| praetexta | Origin: L. (sc. Toga), fr. Praetextus, p. P. Of praetexere to weave before, to fringe, border; prae = before + texere to weave. A white robe with a purple border, worn by a Roman boy before he was entitled to wear the toga virilis, or until about the completion of his fourteenth year, and by girls until their marriage. It was also worn by magistrates and priests. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
|---|---|
| praetores | <zoology> A division of butterflies including the satyrs. Origin: NL. See Pretor. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| praezygapophysis | <anatomy> Same as Prezygapophysis. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| pragmatagnosia | Rarely used term for loss of the power of recognizing objects. Origin: G. Pragma (pragmat-), thing done, a deed, fr. Prasso, to do, + agnosia, ignorance. (05 Mar 2000) |
| pragmatamnesia | Rarely used term for loss of the memory of the appearance of objects. Origin: G. Pragma, a thing done, + amnesia, forgetfulness (05 Mar 2000) |
| pragmatics | A branch of semiotics; the theory that deals with the relation between signs and their users, both senders and receivers. Origin: G. Pragmatikos, fr. Pragma, thing done (05 Mar 2000) |
| pragmatism | A philosophy emphasizing practical applications and consequences of beliefs and theories, that the meaning of ideas or things is determined by the testability of the idea in real life. Origin: G. Pragma (pragmat-), thing done (05 Mar 2000) |
| Prague manoeuvre | An obsolete term for a technique for delivery of the foetus in breech position when the foetal occiput is posterior; one hand of the operator delivers the shoulders, while making pressure over the symphysis pubis with the other hand. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Prague pelvis | A pelvis whose brim is more or less occluded by a forward dislocation of the body of the lower lumbar vertebra. Synonym: Prague pelvis, Rokitansky's pelvis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| prairie | 1. An extensive tract of level or rolling land, destitute of trees, covered with coarse grass, and usually characterised by a deep, fertile soil. They abound throughout the Mississippi valley, between the Alleghanies and the Rocky mountains. "From the forests and the prairies, From the great lakes of the northland." (Longfellow) 2. A meadow or tract of grass; especially, a so called natural meadow. <zoology> Prairie chicken, any American grouse of the genus Tympanuchus, especially T. Americanus (formerly T. Cupido), which inhabits the prairies of the central United States. Applied also to the sharp-tailed grouse. <botany> Prairie clover See Coyote. Origin: F, an extensive meadow, OF. Praerie, LL. Prataria, fr. L. Pratum a meadow. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| prairie conjunctivitis | An obsolete term for a chronic conjunctivitis, characterised by the presence of small white spots on the palpebral conjunctiva, especially of the lower lid. (05 Mar 2000) |
| prairie itch | Pruritus of varied origin, affecting farm laborers. (05 Mar 2000) |
| praise | 1. Commendation for worth; approval expressed; honor rendered because of excellence or worth; laudation; approbation. "There are men who always confound the praise of goodness with the practice." (Rambler) Praise may be expressed by an individual, and thus differs from fame, renown, and celebrity, which are always the expression of the approbation of numbers, or public commendation. 2. Especially, the joyful tribute of gratitude or homage rendered to the Divine Being; the act of glorifying or extolling the Creator; worship, particularly worship by song, distinction from prayer and other acts of worship; as, a service of praise. 3. The object, ground, or reason of praise. "He is thy praise, and he is thy God." (Deut. X) Synonym: Encomium, honor, eulogy, panegyric, plaudit, applause, acclaim, eclat, commendation, laudation. Origin: OE. Preis, OF. Preis price, worth, value, estimation. See Praise, Price. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| prajmaline | <chemical> 17r,21 alpha-dihydroxy-4-propylajmalinium. A derivative of the rauwolfia alkaloid ajmaline. It is an anti-arrhythmia agent, but may cause liver damage. Pharmacological action: anti-arrhythmia agents. Chemical name: Ajmalanium, 17,21-dihydroxy-4-propyl-, (17R,21alpha)- (12 Dec 1998) |
| pralidoxime chloride | 2-Formyl-1-methylpyridinium chloride oxime;used to restore the inactivated cholinesterase activity resulting from organophosphate poisoning; has some limited value as an antagonist of the carbamate type of cholinesterase inhibitors that are used in the treatment of myasthenia gravis. Dizziness, blurred vision, drowsiness, nausea, tachycardia, and muscular weakness may occur. (05 Mar 2000) |