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<HTML> <HEAD><TITLE>DICTIONARY: platitude - plautine</TITLE></HEAD> <BODY BGCOLOR="#ffffff"> <A HREF="a.dic">A</A> <A HREF="b.dic">B</A> <A HREF="c.dic">C</A> <A HREF="d.dic">D</A> <A HREF="e.dic">E</A> <A HREF="f.dic">F</A> <A HREF="g.dic">G</A> <A HREF="h.dic">H</A> <A HREF="i.dic">I</A> <A HREF="j.dic">J</A> <A HREF="k.dic">K</A> <A HREF="l.dic">L</A> <A HREF="m.dic">M</A> <A HREF="n.dic">N</A> <A HREF="o.dic">O</A> <A HREF="p.dic">P</A> <A HREF="q.dic">Q</A> <A HREF="r.dic">R</A> <A HREF="s.dic">S</A> <A HREF="t.dic">T</A> <A HREF="u.dic">U</A> <A HREF="v.dic">V</A> <A HREF="w.dic">W</A> <A HREF="x.dic">X</A> <A HREF="y.dic">Y</A> <A HREF="z.dic">Z</A> <A NAME="platitude"> platitude, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. a dull or commonplace remark, especially one spoken or written solemnly as if it were fresh and important. Ex. "Better late than never" is a platitude. <DD> 2. flatness; triteness; dullness; insipidity (as a quality of speech or writing). Ex. even the platitude of her phraseology carries with it a curiously personal flavour (Lytton Strachey). </DL> <A NAME="platitudinarian"> platitudinarian, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a person given to platitudes. </DL> <A NAME="platitudinize"> platitudinize, intransitive verb, -nized, -nizing.<DL COMPACT><DD> to utter platitudes. </DL> <A NAME="platitudinous"> platitudinous, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. characterized by platitudes; using platitudes. Ex. The fantastic Lorca imagery, mixture of the bizarre and the platitudinous, comes through particularly well in the translation (Harper's). <DD> 2. being a platitude. adv. platitudinously. noun platitudinousness. </DL> <A NAME="plato"> PLATO or Plato, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a computer-based individualized system of instruction. </DL> <A NAME="platonic"> Platonic, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. of or having to do with Plato or his philosophy. Ex. the Platonic philosophy. <DD> 2. Also, platonic. <DD> a. friendly but not like a lover; designating love or affection of a purely spiritual character, free from sensual desire. Ex. without admission that their love could not remain platonic (John Galsworthy). <DD> b. feeling or professing such love. <DD> 3. (Figurative.) idealistic; not practical. Ex. The League of Nations seemed a Platonic scheme to many people. (SYN) visionary, utopian. adv. platonically. </DL> <A NAME="platonical"> Platonical, adjective. =Platonic.</DL> <A NAME="platonicyear"> Platonic year, =great year.</DL> <A NAME="platonism"> Platonism, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. the philosophy or doctrines of Plato or his followers. <DD> 2. a Platonic doctrine or saying. <DD> 3. the doctrine or practice of Platonic love. </DL> <A NAME="platonist"> Platonist, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a follower of Plato; adherent of Platonism. </DL> <A NAME="platonistic"> Platonistic, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. having to do with the Platonists or Platonism. <DD> 2. characteristic of the Platonists or Platonism. </DL> <A NAME="platonize"> Platonize, verb, -nized, -nizing.<DL COMPACT><DD>v.t. to make Platonic; give a Platonic character to; explain in accordance with Platonic principles. <DD>v.i. to follow the opinions or doctrines of Plato; reason like Plato. </DL> <A NAME="platoon"> platoon, noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD>noun 1. a group of soldiersacting as a unit under a lieutenant. A platoon is made up of two or more squads. There are usually four platoons in a company. <DD> 2. a subdivision of a police force. <DD> 3. (U.S. Sports.) a division of a team, especially in football, that specializes in either offensive or defensive play. Ex. He has shifted Frank Gifford, his most versatile backfield man, from the defensive to the offensive platoon (New York Times). <DD> 4. (Figurative.) a small group or company of people. Ex. If you speak of the age, you mean your own platoon of people (Emerson). <DD>v.t., v.i. (U.S. Sports.) to put or be put in a specialized play or position. Ex. Later [Gil] Hodges decided to "platoon" him by playing him only against left-handed pitchers (Time). </DL> <A NAME="platoonschool"> platoon school,<DL COMPACT><DD> an elementary school divided by classes into two groups that take turns attending classes in standard subjects and in special activities, such as music, drawing, cooking, and sewing. </DL> <A NAME="plattdeutsch"> Plattdeutsch, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the speech of North Germany, now often considered a nonstandard dialect; Low German. </DL> <A NAME="platteland"> platteland, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (in South Africa) a country district; rural area; hinterland. Ex. The Africans reacted like lightning crackling across the platteland sky (Time). </DL> <A NAME="platter"> platter (1), noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. a large, shallow dish for holding or serving food, especially meat and fish. A platter is usually longer than it is wide. (SYN) trencher. <DD> 2. (Slang.) a phonograph record. Ex. The long-play, 33 1/3 r.p.m. platters, commonly known as albums (Wall Street Journal). <DD> 3. (Slang.) home plate. expr. on a (silver) platter, without requiring any effort; very lightly or easily. Ex. A former Army major ... charged that six years before, Mr. Hopkins had "handed" the Russians the A-bomb on a platter (New York Times). </DL> <A NAME="platter"> platter (2), noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a person who plats or plaits. </DL> <A NAME="platterpull"> platter pull,<DL COMPACT><DD> a type of ski tow in which the skier is pulled up the slope by a disk attached to a towing cable. The skier straddles the extension so that the disk presses against him. </DL> <A NAME="platting"> platting, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. the act or work of a person who plats. <DD> 2. straw, grass, or the like, platted into braid, or into some other form, as for hats. </DL> <A NAME="platy"> platy (1), adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> consisting of or easily separating into plates, as mica; flaky. </DL> <A NAME="platy"> platy (2), noun, pl. platys or platy.<DL COMPACT><DD> a small, brilliantly colored, tropical freshwater fish that is a native of Mexico; moonfish. </DL> <A NAME="platyfish"> platyfish, noun, pl. -fishes or (collectively) -fish. =platy (2).</DL> <A NAME="platyhelminth"> platyhelminth, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> any one of a phylum of worms having soft, usually flat, bilaterally symmetrical bodies, a distinct head, and no body cavity; flatworm. Tapeworms, turbellarians, and flukes belong to this phylum. </DL> <A NAME="platyhelminthes"> Platyhelminthes, noun pl.<DL COMPACT><DD> the phylum of invertebrates comprising the platyhelminths. </DL> <A NAME="platypus"> platypus, noun, pl. -puses, -pi.<DL COMPACT><DD> an egg-laying mammal of Australia and Tasmania; duckbill. Ex. The male platypus is as venomous as a poisonous snake (Scientific American). </DL> <A NAME="platypusary"> platypusary, noun, pl. -aries.<DL COMPACT><DD> an artificial habitat designed for platypuses kept in captivity, including a water tank and burrowing bank. </DL> <A NAME="platyrhynchous"> platyrhynchous, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> having a broad, flat bill, as certain flycatchers. </DL> <A NAME="platyrrhine"> platyrrhine, adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD>adj. having a broad, flat nose or a nasal index of from 51 to 58. <DD>noun a platyrrhine person, monkey, ape, or skull. </DL> <A NAME="platyrrhinian"> platyrrhinian, adjective. =platyrrhine.</DL> <A NAME="plaudit"> plaudit, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> an enthusiastic expression of approval; acclaim. (SYN) acclamation. expr. plaudits, a round of applause; clapping, or cheering, as an enthusiastic expression of approval or praise. Ex. The actress bowed in response to the plaudits of the audience. </DL> <A NAME="plauditory"> plauditory, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> applauding; laudatory. </DL> <A NAME="plausibility"> plausibility, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the appearance of being true or reasonable; plausible quality. Ex. The persuasiveness and plausibility of the book,however, are due to the author's ability (Wall Street Journal). </DL> <A NAME="plausible"> plausible, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. appearing true, reasonable, or fair. Ex. For my own sake I've told a plausible lie at the club (Joseph Conrad). <DD> 2. apparently worthy of confidence but often not really so. Ex. a plausible liar. noun plausibleness. </DL> <A NAME="plausibly"> plausibly, adverb.<DL COMPACT><DD> with an appearance of truth or trustworthiness; in a way that seems true or right; with fair show. Ex. The story was plausibly told--whether it was true or not remains to be seen. </DL> <A NAME="plausive"> plausive, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. having the quality of applauding; applausive. <DD> 2. (Obsolete.) plausible. </DL> <A NAME="plaustral"> plaustral, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> having to do with a wagon or cart. </DL> <A NAME="plautine"> Plautine, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or having to do with Plautus (254?-184 B.C.), Roman writer of comedies, or his works. Ex. There is Plautine merriment at the Strand Theatre (London Times). </DL> <A HREF="play.dic">NEXT</A>