English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

persuade

verb

To get someone to agree to or do something by giving reasons or arguments.

persuader

noun

A person or thing that persuades someone, whether in a literal or a figurative sense.

persuading

noun

The act of trying to convince someone.

persuasion

noun

The act of convincing someone to do or believe something, usually through argument.

persuasive

adjective

Able to convince people; making a strong, convincing case.

persuasively

adv

In a way that is meant to convince someone.

pert

adjective

Cheeky or impudent in a lively, playful way, especially of a child or younger person.

pertain

verb

To relate to or be relevant to something.

pertaining

adjective

Relating to or connected with something.

Perth

name

The capital city of Western Australia; also a city in Scotland after which it was named.

pertinacious

adj

Refusing to give up an opinion or aim, holding firmly onto it.

pertinacity

noun

The quality of being very determined and unwilling to give up.

pertinence

noun

The quality of being relevant to the matter at hand.

pertinent

adjective

Directly relevant to the matter at hand.

pertness

noun

Cheeky or slightly rude boldness.

perturb

verb

To throw something into physical disorder or confusion.

perturbation

noun

A state of anxious unease or agitation.

perturbed

adjective

Anxious, unsettled, or mildly upset.

Peru

name

A country in western South America, home to the ancient Inca civilization.

peruke

noun

A wig with long hair at the sides and back, worn chiefly by men in the 1600s and 1700s.

Perumal

name

A South Indian given name and surname, referring to a form of the Hindu god Vishnu.

perusal

noun

The act of reading or looking through something, especially in order to examine it.

peruse

verb

To read something carefully and thoroughly.

Peruvian

adjective

Relating to Peru or its people.

perv

noun

Slang for a pervert; someone with sexually inappropriate interests or behavior.

pervade

verb

To spread through every part of something, so that its presence is felt everywhere.

pervasive

adjective

Present or spreading throughout something; affecting every part of it.

pervasiveness

noun

The quality of spreading through and being present in every part of something.

perverse

adjective

Deliberately behaving in a way that is unreasonable, contrary, or against what is expected or sensible.

perversion

noun

The act of turning someone or something to a bad or wrong use.

pervert

noun

A person whose sexual behavior or interests are considered abnormal or unacceptable.

perverted

adjective

Twisted away from what is normal, correct, or moral.

pervious

adj

Allowing something such as air or water to pass through it, often used with 'to'.

pervy

adjective

Behaving or seeming like a pervert; creepy in a sexual way.

pes

noun

A person's foot.

pesky

adjective

Annoying or troublesome, especially in a persistent, low-level way.

peso

noun

The unit of currency used in several Latin American countries and the Philippines.

pessary

noun

A device fitted inside the body to hold up a womb that has dropped out of place.

pessimal

adj

As bad as something can possibly be.

pessimism

noun

A general tendency to expect the worst outcome or to focus on the negative.

pessimist

noun

Someone who habitually expects the worst or focuses on the negative side of things.

pessimistic

adjective

Expecting the worst; having a negative outlook.

pest

noun

An insect or animal that damages crops, spreads disease, or is otherwise harmful.

pester

verb

To bother someone repeatedly or persistently.

pestering

noun

Repeated bothering or nagging.

pesticide

noun

A chemical or biological substance used to kill or control pests such as insects and weeds.

pestilence

noun

A deadly, widespread disease; a plague.

pestilent

adj

Extremely dangerous to health; likely to cause death.

pestle

noun

A short tool with a rounded end, used with a bowl to crush or grind substances.

pesto

noun

An Italian sauce made from crushed basil, garlic, pine nuts, olive oil, and cheese.

pet

noun

An animal kept at home for companionship rather than work or food.

pet peeve

noun

A small, specific thing that annoys you far more than it annoys most people.

petal

noun

One of the often colorful, leaf-like parts that make up a flower's bloom.

Pete

name

An informal short form of the given name Peter.

petechial

adjective

Relating to or marked by petechiae — tiny, flat, red or purple spots caused by minor bleeding under the skin.

Peter

verb

To gradually decrease and come to nothing, especially followed by "out."

peterman

noun

Old slang for a safecracker — someone who breaks open safes to steal from them.

Peters

name

An English surname meaning "son of Peter".

Petersen

name

A Danish and Norwegian surname meaning "son of Peter".

Peterson

name

An English, Scottish, and German surname meaning "son of Peter".

Petey

name

A diminutive form of the given name Pete.

petit

adj

Small or minor in scale or importance (often used in legal or formal phrases).

petite

adj

Describing a woman who is small, slim, and neatly built.

petiteness

noun

How small and dainty someone or something is.

petition

noun

A formal written request, often signed by many people, asking an authority to act on something.

petitioner

noun

A person who submits a petition, especially to a court.

petitioning

noun

The act of making a formal request or appeal to an authority.

petra

noun

An old unit of weight, roughly equal to 14 pounds, once used for measuring wool and similar goods.

Petri

name

A German and Scandinavian surname, a Latinized form of Peter.

petrichor

noun

The distinctive earthy smell in the air when rain falls on dry ground.

Petrie

name

A Scottish surname derived from a diminutive of Peter or Patrick.

petrified

adj

Turned into stone, or hardened like stone, usually over a very long time.

petrify

verb

To turn to stone: to harden organic matter by permeating with water and depositing dissolved minerals.

petrifying

adj

So frightening that it terrifies you.

Petro

noun

In Haitian Vodou, a category of spirits (loa) generally seen as fierce, forceful, or combative in character.

petrograd

name

Former name of Saint Petersburg, from 1914 (when Russia entered World War I) to 1924 (when Lenin died), a major city in Russia.

petrol

noun

A refined liquid fuel made from petroleum, used to power most cars and small engines (called "gasoline" or "gas" in American English).

petroleum

noun

A naturally occurring liquid found underground, made mostly of hydrocarbons, that is refined into fuels like petrol and diesel.

Petronius

name

A Roman family name, borne notably by the author Petronius Arbiter.

Petros

name

A Greek masculine given name, cognate with the English name Peter.

Petrov

name

A common Russian and Bulgarian surname meaning "son of Peter".

Petrovic

name

A common South Slavic surname meaning "son of Petar (Peter)".

petsitter

noun

Someone who looks after a person's pet while they are away.

Petter

noun

Someone who pets or strokes an animal affectionately.

petticoat

noun

A light underskirt worn beneath a dress or skirt to add fullness, warmth, or shape.

pettifog

verb

To argue about small, unimportant details.

pettifogger

noun

A person who argues over small details and raises petty objections.

pettifoggery

noun

Petty, quibbling behaviour, or a small dispute caused by it.

Pettigrew

name

An English surname of uncertain origin, possibly meaning "small growth" or "crane's foot".

petting

noun

The act of gently stroking or patting an animal.

pettishness

noun

A sulky, easily irritated manner.

pettle

verb

To treat someone gently and spoil them with attention.

petty

adj

Minor or unimportant, especially compared to more serious matters.

petulance

noun

Bad-mannered or disrespectful behaviour.

petulant

adj

Irritable and sulky in a childish way, often over something minor.

petunia

noun

A garden plant with wide, trumpet-shaped flowers in many colours, popular in hanging baskets and borders.

Peugeot

noun

A car made by the French automobile manufacturer Peugeot.

pew

noun

A long wooden bench for seating people in a church, usually fixed in rows facing the altar.

pewee

noun

Any of several tyrant flycatcher birds belonging to the genus Contopus.

pewter

noun

A greyish metal alloy made mostly of tin, together with copper and antimony, used to make plates, tankards and ornaments.

peyote

noun

A small spineless cactus native to Mexico and the southwestern US, whose buttons are chewed for their hallucinogenic effect (mescaline).

Peyton

name

A unisex given name and surname, a variant of Payton.

Pez

noun

A brand of small, rectangular candy tablets dispensed one at a time from a spring-loaded plastic dispenser, often topped with a cartoon character head.

PFA

abbreviation

Please find attached: a phrase used in emails to point to a file sent with the message.

pfaugh

intj

Used to show disgust or scorn.

Pfeiffer

name

A German surname originally denoting an occupational name for a piper.

pff

intj

A short exhaled sound expressing annoyance, disbelief, or dismissal.

pfft

intj

Used to represent something suddenly ending, vanishing, or falling apart.

pfp

noun

An alternative letter-case form of pfp.

PFT

abbreviation

Pulmonary function test, a set of breathing tests that measure how much air the lungs can hold and how quickly it can be moved in and out.

pfui

intj

Used to show contempt or to reject what someone has said.

PG

abbreviation

Parental guidance: a film or game rating meaning the content is broadly suitable for general viewing but some scenes may unsettle younger children, so a parent should decide.

pH

noun

A scale from 0 to 14 measuring how acidic or alkaline a solution is, with 7 being neutral.

phalangeal

adj

Of or relating to a phalanx.

phalanger

noun

A tree-living marsupial from Australia, part of the family Phalangeridae.

phalangite

noun

A soldier who fought in a phalanx formation.

phalanx

noun

A tight military formation of soldiers standing shoulder to shoulder with shields and spears, used in ancient Greece.

phallic

adj

Shaped like, or relating to, an erect penis.

phallus

noun

A penis, especially an erect one, or an image or object representing one.

Phan

noun

An enthusiastic fan of the rock band Phish, especially one who follows their tours and jam-heavy live shows.

phantasm

noun

Something you see that is not really there; a ghostly image.

phantasmal

adj

Existing only in the imagination, like a ghost or vision; not real.

phantasmic

adj

Ghostly or unreal, like something from a dream.

phantasy

noun

An archaic spelling of fantasy.

phantom

noun

A ghost or ghostly figure; something that appears real but has no physical substance.

pharaoh

noun

A ruler of ancient Egypt.

Pharaohs

name

The plural of Pharaoh, the title given to the rulers of ancient Egypt.

pharaonic

adj

Relating to a pharaoh, an ancient Egyptian ruler.

pharisaical

adj

Relating to the Pharisees, a Jewish religious group of ancient times.

pharma

noun

The pharmaceutical industry — the business of developing, making, and selling drugs.

pharmaceutical

adjective

Relating to the preparation, sale, or study of medicinal drugs.

pharmaceutics

noun

The skill and science of preparing and giving out medicines.

pharmacian

noun

Another word for a pharmacist, someone who sells medicines.

pharmacist

noun

A trained professional who prepares and dispenses medicines and advises patients on how to use them safely.

pharmacologist

noun

A person who studies or specialises in pharmacology, the science of drugs and their effects.

pharmacology

noun

The science of drugs, covering their origin, composition, therapeutic use and toxicology.

pharmacopole

noun

(dated) Another word for a quack: someone who sells fake medicines and false cures.

pharmacopolist

noun

Another word for a pharmacist, someone who sells medicine, also called an apothecary.

pharmacy

noun

A shop or department where prescription medicines are prepared and sold.

Pharrell

name

A masculine given name, borne notably by American musician and producer Pharrell Williams.

pharynx

noun

The section of the digestive and breathing passages that runs from just behind the mouth and nose down to the larynx and gullet.

phase

noun

A distinct stage in a process or sequence of change.

phased

adjective

Carried out gradually in a series of planned stages rather than all at once.

phaser

noun

A fictional energy-beam weapon, especially the one used in the Star Trek science-fiction series.

phat

adjective

(slang) Excellent, impressive, or very good.

PhD

noun

The highest standard university degree, awarded for original research written up as a thesis and defended before examiners.

pheasant

noun

A long-tailed game bird often hunted for sport and food.

phebe

name

An archaic way of spelling Phoebe.

Phelan

name

An Irish surname meaning "descendant of the wolf".

Phelps

name

An English surname meaning "son of Philip".