Psoas, sō′as, n. a muscle of the loins and pelvis: the tenderloin.—adj. Psoat′ic. [Gr. psoa, psua, generally in pl. psoai, psuai.]
Psoriasis, sō-rī′a-sis, n. a disease characterised by slight elevations of the surface of the skin covered with whitish scales.—n. Psō′ra.—adj. Psō′ric. [Gr. psōriān, to have the itch, psān, to rub.]
Psychic, -al, sī′kik, -al, adj. pertaining to the soul, or living principle in man: spiritual: pertaining to the mind, or to its faculties and functions.—ns. Psy′che, the personified soul or spirit: the human soul or spirit or mind: a genus of bombycid moths: a cheval-glass; Psychī′ater, Psychī′atrist, one who treats diseases of the mind, an alienist; Psychī′atry, the treatment of mental diseases; Psy′chic, a spiritualistic medium; Psy′chics, the science of psychology; Psy′chism, the doctrine that there is a universal soul animating all living beings; Psy′chist; Psychogen′esis, Psychog′eny, the origination and development of the soul; Psychog′ony, the doctrine of the development of mind; Psy′chograph, an instrument used for so-called spirit-writing.—adj. Psychograph′ic.—n. Psychog′raphy, the natural history of mind: supposed spirit-writing by the hand of a medium.—adjs. Psycholog′ic, -al, pertaining to psychology: pertaining to the mind.—adv. Psycholog′ically.—v.i. Psychol′ogise.—ns. Psychol′ogist, one who studies psychology; Psychol′ogy, the science which classifies and analyses the phenomena or varying states of the human mind; Psychom′achy, a conflict of soul with body; Psy′chomancy, necromancy; Psychom′etry, the science of the measurement of the duration, &c., of mental processes: an occult power claimed by some charlatans of divining the secret properties of things by mere contact.—adj. Psy′chomōtor, pertaining to such mental action as induces muscular contraction.—ns. Psychoneurol′ogy, that part of neurology which deals with mental action; Psychoneurō′sis, mental disease without apparent anatomical lesion; Psychon′omy, the science of the laws of mental action; Psychonosol′ogy, the branch of medical science that treats of mental diseases; Psychopan′nychism, the theory that at death the soul falls asleep till the resurrection; Psychopan′nychist; Psychopar′esis, mental weakness; Psy′chopath, a morally irresponsible person; Psychop′athist, an alienist; Psychop′athy, derangement of mental functions.—adj. Psy′cho-phys′ical.—ns. Psy′cho-phys′icist; Psy′cho-physiol′ogy, Psy′cho-phys′ics, the knowledge of the manifold correspondences of the most intimate and exact kind that exist between states and changes of consciousness on the one hand, and states and changes of brain on the other—the concomitance being apparently complete as respects complexity, intensity, and time-order; Psy′choplasm, the physical basis of consciousness; Psy′chopomp, Hermes, the guide of spirits to the other world; Psychō′sis, mental condition: a change in the field of consciousness: any mental disorder; Psychostā′sia, the weighing of souls; Psy′cho-stat′ics, the theory of the conditions of the phenomena of mind; Psychothē′ism, the doctrine that God is pure spirit; Psychotherapeu′tics, Psychother′apy, the art of curing mental disease.—Psychical research, inquiring into alleged phenomena, apparently implying a connection with another world; Psychic force, a power not physical or mechanical, supposed to cause certain so-called spiritualistic phenomena. [L. psychicus—Gr. psychikos—psychē, the soul—psychēin, to breathe.]
Psychrometer, sī-krom′e-tėr, n. an instrument for measuring the tension of aqueous vapour in the atmosphere: a wet and dry bulb hygrometer.—adjs. Psychromet′ric, -al.—ns. Psychrom′etry; Psychrophō′bia, morbid impressibility to cold; Psy′chrophore, a refrigerating instrument like a catheter for cooling the urethra. [Gr. psychros, cold, psychein, to blow, metron, a measure.]
Ptarmic, tar′mik, n. a medicine which causes sneezing.
Ptarmigan, tär′mi-gan, n. a species of grouse with feathered toes inhabiting the tops of mountains. [Gael. tarmachan.]
Ptere, tēr, n. (zool.) an alate organ.—ns. Pterid′ium, Pterō′dium, a key-fruit or samara.
Pterichthys, ter-ik′this, n. a genus of fossil ganoid fishes in the Old Red Sandstone strata, with wing-like pectoral fins. [Gr. pteron, wing, ichthys, fish.]
Pterion, tē′ri-on, n. in craniometry, the region where the frontal, squamosal, parietal, and sphenoid bones meet:—pl. Ptē′ria.
Pteris, tē′ris, n. a genus of ferns which includes the brakes.—ns. Pteridol′ogist, one versed in the study of ferns; Pteridol′ogy, the science of ferns; Pteridomā′nia, a passion for ferns; Pterig′raphy, a description of ferns. [Gr. pteris—pteron, a feather.]