318 words starting with P

• pace noun

  the speed at which someone walks, moves, or does something

  The hikers kept a slow, steady pace so they would not get tired.

  Like speed, rate, tempo

• pack verb

  to put things into a bag or box to take with you

  Pack warm clothes for the trek to Langtang.

  Like fill, load

• package noun

  a box or parcel sent by mail or delivery

  A package with my new books arrived today.

  Like parcel

• page noun

  one side of a sheet of paper in a book or notebook

  Open your book to page fifty.

  Like sheet, leaf

• pain noun

  the bad feeling in your body when you are hurt or ill

  He felt a sharp pain in his foot after stepping on a stone.

  Like ache, hurt, soreness

• painful adjective

  causing pain or great discomfort

  Stepping on a sharp stone barefoot can be very painful.

  Like sore, aching

• paint verb

  to cover a surface with color; to make a picture using colors

  We painted the classroom walls light yellow.

  Like color, coat

• pair noun

  two things of the same kind used together

  I bought a new pair of shoes for the trek.

  Like couple, set of two

• pale adjective

  light in color; having skin lighter than usual from illness

  She looked pale after the long fever.

  Like light; white

• panel noun

  a flat piece of material that forms part of something; a small group of people who discuss or judge something

  They put solar panels on the roof of the school.

  Like board

• panic noun

  a sudden strong fear that makes you unable to think clearly

  In a panic, he forgot where he had put the keys.

  Like alarm, fright

• paper noun

  thin sheets made from wood, used for writing and printing

  Nepali lokta paper is made from the bark of a mountain shrub.

• par noun

  the usual or expected standard

  Her singing was not up to par because she had a bad cold.

  Like standard, level, norm

• paradigm noun

  a typical example or model; an accepted way of thinking about something

  The discovery of germs created a new paradigm in medicine.

  Like model, pattern, framework

• paradox noun

  a statement or situation that seems impossible because it contains two opposite facts

  It is a paradox that the more you rush, the slower you sometimes finish.

  Like contradiction, puzzle

• paragraph noun

  a section of writing that starts on a new line and has one main idea

  Write a short paragraph about your favorite festival.

• parallel adjective

  running side by side, always the same distance apart

  The two train tracks are parallel lines that never meet, however far they go.

• parameter noun

  a limit or rule that controls how something can be done; a quantity that can be changed in an experiment

  The teacher set the parameters for the project: one page and two pictures.

  Like limit, boundary, guideline

• parcel noun

  something wrapped in paper or put in a box, to be sent by post

  A parcel of books arrived from my aunt in Pokhara.

  Like package, packet

• pardon verb

  to forgive someone for something they have done

  Please pardon my late reply to your letter.

  Like forgive, excuse

• parent noun

  a mother or father

  Each parent was invited to the school’s science fair.

• parental adjective

  relating to parents

  Students need parental permission to join the school trip.

• parenthesis noun

  either of a pair of curved brackets ( ) used to separate words or numbers

  In math, you solve the part inside the parentheses first.

  Like bracket

• park noun

  a public area with grass and trees where people can walk or play

  We had a picnic in the park on Saturday.

• part noun

  a piece or section that belongs to something larger

  The engine is the most important part of a car.

  Like piece, section, portion

• partial adjective

  not complete; only in part

  The eclipse was only partial, so part of the Sun was still visible.

  Like incomplete, limited

• partially adverb

  not completely; to some degree

  The road was partially blocked by a fallen tree.

  Like partly, somewhat

• participant noun

  a person who takes part in an activity or event

  Every participant in the race received a medal.

• participate verb

  to take part in an activity or event

  Everyone in our class will participate in the school sports day.

  Like take part, join

• participation noun

  the act of taking part in an activity

  Every student’s participation in the sports day is welcome.

  Like involvement, taking part

• particle noun

  a very small piece of something

  Tiny particles of dust floated in the beam of sunlight.

  Like bit, speck, fragment

• particular adjective

  one single, special thing and not any other

  This particular tree flowers only once every ten years.

  Like specific, certain

• particularly adverb

  more than usual; especially

  The view is particularly beautiful at sunrise.

  Like especially, notably

• partition noun

  a thin wall or screen that divides a room into parts; the division of something into parts

  A wooden partition separates the office from the classroom.

  Like divider, screen, division

• partly adverb

  to some degree, but not completely

  The sky was partly cloudy this morning, but the sun came out later.

  Like partially, somewhat

• partner noun

  a person you do an activity or work with

  My lab partner and I measured the plant every day.

  Like teammate, colleague, companion

• partnership noun

  a relationship in which people or groups work together

  The two schools formed a partnership to share their science labs.

  Like alliance, collaboration

• party noun

  a social event where people meet to eat, talk and have fun

  We had a party to celebrate my sister’s birthday.

  Like celebration, gathering

• pass verb

  to go past something; to succeed in a test

  We passed the old temple on our way to school.

  Like go by, succeed

• passage noun

  a short section of a book or text; a narrow way through

  Read the passage carefully and answer the questions below.

  Like extract

• passenger noun

  a person traveling in a vehicle who is not driving it

  The bus had forty passengers on its way to Chitwan.

  Like traveler, rider

• passion noun

  a very strong feeling of liking or interest

  He has a passion for astronomy and watches the stars every clear night.

  Like love, enthusiasm

• past noun

  the time before now

  In the past, people carried water from the river.

  Like history

• path noun

  a narrow track for walking

  A small path leads through the forest to the waterfall.

  Like trail, track, way

• pathway noun

  a path for walking; a series of steps by which something happens

  A stone pathway leads from the gate to the temple.

  Like path, trail, route

• patient adjective

  able to wait calmly without getting annoyed

  Be patient; the seeds will sprout in a few days.

  Like calm, tolerant

• pattern noun

  a design of shapes or colors that repeat; a regular way something happens

  The carpet has a pattern of red and blue squares.

  Like design, arrangement

• pause verb

  to stop for a short time before going on

  The speaker paused to drink some water.

  Like stop, rest

• pay verb

  to give money for something you buy or for work done

  We paid fifty rupees for two cups of tea.

  Like spend

• payment noun

  money that is paid for something

  The shop asks for payment before it delivers the goods.

• peace noun

  a time with no war or fighting; calm and quiet

  After the busy festival, the village was full of peace and quiet.

  Like calm, quiet, harmony

• peak noun

  the pointed top of a mountain; the highest point of something

  The climbers cheered when they reached the snowy peak at sunrise.

  Like summit, top

• peasant noun

  in the past, a poor farmer who owned or rented a small piece of land

  In the Middle Ages, most people in Europe were peasants who farmed small plots.

  Like farmer

• peer noun

  a person of the same age or level as you

  Students often learn well when they teach their peers.

  Like equal

• pen noun

  a tool used for writing or drawing with ink

  May I borrow your pen to fill in this form?

• penalty noun

  a punishment for breaking a rule or law

  The penalty for returning a library book late is five rupees a day.

  Like fine, punishment

• pension noun

  money paid regularly to someone who has stopped working, usually because of age

  My grandfather receives a pension every month after working as a teacher for forty years.

• people noun

  men, women and children; human beings in general

  Hundreds of people came to watch the festival in the city square.

  Like persons, humans

• perceive verb

  to notice or become aware of something through the senses

  Bats perceive objects in the dark by listening to echoes.

  Like notice, sense

• percent noun

  a part out of every hundred

  Water covers about seventy percent of Earth’s surface.

• percentage noun

  an amount shown as a part of one hundred

  A large percentage of the students walk to school.

  Like proportion, share

• perception noun

  the way you notice or understand something with your senses or mind

  Optical illusions show that our perception of size can easily be fooled.

  Like awareness

• perfect adjective

  so good that it cannot be better; without any mistakes

  She got a perfect score of 100 on her spelling test.

  Like ideal, flawless

• perfectly adverb

  completely; in a way that has no mistakes

  The new shoes my uncle bought for Tihar fit perfectly.

  Like completely, exactly

• perform verb

  to do an action or piece of work; to act, sing or play for an audience

  The students performed a traditional dance at the school festival.

  Like do, carry out, present

• performance noun

  a show of music, dance or acting for an audience; how well someone does something

  The dance performance at the school festival was wonderful.

  Like show, display

• perhaps adverb

  possibly; it may be true but is not certain

  Perhaps it will rain this afternoon, so take an umbrella.

  Like maybe, possibly

• period noun

  a length of time; a class lesson at school

  Dinosaurs lived during a very long period of Earth’s history.

  Like time, era

• periodic adjective

  happening again and again at regular times

  The doctor recommends periodic checkups for your teeth.

  Like regular, recurring, repeated

• peripheral adjective

  at or near the outer edge; less important than the main thing

  Our school is in a peripheral part of the city, far from the busy center.

  Like outer, secondary, minor

• permanent adjective

  lasting forever or for a very long time, not changing

  Write your name with a permanent marker so it doesn’t wash off.

  Like lasting

• permission noun

  the act of allowing someone to do something

  You need your parents’ permission to go on the trip.

  Like consent, approval

• permit verb

  to allow someone to do something

  Mobile phones are not permitted in the exam hall.

  Like allow, let

• person noun

  a single human being

  Each person in the line received a ticket for the boat ride.

  Like individual, human

• personal adjective

  belonging to or about one particular person

  Keep your personal things in your own locker.

  Like private, own

• personality noun

  the qualities that make a person’s character different from others

  My friend has a cheerful personality and makes everyone laugh.

  Like character, nature

• personally adverb

  by yourself rather than through someone else; in your own opinion

  The principal personally thanked every volunteer after the clean-up day.

• personnel noun

  the people who work for a company or organization

  Only hospital personnel may enter this room.

  Like staff, employees, workers

• perspective noun

  a particular way of thinking about something; the way distance shows in a drawing

  Traveling abroad gave him a new perspective on his own country.

  Like viewpoint, point of view

• persuade verb

  to make someone agree to do or believe something by giving reasons

  I persuaded my father to take us to the zoo on Saturday.

  Like convince

• pest noun

  an insect or animal that damages crops, food or property

  Rats are pests that eat stored grain and chew through sacks.

• pesticide noun

  a chemical used to kill insects or animals that harm crops

  The farmer used less pesticide so that bees could visit the fields.

• phase noun

  one stage in a process of change or development

  The Moon looks different in each of its phases.

  Like stage, step

• phenomenal adjective

  extremely good, large or impressive

  The young runner showed phenomenal speed in the race.

  Like extraordinary, remarkable, outstanding

• phenomenon noun

  something that happens or exists that can be seen and studied, often unusual

  A rainbow is a natural phenomenon caused by sunlight and raindrops.

• philosopher noun

  a person who studies deep questions about life, truth and knowledge

  The Greek philosopher Socrates taught by asking his students difficult questions.

  Like thinker

• philosophical adjective

  about deep questions of life, truth and right and wrong; calm about problems

  Grandfather gave a philosophical answer when I asked him why people are sometimes unkind.

  Like reflective

• philosophy noun

  the study of ideas about knowledge, truth, and the meaning of life

  Philosophy asks questions such as “What is fair?”

• phone noun

  a device used to talk to someone far away

  My mother called my aunt in Pokhara on the phone.

  Like telephone, mobile

• phonological adjective

  about the sounds of a language and how they are used

  Children with good phonological skills can easily tell which words rhyme.

• phosphate noun

  a chemical compound containing phosphorus, often used in fertilizers

  Farmers add phosphate to the soil to help their rice plants grow strong roots.

• photo noun

  a picture made with a camera

  I took a photo of the rainbow with my phone.

  Like photograph, picture

• photograph noun

  a picture made with a camera

  We took a photograph of the whole class in front of the school.

  Like photo, picture, snapshot

• photographic adjective

  about or made with photographs or cameras

  The museum has a photographic record of Kathmandu from a hundred years ago.

• phrase noun

  a small group of words that go together, but not a full sentence

  “Once upon a time” is a phrase used at the start of many stories.

  Like expression

• physical adjective

  of the body, not the mind; of real things you can touch

  Football is a good form of physical exercise.

  Like bodily, material

• physically adverb

  in a way that concerns the body rather than the mind

  After the long trek, we were physically tired but very happy.

  Like bodily

• physician noun

  a medical doctor, especially one who treats illness with medicine

  The physician listened to my chest and said I had a mild cold.

  Like doctor

• physics noun

  the science of matter, energy, force and motion

  In physics class we measured how fast a ball rolls down a ramp.

• physiological adjective

  about how the bodies of living things work

  Sweating is a physiological response that helps the body cool down.

  Like bodily

• pi noun

  the number, about 3.14, found by dividing a circle’s distance around by its width

  To find the area of a circle, multiply pi by the radius squared.

• piano noun

  a large musical instrument played by pressing black and white keys

  She practices the piano for an hour every evening.

• pick verb

  to choose; to pull a fruit or flower from a plant

  We picked oranges from the tree in our garden.

  Like choose, gather

• picture noun

  a drawing, painting or photograph

  She took a picture of the sunset over the hills.

  Like image, photo

• piece noun

  a part or bit of something

  Can I have a piece of that bread?

  Like bit, part, portion

• pig noun

  a farm animal with a fat body, short legs and a flat nose

  The pig rolled in the mud to keep cool.

  Like hog

• pile noun

  a number of things placed one on top of another

  There was a pile of books on the teacher’s desk.

  Like heap, stack

• pilot noun

  a person who flies an aircraft

  The pilot landed the small plane safely at Lukla airport.

  Like aviator

• pink adjective

  having a pale red color

  The rhododendron flowers on the hills were bright pink.

• pipe noun

  a long tube that carries water, gas or oil

  A pipe carries water from the spring to the village tap.

  Like tube

• pitch noun

  how high or low a sound is; a field where some sports are played

  A small bell makes a sound with a higher pitch than a big bell.

  Like tone

• place noun

  a particular area, building or position

  This park is a quiet place to read on a sunny afternoon.

  Like spot, location, site

• plain adjective

  simple, without decoration or anything added

  I prefer plain rice with a little dal.

  Like simple

• plan noun

  an idea worked out in advance about how to do something

  Our plan is to leave early and reach the lake by noon.

  Like scheme, idea, strategy

• plane noun

  a vehicle with wings and engines that flies through the air

  The plane from Delhi landed safely at Tribhuvan Airport this afternoon.

  Like airplane, aircraft

• planet noun

  a large round object in space that moves around a star

  Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system.

• planner noun

  a person who plans something; a book or calendar for writing plans

  I write my homework due dates in a planner so I never forget them.

  Like organizer

• plant noun

  a living thing that grows in soil and usually has leaves and roots

  This plant needs water every morning.

• plantation noun

  a large farm where one crop, such as tea or coffee, is grown

  We visited a tea plantation in Ilam where workers picked fresh green leaves.

  Like estate

• plastic noun

  a light, man-made material that can be shaped and is used to make many things

  Many bottles are made of plastic, which takes hundreds of years to break down.

• plate noun

  a flat dish that you eat food from

  She put rice and dal on my plate.

  Like dish

• platform noun

  the raised area beside a railway track where people get on trains; a raised floor for speakers

  We waited on the platform until the train arrived.

• plausible adjective

  seeming likely to be true or reasonable

  His excuse sounded plausible, so the teacher let him hand in the work late.

  Like believable, credible

• play verb

  to do things for fun, such as games or sports; to make music on an instrument

  The children play football in the field after school.

  Like have fun, perform

• player noun

  a person who takes part in a game or sport

  Each player on the football team practices every evening.

  Like competitor, participant

• pleasant adjective

  nice, enjoyable, or friendly

  We had a pleasant walk along the lake in the evening.

  Like nice, enjoyable, agreeable

• please verb

  to make someone happy or satisfied

  The students’ good work pleased their teacher.

  Like delight, satisfy

• pleasure noun

  a feeling of happiness and enjoyment

  It was a pleasure to meet the famous scientist.

  Like joy, delight, enjoyment

• plenty noun

  a large amount, as much as or more than you need

  Don’t worry, we have plenty of food for everyone.

  Like lots, abundance

• plot noun

  the main events of a story; a small piece of land

  The plot of the movie was easy to follow.

  Like storyline

• plug noun

  the part on a wire that you push into a wall socket for electricity

  Pull out the plug before you clean the toaster.

• plural adjective

  showing more than one person or thing

  The plural form of “child” is “children,” not “childs.”

• pocket noun

  a small bag sewn into clothes for carrying things

  I keep my bus fare in my shirt pocket.

• poem noun

  a piece of writing with short lines, often with rhythm and rhyme

  She wrote a poem about the rain falling on the rice fields.

  Like verse

• poet noun

  a person who writes poems

  Laxmi Prasad Devkota is one of Nepal’s most famous poets.

• poetry noun

  poems as a group or as a form of writing

  We read poetry by Nepali and English writers in class.

  Like verse, poems

• point noun

  an idea or fact in a discussion; a sharp end of something

  The teacher made an important point about saving water.

  Like idea, tip

• polar adjective

  about the areas around the North or South Pole

  Polar bears have thick fur to keep warm in the freezing Arctic.

• pole noun

  a long, thin, round piece of wood or metal; either end of the earth’s axis

  The workers put up a tall pole to hold the new electric wires.

  Like post, rod

• police noun

  the official group whose job is to keep people safe and make sure laws are obeyed

  The police helped the lost tourist find her hotel.

  Like officers

• policy noun

  a plan or set of rules agreed on by a group or organization

  Our school has a policy that phones stay switched off during class.

  Like rule, plan

• political adjective

  having to do with government and the people who run a country

  The newspaper has pages for political news and pages for sports.

• politically adverb

  in a way that concerns government, power or public affairs

  Nepal is organized politically into local, provincial and federal governments.

• politician noun

  a person whose job is in politics, especially an elected member of government

  A local politician opened the new public library in our town.

• politics noun

  the activities of governments and people who want power in a country

  My uncle likes to read about politics in the newspaper every morning.

  Like government, public affairs

• poll noun

  a survey in which many people are asked their opinion

  A poll showed that most students wanted a longer lunch break.

  Like survey

• pollution noun

  harmful substances that make air, water, or land dirty

  Smoke from old buses adds to the air pollution in the city.

  Like contamination

• pool noun

  a large area of water made for swimming; a small area of water

  The hotel has a swimming pool on the roof.

• poor adjective

  having very little money; of low quality

  The poor soil made it hard to grow crops.

  Like needy, bad

• pop verb

  to burst with a short, loud sound

  The balloon popped when it touched the hot bulb.

  Like burst, bang

• popular adjective

  liked by many people

  Football is the most popular sport in our school.

  Like well-liked

• population noun

  the number of people living in a place

  Kathmandu has a much larger population than any other city in Nepal.

• port noun

  a town or place by the sea where ships load and unload

  Goods for Nepal often arrive by ship at the port of Kolkata.

  Like harbor

• portfolio noun

  a set of your best work collected to show others

  The art student brought a portfolio of her paintings to the interview.

  Like collection

• portion noun

  a part of something; the amount of food served to one person

  A large portion of the forest is protected as a national park.

  Like part, share, serving

• portrait noun

  a painting, drawing or photo of a person

  A portrait of the school’s founder hangs in the hall.

  Like likeness

• portray verb

  to show or describe someone or something in a picture, story or acting role

  The film portrays the life of a young girl growing up in a mountain village.

  Like depict, represent, show

• portrayal noun

  the way someone or something is shown in art, writing or acting

  The book’s portrayal of village life in the Himalaya felt very real.

  Like depiction, representation

• pose verb

  to cause a problem or danger; to sit or stand still for a photo or painting

  Ice on the road poses a danger to drivers.

  Like present

• position noun

  the place where someone or something is

  The map shows the position of every school in the district.

  Like place, location

• positive adjective

  hopeful and confident; more than zero

  She has a positive attitude, even when things are hard.

  Like hopeful, optimistic

• positively adverb

  in a good or hopeful way; certainly

  The class responded positively to the idea of a science fair.

  Like favorably

• possess verb

  to have or own something

  Some parrots possess the ability to copy human words.

  Like own, have

• possession noun

  something that a person owns; the state of owning

  His most precious possession is his grandfather’s watch.

  Like belonging, property

• possibility noun

  something that might happen or be true

  There is a possibility of rain this afternoon.

  Like chance, likelihood

• possible adjective

  able to be done or able to happen

  Is it possible to see the Moon during the day?

  Like feasible, doable

• possibly adverb

  perhaps; maybe

  The bus could possibly arrive late because of the heavy rain.

  Like perhaps, maybe

• post verb

  to put a message or picture online; to send a letter by mail

  She posted photos of the trek on the school website.

  Like share, mail

• poster noun

  a large printed picture or notice put on a wall

  We made a poster about saving water and hung it in the corridor.

• postgraduate adjective

  about studies done after finishing a first university degree

  After her bachelor’s degree, she began postgraduate research in chemistry.

  Like graduate

• pot noun

  a round container for cooking or for growing plants

  Mother cooked the dal in a big metal pot.

• potassium noun

  a soft silvery metal element; its compounds are found in foods like bananas and are needed by the body

  Bananas are rich in potassium, which helps your muscles work properly.

• potato noun

  a round vegetable that grows under the ground

  We dug up potatoes from the field and roasted them on a fire.

• potential noun

  qualities that could develop and lead to success later

  The coach said the young runner has great potential.

  Like promise, capability

• potentially adverb

  possibly, though not yet actually

  This small leak could potentially cause serious damage.

  Like possibly

• pound noun

  a unit for measuring weight, about 450 grams; the money used in the United Kingdom

  We bought five pounds of rice.

• pour verb

  to make a liquid flow out of a container

  Grandfather poured hot tea into each cup and passed them around.

• poverty noun

  the state of being very poor

  Education is one of the best ways to escape poverty.

• powder noun

  a dry substance made of very tiny loose grains

  Mix the chili powder into the curry a little at a time.

• power noun

  energy that can make machines work; the ability to control people or events

  The village gets its electric power from a small hydropower plant on the river.

  Like energy, electricity

• powerful adjective

  very strong; having a lot of control or effect

  A powerful wind blew the roof off the shed.

  Like strong, mighty, forceful

• practical adjective

  useful and sensible in real life; involving doing rather than theory

  A raincoat is a practical thing to carry during the monsoon.

  Like useful, sensible

• practice noun

  doing something again and again to get better at it

  Daily practice helped him play the guitar well.

  Like training, exercise

• practitioner noun

  a person who works in a skilled job, especially medicine or law

  The medical practitioner at the health post checks children every month.

  Like professional

• pragmatic adjective

  dealing with problems in a sensible, practical way

  Instead of waiting for a new bridge, the villagers took a pragmatic approach and built a footbridge.

  Like practical, realistic, sensible

• praise verb

  to say that someone or something is very good

  The coach praised the team for working so hard in training.

  Like compliment, applaud, commend

• pray verb

  to speak to God or a god, giving thanks or asking for help

  Many people pray at the temple early in the morning.

• precede verb

  to come or happen before something else

  A loud clap of thunder preceded the heavy rain.

• precipitate verb

  to make something bad happen suddenly; to form a solid that separates from a liquid

  Mixing the two clear liquids precipitated a white solid at the bottom of the test tube.

• precipitation noun

  water that falls from clouds as rain, snow, sleet or hail

  Most of Nepal’s precipitation falls during the summer monsoon.

• precise adjective

  exact and correct in every detail

  Scientists need precise measurements for their experiments.

  Like exact, accurate

• precisely adverb

  exactly

  The train left at precisely nine o’clock, not a minute early or late.

  Like exactly

• predator noun

  an animal that hunts and eats other animals

  The snow leopard is a skilled predator in the high Himalaya.

  Like hunter

• predict verb

  to say what will happen in the future

  Weather experts predict heavy rain this weekend.

  Like forecast

• prediction noun

  a statement about what you think will happen in the future

  The weather forecaster’s prediction of rain turned out to be right.

  Like forecast

• predominantly adverb

  mostly; mainly

  The forest around the village is predominantly pine and oak.

  Like mainly, mostly, largely

• prefer verb

  to like one thing more than another

  I prefer tea to coffee.

  Like favor

• preference noun

  a liking for one thing more than another

  My preference is tea, but my father likes coffee.

  Like choice, liking

• pregnancy noun

  the time when a woman or female animal has a baby growing inside her

  A cow’s pregnancy lasts about nine months.

• pregnant adjective

  having a baby growing inside the body

  The pregnant cow will give birth to a calf next month.

  Like expecting

• prejudice noun

  an unfair opinion about someone formed without knowing them

  Good teachers judge each student by their work, not by prejudice.

  Like bias

• preliminary adjective

  coming first, to prepare for something more important

  The preliminary round of the quiz was held a week before the final.

  Like initial, introductory

• premise noun

  an idea that is accepted as true and used as the base of an argument or story

  The premise of the story is that animals can talk.

  Like assumption, basis

• preparation noun

  the act of getting ready for something

  Preparation for the Dashain festival starts weeks before.

  Like planning

• prepare verb

  to get ready, or make something ready, for later

  We prepared the classroom for the science fair.

  Like get ready, arrange

• presence noun

  the fact of being in a place

  Your presence at the meeting is important, so please come on time.

  Like attendance, being there

• present noun

  something you give to someone, such as on a birthday; the time now

  My friend gave me a book as a birthday present.

  Like gift

• presentation noun

  a talk given to a group to show or explain something

  I gave a presentation about the solar system to my class.

  Like talk

• preserve verb

  to keep something safe from harm or change

  The museum preserves old coins and pottery for future generations.

  Like protect, conserve

• president noun

  the person who leads a club, organization or country

  The president of the science club opened the meeting.

  Like head, chairperson

• presidential adjective

  relating to a president or the office of president

  The presidential palace is guarded day and night.

• press verb

  to push firmly on something

  Press the button to start the machine.

  Like push

• pressure noun

  the force of pushing on something; a feeling that you must do something

  Check the air pressure in the bicycle tires before the ride.

  Like force, stress

• presumably adverb

  very likely, as you would expect

  The shop is closed, so presumably the owner has gone home.

  Like probably, likely

• presume verb

  to think something is true without being sure

  I presume the bus is late because of the traffic in Kathmandu.

  Like assume, suppose

• pretend verb

  to act as if something is true when it is not

  The children pretended to be astronauts landing on the moon.

  Like fake, make believe

• pretty adjective

  pleasant to look at

  The garden is full of pretty flowers in spring.

  Like lovely, attractive

• prevalence noun

  how common something is in a place or group

  The prevalence of mobile phones among teenagers has grown quickly.

  Like frequency

• prevent verb

  to stop something from happening

  Brushing your teeth helps prevent cavities.

  Like stop, avoid

• previous adjective

  coming before the present one

  The previous owner of the house planted the mango tree.

  Like earlier, former, prior

• previously adverb

  at an earlier time, before now

  Previously, people carried water from the river every day.

  Like before, earlier, formerly

• prey noun

  an animal that is hunted and eaten by another animal

  Rabbits are common prey for foxes and eagles.

  Like quarry

• price noun

  the amount of money you must pay to buy something

  The price of apples goes down when they are in season.

  Like cost, charge

• pride noun

  a feeling of pleasure in something you or people close to you have done

  Her parents watched with pride as she received her prize.

  Like satisfaction

• primarily adverb

  mainly; mostly

  The festival is primarily for children, but adults enjoy it too.

  Like mainly, mostly, chiefly

• primary adjective

  most important or first; of the first years of school, for young children

  The primary reason for the trip was to see the old temples.

  Like main, chief, principal

• prime adjective

  (of a number) divisible only by itself and 1; main or most important

  Seven is a prime number because only 1 and 7 divide it exactly.

• primer noun

  a first coat of paint; a simple book for beginners

  The painter put on a white primer before the blue paint.

• primitive adjective

  very simple and from an early stage of development

  Early humans used primitive tools made of stone and bone.

  Like basic, crude

• principal noun

  the head of a school

  The principal welcomed the new students on the first day.

  Like head teacher

• principle noun

  a basic rule or truth that explains how something works; a belief about what is right

  The principle of the lever helps us lift heavy loads with less effort.

  Like rule, law, belief

• print verb

  to put words or pictures on paper using a machine

  Please print two copies of your project report.

• printer noun

  a machine that puts text or pictures from a computer onto paper

  The printer in the office has run out of ink.

• prior adjective

  happening or existing before something else

  No prior experience is needed to join the chess club.

  Like previous, earlier

• priority noun

  something more important than other things that must be dealt with first

  During exam week, studying is my top priority.

• prison noun

  a building where people are kept as punishment for a crime

  The old prison in the city is now a museum that visitors can explore.

  Like jail

• prisoner noun

  a person kept locked up, especially in jail as punishment

  The old fort was once used to hold prisoners.

  Like captive

• private adjective

  for one person or group only, not for everyone

  This is a private garden, so please ask before you enter.

  Like personal, own

• privilege noun

  a special advantage given to a person or group

  It was a privilege to meet the famous scientist.

  Like honor, advantage

• prize noun

  something given to a person who wins a competition

  She won first prize in the school art contest.

  Like award, reward

• pro noun

  a person who does a sport or activity as a paid job; an advantage

  She played as a pro in the national football league.

  Like professional

• probability noun

  how likely it is that something will happen

  The probability of getting heads when you toss a coin is one half.

  Like likelihood, chance

• probably adverb

  very likely, though not certain

  It will probably rain later, so take an umbrella.

  Like likely, perhaps

• probe verb

  to examine or search something carefully

  Scientists sent a robot to probe the surface of Mars.

  Like investigate, explore

• problem noun

  something difficult that needs to be dealt with or solved

  We had a problem with the car, so we arrived late.

  Like difficulty, trouble, issue

• problematic adjective

  causing difficulties; hard to deal with

  The old road is problematic during the monsoon because it floods.

  Like difficult, troublesome

• procedure noun

  a set of steps for doing something the correct way

  Follow the procedure carefully when doing the experiment.

  Like method, process, steps

• proceed verb

  to continue or go forward

  When you finish the first part, please proceed to the next question.

  Like continue, go on, advance

• process noun

  a series of actions or steps that lead to a result

  Making paper by hand is a slow process.

  Like procedure, method, series

• processor noun

  the part of a computer that carries out instructions

  A faster processor lets the computer run games smoothly.

  Like CPU

• produce verb

  to make or grow something, often in large amounts

  Farmers in the Terai produce a lot of rice and wheat.

  Like make, grow, create

• producer noun

  a person, company or country that makes or grows things to sell; a person in charge of making a film or show

  Nepal is one of the world’s largest producers of large cardamom.

  Like maker, grower

• product noun

  something that is made or grown to be sold

  Tea is an important product of eastern Nepal.

  Like goods, item

• production noun

  the process of making or growing goods in large amounts

  Rice production in the Terai rose this year because of good rain.

  Like manufacture, output

• productive adjective

  getting a lot done or producing a lot

  We had a productive morning and finished the whole science project.

  Like fruitful

• productivity noun

  how much work is done or how much is produced in a given time

  New seeds increased the productivity of the rice fields.

  Like output

• profession noun

  a type of job that needs special training and study

  Teaching is a respected profession in Nepal.

  Like career, occupation

• professional adjective

  doing something as a paid job, not as a hobby

  He wants to be a professional football player.

  Like paid

• professor noun

  a senior teacher at a university

  Our neighbor is a professor who teaches chemistry at Tribhuvan University.

• profile noun

  a short description of a person; the side view of a face

  The school magazine published a profile of our new science teacher.

  Like description

• profit noun

  money you earn from selling something after paying your costs

  The shop made a good profit during the festival season.

  Like earnings, gain

• profound adjective

  very great or deep; showing deep understanding

  Visiting the old temple had a profound effect on the young visitors.

  Like deep, intense

• program noun

  a set of planned activities; a set of instructions for a computer

  The school program for the day includes a science show.

  Like plan, schedule, show

• progress noun

  movement toward finishing or improving something

  Our class made good progress in math this term.

  Like improvement, advance, growth

• progression noun

  the process of moving forward or changing step by step

  The book shows the progression of a seed into a tall tree.

  Like development, advance

• progressive adjective

  happening gradually in stages; supporting new ideas and change

  The course has a progressive plan, with each lesson a little harder than the last.

  Like gradual

• project noun

  a planned piece of work, often done over a period of time

  Our science project is about how seeds grow in different soils.

  Like task, assignment

• projection noun

  an estimate of a future amount; a picture shown on a screen

  The projection shows that the town’s population will double in twenty years.

  Like forecast, estimate

• prominent adjective

  important and well known; easy to see

  A prominent scientist visited our school to talk about space.

  Like famous, notable, noticeable

• promise verb

  to tell someone that you will certainly do something

  I promise to finish my homework before dinner.

  Like pledge, swear

• promote verb

  to help something grow or succeed; to move someone to a higher job

  The school promotes reading by holding a book week.

  Like encourage, support, advance

• promotion noun

  a move to a higher position at work; activities to advertise something

  My aunt got a promotion at the bank.

  Like advancement

• prompt adjective

  done quickly or at once

  Thank you for your prompt reply; it arrived only an hour after I wrote.

  Like quick, immediate

• pronounce verb

  to make the sound of a word

  How do you pronounce the name of this mountain?

  Like say

• proof noun

  facts or evidence that show something is true

  Do you have proof that you finished your homework?

  Like evidence

• proper adjective

  correct or suitable for the situation

  You need proper boots for walking on snowy mountain trails.

  Like correct, right, suitable

• properly adverb

  correctly or in a suitable way

  Make sure the lid is closed properly so the water doesn’t spill.

  Like correctly, well

• property noun

  something owned by someone; land and buildings

  The bicycle is school property, so please take care of it.

  Like belongings, possessions

• proportion noun

  a part of a whole, compared with the whole

  A large proportion of Nepal’s land is covered by mountains.

  Like share, part, ratio

• proposal noun

  a plan or idea that is suggested for people to consider

  The students made a proposal to start a recycling program.

  Like plan, suggestion

• propose verb

  to suggest a plan or idea for others to think about

  She proposed a trip to the museum for the class outing.

  Like suggest, put forward

• proposition noun

  an idea or plan offered for others to consider; a statement in logic

  Building a library in the village was an exciting proposition for everyone.

  Like proposal, suggestion

• prospect noun

  the chance that something will happen in the future

  There is little prospect of finishing the new road before the monsoon starts.

  Like chance, likelihood

• protect verb

  to keep someone or something safe from harm

  Sunglasses protect your eyes from bright sunlight.

  Like guard, shield, defend

• protection noun

  something that keeps a person or thing safe from harm

  Sunglasses give your eyes protection from strong sunlight.

  Like defense, shelter

• protein noun

  a substance in foods like meat, eggs and beans that the body needs to grow and repair itself

  Lentils and eggs are a good source of protein for growing children.

• protest noun

  a public act of showing strong disagreement with something

  The students held a peaceful protest to save the old park.

  Like objection, demonstration

• protocol noun

  a set of official rules for how to do something

  The lab has a strict protocol for handling chemicals safely.

  Like procedure, rules

• proton noun

  a tiny particle with a positive charge in the center of an atom

  A hydrogen atom has just one proton in its nucleus.

• proud adjective

  pleased about something you or someone close to you has done

  My parents were proud when I won the spelling contest.

  Like pleased

• prove verb

  to show that something is true by giving facts or evidence

  The experiment proved that plants need light to grow.

  Like show, demonstrate

• provide verb

  to give someone something that they need

  The school provides free lunch for all young students.

  Like supply, give, offer

• province noun

  one of the large areas a country is divided into

  Nepal is divided into seven provinces, and each has its own capital city.

  Like region, state

• provision noun

  the act of supplying something that is needed; supplies of food

  The provision of clean water has made the village healthier.

  Like supply

• psychiatric adjective

  about the treatment of mental illness

  The hospital has a psychiatric ward where doctors help patients with mental illness.

• psychological adjective

  relating to the mind and how people think and feel

  Fear of the dark is partly psychological.

  Like mental

• psychologist noun

  a person who studies the mind and behavior, or helps people with problems of the mind

  The school psychologist helps students who feel worried before exams.

• psychology noun

  the study of the mind and how people think and behave

  In psychology, students learn why people remember some things and forget others.

• pub noun

  a building where adults go to buy and drink beer and other drinks

  The small village had one pub, where people met to talk in the evening.

  Like bar, tavern

• public adjective

  for everyone to use, not private

  You can borrow books from the public library for free.

  Like common, open

• publication noun

  a book, magazine or newspaper; the act of printing and selling it

  The school’s yearly publication includes poems and stories by students.

• publish verb

  to print and sell a book, magazine or newspaper; to put something online for everyone to see

  The school will publish a magazine of students’ stories every year.

  Like issue, release

• publisher noun

  a company that prepares and sells books, magazines or newspapers

  The publisher printed five thousand copies of her first book.

• pull verb

  to move something toward you by holding it

  Pull the door toward you to open it.

  Like drag, tug

• pulse noun

  the regular beat of blood in your body, felt at the wrist or neck

  After running, check your pulse to see how fast your heart is beating.

  Like heartbeat

• pump noun

  a machine that pushes liquid or air into or out of something

  We used a hand pump to get water from the well.

• punch verb

  to hit hard with a closed hand; to make a hole with a tool

  The boxer punched the heavy bag again and again during training.

  Like hit, strike

• punish verb

  to make someone suffer a penalty for doing wrong

  The referee punished the player for the foul by giving the other team a free kick.

  Like penalize, discipline

• punishment noun

  something unpleasant done to someone because they did wrong

  As a punishment for being late, he had to sweep the classroom.

  Like penalty

• pupil noun

  a student in a school; the black circle in the middle of the eye

  The teacher has thirty pupils in her class.

  Like student

• purchase verb

  to buy something

  You can purchase tickets for the zoo at the gate.

  Like buy

• pure adjective

  not mixed with anything else

  This bracelet is made of pure silver, with no other metals mixed in.

  Like unmixed

• purely adverb

  only; completely

  We met at the market purely by chance.

  Like only, simply, entirely

• purpose noun

  the reason something is done or made

  The purpose of the experiment was to see how plants grow in the dark.

  Like aim, goal, reason

• pursue verb

  to try to achieve something over a long time; to follow or chase someone

  She wants to pursue a career in medicine after finishing school.

  Like seek

• push verb

  to press against something to move it away from you

  We had to push the car when it would not start.

  Like shove, press

• put verb

  to move something into a particular place or position

  Put the milk back in the fridge after you use it.

  Like place, set, lay

• puzzle noun

  a game or problem that you solve by thinking carefully

  We spent the rainy afternoon doing a jigsaw puzzle of Mount Everest.

  Like brainteaser