Browse by Title: P

perforate

In the context of oil drilling, perforation means punching a hole in the cemented casing tube of the oil well in order to reach down to the reservoir. This is normally…

perlite

A type of igneous rock that can form intrusively, under the earth’s crust, or as part of an extrusive flow of lava. Once perlite cools it breaks into concentric pieces…

petri dish

A shallow, see-through container used to cultivate living organisms in a laboratory setting.

petrified wood

Fossilized wood that is often banded in color, for which it is highly valued.Because of the fossilization process, which replaces organize materials with minerals,…

Petrolab, Inc.

A company that specializes in providing technical support, as well as testing instruments, for the petroleum and chemical industries. Petrolab also offers consultation…

petroleum

Petroleum occurs naturally near the earth's surface in liquid, gas, and solid forms. The word petroleum in Greek literally means rock oil. Petroluem is a naturally-…

peyote

Peyote is a small, spineless cactus found in Mexico and Texas. When ingested, the plant has psychedelic qualities and causes hallucination, trances, and visions for its…

peyote ceremony

A sacred service in the tradition of the Native American Church, in which healing, spiritual cleansing, and vision quests are conducted through praying, chanting, and…

peyote chief

A communal and spiritual leader in the Native American church. Formed in 1918 as a Pan-Indian movement and in response to government abuses and relocations, the Native…

peyote church

The informal term for the Native American Church, which was established in 1918 as a Pan-Indian movement and in response to government abuses and relocations. The…

peyote moon

A peyote gathering of the Native American Church has a crescent-shaped moon drawn on the ground in sand that functions as the altar for the ceremony. This half-circle,…

peyote religion

The belief system upon which the Native American Church is established. Founded in 1918 as a Pan-Indian movement and in response to government abuses and relocations,…

Peyote Way

A sacred ceremony in the tradition of the Native American Church, in which healing, spiritual cleansing, and vision quests are conducted through praying, chanting, and…

phallic

A description generally used for tapered cylindrical objects that are thought to resemble a penis in shape.

pharmacy

A retail location where medicines and drugs are prepared and dispensed by qualified pharmacists who have gone to school to specialize in drug therapy and the…

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The largest city in Pennsylvania, founded by William Penn in 1682 during the U.S. Colonial period. Philadelphia is popularly known as the “city of brotherly love” from…

Philip Bock

Philip Bock was a University of New Mexico Presidential Professor in Ethnology. He graduated with his doctoral degree from Harvard University in 1962 and taught…

Phoenix International Airport, Arizona

The Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, operated by the city of Phoenix, has been the primary airport for the state of Arizona since 1935. When it opened, there…

Phoenix, Arizona

The capital city of the state of Arizona, Phoenix is also known as the “Valley of the Sun.” It was originally settled as an agricultural area that modeled its early…

phosphorescence

Phosphorescence is a luminescence (or light) that occurs without the presence of combustion. Phosphorescence also occurs due to slow oxidation, or the release of oxygen…

pickup

A way of referring to the exchange of an illicit substance for money, usually as part of a prearranged plan. Either the money, the illicit substance, or both are left…

pickup truck

A vehicle with an enclosed cab and an open rear compartment for transporting cargo.

pictograph

A visual symbol through which a message is communicated. Pictographs were used in ancient civilizations such as the Egyptian and the Chinese as early forms of written…

pigment

The substance in an object that reflects various elements of the light spectrum while absorbing others. The element of the spectrum that are reflected become the color…

pilgrimage

A journey or trek, sometimes physical, sometimes metaphorical, and sometimes spiritual, with the purpose of fulfilling some sense of material, moral, or belief-based…