P Flashcards
1
Q
pachyderm
A
thick-skinned animal
The elephant is probably the best-known pachyderm.
2
Q
paean
A
song of praise or joy
paeans celebrating the victory filled the air.
3
Q
palatial
A
magnificent
He proudly showed us through his palatial home.
4
Q
palette
A
board on which a painter mixes pigments
At the present time, art supply stores are selling a paper palette that may be discarded after use.
5
Q
palimpsest
A
parchment used for second time after original writing has been erased
Using chemical reagents, scientists have been able to restore the original writings on many palimpsests.
6
Q
pall
A
grow tiresome
The study of word lists can eventually pall and put one to sleep.
7
Q
pallet
A
small, poor bed
The weary traveler went to sleep on his straw pallet.
8
Q
palliate
A
ease pain; make less severe or offensive
If we cannot cure this disease at present, we can, at least try to palliate the symptoms.
9
Q
pallid
A
pale; wan
Because his occupation required that he work at night and sleep during the day, he had an exceptionally pallid complexion.
10
Q
palpable
A
tangible; easily perceptible
I cannot understand how you could overlook such a palpable blunder.
11
Q
paltry
A
insignificant; petty
This is a paltry sum to pay for such a masterpiece.
12
Q
pan
A
criticize harshly
Hoping for a rave review of his new show, the playwright was miserable when the critics panned it unanimously.
13
Q
panache
A
flair; flamboyance
Many performers imitate Noel Coward, but few have his panache and sense of style.
14
Q
pandemic
A
widespread; affecting the majority of people
They feared the AIDS epidemic would soon reach pandemic proportions.
15
Q
pandemonium
A
wild tumult
When the ships collided in the harbor, pandemonium broke out among the passengers.
16
Q
pander
A
cater to the low desires of others
The reviewer accused the makers of Lethal Weapon of pandering to the masses’ taste of violence.
17
Q
panegyric
A
formal praise
The modest hero blushed to hear the speakers delivering panegyrics about his valorous act.
18
Q
pantomine
A
acting without dialogue
Because he worked in pantomime, the clown could be understood wherever he appeared.
19
Q
papyrus
A
ancient paper made from stem of papyrus plant
The ancient Egyptians were among the first to write on papyrus.
20
Q
parable
A
short, simple story teaching a moral
Let us apply to our own conduct the lesson that this parable teaches.
21
Q
paragon
A
model of perfection
The class disliked him because the teacher was always pointing him out as a paragon of virtue.
22
Q
parameter
A
limit; independent variable
We need to define the parameters of the problem.
23
Q
paramour
A
illicit lover
She sought a divorce on the grounds that her husband had a paramour in another town.
24
Q
paraphernalia
A
equipment; odds and ends
His desk was cluttered with paper, pen, ink, dictionary and other paraphernalia of the writing craft.
25
parched
extremely dry; very thirsty
The parched desert landscape seemed hostile to life.
26
parity
equality; close resemblance
I find your analogy inaccurate because I do not see the parity between the two illustrations.
27
parlance
language; idiom
All this legal parlance confuses me; I need an interpreter.
28
parley
conference
The peace parley has not produced the anticipated truce.
29
parochial
narrow in outlook; provincial; related to parishes
Although Jane Austen writes novels set in small rural communities, her concerns are universal, not parochial.
30
parody
humorous imitation; travesty
We enjoyed the clever parodies of popular songs that the chorus sang.
31
paroxysm
fit or attack of pain, laughter, rage
When he heared of his son's misdeeds, he was seized by a paroxysm of rage.
32
parquet
floor made of wood strips inlaid in a mosic-like pattern.
In laying the floor, the carpenters combined redwood and oak in an elegant parquet.
33
parry
ward off a blow
He was content to wage a defensive battle and tried to parry his opponent's thrusts.
34
parsimonious
stingy; excessively frugal
His parsimonious nature did not permit him to enjoy any luxuries.
35
partiality
inclination; bias
As a judge, not only must I be unbiased, but I must also avoid any evidence of partiality when I award the prize.
36
passe
old-fashioned; past the prime
Her style is passe and reminiscent of the Victorian era.
37
pastiche
imitation of another's style in musical composition or in writing
We cannot even say that her music is a pastiche of this or that composer; it is rather, reminiscent of many musicians.
38
pastoral
rural
In these stories of pastoral life, we find an understanding of the daily tasks of country folk.
39
patent
open for the public to read; obvious
It was patent to everyone that the witness spoke the truth.
40
pathos
tender to sorrow; pity; quality in art or literature that produces these feelings.
The quiet tone of pathos that ran through the novel never degenerated into the maudlin or the overly sentimental.
41
patina
green crust on old bronze works; tone slowly taken by varnished painting
Judging by the patina on this bronze statue, we can conclude that this is the work of a medieval artist.
42
patois
local or provincial dialect
His years of study of the language at the university did not enable him to understand the patois of the natives.
43
patrician
noble; aristocratic
We greatly admired her well-bred, patrician elegance
44
patronize
support; act superior toward
Experts in a field sometimes appear to patronize people who are less knowledgeable of the subject.
45
paucity
scarcity
They closed the restaurant because the paucity of customers made it uneconomical to operate.
46
pauper
very poor person
Though Widow Brown was living on a reduced income, she was by no means a pauper.
47
peccadillo
slight offense
If we examine these escapades carefully, we will realize that they are mere peccadilloes rather than major crimes.
48
pecuniary
pertaining to money
I never expected a pecuniary reward for my work in this activity.
49
pedagogue
teaching; art of education
Though Maria Montessori gained fame for her innovations in pedagogy, it took years before her teaching techniques became common practice in American schools.
50
pedant
scholar who overemphasizes book learning or technicalities
Her insistence that the book be memorized marked the teacher as a pedant rather than a scholar.
51
pedantic
showing off learning; bookish
Leaving his decisions with humorous, down-to-earth anecdotes, Judge Walker was not at all pedantic legal scholar.
52
pedestrian
ordinary; unimaginative
Unintentionally boring, he wrote page after page of pedestrian prose.
53
pejorative
negative in connotation; having a belittling effect.
Instead of criticizing Clinton's policies, the Republicans made pejorative remarks about his character.
54
pellmell
in confusion; disorderly
The excited students dashed pellmell into the stadium to celebrate the victory.
55
pellucid
transparent; limpid; easy to understand
After reading these stodgy philosophers, I find his pellucid style very enjoyable.
56
penance
self-imposed punishment for sin
The Ancient Mariner said, "I have penance done and penance more will do," to atone for the sin of killing the albatross.
57
penchant
strong inclination; liking
He had a strong penchant for sculpture and owned many statues.
58
pendant
\*
hanging down from something
Her pendant earrings glistened in the light.
\*\*
ornament (hanging from a necklace, etc.)
The grateful team presented the coach with a silver chain and pendant engraved with the school's motto.
59
pendulous
hanging; suspended
The pendulous chandeliers swayed in the breeze as if they were about to fall from the ceiling.
60
penitent
repentant
When he realized the enormity of his crime, he became remorseful and penitent.
61
pensive
dreamily thoughtful; thoughtful with a hint of sadness
The pensive youth gazed at the painting for a long time and then sighed.
62
penumbra
partial shadow (in an eclipse)
During an eclipse, we can see an area of total darkness and a lighter area, which is the penumbra.
63
penurious
stingy; parsimonious
He was a penurious man, averse to spending money even for the necessities of life.
64
penury
extreme poverty
When his pension fund failed, George feared he would end his days in penury.
65
peon
landless agricultural worker; bond servant
The land reformers sought to liberate the peons and establish them as independent farmers.
66
percussion
striking one object against another sharply
The drum is a percussion instrument.
67
peregrination
journey
Auntie Mame was a world traveler whose peregrinations took her from Tiajuana to Timbuctoo.
68
peremptory
demanding and leaving no choice
From Jack's peremptory knock on the door, Jill could tell he would not give up until she let him in.
69
perennial
something long-lasting
Tese plants are hardy perennials and will bloom for many years.
70
perifidious
treacherous; disloyal
When Caesar realized that Brutus had betrayed him, he reproached his perfidious friend.
71
perfunctory
superficial; not thorough; lacking interest, care, or enthusiasm
The auditor's perfunctory inspection of the books overlooked many errors.
72
perigree
point of moon's orbit when it is nearest the earth
The rocket which was designed to take photographs of the moon was launched as the moon approached its perigee.
73
peripatetic
walking about; moving
The peripatetic school of philosophy derives its name from the fact that Aristotle walked with his pupils while discussing philosophy with them.
74
perjury
false testimony while under oath
When several witnesses appeared to challenge his story, he was indicted for perjury.
75
pernicious
very destructive, harmful
He argued that these books had a pernicious effect on young and susceptible minds.
76
peroration
conclusion of an oration
The peroration was largely hortatory and brought the audience to its feet clamoring for action at its close.
77
perpetrate
commit an offense
Only an insane person could perpetrate such a horrible crime.
78
perquisite
any gain above stipulated salary
The perquisites attached to this job make it even more attractive than the salary indicates.
79
perspicacious
having insight; penetrating; astute
The brillant lawyer was known for his perspicacious deductions.
80
perspicuity
clearness of expression; freedom from ambiguity
One of the outstanding features of this book is the perspicuity of its author; her meaning is always clear.
81
perspicuous
plainly expressed
Her perspicuous comments eliminated all posibility of misinterpretation.
82
pert
impertinent; forward
I think your pert and impudent remarks call for an apology.
83
pertinacious
stubborn; persistent
He is bound to succeed because his pertinacious nature will not permit him to quit.
84
pertinent
suitable; to the point
The lawyer wanted to know all the pertinent details.
85
perturb
disturb greatly
I am afraid this news will perturb him and cause him grief.
86
perusal
reading
I am certain that you have missed important details in your rapid perusal of this document.
87
pervasive
spread throughout
Despite airing them for several hours, she could not rid her clothes of the pervasive odor of mothbals that clung to them.
88
perverse
stubbornly wrongheaded; wicked and unacceptable
When Hannibal Lecter was in a perverse mood, he ate the flesh of his victims.
89
perversion
corruption; turning from right to wrong
Inasmuch as he had no motive for his crimes, we could not understand his perversion.
90
pestilential
causing plague; baneful
People were afraid to explore the pestilential swap.
91
pestle
tool for mashing or grinding substances in a hard bowl
From the way in which the elderly pharmacist pounded the drug with his pestle, young George could tell that his employer was agitated about something.
92
petrify
turn to stone
His sudden and unexpected appearance seemed to petrify her.
93
petulant
touchy; peevish
The feverish patient was petulant and restless.
94
pharisaical
pertaining to Pharisees, who paid scrupulous attention to tradition; self-righteous; hypocritical
Walter Lippmann has pointed out that moralists who do not attempt to explain the moral code they advocate are often regarded as pharisaical and ignored.
95
philanderer
faithless lover; flirt
Swearing he had never so much as looked at another woman, Jack assured Jill he was no philanderer.
96
philanthropist
lover of mankind; doer of good
As he grew older, he became famous as a philanthropist and benefactor of the needy.w
97
philatelist
stamp-collector
When she heard the value of the Penny Black stamp, Phyllis was inspired to become a philatelist.
98
philistine
narrow-minded person, uncultured and exculsively interested in material gain
We need more men of culture and enlightenment; we have too many philistines among us.
99
philology
study of language
The professor of philology advocated the use of Esperanto as an international language.
100
phlegmatic
calm; not easily disturbed
The nurse was a cheerful but phlegmatic person, unexcited in the face of sudden emergencies.
101
physiognomy
face
He prided himself on his ability to analyze a person's character by studying his physiognomy.
102
piebald
of different colors; motled; spotted
You should be able to identify Polka Dot in this race; he is the only piebald horse running.
103
pied
variegated; multicolored
The pied piper of Hamelin got his name from the multicolored clothing he wore.
104
piety
devoutness; reverence for God
Living her life in prayer and good works, Mother Teresa exemplifies the true sprit of piety.
105
pillage
plunder
The enemy pillaged the quiet village and left it in ruins.
106
pillory
punish by placing in a wooden frame; subject to criticism and ridicule
Even though he was mocked and pilloried, he maintained that he was correct in his beliefs.
107
pine
languish, decline; long for, yearn
Though she tried to be happy living with Clara in the city, Heidi pined for the mountains and for her gruff but loving grandfather.
108
pinion
restrain
They pinioned his arms against his body but left his legs free so that he could move about.
109
pinnacle
peak
We could see the morning sunlight illuminate the pinnacle while the rest of the mountain lay in shadow.
110
piquant
pleasantly tart-tasting; stimulating
The piquant sauce added to our enjoyment of the meal.
111
pique
irritation; resentment
She showed her pique by her refusal to appear with the other contestants at the end of the contest.
112
piscatorial
pertaining to fishing
He spent many happy hours at the lake in his piscatorial activities.
113
pithy
concise; meaty
I enjoy reading his essays because they are always compact and pithy.
114
pivotal
central; critical
De Klerk's decision to set Nelson Mandela free was pivotal; without Mandela's release, there was no possibility that the African National Cogress would entertain talks with the South African government.
115
placate
pacify; conciliate
The teacher tried to placate the angry mother.
116
placid
peaceful; calm
After his vacation in this placid section, he felt soothed and rested.
117
plaintive
mournful
The dove has a plaintive and melancholy call
118
platitude
trite remark; commonplace statement
The platitudes in his speech were applauded by the vast majority in his audience; only a few people perceived how trite his remarks were.
119
platonic
purely spiritual; theoretical; without sensual desire
Accused of impropriety in his dealings with female students, the professor maintained he had only a platonic interest in the women involved.
120
plauditory
approving; applauding
The theatrical company reprinted the plauditory comments of the critics in its advertisement.
121
plausible
having a show of truth but open to doubt; specious
Even though your argument is plausible, I still would like to have more proof.
122
plebeian
common; pertaining to the common people
His speeches were aimed at the plebeian minds and emotions; they disgusted the more refined.
123
plenary
complete; full
The union leader was given plenary power to negotiate a new contract with the employers.
124
plenitude
abundance; completeness
Looking in the pantry, we admired the plenitude of fruits and pickles we had preserved during the summer.
125
plethora
excess; overabundance
She offered a plethora of excuses for her shortcomings.
126
pliable
flexible; yielding; adaptable
In remodeling the bathroom, we replaced all the old, rigid lead pipes with new, pliable copper tubing.
127
pliant
flexible; easily influenced
Catherine's disposition was pliant; she was like putty in her suitor's hands.
128
pluck
courage
Even the adversaries of young Indiana Jones were impressed by the boy's pluck in trying to rescue the archeological treasure they had stolen.
129
plumb
vertical
Before hanging wallpaper it is advisable to drop a plumb line from the ceiling as a guide.
130
plummet
fall sharply
Stock prices plummeted as Wall Street reacted to the rise in interest rates.
131
plutocracy
society ruled by the wealthy
From the way the government caters to the rich, you might think our society is a plutocracy rather than a democracy.
132
podiatrist
doctor who treats ailments of the feet
He consulted a podiatrist about his fallen arches.
133
podium
pedestal; raised platform
The audience applauded as the conductor made his way to the podium.
134
poignancy
quality of being deeply moving; keenness of emotion
Watching the tearful reunion of the long-separated mother and child, the social worker was touched by the poignancy of the scene.
135
politic
expedient; prudent; well devised
Even though he was disappointed, he did not think it politic to refuse the offer.
136
polity
form of government of nation or state
Our polity should be devoted to the concept that the government should strive for the good of all citizens.
137
polyglot
speaking several languages
New York City is a polyglot community because of the thousands of immigrants who settle there.
138
pomposity
self-important behavior; acting like a stuffed shirt
Although the commencement speaker had some good things to say, we had to laugh at his pomposity and general air of parading his own dignity.
139
ponderous
weighty; unwieldy
His humor lacked the light touch; his jokes were always ponderous.
140
pore
study industriously; ponder; scrutinize
Determined to become a physician, Beth spends hours poring over her anatomy text.
141
portend
foretell; presage
The king did not know what these omens might portend and asked his soothsayers to interpret them.
142
portent
sign; omen; forewarning
He regarded the black cloud as a portent of evil.
143
portly
stout; corpulent
The salesclerk tactfully referred to the overweight customer as portly rather than fat.
144
poseur
person who pretends to be sophisticated, elegant, etc., to impress others
Some thought Dali was a brillant painter; others dismissed him as a poseur.
145
posterity
descendants; future generations
We hope to leave a better world to posterity.
146
posthumous
after death (as of child born after father's death or book published after author's death)
The critics ignored his works during his lifetime; it was only after the posthumous publication of his last novel that they recognized his great talent.
147
postulate
self-evident truth
We must accept these statements as postulates before pursuing our discussions any further.
148
posture
assume an affected pose; act artificially
No matter how much Arnold boasted or postured, I could not believe he was as important as he pretended to be.
149
potable
suitable for drinking
The recent drought in the Middle Atlantic States has emphasized the need for extensive research in ways of making sea water potable.
150
potent
powerful; persuasive; greatly influential
The jury was swayed by the highly potent testimony of the crime's sole eyewitness.
151
potentate
monarch; sovereign
The potentate spent more time at Monte Carlo than he did at home on his throne.
152
potpourri
heterogeneous mixture; medley
He offered a potpourri of folk songs from many lands.
153
poultice
soothing application applied to sore and inflamed portions of the body
He was advised to apply a flaxseed poultice to the inflammation.
154
practicable
feasible
The board of directors decided that the plan was practicable and agreed to undertake the project.
155
pragmatic
practical (as opposed to idealistic); concerned with the practical worth or impact of something
This coming trip to France should provide me with a pragmatic test of the value of my conversational French class.
156
pragmatist
practical person
No pragmatist enjoys becoming involved in a game that he can never win
157
prate
speak foolishly; boast idly
Let us not prate about our qualities; rather, let our virtues speak for themselves.
158
prattle
babble
The children prattle endlessly about their new toys.
159
preamble
introductory statement
In the preamble to the Constitution, the purpose of the document is set forth.
160
precarious
uncertain; risky
I think this stock is a precarious investment and advise against its purchase.
161
precedent
something preceding in time that may be used as an authority or guide for future action
This decision sets a precedent for future cases of a similar nature.
162
precedent
preceding in time, rank, etc.
Our discussions, precedent to this event, certainly did not give you any reason to believe that we would adopt your proposal.
163
precept
practical rule guiding conduct
"Love thy neighbor as thyself" is a worthwhile precept.
164
precipice
cliff; dangerous position
Suddenly Indiana Jones found himself dangling from the edge of a precipice.
165
precipitate
\*
headlong; rash
Do not be precipitate in this matter; investigate further.
\*\*
throw headlong; hasten
The removal of American political support appeared to have precipitated the downfall of the Marcos regime.
166
precipitous
steep; overhasty
This hill is difficult to climb because it is so precipitous; one slip, and our descent will be precipitous as
well.
167
preclude
make impossible; eliminate
This contract does not preclude my being employed by others at the same time that I am working for you.
168
precocious
advanced in development
By her rather adult manner of discussing serious topics, the child demonstrated that she was precocious.
169
precursor
forerunner
Though Gray and Burns share many traits with the Romantic poets who followed them, most critics consider them precursors of the Romantic Movement, not true Romantics.
170
predilection
partiality; preference
Although the artist used various media from time to time, she had a predilection for watercolors.
171
preeminent
outstanding; superior
The king traveled to Boston because he wanted the preeminent surgeon in the field to perform the operation.
172
preempt
head off; forestall by acting first; appropriate for oneself; supplant
Hoping to preempt any attempts by the opposition to make educational reform a hot political issue, the candidate set out her own plan to revitalize the public schools.
173
preen
make oneself tidy in appearance; feel self-satisfaction
As Kitty preened before the mirror, carefully smoothing her shining hair, she couldn't help preening herself on her good looks.
174
prefactory
introductory
The chairman made a few prefactory remarks before he called on the first speaker.
175
prehensile
capable of grasping or holding
Monkeys use not only their arms and legs but also their prehensile tails in traveling through the trees.
176
prelate
church dignitary
The archbishop of Moscow and other high-ranking prelates visited the Russian Orthodox seminary.
177
prelude
introduction; forerunner
I am afraid that this border raid is the prelude to more serious attacks.
178
premeditate
plan in advance
She had premeditated the murder for months, reading about common poisons and buying weed killer that contained arsenic.
179
premise
assumption; postulate
Because Jack had based his argument upon a faulty premise, his opponent cheerfully pointed out the holes in his logic.
180
premonition
forewarning
We ignored these premonitions of disaster because they appeared to be based on childish fears.
181
premonitory
serving to warn
You should have visited a doctor as soon as you felt these premonitory chest pains.
182
preponderance
superiority of power, quantity, etc.
The rebels sought to overcome the preponderance of strength of the government forces by engaging in guerrilla tactics.
183
preposterous
absurd; ridiculous
When the candidate tried to downplay his youthful experiments with marijuana by saying he hadn't inhaled, we all thought, "What a preposterous excuse!"
184
prerogative
privilege; unquestionable right
The President cannot levy taxes; that is the prerogative of the legislative branch of government.
185
presage
foretell
The vultures flying overhead presaged the discovery of the corpse in the desert.
186
prescience
ability to foretell the future
Given the current wave of Japan-bashing, it does not take prescience for me to foresee problems in our future trade relations with Japan.
187
presentiment
premonition; foreboding
Hamlet felt a presentiment about his meeting with Laertes.
188
prestige
impression produced by achievements or reputation
The wealthy man sought to obtain social prestige by contributing to popular charities.
189
presumptous
arrogant; taking liberties
It seems presumptous for one so relatively new to the field to challenge the conclusions of its leading experts.
190
pretentious
ostentatious; ambitious
I do not feel that your limited resources will permit you to carry out such a pretentious program.
191
preternatural
beyond that which is normal in nature
John's mother's total ability to tell when he was lying struck him as almost preternatural.
192
pretext
excuse
He looked for a good pretext to get out of paying a visit to his aunt.
193
prevail
induce; triumph over
He tried to prevail on her to type his essays for him.
194
prevaricate
lie
Some people believe that to prevaricate in a good cause is justifiable and regard the statement as a "white lie."
195
prim
very precise and formal; exceedingly proper
Many people commented on the contrast between the prim attire of the young lady and the inappropriate clothing worn by her escort.
196
primogenture
seniority by birth
By virtue of primogeniture, in some cultures the first-born child has many privileges denied his brothers and sisters.
197
primordial
existing at the beginning (of time); rudimentary
The Neanderthal Man is one of our primordial ancestors.
198
primp
dress or groom oneself with care
She primps for hours before a dance.
199
pristine
characteristic of earlier times; primitive, unspoiled
This area has been preserved in all its pristine wildness.
200
privation
hardship; want
In his youth, he knew hunger and privation.
201
privy
secret; hidden; not public
We do not care for privy chamber of government.
202
probe
explore with tools
The surgeon probed the wound for foreign matter before suturing it.
203
probity
uprightness; incorruptibility
Everyone took his probity for granted; his defalcations, therefore, shocked us all.
204
proclivity
inclination; natural tendency
The cross old lady has a proclivity to grumble.
205
procurement
obtaining
The personnel department handles the procurement of new employees.
206
prod
poke; stir up; urge
If you prod him hard enough, he'll eventually clean his room.
207
prodigal
wasteful; reckless with money
The prodigal son squandered his inheritance.
208
prodigious
enormous; marvelous
He marveled at her prodigious appetite when he saw all the food she ate.
209
prodigy
highly gifted child; marvel
Menuhin was a prodigy, performing wonders on his violin when he was barely eight years old.
210
profilgate
dissipated; wasteful; licentious
In this profilgate company, she lost all sense of decency.
211
profusion
lavish expenditure; overabundant condition
Seldom have I seen food and drink served in such profusion as at the wedding feast.
212
progeny
children; offspring
He was proud of his progeny but regarded George as the most promising of all his children.
213
prolific
abundantly fruitful
She was a prolific writer who produced as many as three books a year.
214
prolix
verbose; drawn out
Her prolix arguments irritated and bored the jury.
215
prolong
extend; draw out; lengthen
In their determination to discover ways to prolong human life, doctors fail to take into account that longer lives are not always happier ones.
216
promontory
headland
They erected a lighthouse on the promontory to warn approaching ships of their nearness to the shore.
217
prompt
cause; provoke; provide a cue for an actor
Whatever prompted you to ask for such a big piece of cake when you're on a diet?
218
promulgate
make known by official proclamation or publication
As soon as the Civil Service Commission promulgates the names of the successful candidates, we shall begin to hire members of our staff.
219
prone
inclined to; **prostrate**
She was prone to sudden fits of anger.
220
prophylactic
used to prevent disease
Despite all prophylactic measures introduced by the authorities, the epidemic raged until cool weather set in.
221
propinquity
nearness; kinship
Their relationship could not be explained as being based on mere propinquity: they were more than relatives; they were true friends.
222
propitiate
appease
The natives offered sacrifices to propitiate the gods.
223
propitious
favorable; kindly
I think it is advisable that we wait for a more propitious occasion to announce our plans; this is not a good time.
224
propound
put forth for analysis
In you discussion, you have propounded several questions; let us consider each one separately.
225
propriety
fitness; correct conduct
I want you to behave at this dinner with propriety; don't embarass me.
226
propulsive
driving forward
The jet plane has a greater propulsive power than the engine-driven plane.
227
prosaic
dull and unimaginative; matter-of-fact; factual
Though the ad writers had come up with a highly creative campaign to publicize the company's newest product, the head office rejected it for a more prosaic, down-to-earth approach.
228
proscenium
part of stage in front of curtain
In the theater-in-the-round there can be no proscenium or proscenium arch.
229
proscrbe
ostracize; banish; outlaw
Antony, Octavius and Lepidus proscribed all those who had conspired against Julius Caesar.
230
proselytize
induce someone to convert to religion or belief
In these interfaith meetings, there must be no attempt to proselytize; we must respect all points of view.
231
prosody
the art of versification
This book on prosody contains a rhyming dictionary as well as samples of the various verse forms.
232
prostrate
stretch out full on ground
He prostrated himself before the idol.
233
protean
versatile; able to take on many forms
A remarkably protean actor, Alec Guinness could take on any role.
234
protract
prolong
Seeking to delay the union members' vote, the management team tried to protract the negotiations endlessly, but the union representatives saw through their strategy.
235
protrude
stick out
His fingers protruded from the holes in his gloves.
236
protuberance
protrusion; bulge
A ganglionic cyst is a fluid-filled tumor (generally benign) that develops near a joint membrane or tendon sheath, and that bulges beneath the skin, forming a protuberance.
237
provenance
origin or source of something
I am not interested in its provenance; I am more concerned with its usefulness than with its source.
238
provender
dry food; fodder
I am afraid of a severe winter because I have stored a large quantity of provender for the cattle.
239
provident
displaying foresight; thrifty; preparing for emergencies
In his usual provident manner, he had insured himself against this type of loss.
240
provincial
pertaining to a province; limited in outlook; unsophisticated
As provincial governor, Sir Henry administered the Queen's law in his remote corner of Canada.
241
provisional
tentative
The appointment is provisional; only on the approval of the board of directors will it be made permanent.
242
proviso
stipulation
I am ready to accept your proposal with the two proviso that you meet your obligations within the next two weeks.
243
proxy
authorized agent
Please act as my proxy and vote for this slate of candidates in my absence.
244
prude
excessively modest or proper person
The X-rated film was definitely not for prudes.
245
prune
cut away; trim
With the help of her editor, she was able to prune her manuscript into publishable form.
246
pseudonym
pen name
Samuel Clemens' pseudonym was Mark Twain.
247
puerile
childish
His puerile pranks sometimes offended his more mature friends.
248
pugilist
boxer
The famous pugilist Cassius Clay changed his name to Muhammed Ali.
249
pugnacious
combative; disposed to fight
As a child he was pugnacious and fought with everyone.
250
puissant
powerful; strong; potent
We must keep his friendship for he will make a puissant ally.
251
pulchritude
beauty; comeliness
I do not envy the judges who have to select this year's Miss America from this collection of female pulchritude.
252
pummel
beat
The severity with which he was pummeled was indicated by the bruises he displayed on his head and face.
253
punctilious
laying stress on niceties of conduct or form; precise
We must be punctilious in our planning of this affair, for any error may be regarded as a personal affront.
254
pundit
learned Hindu; any learned person; authority on a subject
Even though he discourses on the matter like a pundit, he is actually rather ignorant about this topic.
255
pungency
sharpness; stinging quality
The pungency of the cigarette smoke made me cough.
256
punitive
punishing
He asked for punitive measures against the offender.
257
puny
insignificant; tiny; weak
Our puny efforts to stop the flood were futile.
258
purchase
firm grasp or footing
The mountaineer struggled to get a proper purchase on the slippery rock.
259
purgatory
place of spiritual expiation
In this purgatory, he could expect no help from his comrades.
260
purge
clean by removing impurities; clear of changes
If you are to be purged of the charge of contempt of Congress, you must be willing to answer the questions previously asked.
261
purport
intention; meaning
If the purport of your speech was to arouse the rabble, you succeeded admirably.
262
purveyor
furnisher of foodstuffs; caterer
As purveyor of rare wines and viands, he traveled through France and Italy every year in search of new products to sell.
263
pusillanimous
cowardly; fainthearted
You should be ashamed of your pusillanimous conduct during this dispute.
264
putative
supposed; reputed
Although there are some doubts, the putative author of this work is Massinger.
265
putrid
foul; rotten; decayed
The gangrenous condition of the wound was indicated by the putrid smell when the bandages were
removed.
266
pyromaniac
person with an insane desire to set things on fire
The detectives searched the area for the pyromaniac who had set these costly fires.
267
pyre
heap of combustible material, esp. for burning a corpse.
The mortician put pyre on the corpse before burning a corpse.
268
prohibitive
extremely high (of prices etc.)
The super computer's price was prohibitive.
269
pest
troublesome or annoying person
He was a pest; always bothering people.
