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Having the power to give form or fashion to a mass of matter; as, the plastic hand of the Creator. Prior. See plastic Nature working to his end. Pope.

A formative particle of albuminous matter; a monad; a cytode. See the Note under Morphon. Haeckel.

theaters where some men play. Donne. To play into a person's hands, to act, or to manage matters, to his advantage or benefit. -- To play off, to affect; to feign; to practice artifice. -- To play upon. (a) To make sport of; to deceive. Art thou alive Or is it fantasy that plays upon our eyesight. Shak.…

e at the bar; as, to plead a cause before a court or jury. Every man should plead his own matter. Sir T. More.

To have pleasure; to be willing, as a matter of affording pleasure or showing favor; to vouchsafe; to consent. Heavenly stranger, please to taste These bounties. Milton. That he would please 8give me my liberty. Swift.

t, laid over a wound, ulcer, or the like, to exclude air, retain dressings, or absorb the matter discharged.

One who holds that all space is full of matter.

That state in which every part of space is supposed to be full of matter; -- opposed to vacuum. G. Francis.

A disease of the hair (Plica polonica), in which it becomes twisted and matted together. The disease is of Polish origin, and is hence called also Polish plait. Dunglison.

Waste matter from the preparation of skins, consisting of hair, lime, oil, etc.

he most prominent or important feature, as of an argument, discourse, etc.; the essential matter; esp., the proposition to be established; as, the point of an anecdote. "Here lies the point." Shak. They will hardly prove his point. Arbuthnot.

Poison gland (Biol.), a gland, in animals or plants, which secretes an acrid or venomous matter, that is conveyed along an organ capable of inflicting a wound. -- Poison hemlock (Bot.), a poisonous umbelliferous plant (Conium maculatum). See Hemlock. -- Poison ivy (Bot.), a poisonous climbing plant (Rhus Toxicodendr…

a policy that shows by its form that the assured has a real, substantial interest in the matter insured. -- Open policy, one in which the value of the goods or property insured is not mentioned. -- Policy book, a book to contain a record of insurance policies. -- Policy holder, one to whom an insurance policy has b…

act with the stigma, which it penetrates, thus conveying, it is supposed, the fecundating matter of the grain to the ovule.

The coloring matter of saffron; -- formerly so called because of the change of color on treatment with certain acids; -- called also crocin, and safranin.

A book containing several versions of the same text, or containing the same subject matter in several languages; esp., the Scriptures in several languages. Enriched by the publication of polyglots. Abp. Newcome.

A coloring matter found in many simple Anthozoa and some hydroids.

A cast, or facsimile copy, of an engraved block, matter in type, etc. (see citation); as, a polytype in relief. By pressing the wood cut into semifluid metal, an intaglio matrix is produced: and from this matrix, in a similar way, a polytype in relief is obtained. Hansard.

One of the sacred college, in ancient Rome, which had the supreme jurisdiction over all matters of religion, at the head of which was the Pontifex Maximus. Dr. W. Smith.

) An office under governmental superintendence, where letters, papers, and other mailable matter, are received and distributed; a place appointed for attending to all business connected with the mail. (b) The governmental system for forwarding mail matter. -- Postoffice order. See Money order, under Money. -- Post ro…