<B>power politics,</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>diplomacy in international affairs which uses the threat of superior military power. <BR> <I>Ex. The language of military power is the only language which disciples of power politics understand (Patrick Anderson).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>The use of power or coercion for political purposes. <BR> <I>Ex. In short, the only politics is power politics, and the only hope of dealing with the political power of the minorities is in the active, organized power of the majority (James Reston).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="powerpress">
<B>power press,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a printing press worked by a motor or engine, not by hand. </DL>
<A NAME="powerreactor">
<B>power reactor,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> any one of several types of nuclear reactors used to produce power for generating heat or electricity, or operating a ship or plane. </DL>
<A NAME="powers">
<B>powers, </B>noun pl.<DL COMPACT><DD> See under <B>power.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="powersaw">
<B>power saw,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a saw worked by a motor, not by hand. </DL>
<A NAME="powerseries">
<B>power series,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Mathematics.) a series in which some quantity is raised to successively higher powers. The simplest power series is 1 + x + x-squared + x-cubed and so on. </DL>
<A NAME="powershovel">
<B>power shovel,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a machine for digging, operated by a diesel or gasoline engine, or formerly by steam power. <BR> <I>Ex. Siberia's great shallow coal seams can be mined with power shovels (Newsweek).</I> </DL>
<B>power steering,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a steering mechanism in a motor vehicle that uses mechanical or hydraulic aid enabling the wheels to be turned easily. </DL>
<A NAME="powerstructure">
<B>power structure,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the established persons, groups, or institutions that hold power, as in a country, city, or organization. <BR> <I>Ex. an advocate of inner-city forces rebelling against the power structure and establishment of the city (New York Times).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="powertakeoff">
<B>power take-off,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a mechanism on a tractor or truck that provides power for other machines, often ones that are either mounted on or pulled by it. The coupling device between the power take-off and the equipment can be a pulley and belt or a drive shaft. (Abbr:) PTO (no periods). </DL>
<A NAME="powertrain">
<B>power train,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the parts of a motor vehicle which transmit power from the engine to the wheels, including the transmission, drive shaft, clutch, differential, and axles. <BR> <I>Ex. The power train ... is covered by a warranty for five years or 50,000 miles (London Times).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="powhatan">
<B>Powhatan, </B>noun, pl. <B>-tan</B> or <B>-tans.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a member of an Indian tribe of eastern North America that once controlled a confederacy which included thirty different tribes. <DD><B> 2. </B>the Algonkian language of this tribe. </DL>
<A NAME="powwow">
<B>powwow, </B>noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a ceremony of North American Indians, usually accompanied by magic, feasting, and dancing, performed for the cure of disease, success in hunting, victory in war, or other purposes. <DD><B> 2. </B>a council or conference of or with North American Indians. <DD><B> 3. </B>(Informal.) any conference or meeting. <BR> <I>Ex. I'll be back early, for a last powwow on the terrace (Edith Wharton).</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>an American Indian priest or medicine man. <DD><I>v.i. </I> <B>1. </B>to hold an Indian powwow. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Informal.) to confer. <BR> <I>Ex. We would go to the cave and powwow over what we had done (Mark Twain).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="pox">
<B>pox, </B>noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>any disease that covers the body or parts of the body with sores, such as chicken pox or smallpox. <DD><B> 2. </B><B>=syphilis.</B> <DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to infect with pox. <BR> <I>Ex. Maggie May--who poxed up many a whaler (Listener).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to curse with the pox or some other evil. <BR> <I>Ex. The dean friendly! The dean be pox't (Jonathan Swift).</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>pox on,</B> </I>a plague on; may a pox or some other evil befall (a thing or person). <BR> <I>Ex. A pox on him, he's a cat still (Shakespeare).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="poxvirus">
<B>poxvirus, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> any one of a group of large, complex viruses containing DNA, including those causing smallpox, cowpox, and mouse pox. </DL>
<A NAME="pozzolana">
<B>pozzolana, </B>noun. =pozzuolana.</DL>
<A NAME="pozzolanic">
<B>pozzolanic, </B>adjective. =pozzuolanic.</DL>
<A NAME="pozzuolana">
<B>pozzuolana, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a volcanic rock or ash used in making hydraulic cement and containing silica, alumina, and lime. <BR> <I>Ex. The aqueducts of ancient times were generally built of stone, brick, or pozzuolana (Hope Holway).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="pozzuolanic">
<B>pozzuolanic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> consisting of or resembling pozzuolana. </DL>
<A NAME="pp">
<B>pp</B> (no period),<DL COMPACT><DD> pianissimo. </DL>
<A NAME="pp">
<B>pp.,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> an abbreviation for the following: <DD><B> 1. </B>pages. <DD><B> 2. </B>past participle. <DD><B> 3. </B>pianissimo. <DD><B> 4. </B>privately printed. </DL>
<A NAME="pp">
<B>p.p.,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> an abbreviation for the following: <DD><B> 1. </B>parcel post. <DD><B> 2. </B>parish priest. <DD><B> 3. </B>past participle. <DD><B> 4. </B>postpaid. </DL>
<A NAME="pp">
<B>P.P.,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> an abbreviation for the following: <DD><B> 1. </B>Parcel Post. <DD><B> 2. </B>Parish Priest. <DD><B> 3. </B>past participle. <DD><B> 4. </B>postpaid. </DL>
<A NAME="ppb">
<B>p.p.b.</B> or <B>ppb</B> (no periods),<DL COMPACT><DD> parts per billion. </DL>
<A NAME="ppb">
<B>PPB</B> (no periods),<DL COMPACT><DD> Planning-Programming-Budgeting (a system of planning in which possible benefits are measured in relation to final costs). </DL>
<B>p.p.i.,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> policy proof of interest. </DL>
<A NAME="ppi">
<B>PPI</B> (no periods),<DL COMPACT><DD> plan position indicator. <BR> <I>Ex. The PPI screen shows a flat map of the circular region above the radar (Scientific American).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="pplo">
<B>PPLO</B> (no periods),<DL COMPACT><DD> pleuropneumonia-like organism. </DL>
<A NAME="ppm">
<B>p.p.m.</B> or <B>ppm</B> (no periods),<DL COMPACT><DD> parts per million. </DL>
<A NAME="ppo">
<B>PPO</B> (no periods),<DL COMPACT><DD> polyphenylene oxide. </DL>
<A NAME="ppr">
<B>ppr.</B> or <B>p.pr.,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> present participle. </DL>
<A NAME="pps">
<B>P.P.S.</B> or <B>p.p.s.,</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a second postscript (Latin, <I>post postscriptum</I>). <DD><B> 2. </B>(British.) Parliamentary Private Secretary. </DL>
<A NAME="ppt">
<B>p.p.t.</B> or <B>ppt</B> (no periods),<DL COMPACT><DD> parts per thousand. </DL>
<A NAME="ppwp">
<B>PPWP</B> (no periods),<DL COMPACT><DD> Planned Parenthood-World Population. </DL>
<B>PR</B> (no periods),<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>proportional representation. <DD><B> 2. </B>public relations. <BR> <I>Ex. To hire a PR firm to manage an entire major campaign would involve an unthinkable degree of abdication for a self-respecting political leader (Harper's).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>Puerto Rico (with postal Zip Code). </DL>
