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perverse
regard to personal qualities: She may be personally very charming, but will she be a good secretary? 4 derog as directed against oneself in a PERSONAL way: You mustn't take her criticisms of your plan personally. 5 privately: May I speak to you personally about this problem, sir?
,personal 'organizer n a small RING BINDER holding sheets of specially shaped paper for information, addresses, a DIARY etc → compare FILOFAX
,personal 'pension ,plan n a PENSION PLAN which is a private agreement between a person and an insurance company, rather than with the government or an employer
,personal 'pronoun n tech (in grammar) a PRONOUN used for the one who is being spoken to, or the one that is being spoken about: 'I', 'you', and 'they' are personal pronouns. → see also PERSON
,personal 'property also personal estate n [U] law all the things owned by a person except land and buildings → compare REAL ESTATE
,personal 'shopper n someone who works in a shop that sells clothing, whose job is to help people decide what to buy, or to go shopping for them
,personal 'space n [U] the distance that you like to keep between you and other people in order to feel comfortable, for example when you are talking to someone or travelling on a bus or train: She objected to this invasion of her personal space.
,personal 'stereo also Walkman trademark → n a type of small CASSETTE PLAYER and/or radio which is carried and listened to through small speakers that fit in or over the ears
,personal 'trainer n someone whose job is to help people decide what type of exercise is best for them and show them how to do it
persona non gra·ta /pəˌsəʊnə nɒn ˈgrɑːtə||pərˌsoʊnə nɑːn ˈgrɑːtə/ n [U] Lat a person who is not acceptable or welcome, especially in someone's house or to a government: He was declared persona non grata and thrown out of the country.
per·son·i·fi·ca·tion /pəˌsɒnɪfɪˈkeɪʃən||pərˌsɔː-/ n 1 [C(of)] a person or thing considered as a perfect example of some quality, either good or bad: the personification of evil → compare INCARNATION 2 [C;U] (an act of) personifying something that is without life
per·son·i·fy /pəˈsɒnɪfaɪ||pərˈsɑː-/ v [T] 1 to be a (perfect) example of; be the living form of (some quality): He is evil/patience personified. 2 to think of or represent (something that is without life) as a human being or as having human qualities: A ship is often personified as 'she'.
per·son·nel /pɜːsəˈnel||pɜːr-/ n 1 [P] all the people employed by a company, in the armed forces, or working in any organization: army personnel | The company's main problem is the shortage of skilled personnel. | She is studying personnel management. 2 [U+sing./pl. v] the department in an organization that deals with (the complaints and difficulties of) these people: She works in personnel. | Personnel has/ have lost my tax forms. | Speak to the personnel officer about it.
,per·son-to-'per·son adj especially AmE (of a telephone call) made to one person in particular, and not needing to be paid for if they are not there and someone else answers
per·spec·tive /pəˈspektɪv||pər-/ n 1 [U] (the rules governing) the art of drawing solid objects on a flat surface so that they give a natural effect of depth, distance, and solidity: The picture looks strange because it has no perspective. | In those days artists didn't understand perspective. | The objects in the background are in/out of perspective. 2 [C;U(on)] the way in which a situation or problem is judged, so that (proper) consideration and importance is given to each part: We must get/keep the problem in perspective; it's not really that serious. | The company's results need to be looked at in perspective/in their proper perspective; our profits have fallen but it's been a difficult year for our competitors, too. | The new evidence put an entirely different perspective on the case. | a historical perspective 3 [C(of)] a view, especially one stretching far into the distance
Per·spex /'pɜːspeks||'pɜːr-/ BrE trademark || Plexiglass AmE trademark → a strong plastic material that can be seen through and is used instead of glass
per·spi·ca·cious /ˌpɜːspɪˈkeɪʃəs ||ˌpɜːr-/ adj fml having or showing very clever judgment and understanding: a perspicacious comment —ly adv —city /'kæsɪti/ n [U]
per·spi·ra·tion /ˌpɜːspəˈreɪʃən||ˌpɜːr-/ n [U] euph or tech SWEAT or the act of sweating (SWEAT)
per·spire /pəˈspaɪə||pər-/ v [I] euph or tech for SWEAT
per·suade /pəˈsweɪd||pər-/ v [T] 1 [(into, out of)] to make (someone) willing to do something by reasoning, arguing, repeatedly asking etc: Despite all my efforts to persuade him, he wouldn't agree. | He persuaded her into/out of going (=to go/not to go) to the party. | [+obj+to-v] Try to persuade them to come with us. | [fig.] I persuaded the piece of wood (=made it go gradually) into the little crack. 2 [(of)] rather fml to cause to believe or feel certain; CONVINCE: She was not persuaded of the truth of his statement. | [+obj+(that)] He was unable to persuade the police that he had been elsewhere at the time of the crime. —suadable adj
per·sua·sion /pəˈsweɪʒən||pər-/ n 1 [U] the act or skill of persuading: In spite of my efforts at persuasion, he wouldn't agree. | She used all her powers of persuasion on them. 2 [C] fml or humor a particular belief: people of many different political persuasions 3 [C usually sing.] fml or derog the stated kind or sort: an artist of the modern persuasion 4 [S] fml a strongly held belief or opinion: [+that] It is my persuasion that such people should not be allowed to enter this country.
per·sua·sive /pəˈswesɪv||pər-/ adj having the power to influence others into believing or doing what one wishes: a persuasive talker | very persuasive arguments —ly adv —ness n [U]
pert /pɜːt||pɜːrt/ adj 1 (especially of a girl or young woman) slightly disrespectful in a rather amusing way; SAUCY: a pert young miss 2 neat and stylish in a cheerful way: She wore a pert little hat. —ly adv —ness n [U]
per·tain /pəˈteɪn||pər-/ v
per·tain to sthg. phr v [T] fml to have a connection with; concern: Any inquiries pertaining to the granting of planning permission should be addressed to the Town Hall.
Perth /pɜːθ||pɜːrθ/ 1 a city in southwest Australia, capital of the state of Western Australia and the largest city in the western part of the country → see picture at AUSTRALIA 2 a city in central Scotland on the River Tay
per·ti·na·cious /ˌpɜːtɪˈneɪʃəs||ˌpɜːr-/ adj fml holding to an opinion, course of action etc, in a very determined way; STUBBORN —ly adv —city /'næsɪti/ n [U]
per·ti·nent /'pɜːtɪnənt||'pɜːr-/ adj [(to)] fml connected directly with something that is being considered; RELEVANT: She asked several highly pertinent questions. | Your remarks are not pertinent to our discussion. —opposite irrelevant; see also IMPERTINENT —ly adv —nence n [U]
per·turb /pəˈtɜːb||pərˈtɜːrb/ v [T] fml to cause to worry greatly; DISTURB: I am deeply perturbed by the alarming way the situation is developing. —turbation /ˌpɜːtəˈbeɪʃən||ˌpɜːrtər-/ n [U]
Pe·ru /pəˈruː/ a country on the west coast of South America, north of Bolivia and south of Ecuador. Population: 28,409,897 (2003). Capital: Lima. The high ANDES Mountains cover a large part of the country. People connect Peru especially with the Incas, a Native American people who ruled the area before the first Europeans arrived, and who built many very impressive buildings, including those at MACHU PICCHU.
pe·ruse /pəˈruːz/ v [T] 1 fml to read through carefully 2 often humor to read: After breakfast he perused the newspapers. —rusal n [C;U]
Pe·ru·vi·an /pəˈruːviən/ adj from Peru or connected with Peru: Peruvian music —Peruvian n
per·vade /pəˈveɪd||pər-/ v [T] fml or lit (of smells and of ideas, feelings etc) to spread through every part of: The smell of cooking pervaded the house. | A spirit of hopelessness pervaded the country.
per·va·sive /pəˈveɪsɪv||pər-/ adj tending to pervade; widespread: the pervasive influence of television | pervasive doubts —ly adv —ness n [U]
per·verse /pəˈvɜːs||pərˈvɜːrs/ adj 1 (of a person, behaviour etc) purposely continuing to do, believe in etc something that one knows to be wrong, unreasonable, or unacceptable: