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12-letter words starting with p

  • pediculation — the act or process of growing a stalk or pedicle
  • pediculicide — Also, pediculicidal. destructive to lice.
  • pedomorphism — a speeding up of the rate of development, resulting in an adult form that has the appearance of its larval or juvenile ancestor.
  • pedunculated — having a peduncle.
  • peeblesshire — a historic county in S Scotland.
  • peer-to-peer — (networking)   1. The kind of communication found in a system using layered protocols. Each software or hardware component can be considered to communicate only with its peer in the same layer via the connection provided by the lower layers. 2. A decentralised file sharing system like BitTorrent, Gnutella or Kazaa where computers that download data also store that data and serve it to other downloaders. This increases the total bandwidth available in proportion to the number of users and so reduces download time. It also improves resilience by providing multiple redundant sources for the same data. This contrasts with client-server where all clients download the data from a single server (or mirror), sharing its fixed bandwidth. Peer-to-peer networks are typically ad-hoc and rely on users sharing the content they have downloaded for the benefit of other users. Users who fail to do this are called "leaches". A "seed" is a node on a peer-to-peer network that is sharing a complete copy of a file, as opposed to other nodes that may only have some of the parts into which the file has been split.
  • peerlessness — the state of being without equal or peerless
  • pekinologist — a person who studies the People's Republic of China
  • pelecaniform — of, or having the nature of, an order (Pelecaniformes) of swimming birds having all four toes connected in a webbed foot, including pelicans and cormorants
  • pelican hook — a hooklike device for holding the link of a chain or the like, consisting of a long shackle with a hinged rod held closed with a sliding ring.
  • peloponnesus — a peninsula forming the S part of Greece: seat of the early Mycenaean civilization and the powerful city-states of Argos, Sparta, etc. 8356 sq. mi. (21,640 sq. km).
  • peltier heat — the heat gained or lost at a junction of a thermocouple due to the Peltier effect.
  • pelton wheel — a high-pressure impulse water turbine in which one or more free jets of water are directed against the buckets of the rotor.
  • pelvic floor — muscles beneath the pelvis
  • pen computer — a computer, as a personal digital assistant, having pattern-recognition software enabling it to read handwritten text or drawings input on the screen by means of a stylus.
  • penal colony — remote prison
  • penalization — to subject to a penalty, as a person.
  • penalty area — the area, 44 yards (40 meters) wide and 18 yards (16 meters) deep, centered on the goal line and extending in front of the goal, where a foul by a defensive player results in a penalty kick for the offensive team.
  • penalty goal — a goal scored as a result of a penalty
  • penalty kick — a free kick awarded for an infraction committed by a defensive player in the penalty area and taken by the offensive player who has been fouled from a point 12 yards (11 meters) directly in front of the goal.
  • penalty shot — a free shot at the goal defended only by the goalkeeper, awarded to an offensive player for certain defensive violations.
  • penalty spot — a point within the penalty area and 12 yards (about 11 m) from the goal, from which a penalty kick may be taken
  • pencil cedar — the red cedar, Juniperus virginiana, or its wood.
  • pencil skirt — women's garment: straight skirt
  • pend oreille — a river in NE Washington, N Idaho, and SE British Columbia, flowing NW to the Columbia River. 130 miles (209 km) long.
  • penetrometer — a device for measuring the penetrating power of x-ray or other radiations.
  • penguin suit — a man's formal evening suit
  • penitentiary — a place for imprisonment, reformatory discipline, or punishment, especially a prison maintained in the U.S. by a state or the federal government for serious offenders.
  • pennine alps — a range of the Alps between Switzerland and Italy. Highest peak: Monte Rosa, 4634 m (15 204 ft)
  • penning gate — a sluice gate that opens by lifting upward.
  • pennsylvania — a state in the E United States. 45,333 sq. mi. (117,410 sq. km). Capital: Harrisburg. Abbreviation: PA (for use with zip code), Pa., Penn., Penna.
  • penny arcade — an amusement hall or area that contains coin-operated entertainment devices, originally operated for a penny a play.
  • penny loafer — a loafer with a slot on the vamp that can hold a coin, usually a penny.
  • penny shares — Penny shares are shares that are offered for sale at a low price.
  • penny stocks — Penny stocks are high-risk stock that sells for a very low price outside of the main stock exchange.
  • pennywhistle — a cheap toy whistle orig. sold for a penny
  • pension book — In Britain, a pension book is a small book which is given to pensioners by the government. Each week, one page can be exchanged for money at a Post Office.
  • pension fund — a fund created and maintained, as by a corporation, to provide benefits under a pension plan.
  • pension plan — a systematic plan created and maintained, as by a corporation, to make regular payments of benefits to retired or disabled employees, either on a contributory or a noncontributory basis.
  • pentacrinoid — a larval crinoid resembling members of the genus Pentacrinus
  • pentadecagon — a polygon having 15 angles and 15 sides.
  • pentagonally — in a pentagonal manner; in the fashion of a pentagon
  • pentahydrate — a hydrate that contains five molecules of water, as potassium molybdate, KMoO 4 ⋅5H 2 O.
  • pentahydroxy — (of a molecule) containing five hydroxyl groups.
  • pentapeptide — a polypeptide consisting of five amino acids
  • pentapolitan — of or pertaining to a pentapolis
  • pentateuchal — the first five books of the Old Testament: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
  • pentavalence — the condition of having a valency of five
  • penthesileia — the daughter of Ares and queen of the Amazons, whom she led to the aid of Troy. She was slain by Achilles
  • pentyl group — any of the univalent, isomeric groups having the formula C 5 H 1 1 –.
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