Petition, pē-tish′un, n. a request generally from an inferior to a superior: a written request presented to a court of law, or to a body of legislators: a prayer: a supplication.—v.t. to present a petition to: to ask as a favour: to supplicate.—adj. Petit′ionary, offering or containing a petition: supplicatory.—ns. Petit′ioner, one who offers a petition or prayer; Petit′ioning, the act of presenting a petition: entreaty: solicitation; Petit′ionist.—adj. Pet′itory, petitioning.—Petitio principii, the fallacy of begging the question—a taking for granted in argument of that which has yet to be proved. [Fr.,—L. petitio—petĕre, petitum, to ask.]
Petrary, pe-trā′ri, n. an engine for hurling stones.
Petre. Same as Saltpetre.
Petrean, pē-trē′an, adj. pertaining to rock. [L. petræus—Gr. petraios—petra, a rock.]
Petrel, pet′rel, n. a long-winged dusky sea-bird, rarely landing except to lay its eggs, esp. the Stormy petrel, called by sailors 'Mother Carey's Chickens,' scarcely larger than a lark, the smallest web-footed bird known. [Fr.; from Matt. xiv. 29.]
Petrify, pet′ri-fī, v.t. to turn into stone: to make hard like a stone: to fix in amazement.—v.i. to become stone, or hard like stone:—pa.t. and pa.p. pet′rified.—n. Petres′cence.—adjs. Petres′cent, growing into or becoming stone; Petric′olous, inhabiting rocks.—n. Petrifac′tion, the act of turning into stone: the state of being turned into stone: that which is made stone: a fossil.—adjs. Petrifac′tive, Petrif′ic, changing animal or vegetable substances into stone; Pet′rifīable.—ns. Petrog′eny, the science of the origin of rocks; Pet′roglyph, a rock-carving.—adj. Petroglyph′ic.—ns. Petrog′lyphy, the art of writing on rocks or stones; Petrog′rapher, a student of petrography.—adjs. Petrograph′ic, -al.—adv. Petrograph′ically.—n. Petrog′raphy, the study of rocks: petrology.—adj. Petrolog′ical.—adv. Petrolog′ically.—ns. Petrol′ogist; Petrol′ogy, the science of the composition and classification of rocks.—adjs. Petrō′sal, of great hardness: petrous; Pē′trous, like stone: hard: rocky. [L. petra—Gr. petra, rock, L. facĕre, factum, to make.]
Petrine, pē′trin, adj. pertaining to, or written by, the Apostle Peter.—n. Pē′trinism, the Tübingen theory of F. C. Baur (1792-1860) and his school, of a doctrinal trend in primitive Christianity towards Judaism, ascribed to Peter and his party in opposition to Paulinism. [L. Petrinus—Petrus, Peter.]
Petroleum, pē-trō′lē-um, n. a liquid inflammable substance issuing or pumped up from the earth in various parts of the world.—ns. Pet′rol, a spirit obtained from petroleum; Petroleur (pā-tro-lār′), one of those Parisians who, with the help of petroleum, set fire to many of the public buildings of Paris in May 1871: an incendiary:—fem. Petroleuse′.—adj. Petrolif′erous, yielding petroleum. [L. petra, rock, oleum, oil.]
Petronel, pet′ro-nel, n. a large horse-pistol: a small carbine. [O. Fr. petrinal, the breast—L. pectus.]
Petted, pet′ed, adj. treated as a pet: indulged.—adj. Pett′ish, given to take the pet: peevish: fretful.—adv. Pett′ishly.—n. Pett′ishness.