GRE Word List P(part 3)

plagiarize steal another’s ideas or writings and pass them off as one’s own; Ex. ideas plagiarized from my article; N. plagiarism; CF. kidnap
plaintive expressing sorrow; mournful; Ex. plaintive song
plait braid; interwine; interweave strands or lengths of; make by weaving strands together; Ex. plaited hair; N: braided length as of hair o fabric; CF. pigtail, ponytail
plane carpenter’s tool for smoothing and leveling wood; V. CF. flat
plaster paste that hardens to a smooth solid and is used for coating walls; V.
plasticity ability to be molded; ADJ. plastic: capable of being shaped or molded; Ex. plastic material such as clay
platitude trite remark; commonplace statement; ADJ. platitudinous
platonic purely spiritual; theoretical; without sensual desire
plaudit praise; enthusiastic approval; round(succession or series) of applause; ADJ. plauditory; CF. applaud
plausible conceivably true; having a show of truth but open to doubt; specious
plebeian common; vulgar; pertaining to the common people; N: common people in ancient Rome; CF. patrician
plebiscite direct vote by the entire electorate (on an important issue)
plenary (of power) complete; full; fully attended by all qualified members; Ex. plenary power
plenitude abundance; plenty; great amount; completeness; fullness; CF. plenary, plenty
plethora excess; overabundance; Ex. a plethora of excuses
pliable flexible; easily influenced; yielding; adaptable
pliant flexible; easily influenced
plight difficult condition; condition or state (esp. a bad state or condition); predicament
ploy strategem to gain an advantage; tactic; Ex. management ploy
pluck courage; V: pull off or out; pull out the hair or feathers of; ADJ. plucky: courageous; brave
plumage feathers of a bird;
plumb exactly vertical; N: weight on the end of a line; V: examine very carefully or critically in order to understand; measure depth (by sounding); Ex. plumb the depth of
plumber one who installs and repairs pipes and plumbing(pipes)
plume feather, esp. large or showy one; something that rises into the air (like the shape of a feather); Ex. plume of smoke: ?? ??
plummet fall sharply; fall straight down; Ex. Stock prices plummeted.
plump pleasantly fat; nicely rounded
plutocracy society ruled by the wealthy
podiatrist doctor who treats ailments of the feet; chiropodist; N. podiatrics
podium pedestal; raised platform
poignancy quality of being deeply moving; keenness of emotion; ADJ. poignant: touching; deeply moving; (of sorrow, grief, etc.) painful; keenly distressing to the mind; Ex. poignant memory/anxiety; CF. prick
poise good judgment with composure; balance; V: place in a carefully balanced position
polar of a pole; characterized by opposite extremes; Ex. polar opposites
polarity state of having two opposite qualities
polarize split into opposite extremes or camps
polemic attack or defense of an opinion; controversy or refutation; argument in support of point of view; N. polemics: art of debate or controversy
polemical(polemic) aggressive in verbal attack; disputatious (rather than simply expressing opinions)
politic prudent; judicious; well judged; expedient; well devised
polity (particular form of) political organization; form of government of nation or state; Ex. student polity
polygamist one who has more than one spouse at a time; CF. bigamy; CF. polyandry
polyglot speaking several languages; multilingual; Ex. polyglot person/society; N.
pomposity self-important behavior; acting like a stuffed shirt(pompous person); ADJ. pompous: self-important
ponderous having great weight; weighty; unwieldy; lacking lightness; dull; Ex. ponderous body/style of writing
pontifical pertaining to a bishop or pope; pompous or pretentious; CF. pontiff: pope; bishop
pore study industriously; ponder; scrutinize; Ex. pore over the book; N.
porous full of pores; like a sieve
porridge soft food made by boiling oatmeal
portend foretell; presage; be a sign or warning of; N. portent: sign; omen; forewarning
portly stout; corpulent
pose assume a particular posture; put forward; present; affect a particular attitude (to impress others); Ex. pose a threat; N.
poseur person who pretends to be sophisticated, elegant, etc., to impress others; person who poses; CF. pose
posterity descendants; future generations; Ex. go down to posterity; CF. posterior, anterior
posthumous after death (as of child born after father’s death or book published after author’s death); coming or occurring after one’s death; Ex. posthumous fame/novel
postmortem autopsy; ADJ: occurring after death; of a postmortem
postulate self-evident truth; something assumed without proof; V: assume the truth of (as a basis of an argument)
posture assume an affected pose; act artificially; N: pose; attitude
potable suitable for drinking; drinkable
potent powerful; convincing; persuasive; greatly influential
potentate monarch; sovereign
potential expressing possibility; latent; N: capacity for growth
potion dose (of liquids); liquid dose
potpourri heterogeneous mixture; medley; mixture of dried flower petals a pot (to give a pleasant smell to a room)
poultice soothing application applied to sore and inflamed portions of the body
pr\’ecis abstract; concise summing up of main points; concise summary of a text
practicable feasible
practical based on experience; of or acquired through practice (rather than theory); useful; Ex. practical man
pragmatic practical (as opposed to idealistic); concerned with practical worth or impact of something; Ex. pragmatic test of the skill
pragmatist practical person; N. pragmatism: pragmatic way of dealing with things
prance move about in a spirited manner (proudly and confidently)
prank mischievous trick
prate talk idly; speak foolishly; boast idly
prattle talk idly; babble; N. CF. prate
preamble introductory statement
precarious unsafe; lacking in stability; uncertain; risky; Ex. precarious living
precedent preceding (in time, rank, etc.)
precept practical rule guiding conduct; Ex. mother’s precept
precinct division of a city for election or police purposes; precincts: space that surrounds a building; Ex. precincts of the college
precipice cliff; dangerous position; Ex. on the edge of the precipice
precipitant something that causes a substance in a chemical solution to separate out in solid form; OP. solvent
precipitate hurl downward; throw headlong; hasten; cause to happen sooner; condense and fall as rain or snow; cause (a solid substance) to be separated from a solution; ADJ. hasty; rash; premature; sudden
precipitous steep; overhasty; precipitate
precise exact
preclude make impossible; prevent; exclude; eliminate
precocious advanced in development; N. precocity
precursor forerunner; predecessor
predator predatory animal or bird; predatory person; creature that seizes and devours another animal; person who robs or exploits others; ADJ. predatory: living by preying on other organisms; plundering; N. predation
predecessor former occupant of a post
predetermine determine in advance; predestine; settle or decide beforehand; influence markedly
predicament difficult situation; tricky or dangerous situation; dilemma
predilection preference; partiality
predispose give an inclination toward (in advance); make susceptible to; Ex. predispose people to certain cancer; N. predisposition
preeminent outstanding; superior
preempt prevent in advance; head off(forestall); forestall by acting first; appropriate for oneself before others; supplant; take the place of; displace; Ex. preempt any attempts; ADJ. preemptive
preen make oneself tidy in appearance; feel self-satisfaction or pride; (of a bird) smooth or clean (feathers) with the beak; Ex. preen oneself on; CF. prune
prefatory introductory; of a preface
prefigure be a sign of; foreshadow
prehensile capable of grasping or holding (esp. by wrapping around); Ex. prehensile tails
prelate church dignitary; priest of high position in the church (esp. bishop)
prelude introduction; introductory performance or event; forerunner
premeditate plan in advance; Ex. premeditated murder
premise assumption; postulate; proposition upon which an argument is based
premonition forewarning; presentiment; foreboding
premonitory serving to warn