<B>pongee, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a kind of soft silk, usually left in natural brownish-yellow color. The thread for it is obtained from the cocoon of a silkworm native to China. <DD><B> 2. </B>a similar cloth of cotton or rayon, or of dyed silk. </DL>
<A NAME="pongid">
<B>pongid, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> of or having to do with the anthropoid apes most closely related to man, such as the chimpanzee. <DD><I>noun </I> a pongid ape. </DL>
<A NAME="pongyi">
<B>pongyi, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a Buddhist priest or monk in Burma. Also, <B>phongyi.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="poniard">
<B>poniard, </B>noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> a short, slender dagger. <BR> <I>Ex. She speaks poniards and every word stabs (Shakespeare).</I> <DD><I>v.t. </I> to kill or wound by stabbing with a poniard. <BR> <I>Ex. We could have poniarded these geese by touch, but we could not pistol them (Atlantic).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="pons">
<B>pons, </B>noun, pl. <B>pontes.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Anatomy.) <DD><B> 1. </B>a part that connects two parts, as if bridging the space between them. <DD><B> 2. </B>pons Varolii. </DL>
<A NAME="ponsasinorum">
<B>pons asinorum,<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. </B>asses' bridge; a reference to the fifth proposition in the first book of Euclid which was difficult to "get over" for beginners. <DD><B> 2. </B>any problem that is difficult for beginners. </DL>
<A NAME="ponsvarolii">
<B>pons Varolii,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a band of nerve fibers in the brain, just above the medulla oblongata, consisting of transverse fibers connecting the two lobes of the cerebellum, and longitudinal fibers connecting the medulla with the cerebrum. </DL>
<A NAME="pontal">
<B>pontal, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or having to do with a bridge or bridges. </DL>
<A NAME="pontic">
<B>Pontic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or having to do with Pontus or the Black Sea, or with Pontus, an ancient country south of it. </DL>
<A NAME="ponticello">
<B>ponticello, </B>noun, pl. <B>-los.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the bridge of a stringed musical instrument. </DL>
<A NAME="pontifex">
<B>pontifex, </B>noun, pl. <B>-tifices.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a member of the principal college of priests in ancient Rome, not assigned to the service of any particular god. The chief pontifex (pontifex maximus) was the highest religious authority of the state. <DD><B> 2. </B>the Pope; pontiff. </DL>
<A NAME="pontiff">
<B>pontiff, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B><B>=pope.</B> <DD><B> 2. </B>a bishop. <DD><B> 3. </B>a chief priest or high priest. <DD><B> 4. </B>a member of the principal college of priests in ancient Rome; pontifex. </DL>
<A NAME="pontifical">
<B>pontifical, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>of or having to do with the Pope; papal. <DD><B> 2. </B>of or having to do with a bishop; episcopal. <DD><B> 3a. </B>characteristic of a pontiff; stately; dignified; pompous. <DD><B> b. </B><B>=dogmatic.</B> <DD><I>noun </I> a book containing the forms for sacraments and other rites and ceremonies to be performed by bishops. <BR><I>expr. <B>pontificals,</B> </I>the vestments and marks of dignity used by cardinals and bishops at certain ecclesiastical functions or ceremonies. <BR> <I>Ex. For a bishop to ride on hunting in his pontificals ... is against public honesty (Jeremy Taylor).</I> adv. <B>pontifically.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="pontificate">
<B>pontificate, </B>noun, verb, <B>-cated,</B> <B>-cating.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> the office or term of office of a pontiff. <DD><I>v.i. </I> <B>1. </B>to behave or speak pompously. <DD><B> 2. </B>to officiate as a pontiff, especially as a bishop. </DL>
<A NAME="pontification">
<B>pontification, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the act of pontificating. <BR> <I>Ex. [A] study of a question that has recently been a subject for much pontification but very little analysis (Economist).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>something said or written in a pompous manner. <BR> <I>Ex. After these pontifications it is truly startling to turn to twelve pages of epilogue (Economist).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="pontifices">
<B>pontifices, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> plural of <B>pontifex.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="pontil">
<B>pontil, </B>noun. =punty.</DL>
<A NAME="pontine">
<B>pontine, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or having to do with the pons. </DL>
<A NAME="pontleveque">
<B>Pont l'Eveque</B> or <B>pont l'eveque,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a soft Cheddar cheese made of cream thickened by heat. </DL>
<B>pontonier, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a soldier or officer in charge of bridge equipment or the building of pontoon bridges. </DL>
<A NAME="pontoon">
<B>pontoon</B> (1), noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a low, flat-bottomed boat, or some other floating structure, used as one of the supports of a temporary bridge. <DD><B> 2. </B>either of the two boat-shaped parts of an airplane, for landing on or taking off from water; float. Pontoons are watertight and are filled with air. <DD><B> 3. </B>a caisson, especially a caisson used in salvage work at sea, as in raising a sunken ship or removing wreckage. </DL>
<A NAME="pontoon">
<B>pontoon</B> (2), noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (British.) a card game; twenty-one. </DL>
<A NAME="pontoonbridge">
<B>pontoon bridge,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a temporary bridge supported by low, flat-bottomed boats or other floating structures. </DL>
<A NAME="pontoontrain">
<B>pontoon train,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Military.) a train of vehicles carrying pontoons and other bridge equipment. </DL>
<A NAME="pony">
<B>pony, </B>noun, pl. <B>-nies,</B> verb, <B>-nied,</B> <B>-nying.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a kind of small horse, such as the Shetland pony. Ponies are usually less than five feet tall at the shoulder. <DD><B> 2. </B>any small horse. <DD><B> 3. </B>(Informal.) <DD><B> a. </B>a translation of a book, which a pupil uses instead of translating the book himself; trot. <DD><B> b. </B>any notes or help used by a student instead of doing his schoolwork; crib. <DD><B> 4. </B>(Informal.) <DD><B> a. </B>a small glass, usually holding less than two ounces, for alcoholic liquor. <DD><B> b. </B>the amount such a glass will hold. <BR> <I>Ex. to drink a pony of brandy.</I> <DD><B> 5. </B>something small of its kind. <DD><B> 6. </B>(British Slang.) the sum of 25 pounds sterling. <DD><I>v.t., v.i. </I> (U.S. Slang.) to translate with the aid of a pony. <BR><I>expr. <B>pony up,</B> (U.S. Slang.) <DD><B> a. </B>to pay (money), especially in settling an account. </I> <I>Ex. I wish you'd pony up your end of the legal fee to Swineforth (New Yorker).</I> <DD><B> b. </B>to come up with; produce. <BR> <I>Ex. The man of doubtful social habits and temperamental vagaries cannot pony up the required quota of references (Harper's).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="ponyedition">
<B>pony edition,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> an edition of a newspaper or magazine that is smaller than the main edition, often through omission of advertising or local news items, designed especially for shipment by air to overseas subscribers. </DL>
<A NAME="ponyengine">
<B>pony engine,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a small locomotive for switching railroad cars. </DL>
<A NAME="ponyexpress">
<B>pony express,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a system of carrying letters and very small packages in the western United States in 1860 and 1861 by relays of men riding fast ponies or horses. </DL>
<A NAME="ponyleague">
<B>Pony League,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a group of baseball clubs for children thirteen and fourteen years old. <BR> <I>Ex. In Little League, players perform on a half-sized diamond ... Pony Leagues use a diamond three-quarters the regulation size (Wall Street Journal).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="ponyskin">
<B>ponyskin, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the skin of a pony with the hair left on. <DD><B> 2. </B>a fabric made like this in markings and texture. </DL>
<A NAME="ponytail">
<B>ponytail, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> an arrangement of a woman's or girl's hair in which it is pulled back and bound, with the ends falling free from where the hair is gathered, close to the head. </DL>
<A NAME="ponytailed">
<B>ponytailed, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> wearing a ponytail. </DL>
<A NAME="ponytrekking">
<B>ponytrekking, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Especially British.) travel by pony. </DL>
<A NAME="ponytruck">
<B>pony truck,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a two- or four-wheeled leading or trailing truck, on some locomotives. </DL>
<A NAME="pooch">
<B>pooch, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Slang.) a dog. </DL>
<A NAME="pood">
<B>pood, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a Russian weight, equal to 36.113 pounds. </DL>
<A NAME="poodle">
<B>poodle, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a dog with thick, curly hair often clipped and shaved in an elaborate manner. Poodles are black, brown, gray, or white. They were originally bred for use as gundogs but now are virtually always kept as pets. There are standard, miniature, and toy varieties. adj. <B>poodlelike.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="poodlecloth">
<B>poodle cloth,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a woolly cloth with a nubby texture caused by the large knots in the weaving. </DL>
<A NAME="poodlecut">
<B>poodle cut,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> an arrangement of a woman's hair in short, small, close ringlets resembling a poodle's fur. </DL>
<A NAME="poof">
<B>poof</B> (1), noun, interjection.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> a sound imitating a short sharp puff of the breath as in blowing out a candle. <DD><I>interj. </I> an expression of contemptuous rejection. Also, <B>pouf.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="poof">
<B>poof</B> (2), noun, pl. <B>poofs</B> or <B>pooves.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (British Slang.) a male homosexual. </DL>
<A NAME="pooh">
<B>pooh, </B>interjection, noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>interj., noun </I> an exclamation of contempt. <BR> <I>Ex. Pooh! You don't dare jump. "Pooh! pooh" cries the squire; "all stuff and nonsense" (Henry Fielding).</I> <DD><I>v.t., v.i. </I> to pooh-pooh. </DL>
<A NAME="poohbah">
<B>Pooh-Bah</B> or <B>pooh-bah, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a person holding many offices or positions, especially many small offices without much authority. <DD><B> 2. </B>a very pompous person. </DL>
