1. A body of stagnant water without an outlet, larger than a puddle, and smaller than a lake; or a like body of water with a small outlet. In the United States, we give this name to collections of water in the interior country, which are fed by springs, and from which issues a small stream. These ponds are often a mile or two or even more in length, and the current issuing from them is used to drive the wheels of mills and furnaces.
2. A collection of water raised in a river by a dam, for the purpose of propelling mill-wheels. These artificial ponds are called mill-ponds.
POND, John (c. 1767-1836), astronomer-royal, was born about 1767 in London, where his father made a fortune in trade. He entered Trinity College, Cambridge, at the age of sixteen, but took no degree, his course being interrupted by severe pulmonary attacks which compelled a prolonged residence abroad. His travels extended from Lisbon to Constantinople and the Nile, and were turned to account for astronomical observation. In 1800 he settled at Westbury near Bristol, and began to determine star-places with a fine altitude and azimuth circle of 2∣ feet diameter by Troughton. His demonstration in 1806 {Phil. Trans., xcvi. 420) of a change of form in the Greenwichmuralquadrant led to the introduction of astronomical circles at the Royal Observatory, and to his own appointment as its head. Elected a fellow of the Royal Society, February 26, 1807, he married and went to live in London in the same year, and in 1811 succeeded Maskelyne as astronomer-royal....
During an administration of nearly twenty-five years, Pond effected a reform of practical astronomy in England comparable to that effected by Bessel in Germany. In 1821 he began to employ the method of observation by reflexion; and in 1825 he devised means (see Mem. R. A. Soc., ii. 499) of combining two mural circles in the determination of the place of a single object, the one serving for direct and the other for reflected vision. (By an invention of Airy’s, the same object is now attained with one instrument.) During Pond’s term of office the instrumentalequipment at Greenwich was completely changed, and the number of assistants increased from one to six. The superior accuracy of his determinations was due in part to his systematic attention to the errors of his instruments, in part to his plan of multiplying observations. During a prolonged controversy (1810-24), he consistently denied the reality of Brinkley’s imaginary star-parallaxes (see his papers in Phil. Trans., cviii. 477; cxiii. 53). Delicacy of health impeded his activity, and compelled his retirement in the autumn of 1835. He died at Blackheath, September 7, 1836, and was buried beside Halley in the churchyard of Lee. The Copleymedal was conferred upon him in 1823, and the Lalande prize in 1817 by the Paris Academy, of which he was a corresponding member. He published eight folio volumes of Greenwich Observations, translated Laplace’s Système du Monde (in 2 vols. 8vo., 1809), and contributed thirty-one papers to scientific collections. His catalogue of 1112 stars (1833) was of great value.
See Mem. R. A. Soc., x. 357; Annual Biography and Obituary, 1837; Grant, Hist, of Phys. Astr., p. 491; Royal Society’s Cat. o) Sc. Papers.
9th ed. Encyclopædia Britannica, vol. 19, p. 452 [453 words — estimated reading time: 3 minutes]
1. To weigh in the mind; to consider and compare the circumstances or consequences of an event, or the importance of the reasons for or against a decision.
2. Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. Luke 2:19 .
And the LORD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their rivers, and upon their ponds, and upon all their pools of water, that they may become blood; and that there may be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood, and in vessels of stone.
And the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt—over their rivers and canals and ponds and reservoirs—that they may become blood.’ There will be blood throughout the land of Egypt, even in the vessels of wood and stone.”
And the LORD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch forth thine hand with thy rod over the streams, over the rivers, and over the ponds, and cause frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt.
And the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers and canals and ponds, and cause the frogs to come up onto the land of Egypt.’”
If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?
If you say, “Behold, we did not know about this,” does not He who weighs hearts consider it? Does not the One who guards your life know? Will He not repay a man according to his deeds?
And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.
Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also taught the people knowledge; he pondered, searched out, and arranged many proverbs.
But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
But after he had pondered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to embrace Mary as your wife, for the One conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
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