1063
plume
captain plotted a new course. 3 [T] to draw (a line or curve
showing certain facts) on paper marked with small squares:
We've plotted (a graph showing) the increase in sales this
year. 4 [T(OUT)] to make a PLOT for (a story) —->ter n [usually pl.]
plough¹ BrE || usually plow AmE /plaʊ/ n a farming tool with a
heavy cutting blade for breaking up and turning over the
earth in fields, especially so that seeds can be planted:
Ploughs are pulled by tractors, or in some countries by oxen.
-> see also SNOWPLOUGH
plough² BrE || usually plow AmE — v 1 [;T(UP)] to break up or
turn over (land) with a plough: Farmers plough (their fields)
in autumn or spring. 2 [I+adv/prep] to force a way or make a
track, sometimes violently: The great ship ploughed across
the ocean. | The van's brakes failed, and it ploughed into a
crowd of people. | (fig.) He ploughed through the book to the
end. (=He finished the book although it was dull and
difficult to read.) 3 We plough the fields and scatter the
first line of a religious song sung at Harvest Festival to
celebrate the gathering in of the year's crops
plough sthg. <-> back phr v [T(into)] to put (money earned)
back into a business so as to make the business more
successful: They ploughed the profits back into the firm in
order to buy new equipment.
Plough, the BrE, the Plow AmE a group of seven bright
stars that can only be seen from the northern part of the
world. They form part of the CONSTELLATION (=group of stars)
called URSA MAJOR, and in the US they are often called the
BIG DIPPER.
plough·boy /'plaʊbɔɪ/ n (especially in former times) a boy
who leads a horse pulling a plough
plough·man /'plaʊmən/ n pl. -men /-mən/ a man whose job
is to guide a plough, especially of the type pulled by animals
ploughman's 'lunch also ploughman's n BrE a simple
midday meal, usually bread, cheese, and onion eaten in a PUB
plough·share /'plaʊʃeə/ also share n the broad curved
metal blade of a plough which turns over the soil
plov·er /'plʌvə/ n pl. plovers or plover a type of small bird
that usually lives near the sea
plow /plaʊ/ n, v AmE for PLOUGH
Plow·right, Joan /'plaʊraɪt, dʒəʊn/ (1929-) a British actress
who began in theatre and moved into films. She acted in
The Entertainer, Equus, and Drowning by Numbers. She is the
WIDOW of the actor Laurence Olivier. Her official title is
Dame Joan Plowright.
ploy /plɔɪ/ n something done in order to gain an often unfair
advantage; TACTIC: His usual ploy is to pretend to be ill, so that
people will feel sorry for him. | The offer was widely viewed as
a management ploy to weaken support for the union among
the workforce.
PLR /ˌpiː el ˈɑː/ abbrev. for PUBLIC LENDING RIGHT
pluck¹ /plʌk/ v 1 [T] to pull the feathers off (a dead hen,
duck etc, being prepared for cooking) 2 [T(OUT, from, off)] to
pull (especially something unwanted) out sharply: Do you
pluck your eyebrows? (=remove hairs to improve their
shape) | She tried to pluck out some of her grey hairs. | (fig.) He
was plucked from obscurity to star in the new musi-
cal. 3 [I(at);T] || also pick AmE — to play (a stringed instru-
ment) by quickly pulling (the strings) 4 [T] especially poet to
pick (a flower, fruit, or leaf): He plucked a rose for his lover.
pluck at sthg. phr v [T] to pull quickly and repeatedly with
the fingers: The little boy plucked at her sleeve to try and get
her attention.
pluck up phr v pluck up (one's) courage to show bravery
in spite of fear: He couldn't pluck up enough courage to ask
her to go out with him.
pluck² n [U] infml apprec courage and determination: She
showed a lot of pluck to leave a safe job and set up her own
business.
pluck·y /'plʌki/ adj infml apprec brave and determined, espe-
cially in an unexpected way —->ily adv —->iness n [U]
plug¹ /plʌɡ/ n 1 a small usually round piece of rubber, wood,
metal etc, used for blocking a hole, especially in something
that contains liquid: She pulled the plug out of the bath and
the dirty water ran away. 2 a) a small plastic object with
two or three metal pins that are pushed into an electric
plugs
plug
plug
SOCKET to connect an apparatus with the electricity sup-
ply b) not tech an electric SOCKET; POINT¹ 3 infml a publicly
stated favourable opinion about a record, a product, a book
etc, that is intended to make people want to buy it, hear it,
read it etc: The TV compere gave her new record a plug. -> see
also PLUG² 4 infml for SPARK PLUG 5 pull the plug on infml to
discontinue suddenly; prevent from continuing: The govern-
ment pulled the plug on the project when it became too expen-
sive.
plug² v -gg- [T] 1 [(UP)] to block, close, or fill with a PLUG: Use
this wad of cloth to plug (the hole in) the barrel. -> opposite
UNPLUG 2 infml to advertise (something) by continually or
repeatedly mentioning it: He's been plugging his new book on
the radio. 3 AmE old-fash slang to shoot (someone) with a gun
plug away at sthg. phr v [T no pass.] infml to work deter-
minedly to complete (a difficult job)
plug sthg. <-> in phr v [T] to connect to a supply of electricity
with a PLUG: 'The television doesn't work.' 'Have you plugged
it in?' -> opposite UNPLUG
plug into sthg. phr v [T] to gain the use of (a system) by
making an electrical connection with it: You can plug into
the national computer network.
,plug and 'play n [U] tech the ability of a computer and a
new piece of equipment to be used together as soon as they
are connected
plug·hole /'plʌɡhəʊl/ BrE || drain AmE — n a hole into which
a PLUG is fitted, especially where water flows away
plug-in, plug-in /'plʌɡɪn/ n tech a piece of computer soft-
ware that can be used in addition to existing software in
order to make particular programs work properly
plum /plʌm/ n 1 [C] a roundish sweet juicy smooth-skinned
fruit, usually dark red or yellow, with a single hard nutlike
STONE (=seed): stewed plums | plum trees -> see picture at
FRUIT 2 [C] infml something very desirable or the best of its
kind, especially a good or easy well-paid job: This new job
that he's got is a real plum. | She landed (=got) a plum job at
the United Nations. 3 [U] a dark reddish-blue colour
plum·age /'pluːmɪdʒ/ n [U] a bird's covering of feathers
plumb¹ /plʌm/ v [T] 1 to examine very carefully in order to
try to fully understand: Psychoanalysis plumb the deep mys-
teries of the human mind. 2 plumb the depths (of) to reach
the lowest point (of): This new play really plumbs the depths
of unpleasantness.
plumb sthg. <-> in phr v [T] especially BrE to fix in place and
connect to a supply of water: When's the man coming to
plumb in the washing machine?
plumb² adv infml 1 [+adv/prep] exactly: The bullet hit him
plumb between the eyes. 2 especially AmE completely: He's just
plumb stupid.
plumb³ adj [F] tech 1 exactly upright or level: Is this wall
plumb? 2 out of plumb not exactly upright
plumb·er /'plʌmə/ n a person whose job is to fit and repair
water pipes, bathroom apparatus etc
,plumber's 'friend also ,plumber's 'helper n especially AmE
infml for PLUNGER
plumb·ing /'plʌmɪŋ/ n [U] 1 all the water pipes, containers
for storing water etc, in a building: an old house with noisy
plumbing 2 the work of a plumber
'plumb line n a piece of string with a piece of lead tied to
one end, used for measuring the depth of water or for
finding out whether a wall is built exactly upright
plume¹ /pluːm/ n 1 [usually pl.] a feather, especially a large or
showy one worn as a (ceremonial) decoration 2 [(of)] some-
thing that rises into the air in a shape rather like that of a
feather: a plume of smoke