Puerile

pu'er-il, a. Boyish; trifling; childish. [OF. pueril,X. puerillis, f puer, a child, boy, one begotten; foal, Skr. pot a, the young of any animal, putra, a son.] — Pu'erifity, -I-tY, a. Quality of being puerile; childishne ; that which is puerile esp. an expre ion which is insipid, or childish. [F. pueriliU.] — Puer'peral, -er'per-al, a. Pert, to childbirth. [L. puerpera, a lying-in woman, f puer and parere, to bear.] Puff, puf, A sudden and single emi ion of breath from the mouth any sudden or short blast of wind; a whiff; anything light and filled with air, as, a dry, fungous ball containing dust or, a certain kind of light pastry; or, a substance of loose texture for sprinkling powder on the hair or skin; an exaggerated expre ion of praise, esp. one in a public journal.— v. [puffed (puft), -fing.] To blow with short and sudden whiffs; to blow, as an expre ion of scorn or contempt; to breathe quick and hard; to swell with air; to breathe in a swelling or pompous manner; to a ume importance. v. To drive with a puff; to drive away in scorn or contempt; to dilate with air, blow up; to inflate with pride, flattery, self-esteem, etc.; to praise with exaggeration. [G.; Vf.pwff, a puff, G. puff'en, Dan. puffe, to puff, pop; onomat.; pooh, pop, Skr. — trukk, to sound, bark, Lithuan. pukszti, to pant.] Puff-ball, n. A ball-shaped fungus, which when ripe full of dust-like spores.— Puffer, One who puffs; one who praises with noisy commendation; one who bids at an auction to raise the price in the interest of the seller. — Puff'y, a. Swelled with air or any soft matter; inflated; bombastic. — Puff ine , n. — Puffin, A marine diving bird, allied to the auk, and having a short, thick beak like the parrot's. [Perh. fr. the shape of the beak, perh. of its fat belly F. puffin is f E.] Pug, pug, A monkey; a kind of small dog. [Same as puck, a. v.] — Pug'-mill, A mill for grinding or mixing clay, consisting of a shaft with projecting knives, revolving vertically in a hollow cylinder con- — taining the clay. nose, A short, thick nose; snub-nose.