Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Perfect?

\Per"fect\, a. [OE. parfit, OF. parfit, parfet, parfait, F. parfait, L. perfectus, p. p. of perficere to carry to the end, to perform, finish, perfect; per (see {Per-}) + facere to make, do. See {Fact}.] 1. Brought to consummation or completeness; completed; not defective nor redundant; having all the properties or qualities requisite to its nature and kind; without flaw, fault, or blemish; without error; mature; whole; pure; sound; right; correct. My strength is made perfect in weakness. --2 Cor. xii. 9. Three glorious suns, each one a perfect sun. --Shak. I fear I am not in my perfect mind. --Shak. O most entire perfect sacrifice! --Keble. God made thee perfect, not immutable. --Milton. 2. Well informed; certain; sure. I am perfect that the Pannonains are now in arms. --Shak. 3. (Bot.) Hermaphrodite; having both stamens and pistils; -- said of flower. {Perfect cadence} (Mus.), a complete and satisfactory close in harmony, as upon the tonic preceded by the dominant. {Perfect chord} (Mus.), a concord or union of sounds which is perfectly coalescent and agreeable to the ear, as the unison, octave, fifth, and fourth; a perfect consonance; a common chord in its original position of keynote, third, fifth, and octave. {Perfect number} (Arith.), a number equal to the sum of all its divisors; as, 28, whose aliquot parts, or divisors, are 14, 7, 4, 2, 1. See {Abundant number}, under {Abundant}. --Brande & C. {Perfect tense} (Gram.), a tense which expresses an act or state completed. Syn: Finished; consummate; complete; entire; faultless; blameless; unblemished.
\Per"fect\, n. The perfect tense, or a form in that tense.
\Per"fect\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Perfected}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Perfecting}.] [L. perfectus, p. p. of perficere. See {Perfect}, a.] To make perfect; to finish or complete, so as to leave nothing wanting; to give to anything all that is requisite to its nature and kind. God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfect in us. --1 John iv. 12. Inquire into the nature and properties of the things, . . . and thereby perfect our ideas of their distinct species. --Locke. {Perfecting press} (Print.), a press in which the printing on both sides of the paper is completed in one passage through the machine. Syn: To finish; accomplish; complete; consummate.