(Pe*tong") n. (Metal.) See Packfong.
(Pet"ra*ry) n. [L. petra stone. Cf. Sp. petraria, and E. Pederero.] An ancient war engine for hurling stones.
(Pe*tre"an) a. [L. petraeus, Gr. petrai^os, fr. pe`tra a rock.] Of or pertaining to rock. G. S. Faber.
(Pe"trel) n. [F. pétrel; a dim. of the name Peter, L. Petrus, Gr. a stone (John i. 42);  probably so called in allusion to St. Peter's walking on the sea. See Petrify.] (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of longwinged sea birds belonging to the family Procellaridæ. The small petrels, or Mother Carey's chickens, belong to Oceanites, Oceanodroma, Procellaria, and several allied genera.
, any one of several small petrels, especially Procellaria pelagica, or Mother Carey's chicken, common on both sides of the Atlantic.
(Pe*tres"cence) n. The process of changing into stone; petrification.
(Pe*tres"cent) a. [L. petra rock, stone, Gr. .] Petrifying; converting into stone; as, petrescent water. Boyle.
1. The process of petrifying, or changing into stone; conversion of any organic matter (animal or vegetable) into stone, or a substance of stony hardness.
2. The state or condition of being petrified.
3. That which is petrified; popularly, a body incrusted with stony matter; an incrustation.
4. Fig.: Hardness; callousness; obduracy. "Petrifaction of the soul." Cudworth.
1. Having the quality of converting organic matter into stone; petrifying.
2. Pertaining to, or characterized by, petrifaction.
The . . . petrifactive mutations of hard bodies.
(Pe*trif"ic) a. [Cf. F. pétrifique.] Petrifying; petrifactive.
Death with his mace petrific, cold and dry.