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dies' shawls, scarfs, handkerchiefs, etc., made from the fiber of the pineapple leaf, and perhaps from other fibrous tropical leaves. It is delicate, soft, and transparent, with a slight tinge of pale yellow.

pitchblende. It is closely related chemically to bismuth. It emits only alpha rays and is perhaps identical with radium F.

y extreme, remote, or improbable intervention, change, or exercise of power; by a chance; perhaps; as, possibly he may recover. Can we . . . possibly his love desert Milton. When possibly I can, I will return. Shak.

rcept; to hinder; to frustrate; to stop; to thwart. "This vile purpose to prevent." Shak. Perhaps forestalling night prevented them. Milton.

he beholds a dint, Which in that field young Edward's sword did print. Sir John Beaumont. Perhaps some footsteps printed in the clay. Roscommon.

giving orders. Clarendon. Tell him I am prompt To lay my crown at's feet. Shak. Any you, perhaps, too prompt in your replies. Dryden.

A kind of delicate confectionery or cake, perhaps made from the pulp of fruit. [Obs.] Nares.

To exchange; to truck. [Obs. & Law] To rap and ren, To rap and rend. Etym: [Perhaps fr. Icel. hrapa to hurry and ræna plunder, fr. ran plunder, E. ran.] To seize and plunder; to snatch by violence. Dryden. "[Ye] waste all that ye may rape and renne." Chaucer. All they could rap and rend pilfer. Hudibras. -- To rap out,…

which elevate man above the brutes, and constitute his rational nature, more especially, perhaps, his intellectual powers; sometimes to express the power of deduction or argumentation. Stewart. By the pure reason I mean the power by which we become possessed of principles. Coleridge. The sense perceives; the understan…

re an enjoined rule of conduct. [R.] Those parts of pleading which in ancient times might perhaps be material, but at this time are become only mere styles and forms, are still continued with much religion. Sir M. Hale.

this, from which our sight we have, Gazed on too long, resumes the light he gave. Denham. Perhaps God will resume the blessing he has bestowed ere he attains the age of manhood. Sir W. Scott.

An obsolete phrase of disputed meaning, -- perhaps, smooth or polished bone. His saddle was of rewel boon. Chaucer.

of a sail to prevent chafing, or to secure a better fit. As sound as a roach Etym: [roach perhaps being a corruption of a F. roche a rock], perfectly sound.

and each separately distinct; -- distinguished from running hand. -- Round robin. Etym: [Perhaps F. round round + ruban ribbon.] (a) A written petition, memorial, remonstrance, protest, etc., the signatures to which are made in a circle so as not to indicate who signed first. "No round robins signed by the whole main…

A Shakespearean word of uncertain meaning. Perhaps "fattened in the rump, pampered." "The rump-fed ronyon."

ge. There is another personage abroad, -- a person less imposing, -- in the eyes of some, perhaps, insignificant. The schoolmaster is abroad; and I trust to him, armed with his primer, against the soldier in full military array. Brougham.

A screech. [R.] Perhaps it is the owlet's scritch. Coleridge.

s usually from three to seven in each town. The system of delegated town action was then, perhaps, the same which was defined in an "order made in 1635 by the inhabitants of Charlestown at a full meeting for the government of the town, by selectmen;" the name presently extended throughout New England to municipal gover…

rted; as, shafts of light. And the thunder, Winged with red lightning and impetuous rage, Perhaps hath spent his shafts. Milton. Some kinds of literary pursuits . . . have been attacked with all the shafts of ridicule. V. Knox.

A temporary substitute for a bed, as one made on the floor or on chairs; -- perhaps originally from the shaking down of straw for this purpose. Sir W. Scott.