Phrases
10,000+ English phrases, collocations, and idioms, tagged by the CEFR level of the vocabulary they contain. Start with A1 — phrases built from the most common words.
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Showing 481–576 of 1339 phrases
Adjective + noun (48)
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panoramic view
a broad overview of a subject or situation
parabolic reflector
a curved reflector that focuses parallel rays or produces a parallel beam from its focus
parliamentary democracy
a democratic system of government organized around an elected parliament
partial breach
a failure to fulfill part of a contract that does not destroy its overall value
passing comment
a brief incidental remark made without sustained discussion
passive aggression
hostility expressed indirectly through obstruction, delay, or deliberate noncooperation
passive transport
movement of substances across a cell membrane without direct energy expenditure
paternal aunt
a sister of one's father
pathological liar
a person who lies habitually or compulsively
perceptual experience
an experience formed through the senses and the interpretation of what they receive
peregrine falcon
a widely distributed falcon known for fast flight and historically used in falconry
pernicious anemia
an anemia associated with impaired vitamin B12 absorption because intrinsic factor is lacking
personal magnetism
a person's compelling charm that attracts attention and influence
pharmaceutical chemist
a chemist specializing in the composition, properties, and effects of medicines
philanthropic foundation
an organization that funds charitable, educational, scientific, or cultural work
philosophical doctrine
a principle or set of beliefs accepted within a philosophical system
phonetic alphabet
a set of written symbols representing individual speech sounds
physical entity
something that exists as part of the material world
pictorial representation
a depiction of something through a picture rather than words alone
plain weave
a basic weave in which threads pass alternately over and under crossing threads
platonic love
affection that involves emotional closeness without sexual desire
plutonic rock
igneous rock formed when molten material solidifies deep below the surface
pneumatic tyre
a rubber tyre kept inflated by compressed air
political correctness
care in language and behavior to avoid excluding or insulting disadvantaged groups
postmortem examination
an examination of a body after death to investigate the cause or effects of disease
powdery mildew
a fungal growth that forms a powder-like coating on plant surfaces
predatory animal
an animal that hunts and eats other animals
preferential shop
a workplace that favors union members in hiring or promotion
preliminary prospectus
an early prospectus whose contents may change before the final version
primary winding
the coil whose changing current induces current in another circuit
principal investigator
the researcher responsible for leading a scientific study or project
privileged information
Information available only to a limited or specially authorized group.
privy council
a group of advisers who counsel a monarch or ruler
probable cause
a legal standard of sufficient grounds for certain official actions such as a search
projective test
a personality test that interprets a person's open responses to ambiguous material
promissory note
a written promise to pay a stated sum on demand or at an agreed time
proportional representation
an electoral system that allocates representation broadly in line with parties' shares of votes
proprietary colony
a colony granted to an individual proprietor with authority to govern it
protective custody
detention or supervised care intended to keep someone safe
psychic phenomena
events claimed to involve powers beyond ordinary sensory perception
psychic trauma
a deeply distressing emotional experience with lasting psychological effects
psychological warfare
efforts to weaken an opponent's morale through psychological pressure
public lavatory
a toilet facility available for use by the public
public prosecutor
a government lawyer who conducts criminal prosecutions on behalf of the state
pulmonary congestion
an excessive accumulation of fluid or blood in the lungs
pulmonary tuberculosis
tuberculosis affecting the lungs
quadruple rhythm
a musical rhythm organized into four beats per measure
quantitative relation
a relationship expressed in terms of measurable amounts
Noun + noun (43)
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palace car
a railway passenger car offering individual seats for an extra fare
parish priest
a priest responsible for the religious life of a parish
participant role
the semantic relationship of a sentence participant to its main verb
patent leather
leather finished with a hard shiny surface
patron saint
a saint regarded as a special protector of a group, place, or activity
peat moss
sphagnum moss whose accumulated remains contribute to peat formation
peep sight
a sight with a small rear opening through which a target is viewed
peppercorn rent
a very small rent charged mainly as a token payment
personnel carrier
a military vehicle used to transport service members and their equipment
phantom limb
the sensation that an amputated limb is still present
pillow lava
lava that has hardened into rounded masses resembling cushions, typically underwater
pin tumbler
a small spring-loaded cylindrical component inside a lock
pistol grip
a handle shaped like the grip of a pistol
piston rod
a rod connected to a piston that transmits its movement or force
pitch blackness
complete darkness in which nothing can be seen
placebo effect
a change associated with receiving a placebo, often linked to treatment expectations
plasma membrane
the thin boundary surrounding a cell's contents and controlling movement into and out of it
plea bargain
an agreement in which a defendant pleads guilty in exchange for a reduced charge or concession
plug fuse
an electrical fuse with a threaded base that screws into a socket
plumbing fixture
an installed device connected to a building's water supply or drainage
plutonium bomb
a nuclear bomb whose fission process uses plutonium
pocket battleship
a relatively small heavily armed warship built within historical treaty limits
pocket billiards
games played with balls and cues on a table that has pockets
pollen tube
a slender growth from a pollen grain that carries reproductive cells toward an ovule
pond scum
a floating layer of freshwater algae on a pond's surface
porcelain clay
a fine clay used in making porcelain and other ceramic products
pork loin
a cut of pork from the pig's back near the ribs
portal vein
the vein that carries blood into the liver from digestive organs
portfolio management
the selection and oversight of a collection of investments
poverty trap
a situation where lost benefits cancel out increased earnings and leave someone no better off
power loom
a loom driven by machinery rather than entirely by hand
power takeoff
a device that transfers an engine's power to another piece of equipment
predictor variable
a variable used to estimate or explain the value of another variable
prefix notation
a way of writing expressions with each operator before the values it acts on
print buffer
temporary storage holding data until a printer can process it
prison chaplain
a religious minister who provides spiritual support within a prison
promenade deck
a passenger-ship deck where people can walk and enjoy the view
prose poem
a piece written in prose that uses the concentrated imagery or rhythm of poetry
protein folding
the process by which a protein takes on its three-dimensional shape
pug nose
a short, flattened nose with an upturned tip
pumpkin vine
the trailing plant on which pumpkins grow
puppet ruler
a ruler who holds office while another person or power controls the government
query language
a computer language used to request information or operations from stored data