p
1 Americanabbreviation
abbreviation
noun
plural
P's, Ps, p's, ps-
the sixteenth letter of the English alphabet, a consonant.
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any spoken sound represented by the letter P or p, as in pet, supper, top, etc.
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something having the shape of a P .
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a written or printed representation of the letter P or p.
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a device, as a printer's type, for reproducing the letter P or p.
abbreviation
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Education. (as a rating of student performance) passing.
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Chess. pawn.
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Electronics. plate.
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poor.
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Grammar. predicate.
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Protestant.
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the 16th in order or in a series.
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(sometimes lowercase) the medieval Roman numeral for 400.
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Genetics. parental.
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Chemistry. phosphorus.
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Physics.
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Chemistry. proton.
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Biochemistry. proline.
abbreviation
abbreviation
abbreviation
abbreviation
abbreviation
abbreviation
-
page.
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part.
-
participle.
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past.
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Chess. pawn.
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penny; pence.
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per.
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Grammar. person.
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peseta.
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peso.
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pint.
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pipe.
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Baseball. pitcher.
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pole.
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population.
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president.
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pressure.
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purl.
abbreviation
abbreviation
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pastor.
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peseta.
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peso.
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post.
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president.
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pressure.
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priest.
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prince.
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progressive.
symbol
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chem phosphorus
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physics
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pressure
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power
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parity
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poise
-
-
(on road signs) parking
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chess pawn
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currency
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(the former) peseta
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peso
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pataca
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pula
-
abbreviation
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Portugal (international car registration)
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pharmacy only: used to label medicines that can be obtained without a prescription, but only at a shop at which there is a pharmacist
abbreviation
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page
-
part
-
participle
-
past
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per
-
post
-
pro
symbol
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(in Britain) penny or pence
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music piano: an instruction to play quietly
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pico-
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physics
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momentum
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proton
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pressure
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noun
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the 16th letter and 12th consonant of the modern English alphabet
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a speech sound represented by this letter, usually a voiceless bilabial stop, as in pig
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to be careful to behave correctly and use polite or suitable language
prefix
Etymology
Origin of p1
From the Italian word piano
Origin of p.8
From the Latin word pater
Origin of p.9
From the Italian word piano
Origin of p.10
From the Latin word post
Origin of P.12
From the Latin word Pater
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Rajadhyaksha points out there is a “remarkably consistent pattern p st most geopolitical conflicts …of an initial shock…then a grind back as economic fundamentals reassert themselves.”
From MarketWatch • Mar. 26, 2026
Age also influenced how quickly symptoms followed rising p tau217 levels.
From Science Daily • Feb. 23, 2026
"It's political with a small p - there's enough that roots us in the real world but the world is too complicated to link it directly and I think it would be inappropriate."
From BBC • Aug. 20, 2025
Biden then speaks for several minutes with some of the hundreds of guests and p oses for photos.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 24, 2023
But maybe there was a letter between the p and the w.
From "The City of Ember" by Jeanne DuPrau
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.