English dictionary — definitions & meanings

potbelly

noun

A large, protruding, or swollen abdomen; a paunch.

potence

noun

Power or strength; potency.

potency

noun

The strength or power of something, such as a drug or an argument.

potent

adj

Having great power, strength, or effect.

potentate

noun

A powerful leader; a monarch; a ruler.

potential

noun

An ability or quality that hasn't yet been developed or shown.

potential energy

noun

The energy stored in an object because of its position, shape or condition, which can be released as movement or another form of energy.

potentiality

noun

The quality of being or having potential.

potentially

adv

Possibly, in a way that could happen.

potently

adv

In a potent manner; powerfully.

pothead

noun

(slang) Someone who smokes marijuana often.

pother

verb

To make a bustle or stir; to be fussy.

potherb

noun

Any plant whose leaves, stems or flowers may be used as a culinary herb.

potholder

noun

An insulated pad used for handling hot cooking utensils

pothole

noun

A hole or dip worn into a road surface, usually from weather or heavy traffic.

potion

noun

A drink believed to have a magical, medicinal, or poisonous effect.

potluck

noun

A shared meal where each guest brings a dish to contribute.

Potomac

noun

A major river running through Washington, D.C., and along the Maryland–Virginia border.

potomania

noun

An excessive and persistent desire to drink alcoholic beverages.

potpourri

noun

A mixture of dried, fragrant flowers and plant material, often kept in a bowl to scent a room.

pots

noun

(informal) A large amount, especially of money.

Potsdam

name

A city in Germany near Berlin, known for its palaces and the 1945 Potsdam Conference.

potshot

noun

A shot taken at an easy or random target.

potted

adj

Grown or kept in a pot.

potter

noun

A person who makes pots and other objects out of clay.

pottery

noun

Objects made from fired clay, such as bowls, vases, and dishes.

Potts

name

An English surname, likely a patronymic derived from the given name Pott.

potty

noun

A small container used to help train young children to use the toilet.

POTUS

noun

The President of the United States, referred to by the initialism of the title.

pouch

noun

A small bag, often closed with a drawstring or zipper.

pouf

noun

A headdress for women popular in 18th century France.

Poughkeepsie

name

A city in New York State, the county seat of Dutchess County.

poultice

noun

A soft, warm, moist paste — often wrapped in cloth — applied to a sore or aching part of the body to soothe it.

poultry

noun

Domestic birds such as chickens, ducks, geese and turkeys, raised for meat or eggs.

pounce

verb

To leap suddenly on something in order to seize it.

pounced

verb

Simple past tense and past participle of pounce — leapt suddenly to seize something.

pound

noun

The main unit of currency in the United Kingdom, and a unit of weight equal to 16 ounces (about 454 grams).

poundage

noun

A charge based on the weight of something in pounds.

pounded

adj

Struck or crushed repeatedly.

pounder

noun

A tool or vessel used for pounding or crushing something.

pounding

noun

The act of hitting something repeatedly, or a heavy, rhythmic beating sensation.

pour

verb

To make a liquid flow steadily out of or into a container.

pouring

adj

Falling or flowing heavily and continuously.

pout

verb

To push out one's lips, usually to show displeasure or to look sulky or flirtatious.

pouter

noun

A person who habitually pouts; a sourpuss

pouting

noun

The act or expression of sticking out the lips in displeasure or sulkiness.

pouty

adj

Inclined to sulk, or showing childish or mock displeasure.

pov

noun

The (cognitive, mental, or emotional) viewpoint of a certain person; (attributively) from that viewpoint.

poverty

noun

The state of being poor; lacking enough money to meet basic needs.

pow

intj

Used to represent the sound of a sudden impact, punch, or explosion.

powder

noun

A dry substance made of fine loose particles.

powdered

adj

Turned into a fine powder, or covered with powder.

powderize

verb

To reduce to powder

powdery

adj

Of or pertaining to powder.

power

noun

The ability to do something, or to control and influence people or events.

powered

adj

Supplied with, or driven by, a specified source of energy.

powerful

adj

Having great strength, influence, or effect.

powerfully

adv

In a way that shows great strength or effect.

powerhouse

noun

A person, team, or organization noted for great strength, success, or influence.

powerless

adj

Lacking the strength, authority, or ability to do something.

powerlessness

noun

The state or character of being powerless; absence or lack of power.

PowerPoint

noun

An electronic slideshow presentation, especially one made with Microsoft's PowerPoint software.

powersome

adj

Characterised or marked by power; powerful.

powwow

noun

A gathering, especially of Native American communities, featuring dancing, singing, and ceremony.

pox

noun

A disease that causes spots or pockmarks on the skin, such as chickenpox or smallpox.

poxy

adj

Informal British: unimportant, worthless, or generally annoying.

PPD

abbreviation

Postpartum depression: a serious and lasting depression that develops after childbirth, involving persistent low mood, anxiety and difficulty bonding with the baby.

PPI

abbreviation

Pixels per inch: a measure of how densely pixels are packed on a screen, used as an indicator of sharpness.

PPM

abbreviation

Parts per million: a measure of the concentration of a substance, equal to one unit of it for every million units of the whole.

PPT

noun

A PowerPoint presentation, or the .ppt file format Microsoft PowerPoint saves slides in.

PPTX

noun

The standard file format for slide presentations used by Microsoft PowerPoint since 2007, based on the Office Open XML standard. It holds the slides, their text, images, animations, speaker notes and layout templates together in one compressed package.

PPV

abbreviation

Pay-per-view: a system in which viewers pay a one-off fee to watch a particular event or programme, and by extension the event itself.

PR

verb

To do public relations work, such as promoting a person, brand, or event.

Prabha

name

A feminine given name of Indian origin, meaning "light" or "radiance".

Prabhakar

name

A masculine given name of Indian origin, meaning "the sun" or "maker of light".

Prabhu

noun

A term of respect meaning "lord" or "master", used in Hindu religious and cultural contexts.

practic

noun

A person concerned with action or practice, as opposed to one concerned with theory.

practicability

noun

The state of being practicable; feasibility

practicable

adj

Capable of being accomplished; feasible.

practical

adj

Concerned with actual practice and results rather than theory.

practical joke

noun

A trick played on someone to make them look foolish and to amuse everyone else, carried out through actions or objects rather than words.

practical joker

noun

Someone who plays tricks on other people that involve doing something rather than saying something — hiding a possession, rigging a chair, sending a fake message — in order to startle them and get a laugh.

practicality

noun

The quality of being useful, sensible, and workable in real situations.

practically

adv

Almost entirely; nearly.

practicalness

noun

The quality of being practical; practicality.

practice

noun

Repeated exercise of an activity in order to improve a skill.

practiced

adj

Skilled or experienced as a result of repeated practice.

practicing

adj

Actively working in a profession or actively following the customs of a religion.

practise

verb

To repeat an activity regularly in order to improve at it.

practising

adj

Actively engaged in a profession or actively following the customs of a religion.

practitioner

noun

Someone who actively works in a profession or skilled field, especially medicine or law.

Pradesh

noun

A state or administrative territory within India (used as part of names like Uttar Pradesh or Madhya Pradesh).

pradhan

noun

A local government official or headman in parts of India, roughly equivalent to a chief minister or chairman.

Prado

name

A Spanish and Portuguese surname, also the name of the famous Prado Museum in Madrid.

Prager

name

A German surname denoting someone from Prague.

pragma

noun

A compiler directive; data embedded in source code by programmers to indicate some intention to a compiler.

pragmatic

adj

Focused on practical results and workable solutions rather than theory or ideals.

pragmatical

adj

Relating to affairs of state.

pragmatism

noun

The pursuit of practicality over aesthetic qualities; a concentration on facts rather than emotions or ideals.

pragmatist

noun

One who acts in a practical or straightforward manner; one who is pragmatic; one who values practicality or pragmatism.

pragmatize

verb

To consider, represent, or embody (something unreal) as fact; to materialize.

Prague

name

The capital and largest city of the Czech Republic.

prairie

noun

A large stretch of flat or gently rolling grassland with very few trees, especially in North America.

Prairies

noun

The vast grassland region of central North America, or specifically the grassland provinces of western Canada.

praise

noun

Words expressing approval or admiration for someone or something.

praiseworthily

adv

In a praiseworthy manner.

praiseworthy

adj

Meriting praise; worthy of high praise

praising

noun

The act of giving praise to someone.

Prakash

name

A masculine given name of Indian origin, meaning "light".

pram

noun

A small wheeled carriage used to push a baby around while lying down, called a baby carriage in American English.

prana

noun

Respiration, breathing, seen as a life principle or life force.

prance

verb

To move about with high, springy steps, often showing off.

prancer

noun

Someone or something (often a horse) that prances.

prancing

adj

Moving with showy, high, springy steps.

prank

noun

A playful trick or joke played on someone, usually harmless.

prank call

noun

A telephone call made to a stranger or a friend purely to trick, tease or annoy them, usually with a false story or a scripted joke.

prank war

noun

An escalating run of practical jokes between two people or groups, each answering the last one with something bigger.

pranking

noun

The activity of playing pranks or tricks on people.

prankishness

noun

Prankish behaviour; mischief.

pranksomeness

noun

The quality or state of being pranksome.

prankster

noun

Someone who enjoys playing pranks on people.

prasad

noun

Food that has been offered to a deity and is then distributed and eaten as a blessing, in Hindu and related traditions.

prashant

noun

A humorous or mistaken alteration of "croissant," used informally to describe the pastry.

prat

noun

A foolish or contemptible person (British informal).

Pratap

name

A masculine given name of Indian origin, meaning "dignity" or "majesty".

prate

noun

Talk to little purpose; trifling talk; unmeaningful loquacity.

prater

noun

A person who prates; a chatterer.

pratfall

noun

A fall onto the buttocks.

PRATT

noun

An argument or talking point that has already been debunked but keeps getting repeated, from the acronym "point refuted a thousand times."

prattle

verb

To talk on and on about unimportant things, in a childish or silly way.

prattler

noun

One who prattles or is inclined to do so.

prattling

noun

Silly or childish chatter; the act of prattling.

pratty

name

Nickname of people with the surname Pratt.

pravity

noun

Perversion, depravity; wickedness.

prawn

noun

A shrimp-like shellfish, often eaten as seafood.

praxis

noun

The practical application of any branch of learning.

pray

verb

To speak to God or a higher power, whether to give thanks, ask for help, or express devotion.

prayer

noun

Words or thoughts directed to a god or higher power, as thanks, request, or worship.

prayers

noun

Words addressed to God, a god or another sacred figure, whether asking for something, giving thanks, confessing or praising.

praying

noun

The act of saying a prayer.

pre

prep

Before a particular event or point in time (informal shorthand).

pre-order

verb

To order and often pay for a product before it has been released, so that it is sent or made available as soon as it comes out.

pre-owned

adjective

Previously owned by someone else — second-hand — used especially by sellers of cars, watches and other goods where the word 'used' would sound off-putting.

preach

verb

To deliver a religious message or sermon, usually in public.

preacher

noun

Someone, especially a member of the clergy, who delivers religious sermons.

preaching

noun

The act of delivering sermons or moral instruction.

preachy

adj

Tending toward excessive moralization.

preamble

noun

An introductory statement placed at the start of a document, law or constitution that explains its purpose and the reasoning behind it.

precarious

adj

Not safe or stable; likely to fail or collapse at any moment.

precariousness

noun

A state of being uncertain or unstable.