People - Perceive

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People (pēp'l), n. [OE. peple, people, OF. pueple, F. peuple, fr. L. populus. Cf. , , .] 1. The body of persons who compose a community, tribe, nation, or race; an aggregate of individuals forming a whole; a community; a nation.
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Unto him shall the gathering of the people be. Gen. xlix. 10.
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The ants are a people not strong. Prov. xxx. 25.
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Before many peoples, and nations, and tongues. Rev. x. 11.
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Earth's monarchs are her peoples. Whitter.
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A government of all the people, by all the people, for all the people. T. Parker.
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☞ Peopleis a collective noun, generally construed with a plural verb, and only occasionally used in the plural form (peoples), in the sense of nations or races.
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2. Persons, generally; an indefinite number of men and women; folks; population, or part of population; as, country people; -- sometimes used as an indefinite subject or verb, like on in French, and man in German; as, people in adversity.
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People were tempted to lend by great premiums. Swift.
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People have lived twenty-four days upon nothing but water. Arbuthnot.
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3. The mass of community as distinguished from a special class; the commonalty; the populace; the vulgar; the common crowd; as, nobles and people.
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And strive to gain his pardon from the people. Addison.
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4. With a possessive pronoun: (a) One's ancestors or family; kindred; relations; as, my people were English. (b) One's subjects; fellow citizens; companions; followers. “You slew great number of his people.” Shak.
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Syn. -- , . When speaking of a state, we use people for the mass of the community, as distinguished from their rulers, and nation for the entire political body, including the rulers. In another sense of the term, nation describes those who are descended from the same stock; and in this sense the Germans regard themselves as one nation, though politically subject to different forms of government.
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People (pēp'l), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Peopled (pēp'ld) p. pr. & vb. n.; Peopling (pēp'lĭng).] [Cf. OF. popler, puepler, F. puepler. Cf. .] To stock with people or inhabitants; to fill as with people; to populate. “Peopled heaven with angels.” Dryden.
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As the gay motes that people the sunbeams. Milton.
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Peopled (pēp'ld), a. Stocked with, or as with, people; inhabited. “The peopled air.” Gray.
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Peopleless, a. Destitute of people. Poe.
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Peopler (pēplẽr), n. A settler; an inhabitant. “Peoplers of the peaceful glen.” J. S. Blackie.
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People's bank (pēp'lz). A form of coöperative bank, such as those of Germany; -- a term loosely used for various forms of coöperative financial institutions.
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People's party. (U. S. Politics) A party formed in 1891, advocating an increase of the currency, public ownership and operation of railroads, telegraphs, etc., an income tax, limitation in ownership of land, etc.
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Peoplish (pēplĭsh), a. Vulgar. [Obs.] Chaucer.
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Peorias (?), n. pl.; sing. Peoria (�). (Ethnol.) An Algonquin tribe of Indians who formerly inhabited a part of Illinois.
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Pepastic (?), a. & n. [Gr. pepainein to ripen, suppurate: cf. F. pépastique.] (Med.) Same as .
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{ Peperine (?), Peperino (?), } n. [It. peperino, L. piper pepper. So called on account of its color.] (Geol.) A volcanic rock, formed by the cementing together of sand, scoria, cinders, etc.
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Peplis (?), n. [L., a kind of plant, Gr. peplis.] (Bot.) A genus of plants including water purslane.
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Peplum (?), n.; pl. E. -lumus, L. -la. [L.] A peplos. Hence: An overskirt hanging like an ancient peplos; also, a short fitted skirt attached to a waist or coat.
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Peplus (pĕplŭs), n. [L., fr. Gr. peplos.] 1. An upper garment worn by Grecian and Roman women.
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2. A kind of kerchief formerly worn by Englishwomen. [Obs.] Fairholt.
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Pepo (pēp�), n. [L., a kind of melon, from Gr. pepwn.] (Bot.) Any fleshy fruit with a firm rind, as a pumpkin, melon, or gourd. See .
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Pepper (pĕppẽr), n. [OE. peper, AS. pipor, L. piper, fr. Gr. peperi, piperi, akin to Skr. pippala, pippali.] 1. A well-known, pungently aromatic condiment, the dried berry, either whole or powdered, of the Piper nigrum.
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☞ Common pepper, or black pepper, is made from the whole berry, dried just before maturity; white pepper is made from the ripe berry after the outer skin has been removed by maceration and friction. It has less of the peculiar properties of the plant than the black pepper. Pepper is used in medicine as a carminative stimulant.
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2. (Bot.) The plant which yields pepper, an East Indian woody climber (Piper nigrum), with ovate leaves and apetalous flowers in spikes opposite the leaves. The berries are red when ripe. Also, by extension, any one of the several hundred species of the genus Piper, widely dispersed throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the earth.
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3. Any plant of the genus Capsicum (of the Solanaceae family, which are unrelated to Piper), and its fruit; red pepper; chili pepper; as, the bell pepper and the jalapeno pepper (both Capsicum annuum) and the habanero pepper (Capsicum chinense); . These contain varying levels of the substance capsaicin (C18H27O3N), which gives the peppers their hot taste. The habanero is about 25-50 times hotter than the jalapeno according to a scale developed by Wilbur Scoville in 1912. See also and http://www.chili-pepper-plants.com/.
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☞ The term pepper has been extended to various other fruits and plants, more or less closely resembling the true pepper, esp. to the common varieties of Capsicum. See , and the Phrases, below.
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Coloq. African pepper , the Guinea pepper. See under . -- Coloq. Cayenne pepper . See under . -- Coloq. Chinese pepper , the spicy berries of the Xanthoxylum piperitum, a species of prickly ash found in China and Japan. -- Coloq. Guinea pepper . See under , and . -- Coloq. Jamaica pepper . See . -- Coloq. Long pepper . (a) The spike of berries of Piper longum, an East Indian shrub. (b) The root of Piper methysticum (syn. Macropiper methysticum) of the family Piperaceae. See . -- Coloq. Malaguetta pepper , or Coloq. Meleguetta pepper , the aromatic seeds of the Amomum Melegueta, an African plant of the Ginger family. They are sometimes used to flavor beer, etc., under the name of grains of Paradise. -- Coloq. Red pepper . See . -- Coloq. Sweet pepper bush (Bot.), an American shrub (Clethra alnifolia), with racemes of fragrant white flowers; -- called also white alder. -- Coloq. Pepper box or Coloq. Pepper caster , a small box or bottle, with a perforated lid, used for sprinkling ground pepper on food, etc. -- Coloq. Pepper corn . See in the Vocabulary. -- Coloq. Pepper elder (Bot.), a West Indian name of several plants of the Pepper family, species of Piper and Peperomia. -- Coloq. Pepper moth (Zoöl.), a European moth (Biston betularia) having white wings covered with small black specks. -- Coloq. Pepper pot , a mucilaginous soup or stew of vegetables and cassareep, much esteemed in the West Indies. -- Coloq. Pepper root . (Bot.). See . -- Coloq. pepper sauce , a condiment for the table, made of small red peppers steeped in vinegar. -- Coloq. Pepper tree (Bot.), an aromatic tree (Drimys axillaris) of the Magnolia family, common in New Zealand. See Peruvian mastic tree, under .
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Pepper, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Peppered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Peppering.] 1. To sprinkle or season with pepper.
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2. Figuratively: To shower shot or other missiles, or blows, upon; to pelt; to fill with shot, or cover with bruises or wounds; as, to pepper him with buckshot. “I have peppered two of them.” “I am peppered, I warrant, for this world.” Shak.
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Pepper, v. i. To fire numerous shots (at).
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Pepper box (?), n. A buttress on the left-hand wall of a fives court as the game is played at Eton College, England.
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Pepperbrand (?), n. (Bot.) See 1st .
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Peppercorn (?), n. 1. A dried berry of the black pepper (Piper nigrum).
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2. Anything insignificant; a particle.
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Pepper dulse (?). (Bot.) A variety of edible seaweed (Laurencia pinnatifida) distinguished for its pungency. [Scot.] Lindley.
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Pepperer (?), n. A grocer; -- formerly so called because he sold pepper. [Obs.]
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Peppergrass (?), n. (Bot.) (a) Any herb of the cruciferous genus Lepidium, especially the garden peppergrass, or garden cress, Lepidium sativum; -- called also pepperwort. All the species have a pungent flavor. (b) The common pillwort of Europe (Pilularia globulifera). See .
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Pepperidge (?), n. [Cf. NL. berberis, E. barberry.] (Bot.) A North American tree (Nyssa multiflora) with very tough wood, handsome oval polished leaves, and very acid berries, -- the sour gum, or common tupelo. See . [Written also piperidge and pipperidge.]
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Coloq. Pepperidge bush (Bot.), the barberry.
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Peppering, a. Hot; pungent; peppery. Swift.
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Peppermint (?), n. [Pepper + mint.] 1. (Bot.) An aromatic and pungent plant of the genus Mentha (Mentha piperita), much used in medicine and confectionery.
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2. A volatile oil (oil of peppermint) distilled from the fresh herb; also, a well-known essence or spirit (essence of peppermint) obtained from it.
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3. A lozenge of sugar flavored with peppermint.
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Coloq. Peppermint camphor. (Chem.) Same as . -- Coloq. Peppermint tree (Bot.), a name given to several Australian species of gum tree (Eucalyptus amygdalina, Eucalyptus piperita, E. odorata, etc.) which have hard and durable wood, and yield an essential oil.
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Pepperoni (?), n. a hard sausage of beef and pork, highly seasoned.
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peppershaker n. A shaker with a perforated top for sprinkling ground pepper.
Syn. -- pepper box, pepper pot.
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pepperwood n. A Pacific coast tree (Umbellularia californica) having aromatic foliage and small umbellate flowers followed by olivelike fruit; yields a hard tough wood.
Syn. -- California laurel, California bay tree, Oregon myrtle, spice tree, sassafras laurel, California olive, mountain laurel, Umbellularia californica.
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Pepperwort (?), n. (Bot.) See .
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Peppery (?), a. 1. Of or pertaining to pepper; having the qualities of pepper; hot; pungent.
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2. Fig.: Hot-tempered; passionate; choleric.
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peppy adj. Full of pep; spirited; bouncy{2}; as, the peppy and interesting talk.
Syn. -- bouncing, bouncy, spirited, zippy.
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Pepsi prop. n. [See Pepsi Cola] Pepsi Cola; -- a familiar contraction; as, I prefer Pepsi to Coke.
Syn. -- Pepsi Cola.
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Pepsi Cola, Pepsi-Cola prop. n. [A trademark of the Pepsi-Cola Corporation.] A carbonated soft drink flavored by extract from the cola nut (kola nut). The nut is found on trees of the species Cola acuminata and Cola nitida. [Trademark]
Syn. -- Pepsi
[WordNet 1.5 + PJC]

Pepsin (pĕpsĭn), n. [Gr. pepsis a cooking, digesting, digestion, fr. peptein, pessein, to cook, digest: cf. F. pepsine. Cf. .] (Physiol. Chem.) A proteolytic enzyme (MW 34,500) contained in the secretory glands of the stomach. In the gastric juice it is united with dilute hydrochloric acid (0.2 per cent, approximately) and the two together constitute the active portion of the digestive fluid. It degrades proteins to proteoses and peptides, and is notable for having a very low pH optimum for its activity. It is the active agent in the gastric juice of all animals.
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☞ As prepared from the glandular layer of pigs' or calves' stomachs it constitutes an important article of pharmacy.
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Pepsinhydrochloric (?), a. (Physiol. Chem.) Same as .
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Pepsinogen (?), n. [Pepsin + -gen.] (Physiol. Chem.) A proenzyme, the antecedent of the enzyme pepsin. A substance contained in the form of granules in the peptic cells of the gastric glands. It is readily convertible into pepsin. Also called propepsin.
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Peptic (pĕptĭk), a. [L. pepticus, Gr. peptikos. See .] 1. Relating to digestion; promoting digestion; digestive; as, peptic sauces.
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2. Able to digest. [R.]
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Tolerably nutritive for a mind as yet so peptic. Carlyle.
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3. (Physiol. Chem.) Pertaining to pepsin; resembling pepsin in its power of digesting or dissolving albuminous matter; containing or yielding pepsin, or a body of like properties; as, the peptic glands.
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Coloq. peptic ulcer , (Med.) an erosion of the mucous membrane forming the lining of the stomach, duodenum, or lower esophagus, originally believed to be due mostly to the action of gastric juice. Recently, the bacterium Helicobacter pylori has been implicated as a causal agent in many peptic ulcers. In other cases, the use of non-steroidal antiinflammatory agents (NSAIDs) such as aspirin are believed to be to blame. Such ulcers may be treated with antibiotics or antisecretory agents that reduce stomach acidity, or both. Formerly believed to be a chronic illness that could only be managed, it is now viewed as a curable disease.
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Peptic, n. 1. An agent that promotes digestion.
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2. pl. The digestive organs.
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Is there some magic in the place,
Or do my peptics differ? Tennyson.
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Peptics (?), n. The science of digestion.
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Peptogen (?), n. [Peptone + -gen.] (Physiol.) A substance convertible into peptone.
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Peptogenic (?), a. Same as .
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Peptogenous (?), a. (Physiol. Chem.) Capable of yielding, or being converted into, peptone.
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Peptohydrochloric (?), a. [See , and .] (Physiol. Chem.) Designating a hypothetical acid (called peptohydrochloric acid, pepsinhydrochloric acid, and chloropeptic acid) which is supposed to be formed when pepsin and dilute (0.1-0.4 per cent) hydrochloric acid are mixed together. [Archaic]
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Peptone (?), n. [Gr. peptos cooked.] (Physiol. Chem.) (a) The soluble polypeptides produced by hydrolysis of protein; specifically the soluble peptides into which food is transformed by the action of the gastric and pancreatic juices. Peptones are also formed from protein matter by the action of boiling water and boiling dilute acids. (b) Collectively, in a broader sense, all the products resulting from the solution of proteinaceous matter in either gastric or pancreatic juice. In this case, however, intermediate products (albumose bodies), such as antialbumose, hemialbumose, etc., are mixed with the true peptones. Also termed albuminose.
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☞ Pure peptones are of three kinds, amphopeptone, antipeptone, and hemipeptone, and, unlike most proteins, are not precipitated by saturating their solutions with ammonium sulphate.
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Peptonize (?), v. t. (Physiol.) To convert into peptone; to digest or dissolve by means of a proteolytic ferment; as, peptonized food.
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Peptonoid (?), n. [Peptone + -oid.] (Physiol. Chem.) A substance related to peptone.
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Peptonuria (?), n. [NL. See , and .] (Med.) The presence of peptone, or a peptonelike body, in the urine; now referred to as proteinuria. [Archaic]
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Peptotoxine (?), n. [Peptone + toxic + -ine.] (Physiol. Chem.) A toxic alkaloid found occasionally associated with the peptones formed from fibrin by pepsinhydrochloric acid.
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Pequots (?), n. pl.; sing. Pequot (�). (Ethnol.) A tribe of Indians who formerly inhabited Eastern Connecticut. [Written also Pequods.]
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Per- (?). [See .] 1. A prefix used to signify through, throughout, by, for, or as an intensive as perhaps, by hap or chance; perennial, that lasts throughout the year; perforce, through or by force; perfoliate, perforate; perspicuous, evident throughout or very evident; perplex, literally, to entangle very much.
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2. (Chem.) Originally, denoting that the element to the name of which it is prefixed in the respective compounds exercised its highest valence; now, only that the element has a higher valence than in other similar compounds; thus, barium peroxide is the highest oxide of barium; while nitrogen and manganese peroxides, so-called, are not the highest oxides of those elements.
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Per (?), prep. [L. Cf. , , , and cf. , prep.] Through; by means of; through the agency of; by; for; for each; as, per annum; per capita, by heads, or according to individuals; per curiam, by the court; per se, by itself, of itself. Per is also sometimes used with English words.
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Coloq. Per annum , by the year; in each successive year; annually. -- Coloq. Per cent , Coloq. Per centum , Coloq. per cent , by the hundred; in the hundred; a proportion multiplied by one hundred; -- used esp. of proportions of ingredients, rate or amount of interest, and the like; most commonly used in the shortened form per cent; as, 5 is ten per cent of 50. It is commonly symbolized with the per cent sign, %. -- Coloq. Per diem , by the day. [For other phrases from the Latin, see Quotations, Phrases, etc., from Foreign Languages, in the Supplement.]
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Peract (?), v. t. [L. peractus, p. p. of peragere.] To go through with; to perform. [Obs.] Sylvester.
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Peracute (?), a. [L. peracutus. See , and .] Very sharp; very violent; as, a peracute fever. [R.] Harvey.
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Peradventure (?), adv. & conj. [OE. per aventure, F. par aventure. See , and .] By chance; perhaps; it may be; if; supposing. “If peradventure he speak against me.” Shak.
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Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city. Gen. xviii. 24.
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Peradventure, n. Chance; hap; hence, doubt; question; as, proved beyond peradventure. South.
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Peræopod (?), n. [Gr. perai^os on the opposite side + -pod.] (Zoöl.) One of the thoracic legs of a crustacean. See Illust. of .
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Peragrate (?), v. t. [L. peragratus, p. p. of peragrate.] To travel over or through. [Obs.]
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Peragration (?), n. [L. peragratio: cf. F. peragration.] The act or state of passing through any space; as, the peragration of the moon in her monthly revolution. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.
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Perambulate (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Perambulated (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Perambulating.] [L. perambulatus, p. p. of perambulare to perambulate; per through + ambulare to walk. See , and .] To walk through or over; especially, to travel over for the purpose of surveying or examining; to inspect by traversing; specifically, to inspect officially the boundaries of, as of a town or parish, by walking over the whole line.
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Perambulate, v. i. To walk about; to ramble; to stroll; as, he perambulated in the park.
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perambulating adj. [pr. p. of (definition 2).] Strolling or walking around; as, in the field we met some perambulating veterans.
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Perambulation (?), n. 1. The act of perambulating; traversing. Bacon.
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2. An annual survey of boundaries, as of town, a parish, a forest, etc.
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3. A district within which one is authorized to make a tour of inspection. “The . . . bounds of his own perambulation.” [Obs.] Holyday.
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Perambulator (?), n. 1. One who perambulates.
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2. A surveyor's instrument for measuring distances. It consists of a wheel arranged to roll along over the ground, with an apparatus of clockwork, and a dial plate upon which the distance traveled is shown by an index. See .
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3. A low carriage for a child, propelled by pushing; a baby carriage; -- called also pram, in Britain.
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Perameles (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. � a pouch + L. meles a badger.] (Zoöl.) Any marsupial of the genus Perameles, which includes numerous species found in Australia. They somewhat resemble rabbits in size and form. See Illust. under .
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Perbend (?), n. See .
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Perbreak (?), n. [Obs.] See .
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Perbromate (?), n. (Chem.) A salt of perbromic acid.
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Perbromic (?), a. [Pref. per- + bromic.] (Chem.) Pertaining to, or designating, the highest oxygen acid, HBrO4, of bromine.
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Perbromide (?), n. (Chem.) A bromide having a higher proportion of bromine than any other bromide of the same substance or series.
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Perca (?), n. [L., a perch.] (Zoöl.) A genus of fishes, including the fresh-water perch.
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Percale (?), n. [F.] A fine cotton fabric, having a linen finish, and often printed on one side, -- used for women's and children's wear, and for bedsheets.
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Percaline (?), n. [F.] A fine kind of cotton goods, usually of one color, and with a glossy surface, -- much use for linings.
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Percarbide (?), n. [Pref. per- + carbide.] (Chem.) A compound containing a relatively large amount of carbon. [R.]
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Percarburet (?), n. [Pref. per- + carburet.] (Chem.) A percarbide. [Obsoles.]
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Percarbureted, a. (Chem.) Combined with a relatively large amount of carbon.
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Percase (?), adv. [OE. per cas. See .] Perhaps; perchance. [Obs.] Bacon.
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Perce (?), v. t. To pierce. [Obs.] Chaucer.
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Perceivable (?), a. Capable of being perceived; perceptible. -- Perceivably, adv.
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Perceivance (?), n. Power of perceiving. [Obs.] “The senses and common perceivance.” Milton.
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Perceive (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Perceived (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Perceiving.] [OF. percevoir, perceveir, L. percipere, perceptum; per (see ) + capere to take, receive. See , and cf. .] 1. To obtain knowledge of through the senses; to receive impressions from by means of the bodily organs; to take cognizance of the existence, character, or identity of, by means of the senses; to see, hear, or feel; as, to perceive a distant ship; to perceive a discord. Reid.
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2. To take intellectual cognizance of; to apprehend by the mind; to be convinced of by direct intuition; to note; to remark; to discern; to see; to understand.
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Jesus perceived their wickedness. Matt. xxii. 18.
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You may, fair lady,
Perceive I speak sincerely. Shak.
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Till we ourselves see it with our own eyes, and perceive it by our own understandings, we are still in the dark. Locke.
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3. To be affected of influented by. [R.]
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The upper regions of the air perceive the collection of the matter of tempests before the air here below. Bacon.
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Syn. -- To discern; distinguish; observe; see; feel; know; understand. -- To , . To perceive a thing is to apprehend it as presented to the senses or the intellect; to discern is to mark differences, or to see a thing as distinguished from others around it. We may perceive two persons afar off without being able to discern whether they are men or women. Hence, discern is often used of an act of the senses or the mind involving close, discriminating, analytical attention. We perceive that which is clear or obvious; we discern that which requires much attention to get an idea of it. “We perceive light, darkness, colors, or the truth or falsehood of anything. We discern characters, motives, the tendency and consequences of actions, etc.” Crabb.
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