pi ['pī] -n

  1. the 16th letter of the Greek alphabet
  2. the symbol denoting the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter
  3. the ratio itself : a transcendental number having a value rounded to eight decimal places of 3.14159265
  4. type that is spilled or mixed
  5. a pi character or matrix
  6. to spill or throw (type or type matter) into disorder
  7. to become pied
  8. not intended to appear in final printing
    • pi lines
  9. capable of being inserted only by hand
    • pi characters

PI -abbr

  1. Philippine Islands
  2. private investigator
  3. programmed instruction

pi·al ['pī-əl, 'pē-] -adj

  1. of or relating to the pia mater

pia ma·ter ['pī-ə-,mā-tər, 'pē-ə-,mä-] -n

  1. the thin vascular membrane that invests the brain and spinal cord internal to the arachnoid and dura mater

pi·a·nism ['pē-ə-,ni-zəm] -n

  1. the art or technique of piano playing
  2. the composition or adaptation of music for the piano

pi·a·nis·si·mo [,pē-ə-'ni-sə-,mō] -adv or adj

  1. very softly used as a direction in music

pianissimo [-(,)mē] -n

  1. a passage played, sung, or spoken very softly

pi·a·nist [pē-'a-nist, 'pē-ə-] -n

  1. a person who plays the piano
  2. a skilled or professional performer on the piano

pi·a·nis·tic [,pē-ə-'nis-tik] -adj, adv

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the piano
  2. skilled in or well adapted to piano playing

pi·a·no [pē-'ä-(,)nō] -adv or adj

  1. at a soft volume : soft used as a direction in music

pi·ano [pē-'a-(,)nō also -'ä-] -n

  1. a musical instrument having steel wire strings that sound when struck by felt-covered hammers operated from a keyboard

piano accordion -n

  1. an accordion with a keyboard for the right hand resembling and corresponding to the middle register of a piano keyboard

pi·ano·forte [pē-'a-nə-,fȯrt, -'ä-, -,fȯr-tē; -,a-nə-'fȯr-tē, -,ä-] -n

  1. fortepiano
  2. piano

piano hinge -n

  1. a hinge that has a thin pin joint and extends along the full length of the part to be moved

pi·as·sa·va [,pē-ə-'sä-və] -n

  1. any of several stiff coarse fibers obtained from palms and used esp. in cordage or brushes
  2. a palm yielding piassava
  3. either of two Brazilian palms ( Attalea funiferaand Leopoldinia piassaba)

pi·as·tre [pē-'as-tər, -'äs-] -n

  1. piece of eight
  2. see pound at

pi·az·za [pē-'a-zə, -'ä-, 1 is usu -'at-sə, -'ät-] -n

  1. an open square esp. in an Italian town
  2. an arcaded and roofed gallery
  3. veranda, porch

pi·broch ['pē-,bräk, -,bräk̲] -n

  1. a set of martial or mournful variations for the Scottish Highland bagpipe

pic ['pik] -n

  1. photograph
  2. motion picture
  3. the picador's lance

pi·ca ['pī-kə] -n

  1. an abnormal desire to eat substances (as chalk or ashes) not normally eaten

pica -n

  1. 12-point type
  2. a unit of about inch used in measuring typographic material
  3. a typewriter type providing 10 characters to the linear inch and six lines to the vertical inch

pic·a·dor ['pi-kə-,dȯr, ,pi-kə-'] -n

  1. a horseman in a bullfight who jabs the bull with a lance to weaken its neck and shoulder muscles

pi·ca·resque [,pi-kə-'resk, ,pē-] -adj

  1. of or relating to rogues or rascals
  2. of, relating to, suggesting, or being a type of fiction dealing with the episodic adventures of a usu. roguish protagonist
    • a picaresque novel

picaresque -n

  1. one that is picaresque

pi·ca·ro ['pē-kä-,rō] -n

  1. rogue, bohemian

pic·a·roon [,pi-kə-'rün] -n

  1. pirate
  2. picaro

picaroon -vi

  1. to act as a pirate

pic·a·yune [,pi-kē-'yün] -n

  1. a Spanish half real piece formerly current in the South
  2. half dime
  3. something trivial

picayune [-'yü-nish] -adj

  1. of little value : paltry
  2. petty, small-minded

pic·ca·lil·li [,pi-kə-'li-lē] -n

  1. a relish of chopped vegetables and spices

pic·co·lo ['pi-kə-,lō] -adj

  1. smaller than ordinary size
    • a piccolo banjo

piccolo [-,lō-ist] -n

  1. a small shrill flute whose range is an octave higher than that of an ordinary flute

pice ['pīs] -n

  1. paisa

pi·ce·ous ['pī-sē-əs] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or resembling pitch
  2. glossy brownish black in color
    • an insect with a piceous abdomen

pi·cho·line [,pē-shō-'lēn] -n

  1. a medium-sized brine-cured green olive of French origin

pick ['pik] -vb

  1. to pierce, penetrate, or break up with a pointed instrument
    • pick ed the hard clay
  2. to remove bit by bit
    • pick meat from bones
  3. to remove covering or adhering matter from
    • pick the bones
  4. to gather by plucking
    • pick apples
  5. choose, select
    • tried to pick the shortest route
  6. to make (one's way) slowly and carefully
    • pick ed his way through the rubble
  7. pilfer, rob
    • pick pockets
  8. to obtain useful information from by questioning used in such phrases as pick the brains of
  9. provoke
    • pick a quarrel
  10. to dig into : probe
    • pick ing his teeth
  11. to pluck (as a guitar) with a pick or with the fingers
  12. to loosen or pull apart with a sharp point
    • pick wool
  13. to unlock with a device (as a wire) other than the key
    • pick a lock
  14. to use or work with a pick
  15. to gather or harvest something by plucking
  16. pilfer used in the phrase picking and stealing
  17. to eat sparingly or mincingly
    • pick ing listlessly at his dinner
  18. a blow or stroke with a pointed instrument
  19. the act or privilege of choosing or selecting : choice
    • take your pick
  20. the best or choicest one
    • the pick of the herd
  21. one that is picked
    • his pick for vice president
  22. the portion of a crop gathered at one time
    • the first pick of peaches
  23. a screen in basketball
  24. a heavy wooden-handled iron or steel tool pointed at one or both ends
  25. toothpick
  26. picklock
  27. a small thin piece (as of plastic or metal) used to pluck the strings of a stringed instrument
  28. one of the points on the forepart of the blade of a skate used in figure skating
  29. a comb with long widely spaced teeth used to give height to a hairstyle
  30. to throw or thrust with effort : hurl
  31. to throw (a shuttle) across the loom
  32. the act of pitching or throwing
  33. something thrown
  34. a throw of the shuttle
  35. a filling thread

pickaback ['pi-gē-,bak] -adv

(variant of piggyback)

  1. up on the back and shoulders
  2. on or as if on the back of another
  3. on a railroad flatcar

pickandroll ['pik-ən(d)-'rōl] -n

  1. a basketball play in which a player sets a screen and then cuts toward the basket for a pass

pickandshovel -adj

  1. done with or as if with a pick and shovel : laborious

pick·a·nin·ny ['pi-kə-,ni-nē, ,pi-kə-'] -n

  1. a black child

pick·ax ['pik-,aks] -n

  1. pick

pick·ed ['pi-kəd] -adj

  1. pointed, peaked

picked ['pikt] -adj

  1. choice, prime

pick·eer [pi-'kir] -vi

  1. to skirmish in advance of an army
  2. scout, reconnoiter

pick·er ['pi-kər] -n

  1. : one that picks: as
  2. a worker who picks something (as crops)
  3. a tool, implement, or machine used in picking something
  4. a musician who picks a stringed instrument (as a banjo)

pick·er·el ['pi-k(ə-)rəl] -n

  1. a young or small pike
  2. : either of two fishes resembling but smaller than the related northern pike:
  3. chain pickerel
  4. one ( Esox americanus) of eastern No. America having green or red fins and a black bar below and slanting away from the eye
  5. walleye

pick·er·el·weed [-,wēd] -n

  1. a shallow-water monocotyledonous perennial plant ( Pontederia cordata) chiefly of the eastern U.S. and Canada with large leaves and a spike of purplish-blue flowers

pick·et ['pi-kət] -n

  1. a pointed or sharpened stake, post, or pale
  2. a detached body of soldiers serving to guard an army from surprise
  3. a detachment kept ready in camp for such duty
  4. sentry
  5. a person posted by a labor organization at a place of work affected by a strike
  6. a person posted for a demonstration or protest

picket -vt, n

  1. to enclose, fence, or fortify with pickets
  2. to guard with a picket
  3. to post as a picket
  4. tether
  5. to post pickets at
  6. to walk or stand in front of as a picket
  7. to serve as a picket

pick·et·boat ['pi-kət-,bōt] -n

  1. a craft used (as by the coast guard) for harbor patrol

picket line -n

  1. a position held by a line of military pickets
  2. a line of people picketing a business, organization, or institution

pick·ings ['pi-kiŋz, -kənz] -n pl

  1. : something that is picked or picked up: as
  2. gleanable or eatable fragments : scraps
  3. yield or return for effort expended
    • easy pickings
    • slim pickings

pick·le ['pi-kəl] -n

  1. : a solution or bath for preserving or cleaning: as
  2. a brine or vinegar solution in which foods are preserved
  3. any of various baths used in industrial cleaning or processing
  4. a difficult situation : plight
    • could see no way out of the pickle I was in -- R. L. Stevenson
  5. an article of food that has been preserved in brine or in vinegar
  6. a cucumber that has been so preserved

pickle [-k(ə-)liŋ] -vt

  1. to treat, preserve, or clean in or with a pickle
  2. to give a light finish to (as furniture) by bleaching or painting and wiping
  3. grain, kernel
  4. a small quantity

pickled -adj

  1. preserved in or cured with pickle
    • pickled herring
  2. drunk
    • gets thoroughly pickled before dinner -- New Yorker

pick·le·weed ['pi-kəl-,wēd] -n

  1. : any of several succulent plants having leaves often reduced to scales or sheaths: as
  2. glasswort
  3. a shrub ( Allenrolfea occidentalis)of the goosefoot family growing in moist saline soils of the southwestern U.S.
  4. saltwort

pick·lock ['pik-,läk] -n

  1. burglar
  2. a tool for picking locks

pickmeup ['pik-mē-,əp] -n

  1. something that stimulates or restores : tonic, bracer
    • my usual morning pickmeup

pick·off ['pik-,ȯf] -n

  1. a baseball play in which a base runner is picked off

pick off -vt

  1. to shoot or bring down esp. one by one
  2. to put out (a base runner who is off base) with a quick throw (as from the pitcher or catcher)
  3. intercept
    • picked off a pass

pick out -vt

  1. discern, make out
  2. to play the notes of by ear or one by one
    • picking out tunes on the piano

pick over -vt

  1. to examine in order to select the best or remove the unwanted

pick·pock·et ['pik-,pä-kət] -n

  1. a thief who picks pockets

pick·proof [-,prüf] -adj

  1. designed to prevent picking
    • a pickproof lock

pick·thank [-,thaŋk] -n

  1. sycophant

pick·up ['pik-,əp] -n

  1. : one that is picked up: as
  2. a hitchhiker who is given a ride
  3. a temporary chance acquaintance
  4. a player acquired from another team
  5. : the act or process of picking up: as
  6. a revival of business activity
  7. acceleration
  8. the act or technique of making the acquaintance of a previously unknown person esp. for amorous purposes
  9. the conversion of mechanical movements into electrical impulses in the reproduction of sound
  10. a device (as on a phonograph) for making such conversion
  11. the reception of sound or an image into a radio or television transmitting apparatus for conversion into electrical signals
  12. a device (as a microphone or a television camera) for converting sound or the image of a scene into electrical signals
  13. a light truck having an enclosed cab and an open body with low sides and tailgate called also pickup truck
  14. a pickup game
    • playing pickup

pickup -adj

  1. utilizing or comprising local or available personnel esp. without formal organization
    • a pickup basketball game
    • a pickup band

pick up -vt

  1. to take hold of and lift up
  2. to gather together : collect
    • picked up all the pieces
  3. to clean up : tidy
  4. to take (passengers or freight) into a vehicle
  5. to acquire casually or by chance
    • picked up a valuable antique at an auction
  6. to acquire by study or experience : learn
    • picking up a great deal of knowledge in the process -- Robert Schleicher
  7. to obtain esp. by payment : buy
    • picked up some groceries
  8. to acquire (a player) esp. from another team through a trade or by financial recompense
  9. to accept for the purpose of paying
    • offered to pick up the tab
  10. to come down with : catch
    • picked up a cold
  11. gain, earn
    • picked up a few yards on the last play
    • picked up her first victory
  12. to enter informally into conversation or companionship with (a previously unknown person)
    • had a brief affair with a girl he picked up in a bar
  13. to take into custody
    • the police picked up the fugitive
  14. to catch sight of : perceive
    • picked up the harbor lights
  15. to come to and follow
    • picked up the outlaw's trail
  16. to bring within range of sight or hearing
    • pick up distant radio signals
  17. understand, catch
    • didn't pick up the hint
  18. revive
  19. increase
  20. to resume after a break : continue
    • pick up the discussion tomorrow
  21. to assume responsibility for guarding (an opponent) in an athletic contest
  22. to recover or increase speed, vigor, or activity : improve
    • after the strike, business picked up
    • the wind began to pick up
  23. to put things in order
    • was always picking up after her
  24. to pack up one's belongings
    • couldn't just pick up and leave

Pick·wick·ian [(,)pik-'wi-kē-ən] -adj

  1. marked by simplicity and generosity
  2. intended or taken in a sense other than the obvious or literal one

picky ['pi-kē] -adj

  1. fussy, choosy
    • a picky eater

pi·clo·ram ['pi-klə-,ram, 'pī-] -n

  1. a systemic herbicide C 6H 3Cl 3N 2O 2that is persistent in the soil

pic·nic ['pik-(,)nik] -n, adj

  1. an excursion or outing with food usu. provided by members of the group and eaten in the open
  2. the food provided for a picnic
  3. a pleasant or amusingly carefree experience
    • I don't expect being married to be a picnic -- Josephine Pinckney
  4. an easy task or feat
  5. a shoulder of pork with much of the butt removed

picnic -vi, n

  1. to go on a picnic : eat in picnic fashion

pico- -comb form

  1. one trillionth (10 12) part of
    • pico gram
  2. very small
    • pico rnavirus

pi·co·gram ['pē-kō-,gram, -kə-] -n

  1. one trillionth of a gram

pic·o·line ['pi-kə-,lēn, 'pī-] -n

  1. any of the three liquid isomeric pyridine derivatives C 6H 7N used chiefly as solvents and in organic synthesis

pi·co·mole ['pē-kō-,mōl, -kə-] -n

  1. one trillionth of a mole

pi·cor·na·vi·rus [(,)pē-,kȯr-nə-'vī-rəs] -n

  1. any of a family ( Picornaviridae) of small single-stranded RNA viruses that include the causative agents of encephalomyocarditis, hepatitis A, poliomyelitis, foot-and-mouth disease, and hand, foot and mouth disease

pi·co·sec·ond [,pē-kō-'se-kənd, -kənt] -n

  1. one trillionth of a second

pi·cot ['pē-(,)kō, pē-'] -n

  1. one of a series of small ornamental loops forming an edging on ribbon or lace

pic·o·tee [,pi-kə-'tē] -n

  1. a flower (as some carnations or tulips) having one basic color with a margin of another color

picr- -comb form

  1. bitter
    • picr ic acid

pic·ric acid ['pi-krik-] -n

  1. a toxic yellow crystalline phenol derivative C 6H 3N 3O 7structurally similar to TNT and used esp. as a high explosive and as a dye or mordant

pic·ro·tox·in [,pi-krō-'täk-sən] -n

  1. a poisonous bitter crystalline stimulant and convulsive substance C 30H 34O 13obtained from the berry of a southeast Asian vine ( Anamirta cocculus)and used intravenously as an antidote for barbiturate poisoning

Pict ['pikt] -n, adj or n

  1. a member of a people of the north of Scotland who are first noted in historical records in the late third century and who became amalgamated with the Scots in the mid-eighth century

pic·to·gram ['pik-tə-,gram] -n

  1. pictograph

pic·to·graph [-,graf] -n, adj

  1. an ancient or prehistoric drawing or painting on a rock wall
  2. one of the symbols belonging to a pictorial graphic system
  3. a diagram representing statistical data by pictorial forms

pic·tog·ra·phy [pik-'tä-grə-fē] -n

  1. use of pictographs : picture writing

pic·to·ri·al [pik-'tȯr-ē-əl] -adj, adv, n

  1. of or relating to a painter, a painting, or the painting or drawing of pictures
    • pictorial perspective
  2. of, relating to, or consisting of pictures
    • pictorial records
  3. illustrated by pictures
    • pictorial weekly
  4. consisting of or displaying the characteristics of pictographs
  5. suggesting or conveying visual images
    • pictorial poetry

pictorial -n

  1. a periodical having much pictorial matter

pic·to·ri·al·ism [-ē-ə-,li-zəm] -n, adj or n

  1. the use or creation of pictures or visual images
  2. a movement or technique in photography emphasizing artificial often romanticized pictorial qualities

pic·to·ri·al·ize [pik-'tȯr-ē-ə-,līz] -vt, n

  1. to represent by a picture or illustrate with pictures

pic·ture ['pik-chər] -n

  1. a design or representation made by various means (as painting, drawing, or photography)
  2. a description so vivid or graphic as to suggest a mental image or give an accurate idea of something
    • the book gives a detailed picture of what is happening
  3. a mental image
  4. image, copy
    • he was the picture of his father
    • she was the very picture of health
  5. a transitory visible image or reproduction
  6. motion picture
  7. movies
  8. tableau
  9. situation
    • took a hard look at his financial picture

picture ['pik-chə-riŋ, 'pik-shriŋ] -vt

  1. to paint or draw a representation, image, or visual conception of : depict
  2. illustrate
  3. to describe graphically in words
  4. to form a mental image of : imagine

picturebook -adj

  1. : suitable for or suggestive of a picture book: as
  2. picturesque
  3. picture-perfect

picture book -n

  1. a book that consists wholly or chiefly of pictures

picture hat -n

  1. a woman's dressy hat with a broad brim

pictureperfect -adj

  1. completely flawless : perfect
    • made a pictureperfect landing

pic·ture·phone ['pik-chər-,fōn] -n

  1. videophone

picturepostcard -adj

  1. picturesque
    • a picturepostcard village

picture puzzle -n

  1. jigsaw puzzle

pic·tur·esque [,pik-chə-'resk] -adj, adv, n

  1. resembling a picture : suggesting a painted scene
  2. charming or quaint in appearance
  3. evoking mental images : vivid

picture tube -n

  1. a cathode-ray tube on which the picture appears in a television

picture window -n

  1. an outsize usu. single-paned window designed to frame an exterior view

picture writing -n

  1. the recording of events or expression of messages by pictures representing actions or facts
  2. the record or message represented by picture writing

pic·tur·ize ['pik-chə-,rīz] -vt, n

  1. to make a picture of : present in pictures
  2. to make into a motion picture
    • picturize a novel

PID -abbr

  1. pelvic inflammatory disease

pid·dle ['pi-dᵊl] -vi

  1. dawdle, putter
  2. urinate

pid·dling ['pid-lən, -liŋ; 'pi-dᵊl-ən, -iŋ] -adj

  1. trivial, paltry

pid·dly ['pid-lē] -adj

  1. trivial, piddling

pid·dock ['pi-dək, -dik] -n

  1. a bivalve mollusk (family Pholadidae, esp. genera Pholasand Barnea) that bores holes in wood, clay, and rocks

pid·gin ['pi-jən] -n, vt

  1. a simplified speech used for communication between people with different languages

pidgin English -n

  1. an English-based pidgin
  2. one orig. used in parts of east Asia

pie ['pī] -n

  1. magpie
  2. a meat dish baked with biscuit or pastry crust
  3. a dessert consisting of a filling (as of fruit or custard) in a pastry shell or topped with pastry or both
  4. affair, business
    • she wanted her finger...in every possible social pie -- Mary Deasy
  5. a whole regarded as divisible into shares
    • giving the less fortunate...a larger share of the economic pie -- R. M. Hutchins

pie ['pī] -n

(variant of pi)

  1. the 16th letter of the Greek alphabet
  2. the symbol denoting the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter
  3. the ratio itself : a transcendental number having a value rounded to eight decimal places of 3.14159265
  4. type that is spilled or mixed
  5. a pi character or matrix
  6. to spill or throw (type or type matter) into disorder
  7. to become pied
  8. not intended to appear in final printing
    • pi lines
  9. capable of being inserted only by hand
    • pi characters

pie·bald ['pī-,bȯld] -adj

  1. composed of incongruous parts
  2. of different colors
  3. spotted or blotched with black and white

piebald -n

  1. a piebald animal (as a horse)

piece ['pēs] -n

  1. : a part of a whole: as
  2. fragment
    • piece s of broken glass
  3. any of the individual members comprising a unit often used in combination
    • a five- piece band
    • a three- piece suit
  4. portion, allocation
    • a piece of the jackpot
  5. an object or individual regarded as a unit of a kind or class
    • a piece of fruit
  6. a usu. unspecified distance
    • down the road a piece
  7. a standard quantity (as of length, weight, or size) in which something is made or sold
  8. a literary, journalistic, artistic, dramatic, or musical composition
  9. firearm
  10. coin
  11. token
  12. a movable object used in playing a board game
  13. a chessman other than a pawn
  14. opinion, view
    • spoke his piece
  15. an act of copulation
  16. the female partner in sexual intercourse
  17. instance, example
    • silly piece of nonsense
    • a nice piece of acting
  18. to repair, renew, or complete by adding pieces : patch
  19. to join into a whole often used with together
    • his new book...has been pieced together from talks -- Merle Miller

piece by piece -adv

  1. by degrees : piecemeal

piece de re·sis·tance [pē-,es-də-rə-,zē-'stän(t)s, -rā-, -'stäⁿs] -n

  1. the chief dish of a meal
  2. an outstanding item or event : showpiece

piecedye ['pēs-,dī] -vt

  1. to dye after weaving or knitting

piece goods -n pl

  1. cloth fabrics sold from the bolt at retail in lengths specified by the customer called also yard goods

piece·meal ['pēs-,mēl, -'mēl] -adv

  1. one piece at a time : gradually
  2. in pieces or fragments : apart

piecemeal -adj

  1. done, made, or accomplished piece by piece or in a fragmentary way
    • piecemeal reforms in the system

piece of cake

  1. something easily done : cinch, breeze

piece of eight

  1. an old Spanish peso of eight reals

piece of work

  1. a complicated, difficult, or eccentric person

piece·wise ['pēs-,wīz] -adv

  1. with respect to a number of discrete intervals, sets, or pieces
    • piecewise continuous functions

piece·work [-,wərk] -n

  1. work done by the piece and paid for at a set rate per unit

pie chart -n

  1. a circular chart cut by radii into segments illustrating relative magnitudes or frequencies called also circle graph

pie·crust ['pī-,krəst] -n

  1. the pastry shell of a pie

pied ['pīd] -adj

  1. of two or more colors in blotches
  2. wearing or having a parti-colored coat
    • a pied horse

pied ['pī] -n

(variant of pi)

  1. the 16th letter of the Greek alphabet
  2. the symbol denoting the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter
  3. the ratio itself : a transcendental number having a value rounded to eight decimal places of 3.14159265
  4. type that is spilled or mixed
  5. a pi character or matrix
  6. to spill or throw (type or type matter) into disorder
  7. to become pied
  8. not intended to appear in final printing
    • pi lines
  9. capable of being inserted only by hand
    • pi characters

piedaterre [pē-,ā-də-'ter, -,ā-dä-; ,pyā-dä-] -n

  1. a temporary or second lodging

pied·mont ['pēd-,mänt] -adj, n

  1. lying or formed at the base of mountains

pied piper -n

  1. one that offers strong but delusive enticement
  2. a leader who makes irresponsible promises
  3. a charismatic person who attracts followers

pieeyed ['pī-,īd] -adj

  1. intoxicated

piefaced [-,fāst] -adj

  1. having a round, smooth, or blank face

pie·hole ['pī-,hōl] -n

  1. mouth

pieing ['pī] -n

(variant of pi)

  1. the 16th letter of the Greek alphabet
  2. the symbol denoting the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter
  3. the ratio itself : a transcendental number having a value rounded to eight decimal places of 3.14159265
  4. type that is spilled or mixed
  5. a pi character or matrix
  6. to spill or throw (type or type matter) into disorder
  7. to become pied
  8. not intended to appear in final printing
    • pi lines
  9. capable of being inserted only by hand
    • pi characters

pie in the sky -adj

  1. an unrealistic enterprise or prospect of prosperity

pie·plant ['pī-,plant] -n

  1. garden rhubarb

pier ['pir] -n

  1. an intermediate support for the adjacent ends of two bridge spans
  2. a structure (as a breakwater) extending into navigable water for use as a landing place or promenade or to protect or form a harbor
  3. : a vertical structural support: as
  4. the wall between two openings
  5. pillar, pilaster
  6. a vertical member that supports the end of an arch or lintel
  7. an auxiliary mass of masonry used to stiffen a wall
  8. a structural mount (as for a telescope) usu. of stonework, concrete, or steel

pierce ['pirs] -vb, n

  1. to run into or through as a pointed weapon does : stab
  2. to enter or thrust into sharply or painfully
  3. to make a hole through : perforate
  4. to force or make a way into or through
  5. to penetrate with the eye or mind : discern
  6. to penetrate so as to move or touch the emotions of
  7. to force a way into or through something

pierced -adj

  1. having holes
  2. decorated with perforations
  3. having the flesh punctured for the attachment of a piece of jewelry
    • pierced ears
    • a pierced tongue
  4. designed for pierced ears
    • pierced earrings

piercing ['pir-siŋ-lē] -adj, adv

  1. : penetrating: as
  2. loud, shrill
    • piercing cries
  3. perceptive
    • piercing eyes
  4. penetratingly cold : biting
    • a piercing wind
  5. cutting, incisive
    • piercing sarcasm
  6. a piece of jewelry (as a ring or stud) that is attached to pierced flesh

pier glass -n

  1. a large high mirror
  2. one designed to occupy the wall space between windows called also pier mirror

Pi·eri·an [pī-'ir-ē-ən, -'er-] -adj

  1. of or relating to the region of Pieria in ancient Macedonia or to the Muses who were once worshipped there
  2. of or relating to learning or poetry

pie·ro·gi [pə-'rō-gē, pi-] -n

  1. a case of dough filled with a savory filling (as of meat, cheese, or vegetables) and cooked by boiling and then panfrying

Pier·rot ['pē-ə-,rō] -n

  1. a stock comic character of old French pantomime usu. having a whitened face and wearing loose white clothes

pier table -n

  1. a table to be placed under a pier glass

pies ['pī] -n

(variant of pi)

  1. the 16th letter of the Greek alphabet
  2. the symbol denoting the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter
  3. the ratio itself : a transcendental number having a value rounded to eight decimal places of 3.14159265
  4. type that is spilled or mixed
  5. a pi character or matrix
  6. to spill or throw (type or type matter) into disorder
  7. to become pied
  8. not intended to appear in final printing
    • pi lines
  9. capable of being inserted only by hand
    • pi characters

pie safe -n

  1. a cupboard whose doors have decoratively pierced tin panels for ventilation

pie·ta [,pē-(,)ā-'tä, pyā-] -n

  1. a representation of the Virgin Mary mourning over the dead body of Christ

pi·e·tism ['pī-ə-,ti-zəm] -n, adj or n

  1. a 17th century religious movement originating in Germany in reaction to formalism and intellectualism and stressing Bible study and personal religious experience
  2. emphasis on devotional experience and practices
  3. affectation of devotion

pi·e·tis·tic [,pī-ə-'tis-tik] -adj, adv

  1. of or relating to Pietism
  2. of or relating to religious devotion or devout persons
  3. marked by overly sentimental or emotional devotion to religion : religiose

pi·e·ty ['pī-ə-tē] -n

  1. : the quality or state of being pious: as
  2. fidelity to natural obligations (as to parents)
  3. dutifulness in religion : devoutness
  4. an act inspired by piety
  5. a conventional belief or standard : orthodoxy

piezo- -comb form

  1. pressure
    • piezo meter

pi·e·zo·elec·tric [pē-,ā-(,)zō-ə-'lek-trik, pē-,āt-(,)sō-] -adj, adv

  1. of, relating to, marked by, or functioning by means of piezoelectricity

pi·e·zo·elec·tric·i·ty [-,lek-'tri-s(ə-)tē] -n

  1. electricity or electric polarity due to pressure esp. in a crystalline substance (as quartz)

pi·e·zom·e·ter [,pē-ə-'zä-mə-tər, pē-,āt-'sä-] -n, adj

  1. an instrument for measuring pressure or compressibility
  2. one for measuring the change of pressure of a material subjected to hydrostatic pressure

pif·fle ['pi-fəl] -vi

  1. to talk or act in a trivial, inept, or ineffective way

piffle -n

  1. trivial nonsense
    • pseudo-scientific piffle

pif·fling ['pi-flən, -f(ə-)liŋ] -adj

  1. of little worth or importance : trivial

pig ['pig] -n, adj

  1. a young domesticated swine not yet sexually mature
  2. a wild or domestic swine
  3. an animal related to or resembling the pig
  4. pork
  5. the dressed carcass of a young swine weighing less than 130 pounds (60 kilograms)
  6. pigskin
  7. a dirty, gluttonous, or repulsive person
  8. a crude casting of metal (as iron)
  9. an immoral woman
  10. police officer
  11. farrow
  12. to live like a pig
    • pig it
  13. farrow

pig·boat ['pig-,bōt] -n

  1. submarine

pi·geon ['pi-jən] -n

  1. any of a widely distributed family (Columbidae, order Columbiformes) of birds with a stout body, rather short legs, and smooth and compact plumage
  2. a member of any of numerous varieties of the rock dove that exist in domestication and in the feral state in cities and towns throughout most of the world
  3. a young woman
  4. an easy mark : dupe
  5. clay pigeon

pigeon -n

  1. an object of special concern : accepted business or interest
    • tennis was not his pigeon

pigeon breast -n

  1. a deformity of the chest marked by sharp projection of the sternum

pigeon hawk -n

  1. merlin used for one of No. America

pi·geon·hole ['pi-jən-,hōl] -n

  1. a hole or small recess for pigeons to nest
  2. a small open compartment (as in a desk or cabinet) for keeping letters or documents
  3. a neat category which usu. fails to reflect actual complexities

pigeonhole [-,hō-lər] -vt, n

  1. to place in or as if in the pigeonhole of a desk
  2. to lay aside : shelve
    • his reports continued to be pigeonholed and his advice not taken -- Walter Mills
  3. to assign to an often restrictive category : classify

pi·geon·ite ['pi-jə-,nīt] -n

  1. a monoclinic mineral of the pyroxene group

pi·geonliv·ered ['pi-jən-,li-vərd] -adj

  1. gentle, mild

pigeon pea -n

  1. a leguminous shrubby herb ( Cajanus cajan) with trifoliate leaves, yellow flowers, and flattened pods that is much cultivated esp. in the tropics
  2. its small highly nutritious seed

pi·geontoed ['pi-jən-,tōd] -adj

  1. having the toes and forefoot turned inward

pi·geon·wing [-,wiŋ] -n

  1. a fancy dance step executed by jumping and striking the legs together

pig·fish ['pig-,fish] -n

  1. a saltwater grunt ( Orthopristis chrysoptera) that is a food fish found from Long Island, N.Y., southward

pig·gery ['pi-gə-rē] -n

  1. a place where swine are kept
  2. swinish behavior

pig·gin ['pi-gən] -n

  1. a small wooden pail with one stave extended upward as a handle

pig·gish ['pi-gish] -adj, adv, n

  1. of, relating to, or suggestive of a pig
    • a piggish snort
  2. having qualities associated with a pig

pig·gy ['pi-gē] -adj

  1. piggish

pig·gy·back ['pi-gē-,bak] -adv

  1. up on the back and shoulders
  2. on or as if on the back of another
  3. on a railroad flatcar

piggyback -n

  1. the act of carrying piggyback
  2. the movement of loaded truck trailers on railroad flatcars
  3. marked by being up on the shoulders and back
    • a child needs hugging, tussling, and piggyback rides -- Benjamin Spock
  4. : carried or transported piggyback: as
  5. of or relating to the hauling of truck trailers on railroad flatcars
  6. being or relating to something carried into space as an extra load by a vehicle (as a spacecraft)
  7. to carry up on the shoulders and back
  8. to haul (as a truck trailer) by railroad car
  9. to set up or cause to function in conjunction with something larger, more important, or already in existence or operation
  10. to function or be carried on or as if on the back of another

piggy bank -n

  1. a coin bank often in the shape of a pig

pig·head·ed ['pig-,he-dəd] -adj, adv, n

  1. willfully or perversely unyielding : obstinate

pig in a blanket -n

  1. a frankfurter served in a wrapper of baked dough

pig in a poke

  1. something offered in such a way as to obscure its real nature or worth
    • unwilling to buy a pig in a poke

pig iron -n

  1. crude iron that is the direct product of the blast furnace and is refined to produce steel, wrought iron, or ingot iron

pig latin -n

  1. a jargon that is made by systematic alteration of English (as ipskay the ointjayfor skip the joint)

pig·let ['pi-glət] -n

  1. a small usu. young swine

pig·ment ['pig-mənt] -n, adj

  1. a substance that imparts black or white or a color to other materials
  2. a powdered substance that is mixed with a liquid in which it is relatively insoluble and used esp. to impart color to coating materials (as paints) or to inks, plastics, and rubber
  3. a coloring matter in animals and plants esp. in a cell or tissue
  4. any of various related colorless substances
  5. to color with or as if with pigment

pig·men·ta·tion [,pig-mən-'tā-shən, -,men-] -n

  1. coloration with or deposition of pigment
  2. an excessive deposition of bodily pigment

pigmy ['pig-mē] -n, adj

(variant of pygmy)

  1. any of a race of dwarfs described by ancient Greek authors
  2. any of a small people of equatorial Africa ranging under five feet (1.5 meters) in height
  3. an unusually small person
  4. an insignificant or unimpressive person
    • an intellectual pygmy
  5. something very small of its kind

pi·gno·li [pēn-'yō-lē] -n

  1. pine nut

pig·nut ['pig-,nət] -n

  1. any of several bitter-flavored hickory nuts
  2. a hickory (as Carya glabraand C. cordiformis) bearing pignuts

pig out ['pig-,au̇t] -vi, n

  1. to eat greedily : gorge

pig·pen [-,pen] -n

  1. a pen for pigs
  2. a dirty slovenly place

pig·skin [-,skin] -n

  1. the skin of a swine or leather made of it
  2. a jockey's saddle
  3. football

pig·stick [-,stik] -vi, n

  1. to hunt the wild boar on horseback with a spear

pig·sty ['pig-,stī] -n

  1. pigpen

pig·tail [-,tāl] -n

  1. tobacco in small twisted strands or rolls
  2. a tight braid of hair

pig·tailed [-,tāld] -adj

  1. wearing a pigtail
    • pigtailed little girls

pig·weed [-,wēd] -n

  1. any of various vigorous weedy plants esp. of the goosefoot or amaranth families

piing ['pī] -n

(variant of pi)

  1. the 16th letter of the Greek alphabet
  2. the symbol denoting the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter
  3. the ratio itself : a transcendental number having a value rounded to eight decimal places of 3.14159265
  4. type that is spilled or mixed
  5. a pi character or matrix
  6. to spill or throw (type or type matter) into disorder
  7. to become pied
  8. not intended to appear in final printing
    • pi lines
  9. capable of being inserted only by hand
    • pi characters

PIK -abbr

  1. payment in kind

pi·ka ['pē-kə, 'pī-] -n

  1. any of various short-eared small lagomorph mammals (family Ochotonidae) of rocky uplands of Asia and western No. America with relatively short hind legs called also coney rock rabbit

pi·ka·ke ['pē-kä-,kā] -n

  1. an evergreen climbing jasmine ( Jasminum sambac) of Asia long cultivated for its profuse fragrant white flowers

pike ['pīk] -n, adj

  1. pikestaff
  2. a sharp point or spike
  3. the tip of a spear
  4. a mountain or hill having a peaked summit used esp. in place names
  5. a large elongate long-snouted freshwater bony fish ( Esox lucius) valued for food and sport and widely distributed in cooler parts of the northern hemisphere called also northern northern pike
  6. : any of various fishes (family Esocidae) related to the pike: as
  7. muskellunge
  8. pickerel
  9. any of various fishes resembling the pike in appearance or habits
  10. a heavy spear with a very long shaft used by infantry esp. in Europe from the Middle Ages to the 18th century
  11. to pierce, kill, or wound with a pike
  12. to leave abruptly
    • get lonely and sore, and pike out -- Sinclair Lewis
  13. to make one's way
    • pike along
  14. turnpike
  15. a railroad or railroad line or system
  16. a body position (as in diving) in which the hips are bent, the knees are straight, and the hands touch the toes or clasp the legs behind or just above the knees

pike·man ['pīk-mən] -n

  1. a soldier armed with a pike

pike·min·now ['pīk-,mi-(,)nō] -n

  1. squawfish

pike perch -n

  1. a fish (as the walleye) of the perch family that resembles the pike

pik·er ['pī-kər] -n

  1. one who gambles or speculates with small amounts of money
  2. one who does things in a small way
  3. tightwad, cheapskate

pike·staff ['pīk-,staf] -n

  1. a spiked staff for use on slippery ground
  2. the staff of a foot soldier's pike

pi·ki ['pē-kē] -n

  1. bread made esp. from blue cornmeal and baked in thin sheets by the Indians of the southwestern U.S.

pi·laf [pi-'läf, -'lȯf; 'pē-,] -n

  1. a dish made of seasoned rice and often meat

pi·las·ter [pi-'las-tər, 'pī-,las-] -n

  1. an upright architectural member that is rectangular in plan and is structurally a pier but architecturally treated as a column and that usu. projects a third of its width or less from the wall

Pi·la·tes [pə-'lä-tēz] -n

  1. an exercise regimen typically performed with the use of specialized apparatus

pil·chard ['pil-chərd] -n

  1. a fish ( Sardina pilchardus) of the herring family that occurs in great schools along the coasts of Europe
  2. any of several sardines related to the European pilchard

pile ['pī(-ə)l] -n

  1. a long slender column usu. of timber, steel, or reinforced concrete driven into the ground to carry a vertical load
  2. a wedge-shaped heraldic charge usu. placed vertically with the broad end up
  3. a target-shooting arrowhead without cutting edges
  4. an ancient Roman foot soldier's heavy javelin
  5. to drive piles into
  6. to lay or place in a pile : stack
  7. to heap in abundance : load
    • piled potatoes on his plate
  8. to collect little by little into a mass usu. used with up
  9. to form a pile or accumulation usu. used with up
  10. to move or press forward in or as if in a mass : crowd
    • piled into a car
  11. a quantity of things heaped together
  12. a heap of wood for burning a corpse or a sacrifice
  13. any great number or quantity : lot
  14. a large building or group of buildings
  15. a great amount of money : fortune
  16. reactor
  17. a coat or surface of usu. short close fine furry hairs
  18. a velvety surface produced by an extra set of filling yarns that form raised loops which are cut and sheared
  19. a single hemorrhoid
  20. hemorrhoids

pi·le·at·ed ['pī-lē-,ā-təd, 'pi-] -adj

  1. having a crest covering the pileum

pileated woodpecker -n

  1. a large red-crested No. American woodpecker ( Dryocopus pileatus) that is black with white on the face, neck, and undersides of the wings

piled -adj

  1. having a pile
    • a deep- piled rug

pile driver -n

  1. a machine for driving down piles with a drop hammer or a steam or air hammer

pi·le·um ['pī-lē-əm] -n

  1. the top of the head of a bird from the bill to the nape

pile·up ['pī(-ə)l-,əp] -n

  1. a collision involving usu. several motor vehicles
  2. a jammed tangled mass or pile (as of motor vehicles or people) resulting from collision or accumulation
  3. accumulation

pi·le·us ['pī-lē-əs] -n

  1. a pointed or close-fitting cap worn by ancient Romans
  2. the convex, concave, or flattened spore-bearing structure of some basidiomycetes that is attached superiorly to the stem and typically is expanded with gills or pores on the underside called also cap

pile·wort ['pī(-ə)l-,wərt, -,wȯrt] -n

  1. lesser celandine

pil·fer ['pil-fər] -vb, adj, n

  1. steal
  2. to steal stealthily in small amounts and often again and again
  3. steal
  4. to steal in small quantities

pil·gar·lic [pil-'gär-lik] -n

  1. a bald head
  2. a bald-headed man
  3. a man looked upon with humorous contempt or mock pity

pil·grim ['pil-grəm] -n

  1. one who journeys in foreign lands : wayfarer
  2. one who travels to a shrine or holy place as a devotee
  3. one of the English colonists settling at Plymouth in 1620

pil·grim·age ['pil-grə-mij] -n

  1. a journey of a pilgrim
  2. one to a shrine or a sacred place
  3. the course of life on earth

pilgrimage -vi

  1. to go on a pilgrimage

pilgrim bottle -n

  1. costrel

piling -n

  1. a structure of piles
  2. pile

Pi·li·pi·no [,pi-lə-'pē-(,)nō, ,pē-] -n

  1. Filipino

pill ['pil] -vb

  1. to come off in flakes or scales : peel
  2. to subject to depredation or extortion
  3. to peel or strip off
  4. a usu. medicinal or dietary preparation in a small rounded mass to be swallowed whole
  5. birth control pill usu. used with the
  6. something repugnant or unpleasant that must be accepted or endured
  7. something resembling a pill in size or shape
  8. a disagreeable or tiresome person
  9. to dose with pills
  10. blackball
  11. to become rough with or mat into little balls
    • brushed woolens often pill

pil·lage ['pi-lij] -n

  1. the act of looting or plundering esp. in war
  2. something taken as booty

pillage -vb, n

  1. to plunder ruthlessly : loot
  2. to take booty

pil·lar ['pi-lər] -n, adj

  1. a firm upright support for a superstructure : post
  2. a usu. ornamental column or shaft
  3. one standing alone for a monument
  4. a supporting, integral, or upstanding member or part
    • a pillar of society
  5. a fundamental precept
    • the five pillar s of Islam
  6. a solid mass of coal, rock, or ore left standing to support a mine roof
  7. a body part that resembles a column

pillar -vt

  1. to provide or strengthen with or as if with pillars

pil·larbox ['pi-lər-,bäks] -n

  1. a pillar-shaped mailbox

pill·box ['pil-,bäks] -n

  1. a box for pills
  2. a shallow round box of pasteboard
  3. a small low concrete emplacement for machine guns and antitank weapons
  4. a small round hat without a brim
  5. a woman's shallow hat with a flat crown and straight sides

pill bug -n

  1. wood louse
  2. a wood louse capable of curling itself into a ball

pil·lion ['pil-yən] -n

  1. a light saddle for women consisting chiefly of a cushion
  2. a pad or cushion put on behind a man's saddle chiefly for a woman to ride on
  3. a motorcycle or bicycle saddle for a passenger

pillion -adv

  1. on or as if on a pillion
    • ride pillion

pil·lo·ry ['pi-lə-rē, 'pil-rē] -n

  1. a device formerly used for publicly punishing offenders consisting of a wooden frame with holes in which the head and hands can be locked
  2. a means for exposing one to public scorn or ridicule

pillory -vt

  1. to set in a pillory as punishment
  2. to expose to public contempt, ridicule, or scorn

pil·low ['pi-(,)lō] -n, adj

  1. a support for the head of a reclining person
  2. one consisting of a cloth bag filled with feathers, down, sponge rubber, or plastic fiber
  3. something resembling a pillow esp. in form
  4. a cushion or pad tightly stuffed and used as a support for the design and tools in making lace with a bobbin

pillow -vt

  1. to rest or lay on or as if on a pillow
  2. to serve as a pillow for
  3. to lay or rest one's head on or as if on a pillow

pillow block -n

  1. a block or standard to support a journal (as of a shaft) : bearing

pil·low·case ['pi-lə-,kās, -lō-] -n

  1. a removable covering for a pillow

pillow lace -n

  1. lace made with a bobbin

pillow slip -n

  1. pillowcase

pillow talk -n

  1. intimate conversation between lovers in bed

pi·lo·car·pine [,pī-lə-'kär-,pēn] -n

  1. a miotic alkaloid C 11H 16N 2O 2obtained from jaborandi that is used chiefly in the form of its hydrochloride or nitrate esp. in the treatment of glaucoma

pi·lo·ni·dal [,pī-lə-'nī-dᵊl] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or being a hair-containing cyst of the skin in the lower-back region near the upper crease of the buttocks

pi·lose ['pī-,lōs] -adj, n

  1. covered with usu. soft hair

pi·lot ['pī-lət] -n, adj

  1. one employed to steer a ship : helmsman
  2. a person who is qualified and usu. licensed to conduct a ship into and out of a port or in specified waters
  3. a person who flies or is qualified to fly an aircraft or spacecraft
  4. guide, leader
  5. cowcatcher
  6. a piece that guides a tool or machine part
  7. a television show produced and filmed or taped as a sample of a proposed series
  8. pilot light

pilot -vt

  1. to act as a guide to : lead or conduct over a usu. difficult course
  2. to set and conn the course of
    • pilot a ship
  3. to act as pilot of
    • pilot a plane
  4. serving as a guiding or tracing device, an activating or auxiliary unit, or a trial apparatus or operation
    • a pilot study

pi·lot·age ['pī-lə-tij] -n

  1. the action or business of piloting
  2. the compensation paid to a licensed ship's pilot

pilot biscuit -n

  1. hardtack called also pilot bread

pilot engine -n

  1. a locomotive going in advance of a train to make sure that the way is clear

pilot fish -n

  1. a pelagic carangid fish ( Naucrates ductor) that has dark stripes and often swims in company with a shark

pi·lot·house ['pī-lət-,hau̇s] -n

  1. a deckhouse for a ship's helmsman containing the steering wheel, compass, and navigating equipment

pilot light -n

  1. an indicator light showing where a switch or circuit breaker is located or whether a motor is in operation or power is on called also pilot lamp
  2. a small permanent flame used to ignite gas at a burner

pilot officer -n

  1. a commissioned officer in the British air force who ranks with a second lieutenant in the army

pilot whale -n

  1. either of two chiefly black medium-sized toothed whales ( Globicephala melaenasyn. G. melasand G. macrorhynchus) called also blackfish

pil·sner ['pils-nər, 'pilz-, 'pil-zə-] -n

  1. a light beer with a strong flavor of hops
  2. a tall slender footed glass for beer

Pilt·down man ['pilt-,dau̇n-] -n

  1. a supposedly very early hominid erroneously reconstructed from a combination of human and animal skeletal remains the latter of which were later found to have been planted by a hoaxer

pil·u·lar ['pil-yə-lər] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or resembling a pill

pil·ule ['pil-(,)yül] -n

  1. a little pill

pi·lus ['pī-ləs] -n

  1. a hair or a structure (as on the surface of a bacterial cell) resembling a hair

Pi·ma ['pē-mə] -n, adj

  1. a member of an American Indian people of southern Arizona and northern Mexico
  2. o'odham

pi·ma cotton ['pē-mə-, 'pi-] -n

  1. a cotton that produces fiber of exceptional strength and firmness and that was developed in the southwestern U.S. by selection and breeding of Egyptian cottons

pi·men·to [pə-'men-(,)tō] -n

  1. allspice
  2. pimiento

pimento cheese -n

  1. a Neufchatel, process, cream, or occas. cheddar cheese to which ground pimientos have been added

pime·son ['pī-'me-,zän, -'mā-, -'mē-, -,sän] -n

  1. pion

pi·mien·to [pə-'men-(,)tō, pəm-'yen-] -n

  1. any of various bluntly conical thick-fleshed sweet peppers of European origin that have a distinctive mild sweet flavor and are used esp. as a garnish, as a stuffing for olives, and as a source of paprika
  2. a plant that bears pimientos

pimp ['pimp] -n

  1. a man who solicits clients for a prostitute
  2. to work as a pimp
  3. to make use of often dishonorably for one's own gain or benefit

pim·per·nel ['pim-pər-,nel, -pər-nəl] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Anagallis) of herbs of the primrose family
  2. scarlet pimpernel

pimp·ing ['pim-pən, -piŋ] -adj

  1. petty, insignificant
  2. puny, sickly

pim·ple ['pim-pəl] -n, adj

  1. a small inflamed elevation of the skin : papule
  2. pustule
  3. a swelling or protuberance like a pimple

pimp·mo·bile ['pimp-mō-,bēl, -mə-] -n

  1. an ostentatious luxury car of a kind characteristically used by a pimp

pin ['pin] -n

  1. a piece of solid material (as wood or metal) used esp. for fastening things together or as a support by which one thing may be suspended from another
  2. the center peg of a target
  3. the center itself
  4. something that resembles a pin esp. in slender elongated form
    • an electrical connector pin
  5. one of the pieces constituting the target in various games (as bowling)
  6. the peg at which a quoit is pitched
  7. the staff of the flag marking a hole on a golf course
  8. a peg for regulating the tension of the strings of a musical instrument
  9. the part of a key stem that enters a lock
  10. a belaying pin
  11. a very thin small pointed metal pin with a head used esp. for fastening cloth
  12. little, trifle
    • bother them all! I don't care a pin about them -- Bram Stoker
  13. an ornament or emblem fastened to clothing with a pin
  14. bobby pin
  15. hairpin
  16. safety pin
  17. leg usu. used in pl.
    • wobbly on his pin s
  18. a fall in wrestling
  19. to fasten, join, or secure with a pin
  20. to hold fast or immobile
  21. to present (a young woman) with a fraternity pin as a pledge of affection
  22. fasten
    • pinned his hopes on a miracle
    • pin the blame on someone else
  23. to assign the blame or responsibility for
    • pin the robbery on a night watchman
  24. to define or determine clearly or precisely usu. used with down
    • it is hard to pin down exactly when things changed -- Katharine Whittemore
  25. to make (a chess opponent's piece) unable to move without exposing the king to check or a valuable piece to capture
  26. to secure a fall over (an opponent)
  27. of or relating to a pin
  28. having a grain suggesting the heads of pins

PIN -abbr

  1. personal identification number

pi·a cloth ['pēn-yə-] -n

  1. a lustrous transparent cloth of Philippine origin that is woven of silky pineapple fibers

pi·a co·la·da ['pēn-yə-kō-'lä-də, 'pē-nə-] -n

  1. a tall drink made of rum, cream of coconut, and pineapple juice mixed with ice

pin·a·fore ['pi-nə-,fȯr] -n, adj

  1. a sleeveless usu. low-necked garment fastened in the back and worn as an apron or dress

pi·a·ta [pēn-'yä-tə] -n

  1. a decorated vessel (as of papier-mache) filled with candies, fruits, and gifts and hung up to be broken with sticks by blindfolded persons as part of esp. Latin-American festivities (as at Christmas or for a birthday party)

pin·ball ['pin-,bȯl] -vi

  1. to move abruptly from one place to another

pinball machine -n

  1. an amusement device in which a ball propelled by a plunger scores points as it rolls down a slanting surface among pins and targets called also pinball game

pin·bone ['pin-,bōn] -n

  1. the hipbone esp. of a quadruped

pincenez [paⁿs-'nā, pan(t)s-] -n

  1. eyeglasses clipped to the nose by a spring

pin·cer ['pin(t)-sər, esp for 1 US often 'pin-chər] -n, adj

  1. an instrument having two short handles and two grasping jaws working on a pivot and used for gripping things
  2. a claw (as of a lobster) resembling a pair of pincers : chela
  3. pincer movement

pincer movement -n

  1. a military attack by two coordinated forces that close in on an enemy position from different directions
  2. a combination of two forces acting against an opposing force

pinch ['pinch] -vb

  1. to squeeze between the finger and thumb or between the jaws of an instrument
  2. to prune the tip of (a plant or shoot) usu. to induce branching
  3. to squeeze or compress painfully
  4. to cause physical or mental pain to
  5. to cause to appear thin, haggard, or shrunken
  6. to cause to shrivel or wither
  7. to subject to strict economy or want : straiten
  8. to restrain or limit narrowly : constrict
  9. steal
  10. arrest
  11. to sail too close to the wind
  12. compress, squeeze
  13. to be miserly or closefisted
  14. to press painfully
  15. narrow, taper
    • the road pinch ed down to a trail -- Cecelia Holland
  16. a critical juncture : emergency
  17. pressure, stress
  18. hardship, privation
  19. deficit
  20. an act of pinching : squeeze
  21. as much as may be taken between the finger and thumb
    • a pinch of snuff
  22. a very small amount
  23. a marked thinning of a vein or bed
  24. theft
  25. a police raid
  26. arrest
  27. substitute
    • pinch runner
  28. hit by a pinch hitter
    • a pinch homer

pinch bar -n

  1. a bar similar in form and use to a crowbar and sometimes having an end adapted for pulling spikes or inserting under a heavy wheel that is to be rolled

pinch·beck ['pinch-,bek] -n, adj

  1. an alloy of copper and zinc used esp. to imitate gold in jewelry
  2. something counterfeit or spurious

pinch·er ['pin-chər] -n

  1. one that pinches
  2. pincers

pinchhit ['pinch-'hit, ,pinch-] -vi

  1. to act or serve in place of another
  2. to bat in the place of another player esp. when a hit is particularly needed

pinch hit -n

  1. a hit made by a pinch hitter

pinch hitter -n

  1. one that pinch-hits

pinch·pen·ny ['pinch-,pe-nē] -adj

  1. stingy, niggardly

pin curl -n

  1. a curl made usu. by dampening a strand of hair with water or lotion, coiling it, and securing it by a hairpin or clip

pin·cush·ion ['pin-,ku̇-shən] -n

  1. a small cushion in which pins may be stuck ready for use

pincushion flower -n

  1. any of several scabiouses (esp. Scabiosa atropurpurea, S. caucasica,or S. columbaria)

Pin·dar·ic [pin-'da-rik] -adj

  1. of or relating to the poet Pindar
  2. written in the manner or style characteristic of Pindar

Pindaric -n

  1. a Pindaric ode
  2. loose irregular verses similar to those used in Pindaric odes

pine ['pīn] -n, adj

  1. any of a genus ( Pinusof the family Pinaceae, the pine family) of coniferous evergreen trees that have slender elongated needles and include some valuable timber trees and ornamentals
  2. the straight-grained white or yellow usu. durable and resinous wood of a pine varying from extreme softness in the white pine to hardness in the longleaf pine
  3. any of various Australian coniferous trees (as of the genera Callitrisor Araucaria)
  4. pineapple
  5. bench
  6. to lose vigor, health, or flesh (as through grief) : languish
  7. to yearn intensely and persistently esp. for something unattainable
    • they still pined for their lost wealth

pi·ne·al ['pī-nē-əl, pī-'] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or secreted by the pineal gland
    • a pineal tumor
    • the pineal hormone melatonin

pi·ne·al·ec·to·my [,pī-nē-ə-'lek-tə-mē, pī-,nē-] -n, vt

  1. surgical removal of the pineal gland

pineal gland -n

  1. a small usu. conical appendage of the brain of all craniate vertebrates that functions primarily as an endocrine gland secreting melatonin and that in a few reptiles has the essential structure of an eye called also pineal pineal body pineal organ

pine·ap·ple ['pī-,na-pəl] -n

  1. a tropical monocotyledonous plant ( Ananas comosusof the family Bromeliaceae, the pineapple family) that has rigid spiny-margined recurved leaves and a short stalk with a dense oblong head of small abortive flowers
  2. the large edible multiple fruit of the pineapple that consists of the sweet succulent fleshy inflorescence
  3. a hand grenade

pineapple guava -n

  1. feijoa

pineapple sage -n

  1. a Mexican salvia ( Salvia eleganssyn. S. rutilans) having a scent of pineapple that is cultivated as an annual

pine·cone ['pīn-,kōn] -n

  1. a cone of a pine tree

pine·drops ['pīn-,dräps] -n pl but sing or pl in constr

  1. a purplish-brown leafless saprophytic plant ( Pterospora andromedea) of the wintergreen family with racemose drooping white flowers
  2. beechdrops

pine·land ['pīn-,land, -lənd] -n

  1. land naturally dominated by pine forests

pine marten -n

  1. an American marten ( Martes americana) found mainly in coniferous forests
  2. a Eurasian marten ( Martes martes)

pi·nene ['pī-,nēn] -n

  1. either of two liquid isomeric unsaturated bicyclic terpene hydrocarbons C 10H 16of which one is a major constituent of wood turpentine

pine nut -n

  1. the edible seed of any of several pines

pin·ery ['pī-nə-rē, 'pīn-rē] -n

  1. a hothouse or area where pineapples are grown
  2. a grove or forest of pine

pine·sap ['pīn-,sap] -n

  1. any of several yellowish or reddish parasitic or saprophytic herbs (genus Monotropa) of the wintergreen family resembling the Indian pipe

pine siskin -n

  1. a No. American finch ( Carduelis pinusof the family Fringillidae) with streaked plumage

pine snake -n

  1. a large constricting colubrid snake ( Pituophis melanoleucus) that is typically white and black and occurs esp. in coastal regions of eastern No. America from New Jersey southward into Mexico

pine tar -n

  1. tar obtained by destructive distillation of pinewood and used esp. in roofing and soaps and in the treatment of skin diseases

pi·ne·tum [pī-'nē-təm] -n

  1. a plantation of pine trees
  2. a scientific collection of living coniferous trees

pine·wood ['pīn-,wu̇d] -n

  1. the wood of the pine tree
  2. a wood of pines often used in pl. but sing. or pl. in constr.

piney woods -n pl

  1. woodland of the southern U.S. in which pines are the dominant tree

pin·feath·er ['pin-,fe-thər] -n

  1. a feather not fully developed
  2. a feather just emerging through the skin

pin·fish [-,fish] -n

  1. a small compressed dark green grunt ( Lagodon rhomboides) that has sharp dorsal spines and occurs along the Atlantic coast

pin·fold [-,fōld] -n

  1. pound
  2. a place of restraint

ping ['piŋ] -n

  1. a sharp sound like that of a striking bullet
  2. knock
  3. to make a ping
  4. to ricochet with a ping
    • gravel ping ing off...the car -- Margaret Atwood
  5. to cause to ping
    • ping a bell

ping·er ['piŋ-ər] -n

  1. a device for producing pulses of sound (as for marking an underwater site or detecting an underwater object)

pin·go ['piŋ-(,)gō] -n

  1. a low hill or mound forced up by hydrostatic pressure in an area underlain by permafrost

pingpong ['piŋ-,päŋ, -,pȯŋ] -vb

  1. shift, bounce
  2. something resembling a game of table tennis
  3. a series of usu. verbal exchanges between two parties
    • a pingpong of absurdist dialogue -- Lawrence O'Toole

PingPong ['piŋ-,päŋ, -,pȯŋ] -trademark

  1. used for table tennis

pin·head ['pin-,hed] -n

  1. the head of a pin
  2. something very small or insignificant
  3. a very dull or stupid person : fool

pin·head·ed [-,he-dəd] -adj, n

  1. dull, stupid

pin·hole [-,hōl] -n

  1. a small hole made by, for, or as if by a pin

pin·ion ['pin-yən] -n, adj

  1. the terminal section of a bird's wing including the carpus, metacarpus, and phalanges
  2. wing
  3. feather, quill
  4. flight feathers

pinion -vt

  1. to disable or restrain by binding the arms
  2. to bind fast : shackle
  3. to restrain (a bird) from flight esp. by cutting off the pinion of one wing
  4. a gear with a small number of teeth designed to mesh with a larger wheel or rack
  5. the smaller of a pair or the smallest of a train of gear wheels

pink ['piŋk] -n

  1. a ship with a narrow overhanging stern called also pinkie
  2. any of a genus ( Dianthusof the family Caryophyllaceae, the pink family) of chiefly Eurasian herbs having usu. pink, red, or white flowers
  3. the very embodiment : paragon
  4. one dressed in the height of fashion
  5. elite
  6. highest degree possible : height
    • keep their house in the pink of repair -- Rebecca West
  7. any of a group of colors bluish red to red in hue, of medium to high lightness, and of low to moderate saturation
  8. the scarlet color of a fox hunter's coat
  9. a fox hunter's coat of this color
  10. pink-colored clothing
  11. light-colored trousers formerly worn by army officers
  12. pinko
  13. of the color pink
  14. holding moderately radical and usu. socialistic political or economic views
  15. emotionally moved : excited often used as an intensive
    • tickled pink
  16. to perforate in an ornamental pattern
  17. to cut a saw-toothed edge on
  18. pierce, stab
  19. to wound by irony, criticism, or ridicule

pink bollworm -n

  1. a small dark brown moth ( Pectinophora gossypiella) whose pinkish larva bores into the flowers and bolls of cotton and is a destructive pest in most cotton-growing regions

pinkcollar -adj

  1. of, relating to, or constituting a class of employees in occupations (as nursing and clerical jobs) traditionally held by women

pink elephants -n pl

  1. hallucinations arising esp. from heavy drinking or use of narcotics
    • began to see pink elephants

pink·eye ['piŋk-,ī] -n

  1. an acute highly contagious conjunctivitis of humans and various domestic animals

pin·kie ['piŋ-kē] -n

  1. pink

pinkie ['piŋ-kē] -n

  1. little finger

pinking shears -n pl

  1. shears with a saw-toothed inner edge on the blades for making a zigzag cut

pink·ish ['piŋ-kish] -adj, n

  1. somewhat pink
  2. tending to be pink in politics

pink lady -n

  1. a cocktail consisting of gin, brandy, lemon juice, grenadine, and white of egg shaken with ice and strained

pink·ly ['piŋ-klē] -adv

  1. in a pink manner : with a pink hue

pink noise -n

  1. a mixture of sound waves with an intensity that diminishes proportionally with frequency to yield approximately equal energy per octave

pinko ['piŋ-(,)kō] -n

  1. a person who holds advanced liberal or moderately radical political or economic views

pink·root ['piŋk-,rüt, -,ru̇t] -n

  1. any of several American plants (genus Spigelia) related to the nux vomica and used as anthelmintics
  2. a U.S. woodland herb ( S. marilandica) sometimes cultivated for its showy red and yellow flowers

pink salmon -n

  1. a small spotted Pacific salmon ( Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) native to the northern Pacific Ocean and adjacent rivers

pink sheet -n

  1. a daily listing of over-the-counter stocks and their prices
  2. any of a group of lightly traded over-the-counter stocks

pink slip -n, vt

  1. a notice from an employer that a recipient's employment is being terminated

pin money -n

  1. money given by a man to his wife for her own use
  2. money set aside for the purchase of incidentals
  3. a trivial amount of money
    • worked for pin money

pin·na ['pi-nə] -n

  1. a projecting body part (as a feather, wing, or fin)
  2. the largely cartilaginous projecting portion of the external ear
  3. a leaflet or primary division of a pinnate leaf or frond

pin·nace ['pi-nəs] -n

  1. a light sailing ship
  2. one used as a tender
  3. any of various ship's boats

pin·na·cle ['pi-ni-kəl] -n

  1. an upright architectural member generally ending in a small spire and used esp. in Gothic construction to give weight esp. to a buttress
  2. a structure or formation suggesting a pinnacle
  3. a lofty peak
  4. the highest point of development or achievement : acme

pinnacle [-k(ə-)liŋ] -vt

  1. to surmount with a pinnacle
  2. to raise or rear on a pinnacle

pin·nate ['pi-,nāt] -adj, adv

  1. resembling a feather esp. in having similar parts arranged on opposite sides of an axis like the barbs on the rachis of a feather
    • a pinnate leaf

pin·nat·i·fid [pə-'na-tə-fəd, -,fid] -adj

  1. cleft in a pinnate manner
    • a pinnatifid leaf

pin·ner ['pi-nər] -n

  1. a woman's cap with long lappets worn in the 17th and 18th centuries
  2. one that pins

pin·ni·ped ['pi-nə-,ped] -n, adj

  1. any of an order or suborder (Pinnipedia) of aquatic carnivorous mammals (as a seal or walrus) with all four limbs modified into flippers

pin·nule ['pin-(,)yül] -n

  1. any of the secondary branches of a plumose organ esp. of a crinoid
  2. one of the ultimate divisions of a twice pinnate leaf

pin·ny ['pi-nē] -n

  1. pinafore

pin oak -n

  1. a pyramidally crowned deciduous oak ( Quercus palustris) esp. of wet regions of the eastern U.S. that has deeply cleft toothed leaves and rather small nearly hemispherical acorns

pi·noch·le ['pē-,nə-kəl] -n

  1. a card game played with a 48-card pack containing two each of A, K, Q, J, 10, 9 in each suit with the object to score points by melding certain combinations of cards or by winning tricks that contain scoring cards
  2. the meld of queen of spades and jack of diamonds scoring 40 points in this game

pi·no·cy·to·sis [,pi-nə-sə-'tō-səs, ,pī-, -,sī-] -n, adj, adv

  1. the uptake of fluid and dissolved substances by a cell by invagination and pinching off of the cell membrane

pi·no·le [pi-'nō-lē] -n

  1. a finely ground flour made from parched corn
  2. any of various flours resembling pinole and ground from the seeds of other plants

pi·on ['pin-,yōn, -,yän, -yən; pin-'yōn] -n

  1. any of various small pines (as Pinus quadrifolia, P. cembroides, P. edulis,and P. monophylla) of western No. America with edible seeds
  2. the edible seed of a pion

pi·not blanc ['pē-(,)nō-'bläⁿ, pē-'nō-] -n

  1. a dry white wine similar to chardonnay

pinot gri·gio [-'grē-j(ē-)ō, -zh(ē-)ō] -n

  1. a dry white wine that is produced in Italy

pinot noir [-'nwär] -n

  1. a dry red wine produced from the same grape as French burgundy

pin·point ['pin-,pȯint] -n

  1. something that is extremely small or insignificant
  2. the point of a pin
  3. an extremely small or sharp point

pinpoint -adj

  1. extremely fine or precise
  2. located, fixed, or directed with extreme precision
    • pinpoint targets
  3. small as a pinpoint
  4. to locate or aim with great precision or accuracy
    • pinpoint a source
  5. to fix, determine, or identify with precision
    • pinpoint the cause
  6. to cause to stand out conspicuously : highlight

pin·prick ['pin-,prik] -n

  1. a small puncture made by or as if by a pin
  2. a petty irritation or annoyance

pinprick -vt

  1. to administer pinpricks to
  2. to administer pinpricks

PINS -abbr

  1. persons in need of supervision

pins and needles -n pl

  1. a pricking tingling sensation in a limb growing numb or recovering from numbness

pin·set·ter ['pin-,se-tər] -n

  1. an employee or a mechanical device that spots pins in a bowling alley

pin·spot·ter [-,spä-tər] -n

  1. pinsetter

pin·stripe [-,strīp] -n, adj

  1. a very thin stripe esp. on a fabric
  2. a suit with such stripes often used in pl.

pint ['pīnt] -n

  1. a pint pot or vessel

pin·ta ['pin-tə, -,tä] -n

  1. a chronic skin disease that is endemic in tropical America, that occurs successively as an initial papule, a generalized eruption, and a patchy loss of pigment, and that is caused by a treponemal spirochete ( Treponema careteum) morphologically indistinguishable from the causative agent of syphilis

pinta ['pīn-tə] -n

  1. a pint of milk

pinta·ble ['pin-,tā-bəl] -n

  1. pinball machine

pin·tail ['pin-,tāl] -n

  1. a bird having elongated central tail feathers
  2. a slender duck ( Anas acuta) of the northern hemisphere with the male having a brown head, a white breast with a white line continuing up the side of the neck, and chiefly gray upperparts

pin·tle ['pin-tᵊl] -n

  1. a usu. upright pivot pin on which another part turns

pin·to ['pin-(,)tō] -n

  1. a horse or pony of various breeding that is marked with patches of white and another color

pinto -adj

  1. pied, mottled

pinto bean -n

  1. a mottled kidney bean that is grown for food and for stock feed

pintsize ['pīnt-,sīz] -adj

  1. small

pin·up ['pin-,əp] -n

  1. : something fastened to a wall: as
  2. a photograph or poster of a person considered to have glamorous qualities
  3. something (as a lamp) designed for wall attachment

pinup -adj

  1. of or relating to pinups
    • male pinup calendars
  2. designed for hanging on a wall
    • a pinup lamp

pinup girl -n

  1. a girl or woman whose glamorous qualities make her a suitable subject for a pinup

pin·wale ['pin-,wāl] -adj

  1. made with narrow wales

pin·weed [-,wēd] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Lechea) of herbs of the rockrose family with slender stems, many small leaves, and tiny flowers

pin·wheel [-,hwēl, -,wēl] -n

  1. a fireworks device in the form of a revolving wheel of colored fire
  2. a toy consisting of lightweight vanes that revolve at the end of a stick
  3. something (as a galaxy) shaped like a pinwheel

pinwheel -vi

  1. to move like a pinwheel

pin·worm [-,wərm] -n

  1. any of numerous small nematode worms (family Oxyuridae) that infest the intestines and esp. the cecum of various vertebrates
  2. a worm ( Enterobius vermicularis) parasitic in humans
  3. any of several rather slender insect larvae that burrow in plant tissue

pinx -abbr

  1. he painted it; she painted it

pinx·ter flower ['piŋ(k)-stər-] -n

  1. a deciduous pink-flowered azalea ( Rhododendron periclymenoidessyn. R. nudiflorum) native to rich moist woodlands of eastern No. America

pin·yin ['pin-'yin] -n

  1. a system for romanizing Chinese ideograms in which tones are indicated by diacritics and unaspirated consonants are transcribed as voiced

pinyon ['pin-,yōn, -,yän, -yən; pin-'yōn] -n

(variant of pion)

  1. any of various small pines (as Pinus quadrifolia, P. cembroides, P. edulis,and P. monophylla) of western No. America with edible seeds
  2. the edible seed of a pion

pi·on ['pī-,än] -n, adj

  1. a meson that is a combination of up and down quarks and antiquarks, that may be positive, negative, or neutral, and that has a mass about 270 times that of the electron

pi·o·neer [,pī-ə-'nir] -n

  1. a member of a military unit usu. of construction engineers
  2. a person or group that originates or helps open up a new line of thought or activity or a new method or technical development
  3. one of the first to settle in a territory
  4. a plant or animal capable of establishing itself in a bare, barren, or open area and initiating an ecological cycle

pioneer -vi

  1. to act as a pioneer
    • pioneer ed in the development of airplanes
  2. to open or prepare for others to follow
  3. settle
  4. to originate or take part in the development of
  5. original, earliest
  6. relating to or being a pioneer
  7. of, relating to, or characteristic of early settlers or their time

pi·ous ['pī-əs] -adj, adv, n

  1. marked by or showing reverence for deity and devotion to divine worship
  2. marked by conspicuous religiosity
    • a hypocrite-a thing all pious words and uncharitable deeds -- Charles Reade
  3. sacred or devotional as distinct from the profane or secular : religious
    • a pious opinion
  4. showing loyal reverence for a person or thing : dutiful
  5. marked by sham or hypocrisy
  6. marked by self-conscious virtue : virtuous
  7. deserving commendation : worthy
    • a pious effort

pip ['pip] -n

  1. a disorder of a bird marked by formation of a scale or crust on the tongue
  2. the scale or crust of this disorder
  3. any of various human ailments
  4. a slight nonspecific disorder
  5. a feeling of irritation or annoyance
  6. peep
  7. to break through the shell of the egg
    • the chick pipped
  8. to break open (the shell of an egg) in hatching
  9. one of the dots used on dice and dominoes to indicate numerical value
  10. spot
  11. spot, speck
  12. spike
  13. blip
  14. an individual rootstock of the lily of the valley
  15. a diamond-shaped insignia of rank worn by a second lieutenant, lieutenant, or captain in the British army
  16. a small fruit seed
  17. one of a several-seeded fleshy fruit
  18. one extraordinary of its kind
  19. to beat by a narrow margin
  20. a short high-pitched tone

pip·age ['pī-pij] -n

  1. transportation by means of pipes
  2. the charge for such transportation
  3. material for pipelines : piping

pi·pal ['pē-(,)pəl] -n

  1. a large long-lived fig ( Ficus religiosa) of India

pipe ['pīp] -n, adj

  1. a tubular wind instrument
  2. a small fipple flute held in and played by the left hand
  3. : one of the tubes of a pipe organ:
  4. flue pipe
  5. reed pipe
  6. bagpipe usu. used in pl.
  7. voice, vocal cord usu. used in pl.
  8. piping
  9. a long tube or hollow body for conducting a liquid, gas, or finely divided solid or for structural purposes
  10. a means of transmission (as of television signals or computer data)
    • a broadband fiber-optic pipe
  11. a tubular or cylindrical object, part, or passage
  12. a roughly cylindrical and vertical geological formation
  13. the eruptive channel opening into the crater of a volcano
  14. a large cask of varying capacity used esp. for wine and oil
  15. any of various units of liquid capacity based on the size of a pipe
  16. a unit equal to two hogsheads
  17. a device for smoking usu. consisting of a tube having a bowl at one end and a mouthpiece at the other
  18. snap , cinch
  19. to play on a pipe
  20. to convey orders by signals on a boatswain's pipe
  21. to speak in a high or shrill voice
  22. to emit a shrill sound
  23. to play (a tune) on a pipe
  24. to utter in the shrill tone of a pipe
  25. to lead or cause to go with pipe music
  26. to call or direct by the boatswain's pipe
  27. to receive aboard or attend the departure of by sounding a boatswain's pipe
  28. to trim with piping
  29. to furnish or equip with pipes
  30. to convey by or as if by pipes
  31. to transmit by wire or coaxial cable
  32. notice

pipe clay -n

  1. highly plastic grayish-white clay used esp. in making tobacco pipes and for whitening leather

pipe cleaner -n

  1. something used to clean the inside of a pipe
  2. a piece of flexible wire in which tufted fabric is twisted and which is used to clean the stem of a tobacco pipe

pipe down -vi

  1. to stop talking or making noise

pipe dream -n

  1. an illusory or fantastic plan, hope, or story

pipe·fish ['pīp-,fish] -n

  1. any of various fishes (family Syngnathidae) that are related to the sea horses and have a tube-shaped snout and a long slender body covered with bony plates

pipe fitter -n

  1. a worker who installs and repairs piping

pipe fitting -n

  1. a piece (as a coupling or elbow) used to connect pipes or as accessory to a pipe
  2. the work of a pipe fitter

pipe·line ['pīp-,līn] -n

  1. a line of pipe with pumps, valves, and control devices for conveying liquids, gases, or finely divided solids
  2. pipe
  3. a direct channel for information
  4. a process or channel of supply
    • an arms pipeline
  5. a state of development, preparation, or production
    • several projects in the pipeline
  6. the system for such processes
    • a strong product pipeline
  7. a course of individual advancement or development esp. to fill organizational needs

pipe organ -n

  1. organ

pip·er ['pī-pər] -n

  1. one that plays on a pipe

pi·per·a·zine [pi-'per-ə-,zēn, pī-] -n

  1. a crystalline heterocyclic base C 4H 10N 2used esp. as an anthelmintic

pi·per·i·dine [pi-'per-ə-,dēn, pī-] -n

  1. a toxic liquid heterocyclic base C 5H 11N that has a peppery ammoniacal odor and is obtained usu. by hydrolysis of piperine

pip·er·ine ['pi-pə-,rēn] -n

  1. a white crystalline alkaloid C 17H 19NO 3that is the chief active constituent of pepper

pi·per·o·nal [pī-'per-ə-,nal] -n

  1. a crystalline aldehyde C 8H 6O 3with an odor of heliotrope

pi·per·o·nyl bu·tox·ide [pī-'per-ə-,nil-byu̇-'täk-,sīd, -nᵊl-] -n

  1. an insecticide C 19H 30O 5
  2. an oily liquid containing this compound that is used chiefly as a synergist (as for pyrethrin insecticides)

pipe·stone ['pīp-,stōn] -n

  1. a pink or mottled pink-and-white argillaceous stone used esp. by American Indians to make carved objects (as tobacco pipes)

pipe stop -n

  1. an organ stop composed of flue pipes

pi·pette [pī-'pet] -n, vb

  1. a small piece of apparatus which typically consists of a narrow tube into which fluid is drawn by suction (as for dispensing or measurement) and retained by closing the upper end

pipe up -vi

  1. speak up

pipe wrench -n

  1. a wrench for gripping and turning a cylindrical object (as a pipe) usu. by use of two serrated jaws so designed as to grip the pipe when turning in one direction only

piping -n

  1. a sound, note, or call like that of a pipe
  2. the music of a pipe
  3. a quantity or system of pipes
  4. trimming stitched in seams or along edges (as of clothing, slipcovers, or curtains)
  5. shrill
    • a piping voice
  6. tranquil
    • piping times of peace -- Shak.

piping hot -adj

  1. very hot

piping plover -n

  1. a small pale plover ( Charadrius melodus) chiefly of eastern No. America

pip·is·trelle [,pi-pə-'strel] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Pipistrellusof the family Vespertilionidae) of bats typically appearing in early evening and exhibiting erratic flight
  2. one ( P. pipistrellus) of Eurasia and northern Africa

pip·it ['pi-pət] -n

  1. any of various small songbirds (family Motacillidae and esp. genus Anthus) resembling the lark

pip·kin ['pip-kən] -n

  1. a small earthenware or metal pot usu. with a horizontal handle

pip·pin ['pi-pən] -n

  1. a crisp tart apple having usu. yellow or greenish-yellow skin strongly flushed with red and used esp. for cooking
  2. a highly admired or very admirable person or thing

pippip [,pi(p)-'pip] -interj

  1. used to express farewell

pip·sis·se·wa [pip-'si-sə-,wȯ] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Chimaphila,esp. C. umbellata) of evergreen herbs of the wintergreen family with astringent leaves used as a tonic and diuretic

pipsqueak ['pip-,skwēk] -n

  1. one that is small or insignificant

pi·quan·cy ['pē-kən(t)-sē, 'pi-kwən(t)-] -n

  1. the quality or state of being piquant

pi·quant ['pē-kənt, -,känt; 'pi-kwənt] -adj, adv, n

  1. agreeably stimulating to the palate
  2. spicy
  3. engagingly provocative
  4. having a lively arch charm

pique ['pēk] -n

  1. a transient feeling of wounded vanity : resentment
    • a fit of pique
  2. to arouse anger or resentment in : irritate
    • what pique s linguistic conservatives -- T. H. Middleton
  3. to excite or arouse esp. by a provocation, challenge, or rebuff
    • sly remarks to pique their curiosity
  4. pride
    • he pique s himself on his skill as a cook

pi·que [pi-'kā, 'pē-,] -n

  1. a durable ribbed clothing fabric of cotton, rayon, or silk
  2. decoration of a tortoiseshell or ivory object with inlaid fragments of gold or silver

pi·quet [pi-'kā, -'ket] -n

  1. a two-handed card game played with 32 cards

pir·ac·e·tam [,pī(-ə)r-'a-sə-,tam] -n

  1. an amine C 6H 10N 2O 2that has been used as a nootropic

pi·ra·cy ['pī-rə-sē] -n

  1. an act of robbery on the high seas
  2. an act resembling such robbery
  3. robbery on the high seas
  4. the unauthorized use of another's production, invention, or conception esp. in infringement of a copyright
  5. the illicit accessing of broadcast signals

pi·ra·gua [pə-'rä-gwə, -'ra-] -n

  1. dugout
  2. a 2-masted flat-bottomed boat

pi·ra·nha [pə-'rä-nə; -'rän-yə, -'ran-] -n

  1. any of various usu. small So. American characin fishes (genera Serrasalmusand Pygocentrus) that have very sharp teeth, often appear in schools, and include some that may attack and inflict dangerous wounds upon humans and large animals called also caribe

pi·ra·ru·cu [pi-,rär-ə-'kü] -n

  1. a very large edible bony fish ( Arapaima gigasof the family Osteoglossidae) of the rivers of northern So. America

pi·rate ['pī-rət] -n, adj, adv

  1. one who commits or practices piracy

pirate -vb

  1. to commit piracy on
  2. : to take or appropriate by piracy: as
  3. to reproduce without authorization esp. in infringement of copyright
  4. to lure away from another employer by offers of betterment
  5. to commit or practice piracy

PIRG -abbr

  1. Public Interest Research Group

pirn ['pərn, 2 is also 'pirn] -n

  1. quill
  2. a device resembling a reel

pirogi [pə-'rō-gē, pi-] -n

(variant of pierogi)

  1. a case of dough filled with a savory filling (as of meat, cheese, or vegetables) and cooked by boiling and then panfrying

pi·rogue ['pē-,rōg] -n

  1. dugout
  2. a boat like a canoe

piro·plasm ['pir-ə-,pla-zəm] -n

  1. babesia

pi·rosh·ki [pi-'rōsh-kē, ,pir-əsh-'kē] -n pl

  1. small pastries with meat, cheese, or vegetable filling

pir·ou·ette [,pir-ə-'wet] -n, vi

  1. a rapid whirling about of the body
  2. a full turn on the toe or ball of one foot in ballet

pis ['pī] -n

(variant of pi)

  1. the 16th letter of the Greek alphabet
  2. the symbol denoting the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter
  3. the ratio itself : a transcendental number having a value rounded to eight decimal places of 3.14159265
  4. type that is spilled or mixed
  5. a pi character or matrix
  6. to spill or throw (type or type matter) into disorder
  7. to become pied
  8. not intended to appear in final printing
    • pi lines
  9. capable of being inserted only by hand
    • pi characters

pis al·ler [,pē-za-'lā] -n

  1. a last resource or device

pis·ca·to·ri·al [,pis-kə-'tȯr-ē-əl] -adj

  1. piscatory

pis·ca·to·ry ['pis-kə-,tȯr-ē] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or dependent on fish or fishing

Pi·sce·an ['pī-sē-ən, 'pi-sē-, 'pis-kē-] -n

  1. pisces

Pi·sces ['pī-(,)sēz also 'pi-,sēz or 'pis-,kās] -n pl but sing in constr

  1. a zodiacal constellation directly south of Andromeda
  2. the 12th sign of the zodiac in astrology
  3. one born under this sign

pi·sci·cul·ture ['pī-sə-,kəl-chər, 'pi-sə-, 'pis-kə-] -n

  1. the cultivation of fish

pi·sci·na [pə-'sē-nə, -'sī-] -n

  1. a basin with a drain near the altar of a church for disposing of water from liturgical ablutions

pi·scine ['pī-,sēn, 'pi-,sīn, 'pis-,kīn] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of fish

pi·sci·vore ['pī-sə-,vȯr, 'pi-] -n

  1. a fish-eating animal

pi·sciv·o·rous [pə-'si-və-rəs, pī-] -adj

  1. feeding on fishes

pish ['pish] -interj

  1. used to express disdain or contempt

pi·si·form ['pī-sə-,fȯrm] -adj

  1. resembling a pea in size or shape

pisiform -n

  1. a bone on the ulnar side of the carpus in most mammals

pis·mire ['pis-,mī(-ə)r, 'piz-] -n

  1. ant

pis·mo clam ['piz-(,)mō-] -n

  1. a thick-shelled clam ( Tivela stultorum) of the southwest coast of No. America used extensively for food

pi·so ['pē-(,)sō] -n

  1. the peso of the Philippines

pi·so·lite ['pī-sə-,līt] -n, adj

  1. a limestone composed of pisiform concretions

piss ['pis] -vb

  1. urinate
  2. to urinate in or on
  3. urine
  4. an act of urinating often used with take

piss and vinegar -n

  1. vim, spunk

piss·ant ['pis-,ant] -n

  1. one that is insignificant used as a generalized term of abuse

piss away -vt

  1. to fritter away : squander

pissed ['pist] -adj

  1. drunk
  2. angry, irritated often used with off

pissing contest -n

  1. a competition between rivals to determine superiority, predominance, or leadership called also pissing match

piss off -vt

  1. anger, irritate
  2. to leave immediately : scram usu. used as a command

pisspoor ['pis-,pu̇r, -,pȯr] -adj

  1. very bad : extremely poor

pis·soir [pi-'swär] -n

  1. a public urinal usu. located on the street in some European countries

pis·ta·chio [pə-'sta-sh(ē-,)ō, -'stä-] -n

  1. a small Asian tree ( Pistacia vera) of the cashew family whose drupaceous fruit contains a greenish edible seed
  2. its seed

pis·ta·reen [,pis-tə-'rēn] -n

  1. an old Spanish silver piece circulating at a debased rate

piste ['pēst] -n

  1. trail
  2. a downhill ski trail

pis·til ['pis-tᵊl] -n

  1. a single carpel or group of fused carpels usu. differentiated into an ovary, style, and stigma

pis·til·late ['pis-tə-,lāt] -adj

  1. having pistils
  2. having pistils but no stamens

pis·tol ['pis-tᵊl] -n, vt

  1. a handgun whose chamber is integral with the barrel
  2. handgun
  3. a notably sharp, spirited, or energetic person

pis·tole [pis-'tōl] -n

  1. an old gold 2-escudo piece of Spain
  2. any of several old gold coins of Europe of approximately the same value

pis·tol·eer [,pis-tə-'lir] -n

  1. one who is armed with a pistol

pis·to·le·ro [,pis-tə-'ler-ō] -n

  1. gunman

pistol grip -n

  1. a grip of a shotgun or rifle shaped like a pistol stock
  2. a handle shaped like a pistol stock

pistolwhip -vt

  1. to beat with a pistol

pis·ton ['pis-tən] -n

  1. a sliding piece moved by or moving against fluid pressure which usu. consists of a short cylindrical body fitting within a cylindrical chamber or vessel along which it moves back and forth
  2. a sliding valve moving in a cylinder in a brass instrument which when depressed by a finger knob serves to lower the instrument's pitch

piston pin -n

  1. wrist pin

piston ring -n

  1. a springy split metal ring for sealing the gap between a piston and the cylinder wall

piston rod -n

  1. connecting rod

pit ['pit] -n

  1. a hole, shaft, or cavity in the ground
  2. mine
  3. a scooped-out place used for burning something (as charcoal)
  4. : an area often sunken or depressed below the adjacent floor area: as
  5. an enclosure in which animals are made to fight each other
  6. a space at the front of a theater for the orchestra
  7. an area in a securities or commodities exchange in which members trade (as stocks)
  8. hell used with the
  9. a place or situation of futility, misery, or degradation
  10. worst
    • it's the pit s
  11. : a hollow or indentation esp. in the surface of an organism: as
  12. a natural hollow in the surface of the body
  13. one of the indented scars left in the skin by a pustular disease : pockmark
  14. a minute depression in the secondary wall of a plant cell functioning in the intercellular movement of water and dissolved material
  15. any of the areas alongside an auto racecourse used for refueling and repairing the cars during a race often used in pl. with the
  16. to place, cast, bury, or store in a pit
  17. to make pits in
  18. to scar or mark with pits
  19. to set (as gamecocks) into or as if into a pit to fight
  20. to set into opposition or rivalry usu. used with against
  21. to become marked with pits
  22. to preserve for a time an indentation made by pressure
  23. to make a pit stop
  24. the stone of a drupaceous fruit
  25. to remove the pit from (a fruit)

pi·ta ['pē-tə] -n

  1. any of several fiber-yielding plants (as an agave)
  2. the fiber of a pita
  3. any of several fibers from other sources

pita -n

  1. a thin flat bread that can be separated easily into two layers to form a pocket called also pita bread

pitapat [,pit-i-'pat] -n, adv or adj, vi

  1. pitter-patter

pit boss -n

  1. a person who supervises the gaming tables in a casino

pit bull -n

  1. a dog (as an American Staffordshire terrier) of any of several breeds or a real or apparent hybrid with one or more of these breeds that was developed and is now often trained for fighting and is noted for strength and stamina
  2. an aggressive and tenacious person

pit bull terrier -n

  1. pit bull
  2. american pit bull terrier

pitch ['pich] -n

  1. a black or dark viscous substance obtained as a residue in the distillation of organic materials and esp. tars
  2. any of various bituminous substances
  3. resin obtained from various conifers and often used medicinally
  4. any of various artificial mixtures resembling resinous or bituminous pitches
  5. to cover, smear, or treat with or as if with pitch
  6. to erect and fix firmly in place
    • pitch a tent
  7. : to throw usu. with a particular objective or toward a particular point
    • pitch hay onto a wagon
    : as
  8. to throw (a baseball) to a batter
  9. to toss (as coins) so as to fall at or near a mark
    • pitch pennies
  10. to put aside or discard by or as if by throwing
    • pitch ed the trash into the bin
  11. to present or advertise esp. in a high-pressure way : plug, promote
  12. to attempt to persuade esp. with a sales pitch
  13. to present (a movie or program idea) for consideration (as by a TV producer)
  14. to cause to be at a particular level or of a particular quality
    • a test pitch ed at a 5th-grade reading level
  15. to set in a particular musical key
  16. to cause to be set at a particular angle : slope
  17. to utter glibly and insincerely
  18. to use as a starting pitcher
  19. to play as pitcher
  20. to hit (a golf ball) in a high arc with backspin so that it rolls very little after striking the green
  21. throw
    • pitch a fit
  22. to fall precipitately or headlong
  23. to have the bow alternately plunge precipitately and rise abruptly
  24. to turn about a lateral axis so that the forward end rises or falls in relation to the after end
  25. buck
  26. encamp
  27. to hit upon or happen upon something
    • pitch upon the perfect gift
  28. to incline downward : slope
  29. to throw a ball to a batter
  30. to play ball as a pitcher
  31. to pitch a golf ball
  32. to make a sales pitch
  33. slope
  34. degree of slope : rake
  35. : the distance between any of various things: as
  36. distance between one point on a gear tooth and the corresponding point on the next tooth
  37. distance from any point on the thread of a screw to the corresponding point on an adjacent thread measured parallel to the axis
  38. the theoretical distance a propeller would advance longitudinally in one revolution
  39. the number of teeth or of threads per inch
  40. a unit of width of type based on the number of times a letter can be set in a linear inch
  41. the action or a manner of pitching
  42. an up-and-down movement
  43. top, zenith
  44. the relative level, intensity, or extent of some quality or state
    • tensions rose to a feverish pitch
  45. the property of a sound and esp. a musical tone that is determined by the frequency of the waves producing it : highness or lowness of sound
  46. a standard frequency for tuning instruments
  47. the difference in the relative vibration frequency of the human voice that contributes to the total meaning of speech
  48. a definite relative pitch that is a significant phenomenon in speech
  49. a steep place : declivity
  50. the portion of a route (as in mountain climbing or caving) between belay points
  51. an outdoor site (as for camping or doing business)
  52. playing field
  53. an all-fours game in which the first card led is a trump
  54. an often high-pressure sales presentation
  55. advertisement
  56. recommendation, plug
    • made a pitch for tax cuts
  57. the delivery of a baseball by a pitcher to a batter
  58. a baseball so thrown
  59. pitchout

pitchblack ['pich-'blak] -adj

  1. extremely dark or black

pitch·blende ['pich-,blend] -n

  1. a brown to black mineral that consists of massive uraninite, has a distinctive luster, contains radium, and is the chief ore-mineral source of uranium

pitchdark ['pich-'därk] -adj

  1. extremely dark : pitch-black

pitched battle -n

  1. an intensely fought battle in which the opposing forces are locked in close combat

pitch·er ['pi-chər] -n

  1. a container for holding and pouring liquids that usu. has a lip or spout and a handle
  2. a modified leaf of a pitcher plant in which the hollowed petiole and base of the blade form an elongated receptacle

pitcher -n

  1. one that pitches
  2. the player who pitches in a game of baseball

pitcher plant -n

  1. a plant (esp. family Sarraceniaceae, the pitcher-plant family) with leaves modified into pitchers in which insects are trapped and digested by means of liquids secreted by the leaves

pitch·fork ['pich-,fȯrk] -n, vt

  1. a long-handled fork that has two or three long somewhat curved prongs and is used esp. in pitching hay

pitch in -vi

  1. to begin to work
  2. to contribute to a common endeavor

pitch·man ['pich-mən] -n

  1. : a man who makes a sales pitch: as
  2. one who sells merchandise on the streets or from a concession
  3. one who does radio or TV commercials

pitch·out ['pich-,au̇t] -n, vi

  1. a pitch in baseball deliberately out of reach of the batter to enable the catcher to put out a base runner esp. with a throw
  2. a lateral pass in football between two backs behind the line of scrimmage

pitchper·fect ['pich-'pər-fikt] -adj

  1. sensitive to or having exactly the right tone or style
    • a pitchperfect translation

pitch pine -n

  1. any of several pines that yield pitch
  2. a 3-leaved pine ( Pinus rigida) of eastern No. America
  3. the wood of a pitch pine

pitch pipe -n

  1. a small reed pipe or flue pipe producing one or more tones to establish the pitch in singing or in tuning an instrument

pitch·pole ['pich-,pōl] -vb

  1. to turn end over end
    • the catamaran pitchpoled
  2. to cause to turn end over end

pitch·wom·an [-,wu̇-mən] -n

  1. a woman who makes a sales pitch

pitchy ['pi-chē] -adj

  1. full of pitch : tarry
  2. of, relating to, or having the qualities of pitch
  3. pitch-black

pit·e·ous ['pi-tē-əs] -adj, adv, n

  1. of a kind to move to pity or compassion

pit·fall ['pit-,fȯl] -n

  1. trap, snare
  2. a pit flimsily covered or camouflaged and used to capture and hold animals or men
  3. a hidden or not easily recognized danger or difficulty

pith ['pith] -n

  1. a usu. continuous central strand of spongy tissue in the stems of most vascular plants that prob. functions chiefly in storage
  2. any of various loose spongy plant tissues that resemble true pith
  3. the soft or spongy interior of a part of the body
  4. the essential part : core
  5. substantial quality (as of meaning)
  6. importance
  7. to kill (as cattle) by piercing or severing the spinal cord
  8. to destroy the spinal cord or central nervous system of (as a frog) usu. by passing a wire or needle up and down the vertebral canal
  9. to remove the pith from (a plant stem)

pit·head ['pit-,hed] -n

  1. the top of a mining pit or coal shaft
  2. the immediately adjacent ground and buildings

pith helmet -n

  1. topee

pith ray -n

  1. medullary ray

pithy ['pi-thē] -adj, adv, n

  1. consisting of or abounding in pith
  2. having substance and point : tersely cogent

piti·able ['pi-tē-ə-bəl] -adj, n, adv

  1. deserving or exciting pity : lamentable
    • pitiable victims
  2. of a kind to evoke mingled pity and contempt esp. because of inadequacy
    • a pitiable excuse

piti·er ['pi-tē-ər] -n

  1. one that pities

piti·ful ['pi-ti-fəl] -adj, adv, n

  1. full of pity : compassionate
  2. deserving or arousing pity or commiseration
  3. exciting pitying contempt (as by meanness or inadequacy)
    • pitiful wages

piti·less ['pi-ti-ləs] -adj, adv, n

  1. devoid of pity : harsh, cruel

pit·man ['pit-mən] -n

  1. : a man who works in or near a pit: as
  2. miner
  3. a sawyer who stands below the timber
  4. connecting rod

pi·ton ['pē-,tän] -n

  1. a spike, wedge, or peg that is driven into a rock or ice surface as a support (as for a mountain climber)

pi·totstat·ic tube [,pē-,tō-'sta-tik-] -n

  1. a device that consists of a pitot tube and a static tube and that measures pressures in such a way that the relative speed of a fluid can be determined

pi·tot tube ['pē-,tō-] -n

  1. a device that consists of a tube having a short right-angled bend which is placed vertically in a moving body of fluid (as air) with the mouth of the bent part directed upstream and that is used with a manometer to measure the velocity of fluid flow
  2. pitot-static tube

pit saw -n

  1. a handsaw worked by two persons one of whom stands on or above the log being sawed into planks and the other below it usu. in a pit

pit stop -n

  1. a stop at the pits during an automobile race
  2. a stop (as during a trip) for fuel, food, or rest or for use of a restroom
  3. a temporary deviation from a direct or usual course
    • a career pit stop ...where he worked temporarily in between TV jobs -- Mark Lorando
  4. a place where a pit stop is or can be made
  5. an establishment providing food or drink

pit·tance ['pi-tᵊn(t)s] -n

  1. a small portion, amount, or allowance
  2. a meager wage or remuneration

pitted -adj

  1. marked with pits

pit·terpat·ter ['pi-tər-,pa-tər, 'pi-tē-,] -n, adv or adj, vi

  1. a rapid succession of light sounds or beats : patter

pitting -n

  1. an arrangement of pits
  2. the action or process of forming pits
  3. the bringing of gamecocks together to fight

pit·tos·po·rum [pə-'täs-pə-rəm] -n

  1. any of various Old World shrubs or trees (genus Pittosporumof the family Pittosporaceae) planted esp. as ornamentals in warm regions

pi·tu·i·tary [pə-'tü-ə-,ter-ē, -'tyü-] -adj

  1. of or relating to the pituitary gland
  2. caused or characterized by secretory disturbances of the pituitary gland
    • pituitary dwarfism

pituitary -n

  1. pituitary gland

pituitary gland -n

  1. a small oval endocrine organ that is attached to the infundibulum of the brain, consists of an epithelial anterior lobe joined by an intermediate part to a posterior lobe of nervous origin, and produces various internal secretions directly or indirectly impinging on most basic body functions called also hypophysis pituitary body

pit viper -n

  1. any of various mostly New World vipers (subfamily Crotalinae of the family Viperidae) with a sensory pit on each side of the head and hollow perforated retractable fangs

pity ['pi-tē] -n

  1. sympathetic sorrow for one suffering, distressed, or unhappy
  2. capacity to feel pity
  3. something to be regretted
    • it's a pity you can't go
  4. to feel pity for
  5. to feel pity

pitying [-iŋ-lē] -adj, adv

  1. expressing or feeling pity

pit·y·ri·a·sis [,pi-ti-'rī-ə-səs] -n

  1. any of various skin conditions of humans or domestic animals marked by dry scaling patches of skin

pi ['pyü, pē-'ü] -adv

  1. more used to qualify an adverb or adjective used as a direction in music

piv·ot ['pi-vət] -n

  1. a shaft or pin on which something turns
  2. a person, thing, or factor having a major or central role, function, or effect
  3. a key player or position
  4. an offensive position of a basketball player standing usu. with back to the basket to relay passes, shoot, or provide a screen for teammates
  5. the action of pivoting
  6. the action in basketball of stepping with one foot while keeping the other foot at its point of contact with the floor

pivot -adj

  1. turning on or as if on a pivot
  2. pivotal
  3. to turn on or as if on a pivot
  4. to provide with, mount on, or attach by a pivot
  5. to cause to pivot

piv·ot·al ['pi-və-tᵊl] -adj, adv

  1. of, relating to, or constituting a pivot
  2. vitally important : critical

piv·ot·man ['pi-vət-,man] -n

  1. one who plays the pivot
  2. a center on a basketball team

pivot tooth -n

  1. an artificial crown attached to the root of a tooth by a usu. metallic pin called also pivot crown

pix ['pik] -n

(variant of pic)

  1. photograph
  2. motion picture
  3. the picador's lance

pix·el ['pik-səl, -,sel] -n

  1. any of the small discrete elements that together constitute an image (as on a television or computer screen)
  2. any of the detecting elements of a charge-coupled device used as an optical sensor

pix·ie ['pik-sē] -n, adj

  1. fairy
  2. a cheerful mischievous sprite
  3. a usu. petite vivacious woman or girl

pixie -adj, n

  1. playfully mischievous

pix·i·lat·ed ['pik-sə-,lā-təd] -adj, n

  1. somewhat unbalanced mentally
  2. bemused
  3. whimsical
    • pixilated pleasures

pizz -abbr

  1. pizzicato

piz·za ['pēt-sə] -n, adj

  1. a dish made typically of flattened bread dough spread with a savory mixture usu. including tomatoes and cheese and often other toppings and baked called also pizza pie

piz·zazz [pə-'zaz] -n, adj

  1. : the quality of being exciting or attractive: as
  2. glamour
  3. vitality

piz·ze·ria [,pēt-sə-'rē-ə] -n

  1. an establishment where pizzas are made or sold

piz·zi·ca·to [,pit-si-'kä-(,)tō] -n

  1. a note or passage played by plucking strings

pizzicato -adv or adj

  1. by means of plucking instead of bowing used as a direction in music

piz·zle ['pi-zəl] -n

  1. the penis of an animal
  2. a whip made of a bull's pizzle