personnel [p# s@ "nEl] n. the peo- ple who work for a company or organization. (No plural.) perspective on something a way of looking at a situation and deter- mining what is important. perspire [p# "spaI#] iv. to sweat. persuade [p# "swed] tv. to use argument or discussion to cause someone to do or think some- thing. persuasion [p# "swe Z@n] n. efforts to persuade someone of something. (No plural.) → be of the persuasion that something is so pertain to someone or something [p# "ten ] to have to do with someone or something; to be rele- vant to someone or something. pesky ["pEs ki] adj. being a pest Q or W; irritating; annoying; trou- blesome. (Adv: peskily. Comp: peskier; sup: peskiest.) pest ["pEst] 1. n. any animal or insect that destroys crops, spreads disease, or enters people’s homes. 2. n. someone or something that causes trouble; someone or some- thing that is a nuisance. pester ["pEs t#] tv. to bother some- one; to annoy someone. pet ["pEt] 1. n. an animal that is kept in one’s home or yard as a companion. 2. adj. [of an animal] kept as Q. (Prenominal only.) 3. adj. special; particular; favorite. (Prenominal only.) 4. tv. to stroke or pat someone or some creature. → be the teacher’s pet → house pet → one’s pet hate → one’s pet peeve petal ["pEt @l] n. one of the colored sections of the blossom of a flower. petite [p@ "tit] 1. adj. [of a woman] small; [of a woman] short. (From French. Adv: petitely.) 2. adj. [of a clothing size or range of sizes] fit- ting women who are Q. petition [p@ "tI S@n] 1. n. a docu- ment signed by many people who are demanding something from someone. 2. tv. to request some- thing formally of a government or of an authority, often through the use of Q. (The object can be a clause with that U.) petroleum [p@ "tro li @m] n. oil that is pumped from under the ground, used to make gasoline and other substances. (No plural.) phantom ["fAn t@m] 1. n. a ghost; an image or memory that is “seen” by the mind in a dream or in a vision, but is not real. 2. adj. like a ghost; unreal; apparent, but not real. phase ["fez] 1. n. a stage in the development of someone or some- thing; a stage in a sequence of events. 2. n. any of the stages of the appearance of the moon as seen from earth. philosophy [fI "las @ fi] 1. n. the science and study of the meaning of truth, knowledge, reality, and existence. (No plural.) 2. n. the way one looks at life; the principles one uses to live one’s life. (Plural only for types and instances.) phobia ["fob i @] n. an unreasonable fear; a strong dread. (Also in com- personnel 426 07 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 426 TLFeBOOK binations, such as claustrophobia, hydrophobia.) phone ["fon] 1. n. a telephone. 2. tv. to call someone by Q; to telephone someone. phone call ["fon kOl] n. a message or a conversation using the tele- phone. (Shortened from telephone call . Can be shortened to call.) photo ["fo to] n. a photograph; a snapshot; a picture made by a camera. photograph ["fo t@ grAf] 1. n. a picture made by a camera; a photo; a snapshot. (Can be short- ened to photo.) 2. tv. to take a pic- ture, with a camera, of someone or something. photographer [f@ "ta gr@ f#] n. someone who takes pictures with a camera, especially for a living. photography [f@ "ta gr@ fi] n. the science, study, art, or act of taking a picture with a camera. (No plu- ral.) phr. an abbreviation of phrase Q and W. phrase ["frez] 1. n. a group of words that functions as a unit of grammar within a sentence. (Abbreviated phr. here.) 2. n. an expression usually including sev- eral words. 3. n. a series of notes that is a part of a piece of music. 4. tv. to put communication into words. 5. tv. to perform music, grouping into a series the notes that belong to E. physical ["fIz I k@l] 1. adj. of or about the body; of the body. (Adv: physically [ Ik li].) 2. adj. of or about the laws of nature; of or about the study of physics. 3. adj. of or about real objects; of or about matter. (Adv: physically [ Ik li].) 4. n. a thorough exami- nation by a doctor. (Short for phys- ical examination. ) physical examination ["fIz I k@l Ig zAm @ "ne S@n ] n. an examina- tion of someone’s body and health by a doctor. (Can be shortened to physical.) physician [fI "zI S@n] n. a medical doctor. physics ["fIz Iks] n. the science and study of the properties of and relationships between matter and energy. (Treated as singular.) pianist ["pi @ nIst] n. someone who plays the piano, especially a pro- fessional piano player. piano [pi "A no] n. a large musical instrument in which small, soft hammers connected to a keyboard strike tuned metal strings. (Plural ends in -s.) pick ["pIk] 1. n. a tool that is a heavy, pointed metal bar attached to a handle, used for breaking apart ice, rocks, and other objects. 2. n. a choice; a selection. (Plural only for types and instances.) 3. tv. to choose a particular person or thing. 4. tv. to remove something from someplace, espe- cially using one’s fingers or a pointed tool. 5. tv. to gather or harvest flowers, fruit, cotton, peas, beans, etc. → have a bone to pick (with someone ) pick a lock to open a lock without using a key. pick a lock 427 07 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 427 TLFeBOOK pick and choose to choose very carefully from a number of possi- bilities; to be selective. pick at something to eat something a little bit at a time, without inter- est. the pick of something the best of the group. pick someone or something out (for someone or something ) to choose someone or something to serve as someone or something. pick someone or something out (of something ) 1. to lift or pull some- one or something out of some- thing. 2. to select someone or something out of an offering of selections. pick someone or something up 1. to grasp and raise someone or something; to lift someone or something. 2. to collect someone or something; to stop at a place and gather, obtain, or secure someone or something. 3. to acquire someone or something. pick something out to select or choose something, such as an item of clothing. pick up to increase, as with busi- ness, wind, activity, etc. pick up (after someone or some- thing ) to tidy up after someone or a group. pick up the tab to pay the bill. pickle ["pIk @l] 1. n. a cucumber— whole, sliced, chopped, or in sec- tions—that has been preserved in salt water or vinegar. 2. tv. to pre- serve food, especially vegetables, in salt water or vinegar. picnic ["pIk nIk] 1. n. a meal pre- pared to be eaten informally out- doors. 2. iv., irreg. to have Q. (Past tense and past participle: pic- nicked . Present participle: picnick- ing .) 3. adj. used for Q. picnicked ["pIk nIkt] past tense and past participle of picnic. picnicking ["pIk nIk IN] present participle of picnic. picture ["pIk tS#] 1. n. a drawing, a painting, or a photograph; an image of someone or something. 2. n. a movie; a motion picture. 3. n. the image on a television screen. 4. tv. to think of someone or something; to make a mental image of someone or something; to imagine something. 5. tv. to show someone or something in Q. → (as) pretty as a picture → in the picture of (good) health → motion picture the picture of something the per- fect example of something; an exact image of something. pie ["paI] 1. n. a kind of food that has a crust of pastry or something similar and is filled with meat, fruit, or some sweet substance. (The crust can be on the bottom or on both the bottom and top. Plural only for types and instances.) 2. n. a single, complete, round unit of Q. → (as) easy as (apple) pie → eat humble pie → have one’s finger in the pie → have one’s finger in too many pies → a piece of the pie pie in the sky a future reward, especially one that is not likely to be granted. pick and choose 428 07 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 428 TLFeBOOK piece ["pis] 1. n. a part of some- thing; a part broken off of or removed from something; an object that is put together with other objects to make something. 2. n. an example of something, especially of an art or craft, such as music. 3. n. [in games such as chess or checkers that are played on a special board] an object that is placed on the board and, typi- cally, moved to different places on the board according to the rules of the particular game. → fall to pieces → give someone a piece of one’s mind → villain of the piece a piece of the pie and a slice of the cake a share of something. piece something together to fit something together; to assemble the pieces of something, such as a puzzle or something puzzling, and make sense of it. piecrust ["paI kr@st] n. a piece of pastry found on the bottom and often the top of a pie. pier ["pIr] n. a dock; a structure like a bridge that extends into the water from the shore, supported by posts or columns. pierce ["pIrs] tv. to make a hole through someone or something; to cause something to go through something else. a piercing scream a very loud and shrill scream. pig ["pIg] 1. n. a farm animal with short legs and a curled tail, raised for food, especially bacon, ham, and pork. (Thought of as greedy and messy.) 2. n. someone who eats a lot of food. (Figurative on Q.) 3. n. someone who is dirty or messy. (Figurative on Q.) → guinea pig → serve as a guinea pig pigeon ["pIdZ @n] n. a bird, com- monly found in cities, with short legs and a heavy body, whose head bobs as it walks. pigment ["pIg m@nt] n. a substance that causes paint, skin, dye, or plant tissue to have a certain color. (Plural only for types and instances.) pile ["paIl] 1. n. a mound, stack, or heap of something, such as cloth- ing, leaves, dirt. 2. n. a beam of wood or steel that is driven into the ground to support a building, bridge, or other structure. 3. tv. to place or form things or matter into a shape like Q. pile in(to something ) to climb into something in a disorderly fashion. pile off ( something ) to get down off something; to climb down off something. pile on((to) someone or some- thing ) to make a heap of people on someone or something. pile out (of something ) to climb out of something, such as a car. pile someone in(to something ) to bunch people into something in a disorderly fashion. pile something up to make some- thing into a heap. pile up 1. to gather or accumulate. 2. [for a number of vehicles] to crash together. pilgrim ["pIl grIm] 1. n. someone who travels, especially to a holy place, as a religious act. 2. n. one pilgrim 429 07 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 429 TLFeBOOK of the settlers of Plymouth Colony in 1620. (Capitalized.) pill ["pIl] n. a small, formed mass containing vitamins, medicine, or some other drug that is swallowed. pillar ["pIl #] n. a column; a strong upright structure used to support something or as decoration. → from pillar to post a pillar of strength and a pillar of support someone or some- thing that provides support as a pillar does. a pillar of support Go to a pillar of strength. pillow ["pIl o] n. a cloth bag filled with feathers or a similar soft material, typically used to support one’s head while sleeping, or for decoration. pillowcase ["pIl o kes] n. a fabric cover for a pillow. pilot ["paI l@t] 1. n. someone who flies a plane; someone who guides a boat along a channel. 2. tv. to fly an airplane; to guide a boat through a channel. 3. adj. experi- mental; serving as a test. pilot someone or something through ( something ) to guide or steer someone or something through something, especially through a waterway. pilot something in(to something ) to steer or guide something into something. (Usually refers to steering a ship.) pilot something out (of something ) to steer or guide something out of something. (Usually refers to steering a ship.) pimple ["pIm p@l] n. a small, round infection on the skin. → get goose pimples pin ["pIn] 1. n. a thin, stiff, pointed wire occurring in a variety of forms, such as with a flat top, a plastic end, a safety cover on the end, etc. (The simple Q is also called a straight pin.) 2. n. a piece of jewelry that is attached to cloth- ing with a variety of Q. 3. tv. to attach something to something else with some variety of Q. 4. tv. to press someone or something against something. → on pins and needles → so quiet you could hear a pin drop → so still you could hear a pin drop pin someone down (on something ) and nail someone down (on something ) to demand and receive a firm answer from someone to some question. pin something up to raise some- thing and hold it up with pins. pinch ["pIntS] 1. n. an act of squeezing a fold of skin, usually causing pain. 2. n. a small amount of something, such as a spice, that can be held between one’s first fin- ger and one’s thumb. 3. tv. to squeeze or hold something, such as a fold of flesh, between two sur- faces. → feel the pinch → in a pinch → take something with a pinch of salt pinch something back to pinch off a bit of the top of a plant so it will branch and grow more strongly. pill 430 07 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 430 TLFeBOOK pine ["paIn] 1. n. a kind of tree that has long, thin, sharp needles for leaves. 2. n. wood from Q. (Plural only for types and instances.) 3. adj. made from W; composed of W. pine for someone or something to suffer because one does not have or has lost someone or something. pineapple ["paIn Ap @l] 1. n. a large, juicy tropical fruit that is yellow on the inside and has a very rough skin. 2. n. the edible part of Q. (No plural.) 3. adj. made from W; containing or flavored with W. pink ["pINk] 1. n. the color of red mixed with white; a light, pale red. (Plural only for types and instances.) 2. the adj. use of Q. (Comp: pinker; sup: pinkest.) → in the pink (of condition) pins and needles a tingling feel- ing in some part of one’s body. (Compare this with on pins and needles .) pint ["paInt] 1. n. a unit of liquid measure, equal to half a quart or ¹⁄₈ of a gallon or 16 fluid ounces. 2. n. a unit of dry measure, equal to half a quart or ¹⁄₆₄ of a bushel. 3. the adj. use of Q or W. pioneer [paI @ "nIr] 1. n. someone who is one of the first of a partic- ular group of people to settle a new area. (From the point of view of the particular group.) 2. n. someone who is one of the first to investigate an area of science that has never been examined; some- one who is one of the first people to do something, preparing the way for other people to do the same. 3. tv. to prepare the way for other people to do something; to help develop something for other people. pipe ["paIp] 1. n. a hollow tube that is used to carry a fluid from one place to another. 2. n. a tube con- nected to a small bowl, used to smoke tobacco. pipe dream a wish or an idea that is impossible to achieve or carry out. (From the dreams or visions induced by the smoking of an opium pipe.) pipe up (with something ) to inter- ject a comment; to interrupt with a comment. piping hot [of food] extremely hot. pique someone’s curiosity and pique someone’s interest to arouse interest; to arouse curiosity. pique someone’s interest Go to pique someone’s curiosity. pirate ["paI r@t] 1. n. someone who robs ships at sea. 2. tv. to steal or capture something, especially while at sea. 3. tv. to take some- thing; to use something when one does not have the right to use it. (Figurative on W.) 4. tv. to dupli- cate and sell copies of books, records, videos, and software without the permission of the original publisher. (Figurative on W.) piss ["pIs] 1. iv. to urinate. (Poten- tially offensive. The topic and the word are not heard in polite com- pany. Use with caution.) 2. n. urine. (Offensive as with Q.) pissed off ["pIst "Of] adj. angry. (Not often heard in polite com- pany, but its use is increasing.) pissed off 431 07 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 431 TLFeBOOK pistol ["pIs t@l] n. a small gun that can be held and shot with one hand. piston ["pIs t@n] n. a solid cylinder that is moved up and down inside a tube by some force, such as that found in an engine. pit ["pIt] 1. n. a large hole in the ground. 2. n. a large, hard seed at the center of some kinds of fruit. 3. tv. to remove W from fruit. pit someone or something against someone or something to place someone or something in compe- tition with someone or something else. pitch ["pItS] 1. tv. to toss something toward someone or something. 2. tv. [in baseball] to toss or throw a ball toward the batter. 3. tv. to toss or throw someone or some- thing. 4. iv. [in baseball] to throw a baseball toward a batter. 5. iv. [for a ship] to plunge up and down; [for the front of a ship] to rise and fall in rough water. 6. n. [in baseball] the movement of the ball from the pitcher toward the batter or the throw that moves the ball toward the batter. 7. n. slope; the amount that something is slanted. (Plural only for types and instances.) 8. n. the measure of the highness or lowness of a sound. (Plural only for types and instances.) 9. n. the standard number of vibrations each second that makes a certain tone; the standard musical sound for a given note. 10. n. tar. pitch a tent to erect a tent at a campsite. pitch black very black; as black as pitch (tar). pitch camp to set up or arrange a campsite. pitch in (and help) to get busy and help with something. pitch in (and help) (with some- thing ) to join in and help someone with something. pitch someone a curve Go to throw someone a curve. pitch someone or something out ((of) something ) to throw some- one or something out of some- thing or someplace. pitch-dark very dark; as dark as pitch (tar). pitcher ["pItS #] 1. n. the baseball player who pitches the baseball toward the other team’s players who then may strike it with the bat. 2. n. a tall container with a handle, used for serving liquids. 3. n. the contents of W. pity ["pIt i] 1. n. a feeling of sorrow caused by seeing or learning about the suffering of other people; sym- pathy. (No plural.) 2. tv. to be sorry for someone or something; to feel Q for someone or some- thing. pizza ["pit s@] n. a food made of a baked disk of dough covered with spicy tomato sauce, cheese, and perhaps other foods. (Plural only for types and instances.) place ["ples] 1. n. a position in space; a location; a certain area. 2. n. a house or apartment; a loca- tion where one lives. 3. n. a posi- tion in relation to other positions in a numbered series. 4. tv. to put pistol 432 07 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 432 TLFeBOOK something in a certain position; to put something on a certain sur- face. 5. tv. to remember when and where one has met someone or something in the past. → between a rock and a hard place → fall in(to) place → feel out of place → in the right place at the right time → in the wrong place at the wrong time → not one’s place → someplace place an order to submit an order. place of business a place where business is done; a factory or office. plague ["pleg] n. a disease that kills people and is quickly spread. (No plural. Treated as singular.) plague someone with something ["pleg ] to annoy someone with repeated questions, problems, etc. plaid ["plAd] 1. n. a design of stripes that cross each other at right angles. 2. the adj. use of Q. plain ["plen] 1. n. a flat area of land; a prairie. (Often plural with the same meaning, but not count- able.) 2. adj. obvious; easy to see or understand. (Adv: plainly. Comp: plainer; sup: plainest.) 3. adj. simple; not complex; not decorated. (Adv: plainly. Comp: plainer; sup: plainest.) 4. adj. not attractive; average looking. (Adv: plainly. Comp: plainer; sup: plainest.) 5. adv. simply; clearly; obviously. (Colloquial.) → (as) plain as day → (as) plain as the nose on one’s face plaintiff ["plen tIf] n. someone who sues someone else; someone who brings a lawsuit against someone else; someone who charges a defendant with doing wrong. plan ["plAn] 1. n. the ideas for a future action or event; a detailed schedule for doing something. 2. n. a program or structure that provides a benefit to workers. 3. tv. to make Q for an event. 4. iv. to arrange [something] in advance. plan something out to make thor- ough plans for something. plan to do something to make a plan for doing something in the future; to mean to do something. plane ["plen] 1. n. a flat surface. 2. n. an airplane. 3. n. a tool equipped with a blade that is scraped over wood to make it flat or smooth. 4. tv. to make some- thing flat or smooth by using E. → jet plane plane something down to smooth something down with a plane E. planet ["plAn It] n. a huge sphere of matter that circles a single star in a permanent orbit. plank ["plANk] 1. n. a board; a long, thin, narrow, flat piece of wood. 2. n. an issue or policy that a polit- ical party officially supports. (A figurative Q in the party platform E.) plans n. a set of drawings of a house or building before it is built, used to help someone build the building. (Treated as plural.) plant ["plAnt] 1. n. a stationary liv- ing thing that makes its own food plant 433 07 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 433 TLFeBOOK using sunlight and material from the soil or other substance that supports it. 2. n. a factory. 3. tv. to put a seed or a small Q in the ground so that it will grow; to place [the seeds or young Q of] a crop into the soil. 4. tv. to place someone or something firmly in position. (Figurative on E.) plaster ["plAs t#] 1. n. a mixture of lime, water, and sand, which hard- ens when it dries. (Plural only for types and instances.) 2. tv. to apply Q to something. plastic ["plAs tIk] 1. n. an artificial material, made from a variety of chemicals, that can be formed into different shapes. (Plural only for types and instances.) 2. adj. made of Q. 3. adj. [of something] easily molded or shaped. (Adv: plasti- cally [ Ik li].) plate ["plet] 1. n. an almost flat, round dish for holding food. 2. n. a sheet of metal or glass. 3. n. a metal plate that goes on the back of a vehicle showing the license number of the vehicle. (Short for license plate.) 4. tv. to give one sort of metal a thin outer layer of a more valuable metal. → license plate plateau [plA "to] 1. n. a flat area of land that is raised up higher than the surrounding land. 2. iv. [for a number or a measurement] to reach a higher level and then remain unchanged. → hit a plateau platform ["plAt form] 1. n. a flat structure that is higher than the area around it, especially one that people can occupy standing or sit- ting. 2. n. the flat surface next to a railroad track where people get on and off trains. 3. n. a formal state- ment of the ideas and policies of a political party. (See also plank W.) platter ["plAt #] 1. n. a large plate used for serving food. 2. n. the contents of Q. play ["ple] 1. n. fun; recreation; something that is done for fun or amusement. (No plural.) 2. n. one movement or action in a game or sport. 3. n. a piece of writing that is written as a series of lines that people say, for performance in a theater. 4. n. a performance of E. 5. iv. [for a sound-making device] to operate or reproduce sounds that have been recorded. 6. iv. to perform on the stage or in public; to perform. 7. iv. [for a perfor- mance] to be performed; [for a movie] to be shown. 8. iv. to take one’s turn in a game; to lay down a card in a card game. 9. iv. to per- form [on a musical instrument as in q]. 10. iv. to have fun; to amuse oneself; to be active in a sport or game. 11. tv. to perform a role in the theater or in a movie. 12. tv. to take part in a certain game, sport, or activity; to partici- pate in a certain game, sport, or activity. 13. tv. to make music with a musical instrument; to per- form a particular piece of music on an instrument. (E.g., to play a song.) 14. tv. to perform on a musical instrument. (E.g., to play a violin.) 15. tv. [for an electronic device] to process tapes, records, or CDs in a way that produces the sounds or pictures that have been recorded. 16. tv. [for someone] to plaster 434 07 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 434 TLFeBOOK cause an electronic device to pro- duce sounds and pictures as in e. → be child’s play → foul play play a joke on someone to make a joke that tricks someone. play a trick on someone to do a trick that affects someone. play along (with someone or something ) 1. to play a musical instrument with someone or a group. 2. to pretend to cooperate with someone or something in a joke. play ball (with someone ) to coop- erate with someone. play both ends (against the middle) to scheme in a way that pits two sides against each other for one’s own gain. play by ear Go to play something by ear. play cat and mouse (with some- one ) to capture and release some- one over and over. play fast and loose (with some- one or something ) to act carelessly, thoughtlessly, and irresponsibly toward someone or something. play ignorant to pretend to be ignorant [of something]. play innocent to pretend to be innocent and not concerned. play it safe to be or act safe; to do something safely. play one’s cards close to one’s vest Go to play one’s cards close to the chest. play one’s cards close to the chest and play one’s cards close to one’s vest [for some- one] to work or negotiate in a careful and private manner. play out to run out; to finish. play second fiddle (to someone ) to be in a subordinate position to someone. play someone or something up to emphasize someone or something; to support or praise someone or something. play something back (to someone ) to play a recording to someone. play something by ear 1. to be able to play a piece of music after just listening to it a few times, without looking at the notes. 2. and play by ear to play a musical instru- ment well, without formal train- ing. play something through to play all of something, such as a piece of music or a record. play (the) devil’s advocate to put forward arguments against, or objections to, a proposition, which one may actually agree with, purely to test the validity of the proposition. play the field to date many differ- ent people rather than dating just one person. play the fool to act in a silly man- ner in order to amuse other peo- ple. play to the gallery to perform in a manner that will get the strong approval of the audience; to per- form in a manner that will get the approval of the lower elements in the audience. play to the gallery 435 07 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 435 TLFeBOOK . k@l] 1. adj. of or about the body; of the body. (Adv: physically [ Ik li].) 2. adj. of or about the laws of nature; of or about the study of physics. 3. adj. of or about real objects; of or about. bushel. 3. the adj. use of Q or W. pioneer [paI @ "nIr] 1. n. someone who is one of the first of a partic- ular group of people to settle a new area. (From the point of view of the particular group.). of the colored sections of the blossom of a flower. petite [p@ "tit] 1. adj. [of a woman] small; [of a woman] short. (From French. Adv: petitely.) 2. adj. [of a clothing size or range of