English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

pledged

adj

Bound by a promise that has already been made.

pledging

noun

The act of making a solemn promise.

Pleiades

name

In Greek mythology, the seven daughters of Atlas, companions of the goddess Artemis.

plenipotentiary

noun

A person given complete authority to act on behalf of a government, especially in diplomatic negotiations.

plenish

verb

To fill something with supplies or stock.

plenteous

adj

Existing in large amounts; abundant.

plenteousness

noun

A large and plentiful supply of something.

plentiful

adj

Available in large quantities; abundant.

plenty

noun

A large or more-than-sufficient amount.

pleonasm

noun

The use of more words than are needed to express an idea.

pleonastic

adj

Relating to pleonasm, the use of more words than are needed.

plerion

noun

A type of nebula that is powered by the wind given off by a pulsar.

plethon

name

Georgios Gemistos Plethon (c. 1355–1453), a Byzantine Greek philosopher.

plethora

noun

An overwhelming or excessive amount of something.

plethoric

adj

Having a red face, or swollen because of too much blood.

pleuston

noun

Living things that float on the surface of water.

plex

noun

A building, for example a duplex or triplex, containing several flats (usually two to four) each with its own entrance from outside.

pleximetry

noun

(medicine) The practice of using a pleximeter.

plexus

noun

A network of interlacing nerves or blood vessels in the body.

pliability

noun

The property of being easily bent; suppleness.

pliable

adj

Easily bent or shaped without breaking.

pliancy

noun

The state of bending or adapting easily.

pliant

adj

Able to bend easily without snapping.

plicate

adj

Folded multiple times lengthwise like a fan, usually lending stiffness to a flat structure such as a leaf; corrugated; pleated.

plication

noun

The act of folding something.

plicature

noun

A fold made by doubling something over.

pliers

noun

A hand tool with pincer jaws used for gripping, bending, or cutting.

plight

noun

A difficult, distressing situation.

Plimpton

name

An English surname, a variant of Plympton or Plumpton.

plinth

noun

A flat block that a column, statue, or similar structure stands on.

Pliny

name

A Roman name, borne by the naturalist Pliny the Elder and his nephew Pliny the Younger.

plip

noun

(informal) A small remote control that locks and unlocks a car.

plod

verb

To walk slowly and heavily, with steady, tiring effort.

plodder

noun

Someone, or an animal, that moves slowly and heavily.

plodding

adj

Moving forward slowly and with a lot of effort.

plonk

verb

To put something down heavily or carelessly.

plonker

noun

(informal) A man who lets his girlfriend have sexual relationships with his male friends.

plop

noun

A soft, dull sound like something dropping into water.

plosive

noun

A consonant sound made by briefly blocking the flow of air and then releasing it, such as p, b, t, d, k or g.

plot

noun

The sequence of events that make up a story, especially the way they are connected.

plotline

noun

The main storyline running through a tale or set of tales.

plotter

noun

A person who carries out plotting.

plotting

noun

Secretly planning or scheming, usually against someone.

plough

noun

A farm tool with a blade, pulled through soil to break it up before planting.

ploughed

adj

Turned over with a plough, ready for planting.

ploughing

noun

The work of breaking up soil into furrows using a plough, to get it ready for planting.

ploughland

noun

Land that is ploughed, or that is meant to be ploughed.

ploughshare

noun

The cutting edge of a plough, typically a metal blade.

plover

noun

A plover is any of several wading birds belonging to the subfamily Charadriinae.

plow

noun

The American spelling of plough, a farm implement pulled through soil to turn it over before planting.

plowing

verb

Turning over soil with a plow to prepare it for planting (American spelling of ploughing).

ploy

noun

A cunning tactic or trick used to gain an advantage.

pluck

verb

To pull something out or off with a quick, sharp motion.

plucked

adj

Having had feathers or hairs pulled out.

plucking

noun

The act of pulling something out or off sharply.

plucky

adj

Brave and determined, especially when facing difficult odds.

plug

noun

A device with pins that connects an appliance to an electrical socket.

plugboard

noun

(electronics) A board of sockets that cables can be plugged into to complete electrical circuits.

pluggable

adj

(computing) Able to be added into a system as an optional part, especially of software.

plugged

adj

Connected to a power source, or having something inserted to fill a gap.

plugging

noun

The act of blocking a hole or gap, or of connecting something with a plug.

plugin

noun

A separate piece of software that adds a feature to an existing program without changing the program itself, and which can be installed or removed independently.

plum

noun

A soft, round stone fruit with smooth skin, ranging from red to deep purple.

plumage

noun

All of the feathers covering a bird's body.

plumb

noun

A weight on a line used to check that something is perfectly vertical.

plumbago

noun

A plant of the Plumbago genus, also called leadwort.

plumber

noun

A tradesperson who installs and repairs water pipes, drains, and related fittings.

plumbing

noun

The system of pipes and fixtures that carry water and waste through a building.

plume

noun

A large, often decorative feather, or a cluster of feathers.

Plummer

name

An English surname, an occupational name for a plumber or worker in lead.

plummet

verb

To fall suddenly and steeply.

plummeting

noun

A sudden, steep decline or fall.

plumose

adj

Covered with feathers or plumes.

plump

adj

Pleasantly rounded and full-figured; slightly overweight in an attractive way.

plumtree

name

A village and civil parish in Rushcliffe borough, Nottinghamshire, England (OS grid ref SK6133).

plumule

noun

(botany) The tiny first shoot of a plant embryo, found above its seed leaves.

plumy

adj

Soft and light like feathers, or decorated with them.

plunder

verb

To steal goods from a place by force, typically during war or unrest.

plunderer

noun

A person who plunders or pillages.

plundering

noun

The act of stealing goods or resources by force.

plunge

verb

To jump or dive suddenly into water or another substance.

plunger

noun

A rubber suction tool used to clear blocked drains or toilets.

plunging

adj

Falling or dropping steeply.

plunk

noun

A short, flat sound, like a plucked instrument string or something dropping onto a surface.

Plunkett

name

An Irish surname of Norman origin.

plural

adj

Referring to more than one of something.

plurality

noun

The fact or condition of being more than one; being plural.

plurisecular

adj

Lasting for, or dating back, hundreds of years.

plus

prep

Added to; with the addition of.

plush

adj

Luxurious and expensive-looking.

Pluto

noun

The Roman god of the underworld.

plutocracy

noun

Rule of a country by its richest people.

plutocrat

noun

A person who has power because they are very rich.

plutonian

adj

Connected with Pluto, the ancient god of the underworld, or with evil, hellish things.

plutonic

adj

An alternative letter-case form of Plutonic.

plutonium

noun

(chemistry) A silvery-grey radioactive metal, chemical symbol Pu and atomic number 94, that darkens in air and can be split to release energy.

pluviophile

noun

A person who loves rain and finds comfort or joy in rainy weather.

ply

verb

To work steadily at something, or use a tool with regular effort.

plyboard

noun

A material formed by gluing layers of wooden board together.

plyer

noun

A kind of balance used in raising and letting down a drawbridge. It consists of timbers joined in the form of a Saint Andrew's cross.

plyers

noun

An archaic form of pliers (“gripping tool”).

plying

noun

The arrangement of strands or layers twisted or woven together.

Plymouth

name

A port city in Devon, England, and the source of many place names of the same name across the English-speaking world.

plywood

noun

A building material made of thin layers of wood glued together, with the grain of each layer running crosswise to the one next to it for strength.

PM

verb

To manage a project.

PMO

abbreviation

Piss me off — used in texting and social media to say that something annoys or is annoying you.

PMS

verb

To go through premenstrual syndrome, the physical and emotional symptoms that can occur before a period.

pneumatic

adj

Operated or inflated by compressed air.

pneumoconiosis

noun

A lung disease caused by breathing in particles of dust over a long period.

pneumonia

noun

A lung infection, usually caused by bacteria or a virus, that inflames the air sacs and can fill them with fluid.

pneumonic

adj

Concerning the lungs.

pneumothorax

noun

A collapsed lung caused by air leaking into the space between the lung and chest wall, usually from injury.

PNG

noun

An image format that stores a picture without losing any detail and can make parts of the image transparent, commonly used for logos, screenshots and graphics with sharp edges.

po

noun

A chamber pot.

POA

abbreviation

Plan of action: an agreed set of steps for dealing with a situation.

poach

verb

To cook something gently in barely simmering liquid, usually water.

poached

adj

Cooked by gentle simmering in liquid.

poacher

noun

Someone who illegally hunts or catches animals, especially protected wildlife.

poaching

noun

The illegal hunting, fishing, or collecting of wildlife or plants, especially protected species.

POC

abbreviation

Person of colour: someone who is not white. Also used as people of colour.

Pocahontas

noun

Used, often loosely or historically, to refer to a Native American woman, after the historical Powhatan figure Pocahontas.

pochoir

noun

An art method that uses cut-out templates to print or colour an image.

pocket

noun

A small fabric pouch sewn into clothing for carrying small items.

pocketable

adj

Small enough to fit into a pocket.

pocketbook

noun

A small case for carrying money or cards; in American English, sometimes a handbag or purse.

pocketed

adj

Having one or more pockets.

pocketful

noun

As much as a pocket can hold.

pocketknife

noun

A small knife that can be safely carried in a pocket, usually with a blade that folds into the handle.

pockmark

noun

A small hollow scar left on the skin by a spot or blister.

pockmarked

adj

Covered in small scars or pits.

pococurante

adj

Not caring much about anything; casual and unbothered.

pod

noun

A seed case of a plant, especially a legume, that splits open when ripe.

podcast

noun

A recorded audio (or video) series, usually episodic, that people can download or stream over the internet.

podiatrist

noun

A doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating problems of the feet and lower legs.

podium

noun

A raised platform for a speaker, performer, or conductor to stand on.

Poe

noun

An online post or statement so extreme that readers can't tell if it's sincere or satire.

poem

noun

A piece of writing arranged with attention to rhythm, sound, and often rhyme, expressing ideas or feelings in a condensed, imaginative way.

poesy

noun

The skill or craft of writing poems.

poet

noun

A person who writes poems.

poetic

adj

Relating to poetry or written in the style of poetry.

poeticize

verb

To turn something into poetry, or describe it in a poetic way.

poetics

noun

The study of the ideas behind poetry, or literature more generally.

poetize

verb

To give something a poetic quality.

poetry

noun

Literary writing arranged with attention to rhythm, sound, and imagery, often in verse.

Poets

name

The plural of poet, sometimes used as a collective or team name.

pog

interjection

Said in reaction to something exciting, impressive or unexpectedly good, especially in gaming and streaming chat.

pogey

noun

(informal) A place that houses or supports the poor, such as a workhouse or welfare office.

poggers

intj

(informal) Used to show great excitement.

pogo

verb

To bounce up and down on a pogo stick.

pogrom

noun

An organised riot or attack intended to persecute or massacre a particular ethnic or religious group, especially Jews.