| parochial school |
a school supported and run by a church or religious organization. |
| parody |
a humorous imitation in print, music, or performance of a serious person, work of art, or publication. [3 definitions] |
| parole |
the release of a prisoner before his or her punishment is finished, with conditions of good behavior to be fulfilled. [3 definitions] |
| parolee |
one who has been released from prison and is on parole. |
| paronomasia |
an instance of word play, often for humorous effect, that is based on a similarity in sound of two or more words or on various meanings of the same word; pun. |
| paronymous |
of a word or words, derived from the same root; cognate. |
| parotid |
of or relating to either of a pair of the larger salivary glands found beneath and to the front of the ear. [2 definitions] |
| parotitis |
inflammation of one or both parotids, esp. mumps. |
| -parous |
giving birth to; bearing; producing. |
| paroxysm |
a sudden strong outburst of feelings or actions. [2 definitions] |
| parquet |
flooring composed of or containing inlaid wood designs. [2 definitions] |
| parquetry |
wood inlaid in a pattern, often of contrasting colors, and used esp. as flooring. |
| parr |
the young of certain fishes, esp. the salmon before it leaves fresh water. |
| parricide |
the act of killing one's parent or other close relative. [2 definitions] |
| parrot |
any of numerous tropical birds that have brightly colored plumage, a heavy short hooked bill, and often the ability to imitate speech. [3 definitions] |
| parrot fever |
see "psittacosis." |
| parrotfish |
any of numerous marine fishes that are esp. colorful and have jaws resembling a parrot's beak. |
| parry |
to deflect or knock aside (a blow or stroke), as with one's weapon in fencing. [5 definitions] |
| parse |
in grammar, to separate (a sentence) into its parts and to describe the form and function of each. [3 definitions] |
| parsec |
a unit of astronomical distance equal to 3.258 light years. |
| Parsi |
a member of a Zoroastrian sect in modern India that is descended from Persian Zoroastrians who fled Persia in the seventh and eighth centuries to escape religious persecution. [2 definitions] |