Emily Dickinson Lexicon

pedigree, n. [Fr. pie de grue, crane's foot.] (webplay: lineage).

1. Prestigious bloodline; family connections; documentation of belonging to a reputable lineage; [fig.] social status; proof of important position in society.
2. Ancestry; [fig.] origin; source.
3. [Fig.] beginning; birth; genesis; dawning; period of creation.

peel (-s), v. [Variant form of pill < late OE peolien.]

Strip; uncover; expose; lay bare; [fig.] disembody; rob of mortality.

peep (-ed), v. [Origin obscure.] (webplay: eye, flowers, look).

1. Arise; awake; begin to appear; emerge from concealment.
2. Watch carefully; observe secretly; look through a small opening.

peer (-ed, -ing, -s), v. [Origin uncertain.] (webplay: realm, roads).

1. Inspect; scrutinize; look at attentively; watch carefully; observe stealthily.
2. Look; stare; fix eyesight on.
3. Match; rival; equal; parallel.
4. Peep; peek; gaze discretely.

peerless, adj. [ME < OFr per.]

Unequaled; matchless; supreme; crowning; ultimate; paramount; superior to all others.

peevish, adj. [Origin unknown.] (webplay: childish).

1. Distracted; inattentive; preoccupied; fidgety.
2. Petulant; whining; impatient; fretful; restless.

peg, n. [Poss. of LG origin.]

Nail; hook; hanger; small wooden dowel attached to a wall which serves as a place to hang objects.

pelf, n. [ME < OFr pelfre, to spoil, pilfer.]

Wealth; riches; gain; [fig.] undeserved praise; unmerited recognition.

pellet (-s), n. [Fr. pelote < L. pila, ball.]

1. Crumb; morsel; bit; small piece.
2. Sphere; ball.

pelt (-eth), v. [Origin uncertain peloter or contracted from pellet.]

Shower; cover; bestow upon abundantly.