Paradise, par′a-dīs, n. a park or pleasure-ground, esp. in ancient Persia: the garden of Eden: heaven: any place of great beauty or state of blissful delights: the happy abode of the righteous in heaven: (slang) the upper gallery in a theatre: (archit.) a small private apartment, a court in front of a church.—adjs. Paradisā′ic, -al, Paradis′iac, -al, pertaining to, or resembling, paradise.—n. Par′adise-fish, a Chinese species of Macropid often kept in aquaria for its beauty of form and colouring.—adjs. Paradis′ial, Paradis′ian, pertaining to, suitable to, or resembling paradise; Paradis′ic, -al, pertaining to paradise.—Bird Of Paradise, an Eastern bird closely allied to the crow, with splendid plumage. [Fr. paradis—L. paradisus—Gr. paradeisos, a park, prob. Persian.]
Parados, par′a-dos, n. earthworks behind a fortified place, protecting against a rear attack.
Paradox, par′a-doks, n. that which is contrary to received opinion, or that which is apparently absurd but really true.—n. Par′adoxer.—adjs. Paradox′ic, -al, of the nature of a paradox: inclined to paradoxes, said of persons.—adv. Paradox′ically.—ns. Paradox′icalness; Paradox′ides, a genus of trilobites; Par′adoxist; Par′adoxy, the quality of being paradoxical.—Hydrostatic paradox (see Hydrostatics). [Through Fr. and L., from Gr. paradoxon—para, contrary to, doxa, an opinion.]
Paradoxure, par-a-dok′sūr, n. a civet-like carnivore of Southern Asia and Malaysia, the palm-cat of India.—adj. Paradoxū′rine, having a paradoxical or peculiarly curling tail.
Paræsthesia, par-es-thē′si-a, n. abnormal sensation. [Gr. para, beyond, aisthēsis, sensation.]
Paraffin, par′af-fin, n. a white, transparent, crystalline substance, obtained from shale, coal-tar, &c., much used instead of wax, tallow, &c. in making candles—so named as having little affinity—for an alkali—also Par′affine.—v.t. to coat or impregnate with paraffin.—ns. Par′affin-oil, any of the mineral burning oils associated with the manufacture of paraffin; Par′affin-scale, unrefined paraffin. [Fr.,—L. parum, little, affinis, allied.]
Paraffle, pa-raf′l, n. (Scot.) any pretentious display.
Paragastric, par-a-gas′trik, adj. lying alongside the gastric cavity: pertaining to the paragaster or the cavity of the sac of a sponge.
Parage, par′āj, n. equality in law: a woman's portion at marriage. [Par.]
Paragenesis, par-a-jen′e-sis, n. hybridism.—adjs. Paragenet′ic; Paragen′ic, originating with the germ or at the genesis of an individual. [Gr. para, beside, genesis, birth.]