📖 P — The English dictionary

pa — Everyday, meaning 1: (informal, old-fashioned) Pa is a word for father or dad, used mostly in old stories and in some families.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (abbreviation) p.a. means per annum, Latin for each year, as in a salary of 30,000 pounds p.a.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (science) Pa is the short symbol for pascal, the unit for measuring pressure.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: (abbreviation) PA can mean a personal assistant (a helper at work) or a public address system (loudspeakers).↗ Everyday, meaning 5: (New Zealand, Maori) A pa is a Maori village or hill fort, often with fences and ditches.↗ Example: Pa came home from the fields at sunset.↗ · Ma and Pa sat by the fire and told stories.↗ · The job pays 25,000 pounds p.a.↗ · Air pressure is measured in pascals, written Pa.↗ · The weather map showed 1010 hPa over the city.↗ · The head teacher spoke over the PA system.↗ · We visited an old Maori pa on a hill.↗ · Her PA arranges all her meetings.↗ · You see yo' pa pull his shut off?↗ · Mordell, 4137 Leidy Ave., Philadelphia, Pa.↗ (Mordell, The Origin of Letters and Numerals according to Sefer Yetzirah (1914))↗ · Published by the Dropsie College Philadelphia Pa.↗ (Mordell, The Origin of Letters and Numerals according to Sefer Yetzirah (1914))↗

pac — Everyday, meaning 1: (US, politics) PAC: political action committee, a group that collects money to help elect politicians or support causes.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Part of names, such as Pac-Man (a famous video game) and the Pac-12 (a group of US university sports teams).↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (informal) Short for package or pack in some names and shops.↗ Example: Pac-Man eats dots and runs from ghosts.↗ · The PAC spent money on adverts before the election.↗ · A super PAC can spend huge amounts on political adverts.↗ · Dad played Pac-Man when he was a boy.↗ · The news said many PACs gave money to both parties.↗ · Pac-Man was made in Japan in 1980.↗

pace — Everyday, meaning 1: A pace is one step, or the length of one step.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Pace is how fast someone moves or how fast something happens.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: To pace is to walk up and down, often because you are worried.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: To pace yourself is to go at a speed you can keep up.↗ Example: The garden is 20 paces long.↗ · He walks at a pace of 4 km an hour.↗ · Each pace is about 1 meter.↗ · She runs at a steady pace.↗ · Pace yourself, or you will be tired before the end.↗ · Count ten paces from the tree and dig.↗ · Dad paced up and down, waiting for news.↗ · Little brother could not keep pace with us.↗ · Work at your own pace.↗ · On the high-road the pace was quicker yet.↗ · And it was so, that when they that bore the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling.↗ (Prophets 2SA.6.13, JPS 1917)↗

pachycephalosaurus — Everyday, meaning 1: Pachycephalosaurus was a plant-eating dinosaur with a very thick, dome-shaped skull, which lived in North America about 66 million years ago.↗ Example: Pachycephalosaurus had a skull 25 centimetres thick.↗ · Its name means «thick-headed lizard».↗ · Pachycephalosaurus walked on two legs.↗ · It lived at the same time as T. rex.↗ · Some scientists think Pachycephalosaurus butted heads like goats.↗ · Its dome was ringed with bony knobs.↗

pachyderm — Everyday, meaning 1: A large mammal with very thick skin, such as an elephant, rhinoceros or hippopotamus.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (humorous) A big, heavy, clumsy person or thing.↗ Example: The elephant is the most famous pachyderm.↗ · The zoo's pachyderms were splashing in the mud.↗ · The rhinoceros is a pachyderm with folds in its skin.↗ · Scientists no longer use «pachyderm» as a real animal group.↗ · The Elephant's Child was a curious little pachyderm.↗ · Hippos and elephants are both called pachyderms.↗

pacific — Everyday, meaning 1: The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest ocean on Earth, between Asia and Australia on one side and the Americas on the other.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Pacific (adjective, formal) means peaceful or wanting peace.↗ Example: The Pacific is the biggest ocean in the world.↗ · New Zealand is in the South Pacific.↗ · We flew across the Pacific to Japan.↗ · The Ring of Fire circles the Pacific Ocean.↗ · Hawaii is a group of islands in the Pacific.↗ · California is on the Pacific coast.↗ · No cradle is so comfortable as the long, rocking swell of the Pacific.↗

pacification — Everyday, meaning 1: (formal) Making people calm or stopping them being angry.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (formal, history) Bringing peace to an area by force, often by an army, so that people stop fighting back.↗ Example: The army's pacification of the region was cruel.↗ · Some history books use "pacification" to hide how violent the war was.↗ · The pacification of the angry crowd took hours.↗ · Pacification means making calm, sometimes by force.↗ · The general wrote a report on the pacification campaign.↗ · A dummy helps with the pacification of a crying baby (formal, jokey).↗

pacify — Everyday, meaning 1: To make someone who is angry or upset become calm and quiet.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To bring peace to a place, often by force, ending fighting there.↗ Example: Mum pacified the crying baby with a song.↗ · He tried to pacify his sister by giving her his sweets.↗ · Nothing could pacify the angry customer.↗ · The dog was pacified with a biscuit.↗ · The Roman army tried to pacify the rebel tribes.↗ · A cuddle often pacifies a frightened child.↗ · ‘Carry the child about the wood; perhaps that will pacify it.’↗ · Should I pacify Myself for these things?↗ (Prophets ISA.57.6, JPS 1917)↗ · The wrath of a king is as messengers of death; but a wise man will pacify it.↗ (Writings PRO.16.14, JPS 1917)↗

pack — Everyday, meaning 1: A pack is a set of things wrapped or sold together: a pack of cards.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A pack is a group of wild animals that live and hunt together: a pack of wolves.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: A pack is a bag you carry on your back: a backpack.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: To pack is to put things into a bag or box: pack your suitcase.↗ Everyday, meaning 5: A pack animal is an animal, such as a donkey or mule, that carries heavy loads on its back.↗ Example: Mia buys 8 packs of cards.↗ A pack holds 3 cards.↗ · A pack has 6 juice boxes.↗ How many juice boxes are in 5 packs?↗ · Tom shares a pack of 12 stickers among 3 friends.↗ · A pack of playing cards has 52 cards.↗ · Wolves live and hunt in packs.↗ · Pack your bag for the school trip.↗ · Mum packed sandwiches for lunch.↗ · Put your pack on your back and let's go.↗

package — Everyday, meaning 1: A parcel: something wrapped or in a box so it can be posted or delivered.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (US) A packet or box of something in a shop: a package of cookies.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: A set of things offered together: a holiday package.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: (verb) To put something into a box or wrapping.↗ Example: A package came for you in the post.↗ · Each package has 8 pencils.↗ How many in 5 packages?↗ · We went on a package holiday to Spain.↗ · The toys are packaged in plastic.↗ · Grandma sent me a care package of sweets.↗ · Don't open a package if you don't know who it's from.↗

packaging — Everyday, meaning 1: Packaging is the boxes, bags, plastic and paper that things are wrapped in when you buy them.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Packaging is also the way something is presented to make it look attractive.↗ Example: The toy came in too much plastic packaging.↗ · Put the cardboard packaging in the recycling bin.↗ · Read the packaging to find the ingredients.↗ · The company uses recyclable packaging.↗ · Keep plastic packaging away from babies.↗ · The packaging said "Keep refrigerated".↗

packer — Everyday, meaning 1: A packer is a person or machine that packs goods into boxes or containers.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (informal) In the phrase «Green Bay Packers» it is the name of an American football team.↗ Example: The packer filled each box with 12 eggs.↗ · My cousin works as a packer in a warehouse.↗ · The machine is a fast packer.↗ · The packers loaded our furniture into the van.↗ · A packer can pack 60 boxes an hour; in 3 hours that is 180.↗ · Fruit packers work hard in the summer.↗

packet — Everyday, meaning 1: A packet is a small bag or box that holds things, like seeds or crisps.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A packet can also mean a small parcel sent by post.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: «Cost a packet» (UK, informal) means cost a lot of money.↗ Example: A packet has 12 stickers.↗ · She bought 3 packets of seeds.↗ · Each packet costs 2 pounds.↗ · How many packets does he need for 50 sweets?↗ · Read the back of the seed packet before planting.↗ · He opened a packet of crisps.↗ · The cheese comes in a packet of 10 slices.↗ · That new bike must have cost a packet!↗ · An Ass and a Dog were on their travels together, and, as they went along, they found a sealed packet lying on the ground.↗

pact — Everyday, meaning 1: A pact is a serious agreement or promise between people, groups or countries to do something or to help each other.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A pact can be a secret promise between friends («We made a pact to never tell»).↗ Example: We made a pact to stay friends forever.↗ · The two countries signed a pact of peace.↗ · The friends made a pact to keep the secret.↗ · They broke their pact and told the teacher.↗ · NATO countries have a pact to defend each other.↗ · In the story, the wizard made a pact with a dragon.↗ · Let's make a pact: no phones at dinner.↗

pad — Everyday, meaning 1: A pad is a thick piece of soft material used to protect something or make it comfortable, like a knee pad.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A pad is a block of sheets of paper fixed together, like a notepad.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: The pads of an animal's paw are the soft parts underneath.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: A pad is a flat area, like a launch pad for rockets or a lily pad.↗ Everyday, meaning 5: To pad means to walk softly and quietly.↗ Everyday, meaning 6: To pad something means to fill it with soft material.↗ Everyday, meaning 7: A pad can also be a narrow path worn through grass or woods by feet or animals.↗ Example: Wear knee pads when you go skating.↗ · Write the shopping list on the notepad.↗ · The frog sat on a lily pad.↗ · The cat padded softly across the kitchen.↗ · The rocket stood on the launch pad.↗ · Press a clean pad on the cut to stop the bleeding.↗ · My dog's paw pads are rough.↗ · The cricket player put on his pads.↗ · And as they came up the pad, she was sitting at the door, twining straws.↗ · and say: Thus saith the Lord GOD: Woe to the women that sew cushions upon all elbows, and make pads for the head of persons of every stature to hunt souls!↗ (Prophets EZK.13.18, JPS 1917)↗ · Your pads also will I tear, and deliver My people out of your hand, and they shall be no more in your hand to be hunted; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.↗ (Prophets EZK.13.21, JPS 1917)↗

padded — Everyday, meaning 1: Filled or covered with soft material to make it comfortable or to protect: «a padded jacket», «a padded envelope».↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (verb, past) Walked softly and quietly: «The cat padded across the floor».↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Made longer with extra words or material that is not needed: «a padded essay».↗ Example: I wore my padded jacket in the snow.↗ · Send the glasses in a padded envelope.↗ · Bike helmets are padded inside.↗ · The cat padded softly across the kitchen.↗ · The walls of the soft play room are padded.↗ · My essay was too short, so I padded it out with extra details.↗ · His padded hands were so clumsy and the nuts were so small that he dropped almost as many as he put in the basket.↗

padding — Everyday, meaning 1: Soft material used to fill or cover something, to make it comfortable or to protect it.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Extra words or material added to make something longer but not better.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (computing) Space added around something on a screen or web page.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: Padding can also mean walking softly and quietly, with light steps.↗ Example: The helmet has thick padding inside.↗ · We stuffed the cushion with padding.↗ · The padding in my shoe makes it comfy.↗ · Rugby players wear padding on their shoulders.↗ · Pack the vase with lots of padding.↗ · Your story has too much padding; cut the boring parts.↗ · The cat was padding quietly down the hall.↗ · And so it happened with a fox, a hare, a boar, and a bear, till each prince had quite a following of young beasts padding along behind him.↗

paddle — Everyday, meaning 1: A short pole with a flat wide end, used to move a canoe or small boat through water.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To move a boat with a paddle.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: To walk in shallow water, such as at the beach or in a stream.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: A bat for table tennis (mainly American).↗ Example: We paddled the canoe across the lake.↗ · Hold your paddle with both hands.↗ · The children paddled at the edge of the sea.↗ · Always wear a life jacket when you paddle.↗ · Ducks paddle with their webbed feet.↗ · The baby splashed in the paddling pool.↗ · Pass me a ping-pong paddle.↗ · "How dare you paddle around in my stream and stir up all the mud!" he shouted fiercely.↗ · And thou shalt have a paddle among thy weapons; and it shall be, when thou sittest down abroad, thou shalt dig therewith, and shalt turn back and cover that which cometh from thee.↗ (Torah DEU.23.13, JPS 1917)↗

paddlefish — Everyday, meaning 1: A paddlefish is a large freshwater fish with a long, flat, paddle-shaped snout, found in the rivers of the USA.↗ Example: The paddlefish has a long snout like a paddle.↗ · Paddlefish live in the Mississippi River.↗ · Paddlefish eat tiny animals called plankton.↗ · The paddlefish is an ancient kind of fish.↗ · Its snout helps the paddlefish sense food.↗ · The Chinese paddlefish is now extinct.↗