perciform (persiform)

and n. [L. perca, a perch, + form a, form.] I. a. Having the form or structure of a perch; percoid; of or pertaining to the Perciformes. II. n . A percoid fish; a member of the Perci formes. Perciformes (pėr-si-fôr'mēz), n. pl. [NL.: see perciform.] In Günther's cla ification, a division of Acanthopterygii, having the body compre ed, dorsal fin elongated and with the spinous larger than the soft portion, anal rather short, and ventrals generally with a spine and five rays. It includes the families Percidæ, Squamipinnes, Mullidæ, Sparidæ, Scorpænidæ, and several others. Percina (per-si'nä), n. pl. [NL., Percinæ (per-si'nē), n. pl. [NL., finable by exact characters. By recent authors it has been much restricted, and, in its narrowest sense, includes the genera Perca and Lucioperca or Stizostedion- that is, the true perches and the pike-perches. They have the psendobranchiæ well developed, the pre operculum serrate, seven branch ios teg als, and a large air-bladder. percine (per's in), a. and n. [ Percinæ. II. n. A perch or perch-like fish; a percoid; a member of the Percina , Percidæ , or Percinæ . percipience (pér-sip'i-ens), n . [= It. percepenza , percipient i a (f), percipien ( t- ) s , perceiving: see percipient .] Same as percipiency . percipiency (per-sip'i-en-si), n. [As percipi ence (see-cy).] 1. The act or power of perceiving; the state of being percipient; perception. By my percipiency of sin and fall. 4388 2. Specifically, the state of mind, faculty, or mental proce es of a percipient. See percipi ent, n., 2. Proc. London Soc. Psych. Research. percipient (per-sip'i-ent), a. and n. [L. per cipien (t-) s, ppr. of percipere, perceive: see per ceive.] I. a. Perceiving; having the faculty of perception. I have considered, during every period of my life, pain as a positive evil which every percipient being must be de sirous of escaping. Anecdotes of Bp. Watson, I. 143. A musical ear being nothing more nor le than one which is percipient of such structure. E. Gurney, Nineteenth Century, XIII. 448. II. n. 1. One who or that which perceives, or has the faculty of perception. The soul is the sole percipient , which alone hath animadvert i on and sense, properly so called. Glanville, Vanity of Dogmatizing, iv. Within the limits of appreciation, the same objective difference may seem great or small according to the per cipient's nature and temporary condition. H. Spencer , Prin. of Psychol., § 92. 2. Specifically, one to whom the unexpre ed thoughts of another (called the agent ) are Per cops is Percoidæ (pér-koi'dē), n. pl. [NL.: see percoid.] Same as Percidæ. Percoidea (pér-koi'dē-a), n. pl. [NL., percoideous (pėr-koi'dē-us), a. Same as percoid. percolate (pėr'kō-lāt), v.; pret. and pp. perco lated, ppr. percolating. [L. per col at us, pp. of per col are, strain through, filter, Therefore the evidences of fact are as it were percolated through a vast period of ages, and many very obscure to us. Sir M. Hale , Orig. of Mankind, p. 129. II, in trans. To pa through small interstices, as a liquor; filter: as, water percolates through a porous stone. We have therefore been able to convince ourselves that the agents, concentrating their looks on the given object, projected on the mental eye of the percipient a picture ible that the above results could not have been achieved by conscious or unconscious gue ing. Proc . Amer . Soc. Psych. Research , I. 535.