protector, n. defender, guardian, patron.

proud, a. arrogant, vain, haughty, overbearing, supercilious, cavalier, overweening, disdainful, imperious, lordly, magisterial, contumelious.  Antonyms:  meek, humble.

proud flesh. granulation, fungus.

provable, a. demonstrable.

prove, v. verify, corroborate, substantiate, demonstrate.  Antonyms:  disprove, refute.

proverb, n. aphorism, maxim, saw, adage.  See saying.

provide, v. supply, furnish; stipulate, covenant, agree; cater, purvey.

provider, n. furnisher, caterer, purveyor, provisor.

provoke, v. incite, stimulate, instigate, rouse; exasperate, displease, aggravate, offend.

prowess, n. bravery, intrepidity, valor.

prudence, n. discretion, caution.

prudent, a. discreet, cautious, circumspect, provident.  Antonyms:  imprudent, incautious.

pry, n. lever; leverage.—­v. prize; gaze, inspect.

puberty, n.  Associated Words:  puberal, pubescence, pubescent, hebetic, impuberal.

publish, v. promulgate, proclaim, circulate, blazon, announce.  Antonyms:  suppress, withhold.

publisher’s inscription. colophon, impress, imprint.

pucker, v. crease, corrugate, cockle, purse, wrinkle.

pucker, n. crease, corrugation, cockle, wrinkle; (Colloq.) confusion, bother, perplexity.

puckery, a. astringent.

puddle, n. pool, plashet, plash.

puerile, a. childish, silly, trifling.

puke, v. vomit.

pull, v. draw, tug, haul, tow, drag; pluck, jerk, twitch.

pulverize, v. triturate, comminute, levigate, bray.

pump, v. interrogate, question, quiz.

pun, n. paragram.

punch, v. push, poke; pierce, bore, perforate, puncture.

puncture, v. prick, perforate, pierce.

pungent, a. pricking, stinging; poignant, sharp, excruciating, severe.

punish, v. chastise, castigate, chasten, discipline.

punishment, n. chastisement, castigation, scourging, discipline, penalty, visitation, retaliation, retribution, infliction.  Antonyms:  immunity, impunity, acquittal, exoneration.  Associated Words:  penal, penology, punitive, penologist, penological, reprieve, commute, commutation, Nemesis, connivance.

punning, n. paronomasia.

puny, a. undeveloped, small, undersized, diminutive, stunted, atrophied, feeble.

pup, n. puppy, whelp.

pupil, n. scholar; learner, disciple, catechumen, neophyte, tyro, novice, probationer.

pupilage, n. nonage, minority.

puppy, n. pup, whelp; coxcomb, dandy, fop.

purchasable, a. venal.

purchase, v. buy.

pure, a. chaste, virtuous, innocent, undefiled, unpolluted, inviolated, unspotted, immaculate, virgin, incorrupt, impeccable, inviolable; unadulterated, unalloyed, unsophisticated, simple, refined, genuine, uncontaminated.  Antonyms:  See impure.