Pragmatic - Pratique

Præfoliation (?), n. Same as . Gray.
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Præmaxilla (?), n. See .
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Præmolar (?), a. See .
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Præmorse (?), a. Same as .
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Præmunire (?), n. [Corrupted from L. praemonere to forewarn, cite. See .] (Eng. Law) (a) The offense of introducing foreign authority into England, the penalties for which were originally intended to depress the civil power of the pope in the kingdom. (b) The writ grounded on that offense. Wharton. (c) The penalty ascribed for the offense of præmunire.
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Wolsey incurred a præmunire, and forfeited his honor, estate, and life. South.
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☞ The penalties of præmunire were subsequently applied to many other offenses; but prosecutions upon a præmunire are at this day unheard of in the English courts. Blackstone.
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Præmunire, v. t. 1. To subject to the penalties of præmunire. [Obs.] T. Ward.
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Præmunitory (?), a. See .
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Prænares (?), n. pl. [NL. See , .] (Anat.) The anterior nares. See . B. G. Wilder.
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Prænasal (?), a. (Anat.) Same as .
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Prænomen (?), n.; pl. Prænomina (#). [L., fr. prae before + nomen name.] (Rom. Antiq.) The first name of a person, by which individuals of the same family were distinguished, answering to our Christian name, as Caius, Lucius, Marcus, etc.
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Prænominical (?), a. Of or pertaining to a prænomen. [Obs.] M. A. Lower.
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Præoperculum, n. [NL.] (Anat.) Same as . -- Præopercular, a.
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Præoral, n., Præpubis, n., Præscapula, n., Præscutum, n., Præsternum, n. Same as , , , etc.
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Præter- (?). A prefix. See .
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Præterist (?), n. (Theol.) See .
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Prætermit (?), v. t. See .
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Prætexta (?), n.; pl. Prætextæ (#), E. Prætextas (#). [L. (sc. toga), fr. praetextus, p. p. of praetexere to weave before, to fringe, border; prae before + texere to weave.] (Rom. Antiq.) A white robe with a purple border, worn by a Roman boy before he was entitled to wear the toga virilis, or until about the completion of his fourteenth year, and by girls until their marriage. It was also worn by magistrates and priests.
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Prætor (?), n. See .
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Prætores (?), n. pl. [NL. See .] (Zoöl.) A division of butterflies including the satyrs.
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Prætorian (?), a. See .
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Prætorium (?), n. See .
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Præzygapophysis (?), n. (Anat.) Same as .
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{ Pragmatic (?), Pragmatical (?), } a. [L. pragmaticus busy, active, skilled in business, especially in law and state affairs, systematic, Gr. �, fr. � a thing done, business, fr. � to do: cf. F. pragmatique. See .] 1. Of or pertaining to business or to affairs; of the nature of business; practical; material; businesslike in habit or manner.
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The next day . . . I began to be very pragmatical. Evelyn.
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We can not always be contemplative, diligent, or pragmatical, abroad; but have need of some delightful intermissions. Milton.
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Low, pragmatical, earthly views of the gospel. Hare.
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2. Busy; specifically, busy in an objectionable way; officious; fussy and positive; meddlesome. “Pragmatical officers of justice.” Sir W. Scott.
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The fellow grew so pragmatical that he took upon him the government of my whole family. Arbuthnot.
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3. Philosophical; dealing with causes, reasons, and effects, rather than with details and circumstances; -- said of literature. “Pragmatic history.” Sir W. Hamilton. “Pragmatic poetry.” M. Arnold.
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Coloq. Pragmatic sanction , a solemn ordinance or decree issued by the head or legislature of a state upon weighty matters; -- a term derived from the Byzantine empire. In European history, two decrees under this name are particularly celebrated. One of these, issued by Charles VII. of France, A. D. 1438, was the foundation of the liberties of the Gallican church; the other, issued by Charles VI. of Germany, A. D. 1724, settled his hereditary dominions on his eldest daughter, the Archduchess Maria Theresa.
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Pragmatic, n. 1. One skilled in affairs.
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My attorney and solicitor too; a fine pragmatic. B. Jonson.
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2. A solemn public ordinance or decree.
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A royal pragmatic was accordingly passed. Prescott.
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Pragmatically (?), adv. In a pragmatical manner.
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Pragmaticalness, n. The quality or state of being pragmatical.
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Pragmatism (?), n. The quality or state of being pragmatic; in literature, the pragmatic, or philosophical, method.
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The narration of this apparently trifling circumstance belongs to the pragmatism of the history. A. Murphy.
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Pragmatist (?), n. One who is pragmatic.
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Pragmatize (?), v. t. To consider, represent, or embody (something unreal) as fact; to materialize. [R.] “A pragmatized metaphor.” Tylor.
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Prairial (?), n. [F., fr. prairie meadow.] The ninth month of the French Republican calendar, which dated from September 22, 1792. It began May, 20, and ended June 18. See .
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Prairie (?), n. [F., an extensive meadow, OF. praerie, LL. prataria, fr. L. pratum a meadow.] 1. An extensive tract of level or rolling land, destitute of trees, covered with coarse grass, and usually characterized by a deep, fertile soil. They abound throughout the Mississippi valley, between the Alleghanies and the Rocky mountains.
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From the forests and the prairies,
From the great lakes of the northland. Longfellow.
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2. A meadow or tract of grass; especially, a so called natural meadow.
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Coloq. Prairie chicken (Zoöl.), any American grouse of the genus Tympanuchus, especially Tympanuchus Americanus (formerly Tympanuchus cupido), which inhabits the prairies of the central United States. Applied also to the sharp-tailed grouse. -- Coloq. Prairie clover (Bot.), any plant of the leguminous genus Petalostemon, having small rosy or white flowers in dense terminal heads or spikes. Several species occur in the prairies of the United States. -- Coloq. Prairie dock (Bot.), a coarse composite plant (Silphium terebinthaceum) with large rough leaves and yellow flowers, found in the Western prairies. -- Coloq. Prairie dog (Zoöl.), a small American rodent (Cynomys Ludovicianus) allied to the marmots. It inhabits the plains west of the Mississippi. The prairie dogs burrow in the ground in large warrens, and have a sharp bark like that of a dog. Called also prairie marmot. -- Coloq. Prairie grouse . Same as Prairie chicken, above. -- Coloq. Prairie hare (Zoöl.), a large long-eared Western hare (Lepus campestris). See Jack rabbit, under 2d . -- Coloq. Prairie hawk , Coloq. Prairie falcon (Zoöl.), a falcon of Western North America (Falco Mexicanus). The upper parts are brown. The tail has transverse bands of white; the under parts, longitudinal streaks and spots of brown. -- Coloq. Prairie hen . (Zoöl.) Same as Prairie chicken, above. -- Coloq. Prairie itch (Med.), an affection of the skin attended with intense itching, which is observed in the Northern and Western United States; -- also called swamp itch, winter itch. -- Coloq. Prairie marmot . (Zoöl.) Same as Prairie dog, above. -- Coloq. Prairie mole (Zoöl.), a large American mole (Scalops argentatus), native of the Western prairies. -- Coloq. Prairie pigeon , Coloq. Prairie plover , or Coloq. Prairie snipe (Zoöl.), the upland plover. See , n., 2. -- Coloq. Prairie rattlesnake (Zoöl.), the massasauga. -- Coloq. Prairie snake (Zoöl.), a large harmless American snake (Masticophis flavigularis). It is pale yellow, tinged with brown above. -- Coloq. Prairie squirrel (Zoöl.), any American ground squirrel of the genus Spermophilus, inhabiting prairies; -- called also gopher. -- Coloq. Prairie turnip (Bot.), the edible turnip-shaped farinaceous root of a leguminous plant (Psoralea esculenta) of the Upper Missouri region; also, the plant itself. Called also pomme blanche, and pomme de prairie. -- Coloq. Prairie warbler (Zoöl.), a bright-colored American warbler (Dendroica discolor). The back is olive yellow, with a group of reddish spots in the middle; the under parts and the parts around the eyes are bright yellow; the sides of the throat and spots along the sides, black; three outer tail feathers partly white. -- Coloq. Prairie wolf . (Zoöl.) See .
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Prairie State. Illinois; -- a nickname.
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Praisable (?), a. Fit to be praised; praise-worthy; laudable; commendable. Wyclif (2 Tim. ii. 15).
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Praisably, adv. In a praisable manner.
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Praise (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Praised (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Praising.] [OE. preisen, OF. preisier, prisier, F. priser, L. pretiare to prize, fr. pretium price. See , n., and cf. , , n., , v.] 1. To commend; to applaud; to express approbation of; to laud; -- applied to a person or his acts. “I praise well thy wit.” Chaucer.
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Let her own works praise her in the gates. Prov. xxxi. 31.
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We praise not Hector, though his name, we know,
Is great in arms; 't is hard to praise a foe. Dryden.
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2. To extol in words or song; to magnify; to glorify on account of perfections or excellent works; to do honor to; to display the excellence of; -- applied especially to the Divine Being.
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Praise ye him, all his angels; praise ye him, all his hosts! Ps. cxlviii. 2.
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3. To value; to appraise. [Obs.] Piers Plowman.
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Syn. -- To commend; laud; eulogize; celebrate; glorify; magnify. -- To , , . To praise is to set at high price; to applaud is to greet with clapping; to extol is to bear aloft, to exalt. We may praise in the exercise of calm judgment; we usually applaud from impulse, and on account of some specific act; we extol under the influence of high admiration, and usually in strong, if not extravagant, language.
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Praise, n. [OE. preis, OF. preis price, worth, value, estimation. See , v., .] 1. Commendation for worth; approval expressed; honor rendered because of excellence or worth; laudation; approbation.
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There are men who always confound the praise of goodness with the practice. Rambler.
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☞ Praise may be expressed by an individual, and thus differs from fame, renown, and celebrity, which are always the expression of the approbation of numbers, or public commendation.
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2. Especially, the joyful tribute of gratitude or homage rendered to the Divine Being; the act of glorifying or extolling the Creator; worship, particularly worship by song, distinction from prayer and other acts of worship; as, a service of praise.
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3. The object, ground, or reason of praise.
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He is thy praise, and he is thy God. Deut. x.��.
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Syn. -- Encomium; honor; eulogy; panegyric; plaudit; applause; acclaim; eclat; commendation; laudation.
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Praiseful (?), a. Praiseworthy. [Obs.]
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Praiseless, a. Without praise or approbation.
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Praise-meeting (?), n. A religious service mainly in song. [Local, U. S.]
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Praisement (?), n. Appraisement. [Obs.]
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Praiser (?), n. 1. One who praises. “Praisers of men.” Sir P. Sidney.
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2. An appraiser; a valuator. [Obs.] Sir T. North.
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Praiseworthily (?), adv. In a praiseworthy manner. Spenser.
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Praiseworthiness, n. The quality or state of being praiseworthy.
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Praiseworthy (?), a. Worthy of praise or applause; commendable; as, praiseworthy action; he was praiseworthy. Arbuthnot.
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Prakrit (?), n. [Skr. prākṛta original, natural, usual, common, vulgar.] Any one of the popular dialects descended from, or akin to, Sanskrit; -- in distinction from the Sanskrit, which was used as a literary and learned language when no longer spoken by the people. Pali is one of the Prakrit dialects.
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Prakritic (?), a. Pertaining to Prakrit.
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Praline (prälēn), n. [F.] A confection made of nut kernels, usually of almonds, roasted in boiling sugar until brown and crisp.

Bonbons, pralines, . . . saccharine, crystalline substances of all kinds and colors. Du Maurier.
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Pralltriller (?), n.; G. pl. Pralltriller. [G.] (Music) A melodic embellishment consisting of the quick alternation of a principal tone with an auxiliary tone above it, usually the next of the scale; -- called also the inverted mordente.
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{ Pram (prăm), Prame (prām) }, n. (Naut.) See .
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Pram (prăm), n. a ; -- British informal shortened form.
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Prance (prȧns), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Pranced (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Prancing (?).] [OE. prauncen; probably akin to prank, v. t. See Prank.] 1. To spring or bound, as a horse in high mettle.
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Now rule thy prancing steed. Gay.
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2. To ride on a prancing horse; to ride in an ostentatious manner.
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The insulting tyrant prancing o'er the field. Addison.
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3. To walk or strut about in a pompous, showy manner, or with warlike parade. Swift.
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Prancer (?), n. A horse which prances.
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Then came the captain . . . upon a brave prancer. Evelyn.
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Prandial (?), a. [L. prandium a repast.] Of or pertaining to a repast, especially to dinner.
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Prangos (?), prop. n. [From the native name in Afghanistan.] (Bot.) A genus of umbelliferous plants, one species of which (Prangos pabularia), found in Tibet, Cashmere, Afghanistan, etc., has been used as fodder for cattle. It has decompound leaves with very long narrow divisions, and a highly fragrant smell resembling that of new clover hay.
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Prank (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pranked (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Pranking.] [Cf. E. prink, also G. prangen, prunken, to shine, to make a show, Dan. prange, prunke, Sw. prunka, D. pronken.] To adorn in a showy manner; to dress or equip ostentatiously; -- often followed by up; as, to prank up the body. See .
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In sumptuous tire she joyed herself to prank. Spenser.
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Prank, v. i. To make ostentatious show.
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White houses prank where once were huts. M. Arnold.
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Prank, n. A gay or sportive action; a ludicrous, merry, or mischievous trick; a caper; a frolic. Spenser.
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The harpies . . . played their accustomed pranks. Sir W. Raleigh.
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His pranks have been too broad to bear with. Shak.
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Prank, a. Full of gambols or tricks. [Obs.]
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Pranker (?), n. One who dresses showily; a prinker. “A pranker or a dancer.” Burton.
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Prankish, a. Full of pranks; frolicsome.
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Prase (?), n. [L. prasius, fr. Gr. � of a leek-green, fr. Gr. � a leek: cf. F. prase.] (Min.) A variety of cryptocrystalline of a leek-green color.
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Praseo- (?). [Gr. � leek-green, green, fr. � a leek.] A combining form signifying green; as, praseocobalt, a green variety of cobalt.
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Praseodymium (?), n. [Praseo- + didymium.] (Chem.) An elementary substance, one of the constituents of didymium; -- so called from the green color of its salts. Symbol Ps. Atomic weight 143.6.
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Praseolite (?), n. [Praseo- + -lite.] (Min.) A variety of altered iolite of a green color and greasy luster.
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Prasinous (?), a. [L. prasinus, Gr. �, fr. � a leek.] Grass-green; clear, lively green, without any mixture. Lindley.
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Prasoid (?), a. [Gr. � leek + -oid.] (Min.) Resembling prase.
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Prate (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Prated; p. pr. & vb. n. Prating.] [Akin to LG. & D. praten, Dan. prate, Sw. & Icel. prata.] To talk much and to little purpose; to be loquacious; to speak foolishly; to babble.
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To prate and talk for life and honor. Shak.
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And make a fool presume to prate of love. Dryden.
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Prate, v. t. To utter foolishly; to speak without reason or purpose; to chatter, or babble.
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What nonsense would the fool, thy master, prate,
When thou, his knave, canst talk at such a rate ! Dryden.
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Prate, n. [Akin to LG. & D. praat, Sw. prat.] Talk to little purpose; trifling talk; unmeaning loquacity.
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Sick of tops, and poetry, and prate. Pope.
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Prateful (?), a. Talkative. [R.] W. Taylor.
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Prater (?), n. One who prates. Shak.
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Pratic (?), n. See .
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Pratincole (?), n. (Zoöl.) Any bird of the Old World genus Glareola, or family Glareolidæ, allied to the plovers. They have long, pointed wings and a forked tail.
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Pratingly (?), adv. With idle talk; with loquacity.
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Pratique (?), n. [F.; cf. It. pratica, Sp. practica. See .] 1. (Com.) Primarily, liberty of converse; intercourse; hence, a certificate, given after compliance with quarantine regulations, permitting a ship to land passengers and crew; -- a term used particularly in the south of Europe.
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