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or words similar in sound are set in opposition to each other, so as to give antithetical force to the sentence; punning. Dryden.

A peculiar forcepslike organ which occurs in large numbers upon starfishes and echini. Those of starfishes have two movable jaws, or blades, and are usually nearly, or quite, sessile; those of echini usually have three jaws and a pedicel. See Illustration in Appendix.

A dynamometer for measuring the force required to draw wheel carriages on roads of different constructions. G. Francis.

esources; want; privation; indigence; extreme poverty; destitution. "A penury of military forces." Bacon. They were exposed to hardship and penury. Sprat. It arises in neither from penury of thought. Landor.

an intensive as perhaps, by hap or chance; perennial, that lasts throughout the year; perforce, through or by force; perfoliate, perforate; perspicuous, evident throughout or very evident; perplex, literally, to entangle very much.

Striking against; percutient; as, percussive force.

By force; of necessary; at any rate. Shak.

ll cry unto God most high, unto God that performeth all things for me. Ps. lvii. 2. Great force to perform what they did attempt. Sir P. Sidney.

A theory which explains inheritance by the transmission of the type of growth force possessed by one generation to another.

capacity of a body for magnetic induction, or its conducting power for lines of magnetic force. Sir W. Thomson.

disturbance in the regular elliptic or other motion of a heavenly body, produced by some force additional to that which causes its regular motion; as, the perturbations of the planets are caused by their attraction on each other. Newcomb.

at certain points, exists in the upper strata of the earth, from whence it is pumped, or forced by pressure of the gas attending it. It consists of a complex mixture of various hydrocarbons, largely of the methane series, but may vary much in appearance, composition, and properties. It is refined by distillation, and…

device for measuring the difference in phase of two alternating currents of electromotive forces.

See Vital force, under Vital.

moral, spiritual, or imaginary; material; natural; as, armies and navies are the physical force of a nation; the body is the physical part of man. Labor, in the physical world, is . . . employed in putting objects in motion. J. S. Mill. A society sunk in ignorance, and ruled by mere physical force. Macaulay.…

In a physical manner; according to the laws of nature or physics; by physical force; not morally. I am not now treating physically of light or colors. Locke.

bjects; that branch of science which treats of the laws and properties of matter, and the forces acting upon it; especially, that department of natural science which treats of the causes (as gravitation, heat, light, magnetism, electricity, etc.) that modify the general properties of bodies; natural philosophy.…

A military punishment, formerly resorted to, in which the offender was forced to stand with one foot on a pointed stake.

To penetrate; to enter; to force a way into or through; to pass into or through; as, to pierce the enemy's line; a shot pierced the ship.

That which is taken from another or others by open force, particularly and chiefly from enemies in war; plunder; spoil; booty. Which pillage they with merry march bring home. Shak.