📖 P — The English dictionary · page 5

pangolin — Everyday, meaning 1: A pangolin is a mammal covered in hard, overlapping scales, which eats ants and termites with a long sticky tongue.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: When scared, a pangolin rolls up into a tight ball.↗ Example: The pangolin curled into a ball to protect itself.↗ · Pangolins eat thousands of ants a day.↗ · Their scales are made of the same stuff as your nails.↗ · Pangolins are in danger because of poaching.↗ · A baby pangolin rides on its mother's tail.↗ · The pangolin licked termites out of the mound.↗

panic — Everyday, meaning 1: Panic is a sudden, very strong fear that makes people stop thinking clearly and act wildly.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To panic means to feel this fear and act without thinking.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: In a panic can also mean in a great hurry and worry («a last-minute panic»).↗ Example: Don't panic; just walk calmly to the fire exit.↗ · When she lost her mum in the shop, she started to panic.↗ · There was panic when the lights went out.↗ · He panicked and forgot all his lines.↗ · If you get lost, don't panic: find a safe adult to ask.↗ · We were in a panic because we had overslept.↗ · Breathe slowly when you feel panic rising.↗ · Panic buying emptied the shelves of toilet paper.↗ · The man who had found the purse fell into a panic.↗

panicked — Everyday, meaning 1: Suddenly felt such strong fear or worry that you could not think clearly.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (adjective) Showing panic: a panicked voice, panicked crowds.↗ Example: When the fire alarm rang, nobody panicked.↗ · I panicked when I could not find my mum in the shop.↗ · The horse panicked at the loud bang.↗ · She gave me a panicked look before her speech.↗ · He panicked and forgot all his lines.↗ · The crowd panicked and rushed for the doors.↗ · I panicked in the exam, then took a deep breath and started again.↗

panicky — Everyday, meaning 1: (informal) Panicky means feeling or showing sudden great fear or worry, so that you cannot think calmly.↗ Example: I felt panicky when I couldn't find my ticket.↗ · The panicky horse ran round the field.↗ · Her voice sounded panicky on the phone.↗ · Take deep breaths if you feel panicky.↗ · The crowd became panicky when the lights went out.↗ · He gets panicky before tests.↗

pannier — Everyday, meaning 1: A pannier is a basket or bag, often one of a pair, hung over the back of a horse or donkey to carry goods.↗ Example: The donkey carried two panniers full of apples.↗ · The peddler refilled his panniers with salt.↗ · She put her shopping in the pannier on her bike.↗

panoply — Everyday, meaning 1: A panoply is a complete set of armour or fine clothes worn for a grand occasion.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A panoply is a grand display of many things together.↗ Example: The knight rode out in full panoply.↗ · The soldiers marched in panoply, shining in their armour.↗ · The fair had a panoply of colours and sounds.↗

panorama — Everyday, meaning 1: A wide view of a large area of land, sea or sky.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A wide photograph or picture showing a whole scene from side to side.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: A full overview of a topic or a period.↗ e.g. "a panorama of history".↗ Example: From the top of the hill there was a panorama of the whole city.↗ · I took a panorama of the beach with my phone.↗ · The castle tower gives a wonderful panorama of the valley.↗ · The book gives a panorama of life in Victorian times.↗ · Hold the phone still when you take a panorama.↗ · The painting is a huge panorama of a battle.↗

pant — Everyday, meaning 1: To pant is to breathe fast and loudly with your mouth open, because you are hot, tired or excited.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A pant is one quick, short breath.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (old or literary) To pant for something is to want it very much.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: (US) «Pant» is used before another noun to mean trousers, as in «pant leg»; see also «pants».↗ Example: After the race I was panting and red in the face.↗ · The dog lay in the shade, panting with its tongue out.↗ · Dogs pant to cool down on hot days.↗ · She ran up the stairs and arrived panting.↗ · We could hear the wolf panting outside the door.↗ · In PE we counted our breaths while we panted after sprinting.↗ · He rolled up his pant leg to show the scratch.↗ · ‘Here it is,’ he panted, rather out of breath.↗ · It derives from the root נפ״שׁ NPSh, having to do with breathing, refreshing, and resting; its etymological relationships with curiously similar roots like נשׁ״ם NShM ‘to breathe, pant’, נשׁ״ף NShP ‘to blow’, and נשׁ״ב NShB ‘to blow’ are unclear.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Sefaria community translation)↗ · I opened wide my mouth, and panted; for I longed for Thy commandments.↗ (Writings PSA.119.131, JPS 1917)↗ · Yea, the beasts of the field pant unto Thee; for the water brooks are dried up, and the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness.↗ (Prophets JOL.1.20, JPS 1917)↗ · That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn aside the way of the humble; and a man and his father go unto the same maid, to profane My holy name; (Prophets AMO.2.7, JPS 1917)↗

pantaloon — Everyday, meaning 1: Pantaloons were loose trousers worn long ago.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: In old plays, a pantaloon is a silly old man.↗ Example: The old man pointed to his pantaloons.↗ · Long ago, gentlemen wore pantaloons tied at the ankle.↗ · The clown in the old play was a foolish pantaloon.↗

pantheon — Everyday, meaning 1: All the gods of a people or religion, taken together: the Greek pantheon.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A group of the most famous or important people in an area: the pantheon of great footballers.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: The Pantheon: a famous ancient temple in Rome with a huge dome, and a building in Paris where famous French people are buried (a name).↗ Example: Zeus was the king of the Greek pantheon.↗ · The Norse pantheon includes Odin, Thor and Loki.↗ · The Pantheon in Rome has a hole in the top of its dome.↗ · She has joined the pantheon of great tennis players.↗ · We made a family tree of the Egyptian pantheon.↗ · Many famous French writers are buried in the Panthéon in Paris.↗

panther — Everyday, meaning 1: A panther is a big wild cat, usually a leopard or a jaguar with black fur (a black panther).↗ Everyday, meaning 2: In North America, a panther is another name for a puma or cougar, as in the Florida panther.↗ Example: A black panther is really a leopard or jaguar with dark fur.↗ · In The Jungle Book, Bagheera is a black panther.↗ · The Florida panther is very rare.↗ · A panther moves silently through the trees.↗ · You can see faint spots on a black panther in bright light.↗ · The panther climbed the tree with its prey.↗ · A PANTHER, by some mischance, fell into a pit.↗

panting — Everyday, meaning 1: Panting means breathing fast and loudly with your mouth open, usually after running or because you are hot.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Wanting something very much (old, in "panting for").↗ Example: The dog was panting after the long walk.↗ · I was panting after running up the hill.↗ · He ran in, panting, and shouted the news.↗ · Dogs pant to cool themselves down.↗ · The runners crossed the line, panting hard.↗ · Give a panting dog water and shade.↗ · She stopped, panting, at the top of the stairs.↗ · Panting for breath, she entered their room, and flung herself down on the floor.↗ · I have long time held My peace, I have been still, and refrained Myself; now will I cry like a travailing woman, gasping and panting at once.↗ (Prophets ISA.42.14, JPS 1917)↗

panto — Everyday, meaning 1: (UK, informal) A panto is a funny family musical play, usually shown around Christmas and New Year, based on a fairy tale such as Cinderella or Aladdin, with jokes, songs, a man dressed as a «dame», and lots of audience shouting.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (UK) Panto can describe anything silly and over-the-top, as in «a bit of a panto».↗ Example: We go to the panto every Christmas.↗ · The audience shouted «He's behind you!» at the panto.↗ · Our teacher played the dame in the school panto.↗ · This year's panto is Jack and the Beanstalk.↗ · Everyone booed the panto villain.↗ · Oh no it isn't!↗ Oh yes it is! — that's panto for you.↗ · The meeting turned into a bit of a panto.↗

pantomime — Everyday, meaning 1: (UK, Ireland, Australia) A funny family play, usually at Christmas, based on a fairy tale, with songs, jokes, a man dressed as a woman (the Dame), and the audience shouting back.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Telling a story with movements and faces but no words; mime.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (informal) A silly, over-the-top situation: «The meeting was a pantomime.».↗ Example: We went to the pantomime at Christmas and shouted «He's behind you!»↗ · The Dame in the panto wore a huge pink wig.↗ · This year's pantomime is Cinderella.↗ · In drama we did a pantomime of making a sandwich, without speaking.↗ · «Oh no it isn't!»↗ «Oh yes it is!» shouted the audience.↗ · Dad called the traffic jam a complete pantomime.↗ · My school puts on a panto every December.↗

pantry — Everyday, meaning 1: A small room or large cupboard in a home where food like tins, jars, flour and cereal is kept.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A food pantry (also food bank) is a place where people who need help can get free food.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (Australia, New Zealand, UK, informal) Any kitchen cupboard used for food, also called a larder.↗ Example: Mum keeps the flour and rice in the pantry.↗ · There are 24 cans on the pantry shelves, 6 on each shelf.↗ · Who raided the pantry and ate all the cookies?↗ · Our school collects tins for the local food pantry.↗ · The pantry door creaked open in the dark.↗ · Grandad stocked the pantry before the snowstorm.↗ · Put the cereal back in the pantry when you're done.↗ · The old house had a cool pantry behind the kitchen.↗ · ‘Now go back to the pantry, and bring the best of everything you find there.’↗

pants — Everyday, meaning 1: (UK, Ireland, Australia, NZ) Underwear worn under your clothes around your bottom; underpants or knickers.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (USA, Canada, also often Australia) Trousers: clothes that cover each leg down to the ankle.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (UK, informal) Rubbish, very bad: «That film was pants».↗ Example: I packed clean pants and socks for the trip.↗ · Put your pants on before your trousers.↗ · (US) My pants have a hole in the knee.↗ · (US) He wore khaki pants and a T-shirt.↗ · Remember the PANTS rule: your private parts belong to you.↗ · That ghost story scared the pants off me!↗ · (UK) The weather today is pants.↗ · "'Pullin' down my pants, Brer Fox,' sezee.↗

papa — Everyday, meaning 1: (old-fashioned or family word) Father, dad.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (in some families) Grandfather, grandad.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: In the NATO phonetic alphabet, the word for the letter P.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: (other languages) «Papa» also means dad in French, Italian, Spanish (papá) and many more; in Ukrainian the usual word for dad is «tato».↗ Example: «Goodnight, Papa,» said the girl in the old story.↗ · Papa Bear's porridge was too hot.↗ · We call Grandad «Papa».↗ · P for Papa, Q for Quebec.↗ · In French, «papa» means dad.↗ · My friend's papa picks her up from school.↗ · Papa Smurf is the leader of the Smurfs.↗ · One thing, however, the papa stork could understand.↗

papal — Everyday, meaning 1: (church) Papal means to do with the Pope, the head of the Roman Catholic Church.↗ Example: Crowds gathered to see the papal visit.↗ · The papal flag is yellow and white.↗ · The Vatican holds the papal palace.↗ · The papal letter was read in all the churches.↗ · In history, papal power was very great in Europe.↗ · The papal car is sometimes called the Popemobile.↗ · They came from Rome with a papal decree--a ban, or bull, against the widow who had dared to offend the pious bishop.↗

paper — Everyday, meaning 1: Paper is the thin material we write and draw on.↗ Books and newspapers are made of paper.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A paper is a newspaper.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Papers are documents, like a passport.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: A paper is also a test or a piece of written school work.↗ Everyday, meaning 5: Paper (adjective) means made of paper: a paper plane.↗ Example: She has 20 sheets of paper.↗ · Each student gets 3 pieces of paper.↗ · He delivers 40 papers every day.↗ · Cut the paper into 4 equal parts.↗ · Fold the paper in half to find the line of symmetry.↗ · Paper is made from trees.↗ · Please recycle your scrap paper.↗ · Dad reads the paper at breakfast.↗ · We made paper planes at lunch.↗ · "Master clerk," said a servant who entered with some papers.↗

paperback — Everyday, meaning 1: A book with a soft cover made of thick paper, not a hard cover.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (adjective) Made with such a cover: the paperback edition.↗ Example: I bought the paperback because it was cheaper.↗ · The paperback costs £7 and the hardback costs £15.↗ · My paperback got bent in my school bag.↗ · The book is now out in paperback.↗ · She reads paperbacks on the bus.↗ · How much more is the hardback than the paperback?↗

paperclip — Everyday, meaning 1: A small piece of bent wire used to hold sheets of paper together.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (computers) The small clip symbol that means "attach a file", for example in an email.↗ Example: Put a paperclip on your homework sheets.↗ · The magnet picked up ten paperclips.↗ · My pencil is five paperclips long.↗ · She bent a paperclip into a heart shape.↗ · Click the paperclip to attach a photo to the email.↗ · We made a switch for our circuit with a paperclip.↗