definitions

P, p

[ pee ]
/ pi /
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR P, p ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural P's or Ps, p's or ps.

the sixteenth letter of the English alphabet, a consonant.
any spoken sound represented by the letter P or p, as in pet, supper, top, etc.
something having the shape of a P.
a written or printed representation of the letter P or p.
a device, as a printer's type, for reproducing the letter P or p.

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Were P And R Once The Same Letter?Do you ever stop and look at the shape of our alphabet? Each letter looks natural to us now, but all those lines and circles have unique histories. It’s easy to make assumptions that our letters make sense, that they developed in some orderly logical way, and one reasonable assumption would be that P and R are related to each other based on their form. …
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RELATED WORDS

average, common, commonplace, conventional, cut-and-dried, dull, fair, familiar, formulaic, garden, generic, habitual, homespun, household, humble, indifferent, inferior, mean, mediocre, modest

Nearby words

ozzie, oë, oñate, oñate, juan de, oświęcim, P, p, p & l, p & o, p & p, p and h, p marker

Definition for p (2 of 15)

p

1

Music. softly.

Origin of p

1
From the Italian word piano

Definition for p (3 of 15)

p

2

penny; pence.

Definition for p (4 of 15)

P

Education. (as a rating of student performance) passing.
Chess. pawn.
Electronics. plate.
poor.
Grammar. predicate.
Protestant.

Definition for p (5 of 15)

P

Symbol.

the 16th in order or in a series, or, when I is omitted, the 15th.
(sometimes lowercase) the medieval Roman numeral for 400.Compare Roman numerals.
Genetics. parental.
Chemistry. phosphorus.
Physics.
  1. power.
  2. pressure.
  3. proton.
  4. space inversion.
  5. poise2.
Biochemistry. proline.

Definition for p (6 of 15)

p-

Chemistry. para-1(def 2).

Definition for p (7 of 15)

P-

Military. (in designations of fighter aircraft) pursuit: P-38.

Definition for p (8 of 15)

p.

1

father.

Origin of p.

1
From the Latin word pater

Definition for p (9 of 15)

p.

2

Music. softly.

Origin of p.

2
From the Italian word piano

Definition for p (10 of 15)

p.

3

after.

Origin of p.

3
From the Latin word post

Definition for p (11 of 15)

p.

4

Definition for p (12 of 15)

P.

1

father.

Origin of P.

1
From the Latin word Pater

Definition for p (13 of 15)

P.

2

Definition for p (14 of 15)

Heyse

[ hahy-zuh ]
/ ˈhaɪ zə /

noun

Paul (Jo·hann von) [poul yoh-hahn fuh n] /paʊl ˈyoʊ hɑn fən/, 1830–1914, German playwright, novelist, poet, and short-story writer: Nobel Prize 1910.

Definition for p (15 of 15)

rho

[ roh ]
/ roʊ /

noun, plural rhos.

the 17th letter of the Greek alphabet (P, ρ).
the consonant sound represented by this letter.

Origin of rho

1350–1400; Middle English < Greek rhô
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for p

British Dictionary definitions for p (1 of 6)

p

P

/ (piː) /

noun plural p's, P's or Ps

the 16th letter and 12th consonant of the modern English alphabet
a speech sound represented by this letter, usually a voiceless bilabial stop, as in pig
mind one's p's and q's to be careful to behave correctly and use polite or suitable language

British Dictionary definitions for p (2 of 6)

p

symbol for

(in Britain) penny or pence
music piano: an instruction to play quietly
pico-
physics
  1. momentum
  2. proton
  3. pressure

British Dictionary definitions for p (3 of 6)

P

symbol for

abbreviation for

Portugal (international car registration)
pharmacy only: used to label medicines that can be obtained without a prescription, but only at a shop at which there is a pharmacist

British Dictionary definitions for p (4 of 6)

p-

prefix

short for para- 1 (def. 6)

British Dictionary definitions for p (5 of 6)

p.

abbreviation for

Word Origin for p.

(sense 6) Latin: after (sense 7) Latin: in favour of; for

British Dictionary definitions for p (6 of 6)

rho

/ (rəʊ) /

noun plural rhos

the 17th letter in the Greek alphabet (Ρ, ρ), a consonant transliterated as r or rh
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medicine definitions for p (1 of 3)

P

The symbol for the elementphosphorus

Medicine definitions for p (2 of 3)

p-

abbr.

para-

Medicine definitions for p (3 of 3)

rho

n.

The 17th letter of the Greek alphabet.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Science definitions for p (1 of 2)

P

The symbol for parity.
The symbol for phosphorus.
The symbol for power.
The symbol for pressure.

Science definitions for p (2 of 2)

phosphorus

[ fŏs′fər-əs ]

P

A highly reactive, poisonous nonmetallic element occurring naturally in phosphates, especially in the mineral apatite. It exists in white (or sometimes yellow), red, and black forms, and is an essential component of protoplasm. Phosphorus is used to make matches, fireworks, and fertilizers and to protect metal surfaces from corrosion. Atomic number 15; atomic weight 30.9738; melting point (white) 44.1°C; boiling point 280°C; specific gravity (white) 1.82; valence 3, 5. See Periodic Table.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Idioms and Phrases with p

p

see mind one's p's and q's.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.