P-R-2
Terms
undefined, object
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- pittance n
- Any small portion or meager allowance
- placate v
- To bring from a state of angry or hostile feeling to one of patience or friendliness
- placid adj
- Serene
- plagiarism n
- The stealing of passages from the writings of another and publishing them as one's own
- planisphere n
- A polar projection of the heavens on a chart
- plasticity n
- The property of some substances through which the form of the mass can readily be
- changed
- platitude n
- A written or spoken statement that is flat, dull, or commonplace
- plaudit n
- An expression of applause
- plausible adj
- Seeming likely to be true, though open to doubt
- playful adj
- Frolicsome
- playwright n
- A maker of plays for the stage
- plea n
- An argument to obtain some desired action
- pleasant adj
- Agreeable
- pleasurable adj
- Affording gratification
- plebeian adj
- Common
- pledgee n
- The person to whom anything is pledged
- pledgeor n
- One who gives a pledge
- plenary adj
- Entire
- plenipotentiary n
- A person fully empowered to transact any business
- plenitude n
- Abundance
- plenteous adj
- Abundant
- plumb n
- A weight suspended by a line to test the verticality of something
- plummet n
- A piece of lead for making soundings, adjusting walls to the vertical
- pluperfect adj
- Expressing past time or action prior to some other past time or action
- plural adj
- Containing or consisting of more than one
- plurality n
- A majority
- plutocracy n
- A wealthy class in a political community who control the government by means of their money
- pneumatic adj
- Pertaining to or consisting of air or gas
- poesy n
- Poetry
- poetaster n
- An inferior poet
- poetic adj
- Pertaining to poetry
- poetics n
- The rules and principles of poetry
- poignancy n
- Severity or acuteness, especially of pain or grief
- poignant adj
- Severely painful or acute to the spirit
- poise n
- Equilibrium
- polar adj
- Pertaining to the poles of a sphere, especially of the earth
- polemics n
- The art of controversy or disputation
- pollen n
- The fine dust-like grains or powder formed within the anther of a flowering plant
- pollute v
- To contaminate
- polyarchy n
- Government by several or many persons of what- ever class
- polycracy n
- The rule of many
- polygamy n
- the fact or condition of having more than one wife or husband at once
- polyglot adj
- Speaking several tongues
- polygon n
- A figure having many angles
- polyhedron n
- A solid bounded by plane faces, especially by more than four
- polysyllable adj
- Having several syllables, especially more than three syllables
- polytechnic adj
- Pertaining to, embracing, or practicing many arts
- polytheism n
- The doctrine or belief that there are more gods than one
- pommel v
- To beat with something thick or bulky
- pomposity n
- The quality of being marked by an assumed stateliness and impressiveness of manner
- pompous adj
- Marked by an assumed stateliness and impressiveness of manner
- ponder v
- To meditate or reflect upon
- ponderous adj
- Unusually weighty or forcible
- pontiff n
- The Pope
- populace n
- The common people
- populous adj
- Containing many inhabitants, especially in proportion to the territory
- portend v
- To indicate as being about to happen, especially by previous signs
- portent n
- Anything that indicates what is to happen
- portfolio n
- A portable case for holding writing-materials, drawings, etc
- posit v
- To present in an orderly manner
- position n
- The manner in which a thing is placed
- positive adj
- Free from doubt or hesitation
- posse n
- A force of men
- possess v
- To own
- possession n
- The having, holding, or detention of property in one's power or command
- possessive adj
- Pertaining to the having, holding, or detention of property in one's power or command
- possessor n
- One who owns, enjoys, or controls anything, as property
- possible adj
- Being not beyond the reach of power natural, moral, or supernatural
- postdate v
- To make the date of any writing later than the real date
- posterior n
- The hinder part
- postgraduate adj
- Pertaining to studies that are pursued after receiving a degree
- postscript n
- Something added to a letter after the writer's signature
- potency n
- Power
- potent adj
- Physically powerful
- potentate n
- One possessed of great power or sway
- potential n
- Anything that may be possible
- potion n
- A dose of liquid medicine
- powerless adj
- Impotent
- practicable adj
- Feasible
- prate v
- To talk about vainly or foolishly
- prattle v
- To utter in simple or childish talk
- preamble n
- A statement introductory to and explanatory of what follows
- precarious adj
- Perilous
- precaution n
- A provision made in advance for some possible emergency or danger
- precede v
- To happen first
- precedence n
- Priority in place, time, or rank
- precedent n
- An instance that may serve as a guide or basis for a rule
- precedential adj
- Of the nature of an instance that may serve as a guide or basis for a rule
- precession n
- The act of going forward
- precipice n
- A high and very steep or approximately vertical cliff
- precipitant adj
- Moving onward quickly and heedlessly
- precipitate v
- To force forward prematurely
- precise adj
- Exact
- precision n
- Accuracy of limitation, definition, or adjustment
- preclude v
- To prevent
- precocious adj
- Having the mental faculties prematurely developed
- precursor n
- A forerunner or herald
- predatory adj
- Prone to pillaging
- predecessor n
- An incumbent of a given office previous to another
- predicament n
- A difficult, trying situation or plight
- predicate v
- To state as belonging to something
- predict v
- To foretell
- prediction n
- A prophecy
- predominance n
- Ascendancy or preponderance
- predominant adj
- Superior in power, influence, effectiveness, number, or degree
- predominate v
- To be chief in importance, quantity, or degree
- preeminence n
- Special eminence
- preempt v
- To secure the right of preference in the purchase of public land
- preemption n
- The right or act of purchasing before others
- preengage v
- To preoccupy
- preestablish v
- To settle or arrange beforehand
- preexist v
- To exist at a period or in a state earlier than something else
- preexistence n
- Existence antecedent to something
- preface n
- A brief explanation or address to the reader, at the beginning of a book
- prefatory adj
- Pertaining to a brief explanation to the reader at the beginning of a book
- prefer v
- To hold in higher estimation
- preferable adj
- More desirable than others
- preference n
- An object of favor or choice
- preferential adj
- Possessing, giving, or constituting preference or priority
- preferment n
- Preference
- prefix v
- To attach at the beginning
- prehensible adj
- Capable of being grasped
- prehensile adj
- Adapted for grasping or holding
- prehension n
- The act of laying hold of or grasping
- prejudice n
- A judgment or opinion formed without due examination of the facts
- prelacy n
- A system of church government
- prelate n
- One of a higher order of clergy having direct authority over other clergy
- prelude n
- An introductory or opening performance
- premature adj
- Coming too soon
- premier adj
- First in rank or position
- premise n
- A judgment as a conclusion
- premonition n
- Foreboding
- preoccupation n
- The state of having the mind, attention, or inclination preoccupied
- preoccupy v
- To fill the mind of a person to the exclusion of other subjects
- preordain v
- To foreordain
- preparation n
- An act or proceeding designed to bring about some event
- preparatory adj
- Having to do with what is preliminary
- preponderant adj
- Prevalent
- preponderate v
- To exceed in influence or power
- prepossession n
- A preconceived liking
- preposterous adj
- Utterly ridiculous or absurd
- prerogative adj
- Having superior rank or precedence
- presage v
- To foretell
- prescience n
- Knowledge of events before they take place
- prescient adj
- Foreknowing
- prescript adj
- Prescribed as a rule or model
- prescriptible adj
- Derived from authoritative direction
- prescription n
- An authoritative direction
- presentient adj
- Perceiving or feeling beforehand
- presentiment n
- Foreboding
- presentment n
- Semblance
- preservation n
- Conservation
- presumption n
- That which may be logically assumed to be true until disproved
- presumptuous adj
- Assuming too much
- pretension n
- A bold or presumptuous assertion
- pretentious adj
- Marked by pretense, conceit, or display
- preternatural adj
- Extraordinary
- pretext n
- A fictitious reason or motive
- prevalence n
- Frequency
- prevalent adj
- Of wide extent or frequent occurrence
- prevaricate v
- To use ambiguous or evasive language for the purpose of deceiving or diverting attention
- prevention n
- Thwarting
- prickle v
- To puncture slightly with fine, sharp points
- priggish adj
- Conceited
- prim adj
- Stiffly proper
- prima adj
- First
- primer n
- An elementary reading-book for children
- primeval adj
- Belonging to the first ages
- primitive adj
- Pertaining to the beginning or early times
- principal adj
- Most important
- principality n
- The territory of a reigning prince
- principle n
- A general truth or proposition
- priory n
- A monastic house
- pristine adj
- Primitive
- privateer n
- A vessel owned and officered by private persons, but carrying on maritime war
- privilege n
- A right or immunity not enjoyed by all, or that may be enjoyed only under special
- conditions
- privity n
- Knowledge shared with another or others regarding a private matter
- privy adj
- Participating with another or others in the knowledge of a secret transaction
- probate adj
- Relating to making proof, as of a will
- probation n
- Any proceeding designed to ascertain or test character, qualification, or the like
- probe v
- To search through and through
- probity n
- Virtue or integrity tested and confirmed
- procedure n
- A manner or method of acting
- proceed v
- To renew motion or action, as after rest or interruption
- proclamation n
- Any announcement made in a public manner
- procrastinate v
- To put off till tomorrow or till a future time
- procrastination n
- Delay
- proctor n
- An agent acting for another
- prodigal n
- One wasteful or extravagant, especially in the use of money or property
- prodigious adj
- Immense
- prodigy n
- A person or thing of very remarkable gifts or qualities
- productive adj
- Yielding in abundance
- profession n
- Any calling or occupation involving special mental or other special disciplines
- professor n
- A public teacher of the highest grade in a university or college
- proffer v
- To offer to another for acceptance
- proficiency n
- An advanced state of acquirement, as in some knowledge, art, or science
- proficient adj
- Possessing ample and ready knowledge or of skill in any art, science, or industry
- profile n
- An outline or contour
- profiteer n
- One who profits
- profligacy n
- Shameless viciousness
- profligate adj
- Abandoned to vice
- profuse adj
- Produced or displayed in overabundance
- progeny n
- Offspring
- progression n
- A moving forward or proceeding in course
- prohibition n
- A decree or an order forbidding something
- prohibitionist n
- One who favors the prohibition by law of the manufacture and sale of alcoholic
- beverages
- prohibitory adj
- Involving or equivalent to prohibition, especially of the sale of alcoholic beverages
- projection n
- A prominence
- proletarian n
- A person of the lowest or poorest class
- prolific adj
- Producing offspring or fruit
- prolix adj
- Verbose
- prologue n
- A prefatory statement or explanation to a poem, discourse, or performance
- prolong v
- To extend in time or duration
- promenade v
- To walk for amusement or exercise
- prominence n
- The quality of being noticeable or distinguished
- prominent adj
- Conspicuous in position, character, or importance
- promiscuous adj
- Brought together without order, distinction, or design (for sex)
- promissory adj
- Expressing an engagement to pay
- promontory n
- A high point of land extending outward from the coastline into the sea
- promoter n
- A furtherer, forwarder, or encourager
- promulgate v
- To proclaim
- propaganda n
- Any institution or systematic scheme for propagating a doctrine or system
- propagate v
- To spread abroad or from person to person
- propel v
- To drive or urge forward
- propellant adj
- Propelling
- propeller n
- One who or that which propels
- prophecy n
- Any prediction or foretelling
- prophesy v
- To predict or foretell, especially under divine inspiration and guidance
- propitious adj
- Kindly disposed
- proportionate adj
- Being in proportion
- propriety n
- Accordance with recognized usage, custom, or principles
- propulsion n
- A driving onward or forward
- prosaic adj
- Unimaginative
- proscenium n
- That part of the stage between the curtain and the orchestra
- proscribe v
- To reject, as a teaching or a practice, with condemnation or denunciation
- proscription n
- Any act of condemnation and rejection from favor and privilege
- proselyte n
- One who has been won over from one religious belief to another
- prosody n
- The science of poetical forms
- prospector n
- One who makes exploration, search, or examination, especially for minerals
- prospectus n
- A paper or pamphlet containing information of a proposed undertaking
- prostrate adj
- Lying prone, or with the head to the ground
- protagonist n
- A leader in any enterprise or contest
- protection n
- Preservation from harm, danger, annoyance, or any other evil
- protective adj
- Sheltering
- protector n
- A defender
- protege n
- One specially cared for and favored by another usually older person
- Protestant n
- A Christian who denies the authority of the Pope and holds the right of special judgment