P Set3

perquisite	n. (fml ) (infml perk) money or goods given or regarded as a right in addition to one's pay
persevere	v. ~ ~ (with sb) (usu approv ) continue trying to do sth, esp in spite of difficulty
persist	v. ~ continue to do sth, esp in an obstinate and determined way and in spite of opposition, argument or failure
personable	adj. having a pleasant appearance or manner
personify	v. treat (sth) as if it were a human being
perspicacious	adj. having or showing great insight or judgement; discerning
perspicuity	plain to the understanding especially because of clarity and precision of presentation
perspicuous	adj. expressed clearly
pert	adj. not showing respect; cheeky
pertinacious	adj. holding firmly to an opinion or a course of action; determined
pertinent	adj. ~ (fml ) relevant (to sth); to the point
perturb	v. make (sb) very worried; disturb
peruse	v. read (sth), esp carefully or thoroughly
pervasive	adj. present and perceived everywhere; pervading
perverse	adj. (of a person) deliberately continuing to behave in a way that is wrong, unreasonable or unacceptable
perversion	n. changing sth from right to wrong; perverting
pervert	v. turn away from its proper nature or use
pessimism	n. tendency to be gloomy and believe that the worst will happen
pest	n. annoying person or thing
pestilential	causing plague; baneful
pestle	n. heavy round-ended tool used for crushing and grinding things to powder, esp in a special bowl
petrify	take away power to feel through terror; turn to stone
petty	adj. (derog ) small or trivial; unimportant
petulant	adj. unreasonably impatient or irritable
phalanx	n. (in ancient Greece) close formation, esp of infantry ready for battle
pharisaical	pertaining to the Pharisees who paid scrupulous attention to tradition; hypocritical
pharisee	(Judaism) a member of an ancient Jewish sect that was opposed to the Sadducees, teaching strict observance of Jewish tradition as interpreted rabbinically and believing in life after death and in the coming of the Messiah
phenomena	observable facts; subjects of scientific investigation
philanderer	n. man who does this
philanthropist	n. person who helps others, esp through charitable work or donations of money
philatelist	n. person who collects postage stamps
Philistine	n. person who has no interest in or understanding of the arts, or is hostile to them; uncultured person
philology	n. science or studyof the development of language or of a particular language
phlegmatic	adj. calm and even-tempered; showing the quality of phlegm
phobia	n. extreme or abnormal dislike or fear of sth; aversion
phoenix	n. mythical bird of the Arabian desert, said to live for several hundred years before burning itself and then rising born again from its ashes ,
phylum	n. (biology ) major division in the animal or plant kingdom
physiognomy	n. features of a person's face
physiological	adj. of or concerning physiology
piebald	adj. covered with irregularly-shaped patches of two colours, usu black and white ,
piecemeal	adv. piece by piece; a part at a time
pied	adj. having mixed colours, esp black and white
piety	n. devotion to God and respect for religious principles; being pious
pigment	n. colouring matter used for making dyes, paint, etc
pilfer	v. ~ (from sb/sth) steal (sth, esp of small value or in small quantities)
pillage	n. (esp formerly) stealing or damaging of property, esp by soldiers in war ,
pillory	n. wooden framework with holes for the head and hands, into which wrongdoers were locked in former times, so that they could be publicly ridiculed .
pinch	v. take or hold (sth) in a tight grip between the thumb and finger
pine	n. (also `pine tree) any of several types of evergreen tree that bear cones and have needle-shaped leaves growing in clusters
pinion	n. outer segment of a bird's wing
pinnace	n. small motor boat carried on a ship for taking people ashore, loading goods, etc ,
pinnacle	n. small pointed ornament built on to a roof or buttress
pious	adj. having or showing a deep devotion to religion
piquant	adj. having a pleasantly sharp taste
pique	v. hurt the pride or self-respect of (sb); offend
piscatorial	adj. of or concerning fishing or fishermen
pitfall	n. unsuspected danger or difficulty
pith	n. soft spongy substance that fills the stems of certain plants, eg reeds ,
pithy	adj. concise and full of meaning; terse
pittance	n. very small or insufficient amount of money paid or received as wages or an allowance
pivotal	adj. of or forming a pivot
placate	v. make less angry; soothe or pacify
placebo	n. (medical ) harmless substance given as if it were medicine to calm a patient who mistakenly believes he is ill
placid	adj. calm and peaceful; undisturbed
plagiarize	to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own:use (another's production) without crediting the source
plaintive	adj. sounding sad; sorrowful
plait	v. weave or twist (three or more lengths of hair, straw, etc) under and over one another to make one rope-like length
plane	n. (geometry ) surfacesuch that a straight line joining any two points in it touches it at all points
plaster	n. soft mixture of lime, sand, water, etc that becomes hard when dry and is used for making a smooth surface on walls and ceilings
plasticity	n. state or quality of being able to be moulded or shaped
platitude	n. commonplace remark or statement, esp when it is said as if it were new or interesting