plea s|ure craft (pleasure craft ) N‑COUNT A pleasure craft is the same as a pleasure boat .
pleat /pliː t/ (pleats ) N‑COUNT A pleat in a piece of clothing is a permanent fold that is made in the cloth by folding one part over the other and sewing across the top end of the fold.
pleat|ed /pliː t I d/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] A pleated piece of clothing has pleats in it. □ …a short white pleated skirt.
pleb /ple b/ (plebs ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] If someone refers to people as plebs , they mean they are of a low social class or do not appreciate culture. [BRIT , INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ]
ple|beian /pləbiː ən/ also plebian
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A person, especially one from an earlier period of history, who is plebeian comes from a low social class.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If someone describes something as plebeian , they think that it is unsophisticated and connected with or typical of people from a low social class. [FORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ …a philosophy professor with a cockney accent and an alarmingly plebeian manner.
plebi|scite /ple b I sa I t, -s I t/ (plebiscites ) N‑COUNT A plebiscite is a direct vote by the people of a country or region in which they say whether they agree or disagree with a particular policy, for example whether a region should become an independent state.
pledge ◆◇◇ /ple dʒ/ (pledges , pledging , pledged )
1 N‑COUNT [usu N to-inf] When someone makes a pledge , they make a serious promise that they will do something. □ The meeting ended with a pledge to step up cooperation between the six states of the region. □ [+ of ] …a £1.1m pledge of support from the Spanish ministry of culture.
2 VERB When someone pledges to do something, they promise in a serious way to do it. When they pledge something, they promise to give it. □ [V to-inf] Mr Dudley has pledged to give any award to charity. □ [V n] Philip pledges support and offers to help in any way that he can. □ [V that] I pledge that by next year we will have the problem solved.
3 VERB If you pledge a sum of money to an organization or activity, you promise to pay that amount of money to it at a particular time or over a particular period. □ [V n] The French President is pledging $150 million in French aid next year. ● N‑COUNT Pledge is also a noun. □ [+ of ] …a pledge of forty-two million dollars a month.
4 VERB If you pledge yourself to something, you commit yourself to following a particular course of action or to supporting a particular person, group, or idea. □ [V pron-refl to-inf] He has pledged himself to assist Mr. Williams with money. □ [V n + to ] The treaties renounce the use of force and pledge the two countries to co-operation.
5 VERB If you pledge something such as a valuable possession or a sum of money, you leave it with someone as a guarantee that you will repay money that you have borrowed. □ [V n] He asked her to pledge the house as security for a loan. SYNONYMS pledge NOUN 1
promise: If you make a promise, you should keep it.
vow: I took my marriage vows and kept them.
oath: She took an oath of loyalty to the government.
guarantee: California's state Constitution includes a guarantee of privacy. COLLOCATIONS pledge NOUN 1
noun + pledge : election, manifesto, referendum
adjective + pledge : solemn
verb + pledge : make, sign; fulfil, honour
ple|na|ry /pliː nəri, ple n-/ (plenaries ) ADJ [ADJ n] A plenary session or plenary meeting is one that is attended by everyone who has the right to attend. [TECHNICAL ] □ The programme was approved at a plenary session of the committee last week. ● N‑COUNT Plenary is also a noun. □ There'll be another plenary at the end of the afternoon after the workshop.
pleni|po|ten|ti|ary /ple n I pəte nʃəri, [AM ] -ʃieri/ (plenipotentiaries ) also Plenipotentiary
1 N‑COUNT A plenipotentiary is a person who has full power to make decisions or take action on behalf of their government, especially in a foreign country. [FORMAL ] □ [+ to ] …the British Plenipotentiary to the U.N. conference.
2 ADJ [n ADJ ] An ambassador plenipotentiary or minister plenipotentiary has full power or authority to represent their country. [FORMAL ]
3 ADJ [ADJ n] If someone such as an ambassador has plenipotentiary powers , they have full power or authority to represent their country. [FORMAL ]
pleni|tude /ple n I tjuːd, [AM ] -tuːd/
1 N‑UNCOUNT Plenitude is a feeling that an experience is satisfying because it is full or complete. [FORMAL ] □ The music brought him a feeling of plenitude and freedom.
2 N‑SING If there is a plenitude of something, there is a great quantity of it. [FORMAL ] □ [+ of ] What is the use of a book about interior design without a plenitude of pictures in color?
plen|ti|ful /ple nt I fʊl/ ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] Things that are plentiful exist in such large amounts or numbers that there is enough for people's wants or needs. □ Fish are plentiful in the lake. □ …a plentiful supply of vegetables and salads and fruits. ● plen|ti|ful|ly ADV □ Nettle grows plentifully on any rich waste ground.
plen|ty ◆◇◇ /ple nti/
1 QUANT If there is plenty of something, there is a large amount of it. If there are plenty of things, there are many of them. Plenty is used especially to indicate that there is enough of something, or more than you need. □ [+ of ] There was still plenty of time to take Jill out for pizza. □ [+ of ] Most businesses face plenty of competition. □ [+ of ] Are there plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet? ● PRON Plenty is also a pronoun. □ I don't believe in long interviews. Fifteen minutes is plenty.