2 N‑UNCOUNT Plenty is a situation in which people have a lot to eat or a lot of money to live on. [FORMAL ] □ You are all fortunate to be growing up in a time of peace and plenty.
3 ADV [ADV adj/adv] You use plenty in front of adjectives or adverbs to emphasize the degree of the quality they are describing. [INFORMAL , EMPHASIS ] □ The water looked plenty deep. □ The compartment is plenty big enough.
ple|num /pliː nəm/ (plenums ) N‑COUNT A plenum is a meeting that is attended by all the members of a committee or conference. [TECHNICAL ]
pletho|ra /ple θərə/ N‑SING A plethora of something is a large amount of it, especially an amount of it that is greater than you need, want, or can cope with. [FORMAL ] □ [+ of ] A plethora of new operators will be allowed to enter the market.
pleu|ri|sy /plʊə r I si/ N‑UNCOUNT Pleurisy is a serious illness in which a person's lungs are sore and breathing is difficult.
plex|us /ple ksəs/ → see solar plexus
pli|able /pla I əb ə l/ ADJ If something is pliable , you can bend it easily without cracking or breaking it. □ As your baby grows bigger, his bones become less pliable.
pli|ant /pla I ənt/
1 ADJ A pliant person can be easily influenced and controlled by other people. □ She's proud and stubborn, you know, under that pliant exterior.
2 ADJ If something is pliant , you can bend it easily without breaking it. □ …pliant young willows.
pli|ers /pla I ə r z/ N‑PLURAL [oft a pair of N ] Pliers are a tool with two handles at one end and two hard, flat, metal parts at the other. Pliers are used for holding or pulling out things such as nails, or for bending or cutting wire.
plight /pla I t/ (plights ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] If you refer to someone's plight , you mean that they are in a difficult or distressing situation that is full of problems. □ [+ of ] …the worsening plight of Third World countries plagued by debts.
plim|soll /pl I msoʊl/ (plimsolls ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] Plimsolls are canvas shoes with flat rubber soles. People wear plimsolls for sports and leisure activities. [BRIT ] in AM, use sneakers
plinth /pl I nθ/ (plinths ) N‑COUNT A plinth is a rectangular block of stone on which a statue or pillar stands.
plod /plɒ d/ (plods , plodding , plodded )
1 VERB If someone plods , they walk slowly and heavily. □ [V adv/prep] Crowds of French and British families plodded around in yellow plastic macs.
2 VERB If you say that someone plods on or plods along with a job, you mean that the job is taking a long time. □ [V adv] He is plodding on with negotiations. □ [V adv] Aircraft production continued to plod along at an agonizingly slow pace.
plod|der /plɒ də r / (plodders ) N‑COUNT If you say that someone is a plodder , you have a low opinion of them because they work slowly and steadily but without showing enthusiasm or having new ideas. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ He was quiet, conscientious, a bit of a plodder.
plonk /plɒ ŋk/ (plonks , plonking , plonked )
1 VERB If you plonk something somewhere, you put it or drop it there heavily and carelessly. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ [V n prep/adv] She plonked the bags on the counter. in AM, use plunk 2 VERB If you plonk yourself somewhere, you sit down carelessly without paying attention to the people around you. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ [V pron-refl adv/prep] Steve plonked himself down on a seat and stayed motionless as the bus moved away. in AM, use plunk 3 N‑UNCOUNT Plonk is cheap or poor quality wine. [mainly BRIT , INFORMAL ]
4 N‑SING ; N‑COUNT A plonk is a heavy, hollow sound. [mainly BRIT ] □ [+ of ] …the dry plonk of tennis balls.
plonk|er /plɒ ŋkə r / (plonkers ) N‑COUNT If someone calls a person, especially a man, a plonker , they think he is stupid. [BRIT , INFORMAL , OFFENSIVE , DISAPPROVAL ]
plop /plɒ p/ (plops , plopping , plopped )
1 N‑COUNT A plop is a soft, gentle sound, like the sound made by something dropping into water without disturbing the surface much. □ Another drop of water fell with a soft plop.
2 VERB If something plops somewhere, it drops there with a soft, gentle sound. □ [V prep] The ice cream plopped to the ground.
plot ◆◇◇ /plɒ t/ (plots , plotting , plotted )
1 N‑COUNT [usu N to-inf] A plot is a secret plan by a group of people to do something that is illegal or wrong, usually against a person or a government. □ Security forces have uncovered a plot to overthrow the government. □ [+ against ] He was responding to reports of an assassination plot against him.
2 VERB If people plot to do something or plot something that is illegal or wrong, they plan secretly to do it. □ [V to-inf] Prosecutors in the trial allege the defendants plotted to overthrow the government. □ [V n] The military were plotting a coup. □ [V + against ] They are awaiting trial on charges of plotting against the state.
3 VERB When people plot a strategy or a course of action, they carefully plan each step of it. □ [V n] Yesterday's meeting was intended to plot a survival strategy for the party.
4 N‑VAR The plot of a film, novel, or play is the connected series of events which make up the story.