Plumbagineous - Plurality

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Plumbagineous (plŭmbȧjĭn�ŭs), a. (Bot.) Pertaining to natural order (Plumbagineæ) of gamopetalous herbs, of which Plumbago is the type. The order includes also the marsh rosemary, the thrift, and a few other genera.
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Plumbaginous (?), a. Resembling plumbago; consisting of, or containing, plumbago; as, a plumbaginous slate.
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Plumbago, n. [L., from plumbum lead.] 1. (Min.) Same as .
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2. (Bot.) A genus of herbaceous plants with pretty salver-shaped corollas, usually blue or violet; leadwort.
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{ Plumbean (?), Plumbeous (?), } a. [L. plumbeus, from plumbum the metal lead.] 1. Consisting of, or resembling, lead. J. Ellis.
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2. Dull; heavy; stupid. [R.] J. P. Smith.
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Plumber (?), n. [F. plombier. See .] One who works in lead; esp., one who furnishes, fits, and repairs lead pipes.
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2. Hence: Any worker who installs or repairs piping and related equipment for conveyance of water, gas, or drainage into or out of buildings, or within buildings to fixtures or equipment using water. The type of material used for the conduits varies with the application, and may be may be of lead, iron, copper, glass, palstic, or other material.
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Plumber block (?). A pillow block.
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Plumbery (?), n. [F. plomberie.] 1. The business of a plumber. [Obs.]
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2. A place where plumbing is carried on; lead works.
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Plumbic (?), a. [From .] (Chem.) Of, pertaining to, resembling, or containing, lead; -- used specifically to designate those compounds in which it has a higher valence as contrasted with plumbous compounds; as, plumbic oxide.
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Plumbiferous (?), a. [Plumbum + -ferous.] Producing or containing lead. Kirwan.
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Plumbing (?), n. 1. The art of casting and working in lead, and applying it to building purposes; especially, the business of furnishing, fitting, and repairing pipes for conducting water, sewage, etc. Gwilt.
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2. The lead or iron pipes, and other apparatus, used in conveying water, sewage, etc., in a building.
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Plumbism (?), n. [From .] (Med.) A diseased condition, produced by the absorption of lead, common among workers in this metal or in its compounds, as among painters, typesetters, etc. It is characterized by various symptoms, as lead colic, lead line, and wrist drop. See under , , and .
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Plumbous (?), a. [From .] (Chem.) Of, pertaining to, or containing, lead; -- used specifically to designate those compounds in which it has a lower valence as contrasted with plumbic compounds.
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Plumbum (?), n. [L.] (Chem.) The technical name of lead. See .
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Plumcot (?), n. [Plum + apricot.] (Hort.) A cross between the plum and apricot.
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Plume (?), n. [F., fr. L. pluma. Cf. , v.]
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1. A feather; esp., a soft, downy feather, or a long, conspicuous, or handsome feather.
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Wings . . . of many a colored plume. Milton.
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2. (Zoöl.) An ornamental tuft of feathers.
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3. A feather, or group of feathers, worn as an ornament; a waving ornament of hair, or other material resembling feathers.
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His high plume, that nodded o'er his head. Dryden.
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4. A token of honor or prowess; that on which one prides himself; a prize or reward. “Ambitious to win from me some plume.” Milton.
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5. (Bot.) A large and flexible panicle of inflorescence resembling a feather, such as is seen in certain large ornamental grasses.
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Coloq. Plume bird (Zoöl.), any bird that yields ornamental plumes, especially the species of Epimarchus from New Guinea, and some of the herons and egrets, as the white heron of Florida (Ardea candidissima). -- Coloq. Plume grass . (Bot) (a) A kind of grass (Erianthus saccharoides) with the spikelets arranged in great silky plumes, growing in swamps in the Southern United States. (b) The still finer Erianthus Ravennæ from the Mediterranean region. The name is sometimes extended to the whole genus. -- Coloq. Plume moth (Zoöl.), any one of numerous small, slender moths, belonging to the family Pterophoridæ. Most of them have the wings deeply divided into two or more plumelike lobes. Some species are injurious to the grapevine. -- Coloq. Plume nutmeg (Bot.), an aromatic Australian tree (Atherosperma moschata), whose numerous carpels are tipped with long plumose persistent styles.
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Plume, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Plumed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Pluming.] [Cf. F. plumer to pluck, to strip, L. plumare to cover with feathers.] 1. To pick and adjust the plumes or feathers of; to dress or prink.
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Pluming her wings among the breezy bowers. W. Irving.
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2. To strip of feathers; to pluck; to strip; to pillage; also, to peel. [Obs.] Bacon. Dryden.
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3. To adorn with feathers or plumes. “Farewell the plumed troop.” Shak.
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4. To pride; to vaunt; to boast; -- used reflexively; as, he plumes himself on his skill. South.
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Coloq. Plumed adder (Zoöl.), an African viper (Vipera cornuta, syn. Clotho cornuta), having a plumelike structure over each eye. It is venomous, and is related to the African puff adder. Called also horned viper and hornsman. -- Coloq. Plumed partridge (Zoöl.), the California mountain quail (Oreortyx pictus). See Mountain quail, under .
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Plumeless (?), a. Without plumes.
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Plumelet (?), n. [Plume + -let.] A small plume.
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When rosy plumelets tuft the larch. Tennyson.
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Plumery (?), n. Plumes, collectively or in general; plumage. [R.] Southey.
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Plumicorn (?), n. [L. pluma feather + cornu horn.] (Zoöl.) An ear tuft of feathers, as in the horned owls.
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Plumigerous (?), a. [L. plumiger; pluma a feather + gerere to bear.] Feathered; having feathers. Bailey
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Plumiliform (?), a. [L. plumula, or plumella a little feather (dim. of pluma feather) + -form.] Having the of a plume or feather. [R.]
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Plumiped (?), a. [L. plumipes, -edis; pluma a feather + pes: cf. F. plumipède.] (Zoöl.) Having feet covered with feathers. -- n. A plumiped bird.
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Plummet (?), n. [OE. plommet, OF. plommet, fr. plom, plum, lead, F. plomb. See .] 1. A piece of lead attached to a line, used in sounding the depth of water.
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I'll sink him deeper than e'er plummet sounded. Shak.
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2. A plumb bob or a plumb line. See under , n.
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3. Hence, any weight.
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4. A piece of lead formerly used by school children to rule paper for writing.
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Coloq. Plummet line , a line with a plummet; a sounding line.
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Plumming (?), n. [See .] (Min.) The operation of finding, by means of a mine dial, the place where to sink an air shaft, or to bring an adit to the work, or to find which way the lode inclines.
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Plummy (?), a. [From .] Of the nature of a plum; desirable; profitable; advantageous. [Colloq.] “For the sake of getting something plummy.” G. Eliot.
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{ Plumose (?), Plumous (?), } a. [L. plumosus, fr. pluma feather: cf. F. plumeux.]
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1. Having feathers or plumes.
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2. Having hairs, or other párts, arranged along an axis like a feather; feathery; plumelike; as, a plumose leaf; plumose tentacles.
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Plumosite (?), n. (Min.) Same as .
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Plumosity (?), n. The quality or state of being plumose.
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Plump (plŭmp), a. [Compar. Plumper (plŭmpẽr); superl. Plumpest.] [OE. plomp rude, clumsy; akin to D. plomp, G., Dan., & Sw. plump; probably of imitative origin. Cf. , adv.] 1. Well rounded or filled out; full; fleshy; fat; as, a plump baby; plump cheeks. Shak.
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The god of wine did his plump clusters bring. T. Carew.
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2. Done or made plump, or suddenly and without reservation; blunt; unreserved; direct; downright.

After the plump statement that the author was at Erceldoune and spake with Thomas. Saintsbury.
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Plump, n. A knot; a cluster; a group; a crowd; a flock; as, a plump of trees, fowls, or spears. [Obs.]
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To visit islands and the plumps of men. Chapman.
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Plump, v. i. [Cf. D. plompen, G. plumpen, Sw. plumpa, Dan. plumpe. See , a.] 1. To grow plump; to swell out; as, her cheeks have plumped.
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2. To drop or fall suddenly or heavily, all at once.“Dulcissa plumps into a chair.” Spectator.
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3. To a plumper. See , 2.
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Plump, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Plumped (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Plumping.] 1. To make plump; to fill (out) or support; -- often with up.
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To plump up the hollowness of their history with improbable miracles. Fuller.
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2. To cast or let drop all at once, suddenly and heavily; as, to plump a stone into water.
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3. To give (a vote), as a plumper. See , 2.
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Plump, adv. [Cf. D. plomp, interj., G. plump, plumps. Cf. , a. & v.] Directly; suddenly; perpendicularly. “Fall plump.” Beau. & Fl.
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Plumper (?), n. 1. One who, or that which, plumps or swells out something else; hence, something carried in the mouth to distend the cheeks.
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2. (English Elections) A vote given to one candidate only, when two or more are to be elected, thus giving him the advantage over the others. A person who gives his vote thus is said to plump, or to plump his vote.
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3. A voter who plumps his vote. [Eng.]
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4. A downright, unqualified lie. [Colloq. or Low]
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Plumply, adv. Fully; roundly; plainly; without reserve. [Colloq.]
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Plumpness, n. The quality or state of being plump.
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Plumpy (?), a. Plump; fat; sleek. “Plumpy Bacchus.” Shak.
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Plumula (?), n.; pl. L. Plumule (#), E.-las (#). [L. See .] 1. (Bot.) A plumule.
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2. (Zoöl.) A down feather.
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Plumulaceous (?), a. (Zoöl.) Downy; bearing down.
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Plumular (?), a. (Bot.) Relating to a plumule.
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Plumularia (?), n.; pl. L. Plumularlæ (#), E. Plumularias (#). [NL.] (Zoöl.) Any hydroid belonging to Plumularia and other genera of the family Plumularidæ. They generally grow in plumelike forms.
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Plumularian (?), n. (Zoöl.) Any Plumularia. Also used adjectively.
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Plumule (?), n. [L. plumula, dim. of pluma a feather; cf. F. plumule.] 1. (Bot.) The first bud, or gemmule, of a young plant; the bud, or growing point, of the embryo, above the cotyledons. See Illust. of . Gray.
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2. (Zoöl.) (a) A down feather. (b) The aftershaft of a feather. See Illust. under . (c) One of the featherlike scales of certain male butterflies.
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Plumulose (?), a. Having hairs branching out laterally, like the parts of a feather.
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Plumy (?), a. Covered or adorned with plumes, or as with plumes; feathery. “His plumy crest.” Addison. “The plumy trees.” J. S. Blackie.
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Plunder (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Plundered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Plundering.] [G. plündern to plunder, plunder frippery, baggage.] 1. To take the goods of by force, or without right; to pillage; to spoil; to sack; to strip; to rob; as, to plunder travelers.
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Nebuchadnezzar plunders the temple of God. South.
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2. To take by pillage; to appropriate forcibly; as, the enemy plundered all the goods they found.
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Syn. -- To pillage; despoil; sack; rifle; strip; rob.
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Plunder (?), n. 1. The act of plundering or pillaging; robbery. See Syn. of .
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Inroads and plunders of the Saracens. Sir T. North.
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2. That which is taken by open force from an enemy; pillage; spoil; booty; also, that which is taken by theft or fraud. “He shared in the plunder.” Cowper.
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3. Personal property and effects; baggage or luggage. [Slang, Southwestern U.S.]
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Plunderage (?), n. (Mar. Law) The embezzlement of goods on shipboard. Wharton.
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Plunderer (?), n. One who plunders or pillages.
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Plunge (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Plunged (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Plunging (?).] [OE. ploungen, OF. plongier, F. plonger, fr. (assumed) LL. plumbicare, fr. L. plumbum lead. See .] 1. To thrust into water, or into any substance that is penetrable; to immerse; to cause to penetrate or enter quickly and forcibly; to thrust; as, to plunge the body into water; to plunge a dagger into the breast. Also used figuratively; as, to plunge a nation into war. “To plunge the boy in pleasing sleep.” Dryden.
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Bound and plunged him into a cell. Tennyson.
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We shall be plunged into perpetual errors. I. Watts.
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2. To baptize by immersion.
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3. To entangle; to embarrass; to overcome. [Obs.]
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Plunged and graveled with three lines of Seneca. Sir T. Browne.
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Plunge, v. i. 1. To thrust or cast one's self into water or other fluid; to submerge one's self; to dive, or to rush in; as, he plunged into the river. Also used figuratively; as, to plunge into debt.
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Forced to plunge naked in the raging sea. Dryden.
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To plunge into guilt of a murther. Tillotson.
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2. To pitch or throw one's self headlong or violently forward, as a horse does.
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Some wild colt, which . . . flings and plunges. Bp. Hall.
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3. To bet heavily and with seeming recklessness on a race, or other contest; in an extended sense, to risk large sums in hazardous speculations. [Cant]
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Coloq. Plunging fire (Gun.), firing directed upon an enemy from an elevated position.
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Plunge, n. 1. The act of thrusting into or submerging; a dive, leap, rush, or pitch into, or as into, water; as, to take the water with a plunge.
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2. Hence, a desperate hazard or act; a state of being submerged or overwhelmed with difficulties. [R.]
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She was brought to that plunge, to conceal her husband's murder or accuse her son. Sir P. Sidney.
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And with thou not reach out a friendly arm,
To raise me from amidst this plunge of sorrows? Addison.
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3. The act of pitching or throwing one's self headlong or violently forward, like an unruly horse.
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4. Heavy and reckless betting in horse racing; hazardous speculation. [Cant]
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Coloq. Plunge bath , an immersion by plunging; also, a large bath in which the bather can wholly immerse himself. -- Coloq. Plunge battery , or Coloq. plunging battery (Elec.), a voltaic battery so arranged that the plates can be plunged into, or withdrawn from, the exciting liquid at pleasure.
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Plunger (?), n. 1. One who, or that which, plunges; a diver.
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2. A long solid cylinder, used, instead of a piston or bucket, as a forcer in pumps.
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3. One who bets heavily and recklessly on a race; a reckless speculator. [Cant]
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4. (Pottery) A boiler in which clay is beaten by a wheel to a creamy consistence. Knight.
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5. (Gun.) The firing pin of a breechloader.
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Coloq. Plunger bucket , a piston, without a valve, in a pump. -- Coloq. Plunger pole , the pump rod of a pumping engine. -- Coloq. Plunger pump , a pump, as for water, having a plunger, instead of a piston, to act upon the water. It may be single-acting or double-acting
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Plunk (?), v. t. [Imitative.] [Chiefly Colloq.] 1. To pluck and release quickly (a musical string); to twang.
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2. To throw, push, drive heavily, plumply, or suddenly; as, to plunk down a dollar; also, to hit or strike.
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3. To be a truant from (school). [Scot.]
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Plunk, v. i. [Chiefly Colloq.] 1. To make a quick, hollow, metallic, or harsh sound, as by pulling hard on a taut string and quickly releasing it; of a raven, to croak.
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2. To drop or sink down suddenly or heavily; to plump.
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3. To play truant, or “hooky”. [Scot.]
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Plunk, n. 1. Act or sound of plunking. [Colloq.]
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2. [Slang] (a) A large sum of money. [Obs.] (b) A dollar. [U. S.]
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Plunket (?), n. A kind of blue color; also, anciently, a kind of cloth, generally blue.
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Pluperfect (?), a. [L. plus more + perfectus perfect; cf. F. plus-que-parfait, L. plusquamperfectum.] More than perfect; past perfect; -- said of the tense which denotes that an action or event was completed at or before the time of another past action or event. -- n. The pluperfect tense; also, a verb in the pluperfect tense.
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Plural (?), a. [L. pluralis, from plus, pluris, more; cf. F. pluriel, OF. plurel. See .] Relating to, or containing, more than one; designating two or more; as, a plural word.
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Plural faith, which is too much by one. Shak.
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Coloq. Plural number (Gram.), the number which designates more than one. See , n., 8.
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Plural, n. (Gram.) The plural number; that form of a word which expresses or denotes more than one; a word in the plural form.
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Pluralism (?), n. 1. The quality or state of being plural, or in the plural number.
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2. (Eccl.) The state of a pluralist; the holding of more than one ecclesiastical living at a time. [Eng.]
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Pluralist, n. (Eccl.) A clerk or clergyman who holds more than one ecclesiastical benefice. [Eng.]
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Of the parochial clergy, a large proportion were pluralists. Macaulay.
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Plurality (?), n.; pl. pluralities (#). [L. pluralitas: cf. F. pluralité.] 1. The state of being plural, or consisting of more than one; a number consisting of two or more of the same kind; as, a plurality of worlds; the plurality of a verb.
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2. The greater number; a majority; also, the greatest of several numbers; in elections, the excess of the votes given for one candidate over those given for another, or for any other, candidate. When there are more than two candidates, the one who receives the plurality of votes may have less than a majority. See .
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Take the plurality of the world, and they are neither wise nor good. L'Estrange.
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3. (Eccl.) See Plurality of benefices, below.
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Coloq. Plurality of benefices (Eccl.), the possession by one clergyman of more than one benefice or living. Each benefice thus held is called a plurality. [Eng.]
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