1119
punch
pul·let /'pʊlɪt/ n a young hen during its first year of laying
eggs
pul·ley /'pʊli/ n an apparatus consisting of a wheel over
which a rope or chain can be moved, mainly used for lifting
heavy things: a system of pulleys
'pull-in n BrE infml a place by the roadside where vehicles may
stop and the drivers can get drinks and light meals → see
also PULL IN
'pulling ,power n [U] BrE the ability of someone or some-
thing to attract people: Madonna's pulling power filled the
Arena for 10 nights.
Pull·man /'pʊlmən/ n a very comfortable train carriage,
especially one that you can sleep in, or a train made up of
these carriages
Pullman, Philip (1946–) a British writer of books for younger
readers. His best-known novels are a TRILOGY (=three sepa-
rate but connected books) called His Dark Materials.
'pull-on adj [A] (of a garment) that is pulled on and fits
tightly, without any fastenings: a pull-on shirt
pull·out /'pʊlaʊt/ n a part of a book, magazine etc, that is
complete in itself and may be taken out separately
pull·o·ver /'pʊləʊvə/ n a SWEATER that is pulled on over the
head
'pull tab AmE || ring pull BrE n a small piece of metal
attached to a can of food, drink etc that you pull in order to
open it
pul·lu·late /'pʌljʊleɪt/ v [I] fml to breed or multiply quickly
and in great numbers —lation /ˌpʌljʊ'leɪʃən/ n [U]
'pull-up also chin-up AmE — n an exercise in which one
takes hold of a bar above one's head and uses one's arms to
pull up the body until one's head is over the bar: How many
pull-ups can you do?
pul·mo·na·ry /'pʊlmənəri, 'pʌl-mə-neri/ adj tech of or having
an effect on the lungs
pulp¹ /pʌlp/ n 1 [S,U] a soft almost liquid mass, such as the
soft inside part of many fruits or vegetables: A banana is
mainly pulp, except for its skin. | These vegetables have been
boiling too long; they're cooked to a pulp. | (fig.) I'll beat/mash
him (in) to a pulp if I catch him. | (fig.) a terrifying teacher
who could always reduce me to (a) pulp (=make me help-
lessly afraid and unable to act) 2 [U] wood or other vegeta-
ble materials, such as cotton cloth, softened and used for
making paper —pulpy adj
pulp² v [T] to cause (especially books etc) to become pulp
pulp³ adj [A] derog (of books and magazines) cheaply produced
on rough paper and containing matter of bad quality, espe-
cially shocking stories about sex and violence: pulp novels
Pulp a British group, popular in the 1990s, whose music is an
example of BRITPOP, and whose singer is Jarvis COCKER
Pulp 'Fiction (1994) a humorous and very violent US film,
made by Quentin TARANTINO
pul·pit /'pʊlpt/ n 1 [C] a small raised enclosure of wood or
stone in a church, from which the priest speaks to the
worshippers 2 [the] fml (the Christian priesthood as a profes-
sion which includes) religious teaching in church
pulp·wood /'pʌlpwʊd/ n [U] crushed wood that is used to
make paper
pul·sar /'pʌlsɑː/ n a star-like object that usually cannot be
seen, but is known to exist because of the regular radio
signals that it gives out → compare QUASAR
pul·sate /pʌl'seɪt||'pʌlseɪt/ v [I (with)] 1 to shake very regu-
larly; VIBRATE: The air seemed to pulsate with the bright
light. | the pulsating beat of Latin American dance
music 2 to PULSE²
pul·sa·tion /pʌl'seɪʃən/ n 1 [C] especially tech a beat of the
heart or any regular beat that can be measured 2 [U]
pulsating movement
pulse¹ /pʌls/ n 1 [C usually sing.] the regular beating of blood
in the main blood tubes carrying blood from the heart,
especially as felt at the wrist: The doctor felt/took the
woman's pulse. (=counted the number of beats per minute) |
His pulse quickened/raced. (=his heart beat very quickly) |
Her pulse was strong/weak. 2 a strong regular beat as in
music, on a drum etc 3 a) a short sound as sent by
radio b) a small change in the quantity of electricity going
through something, especially that in a telephone which
makes it able to ask for connection with another telephone
pulse² v [I] 1 [(through, with)] to beat steadily as the heart does;
move or flow with a steady rapid beat and sound: He could feel
the blood pulsing through his veins as he waited for the signal to
attack. | One could feel the excitement pulsing through the
crowd. 2 (of a machine) to send out signals in regular PULSES
pulse³ n [usually pl.] (the seeds of beans, PEAS, LENTILS etc, used
as food
pul·ver·ize also -ise BrE /'pʌlvəraɪz/ v [T] 1 to crush into a
fine grain of powder or dust 2 infml to defeat thoroughly
—ization /ˌpʌlvəraɪ'zeʃən||-rə-/ n [U]
pu·ma /'pjuːmə/ n pl. pumas or puma a COUGAR
pum·ice /'pʌmɪs/ also 'pumice stone n [U] a very light,
silver-grey rock, used in pieces or in powder form for
cleaning and for rubbing surfaces smooth
pum·mel /'pʌməl/ also pommel especially AmE — v -ll- BrE ||
-l- AmE [T] to hit repeatedly, especially with two FISTS (closed
hands): When he picked up his small daughter she pummelled
him angrily on the chest.
pump¹ /pʌmp/ n 1 [C] (often in comb.) a machine for forcing
liquids, air, or gas into or out of something: an old-fashioned
pump for drawing water from a well | The heart is a kind of
natural pump that moves the blood around the body. | a petrol
pump | a bicycle pump → see also STOMACH PUMP and see
pictures at BICYCLE and ENGINE 2 [S] an act of pumping →
see also HEAT PUMP, prime the pump (PRIME)
pump² v 1 [T+obj+adv/prep] a) to empty or fill (a container)
using a pump: She pumped up her car tyres. b) to move
(liquids, air, or gas) with a pump: The doctor pumped the
poison out of the child's stomach. | (fig.) The government has
been pumping money into new road-building schemes.
(=spending a lot of money on them) 2 [(AWAY)] a) to work a
pump: He pumped away furiously. b) to work like a pump:
My heart was pumping very fast. 3 [+adv/prep] (of a liquid) to
come out in short bursts as if from a pump: blood pumping
from a wound 4 [T] to move (something) up and down like
the handle of an old-fashioned pump: He pumped his
friend's hand up and down, saying how glad he was to see
him. 5 [T] infml to repeatedly ask (someone) questions, espe-
cially indirect ones, in the hope of finding out something: I
tried to pump him for details of their other contracts.
pump³ n a flat light shoe for dancing etc → see PAIR (USAGE)
'pump-action adj using the action of a pump to force
something in or out: a pump-action shotgun/can (e.g. of
HAIRSPRAY)
pum·per·nick·el /'pʌmpənɪkəl||'pʌmpər-/ n [U] a heavy
dark brown bread, usually cut into thin pieces before being
sold
pump·kin /'pʌmpkɪn/ n [C,U] (a plant with) a very large dark
yellow roundish fruit that grows on the ground, often used in
PIES and also to make LANTERNS at Hallowe'en
CULTURAL NOTE In the US pumpkin pie is usually eaten
as part of Thanksgiving Day dinner. In the story of
CINDERELLA, the FAIRY GODMOTHER changes a pumpkin
into a COACH to take Cinderella to the BALL, but she
warns Cinderella that it will change back into a pumpkin
after midnight. People who are out late at night, enjoying
themselves, sometimes make jokes about turning into a
pumpkin if they stay out until after midnight.
'pump room n a room at a SPA where people come to drink
the water
pun¹ /pʌn/ also play on words n an amusing use of a word
or phrase that has two meanings, or of words with the same
sound but different meanings: He made this pun: 'Seven days
without water make one weak.' (=1 week) | to groan at a bad
pun
pun² v -nn- [(on, upon)] to make puns: He punned on the two
meanings of 'one' and the similarity of 'weak' and 'week'. →
see also PUNSTER
punch¹ /pʌntʃ/ v 1 [T(on,)] to hit (someone or something)
hard with the FIST (closed hand): He punched the man in the
chest/on the nose. → see SLAP (USAGE) 2 [T] to use a PUNCH
to cut (a hole) in (something): The ticket-collector punched
my ticket/punched a hole in my ticket. 3 AmE to move (cattle)
from one place to another —er n
punch in, punch out phr v [I] AmE for CLOCK IN, CLOCK OUT
punch sbdy. ↔ up phr v [T] BrE infml to hit (someone)
repeatedly → see also PUNCH-UP