Emily Dickinson Lexicon

pea, n. [ME pease < OE pise < L. pisa. ME singular pease reinterpreted as plural, creating the new singular pea cerca 1600.] (webplay: fruit, pod).

Unattainable fruit; small round legume encased in a pod; [fig.] thing that is desirable because it is off limits.

peace, n. [ME pais < OFr pais.] (webplay: death, die, earth, heaven, interruption, life, neighbors, peace-parted, press, riots, rural, sacrifice, scenes, slept, speak, suppress, thoughts, troubled).

1. Tranquility; freedom from pain; absence of suffering; serenity of mind.
2. Silence; stillness; quiet.
3. Bliss; ecstasy; rapture; supreme joy.
4. Absence of war.
5. Freedom from regret; absence of remorse.
6. Calm weather; quiet period after a storm.
7. [Fig.] eternal rest.
8. [Fig.] immortality; resurrection; life after death.
9. [Fig.] death.

peaceful, adj. [see peace, n.] (webplay: break, silent).

Calm; quiet; serene; tranquil; undisturbed; [fig.] related to death; free from the cares of mortal existence.

peacock (-'s), n. [ME pê- < OE péa + OE cocc.] (webplay: feather).

1. Large fowl with richly colored tail feathers.
2. Meadow; garden; landscape of brightly colored spring flowers.
3. Fan of iridescence; [fig.] sunset; the sun as it sinks toward the horizon in the evening.

peak (-s), n. [ME pīk, pike < OE piic.]

Top; summit; pinnacle; extremity; highest region.

peal, n. [ME pele < apele, appeal.]

Signal; ringing; music; song; tolling of bells to usher in; crowing of the rooster at dawn.

pearl, adj. [see pearl, n.] (webplay: softly).

Transparent; white; celestial; adorned with pearls; [fig.] deceased; immortal.

pearl (-s), n. [ME < Fr. perle.] (webplay: adorn, continent, dew, divers, drop, roundish, seas, shell, shores, silvery, smooth, softer, water, white, yields).

1. Valuable white gem; precious iridescent bead; highly treasured jewel extracted by divers from oysters in the depths of the sea.
2. Jewel used to adorn the dead.
3. Mysterious gem formed imperceptibly beneath the ocean; object hidden from the view and knowledge of mankind.
4. Lustrous white decorative matter; celestial material of heavenly whiteness [as that which adorns the “pearly gates” of heaven.]
5. Wedding ring; [fig.] honorable name; marriage vow; gift of love; joy resulting from wifehood; symbol of status as a married woman in society.
6. [Fig.] immortality.
7. [Fig.] treasure; prize; precious object; valuable thing; wealth; riches.
8. [Fig.] joyous moment; precious time of happiness in mortality.
9. [Fig.] iridescent thread spun by a spider.
10. [Fig.] silvery seawater.
11. Prize; treasure; natural gem; [fig.] love; gospel; promise of redemption; great risk that yields enormous gain; [allusion] see Browning's Paracelsus.
12. [Fig.] precious flowers; beautiful blooms.
13. [Fig.] rich melody; exquisite music.
14. Gift; [fig.] being; precious soul; beloved person; rare opportunity to love and be loved.

pearly, adj. [see pearl, n.]

Iridescent; lustrous; shimmering; silvery.

peasant (-s), n. [AFr paisant < L. pāgensis, the country.]

1. Commoner; layperson; lowly being; one who holds no title or rank.
2. Inhabitant; resident; dweller; native citizen.