United States playwright and public official (1902-1987)
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Luce \Luce\ (l[imac]s), n. [OF. lus, L. lucius a kind of fish.] (Zo["o]l.) A pike when full grown. --Halliwell.
Pike \Pike\, n. [F. pique; perhaps of Celtic origin; cf. W. pig a prick, a point, beak, Arm. pik pick. But cf. also L. picus woodpecker (see {Pie} magpie), and E. spike. Cf. {Pick}, n. & v., {Peak}, {Pique}.] 1. (Mil.) A foot soldier's weapon, consisting of a long wooden shaft or staff, with a pointed steel head. It is now superseded by the bayonet.
2. A pointed head or spike; esp., one in the center of a shield or target. --Beau. & Fl.
3. A hayfork. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] --Tusser.
4. A pick. [Prov. Eng.] --Wright. Raymond.
5. A pointed or peaked hill. [R.]
6. A large haycock. [Prov. Eng.] --Halliwell.
7. A turnpike; a toll bar. --Dickens.
8. (Zo["o]l.) sing. & pl. A large fresh-water fish ({Esox lucius}), found in Europe and America, highly valued as a food fish; -- called also {pickerel}, {gedd}, {luce}, and {jack}.
Note: Blue pike, grass pike, green pike, wall-eyed pike, and yellow pike, are names, not of true pike, but of the wall-eye. See {Wall-eye}.
{Gar pike}. See under {Gar}.
{Pike perch} (Zo["o]l.), any fresh-water fish of the genus {Stizostedion} (formerly {Lucioperca}). See {Wall-eye}, and {Sauger}.
{Pike pole}, a long pole with a pike in one end, used in directing floating logs.
{Pike whale} (Zo["o]l.), a finback whale of the North Atlantic ({Bal[ae]noptera rostrata}), having an elongated snout; -- called also {piked whale}.