plunger 
It't an iiunlt to the whole Uuards, my drair fellow, after 
refuting two of tu, to marry ail attorney, and after all to 
bolt with & plunger. Kinyntey, Two Yean Ago, xvl. 
3. A reckless better; a dashing or venture- 
Bome gambler or speculator. [Sporting slang.] 
4. A part of a machine or piece of mecha- 
nism that plunges, (a) The piston of a Cornish pump. 
It la a cylindrical mass of Iron which plays through a 
stuffing-box up and down In the plunger-case, and forces 
the water Into the lift or tube. In which It rises to the 
surface, adit-level, or other desired point (6) Any solid 
piston. See plunger-putan. (e) The dasher of a chum. 
(</) The firing pin or striker used In some breech-loading 
firearms. () A metallic cylinder, hollow or solid, some- 
times surrounding and sometimes within the coil of wire 
of a small inductorium, by the movement of which the 
intensity of the induced current may be regulated. C/) 
Any compression-machine in which the force is applied by 
means of a plunger. See cuts under hydraulic, percussion- 
futt, and pump, (a) A cylindrical graduated rod used in 
blasting to ascertain whether the cartridge has reached 
the bottom of the drilled hole, when charging the hole for 
a blast. 
5. In pottery, a vessel in which clay is beaten 
by a wheel to the required consistency. E. H. 
Kniylit. 
plunger-bucket (plun'jer-buk'et), n. 1. In a 
pump, a bucket having no valve. 2. Same as 
plunger-piston, 2. 
plunger-case (plun'jer-kas), n. The cylinder in 
which a plunger works. 
plunger-lift (plun'jer-lift), n. 1. In a pump, a 
bucket having no valve. See cut under pump. 
2. Same as plunger-piston, 2. 
plunger-piston (plun'jer-pis'ton), n. 1. In a 
pump, a solid cylindrical piston, either operated 
by a special piston-rod with a crosshead, or pro- 
truding from the pump-barrel sufficiently for 
the direct attachment of a pitman to it outside 
of the pump-cylinder. 2. The solid piston of 
a pressure-gage, steam-indicator, or some simi- 
lar instrument. Also called plunger-lift and 
plunger-bucket. 
plunger-pump (plun'jer-pump), n. A pump 
in which the liquid confined in the pump-bar- 
rel by a foot-valve or check-valve is forced by 
displacement, during the inward stroke of a 
plunger, through another check-valve into the 
discharge-pipe or -passage, or the air-chamber, 
of the pump. 
plunging (plun'jiug), jj. a. Directed from above 
downward; poured down from a higher plane : 
as, to subject the enemy to a jiluiif/iiig fire. See 
fire, n., 13. 
plunging-Siphon (plun'jing-sl"fon), n. A small 
tube with open ends which is thrust into liquor 
in bulk in order to withdraw a sample by clos- 
ing the upper end with the finger. 
plungy (plun'ji), a. [< ME. phiciiyy; (plunge 
+ -I/'.] Rainy. [Prov. Eng.] 
The wrnd Notbus leteth his plotrnay Wastes. 
Chaucer, Boethius, ill. meter 1. 
plunkett (plung'ket), n. Same as blanket. 
Out came six ladles all In crlmosin satin and pluntet, 
embroudered with golde and perle, with Frenche hoodes 
on their heddes. 
Hall, quoted In Strait's Sports and Pastimes, p. '240. 
plup. Aii abbreviation of pluperfect. 
pluperfect (plo"per'fekt), a. and n. [Abbr. of 
L. (NL.) plusquam-perfectum (sc. tempus). the 
pluperfect tense, lit. 'more than perfect . L. 
plus, more (see plus); quam, than; perfeclum, 
neut. of perfectus, perfect: see perfect."] I. a. 
Noting the time, or the expression of time, of 
an action occurring prior to another specified 
time: as. the pluperfect tense. 
II. n. In gram., the pluperfect tense of a verb, 
or an equivalent verb-phrase: for example, 
Latin amaveram, English ' I had loved.' 
plural (plS'ral). a. and n. [< ME. plurelle, < OF. 
plurel, F. pl'urtel = Sp. Pg. plural = It. plurale 
= G. plural, < L. pluralis, of or belonging to 
more than one, or to many ; in gram, pluralix, 
BC. numcruK, the plural number; < plus(plur-), 
more: see plus.] I. a. 1. Containing more 
than one ; consisting of two or more, or desig- 
nating two or more. 
Better hare none 
Than plural faith, which Is too much by one. 
Shot., 1. O. of V., T. 4. 62. 
Specifically 2. In gram., noting the form of 
a word (primarily of a noun or pronoun, then 
of an adjective qualifying it, and finally of a 
verb of which it is subject) which marks it as 
signifying or relating to more than one, ns dis- 
tinguished from Kintjiilur, signifying only one; 
in some languages, which have a dual form for 
two, signifying more than two: thus, boys is 
the plural number of boy, men of man, we of /, 
these of thin, are of is, and were of vas Plural 
marriage. See marriage 
4670 
H. ". 1. The state of being manifold or 
more than one. 
If respect be had to the several! arts there professed, 
Sigebert founded schools In the jjlurall. But if regard be 
taken of the cyclopfedy of the learning resulting from those 
several sciences, he erected but one grand school. 
Fuller, (h. Hilt, II. it 66. 
2. That form of a word which expresses plu- 
rality, or the plural number. Abbreviated pi. 
pluralisation, pluralise, etc. See pluraliza- 
tion, etc. 
pluralism (pl6'ral-izm), . [< plural + -ism.~\ 
1. The character of being plural. 2. The 
holding by one person of two or more offices 
at the same time ; specifically, the holding of 
two or more livings or benefices at the same 
time; or the ecclesiastical system under which 
this is possible. 
pluralist (plo'ral-ist), n. [< plural + -is*.] A 
clergyman who "holds at the same time two or 
more ecclesiastical benefices. 
Who, being a pluralist, may under one Surplice, which is 
also llnnen, hide foure benefices besides the metropolitan 
toe. Milton, Apology for Smectymnuus. 
Many ecclesiastics, some even of those who affected to 
lie evangelical, were vluralute, and left their numerous 
parishes to the care of those who would serve at the low- 
est price. Bancroft, Hurt. U. 8., I. 215. 
pluralistic (plo'-ra-lis'tik), a. [< pluralist + 
-ic.] Holding to the existence of many reals. 
plurality (plij-ral'i-ti). n. ; pi. pluralities (-tiz). 
[< ME. pluralite, (OF .pluralite, F. pluralite = 
Sp. pluralidad = Pg.pluralidaae = It. pluralita, 
< LL. pluralita(t-)s, the plural number, < L. 
pluralis, plural : see plural.'] 1. The character 
of being plural; the fact of expressing or of 
consisting of more than one ; also, a number 
greater than unity: as, & plurality of gods; a 
plurality of worlds. 
And bigge sow benefices pluralite to haue. 
Piers Plowman (C), IT. S3. 
The wantonnesse 
Of their insatiat appetite, that feeds 
On such plurality of viands, breeds 
Offensive humors. 
Times' Whittle (E. E. T. S.), p. 57. 
We are now led to recognise the doctrine of the "plurality 
of causes" in our explanations of things ; and the instances 
of this plurality are both numerous and familiar. 
A. Sain, Emotions and Will, p. 213. 
2. The greater number ; the majority. 
Take the plurality of the world, and they are neither 
wise nor good. Sir K. L' Estrange. 
The two avoyers are elected by the plurality of suffrages 
of all the citizens. J. Adams, Works, IV. 332. 
8. In U. S. politics, the number by which the 
votes cast for the candidate who receives the 
greatest number exceed the votes cast for the 
candidate who receives the next greatest num- 
ber, when there are more than two candidates 
and no one candidate receives a majority of the 
votes. If A receives 5,000 votes, B 4,000, and C 8,000, no 
one has a majority, but A has a plurality of 1,000 over B. 
In most of the States a plurality elects a candidate; In 
others, as Connecticut and Rhode Island, if no candidate 
(as for governor) receives a popular majority, the election 
goes to the legislature. Compare majority. 
4. Eccles.: (a) The holding of two or more bene- 
fices by the same person at the same time ; plu- 
ralism. 
The most part of them were such as had preach'd and 
crl'd down, with great show of zeale, the avarice and plu- 
ralitirt of Bishops and Prelata. Milton, Hist Eng., iii. 
(6) One of two or more livings held by the same 
incumbent. See living, 4 (a). 
Who engross many pluralities under a non-resident and 
slubbring dispatch of souls. 
Milton, Apology for Smectymnuus. 
pluralization (pl8'ral-i-za'shon), n. [< plural- 
ite + -ation.'] The act of pliiralizing; the at- 
tribution of plurality to a person or thing. Also 
spelled pluralisation. 
" Inferiors invariably use the third person plural in ad- 
dressing their superiors :" a form which, while dignifying 
the superior by pluraliiation, Increases the distance of the 
inferior by its relative indirectness. 
B. Spencer, Pop. Scl. Mo., XIII. 300. 
pluralize (pl8'ral-iz), t>.; pret. and pp. plural- 
ized, ppr. pluratieing. [< plural + -ize.~] I. 
trans. To make plural by using the termination 
of the plural number; attribute plurality to; 
express in the plural form. 
II. intrans. Eccles., to hold two or more ben- 
efices at the same time. 
Also spelled pluralise. 
pluralizer (pl6"ral-i-zer), n. Eccles., a plural- 
ist. Also spelled iiliirulixer. 
plurally (plo"ral-i), arfr. AH a plural; in a 
sense implying more than one. 
pluriserial 
Plato . . . often spoke of Oods plurally. 
Cudworth, Intellectual System, p. 402. 
pluricapsular ( plo-ri-kap'su-lSr), a. [< L. plus 
( )>lnr-), more, + NL. capsula, capsule: see cap- 
sular.] Having several capsules; specifically, 
polyeyttarian, as a radiolarian. 
pluricellular (pl6-ri-sel'u-liir), a. [< L. plus 
(plur-), more,+ cellula, cell: see cellular.'] Con- 
sisting of many cells; composed of two or 
more cells: as, pluricellular tissues. See cut 
under hair, 4. 
pluricuspid (pl8-ri-kus'pid), . [< L. plus 
(plur-), more, + cuspis (cuspid-), a point: see 
cusp, 5.] Having several cusps, as teeth. Also 
pluricu#i>idate. 
pluridentate (pl8-ri-den'tat), a. [< L. plus 
(plur-), more, + den(t-)s = E. tooth: see den- 
tate."] In zool., having numerous tooth-like 
processes: opposed to parcidentate or pauci- 
dentate. 
pluries (pl8'ri-ez), n. [So called from the LL. 
word pluries, often, which occurs in the first 
clause; < L. plus (plur-), more: see plus.] In 
law, a writ that issues in the third instance, af- 
ter the first and the alias have been ineffectual. 
plurifarious (plS-ri-fa'ri-us), . [< L. "plvri- 
farius, manifold, in adv. plurifariam, in many 
parts, in many ways, < plus (plur-), more, 4- 
-farius, as in pifarius: see bifarious.'] Mani- 
fold; multifarious. [Rare.] 
pluriflagellate (plo'-ri-flaj'e-lat), a. [< L. plus 
(plur-), more, + NL. fltigellum, flagellum: see 
flagellum."] Having several flagella, as an in- 
fusorian; polymastigate. 
pluriflorous(pl8-ri-fl6'rus), a. [<L. plus (plur-). 
more, + flos (flor-) , a flower. ] Having several 
or many flowers. 
plurifofiate (pl8-ri-fo'li-at), . [< L. plus 
(plur-), more, + folium, leaf: see foliate.'] In 
bot., having several leaves. 
plurifoliolate (plo-ri-fo'li-o-lat), a. [< L. plan 
(plur-), more, 4- NL. folio'lum, dim. of folium, 
leaf, + -ate 1 .] In bot., having several leaflets: 
said of a compound leaf. 
pluriguttulate (pl6-ri-gut'u-lat), a. [< L. plus 
(plur-), more, + guttula, dim. of gutta, drop: 
see guttulate.] In bot., containing many fine 
drops or drop-like particles, as the sporules of 
certain fungi. 
pluriliteral (plo-ri-lit'e-ral), . and n. [< L. 
plus (plur-), more, + 'litiera, litera, a letter: 
see literal.] I. . Containing several letters. 
II. n. A word consisting of several letters. 
plurilocular (plo-ri-lok'u-lar), a. [< L. plug 
(]>lur-),more, + loculus, a cell: see loculug.] 
In bot. and zool., many-celled; having several 
or many cells or loculaments; multilocular. 
See cut under liair, 4. 
plurinominal (pl8-ri-nom'i-nal), a. [< L. plus 
(plur-), more, 4- nomen (nomin-), name: see 
nominal.'] In zool. and bot., same as polynomial. 
plurinucleate (pl6-ri-nu'kle-at), a. [< L. plus 
(plur-), more, 4- nucleus, a' kernel: see nucle- 
ate.] In bot. and zool., having several nuclei; 
multinucleate. 
plurinucleated (pl8-ri-nu'kle-a-ted), a. ^plu- 
rinucleate + -e<fi.~\ Same as I plurinucleate. 
pluripara (plo-rip'a-rft), >. ; pi. pluripara (-re). 
[NL.: see pluriparous.] A female parturient 
for the second or some subsequent time, or one 
who has borne two or more children. 
pluriparity (pl6-ri-par'i-ti), n. [< pluripara + 
-ity.] The state of being a pluripara. 
pluriparous (pl8-rip'a-rus), a. [< NL. pluri- 
para, < L. plus (plur-), more, + parere, bear.] 
1. Having several young at a birth; multipa- 
rous. H. Spencer. 2. Of or pertaining to a 
pluripara. 
pluripartite (pl8-ri-pSr'tit), . [< L. plus 
(plur-), more, + partitus, pp. otpartire, divide, 
< pars (part-), a part : see part, .] In bot. 
and zool., having several septa or partitions. 
pluripresence fpW-ri-prea'jw), w. [< L. plus 
( plur-), more, + preeseutia, presence : see pres- 
ence.'] Presence in more places than one. 
[Bare.] 
ii. Does not their invocation of saints suppose 
omnipresence In the saints? 
Johiaun. No, Sir; it supposes only pluri pntmct. 
BonoeU, Johnson, an. 1773. 
pluriseptate (plS-ri-sep'tat), a. [< L. plug 
( jilnr-), more, + NL. .W/I/IIHI. a partition: see 
septate.] In bot., having several septa, purti- 
tions, or dissepiments; pluripartite. 
pluriserial (pl6-ri-8e'ri-Hl).(/. [< L.fint(pha^), 
mure, + MTMt, a n> : >.( >-. / i/il. \ Consisting 
of several series. /.Wi/r. llrit.. XXII. 190. 
