poteen (also po-theen) /pa'tiin; pa'tjiin/ noun [u] (IrishE) strong alcoholic drink made illegally, usually from potatoes \>rm ( )

potency /'pautnsi; NAmE ‘pou-/ noun [u, C] (pi. -ies) 1 the power that sb/sth has to affect your body or mind nfi Jl;          fkfj: the potency of desire

W X tl 0 If you keep a medicine too long, it may lose its potency.     <,       2 the

ability of a man to have sex ( ffMM

po tent /'pautnt; NAmE 'pou-/ adj. 1 having a strong effect on your body or mind  ;h (tfj;

W ; 12 A-'k W : a potent drug o a very potent alcoholic brew     0 a potent argument

2 powerful W; !$# dl (ft: a potent force Ift/jit — see also impotent ► po-tent-ly adv. po-ten-tate /'pautnteit; NAmE 'pou-/ noun (literary, often disapproving) a ruler who has a lot of power, especially when this is not restricted by a parliament, etc. IfiLtjX. i

po ten tial 0"w /pa'tenjl/ ad/., noun m adj. [only before noun] that can develop into sth or be developed in the future W ; nj HE (Hi ETI71 pos­sible : potential customers if (ft % f* 0 a potential source of conflict M # (ft ^ IS M o a potential prime minister ^ ^ £ft It +1 o First we need to identify actual and potential problems, f %, fi        ^ # ft ^      |o] IS

ft] (ft l'f] IS o ► po-ten-tial-ly /-J*ali/ adv.: a poten­tially dangerous situation

noun 1 [U] ~ (for/for doing sth) the possibility of sth happening or being developed or used nj t£ '14 ; if f£ 14: the potential for change $ $ (ft of 0 The Euro­pean marketplace offers excellent potential for increasing sales.    2 [U] qualities

that exist and can be developed if j] ; if Pin promise : All children should be encouraged to realize their full potential. JtWJrWlftJL^m^mMlIft tio 0 She has great potential as an artist.       if

it, Ik—jft^i^ttfft   0 He has the potential to

become a world-class musician. iteWif       it

fcMo O The house has a lot of potential, j&lt J^~if MJir if i 0     3 [U, C] {physics #j) the difference in voltage

between two points in an electric field or circuit ■it;

po tential 'energy noun [U] {physics #/) the form of energy that an object gains as it is lifted po-ten-ti-al-ity /pa.tenj’i'aelati/ noun {pi. -ies) (formal) a power or a quality that exists and is capable of being developed if i;; if £ (ft pf fIs 14: We often underesti­mate our potentialities.      S B£ft?f j]„

potentiometer /pa1tenj’i'Dmita(r); NAmE -'aim-/ noun 1 a device for measuring differences in electrical potential ffe H i+; IK 2a device for varying electrical resistance, used, for example, in volume controls

potheen = poteen

pot-hole /'pDthaul; NAmE 'parthoul/ noun 1 a large rough hole in the surface of a road that is formed by traffic and bad weather ( l&ilqfft ) htii 2 a deep hole that is formed in rock, especially by the action of water

M; mx

pot-hol ing /'pnthauliq; NAmE 'paithoulirj/ {BrEj noun [U] = caving : to go potholing £ U PJ 7C ► pot-holer noun = caver

po-tion /'paujn; NAmE 'poujn/ noun {literary) a drink of medicine or poison; a liquid with magic powers gjtk;

H /K: a magic/love potion UtK;    o

{humorous) I’ve tried all sorts of drugs, creams, pills and potions.

potjie /'poiki/ noun {SAfrE) 1 a round pot, usually with three legs, that is made from cast iron and used for cooking food slowly over a fire    ( ifi#

) 2 a meal that is prepared in a pot like this SX #6: a chicken potjie ikn/cfft

•im,

pot liquor noun [U] {especially US) the liquid in which meat, fish, or vegetables have been cooked |£] y+; %

Mm

1547

pot-luck /pnt'lAk; NAmE part-/ noun {NAmE) a meal to which each guest brings some food , which is then shared out among the guests   ( # In #

' pot plant noun (BrE) = house plant pot-pourri /.paupu'ri:; NAmE ,pou-/ noun (from French) 1 [U, C] a mixture of dried flowers and leaves used for making a room smell pleasant W#:# (

fftjftf^ ) 2 [sing.] a mixture of various things that were not originally intended to form a group

Mffi: a potpourri of tunes

' pot roast noun a piece of meat cooked with vegetables in a pot  ► pot-roast verb [VN]

pot-shot /'pDtJnt; NAmE 'paitjait/ (also pot) noun {informal) a shot that sb fires without aiming carefully #Lft; W @ ttir: Somebody took a potshot at him as he drove past. imt-MUmm, tAl^]Mff7-to o (figurative) The newspapers took constant potshots at (= criticized) the president.

pot tage /'pDtid3; NAmE 'part-/ noun [U] (old use) soup or

STEW %\

potted /'pntid; NAmE 'part-/ adj. [only before noun]

1                  planted in a pot &  : potted plants M ffi WU

2                  (BrE) (of a book, or a story 4$ ft ♦) in a short

simple form ftf ^ ^  : a potted history of

England =. fki X 3 (BrE) potted meat or fish has been cooked and preserved in a small container ( ft,

mm)

pot-ter /'pDta(r); NAmE 'part-/ verb, noun m verb (BrE) (NAmE putt-er) [V + adv./prep.] to do things or move without hurrying, especially when you are doing sth that you enjoy and that is not important /AI?lift#;

; /'!'£•; I spent the day pottering around

the house.

u noun a person who makes clay pots by hand pf|I .potter’s 'wheel noun a piece of equipment with a flat disc that goes around, on which potters put wet clay in order to shape it into pots pii|^ (     )

pot-tery /'pntari; NAmE 'part-/ noun {pi. -ies) 1 [U] pots, dishes, etc. made with clay that is baked in an oven, especially when they are made by hand pSjjH ( Xfla ^ I fffl W ) : Roman pottery 3?          Rtf#! W PU #loa piece of

pottery —  2 [U] the clay that some dishes and

pots are made of PS| ± : a jug made of blue-glazed pottery —   3 [U] the skill of making pots and

dishes from clay, especially by hand §'J PSj ^ zt; M PSj E: a pottery class PSl ztgf 4 [C] a place where clay pots and dishes are made W£r; Wtl-Xr*

'potting compost noun [u] good quality soil, used for growing plants in flower pots      ±

'potting shed noun (BrE) a small building where seeds and young plants are grown in pots before they are planted outside

potto /'pntau; NAmE 'paitou/ noun {pi. -os) an animal like a monkey with a pointed face, found in tropical W Africa         )

potty /'poti; NAmE 'paiti/ adj., noun

■                  adj. (BrE, informal, becoming old-fashioned) 1 crazy

; SRtt W: The kids are driving me potty!

'. 2 ~ about sb/sth liking sb/sth a lot

■                  noun {pi. -ies) (informal) a bowl that very young children

use when they are too small to use a toilet ( )

— compare chamber pot

'potty-train verb [VN] to teach a small child to use a potty or toilet       'potty-trained

adj. potty-training noun [U]

pouch /pautJV noun 1 a small bag, usually made of leather, and often carried in a pocket or attached to a belt  $ril: a tobacco pouch    0 She kept

her money in a pouch around her neck.

2a large bag for carrying letters, espe­cially official ones —see also diplomatic pouch at diplomatic bag 3 a pocket of skin on the stomach of some female marsupial animals, such as kanga­roos, in which they carry their young (     0