Homonyms: Poor, Pore and Pour

poor poor / po͝or adjective 1.  not having wealth; lacking sufficient means Better to be poor and honest than to be dishonest and a fool. Proverbs 19:1, NLT 2.  characterized by lack of sufficient means or poverty I would rather belong to a poor nation that was free than to a rich nation that had ceased to be in love with liberty. Woodrow Wilson, 1856 – 1924 3.  lacking or deficient in resources, materials or other qualities Who, being loved, is poor? Oscar Wilde, 1854 – 1900 4.  not good; unfavorable; negative I have just been all round the world and have formed a very poor opinion of it. Thomas Beecham, 1879 – 1961 5.  Inferior; lacking in quality or amount; inadequate Success in life comes not from holding a good hand, but in playing a poor hand well. Denis Waitley, 1933 – 6.  lowly, unpretentious, gentle, meek Let the humble ones arise, the poor in heart be glad. John Greenleaf Whittier, 1807 – 1892 7.  pitiable; needing kindness or help; deserving sympathy Lord help my poor soul. Edgar Allan Poe, 1809 – 1849 8.  lean, malnourished Better one poor horse than an empty stall. Danish Proverb noun 1.  people without wealth as a group Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten; Nor the hope of the poor be taken away. From “The Book of Common Prayer” _______________________________________________________________________ pore pore / pôr noun 1.  a small opening in the skin or outer layer of an animal This is a delicious evening, when the whole body is one sense, and imbibes delight through every pore. From “Walden, and On The Duty Of Civil Disobedience: Top American Literary” by Henry David Thoreau, 1817 – 1862 2.  a small opening in the outer layer of a plant The tiny oval pores, each as large as the point of a needle, are the breathing pores of the twig. From “Ontario Teachers’ Manuals: Nature Study” by Ontario Ministry of Education 3.  a small opening or hole in rock, soil, etc Depending on the ion content of the water and the mineral structure of the rock, water seeping through pores and fractures may precipitate the growth of crystals. From “What Factors Cause Mechanical Weathering”, https://sciencing.com/factors-cause-mechanical-weathering-7281831.html, updated by Lisa LaVergne, 8-24-2017 verb 1.  to examine or study something intently and carefully There she saw black-robed students poring over the books. From “A German Pompadour” by Marie Hay, 1873 – 1938 2.  to think about something carefully and with great attention So, on the story we must pore Of him who lives for us, and died, That we may see him walk before, And know the Father in the guide. From “After Thomas Kempis” by George MacDonald, 1824 – 1905 3.  to stare; to gaze at with great intensity (archaic) I’ll pore upon the stream Where sighing lovers dream, And fish for fancies as they pass Within the watery glass. From “Song: Memory, Hither Come” by William Blake, 1757 – 1827 _______________________________________________________________________________________ pour pour / pôr verb 1.  to flow or cause to flow, as in making a stream Happiness is a perfume which you cannot pour on someone without getting some on yourself. Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1803 – 1882 2.  to steadily and profusely flow Water and words are easy to pour but impossible to recover. Chinese Proverb 3.  to rain heavily When it rains, it pours. English proverb 4.  to move onward in a large number or great amount Our fathers and grandfathers who poured over the Midwest were self-reliant, rugged, God-fearing people of indomitable courage…they asked only for freedom of opportunity and equal chance. Herbert Hoover, 1874 – 1964 5.  to serve coffee or tea or other such beverage I can just imagine myself sitting down at the head of the table and pouring out the tea,” said Anne, shutting her eyes ecstatically. From “Anne of Green Gables” by L. M. Montgomery, 1874 – 1942