Pore 
A tiny microscopic opening, in skin, plant leaves, etc. 

Porkchop
Slang for the lookout in a cornice construction. 

Porosity 
1. Extent to which cavities or pores exist, allowing water to pass through. 
2. Weld defect caused by small holes in the weld filler metal. 

Porous
Material with pores through which fluid, air or light can pass. 

Portable
A thing that can be easily carried and moved. 

Portable Electric Tool Cords 
The different types of cords usable with portable electric tools are: 
1. SJ - Designed for hard use and up to 300 volts, it is two, three or four conductor wires of 18 or 10 gauge with a thermoset insulation and outer sleeve. 
2. S - Two or more conductor wires of 2 to 18 gauge with thermoset plastic insulation with outer covering, which is able to take very hard use and up to 600 volts. 
3. SO - Two or more conductor wires of 2 to 18 gauge with thermoset insulation, oil-resistant covering of thermoset plastic, for extra hard use. 
4. STO - Two or more conductor wires of 2 to 18 gauge with thermoset insulation, oil-resistant covering of thermoplastic, for extra hard use. 

Portal
A doorway, gate or entrance. 

Porte-cochere 
Porch-like roof extending over a driveway. 

Portfolio 
A group of investment assets. 

Portfolio Diversification 
Choosing alternative investment instruments having different risk-return features. Diversification provides a lower but acceptable overall return. 

Portfolio Income 
Interest, dividends, royalties (unless earned in the ordinary course of business) and gains from the sale of property that generates this type of income. Portfolio income cannot be used to offset passive activity losses. Real estate investments produce rental and lease payment income. Investments in mortgages and other long-term debt instruments produce interest income, while equity investments generate dividends. 

Portfolio Lender 
Lender that makes loans with its own funds and keep the loans on the company's books, inside the institution's portfolio. 

Portico
1. Porch supported by a row of columns. 
2. Classic covered colonnade at the entry of a building. 

Portland Blast-furnace Slag Cement
Type of cement which, in accordance with ASTM C595, has granulated nonmetallic silicates and aluminosilicates remaining from iron ore, known as blast furnace slag, added to the mix. 

Portland Cement
Mixture of cement rock, clay, limestone, shells, shale, sand, iron ore, which is ground and calcined and undergoes a chemical reaction, when mixed with water, that turns it into a strong, hard, uniform structural material, which is used as a base material for concrete and mortar. 

Portland-Pozzolan Cement 
ASTM C595 cement with siliceous or siliceous and aluminous material added so that, in the presence of water, it reacts with the calcium hydroxide in the cement to form compounds that bond and add strength to the cement. Used primarily for bridge piers or dams, the heat and volume change occurring during curing is reduced. 

Positioned Weld 
Joint weld made from a good position for welding so that the best weld can be made. 

Positive Cash Flow 
Periodic amounts available to an equity investor after deducting all periodic cash payments from rental income. 

Positive Drainage 
Roof which has the proper slope and drains in the correct size and position so that it has complete and good drainage. 

Positive Leverage 
Profitably using borrowed funds to increase the return on an investment. When the return on the borrowed funds exceed the after tax interest costs. 

Possession 
The holding, control or custody of property for one's use, either as owner or person with another legal right. 

Possession by Adverse Possession 
Way to acquire title to real estate when an occupant has been in actual, open, exclusive and continuous occupancy of property for an extended period of time. 

Possessory Action 
Litigation undertaken to obtain or maintain possession of real property. 

Post 
A piece of wood, metal or other material that is either long and square or cylindrical, used as a support. 

Post Anchor 
Metal piece that holds the bottom of a vertical post to its foundation. 

Post and Beam Framing or Plank and Beam Framing 
Use of heavy framing members, at a distance apart, so that large open areas can be created in a building. The floor and roof use heavy planks, which are able to accommodate the load without overstress. 

Post and Board Fencing 
Horizontal, evenly placed boards between vertical fence posts. 

Post and Rail Fencing 
Horizontal, evenly placed split rails between vertical fence posts. 

Post Cap 
Fasteners, created from sheet metal, which are used to protect or connect the tops of posts to the horizontal beams. 

Postern 
A private entrance at the side or rear of a building. 

Post-formed Countertop 
Continuous, seamless sheet of plastic laminate that covers a countertop. 

Postheat 
Additional heat applied to a welded metal joint and the surrounding area after welding, brazing or soldering to improve the condition of the metal. 

Post Hole 
Cylindrical hole dug to hold a fence post. 

Post-tensioning 
Building method of drawing steel cables through holes in a concrete structure and then applying tension to the cables, by means of attaching plates, after the concrete is cured to a certain strength, thus increasing the strength of the overall concrete structure by putting it under compression stress. 

Potable 
Water that is fit to drink. 

Potential Difference 
Force which makes an electrical current flow. Voltage. 

Potential Gross Income 
The amount of income that could be produced by the sale or rental of property or rendering of services. 

Potentially Responsible Parties (PRP) 
Referring to a Superfund site, all owners, operators, transporters and disposers of hazardous waste are potentially responsible parties. 

Potentiometer or Pot 
Variable resistor, used for controls such as volume, which divides voltage so that it is proportional to its resistance. One form can be a slider that can move over fixed contact to vary the resistance, with one extreme being maximum resistance and no electricity flow and the other extreme having no added resistance and electricity flow at the maximum for the circuit where the potentiometer is situated.

Pot Life 
Amount of time that an adhesive, plaster or epoxy is usable prior to hardening.