2. (Angling) Short for Palmer fly, an artificial fly made to imitate a
hairy caterpillar; a hackle. [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
Palm"er*worm` (?), n. (Zoˆl.) (a) Any hairy caterpillar which appears
in great numbers, devouring herbage, and wandering about like a palmer.
The name is applied also to other voracious insects. Joel. i. 4. (b) In
America, the larva of any one of several moths, which destroys the
foliage of fruit and forest trees, esp. the larva of Ypsolophus
pometellus, which sometimes appears in vast numbers.
Pal*mette" (?), n. [F., dim. of palme a palm.] A floral ornament,
common in Greek and other ancient architecture; -- often called the
honeysuckle ornament.
Pal*met"to (?), n. [Dim. of palm the tree: cf. Sp. palmito.] (Bot.) A
name given to palms of several genera and species growing in the West
Indies and the Southern United States. In the United States, the name
is applied especially to the ChamÊrops, or Sabal, Palmetto, the cabbage
tree of Florida and the Carolinas. See Cabbage tree, under Cabbage.
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Royal palmetto, the West Indian Sabal umbraculifera, the trunk of
which, when hollowed, is used for water pipes, etc. The leaves are used
for thatching, and for making hats, ropes, etc. -- Saw palmetto, Sabal
serrulata, a native of Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida. The nearly
impassable jungle which it forms is called palmetto scrub.
Pal"mic (?), a. [Cf. F. palmique.] (Chem.) Of, pertaining to, or
derived from, the castor-oil plant (Ricinus communis, or Palma
Christi); -- formerly used to designate an acid now called ricinoleic
acid. [Obsoles.]
||Pal`mi*dac"ty*les (?), n. pl. [NL. See Palm, and Dactyl.] (Zoˆl.) A
||group of wading birds having the toes webbed, as the avocet.
Pal*mif"er*ous (?), a.[L. palmifer; palma a palm + ferre to bear: cf.
F. palmifËre.] Bearing palms.
Pal"mi*grade (?), a. [L. palma palm of the hand + gradi to walk.]
(Zoˆl.) Putting the whole foot upon the ground in walking, as some
mammals.
Pal"min (?), n. [From palma Christi: cf. F. palmine.] (Chem.) (a) A
white waxy or fatty substance obtained from castor oil. (b) Ricinolein.
[Obs.]
Pal"mi*ped (?), a.[L. palmipes, -edis, broad-footed; palma the palm of
the hand + pes a foot; cf. F. palmipËde.] (Zoˆl.) Web-footed, as a
water fowl. -- n. A swimming bird; a bird having webbed feet.
||Pal*mip"e*des (?), n. pl. [NL.] (Zoˆl.) Same as Natatores.
Pal"mis*ter (?), n. [From Palm of the hand.] One who practices
palmistry Bp. Hall.
Pal`mis*try (?), n.[See Palmister.] 1. The art or practice of divining
or telling fortunes, or of judging of character, by the lines and marks
in the palm of the hand; chiromancy. Ascham. Cowper.