English Words in Action, Group P

1. Happening or existing in small, isolated sections: People who were going to work in the patchy fog on the highway had to be very careful so they wouldn't suddenly run into another car.
2. Inconsistent or not of the same quality throughout; having some parts that are good and some that are bad: Pete's patchy skills in writing didn't help him get accepted by the university when he applied for admittance.

Bettie had a patchier understanding about her brother's illness than her mother.

The new carpenter seemed to have the patchiest skills of any of the other construction workers.

An outside area, adjoining a house, which is usually paved and that is used for dining or recreation: Wolfgang and his family often sit outside on the patio when the weather is good.

1. Inheritance of money or property from a father or other ancestor which involves estates that have descended or been devised in a direct line from the father, and, by extension, from the mother or other ancestor: "Samuel was able to live well for many years with his patrimony."
2. Etymology: from Latin: patrimonium; from pater, "father".

1. Relating to a person who feels cross, fretful, or who complains: Jenifer's young girl was a peevish child when she was told it was time to go to bed when there were visitors in the evening.
2. A reference to someone who is irritable, grouchy, or cranky: Michael's mother gets peevish when she is kept waiting for him to get dressed for school so he can catch the bus on time.
3. Etymology: from Latin perversus, "turned the wrong way, distorted, perverse" from pervertere, "to turn around". © ALL rights are reserved.

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1. A reference to emotions or forces which are held or kept inside and not released: Tom's family was full of pent-up energy after the long trip to visit his mother and father.

Tim's supervisor was in pent-up anger and frustration when he saw the loss of profits for his company that happened during the past month.

2. Relating to feelings being confined or repressed: When Jill fell down and hurt her knee, she had pent-up emotions and did not cry at first.
3. Etymology: from Latin penna, "feather" and from Old French penne, "feather". © ALL rights are reserved.

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1. Pertaining to, characteristic of, or named after Pericles, or the period of his supremacy: The Periclean age was when Greek art, literature, philosophy, and statesmanship are now considered to have been at their height.
2. Etymology: relating to Pericles or to the Periclean Age when Athens was intellectually, artistically, and materially preeminent.

The Periclean era is described as the golden age of Athens.

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A natural yellow, brownish-yellow, or grayish-black mineral that contains an oxide of calcium and titanium and sometimes embodies rare earth elements as well: Researchers have found a strange magnetism that takes place when two materials, identified as perovskites, are sandwiched or squeezed tightly together.

These particular perovskites are known as LAO (lanthanum aluminum oxide) and STO (strontium titanium oxide), and both of them are insulators; however, when they are sandwiched together, the resulting "heterostructure" (the interface that occurs between two layers or regions of dissimilar crystalline semiconductors) can conduct electricity at the surfaces where the materials meet.

When the two perovskites are cooled to near-absolute zero, the heterostructure becomes a superconductor, conducting electricity without any resistance.

Named for Russian mineralogist L. A. Perovski (1792-1856) in 1839.

1. A reference to someone who gives a great deal of attention to details that are minor or not important: George had a persnickety teacher who required her students to follow instructions exactly as she had given them to the classes.
2. Relating to a person who places too much emphasis on trivial or minor things: Patricia has a very persnickety or fussy attitude about the way her meals are prepared.
3. Etymology: from American English, 1905; "overly fastidious, fussy". © ALL rights are reserved.

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1. A natural event or occurrence that is recognized or known through the senses, not by intuition: Snow is a phenomenon of winter.
2. A remarkable, talented, and unusual individual or event: Beethoven was considered to be a phenomenon among musicians.

The normal plural form of phenomenon is supposed to be phenomena; however, phenomenons is also usually acceptable when referring to people or things: Reckless speculators are phenomenons among today's investors.

Phenomena is the correct plural form for scientific content: The phenomena were observed by astronomers throughout the world.

Tomorrow's weather forecast calls for several atmospheric phenomena.

1. A verbal tirade which condemns or attacks someone with words: The politicians made foul-mouthed philippics against their opponents during a political debate for the President of the U.S.

A philippic is a fiery, damning speech, denunciation, or outburst, delivered to condemn a particular person or people.
2. Etymology: from Latin philippicus and Greek philippkos from speeches relating to Philip made by Demosthenes against Philip II of Macedon.

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1. Pertaining to anything that is petty, trifling, paltry, insignificant, or worthless: Joe didn't want to argue with his wife about such a picayune matter as to which color shirt he should wear to the party.
2. Etymology: from French, picaillon, "small coin, halfpenny". © ALL rights are reserved.
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1. Anything that is small, unimportant, or insignificant: In parts of the southern United States (Louisiana, Florida, etc.), during the early eighteen hundreds, the picayune was the name of an old French copper coin and the Spanish half-real; both of which were called picayunes.
2. An insignificant person or thing: In this part of Germany, people have been experiencing winter that is so mild that it is a picayune because it is more like spring than winter.

Relating to quibbling or finding fault about some petty matter: Ned's mother was known to be a picayunish shopper who was always trying to buy things at a small discount or a lower price; even when it was just a few cents.

1. Relating to an individual who is fussy and particular: A picky person wants things to be just right for him or her.
2. A reference to a person who is exceedingly careful about choosing or accepting things: Sarina is a very picky eater because she doesn't want to get fat by consuming foods that would cause her to put on weight.
3. Etymology: from earlier pike, "to pick"; influenced by French piquer, "to pierce". © ALL rights are reserved.
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To steal articles of small value or to steal in small quantities: Dina was pilfering paper, writing pens, and pencils from her work place; and as a result, she was fired.

Big-time thieves aren’t interested in small amounts of money; so, they don’t pilfer because they are not petty thieves.

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