Pewit, pē′wit, n. the lapwing, a bird with a black head and crest, common in moors.—Also Pē′wet, Pee′wit. [Imit.; cf. Dut. piewit or kiewit.]
Pewter, pū′tėr, n. an alloy of four parts of tin and one of lead: sometimes tin with a little copper and antimony: a vessel made of pewter, esp. a beer-tankard: (slang) prize-money.—adj. made of pewter.—ns. Pew′terer, one who works in pewter; Pew′ter-mill, a lapidaries' polishing-wheel for amethyst, agate, &c.—adj. Pew′tery, belonging to pewter. [O. Fr. peutre (It. peltro), from a Teut. root, seen in Low Ger. spialter, Eng. spelter.]
Pfennig, pfen′ig, n. a German copper coin, the hundredth part of a mark.—Also Pfenn′ing.
Phacitis, fā-sī′tis, n. inflammation of the crystalline lens of the eye.—n. Phacocystī′tis, inflammation of the capsule of the crystalline lens of the eye.—adj. Phā′coid, lentil-shaped.—n. Phā′coscope. [Gr. phakos, a lentil.]
Phænogamous, Phenogamous, fē-nog′a-mus, adj. having manifest flowers, phanerogamous.—ns. Phæ′nogam, a phanerogamous plant; Phænogā′mia=Phanerogamia.—adj. Phænogam′ic. [Gr. phainein, to show, gamos, marriage.]
Phaeton, fā′e-ton, n. a kind of open pleasure-carriage on four wheels, drawn by one or two horses, from Phaëthon, son of Helios, the sun, whose chariot he attempted to drive: a tropic bird.—adj. Phaëton′ic.
Phagedena, Phagedæna, faj-e-dē′na, n. a sloughing ulcer, hospital gangrene.—adjs. Phagedē′nic, Phagedæ′nic. [Gr. phagein, to eat.]
Phagocyte, fag′o-sīt, n. a white or colourless blood-corpuscle—also called leucocyte—an active amœboid cell, which engulfs both nutritive and harmful particles.—adjs. Phagocyt′ic, -al.—ns. Phag′ocytism, the nature or function of a phagocyte; Phagocytō′sis, the destruction of microbes by phagocytes. [Gr. phagein, to eat, kytos, a vessel.]
Phalæna, fā-lē′na, n. the Linnæan genus including moths.—adj. Phalē′noid. [Gr. phalaina, a moth.]
Phalange, fā-lanj′, n. a phalanx of a digit: any of the joints of an insect's tarsus: a bundle of stamens joined by their filaments: a socialistic community in Fourier's dream of an ideal arrangement of society, consisting of 1800 persons living in a phalanstère—generally in pl., the usual sing. being Phā′lanx (q.v.).—adjs. Phalan′gal, Phalan′gēal, Phalan′gial, Phalan′gian; Phalan′giform; Phalanstē′rian.—ns. Phalanstē′rianism, Phalan′sterism; Phal′anstery, the dwelling of the phalange in the ideal social system of Fourier (1772-1837), a vast structure in the midst of a square league of cultivated land.