position or the greatest power M ft AHAGA China’s paramount leader AH^Jftft^-^A ► para-mount-cy /-mauntsi/ noun [U] paramour /'paeramua(r); NAmE -mor/ noun (old- fashioned or literary) a person that sb is having a romantic or sexual relationship with If A; If #3; ‘If A PW71 LOVER

para noia /.paera'noia/ noun [U] 1 (medical @E) a mental illness in which a person may wrongly believe that other people are trying to harm them, that they are sb very important, etc.       2 (informal) fear or

suspicion of other people when there is no evidence or reason for this ( Xt#]AW ) para noid /'paeranoid/ adj., noun m adj. (also less frequent para noiac /.paera'nonk; -'noiaek/)

1                  afraid or suspicious of other people and believing

that they are trying to harm you, in a way that is not reasonable        : She’s getting really para­

noid about what other people say about her. M M M AM&SU'JAftfMft*      o note at afraid

2                  suffering from a mental illness in which you wrongly

believe that other people are trying to harm you or that you are very important &      para­noid delusions fii        0 paranoid schizophrenia H W.

O a paranoid killer          A

noun (also para noiac /.paera'nonk; -’noiaek/) a person who suffers from paranoia

para-normal /.paera'noiml; NAmE -'norrml/ adj. 1 that cannot be explained by science or reason and that seems to involve mysterious forces M ; A f4 jS M p™ supernatural 2 the para­normal noun [sing.] events or subjects that are para­normal HUlf# ( I&Tf M ) pgm THE SUPERNATURAL para-pet /'paerapit; -pet/ noun a low wall along the edge of a bridge, a roof, etc. to stop people from falling K/ if* £1         : (figurative) He was not prepared to put his

head above the parapet and say what he really thought (= he did not want to risk doing it).

paraphernalia /.paerafa'neilia; NAmE also -far'ri-/ noun [U] a large number of objects or personal possessions, especially the equipment that you need for a particular activity (     Alfcffl

m, fA A#J(5r : skiing paraphernalia      0 an elec­

tric kettle and all the paraphernalia for making tea and coffee

para-phrase /‘paerafreiz/ verb, noun m verb to express what sb has said or written using different words, especially in order to make it easier to understand (  ) mm, WX, MW:

[VN] Try to paraphrase the question before you answer it. [alsoV]

noun a statement that expresses sth that sb has written or said using different words, especially in order to make it easier to understand       H#

para ple gia /,paer0'pli:d38/ noun [u] paralysis (= loss of control or feeling) in the legs and lower body ;

t Mmm

para ple gic /,paer0'pli:d3ik/ noun a person who suffers from paraplegia #c$£-fpfA;        para-ple-gic

adj.

para-psych-ology /,paerasai'kDl0d3i; NAmE -'kail-/ noun [U] the study of mental powers that seem to exist but that cannot be explained by scientific knowledge A A

paraquat /'paerakwrrt; NAmE -kwa:t/ noun [u] an extremely poisonous liquid used to kill plants that are growing where they are not wanted ( JgiJH )    ;

IM

para sail ing /'paeraseihrj/ noun [U] the sport of being pulled up into the air behind a boat while wearing a special parachute

par-as-cend-ing /'paerasendirj/ noun [U] (BrE) a sport in which you wear a parachute and are pulled along behind a boat, car, etc. so that you rise up into the air (         31 M togoparas-

cending

1445

para-site /'paerasait/ noun 1 a small animal or plant that lives on or inside another animal or plant and gets its food from it ; Ar   2 (disap­

proving) a person who always relies on or benefits from other people and gives nothing back IfAA; #c$MtfeA

para sit ic /.paBra'sitik/ (also less frequent para-sit-ical /.paera'sitikl/) adj. 1 caused by a parasite W: a parasitic disease/infection #r    /

^ A 2 living on another animal or plant and getting its food from it         Eft: a parasitic mite

3                  (disapproving) (of a person A) always relying on or benefiting from other people and giving nothing back If £   ; 'f&UffeA&tJ ► para-sit-ic-al-ly /-kli / adv.

para-sol /’paerasDl; NAmE -soil; -sail/ noun 1 a type of light umbrella that women in the past carried to protect themselves from the sun (IBftfEft )

2 a large umbrella that is used for example on beaches or outside restaurants to protect people from hot sun (     ) AiSPH^ —compare

sunshade(I)

para-statal /.paera'steitl/ adj. (technical A it) (of an organization #1 $j) having some political power and serving the state

para-taxis /.paera'taeksis/ noun [U] (grammar iff A) the placing of clauses and phrases one after the other, without words to link them or show their relationship A^isi#?»J;  — compare hypotaxis

par-atha /pa'raita/ noun a type of S Asian bread made without yeast, usually fried on a griddle Ml# ( AASf,

paratrooper /‘paer0tru:pa(r)/ (also informal para) noun a member of the paratroops A A; para-troops /'paerotruips/ noun [pi.] soldiers who are trained to jump from planes using a parachute

► para-troop adj. [only before noun]: a paratroop regiment

par-boil /'parboil; NAmE 'pairb-/ verb [VN] to boil food, especially vegetables, until it is partly cooked ( Atei#

BM)

par-cel /'pa:sl; NAmE 'parrsl/ noun, verb mnoun 1 (especially BrE) (NAmE usually pack-age) some­thing that is wrapped in paper or put into a thick envelope so that it can be sent by mail, carried easily, or given as a present &M', /MU: There’s a parcel and. some letters for you. ^"14 Eft —„ 0 She was carrying a parcel of books under her arm. M8&TA O The prisoners were allowed food parcels. 0 3En]‘IAliik;#tl/Mo 2 a piece of land — r-tfjfe: 50 five-acre parcels have already been sold.          ifeEft

±A BA 50 J#0 1177771 see part n. m verb (especially BrE) (-II-, NAmE -I-) [VN] ~ sth (up) to wrap sth up and make it into a parcel        h'&: She

parcelled up the books to send.

Ao     .parcel sth<-'out to divide sth into parts or

between several people f&XWfrfF;      ( &JLAA

£|b] ) ft : The land was parcelled out into small lots. &

'parcel bomb noun a bomb that is sent to sb in a package and that explodes when the package is opened

parch /pa:tj; NAmE parrtj/ verb [VN] (especially of hot weather A-Hi XH) to make an area of land very dry

parched /partjt; NAmE pairtjt/ adj. 1 very dry, espe­cially because the weather is hot M A tf); B® M A: dry parched land        o soil parched by drought AP-Sfe

licked her parched lips. T W; A M W M. IS o 2 (informal) very thirsty ; WM

61): Let’s get a drinkI’m parched.        3%

.parched 'rice noun [U] rice that has been pressed flat and dried, used in Asian cooking AAA ( HAAIi ) Par-cheesi™ /pa:'tji:zi; NAmE pair'tj-/ noun [U] (NAmE) = LUDO