packed

past tense of pack

pact

an agreement or treaty

pail

bucket

pale

lacking color

pain

physical or emotional suffering

pane

a plate of glass or panel

pair

two of something

pare

to remove or peel

pear

type of fruit

palate

roof of the mouth; taste

pallet

a low, portable platform

palette

a range of colors; a board to hold and mix colors

passed

past tense of pass

past

the time before the present

patience

willingness to wait

patients

people under medical care

pause

a temporary stop

paws

animal feet

peace

calm

piece

a portion of something

peak

top of a mountain

peek

glance furtively

pique

to wound someone’s pride or to excite interest

pealed

rang bells

peeled

removed a layer

pedal

foot-operated lever

peddle

to sell, hawk, or dispense

peer

person who is an equal

pier

a structure extending out over water

perpetrate

to commit, as in a crime

perpetuate

to prolong or sustain

Example: The myth that the sun revolved around the earth was perpetuated for centuries.

phase

(see faze)

pi

3.1416, the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter

pie

baked food filled with fruit or meat

pistil

female organ of a flower

pistol

type of gun

plain
(adjective, noun)

not fancy; evident; simple; treeless area of land

plane

a flat or level surface; short for airplane

pleas

cries for help; appeals

please

a polite word; to satisfy

plum

a type of fruit

plumb

perpendicular

pole

a long, cylindrical piece of wood or metal

poll

a collection of opinions; survey

pore

small hole

pour

to send liquid flowing

praise

express approval

prays

makes requests to God

preys

hunts for food; victimizes

precedence

priority

precedents

examples, criteria

presidents

chief executives

presence

appearance, being present

presents (noun, verb)

gifts; offers

presumption

(see assumption)

pries

looks closely; wedges open

prize

award or reward

principal (noun, adjective)

head of school; chief; of first importance

principle

fundamental belief

profit

gain

prophet

predictor, seer

pros

professionals, experts

prose

literature