Meaning: A period of inactivity or lack of conflict, especially in a war.

Part of speech: noun

Example: The phoney war ended when the enemy launched an attack.

Category: History › World War II

Meaning: An early device for playing recorded sound.

Part of speech: noun

Example: The phonograph was popular in the early 20th century.

Category: Technology › Audio Equipment

Meaning: The study of the sound system of a language.

Part of speech: noun

Example: Phonology examines how sounds function in communication.

Category: Language › Linguistics

Meaning: The property of a substance to emit light after being energized.

Part of speech: noun

Example: Phosphorescence can be seen in glow-in-the-dark materials.

Category: Physics › Light

Meaning: Having the property of phosphorescence.

Part of speech: adjective

Example: The phosphorescent paint glowed in the dark.

Category: Physics › Light

Meaning: A colorless, odorless acid used in fertilizers and food flavoring.

Part of speech: noun

Example: Phosphoric acid is commonly found in soft drinks.

Category: Chemistry › Acids

Meaning: Containing phosphorus.

Part of speech: adjective

Example: Phosphorous compounds are important in agriculture.

Category: Chemistry › Elements

Meaning: A prefix meaning related to light or photography.

Part of speech: prefix

Example: Photogenic means suitable for being photographed.

Category: Language › Prefixes

Meaning: A race in which the winner is determined by a photograph taken at the finish line.

Part of speech: noun

Example: The race ended in a photo-finish.

Category: Sports › Racing

Meaning: A composite photograph of a suspect made from witness descriptions.

Part of speech: noun

Example: The police released a photofit of the suspect.

Category: Law › Criminal Law

Meaning: Relating to photography or photographs.

Part of speech: adjective

Example: He has a photographic memory.

Category: Arts › Photography

Meaning: The study of the shape and size of the skull as a supposed indication of character and mental abilities.

Part of speech: noun

Example: Phrenology was popular in the 19th century but is now considered a pseudoscience.

Category: Science › Psychology

Meaning: Branches of science that study non-living systems, such as physics and chemistry.

Part of speech: noun

Example: Physical science includes subjects like physics and chemistry.

Category: Science › Natural Science

Synonyms: natural science

Meaning: The assessment of a person's character or personality from their outer appearance, especially the face.

Part of speech: noun

Example: Physiognomy was once thought to reveal a person's character.

Category: Psychology

Meaning: An early name for the piano, indicating its ability to play both soft and loud sounds.

Part of speech: noun

Example: The pianoforte was a revolutionary instrument in classical music.

Category: Arts › Music

Synonyms: fortepiano

Meaning: A type of player piano that plays music automatically using a roll of paper.

Part of speech: noun

Example: The pianola played a beautiful melody without anyone touching it.

Category: Arts › Music

Synonyms: player piano

Meaning: Relating to a style of fiction dealing with the adventures of a rough and dishonest but appealing hero.

Part of speech: adjective

Example: The novel has a picaresque quality, following the misadventures of its charming protagonist.

Category: Literature › Fiction

Meaning: A simplified form of speech that develops as a means of communication between speakers of different languages.

Part of speech: noun

Example: Pidgin languages often arise in trade contexts.

Category: Language › Linguistics

Synonyms: creole

Meaning: Having irregular patches of two colors, typically black and white.

Part of speech: adjective

Example: The horse was piebald, with a mix of black and white spots.

Category: Nature › Animals

Synonyms: spotted

Meaning: The most important or remarkable feature of something.

Part of speech: noun

Example: The chef's piece de resistance was a stunning chocolate cake.

Category: Food › Culinary

Synonyms: highlight

Meaning: In stages or parts rather than all at once.

Part of speech: adverb

Example: The project was completed piecemeal over several months.

Category: General

Synonyms: gradually

Meaning: Work paid for according to the amount produced rather than by the hour.

Part of speech: noun

Example: She prefers piecework because it allows her to earn more based on her output.

Category: Business › Employment

Synonyms: task-based work

Meaning: A small living space or apartment, often used as a temporary residence.

Part of speech: noun

Example: They have a pied-a-terre in the city for weekend getaways.

Category: Real Estate › Housing

Synonyms: second home

Meaning: Nonsense or trivial talk.

Part of speech: noun

Example: Don't listen to that piffle; it's not worth your time.

Category: Language

Synonyms:

• balderdash
• gibberish

Antonyms: sense

Meaning: Trivial or insignificant.

Part of speech: adjective

Example: He dismissed the piffling details of the report.

Category: General

Synonyms:

• trivial
• insignificant

Antonyms: important

Meaning: Having toes that point inward.

Part of speech: adjective

Example: He was pigeon-toed as a child but grew out of it.

Category: Health

Synonyms: inward-pointing

Meaning: A place where pigs are kept.

Part of speech: noun

Example: The piggery was clean and well-maintained.

Category: Agriculture › Farming

Synonyms: pig farm

Meaning: Containing pigment; colored.

Part of speech: adjective

Example: The pigmented paint gave the wall a vibrant look.

Category: Science › Chemistry

Synonyms:

• colored
• dyed

Antonyms: colorless

Meaning: A member of certain ethnic groups in Africa, traditionally small in stature.

Part of speech: noun

Example: The pigmy people have a rich cultural heritage.

Category: Culture › Ethnic Groups

Synonyms: pygmy

Meaning: The skin of a pig, often used to make leather.

Part of speech: noun

Example: The football was made of pigskin.

Category: Materials › Leather

Synonyms: leather

Meaning: Food waste given to pigs.

Part of speech: noun

Example: The farmer collected the pigswill to feed his pigs.

Category: Agriculture › Farming

Synonyms:

• slop
• swill

Meaning: A rectangular column attached to a wall, often decorative.

Part of speech: noun

Example: The building featured elegant pilasters on its facade.

Category: Architecture

Synonyms: column

Meaning: A small fish, often canned or used in cooking.

Part of speech: noun

Example: We had pilchard sandwiches for lunch.

Category: Nature › Fish

Synonyms: sardine

Meaning: To steal small amounts of something.

Part of speech: verb

Example: He would pilfer snacks from the kitchen.

Category: Crime › Theft

Synonyms:

• steal
• thieve

Meaning: A vertical post or column used in construction.

Part of speech: noun

Example: The piling supports the weight of the building.

Category: Construction

Synonyms:

• post
• column

Meaning: To rob a place using violence, especially during war.

Part of speech: verb

Example: The army would pillage the towns they conquered.

Category: Crime › Theft

Synonyms:

• loot
• plunder

Meaning: Having pillars; supported by columns.

Part of speech: adjective

Example: The pillared hall was impressive.

Category: Architecture

Synonyms: columned

Meaning: A small fortified structure for defense.

Part of speech: noun

Example: The soldiers took cover in the pillbox.

Category: Military

Synonyms:

• bunker
• fortification

Meaning: A seat for a passenger on a motorcycle or bicycle.

Part of speech: noun

Example: She sat on the pillion behind him.

Category: Transportation › Vehicles

Synonyms: passenger seat

Meaning: A foolish or incompetent person.

Part of speech: noun

Example: He acted like a pillock during the meeting.

Category: General

Synonyms:

• fool
• idiot