Voice of America Broadcast Dictionary - P
This Special English Dictionary contains about 1,500 words and makes an excellent vocabulary goal for intermediate level learners.
N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z
Parts of Speech Key
n. (noun) - a name word
v. (verb) - an action word
ad. (adjective/adverb) - a describing word
prep. (preposition) - a word used to show a relation
pro. (pronoun) - a word used in place of a noun
conj. (conjunction) - a joining word
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pain - 
n. a hurt or suffering somewhere in the body
paint - v. to cover with a liquid color; to make a picture with liquid colors; n. a colored liquid used to cover or protect a surface
pan - n. a metal container used for cooking
paper - n. a thin, flat material made from plants or cloth often used for writing
parachute - n. a device that permits a person or thing to fall slowly from an airplane or helicopter to the ground
parade - n. a group of people and vehicles moving together to celebrate a special event or anniversary
pardon - v. to forgive for a crime and release from punishment
parent - n. a father or mother
parliament - n. a government lawmaking group
part - n. something less than the whole; not all of something
party - n. a group of people working together for a political purpose; a group of people or friends gathered together for enjoyment
pass - v. to go by or move around something; to move along; to cause or permit to go
passenger - n. a person travelling by airplane, train, boat or car who is not the pilot or driver
passport - n. a document permitting a person to travel to another country
past - n. the time gone by; the time before; ad. recent; immediately before; former
path - n. a narrow way for walking; a way along which something moves
patient - n. a person being treated by a doctor for a health problem
pay - v. to give money for work done or for something bought
peace - n. the condition of freedom from war, fighting or noise; rest; quiet
people - n. any group of persons; all the persons of a group, race, religion or nation ("the American people")
percent - n. a part of every hundred ("Ten is ten percent of one hundred.")
perfect - ad. complete or correct in every way; completely right or good; without mistakes
perform - v. to speak, dance or sing in front of others
period - n. an amount of time within events, restrictions or conditions
permanent - ad. never changing; lasting for a very long time or for all time
permit - v. to let; to make possible
person - n. a man, woman or child
physical - ad. of the body
physics - n. the study of motion, matter and energy
picture - n. something that shows what another thing looks like; an idea or representation of something as seen by the eye; a painting; what is made with a camera
piece - n. a part of something larger
pig - n. a farm animal used for its meat
pilot - n. one who guides or flies an airplane or helicopter
pipe - n. a long, round piece of material used to move liquid or gas
place - v. to put something somewhere; n. an area or a part of an area; space where a person or thing is; any room, building, town or country
plan - v. to organize or develop an idea or method of acting or doing something ">("They plan to have a party."); n. an organized or developed idea or method ("The plan will not work.")
planet - n. a large object in space that orbits the sun ("Earth is a planet.")
plant - v. to put into the ground to grow; n. a living growth from the ground which gets its food from air, water and earth
plastic - n. a material made from chemicals that can be formed and made into things
play - v. to have fun; to not work; to take part in a sport; to make music on an instrument; n. a story acted in a theater
please - v. to make one happy; to give enjoyment
plenty - n. all that is needed; a large enough amount
plot - v. to make secret plans; n. a secret plan to do something wrong or illegal
poem - n. words and their sounds organized in a special way to express emotions
point - v. to aim one's finger toward; to aim; n. the sharp end of something
poison - n. a substance that can destroy life or damage health
police - n. a government agency responsible for guarding the public, keeping order, and making sure people obey the law; members of that agency
policy - n. an established set of plans or goals used to develop and make decisions in politics, economics or business
politics - n. the activities of government and of those who are in public office
pollute - v. to release dangerous or unpleasant substances into the air, soil or water
poor - n. people with little or no money; ad. lacking money or goods; of bad quality
popular - ad. liked by many people; generally approved by the public
population - n. all the people in a place, city or country
port - n. a city where ships load or unload goods; a place on a coast where ships can be safe from a storm
position - n. a place; the way of holding the body; the way a thing is set or placed; a job (or level of a job) in an organization
possess - v. to have; to own; to control or be controlled by
possible - ad. able to be done; can happen or is expected to happen
postpone - v. to delay action until a later time
pour - v. to flow; to cause to flow
power - n. the ability to control or direct others; control; strength; ruling force; force or energy used to do work ("Water power turns the wheel.")
praise - v. to say good things about; to approve
pray - v. to make a request to a god or spirit; to praise a god or spirit
pregnant - ad. carrying a child within the body before it is born; expecting to give birth to a baby
present - v. to offer for consideration ("We will present our idea to the committee."); n. a gift ("I gave them a present for their anniversary."); now ("The present time is a good time."); ad. to be at a place ("I was present at school yesterday.")
president - n. the chief official of a country that is a republic; the leader of an organization
press - v. to urge strongly; n. newspapers, magazines and other publications
pressure - n. the force produced when something is pushed down or against something else
prevent - v. to keep or stop from going or happening
price - n. the amount of money for which anything is bought, sold or offered for sale
prison - n. a place where a person is kept as punishment for a crime
private - ad. of or about a person or group that is secret; opposite public
prize - n. something offered or won in a competition; something of value that one must work hard for to get
probably - ad. a good chance of taking place; a little more than possible
problem - n. a difficult question or situation with an unknown or unclear answer
process - n. an operation or series of changes leading to a desired result
produce - v. to make; to create; to cause something to be; to manufacture
profession - n. a job that requires special training
professor - n. a teacher at a
college or university
profit - n. money gained from a business activity after paying all costs of that activity
program - n. a plan of action; the different events or parts of a meeting or show
progress - n. movement forward or toward improvement or a goal
project - n. a planned effort to do something
propaganda - n. ideas or information used to influence opinions
property - n. anything owned by someone such as land, buildings or goods
propose - v. to present or offer for consideration
protect - v. to guard; to defend; to prevent from being harmed or damaged
protest - v. to speak against; to object
prove - v. to show to be true
provide - v. to give something needed or wanted
public - ad. of or about all the people in a community or country; opposite private
publication - n. something that is published such as a book, newspaper or magazine
publish - v. to make public something that is written; to include something in a book, newspaper or magazine
pull - v. to use force to move something toward the person or thing using the force; opposite push
pump - v. to force a gas or liquid up, into or through
punish - v. to cause pain, suffering or loss for doing something bad or illegal
purchase - v. to buy with money or with something of equal value; n. that which is bought
pure - ad. free from anything that is different or that reduces value; clean
purpose - n. the reason or desired effect for doing something; goal
push - v. to use force to move something away from the person or thing using the force; opposite pull
put - v. to place; to set in position
This dictionary was created by the VOA (Voice of English) Special English and Voice of America. It makes an excellent starting vocabulary selection for intermediate level learners. This dictionary is used as the basis on which listening selections vocabulary is chosen and can help you understand VOA broadcasts which can be found at the Voice of America Special English site.
