Confusing Words Clarified: Group P; Homonyms, Homophones, Homographs, Synonyms, etc.

To divide or to separate: "We built a new fence to partition our fields from those of the neighbor."

To request or to solicit, typically done formally through a written document: "The governmental agency received the petition from the voters with over 1,000 signatures."

1. No longer current or in fashion; out-of-date: "That style of music is now considered passé or passe."
2. Past the prime; faded or aged: "The clothes he wears these days are passé."

A group of people who were gathered together by a sheriff in the past to help search for a criminal: "The sheriff and his posse rode out to look for the bank robbers."

1. To have departed or to have died: "Her uncle passed away last night after a long illness."

"The traveling circus passed through the town after their performance."
2. To have achieved approval, often from a legislative body: "The political organization passed a new resolution regarding membership."

"The legislators passed a new law about speeding automobiles."
3. To have gone around or to have gone away from: "The speeding red car passed the bus which was moving slowly up the hill."
4. To have changed or replaced ownership from one person to another: "The line of inheritance was passed from the father to the son."
5. To have achieved a successful completion of a task: "When the marks were posted, I noticed that I had passed the English grammar examination."
6. To exceed or to surpass: "The new shopping mall passed all expectations in terms of variety of stores and shops."

1. Having taken place prior to the present: "It is interesting to study the past times of our town and to learn about the early settlers."
2. Having held a position of authority or ownership; former: "She was the past president of the musical organization."

"The past owner of the red sports car took very good care of it."

3. Going beyond something nearby: "She is past the age to be playing with the doll house."

"We went past the sign to the castle before we noticed it."

4. A previous life, history, or action: "She had a secret past which she did not want to talk about."

1. A spiritual leader or member of the clergy: "Mr. Smith is the new pastor for the church in town."
2. To serve or to act in the role of a spiritual leader: "My friend became the pastor of the church and organized youth groups."

1. A field or space of land devoted to raising grass and in which grazing livestock feed: "The green pasture was dotted with white sheep and their lambs."

"The cattle enjoyed being in the fresh green pasture after a long winter in the barns."

1. Arousing or capable of arousing sympathetic feelings of sadness and compassion: "The blind and elderly dog was a pathetic site and you could hear its pathetic whining."
2. Arousing or capable of arousing scornful pity: "The basketball team was fairly bad last year, but this year they're absolutely pathetic."

Foretelling events as if by divine inspiration: "He spoke casual words that proved to be prophetic."

"Her warnings proved to be prophetic because the dangers that she warned us about regarding our trip to Africa came true."

Having the characteristics of calmness, not complaining, or being steadfast: "My mother had a lot of patience when I was practicing the piano."

"Her patience paid off in that I became a famous concert pianist."

Several individuals who are receiving medical care and supervision: "The doctor's patients were waiting for her when she arrived at the clinic."

"The doctor said she was going out to the Street Clinic to see her patients who were living on the street."

1. A temporary interruption, hesitation, or break from doing something: "The speaker announced that the panel of judges would pause in their deliberations and resume their meeting after lunch."

"After she read the speech, there was a slight pause before the audience started to applaud."

2. To stop or to linger: "I want to pause at the top of the hill and admire the view before driving on."

1. The feet of an animal, typically one with claws: "I had to wipe the mud off the paws of my dog after our walk in the rain."
2. To touch in a clumsy manner, to scratch with a foot or hoof: "I noticed that the horse paws the ground as if anxious to start the race."

"My kitten paws my shoe with her paw when she wants my attention."

The foot of an animal; especially, a quadruped, that has claws or nails: "The dog injured its paw when it dug in the field where there was a piece of broken glass."

An informal term referring to one's father: "My paw was always there to help me whenever I needed him."

"The word paw is used by some people as a slang term for pa which is in turn a slang term for father."

Touching or grabbing in an excited or wild manner: "A crowd of customers was pawing over the remaining sales items on the tables."

"The puppies were playing as if they were fighting, pawing each other and rolling on the grass."

The process of giving someone an object; such as, a security for a loan: "I was having such a bad financial situation that I was pawning my silver rings in order to buy groceries."

1. One of the eight small pieces that have the least value in the game of chess: "His opponent in the game of chess took more than one pawn in that last move."
2. A person or group that does not have much power and who is controlled by a more powerful person or group: "She became a pawn in the political power struggle."

To give something that a person owns to a pawnbroker in exchange for money: "My friend was forced to pawn his coin set to pay for his rent and some food."

1. Tranquility, security, lack of disruption, or being harmonious: "After school, we enjoyed the peace of doing our homework without disruption."

"There was a sense of peace in the town after the hectic pace of the recent festival."
2. An agreement to end hostilities: "The ambassador attempted to establish peace between the two countries."
3. An exclamation used to request calm and silence: "The leader shouted for peace and the crowd became very quiet and listened to him."

1. A part of something, a fragment: "I decided I wanted a piece of pie for lunch."

"The child picked up a piece of glass that was on the playground and put it into a trash can so no one could fall on it and get hurt."

2. A short distance: "The mail box is just a short piece down the road and around the corner."
3. A work of art, music, drama, or literature: "The composer wrote a piece for the violin and piano, accompanied by a singer."

"The youth read his piece which had won the prize for poetry."

4. A reference to a gun: "The hunter carried his piece carefully and it was unloaded."
5. A coin or an item used as a coin: "I have a piece which I think is very old and belonged to my grandfather."

"My sister told me to take the gold piece and see what the coin dealer would pay for it."

1. Characterized as without conflict or disorder: "The mood on the university campus was peaceable and well ordered."
2. Not quarrelsome: "We have a peaceable relationship with my cousins and their families."

Of or relating to a time without violence or turbulence: "The years that I lived in the country were peaceful and productive because I was able to concentrate on my new novel and enjoy life."

1. A tapering, projecting point; a pointed extremity: "The peak of the roof had a weather vane on it."
2. The pointed summit of a mountain: "We hiked to the top of the mountain peak."
3. The point of greatest development, value, or intensity: "You could feel a peak of excitement in the audience when the symphony came to a conclusion."

To glance quickly: "Please take a quick peek at this picture before I mail it to my aunt."

A state of vexation caused by a perceived slight or indignity; a feeling of wounded pride: "She went into a pique when she did not get her way."

A tightly woven fabric with various raised patterns, produced especially by a double warp: "My new skirt is made of a blue piqué that matches the scarf I bought while I was on vacation."

Characterized as having a pointed or sharp end: "The hat that he wore had a peaked top and a visor."

Characterized as being pale and in poor health: "The little girl looked peaked and tired as she lay in the hospital bed."

To have excited or aroused anger and resentment: "His rousing speech served to have piqued the crowd which stood and cheered."

1. The clanging of bells: "Across the meadow, we could hear the peal of the church bells coming from the hamlet in the valley."
2. A loud, easily heard sound: "We could hear the peal of laughter coming from the auditorium during the funny song and dance routine."

1. The skin of a fruit: "The peel of the orange is aromatic and when grated makes a tasty flavor for a cake."
2. To remove the outer layer of something: "I will use a small knife to peel the orange for my breakfast."

"He stood at the side of the swimming pool, stopping only to peel off his shirt and jeans and shoes before jumping in."
3. A medieval fortification on the border between England and Scotland: "The peel had a moat surrounding it to protect the inhabitants from an invasion."
4. A flat shovel shaped tool used by bakers to put items into an oven or to remove them from the oven: "We used a wooden peel to remove the pizza from the brick oven just before it was time to eat it."