| purpureo- | 1. <prefix> A combining form signifying of a purple or purple-red colour. 2. <chemistry> More specifically used in designating certain brilliant purple-red compounds of cobaltic chloride and ammonia, similar to the roseocobaltic compounds. See Cobaltic. (29 Oct 1998) |
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| purpuric | 1. <medicine> Of or pertaining to purpura. 2. <chemistry> Pertaining to or designating, a nitrogenous acid contained in uric acid. It is not known in the pure state, but forms well-known purple-red compounds (as murexide), whence its name. Purpuric acid was formerly used to designate murexan. See Murexan. Origin: Cf. F. Purpurique. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| purpurin | <protein> Heparin binding protein (20 kD) released by chick neural retina cells in culture. (18 Nov 1997) |
| purpurinuria | Excretion of porphyrins and related compounds in the urine. Synonym: porphyruria, purpurinuria. (05 Mar 2000) |
| purpurogenous | <biology> Having the power to produce a purple colour; as, the purpurogenous membrane, or choroidal epithelium, of the eye. See Visual purple, under Visual. Origin: L. Purpura purple + -genous. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| purr | A low vibratory murmur. Synonym: fremissement cattaire. (05 Mar 2000) |
| purre | <zoology> The dunlin. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| purree | <chemistry> A yellow colouring matter. See Euxanthin. Origin: Hind. Peori yellow. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| purse | 1. A small bag or pouch, the opening of which is made to draw together closely, used to carry money in; by extension, any receptacle for money carried on the person; a wallet; a pocketbook; a portemonnaie. " who steals my purse steals trash." (Shak) 2. Hence, a treasury; finances; as, the public purse. 3. A sum of money offered as a prize, or collected as a present; as, to win the purse; to make up a purse. 4. A specific sum of money; as: In Turkey, the sum of 500 piasters. In Persia, the sum of 50 tomans. Light purse, or Empty purse, poverty or want of resources. Long purse, or Heavy purse, wealth; riches. Purse crab See Pocket gopher, under Pocket. Sword and purse, the military power and financial resources of a nation. Origin: OE. Purs, pors, OF. Burse, borse, bourse, F. Bourse, LL. Bursa, fr. Gr. Hide, skin, leather. Cf. Bourse, Bursch, Bursar, Buskin. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| purse-string instrument | An intestinal clamp with jaws at an angle to the handle; when closed across the bowel, large grooved interdigitating serrations allow passage of a straight needle and suture through each side to form a purse-string suture, after which the clamp is removed. (05 Mar 2000) |
| purse-string suture | A continuous suture placed in a circular manner either for inversion (as for an appendiceal stump) or closure (as for a hernia). (05 Mar 2000) |
| pursed lips breathing | A technique in which air is inhaled slowly through the nose and mouth and exhaled slowly through pursed lips; used by patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to improve their breathing by increasing resistance to air flow, forcibly dilating small bronchi. (05 Mar 2000) |
| purser | 1. A commissioned officer in the navy who had charge of the provisions, clothing, and public moneys on shipboard; now called paymaster. 2. A clerk on steam passenger vessels whose duty it is to keep the accounts of the vessels, such as the receipt of freight, tickets, etc. 3. Colloquially, any paymaster or cashier. Purser's name, a false name. See: Purse, and cf. Bursar. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| purslane | <botany> An annual plant (Portulaca oleracea), with fleshy, succulent, obovate leaves, sometimes used as a pot herb and for salads, garnishing, and pickling. Flowering purslane, or Great flowered purslane, the Portulaca grandiflora. See Portulaca. Purslane tree, a South African shrub (Portulacaria Afra) with many small opposite fleshy obovate leaves. Sea purslane, a seashore plant (Arenaria peploides) with crowded opposite fleshy leaves. Water purslane, an aquatic plant (Ludwiqia palustris) but slightly resembling purslane. Origin: OF. Porcelaine, pourcelaine (cf. It. Porcellana), corrupted fr. L. Porcilaca for portulaca. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| pursue | 1. To go in pursuit; to follow. "The wicked flee when no man pursueth." (Prov. Xxviii. 1) "Men hotly pursued after the objects of their ambition." (Earle) 2. To go on; to proceed, especially in argument or discourse; to continue. Origin: A Gallicism] "I have, pursues Carneades, wondered chemists should not consider." (Boyle) 3. To follow a matter judicially, as a complaining party; to act as a prosecutor. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |