Kaplan - P
Terms
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- paean
- a song of praise or thanksgiving
- palaver
- idle talk
- paleontology
- study of past geological eras through fossil remains
- palette
- board for mixing paints; range of colors
- palisade
- fence made up of stakes
- pall (n)
- covering that darkens or obscures; coffin
- pall (v)
- to lose strength or interest
- palliate
- to make less serious, ease
- panacea
- cure-all
- pandemic
- spread over a whole area or country
- panegyric
- elaborate praise; formal hymn of praise
- panoply
- impressive array
- paradigm
- ideal example, model
- paragon
- model of excellence or perfection
- pare
- to trim
- pariah
- outcast
- parley
- discussion, usually between enemies
- parochial
- of limited scope or outlook, provincial
- parody
- humorous imitation
- parry
- to ward off or deflect
- parsimony
- stinginess
- pastiche
- piece of literature or music imitating other works
- patent (adj)
- obvious, unconcealed
- pathogenic
- causing disease
- pathos
- pity, compassion
- peccadillo
- minor sin or offense
- peculation
- theft of money or goods
- pedagogue
- teacher
- pedant
- one who pays undue attention to book learning and rules; one who displays learning ostentatiously
- pedestrian (adj)
- commonplace
- pediment
- triangular gable on a roof or facade
- pellucid
- transparent; translucent; easily understood
- penance
- voluntary suffering to repent for a wrong
- penchant
- inclination
- penitent
- expressing sorrow for sins or offenses, repentant
- penultimate
- next to last
- penumbra
- partial shadow
- penury
- extreme poverty
- perambulate
- walk about
- percipient
- discerning, able to perceive
- perdition
- complete and utter loss; damnation
- peregrinate
- wander from place to place
- peremptory
- imperative; dictatorial
- perfidious
- faithless, disloyal, untrustworthy
- perihelion
- point in orbit nearest to the sun
- peripatetic
- moving from place to place
- periphrastic
- containing too many words
- permeable
- penetrable
- pert
- lively and bold
- pertinacious
- persistent, stubborn
- perusal
- close examination
- pervert (v)
- to cause to change in immoral ways; to misuse
- pettish
- fretful
- petulance
- rudeness, peevishness
- philanderer
- pursuer of casual love affairs
- philistine
- narrow-minded person, someone lacking appreciation for art or culture
- philology
- study of words
- phlegm
- coldness or indifference
- phlegmatic
- calm in temperament; sluggish
- phonetics
- study of speech sounds
- picayune
- petty, of little value
- piddling
- trivial
- pillory
- to expose to ridicule and abuse
- pique
- fleeting feeling of hurt pride
- pithy
- profound, substantial; concise, succinct, to the point
- plaintive
- expressing sorrow
- platt
- to braid
- plangent
- loud sound; wailing sound
- platitude
- stale, overused expression
- plaudit
- applause
- plucky
- courageous, spunky
- ply (v)
- to use diligently; to engage; to join together
- politic
- shrewd and practical; diplomatic
- polyglot
- speaker of many languages
- pompous
- self-important
- pontificate
- to speak in a pretentious manner
- pore (v)
- to study closely or meditatively
- portly
- stout, dignified
- posterity
- future generations; all of a person''s descendants
- potentate
- monarch or ruler with great power
- prattle (n)
- meaningless, foolish talk
- precept
- principle; law
- precipice
- edge, steep overhang
- precipitate (adj)
- sudden and unexpected
- precipitous
- hasty, quickly, with too little caution
- precis
- short summary of facts
- precocious
- unusually advanced at an early age
- predestine
- to decide in advance
- predicate
- to found or base on
- predilection
- preference, liking
- premonition
- forewarning, presentiment
- preponderance
- majority in number; dominance
- prepossessing
- attractive, engaging, appealing
- presage
- to foretell, indicate in advance
- prescient
- having foresight
- prescribe
- to set down a rule; to recommend a treatment
- presentiment
- premonition, sense of foreboding
- prestidigitation
- sleight of hand
- presumptuous
- rude, improperly bold
- privation
- lack of usual necessities or comforts
- probity
- honesty, high-mindedness
- proclivity
- tendency, inclination
- prodigal
- wasteful, lavish, extravagent
- prodigious
- vast, enormous, extraordinary
- profligate
- corrupt, degenerate
- profuse
- lavish, extravagent
- progeny
- offspring, children
- prognosticate
- to predict
- prolix
- tedious; wordy
- promulgate
- to make known publicly
- propinquity
- nearness
- propitiate
- to win over, appease
- propitious
- favorable, advantageous
- proscribe
- to condemn; to forbid, outlaw
- proselytize
- to induce someone to convert to a particular belief or religion
- prostrate
- lying face downward, lying flat on the ground
- protean
- readily assuming different forms or characters
- protestation
- declaration
- provident
- prudent, frugal
- providential
- prudent, lucky
- provincial
- rustic, unsophisticated, limited in scope
- prurient
- lustful, exhibiting lewd desires
- pugilism
- boxing
- pugnacious
- quarrelsome, eager and ready to fight
- pulchritude
- beauty
- punctilious
- careful in observing rules of behavior or ceremony
- pundit
- an authority or critic
- purgation
- process of cleansing, purification
- puritanical
- adhering to a rigid moral code
- pusillanimous
- cowardly