P
Idioms beginning with "P"
Part of speech, explanation, example sentences, pronunciation
Categories:
Contents of P:
[put their heads together] or [lay their heads together] {v. phr.}, {informal}
To plan or consider things together; discuss something as a group; talk it over.
They put their heads together and decided on a gift.
* /We laid our heads together and […]
[put through] {v. phr.}
1. To carry out; arrange.
If Jim can put through one more financial transaction like this one, we will be rich.
2. To connect (said of telephone calls).
* /The telephone operator had to put me through to Zambia as there […]
[put through one's paces] {v. phr.}, {informal}
To test the different abilities and skills of a person or a thing; call for a show of what one can do.
He put his new car through its paces.
* /Many different problems put the new mayor through his […]
[put to bed] {v. phr.}
1. To put to rest for the night.
Father put the three children to bed.
The boy seemed ill, so the nurse put him to bed.
2. {informal}
To complete preparations and print.
The newspaper was put to bed at 1:15 A.M.
[…]
[put to it] {adj. phr.}
Hard pressed; having trouble; in difficulty; puzzled.
When he lost his job, he was rather put to it for a while to provide for his family.
The boy was put to it to answer the teacher's question.
[put to rights] or [set to rights] {v. phr.}, {informal}
To put in good order; clean up.
It took the company a long time to put the office to rights after the fire.
It took Mrs. Smith an hour to set the room to rights after the party.
[put to sea] {v. phr.}
To start a voyage.
The captain said the ship would put to sea at six in the morning.
In the days of sailing ships, putting to sea depended on the tides.
[put to shame] {v. phr.}
1. To disgrace.
The cleanliness of European cities puts our cities to shame.
That filthy dump puts our town to shame.
2. To do much better than surpass.
* /Einstein put other physicists to shame when he proved his […]
[put to sleep] {v. phr.}
1. To cause to fall asleep.
Mother used to put us to sleep by telling us a good-night story and giving us a kiss.
2. To kill with an injection (said of animals).
* /Dr. Murphy, the veterinarian, put our sick, old dog to […]
[put to the sword] {v. phr.}, {literary}
To kill (people) in war, especially with a sword.
The Romans put their enemies to the sword.
In some wars captives have been put to the sword.