| Term | Definition |
|---|
| propitious | favorable; auspicious; advantageous; fortunate; Ex. propitious day/sign |
| s horoscope | diagram of the positions of stars at a given moment (eg. of a person's birth) used by astrologers |
| proponent | supporter; backer; opposite of opponent |
| propound | put forth for consideration or analysis; set forth; Ex. propound a problem/theory |
| propriety | fitness; quality of being proper; correct conduct; conformity to prevailing customs and usages; CF. proprietor, proprietary |
| s usage | act or manner of using; accepted practice; way in which words are actually used |
| propulsive | driving forward; N. propulsion |
| n prosaic | lacking in imagination; dull and unimaginative; matter-of-fact(concerned with facts, not imagination or feelings); factual; CF. prose |
| n proscenium | part of stage in front of curtain; front arch of a stage |
| proscribe | prohibit; ostracize; banish; outlaw |
| s outlaw | fugitive from the law (excluded from legal protection); V: declare (someone) to be an outlaw; deprive of the protection of the law; declare illegal; Ex. Drinking has been outlawed. |
| n proselytize | (induce someone to) convert to a religion or belief; N. proselyte: new convert to a doctrine or religion |
| n prosody | art of versification; study of the metrical structure of verse |
| s metrical | metric; written in the form of poetry; Ex. metrical translation of Homer |
| s meter | arrangement of words in the form of poetry (by accentual rhythm) |
| prosperity | good fortune and financial success; physical well-being |
| s prosper | become successful (esp. financially); thrive; grow well; Ex. children prospering under his care |
| s prosperous | successful; rich; affluent; well-to-do; well-off |
| prostrate | stretch out full on ground; make prostrate; enervate; Ex. prostrating illness; ADJ: lying face down; having lost all strength |
| n protean | able to take on many forms; versatile; CF. Proteus: sea god to change his shape at will |
| prot\'eg\'e | person receiving protection and support from a patron |
| n protocol | diplomatic etiquette; ceremony and etiquette observed by diplomats; first copy of a treaty before its ratification; Ex. Protocol demands that the queen meet him at the airport. |
| prototype | original work used as a model by others |
| protract | prolong; lengthen in time; draw out |
| protrude | stick out; jut; project; Ex. protruding teeth |
| n protuberance | protrusion; swelling; bulge |
| s bulge | protruding part; swelling of a surface; Ex. The apple made a bulge in his pocket; V: swell outward; protrude |
| n provenance | place of origin; origin or source of something; Ex. Gunpowder is of Chinese provenance; CF. come |
| n provender | dry food for livestock; fodder |
| provident | providing for future needs; displaying foresight; thrifty; preparing for emergencies; OP. improvident |
| s providence | quality of being provident; divine care; god's care; Providence: god; Ex. It seemed like providence that the doctor happened to be there; ADJ. providential: of divine providence; fortunate |
| provincial | pertaining to a province; limited in outlook; narrow; unsophisticated |
| provisional | tentative; temporary |
| proviso | stipulation; condition in an agreement; provision |
| s provision | act of providing; something provided; preparatory measure; provisions: necessary supplies (esp. food); stipulation; condition in an agreement; Ex. According to the provisions of the agreement |
| provocative | arousing anger or sexual interest; annoying; Ex. provocative in tight jeans; V. provoke: incite to anger; cause (an unpleasant action or feeling); N. provocation |
| n prowess | extraordinary ability; military bravery; Ex. prowess in battle |
| proximity | nearness; ADJ. proximate |
| proxy | authorized agent; authority to act for another |
| n prude | excessively modest or proper person (who is easily shocked by improper things, esp. of a sexual nature); N. prudery; ADJ. prudish: excessively concerned with propriety |
| prudent | cautious; careful; prudential |
| prune | cut away; trim |
| n prurient | having or causing lustful desires and thoughts; arousing immoderate sexual desire |
| n pry | inquire impertinently (someone else's private affairs); use leverage to raise or open something; prize; N. pries: tool for prying |
| s prize | pry; move with a lever; value highly; esteem; Ex. his most prized possession; N: something captured during war-time (esp. an enemy ship) |
| pseudonym | pen name; fictitious name assumed by an author; ADJ. pseudonymous |
| psyche | soul; mind |
| psychiatrist | doctor who treats mental diseases |
| s psychic | of psyche; mental; of or possessing extraordinary mental powers |
| psychopathic | pertaining to mental dearrangement; N. psychopath: person with an antisocial personality disorder |
| psychosis | mental disorder; ADJ. N. psychotic |
| s psychosomatic | of the influence of the mind on the body (esp. with respect to disease) |
| n pterodactyl | extinct flying reptile; CF. wing+finger |
| n puerile | childish; immature; CF. puer: boy |
| pugilist | boxer; CF. pugilism: boxing |
| n pugnacity | combativeness; disposition to fight; ADJ. pugnacious: (of people) belligerent; combative in nature |
| n puissant | powerful; strong; potent; N. puissance: power |
| n pulchritude | beauty; comeliness; ADJ. pulchritudinous |
| n pulmonary | pertaining to the lungs |
| n pulsate | throb; beat regularly; vibrate regularly |
| s pulse | rhythmical throbbing of arteries; brief sudden change in a normally constant quantity; V: pulsate |
| pulverize | crush or grind into very small particles |
| n pummel | pommel; beat or pound with fists |
| punctilious | minutely attentive (perhaps too much so) to fine points; stressing niceties of conduct or form; N. punctilio, punctiliousness: careful attention payed to every small exact detail |
| n pundit | authority on a subject; expert; learned person |
| pungent | stinging; acrid; sharp in taste or smell; (of speech or writing) caustic; N. pungency |
| n punitive | punishing; Ex. punitive measures |
| n puny | tiny; weak; insignificant |
| n purchase | secure grasp or hold; firm grasp or footing |
| purgatory | place of spiritual expiation; temporary state or place in which the souls must expiate their sins |
| purge | remove or get rid of something or someone unwanted; eliminate; free from blame or guilt; cleanse or purify (esp. of sin, guilt, or defilement); N. |
| purport | intention; purpose; meaning; V: claim; profess; Ex. order which purports to be signed by the general |
| purported | alleged; claimed; reputed or rumored; Ex. purported Satanists |
| s rooster | cock; adult male chicken |
| s rabble | mob; noisy crowd |
| n purse | pucker; contract (lips) into wrinkles; N: wallet |
| s pucker | gather into wrinkles or folds; N: wrinkle or fold |
| n purveyor | furnisher of foodstuffs; caterer; V. purvey: supply (eg. food); furnish; CF. provide |
| n pusillanimous | cowardly; lacking courage; fainthearted |
| n putative | supposed; reputed; generally regarded as such; Ex. putative father of the child |
| n putrid | decayed and foul-smelling; foul; rotten; decayed; N. putridity |
| s putrefy | make or become putrid; N. putrefaction |
| s putrescent | becoming putrid; putrefying |
| s gangrene | decay of body tissue caused by insufficient blood supply (usually following injury); ADJ. gangrenous |
| pyromaniac | person with an insane desire to set things on fire |
| quack | charlatan; impostor |
| n quadruped | four-footed animal; ADJ. CF. biped |
| n quaff | drink with zest; drink with relish(zest; hearty enjoyment); ²Ü²©²Ü²© ¸¶½Ã´Ù; CF. sip |
| n quagmire | bog; marsh; soft, wet, boggy land; predicament; complex or dangerous situation from which it is difficult to free oneself |
| s bog | soft wet land; V: hinder or be hindered; Ex. bogged down in the mud |
| n quail | cower; shrink back in fear; lose heart |
| quaint | odd in an old-fashioned way; odd; old-fashioned; picturesque |
| qualified | limited; restricted; V. qualify: limit the meaning of; modify |
| n qualms | uneasy feelings; misgivings; uneasy fears especially about matters of conscience; Ex. I have no qualms about giving this assignment to Helen. |
| n quandary | dilemma; state of uncertainty; Ex. She is in a quandary about whether to go. |
| n quarantine | isolation of a person, place, or ship to prevent spread of infection; V: isolate in quarantine |
| n quarry | person or animal of pursuit; victim; object of a hunt; prey |
| n quarry | dig into (to get stone); N: mine; ä¼®Àå |
| s bank | heap; piled-up mass; embankment; lateral tilting (as of an aircraft in turning); V: pile up; protect with a bank; tilt in turning |
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