| Words | Parts of Speech | Meaning/Definition/Similar Words |
|---|---|---|
| pockarred | adjective | See Pockmarked. |
| pocketing | present participle & vb. noun | of Pocket |
| pocketful | noun | As much as a pocket will hold; enough to fill a pocket; as, pocketfuls of chestnuts. |
| pockiness | noun | The state of being pocky. |
| podagrous | adjective | Gouty; podagric. |
| podarthra | plural | of Podarthrum |
| podetiums | plural | of Podetium |
| podoscaph | noun | A canoe-shaped float attached to the foot, for walking on water. |
| podosperm | noun | The stalk of a seed or ovule. |
| podotheca | noun | The scaly covering of the foot of a bird or reptile. |
| poenology | noun | See Penology. |
| poetaster | noun | An inferior rhymer, or writer of verses; a dabbler in poetic art. |
| poetastry | noun | The works of a poetaster. |
| poeticule | noun | A poetaster. |
| poetizing | present participle & vb. noun | of Poetize |
| poignancy | noun | The quality or state of being poignant; as, the poignancy of satire; the poignancy of grief. |
| poinciana | noun | A prickly tropical shrub (Caesalpinia, formerly Poinciana, pulcherrima), with bipinnate leaves, and racemes of showy orange-red flowers with long crimson filaments. |
| pointless | adjective | Having no point; blunt; wanting keenness; obtuse; as, a pointless sword; a pointless remark. |
| pointsman | noun | A man who has charge of railroad points or switches. |
| poisoning | present participle & vb. noun | of Poison |
| poisonous | adjective | Having the qualities or effects of poison; venomous; baneful; corrupting; noxious. |
| polarized | imp. & past participle | of Polarize |
| polarizer | noun | That which polarizes; especially, the part of a polariscope which receives and polarizes the light. It is usually a reflecting plate, or a plate of some crystal, as tourmaline, or a doubly refracting crystal. |
| polemarch | noun | In Athens, originally, the military commanderin-chief; but, afterward, a civil magistrate who had jurisdiction in respect of strangers and sojourners. In other Grecian cities, a high military and civil officer. |
| polemical | adjective | Polemic; controversial; disputatious. |
| polewards | adverb | Toward a pole of the earth. |
| polianite | noun | Manganese dioxide, occurring in tetragonal crystals nearly as hard as quartz. |
| policemen | plural | of Policeman |
| policeman | noun | A member of a body of police; a constable. |
| policying | present participle & vb. noun | of Policy |
| polishing | present participle & vb. noun | of Polish, a. & n. from Polish. |
| politesse | noun | Politeness. |
| political | adjective | Having, or conforming to, a settled system of administration., Of or pertaining to public policy, or to politics; relating to affairs of state or administration; as, a political writer., Of or pertaining to a party, or to parties, in the state; as, his political relations were with the Whigs., Politic; wise; also, artful. |
| politicly | adverb | In a politic manner; sagaciously; shrewdly; artfully. |
| pollarded | imp. & past participle | of Pollard |
| pollenize | verb t. | To supply with pollen; to impregnate with pollen. |
| pollicate | adjective | Having a curved projection or spine on the inner side of a leg joint; — said of insects. |
| pollinate | adjective | Pollinose., To apply pollen to (a stigma). |
| pollinium | noun | A coherent mass of pollen, as in the milkweed and most orchids. |
| pollinose | adjective | Having the surface covered with a fine yellow dust, like pollen. |
| pollucite | noun | A colorless transparent mineral, resembling quartz, occurring with castor or castorite on the island of Elba. It is a silicate of alumina and caesia. Called also pollux. |
| polluting | present participle & vb. noun | of Pollute, Adapted or tending to pollute; causing defilement or pollution. |
| pollution | noun | The act of polluting, or the state of being polluted (in any sense of the verb); defilement; uncleanness; impurity., The emission of semen, or sperm, at other times than in sexual intercourse. |
| polonaise | adjective | Of or pertaining to the Poles, or to Poland., The Polish language., An article of dress for women, consisting of a body and an outer skirt in one piece., A stately Polish dance tune, in 3-4 measure, beginning always on the beat with a quaver followed by a crotchet, and closing on the beat after a strong accent on the second beat; also, a dance adapted to such music; a polacca. |
| polt-foot | adjective | Alt. of Polt-footed |
| polverine | noun | Glassmaker’s ashes; a kind of potash or pearlash, brought from the Levant and Syria, — used in the manufacture of fine glass. |
| polyacron | noun | A solid having many summits or angular points; a polyhedron. |
| polyandry | noun | The possession by a woman of more than one husband at the same time; — contrasted with monandry. |
| polyarchy | noun | A government by many persons, of whatever order or class. |
| polybasic | adjective | Capable of neutralizing, or of combining with, several molecules of a monacid base; having several hydrogen atoms capable of being replaced by basic radicals; — said of certain acids; as, sulphuric acid is polybasic. |
| polychord | adjective | Having many strings., A musical instrument of ten strings., An apparatus for coupling two octave notes, capable of being attached to a keyed instrument. |
| polyconic | adjective | Pertaining to, or based upon, many cones. |
| polycracy | noun | Government by many rulers; polyarchy. |
| polyedron | noun | See Polyhedron. |
| polyeidic | adjective | Passing through several distinct larval forms; — having several distinct kinds of young. |
| polygalic | adjective | Of, pertaining to, or obtained from, Polygala; specifically, designating an acrid glucoside (called polygalic acid, senegin, etc.), resembling, or possibly identical with, saponin. |
| polygamia | noun pl. | A Linnaean class of plants, characterized by having both hermaphrodite and unisexual flowers on the same plant., A name given by Linnaeus to file orders of plants having syngenesious flowers. |
| polygenic | adjective | Of or relating to polygeny; polygenetic. |
| polygonal | adjective | Having many angles. |
| polygonum | noun | A genus of plants embracing a large number of species, including bistort, knotweed, smartweed, etc. |
| polygraph | noun | An instrument for multiplying copies of a writing; a manifold writer; a copying machine., In bibliography, a collection of different works, either by one or several authors., An instrument for detecting deceptive statements by a subject, by measuring several physiological states of the subject, such as pulse, heartbeat, and sweating. The instrument records these parameters on a strip of paper while the subject is asked questions designed to elicit emotional responses when the subject tries to deceive the interrogator. Also called lie detector |
| polygynia | noun pl. | A Linnaean order of plants having many styles. |
| polyhedra | plural | of Polyhedron |
| polymathy | noun | The knowledge of many arts and sciences; variety of learning. |
| polymeric | adjective | Having the same percentage composition (that is, having the same elements united in the same proportion by weight), but different molecular weights; — often used with with; thus, cyanic acid (CNOH), fulminic acid (C2N2O2H2), and cyanuric acid (C3N3O3H3), are polymeric with each other. |
| polymnite | noun | A stone marked with dendrites and black lines, and so disposed as to represent rivers, marshes, etc. |
| polymorph | noun | A substance capable of crystallizing in several distinct forms; also, any one of these forms. Cf. Allomorph. |
| polymyoid | adjective | Having numerous vocal muscles; of or pertaining to the Polymyodae. |
| polyonomy | noun | The use of a variety of names for the same object. |
| polyorama | noun | A view of many objects; also, a sort of panorama with dissolving views. |
| polyphagy | noun | The practice or faculty of subsisting on many kinds of food. |
| polyphone | noun | A character or vocal sign representing more than one sound, as read, which is pronounced red. |
| polyphony | noun | Multiplicity of sounds, as in the reverberations of an echo., Plurality of sounds and articulations expressed by the same vocal sign., Composition in mutually related, equally important parts which share the melody among them; contrapuntal composition; — opposed to homophony, in which the melody is given to one part only, the others filling out the harmony. See Counterpoint. |
| polyphore | noun | A receptacle which bears many ovaries. |
| polypidom | noun | A coral, or corallum; also, one of the coral-like structure made by bryozoans and hydroids. |
| polyporus | noun | A genus of fungi having the under surface full of minute pores; also, any fungus of this genus. |
| polypuses | plural | of Polypus |
| polyscope | noun | A glass which makes a single object appear as many; a multiplying glass., An apparatus for affording a view of the different cavities of the body. |
| polyspast | noun | A machine consisting of many pulleys; specifically, an apparatus formerly used for reducing luxations. |
| polystome | adjective | Having many mouths., An animal having many mouths; — applied to Protozoa. |
| polystyle | adjective | Having many columns; — said of a building, especially of an interior part or court; as, a polystyle hall., A polystyle hall or edifice. |
| polytyped | imp. & past participle | of Polytype |
| polyzoary | noun | The compound organism of a polyzoan. |
| polyzonal | adjective | Consisting of many zones or rings. |
| pomaceous | adjective | Like an apple or pear; producing pomes., Of or pertaining to a suborder (Pomeae) of rosaceous plants, which includes the true thorn trees, the quinces, service berries, medlars, and loquats, as well as the apples, pears, crabs, etc., Like pomace. |
| pomewater | noun | A kind of sweet, juicy apple. |
| pommelled | of Pommel | |
| pommeling | present participle & vb. noun | of Pommel |
| pommelion | noun | The cascabel, or hindmost knob, of a cannon. |
| pompadour | noun | A crimson or pink color; also, a style of dress cut low and square in the neck; also, a mode of dressing the hair by drawing it straight back from the forehead over a roll; — so called after the Marchioness de Pompadour of France. Also much used adjectively. |
| pompholyx | noun | Impure zinc oxide., A skin disease in which there is an eruption of bullae, without inflammation or fever. |
| pompoleon | noun | See Pompelmous. |
| pomposity | noun | The quality or state of being pompous; pompousness. |
| pondering | present participle & vb. noun | of Ponder, Deliberating. |
| ponderary | adjective | Of or pertaining to weight; as, a ponderary system. |
| ponderate | verb t. | To consider; to ponder., To have weight or influence. |
| ponderous | adjective | Very heavy; weighty; as, a ponderous shield; a ponderous load; the ponderous elephant., Important; momentous; forcible., Heavy; dull; wanting; lightless or spirit; as, a ponderous style; a ponderous joke. |
| poniarded | imp. & past participle | of Poniard |
| pontifice | noun | Bridgework; structure or edifice of a bridge. |
| pontlevis | noun | The action of a horse in rearing repeatedly and dangerously. |
| ponvolant | noun | A kind of light bridge, used in sieges, for surprising a post or outwork which has but a narrow moat; a flying bridge. |
| pooh-pooh | verb t. | To make light of; to treat with derision or contempt, as if by saying pooh! pooh! |
| poorhouse | noun | A dwelling for a number of paupers maintained at public expense; an almshouse; a workhouse. |
| poor-john | noun | A small European fish, similar to the cod, but of inferior quality. |
| poor-will | noun | A bird of the Western United States (Phalaenoptilus Nutalli) allied to the whip-poor-will. |
| popliteal | adjective | Of or pertaining to the ham; in the region of the ham, or behind the knee joint; as, the popliteal space. |
| poppyhead | noun | A raised ornament frequently having the form of a final. It is generally used on the tops of the upright ends or elbows which terminate seats, etc., in Gothic churches. |
| populares | noun pl. | The people or the people’s party, in ancient Rome, as opposed to the optimates. |
| popularly | adverb | In a popular manner; so as to be generally favored or accepted by the people; commonly; currently; as, the story was popularity reported. |
| populated | imp. & past participle | of Populate |
| populator | noun | One who populates. |
| porbeagle | noun | A species of shark (Lamna cornubica), about eight feet long, having a pointed nose and a crescent-shaped tail; — called also mackerel shark. |
| porcelain | noun | Purslain., A fine translucent or semitransculent kind of earthenware, made first in China and Japan, but now also in Europe and America; — called also China, or China ware. |
| porcupine | noun | Any Old Word rodent of the genus Hystrix, having the back covered with long, sharp, erectile spines or quills, sometimes a foot long. The common species of Europe and Asia (Hystrix cristata) is the best known., Any species of Erethizon and related genera, native of America. They are related to the true porcupines, but have shorter spines, and are arboreal in their habits. The Canada porcupine (Erethizon dorsatus) is a well known species. |
| poreblind | adjective | Nearsighted; shortsighted; purblind. |
| poriferan | noun | One of the Polifera. |
| porporino | noun | A composition of quicksilver, tin, and sulphur, forming a yellow powder, sometimes used by mediaeval artists, for the sake of economy, instead of gold. |
| porringer | noun | A porridge dish; esp., a bowl or cup from which children eat or are fed; as, a silver porringer. |
| portative | adjective | Portable., Capable of holding up or carrying; as, the portative force of a magnet, of atmospheric pressure, or of capillarity. |
| portcluse | noun | A portcullis. |
| portended | imp. & past participle | of Portend |
| porterage | noun | The work of a porter; the occupation of a carrier or of a doorkeeper., Money charged or paid for the carriage of burdens or parcels by a porter. |
| porteress | noun | See Portress. |
| portfolio | noun | A portable case for holding loose papers, prints, drawings, etc., Hence: The office and functions of a minister of state or member of the cabinet; as, to receive the portfolio of war; to resign the portfolio. |
| portglave | noun | A sword bearer. |
| portgreve | Alt. of Portgrave | |
| portgrave | In old English law, the chief magistrate of a port or maritime town.; a portreeve. | |
| porticoes | plural | of Portico |
| porticoed | adjective | Furnished with a portico. |
| portingal | adjective | Of or pertaining to Portugal; Portuguese., A Portuguese. |
| portioned | imp. & past participle | of Portion |
| portioner | noun | One who portions., See Portionist, 2. |
| portrayed | imp. & past participle | of Portray |
| portrayal | noun | The act or process of portraying; description; delineation. |
| portrayer | noun | One who portrays. |
| portreeve | noun | A port warden. |
| portulaca | noun | A genus of polypetalous plants; also, any plant of the genus. |
| posologic | adjective | Alt. of Posological |
| pospolite | noun | A kind of militia in Poland, consisting of the gentry, which, in case of invasion, was summoned to the defense of the country. |
| possessed | imp. & past participle | of Possess |
| possessor | noun | One who possesses; one who occupies, holds, owns, or controls; one who has actual participation or enjoyment, generally of that which is desirable; a proprietor. |
| posseting | present participle & vb. noun | of Posset |
| postaxial | adjective | Situated behind any transverse axis in the body of an animal; caudal; posterior; especially, behind, or on the caudal or posterior (that is, ulnar or fibular) side of, the axis of a vertebrate limb. |
| postcavae | plural | of Postcava |
| postcornu | noun | The posterior horn of each lateral ventricle of the brain. |
| postdated | imp. & past participle | of Postdate |
| postentry | noun | A second or subsequent, at the customhouse, of goods which had been omitted by mistake., An additional or subsequent entry. |
| posterior | adjective | Later in time; hence, later in the order of proceeding or moving; coming after; — opposed to prior., Situated behind; hinder; — opposed to anterior., At or toward the caudal extremity; caudal; — in human anatomy often used for dorsal., On the side next the axis of inflorescence; — said of an axillary flower. |
| posterity | noun | The race that proceeds from a progenitor; offspring to the furthest generation; the aggregate number of persons who are descended from an ancestor of a generation; descendants; — contrasted with ancestry; as, the posterity of Abraham., Succeeding generations; future times. |
| postexist | verb i. | To exist after; to live subsequently. |
| post-fine | noun | A duty paid to the king by the cognizee in a fine of lands, when the same was fully passed; — called also the king’s silver. |
| postfixes | plural | of Postfix |
| postfurca | noun | One of the internal thoracic processes of the sternum of an insect. |
| posthaste | noun | Haste or speed in traveling, like that of a post or courier., With speed or expedition; as, he traveled posthaste; to send posthaste. |
| posthouse | noun | A house established for the convenience of the post, where relays of horses can be obtained., A house for distributing the malls; a post office. |
| posthumed | adjective | Posthumous. |
| postilled | of Postil | |
| postiling | present participle & vb. noun | of Postil |
| postilion | noun | One who rides and guides the first pair of horses of a coach or post chaise; also, one who rides one of the horses when one pair only is used. |
| postnares | noun pl. | The posterior nares. See Nares. |
| postnatal | adjective | After birth; subsequent to birth; as, postnatal infanticide; postnatal diseases. |
| post note | A note issued by a bank, payable at some future specified time, as distinguished from a note payable on demand. | |
| post-obit | Alt. of Post-obit bond | |
| postponed | imp. & past participle | of Postpone |
| postponer | noun | One who postpones. |
| postposed | imp. & past participle | of Postpose |
| postposit | verb t. | To postpone. |
| postrider | noun | One who rides over a post road to carry the mails. |
| postulant | noun | One who makes a request or demand; hence, a candidate. |
| postulate | noun | Something demanded or asserted; especially, a position or supposition assumed without proof, or one which is considered as self-evident; a truth to which assent may be demanded or challenged, without argument or evidence., The enunciation of a self-evident problem, in distinction from an axiom, which is the enunciation of a self-evident theorem., Postulated., To beg, or assume without proof; as, to postulate conclusions., To take without express consent; to assume., To invite earnestly; to solicit. |
| postulata | plural | of Postulatum |
| postumous | adjective | See Posthumous. |
| posturing | present participle & vb. noun | of Posture |
| pottassic | adjective | Pertaining to, or containing, potassium. |
| potassium | noun | An Alkali element, occurring abundantly but always combined, as in the chloride, sulphate, carbonate, or silicate, in the minerals sylvite, kainite, orthoclase, muscovite, etc. Atomic weight 39.0. Symbol K (Kalium). |
| pot-belly | noun | A protuberant belly. |
| potboiler | noun | A term applied derisively to any literary or artistic work, and esp. a painting, done simply for money and the means of living. |
| potentacy | noun | Sovereignty. |
| potentate | adjective | One who is potent; one who possesses great power or sway; a prince, sovereign, or monarch. |
| potential | adjective | Being potent; endowed with energy adequate to a result; efficacious; influential., Existing in possibility, not in actuality., Anything that may be possible; a possibility; potentially., In the theory of gravitation, or of other forces acting in space, a function of the rectangular coordinates which determine the position of a point, such that its differential coefficients with respect to the coordinates are equal to the components of the force at the point considered; — also called potential function, or force function. It is called also Newtonian potential when the force is directed to a fixed center and is inversely as the square of the distance from the center., The energy of an electrical charge measured by its power to do work; hence, the degree of electrification as referred to some standard, as that of the earth; electro-motive force. |
| potentize | verb t. | To render the latent power of (anything) available. |
| potestate | noun | A chief ruler; a potentate. [Obs.] Wyclif. |
| pothecary | noun | An apothecary. |
| pothering | present participle & vb. noun | of Pother |
| potpourri | noun | A medley or mixture., A ragout composed of different sorts of meats, vegetables, etc., cooked together., A jar or packet of flower leaves, perfumes, and spices, used to scent a room., A piece of music made up of different airs strung together; a medley., A literary production composed of parts brought together without order or bond of connection. |
| pottering | present participle & vb. noun | of Potter |
| potteries | plural | of Pottery |
| poudrette | noun | A manure made from night soil, dried and mixed with charcoal, gypsum, etc. |
| pouldavis | noun | Same as Poledavy. |
| poulterer | noun | One who deals in poultry. |
| poulticed | imp. & past participle | of Poultice |
| poundcake | noun | A kind of rich, sweet cake; — so called from the ingredients being used by pounds, or in equal quantities. |
| poundrate | noun | A rate or proportion estimated at a certain amount for each pound; poundage. |
| pourparty | noun | A division; a divided share. |
| pourpoint | noun | A quilted military doublet or gambeson worn in the 14th and 15th centuries; also, a name for the doublet of the 16th and 17th centuries worn by civilians. |
| poussette | noun | A movement, or part of a figure, in the contradance., To perform a certain movement in a dance. |
| poutingly | adverb | In a pouting, or a sullen, manner. |
| powdering | present participle & vb. noun | of Powder, a. & n. from Powder, v. t. |
| powerable | adjective | Capable of being effected or accomplished by the application of power; possible., Capable of exerting power; powerful. |
| powerless | adjective | Destitute of power, force, or energy; weak; impotent; not able to produce any effect. |
| poy nette | noun | A bodkin. |
| pozzolana | noun | Volcanic ashes from Pozzuoli, in Italy, used in the manufacture of a kind of mortar which hardens under water. |