This was an airy slim boy in shrimp-colored tights that made him look like a forked carrot, the rest of his gear was blue silk and dainty laces and ruffles; and he had long yellow curls, and wore a plumed pink satin cap tilted complacently over his ear. — from A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain
pitch pine Some cotton
this vally is from 10 to 15 Ms. in width tolerably leavel and partially timberd with long leaf & pitch pine, Some cotton wood, Birch, and Sweet willow on the borders of the Streams. — from The Journals of Lewis and Clark, 1804-1806 by William Clark
She had been taught many funny and amusing speeches, among which she used to say to a canary that hung in the same room, "Pretty Poll, shabby canary;" and when the canary sang she would cry out, "Oh, what a noise! — from Little Folks (September 1884)
A Magazine for the Young by Various
Arg. , countryman pájaro , bird palabra , word palacio , palace paladar , m. , palate paladín , m. , paladin palanca , bar, lever; —— corrediza , pulley palenque , m. , palisade paleta , palette; shoulder blade paletada , blow dealt with a palette palidecer , to become pale pálido , -a , pale palma , palm tree, palm palmo, unit of measure, span; —— a —— , inch by inch palo , pole, stick, mast palpable , palpable palpar , to feel, grope along palpitante , quivering palpitar , to beat, palpitate palla , countrywoman Pampa , name given to the plains of Argentina pampeano , -a , of the Pampa pan , m. , bread; tierras de —— llevar , grain-producing lands panadería , bakery panal , m. , honeycomb panamericano , -a , Pan-American pangaré , m. , Arg. , bay horse panorama , m. , panorama pantano , puddle, marsh panteísmo , pantheism pantera , panther pantorrilla , calf of the leg pañuelo , handkerchief papal , papal papel , m. , paper; rôle par , m. , pair; a la —— , together, jointly, at the same time para , for, in order to; —— con , toward Paraguay , m. , river in South America, tributary of the Paraná paraíso , paradise paraje , m. , place, stopping-place paralizar , to paralyze parapeto , parapet parar , to stop, ward off parásito , -a , parasitic parcial , partial parecer , to seem, appear; ——se , to resemble parecido , -a , similar pared , f. , wall pareja , pair, couple; partner parejero , Arg. , courser, fast horse paréntesis , m. , parenthesis, interval pariente , m. , relative parlamentario , -a , a. and s. , parliamentary; envoy parquedad , paucity, parsimony parroquia , parish parroquiano , patron, customer parte , f. , part, direction, side; por otra —— , on the other hand; por una —— , on the one hand participar , to participate, share, inform particular , m. , individual; topic, detail particular , special, private particularmente , particularly partida , squad, rural patrol, departure, group partidario , commander, partisan partido , side; tomar —— , to decide partir , to leave; to split párvulo , -a , a. and s. , small; child pasacana , cactus fruit pasado , past pasaje , m. , passage, deed pasajero , -a , a. and s. , passing; passenger pasar , to pass; to happen pasatiempo , pastime pasear , to stroll pasión , love, passion, anger pasivo , -a , passive paso , step, way, pace; de —— , in passing; a or en —— , on the way; a —— de carrera , on the run; al —— que , at the same time that, as pasta , paste pastar , to feed, graze pastizal , m. , pasture land pasto , grass pastor , shepherd pastor , pastoral pastora , shepherdess pastoril , pastoral pata , foot, hoof patada , kick patán , -ana , a. and s. , churlish; lout, “hayseed” patentemente , openly paternalismo , paternalism paternalmente , paternally paterno , -a , paternal patético , -a , pathetic patio , courtyard patria , fatherland patriarca , m. , patriarch patricio , -a , patrician patrimonio , patrimony, heritage patriota , m. , patriot patriotismo , patriotism patrón , owner, master, “boss” patrona , housewife, mistress pausa , pause pava , turkey hen pavor , m. , fear pavoroso , -a , fearful, awful payada , Arg. , improvisation; —— de contrapunto , contest in improvisation payador , improviser, minstrel payar , to improvise paz , f. , peace pecado , sin pecar , to sin peculiar , peculiar peculiaridad , peculiarity peculio , stock, capital, allowance pecho , chest, breast pedazo , piece; hacer ——s , to break to pieces pedestre , pedestrian pedido , demand, asking pedigüeño , -a , alms-seeking, beggarly pedir , to ask pedregoso , -a , rocky Pedro , Peter pegar , to stick, to strike pelambrera , hair pelear , to fight peligro , danger peligroso , -a , dangerous pelo , hair, color of horse pelota , ball pelotón , m. , platoon; en pelotones , in platoon formation peludo , -a , hairy pena , punishment, pain penalidad , penalty, hardship pendenciero , -a , quarrelsome pendiente , f. , slope pendón , m. , flag, pennant penetrar , to pierce, penetrate península , peninsula; Península , Spain peninsular , peninsular, Spanish penosamente , slowly, painfully pensador , thinker pensamiento , thought pensar , to think; —— en , to think of pensativo , -a , pensive pensil , hanging, supported pensil , m. , enchanted garden penumbra , penumbra, gloaming penuria , penury peñón , m. , rock, crag peón , m. , peon, laborer; —— de arria , drover peor , comp. — from Argentina, Legend and History by Lucio Vicente López
Appearing when the leaves are half grown; sterile catkins 2-4 inches long; calyx most commonly 4-parted; pubescent; stamens commonly 4, exserted; anthers yellow, glabrous: pistillate flowers red; stigmas long, spreading, reflexed. — from Handbook of the Trees of New England by Henry M. (Henry Mason) Brooks
"It sure beats the Painted Post Silver Cornet Band how they can stick a pin in a program with their eyes shut and light on a 100 to 1 shot that wins a-blinking," continued the man with the granulated eyelids, tearing two or three superfluous wrappers off his ravelled cigar. — from Taking Chances by Clarence Louis Cullen
This tab, called Hiding in Plain Sight,
shows you passages from notable books where your word is accidentally (or perhaps deliberately?)
spelled out by the first letters of consecutive words.
Why would you care to know such a thing? It's not entirely clear to us, either, but
it's fun to explore! What's the longest hidden word you can find? Where is your name hiding?