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practice of peculating, or of defrauding the public by appropriating to one's own use the money or goods intrusted to one's care for management or disbursement; embezzlement. Every British subject . . . active in the discovery of peculations has been ruined. Burke.

In a pecuniary manner; as regards money.

Relating to money; monetary; as, a pecuniary penalty; a pecuniary reward. Burke.

Abounding in money; wealthy; rich. [Obs.] Sherwood.

Money; riches; lucre; gain; -- generally conveying the idea of something ill-gotten or worthless. It has no plural. "Mucky pelf." Spenser. "Paltry pelf." Burke. Can their pelf prosper, not got by valor or industry Fuller.

Destitute of money; impecunious; poor. -- Pen"ni*less*ness, n.

Money, in general; as, to turn an honest penny. What penny hath Rome borne, What men provided, what munition sent Shak.

Hence: The full value of one's penny expended; due return for money laid out; a good bargain; a bargain. The priests sold the better pennyworths. Locke.

A certain sum of money paid to a clergyman in lieu of tithes. [Eng.] Mozley & W.

Excessively sparing in the use of money; sordid; stingy; miserly. "A penurious niggard of his wealth." Milton.

Things gotten by a man's own industry, or purchased with his own money, as opposed to things which come to him by descent. Mozley & W.

A Spanish silver coin, and money of account, equal to about nineteen cents, and divided into 100 centesimos.

or every house, payable on Lammas or St.Peter's day; -- called also Rome scot, and hearth money. (b) In modern times, a voluntary contribution made by Roman Catholics to the private purse of the pope. -- Peter's fish (Zoöl.), a haddock; -- so called because the black spots, one on each side, behind the gills, are trad…

tty business as a lawyer; also, to do law business in a petty or tricky way. "He takes no money, but pettifogs gratis." S. Butler.

walked about, admired of all. Milton. Petty averages. See under Average. -- Petty cash, money expended or received in small items or amounts. -- Petty officer, a subofficer in the navy, as a gunner, etc., corresponding to a noncommissionned officer in the army.

Any structure shaped like a church pew, as a stall, formerly used by money lenders, etc.; a box in theater; a pen; a sheepfold. [Obs.] Pepys. Milton. Pew opener, an usher in a church. [Eng.] Dickens.

Money paid at fairs for leave to break ground for booths. Ainsworth.

One who steals purses, or money from purses. Latimer. Shak.

To strip of money or goods by open violence; to plunder; to spoil; to lay waste; as, to pillage the camp of an enemy. Mummius . . . took, pillaged, and burnt their city. Arbuthnot.

al bolt; a lock in which pins, arranged by the key, are used instead of tumblers. -- Pin money, an allowance of money, as that made by a husband to his wife, for private and personal expenditure. -- Pin rail (Naut.), a rail, usually within the bulwarks, to hold belaying pins. Sometimes applied to the fife rail. Calle…