📖 P — The English dictionary · page 43

polynesian — Everyday, meaning 1: To do with Polynesia, the large group of Pacific islands including Hawaii, Samoa, Tonga, Tahiti and New Zealand (Aotearoa), and with its peoples, languages and cultures.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Noun: a person from one of these peoples, such as Māori, Samoan, Tongan or Hawaiian.↗ Example: Polynesian navigators read the stars and the waves.↗ · Māori are a Polynesian people of New Zealand.↗ · Hawaiian is a Polynesian language.↗ · Our class learned a Polynesian dance.↗ · The Polynesian Triangle has Hawaii, New Zealand and Easter Island at its corners.↗ · Many Polynesian families live in Auckland.↗

polyp — Everyday, meaning 1: A polyp is a small sea animal with a tube-shaped body and a mouth ringed with tentacles; coral and sea anemones are made of polyps.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (medicine) A polyp is a small lump that grows inside the body, for example in the nose or gut.↗ Example: A coral reef is made of tiny polyps.↗ · Each coral polyp catches food with its tentacles.↗ · The doctor found a small polyp in his nose.↗ · Polyps build their homes from limestone.↗ · A sea anemone is a large polyp.↗ · Coral polyps live with algae inside them.↗

polystyrene — Everyday, meaning 1: Polystyrene is a light plastic.↗ The common white kind is full of air bubbles and is used for packaging, cups and food boxes.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Hard clear polystyrene is used for things like plastic cutlery and CD cases.↗ Example: The TV came packed in polystyrene.↗ · A polystyrene cup keeps the tea hot.↗ · Polystyrene is very light and floats on water.↗ · We used polystyrene balls to make model planets.↗ · Polystyrene is hard to recycle.↗ · Bits of polystyrene were washed up on the beach.↗

polytechnic — Everyday, meaning 1: A college that teaches many practical and technical subjects, like engineering, building, computing and design, often to older students and adults.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (UK) A kind of college that existed until 1992, when most polytechnics became universities.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (adjective) Teaching many arts and sciences, especially technical ones: a polytechnic school.↗ Example: My uncle studied engineering at a polytechnic.↗ · In New Zealand some colleges were called polytechnics for many years.↗ · The polytechnic teaches plumbing, cooking and computer design.↗ · In 1992 most British polytechnics became universities.↗ · Mum went to the poly to train as a nurse.↗ · Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is a famous college in the USA.↗ · A polytechnic is good for people who like hands-on learning.↗

pom — Everyday, meaning 1: (Australia, New Zealand, slang) A Pom or Pommy is an English person or a British person; it is a joking word but can sound rude.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A pom is short for a pom-pom (pompom), a fluffy ball of wool or a cheerleader's bunch of ribbons.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: A pom is short for a Pomeranian, a small fluffy dog.↗ Example: The Aussies beat the Poms at cricket.↗ (Australia, slang)↗ · «G'day, mate, you a Pom?» asked the man at the beach.↗ · My beanie hat has a red pom on top.↗ · We made woolly poms in art class.↗ · The cheerleaders shook their poms.↗ · Our neighbour's pom barks at everything.↗ (short for Pomeranian)↗

pomegranate — Everyday, meaning 1: A round fruit with a tough red skin and many juicy red seeds inside.↗ Example: THE POMEGRANATE and Apple-Tree disputed as to which was the most beautiful.↗ · Pearls and pomegranates cannot buy it, nor is it set forth in the marketplace.↗ · She cut the pomegranate and ate the red seeds one by one.↗ · a land of wheat and barley, and vines and fig-trees and pomegranates; a land of olive-trees and honey; (Torah DEU.8.8, JPS 1917)↗ · And they made upon the skirts of the robe pomegranates of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and twined linen.↗ (Torah EXO.39.24, JPS 1917)↗ · a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the skirts of the robe round about.↗ (Torah EXO.28.34, JPS 1917)↗ · Thy temples are like a pomegranate split open behind thy veil.↗ (Writings SNG.6.7, JPS 1917)↗ · Thy shoots are a park of pomegranates, with precious fruits; henna with spikenard plants, (Writings SNG.4.13, JPS 1917)↗ · And there were ninety and six pomegranates on the outside; all the pomegranates were a hundred upon the network round about.↗ (Prophets JER.52.23, JPS 1917)↗

pomelo — Everyday, meaning 1: A very large citrus fruit, like a big grapefruit, with thick yellow-green skin.↗ Example: Next day, the pomelo tree had disappeared.↗ · They gave her one of the pomeloes.↗ · We bought a pomelo and shared it between the four of us.↗

pomeranian — Everyday, meaning 1: A very small, fluffy dog with a fox-like face, pointed ears and a thick fur coat, often orange or cream.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A person from Pomerania, a region by the Baltic Sea that is now in Poland and Germany.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (adjective) Coming from Pomerania.↗ Example: Our neighbour has a Pomeranian that looks like a tiny lion.↗ · The Pomeranian barked at the postman from behind the window.↗ · A Pomeranian puppy can fit in two hands.↗ · Pomeranians need their thick fur brushed often.↗ · Queen Victoria kept Pomeranians and made the breed popular.↗ · Pomerania is a region by the Baltic Sea, and its people are Pomeranians.↗ · My cousin calls her dog a Pom for short.↗

pomp — Everyday, meaning 1: Pomp is grand display and ceremony, with splendid clothes, music and crowds, meant to impress people.↗ Example: The king rode out with great pomp and music.↗ · The wedding was full of pomp and feasting.↗ · Do not spend all your money on pomp and show.↗ · The queen arrived in a golden carriage, amid pomp and splendour.↗ · Thy pomp is brought down to the nether-world, and the noise of thy psalteries; the maggot is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.'↗ (Prophets ISA.14.11, JPS 1917)↗

pompous — Everyday, meaning 1: Acting too important and too serious, using grand words to show off.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (of speech or writing) Full of big, showy words.↗ Example: Toad made a pompous speech about how clever he was.↗ · The pompous mayor talked for an hour.↗ · He wrote in a pompous style full of long words.↗ · Don't be so pompous!↗ · The pompous butler looked down his nose at us.↗ · The King made a pompous announcement at the trial.↗

pond — Everyday, meaning 1: A pond is a small area of still water, smaller than a lake.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: «The pond» (informal) can mean the Atlantic Ocean: «across the pond».↗ Example: There are 12 ducks on the pond.↗ · 4 frogs jumped into the pond.↗ · The pond has 30 fish.↗ · How many ducks are left on the pond?↗ · We went pond dipping and found tadpoles.↗ · Never walk on a frozen pond.↗ · Dragonflies lay their eggs in ponds.↗ · My cousin lives across the pond in America.↗ · And the water in the pond became dark with blood.↗ · Comprehend this great wisdom, understand this [7] knowledge, inquire into it and ponder on it, render it evident and lead [8] the Creator back to His throne again.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Kalisch 1877)↗

ponder — Everyday, meaning 1: To ponder is to think about something slowly and carefully for a long time before deciding.↗ Example: I must ponder this puzzle before I answer.↗ · She pondered the words for a long time.↗ · The old man pondered over the riddle until he understood it.↗ · After that our father Abraham had seen, and pondered over, investigated, and understood these things, he designed, engraved, and composed them, and received them into his power (hands).↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1887)↗ · I have pondered the days of old, the years of ancient times.↗ (Writings PSA.77.6, JPS 1917)↗ · And when I pondered how I might know this, it was wearisome in mine eyes; (Writings PSA.73.16, JPS 1917)↗ · And besides that Koheleth was wise, he also taught the people knowledge; yea, he pondered, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.↗ (Writings ECC.12.9, JPS 1917)↗

pondering — In Jewish tradition, meaning 1: Pondering is thinking deeply and slowly about something; it is the -ing form of ponder.↗ Example: Kai sat by the fire, pondering.↗ · She stood in silence, pondering the question.↗ · Pondering over the sums, Ben at last found his mistake.↗

ponderous — Everyday, meaning 1: Ponderous means very heavy and large, so that it is hard to lift or move.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Ponderous also means slow and heavy in manner, without any lightness.↗ Example: The stone door was too ponderous to move.↗ · The elephant walked with ponderous steps.↗ · The ship was so ponderous that fifty men could not push it into the water.↗

pondweed — Everyday, meaning 1: A plant that grows in ponds and slow rivers, often under or on the water, with green leaves or stems.↗ Example: We counted the oxygen bubbles coming from the pondweed.↗ · When the lamp was closer, the pondweed made more bubbles.↗ · Tadpoles hide in the pondweed.↗ · The frog jumped out covered in green pondweed.↗ · Too much pondweed can choke a pond.↗ · Our class pond has lots of pondweed.↗

pong — Everyday, meaning 1: (UK, Australia, informal) A pong is a strong, unpleasant smell.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (UK, informal) To pong is to smell bad.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Pong is one of the first video games, a simple tennis-like game from the early days of computers.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: «Ping-pong» is table tennis.↗ Example: What a pong!↗ Who left the bin open?↗ · Your football socks pong.↗ · The fish market had a terrible pong.↗ · The cheese ponged out the whole fridge.↗ · Pong was one of the first video games.↗ · We played ping-pong at the youth club.↗ · The changing room is a bit pongy.↗

pony — Everyday, meaning 1: A pony is a kind of small horse that stays small even when fully grown.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Informally, «pony» is a word some people use for a horse that children ride.↗ Example: I rode a pony at the farm.↗ · A pony is shorter than most horses.↗ · Shetland ponies are small but very strong.↗ · We saw wild ponies on Dartmoor.↗ · She grooms her pony every morning before school.↗ · The pony trotted round the field.↗ · My sister wears her hair in a ponytail.↗ · Always walk behind a pony with care; it may kick if startled.↗ · When the bewildered woman reached her dwelling, she mounted a pony and rode swiftly across the rolling land.↗

ponytail — Everyday, meaning 1: A ponytail is a hairstyle where long hair is pulled back and tied with a band at the back of the head so that it hangs down like a pony's tail.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: The hair that hangs down in this style.↗ Example: Lily tied her hair in a high ponytail for netball.↗ · Please put long hair in a ponytail before you light the Bunsen burner.↗ · Her ponytail swung as she ran.↗ · Some boys kept tugging her ponytail, so she moved seats.↗ · My dad has a short ponytail.↗ · She took out her ponytail and brushed her hair.↗ · The horse's real tail was longer than any ponytail.↗

poodle — Everyday, meaning 1: A dog with thick curly hair, often clipped into fancy shapes; poodles come in toy, miniature and standard sizes.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (UK, informal, scornful) A person or country that always obeys someone more powerful.↗ Example: Our neighbour's poodle has white curly fur.↗ · Poodles are clever and easy to train.↗ · The poodle wore a little pink bow.↗ · A standard poodle is much bigger than a toy poodle.↗ · Poodles don't shed much hair.↗ · The newspaper called the minister the prime minister's poodle.↗ · A magnificent Poodle appeared, walking on his hind legs just like a man.↗

pool — Everyday, meaning 1: A pool is a place filled with water to swim in.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A pool is a small area of liquid: a pool of rainwater.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: To pool is to put money or things together so everyone can share them.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: A pool is a group of things or people shared: a car pool.↗ Everyday, meaning 5: Pool is also a game played with balls and a stick on a table.↗ Example: The pool holds 5000 liters of water.↗ · She swims 10 laps in the pool.↗ · The pool is 25 meters long.↗ · They pooled their money to buy a gift.↗ · No running by the pool!↗ · We found crabs in the rock pools.↗ · A pool of water formed under the leaky tap.↗ · The parents set up a car pool for school.↗ · Dad played pool with his friends.↗ · A thirsty Stag went down to a pool to drink.↗ · And the LORD said unto Moses: 'Say unto Aaron: Stretch forth thy hand with thy rod over the rivers, over the canals, and over the pools, and cause frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt.'↗ (Torah EXO.8.5, JPS 1917)↗ · He turneth a wilderness into a pool of water, and a dry land into watersprings.↗ (Writings PSA.107.35, JPS 1917)↗ · I made me pools of water, to water therefrom the wood springing up with trees; (Writings ECC.2.6, JPS 1917)↗ · Who turned the rock into a pool of water, the flint into a fountain of waters.↗ (Writings PSA.114.8, JPS 1917)↗

poop — Everyday, meaning 1: (informal, childish, mostly US/Canada) Solid waste that comes out of a body; poo.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (verb, informal) To pass solid waste.↗ e.g. The dog pooped on the lawn.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (slang) «Pooped» means very tired.↗ e.g. I'm pooped!↗ Everyday, meaning 4: (old, sailing) The poop deck is the raised deck at the back of an old ship.↗ Everyday, meaning 5: (informal) «The poop» (US) means the inside news or information.↗ Example: Please pick up your dog's poop in the park.↗ · The baby needs a new nappy — she's pooped.↗ · After the race I was totally pooped.↗ · Scientists studied whale poop to learn about the sea.↗ · Don't be a party pooper — come and dance!↗ · The captain stood on the poop deck.↗ · Wash your hands after you poop.↗ · Bird poop landed on Dad's car.↗