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1. (Mil.) A wooden flat-bottomed boat, a metallic cylinder, or a frame covered with canvas, India rubber,
etc., forming a portable float, used in building bridges quickly for the passage of troops.
2. (Naut.) A low, flat vessel, resembling a barge, furnished with cranes, capstans, and other machinery,
used in careening ships, raising weights, drawing piles, etc., chiefly in the Mediterranean; a lighter.
Pontoon bridge, a bridge formed with pontoons. — Pontoon train, the carriages of the pontoons,
and the materials they carry for making a pontoon bridge.
The French spelling ponton often appears in scientific works, but pontoon is more common form.
Pontooning
(Pon*toon"ing), n. The act, art, or process of constructing pontoon bridges. "Army instruction
in pontooning." Gen. W. T. Shermah.
Pontvolant
(Pont`vo*lant") n. [F. pont bridge + volant flying.] (Mil.) A kind of light bridge, used in
sieges, for surprising a post or outwork which has but a narrow moat; a flying bridge.
Ponty
(Pon"ty) n. (Class Making) See Pontee.
Pony
(Po"ny) n.; pl. Ponies [Written also poney.] [Gael. ponaidh.]
1. A small horse.
2. Twenty-five pounds sterling. [Slang, Eng.]
3. A translation or a key used to avoid study in getting lessons; a crib. [College Cant]
4. A small glass of beer. [Slang]
Pony chaise, a light, low chaise, drawn by a pony or a pair of ponies. — Pony engine, a small locomotive
for switching cars from one track to another. [U.S.] — Pony truck (Locomotive Engine), a truck which
has only two wheels. — Pony truss (Bridge Building), a truss which has so little height that overhead
bracing can not be used.
Pood
(Pood) n. [Russ. pud'.] A Russian weight, equal to forty Russian pounds or about thirty-six
English pounds avoirdupois.
Poodle
(Poo"dle) n. [G. pudel.] (Zoöl.) A breed of dogs having curly hair, and often showing remarkable
intelligence in the performance of tricks.
Pooh
(Pooh) interj. [Of. imitative origin; cf. Icel. pu.] Pshaw! pish! nonsense! — an expression of
scorn, dislike, or contempt.
Pooh-pooh
(Pooh`-pooh") v. t. To make light of; to treat with derision or contempt, as if by saying pooh!
pooh! [Colloq.] Thackeray.
Pookoo
(||Poo"koo) n. [From the native name.] (Zoöl.) A red African antelope (Kobus Vardoni) allied to
the water buck.
Pool
(Pool) n. [AS. pol; akin to LG. pool, pohl, D. poel, G. pfuhl; cf. Icel. pollr, also W. pwll, Gael.
poll.]
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