|
| pachyderm |
n. any of varioustypes of thick-skinned, four-footed animal, eg an elephant or a rhinoceros |
| pacifist |
n. person who believes in pacifism |
| pacify |
v. calm or soothe the anger or distress of (sb) |
| padre |
n. (used esp as a form of address ) clergyman in the armed forces |
| paean |
n. (fml) song of praise or triumph |
| painstaking |
adj. done with, requiring or taking great care or trouble |
| palatable |
adj. pleasant to taste |
| palate |
n. roof of the mouth |
| palatial |
adj. like a palace |
| paleontology |
study of prehistoric life |
| palette |
n. thin board on which an artist mixes colours when painting, with a hole for the thumb to hold it by |
| palimpsest |
n. manuscript from which the original writing has been removed in order to create space for new writing |
| pall |
v. ~ become uninterestingor boring by being experienced too often |
| pallet |
n. large wooden or metal tray or platform for carrying goods, esp one that can be raised using a fork-lift truck |
| palliate |
v. make(esp a pain or disease) less severe or unpleasant, withoutremoving its cause; alleviate , |
| pallid |
adj. pale, esp because of illness |
| palm |
n. inner surface of the hand between the wrist and the fingers |
| palpable |
adj. that can be felt or touched |
| palpitate |
v. beat rapidly |
| paltry |
adj. very small; unimportant |
| pan |
n. wide flat (usu metal) container, with a handle or handles, used for cooking food in |
| panacea |
n. ~ remedy for all diseases or troubles |
| panache |
n. confident stylish manner |
| pandemic |
n, adj disease occurring over a whole country or the whole world |
| Pandemonium |
n. wild and noisy disorder or confusion |
| pander |
v. pander to sth/sb (derog ) try to satisfy (a vulgar, weak or immoral desire, or sb having this); gratify sth/sb |
| panegyric |
n. speech or piece of writing praising sb/sth |
| pang |
n. sudden sharp feeling of pain |
| panoramic |
adj. a panoramic view from the top of the tower |
| pantomime |
n. type of play with music, dancing and clowning, based on a traditional story or fairy-tale and usu performed at Christmas |
| papyrus |
n. tall reed-like water-plant with thick fibrous stems used by the Ancient Egyptians to make paper |
| parable |
n. story told to illustrate a moral or spiritual truth |
| paradigm |
n. set of all the different forms of a word |
| paradox |
n. statement that seems to be absurd or contradictory but is or may be true |
| paragon |
n. ~ of sth person who is a perfect example of a quality (used esp in the expression shown) |
| parallel |
adj. (of two or more lines) having the same distance between each other at every point |
| parallelism |
n. state of being parallel; similarity |
| parameter |
n. quantity that does not vary in a particular case but does vary in other cases |
| paramount |
adj. having the greatest importance or significance; supreme |
| paramour |
illicit lover |
| paranoia |
n. mental illness in which a person is obsessed by mistaken beliefs, esp that he is being badly treated by others or that he is somebody very important |
| paraphernalia |
n. numerous small articles or personal belongings, esp the equipment needed for a hobby or sport |
| paraphrase |
n. re-wording of a piece of writing, statement, etc, esp in order to make it easier to understand |
| parasite |
n. animal or plant (eg mistletoe) that lives on or in another and gets its food from it |
| parched |
[ parch: ] to deprive or be deprived of water; dry up |
| parchment |
n. heavy paper-like material made from the skin of sheep or goats and used for writing on |
| pare |
v. trim by cutting away the edges |
| pariah |
n. social outcast |
| parish |
n. area within a diocese, having its own church and clergyman |
| parity |
n. state of being equal; equality |
| parlance |
n. particular way of speaking or use of words; phraseology |
| parley |
n. (esp formerly) meeting between enemies or opponents to discuss terms for peace, etc |
| parochial |
adj. of or relating to a church parish |
| parody |
n. ~ (piece of) speech, writing or music that imitates the style of an author, composer, etc in an amusing and often exaggerated way; comic imitation |
| paroxysm |
n. sudden attack or outburst |
| parquet |
n. flooring made of wooden blocks arranged in a pattern |
| parry |
v. turn aside or ward off (a blow or an attack) by using one's own weapon or one's hand to block it |
| parsimonious |
adj. very careful in spending money or using resources; mean |
| parsimony |
n. excessive carefulness in spending money or using resources; meanness ; |
| partial |
adj. of or forming a part; not complete |
| partiality |
n. ~ being partial( |
| partisan |
n. enthusiastic and often uncritical supporter of a person, group or cause |
| partition |
n. action of dividing or state of being divided into parts, esp the division of one country into two or more nations |
| parvenu |
n. person who has suddenly risen from a low social or economic position to one of wealth or power |
| passive |
adj. not active; submissive |
| paste |
n. moist soft mixture, esp of a powdery substance and a liquid |
| pastiche |
n. literary, musical or artistic work in the style of another author, composer, etc |
| pastoral |
adj. relatingto or portraying country life, the countryside or shepherds, esp in an idealized way |
| pastry |
n. mixture of flour, fat and water baked in an oven and used as a base or covering for tarts, pies, etc |
| patent |
adj. ~ obvious; clear; evident |
| pathetic |
adj. causing one to feel pity or sadness |
| pathological |
adj. of or relating to pathology |
| pathos |
n. quality, esp in speech, writing, acting, etc that causes a feeling of pity or sadness |
| patina |
n. green coating that forms on the surface of old bronze or copper |
| patois |
n. dialect spoken by the common people of a region and differing from the standard language of the country |
| patriarch |
n. male head of a family or tribe |
| patrician |
n. member of the aristocracy |
| patrimony |
n. property inherited from one's father or ancestors |
| patronize |
to be kind or helpful to, but in a haughty or snobbish way, as if dealing with an inferior |
| paucity |
n. ~ (fml ) smallness of number or quantity |
| pauper |
n. very poor person |
| peccadillo |
n. small unimportant offence or sin |
| pecuniary |
adj. of or concerning money |
| pedagogue |
n. teacher |
| pedagogy |
n. study or science of ways and methods of teaching |
| pedant |
n. person who attaches too much importance to detail or to rules, esp when learning or teaching |
| pedantic |
adj. of or like a pedant |
| peddle |
v. go from house to house to sell goods; be a pedlar ; |
| pedestal |
n. base of a column |
| pedestrian |
n. person walking in the street |
| pediatrician |
expert in children's diseases |
| pedigree |
n. line of ancestors |
| peer |
n. person who is equal to another in rank, status or merit |
| peerless |
adj. superior to all others; without equal ; |
| peevish |
adj. easily annoyed (esp by unimportant things); irritable ; |
| pejorative |
adj. expressing criticismor scorn; derogatory; disparaging |
| pell-mell |
adv. in a hurrying, disorderly manner; headlong |
| pellucid |
adj. transparentor translucent; very clear |
| pen |
n. instrument for writing with ink, consisting of a pointed piece of split metal, a metal ball, etc, fixed into a metal or plastic holder |
| penance |
n. ~ punishment that one imposes on oneself to show that one is sorry for having done wrong |
| penchant |
n. ~ for sth liking or taste for sth |
| pendant |
n. ornament that hangs from a chain worn round the neck |
| pending |
adj. waiting to be decided or settled |
| pendulous |
adj. hanging down loosely so as to swing from side to side |
| penetrate |
v. ~ sth make a way into or through sth |
| penitent |
adj. feeling or showing regret or remorse for having done sth wrong |
| penology |
n. study of crime and its punishment, and the management of prisons |
| pensive |
adj. thinking deeply about sth, esp in a sad or serious way |
| penumbra |
n. partly shaded area around the shadow of an opaque object (esp around the total shadow of the moon or earth in an eclipse) |
| penurious |
adj. very poor |
| penury |
n. extreme poverty |
| peon |
n. person employedas a messenger |
| perceptive |
adj. quick to notice and understand things |
| percussion |
n. striking of two (usu hard) objects together |
| perdition |
n. everlasting punishment of the wicked after death |
| peregrination |
n. travelling |
| peremptory |
adj. (esp derog ) (of a person, his manner, etc) insisting on immediate obedience or submission; domineering |
| perennial |
adj. lasting for a long time |
| perfidious |
adj. ~ (fml ) treacherous, deceitful or disloyal |
| perforate |
v. make a hole or holes through |
| perfunctory |
adj. a) (of an action) done as a duty or routine, without care or interest |
| perigee |
n. point in the orbit of the moon, a planet or a spacecraft at which it is nearest to the earth |
| perimeter |
n. outer edge of a closed geometric shape |
| peripatetic |
adj. going from place to place |
| peripheral |
adj. ~ of secondary or minor importance (to sth) |
| periphery |
n. boundary of a surface or an area |
| perjury |
n. action of perjuring oneself |
| permeable |
adj. that can be permeated by fluids or gas; porous ; |
| permissive |
adj. allowing great freedomof behaviour, esp to children or in sexual matters |
| pernicious |
adj. ~ (to sb/sth) having a very harmful or destructive effect (on sb/sth) |
| peroration |
n. last part of a speech; summing up |
| perpetrate |
v. commit (a crime, etc) |
| perpetual |
adj. continuing indefinitely; permanent |
| perpetuate |
v. cause to continue |
| perquisite |
n. (fml ) (infml perk) money or goods given or regarded as a right in addition to one's pay |
| persevere |
v. ~ ~ (with sb) (usu approv ) continue trying to do sth, esp in spite of difficulty |
| persist |
v. ~ continue to do sth, esp in an obstinate and determined way and in spite of opposition, argument or failure |
| personable |
adj. having a pleasant appearance or manner |
| personify |
v. treat (sth) as if it were a human being |
| perspicacious |
adj. having or showing great insight or judgement; discerning |
| perspicuity |
plain to the understanding especially because of clarity and precision of presentation |
| perspicuous |
adj. expressed clearly |
| pert |
adj. not showing respect; cheeky |
| pertinacious |
adj. holding firmly to an opinion or a course of action; determined |
| pertinent |
adj. ~ (fml ) relevant (to sth); to the point |
| perturb |
v. make (sb) very worried; disturb |
| peruse |
v. read (sth), esp carefully or thoroughly |
| pervasive |
adj. present and perceived everywhere; pervading |
| perverse |
adj. (of a person) deliberately continuing to behave in a way that is wrong, unreasonable or unacceptable |
| perversion |
n. changing sth from right to wrong; perverting |
| pervert |
v. turn away from its proper nature or use |
| pessimism |
n. tendency to be gloomy and believe that the worst will happen |
| pest |
n. annoying person or thing |
| pestilential |
causing plague; baneful |
| pestle |
n. heavy round-ended tool used for crushing and grinding things to powder, esp in a special bowl |
| petrify |
take away power to feel through terror; turn to stone |
| petty |
adj. (derog ) small or trivial; unimportant |
| petulant |
adj. unreasonably impatient or irritable |
| phalanx |
n. (in ancient Greece) close formation, esp of infantry ready for battle |
| pharisaical |
pertaining to the Pharisees who paid scrupulous attention to tradition; hypocritical |
| pharisee |
(Judaism) a member of an ancient Jewish sect that was opposed to the Sadducees, teaching strict observance of Jewish tradition as interpreted rabbinically and believing in life after death and in the coming of the Messiah |
| phenomena |
observable facts; subjects of scientific investigation |
| philanderer |
n. man who does this |
| philanthropist |
n. person who helps others, esp through charitable work or donations of money |
| philatelist |
n. person who collects postage stamps |
| Philistine |
n. person who has no interest in or understanding of the arts, or is hostile to them; uncultured person |
| philology |
n. science or studyof the development of language or of a particular language |
| phlegmatic |
adj. calm and even-tempered; showing the quality of phlegm |
| phobia |
n. extreme or abnormal dislike or fear of sth; aversion |
| phoenix |
n. mythical bird of the Arabian desert, said to live for several hundred years before burning itself and then rising born again from its ashes , |
| phylum |
n. (biology ) major division in the animal or plant kingdom |
| physiognomy |
n. features of a person's face |
| physiological |
adj. of or concerning physiology |
| piebald |
adj. covered with irregularly-shaped patches of two colours, usu black and white , |
| piecemeal |
adv. piece by piece; a part at a time |
| pied |
adj. having mixed colours, esp black and white |
| piety |
n. devotion to God and respect for religious principles; being pious |
| pigment |
n. colouring matter used for making dyes, paint, etc |
| pilfer |
v. ~ (from sb/sth) steal (sth, esp of small value or in small quantities) |
| pillage |
n. (esp formerly) stealing or damaging of property, esp by soldiers in war , |
| pillory |
n. wooden framework with holes for the head and hands, into which wrongdoers were locked in former times, so that they could be publicly ridiculed . |
| pinch |
v. take or hold (sth) in a tight grip between the thumb and finger |
| pine |
n. (also `pine tree) any of several types of evergreen tree that bear cones and have needle-shaped leaves growing in clusters |
| pinion |
n. outer segment of a bird's wing |
| pinnace |
n. small motor boat carried on a ship for taking people ashore, loading goods, etc , |
| pinnacle |
n. small pointed ornament built on to a roof or buttress |
| pious |
adj. having or showing a deep devotion to religion |
| piquant |
adj. having a pleasantly sharp taste |
| pique |
v. hurt the pride or self-respect of (sb); offend |
| piscatorial |
adj. of or concerning fishing or fishermen |
| pitfall |
n. unsuspected danger or difficulty |
| pith |
n. soft spongy substance that fills the stems of certain plants, eg reeds , |
| pithy |
adj. concise and full of meaning; terse |
| pittance |
n. very small or insufficient amount of money paid or received as wages or an allowance |
| pivotal |
adj. of or forming a pivot |
| placate |
v. make less angry; soothe or pacify |
| placebo |
n. (medical ) harmless substance given as if it were medicine to calm a patient who mistakenly believes he is ill |
| placid |
adj. calm and peaceful; undisturbed |
| plagiarize |
to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own:use (another's production) without crediting the source |
| plaintive |
adj. sounding sad; sorrowful |
| plait |
v. weave or twist (three or more lengths of hair, straw, etc) under and over one another to make one rope-like length |
| plane |
n. (geometry ) surfacesuch that a straight line joining any two points in it touches it at all points |
| plaster |
n. soft mixture of lime, sand, water, etc that becomes hard when dry and is used for making a smooth surface on walls and ceilings |
| plasticity |
n. state or quality of being able to be moulded or shaped |
| platitude |
n. commonplace remark or statement, esp when it is said as if it were new or interesting |
| platonic |
adj. Platonic of or concerning the Greek philosopher Plato or his teachings |
| plaudit |
n. (fml ) applause, praise or some other sign of approval |
| plausible |
adj. seeming to be right or reasonable; believable |
| plebeian |
adj. of the lower social classes |
| plebiscite |
n. (decision made by a) direct vote by all qualified citizens on an important political matter |
| plenary |
adj. attended by all who have the right to attend |
| plenitude |
a full supply |
| plethora |
n. quantity greater than what is needed; over-abundance |
| pliable |
adj. easily bent, shaped or twisted; flexible |
| pliant |
adj. bending easily; supple |
| plight |
n. serious and difficult situation or condition |
| ploy |
n. words or actions, eg in a game, intended to win an advantage over one's opponent |
| pluck |
v. ~ sth gather or remove sth by pulling; pick sth |
| plumage |
n. feathers covering a bird's body |
| plumb |
n. piece of lead that is tied to a cord and used to find the depth of water or test whether a wall, etc is vertical , |
| plumber |
n. person whose job is to fit and repair water-pipes, water-tanks, cisterns, etc in buildings |
| plume |
n. feather, esp a large one used as a decoration |
| plummet |
n. plumb-line |
| plump |
adj. (esp of an animal, a person, parts of the body) having a full rounded shape; fleshy |
| plutocracy |
n. government by a rich and powerful class |
| podiatrist |
n. = chiropodist |
| podium |
n. small platform for the conductor of an orchestra, a lecturer, etc to stand on |
| poignancy |
n. state or quality of being poignant |
| poise |
v. be or keep balanced or suspended |
| polar |
adj. of or near the North or South Pole |
| polarity |
n. possession or location of negative and positive poles |
| polarize |
to break up into opposing factions or groupings |
| polemic |
n. ~ (against/in favour of sth/sb) speech, piece of writing, etc containing very forceful arguments (against or for sth/sb) |
| polemical |
adj. of polemics |
| politic |
adj. (of actions) well judged; prudent |
| polity |
n. form or process of government |
| polygamist |
man who practices this |
| polyglot |
adj. knowing, using or written in many languages |
| pomposity |
n. being pompous |
| ponderous |
adj. slow and awkward because of great weight |
| pontifical |
adj. of the Pope |
| pore |
n. any of the tiny openings in the surface of the skin or of a leaf, through which moisture can pass |
| porous |
adj. allowing liquid or air to pass through, esp slowly |
| porridge |
n. soft food made by boiling a cereal in water or milk |
| portend |
v. be a sign or warning of (sth in the future); foreshadow |
| portent |
n. ~ (fml ) sign or warning of a future (often unpleasant) event; omen |
| portly |
adj. (esp of an older person) having a stout body; fat |
| pose |
v. ~ (for sb) sit or stand in a particular position in order to be painted, drawn or photographed |
| poseur |
n. (derog) person who behaves in an unnatural affected way in order to impress others |
| posterity |
n. following or future generations |
| posthumous |
adj. happening or given after death |
| postmortem |
occurring after death |
| postulate |
v. put (sth) forward as a fact or accept (sth) as true, esp as a basis for reasoning or argument |
| posture |
n. attitude or position of the body |
| potable |
adj. fit for drinking; drinkable ; |
| potent |
adj. (of drugs, etc) having a strong effect |
| potentate |
n. ruler with direct power over his people; autocratic monarch |
| potential |
adj. that can or may come into existence; possible |
| potion |
n. drink of medicine, poison or a liquid used in magic |
| potpourri |
heterogeneous mixture; |
| poultice |
n. soft heated mass spread on a cloth and put on a sore place on the body to soothe pain, reduce swelling, etc |
| practicable |
adj. that can be put into practice; workable |
| practical |
adj. concerned with practiceand action rather than theory |
| pragmatic |
adj. treating things in a sensible and realistic way; concerned with practical results |
| pragmatist |
n. person who acts in a practical way |
| prance |
v. move jerkily by raising the forelegs and springing forward from the hind legs |
| prank |
n. playful or mischievous trick |
| prate |
v. ~ (on about sth) talk or chatter too much (about sth) |
| prattle |
v. ~ (away) (of a child) talk in a simple way; babble |
| preamble |
n. ~ opening statement explaining the purpose of the book, document, lecture, etc that follows |
| precarious |
adj. depending on chance; uncertain |
| precedent |
n. earlier decision, case, event, etc that is regarded as an example or rule for what comes later |
| precept |
n. rule or guide, esp for behaviour |
| precinct |
n. area enclosed by definite boundaries, esp the walls of a cathedral, church or college |
| precipice |
n. very steep or vertical face of a cliff, mountain or rock |
| precipitant |
Moving onward quickly and heedlessly. |
| precipitate |
v. cause (sth) to happen suddenly or soon(er); hasten |
| precipitous |
adj. dangerously high or steep |
| precise |
adj. stated clearly andaccurately |
| preclude |
v. ~ sb from doing sth prevent (sth, or sb doing sth); make (sth) impossible |
| precocious |
adj. (of a child) having developed certain abilities at an earlier age than usual |
| precursor |
n. ~(of sth) person or thing that comes before sth; forerunner |
| predator |
n. animal that kills and eats other animals |
| predatory |
adj. (living by) killing other animals for food |
| predecessor |
n. person who held an office or position before sb else |
| predetermine |
v. decide or fix (sth) in advance; prearrange |
| predicament |
n. difficult or unpleasant situation, esp one in which sb is uncertain what to do |
| predilection |
n. ~ (for sth) special liking (for sth); preference |
| predispose |
v. ~ sb to/towards sth influence sb (in a specified way) in advance |
| preeminent |
having paramount rank, dignity, or importance:OUTSTANDING |
| preempt |
to replace with something considered to be of greater value or priority:take precedence over |
| preen |
v. clean or smooth (its feathers or itself) with its beak |
| prefatory |
adj. acting as a preface; introductory |
| prefigure |
v. represent beforehand (sth that will happen in the future); foreshadow |
| prehensile |
adj. able to grasp and hold things |
| prelate |
n. high-ranking clergyman, eg a bishop or an archbishop |
| prelude |
n. ~ action or event that happens before another larger or more important one and forms an introduction to it |
| premeditate |
v. plan in advance |
| premise |
n. statement or idea on which reasoning is based; hypothesis |
| premonition |
n. ~ feeling that sth unpleasant is going to happen |
| premonitory |
adj. giving a warning |
| preponderance |
superiority of power, quantity |
| prepossessing |
adj. makinga good impression; attractive |
| preposterous |
adj. completely contrary to reason or common sense; absurd or outrageous |
| prerogative |
n. right or privilege, esp one belonging to a particular person or group |
| presage |
n. sign that sth (esp sth unpleasant) will happen; omen ; |
| prescience |
foreknowledge of events:a:divine omniscience b:human anticipation of the course of events:FORESIGHT |
| presentiment |
n. vague feeling that sth (esp sth unpleasant) will happen; foreboding |
| prestige |
n. respect based on good reputation, past achievements, etc |
| presume |
v. suppose to be true; take (sth) for granted |
| presumptuous |
adj. (of a person or his behaviour) too bold or self-confident |
| pretend |
v. make oneself appear to be sth in order to deceive others or in play |
| pretension |
n. ~ (making of a) claim |
| pretentious |
adj. claiming merit or importance; pompous or showy |
| preternatural |
adj. beyond what is natural or normal; unusual |
| pretext |
n. ~ reason given (for doing sth) that is not the real reason; excuse |
| prevail |
v. ~ exist or happen generally; be widespread |
| prevalent |
adj. ~ (among/in sth/sb) existing or happening generally; widespread |
| prevaricate |
v. try to avoid telling the (whole) truth by speaking in an evasive or a misleading way; equivocate |
| prey |
n. animal, bird, etc hunted and killed by another for food |
| prim |
adj. (usu derog ) (of a person) disliking anything that is improper, rude or rough; prudish |
| primal |
adj. first or original; primeval |
| primary |
adj. earliest in time or order of development |
| primate |
n. archbishop |
| prime |
adj. most important; chief; fundamental |
| primogeniture |
n. fact of being a first-born child |
| primordial |
adj. existing at or from the beginning, esp of the world or the universe; primeval |
| primp |
v. (derog ) tidy (oneself, one's hair, etc) in a fussy way |
| pristine |
adj. in its original condition; unspoilt |
| privation |
n. lack of things necessary for life; deprivation |
| privy |
adj. private; secret |
| prize |
n. award given to the winner of a competition, race, etc |
| probe |
n. tool for examining a place whichcannot be reached otherwise, esp a thin implement with a blunt end used by a doctor for examining a wound |
| probity |
n. quality of being honest and trustworthy; integrity ; |
| problematic |
adj. difficult to deal with or to understand |
| proclivity |
n. ~ (fml ) natural inclination to do sth (esp sth bad); tendency |
| procrastinate |
v. delay or postpone action |
| procurement |
n. obtaining |
| prod |
v. ~ (at sb/sth) push or poke (sb/sth) with a finger or some other pointed object |
| prodigal |
adj. spending money or resources too freely; extravagant |
| prodigious |
adj. very great in size, amount or degree, so as to cause amazement or admiration; enormous |
| prodigy |
n. person with unusual or remarkable qualities or abilities |
| profane |
adj. not sacred; secular |
| profligate |
adj. recklessly extravagant or wasteful |
| profound |
adj. deep, intense or far-reaching; verygreat |
| profusion |
n. ~ of sth abundant supply of sth |
| progenitor |
n. ancestor (of a person, an animal or a plant) |
| progeny |
n. offspring |
| prognosis |
n. (medical) forecast of the likely course of a disease or an illness |
| prognosticate |
v. tell (sth) in advance; predict |
| prohibitive |
adj. intended to or tending to prevent the use or purchase of sth |
| projectile |
n. object (to be) shot forward, esp from a gun |
| proletarian |
member of the working class |
| proliferate |
v. produce new growth or offspring rapidly; multiply ; |
| prolific |
adj. producing much fruit or many flowers or offspring |
| prolix |
adj. (of a speech, writer, etc) using too many words and so boring to listen to or read |
| prolixity |
n. |
| prologue |
n. ~ introductory part of a poem or play |
| prolong |
v. make longer, esp in time; extend |
| prominent |
adj. jutting out; projecting |
| promiscuous |
adj. not carefully chosen; indiscriminate or casual |
| promontory |
n. area of high land jutting out into the sea or a lake; headland ; . |
| promote |
to contribute to the growth or prosperity of:FURTHER |
| prompt |
adj. done without delay; punctual |
| promulgate |
v. make (sth) widely known; disseminate |
| prone |
adj. lying flat, esp face downwards |
| prong |
n. each of the two or more long pointed parts of a fork |
| pronounced |
adj. very noticeable |
| prop |
n. rigid support, esp a piece of wood, used to prevent sth falling or sagging |
| propagate |
v. increase the number of by a natural processfrom the parent stock |
| propellant |
n. propelling agent, eg an explosive that propels a bullet from a weapon, a fuel that provides thrust for a rocket, or compressed gas that forces out the contents of an aerosol container |
| propensity |
n. ~ (for doing/to do sth) (fml ) inclination or tendency |
| prophetic |
adj. of or like a prophet or prophets |
| prophylactic |
adj. tending to prevent a disease or misfortune |
| propinquity |
n. nearness in space or time |
| propitiate |
v. win the favour or forgiveness of (sb) (esp when he is angry) by a pleasing act; appease or placate |
| propitious |
adj. ~ (fml ) giving or indicating a good chance of success; favourable |
| proponent |
n. ~ person who supports a cause, theory, etc |
| propound |
v. put (sth) forward for consideration or solution |
| propriety |
n. state of being correct in one's social or moral behaviour |
| propulsive |
adj. that drives sth (esp a vehicle) forward |
| prosaic |
adj. uninspired; unimaginative |
| proscenium |
n. the part of the stage in front of the curtain |
| proscribe |
v. state officially that (sth) is dangerous or forbidden |
| proselytize |
to recruit or convert especially to a new faith, institution, or cause |
| prosody |
n. science of verse forms and poetic metres |
| prosper |
v. be successful; thrive |
| prosperity |
n. state of being successful or rich; good fortune |
| prosperous |
adj. successful or thriving, esp financially |
| prostrate |
adj. stretched out on the ground face downward, esp because of exhaustion or in order to show submission, respect, etc |
| protagonist |
n. (fml ) chief character in a drama; hero |
| protean |
adj. that can change quickly and easily; variable ; |
| protocol |
n. system of rules governing formal occasions, eg meetings between governments, diplomats, etc; official etiquette |
| prototype |
n. first or original example of sth that has been or will be copied or developed; model or preliminary version |
| protract |
v. make (sth) last a long time or longer; lengthen or prolong |
| protrude |
v. ~ (from sth) (cause sth to) jut or stick out from a surface; (cause sth to) project |
| protuberance |
n. being protuberant |
| provenance |
n. (place of) origin |
| provender |
n. food for horses and cattle, eg hay or oats; fodder |
| proverb |
n. short well-known saying that states a general truth or gives advice, eg `It takes two to make a quarrel' or `Don't put all your eggs in one basket' |
| providence |
n. way in which God or nature cares for and protects all creatures |
| provident |
adj. having or showing wisdom for future needs; thrifty |
| provincial |
adj. of a province (1) |
| provision |
n. ~ of sth giving, lending, supplying or making sth available; providing sth |
| provisional |
adj. for the presenttime only, with the possibility of being changed, etc later; temporary |
| proviso |
n. clause, etc that is insisted on as a condition of an agreement |
| provocative |
adj. tending or intended to arouse anger, annoyance, controversy, etc |
| provoke |
v. make (sb) angry or annoyed |
| prowess |
n. outstanding skill or ability; expertise |
| proximity |
n. ~ (to sth) nearness in space or time; closeness |
| proxy |
n. person authorized to act on behalf of another |
| prude |
n. person who behaves in an extremely or unnaturally proper manner, esp one who is (too) easily shocked by sexual matters |
| prudent |
adj. acting with or showing care and foresight; showing good judgement |
| prune |
n. dried plum |
| prurient |
adj. having or showing excessive interest in sexual matters |
| pry |
v. ~ (into sth) inquire too curiously or rudely about other people's private affairs |
| pseudonym |
n. person's name that is not his real name, esp one used by an author; pen-name |
| psyche |
n. human soul or mind |
| psychiatrist |
n. specialist in psychiatry |
| psychic |
adj. concerned with processes and phenomena that seem to be outside physical or natural laws |
| psychopathic |
adj. of or suffering from a severe emotional or mental disorder |
| psychosis |
n. severe mental illness that affects the whole personality |
| psychosomatic |
adj. caused or made worse by mental stress |
| pterodactyl |
n. extinct flying reptile |
| pucker |
v. ~ (up) (cause sth to) form small folds or wrinkles |
| pudding |
n. (Brit) (dish of) sweet food eaten at the end of a meal; dessert |
| puerile |
adj. showing immaturity; childish and silly |
| pugilist |
n. professionalboxer |
| pugnacious |
adj. inclined or eager to fight; aggressive |
| pugnacity |
n. |
| puissant |
powerful; strong; potent |
| pulchritude |
physical comeliness |
| pulmonary |
adj. of, in or affecting the lungs |
| pulpit |
n. raised and enclosed platform in a church, where a clergyman stands when he is preaching . |
| pulsate |
v. expand and contract rhythmically; throb |
| pulse |
n. regular beating of the arteries as blood is pumped through them by the heart, esp as felt at the wrist |
| pulverize |
to reduce (as by crushing, beating, or grinding) to very small particles:ATOMIZE |
| pummel |
v. strike (sb/sth) repeatedly, esp with the fist(s); beat |
| punctilious |
adj. very careful to carry out one's duties, etc correctly; very attentive to details of behaviour or ceremony |
| pundit |
n. very learned Hindu |
| pungency |
n. quality or state of being pungent |
| pungent |
n. having a sharp or strong taste or smell |
| punitive |
adj. intended as punishment |
| puny |
adj. (usu derog ) small, weak and underdeveloped |
| purchase |
n. (action of) buying sth |
| purgatory |
n. (in Roman Catholic teaching) place or condition in which the souls of the dead are purified by suffering in preparation for Heaven |
| purge |
v. ~ sb ~ sth (away) make sb clean or pure by removing (evil, sin, etc) |
| purport |
n. ~ (fml ) general meaning or intention (of sth) |
| purported |
adj. alleged; supposed; rumoured |
| purse |
n. small bag for money |
| purveyor |
n. person or firm that supplies goods or services |
| pushy |
adj. (also pushing) adj (infml derog , ) trying constantly to draw attention to oneself and gain an advantage; self-assertive |
| pusillanimous |
adj. cowardly; timid ; |
| putative |
adj. generally supposed to be; reputed |
| putrefy |
v. (cause sth to) rot or decay; become or make putrid |
| putrescent |
adj. inthe process of rotting |
| putrid |
adj. (esp of animal or vegetable matter) that has become rotten; decomposed |
| puzzle |
n. questionthat is difficult to understand or answer; mystery |
| pyre |
n. large pile of wood, etc for burning a dead body as part of a funeral ceremony |
| pyromaniac |
n. person who suffers from pyromania |
