Per"coid (?), a. [L. perca a perch + -oid: cf. F. percoÔde.] (Zoˆl.)
Belonging to, or resembling, the perches, or family PercidÊ. -- n. Any
fish of the genus Perca, or allied genera of the family PercidÊ.
||Per*coi"de*a (?), n. pl. [NL.] (Zoˆl.) Same as Perciformes.
Per"co*late (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Percolated (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Percolating.] [L. percolatus, p. p. of percolare to percolate; per
through + colare to strain.] To cause to pass through fine interstices,
as a liquor; to filter; to strain. Sir M. Hale.
Per"co*late, v. i. To pass through fine interstices; to filter; as,
water percolates through porous stone.
Per`co*la"tion (?), n. [L. percolatio.] The act or process of
percolating, or filtering; filtration; straining. Specifically
(Pharm.), the process of exhausting the virtues of a powdered drug by
letting a liquid filter slowly through it.
Per"co*la`tor (?), n. One who, or that which, filters. "[Tissues] act
as percolators." Henfrey.
||Per`co*mor"phi (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. L. perca perch + Gr. &?; form.]
||(Zoˆl.) A division of fishes including the perches and related kinds.
Per"cu*laced (?), a. [Prob. corrupt. fr. portcullised.] (Her.)
Latticed. See Lattice, n., 2.
Per*cur"rent (?), a. [L. percurrens, p. pr. of percurrere to run
through; per through + currere to run.] Running through the entire
length.
Per*cur"so*ry (?), a. [L. percursor one who runs through, fr.
percurrere. See Percurrent.] Running over slightly or in haste;
cursory. [R.]
Per*cuss" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Percussed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Percussing.] [L. percussus, p. p. of percutere; per + quatere to shake,
strike. See Quash.] To strike smartly; to strike upon or against; as,
to percuss the chest in medical examination.
Flame percussed by air giveth a noise.
Bacon.
Per*cuss", v. i. (Med.) To strike or tap in an examination by
percussion. See Percussion, 3. Quain.
Per*cus"sion (?), n. [L. percussio: cf. F. percussion. See Percuss.] 1.
The act of percussing, or striking one body against another; forcible
collision, esp. such as gives a sound or report. Sir I. Newton.
2. Hence: The effect of violent collision; vibratory shock; impression
of sound on the ear.
The thunderlike percussion of thy sounds.
Shak.
3. (Med.) The act of tapping or striking the surface of the body in
order to learn the condition of the parts beneath by the sound emitted
or the sensation imparted to the fingers. Percussion is said to be
immediate if the blow is directly upon the body; if some interventing
substance, as a pleximeter, is, used, it is called mediate.
Center of percussion. See under Center. -- Percussion bullet, a bullet
containing a substance which is exploded by percussion; an explosive
bullet. -- Percussion cap, a small copper cap or cup, containing
fulminating powder, and used with a percussion lock to explode
gunpowder. -- Percussion fuze. See under Fuze. -- Percussion lock, the
lock of a gun that is fired by percussion upon fulminating powder. --
Percussion match, a match which ignites by percussion. -- Percussion
powder, powder so composed as to ignite by slight percussion;
fulminating powder. -- Percussion sieve, Percussion table, a machine
for sorting ores by agitation in running water.
Per*cuss"ive (?), a. Striking against; percutient; as, percussive
force.
Per*cu"tient (?), a. [L. percutiens, p. pr. of percutere. See Percuss.]
Striking; having the power of striking. -- n. That which strikes, or
has power to strike. Bacon.
Per"di*cine (?), a. [See Perdix.] (Zoˆl.) Of or pertaining to the
family PerdicidÊ, or partridges.
Per*die" (?), adv. See Parde. Spenser.
Per"di*foil (?), n. [L. perdere to lose + folium leaf.] (Bot.) A
deciduous plant; - - opposed to evergreen. J. Barton.
Per*di"tion (?), n. [F., fr. L. perditio, fr. perdere, perditum, to
ruin, to lose; per (cf. Skr. par away) + -dere (only in comp.) to put;
akin to Gr. &?;, E. do. See Do.] 1. Entire loss; utter destruction;
ruin; esp., the utter loss of the soul, or of final happiness in a
future state; future misery or eternal death.
The mere perdition of the Turkish fleet.
Shak.
If we reject the truth, we seal our own perdition.
J. M. Mason.