ters, oppose in regard to personal concerns: we combat a person's opinions, and oppose bis measures. We speak of characters, sentiments, and principles being opposite. Opportunity is doubtless a compound of porto, I bear; it denotes that which happens fit for the purpose. This term, as well as occasion, is applied to the events of life; but the latter is that which determines our conduct, and leaves us no choice, it amounts to a degree of necessity; the former is that which invites to action: we do things, therefore, as the occasion requires, or as the opportunity offers. Oppress, from opprimo, (see PREMO,) I press down; is to crush by hardships or unreasonable severity. Opprobrium, (probrum, reproach,) signifies the highest degree of reproach or stain. The idea of disgrace in the highest possible degree is common to the terms, infamy, ignominy, and opprobrium: infamy attaches more to the thing than to the person; ignominy is thrown upon the person; opprobrium is thrown upon the agent rather than the action. Oppugn, from oppugno, (pugno, I fight,) I fight against ; is used only in a moral sense: "Ramus was one of the first oppugners of the old philosophy." Johnson. PER. : THE Latin PER is from the Greek Tuga, (peiro,) to perforate or pass through; the equivalent and origin of our verb to pierce. As a prefix it marks, literally, a passage through any medium; and, figuratively, through what means any action is accomplished in the latter sense it answers to our by. PER being from one end to the other, also denotes the completion of an action, and to say a thing is perfected is the same as if we should say it was thoroughly made, (see FACIO). This use is very general in composition. From the Latin saudere, to advise, we have to persaude, to advise with effect, or to convince; and in its primitive sense we have to perish, from the Latin perire, (per, through, and ire, to go,) to go through or to disappear; and, figuratively, to die. Perambulation, perambulo, (ambulo, I walk,) I walk or travel through. : Perceive, from percipio, (see CAPIO,) I take hold of thoroughly; is only applied in a moral sense. See is either employed as a corporeal or incorporeal action: we see the light with our eyes, or we see the truth of a proposition with our mind's eye. Perceive and observe are applied to such objects as are seen by the senses as well as the mind conjointly we may see a thing distinctly or otherwise; we perceive it always with a certain degree of distinctness; and observe it with a positive degree of minuteness. We speak of things being sensible, (as a sensible difference in the atmosphere,) and perceptible; but the latter always refers more to the operation of the mind than the former. The impression of an object that is present to us is termed a perception; the revival of that impression, when the object is removed, is an idea; a combination of ideas by which any image is presented to the mind is a conception; the association of two or more ideas so as to constitute it a decision, is a notion. Perfect, perficio, (see FACIO,) I make or do thoroughly. A thing is complete in all its parts, perfect as to the beanty and design of the construction, and finished as it comes from the hand of the workman. There is nothing, in the proper sense, perfect which is the work of man; but the term is used relatively for whatever makes the greatest approach to perfection. Perfidy, perfidia, (fides, faith,) is breaking through faith in a great degree, and implies the addition of hostility to the breach of faith. Perforate, (foris, a door,) signifies, literally, to make a door, but it is used only in an extended sense. To penetrate and bore do not differ in sense but in application, the latter being a term of vulgar use: to pene trate is simply to make an entrance into any substance; to pierce is to go deep; to perforate and to bore are to go through, or at all events to make a considerable hollow.-Orifice respects that which is natural, perforation that which is artificial. Perish, from pereo, (see Eo,) I go through, or thoroughly away; is used to express the dissolution of substances, so that they lose their existence. The term perish expresses more than dying, it is possible for the same thing to die and not to perish: thus a plant may be said to die when it loses its vegetative power; but it is said to perish if its substance crumbles into dust. Perjure, from perjuro, (juro, I swear,) which has the same meaning as the Saxon word forswear, namely, to swear contrary to the truth: but forswear is applied to all kinds of oaths, to perjure only for such kinds of oaths as have been administered by the civil magis trate. Permanent, permaneo, (maneo, I stay,) I stay to the end. Durable is said of material substances; lasting is applicable to that which is supposed to be of the longest duration; permanent signifies remaining to the end, it is principally applied to the affairs of men: "one who is of a moderate disposition will generally prefer a permanent situation with small gains, to one that is lucrative but temporary." Permit, permitto, (see MITTO,) F send through or away; or, I let a thing go its way. The idea of determining the conduct of others by some act of our own is common to the terms consent, permit, and allow.-Permission and leave are said to be asked for: we request permission, but not liberty, to speak; we beg leave to offer our opinion.-Licence, (licet, it is lawful,) signifies, properly, being permitted by law. Permutation, permuto, (see MUTO,) I change frequently; or, I change by giving or taking one thing for another. Pernicious, pernicies, (neco, I kill,) causing violent and total dissolution. Pernicious approaches nearer to destructive than to ruinous; both the former imply ten dency to dissolution, but the latter refers us to the result itself; hence we speak of the instrument or cause as being destructive or pernicious, and the action or event as ruinous: that which is hurtful may hurt in various ways, but that which is pernicious necessarily tends to destruction; confinement is hurtful to the health, bad company is pernicious to the morals. Perpetrate, perpetro, I go through with. The idea of doing something wrong is common to the terms, perpetrate and commit, the first is a much more determined proceeding than the latter: one may commit offences of various degrees and magnitude; but one perpetrates crimes only, and those of the more heinous kind. Perpetual, perpeto, (peto, I seek,) I seek thoroughly. Perpetual signifies going on every where and at all times; continual signifies keeping together without intermission: what is continual admits of no interruption, but it may have an end; what is perpetual admits of no termination, but there may be intervals in it. There is a continual passing and repassing in the streets of the metropolis during the day; the world, and all that it contains, are subject to perpetual change. Perplex, perplexor, or perplector, (plecto, I twist,) I twist or jumble together. Perplex is only used figuratively: we speak of being perplexed by contrary counsels or interests. A person is distressed either in his outward circumstances or his feelings; he is harrassed mentally or corporeally; he is perplexed in his understanding, more than in his feelings. Perquisite, perquisitus, (see QUERO,) that which is sought for thoroughly. Perquisite is now applied only to denote something gained by a place or office over and above the settled wages. Persecution, from persecutio, a following on; implies a following with repeated acts of vengeance. It is principally used in reference to the infliction of penalties for religious opinions. Persevere, (severus, steady,) signifies to be steady throughout or to the end: we continue from habit; we persevere from reflection and the exercise of one's judgment; we persist from attachment. Persevere is employed only in matters of some moment, in things of sufficient importance to demand a steady purpose of the mind; persist is employed in the ordinary business of life: those who do not persevere can do no essential good; and those who do persevere often effect what has appeared to be impracticable: of this truth the discovery of America is a remarkable proof. Persist, from persisto, (see SISTO,) I stand by; is used only in an extended sense, as synonymous with persevere and continue, but continue is simply to do as one has done hitherto; to persevere is to continue without wishing to change, or from a positive desire to attain an object; to persist is to continue from a determination not to cease. Perspective, perspicuous, perspicio, (see SPECIO,) I look well about, or take a thorough view of. spective is used to denote the science by which things are ranged in pictures, according to their appearance in their real situation.-Clearness is used figuratively to mark the degree of light by which one sees things distinctly, and perspicuity the quality of being able to be seen through; both these epithets denote qualities equally requisite to render discourse intelligible, but each has its peculiar character: clearness respects our ideas, and springs from the distinction of the things themselves that are discussed; perspicuity respects the mode of expressing the ideas, and springs from the good qualities of style. Per Perspiration, from perspire, (see SPIRO,) I breathe through; is used to denote the fluid excreted from the small arteries under the skin. Persuade, persuadeo, I use entreaties or arguments to bring to an opinion. A superior exhorts, his words carry authority with them and rouse to action; a friend and equal persuades, he wins or draws by the agreeableness or kindness of his expressions. Pertain, pertineo, (see TENEO,) literally, I reach from |