pithecoid 
4517 
Pithophoraceae (pitiro-fo-ra'se-e). . //'. [ NL., 
< Pitiin/ilioni + ooMB.j A doubtfully distinct 
id al- 
Black Couxlo (Pithfcia satanas\ 
I'ithrctui; belonging to the higher as distinguish- 
ed from the lower apes; simian; anthropoid, 
as an ape. 2. Loosely, of or pertaining to an 
ape ; related to an ape. 
II. a. An authropoid ape ; a simian. 
Pithecolobium (pi-the-k(>-16'bi-um), . [NL. 
(K. F. P. von Martius, 1829), so called from the 
resemblance of the curved pods to a monkey's 
ear; < Gr. vtOifcaf, an ape, + Mfhov, dim. of 
/lo/3of, an ear, lobe, or fegume.] A genus of 
leguminous shrubs or trees, of the tribe Ingete, 
known by the peculiar rigid pods, which are 
two-valved and flattened, curved, curled, or 
twisted, and somewhat fleshy. There are about 
110 species, widely dispersed in the tropics, especially of 
America and Asia. They are either unarmed or thorny with 
axillary or stipular spines. They bear glandular bipinnate 
leaves of many small or few larger leaflets, and globose 
heads of white flowers, with long and very numerous sta- 
mens. The most important species, 7*. dulce, a large tree 
native of Mexico, and there called yuamuchil, contains 
in its pods a sweet pulp, for which they are boiled and 
eaten. Introduced into the Philippine Islands, and thence 
into India, It is now cultivated there under the name Ma- 
nila tamarind. (Compare tamarind.) Several other species 
produce edible pods, as /'. JUtyoKum, the wild tamarind- 
tree of Jamaica, n large tree distinguished by the twice- 
pinnate leaves from the true tamarind, whose leaves are 
once-pinnate; and /'. Saman, the genisaro, also called 
Hiiii/int, zaiiMiny, and rain-tree. The bark of some species 
yields a gum, that of others an astringent drug, ana that 
of others, as P. bigrminum, the soap-bark tree, and P. int- 
cradenium, the sitvonette or shagbark of the West Indies, 
is a source of soap. Several other species are cultivated 
as hardy evergreen trees under the name curl brush-bean. 
A smaller species, usually a shrub, is the cat's-claw, also 
called nephritic tree or Mack bead-tree, of Jamaica. Sec 
also algarrobilla. 
Pithecus (pi-the'kus), n. [NL. (Geoffroy, 181'J), 
< L. pitliecus, < Gr. wiffr/Kof, an ape.] A genus 
of anthropoid apes : same as Simia. 
Pithelemur (pitn-e-le'mer), n. [NL. (Lesson), 
< 2'itlie(cus) + Lemur.'] A genus of lemurs: 
synonymous with Indris and Lichanolus. 
pithfult (pith'ful), n. [< pith + -/*.] Full of 
pith ; pithy. W. Browne, Britannia's Pastorals, 
li. 4. 
pithily (pith'i-li), adv. In a pithy manner; 
with close application or concentrated force ; 
forcibly; cogently. 
pithiness (pith'i-nes), n. The character of be- 
ing pithy; strength; concentrated force: as, 
the pithiness of a reply. 
pithless (pith'les), a. [< pith + -/.] 1. With- 
out pith ; wanting strength ; weak. 
Men who, dry and pithleif, are debarred 
From man's best joys. Churchill, The Times. 
2. Lacking cogency or force. 
The pithless argumentation which we too often allow to 
monopolize the character of what is prudent and practical. 
Gladstone, Church and State, 11. 
pithole (pit 'hoi), H. A small hollow or pit; 
especially, a pit left by a pustule of small- 
pox. 
I hare known a lady sick of the small pocks, only to 
keep her face from pithalet, take cold, strike them in again, 
kick up the heels, and vanish ! 
Beau, and Fl., Fair Maid of the Inn, II. 3. 
Pithophora (pi-thof'o-rii), . [NL. (Wittrock, 
1877), < Gr. mflof, a large storage-vase (see pilli- 
on). + Qepew = E. bear*.'] A small genus of con- 
fervoid algae first detected in the warm tanks 
in the Botanic Gardens at Kew. also at Oxford 
and elsewhere, but since found in tropical 
America. The thallus is composed of branching fila- 
ments of cells resembling Ctadnphora, presenting here 
and there barrel-shaped cells very rich in chlorophyl. 
They :ire further distinguished by the peculiar develop- 
ment of iliin rhizoids. 
order of confervoid 
gfe, containing the sin- 
gle genus I'ithophora. 
Reproduction Is by meani 
of non-sexual resting spores 
and prollflc cells, no sexual 
mode of reproduction hav- 
ing as yet been detected. 
pithoa (pith'os), n. [< 
Gr. mflof : see def.] In 
Or. a a Hi/., a form of 
earthenware vase, of 
very large size and 
spheroid shape, used 
for the storage of wine, 
oil, grain, etc., and 
sometimes for the bun- 
al of dead bodies. 
pith-paper (pith'pa'per), . A very thin film 
cut or prepared from the pith of a plant, and 
used for paper. See rice-paper. 
pithsome (pith'sum), a. [< pith + -some.] 
Strong; robust. 
Beside her pithnnme health and vigor. 
R. D. Blackmare, Clara Vaughan, Ixii. (Eneye. Diet.) 
pith-tree (pith'tre), . The nmbash. 
pith-work (pith'werk), n. Useful or ornamen- 
tal articles made of the pith of trees, especially 
those made in India from that of Jlschynomcne 
aspera. See JEschynomenc. 
pithy (pith'i), a. [Early mod. E. also piltliir, 
pytJithy; < late ME. pythy; < pith + -yl.] 1. Of 
the nature of or full of pith; containing or 
abounding with pith : as, a pithy stem ; a pithy 
substance. 2. Full of pith or force; forcible; 
containing much in a concentrated or dense 
form ; of style, sententious : as, a pithy saying 
or expression. 
To teach you gamut in a briefer sort, 
More pleasant, pithy, and effectual 
Than hath been taught by any of my trade. 
Shale., T. of the s.., ill. 1. 68. 
Your counsel, good Sir Thomas, Is to pithy 
That I am won to like it. 
Webnter and DeUctr, Sir Thomas Wyat, p. 12. 
Charles Lamb made the most pithy criticism of Spenser 
when he called him the poets' poet. 
Lowell, Among my Books, d sen, p. 177. 
3. Given to the use of pithy or forcible expres- 
sions. 
In his speech he was flue, eloquent, and pithy. 
Sir T. More, Utopia (tr. by Robinson), i. 
In all these Goodman Kact was very short but pithy; for 
he was a plain home-spun man. Addifon. 
A white-haired man, 
Pithy of speech, and merry when he would. 
Ilryant, Old Man's Counsel. 
= Syn. 2 and 3. Terse, laconic, concise, pointed, senten- 
tious. 
pitiable (pit'i-a-bl), . [< OF. pitiable, pile- 
able, F. pitoyablc; &spity + -able/] Deserving 
pity; worthy of orexciting compassion: applied 
to persons or things. 
In the Gospel, he makes abatement of humane infirmi- 
ties, temptations, moral necessities, mistakes, errors, for 
every thing that Is pitiable. Jer. Taylor, Sermons, I. vii. 
The pitiable persons relieved are constantly under your 
eye. Bp. Atierbury. 
If ye have grieved, 
Ye are too mortal to be pitiable, 
The power U> die disproves the right to grieve. 
Mrs. Browning, Drama of Exile. 
pitiableness (pit'i-a-bl-nes), n. A pitiable state 
or condition. 
pitiably (pit'i-a-bli), adv. In a pitiable manner. 
pitiedlyt (pit'icl-li), adv. In a condition or state 
to be pitied. 
He is properly and pitiiedly to be counted alone, that is 
illiterate. Fettham, Resolves, ii. 49. 
pitier (pit'i-er), . [< pity + -er 1 .] One who 
pities. Bp. Gavden, Hieraspistes, p. 3. 
pitiful (pit'i-ful), . l<pity + -ful.'] 1. Full of 
pity; tender; compassionate ; having a feeling 
of sorrow and sympathy for the distressed. 
Our hearts yon see not; they are vfttfvl; 
And pity to the general wrong of Rome . . . 
Hath done this deed on fiesar. 
Shot., J. C., ill. 1. 168. 
2. Exciting or fitted to excite pity or compas- 
sion; miserable; deplorable; sad: as, a, pitiful 
condition ; a pitiful look. 
In faith, 'twas strange, 'twas passing strange, 
Twas pitiful, 'twas wondrous pitiful. 
Shale., Othello. I. 3. 161. 
The Pilgrims . . . stood still, and shook their heads, for 
they knew that the sleepers were in a pitiful case. 
Runyan, Pilgrim's Progress, p. 836. 
3. To be pitied for its littlene*s or meanness; 
paltry; insignificant; contemptible; despicable. 
pit-saw 
That > rillanons. and shows a most jiiiiftil ambition in 
the fool that uses It Skat., Hamlet, III. -J. 40. 
lit pitiful 
To court a grin when you should woo a soul. 
Coirper, Task, II. 466. 
pitifully (pit'i-ful-i), adr. In a pitiful manner, 
(a) With compassion. 
Pti\fully behold the sorrows of our hearts. 
Book of Common Prayer | Eng. ), Lesser Litany. 
(6) So as to excite pity ; wretchedly. 
Now many Ages since the Greek Tongue is not only Im- 
paired, and pitifully degenerated in her Purity and Elo- 
quence, but extremely decay'd In her Amplitude and Vnl- 
garneas. UotreU. Letters, II. 67. 
(e) Contemptibly. 
Those men who give themselves airs of bravery on re- 
flecting upon the last scenes of others may behave the 
most pitifully In their own. Richardson, Clarissa Harlowe. 
pitifulness (pit'i-ful-nes), n. The state or 
quality of being pitiful, in any sense. 
pitikinst, interj. [< pity + -kin.] A diminutive 
of pity, used interjectionally, generally in con- 
junction with o(Fs for God's. See ods-pitilcin*. 
pitiless (pit'i-les), a. [< pity + -less."] 1. With- 
out pity ; hard-hearted. 
The pelting of the pitilra storm. Shale. , Lear, ill. 4. -Ji. 
2. Exciting no pity ; unpitied. 
So do I perish pitiless, through fear. 
Sir J. Dane*, Wlttes Pilgrimage, slg. G. I. 
Syn. 1. Merciless, cruel, ruthless, Inexorable, unmerci- 
ful, unpitying. 
pitilessly (pit'i-les-li), adv. In a pitiless man- 
ner. 
pitilessness (pit'i-les-nes), . The state of be- 
ing pitiless. 
pit-kiln (pit'kil), H. An oven for the manufac- 
ture of coke from coal. 
pitlet, H. Same as pifklc 3 . 
pitman (pit'man), n.; pi. pitmen (-men). 1. 
One who works in a pit, an in coal-mining, in 
sawing timber, etc. Specifically 2. The man 
who looks after the pumping machinery within 
the shaft of a mine. 3. In much., the rod which 
connects a rotary witli a reciprocating part, 
either for imparting motion to the latter or 
Harvester Pitman. ~ a. knives ; t. cutter-har ; c, pitmau connection ; 
rf, pitman : '. crank-wrist. 
taking motion from it, as that which couples a 
crank with a saw-gate, or a steam-piston with 
its crank-shaft, etc. Also called ronnrrtiny- 
rod. See also cut under stone-breaker. 
pitman-box (pit'mnn-boks), . The metal strap 
and brasses which embrace the crank-wrist of 
the driving or driven wheel of a pitman. Also 
called, more commonly, rod-end. 
pitman-coupling (pit'man-kup'ling), H. Any 
means, as a rod-end, for connecting a pitman 
with the part which drives or is driven by it. 
pitman-head (pit'man-hed), n. The block or 
enlargement at the end of a pitman where con- 
nection is made with the member to which it 
imparts motion or with the mechanism from 
which it receives motion. 
pitman-press (pit'man-pres), n. A press which 
is worked by a pitman connection with a shaft, 
instead of by an eccentric or other device. 
Such presses are used for drawing, catting, shearing, 
stamping, and for packing materials requiring light pres- 
sure. 
pit-martin (pit'mar'tin), 11. The bank-swallow 
or sand-martin, Cotilc or Cliricolu riparia, 
which nests in gravel-pits and like places. See 
cut under bnnk-strallow. 
pit-mirk (pit'merk), a. [A corruption of pick- 
mirk, dial, form of 'pitch-murk: see pitch* and 
mt<rA'.] Pitch-dark; dark as pitch. [Scotch.] 
The niht is mirk, and It 's very pit-mirk. 
Archie of Ca'JIeld (Child's Ballads, VI. DO). 
It 's pit-mirk but there 's no 111 turn on the road but 
twa. Scott, Guy Mannering, xi. 
pitoust, <> A Middle English form of pi 
pitouslyt, adr. A Middle English form 
niinlil. 
pitpan (pit'pan), n. A very long, narrow, flat- 
bottomed, trough-like canoe, with thin and Hat 
projecting ends, used in navigating rivers and 
lagoons in Central America. Imp. Diet. 
pitpat (pit'pat). <nli-. and H. Same as pitapat. 
pitpit (pit'pit ). n. [Imitative.] An American 
honey-creeper of the family Cierebidte ; a guit- 
guit. Also pifijiit. 
pit-saw (pit'sii), ii. A saw working in a pit, as 
a large saw used for cutting timber, operated 
