<B>phrase-structure rule,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Linguistics.) one of the rules governing the construction of the phrasal constituents of a sentence. <BR> <I>Ex. It has become clear that phrase-structure rules and transformations provide a grossly inadequate characterization of the notion 'rule of grammar'. The problem is this: phrase-structure rules and transformations are local: they define well-formedness conditions on individual phrase-markers and on pairs of successive phrase-markers (Language).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="phrasing">
<B>phrasing, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1a. </B>the manner or style of verbal expression; phraseology; wording. <BR> <I>Ex. Milton ... mixes the extremest vernacular with the most exquisite and scholarly phrasing (George Saintsbury).</I> <DD><B> b. </B>the grouping of spoken words by pauses. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Music.) <DD><B> a. </B>a marking off or dividing into phrases. <DD><B> b. </B>the playing of phrases. <DD><B> c. </B>the manner in which a composition is phrased. </DL>
<A NAME="phratric">
<B>phratric, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>of or having to do with a phratry or clan. <DD><B> 2. </B>consisting of phratries. </DL>
<A NAME="phratry">
<B>phratry, </B>noun, pl. <B>-tries.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>each of the larger subdivisions of a tribe in ancient Athens. Members of a phratry regarded one another as "brothers." <DD><B> 2. </B>a similar tribal unit, usually comprising two or more clans. <BR> <I>Ex. ... the head woman then notifies the chief of all the clans in her phratry (Beals and Hoijer).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="phreatic">
<B>phreatic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>of or having to do with a well or wells. <DD><B> 2. </B>having to do with or characteristic of water in the saturated area just below the water table. </DL>
<A NAME="phreatophyte">
<B>phreatophyte, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> any plant that obtains water by the deep penetration of its roots into the water table. <BR> <I>Ex. It is almost impossible to get rid of phreatophytes by any means other than denying them water (Roscoe Fleming).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="phren">
<B>phren.,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> phrenology. </DL>
<A NAME="phrenetic">
<B>phrenetic, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>excessively excited; frenzied; frantic. <BR> <I>Ex. He would ... make them even more phrenetic than they had been originally (New Yorker).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B><B>=insane.</B> <DD><I>noun </I> <B>=madman.</B> Also, <B>frenetic.</B> adv. <B>phrenetically.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="phrenetical">
<B>phrenetical, </B>adjective. =phrenetic.</DL>
<A NAME="phrenic">
<B>phrenic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>(Anatomy.) of or having to do with the diaphragm. <BR> <I>Ex. The lung may be put to rest by cutting the phrenic nerve (Marguerite Clark).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>(Obsolete.) of or having to do with the mind, especially as distinguished from the soul. </DL>
<A NAME="phrenitic">
<B>phrenitic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> affected with or suffering from phrenitis; subject to fits of delirium or madness. </DL>
<A NAME="phrenitis">
<B>phrenitis, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Obsolete.) <DD><B> 1. </B>inflammation of the diaphragm. <DD><B> 2. </B>inflammation of the brain; encephalitis. <DD><B> 3. </B>delirium. </DL>
<B>phrenological, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or having to do with phrenology. adv. <B>phrenologically.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="phrenologist">
<B>phrenologist, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a person who professes to tell a person's character from the shape of his skull. </DL>
<A NAME="phrenology">
<B>phrenology, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the theory that the shape of the skull shows what sort of mind and character a person has. <DD><B> 2. </B>the practice of reading character from the shape of the skull. </DL>
<A NAME="phrensy">
<B>phrensy, </B>noun, pl. <B>-sies,</B> transitive verb, <B>-sied,</B> <B>-sying.</B> =frenzy.</DL>
<A NAME="phrixus">
<B>Phrixus, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Greek Legend.) the son of a Boeotian king who escaped on the ram with the Golden Fleece. </DL>
<A NAME="phrygian">
<B>Phrygian, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> of or having to do with Phrygia, an ancient country in central and northwestern Asia Minor, its people, or their language. <DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a native or inhabitant of Phrygia. <DD><B> 2. </B>the Indo-European language of the ancient Phrygians. </DL>
<A NAME="phrygiancap">
<B>Phrygian cap,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a conical cap with its apex turned over toward the front, worn by the ancient Phrygians and in modern times adopted as a symbol of liberty; liberty cap. </DL>
<A NAME="phs">
<B>PHS</B> (no periods),<DL COMPACT><DD> Public Health Service. </DL>
<A NAME="phthalate">
<B>phthalate, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a salt of phthalic acid. </DL>
<A NAME="phthalein">
<B>phthalein, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> any one of a series of organic dyes, as eosin, produced by combining phthalic anhydride with phenols. </DL>
<A NAME="phthalicacid">
<B>phthalic acid,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> one of three isomeric acids formed from certain benzene derivatives, especially a colorlesscrystalline substance prepared from naphthalene and used in making dyes and various synthetics. </DL>
<A NAME="phthalicanhydride">
<B>phthalic anhydride,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a white crystalline substance prepared from naphthalene, used in making various resins, dyes, and insecticides. <BR> <I>Ex. The new fireproof plastic is made from phthalic anhydride by addition of four chorine atoms (Science News Letter).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="phthalin">
<B>phthalin, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> any one of a series of colorless chemical compounds produced by the reduction of phthaleins. </DL>
<A NAME="phthalocyanine">
<B>phthalocyanine, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a blue-green crystalline compound derived from phthalic anhydride. <DD><B> 2. </B>any one of various blue or green pigments derived by the reaction of this compound with a metal. </DL>
<A NAME="phthalylsulfathiazole">
<B>phthalylsulfathiazole, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a sulfa drug used in treating infections in the intestinal tract. </DL>
<A NAME="phthiocol">
<B>phthiocol, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Biochemistry.) a yellow pigment having certain properties of vitamin K. </DL>
<A NAME="phthiriasis">
<B>phthiriasis, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Medicine.) the state of being infested with lice, with the resulting irritation or other effects; pediculosis. </DL>
<B>phthisis, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> any progressive, wasting disease of the body or of some part of the body, especially tuberculosis of the lungs. </DL>
<A NAME="phycocyanin">
<B>phycocyanin, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a blue pigment found in association with chlorophyll, especially in the cells of the blue-green algae. <BR> <I>Ex. Phycocyanin was found to be the key to why plants blossom in accordance with the length of daylight and darkness (Science News Letter).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="phycoerythrin">
<B>phycoerythrin, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a red pigment found in the red algae and, in association with phycocyanin, in the blue-green algae. </DL>
<A NAME="phycologist">
<B>phycologist, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> person who studies phycology; algologist. </DL>
<A NAME="phycology">
<B>phycology, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the branch of botany dealing with seaweeds or algae; algology. </DL>
<A NAME="phycomycete">
<B>phycomycete, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a phycomycetous fungus. </DL>
<A NAME="phycomycetous">
<B>phycomycetous, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or belonging to the lowest class or group of fungi, whose members live as parasites or saprophytes and resemble algae. </DL>
<A NAME="phyla">
<B>phyla, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>plural of <B>phylum.</B> <DD><B> 2. </B>plural of <B>phylon.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="phylactery">
<B>phylactery, </B>noun, pl. <B>-teries.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>either of two small leather cases containing texts from the Jewish law, worn by Orthodox Jewish males during weekday morning prayers, to remind them to keep the Law. One is strapped to the forehead, the other to the left arm. <BR> <I>Ex. Herr Lowenthal put his sample case out of the way ... put on his phylacteries, and climbed into the upper berth and said his prayers (Katherine Anne Porter).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>(Figurative.) a reminder. <BR> <I>Ex. Trust not to thy remembrance in things which need phylacteries (Sir Thomas Browne).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>(Figurative.) a charm worn as a protection; amulet. <DD><B> 4. </B>(Figurative.) an ostentatious or hypocritical display of righteousness; mark of pharisaism. </DL>
<A NAME="phyle">
<B>phyle, </B>noun, pl. <B>-lae.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>(in ancient Greece) a tribe or clan, based on supposed kinship. <DD><B> 2. </B>(in Attica) a political, administrative, and military subdivision, made chiefly on a geographical basis. </DL>
<A NAME="phyletic">
<B>phyletic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or having to do with a biological phylum, or a line of descent. <BR> <I>Ex. ... a special terminology arising from the experimental and natural observation of animals at their own phyletic level (new Scientist).</I> adv. <B>phyletically.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="phyllis">
<B>Phyllis, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a name in pastoral poetry for a comely rustic maiden or sweetheart. Also, <B>Phillis.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="phyllite">
<B>phyllite, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a rock consistingof an argillaceous schist or slate, containing scales or flakes of mica. </DL>
<A NAME="phylloclad">
<B>phylloclad, </B>noun. =phylloclade.</DL>
<A NAME="phylloclade">
<B>phylloclade, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a flattened or enlarged stem or branch, resembling or performing the function of a leaf, as in the cactus. <DD><B> 2. </B><B>=cladophyll.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="phyllode">
<B>phyllode, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> an expanded and, usually, flattened petiole resembling and having the functions of a leaf, the true leaf blade being absent or much reduced in size, as in many acacias. </DL>
