Pestle
(Pes"tle) v. t. & i. [imp. & p. p. Pestled ; p. pr. & vb. n. Pestling ] To pound, pulverize,
bray, or mix with a pestle, or as with a pestle; to use a pestle.
Pet
(Pet) n. [Formerly peat, perhaps from Ir. peat, akin to Gael. peata.]
1. A cade lamb; a lamb brought up by hand.
2. Any person or animal especially cherished and indulged; a fondling; a darling; often, a favorite child.
The love of cronies, pets, and favorites.
Tatler. 3. [Prob. fr. Pet a fondling, hence, the behavior or humor of a spoiled child.] A slight fit of peevishness
or fretfulness. "In a pet she started up." Tennyson.
Pet
(Pet), a. Petted; indulged; admired; cherished; as, a pet child; a pet lamb; a pet theory.
Some young lady's pet curate.
F. Harrison. Pet cock. [Perh. for
petty cock.]
(Mach.) A little faucet in a water pipe or pump, to let air out, or at
the end of a steam cylinder, to drain it.
Pet
(Pet), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Petted; p. pr. & vb. n. Petting.] To treat as a pet; to fondle; to indulge; as,
she was petted and spoiled.
Pet
(Pet), v. i. To be a pet. Feltham.
Petal
(Pet"al) n. [Gr. a leaf, a leaf or plate of metal, fr. outspread, broad, flat: cf. F. pétale. See Fathom.]
1. (Bot.) One of the leaves of the corolla, or the colored leaves of a flower. See Corolla, and Illust. of
Flower.
2. (Zoöl.) One of the expanded ambulacra which form a rosette on the black of certain Echini.
Petaled
(Pet"aled) a. (Bot.) Having petals; as, a petaled flower; — opposed to apetalous, and much
used in compounds; as, one-petaled, three-petaled, etc.
Petaliferous
(Pet`al*if"er*ous) a. [Petal + -ferous.] Bearing petals.
Petaliform
(Pe*tal"i*form) a. (Bot.) Having the form of a petal; petaloid; petal-shaped.
Petaline
(Pet"al*ine) a. [Cf. F. pétalin.] (Bot.) Pertaining to a petal; attached to, or resembling, a petal.
Petalism
(Pet"al*ism) n. [Gr. fr. a leaf: cf. F. pétalisme.] (Gr. Antiq.) A form of sentence among the
ancient Syracusans by which they banished for five years a citizen suspected of having dangerous influence
or ambition. It was similar to the ostracism in Athens; but olive leaves were used instead of shells for
ballots.
Petalite
(Pet"al*ite) n. [Cf. F. pétalite.] (Min.) A rare mineral, occurring crystallized and in cleavable
masses, usually white, or nearly so, in color. It is a silicate of aluminia and lithia.
Petalody
(Pe*tal"o*dy) n. [Petal + Gr. form.] (Bot.) The metamorphosis of various floral organs, usually
stamens, into petals.
Petaloid
(Pet"al*oid) a. [Petal + - oid: cf. F. pétaloïde.] (Bot.) Petaline.
Petaloideous
(Pet`al*oid"e*ous) a. (Bot.) Having the whole or part of the perianth petaline.