| A | B |
|---|
| parhelion | bright spot sometimes appearing on either side of the sun; often a luminous ring or halo |
| paroxysm | sudden outburst of emotion or action; spasm or fit |
| paralysis | loss of sensation or impairment of a region of the body |
| paradox | seemingly contradictory statement that may be nonetheless true |
| paramorphic | characterized by the structural alteration of a mineral without change of chemical composition |
| paraplegia | complete paralysis of the lower half of the body including both legs |
| periscope | tool for looking around objects/corners |
| periodontia | dentistry dealing with diseases of gums and the structures around the teeth |
| perimeter | the outer limits of an area |
| polygon | closed plane figure bounded by straight sides |
| polyanthus | group of hybrid primroses having clusters of variously-colored flowers |
| polygyny | practice of having more than one wife at a time |
| polyglot | speaking, writing, or written in several languages |
| polyhedron | a solid figure with many faces |
| polynomial | consisting of more than two names or terms |
| polygraph | lie detector: an instrument that detects heartbeat, blood pressure, and respiration |
| polyphonic | having several tones or sound values |
| polychromatic | many-colored |
| polygamous | practicing marriage to more than one spouse at once |
| prognosis | a prediction of the probable course and outcome of a disease |
| prologue | introduction or preface; introductory act or event |
| prognosticate | to predict or foretell |
| prosthetics | branch of medicine dealing with the production and use of artificial body parts |
| pseudonym | a false or fictitious name; pen name |
| synchronize | to cause to happen at the same time |
| synthetic | artificial; not natural or genuine; man-made |
| synergistic | characterized by the interaction of two or more forces so that their effect is greater than the sum of their individual efforts |
| synopsis | an overview; a brief outline or summary |
| synagogue | congregation of Jews for purpose of worship or religious study |
| synonym | a word meaning the same as another word; two words that can be used interchangeably in the context |
| symphony | harmony, especially of sound or color; an orchestra; an extended musical piece in three or more movements |
| tautology | needless repetition of the same sense in different words; redundancy |
| telegraph | a message transmitted by wire over a distance |
| telepathy | communication through means other than the senses |
| telegenic | capable of looking good on television |
| telephone | an instrument that transmits sound across a distance |
| telescope | an instrument that allows objects to be viewed from a distance |
| megalocardia | abnormal enlargement of the heart |
| megalomania | obsession with one's own greatness |
| megalopolis | a very large city or region of several large cities |
| megacephalic | having a large head |
| megapode | large-footed, ground-dwelling birds found in Australia |
| metamorphosis | a change in form; transformation |
| metonymy | a figure of speech in which a noun is substituted for a related noun |
| microcosm | a little world; miniature universe; a smaller, representative unity having analogies to a larger unity |
| microbiology | study of living things too small to be seen with the naked eye |
| microcephalic | having an abnormally small head |
| microscope | an optical instrument using a lens or combination of lenses to produce magnified images |
| micrometer | device for measuring very small distances, objects, or angles |
| microphone | instrument that amplifies sounds |
| neophyte | novice; beginner; a recent convert to a belief |
| neolithic | "New Stone Age"; era characterized by late remains in stone |
| oligarchy | government by a few people |
| oligopoly | market condition in which sellers are few and their actiosn will impact competitors |
| oligophagous | feeding on a restricted range of food |
| orthodontics | branch of dentistry concerned with preventing and correcting irregularities of the teeth, as with braces |
| orthoepy | study of the pronunciation of words |
| orthodox | adhering to accepted or traditional and established faith/religion/beliefs |
| orthochromatic | (of film) accurately reproducing the colors of the subject |
| orthography | correct spelling |
| orthopedics | medicine that deals with prevention ro correction of injuries of the skeletal system |
| pachyderm | large, thick-skinned, hoofed mammals such as the elephant, rhinoceros, or hippopotamus |
| pachyglossal | thick-tongued |
| pachydactyl | bird or other animal having thick toes |
| paleozoic | period characterized by appearance of marine invertebrates, fishes, land plants |
| paleography | study of ancient writing |
| paleolithic | "Old Stone Age": of or relating to the cultural period of the Stone age, beginning with the earliest chipped stone tools |
| pantomime | a performance using gestures and body movements without words |
| panorama | an unbroken view of the entire surrounding area |
| pansophism | claiming to know everything |
| panchromatic | (of film) sensitive to all colors |
| pandemic | widespread; general; an epidemic over a large geographic area |
| panacea | a cure-all; a remedy for all diseases or evils |
| cephalalgia | pain in the head; headache |
| odontalgia | toothache |
| cardialgia | heartburn |
| biblioclasm | destruction of books |
| iconoclast | one who overthrows popular ideas or destroys sacred images |
| bioclasm | destruction of life |
| panclastic | destroying everything |
| plutocracy | government by the wealthy |
| aristocracy | hereditary ruling class; nobility |
| podiatry | diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases of the feet |
| tendonitis | inflammation of a tendon |
| neuritis | inflammation of a group of nerves |
| gastritis | chronic or acute inflammation of the stomach |
| heliolatry | worship of the sun |
| gyneolatry | adoration or worship of women |
| hydrolysis | decomposition of a chemical compound by reaction with water |
| thermolysis | dissipation of heat from the body, as by evaporation |
| duomachy | duel or fight between two people |
| pyromachy | use of fire in fighting |
| naumachy | mock sea battle |
| bibliomancy | divination by interpretation of passage chosen at random from a book, especially the Bible or Aeneid |
| geomancy | divination by meanso f lines and figures or by geographic features |
| pyromancy | divination by fire or flames |
