The Highly Selective Dictionary for the Extraordinarily Literate (30 page)

Related words:
patulously
adverb
,
patulousness
noun
.

peccable
(PEK-
e
-b
e
l)
adjective

1. liable to sin or error.

2. capable of sinning.

Do not confuse
peccable
with
peccant
, which see.

Related word:
peccability
(
PEK
-
e
-BIL-i-tee)
noun
.

peccadillo
(
PEK
-
e
-DIL-oh)
noun, plural
peccadilloes
and
peccadillos

a trivial sin or offense.

peccant
(PEK-
e
nt)
adjective

1. guilty of a moral offense.

2. sinning; offending.

Keep the distinction between
peccable
, meaning
capable of sinning
, and
peccant
, meaning
guilty of a moral offense
. While one may argue that everyone is
peccable
, we hope that not everyone is
peccant
.

Related words:
peccancy
and
peccantness
both nouns
,
peccantly
adverb
.

peculation
(
PEK
-y
e
-LAY-sh
e
n)
noun

embezzlement.

Related words:
peculate
(PEK-y
e
-
LAYT
)
verb
,
peculator
(PEK-y
e
-
LAY
-t
e
r)
noun
.

pederasty
(PED-
e
-
RAS
-tee)
noun

an act of sodomy committed by men, especially by men with boys.

Related words:
pederast
(PED-
e
-
RAST
)
noun
,
pederastic
(
PED
-
e
-RAS-tik)
adjective
,
pederastically
adverb
.

pejorative
(pi-JOR-
e
-tiv)
adjective

disparaging; derogatory.

Related words:
pejorative
noun
,
pejoratively
adverb
.

pellucid
(p
e
-LOO-sid)
adjective

1. very clear in expression.

2. transparent; translucent.

Related words:
pellucidity
(
PEL
-uu-SID-i-tee) and
pellucidness
(p
e
-LOO-sid-nis)
both nouns
,
pellucidly
(p
e
-LOO-sid-lee)
adverb
.

penchant
(PEN-ch
e
nt
or
pah
n
-SHAHN)
noun

a liking or inclination.

penultimate
(pi-NUL-t
e
-mit)
adjective

next to last.

percipient
(p
e
r-SIP-ee-
e
nt)
adjective

1. capable of perceiving.

2. showing keenness of insight; discerning.

Related words:
percipience
and
percipiency
both nouns
.

perdurable
(p
e
r-DUUR-
e
-b
e
l)
adjective

1. very durable.

2. permanent, eternal.

Related words:
perdurability
(p
e
r-
DUUR
-
e
-BIL-i-tee) and
perdurableness
(p
e
r-DUUR-
e
-b
e
l-nis)
both nouns
,
perdurably
(p
e
r-DUUR-
e
-blee)
adverb
,
perdure
(p
e
r-DUUR)
verb
.

peregrination
(
PER
-i-gr
e
-NAY-sh
e
n)
noun

1. traveling.

2. a journey.

Related words:
peregrinate
(PER-i-gr
e
-
NAYT
)
verb
,
peregrinator
(PER-i-gr
e
-
NAY
-t
e
r)
noun
.

perfidious
(p
e
r-FID-ee-
e
s)
adjective

1. treacherous, disloyal.

2. deceitful.

Related words:
perfidiously
adverb
,
perfidiousness
and
perfidy
(PUR-fi-dee)
both nouns
.

peripatetic
(
PER
-
e
-p
e
-TET-ik)
adjective

going from place to place; itinerant.

Related words:
peripatetically
adverb
,
peripateticism
(
PER
-
e
-p
e
-TET-
e
-
SIZ
-
e
m)
noun
.

periphrasis
(p
e
-RIF-r
e
-sis)
noun, plural
periphrases
(p
e
-RIF-r
e
-
SEEZ
)

a roundabout phrase or way of speaking; a circumlocution.

Related word:
periphrastic
(
PER
-
e
-FRAS-tik)
adjective
,
periphrastically
adverb
.

pernicious
(p
e
r-NISH-
e
s)
adjective

having a very harmful effect; ruinous.

Related words:
perniciously
adverb
,
perniciousness
noun
.

perquisite
(PUR-kw
e
-zit)
noun

a profit, allowance, privilege, etc. given or looked upon as one's

right in addition to wages or salary.

perseverate
(p
e
r-SEV-
e
-
RAYT
)
verb

repeat something insistently or over and over again.

Related words:
perseveration
(p
e
r-
SEV
-
e
-RAY-sh
e
n)
noun
,
perseverative
(p
e
r-SEV-
e
-
RAY
-tiv)
adjective
.

persiflage
(PUR-s
e
-
FLAHZH
)
noun

1. banter.

2. a flippant way of treating a subject.

personify
(p
e
r-SON-
e
-
F
I
)
verb

1. represent (an idea) in human form or (a thing) as having human characteristics.

2. embody (a quality) in one's life or behavior.

Related words:
personifiable
(p
e
r-SON-i-
F
I
-
e
-b
e
l)
adjective
,
personification
(p
e
r-
SON
-
e
-fi-KAY-sh
e
n) and
personifier
(p
e
r-SON-
e
-
F
I
-
e
r)
both nouns
.

perspicacious
(
PUR
-spi-KAY-sh
e
s)
adjective

having or showing great insight; discerning.

Do not confuse
perspicacious
with
perspicuous
, which see.

Related words:
perspicacity
(
PUR
-spi-KAS-i-tee) and
perspicaciousness
both nouns
,
perspicaciously
adverb
.

perspicuous
(p
e
r-SPIK-yoo-
e
s)
adjective

1. clearly expressed; easily understood, lucid.

2. of a person, expressing things clearly.