# dict

Words: pecuniary
Meaning:
adj  formal   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: pecuniarius, from  pecunia  ’money, wealth in cattle’, from  pecus  ’cattle’]//  relating to or consisting of money//    financial//  --He was trying to get a pecuniary advantage for himself.//


Words: pedagogue
Meaning:
n [C]    formal a teacher, especially one who thinks they know a lot and is strict in the way they teach//


Words: pedagogy
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: pedagogie, from  Greek paidagogia, from  paidagogos  ’slave who took children to school’, from  pais  ’child’ +  agogos  ’leading’]//   formal the practice of teaching or the study of teaching//


Words: pedal
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: French; Origin: pedale, from  Italian, from  Latin pedalis  ’of the foot’]//\n  1  also bicycle pedal :  one of the two parts of a bicycle that you push round with your feet to make the bicycle go forward//\n  2 a part in a car or on a machine that you press with your foot to control it:  --She put her foot down on the accelerator pedal.//\n  3 a part on a piano or organ that you press with your foot to change the quality of the sound:\n  4  put/press/push the pedal to the metal:   AmE //  a) to drive a car, truck etc very fast//  b) to work harder or faster, especially so that you can win a game//\npedal 2   past tense and past participle  pedalled present participle  pedalling  BrE //  past tense and past participle  pedaled present participle  pedaling  AmE  v [I and T] //\n  1 [always + adverb/preposition] to ride a bicycle:    cycle, ride//  pedal up/along/down etc//  --Andrew pedalled up the road towards the town centre.//\n  2 to turn or push the pedals on a bicycle or other machine with your feet:  --She was pedalling furiously  (=very fast) .//


Words: pedal bin
Meaning:
n [C]  BrE   a container for waste that has a lid which is opened by pressing part of it with your foot//


Words: pedalo
Meaning:
n   plural  pedalos  [C]  BrE //  [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: pedal]//  a small boat that you move forward by pushing pedals round with your feet//


Words: pedant
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: pedant, from  Italian pedante, perhaps from  Latin paedagogus;   PEDAGOGY]//  someone who pays too much attention to rules or to small unimportant details, especially someone who criticizes other people in an extremely annoying way//  --’That’s not exactly what it means.’ ’Pedant.’//  -- pedantry n  [U] //


Words: pedantic
Meaning:
adj   paying too much attention to rules or to small unimportant details//  pedantic about//  --Some people can be very pedantic about punctuation.//  -- pedantically/-kli/ adv //


Words: peddle
Meaning:
v [T]   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin: peddler]//\n  1 to sell goods to people, especially goods that people disapprove of because they are illegal, harmful, or of not very high quality:    push, deal//  --They were accused of peddling drugs .//  --people who peddle cigarettes to young children//\n  2 to try to sell things to people, especially by going from place to place:  --Farmers come to Seoul to peddle rice.//  --a door-to-door salesman peddling his wares  (=selling his goods) //\n  3 to try to persuade people to accept an opinion or idea which is wrong or false:  --politicians peddling instant solutions to long-standing problems//


Words: peddler
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin: pedder  ’peddler’ (13-19 centuries), from  ped  ’basket’ (13-19 centuries)]//\n  1 the American spelling of pedlar:\n  2  old-fashioned someone who sells illegal drugs:    pusher, dealer//


Words: pedestal
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: piedestal, from  Old Italian piedestallo, from  pie di stallo  ’foot of the stall’]//\n  1 the base on which a pillar or statue stands:  --a Grecian bust on a pedestal//\n  2 a solid vertical post that supports something such as a table:  --the pedestal of the dentist’s chair//  pedestal basin  BrE  (=a bowl to wash your hands in, supported by a pedestal) //\n  3  put/place sb on a pedestal:  to admire someone so much that you treat them or talk about them as though they are perfect//  --Women are both put on a pedestal and treated like second-class citizens.//


Words: pedestrian
Meaning:
n [C]   someone who is walking, especially along a street or other place used by cars//\npedestrian 2 adj   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Latin; Origin: pedester  ’going on foot’, from  pes  ’foot’]//\n  1 ordinary and uninteresting and without any imagination:  --a painting that is pedestrian and unimaginative//  --a rather pedestrian student//\n  2 [only before noun] relating to pedestrians or used by pedestrians:  --pedestrian traffic//  --a pedestrian walkway//


Words: pedestrian crossing
Meaning:
n [C]  BrE   a specially marked place for people to walk across the road//  American Equivalent:  crosswalk//    pelican crossing//    zebra crossing//


Words: pedestrian precinct
Meaning:
BrE pedestrian mall  AmE n [C]   a shopping area in the centre of a town where cars, trucks etc cannot go//


Words: pedestrianize
Meaning:
also  pedestrianise BrE   v [T]   to change a street or shopping area so that cars and trucks are no longer allowed//  -- pedestrianization/p[hA369]destri[hA353]na[hA366]ze[hA366][hA35D][hA368]n $ -n[hA353]-/ n  [U] //


Words: pedicure
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: French; Origin: pedicure, from  Latin pes  ’foot’ +  cura  ’care’]//  a treatment for feet and toenails, to make them more comfortable or beautiful//  -- pedicurist n  [C] //    manicure//


Words: pedigree
Meaning:
n [U and C]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Anglo-French; Origin: pe de gru  ’crane’s foot’; because the lines connecting related people can look like the bird’s foot]//\n  1 the parents and other past family members of an animal or person, or an official written record of this:\n  2 the history and achievements of something or someone, especially when they are good and should be admired:    background//  --Founded in 1781, the school has an excellent pedigree.//  --a scientist’s academic pedigree//\npedigree 2  BrE  pedigreed/ped[hA369]gri[hA359]d/ adj AmE [only before noun]   a pedigree animal comes from a family that has been recorded for a long time and is considered to be of a very good breed//  --a pedigree greyhound//    purebred,  thoroughbred//


Words: pediment
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin: periment  ’pediment’ (16-17 centuries), perhaps from  pyramid]//  a three-sided part above the entrance to a building, especially on the buildings of ancient Greece//


Words: pedlar
Meaning:
n [C]    BrE someone who, in the past, walked from place to place selling small things//  American Equivalent:  peddler//


Words: pedometer
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: French; Origin: pedom[hA169]tre, from  Latin pes  ’foot’ +  French -m[hA169]tre  ’-meter’]//  an instrument that measures how far you walk//


Words: pedophile
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1900-2000; Language: Greek; Origin: paidophilos  ’loving children’]//  the American spelling of paedophile//


Words: pee
Meaning:
v [I]   [Date: 1700-1800; Origin:  From the first letter of  piss]//   informal to pass liquid waste from your body//   urinate//\npee 2 n  informal \n  1 [U] liquid waste passed from your body:   urine//\n  2 [singular] an act of passing liquid waste from your body:  go for a pee/have a pee  BrE //  take a pee  AmE  not polite //  --Have I got time to go for a pee before we leave?//


Words: peek
Meaning:
v [I]   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin:  Perhaps from  Dutch kieken  ’to look’]//\n  1 to look quickly at something, or to look at something from behind something else, especially something that you are not supposed to see:    peep//  peek at/through/into etc//  --Carefully he peeked through the glass window in the door.//  --Paula opened the box and peeked inside.//  --Shut your eyes and don’t peek!//\n  2 [always + adverb/preposition] if something peeks from somewhere, you can just see a small amount of it:  --The moon peeked out from behind the clouds.//  -- peek n  [C] //  --Diane took a quick peek at herself in the mirror.//


Words: peekaboo
Meaning:
interjection, n [U]   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin: peek +  boo]//  a game you play to amuse young children, in which you hide your face and then show it again, or the word you say when you play this game//  --Peekaboo! I see you!//


Words: Peel
Meaning:
Robert   (1788-1850) a British Conservative politician who established the first official British police force and introduced freedoms for Roman Catholics. He was  prime minister from 1834 to 1835 and 1841 to 1846.//


Words: peel
Meaning:
v   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Latin; Origin: pilare  ’to remove the hair from’, from  pilus  ’hair’]//\n  1 [T] to remove the skin from fruit or vegetables:  --Peel and dice the potatoes.//\n  2 [I] if skin, paper, or paint peels, it comes off, usually in small pieces:  peel from/off//  --The paper was peeling from the wall.//  --New skin grows, and the damaged skin peels off.//\n  3 [I] to lose an outer layer or surface:  --The walls were peeling from the damp.//\n  4 [T always + adverb/preposition] to remove the outer layer from something:  peel sth away/off/back//  --Peel away the waxed paper from the bottom of the cake.//    keep your eyes peeled at eye1 (18)//  peel off phr v//\n  1  peel sth → off:  to take your clothes off//  --Tom peeled off his wet t-shirt and shorts.//\n  2  peel off $20/fifty pounds etc:   informal to take a piece of paper money from the top of a pile of paper money//  --Manville peeled off a twenty, and pressed it into the man’s hand.//\n  3 to leave a moving group of vehicles, aircraft etc and go in a different direction:  --Two motorcycles peeled off from the line.//\npeel 2 n [U and C]   segment, pith, peel//  the skin of some fruits and vegetables, especially the thick skin of fruits such as oranges, which you do not eat//    rind, zest//  --orange peel//


Words: peelings
Meaning:
n [plural]   pieces of skin that have been removed from fruit or vegetables//  --Put the potato peelings on the compost heap.//


Words: peep
Meaning:
v   [Date: 1400-1500; Origin:  Perhaps from  peek]//\n  1 [I] to look at something quickly and secretly, especially through a hole or opening:   peek//    peer//  peep into/through/out etc//  --The door was ajar and Helen peeped in.//  --Henry peeped through the window into the kitchen.//\n  2 [I always + adverb/preposition] if something peeps from somewhere, you can just see a small amount of it:  peep through/from/out etc//  --I could see her toes peeping out from under the sheet.//\n  3 [T]  informal to look at something because it is interesting or attractive:  --On our website you can peep our video interview with R&B’s newest supergroup.//\npeep 2 n [C]   [Sense: 1; Date: 1500-1600; Origin:  PEEP1]//  [Sense: 2-3; Date: 1400-1500; Origin:  From the sound.]//  [Sense: 4; Date: 1900-2000; Origin: people]//\n  1 a quick or secret look at something:  peep at/into//  --Jon took a peep at his watch.//\n  2  a peep:   informal a sound that someone makes, or something that they say, especially a complaint//  --There has not been a peep out of them since bedtime.//  --a peep of protest//\n  3 a short high sound, like the sound a mouse or a young bird makes:  --the peep of a chick//  --loud peeps from the smoke alarm//\n  4  also peeps :   informal a word meaning ’people’, used in magazines//


Words: peeping Tom
Meaning:
n [C]   someone who secretly watches people, especially people who are taking off their clothes, having sex etc//


Words: peepshow
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 a type of show in which a man pays for a woman to take her clothes off while he watches through a window:\n  2 a box containing moving pictures that you look at through a small hole:


Words: peer
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: per, from  Latin par  ’equal’;   PAR]//\n  1 [usually plural]  formal your peers are the people who are the same age as you, or who have the same type of job, social class etc:  --American children did less well in math than their peers in Japan.//  --Staff members are trained by their peers.//    peer group,  peer pressure//\n  2 a member of the British nobility:    House of Lords, peerage//    life peer//\npeer 2 v [I always + adverb/preposition]   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin:  Perhaps from  appear]//  to look very carefully at something, especially because you are having difficulty seeing it//  --He was peering through the wet windscreen at the cars ahead.//  --Philippa peered into the darkness.//


Words: peer group
Meaning:
n [C]   a group of people, especially people who are the same age, social class etc as yourself//  --the TV shows that are popular with his peer group//


Words: peer pressure
Meaning:
n [U]   a strong feeling that you must do the same things as other people of your age if you want them to like you//  --Teenagers often start smoking because of peer pressure.//


Words: peer-to-peer
Meaning:
adj  also P2P   peer-to-peer architecture/network/technology etc//  a computer system etc in which all of the computers are connected to each other and they do not need a server (=a main computer that controls all the others) //  --How will peer-to-peer technology be important to the average Internet user?//


Words: peerage
Meaning:
n \n  1  the peerage:  all the British peers considered as a group//\n  2 [C] the rank of a British peer:


Words: peevish
Meaning:
adj   easily annoyed by small and unimportant things//    bad-tempered//  --The kids were peevish after so long in the car.//  -- peevishly adv //  -- peevishness n  [U] //


Words: peg
Meaning:
n [C]   ----------//\n   1 short stick:\n   2 hanging wet clothes:\n   3 tent:\n   4 take/bring somebody down a peg (or two):\n   5 musical instrument:\n   6 a peg to hang something on:\n   7 drink:  ----------//  [Date: 1400-1500; Origin:  Probably from  Middle Dutch pegge]//\n  1 SHORT STICK:  a short piece of wood, metal, or plastic that is attached to a wall or fits into a hole, used especially to hang things on or to fasten things together//  --Sarah hung her coat on the peg.//  --a table fitted together with pegs//  --a pattern made with coloured pegs on a board//\n  2 HANGING WET CLOTHES:   BrE a small plastic or wooden object used to fasten wet clothes to a thin rope to dry//   clothespeg//  American Equivalent:  clothespin//\n  3 TENT:  a pointed piece of wood or metal that you push into the ground in order to keep a tent in the correct position//\n  4  take/bring sb down a peg (or two):  to make someone realize that they are not as important or skilled as they think they are//  --Evans is an arrogant bully who needs taking down a peg or two.//\n  5 MUSICAL INSTRUMENT:  a wooden screw used to make the strings of a violin, guitar etc tighter or looser//   tuning peg//\n  6  a peg to hang sth on:   BrE something that is used as a reason for doing, discussing, or believing something//  --As a peg to hang it on, the tournament had the 100th anniversary of Nehru’s birth.//\n  7 DRINK:   BrE  old-fashioned a small amount of strong alcoholic drink, especially whisky or brandy//    square peg in a round hole at square1 (12)//\npeg 2   past tense and past participle  pegged present participle  pegging  v [T] //\n  1 to set prices, wages etc at a particular level, or set them in relation to something else:  peg sth at sth//  --The dividend was pegged at 6.1p.//  peg sth to sth//  --a currency pegged to the American dollar//\n  2 to fasten something somewhere with a peg:  --The tent flap was pegged open.//  --Outside, a woman was pegging sheets to a washing line.//  peg as [peg sb/sth as sth] phr v//  to believe or say that someone has a particular type of character, or that a situation has particular qualities//  --I’d had him pegged as a troublemaker.//  peg away phr v//  to work hard and with determination//  peg away at//  --She pegged away at her essay.//  peg back [peg sb/sth → back] phr v//  to stop someone from winning in a sport or from increasing the amount by which they are winning - used in news reports//  --They were pegged back by an equaliser from Jameson.//  peg out phr v//\n  1  BrE  informal to die, or to fall down because you are tired:\n  2  peg sth → out:   BrE to fasten wet clothes to a washing line to dry//\n  3  peg sth → out:  to mark a piece of ground with wooden sticks//


Words: pegboard
Meaning:
peg board/pegb[hA350][hA359]d $ -b[hA350][hA359]rd/ n [U and C]   thin board with holes in it, into which you can put pegs or hooks to hang things on//


Words: Pei
Meaning:
I.M.   (1917- ) a US  architect (=someone who designs buildings) , born in China, who has built many important public buildings, most of which are known because of their simple style and the way they look good with the environment//


Words: Peirce
Meaning:
Charles Sanders   (1838-1914) a US philosopher, who said that an idea on its own does not have any value, and that there is only value in the results produced by the idea. His most important writings were put together after his death in a book called  Chance, Love and Logic.//


Words: pejorative
Meaning:
adj  formal   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Late Latin; Origin: pejoratus, past participle of  pejorare  ’to make worse’, from  Latin pejor  ’worse’]//  a word or expression that is pejorative is used to show disapproval or to insult someone//  --For hard-line Republicans, the word ’liberal’ had become a pejorative term.//  -- pejoratively adv //


Words: Pekinese
Meaning:
Pekingese/pi[hA359]k[hA369]ni[hA359]z[hA36B]/ n   plural  Pekinese  ,  Pekingese  [C] //  a very small dog with a short flat nose and long silky hair//


Words: pelagic
Meaning:
adj  technical   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: pelagicus, from  Greek, from  pelagos  ’sea’]//  relating to or living in the deep sea, far from shore//  --pelagic fish//


Words: Pele
Meaning:
(1940- ) a Brazilian football player, considered by many people to be the best player ever. He played for Brazil’s national team in four World Cups, and then went to the US, where he helped to make football ( soccer) more popular. In 1994, he became Brazil’s minister of sports.//


Words: pelican
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1000-1100; Language: Late Latin; Origin: pelecanus, from  Greek, probably from  pelekys  ’ax’; because of the shape of its beak]//  a large water bird that catches fish for food and stores them in a deep bag of skin under its beak//


Words: pelican crossing
Meaning:
n [C]   a place on some roads in Britain where someone who wants to cross the road can stop the traffic by pushing a button that changes the traffic lights//    zebra crossing//


Words: pell-mell
Meaning:
adv  old-fashioned   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Old French; Origin: pesle mesle, from  mesler  ’to mix’]//  quickly and in an uncontrolled way//  --The children ran pell-mell out of school.//


Words: pellagra
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Italian; Origin: pelle  ’skin’]//  a disease that makes you feel tired and that causes problems with your skin and central nervous system, caused by a lack of a type of B vitamin//


Words: pellet
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: pelote, from  Latin pila  ’ball’]//\n  1 a small ball of a substance:  --food pellets for rabbits//\n  2 a small ball of metal made to be fired from a gun:  --shotgun pellets//


Words: pellucid
Meaning:
adj  literary   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: pellucidus, from  per  ’through’ +  lucidus (  LUCID)]//  very clear//   transparent//  --a pellucid stream//


Words: pelmet
Meaning:
n [C]  BrE   [Date: 1900-2000; Language: French; Origin: palmette  ’palm-leaf-shaped decoration (at the top of a window)’]//  a narrow piece of wood or cloth above a window that hides the rod that the curtains hang on//  American Equivalent:  valance//


Words: Peloponnese
Meaning:
the Peloponnese//  the southern part of Greece, which is connected to the rest of Greece by the Isthmus of Corinth. The ancient state of Sparta was in the Peloponnese.//


Words: Peloponnesian War
Meaning:
the   (431-404BC) a long war between the ancient Greek states of Athens and Sparta. It ended with the defeat of Athens, and this led to the end of Athens’ political power in ancient Greece. The history of the war by the ancient Greek writer Thucydides is one of the most famous European works of history.//


Words: pelt
Meaning:
v   [Date: 1400-1500; Origin:  Origin unknown]//\n  1 [T] to attack someone by throwing a lot of things at them:  pelt sb with sth//  --The marchers were pelted with rocks and bottles.//\n  2 [I and T] to be raining very heavily:    pour//  --Rain pelted the windows.//  -- It’s pelting down out there.//  --the cold wind and pelting rain //\n  3 [I always + adverb/preposition]  informal to run somewhere very fast:  --Three huge dogs came pelting into the street.//\npelt 2 n [C]   [Sense: 1-2; Date: 1400-1500; Origin:  Perhaps from  peltry  ’skins, furs’ (15-19 centuries), from  Anglo-French pelterie, from  Latin pellis  ’skin’]//  [Sense: 3; Date: 1800-1900; Origin:  PELT1]//\n  1 the skin of a dead animal, especially with the fur or hair still on it:    hide//\n  2 the fur or hair of a living animal:\n  3  (at) full pelt:   BrE moving as fast as possible//  --Nancy ran at full pelt to the school.//


Words: pelvis
Meaning:
n [C]   backbone, breastbone, collarbone, kneecap, pelvis, skull, spine, rib//  [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: ’basin’]//  the set of large wide curved bones at the base of your spine, to which your legs are joined//


Words: pen
Meaning:
S2   n   [Sense: 1,3; Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: penne  ’feather, pen’, from  Latin penna  ’feather’]//  [Sense: 2; Origin: Old English penn]//  [Sense: 4; Date: 1800-1900; Origin: penitentiary]//\n  1 [U and C] an instrument for writing or drawing with ink:    pencil, biro//  --a ballpoint pen//  --a felt-tip pen//  in pen//  --Please fill out the form in pen.//  --a pen and ink drawing//\n  2 [C] a small piece of land enclosed by a fence to keep farm animals in:  --a sheep pen//    playpen//\n  3  put/set pen to paper:  to begin to write//\n  4 [C]  AmE  informal a short form of penitentiary:\npen 2   past tense and past participle  penned present participle  penning  v [T] //   literary to write something such as a letter, a book etc, especially using a pen//  --a song penned by George Clinton//  pen up/in [pen sb/sth → up/in] phr v//\n  1 to shut an animal in a small enclosed area:\n  2  be penned up/in:  to be restricted or forced to remain in a small place//  --Norma felt restless and penned in.//


Words: pen friend
Meaning:
penfriend/penfrend/ n [C]  BrE   someone you write friendly letters to, especially someone in another country who you have never met//   pen pal//


Words: pen pal
Meaning:
n [C]   someone you make friends with by writing letters, especially someone who lives in another country and who you have never met//  British Equivalent:  pen friend//


Words: penal
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: French; Origin: penal, from  Latin poenalis, from  poena  ’punishment’]//\n  1 [only before noun] relating to the legal punishment of criminals, especially in prisons:  --the penal system//  penal colony/settlement (=a special area of land where prisoners are kept) //\n  2  penal servitude:   law when someone is punished by being kept in prison and made to do hard physical work//\n  3  BrE very severe:  --penal rates of interest//


Words: penalize
Meaning:
also  penalise BrE   v [T] \n  1 to punish someone or treat them unfairly:  penalize sb for (doing) sth//  --Two students were penalized very differently for the same offence.//  --Women feel professionally penalized for taking time off to raise children.//\n  2 to punish a team or player in sports by giving an advantage to the other team:  --The team was penalized for wasting time.//


Words: penalty
Meaning:
W3S3   n   plural  penalties  [C] //  [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Medieval Latin; Origin: poenalitas, from  Latin poenalis;   PENAL]//\n  1 a punishment for breaking a law, rule, or legal agreement:  --No littering. Penalty $500.//  --Withdrawing the money early will result in a 10% penalty.//  penalty for//  --The penalty for a first offense is a fine.//  severe/stiff/heavy penalty //  --Drug dealers face severe penalties.//  --If he is convicted, he could receive the death penalty  (=be killed as a punishment) .//\n  2 something bad that happens to you because of something you have done or because of the situation you are in:  penalty of (doing) sth//  --One of the penalties of being famous is the loss of privacy.//  --If you don’t do the job right, you will pay the penalty .//\n  3 a disadvantage in sports given to a player or team for breaking a rule:  --Woodson received a penalty.//\n  4 a chance to kick the ball or hit the puck into the goal in a game of football, rugby, or ice hockey, given because the other team has broken a rule:  --Townsend kicked a penalty  (=in a rugby game) in the last minute.//  --Leeds were awarded a penalty.//


Words: penalty area
Meaning:
n [C]   the area in front of the goal in football. The team opposing you is given a penalty if you break a rule there.//


Words: penalty box
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 an area off the ice where a player in ice hockey must wait after not obeying a rule:\n  2 a penalty area:


Words: penalty clause
Meaning:
n [C]   the part of a contract which says what someone will have to pay or do if they do not obey the agreement, for example if they do not complete work on time//


Words: penalty point
Meaning:
n [C]    BrE a note made on a driver’s licence to show that they have done something wrong while they were driving. If someone gets 12 penalty points they are no longer allowed to drive a car.//


Words: penalty shoot-out
Meaning:
n [C]   an occasion when each team in a football match takes penalty kicks until one team misses the goal - used as a way of deciding which team will win when the ordinary part of the match has ended in a draw//


Words: penance
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: Medieval Latin poenitentia, from  Latin paenitere;   PENITENT1]//\n  1 [C usually singular, U] something that you must do to show that you are sorry for something you have done wrong, especially in some religions:  do/perform penance //  --We prayed and did penance together.//  penance for//  --as a penance for his sins//\n  2 [singular] something that you have to do but do not enjoy doing:  --Working in the garden was a kind of penance.//


Words: penchant
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: French; Origin: , present participle of  pencher  ’to lean’]//  a/sb’s penchant for sth//  if you have a penchant for something, you like that thing very much and try to do it or have it often//  --a penchant for fast cars//


Words: pencil
Meaning:
S2   n [U and C]   lead//  [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: pincel  ’paintbrush’, from  Latin penicillus  ’little tail’, from  penis;   PENIS]//  an instrument that you use for writing or drawing, consisting of a wooden stick with a thin piece of a black or coloured substance in the middle//  --a sharp pencil//  --a blue pencil//  in pencil//  --a note written in pencil//  --a pencil sketch//\npencil 2   past tense and past participle  pencilled present participle  pencilling  BrE //  past tense and past participle  penciled present participle  penciling  AmE  v [T] //  to write something or make a mark with a pencil//  --a name pencilled on the envelope//  pencil in [pencil sb/sth → in] phr v//  to make an arrangement for a meeting or other event, knowing that it might have to be changed later//  --Pickford has been pencilled in as Robson’s replacement.//


Words: pendant
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: , present participle of  pendre  ’to hang’, from  Latin pendere]//  a jewel, stone etc that hangs from a thin chain that you wear around your neck//    necklace//  --a ruby pendant//


Words: pendent
Meaning:
adj  literary  or  technical   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin: pendant  ’hanging’ (13-20 centuries), from  French (  PENDANT); influenced by  Latin pendens, present participle of  pendere (  PENDANT)]//  hanging from something//  --a pendent lamp//


Words: pending
Meaning:
prep  formal   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: French; Origin: pendant;   PENDANT]//  while waiting for something, or until something happens//  --Sales of the drug have been stopped, pending further research.//\npending 2 adj \n  1  formal not yet decided or settled:  --Many trade disputes are pending, awaiting the outcome of the talks.//\n  2  formal something that is pending is going to happen soon:  --the pending election//\n  3  pending file/tray:   BrE a container for keeping papers, letters etc that have not yet been dealt with//    in-tray, out-tray//


Words: pendulous
Meaning:
adj  literary   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: pendulus, from  pendere;   PENDANT]//  hanging down loosely and swinging freely//  --pendulous breasts//


Words: pendulum
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Modern Latin; Origin: Latin pendulus;   PENDULOUS]//\n  1 a long metal stick with a weight at the bottom that swings regularly from side to side to control the working of a clock:\n  2  the pendulum:  used to talk about the tendency of ideas, beliefs etc to change regularly to the opposite//  --After several years of Republican government, the pendulum will undoubtedly swing back and voters will elect a Democrat.//  the pendulum of//  --the pendulum of fashion//


Words: Penelope
Meaning:
in ancient Greek stories, the wife of  Odysseus, who remained faithful to him for more than 20 years while he was away from home, fighting in the Trojan War//


Words: penetrate
Meaning:
v   ----------//\n   1 go through:\n   2 business:\n   3 organization:\n   4 understand:\n   5 sex:\n   6 see through:  ----------//  [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: , past participle of  penetrare]//\n  1 GO THROUGH:   [I and T] to enter something and pass or spread through it, especially when this is difficult//    pierce//  --bullets that penetrate thick armour plating//  --Sunlight barely penetrated the dirty windows.//  penetrate into//  --Explorers penetrated deep into unknown regions.//\n  2 BUSINESS:   [T] to start to sell things to an area or country, or to have an influence there//  --Few U.S. companies have successfully penetrated the Japanese electronics market.//\n  3 ORGANIZATION:   [T] to succeed in becoming accepted into a group or an organization, sometimes in order to find out their secrets//  --KGB agents had penetrated most of their intelligence services.//\n  4 UNDERSTAND:   formal //  a)  [T] to succeed in understanding something//  --Science has penetrated the mysteries of nature.//  b)  [I and T] to be understood, with difficulty//  --What could I say that would penetrate his thick skull ?//\n  5 SEX:   [T] if a man penetrates someone, he puts his penis into a woman’s vagina or into someone’s anus when having sex//\n  6 SEE THROUGH:   [T] to see into or through something when this is difficult//  --My eyes couldn’t penetrate the gloom.//


Words: penetrating
Meaning:
adj \n  1  penetrating look/eyes/gaze etc:  a look etc which makes you feel uncomfortable and seems to see inside your mind//  --a pair of penetrating dark eyes//  --He gave her a penetrating stare.//\n  2 showing an ability to understand things quickly and completely:  --questions that are intelligent and penetrating//  --a penetrating analysis of the issue//\n  3 spreading and reaching everywhere:  --the penetrating cold//\n  4 a penetrating sound is loud, clear, and often unpleasant:  --a high, penetrating voice//  -- penetratingly adv //


Words: penetration
Meaning:
n \n  1 [U and C] when something or someone enters or passes through something, especially when this is difficult:  --Cover the entire device to prevent water penetration.//  penetration of//  --The attack failed to lead to any deep penetration of enemy territory.//\n  2 [U and C] the degree to which a product is available or sold in an area:  penetration of//  --the rise in import penetration of the domestic market//\n  3 [U] when a system of beliefs enters a society and becomes accepted:  penetration of//  --the penetration of Marxism into Latin America//\n  4 [U] when someone joins and gets accepted by an organization, business etc in order to find out secret information:  penetration of//  --foreign penetration of the British secret service//\n  5 [U] when a man puts his penis into a woman’s vagina or into someone’s anus:\n  6 [U] a special ability to understand things very clearly and completely:


Words: penetrative
Meaning:
adj \n  1  penetrative sex:  sex in which a man puts his penis into a woman’s vagina or into someone’s anus//\n  2 able to get into or through something easily:  --penetrative missiles//\n  3 showing an ability to understand things quickly and completely:  --penetrative observations//


Words: penguin
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin:  Perhaps from  Welsh pen gwyn  ’white head’]//  a large black and white Antarctic sea bird, which cannot fly but uses its wings for swimming//


Words: penicillin
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1900-2000; Language: Modern Latin; Origin: Penicillium name of a type of mold, from  Latin penicillus;   PENCIL1]//  a type of medicine that is used to treat infections caused by bacteria//


Words: peninsula
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: paeninsula, from  paene  ’almost’ +  insula  ’island’]//  a piece of land almost completely surrounded by water but joined to a large area of land//  --the Korean peninsula//  -- peninsular adj //


Words: Peninsular War
Meaning:
the   a war that was fought in Spain and Portugal between the armies of France, led by Napoleon, and of Britain, led by the Duke of Wellington. It began when Napoleon attacked Spain in 1808 and ended when he was defeated and forced to leave Spain in 1813. //


Words: penis
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: ’tail, penis’]//  the outer sex organ of men and male animals, which is used for sex and through which waste water comes out of the body//


Words: penitent
Meaning:
adj  formal   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: penitent, from  Latin, present participle of  paenitere  ’to be sorry’]//  feeling sorry because you have done something wrong, and are intending not to do it again//   repentant//  --a penitent expression//  -- penitently adv //  -- penitence n  [U] //\npenitent 2 n [C]   someone who is doing penance//


Words: penitential
Meaning:
adj  formal   relating to being sorry for having done something wrong//  --penitential journeys to famous shrines//


Words: penitentiary
Meaning:
n   plural  penitentiaries  [C]  AmE //  a prison - used especially in the names of prisons//  --the North Carolina state penitentiary//


Words: penknife
Meaning:
n   plural  penknives /-na[hA366]vz/ [C] //  a small knife with blades that fold into the handle, usually carried in your pocket//   jackknife//


Words: penlight
Meaning:
n [C]   an electric light that you can carry in your hand and that is almost as small as a pen//    flashlight//    torch1 (1)//


Words: penmanship
Meaning:
n [U]    formal the art of writing by hand, or skill in this art//  --children practicing their penmanship//


Words: Penn
Meaning:
William   (1644-1718) an English leader of the  Quakers (=a Christian religious group) , who was put in prison for having unacceptable religious beliefs. After he was let out of prison, he was given some land in North America, and he established a  colony there as a place of religious freedom for Quakers and others to go and live in. He called the colony  Pennsylvania, and planned and built the city of  Philadelphia in 1682.//


Words: pennant
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin: pennon +  pendant]//\n  1 a long narrow pointed flag used on ships or by schools, sports teams etc:\n  2  the pennant:  the prize given to the best team in the American and National League baseball competitions//


Words: penniless
Meaning:
adj   someone who is penniless has no money//    broke//  --Uncle Charlie was jobless and penniless.//


Words: Pennine Way
Meaning:
the Pennine Way//  a very long path (250 miles) along the  Pennines, which people walk along for pleasure or exercise//


Words: Pennines
Meaning:
the   a  range of hills in a line down the middle of England from the Scottish border to central England, which are sometimes called the "backbone of England" //


Words: pennon
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: penon, from  penne;   PEN1]//  a long narrow pointed flag, especially one carried on the end of a long pole by soldiers on horses in the Middle Ages//


Words: Pennsylvania
Meaning:
PA a state in the northeastern US, which produces large amounts of steel and coal. It was one of the 13 original US states, and was an important centre in the fight to become independent from Britain during the  American Revolutionary War.//


Words: Pennsylvania Dutch
Meaning:
the  n [plural]   a group of people living in the US state of Pennsylvania, who came from Germany in the 1600s and 1700s to find religious freedom, and still live in the style of that time. They wear very old-fashioned clothes, and do not have cars or other modern machines. They are Protestants, and include the  Amish and the  Mennonites//  -- Pennysylvania Dutch adj //


Words: penny
Meaning:
S1   n [C]   [Language: Old English; Origin: penning,  penig]//\n  1 :  a) //  plural  pence  abbreviation p //  a small unit of money in Britain. There are 100 pence in one pound//  --The bus fare is 80 pence.//  --a 50p piece (=coin) //  --A loaf of bread costs 70p.//  b) //  plural  pennies a coin worth one penny//  --I’ve only got a few pennies left.//\n  2 :  plural  pennies a coin that is worth one cent in the US or Canada. One hundred pennies are equal to $1.//\n  3 :  plural  pennies  or  pence  written abbreviation d //  a British unit of money or coin used until 1971. There were 12 pennies in one shilling//  twopence/threepence etc //  --a book costing only sixpence//  fourpenny/sixpenny etc //  --a fourpenny cigar//  --a threepenny bit (=coin) //\n  4  not a penny:  used to emphasize that someone has no money or that something did not cost any money//  --I haven’t got a penny on me.//  --It didn’t cost me a penny .//  --He died without a penny to his name .//\n  5  every penny:  all of an amount of money//  --The hotel was expensive but it was worth every penny .//  every penny of//  --He was determined to go to Australia even if it took every penny of his savings.//\n  6  every penny counts:  used to say that money is needed and even a small amount is important//  --Every penny counts in the battle to save the rainforests.//\n  7  the/your last penny:  the only money that is left//  --She’s down to her last penny .//\n  8  a penny for your thoughts/a penny for them:   spoken used to ask someone who is silent what they are thinking about//\n  9  in for a penny, in for a pound:   spoken used to say that because you are already involved in something, you will complete it whatever time, money, or effort is needed//  --Oh well, it’s done now. In for a penny, in for a pound.//\n  10  the penny (has) dropped:   BrE  informal used to say that someone has finally understood something that they had not understood before//\n  11  be two/ten a penny:   BrE to be very common and easy to get, or cheap - used to show disapproval//  --Rings like these are ten a penny.//\n  12  turn up like a bad penny:   BrE if someone you dislike turns up like a bad penny, they appear when they are not wanted//    halfpenny,  spend a penny at spend(5),  cost a pretty penny at pretty2 (6)//


Words: penny ante
Meaning:
adj  AmE  informal   involving very small amounts of money, and not important//  --penny ante schemes to make money//


Words: Penny Black
Meaning:
n [C]   the first British stamp for sticking on envelopes. It was introduced in 1840, and its value was one penny, which was the cost of sending a letter by post in Britain. The stamp shows the head of Queen  Victoria on a dark background, and stamp collectors consider it to be very important, although it is not the rarest British stamp.//


Words: penny whistle
Meaning:
n [C]   a musical instrument like a small pipe with six holes, that you play by blowing//   tin whistle//


Words: penny-farthing
Meaning:
n [C]    BrE a bicycle with a very large front wheel and a very small back wheel, used in the late 19th century//


Words: penny-pinching
Meaning:
adj   unwilling to spend or give money//    mean//  --penny-pinching governments//  -- penny pinching n  [U] //


Words: pennyworth
Meaning:
n [singular]  old-fashioned   the amount of something that you could buy with a penny in the past//  pennyworth of//  --a pennyworth of sweets//


Words: penology
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Latin; Origin: poena;   PENAL]//  the study of prisons and the punishment of criminals//  -- penologist n  [C] //


Words: pension
Meaning:
W2S3   n [C]   an amount of money paid regularly by the government or company to someone who does not work any more, for example because they have reached the age when people stop working or because they are ill//  --At what age can you start  drawing  your pension ?//  --If you are self-employed, you should think about taking out a private pension .//  --Many people find it hard to live on a basic state pension .//  --She pays a quarter of her salary into a pension plan .//  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 1 //  retirement pension //  get/receive/draw/collect a pension //  pay into a pension (=pay money regularly now so that you can have a pension when you are older) //  take out a pension (=make the arrangements to be able to have a pension later) //  state pension/old age pension British English //  public pension American English (=one that the government pays) //  company/corporate/occupational pension (=one that your employer pays) //  private/personal pension (=one that is run by a private pension company, not by the government or your employer) //  pension fund/plan/scheme //  ----------//\npension 2 v  BrE   pension off [pension sb/sth → off] //\n  1 to make someone leave their job when they are old or ill, and pay them a pension:  --Not everyone wants to be pensioned off at 65.//\n  2  informal to get rid of something because it is old or not useful any more:  --Many of the old ships have been pensioned off.//\npension 3   n [C]   a small cheap hotel in France and some other European countries//


Words: pension book
Meaning:
n [C]   a book that the British government gives to pensioners, which allows them to collect their pensions//


Words: pension plan
Meaning:
also pension scheme  BrE  n [C]   an arrangement in which you pay money regularly into a pension fund while you are working, so that you will receive a pension//


Words: pensionable
Meaning:
adj  BrE \n  1 giving someone the right to receive a pension:  --36% of the population were of pensionable age .//\n  2  pensionable pay/salary etc:  pay from which money is regularly taken for a pension//  --The employee’s contribution is 5% of pensionable salary.//


Words: pensioner
Meaning:
n [C]   someone who receives a pension//   senior citizen//  British Equivalent:  OAP//    retire//  --old age pensioners//


Words: pensive
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: pensif, from  penser  ’to think’]//  thinking a lot about something, especially because you are worried or sad//    thoughtful//  --Jan looked pensive.//  -- pensively adv //


Words: pent-up
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin:  pent an old past participle of  pen;   PEN12]//  pent-up feelings or energy have not been expressed or used for a long time//  --years of pent-up anger and frustration//


Words: Pentagon
Meaning:
the Pentagon//  the building in Washington DC from which the army, navy etc of the US are controlled, or the military officers who work in this building.//


Words: pentagon
Meaning:
n [C]   a flat shape with five sides and five angles//  -- pentagonal/pent[zB024]g[hA353]n[hA368]l/ adj //


Words: Pentagon Papers
Meaning:
the   secret government documents that discussed the US’s military involvement in  Vietnam during the 1960s. These papers were taken from the  Pentagon and printed in the  New York Times in 1971. President  Nixon tried to prevent the papers being printed, but the US Supreme Court said that the newspaper had a right to print them, because of the  First Amendment. The court case examined the government’s right to keep important information secret, and showed that the public has the right to know what its government is doing.//


Words: pentameter
Meaning:
n [U and C]   a line of poetry with five beats, or the beat of a poem like this//    iambic pentameter//


Words: Pentateuch
Meaning:
the   the Christian name for the first five books of the  Old Testament of the Bible, which people believe were written by Moses, and which Jewish people call the "Torah"//


Words: pentathlon
Meaning:
n [singular, U]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Greek; Origin: penta- (  PENTA-) +  athlon  ’competition’]//  a sports event involving five different sports//


Words: Pentecost
Meaning:
n [U and C]   [Date: 1000-1100; Language: Late Latin; Origin: pentecoste, from  Greek,  ’fiftieth day’, from  pentekostos  ’fiftieth’]//\n  1  also Whitsun  BrE :  the seventh Sunday after Easter, when Christians celebrate the appearance of the Holy Spirit to the apostles//\n  2 a Jewish religious holiday 50 days after Passover:


Words: Pentecostal
Meaning:
adj  also Pentecostalist   relating to a group of Christian churches that believe in the Holy Spirit’s power, such as the power to cure diseases//  -- Pentecostalist n  [C] //


Words: Penthouse
Meaning:
trademark   a magazine for men which has pictures of young women wearing very few clothes and articles about sex //


Words: penthouse
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: appentis  ’structure built against a wall’, probably from  Latin appendix (  APPENDIX); influenced by  house]//  a very expensive and comfortable apartment or set of rooms on the top floor of a building//  --a [hA124]7 million London penthouse//  penthouse apartment/flat/suite //


Words: penultimate
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: paenultimus, from  paene  ’almost’ +  ultimus  ’last’]//  not the last, but immediately before the last//   last but one//    ultimate//  --the penultimate chapter//


Words: penumbra
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Modern Latin; Origin: Latin paene  ’almost’ +  umbra  ’shadow’]//   technical an area of slight darkness//


Words: penury
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: penuria]//   formal the state of being very poor//   poverty//  --He died in penury in 1644.//  -- penurious/p[hA369]nj[hA35E][hA353]ri[hA353]s $ -n[hA35E]r-/ adj //


Words: peon
Meaning:
n [C]  AmE   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Portuguese; Origin: pe[hA164]o and  French pion, from  Medieval Latin pedo;   PAWN1]//\n  1  informal someone who does boring or physically hard work for low pay - used humorously:\n  2 someone in Mexico or South America who works as a type of slave to pay back debts:


Words: peony
Meaning:
n   plural  peonies  [C] //  [Date: 900-1000; Language: Latin; Origin: paeonia, from  Greek, from  Paion Paeon, doctor of the ancient Greek gods]//  a garden plant with large round flowers that are dark red, white, or pink//


Words: People
Meaning:
also People Magazine  trademark   a US magazine that contains short articles and pictures of famous people, especially people who appear on television and in films or sports people//\nPeople: The  trademark   a British  tabloid newspaper sold every Sunday, which is known for printing shocking articles about famous people, especially about their relationships and their sexual experiences//


Words: people
Meaning:
n   ----------//\n   1 persons:\n   2 people in general:\n   3 country/race:\n   4 the people:\n   5 somebody’s people:\n   6 of all people:\n   7 to get attention:  ----------//  [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: peuple, from  Latin populus;   POPULAR]//\n  1 PERSONS:   [plural] used as the plural of ’person’ to refer to men, women, and children//  --How many people were at the meeting?//  --At least 40 people were killed.//  --the people who live next door//\n  2 PEOPLE IN GENERAL:   [plural] people in general, or people other than yourself//  --I don’t care what people think.//  --People can be really mean sometimes.//  theatre/business etc people (=people who work or are involved in the theatre etc) //  --The hotel was full of business people.//\n  3 COUNTRY/RACE:   [C also + plural verb] the people who belong to a particular country, race, or area//  the British/American etc people //  --He pledged that he would never lie to the American people.//  people of//  --the Basques, a people of north western Spain//  --the peoples of Europe//\n  4  the people [plural] :  a) all the ordinary people in a country or a state, not the government or ruling class//  --The people rebelled.//  --Rice formed the staple food of the common people .//  --The party try to portray the prime minister as a man of the people  (=someone in power who understands or is like ordinary people) .//  the people’s party/army etc (=belonging to or popular with the ordinary people) //  --the People’s Liberation Army//  --Diana - the people’s princess//  b)  AmE used in court cases to represent the government of the US or of a particular state//  --The People vs. Romero//\n  5  sb’s people [plural] :  a) the people that a king or leader rules or leads//  --The king ordered his people to prepare for war.//  b) the people who work for a person or organization//  --A manager’s job is to make his or her people feel part of the system.//  c)  old-fashioned your relatives, especially your parents, grandparents etc//  --Do your people live round here?//\n  6  of all people:   spoken used to say that someone is the person you would least or most expect to do something//  --Why should he, of all people, get a promotion?//  --You of all people should have known better.//\n  7 TO GET ATTENTION:   [plural]  AmE  spoken  informal used to get the attention of a group of people//  --Listen up, people!//    little people//  ----------//  HINT sense 1 //  See also:  person//  ----------//\npeople 2 v [T usually passive]  formal \n  1 if a country or area is peopled by people of a particular type, they live there:   inhabit//  be peopled by/with sb//  --an island peopled by hardy seafolk//\n  2 if a story or someone’s imagination is peopled by people of a particular type, it is full of them:  be peopled by/with sb//  --Her world was peopled with imaginary friends.//


Words: people carrier
Meaning:
also people mover  n [C]   a large car with about eight seats, used especially by people with families//  American Equivalent:  mini-van//


Words: pep
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  pepped present participle  pepping //  pep up [pep sb/sth → up] phr v//   informal to make something or someone more active or interesting//  --The team needs a few new players to pep it up.//\npep 2 n [U]   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: pepper]//   informal physical energy//  --an enthusiastic player, full of pep//    pep talk//


Words: pep pill
Meaning:
n [C]    informal a pill containing a drug that gives you more energy or makes you feel happier for a short time//


Words: pep rally
Meaning:
n [C]    AmE a meeting at a school before a sports event, when cheerleaders lead the students in encouraging their team to win//


Words: pep talk
Meaning:
n [C]    informal a short speech intended to encourage someone to work harder, win a game etc//  --Alam gave the Pakistani team a pep talk .//


Words: pepper
Meaning:
S3   n   [Language: Old English; Origin: pipor, from  Latin piper, from  Greek peperi]//\n  1 [U] a powder that is used to add a hot taste to food:  --salt and pepper//    black pepper,  white pepper//  2 [C] a hollow red, green, or yellow vegetable, eaten either raw or cooked with other food//  American Equivalent:  bell pepper//    sweet pepper,  cayenne pepper,  red pepper//\npepper 2 v [T] \n  1 [usually passive] if something is peppered with things, it has a lot of those things in it or on it:  be peppered with sth//  --a speech peppered with amusing stories//  --The surface of the moon is peppered with craters.//\n  2 if bullets pepper something, they hit it several times:  --Machine gun fire peppered the front of the building.//\n  3  pepper sb with questions:   AmE to ask someone a lot of questions, one after the other//  --Reporters peppered him with questions.//\n  4 to add pepper to food:  --Pepper the steak well.//  --peppered salami//


Words: pepper pot
Meaning:
BrE pepper shaker  AmE n [C]   a small container with little holes in the top, used for shaking pepper onto food//


Words: pepper spray
Meaning:
n [U and C]   a substance used especially by the police for controlling people. It contains red pepper and is sprayed into people’s eyes to make them blind for a short time//


Words: peppermint
Meaning:
n \n  1 [U] a plant with a strong taste and smell, often used in sweets:\n  2 [C] a sweet with the taste of peppermint:


Words: pepperoni
Meaning:
n [U and C]   [Date: 1900-2000; Language: Italian; Origin: peperone  ’red pepper’]//  an Italian sausage with a strong taste//


Words: Pepsi
Meaning:
also Pepsi Cola  trademark   a type of  cola drink (=a dark, sweet, non-alcoholic drink with bubbles) that is sold all over the world by an American company//


Words: pepsin
Meaning:
n [U]  technical   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Greek; Origin: pepsis  ’digestion’]//  a liquid in your stomach that changes food into a form that your body can use//


Words: Pepto-bismol
Meaning:
trademark   a type of medicine for the stomach which you take when you have  indigestion. It is a thick, pink, sweet-tasting liquid.//


Words: Pepys
Meaning:
Samuel   (1633-1703) an English writer famous for his  diary (=a book in which you write what happens to you each day) , which describes his personal life and the important events of the time, such as the  Great Fire of London, and gives a lot of information about what life was like at the time//


Words: per
Meaning:
prep   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: ’through, by’]//\n  1  per hour/day/week etc:  during each hour etc//  --The park attracts 4 million visitors per year.//  miles/kilometres per hour (=used for measuring speed) //  --a speed limit of 40 miles per hour//\n  2 for each:  --How much does it cost per kilo?//  --rooms costing [hA124]40 per night//  --Admission is [hA124]9.95 per adult.//  --My car does 12 miles per litre (=for each litre of petrol) .//  --The meal cost $25 per head  (=for or by each person) .//\n  3  as per sth:   formal according to something//  --The work was carried out as per your instructions.//\n  4  as per usual/normal:   spoken used when something annoying happens which has often happened before//  --Jenny was late, as per usual.//    per annum,  per capita//


Words: per annum
Meaning:
adv  written abbreviation  p.a.  [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: ’by the year’]//   formal for each year//  --a salary of $40,000 per annum//


Words: per capita
Meaning:
adj, adv  formal   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: ’by heads’]//  used to describe the average amount of something in a particular place, calculated according to the number of people who live there//  --the country’s per capita income//  --the number of crimes that occur per capita//


Words: per se
Meaning:
adv  formal   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: ’by itself’]//  used to say that something is being considered alone, not with other connected things//  --The color of the shell per se does not affect the quality of the egg.//


Words: perambulation
Meaning:
n [C]  old-fashioned   a walk around a place, especially a slow walk for pleasure//  -- perambulate/p[hA353]r[zB024]mbj[hA35A][hA36A]le[hA366]t/ v  [I and T] //


Words: percale
Meaning:
n [U and C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Persian; Origin: pargalah]//  a type of cotton cloth, used especially for making sheets//


Words: perceive
Meaning:
W3   v [T not in progressive]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: perceivre, from  Latin percipere]//\n  1  written to understand or think of something or someone in a particular way:    perception//  perceive sth/sb as sth//  --Even as a young woman she had been perceived as a future chief executive.//  perceive sth/sb to be sth//  --Often what is perceived to be aggression is simply fear.//  --Children who do badly in school tests often perceive themselves to be failures.//\n  2  formal to notice, see, or recognize something:    perceptive//  --That morning, he perceived a change in Franca’s mood.//  --Cats are not able to perceive colour.//  perceive that//  --He perceived that there was no other way out of the crisis.//


Words: percent
Meaning:
S3  also per cent  BrE   adj, adv \n  1  5 percent (5%)/10 percent (10%) etc:  equal to five, ten etc parts out of a total of 100 parts//  --a 10% increase in house prices//  --a company with a forty percent stake in the project//\n  2  a/one hundred percent:  completely//  --I agree with you a hundred percent.//  ----------//  HINT sense 1 //  Use percent only with a number (30 percent, 9 percent etc). If you mean ’an amount expressed as part of a total’ use percentage: A high percentage (NOT percent) of the population was illiterate. //  ----------//\npercent 2 W3S3 n  also per cent  BrE \n  5 percent (5%)/10 percent (10%) etc:  an amount equal to five, ten etc parts out of a total of 100 parts//  --The bank charges interest at 14%.//\n  5 percent (5%)/10 percent (10%) etc of:  --80 percent of the population voted.//


Words: percentage
Meaning:
W3   n \n  1 [U and C] an amount expressed as if it is part of a total which is 100:  percentage of//  --The percentage of school leavers that go to university is about five per cent.//  --Tax is paid as a percentage of total income.//  high/low/small percentage //  --A high percentage of married women have part-time jobs.//  --Interest rates fell by six percentage points  (=6%) .//  --The numbers are small in percentage terms  (=when calculated as a percentage) .//  percentage change/increase etc //  --Crime figures showed significant percentage increases.//\n  2 [C usually singular] a share of the profits:  --She gets a percentage for every record sold.//\n  3  there is no percentage in doing sth:   BrE  informal used to say that doing something is not going to help or be useful//  --There’s no percentage in worrying.//  ----------//  HINT sense 1 //  If the noun that follows a percentage of is plural, use a plural verb: Only a small percentage of people are interested in politics. //  ----------//


Words: percentile
Meaning:
n [C]  technical   one of 100 equal-sized parts that a group of people can be divided into - used especially when comparing people’s scores in a test or levels of health//


Words: perceptible
Meaning:
adj  formal   something that is perceptible can be noticed, although it is very small//  → imperceptible//  --a small but perceptible change//  --The sound was barely perceptible .//  -- perceptibly adv //  --the light dimmed perceptibly//


Words: perception
Meaning:
W3   n   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: perceptio, from  percipere;   PERCEIVE]//\n  1 [U and C] the way you think about something and your idea of what it is like:  perception of//  --children’s perceptions of the world//  --the public perception of the government’s performance//\n  2 [U] the way that you notice things with your senses of sight, hearing etc:  --drugs that alter perception//  --visual perception//\n  3 [U] the natural ability to understand or notice things quickly:  --Ross shows unusual perception for a boy of his age.//


Words: perceptive
Meaning:
adj   someone who is perceptive notices things quickly and understands situations, people’s feelings etc well - used to show approval//  --a perceptive young man//  --highly perceptive comments//  --You’re right. That’s very perceptive of you.//  -- perceptively adv //  -- perceptiveness n  [U] //


Words: perch
Meaning:
n [C]   [Sense: 1-2; Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: perche, from  Latin pertica  ’pole’]//  [Sense: 3; Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: perche, from  Latin perca, from  Greek perke]//\n  1 a branch or stick where a bird sits:\n  2  informal a high place or position, especially one where you can sit and watch something:  --She watched the parade from her perch on her father’s shoulders.//  3 a type of fish that lives in lakes and rivers//\nperch 2 v \n  1  be perched on/above etc sth:  to be in a position on top of something or on the edge of something//  --a house perched on a cliff above the town//\n  2  perch (yourself) on sth:  to sit on top of something or on the edge of something//  --Bobby had perched himself on a tall wooden stool.//\n  3 [I + on] if a bird perches on something, it flies down and sits on it:


Words: perchance
Meaning:
adv  old use  or  literary   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: per chance  ’by chance’]//\n  1 perhaps:  --One day perchance I shall tell you.//\n  2 by chance:  --Leave now, lest perchance he find you.//


Words: percipient
Meaning:
adj  formal   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: , present participle of  percipere;   PERCEIVE]//  quick to notice and understand things//   perceptive//  -- percipience n  [U] //


Words: percolate
Meaning:
v   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: , past participle of  percolare  ’to put through a sieve’]//\n  1 [I] if an idea, feeling, or piece of information percolates through a group, it gradually spreads:  percolate through/down//  --The message has begun to percolate through the organization.//  --These ideas were slow to percolate.//\n  2 [I always + adverb/preposition] if liquid, light, or air percolates somewhere, it passes slowly through a material that has very small holes in it:  percolate through/down/into//  --Rainwater percolates down through the rock.//\n  3 [I and T]  also perk :  if coffee percolates, or if you percolate it, you make it in a special pot in which hot water goes up through a tube and then passes down through crushed coffee beans//  -- percolation/p[hA362][hA359]k[hA353]le[hA366][hA35D][hA368]n $ p[hA362][hA359]r-/ n  [U and C] //


Words: percussion
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: percussio  ’act of hitting’, from  percutere  ’to hit hard’]//\n  1 musical instruments such as drums, bells etc which you play by hitting them:  --Tonight we have Paul Duke on percussion  (=playing a percussion instrument) .//  --a range of percussion instruments //    brass(2),  stringed instrument,  wind instrument,  woodwind//\n  2  the percussion (section):  the people in an orchestra or band that play musical instruments such as drums, bells etc//\n  3  formal the sound or effect of two things hitting each other with great force:  -- percussionist n  [C] //


Words: percussive
Meaning:
adj [usually before noun]   relating to or sounding like percussion instruments//  --On the piano such chords have a fine percussive effect.//


Words: perdition
Meaning:
n [U]  old use   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Late Latin; Origin: perditio, from  Latin perdere  ’to destroy’]//\n  1 punishment after death:\n  2 complete destruction or failure:  --an alcoholic on the road to perdition//


Words: peregrine falcon
Meaning:
n  also peregrine  [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin:  peregrine from  Latin peregrinus;   PILGRIM]//  a hunting bird with a black and white spotted front//


Words: peremptory
Meaning:
adj  formal   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Latin; Origin: peremptorius, from  perimere  ’to take completely, destroy’]//  peremptory behaviour, speech etc is not polite or friendly and shows that the person speaking expects to be obeyed immediately//  --a peremptory demand for silence//  -- peremptorily adv //


Words: perennial
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: perennis, from  per-  ’through’ +  annus  ’year’]//\n  1 continuing or existing for a long time, or happening again and again:  --Lack of resources has been a perennial problem since the beginning.//  --Teddy bears are a perennial favorite with children.//\n  2 a plant that is perennial lives for more than two years:    annual//  -- perennially adv //\nperennial 2 n [C]   a plant that lives for more than two years//    hardy perennial(1)//


Words: Peres
Meaning:
Shimon   (1923- ) an Israeli Socialist politician, Prime Minister from 1984 to 1986. He won the  Nobel Peace Prize with Yitzhak  Rabin and Yasser  Arafat in 1994.//


Words: perestroika
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1900-2000; Language: Russian; Origin: perestroit  ’to rebuild, reorganize’]//  a Russian word meaning ’rebuilding’, used to describe the social, political, and economic changes that happened in the former USSR in the 1980s, just before the end of the Communist government//    glasnost//


Words: perfect
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: parfit, from  Latin perfectus, past participle of  perficere  ’to do completely, finish’]//\n  1 not having any mistakes, faults, or damage:  → imperfect//  --His English was perfect.//  --The car was in perfect condition.//  --You’re very lucky to have perfect teeth.//  --a perfect performance//  -- In a perfect world , we wouldn’t need an army.//\n  2 as good as possible, or the best of its kind:  --The weather was perfect the whole week.//  --a perfect example of Gothic architecture//  --The clothes were a perfect fit.//  --a perfect solution to the problem//  --Ronnie was in perfect health.//  perfect timing (=used when something happens at exactly the right time) //  --Good, you’re home. Perfect timing - dinner’s on the table.//\n  3 exactly what is needed for a particular purpose, situation, or person:   ideal//  --That’s perfect! Just the way I wanted it to look.//  --Crusty bread is the perfect accompaniment to this soup.//  perfect for//  --The land is perfect for sheep farming.//  perfect way/place/time etc to do sth //  --She thought she’d found the perfect place to live.//  perfect day/place/person etc for sth //  --a perfect day for a picnic//  --the perfect actor for the part//\n  4  nobody’s perfect:   spoken said when you are answering someone who has criticized you or someone else//  --So I made a mistake! Nobody’s perfect.//\n  5  have a perfect right to do sth:  used to emphasize that it is reasonable for someone to do something//  --He has a perfect right to know what’s happening.//\n  6  perfect stranger/fool/angel etc:  used to emphasize that someone has a particular quality completely//   complete, total//  --I felt a perfect idiot.//    perfectly//    practice makes perfect at practice(9),  present perfect,  past perfect//\nperfect 2   v [T]   to make something as good as you are able to//  --Mock trials help students perfect their legal skills.//\nperfect 3   n   the perfect//   technical the form of a verb which is used when talking about a period of time up to and including the present. In English it is formed with ’have’ and the past participle//   present perfect//    past perfect//


Words: perfect pitch
Meaning:
n [U]   the ability to correctly name any musical note that you hear, or to sing any note at the correct pitch without the help of an instrument//


Words: perfectible
Meaning:
adj   able to be improved or made perfect//  -- perfectibility/p[hA353]fekt[hA369]b[hA366]l[hA369]ti $ p[hA353]r-/ n  [U] //


Words: perfection
Meaning:
n [U] \n  1 the state of being perfect:  --My father expected perfection from all of us.//  --the search for technical perfection//  to perfection//   (=perfectly) //  --The beef was cooked to perfection.//\n  2 the process of making something perfect:  perfection of//  --the perfection of his golf swing//\n  3  be perfection:  to be perfect//  --Her performance was pure perfection.//


Words: perfectionist
Meaning:
n [C]   someone who is not satisfied with anything unless it is completely perfect//  --Many top athletes are perfectionists who drive themselves to excel.//  -- perfectionist adj //  -- perfectionism n  [U] //


Words: perfectly
Meaning:
W3S2   adv \n  1 completely - used to emphasize what you are saying:  --It’s perfectly normal to be nervous before a performance.//  --The sale was perfectly legal.//  --You can get a perfectly good coat at Sears for a lot less money.//\n  2 in a perfect way:  --The plan worked perfectly.//  --The steaks were perfectly cooked.//


Words: perfidious
Meaning:
adj  literary   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: perfidiosus, from  perfidia  ’disloyalty’, from  perfidus  ’disloyal’, from  per fidem decipere  ’to deceive by trust’]//  someone who is perfidious is not loyal and cannot be trusted//   treacherous//


Words: perforated
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: , past participle of  perforare  ’to make a hole through’]//  something that is perforated has a hole or holes cut or torn in it//  --a perforated eardrum//  --perforated coupons//


Words: perforation
Meaning:
n  formal \n  1 [C usually plural] a small hole in something, especially one of a line of holes made in a piece of paper so that it can be torn easily:  --the perforations in a sheet of stamps//\n  2 [U] when something makes a hole or holes:


Words: perform
Meaning:
W2S3   v   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Anglo-French; Origin: performer, from  Old French perfournir, from  fournir  ’to complete’]//\n  1 [I and T] to do something to entertain people, for example by acting a play or playing a piece of music:  --Chenier and the band are performing at the Silver Palace tomorrow.//  --The children perform two plays each school year.//\n  2 [T] to do something, especially something difficult or useful:   carry out//  --Surgeons performed an emergency operation.//  --The official opening ceremony was performed by Princess Margaret.//  perform a study/experiment/analysis etc //  --An analysis of the survey data was performed.//  perform a task/job/duty //  --She was fired for not performing the duties outlined in her contract.//  perform a function/role //  --software that performs a specific function//  --The leadership cannot be expected to perform miracles  (=improve a situation in a way that seems impossible) .//\n  3  perform well/badly etc:  a) to work or do something well, badly etc//    underperform//  --Many religious schools perform well academically.//  --The team performed poorly on Saturday.//  b) if a product, business etc performs well or badly, it makes a lot of money or very little money//  --The economy is performing well.//  ----------//  HINT sense 1 //  To talk about playing a particular part in a play, film etc, use play not perform: John Wayne played (NOT performed) a Roman soldier in the film. //  ----------//


Words: performance
Meaning:
n \n  1 [C] :  a) when someone performs a play or a piece of music//  performance of//  --Stern’s performance of the Bruch concerto//  --The orchestra will give two more performances this week.//  --This evening’s performance will begin at 8.00 pm.//  memorable/brilliant/inspired etc performance //  --Franklin gave a memorable performance at last year’s festival.//  --a live performance by the local band Indigo//\n  2 [U and C] how well or badly a person, company etc does a particular job or activity:  --a training program to improve employees’ performance//  --Sean’s performance at school has greatly improved.//  --the country’s economic performance//  poor/good performance //  --an employee’s chances of being fired for poor performance//  --Exam results are used as performance indicators  (=things that show how well something is done) for schools.//\n  3 [U] the act of doing a piece of work, duty etc:  performance of//  --the performance of his official duties//\n  4 [U] how well a car or other machine works:  --The car’s performance on mountain roads was impressive.//  --an imaging system using high-performance  (=very effective) technology//\n  5  a performance:   BrE  spoken a process that takes a lot of unnecessary time and effort//  --Shopping at the markets turned out to be quite a performance.//


Words: performance art
Meaning:
n [U]   a type of art that can combine acting, dance, painting, film etc to express an idea//  -- performance artist n  [C] //


Words: performance-enhancing
Meaning:
adj   performance-enhancing drug/product/supplement etc//  a drug or product that is used illegally by people competing in sports events to improve their performance//


Words: performer
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 an actor, musician etc who performs to entertain people:  --circus performers//  --He was a better songwriter than performer.//\n  2  good/top/poor etc performer:  a) someone who does a particular job or activity well or badly//  --Star performers are rewarded with bonuses.//  b) a product, business etc that makes a lot of money, or that makes very little money//  --Newcastle Brown Ale is an outstanding performer in the British beer market.//


Words: perfume
Meaning:
n [U and C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: parfum, probably from  Old Proven[hA168]al perfumar  ’to perfume’, from  Latin fumare  ’to smoke’]//\n  1 a liquid with a strong pleasant smell that women put on their skin or clothing to make themselves smell nice:   scent//  --She was wearing the perfume that he’d bought her.//\n  2 a sweet or pleasant smell:   scent//  --It had the delicate perfume of roses.//  -- perfumed adj //  --perfumed soap//\nperfume 2   v [T] \n  1  literary to make a place have a sweet, pleasant smell:  --Lilacs perfumed the air.//\n  2 to put perfume on something:


Words: perfumery
Meaning:
n   plural  perfumeries  old-fashioned //\n  1 [C] a place where perfumes are made or sold:\n  2 [U] the process of making perfumes:


Words: perfunctory
Meaning:
adj  formal   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Late Latin; Origin: perfunctorius, from  Latin perfunctus, past participle of  perfungi  ’to get something done’]//  a perfunctory action is done quickly, and is only done because people expect it//  --She gave him a perfunctory smile.//  --The applause was perfunctory.//  -- perfunctorily adv //


Words: pergola
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Italian; Origin: Latin pergula]//  a structure made of posts built for plants to grow over in a garden//


Words: perhaps
Meaning:
W1S2   adv   [Date: 1400-1500; Origin: per +  haps, plural of  hap  ’chance’ (13-20 centuries) (  HAPPY)]//\n  1 used to say that something may be true, but you are not sure:   maybe//  --Perhaps she’s next door.//  --Perhaps it will snow tomorrow.//  --It won’t take so long next time, perhaps.//  --’I don’t think you understand.’ ’Well, perhaps not .’//\n  2 used to give your opinion, when you do not want to be too definite:   maybe//  --This is perhaps her finest novel yet.//  --The industrial revolution was, perhaps, the most important event in history.//\n  3 used to say that a number is only a guess:   maybe//  --The room was large, perhaps twenty feet square.//  --Perhaps 200 people were there.//\n  4  spoken used to politely ask or suggest something, or say what you are going to do:   maybe//  --I thought perhaps we’d have lunch in the garden.//  ----------//  HINT sense 1 //  May or might usually sounds more natural than perhaps ... will: You may be a little surprised when you receive this letter. //  ----------//


Words: peril
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin periculum]//\n  1 [U]  literary  or  formal great danger, especially of being harmed or killed:  in peril//  --They put their own lives in peril to rescue their friends.//  great/grave/serious peril //  --The economy is now in grave peril.//  --a voyage that was fraught with peril  (=full of danger) //\n  2 [C usually plural]  literary or formal a danger or problem in a particular activity or situation:  --the perils posed by mountaineering//  peril of//  --the perils of the sea//\n  3  do sth at your peril:  used to say that what someone is intending to do is dangerous or could cause them problems//  --Politicians ignore this issue at their peril.//


Words: perilously
Meaning:
adv  literary  or  formal   in a way that is dangerous and likely to result in something bad soon//   dangerously//  --Karpov, the champion, came perilously close to losing.//


Words: perimeter
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: perim[hA169]tre, from  Latin, from  Greek, from  peri- (  PERICARDIUM) +  metron  ’measure’]//\n  1 the border around an enclosed area such as a military camp:  perimeter of//  --the perimeter of the airfield//  perimeter fence/wall //  --A mine blew a hole in the perimeter wall.//\n  2 the whole length of the border around an area or shape:  perimeter of//  --Calculate the perimeter of the rectangle.//    circumference//


Words: perinatal
Meaning:
adj  technical   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: peri- (from  Greek;   PERICARDIUM) +  natal]//  at or around the time of birth//    antenatal, post natal//  --a high rate of perinatal mortality//


Words: period
Meaning:
n [C]   ----------//\n   1 length of time:\n   2 life/history:\n   3 blood:\n   4 mark:\n   5 school:\n   6 sports:\n   7 for emphasis:  ----------//  [Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: periode, from  Latin, from  Greek, from  peri- (  PERICARDIUM) +  hodos  ’way’]//\n  1 LENGTH OF TIME:  a particular length of time with a beginning and an end//  --Tomorrow’s weather will be dry with sunny periods.//  period of//  --His playing improved in a very short period of time .//  --a brief period of silence//  --The drug was tested over a five-week period.//  --They adopted the system for a trial period  (=time in which something is tested to see if it works well) .//\n  2 LIFE/HISTORY:  a particular time in someone’s life or in history//  --the conflict of the Cold War period//  --Van Gogh’s early period//  --the Jurassic period//  --the behaviour of children during the period of adolescence//\n  3 BLOOD:  the flow of blood that comes from a woman’s body each month//    menstrual period//  --I was twelve years old when I started my periods .//\n  4 MARK:   AmE the mark (.), used in of writing to show the end of a sentence or of an abbreviation//  British Equivalent:  full stop//\n  5 SCHOOL:  one of the equal parts that the school day is divided into//  British Equivalent:  lesson//  --What class do you have first period?//  period of//  --a double period of Science//\n  6 SPORTS:  one of the equal parts that a game is divided into in a sport such as ice hockey//  --The Bruins scored twice in the first period.//\n  7 FOR EMPHASIS:   period!//   AmE  spoken used to emphasize that you have made a decision and that you do not want to discuss the subject any more//   full stop!//  --I’m not going, period!//\nperiod 2 adj   period costume/furniture etc//  clothes, furniture etc in the style of a particular time in history//  --actors dressed in period costume//


Words: period pain
Meaning:
n [U and C]  especially BrE   pain that a woman gets when she has her period//  American Equivalent:  cramps//


Words: period piece
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 an old piece of furniture or work of art:  --a house furnished with period pieces//\n  2 a film, play, book etc whose story takes place during a particular period in history:  --a period piece based on a book by E.M. Forster//


Words: periodic
Meaning:
adj  also periodical  [only before noun]   happening a number of times, usually at regular times//  --periodic home visits by nurses//  -- periodically/-kli/ adv //  --Teachers meet periodically to discuss progress.//


Words: periodic table
Meaning:
n   the periodic table//  a list of elements (=simple chemical substances) arranged according to their atomic structure//


Words: periodontal
Meaning:
adj  technical   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: peri- (from  Greek;   PERICARDIUM) +  Greek odous  ’tooth’]//  relating to the part of the mouth at the base of the teeth//  --periodontal disease//


Words: peripatetic
Meaning:
adj  formal   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: French; Origin: peripatetique, from  Latin, from  Greek, from  peripatein  ’to walk up and down’]//  travelling from place to place, especially in order to do your job//  --a peripatetic music teacher//


Words: peripheral
Meaning:
adj \n  1  formal not as important as other things or people in a particular activity, idea, or situation:  --a diplomat who had a peripheral role in the negotiations//  --Her involvement in the case was peripheral.//  peripheral to//  --The romance is peripheral to the main plot of the movie.//\n  2  formal in the outer area of something, or relating to this area:  --the city’s peripheral suburbs//  --the peripheral nervous system//\n  3  peripheral vision:  your ability to see things to the side of you when you look straight ahead//\n  4  technical peripheral equipment can be connected to a computer and used with it:  -- peripherally adv //\nperipheral 2 n [C]  technical   a piece of equipment that is connected to a computer and used with it, for example a printer//


Words: periphery
Meaning:
n   plural  peripheries  formal //  [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Old French; Origin: periferie, from  Late Latin, from  Greek, from  peripherein  ’to carry around’]//\n  1 [C usually singular] the edge of an area:  periphery of//  --the periphery of the crowd//  on/at the periphery//  --a residential area on the periphery of the city//    outskirts//\n  2  on/at the periphery (of sth):  a person or thing that is on the periphery of something is not one of the main people or things involved in it//  --extremists on the periphery of the animal rights movement//  --Homeopathy is on the periphery of medical practice.//


Words: periphrasis
Meaning:
n   plural  periphrases /-si[hA359]z/ [U and C] //  [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: Greek, from  periphrazein  ’to express in a periphrastic way’]//\n  1  formal when someone uses long words or phrases that are not necessary:\n  2  technical the use of auxiliary words instead of inflected forms:  -- periphrastic/per[hA369]fr[zB024]st[hA366]k[hA36B]/ adj //


Words: periscope
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: peri- (from  Greek;   PERICARDIUM) +  Greek skopos  ’look’]//  a long tube with mirrors fitted in it, used to look over the top of something, especially to see out of a submarine//


Words: perish
Meaning:
v   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: perir, from  Latin perire  ’to be destroyed’]//\n  1 [I]  formal  or  literary to die, especially in a terrible or sudden way:  --Hundreds perished when the ship went down.//\n  2 [I and T]  especially BrE if rubber or leather perishes, it decays:\n  3  perish the thought!:   spoken  old-fashioned used to say that you hope what someone has suggested will never happen//  --If we lose, perish the thought, Watford will take first place.//


Words: perishable
Meaning:
adj   food that is perishable is likely to decay quickly//  --perishable goods such as butter, milk, fruit and fish//  -- perishables n  [plural] //


Words: perishing
Meaning:
adj  BrE  spoken \n  1 very cold:  --It was perishing in the tent.//  --Let’s go indoors. I’m perishing!//\n  2  old-fashioned  informal  [only before noun] used to describe someone or something that is annoying you:  --Tell those perishing kids to shut up!//  -- perishingly adv //


Words: peritonitis
Meaning:
n [U]  technical   [Date: 1700-1800; Origin: peritoneum  ’inside wall of the abdomen’ (16-21 centuries) (from  Late Latin, from  Greek) +  -itis]//  a serious condition in which the inside wall of someone’s abdomen (=part around and below your stomach)  becomes infected and painful//


Words: periwinkle
Meaning:
n   [Sense: 1; Date: 1000-1100; Language: Latin; Origin: pervinca]//  [Sense: 2; Date: 1500-1600; Origin:  Perhaps from  Old English pinewincle, from  Latin pina type of mussel +  Old English -wincle  ’shell’]//\n  1 [C] a small plant with light blue or white flowers that grows close to the ground:\n  2 [C] a small sea animal that lives in a shell and can be eaten:   winkle//


Words: perjure
Meaning:
v   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Old French; Origin: parjurer, from  Latin perjurare, from  jurare  ’to swear’]//  perjure yourself//   law to tell a lie after promising to tell the truth in a court of law//  -- perjured adj //  --perjured evidence//  -- perjurer n  [C] //


Words: perjury
Meaning:
n [U]  law   the crime of telling a lie after promising to tell the truth in a court of law, or a lie told in this way//  --Hall was found guilty of perjury.//


Words: perk
Meaning:
n [C usually plural]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: perquisite]//  something that you get legally from your work in addition to your wages, such as goods, meals, or a car//  --theatre tickets and other perks//  perk of//  --the perks of working at a large law firm//  --I only eat here because it’s free - one of the perks of the job.//\nperk 2 v [I and T]    informal to percolate(3)//  perk up phr v//\n  1 to become more cheerful, active, and interested in what is happening around you, or to make someone feel this way:  --She seemed kind of tired, but she perked up when Helen came over.//  perk sb → up//  --There’s no doubt coffee perks you up.//\n  2 to become more active, more interesting, more attractive etc, or to make something do this:  perk sth → up//  --A little chili will perk up the sauce.//


Words: perky
Meaning:
adj  informal   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: perk  ’to behave confidently and cheerfully’;   PERK1]//  confident, happy, and active//  --a perky salesgirl//  -- perkily adv //  -- perkiness n  [U] //


Words: perm
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin:  PERMANENT WAVE]//  a process in which you make straight hair curly by using chemicals, or hair that has been treated in this way//  American Equivalent:  permanent//  --a very curly perm//\nperm 2 v [T] \n  1 to make straight hair curly by using chemicals:  --I’m going to have my hair permed .//  --her blonde permed hair//\n  2  BrE to choose and combine a number of football games from the list given in the football pools in order to try to win money:  -- perming n  [U] //  --a home perming kit//


Words: permafrost
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: permanent +  frost]//  a layer of soil that is always frozen in countries where it is very cold//


Words: permanent
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: , present participle of  permanere  ’to stay till the end’]//  continuing to exist for a long time or for all the time in the future//  → temporary//  --He gave up a permanent job in order to freelance.//  --a permanent change in your eating habits//  --The blindness that the disease causes will be permanent.//  --Miller soon became a permanent fixture  (=someone or something that is always there) on the team.//  -- permanence also permanency //   n  [U] //  --the permanence of parental love//  --our desire for some sense of permanence//\npermanent 2 n [C]    AmE a perm1//


Words: permanent press
Meaning:
n [U]   a process used to treat cloth so that it does not wrinkle easily, or cloth that has been treated in this way//


Words: permeable
Meaning:
adj  technical   material that is permeable allows water, gas etc to pass through it//  → impermeable//  --the permeable cell membrane//  -- permeability/p[hA362][hA359]mi[hA353]b[hA366]l[hA369]ti $ p[hA362][hA359]r-/ n  [U] //


Words: permeate
Meaning:
v   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: , past participle of  permeare  ’to go through’]//\n  1 [I always + adverb/preposition, T] if liquid, gas etc permeates something, it enters it and spreads through every part of it:  --The smell of diesel oil permeated the air.//  permeate through/into//  --Rain permeates through the ground to add to ground water levels.//\n  2 [T] if ideas, beliefs, emotions etc permeate something, they are present in every part of it:  --Racism continues to permeate our society.//  --An emotional intensity permeates every one of O’Connor’s songs.//


Words: permissible
Meaning:
adj  formal   allowed by law or by the rules//   allowable//  → impermissible//  --the maximum permissible level of radiation//


Words: permission
Meaning:
W3S2   n [U]   when someone is officially allowed to do something//  --You must ask permission before taking any photographs inside the church.//  --They didn’t have permission to cross the frontier.//  --Who gave him permission to leave class early?//  permission from//  --He obtained permission from his boss before talking to the press.//  permission for//  --the Council’s decision to refuse permission for the development//  --Pages should not be copied  without the permission of  the publisher.//  -- With your permission , I should like to visit Mrs Thorne myself.//  --The paintings are reproduced by kind permission of the National Gallery.//    planning permission//  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 1 //  ask/request/apply for permission //  give/grant permission //  get/obtain/receive permission //  have permission (to do something) //  refuse/deny (somebody) permission //  with/without (somebody’s) permission //  special/written permission //  by kind permission of somebody formal (=used for saying who allowed something) //  HINT sense 1 //  Permission is an uncountable noun. Do not say ’a permission’ or ’the permission’. //  ----------//


Words: permissive
Meaning:
adj   not strict, and allowing behaviour that many other people would disapprove of//  --parents who are too permissive//  --a permissive society //  -- permissiveness n  [U] //  --permissiveness in education//


Words: permit
Meaning:
W3   v   past tense and past participle  permitted present participle  permitting  formal //  [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: permittere  ’to let through, allow’]//\n  1 [T] to allow something to happen, especially by an official decision, rule, or law:  --Smoking is only permitted in the public lounge.//  permit sb to do sth//  --As a punishment, she was not permitted to attend any school activities.//  permit sth in/near etc sth//  --Dogs are not permitted inside the shop.//  permit sb sth//  --The bill would permit workers twelve weeks of unpaid leave for family emergencies.//  --He had more than the permitted level of alcohol in his blood.//\n  2 [I and T] to make it possible for something to happen:  --The large windows permit a clear view of the lake.//  permit sb to do sth//  --The moon permitted me to see a little way into the distance.//  --I’ll see you after the meeting, if time permits  (=if it finishes early enough) .//  --We’ll have a picnic at the beach, weather permitting  (=if the weather is good enough) .//\npermit 2   n [C]   an official written statement giving you the right to do something//  permit for//  --A permit is required for fishing in the canal.//  travel/parking/export etc permit //  --Hikers need a camping permit for overnight stays in the park.//    work permit//


Words: permutation
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: permutacion, from  Latin, from  permutare  ’to change completely’]//  one of the different ways in which a number of things can be arranged//  --a sandwich shop that sells every possible permutation of meat and bread//    combination//


Words: pernicious
Meaning:
adj  formal   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: pernicieux, from  Latin perniciosus, from  pernicies  ’destruction’, from  nex  ’violent death’]//  very harmful or evil, often in a way that you do not notice easily//  --the pernicious effects of poverty//  --the media’s pernicious influence//  -- perniciously adv //


Words: pernickety
Meaning:
adj  BrE  informal   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin:  Perhaps from  particular]//  worrying too much about small and unimportant things//   fussy//


Words: Pernod
Meaning:
trademark   a type of strong alcoholic drink from France, tasting of  aniseed. Pernod is a clear liquid, but it becomes cloudy when it is mixed with water.//


Words: Peron
Meaning:
Eva   (1919-52) an Argentinian actress who married Juan Peron in 1945. When he became president of Argentina in 1946, she became active in social and educational work in the country, and this made her extremely popular.//\n Juan Domingo   (1895-1974) an army officer who became president of Argentina in 1946. He and his wife Eva Peron were very popular but after she died he lost a lot of his popularity and had to leave the country in 1955. He returned and became president again in 1973.//


Words: peroration
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: peroratio, from  perorare  ’to make a long speech, come to the end of a speech’]//\n  1  technical the last part of a speech, in which the main points are repeated:\n  2  formal a long speech that sounds impressive but does not have much meaning:


Words: peroxide
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: per- (from  Latin, from  per;   PER) +  oxide]//  a liquid chemical used to make hair light in colour or to kill bacteria//  --her waist-length peroxide blonde hair (=hair made light yellow using peroxide) //


Words: perpendicular
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: perpendiculer, from  Latin, from   perpendiculum  ’plumb line’, from  pendere  ’to hang’]//\n  1 not leaning to one side or the other but exactly vertical:    vertical, horizontal//  --a perpendicular line//  --a perpendicular wall of rock//\n  2  be perpendicular to sth:  if one line is perpendicular to another line, they form an angle of 90 degrees//   at right angles to//  --a road perpendicular to the highway//\n  3  Perpendicular:  in the style of 14th and 15th century English churches, which are decorated with straight, upright lines//  -- perpendicularly adv //\nperpendicular 2 n [singular]   an exactly vertical position or line//


Words: perpetrate
Meaning:
v [T]  formal   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: , past participle of  perpetrare  ’to achieve something’]//  to do something that is morally wrong or illegal//    commit//  --Who could have perpetrated such a dreadful crime?//  -- perpetration/p[hA362][hA359]p[hA369]tre[hA366][hA35D][hA353]n $ p[hA362][hA359]r-/ n  [U] //


Words: perpetrator
Meaning:
n [C]  formal   someone who does something morally wrong or illegal//    culprit//  --The perpetrators were never caught.//  perpetrator of//  --The perpetrators of racially motivated violence must be punished.//


Words: perpetual
Meaning:
adj [usually before noun]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: perpetuel, from  Latin perpetuus, from  petere  ’to go to’]//\n  1 continuing all the time without changing or stopping:   continuous//  --the perpetual noise of the machines//  --a little girl with a perpetual smile//\n  2 repeated many times in a way that annoys you:   continual//  --my mother’s perpetual nagging//\n  3  literary permanent:  --the perpetual snows of the mountaintops//  -- perpetually adv //


Words: perpetual motion
Meaning:
n [U]   the ability of a machine to always continue moving without getting energy from anywhere else, which is not considered possible//


Words: perpetuate
Meaning:
v [T]   to make a situation, attitude etc, especially a bad one, continue to exist for a long time//  --an education system that perpetuates the divisions in our society//  -- perpetuation/p[hA353]pet[hA35D]ue[hA366][hA35D][hA368]n $ p[hA353]r-/ n  [U] //


Words: perpetuity
Meaning:
n   in perpetuity//   law for all future time//   forever//  --The land had been promised to the Indian tribes in perpetuity.//


Words: perplex
Meaning:
v [T]   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin: perplex  ’perplexed’ (14-17 centuries), from  Latin perplexus, from  plexus  ’twisted together’]//  if something perplexes you, it makes you feel confused and worried because it is difficult to understand//   puzzle//  --Shea’s symptoms perplexed the doctors.//  -- perplexing adj //  --a perplexing problem//


Words: perplexed
Meaning:
adj   confused and worried by something that you do not understand//   puzzled//  --The student looked at him, perplexed.//  --Perplexed investors tried to work out what the deal meant.//  -- perplexedly/p[hA353]pleks[hA369]dli, -plekstli $ p[hA353]r-/ adv //


Words: perplexity
Meaning:
n   plural  perplexities //\n  1 [U] the feeling of being confused or worried by something you cannot understand:\n  2 [C usually plural] something that is complicated or difficult to understand:  --moral perplexities//


Words: perquisite
Meaning:
n [C]  formal   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Medieval Latin; Origin: , past participle of  perquirere  ’to buy, obtain’]//  a perk1//


Words: Perrier
Meaning:
trademark   a type of  mineral water from Verg[hA169]ze in the south of France, which naturally has a lot of bubbles in it//  --Could I have two beers and a Perrier, please?//


Words: Perry
Meaning:
Fred   (1909-95) a British tennis player who won the men’s  singles competition at  Wimbledon three times (1934-36). He later started a successful company making sports clothes.//


Words: Perry Mason
Meaning:
the main character in the books of Erle Stanley  Gardner and in the US television programme  Perry Mason (1957-66), about a defence lawyer who always finds out who the criminals are in the legal cases he has to defend//


Words: persecute
Meaning:
v [T]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: French; Origin: persecuter, from  Latin persecutus, past participle of  persequi  ’to pursue, follow’]//\n  1 to treat someone cruelly or unfairly over a period of time, especially because of their religious or political beliefs:  --The Puritans left England to escape being persecuted.//\n  2 to deliberately cause difficulties for someone by annoying them often:   harass//  --Like many celebrities, she complained of being persecuted by the press.//  -- persecutor n  [C] //  -- persecution/p[hA362][hA359]s[hA366]kju[hA359][hA35D][hA368]n $ p[hA362][hA359]r-/ n  [U and C] //  --the persecution of writers who criticize the government//


Words: Persephone
Meaning:
in Greek  mythology, the daughter of  Zeus who was taken to the  Underworld (=the place under the ground where the spirits of dead people live)  by  Pluto, the god of the Underworld, and made queen there. Zeus allowed her to return, but only for six months each year, from the beginning of spring to the end of summer. As a result, she represents death and rebirth, and the change from winter into spring. In Roman mythology her name is Proserpina, and in English she is sometimes called Proserpine.//


Words: perseverance
Meaning:
n [U]   determination to keep trying to achieve something in spite of difficulties - use this to show approval//  --It took perseverance to overcome his reading problems.//


Words: persevere
Meaning:
v [I]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: perseverer, from  Latin perseverare, from  severus;   SEVERE]//  to continue trying to do something in a very determined way in spite of difficulties - use this to show approval//  --It can be tricky at first, but persevere.//  persevere with//  --He persevered with his task until he had succeeded in collecting an armful of firewood.//  persevere in (doing) sth//  --She had persevered in her claim for compensation.//  -- persevering adj //


Words: Persian
Meaning:
adj   relating to Iran, its people, or its language, especially in the time when it was called Persia//  --the Persian Empire//  --a Persian carpet//\nPersian 2 n \n  1 [C] someone from Iran, especially in the time when it was called Persia:\n  2 [U] the language used in Iran:   Farsi//


Words: Persian Gulf
Meaning:
the Persian Gulf//   also the Arabian Gulf //   , the Gulf //  a part of the Indian Ocean between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula//


Words: persimmon
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Algonquian; Origin: pessemmins]//  a soft orange-coloured fruit that grows in hot countries//


Words: persist
Meaning:
v   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: persister, from  Latin persistere, from  sistere  ’to stand firm’]//\n  1 [I and T] to continue to do something, although this is difficult, or other people oppose it:  persist in (doing) sth//  --He persisted in his refusal to admit responsibility.//  persist with//  --She persisted with her studies in spite of financial problems.//  --’I don’t think it’s right,’ John persisted.//\n  2 [I] if something bad persists, it continues to exist or happen:  --If the pain persists, you must see a doctor.//


Words: persistence
Meaning:
n [U] \n  1 determination to do something even though it is difficult or other people oppose it:  --Her persistence paid off when she was offered the job of manager.//  --’Why can’t I come?’ repeated Will with dogged persistence .//\n  2 when something continues to exist or happen, especially for longer than is usual or desirable:  persistence of//  --the persistence of high unemployment in the post-war years//


Words: persistent
Meaning:
adj \n  1 [usually before noun] continuing to exist or happen, especially for longer than is usual or desirable:  --persistent rumours//  --persistent headaches//  --a persistent problem//  --persistent rain//\n  2 continuing to do something, although this is difficult, or other people warn you not to do it:  --If she hadn’t been so persistent she might not have gotten the job.//  --persistent efforts//  -- Persistent offenders  (=people who often break the law)  face a prison sentence.//  -- persistently adv //  --persistently low rainfall//


Words: persistent vegetative state
Meaning:
n [C]  medical   a condition in which someone’s brain is so damaged that they cannot move or talk, and their condition is unlikely to improve//


Words: persnickety
Meaning:
adj  AmE   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: pernickety  ’persnickety’ (19-21 centuries), perhaps from  particular]//  worrying too much about details that are not important - used to show disapproval//


Words: person
Meaning:
W1S2   n [C]   [Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old French; Origin: persone, from  Latin persona  ’actor’s mask, character in a play, person’, probably from  Etruscan phersu  ’mask’]//\n  1 :  plural  people /pi[hA359]p[hA368]l/a human being, especially considered as someone with their own particular character//  --He was a very nice person, always pleasant and friendly.//  --The only person who really said anything helpful was Jack.//  kind/type/sort of person //  --David was not the sort of person who found it easy to talk about his feelings.//  --I like her as a person , but not as a boss.//  --I still know quite a lot of people in the village.//  --a group of young people//  city/cat/night etc person (=someone who likes a particular kind of thing) //  --I’m not a morning person.//\n  2  in person:  if you do something in person, you go somewhere and do it yourself, instead of doing something by letter, asking someone else to do it etc//  --You have to sign for it in person.//\n  3  businessperson/salesperson etc:  someone who works in business, who sells things etc//    chairperson,  spokesperson//\n  4 :  plural  persons  formal  or  law someone who is not known or not named//  --The police are appealing for any person who was in the area at this time to contact them.//  --murder by person or persons unknown //  --All 115 persons on board were killed.//\n  5  on/about your person:   formal if you have something on or about your person, you have it in your pockets or attached to you//  --Customs officers found a gun concealed about his person.//\n  6  in the person of sb:   formal used before the name of someone who you have just mentioned in a more general way//  --I was met by the police in the person of Sergeant Black.//    first person,  missing person,  person-to-person,  second person,  third person//  ----------//  GRAMMAR //  The plural of  person  is usually  people : Sixty four people (NOT persons) died in the fire. //  Persons  is also used, but only in public notices and other formal contexts : All persons born in the United States are citizens of the United States. //  People  meaning ’more than one person’ is already plural and cannot form a plural with ’s’ : A lot of British people (NOT peoples) are employed by foreign firms. //  People  meaning ’race’ or ’nation’ is countable and you can add ’s’ to form a plural in the normal way : African peoples //  ----------//


Words: person-to-person
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   involving communication between people//  --E-mail provides a way of sending person-to-person messages almost instantaneously.//


Words: persona
Meaning:
n   plural  personae /-ni[hA359]/ or  personas  [C] //  [Date: 1900-2000; Language: Latin; Origin:  PERSON]//  the way you behave when you are with other people or in a particular situation, which gives people a particular idea about your character//  --Joel has a cheerful public persona but in private he’s different.//


Words: persona non grata
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Latin; Origin: ’person not acceptable’]//   formal  be/become/be declared persona non grata//  to be not welcome in a particular place because of something that you have done - used especially when a foreign government orders you to go home//


Words: personal
Meaning:
adj \n  1 [only before noun] belonging or relating to one particular person, rather than to other people or to people in general:  --My personal view is that we shouldn’t offer him the job.//  --Style and colour are a matter of personal taste .//  --She took full personal responsibility for all the arrangements.//  --When I went to her room all her personal belongings had gone.//  --After Alan’s death, his mother received his personal effects .//  --I know from personal experience that you can’t trust Ralph.//  --the personal qualities needed to be successful in business//  --The car is for personal use only.//  -- On a personal level he felt sympathy for them, but he had a job to do.//  --celebrities with their own personal trainer //\n  2 relating to the private areas of your life:  --I don’t answer questions about my personal life .//  --May I ask you a personal question ?//  --the records will include other personal details such as nationality, date of birth and address//  --He’s got a few personal problems at the moment.//  --The envelope was marked ’Personal and Confidential’.//  --We’re not allowed to make personal phone calls at work.//\n  3 involving rude or upsetting criticism of someone:  --It’s unprofessional to make such personal remarks.//  --a bitter personal attack on the president//  --There’s no need to get personal !//  (it’s) nothing personal (=used to tell someone that you are not criticizing them) //  --It’s nothing personal, I just have to go home now.//\n  4 if you give something your personal care or attention, you deal with it yourself instead of asking someone else to do it:  --Small companies can devote more personal attention to each project.//  --As you get promoted in a firm you lose that personal contact (=meeting and dealing with people yourself) .//\n  5  personal friend:  someone who you know well, especially a famous or important person//  personal friend of//  --Apparently the director is a personal friend of hers.//\n  6 [only before noun] relating to your body or the way you look:  --Grant was always fussy about his personal appearance .//  --the importance of personal hygiene //\n  7  personal touch:  something you do to make something special, or that makes someone feel special//  --It’s those extra personal touches that make our service better.//\n  8  personal best:  the fastest time, most points etc that a sportsman or sportswoman has ever achieved//  --I ran 20.51 seconds for a personal best.//\n  9  personal development:  improvements in your character and skills//  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 1 //  somebody’s (own) personal view/opinion //  personal taste/preference //  personal possessions/property/belongings //  personal effects (=small possessions, clothing, documents etc) //  (know something from) personal experience //  personal qualities //  take a personal interest (in something) //  for personal use //  on a personal level (=used for giving your own opinion, rather than that of an organization etc you represent) //  personal trainer/bodyguard/assistant (=someone who works for you and only you) //  ----------//


Words: personal ad
Meaning:
n [C]   a short advertisement put in a newspaper or magazine by someone who wants a friend or lover//


Words: personal assistant
Meaning:
n [C] PA \n  1 someone who works for one person and helps them do their job:\n  2  BrE someone who works as a secretary for one person:


Words: personal communicator
Meaning:
n [C]   a small computer that you can carry with you and use to send, store, and receive faxes, or spoken or written messages//


Words: personal electronic device
Meaning:
n [C]   a piece of electronic equipment, such as a laptop computer or a mobile phone, that is small and easy to carry//


Words: personal organizer
Meaning:
n [C]   a small book with loose sheets of paper, or a very small computer, for recording information, addresses, meetings etc//


Words: personal space
Meaning:
n [U]   the distance that you like to keep between you and other people in order to feel comfortable, for example when you are talking to someone or travelling on a bus or train//  --She objected to this invasion of her personal space .//


Words: personal stereo
Meaning:
n [C]   headphones//  a small cassette player, CD player, or radio which you carry around with you and listen to through small headphones//    walkman//


Words: personal trainer
Meaning:
n [C]   someone whose job is to help people decide what type of exercise is best for them and show them how to do it//


Words: personality
Meaning:
W3S3   n   plural  personalities //\n  1 [U and C] someone’s character, especially the way they behave towards other people:  --He was an ambitious man with a strong personality .//  --Despite their different personalities, they became the best of friends.//  --a disease which causes changes in behaviour and personality//  -- personality traits  (=typical ways of behaving) such as calmness or enthusiasm//  --He clearly has some kind of personality disorder  (=a mental illness) .//  --He said he left the company because of a personality clash with the director (=they could not work together because they were so different) .//    split personality//\n  2 [C] someone who is very famous and often appears in the newspapers, on television etc, especially an entertainer or sports person:    celebrity//  TV/radio/sports personality //  --one of the most well-liked TV personalities//\n  3 [U] the qualities of character that make someone interesting or enjoyable to be with:  --He’s honest but he lacks personality.//\n  4 [C usually singular] someone who has a very strong character and is very different from other people:  --He was a dynamic personality in the business world.//\n  5 [C usually singular] the qualities which make a place or thing different and interesting:  --It’s partly the architecture which gives the town its personality.//


Words: personality cult
Meaning:
also  cult of personality n [C]   a situation in which people are encouraged to admire and praise a famous person, especially a political leader - used to show disapproval//


Words: personalize
Meaning:
also  personalise BrE   v [T] \n  1 to put your name or initials on something, or to decorate it in your own way, to show that it belongs to you:  --Why not do something to personalize your office?//\n  2 to design or change something so that it is suitable for a particular person:  --All the products can be personalized to the client’s exact requirements.//\n  3 to discuss a subject by talking about or criticizing the people who are involved in it, rather than talking about it in a more general way:  --the mass media’s tendency to personalize politics//  -- personalized adj //  --a personalized number plate//


Words: personally
Meaning:
S2   adv \n  1 [sentence adverb]  spoken used to emphasize that you are only giving your own opinion about something:  --Personally, I don’t think much of the idea.//  --I personally think it’s too cold to go out.//\n  2 if you do something personally, you do it yourself rather than getting someone else to do it:   in person//  --The managing director wrote personally to thank me.//  --All important work is personally approved by him.//  --I’ll see to it personally.//\n  3 used to show that one particular person is involved, rather than a group of people:  --I’m holding you personally responsible for this mess!//  --She clearly blamed me personally for the difficulties she’d been having.//\n  4  take sth personally:  to get upset by the things other people say or do, because you think that their remarks or behaviour are directed at you in particular//  --Don’t take it personally; she’s rude to everyone.//\n  5 as a friend, or as someone you have met:  --I don’t know her personally , but I like her work.//\n  6 in a way that criticizes someone’s character or appearance:  --Members of the Senate rarely attack each other personally.//\n  7 in relation to someone’s private life, rather than to their work, business, or official duties:  --She had a lasting impact on his life both personally and professionally.//


Words: personals
Meaning:
n  AmE   the personals//  the part of a newspaper in which people can have private or personal messages printed//


Words: personification
Meaning:
n \n  1  the personification of sth:  someone who is a perfect example of a quality because they have a lot of it//  --He became the personification of the financial excess of the 1980s.//\n  2 [U and C] the representation of a thing or a quality as a person, in literature or art:  personification of//  --the personification of rivers in fifth-century art//


Words: personify
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  personified present participle  personifying third person singular  personifies  [T] //\n  1 to have a lot of a particular quality or be a typical example of something:  --Carter personifies the values of self-reliance and hard work.//  kindness/generosity etc personified //  --Bertha was kindness personified.//\n  2 to think of or represent a quality or thing as a person:  personify sth as sb//  --Time is often personified as an old man.//


Words: personnel
Meaning:
W3S3   n   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: French; Origin: personne  ’person’]//\n  1 [plural] the people who work in a company, organization, or military force:    staff//  military/medical/technical etc personnel //  --senior military personnel//  --doctors and other medical personnel//  --All personnel are to receive security badges.//\n  2 [U] the department in a company that chooses people for jobs and deals with their complaints, problems etc:   human resources//  --A copy should then be sent to Personnel for our files.//  --the personnel department//


Words: perspective
Meaning:
W3   n   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Medieval Latin; Origin: perspectiva, from  perspectivus  ’of sight’, from  Latin perspicere  ’to look through, see clearly’]//\n  1 [C] a way of thinking about something, especially one which is influenced by the type of person you are or by your experiences:    viewpoint//  perspective on//  --His father’s death gave him a whole new perspective on life.//  from sb’s perspective//  --The novel is written from a child’s perspective.//  from a feminist/Christian/global etc perspective //  --We have to look at everything from an international perspective.//  --a much-needed historical perspective //  wider/broader perspective //  --Our work in Uganda and Romania adds a wider perspective.//\n  2 [U] a sensible way of judging and comparing situations so that you do not imagine that something is more serious than it really is:  --I think Viv’s lost all sense of perspective .//  --The figures have to be put into perspective .//  get/keep sth in perspective (=judge the importance of something correctly) //\n  3 [U] a method of drawing a picture that makes objects look solid and shows distance and depth, or the effect this method produces in a picture:  --the artist’s use of perspective//\n  4 [C]  formal a view, especially one in which you can see a long way into the distance:


Words: perspicacious
Meaning:
adj  formal   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: perspicax, from  perspicere;   PERSPECTIVE]//  good at judging and understanding people and situations//   perceptive//  -- perspicaciously adv //  -- perspicacity/-k[zB024]s[hA369]ti/ n  [U] //


Words: perspiration
Meaning:
n [U]  formal   liquid that appears on your skin when you are hot or nervous//   sweat//    antiperspirant//  --He wiped the beads of perspiration  (=drops) from his brow.//


Words: perspire
Meaning:
v [I]  formal   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: French; Origin: perspirer, from  Latin spirare  ’to breathe’]//  if you perspire, parts of your body become wet, especially because you are hot or have been doing hard work//   sweat//  --Willie was perspiring heavily .//


Words: persuade
Meaning:
v [T]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: persuadere, from  suadere  ’to advise’]//\n  1 to make someone decide to do something, especially by giving them reasons why they should do it, or asking them many times to do it:  persuade sb to do sth//  --I finally managed to persuade her to go out for a drink with me.//  persuade sb into doing sth//  --Don’t let yourself be persuaded into buying things you don’t want.//  try/manage/fail to persuade sb //  --I’m trying to persuade your dad to buy some shares.//  attempt/effort to persuade sb //  --Leo wouldn’t agree, despite our efforts to persuade him.//  little/a lot of/no persuading //  --He took a lot of persuading to come out of retirement (=it was hard to persuade him) .//  --He was fairly easily persuaded .//\n  2 to make someone believe something or feel sure about something:   convince//  --I am not persuaded by these arguments.//  persuade sb (that)//  --She’ll only take me back if I can persuade her that I’ve changed.//  persuade sb of sth//  --McFadden must persuade the jury of her innocence.//


Words: persuasion
Meaning:
n \n  1 [U] the act of persuading someone to do something:  --After a little gentle persuasion , Debbie agreed to let us in.//  --It had taken a great deal of persuasion to get him to accept.//  --She used all her powers of persuasion  (=skill at persuading people) to convince Tilly that it was the right thing to do.//\n  2 [C]  formal a particular type of belief, especially a political or religious one:  political/religious persuasion //  --We need people with talent, whatever their political persuasions.//  --politicians of all persuasions //\n  3  of the ... persuasion:   formal of a particular type - often used humorously//  --an ancient bed of the iron persuasion//


Words: persuasive
Meaning:
adj   able to make other people believe something or do what you ask//  --Trevor can be very persuasive.//  persuasive argument/evidence //  --a persuasive argument against capital punishment//  -- persuasively adv //  -- persuasiveness n  [U] //


Words: pert
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: apert  ’open, speaking freely’, from  Latin apertus]//\n  1 a girl or woman who is pert is amusing, but slightly disrespectful:  --Angie gave him one of her pert little glances.//\n  2 a pert part of the body is small, firm, and attractive:  --a pert bottom//  -- pertly adv //  -- pertness n  [U] //


Words: pertain
Meaning:
v   pertain to [pertain to sth] phr v//  [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: partenir, from  Latin pertinere]//   formal to relate directly to something//  --legislation pertaining to employment rights//


Words: Perth
Meaning:
1 a city in southwest Australia, capital of the state of Western Australia and the largest city in the western part of the country:\n  2 a city in central Scotland on the River Tay:


Words: pertinacious
Meaning:
adj  formal   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: pertinax, from  tenax;   TENACIOUS]//  continuing to believe something or to do something in a very determined way//   tenacious//  -- pertinaciously adv //  -- pertinacity/-n[zB024]s[hA369]ti/ n  [U] //


Words: pertinent
Meaning:
adj  formal   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin, present participle of  pertinere;   PERTAIN]//  directly relating to something that is being considered//   relevant//  --He asked me a lot of very pertinent questions .//  pertinent to//  --The last point is particularly pertinent to today’s discussion.//  -- pertinently adv //  -- pertinence n  [U] //


Words: perturbation
Meaning:
n \n  1 [U and C]  technical a small change in the movement, quality, or behaviour of something:  --climatic perturbations//\n  2 [U]  formal worry about something that has happened or will happen:


Words: perturbed
Meaning:
adj  formal   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: perturber, from  Latin perturbare]//  worried about something that has happened or will happen//  --William looked a little perturbed.//  perturbed by/at/about//  --He didn’t seem perturbed by the noises outside.//  perturbed that//  --He was perturbed that she didn’t look happy.//  -- perturb v  [T] //  --My unexpected arrival didn’t perturb him in the least.//


Words: Peru
Meaning:
a country on the west coast of South America, north of Bolivia and south of Ecuador. Population: 27,484,000 (2001). Capital: Lima. The high  Andes Mountains cover a large part of the country.//


Words: peruse
Meaning:
v [T]   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin:  Probably from  Latin per-  ’thoroughly’ +  English use]//   formal to read something, especially in a careful way//  --She leant forward to peruse the document more closely.//  -- perusal n  [U and C] //


Words: pervade
Meaning:
v [T]  formal   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: pervadere, from  vadere  ’to go’]//  if a feeling, idea, or smell pervades a place, it is present in every part of it//  --A spirit of hopelessness pervaded the country.//


Words: pervasive
Meaning:
adj   existing everywhere//  --the pervasive influence of television//  --the all-pervasive mood of apathy//  -- pervasiveness n  [U] //


Words: perverse
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: , past participle of  pervertere;   PERVERT1]//  behaving in an unreasonable way, especially by deliberately doing the opposite of what people want you to do//  --He gets perverse satisfaction from embarrassing people.//  -- perversely adv //  --Perversely, she was irritated by his kindness.//


Words: perversion
Meaning:
n [U and C] \n  1 a type of sexual behaviour that is considered unnatural and unacceptable:\n  2 the process of changing something that is natural and good into something that is unnatural and wrong, or the result of such a change:  perversion of//  --a perversion of the true meaning of democracy//


Words: pervert
Meaning:
v [T]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: pervertir, from  Latin pervertere, from  vertere  ’to turn’]//\n  1 to change something in an unnatural and often harmful way:  --Genetic scientists are often accused of perverting nature.//\n  2 to influence someone so that they begin to think or behave in an immoral way:   corrupt//  --TV violence perverts the minds of young children.//\n  3  pervert the course of justice:   law to deliberately prevent a fair examination of the facts about a crime//\npervert 2   n [C]   someone whose sexual behaviour is considered unnatural and unacceptable//


Words: perverted
Meaning:
adj \n  1 morally wrong:  --He derives a perverted pleasure from hurting other people.//  --the perverted logic of terrorism//\n  2 sexually unacceptable or unnatural:


Words: peseta
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Spanish; Origin: peso;   PESO]//  the standard unit of money used in Spain before the Euro//


Words: pesky
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]  informal  especially AmE   [Date: 1700-1800; Origin:  Probably from  pest]//  annoying//  --Those pesky kids!//


Words: peso
Meaning:
n   plural  pesos  [C] //  [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Spanish; Origin: Latin pensum  ’weight’]//  the standard unit of money in the Philippines and in various Latin American countries including Mexico, Cuba, and Colombia//


Words: pessary
Meaning:
n   plural  pessaries  [C] //\n  1 a small block of medicine which a woman puts into her vagina in order to cure an infection or to stop herself becoming pregnant:\n  2 an instrument put into a woman’s vagina to support her womb:


Words: pessimism
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: French; Origin: pessimisme, from  Latin pessimus  ’worst’]//  a tendency to believe that bad things will happen//  → optimism//  pessimism about/over//  --There is deep pessimism about the future.//


Words: pessimist
Meaning:
n [C]   someone who always expects that bad things will happen//  → optimist//  --Don’t be such a pessimist!//


Words: pessimistic
Meaning:
adj   expecting that bad things will happen in the future or that something will have a bad result//  → optimistic//  --a pessimistic view of life//  pessimistic about//  --He remains deeply pessimistic about the peace process.//  -- pessimistically/-kli/ adv //


Words: pest
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: peste  ’plague’, from  Latin pestis]//\n  1 a small animal or insect that destroys crops or food supplies:    vermin//  --a chemical used in pest control//\n  2  informal an annoying person, especially a child:


Words: pester
Meaning:
v [I and T]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Old French; Origin: empestrer  ’to prevent from moving properly’, from  Vulgar Latin pastoria  ’something that ties animals’ legs together’; influenced by  pest]//  to annoy someone, especially by asking them many times to do something//  --She’d been pestered by reporters for days.//  pester sb for sth//  --I can’t even walk down the street without being continually pestered for money.//  pester sb to do sth//  --The kids have been pestering me to buy them new trainers.//


Words: pester power
Meaning:
n [U]   the ability that children have to make their parents buy things or do things for them by asking them again and again//


Words: pesticide
Meaning:
n [U and C]   a chemical substance used to kill insects and small animals that destroy crops//    herbicide//


Words: pestilence
Meaning:
n [U and C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: Latin pestilentia, from  pestis;   PEST]//   literary a disease that spreads quickly and kills a lot of people//


Words: pestle
Meaning:
n [C]   pestle, mortar//  [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin pistillum;   PISTIL]//  a short stick with a heavy round end, used for crushing things in a mortar (=a special bowl) //


Words: pesto
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1900-2000; Language: Italian; Origin: pestare  ’to crush’]//  a sauce made from basil, garlic, pine nuts, olive oil, and cheese//


Words: pet
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin:  Perhaps from  petty  ’small’]//\n  1 [C] an animal such as a cat or a dog which you keep and care for at home:  --Rabbits can make very good pets.//  pet dog/cat/bird etc //  --He was bitten by his pet dog.//  --pet food//  --a pet shop//    teacher’s pet//\n  2  BrE  spoken used when speaking to someone you like or love:  --Don’t cry, pet.//\npet 2   past tense and past participle  petted present participle  petting  v [T] //  to touch and move your hand gently over someone, especially an animal or a child//    stroke//  --Our cat loves being petted.//    petting//\npet 3 adj \n  1  pet project/theory/subject:  a plan, idea, or subject that you particularly like or are interested in//\n  2  pet hate:   BrE pet peeve  AmE something that you strongly dislike because it always annoys you//  --TV game shows are one of my pet hates.//    pet name//


Words: PET scan
Meaning:
n [C]  medical   positron emission tomography scan a type of medical test that can produce a picture of areas in your body where cells are very active, for example the brain or where a tumour is growing//


Words: PETA
Meaning:
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals a US organization that works to prevent cruelty to animals. Its members protest against  vivisection and against people wearing clothes made of fur//


Words: petaflop
Meaning:
n [C usually plural]   a unit that measures how fast a computer works. One petaflop is one million billion operations every second//


Words: Petain
Meaning:
Marshal Henri   (1856-1951) a French soldier and politician who was one of the main military commanders of World War I. During World War II, he became Prime Minister of France and was head of the  right wing government in Vichy, which helped the Nazi army that controlled France. After the war he was put in prison for being a  collaborator (=someone who helps an enemy during war) .//


Words: petal
Meaning:
n [C]   leaf, petal, stem, stalk//  [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Modern Latin; Origin: petalum, from  Greek petalon]//  one of the coloured parts of a flower that are shaped like leaves//  --rose petals//  --The flower has seven petals.//


Words: peter
Meaning:
v   peter out phr v//  [Date: 1800-1900; Origin:  Origin unknown]//  to gradually become smaller, less, weaker etc and then come to an end//  --The road became narrower and eventually petered out.//  --Public interest in the environment is in danger of petering out.//


Words: Peter Pan
Meaning:
1 the main character in the play  Peter Pan (1904) by J. M.  Barrie, which has also been made into films.. He is a young boy who never grows up but lives in a magic place called  Never-Never Land and can fly. Three children, Michael, John, and Wendy, are taken by Peter Pan and a  fairy called  Tinkerbell to stay in Never-Never Land, where they have many adventures.:\n  2 a man who never seems to get older or grow up:  --the Peter Pan of the music business//


Words: Peter Rabbit
Meaning:
a character from children’s stories by Beatrix  Potter. He is a young rabbit who often does things that he is not supposed to do, but his mother still forgives him and loves him.//


Words: Peter’s pence
Meaning:
1 money given by Roman Catholics in many countries to help to pay for the running of the  Vatican (=the offices of the Pope) :\n  2 a tax of one penny which each person in England had to pay to the  Pope until  Henry VIII stopped it in 1534:


Words: Petipa
Meaning:
Marius   (1819-1910) a French  ballet dancer and choreographer (=someone who arranges the way dancers move)  who began the modern classical ballet. He was the choreographer for more than sixty ballets, including the famous ballets The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and The Sleeping Beauty.//


Words: petit bourgeois
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: French; Origin: ’little citizen’]//  another spelling of petty bourgeois//


Words: petit four
Meaning:
n   plural  petits fours  [C] //  [Date: 1800-1900; Language: French; Origin: ’small oven’]//  a small sweet cake or biscuit served with coffee//


Words: petit mal
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: French; Origin: ’small illness’]//   medical a form of epilepsy which is not very serious//    grand mal//


Words: petite
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: petit  ’small’ used for feminine nouns]//  a woman who is petite is short and attractively thin//


Words: petition
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin petitio, from  petere  ’to try to get or find’]//\n  1 a written request signed by a lot of people, asking someone in authority to do something or change something:  petition for/against//  --a petition against the new road//  --They wanted me to sign a petition against experiments on animals.//  --Local residents have drawn up a petition to protest the hospital closure.//  -- petition drive  AmE (=an attempt to get a lot of people to sign a petition) //\n  2  law an official letter to a law court, asking for a legal case to be considered:  petition for//  --She is threatening to file a petition for divorce.//\n  3  formal a formal prayer or request to someone in authority or to God:\npetition 2 v [I and T] \n  1 to ask the government or an organization to do something by sending them a petition:  petition sb to do sth//  --Villagers petitioned the local authority to provide better bus services.//  petition against/for//  --Residents are petitioning against the new road.//\n  2  law  or  formal to make a formal request to someone in authority, to a court of law, or to God:  petition for//  --More and more couples are petitioning for divorce .//


Words: petitioner
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 someone who writes or signs a petition:\n  2  law someone who asks for a legal case to be considered in a court of law:


Words: Peto Institute
Meaning:
the   an institution in Budapest, Hungary, started by Dr Andras Peto in 1945, which teaches children who have  cerebral palsy and cannot control their bodies properly to lead more independent lives by means of  conductive education//


Words: Petra
Meaning:
an ancient city in Jordan, where buildings are cut into pink-coloured rock. It is sometimes called "the rose-red city, half as old as time", and is visited by many tourists.//


Words: Petrarch
Meaning:
(1304-1374) an Italian poet whose best known works include the Canzoniere, a collection of poems, mostly  sonnets, about his love for a woman named Laura//


Words: Petri dish
Meaning:
n [C]   a small clear dish with a cover which is used by scientists, especially for growing bacteria//


Words: petrified
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: French; Origin: petrifier, from  Greek petra  ’rock’]//\n  1 extremely frightened, especially so frightened that you cannot move or think:  petrified of//  --I’m petrified of spiders.//  petrified with fright/fear //  --He was petrified with fear when he saw the gun.//\n  2  petrified wood/trees etc:  wood, trees etc that have changed into stone over a long period of time//  -- petrify v  [T] //


Words: Petrified Forest
Meaning:
the Petrified Forest//  a large  national park in eastern Arizona, US, where the rock surfaces show  fossils (=ancient plants and trees that have been preserved in rock) //


Words: petrochemical
Meaning:
n [C]   any chemical substance obtained from petroleum or natural gas//  --the petrochemical industry//


Words: petrodollars
Meaning:
n [plural]   money earned by the sale of oil//  --the flow of petrodollars into the American economy//


Words: petrol
Meaning:
S3   n [U]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: petrole, from  Medieval Latin petroleum;   PETROLEUM]//   BrE a liquid obtained from petroleum that is used to supply power to the engine of cars and other vehicles//  American Equivalent:  gasoline//  --unleaded petrol//  --petrol prices//  --The petrol tank is leaking.//


Words: petrol bomb
Meaning:
n [C]    BrE a simple bomb consisting of a bottle filled with petrol and a lighted cloth//   molotov cocktail//


Words: petrol station
Meaning:
n [C]    BrE a place where you can take your car and fill it with petrol//  American Equivalent:  gas station//


Words: petroleum
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Medieval Latin; Origin: petroleum, from  Latin petr- (from  Greek petra  ’rock’) +  oleum (  OIL1)]//  oil that is obtained from below the surface of the Earth and is used to make petrol, paraffin, and various chemical substances//  --petroleum-based products//


Words: petticoat
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1400-1500; Origin: petty  ’small’ +  coat]//   BrE a piece of women’s underwear like a thin skirt or dress that is worn under a skirt or dress//   slip//


Words: petting
Meaning:
n [U] \n  1 the activity of kissing and touching someone as part of a sexual activity:    heavy petting//\n  2 the action of touching and moving your hand gently over an animal:    pet2 //


Words: petty
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: peti  ’small’]//\n  1 a petty problem, detail etc is small and unimportant:   trivial//  --petty squabbles//  --petty restrictions//\n  2 unkind and caring too much about small unimportant things:  --How can she be so petty?//  --petty jealousy and spitefulness//\n  3  petty crime:  a crime that is not serious, for example stealing things that are not very valuable//\n  4  petty criminal/thief etc:  a criminal whose crimes are not very serious//\n  5 a petty official is not important - used especially when they use their power as if they were important:  --Some petty bureaucrat wanted all the documents in triplicate.//  -- pettiness n  [U] //  --the pettiness of Hollywood//


Words: petty bourgeois
Meaning:
also  petit bourgeois/ $ .. ../ adj \n  1 paying too much attention to things such as social position, money, and possessions - used to show disapproval:\n  2 belonging to the group of lower middle class people:  -- petty bourgeois n  [C] //


Words: petulant
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: Latin, from  petere;   PETITION1]//  behaving in an unreasonably impatient and angry way, like a child//  -- petulantly adv //  --’Which one?’ he demanded petulantly.//  -- petulance n  [U] //


Words: petunia
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Modern Latin; Origin: from early  French petun  ’tobacco’, from  Tupi petyn]//  a garden plant which has pink, purple, or white trumpet -shaped flowers//


Words: pew
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: puie, from  Latin podia, plural of  podium;   PODIUM]//\n  1 a long wooden seat in a church:\n  2  take a pew:   BrE  spoken used humorously to invite someone to sit down//\npew 2 interjection  AmE  spoken   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: pooh]//  used when something smells very bad//


Words: pewter
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: peutre]//  a grey metal made by mixing lead and tin//  --a pewter plate//


Words: Peyton Place
Meaning:
a novel by Grace Metalious that was made into a very popular television  soap opera (1964-68), about the lives of a group of people in a small town in  New England. People sometimes say that a situation is like Peyton Place when they mean that a group of people have many secrets and complicated emotional relationships.//


Words: PG
Meaning:
n [singular, U]  BrE   parental guidance used to show that a film includes parts that parents may feel are not suitable for young children//


Words: PGA
Meaning:
the   Professional Golfers’ Association a US organization for those who make money from  golf, either by playing it, running golf courses, or teaching. The organization runs the PGA Championship, a golfing competition.//


Words: PGCE
Meaning:
n [C]   Postgraduate Certificate of Education  BrE a course and examination in teaching done by someone who already has a university degree//  --I came to Birmingham to do a PGCE .//


Words: pH
Meaning:
n  also pH value  [singular]   [Date: 1900-2000; Language: German; Origin: potenz  ’power’ +  H, sign for hydrogen]//  a number on a scale of 0 to 14 which shows how acid or alkaline a substance is//  pH of//  --soil with a pH of 3.1//


Words: phalanx
Meaning:
n   plural  phalanxes  [C]  formal //  [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: Greek,  ’line of a battle, bone of a finger or toe’]//  a large group of people or things standing close together so that it is difficult to go through them//  phalanx of//  --A solid phalanx of policemen blocked the road.//


Words: phallus
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: Greek phallos]//\n  1 a model of the male sex organ, used to represent sexual power:\n  2 the male sex organ:   penis//


Words: phantasm
Meaning:
n [U and C]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: fantasme, from  Latin phantasma, from  Greek, from  phantazein  ’to present to the mind’]//   literary something that exists only in your imagination//   illusion//


Words: phantasmagoria
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: French; Origin: phantasme (from  Old French fantasme;   PHANTASM) +  -agorie (probably from  Greek ageirein  ’to collect together’)]//   literary a confused, changing, strange scene, like something from a dream//  -- phantasmagorical/-g[hA361]r[hA366]k[hA368]l $ -g[hA350][hA359]-/ adj //


Words: phantom
Meaning:
n [C]  literary   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: fantosme, from  Latin phantasma;   PHANTASM]//\n  1 the image of a dead person or strange thing that someone thinks they see:   ghost//\n  2 something that exists only in your imagination:\nphantom 2 adj [only before noun] \n  1  literary seeming to appear to someone:  --a phantom ship//\n  2 not real, but seeming real to the person affected:  --a phantom pregnancy//\n  3 made to seem real in order to deceive people:  --Phantom contracts were used to make the company seem more successful than it was.//\n  4 used humorously to describe an unknown person that you blame for something annoying:  --The phantom pen stealer strikes again!//


Words: Phantom of the Opera
Meaning:
The   (1910) a book by the French writer Gaston Leroux about a frightening man whose face has been disfigured (=injured in an ugly way)  and who wears a  mask to hide it. He  kidnaps a beautiful  opera singer because he loves her. Several films and plays have been based on the story.//


Words: Pharaoh
Meaning:
,  pharaoh/fe[hA353]r[hA353][hA35E] $ fero[hA35E]/ n [C]   [Date: 800-900; Language: Late Latin; Origin: pharao, from  Greek, from  Hebrew, from  Egyptian pr-’o]//  a ruler of ancient Egypt//


Words: Pharisee
Meaning:
n   [Date: 800-900; Language: Late Latin; Origin: pharisaeus, from  Greek, from  Aramaic perishayya  ’separated ones’]//\n  1  the Pharisees [plural] a group of Jews who lived at the time of Christ and who believed in strictly obeying religious laws:\n  2 [C] someone who pretends to be religious or morally good, but who is not sincere:  -- Pharisaic/f[zB024]r[hA366]se[hA366]-[hA366]k[hA36B]/ adj //


Words: pharmaceutical
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Late Latin; Origin: pharmaceuticus, from  Greek, from  pharmakeuein  ’to give drugs’;   PHARMACY]//  relating to the production of drugs and medicines//  --the pharmaceutical industry//  --pharmaceutical products//


Words: pharmacist
Meaning:
n [C]   someone whose job is to prepare medicines in a shop or hospital//  ----------//  WORD CHOICE:pharmacist, pharmacy, chemist, chemist’s, drugstore //  A  pharmacist  is someone who prepares and sells medicines. This is the usual word in American English, but in British English  pharmacist  is slightly technical and it is more usual to use the word  chemist . //  The place where a pharmacist works is a  pharmacy . This can be a shop, part of a shop, or part of a hospital.  Pharmacy  is the usual word in American English. In British English, you usually refer to the part of a hospital that prepares and gives out medicines as a  pharmacy  , but the usual word for a shop where medicines are prepared and sold is a  chemist  or a  chemist’s .  //  In Britain chemists usually also sell other things, such as beauty and baby products. A shop like this in the United States is called a  drugstore . //  ----------//


Words: pharmacology
Meaning:
n [U]   the scientific study of drugs and medicines//  -- pharmacologist n  [C] //  -- pharmacological/f[hA35A][hA359]m[hA353]k[hA353]l[hA361]d[hA360][hA366]k[hA368]l[hA36B] $ f[hA35A][hA359]rm[hA353]k[hA353]l[hA35A][hA359]-/ adj //


Words: pharmacopoeia
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Modern Latin; Origin: Late Greek pharmakopoiia  ’making drugs’, from  Greek pharmakon (  PHARMACY) +  poiein  ’to make’]//   technical an official book giving information about medicines//


Words: pharmacy
Meaning:
n   plural  pharmacies //  [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Late Latin; Origin: pharmacia  ’giving drugs’, from  Greek, from  pharmakeuein  ’to give drugs’, from  pharmakon  ’magic liquid, poison, drug’]//\n  1 [C] a shop or a part of a shop where medicines are prepared and sold:   chemist//  --an all-night pharmacy//\n  2 [C] the place where medicines are prepared in a hospital:\n  3 [U] the study or practice of preparing drugs and medicines:


Words: pharynx
Meaning:
n   plural  pharynges /f[hA353]r[hA366]nd[hA360]i[hA359]z/ [C] //  [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Modern Latin; Origin: Greek,  ’throat’]//  the tube that goes from the back of your mouth to the place where the tube divides for food and air//


Words: phase
Meaning:
W2   n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Modern Latin; Origin: phasis, from  Greek,  ’appearance of a star, phase of the moon’, from  phanein  ’to show, appear’]//\n  1 one of the stages of a process of development or change:  --a new drug that is in the experimental phase//  phase of//  --The first phase of renovations should be finished by January.//  in phases//  --The work will be carried out in phases.//  --It’s just a phase he’s going through .//\n  2  out of phase (with sth):   BrE not happening together in the right way//  --Nizan’s views were out of phase with the political climate of the time.//\n  3  in phase (with sth):   BrE happening together in the right way//  --The electrical work will be carried out in phase with the other renovations.//\n  4  technical one of a fixed number of changes in the appearance of the moon or a  planet when it is seen from the Earth:\nphase 2 v [T usually passive]   to make something happen gradually in a planned way//  --The closure of the regional offices was phased over an 18-month period.//  --a phased withdrawal of military forces//  phase in [phase sth → in] phr v//  to gradually start using a new system, law, process etc//  --The new tests will be phased in over the next two years.//  phase out [phase sth → out] phr v//  to gradually stop using or providing something//  --The subsidy for company cars is to be phased out next year.//


Words: phat
Meaning:
adj  also phat-ass  AmE  informal   fashionable, attractive, or desirable - used by young people//  --a phat song//  --These shoes are just so phat.//


Words: PhD
Meaning:
BrE  Ph.D. AmE   n [C]   Doctor of Philosophy a university degree of a very high level, which involves doing advanced research//  PhD in//  --He’s got a PhD in Biochemistry.//  --Jacqueline Hope, PhD//  do/start/finish a PhD //


Words: pheasant
Meaning:
n [U and C]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Anglo-French; Origin: fesaunt, from  Latin, from  Greek phasianos, from  Phasis ancient river in Asia]//  a large bird with a long tail, often shot for food, or the meat of this bird//


Words: phenomenal
Meaning:
adj   very great or impressive//  --the phenomenal success of computer games in recent years//  phenomenal growth/rise/increase //  --California had experienced a phenomenal growth in population.//  --He has learned a phenomenal amount in the last two years.//  --The results have been phenomenal.//  -- phenomenally adv //  --The group have been phenomenally successful in Europe.//


Words: phenomenon
Meaning:
W3   n   plural  phenomena /-n[hA353]/ [C] //  [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Late Latin; Origin: Greek phainomenon, from  phainein  ’to show’]//\n  1 something that happens or exists in society, science, or nature, especially something that is studied because it is difficult to understand:  phenomenon of//  --the growing phenomenon of telecommuting//  --Homelessness is not a new phenomenon .//  natural/historical/social etc phenomenon //  --Language is a social and cultural phenomenon.//\n  2 something or someone that is very unusual because of a rare quality or ability that they have:


Words: pheromone
Meaning:
n [C usually plural]   [Date: 1900-2000; Language: Greek; Origin: pherein  ’to carry’ +  English -mone (as in  hormone)]//  a chemical that is produced by people’s and animals’ bodies and is thought to influence the behaviour of other people or animals//


Words: phew
Meaning:
interjection   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin:  Sound made by blowing through nearly closed lips]//  used when you feel tired, hot, or relieved//  --Phew! We finally did it.//


Words: Phi Beta Kappa
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1700-1800; Origin:  From the first letters of its  Greek motto  philosophia biou kybernetes  ’philosophy the guide of life’]//  an American society for university and college students who have done well in their studies//


Words: phial
Meaning:
n [C]   a small bottle, especially for liquid medicines//   vial//  phial of//  --a phial of morphine//


Words: Philadelphia
Meaning:
a city in the US state of Pennsylvania, which is an important port and an industrial and financial centre. Philadelphia, which is informally called Philly, is the fifth largest city in the US. The Declaration of Independence from Britain was signed in Philadelphia in 1776, and the city was the first capital of the new United States.//


Words: philanderer
Meaning:
n [C]  old-fashioned   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: philander  ’lover’ (17-19 centuries), from  Philander name given to a lover on old plays, from  Greek phil-  ’loving’ (from  philos;   -PHILE) +  aner  ’man’]//  a man who has sex with many women, without intending to have any serious relationships//  -- philandering adj //  -- philandering n  [U] //


Words: philanthropic
Meaning:
adj   a philanthropic person or institution gives money and help to people who are poor or in trouble//  -- philanthropically/-kli/ adv //


Words: philanthropy
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Late Latin; Origin: philanthropia, from  Greek, from  phil- (  PHILANDERER) +  anthropos  ’human being’]//  the practice of giving money and help to people who are poor or in trouble//


Words: philately
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: French; Origin: philatelie, from  Greek phil- (  PHILANDERER) +  ateleia  ’freedom from tax’]//  the activity of collecting stamps for pleasure//  -- philatelic/f[hA366]l[hA353]tel[hA366]k[hA36B]/ adj //  -- philatelist/f[hA369]l[zB024]t[hA368]l[hA366]st/ n  [C] //


Words: Philby
Meaning:
Kim   (1911-88) a British  spy (=someone who gives secret information to a country’s enemies) . He was a member of the British Secret Intelligence Service during and after World War II, but all the time he was secretly working for the  Soviet Union. He escaped to Russia in 1963.//


Words: Philharmonia Orchestra
Meaning:
the   an important British  orchestra (=large group of musicians playing together) , based in London and started in 1945//


Words: Philharmonic
Meaning:
adj, n [C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: French; Origin: Italian  filarmonico, from  fil- (from  Greek phil-;   PHILANDERER) +  armonia  ’harmony’]//  used in the names of orchestras//  --the Berlin Philharmonic//


Words: Philippines
Meaning:
the   a country made up of over 7000 islands off the southeast coast of Asia. Population: 82,842,000 (2001). Capital: Manila. The Philippines were a  colony of the US from 1898 until they became fully independent in 1948. People from the Philippines are called Filipinos.//


Words: Philistine
Meaning:
n [C]   in the Bible, a member of a race of people who lived in Palestine, and who were the enemies of the Israelites//


Words: philistine
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: Philistine; because the Philistines were thought by the Israelites in the Bible to be uncivilized people]//  someone who does not like or understand art, literature, music etc//  --When it comes to art, the man’s a philistine.//  -- philistine adj //  -- philistinism n  [U] //


Words: philology
Meaning:
n [U]  old-fashioned   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: philologia, from  Greek, from  phil- (  PHILANDER) +  logos  ’word, speech’]//  the study of words and of the way words and languages develop//  -- philologist n  [C] //  -- philological/f[hA366]l[hA353]l[hA361]d[hA360][hA366]k[hA368]l[hA36B] $ -l[hA35A][hA359]-/ adj //    linguistics//


Words: philosopher
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 someone who studies and develops ideas about the nature and meaning of existence, truth, good and evil etc:  --Plato, Aristotle, and other Greek philosophers//\n  2 someone who thinks deeply about the world, life etc:


Words: philosopher’s stone
Meaning:
n [singular]   an imaginary substance that was thought in the past to have the power to change any other metal into gold//


Words: philosophical
Meaning:
1 relating to philosophy:  --the philosophical problem of whether there is free will//  --a philosophical argument//\n  2 calmly accepting a difficult or unpleasant situation which cannot be changed:  philosophical about//  --Some old people are philosophical about death.//  --He was by nature a philosophical person.//  -- philosophically/-kli/ adv //


Words: philosophy
Meaning:
W3   n   plural  philosophies //  [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: philosophie, from  Latin, from  Greek, from  philosophos  ’philosopher’, from  phil- (  PHILANDER) +  sophia  ’knowledge’]//\n  1 [U] the study of the nature and meaning of existence, truth, good and evil, etc:  --Emma studies philosophy at university.//  philosophy of//  --the philosophy of science//\n  2 [C] the views of a particular philosopher or group of philosophers:  philosophy of//  --the philosophy of Aristotle//\n  3 [C] the attitude or set of ideas that guides the behaviour of a person or organization:  --The company explained their management philosophy.//  --The idea that you should treat others as you would like them to treat you is a fine philosophy of life .//    natural philosophy//


Words: phlebitis
Meaning:
n [U]  medical   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Modern Latin; Origin: Greek phleps  ’vein’]//  a condition in which there is swelling and roughness on the inside surface of a vein (=tube that carries blood through your body) //


Words: phlegm
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: fleume, from  Latin phlegma, from  Greek,  ’flame, phlegm’, from  phlegein  ’to burn’]//\n  1 the thick yellowish substance produced in your nose and throat, especially when you have a cold:   mucus//\n  2 unusual calmness in worrying, frightening, or exciting situations:


Words: phlegmatic
Meaning:
adj   calm and not easily excited or worried//  --The taxi driver, a phlegmatic man in middle age, showed no surprise at this request.//  -- phlegmatically/-kli/ adv //


Words: phlox
Meaning:
n [U and C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Latin; Origin: Greek,  ’flame’]//\n  1 a tall garden plant with pink, purple, or white flowers:\n  2  AmE a low, spreading plant with pink or white flowers:


Words: Phnom Penh
Meaning:
the capital of Cambodia. The  Khmer Rouge took control of it in 1975, and sent most of the population to work in the country, but people started to come back to the city in 1979 when the Vietnamese took control of it.//


Words: phobia
Meaning:
n [U and C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Modern Latin; Origin: Late Latin -phobia, from  Greek, from  phobos  ’fear’]//  a strong unreasonable fear of something//  phobia about//  --Owen has a phobia about snakes.//  --Some children suffer from school phobia .//  -- phobic adj //


Words: Phoenix
Meaning:
the capital and largest city of Arizona, US. It as an extremely hot city that is growing very quickly, because many old people go there to live.//


Words: phoenix
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 800-900; Language: Latin; Origin: Greek phoinix  ’red, Phoenician, phoenix’, from  phoinos  ’blood-red’]//\n  1 a magic bird that is born from a fire, according to ancient stories:\n  2  rise like a phoenix from the ashes:  to become successful again after seeming to have failed completely//


Words: phone
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: telephone]//\n  1 a telephone:  --Louise got up to answer the phone .//  --She’s too busy to come to the phone right now. Can you call back later?//  --What’s your phone number ?//  --The phone rang . It was Pam.//  --Before he could answer, the phone went dead .//  --a secret tape of Diana’s phone conversations //  --Much of his work is done  by phone .//  --Who was that  on the phone ?//  --I wish Amy would get  off the phone .//    cellphone//    mobile phone//    pay phone//\n  2 the part of a telephone into which you speak:   receiver//  --She picked up the phone and dialled.//  --Jean put the phone down  (=after she had finished her conversation) and burst out laughing.//  --He put the phone down on me (=before I had finished speaking) .//  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 1 //  answer the phone //  come to the phone //  phone number //  the phone rings //  the phone goes dead (=you can no longer hear the person you were speaking to on the telephone) //  phone conversation //  by phone/over the phone (=using the telephone) //  on the phone (=speaking on the telephone) //  off the phone (=no longer using the telephone) //  phone company //  mobile phone/mobile British English //  cellphone/cellular phone especially AmE //  ----------//\nphone 2 S1  also phone up  v [I and T]   to speak to someone by telephone//   telephone//  --I’ll phone you this evening.//  --Why didn’t they phone the police?//  --For information phone 01279-623772.//  --Stevie phoned to say that he was going to be late.//  --I kept phoning her up, asking to meet her.//  --Tell him to phone back (=telephone again at a later time) tomorrow. see usage note  call1 //  phone in phr v//\n  1 to telephone the place where you work, especially in order to report something:  --I’ll phone in and let them know.//  phone sth → in//  --I’ll phone the report in tomorrow morning.//  --She phoned in sick  (=telephoned to say that she was ill and could not come to work) .//\n  2 to telephone a radio or television show to give your opinion or ask a question:  --There’s still time to phone in before the end of the programme.//    phone-in//  ----------//  HINT sense 1 //  You do not ’phone to’ someone or ’phone to’ a number. Phone is followed immediately by a noun: She phoned her friend Judy.| Just phone 01279-623772 and I’ll come and get you. //  ----------//


Words: phone book
Meaning:
n [C]   a book that contains an alphabetical list of the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of all the people who have a telephone in a particular area//   telephone directory//


Words: phone box
Meaning:
n [C]  BrE   a small structure that is partly or completely enclosed, containing a public telephone//


Words: phone call
Meaning:
n [C]   when you speak to someone on the telephone//   call, telephone call//  --I need to make a quick phone call .//  --I got a phone call from someone called Mike.//  --obscene phone calls//


Words: phone sex
Meaning:
n [U]   the activity of talking with someone on the telephone about sex in order to become sexually excited//  --She claimed the relationship consisted mainly of him calling her up to have phone sex .//


Words: phone tree
Meaning:
n [C]  informal   a list of all the telephone numbers of the people in an organization, showing who should call who if there is important information that everyone should know//


Words: phone-in
Meaning:
n [C]   a radio or television programme in which you hear ordinary people expressing opinions or asking questions over the telephone//


Words: phone-tapping
Meaning:
n [U]   the activity of listening secretly to other people’s telephone conversations using special electronic equipment//


Words: phoneme
Meaning:
n [C]  technical   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: French; Origin: phon[hA169]me, from  Greek phonema  ’speech sound’]//  the smallest unit of speech that can be used to make one word different from another word, such as the ’b’ and the ’p’ in ’big’ and ’pig’//  -- phonemic/f[hA353]ni[hA359]m[hA366]k/ adj //  -- phonemically/-kli/ adv //


Words: phonetic
Meaning:
adj  technical   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Modern Latin; Origin: phoneticus, from  Greek, from  phone;   PHON-]//\n  1 relating to the sounds of human speech:\n  2 using special signs, often different from ordinary letters, to represent the sounds of speech:  --a phonetic alphabet//  --phonetic symbols//


Words: phonetics
Meaning:
n [U]   the science and study of speech sounds//  -- phonetician/f[hA353][hA35E]n[hA369]t[hA366][hA35D][hA353]n, f[hA361]n- $ fo[hA35E]-/ n  [C] //


Words: phoney
Meaning:
also  phony AmE   adj  informal \n  1 false or not real, and intended to deceive someone:   fake//  --a phoney American accent//\n  2 someone who is phoney is insincere and pretends to be something they are not:  -- phoney n  [C] //  --He’s a complete phoney!//  -- phoniness n  [U] //


Words: phoney war
Meaning:
n [singular]   a period during which a state of war officially exists but there is no actual fighting//


Words: phonics
Meaning:
n [U]   a method of teaching people to read in which they are taught to recognize the sounds that letters represent//


Words: phono-
Meaning:
prefix  also  phon- technical   [Language: Latin; Origin: Greek, from  phone  ’sound, voice’]//\n  1 relating to the voice or speech:  --phonetics (=the science of speech sounds) //\n  2 relating to sound:  --a phonoreceptor (=a hearing organ) //


Words: phonology
Meaning:
n [U]  technical   the study of the system of speech sounds in a language, or the system of sounds itself//  -- phonologist n  [C] //  -- phonological/f[hA353][hA35E]n[hA353]l[hA361]d[hA360][hA366]k[hA368]l[hA36B], f[hA361]n- $ fo[hA35E]n[hA353]l[hA35A][hA359]-/ adj //  -- phonologically/-kli/ adv //


Words: phony
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin:  Perhaps from  fawney  ’brass ring used for deceiving people’ (18-19 centuries), from  Irish Gaelic fainne  ’ring’]//  the usual American spelling of phoney//


Words: phooey
Meaning:
interjection   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin:  From the sound of spitting]//  used to express strong disbelief or disappointment//


Words: phosphate
Meaning:
n [U and C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: French; Origin: acide phosphorique  ’phosphoric acid’]//\n  1 one of the various forms of a salt of phosphorus, often used in industry:\n  2 [usually plural] a substance containing a phosphate used for making plants grow better:


Words: phosphorescent
Meaning:
adj   shining slightly in the dark but producing little or no heat//  --a strange phosphorescent light//


Words: phosphorus
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Modern Latin; Origin: Greek phosphoros  ’carrying light’]//  a poisonous yellowish chemical substance that starts to burn when it is in the air, and shines in the dark. It is a chemical element: symbol P//  -- phosphoric/f[hA361]sf[hA361]r[hA366]k $ f[hA35A][hA359]sf[hA350][hA359]-, f[hA35A][hA359]sf[hA35A][hA359]-, f[hA35A][hA359]sf[hA353]r[hA366]k/ adj //  -- phosphoric acid //


Words: photo
Meaning:
n   plural  photos  [C]  informal //  [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: photograph]//  a photograph//  photo of//  --I’ll send Mom a photo of Sammy.//  --Can you take a photo of me and Rachel?//


Words: photo finish
Meaning:
n [C]   the end of a race in which the leading runners finish so close together that a photograph of it has to be examined to decide which is the winner//


Words: photo opportunity
Meaning:
n [C]   a chance for someone such as a politician to be photographed for a newspaper in a way that will make them look good//


Words: photo shoot
Meaning:
n [C]   an occasion during which a professional photographer takes pictures of a fashion model or an actor for advertisements//


Words: photo-
Meaning:
prefix  technical   [Language: Greek; Origin: phos  ’light’]//\n  1 relating to light:  --photosensitive paper (=paper that changes when light touches it) //\n  2 relating to photography:  --photo-journalism (=the use of photographs in reporting news) //


Words: photocall
Meaning:
n [C]   an occasion during which a professional photographer takes pictures of a famous person or group of people//


Words: photocopy
Meaning:
n   plural  photocopies  [C] //  a photographic copy, especially of something printed, written, or drawn//  --I sent him the original document, not a photocopy.//\nphotocopy 2   past tense and past participle  photocopied present participle  photocopying third person singular  photocopies  v [T] //  to make a photographic copy of something//  --Leave the papers with me and I’ll get them photocopied.//  -- photocopying n  [U] //  --Could you do some photocopying for me tomorrow?//


Words: photoelectric cell
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 an electronic instrument that changes light into electricity:\n  2 an electronic instrument that uses light to start an electrical effect, often used in burglar alarms:


Words: Photofit
Meaning:
n [U]  trademark  BrE   a way of making a picture of a face using photographs of parts of different faces, used to help the police catch a criminal//


Words: photogenic
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: photogenic  ’produced by light’, from  photo- +  -genic  ’produced by’; influenced by  photo and  photograph]//  always looking attractive in photographs//  --Helen is very photogenic.//


Words: photograph
Meaning:
n  also photo  informal  [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: photo- +  -graph  ’something written or drawn’ (from  Greek graphein  ’to write’)]//  a picture obtained by using a camera and film that is sensitive to light//  --a colour photograph//  --a black and white photograph//  photograph of//  --I wish I had a photograph of Thomas.//  --He took a photograph of the hotel.//  --Tim was looking through an old photograph album  (=book in which you put photographs) .//  --Did you see Leo’s photograph (=a photograph of Leo) in the newspaper?//\nphotograph 2 v \n  1 [T] to take a photograph of someone or something:  --Kate agreed to let me photograph her.//  --He stood by the tree to be photographed.//\n  2  photograph well:  to look attractive in photographs//  --Cilla does not photograph well.//


Words: photographer
Meaning:
n [C]   someone who takes photographs, especially as a professional or as an artist//  --a fashion photographer//


Words: photographic
Meaning:
adj   relating to photographs, using photographs, or used in producing photographs//  --photographic film//  --photographic equipment//  --The software allows you to scan photographic images on your personal computer.//  -- photographically/-kli/ adv //


Words: photographic memory
Meaning:
n [C]   if you have a photographic memory, you can remember exactly every detail of something you have seen//


Words: photography
Meaning:
n [U]   the art, profession, or method of producing photographs or the scenes in films//  --He did fashion photography for Vogue magazine.//  --the National Museum of Photography//


Words: photojournalism
Meaning:
n [U]   the job or activity of reporting news stories in newspapers and magazines using mainly photographs instead of words//


Words: photon
Meaning:
n [C]  technical   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: photo- +  -on  ’particle’ (from  ion)]//  a unit of energy that carries light and has zero mass//


Words: photosensitive
Meaning:
adj   reacting to light, for example by changing colour or producing an electrical current//  --photosensitive paper//


Words: Photostat
Meaning:
n [C]  trademark   a photographic copy of a document, or a type of machine used for making one//  -- Photostat v  [T] //


Words: photosynthesis
Meaning:
n [U]  technical   the production by a green plant of special substances like sugar that it uses as food, caused by the action of sunlight on chlorophyll (=the green substance in leaves) //  -- photosynthesize v  [I and T] //


Words: phrasal verb
Meaning:
n [C]   a group of words that is used like a verb and consists of a verb with an adverb or preposition after it, for example ’set off’ or ’look after’. In this dictionary, phrasal verbs are marked ’phr v’.//


Words: phrase
Meaning:
W3   n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: phrasis, from  Greek, from  phrazein  ’to point out, explain, tell’]//\n  1 a group of words that together have a particular meaning, especially when they express the meaning well in a few words:  --She used the phrase ’survival of the fittest’.//  --Edward Heath’s famous phrase, ’the unacceptable face of capitalism’//\n  2  technical a group of words without a finite verb, especially when they are used to form part of a sentence, such as ’walking along the road’ and ’a bar of soap’:    clause(2),  sentence1 (1)//\n  3 a short group of musical notes that is part of a longer piece:    to coin a phrase at coin2 (2)//    a turn of phrase at turn2 (11)//    turn a phrase at turn1 (20)//  ----------//  WORD FOCUS: phrase //  similar words: expression,  idiom,  cliche,  metaphor,  saying,  turn of phrase //  ----------//\nphrase 2 v [T] \n  1 to express something in a particular way:  --Polly tried to think how to phrase the question.//  --Sorry, I phrased that badly.//\n  2 to perform music in order to produce the full effect of separate musical phrases:


Words: phrasebook
Meaning:
n [C]   a book that explains phrases of a foreign language, for people to use when they travel to other countries//


Words: phrasing
Meaning:
n [U] \n  1 the way that something is said:  --I don’t remember her exact phrasing.//\n  2 a way of playing music, reading poetry etc that separates the notes, words, or lines into phrases:


Words: phrenology
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Greek; Origin: phren  ’mind’ +  English -ology]//  the study of the shape of people’s heads as a way of finding out what their characters and abilities are, which was popular in the 19th century//  -- phrenologist n  [C] //


Words: phut
Meaning:
n   go phut//   BrE  informal if a machine goes phut, it stops working completely//  --The microwave’s gone phut.//


Words: phwoar
Meaning:
interjection  BrE  informal   used to show that you think someone is sexually attractive//  --Phwoar! Look at her!//


Words: phylum
Meaning:
n   plural  phyla /-l[hA353]/ [C] //  [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Modern Latin; Origin: Greek phylon  ’tribe, race’]//   technical one of the large groups into which scientists divide plants, animals, and languages//


Words: physical
Meaning:
W1S2   adj   ----------//\n   1 body not mind:\n   2 sex:\n   3 person:\n   4 violent:\n   5 real/solid:\n   6 natural:\n   7 science:  ----------//  [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Medieval Latin; Origin: physicalis, from  Latin physica;   PHYSICS]//\n  1 BODY NOT MIND:  related to someone’s body rather than their mind or emotions//    mental, emotional//  --She was in constant physical pain.//  --the physical and emotional needs of young adults//  --people with severe physical disabilities//  --Don’t be put off by his physical appearance .//  --He was obsessed with physical fitness .//\n  2 SEX:  a physical relationship involves sex rather than just friendship//  --My attraction to him was totally physical.//  --Their physical relationship had never been very good.//\n  3 PERSON:   informal someone who is physical likes touching people a lot//  --She’s a very physical person.//\n  4 VIOLENT:  involving touching someone in a rough or violent way//  --Football can be a very physical game.//  --I was a bit worried that the argument might become physical.//\n  5 REAL/SOLID:  relating to real objects that you can touch, see, or feel//  --the physical world around us//  --the physical environment//  --They were kept in appalling physical conditions.//\n  6 NATURAL:  relating to or following natural laws//  --a physical explanation for this phenomenon//\n  7 SCIENCE:   [only before noun] a physical science is an area of scientific study that is related to physics//  --physical chemistry//  -- physicality/f[hA366]z[hA366]k[zB024]l[hA369]ti/ n  [U] //  --the physicality of sport//    physically//\nphysical 2  also physical examination  n [C]   a thorough examination of someone’s body by a doctor, in order to discover whether they are healthy or have any illnesses or medical problems//


Words: physical science
Meaning:
n [U]  also the physical sciences  [plural]   the sciences, for example chemistry and physics, that are concerned with studying things that are not living//


Words: physical therapist
Meaning:
n [C]  AmE   someone whose job is to give physical therapy//  British Equivalent:  physiotherapist//


Words: physical therapy
Meaning:
n [U]  AmE   a treatment that uses special exercises, rubbing, heat etc to treat medical conditions and problems with muscles//  British Equivalent:  physiotherapy//


Words: physically
Meaning:
S3   adv \n  1 in relation to your body rather than your mind or emotions:    mentally, emotionally//  --She is young and physically fit.//  --Do you find him physically attractive?//  --I felt physically sick at the thought.//  --children who have been physically abused//\n  2  physically possible/impossible:  possible or not possible according to the laws of nature//  --It would be physically impossible to carry everything at once.//


Words: physically challenged
Meaning:
adj  AmE   someone who is physically challenged has a problem with their body that makes it difficult for them to do things that other people can do easily//


Words: physics
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: physica, from  Greek, from  physikos  ’of nature’, from  physis  ’growth, nature’]//  the science concerned with the study of physical objects and substances, and of natural forces such as light, heat, and movement//


Words: physio-
Meaning:
prefix  also  physi-  [Language: Latin; Origin: Greek, from  physis;   PHYSICS]//\n  1 relating to nature and living things:  --physiology (=study of how the body works) //\n  2 physical:  --physiotherapy (=treatment using exercises etc) //


Words: physiognomy
Meaning:
n   plural  physiognomies  [C] //  [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: phisonomie, from  Late Latin physiognomonia, from  Greek, from  physis  ’nature, appearance’ +  gnomon  ’interpreter’]//   technical the general appearance of a person’s face//


Words: physiology
Meaning:
n [U] \n  1 the science that studies the way in which the bodies of living things work:  --a book on biochemistry and physiology//\n  2 the way the body of a person or an animal works:    anatomy//  --the physiology of the brain//


Words: physiotherapy
Meaning:
n [U]   a treatment that uses special exercises, rubbing, heat etc to treat medical conditions and problems with muscles//  American Equivalent:  physical therapy//


Words: physique
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: French; Origin: physique  ’physical’]//  the size and appearance of someone’s body//  --She didn’t have the physique to be a dancer.//  --He had good health and a strong physique.//


Words: pi
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin:  From the name of the first letter of  Greek periphereia  ’distance around a circle’]//   technical a number that is represented by the Greek letter (兾;) and is equal to the distance around a circle, divided by its width//


Words: pi[hA169]ce de resistance
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: French; Origin: ’piece of resistance’]//  the best or most important thing in a series, which comes after everything else//  --The pi[hA169]ce de resistance was a stunning goal in the last minute of the match.//


Words: PIA
Meaning:
Personal Investment Authority a British organization which checks that financial companies do not give people bad advice or sell them the wrong type of insurance or pension. The PIA can fine companies and order them to pay money to people who have been given the wrong advice.//


Words: Piaf
Meaning:
Edith   (1915-63) a French  cabaret singer and songwriter, sometimes called "The Little Sparrow". She is famous for her powerful and emotional performances, for songs such as  Non, je ne regrette rien.//


Words: pianissimo
Meaning:
adj, adv  technical   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Italian; Origin: ’very quiet’]//  played or sung very quietly//


Words: piano
Meaning:
S3   n   plural  pianos  [C] //  piano, piano stool//  [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Italian; Origin: pianoforte, from  piano e forte  ’quiet and loud’]//  a large musical instrument that has a long row of black and white keys. You play the piano by sitting in front of it and pressing the keys//  --Jean accompanied her on the piano .//  a piano lesson/teacher etc //  --a wonderful piano player//\npiano 2 adj, adv  technical   played or sung quietly//


Words: pianola
Meaning:
n [C]  trademark   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: Pianola, a trademark]//  a piano that is played by machinery inside it. A long roll of paper with holes cut in it gradually turns and works the machinery, pressing down the keys on the piano to produce music//   player piano//


Words: piazza
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Italian; Origin: Latin platea  ’broad street’]//  a large square open area between the houses in a town or city, where people often meet or sit together//


Words: picador
Meaning:
n [C]   a man in a bullfight who rides a horse, and annoys and weakens the bull by sticking a long spear into it//


Words: Picard
Meaning:
Captain Jean Luc   the main character in the television programme Star Trek: The Next Generation. Picard is a Frenchman played by the British actor Patrick Stewart. Picard is clever and brave and in charge of the Starship Enterprise. Star Trek: The Next Generation was the sequel to Star Trek.//


Words: picaresque
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Spanish; Origin: picaresco, from  p[hA16E]caro  ’bad man’]//  a picaresque story tells the amusing and unlikely adventures of a character who travels to a lot of different places//


Words: Picasso
Meaning:
Pablo   (1881-1973) a Spanish artist who was one of the greatest and most original artists of the 20th century. After training as an artist in Barcelona and Madrid he moved to Paris in 1900 and stayed there for many years. He helped to develop  cubism and other styles of  abstract art, and his work is divided into periods, such as the "Blue Period" and the "Rose Period". His many famous paintings include ’Les Demoiselles d’Avignon’ and ’Guernica’, a criticism of war and fascism.//


Words: picayune
Meaning:
adj  AmE  written   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: French; Origin: picaillon  ’small coin’, from  Proven[hA168]al picaioun, from  picaio  ’money’]//  small and unimportant//  --A few cuts and bruises are picayune compared to what might have happened.//


Words: Piccadilly
Meaning:
a street in central London along the northern edge of  Green Park, between  Hyde Park Corner and  Piccadilly Circus, where there are many expensive hotels and shops//


Words: Piccadilly Circus
Meaning:
a round, open area in central London, where several streets join together, famous for being very busy, for its advertising signs made of  neon lights, and for the statue of  Eros in its centre. People sometimes say that a place is like Piccadilly Circus to mean that it is very busy.//


Words: piccalilli
Meaning:
n [U]  BrE   [Date: 1700-1800; Origin:  Probably from  pickle]//  a hot-tasting sauce that is made with small pieces of vegetables and eaten with cold meat//


Words: piccolo
Meaning:
n   plural  piccolos  [C] //  [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Italian; Origin: piccolo flauto  ’small flute’]//  a musical instrument that looks like a small flute//


Words: pick
Meaning:
v [T]   ----------//\n   1 choose something:\n   2 flowers/fruit etc:\n   3 remove something:\n   4 pick your way through/across/among etc something:\n   5 pick your nose:\n   6 pick your teeth:\n   7 pick somebody’s brains:\n   8 pick a quarrel/fight (with somebody):\n   9 pick and choose:\n  10 pick a lock:\n  11 pick a hole in something:\n  12 pick holes in something:\n  13 pick something clean:\n  14 pick somebody’s pocket:\n  15 pick a winner:\n  16 pick something to pieces:\n  17 musical instrument:  Phrasal verbs//   pick at something//   pick somebody/something → off//   pick on somebody/something//   pick somebody/something → out//   pick over something//   pick through something//   pick up//   pick up after somebody//   pick up on something//  ----------//  [Date: 1200-1300; Origin:  Partly from unrecorded  Old English pician; partly from  Old French piquer  ’to prick’]//\n  1 CHOOSE SOMETHING:  to choose a person or thing, for example because they are the best or most suitable//  --Students have to pick three courses from a list of 15.//  --I don’t know which colour to pick.//  --Who’s going to pick the team for the match on Saturday?//  pick sb/sth for sth//  --I wasn’t picked for the hockey team.//  pick sb/sth as sth//  --The hotel was picked as the best small hotel in the area.//  pick sb to do sth//  --He was picked to run in the 100 metres.//  --Russell spoke slowly, picking his words  (=choosing what to say) very carefully.//    picked//\n  2 FLOWERS/FRUIT ETC:  to remove a flower, fruit, nut etc from a plant or tree//  --We picked some blackberries to eat on the way.//  --Amy picked a small bunch of wild flowers.//  --a dish of freshly picked peas//\n  3 REMOVE SOMETHING:   [always + adverb/preposition] to remove something carefully from a place, especially something small//  pick sth from sth//  --Ahmed picked the melon pips from his teeth.//  pick sth off (sth)//  --She was nervously picking bits of fluff off her sweater.//  pick sth out of sth//  --The goalkeeper spent a lot of his time picking the ball out of the back of the net.//\n  4  pick your way through/across/among etc sth:  to walk in a slow careful way, choosing exactly where to put your feet down//  --She picked her way between the puddles.//  --He picked his way down the narrow staircase.//\n  5  pick your nose:  to remove mucus from your nose with your finger//  --Don’t pick your nose!//\n  6  pick your teeth:  to remove bits of food from between your teeth with your finger or a small pointed object//\n  7  pick sb’s brains:  to ask someone who knows a lot about something for information and advice about it//  --Have you got a minute? I need to pick your brains.//\n  8  pick a quarrel/fight (with sb):  to deliberately start a quarrel or fight with someone//  --I could see he was trying to pick a fight with me.//\n  9  pick and choose:  to choose only the best people or things, or only the ones that you really like//  --Come on, you haven’t got time to pick and choose.//\n  10  pick a lock:  to use something that is not a key to unlock a door, drawer etc//  --It’s quite easy to pick the lock on a car door.//\n  11  pick a hole in sth:  to make a hole in something by pulling it with your fingers//  --He had picked a hole in his jumper.//\n  12  pick holes in sth:   informal to criticize an idea or a plan by saying what its weak points are//  --It’s easy to pick holes in her argument.//\n  13  pick sth clean:  to remove all the meat from a bone when you are eating//\n  14  pick sb’s pocket:  to quietly steal something from someone’s pocket//    pickpocket//\n  15  pick a winner:   informal to choose someone or something very good//\n  16  pick sth to pieces:   informal to criticize something very severely and in a very detailed way//  --I’m fed up with having my work picked to pieces.//\n  17 MUSICAL INSTRUMENT:   AmE to play a musical instrument by pulling at its strings with your fingers//   pluck//    have a bone to pick with sb at bone1 (10)//  pick at [pick at sth] phr v//\n  1 to eat only small amounts of food because you do not feel hungry or do not like the food:  --Paige could only pick at her meal, forcing down a mouthful or two.//\n  2 to touch something many times with your fingers, pulling it slightly:  --She was picking at her skirt.//  pick off [pick sb/sth → off] phr v//  to point a weapon carefully at one person or animal in a group, and then shoot them//  --There were gunmen in some of the buildings who picked off our men as they went past.//  pick on / [pick on sb/sth] phr v//\n  1 to behave in an unfair way to someone, for example by blaming them or criticizing them unfairly:  --Why don’t you pick on someone else for a change?//\n  2  BrE to choose a particular person or thing:  --Just pick on one job and try to get that finished.//  pick out [pick sb/sth → out] phr v//\n  1 CHOOSE:  to choose someone or something from a group//  --She picked out a navy blue dress.//  --His story was picked out as the best by the judges.//\n  2 RECOGNIZE:  to recognize someone or something in a group of people or things//  --She was able to pick out her father at the other side of the room.//  --I picked out Valerie’s voice from among the general conversation.//\n  3 SEE:  if you can pick something out, you can see it but not very clearly//  --I could just pick out some letters carved into the stone.//\n  4 SHOWN CLEARLY:   [usually passive] if something is picked out, it is in a different colour or material from the background, so that it can be clearly seen//  --His name was picked out in gold lettering.//\n  5 PLAY A TUNE:  to play a tune on a musical instrument slowly or with difficulty//  --He sat at the piano and picked out a simple tune.//  pick over [pick over sth] phr v//  to examine a group of things very carefully in order to choose the ones you want//  --She was sitting at the kitchen table picking over a pile of mushrooms.//  pick through [pick through sth] phr v//  to search through a pile of things to find things that you want//  --Police are still picking through the rubble looking for clues to the cause of the explosion.//  pick up phr v//\n  1 LIFT SOMETHING/SOMEBODY UP:   pick sth/sb → up//  to lift something or someone up//  --He picked up the letter and read it.//  --The phone rang and I picked it up.//  --Mummy, can you pick me up? see usage note  hold1 //\n  2  pick yourself up:  to get up from the ground after you have fallen//  --Carol picked herself up and brushed the dirt off her coat.//\n  3 TIDY SOMETHING:   pick sth → up//   AmE to make a room or building tidy//  --Pick up your room before you go to bed.//\n  4 GET SOMETHING:   pick sth → up//   informal //  a) to get or win something//  --He’s already picked up three major prizes this year.//  b) to buy something or get it from a shop etc//  --I picked up an evening paper on the way home.//  --For more details, pick up a leaflet in your local post office.//  c) to get an illness//  --I picked up a virus while I was in America.//\n  5 COLLECT :   pick sth → up//  to collect something from a place//  --I’ll pick my things up later.//  --She just dropped by to pick up her mail.//\n  6 LET SOMEBODY INTO A VEHICLE:   pick sb → up//  to let someone get into your car, boat etc and take them somewhere//  --I’ll pick you up at the station.//  --The survivors were picked up by fishing boats from nearby villages.//\n  7 LEARN:   pick sth → up//  to learn something by watching or listening to other people//  --I picked up a few words of Greek when I was there last year.//  --Mary watched the other dancers to see if she could pick up any tips.//\n  8 NOTICE:   pick sth → up//  to notice something that is not easy to notice, such as a slight smell or a sign of something//  --I picked up a faint smell of coffee.//  --The dogs picked up the scent and raced off.//  --We picked up their tracks again on the other side of the river.//\n  9 RADIO/SIGNALS:   pick sth → up//  if a machine picks up a sound, movement, or signal, it is able to notice it or receive it//  --The sensors pick up faint vibrations in the Earth.//  --I managed to pick up an American news broadcast.//\n  10 SEX:   pick sb → up//  to become friendly with someone you have just met because you want to have sex with them//  --young women sitting around in bars waiting to be picked up//\n  11 START AGAIN:  a) if you pick up where you stopped or were interrupted, you start again from that point//  --We’ll meet again in the morning and we can pick up where we left off .//  b)  pick sth → up//  if you pick up an idea that has been mentioned, you return to it and develop it further//  --I’d like to pick up what you said earlier.//  --This same theme is picked up in his later works.//\n  12 IMPROVE:  a) if a situation picks up, it improves//  --Her social life was picking up at last.//  --The economy is finally beginning to pick up again.//  --We’ve been through a bit of a bad patch, but things are picking up again now.//  b)  pick sb up//  if a medicine or drink picks you up, it makes you feel better//    pick-me-up//\n  13 ROAD:   pick sth → up//  if you pick up a road, you go onto it and start driving along it//  --We take the A14 to Birmingham and then pick up the M5.//\n  14 TRAIN/BUS:   pick sth → up//  if you pick up a train, bus etc you get onto it and travel on it//\n  15  pick up speed/steam:  to go faster//  --The train was gradually picking up speed.//\n  16  pick up the bill/tab (for sth):   informal to pay for something//  --Why should the taxpayer pick up the tab for mistakes made by a private company?//\n  17 WIND:  if the wind picks up, it increases or grows stronger//\n  18 COLOUR:   pick sth → up//  if one thing picks up a colour in something else, it has an amount of the same colour in it so that the two things look nice together//  --I like the way the curtains pick up the red in the rug.//\n  19 CRIMINAL:   pick sb → up//  if the police pick someone up, they take them somewhere to answer questions or to be locked up//  --He was picked up by police as he was trying to leave the country.//\n  20  pick up the pieces (of sth):  to try to make your life normal again after something very bad has happened to you//  --Thousands of victims of the earthquake are now faced with the task of picking up the pieces of their lives.//\n  21  pick up the threads (of sth):  if you pick up the threads of something that you were doing, you try to return to it and start doing it again after it stopped or was changed//  --Now that the war was over they could pick up the threads of their lives again.//\n  22  pick your feet up:   spoken used to tell someone to walk properly or more quickly//  pick up after [pick up after sb] phr v//  to tidy things that someone else has left untidy//  --I’m tired of picking up after you!//  pick up on [pick up on sth] phr v//\n  1 to notice something about the way someone is behaving or feeling, even though they are trying not to show it:  --Children pick up on our worries and anxieties.//\n  2 to return to a point or an idea that has been mentioned and discuss it more:  --I’d like to pick up on a point that Steven made earlier.//\n  3  pick sb up on sth:  to criticize someone slightly for something they have said//  --I knew he was lying and I should have picked him up on it.//\npick 2 n   [Sense: 1-3; Date: 1500-1600; Origin:  PICK1]//  [Sense: 4-5; Date: 1300-1400; Origin: pike]//\n  1 [U] if you can have your pick or take your pick of different things, you can choose which one you want:  --Have a look at the menu and take your pick .//  --He knew he could take his pick of any of the girls in the office.//  --Sarah could have her pick of any university in the country.//  have/get first pick (of sth) //  --She always gets first pick of the videos.//\n  2  the pick of sth:   informal the best things in a group//  --In tonight’s programme we’ll be discussing the pick of this month’s new movies.//  --There were fifteen candidates for the job, and he was the pick of the bunch  (=the best one) .//\n  3 [C]  informal your pick is the person or thing that you have chosen from a group:   choice//  --There are a lot of good horses in the race, but Archimedes would be my pick.//\n  4 [C] a pickaxe:\n  5 [C]  informal a small, flat object that you use for pulling at the strings of a musical instrument such as a guitar:   plectrum//    ice pick//


Words: pick-and-mix
Meaning:
adj  BrE   if something is pick-and-mix, you are free to choose the things or parts that you want and not choose the rest//  --Students can select parts of the course on a pick-and-mix basis.//


Words: pick-up
Meaning:
n   ----------//\n   1 vehicle:\n   2 improvement:\n   3 collection:\n   4 person:\n   5 music:\n   6 speed:  ----------//\n  1 VEHICLE:   [C]  especially AmE a small truck with low sides that is used for carrying goods//\n  2 IMPROVEMENT:   [C] an improvement in something which will be good for economic success//  pick-up in//  --There are signs of a pick-up in high street spending.//\n  3 COLLECTION:   [U and C] an occasion when someone or something is collected from a place//  --The price includes travel from your local pick-up point in the UK to your hotel in Paris.//  --trash pick-up//\n  4 PERSON:   [C]  informal a stranger that you meet in a bar, at a party etc and have sex with//\n  5 MUSIC:   [C] an electronic part on a musical instrument, especially an electric guitar, that makes the sound louder//\n  6 SPEED:   [U]  AmE the rate at which a vehicle can increase its speed//   acceleration//  --It was a small car, but it had good pick-up.//


Words: pickaxe
Meaning:
BrE  pickax AmE   n [C]   a large tool that you use for breaking up the ground. It consists of a curved iron bar with a sharp point on each end and a long handle//


Words: picked
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   picked people have been specially chosen because they are very suitable for a particular job//    handpicked//


Words: picket
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: French; Origin: piquet, from  piquer  ’to prick’]//\n  1 :  a) when a group of people stand or march in front of a shop, factory, government building etc to protest about something or to stop people from going in during a strike//  --There was a mass picket  (=one involving a lot of people) by students outside the main office of the university.//  picket of//  --They organized a picket of the power station.//  b) a person or the group of people involved in a picket//  --The pickets persuaded some drivers not to enter the factory.//    flying picket//\n  2 a soldier or a group of soldiers with the special duty of guarding a military camp:  --He’s on picket duty tonight.//\npicket 2 v \n  1 [I and T] to stand or march in front of a shop, factory, government building etc to protest about something or to stop people from going in during a strike:  --Protesters are still picketing outside the White House gates.//  --a group of picketing miners//\n  2 [T] to place soldiers around or near a place as guards:  -- picketing n  [U] //  --The new law will still allow peaceful picketing.//


Words: picket line
Meaning:
n [C]   a group of people who stand outside a factory and try to prevent people from going in or coming out during a strike//  on a picket line//  --So far, there has been very little violence on the picket line.//  --Very few workers were willing to cross the picket line .//


Words: Pickford
Meaning:
Mary   (1893-1979) a Canadian-born actress who became Hollywood’s most famous  silent film actress and was called "America’s Sweetheart". She was married to the famous actor Douglas Fairbanks from 1920 to 1936, and formed United Artists with Fairbanks and Charlie Chaplin in 1919.//


Words: pickings
Meaning:
n [plural]  informal   money or profits that you can get easily from a situation//  --There were rich pickings  (=a lot of money) to be had from the stock market.//  --There are easy pickings for thieves at these big outdoor concerts.//  slim/lean/meagre pickings //  --Companies are put off investing in poor areas because of the meagre pickings to be had.//


Words: pickle
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin:  Probably from  Middle Dutch pekel, peekel]//\n  1 [U and C]  BrE a thick cold sauce that is made from pieces of vegetables preserved in vinegar. It is usually eaten with cold meat or cheese:  --cheese and pickle sandwiches//  --a selection of cold meats and pickles//  2 [C]  AmE a cucumber preserved in vinegar or salt water, or a piece of this//  British Equivalent:  gherkin//\n  3  be in a (pretty) pickle:   old-fashioned to be in a very difficult situation and not know what to do//\npickle 2 v [T]   to preserve food in vinegar or salt water//


Words: pickled
Meaning:
adj \n  1 pickled vegetables or fruits have been preserved in vinegar or salt water:  --pickled onions//\n  2  old-fashioned  informal drunk:


Words: Pickwick
Meaning:
Mr   the main character in the book  The Pickwick Papers by Charles  Dickens. Pickwick is kind, happy, and not easily made angry, and always has a good opinion of other people. Many people think of him as a typical Victorian English  gentleman.//


Words: Pickwick Papers
Meaning:
The   (1836-37) a book by Charles  Dickens about the adventures of the members of the Pickwick Club, who include Mr  Pickwick//


Words: picky
Meaning:
adj  informal   someone who is picky only likes particular things and not others, and so is not easy to please//  --He’s a very picky eater .//


Words: picnic
Meaning:
n [C]   hamper, rug//  [Date: 1700-1800; Language: French; Origin: pique-nique]//\n  1 if you have a picnic, you take food and eat it outdoors, especially in the country:  --We decided to have a picnic down by the lake.//  go on/for a picnic //  --We could go on a picnic today.//  --a picnic table//  --There is free parking for visitors, as well as a restaurant and picnic area  (=a special area with tables where people can have a picnic) .//  picnic site/spot/place (=a place that is suitable or pleasant for a picnic) //  --We found a lovely picnic spot by the river.//  picnic basket/hamper (=a container in which you can carry food for a picnic) //\n  2  BrE the food that you take to eat outdoors on a picnic:  --We’ll take a picnic with us.//  picnic lunch/tea/supper //  --We ate our picnic lunch by the river.//\n  3  be no picnic:   informal if something is no picnic, it is very difficult and needs a lot of effort or hard work//  --Bringing up six children is no picnic!//  ----------//  HINT sense 1 //  Do not say ’do a picnic’ or ’make a picnic’. Say have a picnic. //  ----------//\npicnic 2   past tense and past participle  picnicked present participle  picnicking  v [I] //  to have a picnic//  --We picnicked on the beach.//  -- picnicker n  [C] //  --The area is very popular with picnickers.//


Words: pictogram
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 a picture that represents a word or phrase:\n  2 a mathematical drawing that shows numbers or amounts in the form of pictures:


Words: pictorial
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Late Latin; Origin: pictorius, from  Latin pictor  ’painter’, from  pictus;   PICTURE1]//  using or relating to paintings, drawings, or photographs//  --a pictorial record of their journey//


Words: picture
Meaning:
n   ----------//\n   1 painting/drawing:\n   2 photograph:\n   3 television:\n   4 description/idea:\n   5 situation:\n   6 mental image:\n   7 put/keep somebody in the picture:\n   8 get the picture:\n   9 out of the picture:\n  10 film:\n  11 be the picture of health/innocence/despair etc:  ----------//  [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: pictura, from  pictus, past participle of  pingere  ’to paint’]//\n  1 PAINTING/DRAWING:   [C] shapes, lines etc painted or drawn on a surface, showing what someone or something looks like//  --The room had several pictures on the walls.//  --a book with pictures in it//  picture of//  --I like that picture of the two horses.//  draw/paint a/sb’s picture //  --Draw a picture of your house.//  --He asked her permission to paint her picture (=paint a picture of her) .//\n  2 PHOTOGRAPH:   [C] a photograph//  picture of//  --That’s a great picture of you, Dad!//  take sb’s picture/take a picture of sb //  --I asked the waiter if he’d mind taking our picture.//  wedding/holiday etc pictures //  --Would you like to see the wedding pictures?//\n  3 TELEVISION:   [C] an image that appears on a television or cinema screen//  picture of//  --upsetting pictures of the famine in Africa//  --satellite pictures from space//\n  4 DESCRIPTION/IDEA:   [C usually singular] a description or idea of what something is like//  picture of//  --Once the research is complete, we’ll have a clearer picture of the outcome.//  --an overall picture of the country’s health needs//  --What sort of picture is starting to emerge ?//  paint a bleak/happy/rosy etc picture (=describe something in a particular way) //  --The film paints a bleak picture of life in the inner city.//  --The article gives a vivid picture of the way artists at the studio collaborated.//  --Detectives are trying to build up a picture of the kidnapper.//\n  5 SITUATION:   [singular] the general situation in a place, organization etc//  --The worldwide picture for tribal people remains grim.//  --the wider political picture//  --Checks throughout the region revealed a similar picture everywhere.//  big/bigger/wider picture //  --We were so caught up with the details, we lost sight of the big picture (= the situation considered as a whole) .//\n  6 MENTAL IMAGE:   [C usually singular] an image or memory that you have in your mind//  --Sarah had a mental picture of Lisbon.//  --He had a vivid picture in his mind.//\n  7  put/keep sb in the picture:  to give someone all the information they need to understand a situation, especially one that is changing quickly//  --I’m just going now, but Keith will put you in the picture.//\n  8  get the picture:   informal to understand a situation//  --You’ve said enough. I get the picture.//\n  9  out of the picture:  if someone is out of the picture, they are no longer involved in a situation//  --Injury has effectively put Woods out of the picture as far as international matches are concerned.//\n  10 FILM:  a)  [C] a film//  --It was voted the year’s best picture.//  b)  the pictures [plural]  BrE the cinema//  --Would you like to go to the pictures?//\n  11  be the picture of health/innocence/despair etc:  to look very healthy etc//  --Head bowed and sobbing, she was the picture of misery.//    pretty as a picture at pretty2 (7)//\npicture 2 v [T] \n  1 to imagine something by making an image in your mind:  --Tom, picturing the scene, smiled.//  picture sb/sth as sth//  --Rob had pictured her as serious, but she wasn’t like that.//  picture sb doing sth//  --I can’t picture him skiing. He’s so clumsy!//  picture what/how//  --Picture what it would be like after a nuclear attack.//\n  2 [usually passive] to show someone or something in a photograph, painting, or drawing:  --She is pictured with her mum Christine and sister Kelly.//\n  3 [usually passive] to describe something in a particular way:  be pictured as sth//  --She’s been pictured as a difficult, demanding woman.//


Words: Picture of Dorian Gray
Meaning:
The   (1891) a novel by Oscar  Wilde about a beautiful young man, Dorian Gray, who has a painting of himself that he keeps in the  attic (=a room under the roof)  of his house. Dorian Gray’s own face remains young and beautiful, but the face in the painting looks older and more ugly as Gray becomes more and more evil and immoral.//


Words: picturesque
Meaning:
adj \n  1 a picturesque place is pretty and interesting in an old-fashioned way:  --a quiet fishing village with a picturesque harbour//\n  2 picturesque language uses unusual, interesting, or sometimes rude words to describe something:  --a picturesque account of his trip to New York//


Words: piddle
Meaning:
v [I]  informal   to urinate//  piddle around phr v//  to waste time doing things that are not important//


Words: pidgin
Meaning:
n [U and C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Chinese; Origin: English business]//\n  1 a language that is a mixture of two other languages, which people who do not speak each other’s languages well use to talk to each other:\n  2  pidgin English/French etc:  English, French etc that is mixed with the words or grammar of another language//


Words: pie
Meaning:
S2   n [U and C]   filling, pastry//  [Date: 1300-1400; Origin:  Perhaps from  pie  ’magpie’ (  MAGPIE); because the different things in a pie are like the different things a magpie collects]//\n  1 fruit baked inside a pastry covering:  slice/piece of pie //  --Would you like another piece of apple pie?//\n  2  BrE meat or vegetables baked inside a pastry or potato covering:  --I had steak and kidney pie with chips.//\n  3  slice/share/piece of the pie:  a share of something such as money, profits etc//  --The smaller companies want a bigger share of the pie.//\n  4  pie in the sky:  something good that someone says will happen, but which you think is impossible or unlikely//  --Hope of a cure is just pie in the sky.//    mud pie,  pie chart//    easy as pie at easy1 (1)//    eat humble pie at humble1 (6)//    have a finger in every pie at finger1 (7)//    be as nice as pie at nice(11)//


Words: pie chart
Meaning:
n [C]   a circle divided into parts by lines coming from the centre to show how big the different parts of a total amount are//


Words: piebald
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin: pie  ’magpie’ (  MAGPIE) +  bald]//  a piebald animal has black and white areas on its body//  --a piebald horse//


Words: piece
Meaning:
n [C]   ----------//\n   1 amount:\n   2 part:\n   3 single item:\n   4 small amount:\n   5 land:\n   6 fall to pieces:\n   7 go to pieces:\n   8 smash/rip/tear something to pieces:\n   9 pull/rip/tear somebody/something to pieces:\n  10 art/music etc:\n  11 news item:\n  12 in one piece:\n  13 give somebody a piece of your mind:\n  14 be a piece of cake:\n  15 be a piece of piss:\n  16 a piece of the action:\n  17 be (all) of a piece:\n  18 money:\n  19 games:\n  20 gun:\n  21 be a piece of shit/crap:\n  22 piece of ass:  ----------//  [Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old French; Origin: Vulgar Latin pettia]//\n  1 AMOUNT:  an amount of something that has been separated from the main part//  piece of//  --He broke off a piece of bread and gave it her.//  --Cut off a piece of wood 5 cm in length.//  --His trousers were held up with a piece of string.//  --Would you like a small or a large piece?//  cut/divide etc sth into pieces //  --She cut the cake into four equal pieces.//  --Chop the potato into bite-sized pieces.//\n  2 PART:  one of the parts that something divides or breaks into//  piece of//  --a piece of broken glass//  --Individual pieces of text can be cut and pasted to their correct position.//  in pieces //  --The china dish lay in pieces on the floor.//  --jigsaw pieces//  --His father had taught him how to take a gun to pieces .//  --The shelving comes to pieces  (=divides into separate parts) for easy transport.//  --The shower head just came to pieces  (=broke into separate parts) in my hand.//  --The fireplace was carefully dismantled piece by piece  (=one part at a time) .//\n  3 SINGLE ITEM:  a single thing of a particular type, or something that is one of several similar things//  piece of//  --Pass me another piece of paper.//  --You should eat three pieces of fruit a day.//  --She was wearing a single piece of jewellery.//  --You need to examine every piece of evidence first.//  --an excellent piece of work//  --a major piece of legislation//  --a piece of equipment//  four-piece/60-piece etc (=consisting of four, 60 etc separate parts) //  --a five-piece band//  --a three-piece suite  (=two chairs and asofa) //\n  4 SMALL AMOUNT:   [usually singular] a small amount of something that is interesting, useful, or unusual in some way//  piece of advice/information/gossip etc //  --Let me give you a piece of advice.//  --We’re witnessing a piece of history in the making.//  piece of luck/good fortune //  --It really was an extraordinary piece of luck.//\n  5 LAND:  an area of land//  piece of//  --a piece of waste ground//  --a dispute about a piece of land//\n  6  fall to pieces:  a) to become old and in bad condition//  --All my clothes are falling to pieces.//  --They’ve let that lovely old house fall to pieces around them.//  b) to no longer be successful or working well//  --The economy is falling to pieces.//\n  7  go to pieces:  if a person or what they do goes to pieces, they are so upset or nervous that they cannot live, work, or perform as they should//  --He just went to pieces after his wife died.//  --Her performance goes to pieces when her father is watching.//\n  8  smash/rip/tear sth to pieces:  to damage something badly by breaking it into many parts//  --His arm was ripped to pieces by a shark.//  --Wear thick gloves, otherwise you’ll tear your fingers to pieces.//\n  9  pull/rip/tear sb/sth to pieces:  to criticize someone or their ideas very severely//  --Donna could tear your work to pieces, and frequently did.//\n  10 ART/MUSIC ETC:  something that has been produced by an artist, musician, or writer//  piece of music/writing/sculpture etc //  --some unusual pieces of sculpture//  --The LSO will perform a much-loved concert piece.//\n  11 NEWS ITEM:  a short article in a newspaper or magazine or part of a television or radio programme that is about a particular subject//  piece about/on//  --Did you read that piece in the Observer about censorship?//  --Robert wrote a short piece on the earthquake.//\n  12  in one piece:   informal if you arrive somewhere in one piece, you are not injured//  --Cheer up. At least you’re still in one piece .//  --Ring mum and let her know we got here in one piece .//\n  13  give sb a piece of your mind:   informal to tell someone that you are very angry with them//  --After the game he gave the players a piece of his mind.//\n  14  be a piece of cake:   informal to be very easy to do//  --Landing this type of aircraft is a piece of cake for an experienced pilot.//\n  15  be a piece of piss:   BrE  spoken  not polite to be very easy to do//\n  16  a piece of the action:   informal a share of the money from a business activity//  --And will foreign firms get a piece of the action ?//\n  17  be (all) of a piece:  a) if the things someone says or does are all of a piece, they are part of the typical behaviour of that person//  be (all) of a piece with//  --Sexist language is all of a piece with the way some men treat women.//  b) to be the same or similar in all parts//  --The architecture here is all of a piece.//\n  18 MONEY:  a) a coin of a particular value//  ten pence/fifty-cent etc piece //  --Have you change for a 50-cent piece?//  b)  old use a coin//  --Robert slipped two gold pieces into the man’s hand.//\n  19 GAMES:  a small object used in a game such as chess//\n  20 GUN:   AmE  informal a small gun//\n  21  be a piece of shit/crap:   spoken  not polite used to show that you do not respect someone or something they say//\n  22  piece of ass:   AmE  informal  not polite an offensive expression for a woman. Do not use this expression.//    how long is a piece of string? at long1 (9)//\npiece 2 v   piece together [piece sth → together] phr v//\n  1 to use all the information you have about a situation in order to discover the truth about it:  --Police are trying to piece together his movements before the murder.//  --Her early life has been pieced together from several different sources.//\n  2 to put all the separate parts of an object into the correct order or position:  --He slowly pieced together the torn fragments of a letter.//


Words: piecemeal
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1200-1300; Origin: piece +  -meal  ’by one part at a time’ (11-19 centuries) (from  Old English m[zB024]lum)]//  a process that is piecemeal happens slowly and in stages that are not regular or planned properly//  --The buildings have been adapted in a piecemeal fashion .//  --a piecemeal approach to the problem//  -- piecemeal adv //  --The new fire regulations have been introduced piecemeal.//


Words: piecework
Meaning:
n [U]   work for which you are paid according to the number of things you produce rather than the number of hours that you spend working//  --bargaining over piecework rates//


Words: pied
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin: pie  ’magpie’ (  MAGPIE)]//  used in the names of birds that are black and white//  --a pied wagtail//


Words: Pied Piper
Meaning:
n \n  1  the Pied Piper (of Hamelin):  the main character in an old story about a man who got rid of all the rats from the town of Hamelin in Germany, by playing his  flute and making the rats follow him into the river and  drown in it. When he was not paid for this job, the Pied Piper played his flute again and led away all the town’s children too.//\n  2 someone that other people like or admire, who attracts many followers:


Words: pied-a-terre
Meaning:
n [C]   a small apartment or house, often in the centre of a city or town, that is not your main home but which you own and stay in sometimes//  --They kept a pied-a-terre in London for theatre evenings.//


Words: pier
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1100-1200; Language: Medieval Latin; Origin: pera]//\n  1 a structure that is built over and into the water so that boats can stop next to it or people can walk along it:  --a yacht moored at a pier//  --strolling along Brighton Pier//\n  2 a thick stone, wooden, or metal post that is used to support something:


Words: pierce
Meaning:
v   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: percer, probably from  Latin pertundere  ’to make a hole through’]//\n  1 [T] to make a small hole in or through something, using an object with a sharp point:  --Steam the corn until it can easily be pierced with a fork.//  --Rose underwent emergency surgery after a bullet pierced her lung.//  pierce a hole in/through sth //  --Pierce small holes in the base of the pot with a hot needle.//\n  2  have your ears/nose etc pierced:  to have a small hole made in your ears, nose etc so that you can wear jewellery through the hole//  --I had my belly-button pierced.//  --pierced ears//\n  3 [I,T always + adverb/preposition]  literary if sound or light pierces something, you suddenly hear or see it:  --The darkness was pierced by the beam from the lighthouse.//  --A sudden scream pierced the silence.//  pierce through//  --The men’s lanterns pierced through the dense mist.//\n  4  pierce sb’s heart:  to make someone feel a strong emotion such as pain, sadness, or love//  --Her memories sometimes pierced her heart.//\n  5 [T] to force a way through something:  --Leicester rarely threatened to pierce the Manchester United defence.//


Words: piercing
Meaning:
adj   ----------//\n   1 eyes/look:\n   2 sound:\n   3 wind:\n   4 pain:\n   5 emotion:  ----------//\n  1 EYES/LOOK:   literary someone with piercing eyes is looking at you and seems to know what you are thinking//  --There was mockery now in those piercing blue eyes.//  --She felt foolish and unsure under his piercing gaze .//  --He gave her a piercing look .//\n  2 SOUND:  a sound that is piercing is high, sharp, and unpleasant//  --He grinned and let out a piercing whistle.//  --a piercing scream//\n  3 WIND:  a piercing wind is very cold//\n  4 PAIN:  causing a lot of pain//  --She felt a piercing sensation in her arm.//\n  5 EMOTION:   [only before noun] affecting your feelings very deeply in a sad way//  --a piercing moment of regret//  -- piercingly adv //  --It was piercingly cold.//  --She looked at him piercingly.//\npiercing 2 n [U and C]   a hole made through part of your body so that you can put jewellery there, or the process of making these holes//


Words: Pierrot
Meaning:
a character from old French  pantomime who has a sad, white face, and wears loose, white clothes with a stiff circular collar//


Words: piety
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: piete, from  Latin pietas, from  pius;   PIOUS]//  when you behave in a way that shows respect for your religion//    pious//  --an act of Christian piety//


Words: pig
Meaning:
S2   n [C]   ----------//\n   1 animal:\n   2 person:\n   3 police:\n   4 a pig (of a something):\n   5 make a pig’s ear of something:\n   6 in a pig’s eye:\n   7 pig in a poke:\n   8 pigs might fly:  ----------//  [Date: 1200-1300; Origin:  Probably from an unrecorded  Old English picga]//\n  1 ANIMAL:  a farm animal with short legs, a fat body, and a curved tail. Pigs are kept for their meat, which includes pork, bacon and ham//  American Equivalent:  hog//  --He kept pigs and poultry.//\n  2 PERSON:   spoken //  a) someone who eats too much or eats more than their share//  --You greedy pig , you ate all the candy!//  --I made a bit of a pig of myself  (=ate too much) at dinner.//  b) someone who is unpleasant in some way, for example unkind or very untidy//  --They live like pigs in that house over the road.//  --You can tell him from me he’s an ignorant pig.//  (male) chauvinist pig (=a man who thinks women are not equal to men) //\n  3 POLICE:   taboo  informal an offensive word for a police officer. Do not use this word.//\n  4  a pig (of a sth):   BrE  spoken something that is very difficult or unpleasant to do//  --They’re improving, and they’re a pig of a team to beat.//\n  5  make a pig’s ear of sth:   BrE  spoken to do something very badly//  --Someone’s made a right pig’s ear of these repairs.//\n  6  in a pig’s eye:   AmE  spoken  informal used to show that you do not believe what someone is saying//\n  7  pig in a poke:   spoken something you bought without seeing it first and that is not as good or valuable as you expected//  --What if the car you buy turns out to be a pig in a poke ?//\n  8  pigs might fly:   spoken used to say that you do not think something will happen//  --’Someone might have handed in your pass.’ ’Yes, and pigs might fly.’//\npig 2 v   past tense and past participle  pigged present participle  pigging //  pig out phr v//   informal to eat a lot of food all at once//  pig out on//  --I found Sam in front of the TV, pigging out on pizza and fries.//


Words: pigeon
Meaning:
S3   n   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: pijon, from  Late Latin pipio  ’young bird’]//  [C] a grey bird with short legs that is common in cities//


Words: pigeonhole
Meaning:
n [C]   one of a set of small open boxes fixed to a wall. You leave letters, messages etc for particular people in the boxes.//\npigeonhole 2 v [T]   to unfairly consider a person, activity etc as belonging to a particular type or group//  pigeonhole sb/sth as sth//  --Patsy was pigeonholed as a Country and Western singer, but that’s too simple.//


Words: Piggy
Meaning:
a character in the book  Lord of the Flies by William  Golding, about a group of boys who are on a small island and cannot escape. Piggy is fat and wears glasses, and the other boys treat him cruelly, and finally kill him.//


Words: piggy
Meaning:
n   plural  piggies  [C] //\n  1 a pig - used by children or when you are talking to children:\n  2  piggy in the middle:   BrE //  a)  informal someone who is involved in an argument between two opposing sides, but does not know who they should support//  --What have I got myself into? I’m piggy in the middle between Guido and Silvia!//  b) a game in which two people throw a ball backwards and forwards between them, while a third person in the middle tries to catch it//  American Equivalent:  keep-away//\npiggy 2 adj   piggy eyes//  small unattractive eyes//  --His little piggy eyes were red with hatred.//


Words: piggyback
Meaning:
n  also piggyback ride  [C]   if you give someone, especially a child, a piggyback, you carry them high on your shoulders, supporting them with your hands under their legs//  -- piggyback adv //\npiggyback 2 v [I]  informal   to use something that is bigger, better, or more successful in order to help another product or project succeed//  piggyback on/onto//  --videos that piggyback onto the success of proven TV programs//


Words: pigheaded
Meaning:
adj   determined to do things the way you want and refusing to change your mind, even when there are good reasons to do so//   stubborn//  --Never have I met a woman so obstinate, so pigheaded!//  -- pigheadedness n  [U] //  --It was just sheer pigheadedness on his part.//


Words: Piglet
Meaning:
a character in the stories about  Winnie the Pooh by A.A.  Milne. He is a small pig who walks on two legs and has no tail, and he is a friend of Winnie the Pooh.//


Words: pigment
Meaning:
n [U and C]   [Date: 1100-1200; Language: Latin; Origin: pigmentum, from  pingere  ’to paint’]//  a natural substance that makes skin, hair, plants etc a particular colour//  --Melanin is the dark brown pigment of the hair, skin and eyes.//  --The artist Sandy Lee uses natural pigments in her work.//


Words: pigmentation
Meaning:
n [U]  technical   the natural colour of living things//  --The dark pigmentation gives protection from the sun’s rays.//


Words: Pigpen
Meaning:
a character in the US  cartoon strip called  Peanuts, who always has a cloud of dirt all around him//


Words: pigpen
Meaning:
n [C]  AmE \n  1 a building where pigs are kept:   pigsty//\n  2  informal a very dirty or untidy place:   pigsty//


Words: pigskin
Meaning:
n \n  1 [U] leather made from the skin of a pig:  --a pigskin suitcase//\n  2 [singular]  AmE  informal the ball used in American football:  --We started tossing the pigskin around.//


Words: pigsty
Meaning:
n   plural  pigsties  [C] //\n  1 a building where pigs are kept:  American Equivalent:  pigpen//\n  2  informal a very dirty or untidy place:  American Equivalent:  pigpen//  --The house was a pigsty, as usual.//


Words: pigtail
Meaning:
n [C]   lengths of hair that have been twisted together into a plait//  in pigtails//  --She wore her hair in pigtails.//


Words: Pike
Meaning:
Zebulon   (1779-1813) a US army  general and  explorer who travelled through Louisiana and along the Mississippi River. Pike’s Peak is named after him.//


Words: pike
Meaning:
n [C]   [Sense: 1; Date: 1300-1400; Origin: pike  ’sharp pointed object’ (11-20 centuries), from  Old English pic]//  [Sense: 2; Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: pique]//  [Sense: 3-4; Date: 1800-1900; Origin: turnpike]//\n  1 :  plural  pike a large fish that eats other fish and lives in rivers and lakes//\n  2 a long-handled weapon with a sharp blade, used in the past:\n  3  come down the pike:   AmE to happen or become known//  --The world is being turned upside down by the string of multimedia technologies coming down the pike.//\n  4  AmE  spoken a turnpike:


Words: piker
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: pike  ’to go away, withdraw’ (15-20 centuries)]//   AusE someone who avoids difficult situations, especially ones involving money//


Words: pikestaff
Meaning:
n   as plain as a pikestaff//   BrE  old-fashioned very clear and easy to understand//  --None of us worked it out, though it was as plain as a pikestaff when you thought about it.//


Words: pilaff
Meaning:
pilaf/pi[hA359]l[zB024]f $ p[hA366]l[hA35A][hA359]f/ n [U and C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Turkish]//  a pilau//


Words: pilaster
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: pilastre, from  Italian, from  Latin pila;   PILLAR]//  a flat square column attached to the wall of a building for decoration//


Words: Pilate
Meaning:
Pontius   (1st century AD) the Roman governor of Judaea, a former country in the area that is now Palestine, at the time when Jesus Christ was judged and killed. According to the New Testament of the Bible, Pilate offered to let Jesus go free, but the Jewish leaders would not accept this. Pilate then washed his hands and said he was not to blame for Jesus’s death. People mention Pilate, or talk about someone "washing their hands of" a problem, when they are talking about someone who is not morally strong enough to do what they think is right.//


Words: Pilates
Meaning:
n [U]   a type of exercise based on yoga and dance that you do with special equipment which makes you push, pull, and stretch, so that your body moves more easily and becomes stronger//


Words: pilau
Meaning:
n [U and C]  BrE   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Persian; Origin: pilaw]//  a dish made of rice, vegetables, and sometimes meat//  --mushroom pilau//


Words: pile
Meaning:
S2   n   ----------//\n   1 arrangement of things:\n   2 large amount:\n   3 a pile of something:\n   4 the bottom of the pile:\n   5 the top of the pile:\n   6 house:\n   7 material:\n   8 post:\n   9 make a/your pile:\n  10 piles:  ----------//  [Sense: 1-6, 9; Date: 1400-1500; Language: French; Origin: Latin pila;   PILLAR]//  [Sense: 7; Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: pilus  ’hair’]//  [Sense: 8; Origin: Old English pil, from  Latin pilum  ’javelin’]//  [Sense: 10; Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: pila  ’ball’]//\n  1 ARRANGEMENT OF THINGS:   [C] a group of several things of the same type that are put on top of each other//   stack//  pile of//  --His mother came in carrying a pile of ironing in her arms.//  --Flora shuffled through a pile of magazines.//  put sth in/into a pile //  --She tidied up the books and put them in neat piles .//  --He balanced the plate on the top of a pile of books.//\n  2 LARGE AMOUNT:   [C] a large amount of something arranged in a shape that looks like a small hill//  pile of//  --piles of melting snow//  --All that remained of the old house was a pile of rubble.//  --Sophie stooped to throw another branch on the pile.//  --He began to sweep the pieces of glass into a pile .//\n  3  a pile of sth:   also piles of sth //   informal a lot of something//  --We’ve had piles of letters from viewers.//  --another pile of directives from the EU//\n  4  the bottom of the pile:   BrE the weakest or least important position in a society or organization//  --I soon discovered I was at the bottom of the pile in the office hierarchy.//  --She always puts her own needs to the bottom of the pile.//\n  5  the top of the pile:   BrE the best or highest position in a society or organization//  --It’s been 20 years since a British tennis player was at the top of the pile.//\n  6 HOUSE:   [C] a very large old house//  --They’ve just bought an 18th-century pile in Surrey.//\n  7 MATERIAL:   [U and C] the soft surface of short threads on a carpet or some types of cloth//  thick/deep pile //  --Her feet sank into the thick pile of the rug.//  --a deep pile carpet//    nap1 (2)//\n  8 POST:   [C]  technical a heavy wooden, stone, or metal post, used to support something heavy//\n  9  make a/your pile:   informal to make a lot of money//  --He had made his pile in the wholesale business.//\n  10  piles [plural] painfully swollen blood vessels near a person’s anus:\npile 2 v [T] \n  1 [always + adverb/preposition] to fill a place or container or cover a surface with a large amount of things:  pile sth into/onto etc sth//  --He piled bread and milk into his basket.//  --Melissa piled spaghetti onto her plate.//  be piled with sth//  --a chair piled with velvet cushions//  --The room was piled high with boxes (=filled with a lot of boxes) .//\n  2  also pile up :  to arrange things in a pile//  --Ma stacked the cups and piled the plates.//  pile sth on/onto sth//  --She brushed her hair and piled it carefully on top of her head.//  pile in phr v//  if people pile in, they get into a vehicle very quickly//  --Pierre came to pick them up, and they all piled in.//  pile on [pile sth →  on] phr v//\n  1  pile it on/pile on the drama:  to talk about something in a way that makes it seem much worse than it really is//   exaggerate//  --I know I’m piling it on a bit, but there is a serious point to be made.//\n  2  pile on the pressure/agony:  to show that you are much better than your opponent in a game//  --England piled on the pressure from the start.//\n  3  pile on the pounds:  to gain a lot of body weight//  --She slimmed down a couple of years ago but has piled on the pounds again.//  pile out phr v//  if people pile out, they leave a place or get out of a vehicle quickly and in a disorganized way//  --Edward parked by the river and we all piled out.//  pile up phr v//\n  1 to increase in quantity or amount, in a way that is difficult to manage:  --It wasn’t long before the debts were piling up.//  --The traffic starts piling up around this time.//  --The work has a tendency to pile up if I’m not careful.//\n  2  pile sth → up:  to arrange things in a pile//  --tiny doughnuts piled up in a dish//    pile-up//


Words: pilfer
Meaning:
v [I and T]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: pelfrer, from  pelfre  ’stolen things’]//  to steal things that are not worth much, especially from the place where you work//  pilfer from//  --She was sacked after being caught pilfering from the till.//  -- pilferer n  [C] //  --an office pilferer//  -- pilfering n  [U] //


Words: pilgrim
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old French; Origin: peligrin, from  Latin peregrinus  ’foreigner’]//  a religious person who travels a long way to a holy place//  --pilgrims visiting a holy shrine//


Words: Pilgrim Fathers
Meaning:
n   the Pilgrim Fathers//  the group of English people who arrived to settle at Plymouth, Massachusetts in the US in 1620//


Words: Pilgrim’s Progress
Meaning:
The   (1678-84) a book by John  Bunyan. It is an  allegory of the difficult journey of the human soul through life to Heaven. The main character,  Christian, leaves his family and travels through places such as the  Slough of Despond and  Vanity Fair, facing many dangers on his way.//


Words: Pilgrim’s Way
Meaning:
the Pilgrim’s Way//  the name of an old path from  Winchester to  Canterbury in southern England, which  pilgrims travelled along in the past//


Words: pilgrimage
Meaning:
n [U and C] \n  1 a journey to a holy place for religious reasons:  make a pilgrimage/go on (a) pilgrimage //  --the chance to go on pilgrimage to Mecca//\n  2 a journey to a place connected with someone or something famous:  --Presley’s home has become a place of pilgrimage .//


Words: pill
Meaning:
S3   n   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: pilula, from  pila  ’ball’]//\n  1 [C] a small solid piece of medicine that you swallow whole:  --He has to take pills to control his blood pressure.//  -- sleeping pills //  --a bottle of vitamin pills //\n  2  the Pill/the pill:  a pill taken regularly by some women in order to prevent them having babies//  on the Pill//  --My doctor advised me to go on the pill (=start taking it regularly) .//\n  3  sugar/sweeten the pill:  to do something to make an unpleasant job or situation less unpleasant for the person who has to accept it//\n  4  be a pill:   AmE  informal if someone, especially a child, is a pill, they are annoying//  --Luke can be a real pill sometimes.//    a bitter pill (to swallow) at bitter1 (7),  morning-after pill//\npill 2 v [I]  AmE   if a piece of clothing pills, especially a  sweater, it forms little balls on the surface of the cloth after it has been worn or washed//


Words: pillage
Meaning:
v [I and T]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: piller  ’to rob’]//  if soldiers pillage a place in a war, they steal a lot of things and do a lot of damage//   plunder//  -- pillage n  [U] //  -- pillager n  [C] //


Words: pillar
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: piler, from  Latin pila]//\n  1 :  a) a tall upright round post used as a support for a roof or bridge//  --Eight massive stone pillars supported the roof.//  b) a tall upright round post, usually made of stone, put up to remind people of an important person or event//\n  2  pillar of society/the community/the church etc:  somebody who is an important and respected member of a group, and is involved in many public activities//  --Mr Fitzwilliam had been seen as a pillar of the community.//\n  3 a very important part of a system of beliefs or ideas:  pillar of//  --One of the pillars of a civilized society must be that everyone has equal access to the legal system.//\n  4  be driven/pushed from pillar to post:  to have to go from one person or situation to another without achieving much or being able to settle//  --The poor kid has been pushed from pillar to post.//\n  5  be a pillar of strength:  if someone is a pillar of strength, they are there to give you help and support at a difficult time//  --Christine’s been a pillar of strength to me.//\n  6  pillar of dust/smoke/flame etc:  a tall upright mass of dust, smoke, flame etc//


Words: pillar box
Meaning:
n   [C]  BrE  old-fashioned a large red tube-shaped box for posting letters that stands on streets in Britain//   postbox//    letterbox//


Words: Pillars of Hercules
Meaning:
the Pillars of Hercules//  two very tall rocks on either side of the Strait of  Gibraltar, a narrow area of sea at the western end of the Mediterranean Sea. According to ancient Greek stories, the rocks had been moved apart by  Hercules, and they showed the limits of the known world.//


Words: pillbox
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 a small round box for holding pills:\n  2 a small, strong, usually circular shelter with a gun inside it, built as a defence:\n  3  also pillbox hat :  a small round hat for a woman//


Words: pillion
Meaning:
n [singular]  BrE   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Scottish Gaelic; Origin: pillean or  Irish Gaelic pillin, from  peall  ’couch’]//  the seat behind the driver of a motorcycle//  --a pillion passenger//  -- pillion adv //  --Tom had never ridden pillion before.//


Words: pillory
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  pilloried present participle  pillorying third person singular  pillories  [T usually passive] //  if someone is pilloried, they are publicly criticized by a lot of people, especially in newspapers etc//  --The education secretary was pilloried by the press for his latest proposals.//\npillory 2   plural  pillories  n [C] //  [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: pilori]//  a wooden frame with holes for someone’s head and hands to be locked into, used in the past as a way of publicly punishing someone//    the stocks at stock1 (9)//


Words: pillow
Meaning:
S3   n [C]   [Language: Old English; Origin: pyle, from  Latin pulvinus]//\n  1 a cloth bag filled with soft material that you put your head on when you are sleeping:  --I’ll be asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.//\n  2  pillow fight:  a game in which children hit each other with pillows//\n  3  pillow talk:   informal conversation between lovers in bed//\npillow 2 v [T always + adverb/preposition]  literary   to rest your head somewhere//  --His head was pillowed on his arm.//


Words: pilot
Meaning:
W3   n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: pilote, from  Italian pedota, from  Greek pedon  ’oar’]//\n  1 someone who operates the controls of an aircraft or spacecraft:  --an airline pilot//  --a fighter pilot//  --The official report into the accident says that it was caused by pilot error  (=a mistake by the pilot) .//\n  2 someone with a special knowledge of a particular area of water, who is employed to guide ships across it:  --a harbour pilot//\n  3  pilot study/project/scheme etc:  a small study, project etc which is carried out as a test to see if an idea, product etc will be successful//  --a pilot scheme which could be extended to other areas//\n  4 a television programme that is made in order to test whether people like it and would watch it:  --a pilot for a new sitcom//    automatic pilot//\npilot 2 v [T] \n  1 to guide an aircraft, spacecraft, or ship as its pilot:\n  2 to test a new idea, product etc on people to find out whether it will be successful:  --The new exams are currently being piloted in a number of areas.//\n  3  literary to help someone to go to a place:\n  4  BrE to be responsible for making sure that a new law or plan is officially approved:  pilot sth through sth//  --The Bill was piloted through Parliament by the health minister.//


Words: pimento
Meaning:
plural  pimentos  [U and C] //  [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Spanish; Origin: pimiento, from  Latin pigmentum;   PIGMENT]//  a small red pepper which does not have a very strong taste//


Words: Pimms
Meaning:
trademark   a type of alcoholic drink containing  gin, whose full name is Pimms Number One Cup. Pimms is drunk with ice,  lemonade, and small pieces of fruit, and in the UK it is connected in people’s minds with fashionable summer events such as the  Henley Regatta or  Wimbledon.//


Words: pimpernel
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Old French; Origin: pimprenelle, from  Late Latin pimpinella, from  Latin piper  ’pepper’]//  a small wild plant with flowers in various colours, especially red//


Words: pimple
Meaning:
n [C]   a small raised red spot on your skin, especially on your face//  -- pimply adj //  --a pimply eighteen-year-old//    goose pimples//


Words: PIN
Meaning:
n  also PIN number  [C]   personal identification number a number that you use when you get money from a machine using a plastic card//


Words: pin
Meaning:
S3   n [C]   ----------//\n   1 for joining/fastening:\n   2 jewellery:\n   3 electrical:\n   4 bowling:\n   5 you could hear a pin drop:\n   6 part of bomb:\n   7 golf:\n   8 for two pins I’d ...:\n   9 pins:  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: pinn]//\n  1 FOR JOINING/FASTENING:  a) a short thin piece of metal with a sharp point at one end, used especially for fastening together pieces of cloth while making clothes//  b) a thin piece of metal used to fasten things together, especially broken bones//\n  2 JEWELLERY:   AmE a piece of metal, sometimes containing jewels, that you fasten to your clothes to wear as a decoration//  British Equivalent:  brooch//\n  3 ELECTRICAL:   BrE one of the pieces of metal that sticks out of an electric plug//  --a three-pin plug//  bowling ball, shoes, pin, bowling//\n  4 BOWLING:  one of the bottle-shaped objects that you try to knock down in a game of bowling//\n  5  you could hear a pin drop:   spoken used to say that it is very quiet and no one is speaking//\n  6 PART OF BOMB:  a short piece of metal which you pull out of a hand grenade to make it explode a short time later//\n  7 GOLF:  a metal stick with a flag at the top which marks the holes on a golf course//\n  8  for two pins I’d ...:   BrE  old-fashioned used to say that you would like to do something to someone because they have annoyed you//  --For two pins, I’d just send them all home.//\n  9  pins [plural]  BrE  informal legs:    drawing pin,  pin money,  pins and needles(1),  rolling pin,  safety pin//\npin 2   past tense and past participle  pinned present participle  pinning  v [T always + adverb/preposition] //\n  1 to fasten something somewhere, or to join two things together, using a pin:  pin sth to/on sth//  --Can you pin this to the notice board?//  --He pinned the name tag on his jacket.//  pin sth up//  --She had photos of her kids pinned up next to her desk.//\n  2 to make someone unable to move by putting a lot of pressure or weight on them:  pin sb/sth to sth//  --He pinned her arms to her sides.//  pin sb against sth//  --Albert got him pinned against the wall.//  pin sb down//  --They managed to pin him down until the police arrived.//  be pinned under/beneath sth//  --Her body was pinned under the weight of the car.//  pin down [pin sb/sth → down] phr v//\n  1 to make someone give clear details or make a definite decision about something:  pin somebody/something → down to//  --Did you manage to pin him down to a definite date?//  --He’s impossible to pin down.//\n  2 to understand something clearly or be able to describe it exactly:  hard/difficult to pin down //  --The flavour was hard to pin down.//\n  3 if soldiers etc involved in fighting are pinned down, they cannot move from their position because someone is shooting at them:  --The rebels have been pinned down in a camp to the south of the river.//  pin on / [pin sth on sb/sth] phr v//\n  1 to blame someone for something, often unfairly:  --Don’t try to pin the blame on me!//  --They’re trying to pin the murder on the boyfriend.//\n  2  pin your hopes/faith on sth/sb:  to hope that something will happen or someone will help you, because all your plans depend on this//  --Chris is pinning his hopes on getting into Yale.//


Words: pin money
Meaning:
n [U]    BrE a small amount of extra money which someone earns to spend on things which they want but do not really need//  --She helped her uncle out sometimes just to earn a bit of pin money.//


Words: pin-up
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 a picture of an attractive person, often not wearing many clothes, that is put up on a wall to be looked at and admired:  --a pin-up of her favourite boy band//\n  2 someone who appears in pin-up pictures or who is considered attractive by a particular group of people:  --He’s becoming the thinking woman’s pin-up.//


Words: pinafore
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Origin: pin +  afore  ’in front’ (  AFOREMENTIONED)]//\n  1  also pinafore dress  BrE a dress that does not cover your arms and under which you wear a shirt or blouse:  American Equivalent:  jumper//\n  2  also pinny  BrE  informal :  a loose piece of clothing that does not cover your arms, worn over your clothes to keep them clean//


Words: Pinatubo
Meaning:
Mount   a mountain that is an active  volcano in the Philippines. It was inactive for 600 years before erupting in 1991 and killing 343 people.//


Words: pinball
Meaning:
n [U]   a game played on a machine with a sloping board which a ball rolls down while the player tries to prevent it reaching the bottom//


Words: pince-nez
Meaning:
n [plural]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: French; Origin: ’pinch-nose’]//  glasses worn in the past that were held in position on the nose by a spring, instead of by pieces fitting round the ears//


Words: pincer
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: pincier  ’to pinch’]//\n  1 [C usually plural] one of the pair of claws that some shellfish and insects have, used for holding and cutting food, and for fighting:\n  2  pincers [plural] a tool made of two crossed pieces of metal used for holding things tightly:


Words: pincer movement
Meaning:
n [C]   a military attack in which two groups of soldiers come from opposite directions in order to trap the enemy between them//


Words: pinch
Meaning:
v   [Date: 1200-1300; Origin:  From an unrecorded  Old North French pinchier]//\n  1 [T] to press a part of someone’s skin very tightly between your finger and thumb, especially so that it hurts:  --We have to stop her pinching her baby brother.//  --He pinched her cheek.//\n  2 [T]  BrE  informal to steal something, especially something small or not very valuable:  --Someone’s pinched my coat!//\n  3 [T] to press something between your finger and thumb:  --Pinch the edges of the pastry together to seal it.//\n  4 [I and T] if something you are wearing pinches you, it presses painfully on part of your body, because it is too tight:  --Her new shoes were pinching.//\n  5  sb has to pinch themselves:  used when a situation is so surprising that the person involved needs to make sure that they are not imagining it//  --Sometimes she had to pinch herself to make sure it was not all a dream.//\n  6 [T usually passive]  BrE  old-fashioned to arrest someone:  pinch out [pinch sth → out] phr v//  to remove a small part of a plant with your fingers//  --Pinch out any side shoots to make the plant grow upwards.//\npinch 2 n [C] \n  1  pinch of salt/pepper etc:  a small amount of salt, pepper etc that you can hold between your finger and thumb//  --Add a pinch of salt to taste.//\n  2 when you press someone’s skin between your finger and thumb:  --She gave him a playful pinch.//\n  3  at a pinch:   BrE in a pinch  AmE used to say that you could do something if necessary in a difficult or urgent situation//  --There’s space for three people. Four at a pinch.//  --If you’re in a pinch, I’m sure they’d look after Jenny for a while.//\n  4  take sth with a pinch of salt:  used to say that you should not always completely believe what a particular person says//  --You have to take what he says with a pinch of salt.//\n  5  feel the pinch:  to have financial difficulties, especially because you are not making as much money as you used to make//  --Local stores and businesses are beginning to feel the pinch.//


Words: pinch-hit
Meaning:
v [I + for]  AmE \n  1 to do something for someone else because they are suddenly not able to do it:\n  2 to hit for someone else in baseball:  -- pinch-hitter n  [C] //


Words: pinched
Meaning:
adj   a pinched face looks thin and unhealthy, for example because the person is ill, cold, or tired//  --She had a small pinched face with sad eyes.//


Words: pine
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1000-1100; Language: Latin; Origin: pinus]//\n  1 [U and C]  also pine tree :  a tall tree with long hard sharp leaves that do not fall off in winter//  --an ancient pine forest//\n  2 [U] the pale wood of pine trees, used to make furniture, floors etc:  --a pine table//\npine 2 v [I]   [Language: Old English; Origin: pinian, from  pin  ’punishment’, from  Latin poena;   PAIN1]//  to become sad and not continue your life as normal because someone has died or gone away//  --Six months after he left, she was still pining.//  pine away phr v//  to become less active, weaker and often ill, especially because you miss someone who has died or gone away//  pine for / [pine for sb/sth] phr v//\n  1 if you pine for a place or for something, you miss it a lot and wish you could be there or have it again:  --After two months in France I was pining for home.//\n  2 if you pine for someone, you feel very unhappy because they are not with you:  --Karen had been pining for her friends back home in Colorado.//


Words: pineapple
Meaning:
n [U and C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin: pineapple  ’pinecone’ (14-18 centuries)]//  a large yellow-brown tropical fruit or its sweet juicy yellow flesh//  --pineapple chunks//  --pineapple juice//


Words: Pinewood
Meaning:
also Pinewood Studios   a large film  studio (=place where films are made) , to the west of London, near  Slough//


Words: ping
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Origin:  From the sound]//  a short high ringing sound//  --The microwave goes ping when the food’s ready.//\nping 2 v   [I] to make a short high ringing sound//


Words: Ping-Pong
Meaning:
n [U]  trademark   an indoor game played on a table by two people with a small plastic ball and two bats//   table tennis//


Words: pinion
Meaning:
v   [T always + adverb/preposition] to hold or tie someone’s arms or legs very tightly, so that they cannot move freely//  --My arms were pinioned behind me by the policemen.//\npinion 2 n   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: French; Origin: pignon, from  peigne  ’comb’]//  [C] a small wheel, with teeth on its outer edge, that fits into a larger wheel and turns it or is turned by it//


Words: pink
Meaning:
W3S2   adj   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin:  Probably from   PINK22]//\n  1 pale red:  -- bright pink lipstick//  --Hannah’s face went pink.//    shocking pink//\n  2 [only before noun]  BrE relating to people who are homosexual:    be tickled pink at tickle1 (3)//\npink 2 n   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin:  Perhaps from  pink eye  ’half-shut eye’, used as a name for the plant, from  Dutch pink oogen  ’small eyes’]//\n  1 [U and C] a pale red colour:  --Her room was decorated in bright pinks and purples.//  --She had arrived dressed in pink.//\n  2 [C] a garden plant with pink, white, or red flowers:\n  3  in the pink:   old-fashioned in very good health//


Words: Pink Panther
Meaning:
the \n  1 a character in humorous  cartoon films who is a pink  panther (=a large wild animal of the cat family) . The music from the cartoon, the "Pink Panther theme", is very well known.:\n  2 a valuable jewel which is stolen in a series of humorous films about a French police officer called Inspector  Clouseau. The first of these films is called  The Pink Panther.:


Words: pink pound
Meaning:
n [singular]  BrE   the money that people who are homosexual have available to spend//  --Companies are trying to attract the pink pound.//


Words: pink slip
Meaning:
n [C]  AmE  informal \n  1 an official document that proves that you own a particular car:\n  2 a written warning you get when your job is going to end because there is not enough work:


Words: pink-collar
Meaning:
adj   pink-collar jobs/workers/industries etc//   especially AmE low-paid jobs done mainly by women, for example in offices and restaurants, or the women who do these jobs//    white-collar,  blue-collar//


Words: Pinkerton’s
Meaning:
also Pinkerton’s National Detective Agency   a private  detective business in the US, started by Allan Pinkerton (1819-84)//


Words: pinkie
Meaning:
pinky/p[hA366][hA26E]ki/ n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin:  Probably from  Dutch pinkje, from  pink  ’little finger’]//   especially AmE your smallest finger//   little finger//


Words: pinking shears
Meaning:
also pinking scissors  n [plural]   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: pink  ’to cut decoratively’ (14-20 centuries)]//  a special type of scissors with blades that have V-shaped teeth, used for cutting cloth//


Words: pinko
Meaning:
n   plural  pinkos  [C] //\n  1  AmE an insulting word for a socialist or communist:\n  2  BrE someone who has slightly left-wing ideas, but is not a strong believer in socialism:    red//  -- pinko adj //  --pinko liberals//


Words: pinnacle
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: pinacle, from  Late Latin pinnaculum, from  Latin pinna  ’wing, wall around the top of a castle’]//\n  1 [singular] the most successful, powerful, exciting etc part of something:  --the pinnacle of academic achievement//  pinnacle of//  --She had reached the pinnacle of her political career.//\n  2 [C]  literary a high mountain top:\n  3 [C] a pointed stone decoration, like a small tower, on a building such as a church or castle:


Words: Pinocchio
Meaning:
a character in an Italian children’s story that was later made into a  cartoon film. Pinocchio is a wooden  puppet who at the end of the story comes alive as a real boy. At one point in the story, Pinocchio’s nose grows longer when he tells lies. People sometimes mention the idea of someone’s nose growing longer to mean that someone is lying.//


Words: pinochle
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin:  Probably from  German dialect binokel type of card game]//  an American card game//


Words: pinpoint
Meaning:
v [T] \n  1 to discover or explain exactly the real facts about something or the cause of a problem:  --It’s difficult to pinpoint the cause of the accident.//  pinpoint what/how/why etc//  --They need to pinpoint exactly what skills are necessary.//\n  2 to find or show the exact position of something:  --Rescue teams have now pinpointed the location of the ship.//  at the pinnacle of sth//  --The bank then was at the pinnacle of England’s financial system.//\npinpoint 2 n [C] \n  1 a very small area or dot of something:  pinpoint of//  --tiny pinpoints of light//\n  2  with pinpoint accuracy:  very exactly//  --The missiles can hit targets with pinpoint accuracy.//


Words: pinprick
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 a very small area or dot of something:  pinprick of//  --a pinprick of light//\n  2 a very small hole in something, similar to one made by a pin:\n  3 something that slightly annoys you:  --These problems were pinpricks compared with what was to come.//


Words: pins and needles
Meaning:
n [U] \n  1 an uncomfortable feeling, often in your foot or your leg, which you get especially when you have not moved part of your body for a long time, and the supply of blood has stopped flowing properly:  --I’ll have to move because I’m starting to get pins and needles in my foot.//\n  2  be on pins and needles:   AmE to be very nervous and unable to relax, especially because you are waiting for something important//   be on tenterhooks//


Words: pinstripe
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 one of the thin pale lines that form a pattern on cloth against a darker background:\n  2  pinstripe suit:  a suit made from cloth with a pinstripe pattern, worn especially by business people//  --a navy-blue pinstripe suit//  -- pin-striped adj //


Words: pint
Meaning:
S2   n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: pinte, from  Medieval Latin pincta, from  Latin, past participle of  pingere  ’to paint’; probably because a mark was painted on a bottle to show how much it contained]//\n  1  written abbreviation pt :  a unit for measuring an amount of liquid, especially beer or milk. In Britain a pint is equal to 0.568 litres, and in the US it is equal to 0.473 litres//  pint of//  --Add two pints of water to the mixture.//  --half a pint of milk//  --a pint glass (=a glass which will hold a pint of liquid) //\n  2  BrE a pint of beer, especially one that you drink in a bar:    half//  --He’s gone down the pub for a quick pint.//


Words: Pinta
Meaning:
the   one of the three ships that sailed to America with Christopher  Columbus in 1492. The other two were the  Ni[hA172]a and the  Santa Maria.//


Words: Pinter
Meaning:
Harold   (1930- ) a British writer of plays, whose works include  The Birthday Party and  The Caretaker. His plays include very realistic conversations, with long silences, and show the misunderstandings and problems of communication in ordinary social situations.//


Words: pinto
Meaning:
n   plural  pintos  [C] //  [Date: 1800-1900; Language: American Spanish; Origin: pinto  ’marked with spots’, from  Vulgar Latin pinctus  ’painted’]//   AmE a horse with irregular patterns of two or more colours//  British Equivalent:  piebald//


Words: pinwheel
Meaning:
n [C]    AmE a toy consisting of a stick with curved pieces of plastic at the end which turn around when they are blown//  British Equivalent:  windmill//


Words: pioneer
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Old French; Origin: peonier  ’soldier’, from  peon, from  Medieval Latin pedo;   PAWN1]//\n  1 someone who is important in the early development of something, and whose work or ideas are later developed by other people:  pioneer of//  --John Whitney was a pioneer of computer animation.//  --He was a pioneer in the field of biotechnology.//\n  2 one of the first people to travel to a new country or area and begin living there, farming etc:  --the early pioneers of the Dakota territory//\npioneer 2 v [T]   to be the first person to do, invent or use something//  --The new cancer treatment was pioneered in the early eighties by Dr Sylvia Bannerjee.//


Words: pioneering
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   introducing new and better methods or ideas for the first time//  pioneering work/research/efforts etc //  --the pioneering work of NASA scientists//  --She played a pioneering role in opening higher education to women.//


Words: pious
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: pius]//\n  1 having strong religious beliefs, and showing this in the way you behave:    piety//  --He was a quiet, pious man.//\n  2 if you describe what someone says as pious talk, words etc, you mean that they are trying to sound good or moral but you do not believe that they are sincere or will really do what they say:  --pious speeches by politicians about ’family values’//\n  3  pious hope/wish:  something that you want to be true or to happen, but that is very unlikely//  --All these agreements and ideas remain little more than pious hopes in the present climate.//  -- piously adv //


Words: pip
Meaning:
n [C]  BrE   [Sense: 1; Date: 1700-1800; Origin: pippin]//  [Sense: 2; Date: 1900-2000; Origin:  From the sound]//  [Sense: 3; Date: 1900-2000; Origin: pip  ’ mark on a playing card showing its value ’]//\n  1 a small seed from a fruit such as an apple or orange:  --an apple pip//  --Have these oranges got pips in?//\n  2 a high note that is part of a series of short sounds, used for example on the radio to show the time, or on a public telephone line to show that your money has almost finished:  American Equivalent:  beep//  --The pips are going so I’d better say goodbye.//\n  3  old-fashioned one of the stars on the shoulders of the coats of army officers that shows their rank:\npip 2   past tense and past participle  pipped present participle  pipping  v [T]  BrE  informal //\n  1  pip sb at the post:  to beat someone at the last moment in a race, competition etc, when they were expecting to win//  --The Maclaren team were narrowly pipped at the post by Ferrari.//\n  2 to beat someone in a race, competition etc, by only a small amount:  pip sb to/for sth//  --Jackson just pipped him for the gold.//


Words: pipe
Meaning:
W3S2   n [C]   ----------//\n   1 tube:\n   2 for smoking:\n   3 music:\n   4 pipe dream:\n   5 put/stick that in your pipe and smoke it:  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: pipa, from  Vulgar Latin, from  Latin pipare  ’to make a high sound’]//\n  1 TUBE:  a tube through which a liquid or gas flows//  --a water pipe //  --a frozen waste pipe //  --copper pipes//  --A pipe had burst in the kitchen and flooded the floor.//    drainpipe,  exhaust pipe at exhaust2 (2),  windpipe//  2 FOR SMOKING//  a thing used for smoking tobacco, consisting of a small tube with a container shaped like a bowl at one end//  --Dad was there, smoking his pipe .//  --pipe tobacco//\n  3 MUSIC:  a) a simple musical instrument like a tube, that you play by blowing//    panpipes//  b) one of the metal tubes that air passes through when you play an organ//  c)  the pipes//   bagpipes//\n  4  pipe dream:  a hope, idea, plan etc that is impossible or will probably never happen//  --In many parts of the country, democratic elections are simply a pipe dream.//\n  5  put/stick that in your pipe and smoke it:   spoken used to say that someone must accept what you have just said, even though they do not like it//\npipe 2 v   ----------//\n   1 send liquid/gas:\n   2 make music:\n   3 food:\n   4 speak:  Phrasal verbs//   pipe down//   pipe something → in//   pipe up//  ----------//\n  1 SEND LIQUID/GAS:   [T usually passive] to send a liquid or gas through a pipe to another place//  pipe sth into/from/out of etc sth//  --Eighty per cent of sewage is piped directly into the sea.//  pipe sth in/out/up etc//  --A lot of oil is piped in from Alaska.//  --villages with no piped water //\n  2 MAKE MUSIC:   [I and T] to make a musical sound, using a pipe//\n  3 FOOD:   [T] to decorate food, especially a cake, with lines of icing or cream//\n  4 SPEAK:   [T]  literary to speak or sing something in a high voice//  --’Morning!’ piped a cheery voice.//  pipe down phr v//  to stop talking or making a noise, and become calmer and less excited//  --Everybody pipe down. There’s no need to shout.//  pipe in [pipe sth → in] phr v//  to send radio signals or recorded music into a room or building//  --tunes piped in over an acoustic system//  pipe up phr v//  to suddenly say something, especially when you have been quiet until then//  --Mum suddenly piped up ’No!’//


Words: pipeline
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 a line of connecting pipes, often under the ground, used for sending gas, oil etc over long distances:\n  2  be in the pipeline:  if a plan, idea, or event is in the pipeline, it is being prepared and it will happen or be completed soon//  --More job losses are in the pipeline.//


Words: pipette
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: French; Origin: pipe  ’pipe’]//  a thin glass tube for sucking up exact amounts of liquid, used especially in chemistry//


Words: pipework
Meaning:
n [U]   the pipes that are part of a building, machine, or structure//  --The houses all have lead pipework.//


Words: piping
Meaning:
n [U] \n  1 a thin tube of cloth, usually with string inside, sewn onto clothing, furniture etc as decoration:\n  2 several pipes, or a system of pipes, used to send liquid or gas in or out of a building:\npiping 2 adv   piping hot//  piping hot liquid or food is very hot//  --piping hot coffee//


Words: pipsqueak
Meaning:
n [C]  old-fashioned   someone that you think is not worth respecting or paying attention to, especially because they are small or young//


Words: piquant
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: , present participle of  piquer;   PIQUE2]//\n  1 having a pleasantly spicy taste:  --a piquant wild mushroom sauce//\n  2 interesting and exciting:  -- piquantly adv //  -- piquancy n  [U] //  --The production retains its original piquancy.//


Words: pique
Meaning:
n [U] \n  1 a feeling of being annoyed or upset, especially because someone has ignored you or insulted you:  --He stormed out in a fit of pique .//\n  2  also  pique:  a type of material made of cotton, silk, or rayon//\npique 2 v   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: piquer  ’to prick, sting’]//\n  1 [T usually passive] to make someone feel annoyed or upset, especially by ignoring them or making them look stupid:  --Privately, Zarich was piqued that his offer was rejected.//\n  2  pique your interest/curiosity:   especially AmE to make you feel interested in something or someone//  --She was hostile to him, which piqued his curiosity.//


Words: piracy
Meaning:
n [U] \n  1 the crime of illegally copying and selling books, tapes, videos, computer programs etc:    pirate//  --software piracy//\n  2 the crime of attacking and stealing from ships at sea:\n  3 the crime of making illegal television or radio broadcasts:


Words: Pirandello
Meaning:
Luigi   (1837-1936) an Italian writer of plays and novels, whose most famous play is  Six Characters in Search of an Author. His work examines the relationship between what is real and what is imaginary, and had an important influence on modern theatre.//


Words: piranha
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Portuguese; Origin: Tupi]//  a South American fish with sharp teeth that lives in rivers and eats flesh//


Words: pirate
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Latin; Origin: pirata, from  Greek peirates, from  peiran  ’to attack’]//\n  1 someone who sails on the seas, attacking other boats and stealing things from them:    piracy//\n  2 someone who dishonestly copies and sells another person’s work:    piracy//  --Computer game pirates cost the industry twenty million pounds a year.//  pirate videos/CDs/software etc //\n  3  pirate radio/TV (station):  illegal radio or television broadcasts, or the station sending them out//  -- piratical/pa[hA366]r[zB024]t[hA366]k[hA368]l, p[hA369]-/ adj  literary //\npirate 2 v [T]   to illegally copy and sell another person’s work such as a book, video, or computer program//  --pirated video tapes//


Words: Pirates of Penzance
Meaning:
The   (1879) a  comic opera by  Gilbert and Sullivan about a group of pirates who never succeed in robbing anyone. It contains the well-known songs  The Very Model of a Modern Major General and  A Policeman’s Lot is Not a Happy One.//


Words: pirouette
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: French]//  a dance movement in which the dancer turns very quickly, standing on one toe or the front part of one foot//  -- pirouette v  [I] //


Words: piscatorial
Meaning:
adj  formal   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Latin; Origin: piscatorius, from  piscis  ’fish’]//  relating to fishing or people who go fishing//


Words: Pisces
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: , plural of  piscis  ’fish’]//\n  1 [U] the 12th sign of the zodiac, represented by two fish, which some people believe affects the character and life of people born between February 20 and March 20:\n  2 [C]  also  Piscean:  someone who was born between February 20 and March 20//  -- Piscean/pa[hA366]si[hA353]n, pa[hA366]si[hA359][hA353]n/ adj //


Words: piss
Meaning:
v [I]  spoken not polite   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: pissier, from  Vulgar Latin pissiare]//\n  1 to urinate:\n  2  piss in the wind:  to waste time or effort trying to do something that is impossible//\n  3  it is pissing down (with rain):   BrE used to say that it is raining very heavily//\n  4  piss yourself (laughing):   BrE to laugh a lot, especially when you cannot stop laughing//  --They were all copying my accent and pissing themselves laughing.//\n  5  piss all over sb:   BrE to thoroughly defeat a person or a team//\n  6  not have a pot to piss in:  to be extremely poor//\n  7  go piss up a rope!:   AmE used to tell someone to go away//  piss about/around phr v//\n  1 to waste time doing stupid things with no purpose or plan:   mess about/around//  --Stop pissing about and get some work done!//\n  2  piss sb about/around:  to treat someone badly by not doing what you have promised to do, or by not being honest with them//   mess somebody about/around//  --I wish he’d say yes or no - he’s been pissing me around for weeks.//  piss away [piss sth → away] phr v//  to waste something in a very stupid way//  --I was earning quite a lot but I pissed it all away.//  piss off phr v//\n  1  piss sb → off:  to annoy someone very much//  --The way she treats me really pisses me off.//\n  2  BrE to go away - used especially to tell someone to go away:  --Now piss off and leave me alone!//  --He pissed off before we got there.//\n  3  BrE used to say no or to refuse to do something:\npiss 2 n  spoken  not polite \n  1 [singular] an act of  urinating:  go for/have/take a piss //  --I need to have a piss.//\n  2 [U]  urine:\n  3  take the piss (out of sb/sth):   BrE to annoy someone by laughing at them or making them seem stupid//    piss-take//  --The kids always take the piss out of some teachers.//\n  4  be on the piss:   BrE to be at a pub or club, drinking a lot of alcohol//  --’Where’s Jo?’ ’Out on the piss somewhere.’//\n  5  be full of piss and vinegar:   AmE to be full of energy//    be a piece of piss at piece1 (15)//


Words: piss-ant
Meaning:
pissant/p[hA366]s[zB024]nt/ n [C]  AmE  informal  not polite   an offensive word for an annoying person with a weak character//


Words: piss-poor
Meaning:
adj  informal  not polite   very bad in quality//  --All the local beers were piss-poor imitations.//


Words: piss-take
Meaning:
n [C usually singular]  BrE  informal  not polite   something you do to make people laugh at someone, especially by copying them in a funny way//  --The record is a piss-take of people who have a high opinion of themselves.//    take the piss out of sb/sth at piss2 (3)//


Words: piss-up
Meaning:
n [C]  BrE  informal  not polite   an occasion when people drink a lot of alcohol together//  --We had a good piss-up on my birthday.//


Words: pissed
Meaning:
adj [not before noun]  informal \n  1  BrE drunk:  --They rolled in pissed at three in the morning.//  pissed as a newt/pissed out of your head (=extremely drunk) //\n  2  AmE  pissed off:


Words: pissed off
Meaning:
also pissed  AmE  adj [not before noun]  informal   annoyed, disappointed, or unhappy//  --You get really pissed off applying for jobs all the time.//  pissed off with/at//  --I was pissed off with the way some people were behaving.//  --Judy’s pissed at Carol.//


Words: pisser
Meaning:
n [C]  informal  not polite   an offensive word for a difficult job or activity, or a bad or annoying situation//  --The real pisser was investing so much time and effort for zero return.//


Words: pissy
Meaning:
adj [not before noun]  spoken  not polite \n  1 angry or annoyed and treating people badly:  --Stacey gets pissy if we tease her.//\n  2 small or unimportant and annoying:


Words: pistachio
Meaning:
n   plural  pistachios  [C] //  [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Italian; Origin: pistacchio, from  Latin, from  Greek pistakion, from  pistake  ’pistachio tree’, from  Persian pistah]//  a small green nut//  --pistachio ice cream//


Words: pistil
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Latin; Origin: pistillum  ’stick for crushing things in a bowl’]//   technical the female part of a flower that produces seeds//


Words: pistol
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: pistole, from  German, from  Czech pi[hA326]tal  ’pipe’]//  a small gun you can use with one hand//    handgun, revolver//


Words: pistol-whip past tense and past participle
Meaning:
pistol-whipped present participle  pistol-whipping  v [T]   to hit someone many times with a pistol//


Words: piston
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: French; Origin: Italian pistone  ’large stick for crushing’, from  pistare  ’to crush’]//  a part of an engine consisting of a short solid piece of metal inside a tube, which moves up and down to make the other parts of the engine move//


Words: piston ring
Meaning:
n [C]   a circular metal spring used to stop gas or liquid escaping from between a piston and the tube that it moves in//


Words: pit
Meaning:
n [C]   ----------//\n   1 hole:\n   2 mine:\n   3 mark:\n   4 untidy place:\n   5 be the pits:\n   6 in/at the pit of your stomach:\n   7 car racing:\n   8 in a theatre:\n   9 in a garage:\n  10 a/the pit of something:\n  11 in fruit:\n  12 body part:\n  13 business:  ----------//  [Sense: 1-5,7-13; Origin: Old English pytt]//  [Sense: 6; Date: 1800-1900; Language: Dutch]//\n  1 HOLE:  a) a hole in the ground, especially one made by digging//  --The female digs a pit in which to lay the eggs.//  --a five-foot deep pit//    sandpit//  b) a large hole in the ground from which stones or minerals are obtained by digging//  gravel/sand/chalk pit //\n  2 MINE:   especially BrE a coal mine//  --Dad first went down the pit  (=worked in a coal mine) when he was 15 years old.//  --a national strike against pit closures  (=when a coal mine is closed permanently) //\n  3 MARK:  a small hollow mark in the surface of something, especially on your skin as the result of a disease//  --the deep pits left by smallpox//\n  4 UNTIDY PLACE:   [usually singular]  spoken a house or room that is dirty, untidy, or in bad condition//\n  5  be the pits:   spoken  informal to be extremely bad//  --The company refused to pay - I think it’s the pits.//\n  6  in/at the pit of your stomach:  if you have a feeling in the pit of your stomach, you have a sick or tight feeling in your stomach, usually because you are nervous or afraid//  --I had a feeling in the pit of my stomach that something terrible was going to happen.//\n  7 CAR RACING:   the pits//  the place beside the track in a car race where cars can come in for petrol, new tyres etc//    pit stop//\n  8 IN A THEATRE:  an orchestra pit//\n  9 IN A GARAGE:  a hole in the floor of a garage that lets you get under a car to repair it//  --an inspection pit //\n  10  a/the pit of sth:   literary a situation which makes you feel very bad//  --Just thinking about the future plunged her into a pit of despair .//\n  11 IN FRUIT:   especially AmE the single large hard seed in some fruits//  British Equivalent:  stone//  --a peach pit//\n  12 BODY PART:   informal an armpit//\n  13 BUSINESS:   AmE the area of a stock exchange where people buy and sell shares//  British Equivalent:  floor//\npit 2 v   past tense and past participle  pitted present participle  pitting //\n  1 [T usually passive] to put small marks or holes in the surface of something:  be pitted with sth//  --The whole street was pitted with potholes.//\n  2 [T]  especially AmE to take out the single hard seed inside some fruits:   stone//  --Peel and pit two avocados.//\n  3 [I]  AmE to stop in a car race to get petrol or have your car repaired:    pitted//  pit against / [pit sb/sth against sb/sth] phr v//  to test someone’s strength, ability, power etc in a competition or fight against someone or something else//  --We’ll be pitting our team against the champions.//  pit your wits against sb (=compete against someone using your intelligence or knowledge) //  --Pit your wits against family or friends!//  pit yourself against sth/sb//  --The men had to pit themselves against the forces of nature.//  pit out phr v//  to sweat so much that your clothes become wet under your arms//


Words: pit stop
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 a time when a driver in a car race stops in the pits to get more petrol or have repairs done:\n  2  make a pit stop:   AmE  informal to stop when driving on a long journey, for food, petrol, or to go to the toilet//


Words: pita bread
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1900-2000; Language: Modern Greek; Origin: pitta  ’bread, cake’]//  the American spelling of pitta bread//


Words: pitch
Meaning:
W3   n   ----------//\n   1 sports field:\n   2 strong feelings/activity:\n   3 music:\n   4 persuading:\n   5 baseball:\n   6 black substance:\n   7 ship/aircraft:\n   8 slope:\n   9 street/market:  ----------//  [Sense: 1-5, 7-9; Date: 1400-1500; Origin:  PITCH2]//  [Sense: 6; Origin: Old English pic, from  Latin pix]//\n  1 SPORTS FIELD:   [C]  BrE a marked out area of ground on which a sport is played//   field//  football/cricket/rugby etc pitch //  --the world-famous Wembley football pitch//  --He ran the length of the pitch and scored.//  on the pitch//   (=playing a sport) //  --Jack was on the pitch for his school in the Senior Cup Final.//\n  2 STRONG FEELINGS/ACTIVITY:   [singular, U] a strong level of feeling about something or a high level of an activity or a quality//  --The controversy reached such a pitch  (=become so strong) that the paper devoted a whole page to it.//  a pitch of excitement/excellence/perfection etc (=a high level of excitement etc) //  --He screamed at her in a pitch of fury.//  --The goal roused the crowd to fever pitch  (=a very excited level) .//\n  3 MUSIC:  a)  [singular, U] how high or low a note or other sound is//  --Ultrasonic waves are at a higher pitch than the human ear can hear.//  b)  [U] the ability of a musician to play or sing a note at exactly the correct level//  --She’s got perfect pitch .//\n  4 PERSUADING:   [C]  informal the things someone says to persuade people to buy something, do something, or accept an idea//  --an aggressive salesman with a fast-talking sales pitch //  make a/sb’s pitch (for sth) (=try to persuade people to do something) //  --He made his strongest pitch yet for standardized testing in schools.//\n  5 BASEBALL:   [C] a throw of the ball, or a way in which it can be thrown//  --His first pitch was high and wide.//\n  6 BLACK SUBSTANCE:   [U] a black, sticky substance that is used on roofs, the bottoms of ships etc to stop water coming through//  --The night was as black as pitch  (=very dark) .//    pitch-black,  pitch-dark//\n  7 SHIP/AIRCRAFT:   [U] an up and down movement of a ship or an aircraft//    roll//  --the pitch and roll of the ship//\n  8 SLOPE:   [singular, U] the degree to which a roof slopes or the sloping part of a roof//  --the steep pitch of the roof//\n  9 STREET/MARKET:   [C]  BrE a place in a public area where someone who sells things to people goes to sell things or where an entertainer goes to sell things or perform//  --We found the boy at his usual pitch at the bottom of the Acropolis.//    queer sb’s pitch/queer the pitch for sb at queer3 //\npitch 2 v   ----------//\n   1 throw:\n   2 ball games:\n   3 fall:\n   4 ship/plane:\n   5 set a level:\n   6 aim product:\n   7 business deals:\n   8 voice/music:\n   9 pitch a tent/pitch camp:\n  10 slope:\n  11 pitch somebody a line:  Phrasal verbs//   pitch in//   pitch into somebody/something//   pitch up//  ----------//  [Date: 1100-1200; Origin:  Origin unknown]//\n  1 THROW:   [T always + adverb/preposition] to throw something with a lot of force, often aiming carefully//  --She crumpled up the page and pitched it into the fire.//  2 BALL GAMES//  a)  [I and T] to aim and throw a ball in baseball//  pitch to//  --Stanton pitched to two batters in the ninth inning.//  b)  [I] if a ball pitches in cricket or golf, it hits the ground//  c)  [T] to hit the ball in a high curve in golf//  d)  [T] to make the ball hit the ground when you are  bowling in cricket//\n  3 FALL:   [I,T always + adverb/preposition] to fall or be moved suddenly in a particular direction, or to make someone or something do this//  pitch (sb/sth) forward/backward/over etc//  --She slipped and pitched forward onto the ground.//  pitch sb/sth into/onto/through etc sth//  --Without a seatbelt, you can easily be pitched right through the windscreen.//\n  4 SHIP/PLANE:   [I] if a ship or an aircraft pitches, it moves up and down in an uncontrolled way with the movement of the water or air//    roll2 (4),  yaw//\n  5 SET A LEVEL:   [T usually passive] //  a) to set a speech, examination, explanation etc at a particular level of difficulty//  pitch sth at a high level/the right level etc //  --The projects were pitched at a number of different levels.//  --Some questions were pitched too high for intermediate students.//  b)  BrE to set prices at a particular level//  pitch sth at sth//  --Room rates are pitched at [hA124]69 for a single.//\n  6 AIM PRODUCT:   [T usually passive] to aim a product at a particular type of organization, group of people etc, or to describe it in a particular way, in order to sell it//  pitch sth at sb/sth//  --The new machine will be pitched at users in the hotel and air reservation business.//  pitch sth as sth//  --It is pitched as a cheaper alternative to other workstations.//\n  7 BUSINESS DEALS:   [I and T]  informal to try to persuade someone to do business with you, buy something etc//  pitch for business/contracts/custom etc //  --Booksellers are keen to pitch for school business.//  pitch to//  --For many companies, pitching to investors has become almost a full-time job.//  --sales reps pitching new gadgets//\n  8 VOICE/MUSIC:   [T always + adverb/preposition] if you pitch your voice or another sound at a particular level, the sound is produced at that level//  pitch sth high/low etc //  --Her voice is pitched a little too high.//    high-pitched,  low-pitched//\n  9  pitch a tent/pitch camp:  to set up a tent or a camp for a short time//  --Try and pitch your tent on level ground.//\n  10 SLOPE:   [I always + adverb/preposition] to slope down//  pitch gently/steeply etc //  --The roof pitches sharply to the rear of the house.//    pitched//\n  11  pitch sb a line:   AmE  informal to tell someone a story or give them an excuse that is difficult to believe//  --She pitched me some line about a bomb scare on the metro.//  pitch in phr v//\n  1 to join others and help with an activity:  --If we all pitch in, we’ll have it finished in no time.//  pitch in with//  --Everyone pitched in with efforts to entertain the children.//\n  2 to join others and pay part of the money towards something:  --They all pitched in and the money was collected within a few days.//\n  3  BrE to start to eat hungrily:  --Pitch in - there’s plenty.//  pitch into / [pitch into sb/sth] phr v//\n  1 to suddenly start criticizing someone or hitting them:  --She pitched into me as soon as I started to speak.//\n  2 to start doing something, especially quickly and eagerly:  --Rick pitched into decorating the house at once.//  pitch up phr v//  to arrive somewhere//   turn up//  --Wait a bit longer - Bill hasn’t pitched up yet.//


Words: pitch-black
Meaning:
adj   completely black or dark//  --The lights were off and it was pitch-black.//  -- pitch-black n  [U] //


Words: pitched battle
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 a big battle between armies or large groups of people:  --a pitched battle between the rival groups//\n  2 an angry and usually long argument:  --She wanted to avoid another pitched battle with her son.//    skirmish//


Words: pitcher
Meaning:
n [C]   [Sense: 1; Date: 1700-1800; Origin:  PITCH2]//  [Sense: 2-3; Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: pichier, from  Medieval Latin bicarius  ’drinking cup’, from  Greek bikos  ’clay pot for liquids’]//\n  1 the player in baseball who throws the ball:\n  2  AmE a container for holding and pouring a liquid, with a handle and a shaped part to help the liquid flow out:  British Equivalent:  jug//  --a pitcher of water//\n  3  BrE a large clay container with two handles, used in the past for holding and pouring a liquid:


Words: pitchfork
Meaning:
n [C]   a farm tool with a long handle and two long curved metal points, used especially for lifting hay (=dried grass) //\npitchfork 2 v [T]  BrE   to put someone suddenly into a situation for which they are not properly prepared//  pitchfork sb into sth//  --She was pitchforked into power by the early death of her husband James V.//


Words: pitchout
Meaning:
n [C]   a ball in baseball that the pitcher deliberately throws too far to the side for it to be hit//


Words: piteous
Meaning:
adj  literary   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: piteus, from  Latin pietas;   PITY1]//  expressing suffering and sadness in a way that makes you feel pity//  --She gave a long piteous cry.//  -- piteously adv //


Words: pitfall
Meaning:
n [C usually plural]   a problem or difficulty that is likely to happen in a particular job, course of action, or activity//  pitfall of//  --He gave me advice on how to avoid the pitfalls of the legal process.//  --the pitfalls associated with the purchase of a used car//


Words: pith
Meaning:
n [U]   segment, pith, peel//  [Language: Old English; Origin: pitha]//\n  1 a white substance just under the outside skin of oranges and similar fruit:  --Peel the oranges with a sharp knife to remove all pith.//\n  2 a soft white substance that fills the stems of some plants:


Words: pith helmet
Meaning:
n [C]   a large light hat worn especially in the past in hot countries, to protect your head from the sun//


Words: pithy
Meaning:
adj   if something that is said or written is pithy, it is intelligent and strongly stated, without wasting any words//  --Press releases must be short and pithy.//  --a series of pithy quotations//  -- pithily adv //


Words: pitiful
Meaning:
adj \n  1 someone who is pitiful looks or sounds so sad and unfortunate that you feel very sorry for them:    pity//  --The refugees were a pitiful sight .//\n  2 a pitiful amount is very small:  --The fee was pitiful - only about [hA124]60.//\n  3 very bad in quality:  --His performance was pitiful - five goals flew past him.//  -- pitifully adv //  --The dog was pitifully thin.//


Words: pitiless
Meaning:
adj \n  1 showing no pity and not caring if people suffer:   cruel//  --a pitiless tyrant//  --the pitiless bombing of Guernica//\n  2  literary pitiless wind, rain, or sun is very severe and shows no sign of changing:  --a night of pitiless rain//  -- pitilessly adv //


Words: piton
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: French]//  a piece of metal used in rock climbing that you attach onto a rock to hold the rope//


Words: pitta bread
Meaning:
BrE  pita bread AmE   n [U and C]   a type of bread which is flat and hollow. It can be cut open and filled with food//


Words: pittance
Meaning:
n [singular]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: pitance  ’piety, pity’, from  Latin pietas;   PITY1]//  a very small amount of money, especially wages, that is less than someone needs or deserves//  earn/be paid a pittance //  --The musicians earn a pittance.//  work/be sold for a pittance //  --The crop was sold for a pittance.//  --She raised three children on a pittance.//


Words: pitted
Meaning:
adj \n  1 covered with small marks or holes on the surface:  --a red-faced man with pitted cheeks//  pitted with//  --The desert roads are pitted with potholes.//\n  2 a pitted fruit has had the single hard seed removed from it:  --pitted olives//


Words: pitter-patter
Meaning:
adv  literary   [Date: 1400-1500; Origin:  From the sound]//  with quick light beats or steps//  --Anna’s heart went pitter-patter as she opened the letter.//  -- pitter-patter n  [singular ] //  --the pitter-patter of small feet running up the stairs//


Words: Pittsburgh
Meaning:
an industrial city in the US state of Pennsylvania. It used to be an important centre of the steel industry.//


Words: pituitary
Meaning:
n  also pituitary gland   plural  pituitaries  [C] //  [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: pituitarius, from  pituita  ’mucus’]//  the small organ at the base of your brain which produces hormones that control the growth and development of your body//  -- pituitary adj //


Words: pity
Meaning:
S3   n   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: pite, from  Latin pietas  ’piety, pity’, from  pius;   PIOUS]//\n  1  a pity:   spoken used to show that you are disappointed about something and you wish things could happen differently//   shame//  (it’s a) pity (that)//  --It’s a pity that he didn’t accept the job.//  --It’s a great pity Joyce wasn’t invited.//  --I like Charlie. Pity he had to marry that awful woman.//  --A pity we can’t find the guy who did it.//  what/that’s a pity //  --’Are you married?’ ’No.’ ’What a pity.’//  it’s a pity to do sth//  --It would be a pity to give up now - you’ve nearly finished.//\n  2 [U] sympathy for a person or animal who is suffering or unhappy:    piteous, pitiable, pitiful, pitiless//  pity for//  --He looked exhausted, but Marie felt no pity for him.//  --I listened to Jason’s story with pity.//  --I hated the thought of being an object of pity  (=someone who other people feel sorry for) .//  take/have pity on sb (=feel sorry for someone and treat them with sympathy) //  --He sounded so upset that Leah started to take pity on him.//\n  3  for pity’s sake:   BrE  spoken used to show that you are very annoyed and impatient//  --For pity’s sake just shut up and let me drive!//\n  4  more’s the pity:   spoken  especially BrE used after describing a situation, to show that you wish it was not true//  --Sue’s not coming, more’s the pity.//\npity 2   past tense and past participle  pitied present participle  pitying third person singular  pities  v [T not usually in progressive] //  to feel sorry for someone because they are in a very bad situation//  --I pity anyone who has to feed a family on such a low income.//  --Sam pitied his grandmother there alone, never going out.//  --Pity the poor teachers who have to deal with these kids.//


Words: pitying
Meaning:
adj   pitying look/smile/glance//  a look or smile that shows you feel pity for someone//  --Ellen gave me a pitying look.//


Words: Pius XII
Meaning:
(1876-1958) an Italian priest who became Pope (=the leader of the Roman Catholic religion)  in 1939. He was Pope during World War II.//


Words: pivot
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: French]//\n  1 a central point or pin on which something balances or turns:\n  2 [usually singular]  also pivot point :  the most important thing in a situation, system etc, which other things depend or are based on//  the pivot on/around which sth turns/revolves //  --Iago’s lie is the pivot on which the play turns.//  pivot of//  --West Africa was the pivot of the chocolate trade.//\npivot 2 v \n  1 [I and T] to turn or balance on a central point, or to make something do this:  pivot on//  --The table-top pivots on two metal pins.//\n  2 [I] to turn quickly on your feet so that you face in the opposite direction:  --Magee pivoted and threw the ball to first base.//  pivot on/around [pivot on/around sth] phr v//  to depend on or be based on one important thing, event, or idea//  --His argument will pivot on the growing cost of legal fees.//


Words: pivotal
Meaning:
adj   more important than anything else in a situation, system etc//  --The Bank of England has a pivotal role in the London money market.//  pivotal to//  --The talks are pivotal to the success of the country.//


Words: pixel
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: pix +  element]//   technical the smallest unit of an image on a computer screen//


Words: pixelated
Meaning:
pixellated/p[hA366]ks[hA369]le[hA366]t[hA369]d/ adj  technical   consisting of pixels, especially large pixels that produce an unclear image//  --pixelated photographs//


Words: pixie
Meaning:
pixy/p[hA366]ksi/ n [C]   an imaginary creature that looks like a very small human being, has magical powers, and likes to play tricks on people//


Words: Pizarro
Meaning:
Francisco   (?1475-1541) a Spanish  explorer and  conquistador, who went to South America in 1524. He defeated the  Incas, killed their king, and took control of Peru for Spain. He was famous for his cruelty and his love of gold.//


Words: pizza
Meaning:
S2   n [U and C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Italian; Origin: ’pie’]//  a food made of thin flat round bread, baked with tomato, cheese, and sometimes vegetables or meat on top//  --a slice of pizza//


Words: pizzazz
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin:  Probably an invented word]//   informal something that has pizzazz is exciting and has a strong interesting style//  --Their new album has plenty of pizzazz.//


Words: pizzicato
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Italian; Origin: , past participle of  pizzicare  ’to pluck’]//  musical notes played by pulling on the strings of an instrument//  -- pizzicato adv  adj //


Words: Pl.
Meaning:
also  Pl BrE   the written abbreviation of Place , used in addresses//  --3 Palmerston Pl., Edinburgh//


Words: placard
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: French; Origin: Old French plaquier  ’to make flat’]//  a large notice or advertisement on a piece of card, which is put up or carried in a public place//  --a huge placard saying ’Welcome to Derbyville’//


Words: placate
Meaning:
v [T]  formal   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: , past participle of  placare]//  to make someone stop feeling angry//   appease//  --These changes did little to placate the unions.//  -- placatory/pl[hA353]ke[hA366]t[hA368]ri, pl[zB024]k[hA353]t[hA368]ri $ ple[hA366]k[hA353]t[hA350][hA359]ri/ adj //  --a placatory smile//


Words: place
Meaning:
n [C]   ----------//\n   1 area/space/building etc:\n   2 home :\n   3 take place:\n   4 space to sit or put something:\n   5 point in book/speech:\n   6 opportunity to do something:\n   7 role/position:\n   8 in place:\n   9 in place of somebody/something:\n  10 take the place of somebody/something:\n  11 in somebody’s place:\n  12 be no place for somebody:\n  13 first/second/third etc place:\n  14 in the first place:\n  15 take second place (to somebody/something):\n  16 take your places:\n  17 all over the place:\n  18 put somebody in their place:\n  19 out of place:\n  20 it is not somebody’s place (to do something):\n  21 have no place:\n  22 fall into place:\n  23 be going places:  ----------//  [Date: 900-1000; Language: Old French; Origin: ’open space’, from  Latin platea  ’broad street’, from  Greek plateia (hodos), from  platys  ’broad, flat’]//\n  1 AREA/SPACE/BUILDING ETC:  a space or area, for example a particular point on a surface or a room, building, town, city etc//  --Make sure you keep the key in a safe place.//  --I’ve spent the day dashing about from place to place.//  --The place was full of screaming children.//  --He was threatening to burn the place down.//  --She had never been back to the place where the accident happened.//  --The theatre bar was our usual meeting place.//  --We were living then in a place called Alberiga.//  --The wall was quite damp in places  (=in some places) .//  place for//  --This is a great place for a holiday.//  a place to do sth//  --I couldn’t find a place to park.//  --Did the accident happen at your place of work  (=the place where you work) ?//  --The Great Mosque has been a place of worship for Muslims for centuries. see usage note  position1 //\n  2 HOME :   informal a house or apartment where someone lives//  --They’ve got quite a big place on the outskirts of Leeds.//  sb’s place//  --Do you want to come back to my place for coffee?//  --It took us ages to find a place to live .//  --He’s staying with us until he can find a place of his own .//\n  3  take place:  to happen, especially after being planned or arranged//  --The next meeting will take place on Thursday.//  --Talks between the two sides are still taking place.//  --Major changes are taking place in society.//\n  4 SPACE TO SIT OR PUT SOMETHING:  a space where someone can sit, or a space where you can put something//  --I might arrive a bit late, so could you save me a place?//  --There are still a few places left on the coach.//  --Make sure you put everything back in its proper place.//  place for//  --Can you find a good place for this vase?//\n  5 POINT IN BOOK/SPEECH:  a point that you have reached in a book or a speech//  --This would be a good place to stop and answer any questions that people have.//  --I used a bookmark so that I wouldn’t lose my place  (=forget the point that I had reached) .//\n  6 OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOMETHING:  if someone has a place somewhere, they have the opportunity to go there or join in an activity//  place in//  --If you don’t come to training you might lose your place in the team.//  --We’ve been trying to find her a place in a residential home.//  place on//  --He was offered a place on the management committee.//  --There are still a couple of places left on the course.//  place at//  --I’ve been offered a place at York University.//\n  7 ROLE/POSITION:  the role or important position that someone or something has in a situation or in society//  sb’s place//  --the old idea that a woman’s place is in the home//  place in//  --He finally reached the summit of Everest and secured his place in history.//  --Working has a very important place in all our lives.//\n  8  in place:  a) in the correct position//  --The chairs for the concert were nearly all in place.//  --The glass was held in place by a few pieces of sellotape.//  b) existing and ready to be used//  --Funding arrangements are already in place.//\n  9  in place of sb/sth:   also in sb’s/sth’s place //  instead of someone or something else//  --In place of our advertised programme, we will have live coverage of the special memorial service.//  --The company flag had been taken down and in its place hung the Union Jack.//  --If I refused to go, they would send someone else in my place.//\n  10  take the place of sb/sth:   also take sb’s/sth’s place //  to exist or be used instead of someone or something else//   replace//  --Natural methods of pest control are now taking the place of chemicals.//  --I had to find someone to take Jenny’s place.//\n  11  in sb’s place:  used to talk about what you would do if you were in someone else’s situation//  --What would you do in my place?//  --Try to put yourself in my place and think how you would feel.//\n  12  be no place for sb:  to be a completely unsuitable place for someone//  --This is no place for a child.//\n  13  first/second/third etc place:  first, second etc position in a race or competition//  --He took second place in the long jump.//  in first/second etc place//  --I finished in third place .//\n  14  in the first place:  a) used to introduce a series of points in an argument, discussion etc//  --In the first place, I’m too busy, and in the second I don’t really want to go.//  b) used to talk about what someone did or should have done at the start of a situation//  --I wish I’d never got involved in the first place!//\n  15  take second place (to sb/sth):  to be less important than someone or something else//  --She wasn’t prepared to take second place in his life.//\n  16  take your places:  used to tell people to go to the correct place or position that they need to be in for an activity//  --If you would like to take your places, the food will be served shortly.//\n  17  all over the place:   informal //  a) everywhere//  --There was blood all over the place.//  b) in a very untidy state//  --She came in with her hair all over the place.//\n  18  put sb in their place:  to show someone that they are not as clever or important as they think they are//  --I soon put him in his place.//\n  19  out of place:  a) not suitable for a particular situation or occasion//  --He never seemed to feel out of place at social functions.//  --The paintings looked strangely out of place.//  b) not in the correct or usual position//  --The kitchen was spotlessly clean, with nothing out of place.//\n  20  it is not sb’s place (to do sth):  if it is not your place to do something, you do not have the duty or right to do it//  --It’s not your place to criticize me!//\n  21  have no place:   formal to be completely unacceptable//  have no place in//  --Capital punishment has no place in a modern society.//\n  22  fall into place:  a) if things fall into place in your mind, you suddenly realize and understand what is really happening//  --Things were beginning to fall into place in my mind.//  --Everything suddenly fell into place.//  b) if plans or events fall into place, they start to happen in the way that you hoped they would//  --Eventually I got a job, and my life began to fall into place.//\n  23  be going places:   informal to start becoming successful in your life//  --William is a young man who is definitely going places.//    have/take pride of place at pride1 (6)//\nplace 2 v   ----------//\n   1 position:\n   2 situation:\n   3 in a job/home:\n   4 arrange something:\n   5 how good/important:\n   6 place value/importance/emphasis etc on something:\n   7 can’t place somebody:\n   8 be well/ideally etc placed:\n   9 races:  ----------//\n  1 POSITION:   [T always + adverb/preposition] to put something somewhere, especially with care//   put//  --She poured the doctor a cup of tea and placed it on the table.//  --He carefully placed the folder back in his desk drawer.//\n  2 SITUATION:   [T always + adverb/preposition] to put someone or something in a particular situation//   put//  --The government is being placed under pressure to give financial help to farmers.//  --Children must not be placed at risk.//  --Some areas of the city have been placed under curfew.//  --This places me in a very difficult position.//\n  3 IN A JOB/HOME:   [T]  formal to find a suitable job or home for someone//  --Some unemployed people can be very difficult to place.//  --He was later placed with a foster family.//\n  4 ARRANGE SOMETHING:   [T] to arrange for something to be done//  --He placed an advertisement in the local paper.//  --You can place orders by telephone.//  --I had no idea which horse I should place a bet on.//\n  5 HOW GOOD/IMPORTANT:   [T always + adverb/preposition] to say how good or important you think someone or something is//  --I would place health quite high on my list of priorities.//  places sb/sth above/before sb/sth//  --Some museums seem to place profit above education.//\n  6  place value/importance/emphasis etc on sth:  to decide that something is important//  --Most people place too much value on money.//  --The company places a lot of emphasis on training.//\n  7  can’t place sb:  to recognize someone, but be unable to remember where you have met them before//  --I’ve seen her somewhere before, but I can’t quite place her.//\n  8  be well/ideally etc placed:  a) to be in a good situation where you have the ability or opportunity to do something//  be well/ideally placed to do sth//  --The company is now well placed to compete in Europe.//  b)  BrE to be in a good place or position//  be well/ideally etc placed for//  --The hotel is well placed for most of London’s theatres.//\n  9 RACES:   be placed first/second etc//  to be first, second etc in a race or competition//


Words: place card
Meaning:
n [C]   a small card with someone’s name on it, which is put on a table to show where they are going to sit//


Words: place kick
Meaning:
n [C]   in rugby or American football, an occasion when the ball is kicked after it has been placed or held on the ground//


Words: place mat
Meaning:
n [C]   a board or piece of cloth that you put on a table for each person who is eating there, so that the table is protected from the plates, knives etc//


Words: place name
Meaning:
n [C]   the name of a particular place, such as a town, mountain etc//  --Many of the place names are Scottish in origin.//


Words: placebo
Meaning:
n   plural  placebos  [C] //  [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Latin; Origin: ’I shall please’, from  placere;   PLEASE2]//\n  1 a harmless substance given to a sick person instead of medicine, without telling them it is not real. Placebos are often used in tests in which some people take real medicine and others take a placebo, so that doctors can compare the results to see if the real medicine works properly.:\n  2  placebo effect:  when someone feels better after taking a placebo, even though it has not had any effect on their body//


Words: placement
Meaning:
n [U and C] \n  1 the act of finding a place for someone to live or work:  --The centre provides a job placement service.//  placement of//  --the placement of children in foster homes//  --They lived on campus, but this was just a temporary placement.//\n  2  BrE a job, usually as part of a course of study, which gives you experience of a particular type of work:  on placement//  --Students are sent out on placement for training.//  --a forty-five day placement in a factory//\n  3 when something is placed somewhere or when you decide where something should go:  placement of//  --the placement of fire hydrants along the city’s streets//


Words: placenta
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: ’flat cake’, from  Greek, from  plax  ’flat surface’]//  an organ that forms inside a woman’s uterus to feed an unborn baby//  -- placental adj  [only before noun] //  --placental blood//


Words: placid
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: placidus, from  placere;   PLEASE2]//\n  1 a placid person does not often get angry or upset and does not usually mind doing what other people want them to:  --a large, placid baby//  --She sat still, placid and waiting.//\n  2 calm and peaceful:  --The lake was placid and still under the moonlight.//  -- placidly adv //  --Dobbs stood at the entrance, placidly smoking his pipe.//  -- placidity/pl[hA353]s[hA366]d[hA369]ti/ n  [U] //


Words: placing
Meaning:
n [C]  BrE   the position of someone or something in a competition or ordered list//  --Hancock and Smith took the top two placings.//


Words: plagiarism
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin: plagiary  ’plagiarism’ (17-19 centuries), from  Latin plagiarius  ’thief’, from  plagium  ’hunting net’]//\n  1 [U] when someone uses another person’s words, ideas, or work and pretends they are their own:  --The journal accused the professor of plagiarism.//\n  2 [C] an idea, phrase, or story that has been copied from another person’s work, without stating where it came from:  --claims that there are plagiarisms in the new software//  -- plagiarist n  [C] //


Words: plagiarize
Meaning:
also  plagiarise BrE   v [I and T]   to take words or ideas from another person’s work and use them in your work, without stating that they are not your own//  --He accused other scientists of plagiarizing his research.//


Words: plague
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: plage, from  Latin plaga  ’hit, wound’]//\n  1 [C] a disease that causes death and spreads quickly to a large number of people:  --drops in population levels due to plagues and famines//\n  2 [U]  also the plague :  a very infectious disease that produces high fever and swollen places on the body, and often leads to death, especially bubonic plague//    Black Death//  --The plague caused 100,000 deaths in London alone in the 1600s.//\n  3  a plague of rats/locusts etc:  an uncontrolled and harmful increase in the numbers of a particular animal or insect//  --A plague of squirrels is threatening our forests.//    avoid sb/sth like the plague at avoid(2)//\nplague 2 v [T] \n  1 [usually passive] to cause pain, suffering, or trouble to someone, especially for a long period of time:  be plagued by/with sth//  --He was plagued by eye troubles.//  --Financial problems continued to plague the company.//\n  2 to annoy someone, especially by asking for something many times or asking them many questions:  plague sb with sth//  --The kids have been plaguing me with questions.//


Words: plaid
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Scottish Gaelic; Origin: plaide]//\n  1 [U] a pattern of crossed lines and squares, used especially on cloth:  British Equivalent:  tartan//  --a plaid shirt//\n  2 [C] a piece of plaid cloth worn over the shoulder and across the chest by people from Scotland as part of their national costume:


Words: Plaid Cymru
Meaning:
a political party in Wales, with several MPs in the British parliament, which wants Wales to become an independent country, and also wants the Welsh language to be used more//


Words: plain
Meaning:
W3S2   adj   ----------//\n   1 clear:\n   2 in plain English/language:\n   3 simple:\n   4 honest:\n   5 emphasis:\n   6 not beautiful:\n   7 in plain clothes:\n   8 (just) plain Mr/Mrs etc:\n   9 be plain sailing:\n  10 in plain sight:  ----------//  [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin planus  ’flat, level, clear’]//\n  1 CLEAR:  very clear, and easy to understand or recognize//   obvious//  it is plain (that)//  --It was plain that Giles was not going to agree.//  --The advantages were plain to see.//  --You have made your feelings plain enough.//  --Let me make it plain  (=state it clearly) . We do not want you here.//  make yourself plain (=make what you are saying clear) //  --If you do that again you will be severely punished. Do I make myself plain?//  as plain as day/the nose on your face (=very clear) //\n  2  in plain English/language:  in clear and simple words, without using technical language//  --The document, written in plain English, tells you about your new policy.//\n  3 SIMPLE:  without anything added or without decoration//   simple//  --a plain white blouse//  --a plain wooden table//  --plain yoghurt//  --a plain gold wedding ring//  --Your essay should be written on plain paper  (=paper with no lines on it) .//\n  4 HONEST:  showing clearly and honestly what is true or what you think about something//   frank, candid//  --Let’s have some plain, truthful answers.//  --I don’t know, and that’s the plain truth .//  -- The plain fact is people still buy books.//\n  5 EMPHASIS:   [only before noun]  spoken used to emphasize that a particular type of behaviour, attitude etc is involved, usually a bad one//  --His motive was plain greed.//  --When you told him his house was too cold that was just plain bad manners.//\n  6 NOT BEAUTIFUL:  not beautiful or attractive - often used because you want to avoid saying this directly//  --Mrs Cookson was a rather plain woman.//  plain Jane (=used to talk about a woman who is not beautiful) //\n  7  in plain clothes:  police officers in plain clothes are not wearing uniform//    plain-clothes//\n  8  (just) plain Mr/Mrs etc:   spoken used to show that someone does not have or use a special title//  --I don’t call him Uncle - just plain Bill.//\n  9  be plain sailing:  to be very easy to do or achieve//  --If you can answer the first question, the rest of the test should be plain sailing.//\n  10  in plain sight:   AmE if something is in plain sight, it is easy to see or notice, especially when it should be hidden//  --Don’t leave your valuables in plain sight.//  -- plainness n  [U] //\nplain 2 n \n  1  also plains :   [C] a large area of flat dry land//    prairie//  --The grassy plain gave way to an extensive swamp.//  --the vast plains of central China//\n  2 [U] the ordinary stitch in knitting:\nplain 3 adv    informal used to emphasize an adjective, usually one referring to a bad quality//  --It’s just plain crazy to spend all your pay as soon as you get it.//


Words: plain-clothes
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   plain-clothes police are police who wear ordinary clothes so that they can work without being recognized//


Words: plainly
Meaning:
adv \n  1 in a way that is easy to understand or recognize:  --Mrs Gorman was plainly delighted.//  --The first part of that argument is plainly true.//  --We could hear Tom’s voice plainly over the noise of the crowd.//  [sentence adverb] //  --Plainly the laws are not effective.//\n  2 speaking honestly, and without trying to hide the truth:  --She told him plainly that she had no intention of marrying him.//\n  3 simply or without decoration:  --a plainly dressed young girl//  --The room was very plainly furnished.//


Words: plainsong
Meaning:
n  also plainchant  [U]   a type of old Christian church music in which people sing a simple tune without musical instruments//


Words: plainspoken
Meaning:
adj   saying exactly what you think, especially in a way that people think is honest rather than rude//  --a straightforward, plainspoken man//


Words: plaintiff
Meaning:
W3   n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: plaintif;   PLAINTIVE]//  someone who brings a legal action against another person in a court of law//  British Equivalent:  complainant//    defendant//


Words: plaintive
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: plaintif, from  plaint;   PLAINT]//  a plaintive sound is high, like someone crying, and sounds sad//  plaintive cry/voice/sound etc //  --the plaintive cry of the seagull//  -- plaintively adv //


Words: plait
Meaning:
v [T]    BrE to twist three long pieces of hair or rope over and under each other to make one long piece//  American Equivalent:  braid//  --She plaited her hair hurriedly.//  --a plaited leather belt//\nplait 2 n [C]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Old French; Origin: pleit, from  Latin plictus, past participle of  plicare  ’to fold’]//   BrE a length of something, usually hair, that has been plaited//  American Equivalent:  braid//  in plaits//  --Jenni wore her hair in plaits.//


Words: plan
Meaning:
n [C]   ----------//\n   1 intention:\n   2 method/arrangement:\n   3 map:\n   4 drawing:\n   5 plan A:\n   6 plan B:  ----------//  [Date: 1600-1700; Language: French; Origin: ’drawing of a building at ground level’; partly from  Latin planum  ’level ground’, partly from  French planter  ’to plant’]//\n  1 INTENTION:  something you have decided to do//  --His plan is to get a degree in economics and then work abroad for a year.//  --There’s been a change of plan - we’re not going to Ibiza after all.//  --We don’t have any plans for the weekend - why don’t you come over?//  --Julia’s been busy making plans for  (=preparing for) her wedding.//  sb’s best plan  BrE  (=the best course of action) //  --Your best plan would be to catch a taxi.//\n  2 METHOD/ARRANGEMENT:  a set of actions for achieving something in the future, especially a set of actions that has been considered carefully and in detail//  --an ambitious economic recovery plan//  plan for//  --Managers denied there are any plans for a merger.//  plan to do sth//  --plans to turn the site of the factory into a park//  keep/stick to a plan //  --If we keep to the plan the work should be completed in two weeks.//  work out/draw up/devise a plan //  --They devised a plan to reduce costs.//  --If everything goes according to plan  (=happens in the way that was arranged) the first stage will be completed by December.//  --Jane explained her plan of action .//\n  3 MAP:  a drawing similar to a map, showing roads, towns, and buildings//  plan of//  --a street plan of London//\n  4 DRAWING:  a)  technical a drawing of a building, room, or machine as it would be seen from above, showing the shape, size, and position of the walls, windows, and doors//    elevation(4),  section1 (7),  ground plan(1)//  b) a drawing that shows exactly how something will be arranged//  --I have to organise a seating plan for the dinner.//\n  5  plan A:   Plan A//  your first plan, which you will use if things happen the way you expect//  --We’re going to find a restaurant and buy a meal. That’s Plan A.//\n  6  plan B:   Plan B//  your second plan, which you can use if things do not happen the way you expect//  --It’s time to put Plan B into action.//\nplan 2 v   past tense and past participle  planned present participle  planning //\n  1 [I and T] to think carefully about something you want to do, and decide how and when you will do it:  --He immediately began planning his escape.//  --Talks are planned for next week.//  --The wedding was fine and everything went as planned  (=happened the way it had been planned) .//  plan to do sth//  --Maria didn’t plan to kill Fiona. It was an accident.//  plan ahead/plan for the future //  --Now that you’re pregnant you’ll have to plan ahead.//\n  2 [T] to intend to do something:  plan to do sth//  --He said he planned to write his essay tonight.//  plan on doing sth//  --When do you plan on going to Geneva?//  --The former president is planning a return to politics.//\n  3 [T] to think about something you are going to make, and decide what it will be like:   design//  --Planning a small garden is often difficult.//  --The system needs to be planned carefully.//  plan out [plan sth → out] phr v//  to plan something carefully, considering all the possible problems//  --I’ll get the maps so we can plan out our route.//    planning//


Words: plane
Meaning:
W3S2   n [C]   cockpit, wing, tail//  ----------//\n   1 aircraft:\n   2 level:\n   3 tool:\n   4 tree:\n   5 surface:  ----------//  [Sense: 1; Date: 1900-2000; Origin: aeroplane]//  [Sense: 2,5; Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: planum, from  planus;   PLAIN1]//  [Sense: 3; Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: Late Latin plana, from  planare;   PLANE2]//  [Sense: 4; Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: Latin platanus]//\n  1 AIRCRAFT:  a vehicle that flies in the air and has wings and at least one engine//  --The plane will take off in twenty minutes.//  --Our plane landed at O’Hare airport in Chicago.//  --It’s much quicker to go  by plane .//  --The plane taxied along the runway.//  --Matt boarded a plane for San Diego.//  --She slept  on the plane .//  --Over 40 people died in the  plane crash .//\n  2 LEVEL:  a level or standard of thought, conversation etc//  --The two newspapers are on completely different intellectual planes.//  3 TOOL//  a tool that has a flat bottom with a sharp blade in it, used for making wooden surfaces smooth//\n  4 TREE:  a plane tree//\n  5 SURFACE:   technical a completely flat surface in geometry//  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 1 //  a plane takes off (=it goes into the air from the ground) //  a plane lands/touches down (=it arrives on the ground from the air) //  by plane //  a plane taxies (=it moves on the ground) //  get on/board a plane //  on a plane //  get off a plane //  catch a plane //  fly a plane (=be the pilot of a plane) //  plane crash //  WORD FOCUS: plane //  similar words: airplane also aeroplane (BrE),  aircraft //  planes that carry people: passenger plane,  airliner,  jumbo //  a military plane: warplane,  bomber,  fighter //  people on a plane: pilot,  co-pilot,  captain,  flight crew,  cabin crew,  passenger,  flight attendant,  steward,  air hostess //  the place where a plane lands or takes off: runway,  the tarmac,  airport,  aerodrome (BrE old-fashioned) //  See also:  helicopter, flight, air force, airbase//  ----------//\nplane 2 v [T]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: planer, from  Late Latin planare, from  Latin planus;   PLAIN1]//  if you plane a piece of wood, you make it smoother or smaller, using a plane//  --He planed the edge of the door.//\nplane 3 adj [only before noun]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: planus;   PLAIN1]//   technical completely flat and smooth//  --a plane surface//


Words: plane geometry
Meaning:
n [U]   the study of lines, shapes etc that are two-dimensional (=with measurements in only two directions, not three) //


Words: planeload
Meaning:
n [C]   the number of people or amount of something that an aircraft will hold//  --planeloads of food aid//


Words: planer
Meaning:
n [C]   an electric tool with a flat bottom and a sharp blade, used for making wooden surfaces smooth//


Words: planet
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old French; Origin: planete, from  Late Latin planeta, from  Greek planes  ’wanderer’]//\n  1 a very large round object in space that moves around the sun or another star:  --Mercury is the smallest of all the planets.//  --Is there life on other planets?//  --the future of Planet Earth//\n  2  sb is (living) on another planet:  what planet is sb on? //   spoken used humorously to say that someone’s ideas are not at all practical or sensible//  --He thinks motherhood is glamorous - what planet is he on?//\n  3  the planet:  the world - used especially when talking about the environment//  --a safer future for the planet//  -- planetary adj  [only before noun] //  --the planetary system//  ----------//  HINT sense 1 //  Do not say ’in a planet’. Say on a planet. //  ----------//


Words: Planet of the Apes
Meaning:
(1968) a US film about a society in the future in which intelligent monkeys, who can speak, rule the world and control humans.//


Words: planetarium
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Modern Latin; Origin: Latin planeta;   PLANET]//  a building where lights on a curved ceiling show the movements of planets and stars//


Words: Planets
Meaning:
The   (1916) a very popular piece of  classical music by Gustav  Holst, in which each of the different parts represents one of the  planets (such as Mars or Jupiter) and the Roman god after whom it is named//


Words: plangent
Meaning:
adj [usually before noun]  literary   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Latin; Origin: , present participle of  plangere;   PLAINT]//  a plangent sound is loud and deep and sounds sad//  --the plangent sound of the violin//  -- plangently adv //  -- plangency n  [U] //


Words: plank
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old North French; Origin: planke, from  Latin planca, from  plancus  ’flat’]//\n  1 a long narrow piece of wooden board, used especially for making structures to walk on:  --a long plank of wood //  --a bridge made of planks//\n  2 one of the main features or principles of an argument etc:    platform//  plank of an argument/policy/campaign etc //  --the main plank of their argument//  --a central plank of our policy//  --a five-plank campaign including raising the minimum wage//    walk the plank at walk1 (13),  as thick as two short planks at thick1 (7)//


Words: planking
Meaning:
n [U]    BrE wood that has been cut into planks, especially when it is used to make a floor, bridge, or fence//


Words: plankton
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: German; Origin: Greek, from  planktos  ’wandering’, from  plazesthai  ’to wander’]//  the very small forms of plant and animal life that live in water, especially the sea, and are eaten by fish//


Words: planned obsolescence
Meaning:
n [U]   when a product is deliberately made so that it will soon be replaced by something more fashionable or more technically advanced. This is done so that people will want to buy new things more often.//


Words: Planned Parenthood
Meaning:
a US organization, with offices all over the country, that provides free advice on  family planning (=ways of controlling the number of children a woman has) //


Words: planner
Meaning:
n [C]   someone who plans and makes important decisions about something, especially someone whose job is to plan the way towns grow and develop//  urban/city planner //  --City planners are looking for ways to ease traffic.//  --Many financial planners will help you shop for insurance.//


Words: planning
Meaning:
n [U]   the process of thinking about and deciding on a plan for achieving or making something//  good/bad/careful etc planning //  --A little careful planning is important in gardening.//  --’How did you manage to be so late?’ ’Just bad planning.’//  --A little forward planning  (=thinking about how to do something before doing it) can save you a lot of expense.//  --Good financial planning is vital to business success.//    town planning,  family planning//


Words: plant
Meaning:
W1S2   n   ----------//\n   1 living thing:\n   2 factory:\n   3 machinery:\n   4 something hidden:\n   5 person:  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: plante, from  Latin planta  ’new growth on a plant, part cut off a plant to be grown again’]//\n  1 LIVING THING:   [C] a living thing that has leaves and roots and grows in earth, especially one that is smaller than a tree//  --Don’t forget to water the plants.//  --a potato plant//  --the forest’s plant life  (=plants) //    houseplant//\n  2 FACTORY:   [C] a factory or building where an industrial process happens//  --a huge chemical plant//    power plant//\n  3 MACHINERY:   [U]  BrE heavy machinery that is used in industrial processes//  --a plant hire business//\n  4 SOMETHING HIDDEN:   [C usually singular] something illegal or stolen that is hidden in someone’s clothes or possessions to make them seem guilty of a crime//\n  5 PERSON:   [C] someone who is put somewhere or sent somewhere secretly to find out information//\nplant 2 v [T]   ----------//\n   1 plants/seeds:\n   2 put something somewhere:\n   3 hide illegal goods:\n   4 bomb:\n   5 person:\n   6 plant an idea/doubt/suspicion (in somebody’s mind):  Phrasal verbs//   plant something → out//  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: plantian, from  Latin plantare, from  planta;   PLANT1]//\n  1 PLANTS/SEEDS:  to put plants or seeds in the ground to grow//  --Residents have helped us plant trees.//  --We’ve planted tomatoes and carrots in the garden.//  plant a field/garden/area etc (with sth) //  --a hillside planted with fir trees//\n  2 PUT SOMETHING SOMEWHERE:   [always + adverb/preposition]  informal to put something firmly in or on something else//  plant sth in/on etc sth//  --He came up to her and planted a kiss on her cheek.//  --She planted her feet firmly to the spot and refused to move.//\n  3 HIDE ILLEGAL GOODS:   informal to hide stolen or illegal goods in someone’s clothes, bags, room etc in order to make them seem guilty of a crime//  plant sth on sb//  --She claims that the police planted the drugs on her.//\n  4 BOMB:   plant a bomb//  to put a bomb somewhere//  --Two men are accused of planting a bomb on the plane.//\n  5 PERSON:  to put or send someone somewhere, especially secretly, so that they can find out information//  --The police had planted undercover detectives at every entrance.//\n  6  plant an idea/doubt/suspicion (in sb’s mind):  to make someone begin to have an idea, especially so that they do not realize that you gave them the idea//  --Someone must have planted the idea of suicide in his mind.//  plant out [plant sth → out] phr v//  to put a young plant into the soil outdoors, so that it has enough room to grow//  --The seedlings should be planted out in May.//


Words: Plantagenets
Meaning:
the   the royal family of England from 1154 to 1399, including the kings Henry II, Richard II, and Richard III//


Words: plantain
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Spanish; Origin: plantano, from  Latin platanus type of tree]//\n  1 [U and C] a kind of banana that is cooked before it is eaten, or the plant on which it grows:\n  2 [C] a common wild plant with small green flowers and wide leaves:


Words: plantation
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 a large area of land in a hot country, where crops such as tea, cotton, and sugar are grown:  --a rubber plantation//\n  2 a large group of trees grown to produce wood:


Words: planter
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 an attractive, usually large, container for growing plants in:\n  2 someone who owns or is in charge of a plantation:  --a tea planter//\n  3 a machine used for planting:


Words: plaque
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: French; Origin: Dutch plak, from  plakken  ’to stick’]//\n  1 [C] a piece of flat metal, wood, or stone with writing on it, used as a prize in a competition or attached to a building to remind people of an event or person:  --The team’s coach was given a plaque.//  commemorative plaque (=a plaque to help people remember something important) //\n  2 [U] a harmful substance which forms on your teeth, which bacteria can live and breed in:


Words: plasma
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Late Latin; Origin: ’something shaped’, from  Greek, from  plassein;   PLASTIC2]//\n  1 the yellowish liquid part of blood that contains the blood cells:\n  2  technical the living substance inside a cell:   protoplasm//\n  3  technical a gas that contains about the same numbers of positive and negative electric charges and is found in the sun and most stars:


Words: plasma screen
Meaning:
n [C]   a type of television or computer screen that is wider and taller than most regular screens, but that shows pictures using a different type of technology which makes it possible for the screen to be thinner than other types of screens//


Words: plaster
Meaning:
n   [Date: 900-1000; Language: Latin; Origin: emplastrum, from  Greek, from  emplassein  ’to plaster on’, from  plassein;   PLASTIC2]//\n  1 [U] a substance used to cover walls and ceilings with a smooth, even surface. It consists of lime, water, and sand.:\n  2 [U]  plaster of Paris:  Band-Aid, bandage, plaster, scissors//\n  3 [U and C]  BrE a piece of thin material that is stuck on to the skin to cover a small wound:  American Equivalent:  bandaid//\n  4  in plaster:   BrE if you have a leg or arm in plaster, you have a plaster cast around it because a bone is broken and needs to be kept in place while it mends//\nplaster 2 v [T] \n  1 [usually passive] to put a wet, usually sticky substance all over a surface so that it is thickly covered:  plaster sth with sth//  --Her face was plastered with make-up.//\n  2 [usually passive] to completely cover a surface with something, especially large pieces of paper, pictures etc:  plaster sth with sth//  --The windows were plastered with notices.//  --The news of the wedding was plastered all over the papers  (=was the main story in the newspapers) .//\n  3 to put wet plaster on a wall or ceiling:\n  4 [usually passive] to make your hair lie flat or stick to your head:  plaster sth to sth//  --His hair was plastered to his forehead with sweat.//  plaster sth down/back//  --The rain had plastered her hair down.//  plaster over [plaster sth → over] phr v//  to cover a hole or an old surface by spreading plaster over it//  --The original brickwork has been plastered over.//


Words: plaster cast
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 a cover made from plaster of Paris, put around an arm, leg etc to keep a broken bone in place while it mends:   cast//\n  2 a copy of something that is made of plaster of Paris:


Words: plaster of Paris
Meaning:
n [U]   a mixture of a white powder and water that dries fairly quickly and is used for making plaster casts and to decorate buildings//


Words: plasterboard
Meaning:
n [U]  BrE   board made of large sheets of thick paper held together with plaster, used to cover walls and ceilings inside a house//  American Equivalent:  drywall//


Words: plastic
Meaning:
n \n  1 [U and C] a light strong material that is produced by a chemical process, and which can be made into different shapes when it is soft:  --children’s toys made of plastic//  --the plastics industry//\n  2 [U]  informal small plastic cards that are used to pay for things instead of money:   credit cards//  --’I haven’t got any cash.’ ’Don’t worry, I’ll stick it on the plastic (=pay for it using a credit card) .’//  --Do they take plastic? (=can you pay using a credit card?) //\nplastic 2 adj   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: plasticus  ’of shaping’, from  Greek plastikos, from  plassein  ’to shape, form, plaster’]//\n  1 made of plastic:  --a plastic spoon//  --plastic bags//\n  2  technical a plastic substance can be formed into many different shapes and keeps the shape it is formed into until someone changes it:\n  3 something that is plastic looks or tastes artificial or not natural:  --plastic food//  --I hate that plastic smile of hers.//


Words: plastic explosive
Meaning:
n [U and C]   an explosive substance that can be shaped using your hands, or a small bomb made from this//


Words: plastic surgery
Meaning:
n [U]   the medical practice of changing the appearance of people’s faces or bodies, either to improve their appearance or to repair injuries//  -- plastic surgeon n  [C] //


Words: plastic wrap
Meaning:
n [U]    AmE thin transparent plastic used to cover food to keep it fresh//  British Equivalent:  clingfilm//


Words: Plasticine
Meaning:
n [U]    trademark  BrE a soft substance like clay, that comes in many different colours and is used by children for making models//


Words: plasticity
Meaning:
n [U]    technical the quality of being easily made into any shape, and of staying in that shape until someone changes it//


Words: plat du jour
Meaning:
n   plural  plats du jour /pl[hA35A][hA359]-/ [C]  BrE //  [Date: 1900-2000; Language: French; Origin: ’dish of the day’]//  a dish that a restaurant prepares specially on a particular day in addition to its usual food//


Words: plate
Meaning:
n   ----------//\n   1 food:\n   2 sign:\n   3 have a lot/enough on your plate:\n   4 protective covering:\n   5 earth’s surface:\n   6 gold/silver:\n   7 hand/give/offer somebody something on a plate:\n   8 pictures/photos:\n   9 baseball:\n  10 competition:\n  11 teeth:  ----------//  [Sense: 1,3,7; Date: 1400-1500; Language: French; Origin: plat  ’plate, dish’, from  plat  ’flat’, from  Vulgar Latin plattus, probably from  Greek platys  ’broad, flat’]//  [Sense: 2, 4-5,8-11; Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: plat  ’flat’]//  [Sense: 6; Date: 1300-1400; Origin:  Partly from  Old French plat  ’plate, piece of silver’, partly from  Old Spanish plata  ’silver’]//\n  1 FOOD:   [C] //  a) a flat and usually round dish that you eat from or serve food on//  --The plates were piled high with rice.//  --a dinner plate//  b)  also plateful //  the amount of food that is on a plate//  plate of//  --He’s eaten a whole plate of french fries.//\n  2 SIGN:   [C] a flat piece of metal with words or numbers on it, for example on a door or a car//  --The brass plate on the door said ’Dr Rackman’.//  number/license/registration plate (=on a car) //  --Did anyone see the car’s license plate?//    L-plate,  nameplate//\n  3  have a lot/enough on your plate:   informal to have a lot of problems to deal with or problems to worry about//\n  4 PROTECTIVE COVERING:   [C] //  a)  technical one of the thin sheets of bone, horn etc that covers and protects the outside of some animals//  b) a thin sheet of metal used to protect something//  metal/steel/iron plates //  --The shoes had metal plates attached to the heels.//\n  5 EARTH’S SURFACE:   [C]  technical one of the very large sheets of rock that form the surface of the Earth//    plate tectonics//\n  6 GOLD/SILVER:  a)  gold/silver plate//  ordinary metal with a thin covering of gold or silver//  b)  [U] things such as plates, cups, forks, or knives made of gold or silver//\n  7  hand/give/offer sb sth on a plate:  to let someone get or achieve something easily, without much effort from them//  --I worked hard for what I’ve got. It wasn’t handed to me on a plate.//\n  8 PICTURES/PHOTOS:   [C] //  a) a sheet of metal that has been cut or treated in a special way so that words or pictures can be printed from its surface//  --copper printing plates//  b) a picture in a book, printed on good-quality paper and usually coloured//  c) a thin sheet of glass used especially in the past in photography, with chemicals on it that are sensitive to light//\n  9 BASEBALL:   [C usually singular] the place where the person hitting the ball stands//\n  10 COMPETITION:   the ... Plate//  used in the names of sports competitions or races in which the winner gets a silver plate//  --This horse won the Galway Plate.//\n  11 TEETH:   [C] //  a) a thin piece of plastic shaped to fit inside a person’s mouth, into which false teeth are fixed//  b)  BrE a thin piece of plastic with wires fixed to it, that some people wear in their mouth to make their teeth straight//  British Equivalent:  brace//    hotplate//  ----------//  HINT sense 1 //  Do not use plate when you mean ’food cooked in a particular way as a meal’. Use dish : a restaurant where you can eat the most delicious dishes (NOT plates) you can imagine //  ----------//\nplate 2 v [T]   be plated with sth//  a) to be covered with a thin covering of gold or silver//  --a beautiful necklace, plated with 22 carat gold//  gold-plated/silver-plated //  --a gold-plated watch//  b) to be covered in sheets of a hard material such as metal//  --The ship had been heavily plated with protective sheets.//


Words: plate tectonics
Meaning:
n [U]  technical   the study of the forming and movement of the large sheets of rock that form the surface of the Earth//


Words: plateau
Meaning:
n   plural  plateaus  or  plateaux /-t[hA353][hA35E]z $ -to[hA35E]z/ [C] //  [Date: 1700-1800; Language: French; Origin: Old French platel  ’flat piece of metal’, from  plat;   PLATE1]//\n  1 a large area of flat land that is higher than the land around it:\n  2 a period during which the level of something does not change, especially after a period when it was increasing:  --Inflation rates have reached a plateau.//\nplateau 2 v [I]   if something plateaus, it reaches and then stays at a particular level//  --The athletic footwear market has not yet plateaued.//


Words: platelet
Meaning:
n [C]   one of the very small flat round cells in your blood that help it become solid when you bleed, so that you stop bleeding//


Words: platform
Meaning:
W3   n [C]   ----------//\n   1 train:\n   2 for speeches:\n   3 politics:\n   4 structure:\n   5 computers:\n   6 express ideas:\n   7 bus:\n   8 shoes:  ----------//  [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: plateforme  ’diagram, map’, from  plat  ’flat’ +  forme  ’form’]//\n  1 TRAIN:   especially BrE the raised place beside a railway track where you get on and off a train in a station//  --The Edinburgh train will depart from platform six.//\n  2 FOR SPEECHES:  a stage for people to stand on when they are making a speech, performing etc//  --a small raised platform at one end of the room//\n  3 POLITICS:  a)  [usually singular] the main ideas and aims of a political party, especially the ones that they state just before an election//    plank//  --a strong women’s rights platform//  --the Labour party platform//  b) a chance for someone to express their opinions, especially their political opinions//  platform for//  --The conference provides a platform for people on the left wing of the party.//\n  4 STRUCTURE:  a tall structure built so that people can stand or work above the surrounding area//  --an oil exploration platform//\n  5 COMPUTERS:  the type of computer system or software that someone uses//  --the UNIX platform//  --a multimedia platform//\n  6 EXPRESS IDEAS:  an opportunity to express your ideas to a large number of people//  platform for//  --We mustn’t give these groups a platform for their propaganda.//\n  7 BUS:   BrE the open part at the back of some double-decker buses, where passengers get on and off//\n  8 SHOES:   platforms//   also platform shoes //   [plural] shoes that have a thick layer of wood, leather etc under the front part and the heel//


Words: platform game
Meaning:
n [C]  technical   a computer game in which the action happens against a background that does not move//


Words: Plath
Meaning:
Sylvia   (1932-63) a US poet who was famous for her poems about women and death, and for her novel  The Bell Jar, and who was married to the British poet Ted  Hughes. She killed herself after many years of unhappiness.//


Words: platinum
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Modern Latin; Origin: Spanish platina, from  plata;   PLATE1]//\n  1 a silver-grey metal that does not change colour or lose its brightness, and is used in making expensive jewellery and in industry. It is a chemical element: symbol Pt:  --a platinum ring//\n  2 if a music recording goes platinum, at least a million copies of it have been sold:  --Eight of Denver’s albums went platinum .//  --a platinum disc //


Words: platinum blonde
Meaning:
n [C]  informal   a woman whose hair is a silver-white colour, especially because it has been coloured with chemicals//  -- platinum blonde adj //


Words: platitude
Meaning:
n [C]  formal   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: French; Origin: plat  ’flat, dull’]//  a statement that has been made many times before and is not interesting or clever - used to show disapproval//  --His excuse was the platitude ’boys will be boys.’//  -- platitudinous/pl[zB024]t[hA369]tju[hA359]d[hA369]n[hA353]s[hA36B] $ -tu[hA359]-/ adj //


Words: Plato
Meaning:
(?427-347BC) an ancient Greek  philosopher, who had a very great influence on European philosophy. He explained his ideas in the form of written conversations. His teacher was  Socrates, and after Socrates’ death he established a school called the Academy, where  Aristotle was one of his students. His most famous work is The Republic, about the perfect state and form of government.//


Words: platonic
Meaning:
adj   a relationship that is platonic is just friendly and is not a sexual relationship//  --a platonic friendship//


Words: platoon
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: French; Origin: peloton  ’ball, small group’, from  pelote  ’little ball’]//  a small group of soldiers which is part of a company and is led by a lieutenant//


Words: platter
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Anglo-French; Origin: plater, from  French plat  ’plate’;   PLATE1]//\n  1  especially AmE a large plate from which food is served:  --a serving platter//  platter of//  --a platter of turkey and vegetables//\n  2  chicken/seafood etc platter:  chicken, fish etc with vegetables or other foods on a large plate, served in a restaurant//


Words: platypus
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Modern Latin; Origin: Greek platypous  ’flat-footed’]//  a small furry Australian animal that has a beak and feet like a duck, lays eggs, and produces milk for its young//


Words: plaudits
Meaning:
n [plural]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: plaudite!  ’applaud!’, from  plaudere  ’to applaud’]//   formal praise and admiration//  win/draw/receive etc plaudits //  --Her performance won plaudits from the critics.//


Words: plausible
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: plausibilis  ’worth applauding’, from  plaudere;   PLAUDITS]//\n  1 reasonable and likely to be true or successful:  → implausible//  --His story certainly sounds plausible.//  --a plausible explanation//\n  2 someone who is plausible is good at talking in a way that sounds reasonable and truthful, although they may in fact be lying:  --a plausible liar//  -- plausibly adv //  -- plausibility/pl[hA350][hA359]z[hA369]b[hA366]l[hA369]ti $ pl[hA361][hA359]-/ n  [U] //


Words: play
Meaning:
v   ----------//\n   1 children:\n   2 sports/games:\n   3 music:\n   4 radio/cd etc:\n   5 theatre/film:\n   6 play a part/role:\n   7 play ball:\n   8 pretend:\n   9 behave:\n  10 play games:\n  11 play something by ear:\n  12 play a joke/trick/prank on somebody:\n  13 play the game:\n  14 play the race/nationalist/environmentalist etc card:\n  15 play your cards right:\n  16 play your cards close to your chest:\n  17 play into somebody’s hands:\n  18 play for time:\n  19 play tricks (on you):\n  20 play the market:\n  21 play the system:\n  22 play second fiddle (to somebody):\n  23 play hard to get:\n  24 smile:\n  25 play hooky:\n  26 play with fire:\n  27 light:\n  28 water:\n  29 play the field:\n  30 play fast and loose with something:\n  31 play a hose/light on something:  Phrasal verbs//   play around//   play around with something//   play along//   play at something//   play something → back//   play something → down//   play off//   play somebody off against somebody//   play on/upon something//   play something → out//   play up//   play up to somebody//   play with somebody/something//  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: plegan]//\n  1 CHILDREN:   [I and T] when children play, they do things that they enjoy, often with other people or with toys//  --Kids were playing and chasing each other.//  play catch/house/tag/school etc //  --Outside, the children were playing cowboys and Indians.//  play with//  --Did you like to play with dolls when you were little?//  --Parents need to spend time just playing with their children.//\n  2 SPORTS/GAMES:  a)  [I and T] to take part or compete in a game or sport//  --Karen began playing basketball when she was six.//  --If you feel any pain, you shouldn’t play.//  --Men were sitting in the park, playing cards.//  play against//  --Bristol will play against Coventry next week.//  --She’s playing Helen Evans in the semi-final. (=playing against her) //  play for//  --Moxon played for England in ten test matches.//  b)  [T] to use a particular piece, card, person etc in a game or sport//  --Harrison played a ten of spades.//  --The Regents played Eddie at center (=used him as a player in that position) in the game against Arizona.//  c)  [I and T] to take a particular position on a team//  --Garvey played first base for the Dodgers.//  d)  [T] to hit a ball in a particular way or to a particular place in a game or sport//  --She played the ball low, just over the net.//  3 MUSIC//   [I and T] //  a) to perform a piece of music on a musical instrument//  --He’s learning to play the piano.//  --She played a Bach prelude.//  --Haden has played with many jazz greats.//  --A small orchestra was playing.//\n  4 RADIO/CD ETC:   [I and T] if a radio, CD etc plays, or if you play it, it produces sound, especially music//  --The bedside radio played softly.//  play a record/CD/tape etc //  --DJs playing the latest house and techno tracks//\n  5 THEATRE/FILM:  a)  [T] to perform the actions and say the words of a particular character in a theatre performance, film etc//  --Streep plays a shy, nervous woman.//  play a role/part/character etc //  --Playing a character so different from herself was a challenge.//  b)  [I] if a play or film is playing at a particular theatre, it is being performed or shown there//  --’Macbeth’ is playing at the Theatre Royal in York.//  c)  [T] if actors play a theatre, they perform there in a play//\n  6  play a part/role:  to have an effect or influence on something//  play a part/role in//  --A good diet and fitness play a large part in helping people live longer.//\n  7  play ball:  a) to throw, kick, hit, or catch a ball as a game or activity//  --Jim and Karl were playing ball in the backyard.//  b) to do what someone wants you to do//  --So far, the company has refused to play ball, preferring to remain independent.//\n  8 PRETEND:   [linking verb] to behave as if you are a particular kind of person or have a particular feeling or quality, even though it is not true//  --the accusation that scientists are playing God //  --Some snakes fool predators by playing dead .//  --’What do you mean?’ ’Don’t play dumb .’ (=pretend you do not know something) //  play the idiot/the teacher etc //  --Susan felt she had to play the good wife.//  --He played the fool  (=behaved in a silly way) at school instead of working.//\n  9 BEHAVE:   [T always + adverb/preposition] to behave in a particular way in a situation, in order to achieve the result or effect that you want//  --How do you want to play this meeting?//  -- Play it safe  (=avoid risks) and make sure the eggs are thoroughly cooked.//  play it carefully/cool etc //  --If you like him, play it cool, or you might scare him off.//\n  10  play games:  to hide your real feelings or wishes in order to achieve something in a clever or secret way - used to show disapproval//  --Stop playing games, Luke, and tell me what you want.//\n  11  play sth by ear:  a) to decide what to do according to the way a situation develops, without making plans before that time//  --We’ll see what the weather’s like and play it by ear .//  b) if someone can play a musical instrument by ear, they can play a tune without looking at written music//\n  12  play a joke/trick/prank on sb:  to do something to someone as a joke or trick//\n  13  play the game:  a) to do things in the way you are expected to do them or in a way that is usual in a particular situation//  --If you want a promotion, you’ve got to play the game.//  b)  BrE to behave in a fair and honest way//\n  14  play the race/nationalist/environmentalist etc card:  to use a particular subject in politics in order to gain an advantage//  --a leader who is skillfully playing the nationalist card to keep power//\n  15  play your cards right:  to say or do things in a situation in such a way that you gain as much as possible from it//  --Who knows? If you play your cards right , maybe he’ll marry you.//\n  16  play your cards close to your chest:  to keep secret what you are doing in a situation//\n  17  play into sb’s hands:  to do what someone you are competing with wants you to do, without realizing it//  --If we respond with violence, we’ll be playing into their hands, giving them an excuse for a fight.//\n  18  play for time:  to try to delay something so that you have more time to prepare for it or prevent it from happening//  --The rebels may be playing for time while they try to get more weapons.//\n  19  play tricks (on you):  if your mind, memory, sight etc plays tricks on you, you feel confused and not sure about what is happening//  --It happened a long time ago, and my memory might be playing tricks on me.//\n  20  play the market:  to risk money on the stock market as a way of trying to earn more money//\n  21  play the system:  to use the rules of a system in a clever way, to gain advantage for yourself//  --Accountants know how to play the tax system.//\n  22  play second fiddle (to sb):  to be in a lower position or rank than someone else//\n  23  play hard to get:  to pretend that you are not sexually interested in someone so that they will become more interested in you//\n  24 SMILE:   [I always + adverb/preposition]  written if a smile plays about someone’s lips, they smile slightly//\n  25  play hooky:   AmE play truant  BrE to stay away from school without permission//\n  26  play with fire:  to do something that could have a very dangerous or harmful result//  --Dating the boss’s daughter is playing with fire.//\n  27 LIGHT:   [I always + adverb/preposition]  written if light plays on something, it shines on it and moves on it//  --the sunlight playing on the water//\n  28 WATER:   [I]  written if a fountain plays, water comes from it//\n  29  play the field:  to have sexual relationships with a lot of different people//\n  30  play fast and loose with sth:  to not be careful about what you do, especially by not obeying the law or a rule//  --They played fast and loose with investors’ money.//\n  31  play a hose/light on sth:  to point a hose or light towards something so that water or light goes onto it//  play around phr v//\n  1 to have a sexual relationship with someone who is not your usual partner:  play around with//  --Wasn’t she playing around with another man?//  --It was years before I realized he’d been playing around.//\n  2 to try doing something in different ways, to see what would be best, especially when this is fun:  play around with//  --Play around with the ingredients if you like.//\n  3 to behave in a silly way or waste time, when you should be doing something more serious:   fool around//  --When the teacher wasn’t looking, we used to play about a lot.//  play around with [play around with sth] phr v//  to keep moving or making changes to something in your hands//   fiddle with//  --Will you stop playing around with the remote control!//  play along phr v//\n  1 to pretend to agree to do what someone wants, in order to avoid annoying them or to get an advantage:  --She felt she had to play along or risk losing her job.//\n  2  play sb along:   BrE to tell someone something that is not true because you need their help in some way//  play at [play at sth] phr v//\n  1  What is sb playing at?:   BrE  spoken used when you do not understand what someone is doing or why they are doing it, and you are surprised or annoyed//  --What do you think you’re playing at?//\n  2 if you play at doing something, you do not do it properly or seriously:  play at doing sth//  --He’s still playing at being an artist.//\n  3  BrE if children play at doctors, soldiers etc, they pretend to be doctors, soldiers etc:  play at being sth//  --a fourteen-year-old playing at being a grown woman//  play back [play sth → back] phr v//  to play something that has been recorded on a machine so that you can listen to it or watch it//  --He played back his answering machine messages.//  play down [play sth → down] phr v//  to try to make something seem less important or less likely than it really is//  --Management has been playing down the possibility of job losses.//  play down the importance/seriousness/significance of sth //  --The White House spokeswoman sought to play down the significance of the event.//  play off phr v//\n  1  BrE if people or teams play off, they play the last game in a sports competition, in order to decide who is the winner:  --The top two teams will play off at Twickenham for the county title.//\n  2  play off sb/sth:   AmE to deliberately use a fact, action, idea etc in order to make what you are doing better or to get an advantage//  --The two musicians played off each other in a piece of inspired improvisation.//  play off against [play sb off against sb] phr v//  to encourage one person or group to compete or argue with another, in order to get some advantage for yourself//  --The house seller may try to play one buyer off against another, to raise the price.//  play on/upon [play on/upon sth] phr v//  to use a feeling, fact, or idea in order to get what you want, often in an unfair way//  --The ad plays on our emotions, showing a doctor holding a newborn baby.//  play out [play sth → out] phr v//\n  1 if an event or situation is played out or plays itself out, it happens:  --It will be interesting to see how the election plays itself out .//\n  2 if people play out their dreams, feelings etc, they express them by pretending that a particular situation is really happening:  --The weekend gives you a chance to play out your fantasies.//  play up phr v//\n  1  play sth → up:  to emphasize something, sometimes making it seem more important than it really is//  --Play up your strongest arguments in the opening paragraph.//\n  2  play (sb) up:   BrE  informal if children play up, they behave badly//  --Jordan’s been playing up in school.//  --I hope the kids don’t play you up.//\n  3  play (sb) up:   BrE  informal to hurt you or cause problems for you//  --My knee’s been playing me up this week.//  --The car’s playing up again.//  play up to [play up to sb] phr v//  to behave in a very polite or kind way to someone because you want something from them//  --Connie always plays up to her parents when she wants money.//  play with / [play with sb/sth] phr v//\n  1 to keep touching something or moving it:  --Stop playing with the light switch!//\n  2 to try doing something in different ways to decide what works best:  --Play with the design onscreen, moving text and pictures until you get a pleasing arrangement.//\n  3 to consider an idea or possibility, but not always very seriously:   toy with//  --After university, I  played with the idea of  teaching English in China.//\n  4  money/time/space etc to play with:  money, time etc that is available to be used//  --The budget is very tight, so there isn’t much money to play with.//\n  5  play with yourself:  to touch your own sex organs for pleasure//   masturbate//\n  6  play with words/language:  to use words in a clever or amusing way//\nplay 2 n   ----------//\n   1 theatre:\n   2 amusement:\n   3 effect:\n   4 action in a game or sport:\n   5 in play/out of play:\n   6 play on words:\n   7 play of light:\n   8 make a play for something:\n   9 make a play for somebody:\n  10 looseness:  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: plega]//\n  1 THEATRE:   [C] a story that is written to be performed by actors, especially in a theatre//  --a play by Chekhov//  --Eliot wrote plays as well as poetry.//  play about//  --Edward Bond’s play about class war//  put on/perform a play //  --The children put on a play adapted from a Russian folk tale.//\n  2 AMUSEMENT:   [U] things that people, especially children, do for amusement rather than as work//  --Play is very important to a child’s development.//  --a play area//  through play//  --The program aims to teach road safety through play.//  at play//  --the happy shouts of children at play//\n  3 EFFECT:   [U] the effect or influence of something//  --the free play of competition in the building industry//  at play//  --There are a number of factors at play (=having an effect) in the current recession.//  bring/put sth into play (=use something or make it have an effect) //  --A complex system of muscles is brought into play for each body movement.//  --Political considerations do come into play  (=have an effect) when making policy.//\n  4 ACTION IN A GAME OR SPORT:  a)  [U] the actions of the people who are playing a game or sport//  --Rain stopped play after only an hour.//  b)  [C] one particular action or set of actions during a game//  --On the next play, Johnson ran fifteen yards for a touchdown.//\n  5  in play/out of play:  if a ball is in play or out of play, it is inside or outside the area in which the rules of the game allow you to hit, kick, catch etc the ball//  --He kicked the ball out of play.//\n  6  play on words:  a use of a word that is interesting or amusing because it can be understood as having two very different meanings//   pun//\n  7  play of light:  patterns made by light as it moves over a surface//  --the play of light on the water//\n  8  make a play for sth:  to make an attempt to gain something//  --He made a play for the leadership last year.//\n  9  make a play for sb:  to try to begin a romantic or sexual relationship with someone//  --It’s obvious he was making a play for her.//\n  10 LOOSENESS:   [U] if there is some play in something, it is loose and can be moved//  --There’s too much play in the rope.//    fair play//    foul play//


Words: play-acting
Meaning:
n [U]   behaviour in which someone pretends to be serious or sincere, but is not//  -- play-act v  [I] //


Words: play-by-play
Meaning:
n [C usually singular]  AmE   a report on what is happening in a sports game, given at the same time as the game is being played//


Words: Play-Doh
Meaning:
trademark a soft substance like clay made in many different colours, used by children for making models or shapes//


Words: play-off
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1  BrE a game played to decide who will win after a previous game has ended with two teams or players having equal points:\n  2 [usually plural]  AmE a game, usually one of a series of games, played by the best teams or players in a competition in order to decide the final winner:  --The Lakers will meet the Bulls in the playoffs.//


Words: playa
Meaning:
n  also player  [C]  spoken  informal   a man who is good at meeting women and persuading them to have sex with him//


Words: playable
Meaning:
adj \n  1 a piece of ground used for sports that is playable is in good condition and suitable for playing on:  --Despite the frost, the pitch was playable.//\n  2 something that is playable can be played:  playable on//  --The disks are playable on home computers.//  --an old guitar that is still playable//


Words: playback
Meaning:
n \n  1 [C usually singular, U] the playback of a tape that you have recorded is when you play it on a machine in order to watch or listen to it:  --the playback button on an answering machine//\n  2 [C]  BrE an action in a sports game that is shown again, so that people can see exactly what happened:   replay//


Words: Playboy
Meaning:
trademark   a magazine for men which is has pictures of young women wearing very few clothes and articles about sex //


Words: playboy
Meaning:
n [C]   a rich man who does not work and who spends his time enjoying himself with beautiful women, fast cars etc//  --a middle-aged playboy//


Words: played-out
Meaning:
adj   an idea, situation etc that is played out is finished or no longer has influence//    play out at play1 //


Words: player
Meaning:
W1S2   n [C] \n  1 someone who takes part in a game or sport:  --a basketball player//\n  2 one of the important people, companies, countries etc that is involved in and influences a situation, especially one involving competition:  a major/dominant/key etc player //  --a firm that is a dominant player on Wall Street//  player in/on//  --a key player in world affairs//\n  3  a CD/record/video etc player:  a machine that is used to play CDs, videos etc//\n  4 someone who plays a musical instrument:  --a guitar player//\n  5 a man who has sexual relationships with many different women:\n  6  old-fashioned an actor:    key mover/player at key2 //


Words: player piano
Meaning:
n [C]   a piano that is played by machinery inside it. A long roll of paper with holes cut in it gradually turns and works the machinery, pressing down the keys on the piano to produce music//   pianola//


Words: playful
Meaning:
adj \n  1 very active, happy, and wanting to have fun:  --a playful little dog//  --Babies are playful and alert when they first wake up.//\n  2 intended to be fun rather than serious, or showing that you are having fun:  --a playful kiss on the cheek//  -- playfully adv //  -- playfulness n  [U] //


Words: playground
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 an area for children to play, especially at a school or in a park, that often has special equipment for climbing on, riding on etc:  --children shouting and running in the playground//\n  2 a place where a particular group of people go to enjoy themselves:  playground of//  --the playground of the rich//


Words: playgroup
Meaning:
play group/ple[hA366]gru[hA359]p/ n [U and C] \n  1  BrE a type of school where children between two and four years old meet to learn and play:  American Equivalent:  preschool//  --a playgroup at the community centre//\n  2  AmE a group of children, usually between two and four years old, whose parents meet each week so that the children can play together:


Words: playhouse
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 a theatre - used in the name of theatres:  --the Oxford Playhouse//\n  2 a small structure like a little house for children to play in:


Words: playing field
Meaning:
n [C]   a large piece of ground with areas marked out for playing football, cricket etc//    level playing field at level1 (8)//


Words: playpen
Meaning:
n [C]   an enclosed area in which a very small child can play safely, that is like an open box with sides made of bars or a net//


Words: plaything
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1  formal a toy:\n  2 someone that you use for your own amusement or advantage, without caring about them:  --men who treat women as playthings//


Words: playtime
Meaning:
n [U] \n  1 a period of time during which a child can play:  --Don’t let TV take up too much of your child’s playtime.//\n  2  BrE a period of time at a school when children can go outside and play:  American Equivalent:  recess//


Words: plaza
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Spanish; Origin: Latin platea;   PLACE1]//\n  1 a public square or market place surrounded by buildings, especially in towns in Spanish-speaking countries:\n  2 a group of shops and other business buildings in a town, usually with outdoor areas between them:    mall//


Words: plc
Meaning:
PLC/pi[hA359] el si[hA359]/ n [C]  BrE   public limited company a large company in Britain which has shares that the public can buy//  --Marks & Spencer plc//


Words: plea
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: plait,  plaid, from  Latin placitum  ’decision’, from  placere;   PLEASE2]//\n  1 [C] a request that is urgent or full of emotion:  plea for//  --a plea for help//  --Caldwell made a plea for donations.//  plea to//  --The parents made an emotional plea to their child’s kidnappers.//\n  2 [C usually singular] a statement by someone in a court of law saying whether they are guilty or not:  --a guilty plea//  make/enter a plea //  --Adams entered a plea of ’not guilty’.//\n  3 [singular] an excuse for something:  --He refused the appointment on a plea of illness.//


Words: plea bargaining
Meaning:
n [U]   when someone agrees to admit in court that they are guilty of one crime, in exchange for not being charged with a more serious crime//  -- plea bargain v  [I and T] //  -- plea bargain n  [C] //


Words: plead
Meaning:
v   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: plaidier, from  plaid;   PLEA]//\n  1 [I and T] to ask for something that you want very much, in a sincere and emotional way:   beg//  --’Don’t go!’ Robert pleaded.//  plead for//  --Civil rights groups pleaded for government help.//  plead with sb (to do sth)//  --Moira pleaded with him to stay.//\n  2 :  past tense and past participle  pleaded  or  pled /pled/ especially AmE  [I,T not in passive]  law to state in a court of law whether or not you are guilty of a crime//  plead guilty/not guilty/innocent //  --Henderson pled guilty to burglary.//\n  3 :  past tense and past participle  pleaded  also  pled  AmE  plead ignorance/illness/insanity etc//   formal to give a particular excuse for your actions//  --She stayed home from work, pleading illness.//\n  4 [T]  written to give reasons why you think something is true or why something should be done:  plead that//  --Managers pleaded that there was not enough time to make the changes.//  --Residents successfully pleaded their case at a council meeting.//


Words: pleadingly
Meaning:
adv  written   in an emotional way that shows you very much want someone to do something//  --Kathleen looked at him pleadingly.//


Words: pleasant
Meaning:
W3S3   adj   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: plaisant, from  plaisir;   PLEASE2]//\n  1 enjoyable or attractive and making you feel happy:   nice//    pleasure//  --It had been a pleasant evening.//  --the pleasant climate of Southern California//  --The restaurant was large and pleasant.//  --Kate! What a pleasant surprise !//  it is pleasant to do sth//  --It was pleasant to sit in a sidewalk cafe and watch people pass.//\n  2 friendly, polite, and easy to talk to:  --Nick seemed very pleasant on the phone.//  --a pleasant-looking woman//  pleasant to//  --He’s always been very pleasant to me.//  -- pleasantly adv //  --He smiled pleasantly.//


Words: pleasantry
Meaning:
n   plural  pleasantries  [C usually plural]  formal //  things that you say to someone in order to be polite, but which are not very important//  --Stephen and Mr Illing exchanged pleasantries .//


Words: please
Meaning:
interjection \n  1 used to be polite when asking someone to do something:  --Could you please clean up the living room?//  --Sit down, please.//  --Please be quiet!//\n  2 used to be polite when asking for something:  --I’d like a cup of coffee, please.//  --Please can I go to Rebecca’s house?//\n  3 said in order to politely accept something that someone offers you:  --’More wine?’ ’Yes, please.’//\n  4  Please!:   informal //  a) said when you think what someone has just said or asked is not possible or reasonable//  --Oh, please, he’d never do that.//  b) used to ask someone to stop behaving badly//  --Alison! Please!//\n  5  please Sir/Mrs Towers etc:   BrE  spoken used by children to get an adult’s attention//\nplease 2 W3 v   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: plaisir, from  Latin placere  ’to please, be decided’]//\n  1 [I,T not in progressive] to make someone happy or satisfied:  --a business that wants to please its customers//  --She did everything she could to please him.//  --Most children are eager to please .//  be hard/easy/impossible etc to please //  --She’s hard to please. Everything has to be perfect.//\n  2 [I not in progressive] used in some phrases to show that someone can do or have what they want:  --She does what she pleases .//  however/whatever etc you please //  --You can spend the money however you please.//  --With the Explorer pass, you can get on and off the bus as you please .//\n  3  please yourself:   spoken used when telling someone to do whatever they like, even though really you think they are making the wrong choice//  --’I don’t think I’ll go.’ ’Okay, please yourself.’//\n  4  if you please:   old-fashioned //  a)  formal used to politely ask someone to do something//  --Close the door, if you please.//  b)  BrE used to show that you are surprised, angry, or annoyed about something//  --He asked me, in my own house if you please, to leave the room!//\n  5  bold/calm/cool etc as you please:   BrE  spoken very  bold, calm etc, in a way that is surprising//  --He just walked in and sat down, as bold as you please.//\n  6  please God:  used to express a very strong hope or wish//  --Everything will be all right, please God.//


Words: pleased
Meaning:
W3S2   adj \n  1 happy or satisfied:  --Your Dad will be so pleased.//  --She seemed pleased by the compliment.//  pleased about//  --I could tell she was pleased about something.//  pleased with//  --Gwinn was pleased with the results.//  pleased for//  --That’s wonderful! I’m really pleased for you.//  pleased (that)//  --Her mother was pleased that she chose a college close to home.//  pleased to hear/see/report etc //  --I’m pleased to tell you that you’ve got the job.//\n  2  (I’m) pleased to meet you:   spoken  formal used as a polite greeting when you meet someone for the first time//\n  3  pleased to help/assist:  very willing or happy to help//  --If there’s anything we can do, we’d be pleased to help.//\n  4  pleased with yourself:  feeling proud or satisfied because you think you have done something clever, often in a way that annoys other people//  --Miranda, pleased with herself for getting it right, sat down.//


Words: pleaser
Meaning:
n   crowd-pleaser/audience-pleaser etc//  someone or something that people like a lot//  --A chocolate dessert is a sure crowd-pleaser.//


Words: pleasing
Meaning:
adj  formal   giving pleasure, enjoyment, or satisfaction//  --a pleasing sound//  pleasing to//  --a design that is pleasing to the eye//  -- pleasingly adv //  --a pleasingly relaxed atmosphere//


Words: pleasure
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: plaisir;   PLEASE2]//\n  1 [U] the feeling of happiness, enjoyment, or satisfaction that you get from an experience:    pleasant//  with pleasure//  --She sipped her drink with obvious pleasure.//  for pleasure//  --a book to read for pleasure//  --The garden has given pleasure to many people.//  take pleasure in (doing) sth //  --I shall take great pleasure in telling everyone the truth.//\n  2 [C] an activity or experience that you enjoy very much:    pleasant//  --the simple pleasures of life//  be a pleasure to read/work with/watch etc //  --Carol was a pleasure to work with.//\n  3  (it’s) my pleasure:   spoken used when someone has thanked you for doing something and you want to say that you were glad to do it//\n  4 [singular]  spoken  formal used to be polite when you are meeting someone, asking for something, agreeing to do something etc:  have the pleasure of (doing) sth //  --May I have the pleasure of seeing you again?//  -- It’s been a pleasure to meet you.//  It’ll be a pleasure/With pleasure (=used to respond to a request) //  --’Give the kids a hug for me.’ ’With pleasure.’//\n  5  at your pleasure:   formal if you can do something at your pleasure, you can do it when you want to and in the way you want to//\n  6  at his/her Majesty’s pleasure:   BrE  law if someone is put in prison at his or her Majesty’s pleasure, there is no fixed limit to the time they have to spend there//


Words: pleat
Meaning:
n [C usually plural]   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin: plait]//  a flat narrow fold in a skirt, a pair of trousers, a dress etc//


Words: pleather
Meaning:
n [U]   an artificial material that looks like leather and is used to make clothes//  --a pleather jean jacket//


Words: pleb
Meaning:
n [C usually plural]  BrE  informal   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin: plebeian]//  an insulting word meaning someone who is from a low social class - often used humorously//  --Plebs like me could never have such perfect manners.//  -- plebby adj //


Words: plebe
Meaning:
n [C]  AmE  informal   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: plebeian]//  a student in their first year at a military college//


Words: plebeian
Meaning:
adj   relating to ordinary people and what they like, rather than to people from a high social class - used to show disapproval//  --a man with plebeian tastes//\nplebeian 2 n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: plebeius, from  plebs  ’common people’]//\n  1 an insulting word for someone who is from a low social class:\n  2 an ordinary person who had no special rank in ancient Rome:  → patrician//


Words: plebiscite
Meaning:
n [U and C]  formal   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: plebiscite, from  Latin plebis scitum  ’decision of the common people’]//  a system by which everyone in a country or area votes on an important decision that affects the whole country or area//  plebiscite on//  --a plebiscite on independence//   referendum//


Words: plectrum
Meaning:
n [C]  especially BrE   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: Greek plektron, from  plessein  ’to hit’]//  a small thin piece of plastic, metal, or wood that you use for playing some musical instruments with strings, such as a guitar//   pick//


Words: pledge
Meaning:
n [C]   ----------//\n   1 promise:\n   2 money:\n   3 something valuable:\n   4 us colleges:  ----------//  [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: plege, from  Late Latin plebium, from  plebere  ’to pledge’]//\n  1 PROMISE:   formal a serious promise or agreement, especially one made publicly or officially//  pledge of//  --a pledge of support for the plan//  pledge to do sth//  --the government’s pledge to make no deals with terrorists//  make/take/give a pledge //  --Parents make a pledge to take their children to rehearsals.//  keep/fulfil/honour a pledge //  --Eisenhower fulfilled his election pledge to end the war in Korea.//\n  2 MONEY:  a promise to give money to an organization//  --Donors have made pledges totaling nearly $4 million.//  pledge of//  --a pledge of $200 to the public TV station//\n  3 SOMETHING VALUABLE:  something valuable that you leave with someone else as proof that you will do what you have agreed to do//\n  4 US COLLEGES:  someone who has promised to become a member of a fraternity or sorority at an American university//\npledge 2 v [T]   ----------//\n   1 promise:\n   2 make somebody promise:\n   3 leave something:\n   4 us colleges:  ----------//\n  1 PROMISE:  to make a formal, usually public, promise that you will do something//  pledge sth to sth/sb//  --Moore pledged $100,000 to the orchestra at the fund-raising dinner.//  pledge to do sth//  --The new governor pledged to reduce crime.//  pledge that//  --Herrera pledged that his company will give aid to schools.//  pledge (your) support/loyalty/solidarity etc //  --He pledged his cooperation.//  pledge yourself to (do) sth//  --Trade unions pledged themselves to resist the government plans.//\n  2 MAKE SOMEBODY PROMISE:  to make someone formally promise something//  --Employees were pledged to secrecy .//\n  3 LEAVE SOMETHING:  to leave something with someone as a pledge1(3)//\n  4 US COLLEGES:  to promise to become a member of a fraternity or sorority at an American university//


Words: Pledge of Allegiance
Meaning:
the   a speech that US citizens learn, which is a promise to respect the US and be loyal to it. In schools children usually say the Pledge of Allegiance every morning, while looking at the national flag and putting their right hand over their heart:  I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.//


Words: Pleiades
Meaning:
the Pleiades//  a) a group of stars in the  constellation called  Taurus//  b) in ancient Greek  mythology, the seven daughters of Atlas, who were changed into stars by Zeus//


Words: Pleistocene
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Greek; Origin: pleistos  ’most’ +  kainos  ’recent’]//  belonging to the period in the Earth’s history that started about two million years ago and ended about 10,000 years ago, when much of the Earth was covered with ice//


Words: plenary
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]  formal   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Late Latin; Origin: plenarius, from  Latin plenus;   PLENTY3]//\n  1 involving all the members of a committee, organization etc:  --The conference ended with a plenary debate.//\n  2 plenary powers are complete powers with no limit:  --He was given plenary powers to negotiate with the rebels.//  -- plenary n  [C] //


Words: plenipotentiary
Meaning:
n   plural  plenipotentiaries  [C]  formal or technical //  [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Medieval Latin; Origin: plenipotentiarius, from  Latin plenus (  PLENTY3) +  potens  ’powerful’]//  someone who has full power to take action or make decisions, especially as a representative of their government in a foreign country//  -- plenipotentiary adj //


Words: plenitude
Meaning:
n [U]  literary   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin plenitudo, from  plenus;   PLENTY3]//\n  1  a plenitude of sth:  a large amount of something//  --a plenitude of wealth//\n  2 completeness or fullness:


Words: plenteous
Meaning:
adj  literary   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: plentiveus, from  plentif  ’plentiful’, from  plente;   PLENTY3]//  plentiful//


Words: plenty
Meaning:
pron   a large quantity that is enough or more than enough//  plenty of//  --Make sure she gets plenty of fresh air.//  --No need to hurry - you’ve got plenty of time.//  --There’s plenty to do and see in New York.//  --There are plenty more chairs in the next room.//\nplenty 2 adv  informal \n  1  plenty big/fast/warm etc enough:  used to emphasize that something is more than big enough, fast enough etc//  --This apartment’s plenty big enough for two.//\n  2  AmE a lot or very:  --I’d practiced plenty.//  --I was plenty nervous.//\nplenty 3 n [U]  formal   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: plente, from  Latin plenitas  ’fullness’, from  plenus  ’full’]//\n  1 a situation in which there is a lot of food and goods available for people:  --a land of plenty//\n  2  in plenty:  in large supply or more than enough//  --There was food and wine in plenty.//


Words: Plessy v. Ferguson
Meaning:
a decision by the US Supreme Court in 1896 that the  segregation (=separation)  of black people from white people was legal, as long as black people were given services, such as schools or restaurants, that were described as "separate but equal" services. The decision specifically concerned segregation on trains, but led in some states to separate schools, hotels, restaurants, and seats in theatres, buses etc. The decision made in this court case was changed in 1954 by the Supreme Court’s decision in the case of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka.//


Words: plethora
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Medieval Latin; Origin: Greek,  ’fullness’, from  plethein  ’to be full’]//  a plethora of sth//   formal a very large number of something, usually more than you need//  --a plethora of suggestions//


Words: pleurisy
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: pleuresie, from  Latin pleuritis, from  Greek, from  pleura  ’side’]//  a serious illness which affects your lungs, causing severe pain in your chest//


Words: Plexiglas
Meaning:
,  plexiglass/pleksigl[hA35A][hA359]s $ -gl[zB024]s/ n [U]  AmE  trademark   a strong clear type of plastic that can be used instead of glass//  British Equivalent:  Perspex//


Words: pliable
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Old French; Origin: plier;   PLIERS]//\n  1 able to bend without breaking or cracking:  --a shoe made of soft, pliable leather//\n  2 easily influenced and controlled by other people:  --Senior officials would have preferred a more pliable government.//  -- pliability/pla[hA366][hA353]b[hA366]l[hA369]ti/ n  [U] //


Words: pliant
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: , present participle of  plier;   PLIERS]//\n  1 soft and moving easily in the way that you want:  --Isabel was pliant in his arms.//  --her pliant lips//\n  2 easily influenced and controlled by other people:  --Pliant judges have been a problem in the past.//  -- pliantly adv //  -- pliancy n  [U] //


Words: pliers
Meaning:
n [plural]   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin: ply  ’to twist together’ (14-21 centuries), from  Old French plier, from  Latin plicare]//  a small tool made of two crossed pieces of metal, used to hold small things or to bend and cut wire//  --a pair of pliers //


Words: plight
Meaning:
n [usually singular]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Anglo-French; Origin: plit, from  Latin plictus;   PLAIT]//  a very bad situation that someone is in//  plight of//  --the desperate plight of the flood victims//  --the country’s economic plight //\nplight 2 v   plight your troth//   old use to promise someone that you will marry them//


Words: plimsoll
Meaning:
n [C]  BrE   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: Plimsoll line, probably because of the line around the shoe where the sole meets the top part]//  a cotton shoe with a flat rubber sole//  American Equivalent:  sneaker//


Words: Plimsoll line
Meaning:
also Plimsoll mark  n [C]  BrE   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin:  Samuel  Plimsoll (1824-98), British politician]//  a line painted on the outside of a ship, showing how low in the water it can safely be when it is loaded//


Words: plinth
Meaning:
n [C]  especially BrE   statue, plinth//  [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: plinthus, from  Greek plinthos]//  a square block, usually made of stone, that is used as the base for a pillar or statue//


Words: Pliny the Elder
Meaning:
(23-79 AD) an ancient Roman writer who wrote  Natural History, a very long book about plants, animals, minerals etc. He was killed when Mount  Vesuvius erupted, and he was the  uncle of Pliny the Younger.//


Words: Pliny the Younger
Meaning:
(?61-113 AD) an ancient Roman politician and writer whose letters provide a detailed picture of Roman life at that time. He was the  nephew of Pliny the Elder.//


Words: Pliocene
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Greek; Origin: pleion  ’more’ +  kainos  ’recent’]//  belonging to the period in the Earth’s history that started about 13 million years ago and continued about 12 million years//


Words: PLO
Meaning:
the   the Palestine Liberation Organization a political group of Palestinians, whose aim is to establish a separate state of Palestine existing together with Israel//


Words: plod
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  plodded present participle  plodding //  [Date: 1500-1600; Origin:  From the sound or the action]//  [I always + adverb/preposition] to walk along slowly, especially when this is difficult//  plod through/up/across etc//  --The horse plodded up the hill.//  plod on/along/back//  --Jake kept plodding on.//  plod on/along phr v//  to work slowly or make slow progress, especially in a way that is boring//  --For years he had plodded along in a series of boring office jobs.//


Words: plodder
Meaning:
n [C]  informal \n  1  BrE someone who works slowly and is not very clever:\n  2 someone who walks or does something slowly:


Words: plonk
Meaning:
preposition]  especially BrE  informal \n  1  also plonk sth down :  to put something down somewhere, especially in a noisy and careless way//  American Equivalent:  plunk//  --You can plonk those bags down anywhere in my room.//  plonk sth on/onto/beside etc sth/sb//  --He plonked a couple of glasses on the table.//\n  2  plonk yourself (down):  to sit down heavily and then relax//  --We plonked ourselves down in front of the telly and opened a couple of beers.//\nplonk 2 n [U]    BrE  informal cheap wine//


Words: plop
Meaning:
n [C]   the sound made by something when it falls or is dropped into liquid//  with a plop//  --The soap fell into the bath with a loud plop.//\nplop 2 v   past tense and past participle  plopped present participle  plopping //  [Date: 1800-1900; Origin:  From the sound]//\n  1 [I always + adverb/preposition] to fall somewhere, making a sound like something dropping into water:  plop into/out of/onto etc//  --The frog plopped back into the pond.//\n  2 [T] to drop something, especially into a liquid, so that it makes a sound:  plop sth into sth//  --I plopped a couple of ice cubes into the drink.//\n  3  plop (yourself) down:  to sit down or lie down heavily//  --She plopped down on the sofa beside me.//


Words: plosive
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: explosive]//   technical a consonant sound that is made by completely stopping the flow of air out of your mouth and then suddenly letting it out, as when saying /b/ or /t///  -- plosive adj //


Words: plot
Meaning:
n [C]   ----------//\n   1 plan:\n   2 story/film:\n   3 the plot thickens:\n   4 piece of land:\n   5 drawing:  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: ’piece of land’]//\n  1 PLAN:  a secret plan by a group of people, to do something harmful or illegal//  plot to do sth//  --a plot to bomb the UN headquarters//  plot against//  --a plot against the king//  --The court heard how she and her lover hatched a plot  (=planned a plot) to kill her husband.//  --The plot to overthrow the military government was foiled  (=prevented from being successful) .//  --an assassination plot //\n  2 STORY/FILM:  the events that form the main story of a book, film, or play//  --The plot was a little confusing.//  --We discover that Jack isn’t as innocent as he seems, as the plot unfolds  (=gradually becomes clearer) .//\n  3  the plot thickens:  used to say that events seem to be becoming more complicated - often used humorously//\n  4 PIECE OF LAND:  a) a small piece of land for building or growing things on//  --a two acre plot of land //  --a vegetable plot //  b) a piece of land that a particular family owns in a cemetery, in which members of the family are buried when they die//  --a burial plot //\n  5 DRAWING:   AmE a drawing that shows the plan of a building at ground level//   ground plan//    lose the plot at lose(14)//\nplot 2 v   past tense and past participle  plotted present participle  plotting //\n  1 [I and T] to make a secret plan to harm a person or organization, especially a political leader or government:  plot to do sth//  --They had plotted to blow up the White House.//  plot against//  --He suspected that the military were secretly plotting against him.//  --The minister was found guilty of plotting the downfall of the government.//  --the story of a woman who plots revenge//\n  2 [T]  also plot out :  to draw marks or a line to represent facts, numbers etc//  --We plotted a graph to show the increase in sales figures this year.//  plot sth on sth//  --You can plot all these numbers on one diagram for comparison.//\n  3 [T]  also plot out :  to mark, calculate, or follow the path of an aircraft or ship, for example on a map//  --We plotted a course across the Pacific.//


Words: plotter
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 someone who makes a secret plan to harm a person or organization, especially a political leader or government:  --The plotters were caught and executed.//\n  2 a computer program that turns facts, numbers etc into a graph or chart:


Words: Plough
Meaning:
n  BrE   the Plough//  the group of seven bright stars that can be seen only from the northern part of the world//  American Equivalent:  the Big Dipper//


Words: plough
Meaning:
also  plow AmE   n [C] \n  1 a piece of farm equipment used to turn over the earth so that seeds can be planted:\n  2  under the plough:   BrE  formal land that is under the plough is used for growing crops//    snow plough(1)//\nplough 2 v  also  plow AmE \n  1 [I and T] to turn over the earth using a plough so that seeds can be planted:  --In those days the land was plowed by oxen.//  --a ploughed field //\n  2 [I always + adverb/preposition] to move with a lot of effort or force:  plough through/up/across etc//  --We ploughed through the thick mud.//\n  3  plough a lonely/lone furrow:   BrE  literary to do a job or activity that is different from those done by other people, or to do it alone//  plough ahead phr v//  to continue to do something in spite of opposition or difficulties//  plough ahead with//  --The government will plough ahead with tests this year, despite a boycott from teachers.//  plough back [plough sth → back] phr v//  to use money that you have earned from a business to make the business bigger and more successful//  plough something → back into//  --Companies can plough back their profits into new equipment.//  plough into / [plough into sb/sth] phr v//  to crash into something or someone, especially while driving, because you are unable to stop quickly enough//  --I plowed into the car in front.//  plough on phr v//  to continue doing something that is difficult or boring//  plough on with//  --Julia ploughed on with the endless exam papers.//  --He looked displeased but she ploughed on regardless .//  plough through [plough through sth] phr v//  to read all of something, even though it is boring and takes a long time//  --Most staff will never want to plough through the manuals that come with the software.//  plough up [plough sth → up] phr v//  to break up the surface of the ground by travelling over it many times//  --Horses plough up the paths and make them muddy for walkers.//


Words: ploughman
Meaning:
n   plural  ploughmen /-m[hA353]n/ [C]  BrE //   old use a man whose job was to guide a plough that was being pulled by a horse//


Words: ploughman’s lunch
Meaning:
n [C]    BrE a simple meal that people eat especially in pubs, consisting of bread, cheese, salad and pickle//


Words: ploughshare
Meaning:
BrE  plowshare AmE   n [C] \n  1 the broad curved metal blade of a plough, which turns over the soil:\n  2  turn/beat swords into ploughshares:  to stop fighting and start living in peace//


Words: plover
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Anglo-French; Origin: Vulgar Latin pluviarius, from  Latin pluvia  ’rain’]//  a small bird that lives near the sea//


Words: ploy
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin:  Probably from  employ]//  a clever and dishonest way of tricking someone so that you can get an advantage//  --His usual ploy is to pretend he’s ill.//  ploy to do sth//  --a smart ploy to win votes//


Words: pluck
Meaning:
v   ----------//\n   1 pull something:\n   2 pluck your eyebrows:\n   3 take somebody/something away:\n   4 chicken:\n   5 pluck up (the) courage (to do something):\n   6 music:\n   7 pluck something out of the air:\n   7 pluck something out of thin air:  Phrasal verbs//   pluck at something//  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: pluccian]//\n  1 PULL SOMETHING:   [T]  written to pull something quickly in order to remove it//  pluck sth from/off etc sth//  --He plucked a couple of plastic bags from the roll.//  --Reaching up, she plucked an apple off the tree.//\n  2  pluck your eyebrows:  to make your eyebrows the shape you want, by pulling out some of the hairs//\n  3 TAKE SOMEBODY/SOMETHING AWAY:   [T always + adverb/preposition] to take someone away from a place or situation that is dangerous or unpleasant in a quick and unexpected way//  pluck sb/sth from/out of sth//  --Some refugee children were plucked out of the country in a number of mercy missions.//  --She was plucked from obscurity  (=made suddenly famous) by a Hollywood film producer.//  --Three survivors were plucked to safety after being in the sea for 7 hours.//\n  4 CHICKEN:   [T] to pull the feathers off a dead chicken or other bird before cooking it//\n  5  pluck up (the) courage (to do sth):  to force yourself to be brave and do something you are afraid of doing//  --He finally plucked up enough courage to ask her out.//\n  6 MUSIC:   [I and T] to pull the strings of a musical instrument//  pluck at//  --Someone was plucking at the strings of an old guitar.//\n  7  pluck sth out of the air:   also  pluck sth out of thin air//  to say or suggest a number, name etc that you have just thought of, without thinking about it carefully//  --I’m plucking a figure out of the air here, but let’s say it’ll cost about $15,000.//  pluck at [pluck at sth] phr v//  to pull something quickly several times with your fingers, especially because you are nervous or to attract attention//  --Kitty’s hands plucked at her black cotton skirt.//  --The little boy plucked at her sleeve.//\npluck 2 n [U]    old-fashioned courage and determination//  --It takes a lot of pluck to stand up to a bully.//


Words: plucky
Meaning:
adj    informal brave and determined - often used in newspapers//  --Plucky Denise saved her younger sister’s life.//


Words: plug
Meaning:
S3   n [C]   ----------//\n   1 electricity:\n   2 bath:\n   3 advertisement:\n   4 in an engine:\n   5 pull the plug (on something):\n   6 to fill a hole:\n   7 for holding screws:\n   8 a piece of something:  ----------//  [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Dutch; Origin: Middle Dutch plugge]//\n  1 ELECTRICITY:  a) a small object at the end of a wire that is used for connecting a piece of electrical equipment to the main supply of electricity//  --The plug on my iron needs changing.//  --an electric plug //  b)  informal  especially BrE a place on a wall where electrical equipment can be connected to the main electricity supply//   socket//  American Equivalent:  outlet//\n  2 BATH:  a round flat piece of rubber used for stopping the water flowing out of a bath or sink//  --the bath plug //\n  3 ADVERTISEMENT:   informal a way of advertising a book, film etc by mentioning it publicly, especially on television or radio//  put/get in a plug (for sth) //  --During the show she managed to put in a plug for her new book.//\n  4 IN AN ENGINE:   informal the part of a petrol engine that makes a spark, which makes the petrol start burning//   spark plug//  --Change the plugs every 10,000 miles.//\n  5  pull the plug (on sth):   informal to prevent a plan, business etc from being able to continue, especially by deciding not to give it any more money//  --The Swiss entrepreneur has pulled the plug on any further investment in the firm.//\n  6 TO FILL A HOLE:  an object or substance that is used to fill or block a hole, tube etc//  plug of//  --You can fill any holes with plugs of matching wood.//    earplug//\n  7 FOR HOLDING SCREWS:   BrE a small plastic tube put in a hole to hold a screw tightly//\n  8 A PIECE OF SOMETHING:  a piece of something pressed tightly together//  --a plug of tobacco//\nplug 2   past tense and past participle  plugged present participle  plugging  v [T] //\n  1  also plug up :  to fill or block a small hole//  --We used mud to plug up the holes in the roof.//\n  2 to advertise a book, film etc by mentioning it on television or radio:  --Arnie was on the show to plug his new movie.//\n  3  plug the gap:  to provide something that is needed, because there is not enough//  --With so few trained doctors, paramedics were brought in to plug the gap.//\n  4  AmE  old-fashioned to shoot someone:  plug away phr v//  to keep working hard at something//  plug away at//  --If you keep plugging away at it, your English will improve.//  plug in [plug sth → in] phr v//  to connect a piece of electrical equipment to the main supply of electricity, or to another piece of electrical equipment//  --’Is your printer working?’ ’Wait a minute - it’s not plugged in.’//  plug into [plug into sth] phr v//\n  1  plug (sth) into sth:  to connect one piece of electrical equipment to another, or to be connected//  --Your phone can be plugged into the cigarette lighter socket in your car.//  --Games consoles plug into the back of the TV.//\n  2  informal to realize that something is available to be used and use it:  --A lot of students don’t plug into all the research facilities we have.//


Words: plug and play
Meaning:
n [U]  technical   the ability of a computer and a new piece of equipment to be used together as soon as they are connected//


Words: plughole
Meaning:
n [C]  BrE \n  1 the hole in a bath or sink that the water flows out of, and which you can put a plug into:  American Equivalent:  drain//\n  2  go down the plughole:   informal //  a) if work or effort goes down the plughole, it is completely wasted//  --Two years of hard work went right down the plughole.//  b) if a business goes down the plughole, it fails and has to close//


Words: plum
Meaning:
n   [Language: Old English; Origin: plume, from  Latin prunum;   PRUNE2]//\n  1 [C] a small round juicy fruit which is dark red, purple, or yellow and has a single hard seed, or the tree that produces this fruit:  --juicy ripe plums//\n  2 [U] a dark purple-red colour:\n  3 [C]  informal something very good that other people wish they had, such as a good job or a part in a play:  --The first job I had was a real plum.//    plum pudding//\nplum 2 adj \n  1  plum job/role/assignment etc:   informal a good job etc that other people wish they had//  --He landed a plum role in a TV mini-series.//\n  2 having a dark purple-red colour:


Words: plumage
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: plume;   PLUME]//  the feathers covering a bird’s body//  --the parrot’s brilliant blue plumage//


Words: plumb
Meaning:
v [T]   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin: plumb  ’metal weight on a plumb line’ (13-21 centuries), from  Old French plomb  ’lead’, from  Latin plumbum]//\n  1  plumb the depths (of despair/misery/bad taste etc):  to feel an unpleasant emotion in a very extreme way, or to behave in a way that is extremely unpleasant or morally bad//  --When his wife left him, Matt plumbed the very depths of despair.//  --That night they plumbed the depths of treachery and horror, and murdered the king as he slept.//\n  2 to succeed in understanding something completely:   fathom//  --Psychologists try to plumb the deepest mysteries of the human psyche.//  plumb in [plumb sth → in] phr v//  to connect a piece of equipment such as a washing machine to the water supply//\nplumb 2 adv \n  1 [always + adverb/preposition]  informal exactly:  --The bullet hit him plumb between the eyes.//\n  2  AmE  informal completely - often used humorously:  --The whole idea sounds plumb crazy to me.//\nplumb 3 adj  technical \n  1 exactly upright or level:\n  2  out of plumb:  not exactly upright or level//


Words: plumb line
Meaning:
n [C]   a piece of string with a small heavy object tied to one end, used for measuring the depth of water, or for checking whether something such as a wall is built exactly upright//


Words: plumber
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: plommier  ’worker in lead’, from  Latin plumbarius, from  plumbus  ’lead’; because water pipes were originally made of lead]//  someone whose job is to repair water pipes, baths, toilets etc//


Words: plumbing
Meaning:
n [U] \n  1 the pipes that water flows through in a building:  --We keep having problems with the plumbing.//\n  2 the work of fitting and repairing water pipes, baths, toilets etc:


Words: plume
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin pluma  ’(small soft) feather’]//\n  1 a cloud of smoke, dust etc which rises up into the air:  plume of smoke/dust/gas/spray etc //  --A black plume of smoke rose above the city.//\n  2 a large feather or bunch of feathers, especially one that is used as a decoration on a hat:    nom de plume//\nplume 2 v   [I]  literary to rise or come out in a cloud//  --No smoke plumed out of the factory’s great chimneys.//


Words: plummet
Meaning:
v  also plummet down  [I]   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: plummet  ’metal weight on a plumb line’ (14-21 centuries), from  Old French plommet  ’small ball of lead’, from  plomb;   PLUMB1]//\n  1 to suddenly and quickly decrease in value or amount:   plunge//  plummet from sth to sth//  --Profits plummeted from [hA124]49 million to [hA124]11 million.//  --House prices have plummeted down.//\n  2 to fall suddenly and quickly from a very high place:   plunge//  --The plane plummeted towards the earth.//


Words: plummy
Meaning:
adj \n  1  BrE  informal a plummy voice sounds very upper-class:\n  2 like a plum in taste, colour etc:  --a plummy wine//


Words: plump
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Middle Dutch; Origin: plomp  ’dull, not sharp’]//\n  1 slightly fat in a fairly pleasant way - used especially about women or children, often to avoid saying the word fat:  --The nurse was a cheerful plump woman.//  --The baby’s nice and plump. see usage note  fat1 //\n  2 round and full in a way that looks attractive:  --plump, soft pillows//  --plump juicy tomatoes//  -- plumpness n  [U] //\nplump 2 v   [Sense: 1,4; Date: 1500-1600; Origin:  PLUMP1]//  [Sense: 2-3,5; Date: 1200-1300; Origin:  Copying the action]//\n  1  also plump up :   [T] to make cushions, pillows etc rounder and softer by shaking or hitting them//\n  2  plump (yourself) down:  to sit down suddenly and heavily//   plonk//\n  3 [T always + adverb/preposition] to put something down suddenly and carelessly:   plonk//  --Plump the bags down anywhere you like.//\n  4  also plump up :   [I and T] if dried fruit plumps up, or if you plump it up, it becomes fatter and softer when in liquid//  --Soak the apricots and raisins until the fruit plumps up.//  plump for / [plump for sth/sb] phr v//  to choose something or someone after thinking carefully about it//  --Finally we plumped for a bottle of champagne.//


Words: plunder
Meaning:
v  written   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: German; Origin: plundern, from  Middle High German plunder  ’things used in the home, clothes’]//\n  1 [I and T] to steal large amounts of money or property from somewhere, especially while fighting in a war:  --The rich provinces of Asia Minor were plundered by the invaders.//\n  2 [T] to use up all or most of the supplies of something in a careless way:  --Unlicensed fishermen have plundered tuna stocks.//  --the egotism of man as he plunders our planet//  -- plunderer n  [C] //\nplunder 2 n [U]  written \n  1 things that have been stolen during a violent attack, especially during a war:  --Henry’s army returned loaded down with plunder.//\n  2 the act of plundering:  --fear of invasion and plunder//


Words: plunge
Meaning:
v   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: plongier, from  Vulgar Latin plumbicare, from  Latin plumbum  ’lead’]//\n  1 [I,T always + adverb/preposition] to move, fall, or be thrown suddenly forwards or downwards:  plunge off/into etc//  --Her car swerved and plunged off the cliff.//  --Both the climbers had plunged to their deaths .//\n  2 [I] if a price, rate etc plunges, it suddenly decreases by a large amount:  --The unemployment rate plunged sharply.//  plunge to//  --Oil prices have plunged to a new low .//  --In the recession, the company’s profits plunged 60%.//\n  3 [I]  literary if a ship plunges, it moves violently up and down because of big waves:  plunge in phr v//\n  1 to start talking or doing something quickly and confidently, especially without thinking about it first:  --It’s a difficult situation. You can’t just plunge in and put everything right.//  --’I don’t agree,’ she said, plunging into the conversation.//\n  2 to jump or dive into water:  --He stripped off and plunged into the sea.//\n  3  plunge sth → in:   also plunge sth into sth //  to push something firmly and deeply into something else//  --He open the bag and plunged his hand in.//  --Plunge the pasta into boiling water.//  --Repeatedly she plunged the knife into his chest.//  plunge (/) into [plunge (sb/sth) into sth] phr v//  to suddenly experience a difficult or unpleasant situation, or to make someone or something do this//  --A strike would plunge the country into chaos.//  --The house was suddenly plunged into darkness .//  --After the war, the family plunged into debt.//\nplunge 2 n \n  1  take the plunge:  to decide to do something important or risky, especially after thinking about it for a long time//  --We took the plunge and set up our own business.//\n  2 [C] a sudden large decrease in the price, value etc of something:  plunge in//  --a dramatic plunge in house prices//\n  3 [C usually singular] a sudden movement down or forwards:  --The plane began a headlong plunge towards the Earth.//\n  4 [C usually singular] when someone suddenly becomes involved in something new:  plunge into//  --his sudden plunge into marriage//\n  5 [C usually singular] a jump or dive into water, or a quick swim:  plunge in/into//  --a quick plunge in the lake//


