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the period when parts of the same kind sometimes fall off or are absorbed; permanent; as, persistent teeth or gills; a persistent calyx; -- opposed to deciduous, and caducous.

In a persistent manner.

the Southern United States, having a serpentlike form, but with four minute limbs and two persistent gill openings; the Congo snake.

Performed with constant diligence or attention; unremitting; persistent; as, assiduous labor. To weary him with my assiduous cries. Milton.

To tease or annoy, as a badger when baited; to worry or irritate persistently.

Any rough or prickly envelope of the seeds of plants, whether a pericarp, a persistent calyx, or an involucre, as of the chestnut and burdock. Also, any weed which bears burs. Amongst rude burs and thistles. Milton. Bur and brake and brier. Tennyson.

A defect or malformation; esp., a fissure of the iris supposed to be a persistent embryonic cleft.

A poison which occasions a persistent delirium, or mental aberration (as belladonna).

A disease which is attended with a persistent, excessive discharge of urine. Most frequently the urine is not only increased in quantity, but contains saccharine matter, in which case the disease is generally fatal. Diabetes mellitus Etym: [NL., sweet diabetes], that form of diabetes in which the urine contains sacchar…

Sullenly obstinate; obstinately determined or persistent; as, dogged resolution; dogged work.

et. See under Bucket. -- Fire bug, an incendiary; one who, from malice or through mania, persistently sets fire to property; a pyromaniac. [U.S.] -- Fire clay. See under Clay. -- Fire company, a company of men managing an engine in extinguishing fires. -- Fire cross. See Fiery cross. [Obs.] Milton. -- Fire damp. Se…

A plant which flowers or blossoms. Many hybrids are profuse and persistent flowerers. Darwin.

Addicted to any course of conduct; inclined to indulge in any practice; habitual; persistent. He has been loud and frequent in declaring himself hearty for the government. Swift.

A genus of composite plants with white or colored dry and persistent involucres; a kind of everlasting.

who empties privies. [Obs. & Low] Swift. -- Gold flower, a composite plant with dry and persistent yellow radiating involucral scales, the Helichrysum Stoechas of Southern Europe. There are many South African species of the same genus. -- Gold foil, thin sheets of gold, as used by dentists and others. See Gold leaf.…

ng on (with the emphasis on the preposition), to keep hold; to hold fast; to stick; to be persistent, as a disease. -- To hang on the lips, words, etc., to be charmed by eloquence. -- To hang out. (a) To be hung out so as to be displayed; to project. (b) To be unyielding; as, the juryman hangs out against an agreemen…

Troublesome; vexatious; persistent; urgent; hence, vexatious on account of untimely urgency or perinacious solicitation. [Obs.] And their importune fates all satisfied. Spenser. Of all other affections it [envy] is the most importune and continual. Bacon.

Not deciduous or falling, as the leaves of trees in autumn; lasting; evergreen; persistent; permanent; perennial. The indeciduous and unshaven locks of Apollo. Sir T. Browne.

Without weariness; without yielding to fatigue; persistently. Dryden.

Persistent portions of a calyx or corolla; also, leaves which do not disarticulate from the stem, and hence remain for a long time.