Ping. The whistle of a shot, especially the rifle-bullets in their flight.
Pinion. To bind the hands or arms of a person so as to prevent his having the free use of them.
Pinkie (near Edinburgh). Here the English under the Earl of Hertford, protector, totally defeated the Scots, September 10, 1547. About 10,000 of the Scots were slain, and about 1500 taken prisoners. The English loss was scarcely 200.
Pintle. In artillery, is the vertical bolt around which the chassis is traversed. In the centre-pintle carriage it is the centre of the chassis, but in the front-pintle carriage it is in the centre of the front transom. It is a stout cylinder of wrought iron inserted in a block of stone, if the battery be a fixed one; or it is secured to cross-pieces of timber bolted to a platform firmly imbedded in the ground, if it be of a temporary nature. In casemate batteries the pintle is placed immediately under the throat of the embrasure, and the chassis is connected with it by a stout strap of iron, called the tongue.
Pintle-hole. An oval-shaped aperture made in the trail transom of a field-carriage, wider above than below, to leave room for the pintle to play in.
Pintle-hook. See [Ordnance, Carriages for, Nomenclature of Artillery Carriage].
Pintle-plate. Is a flat iron through which the pintle passes, and is nailed to both sides of the bolster.
Pintle-washer. An iron ring through which the pintle passes, placed close to the bolster for the trail to move upon.
Piombino. A town of Italy, province of Pisa, opposite the island of Elba. Here is a large metallurgic establishment for the manufacture of Bessemer steel and military projectiles of great hardness and perfection.
Pioneer Sergeant. In the British service, the non-commissioned officer who commands the pioneers.