CWL Letter P Part 1

phocine

adj/ SfPTsIn /Gk > L + Ecf of, relating to, or resembling seals. One of the phocine characteristics is having limbs modified into webbed flippers adapted primarily to swimming.

phylliform

adj/ SfilETfOrm /Gk + Ecf having the shape of a leaf. Every fall, phylliform silhouettes adorn the windows of Mrs. Gaskin's classroom.

philistine

adj/ SfilETstGn /Heb > Gk of, relating to, or characterized by crass materialism and insensitivity to aesthetics. Nineteenth-century essayists derided the English middle class as being vulgar and philistine.

polyglot

adj/ SpBlGTglBt /Gk containing matter in several languages; especially : composed of correlative text in several languages often arranged in parallel columns. Products sold in electronics stores often have polyglot instructions.

ponderous

adj/ SpBnd(E)rEs /L > F > E unwieldy or clumsy because of weight and size. Roy could barely lift the ponderous ancient weapon.

posthumous

adj/ SpBschEmEs /L published after the death of the author. Ironically, the novelist's posthumous works were his most popular.

pagan

adj/ SpCgEn /L of, relating to, or having the characteristics of followers of a polytheistic religion (as in ancient Rome). New Age spirituality has given rise to a number of organized pagan groups.

paisley

adj/ SpCzlG /Scottish geog name printed with an elaborate design consisting typically of curved abstract figures. Mrs. Whatsit untied a blue and green paisley scarf.

pearly

adj/ SpErlG /L > F > E having the color of a pearl, which is usually white or light-colored. "Show me your pearly whites," encouraged the photographer.

peaceable

adj/ SpGsEbEl /L > F > E + Ecf marked by freedom from war, strife, hostilities, or disorder. Aggressive doctrines are incompatible with any peaceable administration of the government.

pious

adj/ SpIEs /L devout. The pious Jewish historian saw in Israel's exile God's punishment for sin.

poignant

adj/ SpOin(y)Ent /L > F > E painfully sharp with regard to the feelings : piercing, keen. Emma's distress was not poignant enough to keep her from falling asleep, and she awoke feeling somewhat more hopeful.

poisonous

adj/ SpOiz(F)nEs /L > F > E + Ecf having the qualities or effects of a toxin. The mushrooms looked and tasted great but were devastatingly poisonous.

poised

adj/ SpOizd /L > F > E + Ecf marked by easy composure of manner or bearing. The poised skater performed her routine with great precision and self-assurance.

potable

adj/ SpPZEbEl /Lsuitable, safe, or prepared for drinking. Chemicals are often added to water supplies to make them potable.

patulous

adj/ SpachElEs /L spreading widely from a center. The old apple tree had many patulous branches.

palatable

adj/ SpalDZEbEl /Etruscan? > L > E + Ecf agreeable to the palate or taste : savory. Mom poured cheese over the spinach to make it more palatable.

palpitant

adj/ SpalpEZEnt /L trembling, quivering, throbbing. Darryl jabbed his fork into the palpitant pudding.

palpable

adj/ SpalpEbEl /L easily perceptible by the mind : obvious, manifest. The injustice of the situation was palpable to even the least fair- minded individual present.

palpebral

adj/ SpalpEbrEl /L [has near homonym: palpable] of, relating to, or located on or near the eyelids. Mike's palpebral spasms were alleviated when he was treated with a muscle relaxant.

paraphrasable

adj/ SparETfrCzEbEl /Gk + Ecf capable of being restated in another form usually for clearer and fuller exposition. The teacher asked the students if the meaning of the poem was paraphrasable.

parallel

adj/ SparETlel /Gk extending in the same direction and everywhere equidistant. The parallel lines of the railroad tracks tipped off analysts to the location of the munitions plant.

paramount

adj/ SparETmaUnt /L > F > AF superior to all others (as in power, position, or importance). Victor holds the paramount seat on the library's board of directors.

passerine

adj/ SpasErDn /L of or relating to the largest order of birds including more than half of all living birds and consisting chiefly of songbirds of perching habits. Mr. Perrault, an avid birder, told us that passerine birds have a maximum life-span of about ten years in the wild.

pavonine

adj/ SpavETnIn /L of, relating to, or resembling the peacock. Audrey cooled herself by waving a pavonine fan.

petulant

adj/ SpechElEnt /L characterized by temporary or capricious ill humor : peevish. The striking ballplayers were characterized as spoiled, petulant, and self-obsessed.

peccant

adj/ SpekEnt /L guilty of a moral offense : sinning, corrupt. The council members railed against the peccant mayor.

pensive

adj/ Spen(t)siv /L > F > E absorbed or engrossed in or given to sober thoughtfulness. Lori appeared pensive on the last day of vacation.

perishable

adj/ SperDshEbEl /L > F > E + Ecf subject to quick deterioration or spoilage except under proper conditions (as of temperature or moisture content). The advent of refrigeration changed the way perishable foods are packaged.

peerless

adj/ Spi(E)rlDs / E matchless, incomparable. Randy wondered how he could compete against the peerless defending champion.

piteous

adj/ SpiZGEs /E arousing or deserving pity or compassion. The piteous kitten stood shivering in the snow.

pinnigrade

adj/ SpinETgrCd /Lwalking by means of fins or flippers. The seal and the walrus are pinnigrade animals.

plucky

adj/ SplEkG /E + Ecf having or marked by courage : spirited, brave, resolute. Henry was plucky enough to get back on his bicycle although he had just fallen for the seventh time.

plumbeous

adj/ SplEmbGEs /L having a dull gray color like that of lead. The plumbeous core of a so-called "lead pencil" is graphite.

pliant

adj/ SplIEnt /F > E flexible, workable, lithe. To make his catcher's mitt more pliant, Gary smeared shaving gel on it and baked it at a low temperature.

planetary

adj/ SplanETterG /Gk > L > F > E global, worldwide. Deforestation is a planetary concern.

plenary

adj/ SplenErG /L fully attended or constituted : including all entitled to be present. Because of the important bills to be voted on, the legislature convened a plenary session.

plentiful

adj/ SplentDfEl /L > F > E + Ecf containing or yielding abundance. The orange growers are looking forward to a plentiful harvest.

pharisaical

adj/ TfarESsCDkEl /Aram > GK > L + E making an outward show of piety and morality but lacking the inward spirit : hypocritical. Cardinal Newman spoke of the vast numbers of pharisaical individuals among baptized Christians.

polysemous

adj/ TpBlGSsGmEs /Gk + Gk having many meanings. Puns are based on the humorous use of polysemous words.

polychromatic

adj/ TpBlGkrPSmaZik /Gk showing a variety or a change of colors : multicolored. It is not unusual for people to drive by Sarah's house simply to admire is polychromatic brickwork.

polysyllabic

adj/ TpBlGsDSlabik /Gk > L + Ecf having three or usually four or more units of spoken language. Martha often uses polysyllabic words to mpress her teachers.

peripheral

adj/ TpESrif(E)rEl /Gk located away from a center or a central portion. Although Kerry's main interest lies in literature, she has peripheral interests in art history and psychology.

perfervid

adj/ TpErSfErvDd /L extremely or excessively fervent : zealous, impassioned. In front of the Capitol a man was giving a perfervid speech on the evils of national taxation.

perspicacious

adj/ TpErspESkCshEs /L + Ecf of acute mental vision or discernment. The chairman attributed the company's record profits to perspicacious management.

pertinacious

adj/ TpErtFnSCshEs /L stubbornly unshakable. There was something mysterious in the moody and dogged silence of this pertinacious companion.

pioneer

adj/ TpIESni(E)r /F of, relating to, or characteristic of early settlers or their time. Julie worked last summer in a restored pioneer village.

portentous

adj/ TpOrStentEs /L of, relating to, or constituting something that foreshadows a coming event : ominous. Oliver's dream proved portentous.

pomological

adj/ TpPmESlBjDkEl /Gk > L of or relating to the science of the cultivation of fruits. Certainly in the pomological sense, one bad apple eventually spoils the whole bunch.

postprandial

adj/ TpPs(t)SprandGEl /L > E of, relating to, or occurring in the period after a meal. After the huge dinner, George and Barbara decided to take a leisurely postprandial walk.

panacean

adj/ TpanESsGEn /Gk > L + Ecf having the properties of a remedy for all ills and difficulties. Advertisements for the new pain medicine suggest that it has panacean qualities.

paraffinic

adj/ TparESfinik /L > G of, relating to, or characterized by paraffin hydrocarbons or paraffin wax. The new pesticide contains a highly refined paraffinic oil.

paraplegic

adj/ TparESplGjik /Gk affected with paralysis of the lower half of the body including both legs due to disease or injury to the spinal cord. With much determination, effort, and training, the paraplegic patient learned how to take care of himself at home.

parasitic

adj/ TparESsiZik /Gk > L living in or on another organism. Dogs are susceptible to parasitic organisms such as fleas and heartworms.

paroxysmal

adj/ TparEkSsizmEl /Gk > L > F marked or accompanied by sudden attacks or spasms (as of a disease). Mike's whooping cough was treated with antibiotics in its early paroxysmal stage.

Peloponnesian

adj/ TpelEpESnGzhEn /Gk name + Gk of or relating to the southern peninsula of Greece. The Peloponnesian War was between Athens and Sparta.

Periclean

adj/ TperESklGEn /Gk name of or relating to Pericles or his age when Athens was at its highest material and intellectual state. Periclean Athens bequeathed the Parthenon and many other monuments of artistic splendor to the world.

peripatetic

adj/ TperEpESteZik /Gk performed or performing while moving about : itinerant. Adrian spent an exciting three years as a peripatetic journalist before settling in Chicago.

persillade

adj/ TpersGSBd /F dressed with or containing parsley.Marina's dinner guests enjoyed a flavorful sea bass in a persillade sauce.

picaresque

adj/ TpikESresk /Sp relating to or being a type of prose fiction in which the principal character is a rogue or vagabond and the narrative is a series of incidents or episodes. In a typical picaresque novel, the hero has many adventures.

picayune

adj/ TpikGSyVn /L > Prov > F of little value : paltry, measly. The other players chided the halfback for his picayune contribution to the team.

preeminent

adj/ TprGSemEnEnt /L having paramount rank, dignity, or importance : first, outstanding, supreme. The attorney introduced her expert witness as the preeminent researcher in his field.

prejudicial

adj/ TprejESdishEl / L > E leading to premature judgment or unwarranted opinion. The jury was sequestered in order to prevent exposure to any prejudicial material.

phyllophorous

adj/ fDSlBf(E)rEs /Gk + Gk producing leaves : leaf-bearing. Softwoods come from coniferous trees, while hardwoods come from phyllophorous trees.

phytophilous

adj/ fIStBfElEs /Gk + Gk + Ecf living or feeding on plants. The forest fire deprived many phytophilous animals of their habitat and food.

photophygous

adj/ fPStBfEgEs /Gk + Gk + Ecf preferring or thriving in shade. Ferns and hostas are photophygous plants often used in gardens.

phlegmatic

adj/ flegSmaZik /Gk calm, composed, undemonstrative. Phlegmatic game-show contestants are usually not as entertaining as those who show excitement.

pneumatic

adj/ n(y)VSmaZik /Gk [has homonym: neumatic] adapted for holding compressed air : inflated with air. The development of the pneumatic tire was a major advance for the bicycle.

paysanne

adj/ pCSzan /F prepared (as with diced root vegetables) in country or simple style. Errol served a paysanne sauce with the tenderloins.

pedantic

adj/ pDSdantik / L? > It > F + Ecfexcessively meticulous. Frazier's pedantic approach bored the few remaining audience members.

pedestrian

adj/ pDSdestrGEn /L marked by drabness or dullness : commonplace. The critic wrote the play off as a pedestrian imitation of Shakespeare.

pejorative

adj/ pDSjOrEZiv /L having a tendency to make or become worse : depreciatory, disparaging. The critic's pejorative comments angered the entire cast.

pecuniary

adj/ pDSkyVnGTerG /L taking the form of or consisting of money. Margaret values her grandmother's engagement ring for its sentimental rather than its pecuniary worth.

petrophilous

adj/ pDStrBfElEs /Gk attached to or living on rock; used especially of algae and crustaceans. Petrophilous barnacles and limpets can be found long rocky shores.

pernicious

adj/ pE(r)SnishEs /L highly injurious or destructive : deadly. The doctors finally eradicated thepernicious infection from the patient's lungs.

perpetual

adj/ pE(r)Spech(Ew)El /L > F > E everlasting, eternal. Shawna expected to enjoy perpetual bliss in heaven.

perplexing

adj/ pE(r)SpleksiN /L that causes an agitated or confused mental condition. Silvio found English grammar terribly perplexing.

pervasive

adj/ pE(r)SvCsiv /L + Ecf that permeates or tends to permeate. The turkey farm had a pervasive odor that clung to clothes.

palustrine

adj/ pESlEstrDn /L living or thriving in a marshy environment. The alligator is an excellent palustrine hunter.

paludal

adj/ pESlVdFl /L of, relating to, or made up of marshes. The map shows a boardwalk trail through the paludal areas.

polemic

adj/ pESlemik /Gk of, relating to, or of the nature of a controversial discussion or argument. Try as he might, Rupert could not prevent the conversation from turning into a polemic debate.

polygonal

adj/ pESligEnFl /Gk having many sides. Mr. Ewing taught his math class how to find the areas of polygonal figures.

parietal

adj/ pESrIEZFl /L > F of, relating to, or located in the upper posterior part of the head. The X ray revealed no damage to Hernando's parietal bone.

parochial

adj/ pESrPkGEl /L > F > AF > E of or relating to a church parish. Five of Susan's friends attended parochial schools.

peremptory

adj/ pESrem(p)t(E)rG /L putting an end to or precluding a right of action, debate, or delay. Mr. Stone interrupted Cindy's wrong answer by raising his hand in a peremptory gesture.

perennial

adj/ pESrenGEl /L continuing or lasting through several years—used specifically of a plant that dies back seasonally and produces new growth from a part that lives over from season to season. The garden is bare of flowers because the perennial plants have been cut down for their winter rest.

patrician

adj/ pEStrishEn /L of, relating to, or characteristic of gentle or noble birth or of breeding and cultivation. Escorting Cassie to her debutante ball is a patrician experience Rob will never forget.

piacular

adj/ pISakyElE(r) /L of, relating to, or involving sacrifice : sacrificial. While visiting the island of Patmos, tourists saw an ancient altar where the Greeks burned piacular offerings to the gods.

peirastic

adj/ pISrastik /Gk fitted for trial : experimental. The new drug has been approved only for peirastic use with patients who volunteer to take it.

porraceous

adj/ pOSrCshEs /L having the clear light green color of leek leaves. The deep green of the kitchen countertops seemed to tint the walls a porraceous color.

poetic

adj/ pPSeZik /Gk of or relating to poets. Ovid tried to become a lawyer early in life, but his true and natural poetic character would not be suppressed.

postcibal

adj/ pPs(t)SsIbEl /L occurring after a meal. George and Harriet hired a vocalist for the banquet's postcibal entertainment.

precautionary

adj/ prGSkOshETnerG /L advising, suggesting, or using caution beforehand. Vaccinating children against polio is a wise precautionary measure.

precibal

adj/ prGSsIbEl /L occurring before meals. The host graciously proposed a precibal toast to the guest of honor.

panoramic

adjective : of, relating to, or resembling a panorama <panoramic novels> <a lookout tower on a summit ... affords a panoramic view — American Guide Series: Pennsylvania> — pan·o·ram·i·cal·ly \-mə̇k(ə)lē, -mēk-, -li\ (audio pronunciation) adverb Origin of PANORAMIC panorama + -ic

prepollent

adjective \(ˈ)prē¦pälənt\ : superior in influence or power : predominant Origin of PREPOLLENT Latin praepollent-, praepollens, present participle of praepollēre to surpass in power, from prae- pre- + pollēre to be strong, be able — more at pollex

polyester

n/ SpBlGTestEr /Gk a synthetic fiber consisting wholly or chiefly of a complex ester formed by polymerization. Bridget bought the loudest polyester jacket she could find at the thrift store to wear on Halloween.

pomegranate

n/ SpBm(E)TgranDt /L > F > E + L a thick-skinned several-celled reddish berry that is about the size of an orange and has many seeds in a crimson acid pulp. The bright red splotches on Julia's hands testified to her having eaten a pomegranate.

pompadour

n/ SpBmpETdP(E)r /F name a man's style of hairdressing in which the hair is combed back so as to stand up straight. Chuck spent an hour in front of the mirror preening his pompadour.

parsec

n/ SpBrTsek /Gk + L a unit of measure for interstellar space equal to a distance of 3.26 light-years or to 19.2 trillion miles. Porgy estimated the distance between the stars to be one parsec.

parlance

n/ SpBrlEn(t)s /F idiom, phraseology. In educational parlance the new high school is a "magnet school."

parley

n/ SpBrlG /L > F [has homonym: parlay] conversation, discussion. Mr. Elton and Harriet had a very interesting parley about what could be done and should be done.

parsnip

n/ SpBrsnip /L > F > E a biennial plant with yellow flowers and a long, thick, sweet, white root used as a vegetable. Jake yanked a parsnip from his garden.

partridge

n/ SpBrtrij /L > F > E any of several game birds belonging to the same subfamily as the bobwhite. A partridge fluttered out of the tall grass and startled Katrina.

parvenuism

n/ SpBrvETn(y)VTizEm /L > F + Ecf the behavior of one who makes great pretensions because of acquired wealth. The parvenuism of the steel and railroad barons caused them to build some of the most amazing private homes in the United States.

posse

n/ SpBsG /L a detachment or body (as of police) often assigned to or brought together because of a particular emergency. Noah's favorite part of westerns is when the marshal and his posse corner the bandit.

posture

n/ SpBschE(r) /L characteristic position or bearing of the body. A dancer's posture is as important in ballroom dancing as it is in ballet.

postulate

n/ SpBschElDt /L an underlying hypothesis or assumption. Most cosmologists base their work upon the postulate of the Big Bang.

patzer

n/ SpBtsE(r) /G an inept chess player.When Drew won the chess game so easily, he jokingly called his opponent a "patzer."

pathos

n/ SpCTthBs /Gk an element in experience or in artistic representation evoking pity or compassion. The actress was highly praised for the pathos she evoked in her death scene.

patroness

n/ SpCtrEnDs /L a woman who provides for or promotes the interests of a protégé. Emma was soon left in peace, not forced to be the very active patroness of Jane Fairfax.

patriot

n/ SpCtrGEt /Gk > L > F a person who loves his country and defends and promotes its interests. The foreign spy convinced others that he was a flag-waving patriot.

patriarch

n/ SpCtrGTBrk /Gk a man regarded as father or founder (as of a race, science, religion, or class of people). In many religious circles Adam is considered to be the patriarch of the human race.

perfume

n/ SpErTfyVm /L > OProv > F a fluid preparation used for scenting : fragrance. Some theaters designate a fragrance-free seating area for those persons allergic to perfume and scented lotions.

perjury

n/ SpErj(E)rG /L > AF > E the voluntary violation of an oath. One thing is certain after the testimony: Either Mr. Jakes or Mr. Cleveland has committed perjury.

percnosome

n/ SpErknETsPm /Gk a small body occurring in the androcyte of a fern. Under the microscope, the dark shape of the percnosome was clearly visible.

perquisite

n/ SpErkwEzDt /L a privilege, gain, or profit incidental to an employment in addition to regular salary or wages. A perquisite attractive to any business executives is unlimited use of a cellular telephone.

persiflage

n/ SpErsETflBzh /F frivolous bantering talk : a frivolous and somewhat derisive manner of treating a subject. As the teams moved up and down the court, both benches kept up a constant stream of persiflage.

peony

n/ SpGEnG /E any of a genus of perennial often double-flowered plants with large pink, white, red, or yellow showy flowers. Ben placed a brightly olored peony in a tall vase.

peekaboo

n/ SpGkETbV /E + cf + E a game to entertain an infant or young child in which one hides his or her face and then reappears and makes an exclamation. The photographer finally managed to elicit a smile from the baby when she started playing peekaboo.

piquancy

n/ SpGkEnsG /F + Ecf the quality of being agreeably stimulating to the palate : pleasantly tart. Colette especially liked the piquancy of Cajun cuisine.

pica

n/ SpIkE /ML [has homonym: pika] a size of type equivalent to 12 point. Part of Katie's proofreading job was to add another line of pica to pages that had enough space.

piracy

n/ SpIrEsG /Gk > L robbery on the high seas. Charged with piracy, Blackbeard was hunted down by government warships.

porphyry

n/ SpO(r)fErG /Gk > L an Egyptian rock consisting of feldspar crystals embedded in a dark red or purple groundmass much used by the ancient Romans. At the archaeological dig Carlo unearthed a broken urn made of porphyry.

pallbearer

n/ SpOlTberE(r) /L > E+E an attendant at a funeral who helps carry the coffin. Each pallbearer wore a carnation in his lapel.

porridge

n/ SpOrij /F > E a soft food made by boiling grains or legumes in milk or water until thick. The campers were extremely hungry, and each consumed a large bowl of porridge.

porcupine

n/ SpOrkyETpIn /L > It > F > E any of various relatively large rodents having stiff sharp erectile bristles mingled with the hair. The yelping dog's snout was covered with quills from a porcupine.

porpoise

n/ SpOrpEs /L > F > E a small, friendly whale with teeth and a short, rounded snout and that somewhat resembles a dolphin. Miles saw a porpoise at the aquarium.

paucity

n/ SpOsEZG /L a small number : fewness. The choir suffered from a paucity of male voices.

poetaster

n/ SpPDZTastE(r) /L a writer of worthless or inferior verses. The poetaster spewed out poem after poem, each worse than the last.

poacher

n/ SpPchE(r) /Gmc > F > E one who kills or takes wild animals (as game or fish) illegally. The sign at the reservation stated that any poacher would be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

polder

n/ SpPldE(r) /Gk a tract of low land reclaimed from the sea or other body of water. Leanne and Amy scoured the polder for fossils.

polka

n/ SpPlkE /Pol > Czecha lively Bohemian dance in fast duple time that consists of three steps and a hop. Gwen taught her dance students the polka.

poultice

n/ SpPltDs /L a soft mass usually heated and spread on cloth for application to inflamed areas to supply moist warmth, relieve pain, or act as a counterirritant. Aunt Julia's remedy for rashes or skin problems of any sort is a mustard poultice.

poltergeist

n/ SpPltE(r)TgIst /G a noisy and usually mischievous ghost. Our favorite Halloween story is about a poltergeist who tormented the tenants of a house in which there had previously been a murder.

porcelain

n/ SpPrs(E)lDn /L > It > F [has near homonym: purslane] a hard, fine-grained, white ceramic ware that has a hard paste body, is fired at a high temperature, and is used especially for table and ornamental wares. Many old houses have doorknobs made of porcelain.

postern

n/ SpPstE(r)n / L > F > E a back door or gate. The thief escaped through the postern without being detected.

potentate

n/ SpPtFnTtCt /L one who possesses great power or sway : ruler. Barry acts more like a potentate than a leader in his role as class president.

patois

n/ SpaTtwB /F a dialect other than the standard or literary dialect. Parisians considered the French spoken in the English court to be a patois.

pabulum

n/ SpabyElEm /L rudimentary or sentimental writing. The famous poet's early works were pure pabulum.

pageantry

n/ SpajEntrG /L > E colorful, rich, or splendid display. Rachel could not wait to see the pageantry of the medieval festival.

pachyderm

n/ SpakDTdErm /Gk > F one of a group of thick-skinned mammals (as an elephant or rhinoceros). When the circus came to town, it usually featured at least one pachyderm.

palimpsest

n/ SpalDm(p)Tsest /Gk a parchment, tablet, or other portion of writing material that has been used twice or three times after the earlier writing has been erased. Special equipment will help determine whether the old parchment Colin found is a palimpsest.

palindrome

n/ SpalDnTdrPm /Gk a word, verse, or sentence that reads the same backward or forward. Ada struggled to contrive a palindrome centered around her own name.

pallor

n/ SpalE(r) /L abnormal paleness. The pallor of Julian's stage makeup gave his girlfriend a fright.

paladin

n/ SpalEdFn /L > It > F a champion of a medieval prince : a legendary hero. A medieval prince could be challenged to a duel, but his paladin would do the actual fighting.

panickiness

n/ SpanDkGnDs /Gk > E the quality or state characterized by or resulting from sudden overpowering fright. In her panickiness in calling for an ambulance, Gretchen forgot to give the street address.

pantomime

n/ SpantETmIm /Gk > L a dramatic performance using no dialogue. The sixth-grade class put on a pantomime of the story "Androcles and the Lion."

paradox

n/ SparETdBks /Gk a statement or sentiment that is seemingly contradictory or opposed to common sense and yet perhaps true in fact. The homework assignment was to write an essay on the following paradox: "To guarantee freedom of religion, the government must be free from religion."

paradigm

n/ SparETdIm /Gk an outstandingly clear or typical example or pattern. The paradigm of sin and salvation underlies much of 17th-century English poetry.

paraclete

n/ SparETklGt /Gk [Note: Could be confused with parrakeet.] one called to aid or support : an advocate. The popular senator was hailed as a paraclete of civil rights.

parallax

n/ SparETlaks /Gk > F the apparent displacement or the difference in apparent direction of an object as seen from two different points not on a straight line with the object. Sujata carefully allowed for the parallax when framing the picture in her viewfinder.

parasol

n/ SparETsOl /L > It > F lightweight umbrella used as a sunshade. Georgina decided to splurge on an antique parasol even though she knew she'd never actually use it.

parity

n/ SparEZG /L[has homonym: parody] the quality or state of being equal : close equivalence or resemblance. American automobile manufacturers believe they have achieved parity with their foreign competitors.

parable

n/ SparEbEl /L a usually short fictitious story that illustrates a moral attitude or a religious principle. Ella's Sunday school teacher began every class with a parable.

parody

n/ SparEdG /Gk [has homonym: parity] a writing in which the language and style of an author or work is closely imitated for comic effect or in ridicule. The Battle of the Frogs and the Mice is a Hellenistic parody of the Iliad.

paraph

n/ SparEf /Gk > L a flourish at the end of a signature sometimes used as a sort of rude safeguard against forgery. Delia always signs her name with an elaborate paraph ending in a smiley face.

paroxysm

n/ SparEkTsizEm / Gk a sudden, violent, and uncontrollable action or occurrence of emotion. When Jeff unknowingly sat on the whoopie cushion, Al burst into a paroxysm of laughter.

parapet

n/ SparEpDt /L > It a rampart raised upon or above the main wall in a permanent fortification. The princess walked along the parapet every evening at dusk, watching for the return of her beloved.

pasture

n/ Spas(h)chE(r) /L > F > E land that is used for the grazing of animals. Every morning the cows returned to the grassy pasture.

pettifogger

n/ SpeZGTfBgE(r) /E + G name? lawyer whose methods are petty, underhanded, or disreputable. Unlike the pettifogger who hung out his shingle across the street, Mr. Patterson was a gentleman of the law.

pedagogist

n/ SpedETgBjDst /Gk a specialist in education. It didn't take a pedagogist to know the school was overcrowded.

penitence

n/ SpenEZEn(t)s /L sorrow for sins or faults. Because of Ella's true penitence, her best friend was quick to forgive her for her breach of confidence.

penance

n/ SpenEn(t)s /L > F > E [has homonym: pennants] act of self-abasement either voluntarily performed to show sorrow for sin or imposed as a punishment for sin by a church official. Emma resolved to keep Harriet no longer in the dark and went, the very next day, to undergo the necessary penance of communication.

pennant

n/ SpenEnt /L a flag or banner. Whenever the queen was in residence, her pennant was raised on the palace flagpole.

penalty

n/ SpenFltG /L a disadvantage (as loss of yardage, time, or possession of the ball) imposed for violation of the rules of a contest. In ice hockey a penalty of two minutes off the ice is frequently given to players who commit minor infractions of the rules.

penchant

n/ SpenchEnt /L > F a strong leaning or attraction; broadly : liking. While traveling overseas, Brad developed a penchant for Turkish coffee.

pendulum

n/ SpenjElEm /L a body suspended from a fixed point so as to swing freely to and fro under the action of gravity and commonly used to regulate the movements of clockwork and other machinery. Trina stops the grandfather clock's pendulum each evening so that the chimes will not ring during the night.

penury

n/ SpenyErG /L scantiness. Jane cited the penury of intelligent conversation at the children's table as her reason for wanting to sit with the adults in the main dining room.

perigee

n/ SperE(T)jG /Gk the point in the orbit of a satellite of Earth that is nearest to the center of Earth. As the communications satellite neared perigee, its signal became stronger.

pestle

n/ SpesEl /L > F > E a usually club-shaped implement for pounding or grinding substances especially in a mortar. Grandma bought a brass mortar and estle from an antique dealer.

pessimist

n/ SpesEmDst /L > F one inclined to put the least favorable construction on actions and happenings, to emphasize adverse aspects, conditions, nd possibilities, or to anticipate the worst possible outcome. Being a pessimist made keeping friends very difficult for Mark.

pestilence

n/ SpestElEn(t)s /L a contagious or infectious epidemic disease that is virulent and devastating. Pestilence has historically been one of society's main causes of death.

petrolage

n/ SpetrElij /L > F + Ecf the treatment of stagnant water with mineral oil so as to exterminate mosquitoes. The health department was advised to use petrolage every spring to eliminate the mosquitoes.

pigeon

n/ SpijEn /L > F > E [has homonym: pidgin] a bird having a stout body with rather short legs and smooth and compact plumage. A pigeon fluttered about the eaves of the old barn.

piccalilli

n/ SpikETlilG / unknown a relish of chopped vegetables and pungent spices. Wanda put a dab of piccalilli in her tuna salad.

pickelhaube

n/ SpikElThaUbE /G [Note: Could be confused with pickelhauben.] a spiked helmet formerly worn by German soldiers. In the chapter on World War I, the history book included a photo of a German general wearing a silver- plated pickelhaube.

pillory

n/ SpilErG /F > E a device formerly used for the public punishment of wrongdoers that consists of a wooden frame with holes in which the head and hands can be locked. Pam took a snapshot of Julian standing by a pillory in the reconstructed colonial village.

pillbox

n/ SpilTbBks /L + Gk > L > E a small round brimless hat; specifically : a woman's shallow hat with a flat crown and straight sides. Margaret wore her blond hair pinned up under a leopard skin pillbox.

pilchard

n/ SpilchE(r)d /unknown a fish related to the herring and sardine occurring in great schools along the coasts of Europe. The pilchard is the principal fish used for canning by the French and Portuguese.

pilferage

n/ Spilf(E)rij /F > E the act of stealing stealthily in small quantities. Pilferage in stores usually leads to increased prices for the customers.

pilgrimage

n/ SpilgrEmij /L > F > E a journey to visit a shrine or a holy place as a devotee. Felipe made a pilgrimage to Santiago last year.

pillion

n/ SpilyEn /ScotGael or IrGael a motorcycle or bicycle riding saddle for a passenger. Denny improvised a pillion in order to give LaToya a ride home.

pinnacle

n/ SpinDkEl /L a lofty mountain peak. The clouds obscured the pinnacle from the view of those in the valley below.

pinafore

n/ SpinETfP(E)r /E a covering garment worn to protect clothes from soil, made variously as an apron with or without a bib. Mrs. Dobbins wears a canvas pinafore while working in the potting shed.

pinniped

n/ SpinETped /L any of a suborder of aquatic carnivorous mammals (as a seal or walrus) with all four limbs modified into flippers. Although the pinniped finds its food in the sea, it needs to be on land or ice to give birth to its young.

piston

n/ SpistEn /L > It > F the part of an engine that is forced back and forth inside a cylinder due to combustion. Kyle learned to identify a piston in the automobile repair class.

pittance

n/ SpitFn(t)s /L > F > E a usually small often barely sufficient portion, amount, or allowance. Gloria was tired of working long hours for a pittance.

pivot

n/ SpivEt /L > F a person or thing on or around which something turns or depends : central point. The pivot of controversy is Roberta's questionable handling of public funds.

physiognomy

n/ TfizGSB(g)nEmG /Gk the technique or art of discovering temperament and character from outward appearance (as from facial features).The artist's careful study of physiognomy showed up in his brilliant caricatures of politicians.

phraseology

n/ TfrCzGSBlEjG /Gk > L choice of words : vocabulary. The candidate's careful phraseology avoided any hint of controversy.

politesse

n/ TpBlEStes /L > F formal and cultivated politeness. The ambassador greatly enjoyed the diplomatic world of pomp and politesse.

polydactyly

n/ TpBlGSdaktElG /Gk + Gk the condition of having more than the normal number of toes or fingers. The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum on Key West is home to approximately 60 cats, about half of which exhibit polydactyly.

polysaccharide

n/ TpBlGSsakETrId /Gk a carbohydrate that can be decomposed by hydrolysis into two or more molecules of monosaccharides or their derivatives; specially : one of the more complex carbohydrates (as starch or cellulose). Cellulose is the polysaccharide providing the chief constituent of the framework of plants.

panettone

n/ TpBnEStPnG /L > It a usually yeast-leavened holiday bread containing raisins and candied fruit peels. Tad received a panettone in the mail from his Italian grandmother.

parturition

n/ TpBrZESrishEn /L the action or process of giving birth to offspring. In some cultures, women return to manual labor within hours of parturition.

parthenogenesis

n/ TpBrthEnPSjenEsDs /Gk reproduction that involves development of a gamete without fertilization. Parthenogenesis occurs commonly among some stick insect species.

plumassier

n/ TplVmESsi(E)r /F one who prepares or deals in ornamental plumes or feathers. The plumassier showed DeeDee a boa that complemented her recital costume perfectly.

predilection

n/ TpredFlSekshEn /L inclination, liking, preference. Moira has a predilection for bittersweet chocolate.

premonition

n/ TpremESnishEn /L anticipation of an event without conscious reason. Yolanda had a premonition that she would win the lottery.

philologist

n/ fDSlBlEjDst /Gk a scholar concerned with human speech as the vehicle of literature and as a field of study that sheds light on cultural history. Hannah wants to become a philologist and study ancient Russian dialects.

phillumenist

n/ fDSlVmEnDst /Gk > L + Ecf one who collects matchbooks or matchbox labels. The phillumenist kept a fire extinguisher near his prize collection.

phylactery

n/ fDSlakt(E)rG /Gk either of two small square leather boxes containing slips inscribed with scriptural passages and traditionally worn by Jewish males during morning prayer. Milton explained that a phylactery is worn as a reminder to keep the laws of Judaism.

philately

n/ fESlaZFlG /Gk > F [has near homonym: flatly] stamp collecting. Philately can be an excellent inexpensive hobby.

phenomenon

n/ fESnBmETnBn /Gk > L an observable fact or event. The civil rights movement began as a startling phenomenon to many complacent Americans.

philhellene

n/ filSheTlGn /Gk an admirer or supporter of Greece or of the Greeks. After one trip to the museum, Lydia became an instant philhellene.

phlebitis

n/ flDSbIZDs /Gk + Lcf inflammation of a vein. If phlebitis is not treated early, a blood clot can form in the inflamed vein.

phrenology

n/ frDSnBlEjG /Gk + Gk + Ecf the study of the conformation of the skull as indicative of mental faculties and traits of character. Phrenology enjoyed great popular appeal well into the 20th century but has been wholly discredited by scientific research.

posterity

n/ pBSsterEZG /L > F > E all succeeding generations : future time. The seventh grade class put together a time capsule for posterity.

poltroonery

n/ pBlStrVn(E)rG /L > It > F cowardice. The historian said that poltroonery among politicians in an election year is not uncommon.

parfait

n/ pBrSfC /L > Fa cold dessert consisting of alternating layers of fruit, syrup, ice cream, and whipped cream. Following a light lunch, Carmen ordered a parfait of tropical fruits.

parterre

n/ pBrSte(E)r /L > F the part of the floor of a theater behind the orchestra. For the season premiere, the seats in the parterre were reserved for the stockholder of the opera company.

piccata

n/ pDSkBZE /F > It thin slices of meat (as veal) sautéed and served in a lemon and butter sauce. Julia served veal piccata and asparagus at Jack's birthday dinner.

pelisse

n/ pDSlGs /L > F [has homonym: police] a woman's loose lightweight cloak with wide collar and fur trimming. Grandmother's old pelisse was a perfect costume for our production of A Christmas Carol.

pilaster

n/ pDSlastE(r) /Gk > L > It > F an upright architectural member that is structurally a vertical support but architecturally treated as a column that usually partially projects from the wall and may be load-bearing or merely applied as surface decoration. The architect explained that because the pilaster was merely a decoration, removing it for the room's renovation would be permissible.

penumbra

n/ pDSnEmbrE /L a shadow cast (as in an eclipse) where the light is partly but not wholly cut off by the intervening body. Bert caused a penumbra on the screen when he walked in front of the slide projector.

peninsula

n/ pDSnin(t)s(E)lE /L a portion of land nearly surrounded by water and connected with a larger body by an isthmus. Florida is actually a very large peninsula.

pistachio

n/ pDSstashGTP /Gk > L > It the edible green seed of a small tree of southern Europe and Asia Minor. Patricia placed a pistachio on each

petunia

n/ pDStVnyE /L > F a common garden plant with funnel-shaped flowers of many colors and patterns. Russell pulled a purple petunia from the flower bed.

petrogeny

n/ pDStrBjEnG /Gk + Gk the science of the origin of rocks. A vacation trip to the Grand Canyon sparked Lauren's interest in petrogeny.

percussor

n/ pE(r)SkEsE(r) /L a small hammer with a rubber head used as a diagnostic tool by physicians. Dr. Goldman tested Paula's reflexes with a percussor.

persimmon

n/ pE(r)SsimEn /Algonquian a medium-sized tree of the southern and eastern United States with hard fine-grained wood, oblong leaves, and bell-shaped flowers followed by an orange several-seeded berry that is edible when fully ripe but usually extremely astringent when unripe. Leroy's mouth puckered when he bit into an unripe persimmon.

pachinko

n/ pESchiN(T)kP /Jpn a Japanese gambling device resembling a pinball machine but with automatic payoff as in a slot machine. Since the 1950s, playing pachinko has been a favorite pastime among the youth of Japan.

podiatrist

n/ pESdIEtrDst /Gk one who practices the care and treatment of the human foot in health and disease. The podiatrist recommended that Carlita get special inserts for her shoes.

paella

n/ pESelE /L > F > Catal a saffron-flavored stew containing rice, chicken, seafood, and various vegetables. Paella can be an expensive dish to prepare because saffron threads are so costly.

pagoda

n/ pESgPdE /Skt > Pg a Far Eastern structure resembling a tower that is often richly decorated and typically has projecting roofs that curve upward between each story and that is erected usually as a temple or memorial. The tour guide claimed that 1000 pounds of gold went into the decoration of the ornate pagoda.

pajamas

n/ pESjBmEz /Hindi loose clothing designed for sleeping and relaxation. Danielle received some flannel pajamas for Christmas.

palladium

n/ pESlCdGEm /Gk > L something that affords effectual protection or security. Many consider the Second Amendment to be the palladium of democracy.

palooka

n/ pESlVkE /unknown an inexperienced or incompetent boxer. The boxing manager told his fighter to box like a palooka for one round, then come out swinging hard.

pollutant

n/ pESlVtFnt /L any substance that makes the air or water impure or unclean. Ethylene gas is a pollutant associated with industrial manufacturing and automobile exhaust.

palatinate

n/ pESlatFnDt /L the province or territory of a European nobleman. Prince Vlad bowed, saying "I offer you the hospitality of my palatinate."

palaver

n/ pESlavE(r) /Gk > L > Pg profuse, idle, or worthless talk : chatter. Dean left when the seminar discussion degenerated into palaver.

polyphagism

n/ pESlifETjizEm /Gk the habit of feeding on a variety of plants or animals. By feeding various kinds of foods to the insects, the researcher would discover which ones exhibited polyphagism.

pomade

n/ pESmBd /L > It > F a perfumed ointment. Mr. Underwood was partial to sweet-smelling pomade.

panache

n/ pESnash /L > It > F dash or flamboyance in style or action. The novel's great strength is the splendidly depicted panache of the protagonist.

paprika

n/ pESprGkE /Gk > Serb > Hung a condiment consisting of the dried finely ground pods of various cultivated sweet peppers. Paprika has been a prized export of Hungary for centuries.

paroemia

n/ pESrGmGE /Gk > L a rhetorical proverb. Coach Morgan's favorite paroemia is "A rolling stone gathers no moss."

pariah

n/ pESrIE /Tamil a person despised or rejected by society : outcast. The candidate became a pariah to his party, and many members refused to be seen with him.

paralysis

n/ pESralEsDs /Gk a state of powerlessness or inactivity. A sort of paralysis overcame the frightened child.

periphery

n/ pESrif(E)rG /Gk the external boundary or surface of any body or area. Many villages dotted the periphery of the extinct volcano.

periphrasis

n/ pESrifrEsDs /Gk the use of a longer phrasing in place of a possible shorter and plainer form of expression. Frustrated by the document's endless periphrasis, Ludwig threw up his hands in despair.

peripety

n/ pESripEZG /Gk > F a sudden or unexpected reversal of circumstances or situation in a literary work. The peripety in the last act of the play stunned the audience.

posology

n/ pESsBlEjG / Gk a branch of medical science concerned with dosage. Derek took several classes in posology for his pharmacy degree.

potassium

n/ pEStasGEm /L an element of the alkali metal group. Bananas and potatoes are good dietary sources of potassium.

patella

n/ pEStelE /L kneecap. Shelby bumped her patella against the bottom of the desk when she stood up too quickly.

pathogeny

n/ pESthBjEnG /Gk the origination and development of a disease. Much research has been done on the factors involved in the pathogeny of muscular dystrophy.

patriciate

n/ pEStrishGDt /L a class of high-ranking nobles or aristocrats. As members of the New York patriciate, Donald and his wife kept a high social profile and lived extravagantly.

pavilion

n/ pESvilyEn /L > F > E a large often sumptuous tent. The servants scurried to set up the queen's pavilion before the Sun went down.

pergelisol

n/ pErSjelETsOl /L permanently or perennially frozen ground : permafrost. Chan's theory is that there are large oil deposits beneath the pergelisol.

piazza

n/ pGSazE /L > It an arcaded and roofed gallery that often surrounds an open court. The tourists ran to the abandoned monastery's piazza when the rain started pouring down.

pidan

n/ pGSdBn /Chinese [has near homonym: piton] duck eggs preserved in brine to which lime, ashes, and tea are added. Art's grandmother makes authentic pidan.

poinsettia

n/ pOinSseZGE /American name a showy Mexican and South American plant with tapering scarlet petallike leaves that surround small yellow flowers. The delivery woman brought a poinsettia to Karen's door.

polemoscope

n/ pPSlemETskPp / Gk an opera or field glass with an oblique mirror arranged for seeing objects not directly before the eye. The detective used a polemoscope to observe the suspect unobtrusively.

pomander

n/ pPSmandE(r) /L > F > E a mixture of perfumed or aromatic substances usually made in a ball and enclosed in a perforated bag or box. Gayle included a pomander in the chest containing her winter clothes.

paupiette

n/ pPSpyet /F a thin slice of meat or fish wrapped around a filling (as of forcemeat). At the new restaurant Carol enjoyed a veal paupiette stuffed with ham and cheese.

portrayal

n/ pPrStrC(E)l /L > F > E the act of representing something in a drawing or painting. Vincent used witnesses' descriptions in his portrayal of the criminal.

portcullis

n/ pPrtSkElDs /F > E a large grating of iron bars or heavy timbers suspended by chains over the gateway of a fortified place and lowered between grooves to prevent passage. The guard quickly lowered the portcullis after the king and his knights had passed through the gate.

portmanteau

n/ pPrtSmant(T)P /L > F a large traveling bag. The clown removed an enormous pumpkin from his portmanteau.

pourboire

n/ pUrbSwBr /L > F a tip or gratuity. When he checked out of the hotel, Jonathan left a pourboire for the chambermaid.

poussin

n/ pVSsaM /L > F a young chicken of about one pound weight for table use : a small broiler. Celeste was not sure how to season and cook a poussin, so she consulted a cookbook by Julia Child.

parrhesia

n/ paSrGzh(G)E /Gk [Note: Could be confused with Parisian.] boldness or freedom of speech. When Bill was in elementary school, his parrhesia earned him many stints of standing in the corner.

pastiche

n/ paSstGsh /It > F a usually incongruous medley of different styles and materials : hodgepodge. Jordan considers the design for the new library a pretentious pastiche.

palmyra

n/ palSmIrE /L > Pg a tall fan palm that is native to Africa but widely cultivated in India. The palmyra made a stately addition to Ramu's garden.

pandiculation

n/ panTdikyESlCshEn /L a stretching and stiffening especially of the trunk and extremities (as when fatigued and drowsy or after waking from sleep). A cat usually extends its claws during pandiculation.

pentathlon

n/ penStathTlBn /Gk a contest in the modern Olympic Games involving participation by each contestant in horseback riding, shooting, fencing, swimming, and running. Miguel is practicing four hours a day for the upcoming pentathlon.

plurality

n/ plVSralEZG /L a number of votes cast for a candidate in a contest of more than two candidates that is greater than the number cast for any other candidate but not more than half the total votes cast. Because all three candidates have strong voter support, the number of votes cast for the winner will probably be a plurality, not a majority.

plutology

n/ plVStBlEjG /Gk + Gk the scientific study of wealth : theoretical economics. Jeremy is using his expertise in plutology to study emerging democracies.

placidity

n/ plaSsidEZG /L the quality or state of being calm or composed. Not resenting the repeated attention offered to another woman was a degree of placidity which Emma could neither comprehend nor respect.

preliminary

n/ prDSlimEnerG /L something introductory or preparatory. As a preliminary to a video there is usually a warning regarding its use.

precocity

n/ prGSkBsEZG /L exceptionally early or premature development; especially : early development of the mental powers. The precocity of five- year-old Stella becomes evident after just a few minutes of talking with her.

precursor

n/ prGSkErsEr /L one that precedes another in an office or process : forerunner. Greek geometry was the precursor to modern calculus.

prerogative

n/ prGSrBgEZiv /L a special right or privilege belonging to a person, group, or class of individuals. It is the prerogative of the president of the United States to have Air Force One at his disposal.

premeditation

n/ prGTmedEStCshEn /L consideration or planning of an act beforehand that shows intent to commit that act. The prosecutor's position is that the accused killer acted with premeditation and thus should be charged with first-degree murder.

pencraft

noun 1 : skill in using the pen : penmanship 2 : the use of the pen 3 : the business of writing or of a writer : authorship Origin of PENCRAFT 3pen + craft

pinocytosis

noun \¦pinō, ¦pīnō+\ plural pinocytoses : the taking up of fluid by living cells Origin of PINOCYTOSIS New Latin, from pino- (from Greek pinein to drink) + cyt- + -osis — more at potable First Known Use: 1895

portiere

noun \¦pōr|tē¦(ə)r, (ˈ)pōr|¦ti(ə)r, ˈpōr|tēər, (ˈpōr|‧¦tye(ə)r, -pȯr|, -pōə|, -pȯ(ə)|, -eə, -iə, -ēə\ plural -s : a curtain hanging across a doorway Origin of PORTIERE French portière, from feminine of Old French portier doorkeeper — more at porter First Known Use: 1638

pharynx

noun \ˈfariŋ(k)s, -rēŋ- also ˈfer-, substandard ˈfärniks or ˈfȧn- or -nēks\ plural pha·ryn·ges \fəˈrin(ˌ)jēz\ (audio pronunciation) also pharynxes 1 a : the part of the alimentary canal between the cavity of the mouth and the esophagus that is in man a conical musculomembranous tube about four and a half inches long, continuous above the mouth and nasal passages, communicating through the eustachian tubes with the ears, and extending downward past the opening into the larynx to the lower border of the cricoid cartilage where it is continuous with the esophagus b : the corresponding part of the alimentary canal in which the gills of water-breathing vertebrates are lodged 2 : a differentiated part of the alimentary canal in many invertebrates that is commonly thickened and muscular or in some worms eversible and toothed or adapted as a suctorial organ Origin of PHARYNX New Latin pharyng-, pharynx, from Greek, throat, pharynx; akin to Old Norse barki throat, windpipe, Latin frumen larynx, throat, Greek pharanx gully, chasm, Latin forare to bore — more at bore First Known Use: 1638 (sense 1a)

philomath

noun \ˈfiləˌmath\ plural -s : a lover of learning : scholar; especially : a student of mathematics — phil·o·math·e·an adjective Origin of PHILOMATH Greek philomathēs, from phil- + -mathēs (from mathein, manthanein to learn) — more at mathematical

phlegm

noun \ˈflem\ plural -s 1 : the one of the four humors of ancient and medieval physiology that was supposed to be cold and moist and to cause sluggishness 2 : mucus; usually : viscid mucus secreted in abnormal quantity in the respiratory passages and discharged through the mouth 3 archaic : a watery distillation that in early chemistry is one of the five principles of bodies : water, moisture 4 : temperament or conduct supposedly associated with abundance of the humor phlegm: a : dull or apathetic coldness or indifference b : intrepid coolness or calm fortitude <a lofty phlegm, a detachment in the midst of action, a capacity for watching in silence and commanding without excitement — Edmund Wilson> Origin of PHLEGM Middle English fleem, fleume, from Middle French fleume, from Late Latin phlegma, flegma, from Greek phlegma flame, inflammation, phlegm, from phlegein to burn — more at black First Known Use: 13th century (sense 1)

pheon

noun \ˈfēˌän\ plural -s 1 : a conventional heraldic representation of the head of a javelin, dart, or arrow point downward with two long barbs engrailed on the inner edge 2 : a head of an arrow borne as a heraldic charge Origin of PHEON Middle English feon

phial

noun \ˈfī(ə)l\ plural -s : a container for liquids; especially : a small glass bottle for medicines : vial Origin of PHIAL Middle English fiole, from Middle French, from Old Provençal fiola, from Latin phiala, from Greek phialē First Known Use: 14th century

phylon

noun \ˈfīˌlän\ plural phy·la \-lə\ (audio pronunciation) : a genetically related group : tribe, race Origin of PHYLON New Latin, from Greek, tribe, race

photograph

noun \ˈfōtəˌgraf, -ōtə-, -raa(ə)f, -raif, -rȧf\ 1 : a picture, image, or likeness obtained by photography 2 : a portrayal, description, or mental picture or image characterized by great truth of representation or minute detail in reproduction Origin of PHOTOGRAPH phot- + -graph First Known Use: 1839 (sense 1)

pontificate

v/ pBnStifETkCt /L deliver oracular utterances or dogmatic opinions. Randy proceeded to pontificate for five minutes on the dangers of listening to loud music.

peruse

v/ pESrVz /L > E read; specifically : read through or read over with some attention and typically for the purpose of discovering or noting one or more specific points. Jan plans to peruse several journals in the hope of getting needed material for further research.

paralogize

v/ pESralDTjIz /Gk reason falsely : draw conclusions not warranted by the premises. Although James tends to paralogize, he is so eloquent hat his listeners often overlook his faulty reasoning.

perambulate

v/ pESrambyETlCt /L travel over or through especially on foot. Sid and Amy often perambulate the park on sunny days.

possessed

v/ pESzest /L influenced or controlled by something (as an evil spirit or a passion). During the race the winning horse ran as if he were possessed by a demon.

piqued

v/ pGkt /F [has homonyms: peaked, peeked] excited or aroused by a provocation, challenge, or rebuff. The envelope sealed with sealing wax piqued Helen's curiosity.

posttension

v/ pPs(t)StenchEn /L + L apply stress to (reinforcing steel) after concrete has set. The construction crew will posttension the steel in the columns.

poussette

v/ pVSset /F swing in a semicircle hands joined with one's partner. The caller instructed the couples to poussette before changing partners.

picnicking

verb picnicked; picnicked; picnicking; picnics transitive verb : to entertain with a picnic intransitive verb : to go on or hold a picnic : eat in picnic fashion — pic·nick·er \-kə(r)\ noun, plural -s First Known Use of PICNIC 1815 (intransitive sense)

phlebotomize

verb \-əˌmīz\ inflected form(s): -ed/-ing/-s transitive verb : to draw blood from : bleed intransitive verb 1 : to practice phlebotomy 2 : to submit to phlebotomy : undergo bleeding Origin of PHLEBOTOMIZE Middle French phlebotomiser, from Medieval Latin flebotomizare, from Late Latin phlebotomia, flebotomia phlebotomy + -izare -ize

parquet

N// pBrSkC /Fa patterned flooring. Terry had expensive parquet installed in the foyer.

perfidious

adjective \(ˌ)pər-ˈfi-dē-əs\ : of, relating to, or characterized by perfidy : deceitful, treacherous <that common but most perfidious refuge of men of letters ... the profession of teaching — Matthew Arnold> Origin of PERFIDIOUS Latin perfidiosus, from perfidia perfidy + -osus -ous — more at perfidy First Known Use: 1572

plenipotentiary

adjective \-chərē, -chēˌerē, -ri\ 1 : containing or conferring full power : invested with full power : absolute, unlimited <countries with plenipotentiary parliaments — E. V. Rostow> 2 : of or relating to a plenipotentiary Origin of PLENIPOTENTIARY Medieval Latin plenipotentiarius, adjective & noun, from Late Latin plenipotent-, plenipotens + -i- + Latin -arius -ary First Known Use: 1646 (sense 1)

precursory

adjective \-sərē, -ri\ : having the character of a precursor : preceding, preliminary, premonitory <precursory symptoms of a fever> Origin of PRECURSORY Latin praecursorius, from praecursus + -orius -ory

peculiar

adjective \pi-ˈkyül-yər\ 1 a : belonging exclusively or especially to a person or group <a peculiar garb of their own> <a mystic belief in a peculiar soil — M. R. Cohen> b obsolete : owned or used privately rather than publicly or in common <peculiar fields are turn'd to common roads — William Davenant> <groping for trouts in a peculiar river — Shakespeare> 2 a archaic : separate, independent b : of or relating to an ecclesiastical jurisdiction not subject in English canon law to the ordinary of the diocese <the Peculiar Jurisdiction of the Dean of Sarum — H. W. Jones> 3 : tending to be characteristic of one only : distinctive <the peculiar character of the Government of the U.S. — R. B. Taney> <the peculiar responsibility of the junior college — L. L. Medsker> — often used postpositively with to <a drowsy fervor ... quite peculiar to her — Thomas Hardy> <problems ... peculiar to particular segments of the engineering profession — H. A. Wagner> 4 a : different from the usual or normal : singular, special, particular <a matter of peculiar interest> <this truth comes to us with peculiar shock — R. B. Heilman> <a man still feels it a peculiar insult to be taunted with cowardice by a woman — Virginia Woolf> b : strange, curious <a peculiar situation> <said in a peculiar tone — Guy Fowler> <feel a bit peculiar — Richard Joseph> c : eccentric, queer <her peculiar behavior> <all great writers have been ... peculiar — Time> Origin of PECULIAR Middle English peculier, from Latin peculiaris of private property, owned privately, special, extraordinary, from peculium private property, peculium (from pecu cattle) + -aris -ar; akin to Latin pecus cattle — more at fee First Known Use: 15th century (sense 3)

precocious

adjective \pri-ˈkō-shəs\ : exceptionally early in development: a : manifesting at an early age some of the mental or physical characteristics usually associated with maturity <a precocious child> <a precocious genius> also : characterizing, done, or made by an individual exhibiting early development or maturity <a precocious achievement> <at the precocious age of 25 he had written a masterpiece> <precocious puberty> b botany : flowering, fruiting, or developing before the usual time : early or prematurely ripe or developed — used of a plant or its organs c : appropriate to a period later than that of actual occurrence <a precocious culture> <a precocious heat wave> — pre·co·cious·ly adverb <a precociously mature child> — pre·co·cious·ness noun Origin of PRECOCIOUS Latin praecoc-, praecox early ripening, premature, precocious (from prae- + -coc-, -cox, from coquere to cook, ripen) + English -ious — more at cook First Known Use: 1650

preposterous

adjective \pri-ˈpä-st(ə-)rəs\ 1 a : contrary to nature, reason, or common sense : absurd, nonsensical <so many seemingly incredible and preposterous things were true nevertheless — Ellen Glasgow> b : ridiculous in appearance or manner : grotesque <false nose and preposterous spectacles — Eric Keown> <uses its preposterous Elizabethan collar as a storehouse for food — Bill Beatty> 2 : having or placing something first that should be last <an infuriating book ... a preposterous one in inverting with absolute conviction a comfortable and rarely questioned order of values — Times Literary Supplement> Origin of PREPOSTEROUS Latin praeposterus, literally, reversed, from prae- pre- + posterus next, following — more at posterior First Known Use: 1533 (sense 1a) Related to PREPOSTEROUS

pomaceous

adjective \pōˈmāshəs\ 1 : of or relating to apples : like or typical of an apple <pomaceous harvest> <pomaceous shape> 2 [New Latin Pomaceae + English -ous] a : belonging to the Malaceae b : having the nature or appearance of a pome Origin of POMACEOUS New Latin pomaceus, from Late Latin pomum apple (from Latin pomum fruit) + Latin -aceus -aceous First Known Use: 1706 (sense 1)

palatial

adjective \pə-ˈlā-shəl\ 1 : of, relating to, or being a palace <a palatial residence> 2 : suitable for or used in a palace <palatial furnishings> 3 : magnificent, luxurious <a palatial yacht> — pa·la·tial·ly adverb — pa·la·tial·ness noun, plural -es Origin of PALATIAL Latin palatium palace + English -al — more at palace First Known Use: circa 1722 (sense 1)

penurious

adjective \pə-ˈn(y)u̇r-ē-əs, -ˈn(y)ər-\ 1 : marked by or suffering from penury- extreme poverty : privation, absence of resources : scantiness <actually saved money in these penurious times — R. V. Mills> 2 : given to or marked by extreme stinting frugality <as keen on the penny as a penurious weaver — G. D. Brown> Origin of PENURIOUS Medieval Latin penuriosus, from Latin penuria want, need + -osus -ose First Known Use: 1590 (sense 1)

perceptible

adjective \pər-ˈsep-tə-bəl\ 1 archaic : able to perceive : perceptive, sensitive <the soul ... becomes more perceptible of happiness or misery — Thomas Green> 2 : capable of being perceived : discernible, recognizable <rotating ... discs, driven at speeds sufficiently high to eliminate all perceptible flicker — F. A. Geldard> <something strange was in the air, perceptible to a little boy but utterly beyond his understanding — H. G. Wells> <a perceptible trend ... away from dairying — E. C. Higbee> Origin of PERCEPTIBLE Late Latin perceptibilis, from Latin perceptus (past participle of percipere to perceive) + -ibilis -ible — more at perceive First Known Use: 15th century (sense 1)

pallescent

adjective \pəˈlesənt, (ˈ)pa¦l-, (ˈ)pā¦l-\ : growing or becoming pale : rather pale Origin of PALLESCENT Latin pallescent-, pallescens present participle of pallescere to grow pale, inchoative of pallēre to be pale — more at fallow

polygamous

adjective \pəˈligəməs\ 1 : of, relating to, characterized by, or involving polygamy : having a plurality of wives or husbands <polygamous marriages> 2 : bearing both hermaphrodite and unisexual flowers on the same plant 3 zoology : having more than one mate at the same time — po·lyg·a·mous·ly adverb Origin of POLYGAMOUS Greek polygamos, from poly- + -gamos -gamous First Known Use: 1547 (sense 1)

pellucid

adjective \pəˈlüsə̇d, pelˈyü-\ 1 : admitting maximum passage of light without diffusion or distortion : permitting one to see through to a remarkable degree : translucent, transparent <water in a white glass beaker, clear, pellucid, without shadow — W. J. Turner> 2 : pleasing in appearance: a : pure in color and pleasing as genuine or appropriate <the fresh green blade of corn is ... so pellucid, so clear — Richard Jefferies> b : reflecting light evenly from all surfaces : shining, iridescent <pellucid as a pearl — Robert Browning> 3 : extremely easy to understand : readily intelligible or comprehensible : completely lacking in ambiguity or turgidity <apposite quotations from the classics ... grace the pellucid flow of his English — V. L. Parrington> <the chiseled pellucid beauty of many an image ... lends distinction to the best work of the new school — J. L. Lowes> <the firm, round pellucid handwriting which was so great a contrast to his wife's temperamental scrawl — Margaret Cole> Origin of PELLUCID Latin pellucidus, from per through + lucidus lucid — more at fare, lucid First Known Use: 1563 (sense 1)

pelagic

adjective \pə̇ˈlajik, -jēk\ 1 : of, relating to, or living in the open sea : oceanic 2 : of, relating to, or constituting a biogeographic realm consisting of the open sea and especially those portions beyond the outer border of the littoral zone which are above the abyssal zone and to which light penetrates — compare bathypelagic, neritic Origin of PELAGIC Latin pelagicus, from Greek pelagikos, from pelagos sea + -ikos -ic First Known Use: circa 1656 (sense 1)

pharmaceutical

adjective \|ə̇kəl, |ēk-\ : of or relating to pharmacy or pharmacists — phar·ma·ceu·ti·cal·ly \-ə̇k(ə)lē, -ēk-, -li\ (audio pronunciation) adverb Origin of PHARMACEUTICAL Late Latin pharmaceuticus + English -al First Known Use: 1636

photogenic

adjective \¦fōtə¦jenik, -ōtə-, -jēn-, -nēk\ 1 a : produced or precipitated by light <photogenic epilepsy> <photogenic dermatitis> b : marked by a tendency to darken on exposure to sunlight <the photogenic property of a pigment> 2 : photographic 3 : producing or generating light : phosphorescent <photogenic bacteria> <photogenic organs of a firefly> 4 : eminently suitable for being photographed especially from the aesthetic point of view <photogenic hands> — pho·to·geni·cal·ly \-nə̇k(ə)lē, -nēk-, -li\ (audio pronunciation) adverb Origin of PHOTOGENIC phot- + -genic First Known Use: 1835 (sense 1a)

perinatal

adjective \¦perə+\ : occurring at about the time of birth <perinatal mortality> Origin of PERINATAL International Scientific Vocabulary peri- + natal First Known Use: 1952

picturesque

adjective \¦pik-chə-¦resk\ 1 a : like a picture : resembling or suggesting a painted scene : suitable as a subject for painting <picturesque village> <picturesque fishing fleet> <discovered grouped in picturesque attitudes about the stage — W. S. Gilbert> b : pleasing or charming by reason of quaintness : creating informal patterns of shape, light, and color <a pleasantly picturesque style of architecture> <venerable family mansion in a highly picturesque state of semidilapidation — T. L. Peacock> c : unusual, primitive, or markedly characteristic in appearance : quaint <modern touches without sacrificing its picturesque French colonial charm — Mary R. Johnson> <pioneering conditions that are picturesque to look back upon but were rather trying to live through — Marquis James> 2 : characterized by an interest in what is picturesque <easy for a picturesque historian to lay side by side the most glaring contrasts — Virginia Woolf> 3 : evoking mental images : vivid <picturesque epithets> <gave a picturesque account of his adventure> — pic·tur·esque·ly adverb — pic·tur·esque·ness noun, plural -es Origin of PICTURESQUE modification (influenced by 1picture) of French & Italian; French pittoresque, from Italian pittoresco, from pittore painter (from Latin pictor, from pictus — past participle of pingere to paint — + -or) + -esco -esque — more at paint First Known Use: 1703 (sense 1a)

piscatorial

adjective \¦piskə¦tōrēəl, -tȯr-\ : piscatory- : of or relating to fishermen or fishing — pis·ca·to·ri·al·ly \-ēəlē, -li\ adverb Origin of PISCATORIAL Latin piscatorius + English -al First Known Use: circa 1635

paucispiral

adjective \¦pȯsē+\ : spiral with few turns Origin of PAUCISPIRAL pauci- + spiral

preferential

adjective \¦prefə¦renchəl\ 1 : of, relating to, or showing preference : offering or constituting an advantage <preferential treatment> 2 : of, relating to, employing, or creating a preference in trade relations <a preferential rate> — pref·er·en·tial·ly \-chəlē, -li\ (audio pronunciation) adverb Origin of PREFERENTIAL Medieval Latin praeferentia preference + English -al First Known Use: 1754 (sense 1)

perpendicular

adjective \¦pər-pən-¦di-kyə-lər\ 1 a : standing at right angles to the plane of the horizon : pointing to the zenith : exactly vertical or upright <measure the perpendicular height> b : being or set at right angles to a given line or plane <the lines are perpendicular to each other> <an almost perpendicular rise in share prices — U.S. News & World Report> 2 obsolete : leading directly to : immediate <perpendicular cause> 3 : extremely steep : precipitous <a lofty perpendicular cliff — E. V. Lucas> 4 of a person a : erect in bearing <a perpendicular retired colonel> b : standing up <a bus ... its platform weighed down with perpendicular men — Bruce Marshall> 5 : of, relating to, or in a medieval English Gothic style of architecture in which vertical lines predominate 6 : relating to, uniting, or consisting of individuals of dissimilar type or on different levels <perpendicular, in the sense of providing a strand that will run through both high school and college, uniting different ages — General Education in a Free Society> Origin of PERPENDICULAR alteration (influenced by Latin perpendicularis) of Middle English perpendiculer, from Middle French, from Latin perpendicularis, from perpendiculum plumb line (from per- through + pendēre to hang + -iculum, suffix denoting an instrument) + -aris -ar — more at per-, pendant First Known Use: 14th century (sense 1a)

pervicacious

adjective \¦pərvə¦kāshəs\ : very obstinate : willful, refractory- pertinaciously adhering to an opinion, purpose, or course : not yielding to reason, arguments, or other means — per·vi·ca·cious·ly adverb Origin of PERVICACIOUS Latin pervicac-, pervicax pervicacious (from per- thoroughly + -vicac-, vicax, from the stem of vincere to prevail, win a point, conquer) + English -ious — more at per-, victor

pearlescent

adjective \¦pər¦lesənt\ : having the appearance of mother-of-pearl <our swanlike necks should be swathed in pearlescent beads and other glitter — Lois Long> Origin of PEARLESCENT 1pearl + -escent First Known Use: 1926

palliative

adjective \ˈpa-lē-ˌā-tiv, ˈpa-lē-ə-, ˈpal-yə-\ 1 medical : reducing the severity of a disease or condition without curing it : providing palliative care <palliative treatment> <Did he/she wish to die because of insufficient awareness of alternative, palliative measures? — William F. Buckley Jr., National Review, 21 Nov. 2005> <Although valve replacement is an important advance in the treatment of patients with valve disease, it is a palliative rather than a curative procedure. — Robert A. O'Rourke, Journal of the American Medical Association, 13 Aug. 1982> : serving or intended to provide temporary or partial relief or moderation : serving to palliate something < ... makes other books claiming to look at the dark side of American life seem at least slightly deflecting or palliative in their final effect. — Roger Sale, On Not Being Good Enough, 1979> <But given the island's manifold, often heartbreaking, problems—weak governance, feeble infrastructure, illiteracy—it was clear that our efforts would likely be only palliative. — David Rothkopf, Newsweek, 25 Jan. 2010> — pal·li·a·tive·ly adverb Origin of PALLIATIVE French palliatif, from Late Latin palliatus + French -if -ive First Known Use: 15th century (sense 1)

panary

adjective \ˈpanərē\ : of or relating to bread or breadmaking Origin of PANARY French panaire, from Latin panis bread + French -aire -ary — more at food

pemphigoid

adjective \ˈpem(p)fəˌgȯid\ : resembling pemphigus- : any of several autoimmune diseases characterized by the formation of successive eruptions of large blisters on apparently normal skin and mucous membranes often in association with sensations of itching or burning Origin of PEMPHIGOID New Latin pemphigus + English -oid

pignorate

adjective \ˈpignərə̇t\ 1 : given or taken in pledge : pledged 2 : of or relating to something pledged or to a contract of pignus : pignoratitious Origin of PIGNORATE Latin pigneratus, pignoratus, past participle of pignerare, pignorare to pledge — more at pignoration

pinioned

adjective \ˈpin-yənd\ : having wings or pinions - the distal part of a bird's wing including the carpus, metacarpus, and phalanges Origin of PINIONED Middle English pynyonyd, from pynyon pinion + -yd, -ed -ed

pitiable

adjective \ˈpitēəbəl, -itē-\ : deserving, needing, or arousing pity : pitiful <the pitiable spectacle of a human being in distress — Lyman Bryson> <a pitiable wretch> <a pitiable attempt to be funny> Origin of PITIABLE Middle English piteable, from Middle French piteable, pitiable, from pité, pitié piety, pity + -able — more at pity First Known Use: 15th century

placable

adjective \ˈplakəbəl also ˈplāk-\ 1 : of a tolerant nature : easily soothed or satisfied : peaceable, tractable <indignities which might move even a placable nature to fierce ... resentment — T. B. Macaulay> <young people are almost always placable — Samuel Butler †1902> 2 archaic : characterized by serenity : peaceful, quiet <the wind blew in momentary gusts, and then became more placable — Nathaniel Hawthorne> — placa·bly \-blē, -li\ (audio pronunciation) adverb Origin of PLACABLE Middle English, from Latin placabilis, from placare to soothe, placate + -abilis -able — more at please First Known Use: circa 1522 (sense 1)

plantar

adjective \ˈplantə(r)\ : of, relating to, or typical of the sole of the foot <the plantar wart is in the skin rather than on it — H. K. Schwarzfeld> Origin of PLANTAR Latin plantaris, from planta sole of the foot + -aris -ar — more at place First Known Use: circa 1706

plauditory

adjective \ˈplȯdəˌtōrē, -tȯr-, -ri\ : applausive, laudatory- : of, relating to, or containing praise : commendatory, eulogistic Origin of PLAUDITORY obsolete English plauditor one who applauds (from English 2plaudit + -or) + English -y

plaustral

adjective \ˈplȯstrəl\ : of or relating to a wagon or cart Origin of PLAUSTRAL Latin plaustrum wagon + English -al; probably akin to Latin plaudere to clap, beat, applaud

placatory

adjective \ˈplākəˌtōrē, ˈplak-, -tȯr-, -ri\ : tending or intended to placate : conciliatory - : tending to conciliate : pacific, mollifying, propitiating Origin of PLACATORY Late Latin placatorius, from placatus + -orius -ory

porcine

adjective \ˈpȯr-ˌsīn\ : of, relating to, or suggesting swine <a surly and porcine sprat of a man — T. B. Costain> <comparison between human and porcine pleasures — Lucius Garvin> <porcine brucellosis> Origin of PORCINE Latin porcinus swinish, from porcus pig + -inus -ine — more at farrow First Known Use: 15th century

populous

adjective \ˈpä-pyə-ləs\ 1 : having a large population : densely populated : thickly settled <this new and populous community — Willa Cather> <one of the most prosperous and populous areas of its size in the U.S. — R. F. Weld> 2 a : large in numbers : numerous <the Navajos would be as populous as we are now — Henry Miller> b : filled to capacity : crowded <these narrow streets were populous with students — A. T. Quiller-Couch> <a large and populous ship — Herman Melville> 3 : of or relating to the people : popular — pop·u·lous·ly adverb Origin of POPULOUS Latin populosus, from populus people + -osus -ous — more at popular First Known Use: 15th century (sense 1b)

pompous

adjective \ˈpäm-pəs\ 1 : having or showing an exaggerated sense of personal merit self-important <a pompous politician> <a pompous fool/windbag> <"My dear Jane, Mr. Collins is a conceited, pompous, narrow-minded, silly man." — Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, 1813> <I saw there none of the swell airs and graces, and ostentatious displays of money, and pompous squanderings of it ... . — Mark Twain, Life on the Mississippi, 1883> 2 : too elevated and dignified for the subject matter <pompous language> : excessively ornate <pompous figures of speech> <The television spectacle, the pompous rhetoric, the counting of applause lines, the media spin ... : Such is the state of the modern State of the Union address. — Andrew Carico, The Federalist, 20 Jan. 2015> 3 : of, relating to, or suggestive of pomp : ornately showy and pretentiously dignified : overly magnificent <pompous Roman colonnades> Origin of POMPOUS Middle English, from Middle French pompeux, from Late Latin pomposus, from Latin pompa pomp + -osus -ous First Known Use: 14th century (sense 1)

permeable

adjective \ˈpər-mē-ə-bəl\ : capable of being permeated : passable, penetrable, pervious <class lines are moderately permeable in a democratic society — Abram Kardiner> — used especially of a substance that allows the passage of fluids <a permeable membrane> <white limestone ... extremely permeable to water — Journal of Geology> — per·me·able·ness noun, plural -es — per·me·ably adverb Origin of PERMEABLE Late Latin permeabilis, from Latin permeare to permeate + -abilis -able — more at permeate First Known Use: 15th century

pertinent

adjective \ˈpər-tə-nənt, ˈpərt-nənt\ : connected or related to the matter under discussion : relevant or applicable <the message of the book is as pertinent today as at the time it was written — Forth> <had some pertinent comments — Cormac Philip> <a pertinent question> <pertinent facts> <pertinent information> <data pertinent to such federal aid — Collier's Year Book> — per·ti·nent·ly adverb < ... he writes most penetratingly and pertinently about the sheer difficulty which many modern writers have experienced with their work ... — Tony Tanner, Times Literary Supplement, 20 Aug. 1976> Origin of PERTINENT Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin pertinent-, pertinens, present participle of pertinēre to reach, belong — more at pertain First Known Use: 14th century

pertinently

adjective \ˈpər-tə-nənt, ˈpərt-nənt\ : connected or related to the matter under discussion : relevant or applicable <the message of the book is as pertinent today as at the time it was written — Forth> <had some pertinent comments — Cormac Philip> <a pertinent question> <pertinent facts> <pertinent information> <data pertinent to such federal aid — Collier's Year Book> — per·ti·nent·ly adverb < ... he writes most penetratingly and pertinently about the sheer difficulty which many modern writers have experienced with their work ... — Tony Tanner, Times Literary Supplement, 20 Aug. 1976> Origin of PERTINENT Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin pertinent-, pertinens, present participle of pertinēre to reach, belong — more at pertain First Known Use: 14th century

piecemeal

adv / SpGTsmG(E)l /Gaulish > L > F > E + E one piece at a time : little by little. The magazine published the novel piecemeal for several weeks.

physically

adv/ SfizDk(E)lG /Gk + Ecff in respect to the body. It was physically impossible for the campers to hike another mile.

peevishly

adv/ SpGvDshlG /E in a manner marked by ill temper. "There, you see," he said peevishly; "I'm even afraid to make a positive statement."

porcinely

adv/ SpOrTsInlG / L + Ecf swinishly. In Wanda's opinion, Bart treated his hosts porcinely.

pacifistically

adv/ TpasESfistDk(E)lG /L > F > E in a manner characterized by opposition to violence as a means of settling disputes. Randall approached his angry neighbor pacifistically.

pizzicato

adv/ TpitsDSkBZ(T)P /It played by plucking with the fingers. The score called for the violins to play the passage pizzicato.

palatially

adv/ pESlCshElG /L + Ecff in a manner suitable for a palace. The new hotel was palatially surrounded by high stone walls with elaborate bronze gates.

precipitately

adverb : in a precipitate manner : headlong, hastily, rashly <a visitor arrived unexpectedly and we all fled precipitately — Henry Miller> <in no danger ... of plunging precipitately into marriage — Ellen Glasgow>

prefatorily

adverb : in a prefatory manner : as a preface- : of, relating to, or constituting a preface : introductory, preliminary Origin of PREFATORILY prefatory + -ly

pianissimo

adverb (or adjective) \¦pēəˌnisəˌmō\ : very softly — used as a direction in music — abbreviation pp, ppp Origin of PIANISSIMO Italian, from piano softly + -issimo, suffix denoting a high degree of (from Latin -issimus, superlative suffix) First Known Use: circa 1710

pivotally

adverb \-əlē, -əli\ 1 : in a pivotal manner : as a pivot <functioning pivotally> 2 a : by means of a pivot <can be turned pivotally> b : on a pivot <is mounted pivotally>

phew

interjection \voiceless whistling breath emitted through rounded lips & usually followed by a voiceless (y)ü or u̅e̅ sound; often read as ˈfyü\ — used to express discomfort caused usually by heat or humidity — compare phoo Origin of PHEW imitative of a whistling sound

policize

intransitive verb \ˈpäləˌsīz\ inflected form(s): -ed/-ing/-s : to act in a politic, diplomatic, of crafty manner Origin of POLICIZE 1policy + -ize

polonaise

n / TpBlESnCz / L geog name > Pol > F a stately Polish processional dance fashionable in 19th-century Europe. Chopin wrote many compositions based on the rhythm of the polonaise.

paparazzi

n pl/ TpBpESrBtsG /It name free-lance photographers who aggressively pursue celebrities in order to take candid photographs. Many people still blame the paparazzi for their apparent role in the death of Princess Diana.

paraphernalia

n pl/ TparEfE(r)SnClyE /Gk > L articles of equipment. Mark lugged all his photographic paraphernalia to every spelling bee.

philippics

n pl/ fDSlipiks /Gk declamations full of acrimonious invective : tirades. The philippics that the two legislators shot back and forth across the chamber roused the lethargic Senate.

parishioners

n pl/ pESrish(E)nE(r)z /Gk > L > F > E + Ecf the members of a local church community. The parishioners held a meeting and decided to build a new gymnasium for the school.

potatoes

n pl/ pEStCZPz /Taino > Spthe edible starchy tubers of plants of the genus genus Solanum and species tuberosum. For dinner Harry made roast beef and baked potatoes.

polemology

n/ (T)pPlESmBlEjG /Gk + Gk > E the study of war. In polemology, military and naval strategies are studied and discussed.

perestroika

n/ (T)perDSstrOikE /Russ extensive restructuring and reform intended to revitalize the government and economy of the former Soviet Union. Perestroika was the key that unlocked the former Soviet Union and other Warsaw Pact nations to democratization.

phaeton

n/ SfCEtFn /Gk > L [has near homonym: Phaëthon] an open automobile with two cross seats, usually four doors, and a folding top. Charles almost bought the 1931 Rolls Royce phaeton at the auction.

phalanx

n/ SfCTlaNks /Gk a group or body in close formation. Sarah craned her neck in wonder as the phalanx of military jets flew over in tight formation.

pharos

n/ SfCTrBs /Gk a lighthouse or beacon to guide seamen. Leland said the restaurant acted like a pharos for all those at sea off the tip of the island.

phase

n/ SfCz /Gk [has homonyms: fays, faze] a homogeneous, physically distinct, and mechanically separable portion of matter that is present in a nonhomogeneous physical- chemical system and that may be either a single compound or a mixture. Water exists in the solid phase as ice, in the liquid phase as water, and in the gaseous phase as vapor or steam.

phoenix

n/ SfGniks /Gk a legendary bird represented by the ancient Egyptians as living five or six centuries in the Arabian desert, being consumed in fire by its own act, and rising in youthful freshness from its own ashes. The phoenix is a well-known symbol of immortality.

phoresy

n/ SfOrEsG /Gk > L the nonparasitic association of one kind of animal with another in order to obtain transportation. Feather lice accomplish phoresy by clinging to the body hairs of blood- sucking flies.

pharaoh

n/ Sfe(T)rP /Egypt > Heb > Gk > L a ruler of ancient Egypt. Tutankhamen is one pharaoh whose name most people recognize.

pheromone

n/ SferETmPn /Gk a chemical substance that is produced by an animal and serves as a specific stimulus to other individuals of the same species for one or more behavioral responses. When attacked by another beetle, the defensive beetle emitted a repellent pheromone.

pheasant

n/ SfezFnt /Gk > L > F > AF > E any of numerous large, often long- tailed, and brilliantly colored Old World birds with legs adapted for running and scratching the ground where most of their food (as seeds or worms) is found. After a morning of hunting, Larry returned with a pheasant, two rabbits, and a wild duck.

physicist

n/ SfizEsDst /Gk a specialist in the science of matter and energy and their interactions. The physicist explained how a laser is used to read what is recorded on a compact disc.

phlox

n/ SflBks /Gk > L any plant of a genus of American herbs having red, purple, white, or variegated flowers. Dean planted phlox along the sidewalk.

phloem

n/ SflPTem /Gk > G a complex tissue in the vascular system of higher plants functioning chiefly in distributing food materials but also in support and storage. Mr. Cartwright pointed out the xylem and the phloem on the newly cut tree.

phrasing

n/ SfrCziN /Gk > L style of expression : wording. In writing poetry, phrasing is critically important.

padishah

n/ SpBdETshB /Per a powerful important personage : mogul. George Lucas is a padishah of motion picture epics.

pogonip

n/ SpBgETnip /Paiute a dense winter fog containing frozen particles that is formed in deep mountain valleys of the western United States. The dense pogonip leaves a sheath of frost crystals on every shrub and blade of grass.

pollen

n/ SpBlEn /L the fine, dustlike mass of grains produced by seed plants. Many hay fever sufferers are bothered by ragweed pollen.

playwright

n/ SplCTrIt / E + E a person who writes a composition arranged for enactment (as by actors on a stage) and intended to portray life or character or to tell a story through the actions and usually dialogue of the enactors. The playwright based his drama on the struggles between gangs in the ghetto.

plaintiff

n/ SplCntDf /L > F > E [has near homonym: plaintive] one who commences a personal action or lawsuit to obtain a remedy for an injury to one's rights. The plaintiff was suing the hospital for negligence because he suffered bacterial infection after surgery.

placet

n/ SplCsDt /L an expression of approval or vote of assent. The commander got the placet of the other generals for his coup d'etat.

platelet

n/ SplCtlDt /Gk? > L > F > E + Ecf a minute flattened body. A blood platelet is a minute protoplasmic disk that plays a role in blood clotting.

plumber

n/ SplEmE(r) / L > F > E one who installs, repairs, and maintains piping, fittings, and fixtures that are involved in the distribution and use of water in a building. The plumber replaced the lead pipes in the Davidsons' house with copper ones.

plover

n/ SplEvE(r) /L > F > E any of numerous shore-inhabiting birds having a short hard-tipped bill and a stout compact build. Taylor could see that the lover circling over the tennis court had spotted upper plumage.

pleonasm

n/ SplGETnazEm /Gk iteration or repetition in speaking or in writing : the use of more words than those necessary to denote mere sense. Mr. Miller gave the phrase true facts as an example of a pleonasm to be avoided.

pleiad

n/ SplGEd / Gk > F [has near homonym: plead] a group of illustrious or brilliant persons or things usually seven in number. The maestro named a pleiad of pianists who were once his pupils.

plenilune

n/ SplGnETlVn /L > E the time of full Moon. Zeke will begin planting after the plenilune.

plaudit

n/ SplOdDt /L strong and openly expressed approval : enthusiastic approbation. Claudette's report on UFOs was accorded a special plaudit by the professor for its originality.

pleurisy

n/ SplUrEsG /Gk > L > F > E inflammation of the membrane lining the chest cavity and enveloping the lungs. Pleurisy, causing fluid to accumulate in Zachary's chest cavity, further complicated his pneumonia.

plumage

n/ SplVmij /L > F > E the entire clothing of feathers of a bird. The plumage of the male peacock is more colorful than that of the female.

pleuston

n/ SplVstEn /Gk small but macroscopic floating organisms that form mats or layers on or near the surface of a body of water. The mat of pleuston floating in the swamp consists mostly of green algae.

pluvioscope

n/ SplVvGETskPp /L + Gk > L rain gauge. Johnny ordered a pluvioscope from the scientific catalog.

platypus

n/ SplaZEpEs /Gk a small egg-laying aquatic mammal of southern and eastern Australia and Tasmania having a fleshy bill resembling that of a duck, dense blackish brown fur, five-toed webbed feet, and a broad flattened tail. Cindy has asked for a pet platypus for her birthday.

plexus

n/ SpleksEs /L an intricately interwoven combination of elements or parts in a cohering structure. The transportation board carefully mapped out the plexus of commuter paths across the city.

plethora

n/ SplethErE /Gk excess, profusion. The jury retired to consider the plethora of evidence presented in court.

praline

n/ SprBTlGn /F name a round patty of creamy brown sugar containing pecan meats. The praline is a favorite candy of the southern United States.

precept

n/ SprGTsept /L a command or principle intended as a general rule of action. Mark owes his success to the precept that it never hurts to ask a question.

precinct

n/ SprGTsiN(k)t /L > E a part of a territory (as a city) having definite bounds or functions and often established for administrative purposes. In this precinct voters cast their ballots at the middle school.

predecessor

n/ SpredETsesE(r) /L one who comes before in order of time; especially : a person who has previously occupied a position or office to which another has succeeded. The employees are hoping that the new CEO is more labor-friendly than his predecessor.

predator

n/ SpredEZE(r) /L an animal that preys on or devours other animals for its food. An insect may be of value because it is a predator on another insect that is a pest to humans.

precedent

n/ SpresEdEnt /L something done or said that may serve as an example or rule to authorize or justify a subsequent act of the same or an analogous kind. As far as Sasha knew, the decision to allow a girl to play on the football team was without precedent.

precipice

n/ SpresEpDs /L a very steep, perpendicular, or overhanging place (as the face of a cliff). Just looking down from the precipice made Gloria dizzy.

phytocoenosis

n/ TfIZPsGSnPsDs /Gk the whole body of plants occupying a particular habitat. William studied the effects of acid rain on the Adirondack phytocoenosis.

photosynthesis

n/ TfPZPSsin(t)thEsDs /Gk + Gk synthesis of chemical compounds with the aid of light. Photosynthesis in plants provides them with necessary carbohydrates.

phonasthenia

n/ TfPnEsSthGnGE /Gk weakness or hoarseness of voice. After the football game some of the cheerleaders complained of phonasthenia.

phalacrosis

n/ TfalESkrPsDs /Gk baldness. Phalacrosis is an inherited characteristic.

philharmonic

n/ TfilE(r)SmBnik /Gk > L > It a musical concert or musical organization (as a society or orchestra). The philharmonic celebrated the Fourth of July with a program of patriotic music.

pirouette

n/ TpirESwet /F a full turn on the toe or ball of one foot in ballet. The pirouette is one of the most striking movements in a dancer's repertoire.

paleontology

n/ TpClGTBnStBlEjG /Gk > F a science that deals with the life of past geological periods, is based on the study of fossil remains of plants and animals, and gives information especially about the chronology of the history of Earth. Theo traces his interest in paleontology back to his discovery of fossils in his yard when he was a young boy.

perusal

n/ TpESrVzEl /L? > E + En the action of reading through ornover with some attention andntypically for the purpose of discovering or noting one or more specific points. The legal advisor's perusal of the proposed contract identified many points of concern.

perseverance

n/ TpErsESvirEn(t)s /L continued or steadfast pursuit or prosecution of an undertaking or aim. After much perseverance, Frank induced the most upright female mind in creation to stoop in charity to a secret engagement.

pedodontist

n/ TpGdPSdBntDst /Gk a specialist in the branch of dentistry that is concerned with the dental care of children. The pedodontist recommends that infants and toddlers not be allowed to fall asleep with a bottle of milk or juice in their mouths.

piloncillo

n/ TpGlPnSsG(T)(y)P /Sp unrefined sugar especially when molded into cones or sticks. Rosita grated piloncillo into a bowl of custard.

pizzeria

n/ TpGtsESrGE /L > It + Itcf An establishment (as a bakery, restaurant, shop) whera pizzas are made and sold. Hank waited tables in the pizzeria on weekends.

poinciana

n/ TpOin(t)sGSanE /F name + Lcf an ornamental tropical tree or shrub having bright orange or red flowers. While in southern Florida, Jake was impressed by the fiery flowers of the poinciana.

poliomyelitis

n/ TpPlGPTmIESlIZDs /Gk an acute infectious viral disease characterized by fever, motor paralysis, and atrophy of skeletal muscles often with permanent disability and deformity. Up to about 40 years ago, poliomyelitis often meant a lifetime on crutches or in an iron lung.

poliosis

n/ TpPlGSPsDs /Gk loss of color from the hair. One of the effects of the disease was poliosis.

potpourri

n/ TpPpESrG /F a jar of flower petals mixed with spices and used for scent or perfume. Stella kept a potpourri on her kitchen windowsill.

pancreatitis

n/ TpaNkrGEStIZDs /Gk > L inflammation of the gland that produces insulin. The physician recommended immediate surgery for Gordon's acute pancreatitis.

pageanteer

n/ TpajEnSti(E)r /L + Ecf an actor or other performer in a spectacle. The pageanteer startled Benji by leaping onto the table.

palilalia

n/ TpalESlClGE /Gk > L a speech defect marked by abnormal repetition of syllables, words, or phrases. Palilalia is a symptom of some mental disorders.

palometa

n/ TpalESmeZE /L any of various butterfishes (as the California pompano). The fish dealer readily identified Chet's greenish, slippery-coated catch as a palometa.

palpitation

n/ TpalpEStCshEn /L an abnormally rapid beating of the heart when excited by violent exertion, strong emotion, or disease. Ron could feel the palpitation in his chest as he approached Marie to ask her out on a date.

pamphleteer

n/ Tpam(p)flDSti(E)r /Gk > L name + Ecf a writer of pamphlets attacking something or urging a cause. Thomas Paine made a name for himself in colonial America as a pamphleteer.

panegyric

n/ TpanESjirik /Gk > L an oration or writing expressing praise. Walt Whitman composed a famous panegyric on the occasion of Abraham Lincoln's death.

pantisocracy

n/ TpantESsBkrEsG /Gk a utopian community in which all rule equally. The romantic poets dreamed of establishing a pantisocracy wherein everyone would share in the governing of the community.

parabulia

n/ TparESbyVlGE /Gk > L abnormality or perversion of willpower. One critic called Nietzschean philosophy "a celebration of parabulia."

paranoia

n/ TparESnOi(y)E /Gk a tendency on the part of individuals or of groups toward suspiciousness and distrustfulness of others that is based not on objective reality. Paranoia of government eavesdropping caused members of the militia to encrypt their communications.

paraparesis

n/ TparEpESrGsDs /Gk partial paralysis affecting the lower limbs. Kent's paraparesis was caused by a skateboarding accident.

pasimology

n/ TpasESmBlEjG /Gk? + Gk + Gk the study of gestures as a means of communication. Native American sign language is one means of communication studied in pasimology.

pasquinade

n/ TpaskwESnCd / It > F a lampoon or satire usually having a political significance. The president's misadventure quickly became the subject Of an editorial pasquinade.

peccadillo

n/ TpekESdi(T)lP /L > Sp a slight offense or petty fault. The defense lawyers lost the case when they tried to classify high treason as a "minor peccadillo."

penicillin

n/ TpenESsilDn /L a mixture of antibiotic relatively nontoxic acids produced especially by molds of the genus Penicillium. When penicillin did not cure Frankie's ear infection, the doctor prescribed a different antibiotic.

penitentiary

n/ TpenEStench(E)rG / L > E a public institution in which offenders against the law are confined for detention or for punishment, discipline, and reformation and in which they are generally compelled to labor. The judge sentenced the bank robber to 25 years in the state penitentiary.

peroration

n/ TperESrCshEn /L a flowery, highly rhetorical speech. Trudy's peroration was lost on her audience at the school board meeting.

peristalsis

n/ TperESstOlsDs /Gk successive waves of involuntary contraction passing along the walls of the intestine and forcing the contents onward.Disruption of peristalsis can lead to digestion problems.

pityriasis

n/ TpiZESrIEsDs /Gk one of several skin diseases marked by the formation and peeling of scales. Uncle Nick's pityriasis prevents him from sleeping well.

piton

noun plural -s 1 : a sharp peak of a mountain 2 : a usually iron spike, wedge, or peg that is driven into fissures or cracks (as of a rock or ice surface) so as to serve as a support (as for one climbing a mountain) and that often has an eye at one end through which safety ropes may be passed Origin of PITON French, from Middle French, nail, screw eye First Known Use: 1886 (sense 1)

placebo

noun plural -s 1 \pläˈchā(ˌ)bō\ (audio pronunciation) [Middle English, from Latin, I shall please, 1st singular future indicative of placēre to please; from the initial word of the first antiphon, Psalms 114:9 (Vulgate) — more at please] : the vespers for the dead in the Roman Catholic Church 2 \pləˈsē(-\ (audio pronunciation) [Latin, I shall please] a : an inert medicament or preparation given for its psychological effect especially to satisfy the patient or to act as a control in an experimental series b : something tending to soothe or gratify <the placebo of illusions — Martin Gumpert> First Known Use of PLACEBO 13th century (sense 1)

polychrest

noun plural -s : a drug medicine of value as a remedy in several diseases — poly·chres·tic adjective Origin of POLYCHREST Medieval Latin polychrestus, from Greek polychrēstos useful for many purposes, from poly- + chrēstos useful — more at chrestomathy

pourparler

noun plural -s : a preliminary discussion especially in advance of the formulation of a treaty <was holding full-dress pourparlers in London — James Dugan> Origin of POURPARLER French, from Middle French, from pourparler, verb, to discuss with a view to reaching an agreement, from Old French, from pour for, before + parler to speak — more at purchase, parley First Known Use: 1709

pacificator

noun plural -s : one that pacifies : arbitrator, peacemaker Origin of PACIFICATOR Latin, from pacificatus + -or First Known Use: 1539

paunchiness

noun \-chēnə̇s\ plural -es : the quality or state of being paunchy <in cattle it depends upon the condition, paunchiness, type, and quality — F. B. Hadley>

potamology

noun \-jē\ plural -es : the study of rivers Origin of POTAMOLOGY International Scientific Vocabulary potam- + -logy

percipient

noun \-nt\ plural -s 1: one that perceives- to become conscious of : discern, realize 2: a person on whose mind a telepathic impulse or message is held to fall —compare agent 2b Origin of PERCIPIENT Latin percipient-, percipiens, present participle of percipere to perceive — more at perceive First Known Use: 1659 (sense 1)

porringer

noun \-rə̇njə(r)\ plural -s 1 : a dish for porridge or similar food; especially : a low one-handled usually metal bowl or cup from which children eat or are fed <a silver porringer> 2 : a hat or cap that resembles a porringer Origin of PORRINGER alteration of pottinger First Known Use: 15th century (sense 1)

precisionist

noun \-zh(ə)nə̇st\ plural -s 1 : one who professes, practices, or lays great stress upon precision (as in language or ritual) : purist 2 often capitalized : one associated with precisionism

photogrammetry

noun \-‧trē\ plural -es : a science of making reliable measurements by the use of usually aerial photographs in surveying and mapmaking Origin of PHOTOGRAMMETRY International Scientific Vocabulary photogram + -metry; originally formed as German photogrammetrie First Known Use: 1875

portraiture

noun \-‧trəˌchu̇(ə)r, --chər, -‧trə‧ˌtyu̇(ə)r, -‧trəˌtu̇(ə)r, -u̇ə, -chə\ plural -s 1 : the making of portraits by painting, drawing, photography, or otherwise : portrayal 2 a : a portrait in graphic art b : a sculptured portrait 3 : depiction in words : verbal description <faithfulness in the ... portraiture depends upon the individual writer's art — Wilfred Partington> 4 obsolete : appearance, form, shape Origin of PORTRAITURE Middle English portreitoure, from Middle French portraiture, from portrait + -ure First Known Use: 14th century (sense 1)

philology

noun \fə-ˈlä-lə-jē also fī-\ plural -es 1 : study of literature that includes or may include grammar, criticism, literary history, language history, systems of writing, and anything else that is relevant to literature or to language as used in literature : literary or classical learning 2 a : linguistics; especially : historical and comparative linguistics b : the study of human speech especially as the vehicle of literature and as a field of study that sheds light on cultural history Origin of PHILOLOGY French philologie, from Middle French, from Latin philologia love of talk, speech, or argument, from Greek, love of argument, learning, and literature, from philologos love of words and learning + -ia -y First Known Use: 1522 (sense 1)

physician

noun \fə-ˈzi-shən\ plural -s 1 : a person skilled in the art of healing : one duly authorized to treat disease : a doctor of medicine — often distinguished from surgeon 2 : one who restores (as a troubled spirit or the body politic) : one exerting a remedial or salutary influence <a physician of the soul> <nature as a physician> 3 obsolete : natural philosopher, physicist Origin of PHYSICIAN Middle English fisicien, from Old French, from phisike, fisique medical science — more at physics First Known Use: 13th century (sense 1)

physique

noun \fə-ˈzēk\ plural -s 1 : bodily makeup or type : the structure, constitution, appearance, or strength of the human body <a muscular physique> <a race of slender physique and notable alertness> 2 : physical form or construction (as of a geographic area) <the physique of the Alps is such as to make access from the north ... easier than movement northwards from Italy — W. G. East> Origin of PHYSIQUE French, from physique, adjective, physical, bodily, from Latin physicus natural, from Greek physikos — more at physic First Known Use: 1804 (sense 1)

philatelist

noun \fə̇ˈla|tələ̇st, |təl- also -lā\ plural -s : a specialist in philately : one that collects or studies stamps <the primary motive which actuates collectors (as opposed to philatelists) is cash value — A. E. Hopkins> Origin of PHILATELIST French philatéliste, from philatélie + -iste -ist First Known Use: circa 1865

petechia

noun \pə̇ˈtēkēə, -tek-\ plural petechi·ae \-kēˌē\ (audio pronunciation) : a minute reddish or purplish spot containing blood that appears in skin or mucous membrane as a result of localized hemorrhage — compare ecchymosis Origin of PETECHIA New Latin, from Italian petecchia, perhaps from (assumed) Vulgar Latin peticula, short for (assumed) Vulgar Latin impeticula, from Latin impetic-, impetix impetigo (alteration of impetigo) + -ula — more at impetigo First Known Use: circa 1784

philippic

noun \fə̇ˈlipik, -pēk\ plural -s : a discourse or declamation full of acrimonious invective : tirade <a philippic so withering that it roused a lethargic Senate — S. H. Adams> Origin of PHILIPPIC Middle French philippique, from Late Latin & Greek; Late Latin (orationes) philippicae, speeches of the Greek orator Demosthenes †322 b.c. against Philip II †336 b.c. king of Macedon and speeches of the Roman orator Cicero †43 b.c. against Mark Anthony †30 b.c. Roman orator, triumvir, and soldier, from Latin, feminine plural of philippicus of Philip, from Greek philippikos of or against Philip; Greek philippikoi (logoi), speeches of Demosthenes against Philip II, from masculine plural of philippikos of Philip, from Philippos Philip + -ikos -ic First Known Use: 1592

philosopher

noun \fə̇ˈläs(ə)fə(r) sometimes -äzəf-\ plural -s 1 a : one who seeks wisdom or enlightenment : reflective thinker : scholar, investigator <the philosopher, traditionally, is thought of as a person whose chief interest is in attempting to discover the innermost essence of reality — Theodore Brameld> b : a specialist in the synthesis of knowledge <a philosopher ... must attempt to give us a comprehensive account of human values and a plausible theory of human destiny — Eliseo Vivas> —compare philosophy 2d c : a student of philosophy 2 obsolete : one versed in an occult science; specifically : alchemist 3 a : one whose life is governed by reason : a person whose philosophical perspective enables him to meet trouble with equanimity : rationalist <to a philosopher there is some compensation for blindness in the increased acuity of the other senses> b : the expounder of a theory in a particular area of experience <he is no philosopher of freedom, but he is certainly a fighter for freedom — C. P. Romulo> c : philosophizer <Bowery Thespian and philosopher — American Guide Series: New York City> Origin of PHILOSOPHER Middle English philosopher, philosophre, modification (influenced by -er) of Middle French philosophe, from Latin philosophus, from Greek philosophos, from phil- + -sophos (from sophia wisdom, from sophos wise + -ia -y) First Known Use: 14th century (sense 1a)

passementerie

noun \paˈsmen‧trē\ plural -s : a fancy edging or ornamental trimming made of braid, cord, gimp, beading, or metallic thread in various combinations and used on clothing and upholstery Origin of PASSEMENTERIE French, from passement + -erie -ery First Known Use: 1615

pictorialism

noun \pikˈtōrēəˌlizəm\ plural -s 1 : the use or creation of pictures or visual images <development from his original level of illustration into full pictorialism — Virgil Barker> 2 : a movement or technique in photography emphasizing artificial often romanticized pictorial qualities First Known Use of PICTORIALISM 1869

precaution

noun \pri-ˈkȯ-shən\ 1 : previous caution or care : caution employed foresightedly <warned of the need for precaution> 2 : a measure taken beforehand to ward off evil or secure good or success : an act of foresight : a precautionary act <take precautions against accident> Origin of PRECAUTION French précaution, from Late Latin praecaution-, praecautio, from Latin praecautus (past participle of praecavēre to guard against, from prae- pre- + cavēre to be on one's guard) + -ion-, -io -ion — more at show First Known Use: 1599 (sense 1)

poltroon

noun \päl-ˈtrün\ plural -s : a spiritless coward : a mean-spirited wretch : craven, dastard <lily-livered poltroons lacking even the meager courage of a rabbit — P. G. Wodehouse> Origin of POLTROON Middle French poultron, from Old Italian poltrone, augmentative of poltro colt, from (assumed) Vulgar Latin pullitrus (whence Late Latin polletrus), irregular from Latin pullus young of an animal — more at foal First Known Use: circa 1529

perwitsky

noun \pə(r)ˈwitskē\ plural -es 1 : a tiger weasel (Vormela peregusna) of eastern Europe and northern Asia that is mottled reddish and white above and black below 2 : the fur of the perwitsky Origin of PERWITSKY probably modification of Russian perevyazka

personification

noun \pər-ˌsä-nə-fə-ˈkā-shən\ plural -s : an act of personifying or something that personifies: such as a : attribution of personal qualities (as of form, character) : representation of a thing or abstraction as a person or by the human form b : rhetorical representation of an inanimate object or abstract idea as a personality or as endowed with personal attributes : prosopopoeia; also : an instance of this <"the floods clap their hands" is a personification> c : a divinity or imaginary being thought of as representing a thing or abstraction <Aeolus is the personification of wind> d : embodiment, incarnation <be the personification of pride> e : a dramatic or literary representation of a character <a series of excellent readings and personifications> Origin of PERSONIFICATION from personify, after such pairs as English amplify : amplification First Known Use: 1728

palazzo

noun \pəˈlät(ˌ)sō\ plural palaz·zi \-(ˌ)sē\ (audio pronunciation) : a palace or other large imposing residence — used especially of a building in Italy Origin of PALAZZO Italian, from Latin palatium — more at palace First Known Use: 1657

palouser

noun \pəˈlüzə(r)\ plural -s : an improvised light consisting of candle and a tin can Origin of PALOUSER Palouse + -er

pellagra

noun \pəˈlāgrə, -lag-\ plural -s : a disease marked by dermatitis, inflammation of mucous membranes, gastrointestinal disorders, and central nervous symptoms and associated with a diet deficient in niacin and protein — compare kwashiorkor Origin of PELLAGRA Italian, from pelle skin (from Latin pellis) + -agra (as in podagra, from Latin) First Known Use: circa 1811

pasigraphy

noun \pəˈsigrəfē\ plural -es : any of various proposed international written languages using signs (as mathematical symbols) to represent ideas rather than words; broadly : an artificial international written language Origin of PASIGRAPHY Greek pasi for all (dative plural of pant-, pas all) + -graphy — more at pan-

patache

noun \pəˈtash, -tächā\ plural -s : a tender to a fleet of sailing vessels Origin of PATACHE Spanish, from Old Spanish pataxe, probably from Arabic baṭash ship with two masts

possessor

noun \pəˈzesə(r), -ˈses-, pōˈ-\ plural -s 1 : one that possesses : one that occupies, holds, owns, or controls 2 : one that holds property without title — called also naked possessor — contrasted with owner 3 usually capitalized : josephite Origin of POSSESSOR Middle English possessour, from Middle French possesseur, from Latin possessor, from possessus + -or

petchary

noun \pə̇ˈcha(a)rē\ plural -es : gray kingbird Origin of PETCHARY imitative

paddock

noun \ˈpa-dək\ plural -s 1 a chiefly British : a small area (as a field) often enclosed and typically adjoining or near a building (as a house or stable) and often used for a pasture b Australia : an often extensive area (as of grassland) usually fenced in and often used as a pasture 2 a : a turfed enclosure where horses are kept (as on a stud farm) b : an enclosure where racehorses are saddled and paraded before a race 3 : a space or platform near the mouth of a shaft or excavation for temporary storage of ore or wash dirt Origin of PADDOCK alteration of parrock First Known Use: 1547 (sense 1a)

palace

noun \ˈpa-ləs\ plural -s 1 a : the official residence of a sovereign b chiefly British : the official residence of an archbishop or bishop 2 a : a large and stately house — used chiefly in translating from French and Italian b : a large public building (as for a legislature or superior court) c : a gaudy establishment fitted up as a place of public resort (as for amusement or refreshment) <provincial movie palaces — Lewis Mumford> 3 slang : caboose Origin of PALACE Middle English palais, paleis, from Old French, from Latin palatium, from Palatium Palatine Hill in Rome on which the residences of the emperors were built First Known Use: 13th century (sense 1a)

pacifist

noun \ˈpa-sə-fist\ plural -s : an adherent to pacifism <pacifists ... now found expression for their conviction that war in general is immoral and inexpedient — C. J. H. Hayes> specifically : conscientious objector Origin of PACIFIST French pacifiste, from pacifisme + -iste -ist

pageant

noun \ˈpajənt\ plural -s 1 a (1) obsolete : a scene or act of a play (as a medieval mystery play) (2) archaic : part, role b obsolete : stage, platform; specifically : a stage or platform used for the open-air performance of medieval mystery plays and often mounted on wheels so as to be capable of being moved from place to place 2 a : a falsely impressive display that masks lack of substance and reality : a mere show : pretense <saw through the hollowness, the sham, the silliness of the empty pageant in which I had always played — Oscar Wilde> b : an ostentatious often exhibitionistic display <sympathize profoundly with a poetry that doesn't make a pageant of its bleeding heart — J. L. Lowes> 3 a : show, spectacle, exhibition <a beauty pageant> <the variegated pageant of London life — Douglas Bush> especially : an elaborate usually open-air exhibition or spectacle that is marked typically by colorful often gorgeous costuming and scenery and often by vocal and instrumental music, that consists of a series of tableaux (as representations of important events in the history of a community) or of a loosely unified drama with spoken or sung parts or of an often resplendent parade or procession usually with showy floats and with a loosely dramatic or commemorative theme, and that is usually presented in celebration of an event or series of events or in honor of some personage or group or of a locality by amateur actors or other amateur performers recruited from or near the locality in which it is presented b : a steady continuous movement of things developing or passing by in or as if in a parade or procession <this exciting pageant of events — J. H. Baker> <watch the pageant of the world go by — Ralph Hammond-Innes> 4 : pageantry 1 <for pageant of language he has had no equal in English — W. R. Thayer> <lacked the Roman appetite for pageant — John Buchan> <full of stately dignity and somber pageant — Richard Harrison> Origin of PAGEANT Middle English pagyn, pagend, padgeant, from Medieval Latin pagina scene of a play, stage, from Latin pagina page First Known Use: 14th century (sense 1a(1))

panelist

noun \ˈpanələ̇st\ plural -s 1 : a member of a discussion or advisory panel (as for debating a public issue before a forum or for investigating or mediating an industrial controversy) 2 : a member of a radio or television panel participating in an entertainment program First Known Use of PANELIST 19481 (sense 2)

papeterie

noun \ˈpapə‧trē, -ri\ plural -s 1 : writing papers cut to size for use and boxed 2 : stationery (as note paper, envelopes, and cards) boxed or otherwise packaged and sold as a unit — usually used in plural Origin of PAPETERIE French papeterie paper manufacture, stationery case (from papet- —irregular from papier paper—+ -erie -ery) + English -s — more at paper First Known Use: 1840 (sense 1)

parodist

noun \ˈparədə̇st also ˈper-\ plural -s : one that parodies; especially : a writer of literary parodies Origin of PARODIST French parodiste, from parodie parody (from Latin parodia) + -iste -ist First Known Use: 1742

paradise

noun \ˈparəˌdīs also ˈper- or -īz\ plural -s 1 a : a place or state in which the souls of the righteous after death enjoy eternal bliss : heaven b : an intermediate elysium for the souls of the righteous during the interval between death and final judgment 2 a : a place of bliss : a region of supreme felicity or delight <an earthly paradise> <a paradise for children> especially : a place characterized by favorable conditions, special opportunities, or the abundance of something <a tourist's paradise> <a gourmet's paradise> <a vacation paradise> <a paradise for ducks> b : a state of happiness <the lost paradise of childhood> 3 a : a pleasure garden or park b : a preserve for foreign birds and animals 4 : an open space in a monastery or next to a church (as in a cloister) or the open court before a basilica 5 : the plumage (as the long tail feathers) of the male bird of paradise formerly used in millinery 6 or paradise apple often capitalized P : a small Asiatic wild apple (Malus sylvestris paradisiaca) used principally as a dwarfing rootstock and the source of several of the Malling rootstocks 7 : paradise fish Origin of PARADISE Middle English paradis, from Old French, from Late Latin paradisus, from Greek paradeisos enclosed park, garden, orchard, paradise, of Iranian origin; akin to Avestan pairi-daēza- enclosure, from pairi around + daēza- wall; akin to Greek peri around and to Greek teichos wall — more at peri-, dough

pasqueflower

noun \ˈpaskˌflau̇(ə)r\ 1 : any of several low perennial herbs with palmately compound leaves and large usually white or purple flowers borne in early spring that form a section of the genus Anemone — see american pasqueflower, european pasqueflower, pulsatilla 2 : the blossom of a pasqueflower Origin of PASQUEFLOWER alteration (influenced by Middle French pasque Easter, from Old French) of earlier passeflower, from Middle French passefleur, from passer to pass (from Old French) + fleur flower, from Latin flor-, flos — more at pasch, pass, blow First Known Use: 1597 (sense 1)

patrikin

noun \ˈpa‧trəˌkin, ˈpā‧-\ : paternal relatives Origin of PATRIKIN patr- + kin

petulance

noun \ˈpe-chə-lən(t)s\ plural -s 1 : the quality or state of being petulant: a archaic : wantonness or insolence in speech or behavior : rudeness <the petulance with which obscure scribblers ... treat men of the most respectable character — James Boswell> b : temporary or capricious ill humor : peevishness <the petulance and crankiness of an old man who has been at the head of affairs all his life — Robert Graves> 2 : a petulant expression <his dexterous petulances making the air all like needles round you — Thomas Carlyle> Origin of PETULANCE French pétulance, from Latin petulantia impudence, from petulant-, petulans impudent + -ia -y First Known Use: 1535 (sense 1)

pedicure

noun \ˈpedəˌkyu̇(ə)r, ˈpedēˌ-, -u̇ə\ 1 : chiropodist 2 a : care of the feet, toes, and nails b : a single treatment of these parts <she had a pedicure today> Origin of PEDICURE French pédicure, from péd- ped- + Latin curare to take care of, from cura care — more at cure First Known Use: 1784 (sense 1)

pelican

noun \ˈpelə̇kən, -lēk-\ plural -s 1 : any of various large totipalmate birds of the genus Pelecanus with a very large bill and distensible gular pouch in which fish are caught and with very long wings — see brown pelican, california brown pelican, spectacled pelican, white pelican, bill illustration 2 : a representation of a pelican in heraldry or art 3 : a retort or still with curved tubes leading from the head to the body for continuous condensation and redistillation 4 : a dark gray that is lighter than fashion gray, Oxford gray, or Dover gray — called also charcoal gray, dove, light gunmetal, pigeon's-neck 5 : a device that consists of a pocket attached to a long wooden handle and that is used for sampling a stream of falling grain in an elevator or on a loading ship Origin of PELICAN Middle English pelican, pellican, from Old English pellican, from Late Latin pelicanus, pelecanus, from Greek pelekan; akin to Greek pelekys ax, battle-ax, probably of non-Indo-European origin; akin to the source of Sanskrit paraśu ax First Known Use: before 12th century (sense 1)

paragraph

noun \ˈper-ə-ˌgraf, ˈpa-rə-\ 1 a : a distinct section or subdivision of a written or printed composition that consists of from one to many sentences, forms a rhetorical unit (as by dealing with a particular point of the subject or by comprising the words of a distinct speaker), and is indicated by beginning on a new usually indented line b : a usually numbered article or section of a law or legal document c : a short composition consisting of a group of sentences dealing with a single topic d : a short article, item, or note in a newspaper or magazine that is complete in one typographical section 2 : a character (as ¶) used to indicate the beginning of a paragraph (as in manuscripts and printer's proofs) and in printing as the sixth in series of the reference marks Origin of PARAGRAPH Middle French & Medieval Latin; Middle French paragraphe section of writing, from Medieval Latin paragraphus sign used to mark a new section of writing, from Greek paragraphos line used to mark change of persons in a dialogue, from paragraphein to write alongside, from para- 1para- + graphein to write — more at carve First Known Use: 15th century (sense 1a)

parasite

noun \ˈper-ə-ˌsīt, ˈpa-rə-\ plural -s 1 a : one frequenting the tables of the rich or living at another's expense and earning welcome by flattery or diversion b : one of a class of assistants in ancient Greek religious rites who dine with the priests after a sacrifice 2 a : an organism living in or on another living organism, obtaining from it part or all of its organic nutriment, and commonly exhibiting some degree of adaptive structural modification — compare autophyte, saprophyte b : such an organism that causes some degree of real damage to its host — compare commensal, inquiline, symbiont 3 : something that resembles a biological parasite in dependence on something else for existence or support without making a useful or adequate return <resourceful public enemies, parasites on the free-press privilege, who thrive on the profits derived from the exploitation of current pornographic materials — U.S. House of Representatives Report> <the great city is a parasite on the country — François Bondy> <foiled at one market, they move on to another ... parasites on society, until justice catches up with them — Irish Digest> <new friends who had faith in her ideas, as well as new parasites who hoped to profit by them — Havelock Ellis> 4 : a parasitic sound or letter 5 : the less perfectly formed twin of conjoined twins that is dependent on the larger member for survival — compare autosite Origin of PARASITE Middle French, from Latin parasitus, from Greek parasitos, from para- ˈpara- + sitos grain, bread, food First Known Use: 1539 (sense 1a)

perezone

noun \ˈperəˌzōn\ : the zone of deposition along low coastal lands lying chiefly between low tide and land undergoing active erosion and including lagoons and brackish-water bays with the accumulated sediments being usually nonfossiliferous but sometimes containing terrestrial or brackish water forms Origin of PEREZONE Latin peresus (past participle of peredere to eat up, consume, waste away, from per-, prefix denoting completion + edere to eat) + English zone — more at eat

pitcher

noun \ˈpi-chər\ plural -s 1 a (1) : a relatively large container for holding and pouring out liquids that is made typically of earthenware, glass, metal, or plastic and has a wide mouth with a broad lip or spout and a handle at one side or sometimes two ears (2) chiefly British : jug 1b b : the contents of a pitcher : pitcherful c : powdered pottery shards used in ceramics in bodies and glazes to improve properties — usually used in plural 2 : ascidium; especially : a modified leaf of a pitcher plant in which the hollowed petiole and base of the blade form an elongated receptacle over which the outer part of the blade usually projects like a lid Origin of PITCHER Middle English picher, from Old French pichier, from Medieval Latin bicarius goblet, beaker — more at beaker First Known Use: 13th century (sense 1a(1))

pillar

noun \ˈpi-lər\ plural -s 1 a : a firm upright support for a superstructure : post b : a column or shaft standing alone especially for a monument 2 : a natural pillar-shaped formation or mass <to follow in the wake of another vehicle ... was to move in a pillar of dust — Rose Macaulay> <little pillars of sand rose here and there — Norman Douglas> 3 : one that is a mainstay : a chief supporter : prop <a rough-hewn pillar of the ... Church — Ben Riker> <the middlemen, ... the pillars of society, the cornerstone of convention — Roy Lewis & Angus Maude> 4 : any of various vertical supporting members: such as a : the central support of a table : pedestal b : bedpost c : stanchion d : the vertical hollow post of a harp frame 5 : something regarded as a chief support : a fundamental fact, idea, principle, or practice <science and criticism had eaten away the pillars of superstition and unreasoning faith — W. P. Webb> <there are five compulsory practices, or pillars of Islam — A. C. Bouquet> 6 : any of the brass posts between the two plates of a watch or clock movement that serve to keep the plates in their proper positions 7 : a solid mass of coal, rock, or ore left standing to support the roof 8 : the center of the volt, ring, or manege ground around which a horse turns 9 : a body part likened to a pillar or column (as the columella of a snail shell or the margin of the external inguinal ring); specifically : pillar of the fauces 10 : a mailbox shaped like a pillar 11 : a frame on which clay pipes rest while being baked in a kiln — from pillar to post : from one place or one situation to another : hither and thither <the library ... forced to move from pillar to post needed a home — Saturday Review> Origin of PILLAR Middle English piler, piller, from Old French piler, from Medieval Latin pilare, from Latin pila pillar, pier First Known Use: 13th century (sense 1a)

piccolo

noun \ˈpikəˌlō\ plural -s 1 : a small shrill flute pitched an octave higher than the ordinary flute 2 Piccolo plural Piccolos : an organ flue stop of 1′ pitch or 2′ pitch with a penetrating tone 3 : an apprentice waiter in a European restaurant : busboy 4 South : jukebox Illustration of PICCOLO Origin of PICCOLO Italian, literally, small, probably from Italian dialect picca little First Known Use: 1841 (sense 1)

pintle

noun \ˈpintəl\ plural -s 1 : a usually upright pivot pin (as of a hinge or a rudder) on which another part turns 2 : a hook at the rear of a limber to receive the lunette of a gun trail, caisson, or other vehicle when the gun is limbered Origin of PINTLE Middle English pintel pintle, penis, from Old English, penis; akin to Old Frisian & Middle Low German pint penis, Old English pinn pin, peg — more at pin First Known Use: 15th century (sense 1)

plangi

noun \ˈplanjē\ plural -s : a technique of cloth decoration in which a woven fabric is bunched and bound before it is dyed — compare ikat Origin of PLANGI Malay kain pĕlangi bandanna cloth gaudily colored by tie dyeing, from kain cloth + pĕlangi striped in bright colors

platinum

noun \ˈplat(ə)nəm\ plural -s 1 : a very heavy precious metallic element that is typically grayish white, is noncorroding, ductile, and malleable, expands only slightly when heated and fuses with difficulty, has a relatively high electric resistance, and is chiefly bivalent and tetravalent, that occurs usually native as grains and nuggets containing alloys (as with iridium, osmium, iron, copper) in alluvial deposits often associated with nickel sulfide and gold ores, and that is used chiefly in the form of alloys in special chemical ware and apparatus (as crucibles, dishes, foil, wire), in electrical and electronic devices, as a catalyst, in dental alloys, and in jewelry — symbol Pt — see element table 2 : a moderate gray that is lighter than median gray 3 : a furbearer (as a fox or mink) of a light color phase that occurs especially in ranch-bred animals Origin of PLATINUM New Latin, from Spanish platina, platinum, diminutive of plata silver, from Old Spanish — more at plate First Known Use: 1794 (sense 1)

planxty

noun \ˈplaŋkstē\ plural -es 1 : an Irish melody for the harp written in triplets and slower than the jig 2 : a dance to a planxty Origin of PLANXTY origin unknown

plagiarism

noun \ˈplā-jə-ˌri-zəm also -jē-ə-\ plural -s 1: an act or instance of plagiarizing- : to steal and pass off as one's own (the ideas or words of another) : use (a created production) without crediting the source <virtually a free adaptation ... and on the face of it a straight-out plagiarism — Anthony Alpers> 2 : a plagiarized item <his book is full of plagiarisms> Origin of PLAGIARISM plagiary + -ism First Known Use: 1621 (sense 1)

plummet

noun \ˈplə-mət\ plural -s 1 a : sounding lead b : plumb bob; also : plumb line c obsolete Scottish : a weighted knob on the pommel of a sword or dirk d obsolete : a leaden ball (as on the thong of a scourge) e : a weight for a clock f : a leaden weight on an angler's line g : a piece of lead formerly used for marking (as in ruling paper before writing) h : an ancient Egyptian amulet resembling a plumb bob i : a float that somewhat resembles a plumb bob in shape and is used to determine the specific gravity of a liquid 2 : something that weighs down or depresses Origin of PLUMMET Middle English plomet, from Middle French plommet, plombet ball of lead, from plomb lead + -et — more at plumb First Known Use: 14th century (sense 1a)

presage

noun \ˈpre-sij, also pri-ˈsāj\ plural -s 1 : something that foreshadows or portends a future event : a warning or indication of something about to happen : omen, prognostic <the coming of the swallow is a true presage of the spring — John Worlidge> <sees a lunar rainbow ... as a presage of good fortune — Van Wyck Brooks> 2 : an intuition or feeling of what is going to happen in the future : foreboding, presentiment <feel in his nerves the presage of a storm — Charlton Ogburn> <artists whom the presage of an early death stimulates — Roger Fry> 3 archaic : an utterance foretelling something future : prediction, prognostication <expected as ill a presage ... from those fortune tellers — Edward Hyde> 4 : foreknowledge of the future : prescience <if there be aught of presage in the mind — John Milton> 5 : augury 3 <hand ... raised in presage of volunteered information — New Yorker> <a firm steel bridge as presage of what is ahead — William Sansom> <birds of evil presage — Edmund Burke> Origin of PRESAGE Middle English, from Latin praesagium, from praesagire to have a presentiment of, from prae- pre- + sagire to perceive keenly — more at seek First Known Use: 14th century (sense 1)

presbyter

noun \ˈprezbətə(r), -esb-, -ətə-\ plural -s 1 : an official in the early Christian church vested with the task of providing leadership as an overseer usually over a local congregation 2 : a clergyman ranking immediately below a bishop in the more liturgical churches that have episcopal polities (as the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Anglican Church) : priest 1a(1) <bishops, presbyters and deacons consecrated or ordained in the Church of South India — British Book News> 3 : an elder in a Presbyterian church 4 usually capitalized, archaic : presbyterian Origin of PRESBYTER Late Latin, presbyter, elder, from Greek presbyteros — more at priest First Known Use: before 12th century (sense 1)

phansigar

noun \ˈpän(t)sēˌgär, ˈfä-\ plural -s : an East Indian robber and assassin : thug Origin of PHANSIGAR Hindi phā̃sīgār, from phā̃sī snare, noose + Persian -gār doer, doing

parsimony

noun \ˈpär-sə-ˌmō-nē, British usually & US sometimes -sə-mə-\ plural -es 1 a : carefulness in the expenditure of money or resources : thrift <not a single institution appropriate to an economy of parsimony will remain unaltered in an economy of surplus — Lewis Mumford> b : closeness in such expenditure; specifically : reprehensively excessive frugality : niggardliness, stinginess <despised for their sordid parsimony — G. E. Fussell> 2 : economy in the use of a specific means to an end: a : economy of assumption in reasoning or ascription of existence — used chiefly in the phrase law of parsimony — compare ockham's razor b : animal or human economy (as of pain or effort) in seeking pleasure or gain Origin of PARSIMONY Middle English parcimony, from Latin parsimonia, from parsus (past participle of parcere to spare); perhaps akin to Greek porkēs hoop around the joint of a spearhead and its shaft, Armenian ors fishnet First Known Use: 15th century (sense 1a)

perlustrate

transitive verb \(ˌ)pərˈləˌstrāt\ inflected form(s): -ed/-ing/-s : to go through and examine thoroughly : survey <perlustrate a building> Origin of PERLUSTRATE Latin perlustratus, past participle of perlustrare, from per- through + lustrare to traverse, survey, lustrate, brighten — more at per-, lustrate

parcel

noun \ˈpär-səl, dialectal ˈpa-\ plural -s 1 a : a component part of a whole : division, fragment, portion <nature in all her parcels and faculties fell apart — G. M. Hopkins> — often used in the phrase part and parcel <part and parcel of a larger tract> b : a volume of a fluid (such as air) considered as a single entity within a greater volume of the same fluid c obsolete : a particular detail : item <I will die a hundred thousand deaths ere break the smallest parcel of this vow — Shakespeare> 2 a : a continuous tract or plot of land in one possession no part of which is separated from the rest by intervening land in other possession b : a tract or plot of land whose boundaries are readily ascertainable by natural or artificial monuments or markers 3 : a company, collection, or group of persons, animals, or things : lot, pack — often used as a generalized expression of disapproval <shooing out a parcel of hens — Ida Treat> <a small parcel of cows and a few sheep — Elizabeth M. Roberts> <came to control a whole parcel of maritime companies — E. J. Kahn> <a parcel of giddy young kids — Mark Twain> 4 a : a wrapped bundle of one or more objects : package <the box was obviously a diamond parcel — Emily Hahn> <old ladies ... rustling their luncheon parcels — Anthony Carson> <divide science into convenient pedagogic and administrative parcels — Scientific American Reader> b : a unit of salable merchandise 5 : parceling 2 Origin of PARCEL Middle English, from Middle French parcelle, parcel, from (assumed) Vulgar Latin particella, alteration of Latin particula small part — more at particle First Known Use: 14th century (sense 1a)

parkin

noun \ˈpärkə̇n\ plural -s : a cake originally of oatmeal, butter, and molasses now leavened with baking powder and spiced with ginger and especially popular in Scotland and the border country Origin of PARKIN origin unknown

papacy

noun \ˈpāpəsē, -si\ plural -es 1 : the office of pope : papal jurisdiction <under control of the papacy> <raised to the papacy> 2 : a succession of popes : a papal line <the Avignon papacy> <the Roman papacy> 3 : the period of time during which a pope is in office 4 usually capitalized : the system of government in the Roman Catholic Church of which the pope is the supreme head Origin of PAPACY Middle English papacie, from Medieval Latin papatia, from Late Latin papa pope + -atia (as in Late Latin abbatia abbacy) — more at abbacy First Known Use: 14th century (sense 1)

pavement

noun \ˈpāvmənt, in rapid speech sometimes -ābm-\ plural -s 1 a : a paved surface: such as (1) : the artificially covered surface of a public thoroughfare <stopped his car just off the pavement> (2) chiefly British : sidewalk <there were crowds on the pavements and roads everywhere — G. W. Talbot> (3) : a decorative interior floor of tiles or colored bricks <the tessellated pavement of the hall — G. B. Shaw> (4) : a factory floor paved with wood blocks, bricks, or concrete b : the material with which something is paved <concrete makes excellent pavement> 2 : something that suggests a pavement (as in flatness, hardness, and extent of surface or in the formation and compact arrangement of its units) <a pavement-toothed shark> <pavement cells> — see desert pavement Origin of PAVEMENT Middle English, from Old French, from Latin pavimentum, from pavire to strike, stamp + -mentum -ment First Known Use: 13th century (sense 1a)

piety

noun \ˈpī-ə-tē\ plural -es 1 : the quality or state of being pious: such as a : fidelity to natural obligations : devoted loyalty to parents, family, or race b : dutifulness in religion : habitual reverence for God or accepted deities : zeal in religious service or worship : devoutness <a man noted for his piety and devotion to the Church — R. P. Casey> c : religious simplicity and devotion : pietism <was sympathetic to the piety of the revivalists — J. C. Brauer> 2 : an act inspired by piety : an instance of devotion <the pieties of a simple life justly and charitably lived> 3 : the moral or spiritual resources of an individual or a group <has achieved the broadest, most harmonious synthesis of living writers, but only after a drastic cross-examination of his deepest pieties — H. J. Muller> 4 : a conventional belief or standard : orthodoxy, sanction <massed social pieties ... were invested in the established economic order — David Riesman> Origin of PIETY French pieté piety, pity, from Latin pietat-, pietas, from pius dutiful, kindly — more at pious First Known Use: circa 1500 (sense 1)

perfidy

noun \ˈpər-fə-dē\ plural -es 1 : the quality or state of being dishonest or disloyal : deceit, treachery <such obvious liars that their perfidy palled after it ceased to be amusing — W. A. White> <the name of Judas has become a byword of covetousness and perfidy — Samuel Cox> 2 : an act or instance of deception or betrayal <tirades of a slighted lover against the beloved object's perfidies — C. E. Montague> Origin of PERFIDY Latin perfidia, from perfidus faithless, dishonest (from per- deviating from + fides faith) + -ia -y First Known Use: 1572 (sense 1)

permanence

noun \ˈpərmənən|(t)s, ˈpə̄m-, ˈpəim- also -mnən|\ plural -s 1 : the quality or state of being permanent : durability <a pioneer town ... that has not yet acquired an air of permanence — Ivor Jones> <the permanence of his achievement — Hilaire Belloc> <the degree of permanence of different ruling inks — Ruling Inks & Dyes> 2 : two adjacent like signs in a series of positive and negative signs in mathematics — opposed to variation <in the series of coefficients of the polynomial 3x3−x2−8x+7 there is one permanence> Origin of PERMANENCE Middle English, from Middle French, from Medieval Latin permanentia, from Latin permanent-, permanens + -ia -y First Known Use: 15th century (sense 1)

pneumatography

noun \ˌn(y)üməˈtägrəfē, -fi\ plural -es 1 : writing held to be that of spirits and produced directly without a medium or material device 2 : descriptive pneumatology Origin of PNEUMATOGRAPHY International Scientific Vocabulary pneumat- + -graphy

palynology

noun \ˌpa-lə-ˈnä-lə-jē\ plural -es : a branch of science concerned with the study of pollen and spores whether living or fossil — pal·y·no·log·i·cal \¦pa-lə-nə-¦lä-ji-kəl\ (audio pronunciation) adjective <palynological data> <palynological research> — pal·y·no·log·i·cal·ly \¦pa-lə-nə-¦lä-ji-k(ə-)lē\ (audio pronunciation) adverb < ... an anomalous concentration of iridium at the palynologically defined Cretaceous-Teritary (K/T) boundary in a nonmarine stratigraphic sequence. — D. J. Nichols et al., Science, 14 Feb. 1986> — pal·y·no·lo·gist \ˌpa-lə-ˈnä-lə-jist\ (audio pronunciation) noun, plural pal·y·no·lo·gists <Palynologists—pollen experts—use the nearly indestructible shells of pollen to determine continental drift ... — Joseph A. Amato, Dust, 2000> Origin of PALYNOLOGY Greek palynein to strew, sprinkle (from palē fine meal, dust) + English -o- + -logy — more at pollen First Known Use: 1944

persevered

v/ TpErsESvi(E)rd /L > F > E persisted in spite of counter influences, opposition, or discouragement. Winston persevered at his post in accordance with his duty.

panacea

noun \ˌpa-nə-ˈsē-ə\ plural -s : a remedy for all ills or difficulties : a universal remedy : cure-all <all con men know that the panacea for all legal troubles is the fix — D. W. Maurer> Origin of PANACEA Latin, from Greek panakeia, from panakēs all-healing, panacea (from pan- + -akēs —from akeisthai to heal—) + -ia -y; akin to Greek akos remedy — more at autacoid First Known Use: 1548

pagination

noun \ˌpajəˈnāshən\ plural -s 1 : the action of paging or the condition of being paged <the alphabetical arrangement necessarily involved requires that a considerable number of galleys be available before final pagination — Wheeler Sammons> 2 a : the numbers or other figures or marks used to indicate the proper sequence of a set of pages (as of a book) b (1) : the number of numbered pages <a catalog of new books that gives the pagination of each> (2) : a statement of such number <the book's title and author are listed but no pagination is given> Origin of PAGINATION Latin pagina + English -ation First Known Use: 1794 (sense 2a)

palpability

noun \ˌpalpəˈbilətē, -lətē, -i\ plural -es 1: the quality or state of being palpable- : capable of being touched or felt : perceptible to the sense of touch : tangible <a barely palpable dust> 2: something palpable

pallesthesia

noun \ˌpalə̇sˈthēzh(ē)ə\ : awareness or perception of vibration especially as transmitted through skin and bones Origin of PALLESTHESIA New Latin, from Greek pallein to shake + New Latin esthesia — more at polemic

pasteurization

noun \ˌpas(h)chərə̇ˈzāshən, -stər-, -ˌrīˈ-\ also British pas·teur·isa·tion \ˌpas(h)chərə̇ˈzāshən, -stər-, -ˌrīˈ-\ plural -s 1 : a method devised by Pasteur to check fermentation (as in wine or milk) involving the partial sterilization of a substance (such as a fluid) at a temperature and for a length of time that does not greatly change its chemical composition but does destroy many pathogenic organisms and other undesirable bacteria though spores and thermoduric organisms (such as lactic acid bacteria) survive b : partial sterilization of perishable food products (such as fruit or fish) with radiation 2 : the use of electricity, hot water, or steam to bring soil (as in a greenhouse bench) to a temperature of 180°F for a period of 30 minutes in order to kill nematodes, weed seeds, and various fungi and bacteria — compare sterilization Origin of PASTEURIZATION pasteurize + -ation First Known Use: 1886 (sense 1)

patronymic

noun \ˌpa‧trəˈnimik, -mēk\ plural -s 1 : a name derived from that of the father or a paternal ancestor usually by the addition of a prefix or suffix (as in MacDonald, son of Donald, or Ivanovich, son of Ivan) — contrasted with matronymic — compare teknonymy 2 : a patrilineal surname or family name Origin of PATRONYMIC Late Latin patronymicum, from neuter of patronymicus of a patronymic, from Greek patronymikos, from patronymia patronymic (from patr- + -onyma name + -ia -y) + -ikos -ic First Known Use: 1612 (sense 1)

pentecostys

noun \ˌpentəˈkästə̇s\ plural pentecosty·es \-ästēˌēz\ : a troop of 50 soldiers in the Spartan army Origin of PENTECOSTYS Greek pentēkostys body of fifty, from pentēkostos fiftieth

paramedic

noun \ˌper-ə-ˈme-dik, ˌpa-rə-\ : a doctor who parachutes to areas where medical services are needed : paradoctor Origin of PARAMEDIC 2para- + medic First Known Use: 1951

planetarium

noun \ˌplanəˈta(a)rēəm, -ter-, -tār-\ plural planetariums \-mz\ or planetar·ia \-ēə\ (audio pronunciation) 1 a : orrery 1 b : a model representing the solar system 2 a : an optical device designed to project (as on a domed ceiling) various celestial images and effects (as the appearance of the nighttime sky) at a specific time and place b : a building or room housing such a device Origin of PLANETARIUM planet + -arium First Known Use: 1734 (sense 1a)

preciosity

noun \ˌpreshēˈäsətē, -sətē, -i sometimes -esē-\ plural -es 1 archaic : something precious 2 [French préciosité, from Middle French precieusité, preciosité preciousness] a : fastidious or excessive refinement (as in language) <he had the fastidiousness, the preciosity, the love of archaisms, of your true decadent — R. L. Douglas> specifically : the affected purism and sententiousness characteristic of the French précieuses of the 17th century b : an instance of preciosity <uttering obtuse and outmoded preciosities> Origin of PRECIOSITY Middle English preciousite, preciosite preciousness, from Middle French precieusité, preciosité, from Latin pretiositat-, pretiositas, from pretiosus + -itat-, -itas -ity First Known Use: 15th century (sense 1)

parador

noun \ˌpäräˈthȯr\ plural -s : a usually government-operated hostelry found especially in Spain Origin of PARADOR Spanish, inn, from parar to stop, stay, lodge for the night (from Latin parare to provide, prepare) + -ador -ator — more at pare First Known Use: 1845

pendeloque

noun \ˌpäⁿdəˈlȯk\ plural -s 1 : a diamond or other gemstone cut in the form of a pear-shaped brilliant with a table — compare briolette 2 : a usually pear-shaped glass pendant used for ornamenting a lamp or chandelier Origin of PENDELOQUE French, blend of obsolete French pendeler to dangle (diminutive of French pendre to hang) and F breloque charm, breloque

perspicuity

noun \ˌpərspəˈkyüətē, ˌpə̄s-, ˌpəis-, -üətē, -i\ plural -es 1 obsolete : transparency, translucency 2 : the quality or state of being clear to the understanding : lucidity in expression or development of ideas 3 obsolete : the quality or state of being distinctly visible 4 : perspicacity Origin of PERSPICUITY Latin perspicuitas, from perspicuus perspicuous + -itas -ity

perspiration

noun \ˌpərspəˈrāshən, ˌpə̄s-, ˌpəis-, substandard ˌpres-\ plural -s 1 : the act or process of perspiring 2 : a saline fluid that is secreted by the sweat glands, that consists chiefly of water containing sodium chloride and other salts, nitrogenous substances (as urea), carbon dioxide, and other solutes, and that serves both as a means of excretion and as a body temperature regulator through the cooling effect of its evaporation : sweat 3 : vigorous effort such as might be expected to cause sweating <more is usually accomplished by perspiration than by inspiration> Origin of PERSPIRATION French, from Middle French, from perspirer to perspire + -ation — more at perspire First Known Use: 1583 (sense 1)

pickle

v/ SpikEl /D? > E [has homonyms: pickel, picol, picul, pikel, pikol] steep in a solution of salt or vinegar for preservation. Every year, the Johnsons pickle enough onions to give a jar to everyone in the neighborhood.

physics

noun plural but usually singular in construction \ˈfiziks, -zēks\ 1 physic noun singular a : the art or practice of healing diseases : the science of therapeutics : the practice or profession of medicine; also, archaic : medical science : the theory of diseases and their treatment b obsolete : medical treatment; also : a health-giving or curative practice or regimen c (1) : a remedy for disease : a medicinal agent or preparation; especially : a medicine (as a laxative) that purges (2) obsolete : a mental, moral, or spiritual medicine 2 also physic archaic : natural science 3 a : a science that deals with matter and energy and their interactions in the fields of mechanics, acoustics, optics, heat, electricity, magnetism, radiation, atomic structure, and nuclear phenomena b : a particular system or branch of physics <classical physics> <nuclear physics> 4 : a treatise or manual of physics <left his physics on the bench> 5 a : physical processes and phenomena (as of a particular system) <physics of the living cell> b : the physical properties and composition of something <the physics of different soils> <the study of marine physics> Origin of PHYSICS physics plural of physic (intended as translation of Latin physica, neuter plural, natural science, from Greek physika, from neuter plural of physikos natural); physic from Middle English phisik, fisike medical science, natural science, from Old French phisike, fisique, from Latin physica, feminine singular, study of nature, from Greek physikē, from feminine of physikos natural, from physis nature + -ikos -ic; akin to Greek phylē tribe, clan, phyein to bring forth — more at be First Known Use: 15th century (sense 2)

papyrus

noun,often attributive \pə-ˈpī-rəs\ plural pa·py·rus·es or pa·py·ri \pə-ˈpī-(ˌ)rē, -(ˌ)rī\ (audio pronunciation) 1 : a tall sedge (Cyperus papyrus) of the Nile valley having a smooth triangular stem, a large compound umbel with drooping rays, and fiber that served many uses in historic times — called also paper reed, paper rush 2 a : the pith of the papyrus plant b : a substance prepared from the pith of the papyrus plant by cutting it in longitudinal strips, arranging them crosswise in two or three layers, soaking them in water, and pressing them into a homogeneous surface and used by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans as a writing material especially between the 4th century b.c. and the 4th century a.d. c : a sheet or roll of this material 3 a : a writing on papyrus b : a written scroll made of papyrus Origin of PAPYRUS Middle English papirus, from Medieval Latin, from Latin papyrus — more at paper First Known Use: 14th century (sense 1)

petroleum

noun,often attributive \pə̇‧ˈtrōlēəm, -lyəm\ plural -s 1 : an oily flammable bituminous liquid that in the crude state often has a very disagreeable odor and may vary from almost colorless to black but is usually of a dark brown or greenish hue and sometimes fluorescent, that occurs in many places in the upper strata of the earth either in seepages or in reservoir formations from which it is obtained by drilling and pumping if necessary, that is essentially a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of different types with small amounts of other substances (as oxygen compounds, sulfur compounds, nitrogen compounds, resinous and asphaltic components, and metallic compounds), that is sometimes classed as paraffin-base, asphalt-base or naphthene-base, or mixed-base, and that is subjected to various refining processes (as fractional distillation, cracking, catalytic re-forming, hydroforming, alkylation, polymerization) for producing useful products (as gasoline, naphtha, kerosine, fuel oils, lubricants, waxes, asphalt, coke, and chemicals) — called also mineral oil, rock oil 2 : any of various substances (as natural gas or shale oil) similar in composition to petroleum Origin of PETROLEUM Medieval Latin, from Latin petr- + oleum oil — more at oil First Known Use: 15th century (sense 1)

personnel

noun,often attributive \¦pər-sə-¦nel\ plural per·son·nel or per·son·nels 1 a : a body of persons employed in some service (as the army or navy, a factory, office, airplane) — distinguished from matériel b personnel plural : persons of a particular (as professional or occupational) group <military personnel> <missionary personnel> <34,000 personnel in the expanded operation> <the changing personnel of the theater> 2 a : a body of employees that is a factor in business administration especially with respect to efficiency, selection, training, service, and health b : the division of an organization concerned primarily with the selection, placement, and training of employees and with the formulation of policies, procedures, and relations with employees or their representatives Origin of PERSONNEL French, modification (influenced by personnel, adjective, personal) of German personal, alteration of personale, from Late Latin, neuter of personalis personal — more at personal First Known Use: 1819 (sense 1a)

pamphlet

noun,often attributive \ˈpam(p)flə̇t, ÷ -mpl-, usually -ə̇t+V\ plural -s 1 a : a brief treatment of a subject issued as a separate unbound publication <scholarly monographs published as articles or pamphlets> <was first issued in pamphlet form> <under various names, the pamphlet ... tells its readers what to believe, where to travel, what school or college to attend, what candidate to vote for, what cars to ride in and what merchandise to buy — F. F. Bond> b : a controversial tract dealing with a religious or political question <the best seller list also includes two books ... which are fictionized journalistic pamphlets based upon timely situations — Louis Bromfield> <a pamphlet war> 2 a : a printed publication having a format with no binding and no cover or with a flush paper cover and often fastened with side or saddle stitches <magazines and catalogs with pamphlet format> — compare book b : an unbound publication other than a periodical having fewer than a fixed number (as 50, 80, 100) of pages — used especially in library science Origin of PAMPHLET Middle English pamflet, from Pamphilus (seu De Amore) Pamphilus or About Love, popular Latin amatory poem of the 12th century + -et First Known Use: 14th century (sense 2)

parachute

noun,often attributive \ˈparəˌshüt also ˈper-; usually -üt+V\ 1 : a folding umbrella-shaped device usually made of light fabric for retarding the speed of a body attached to it by offering resistance to the air and used especially for making a safe descent from an airplane, dropping equipment or supplies from an airplane, or slowing down an airplane upon landing 2 : the patagium of a mammal or reptile 3 a : a device or structure suggestive of a parachute in form, use, or operation (as to retard the descent of a cage in a mine or to protect the balance wheel of a watch from shock) b : the inverted cup acting as the holding part of a mushroom anchor c : the tuft of hairs enabling a dandelion seed to float in air 4 : parachute spinnaker — parachutic adjective Origin of PARACHUTE French, from para- (as in parasol) + chute fall — more at parasol, chute First Known Use: 1784 (sense 1)

plagiarize

v/ SplCjETrIz /L + Ecf present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source. Simon knew that it would be better not to turn in an essay at all than to plagiarize.

passenger

noun,often attributive \ˈpasənjə(r)\ plural -s 1 : one who passes by : traveler, wayfarer <the roads are wide, well-kept, and full of passengers — Thomas Gray> <foot passenger> 2 a : a traveler in a public conveyance (as a train, bus, airplane, or ship) <carried more passengers last year than ever before> b : one who is carried in a private conveyance (as an automobile) for compensation or expected benefit to the owner c : a rider in an automobile <a six-passenger model> 3 : a member of a group (as an animal in a herd) that contributes little or nothing to the functioning or productivity of the group <all passengers should be eliminated from dairy herds — Farmer's Weekly (South Africa)> Origin of PASSENGER Middle English passyngere, passager, from Middle French passager, from passager, passagier, adjective, passing, from passage + -ier -ary First Known Use: 14th century (sense 1)

parliament

noun,often attributive \ˈpär-lə-mənt, also ˈpärl-yə- or sometimes ˈpär-lē-ə-\ plural -s 1 : a formal conference for the discussion of public affairs; specifically : a general or great council of state summoned by the sovereign in early medieval England 2 a : an assemblage of persons (as members of the nobility, clergy, and commons) called together by the British sovereign, sitting for a period of time and then being dissolved, and constituting the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom <provides for the election and meeting of a new parliament — T. E. May> <sat through three parliaments — Christopher Hollis> <inspired ... by the counsel of their elected parliaments — Elizabeth II> —compare congress 5 b : a similar assemblage in another political unit (as a nation or state) <the third session of Ceylon's second parliament — London Daily Telegraph> <elected to Italy's first parliament — J. C. Adams & Paolo Barile> 3 a : the supreme legislative body of a usually major political unit (as a nation or state) being a continuing institution comprising a series of individual parliaments <the parliament of the United Kingdom is composed of the Sovereign, the House of Lords and the House of Commons — T. E. May> <reached the committee stage in the French parliament — New York Times> <the imperial parliament is the supreme legislature for the whole of His Majesty's dominions — Martin Wight> —compare congress 3 b : the British House of Commons <confer office only upon members of parliament or peers — Ivor Jennings> 4 [Middle French parlement, from Old French] : one of several principal courts of justice existing in France before the revolution of 1789 5 a : an assembly representing a group or the members of an organization and usually convened for the expression of opinion, enactment of policy, and the transaction of other business <the Students' Parliament is the official undergraduate organization — University of Toronto Calendar> <these general union meetings are ... the parliaments of any enterprise or plant — A. R. Williams> b : a gathering resembling or held to resemble such a consultative assembly <the rooks called one another to their evening parliament — Archibald Marshall> 6 : parliament cake 7 : fan-tan 2 Origin of PARLIAMENT Middle English parliament, parlement, from Old French parlement, from parler, parlier to speak, talk + -ment First Known Use: 13th century (sense 1)

poultry

noun,often attributive \ˈpōl‧trē, -ri\ plural -es : domesticated birds that serve as a source of eggs or meat and that include among commercially important kinds chickens, turkeys, ducks, and geese and among kinds chiefly of local interest guinea fowl, peafowl, pigeons, pheasants, and others Origin of POULTRY Middle English pultrie, from Middle French pouleterie, from Old French, from pouletier + -ie -y First Known Use: 14th century

pengiun

plural -s 1archaic : great auk 2: any of various short-legged flightless aquatic birds of the southern hemisphere that constitute the family Spheniscidae, are most numerous about the Antarctic continent, the Falkland islands, and New Zealand, stand erect on land but walk clumsily, are covered with short, stiff, scalelike feathers many of which are simple shafts without barbs, have wings resembling flippers, bearing only rudimentary scalelike quills, being used for swimming and incapable of flexure but moved with a rotary motion by specially developed muscles, and feed chiefly on crustaceans, mollusks, and fish — see emperor penguin, jackass penguin, king penguin, rock hopper

pontificalibus

plural noun \-ˈkaləbəs\ : the attire or vestments of one's office <the bishop received him in pontificalibus> <stately and splendid in the full glory of his pontificalibus> Origin of PONTIFICALIBUS from the Medieval Latin phrase in pontificalibus in pontificals

plasticize

transitive verb also British plas·ti·cise inflected form(s): -ed/-ing/-s : to make plastic; specifically : to break down (see break down 3b) Origin of PLASTICIZE 2plastic + -ize First Known Use: 1919

preconceive

transitive verb \"+\ : to form an opinion of beforehand : form a previous notion or idea of; especially : to form (as an opinion) without adequate evidence or through prejudice <held to his preconceived opinion despite the new evidence> Origin of PRECONCEIVE pre- + conceive First Known Use: 1558

predestine

transitive verb \(ˈ)prē+\ : to destine, decree, determine, appoint, or settle beforehand : foreordain especially by divine decree or eternal purpose <advocates of the doctrine of double predestination maintain that God predestines some to eternal life and others to eternal death> Origin of PREDESTINE Middle English predestinen, from Middle French or Latin; Middle French predestiner, from Latin praedestinare to determine beforehand, from prae- pre- + destinare to determine — more at destine First Known Use: 14th century

preen

v/ SprGn /E trim or dress with or as if with thebeak or the tongue. Kitty liked to sit and preen herself in the afternoon sun.

perceive

transitive verb \pər-ˈsēv\ per·ceived; per·ceiv·ing; per·ceives 1 a : to become conscious of : discern, realize <the reasoning process which perceives divergence among authorities — H. O. Taylor> < ... the attempt to perceive patterns in women's and men's behavior. — Deborah Tannen, The Utne Reader, September/October 1993> < ... its members perceive that they are working in a supportive environment. — Keith Davis, Studies in Administrative Theory, 1980> b : to recognize or identify especially as a basis for or as verified by action <goes beyond simple observation and begins to perceive things like causal principle — R. M. Weaver> c : to regard as being such <a perceived threat> <He is convinced the consultants are important mainly because they are perceived as important, a perception that has been inflated by ignorant politicians ... — Robert Sherrill, The New York Times Book Review, 27 Dec. 1981> < ... its creators and its followers, who perceive culture to be something finite and fragile ... — Lawrence W. Levine, The Unpredictable Past, 1993> 2 : to become aware of through the senses : note <When we perceive the shape of something by using the hand, the hand must generally be moved over the object ... — Rita L. Atkinson, Introduction to Psychology, 1953> especially : to see or observe <people have become so used to the sight of ruins that they hardly perceive them any more — Norbert Mühlen> 3 obsolete : get, receive <Sir, I could perceive nothing at all from her; no, not so much as a ducat for delivering your letter. — William Shakespeare, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, 1595> Origin of PERCEIVE Middle English perceiven, from Old French perceivre, percevoir, from Latin percipere to take possession of, obtain, receive, perceive, from per-, prefix denoting completion or perfection + -cipere (from capere to seize, take) — more at per-, heave First Known Use: 14th century (sense 1a)

pollute

transitive verb \pəˈlüt, usually -üt+V\ inflected form(s): -ed/-ing/-s 1 : to render ceremonially or morally impure : impair the purity of : destroy or violate the sanctity of : corrupt, defile, desecrate, profane <pollute a temple> <pollute a person's honor> 2 : to make physically impure or unclean : befoul, dirty, taint <pollute a water supply by the introduction of sewage> Origin of POLLUTE Middle English polluten, from Latin pollutus, past participle of polluere, from pol-, por- —akin to Latin per through—+ -luere to soil, dirty; akin to Latin lutum mud, lustrum cave, bog, Greek lyma dirt, Albanian (Tosk dialect) lum mud — more at fare First Known Use: 14th century (sense 1)

parabolize

transitive verb \pəˈrabəˌlīz\ inflected form(s): -ed/-ing/-s 1 : to express in fables or explain as parables 2 : to make (as a mirror for a telescope) parabolic or paraboloidal Origin of PARABOLIZE in sense 1, from Late Latin parabola parable + English -ize; in sense 2, from New Latin parabola + English -ize

pare

transitive verb \ˈper\ inflected form(s): -ed/-ing/-s 1 a : to trim off excess, irregular, or surface parts of : shave off an outer edge or part of <pare the horse's hoof> b : to trim off an outside part (as the skin or rind) of <pare apples for a pie> — usually used with off or away c archaic : to remove the turf from (a field) : clear a field of (turf) 2 : to diminish the bulk of by or as if by paring : reduce gradually <the navy poker players had pared the $70 I brought aboard to $14 — T. W. Lawson> 3 : to thin (leather, paper, and similar materials) with a knife (as in binding a book) Origin of PARE Middle English paren, from Middle French parer to prepare, trim, from Latin parare to prepare, procure; akin to Old English fearr bull, ox, Old High German far, farro, Old Norse farri bull, Latin parere to give birth to, beget, produce, Greek poris calf, Sanskrit pṛthuka head of cattle, calf, young of an animal, and perhaps to Old English faran to go, travel — more at fare First Known Use: 14th century (sense 1a)

pleach

transitive verb \ˈplēch\ inflected form(s): -ed/-ing/-es 1 a : to cause to meet and intertwine to form a hedge : interlace b : to renew by interweaving — usually used of a hedge <is now pleaching the hawthorn and wild plum — Elizabeth Berridge> 2 : to make into a braid : plait — used of hair Origin of PLEACH Middle English plechen, from Old North French plechier, from Latin plexus, past participle of plectere to plait, weave — more at ply First Known Use: 14th century (sense 1a)

pernoctate

v/ (T)pErSnBkTtCt /L stay up or out all night. Brian knew he would have to pernoctate at least once in order to finish his term paper.

parboil

v/ SpBrTbOil /L > F > E cook briefly in simmering liquid as a preliminary or incomplete cooking procedure. It is advisable to parboil dense vegetables like carrots before stir-frying them with other vegetables.

posset

v/ SpBsDt /E [has near homonym: posit] pamper with delicacies. Aunt Mimi expects everyone to posset Pedro, her chihuahua.

percolate

v/ SpErkETlCt /L prepare by causing (a liquid) to pass through (as coffee) in order to extract the essence. Sal did not allow enough time to percolate his coffee before he had to go to work.

permeate

v/ SpErmGTCt /Gk spread or diffuse through. Igor wiped up the spill immediately, lest the smell of formaldehyde permeate the room.

persecute

v/ SpErsDTkyVt /L harass in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict usually because of some difference of opinion. The revolutionary extremists vowed to persecute the peasants who would not support their cause.

polarize

v/ SpPlETrIz /L > F cause (as light waves) to vibrate in a definite pattern. Sunglasses that polarize light reflected off water help the wearer see into the water.

palliate

v/ SpalGTCt /L moderate the intensity of : lessen. For many prisoners, books palliate the boredom of isolation from society.

panbroil

v/ SpanTbrOil /L > F > E cook food in a skillet with little or no fat. The recipe called for one to panbroil the chicken along with the vegetables.

pasteurize

v/ Spas(h)chETrIz /F name + Ecf subject to heating long enough to kill disease-causing microorganisms. Dairies pasteurize milk before delivering it to stores.

perennate

v/ SperETnCt /L live over from season to season:persist. Ornamental banana trees will seldom perennate outdoors north of the subtropics.

peregrinate

v/ SperEgrDTnCt / L travel on foot : walk, tour. Nicki hopes to peregrinate across England in the fall.

phosphoresce

v/ TfBsfESres /Gk > L > F glow especially in the dark. Emmet's jigsaw puzzle will phosphoresce after being exposed to a strong light source.

parenthesize

verb \-ˌsīz\ inflected form(s): -ed/-ing/-s transitive verb 1 : to make a parenthesis of : interject as comment or digression 2 : to insert a parenthesis in : scatter parentheses through <parenthesized his address to the point of incoherence> intransitive verb : to say something in parenthesis Origin of PARENTHESIZE parenthesis + -ize First Known Use: 1788 (transitive sense 1)

persuade

verb \pər-ˈswād\ inflected form(s): -ed/-ing/-s transitive verb 1 : to induce by argument, entreaty, or expostulation into some mental position (as a determination, decision, conclusion, belief) : win over by an appeal to one's reason and feelings (as into doing or believing something) : bring (oneself or another) to belief, certainty, or conviction : argue into an opinion or procedure <he persuades his friend to study law> <persuaded us that we were wrong> <persuade yourself that you cannot fail> 2 : to use persuasion upon : plead with : urge <even now at my elbow, persuading me not to kill the duke — Shakespeare> 3 : to demonstrate or prove (something) to be true, credible, essential, commendable, or worthy (as of belief, adoption, practice) : bring about by argument and persuasion the doing, practicing, or believing of <hadst thou thy wits, and didst persuade revenge — Shakespeare> 4 : to obtain or get with difficulty (as by coaxing) <finally persuaded an answer out of him> intransitive verb 1 : to use or to prevail by persuasion : plead movingly or successfully — sometimes formerly used with with 2 : to become persuaded <he persuades easily> Origin of PERSUADE Latin persuadēre, from per-, prefix denoting completion + suadēre to advise, urge — more at per-, suasion First Known Use: 15th century (transitive sense 1)

persevere

verb \¦pərsə¦vi(ə)r, ¦pə̄s-, ¦pəis-, -iə, archaic pə(r)- ˈsevə(r)\ inflected form(s): -ed/-ing/-s intransitive verb 1 : to persist in a state of life, in the pursuit of an end, or especially in an enterprise undertaken in spite of counter influences, opposition, or discouragement : pursue steadily any project or course begun 2 a archaic : to continue either actively or passively : remain, abide b : to continue in a state of religious or spiritual grace 3 : to be persistent (as in arguing) : insist transitive verb : to give continued existence or assistance to : make steadfast Origin of PERSEVERE Middle English perseveren, from Middle French perseverer, from Latin perseverare, from per-, intensive prefix + -severare (from severus serious, severe) — more at per-, severe First Known Use: 14th century (intransitive sense 1)

poise

verb \ˈpȯiz\ inflected form(s): -ed/-ing/-s transitive verb 1 archaic : to weigh mentally : consider, ponder, deliberate <would have seen him turn crimson in poising the question — A. W. Kinglake> 2 : balance: a archaic : to bring into equilibrium with something else <who poises and proportions sea and land — William Cowper> b obsolete : offset, counterbalance <two contrary winds poise each other — Henry Stubbe> c (1) : to hold or carry in equilibrium : hold or carry steadily or evenly <walked along gracefully with a water jar poised on her head> <poised a plate on the end of his finger> : cause to be evenly or motionlessly supported or suspended <for an instant the gull hung poised in the sky> : hold supported or suspended without motion <poised her fork and gave her guest a knowing look — Louis Bromfield> <masses of ice are poised at one moment and the next come crashing down — John Hunt & Edmund Hillary> (2) : to keep (as something that is supported or suspended) in a steady position : keep from going one way or the other : stabilize <the nonchalance with which the steersman poised the canoe — Ernest Beaglehole> d : to hold or carry (as the head) in a particular way <poised her head disdainfully — G. B. Shaw> 3 : to draw up into readiness : put into a position or attitude of readiness <poised their armies for the battle> especially : brace <poised themselves for the ordeal awaiting them> intransitive verb 1 : to become drawn up into readiness for something <knew that they were poising for the encounter> 2 : hover <the hawk poised momentarily and then struck> Origin of POISE Middle English poisen (also, to weigh), from Middle French pois-, stem of peser, from Latin pensare to weigh, ponder, consider — more at pensive First Known Use: 15th century (transitive sense 1)

perforate

verb \ˈpərfəˌrāt, ˈpə̄f-, ˈpəif-, usually -āt+V\ inflected form(s): -ed/-ing/-s transitive verb 1 a : to make a hole through : pierce, puncture <perforate a jar top to give a captured butterfly air> <tarpaulins liberally perforated by small V-shaped rents — I. T. Sanderson> <perforate a stamp in making a cut cancellation> <an ulcer perforates the duodenal wall> specifically : to make a line of holes or small incisions in (as a sheet of stamps or coupons) to facilitate separation b : to make a hole or opening in : pit, indent <gopher holes perforate the range> <scenic fjords perforate the coastline> c : to enter or extend through <divisions of the eighth nerve ... again perforate the dura mater through smaller openings — G. V. Ellis> 2 : to make (a hole or design) by boring or piercing <tools for perforating thousands of different patterns — Industrial Equipment News> intransitive verb 1 : to penetrate a surface <occasionally an ulcer perforates ... just when it seems to be well under control — Frank Forty> 2 : to pierce the casing of an oil well at a desired depth to allow the oil to seep in Origin of PERFORATE Latin perforatus, past participle of perforare to bore through, from per- + forare to bore — more at bore First Known Use: 1538 (transitive sense 1a)