POI 



575 



POI 



PNEUMATOM'ACHI, frviufjuat,, and fjc,x^, 

 contest. In ecclesiastical history, a general 

 term of reproach bestowed, in early 

 times, upon those who impugned the 

 divinity of the Holy Ghost. 



PNEUMATOM'ETER, from irvtyjjut, air, and 

 fAtrgo}/, measure. A gasometer. 



PNEUMOBRAN'CHIATA, vriivfAot,, and 

 /S?*y;eK, gills. Applied, by Hunter, to 

 Perennibranchiate reptiles ; and by La- 

 marQk, to an order of Gastropodous Mol- 

 luscs. 



PNEUMOGAS'TRIC, from xnvuMi, the 

 lung, and yatrrvt^, the belly. An epithet 

 for a nerve which arises from the lateral 

 part of the medulla oblongata, immedi- 

 ately below the glosso-pharyngeal nerve : 

 called also the par vagum. 



PNECMO'NIA, 1 From TVIVU&I, the 



PNEU'MONITIS. } lung. Inflammation of 

 the lungs. Called also per ipneumonia and 

 peripneumonia vera. 



PNEUMOFLEURI'TIS, from xyivfJtMv, the 

 lung, and rAu>f, the pleura. Inflam- 

 mation of the lungs and pleura. 



PO'A. Meadow-grass. A genus. Tri- 

 andria Digynia. Vo;ne JTOX, signifies 

 herbage in general, but more especially 

 grass. There are fifteen indigenous 

 species. 



POC'KET (of wool). A bag containing 

 about 25 cwt. 



Po'co (It.). In music, signifies less ; as 

 tico largo, a little slow. 



POD. In botany, this word has been 

 considered as synonymous with the Latin 

 word legumen or legume, as well as sili- 

 fuu.but its meaning is now restricted to 

 this last. 



PODES'TA. One of the chief magistrates 

 of Genoa and Venice. 



POD'ICEPS. The Grebes. A genus of 

 birds, separated from the Divers by La- 

 tham. Order Palmipedes ; family Sra- 

 chypterce. The crested grebe, the best- 

 known species, is about the size of a 

 duck. See COLSMBUS. 



PO'DIUM. A balcony. 



PCE'CILE (Gr.). A celebrated gallery at 

 Athens where Zeno taught his doctrines. 



POICILIT'IC, from <rt>izt\o;, variegated. 

 A term applied to the new red sandstone 

 group of rocks, by M. Brongniart ; and to 

 the entire group of strata between the 

 coal formation and the lias, by Mr. Cony- 

 beare. 



PO'ET-LAU'REATE. A poet whose duty 

 it is to compose birth-day odes, and other 

 congratulatory poems, for the sovereign 

 in whose pay he is retained. The services 

 formerly required of this important func- 

 tionary are now dispensed with, so that 

 the office is a sinecure. See LAUREATE. 



POIND'ING. In Scottish law, that pro- 

 ceta affecting moveable subjects, by 



which their property is carried directly 

 to the creditor. 



POINT, in geometry, is defined that 

 which has neither length, breadth, nor 

 thickness : that which has position, but 

 no magnitude. A conjugate point is th;it 

 into which, in some curves, the conjugate 

 oval vanishes. There are also points of 

 reflection, of retrogradation, and of con- 

 trary flexure, &c. 2. In perspective, a 



certain position with regard to the per- 

 spective plane. 3. In astronomy, the di- 

 visions of the great circles of the horizon 

 and mariner's compass are termed points. 

 The cardinal points are the east, west, 

 north, and south. On the space between 

 two of these points, making a quadrant 

 or quarter of a circle, the compass is 

 marked with subordinate divisions, the 

 whole being 32 points. The zenith and 

 nadir have the name of vertical points; 

 and nodes are the points where the orbits 

 of planets intersect the plane of the eclip- 

 tic. We have also equinoctial and sol- 

 stitial points. i. Among sailors, points 

 are flat pieces of braided cordage, taper- 

 ing from the middle towards each end: 

 used in reefing the courses and topsails of 

 square-rigged vessels. Hence, to point a 

 sail is to affix points through the eyelet- 

 holes of the reefs. 5. In manufactures, 



point is a general name for all kinds 

 of lace worked by the needle ; and some- 

 times the term is used for lace woven 

 with bobbins. Point-devise is used to de- 

 note fine needle- work. 6. In grammar, 



see PUNCTUATION. 7. In artillery, point- 

 ing a gun is placing it so as to give the shot 



a particular direction. 8. In heraldry, 



a point is an ordinary resembling a pile. 



POINT' AL. In botany, the pistil of a 

 flower. See PISTIL. 



POINT-BLANK. In funnery, denotes that 

 the gun is levelled horizontally. In shoot- 

 ing point-blank, the ball is supposed to 

 move directly to the object, without curve. 

 The point-blank range is the extent of the 

 apparent right line of a ball discharged. 



POINT'ED ARCHITECTURE. The charac- 

 teristic style of architecture usually called 

 Gothic, in which all the arches are pointed 

 at the top. 



POIN'TEL. 1. Something fixed on a 

 point. 2. A kind of pencil or style. 



POINT'ER. 1. A variety of the Canisfami- 

 liaris, Lin., trained by sportsmen to find 

 partridges, pheasants, and other feathered 

 game . The Pointer differs from the Setter 

 in this, that when he has approached suf- 

 ficiently near the game, he stands erect, 

 whereas the true-bred Setter lies close to 

 the ground. 2. In astronomy, the Point- 

 ers are two stars in Ursa Maj or, the hinder- 

 most of the Wain, se called because they 

 always point nearly in a direction towards 

 the North Pole-star. 



POINT'INQ. Among masy>u, filling the 



