Perron, per′on, n. an external flight of steps giving access to the entrance-door of a building.
Perruque, Perruquier. See Peruke.
Perry, per′i, n. an agreeable beverage made by fermenting the juice of pears. [Fr. poiré, from poire, a pear—L. pirum.]
Persant, pėrs′ant, adj. (Spens.). Same as Perceant.
Perscrutation, per-skrōō-tā′shun, n. a thorough search through: a minute inquiry. [L. per, through, scrutāri, to search carefully.]
Perse, pers, adj. dark blue, bluish-gray.—n. a dark-blue colour, a cloth of such colour. [O. Fr. pers—L. persicum, a peach.]
Persecute, pėr′se-kūt, v.t. to pursue so as to injure or annoy: to follow after persistently: to annoy or punish, esp. for religious or political opinions.—ns. Persecū′tion, act or practice of persecuting: state of being persecuted: a time of general oppression on account of religious opinions; Per′secūtor:—fem. Per′secūtrix. [Fr.,—L. persequi, persecutus—per, thoroughly, sequi, to follow.]
Perseus, per′sūs, n. a fabled Greek hero, who slew the Gorgon Medusa, and rescued Andromeda from a sea-monster: a constellation in the northern sky. [Gr.]
Persevere, pėr-sē-vēr′, v.i. to persist in anything: to pursue anything steadily: to be constant: not to give over.—n. Persevē′rance, act or state of persevering: continued application to anything which one has begun: a going on till success is met with.—adj. Persevē′ring.—adv. Persevē′ringly.—Perseverance of saints, the Calvinistic doctrine that those who are effectually called by God cannot fall away so as to be finally lost. [Fr.,—L. perseverāre—perseverus, very strict—per, very, severus, strict.]
Persian, pėr′shi-an, adj. of, from, or relating to Persia, its inhabitants, or language.—n. a native of Persia: the language of Persia: (archit.) male figures used instead of columns to support an entablature—also Per′sic.—Persian apple, the peach; Persian berry, the fruit of several buckthorns; Persian blinds (see Persienne); Persian wheel, a large wheel for raising water, fixed vertically with a number of buckets at its circumference.