2 N‑COUNT [usu with poss] The periphery of a subject or area of interest is the part of it that is not considered to be as important or basic as the main part. □ [+ of ] The sociological study of religion moved from the centre to the periphery of sociology.
peri|scope /pe r I skoʊp/ (periscopes ) N‑COUNT A periscope is a vertical tube which people inside submarines can look through to see above the surface of the water.
per|ish /pe r I ʃ/ (perishes , perishing , perished )
1 VERB If people or animals perish , they die as a result of very harsh conditions or as the result of an accident. [WRITTEN ] □ [V ] Most of the butterflies perish in the first frosts of autumn.
2 VERB If a substance or material perishes , it starts to fall to pieces and becomes useless. [mainly BRIT ] □ [V ] Their tyres are slowly perishing. ● per|ished ADJ [usu ADJ n] □ …tattered pieces of ancient, perished leather.
per|ish|able /pe r I ʃəb ə l/ ADJ Goods such as food that are perishable go bad after quite a short length of time. □ …perishable food like fruit, vegetables and meat.
per|ished /pe r I ʃt/
1 ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If someone is perished , they are extremely cold. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ I was absolutely perished.
2 → see also perish
peri|to|ni|tis /pe r I təna I t I s/ N‑UNCOUNT Peritonitis is a disease in which the inside wall of your abdomen becomes swollen and very painful. [MEDICAL ]
peri|win|kle /pe riw I ŋk ə l/ (periwinkles )
1 N‑VAR Periwinkle is a plant that grows along the ground and has blue flowers.
2 N‑COUNT Periwinkles are small sea snails that can be eaten.
per|jure /pɜː r dʒə r / (perjures , perjuring , perjured ) VERB If someone perjures themselves in a court of law, they lie, even though they have promised to tell the truth. □ [V pron-refl] Witnesses lied and perjured themselves.
per|jured /pɜː r dʒə r d/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] In a court of law, perjured evidence or perjured testimony is a false statement of events. □ …information that was based on perjured testimony.
per|jury /pɜː r dʒəri/ N‑UNCOUNT If someone who is giving evidence in a court of law commits perjury , they lie. [LEGAL ] □ This witness has committed perjury and no reliance can be placed on her evidence.
perk /pɜː r k/ (perks , perking , perked ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] Perks are special benefits that are given to people who have a particular job or belong to a particular group. □ …a company car, private medical insurance and other perks. □ One of the perks of being a student is cheap travel.
▸ perk up
1 PHRASAL VERB If something perks you up or if you perk up , you become cheerful and lively, after feeling tired, bored, or depressed. □ [V P ] He perks up and jokes with them. □ [V n P ] …suggestions to make you smile and perk you up. [Also V P n (not pron)]
2 PHRASAL VERB If you perk something up , you make it more interesting. □ [V n P ] To make the bland taste more interesting, the locals began perking it up with local produce. □ [V P n] Psychological twists perk up an otherwise predictable storyline.
3 PHRASAL VERB If sales, prices, or economies perk up , or if something perks them up , they begin to increase or improve. [JOURNALISM ] □ [V P ] House prices could perk up during the autumn. □ [V P n] Anything that could save the company money and perk up its cash flow was examined. [Also V n P ]
perky /pɜː r ki/ (perkier , perkiest ) ADJ If someone is perky , they are cheerful and lively. □ He wasn't quite as perky as normal.
perm /pɜː r m/ (perms , perming , permed )
1 N‑COUNT If you have a perm , your hair is curled and treated with chemicals so that it stays curly for several months. [mainly BRIT ] in AM, usually use permanent 2 VERB When a hair stylist perms someone's hair, they curl it and treat it with chemicals so that it stays curly for several months. □ [have n V -ed] She had her hair permed. ● permed ADJ □ …dry, damaged or permed hair.
per|ma|frost /pɜː r məfrɒst/ N‑UNCOUNT Permafrost is land that is permanently frozen to a great depth.
per|ma|nent ◆◇◇ /pɜː r mənənt/ (permanents )
1 ADJ Something that is permanent lasts for ever. □ Heavy drinking can cause permanent damage to the brain. □ The ban is intended to be permanent. ● per|ma|nent|ly ADV [ADV with v, ADV adj] □ His reason had been permanently affected by what he had witnessed. ● per|ma|nence N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] Anything which threatens the permanence of the treaty is a threat to peace.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] You use permanent to describe situations or states that keep occurring or which seem to exist all the time; used especially to describe problems or difficulties. □ …a permanent state of tension. □ They feel under permanent threat. ● per|ma|nent|ly ADV □ …the heavy, permanently locked gate.
3 ADJ [ADJ n] A permanent employee is one who is employed for an unlimited length of time. □ …a permanent job. ● per|ma|nent|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ …permanently employed registered dockers.
4 ADJ [ADJ n] Your permanent home or your permanent address is the one at which you spend most of your time or the one that you return to after having stayed in other places. □ York Cottage was as near to a permanent home as the children knew.