| Perfect | v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Perfected; p. pr. & vb. n. Perfecting. ] [ L. perfectus, p. p. of perficere. See Perfect, a. ] To make perfect; to finish or complete, so as to leave nothing wanting; to give to anything all that is requisite to its nature and kind. [ 1913 Webster ] God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfect in us. 1 John iv. 12. [ 1913 Webster ] Inquire into the nature and properties of the things, . . . and thereby perfect our ideas of their distinct species. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]
Perfecting press (Print.), a press in which the printing on both sides of the paper is completed in one passage through the machine. [ 1913 Webster ]
Syn. -- To finish; accomplish; complete; consummate. [ 1913 Webster ] |
| Perfect | a. [ OE. parfit, OF. parfit, parfet, parfait, F. parfait, L. perfectus, p. p. of perficere to carry to the end, to perform, finish, perfect; per (see Per-) + facere to make, do. See Fact. ] 1. Brought to consummation or completeness; completed; not defective nor redundant; having all the properties or qualities requisite to its nature and kind; without flaw, fault, or blemish; without error; mature; whole; pure; sound; right; correct. [ 1913 Webster ] My strength is made perfect in weakness. 2 Cor. xii. 9. [ 1913 Webster ] Three glorious suns, each one a perfect sun. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ] I fear I am not in my perfect mind. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ] O most entire perfect sacrifice! Keble. [ 1913 Webster ] God made thee perfect, not immutable. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ] 2. Well informed; certain; sure. [ 1913 Webster ] I am perfect that the Pannonians are now in arms. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ] 3. (Bot.) Hermaphrodite; having both stamens and pistils; -- said of a flower. [ 1913 Webster ]
Perfect cadence (Mus.), a complete and satisfactory close in the harmony, as upon the tonic preceded by the dominant. --
Perfect chord (Mus.), a concord or union of sounds which is perfectly coalescent and agreeable to the ear, as the unison, octave, fifth, and fourth; a perfect consonance; a common chord in its original position of keynote, third, fifth, and octave. --
Perfect number (Arith.), a number equal to the sum of all its divisors; as, 28, whose aliquot parts, or divisors, are 14, 7, 4, 2, 1. See Abundant number, under Abundant. Brande & C. --
Perfect tense (Gram.), a tense which expresses an act or state completed; also called the perfective tense. [ 1913 Webster ]
Syn. -- Finished; consummate; complete; entire; faultless; blameless; unblemished. [ 1913 Webster ] |
