Words starting with P

435 words.

pablum Mushy, easily digested food; pap; (countable) a specific type of such food.
pabulum Food or fodder, particularly that taken in by plants or animals.
pactitious Settled by a pact or treaty; relating to pacts or treaties.
padrone A patron; a protector.
paduasoy A rich and heavy silk material.
paisano A native, especially a native of California of mixed Spanish and American Indian ancestry.
pajata The jejunum of an unweaned calf (or, rarely, of a young ox) containing chyme, used as food.
palaeotype An old book printed between 1500 and 1550.
palaestra A public area in ancient Greece and Rome dedicated to the teaching and practice of wrestling and oth
palapa An open-sided dwelling with a thatched roof made of dried palm leaves.
palatschinke A pancake of a thin crepe-like variety common in the Balkans, Central and Eastern Europe.
palingenesia Rebirth; regeneration.
palinspastic Showing the previous location of geological features, correcting for any intervening crustal movemen
palliasse A thin mattress or under bed stuffed with straw.
pallium A large cloak worn by Greek philosophers and teachers.
palmomancy Divination of involuntary movements of the body such as tics.
palone A young woman; a girl.
palsgrave A count palatinate of the Holy Roman Empire, possessing near-royal powers within his county.
palter To talk insincerely; to prevaricate or equivocate in speech or actions.
paludarium A tank or vivarium containing both aquatic and terrestrial elements.
paludinous Paludinal: characteristic of or relating to marsh, swamp or fen.
panarchy Dynamic symmetry across multiple scales.
pancarte A royal charter confirming to a subject all his possessions.
pandar To pander (assist in the gratification of).
pandect Usually in the plural form Pandects: a compendium or digest of writings on Roman law divided in 50 b
pandeism A belief in a god who is both pantheistic and deistic, in particular a god who designed the universe
pandy To strike on the palm of the hand with a strap as a school punishment.
panegyris religious festival on a fixed day in honor of a god, often including prayers, games, and panegyrics.
panentheism A doctrine that the universe subsists within God, but that God nevertheless transcends or has some e
panjandrum An important, powerful or influential person; muckamuck.
pannage Acorns and beech mast used as forage for pigs.
panopticon A kind of projector in the 18th and 19th centuries.
pantanal A marsh (a broad, flat area with pools of water and trees) in the Pantanal region of South America.
pantechnicon A building or place housing shops or stalls where all sorts of (especially exotic) manufactured arti
pantograph A mechanical linkage based on parallelograms causing two objects to move in parallel; notably as a d
paracosm A detailed imaginary world, especially one created by a child.
paradiddle A percussive exercise (one of 26 drum rudiments per the National Association of Rudimental Drummers
paradigma A written pattern of inflection for parts of speech, especially organized into a tabular form.
paradigmatize To set forth as a model or example.
parados Generally a screen or embankment to protect the rear of a position from enemy attack, from bomb spli
parage Lineage, parentage; rank, especially as high or noble.
paralipsis A figure of speech in which one pretends to ignore or omit something by actually mentioning it.
parallelepiped A solid figure, having six faces, all parallelograms, all opposite faces being similar and parallel.
paralogism A fallacious argument or illogical conclusion, especially one committed by mistake, or believed by t
paraph A flourish made after or below one's signature, originally to prevent forgery.
parapolitics Collusion or collaboration between politicians and paramilitary groups (referring to the 2006 Colomb
parasocial One-sided (especially of a relationship, as for example that between a celebrity and their audience
parathesis The placing of two or more nouns in the same case; apposition.
paravail At the bottom; lowest (said of feudal tenants).
parclose A partition that closes off part of a building; especially one that separates an altar or chapel fro
parergon A piece of work that is supplementary to or a byproduct of a larger work.
parfleche A shield, bag or other item made from this material.
parhelion An image or reflection.
parison A spherical mass of glass, rolled immediately after being taken out of the furnace.
parlous Attended with peril; dangerous, risky.
paroemiac A catalectic anapestic dimeter.
paronomasia A pun or play on words.
parrhesia boldness or freedom in speech
parrock An enclosed area of land; a small field or a paddock.
partible Divisible, able to be divided or partitioned.
partitive That divides something into parts.
parturient In labour, about to give birth, or having recently given birth.
parure A set of jewellery to be worn together.
pasch The feast of Passover or (specifically) the Paschal Lamb, or (for Christians), Easter, seen as the f
pasquinade A lampoon, originally as published in public; a satire or libel on someone.
passant Walking, usually to the right, and looking straight ahead with the right forepaw raised from the gro
passguard An L-shaped piece of armor worn over one arm (typically the left arm), which generally kept it in a
pastorale A play or a musical product which has a pastoral subject.
patana A type of open, hilly grassland, especially in Sri Lanka, often formed after the clearing of jungle.
paten The plate used to hold the host during the Eucharist.
patronal patron; protecting; favouring
patronate The right or duty of a patron; patronage.
patroon One of the landowning Dutch grandees of the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam, especially after it becam
patroonship The position or office of a patroon; landownership (originally of a Dutch colony).
patten Any of various types of footwear with thick soles, often used to elevate the foot, especially wooden
pauldron A component of plate armor that protects the shoulder, generally covering more than a spaulder, also
paunce A piece of armour which covers the abdomen or lower body.
pausa The hiatus between prosodic units, e.g. at the end of a sentence.
pavis Most usually, a very large shield fitted with a stand, like a small moveable wall, carried in front
peascod The legume or pericarp, or the pod, of the pea.
peccavi An act of saying ‘peccavi’; an admission of guilt or responsibility.
pectinate Resembling a comb. — Having narrow ridges or projections aligned close together like the teeth of a
peculation The wrongful appropriation or embezzlement of shared or public property, usually by a person entrust
pedage A toll or tax paid by passengers travelling through a specific place, entitling them to safe conduct
pedaneous Going on foot; pedestrian.
pedelec A bicycle with an electric motor which assists the rider but only while they are pedalling.
pederero A short piece of chambered ordnance, used to fire stones in naval and siege warfare.
pedetentous Proceeding step by step; advancing cautiously.
pedicle A fleshy line used to attach and anchor brachiopods and some bivalve molluscs to a substrate.
pedilavium The rite of foot-washing based on the act carried out by Jesus Christ on his disciples at the Last S
pejorate To become or make (something) worse; to deteriorate, to worsen.
pejoration The act or process of becoming worse; worsening or degeneration.
peladophobia The fear of baldness or bald people.
pelagic Living in the open sea rather than in coastal or inland waters.
pelerine A kind of short cape or covering for the shoulders, associated especially with medieval pilgrims (of
pelisse A fur-lined robe or cloak, especially as part of a uniform.
pelmanism A system of training to improve the memory.
pelmet A decorative item that is placed above a window to hide the curtain mechanisms, visually similar to
pelta A small shield, especially one of an approximately elliptical form, or crescent-shaped.
peltry Pelts or skins, collectively; skins with the fur on them; furs.
pembina Squashberry, lowbush cranberry (Viburnum edule).
pemmican A food made from meat which has been dried and beaten into a paste, mixed with berries and rendered
penates The household deities thought to watch over the houses and storerooms of ancient Rome.
pencel A small pennon; a little banner, flag, or streamer.
pendragon Also capitalized as Pendragon: a title assumed by the ancient British chiefs when called to lead oth
penelopize To create a delay by undoing what has previously been done, sometimes possibly with the intention of
peniaphobia The fear of poverty or poor people; antipathy toward them; both.
peninitial Falling in the position after initial position; second.
pennoncel A small pennon (a thin flag or streamer).
pensile Hanging down, suspended.
pentachoron A four-dimensional object analogous to a tetrahedron, constructed out of five tetrahedra.
pentimento The presence of traces of a previous work in an artistic or literary work; especially (painting) an
penturbia Small towns that lie beyond city suburbs, viewed collectively.
peplum A genre of Italian films based on historical or biblical epics.
peragration The act or state of travelling, or passing through any space.
perambulation A survey, a tour; an instance of walking around.
percontation an enquiry
perdu Stationed in an exposed or hazardous position; hidden in ambush. Originally as sentinel perdu.
perdurable Very durable; long-lasting.
peregrinate Peregrine; having travelled; exotic, foreign.
peregrination A person's life regarded as a temporary stay on earth and a journey to the afterlife.
perendinate To procrastinate for a long time, especially two days.
perfectionate To make perfect or complete; to perfect.
perfervid Extremely, excessively, or feverishly passionate; zealous.
periapt A charm worn on a necklace; an amulet.
pericope A section of text forming a coherent thought, suitable for use in a speech.
pericranium The membrane (or periosteum) which covers the outer surface of the skull.
pericynthion The point in an elliptical orbit around the moon that passes closest to the moon.
periegesis A description of an area or territory.
perikrone Periapsis around the planet Saturn.
perinaise Mayonnaise made with peri-peri peppers.
perioecus Someone living on the same latitude as someone else, but on a different or opposite side of the worl
peripatetic Tending to walk about.
peripeteia A sudden reversal of fortune as a plot point in Classical tragedy.
periphrase The use of more words than are necessary to express the idea; a roundabout, or indirect, way of spea
periplus An account of a voyage, particularly those of Hanno and Arrian, recording ports and coastal landmark
peripterous Surrounded by a single row of columns.
perispomene The circumflex ⟨◌͂⟩, a diacritical mark used in the polytonic script of Greek.
perissological Redundant or excessive in words.
peristyle A colonnade surrounding a courtyard, temple, etc., or the yard enclosed by such columns.
peritropal Involving turning oneself around: rotating or circuitous.
periwig A wig, especially any kind of stylised wig as formerly worn by men and women.
perizoma A loincloth worn by men and women in ancient Greece.
pernoctation The action of abiding through the night at a location; (countable) an instance of this; an overnight
perscopate to bristle or horripilate
perscrutate To scrutinize, peruse, inspect (something).
perscrutation A thorough searching; a minute inquiry or scrutiny.
persiflage Good-natured banter; raillery.
persiflate To engage in persiflage; to banter.
perstringe To censure; criticize.
pertinaciously In a stubbornly resolute manner; tenaciously holding one's course of action or opinion.
peruke A wig, especially one with long hair on the sides and back, worn mainly by men in the 17th and 18th
pesher An interpretive commentary on scripture, especially one in Hebrew.
peshwa Originally, a chief minister under the Marathi princes; later, (the title of) each of the rulers of
pessimal Bad to a maximal extent; worst.
pessimize To take a pessimistic view of; to speak of in a negative or pessimistic way.
pessoptimist A person who possesses elements of both pessimism and optimism.
phacellus One of the filaments on the inner surface of the gastric cavity of certain jellyfishes.
phaleristics The study of orders, fraternity, and award items.
phaneron That which is perceived by the mind, regardless of whether it corresponds to reality.
phantasia A phantasm (an impression received through the senses) or the faculty of receiving or representing t
pharate In the final stages of conversion from pupa to adult, e.g. waiting to emerge from a cocoon, or escap
pharology The study of lighthouses or other forms of light-signalling.
phasis A phase (of the moon, a planet etc.).
philautia Self-love, self-conceit
philauty Selfishness, self-esteem, vanity.
philematology The scientific study of kissing.
philerast A boy who feels philia or more specifically anterōs, for his paederastic lover.
philhellene A lover of Greece or Greek culture.
philippic Any of the discourses of Demosthenes against Philip II of Macedon, defending the liberty of Athens.
philippize To support or advocate the cause of Philip of Macedon; (more generally) to speak as someone who has
philobat Someone who enjoys handling challenging and dangerous situations on their own.
philodox A person with an excessive interest in his/her own opinions.
philomath A lover of learning; a scholar.
philopolemic Exalting or supporting conflict or war.
philosopheme A philosophical statement, theorem or axiom.
philtrum The shallow vertical groove running from the nasal septum to the center of the upper lip.
phiran A long cloak or robe worn by women and men in Kashmir.
phlogistic Inflammatory; pertaining to inflammations and fevers.
phlogiston The hypothetical fiery principle formerly assumed to be a necessary constituent of combustible bodie
phobosophy The fear of abstract knowledge or philosophical thinking; anti-philosophy.
phonaesthesia Any correspondence between the sound of a word and its meaning; examples include onomatopoeia and th
phonotax The total sum of a language's phonological or phonotactic rules.
photostat A (non-xerographic) photocopy made using a Photostat machine; (loosely) any photocopy, even a xerogr
phratry A clan or kinship group consisting of a number of families claiming descent from a common ancestor a
phylactery Either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah, traditionally wor
phyllon A leaf, or something (flat) resembling a leaf.
physiogeny The study of the evolution of functions and vital activities by observing the supposed ontogenic rec
piacular Requiring atonement or reparation: wicked, sinful, bad.
piatza Marketplace, meeting place.
pibling Used especially as a gender-neutral term: the sibling or sibling-in-law of one's parent; one’s uncle
piblokto A condition affecting dogs or other animals in the Arctic, characterized by aggressive behavior and
pibroch A series of musical variations for the bagpipes, usually martial or funerary in nature.
piccadill A large, broad lace collar from the 17th century.
piceous Of or pertaining to pitch (“a sticky, dark brown substance obtained from distilling turpentine or wo
pickleback A shot of whiskey with a shot of pickle brine as the chaser.
pickpurse Someone who steals purses, or money from purses.
pidge To post (something) in a pigeonhole.
piggin A small pail, can, or ladle with the handle on the side; a lading-can. In the colonial era, some buc
pigsny An Elizabethan term of endearment.
pikelet A thick type of sweet pancake.
piker A soldier armed with a pike, a pikeman.
pilch A gown or case of skin, or one trimmed or lined with fur.
pilcrow The symbol ¶. — A symbol designating the beginning of a new paragraph.
pillaloo A chorus of sorrow or distress
pilliwinks A torture device for squeezing the fingers; a thumbscrew.
pinfold An open enclosure for animals, especially an area where stray animals were rounded up if their owner
pingo A flexible pole supported on one shoulder, with a load suspended from each end.
pinner A headdress like a cap, with long lappets.
pinole A coarse flour made from ground toasted maize kernels, often mixed with herbs, which may be eaten by
pintle A pin on the buckle of a belt used to fit into the holes of the belt and hold it at the desired leve
pinxit An inscription indicating the identity of the one who created a painting.
pipkrake Needle ice; ice structures formed when the air temperature is below 0℃ and the soil is not.
pirogue A canoe of shallow draft, made by hollowing a log.
pissasphalt A soft, black, tarry bitumen, intermediate between petroleum and asphalt.
piteously In a piteous manner; pathetically; plaintively.
pithecophobia The denial of or a discomfort with the scientific notion that humans evolved from apes.
pithos A large ceramic jar used by certain ancient civilizations that bordered the Mediterranean.
pizer A (front) porch (on a house).
pizzle To beat (with a pizzle).
placet A vote of assent, as of the governing body of a university, an ecclesiastical council, etc.
plagal Designating a mode lying a perfect fourth below the authentic form.
planetality Membership of a particular planet or moon, by origin, birth, naturalization, ownership, allegiance o
plantage Plants, vegetation; specifically, the planting or cultivation of plants.
planthropology The study of plants in order to understand their relationships to humans and human culture.
planxty An Irish or Welsh melody for the harp, sometimes of a mournful character.
platen The part of a printing press which presses the paper against the type and by which the impression is
platitudinarian One who uses many platitudes in speaking or writing.
platitudinize To utter one or more platitudes; to make obvious, trivial, or clichéd remarks concerning a topic.
platteland The country, the countryside.
platypusary A place where platypuses are nurtured.
pleach To unite by interweaving, as (horticulture) branches of shrubs, trees, etc., to create a hedge; to i
pleasance A pleasure ground laid out with shady walks, trees and shrubs, statuary, and ornamental water; a sec
pleasuredome A place where one can relax, entertain or recreate.
plebiscitum A law enacted by the plebs, under the superintendence of a tribune or some subordinate plebeian magi
plene A word written with matres lectionis (letters indicating vowels).
plenish To fill up, to stock or supply (something).
pleonasm Redundancy in wording.
pleonexia Excessive or insatiable greed, avarice, covetousness, the desire to have more, a greedy desire for c
pleroma A state of perfect fullness, especially of God's being as incarnated in Jesus Christ.
plethorically In a plethoric manner: excessively, overabundantly.
pleurembolic Capable of being withdrawn by a backward movement of the parts from which it protrudes so that it be
pleuston The organisms that live floating at the surface of water.
plightful Full of risk or danger; risky; dangerous; perilous.
plodder A person who, or animal that, plods.
plombir A type of ice cream made with vanilla, cream, eggs, and sugar.
ploonet A theoretical planetary body that formed as a moon orbiting a planet, but which has become tidally d
plurennial Spanning several years in duration or interval.
plutino Any planetoid in the Kuiper belt whose orbit, like that of Pluto, has a resonance of 3:2 with that o
pneumatology The study of spiritual beings and phenomena, especially the interactions between humans and God.
pnigalion A nocturnal monster in Ancient Greece that would choke its victims; incubus; nightmare.
pococurante Apathetic, indifferent or nonchalant.
pocosin A low, wooded swamp in (especially coastal) Eastern Maryland, Virginia or the Carolinas; a palustrin
poculiform A variety of snowdrop with petals of the same length.
podagric A person suffering from gout.
podesta A chief magistrate of various Italian republics and city-states in the Middle Ages.
podzol The typical soil of coniferous or boreal forests.
poesiology The study of poesy or poetry.
poetism An avantgarde approach to art introduced by Karel Teige in Czechoslovakia in the 1920s in reaction t
polari To speak or talk, particularly in slang or cant.
polemology The study of human conflict and war.
politesse Civility, politeness, courtesy or gallantry; genteel politeness or an instance of this.
politocracy Government that is in some manner chosen by the governed citizens.
pollam A district in India held in feudal tenure by a poligar.
pollinivore Any animal that feeds on pollen; a palynivore.
pollman One who takes an ordinary university degree, without honours.
pollywog To collect mussels, clams, etc. in shallow water using one's hands.
poltroon An ignoble or total coward; a dastard; a mean-spirited wretch.
polyanthus A type of primula, apparently originally from a hybrid between the cowslip and the primrose, having
polyhistor Someone gifted or learned to a great extent or in multiple disciplines; a great scholar.
polynya A naturally formed transient area of open water surrounded by sea ice, especially in polar or subpol
polyonymy The use of many names for the same thing or person.
polypantheism Belief in multiple impersonal nontranscendent deities embodied by natural phenomena.
polyptoton A stylistic scheme in which words from the same root are used together, or a word is repeated in a d
polyptych A work consisting of multiple painted or carved panels joined together, often with hinges.
polysyndeton The use of many conjunctions to achieve an overwhelming effect in a sentence.
polytope A geometric shape (of any number of dimensions) which is fully enclosed and has flat sides, making i
polytopian Someone who visits many places.
polytropic Able to take various courses of action; resourceful, versatile, adaptable.
pomerium The ritually established and sacred formal boundary of the territory of a Roman city; the territory
pompatus One who is pompous or splendid.
pongo A river canyon or gorge in Peru, especially a narrow, deep one cutting through a ridge or mountain r
pontage A duty or tax paid for repairing bridges.
pontianac A fossil resin historically used in the production of some rubber, produced from the latex of Dyera
pontifex A pontiff, state minister, or high priest, in Ancient Rome.
poobah A person who holds multiple offices or positions of power at the same time.
pootle To wander or ramble in a leisurely, indirect, or aimless manner, such as by walking or driving.
popeable Thought to be among those likely to be elected pope; papabile; papable.
poplolly A man's mistress, or a single woman of loose morals; a sweetheart.
popolo black nightshade (Solanum nigrum).
popple Choppy water; the motion or sound of agitated water (as from boiling or wind).
portance The manner in which one carries oneself; behaviour.
portass A breviary; a prayer book.
porticus A small room in a church, commonly forming extensions to the north and south sides of it, giving the
portolan A chart of European navigable waters based on descriptions of coasts.
portreeve A borough-reeve: an office equivalent to a mayor (historical) in several major English towns or (dia
posology In the works of English philosopher Jeremy Bentham (1748–1832): the study of quantity; mathematics.
possibilism The belief that possible things exist, as well as actual things.
possul Invalid for ceremonial or official purposes.
postern Situated at the rear; posterior.
postscriptum A thing that has been written afterwards; something appended in writing.
potager A kitchen garden; sometimes used attributively.
pother A commotion, a tempest.
pozzolana A type of volcanic ash used for mortar or for cement which sets under water.
praemunire To charge with the offence of praemunire; to subject to the penalties of praemunire.
praenomen A first name or given name; particularly the first of the tria nomina (three nouns) borne by free ma
praetexta A white robe with a purple border, worn by a Roman boy before he was entitled to wear the toga viril
praxis The practical application of any branch of learning.
prebend A stipend paid to a canon of a cathedral.
precative Mode expressing a wish, a prayer.
preconize To proclaim in public; especially (of the Pope) to announce the appointment of a bishop.
precrastinate To engage in precrastination.
predicatory affirmative; making a clear assertion or statement of praise, especially one with religious or moral
predikant A minister in the Dutch Reformed Church, or allied denomination.
prefulgency Superior brightness or effulgency.
pregravate To bear down; to depress.
prehensile Able to take hold of and clasp objects; adapted for grasping especially by wrapping around an object
prejacent Existing previously, preexistent.
prejudicate To determine beforehand, especially rashly; to prejudge.
prelect To speak publicly; to lecture.
prelection A public lecture or reading, especially delivered at a college or university.
prelusive Acting as a prelude; preliminary.
premonstrate To show beforehand; to foreshow.
premortem An analysis of potential failure before it happens.
preoccupate To influence, to occupy (the mind) in advance; to be preoccupied with.
prepose To place or set (something) before; to prefix.
prepossess Chiefly followed by by or with: to preoccupy (someone) in an emotional or mental way, so as to precl
presa A temporary dam, dyke or reservoir.
prescind To abstract (from); to dismiss from consideration.
presentative Presenting, or able to represent, an idea in the mind.
presidio A garrisoned place, especially one that is or was once under Spanish control.
prest A payment of wages in advance
preterite Showing an action at a determined moment in the past.
prevene To precede (come before) or anticipate.
previdential In Italy, of or pertaining to a social security, insurance benefits or a benefit plan.
prevision Advance knowledge; foresight.
prill a pellet, a granule, a small bead
primero A card game resembling poker, dating back at least to the 16th century.
primigravida A woman or female animal who is pregnant for the first time, or who has been pregnant once.
primus One of the bishops of the Scottish Episcopal Church, who presides at the meetings of the bishops, an
principia First principles; elementary material.
principial Elementary; fundamental.
privado A trusted friend; a confidant.
privily Secretly, in secret; in a private manner; privately.
privity A divine mystery; something known only to God, or revealed only in holy scriptures.
prizement An appraisement or valuation.
procatalepsis A rhetorical exercise in which the speaker raises an objection to his own argument and then immediat
procerite The segment next to the flagellum of the antennae of crustaceans.
proclivity A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection; especially, a strong disposi
prodrome A precursor or harbinger; also a warning event.
proem An introduction, preface or preamble.
profect To benefit, profit, advance.
profectitious Proceeding from, or as if from, a parent; derived, as from an ancestor.
professly Professedly (in a professed manner).
profligation defeat; rout; overthrow
profundicate To make profound; to make a concept unnecessarily complicated.
profundify To make profound; to make a concept unnecessarily complicated.
progenerate To beget; to generate; to produce.
prolate Elongated at the poles.
prolegomenon A prefatory discussion; a formal essay or critical discussion serving to introduce and interpret an
prolepsis The assignment of something to a period of time that precedes it.
prolocutor A spokesman, one who speaks on behalf of others.
prologetic Occurring in or serving as a prologue.
promerit To oblige; to confer a favour on.
promession The disposal of human remains by freeze-drying.
promulge To promulgate; to publish or teach.
pronk To jump with all four limbs at once.
pronoia Divine providence, foreknowledge, foresight.
propaedeutic An introductory course of instruction.
propine To pledge; to offer as a toast in the manner of drinking, that is, by drinking first and passing the
propulsatile Serving to force the contents to move in a rapid outflow.
propylaeum A vestibule or entrance, (especially) to a temple.
prorogation Causing something to last longer or remain in effect longer; prolongation, continuance.
prorogue To suspend (a parliamentary session) or to discontinue the meetings of (an assembly, parliament etc.
proruption The act or state of bursting forth; a bursting out.
proscenium The stage area between the curtain and the orchestra.
proselyte One who has converted to a religion or doctrine, especially a gentile converted to Judaism.
proseuche A place of prayer; among the Jews, one that was not a synagogue, or the temple, usually roofless.
prosopopesis A sudden and profound change of an individual's personality, whether spontaneous or induced e.g. in
prosopopoeia An act of personifying a person or object when communicating to an audience; a figure of speech invo
prospekt In Russia, a broad, multilane and very long straight street in urban areas, which serves as an arter
protasis The first part of a play, in which the setting and characters are introduced.
protend To hold out; to stretch forth.
protension A drawing out, extension, or stretching; (alternatively) a duration (of time).
protervity wantonness; waywardness; petulance; peevishness
prothonotary A chief legal clerk or notary in Roman Byzantium, and (hence) in Rome.
protologism A newly coined word or phrase defined in the hope that it will become common; a recently created ter
protology The branch of theology pertaining to origins and first things.
protomatter The ultimate basis of physical substance, before it has been given form.
protoplast The first-created human; Adam.
protose A meat substitute made chiefly of wheat gluten and peanuts, popular in the early twentieth century.
protract To draw out; to extend, especially in duration.
protreptic Serving to instruct; didactic.
provenance Place or source of origin.
provine To lay a stock or branch of a vine in the ground for propagation.
provisor A deputy of a Roman Catholic bishop.
provocateur One who engages in provocative behavior.
proxemics The study of the effects of the physical distance between people in different cultures and societies
proxeny In Ancient Greece, an arrangement whereby a citizen (chosen by the city) hosted foreign ambassadors
psalmody The singing or the writing of psalms.
psephism A proposition adopted by a majority of votes, especially by the vote of the Athenian people; a statu
psephology The predictive or statistical study of elections.
pseudepigrapha Writings falsely ascribed to famous persons (historical or mythical) to lend them greater legitimacy
psychocentric Primarily focused on the mind or spirit, especially as opposed to the body.
psychonarration A narrative technique used by a narrator to represent a character's consciousness or inner thoughts,
psychopomp A spirit, deity, person, etc., who guides the souls of the dead to the afterlife.
ptarmoscopy The divinatory interpretation of sneezes.
ptilinum A bladder-like pouch on the head of schizophoran flies that by expanding enables the fly to emerge f
ptychonome An enclosure formed (of leaves) by some organisms of the order Lepidoptera; a tentiform mine.
puerility The state, quality, or condition of being childish or puerile.
puerpera A woman undergoing puerperium; a woman whose uterus is still enlarged from pregnancy.
pugil As much as is taken up between the thumb and two first fingers; a pinch.
pulchronomics The study of the economics related to beauty.
pulvillio A kind of perfumed cosmetic powder, applied to the skin, hair or wig.
punctilio A fine point in exactness of conduct, ceremony, etiquette or procedure.
puncto A point of form or ceremony.
punctum A detail in a photograph that captures the viewer's attention and evokes an emotional response or pe
punctus The basic dot (‧) used to end a sentence in medieval punctuation (ancestral to the full stop/period)
punim The face (front part of the head).
pupillarity The period before puberty, or from birth to fourteen in males, and twelve in females
purlicue The space between one's forefinger and thumb.
purlieu The ground on the edges of a forest, especially when partly subject to the same forest laws concerni
purlin A longitudinal structural member bridging two or more rafters of a roof.
purloin To take the property of another, often in breach of trust; to appropriate wrongfully; to steal.
purparty A share, part, or portion of an estate allotted to a coparcener.
pursuivant A functionary of lower rank than a herald, but discharging similar duties; an attendant of the heral
pursy Out of breath; short of breath, especially due to fatness.
purvey To prepare in advance (for or to do something); to plan, make provision.
purview The enacting part of a statute.
pusillanimity The quality or state of being pusillanimous; the vice of being timid and cowardly, and thus not livi
pussyfoot To move silently, stealthily, or furtively.
putrescible Decomposable; capable of becoming putrescent; rottable.
pycnometer A vessel of precisely known volume used by weighing to determine the specific gravity or relative de
pygostyle The plate supporting the tail-feathers in birds, formed from fused vertebrae.
pyknic short and stout; endomorphic