📖 P — The English dictionary · page 31

pinyin — Everyday, meaning 1: Pinyin is the official way of writing Chinese (Mandarin) words with the Latin letters we use for English.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: It also shows the tones of Mandarin with little marks over the vowels, such as mā, má, mǎ, mà.↗ Example: "Nǐ hǎo" is "hello" written in pinyin.↗ · We learnt the pinyin for numbers one to ten.↗ · The card had the Chinese character and the pinyin underneath.↗ · In pinyin, "Beijing" replaced the old spelling "Peking".↗ · My cousin types Chinese messages using pinyin.↗ · The little marks in pinyin show the four tones.↗ · Pinyin letters do not always sound like English letters: "x" sounds a bit like "sh".↗

pioneer — Everyday, meaning 1: noun.↗ e.g. One of the first people to explore or settle in a new land.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: noun: One of the first people to do something new, such as in science or art.↗ e.g. "a pioneer of flight".↗ Everyday, meaning 3: verb.↗ e.g. To be the first to do, invent or use something.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: (pioneering, adjective) New and leading the way.↗ Example: Pioneers travelled west in covered wagons.↗ · Ada Lovelace was a pioneer of computer programming.↗ · The hospital pioneered a new heart operation.↗ · Marie Curie did pioneering work on radioactivity.↗ · Lichens are pioneer plants on bare rock.↗ · The settlers were called pioneers, though Indigenous people already lived there.↗

pious — Everyday, meaning 1: Pious means very religious, and devoted to God and to prayer.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (sometimes) Pious can mean acting very good in a way that seems not quite sincere.↗ Example: Pelops was a pious and virtuous prince.↗ · You are the most pious woman I know.↗ · The pious monk prayed every night.↗ · It was revealed to him by Jeremiah tlie piopliet, and it must not be revealed to anyone except the pious" (the modest?;.↗ (Mordell, The Origin of Letters and Numerals according to Sefer Yetzirah (1914))↗

piously — Everyday, meaning 1: Piously means in a religious way, or in a way that shows you are very devout or good.↗ Example: "Riches come from Ram," he said piously.↗ · The robber said piously, "May the gods protect my going."↗ · She piously accepted what the gods wished for her.↗

pip — Everyday, meaning 1: A small seed in fruit such as an apple, orange, lemon or grape.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A short high sound, like the time signal on the radio (the pips).↗ Everyday, meaning 3: A small spot or symbol, such as a dot on a dice or a star on an officer's uniform.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: (verb, UK, informal) To beat someone by a very small amount: pipped at the post.↗ Everyday, meaning 5: (UK, informal) Give someone the pip: annoy them.↗ Example: Be careful, this orange has lots of pips.↗ · We planted an apple pip in a pot.↗ · The dice showed four pips.↗ · Our team was pipped to the cup by one point.↗ · Listen for the pips before the news.↗ · Spit the grape pips into the bowl.↗ · That noise really gives me the pip.↗ · And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rent with the sound of them.↗ (Prophets 1KI.1.40, JPS 1917)↗

pipe — Everyday, meaning 1: A pipe is a long tube that water, gas or oil flows through.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A pipe is also a small tube with a bowl for smoking tobacco.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: A pipe is a simple musical instrument you blow into, like bagpipes or a recorder.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: To pipe is to send something through pipes, or to squeeze cream or icing out of a bag.↗ Example: A pipe fills the tank in 6 hours.↗ · Water flows through the pipe at 5 litres a minute.↗ · A 12 m pipe is cut into 3 equal pieces.↗ · One pipe fills, another empties.↗ · A pipe burst in the cold and flooded the kitchen.↗ · The Pied Piper played his pipe and the rats followed him.↗ · She piped icing onto the cupcakes.↗ · The soup was piping hot.↗ · And his brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of all such as handle the harp and pipe.↗ (Torah GEN.4.21, JPS 1917)↗ · His bones are as pipes of brass; his gristles are like bars of iron.↗ (Writings JOB.40.18, JPS 1917)↗ · They sing to the timbrel and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the pipe.↗ (Writings JOB.21.12, JPS 1917)↗ · Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; praise Him with stringed instruments and the pipe.↗ (Writings PSA.150.4, JPS 1917)↗

pipeline — Everyday, meaning 1: A long line of pipes that carries oil, gas or water over long distances.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: «In the pipeline»: being planned or prepared, coming soon.↗ Example: The pipeline carries gas across the sea.↗ · A new swimming pool is in the pipeline.↗ · Water flows through the pipeline to the city.↗ · Workers checked the pipeline for leaks.↗ · Big changes are in the pipeline at school.↗ · The oil pipeline is hundreds of miles long.↗

piper — Everyday, meaning 1: A piper is a person who plays a pipe, a kind of musical instrument.↗ Example: The piper played a merry tune at the feast.↗ · Maurice Connor was the best of all the pipers in Munster.↗

pipette — Everyday, meaning 1: noun.↗ e.g. A thin glass or plastic tube used in science to measure or move small amounts of liquid, drop by drop.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: verb.↗ e.g. To move liquid with a pipette.↗ Example: Use the pipette to add three drops of iodine.↗ · She pipetted the liquid into the test tube.↗ · A pipette helps you measure small amounts.↗ · Squeeze the pipette gently to let out one drop.↗ · The scientist used a plastic pipette.↗ · Wash the pipette before using another liquid.↗

pipework — Everyday, meaning 1: The pipes in a building, machine or system, taken all together, such as for water, gas or heating.↗ Example: The plumber checked the pipework under the sink.↗ · Old pipework in the house was made of lead.↗ · Frozen pipework can burst in winter.↗ · The factory's pipework carries steam.↗ · The boiler has a lot of pipework around it.↗ · The pipework was painted red to show it carries hot water.↗

piping — In Jewish tradition, meaning 1: The sound of playing a pipe or flute.↗ Example: Why sattest thou among the sheepfolds, to hear the pipings for the flocks?↗ (Prophets JDG.5.16, JPS 1917)↗

pipistrelle — Everyday, meaning 1: A pipistrelle is a very small bat, the commonest kind of bat in Britain and much of Europe.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A pipistrelle is so small it could fit in a matchbox, and it eats thousands of tiny insects in a night.↗ Example: A pipistrelle can eat three thousand insects in one night.↗ · We used a bat detector to hear the pipistrelles.↗ · The pipistrelle flew around the streetlight catching moths.↗ · Pipistrelles roost in roofs and old trees.↗ · A pipistrelle weighs less than a pound coin.↗ · Bats like the pipistrelle are protected by law in Britain.↗

piranha — Everyday, meaning 1: A piranha is a South American river fish with very sharp, triangle-shaped teeth that eats meat as well as plants and fruit.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (informal) A piranha can describe a fierce, greedy person who attacks others to get what they want.↗ Example: Piranhas live in the Amazon River.↗ · A piranha's teeth fit together like scissors.↗ · The fishermen pulled a piranha out of the river.↗ · Piranhas usually swim in shoals for safety.↗ · Some piranhas eat mostly seeds and fruit.↗ · In the film the piranhas ate everything in seconds, but that is not true to life.↗ · The reporters were like piranhas, all shouting questions at once.↗

pirate — Everyday, meaning 1: A pirate is a person who attacks and robs ships at sea.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: In stories and games, a pirate is a sailor with a ship, a flag and often a hidden treasure.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: To pirate a film, song or game means to copy it or share it without permission and without paying.↗ Example: The pirate buried his treasure on a small island.↗ · We dressed up as pirates for the school play.↗ · The pirate ship had a black flag with a skull on it.↗ · Real pirates were criminals, not friendly heroes.↗ · Long John Silver is a famous pirate in a story.↗ · Downloading a pirated game is against the law.↗ · The children drew a pirate map with a big red X.↗ · Pirates still attack some cargo ships today.↗ · “Bill Jukes dead!” cried the startled pirates.↗

pirouette — Everyday, meaning 1: A pirouette is a fast spin on one foot, especially in ballet, often on the toes.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (verb) To pirouette is to spin round on one foot.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: To pirouette can also mean to spin round quickly and suddenly, not only on one foot.↗ Example: The ballerina did a perfect pirouette.↗ · Sophie practised her pirouettes in the hall.↗ · He pirouetted across the kitchen with joy.↗ · A double pirouette means spinning twice.↗ · Keep your eyes on one spot when you do a pirouette.↗ · The ice skater pirouetted on the rink.↗ · She struck the deer hard, it pirouetted and became Prince Almas.↗

pirozhki — Everyday, meaning 1: Pirozhki are small baked or fried buns filled with things like potato, cabbage, meat, mushrooms, cheese or fruit, eaten in Russia, Ukraine and nearby countries.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: It is a borrowed word (from Russian), not an English word; in Ukrainian they are called pyrizhky.↗ Example: Gran made pirozhki filled with potato and onion.↗ · We bought hot pirozhki at the market stall.↗ · Some pirozhki are sweet, with apple or cherry inside.↗ · My friend's mum brought pirozhki to the class food fair.↗ · Pirozhki can be baked in the oven or fried in a pan.↗ · In Ukrainian they are called pyrizhky.↗ · One little bun is a pirozhok; lots are pirozhki.↗

pisces — In Jewish tradition, meaning 1: The zodiac sign of the Fish, the twelfth constellation of the year.↗ Example: [paragraph continues] Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagitarius, Capricornus, Aquarius and Pisces.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Kalisch 1877)↗ · He produced Quoph, predominant in Mirth, crowned, combined, and formed Pisces in the world, Adar in the year, and the spleen in man.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1887)↗ · He produced Qoph, predominant in Mirth, crowned it, combined and formed with it Pisces in the Universe, Adar in the Year, and the spleen of Man.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893)↗

piscine — Everyday, meaning 1: (formal, science) Piscine means to do with fish or like a fish.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (French) «Une piscine» means a swimming pool; it sounds like «pee-SEEN» and is a French word, not English.↗ Example: The pond had a piscine smell.↗ · The scientist studied piscine diseases.↗ · «Je vais à la piscine» means «I'm going to the swimming pool» in French.↗ · In French, «piscine» is the pool, not the fish.↗ · Pisces is the star sign with two fish.↗ · The aquarium is a piscine paradise.↗

piss — Everyday, meaning 1: (rude) To piss is to wee or urinate.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (rude) Piss is wee, urine.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (rude, UK) «Pissing down» means raining very hard.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: (rude) «Piss off» is a very rude way to tell someone to go away; «pissed off» (rude) means very annoyed.↗ Everyday, meaning 5: (rude, UK/Australia) «Pissed» means drunk; (rude, US) «pissed» means angry.↗ Everyday, meaning 6: (rude, UK) «Take the piss» means to mock someone or to take unfair advantage.↗ Example: (rude) The dog pissed on the lamp post.↗ · (rude, UK) It's pissing down outside — take a coat.↗ · (rude) «Piss off!» he shouted, and the teacher sent him out.↗ · (rude) She was really pissed off when her bike was stolen.↗ · (rude, UK) Stop taking the piss out of my hat!↗ · (rude, Australia) Uncle Bruce got pissed at the barbecue.↗ · (polite) The puppy weed on the carpet.↗ · (formal) The doctor needs a urine sample.↗

pistil — Everyday, meaning 1: The female part in the middle of a flower, made of the stigma, the style and the ovary, where seeds form.↗ Example: The pistil is in the middle of the flower.↗ · Pollen sticks to the top of the pistil, called the stigma.↗ · Seeds grow in the ovary at the bottom of the pistil.↗ · Label the pistil and the stamens on your flower diagram.↗ · In a lily, the pistil is long and easy to see.↗ · The bee brushed pollen onto the pistil.↗ · The pistil has three parts: stigma, style and ovary.↗ · After pollination, the pistil's ovary becomes the fruit.↗

pistol — Everyday, meaning 1: A pistol is a small gun that you hold and fire with one hand.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A starting pistol is a toy-like pistol that only makes a loud bang, used to start races.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: A water pistol is a toy that squirts water.↗ Example: The race began with a bang from the starting pistol.↗ · We had a water pistol fight in the garden.↗ · If you ever see a pistol lying around, don't touch it and tell an adult.↗ · The police officer carried a pistol on her belt.↗ · In the old story two men fought a duel with pistols.↗ · Pirates in films often carry a pistol and a sword.↗ · My water pistol holds half a litre of water.↗ · He had three silver cups, two handsome pistols, and a silver coffee-pot.↗

piston — Everyday, meaning 1: A piston is a short solid cylinder that moves up and down or in and out inside a tube, pushed by pressure; it is a key part of engines and pumps.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (informal) «Like pistons» describes something moving fast up and down, like legs running.↗ Example: The piston moves up and down inside the engine.↗ · A bike pump has a piston inside.↗ · Pistons turn the crankshaft in a car.↗ · We made a moving arm with syringes as pistons.↗ · Steam pushed the pistons of the old train.↗ · His legs went like pistons as he raced to the finish.↗ · A syringe is a simple piston and cylinder.↗ · The huge limbs moved as steadily as pistons, eight feet to each stride, and the wrinkled skin of the elbow points rustled.↗