| pyrometer |
an electrical instrument used to measure high temperatures. |
| pyrophoric |
of certain metals, capable of igniting spontaneously in air or within a nuclear reactor. |
| pyrosulfuric acid |
a corrosive acid used in the making of explosives and dyes. |
| pyrotechnic |
of or relating to fireworks. [3 definitions] |
| pyrotechnics |
(used with a sing. or pl. verb) the practice or art of making or using fireworks. [3 definitions] |
| pyroxylin |
a highly flammable nitrocellulose used in the manufacture of artificial silk, plastics, lacquer, and the like. |
| Pyrrhic victory |
a victory or achievement won at too great a cost. |
| pyrrole |
a colorless toxic compound that occurs in natural substances such as chlorophyll and various hydrocarbons. |
| Pythagoras |
a Greek philosopher and mathematician (582?-500? B.C.). |
| Pythagorean theorem |
in geometry, the theorem that in a right triangle the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides. |
| Pythian |
of or pertaining to ancient Delphi, the temple of Apollo there, or the oracle of that temple. [2 definitions] |
| python |
any of a number of nonpoisonous snakes of the Eastern Hemisphere that kill by crushing and suffocating their victims. [3 definitions] |
| pythoness |
a priestess of Apollo at Delphi, believed to be possessed by an oracle. [2 definitions] |
| pyuria |
the presence of pus in the urine. |
| pyx |
in some Christian denominations, a container for storing or transporting Communion wafers. [2 definitions] |
| pyxis |
a lidded vase or box, usu. cylindrical, that was used to store toilet articles in ancient Greece and Rome. [3 definitions] |
| Q |
abbreviation of "question." |
| q |
the seventeenth letter of the English alphabet. |
| Qatar |
a Middle Eastern country in eastern Arabia on a peninsula in the Persian Gulf. |
| Q-Celtic |
the branch of the Celtic languages that includes Gaelic and Irish Gaelic, in which a "k" sound replaced the Proto-Indo-European "kw" sound. |
| Q.E.D. |
abbreviation of "quod erat demonstrandum" (Latin); which was to be demonstrated. |