postscript(POHST skript) n. 1. a note added after the signature of a letter; 2. an
afterthought or supplementary information
•A postscriptin a letter is usually indicated by the initials P.S. on the line fol-
lowing the signature.- An epilogue can also be thought of as a postscriptto a book or play.
potentate (POH tin tayt) n. a person who has a great amount of power; ruler;
monarch; emperor - The sultan of Brunei is an Eastern potentateof considerable wealth.
- The tsars of Russia were potentatesuntil the end; recent British monarchs
are not so.
poultry(POHL tree) n. domestic fowl raised for eggs and/or meat; chicken,
turkeys, ducks, and geese, collectively - The poultrydepartment in most supermarkets is located adjacent to, or in,
the meat department.
powwow(POW WOW) n. 1. any conference or gathering; 2. among Native
North Americans, a ceremony to help cure disease, plan war, etc. characterized by
feasting and dancing; a medicine man; a conference —vi.to hold a conference;
confer - Powwowsonce conjured up visions of Native Americans and pilgrims smok-
ing a peace pipe in a circle around the fire. - Any corporate meeting can be refered to as a powwow,especially if it is an
informal one.
practical(PRAK ti KL) adj. 1. gotten by or from practice; 2. usable, workable;
sensible; 3. dealing with reality rather than theory; practicable
•A practicalknowledge of how a car engine works is a good thing to have
before attempting to repair one.- When making home repairs, the rule is to be practicalabout what you can
afford to do. - It is not practicalto equip an economy car with a V-8 engine.
[-ly adv., -ity n.]
pragmatic (prag MAT ik) adj. 1. concerned with everyday practices rather than
theory or idealism; practical; 2. opinionated; dogmatic
•A pragmaticapproach to learning these words means you should study one
or two groups of words in one sitting.- It is not pragmaticto try to read through this book in a single sitting; after
all, it doesn’t have much of a plot. - An old codger might be quite pragmaticin his beliefs about how to make a
pot of coffee.
[pragmatist* n., -ally adv.]
praise(PRAYZ) vt. 1. to express approval; commend; 2. to glorify; extol - It is a policy of good management to praiseemployees for good work.
- Praisingwill almost always get better results than criticizing.
- Some congregations exult in praisingthe Lord.
[-d, praising, -e n. sing.] [Syn. laud, acclaim]
186 Essential Vocabulary