“ Position, po-zish′un, n. place, situation: attitude: a place taken or to be taken by troops: state of affairs: the ground taken in argument or in a dispute: principle laid down: place in society: method of finding the value of an unknown quantity by assuming one or more values (single, when one is assumed; double, when two) .—v.t. Posit (poz′it) , to place in right position or relation: to lay down as something true or granted.—adj. Posi′tional.—Strategic position, a position taken up by troops to check the movements of an enemy. [Fr.,—L.—ponĕre, positum, to place.] ”

“ Pot′-hang′er, a hook on which to hang a pot; Pot′-hat, a high-crowned felt hat, worn by men; Pot′-head, a stupid person; Pot′herb, any vegetable which is boiled and used as food.—n.pl. Pot′-holes, holes in the beds of rapid streams, made by an eddying current of water, which gives the stones a gyratory motion.—ns. Pot′-hook, a hook hung in a chimney for supporting a pot: a letter shaped like a pot-hook; Pot′-house, an ale-house; Pot′-hunt′er, one who hunts or fishes for profit; Pot′-lid, the cover of a pot; Pot′-liq′uor, a thin broth in which meat has been boiled ”

“ Pos′itivist, a believer in positivism.—Pos′itivism, Positive philosophy, the philosophical system originated by Comte (1798-1857) —its foundation the doctrine that man can have no knowledge of anything but phenomena, and that the knowledge of phenomena is relative, not absolute. [Fr.,—L. positivus, fixed by agreement—ponĕre, to place.] ”

“ Poor, pōōr, adj. having little or nothing: without means: needy: spiritless: depressed: (B.) humble: contrite: wanting in appearance: lean: wanting in strength: weak: wanting in value: inferior: wanting in fertility: sterile: wanting in fitness, beauty, or dignity: trifling: paltry: dear (endearingly) .—ns. Poor′house, a house established at the public expense for sheltering the poor: an almshouse; Poor′john (Shak.) , a coarse kind of fish, the hake when salted.—n.pl. Poor′-laws, laws providing for the support of the poor.—adv. ”

“ Porphyrio, por-fir′i-ō, n. a genus of Rallidæ, the hyacinthine gallinules.
Porphyrogenitus, por-fir-ō-jen′i-tus, n. a title given to the Byzantine emperor, Constantine VII. (912-959) , meaning 'born in the purple.'—n. Porphyrogen′itism, the Byzantine principle of the first son born after his father's accession succeeding to the throne. [Gr. porphyra, purple, gennain, to beget.]
Porphyry, por′fir-i, n. a very hard, variegated rock, of a purple and white colour, used in sculpture (porfido rosso antico) : an igneous rock having a ground-mass enclosing crystals of feldspar or quartz.—v.t. ”

“ Polypode, pol′i-pōd, n. an animal with many feet. [Gr. polypous—polys, many, pous, podos, a foot.]
Polypodium, pol-i-pō′di-um, n. a genus of ferns with spore-cases on the back of the frond, distinct, ring-shaped, in roundish sori, destitute of indusium.—n. Pol′ypody, a fern of the genus Polypodium, having the seed-clusters round, and on each side of the midrib. [Gr. polys, many, pous, a foot.]
Polyporous, pō-lip′ō-rus, adj. having many pores.
Polyporus, pō-lip′or-us, n. a large genus of pore-bearing fungus, which grows on trees, from which amadou is prepared. ”

“ Potent, pō′tent, adj. strong: powerful in a physical or a moral sense: having great authority or influence.—n. a prince, potentate.—ns. Pō′tence, power: (her.) a marking of the shape of : in horology, the stud or counterbridge forming a step for the lower pivot of a verge (also Pō′tance) ; Pō′tency, power: authority: influence; Pō′tentate, one who possesses power: a prince.—adj. Pōten′tial, powerful, efficacious: existing in possibility, not in reality: (gram.) ”

“ Polar circle, a parallel of latitude encircling each of the poles at a distance of 23° 28′ from the pole—the north polar being called the arctic, the south the antarctic, circle; Polar lights, the aurora borealis or australis. [L. polaris—polus, a pole.]
Polder, pōl′dėr, n. in the Netherlands, land below the level of the sea or nearest river, which, originally a morass or lake, has been drained and brought under cultivation: a morass. ”

“ Poor's′-box, a box for receiving contributions to the poor.—adj. Poor′-spir′ited, cowardly: mean.—ns. Poor′-spir′itedness, cowardice; Poor's′-roll (Scots law) , the list of poor persons who are litigants, but unable to pay the expenses of litigation, and therefore are allowed to sue in formâ pauperis.—Poor man of mutton (Scot.) , cold mutton broiled, esp. the shoulder; Poor man's herb, the hedge-hyssop; Poor Will, a common American bird of the genus Phalænoptilus.—The poor, poor people collectively: those depending on public or private charity. ”

“ Postillā′tion; Pos′tiller, one who comments: a preacher. [O. Fr. postille (It. postilla) —Low L. postilla—L. post illa (verba) , after those (words) .]
Postillion, pōs-til′yun, n. a postboy: one who guides posthorses, or horses in any carriage, riding on one of them. [Fr. postillon.]
Postliminy, post-lim′i-ni, n. the right by which persons or things taken in war by the enemy are restored to their former status upon their coming again under the power of the nation to which they belonged: the return of a prisoner, exile, &c. ”

“ False porcelain, a name given to the artificial or soft-paste porcelain; Frit porcelain, a name given to artificial soft-paste English porcelain, from its vitreous nature; Tender porcelain, a ware imitating hard-paste or natural porcelain. [O. Fr. porcelaine—It. porcellana, the Venus' shell—L. porcella, a young sow—porcus, a pig.]
Porch, pōrch, n. a building forming an enclosure or protection for a doorway: a portico at the entrance of churches and other buildings: the public porch on the agora of Athens where Zeno the Stoic taught: (fig.) the Stoic philosophy. ”

“ Pome, pōm, n. an apple or a fruit like an apple: a small globe of silver or the like, filled with hot water, on which in cold weather the priest at mass warms his numbed hands.—n. Pom′ace, the substance of apples or similar fruit: fish-scrap.—n.pl. Pomā′ceæ, a suborder of Rosaceæ—the apple family—also Pome′æ.—adj. Pomā′ceous, relating to, consisting of, or resembling apples: like pomace.—ns. Pome′-cit′ron, a variety of apple; Pom′eroy, the king-apple; Pome′-wa′ter (Shak.) , a sweet, juicy apple ”

“ Poll′-man, one who takes the ordinary university degree, without honours; Poll′-tax, a tax by the poll or head—i.e. on each person.—At the head of the poll, having the greatest number of votes at an election. ”

“ Pole-axe, pōl′-aks, n. a battle-axe consisting of an axe-head on a long handle: an axe used by sailors for cutting away rigging of ships. [Orig. pollax, from poll, the head, and axe.]
Polecat, pōl′kat, n. a kind of weasel, which emits a stink—called also the Fitchet and Foumart. [M. E. polcat; prob. Fr. poule, hen, and cat.]
Polemarch, pol′e-mark, n. a title of several officials in ancient Greek states.
Polemic, -al, po-lem′ik, -al, adj. given to disputing: controversial.—n. one who disputes: one who speaks or writes in opposition to another: a controversy.—adv. ”

“ Pos′turer, Pos′turist, an acrobat. [Fr.,—L. positura—ponĕre, positum, to place.]
Posy, pō′zi, n. a verse of poetry, esp. a motto or an inscription on a ring: a motto sent with a bouquet: a bouquet. [Poesy.]
Pot, pot, n. a metallic vessel for various purposes, esp. for cooking: a drinking vessel: an earthen vessel for plants: the quantity in a pot: (slang) a large sum of money, a prize.—v.t. to preserve in pots: to put in pots: to cook in a pot: to plant in a pot: to drain, as sugar, in a perforated cask: to shoot an enemy.—v.i. (Shak.) to tipple:—pr.p. pot′ting; pa.t. and pa.p. pot′ted.—n. ”

“ Post′-town, a town with a post-office.—Postal note, a note for a fixed designated sum issued by a postmaster, payable at any office; Postal order, an order issued by the postmaster authorising the holder to receive at some particular post-office payment of the sum marked on it. [Fr. poste—L. ponĕre, positum, to place.]
Post, pōst, adv. and prep. after, behind—in compounds as Post-abdominal, Post-anal, Post-axial, Post-brachial, Post-canonical, Post-clavicle, Post-embryonic, &c.—adj. Post′-class′ical, after those Greek and Latin writers styled classical, but before the medieval.—n. ”

“ Pop′ularise, to make popular or suitable to the people: to spread among the people.—ns. Pop′ulariser; Popular′ity, Pop′ularness, quality or state of being popular or pleasing to the people: favour with the people: a desire to obtain favour with the people.—adv. ”

“ Poling, pō′ling, n. act of using a pole for any purpose.
Polish, pō′lish, adj. relating to Poland or to its people.
Polish, pol′ish, v.t. to make smooth and glossy by rubbing: to refine: to make elegant.—v.i. to become smooth and glossy.—n. a smooth, glossy surface: refinement of manners: anything used to produce a polish.—adjs. Pol′ishable; Pol′ished, made smooth by rubbing: trained to act with great fineness and exactness: refined: polite.—ns. ”

“ Pond′-lil′y, a plant of the aquatic genus Nymphæa; Pond′-tur′tle, a terrapin, a mud turtle; Pond′weed, a common aquatic herb. [From A.S. pyndan, to shut in, thus a doublet of pound, an enclosure.]
Ponder, pon′dėr, v.t. to weigh in the mind: to think over: to consider.—v.i. to think (with on and over) .—ns. Ponderabil′ity, Pon′derableness.—adjs. Pon′derable, that may be weighed: having sensible weight ”

“ Porgy, Porgie, por′ji, n. a fish of the genus Pagrus.
Porifera, pō-rif′e-ra, n.pl. sponges:—sing. Por′ifer.—adjs. Porif′eral, Porif′erous. [L. porus, a pore, ferre, to bear.]
Porism, por′ism, n. a proposition affirming the possibility of finding such conditions as will render a certain problem capable of innumerable solutions.—adjs. Porismat′ic, -al; Poris′tic, -al, reducing a determinate problem to an indeterminate. [Gr. porizein, to procure—poros, a way.]
Pork, pōrk, n. the flesh of swine: (Milt.) a stupid fellow.—ns. Pork′-butch′er, one who kills pigs; Pork′-chop, a slice from a pig's rib ”

“ Poster′ity, those coming after: succeeding generations: descendants: a race. [L., comp. of posterus, coming after—post, after.]
Postern, pōst′ėrn, n. a back door or gate: a small private door: (fort.) a covered passage between the main ditch and the outworks of a fort, usually closed by a gate.—adj. back: private. [O. Fr. posterne, posterle—L. posterula, a dim. from posterus.]
Posthumous, post′ū-mus, adj. born after the father's death: published after the death of the author.—adv. Post′humously. [L. posthumus, postumus, superl. of posterus, coming after—post, after.] ”

“ Pol′ygyn, a plant of the order Polygyn′ia (pl.) , the 12th order in the first 13 classes of the Linnæan artificial system of plants, embracing those having flowers with more than twelve styles.—adjs. Polygyn′ian, Polygyn′ic, Polyg′ynous. [Gr. polys, many, gynē, woman.]
Polyhedron, pol-i-hē′dron, n. a solid body with many bases or sides.—adjs. Polyhē′dral, Polyhē′drical, Polyhē′drous. [Gr. polys, many, hedra, a base.]
Polyhistor, pol-i-his′tor, n. a person of great and varied learning. ”

“ Port, pōrt, n. martial music on the bagpipes. [Gael.]
Port, pōrt, n. bearing: demeanour: carriage of the body.—v.t. to hold, as a musket, in a slanting direction upward across the body.—ns. Portabil′ity, Port′ableness, the state of being portable.—adj. Port′able, that may be carried: not bulky or heavy.—ns. Port′age, act of carrying: carriage: price of carriage: a space between two rivers, canals, &c., over which goods and boats have to be carried; Port′ance (Spens.) , carriage, bearing.—adjs. Por′tāte (her.) , in a position as if being carried; Por′tatile, portable ”

“ Polytocous, pō-lit′ō-kus, adj. producing many or several at a birth.
Polytrichum, pō-lit′ri-kum, n. a genus of mosses, widely distributed in north temperate and arctic countries.—adj. Polyt′richous, very hairy, densely ciliate. [Gr. polys, many, thrix, thrichos, hair.] ”

“ Post′-merid′ian, coming after the sun has crossed the meridian: in the afternoon (written P.M.) .—n. Post′-millenā′rian, one who believes in post-millennialism.—adj. Post′-millenn′ial.—n. Post′-millenn′ialism, the doctrine that the second coming of Christ will follow the millennium.—adj. Post′-mor′tem, after death.—n. a post-mortem examination.—adjs. Post′-nā′tal, after birth; Post′-nī′cene, after the first general council at Nicæa in 325 A.D.—n. Post′-note, a note issued by a bank, payable at some future time.—adj. Post′-nup′tial, being or happening after marriage.—ns. ”