parts, qualities, accomplishments

pash, head; to strike violently, smash

passado, a forward thrust in fencing

passant, heraldic term of beast stepping; surpassing

passenger, traveller on foot

passing, excessively

passion, suffering, affliction, fit of disease, overpowering emotion, passionate speech, sorrow; feel deep emotion

passionate, express with passion; compassionate, sorrowful

patch, fool

patchery, trickery

paten, thin circular metal plate

patent, title, privilege, authority

patience, permission, leave

patronage, uphold, defend

pattern, precedent, model; to give an example, be a pattern or precedent for

pax, tablet kissed by priest and congregation in celebration of mass

peach, denounce, turn informer

peat, spoilt girl

peck, pitch

peculiar, individual, private, belonging to one person

pedant, schoolmaster

peeled, tonsured

Pegasus, winged horse

peise, balance, weight, suspend

pelf, property, possessions

pelican, believed to feed its young with its own blood

pelt, rage, scold

pelting, paltry, worthless

pencil, paintbrush

pendulous, impending, suspended

pensioners, royal bodyguard

Penthesilea, Amazon queen

peradventure, by chance, perhaps

perdition, ruin, loss, damnation

perdurable, everlasting

peregrinate, travelled, foreign in style

perfect, fully informed, equipped, ready; accomplish, instruct

perfection, performance, completion

periapt, amulet

period, end, goal, highest point, full pause, full stop; to end

perjure, perjurer; corrupt

perniciously, to destruction

perpend, consider

persistive, steadfast

perspective, optical device for producing fantastic images; picture of figure producing a distorted or unexpected effect

pert, lively

pervert, turn aside

pester, throng, obstruct

pestiferous, pernicious

phantasim, fantastic being

Philomel, Philomela, daughter of Pandion, raped by Tereus (husband of her sister Progne), who cut out her tongue; she wove her story into a tapestry. Progne feasted Tereus on their murdered son; Philomela was changed into a nightingale.

Phoebe, Diana, goddess of the moon

Phoebus, Apollo, god of the sun

phoenix, unique Arabian bird which, dying, is recreated from its own ashes

phraseless, inexpressible

phthisic, consumptive cough

physic dose with medicine

physical, beneficial to health

pia mater, brain

picked, refined, fastidious

Pickt-hatch, London district noted for brothels

pie, magpie

piece, cask of liquor, masterpiece; add to, augment

pied, parti-coloured

pike, spike in centre of buckler

pill, plunder, rob, strip (of bark), make bald

pillicock, penis

pin and web, disease of the eye

pinch, bite, pang; to bite, harass, distress

pismire, ant

pitch, high point of a falcon’s flight

place position, office

placket, petticoat, opening, slit

planched, made of boards

plant, sole of the foot

plantage, plants

plash, pool

plausible, pleasing

plausibly, with applause

plausive, deserving of applause

Plautus, Roman writer of comedy

pleached, formed by intertwined overarched boughs, folded

pleasant, merry, jokey

pleurisy, abundance, excess

plight, pledge

Pluto, ruler of the underworld

Plutus, god of riches

poach, to thrust, stab

point, highest point, conclusion, lace with tags (for attaching hose to doublet, etc.), full stop

poking-stick, rod used for pleating ruffs

polecat, prostitute

policy, government, administration, prudence in managing public or private affairs, cunning, craftiness, trick

politic, dealing with government and administration, crafty

politician, schemer, scheming statesman

pomewater, large juicy kind of apple

pomp, procession, pageant

Pontic sea, Black Sea

poop, swamp, overwhelm

poor-john, salted fish

popular, plebeian, vulgar

popularity, common pledge

porridge, porrage, soup

porringer, basin

port, gate, bearing, style of living

portable, bearable, endurable

portage, portholes

portance, behaviour

posied, inscribed with a motto

possess, inform, acquaint

posset, drink of hot milk curdled with ale or wine; curdle, thicken

post, post set up for notices, etc., doorpost on which tavern reckoning was kept, courier, messenger, post-horse; to hasten, carry swiftly

poster, swift traveller

posy, motto inscribed inside a ring

potable, able to be drunk

potato, sweet potato, supposedly aphrodisiac

potency, power, authority

potent, potentate

potential, powerful

potting, tippling

pouncet-box, small box for perfumes

powder, preserve meat with salt or spice

powdering-tub, pickling-tub, sweating-tub used in cure of venereal disease

power, army

pox, syphilis, venereal disease

practice, trickery, conspiracy, plot

practisant, one who carries out a trick

practise, plot, conspire

praemunire, writ for maintaining papal jurisdiction in England

praetor, Roman magistrate

praise, appraise, value

prank, adorn

prate, chatter, prattle

precedent, former; original from which a copy is made, sign

precisian, puritan

precurrer, forerunner

precurse, heralding

predicament, situation

prefer, present, advance, introduce, recommend

preferment, advancement, promotion

pregnancy, quickness of wit

pregnant, clear, fertile, compelling, resourceful, receptive

prejudicate, influence beforehand

prejudice, injury; injure

premise, aforesaid matter

premised, sent before

preparation, accomplishment

preposterous, inverting the natural order of things, monstrous

prerogative, precedence, pre-eminence, prior place

presage, omen, prognostication, foreboding

presence, presence-chamber, company, person

present, immediate, instant; ready money, to show, represent, bring a charge against

presently, immediately

presentment, dedication

press, crowd, crowding, printing-press, cupboard, authority to enlist men compulsorily; to crowd, oppress, force into military service

pressure, impression, character impressed

pretence, expressed aim, intention, pretext

prevent, anticipate, escape, avoid

prick, mark made by pricking, dot, point, spot in centre of target, prickle, penis; to mark by making a dot, etc., pierce, fix, point, spur

pricket, buck in its second year