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To exercise very powerful or irresistible influence upon or over; to constrain; to force; to compel. Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ. Acts xviii. 5.

Powerful; strong; mighty; forcible; as, a puissant prince or empire. " Puissant deeds." Milton. Of puissant nations which the world possessed. Spenser. And worldlings in it are less merciful, And more puissant. Mrs. Browning.

In a puissant manner; powerfully; with great strength.

Becoming putrid or rotten. Externally powerful, although putrescent at the core. Motley.

The most powerful, and except the king the most important, piece in a set of chessmen.

A strong or rapid current of water, or the channel or passage for such a current; a powerful current or heavy sea, sometimes produced by the meeting of two tides; as, the Portland Race; the Race of Alderney.

The powerfully astringent root of a half-shrubby Peruvian plant (Krameria triandra). It is used in medicine and to color port wine. [Written also ratany.] Savanilla rhatany, the root of Krameria Ixina, a native of New Granada.

erotidæ, of which several living, and many extinct, species are known. They are large and powerful, and usually have either one or two stout conical median horns on the snout.

A blunt lance head used in the joust. Congreve rocket, a powerful form of rocket for use in war, invented by Sir William Congreve. It may be used either in the field or for bombardment; in the former case, it is armed with shells or case shot; in the latter, with a combustible material inclosed in a metallic case, whic…

An attendant attached to a prince or other powerful person; hence, an obsequious dependent. "The satellites of power." I. Disraeli.

Dictate; command; decree. [Obs.] [Love] rules the creatures by his powerful saw. Spenser.

A powerful instrument of brass, curved somewhat like the Roman buccina, or tuba.

An apparatus for projecting a powerful beam of light of approximately parallel rays, usually devised so that it can be swiveled about.

frica, but now naturalized in the West Indies and some other tropical countries. It has a powerful hooked beak, a crest of long feathers, and a long tail. It feeds upon reptiles of various kinds, and is much prized on account of its habit of killing and devouring snakes of all kinds. Called also serpent eater.…

Less important, efficaceous, or powerful; not equal or equivalent; less (than); -- with of. Hardly anything short of an invasion could rouse them again to war. Landor.

Mere; not other than; being only. A medicine . . . whose simple touch Is powerful to araise King Pepin. Shak.

cipally of powdered mustard seed, or containing the volatile oil of mustard seed. It is a powerful irritant.

A division of arachnids having large, powerful fangs and a segmented abdomen; -- called also Solpugidea, and Solpugides.

sect of the family Mutillidæ. The female of these insects is destitute of wings and has a powerful sting. The male is winged and resembles a wasp. Called also spider ant. -- Solitary bee (Zoöl.), any species of bee which does not form communities. -- Solitary sandpiper (Zoöl.), an American tattler (Totanus solitarius…

A large and powerful fish (Tetrapturus albidus) related to the swordfish, but having scales and ventral fins. It is found on the American coast and the Mediterranean.