Pu -symbol
- plutonium
PU -abbr
- pickup
pub ['pəb] -n
- public house
- an establishment where alcoholic beverages are sold and consumed
- public
- publication
- publicity
- published; publisher; publishing
pub crawl -n, vi
- a round of visits to a number of bars in succession
pu·ber·tal ['pyü-bər-tᵊl] -adj
- of or relating to puberty
pu·ber·ty ['pyü-bər-tē] -n
- the condition of being or the period of becoming first capable of reproducing sexually marked by maturing of the genital organs, development of secondary sex characteristics, and in the human and in higher primates by the first occurrence of menstruation in the female
- the age at which puberty occurs often construed legally as 14 in boys and 12 in girls
pu·ber·u·lent [pyü-'ber-ə-lənt, -yə-lənt] -adj
- covered with fine pubescence
pu·bes ['pyü-(,)bēz] -n
- the hair that appears on the lower part of the hypogastric region at puberty
- the pubic region
pu·bes·cence [pyü-'be-sᵊn(t)s] -n
- the quality or state of being pubescent
- a pubescent covering or surface
pu·bes·cent [-sᵊnt] -adj
- arriving at or having reached puberty
- of or relating to puberty
- covered with fine soft short hairs
pu·bic ['pyü-bik] -adj
- of, relating to, or situated in or near the region of the pubes or the pubis
pu·bis ['pyü-bəs] -n
- the ventral and anterior of the three principal bones composing either half of the pelvis called also pubic bone
publ -abbr
- publication
- published; publisher; publishing
pub·lic ['pə-blik] -adj, n
- exposed to general view : open
- well-known, prominent
- perceptible, material
- of, relating to, or affecting all the people or the whole area of a nation or state
- of or relating to a government
- of, relating to, or being in the service of the community or nation
- of or relating to people in general : universal
- general, popular
- of or relating to business or community interests as opposed to private affairs : social
- devoted to the general or national welfare : humanitarian
- accessible to or shared by all members of the community
- capitalized in shares that can be freely traded on the open market often used with go
- supported by public funds and private contributions rather than by income from commercials
public -n
- a place accessible or visible to the public usu. used in the phrase in public
- the people as a whole : populace
- a group of people having common interests or characteristics
- the group at which a particular activity or enterprise aims
publicaddress system -n
- an apparatus including a microphone and loudspeakers used for broadcasting (as to an audience in an auditorium)
pub·li·can ['pə-bli-kən] -n
- a Jewish tax collector for the ancient Romans
- a collector of taxes or tribute
- the licensee of a public house
public assistance -n
- government aid to needy, aged, or disabled persons and to dependent children
pub·li·ca·tion [,pə-blə-'kā-shən] -n
- the act or process of publishing
- a published work
public defender -n
- a lawyer usu. holding public office whose duty is to defend accused persons unable to pay for legal assistance
public domain -n
- land owned directly by the government
- the realm embracing property rights that belong to the community at large, are unprotected by copyright or patent, and are subject to appropriation by anyone
public health -n
- the art and science dealing with the protection and improvement of community health by organized community effort and including preventive medicine and sanitary and social science
public house -n
- inn, hostelry
- a licensed saloon or bar
pub·li·cise ['pə-blə-,sīz] -vt
(variant of publicize)
- to bring to the attention of the public : advertise
pub·li·cist ['pə-blə-sist] -n
- an expert in international law
- an expert or commentator on public affairs
- one that publicizes
- press agent
pub·lic·i·ty [(,)pə-'bli-sə-tē, -'blis-tē] -n
- the quality or state of being public
- an act or device designed to attract public interest
- information with news value issued as a means of gaining public attention or support
- the dissemination of information or promotional material
- paid advertising
- public attention or acclaim
pub·li·cize ['pə-blə-,sīz] -vt
- to bring to the attention of the public : advertise
pub·lickey ['pə-blik-'kē] -n
- a cryptographic element that is the publicly shared half of an encryption code and that can be used only to encode messages
public land -n
- land owned by a government
- that part of the U.S. public domain subject to sale or disposal under the homestead laws
public law -n
- a legislative enactment affecting the public at large
- a branch of law concerned with regulating the relations of individuals with the government and the organization and conduct of the government itself
pub·lic·ly ['pə-bli-klē] -adv
- in a manner observable by or in a place accessible to the public : openly
- by the people generally
- by a government
public officer -n
- a person who has been legally elected or appointed to office and who exercises governmental functions
public relations -n pl but usu sing in constr
- the business of inducing the public to have understanding for and goodwill toward a person, firm, or institution
- the degree of understanding and goodwill achieved
public sale -n
- auction
public school -n
- an endowed secondary boarding school in Great Britain offering a classical curriculum and preparation for the universities or public service
- a free tax-supported school controlled by a local governmental authority
public servant -n
- a government official or employee
public service -n
- the business of supplying a commodity (as electricity or gas) or service (as transportation) to any or all members of a community
- a service rendered in the public interest
- governmental employment
- civil service
publicservice corporation -n
- a quasi-public corporation
public speaking -n
- the act or process of making speeches in public
- the art of effective oral communication with an audience
publicspirited -adj, n
- motivated by devotion to the general welfare
public utility -n
- a business organization (as an electric company) performing a public service and subject to special governmental regulation
public works -n pl
- works (as schools, highways, docks) constructed for public use or enjoyment esp. when financed and owned by the government
pub·lish ['pə-blish] -vb, adj
- to make generally known
- to make public announcement of
- to disseminate to the public
- to produce or release for distribution
- print
- to issue the work of (an author)
- to put out an edition
- to have one's work accepted for publication
pub·lish·er ['pə-bli-shər] -n
- one that publishes something
- a person or corporation whose business is publishing
pub·lish·ing [-shiŋ] -n
- the business or profession of the commercial production and issuance of literature, information, musical scores or sometimes recordings, or art
puc·coon [(,)pə-'kün] -n
- any of several American plants (as bloodroot) yielding a red or yellow pigment
- a pigment from a puccoon
puce ['pyüs] -n
- a dark red
puck ['pək] -n
- an evil spirit : demon
- a mischievous sprite : hobgoblin
- robin goodfellow
- a vulcanized rubber disk used in ice hockey
pucka ['pə-kə] -adj
(variant of pukka)
- genuine, authentic
- first-class
puck·er ['pə-kər] -vb
- to become wrinkled or constricted
- to contract into folds or wrinkles
pucker -n
- a fold or wrinkle in a normally even surface
puck·ery ['pə-k(ə-)rē] -adj
- that puckers or causes puckering
puck·ish ['pə-kish] -adj, adv, n
- impish, whimsical
pud ['pu̇d] -n
- pudding
PUD -abbr
- pickup and delivery
pud·ding ['pu̇-diŋ] -n
- blood sausage
- a boiled or baked soft food usu. with a cereal base
- a dessert of a soft, spongy, or thick creamy consistency
- dessert
- a dish often containing suet or having a suet crust and orig. boiled in a bag
pudding stone -n
- conglomerate
pud·dle ['pə-dᵊl] -n
- a very small pool of usu. dirty or muddy water
- an earthy mixture (as of clay, sand, and gravel) worked while wet into a compact mass that becomes impervious to water when dry
- a thin mixture of soil and water for puddling plants
puddle ['pəd-liŋ, 'pə-dᵊl-iŋ] -vb, n
- to dabble or wade around in a puddle
- to make muddy or turbid : muddle
- to work (a wet mixture of earth or concrete) into a dense impervious mass
- to subject (iron) to the process of puddling
- to strew with puddles
- to compact (soil) esp. by working when too wet
- to dip the roots of (a plant) in a thin mud before transplanting
puddle duck -n
- dabbler
puddle jumper -n
- lightplane
puddling -n
- the process of converting pig iron into wrought iron or rarely steel by subjecting it to heat and frequent stirring in a furnace in the presence of oxidizing substances
pu·den·cy ['pyü-dᵊn(t)-sē] -n
- modesty
pu·den·dum [pyu̇-'den-dəm] -n, adj
- the external genital organs of a human being and esp. of a woman usu. used in pl.
pudgy ['pə-jē] -adj, n
- being short and plump : chubby
pu·di·bund ['pyü-də-,bənd] -adj
- prudish
pueb·lo ['pwe-(,)blō; pü-'e-, pyü-] -n
- the communal dwelling of an American Indian village of Arizona, New Mexico, and adjacent areas consisting of contiguous flat-roofed stone or adobe houses in groups sometimes several stories high
- an American Indian village of the southwestern U.S.
- a member of a group of American Indian peoples of the southwestern U.S.
pu·er·ile ['pyu̇(-ə)r-əl, -,ī(-ə)l] -adj, adv, n
- juvenile
- childish, silly
pu·er·il·ism ['pyu̇(-ə)r-ə-,li-zəm, 'pyu̇(-ə)r-,ī-] -n
- childish behavior esp. as a symptom of mental disorder
pu·er·per·al [pyü-'ər-p(ə-)rəl] -adj
- of, relating to, or occurring during childbirth or the period immediately following
puerperal fever -n
- an abnormal condition that results from infection of the placental site following delivery or abortion and is characterized in mild form by fever but in serious cases the infection may spread through the uterine wall or pass into the bloodstream called also childbed fever puerperal sepsis
pu·er·pe·ri·um [,pyü-ər-'pir-ē-əm] -n
- the period between childbirth and the return of the uterus to its normal size
puff ['pəf] -vb
- to blow in short gusts
- to exhale forcibly
- to breathe hard : pant
- to emit small whiffs or clouds (as of smoke) often as an accompaniment to vigorous action
- to speak or act in a scornful, conceited, or exaggerated manner
- to become distended : swell usu. used with up
- to open or appear in or as if in a puff
- to form a chromosomal puff
- to emit, propel, blow, or expel by or as if by puffs : waft
- to draw on (as a cigar, cigarette, or pipe) with intermittent exhalations of smoke
- to distend with or as if with air or gas : inflate
- to make proud or conceited : elate
- to praise extravagantly and usu. with exaggeration
- authors puff ing their own work
- advertise
- an act or instance of puffing : whiff
- a slight explosive sound accompanying a puff
- a perceptible cloud or aura emitted in a puff
- draw
- a light round hollow pastry
- a slight swelling : protuberance
- : a fluffy mass: as
- pouf
- a small fluffy pad for applying cosmetic powder
- a soft loose roll of hair
- a quilted bed covering
- a commendatory or promotional notice or review
- an enlarged region of a chromosome that is associated with intensely active genes involved in RNA synthesis
- of, relating to, or designed for promotion or flattery
- a puff piece in the paper
puff adder -n
- a large thick-bodied extremely venomous African viper ( Bitis arietans)
- hognose snake
puff·ball ['pəf-,bȯl] -n
- any of various globose and often edible fungi (esp. family Lycoperdaceae) that discharge mature spores in a smokelike cloud when pressed or struck
puff·er ['pə-fər] -n
- one that puffs
- puffer fish
puffer fish -n
- any of a family (Tetraodontidae) of chiefly tropical scaleless marine bony fishes which can distend themselves to a globular form and most of which are highly poisonous called also blowfish globefish swellfish
- any of various fish of the same order (Tetraodontiformes) as the puffer fish
puff·ery ['pə-f(ə-)rē] -n
- exaggerated commendation esp. for promotional purposes : hype
puf·fin ['pə-fən] -n
- any of several seabirds (genera Fraterculaand Lunda) of the northern hemisphere having a short neck and a deep grooved parti-colored laterally compressed bill
puff pastry -n
- a pastry dough containing many alternating layers of butter and dough or the light flaky pastry made from it called also puff paste
pug ['pəg] -n
- any of a breed of small sturdy compact dogs of Asian origin with a smooth, short coat, tightly curled tail, short muzzle, and broad wrinkled face
- pug nose
- a close knot or coil of hair : bun
- to work and mix (as clay) when wet esp. to make more homogeneous and easier to handle (as in throwing or molding wares)
- boxer
- footprint
- a print of a wild mammal
pug·ga·ree ['pə-g(ə-)rē] -n
- a light scarf wrapped around a sun helmet or used as a hatband
pu·gi·lism ['pyü-jə-,li-zəm] -n, adj
- boxing
pu·gi·list ['pyü-jə-list] -n
- fighter
- a professional boxer
pug·mark ['pəg-,märk] -n
- pug
pug mill -n
- a machine in which materials (as clay and water) are mixed, blended, or kneaded into a desired consistency
pug·na·cious [,pəg-'nā-shəs] -adj, adv, n
- having a quarrelsome or combative nature : truculent
pug nose ['pəg-,nōzd] -n, adj
- a nose having a slightly concave bridge and flattened nostrils
puis·ne ['pyü-nē] -adj, n
- inferior in rank
puis·sance ['pwi-sᵊn(t)s, 'pyü-ə-sən(t)s, pyü-'i-sᵊn(t)s] -n
- strength, power
puis·sant [-sᵊnt, -sənt] -adj
- having puissance : powerful
puke ['pyük] -vb, n
- vomit
puk·ka ['pə-kə] -adj
- genuine, authentic
- first-class
pul ['pül] -n
- see afghani at
Pu·las·ki [pə-'las-kē, pyü-] -n
- a single-bit ax with an adze-shaped hoe extending from the back
pul·chri·tude ['pəl-krə-,tüd, -,tyüd] -n, adj
- physical comeliness
pule ['pyül] -vi
- whine, whimper
pu·li ['pu̇-lē, 'pyü-] -n
- any of a breed of medium-sized agile Hungarian sheepdogs with a thick woolly coat hanging in long thin cords
Pu·lit·zer Prize ['pu̇-lət-sər-, 'pyü-] -n
- any of various annual prizes (as for outstanding literary or journalistic achievement) established by the will of Joseph Pulitzer called also Pulitzer
pull ['pu̇l also 'pəl] -vb, n
- to exert force upon so as to cause or tend to cause motion toward the force
- to stretch (cooling candy) repeatedly
- to strain abnormally
- to hold back (a racehorse) from winning
- to work (an oar) by drawing back strongly
- to draw out from the skin
- pull feathers from a rooster's tail
- to pluck from a plant or by the roots
- extract
- to hit (a ball) toward the left from a right-handed swing or toward the right from a left-handed swing
- to draw apart : rend, tear
- to print (as a proof) by impression
- to remove from a place or situation
- pull ed the pitcher in the third inning
- to bring (a weapon) into the open
- perform, carry out
- commit, perpetrate
- put on, assume
- to act or behave in the manner of
- pull ed a Horace Greely and went west -- Steve Rushin
- to draw the support or attention of : attract often used with in
- obtain, secure
- pull ed a B in the course
- to demand or obtain an advantage over someone by the assertion of
- to use force in drawing, dragging, or tugging
- to move esp. through the exercise of mechanical energy
- the car pull ed clear of the rut
- to take a drink
- to draw hard in smoking
- to strain against the bit
- to draw a gun
- to admit of being pulled
- to feel or express strong sympathy : root
- pull ing for my team to win
- to move back from the line of scrimmage and toward one flank to provide blocking for a ballcarrier
- the act or an instance of pulling
- a draft of liquid
- an inhalation of smoke
- the effort expended in moving
- force required to overcome resistance to pulling
- a trigger with a four pound pull
- advantage
- special influence
- proof
- a device for pulling something or for operating by pulling
- a force that attracts, compels, or influences : attraction
- an injury resulting from abnormal straining or stretching
pull away -vi
- to draw oneself back or away : withdraw
- to move off or ahead
pull·back ['pu̇l-,bak] -n
- a pulling back
- an orderly withdrawal of troops from a position or area
pulldown -adj
- being or appearing below a selected item (as an icon) in a window overlaying the original view on a computer display
pull down -vt
- demolish, destroy
- to hunt down : overcome
- to bring to a lower level : reduce
- to depress in health, strength, or spirits
- to draw or earn (as wages or salary)
pul·let ['pu̇-lət] -n
- a young hen
- a hen of the domestic chicken less than a year old
pul·ley ['pu̇-lē] -n
- a sheave or small wheel with a grooved rim and with or without the block in which it runs used singly with a rope or chain to change the direction and point of application of a pulling force and in various combinations to increase the applied force esp. for lifting weights
- a pulley or pulleys with ropes to form a tackle that constitutes one of the simple machines
- a wheel used to transmit power by means of a band, belt, cord, rope, or chain passing over its rim
pull in -vt
- check, restrain
- arrest
- to arrive at a destination or come to a stop
Pull·man ['pu̇l-mən] -n
- a railroad passenger car with specially comfortable furnishings for day or esp. for night travel
- a large suitcase
pull off -vt
- to carry out despite difficulties : accomplish successfully against odds
- the team pulled off an upset
pul·lo·rum disease [pə-'lȯr-əm-] -n
- a destructive typically diarrheal salmonellosis esp. of young domestic chickens that is caused by a bacterium ( Salmonella pullorum)
pull·out ['pu̇l-,au̇t] -n
- : the act or an instance of pulling out: as
- the action in which an airplane goes from a dive to horizontal flight
- pullback
- something that can be pulled out
pull out -vi
- leave, depart
- withdraw
pull·over ['pu̇l-,ō-vər] -n
- a pullover garment (as a sweater)
pullover -adj
- put on by being pulled over the head
pull over -vi
- to steer one's vehicle to the side of the road
- to cause to pull over
- pulled him over for speeding
pull quote -n
- a significant passage in an article, story, book, or speech that is quoted and used for drawing attention to its source
pull round -vi
- to regain one's health
- to restore to good health
pull tab -n
- a metal tab (as on a can) pulled to open the container
pull through -vi
- to survive a dangerous or difficult situation
- to help survive a dangerous or difficult situation
pul·lu·late ['pəl-yə-,lāt] -vi, n
- germinate, sprout
- to breed or produce freely
- the country's pullulating population
- swarm, teem
- the island pullulated with tourists
pullup ['pu̇l-,əp] -n
- chin-up
pull up -vt
- to bring to a stop : halt
- check, rebuke
- to check oneself
- to come to an often abrupt halt : stop
- to draw even with others in a race
pul·mo·nary ['pu̇l-mə-,ner-ē, 'pəl-] -adj
- of, relating to, affecting, or occurring in the lungs
- carried on by the lungs
- pulmonate
- occurring in the pulmonary artery
pulmonary artery -n
- an artery that conveys venous blood from the heart to the lungs
pulmonary circulation -n
- the passage of blood from the right side of the heart through arteries to the lungs where it picks up oxygen and is returned to the left side of the heart by veins
pulmonary vein -n
- a valveless vein that returns oxygenated blood from the lungs to the heart
pul·mo·nate ['pu̇l-mə-,nāt, 'pəl-] -adj
- having lungs or organs resembling lungs
- of or relating to a subclass (Pulmonata) of gastropod mollusks having a respiratory sac and comprising most land snails and slugs and many freshwater snails
pulmonate -n
- a pulmonate gastropod
pul·mon·ic [pu̇l-'mä-nik, ,pəl-] -adj
- pulmonary
pul·mo·nol·o·gist [,pu̇l-mə-'nä-lə-jəst, ,pəl-] -n
- a specialist in the anatomy, physiology, and pathology of the lungs
pul·mo·tor ['pu̇l-,mō-tər, 'pəl-] -n
- a respiratory apparatus for pumping oxygen or air into and out of the lungs (as of an asphyxiated person)
pulp ['pəlp] -n, adj
- the soft, succulent part of a fruit usu. composed of mesocarp
- stem pith when soft and spongy
- a soft mass of vegetable matter (as of apples) from which most of the water has been extracted by pressure
- the soft sensitive tissue that fills the central cavity of a tooth
- a material prepared by chemical or mechanical means from various materials (as wood or rags) for use in making paper and cellulose products
- pulverized ore mixed with water
- pulpy condition or character
- something in such a condition or having such a character
- a magazine or book printed on cheap paper (as newsprint) and often dealing with sensational material
- sensational or tabloid writing often used attributively
- to reduce to pulp
- pulp ed unsold copies of the book
- to cause to appear pulpy
- to deprive of the pulp
- to become pulp or pulpy
pulp·al ['pəl-pəl] -adj, adv
- of or relating to pulp esp. of a tooth
pul·pit ['pu̇l-,pit, 'pəl-, -pət] -n
- an elevated platform or high reading desk used in preaching or conducting a worship service
- the preaching profession
- a preaching position
pulp·wood ['pəlp-,wu̇d] -n
- a wood (as of aspen, hemlock, pine, or spruce) used in making pulp for paper
pul·que ['pül-,kā; 'pül-kē, 'pu̇l-] -n
- a Mexican alcoholic beverage made from the fermented sap of various agaves (as Agave atrovirens)
pul·sant ['pəl-sənt] -adj
- pulsating with activity
pul·sar ['pəl-,sär] -n
- a celestial source of pulsating electromagnetic radiation (as radio waves) characterized by a short relatively constant interval (as .033 second) between pulses that is held to be a rotating neutron star
pul·sate ['pəl-,sāt also ,pəl-'] -vi
- to throb or move rhythmically : vibrate
- to exhibit a pulse or pulsation : beat
pul·sa·tile ['pəl-sə-tᵊl, -,tī(-ə)l] -adj
- of or marked by pulsation
pul·sa·tion [,pəl-'sā-shən] -n
- rhythmical throbbing or vibrating (as of an artery)
- a single beat or throb
- a periodically recurring alternate increase and decrease of a quantity (as pressure, volume, or voltage)
pul·sa·tor ['pəl-,sā-tər, ,pəl-'] -n
- something that beats or throbs in working
pulse ['pəls] -n
- the edible seeds of various crops (as peas, beans, or lentils) of the legume family
- a plant yielding pulse
- the regular expansion of an artery caused by the ejection of blood into the arterial system by the contractions of the heart
- the palpable beat resulting from such pulse as detected in a superficial artery
- the number of individual beats in a specified time period (as one minute)
- underlying sentiment or opinion or an indication of it
- vitality
- rhythmical beating, vibrating, or sounding
- beat, throb
- a transient variation of a quantity (as electric current or voltage) whose value is normally constant
- an electromagnetic wave or modulation thereof of brief duration
- a brief disturbance of pressure in a medium
- a sound wave or short train of sound waves
- a dose of a substance esp. when applied over a short period of time
- pulse s of intravenous methylprednisolone
- to exhibit a pulse or pulsation : throb
- to drive by or as if by a pulsation
- to cause to pulsate
- to produce or modulate (as electromagnetic waves) in the form of pulses
- to cause (an apparatus) to produce pulses
pulsejet engine ['pəls-'jet-] -n
- a jet engine designed to produce a pulsating thrust by the intermittent flow of hot gases
pulse oximeter -n
- a device that measures the oxygen saturation of arterial blood in a subject by utilizing a sensor attached typically to a finger, toe, or ear to determine the percentage of oxyhemoglobin in blood pulsating through a network of capillaries
pulv -abbr
- powder
pul·ver·a·ble ['pəl-və-rə-bəl, 'pəlv-rə-] -adj
- capable of being pulverized
pul·ver·ise ['pəl-və-,rīz] -vb, adj, n
(variant of pulverize)
- to reduce (as by crushing, beating, or grinding) to very small particles : atomize
- annihilate, demolish
- to become pulverized
pul·ver·ize ['pəl-və-,rīz] -vb, adj, n
- to reduce (as by crushing, beating, or grinding) to very small particles : atomize
- annihilate, demolish
- to become pulverized
pul·ver·u·lent [,pəl-'ver-yə-lənt, -'ver-ə-] -adj
- consisting of or reducible to fine powder
- being or looking dusty : crumbly
pul·vi·nus [,pəl-'vī-nəs, -'vē-] -n
- a swelling at the base of a petiole or petiolule
pu·ma ['pü-mə, 'pyü-] -n
- cougar
- the fur or pelt of a cougar
pum·ice ['pə-məs] -n, adj
- a volcanic glass full of cavities and very light in weight used esp. in powder form for smoothing and polishing
pum·ic·ite ['pə-mə-,sīt] -n
- pumice
pum·mel ['pə-məl] -vb
- pound, beat
pummelo ['pä-mə-,lō] -n
(variant of pomelo)
- grapefruit
- a very large thick-rinded usu. pear-shaped citrus fruit differing from the closely related grapefruit esp. in its loose rind and often coarse dry pulp
- a large widely cultivated tropical tree ( Citrus maximasyn. C. grandis) of southeast Asia that bears pomelos
pump ['pəmp] -n
- a device that raises, transfers, delivers, or compresses fluids or that attenuates gases esp. by suction or pressure or both
- heart
- an act or the process of pumping
- an energy source (as light) for pumping atoms or molecules
- a biological mechanism by which atoms, ions, or molecules are transported across cell membranes
- to work a pump : raise or move a fluid with a pump
- to exert oneself to pump or as if to pump something
- to move in a manner that resembles the action of a pump handle
- to raise (as water) with a pump
- to draw fluid from with a pump
- to pour forth, deliver, or draw with or as if with a pump
- pump ed money into the economy
- pump new life into the classroom
- to question persistently
- pump ed him for the information
- to elicit by persistent questioning
- to operate by manipulating a lever
- to manipulate as if operating a pump handle
- to cause to move with an action resembling that of a pump handle
- a runner pump ing her arms
- to transport (as ions) against a concentration gradient by the expenditure of energy
- to excite (as atoms or molecules) esp. so as to cause emission of coherent monochromatic electromagnetic radiation (as in a laser)
- to energize (as a laser) by pumping
- a shoe that grips the foot chiefly at the toe and heel
- a close-fitting woman's dress shoe with a moderate to high heel
pumped ['pəm(p)t] -adj
- filled with energetic excitement and enthusiasm
- pumped for the football game
pumped storage -n
- a hydroelectric system in which electricity is generated during periods of high demand by the use of water that has been pumped into a reservoir at a higher altitude during periods of low demand
pump·er ['pəm-pər] -n
- one that pumps
- a fire truck equipped with a pump
pum·per·nick·el ['pəm-pər-,ni-kəl] -n
- a dark coarse sourdough bread made of unbolted rye flour
pump fake -n, vb
- a fake in which a player simulates throwing a pass (as in football) or taking a shot (as in basketball)
pump·kin ['pəm(p)-kən, ÷'pəŋ-kən] -n
- the usu. round orange fruit of an annual vine ( Cucurbita pepo) of the gourd family widely cultivated as food
- winter crookneck
- any of various large-fruited winter squashes ( C. maxima)
- a usu. hairy prickly vine that produces pumpkins
- a strong orange color
pump·kin·seed [-,sēd] -n
- a brightly colored No. American freshwater sunfish ( Lepomis gibbosus) with a reddish spot on the operculum
pump priming -n
- government investment expenditures designed to induce a self-sustaining expansion of economic activity
pump up -vt
- to fill with enthusiasm or excitement
- to fill with or as if with air : inflate
- increase
pun ['pən] -n
- the usu. humorous use of a word in such a way as to suggest two or more of its meanings or the meaning of another word similar in sound
- to make puns
pu·na ['pü-nə] -n
- a treeless windswept tableland or basin in the higher Andes
punch ['pənch] -n
- a tool usu. in the form of a short rod of steel that is variously shaped at one end for different operations (as forming, perforating, embossing, or cutting)
- a short tapering steel rod for driving the heads of nails below a surface
- a steel die faced with a letter in relief that is forced into a softer metal to form an intaglio matrix from which foundry type is cast
- a device or machine for cutting holes or notches (as in paper or cardboard)
- a hole or notch from a perforating operation
- prod, poke
- drive, herd
- to strike with a forward thrust esp. of the fist
- to drive or push forcibly by or as if by a punch
- to hit (a ball) with less than a full swing
- to emboss, cut, perforate, or make with or as if with a punch
- to push down so as to produce a desired result
- punch buttons on a jukebox
- to hit or press down the operating mechanism of
- to insert a time card into (a time clock)
- to produce by or as if by punching keys
- punch out a tune on the piano
- to enter (as data) by punching keys
- to give emphasis to
- to perform the action of punching something
- to move or push forward esp. by a sudden forceful effort
- punch ed into enemy territory
- the action of punching
- a quick blow with or as if with the fist
- effective energy or forcefulness
- a story that packs a punch
- a hot or cold drink that is usu. a combination of hard liquor, wine, or beer and nonalcoholic beverages
- a drink that is a mixture of nonalcoholic beverages
PunchandJudy show [,pənch-ən-'jü-dē-] -n
- a traditional puppet show in which the little hook-nosed humpback Punch fights comically with his wife Judy
punch·ball ['pənch-,bȯl] -n
- baseball adapted for small areas in which a rubber ball is hit with a fist instead of a bat
punch·board [-,bȯrd] -n
- a small board that has many holes each filled with a rolled-up printed slip to be punched out on payment of a nominal sum in an effort to obtain a slip that entitles the player to a designated prize
punch bowl -n
- a large bowl from which a beverage (as punch) is served
punch card -n
- a card in which holes are punched in designated positions to represent data called also Hollerith card punched card
punchdrunk ['pənch-,drəŋk] -adj
- suffering cerebral injury usu. from many minute brain hemorrhages that is a result of repeated head blows received in boxing and is typically marked by mental confusion, incoordination, and slurred speech
- behaving as if punch-drunk : dazed, confused
pun·cheon ['pən-chən] -n
- a pointed tool for piercing or for working on stone
- a short upright framing timber
- a split log or heavy slab with the face smoothed
puncheon -n
- a large cask of varying capacity
punch in -vi
- to record the time of one's arrival or beginning work by punching a time clock
pun·chi·nel·lo [,pən-chə-'ne-(,)lō] -n
- a fat short humpbacked clown or buffoon in Italian puppet shows
- a squat grotesque person
punch·ing bag ['pən-chiŋ-] -n
- a stuffed or inflated bag that is usu. suspended for free movement and that is punched for exercise or for training in boxing
- one who is routinely abused or defeated by another
punch line -n
- the sentence, statement, or phrase (as in a joke) that makes the point
punch list -n
- a list of usu. minor tasks to be completed at the end of a project
punchout ['pənch-,au̇t] -n
- fistfight
- strikeout
punch out -vi
- to record the time of one's stopping work or departure by punching a time clock
- to bail out of an aircraft using an ejection seat
- to beat up
- strike out
punch press -n
- a press equipped with cutting, shaping, or combination dies for working on material (as metal)
punchup ['pənch-,əp] -n
- fistfight
punch up -vt
- to give energy or forcefulness to
- jokes added to punch up a speech
punchy ['pən-chē] -adj
- having punch : forceful, spirited
- vivid, vibrant
- punch-drunk
punc·tate ['pəŋk-,tāt] -adj, n
- marked with minute spots or depressions
- characterized by dots or points
punc·til·io [,pəŋk-'ti-lē-,ō] -n
- a minute detail of conduct in a ceremony or in observance of a code
- careful observance of forms (as in social conduct)
punc·til·i·ous [-lē-əs] -adj, adv, n
- marked by or concerned about precise accordance with the details of codes or conventions
punc·tu·al ['pəŋk-chə-wəl, -chəl] -adj, n, adv
- being on time : prompt
punc·tu·ate ['pəŋk-chə-,wāt] -vb, n
- to mark or divide (written matter) with punctuation marks
- to break into or interrupt at intervals
- the steady click of her needles punctuated the silence -- Edith Wharton
- accentuate, emphasize
- to use punctuation marks
punctuated equilibrium -n
- evolution that is characterized by long periods of stability in the characteristics of an organism and short periods of rapid change during which new forms appear esp. from small subpopulations of the ancestral form in restricted parts of its geographic range
- a theory or model of evolution emphasizing this
punc·tu·a·tion [,pəŋk-chə-'wā-shən] -n
- the act of punctuating : the state of being punctuated
- the act or practice of inserting standardized marks or signs in written matter to clarify the meaning and separate structural units
- a system of punctuation
- something that contrasts or accentuates
punctuation mark -n
- any of various standardized marks or signs used in punctuation
punc·ture ['pəŋk-chər] -n
- an act of puncturing
- a hole, wound, or perforation made by puncturing
- a minute depression
puncture ['pəŋk-chə-riŋ, 'pəŋk-shriŋ] -vb
- to pierce with or as if with a pointed instrument or object
- to make useless or ineffective as if by a puncture : deflate
- to become punctured
puncture vine -n
- an Old World annual prostrate herb ( Tribulus terrestris) of the caltrop family that has hard spiny pods and is a troublesome weed esp. in the western U.S. called also caltrop
pun·dit ['pən-dət] -n
- pandit
- a learned man : teacher
- a person who gives opinions in an authoritative manner usu. through the mass media : critic
pun·dit·oc·ra·cy [,pən-dət-'ä-krə-sē] -n
- a group of powerful and influential political commentators
pung ['pəŋ] -n
- a sleigh with a box-shaped body
pun·gen·cy ['pən-jən(t)-sē] -n
- the quality or state of being pungent
pun·gent [-jənt] -adj, adv
- sharply painful
- having a stiff and sharp point
- marked by a sharp incisive quality : caustic
- being sharp and to the point
- causing a sharp or irritating sensation
- acrid
- having an intense flavor or odor
pun·gle ['pəŋ-gəl] -vb
- to make a payment or contribution of (money) usu. used with up
- pay, contribute usu. used with up
Pu·nic ['pyü-nik] -adj
- of or relating to Carthage or the Carthaginians
- faithless, treacherous
Punic -n
- the Phoenician dialect of ancient Carthage
pun·ish ['pə-nish] -vb, n, adj
- to impose a penalty on for a fault, offense, or violation
- to inflict a penalty for the commission of (an offense) in retribution or retaliation
- to deal with roughly or harshly
- to inflict injury on : hurt
- to inflict punishment
pun·ish·ment ['pə-nish-mənt] -n
- the act of punishing
- suffering, pain, or loss that serves as retribution
- a penalty inflicted on an offender through judicial procedure
- severe, rough, or disastrous treatment
pu·ni·tion [pyü-'ni-shən] -n
- punishment
pu·ni·tive ['pyü-nə-tiv] -adj, adv, n
- inflicting, involving, or aiming at punishment
punitive damages -n pl
- damages awarded in excess of compensation to the plaintiff to punish a defendant for a serious wrong
Pun·jabi [,pən-'jä-bē, -'ja-] -n, adj
- an Indo-Aryan language of the Punjab
- a native or inhabitant of the Punjab region of the northwestern Indian subcontinent
punk ['pəŋk] -n
- prostitute
- nonsense, foolishness
- a young inexperienced person : beginner, novice
- a young man
- a usu. petty gangster, hoodlum, or ruffian
- a young man used as a homosexual partner esp. in a prison
- punk rock
- a punk rock musician
- one who affects punk styles
- very poor : inferior
- being in poor health
- said that she was feeling punk
- of or relating to punk rock
- relating to or being a style (as of dress or hair) inspired by punk rock
- wood so decayed as to be dry, crumbly, and useful for tinder
- a preparation (as of a stick of coated wood) that burns slowly and is used to ignite fuses esp. of fireworks
pun·kah ['pəŋ-kə] -n
- a fan used esp. in India that consists of a canvas-covered frame suspended from the ceiling and that is operated by a cord
punk·er ['pəŋ-kər] -n
- punk
pun·kie ['pəŋ-kē] -n
- biting midge
punk rock -n
- rock music marked by extreme and often deliberately offensive expressions of alienation and social discontent
punky ['pəŋ-kē] -adj, n
- resembling punk in being soft or rotted
- resembling or typical of a punk
pun·net ['pə-nət] -n
- a small basket for fruits or vegetables
Pun·nett square ['pə-nət-] -n
- an n nsquare used in genetics to calculate the frequencies of the different genotypes and phenotypes among the offspring of a cross
pun·ny ['pə-nē] -adj
- constituting or involving a pun
pun·ster ['pən(t)-stər] -n
- one who is given to punning
punt ['pənt] -n
- a long narrow flat-bottomed boat with square ends usu. propelled with a pole
- to propel (as a punt) with a pole
- to play at a gambling game against the banker
- gamble
- to kick (as a football or soccer ball) with the top of the foot before the ball which is dropped from the hands hits the ground
- to punt a ball
- the act or an instance of punting a ball
- the monetary pound of Ireland
punt·er ['pən-tər] -n
- : one that punts: as
- a person who gambles
- one who bets against a bookmaker
- a person who uses a punt in boating
- a person who punts a ball
- customer, patron
punt formation -n
- an offensive football formation in which a back making a punt stands approximately 10 yards behind the line and the other backs are in blocking position close to the line
pun·ty ['pən-tē] -n
- a metal rod used for fashioning hot glass
pu·ny ['pyü-nē] -adj, adv, n
- slight or inferior in power, size, or importance : weak
pup ['pəp] -n
- a young dog
- one of the young of various animals (as a seal or rat)
- offset
- to give birth to pups
pu·pa ['pyü-pə] -n, adj
- an intermediate usu. quiescent stage of a metamorphic insect (as a bee, moth, or beetle) that occurs between the larva and the imago, is usu. enclosed in a cocoon or protective covering, and undergoes internal changes by which larval structures are replaced by those typical of the imago
pu·par·i·um [pyü-'per-ē-əm] -n
- a rigid outer shell formed from the larval skin that covers some pupae (as of a dipteran fly)
pu·pate ['pyü-,pāt] -vi, n
- to become a pupa : pass through a pupal stage
pup·fish ['pəp-,fish] -n
- any of several killifishes (genus Cyprinodonof the family Cyprinodontidae) esp. of warm streams and springs of the western U.S.
pu·pil ['pyü-pəl] -n
- a child or young person in school or in the charge of a tutor or instructor : student
- one who has been taught or influenced by a famous or distinguished person
pupil ['pyü-pə-,ler-ē] -n, adj
- the contractile aperture in the iris of the eye
pu·pil·age ['pyü-pə-lij] -n
- the state or period of being a pupil
pup·pet ['pə-pət] -n, adj
- a small-scale figure (as of a person or animal) usu. with a cloth body and hollow head that fits over and is moved by the hand
- marionette
- doll
- one whose acts are controlled by an outside force or influence
pup·pe·teer [,pə-pə-'tir] -n
- one who manipulates puppets
pup·pet·ry ['pə-pə-trē] -n
- the production or creation of puppets or puppet shows
- the art of manipulating puppets
pup·py ['pə-pē] -n, adj
- a young domestic dog
- one less than a year old
- baby
- a computer that is one fast puppy
puppy dog -n
- a domestic dog
- one having the lovable attributes of a puppy
puppy love -n
- transitory love or affection felt by a child or adolescent
puppy mill -n
- a commercial farming operation in which purebred dogs are raised in large numbers
pup tent -n
- a small usu. wedge-shaped tent for two persons
pu·pu ['pü-,pü] -n
- an Asian dish served as an appetizer or main course and consisting of a variety of foods (as egg rolls, spareribs, and fried shrimp)
Pu·ra·na [pu̇-'rä-nə] -n, adj
- one of a class of Hindu sacred writings chiefly from a.d.300 to a.d.750 comprising popular myths and legends and other traditional lore
pur·blind ['pər-,blīnd] -adj, adv, n
- wholly blind
- partly blind
- lacking in vision, insight, or understanding : obtuse
pur·chase ['pər-chəs] -vb, adj, n
- gain, acquire
- to acquire (real estate) by means other than descent
- to obtain by paying money or its equivalent : buy
- to obtain by labor, danger, or sacrifice
- to constitute the means for buying
- our dollars purchase less each year
- to purchase something
purchase -n
- an act or instance of purchasing
- something obtained esp. for a price in money or its equivalent
- a mechanical hold or advantage applied to the raising or moving of heavy bodies
- an apparatus or device by which advantage is gained
- an advantage (as a firm hold or position) used in applying one's power
- clutching the steering wheel for more purchase -- Barry Crump
- a means of exerting power
pur·dah ['pər-də] -n
- seclusion of women from public observation among Muslims and some Hindus esp. in India
- a state of seclusion or concealment
pure ['pyu̇r] -adj, n
- unmixed with any other matter
- free from dust, dirt, or taint
- spotless, stainless
- free from harshness or roughness and being in tune used of a musical tone
- characterized by no appreciable alteration of articulation during utterance
- being thus and no other : sheer, unmitigated
- abstract, theoretical
- a priori
- not directed toward exposition of reality or solution of practical problems
- being nonobjective and to be appraised on formal and technical qualities only
- free from what vitiates, weakens, or pollutes
- containing nothing that does not properly belong
- free from moral fault or guilt
- marked by chastity : continent
- of pure blood and unmixed ancestry
- homozygous in and breeding true for one or more characters
- ritually clean
- having exactly the talents or skills needed for a particular role
- a pure shooter in basketball
pureblood·ed ['pyu̇r-,blə-dəd] -adj, n
- full-blooded
pure·bred [-'bred, -,bred] -adj, n
- bred from members of a recognized breed, strain, or kind without admixture of other blood over many generations
pure democracy -n
- democracy in which the power is exercised directly by the people rather than through representatives
pu·ree [pyu̇-'rā, -'rē] -n
- a paste or thick liquid suspension usu. made from cooked food ground finely
- a thick soup made of pureed vegetables
puree -vt
- to make a puree of
pure imaginary -n, adj
- a complex number that is solely the product of a real number other than zero and the imaginary unit
pure·ly ['pyu̇r-lē] -adv
- to a full extent : totally
- wholly, exclusively
- a selection based purely on merit
- without admixture of anything injurious or foreign
- simply, merely
- read purely for relaxation
- in a chaste or innocent manner
pur·fle ['pər-fəl] -vt, n
- to ornament the border or edges of
pur·ga·tion [,pər-'gā-shən] -n
- the act or result of purging
pur·ga·tive ['pər-gə-tiv] -adj
- purging or tending to purge
purgative -n
- a purging medicine : cathartic
pur·ga·to·ri·al [,pər-gə-'tȯr-ē-əl] -adj
- of, relating to, or suggestive of purgatory
- cleansing of sin : expiatory
pur·ga·to·ry ['pər-gə-,tȯr-ē] -n
- an intermediate state after death for expiatory purification
- a place or state of punishment wherein according to Roman Catholic doctrine the souls of those who die in God's grace may make satisfaction for past sins and so become fit for heaven
- a place or state of temporary suffering or misery
purge ['pərj] -vb, n
- to clear of guilt
- to free from moral or ceremonial defilement
- to cause evacuation from (as the bowels)
- to make free of something unwanted
- to free (as a boiler) of sediment or relieve (as a steam pipe) of trapped air by bleeding
- to rid (as a nation or party) by a purge
- to get rid of
- the leaders had been purged
- to become purged
- to have or produce frequent evacuations
- to cause purgation
- something that purges
- purgative
- an act or instance of purging
- the removal of elements or members regarded as undesirable and esp. as treacherous or disloyal
pu·ri ['pu̇r-ē] -n
- a puffy fried wheat cake of India
pu·ri·fi·ca·tion [,pyu̇r-ə-fə-'kā-shən] -n
- the act or an instance of purifying or of being purified
pu·ri·fi·ca·tor ['pyu̇r-ə-fə-,kā-tər] -n
- a linen cloth used to wipe the chalice after celebration of the Eucharist
- one that purifies
pu·ri·fi·ca·to·ry [pyu̇r-'i-fi-kə-,tȯr-ē, 'pyu̇r-(ə-)fə-kə-] -adj
- serving, tending, or intended to purify
pu·ri·fy ['pyu̇r-ə-,fī] -vb, n
- : to make pure: as
- to clear from material defilement or imperfection
- to free from guilt or moral or ceremonial blemish
- to free from undesirable elements
- to grow or become pure or clean
Pu·rim ['pu̇r-im, 'pyu̇r-, -,ēm; pu̇-'rim, pyu̇-, -'rēm] -n
- a Jewish holiday celebrated on the 14th of Adar in commemoration of the deliverance of the Jews from the massacre plotted by Haman
pu·rine ['pyu̇r-,ēn] -n
- a crystalline base C 5H 4N 4that is the parent of compounds of the uric-acid group
- a derivative of purine
- a base (as adenine or guanine) that is a constituent of DNA or RNA
pur·ism ['pyu̇r-,i-zəm] -n
- an example of rigid adherence to or insistence on purity or nicety esp. in use of words
- a word, phrase, or sense used chiefly by purists
- the quality or practice of adherence to purity esp. in language
pur·ist ['pyu̇r-ist] -n, adj, adv
- a person who adheres strictly and often excessively to a tradition
- one preoccupied with the purity of a language and its protection from the use of foreign or altered forms
pu·ri·tan ['pyu̇r-ə-tən] -n
- a member of a 16th and 17th century Protestant group in England and New England opposing as unscriptural the ceremonial worship and the prelacy of the Church of England
- one who practices or preaches a more rigorous or professedly purer moral code than that which prevails
puritan -adj
- of or relating to puritans, the Puritans, or puritanism
pu·ri·tan·i·cal [,pyu̇r-ə-'ta-ni-kəl] -adj, adv
- of, relating to, or characterized by a rigid morality
- puritan
pu·ri·tan·ism ['pyu̇r-ə-tᵊn-,i-zəm] -n
- the beliefs and practices characteristic of the Puritans
- strictness and austerity esp. in matters of religion or conduct
pu·ri·ty ['pyu̇r-ə-tē] -n
- the quality or state of being pure
- saturation
Pur·kin·je cell [(,)pər-'kin-jē-] -n
- any of numerous nerve cells that occupy the middle layer of the cerebellar cortex and are characterized by a large globose body with massive dendrites directed outward and a single slender axon directed inward
Purkinje fiber -n
- any of the modified cardiac muscle fibers with few nuclei, granulated central cytoplasm, and sparse peripheral striations that make up a network of myocardial conducting tissue
purl ['pər(-ə)l] -n
- gold or silver thread or wire for embroidering or edging
- the intertwisting of thread that knots a stitch usu. along an edge
- purl stitch
- to embroider with gold or silver thread
- to edge or border with gold or silver embroidery
- to knit in purl stitch
- to do knitting in purl stitch
- a purling or swirling stream or rill
- a gentle murmur or movement (as of purling water)
- eddy, swirl
- to make a soft murmuring sound like that of a purling stream
pur·lieu ['pərl-(,)yü, 'pər-(,)lü] -n
- an outlying or adjacent district
- environs, neighborhood
- a frequently visited place : haunt
- confines, bounds
pur·lin ['pər-lən] -n
- a horizontal member in a roof
pur·loin [(,)pər-'lȯin, 'pər-,] -vt, n
- to appropriate wrongfully and often by a breach of trust
purl stitch -n
- a knitting stitch usu. made with the yarn at the front of the work by inserting the right needle into the front of a loop on the left needle from the right, catching the yarn with the right needle, and bringing it through to form a new loop
pu·ro·my·cin [,pyu̇r-ə-'mī-sᵊn] -n
- an antibiotic C 22H 29N 7O 5that is obtained from an actinomycete ( Streptomyces alboniger) and is a potent inhibitor of protein synthesis
pur·ple ['pər-pəl] -adj
- regal, imperial
- of the color purple
- highly rhetorical : ornate
- marked by profanity
purple -n
- cloth dyed purple
- a garment of such color
- a purple robe worn as an emblem of rank or authority
- tyrian purple
- any of various colors that fall about midway between red and blue in hue
- a mollusk (as of the genus Purpura) yielding a purple dye and esp. the Tyrian purple of ancient times
- a pigment or dye that colors purple
- imperial or regal rank or power
- high rank or station
- to make purple
- to become purple
purple coneflower -n
- any of a No. American genus ( Echinacea,esp. E. purpurea) of coarse perennial composite herbs with thick rough leaves and long-stalked flower heads having purplish-brown cone-shaped disks and usu. pink to purplish rays
purple finch -n
- a finch ( Carpodacus purpureus) of the U.S. and Canada having in the male a rosy-red head, breast, and rump
pur·ple·heart ['pər-pəl-,härt] -n
- a strong durable purplish wood that is obtained from various leguminous trees (genus Peltogyne) of Central and So. America
- a tree producing such wood
Purple Heart -n
- a U.S. military decoration awarded to any member of the armed forces wounded or killed in action
purple loosestrife -n
- a perennial Eurasian marsh herb ( Lythrum salicaria) of the loosestrife family that is naturalized in eastern No. America and has long spikes of purple flowers
purple martin -n
- a large swallow ( Progne subis) of No. America the males of which have glossy purplish-blue plumage
purple passage -n
- a passage conspicuous for brilliance or effectiveness in a work that is dull, commonplace, or uninspired
- a piece of obtrusively ornate writing called also purple patch
purple scale -n
- a brownish or purplish armored scale ( Lepidosaphes beckii) that is destructive to citrus fruit
pur·plish ['pər-p(ə-)lish] -adj
- somewhat purple
pur·ply ['pər-p(ə-)lē] -adj
- purplish
pur·port ['pər-,pȯrt] -n
- meaning conveyed, professed, or implied : import
- substance, gist
- to have the often specious appearance of being, intending, or claiming (something implied or inferred)
- a book that purport s to be an objective analysis
- claim
- foreign novels which he purport s to have translated -- Mary McCarthy
- intend, purpose
pur·port·ed [-'pȯr-təd] -adj
- reputed, alleged
- took gullible tourists to purported ancient sites
pur·port·ed·ly [-lē] -adv
- it is purported : ostensibly, allegedly
pur·pose ['pər-pəs] -n
- something set up as an object or end to be attained : intention
- resolution, determination
- a subject under discussion or an action in course of execution
purpose -vt
- to propose as an aim to oneself
pur·posebuilt [,pər-pəs-'bilt] -adj
- built for a particular purpose
pur·pose·ful ['pər-pəs-fəl] -adj, adv, n
- : having a purpose: as
- meaningful
- intentional
- full of determination
- was soft-spoken but purposeful
pur·pose·less [-ləs] -adj, adv, n
- having no purpose : aimless, meaningless
pur·pose·ly [-lē] -adv
- with a deliberate or express purpose
pur·po·sive ['pər-pə-siv, (,)pər-'pō-] -adj, adv, n
- serving or effecting a useful function though not as a result of planning or design
- having or tending to fulfill a conscious purpose or design : purposeful
pur·pu·ra ['pər-pyə-rə, -pə-rə] -n, adj
- any of several hemorrhagic states characterized by patches of purplish discoloration resulting from extravasation of blood into the skin and mucous membranes
pur·pure ['pər-pyər] -n
- the heraldic color purple
purr ['pər] -n
- a low vibratory murmur typical of an apparently contented or pleased cat
- to make a purr or a sound like a purr
- cars purr ing along the highway
- to speak in a manner that resembles a purr
- to speak in a malicious catty manner
purse ['pərs] -n, adj
- a small bag for money
- a receptacle (as a pocketbook) for carrying money and often other small objects
- a receptacle (as a pouch) shaped like a purse
- resources, funds
- a sum of money offered as a prize or present
- the total amount of money offered in prizes for a given event
- to put into a purse
- pucker, knit
purseproud ['pərs-,prau̇d] -adj
- proud because of one's wealth esp. in the absence of other distinctions
purs·er ['pər-sər] -n
- an official on a ship responsible for papers and accounts and on a passenger ship also for the comfort and welfare of passengers
- a steward on an airliner
purse seine -n
- a large seine designed to be set by two boats around a school of fish and so arranged that after the ends have been brought together the bottom can be closed
purse strings -n pl
- financial resources
- control over these resources
purs·lane ['pər-slən, -,slān] -n
- any of a family (Portulacaceae, the purslane family) of cosmopolitan usu. succulent herbs
- a fleshy-leaved trailing plant ( Portulaca oleracea) with tiny yellow flowers that is a common troublesome weed but is sometimes eaten as a potherb or in salads
pur·su·ance [pər-'sü-ən(t)s] -n
- the act of pursuing
- a carrying out or into effect : prosecution
- in pursuance of his duties
pur·su·ant to [-ənt-] -prep
- in carrying out : in conformity with : according to
pur·sue [pər-'sü, -'syü] -vb, n
- to follow in order to overtake, capture, kill, or defeat
- to find or employ measures to obtain or accomplish : seek
- to proceed along
- pursue s a northern course
- to engage in
- to follow up or proceed with
- to continue to afflict : haunt
- was pursued by horrible memories
- chase
- pursued by dozens of fans
- to go in pursuit
pur·suit [pər-'süt, -'syüt] -n
- the act of pursuing
- an activity that one engages in as a vocation, profession, or avocation : occupation
pursuit plane -n
- a fighter plane esp. of the period before World War II
pur·sui·vant ['pər-si-vənt, -swi-] -n
- an officer of arms ranking below a herald but having similar duties
- follower, attendant
pur·sy ['pə-sē, 'pər-sē] -adj, n
- short-winded esp. because of corpulence
- fat
pursy ['pər-sē] -adj
- having a puckered appearance
- purse-proud
pur·te·nance ['pərt-nən(t)s, 'pər-tᵊn-ən(t)s] -n
- entrails, pluck
pu·ru·lence ['pyu̇r-ə-lən(t)s, 'pyu̇r-yə-] -n
- the quality or state of being purulent
- pus
pu·ru·lent [-lənt] -adj
- containing, consisting of, or being pus
- accompanied by suppuration
pur·vey [(,)pər-'vā, 'pər-,] -vt
- to supply (as provisions) usu. as a matter of business
- peddle
pur·vey·ance [-ən(t)s] -n
- the act or process of purveying or procuring
pur·vey·or [-ər] -n
- one that purveys
- victualler, caterer
pur·view ['pər-,vyü] -n
- the body or enacting part of a statute
- the limit, purpose, or scope of a statute
- the range or limit of authority, competence, responsibility, concern, or intention
- range of vision, understanding, or cognizance
pus ['pəs] -n
- thick opaque usu. yellowish-white fluid matter formed by suppuration and composed of exudate containing white blood cells, tissue debris, and microorganisms
Pu·sey·ism ['pyü-zē-,i-zəm, -sē-] -n
- tractarianism
push ['pu̇sh] -vb
- to press against with force in order to drive or impel
- to move or endeavor to move away or ahead by steady pressure without striking
- to thrust forward, downward, or outward
- to cause to increase : raise
- push prices to record levels
- to try to move beyond or expand
- to hit (a ball) toward the right from a right-handed swing or toward the left from a left-handed swing
- to press or urge forward to completion
- to urge or press the advancement, adoption, or practice of
- push ed a bill in the legislature
- to make aggressive efforts to sell
- we're push ing ham this week
- to engage in the illicit sale of (narcotics)
- to bear hard upon so as to involve in difficulty
- poverty push ed them to the breaking point
- to approach in age or number
- grandmother must be push ing 75
- to press against something with steady force in or as if in order to impel
- to press forward energetically against opposition
- to exert oneself continuously, vigorously, or obtrusively to gain an end
- push ing for higher wages
- : a vigorous effort to attain an end : drive:
- a military assault or offensive
- an advance that overcomes obstacles
- a campaign to promote a product
- a time for action : emergency
- an act of pushing : shove
- a physical force steadily applied in a direction away from the body exerting it
- a nonphysical pressure : influence, urge
- vigorous enterprise or energy
- an exertion of influence to promote another's interests
- stimulation to activity : impetus
PUSH -abbr
- People United to Serve Humanity
push around -vt
- to impose on contemptuously : bully
push·ball ['pu̇sh-,bȯl] -n
- a game in which each of two sides endeavors to push an inflated orig. leather-covered ball six feet (1.8 meters) in diameter across its opponents' goal
- the ball used
pushbike [-,bīk] -n
- bicycle called also push bicycle
push broom -n
- a long-handled wide brush that is designed to be pushed and is used for sweeping
pushbutton -adj
- operated or done by means of push buttons
- using or dependent on complex and more or less self-operating mechanisms that are put in operation by a simple act comparable to pushing a button
push button -n
- a small button or knob that when pushed operates something esp. by closing an electric circuit
push·cart ['pu̇sh-,kärt] -n
- a cart or barrow pushed by hand
push·chair [-,cher] -n
- stroller
push·down [-,dau̇n] -n
- a store of data (as in a computer) from which the most recently stored item must be the first retrieved called also pushdown list pushdown stack
push·er ['pu̇-shər] -n
- one that pushes
- one that pushes illegal drugs
push·ing ['pu̇-shiŋ] -adj
- marked by ambition, energy, enterprise, and initiative
- marked by tactless forwardness or officious intrusiveness
push off -vi
- set out
push on -vi
- to continue on one's way : proceed
push·over ['pu̇sh-,ō-vər] -n
- something accomplished without difficulty : snap
- an opponent who is easy to defeat or a victim who is capable of no effective resistance
- someone unable to resist an attraction or appeal : sucker
push·pin [-,pin] -n
- a pin that has a roughly cylindrical head and that is easily inserted and withdrawn (as from a bulletin board)
pushpull [-'pu̇l] -adj, n
- relating to or being an arrangement of two electronic circuit elements (as transistors) such that an alternating input causes them to send current through a load alternately
push·rod ['pu̇sh-,räd] -n
- a rod actuated by a cam to open or close a valve of an internal combustion engine
pushup ['pu̇sh-,əp] -n
- a conditioning exercise performed in a prone position by raising and lowering the body with the straightening and bending of the arms while keeping the back straight and supporting the body on the hands and toes
pushy ['pu̇-shē] -adj, adv, n
- aggressive often to an objectionable degree : forward
pu·sil·la·nim·i·ty [,pyü-sə-lə-'ni-mə-tē also ,pyü-zə-] -n
- the quality or state of being pusillanimous : cowardliness
pu·sil·lan·i·mous [-'la-nə-məs] -adj, adv
- lacking courage and resolution : marked by contemptible timidity
puss ['pu̇s] -n
- cat
- girl
- face
puss·ley ['pəs-lē] -n
- purslane
pussy ['pu̇-sē] -n
- cat
- a catkin of the pussy willow
pus·sy ['pu̇-sē] -n
- vulva
- sexual intercourse
- the female partner in sexual intercourse
- full of or resembling pus
- a weak or cowardly man or boy : wimp, sissy
pussy·cat ['pu̇-sē-,kat] -n
- cat
- one that is weak, compliant, or amiable : softy
pussy·foot ['pu̇-sē-,fu̇t] -vi, n
- to tread or move warily or stealthily
- to refrain from committing oneself
pussy·toes ['pu̇-sē-,tōz] -n pl but sing or pl in constr
- any of a genus ( Antennaria) of woolly or hoary chiefly temperate perennial composite herbs that have small usu. whitish discoid flower heads and a pappus formed of club-shaped bristles
pussy willow ['pu̇-sē-] -n
- a willow (as the No. American Salix discolor) having large cylindrical silky catkins
pus·tu·lant ['pəs-chə-lənt; 'pəs-tyə-, -tə-] -n
- an agent (as a chemical) that induces pustule formation
pustulant -adj
- producing pustules
pus·tu·lar [-lər] -adj
- of, relating to, or resembling pustules
- covered with pustular prominences : pustulated
pus·tu·lat·ed [-,lā-təd] -adj
- covered with pustules
pus·tu·la·tion [,pəs-chə-'lā-shən, ,pəs-tyə-, -tə-] -n
- the act of producing pustules : the state of having pustules
- pustule
pus·tule ['pəs-(,)chül, -(,)tyül, -(,)tül] -n
- a small circumscribed elevation of the skin containing pus and having an inflamed base
- a small often distinctively colored elevation or spot resembling a blister or pimple
put ['pu̇t] -vb
- to place in a specified position or relationship : lay
- put the book on the table
- to move in a specified direction
- to send (as a weapon or missile) into or through something : thrust
- to throw with an overhand pushing motion
- to bring into a specified state or condition
- a reapportionment...that was put into effect at the September primaries -- Current Biog.
- to prescribe a specified regimen for usu. used with on
- to cause to endure or suffer something : subject
- impose, inflict
- put a special tax on luxuries
- to set before one for judgment or decision
- to call for a formal vote on
- to convey into another form
- want to put my feelings into words
- to translate into another language or style
- put the poem into English
- adapt
- express, state
- to devote (oneself) to an activity or end
- put himself to winning back their confidence
- apply
- put her mind to the problem
- assign
- to cause to perform an action : urge
- put the horse over the fence
- impel, incite
- repose, rest
- put s his faith in reason
- invest
- put her money in the company
- to give as an estimate
- put the time as about eleven
- attach, attribute
- put s a high value on their friendship
- impute
- put the blame on the partners
- bet, wager
- to start in motion : go
- to leave in a hurry
- to take a specified course
- a throw made with an overhand pushing motion
- the act or an instance of putting the shot
- an option to sell a specified amount of a security (as a stock) or commodity (as wheat) at a fixed price at or within a specified time
- being in place : fixed, set
put about -vi
- to change direction : go on another tack
- to cause to change course or direction
put across -vt
- put over
- to convey effectively or forcefully
- put her viewpoint across subtly
pu·ta·men [pyü-'tā-mən] -n
- the large dark lateral part of the basal ganglion which comprises the external portion of the corpus striatum and which has connections to the caudate nucleus
putandtake [,pu̇t-ᵊn-'tāk] -n
- any of various games of chance played with a teetotum or with dice in which players contribute to a pool and take from it according to the instructions on the top or dice
pu·ta·tive ['pyü-tə-tiv] -adj, adv
- commonly accepted or supposed
- assumed to exist or to have existed
put away -vt
- discard, renounce
- to put grief away is disloyal to the memory of the departed -- H. A. Overstreet
- divorce
- to eat or drink up : consume
- to confine esp. in a mental institution
- bury
- kill
put by -vt
- reject
- to lay aside : save
putdown ['pu̇t-,dau̇n] -n
- an act or instance of putting down
- a humiliating remark
put down -vt
- to bring to an end : stop
- depose, degrade
- disparage, belittle
- mentioned his poetry only to put it down
- disapprove, criticize
- was put down for the way she dressed
- humiliate, squelch
- put him down with a sharp retort
- to make ineffective : check
- to do away with (as an injured, sick, or aged animal) : destroy
- to put in writing
- to enter in a list
- put me down for a donation
- to place in a category
- I put him down as a hypochondriac -- O. S. J. Gogarty
- attribute
- put it down to inexperience
- to pack or preserve for future use
- consume
- putting down helping after helping -- Carson McCullers
put in -vt
- to make a formal offer or declaration of
- to come in with : interpose
- put in a word for his brother
- to spend (time) esp. at some occupation or job
- put in six hours at the office
- plant
- to call at or enter a place
- to enter a harbor or port
- to make an application, request, or offer often used with for
- had to retire and put in for a pension -- Seymour Nagan
put·log ['pu̇t-,lȯg, 'pət-, -,läg] -n
- one of the short timbers that support the flooring of a scaffold
put off -vt
- disconcert
- repel
- to hold back to a later time
- to induce to wait
- put the bill collector off
- to rid oneself of : take off
- to sell or pass fraudulently
puton ['pu̇t-'ȯn, -'än] -adj
- pretended, assumed
- an instance of putting someone on
- conversational puton s are related to old-fashioned joshing -- Jacob Brackman
- parody, spoof
- a kind of puton of every pretentious film ever made -- C. A. Ridley
put on -vt
- to dress oneself in : don
- to make part of one's appearance or behavior
- feign
- to cause to act or operate : apply
- add
- exaggerate, overstate
- perform, produce
- to mislead deliberately esp. for amusement
- the interviewer...must be put down - or possibly, put on -- Melvin Maddocks
- kid
put·out ['pu̇t-,au̇t] -n
- the retiring of a base runner or batter by a defensive player in baseball
put out -vt
- extinguish
- exert, use
- put out considerable effort
- publish, issue
- to produce for sale
- disconcert, embarrass
- annoy, irritate
- inconvenience
- don't put yourself out for us
- to cause to be out (as in baseball or cricket)
- to set out from shore
- to make an effort
- to engage in sexual intercourse
put over -vt
- postpone, delay
- put across
- to achieve or carry through by deceit or trickery
pu·tre·fac·tion [,pyü-trə-'fak-shən] -n, adj
- the decomposition of organic matter
- the typically anaerobic splitting of proteins by bacteria and fungi with the formation of foul-smelling incompletely oxidized products
- the state of being putrefied : corruption
pu·tre·fy ['pyü-trə-,fī] -vb
- to make putrid
- to undergo putrefaction
pu·tres·cence [pyü-'tre-sᵊn(t)s] -n
- the state of being putrescent
pu·tres·cent [-sᵊnt] -adj
- undergoing putrefaction : becoming putrid
- of or relating to putrefaction
pu·tres·ci·ble [-'tre-sə-bəl] -adj
- liable to become putrid
pu·tres·cine [-'tre-,sēn] -n
- a crystalline slightly poisonous ptomaine C 4H 12N 2that occurs in small amounts in virtually all living things
pu·trid ['pyü-trəd] -adj, n, adv
- being in a state of putrefaction : rotten
- of, relating to, or characteristic of putrefaction : foul
- morally corrupt
- totally objectionable
putsch ['pu̇ch] -n
- a secretly plotted and suddenly executed attempt to overthrow a government
putsch·ist ['pu̇-chist] -n
- one who takes part in a putsch
putt ['pət] -n, vb
- a golf stroke made on a putting green to cause the ball to roll into or near the hole
put·ta·nes·ca [,pü-tä-'nes-kä] -adj
- served with or being a pungent tomato sauce typically containing olives, garlic, capers, hot pepper, and sometimes anchovies usu. used postpositively
put·tee [,pə-'tē, pu̇-; 'pə-tē] -n
- a cloth strip wrapped around the leg from ankle to knee
- a usu. leather legging secured by a strap or catch or by laces
put·ter ['pu̇-tər] -n
- one that puts
putt·er ['pə-tər] -n
- a golf club used in putting
- one who putts
put·ter ['pə-tər] -vi, n
- to move or act aimlessly or idly
- to work at random : tinker
put through -vt
- to carry to a successful conclusion
- put through a number of reforms
- to make a telephone connection for
- to obtain a connection for (a telephone call)
putt·ing green ['pə-tiŋ-] -n
- a smooth grassy area at the end of a golf fairway containing the hole
- a similar area usu. with many holes that is used for practice
put·to ['pü-(,)tō] -n
- a figure of an infant boy esp. in European art of the Renaissance usu. used in pl.
puttputt ['pət-,pət] -n
- miniature golf
put·ty ['pə-tē] -n, adj
- a doughlike material typically made of whiting and linseed oil that is used esp. to fasten glass in window frames and to fill crevices in woodwork
- any of various substances resembling putty in appearance, consistency, or use
- a light brownish-gray to light grayish-brown color
- one who is easily manipulated
putty -vt
- to use putty on or apply putty to
putty knife -n
- an implement with a broad flat metal blade used esp. for applying putty and for scraping
put·ty·root ['pə-tē-,rüt, -,ru̇t] -n
- a No. American orchid ( Aplectrum hyemale) having a corm filled with glutinous matter and producing a solitary leaf and a scape bearing a raceme of brownish flowers
putup ['pu̇t-'əp] -adj
- arranged secretly beforehand
put up -vt
- to place in a container or receptacle
- put his lunch up in a bag
- to put away (a sword) in a scabbard : sheathe
- to prepare so as to preserve for later use : can
- to put in storage
- to start (game animals) from cover
- to nominate for election
- to offer up (as a prayer)
- set
- to make available
- to offer for public sale
- put their possessions up for auction
- to give food and shelter to : accommodate
- to arrange (as a plot or scheme) with others
- put up a job to steal the jewels
- build, erect
- to make a display of
- to engage in
- contribute, pay
- to offer as a prize or stake
- to increase the amount of : raise
- to succeed in producing or achieving
- an athlete who has put up big numbers
- score
- lodge
- to take direct action used in the phrase put up or shut up
putup·on ['pu̇t-ə-,pȯn, -,pän] -adj
- imposed upon : taken advantage of
puz·zle ['pə-zəl] -vb, n
- to offer or represent to (as a person) a problem difficult to solve or a situation difficult to resolve : challenge mentally
- to exert (as oneself) over such a problem or situation
- they puzzled their wits to find a solution
- complicate, entangle
- to solve with difficulty or ingenuity
- puzzle out an answer to a riddle
- to be uncertain as to action or choice
- to attempt a solution of a puzzle by guesswork or experiment
puzzle -n
- the state of being puzzled : perplexity
- something that puzzles
- a question, problem, or contrivance designed for testing ingenuity
puz·zle·head·ed ['pə-zəl-,he-dəd] -adj, n
- having or based on confused attitudes or ideas
puz·zle·ment ['pə-zəl-mənt] -n
- the state of being puzzled : perplexity
- puzzle
puzzling -adj, adv
- difficult to understand or solve