Emily Dickinson Lexicon

ponder (-ed, -ing, -s), v. [ME < OFr < L. ponderāre, weigh < pondus, weight.] (webplay: decision, heart, heaviness, mind, think, weigh).

1. Think (about); muse (on); contemplate; consider.
2. Imagine; conjecture; postulate.
3. Stop to think; pause to contemplate.
4. Wonder; query; question; desire to know.

ponderous, adj. [Fr. pondéreux < L. ponderōsus; see ponder, v.] (webplay: feet, weights).

1. Bulky; huge; grave; dull; tedious; daunting; intimidating; overwhelming.
2. Heavy; weighty; serious; concerned with important matters; [fig.] preoccupied; lost in thought.
3. Slow; dense; deliberate; sluggish; laborious.

ponderous, adv. [see ponderous, adj.]

Slowly; densely; deliberately; sluggishly; laboriously.

Pontius, proper n. [see Pilate, Pontius.]

pontoon, n. [Fr. ponton, flat-bottomed boat < L. ponto, a punt, floating bridge, pontoon < pont-em, bridge.]

Ferry; skiff; small, flat-bottomed boat; buoyant structure used to support a floating bridge.

pool (-s), n. [OE pól.] (webplay: basin, place, stagnant, standing, water).

1. Pond; small lake; shallow body of water.
2. Puddle; small collection of rainwater.
3. Basin; reservoir; cistern; collection; accumulation.
4. Swamp; bog; marsh.

poor (-er, -est), adj. [ME < OFr < L. pauper, poor.] (webplay: comfortable, composition, day, ground, grows, health, heart, land, life, little, night, people, pitiable, pretty, rich, small, spirit, sufficient, tenderness, thing, unhappy, wealth, wholly, without, woman, words).

1. Destitute; needy; penniless; without possession; lacking personal property.
2. Pitiable; unfortunate; pathetic; hapless; wretched.
3. Inferior; paltry; inadequate; deficient; insufficient; unsatisfactory; less than ideal.
4. [Fig.] bereaved; deprived of a loved one; dispossessed of the companionship of a close friend.

poor, n. [see poor, adj.] (webplay: day, house, little, night).

Beggars; paupers; less fortunate people; homeless wanderers; needy individuals; destitute persons; those lacking shelter.

pope, n. [OE pápa < L. < late Gk πάππας, father.] (webplay: first).

Bishop of Rome; head of the Roman Catholic Church; highest leader in a religious group; [fig.] respected dignitary; exalted leader.

Popocatapetl, proper n. [ED's spelling of Popocatépetl < Nahuatl (Aztec) popocani, to smoke + tepetl, mountain.]

Volcano in central Mexico; towering volatile peak; mountain capable of erupting in spectacular flames and lava flow; [fig.] passion; heat; warmth; vitality; love; strong affection; deep feelings; dynamic activity.