Vocabulary - List 8 (P-Q)

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  VOCAB  LIST -8 {P-Q}

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** paean

(n.) a song of praise or triumph

* A paean was written in honor of the victorious warrior.

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** pagan

(adj.) polytheistic

* Moses, distraught over some of his people’s continuing pagan ways, smashed the stone tablets bearing the Ten Commandments.

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** painstaking

(adj.) thorough, careful, precise

* Hema’s painstaking research paid off with a top grade on her essay.

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** palatial

(adj.) large and ornate, like a palace

* The new palatial home contained two pools and an indoor track for jogging.

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** palindrome

(n.) a word or phrase which reads the same backwards and forwards

* Bob, “Dad,” and “Madam” are examples of palindromes.

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** palliate

(v.) to alleviate or ease pain but not cure; to make appear less serious

* The medication will help palliate the pain.

* The lawyer attempted to palliate the offense to the jury.

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** pallid

(adj.) pale in color

* The visitor left the hospital room with a pallid face.

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** pallor

(n.) lack of facial color

* The more vivid the testimony grew, the more the witness seemed to take on a ghostly pallor.

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** palpable

(adj.) touchable; clear, obvious

* The palpable decision was to discontinue the use of drugs. 

* On a flight that had included a sudden 5,000-foot drop,the passengers’ relief upon landing was palpable .

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** panegyric

(n.) high praise

* Upon his retirement, he received a great panegyric from many of his associates.

* His panegyric to his opponent stood in sharp contrast to the harsh tenor of the campaign.

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** paradigm

(n.) model, prototype; pattern

* The machine could no longer be produced after the paradigm was destroyed.

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** paradox

(n.) a tenet seemingly contradictory or false, but actually true

* At first blush, the company’s results were a paradox: Sales were down, yet profits were up.

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** parapet

(n.) a wall for protection; a low wall or railing

* The parapet protected the kingdom from the raging army. 

* The parapet kept the child from falling into the river.

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** paraphernalia

(n.) equipment; accessories

* She looked guilty since the drug paraphernalia was found in her apartment.

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** pariah

(n.) an outcast

* The pariah of the group sat by himself under the tree.

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** parity

(n.) state of being the same in power, value, or rank

* When the younger brother was promoted to co-president with the elder son, it established parity between the two.

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** parley

(v.) to speak with another; to discourse

* I will parley the information to the appropriate person.

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** parochial

(adj.) religious; narrow-minded

* Governor Kean urged Republicans to rise above parochial interests and be the party of inclusion.

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**  parody

(n.) a pieceof work imitating another in a satirical manner; a poor imitation

* The play was a parody of the Prince and Princess’s marital difficulties. 
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** parry

(v.) to avoid; to ward off

* I dislike talking to the woman so I will attempt to parry her by ducking around the corner.

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** parse

(v.) to separate (a sentence) into parts and describe the function of each

* An English teacher may ask a student to parse a sentence.

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** parsimonious

(adj.) very frugal; unwilling to spend

* The owner was so parsimonious he refused to purchase new curtains when the old ones fell off the window.

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** parsimony

(n.) to be unreasonably careful when spending

* The parsimony of the wealthy woman was uncalled for.

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** partisan

(n.) supporter; follower;

(adj.) biased; one-sided

* (n.) The union president is a partisan of minimum-wage legislation.

* (adj.) A partisan for the incumbent mayor will not support the challenger.

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** passive

(adj.) submissive; unassertive

* He is so passive that others walk all over him.

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** paucity

(n.) scarcity

* The described feast was actually a buffet with a paucity of food. 
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** pavilion

(n.) a large tent or covered area, usually used for entertainment

* The wedding pavilion was not only beautifully decorated, but also served as welcome protection from a sudden downpour.

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** peccadillo

(n.) a slight fault or offense

* The child was embarrassed when he was caught committing the peccadillo of eating chocolate before dinner.

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** pecuniary

(adj.) pertaining to money

* The retiring employee was delighted when he received a pecuniary gift.

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** pedagogue

(n.) a teacher

* Seeing the way she worked with children there was no doubt she was a true pedagogue.

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** pedantic

(adj.) emphasizing minutiae (small detail) or form in scholarship or teaching

* Professor Jones’s lectures were so pedantic that his students sometimes
had a tough time understanding the big picture. 

* It is important to understand pedantic terminology before beginning
a lecture.

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** pedestrian

(adj.) mediocre; ordinary

* We expected the meal to be exceptional, but it was just pedestrian.

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** pejorative

(adj.) making things worse

* The pejorative comment deepened the dislike between the two families.

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** pellucid

(adj.) transparent

* The pellucid material was not an adequate shield from the sun.

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** penchant

(n.) a liking for

* I have a penchant for all flavors of ice cream.

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** penitent

(adj.) feeling sorry for what one has done

* The burglar expressed his penitent feelings during his confession.

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** pensive

(adj.) reflective; contemplative

* The pensive mood was broken by a witty joke.

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** penurious

(adj.) stingy, miserly

* The penurious man had millions of dollars, but lived in a cottage to save money.

* Charles Dickens’ Scrooge is the most penurious character in any of his tales.

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** perceptive

(adj.) full of insight; aware

* The perceptive detective discovered that the murder weapon was hidden in a safe under the floor.

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** percussion

(n.) striking one object against another

* The loud percussion of the hunter’s gunshot startled the birds.

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** perdition

(n.) ruination

* The perdition of the building was caused by the strong quake.
 
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** peremptory

(adj.) barring future action; that cannot be denied, changed, etc. 

* The wildcat strike was a peremptory move on the part of the workers.

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** perfidious

(adj.) faithless; treacherous

* The trust between the business associates was broken after the perfidious actions by one of the partners. 

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** perfunctory

(adj.) done in a routine, mechanical way, without interest

* The girl will not improve unless she changes her perfunctory attitude.

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** peripheral

(adj.) marginal; outer

* Those are peripheral problems; let’s look at the central challenge.

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** perjury

(n.) the practice of lying

* The already sensational trial of a star athlete turned all the more so when it turned out that a police detective had committed perjury. 

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** permeable

(adj.) porous; allowing to pass through

* Because the material was permeable, the water was able to drain.

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** pernicious

(adj.) dangerous; harmful

* The pernicious fire engulfed four blocks of homes.

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** perpetual

(adj.) never ceasing; continuous

* Perpetual pain keeps the woman from walking.

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** perquisite

(n.) extra payment; a tip

* After working overtime, I had enough money to make a perquisite on my loan.

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** pertinent

(adj.) related to the matter at hand

* During a trial everyone should concentrate on the same subject, stating only pertinent information.

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** peruse

(v.) to read carefully; to study

* A vast majority of time was spent perusing the possible solution to the dilemma.

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** pervade

(v.) to occupy the whole of

* Her perfume was so strong that it pervaded the whole room.

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** pervasive

(adj.) spreading throughout

* The home was filled with the pervasive aroma of baking bread. 

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** pessimism

(n.) seeing only the gloomy side; hopelessness

* After endless years of drought, pessimism grew in the hearts of even the most dedicated farmer.

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** petty

(adj.) unimportant; of subordinate standing

* With all of the crime in the world, stealing bubble gum is considered petty theft.

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** petulant

(adj.) peevish; cranky; rude

* The long illness put the boy in a petulant mood. 

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** phenomenon

(n.) exceptional person; unusual occurrence

* The northern lights are a rare phenomenon for those not living near the Arctic Circle.

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** philanthropy

(n.) charity; unselfishness

* After years of donating time and money to the children’s hospital, Mrs.  Elderwood was commended for her philanthropy. 

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** phlegmatic

(adj.) without emotion or interest; sluggish and dull

* The phlegmatic child rarely went outside to play.

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** phobia

(n.) morbid fear

* Fear of heights is a not uncommon phobia.

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** pied

(adj.) colored, blotched together

* The extreme heat caused the colors to become pied.

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** pinioned

(adj.) bound fast

* The two rafts were pinioned by steel wire.

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** pious

(adj.) religious; devout; dedicated

* The religious couple believed that their pious method of worship would bring them eternal life.

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** pique

(n.) resentment at being slighted;

(v.) to provoke

* (n.) Being passed over for the promotion aroused his pique. 

* (v.) The more he piqued her, the redder she grew.

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** pithy

(adj.) terse and full of meaning

* Columnist William Safire, a former presidential speech writer, has a way with words that often yields pithy comments.

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** pittance

(n.) a small amount

* The reward money was only a pittance compared to the money lost.

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** placate

(v.) to appease or pacify

* The entire family attempted to placate the stubborn child. 

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** placid

(adj.) undisturbed and calm

* The placid lake’s water was completely motionless.

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** plaintive

(adj.) being mournful or sad

* His wife’s death made Sam plaintive.

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** platonic

(adj.) idealistic or impractical; not amorous or sensual

* Our relationship is platonic now, but I hope it will someday be otherwise.

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** plausible

(adj.) probable; feasible

* After scrimping and saving for a decade, it was now plausible to send his daughter to college.

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** plenary

(adj.) full; entire; complete

* A plenary class of students staged the protest.

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** plethora

(n.) a superabundance

* There was a plethora of food at the royal feast.

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** plumb

(adj.) perfectly straight down;

(v.) to solve

* (adj.) The two walls met plumb at the corner.

* (v.) I was able to plumb the riddle in a few seconds.

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** polemic

(adj.) controversial

* The polemic decision caused a stir in the community.

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** polemicist

(n.) a person skilled in argument

* The polemicist could debate any case skillfully. 

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** pommel

(n.) the rounded, upward-projecting front of a saddle

* The woman was so nervous about being on the horse she would not let go of the pommel.

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** ponderous

(adj.) unwieldy from weight; dull or labored

* The ponderous piano posed a serious challenge to having it pulled up to the 16th floor.

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** portend

(v.) to be an omen of; signify

* The distant roll of thunder portends of an oncoming storm.

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** potable

(adj.) drinkable;

(n.) a beverage that is drinkable

* (adj.)The is not potable liquid, don't drink it.

* (n.) Sea water isn’t potable.

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** potent

(adj.) having great power or physical strength

* He took very potent medication and felt better immediately.

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** pragmatic

(adj.) matter-of-fact; practical

* Since they were saving money to buy a new home, the pragmatic married couple decided not to go on an expensive vacation. 

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** prate

(v.) talking foolishly; chatter

* It is not uncommon for people to prate when they become nervous about speaking to a superior. 

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** prattle

(n.) childish babble;

(v.) to babble while speaking

* (n.) I’ve listened to his prattle for far too long.

* (v.) The toddler does more prattling than talking. 

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** precarious

(adj.) depending upon another; risky, uncertain

* The precarious plans fell through when the second couple changed their plans.

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** precept

(n.) a rule or direction of moral conduct

* The organization believed their members should abide by certain precepts.

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** precipitate

(v.) to cause to happen;

(adj.)happening quickly

* A rude comment may precipitate an argument. 

* The precipitating flood caught the village off-guard.

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** preclude

(v.) inhibit; make impossible

* Exercise may help to preclude heart disease.

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** precocious

(adj.) developed or matured earlier than usual

* The precocious eight year-old wanted to read the romance novel. 

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** predecessor

(n.) one who has occupied an office
before another

* Although her predecessor did not accomplish any goals that would help the poor, the new mayor was
confident that she could finally help those in need.

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** prefatory

(adj.) coming before

* The prefatory comments informed the audience of what was to come.

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** premise

(n.) the basis for an argument

The prosecutor claimed that the defense lawyer’s premise was shaky, and thus his whole argument was suspect.

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** preponderate

(adj.) to outweigh; to be superior in amount, weight, etc. 

* His positive qualities are the preponderate ones over his occasional rudeness.

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** presage

(n.) an omen; a foreshadowing characteristic

* They considered the rainbow at their wedding a presage for a happy life. 
* Bright sun in the morning was a good presage that it was going
to be a good day.

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** prescience

(n.) knowing about something before it happens

* The morning of the big game I had a prescience that we would win.

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** prescriptive

(adj.) done by custom; unbending

* At the heart of the Australian aborigines’ prescriptive coming-of-age rite for men is a walkabout.

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** prevalent

(adj.) generally occurring

* Rain is usually more prevalent than snow during April.

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** prevaricate

(v.) to speak equivocally or evasively, i.e., to lie

* The mayor’s desperate attempt to prevaricate about the scandal was transparent to the voters.

* His mother knew no one else could have done it, but the child foolishly prevaricated about the stain on the rug.

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** pristine

(adj.) primitive, pure, uncorrupted

* The pristine lake had not been marred by pollution. 

* She had such a pristine look about her, you would have thought she was an angel.

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** privy

(adj.) private; confidential

* Only the woman’s best friend was privy to her secret.

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** probity

(n.) honesty

* The young man’s probity was reassuring to the fearful parent.

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** problematic

(adj.) being hard to deal with; unsolved situation

* The constant squeak of the door was problematic. 

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** prodigal

(adj.) wasteful; lavish

* The actor’s prodigal lifestyle ultimately led to his undoing. 

* Spending his rent money on your birthday present was more than generous, it was prodigal.

* The prodigal gift by the poor woman was truly a thoughtful gesture.

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** prodigious

(adj.) wonderful; enormous

* The prodigious festivities lasted until the wee hours of the morning.

* The Empire State Building required a prodigious amount of steel to erect.

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** profound

(adj.) deep; knowledgeable; thorough

* It was with profound regret and sorrow that the family had to leave their homeland for a more prosperous country.

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** profusion

(n.) great wastefulness; a large abundance of

* The profusion of uneaten food was sent to the shelter.

* The wet winter brought about a profusion of mosquitoes.

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** progeny

(n.) children; offspring

* It is through his progeny that his name shall live on. 

* The princes were the progeny of royalty.

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** program

(n.) the parts of entertainment; a plan for dealing with a matter; coded instructions

* The program for better health is to eat more vegetables and fruits.

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** proliferate

(v.) to reproduce quickly

* Gerbils are known to proliferate quickly.

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** prolific

(adj.) fruitful

* The merger resulted in a prolific business which became an asset to the community.

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** promontory

(n.) a piece of land jutting into a body of water

* The boat hit the rocky promontory, splitting the bow.

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** propagate

(v.) to reproduce or multiply

* Rabbits and gerbils are said to propagate quickly.

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** propensity

(n.) a natural tendency towards; bias

* I have a propensity to talk too fast.

* She has a propensity to hire men over women.

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** propinquity

(n.) closeness in time or place; closeness of relationship

* The propinquity of the disasters put the community in chaos. 

* The propinquity of the two stories was the basis of the teacher’s lesson.

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** propitiate

(v.) to win the goodwill of

* If I try my best I will hopefully propitiate my new supervisor.

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** prosaic

(adj.) tiresome; ordinary

* He wanted to do something new; he was tired of the prosaic activities his parents suggested each day.

* The only entertainment would be a prosaic game of cards.

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** proselytize

(v.) to convert from one belief or religion to another

* The preacher often attempts to proselytize wayward travellers.

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** protocol

(n.) an original draft or record of a document

* The protocol was given to the president once it was completed.

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** proverbial

(adj.) well-known because it is commonly referred to

* King Solomon’s proverbial wisdom has been admired through the ages.

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** provident

(adj.) prudent; economical

* It was provident, in his opinion, to wait and buy the new car when he was financially secure.

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** provincial

(adj.) regional; unsophisticated

* After living in the city for five years, he found that his family back home on the farm was too provincial for his cultured ways.

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** proviso

(n.) A clause stating a condition or stipulation

* The governor began the conference with a proviso stating the disastrous results of the flood.

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** provocative

(adj.) tempting; irritating

* The U.S. considered the invasion of Kuwait a provocative action.

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** provoke

(v.) to stir action or feeling; arouse

* By calling him names, he was provoking a fight

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** quaff

(v.) drinking deeply

* A dog will quaff if he becomes overheated.

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** quagmire

(n.) marshy land

* The vehicle became stuck in the quagmire.

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** quaint

(adj.) old-fashioned; unusual; odd

* One of the best qualities of the bed-and-breakfast was its quaint setting in the charming English village.

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** qualified

(adj.) experienced, indefinite

* She was well qualified for the job after working the field for ten years.

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** qualm

(n.) sudden feeling of uneasiness or doubt

** His qualms about flying disappeared once the plane landed softly.

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** quandary

(n.) dilemma

* Joe and Elizabeth were caught in a quandary: Should they spend Thanksgiving with his parents or hers?

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** quarantine

(n.) isolation of a person or persons to prevent the spread of disease

* To be sure they didn’t bring any contagions back to Earth, the astronauts were put under quarantine when they returned.

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** quiescence

(n.) state of being at rest or without motion

* A period of quiescence is useful to calm the nerves.

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** quiescent

(adj.) inactive, at rest

* Everyone deserves a day off and should remain quiescent on Sundays.

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** quintessence

(n.) the pure essence of anything

* This story is the quintessence of American fiction.

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** quirk

(n.) peculiar behavior; startling twist

* Nobody’s perfect-we all have our quirks.

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** quixotic

(adj.) foolishly idealistic; romantically idealistic; extravagantly chivalrous

* He was popular with the ladies due to his quixotic charm.  

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