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A species of sturgeon.

Valley. It has a long spatula-shaped snout. Called also duck-billed cat, and spoonbill sturgeon.

ucing distortion of one side of the face; -- so called from Sir Charles Bell, an English surgeon who described it. -- Scrivener's palsy. See Writer's cramp, under Writer. -- Shaking palsy, paralysis agitans, a disease usually occurring in old people, characterized by muscular tremors and a peculiar shaking and totter…

ch is viewed through an orifice or a magnifying glass. -- Peep-o'-day boys, the Irish insurgents of 1784; -- so called from their visiting the house of the loyal Irish at day break in search of arms. [Cant]

atal epidemic disease; a pestilence; specif., the plague. England's sufferings by that scourge, the pest. Cowper.

Specifically, a medicine that purges; a cathartic.

lastic force. (Physiol.) See under Force. -- Plastic operation, an operation in plastic surgery. -- Plastic surgery, that branch of surgery which is concerned with the repair or restoration of lost, injured, or deformed parts of the body.

An urgent prayer or entreaty. Pleas of the crown (Eng. Law), criminal actions.

To argue in support of a claim, or in defense against the claim of another; to urge reasons for or against a thing; to attempt to persuade one by argument or supplication; to speak by way of persuasion; as, to plead for the life of a criminal; to plead with a judge or with a father. O that one might plead for a man wit…

on closely, or in folds; to work upon steadily, or with repeated acts; to press upon; to urge importunately; as, to ply one with questions, with solicitations, or with drink. And plies him with redoubled strokes Dryden. He plies the duke at morning and at night. Shak.

f which the most local governmental organizations should participate as far as possible (Burgess). Under this limitation the police power, as affecting persons, is the power of the state to protect the public against the abuse of individual liberty, that is, to restrain the individual in the exercise of his rights when…

An inhabitant or burgess of a port, esp. of one of the Cinque Ports.

spine and paralysis of the lower extremities; -- so named from Percival Pott, an English surgeon. Pott's fracture, a fracture of the lower end of the fibula, with displacement of the tibia. Dunglison.

To inculcate in public discourse; to urge with earnestness by public teaching. "I have preached righteousness in the great congregation." Ps. xl. 9.

To urge or press on with eager haste or violence; to cause to happen, or come to a crisis, suddenly or too soon; as, precipitate a journey, or a conflict. Back to his sight precipitates her steps. Glover. If they be daring, it may precipitate their designs, and prove dangerous. Bacon.

One who precipitates, or urges on with vehemence or rashness. Hammond.

To urge, or act upon, with force, as weight; to act upon by pushing or thrusting, in distinction from pulling; to crowd or compel by a gradual and continued exertion; to bear upon; to squeeze; to compress; as, we press the ground with the feet when we walk; we press the couch on which we repose; we press substances wit…

Urgent; exacting; importunate; as, a pressing necessity. -- Press"ing*ly, adv.

Pressing; urgent; also, oppressive; as, pressive taxation. [R.] Bp. Hall.

Urgency; as, the pressure of business.