Project

v. t. [imp. & p. p. PROJECTED; p. pr. & vb. n. PROJECTING.] [Lat. projicere, projectum, from pro, forward, and jacere, to throw; O. Fr. projecter, N. Fr. projeter, Sp. projectar, It. progettare.]

1Sense 1. To throw out; to cast or shoot forward.

The ascending villas Project long shadows o’er the crystal tide. Pope.

2Sense 2. To cast forward in the mind; to scheme; to contrive; to devise; as, to project a plan for paying off the national debt.

Why sit we, then, projecting peace and war? Milton.

3Sense 3. To draw or exhibit, as the form of any thing; to delineate; especially, to construct a representation of, such as would be made by drawing lines from a given point of sight, or central point, to all points of the figure or object projected, and producing these lines till they meet a given surface or plane, called the surface or plane of projection; as, to project a sphere, a map, an ellipse, and the like; — sometimes with on, upon, into, &c.; as, to project a line or point upon a plane.

4Sense 4. Hence, to exhibit in relief upon or by a comparison with; to exhibit in a striking way by the aid of another object; — with a preposition.

v. i. 1. To shoot forward; to extend beyond something else; to jut; to be prominent; as, the cornice projects. 2. To form a project; to scheme. [Rare.] About this time John Dudley . . . projected for the English crown. Fuller.

n. [O. Fr. project, N. Fr. projet, Sp. proyecto, It. progetto. See supra.]

1Sense 1. The place from which a thing projects or starts forth. [Obs.] Holland.

2Sense 2. That which is projected or designed; a scheme; a design; something intended or devised; contrivance.

He entered into the project with his customary ardor. Prescott.

3Sense 3. An idle scheme; a design not practicable; as, a man given to projects.

Synonyms—Design; scheme; plan; purpose.—PROJECT, DESIGN. A project is something of a practical nature thrown out for consideration as to its being done. A design is a project when matured and settled, as a thing to be accomplished. An ingenious man has many projects, but, if governed by sound sense, will be slow in forming them into designs. See also SCHEME. “In the various projects of happiness devised by human reason, there appeared inconsistencies not to be reconciled.” Rogers. “Is he a prudent man as to his temporal estate, that lays designs only for a day, without any prospect to the remaining part of his life?” Tillotson.