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ornate
(adj.) elaborate; lavish; decorated
The courthouse was framed by ornate friezes.
orthodox
(adj.) traditional; accepted
The gifted child's parents concluded that orthodox methods of education
would not do their son any good, so they decided to teach him at home.
oscillate
(v.) to move back and forth; to have a wavering opinion
The oscillating sprinkler system covered the entire lawn.
The couple often oscillates between going out and staying home.
ossify
(v.) to turn to bone; to harden
Over time, the plant matter has ossified.
The tablet will ossify when left in the sun.
ostensible
(adj.) apparent
The ostensible reason for choosing the girl was for her beauty.
ostentatious
(adj.) being showy
Sure he'd won the lottery, but coming to work in a stretch limo seemed
a bit ostentatious .
ostracize
(v.) to exclude
The students tend to ostracize the children they dislike from their games.
oust
(v.) drive out; eject
The dictator was ousted in a coup detat.
p
(adj.) mocking; cynical
He has a wry sense of humor which sometimes hurts people's feelings.
paean
(n.) a song of praise or triumph
A paean was written in honor of the victorious warrior.
pagan
(adj.) polytheistic
Moses, distraught over some of his people's continuing pagan ways, smashed
the stone tablets bearing the Ten Commandments.
painstaking
(adj.) thorough, careful, precise
Helga's painstaking research paid off with a top grade on her essay.
palatial
(adj.) large and ornate, like a palace
The new palatial home contained two pools and an indoor track for jogging.
palindrome
(n.) a word or phrase which reads the same backwards and forwards
Bob, "Dad," and "Madam" are examples of palindromes.
palliate
(v.) to alleviate or ease pain but not cure; to make appear less serious
The medication will help palliate the pain.
The lawyer attempted to palliate the offense to the jury.
pallid
(adj.) pale in color
The visitor left the hospital room with a pallid face.
pallor
(n.) lack of facial color
The more vivid the testimony grew, the more the witness seemed to take
on a ghostly pallor.
palpable
(adj.) touchable; clear, obvious
The palpable decision was to discontinue the use of drugs.
On a flight that had included a sudden 5,000-foot drop, the passengers'
relief upon landing was palpable .
panegyric
(n.) high praise
Upon his retirement, he received a great panegyric from many of his associates.
His panegyric to his opponent stood in sharp contrast to the harsh tenor
of the campaign.
paradigm
(n.) model, prototype; pattern
The machine could no longer be produced after the paradigm was destroyed.
The Massachusetts gubernatorial race was considered a paradigm of campaign
civility.
paradox
(n.) a tenet seemingly contradictory or false, but actually true
The paradox seemed so unlikely though it was true.
At first blush, the company's results were a paradox: Sales were down,
yet profits were up.
parapet
(n.) a wall for protection; a low wall or railing
The parapet protected the kingdom from the raging army.
The parapet kept the child from falling into the river.
paraphernalia
(n.) equipment; accessories
She looked guilty since the drug paraphernalia was found in her apartment.
pariah
(n.) an outcast
The pariah of the group sat by himself under the tree.
parity
(n.) state of being the same in power, value, or rank
When the younger brother was promoted to co-president with the elder son,
it established parity between the two.
parley
(v.) to speak with another; to discourse
I will parley the information to the appropriate person.
parochial
(adj.) religious; narrow-minded
Devout Christians, the Chesterfields enrolled their children in a parochial
school.
Governor Kean urged Republicans to rise above parochial interests and
be the party of inclusion.
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