Perennibranchiate, pe-ren-i-brang′ki-āt, adj. having perennial branchiæ or gills.—Also Perenn′ibranch.
Perfect, pėr′fekt, adj. done thoroughly or completely: completed: without blemish, fault, or error: having neither too much nor too little: entire, very great: in the highest degree: possessing every moral excellence: completely skilled or acquainted: (gram.) expressing an act completed: (bot.) having both stamens and pistils, hermaphrodite.—v.t. (or per-fekt′) to make perfect: to finish: to teach fully, to make fully skilled in anything.—ns. Perfectā′tion (rare); Per′fecter; Perfect′i, a body of Catharists in the 12th and 13th centuries, of very strict lives; Perfectibil′ity, quality of being made perfect.—adj. Perfect′ible, that may be made perfect.—ns. Perfec′tion, state of being perfect: a perfect quality or acquirement: the highest state or degree; Perfec′tionism (or Perfectibil′ity), the belief that man in a state of grace may attain to a relative perfection or a state of living without sin in this life; Perfec′tionist, one who pretends to be perfect: one who thinks that moral perfection can be attained in this life: one of the Bible Communists or Free-lovers, a small American sect founded by J. H. Noyes (1811-86), which settled at Oneida in 1848, holding that the gospel if accepted secures freedom from sin.—adj. Perfect′ive, tending to make perfect.—advs. Perfect′ively, Per′fectly, in a perfect manner: completely: exactly: without fault.—n. Per′fectness, state or quality of being perfect: completeness: perfection: consummate excellence.—Perfect insect, the imago or completely developed form of an insect; Perfect metals (see Metal); Perfect number, a number equal to the sum of all its divisors, the number itself of course excepted, as 6 = 1 + 2 + 3, 28 = 1 + 2 + 4 + 7 + 14. [Fr.,—L. perfectus, pa.p. of perficĕre—per, thoroughly, facĕre, to do.]
Perfervid, per-fer′vid, adj. very fervid: very hot or eager.—n. Perfer′vidness.—Perfervidum ingenium, a very ardent disposition. [L. perfervidus, præfervidus—præ, before, fervidus, fervid.]
Perficient, pėr-fish′ent, adj. effectual.—n. one who does a lasting work, esp. who endows a charity.
Perfidious, per-fid′i-us, adj. faithless: unfaithful: basely violating trust: treacherous.—adv. Perfid′iously.—ns. Perfid′iousness, Per′fidy, treachery. [L. perfidiosus—perfidia, faithlessness.]
Perfoliate, -d, per-fō′li-āt, -ed, adj. (bot.) having the stem as it were passing through the blade—of a leaf: having the leaf round the stem at the base: (zool.) surrounded by a circle of hairs, &c., taxicorn. [L. per, through, folium, a leaf.]
Perforate, pėr′fō-rāt, v.t. to bore through: to pierce: to make a hole through.—adj. Per′forable, capable of being perforated.—n. Per′forans, the long flexor muscle of the toes, or the deep flexor muscle of the fingers.—adjs. Per′forant, perforating; Per′forate, -d (bot.), pierced with holes: having transparent dots, as the leaves of certain flowers.—n. Perforā′tion, act of boring through: a hole through or into anything.—adj. Per′forātive, having power to pierce.—ns. Per′forātor, one who bores, or an instrument for boring; Per′forātus, the short flexor of the toes, or the superficial flexor of the fingers. [L. perforāre, -ātum—per, through, forāre, to bore.]
Perforce, per-fōrs′, adv. by force: of necessity.
Perform, per-form′, v.t. to do thoroughly: to carry out: to achieve: to act, as on the stage.—v.i. to do: to act a part: to play, as on a musical instrument.—adj. Perfor′mable, capable of being performed: practicable.—ns. Perfor′mance, act of performing: a carrying out of something: something done, esp. of a public character: a piece of work: an exhibition in a theatre or a place of amusement: an act or action; Perfor′mer, one who performs, esp. one who makes a public exhibition of his skill: an actor, an actress, &c.—adj. Perfor′ming, doing: trained to perform tricks. [O. Fr. parfournir, par—L. per, through, fournir, to furnish.]
Perfume, pėr′fūm, or pėr-fūm′, n. sweet-smelling smoke: sweet scent: anything which yields a sweet odour.—v.t. (pėr-fūm′) to fill with a pleasant odour: to scent.—adj. Perfū′matory, yielding perfume.—ns. Per′fume-foun′tain, a small appliance for throwing a jet or spray of perfume; Perfū′mer, one who or that which perfumes: one who makes or sells perfumes; Perfū′mery, perfumes in general: the art of preparing perfumes; Per′fume-set, a set of articles for the toilet-table.—adj. Per′fūmy. [Fr. parfum—L. per, through, fumus, smoke.]