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Vocabulary > "P" Word List > Flashcards

"P" Word List Flashcards

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1
Q

paean

A

song of praise or joy

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2
Q

palatial

A

magnificent

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3
Q

pall

A

something that covers or conceals; to become wearisome or upleasant

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4
Q

palliate

A

to ease; to lessen

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5
Q

pallid

A

pale; dull

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6
Q

palpable

A

obvious; capable of being touched or felt

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7
Q

palpitate

A

to beat rapidly; to tremble

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8
Q

palsy

A

muscle paralysis

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9
Q

paltry

A

trivial; worthless

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10
Q

panacea

A

a cure-all; an answer for all problems

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11
Q

panache

A

self-confidence; a showy manner

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12
Q

pandemic

A

general; widespread

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13
Q

pandemonium

A

wild disorder; confusion

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14
Q

panegyric

A

an expression of praise

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15
Q

panoply

A

suit or armor; any protective covering

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16
Q

paragon

A

a model of excellence or perfection

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17
Q

pariah

A

an outcast

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18
Q

parley

A

discussion; conference

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19
Q

parlous

A

dangerous

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20
Q

parochial

A

local; narrow; limited

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21
Q

parity

A

equality; similarity

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22
Q

paroxysm

A

a sudden outburst; a fit

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23
Q

parrot

A

to repeat or imitate without understanding

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24
Q

parry

A

to avoid something such as a thrust or blow

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25
Q

parsimonious

A

stingy; miserly

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26
Q

partisan

A

a strong supporter of a cause

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27
Q

pastoral

A

pertaining to the country; rural

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28
Q

paternal

A

fatherly

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29
Q

pathogenic

A

causing disease

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30
Q

pathos

A

pity; deep feeling

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31
Q

patrician

A

aristocratic

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32
Q

patrimony

A

inherited right; heritage

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33
Q

patronage

A

the control of power to make appointments to government jobs

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34
Q

patronize

A

to be a customer; to talk down to

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35
Q

paucity

A

scarcity; lack

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36
Q

peccadillo

A

a minor offense

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37
Q

peculate

A

to steal; to embezzle

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38
Q

pecuniary

A

pertaining to money

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39
Q

pedantic

A

tending to show off one’s learning

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40
Q

peevish

A

hard to please; irritable

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41
Q

pejorative

A

having a negative effect; insulting

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42
Q

pellucid

A

transparent; clear

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43
Q

penchant

A

a strong liking for; an inclination

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44
Q

pendant

A

anything that hangs or is suspended

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45
Q

penitent

A

expressing sorrow for sin or wrongdoing

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46
Q

penury

A

extreme poverty

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47
Q

perdition

A

damnation; ruin; hell

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48
Q

peregrinate

A

to travel from place to place

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49
Q

peremptory

A

decisive; final; not open to debate

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50
Q

perennial

A

lasting for a long time; pertetual

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51
Q

perfidious

A

deceitful; treacherous; unfaithful

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52
Q

perforce

A

of necessity

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53
Q

perfunctory

A

done without care; routine

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54
Q

perigee

A

point in an orbit nearest to the earth

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55
Q

periphrastic

A

said in a roundabout way

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56
Q

perjury

A

making a false statement while under oath

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57
Q

permeate

A

to spread throughout

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58
Q

pernicious

A

deadly; destructive

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59
Q

peroration

A

the concluding part of a speech

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60
Q

perquisite

A

something additional to regular pay

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61
Q

perspicacity

A

keenness of judgement

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62
Q

perspicuity

A

clearness, as of a statement

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63
Q

pert

A

bold; saucy

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64
Q

peruse

A

to read carefully

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65
Q

perverse

A

contrary; cranky

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66
Q

petrology

A

study of rocks

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67
Q

phalanx

A

closely massed body of persons

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68
Q

philander

A

to engage in various love affairs

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69
Q

philately

A

stamp collecting

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70
Q

philippic

A

a bitter verbal attack

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71
Q

philistine

A

uncultured; common

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72
Q

phlegmatic

A

unemotional; cool; not easily excited

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73
Q

picaresque

A

pertaining to an adventurous wanderer

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74
Q

piecemeal

A

bit by bit; gradually

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75
Q

pied

A

many-colored; variegated

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76
Q

pillory

A

to expose to public ridicule or abuse

77
Q

piquant

A

stimulating to the taste; exciting interest

78
Q

pique

A

to irritate or annoy

79
Q

piscine

A

of or like a pish

80
Q

pithy

A

concise; to the point

81
Q

plaintive

A

sorrowful; sad

82
Q

platitude

A

a dull or trite remark

83
Q

plaudit

A

any expression of approval

84
Q

plebeian

A

pertaining to a member of the lower classes

85
Q

plenary

A

full; complete; absolute

86
Q

plumb

A

to test; to measure

87
Q

plutocracy

A

rule by the wealthy class

88
Q

poignant

A

keenly distressing; affecting the emotions

89
Q

polemic

A

a controversy or argument

90
Q

politic

A

diplomatic; shrewd

91
Q

poltroon

A

a coward

92
Q

polyglot

A

speaking or writing several languages

93
Q

pomp

A

brilliant show or display

94
Q

ponderous

A

heavy; burdensome

95
Q

porcine

A

of or like a pig

96
Q

portentous

A

warning; forshadowing

97
Q

posterity

A

future generations

98
Q

posthumous

A

occurring after death

99
Q

postulate

A

to assume without proof; to take for granted

100
Q

potentate

A

ruler; monarch

101
Q

pragmatic

A

practical

102
Q

prate

A

to talk extensively and pointlessly; to babble

103
Q

precarious

A

uncertain; dangerous; risky

104
Q

precedent

A

an act that may be used as an example in the future

105
Q

precept

A

a rule of conduct

106
Q

precipice

A

cliff

107
Q

precipitate

A

to bring about an action suddenly

108
Q

precipitous

A

extremely steep

109
Q

precis

A

brief summary

110
Q

preclude

A

to prevent; to shut out

111
Q

precocious

A

prematurely developed

112
Q

predicate

A

to declare; to assert

113
Q

predilection

A

a liking; preference; inclinaiton

114
Q

preeminent

A

standing out above all others

115
Q

preen

A

to dress oneself carefully or smartly

116
Q

prehensile

A

adapted for seizing or grasping something

117
Q

premonition

A

forewarning; hunch

118
Q

preponderance

A

superiority in quantity or power; dominance

119
Q

presage

A

to indicate or warn in advance

120
Q

prescience

A

knowledge of things before they happen

121
Q

presentiment

A

anticipation, especially of something evil

122
Q

prestige

A

influence; importance

123
Q

preternatural

A

abnormal; beyond what is natural

124
Q

pretext

A

a false reason or motive; an excuse

125
Q

prevericate

A

to lie

126
Q

primeval

A

of the earliest times or ages

127
Q

primogeniture

A

state of being the firstborn

128
Q

primordial

A

first; original

129
Q

primp

A

to dress up in a fussy way

130
Q

prismatic

A

many-colored

131
Q

privation

A

loss or lack of something essential

132
Q

probity

A

honesty; integrity

133
Q

proclivity

A

inclination; tendency

134
Q

procrustean

A

designed to get conformity at any cost

135
Q

procure

A

to obtain; to secure

136
Q

prodigal

A

wasteful

137
Q

prodigious

A

enormous; vast

138
Q

proffer

A

to offer

139
Q

profligate

A

shamelessly immoral; extremely wastful

140
Q

profuse

A

abundant

141
Q

progeny

A

descendants

142
Q

prognosticate

A

to predict; to fortell

143
Q

proletarian

A

one who belongs to the working class

144
Q

proliferate

A

to expand; to increase

145
Q

prolific

A

productive; fertile

146
Q

prolix

A

tediously long and wordy

147
Q

promontory

A

piece of land juts out

148
Q

promulgate

A

to announce; to advocate

149
Q

propagate

A

to spread; to multiply

150
Q

propinquity

A

nearness; closeness

151
Q

propitious

A

favorable

152
Q

propriety

A

conformity; appropriateness

153
Q

prosaic

A

dull; commonplace; unimaginative

154
Q

proscribe

A

to denounce; exile

155
Q

proselyte

A

a person who has changed form one religion to another

156
Q

prostrate

A

lying flat; thrown or fallen to the ground

157
Q

protagonist

A

main character

158
Q

protean

A

changeable; variable

159
Q

protege

A

one who has been guided or instructed by another

160
Q

protract

A

to draw out; to prolong

161
Q

proverbial

A

well-known

162
Q

provident

A

having foresight

163
Q

provicincial

A

countrified; narrow; limited

164
Q

provisional

A

temporary

165
Q

proviso

A

a condition; a stipulation

166
Q

prowess

A

skill; strength; daring

167
Q

proxy

A

one who acts in place of another

168
Q

prude

A

an overly proper person

169
Q

prudence

A

caution; good judgment

170
Q

prurient

A

lustful; obscene; lewd

171
Q

psyche

A

the human soul or spirit

172
Q

puerile

A

childish; immature

173
Q

pugilist

A

a boxer

174
Q

pugnacious

A

eager to fight; quarrelsome

175
Q

puissant

A

powerful; strong

176
Q

pulchritude

A

beauty

177
Q

pulmonary

A

pertaining to the lungs

178
Q

punctilious

A

very exact; precise

179
Q

pundit

A

a learned man; an expert or authority

180
Q

puritanical

A

strict; rigid; harsh

181
Q

purloin

A

to steal

182
Q

purport

A

to claim to be

183
Q

purvey

A

to furnish; to supply

184
Q

pusillanimous

A

cowardly; fearful

185
Q

putative

A

supposed; believed

186
Q

pyre

A

a funeral fire in which the corpse is burned

187
Q

pyretic

A

pertaining to fever

188
Q

Pyrrhic victory

A

success gained at too high a cost

Vocabulary (20 decks)

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