8-letter words containing a, p, l, m
- pessimal — /pes'im-l/ (Latin-based antonym for "optimal") Maximally bad. "This is a pessimal situation." Also "pessimise" To make as bad as possible. These words are the obvious Latin-based antonyms for "optimal" and "optimise", but for some reason they do not appear in most English dictionaries, although "pessimise" is listed in the OED.
- petalism — a form of expulsion that typically lasted for five years and was dealt to those who were seen to have treacherous aspirations and objectives and was carried out in Syracuse in Ancient Greece
- petaluma — a city in W California, N of San Francisco.
- picloram — a colorless powder, C 6 H 3 Cl 3 N 2 O 2 , used as a systemic herbicide for controlling annual weeds and deep-rooted perennials on noncrop land.
- pilotman — a railway worker who directed trains through hazardous stretches of track
- placeman — a person appointed to a position, especially one in the government, as a reward for political support of an elected official.
- placemat — Placemats are mats that are put on a table before a meal for people to put their plates or bowls on.
- placemen — a person appointed to a position, especially one in the government, as a reward for political support of an elected official.
- placitum — a plea made in court on behalf of a person or group
- plaidman — a native of the Highlands of Scotland, being a person who wears plaid
- planform — the outline of an object viewed from above.
- plasmoid — a section of a plasma having a characteristic shape
- plateasm — the practice of talking with the mouth open too wide
- plateman — a person who makes and sells plate armour
- platform — a horizontal surface or structure with a horizontal surface raised above the level of the surrounding area.
- platinum — Chemistry. a heavy, grayish-white, highly malleable and ductile metallic element, resistant to most chemicals, practically unoxidizable except in the presence of bases, and fusible only at extremely high temperatures: used for making chemical and scientific apparatus, as a catalyst in the oxidation of ammonia to nitric acid, and in jewelry. Symbol: Pt; atomic weight: 195.09; atomic number: 78; specific gravity: 21.5 at 20°C.
- platysma — a broad, thin muscle on each side of the neck, extending from the upper part of the shoulder to the corner of the mouth, the action of which wrinkles the skin of the neck and depresses the corner of the mouth.
- playmate — a companion, especially of a child, in play or recreation.
- playroom — a room set aside for children's play or adult recreation.
- playtime — time for play or recreation.
- pleonasm — the use of more words than are necessary to express an idea; redundancy.
- plumbago — graphite.
- plumbate — a compound formed from lead oxide
- plumcake — a cake with raisins in it
- plumeria — a tropical tree with candelabra-like branches
- plumular — relating to the plumule of a plant
- polyfoam — a rigid, semirigid, or rubbery foam composed of minute bubbles of air or carbon dioxide embedded in a polymer matrix, often polyurethane: used in mattresses, padding, insulation, etc.
- polygamy — the practice or condition of having more than one spouse, especially wife, at one time. Compare bigamy (def 1), monogamy (def 1).
- polymath — a person of great learning in several fields of study; polyhistor.
- pplambda — (language) essentially the first-order predicate calculus superposed upon the simply-typed polymorphic lambda-calculus. PPLambda is the object language for LCF.
- preamble — an introductory statement; preface; introduction. Synonyms: opening, beginning; foreword, prologue, prelude. Antonyms: epilogue, appendix, conclusion, afterword, closing.
- preflame — of the period before combustion
- premolar — situated in front of the molar teeth.
- premoral — of, relating to, or concerned with the principles or rules of right conduct or the distinction between right and wrong; ethical: moral attitudes.
- primally — in a primal manner
- primatal — Ecclesiastical. an archbishop or bishop ranking first among the bishops of a province or country.
- primeval — of or relating to the first age or ages, especially of the world: primeval forms of life.
- proclaim — to announce or declare in an official or formal manner: to proclaim war.
- proemial — an introductory discourse; introduction; preface; preamble.
- prolamin — any of the class of simple proteins, as gliadin, hordein, or zein, found in grains, soluble in dilute acids, alkalis, and alcohols, and insoluble in water, neutral salt solutions, and absolute alcohol.
- prometal — a type of cast iron with high heat resistance
- prosomal — relating to a prosoma
- proximal — situated toward the point of origin or attachment, as of a limb or bone. Compare distal (def 1).
- psalmist — an author of psalms.
- psalmody — the act, practice, or art of setting psalms to music.
- ptyalism — excessive secretion of saliva.
- ramphele — Mamphela. born 1947, Black South African political activist: partner of Steve Biko; a director of the World Bank (2000–04); founded the political party Agang (2013)
- resample — a small part of anything or one of a number, intended to show the quality, style, or nature of the whole; specimen.
- samplery — the making of samplers
- sampling — a small part of anything or one of a number, intended to show the quality, style, or nature of the whole; specimen.