porous | a. full of pores; able to absorb fluids; full of tiny pores that allow fluids or gasses to pass through |
posterity | n. descendants collectively; the race that proceeds from a progenitor; future generations |
posture | n. position or arrangement of the body and its limbs |
precarious | a. uncertain; risky; dangerously lacking in security or stability |
precedent | n. act or instance that may be used as example in subsequent similar cases |
precipice | n. cliff; overhanging or extremely steep mass of rock; dangerous position |
precipitous | a. extremely steep; descending rapidly, or rushing onward |
preface | n. a short introductory essay preceding the text of a book |
premiere | a. first public performance, as of a movie or play; premier |
preponderance | n. superiority in numbers or amount |
prerequisite | n. something that is required in advance; necessity; required as a prior condition |
prescribe | v. dictate; guide; advise the use of; assert a right; claim |
preside | v. be set, or to sit, in the place of authority; occupy the place of president, chairman, moderator, director; direct, control, and regulate, as chief officer |
prestigious | a. honored; respected; reputed; exerting influence by reason of high status |
prior | a. preceding in the order of time; former; previous |
prone | a. inclined; lying face downward; having a tendency |
propensity | n. natural inclination; tendency or preference; predilection |
proprietor | n. one who has legal title to something; owner |
propriety | n. fitness; correct conduct; quality of being proper; appropriateness |
prospector | n. someone who explores an area for mineral deposits |
prosper | v. flourish; thrive; gain in wealth; grow stronger |
pseudonym | n. pen name; fictitious name used when someone performs a particular social role |
pterodactyl | n. extinct flying reptiles that existed during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods |
pulchritude | n. great physical beauty and appeal; attractive moral excellence; moral beauty |
punctilious | a. marked by precise accordance with details |
pungent | a. stinging; sharp in taste or smell; caustic |
quintessence | n. pure, highly concentrated essence of a thing |
rally | v. call up or summon; call together for a common purpose |
rankle | v. grow worse; cause persistent irritation or resentment |
raze | v. destroy completely; scrape or shave off |
recant | v. retract a previous statement; sing over again; utter repeatedly in song |
receptacle | n. container; reservoir; an object or space used to contain something |
reclamation | n. rescuing from error and returning to a rightful course |
recluse | n. one who lives in solitude; withdrawn from the world; reclusive |
recompense | v. render an equivalent to, for service, loss; requite; remunerate; compensate; give in return; pay back |
recourse | n. one that is turned or applied to for aid or security; resort for help or protection; access or admittance |
rectitude | n. uprightness; moral virtue; correctness of judgment |
redeem | v. purchase back; regain possession of by payment; ransom or rescue from captivity; pay penalty; make amends for |
redundant | a. exceeding what is necessary or natural; repetitious; excessively wordy |
refugee | n. one who flees to shelter, or place of safety |
regimen | n. prescribed diet and habits; a systematic plan for therapy; governmental rule or control |
rejoinder | n. retort; comeback; answer to a reply |
rejuvenate | v. make young again; restore to youthful vigor or appearance |
relent | v. give in; become more compassionate or forgiving; cause to soften in attitude or temper |
reminisce | v. recollect and tell of past experiences or events; talk or write about memories of the past, especially pleasant memories |
remnant | n. remainder; small part or portion that remains after the main part no longer exists |
rendezvous | n. meeting at a prearranged time and place; popular gathering place; prearranged meeting point for troops or ships |
rendition | n. translation, often interpretive; performance of a musical or dramatic work |
renege | v. deny; go back on; fail to fulfill promise or obligation |
repertoire | n. list of works of music or drama; class of compositions in a genre; range or number of skills |
replica | n. copy or reproduction of a work of art |
reproach | v. express disapproval or disappointment; bring shame upon; disgrace |
resilient | a. elastic; having power of springing back or recover readily |
restive | a. impatient under restraint or opposition; resisting control; difficult to control |
resuscitate | v. restored to life; restore consciousness, vigor, or life to; revive |
retaliate | v. do something harmful or negative to get revenge for some harm; fight back or respond in kind to an injury or affront |
retentive | a. holding; having quality, power, or capacity of retaining, as to retain knowledge with ease |
retinue | n. following members; attendants accompanying high-ranking person |
revenge | v. do punishment in return for injury or insult; avenge |
rhetoric | n. art or study of using language effectively and persuasively; insincere language |
riddle | v. pierce with numerous holes; perforate; permeate or spread throughout |
rowdy | n. rough, disorderly person; boisterous person |
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