powerwash
The process of resetting a Chromebook or any other ChromeOS device to its factory settings, by deleting all data from the unit.
Entries starting with P
582 entries.
ppi
nounManufacturing
Initialism of picks per inch
PPL
Initialism of private pilot licence.
PPT
nounManufacturing
Initialism of parts per trillion.
PPU
Initialism of physics processing unit, a dedicated microprocessor designed to handle the calculations of physics.
PPV
Initialism of positive-pressure ventilation.
PQ
Initialism of picture quality.
practical completion
nounConstruction
In a construction contract, the point at which the property can be occupied and used. Typically, half of the retention monies are released, the contractor's potential liability for liquidated damages ends and the defects rectification period begins.
prebaking
surface modification by heating prior to another operation
preboard
verbManufacturing
To set the shape of (a garment, especially a stocking) by heating on a form or board before dyeing.
preburner
A combustion chamber of a bipropellant rocket engine.
preconnect
A hose with one end ready connected to a pump outlet.
precursor
adjectiveElectrical engineering
Caused by the following symbol.
predraft
verbManufacturing
To pull fibers slightly out of the top or roving prior to spinning.
prefade
verbManufacturing
To give (clothing, etc.) a faded appearance at the time of manufacture.
prefix
A set of digits placed before a telephone number, to indicate where the number is based, what type of phone number it is (landline, mobile, toll-free, premium rate etc.)
preignition
nounAutomotive
The premature detonation of a fuel charge in Four-stroke cycle engines.
premier
The first lieutenant or other second-in-command officer of a ship.
premium
adjectiveAutomotive
High-end; belonging to the market segment between mid-market and luxury.
prescaler
A counting circuit used to reduce a high-frequency electrical signal to a lower frequency by integer division.
preselector
A manual gearbox designed so that the manual shift lever preselects the next gear to be used and a separate pedal is used to engage it, without needing to work a manual clutch.
presentity
An entity (usually a human) which provides information about its presence (whether it is available and willing to communicate through communication services).
preset
A kind of variable resistor designed to have its resistance set while building the circuit, and then left at that value.
presplit
To shape the outcome of an explosive blast by forming cracks in advance.
press
To activate a button or key by exerting a downward or forward force on it, and then releasing it.
press box
nounManufacturing
In a cotton gin, the box in which lint is compacted by a tramper.
press proof
The last proof for correction before sending to press.
presser foot
The part of a sewing machine which rests on the fabric and presses it down upon the table of the machine and against the feed dog.
pressfeeder
A person employed to feed material into a printing press.
pressing cloth
A cloth used to protect textiles from forming a shine when ironed.
pressure wire
Any of a set of wires leading from various points of an electrical system to a central station, where a voltmeter indicates the potential of the system at those points.
prestress
verbConstruction
To apply stress to structural components in order to produce a tension that counteracts the loads to which the component is subjected in its designed use.
pretension
verbConstruction
To apply tension to reinforcing strands before concrete is poured in.
pretrigger
adjectiveIndustrial electronics
Prior to the activation of a trigger.
PRI
Initialism of primary rate interface.
prick
Usually in the form prick out: to plant (seeds or seedlings) in holes made in soil at regular intervals.
primary
A directly driven inductive coil, as in a transformer or induction motor that is magnetically coupled to a secondary.
primary rate interface
an ISDN service delivered over T1, E1 or J1 datalines, with delivery of connections between 1472 kilobits per second and 1984 kilobits per second (kibibits)
primary time standard
A time standard that does not require calibration against another time standard.
prime implicant
A group of related 0's (implicant) on a Karnaugh map which is not subsumed by any other implicant (of 0's) in the same map.
prime mover
nounAutomotive
Tractor unit. Or, more specifically, the front part of a semi-trailer type truck, i.e., the tractor to which the trailer part attaches.
princeps
The editio princeps, or first edition of a book.
princess cut
A garment style in which vertical panels of material are shaped to follow the outline of the figure.
printcloth
nounManufacturing
Cloth with a printed pattern.
printed circuit board
A flat board that holds chips and other electronic components in layers that interconnect by means of copper pathways, often called traces.
printer
The operator of a printing press or the owner of a printing business; (metonymic) any printing business.
printer's ream
Twenty-one and a half quires of paper, i.e. 516 sheets.
printer-friendly
adjectiveIndustrial printing
Of a document or layout, suitable for printing, without any extraneous formatting, images, etc.
printing paper
Any type of paper designed for use in printing processes, excluding newsprint.
priority
Right of way; The right to pass (an intersection) before other road users.
prism
nounConstruction
A polyhedron with parallel ends of the same polygonal shape and size, the other faces being parallelogram-shaped sides.
prism train
A series of dioptric prisms used with a spectroscope to increase dispersion.
prismatic colors
Colors visible when white light is split in a prism.
prismatic colours
Colours visible when white light is split in a prisma.
private branch exchange
A telecommunications switching system, physically located at a customer's place of business, that provides internal communication between users and also access to outside (trunk) telephone lines.
private siding
nounRail equipment
a railway siding owned by a company, also possibly served by their own locomotive, which is connected to and served by a railway, but is not part of the railway's infrastructure.
PRMS
Initialism of Petroleum Resources Management System.
PRNDL
The gearstick in a car with automatic transmission.
probe
A tube attached to an aircraft which can be fitted into the drogue from a tanker aircraft to allow for aerial refuelling.
probe-and-drogue
adjectiveAviation maintenance
Pertaining to a method of aerial refuelling whereby a probe from the receiving aircraft fits into a trailing hose with drogue attachment from a tanker aircraft.