adj., v., & n.
adj. 1 complete; not deficient. 2 faultless (a perfect diamond). 3 very satisfactory (a perfect evening). 4 exact; precise (a perfect circle). 5 entire; unqualified (a perfect stranger). 6 Math. (of a number) equal to the sum of its divisors. 7 Gram. (of a tense) denoting a completed action or event in the past, formed in English with have or has and the past participle, as in they have eaten. 8 Mus. (of pitch) absolute. 9 Bot. a (of a flower) having all four types of whorl. b (of a fungus) in the stage where the sexual spores are formed. 10 (often foll. by in) thoroughly trained or skilled (is perfect in geometry).
v.tr. 1 make perfect; improve. 2 carry through; complete. 3 complete (a sheet) by printing the other side.
n. Gram. the perfect tense. perfect binding a form of bookbinding in which the leaves are attached to the spine by gluing rather than sewing. perfect interval Mus. a fourth or fifth as it would occur in a major or minor scale starting on the lower note of the interval, or octave. perfect pitch = absolute pitch 1. perfecter n. perfectible adj. perfectibility n. perfectness n.
[ ME and OF parfit, perfet f. L perfectus past part. of perficere complete (as PER-, facere do) ]