pith
noun
- A tissue in the stems of vascular plants
verb
- remove stem, sever spinal cord of
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /paɪθ/ / /pɪθ/
adj
Etymology: From pi (“constant representing the ratio of the circumference of a Euclidean circle to its diameter”) + -th (suffix forming ordinal numerals).
- The ordinal form of the number pi (π; approximately 3.14159…).
“The pith root of pi is approximately 1.439…”
“(e^pi*i*i/2), or e^(-pi/2), which is the reciprocal of the square root of e to the pith power.”
noun
Etymology: From pi (“constant representing the ratio of the circumference of a Euclidean circle to its diameter”) + -th (suffix forming ordinal numerals).
- One divided by pi, that is, 1/π (approximately 0.31831…).
“not only that, but your "radian" axis can be labelled as *being* in units of pis, as opposed to the redundancy of 0pi, pi/2, pi etc.; conversely, your circumferential measure can be rational (or units) and your radius can be transcendental (or piths .-)”
“thought it was the two-sixths power of pi, and teh^([sic]) secondpower of six piths”
verb
Etymology: The noun is derived from Middle English pith, pithe (“soft interior; pith, pulp”) [and other forms], from Old English piþa [and other forms], from Proto-Germanic *piþô, from earlier *piþō (oblique *pittan); further etymology unknown. Doublet of pit (“seed or stone inside a fruit”). The verb Middle English pethen (“to give courage or strength”), derived from the noun pith (noun), did not survive into modern English. Cognates * Dutch peen (“carrot”) * Middle Low German peddek, peddik, piddek (“bone marrow; medulla; spinal cord; inner part of a horn or quill; (figurative) core, essence”) (the last spelling rare) (Low German Peddik (“core; pulp”)) * West Frisian piid (“pulp, kernel”)
- To render insensate or kill (an animal, especially cattle or a laboratory animal) by cutting, piercing, or otherwise destroying the spinal cord.
- To extract the pith from (something or (figurative) someone).
“And yet, instead of exclaiming "Send this inconceivable Satanist to the stake," the respectable newspapers pith me by announcing "another book by this brilliant and thoughtful writer."”