Peach Melba 1024
light-yellowish pink colour 3 [S] infml a person or thing that is greatly admired: a peach of a hat (=a very attractive one)
Peach Mel·ba /ˌpiːtʃ ˈmelbə/ n [C,U] a DESSERT made of peach halves or peaches cut into thin pieces, served with ice cream and RASPBERRY juice → see also MELBA SAUCE
pea·cock /ˈpiːkɒk||-kɑːk/ n 1 a large bird (a male peafowl), which has long tail feathers that can be spread out showing beautiful colours and patterns 2 also ˌpeacock ˈbutterfly a BUTTERFLY with large wings which have patterns on them like those on the tail of a peacock 3 not tech a peahen
Peacock, Thomas Love (1785-1866) a British writer and poet who used SATIRE (=a way of writing in which you make someone seem funny in order to show their faults) to criticize the politicians and writers of his time, and who is known especially for his novels Headlong Hall and Nightmare Abbey
ˌpeacock ˈblue adj having a bright shiny blue colour
pea·fowl /ˈpiːfaʊl/ n pl. peafowl or peafowls a peacock or peahen
ˌpea ˈgreen adj having a light bright green colour like that of PEAS
pea·hen /ˈpiːhen/ n a large brownish bird, the female peafowl
peak¹ /piːk/ n 1 a) a sharply pointed mountain top: The (mountain) peaks are covered with snow all the year. b) a whole mountain with a pointed top: Here the high peaks begin to rise from the plain. → compare SUMMIT 2 a part that curves to a point above a surface: The wind blew the waves into great peaks. 3 the highest point, level etc, especially of a varying amount, rate etc: Sales have reached a new peak. | Demand for coal is at its peak in January and February. → compare OFF-PEAK 4 the flat curved part of a cap which sticks out in front above the eyes
peak² v [I] to reach a PEAK: Sales have now peaked, and we expect them to decrease soon.
peak³ adj [A] at the point of greatest activity, value, power etc: The factory is running at peak productivity. | Athletes have to train continuously to stay in peak condition.
ˈPeak District, the a hilly area and NATIONAL PARK, mostly in Derbyshire, northern England, which is popular for climbing, walking, and POTHOLING.
Peake, Mer·vyn /ˈpiːk, ˈmɜːvɪn||mɜːr-/ (1911-68) a British writer and ILLUSTRATOR (=someone who draws pictures for books), who is known for his novels TITUS GROAN, GORMENGHAST, and Titus Alone, which describe the strange imaginary world of Gormenghast castle
peaked /piːkt/ adj having a PEAK: a peaked cap
ˈpeak ˌtime n BrE 1 [C] a time when a stated activity, value, power etc is at its greatest level: Peak times for electricity consumption are in the early evening. | We found that the peak time at this junction is 5.20 p.m. 2 [U] also ˌpeak ˈviewing hours BrE || ˌprime time AmE — the time when the number of people watching television is at its greatest. Television companies charge more during this time to put advertisements on television. In Britain, peak time is between 7.30 and 10.30 at night, and in the US it is between 8 and 11 at night.
pea·ky /ˈpiːki/ adj infml, especially BrE rather pale or ill: I'm feeling a bit peaky this morning. | She's been looking rather peaky lately.
peal¹ /piːl/ n 1 [(off)] a loud long sound or number of sounds one after the other: a peal of thunder | peals of laughter 2 the sound of the loud ringing of bells 3 tech a) a musical pattern made by the ringing of a number of bells one after another b) a set of bells on which these patterns can be played
peal² v [(OUT);T] to (cause to) ring out or sound loudly: The bells pealed out.
pea·nut /ˈpiːnʌt/ also groundnut BrE tech, monkey-nut old·fash — n a nut which grows in a shell under the ground, and can be eaten → see also PEANUTS and see picture at NUT
ˌpeanut ˈbutter Allˈ... ,../ n [U] a soft substance made of crushed peanuts, usually eaten on bread
ˈpeanut ˌgallery n AmE humor the rows of seats at the back of a theatre or cinema, usually on a raised platform, where the seats are cheap
pea·nuts /ˈpiːnʌts/ n [U] infml a sum of money so small that it is not worth considering: He pays his workers peanuts.
Peanuts a humorous US CARTOON STRIP (=a set of drawings that tell a story in a newspaper or magazine) by Charles Schultz, about a boy called Charlie BROWN, who is nice but not very confident and often unlucky. Other characters include his dog Snoopy, his sister Sally, and his friends Lucy, LINUS, PIGPEN, Peppermint Patty, and Schroeder.
pear /peər/ n (a tree that produces) a sweet juicy fruit, which has a round base and usually becomes narrower towards the stem → see picture at FRUIT
pearl /pɜːl||pɜːrl/ n 1 [C] a hard round small silvery-white mass formed inside the shell of OYSTERS and similar creatures, very valuable as a jewel: a pearl necklace | a string of pearls | (fig.) pearls of wisdom 2 [U] the colour of this; silvery-white 3 [U] MOTHER-OF-PEARL: a knife with a pearl handle 4 do not cast/throw pearls before swine (=pigs) (a slightly changed saying from the Bible) do not give something valuable to someone who cannot understand its value: The children were too young to understand the Shakespeare read to them; it was like casting pearls before swine. | Trying to explain to the fur traders why these animals should be preserved was like casting pearls before swine.
ˌpearl ˈbarley n [U] a variety of BARLEY with small round grains
ˈpearl ˌdiver n a person who swims under water in the sea, looking for shells containing pearls
ˌPearl ˈHarbor an important US naval base in Hawaii, which was suddenly attacked by Japanese planes in December 1941. Many warships were destroyed or damaged, and this caused great shock and anger in the US, and made the US start fighting in World War II.
pearl·y /ˈpɜːli||ˈpɜːrli/ adj like or decorated with pearls: pearly white teeth | a pale pearly grey —iness n [U]
ˌpearly ˈgates n [the P] often humor the gates of heaven → see Cultural Note at HEAVEN
ˌpearly ˈking, ˌpearly ˈqueen fem — n a person chosen from certain London families who has the right, on certain special occasions, to wear clothes richly decorated with patterns of pearl buttons (buttons made of, or looking like MOTHER-OF-PEARL)
pear·main /ˈpeəmeɪn||per-/ n (usually in comb.) a type of apple
Pears, Sir Peter /pɪəz||pɪərz/ (1910-86) a British TENOR (=a male singer with a fairly high voice). In 1948 he started the ALDEBURGH Festival with his PARTNER, the musician Benjamin BRITTEN, who wrote a lot of VOCAL music and operas for him.
ˈpear-shaped adj 1 shaped like a pear; wider at the bottom and narrower at the top. It is often said that this is the typical shape of a British woman. 2 go pearshaped BrE infml if a plan goes pearshaped, it is successful at first but then there are problems: The project was going OK, but then the budget was cut and it all went pearshaped.
peas·ant /ˈpezənt/ n 1 (now used especially in connection with developing countries or former times) a person who works on the land, especially one who owns and lives on a small piece of land: He was born into a peasant family in the 1930s. 2 infml derog a person without education or good manners: Don't be such a peasant!
peas·ant·ry /ˈpezəntri/ n [the S+sing./pl. v] all the PEASANTS of a particular country
ˌPeasants' Reˈvolt, the a protest in 1381 involving large numbers of English peasants, who were angry about unfair social and economic conditions and about high taxes. They formed an unofficial army, led by Wat TYLER, and marched to London, where they demanded better conditions and took control of the Tower of London. The English king, Richard II, pretended to agree to some of their demands, but after their leaders were killed he changed his mind, so the revolt failed.
pease pud·ding /ˌpiːz pʊdɪ/ n [U] BrE a dish made of dried PEAS boiled to a soft yellow mass
pea·shoot·er /ˈpiːˌʃuːtər/ n a small tube used by children for blowing small objects, especially dried PEAS at people or things