n.; pl. Peris [ Per. perī a female genus, a fairy. ] (Persian Myth.) An imaginary being, male or female, like an elf or fairy, represented as a descendant of fallen angels, excluded from paradise till penance is accomplished. Moore. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ Gr. peri`, prep. ] A prefix used to signify around, by, near, over, beyond, or to give an intensive sense; as, perimeter, the measure around; perigee, point near the earth; periergy, work beyond what is needed; perispherical, quite spherical. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Pirogue. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Pref. peri- + Gr. 'anqos flower: cf. F. périanthe. ] (Bot.) (a) The leaves of a flower generally, especially when the calyx and corolla are not readily distinguished. (b) A saclike involucre which incloses the young fruit in most hepatic mosses. See Illust. of Hepatica. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ NL. ] (Bot.) The perianth. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. peri`apton, fr. peri`aptos hung about, peria`ptein to hang about; peri` about + 'a`ptein to tie: cf. F. périapte. ] A charm worn as a protection against disease or mischief; an amulet. Coleridge. [ 1913 Webster ]

Now help, ye charming spells and periapts. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Among or around the stars. “Comets in periastral passage.” R. A. Proctor. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ NL., fr. Gr. peri` about + 'a`stron a star. ] (Astron.) That point, in the real or apparent orbit of one star revolving around another, at which the former is nearest to the latter. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Pirogue. W. Irving. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. periblasta`nein to grow around. See Peri-, and -blast. ] (Biol.) The protoplasmic matter which surrounds the entoblast, or cell nucleus, and undergoes segmentation. -- Per`i*blas"tic, a. [1913 Webster]