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Vocab > P words > Flashcards

P words Flashcards

1
Q

pablum

A

bland or insipid intellectual fare, entertainment, etc.; pap.

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2
Q

pacifist

A

a person who favors peace

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3
Q

painstaking

A

careful, taking great pains, meticulous, assiduous, diligent

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4
Q

pall

A

A morose covering of cloth, smoke, or similar matter; or to become less appealing through familiarity

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5
Q

panegyric

A

A published speech or published text in praise of something or someone.

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6
Q

panoply

A

a complete or impressive collection of things

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7
Q

paragon

A

a person or thing regarded as a perfect example of a particular quality.

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8
Q

parody

A

a humorous imitation of a work of art

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9
Q

parsimonious

A

unwilling to spend money or use resources; stingy or frugal.

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10
Q

parsimony

A

extreme stinginess, miserliness

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11
Q

partisan

A

strongly supporting one party or cause, biased

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12
Q

parvenu

A

a person of obscure origin who has gained wealth, influence, or celebrity.

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13
Q

pastiche

A

An artistic work in a style that imitates that of another work, artist, or period.

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14
Q

patrician

A

an aristocrat or nobleman

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15
Q

paucity

A

the presence of something only in small or insufficient quantities or amounts; scarcity.

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16
Q

pearlite

A

a finely laminated mixture of ferrite and cementite present in cast iron and steel, formed by the cooling of austenite.

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17
Q

pecuniary

A

of, relating to, or consisting of money

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18
Q

pedant

A

a person who is excessively concerned with minor details and rules or with displaying academic learning.

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19
Q

penchant

A

liking, inclination, proclivity, predilection

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20
Q

penury

A

extreme poverty

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21
Q

perceptive

A

having keen understanding

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22
Q

perfunctory

A

done with little interest or care, cursory

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23
Q

peripatetic

A

traveling from place to place, esp. working or based in various places for relatively short periods

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24
Q

peripheral

A

on or having to do with the outer edge

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25
Q

perspire

A

give out sweat through the pores of the skin as the result of heat, physical exertion, or stress

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26
Q

pessimism

A

a tendency to expect the worst

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27
Q

pestilence

A

a fatal epidemic disease, esp. bubonic plague

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28
Q

petulant

A

irritable, touchy, irascible

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29
Q

phoenix

A

(in classical mythology) a unique bird that lived for five or six centuries in the Arabian desert, after this time burning itself on a funeral pyre and rising from the ashes with renewed youth to live through another cycle.

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30
Q

pi

A

To spill or mix printing type

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31
Q

piccalilli

A

a relish of chopped vegetables, mustard, and hot spices.

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32
Q

piety

A

religiousness, devoutness

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33
Q

piki

A

cornmeal bread in the form of very thin sheets, made by the Hopi Indians of the southwestern US

34
Q

pilothouse

A

A part of a plane serving as a shelter for the person at the wheel.

35
Q

pique

A

to arouse; to irritate, exasperate, vex

36
Q

placate

A

to calm the anger of, appease, mollify, conciliate

37
Q

plagiarism

A

the theft of someone else’s ideas

38
Q

platitude

A

a dull, overused remark, something banal or hackneyed

39
Q

plausible

A

believable, reasonable

40
Q

plethora

A

overabundance, excess, copiousness

41
Q

plucky

A

Having or showing determined courage in the face of difficulties

42
Q

pluvial

A

relating to or characterized by rainfall.

43
Q

poignant

A

evoking a keen sense of sadness or regret.

44
Q

pointer

A

A long thin piece of metal on a scale or dial that moves to indicate a figure or position; or a dog of a breed that, on scenting game, stands rigid looking toward it.

45
Q

polymath

A

a person of wide-ranging knowledge or learning.

46
Q

polystyrene

A

a synthetic resin that is a polymer of styrene, used chiefly as lightweight rigid foams and films.

47
Q

ponderous

A

slow and clumsy because of great weight.

48
Q

potboiler

A

a book, painting, or recording produced merely to make the writer or artist a living by catering to popular taste.

49
Q

pother

A

a commotion or fuss.

50
Q

preclude

A

to make impossible, prevent

51
Q

precocious

A

maturing early (especially mentally)

52
Q

predilection

A

preference, liking, inclination, proclivity, penchant

53
Q

preeminent

A

superior to all others

54
Q

presumptuous

A

overly forward; overly bold

55
Q

pretender

A

A person who claims or aspires to a title or position.

56
Q

preternatural

A

Beyond what is normal or natural

57
Q

prevalent

A

widespread, commonly accepted

58
Q

previse

A

Foresee (or predict) an event.

59
Q

prig

A

a self-righteously moralistic person who behaves as if superior to others.

60
Q

pro bono publico

A

For the public good

61
Q

proclivity

A

tendency, leaning, inclination, predilection, penchant

62
Q

procrustean

A

Enforcing uniformity or conformity without regard to natural variation or individual value.

63
Q

prodigal

A

wasteful with money, extravagant

64
Q

prodigious

A

immense; astonishing [don’t confuse with prodigal!]

65
Q

proficient

A

skilled, capable, competent

66
Q

profligate

A

recklessly extravagant or wasteful in the use of resources

67
Q

profuse

A

very abundant; giving freely

68
Q

proliferate

A

to grow, increase, burgeon, flourish

69
Q

prominent

A

important, well-known

70
Q

propitiating

A

win or regain the favor of (a god, spirit, or person) by doing something that pleases them

71
Q

provincial

A

narrow-minded, unsophisticated

72
Q

prurient

A

having or encouraging an excessive interest in sexual matters.

73
Q

psychobiology

A

the branch of science that deals with the biological basis of behavior and mental phenomena.

74
Q

puckish

A

playful, especially in a mischievous way.

75
Q

pugnacious

A

eager or quick to argue, quarrel, or fight.

76
Q

pule

A

cry querulously or weakly.

77
Q

pulverize

A

to demolish

78
Q

punctilious

A

showing great attention to detail or correct behavior.

79
Q

puny

A

small and weak.

80
Q

pupa

A

an insect in its inactive immature form between larva and adult, e.g., a chrysalis.

81
Q

purloin

A

steal (something).

82
Q

pygmy

A

a member of certain peoples of very short stature in equatorial Africa and parts of Southeast Asia

Vocab (22 decks)

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