Par*the"ni*ad (?), n. [See Parthenic.] A poem in honor of a virgin.
[Obs.]
Par*then"ic (?), a. [Gr. &?;, fr. &?; a maid, virgin.] Of or pertaining
to the Spartan PartheniÊ, or sons of unmarried women.
Par`the*no*gen"e*sis (?), n. [Gr. parqe`nos a virgin + E. genesis.] 1.
(Biol.) The production of new individuals from virgin females by means
of ova which have the power of developing without the intervention of
the male element; the production, without fertilization, of cells
capable of germination. It is one of the phenomena of alternate
generation. Cf. Heterogamy, and Metagenesis.
2. (Bot.) The production of seed without fertilization, believed to
occur through the nonsexual formation of an embryo extraneous to the
embrionic vesicle.
Par`the*no*ge*net"ic, a. (Biol.) Of, pertaining to, or produced by,
parthenogenesis; as, parthenogenetic forms. --
Par`the*no*ge*net"ic*al*ly, adv.
Par`the*no*gen"i*tive (?), a. (Biol.) Parthenogenetic.
Par`the*nog"e*ny (?), n. (Biol.) Same as Parthenogenesis.
Par"the*non (?), n. [L., fr. Gr. Parqenw`n, fr.parqe`nos a virgin, i.
e., Athene, the Greek goddess called also Pallas.] A celebrated marble
temple of Athene, on the Acropolis at Athens. It was of the pure Doric
order, and has had an important influence on art.
||Par*then"o*pe (p‰r*thn"*p), n. [L., the name of a Siren, fr. Gr.
||Parqeno`pn.] 1. (Gr. Myth.) One of the Sirens, who threw herself into
||the sea, in despair at not being able to beguile Ulysses by her
||songs.
2. One of the asteroids between Mars and Jupiter, discovered by M. de
Gasparis in 1850.
Par"thi*an (?), a. Of or pertaining to ancient Parthia, in Asia. -- n.
A native of Parthia.
Parthian arrow, an arrow discharged at an enemy when retreating from
him, as was the custom of the ancient Parthians; hence, a parting shot.
Par"tial (?), a. [F., fr. LL. partials, fr. L. pars, gen. partis, a
part; cf. (for sense 1) F. partiel. See Part, n.] 1. Of, pertaining to,
or affecting, a part only; not general or universal; not total or
entire; as, a partial eclipse of the moon. "Partial dissolutions of the
earth." T. Burnet.
2. Inclined to favor one party in a cause, or one side of a question,
more then the other; baised; not indifferent; as, a judge should not be
partial.
Ye have been partial in the law.
Mal. ii. 9.
3. Having a predelection for; inclined to favor unreasonably; foolishly
fond. "A partial parent." Pope.
Not partial to an ostentatious display.
Sir W. Scott.
4. (Bot.) Pertaining to a subordinate portion; as, a compound umbel is
made up of a several partial umbels; a leaflet is often supported by a
partial petiole.
Partial differentials, Partial differential coefficients, Partial
differentiation, etc. (of a function of two or more variables), the
differentials, differential coefficients, differentiation etc., of the
function, upon the hypothesis that some of the variables are for the
time constant. -- Partial fractions (Alg.), fractions whose sum equals
a given fraction. -- Partial tones (Music), the simple tones which in
combination form an ordinary tone; the overtones, or harmonics, which,
blending with a fundamental tone, cause its special quality of sound,
or timbre, or tone color. See, also, Tone.
Par"tial*ism (?), n. Partiality; specifically (Theol.), the doctrine of
the Partialists.