*pete*

n. [ Cf. F. appétence. See Appetency. ] A longing; a desire; especially an ardent desire; appetite; appetency. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Appetencies [ L. appetentia, fr. appetere to strive after, long for. See Appetite. ] 1. Fixed and strong desire; esp. natural desire; a craving; an eager appetite. [ 1913 Webster ]

They had a strong appetency for reading. Merivale. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Specifically: An instinctive inclination or propensity in animals to perform certain actions, as in the young to suck, in aquatic fowls to enter into water and to swim; the tendency of an organized body to seek what satisfies the wants of its organism. [ 1913 Webster ]

These lacteals have mouths, and by animal selection or appetency the absorb such part of the fluid as is agreeable to their palate. E. Darwin. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Natural tendency; affinity; attraction; -- used of inanimate objects. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. appetens, p. pr. of appetere. ] Desiring; eagerly desirous. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Appetent after glory and renown. Sir G. Buck. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. covered with or as if with carpeting or with carpeting as specified; often used in combination; as, the carpeted hallway; a flower-carpeted hillside. Opposite of uncarpeted. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. Centripetency. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Tendency toward the center. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Competed; p. pr. & vb. n. Competing. ] [ L. completere, competitum; com- + petere to seek. See Petition. ] To contend emulously; to seek or strive for the same thing, position, or reward for which another is striving; to contend in rivalry, as for a prize or in business; as, tradesmen compete with one another. [ 1913 Webster ]

The rival statesmen, with eyes fixed on America, were all the while competing for European alliances. Bancroft. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ , n. [ Cf. F. compétence, from L. competentia agreement. ] 1. The state of being competent; fitness; ability; adequacy; power. [ 1913 Webster ]

The loan demonstrates, in regard to instrumental resources, the competency of this kingdom to the assertion of the common cause. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

To make them act zealously is not in the competence of law. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Property or means sufficient for the necessaries and conveniences of life; sufficiency without excess. [ 1913 Webster ]

Reason's whole pleasure, all the joys of sense,
Lie in three words -- health, peace, and competence. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

Superfluity comes sooner by white hairs, but competency lives longer. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Law) (a) Legal capacity or qualifications; fitness; as, the competency of a witness or of a evidence. (b) Right or authority; legal power or capacity to take cognizance of a cause; as, the competence of a judge or court. Kent. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. the quality of being adequately or well qualified physically and intellectually, especially possession of the skill and knowledge required (for a task). [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

a. [ F. compétent, p. pr. of compéter to be in the competency of, LL. competere to strive after together, to agree with; hence, to be fit. See Compete. ] 1. Answering to all requirements; adequate; sufficient; suitable; capable; legally qualified; fit. “A competent knowledge of the world.” Atterbury. “Competent age.” Grafton. “Competent statesmen.” Palfrey. /“A competent witness.” Bouvier. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Rightfully or properly belonging; incident; -- followed by to. [ Rare, except in legal usage. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

That is the privilege of the infinite Author of things, . . . but is not competent to any finite being. Locke.

Syn. -- See Qualified. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a competent manner; adequately; suitably. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Electro + Gr. tre`pein to turn. ] An instrument used to change the direction of electric currents; a commutator. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. [ Pref. in- not + appetence: cf. F. inappétence. ] Lack of appetency; lack of desire. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. [ Cf. F. incompétence. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. The quality or state of being incompetent; lack of physical, intellectual, or moral ability; lack of qualifications or training (for a particular task); insufficiency; inadequacy; as, the incompetency of a child for hard labor, or of an idiot for intellectual efforts. “Some inherent incompetency.” Gladstone.
Syn. -- incompetence. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Law) Lack of competency or legal fitness; incapacity; disqualification, as of a person to be heard as a witness, or to act as a juror, or of a judge to try a cause.

Syn. -- Inability; insufficiency; inadequacy; disqualification; incapability; unfitness. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. incompetens: cf. F. incompétent. See In- not, and Competent. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Not competent; wanting in adequate strength, power, capacity, means, qualifications, or the like; incapable; unable; inadequate; unfit. [ 1913 Webster ]

Incompetent to perform the duties of the place. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Law) Wanting the legal or constitutional qualifications; inadmissible; as, a person professedly wanting in religious belief is an incompetent witness in a court of law or equity; incompetent evidence; a mentally defective person is incompetent to care for himself and requires a legal guardian. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

Richard III. had a resolution, out of hatred to his brethren, to disable their issues, upon false and incompetent pretexts, the one of attainder, the other of illegitimation. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Not lying within one's competency, capacity, or authorized power; not permissible.

Syn. -- Incapable; unable; inadequate; insufficient; inefficient; disqualified; unfit; improper. -- Incompetent, Incapable. Incompetent is a relative term, denoting a lack of the requisite qualifications for performing a given act, service, etc.; incapable is absolute in its meaning, denoting lack of power, either natural or moral. We speak of a man as incompetent to a certain task, of an incompetent judge, etc. We say of an idiot that he is incapable of learning to read; and of a man distinguished for his honor, that he is incapable of a mean action. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In an competent manner; inadequately; unsuitably. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ F., paper manufacture, fr. papier paper. ] A case or box containing paper and materials for writing. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having a parapet. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl.; sing. Petechia [ NL., fr. LL. peteccia; cf. F. pétéchie, It. petecchia, Sp. petequia, Gr. pitta`kion a label, plaster. ] (Med.) Small crimson, purple, or livid spots, like flea-bites, due to extravasation of blood, which appear on the skin in malignant fevers, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. pétéchial, LL. petecchialis. ] (Med.) Characterized by, or pertaining to, petechiæ; spotted. [ 1913 Webster ]

Petechial fever, a malignant fever, accompanied with livid spots on the skin. [ 1913 Webster ]

prop. n. A common baptismal name for a man. The name of one of the twelve apostles of Christ. [ 1913 Webster ]

Peter boat, a fishing boat, sharp at both ends, originally of the Baltic Sea, but now common in certain English rivers. --
Peter Funk, the auctioneer in a mock auction. [ Cant, U.S. ] --
Peter pence, or
Peter's pence. (a) An annual tax or tribute, formerly paid by the English people to the pope, being a penny for every house, payable on Lammas or St. Peter's day; -- called also Rome scot, and hearth money. (b) In modern times, a voluntary contribution made by Roman Catholics to the private purse of the pope. --
Peter's fish (Zool.), a haddock; -- so called because the black spots, one on each side, behind the gills, are traditionally said to have been caused by the fingers of St. Peter, when he caught the fish to pay the tribute. The name is applied, also, to other fishes having similar spots. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Petered p. pr. & vb. n. Petering. ] [ Etymol. uncertain. ] To become depleted; to run out; to fail; -- used generally with out; as, that mine has petered out. [ Slang, U.S. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) See Petrel. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Mil.) See Pederero. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Petermen A fisherman; -- so called after the apostle Peter. [ An obs. local term in Eng. ] Chapman. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Named after Lord Petersham. ] A rough, knotted woolen cloth, used chiefly for men's overcoats; also, a coat of that material. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Bot.) See Saint Peter's-wort, under Saint. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. repetendus to be repeated, fr. repetere to repeat. ] (Math.) That part of a circulating decimal which recurs continually, ad infinitum: -- sometimes indicated by a dot over the first and last figures; thus, in the circulating decimal .728328328 + (otherwise .7&dotted2_;8&dotted3_;), the repetend is 283. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. [ F. salpêtre, NL. sal petrae, literally, rock salt, or stone salt; so called because it exudes from rocks or walls. See Salt, and Petrify. ] (Chem.) Potassium nitrate; niter; a white crystalline substance, KNO3, having a cooling saline taste, obtained by leaching from certain soils in which it is produced by the process of nitrification (see Nitrification, 2). It is a strong oxidizer, is the chief constituent of gunpowder, and is also used as an antiseptic in curing meat, and in medicine as a diuretic, diaphoretic, and refrigerant. [ 1913 Webster ]

Chili salpeter (Chem.), sodium nitrate (distinguished from potassium nitrate, or true salpeter), a white crystalline substance, NaNO3, having a cooling, saline, slightly bitter taste. It is obtained by leaching the soil of the rainless districts of Chili and Peru. It is deliquescent and cannot be used in gunpowder, but is employed in the production of nitric acid. Called also cubic niter. --
Saltpeter acid (Chem.), nitric acid; -- sometimes so called because made from saltpeter. [ 1913 Webster ]