Definition

1. Noun:
   • The 16th letter of the English alphabet: "P" is a consonant, the sixteenth letter in the modern English alphabet.
   • A symbol for phosphorus in chemistry: "P" is the chemical symbol for the element phosphorus on the periodic table.

Usage

• As a letter:
  • The word "apple" starts with the letter "a", not "p".
  • In the alphabet, "P" comes after "O" and before "Q".
• As a chemical symbol:
  • The formula for adenosine triphosphate is C₁₀H₁₆N₅O₁₃P₃.
  • Phosphorus (P) is an essential element for life.

Advanced Usage

• "To mind one's p's and q's": To be careful about one's behavior or speech.
  • When meeting your new boss, remember to mind your p's and q's.

Variants and Related Words

• P (abbreviation): Common abbreviations starting with "P" include:
  • p.: Abbreviation for "page" (e.g., See p. 45).
  • P.S.: Abbreviation for "postscript" (an addition to a letter).
  • p.h.: Abbreviation for "per hour".
• P- (prefix): Used in some technical terms (e.g., p-value in statistics).

Synonyms

• Phosphorus (when used as a chemical symbol).
• Letter P (when referring to the alphabetic character).

Related Idioms

• "Mind your p's and q's": To be on your best behavior; to be careful and polite.
  • The children were told to mind their p's and q's at the formal dinner party.

Noun

1. the 16th letter of the Roman alphabet
2. a multivalent nonmetallic element of the nitrogen family that occurs commonly in inorganic phosphate rocks and as organic phosphates in all living cells; is highly reactive and occurs in several allotropic forms