| pars vestibularis nervi vestibulocochlearis | <anatomy, nerve> The vestibular part of the acoustic (8th cranial) nerve. The vestibular nerve fibres arise from neurons of scarpa's ganglion and project peripherally to vestibular hair cells and centrally to the vestibular nuclei of the brainstem. These fibres mediate the sense of balance and head position. (12 Dec 1998) |
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| parsley | <botany> An aromatic umbelliferous herb (Carum Petroselinum), having finely divided leaves which are used in cookery and as a garnish. "As she went to the garden for parsley, to stuff a rabbit." (Shak) Fool's parsley. See Fool. Hedge parsley, Milk parsley, Stone parsley, names given to various weeds of similar appearance to the parsley. <botany> Parsley fern, a small herb (Alchemilla arvensis) formerly used as a remedy for calculus. Origin: OE. Persely, persil, F. Persil, L. Petroselinum rock parsley, Gr.; stone + parsley. Cf. Celery. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| parsnip | <botany> The aromatic and edible spindle-shaped root of the cultivated form of the Pastinaca sativa, a biennial umbelliferous plant which is very poisonous in its wild state; also, the plant itself. Cow parsnip. See Cow parsnip. Meadow parsnip, the European cow parsnip. Poison parsnip, the wild stock of the parsnip. Water parsnip, any plant of the umbelliferous genus Sium, the species of which are poisonous. Origin: OE. Parsnepe, from a French form, fr. L. Pastinaca; cf. Pastinare to dig up, pastinum a kind of dibble; cf. OF. Pastenade, pastenaque. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| parson | 1. A person who represents a parish in its ecclesiastical and corporate capacities; hence, the rector or incumbent of a parochial church, who has full possession of all the rights thereof, with the cure of souls. 2. Any clergyman having ecclesiastical preferment; one who is in orders, or is licensed to preach; a preacher. "He hears the parson pray and preach. <zoology>" (Longfellow) Parson bird, a New Zealand bird (Prosthemadera Novaeseelandiae) remarkable for its powers of mimicry and its ability to articulate words. Its colour is glossy black, with a curious tuft of long, curly, white feathers on each side of the throat. It is often kept as a cage bird. Origin: OE. Persone person, parson, OF. Persone, F. Personne person, LL. Persona (sc. Ecclesiae), fr. L. Persona a person. See Person. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| Parsonage-Turner syndrome | A neurological disorder, of unknown cause, characterised by the sudden onset of severe pain, usually about the shoulder and often beginning at night, soon followed by weakness and wasting of various forequarter muscles, particularly shoulder girdle muscles; both sporadic and familial in occurrence with the former much more common; often preceded by some antecedent event, such as an upper respiratory infection, hospitalization, vaccination, or non-specific trauma; usually attributed to a brachial plexus lesion, because the nerve fibres involed are most often derived from the upper trunk, but actually multiple proximal mononeuropathies. Synonym: acute brachial radiculitis, brachial plexitis, brachial plexus neuropathy, Parsonage-Turner syndrome, shoulder-girdle syndrome. (05 Mar 2000) |
| parsonical | Of or pertaining to a parson; clerical. "Vainglory glowed in his parsonic heart." (Colman) Parson"ically. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |