📖 P — The English dictionary · page 48

potassium — Everyday, meaning 1: Potassium is a soft, silvery chemical element, a metal, with the symbol K.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Potassium is also a mineral the body needs to keep the heart, muscles and nerves working, found in foods like bananas, potatoes and beans.↗ Example: Bananas are a good source of potassium.↗ · Potassium has the chemical symbol K.↗ · The teacher dropped a tiny piece of potassium in water, and it burst into lilac flames.↗ · Our bodies need potassium for healthy muscles.↗ · Potassium is stored under oil because it reacts with air and water.↗ · Tomato feed is rich in potassium.↗

potato — Everyday, meaning 1: A potato is a vegetable that grows under the ground; we eat it cooked.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A couch potato is a person who sits watching TV a lot.↗ Example: She peeled 8 potatoes.↗ · A bag holds 5 kg of potatoes.↗ · Each potato weighs 200 grams.↗ · He planted 3 rows of potatoes.↗ · We had baked potatoes for dinner.↗ · Potatoes grow under the ground.↗ · French fries are made from potatoes.↗ · A potato with green skin should not be eaten.↗ · Don't be a couch potato, go outside and play!↗ · She put a great potato into his hand.↗

potency — Everyday, meaning 1: How strong or powerful something is, especially a medicine, drug, poison or chemical.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (formal) Power or influence: the potency of an idea.↗ Example: The potency of the medicine means you only need a small dose.↗ · Some medicines lose their potency after their expiry date.↗ · The snake's venom has great potency.↗ · The speech showed the potency of words.↗ · Scientists tested the potency of the new vaccine.↗ · Strong sunlight can reduce the potency of vitamins.↗

potent — Everyday, meaning 1: Potent means very strong and powerful in its effect: a potent medicine, poison or drink works strongly.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Potent can describe an idea, symbol or argument that has a strong effect on people's minds.↗ Example: Some snake venom is so potent that a tiny drop can be deadly.↗ · This medicine is potent, so only take the dose on the label.↗ · The witch brewed a potent potion.↗ · The poppy is a potent symbol of remembrance.↗ · Garlic has a potent smell.↗ · Her speech was a potent reminder to be kind.↗ · Strong coffee is too potent for children.↗ · But, delightfully as the wine looked, it was mingled with the most potent enchantments that Circe knew how to concoct.↗ · Wind is of course the herald of the storm, the Biblical symbol par excellence of the divine theophany, making wind a potent symbol of divine imminence.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Sefaria community translation)↗

potentate — Everyday, meaning 1: A ruler, usually a king or prince, who has great power over other people.↗ Example: The woodcutter did not become a potentate.↗ · The old potentate lived in a golden palace.↗ · A potentate can order many people about.↗

potential — Everyday, meaning 1: adjective.↗ e.g. Potential means possible in the future, but not yet real.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: noun.↗ e.g. Potential is the ability or talent that could grow and lead to success.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (science) Potential energy is energy stored in something because of its position or shape, like a stretched spring or a book on a high shelf.↗ Example: A ball on a high shelf has potential energy.↗ · Wet floors are a potential danger.↗ · The coach said she has the potential to be a champion.↗ · They talked to potential buyers of the house.↗ · Work hard to reach your full potential.↗ · The old barn has lots of potential.↗

pothole — Everyday, meaning 1: A hole in the surface of a road or path, made by weather and traffic.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A deep hole or cave in rock, often made by water, that people may climb down.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (informal) A hidden problem that could cause trouble.↗ Example: Dad's car hit a pothole and the tyre went flat.↗ · Watch out for potholes when you ride your bike.↗ · The pothole filled with rain and looked like a puddle.↗ · The council finally fixed the potholes on our street.↗ · The explorers climbed down a deep pothole in the hills.↗ · There are a few potholes in the plan, but we can fix them.↗ · My scooter wobbled when it hit a pothole.↗

potion — Everyday, meaning 1: A potion is a drink made of mixed liquids that is supposed to have a special effect, such as magic, medicine or poison.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: In fairy tales and fantasy games, a potion is a magic drink that heals, makes someone sleep, fall in love or change shape.↗ Example: The witch stirred a bubbling potion in her cauldron.↗ · Drink the health potion to get your lives back.↗ · In the fairy tale, a sleeping potion put the princess to sleep.↗ · We made a pretend potion with water, glitter and food colouring.↗ · Never drink a «potion» made from things in the cupboard.↗ · Old doctors sold potions that did not really work.↗ · "It is only a sleeping potion," said the enchantress to Prince Jason.↗

potlatch — Everyday, meaning 1: A potlatch is a big traditional ceremony and feast of First Nations and Native American peoples of the Pacific Northwest coast of North America, such as the Kwakwaka'wakw and the Haida, where the host gives gifts to guests to mark important events like births, marriages, names and deaths.↗ Example: The family held a potlatch to celebrate a new chief.↗ · At a potlatch, the host gives gifts to the guests.↗ · Dancers wore carved masks at the potlatch.↗ · The potlatch was banned in Canada for many years.↗ · Today, potlatches are an important part of Northwest Coast culture again.↗ · We learned about the potlatch in our First Nations unit.↗

potsherd — Everyday, meaning 1: A broken piece of an old clay pot or dish, often found in the ground.↗ Example: She asked to see the potsherd.↗ · The archaeologist found a potsherd in the field.↗ · He gave the lad a piece of broken potsherd.↗ · Sharpest potsherds are under him; he spreadeth a threshing-sledge upon the mire.↗ (Writings JOB.41.22, JPS 1917)↗ · And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself therewith; and he sat among the ashes.↗ (Writings JOB.2.8, JPS 1917)↗ · Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker, as a potsherd with the potsherds of the earth!↗ (Prophets ISA.45.9, JPS 1917)↗

pottage — Everyday, meaning 1: A thick soup or stew of vegetables, grain, meat or fish, cooked in a pot.↗ Example: He gobbled up all the pottage.↗ · Grind herrings and milk pottage, said the master.↗ · The cook stirred the pottage all afternoon.↗ · And Jacob sod pottage; and Esau came in from the field, and he was faint.↗ (Torah GEN.25.29, JPS 1917)↗ · And Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way.↗ (Torah GEN.25.34, JPS 1917)↗ · And Esau said to Jacob: 'Let me swallow, I pray thee, some of this red, red pottage; for I am faint.'↗ Therefore was his name called Edom.↗ (Torah GEN.25.30, JPS 1917)↗ · And it came to pass, as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out, and said: 'O man of God, there is death in the pot.'↗ And they could not eat thereof.↗ (Prophets 2KI.4.40, JPS 1917)↗ · And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wild gourds his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage; for they knew them not.↗ (Prophets 2KI.4.39, JPS 1917)↗ · If one bear hallowed flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any food, shall it be holy?'↗ And the priests answered and said: 'No.'↗ (Prophets HAG.2.12, JPS 1917)↗ · And Jacob sod pottage; and Esau came in from the field, and he was faint.↗ (Torah GEN.25.29, JPS 1917) · Then he went and drank up all the soup, and gobbled up all the pottage, and then he saw the cock lying on a plate.↗ (Cossack Fairy Tales and Folk Tales) · And Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way.↗ (Torah GEN.25.34, JPS 1917)

potted — Everyday, meaning 1: Growing in a pot: a potted plant lives in a flowerpot, not in the ground.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (food) Cooked meat or fish pressed into a small pot or jar and covered with fat or butter so it keeps: «potted shrimps», «potted meat».↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Made short and simple: «a potted history» tells a long story in a few lines.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: Past form of the verb «pot»: put a plant in a pot, or (snooker, pool) knock a ball into a pocket.↗ Example: We put a potted plant on each windowsill in the classroom.↗ · Mum bought a jar of potted shrimps at the seaside.↗ · The Rat's basket was full of good things, including potted meat.↗ · Our teacher gave us a potted history of the Romans in five minutes.↗ · He potted the black ball and won the game of pool.↗ · I potted the seedlings into bigger pots.↗ · The potted geranium needs watering every few days.↗

potter — Everyday, meaning 1: A potter is a person who makes pots, bowls and other things from clay, often on a spinning wheel, and bakes them in a kiln.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (UK) To potter (about or around) is to do small, pleasant, unhurried jobs or move about slowly and happily («potter in the garden»).↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (a name) Potter is a surname, as in Beatrix Potter, the author of Peter Rabbit, and the fictional Harry Potter.↗ Example: The potter shaped a bowl on the spinning wheel.↗ · Potters fire their pots in a hot kiln.↗ · Grandad likes to potter about in his shed.↗ · We spent Sunday pottering around the house.↗ · Beatrix Potter wrote «The Tale of Peter Rabbit».↗ · Harry Potter is a boy wizard in a book.↗ · The potter's wheel spins very fast.↗ · So the potter gave him beautiful raiment and ornaments, and the prince went to the palace.↗ · 'O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD.↗ (Prophets JER.18.6, JPS 1917)↗ · 'Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear My words.'↗ (Prophets JER.18.2, JPS 1917)↗ · Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he was at his work on the wheels.↗ (Prophets JER.18.3, JPS 1917)↗

pottery — Everyday, meaning 1: Pottery is pots, bowls, plates and other objects made from clay and baked hard.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Pottery is the craft of making such objects.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: A pottery is a place where these objects are made.↗ Example: We made pottery bowls in art class.↗ · The clay is baked in a kiln to make pottery.↗ · Archaeologists found pieces of ancient pottery.↗ · My aunt sells her pottery at the market.↗ · I'd like to try a pottery wheel.↗ · Be careful — pottery breaks if you drop it.↗ · When the merchant mentioned the devil's name, the fiend immediately appeared at the threshold, began seizing the gold and silver wares, and flinging in their place bits of pottery.↗ · have been found on the Egyptian pottery form a sig- (Mordell, The Origin of Letters and Numerals according to Sefer Yetzirah (1914))↗ · Similar to these cliaracters are the linear letters, which iiave been found on the Egyptian pottery.↗ (Mordell, The Origin of Letters and Numerals according to Sefer Yetzirah (1914))↗

pottle — Everyday, meaning 1: A small measure of liquid or fruit; also a small basket for berries.↗ In the tale «a pottle o' brains» means a good store of wit or sense.↗ Example: Thou hast got thy pottle o' brains already.↗ · I canna buy my pottle o' brains.↗ · A pottle of strawberries fills the basket.↗

potty — Everyday, meaning 1: A small plastic seat-bowl that a toddler uses as a toilet while learning.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (informal) «Go potty» means go to the toilet (said to little children).↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (UK informal) Slightly crazy or silly.↗ e.g. My grandma's gone potty.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: (UK informal) «Potty about» means very keen on.↗ e.g. She's potty about horses.↗ Everyday, meaning 5: A «potty mouth» (US slang) is someone who swears a lot.↗ Example: My baby brother is learning to use the potty.↗ · Do you need to go potty before we leave?↗ · All this noise is driving me potty!↗ · She's potty about ponies.↗ · The potty inventor made a flying teapot.↗ · Mum says I have a potty mouth when I say bad words.↗ · Potty training took a few weeks.↗

pouch — Everyday, meaning 1: A pouch is a small soft bag, often closed with a string or zip, for carrying small things.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A pocket of skin on the belly of some animals, like kangaroos, where their babies grow.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: A pocket of skin in the cheeks of some animals, like hamsters, for carrying food.↗ Example: The baby kangaroo lives in its mother's pouch.↗ · Put your pens in your pencil pouch.↗ · The hamster stuffed seeds into its cheek pouches.↗ · Koalas are marsupials and have a pouch.↗ · He kept his coins in a leather pouch.↗ · I had an apple juice pouch with my lunch.↗ · A joey stays in the pouch for months.↗ · I will fill your knapsack—I will fill your pouch.’↗