| Term | Definition |
|---|
| precept | practical rule guiding conduct; Ex. mother's precept |
| precipice | cliff; dangerous position; Ex. on the edge of the precipice |
| s brink | edge (at the top of a cliff); Ex. on the brink of the Grand Canyon |
| precipitant | something that causes a substance in a chemical solution to separate out in solid form; ħÀüÁ¦; OP. solvent |
| precipitate | hurl downward; throw headlong; hasten; cause to happen sooner; condense and fall as rain or snow; cause (a solid substance) to be separated from a solution; ADJ. hasty; rash; premature; sudden |
| precipitous | steep; overhasty; precipitate |
| n pr\'ecis | abstract; concise summing up of main points; concise summary of a text |
| precise | exact |
| preclude | make impossible; prevent; exclude; eliminate |
| precocious | advanced in development; N. precocity |
| precursor | forerunner; predecessor |
| predator | predatory animal or bird; predatory person; creature that seizes and devours another animal; person who robs or exploits others; ADJ. predatory: living by preying on other organisms; plundering; N. predation |
| predecessor | former occupant of a post |
| predetermine | determine in advance; predestine; settle or decide beforehand; influence markedly |
| predicament | difficult situation; tricky or dangerous situation; dilemma |
| n predilection | preference; partiality |
| n predispose | give an inclination toward (in advance); make susceptible to; Ex. predispose people to certain cancer; N. predisposition |
| preeminent | outstanding; superior |
| n preempt | prevent in advance; head off(forestall); forestall by acting first; appropriate for oneself before others; supplant; take the place of; displace; Ex. preempt any attempts; ADJ. preemptive |
| n preen | make oneself tidy in appearance; feel self-satisfaction or pride; (of a bird) smooth or clean (feathers) with the beak; Ex. preen oneself on; CF. prune |
| prefatory | introductory; of a preface |
| n prehensile | capable of grasping or holding (esp. by wrapping around); Ex. prehensile tails |
| n prelate | church dignitary; priest of high position in the church (esp. bishop) |
| prelude | introduction; introductory performance or event; forerunner |
| premeditate | plan in advance; Ex. premeditated murder |
| premise | assumption; postulate; proposition upon which an argument is based |
| premonition | forewarning; presentiment; foreboding |
| premonitory | serving to warn |
| preponderance | superiority of power, quantity, etc.; V. preponderate: be greater in power, weight, or importance; ADJ. preponderant CF Ponderous, Ponder |
| preposterous | absurd; completely unreasonable; ridiculous |
| prerogative | privilege; unquestionable right; CF. ask before |
| presage | foretell; be a warning or sign of; N: presentiment; foreboding; omen |
| n prescience | ability to foretell the future; knowledge of actions before they occur; ADJ. prescient |
| presentiment | premonition; foreboding; feeling something will happen; anticipatory fear |
| prestige | respect or admiration; impression produced by achievements or reputation; ADJ: causing admiration; ADJ. prestigious: having prestige |
| n presumptuous | going beyond what is right; excessively forward; arrogant; taking liberties |
| s presume | take for granted; assume; act overconfidently; take liberties; presume on/upon: take unfair advantage of (someone's kindness or connection); N. presumption |
| n pretentious | ostentatious; showy; pompous; making unjustified claims; overambitious; Ex. pretentious films that claim to be art |
| s pretend | feign; pretend to: claim to possess; make pretensions to; Ex. I don't pretend to much expertise; N. pretense |
| s pretension | pretentiousness; claim (without foundation); Ex. I make no pretensions to skill as an artist. |
| n preternatural | beyond what is normal in nature; supernatural; Ex. preternatural strength/forces |
| pretext | excuse |
| n prevail | be widespread; triumph over; gain victory; prevail on: persuade; induce; Ex. Justice has prevailed; Ex. prevail on someone to do something |
| prevalent | widespread; generally accepted |
| n prevaricate | lie; hide the truth (by equivocating) |
| prey | target of a hunt; victim; V: hunt and eat as prey; victimize; Ex. Cats prey on mice. |
| prim | proper to the point of affectation; very precise and formal; exceedingly proper |
| n primogeniture | seniority by birth; state of being the first-born child; right of the eldest child (to inherit the entire property of one or both parents) |
| primordial | existing at the beginning (of time); rudimentary |
| primp | groom oneself with care; adorn oneself |
| n pristine | unspoiled; remaining in a pure state; characteristic of earlier times; primitive; Ex. an old book in pristine condition |
| n privation | lack of the basic necessities or comforts of life; hardship; want; CF. deprive |
| n privy | secret; hidden; not public; made a participant in something secret; Ex. privy chamber government; Ex. be privy to a discussion; CF. private |
| probe | explore with a probe or tools; investigate; N: slender instrument used to explore a wound or body cavity; device designed to investigate an unknown region; thorough investigation; Ex. space probe |
| probity | uprightness; honesty; incorruptibility |
| s defalcate | embezzle |
| n problematic | causing a problem; open to doubt; doubtful; unsettled; questionable; Ex. Whether the arena will ever be completed is problematic. |
| proclivity | inclination; natural tendency (esp. towards something bad) |
| procrastinate | postpone; delay or put off |
| procurement | obtaining; V. procure: obtain by effort; obtain (a prostitute) for another |
| n prod | poke (with a pointed object); stir up; urge; goad to action; N: pointed object used to prod; prodding |
| prodigal | wasteful; reckless with money; profuse; Ex. a mind prodigal of ideas; N. prodigality |
| prodigious | enormous; marvelous; extraordinary; Ex. prodigious amount/memory |
| prodigy | highly gifted child; person with exceptional talents; marvel; wonder |
| profane | violate; desecrate (something holy); treat unworthily; be profane for; ADJ: secular; nonreligious; irreverent for holy things |
| n profligate | wasteful (of money); dissipated; wildly immoral; dissolute; N: profligate person; N. profligacy |
| profound | deep; not superficial; complete; Ex. profound thinker/remark/silence/deafness; N. profundity |
| profusion | great amount; plenty; overabundance; excess; lavish expenditure; Ex. profusion of choices; ADJ. profuse: plentiful; copious; giving or given abundantly; extravagant |
| progenitor | ancestor |
| n progeny | children; offspring; descendants |
| prognosis | forecasted course of a disease; prediction; CF. prognostic |
| prognosticate | predict (according to present indications) |
| prohibitive | so high as to prohibit purchase or use; tending to prevent the purchase or use of something; prohibiting; inclined to prevent or forbid; Ex. prohibitive tax |
| projectile | missile; fired or thrown object (such as stone or bullet) |
| proletarian | member of the working class; blue collar guy; N. proletariat: working class (who have to work for wages) |
| proliferate | grow rapidly (in numbers); spread; multiply; N. proliferation |
| prolific | producing offspring or fruit in abundance; fertile; fecund; abundantly fruitful; producing abundant works; Ex. prolific writer |
| n prolixity | tedious wordiness; verbosity; ADJ. prolix: wordy; verbose; diffuse |
| prologue | introduction (to a poem or play) |
| s feud | bitter prolonged quarrel (usually between two peoples or families); V. CF. Romeo and Juliet; CF. feudal, feudalism |
| prolong | lengthen; extend; draw out |
| prominent | protruding(sticking out); conspicuous; notable; eminent |
| n promiscuous | mixed indiscriminately; indiscriminate; not choosing carefully; indiscriminate in the choice of sexual partners; irregular, particularly sexually; Ex. promiscuous life/girl; N. promiscuity |
| promontory | headland |
| n promote | advance in rank; advance; help to flourish; advocate; help actively in forming; publicize or popularize; Ex. Milk promotes health; Ex. promote a match/bill; Ex. promote a new product |
| n prompt | cause; urge; provoke; provide a cue (for an actor); ADJ: done without delay; done at the right time; punctual; on time; N: reminder or cue |
| s cue | word or signal (as in a play to prompt another actor's speech or entrance); reminder or hint; V: give a cue to |
| n promulgate | announce; proclaim a doctrine or law; make known by official publication |
| prone | inclined to; likely to (suffer); prostrate; lying with the front downward; Ex. prone to disease/make mistakes; Ex. accident-prone |
| propagate | increase in number by producing young; multiply; spread; Ex. Most plants propagate by seed; Ex. newspaper propagating their ideas |
| propellant(propellent) | substance which propels or drives forward (such as an explosive charge or a rocket fuel) |
| propensity | natural inclination |
| prophetic | of a prophet or prophecy; having to do with predicting the future; N. prophecy; V. prophesy; N. prophet |
| prophylactic | used to prevent disease; N: something prophylactic; condom; N. prophylaxis: prevention of disease |
| n propinquity | nearness (in space or relationship); proximity; kinship |
| n propitiate | appease; conciliate; make peaceful; ADJ. propitiatory |
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