promise
promise: n. & v. --n.
1 an assurance that one will or will not undertake a certain action, behaviour, etc. (a promise of help; gave a promise to be generous).
2 a sign or signs of future achievements, good results, etc. (a writer of great promise). --v.tr.
1 (usu. foll. by to + infin., or that + clause; also absol.) make (a person) a promise, esp. to do, give, or procure (a thing) (I promise you a fair hearing; they promise not to be late; promised that he would be there; cannot positively promise).
2 a afford expectations of (the discussions promise future problems; promises to be a good cook). b (foll. by to + infin.) seem likely to (is promising to rain).
3 colloq. assure, confirm (I promise you, it will not be easy).
4 (usu. in passive) archaic betroth (she is promised to another). øthe promised lan.
1 Bibl. Canaan (Gen. 12:7 etc.).
2 any desired place, esp. heaven. promise oneself look forward to (a pleasant time etc.). promise well (or ill etc.) hold out good (or bad etc.) prospects. øøpromisee n . esp. Law. promiser n. promisor n. esp. Law. [ME f. L promissum neut. past part. of promittere put forth, promise (as PRO-(1), mittere send)]

parenthesis
parenthesis: n. (pl. parentheses.
1 a a word, clause, or sentence inserted as an explanation or afterthought into a passage which is grammatically complete without it, and usu. marked off by brackets or dashes or commas. b (in pl.) a pair of round brackets () used for this.
2 an interlude or interval. øin parenthesis as a parenthesis or afterthought. [LL f. Gk parenthesis f. parentithemi put in beside]

pyramid
pyramid: n.
1 a monumental structure, usu. of stone, with a square base and sloping sides meeting centrally at an apex, esp. an ancient Egyptian royal tomb.
2 a solid of this type with a base of three or more sides.
3 a pyramid-shaped thing or pile of things.
4 (in pl.) a game played on a billiard-table with (usu. 15) coloured balls and a cue-ball. øpyramid selling a system of selling goods in which agency rights are sold to an increasing number of distributors at successively lower levels. øøpyramidal adj. pyramidally adv. pyramidic adj. (also pyramidical). pyramidically adv. pyramidwise adj. [ME f. L pyramis f. Gk puramis -idos]

proton
proton: n. Physics a stable elementary particle with a positive electric charge, equal in magnitude to that of an electron, and occurring in all atomic nuclei. øøprotonic adj. [Gk, neut. of protos first]

parting
parting: n.
1 a leave-taking or departure (often attrib.: parting words).
2 Brit. the dividing line of combed hair.
3 a division; an act of separating. øparting shot = PARTHIAN SHOT.

phenomenal
phenomenal: adj.
1 of the nature of a phenomenon.
2 extraordinary, remarkable, prodigious.
3 perceptible by, or perceptible only to, the senses. øøphenomenalize v.tr. (also -ise). phenomenally adv.

practise
practise: v. (US practice.
1 tr. perform habitually; carry out in action (practise the same method; practise what you preach).
2 tr. & (foll. by in, on) intr. do repeatedly as an exercise to improve a skill; exercise oneself in or on (an activity requiring skill) (had to practise in the art of speaking; practise your reading).
3 tr. (as practised adj.) experienced, expert (a practised liar; with a practised hand).
4 tr. a pursue or be engaged in (a profession, religion, etc.). b (as practising adj.) currently active or engaged in (a profession or activity) (a practising Christian; a practising lawyer).
5 intr. (foll. by on, upon) take advantage of; impose upon.
6 intr. archaic scheme, contrive (when first we practise to deceive). øøpractiser n. [ME f. OF pra(c)tiser or med.L practizare alt. f. practicare (as PRACTICAL)]

polystyrene
polystyrene: n. a thermoplastic polymer of styrene, usu. hard and colourless or expanded with a gas to produce a lightweight rigid white substance, used for insulation and in packaging.

participation
puberty
puberty: n. the period during which adolescents reach sexual maturity and become capable of reproduction. øage of puberty the age at which puberty begins, in law usu. 14 in boys and 12 in girls. øøpubertal adj. [ME f. F pubert÷ or L pubertas f. puber adult]

purity
purity: n.
1 pureness, cleanness.
2 freedom from physical or moral pollution. [ME f. OF puret÷, with assim. to LL puritas -tatis f. L purus pure]

pakistani
Pakistani: n. & adj. --n.
1 a native or national of Pakistan.
2 a person of Pakistani descent. --adj. of or relating to Pakistan. [Hindu]

pikelet
pikelet: n. N.Engl. a thin kind of crumpet. [Welsh (bara) pyglyd pitchy (bread)]

playgroup
playgroup: n. a group of preschool children who play regularly together at a particular place under supervision.

pachuco
papain
papain: n. an enzyme obtained from unripe pawpaws, used to tenderize meat and as a food supplement to aid digestion. [PAPAYA + -IN]

pleasure
pleasure: n. & v. --n.
1 a feeling of satisfaction or joy.
2 enjoyment.
3 a source of pleasure or gratification (painting was my chief pleasure; it is a pleasure to talk to them).
4 formal a person's will or desire (what is your pleasure?).
5 sensual gratification or enjoyment (a life of pleasure).
6 (attrib.) done or used for pleasure (pleasure-ground). --v.
1 tr. give (esp. sexual) pleasure to.
2 intr. (often foll. by in) take pleasure. øtake pleasure in like doing. with pleasure gladly. [ME & OF plesir, plaisir PLEASE, used as a noun]

potential
potential: adj. & n. --adj. capable of coming into being or action; latent. --n.
1 the capacity for use or development; possibility (achieved its highest potential).
2 usable resources.
3 Physics the quantity determining the energy of mass in a gravitational field or of charge in an electric field. øpotential barrier a region of high potential impeding the movement of particles etc. potential difference the difference of electric potential between two points. potential energy a body's ability to do work by virtue of its position relative to others, stresses within itself, electric charge, etc. øøpotentiality n. potentialize v.tr. (also -ise). potentially adv. [ME f. OF potencial or LL potentialis f. potentia (as POTENT(1))]

palaestra
palaestra: n. (also palestra) Gk & Rom. Antiq. a wrestling-school or gymnasium. [ME f. L palaestra f. Gk palaistra f. palaio wrestle]

prince
prince: n. (as a title usu. Prince.
1 a male member of a royal family other than a reigning king.
2 (in full prince of the blood) a son or grandson of a British monarch.
3 a ruler of a small State, actually or nominally subject to a king or emperor.
4 (as an English rendering of foreign titles) a noble usu. ranking next below a duke.
5 (as a courtesy title in some connections) a duke, marquis, or earl.
6 (often foll. by of) the chief or greatest (the prince of novelists). øPrince Charming an idealized young hero or lover. prince consor.
1 the husband of a reigning female sovereign who is himself a prince.
2 the title conferred on him. Prince of Darkness Satan. Prince of Peace Christ. Prince of Wales the heir apparent to the British throne, as a title conferred by the monarch. Prince Regent a prince who acts as regent, esp. George (afterwards IV) as regent 1811-20. prince royal the eldest son of the reigning monarch. prince's feather a tall plant, Amaranthus hypochondriacus, with feathery spikes of small red flowers. prince's metal a brasslike alloy of copper and zinc. øøprincedom n. princelet n. princelike adj. princeship n. [ME f. OF f. L princeps principis first, chief, sovereign f. primus first + capere take]