1. (Bot.) (a) A stalk which supports one flower or fruit, whether solitary or one of many ultimate divisions
of a common peduncle. See Peduncle, and Illust. of Flower. (b) A slender support of any special
organ, as that of a capsule in mosses, an air vesicle in algæ, or a sporangium in ferns.
2. (Zoöl.) A slender stem by which certain of the lower animals or their eggs are attached. See Illust.
of Aphis lion.
3. (Anat.) (a) The ventral part of each side of the neural arch connecting with the centrum of a vertebra.
(b) An outgrowth of the frontal bones, which supports the antlers or horns in deer and allied animals.
Pediceled
(Ped"i*celed) a. Pedicellate.
Pedicellaria
(||Ped`i*cel*la"ri*a) n.; pl. Pedicellariæ [NL. See Pedicel.] (Zoöl.) A peculiar forcepslike
organ which occurs in large numbers upon starfishes and echini. Those of starfishes have two movable
jaws, or blades, and are usually nearly, or quite, sessile; those of echini usually have three jaws and a
pedicel. See Illustration in Appendix.
Pedicellate
(Ped"i*cel`late) a. Having a pedicel; supported by a pedicel.
Pedicellina
(||Ped`i*cel*li"na) n. [NL. See Pedicel.] (Zoöl.) A genus of Bryozoa, of the order Entoprocta,
having a bell-shaped body supported on a slender pedicel. See Illust. under Entoprocta.
Pedicle
(Ped"i*cle) n. [L. pediculus a little foot, dim. of pes foot: cf. F. pédicule. See edal, and cf.
Pedicel.] Same as Pedicel.
Pedicular
(Pe*dic"u*lar) a. [L. pedicularis, fr. pediculus a louse: cf. F. pédiculaire.] Of or pertaining to
lice; having the lousy distemper (phthiriasis); lousy. Southey.
Pediculate
(Pe*dic"u*late) a. (Zoöl.) Of or pertaining to the Pediculati.
Pediculati
(||Pe*dic`u*la"ti) n. pl. [NL. See Pedicle.] (Zoöl.) An order of fishes including the anglers.
See Illust. of Angler and Batfish.
Pediculation
(Pe*dic`u*la"tion) n. (Med.) Phthiriasis.
Pedicule
(Ped"i*cule) n. [See Pedicle.] A pedicel.
Pediculina
(||Pe*dic`u*li"na) n. pl. [NL. See Pediculus.] (Zoöl.) A division of parasitic hemipterous insects,
including the true lice. See Illust. in Appendix.
Pediculous
(Pe*dic"u*lous) a. [L. pediculosus.] Pedicular.
Pediculus
(||Pe*dic"u*lus) n.; pl. Pediculi [L., a louse.] (Zoöl.) A genus of wingless parasitic Hemiptera,
including the common lice of man. See Louse.
Pediform
(Ped"i*form) a. [Pedi- + - form.] Shaped like a foot.
Pedigerous
(Pe*dig"er*ous) a. [Pedi- + -gerous.] (Zoöl.) Bearing or having feet or legs.
Pedigree
(Ped"i*gree) n. [Of unknown origin; possibly fr. F. par degrés by degrees, — for a pedigree is
properly a genealogical table which records the relationship of families by degrees; or, perh., fr. F. pied
de grue crane's foot, from the shape of the heraldic genealogical trees.]
