Confusing Words Clarified: Group P; Homonyms, Homophones, Homographs, Synonyms, Polysemes, etc. +
(lists of "P" sections that are organized into what for some people are confusing groups of words)
If you have any problems understanding the pronunciation symbols, go to this Pronunciation Chart for clarifications.
2. To have measured a distance based on a careful walk: Earl paced off the distance between the gate and the door of the barn.
2. A mixture of flour and water that is used as glue: Mother made the paste for Helena so she could work on her notebook.
3. Jewelery that is made from glass that has a high lead content: The paste that Susan wore as a necklace was lustrous and looked almost real.
Shanna paced in front of the jewelery store trying to decide whether to buy the paste necklace which she admired.
Shanna couldn't make up her mind so she went home and discovered that the children had tried to paste pictures into their photograph book using a paste of flour and water.
After that, she went into the kitchen to make a paste for the apple pie she was going to bake.
2. Relating to someone who has finished putting things into bags, boxes, etc.: Jesse and Jenifer were all packed and ready to move to their new apartment.
2. To have carried or to have worn: Dale packed his pistol in the holster on his belt when he went target shooting.
3. To have had a significant impact: The hurricane packed a wallop when it came on land.
4. To have left without any expressions of farewell or good-bye: After the quarrel with her father, Susana packed up and left without saying good-bye.
5. To have created layers which are compact: The riverbank was packed into stratums of sand, gravel, and clay.
The Senate supported a nonaggression pact between the two republics.
In front of a packed audience, the two national leaders signed a pact which allowed for the conventional trade between the countries.
2. To assemble items into a compact space: Marvin packs his suitcase carefully so he won't forget anything.
Maud's mother always packs her some lunch in a bag when she goes to school in the morning.
3. To wear, to carry, or to deliver: The robber, who packs his gun, walks to the bank, enters it, and demands $1,000 in cash.
4. To cause a significant impact or impression: The Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis pacts quite an impression when you see it for the first time.
2. A plaque or tablet containing a representation of a sacred figure and sometimes used in the Roman Catholic Mass during the ceremony including the kiss of peace: At Christmas Jane can see the sign PAX displayed at the church.
3. In Roman mythology, Pax, the goddess of peace; identified with the Greek goddess "Irene": The Latin term pax, meaning "peace", is utilized in modern English.
Whenever the famous speaker, Lorna Roberts, comes to town, she packs the local assembly hall and her speech packs quite an impression; especially, for those who are hearing her for the first time.
Ingrid always packs a lunch and a bottle of water when she attends the presentation. The theme of the speaker’s current talk is pax, urging neighbors to be friendly and forgiving.
In fact, the local church committee wants to put up a pax in the church to commemorate her visit.
The doctor put a gauze pad over the wound of Mildred's father.
2. A covering for a specific part of the body that is worn to protect that part from injury: Football players wear a pad for each shoulder and on the hips.3. A set of paper sheets for writing or drawing which are glued or fastened at one edge: Philip always keeps a pad and pencil, or pen, by the phone.
4. The soft part on the bottom of each paw of a dog, cat, etc.: During freezing weather, each of an animal's foot pad, or the pads of their feet, can be painful.
5. A flat area on the ground where aircraft with big rotating blades can take off or land: Harry's city has a helicopter landing pad close to the hospital, especially for emergency situations.
2. To make something larger, longer, or more attractive by addling things that are unnecessary, unimportant, or false: Too many politicians tend to pad their speeches with accusations that their opponents have caused the economic problems that exist in the country.
2. A group of ocean animals, such as whales, that swim together: During their ocean cruise, Janette and Todd were thrilled to see a dolphin pod plunging and diving next to their ship.
James, the scientist, tried to pad the report about the whale pod; in fact he used a whole pad of paper to write about the pod.
What happened next was tragic. His dog sneaked up on his soft pads and grabbed the report and ran away with it to the nearby helicopter pad and the report was blown away by the draft created by the helicopter blades.
2. An enclosed area at a race track where horses, dogs, etc., are kept before a race: Before the thoroughbreds were brought to the course, they were waiting in the paddock for their turn to join the race.
3. In some places, any piece of land which is closed in on all sides: There is a program in an African country that will subsidize a herdsman who wants to replace his bramble-enclosed paddock with a fence of metal and wood so he can protect his crops from bush pigs and other animals.
The man who takes care of the horses used a padlock to lock the paddock where the horses were stabled.
2. To have made compensation for; to have discharged a debt: Fred paid his financial obligation to society by doing volunteer work with street youth.
After the contractors paved the driveways, they were well paid for their fast and superior work.
2. Concerning someone who has a skin color that is closer to white than is usual or normal: When Bernhart came home from the hospital, his illness left him weak and pale.
The father asked his son, Alan, to bring the light-colored bucket from the garage. "Do you mean the pale pail?" the boy asked.
2. An individual who annoys or is troublesome to others: Lorna's brother is a pain when he gets into her school projects.
3. An acute emotional upset or disruption: The pain of separation broke Marie's heart.
2. A side of a bolt head or nut: The flat pane of the screw made it easy to hang on to while Luis tightened the nut with the pliers.
If a broken glass window were to have sense perceptions, isn't it obvious that it would feel a pain in the pane?
The new pair of shoes had buckles on the toes.
An extra pair of hands is just what Rosetta needed to get the work done.
2. A partnership of two often engaged in a competition against another partnership of two: Our champion pair of tennis players easily defeated the challenging pair from the other club.3. Two animals that mate together: A pair of parrots can raise one chick each year.
Steve used the clippers to pare his fingernails.
2. To remove the outer covering or skin of fruit with a knife or similar instrument: Jennifer used the cutting tool to pare or to peel the apples before she made the apple pie.Having a sweet and juicy pear is a real delight.
When the phone rang, Jill was busy trying to pare a pear; in fact, she was thinking about making it a pair for her afternoon snack.
The cook was thinking about the pairing of roast beef with potatoes; so, she asked her helper to start paring the potatoes.
2. The sense of taste, often in reference to a refined or informed sense of taste: Rodney had a fine palate for tea and drank several cups each day.
2. A distinctive quality or use of color in a painting: The palette of the artist ranged from deep reds to gold.
2. A portable platform used to move heavy objects which are placed on it: The tractor moved the pallet loaded with boxes to the end of the loading dock.
3. A small mechanism in a time piece which ensures the movement of the pendulum: Aaron's clock keeps losing time and he thinks the pallet needs to be checked so the freely swinging apparatus will work properly.
The artist, Laurel, who was famous for her palate for fine tea, worked with a palette and brush using a wide palette of distinctive colors.
She would often stand on a small pallet which she could move around the room in order to get a better perspective of her work.
Her studio was also equipped with a day pallet for a quick nap and an antique clock, the pallet of which needed adjusting from time to time.
The old jokes presented by the comedian are starting to pall on the audience.
2. The heavy cloth that is used to drape over a coffin in which a body is lying: At the request of the family, the pall on their grandfather’s coffin was deep red with gold embroidery.
Once the pawl started to work properly, Susana's energy started to pall and she had to stop for glass of milk and a muffin.
The quality of the paltry language used by Ernest made it difficult for his listeners to understand what he was trying to say.
2. Characterized as being narrow-minded; intolerant; limited: Bryan appeared to be a petty individual who was not interested in new music or challenging art.
Compared to the problems other countries are having, the trivial inconveniences we have are insignificant.
It seemed petty to argue about the paltry quality of the poultry when less trivial matters needed to be considered.
2. The score standard for each hole during a golf game: When Shawn and Therese were on the course for the outdoor sport which uses little hard white balls, they could not remember what the par was for each of the little openings in the ground.
3. The established value of money of one country as expressed in terms of the money of another country, using an item of standard value for comparison; for example, gold: The exchange rates at the bank indicated Jillian's currency was on par with that of the country she was going to visit the following week.
2. Young salmon before they migrate to the sea: The salmon are known as parr and live in fresh water streams before they swim out to the ocean, become adults, and then return to breed and lay eggs in the streams that they left.
The length of the parr which Wayne caught was par for the time of year; so, he threw it back into the water and continued his golf game, shouting PAR when he reached the next hole.
2. A fortified strip or boundary usually protecting a military position: The soldiers were defending the perimeter of their camp for several days.
The parameter of Steve's job was clear; that is, he was to build a new fence marking the perimeter of the pasture.
Confusing Words: Homonyms, Homophones, and Homographs; explained and demonstrated.
Confusing Words: Units, Groups A to Z.
Confusing Words: Vocabulary Quizzes Listed.
