a. (Med.) Opposed to, or checking motion; acting upward; -- applied to an inverted action of the intestinal tube. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ Gr. 'antiperi`stasis; 'anti` against + peri`stasis a standing around, fr. periista`nai to stand around; peri` around + "ista`nai to stand.] Opposition by which the quality opposed acquires strength; resistance or reaction roused by opposition or by the action of an opposite principle or quality. [1913 Webster]

a. Pertaining to antiperistasis. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Containing, or partaking of the nature of, copper; like copper; as, a copperish taste. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Perished; decayed. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

I deem thy brain emperished be. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being imperishable: indstructibility. “The imperishability of the universe.” Milman. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Pref. im- not + perishable: cf. F. impérissable. ] Not perishable; not subject to decay; indestructible; enduring permanently; as, an imperishable monument; imperishable renown. -- Im*per"ish*a*ble*ness, n. -- Im*per"ish*a*bly, adv. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. paupérisme. ] The state of being a pauper; the state of indigent persons requiring support from the community. Whatly. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Poverty; indigence; penury; want; need; destitution. See Poverty. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Pref. peri- + Gr. &unr_;, &unr_;, flesh. ] (Zool.) The outer, hardened integument which covers most hydroids. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. &unr_;; peri` around + &unr_; shadow: cf. F. périscien. ] Having the shadow moving all around. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ ‖ } n. pl. [ NL. See Periscian. ] Those who live within a polar circle, whose shadows, during some summer days, will move entirely round, falling toward every point of the compass. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Pref. peri- + -scope. ] A general or comprehensive view. [ archaic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An optical instrument of tubular shape containing an arrangement of lenses and mirrors (or prisms), allowing a person to observe a field of view otherwise obstructed, as beyond an obstructing object or (as in submarines) above the surface of the water. [ PJC ]

a. [ Cf. F. périscopique. ] Viewing all around, or on all sides. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. of or relating to a periscope{ 2 }. [ 1913 Webster ]

Periscopic spectacles (Opt.), spectacles having concavo-convex or convexo-concave lenses with a considerable curvature corresponding to that of the eye, to increase the distinctness of objects viewed obliquely. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Perished p. pr. & vb. n. Perishing. ] [ OE. perissen, perisshen, F. périr, p. pr. périssant, L. perire to go or run through, come to nothing, perish; per through + ire to go. Cf. Issue, and see -ish. ] To be destroyed; to pass away; to become nothing; to be lost; to die; hence, to wither; to waste away. [ 1913 Webster ]

I perish with hunger! Luke xv. 17. [ 1913 Webster ]

Grow up and perish, as the summer fly. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

The thoughts of a soul that perish in thinking. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To cause perish. [ Obs. ] Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

perish the thought I hope it will never happen; -- a phrase used after mention of a possible undesirable event, sometimes facetiously. [ PJC ]

n. Perishableness. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ F. périssable. ] Liable to perish; subject to decay, destruction, or death; as, perishable goods; our perishable bodies. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality or state of being perishable; liability to decay or destruction. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a perishable degree or manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. OF. perissement. ] The act of perishing. [ R. ] Udall. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n.; pl. Perisomata [ NL. ] (Zool.) Same as Perisome. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Pref. peri- + -some body. ] (Zool.) The entire covering of an invertebrate animal, as echinoderm or cœlenterate; the integument. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. périsperme. See Peri-, and Sperm. ] (Bot.) The albumen of a seed, especially that portion which is formed outside of the embryo sac. -- Per`i*sper"mic a. [1913 Webster]

{ } a. Exactly spherical; globular. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n.; pl. Perispomena [ NL., from Gr. &unr_;, pr. pass. p. of &unr_; to draw around, to circumflex; peri` around + &unr_; to draw. ] (Gr. Gram.) A word which has the circumflex accent on the last syllable. Goodwin. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Bot.) The outer covering of a spore. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. &unr_; odd, from &unr_; over. ] (Chem.) Odd; not even; -- said of elementary substances and of radicals whose valence is not divisible by two without a remainder. Contrasted with artiad. [ Archaic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To perish. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) One of the Perissodactyla. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ NL., from Gr. &unr_; odd (fr. &unr_; over) + &unr_; finger. ] (Zool.) A division of ungulate mammals, including those that have an odd number of toes, as the horse, tapir, and rhinoceros; -- opposed to Artiodactyla. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. périssologique. ] Redundant or excessive in words. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. perissologia, Gr. &unr_;; &unr_; odd, superfluous + &unr_; discourse. ] Superfluity of words. [ R. ] G. Campbell. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ NL. See Peristaltic. ] (Physiol.) Peristaltic contraction or action. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. &unr_; clasping and compressing, fr. &unr_; to surround, wrap up; &unr_; round + &unr_; to place, arrange: cf. F. péristaltique. ] (Physiol.) Pertaining to a wormlike wave motion of the intestines, and by analogy, of other flexible tubular structures. In the body it is produced by a progressive contraction of the muscular fibers of their walls, forcing their contents onwards in the direction of the wave; as, peristaltic movement. -- Per`i*stal"tic*al*ly adv. [1913 Webster]

‖prop. n. [ NL. See Peristerion. ] (Bot.) A genus of orchidaceous plants. See Dove plant. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ NL., fr. Gr. &unr_; a dovecote, a kind of verbena, fr. peristera` a dove, pigeon; cf. L. peristereon. ] (Bot.) The herb vervain (Verbena officinalis). [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. peristera` a pigeon. ] (Min.) A variety of albite, whitish and slightly iridescent like a pigeon's neck. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. peristera` a pigeon + -morphous. ] (Zool.) Like or pertaining to the pigeons or Columbæ. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. peristera` a pigeon + poy`s, podo`s, foot. ] (Zool.) Having pigeonlike feet; -- said of those gallinaceous birds that rest on all four toes, as the curassows and megapods. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ NL.: cf. F. péristole. See Peristaltic. ] (Physiol.) Peristaltic action, especially of the intestines. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n.; pl. Peristomata [ NL. ] Same as Peristome. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Pref. peri- + Gr. sto`ma, sto`matos, mouth. ] 1. (Bot.) The fringe of teeth around the orifice of the capsule of mosses. It consists of 4, 8, 16, 32, or 64 teeth, and may be either single or double. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) (a) The lip, or edge of the aperture, of a spiral shell. (b) The membrane surrounding the mouth of an invertebrate animal. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Zool.) Of or pertaining to a peristome. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ NL. ] Same as Peristome. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. &unr_; to turn round. ] Turning around; rotatory; revolving; as, a peristrephic painting (of a panorama). [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. peristylum, Gr. peri`stylon, peri`stylos; peri` about + sty^los a column: cf. F. péristyle. ] (Arch.) A range of columns with their entablature, etc.; specifically, a complete system of columns, whether on all sides of a court, or surrounding a building, such as the cella of a temple. Used in the former sense, it gives name to the larger and inner court of a Roman dwelling, the peristyle. See Colonnade. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Pref. peri- + systole: cf. F. périsystole. ] (Physiol.) The interval between the diastole and systole of the heart. It is perceptible only in the dying. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Gr. Gram.) Properispomenon. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n.; pl. Properispomena [ NL., fr. Gr. &unr_;, fr. &unr_; to circumflex on the penult; &unr_; before + &unr_; to circumflex. See Perispomenon. ] (Gr. Gram.) A word which has the circumflex accent on the penult. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Imperishable. [ 1913 Webster ]