Chapter 21 Flashcards
perch
- (of a bird) alight or rest on something: a herring gull perched on the mast.
- • (be perched) (of a building) be situated above or on the edge of something: the fortress is perched on a crag in the mountains.
- • [with object] (perch someone/something on) set or balance someone or something on (something): Peter perched a pair of gold-rimmed spectacles on his nose.
peremptory
(especially of a person’s manner or actions) insisting on immediate attention or obedience, especially in a brusquely imperious way: “Just do it!” came the peremptory reply.
imperious
arrogant and domineering: his imperious demands.
perennial
lasting or existing for a long or apparently infinite time; enduring or continually recurring: his perennial distrust of the media | perennial manifestations of urban crisis.
permeate
spread through = pervade
persuasive
有说服力的
pervasive
(especially of an unwelcome influence or physical effect) spreading widely throughout an area or a group of people: ageism is pervasive and entrenched in our society.
pestilential
relating to or tending to cause infectious diseases: you shouldn’t be out on a pestilential night like this.
2. annoying
pettition
make or present a formal request to (an authority) with respect to a particular cause: Americans who moved west petitioned Congress for admission to the Union as states | [with object and infinitive] : leaders petitioned the government to hold free elections soon.
pettiness
undue concern with trivial matters, especially of a small-minded or spiteful nature:
picturesque
visually attractive, especially in a quaint or pretty style: the picturesque covered bridges of New England.
piety
the quality of being religious or reverent: acts of piety and charity.
pine
suffer a mental and physical decline, especially because of a broken heart: she thinks I am pining away from love.
• (pine for) miss and long for the return of: I was pining for my boyfriend.
pinnacle
1 the most successful point; the culmination: he had reached the pinnacle of his career.
pious
devoutly religious.
pitfall
a hidden or unsuspected danger or difficulty
pivotal
of crucial importance in relation to the development or success of something else: the alliance that played a pivotal role in the revolution.
placid
(of a person or animal) not easily upset or excited: this horse has a placid nature.
plaudit
praise or approval
plausible
(of an argument or statement) seeming reasonable or probable: a plausible explanation | it seems plausible that one of two things may happen.
plead
present an argument, especially in a legal case.
pliable
easily bent; flexible
pliant
pliable
plight
touble; dilemma
plod
walk doggedly and slowly with heavy steps: we plodded back up the hill | figurative : talks on a new constitution have plodded on.
• work slowly and perseveringly at a dull task: we were plodding through a textbook.
tenacity
the quality of being very determined
doggedly
in a manner that shows tenacity and grim persistence:
ploy
tactic
pluck
take hold of (something) and quickly remove it from its place: she plucked a blade of grass | he plucked a tape from the shelf.
plummet
drop straight down at high speed
plunge
thrust into water, or into any substance that is penetrable; to immerse.
plump for something
decide definitely in favor of one of two or more possibilities: offered a choice of drinks, he plumped for brandy.
plush
richly luxurious and expensive: the plush chrome and leather office.
pore
be absorbed in the reading or study of: Heather spent hours poring over cookbooks.
portfolio
a set of pieces of creative work collected by someone to display their skills, especially to a potential employer: she had a portfolio of crayon portraits.
posit
1 [with object] assume as a fact; put forward as a basis of argument: the Confucian view posits a perfectible human nature | [with clause] : he posited that the world economy is a system with its own particular equilibrium.
• (posit something on) base something on the truth of (a particular assumption): these plots are posited on a false premise about women’s nature as inferior.
2 [with object and adverbial] put in position; place: the Professor posits Cohen in his second category of poets.
potency
the power of something to influence or make an impression: a myth of enormous potency.
pounce
(of an animal or bird of prey) spring or swoop suddenly so as to catch prey: the wolf pounced on the rat | she looked like a vulture waiting to pounce.
• (of a person) spring forward suddenly so as to attack or seize someone or something: the gang pounced on him and knocked him to the ground.
practitioner
a person actively engaged in an art, discipline, or profession, especially medicine: patients are treated by skilled practitioners.
pragmatic
dealing with things sensibly and realistically in a way that is based on practical rather than theoretical
preach
publicly proclaim or teach (a religious message or belief): a church that preaches the good news.
precept
1 a general rule intended to regulate behavior or thought: the legal precept of being innocent until proven guilty | children learn far more by example than by precept | moral precepts.
2 a writ or warrant: the Commissioner issued precepts requiring the companies to provide information.
precipitate
cause (an event or situation, typically one that is bad or undesirable) to happen suddenly, unexpectedly, or prematurely: the incident precipitated a political crisis.
• cause to move suddenly and with force: suddenly the ladder broke, precipitating them down into a heap.
• (precipitate someone/something into) send someone or something suddenly into a particular state or condition: they were precipitated into a conflict for which they were quite unprepared.
preclude
prevent from happening; make impossible: the secret nature of his work precluded official recognition.
preconception
a preconceived idea or prejudice.
predispose
make someone liable or inclined to a specified attitude, action, or condition: lack of exercise may predispose an individual to high blood pressure.
predominant
present as the strongest or main element: its predominant color was white.
• having or exerting control or power: the predominant political forces.
