12-letter words containing p, r, e, a, y
- pearly queen — the female London costermonger whose ceremonial clothes display the most lavish collection of pearl buttons
- pearly white — white and lustrous as a pearl.
- pedantocracy — rule by pedants; a system of government by pedants
- penalty area — the area, 44 yards (40 meters) wide and 18 yards (16 meters) deep, centered on the goal line and extending in front of the goal, where a foul by a defensive player results in a penalty kick for the offensive team.
- penitentiary — a place for imprisonment, reformatory discipline, or punishment, especially a prison maintained in the U.S. by a state or the federal government for serious offenders.
- penny arcade — an amusement hall or area that contains coin-operated entertainment devices, originally operated for a penny a play.
- penny loafer — a loafer with a slot on the vamp that can hold a coin, usually a penny.
- penny shares — Penny shares are shares that are offered for sale at a low price.
- pentahydrate — a hydrate that contains five molecules of water, as potassium molybdate, KMoO 4 ⋅5H 2 O.
- pentahydroxy — (of a molecule) containing five hydroxyl groups.
- pepper spray — an aerosol spray that temporarily irritates the eyes and mucous membranes, used to stun and incapacitate a person or animal: police use of pepper spray to control rioters.
- pepys' diary — a diary kept by Samuel Pepys from January 1, 1660 to May 31, 1669, in which are recorded his impressions of contemporary London life, the life of the court, and the administration of the navy.
- perceptually — of, relating to, or involving perception.
- perenniality — lasting for an indefinitely long time; enduring: her perennial beauty.
- perfect year — the lunisolar calendar used by Jews, as for determining religious holidays, that is reckoned from 3761 b.c. and was established by Hillel II in the 4th century a.d., the calendar year consisting of 353 days (defective year) 354 days (regular year) or 355 days (perfect year or abundant year) and containing 12 months: Tishri, Heshvan, Kislev, Tevet, Shevat, Adar, Nisan, Iyar, Sivan, Tammuz, Av, and Elul, with the 29-day intercalary month of Adar Sheni added after Adar seven times in every 19-year cycle in order to adjust the calendar to the solar cycle. The Jewish ecclesiastical year begins with Nisan and the civil year with Tishri.
- 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.
- peroxyborate — perborate.
- perpetuality — continuing or enduring forever; everlasting.
- perspicacity — keenness of mental perception and understanding; discernment; penetration.
- perspiratory — of, relating to, or stimulating perspiration.
- persuasively — able, fitted, or intended to persuade: a very persuasive argument.
- phanerophyte — a tree or shrub that bears its perennating buds more than 25 cm above the level of the soil
- phased array — a radar antenna consisting of an array of dipoles that are excited in or out of phase with each other to control beam direction and radiation pattern without moving the antenna. Compare dipole (def 3).
- phlebography — venography.
- phototherapy — treatment of disease, especially of the skin, by means of light rays.
- phreatophyte — a long-rooted plant that absorbs its water from the water table or the soil above it.
- phylacteries — Judaism. either of two small, black, leather cubes containing a piece of parchment inscribed with verses 4–9 of Deut. 6, 13–21 of Deut. 11, and 1–16 of Ex. 13: one is attached with straps to the left arm and the other to the forehead during weekday morning prayers by Orthodox and Conservative Jewish men.
- phytographer — a botanist involved with plant description
- phytotherapy — the use of plants and plant products for medicinal purposes
- piano player — pianist.
- plain turkey — a bustard
- play reading — the activity when a group of people read the parts of a play
- play therapy — a form of psychotherapy used chiefly with children, in which patients act out situations in play that are expressive of their emotional problems, conflicts, etc.
- player piano — a piano that can play automatically when the keys are actuated electronically or by a pneumatic device controlled by a piano roll.
- pneumography — the process of recording the movements of the thorax in respiration.
- policymakers — a person responsible for making policy, especially in government.
- polyurethane — a thermoplastic polymer containing the group NHCOO: used for padding and insulation in furniture, clothing, and packaging, and in the manufacture of resins for adhesives, elastomers, and fillers.
- poverty trap — If someone is in a poverty trap, they are very poor but cannot improve their income because the money they get from the government decreases as the money they earn increases.
- prairie lily — sand lily.
- praiseworthy — deserving of praise; laudable: a praiseworthy motive.
- praseodymium — a rare-earth, metallic, trivalent element, named from its green salts. Symbol: Pr; atomic weight: 140.91; atomic number: 59; specific gravity: 6.77 at 20°C.
- prayer beads — the beads of the rosary
- prayer plant — a plant, Maranta leuconeura, native to Brazil, that is widely cultivated for its variegated leaves that close up at night.
- prayer shawl — a tallith.
- prayer wheel — a wheel or cylinder inscribed with or containing prayers, used chiefly by Buddhists of Tibet.
- prayerlessly — in a prayerless manner, without the use of prayer