POL 



579 



PON 



Ifregate of the animal mass of polypes. 

 See POLYPI. 



POLYPET'ALOCS, from jraXo?, many, and 

 H-ETO/OV, a petal ; many-petalled. Abota- 

 nical term applied to a corolla which has 

 the petals separate. 



POL'XJ-I, pi. of polypus. See POLYPE. 

 The fourth class of Radiata or Zoophytes, 

 so named because the tentacula which 

 surround their mouth give them a sup- 

 posed resemblance to an Octopus called 

 Polypus by the ancients. These animals 

 are commonly known as corals ; and an 

 idea was formerly generally entertained, 

 that they were stony plants, (whence the 

 name zoophytes}. Such is the enormous 

 accumulation of the stony envelopes 

 formed by them in certain seas, that 

 islands are produced, coasts extended, 

 and harbours blocked up, by them ; and 

 with such facility that M. de Lamarck has 

 hazarded the idea that the calcareous 

 strata of the globe may have been pro- 

 duced by them. The orders are Carnosi, 

 Gelatinosi, and Corallifera. 

 POLYPIF'ERA, \ A term applicable to 

 POLYPIPH'EHA. / the habitations of po- 

 lypi, but applied to that class of animals 

 commonly known by the name of Zoo- 

 phytes. See POLYPI. 



POLYPO'DIUM. Polypody. A genus of 

 perennial ferns, most of which are found 

 in hot climates, but several inhabit 

 Britain. Name from jroAws, many, and 

 5T0VS, a foot, because it has many roots. 

 Some species are used medicinally. 



POL'YSCOPE, KOMS, and trzoTita, I view. 

 In optics, a plano-convex lens, of which 

 the convex surface is subdivided into 

 several facets. 



POLYSEP'ALOUS, trom jroAt/s, many, and 

 sepal (q. v.). A term applied to a calyx 

 which has its sepals separate from each 

 other. 



POLYSPER'MOUS, from jroXus, many, and 

 f!Ti$/Mx., seed ; many-seeded. 



POLYS'TOMA (rather Hexastoma}. A 

 genus of Entozoa belonging to the family 

 Tremadotea, Rud. Name from a-oAi/s, 

 many, and trrcauct, mouth ; the body 

 being depressed, smooth, and furnished 

 with six cups or orifices arranged in a 

 transverse line. 



POL'YSTYLE, from TXU?, many, and 

 ffmhof , a column. A building surrounded 

 by so many columns that they cannot 

 readily be calculated at a first view. 



POLYSYN'DETON, from ?rXys, many, and 

 rw5T<>s, connecting. A rhetorical figure 

 by which the copulative is often repeated, 

 us, " we have money and men and ships 

 and stores." 



POLYTECHNIC, from trotof, many, and 

 *r. < Denoting many arts, a the 



Polytechnic School of France, which is de- 

 signed to supply education for the various 

 departments of active life, both civil and 

 military. This has been one of the most 

 justly celebrated schools of Europe. 



POLY'THPISM, from jroAt/s, many, and 

 6tos, God. The doctrine of a plurality of 

 gods. 



POLYT'RICHUM, from <roAo?, many, and 

 ^/|, hair. A genus of Cryptogainic plants 

 >f the order JUusci: so named either from 

 ts resemblance to a woman's hair, or be- 

 cause in ancient times women used to 

 dye the hair with it to prevent it from 

 bedding. The golden maidenhair is a 

 pecies. 



POLYZ'OA, jroXtif.and aio, animal, 

 class of compound animals, resembling 

 the Sertularia and the compound Asci- 

 dians. 



POLYZ'ONAL LENS, ;rXy5,andai/7, zone. 

 A burning lens composed of several zones 

 or rings. 



POMA'CE*. A natural order of plants, 

 consisting of such as have a pomaceous 

 fruit or fruit of an esculent, pulpy, apple, 

 berry, or cherry kind. 



POMA'TUM. Pomado. A name formerly 

 applied to a fragrant ointment made with 

 lard and apples, but now only to solid 

 greasy substances used in dressing the 

 hair. 



POMEGRAN'ATE, from pomtim, an apple, 

 and granatum, grained. The fruit of the 

 Pomegranate tree (Punica granatum), 

 cultivated in warm climates. The fruit 

 s a pulpy many -seeded berry, about the 

 size of the orange, with a reddish rind. 



POMOJ'RIUM, Lat. post, behind, murus, 



a wall. In Roman antiquities, a vacant 



space of ground within and without the 



walls of a city. 



POM'PHOLYX, from ro j itpe?, a bladder. 



1. A small vesicle. 2. A cutaneous 



disease, described by Dr. "VVillan as an 

 eruption of bullae, appearing without in- 

 flammation around them and without 

 fever. 



POMPION. In botany (see CDCURBITA). 



PO'MUM. The Latin word for apple, but 



applied in botany to any fleshy pericar- 



pium or seed-vessel, containing a capsule 



within it with several seeds. 



PONE (Lat.). In law, a writ which lies 

 to remove actions of debt, detinue, nuis- 

 ances, &c., out of an inferior court into 

 the Common Pleas. 



PONOO. 1. The name in Borneo, of a 

 monkey, closely resembling the orang- 

 outang in the proportions of all his parts, 

 but somewhat larger, being nearly equal 

 to man. He is the largest monkey known. 



2. The name has also been applied t* 



the Simta troglodytes, Lin., or ChimpanH 

 of Guinea and Congo, but not properly 



2 p 2 



