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Webster's Dictionary (1865)

2 entries under this word

Prove

Prōve, v. t.

verbtransitive

(prōōv), v. t. [imp. & p. p. PROVED; p. pr. & vb. n. PROVING.] [O. Fr. prover, pruver, N. Fr. prouver, Pg. provar, Sp. probar, Pr. proar, It. provare, Lat. probare, to try, approve, prove, from probus, good, proper; A-S. prōfian, D. proeven, Dan. prøve, Sw. pröfva, Icel. prófa, Ger. prüfen, proben, probieren. Cf. PRIEVE.]

Sense 1. To try or ascertain by an experiment, or by a test or standard; to test; as, to prove the strength of gunpowder by experiment; to prove the contents of a vessel by comparing it with a standard measure.

Sense 2. To evince, establish, or ascertain as truth, reality, or fact, by argument, testimony, or other evidence.

Sense 3. To ascertain the genuineness or validity of; to verify; as, to prove a will.

Sense 4. To gain experience of the good or evil of; to experience; to suffer. “Where she, captived, long great woes did prove.” Spenser.

Sense 5. (Arith.) To show, evince, or ascertain, as the correctness of any operation or result; thus, in subtraction, if the difference between two numbers, added to the lesser number, makes a sum equal to the greater, the correctness of the subtraction is proved.

Synonyms—To argue; try; test; verify; justify; confirm; establish; evince; manifest; show; demonstrate. See ARGUE.

Prōve, v. i.

verbintransitive

(prōōv), v. i. 1. To make trial; to essay. The sons prepare... To prove by arms whose fate it was to reign. Dryden.

  1. To be found by experience or trial; as, a plant or medicine proves salutary.
  2. To be ascertained by the event or something subsequent; as, the report proves to be true, or proves to be false.

When the inflammation ends in a gangrene, the case proves mortal. Arbuthnot. 4. To succeed. [Obs.] The experiment proved not. Bacon.