po rk bar|rel also pork-barrel N‑SING [usu N n] If you say that someone is using pork barrel politics, you mean that they are spending a lot of government money on a local project in order to win the votes of the people who live in that area. [mainly AM , DISAPPROVAL ] □ Pork-barrel politicians hand out rents to win votes and influence people.
po rk pie (pork pies ) N‑VAR A pork pie is a round, tall pie with cooked pork inside, which is eaten cold. [BRIT ]
porn /pɔː r n/
1 N‑UNCOUNT Porn is the same as pornography . [INFORMAL ] □ …a porn cinema.
2 → see also hard porn , soft porn
por|no /pɔː r noʊ/ ADJ Porno is the same as pornographic . □ …porno mags.
por|nog|ra|pher /pɔː r nɒ grəfə r / (pornographers ) N‑COUNT A pornographer is a person who produces or sells pornography. [DISAPPROVAL ]
por|no|graph|ic /pɔː r nəgræ f I k/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Pornographic films, videos, and magazines are designed to cause sexual excitement by showing naked people or referring to sexual acts. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ I found out he'd been visiting pornographic websites.
por|nog|ra|phy /pɔː r nɒ grəfi/ N‑UNCOUNT Pornography refers to books, magazines, and films that are designed to cause sexual excitement by showing naked people or referring to sexual acts. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ A nationwide campaign against pornography began in the summer.
po|ros|ity /pɔːrɒ s I ti/ N‑UNCOUNT Porosity is the quality of being porous. [FORMAL ] □ [+ of ] …the porosity of the coal.
po|rous /pɔː rəs/ ADJ Something that is porous has many small holes in it, which water and air can pass through. □ The local limestone is very porous.
por|poise /pɔː r pəs/ (porpoises ) N‑COUNT A porpoise is a sea animal that looks like a large grey fish. Porpoises usually swim about in groups.
por|ridge /pɒ r I dʒ, [AM ] pɔː r-/ N‑UNCOUNT Porridge is a thick sticky food made from oats cooked in water or milk and eaten hot, especially for breakfast. [mainly BRIT ] in AM, usually use oatmeal
port ◆◇◇ /pɔː r t/ (ports )
1 N‑COUNT A port is a town by the sea or on a river, which has a harbour. □ Port-Louis is an attractive little fishing port. □ …the Mediterranean port of Marseilles.
2 N‑COUNT [oft N n] A port is a harbour area where ships load and unload goods or passengers. □ …the bridges which link the port area to the city centre.
3 N‑COUNT A port on a computer is a place where you can attach another piece of equipment, for example a printer. [COMPUTING ]
4 ADJ In sailing, the port side of a ship is the left side when you are on it and facing towards the front. [TECHNICAL ] □ Her official number is carved on the port side of the forecabin. ● N‑UNCOUNT [usu to N ] Port is also a noun. □ USS Ogden turned to port.
5 N‑UNCOUNT Port is a type of strong, sweet red wine. □ He asked for a glass of port after dinner.
port|able /pɔː r təb ə l/ (portables )
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A portable machine or device is designed to be easily carried or moved. □ There was a little portable television switched on behind the bar. ● port|abil|ity /pɔː r təb I l I ti/ N‑UNCOUNT □ When it came to choosing photographic equipment portability was as important as reliability.
2 N‑COUNT A portable is something such as a television, radio, or computer which can be easily carried or moved. □ We bought a colour portable for the bedroom.
Por|ta|ka|bin /pɔː r təkæb I n/ (Portakabins ) N‑COUNT A Portakabin is a small building that can be moved by truck and that can be used for a short period of time, for example as a temporary office. [TRADEMARK ]
por|tal /pɔː r t ə l/ (portals )
1 N‑COUNT A portal is a large impressive doorway at the entrance to a building. [LITERARY ] □ I went in through the royal portal.
2 N‑COUNT On the internet, a portal is a site that consists of links to other websites. [COMPUTING ]
port|cul|lis /pɔː r tkʌ l I s/ (portcullises ) N‑COUNT A portcullis is a strong gate above an entrance to a castle and used to be lowered to the ground in order to keep out enemies.
por|tend /pɔː r te nd/ (portends , portending , portended ) VERB If something portends something, it indicates that it is likely to happen in the future. [FORMAL ] □ [V n] The change did not portend a basic improvement in social conditions.
por|tent /pɔː r tent/ (portents ) N‑COUNT A portent is something that indicates what is likely to happen in the future. [FORMAL ] □ [+ of ] The savage civil war there could be a portent of what's to come in the rest of the region.
por|ten|tous /pɔː r te ntəs/
1 ADJ If someone's way of speaking, writing, or behaving is portentous , they speak, write, or behave more seriously than necessary because they want to impress other people. [FORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ There was nothing portentous or solemn about him. He was bubbling with humour. □ …portentous prose. ● por|ten|tous|ly ADV [usu ADV with v] □ 'The difference is,' he said portentously, 'you are Anglo-Saxons, we are Latins.'
2 ADJ Something that is portentous is important in indicating or affecting future events. [FORMAL ] □ The city's contribution to 20th century thought and culture was no less portentous.