from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Per \Per\, prep. [L. Cf. {Far}, {For-}, {Pardon}, and cf. {Par},
prep.]
Through; by means of; through the agency of; by; for; for
each; as, per annum; per capita, by heads, or according to
individuals; per curiam, by the court; per se, by itself, of
itself. Per is also sometimes used with English words.
[1913 Webster]
{Per annum}, by the year; in each successive year; annually.
{per cent}, {Per centum}, {percent}, by the hundred; in the
hundred; a proportion multiplied by one hundred; -- used
esp. of proportions of ingredients, rate or amount of
interest, and the like; most commonly used in the
shortened form per cent; as, 5 is ten per cent of 50. It
is commonly symbolized with the per cent sign, "%".
{Per diem}, by the day. [For other phrases from the Latin,
see Quotations, Phrases, etc., from Foreign Languages, in
the Supplement.]
[1913 Webster]