See Also: pacific(dictionary)
Pacific Rim(dictionary)
Air Pacific(tourism)
ASM PACIFIC(finance)
FIRST PACIFIC(finance)
Pacific Ten(dictionary)
Pacific Rim(money)
Pacific, War of the(encyclopedia)
pacific(dictionary)
Pacific Alliance(health)

pacific (iou)



pacific adjective & noun. M16.
[(Old & mod. French pacifique from) Latin pacificus, from pac-, pax peace: see -I-, -FIC.]
A. adjective.
I.
Making, or tending to the making of, peace, leading to reconciliation; conciliatory, appeasing; calming. M16.
C. Angier He was..too pacific; he would not fight back.
Of peaceful disposition or character, peaceable; characterized by peace or calm, tranquil. M17.
E. Bowen It had been pacific, their relationship; neither..would have admitted a crescendo..a decrescendo. New Yorker Mrs. Evert, trim, pacific, and invisibly helpful.
II.
Pacific Ocean, Pacific Sea, the largest of the world's oceans, situated between America to the east and Asia to the west (orig. supposed to be calmer than the Atlantic). M17.
b. (Pacific.) Of or pertaining to the Pacific Ocean; (of or involving countries) bordering the Pacific Ocean. E19.
Pacific halibut, Pacific pompano, Pacific salmon, etc.
F. Riesenberg Craft..could go into the 'holes in the wall' along the ragged Pacific coast. D. Morris The largest bats of this group are the Flying Foxes of the Pacific region.
Special collocations: pacific blockade a blockade of ports of one country by another country not at war with it. Pacific Islander a native or inhabitant of any of the islands in the South Pacific, esp. an aboriginal native of Polynesia. Pacific rim the group of countries etc. that border the western Pacific, esp. those regarded as having potential for economic development. Pacific slope (a) the part of N. America west of the Rocky Mountains; (b) Austral. & NZ slang an escape across the Pacific Ocean to avoid arrest. Pacific Standard Time, Pacific Time the standard time used on the Pacific coast of N. America, being that of 120 W., 8 hours behind GMT.
b. noun.
An offer or overture of peace; in pl., peace offerings. Only in 17.
(Pacific.) The Pacific Ocean. E19.
(Pacific.) A steam locomotive of 4-6-2 wheel arrangement. E20.