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PVC abbreviation polyvinyl chloride

pvt abbreviation private

PW abbreviation prisoner of war

pwt abbreviation pennyweight

PX abbreviation post exchange

1pygmy also pig·my noun, plural -mies [ORIGIN: ME pigmei, fr. L pygmaeus of a pygmy, dwarfish, fr. Gk pygmaios, fr. pygmē fist, measure of length]

1 cap : any of a small people of equatorial Africa

2 : an unusually small person : DWARF

3 : something very small of its kind

Synonyms

[2, 3] dwarf, midget, mite, peewee, runt, scrub, shrimp—more at DWARF

2pygmy adjective 1 : of or relating to the Pygmies or a pygmy

2 : very small

Synonyms

dwarf, dwarfish, fine, little, pocket, slight, small, undersized—more at SMALL

py·ja·mas chiefly British variant of PAJAMAS

py·lon noun 1 : a usu. massive gateway; especially : an Egyptian one flanked by flat-topped pyramids

2 : a tower that supports wires over a long span

3 : a post or tower marking the course in an airplane race

py·or·rhea noun : an inflammation with pus of the sockets of the teeth

1pyramid noun 1 : a massive structure with a square base and four triangular faces meeting at a point

2 : a geometrical solid having a polygon for its base and three or more triangles for its sides that meet at a point to form the top

— py·ra·mi·dal adjective

2pyramid verb 1 : to build up in the form of a pyramid : heap up

2 : to increase rapidly on a broadening base

pyramid scheme noun : a usu. illegal operation in which participants pay to join and profit from payments made by subsequent participants

pyre noun : a combustible heap for burning a dead body as a funeral rite

py·re·thrum noun : an insecticide made from the dried heads of any of several Old World chrysanthemums

py·rim·i·dine noun : any of a group of bases including several (as cytosine, thymine, or uracil) that are constituents of DNA or RNA

py·rite noun : a mineral containing sulfur and iron that is brass-yellow in color

py·rol·y·sis noun : chemical change caused by the action of heat

py·ro·ma·nia noun : an irresistible impulse to start fires

— py·ro·ma·ni·ac noun

py·ro·tech·nics noun plural 1 : a display of fireworks

2 : a spectacular display (as of extreme virtuosity)

— py·ro·tech·nic also py·ro·tech·ni·cal adjective

Pyr·rhic adjective : achieved at excessive cost ; also : costly to the point of outweighing expected benefits

Py·thag·o·re·an theorem noun : a theorem in geometry: the square of the length of the hypotenuse of a right triangle equals the sum of the squares of the lengths of the other two sides

py·thon noun [ORIGIN: L, monstrous serpent killed by the god Apollo, fr. Gk Pythōn]

: a large snake (as a boa) that squeezes and suffocates its prey; especially : any of the large Old World snakes that include the largest snakes living at the present time

pyx noun : a small case used to carry the Eucharist to the sick

Q

1q noun, plural q's or qs often cap : the 17th letter of the English alphabet

2q abbreviation, often cap 1 quart

2 quarto

3 queen

4 query

5 question

QB abbreviation quarterback

QED abbreviation [ORIGIN: L quod erat demonstrandum]

which was to be demonstrated

qi·vi·ut noun [ORIGIN: Inuit]

: the wool of the undercoat of the musk ox

Qld abbreviation Queensland

QM abbreviation quartermaster

QMC abbreviation quartermaster corps

QMG abbreviation quartermaster general

qq v abbreviation [ORIGIN: L quae vide]

which (pl) see

qr abbreviation quarter

Q rating noun [ORIGIN: quotient]

: a scale measuring popularity based on dividing an assessment of familiarity or recognition by an assessment of favorable opinion; also : position on such a scale

qt abbreviation [ORIGIN: quotient]

1 quantity

2 quart

q.t. noun, often cap Q&T : QUIET — usu. used in the phrase on the q.t.

qto abbreviation quarto

qty abbreviation quantity

qu or ques abbreviation question

1quack verb : to make the characteristic cry of a duck