Words |
Parts of Speech |
Meaning/Definition/Similar Words |
poachy |
adjective |
Wet and soft; easily penetrated by the feet of cattle; — said of land |
pocket |
noun |
A bag or pouch; especially; a small bag inserted in a garment for carrying small articles, particularly money; hence, figuratively, money; wealth., One of several bags attached to a billiard table, into which the balls are driven., A large bag or sack used in packing various articles, as ginger, hops, cowries, etc., A hole or space covered by a movable piece of board, as in a floor, boxing, partitions, or the like., A cavity in a rock containing a nugget of gold, or other mineral; a small body of ore contained in such a cavity., A hole containing water., A strip of canvas, sewn upon a sail so that a batten or a light spar can placed in the interspace., Same as Pouch., To put, or conceal, in the pocket; as, to pocket the change., To take clandestinely or fraudulently. |
pocock |
noun |
Peacock. |
podded |
imp. & past participle |
of Pod, Having pods. |
podder |
noun |
One who collects pods or pulse. |
podium |
noun |
A low wall, serving as a foundation, a substructure, or a terrace wall., The dwarf wall surrounding the arena of an amphitheater, from the top of which the seats began., The masonry under the stylobate of a temple, sometimes a mere foundation, sometimes containing chambers., The foot. |
podley |
noun |
A young coalfish. |
podura |
noun |
Any small leaping thysanurous insect of the genus Podura and related genera; a springtail. |
poetic |
adjective |
Alt. of Poetical |
poetry |
noun |
The art of apprehending and interpreting ideas by the faculty of imagination; the art of idealizing in thought and in expression., Imaginative language or composition, whether expressed rhythmically or in prose. Specifically: Metrical composition; verse; rhyme; poems collectively; as, heroic poetry; dramatic poetry; lyric or Pindaric poetry. |
poised |
imp. & past participle |
of Poise |
poiser |
noun |
The balancer of dipterous insects. |
poison |
noun |
Any agent which, when introduced into the animal organism, is capable of producing a morbid, noxious, or deadly effect upon it; as, morphine is a deadly poison; the poison of pestilential diseases., That which taints or destroys moral purity or health; as, the poison of evil example; the poison of sin., To put poison upon or into; to infect with poison; as, to poison an arrow; to poison food or drink., To injure or kill by poison; to administer poison to., To taint; to corrupt; to vitiate; as, vice poisons happiness; slander poisoned his mind., To act as, or convey, a poison. |
poking |
present participle & vb. noun |
of Poke, Drudging; servile. |
polack |
noun |
A Polander. |
polary |
adjective |
Tending to a pole; having a direction toward a pole. |
polder |
noun |
A tract of low land reclaimed from the sea by of high embankments. |
poling |
present participle & vb. noun |
of Pole, The act of supporting or of propelling by means of a pole or poles; as, the poling of beans; the poling of a boat., The operation of dispersing worm casts over the walks with poles., One of the poles or planks used in upholding the side earth in excavating a tunnel, ditch, etc. |
poleax |
noun |
Alt. of Poleaxe |
polemy |
noun |
Warfare; war; hence, contention; opposition. |
police |
noun |
A judicial and executive system, for the government of a city, town, or district, for the preservation of rights, order, cleanliness, health, etc., and for the enforcement of the laws and prevention of crime; the administration of the laws and regulations of a city, incorporated town, or borough., That which concerns the order of the community; the internal regulation of a state., The organized body of civil officers in a city, town, or district, whose particular duties are the preservation of good order, the prevention and detection of crime, and the enforcement of the laws., Military police, the body of soldiers detailed to preserve civil order and attend to sanitary arrangements in a camp or garrison., The cleaning of a camp or garrison, or the state / a camp as to cleanliness., To keep in order by police., To make clean; as, to police a camp. |
policy |
noun |
Civil polity., The settled method by which the government and affairs of a nation are, or may be, administered; a system of public or official administration, as designed to promote the external or internal prosperity of a state., The method by which any institution is administered; system of management; course., Management or administration based on temporal or material interest, rather than on principles of equity or honor; hence, worldly wisdom; dexterity of management; cunning; stratagem., Prudence or wisdom in the management of public and private affairs; wisdom; sagacity; wit., Motive; object; inducement., To regulate by laws; to reduce to order., A ticket or warrant for money in the public funds., The writing or instrument in which a contract of insurance is embodied; an instrument in writing containing the terms and conditions on which one party engages to indemnify another against loss arising from certain hazards, perils, or risks to which his person or property may be exposed. See Insurance., A method of gambling by betting as to what numbers will be drawn in a lottery; as, to play policy. |
polish |
adjective |
Of or pertaining to Poland or its inhabitants., The language of the Poles., To make smooth and glossy, usually by friction; to burnish; to overspread with luster; as, to polish glass, marble, metals, etc., Hence, to refine; to wear off the rudeness, coarseness, or rusticity of; to make elegant and polite; as, to polish life or manners., To become smooth, as from friction; to receive a gloss; to take a smooth and glossy surface; as, steel polishes well., A smooth, glossy surface, usually produced by friction; a gloss or luster., Anything used to produce a gloss., Fig.: Refinement; elegance of manners. |
polite |
verb |
Smooth; polished., Smooth and refined in behavior or manners; well bred; courteous; complaisant; obliging; civil., Characterized by refinement, or a high degree of finish; as, polite literature., To polish; to refine; to render polite. |
polity |
noun |
The form or constitution of the civil government of a nation or state; the framework or organization by which the various departments of government are combined into a systematic whole., Hence: The form or constitution by which any institution is organized; the recognized principles which lie at the foundation of any human institution., Policy; art; management. |
polive |
noun |
A pulley. |
polled |
imp. & past participle |
of Poll, Deprived of a poll, or of something belonging to the poll. Specifically: (a) Lopped; — said of trees having their tops cut off. (b) Cropped; hence, bald; — said of a person. “The polled bachelor.” Beau. & Fl. (c) Having cast the antlers; — said of a stag. (d) Without horns; as, polled cattle; polled sheep. |
pollan |
noun |
A lake whitefish (Coregonus pollan), native of Ireland. In appearance it resembles a herring. |
pollax |
noun |
A poleax. |
pollen |
noun |
Fine bran or flour., The fecundating dustlike cells of the anthers of flowers. See Flower, and Illust. of Filament. |
poller |
noun |
One who polls; specifically: (a) One who polls or lops trees. (b) One who polls or cuts hair; a barber. [R.] (c) One who extorts or plunders. [Obs.] Baex. (d) One who registplws votplws, or one who enters his name as a voter. |
pollex |
noun |
The first, or preaxial, digit of the fore limb, corresponding to the hallux in the hind limb; the thumb. In birds, the pollex is the joint which bears the bastard wing. |
pollux |
noun |
A fixed star of the second magnitude, in the constellation Gemini. Cf. 3d Castor., Same as Pollucite. |
polony |
noun |
A kind of sausage made of meat partly cooked. |
polron |
noun |
See Pauldron. |
polwig |
noun |
A polliwig. Holland. |
polype |
noun |
See Polyp. |
polypi |
noun pl. |
The Anthozoa., of Polypus |
polyve |
noun |
A pulley. |
pomace |
noun |
The substance of apples, or of similar fruit, crushed by grinding. |
pomade |
noun |
Cider., Perfumed ointment; esp., a fragrant unguent for the hair; pomatum; — originally made from apples. |
pomelo |
noun |
A variety of shaddock, called also grape fruit. |
pomely |
adjective |
Dappled. |
pomeys |
plural |
of Pomey |
pommel |
noun |
A knob or ball; an object resembling a ball in form, The knob on the hilt of a sword., The knob or protuberant part of a saddlebow., The top (of the head)., A knob forming the finial of a turret or pavilion., To beat soundly, as with the pommel of a sword, or with something knoblike; hence, to beat with the fists. |
pomona |
noun |
The goddess of fruits and fruit trees. |
pompet |
noun |
The ball formerly used to ink the type. |
pompon |
noun |
Any trifling ornament for a woman’s dress or bonnet., A tuft or ball of wool, or the like, sometimes worn by soldiers on the front of the hat, instead of a feather. |
poncho |
noun |
A kind of cloak worn by the Spanish Americans, having the form of a blanket, with a slit in the middle for the head to pass through. A kind of poncho made of rubber or painted cloth is used by the mounted troops in the United States service., A trade name for camlets, or stout worsteds. |
ponder |
verb t. |
To weigh., To weigh in the mind; to view with deliberation; to examine carefully; to consider attentively., To think; to deliberate; to muse; — usually followed by on or over. |
ponent |
adjective |
Western; occidental. |
pongee |
noun |
A fabric of undyed silk from India and China. |
pontes |
plural |
of Pons |
pontee |
noun |
An iron rod used by glass makers for manipulating the hot glass; — called also, puntil, puntel, punty, and ponty. See Fascet. |
pontic |
adjective |
Of or pertaining to the Pontus, Euxine, or Black Sea. |
pontil |
noun |
Same as Pontee. |
ponton |
noun |
See Pontoon. |
ponies |
plural |
of Pony |
poodle |
noun |
A breed of dogs having curly hair, and often showing remarkable intelligence in the performance of tricks. |
pookoo |
noun |
A red African antelope (Kobus Vardoni) allied to the water buck. |
pooled |
imp. & past participle |
of Pool |
pooler |
noun |
A stick for stirring a tan vat. |
poonac |
noun |
A kind of oil cake prepared from the cocoanut. See Oil cake, under Cake. |
pooped |
imp. & past participle |
of Poop, Having a poop; furnished with a poop., Struck on the poop. |
poorly |
adverb |
In a poor manner or condition; without plenty, or sufficiency, or suitable provision for comfort; as, to live poorly., With little or no success; indifferently; with little profit or advantage; as, to do poorly in business., Meanly; without spirit., Without skill or merit; as, he performs poorly., Somewhat ill; indisposed; not in health. |
popped |
imp. & past participle |
of Pop |
popery |
noun |
The religion of the Roman Catholic Church, comprehending doctrines and practices; — generally used in an opprobrious sense. |
popgun |
noun |
A child’s gun; a tube and rammer for shooting pellets, with a popping noise, by compression of air. |
popish |
adjective |
Of or pertaining to the pope; taught or ordained by the pope; hence, of or pertaining to the Roman Catholic Church; — often used opprobriously. |
poplar |
noun |
Any tree of the genus Populus; also, the timber, which is soft, and capable of many uses., The timber of the tulip tree; — called also white poplar. |
poplin |
noun |
A fabric of many varieties, usually made of silk and worsted, — used especially for women’s dresses. |
popper |
noun |
A utensil for popping corn, usually a wire basket with a long handle., A dagger. |
poppet |
noun |
See Puppet., One of certain upright timbers on the bilge ways, used to support a vessel in launching., An upright support or guide fastened at the bottom only. |
popple |
verb i. |
To move quickly up and down; to bob up and down, as a cork on rough water; also, to bubble., The poplar., Tares. |
poring |
present participle & vb. noun |
of Pore |
porime |
noun |
A theorem or proposition so easy of demonstration as to be almost self-evident. |
porism |
noun |
A proposition affirming the possibility of finding such conditions as will render a certain determinate problem indeterminate or capable of innumerable solutions., A corollary. |
porite |
noun |
Any coral of the genus Porites, or family Poritidae. |
porker |
noun |
A hog. |
porket |
noun |
A young hog; a pig. |
porous |
noun |
Full of pores; having interstices in the skin or in the substance of the body; having spiracles or passages for fluids; permeable by liquids; as, a porous skin; porous wood. |
porpus |
noun |
A porpoise. |
porret |
noun |
A scallion; a leek or small onion. |
ported |
imp. & past participle |
of Port, Having gates. |
portae |
plural |
of Porta |
portal |
noun |
A door or gate; hence, a way of entrance or exit, especially one that is grand and imposing., The lesser gate, where there are two of different dimensions., Formerly, a small square corner in a room separated from the rest of the apartment by wainscoting, forming a short passage to another apartment., By analogy with the French portail, used by recent writers for the whole architectural composition which surrounds and includes the doorways and porches of a church., The space, at one end, between opposite trusses when these are terminated by inclined braces., A prayer book or breviary; a portass., Of or pertaining to a porta, especially the porta of the liver; as, the portal vein, which enters the liver at the porta, and divides into capillaries after the manner of an artery. |
porter |
noun |
A man who has charge of a door or gate; a doorkeeper; one who waits at the door to receive messages., A carrier; one who carries or conveys burdens, luggage, etc.; for hire., A bar of iron or steel at the end of which a forging is made; esp., a long, large bar, to the end of which a heavy forging is attached, and by means of which the forging is lifted and handled in hammering and heating; — called also porter bar., A malt liquor, of a dark color and moderately bitter taste, possessing tonic and intoxicating qualities. |
portly |
adjective |
Having a dignified port or mien; of a noble appearance; imposing., Bulky; corpulent. |
portos |
noun |
See Portass. |
posing |
present participle & vb. noun |
of Pose |
posied |
adjective |
Inscribed with a posy. |
posnet |
noun |
A little basin; a porringer; a skillet. |
posset |
noun |
A beverage composed of hot milk curdled by some strong infusion, as by wine, etc., — much in favor formerly., To curdle; to turn, as milk; to coagulate; as, to posset the blood., To treat with possets; to pamper. |
possum |
noun |
An opossum. |
posted |
imp. & past participle |
of Post |
postal |
adjective |
Belonging to the post office or mail service; as, postal arrangements; postal authorities. |
postea |
noun |
The return of the judge before whom a cause was tried, after a verdict, of what was done in the cause, which is indorsed on the nisi prius record. |
postel |
noun |
Apostle. |
poster |
noun |
A large bill or placard intended to be posted in public places., One who posts bills; a billposter., One who posts, or travels expeditiously; a courier., A post horse. |
postic |
adjective |
Backward. |
postil |
noun |
Originally, an explanatory note in the margin of the Bible, so called because written after the text; hence, a marginal note; a comment., A short homily or commentary on a passage of Scripture; as, the first postils were composed by order of Charlemagne., To write marginal or explanatory notes on; to gloss., To write postils, or marginal notes; to comment; to postillate. |
posies |
plural |
of Posy |
potted |
imp. & past participle |
of Pot |
potage |
noun |
See Pottage. |
potale |
noun |
The refuse from a grain distillery, used to fatten swine. |
potash |
noun |
The hydroxide of potassium hydrate, a hard white brittle substance, KOH, having strong caustic and alkaline properties; — hence called also caustic potash., The impure potassium carbonate obtained by leaching wood ashes, either as a strong solution (lye), or as a white crystalline (pearlash). |
potato |
noun |
A plant (Solanum tuberosum) of the Nightshade family, and its esculent farinaceous tuber, of which there are numerous varieties used for food. It is native of South America, but a form of the species is found native as far north as New Mexico., The sweet potato (see below). |
potboy |
noun |
A boy who carries pots of ale, beer, etc.; a menial in a public house. |
poteen |
noun |
Whisky; especially, whisky illicitly distilled by the Irish peasantry. |
potent |
adjective |
Producing great physical effects; forcible; powerful’ efficacious; as, a potent medicine., Having great authority, control, or dominion; puissant; mighty; influential; as, a potent prince., Powerful, in an intellectual or moral sense; having great influence; as, potent interest; a potent argument., A prince; a potentate., A staff or crutch., One of the furs; a surface composed of patches which are supposed to represent crutch heads; they are always alternately argent and azure, unless otherwise specially mentioned. |
potgun |
noun |
A pot-shaped cannon; a mortar., A popgun. |
pother |
noun |
Bustle; confusion; tumult; flutter; bother., To make a bustle or stir; to be fussy., To harass and perplex; to worry. |
potion |
noun |
A draught; a dose; usually, a draught or dose of a liquid medicine., To drug. |
potlid |
noun |
The lid or cover of a pot. |
potmen |
plural |
of Potman |
potman |
noun |
A pot companion., A servant in a public house; a potboy. |
potpie |
noun |
A meat pie which is boiled instead of being baked. |
potter |
noun |
One whose occupation is to make earthen vessels., One who hawks crockery or earthenware., One who pots meats or other eatables., The red-bellied terrapin. See Terrapin., To busy one’s self with trifles; to labor with little purpose, energy, of effect; to trifle; to pother., To walk lazily or idly; to saunter., To poke; to push; also, to disturb; to confuse; to bother. |
pottle |
noun |
A liquid measure of four pints., A pot or tankard., A vessel or small basket for holding fruit. |
poudre |
noun |
Dust; powder. |
poulpe |
noun |
Same as Octopus. |
pounce |
noun |
A fine powder, as of sandarac, or cuttlefish bone, — formerly used to prevent ink from spreading on manuscript., Charcoal dust, or some other colored powder for making patterns through perforated designs, — used by embroiderers, lace makers, etc., To sprinkle or rub with pounce; as, to pounce paper, or a pattern., The claw or talon of a bird of prey., A punch or stamp., Cloth worked in eyelet holes., To strike or seize with the talons; to pierce, as with the talons., To punch; to perforate; to stamp holes in, or dots on, by way of ornament., To fall suddenly and seize with the claws; — with on or upon; as, a hawk pounces upon a chicken. Also used figuratively. |
pounds |
plural |
of Pound, of Pound |
poured |
imp. & past participle |
of Pour |
pourer |
noun |
One who pours. |
pousse |
noun |
Pulse; pease. |
pouted |
imp. & past participle |
of Pout |
pouter |
noun |
One who, or that which, pouts., A variety of the domestic pigeon remarkable for the extent to which it is able to dilate its throat and breast. |
povert |
noun |
Poverty. |
powder |
noun |
The fine particles to which any dry substance is reduced by pounding, grinding, or triturating, or into which it falls by decay; dust., An explosive mixture used in gunnery, blasting, etc.; gunpowder. See Gunpowder., To reduce to fine particles; to pound, grind, or rub into a powder; to comminute; to pulverize; to triturate., To sprinkle with powder, or as with powder; to be sprinkle; as, to powder the hair., To sprinkle with salt; to corn, as meat., To be reduced to powder; to become like powder; as, some salts powder easily., To use powder on the hair or skin; as, she paints and powders. |
powdry |
adjective |
See Powdery. |
powter |
noun |
See Pouter. |
powpow |
noun |
A priest, or conjurer, among the North American Indians., Conjuration attended with great noise and confusion, and often with feasting, dancing, etc., performed by Indians for the cure of diseases, to procure success in hunting or in war, and for other purposes., Hence: Any assembly characterized by noise and confusion; a noisy frolic or gathering. |
powwow |
verb i. |
To use conjuration, with noise and confusion, for the cure of disease, etc., as among the North American Indians., Hence: To hold a noisy, disorderly meeting. |
poxing |
present participle & vb. noun |
of Pox |