<B>purse-proud, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> proud of being rich. </DL>
<A NAME="purser">
<B>purser, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the officer who keeps the accounts of a ship or airplane, pays wages, attends to other matters of business, and is responsible for the welfare of passengers. </DL>
<A NAME="purserette">
<B>purserette, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a female purser on a ship or aircraft. </DL>
<A NAME="purseseine">
<B>purse seine,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a fishing net or seine which is pulled around a school of fish until the ends are brought together, the bottom then being drawn in under the fish to close as a bag. </DL>
<A NAME="purseseiner">
<B>purse seiner,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a boat used in fishing with a purse seine. </DL>
<A NAME="pursestrings">
<B>purse strings,</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the strings pulled to close a purse. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Figurative.) control of the money. <BR><I>expr. <B>control</B> (or <B>hold</B>) <B>the purse strings,</B> </I>to control the expenditure of money. <BR> <I>Ex. Congress controls the purse strings (New York Times). The politicians hold the purse strings and therefore can enact the detailed regulations which the scientist must obey (Science News Letter).</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>loosen the purse strings,</B> </I>to be generous in spending money. <BR> <I>Ex. Widespread loosening of the buying public's purse strings is bringing better business (Wall Street Journal).</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>tighten the purse strings,</B> </I>to be sparing in spending money. <BR> <I>Ex. to tighten the purse strings after taking a cut in salary.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="pursiness">
<B>pursiness, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a pursy condition; shortness of breath. </DL>
<A NAME="purslane">
<B>purslane, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a common plant that has small, yellow flowers and small, thick leaves. It is a trailing herb, sometimes used for salads, for flavoring, or as a potherb. There are several kinds, comprising a genus of annual plants. <BR> <I>Ex. Purslane, a common garden weed, is flourishing this season despite the hot, dry weather (New York Times).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>any one of several plants like it that belong to the purslane family. </DL>
<A NAME="purslanefamily">
<B>purslane family,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a group of dicotyledonous herbs found chiefly in warm, arid regions. The family includes the purslane, claytonia, and bitterroot. </DL>
<A NAME="pursuable">
<B>pursuable, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> that can be pursued. </DL>
<A NAME="pursual">
<B>pursual, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the act of pursuing; pursuit. <BR> <I>Ex. From hawks to seas, To galaxies All Nature is pursual (New Yorker).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="pursuance">
<B>pursuance, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a following; carrying out; pursuit. <BR> <I>Ex. In pursuance of his duty, the policeman risked his life.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="pursuant">
<B>pursuant, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> following; carrying out; according. <BR><I>expr. <B>pursuant to,</B> </I>acting according to; in accordance with; following. <BR> <I>Ex. We put the radio kit together pursuant to the instruction.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="pursuantly">
<B>pursuantly, </B>adverb.<DL COMPACT><DD> pursuant to. </DL>
<A NAME="pursue">
<B>pursue, </B>verb, <B>-sued,</B> <B>-suing.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to follow to catch or kill; chase. <BR> <I>Ex. The policeman pursued the robbers. The dogs pursued the rabbit.</I> (SYN) hunt, track. <DD><B> 2. </B>to proceed along; follow in action; follow. <BR> <I>Ex. He pursued a wise course by taking no chances.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>to strive for; try to get; seek. <BR> <I>Ex. to pursue pleasure. Depart from evil, and do good; Seek peace, and pursue it (Psalms 34:14).</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>to carry on; keep on with. <BR> <I>Ex. She pursued the study of music for four years. At Harvard he had the leisure to pursue his studies.</I> <DD><B> 5. </B>(Figurative.) to follow closely and annoy or trouble; torment. <BR> <I>Ex. The boy pursued his father with questions.</I> <DD><I>v.i. </I> to follow in pursuit. <BR> <I>Ex. The wicked flee when no man pursueth (Proverbs 28:1).</I> adv. <B>pursuingly.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="pursuer">
<B>pursuer, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> one who pursues; one who follows in haste with the purpose of overtaking. </DL>
<A NAME="pursuit">
<B>pursuit, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the act of pursuing. <BR> <I>Ex. the pursuit of game, the pursuit of pleasure, in the pursuit of science. The dog ran in pursuit of the cat. Man's aims are seen as pursuit of satisfaction (biological) and pursuit of security (cultural) (Time).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>an occupation; that which one engages in as a profession, business, or recreation. <BR> <I>Ex. Fishing is his favorite pursuit; reading is mine.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>a bicycle race. <BR> <I>Ex. [He] has been riding pursuit events for eight years, but at 30 feels the pursuit is becoming too much of a strain (London Times).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="pursuitplane">
<B>pursuit plane,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a fighter aircraft that has high speed and a high rate of climb, and can be maneuvered with ease. </DL>
<A NAME="pursuivant">
<B>pursuivant, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>an assistant to a herald; officer below a herald in rank. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Figurative.) a follower; attendant. <BR> <I>Ex. sleep, the gracious pursuivant of toil (Robert Bridges).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>a herald or messenger. <BR> <I>Ex. these grey locks, the pursuivants of death (Shakespeare).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="pursy">
<B>pursy</B> (1), adjective, <B>-sier,</B> <B>-siest.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>short-winded, especially because of fatness; puffy. <DD><B> 2. </B>fat. <BR> <I>Ex. figures of little pursy cupids (Washington Irving).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="pursy">
<B>pursy</B> (2), adjective, <B>-sier,</B> <B>-siest.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>having puckers; puckered. <DD><B> 2. </B>rich; purse-proud. <BR> <I>Ex. The pursy man means by freedom the right to do as he pleases (Emerson).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="purtenance">
<B>purtenance, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Archaic.) the heart, liver, lungs, and windpipe of an animal. </DL>
<A NAME="purulence">
<B>purulence, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the condition of forming, containing, or discharging pus; suppuration. </DL>
<A NAME="purulency">
<B>purulency, </B>noun. <B>=purulence.</B></DL>
<A NAME="purulent">
<B>purulent, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>forming, containing, or discharging pus; like pus. <BR> <I>Ex. a purulent sore, a purulent discharge from the nose during a cold.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>(Figurative.) corrupt; rotten; cheap. <BR> <I>Ex. It is an unintermitted eyesore of drive-ins, diners, souvenir stands, purulent amusement parks (Harper's).</I> adv. <B>purulently.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="purvey">
<B>purvey, </B>transitive verb, intransitive verb.<DL COMPACT><DD> to supply (food or provisions); provide; furnish. <BR> <I>Ex. to purvey meat for an army, to purvey for a royal household.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="purveyance">
<B>purveyance, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the act of purveying. <DD><B> 2. </B>provisions; supplies. <DD><B> 3. </B>(formerly, in England) the right of the king or queen to supplies, use of horses, and personal service, especially when traveling. </DL>
<A NAME="purveyor">
<B>purveyor, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a person who supplies provisions. <BR> <I>Ex. a purveyor of fine foods and meats.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>a person who supplies anything. <BR> <I>Ex. a purveyor of gossip. He ... considered "fellows who wrote" as the mere paid purveyors of rich men's pleasures (Edith Wharton).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>(formerly, in England) an officer who provided or exacted food, horses, or personal service, in accordance with the right of purveyance. </DL>
<A NAME="purview">
<B>purview, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the range, as of operation, activity, or concern; scope; extent. <BR> <I>Ex. matters within the purview of the government.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>the range of vision, thought, or understanding; outlook. <DD><B> 3. </B>the main part of a statute, following the preamble. </DL>
<A NAME="pus">
<B>pus, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a thick, yellowish-white fluid found in infected sores in the body. It consists chiefly of white blood cells, bacteria, and serum. </DL>
<A NAME="puseyism">
<B>Puseyism, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the Oxford movement of the 1800's; Tractarianism. </DL>
<A NAME="puseyist">
<B>Puseyist, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> an adherent of Puseyism; Tractarianist. </DL>
<A NAME="puseyite">
<B>Puseyite, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> an adherent of Puseyism; Tractarianist. </DL>
