| peter |
(informal) to dwindle gradually to the point of stopping or disappearing altogether (usu. fol. by "out"). |
| peter out |
to decrease very, very gradually until nothing remains; dwindle to nothing. |
| Peter Pan |
the title character of J.M. Barrie's early twentieth-century play, a young boy who never grows up. |
| Peter Paul Rubens |
a Flemish painter (b.1577--d.1640). |
| Peter Principle |
the satiric idea that employees of large organizations tend to be promoted until they reach the level at which they are incompetent. |
| pet-friendly |
allowing or catering to pets. |
| petiole |
the thin stalk by which a leaf is attached to a stem. [2 definitions] |
| petit |
less serious or important in law; minor. |
| petit bourgeois |
of the lower middle class, esp. in a capitalist society. |
| petite |
of a girl or woman, short and slender. [2 definitions] |
| petit four |
a small fancy teacake, usu. cut from spongecake, that is frosted on three sides and often decorated. |
| petition |
a formal request that is usu. written, often signed by many people, and addressed to an authority that is empowered to grant some right or benefit. [7 definitions] |
| petit jury |
a group of twelve citizens selected to witness a civil or criminal trial and empowered to decide, after discussing the evidence and issues presented, whether a defendant is guilty or not. (Cf. grand jury.) |
| petit larceny |
see "petty larceny." |
| petit mal |
a form of epilepsy characterized by unconsciousness for short periods of time, but usu. no convulsions. (Cf. grand mal.) |
| petit point |
embroidery done on a canvas backing and resembling woven tapestry. [2 definitions] |
| petnapping |
the stealing of pets in order to sell them, as for use in laboratory experiments. |
| Petrarch |
an Italian poet; Francesco Petrarca (1304-74). |
| Petrarchan sonnet |
an Italian sonnet form made popular by Petrarch, consisting of an octave and a sestet. (Cf. Shakespearean sonnet.) |
| petrel |
any of various related sea birds usu. found far from shore, esp. the storm petrel. |
| petri dish |
a shallow, round, transparent glass or plastic dish with an overlapping cover, used for culturing bacteria and other microorganisms. |