12-letter words containing p, l, y, i
- opposability — capable of being placed opposite to something else: the opposable thumb of primates.
- oppressively — burdensome, unjustly harsh, or tyrannical: an oppressive king; oppressive laws.
- ornithophily — pollination of flowers by birds
- overmultiply — to increase too much or too often
- oversimplify — make too simple
- painted lady — a butterfly, Vanessa cardui, having brownish-black and orange wings and hind wings each with four eyespots, the larvae of which feed on thistles.
- palaebiology — the study of fossil animals and plants
- palatability — acceptable or agreeable to the palate or taste; savory: palatable food.
- paleobiology — the branch of paleontology dealing with fossil life forms, especially with reference to their origin, structure, evolution, etc.
- palynologist — the study of live and fossil spores, pollen grains, and similar plant structures.
- pansexuality — Psychiatry. pertaining to the theory that all human behavior is based on sexuality.
- panty girdle — women's control pants
- papistically — in the manner of the Roman Catholic Church or a Roman Catholic
- paralysingly — in a manner that paralyses
- paralyzation — to affect with paralysis.
- paramilitary — noting or pertaining to an organization operating as, in place of, or as a supplement to a regular military force: a paramilitary police unit.
- paranoically — in a paranoiac manner
- parasitology — the branch of biology dealing with parasites and the effects of parasitism.
- parietal eye — Zoology. a median outgrowth of the diencephalon anterior to the pineal apparatus, having visual adaptations in many anamniotes and lizards.
- parisyllabic — (of a noun or verb, in inflected languages) containing the same number of syllables in all or almost all inflected forms
- paroemiology — the study of proverbs
- particularly — in a particular or to an exceptional degree; especially: He read it with particularly great interest.
- party animal — person who frequents drinking parties
- passion play — a dramatic representation of the passion of Christ, as that given every ten years at the Bavarian village of Oberammergau.
- passionately — having, compelled by, or ruled by intense emotion or strong feeling; fervid: a passionate advocate of socialism.
- pathetically — causing or evoking pity, sympathetic sadness, sorrow, etc.; pitiful; pitiable: a pathetic letter; a pathetic sight.
- pathobiology — pathology with emphasis on the biological aspects of disease
- pearl hominy — whole or ground hulled corn from which the bran and germ have been removed by bleaching the whole kernels in a lye bath (lye hominy) or by crushing and sifting (pearl hominy)
- pearly white — white and lustrous as a pearl.
- pectoriloquy — vocalization through the chest wall, indicating a cavity or consolidation of the lung
- pedantically — ostentatious in one's learning.
- penalty kick — a free kick awarded for an infraction committed by a defensive player in the penalty area and taken by the offensive player who has been fouled from a point 12 yards (11 meters) directly in front of the goal.
- pennsylvania — a state in the E United States. 45,333 sq. mi. (117,410 sq. km). Capital: Harrisburg. Abbreviation: PA (for use with zip code), Pa., Penn., Penna.
- pennywhistle — a cheap toy whistle orig. sold for a penny
- peptidolytic — causing the hydrolysis of peptides.
- perceptively — having or showing keenness of insight, understanding, or intuition: a perceptive analysis of the problems involved.
- peremptorily — leaving no opportunity for denial or refusal; imperative: a peremptory command.
- perenniality — lasting for an indefinitely long time; enduring: her perennial beauty.
- perfectively — in a perfective manner; thoroughly
- perfidiously — deliberately faithless; treacherous; deceitful: a perfidious lover.
- perinatology — a field of medicine focusing on problems emerging during the perinatal period.
- periodically — recurring at intervals of time: periodic revivals of an interest in handicrafts.
- peripherally — pertaining to, situated in, or constituting the periphery: peripheral resistance on the outskirts of the battle area.
- peritoneally — through the peritoneum
- permeability — the property or state of being permeable.
- permissively — habitually or characteristically accepting or tolerant of something, as social behavior or linguistic usage, that others might disapprove or forbid.
- perniciously — causing insidious harm or ruin; ruinous; injurious; hurtful: pernicious teachings; a pernicious lie.
- perpetuality — continuing or enduring forever; everlasting.
- perplexingly — to cause to be puzzled or bewildered over what is not understood or certain; confuse mentally: Her strange response perplexed me.
- persistently — persisting, especially in spite of opposition, obstacles, discouragement, etc.; persevering: a most annoyingly persistent young man.