📖 P — The English dictionary · page 30

pincer — Everyday, meaning 1: One of the two claws of a crab, lobster or scorpion, used for gripping.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Pincers: a tool with two handles and two curved jaws for gripping things or pulling out nails.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: A pincer movement: an attack in which two groups come at an enemy from both sides.↗ Example: The crab nipped my finger with its pincer.↗ · Earwigs have pincers at the end of their bodies.↗ · Dad pulled the nail out with a pair of pincers.↗ · The scorpion grabbed the beetle with its pincers.↗ · The army attacked in a pincer movement from the north and south.↗ · A lobster's pincers are very strong.↗ · So the crab caught hold of his neck with his claws as securely as with a pair of blacksmith's pincers, and called out, "Off with you, now!"↗

pinch — Everyday, meaning 1: To press something tightly between your thumb and finger, sometimes in a way that hurts someone.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A pinch is a very small amount of something you can hold between your finger and thumb, like a pinch of salt.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Informal British: to steal something small: someone pinched my rubber.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: Shoes that pinch are too tight and hurt.↗ Everyday, meaning 5: "In a pinch" (US) or "at a pinch" (UK) means if really needed.↗ Everyday, meaning 6: To pinch a part of your body can also mean to get it caught and squeezed, such as in a door.↗ Example: Add a pinch of salt to the soup.↗ · Pinch the soft part of your nose to stop the bleeding.↗ · It's not kind to pinch your brother.↗ · The crab pinched my toe with its claw.↗ · These shoes pinch my toes; they're too small.↗ · Who pinched my pencil?↗ · Pinch me — did we really win?↗ · Take that rumour with a pinch of salt.↗ · The door opened with difficulty, and the boy pinched his fingers.↗ · And he shall bring them unto the priest, who shall offer that which is for the sin-offering first, and pinch off its head close by its neck, but shall not divide it asunder.↗ (Torah LEV.5.8, JPS 1917)↗ · And the priest shall bring it unto the altar, and pinch off its head, and make it smoke on the altar; and the blood thereof shall be drained out on the side of the altar.↗ (Torah LEV.1.15, JPS 1917)↗

pincushion — Everyday, meaning 1: A pincushion is a small, firm, stuffed pad into which you stick pins and needles to keep them safe when sewing.↗ Example: Put the pins back in the pincushion when you finish.↗ · Grandma's pincushion looks like a red tomato.↗ · We made a pincushion in sewing club.↗ · Never leave pins on the table; use the pincushion.↗ · The cactus looked like a green pincushion.↗ · The dressmaker wore a pincushion on her wrist.↗ · After all those injections my arm felt like a pincushion.↗ · Count the pins back into the pincushion so none are lost.↗ · The back of him was made all in one piece, like a pincushion.↗

pine — Everyday, meaning 1: A pine is a tall evergreen tree with thin, sharp leaves called needles that stay green all year.↗ Its seeds grow in pine cones.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Pine is the pale wood of this tree, used for furniture.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: To pine for someone or something is to miss them very much and feel sad.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: To pine away means to grow weak and thin from sadness or longing.↗ Example: There are 24 pine trees in the park.↗ · Sam picked up 15 pine cones.↗ · The forest has 3 times as many pines as oaks.↗ · They planted 8 rows of pine trees with 6 in each row.↗ · Pine trees stay green all winter.↗ · The forest smelled of pine needles.↗ · Our kitchen table is made of pine.↗ · The puppy pined for its owner while she was away.↗ · But the Tsarevich did nothing but pine away.↗ · And they that are left of you shall pine away in their iniquity in your enemies' lands; and also in the iniquities of their fathers shall they pine away with them.↗ (Torah LEV.26.39, JPS 1917)↗ · that they may want bread and water, and be appalled one with another, and pine away in their iniquity.↗ (Prophets EZK.4.17, JPS 1917)↗ · They that are slain with the sword are better than they that are slain with hunger; for these pine away, stricken through, for want of the fruits of the field.↗ (Writings LAM.4.9, JPS 1917)↗ · and your tires shall be upon your heads, and your shoes upon your feet; ye shall not make lamentation nor weep; but ye shall pine away in your iniquities, and moan one toward another.↗ (Prophets EZK.24.23, JPS 1917)↗

pineapple — Everyday, meaning 1: A pineapple is a large tropical fruit with a rough, spiky brown skin, sweet juicy yellow flesh and a crown of stiff green leaves on top.↗ Example: We cut the pineapple into chunks.↗ · Pineapple juice is sweet and sharp.↗ · Some people like pineapple on pizza.↗ · Pineapples grow on small plants, not trees.↗ · Twist off the leafy top of the pineapple.↗ · A pineapple has a rough, spiky skin.↗

pinecone — Everyday, meaning 1: The hard, woody, scaly case on a pine tree that holds the tree's seeds.↗ Example: We collected pinecones in the forest.↗ · The pinecone opened in the warm sun.↗ · Squirrels pull seeds out of pinecones.↗ · We made a bird feeder from a pinecone and peanut butter.↗ · The pinecone closed when it got damp.↗ · Pinecones lay all over the forest floor.↗

ping — Everyday, meaning 1: A ping is a short, high, ringing sound, like a bell or a phone alert.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To ping is to make that sound.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (informal) To ping someone is to send them a quick message: ping me later.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: (computing) A ping is a test signal sent to check if a computer can be reached and how fast it answers.↗ Example: The microwave pinged and the soup was hot.↗ · My phone pinged with a message from Gran.↗ · The bell gave a loud ping.↗ · Ping me when you're home.↗ · The game is slow because my ping is high.↗ · A stone pinged against the window.↗

pinhead — Everyday, meaning 1: A pinhead is the tiny round top of a pin.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Something "the size of a pinhead" is very, very small.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (slang, rude) Calling someone a pinhead means you think they are stupid; it is an insult.↗ Example: The seed was no bigger than a pinhead.↗ · Push the pin in until only the pinhead shows.↗ · A tiny spider, the size of a pinhead, ran across the page.↗ · Far away we saw a pinhead of light from the lighthouse.↗ · Ladybird eggs are about the size of a pinhead.↗ · (rude) "Watch where you're going, you pinhead!" he shouted.↗ · Calling someone a pinhead is rude, so Mum told him to say sorry.↗

pinhole — Everyday, meaning 1: A pinhole is a very small hole, like one made by a pin.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A pinhole camera is a simple camera made from a box with a tiny hole, and no lens, that makes an upside-down picture inside.↗ Example: We made a pinhole camera from a shoebox.↗ · The picture in the pinhole camera was upside down.↗ · Light shone through a pinhole in the curtain.↗ · Use a pinhole viewer to watch the eclipse safely.↗ · A pinhole in the tyre let the air out slowly.↗ · Light travels in straight lines through the pinhole.↗

pinion — Everyday, meaning 1: (verb) To hold or tie someone's arms tightly so they cannot move them.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (verb) To cut or tie a bird's wing feathers so it cannot fly.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (noun, poetic) A bird's wing, or the outer part of a wing.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: (noun, machines) A small gear wheel with teeth that fits into a larger wheel or a toothed bar (rack and pinion).↗ Example: The guards pinioned the thief's arms.↗ · Toad was seized and pinioned by two policemen.↗ · The eagle spread its pinions.↗ · A rack and pinion moves the train up the mountain.↗ · The swans' wings were pinioned so they could not fly away.↗ · He was pinioned to the ground by the bigger boy.↗ · They are curious birds; they give one flap with their wings, and then on their outstretched pinions soar far away.↗ · As an eagle that stirreth up her nest, hovereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her pinions — (Torah DEU.32.11, JPS 1917)↗ · The wing of the ostrich beateth joyously; but are her pinions and feathers the kindly stork's?↗ (Writings JOB.39.13, JPS 1917)↗ · When ye lie among the sheepfolds, the wings of the dove are covered with silver, and her pinions with the shimmer of gold.↗ (Writings PSA.68.14, JPS 1917)↗ · He will cover thee with His pinions, and under His wings shalt thou take refuge; His truth is a shield and a buckler.↗ (Writings PSA.91.4, JPS 1917)↗

pink — Everyday, meaning 1: Pink is a light red colour, like many flowers, candyfloss and flamingos.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A pink is a small garden flower.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: «In the pink» means healthy (old-fashioned).↗ Example: Mia has 8 pink and 5 white roses.↗ · Half of the 20 cups are pink.↗ · How many pink beads are left after she uses 7?↗ · The pink ribbon is 3 m longer than the blue one.↗ · Mix red and white paint to make pink.↗ · Flamingos are pink birds.↗ · Her cheeks turned pink in the cold.↗ · The sky was pink at sunset.↗ · Wendy was married in white with a pink sash.↗

pinkish — Everyday, meaning 1: Slightly pink; a colour with a little pink in it.↗ Example: The sky turned pinkish at sunset.↗ · The prawn turned pinkish when it was cooked.↗ · Litmus paper can go pinkish in weak acid.↗ · Her cheeks were pinkish from the cold.↗ · The flowers are white with pinkish edges.↗ · Cook the chicken until it is no longer pinkish inside.↗

pinky — Everyday, meaning 1: The smallest finger on your hand; the little finger.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (adjective, UK) Slightly pink.↗ Example: My pinky is my smallest finger.↗ · We made a pinky promise to keep the secret.↗ · I hurt my pinky in the door.↗ · The baby held my pinky tightly.↗ · Her cheeks went pinky in the cold.↗ · You must keep a pinky promise.↗

pinnacle — Everyday, meaning 1: A pinnacle is the very top of a mountain or of a tall building.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A pinnacle is a tall, pointed ornament on the roof of a building, often a church or palace.↗ Example: The palace had many airy pinnacles on its roof.↗ · We climbed to the pinnacle of the hill.↗ · The bird perched on the pinnacle of the tower.↗ · And I will make thy pinnacles of rubies, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy border of precious stones.↗ (Prophets ISA.54.12, JPS 1917)↗

pinning — Everyday, meaning 1: Pinning means fastening something with a pin, for example a badge, a poster or a piece of cloth.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Pinning (someone down) means holding a person so they cannot move, for example in a fight or a wrestling match.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Pinning the blame on someone means saying they did something wrong, often unfairly.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: (computers) Pinning means fixing a message or app in place at the top of a screen.↗ Example: She was pinning her painting to the board.↗ · The bigger boy was pinning Sam to the ground until the teacher came.↗ · Stop pinning the blame on your sister!↗ · Mum is pinning up the hem of my trousers.↗ · We're pinning our hopes on the last match.↗ · The wrestler won by pinning his opponent.↗ · I'm pinning that message so everyone sees it.↗

pinon — In Jewish tradition, meaning 1: A name of an Edomite chief in Genesis, from the family of Esau.↗ Example: the chief of Oholibamah, the chief of Elah, the chief of Pinon; (Torah GEN.36.41, JPS 1917)↗

pinpoint — Everyday, meaning 1: verb.↗ e.g. To find or show the exact place, cause or time of something.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: noun: A very small dot or point, like the point of a pin.↗ e.g. "a pinpoint of light".↗ Everyday, meaning 3: adjective: Very exact.↗ e.g. "pinpoint accuracy".↗ Example: Can you pinpoint London on the map?↗ · The doctor pinpointed the cause of the pain.↗ · GPS can pinpoint your position.↗ · A pinpoint of light shone in the dark cave.↗ · The darts player threw with pinpoint accuracy.↗ · It's hard to pinpoint exactly when the problem started.↗

pint — Everyday, meaning 1: A pint is a unit for measuring liquids such as milk or beer.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (UK, informal) «A pint» often means a glass of beer: «going for a pint».↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (informal) Something «pint-sized» is very small.↗ Example: Can you buy a pint of milk on the way home?↗ · There are 8 pints in a gallon.↗ · A UK pint is about 568 ml.↗ · Grandad went to the pub for a pint.↗ · Half a pint of water is enough for the plant.↗ · Our pint-sized puppy is very brave.↗ · How many pints of juice are in 4 quarts?↗ · The recipe needs a pint of stock.↗ · But the brandy went up in price, and the taverner said that he must have fourpence for the half-pint.↗

pinwheel — Everyday, meaning 1: (US, Canada) A toy made of paper or plastic blades on a stick that spin round in the wind; in the UK called a windmill.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A firework that spins round, also called a Catherine wheel.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: A round spiral shape, such as pinwheel sandwiches or biscuits.↗ Example: We made paper pinwheels to see which way the wind blows.↗ · My pinwheel spun faster when I ran.↗ · The Catherine wheel firework spun like a pinwheel.↗ · Mum made pinwheel sandwiches for the party.↗ · The galaxy looks like a giant pinwheel.↗ · Blow on the pinwheel and watch it turn.↗