plounce 
M, ploumi'ii, cti-.). ao-om. to flounce 1 .] 
To plunge. 
Our observation moit not now launch Into the whirl- 
pool, or rather flounce Into the mudd and quagmire, of the 
people'! power and right pretended, That the lovereignty 
11 theirs, and originally In them. 
Up. Uaclat, Abp. Williams, II. 200. (Dacia.) 
plounget, r. A Middle English form of plunge. 
plousiocracy, n. Heepluiocr<i<-y. 
plout 1 (plout), r. )'. [Of. I'lod 2 - Hence freq. 
/iliHitir. /il'it/ir?, etc.J To wade or flounder 
through water or mire. [North. Bug. and 
Scotch. ] 
plout 2 (plout), r. t. Same as plnft. [Scotch.] 
plouter (plou'ter), v. i. [Also plotter, plotcder; 
freq. of plout 1 .'] To dabble or paddle in water 
or mire. [North. Eng. and Scotch.] 
plouter (plou'ter), H. [< plouter, v.] A dabbling 
or playing in water ; a splashing bath. [Scotch.] 
Shepherd. Faith, I think I shall tak a plouter. (Shep- 
herd retires Into the marble bath. . . . The hot water Is 
let on with a mighty noise.) 
Wilton, Noctes Ambroelante, III. 296. 
plout-net (plout'net), . [Appar. var. of pout- 
net (perhaps affected by plait).] A small stock- 
ing-shaped river-net attached to two poles. 
[Kng.] 
ploutocracy, ploutocrat, etc. See plutocracy, 
etc. 
plover (pluv'er), . [< ME. plover, ploverc, < 
OF. plovier, F. pluvier, a plover. < ML. *pluri- 
arius, pluvarivs, a plover, so called because it 
appears during the rainy season; prop, adj., 
equiv. to L. plucialui, of the rain (cf. NL. Pluvi- 
ales, pi., the plovers), < pluria, rain: seepluvi- 
oun.] 1. A bird of the family Charadriidx and 
genus Cltaradrius, ('. plurialis. This bird, more 
fully called thegolilcn, yellow, or green plover, Is very widely 
distributed In the Old World, breeding In high latitudes, 
and performing extensive migrations during the spring 
and fall. It is about 10} inches long and _'-J* in extent of 
wings, the wing 7 inches, the bill ," Inch, the tarsus 1 ; 
< ..'Mm Plover 
fluvialis], in autumn plumage. 
Crook Nlted Ptorer 
Inches. The upper parts are black, and profusely spotted 
with yellow and white; the under parts are black In the 
breeding-dress, whit- 
ish In winter, various- 
ly mottled or speckled 
(luring the changes of 
plumage. The bill and 
feet are black ; the 
feet are three-toed. 
The plover lays four 
eggs, I,",, Inches long 
by li broad, of a plri- 
form shape, drab 
color, with heavy 
brownish or blackish 
blotches. 
Hence 2. Some 
or any bird of the 
family Charadri- 
t'l.-i : a charadrio- 
morphic gralla- 
torial bird. The 
American golden plover, or Reid-plover, Is Charailriui do- 
minimi, very closely resembling C. pluvialit, but having 
ashy-gray Instead of 
white axillaiK. The 
Swlas bullhead, or black- 
bell led plover, is Squa- 
tarola helrttira, Inhabit- 
ing most parts of the 
world, snd having four 
toes. (See cut mnl.-r 
fviuatarala.) Man; 
small plovers 
white under parts, and 
rings or bands of black 
"ii the head, neck, or 
breast, are known as 
ling-ptovert or ring. 
necln, and mostly be- 
long to the genus .Hffi- 
alitet. (Hee also KUdee.) 
Tin most singular of 
these Is the i iik billi-d 
l>l.i\.T. Atuirhynclnu 
friatlalu, having the 
bill bent sldewlse. It 
InhablU New Zealand. 
The inoontaln plover of 
4562 
the western T'nlted States I* Podtuocyt montanu*. Some 
plovers are known as dotterel*. (See dotterel and Eudrn- 
rnuu.) The thlckknees. stone-plovers, or stone-curlews 
are birds of the family tEdiciiemtdit. (See cut under (Kdic- 
nemta.) Stilt plovers are the stilts, Iliinaiitophue. (See 
cutunderrfttt.) The crab-plover is Itroiiuuardeota, "Plov- 
ers' eggs," ao called 111 England, are laid by the lapwing, 
Vaii'Uut erittatvt. 
3. In various parts of the United States, the 
Bartramian sandpiper, Bartramia longicinnln, 
moTetuMyc&l\6dupland,highluH(l,pastur<; field, 
corn-field, prairie, grass, and plain plover. See 
cut under Bartramia. 4. The greater or lesser 
yellowshanks, Totanus melanoleucus or T. fla- 
cipes, commonly called yellow-legged plovers. 
[Local, U. S.] 5t. A loose woman: otherwise 
called a quail. 
Here will be Zeklel Edgworth, and three or four gallants 
with him at night, and I have neither plwr nor quail for 
them ; persuade this ... to become a bird o' the game. 
B. Jonton, Bartholomew Fair, iv. 3. 
Bastard plover. See btatard. Bishop plover, the 
tUTnttone,StrepUas interpret. [Massachusetts.] BUCk- 
bellied plover. Seedef. -.'.Black-breasted plover, 
(a) The golden plover in full plumage. [Ireland. ] (6) The 
black-heart plover. (Local, U. S.| Black-heart plov- 
er, the black-bellied or black-breasted sandpiper; the 
American dunlin. [Local, Canada.) Bullhead-plover. 
See bullhead, 4. Golden plover. See def. 1. Gray 
plover, (a) A misnomer of the knot, Trinna canutus, a 
sandpiper in winter plumage. (Scotland.) (6) The golden 
plover when young. (Ireland.) Great plover, the stone- 
plover. Oreen plover, the lapwing, Vanettu* erutattif. 
[Ireland. ) Helvetian plover, the Swiss plover, Squata- 
rola hflrftwi. ITlghlftTirt plover, the Bartramian sand- 
piper. Also calledBarfram's highland tnipe. Hill-plov- 
er, the golden plover. [ Forfar. ) Kentish plover, .tiyi- 
alUeft cantianu*, a small ring-plover of wide distribution 
in the eastern hemisphere : so called l>ecause the speci- 
mens from which it was first described (by Dr. John 
Latham) were received from Mr. Boys of .Sandwich in 
Kent, England. Long-legged plover, a longshanks or 
stilt; a bird of the genus Hitnantojntn. Mud-plover, 
Syuatarola helvetica. (Local, British.) Norfolk plov- 
er, the stone-plover, (Kdicnemwt crcpitans. Oyster- 
plover, the oyster-catcher. Plover's page. See page?. 
Red-legged plover, the turnstone, Strepeilas interpret ; 
the red-legs. (Massachusetts. ) Ringed plover. See 
jKgialite* and kUldee. Rock-plover, Sqvaturola helve- 
tica. [Wexford, Ireland.] Ruddy plover, the sander- 
ling or three-toed sandpiper, Calidru arenaria, when In 
full plumage : chiefly a Ixjok-name. Sea-plover, Syn/n- 
/"// helvetica. (Local, British.) Silver plover. Same 
as gray placer (a\ Spanish plover, the wlllet, orscml- 
jmlmated tattler, Syinpheinia semipalmata. March. [Ja- 
maica. ) Speckled-back or streaked-back plover, 
the turnstone, Strepgila* interpret. [Massachusetts.] 
Spur- winged plover. See rMrturia. Strand plover, 
Squatanila helivtiea. [Cork, Ireland. ] - Whistling plov- 
er, (n) The golden plover, (ft) Squatarola helvetica, (c) 
The Norfolk plover. (Various localities.) Wry-billed 
plover, the crook-billed plover. See second cut above. 
Yellow plover, the golden plover. [East Lothian.) (See 
also lark-plocer, marsh-plover, piping-plover, stone-plover.) 
plover-quail (pluv'er-kwal), . Any bird of 
the Reims Pedionomtis. 
plover-snipe (pluv'er-snip), n. Any bird of the 
group I'ret&irostreit. 
plow, plough (ploti), . [Also dial. (So. ) plctujh, 
pleuch; < ML. plow, ploice, plough, plow/lie, 
jilotrglie, ploug, plouh, ploghe, plughe, ploli, a 
Elow, a plowland, < AS. ploh (rare), a plow- 
ind (not found in AS. in the sense of 'plow,' 
for which the reg. word was mtllt, > E. dial. 
null, sitlUnc'), = O Fries, ploch = D. ploey = MLO. 
ploch, i>luch = OHO. pfiuog, pfluoh, phluoij, 
flung, fluoc, nloh, pluag, MH(i. phluoc, pfluoi; 
plow 
cultural implement, drawn by animals or moved 
by steam-power, used to cut the ground and turn 
it up so as to prepare it for tne reception of 
seeds. The soil It cut to a depth of several Inches, raised 
up, and turned over by the progress of the plow, the ob- 
ject being to expose a new surface to the air and, by pul- 
verizing and loosening the soil, to fit it for the reception of 
seed and the vigorous growth of crops. The plow. In va- 
rious forms, Is also much used for other purposes. In Its 
modern form, the common agricultural plow essentially 
consists of a ploic-oeatn provided with a cirri* for attach- 
ment of draft-animals ; handles, connected with each other 
and cross-braced by the round*; a mold-board, usually of 
cast-iron ; a plvicghare, usually of steel, or steel-pointed, 
and bolted to the mold-board ; a land-tide, usually of cast- 
iron, attached to the mold-board near the front edge of the 
latter and in line with the beam ; a cotter, of wronght-lron 
with a tempered-steel edge, attached to the beam In line 
with the front edge of the mold-board ; and a dandard or 
theth. projecting upward from and usually IntegiaJ with the 
mold-board, and connecting the latter u ith the beam. The 
rear end of the beam Is attached to the land-side handle, 
one handle being attached to the rear part of the land- 
side and the other to the rear part of the mold-board. Of- 
ten a wheel Is adjustably attached to the beam near the 
clevis, for gaging the depth of the furrow. 
2. Figuratively, tillage; culture of the earth : 
agriculture. Johnson. 3. A tool that furrows, 
grooves, planes, cuts, or otherwise acts by 
pushing or shoving, like a plow. ( a ) in uWuvr*- 
n, 'i, a kind of plane used for grooving door-stlles and 
similar work. It has an adjustable fence, and Is usually 
udapted to carry eight different widths of plane-irons, for 
different widths of grooves. (6) In eMh-umii'it., an In- 
strument for cutting the flushing parts of the pile or nap 
of fustian, (c) The cutting-knife of a plow-press, (d) In 
bookbinding, a hand-implement for cutting or trimming 
the edges of liooks. Machines for the same purpose have 
rendered the bookbinders' plow almost obsolete, (e-) A 
narrow shovel used In malting to bring the grains under- 
neath to the surface. (/ ) A rlmmer or fattlng-knlfe : as, 
a mackerel-pfoir. See ntnmer. (g) A hanging connection 
extending from a car propelled by electricity through the 
slot of the underground conduit, by means of which the 
current is conveyed to the motor on the car. 
4f. A plowland. 
And I'll gle him to his dowry 
Full Hi i j vlouahi of land. 
ChOde Vyet (Child's Ballads, II. 7). 
Black-land Plow, a plow specially adapted to plowing 
rich soil free from stones, as the black lands at prairies. 
Double mold-board plow, a plow which, Instead of a 
land-side, hasa second mold-ljoard with curvature the re- 
verse of the ordinary mold hoard, so that It turns a double 
furrow, throwing the earth in opposite directions. It la 
used for making surface-drains, ridging up, etc. Double 
plow, (o) A plow by which two furrows can be turned 
at the same time; a gang-plow consisting of two single 
plows. (6) A plow which can be adjusted to turn a fur- 
row either to the right or to the left. Also called drill- 
plow, ncernble pltnc, andturning mfjd -board plow. Gang- 
plow, two or more plows attached to a single stock or 
frame, generally having wheels as a sulky-plow has, with 
activity or labor involved: cf. MHG. phluoc, 
pfluoc, business, occupation, maintenance. 
Like pltiy and plight, the word plow belongs 
only to Teut. (the Slav., etc., forms, OBulg. 
lilugu = Kuss. plugu, etc., = lAth. pliugas, are 
from OHG.). It is not found in Goth., where 
holm, plow. Cf. Icel. ardhr, Norw. ar, al, plow, 
related to L. aratrum, a plow (see aratrum ter- 
ra), MHG. url, a plowshare, from the same nit . 
root (see t-or 8 ). The explanations which con- 
nect plow with the Gr. TT)MOV = Skt. plaea, a 
ship, or with the G&e\. ploc, a block of wood, 
stump of a tree (and hence, as Skeat supposes, 
a primitive plow), are untenable.] 1. An agri- 
on 
iih 
Ik, ullcd Pkner-t EOT (Out of / ,<,! 
Im r,,talufi. 
American Plow. 
a, handles: *, te.ni. t, luoM.board ; tt. thare ; e, ttlp-potet (can 
l- replaced when broken or worn): /. colter : g. colter>hrce ; A, 
wheel <jE*f[es depth of furrow) ; t, rc by whi. h the wheel b let to 
regulate depth of furrow ; J, clevis ; *, land-side. 
Gang-plow. 
a, rear plow; a', front plow: b, long beam; b' , short beam: c, 
wheel running on land ; c ' , wheel running in furrow ; </, lever : r. seat : 
/, ratchet-adjusting lever ; g, pole. 
adjustable devices for regulating the depth of furrows, and 
also a seat for the plowman, except when moved by steam. 
Compare gleam-plow. Hand-plow, a light small plow 
sometimes used in gardening, drawn or pushed by hand. 
Hoe-plow. Same as hi'me-hoe. Hole-plow, a plow with 
a long standard or sheth, to the lower part of which Is at- 
tached an iron shoe or burrowlng-tool which makes it lun- 
row under the surface without turning a furrow. It Is used 
for under-draining. The shoe Is sometimes so attached to 
the lower part of the sheth as to permit Its free motion 
around stones, etc. Paring-plow. Same as tud-plmr 
(which see). Pillow of a plow. XeepOlov. - Reversible 
plow. Same as double pbnr (>>). Seeding- plow, a plow 
with a box fur holding and scattering seed in the path of the 
furrow. Bhlm-COlter plow, a plow having in adv:r 
the inold-lKiard <>f the principal plow a small Inclined share 
or scraper, which cuts off weeds and scrapes them, and 
sometimes spread manure, into the furrow previously 
plowed, where the main plow covers them. Shim-plow, 
a plow cutting off a shallow slice from the surface of land, 
for killing out weeds. Also called (.-Aim. Side-hill 
plow, a plow with a reversible mold-board, which can 
be turned to throw the furrow downhill in plowinu in <>p 
poslte directions along the side or slope of a hilL Also 
called hillnde-plow and (imi-Mtwrf ttloir. Shovel-plow, 
a plow with a triangular share, tint having no mold. 
board. It Is used for cultivating growing <ips. Tin 
double shovel-plow has a very In i ail trianiiiibr share 
attached to two standards. Skeleton-plow, a plow 
In which the parts hearing against the soil arc made 
In skeleton form, to lessen friction. K. II. Knviht. 
Steam-plow, a heavy plow or gang of plows dm. i. 
