WORDCRAFT DICTIONARY, P-S
Note:
clickable items link to Wordcraft Archives, which may have further notes
pace (Latin)
with due deference to; used to acknowledge politely someone with whom the
writer disagrees
pagan
(etymology) from Latin for villager, rustic. Tied to "nature
worship" because conservative villagers clung to the old nature gods
after the Christianization of Roman towns and cities. (alternate reason for
that tie: 'villager' was Roman military-slang for an incompetent soldier, and
the early church, with its military image, picked up this concept for
"those outside the Church Militant".)
pahoehoe lava with a smooth, glassy or rippled surface
palace revolution overthrow of a
ruler by those who are already in the ruling group
palimpsest a manuscript on which more
than one text has been written atop an earlier one which, incompletely erased,
is visible; also, an object or a place whose older layers or aspects are
apparent beneath its surface
palindrome a word
or phrase that reads the same backward as forward
palladianΉ,² 1. relating to wisdom or study 2. of the
neoclassical major architectural style that was extremely popular in 18th
century
palliate 1. to mitigate 2. to extenuate [i.e., 1.
to make (pain or disease) less severe 2. to make fault or crime seem
less severe, with excuses and apologies]
pallid 1.
of abnormally pale or wan complexion 2. lacking intensity of color or
luminousness 3. [metaphorically] lacking radiance or vitality; dull: pallid
prose
palooka slang: an incompetent
or easily defeated athlete (esp. a prizefighter); also, a stupid
or clumsy person.
palter 1. equivocate or prevaricate 2. (palter
with) trifle with.
paludal 1. relating to swamps and marshes; palustrine. 2.
malarial
palustrine relating to swamps and marshes
panache dashing or flamboyant in
style
panama hat toponym: (picture here) a mans wide-brimmed hat of straw-like material
pandemic affecting
a large part of the population over a wide geographical area; epidemic over a
wide geographical area (contrast endemic, epidemic)
pandemonium 1.
an utterly lawless, riotous place or assemblage; also, (by extension)
wild uproar or noise. 2. the great hall or council chamber of demons or
evil spirits. Coined by John Milton in "Paradise Lost" (1667) from
Gk. pan- "all" + L.L. dζmonium "evil spirit". Transferred
sense "place of uproar" is from 1779.
pandora's box a
source of many unforeseen troubles
panegyric an
oration or eulogy in praise of some person or achievement
Panglossian eponym:
blindly optimistic; of the view that this is the best of all possible worlds
panjandrum;
grand panjandrum an important person, or a pompously
self-important person
panoply a splendid or impressive array
Pantagruelian eponym: coarsely
and extravagantly satirical
pantile a roofing tile with a
S-shape; laid so that curves overlap
pantograph a mechanical
device for copying plans, diagrams, etc., on any desired scale. A stylus,
tracing over the original, drives a pen that produces the copy.
papabile [pl. papabili] a viable candidate to be elected pope, or
for other high office
paparazzi (etymology) from the surname of a
character in Fellini's 1959 film "La Dolce Vita."
Papierkrieg German: obsessively complicated paperwork, seemingly (or
actually) designed to make you give up in frustration
parable
(rhetoric) a story illustrating a moral or religious lesson; an allegory
parabola a
certain geometrical curve (a thrown ball travels in a parabola as it rises and
then falls to the ground)
paradigm linguistic sense: a list of word forms (a
nominal paradigm is usually called a declension and a verbal paradigm a
conjugation)
paradigm something
that serves as a model, example, or pattern
paralambdacism a
speech disorder involving underuse of the l-sound (contrast lambdacism)
paramo a high, bleak plateau or district, with stunted trees, and
cold, damp atmosphere, as in the
paranymph 1.
a best man, or groomsman, or a bridesmaid (term is gender-neutral) 2.
one who woos or solicits for another; an advocate, spokesman, or orator, who
speaks in behalf of another.
parasite (etymology) from Greek for
"one eating at another's table"
paraverbal being nonverbal communication
paresthesia an abnormal sensation, as
prickling, itching, etc.
Pareto Principle (eponym), or 80/20 rule often,
80% of the result comes from 20% of the work or other input
parishion parishioner; a member of a
parish. This word died out in the 16th century, but it is an answer to the
quiz, "Name 3 words ending in shion: cushion, fashion, and ____."
See also hushion, fushion.
Park Avenue the
world of those who are ultra-rich in both money and social standing
Parkinson's Law eponym: the principle, Work expands so
as to fill the time available for its completion.
Parnassus 1.
the world of poetry or poets: a rhymester striving to enter
paronomasia
punning. more specifically, the form of pun based on using two different words
of same or similar sound. (contrast antanaclasis, syllepsis, zeugma)
parsimonious excessively
sparing or frugal
parthenian
virginal
parthenogenesis the ability of
unfertilized eggs to develop into embryos without sperm. Very common in snails
and water fleas, but not in higher vertebrates.
parturition childbirth
paruresis "bashful kidney"
pashmina mountain goats in the
pasquinade eponym: a satire or lampoon, esp. one ridiculing a
specific person. verb: to ridicule with a pasquinade
passacaglia an old Italian or Spanish dance tune in Ύ measure, like a
chaconne but slower
passe-partout a
master key. by extension: something that allows one to pass or go at willΉ
passerine (of birds) with feet adapted
to perching (technically, of a particular order of perching birds)
pasteurize
[eponym] to partially sterilize (esp. milk or other liquid) by heato to destroy
germs without a major chemical change in the substance
pastille a troche; that is, a medicated lozenge
used to soothe the throat
patella the
bone on the knee [from Latin for "pan," its shape]
patent
troll a company that purchases a patent simply to sue
another, claiming infringement
pathoctonus the ebbing of passion;
self-restraint (The Word Lover's Dictionary)
patois a regional dialect, especially without a literary tradition
patronymic adj. and noun:
of a name derived from one's father or paternal ancestor
pavilion
(originally, a butterfly) a large and ornate tent. But more commonly
applied structures of greater permanence, as a light roofed structure (picnic
pavilion), a solid but temporary structure (a pavilion at the World's Fair), a
sports/entertainment arena, or a building within a complex (as a hospital).
pavlovian eponym: being or
expressing a conditioned or predictable reaction; automatic
pavonine with
the iridescence of a peacock's tail. (also, "peacock-like", in
the manner of such words as canine, feline, etc.)
pawn a
person without real power, used (manipulated) by others for their own purposes
[term evolved from the game of chess]
paxwax the
neck tendon (properly, the nuchal ligament)
peccadillo a
small sin or fault
pecksniffian eponym:
hypocritically benevolent; sanctimonious.
peculation embezzlement
pecunious
abounding in money; wealthy; rich
pedant a person who overrates, or over-displays, book-learning or
technical knowledge
pedantic exaggeratedly, unseasonably, or absurdly learned
pedigree
literally "foot of a crane". On a genealogical chart, the group
of lines branching from a person to his or her descendants looks rather like
the footprint of a crane.
peeping Tom eponym: a voyeur
pelagic relating to open ocean or sea
pellucid transparently clear, either
literally (as with glass) or figuratively (as with prose writing)
pelota 1. the game
of jai alai 2. the ball used
penetrance the likelihood that a gene
will lead to a trait or disease. (That is, the frequency with which a genotype
will manifest itself in a phenotype.)
pensile hanging loosely; suspended:
pendulous; the pensile nest of the Baltimore oriole
pentimento visible trace of earlier painting beneath the
paint on a canvas
penultimate next-to-last
peony
shell a spherical burst firework, in which the
stars do not leave a trail
perambulate to walk or travel from place to place
percipient verb: 1. perceiving 2.
having perception; discerning; discriminating (noun: one who receives a telepathic impulse or message)
perdurable
extremely durable and long-lasting; also, permanent; everlasting
perdure to
continue, endure; to persist; to last forever
peregrinate to travel, esp. on foot
peregrination travel, esp. by foot;
a wandering
perfecta a bet where the bettor must name the top two finishers, in
order (also called exacta)
pergola a frame
structure with a latticework roof, to support climbing plants
periclitate to
endanger
peristerophily love of, or collecting of, pigeons
[not in OED; in Mrs. Bryne and some other private dictionaries]
peroration the
concluding part of an oration; especially, a final summing up of an argument. perorate
to so conclude a speech; also, to speak at great length, esp. in
a grandiloquent manner
perse dark grayish blue
perseity medieval philosophy:
the quality of having substance independently of any real object
persiflage
friendly banter or frivolous conversation (persifleur one who indulges
in persiflage; a banterer) [From French, but there it means to mock, to
ridicule. The root is siffler, to hiss, akin to sibilant.]
perspicacious having
penetrating mental discernment, keen understanding (contrast perspicuous)
perspicuous
clearly expressed; easy to understand (contrast perspicacious)
peruse to read thoroughly [but often misused to mean "to glance
over; to skim"]
petcock a small valve on the bottom (e.g.,
of an automobile radiator), to drain or relieve pressure
peter pan eponym: an adult who
hangs on to adolescent interests and attitudes
Peter Pan collar eponym: a small,
flat collar with rounded ends meeting in front
Peter Principle eponym; coinage: the principle that
those in a hierarchy are promoted until they reach the level at which they are
no longer competent (at which point promotion ceases). Thus each position is
eventually filled by an incompetent.
peterman a safebreaker
petitio principii the logical fallacy of
assuming in the premises what one wishes to prove in the conclusion
petrel a type of
seabird
petticoat
government rule by, or undue predominance or influence of women in
domestic, political, or public life
pettifoggery
quibbling; argument over petty points
phaeton eponym: a touring car
phantasmagoria a
fantastic sequence of haphazardly associative imagery, as in a dreams; a
bizarre or fantastic combination, collection, or assemblage
pharisee a
self-righteous or sanctimonious person
phat excellent; first-rate: phat
fashion; a phat rapper. (AHD says, "origin unknown".
Your author humbly suggests that it is well understood to have arisen as an
acronym for Pretty Hot and Tempting.)
phatic
relating to speech used to share feelings or to establish a sociable mood,
rather than to communicate information or ideas. "How are you?
Lovely day, isn't it?"
phenotype an organism's observable physical
characteristics, as determined by both genes and environment influences.
(contrast genotype)
philander eponym: to carry on a
love affair, without serious intentions (said of a male)
philippic eponym:
a bitter, violent speech of denunciation; a tirade
philistine a
person hostile or indifferent to culture and the arts
phillumenist a collector of
matchbox or matchbook labels
philodox a
person fond of opinions, esp. his or her own
philography the collecting of
autographs, esp. those of famous persons
Philomel eponym: nightingale
(But at least one good source says that in Ovid, Philomena became the swallow.)
philosophaster a
pretender to philosophy
philtre;
philter a love potion (some sources also say verb: to
enchant with or as if with a philtre.)
phlegm 1. sluggishness
of temperament 2. calm self-possession; equanimity (more common is
the medical sense: thick, sticky, stringy respiratory mucus, as during a
cold)
phlegmatic calm and sluggish, showing
little emotion
phocine like a seal
phonotactics the
area of phonology (study of a language's sound system) concerned with analyzing
the permitted sound sequences of a language
phreatic of or relating to
groundwater
phronesis wisdom in determining ends and the means of
attaining them
phryne a spectacular legal stunt (wordcrafter definition, as used by
Ayn Rand; no dictionary lists this word)
phthisis a progressively wasting or
consumptive condition; esp. pulmonary tuberculosis
pia mater see dura
mater
picaΉ,² 1. abnormal craving to eat chalk, ash, dirt, etc.. 2.
a printer's measure, equaling 1/6 in.
picayune of little value; paltry (noun:
a trifle)
pickthank a
sycophant; a yes-man (one who would steal your gratitude and pick a thank)
Pickwickian eponym:
(of a word) intended or taken "in a sense other than the obvious or
literal one" (M-W) or "in an idiosyncratic or unusual way: a word
used in a Pickwickian manner." (AHD) But it seems more exact to
define it as "used to mean the opposite of what it would literally seem".
pictograph 1. a picture
representing a word or idea; a hieroglyph 2. a pictorial representation
of numerical data, esp. a graph having each value represented by a
proportional number of pictures
pie (etymology) see link
piebald with patches of black and
white (or less frequently, other colors)
pied patterned with separate colors (orig., black and
white) in distinct patches
pifflecated drunk; intoxicate
pike a certain large
freshwater fish
[probably referring to its long, pointed jaw]
pike a kind of spear
pilaster an ornamental column,
rectangular, attached to a wall, and projecting from the wall
pilcrow the Ά
sign
pillion a seat for a passenger on a
motorcycle; a similar second seat on a horse
pince-nez eyeglasses without earpieces, that clip to the nose by a
spring [literally, "pinch-nose" in French]
pinchbeck eponym: an alloy used
imitate gold in jewelry; also, (noun & adj.) cheap
imitation
pinguescence the process of growing fat
(see fussock)
pink collar relating to a class of jobs once traditionally filled by
women
pintle the
vertical pin in a door hinge; a pin or bolt on which another part pivots (diminutive
of pin)
pinyin* the
system for representing Chinese words in our alphabet
pipit a small songbird resembling the
lark
piquant (accent on first
syllable)
1. of pleasantly sharp (esp. spicy) taste (crisp, piquant
flavor and fragrance Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook)
2. pleasantly stimulating or exciting; engagingly provocative; also :
having a lively arch charm
pique a feeling of
wounded pride (verb: 1. to cause resentment 2. to provoke;
arouse: to pique one's curiosity
piscine like a fish
pismire an ant
piss Australian slang: alcoholic
beverage
pissant insignificant,
worthless, petty; contemptible (noun: a person of that sort)
pissed (in the
pistil the female (seed-bearing)
part of a flower
pixelated divided into pixels, such as
computer graphics
pixilated insane, whimsical; bewildered,
confused (typically used in negative sense of coyly, often insufferably,
"kooky"); also, intoxicated, tipsy.
plangent 1.
loudly beating or reverberating: the plangent wave; 2. lamenting,
plaintive.
platonic eponym: of a
relationship marked by the absence of romance or sex; purely spiritual or ideal
playa a temporary lake after rain; the desert basin, barren and
salty, where that lake forms
plebeian one of
the common people or lower classes; also, a coarse, crude, or vulgar
person. (adj: of or pertaining to the common people; also,
vulgar; common; crude or coarse)
plenipotentiary adj:
invested with full power and authority. noun: a diplomat having such power
pleonasm redundancy in language
("I saw it with my own eyes"). often used to refer to a redundant
name, as "PIN Number", where the N in "PIN" means
"number"
plethora an over-abundance: not problematic, but more than
required. (Some dictionaries give as a secondary meaning an abundance,
not necessarily over-abundance.) Our users add that 'plethora' applies only to
countable things
plexure a plaiting or interweaving
pliant (noun: pliancy)
easily influenced or swayed; pliable
plimsoll line
[eponym] a line on the side of a ship; it is overloaded and unsafe the Plimsoll
line sinks below the waterline
plinth a heavy architictural
base, as for supporting a statue or vase [cognate with flint] (also
here)
plog a web-based tool used by colleagues to keep tabs on group
projects
plonk Brit/Aus
slang: cheap, inferior wine
plunger the
buttons upon which a telephone headset rests when it is hung up; more
generally, a machine part that operates with a thrusting or plunging movement
pluton a body of igneous rock formed
beneath the surface of the earth by consolidation of magma
pluvial relating to rain; or, having abundant rain
pochemuchka (Russian) the inquisitive child who nags
with constant questions
pococurante eponym:
nonchalant; indifferent
podcasts radio shows and other audio programs posted on the Internet,
available for download
podsnap an insularly complacent, self-satisfied person who refuses to
face unpleasant facts
poetaster a poet
who writes insignificant, tawdry or shoddy poetry; an inferior rhymer; a
rhymester
Pogglethrope one
gleefully taking joy in self-satisfaction, like a clucking strutting hen. [Not
in dictionary; a wonderful coinage, reported 1871, which unfortunately did
not catch on.]
pogonotrophy the care and feeding of beards
[Also pogonic relating to beards; pogonologist a writer on
beards; pogonology a treatise on beards; pogonotomy the
cutting of the beard; shaving]
polemology the study of war, esp.
as an academic discipline
political
football from
politicaster a
petty politician; a pretender or dabbler in politics
Pollyanna eponym:
a person of irrepressible optimism, finding good in everything
poltroon an utter coward
polyandry multiple husbands
polygamy multiple spouses
polyglot 1. a book with the same text in different languages
(esp. the Bible) 2. someone who can speak multiple languages 3. a confusion of languages. adj.
speaking or writing, or written in, several languages
polygyny multiple wives
polyhistor
a person with broad
knowledge (contrast polymath)
polymastia the condition of having more than
the usual (two) breasts
polymath a
person of great or varied learning (contrast polyhistor)
polysemy use of the same word is
listed as having several senses: cut the grass, cut the cake, cut the budget,
cut classes
polysyndeton use of repeated conjunctions
for rhetorical effect: here and there and everywhere. (contrast asyndeton)
pommel the
front part of a saddle; the saddle horn
pommie Australian & New
Zealand slang; derogatory: a Brit, esp. a recent immigrant
pontificate to
speak or express opinions in a pompous or dogmatic way
pontil an iron rod used by glass
makers for manipulating the hot glass. (also called puntil, puntel, punty,
pontee or ponty). See also punt
Ponzi scheme eponym: a kind of
financial fraud, akin to a pyramid scheme
poof British; offensive: a
male homosexual
pooh-bah eponym:
a pompous ostentatious official, esp. one who, holding many offices,
fulfills none of them
pooter eponym:
a suction bottle for collecting insects
popinjay a
vain, talkative person
popliteal
pertaining to the hollow area at the back of the knee
poppling the
sound of rain falling on water (also, tossing, bubbling, or rippling
motion, as water tumbling over rocks)
poppycock
senseless talk; nonsense [In the view of some, the root meaning is "baby
poop".]
porcine like a pig
porknell resembling a pig (see fussock)
porter a beer style popular in
Portia a female advocate
or barrister.
portolan
pertaining to maritime navigation of ports and coasts
POSSLQ or Posslq Person of Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters
post hoc the
logical fallacy of concluding that if one thing happens after another, the
first must is the cause of the second.
postilion one
who, in lieu of a coachman, guides a coach by riding the leading nearside horse
of a team or pair
