| phrenology |
the study of the configurations of the skull as an indication of a person's character and mental capabilities. |
| phthiriasis |
the condition of being infested with crab lice; pediculosis. |
| phthisis |
a wasting away of the body or a body part, such as tuberculosis of the lungs. |
| phycomycete |
any of several fungi that resemble algae, such as certain molds and mildews. |
| phyla |
pl. of phylum. |
| phylactery |
one of two small leather boxes worn strapped on the left arm and forehead by religious Jewish men during regular morning worship, that contain pieces of parchment bearing passages from Scripture. [2 definitions] |
| -phyll |
leaf. |
| phyllo |
very thin sheets of dough, which produce a flaky pastry when baked for desserts or the like. |
| phyllo- |
leaf. |
| phyllome |
a leaf or similarly functioning structure of a plant. |
| phyllotaxis |
phyllotaxy. |
| phyllotaxy |
the arrangement of plant leaves along a stem, or the principles governing this arrangement. [2 definitions] |
| -phyllous |
having leaves of (such) a type or number. |
| phylloxera |
any of a widely distributed family of insects that feed on the leaves and roots of certain plants, esp. the grapevine. |
| phylo- |
race; type. |
| phylogeny |
the evolution or historical development of a plant or animal species or a human tribe or similar group. (Cf. ontogeny.) |
| phylum |
the principal subdivision of animals, and of some classifications of plants, according to their major shared characteristics, each subdivision containing one or more classes. [2 definitions] |
| phys. ed. |
abbreviation of "physical education." |
| physic |
a drug or medicine, esp. a purgative or strong laxative. [3 definitions] |
| physical |
of the body. [4 definitions] |
| physical anthropology |
the branch of anthropology concerned with the evolutionary development of humans, physical differences between races, and classifications. (Cf. cultural anthropology.) |