Pernicious, mischievous in the highest degree, destruc tive Perpetual, never ceasing, continual, uninterrupted Pertinacious, obstinate, stubborn, perversely resolute Placid, gentle, quiet; soft, mild, Pliant, bending, easily persuaded, flexible, limber Popular, in favour with the people; vulgar Populous, full of people, numerously inhabited Portion, a part, an allotment, a dividend Portrait, a picture drawn after the life Posterity, children, descendants, succeeding generations Postpone, to put off, to delay Potential, powerful, existing in possibility Practicable, that which can be performed, feasible Pragmatical, meddling, impertinently busy Precarious, doubtful, uncertain, held by courtesy Precedent, going before, a rule or example, former Precocity, ripeness before the time Precursor, a forerunner, harbinger Preeminent, excellent above others Premature, too early, before the time, ripe too soon Preponderate, to exceed in weight or influence Preposterous, wrong, absurd; having the first which ought to be last Prevaricate, to quibble, to cavil, to shuffle Previous, antecedent, going before, prior Trimary, first, original; first in dignity Procrastinate, to put off from day to day, to defer Propugn, to defend, to vindicate Puerile, boyish, childish Puissance, power, strength, force Pusillanimous, mean spirited, cowardly, narrow minded DEFINITIONS.-LESSON Q. Quackery, mean or bad acts in physick Quadrangle, a square, a surface with four right angles Quadrant, the fourth part, an instrument to take latitudes Quadrennial, happening once in four years Quadruped, an animal with four legs Quadruple, fourfold, four times told Quaff, to drink, to swallow in large draughts: Qualification, accomplishment; abatement Quantity, a portion, bulk or weight, a large portion Quaternary, the number four Quaver, to shake the voice, to tremble, to vibrate Query, a question, an inquiry; to ask questions Quietism, tranquillity of mind Quinary, consisting of five, Quinquennial, happening once in five years, lasting five years. Quittance, discharge from a debt or obligation Quorum, a number sufficient to do business Quote, to extract from an author, to cite an author Quotient, the answer in division DEFINITIONS.-LESSON R. Rabble, a tumultuous crowd Radiance, sparkling lustre, glittering Radical, primitive, original Raillery, satirical merriment, slight satire Rancid strong-scented Random, want of rule or method, chance, hazard. Rapture, transport, ecstacy, violence of any pleasing passion Ravenous, furiously voracious, hungry to rage Recapitulate,, to repeat again distinctly, to detail again. Recede, to fall back, to retreat, to desist Recreant, cowardly, mean-spirited, apostate 1 Redress, to set right, to relieve, to amend; remedy Regal, royal, belonging to kings, kingly Regret, grief, sorrow, vexation at something past Relinquish, to forsake, to abandon; to release, to give up Reluctant, unwilling, acting with repugnance Remonstrate, to reason against, to show reasons; to make a strong representation Rendezvous, an assembly, a meeting appointed Repository, a place where any thing is safely laid up Restitution, the act of restoring what is lost or taken away Retard, to hinder, to obstruct in swiftness of course Retract, to recall, to take back; to recant Retribution, repayment, return accommodated to the action Retrograde, going backwards; contrary, opposite Ribaldry, mean, abusive language Rigorous, severe, allowing no abatement Roscid, abounding with dew, dewy Rudiments, first principles of education, elements of science Ruthless, cruel, without pity; pitiless DEFINITIONS.-LESSON S. Sacerdotal, priestly, belonging to the priesthood Sacrifice, a thing offered to heaven, the act of offering Sagacity, acuteness of discovery, quickness of scent Sanctuary, a holy place, a temple; a place of protection Sapphire, a precious stone of a blue colour Satellite, a small planet revolving round a larger Scarlet, a beautiful bright red colour Scheme, a plan, design; a combination of various things into one view Schism, a separation or division in the church. Sculpture, the art of making images from wood or stone Sententious, abounding with short sentences, maxims Sexennial, lasting six years, happening once in six years Silicious, made of hair Simultaneous, acting together, existing at the same time Sincerity, purity of mind, honesty of intention Skeptick, one who doubts, or pretends to doubt of every thing Slothful, lazy, sluggish; dull of motion Slumber, light sleep; to sleep lightly, to repose Society, numbers united in one interest, community Soliloquy, a speech made by a person alone to himself Specimen, a sample, a part of any thing exhibited that the rest may be known Spinous, full of thorns, thorny Splendid, magnificent, sumptuous, showy Spontaneous, voluntary, acting without compulsion Statue, an image, a solid representation of any living being Sterility, barrenness, unfruitfulness, want of fecundity Stigma, a mark of infamy, a brand; a mark with a hot iron Strenuous, brave, bold, active; zealous, vehement Subjugate, to conquer, to subdue; to bring under dominion by force Sublime, grand, elevated; high in place or excellence Sublunary, situated beneath the moon, earthly, terrestrial Substantial, real, actually existing, solid Subtle, sly, cunning, artful Subvert, to overthrow, to destroy; to turn upside down Succeed, to follow, to prosper; to make successful Succour, to help, to relieve; to assist in difficulty Sudorifick, promoting or producing sweat Suffice, to be enough, to be sufficient Summon, to call with authority, to admonish to appear Superb, grand, pompous, stately, august Supercilious, proud, haughty, dogmatical Superficial, belonging to the surface, shallow; smatter ing Superfluity, more than enough, plenty beyond use. |