peat Organic fuel consisting of a light, spongy material formed in tem¬ perate, humid environments by the accumulation and partial decomposi¬ tion of vegetable remains under conditions of poor drainage. Peat deposition is the first step in the formation of COAL. Dried peat bums
readily, with a smoky flame and a characteristic odour. It is used for domestic heating and can be used to fire boilers. It is only a minor con¬ tributor to the world energy supply, but large deposits occur in Canada, China, Indonesia, Russia, Scandinavia, and the U.S. Major users include Finland, Ireland, Russia, and Sweden.
peat moss or sphagnum moss Vsfag-nomN Any of more than 160 species of plants that make up the bryophyte genus Sphagnum, which grow in dense clumps around ponds, in swamps and bogs, on moist, acid cliffs, and on lakeshores from tropical to subpolar regions. These pale- green to deep-red plants can hold 20 times their weight in water. As they die and are compressed, they form organic peat, which is harvested and dried as fuel, as seedbed cover, and as shipping packaging for plants and live aquatic animals. Gardeners stir peat into soil to increase soil mois¬ ture, porosity, and acidity and to reduce erosion.
pecan Nut and tree ( Carya illinoinensis) of the walnut family, native to temperate North America. Occasion¬ ally reaching a height of about 160 ft (50 m), the tree has deeply furrowed bark and feather-shaped leaves.
Pecan nut meat, rich and distinctive in flavour and texture, has one of the highest fat contents of any vegetable product and a caloric value close to that of butter. Pecan production is a considerable industry of the south¬ eastern U.S., where pecan pie and pecan praline candy are traditional sweets.
peccary Vpe-ko-re\ or javelin
Vja-v9-lon\ Any of three species (family Tayassuidae) of New World even-toed ungulates resembling pigs.
Found in deserts and wet tropical forests from Texas to Patagonia, pec¬ caries are gray with white markings and have small, erect ears and almost no tail. They grow to 30-35 in.
(75-90 cm) long and weigh 37-66 lb (17-30 kg). A scent gland that opens on the back and emits a strong, musky odour inspired the belief that peccaries have two navels. Peccaries have spearlike upper canines and eat plants, small animals, and carrion.
They live in groups of 5-25 or 50-100, depending on the species.
Pechora River \pi-'cho-r3\ River, northeastern Russia. It rises in the northern Ural Mountains and flows south, then west and north to enter the Barents Sea after a course of 1,124 mi (1,809 km). It is frozen from early November to early May. Its basin contains large deposits of coal, petro¬ leum, and natural gas.
Pechora Sea Russian Pechorskoye More Vpi-'chor-sko-yo- 'mor-yoN Sea, southeastern extension of the Barents Sea, north of Euro¬ pean Russia. It is located between Kolguyev Island and the Yugorsky Peninsula. Although it is blocked by floating ice from November to June, its cod, seals, and other marine life are exploited. The main port is Naryan- Mar on the Pechora River.
Peck, (Eldred) Gregory (b. April 5, 1916, La Jolla, Calif., U.S.—d. June 12, 2003, Los Angeles, Calif.) U.S. film actor. While a premed stu¬ dent at the University of California at Berkeley, he developed a taste for acting. He appeared on Broadway in The Morning Star (1942) and played several other stage roles before making his film debut in Days of Glory (1944). Known for playing likeable, honest men of high moral quality, he starred in movies such as The Keys of the Kingdom (1944), Spellbound (1945), Gentleman’s Agreement (1947), Twelve O’Clock High (1949), Roman Holiday (1953), and To Kill a Mockingbird (1962, Academy Award). His later films include Mac Arthur (1977), The Old Gringo (1989), and Cape Fear (1991). He also served for three years as presi¬ dent of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
© 2006 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
1464 I pecking order ► Peel
pecking order Basic pattern of social organization within a flock of poultry in which each bird pecks another lower in the scale without fear of retaliation and submits to pecking by one of higher rank. For groups of mammals (e.g., baboon, wolf) or other birds, the term “dominance hierar¬ chy” is usually used, and the ranking often involves feeding or mating.
Peckinpah Ype-kin-.paV, (David) Sam(uel) (b. Feb. 21, 1925, Fresno, Calif., U.S.—d. Dec. 28, 1984, Inglewood, Calif.) U.S. film direc¬ tor. He served in the U.S. Marines, studied drama at the University of Southern California, and began working in television in the mid-1950s, writing for and directing programs such as Gunsmoke and The Rifleman. He made his debut as a film director with The Deadly Companions (1961), which was followed by Ride the High Country (1962) and Major Dundee (1965). Among his later films are The Wild Bunch (1969), considered his finest, Straw Dogs (1971), Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973), and Cross of Iron (1977). His films are noted for their magnificent landscapes, embit¬ tered characters, and brutal violence.
Pecos \'pa-kos\ River River, eastern New Mexico and western Texas, U.S. It rises in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of New Mexico and flows southeast about 500 mi (800 km) across the Texas border. It empties into the Rio Grande at the Amistad National Recreation Area. There are many dams along the river, including the Alamogordo, Avalon, and Red Bluff dams.
pectin Any of a class of carbohydrates found in certain plant cell walls and tissues. They are principally composed of a galactose derivative, galacturonic acid. In fruits, pectin keeps the walls of adjacent cells joined together, helping them remain firm and hold their shape. As fruits become overripe, the pectin breaks down to simple sugars that dissolve more readily, so the fruits become soft and lose their shape. Because it forms a thick, gel-like solution when added in small amounts to fruit acids, sugar, and water, pectin is used to make jellies, jams, and marmalades. Its thick¬ ening properties also make it useful in the confectionery, pharmaceutical, and textile industries.
Pedersen Vpith-ar-sanV Holger (b. April 7, 1867, Gelballe, Den.—d. Oct. 25, 1953, Copenhagen) Danish linguist. He specialized in compara¬ tive Celtic grammar but made influential contributions to many other areas of linguistics. In addition to his Comparative Grammar of the Celtic Lan¬ guages , 2 vol. (1909-13), he published works on Albanian, Armenian, Rus¬ sian, and Indo-European dialects; on Lithuanian, Hittite, Tocharian, Czech, and Turkish phonology; on the relationship of Indo-European languages to the Semitic and Finno-Ugric languages; and on the origin of runes.
pedestal In Classical architecture, a support or base for a column, statue, vase, or obelisk. It may be square, octagonal, or circular. A single pedestal may also support a group of columns, or colonnade (see podium). The ped¬ estal, which was first employed by Roman architects, consists (from bot¬ tom to top) of three parts: the plinth, the dado (or die), and the cornice (or cap).
pediatrics \,pe-de-'a-triks\ Medical specialty dealing with the develop¬ ment, health, and diseases of children. It became a specialized area of study in the 18th century, when the first children’s hospitals were founded. Early pediatricians studied childhood diseases (see Thomas Sydenham) but could do little to cure them. By the mid-20th century, when antibiotics and vaccines had controlled most of these diseases in the developed world and infant and child mortality had fallen, pediatrics changed its focus to nor¬ mal growth and child development. Recently, behavioral and social aspects of children’s health have been incorporated.