pass|word /pɑː swɜː r d, pæ s-/ (passwords ) N‑COUNT A password is a secret word or phrase that you must know in order to be allowed to enter a place such as a military base, or to be allowed to use a computer system. □ No-one could use the computer unless they had a password.
past ◆◆◆ /pɑː st, pæ st/ (pasts ) In addition to the uses shown below, past is used in the phrasal verb 'run past'. 1 N‑SING The past is the time before the present, and the things that have happened. □ In the past, about a third of the babies born to women with diabetes were lost. □ He should learn from the mistakes of the past. We have been here before. ● PHRASE If you accuse someone of living in the past , you mean that they think too much about the past or believe that things are the same as they were in the past. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ What was the point in living in the past, thinking about what had or had not happened?
2 N‑COUNT [usu sing] Your past consists of all the things that you have done or that have happened to you. □ …revelations about his past. □ …Germany's recent past.
3 ADJ [ADJ n] Past events and things happened or existed before the present time. □ I knew from past experience that alternative therapies could help. □ The list of past champions includes many British internationals.
4 ADJ You use past to talk about a period of time that has just finished. For example, if you talk about the past five years , you mean the period of five years that has just finished. □ Most shops have remained closed for the past three days.
5 ADJ [v-link ADJ ] If a situation is past , it has ended and no longer exists. [LITERARY ] □ Many economists believe the worst of the economic downturn is past. □ …images from years long past.
6 ADJ [ADJ n] In grammar, the past tenses of a verb are the ones used to talk about things that happened at some time before the present. The simple past tense uses the past form of a verb, which for regular verbs ends in '-ed', as in 'They walked back to the car'.
7 → see also past perfect
8 PREP You use past when you are stating a time which is thirty minutes or less after a particular hour. For example, if it is twenty past six, it is twenty minutes after six o'clock. □ It's ten past eleven. □ I arrived at half past ten. ● ADV Past is also an adverb. □ I have my lunch at half past.
9 PREP If it is past a particular time, it is later than that time. □ It was past midnight. □ It's past your bedtime.
10 PREP If you go past someone or something, you go near them and keep moving, so that they are then behind you. □ I dashed past him and out of the door. □ A steady procession of people filed past the coffin. ● ADV Past is also an adverb. □ An ambulance drove past.
11 PREP If you look or point past a person or thing, you look or point at something behind them. □ She stared past Christine at the bed.
12 PREP If something is past a place, it is on the other side of it. □ Go north on I-15 to the exit just past Barstow.
13 PREP If someone or something is past a particular point or stage, they are no longer at that point or stage. □ He was well past retirement age.
14 PREP If you are past doing something, you are no longer able to do it. For example, if you are past caring , you do not care about something any more because so many bad things have happened to you. □ She was past caring about anything by then and just wanted the pain to end. □ Often by the time they do accept the truth they are past being able to put words to feelings. ● PHRASE If you say that someone or something is past it , they are no longer able to do what they used to do. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ We could do with a new car. The one we've got is a bit past it.
15 PHRASE If you say that you would not put it past someone to do something bad, you mean that you would not be surprised if they did it because you think their character is bad. □ You know what she's like. I wouldn't put it past her to call the police and say I stole them. COLLOCATIONS past NOUN
1
adjective + past : distant, recent
2
adjective + past : dark, murky, troubled, violent; colourful, glorious, rich SYNONYMS past ADJ 4
last: She got married last July.
recent: Sales have fallen by more than 75 percent in recent years.
previous: It was a surprisingly dry day after the rain of the previous week.
pas|ta /pæ stə, [AM ] pɑː stə/ (pastas ) N‑VAR Pasta is a type of food made from a mixture of flour, eggs, and water that is formed into different shapes and then boiled. Spaghetti, macaroni, and noodles are types of pasta.
paste /pe I st/ (pastes , pasting , pasted )
1 N‑VAR Paste is a soft, wet, sticky mixture of a substance and a liquid, which can be spread easily. Some types of paste are used to stick things together. □ Blend a little milk with the custard powder to form a paste. □ …wallpaper paste.
2 N‑VAR Paste is a soft smooth mixture made of crushed meat, fruit, or vegetables. You can, for example, spread it onto bread or use it in cooking. □ …tomato paste. □ …fish-paste sandwiches.
3 VERB If you paste something on a surface, you put glue or paste on it and stick it on the surface. □ [V n prep] …pasting labels on bottles. □ [V n with adv] Activists pasted up posters criticizing the leftist leaders. [Also V n with n]
4 N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] Paste is a hard shiny glass that is used for making imitation jewellery. □ …paste emeralds.
5 → see also pasting
pas|tel /pæ st ə l, [AM ] pæste l/ (pastels )
1 ADJ [ADJ n] Pastel colours are pale rather than dark or bright. □ …delicate pastel shades. □ …pastel pink, blue, peach and green. ● N‑COUNT Pastel is also a noun. □ The lobby is decorated in pastels.
2 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Pastels are also small sticks of different coloured chalks that are used for drawing pictures. □ …pastels and charcoal. □ …the portrait in pastels.
3 N‑COUNT A pastel is a picture that has been done using pastels. □ …Degas's paintings, pastels, and prints.
pas|teur|ized /pɑː stʃəra I zd, pæ s-/ in BRIT, also use pasteurised ADJ [usu ADJ n] Pasteurized milk, cream, or cheese has had bacteria removed from it by a special heating process to make it safer to eat or drink.
pas|tiche /pæstiː ʃ/ (pastiches ) N‑VAR A pastiche is something such as a piece of writing or music in which the style is copied from somewhere else, or which contains a mixture of different styles. [FORMAL ] □ [+ of ] Peter Baker's bathroom is a brilliant pastiche of expensive interior design.
pas|tille /pæ st ə l, [AM ] pæstiː l/ (pastilles ) N‑COUNT A pastille is a small, round sweet or piece of candy that has a fruit flavour. Some pastilles contain medicine and you can suck them if you have a sore throat or a cough.
pas|time /pɑː sta I m, pæ s-/ (pastimes ) N‑COUNT A pastime is something that you do in your spare time because you enjoy it or are interested in it. □ His favourite pastime is golf.
past|ing /pe I st I ŋ/
1 N‑SING If something or someone takes a pasting , they are severely criticized. [mainly BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ She got a pasting from show bosses after swearing during Monday night's live show. □ …the critical pasting that the film received.
2 N‑SING If a sports team or political party is given a pasting , they are heavily defeated. [mainly BRIT , INFORMAL ]
pa st ma s|ter (past masters ) N‑COUNT If you are a past master at something, you are very skilful at it because you have had a lot of experience doing it. □ [+ at ] He was a past master at manipulating the media for his own ends. □ [+ of ] She is an adept rock-climber and a past master of the assault course. [Also + in ]
pas|tor /pɑː stə r , pæ stə r / (pastors ) N‑COUNT A pastor is a member of the Christian clergy in some Protestant churches.
pas|to|ral /pɑː stərəl, pæ st-/
1 ADJ [ADJ n] The pastoral duties of a priest or other religious leader involve looking after the people he or she has responsibility for, especially by helping them with their personal problems. □ Many churches provide excellent pastoral counselling.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] If a school offers pastoral care, it is concerned with the personal needs and problems of its pupils, not just with their schoolwork. [mainly BRIT ] □ A few schools now offer counselling sessions; all have some system of pastoral care.
3 ADJ [ADJ n] A pastoral place, atmosphere, or idea is characteristic of peaceful country life and scenery. □ …a tranquil pastoral scene.
pa st pa r|ti|ci|ple (past participles ) N‑COUNT In grammar, the past participle of a verb is a form that is usually the same as the past form and so ends in '-ed'. A number of verbs have irregular past participles, for example 'break' (past participle 'broken'), and 'come' (past participle 'come'). Past participles are used to form perfect tenses and the passive voice, and many of them can be used like an adjective in front of a noun.
pa st per|fect ADJ [ADJ n] In grammar, the past perfect tenses of a verb are the ones used to talk about things that happened before a specific time. The simple past perfect tense uses 'had' and the past participle of the verb, as in 'She had seen him before'. It is sometimes called the pluperfect .
pas|tra|mi /pæstrɑː mi/ N‑UNCOUNT Pastrami is strongly seasoned smoked beef.
pas|try /pe I stri/ (pastries )
1 N‑UNCOUNT Pastry is a food made from flour, fat, and water that is mixed together, rolled flat, and baked in the oven. It is used, for example, for making pies.
2 N‑COUNT A pastry is a small cake made with sweet pastry.
pas|ture /pɑː stʃə r , pæ s-/ (pastures )
1 N‑VAR Pasture is land with grass growing on it for farm animals to eat. □ The cows are out now, grazing in the pasture.
2 PHRASE If someone leaves for greener pastures , or in British English pastures new , they leave their job, their home, or the situation they are in for something they think will be much better. □ Michael decided he wanted to move on to pastures new for financial reasons.
3 PHRASE If you put animals out to pasture , you move them out into the fields so they can eat the grass.
pasty (pasties , pastier , pastiest ) The adjective is pronounced /pe I sti/. The noun is pronounced /pæ sti/. 1 ADJ If you are pasty or if you have a pasty face, you look pale and unhealthy. □ My complexion remained pale and pasty.
2 N‑COUNT In Britain, a pasty is a small pie which consists of pastry folded around meat, vegetables, or cheese.
3 → see also Cornish pasty
pat /pæ t/ (pats , patting , patted )
1 VERB If you pat something or someone, you tap them lightly, usually with your hand held flat. □ [V n + on ] 'Don't you worry about any of this,' she said patting me on the knee. □ [V n] The landlady patted her hair nervously. □ [V n adj] Wash the lettuce and pat it dry. ● N‑COUNT Pat is also a noun. □ [+ on ] He gave her an encouraging pat on the shoulder.
2 N‑COUNT A pat of butter or something else that is soft is a small lump of it.
3 ADJ If you say that an answer or explanation is pat , you disapprove of it because it is too simple and sounds as if it has been prepared in advance. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ There's no pat answer to that.
4 PHRASE If you give someone a pat on the back or if you pat them on the back , you show them that you think they have done well and deserve to be praised. [APPROVAL ] □ The players deserve a pat on the back.
5 PHRASE If you have an answer or explanation down pat or off pat , you have prepared and learned it so you are ready to say it at any time. □ I have my story down pat.
patch /pæ tʃ/ (patches , patching , patched )
1 N‑COUNT A patch on a surface is a part of it which is different in appearance from the area around it. □ [+ on ] …the bald patch on the top of his head. □ [+ of ] There was a small patch of blue in the grey clouds.
2 N‑COUNT A patch of land is a small area of land where a particular plant or crop grows. □ [+ of ] …a patch of land covered in forest. □ …the little vegetable patch in her backyard.
3 N‑COUNT A patch is a piece of material which you use to cover a hole in something. □ [+ on ] …jackets with patches on the elbows.
4 N‑COUNT A patch is a small piece of material which you wear to cover an injured eye. □ [+ over ] She went to the hospital and found him lying down with a patch over his eye.
5 → see also eye patch
6 VERB If you patch something that has a hole in it, you mend it by fastening a patch over the hole. □ [V n] He and Walker patched the barn roof. □ [V -ed] …their patched clothes.
7 N‑COUNT A patch is a piece of computer program code written as a temporary solution for dealing with a virus in computer software and distributed by the makers of the original program. [COMPUTING ] □ Older machines will need a software patch to be loaded to correct the date.
8 PHRASE If you have or go through a bad patch or a rough patch , you have a lot of problems for a time. [mainly BRIT ] □ I'm going through a very bad patch just now.
9 PHRASE If you say that someone or something is not a patch on another person or thing, you mean that they are not as good as that person or thing. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ Handsome, she thought, but not a patch on Alex.
▸ patch up
1 PHRASAL VERB If you patch up a quarrel or relationship, you try to be friendly again and not to quarrel any more. □ [V P n] They have gone on holiday to try to patch up their marriage. □ [V P n + with ] He has now patched up his differences with the Minister. □ [V n P + with ] I did my best to patch things up with her but it didn't seem to work. □ [V n P ] They managed to patch it up.
2 PHRASAL VERB If you patch up something which is damaged, you mend it or patch it. □ [V P n] We can patch up those holes. [Also V n P ]
3 PHRASAL VERB If doctors patch someone up or patch their wounds up , they treat their injuries. □ [V n P ] …the medical staff who patched her up after the accident. □ [V P n] Emergency surgery patched up his face.
patch|work /pæ tʃwɜː r k/
1 ADJ [ADJ n] A patchwork quilt, cushion, or piece of clothing is made by sewing together small pieces of material of different colours or patterns. □ …beds covered in patchwork quilts. ● N‑UNCOUNT Patchwork is also a noun. □ For centuries, quilting and patchwork have been popular needlecrafts.
2 N‑SING If you refer to something as a patchwork , you mean that it is made up of many different parts, pieces or colours. □ [+ of ] The low mountains were a patchwork of green and brown. □ [+ of ] …this complex republic, a patchwork of cultures, religions and nationalities.
patchy /pæ tʃi/ (patchier , patchiest )
1 ADJ A patchy substance or colour exists in some places but not in others, or is thick in some places and thin in others. □ Thick patchy fog and irresponsible driving were to blame. □ …the brown, patchy grass.
2 ADJ If something is patchy , it is not completely reliable or satisfactory because it is not always good. □ The evidence is patchy.
pate /pe I t/ (pates ) N‑COUNT Your pate is the top of your head. [OLD-FASHIONED ] □ …Bryan's bald pate.
pâté /pæ te I , [AM ] pɑːte I / (pâtés ) N‑VAR Pâté is a soft mixture of meat, fish, or vegetables with various flavourings, and is eaten cold.
pa|tent /pe I t ə nt, [AM ] pæ t-/ (patents , patenting , patented ) The pronunciation /pæ t ə nt/ is also used for meanings 1 and 2 in British English. 1 N‑COUNT A patent is an official right to be the only person or company allowed to make or sell a new product for a certain period of time. □ [+ on ] P&G applied for a patent on its cookies. □ [+ for ] He held a number of patents for his many innovations.
2 VERB If you patent something, you obtain a patent for it. □ [V n] He patented the idea that the atom could be split. □ [V -ed] …a patented process for disinfecting liquids.
3 ADJ You use patent to describe something, especially something bad, in order to indicate in an emphatic way that you think its nature or existence is clear and obvious. [EMPHASIS ] □ This was patent nonsense. □ …a patent lie. ● pa|tent|ly ADV □ He made his displeasure patently obvious.
pa |tent lea th|er N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] Patent leather is leather which has a shiny surface. It is used to make shoes, bags, and belts. □ He wore patent leather shoes.
pa|ter|nal /pətɜː r n ə l/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Paternal is used to describe feelings or actions which are typical of those of a kind father towards his child. □ He put his hand under her chin in an almost paternal gesture.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] A paternal relative is one that is related through a person's father rather than their mother. □ …my paternal grandparents.
pa|ter|nal|ism /pətɜː r nəl I zəm/ N‑UNCOUNT Paternalism means taking all the decisions for the people you govern, employ, or are responsible for, so that they cannot or do not have to make their own decisions. □ …the company's reputation for paternalism.
pa|ter|nal|ist /pətɜː r nəl I st/ (paternalists )
1 N‑COUNT A paternalist is a person who acts in a paternalistic way. □ Primo de Rivera himself was a benevolent and sincere paternalist.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Paternalist means the same as paternalistic . □ …a paternalist policy of state welfare for the deserving poor.
pa|ter|nal|is|tic /pətɜː r nəl I st I k/ ADJ Someone who is paternalistic takes all the decisions for the people they govern, employ, or are responsible for. □ The doctor is being paternalistic. He's deciding what information the patient needs to know.
pa|ter|nity /pətɜː r n I ti/ N‑UNCOUNT Paternity is the state or fact of being the father of a particular child. [FORMAL ] □ He was of unknown paternity.
pa|te r|nity leave N‑UNCOUNT If a man has paternity leave , his employer allows him some time off work because his child has just been born. [BUSINESS ]
pa|te r|nity suit (paternity suits ) N‑COUNT If a woman starts or takes out a paternity suit , she asks a court of law to help her to prove that a particular man is the father of her child, often in order to claim financial support from him.
path ◆◇◇ /pɑː θ, pæ θ/ (paths )
1 N‑COUNT A path is a long strip of ground which people walk along to get from one place to another. □ We followed the path along the clifftops. □ Feet had worn a path in the rock. □ He went up the garden path to knock on the door.
2 N‑COUNT [usu poss N ] Your path is the space ahead of you as you move along. □ A group of reporters blocked his path.
3 N‑COUNT [with poss] The path of something is the line which it moves along in a particular direction. □ [+ of ] He stepped without looking into the path of a reversing car.
4 N‑COUNT A path that you take is a particular course of action or way of achieving something. □ [+ of/to ] The opposition appear to have chosen the path of cooperation rather than confrontation.
5 N‑COUNT [usu with poss] You can say that something is in your path or blocking your path to mean that it is preventing you from doing or achieving what you want. □ [+ of ] There are serious obstacles in the path of reform.
6 PHRASE If you cross someone's path or if your paths cross , you meet them by chance. □ It was highly unlikely that their paths would cross again.
pa|thet|ic /pəθe t I k/
1 ADJ If you describe a person or animal as pathetic , you mean that they are sad and weak or helpless, and they make you feel very sorry for them. □ The small group of onlookers presented a pathetic sight. □ She now looked small, shrunken and pathetic. ● pa|theti|cal|ly /pəθe t I kli/ ADV □ She was pathetically thin.
2 ADJ If you describe someone or something as pathetic , you mean that they make you feel impatient or angry, often because they are weak or not very good. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ What pathetic excuses. □ 'This area is pathetic,' he says. 'It has so few hotels.' ● pa|theti|cal|ly ADV [ADV adj] □ Five women in a group of 18 people is a pathetically small number.
path|finder /pɑː θfa I ndə r , pæ θ-/ (pathfinders ) N‑COUNT A pathfinder is someone whose job is to find routes across areas.
patho|gen /pæ θədʒen/ (pathogens ) N‑COUNT A pathogen is any organism which can cause disease in a person, animal, or plant. [TECHNICAL ]
patho|gen|ic /pæ θədʒe n I k/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] A pathogenic organism can cause disease in a person, animal, or plant. [TECHNICAL ]
patho|logi|cal /pæ θəlɒ dʒ I k ə l/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] You describe a person or their behaviour as pathological when they behave in an extreme and unacceptable way, and have very powerful feelings which they cannot control. □ He's a pathological liar. □ …a pathological fear of snakes.
2 ADJ Pathological means relating to pathology or illness. [MEDICAL ] □ …pathological conditions in animals.
pa|tholo|gist /pəθɒ lədʒ I st/ (pathologists ) N‑COUNT A pathologist is someone who studies or investigates diseases and illnesses, and examines dead bodies in order to find out the cause of death.
pa|thol|ogy /pəθɒ lədʒi/ N‑UNCOUNT Pathology is the study of the way diseases and illnesses develop. [MEDICAL ]
pa|thos /pe I θɒs/ N‑UNCOUNT Pathos is a quality in a situation, film, or play that makes people feel sadness and pity. □ [+ of ] …the pathos of man's isolation.
path|way /pɑː θwe I , pæ θ-/ (pathways )
1 N‑COUNT A pathway is a path which you can walk along or a route which you can take. □ Richard was coming up the pathway. □ …a pathway leading towards the nearby river.
2 N‑COUNT A pathway is a particular course of action or a way of achieving something. □ [+ to ] Diplomacy will smooth your pathway to success.
pa|tience /pe I ʃ ə ns/
1 N‑UNCOUNT If you have patience , you are able to stay calm and not get annoyed, for example when something takes a long time, or when someone is not doing what you want them to do. □ He doesn't have the patience to wait. □ It was exacting work and required all his patience.
2 PHRASE If someone tries your patience or tests your patience , they annoy you so much that it is very difficult for you to stay calm. □ He tended to stutter, which tried her patience.
pa|tient ◆◆◇ /pe I ʃ ə nt/ (patients )
1 N‑COUNT A patient is a person who is receiving medical treatment from a doctor or hospital. A patient is also someone who is registered with a particular doctor. □ The earlier the treatment is given, the better the patient's chances. □ He specialized in treatment of cancer patients.
2 ADJ If you are patient , you stay calm and do not get annoyed, for example when something takes a long time, or when someone is not doing what you want them to do. □ Please be patient–your cheque will arrive. □ [+ with ] He was endlessly kind and patient with children. ● pa|tient|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ She waited patiently for Frances to finish. SYNONYMS patient ADJ 2
forbearing: He was always very forbearing.
understanding: Her boss, who was very understanding, gave her time off.
tolerant: They need to be tolerant of different points of view.
uncomplaining: He was a cheerful and uncomplaining travel companion.
pati|na /pæ t I nə/
1 N‑SING A patina is a thin layer of something that has formed on the surface of something. □ [+ of ] He allowed a fine patina of old coffee to develop around the inside of the mug.
2 N‑SING The patina on an old object is an attractive soft shine that has developed on its surface, usually because it has been used a lot. □ [+ of ] …a mahogany door that is golden brown with the patina of age.
3 N‑SING If you say that someone has a patina of a quality or characteristic, you mean that they have a small but impressive amount of this quality or characteristic. □ [+ of ] …a superficial patina of knowledge.
pa|tio /pæ tioʊ/ (patios ) N‑COUNT A patio is an area of flat blocks or concrete next to a house, where people can sit and relax or eat.
pa |tio doo r (patio doors ) N‑COUNT Patio doors are glass doors that lead onto a patio.
pa|tis|serie /pətiː səri, [AM ] -t I s-/ (patisseries )
1 N‑COUNT A patisserie is a shop where cakes and pastries are sold.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Patisserie is cakes and pastries. □ Blois is famous for patisserie.
pat|ois patois is both the singular and the plural form; the singular form is pronounced /pæ twɑː/, and the plural form is pronounced /pæ twɑːz/. 1 N‑VAR A patois is a form of a language, especially French, that is spoken in a particular area of a country. □ In France patois was spoken in rural, less developed regions.
2 N‑VAR A patois is a language that has developed from a mixture of other languages. □ A substantial proportion of the population speak a French-based patois.
pa|tri|arch /pe I triɑː r k/ (patriarchs )
1 N‑COUNT A patriarch is the male head of a family or tribe. □ [+ of ] The patriarch of the house, Mr Jawad, rules it with a ferocity renowned throughout the neighbourhood.
2 N‑COUNT ; N‑TITLE A patriarch is the head of one of a number of Eastern Christian Churches.
pa|tri|ar|chal /pe I triɑː r kəl/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] A patriarchal society, family, or system is one in which the men have all or most of the power and importance. □ To feminists she is a classic victim of the patriarchal society.
pa|tri|ar|chy /pe I triɑː r ki/ (patriarchies )
1 N‑UNCOUNT Patriarchy is a system in which men have all or most of the power and importance in a society or group. □ The main cause of women's and children's oppression is patriarchy.
2 N‑COUNT A patriarchy is a patriarchal society.
pa|tri|cian /pətr I ʃ ə n/ (patricians )
1 N‑COUNT A patrician is a person who comes from a family of high social rank. [FORMAL ] □ …the patrician banker Sir Charles Villiers.
2 ADJ If you describe someone as patrician , you mean that they behave in a sophisticated way, and look as though they are from a high social rank. □ He was a lean, patrician gent in his early sixties.
pat|ri|mo|ny /pæ tr I məni, [AM ] -moʊni/
1 N‑SING Someone's patrimony is the possessions that they have inherited from their father or ancestors. [FORMAL ] □ I left my parents' house, relinquished my estate and my patrimony.
2 N‑SING A country's patrimony is its land, buildings, and works of art. [FORMAL ] □ In the 1930s, The National Trust began its campaign to save Britain's patrimony of threatened country houses.
pa|tri|ot /pæ triət, pe I t-/ (patriots ) N‑COUNT Someone who is a patriot loves their country and feels very loyal towards it. □ They were staunch British patriots and had portraits of the Queen in their flat.
pat|ri|ot|ic /pæ triɒ t I k, pe I t-/ ADJ Someone who is patriotic loves their country and feels very loyal towards it. □ Woosnam was fiercely patriotic. □ The crowd sang 'Land of Hope and Glory' and other patriotic songs.
pat|ri|ot|ism /pæ triət I zəm, pe I t-/ N‑UNCOUNT Patriotism is love for your country and loyalty towards it. □ He was a country boy who had joined the army out of a sense of patriotism and adventure.
pa|trol /pətroʊ l/ (patrols , patrolling , patrolled )
1 VERB When soldiers, police, or guards patrol an area or building, they move around it in order to make sure that there is no trouble there. □ [V n] Prison officers continued to patrol the grounds within the jail. ● N‑COUNT Patrol is also a noun. □ He failed to return from a patrol.
2 PHRASE Soldiers, police, or guards who are on patrol are patrolling an area. □ …a sympathetic portrait of the daily pressures faced by soldiers on patrol.
3 N‑COUNT A patrol is a group of soldiers or vehicles that are patrolling an area. □ Guerrillas attacked a patrol with hand grenades.
pa|tro l car (patrol cars ) N‑COUNT A patrol car is a police car used for patrolling streets and roads.
patrol|man /pətroʊ lmən/ (patrolmen )
1 N‑COUNT A patrolman is a police officer who patrols a particular area. [AM ]
2 N‑COUNT A patrolman is a person employed by a motoring organization to help members of the organization when their cars break down. [BRIT ]
pa|tro l wag|on (patrol wagons ) N‑COUNT A patrol wagon is a van or truck which the police use for transporting prisoners. [AM ]
pa|tron /pe I trən/ (patrons )
1 N‑COUNT A patron is a person who supports and gives money to artists, writers, or musicians. □ [+ of ] Catherine the Great was a patron of the arts and sciences.
2 N‑COUNT The patron of a charity, group, or campaign is an important person who allows his or her name to be used for publicity. □ [+ of ] Fiona and Alastair have become patrons of the National Missing Person's Helpline.
3 N‑COUNT The patrons of a place such as a pub, bar, or hotel are its customers. [FORMAL ]
pat|ron|age /pæ trən I dʒ, pe I t-/ N‑UNCOUNT [oft with poss] Patronage is the support and money given by someone to a person or a group such as a charity. □ [+ of ] …government patronage of the arts in Europe.
pa|tron|ess /pe I trənes/ (patronesses ) N‑COUNT A woman who is a patron of something can be described as a patroness .
pat|ron|ize /pæ trəna I z, [AM ] pe I t-/ (patronizes , patronizing , patronized ) in BRIT, also use patronise 1 VERB If someone patronizes you, they speak or behave towards you in a way which seems friendly, but which shows that they think they are superior to you in some way. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [V n] Don't you patronize me! □ [V -ed] Cornelia often felt patronised by her tutors.
2 VERB Someone who patronizes artists, writers, or musicians supports them and gives them money. [FORMAL ] □ [V n] The Japanese Imperial family patronises the Japanese Art Association.
3 VERB If someone patronizes a place such as a pub, bar, or hotel, they are one of its customers. [FORMAL ] □ [V n] The ladies of Berne liked to patronize the Palace for tea and little cakes.
pat|ron|iz|ing /pæ trəna I z I ŋ, [AM ] pe I t-/ in BRIT, also use patronising ADJ If someone is patronizing , they speak or behave towards you in a way that seems friendly, but which shows that they think they are superior to you. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ The tone of the interview was unnecessarily patronizing .
pa t|ron sai nt (patron saints ) N‑COUNT [usu with poss] The patron saint of a place, an activity, or a group of people is a saint who is believed to give them special help and protection. □ [+ of ] Chiswick church is dedicated to St Nicholas, patron saint of sailors.
pat|sy /pæ tsi/ (patsies ) N‑COUNT If you describe someone as a patsy , you mean that they are rather stupid and are easily tricked by other people, or can be made to take the blame for other people's actions. [AM , INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ Davis was nobody's patsy.
pat|ter /pæ tə r / (patters , pattering , pattered )
1 VERB If something patters on a surface, it hits it quickly several times, making quiet, tapping sounds. □ [V adv/prep] Rain pattered gently outside, dripping on to the roof from the pines.
2 N‑SING A patter is a series of quick, quiet, tapping sounds. □ [+ of ] …the patter of the driving rain on the roof.
3 N‑SING [usu poss N ] Someone's patter is a series of things that they say quickly and easily, usually in order to entertain people or to persuade them to buy or do something. □ Fran began her automatic patter about how Jon had been unavoidably detained.
pat|tern ◆◆◇ /pæ tə r n/ (patterns )
1 N‑COUNT A pattern is the repeated or regular way in which something happens or is done. □ All three attacks followed the same pattern. □ [+ of ] A change in the pattern of his breathing became apparent.
2 N‑COUNT A pattern is an arrangement of lines or shapes, especially a design in which the same shape is repeated at regular intervals over a surface. □ [+ of ] …a golden robe embroidered with red and purple thread stitched into a pattern of flames.
3 N‑COUNT A pattern is a diagram or shape that you can use as a guide when you are making something such as a model or a piece of clothing. □ [+ for ] …cutting out a pattern for trousers. COLLOCATIONS pattern NOUN
1
noun + pattern : breathing, sleep, speech, thought; shift, weather; behaviour, migration, voting
adjective + pattern : familiar, normal, regular
verb + pattern : exhibit, follow, repeat, show; establish, set
2
adjective + pattern : complex, floral, geometric, intricate SYNONYMS pattern NOUN
1
order: List the key headings and sort them into a logical order.
system: …a flexible and relatively efficient filing system.
arrangement: …an arrangement of dark-blue armchairs around a coffee table.
sequence: …the colour sequence yellow, orange, purple, blue, green and white.
2
design: Their range of tableware is decorated with a blackberry design.
decoration: The only wall decorations are candles and a single mirror.
pat|terned /pæ tə r nd/
1 ADJ Something that is patterned is covered with a pattern or design. □ …a plain carpet with a patterned border. □ [+ with ] …bone china patterned with flowers.
2 V-PASSIVE If something new is patterned on something else that already exists, it is deliberately made so that it has similar features. [mainly AM ] □ [be V -ed + on ] New York City announced a 10-point policy patterned on the federal bill of rights for taxpayers. □ [be V -ed + after ] He says this contract should not be patterned after the Deere pact.
pat|tern|ing /pæ tə r n I ŋ/
1 N‑UNCOUNT Patterning is the forming of fixed ways of behaving or of doing things by constantly repeating something or copying other people. [FORMAL ] □ …social patterning. □ [+ of ] …the patterning of behaviour.
2 N‑UNCOUNT You can refer to lines, spots, or other patterns as patterning . □ …geometric patterning. □ [+ of ] …a jazzy patterning of lights.
pat|ty /pæ ti/ (patties )
1 N‑COUNT A patty is a small, round meat pie. [mainly AM ]
2 N‑COUNT A patty is an amount of minced meat formed into a flat, round shape.
pau|city /pɔː s I ti/ N‑SING If you say that there is a paucity of something, you mean that there is not enough of it. [FORMAL ] □ [+ of ] Even the film's impressive finale can't hide the first hour's paucity of imagination. □ [+ of ] …the paucity of good British women sprinters.
paunch /pɔː ntʃ/ (paunches ) N‑COUNT If a man has a paunch , he has a fat stomach. □ He finished his dessert and patted his paunch.
paunchy /pɔː ntʃi/ (paunchier , paunchiest ) ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] A man who is paunchy has a fat stomach.
pau|per /pɔː pə r / (paupers ) N‑COUNT A pauper is a very poor person. [FORMAL ] □ He died a pauper and is buried in an unmarked grave.
pause ◆◇◇ /pɔː z/ (pauses , pausing , paused )
1 VERB If you pause while you are doing something, you stop for a short period and then continue. □ [V ] 'It's rather embarrassing,' he began, and paused. □ [V ] On leaving, she paused for a moment at the door. □ [V + for ] He talked for two hours without pausing for breath.
2 N‑COUNT A pause is a short period when you stop doing something before continuing. □ After a pause Alex said sharply: 'I'm sorry if I've upset you'. SYNONYMS pause NOUN 2
delay: They claimed that such a delay wouldn't hurt anyone.
interval: There was a long interval of silence.
hesitation: …the prime minister's hesitation to accept a ceasefire.
pave /pe I v/ (paves , paving , paved )
1 VERB [usu passive] If a road or an area of ground has been paved , it has been covered with flat blocks of stone or concrete, so that it is suitable for walking or driving on. □ [be V -ed] The avenue had never been paved, and deep mud made it impassable in winter. ● paved ADJ □ …a small paved courtyard. [Also + with ]
2 PHRASE If one thing paves the way for another, it creates a situation in which it is possible or more likely that the other thing will happen. [JOURNALISM ] □ The discussions are aimed at paving the way for formal negotiations between the two countries.
pave|ment /pe I vmənt/ (pavements )
1 N‑COUNT A pavement is a path with a hard surface, usually by the side of a road. [BRIT ] □ He was hurrying along the pavement. in AM, use sidewalk 2 N‑COUNT The pavement is the hard surface of a road. [AM ]
pa|vil|ion /pəv I liən/ (pavilions )
1 N‑COUNT A pavilion is a building on the edge of a sports field where players can change their clothes and wash. [BRIT ] □ …the cricket pavilion.
2 N‑COUNT A pavilion is a large temporary structure such as a tent, which is used at outdoor public events. □ …the United States pavilion at the Expo '70 exhibition in Japan.
pav|ing /pe I v I ŋ/ N‑UNCOUNT Paving is flat blocks of stone or concrete covering an area. □ In the centre of the paving stood a statue. □ …concrete paving.
pa v|ing stone (paving stones ) N‑COUNT Paving stones are flat pieces of stone or concrete, usually square in shape, that are put on the ground, for example to make a path. [mainly BRIT ]
pav|lo|va /pævloʊ və/ (pavlovas ) N‑VAR A pavlova is a dessert which consists of a hard base made of egg whites and sugar with fruit and cream on top.
paw /pɔː / (paws , pawing , pawed )
1 N‑COUNT [oft with poss] The paws of an animal such as a cat, dog, or bear are its feet, which have claws for gripping things and soft pads for walking on. □ The kitten was black with white front paws and a white splotch on her chest.
2 N‑COUNT [oft poss N , adj N ] You can describe someone's hand as their paw , especially if it is very large or if they are very clumsy. [mainly HUMOROUS , INFORMAL ] □ He shook Keaton's hand with his big paw.
3 VERB If an animal paws something, it draws its foot over it or down it. □ [V n] Madigan's horse pawed the ground. □ [V + at ] The dogs continued to paw and claw frantically at the chain mesh.
4 VERB If one person paws another, they touch or stroke them in a way that the other person finds offensive. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [V n] Stop pawing me, Giles! □ [V + at ] He pawed at my jacket with his free hand.
pawn /pɔː n/ (pawns , pawning , pawned )
1 VERB If you pawn something that you own, you leave it with a pawnbroker, who gives you money for it and who can sell it if you do not pay back the money before a certain time. □ [V n] He is contemplating pawning his watch.
2 N‑COUNT In chess, a pawn is the smallest and least valuable playing piece. Each player has eight pawns at the start of the game.
3 N‑COUNT If you say that someone is using you as a pawn , you mean that they are using you for their own advantage. □ It looks as though he is being used as a political pawn by the President.
pawn|broker /pɔː nbroʊkə r / (pawnbrokers ) N‑COUNT A pawnbroker is a person who lends people money. People give the pawnbroker something they own, which can be sold if they do not pay back the money before a certain time.
pa wn shop (pawn shops ) also pawnshop N‑COUNT A pawn shop is a pawnbroker's shop.
paw|paw /pɔː pɔː/ (pawpaws ) also paw-paw N‑VAR A pawpaw is a fruit with green skin, sweet yellow flesh, and black seeds and grows in hot countries such as the West Indies. [BRIT ] in AM, use papaya
pay ◆◆◆ /pe I / (pays , paying , paid )
1 VERB When you pay an amount of money to someone, you give it to them because you are buying something from them or because you owe it to them. When you pay something such as a bill or a debt, you pay the amount that you owe. □ [V + for ] Accommodation is free–all you pay for is breakfast and dinner. □ [V n + for ] We paid £35 for each ticket. □ [V n] The wealthier may have to pay a little more in taxes. □ [V n + to ] He proposes that businesses should pay taxes to the federal government. □ [V adv/prep] You can pay by credit card. [Also V to-inf, V n to-inf, V ]
2 VERB When you are paid , you get your wages or salary from your employer. □ [be/get V -ed n] The lawyer was paid a huge salary. □ [get/be V -ed adv] I get paid monthly. □ [V adv] They could wander where they wished and take jobs from who paid best.
3 N‑UNCOUNT Your pay is the money that you get from your employer as wages or salary. □ …their complaints about their pay and conditions. □ …the workers' demand for a twenty per cent pay rise.
4 VERB If you are paid to do something, someone gives you some money so that you will help them or perform some service for them. □ [be V -ed to-inf] Students were paid substantial sums of money to do nothing all day but lie in bed. □ [V n n] If you help me, I'll pay you anything.
5 VERB If a government or organization makes someone pay for something, it makes them responsible for providing the money for it, for example by increasing prices or taxes. □ [V + for ] …an international treaty that establishes who must pay for environmental damage. □ [V + for ] If you don't subsidize ballet and opera, seat prices will have to go up to pay for it. [Also V ]
6 VERB If a job, deal, or investment pays a particular amount, it brings you that amount of money. □ [V adv] We're stuck in jobs that don't pay very well. □ [V n] The account does not pay interest on a credit balance.
7 VERB If a job, deal, or investment pays , it brings you a profit or earns you some money. □ [V ] They owned land; they made it pay.
8 VERB When you pay money into a bank account, you put the money in the account. □ [V n + into ] He paid £20 into his savings account. □ [V n with adv] There is nothing more annoying than queueing when you only want to pay in a few cheques.
9 VERB If a course of action pays , it results in some advantage or benefit for you. □ [V to-inf] It pays to invest in protective clothing. □ [V ] He talked of defending small nations, of ensuring that aggression does not pay.
10 VERB If you pay for something that you do or have, you suffer as a result of it. □ [V + for ] Britain was to pay dearly for its lack of resolve. □ [V n + for ] Why should I pay the penalty for somebody else's mistake? □ [V n + for ] She feels it's a small price to pay for the pleasure of living in this delightful house. [Also V ]
11 VERB You use pay with some nouns, for example in the expressions pay a visit and pay attention , to indicate that something is given or done. □ [V n n] Do pay us a visit next time you're in Birmingham. □ [V n + to ] He felt a heavy bump, but paid no attention to it. □ [V n] He had nothing to do with arranging the funeral, but came along to pay his last respects.
12 ADJ [ADJ n] Pay television consists of programmes and channels which are not part of a public broadcasting system, and for which people have to pay. □ …the top 100 programmes on pay television in Australia.
13 → see also paid , sick pay
14 PHRASE If something that you buy or invest in pays for itself after a period of time, the money you gain from it, or save because you have it, is greater than the amount you originally spent or invested. □ …investments in energy efficiency that would pay for themselves within five years.
15 PHRASE If you pay your way , you have or earn enough money to pay for what you need, without needing other people to give or lend you money. □ I went to college anyway, as a part-time student, paying my own way. □ The British film industry could not pay its way without a substantial export market.
16 to pay dividends → see dividend
17 to pay through the nose → see nose
18 he who pays the piper calls the tune → see piper
▸ pay back
1 PHRASAL VERB If you pay back some money that you have borrowed or taken from someone, you give them an equal sum of money at a later time. □ [V P n] After several deadlines, David had failed to pay back any of the money. □ [V n P n] I'll pay you back that two quid tomorrow. [Also V n P ]
2 PHRASAL VERB If you pay someone back for doing something unpleasant to you, you take your revenge on them or make them suffer for what they did. □ [V n P + for ] Some day I'll pay you back for this! [Also V n P ]
▸ pay off
1 PHRASAL VERB If you pay off a debt, you give someone all the money that you owe them. □ [V P n] It would take him the rest of his life to pay off that loan. [Also V n P ]
2 PHRASAL VERB If you pay off someone, you give them the amount of money that you owe them or that they are asking for, so that they will not take action against you or cause you any trouble. □ [V P n] …his bid to raise funds to pay off his creditors. [Also V n P ]
3 PHRASAL VERB If an action pays off , it is successful or profitable after a period of time. □ [V P ] Sandra was determined to become a doctor and her persistence paid off.
4 → see also payoff
▸ pay out
1 PHRASAL VERB If you pay out money, usually a large amount, you spend it on something. □ [V P n + for/to ] …football clubs who pay out millions of pounds for players. [Also V P n]
2 PHRASAL VERB When an insurance policy pays out , the person who has the policy receives the money that they are entitled to receive. □ [V P ] Many policies pay out only after a period of weeks or months.
3 → see also payout
▸ pay up PHRASAL VERB If you pay up , you give someone the money that you owe them or that they are entitled to, even though you would prefer not to give it. □ [V P ] We claimed a refund from the association, but they would not pay up. USAGE pay
You must use for
after pay
in sentences like these. Don’t say ‘
Willie paid the drinks
’. Say ‘Willie paid for
the drinks’.
pay|able /pe I əb ə l/
1 ADJ [v-link ADJ ] If an amount of money is payable , it has to be paid or it can be paid. □ [+ on ] Purchase tax was not payable on goods for export. [Also + to ]
2 ADJ [n ADJ ] If a cheque or postal order is made payable to you, it has your name written on it to indicate that you are the person who will receive the money. □ [+ to ] Write, enclosing a cheque made payable to Cobuild Limited.
pa y-as-you-go also pay as you go ADJ Pay-as-you-go is a system in which a person or organization pays for the costs of something when they occur rather than before or afterwards. □ Pensions are paid by the state on a pay-as-you-go basis.
pay|back /pe I bæk/ (paybacks ) also pay-back
1 N‑COUNT [usu sing] You can use payback to refer to the profit or benefit that you obtain from something that you have spent money, time, or effort on. [mainly AM ] □ There is a substantial payback in terms of employee and union relations.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] The payback period of a loan is the time in which you are required or allowed to pay it back.
3 PHRASE Payback time is when someone has to take the consequences of what they have done in the past. You can use this expression to talk about good or bad consequences. □ This was payback time. I've proved once and for all I can become champion.
pa y cheque (pay cheques ) in AM, use paycheck N‑COUNT [oft poss N ] Your pay cheque is a piece of paper that your employer gives you as your wages or salary, and which you can then cash at a bank. You can also use pay cheque as a way of referring to your wages or salary. □ They've worked for about two weeks without a paycheck.
pa y day (pay days ) also payday
1 N‑UNCOUNT Pay day is the day of the week or month on which you receive your wages or salary. □ Until next payday, I was literally without any money.
2 N‑COUNT [oft adj N ] If a sports player has a big pay day , he or she earns a lot of money from winning or taking part in a game or contest. [JOURNALISM ]
pa y|day le nd|er (payday lenders ) N‑COUNT A payday lender is a company that lends small amounts of money for a short time, usually at a very high rate of interest. □ There has been controversy over the sky-high interest rates charged by payday lenders.
pa y|day loa n (payday loans ) N‑COUNT A payday loan is a small amount of money lent to someone for a short time, usually at a very high rate of interest.
pay|dirt /pe I dɜː r t/ also pay dirt PHRASE If you say that someone has struck paydirt or has hit paydirt , you mean that they have achieved sudden success or gained a lot of money very quickly. [mainly AM , INFORMAL ] □ Howard Hawks hit paydirt with 'Rio Bravo'.
PAYE /piː e I wa I iː / N‑UNCOUNT In Britain, PAYE is a system of paying income tax in which your employer pays your tax directly to the government, and then takes this amount from your salary or wages. PAYE is an abbreviation for 'pay as you earn'. [BUSINESS ]
payee /pe I iː / (payees ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] The payee of a cheque or similar document is the person who should receive the money. [FORMAL ]
pa y en|velope (pay envelopes ) N‑COUNT [oft poss N ] Your pay envelope is the envelope containing your wages, which your employer gives you at the end of every week. [AM ] in BRIT, use pay packet
pay|er /pe I ə r / (payers )
1 N‑COUNT [oft n N ] You can refer to someone as a payer if they pay a particular kind of bill or fee. For example, a mortgage payer is someone who pays a mortgage. □ Lower interest rates pleased millions of mortgage payers.
2 → see also ratepayer , taxpayer
3 N‑COUNT [adj N ] A good payer pays you quickly or pays you a lot of money. A bad payer takes a long time to pay you, or does not pay you very much. □ I have always been a good payer and have never gone into debt.
pa y|ing gue st (paying guests ) N‑COUNT A paying guest is a person who pays to stay with someone in their home, usually for a short time. □ My mother took in paying guests.
pay|load /pe I loʊd/ (payloads )
1 N‑VAR The payload of an aircraft or spacecraft is the amount or weight of things or people that it is carrying. [TECHNICAL ] □ With these very large passenger payloads, one question looms above all others – safety.
2 N‑VAR The payload of a missile or similar weapon is the quantity of explosives it contains. [MILITARY ] □ …a gun capable of delivering substantial payloads.
pay|master /pe I mɑːstə r , -mæst-/ (paymasters )
1 N‑COUNT [oft with poss] A paymaster is a person or organization that pays and therefore controls another person or organization. □ …the ruling party's paymasters in business and banking.
2 N‑COUNT A paymaster is an official in the armed forces who is responsible for the payment of wages and salaries. [MILITARY ]
pay|ment ◆◆◇ /pe I mənt/ (payments )
1 N‑COUNT [oft n N ] A payment is an amount of money that is paid to someone, or the act of paying this money. □ Thousands of its customers are in arrears with loans and mortgage payments. □ [+ of ] The fund will make payments of just over £1 billion next year. [Also + to/on ]
2 N‑UNCOUNT Payment is the act of paying money to someone or of being paid. □ [+ of ] He had sought to obtain payment of a sum which he had claimed was owed to him. [Also + for ]
3 → see also balance of payments , down payment
pa y|ment card (payment cards ) N‑COUNT A payment card is a plastic card which you use like a credit card, but which takes the money directly from your bank account.
pay|off /pe I ɒf/ (payoffs ) also pay-off
1 N‑COUNT The payoff from an action is the advantage or benefit that you get from it. □ [+ from ] The payoffs from such a breakthrough would be enormous.
2 N‑COUNT A payoff is a payment which is made to someone, often secretly or illegally, so that they will not cause trouble. □ [+ from ] He owned luxury property abroad, bought with payoffs from foreign companies.
3 N‑COUNT A payoff is a large payment made to someone by their employer when the person has been forced to leave their job. □ The ousted chairman received a £1.5 million payoff from the loss-making oil company.
pay|ola /pe I oʊ lə/ N‑UNCOUNT Payola was the term used for the illegal practice of paying radio broadcasters to play certain CDs, so that the CDs would become more popular and therefore make more profits for the record company. [AM ]
pay|out /pe I aʊt/ (payouts ) also pay-out N‑COUNT A payout is a sum of money, especially a large one, that is paid to someone, for example by an insurance company or as a prize. □ …long delays in receiving insurance payouts.
pa y pack|et (pay packets )
1 N‑COUNT [oft poss N ] Your pay packet is the envelope containing your wages, which your employer gives you at the end of every week. [BRIT ] in AM, use pay envelope 2 N‑COUNT [oft poss N ] You can refer to someone's wages or salary as their pay packet . [BRIT ] in AM, use paycheck , pay
pa y-per-cli ck ADJ A pay-per-click system of payment is one in which a company has adverts on someone else's website and pays the website owner each time someone clicks on the advert. □ The site hosts several pay-per-click adverts.
pa y-per-vie w N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] Pay-per-view is a cable or satellite television system in which you have to pay a fee if you want to watch a particular programme. □ The match appeared on pay-per-view television.
pay|phone /pe I foʊn/ (payphones ) also pay phone N‑COUNT A payphone is a phone which you need to put coins or a card in before you can make a call. Payphones are usually in public places.
pay|roll /pe I roʊl/ (payrolls ) N‑COUNT [oft on N ] The people on the payroll of a company or an organization are the people who work for it and are paid by it. [BUSINESS ] □ They had 87,000 employees on the payroll.
pay|slip /pe I sl I p/ (payslips ) also pay slip N‑COUNT A payslip is a piece of paper given to an employee at the end of each week or month, which states how much money he or she has earned and how much tax has been taken off. [BRIT ]
pay|wall /pe I wɔːl/ (paywalls ) N‑COUNT A paywall is a system that stops the user of a website from seeing other pages on that site if they do not pay. □ Most of their data is behind the paywall.
PC ◆◇◇ /piː siː / (PCs )
1 N‑COUNT ; N‑TITLE In Britain, a PC is a male police officer of the lowest rank. PC is an abbreviation for 'police constable'. □ The PCs took her to the local station. □ PC Keith Gate helped arrest the men.
2 N‑COUNT A PC is a computer that is used by one person at a time in a business, a school, or at home. It is not usually a portable computer. PC is an abbreviation for 'personal computer'. □ The price of a PC has fallen by an average of 25% a year since 1982.
3 ADJ If you say that someone is PC , you mean that they are extremely careful not to offend or upset any group of people in society who have a disadvantage. PC is an abbreviation for 'politically correct'.
pcm pcm is used in advertisements for housing, when indicating how much the rent will be. pcm is a written abbreviation for 'per calendar month'. [BRIT ]
pd pd is a written abbreviation for paid . It is written on a bill to indicate that it has been paid.
PDF /piː diː e f/ N‑UNCOUNT [usu N n] PDF files are computer documents which look exactly like the original documents, regardless of which software or operating system was used to create them. PDF is an abbreviation for 'Portable Document Format'. [COMPUTING ] □ The leaflet is in PDF format.
PE /piː iː / N‑UNCOUNT In schools, PE is a lesson in which pupils do physical exercises or sport. PE is an abbreviation for 'physical education'.
pea /piː / (peas ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] Peas are round green seeds which grow in long thin cases and are eaten as a vegetable.
peace ◆◆◆ /piː s/
1 N‑UNCOUNT [usu N n] If countries or groups involved in a war or violent conflict are discussing peace , they are talking to each other in order to try to end the conflict. □ Leaders of some rival factions signed a peace agreement last week. □ They hope the treaty will bring peace and stability to the region.
2 N‑UNCOUNT [oft at N ] If there is peace in a country or in the world, there are no wars or violent conflicts going on. □ The President spoke of a shared commitment to world peace and economic development. □ …the Nobel Peace Prize.
3 N‑UNCOUNT [usu N n] If you disapprove of weapons, especially nuclear weapons, you can use peace to refer to campaigns and other activities intended to reduce their numbers or stop their use. □ Two peace campaigners were accused of causing damage to an F1 11 nuclear bomber.
4 N‑UNCOUNT [oft in N ] If you have peace , you are not being disturbed, and you are in calm, quiet surroundings. □ All I want is to have some peace and quiet. □ One more question and I'll leave you in peace.
5 N‑UNCOUNT [oft at N ] If you have a feeling of peace , you feel contented and calm and not at all worried. You can also say that you are at peace . □ I had a wonderful feeling of peace and serenity when I saw him.
6 N‑UNCOUNT [oft in N ] If there is peace among a group of people, they live or work together in a friendly way and do not quarrel. You can also say that people live or work in peace with each other. □ …a period of relative peace in the country's industrial relations.
7 N‑COUNT The Peace of a particular place is a treaty or an agreement that was signed there, bringing an end to a war. [OLD-FASHIONED ] □ [+ of ] The Peace of Ryswick was signed in September 1697.
8 → see also breach of the peace , Justice of the Peace
9 PHRASE If you hold or keep your peace , you do not speak, even though there is something you want or ought to say. [FORMAL ] □ …people who knew about this evil man but held their peace.
10 PHRASE If someone in authority, such as the army or the police, keeps the peace , they make sure that people behave and do not fight or quarrel with each other. □ …the first U.N. contingent assigned to help keep the peace in Cambodia.
11 PHRASE If something gives you peace of mind , it stops you from worrying about a particular problem or difficulty. □ He began to insist upon a bullet-proof limousine, just for peace of mind.
12 PHRASE If you express the wish that a dead person may rest in peace , you are showing respect and sympathy for him or her. ' Rest in peace ' or ' RIP ' is also sometimes written on gravestones. [FORMAL ]
peace|able /piː səb ə l/ ADJ Someone who is peaceable tries to avoid quarrelling or fighting with other people. [WRITTEN ] □ …an attempt by ruthless people to impose their will on a peaceable majority.
peace|ably /piː səbli/ ADV [ADV with v] If you do something peaceably , you do it quietly or peacefully, without violence or anger. [WRITTEN ] □ The rival guerrilla groups had agreed to stop fighting and settle their differences peaceably.
Pea ce Corps also peace corps N‑PROPER The Peace Corps is an American organization that sends young people to help with projects in developing countries.
pea ce di vi|dend (peace dividends ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] The peace dividend is the economic benefit that was expected in the world after the end of the Cold War, as a result of money previously spent on defence and arms becoming available for other purposes. □ The peace dividend has not materialised despite military spending going down in most countries.
peace|ful ◆◇◇ /piː sfʊl/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Peaceful activities and situations do not involve war. □ He has attempted to find a peaceful solution to the conflict. □ They emphasised that their equipment was for peaceful and not military purposes. ● peace|ful|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ The U.S. military expects the matter to be resolved peacefully.
2 ADJ Peaceful occasions happen without violence or serious disorder. □ The farmers staged a noisy but peaceful protest outside the headquarters of the organization. ● peace|ful|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ Ten thousand people are reported to have taken part in the protest which passed off peacefully.
3 ADJ Peaceful people are not violent and try to avoid quarrelling or fighting with other people. □ …warriors who killed or enslaved the peaceful farmers. ● peace|ful|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ They've been living and working peacefully with members of various ethnic groups.
4 ADJ A peaceful place or time is quiet, calm, and free from disturbance. □ …a peaceful Georgian house in the heart of Dorset. ● peace|ful|ly ADV [ADV after v] □ Except for traffic noise, the night passed peacefully.
peace|ful|ly /piː sfʊli/
1 ADV [ADV after v] If you say that someone died peacefully , you mean that they suffered no pain or violence when they died. □ He died peacefully on 10th December after a short illness.
2 → see also peaceful
peace|keep|er /piː skiːpə r / (peacekeepers ) also peace-keeper
1 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Peacekeepers are soldiers who are members of a peacekeeping force. □ There's been much fear that the United Nations peacekeepers would be under attack in a situation like that.
2 N‑COUNT [usu sing] If you describe a country or an organization as a peacekeeper , you mean that it often uses its influence or armed forces to try to prevent wars or violent conflicts in the world. □ They want the United Nations to play a bigger role as the world's peacekeeper.
peace|keep|ing /piː skiːp I ŋ/ also peace-keeping N‑UNCOUNT [usu N n] A peacekeeping force is a group of soldiers that is sent to a country where there is war or fighting, in order to try to prevent more violence. Peacekeeping forces are usually made up of troops from several different countries. □ …the possibilities of a U.N. peacekeeping force monitoring the ceasefire in the country.
pea ce-loving ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe someone as peace-loving , you mean that they try to avoid quarrelling or fighting with other people. □ By and large, these people are peace-loving, law-abiding citizens.
peace|maker /piː sme I kə r / (peacemakers ) also peace-maker , peace maker N‑COUNT You can describe an organization, a country or a person as a peacemaker when they try to persuade countries or people to stop fighting or quarrelling. □ …the Labour government's vision of acting as a peacemaker and mediator.
peace|making /piː sme I k I ŋ/ also peace-making N‑UNCOUNT [usu N n] Peacemaking efforts are attempts to persuade countries or groups to stop fighting with each other. □ …the failure of international peacemaking efforts. □ The Church's real mission is to promote reconciliation and take a lead in peace-making.
peace|nik /piː sn I k/ (peaceniks ) N‑COUNT If you describe someone as a peacenik , you mean that they are strongly opposed to war. [INFORMAL ]
pea ce of|fer|ing (peace offerings ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] You can use peace offering to refer to something that you give someone to show that you want to end the quarrel between you. □ 'A peace offering,' Roberts said as he handed the box of cigars to Cohen.
pea ce pro|cess (peace processes ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] A peace process consists of all the meetings, agreements, and negotiations in which people such as politicians are involved when they are trying to arrange peace between countries or groups that are fighting with each other.
peace|time /piː sta I m/ also peace-time N‑UNCOUNT [oft in N ] Peacetime is a period of time during which a country is not at war. □ The British could afford to reduce defence spending in peacetime without excessive risk.
peach /piː tʃ/ (peaches )
1 N‑COUNT [oft N n] A peach is a soft, round, slightly furry fruit with sweet yellow flesh and pinky-orange skin. Peaches grow in warm countries.
2 COLOUR Something that is peach is pale pinky-orange in colour. □ …a peach silk blouse.
pea ches and crea m ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you say that a woman or a girl has a peaches and cream complexion , you mean that she has very clear, smooth, pale skin. [APPROVAL ]
peachy /piː tʃi/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe something as peachy , you mean that it tastes or smells like a peach or is similar in colour to a peach. □ …a rich, peachy flavour. □ …peachy pink.
2 ADJ If you say that something is peachy or peachy keen , you mean that it is very nice. [AM , INFORMAL ] □ Everything in her life is just peachy.
pea|cock /piː kɒk/ (peacocks ) N‑COUNT A peacock is a large bird. The male has a very large tail covered with blue and green spots, which it can spread out like a fan. □ …peacocks strutting slowly across the garden. □ …peacock feathers.
pea |cock blue COLOUR Something that is peacock blue is a deep, bright, greeny-blue in colour.
peak ◆◇◇ /piː k/ (peaks , peaking , peaked )
1 N‑COUNT [usu sing] The peak of a process or an activity is the point at which it is at its strongest, most successful, or most fully developed. □ [+ of ] The party's membership has fallen from a peak of fifty-thousand after the Second World War. □ [+ of ] The bomb went off in a concrete dustbin at the peak of the morning rush hour. □ …a flourishing career that was at its peak at the time of his death.
2 VERB When something peaks , it reaches its highest value or its highest level. □ [V + at ] Temperatures have peaked at over thirty degrees Celsius. □ [V ] His career peaked during the 1970s.
3 ADJ [ADJ n] The peak level or value of something is its highest level or value. □ Calls cost 36p (cheap rate) and 48p (peak rate) per minute.
4 ADJ [ADJ n] Peak times are the times when there is most demand for something or most use of something. □ It's always crowded at peak times.
5 → see also peak time
6 N‑COUNT A peak is a mountain or the top of a mountain. □ …the snow-covered peaks.
7 N‑COUNT The peak of a cap is the part at the front that sticks out above your eyes.
peaked /piː kt/ ADJ [ADJ n] A peaked cap has a pointed or rounded part that sticks out above your eyes. □ …a man in a blue-grey uniform and peaked cap.
pea k time N‑UNCOUNT [oft at /in N , N n] Programmes which are broadcast at peak time are broadcast when the greatest number of people are watching television or listening to the radio. [mainly BRIT ] □ The news programme goes out four times a week at peak time. in AM, usually use prime time
peal /piː l/ (peals , pealing , pealed )
1 VERB When bells peal , they ring one after another, making a musical sound. □ [V ] Church bells pealed at the stroke of midnight. ● N‑COUNT Peal is also a noun. □ [+ of ] …the great peal of the Abbey bells.
2 N‑COUNT A peal of laughter or thunder consists of a long, loud series of sounds. □ [+ of ] I heard a peal of merry laughter.
pea|nut /piː nʌt/ (peanuts )
1 N‑COUNT [usu pl, oft N n] Peanuts are small nuts that grow under the ground. Peanuts are often eaten as a snack, especially roasted and salted. □ …a packet of peanuts. □ Add 2 tablespoons of peanut oil.
2 N‑PLURAL If you say that a sum of money is peanuts , you mean that it is very small. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ The cost was peanuts compared to a new kitchen.
pea |nut bu t|ter N‑UNCOUNT Peanut butter is a brown paste made out of crushed peanuts which you can spread on bread and eat.
pear /peə r / (pears ) N‑COUNT A pear is a sweet, juicy fruit which is narrow near its stalk, and wider and rounded at the bottom. Pears have white flesh and thin green or yellow skin.
pearl /pɜː r l/ (pearls )
1 N‑COUNT A pearl is a hard round object which is shiny and usually creamy-white in colour. Pearls grow inside the shell of an oyster and are used for making expensive jewellery. □ She wore a string of pearls at her throat.
2 → see also mother-of-pearl
3 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Pearl is used to describe something which looks like a pearl. □ …tiny pearl buttons.
pearly /pɜː r li/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Something that is pearly is pale and shines softly, like a pearl. □ …the pearly light of early morning. ● ADJ Pearly is also a combining form. □ …pearly-pink lipstick.
pea r-shaped
1 ADJ Something that is pear-shaped has a shape like a pear. □ …her pear-shaped diamond earrings.
2 ADJ If someone, especially a woman, is pear-shaped , they are wider around their hips than around the top half of their body.
3 PHRASE If a situation goes pear-shaped , bad things start happening. [INFORMAL ] □ He feared his career had gone a bit pear-shaped.
peas|ant /pe z ə nt/ (peasants ) N‑COUNT [N n] A peasant is a poor person of low social status who works on the land; used of people who live in countries where farming is still a common way of life. □ …the peasants in the Peruvian highlands.
peas|ant|ry /pe z ə ntri/ N‑SING [with sing or pl verb] You can refer to all the peasants in a particular country as the peasantry . □ The Russian peasantry stood on the brink of disappearance.
peat /piː t/ N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] Peat is decaying plant material which is found under the ground in some cool, wet regions. Peat can be added to soil to help plants grow, or can be burnt on fires instead of coal.
peaty /piː ti/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Peaty soil or land contains a large quantity of peat.
peb|ble /pe b ə l/ (pebbles ) N‑COUNT A pebble is a small, smooth, round stone which is found on beaches and at the bottom of rivers.
peb|bly /pe bəli/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] A pebbly beach is covered in pebbles.
pe|can /piː kən, [AM ] p I kɑː n/ (pecans ) N‑COUNT Pecans or pecan nuts are nuts with a thin, smooth shell that grow on trees in the southern United States and central America and that you can eat.
pec|ca|dil|lo /pe kəd I loʊ/ (peccadilloes or peccadillos ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] Peccadilloes are small, unimportant sins or faults. [WRITTEN ] □ People are prepared to be tolerant of extra-marital peccadilloes by public figures.
peck /pe k/ (pecks , pecking , pecked )
1 VERB If a bird pecks at something or pecks something, it moves its beak forward quickly and bites at it. □ [V + at ] It was winter and the sparrows were pecking at whatever they could find. □ [V prep/adv] Chickens pecked in the dust. □ [V n] It pecked his leg. □ [V n prep] They turn on their own kind and peck each other to death. □ [V n with adv] These birds peck off all the red flowers. [Also V ]
2 VERB If you peck someone on the cheek, you give them a quick, light kiss. □ [V n + on ] Elizabeth walked up to him and pecked him on the cheek. □ [V n] She pecked his cheek. ● N‑COUNT Peck is also a noun. □ [+ on ] He gave me a little peck on the cheek.
peck|er /pe kə r / (peckers )
1 PHRASE If you tell someone to keep their pecker up , you are encouraging them to be cheerful in a difficult situation. [BRIT , INFORMAL ]
2 N‑COUNT A man's pecker is his penis. [AM , INFORMAL , RUDE ]
pe ck|ing or|der (pecking orders ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] The pecking order of a group is the way that the positions people have are arranged according to their status or power within the group. □ He knew his place in the pecking order.
peck|ish /pe k I ʃ/ ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If you say that you are feeling peckish , you mean that you are slightly hungry. [BRIT , INFORMAL ]
pecs /pe ks/ N‑PLURAL Pecs are the same as pectorals . [INFORMAL ]
pec|tin /pe kt I n/ (pectins ) N‑VAR Pectin is a substance that is found in fruit. It is used when making jam to help it become firm.
pec|to|ral /pe ktərəl/ (pectorals ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] Your pectorals are the large chest muscles that help you to move your shoulders and your arms.
pe|cu|liar /p I kjuː liə r /
1 ADJ If you describe someone or something as peculiar , you think that they are strange or unusual, sometimes in an unpleasant way. □ Mr Kennet has a rather peculiar sense of humour. □ Rachel thought it tasted peculiar. ● pe|cu|liar|ly ADV □ His face had become peculiarly expressionless.
2 ADJ If something is peculiar to a particular thing, person, or situation, it belongs or relates only to that thing, person, or situation. □ [+ to ] The problem is by no means peculiar to America. ● pe|cu|liar|ly ADV □ Cricket is so peculiarly English.
pe|cu|li|ar|ity /p I kjuː liæ r I ti/ (peculiarities )
1 N‑COUNT A peculiarity that someone or something has is a strange or unusual characteristic or habit. □ Joe's other peculiarity was that he was constantly munching hard candy. [Also + of ]
2 N‑COUNT A peculiarity is a characteristic or quality which belongs or relates only to one person or thing. □ [+ of ] …a strange peculiarity of the tax system.
pe|cu|ni|ary /p I kjuː niəri, [AM ] -eri/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Pecuniary means concerning or involving money. [FORMAL ] □ She denies obtaining a pecuniary advantage by deception.
peda|gog|ic /pe dəgɒ dʒ I k/ ADJ [ADJ n] Pedagogic means the same as pedagogical .
peda|gogi|cal /pe dəgɒ dʒ I k ə l/ ADJ [ADJ n] Pedagogical means concerning the methods and theory of teaching. [FORMAL ] □ …the pedagogical methods used in the classroom.
peda|gogue /pe dəgɒg/ (pedagogues ) N‑COUNT If you describe someone as a pedagogue , you mean that they like to teach people things in a firm way as if they know more than anyone else. [FORMAL ] □ De Gaulle was a born pedagogue who used the public platform and the television screen to great effect.
peda|go|gy /pe dəgɒdʒi, [AM ] -goʊdʒi/ N‑UNCOUNT Pedagogy is the study and theory of the methods and principles of teaching. [FORMAL ]
ped|al /pe d ə l/ (pedals , pedalling , pedalled ) in AM, use pedaling , pedaled 1 N‑COUNT The pedals on a bicycle are the two parts that you push with your feet in order to make the bicycle move.
2 VERB When you pedal a bicycle, you push the pedals around with your feet to make it move. □ [V n] She climbed on her bike with a feeling of pride and pedalled the five miles home. □ [V adv/prep] She was too tired to pedal back.
3 → see also back-pedal , soft-pedal
4 N‑COUNT A pedal in a car or on a machine is a lever that you press with your foot in order to control the car or machine. □ …the brake or accelerator pedals.
pe d|al bin (pedal bins ) N‑COUNT A pedal bin is a container for waste, usually in a kitchen or bathroom. It has a lid which is controlled by a pedal that you press with your foot. [BRIT ]
ped|ant /pe d ə nt/ (pedants ) N‑COUNT If you say that someone is a pedant , you mean that they are too concerned with unimportant details or traditional rules, especially in connection with academic subjects. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ I am no pedant and avoid being dogmatic concerning English grammar and expression.
pe|dan|tic /p I dæ nt I k/ ADJ If you think someone is pedantic , you mean that they are too concerned with unimportant details or traditional rules, especially in connection with academic subjects. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ His lecture was so pedantic and uninteresting.
ped|ant|ry /pe d ə ntri/ N‑UNCOUNT If you accuse someone of pedantry , you mean that you disapprove of them because they pay excessive attention to unimportant details or traditional rules, especially in connection with academic subjects. [DISAPPROVAL ]
ped|dle /pe d ə l/ (peddles , peddling , peddled )
1 VERB Someone who peddles things goes from place to place trying to sell them. [OLD-FASHIONED ] □ [V n] His attempts to peddle his paintings around London's tiny gallery scene proved unsuccessful.
2 VERB Someone who peddles drugs sells illegal drugs. □ [V n] He offered the youngster $100 to peddle drugs. ● ped|dling N‑UNCOUNT □ The war against drug peddling is all about cash.
3 VERB If someone peddles an idea or a piece of information, they try very hard to get people to accept it. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [V n] They even set up their own news agency to peddle anti-isolationist propaganda.
ped|dler /pe dlə r / (peddlers ) The spelling pedlar is also used in British English for meanings 1 and 3 . 1 N‑COUNT A peddler is someone who goes from place to place in order to sell something. [AM , also BRIT , OLD-FASHIONED ]
2 N‑COUNT A drug peddler is a person who sells illegal drugs.
3 N‑COUNT A peddler of information or ideas is someone who frequently expresses such ideas to other people. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [+ of ] …the peddlers of fear.
ped|es|tal /pe d I st ə l/ (pedestals )
1 N‑COUNT A pedestal is the base on which something such as a statue stands. □ …a larger-than-life-sized bronze statue on a granite pedestal.
2 N‑COUNT If you put someone on a pedestal , you admire them very much and think that they cannot be criticized. If someone is knocked off a pedestal they are no longer admired. □ Since childhood, I put my own parents on a pedestal. I felt they could do no wrong.
pe|des|trian /p I de striən/ (pedestrians )
1 N‑COUNT [oft N n] A pedestrian is a person who is walking, especially in a town or city, rather than travelling in a vehicle. □ In Los Angeles a pedestrian is a rare spectacle.
2 ADJ If you describe something as pedestrian , you mean that it is ordinary and not at all interesting. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ His style is so pedestrian that the book becomes a real bore.
pe|de s|trian cro ss|ing (pedestrian crossings ) N‑COUNT A pedestrian crossing is a place where pedestrians can cross a street and where motorists must stop to let them cross. [BRIT ] in AM, use crosswalk
pe|des|tri|an|ized /p I de striəna I zd/ in BRIT, also use pedestrianised ADJ [usu ADJ n] A pedestrianized area has been made into an area that is intended for pedestrians, not vehicles. □ …pedestrianized streets. □ There are plans to make the city centre pedestrianized.
pe|de s|trian ma ll (pedestrian malls ) N‑COUNT A pedestrian mall is the same as a pedestrian precinct . [AM ]
pe|de s|trian pre |cinct (pedestrian precincts ) N‑COUNT A pedestrian precinct is a street or part of a town where vehicles are not allowed. [BRIT ] in AM, usually use pedestrian mall
pe|dia|tri|cian /piː diətr I ʃ ə n/ → see paediatrician
pe|di|at|rics /piː diæ tr I ks/ → see paediatrics
pedi|cure /pe d I kjʊə r / (pedicures ) N‑COUNT If you have a pedicure , you have your toenails cut and the skin on your feet softened.
pedi|gree /pe d I griː/ (pedigrees )
1 N‑COUNT If a dog, cat, or other animal has a pedigree , its ancestors are known and recorded. An animal is considered to have a good pedigree when all its known ancestors are of the same type. □ 60 per cent of dogs and ten per cent of cats have pedigrees.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A pedigree animal is descended from animals which have all been of a particular type, and is therefore considered to be of good quality. □ …a pedigree dog.
3 N‑COUNT [oft poss N ] Someone's pedigree is their background or their ancestors. □ Hammer's business pedigree almost guaranteed him the acquaintance of U.S. presidents.
pedi|ment /pe d I mənt/ (pediments ) N‑COUNT A pediment is a large triangular structure built over a door or window as a decoration.
ped|lar /pe dlə r / (pedlars ) → see peddler
pe|do|phile /piː dəfa I l/ (pedophiles ) → see paedophile
pe|do|philia /piː dəf I liə/ → see paedophilia
pee /piː / (pees , peeing , peed ) VERB When someone pees , they urinate. [INFORMAL ] □ [V ] He needed to pee. ● N‑SING Pee is also a noun. □ The driver was probably having a pee.
peek /piː k/ (peeks , peeking , peeked ) VERB If you peek at something or someone, you have a quick look at them, often secretly. □ [V + at ] On two occasions she had peeked at him through a crack in the wall. ● N‑COUNT Peek is also a noun. □ [+ at/into ] American firms have been paying outrageous fees for a peek at the technical data.
peeka|boo /piː kəbuː / also peek-a-boo N‑UNCOUNT ; EXCLAM Peekaboo is a game you play with babies in which you cover your face with your hands or hide behind something and then suddenly show your face, saying 'peekaboo!'
peel /piː l/ (peels , peeling , peeled )
1 N‑UNCOUNT The peel of a fruit such as a lemon or an apple is its skin. □ …grated lemon peel. ● N‑COUNT You can also refer to a peel . [AM ] □ …a banana peel.
2 VERB When you peel fruit or vegetables, you remove their skins. □ [V n] She sat down and began peeling potatoes.
3 VERB If you peel off something that has been sticking to a surface or if it peels off , it comes away from the surface. □ [V n + off/from ] One of the kids was peeling plaster off the wall. □ [V n with off/away ] It took me two days to peel off the labels. □ [V + off/from ] Paint was peeling off the walls. □ [V off/away ] The wallpaper was peeling away close to the ceiling. □ [V -ing] …an unrenovated bungalow with slightly peeling blue paint.
4 VERB [usu cont] If a surface is peeling , the paint on it is coming away. □ [V ] Its once-elegant white pillars are peeling.
5 VERB [usu cont] If you are peeling or if your skin is peeling , small pieces of skin are coming off, usually because you have been burned by the sun. □ [V ] His face was peeling from sunburn.
▸ peel off PHRASAL VERB If you peel off a tight piece of clothing, you take it off, especially by turning it inside out. □ [V P n] She peeled off her gloves. [Also V n P ]
peel|er /piː lə r / (peelers ) N‑COUNT A peeler is a special tool used for removing the skin from fruit and vegetables. □ …a potato peeler.
peel|ings /piː l I ŋz/ N‑PLURAL Peelings are pieces of skin removed from vegetables and fruit. □ …potato peelings.
peep /piː p/ (peeps , peeping , peeped )
1 VERB If you peep , or peep at something, you have a quick look at it, often secretly and quietly. □ [V + at ] Children came to peep at him round the doorway. □ [V ] Now and then she peeped to see if he was noticing her. ● N‑SING Peep is also a noun. □ [+ at ] 'Fourteen minutes,' Chris said, taking a peep at his watch.
2 VERB If something peeps out from behind or under something, a small part of it is visible or becomes visible. □ [V prep/adv] Purple and yellow flowers peeped up between rocks.
peep|hole /piː phoʊl/ (peepholes ) N‑COUNT A peephole is small hole in a door or wall through which you can look secretly at what is happening on the other side.
Pee p|ing To m (Peeping Toms ) N‑COUNT If you refer to someone as a Peeping Tom , you mean that they secretly watch other people, especially when those people are taking their clothes off. [DISAPPROVAL ]
peeps /piː ps/ N‑PLURAL Peeps is a spoken abbreviation for 'people'. [INFORMAL ] □ So what do you think, peeps?
peep|show /piː pʃoʊ/ (peepshows ) N‑COUNT A peepshow is a box containing moving pictures which you can look at through a small hole. Peepshows used to be a form of entertainment at fairs.
peer ◆◇◇ /p I ə r / (peers , peering , peered )
1 VERB If you peer at something, you look at it very hard, usually because it is difficult to see clearly. □ [V prep] I had been peering at a computer print-out that made no sense at all. □ [V prep] He watched the Customs official peer into the driver's window.
2 N‑COUNT In Britain, a peer is a member of the nobility who has or had the right to vote in the House of Lords. □ Lord Swan was made a life peer in 1981.
3 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Your peers are the people who are the same age as you or who have the same status as you. □ His engaging personality made him popular with his peers. SYNONYMS peer VERB 1
gaze: She stood gazing at herself in the mirror.
squint: The girl squinted at the photograph.
peek: On two occasions she had peeked at him through a crack in the wall.
peer|age /p I ə r I dʒ/ (peerages )
1 N‑COUNT If someone has a peerage , they have the rank of a peer. □ The Prime Minister offered him a peerage.
2 N‑SING The peers of a particular country are referred to as the peerage .
peer|ess /p I ə res/ (peeresses ) N‑COUNT In Britain, a peeress is a female peer or a peer's wife.
pee r group (peer groups ) N‑COUNT Your peer group is the group of people you know who are the same age as you or who have the same social status as you. □ It is important for a manager to be able to get the support of his peer group.
peer|less /p I ə r ləs/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Something that is peerless is so beautiful or wonderful that you feel that nothing can equal it. [FORMAL ] □ …two days of clear sunshine under peerless blue skies.
pee r of the rea lm (peers of the realm ) N‑COUNT In Britain, a peer of the realm is a member of the nobility who has the right to sit in the House of Lords.
pee r press|ure N‑UNCOUNT If someone does something because of peer pressure , they do it because other people in their social group do it. □ Naomi admits that it was peer pressure to be 'cool' that drove her into having sex early.
peeved /piː vd/ ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If you are peeved about something, you are annoyed about it. [INFORMAL ] □ Susan couldn't help feeling a little peeved. □ …complaints from peeved citizens who pay taxes.
peev|ish /piː v I ʃ/ ADJ Someone who is peevish is bad-tempered. □ Aubrey had slept little and that always made him peevish. □ She glared down at me with a peevish expression on her face. ● peev|ish|ly ADV [ADV with v, ADV adj] □ Brian sighed peevishly. □ She had grown ever more peevishly dependent on him. ● peev|ish|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ He complained with characteristic peevishness.
peg ◆◇◇ /pe g/ (pegs , pegging , pegged )
1 N‑COUNT A peg is a small hook or knob that is attached to a wall or door and is used for hanging things on. □ His work jacket hung on the peg in the kitchen.
2 N‑COUNT A peg is a small device which you use to fasten clothes to a washing line. [mainly BRIT ] in AM, usually use clothespin 3 N‑COUNT A peg is a small piece of wood or metal that is used for fastening something to something else. □ He builds furniture using wooden pegs instead of nails.
4 VERB If you peg something somewhere or peg it down , you fix it there with pegs. □ [V n prep/adv] …trying to peg a double sheet on a washing line on a blustery day. □ [V n with adv] Peg down netting over the top to keep out leaves. □ [V -ed prep] …a tent pegged to the ground nearby for the kids.
5 VERB If a price or amount of something is pegged at a particular level, it is fixed at that level. □ [be V -ed + to ] Its currency is pegged to the dollar. □ [be V -ed + at ] U.K. trading profits were pegged at £40 million. □ [V n + at ] It is difficult for banks to peg rates at record lows indefinitely. □ [V -ed] …a pegged European currency.
6 → see also level pegging
7 PHRASE Off-the-peg clothes are made in large numbers and sent to shops, not made specially for a particular person. [BRIT ] □ …an off-the-peg two-piece suit. in AM, use off-the-rack
pe|jo|ra|tive /pədʒɒ rət I v, [AM ] -dʒɔː r-/ ADJ A pejorative word or expression is one that expresses criticism of someone or something. [FORMAL ] □ I agree I am ambitious, and I don't see that as a pejorative term.
pe|kin|ese /piː k I niː z/ (pekineses ) also pekingese N‑COUNT A pekinese is a type of small dog with long hair, short legs, and a short, flat nose.
peli|can /pe l I kən/ (pelicans ) N‑COUNT A pelican is a type of large water bird. It catches fish and keeps them in the bottom part of its beak which is shaped like a large bag.
pe li|can cro ss|ing (pelican crossings ) N‑COUNT A pelican crossing is a place where people who are walking can cross a busy road. They press a button at the side of the road, which operates traffic lights to stop the traffic. [BRIT ]
pel|let /pe l I t/ (pellets ) N‑COUNT A pellet is a small ball of paper, mud, lead, or other material. □ He was shot in the head by an air gun pellet.
pell-mell /pe l me l/ ADV [ADV after v] If you move pell-mell somewhere, you move there in a hurried, uncontrolled way. □ All three of us rushed pell-mell into the kitchen.
pel|lu|cid /peluː s I d/ ADJ Something that is pellucid is extremely clear. [LITERARY ] □ …her pellucid blue eyes. □ …the warm pellucid water.
pel|met /pe lm I t/ (pelmets ) N‑COUNT A pelmet is a long, narrow piece of wood or fabric which is fitted at the top of a window for decoration and to hide the curtain rail. [BRIT ] in AM, use valance
pe|lo|ta /peloʊ tɑ/ N‑UNCOUNT Pelota is a game that is played in Spain, America, and the Philippines, in which the players hit a ball against a wall using a long basket tied to their wrist.
pelt /pe lt/ (pelts , pelting , pelted )
1 N‑COUNT [usu pl] The pelt of an animal is its skin, which can be used to make clothing or rugs. □ …a bed covered with beaver pelts.
2 VERB If you pelt someone with things, you throw things at them. □ [V n + with ] Some of the younger men began to pelt one another with snowballs.
3 VERB [usu cont] If the rain is pelting down , or if it is pelting with rain, it is raining very hard. [INFORMAL ] □ [V adv] The rain now was pelting down. □ [V with n] It's pelting with rain. □ [V -ing] We drove through pelting rain.
4 VERB If you pelt somewhere, you run there very fast. [INFORMAL ] □ [V prep] Without thinking, she pelted down the stairs in her nightgown.
5 PHRASE If you do something full pelt or at full pelt , you do it very quickly indeed. [INFORMAL ] □ Alice leapt from the car and ran full pelt towards the emergency room.
pel|vic /pe lv I k/ ADJ [ADJ n] Pelvic means near or relating to your pelvis.
pel|vis /pe lv I s/ (pelvises ) N‑COUNT Your pelvis is the wide, curved group of bones at the level of your hips.
pen ◆◇◇ /pe n/ (pens , penning , penned )
1 N‑COUNT A pen is a long thin object which you use to write in ink.
2 → see also ballpoint , felt-tip , fountain pen
3 VERB If someone pens a letter, article, or book, they write it. [FORMAL ] □ [V n + to ] She penned a short memo to his private secretary. [Also V n n]
4 N‑COUNT A pen is also a small area with a fence round it in which farm animals are kept for a short time. □ …a holding pen for sheep.
5 → see also playpen
6 VERB [usu passive] If people or animals are penned somewhere or are penned up , they are forced to remain in a very small area. □ [be V -ed] …to drive the cattle back to the house so they could be milked and penned for the night. □ [V -ed up ] I don't have to stay in my room penned up like a prisoner.
pe|nal /piː n ə l/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Penal means relating to the punishment of criminals. □ …director-general of penal affairs at the justice ministry. □ …penal and legal systems.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] A penal institution or colony is one where criminals are kept as punishment. □ …imprisoned on an island that has served as a penal colony since Roman times.
pe |nal code (penal codes ) N‑COUNT The penal code of a country consists of all the laws that are related to crime and punishment. [FORMAL ]
pe|nal|ize /piː nəla I z/ (penalizes , penalizing , penalized ) in BRIT, also use penalise VERB [usu passive] If a person or group is penalized for something, they are made to suffer in some way because of it. □ [be V -ed] Some of the players may, on occasion, break the rules and be penalized.
pe |nal se r|vi|tude N‑UNCOUNT Penal servitude is the punishment of being sent to prison and forced to do hard physical work. [FORMAL ]
pen|al|ty ◆◇◇ /pe n ə lti/ (penalties )
1 N‑COUNT [usu sing] A penalty is a punishment that someone is given for doing something which is against a law or rule. □ One of those arrested could face the death penalty. □ The maximum penalty is up to 7 years' imprisonment or an unlimited fine.
2 N‑COUNT In sports such as football and hockey, a penalty is an opportunity to score a goal, which is given to the attacking team if the defending team breaks a rule near their own goal. □ Referee Michael Reed had no hesitation in awarding a penalty.
3 N‑COUNT The penalty that you pay for something you have done is something unpleasant that you experience as a result. □ [+ for ] Why should I pay the penalty for somebody else's mistake? SYNONYMS penalty NOUN 1
punishment: The government is proposing tougher punishments for officials convicted of corruption.
price: He's paying the price for working his body so hard.
fine: She had to pay a fine.
pe n|al|ty area (penalty areas ) N‑COUNT In football, the penalty area is the rectangular area in front of the goal. Inside this area the goalkeeper is allowed to handle the ball, and if the defending team breaks a rule here, the opposing team gets a penalty. [mainly BRIT ]
pe n|al|ty box (penalty boxes )
1 N‑COUNT In football, the penalty box is the same as the penalty area . [mainly BRIT ]
2 N‑COUNT In ice hockey, the penalty box is an area in which players who have broken a rule have to sit for a period of time.
pe n|al|ty shoo t-out (penalty shoot-outs ) N‑COUNT In football, a penalty shoot-out is a way of deciding the result of a game that has ended in a draw. Players from each team try to score a goal in turn until one player fails to score and their team loses the game. [mainly BRIT ]
pen|ance /pe nəns/ (penances ) N‑VAR If you do penance for something wrong that you have done, you do something that you find unpleasant to show that you are sorry. □ …a time of fasting, penance and pilgrimage.
pe n and i nk ADJ [usu ADJ n] A pen and ink drawing is done using a pen rather than a pencil.
pence /pe ns/ → see penny
pen|chant /pɒ nʃɒn, pe ntʃənt/ N‑SING If someone has a penchant for something, they have a special liking for it or a tendency to do it. [FORMAL ] □ [+ for ] …a stylish woman with a penchant for dark glasses.
pen|cil /pe ns ə l/ (pencils , pencilling , pencilled )
1 N‑COUNT [oft in N ] A pencil is an object that you write or draw with. It consists of a thin piece of wood with a rod of a black or coloured substance through the middle. If you write or draw something in pencil , you do it using a pencil. □ I found a pencil and some blank paper in her desk. □ He had written her a note in pencil.
2 VERB If you pencil a letter or a note, you write it using a pencil. □ [V n + to ] He pencilled a note to Joseph Daniels. ● pen|cilled ADJ □ …folded notepaper with the pencilled block letters on the outside.
▸ pencil in PHRASAL VERB [usu passive] If an event or appointment is pencilled in , it has been agreed that it should take place, but it will have to be confirmed later. □ [be V -ed P ] He told us that the tour was pencilled in for the following March.
pe n|cil push|er (pencil pushers ) N‑COUNT If you call someone a pencil pusher , you mean that their work consists of writing or dealing with documents, and does not seem very useful or important. [AM , DISAPPROVAL ] □ …the pencil pushers who decide the course of people's lives. in BRIT, use pen-pusher
pen|dant /pe ndənt/ (pendants ) N‑COUNT A pendant is an ornament on a chain that you wear round your neck.
pend|ing /pe nd I ŋ/
1 ADJ If something such as a legal procedure is pending , it is waiting to be dealt with or settled. [FORMAL ] □ In 1989, the court had 600 pending cases. □ She had a libel action against the magazine pending.
2 PREP If something is done pending a future event, it is done until that event happens. [FORMAL ] □ A judge has suspended a ban on the magazine pending a full inquiry.
3 ADJ Something that is pending is going to happen soon. [FORMAL ] □ A growing number of customers have been inquiring about the pending price rises.
pen|du|lous /pe ndʒʊləs/ ADJ Something that is pendulous hangs downwards and moves loosely, usually in an unattractive way. [LITERARY ] □ …a stout, gloomy man with a pendulous lower lip. □ …pendulous cheeks.
pen|du|lum /pe ndʒʊləm/ (pendulums )
1 N‑COUNT The pendulum of a clock is a rod with a weight at the end which swings from side to side in order to make the clock work.
2 N‑SING You can use the idea of a pendulum and the way it swings regularly as a way of talking about regular changes in a situation or in people's opinions. □ The political pendulum has swung in favour of the liberals.
pen|etrate /pe n I tre I t/ (penetrates , penetrating , penetrated )
1 VERB If something or someone penetrates a physical object or an area, they succeed in getting into it or passing through it. □ [V n] X-rays can penetrate many objects. ● pen|etra|tion /pe n I tre I ʃ ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ by ] The exterior walls are three to three and a half feet thick to prevent penetration by bombs.
2 VERB If someone penetrates an organization, a group, or a profession, they succeed in entering it although it is difficult to do so. □ [V n] …the continuing failure of women to penetrate the higher levels of engineering.
3 VERB If someone penetrates an enemy group or a rival organization, they succeed in joining it in order to get information or cause trouble. □ [V n] The CIA were trying to penetrate a crime ring operating out of Munich. ● pen|etra|tion N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] …the successful penetration of the country's intelligence service.
4 VERB If a company or country penetrates a market or area, they succeed in selling their products there. [BUSINESS ] □ [V n] There have been around 15 attempts from outside France to penetrate the market. ● pen|etra|tion N‑UNCOUNT □ …import penetration across a broad range of heavy industries.
pen|etrat|ing /pe n I tre I t I ŋ/
1 ADJ A penetrating sound is loud and usually high-pitched. □ Mary heard the penetrating siren of an ambulance.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If someone gives you a penetrating look, it makes you think that they know what you are thinking. □ He gazed at me with a sharp, penetrating look that made my heart pound.
3 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Someone who has a penetrating mind understands and recognizes things quickly and thoroughly. □ …a thoughtful, penetrating mind.
pene|tra|tive /pe n I trət I v, [AM ] -tre I t-/ ADJ [ADJ n] If a man has penetrative sex with someone, he inserts his penis into his partner's vagina or anus.
pe n-friend (pen-friends ) also penfriend N‑COUNT A pen-friend is someone you write friendly letters to and receive letters from, although the two of you may never have met. [BRIT ] in AM, use pen pal
pen|guin /pe ŋgw I n/ (penguins ) N‑COUNT A penguin is a type of large black and white sea bird found mainly in the Antarctic. Penguins cannot fly but use their short wings for swimming.
peni|cil|lin /pe n I s I l I n/ N‑UNCOUNT Penicillin is a drug that kills bacteria and is used to treat infections.
pe|nile /piː na I l/ ADJ [ADJ n] Penile means relating to a penis. [FORMAL ] □ …penile cancer.
pen|in|su|la /pən I nsjʊlə/ (peninsulas ) N‑COUNT [oft in names] A peninsula is a long narrow piece of land which sticks out from a larger piece of land and is almost completely surrounded by water. □ I had walked around the entire peninsula.
pe|nis /piː n I s/ (penises ) N‑COUNT A man's penis is the part of his body that he uses when urinating and when having sex.
peni|tence /pe n I təns/ N‑UNCOUNT Penitence is sincere regret for wrong or evil things that you have done.
peni|tent /pe n I tənt/ ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] Someone who is penitent is very sorry for something wrong that they have done, and regrets their actions. [LITERARY ] □ [+ about ] Robert Gates sat before them, almost penitent about the past. □ …penitent criminals. ● peni|tent|ly ADV [ADV after v] □ He sat penitently in his chair by the window.
peni|ten|tial /pe n I te nʃ ə l/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Penitential means expressing deep sorrow and regret at having done something wrong. [FORMAL ] □ …penitential psalms.
peni|ten|tia|ry /pe n I te nʃəri/ (penitentiaries ) N‑COUNT A penitentiary is a prison. [AM , FORMAL ]
pen|knife /pe nna I f/ (penknives ) N‑COUNT A penknife is a small knife with a blade that folds back into the handle.
pe n name (pen names ) also pen-name N‑COUNT A writer's pen name is the name that he or she uses on books and articles instead of his or her real name. □ …Baroness Blixen, also known by her pen-name Isak Dinesen.
pen|nant /pe nənt/ (pennants )
1 N‑COUNT A pennant is a long, narrow, triangular flag. □ The second car was flying the Ghanaian pennant.
2 N‑COUNT In baseball, a pennant is a flag that is given each year to the top team in a league. The championship is also called the pennant . [AM ] □ The Red Sox lost the pennant to Detroit by a single game.
pen|nies /pe niz/ Pennies is the plural of penny . Pennies is mainly used to refer only to coins, rather than to amounts.
pen|ni|less /pe niləs/ ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] Someone who is penniless has hardly any money at all. □ They'd soon be penniless and homeless if she couldn't find suitable work. □ …a penniless refugee.
penn'orth /pe nəθ/ PHRASE During a discussion about something, if you have your two penn'orth or put in your two penn'orth , you add your own opinion. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ Please do be patient–I'm sure you want to have your two penn'orth. in AM, use two cents' worth
pen|ny ◆◇◇ /pe ni/ (pennies , pence ) The form pence is used for the plural of meaning 1 . 1 N‑COUNT In Britain, a penny is one hundredth of a pound, or a coin worth this amount of money. □ There was nothing over a penny. □ …a shiny newly minted penny.
2 N‑COUNT A penny is a British coin used before 1971 that was worth one twelfth of a shilling.
3 N‑COUNT A penny is one cent, or a coin worth one cent. [AM , INFORMAL ] □ Unleaded gasoline rose more than a penny a gallon.
4 N‑SING If you say, for example, that you do not have a penny , or that something does not cost a penny , you are emphasizing that you do not have any money at all, or that something did not cost you any money at all. [EMPHASIS ] □ The Brilliantons paid their rent on time and did not owe him a penny.
5 PHRASE If you say the penny dropped , you mean that someone suddenly understood or realized something. [mainly BRIT , INFORMAL ]
6 PHRASE Things that are said to be two a penny or ten a penny are not valuable or interesting because they are very common and easy to find. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ Leggy blondes are two a penny in Hollywood. in AM, use a dime a dozen
pe nny-fa rthing (penny-farthings ) also penny farthing N‑COUNT A penny-farthing is an old-fashioned bicycle that had a very large front wheel and a small back wheel. [mainly BRIT ]
pe nny-pinching
1 N‑UNCOUNT Penny-pinching is the practice of trying to spend as little money as possible. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ Government penny-pinching is blamed for the decline in food standards.
2 ADJ Penny-pinching people spend as little money as possible. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ …small-minded penny-pinching administrators.
pen|ny sha res N‑PLURAL Penny shares are shares that are offered for sale at a low price. [BUSINESS ]
pe n pal (pen pals ) also pen-pal N‑COUNT A pen pal is someone you write friendly letters to and receive letters from, although the two of you may never have met.
pe n-pusher (pen-pushers ) also penpusher N‑COUNT If you call someone a pen-pusher , you mean that their work consists of writing or dealing with documents, and does not seem very useful or important. [BRIT , DISAPPROVAL ] □ As a result, industry was overmanned and pen-pushers were everywhere. in AM, use pencil pusher
pen|sion ◆◇◇ /pe nʃ ə n/ (pensions , pensioning , pensioned ) N‑COUNT Someone who has a pension receives a regular sum of money from the state or from a former employer because they have retired or because they are widowed or have a disability. □ …struggling by on a pension. □ …a company pension scheme.
▸ pension off PHRASAL VERB If someone is pensioned off , they are made to retire from work and are given a pension. □ [be V -ed P ] Many successful women do not want to be pensioned off at 60. □ [V n P ] When his employees were no longer of use to him, he pensioned them off. [Also V P n] SYNONYMS pension NOUN 1
allowance: He lives on a single parent's allowance of £70 a week.
benefit: In order to get benefit payments I had to answer some questions.
annuity: Their annuity provides most of their income.
pen|sion|able /pe nʃənəb ə l/ ADJ [ADJ n] Pensionable means relating to someone's right to receive a pension. □ …civil servants who were nearing pensionable age.
pe n|sion book (pension books ) N‑COUNT In Britain, a pension book is a small book which is given to pensioners by the government. Each week, one page can be exchanged for money at a Post Office.
pen|sion|er /pe nʃənə r / (pensioners ) N‑COUNT A pensioner is someone who receives a pension, especially a pension paid by the state to retired people.
pe n|sion plan (pension plans ) N‑COUNT A pension plan is an arrangement to receive a pension from an organization such as an insurance company or a former employer in return for making regular payments to them over a number of years. [BUSINESS ] □ I would have been much wiser to start my own pension plan when I was younger.
pe n|sion scheme (pension schemes ) N‑COUNT A pension scheme is the same as a pension plan . [mainly BRIT , BUSINESS ] □ His company has the best pension scheme in the industry.
pen|sive /pe ns I v/ ADJ If you are pensive , you are thinking deeply about something, especially something that worries you slightly. □ He looked suddenly sombre, pensive. ● pen|sive|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ Angela stared pensively out of the window.
pen|ta|gon /pe ntəgən, [AM ] -gɑːn/ (pentagons ) N‑COUNT A pentagon is a shape with five sides.
Pen|ta|gon N‑PROPER [N n] The Pentagon is the main building of the US Defense Department, in Washington. The US Defense Department is often referred to as the Pentagon . □ …a news conference at the Pentagon.
pen|tam|eter /pentæ m I tə r / (pentameters ) N‑COUNT In literary criticism, a pentameter is a line of poetry that has five strong beats in it. [TECHNICAL ]
pen|tath|lon /pentæ θlɒn/ (pentathlons ) N‑COUNT A pentathlon is an athletics competition in which each person must compete in five different events.
Pen|tecost /pe nt I kɒst, [AM ] -kɔːst/
1 N‑UNCOUNT Pentecost is a Christian festival that takes place on the seventh Sunday after Easter and celebrates the sending of the Holy Spirit to the first followers of Christ.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Pentecost is a Jewish festival that takes place 50 days after Passover and celebrates the harvest.
Pen|tecos|tal /pe nt I kɒ st ə l, [AM ] -kɔː st-/ ADJ [ADJ n] Pentecostal churches are Christian churches that emphasize the work of the Holy Spirit and the exact truth of the Bible.
pent|house /pe nthaʊs/ (penthouses ) N‑COUNT [oft N n] A penthouse or a penthouse apartment or suite is a luxurious flat or set of rooms at the top of a tall building. □ …her swish Manhattan penthouse.
pent-up /pe nt ʌ p/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Pent-up emotions, energies, or forces have been held back and not expressed, used, or released. □ He still had a lot of pent-up anger to release.
pe|nul|ti|mate /penʌ lt I mət/ ADJ The penultimate thing in a series of things is the last but one. [FORMAL ] □ …on the penultimate day of the Asian Games. □ …in the penultimate chapter.
pe|num|bra /pe nʌ mbrə/ (penumbras ) N‑COUNT A penumbra is an area of light shadow. [FORMAL ]
penu|ry /pe njʊri/ N‑UNCOUNT Penury is the state of being extremely poor. [FORMAL ] □ He was brought up in penury, without education.
peo|ny /piː əni/ (peonies ) also paeony N‑COUNT A peony is a medium-sized garden plant which has large round flowers, usually pink, red, or white.
peo|ple ◆◆◆ /piː p ə l/ (peoples , peopling , peopled )
1 N‑PLURAL People are men, women, and children. People is normally used as the plural of person , instead of 'persons'. □ Millions of people have lost their homes. □ [+ of ] …the people of Angola. □ …homeless young people. □ I don't think people should make promises they don't mean to keep.
2 N‑PLURAL The people is sometimes used to refer to ordinary men and women, in contrast to the government or the upper classes. □ …the will of the people.
3 N‑COUNT [with sing or pl verb] A people is all the men, women, and children of a particular country or race. □ [+ of ] …the native peoples of Central and South America.
4 VERB [usu passive] If a place or country is peopled by a particular group of people, that group of people live there. □ [be V -ed + by/with ] It was peopled by a fiercely independent race of peace-loving Buddhists. □ [V -ed] …a small town peopled by lay workers and families.
peo |ple car|ri|er (people carriers ) N‑COUNT A people carrier is a large family car which looks similar to a van and has three rows of seats for passengers.
peo |ple mov|er (people movers ) also people-mover N‑COUNT A people mover is the same as a people carrier .
pe o|ple skills N‑PLURAL People skills are the ability to deal with, influence, and communicate effectively with other people. [BUSINESS ] □ She has very good people skills and is able to manage a team.
peo |ple smu g|gling or people trafficking N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] People smuggling or people trafficking is the practice of bringing immigrants into a country illegally. □ …a people-smuggling operation.
pep /pe p/ (peps , pepping , pepped ) N‑UNCOUNT Pep is liveliness and energy. [INFORMAL , OLD-FASHIONED ] □ Many say that, given a choice, they would opt for a holiday to put the pep back in their lives.
▸ pep up PHRASAL VERB If you try to pep something up , you try to make it more lively, more interesting, or stronger. [INFORMAL ] □ [V P n] The Prime Minister aired some ideas about pepping up trade in the region. □ [V P n] How about pepping up plain tiles with transfers? [Also V n P ]
pep|per ◆◇◇ /pe pə r / (peppers , peppering , peppered )
1 N‑UNCOUNT Pepper is a hot-tasting spice which is used to flavour food. □ Season with salt and pepper. □ …freshly ground black pepper.
2 N‑COUNT A pepper , or in American English a bell pepper , is a hollow green, red, or yellow vegetable with seeds inside it.
3 VERB [usu passive] If something is peppered with small objects, a lot of those objects hit it. □ [be V -ed + with ] He was wounded in both legs and severely peppered with shrapnel.
4 VERB If something is peppered with things, it has a lot of those things in it or on it. □ [be V -ed + with ] While her English was correct, it was peppered with French phrases. □ [V n] Yachts peppered the tranquil waters of Botafogo Bay.
pepper|corn /pe pə r kɔː r n/ (peppercorns ) N‑COUNT Peppercorns are the small berries which are dried and crushed to make pepper. They are sometimes used whole in cooking.
pe pper|corn re nt (peppercorn rents ) N‑COUNT A peppercorn rent is an extremely low rent. [BRIT ]
pe p|per mill (pepper mills ) also peppermill N‑COUNT A pepper mill is a container in which peppercorns are crushed to make pepper. You turn the top of the container and the pepper comes out of the bottom.
pepper|mint /pe pə r m I nt/ (peppermints )
1 N‑UNCOUNT Peppermint is a strong, sharp flavouring that is obtained from the peppermint plant or that is made artificially.
2 N‑COUNT A peppermint is a peppermint-flavoured sweet or piece of candy.
pep|pero|ni /pe pəroʊ ni/ N‑UNCOUNT Pepperoni is a kind of spicy sausage which is often sliced and put on pizzas.
pepper|pot /pe pə r pɒt/ (pepperpots ) also pepper pot N‑COUNT A pepperpot is a small container with holes in the top, used for shaking pepper onto food. [mainly BRIT ] in AM, usually use pepper shaker
pe p|per shak|er (pepper shakers ) N‑COUNT A pepper shaker is the same as a pepperpot . [mainly AM ]
pe p|per spray (pepper sprays ) N‑VAR Pepper spray is a device that causes tears and sickness and is sometimes used against rioters and attackers. □ The officers blasted him with pepper spray.
pep|pery /pe pəri/ ADJ Food that is peppery has a strong, hot taste like pepper. □ …a crisp green salad with a few peppery radishes.
pep|py /pe pi/ ADJ Someone or something that is peppy is lively and full of energy. [INFORMAL ] □ At the end of every day, jot down a brief note on how peppy or tired you felt. □ …peppy dance-numbers.
pe p ral|ly (pep rallies ) N‑COUNT A pep rally at a school, college, or university is a gathering to support a football team or sports team. [AM ]
pe p talk (pep talks ) also pep-talk N‑COUNT A pep talk is a speech which is intended to encourage someone to make more effort or feel more confident. [INFORMAL ] □ Powell spent the day giving pep talks to the troops.
pep|tic ul|cer /pe pt I k ʌ lsə r / (peptic ulcers ) N‑COUNT A peptic ulcer is an ulcer that occurs in the digestive system.
per ◆◆◇ /pɜː r /
1 PREP You use per to express rates and ratios. For example, if something costs £50 per year, you must pay £50 each year for it. If a vehicle is travelling at 40 miles per hour, it travels 40 miles each hour. □ Social Security refused to pay her more than £17 per week. □ Buses and trains use much less fuel per person than cars.
2 per head → see head
3 PHRASE If something happens as per a particular plan or suggestion, it happens in the way planned or suggested. [FORMAL ] □ When they reach here they complain that they are not being paid as per the agreement.
per|am|bu|late /pəræ mbjʊle I t/ (perambulates , perambulating , perambulated ) VERB When someone perambulates , they walk about for pleasure. [OLD-FASHIONED ] ● per|am|bu|la|tion /pəræ mbjʊle I ʃ ə n/ (perambulations ) N‑COUNT □ [+ round ] It was time now to end our perambulation round Paris.
per an|num /pər æ nəm/ ADV A particular amount per annum means that amount each year. □ …a fee of £35 per annum. □ Kenya's population is growing at 4.1 per cent per annum.
per capi|ta /pə r kæ p I tə/ ADJ [ADJ n] The per capita amount of something is the total amount of it in a country or area divided by the number of people in that country or area. □ They have the world's largest per capita income. ● ADV [n ADV ] Per capita is also an adverb. □ Ethiopia has almost the lowest oil consumption per capita in the world.
per|ceive /pə r siː v/ (perceives , perceiving , perceived )
1 VERB If you perceive something, you see, notice, or realize it, especially when it is not obvious. □ [V n] Many young people do not perceive the need to consider pensions at all.
2 VERB If you perceive someone or something as doing or being a particular thing, it is your opinion that they do this thing or that they are that thing. □ [V n + as ] Stress is widely perceived as contributing to coronary heart disease.
per cent ◆◆◆ /pə r se nt/ (per cent ) also percent N‑COUNT [num N ] You use per cent to talk about amounts. For example, if an amount is 10 per cent (10%) of a larger amount, it is equal to 10 hundredths of the larger amount. □ [+ of ] 20 to 40 per cent of the voters are undecided. □ We aim to increase sales by 10 per cent. ● ADJ [ADJ n] Per cent is also an adjective. □ There has been a ten per cent increase in the number of new students. ● ADV [ADV with v] Per cent is also an adverb. □ …its prediction that house prices will fall 5 per cent over the year.
per|cent|age ◆◇◇ /pə r se nt I dʒ/ (percentages ) N‑COUNT A percentage is a fraction of an amount expressed as a particular number of hundredths of that amount. □ [+ of ] Only a few vegetable-origin foods have such a high percentage of protein.
per|cep|tible /pə r se pt I b ə l/ ADJ Something that is perceptible can only just be seen or noticed. □ Pasternak gave him a barely perceptible smile. ● per|cep|tibly /pə r se pt I bli/ ADV [ADV with v] □ The tension was mounting perceptibly.
per|cep|tion /pə r se pʃ ə n/ (perceptions )
1 N‑COUNT [usu poss N ] Your perception of something is the way that you think about it or the impression you have of it. □ [+ of ] He is interested in how our perceptions of death affect the way we live.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Someone who has perception realizes or notices things that are not obvious. □ It did not require a great deal of perception to realise the interview was over.
3 N‑COUNT Perception is the recognition of things using your senses, especially the sense of sight.
per|cep|tive /pə r se pt I v/ ADJ If you describe a person or their remarks or thoughts as perceptive , you think that they are good at noticing or realizing things, especially things that are not obvious. [APPROVAL ] □ He was one of the most perceptive U.S. political commentators. ● per|cep|tive|ly ADV [usu ADV with v, oft ADV adj] □ The stages in her love affair with Harry are perceptively written.
per|cep|tual /pə r se ptʃuəl/ ADJ [ADJ n] Perceptual means relating to the way people interpret and understand what they see or notice. [FORMAL ] □ Some children have more finely trained perceptual skills than others.
perch /pɜː r tʃ/ (perches , perching , perched ) The form perch is used for both the singular and plural in meaning 8 . 1 VERB If you perch on something, you sit down lightly on the very edge or tip of it. □ [V prep/adv] He perched on the corner of the desk. □ [V pron-refl prep/adv] He perched himself on the side of the bed. ● perched ADJ □ She was perched on the edge of the sofa.
2 VERB To perch somewhere means to be on the top or edge of something. □ [V prep/adv] …the vast slums that perch precariously on top of the hills around which the city was built. ● perched ADJ □ St. John's is a small college perched high up in the hills.
3 VERB If you perch something on something else, you put or balance it on the top or edge of that thing. □ [V n + on ] The builders have perched a light concrete dome on eight slender columns.
4 VERB When a bird perches on something such as a branch or a wall, it lands on it and stands there. □ [V prep] A blackbird flew down and perched on the parapet outside his window.
5 N‑COUNT A perch is a short rod for a bird to stand on.
6 N‑COUNT A perch is an edible fish. There are several kinds of perch.
per|chance /pə r tʃɑː ns, -tʃæ ns/ ADV Perchance means perhaps . [LITERARY , OLD-FASHIONED ]
per|co|late /pɜː r kəle I t/ (percolates , percolating , percolated )
1 VERB If an idea, feeling, or piece of information percolates through a group of people or a thing, it spreads slowly through the group or thing. □ [V prep/adv] New fashions took a long time to percolate down. □ [V prep/adv] …all of these thoughts percolated through my mind. ● per|co|la|tion /pɜː r kəle I ʃ ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] There is no percolation of political ideas from the membership to the leadership.
2 VERB When you percolate coffee or when coffee percolates , you prepare it in a percolator. □ [V n] She percolated the coffee and put croissants in the oven to warm. [Also V ]
3 VERB To percolate somewhere means to pass slowly through something that has very small holes or gaps in it. □ [V prep/adv] Rainwater will only percolate through slowly.
per|co|la|tor /pɜː r kəle I tə r / (percolators ) N‑COUNT A percolator is a piece of equipment for making and serving coffee, in which steam passes through crushed coffee beans.
per|cus|sion /pə r kʌ ʃ ə n/
1 N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] Percussion instruments are musical instruments that you hit, such as drums.
2 N‑SING The percussion is the section of an orchestra which consists of percussion instruments such as drums and cymbals.
per|cus|sion|ist /pə r kʌ ʃ ə n I st/ (percussionists ) N‑COUNT A percussionist is a person who plays percussion instruments such as drums.
per|cus|sive /pə r kʌ s I v/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Percussive sounds are like the sound of drums. □ …using all manner of percussive effects.
per diem /pə r diː əm/ N‑SING [oft N n] A per diem is an amount of money that someone is given to cover their daily expenses while they are working. [mainly AM ] □ He received a per diem allowance to cover his travel expenses.
per|di|tion /pɜː r d I ʃ ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT If you say that someone is on the road to perdition , you mean that their behaviour is likely to lead them to failure and disaster. [LITERARY ]
per|egrine fal|con /pe r I gr I n fɔː lkən/ (peregrine falcons ) N‑COUNT A peregrine falcon or a peregrine is a bird of prey.
per|emp|tory /pəre mptəri/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Someone who does something in a peremptory way does it in a way that shows that they expect to be obeyed immediately. [FORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ With a brief, almost peremptory gesture he pointed to a chair. ● per|emp|to|ri|ly /pəre mptər I li/ ADV [ADV with v] □ 'Hello!' the voice said, more peremptorily. 'Who is it? Who do you want?'
per|en|nial /pəre niəl/ (perennials )
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] You use perennial to describe situations or states that keep occurring or which seem to exist all the time; used especially to describe problems or difficulties. □ …the perennial urban problems of crime and homelessness. ● per|en|ni|al|ly ADV [usu ADV adj] □ Both services are perennially short of staff.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A perennial plant lives for several years and has flowers each year. □ …a perennial herb with greenish-yellow flowers. ● N‑COUNT Perennial is also a noun. □ …a low-growing perennial.
pe|re|stroi|ka /pe r I strɔ I kə/ N‑UNCOUNT Perestroika is a term which was used to describe the changing political and social structure of the former Soviet Union during the late 1980s.
per|fect ◆◆◇ (perfects , perfecting , perfected ) The adjective is pronounced /pɜː r f I kt/. The verb is pronounced /pə r fe kt/. 1 ADJ Something that is perfect is as good as it could possibly be. □ He spoke perfect English. □ Hiring a nanny has turned out to be the perfect solution. □ Nobody is perfect.
2 ADJ If you say that something is perfect for a particular person, thing, or activity, you are emphasizing that it is very suitable for them or for that activity. [EMPHASIS ] □ [+ for ] Carpet tiles are perfect for kitchens because they're easy to take up and wash. □ So this could be the perfect time to buy a home.
3 ADJ If an object or surface is perfect , it does not have any marks on it, or does not have any lumps, hollows, or cracks in it. □ Use only clean, Grade A, perfect eggs. □ …their perfect white teeth.
4 ADJ [ADJ n] You can use perfect to give emphasis to the noun following it. [EMPHASIS ] □ She was a perfect fool. □ What he had said to her made perfect sense.
5 VERB If you perfect something, you improve it so that it becomes as good as it can possibly be. □ [V n] We perfected a hand-signal system so that he could keep me informed of hazards.
6 ADJ [ADJ n] The perfect tenses of a verb are the ones used to talk about things that happened or began before a particular time, as in 'He's already left' and 'They had always liked her'. The present perfect tense is sometimes called the perfect tense.
7 → see also future , past perfect , present perfect
per|fec|tion /pə r fe kʃ ə n/
1 N‑UNCOUNT Perfection is the quality of being as good as it is possible for something of a particular kind to be. □ Physical perfection in a human being is exceedingly rare.
2 N‑UNCOUNT If you say that something is perfection , you mean that you think it is as good as it could possibly be. □ The house and garden were perfection.
3 N‑UNCOUNT The perfection of something such as a skill, system, or product involves making it as good as it could possibly be. □ [+ of ] Madame Clicquot is credited with the perfection of this technique.
4 PHRASE If something is done to perfection , it is done so well that it could not be done any better. □ …fresh fish, cooked to perfection.
per|fec|tion|ism /pə r fe kʃən I zəm/ N‑UNCOUNT Perfectionism is the attitude or behaviour of a perfectionist.
per|fec|tion|ist /pə r fe kʃən I st/ (perfectionists ) N‑COUNT Someone who is a perfectionist refuses to do or accept anything that is not as good as it could possibly be.
per|fect|ly ◆◇◇ /pɜː r f I ktli/
1 ADV [ADV adj/adv] You can use perfectly to emphasize an adjective or adverb, especially when you think the person you are talking to might doubt what you are saying. [EMPHASIS ] □ There's no reason why you can't have a perfectly normal child. □ They made it perfectly clear that it was pointless to go on. □ You know perfectly well what happened.
2 ADV [ADV with v] If something is done perfectly , it is done so well that it could not possibly be done better. □ This adaptation perfectly captures the spirit of Kurt Vonnegut's novel. □ The system worked perfectly.
3 ADV [ADV adj/adv] If you describe something as perfectly good or acceptable, you are emphasizing that there is no reason to use or get something else, although other people may disagree. [EMPHASIS ] □ You can buy perfectly good instruments for a lot less. SYNONYMS perfectly ADV 1
completely: Dozens of flats had been completely destroyed.
totally: The fire totally destroyed the top floor.
absolutely: There is absolutely no difference!
quite: It is quite clear that we were firing in self defence.
pe r|fect pi tch N‑UNCOUNT Someone who has perfect pitch is able to identify or sing musical notes correctly.
pe r|fect sto rm (perfect storms ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] A perfect storm is an unusual combination of events or things that produce an unusually bad or powerful result. □ Investors are faced with the perfect storm of slowing economic growth, rising prices and an unstable housing market.
per|fidi|ous /pə r f I diəs/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe someone as perfidious , you mean that they have betrayed someone or cannot be trusted. [LITERARY ] □ Their feet will trample on the dead bodies of their perfidious aggressors.
per|fi|dy /pɜː r f I di/ N‑UNCOUNT Perfidy is the action of betraying someone or behaving very badly towards someone. [LITERARY ]
per|fo|rate /pɜː r fəre I t/ (perforates , perforating , perforated ) VERB To perforate something means to make a hole or holes in it. □ [V n] I refused to wear headphones because they can perforate your eardrums. ● per|fo|rat|ed ADJ [ADJ n] □ Keep good apples in perforated polythene bags.
per|fo|ra|tion /pɜː r fəre I ʃ ə n/ (perforations ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] Perforations are small holes that are made in something, especially in paper. □ Tear off the form along the perforations and send it to Sales.
per|force /pə r fɔː r s/ ADV [ADV with v] Perforce is used to indicate that something happens or is the case because it cannot be prevented or avoided. [OLD-FASHIONED ] □ The war in 1939 perforce ushered in an era of more grime and drabness.
per|form ◆◆◇ /pə r fɔː r m/ (performs , performing , performed )
1 VERB When you perform a task or action, especially a complicated one, you do it. □ [V n] His council had to perform miracles on a tiny budget. □ [be V -ed] Several grafts may be performed at one operation.
2 VERB If something performs a particular function, it has that function. □ [V n] A complex engine has many separate components, each performing a different function.
3 VERB If you perform a play, a piece of music, or a dance, you do it in front of an audience. □ [V n] Gardiner has pursued relentlessly high standards in performing classical music. □ [be V -ed] This play was first performed in 411 BC. □ [V ] He began performing in the early fifties, singing and playing guitar.
4 VERB If someone or something performs well , they work well or achieve a good result. If they perform badly , they work badly or achieve a poor result. □ [V adv] He had not performed well in his exams. □ [V adv] 'State-owned industries will always perform poorly,' John Moore informed readers. SYNONYMS perform VERB 1
achieve: We have achieved what we set out to do.
carry out: Commitments have been made with very little intention of carrying them out.
effect: Prospects for effecting real political change seemed to have taken a major step backwards.
accomplish: If we'd all work together, I think we could accomplish our goal.
per|for|mance ◆◆◇ /pə r fɔː r məns/ (performances )
1 N‑COUNT A performance involves entertaining an audience by doing something such as singing, dancing, or acting. □ [+ of ] Inside the theatre, they were giving a performance of Bizet's Carmen. □ [+ as ] …her performance as the betrayed Medea.
2 N‑VAR [oft with poss] Someone's or something's performance is how successful they are or how well they do something. □ [+ of ] That study looked at the performance of 18 surgeons. □ The job of the new director-general was to ensure that performance targets were met.
3 N‑UNCOUNT A car's performance is its ability to go fast and to increase its speed quickly.
4 ADJ [ADJ n] A performance car is one that can go very fast and can increase its speed very quickly.
5 → see also high-performance
6 N‑SING The performance of a task is the fact or action of doing it. □ [+ of ] He devoted in excess of seventy hours a week to the performance of his duties.
7 N‑SING You can describe something that is or looks complicated or difficult to do as a performance . [INFORMAL ] □ The whole process is quite a performance.
8 a repeat performance → see repeat COLLOCATIONS performance NOUN
1
noun + performance : concert, dance, stage; matinee, evening
adjective + performance : dramatic, musical, vocal; impressive, outstanding, stellar, stunning; live
2
noun + performance : investment; team
adjective + performance : disappointing, dismal; consistent, solid, strong; all-round, overall
verb + performance : deliver, produce SYNONYMS performance NOUN 1
presentation: …Blackpool Opera House's presentation of Buddy, the musical.
production: For this production she has learnt the role in Spanish.
show: How about going shopping and seeing a show in London?
per|fo r|mance art N‑UNCOUNT Performance art is a theatrical presentation that includes various art forms such as dance, music, painting, and sculpture.
perfo rmance-related pa y N‑UNCOUNT Performance-related pay is a rate of pay which is based on how well someone does their job. [BUSINESS ]
per|form|er /pə r fɔː r mə r / (performers )
1 N‑COUNT A performer is a person who acts, sings, or does other entertainment in front of audiences. □ A performer in evening dress plays classical selections on the violin.
2 N‑COUNT You can use performer when describing someone or something in a way that indicates how well they do a particular thing. □ Until 1987, Canada's industry had been the star performer. □ He is a world-class performer.
per|fo rm|ing a rts N‑PLURAL Dance, drama, music, and other forms of entertainment that are usually performed live in front of an audience are referred to as the performing arts .
per|fume /pɜː r fjuːm, pə r fjuː m/ (perfumes , perfuming , perfumed )
1 N‑VAR Perfume is a pleasant-smelling liquid which women put on their skin to make themselves smell nice. □ The hall smelled of her mother's perfume. □ …a bottle of perfume.
2 N‑VAR Perfume is the ingredient that is added to some products to make them smell nice. □ …a delicate white soap without perfume.
3 VERB If something is used to perfume a product, it is added to the product to make it smell nice. □ [V n] The oil is used to flavour and perfume soaps, foam baths, and scents. □ [V -ed + with ] …shower gel perfumed with the popular Paris fragrance.
per|fumed /pɜː r fjuːmd, pə r fjuː md/
1 ADJ Something such as fruit or flowers that are perfumed have a sweet pleasant smell. □ …perfumed English strawberries.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Perfumed things have a sweet pleasant smell, either naturally or because perfume has been added to them. □ She opened the perfumed envelope.
per|fum|ery /pə r fjuː məri/ (perfumeries )
1 N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] Perfumery is the activity or business of producing perfume. □ …the perfumery trade.
2 N‑COUNT A perfumery is a shop or a department in a store where perfume is the main product that is sold.
per|func|tory /pə r fʌ ŋktəri, [AM ] -tɔːri/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] A perfunctory action is done quickly and carelessly, and shows a lack of interest in what you are doing. □ She gave the list only a perfunctory glance. □ Our interest was purely perfunctory. ● per|func|to|ri|ly /pə r fʌ ŋktər I li, [AM ] -tɔː r-/ ADV [ADV with v] □ Melina was perfunctorily introduced to the men.
per|go|la /pɜː r gələ/ (pergolas ) N‑COUNT In a garden, a pergola is an arch or a structure with a roof over which climbing plants can be grown.
per|haps ◆◆◆ /pə r hæ ps, præ ps/
1 ADV You use perhaps to express uncertainty, for example, when you do not know that something is definitely true, or when you are mentioning something that may possibly happen in the future in the way you describe. [VAGUENESS ] □ Millson regarded her thoughtfully. Perhaps she was right. □ In the end they lose millions, perhaps billions. □ It was bulky, perhaps three feet long and almost as high. □ Perhaps, in time, the message will get through. □ They'd come soon, perhaps when the radio broadcast was over.
2 ADV You use perhaps in opinions and remarks to make them appear less definite or more polite. [VAGUENESS ] □ Perhaps the most important lesson to be learned is that you simply cannot please everyone. □ His very last paintings are perhaps the most puzzling. □ Do you perhaps disapprove of Agatha Christie and her Poirot and Miss Marple?
3 ADV You use perhaps when you are making suggestions or giving advice. Perhaps is also used in formal English to introduce requests. [POLITENESS ] □ Perhaps I may be permitted a few suggestions. □ Well, perhaps you'll come and see us at our place?
4 ADV You can say perhaps as a response to a question or remark, when you do not want to agree or accept, but think that it would be rude to disagree or refuse. □ 'I'm sure we can make it,' he says. Perhaps, but it will not be easy.
per|il /pe r I l/ (perils )
1 N‑VAR Perils are great dangers. [FORMAL ] □ [+ of ] …the perils of the sea. □ We are in the gravest peril.
2 N‑PLURAL [with poss] The perils of a particular activity or course of action are the dangers or problems it may involve. □ [+ of ] …the perils of starring in a television commercial.
3 PHRASE If you say that someone does something at their peril , you are warning them that they will probably suffer as a result of doing it. □ Anyone who breaks the law does so at their peril.
peri|lous /pe r I ləs/ ADJ Something that is perilous is very dangerous. [LITERARY ] □ …a perilous journey across the war-zone. □ The road grew even steeper and more perilous. ● peri|lous|ly ADV [ADV after v, ADV adj] □ The track snaked perilously upwards.
pe|rim|eter /pər I m I tə r / (perimeters ) N‑COUNT The perimeter of an area of land is the whole of its outer edge or boundary. □ [+ of ] …the perimeter of the airport. □ Officers dressed in riot gear are surrounding the perimeter fence.
peri|na|tal /pe rine I t ə l/ ADJ [ADJ n] Perinatal deaths, problems, or experiences happen at the time of birth or soon after the time of birth. [MEDICAL ] □ Premature birth is the main cause of perinatal mortality.
pe|ri|od ◆◆◇ /p I ə riəd/ (periods )
1 N‑COUNT A period is a length of time. □ [+ of ] This crisis might last for a long period of time. □ [+ of ] …a period of a few months. □ …for a limited period only.
2 N‑COUNT A period in the life of a person, organization, or society is a length of time which is remembered for a particular situation or activity. □ [+ of ] …a period of economic good health and expansion. □ [+ of ] He went through a period of wanting to be accepted. □ The South African years were his most creative period.
3 N‑COUNT A particular length of time in history is sometimes called a period . For example, you can talk about the Victorian period or the Elizabethan period in Britain. □ …the Roman period. □ No reference to their existence appears in any literature of the period.
4 ADJ [ADJ n] Period costumes, furniture, and instruments were made at an earlier time in history, or look as if they were made then. □ …dressed in full period costume.
5 N‑COUNT [usu n N ] Exercise, training, or study periods are lengths of time that are set aside for exercise, training, or study. □ They accompanied him during his exercise periods.
6 N‑COUNT At a school or college, a period is one of the parts that the day is divided into during which lessons or other activities take place. □ [+ of ] …periods of private study.
7 N‑COUNT When a woman has a period , she bleeds from her womb. This usually happens once a month, unless she is pregnant.
8 ADV Some people say period after stating a fact or opinion when they want to emphasize that they are definite about something and do not want to discuss it further. [EMPHASIS ] □ I don't want to do it, period.
9 N‑COUNT A period is the punctuation mark (.) which you use at the end of a sentence when it is not a question or an exclamation. [AM ] in BRIT, use full stop SYNONYMS period NOUN 1
time: By this time he was thirty.
term: Premiums are guaranteed throughout the term of the policy.
stretch: …after an 18-month stretch in the army.
phase: The crisis is entering a crucial, critical phase.
pe|ri|od|ic /p I ə riɒ d I k/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Periodic events or situations happen occasionally, at fairly regular intervals. □ …periodic bouts of illness.
pe|ri|odi|cal /p I ə riɒ d I k ə l/ (periodicals )
1 N‑COUNT Periodicals are magazines, especially serious or academic ones, that are published at regular intervals. □ The walls would be lined with books and periodicals.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Periodical events or situations happen occasionally, at fairly regular intervals. □ She made periodical visits to her dentist. ● pe|ri|odi|cal|ly /p I ə riɒ d I kli/ ADV [ADV with v] □ Meetings are held periodically to monitor progress on the case.
pe |ri|od|ic ta |ble N‑SING In chemistry, the periodic table is a table showing the chemical elements arranged according to their atomic numbers.
perio|don|tal /pe rioʊdɒ nt ə l/ ADJ [ADJ n] Periodontal disease is disease of the gums. [TECHNICAL ]
pe |ri|od pain (period pains ) N‑VAR Period pain is the pain that some women have when they have a monthly period.
pe |ri|od piece (period pieces ) N‑COUNT A period piece is a play, book, or film that is set at a particular time in history and describes life at that time.
peri|pa|tet|ic /pe r I pəte t I k/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] If someone has a peripatetic life or career, they travel around a lot, living or working in places for short periods of time. [FORMAL ] □ Her father was in the army and the family led a peripatetic existence.
pe|riph|er|al /pər I fərəl/ (peripherals )
1 ADJ A peripheral activity or issue is one which is not very important compared with other activities or issues. □ Companies are increasingly keen to contract out peripheral activities like training. □ [+ to ] Science is peripheral to that debate. ● pe|riph|er|al|ly ADV □ The Marshall Plan did not include Britain, except peripherally.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Peripheral areas of land are ones which are on the edge of a larger area. □ …urban development in the outer peripheral areas of large towns.
3 N‑COUNT [usu pl, oft N n] Peripherals are devices that can be attached to computers. [COMPUTING ] □ …peripherals to expand the use of our computers.
pe|riph|ery /pər I fəri/ (peripheries )
1 N‑COUNT [usu with poss] If something is on the periphery of an area, place, or thing, it is on the edge of it. [FORMAL ] □ [+ of ] Geographically, the U.K. is on the periphery of Europe, while Paris is at the heart of the continent.
2 N‑COUNT [usu with poss] The periphery of a subject or area of interest is the part of it that is not considered to be as important or basic as the main part. □ [+ of ] The sociological study of religion moved from the centre to the periphery of sociology.
peri|scope /pe r I skoʊp/ (periscopes ) N‑COUNT A periscope is a vertical tube which people inside submarines can look through to see above the surface of the water.
per|ish /pe r I ʃ/ (perishes , perishing , perished )
1 VERB If people or animals perish , they die as a result of very harsh conditions or as the result of an accident. [WRITTEN ] □ [V ] Most of the butterflies perish in the first frosts of autumn.
2 VERB If a substance or material perishes , it starts to fall to pieces and becomes useless. [mainly BRIT ] □ [V ] Their tyres are slowly perishing. ● per|ished ADJ [usu ADJ n] □ …tattered pieces of ancient, perished leather.
per|ish|able /pe r I ʃəb ə l/ ADJ Goods such as food that are perishable go bad after quite a short length of time. □ …perishable food like fruit, vegetables and meat.
per|ished /pe r I ʃt/
1 ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If someone is perished , they are extremely cold. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ I was absolutely perished.
2 → see also perish
peri|to|ni|tis /pe r I təna I t I s/ N‑UNCOUNT Peritonitis is a disease in which the inside wall of your abdomen becomes swollen and very painful. [MEDICAL ]
peri|win|kle /pe riw I ŋk ə l/ (periwinkles )
1 N‑VAR Periwinkle is a plant that grows along the ground and has blue flowers.
2 N‑COUNT Periwinkles are small sea snails that can be eaten.
per|jure /pɜː r dʒə r / (perjures , perjuring , perjured ) VERB If someone perjures themselves in a court of law, they lie, even though they have promised to tell the truth. □ [V pron-refl] Witnesses lied and perjured themselves.
per|jured /pɜː r dʒə r d/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] In a court of law, perjured evidence or perjured testimony is a false statement of events. □ …information that was based on perjured testimony.
per|jury /pɜː r dʒəri/ N‑UNCOUNT If someone who is giving evidence in a court of law commits perjury , they lie. [LEGAL ] □ This witness has committed perjury and no reliance can be placed on her evidence.
perk /pɜː r k/ (perks , perking , perked ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] Perks are special benefits that are given to people who have a particular job or belong to a particular group. □ …a company car, private medical insurance and other perks. □ One of the perks of being a student is cheap travel.
▸ perk up
1 PHRASAL VERB If something perks you up or if you perk up , you become cheerful and lively, after feeling tired, bored, or depressed. □ [V P ] He perks up and jokes with them. □ [V n P ] …suggestions to make you smile and perk you up. [Also V P n (not pron)]
2 PHRASAL VERB If you perk something up , you make it more interesting. □ [V n P ] To make the bland taste more interesting, the locals began perking it up with local produce. □ [V P n] Psychological twists perk up an otherwise predictable storyline.
3 PHRASAL VERB If sales, prices, or economies perk up , or if something perks them up , they begin to increase or improve. [JOURNALISM ] □ [V P ] House prices could perk up during the autumn. □ [V P n] Anything that could save the company money and perk up its cash flow was examined. [Also V n P ]
perky /pɜː r ki/ (perkier , perkiest ) ADJ If someone is perky , they are cheerful and lively. □ He wasn't quite as perky as normal.
perm /pɜː r m/ (perms , perming , permed )
1 N‑COUNT If you have a perm , your hair is curled and treated with chemicals so that it stays curly for several months. [mainly BRIT ] in AM, usually use permanent 2 VERB When a hair stylist perms someone's hair, they curl it and treat it with chemicals so that it stays curly for several months. □ [have n V -ed] She had her hair permed. ● permed ADJ □ …dry, damaged or permed hair.
per|ma|frost /pɜː r məfrɒst/ N‑UNCOUNT Permafrost is land that is permanently frozen to a great depth.
per|ma|nent ◆◇◇ /pɜː r mənənt/ (permanents )
1 ADJ Something that is permanent lasts for ever. □ Heavy drinking can cause permanent damage to the brain. □ The ban is intended to be permanent. ● per|ma|nent|ly ADV [ADV with v, ADV adj] □ His reason had been permanently affected by what he had witnessed. ● per|ma|nence N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] Anything which threatens the permanence of the treaty is a threat to peace.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] You use permanent to describe situations or states that keep occurring or which seem to exist all the time; used especially to describe problems or difficulties. □ …a permanent state of tension. □ They feel under permanent threat. ● per|ma|nent|ly ADV □ …the heavy, permanently locked gate.
3 ADJ [ADJ n] A permanent employee is one who is employed for an unlimited length of time. □ …a permanent job. ● per|ma|nent|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ …permanently employed registered dockers.
4 ADJ [ADJ n] Your permanent home or your permanent address is the one at which you spend most of your time or the one that you return to after having stayed in other places. □ York Cottage was as near to a permanent home as the children knew.
5 N‑COUNT A permanent is a treatment where a hair stylist curls your hair and treats it with a chemical so that it stays curly for several months. [AM ] in BRIT, use perm SYNONYMS permanent ADJ 1
lasting: We are well on our way to a lasting peace.
enduring: …the start of an enduring friendship.
eternal: …the quest for eternal youth.
everlasting: …a message of peace and everlasting life.
pe r|ma|nent wa ve (permanent waves ) N‑COUNT A permanent wave is the same as a perm . [OLD-FASHIONED ]
per|me|able /pɜː r miəb ə l/ ADJ If a substance is permeable , something such as water or gas can pass through it or soak into it. □ [+ to ] A number of products have been developed which are permeable to air and water.
per|me|ate /pɜː r mie I t/ (permeates , permeating , permeated )
1 VERB If an idea, feeling, or attitude permeates a system or permeates society, it affects every part of it or is present throughout it. □ [V n] Bias against women permeates every level of the judicial system. □ [V + through ] An obvious change of attitude at the top will permeate through the system.
2 VERB If something permeates a place, it spreads throughout it. □ [V n] The smell of roast chicken permeated the air. □ [V + through ] Eventually, the water will permeate through the surrounding concrete.
per|mis|sible /pə r m I səb ə l/ ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If something is permissible , it is considered to be acceptable because it does not break any laws or rules. □ Religious practices are permissible under the Constitution.
per|mis|sion ◆◇◇ /pə r m I ʃ ə n/ (permissions )
1 N‑UNCOUNT [oft N to-inf] If someone who has authority over you gives you permission to do something, they say that they will allow you to do it. □ He asked permission to leave the room. □ [+ for ] Finally his mother relented and gave permission for her youngest son to marry. □ They cannot leave the country without permission.
2 N‑COUNT [usu pl] A permission is a formal, written statement from an official group or place allowing you to do something. □ …oil exploration permissions.
3 → see also planning permission COLLOCATIONS permission NOUN 1
adjective + permission : express, prior, special; parental, written
verb + permission : give, grant, refuse; ask, need, obtain, seek
per|mis|sive /pə r m I s I v/ ADJ A permissive person, society, or way of behaving allows or tolerates things which other people disapprove of. □ …the permissive tolerance of the 1960s. ● per|mis|sive|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ Permissiveness and democracy go together.
per|mit ◆◇◇ (permits , permitting , permitted ) The verb is pronounced /pə r m I t/. The noun is pronounced /pɜː r m I t/. 1 VERB If someone permits something, they allow it to happen. If they permit you to do something, they allow you to do it. [FORMAL , WRITTEN , FORMAL ] □ [V n] He can let the court's decision stand and permit the execution. □ [be V -ed to-inf] Employees are permitted to use the golf course during their free hours. □ [be V -ed + into ] No outside journalists have been permitted into the country. □ [V n n] If they appear to be under 12, then the doorman is not allowed to permit them entry to the film.
2 N‑COUNT A permit is an official document which says that you may do something. For example you usually need a permit to work in a foreign country. □ The majority of foreign nationals working here have work permits.
3 VERB If a situation permits something, it makes it possible for that thing to exist, happen, or be done or it provides the opportunity for it. [FORMAL ] □ [V n] He sets about creating an environment that doesn't just permit experiment, it encourages it. □ [V ] Try to go out for a walk at lunchtime, if the weather permits. □ [V n to-inf] This method of cooking also permits heat to penetrate evenly from both sides. [Also V + of ]
4 VERB If you permit yourself something, you allow yourself to do something that you do not normally do or that you think you probably should not do. □ [V pron-refl n] Captain Bowen permitted himself one cigar a day. □ [V pron-refl to-inf] Only once in his life had Douglas permitted himself to lose control of his emotions.
5 PHRASE You can use permit me when you are about to say something or to make a suggestion. [FORMAL , POLITENESS ] □ Permit me to give you some advice.
per|mu|ta|tion /pɜː r mjuːte I ʃ ə n/ (permutations ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] A permutation is one of the ways in which a number of things can be ordered or arranged. □ [+ of ] Variation among humans is limited to the possible permutations of our genes.
per|ni|cious /pə r n I ʃəs/ ADJ If you describe something as pernicious , you mean that it is very harmful. [FORMAL ] □ I did what I could, but her mother's influence was pernicious.
per|ni |cious anae mia also pernicious anemia N‑UNCOUNT Pernicious anaemia is a very severe blood disease.
per|nick|ety /pə r n I k I ti/ ADJ If you describe someone as pernickety , you think that they pay too much attention to small, unimportant details. [BRIT , INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ [+ about ] Customs officials can get extremely pernickety about things like that. in AM, use persnickety
pero|ra|tion /pe rəre I ʃ ə n/ (perorations )
1 N‑COUNT A peroration is the last part of a speech, especially the part where the speaker sums up his or her argument. [FORMAL ]
2 N‑COUNT If someone describes a speech as a peroration , they mean that they dislike it because they think it is very long and not worth listening to. [FORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ]
per|ox|ide /pərɒ ksa I d/ (peroxides )
1 N‑VAR Peroxide is a chemical that is often used for making hair lighter in colour. It can also be used to kill germs.
2 → see also hydrogen peroxide
per|o x|ide blonde (peroxide blondes ) N‑COUNT You can refer to a woman whose hair has been artificially been made lighter in colour as a peroxide blonde , especially when you want to show that you disapprove of this, or that you think her hair looks unnatural or unattractive.
per|pen|dicu|lar /pɜː r pənd I kjʊlə r /
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A perpendicular line or surface points straight up, rather than being sloping or horizontal. □ We made two slits for the eyes and a perpendicular line for the nose. □ The sides of the loch are almost perpendicular.
2 ADJ If one thing is perpendicular to another, it is at an angle of 90 degrees to it. [FORMAL ] □ [+ to ] The left wing dipped until it was perpendicular to the ground.
per|pe|trate /pɜː r p I tre I t/ (perpetrates , perpetrating , perpetrated ) VERB If someone perpetrates a crime or any other immoral or harmful act, they do it. [FORMAL ] □ [V n] A high proportion of crime in any country is perpetrated by young males. ● per|pe|tra|tion /pɜː r p I tre I ʃ ə n/ N‑SING □ [+ of ] …a very small minority who persist in the perpetration of these crimes. ● per|pe|tra|tor (perpetrators ) N‑COUNT □ [+ of ] The perpetrator of this crime must be traced.
per|pet|ual /pə r pe tʃuəl/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A perpetual feeling, state, or quality is one that never ends or changes. □ …the creation of a perpetual union. ● per|pet|ual|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ They were all perpetually starving.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A perpetual act, situation, or state is one that happens again and again and so seems never to end. □ I thought her perpetual complaints were going to prove too much for me. ● per|pet|ual|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ He perpetually interferes in political affairs.
per|pe t|ual mo |tion also perpetual-motion N‑UNCOUNT The idea of perpetual motion is the idea of something continuing to move for ever without getting energy from anything else.
per|petu|ate /pə r pe tʃue I t/ (perpetuates , perpetuating , perpetuated ) VERB If someone or something perpetuates a situation, system, or belief, especially a bad one, they cause it to continue. □ [V n] We must not perpetuate the religious divisions of the past. □ [V -ed] This image is a myth perpetuated by the media. ● per|petua|tion /pə r pe tʃue I ʃ ə n/ N‑SING □ [+ of ] The perpetuation of nuclear deployments is morally unacceptable.
per|pe|tu|ity /pɜː r p I tjuː I ti/ PHRASE If something is done in perpetuity , it is intended to last for ever. [FORMAL ] □ The U.S. Government gave the land to the tribe in perpetuity.
per|plex /pə r ple ks/ (perplexes , perplexing , perplexed ) VERB If something perplexes you, it confuses and worries you because you do not understand it or because it causes you difficulty. □ [V n] It perplexed him because he was tackling it the wrong way.
per|plexed /pə r ple kst/ ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If you are perplexed , you feel confused and slightly worried by something because you do not understand it. □ [+ about ] She is perplexed about what to do for her daughter.
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