Intro
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Abbreviations

 

 

pace egg n.

 

an Easter egg

 

< L. pascha (Passover) + ON. egg

packin' n.

 

See baggin'

 

 

paddle v.

 

to walk with unsteady or uncoordinated steps; to walk with difficulty

 

orig. uncertain

padfoot n.

 

a malevolent ghost, spirit, or monster (similar to a barguest) in the shape of a large dog,

 

orig. uncertain

pafty a.

 

impertinent; insolent; cheeky;

 

orig. unknown

pahk n.

 

See pouk

 

 

pahnat n.

 

See pie-not

 

 

pahnd n.

 

See pund

 

 

paigle n.

 

cowslip

 

orig. unknown

palaver n.

 

fuss; unnecessary time-wasting

 

< Port. palavra ( speech, talk, word)

palm n.

 

a pussy willow tree

 

< ONorth. pælme

panch v.

 

See paunch

 

 

pancheon n.

 

large earthenware bowl, used to make and store bread

 

orig. uncertain

parky a.

 

cold; chilly

 

orig. uncertain

parlous a. & adv.

 

dangerous; perilous; hazardous; precarious; desperate;

 

< OF. perillus (dangerous, perilous)

parny n.

 

water

 

< Romani pānī f. Sanskrit pānīya ( potable, drinking water)

partlings adv.

 

in part; partly

 

< OE part + -lings (adv. suff.)

pash n.

 

a shower

 

< ME pashe (to strike violently)

paste egg n.

 

See pace egg

 

 

pate n.

 

a badger

 

orig. uncertain

patten n.

 

a clog with irons on the sole

 

< AN. patin (clog, thick soled shoe)

paunch v.

 

to eviscerate an animal; also panch

 

< AN. pance (stomach)

pause v.

 

See pawse

 

 

paut v.

 

to kick or move with the foot; to paw the ground; to tread or walk heavily; also pawt, pooat ; cf. pawse

 

< OE. potian (to push, to thrust)

pawky a.

 

shrewd;, sly; artful; cunning

 

orig. unknown

pawse v.

 

to kick; also pause, poise; cf. paut

 

orig. unknown

pawt v.

 

See paut

 

 

pay v.

 

t o beat; to flog; to strike,(a person)

 

< OF. paiier, paier (to give what is due)

payed ppl. a.

 

beaten, worn out

 

See pay

pays n.pl.

 

See peys

 

 

pea swad n .

 

a pea pod

 

< OE. pise (a pea) + ??? swaþ (swathe, wrapping)

peace egg

 

See pace egg

 

 

peeak

 

See perk

 

 

pee-i'-bed n.

 

a dandelion

 

< from the notion that picking dandelion leaves caused bed-wetting

peer n

 

a pear

 

< OE. peru

peff v.

 

to cough; to pant

 

imit.

peggy n.

 

a wooden appliance shaped like a stool with a long-handle and used to stir and pummel clothes in a wash-tub: cf. dolly

 

< female pet name of Peggy

peggy stick

 

wooden tool used to lift clothes out of a washtub

 

See peggy

peggy tub n.

 

a large washtub in which a peggy is used; cf. dolly tub

 

See peggy

pelt v.

 

to rain heavily; to throw stones

 

< ME. pelt (to deliver repeated blows)

perch n.

 

a wooden bar or frame over which pieces of cloth are pulled for examination

 

< AN. perche ( wooden rod )

perk v.

 

to perch; to settle; to stick; also peeak

 

< ME. perke (to perch) f. OF. perce

pestil n.

 

See pestle

 

 

pestle n

 

the foreleg of a pig; also pestil

 

< AN. pestel (the foreleg on an animal used for food)

petty n.

 

an outside lavatory; a privy

 

< AN. petit (of small size)

pew spice n.pl.

 

sweets sucked during the sermon in chapel, given to children to keep them quiet.

 

< OF. puie, (parapet, platform) + espice (spice)

peys n.pl.

 

peas; also pays

 

< OE pise (a pea)

pianate n.

 

See pie-not

 

 

pianet n.

 

See pie-not

 

 

piannot n.

 

See pie-not

 

 

pick v.

 

to throw; to push (particularly in relation to the shuttle in a loom)

 

< ME. pyke (to pitch, to throw) ??? f. OE *piccan

pie n

 

an exterior store of root crops, e.g. a quantity of potatoes, formed into a heap, or put into a shallow pit, and covered with earth, straw, etc.,

 

< ME. pye

pie-annet n.

 

See pie-not

 

 

piecen v.

 

to join or piece ends together, e.g.in the textile industry, when yarn breaks during spinning

 

< AN. peece , pees , peice (piece)

piecener n

 

an individual who joins together the ends of threads broken during the spinning process

 

See piecen

pienet n.

 

See pie-not

 

 

pie-not n.

 

a magpie; also pahnat, pinet , pynot, pynate, pienet, pyneate, piannot, pianate, pie-annet, pianet, pinet

 

< OF pie (magpie) + female name Annette

piggin n.

 

small vessel, with handle, used as a milking pail, scoop or ladle

 

< ME. pygyn (a container for butter)

pike (off) v

 

to creep away

 

< ME. pyke, pike (to remove oneself, go away)

pike 1n.

 

a pointed or peaked conically shaped stack, of hay, corn etc

 

< ME. pike

pike 2n.

 

turnpike gate

 

< OE. pīc ( a point)

pike 3 n.

 

a pitchfork; a hay-fork,

 

< OE. pīc ( a point, a pointed tool)

pinchers n.pl.

 

pliers; pincers,

 

< OF. pincher (to pinch)

pine v.

 

to suffer hungry; to starve

 

< OE. pinian (to torture, torment)

pined a

 

hungry, starving

 

See pine

pinet n

 

See pie-not

 

 

pining v

 

in relation to an animal, straining in labour

 

< OE. pinian (to torture, torment)

pissimer n.   See pissimire    

pissimire n

 

an ant; also pissimer

 

< ME. pisse-mire f. AN. pisser (to urinate) + MDu. mire, mere (ant) [referring to the urine smell of an anthill]

pizeball n.

 

a game similar to rounders but using a soft ball and the hand in place of a bat

 

??? < MDu. pisen (to play the game of pisen) + bal

plague v

 

to tease

 

< L. plaga (stroke, wound)

plash n.

 

a puddle

 

orig. uncertain

plawt v.

 

to pluck; to remove feathers; also plooat

 

< Du. ploten (to pluck)

plean v.

 

to complain

 

< AN. plainer, pleiner ,

pleeaf n

 

See plew

 

 

plew n.

 

a plough; also ploo, pleeaf, pluf

 

< OE plōg, plōh

plisky n.

 

a mischievous trick; an escapade

 

orig. unknown

plonker n

 

a large marble

 

imit.

ploo n.

 

See plew

 

 

plooat v.

 

See plawt

 

 

plook n.

 

See pluke

 

 

pluf

 

See plew

 

 

pluke n

 

a pimple; a spot; a boil also plook

 

< ME. plowk (pustule, a pimple)

po n.

 

a chamber pot

 

< OF pot de chambre

pobbies n.

 

See pobs

 

 

pobs n.

 

soft food, e.g. pieces of bread softened in milk; also pobbies

 

orig. unknown

poddish n.

 

porridge

 

< AN. potage (food cooked in a pot)

podged a

 

having a full stomach; replete; also pogged

 

orig. uncertain

pogged a.

 

See podged

 

 

poich n.

 

a beehive

 

orig. uncertain

poise v.

 

See pawse

 

 

poit

 

a poker

 

< OE potian (to thrust, push, goad)

poke n.

 

a bag; a sack; also pooak

 

< AN. poke ??? f. ON. poki (bag, sack)

polesmitten a.

 

crazy

 

??? < < MDu. pol (top, summit) + OE. smītan (to throw)

poll v.

 

to cut; to lop; to have a haircut; also poul, pow

 

??? < MDu. pol (top, summit)

polly 1n.

 

the head

 

??? < MDu. pol (top, summit)

polly 2n.

 

a hornless cow(see also doddy, and hummelled

 

??? < MDu. pol (top, summit)

pooak n.

 

See poke

 

 

pooat v.

 

See paut

 

 

porriwiggle n.

 

a tadpole

 

< ME polwygle (tadpole) f. polle (head) + wigelen (to wriggle)

posnit n.

 

a metal cooking pot with a handle and three feet

 

< AN. possonet (small cooking pot)

poss n.

 

a purse

 

< OE. purs

poss v.

 

to push down and squeeze clothes in a washtub

 

orig. uncertain

posser n.

 

an implement used to poss clothes in a wash tub

 

orig. uncertain

posskit n.

 

a washtub

 

orig. uncertain

pouk n.

 

a small boil; a blister; a pustule; a sty: also powk, pahk

 

??? < OE. pocc ( blister, pustule, ulcer)

posser n.

 

an implement used to poss clothes in a wash tub

 

orig. uncertain

posskit n.

 

a washtub

 

orig. uncertain

pouk n.

 

a small boil; a blister; a pustule; a sty: also powk, pahk

 

??? < OE. pocc ( blister, pustule, ulcer)

poul v.

 

See poll

 

 

pow v.

 

See poll

 

 

powk n.

 

See pouk

 

 

powling n.

 

a very short haircut; see poll

 

 

powpy n.

 

a young child’s name for a horse

 

??? < AN. palefrai (a riding horse)

prate n.

 

a chatterbox, a talkative child

 

??? < MDu. praten (to babble, to speak)

privy n.

 

an outside lavatory, particularly an earth closet

 

< AN. privé (private)

proddle v.

 

See broddle

 

 

prog n.

 

food; particularly for a journey or excursion

 

orig. unknown

progging v.

 

collecting wood; e.g. for a bonfire

 

orig. unknown

pubble a.

 

soft, plump and round

 

??? < OE. papol (pebble)

puddock n.

 

a term of rebuke

 

??? < OE. pade (toad, frog) + -uc (dim. suff.)

pun' n.,

 

See pund

 

 

pund

 

a pound (weight, money); also pun, pahnd

 

< OE. pund

puther n.

 

smoke from a fire

 

orig. unknown

putte v

 

to push with the head as with a cow

 

< OE. pȳtan (to push)

pynate n.

 

See pie-not

 

 

pyneate n.

 

See pie-not

 

 

pynot n.

 

See pie-not