Word origins

• pistleSynonym of epistle.
• pitchyOf, pertaining to, or resembling pitch.
• placelessLacking a proper place.
• place of worshipA place, usually a building such as a church, mosque, synagogue or temple where believers can practise their faith.
• plashA small pool of standing water; a marshy pond; also, a puddle; (uncountable) marshy land; mire.
• plawTo boil; seethe.
• playfeerA playfellow; a playmate.
• playinglyIn play; without seriousness; playfully.
• playsteadAn area designated for recreation and play; a park.
• playstowA place for play; playground; park.
• pleachTo unite by interweaving, as (horticulture) branches of shrubs, trees, etc., to create a hedge; to interlock, to plash.
• pleadableThat may be pleaded
• pleasableThat may be pleased.
• pleckA plot of ground.
• plentilyIn a plentiful manner; with plenty.
• plentinessplentifulness; abundance
• plestorAn open space in a village where fairs or markets were held; became village greens.
• plethoricallyIn a plethoric manner: excessively, overabundantly.
• plightfulFull of risk or danger; risky; dangerous; perilous.
• plightlessDevoid of plight
• plightlyDangerously; with peril.
• plightyRelating to or indicating plight; misfortunate; dire; precarious; needy
• plonge leatherA type of leather that is particularly soft and pliable.
• ploughlandLand that has been or is meant to be ploughed.
• ploughshareThe cutting edge of a plough, typically a metal blade.
• plumb lineA cord with a weight attached, used to produce a vertical line; a plummet.
• plum treeA tree that bears plums.
• poddingerSynonym of porringer (“a small cup or bowl”).
• poetressA female poet; a poetess.
• point-deviceA form of lace worked with devices.
• poleynThe part of medieval armour that protected the knee.
• ponderousnessThe quality of being ponderous.
• poornessThe quality of being poor
• popedomThe jurisdiction of the pope.
• popehoodThe status of pope; papacy.
• popinjayA parrot.
• porrayA medieval pudding or stew of leeks and other vegetables (and sometimes meat) simmered in fresh almond milk and/or meat broth.
• porretA scallion; a leek or small onion.
• portassA breviary; a prayer book.
• portershipThe office or duty of a porter
• PortingaleA Portuguese person.
• portmoteA court, or mote, held in a port town.
• portreeveA borough-reeve: an office equivalent to a mayor (historical) in several major English towns or (dialect) in various minor boroughs of Wales and Southwest England.
• portressA female porter (person in control of the entrance to a building)
• possessionateHaving possessions.
• possetA beverage composed of hot milk curdled by some strong infusion, such as wine.
• potagerA kitchen garden; sometimes used attributively.
• potationThe act of drinking.
• potestateA chief ruler; a potentate.
• potfulas much as a pot will hold
• potsherdA piece of ceramic from pottery, often found on an archaeological site.
• poukA small boil, pimple, or pustule.
• poultererA dealer in poultry.
• pourpointA quilted military doublet or gambeson worn in the 14th and 15th centuries.
• poustiePower, authority, strength, health.
• practiserOne who practises.
• praemunire faciasMore fully writ of praemunire facias: a writ directing a sheriff to forewarn a person that they must appear before a court to answer a criminal charge of having brought a suit in or obeyed a foreign (especially papal) court or authority, thus challenging the supremacy of the Crown; a praemunire.
• praiserOne who praises.
• prasineA green gem; an emerald.
• pre-Before; physically in front of.
• predestinateTo predestine.
• pregnablevulnerable to attack
• pregnationPregnancy.
• preparateTo prepare.
• prick-earedHaving pointed ears.
• pricketA candle.
• priestlessWithout a priest or priests.
• priestressA priestess.
• primum mobileThe outermost celestial sphere of the heavens in Ptolemaic astronomy, which was believed to cause all the inner spheres to rotate.
• princehoodThe state, quality, or condition of being a prince
• prinkto give a wink; to wink.
• pritchpique; offence
• privy councilA body of advisers to a sovereign, functioning much as a cabinet.
• proemialOf or pertaining to a proem or proemium.
• proferTo utter; to pronounce.
• profoundnessThe quality of being profound; profundity
• progenitureprocreation
• prolocutorA spokesman, one who speaks on behalf of others.
• prophetizeTo act as a prophet; to prophesy; to make prophecies.
• protectrixA female who protects.
• protomartyrAny of the first Christian martyrs.
• proudfulFull of pride; excessively proud.
• proudheartedVery proud
• proudnessPride.
• ProvençalOf, from or relating to Provence, a traditional geographic region roughly corresponding to the modern administrative region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France.
• provocateTo provoke.
• provokerA person who provokes.
• prucePrussian leather.
• pseudo-False; not genuine; fake.
• pseudoapostleA false apostle.
• pseudoprophetA false prophet; one who only claims to be a prophet.
• puckleThe devil; Satan.
• puerilityThe state, quality, or condition of being childish or puerile.
• puftTo puff.
• pulchritudePhysical beauty.
• pulkA low-slung boatlike sled, used for man-hauling supplies across snow and ice.
• pull outUsed other than figuratively or idiomatically: see pull, out.
• pulveriseTo render into dust or powder.
• puncheonA figured stamp, die, or punch, used by goldsmiths, cutlers, etc.
• punctionA puncture or pricking.