Part 44
Plaster cast, a copy of an object obtained by pouring plaster of Paris mixed with water into a mold. -- Plaster of Paris. [So called because originally brought from a suburb of Paris.] (Chem.) Anhydrous calcium sulphate, or calcined gypsum, which forms with water a paste which soon sets or hardens, and is used for casts, moldings, etc. The term is loosely applied to any plaster stone or species of gypsum. -- Plaster of Paris bandage (Surg.), a bandage saturated with a paste of plaster of Paris, which on drying forms a perfectly fitting splint. -- Plaster stone, any species of gypsum. See Gypsum.
Plas"ter, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Plastered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Plastering.] [Cf. OF. plastrer to plaster (in sense 2), F. pl‚trer.] 1. To cover with a plaster, as a wound or sore.
2. To overlay or cover with plaster, as the ceilings and walls of a house.
3. Fig.: To smooth over; to cover or conceal the defects of; to hide, as with a covering of plaster. Bale.
Plas"ter*er (?), n. 1. One who applies plaster or mortar. "Thy father was a plasterer." Shak.
2. One who makes plaster casts. "The plasterer doth make his figures by addition." Sir H. Wotton.
Plas"ter*ing, n. 1. Same as Plaster, n., 2.
2. The act or process of overlaying with plaster.
3. A covering of plaster; plasterwork.
Plas"ter*ly, a. Resembling plaster of Paris. [R.] "Out of gypseous or plasterly ground." Fuller.
Plas"ter*work` (?), n. Plastering used to finish architectural constructions, exterior or interior, especially that used for the lining of rooms. Ordinarly, mortar is used for the greater part of the work, and pure plaster of Paris for the moldings and ornaments.
Plas"ter*y, a. Of the nature of plaster.
The stone . . . is a poor plastery material.
Clough.
-plas"tic (-pls"tk). [Gr. &?; fit for molding, plastic, fr. &?; to mold, to form.] A combining form signifying developing, forming, growing; as, heteroplastic, monoplastic, polyplastic.
Plas"tic (pls"tk), a. [L. plasticus, Gr. &?;, fr. &?; to form, mold: cf. F. plastique.] 1. Having the power to give form or fashion to a mass of matter; as, the plastic hand of the Creator. Prior.
See plastic Nature working to his end.
Pope.
2. Capable of being molded, formed, or modeled, as clay or plaster; -- used also figuratively; as, the plastic mind of a child.
3. Pertaining or appropriate to, or characteristic of, molding or modeling; produced by, or appearing as if produced by, molding or modeling; -- said of sculpture and the kindred arts, in distinction from painting and the graphic arts.
Medallions . . . fraught with the plastic beauty and grace of the palmy days of Italian art.
J. S. Harford.
Plastic clay (Geol.), one of the beds of the Eocene period; -- so called because used in making pottery. Lyell. -- Plastic element (Physiol.), one that bears within the germs of a higher form. -- Plastic exudation (Med.), an exudation thrown out upon a wounded surface and constituting the material of repair by which the process of healing is effected. -- Plastic foods. (Physiol.) See the second Note under Food. -- Plastic force. (Physiol.) See under Force. -- Plastic operation, an operation in plastic surgery. -- Plastic surgery, that branch of surgery which is concerned with the repair or restoration of lost, injured, or deformed parts of the body.
Plas"tic*al (?), a. See Plastic. [R.]
Plas"tic*al*ly, adv. In a plastic manner.
Plas*tic"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F. plasticitÈ.] 1. The quality or state of being plastic.
2. (Physiol.) Plastic force. Dunglison.
{ Plas"tid (?), Plas"tide (?), } n. [Gr. &?;, &?;, a creator.] 1. (Biol.) A formative particle of albuminous matter; a monad; a cytode. See the Note under Morphon. Haeckel.
2. (Bot.) One of the many minute granules found in the protoplasm of vegetable cells. They are divided by their colors into three classes, chloroplastids, chromoplastids, and leucoplastids.
||Plas`ti*do*zo"a (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. &?;, &?;, creator + &?; ||animal.] (Zoˆl.) Same as Protoza.
Plas"ti*dule (?), n. [Dim. fr. Plastid.] (Biol.) One of the small
## particles or organic molecules of protoplasm. Haeckel.
Plas"tin (?), n. [Gr. &?; to form, mold.] (Biol.) A substance associated with nuclein in cell nuclei, and by some considered as the fundamental substance of the nucleus.
Plas*tog"ra*phy (?), n. [Gr. &?;; &?; fored, molded + &?; to write.] 1. The art of forming figures in any plastic material.
2. Imitation of handwriting; forgery.
Plas"tron (?), n. [F. plastron breastplate, plastron, LL. plastra a thin plate of metal. See Plaster.] 1. A piece of leather stuffed or padded, worn by fencers to protect the breast. Dryden.
3. (Anc. Armor) An iron breastplate, worn under the hauberk.
3. (Anat.) The ventral shield or shell of tortoises and turtles. See Testudinata.
4. A trimming for the front of a woman's dress, made of a different material, and narrowing from the shoulders to the waist.
-plas"ty (?). [Gr. &?; to mold, form.] A combining form denoting the act or process of forming, development, growth; as, autoplasty, perineoplasty.
Plat (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Platted; p. pr. & vb. n. Platting.] [See Plait.] To form by interlaying interweaving; to braid; to plait. "They had platted a crown of thorns." Matt. xxvii. 29.
Plat, n. Work done by platting or braiding; a plait.
Her hair, nor loose, nor tied in formal plat.
Shak.
Plat, n. [Cf. Plat flat, which perh. caused this spelling, and Plot a piece of ground.] A small piece or plot of ground laid out with some design, or for a special use; usually, a portion of flat, even ground.
This flowery plat, the sweet recess of Eve.
Milton.
I keep smooth plat of fruitful ground.
Tennyson.
Plat, v. t. To lay out in plats or plots, as ground.
Plat, a. [F. plat. See Plate, n.] Plain; flat; level. [Obs.] Gower.
Plat, adv. 1. Plainly; flatly; downright. [Obs.]
But, sir, ye lie, I tell you plat.
Rom. of R.
2. Flatly; smoothly; evenly. [Obs.] Drant.
Plat, n. 1. The flat or broad side of a sword. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] Chaucer.
2. A plot; a plan; a design; a diagram; a map; a chart. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] "To note all the islands, and to set them down in plat." Hakluyt.
Plat"an (?), n. [L. platanus. See Plane the tree.] [Written also platane.] The plane tree. Tennyson.
Plat"a*nist (?), n. [L. platanista a sort of fish, Gr. &?;: cf. F. plataniste.] (Zoˆl.) The soosoo.
||Plat"a*nus (?), n. [See Plane the tree.] (Bot.) A genus of trees; the ||plane tree.
Plat"band` (?), n. [F. plate- bande; plat, plate, flat, level + bande a band.] 1. A border of flowers in a garden, along a wall or a parterre; hence, a border.
2. (Arch.) (a) A flat molding, or group of moldings, the width of which much exceeds its projection, as the face of an architrave. (b) A list or fillet between the flutings of a column.
Plate (?), n. [OF. plate a plate of metal, a cuirsas, F. plat a plate, a shallow vessel of silver, other metal, or earth, fr. plat flat, Gr. &?;. See Place, n.] 1. A flat, or nearly flat, piece of metal, the thickness of which is small in comparison with the other dimensions; a thick sheet of metal; as, a steel plate.
2. Metallic armor composed of broad pieces.
Mangled . . . through plate and mail.
Milton.
3. Domestic vessels and utensils, as flagons, dishes, cups, etc., wrought in gold or silver.
4. Metallic ware which is plated, in distinction from that which is genuine silver or gold.
5. A small, shallow, and usually circular, vessel of metal or wood, or of earth glazed and baked, from which food is eaten at table.
6. [Cf. Sp. plata silver.] A piece of money, usually silver money. [Obs.] "Realms and islands were as plates dropp'd from his pocket." Shak.
7. A piece of metal on which anything is engraved for the purpose of being printed; hence, an impression from the engraved metal; as, a book illustrated with plates; a fashion plate.
8. A page of stereotype, electrotype, or the like, for printing from; as, publisher's plates.
9. That part of an artificial set of teeth which fits to the mouth, and holds the teeth in place. It may be of gold, platinum, silver, rubber, celluloid, etc.
10. (Arch.) A horizontal timber laid upon a wall, or upon corbels projecting from a wall, and supporting the ends of other timbers; also used specifically of the roof plate which supports the ends of the roof trusses or, in simple work, the feet of the rafters.
11. (Her.) A roundel of silver or tinctured argent.
12. (Photog.) A sheet of glass, porcelain, metal, etc., with a coating that is sensitive to light.
13. A prize giving to the winner in a contest.
Plate is sometimes used in an adjectival sense or in combination, the phrase or compound being in most cases of obvious signification; as, plate basket or plate-basket, plate rack or plate-rack.
Home plate. (Baseball) See Home base, under Home. -- Plate armor. (a) See Plate, n., 2. (b) Strong metal plates for protecting war vessels, fortifications, and the like. -- Plate bone, the shoulder blade, or scapula. -- Plate girder, a girder, the web of which is formed of a single vertical plate, or of a series of such plates riveted together. -- Plate glass. See under Glass. -- Plate iron, wrought iron plates. -- Plate layer, a workman who lays down the rails of a railway and fixes them to the sleepers or ties. -- Plate mark, a special mark or emblematic figure stamped upon gold or silver plate, to indicate the place of manufacture, the degree of purity, and the like; thus, the local mark for London is a lion. -- Plate paper, a heavy spongy paper, for printing from engraved plates. Fairholt. -- Plate press, a press with a flat carriage and a roller, -- used for printing from engraved steel or copper plates. -- Plate printer, one who prints from engraved plates. -- Plate printing, the act or process of printing from an engraved plate or plates. -- Plate tracery. (Arch.) See under Tracery. - - Plate wheel (Mech.), a wheel, the rim and hub of which are connected by a continuous plate of metal, instead of by arms or spokes.
Plate (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Plated; p. pr. & vb. n. Plating.] 1. To cover or overlay with gold, silver, or other metals, either by a mechanical process, as hammering, or by a chemical process, as electrotyping.
2. To cover or overlay with plates of metal; to arm with metal for defense.
Thus plated in habiliments of war.
Shak.
3. To adorn with plated metal; as, a plated harness.
4. To beat into thin, flat pieces, or laminÊ.
5. To calender; as, to plate paper.
Pla*teau" (?), n.; pl. F. Plateaux (F. &?;; E. &?;), E. Plateaus (#). [F., fr. OF. platel, properly a little plate. See Plate.] 1. A flat surface; especially, a broad, level, elevated area of land; a table- land.
2. An ornamental dish for the table; a tray or salver.
Plate"ful (?), n.; pl. Platefuls (&?;). Enough to fill a plate; as much as a plate will hold.
Plate"-gilled` (?), a. (Zoˆl.) Having flat, or leaflike, gills, as the bivalve mollusks.
Pla"tel (?), n. [OF. See Plateau.] A small dish.
Plat"en (?), n. [F. platine, fr. plat flat. See Plate, and cf. Platin.] (Mach.) (a) The part of a printing press which presses the paper against the type and by which the impression is made. (b) Hence, an analogous part of a typewriter, on which the paper rests to receive an impression. (c) The movable table of a machine tool, as a planer, on which the work is fastened, and presented to the action of the tool; -- also called table.
Plat"er (?), n. One who plates or coats articles with gold or silver; as, a silver plater.
2. A machine for calendering paper.
Plat`er*esque" (?), a. [Sp. resco, from plata silver.] (Arch.) Resembling silver plate; -- said of certain architectural ornaments.
Plat"e*trope (?), n. [Gr. &?; breadth + &?; to turn.] (Anat.) One of a pair of a paired organs.
Plat"form` (?), n. [Plat, a. + -form: cf. F. plateforme.] 1. A plat; a plan; a sketch; a model; a pattern. Used also figuratively. [Obs.] Bacon.
2. A place laid out after a model. [Obs.]
lf the platform just reflects the order.
Pope.
3. Any flat or horizontal surface; especially, one that is raised above some particular level, as a framework of timber or boards horizontally joined so as to form a roof, or a raised floor, or portion of a floor; a landing; a dais; a stage, for speakers, performers, or workmen; a standing place.
4. A declaration of the principles upon which a person, a sect, or a party proposes to stand; a declared policy or system; as, the Saybrook platform; a political platform. "The platform of Geneva." Hooker.
5. (Naut.) A light deck, usually placed in a section of the hold or over the floor of the magazine. See Orlop.
Platform car, a railway car without permanent raised sides or covering; a f&?;at. -- Platform scale, a weighing machine, with a flat platform on which objects are weighed.
Plat"form`, v. t. 1. To place on a platform. [R.]
2. To form a plan of; to model; to lay out. [Obs.]
Church discipline is platformed in the Bible.
Milton.
Plat*hel"minth (?), n. (Zoˆl.) One of the Platyelminthes.
||Plat`hel*min"thes (?), n. pl. [NL.] (Zoˆl.) Same as Platyelminthes.
Plat"in (?), n. (Mach.) See Platen.
Plat"i*na (?), n. [Sp. or NL. See Platinum.] (Chem.) Platinum.
Platina mohr, platinum black. -- Platina yellow, a pigment prepared from platinum.
Plat"ing (?), n. 1. The art or process of covering anything with a plate or plates, or with metal, particularly of overlaying a base or dull metal with a thin plate of precious or bright metal, as by mechanical means or by electro-magnetic deposition.
2. A thin coating of metal laid upon another metal.
3. A coating or defensive armor of metal (usually steel) plates.
Pla*tin"ic (?), a. (Chem.) Of, pertaining to, or containing, platinum; -- used specifically to designate those compounds in which the element has a higher valence, as contrasted with the platinous compounds; as, platinic chloride (PtCl4).
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Plat`i*ni*chlo"ric (?), a. (Chem.) Of, pertaining to, or designating, an acid consisting of platinic chloride and hydrochloric acid, and obtained as a brownish red crystalline substance, called platinichloric, or chloroplatinic, acid.
Plat`i*nif"er*ous (?), a. [Platinum + -ferous.] Yielding platinum; as, platiniferous sand.
Plat`i*ni*rid"i*um (?), n. (Chem. & Min.) A natural alloy of platinum and iridium occurring in grayish metallic rounded or cubical grains with platinum.
Plat"i*nize (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Platinized (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Platinizing (?).] To cover or combine with platinum.
Plat`i*no*chlo"ric (?), a. (Chem.) Pertaining to, derived from, or designating, an acid consisting of platinous chloride and hydrochloric acid, called platinochloric, or chloroplatinous, acid.
Plat`i*no*chlo"ride (?), n. (Chem.) A double chloride of platinum and some other metal or radical; a salt of platinochloric acid.
Plat`i*no*cy*an"ic (?), a. (Chem.) Pertaining to, derived from, or designating, an acid compound of platinous cyanide and hydrocyanic acid. It is obtained as a cinnaber-red crystalline substance.
Plat`i*no*cy"a*nide (?), n. (Chem.) A double cyanide of platinum and some other metal or radical; a salt of platinocyanic acid.
Plat"i*node (?), n. [Platinum + Gr. &?; a way.] (Physics) A cathode. [R.]
Plat"i*noid (?), a. [Platinum + -oid.] Resembling platinum.
Plat"i*noid, n. (Chem.) An alloy of German silver containing tungsten; -- used for forming electrical resistance coils and standards.
Plat"i*no*type (?), n. [Platinum + -type.] (Photog.) 1. A permanent photographic picture or print in platinum black.
2. The process by which such pictures are produced.
Plat"i*nous (?), a. (Chem.) Of, pertaining to, or containing, platinum; -- used specifically to designate those compounds in which the element has a lower valence, as contrasted with the platinic compounds; as, platinous chloride (PtCl2).
Plat"i*num (?), n. [NL., fr. Sp. platina, from plata silver, LL. plata a thin plate of metal. See Plate, and cf. Platina.] (Chem.) A metallic element, intermediate in value between silver and gold, occurring native or alloyed with other metals, also as the platinum arsenide (sperrylite). It is heavy tin-white metal which is ductile and malleable, but very infusible, and characterized by its resistance to strong chemical reagents. It is used for crucibles, for stills for sulphuric acid, rarely for coin, and in the form of foil and wire for many purposes. Specific gravity 21.5. Atomic weight 194.3. Symbol Pt. Formerly called platina.
Platinum black (Chem.), a soft, dull black powder, consisting of finely divided metallic platinum obtained by reduction and precipitation from its solutions. It absorbs oxygen to a high degree, and is employed as an oxidizer. -- Platinum lamp (Elec.), a kind of incandescent lamp of which the luminous medium is platinum. See under Incandescent. -- Platinum metals (Chem.), the group of metallic elements which in their chemical and physical properties resemble platinum. These consist of the light platinum group, viz., rhodium, ruthenium, and palladium, whose specific gravities are about 12; and the heavy platinum group, viz., osmium, iridium, and platinum, whose specific gravities are over 21. -- Platinum sponge (Chem.), metallic platinum in a gray, porous, spongy form, obtained by reducing the double chloride of platinum and ammonium. It absorbs oxygen, hydrogen, and certain other gases, to a high degree, and is employed as an agent in oxidizing.
Plat"i*tude (?), n. [F., from plat flat. See Plate.] 1. The quality or state of being flat, thin, or insipid; flat commonness; triteness; staleness of ideas of language.
To hammer one golden grain of wit into a sheet of infinite platitude.
Motley.
2. A thought or remark which is flat, dull, trite, or weak; a truism; a commonplace.
Plat`i*tu`di*na"ri*an (?), n. One addicted to uttering platitudes, or stale and insipid truisms. "A political platitudinarian." G. Eliot.
Plat`i*tu"di*nize (?), v. i. To utter platitudes or truisms.
Plat`i*tu"di*nous (?), a. Abounding in platitudes; of the nature of platitudes; uttering platitudes. -- Plat`i*tu"di*nous*ness, n.
Plat"ly (?), a. Flatly. See Plat, a. [Obs.]
Plat"ness, n. Flatness. [Obs.] Palsgrave.
Pla*tom"e*ter (?), n. [Gr. &?; flat + -meter.] See Planimeter.
{ Pla*ton"ic (?), Pla*ton"ic*al (?), } a. [L. Platonicus, Gr. &?;: cf. F. platonique.] 1. Of or pertaining to Plato, or his philosophy, school, or opinions.
2. Pure, passionless; nonsexual; philosophical.
Platonic bodies, the five regular geometrical solids; namely, the tetrahedron, hexahedron or cube, octahedron, dodecahedron, and icosahedron. -- Platonic love, a pure, spiritual affection, subsisting between persons of opposite sex, unmixed with carnal desires, and regarding the mind only and its excellences; -- a species of love for which Plato was a warm advocate. -- Platonic year (Astron.), a period of time determined by the revolution of the equinoxes, or the space of time in which the stars and constellations return to their former places in respect to the equinoxes; -- called also great year. This revolution, which is caused by the precession of the equinoxes, is accomplished in about 26,000 years. Barlow.
Pla*ton"ic, n. A follower of Plato; a Platonist.
Pla*ton"ic*al*ly, adv. In a Platonic manner.
Pla"to*nism (?), n. [Cf. F. Platonisme.] 1. The doctrines or philosophy by Plato or of his followers.
Plato believed God to be an infinitely wise, just, and powerful Spirit; and also that he formed the visible universe out of preÎxistent amorphous matter, according to perfect patterns of ideas eternally existent in his own mind. Philosophy he considered as being a knowledge of the true nature of things, as discoverable in those eternal ideas after which all things were fashioned. In other words, it is the knowledge of what is eternal, exists necessarily, and is unchangeable; not of the temporary, the dependent, and changeable; and of course it is not obtained through the senses; neither is it the product of the understanding, which concerns itself only with the variable and transitory; nor is it the result of experience and observation; but it is the product of our reason, which, as partaking of the divine nature, has innate ideas resembling the eternal ideas of God. By contemplating these innate ideas, reasoning about them, and comparing them with their copies in the visible universe, reason can attain that true knowledge of things which is called philosophy. Plato's professed followers, the Academics, and the New Platonists, differed considerably from him, yet are called Platonists. Murdock.
2. An elevated rational and ethical conception of the laws and forces of the universe; sometimes, imaginative or fantastic philosophical notions.
Pla"to*nist (?), n. One who adheres to the philosophy of Plato; a follower of Plato. Hammond.
Pla"to*nize (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Platonized (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Platonizing.] To adopt the opinion of Plato or his followers. Milner.
Pla"to*nize, v. t. To explain by, or accomodate to, the Platonic philosophy. Enfield.
Pla"to*ni`zer (?), n. One who Platonizes.
Pla*toon" (?), n. [F. peloton a ball of thread, a knot or group of men, a platoon, from pelote a ball formed of things wound round. See Pellet.] (Mil.) (a) Formerly, a body of men who fired together; also, a small square body of soldiers to strengthen the angles of a hollow square. (b) Now, in the United States service, half of a company.
Platt (?), n. (Mining) See Lodge, n. Raymond.
Platt"deutsch` (?), n. The modern dialects spoken in the north of Germany, taken collectively; modern Low German. See Low German, under German.
Plat"ten (?), v. t. [See Plat, a.] (Glass Making) To flatten and make into sheets or plates; as, to platten cylinder glass.
Plat"ter (?), n. [From Plat to braid.] One who plats or braids.
Plat"ter, n. [Probably fr. OF. platel, F. plateau. See Plateau.] A large plate or shallow dish on which meat or other food is brought to the table.
The attendants . . . speedly brought in several large, smoking platters, filled with huge pieces of beef.
Sir W. Scott.
Plat"ter-faced` (?), a. Having a broad, flat face.
Plat"ting (?), n. Plaited strips or bark, cane, straw, etc., used for making hats or the like.
Plat"y (?), a. Like a plate; consisting of plates.
Plat"y- (?). A combining form from Gr. platy`s broad, wide, flat; as, platypus, platycephalous.
{ Plat`y*ce*phal"ic (?), Plat`y*ceph"a*lous (?), } a. [Platy + Gr. &?; head.] (Anat.) Broad-headed.
Plat`yc*ne"mic (?), a. [Platy + Gr. &?; leg: cf. F. platycnÈmique.] (Anat.) Of, relating to, or characterized by, platycnemism.
Pla*tyc"ne*mism (?), n. (Anat.) Lateral flattening of the tibia.
Plat`y*cú"li*an (?), a. [Platy + Gr. &?; hollow.] (Anat.) Flat at the anterior and concave at the posterior end; -- said of the centra of the vertebrÊ of some extinct dinouaurs.
||Plat`y*el*min"thes (?), n. pl. [NL. See Platy-, and Helminthes.] ||(Zoˆl.) A class of helminthes including the cestodes, or tapeworms, ||the trematodes, and the turbellarians. Called also flatworms.
||Plat`y*hel"mi*a (?), n. pl. [NL.] (Zoˆl.) Same as Platyelminthes. ||[Written also Platyelmia.]
Pla*tym"e*ter (?), n. [Platy + -meter.] (Elec.) An apparatus for measuring the capacity of condensers, or the inductive capacity of dielectrics.
Plat"y*pod (?), n. [Platy + - pod.] (Zoˆl.) An animal having broad feet, or a broad foot.
||Pla*typ"o*da (?), n. pl. [NL.] (Zoˆl.) Same as Prosobranchiata.
||Pla*typ"te*ra (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. &?; broad + &?; a wing.] ||(Zoˆl.) A division of Pseudoneuroptera including the species which ||have four broad, flat wings, as the termites, or white-ants, and the ||stone flies (Perla).
Plat"y*pus (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?; + &?; foot.] (Zoˆl.) The duck mole. See under Duck.
Plat"y*rhine (?), a. [Platy + Gr. &?;, &?;, nose.] (Anat.) Having the nose broad; -- opposed to leptorhine. -- n. (Zoˆl.) One of the Platyrhini.