Place, plās, n. a broad way in a city: an open space used for a particular purpose: a particular locality: a town: room to dwell, sit, or stand in: the position held by anybody, employment, office, a situation: a mansion with its grounds: proper position or dignity, priority in such: stead: passage in a book: a topic, matter of discourse: in sporting contests, position among the first three.—v.t. to put in any place or condition: to find a home for: to settle: to lend: invest: to ascribe.—n. Place′-hunt′er, one who seeks eagerly official position or public office.—adj. Place′less, without place or office.—ns. Place′man, one who has a place or office under a government:—pl. Place′men; Place′ment, placing or setting; Place′-mong′er, one who traffics in appointments to places; Place′-name, the name of a place or locality: a local name; Plac′er.—Give place, to make room, to yield; Have place, to have existence; In place, in position: opportune; Out of place, inappropriate, unseasonable; Take place, to come to pass: to take precedence of. [Fr.,—L. platea, a broad street—Gr. plateia, a street—platys, broad.]
Placebo, plā-sē′bo, n. in the R.C. service of vespers for the dead the name of the first antiphon, which begins with the word: a medicine given to humour or gratify a patient rather than to exercise any curative effect. [L., 'I will please'—placēre, to please.]
Placenta, pla-sen′ta, n. the structure which unites the unborn mammal to the womb of its mother and establishes a nutritive connection between them: (bot.) the portion of the ovary which bears the ovules:—pl. Placen′tæ.—adj. Placen′tal.—n.pl. Placentā′lia, placental mammals.—adjs. Placentā′lian; Placen′tary, pertaining to, or having, a placenta.—n. a mammal having a placenta.—adjs. Placen′tate, Placentif′erous.—ns. Placentā′tion, the mode in which the placenta is formed and attached to the womb; Placentī′tis, inflammation of the placenta. [L., a flat cake, akin to Gr. plakous, a flat cake, from plax, plak-os, anything flat.]
Placer, plas′er, n. a place where the superficial detritus is washed for gold, &c.: hence any place holding treasures. [Sp.]
Placet, plā′set, n. a vote of assent in a governing body: permission given, esp. by a sovereign, to publish and carry out an ecclesiastical order, as a papal bull or edict. [L., 'it pleases,' 3d sing. pres. indic. of placēre, to please.]
Placid, plas′id, adj. gentle: peaceful.—ns. Placid′ity, Plac′idness.—adv. Plac′idly. [Fr.,—L. placidus—placēre, to please.]
Placitory, plas′i-tō-ri, adj. of or relating to pleas or pleading in courts of law.
Placitum, plas′i-tum, n. a public assembly in the Middle Ages, presided over by the sovereign, to consult on affairs of state: a resolution of such an assembly:—pl. Plac′ita. [L., from placēre, to please.]
Plack, plak, n. a small copper coin formerly current in Scotland, equal in value to the third part of an English penny.—adj. Plack′less, penniless. [O. Fr. plaque, a plate.]
Placket, plak′et, n. (Shak.) the slit in a petticoat: a petticoat—hence, a woman: a placcate or additional plate of steel on the lower half of the breast-plate, or back-plate: a leather jacket strengthened with strips of steel. [Fr. plaquet—plaquer, to clap on.]