| petrodollar |
(usu. pl.) funds accumulated by an oil-exporting country as part of a surplus in its trade balance, esp. when they are then lent to or invested in other countries. |
| petroglyph |
a drawing or carving on rock, esp. from prehistoric times. |
| petrography |
the scientific description and classification of rocks. |
| petrol |
(chiefly British) a volatile, flammable liquid of hydrocarbons, derived from petroleum and used primarily as fuel for internal-combustion engines; gasoline. |
| petrolatum |
a colorless or yellowish, translucent, greasy, semisolid petroleum derivative used as a lubricant and in medical ointments; petroleum jelly. |
| petroleum |
a thick, flammable mineral oil obtained by drilling beneath the earth's surface and processed into various fuels and lubricants, naphtha, paraffin, and other products. |
| petroleum jelly |
petrolatum. |
| petrology |
the scientific study and classification of rocks. |
| petropolitics |
(used with a sing. or pl. verb) the management or influencing of international relations based on control of the amount of petroleum available on the world market. |
| petrous |
of or pertaining to the dense, hard portion of the human temporal bone that contains the internal auditory organs. [2 definitions] |
| PET scanner |
a medical diagnostic technology that uses radioactive tracer material to provide visual information about the activities of the brain. |
| petticoat |
a woman's underskirt, like a slip or half-slip but usu. fuller and more ornamented with lace, ruffles, or bows. |
| pettifogger |
one who quibbles over trifles, esp. an unscrupulous lawyer. |
| petting zoo |
a zoo with docile animals which children can touch and feed. |
| pettish |
in, or as if in, a pet; petulant; ill-tempered. |
| petty |
of little importance, interest, or consequence; trivial. [4 definitions] |
| petty bourgeois |
variant of petit bourgeois. |
| petty cash |
a small supply of cash, kept esp. in a business office, that is used to pay minor charges or purchase incidentals. |
| petty jury |
see "petit jury." |
| petty larceny |
theft in which the value of the goods stolen does not exceed a relatively low amount determined by law. (Cf. grand larceny.) |
| petty officer |
a noncommissioned naval officer. |