Petong
(Pe*tong") n. (Metal.) See Packfong.
Petralogy
(Pe*tral"o*gy) n. See Petrology.
Petrary
(Pet"ra*ry) n. [L. petra stone. Cf. Sp. petraria, and E. Pederero.] An ancient war engine for
hurling stones.
Petre
(Pe"tre) n. See Saltpeter.
Petrean
(Pe*tre"an) a. [L. petraeus, Gr. petrai^os, fr. pe`tra a rock.] Of or pertaining to rock. G. S.
Faber.
Petrel
(Pe"trel) n. [F. pétrel; a dim. of the name Peter, L. Petrus, Gr. a stone (John i. 42); — probably
so called in allusion to St. Peter's walking on the sea. See Petrify.] (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous
species of longwinged sea birds belonging to the family Procellaridæ. The small petrels, or Mother Carey's
chickens, belong to Oceanites, Oceanodroma, Procellaria, and several allied genera.
Diving petrel, any bird of the genus Pelecanoides. They chiefly inhabit the southern hemisphere. —
Fulmar petrel, Giant petrel. See Fulmar. — Pintado petrel, the Cape pigeon. See under Cape.
— Pintado petrel, any one of several small petrels, especially Procellaria pelagica, or Mother Carey's
chicken, common on both sides of the Atlantic.
Petrescence
(Pe*tres"cence) n. The process of changing into stone; petrification.
Petrescent
(Pe*tres"cent) a. [L. petra rock, stone, Gr. .] Petrifying; converting into stone; as, petrescent
water. Boyle.
Petrifaction
(Pet`ri*fac"tion) n. [See Petrify.]
1. The process of petrifying, or changing into stone; conversion of any organic matter (animal or vegetable)
into stone, or a substance of stony hardness.
2. The state or condition of being petrified.
3. That which is petrified; popularly, a body incrusted with stony matter; an incrustation.
4. Fig.: Hardness; callousness; obduracy. "Petrifaction of the soul." Cudworth.
Petrifactive
(Pet`ri*fac"tive) a.
1. Having the quality of converting organic matter into stone; petrifying.
2. Pertaining to, or characterized by, petrifaction.
The . . . petrifactive mutations of hard bodies.
Sir T. Browne. Petrific
(Pe*trif"ic) a. [Cf. F. pétrifique.] Petrifying; petrifactive.
Death with his mace petrific, cold and dry.
Milton. Petrificate
(Pet"ri*fi*cate) v. t. To petrify. [Obs.]
Our hearts petrificated were.
J. Hall Petrification
(Pet`ri*fi*ca"tion) n. [Cf. F. pétrification. See Petrify.]
1. See Petrifaction.
