Parascenium, par-a-sē′ni-um, n. in the Greek theatre, one of the wings on either side of the proscenium:—pl. Parascē′nia. [Gr.]
Parasceve, par′a-sēv, n. the eve before the Jewish Sabbath when the preparations are made: sometimes applied to Good-Friday: (obs.) preparation.—adj. Parascenas′tic. [Gr. paraskeuē, preparation—para, beside, skeuē, equipment.]
Paraschematic, par-a-skē-mat′ik, adj. imitative. [Gr. para, beside, schēma, a scheme.]
Paraselene, par-a-se-lē′nē, n. a mock moon, seen in connection with a lunar rainbow (cf. Parahelion):—pl. Paraselē′næ.—adj. Paraselen′ic. [Gr. para, beside, selēnē, the moon.]
Parasite, par′a-sīt, n. one who frequents another's table: a hanger-on: a sycophant: (bot.) a plant growing upon and nourished by the juices of another: (zool.) an animal which lives on another—its host.—adjs. Parasit′ic, -al, like a parasite: fawning: acting as a sycophant: living on other plants or animals.—adv. Parasit′ically.—ns. Parasit′icalness; Parasit′icide, that which destroys parasites; Par′asitism; Parasitol′ogist; Parasitol′ogy. [Fr.,—L. parasītus—Gr. parasitos—para, beside, sitos, corn.]
Parasol, par′a-sol, n. a small umbrella used by women as a shade from the sun.—v.t. to shelter from the sun. [Fr.,—It. parasole—parare, to keep off—L. parāre, to prepare, sol, solis, the sun.]
Parasphenoid, par-a-sfē′noid, n. a bone which in some Vertebrata underlies the base of the skull from the basi-occipital to the presphenoidal region.—adj. lying under or alongside the sphenoid.
Parasynthesis, par-a-sin′the-sis, n. the principle of forming words by a combined process of derivation and composition with a particle.—adj. Parasynthet′ic.—n. Parasyn′theton, a word so formed:—pl. Parasyn′theta.
Parataxis, par-a-tak′sis, n. (gram.) the arrangement of clauses or propositions without connectives. [Gr.]
Parathesis, pa-rath′e-sis, n. (gram.) apposition: (philol.) the setting side by side of things of equivalent grade in the monosyllabic or isolating languages: (rhet.) a parenthetic notice of something to be afterwards explained: in the Eastern Church, a prayer of the bishop over converts or catechumens. [Gr.]