/unia
1040
e·tu·ni·a /pɪˈtjuːniə||pɪˈtuː-/ n a garden plant with colourful flowers shaped like a widening tube
Peu·geot /ˈpɜːʒəʊ||pjuːˈʒəʊ/ trademark a MAKE (=type) of car, bicycle, or other vehicle made by the French company Peugeot
pew /pjuː/ n 1 a long seat (BENCH) with a back to it, for people to sit on in church. Pews are generally thought of as hard and uncomfortable. 2 humor a seat: Take a pew! (=sit down)
pew·ter /ˈpjuːtər/ n [U] 1 a greyish metal made by mixing lead and tin: a pewter tankard 2 also pewter ware /ˈ...ˌ/ — dishes, cups etc, made from this
pey·ote /peɪˈəʊti/ n a kind of CACTUS plant which is used by NATIVE AMERICANS in Mexico and the American southwest in religious ceremonies and for making sick people well. The plant contains a drug called MESCALIN which is HALLUCINOGENIC (=causes dream-like thoughts which seem real).
Pey·ton Place /ˌpeɪtn ˈpleɪs/ a novel by Grace Metalious that was made into a very popular television SOAP OPERA (1964-68), about the lives of a group of people in a small town in NEW ENGLAND. People sometimes say that a situation is like Peyton Place when they mean that a group of people have many secrets and complicated emotional relationships.
PFA, the /ˌpiː ef ˈeɪ/ abbrev. for the Professional Footballers' Association; a TRADE UNION in the UK for PROFESSIONAL football players
Pfeif·fer, Mi·chelle /ˈfaɪfər, miːˈʃel/ (1958-) a US film actress, known for her beauty. Her films include Dangerous Liaisons (1988), The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989) and I am Sam (2001).
pfen·nig /ˈfɛnɪɡ/ n a small German coin worth one hundredth (1/100) of a MARK (=unit of money used in Germany before the Euro was introduced)
PFI /ˌpiː ef ˈaɪ/ n abbrev. for PRIVATE FINANCE INITIATIVE
P45 /ˌpiː fɔːti ˈfaɪv||ˈfɔːrti-/ n in the UK, an official document that is given to you by your employer when you leave a job. It gives details of the money you have earned and the taxes you have paid during this period of employment, and if you start a new job you have to give it to your new employer. People sometimes use the expression 'get your P45' when they mean 'lose your job'.
PG /ˌpiː ˈdʒiː/ adj parental guidance; a film that is PG may include parts that are unsuitable for children under 15: Jurassic Park (PG) → compare G², R², U, X-CERTIFICATE
PGA, the /ˌpiː dʒiː ˈeɪ/ abbrev. for Professional Golfers' Association; a US organization for those who make money from GOLF either by playing it, running golf courses, or teaching. The organization runs the PGA Championship, a golfing competition.
PGCE /ˌpiː dʒiː siː ˈiː/ n Postgraduate Certificate of Education; in the UK, an examination that allows people who already have a university degree to become school teachers. It usually takes one year to do a PGCE.
PG Tips /ˌpiː dʒiː ˈtɪps/ trademark a type of tea made by BROOKE BOND and sold especially in the UK. Advertisements for PG Tips show CHIMPANZEES dressed to look like humans and talking like humans as they drink cups of tea.
pH /piː ˈeɪtʃ/ also pˈH value n [singular] a number on a scale of 0 to 14 which shows how acid or ALKALINE a substance is
phae·ton /ˈfeɪtn||ˈfeɪətn/ n a light open carriage used in former times, usually pulled by two horses
phag·o·cyte /ˈfæɡəsaɪt/ n med a blood cell which protects the body by destroying harmful BACTERIA etc
pha·lanx /ˈfælæŋks||fær-/ n pl. -lanxes or -langes /fəˈlændʒiːz/ 1 [+sing./pl. v] a group of men or animals packed closely together, especially for attack or defence: A phalanx of policemen bore down on the rioters. 2 [+sing./pl. v] (especially in ancient Greece) a group of soldiers packed closely together for better protection 3 med a bone in a finger or toe
phal·lic /ˈfælɪk/ adj of or like a phallus: a phallic symbol
phal·lus /ˈfæləs/ n an image of the male sex organ (PENIS), especially as used in some forms of religion as a sign of the power of man to produce children
phan·tas·m /ˈfæntæzəm/ n especially lit something that exists only in the imagination; an ILLUSION —phantasmal /fænˈtæzməl/ adj
phan·tas·ma·go·ri·a /ˌfænˌtæzməˈɡɔːriə, ˌfæntæz-/ n [(of)] a confused dreamlike changing scene of different things, real and/or imagined —ric /ˈɡɒrɪk||ˈɡɑː-, ˈɡɔː-/ —rical adj
phan·tom /ˈfæntəm/ n 1 a shadowy likeness of a dead person that seems to appear on earth; GHOST: phantom riders passing by in the night | (fig., humor) The phantom letter-writer has been here again; all my stationery has disappeared! 2 something that exists only in one's imagination: the phantoms that troubled his dreams
Phantom of the 'Opera, The (1910) a book by the French writer Gaston Leroux about a frightening man whose face has been disfigured (DISFIGURE) and who wears a MASK to hide it. He KIDNAPS a beautiful OPERA singer because he loves her. Several films and plays have been based on the story, and Andrew LLOYD WEBBER made it into a successful MUSICAL in 1986.
phantom 'pregnancy also hysterical pregnancy AmE — n a condition in which a woman seems to be PREGNANT but in fact is not
pha·raoh /ˈfɛərəʊ/ n (often cap.) a ruler of ancient Egypt: Pharaoh Rameses II
phar·i·sa·ic /ˌfærˈseɪ·ɪk/ also phar·i·sa·i·cal /-ɪkəl/ adj fml derog making a show of being good and religious —ism /ˈfærɪseɪɪzəm/ n [U]
phar·i·see /ˈfærsiː/ n fml derog a person who in a self-satisfied way values too highly the outward form of something, especially a religion, rather than its true meaning
Pharisee n a member of a group of Jews in ancient Jerusalem who were very careful and serious in obeying religious laws, and considered themselves very holy because of this. In the Bible, Jesus criticized them for being HYPOCRITES.
phar·ma·ceu·ti·cal /ˌfɑməˈsjuːtɪkəl || ˌfɑːrməˈsuː-/ adj connected with (the making of) medicine: the large pharmaceutical companies —cally /kli/ adv
phar·ma·cist /ˈfɑːməsɪst||ˈfɑːr-/ also druggist AmE — n a skilled person who owns or runs a pharmacy; CHEMIST
phar·ma·col·o·gy /ˌfɑːməˈkɒlədʒi||ˌfɑːrməˈkɑː-/ n [U] the scientific study of medicines and drugs —gist n
phar·ma·co·poe·ia /ˌfɑːməkəˈpiːə||ˌfɑːr-/ n tech 1 an official book describing medicines, what they contain, the amount to be given to a sick person etc 2 all the medicines that are (officially permitted to be) used in a particular country
phar·ma·cy /ˈfɑːməsi||ˈfɑːr-/ n 1 [C] a (part of a) shop where medicines are sold: an all-night pharmacy → compare DISPENSARY, DRUGSTORE 2 [U] (the study of) the making and/or giving out of medicine
phar·yn·gi·tis /ˌfærɪnˈdʒaɪtɪs/ n [U] med a medical condition that includes soreness of the throat
phar·ynx /ˈfærɪŋks/ n med the tube at the back of the mouth that leads from the back of the nose to the point where the air-passage and food-passage divide
phase¹ /feɪz/ n 1 [(in, of)] a stage of development: The new weapons system is still in the research phase. | The election campaign has now entered a critical phase/its final phase. | Don't worry about your son's shyness; it's just a phase he's going through. → compare STAGE 2 [(of)] any of a fixed number of changes in the appearance of the moon or a PLANET as seen from the Earth at different times during their ORBIT: the phases of the moon 3 in/out of phase (with) tech working/not working or going together (with another or each other): The carrier wave has got out of phase with the signal wave.
phase² v [T] to plan or arrange in separate phases: The army is making a phased withdrawal from the occupied territory
phase sthg. ↔ in phr v [T] to introduce (something) in stages or gradually: The government is going to phase in the new pension scheme over five years.
phase sthg. ↔ out phr v [T] to stop or remove (something) in stages or gradually: The bus service to country areas is being phased out. —phase-out n
PhD /ˌpiː eɪtʃ ˈdiː/ n abbrev. for Doctor of Philosophy; a high-level university degree, which you get by doing original