NTC''''s Pocket Dictionary of Words and Phrases part 48 pot

play up to someone to flatter someone; to try to gain influence with someone. play (up)on something 1. to make music on a musical instrument. 2. to exploit something—includ- ing a word—for some purpose; to develop something for some pur- pose. play with fire to take a big risk. played out (Informal.) 1. ex- hausted. 2. no longer of interest or influence. player ["ple #] 1. n. someone who plays a game or sport. 2. n. some- one who plays a particular musical instrument. 3. n. something that plays a recording. (Compare this with recorder E.) → cassette player playful ["ple fUl] 1. adj. liking to play; full of fun. (Adv: playfully.) 2. adj. funny; humorous; not seri- ous. (Adv: playfully.) playground ["ple graUnd] 1. n. an outdoor place for children to play. 2. the adj. use of Q. plaything ["ple TIN] n. a toy; some- thing that is played with. plea ["pli] 1. n. a request; an appeal. 2. n. a statement in court in which one declares that one is guilty or innocent. plead ["plid] 1. tv., irreg. to declare in court that one is guilty or not guilty before the trial actually begins. (Past tense and past par- ticiple: pleaded or pled.) 2. tv., irreg. to claim something as an excuse. (The object can be a clause with that U. Past tense and past participle: pleaded or pled.) plead for something to beg for something; to ask for something. pleasant ["plEz @nt] 1. adj. [of something] bringing or causing enjoyment and pleasure. (Adv: pleasantly.) 2. adj. [of someone] friendly and nice. (Adv: pleas- antly.) please ["pliz] 1. adv. a word used to make requests or commands more polite. 2. tv. to cause someone to be happy or satisfied. → aim to please please yourself and suit your- self to do what one wishes. (Informal.) pleasure ["plEZ #] n. a feeling of happiness because of something that one likes; enjoyment; a pleas- ing feeling or emotion. (Plural only for types and instances.) pled ["plEd] a past tense and past participle of plead. pledge ["plEdZ] 1. n. a promise; a vow; a statement that one will do something. 2. tv. to promise something. (The object can be a clause with that U.) pledge to do something to vow or promise to do something. plentiful ["plEn tI fUl] adj. having enough or more than enough; ample. (Adv: plentifully.) plenty ["plEn ti] 1. n. a full supply; more than enough. (No plural.) 2. adj. enough; almost too much. (Not prenominal.) → There are plenty of other fish in the sea. plenty of something lots of some- thing; an abundance of something; enough of something. play up to someone 436 07 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 436 TLFeBOOK pliers ["plaI #z] n. a tool with rough jaws, used to grasp objects. (Usually treated as plural. Number is expressed with pair(s) of pliers. Also countable.) plot ["plat] 1. n. the story of a movie, book, opera, television show, play, etc. 2. n. a secret plan to do something wrong or illegal. 3. n. a small garden or part of a garden; a small area of land. 4. iv. to plan in secret. 5. iv. to make plans to do something, especially secretly. 6. tv. to plan in secret to do something. 7. tv. to determine the position of something on a map, chart, or graph. → brew a plot plot something out to map some- thing out; to outline a plan for something. The plot thickens. a phrase said when things are becoming more complicated or interesting. plotter ["plat #] n. a machine that marks points, lines, or curves on a graph. plow ["plaU] 1. n. a farm tool made of a heavy metal blade used to break up and turn over soil. 2. n. a large, curved blade in front of a vehicle that is used to move snow off a road or path. 3. n. a vehicle equipped with W. 4. iv. to use Q. 5. tv. to cut into land, making rows for planting crops, with Q. 6. tv. to clear a road or path of snow with W. → put one’s hand to the plow plow something back into some- thing to put something, such as a profit, back into an investment. plow something in to work some- thing into the soil by plowing. plow something under ( something ) to push something under the sur- face of the soil or of water. plow through something to work through something laboriously. pluck ["pl^k] 1. tv. to remove the feathers from a bird; to remove hairs from the body of a person or an animal. 2. tv. to clean a bird of its feathers. 3. tv. to pull some- thing from someplace. pluck something off ((of) someone or something ) to pick something off someone or something. pluck something out (of some- thing ) to snatch something out of something. pluck up someone’s courage to bolster someone’s, including one’s own, courage. plug ["pl^g] 1. n. a small device for closing a hole, drain, or other opening. 2. n. the connector that is pushed into an electric recepta- cle. (Short for electric plug.) 3. n. a statement made while speaking on television or radio that encour- ages people to buy something or do something. 4. tv. to mention a product and to encourage people to buy it. → electric plug plug away (at someone or some- thing ) to keep working at someone or something. plug something in(to something ) to connect something to something else, usually by connecting wires together with a plug and socket. plug something in(to something) 437 07 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 437 TLFeBOOK plug something up to fill up a hole; to block a hole or opening. plum ["pl^m] 1. n. a fruit with a smooth skin and a soft, sweet, juicy pulp with a large pit. 2. n. a deep purple color. 3. adj. deep purple in color. plumber ["pl^m #] n. someone who is trained to install and repair sewer pipes, water pipes, and fix- tures such as sinks, toilets, bath- tubs, and drains. plumbing ["pl^m IN] 1. n. the work that a plumber does. (No plural.) 2. n. water pipes, sewer pipes, gas pipes, and related fixtures. (No plural.) plume ["plum] 1. n. a feather, espe- cially a bright, colorful one. 2. n. something that looks like a feather, especially a cloud of smoke or a jet of water. plump ["pl^mp] adj. a little fat or swollen. plump something up to pat or shake something like a pillow into a fuller shape. plunge ["pl^ndZ] 1. n. a dive; a jump into water. 2. iv. to dive into a liquid. plunge in(to something ) to dive or rush into something; to immerse oneself in something. plunge something in(to someone or something ) to drive or stab something into someone or some- thing. plural ["pl# @l] 1. n. a form of a word that refers to more than one thing or person. 2. the adj. use of Q. plus ["pl^s] 1. prep. in addition to someone or something; added to someone or something. (Symbol- ized by (ϩ).) 2. conj. and also. 3. adj. above zero; [marking a number] greater than zero. (Sym- bolized as (ϩ).) 4. n. an advan- tage; an extra. ply ["plaI] 1. n. a layer of some- thing. (Hyphenated after a num- ber.) 2. tv. to work doing one’s job, especially at one’s trade. plywood ["plaI wUd] n. a wooden panel made of several thin sheets of wood that are glued together. (No plural.) pocket ["pak It] 1. n. a small cloth bag that is sewn into clothing and is used to hold things, such as a wallet or keys. 2. n. a small amount of something that is sepa- rated from other amounts of it; an isolated amount of something. 3. adj. small enough to fit in Q; meant to be put in Q. 4. tv. to put something in one’s Q. 5. tv. to steal something by putting it in one’s Q. → have someone in one’s pocket → Money burns a hole in someone’s pocket. pod ["pad] n. a long, soft, narrow shell that holds the seeds of cer- tain plants, such as peas and beans. poem ["po @m] n. a piece of writing in a form that sometimes rhymes and often has a rhythm, usually expressing feelings, emotions, or imagination. poet ["po It] n. someone who writes poetry. plug something up 438 07 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 438 TLFeBOOK poetic [po "Et Ik] 1. adj. [of thoughts] expressed as a poem. (Adv: poetically [ Ik li].) 2. the adj. form of poetry. poetic justice the appropriate but chance receiving of rewards or punishments by those deserving them. poetry ["po @ tri] 1. n. a poem; poems; a collection of poems. (No plural. Treated as singular.) 2. n. the art of writing poems. (No plu- ral.) point ["poInt] 1. n. the sharp end of something. 2. n. the main idea of something; the purpose of some- thing. 3. n. one idea, argument, or statement in a series of ideas, arguments, or statements. 4. n. a certain position in space or moment in time; a certain degree or position of something. 5. n. [in geometry] the place where two lines cross each other. 6. n. a dot; a decimal point. 7. n. a feature, trait, or ability of someone or some- thing. 8. n. a unit of scoring in a game. 9. n. a helpful hint; a piece of advice. 10. tv. to aim someone at someone or something; to direct someone to someone or some- thing. 11. iv. to indicate the loca- tion of someone or something by directing one’s finger toward the location. 12. iv. to be facing in a certain direction. → case in point → come to the point → decimal point → exclamation point → get to the point → have a low boiling point → jumping-off point → miss the point → no point in doing something point of view a way of thinking about something; [someone’s] viewpoint; an attitude or expres- sion of self-interest. point someone or something out to identify someone or something in a group; to select someone or something from a group. point the finger at someone to blame someone; to identify some- one as the guilty person. poised for something ready for something; in the right position and waiting for something. poised to do something ready to do something; in the right position to do something. poison ["poI z@n] 1. n. a substance that can injure or kill a living crea- ture, especially if eaten, drunk, breathed in, or absorbed through the skin. (Plural only for types and instances.) 2. tv. to kill or harm someone or something with Q. 3. tv. to put Q in something, espe- cially food, in order to kill or harm someone or something. 4. tv. to have a harmful effect on someone or something; to corrupt someone or something. (Figura- tive on W.) poke ["pok] 1. n. a push with one’s finger, fist, or elbow, or with a blunt object. 2. tv. to push some- one or something with one’s fin- ger, fist, or elbow, or with a blunt object. poke a hole in something and poke a hole through something to make a hole by pushing some- thing through something. poke a hole in something 439 07 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 439 TLFeBOOK poke a hole through something Go to poke a hole in something . poke fun (at someone ) to make fun of someone; to ridicule some- one. poke one’s nose in(to something ) and stick one’s nose in(to some- thing ) to interfere with something; to be nosy about something. poke out (of something ) to stick out of something; to extend out of something. poke something in(to something ) to stick or cram something into something. poker ["pok #] 1. n. a long, narrow metal rod that is used to move logs or coal in a fire. 2. n. a card game where players win by having cards with the highest value. (No plu- ral.) polar ["po l#] adj. of or about the areas near the north or south pole. pole ["pol] 1. n. a long, thin, solid tube of wood, steel, plastic, or other material. 2. n. one of the two places where the imaginary axis on which a planet spins meets the surface of the planet—at the north and south ends of the planet. 3. n. either side of a magnet; either end of a magnet; one of the two strongest points of a magnet that either pulls or pushes metal objects. → be poles apart → north pole → south pole police [p@ "lis] 1. tv. to patrol an area; to control, regulate, or pro- tect an area. 2. tv. to regulate or control people, their behavior, or their actions. the police n. people who have the authority to maintain law and order by arresting people who break the law. (No plural. Treated as plural, but not countable. Num- ber is expressed with police offi- cer(s) .) police officer [p@ "lis O f@ s#] n. a member of a police department; a policeman; a policewoman. policeman [p@ "lis m@n] n., irreg. a police officer; a male member of a police force. (Plural: policemen or police officers.) policemen [p@ "lis m@n] plural of policeman. policewoman [p@ "lis wUm @n] n., irreg. a female police officer; a female member of a police force. (Plural: policewomen or police officers .) policewomen [p@ "lis wIm @n] plu- ral of policewoman. policy ["pal @ si] n. a plan of action used by management or govern- ment; a regulation. → insurance policy polish ["pal IS] 1. n. a substance that is used to make something shiny. (Plural only for types and instances.) 2. tv. to make a surface shiny or glossy, especially by rub- bing it. 3. tv. to improve some- thing; to make something better or perfect; to refine something. (Fig- urative on W.) Polish ["po lIS] adj. of or about Poland; describing a person born in Poland. polish something off to eat, con- sume, exhaust, or complete all of something. poke a hole through something 440 07 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 440 TLFeBOOK polish something up to rub some- thing until it shines. polite [p@ "laIt] adj. courteous; hav- ing good behavior; having good manners; doing things in a helpful and kind way. (Adv: politely.) political [p@ "lI tI k@l] adj. of or about politics, politicians, or gov- ernment. (Adv: politically [ Ik li ].) politician [pal @ "tI S@n] n. a person whose business is politics, espe- cially someone holding or seeking a government office. politics ["pal @ tIks] 1. n. the busi- ness or operation of government; the study of the management of government. (Treated as singular or plural, but not countable.) 2. n. someone’s beliefs about political issues. (Treated as singular or plu- ral, but not countable.) poll ["pol] 1. n. a survey that deter- mines the popular opinion about an issue. 2. tv. to ask someone questions as part of a survey. pollen ["pal @n] n. a yellow powder made by flowers that is part of the process of making seeds. (Plural only for types and instances.) polls n. the places where people vote. (Treated as plural.) pollute [p@ "lut] 1. tv. to cause something to become dirty or impure. 2. iv. to make something dirty or impure. pompous ["pamp @s] adj. arrogant; too formal; too grand. (Adv: pompously.) pond ["pand] n. a small body of water; a body of water smaller than a lake. → a big frog in a small pond ponder ["pan d#] 1. iv. to think carefully; to consider. 2. tv. to think about something carefully; to consider something. ponder (up)on something to think on something; to consider some- thing. ponderous ["pan d# @s] adj. slow and awkward, especially because of being large or heavy. (Adv: pon- derously.) pony ["pon i] n. a small horse. ponytail ["pon i tel] n. a bunch of hair pulled toward the back of the head and tied. poodle ["pud l] n. a kind of dog that has very curly fur. pool ["pul] 1. n. a puddle of water or other liquid. 2. n. a game played with a number of hard balls on a felt-covered table having six pock- ets and raised sides. 3. tv. to put money or things together for com- mon use. → swimming pool poor ["por] 1. adj. not rich; having very little money; not owning many things. (Comp: poorer; sup: poorest.) 2. adj. below a certain level of quality; inferior in opera- tion or function. (Adv: poorly. Comp: poorer; sup: poorest.) 3. adj. worthy of pity or sympathy. → (as) poor as a church mouse → in poor taste the poor n. people who are poor Q. (No plural. Treated as plural, but not countable.) pop ["pap] 1. n. a quick, loud noise, like an explosion. 2. n. father. (Informal. Also a term of address. pop 441 07 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 441 TLFeBOOK Capitalized when written as a proper noun.) 3. n. popular music. (No plural.) 4. n. soda pop. (Infor- mal. No plural.) 5. adj. popular; well liked; favored. 6. iv. to make a sound as in Q; [for something with air in it] to burst suddenly. 7. tv. to cause something to make Q; to cause something with air in it to burst suddenly. → soda pop pop out (of something ) to jump out of something; to burst out of something. pop something in(to something ) to fit, snap, or press something into place in something. pop something on((to) something ) to snap something onto some- thing. pop something out (of something ) to release something from some- thing so that it jumps or bursts out, possibly with a popping sound. pop the question to ask someone to marry one. pop up ( someplace ) to appear sud- denly and unexpectedly some- place. popcorn ["pap korn] 1. n. seeds of various kinds of corn that explode into a soft, white, fluffy mass when heated. (Plural only for types and instances.) 2. n. exploded and puffed-up kernels of Q eaten as food. (No plural. Treated as singular.) poplar ["pap l#] 1. n. a kind of tall, thin tree that grows quickly. 2. n. wood from Q. (Plural only for types and instances.) 3. adj. made from W. poppy ["pap i] n. a flowering herb with large red blossoms. popular ["pap j@ l#] adj. liked by many people; favored by many people; well liked. (Adv: popu- larly.) populate ["pap j@ let] tv. [for living creatures] to occupy an area. (Usually passive.) population [pap j@ "le S@n] 1. n. the living creatures of one kind that live in a certain area. 2. n. the number of people or creatures liv- ing in a certain place. (No plural.) porch ["portS] n. a covered struc- ture built in front of a house, usu- ally at a doorway. porcupine ["por kj@ paIn] n. a large rodent covered with sharp needles or spines that it uses to defend itself. pore ["por] n. a tiny opening in the skin of plants and animals. pore over something to study something closely; to look over something thoroughly. pork ["pork] n. the meat of a pig, eaten as food. (No plural.) porpoise ["por p@s] n. a mammal that lives in the sea, swimming in groups. port ["port] 1. n. a city on an ocean, sea, or lake that has a harbor where ships can be loaded and unloaded. 2. n. a harbor. 3. adj. on, at, or toward the left side of a ship or aircraft when one is facing the front of the ship or aircraft. pop out (of something) 442 07 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 442 TLFeBOOK porter ["por t#] n. someone who carries luggage for other people, especially at a hotel, airport, or train station. portrait ["por trIt] n. a painting, especially of a person or a person’s face. pose ["poz] 1. n. a certain way that someone sits or stands, especially when one is getting one’s picture taken or painted. 2. iv. to sit or stand in a certain way when some- one is taking or painting one’s pic- ture. 3. tv. to place someone or something, as in Q. → strike a pose pose a question to ask a question; to imply the need for asking a question. pose as someone or something to pretend to be someone; to pretend to have some role. posh ["paS] adj. very lavish; elegant; full of style. (Adv: poshly. Comp: posher; sup: poshest.) position [p@ "zI S@n] 1. n. the place where someone or something is or where someone or something belongs. 2. n. the way that some- one or something is placed or situ- ated. 3. n. a point of view; an opinion; the way someone thinks about a certain subject or issue. 4. n. a job. 5. tv. to put someone or something in a certain place. → jockey for position → jockey someone or something into position possess [p@ "zEs] 1. tv. to have something; to own something. 2. tv. to influence someone or something completely; [for some- one or something, especially an evil spirit or the devil] to control someone or something completely. possession [p@ "zE S@n] 1. n. own- ership. (No plural.) 2. n. a belong- ing; something that belongs to someone; something that is owned by someone. possessive [p@ "zEs Iv] 1. adj. self- ish; unwilling to share. (Adv: pos- sessively.) 2. adj. [of a word] showing possession or belonging [to someone or something]. (Adv: possessively.) 3. n. the form of a word that shows possession. possible ["pas @ b@l] adj. able to be done; able to exist; able to happen; able to be true, but not necessarily true. (Adv: possibly.) → (as) soon as possible → everything humanly possible post ["post] 1. n. an upright, thick length of wood, steel, or other material. 2. n. a job; a position in a company or a government. 3. tv. to place a written notice where people can see it. 4. tv. to mail something; to send something by mail. → from pillar to post → keep someone posted → parcel post post office ["post Of Is] n. a gov- ernment building where mail is taken, sorted, and sent to the proper addresses, and where other postal business can be taken care of. postage ["pos tIdZ] 1. n. the cost of sending something through the mail, usually paid for with stamps. (No plural.) 2. n. the stamp or stamps that are placed on some- thing that is mailed. (No plural. postage 443 07 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 443 TLFeBOOK Number is expressed with postage stamp(s).) postal ["pos t@l] adj. of or about mail or the post office. postcard ["post kard] n. a card that is thicker than paper, sometimes has a picture on one side of it, and is used to mail someone a short letter, especially when one is trav- eling. poster ["pos t#] n. a large sheet of thick paper carrying a message or a picture. postmaster ["post mA st#] n. someone who is in charge of a post office; the head of a post office. posture ["pas tS#] 1. n. the way that one sits, stands, or moves; the position of the body. (Plural only for types and instances.) 2. iv. to sit or stand in a certain way; to strike a pose. pot ["pat] 1. n. a large, deep, round container, usually used to cook or hold food or liquid. 2. n. a round container that holds soil and a flower or plant. 3. n. the contents of Q or W. 4. tv. to put a plant in soil in W. → go to pot the pot calling the kettle black [an instance of] someone with a fault accusing someone else of having the same fault. potato [p@ "te to] 1. n. a vegetable root shaped like a large egg. (Plural ends in -es.) 2. n. the plant that produces Q. (Plural ends in -es.) 3. adj. made of or with Q. potato chip [p@ "te to tSIp]] n. a thin slice of potato, fried until it is very crisp. (Often plural. Can be shortened to chip.) potent ["pot nt] 1. adj. powerful; having a strong effect. (Adv: potently.) 2. adj. [of a male] able to copulate. (Adv: potently.) pottery ["pat @ ri] 1. n. dishes, bowls, vases, and other objects that are made from baked clay. (No plural.) 2. n. the craft or art of making objects out of clay and baking them so that the clay hard- ens. (No plural.) pouch ["paUtS] n. a small bag that is used to hold a small amount of something. poultry ["pol tri] n. chickens, ducks, geese, and other birds that are used as meat or for providing eggs for humans to eat. (No plu- ral.) pounce (up)on someone or some- thing to spring or swoop upon someone or something; to seize someone or something. pound ["paUnd] 1. n. a unit of measure of weight, equal to 16 ounces or about 0.454 kilogram. 2. n. the basic unit of money in the United Kingdom. (Symbolized as £.) 3. n. a place where stray ani- mals are kept. 4. tv. to hit someone or something very hard again and again; to beat something into a certain shape by hitting it very hard again and again. 5. iv. [for the heart or blood pressure] to beat very hard. pound a beat to walk a route. (Usually said of a police patrol officer.) postal 444 07 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 444 TLFeBOOK pound away (at someone or some- thing ) to hammer or batter con- stantly on someone or something. pound something down to ham- mer, flatten, or batter something. pound something in(to someone ) Go to hammer something in(to someone ). pound something in(to something ) Go to hammer something in(to some- thing ). pound the pavement to walk through the streets, looking for a job. pour ["por] 1. iv. to flow from a place; to come out of a place quickly and continuously. 2. tv. to cause something to pour out of a place quickly and continuously. pour cold water on something and dash cold water on some- thing ; throw cold water on something to discourage doing something; to reduce enthusiasm for something. pour it on thick Go to lay it on thick. pour money down the drain to waste money. pour oil on troubled water to calm things down. pour out (of something ) [for someone or something] to stream or gush out of something or some- place. pour something off ((of) some- thing ) to spill liquid off the top of something. pouring rain very heavy rain. poverty ["pav # ti] n. the lack of the necessities for life. (No plural.) powder ["paU d#] 1. n. a substance that consists of tiny particles. (Plural only for types and instances.) 2. tv. to cover or dust something with Q or a substance that has been crushed or ground into Q. → sitting on a powder keg power ["paU #] 1. n. the ability to do something; strength. (Plural only for types and instances. Typi- cally singular or plural with the same meaning.) 2. n. the authority to do something; control. (Plural only for types and instances. Sin- gular or plural with the same meaning.) 3. n. the number of times that a number is multiplied by itself. 4. tv. to supply energy to a machine or other device that uses energy. power something up to start some- thing, such as an engine. power up to start an engine. powerful ["paU # fUl] adj. having a lot of power, energy, or force; full of strength or influence. (Adv: powerfully.) the powers that be the people who are in authority. practical ["prAk tI k@l] 1. adj. use- ful; able to be used; of or about actions and results, as opposed to ideas or theories. (Adv: practically [ Ik li].) 2. adj. sensible; having common sense. (Adv: practically [ Ik li].) practice ["prAk tIs] 1. n. doing an action many times so that one will do it better and better. (No plu- ral.) 2. n. a custom; a tradition; the way something is usually done; a habit. 3. n. the business of a doc- practice 445 07 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 445 TLFeBOOK . spins meets the surface of the planet—at the north and south ends of the planet. 3. n. either side of a magnet; either end of a magnet; one of the two strongest points of a magnet that either. feeling of happiness because of something that one likes; enjoyment; a pleas- ing feeling or emotion. (Plural only for types and instances.) pled ["plEd] a past tense and past participle of plead. pledge. ask someone questions as part of a survey. pollen ["pal @n] n. a yellow powder made by flowers that is part of the process of making seeds. (Plural only for types and instances.) polls n.