Glossary
Terms starting with P
374 definitions · page 6 of 7.
- primary area
- In a movement in sonata form, the first stage in an exposition; establishes the tonic key with one or more themes.
- PRIMARY COMPANY
- In a reinsurance transaction, the insurance company that is reinsured.
- PRIMARY FUEL
- Fuel consumed in the original production of energy, before conversion takes place.
- primary lens
- a telescope's main lens which gathers light and brings it to a focus
- PRIMARY MARKET
- Market for new issue securities where the proceeds go directly to the issuer.
- primary mirror
- a telescope's main mirror which gathers light and brings it to a focus
- PRIME INTEREST RATE
- The interest rate charged to customers of a bank who have the best credit, and is a reference point for other loan rates given by the bank.
- prime meridian
- the line of longitude that runs through Greenwich, England
- PRIME RATE
- Interest rate that banks charge to their most creditworthy customers. Banks set this rate according to their cost of funds and market forces.
- Princess Cut
- A princess cut is a style in which diamonds and other gems are cut that is square or rectangular in shape. Princess-cut stones can have between 57 and 70 facets and varying proportions.
- princess seams
- Seams that can be found in the front or the back of a garment that create a form-fitting shape.
- Principal Applicant
- The person named in the petition. For example, an American citizen may file a petition for his married daughter to immigrate to the United States. His daughter will be the principal applicant, and her family members will get visas from her position. They…
- PRIOR APPROVAL STATES
- States where insurance companies must file proposed rate changes with state regulators, and gain approval before they can go into effect.
- Priority Date
- The priority date decides a person's turn to apply for an immigrant visa. In family immigration the priority date is the date when the petition was filed at a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) office or submitted to an Embassy or Consulate abroad. In…
- prism
- a wedge-shaped piece of glass that breaks white light into its constituent colors
- PRIVATE PLACEMENT
- Securities that are not registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission and are sold directly to investors.
- Private Sector
- A business that is engaged in private enterprise and that is free from government ownership.
- Probate Court
- The probate court is the division of the state's court system that has general charge of decedent's estates and their settlements. In general, the probate division of the court will oversee the liquidation of decedent's estates, making provisions for the…
- PRODUCT LIABILITY
- A section of tort law that determines who may sue and who may be sued for damages when a defective product injures someone. No uniform federal laws guide manufacturer’s liability, but under strict liability, the injured party can hold the manufacturer…
- PRODUCT LIABILITY INSURANCE
- Protects manufacturers’ and distributors’ exposure to lawsuits by people who have sustained bodily injury or property damage through the use of the product.
- PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY INSURANCE
- Covers professionals for negligence and errors or omissions that injure their clients.
- Profiterole
- A small bun made with choux pastry, filled with crème pâtissière and dipped in melted chocolate. A croquembouche is a traditional French wedding cake consisting of a cone-shaped tower of profiteroles glazed in caramel rather than chocolate. It’s also…
- prograde
- objects that move or appear to move in the same direction of most solar system bodies, or for moons, the same direction as the planet rotates
- program music
- An instrumental work associated explicitly by the composer with a story or other extramusical idea.
- PROGRAMMABLE CONTROLLER
- A device that controls the operation of electrical equipment (such as air conditioning units and lights) according to a preset time schedule.
- Programmable On Off Timer
- Allows you to program your TV set to turn itself on and off at a selected channel and at designated times every day. You can alert yourself to the start of a desired program by having the TV come on with sufficient volume to attract your attention, or you…
- Progressive Scan Doubler
- Used to display a full frame of video in 1/60th of a second. Essentially, it de-interlaces the incoming video signal and progressively scans the image. With progressive scanning, you generally won't see the horizontal scan lines that are sometimes visible in…
- Projection TV Set (PTV)
- A term for a big screen TV that uses lenses to project video images on a screen. Rear projection models are one-piece. Front projection systems have a separate projector and screen.
- prominence
- a large eruption of gas streaming off the surface of the sun into the corona
- Prong
- A prong is one of several claw-like wires that is used to hold a stone in place. The most common number of prongs is four or six, although the number can vary depending on the shape of the stone they are securing.
- PROOF OF LOSS
- Documents showing the insurance company that a loss occurred.
- PROPANE
- A gas that is both present in natural gas and refined from crude oil. It is used for heating, lighting and industrial applications. See also LPG.
- proper motion
- the apparent yearly motion of a star across the sky
- Proper of the Mass
- The parts of the Mass that vary from day to day according to the church calendar.
- PROPERTY CASUALTY INSURANCE
- Covers damage to or loss of policyholders’ property and legal liability for damages caused to other people or their property. Property/casualty insurance, which includes auto, homeowners and commercial insurance, is one segment of the insurance industry. The…
- PROPERTY CASUALTY INSURANCE CYCLE
- Industry business cycle with recurrent periods of hard and soft market conditions. In the 1950s and 1960s, cycles were regular with three year periods each of hard and soft market conditions in almost all lines of property/casualty insurance. Since then they…
- PROPOSITION 103
- A November 1988 California ballot initiative that called for a statewide auto insurance rate rollback and for rates to be based more on driving records and less on geographical location. The initiative changed many aspects of the state’s insurance system and…
- Prosciutto
- Prosciutto means 'ham' in Italian and is a term particularly used to describe ham that has been seasoned, cured and air-dried. 'Prosciutto cotto' is cooked and 'Prosciutto crudo' is raw although, because it has been salt-cured, it's ready to eat. Prosciutto…
- Proselytizing
- Attempting to convert (change) a person from one religious faith to another.
- Protocol
- A set of rules by following which two parties can communicate. The TCP/IP protocol suite is the basis of todays Internet.
- proton
- a subatomic particle that resides in an atom’s nucleus and possesses a positive electric charge
- Proton (p)
- The most common hadron, a baryon with electric charge +1 equal and opposite to that of the electron. Protons have a basic structure of two up quarks and one down quark (bound together by gluons). The nucleus of a hydrogen atom is a proton. A nucleus with…
- protoplanet
- a body that is accreting gas, dust, and rocks en route to becoming a full-fledged planet
- protoplanetary disk
- a disk of gas and dust that surrounds a newborn star; planets form from collisions of particles inside the disk
- protostar
- a cloud of hot, dense gas and dust that is gravitationally collapsing to form a star
- Prototype
- A prototype is a trial model of a product in development. During the production process for a new product, it is not unusual to develop a prototypical model for fine tuning the product idea. Claims expected to be made about the product can be tested against…
- PROVIDER OF LAST RESORT
- A legal obligation(traditionally given to utilities) to provide service to a customer where competitors have decided they do not want that customer's business.
- Proxima Centauri
- the nearest star to the sun at a distance of 4.2 light-years
- Psoriasis
- A chronic disease of the skin consisting of itchy, dry, red patches, usually affecting the scalp or arms and legs. It may be treated with OTC or prescription medications.
- PSTN
- (Public Switched Telephone Network). The set of all the traditional telephone lines and all the infrastructure that comes with it.
- PUBLIC ADVISER
- A appointee of the governor who attends all meetings of the California Energy Commission and provides assistance to members of the public and intervenors in cases before the Commission.
- Public Charge
- Refers to becoming dependent upon the government for the expenses of living (food, shelter, clothing, etc.) An applicant is ineligible for a visa if he/she will be a public charge.
- PUBLIC INTEREST GOALS
- Public interest goals of electric utility regulation include: 1) inter-and intra-class and intergenerational equity); 2) the equal treatment of equals (horizontal equity); 3)balancing long- and short-term goals that have the potential to affect…
- Public Sector
- A section of the business community that is largely or wholly owned by the government.
- puckered bodice
- Usually associated with tube tops, it provides a scrunchy look.
- Puff pastry
- A very light pastry made in layers that expand when cooked, leaving large air pockets inside. Used for sweet or savoury dishes. Puff pastry can be bought ready-made either chilled or frozen. Look for all-butter varieties for the best flavour.
- puff sleeve pouf sleeve
- A full sleeve of varying lengths, created by generous gathering around the armhole.
- PUHCA
- The Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935. This act prohibits acquisition of any wholesale or retail electric business through a holding company unless that business forms part of an integrated public utility system when combined with the utility's…
- pulsar
- a rapidly rotating neutron star that bathes Earth in regular pulses of electromagnetic radiation
- PUMPED HYDROELECTRIC STORAGE
- Commercial method used for large-scale storage of power. During off-peak times, excess power is used to pump water to a reservoir. During peak times, the reservoir releases water to operate hydroelectric generators.