Dictionary
An American Dictionary of the English Language
Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)
Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865
- Entries
- 95,912
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Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
Pro-prōc'tor, n. p. 1050(Eng. Universities.) An assistant proctor. Hook.Prōps, n. pl. p. 1050A certain game played with four shells;— much practiced by gamblers.Pro-pūgn', v. t. p. 1050To contend for; to defend; to vindicate. [Obs.] Hammond.Pro-pŭg'na-cle, n. p. 1050A fortress. [Obs.] Howell.Prō’pug-nā’tĭon, n. p. 1050Defense. [Obs.] Shak.Pro-pūgn'er, n. p. 1050A defender; a vindicator.Prō'pul-sā'tion, n. p. 1050The act of driving away or repelling; the keeping at a distance. [Obs.]Pro-pūlse', v. t. p. 1050To repel; to drive off. [Obs.] Cotgr.Pro-pŭl’sion, n. p. 1050The act of driving forward. God works in all things; all obey His first propulsion. Whittier.Pro-pŭl'sive, a. p. 1050Tending or having power to propel; driving on; urging. “The propulsive movement of the verse.” Coleridge.Prŏp'yl-læ'um, n. p. 1050(Anc. Arch.) Any court or vestibule before a building, or before its principal parts; especially, the entrance to such court or vestibule. Gwilt.Prŏp'ĭ-lōn, n. p. 1050(Anc. Arch.) The porch, vestibule, or entrance of an edifice; a propylæum.Pro-rāte', v. t. p. 1050To divide or distribute proportionally; to assess pro rata. [Corrupt. U. S.]Prōre, n. p. 1050The prow or fore part of a ship. [Poet. and rare.] Pope.Pro-rē'ctor, n. p. 1050An assistant of the rector in a high school; an officer who presides over the academic senate of a German university. Heyse.Pro-rē'tor-ate, n. p. 1050The office or station of pro-rector.Pro-rĕp'tion, n. p. 1050A creeping on.Prō'ro-gā'tion, n. p. 1050The act of proroguing or continuing in time or duration; a lengthening or prolongation of time; as, the prorogation of something already possessed. [Obs.] South. 2. The continuance of Parliament from…Pro-rō'gāte, v. t. p. 1050To prorogue.Pro-rōgue', v. t. p. 1050To protract; to prolong. He prorogued his government. Dryden. 2. To defer; to delay; to postpone; as, to prorogue death. Shak. 3. To continue from one session to another; to adjourn for an indefinite…Pro-rŭp'tion, n. p. 1050The act of bursting forth; a bursting out. Browne.Pro-sā'ic or Pro-sā'ic-al, a. p. 1050Pertaining to prose; resembling prose; not restricted by numbers;—said of writings; as, a prosaic composition. 2. Hence, dull; uninteresting; prosy. Ed. Rev.Pro-sā'ic-al-ly, adv. p. 1050In a dull or prosaic manner.Pro-sā'ic-al-ness, n. p. 1050The state or quality of being prosaic or dull.Pro-sā'i-çism, n. p. 1050The quality of being prosaic; prosaic manner or style.Prō'sa-ism, n. p. 1050That which is in the form of prose writing. Coleridge.Prō'sa-ist, n. p. 1050A writer of prose. Then comes Hannah More, an estimable prosaist. I. Taylor.Prō'sal, a. p. 1050Prosaic. [Obs.] Browne.Pro-sçē'ni-ŭm, n. p. 1050(Anc. Theater.) The part where the actors performed;—now called the stage. 2. (Modern Theater.) The front part of the stage, where the drop-scene separates the stage from the audience. Brande.Pro-scribe', v. t. p. 1050To doom to destruction; to put out of the protection of law; as, Sylla and Marius proscribed each other's adherents. Robert Vere, Earl of Oxford, was banished the realm, and proscribed. Spencer. 2.…Pro-scrīb'er, n. p. 1050One who, or that which, proscribes; one who denounces as dangerous, or as utterly unworthy of reception.Prō'script, n. p. 1050A prohibition; an interdict. 2. One who is proscribed.Pro-scrĭp'tion, n. p. 1050The act of proscribing or dooming to death, exile, or outlawry; among the ancient Romans, the public offer of a reward for the head of a political enemy; as, under the triumvirate, many of the best…Pro-scrĭp'tion-al, a. p. 1050Proscriptive.Pro-scrĭp'tion-ĭst, n. p. 1050One who proscribes.Pro-scrĭp'tĭve, a. p. 1050Pertaining to, or consisting in, proscription; proscribing.Prōse, n. p. 1050The common language of men; language not in verse, or unconfined to poetical measure, as opposed to verse or metrical composition. “Things unattempted yet in prose or rhyme.” Milton. I wish our…Prōse, v. t. p. 1050To write in prose. 2. To make a tedious relation of; to relate in a dull or prosy manner.Prōse, v. i. p. 1050To write prose. 2. To talk in a dull, prosy, tedious manner.Prōse, a. p. 1050Pertaining to, or composed of, prose; as, prose composition. 2. Possessing or exhibiting unpoetical characteristics; plain; dull; unromantic; as, the prose duties of life. Thackeray.Pro-sĕc′tor, n. p. 1050A person who prepares the subjects for lectures on anatomy. Dunglison.Prŏs'e-cūt'a-ble, a. p. 1050Capable of being prosecuted; liable to prosecution.Prŏs'e-cūte, v. t. p. 1050To follow or pursue with a view to reach, execute, or accomplish; to endeavor to obtain or complete; to continue; as, to prosecute a scheme; to prosecute an undertaking. I am beloved of beauteous…Prŏs'e-cūte, v. i. p. 1051To carry on a legal prosecution; as, to prosecute for public offenses. Blackstone.Prŏs'e-cu'tion, n. p. 1051The act or process of prosecuting, or of endeavoring to gain or accomplish something; pursuit by efforts of body or mind; as, the prosecution of a scheme, plan, design, or undertaking; the…Prŏs'e-cū'tor, n. p. 1051One who prosecutes, or pursues or carries on any purpose, plan, or business. 2. (Law.) The person who institutes and carries on a criminal suit against another in the name of the government.…Prŏs'e-cū-trix, n. p. 1051A female prosecutor.Prŏs'e-lyte, n. p. 1051A new convert, especially a convert to some religion or religious sect, or to some particular opinion, system, or party; thus, a Gentile converted to Judaism is a proselyte; a pagan converted to…Prŏs'e-lȳte, v. t. p. 1051To cause to become converted to some religion, opinion, or system; to bring over.Prŏs'e-ly-tĭsm, n. p. 1051The act of proselyting; the making of converts to a religion or religious sect, or to any opinion, system, or party. They were possessed of a spirit of proselytism in the most fanatical degree. Burke.Prŏs'e-ly-tize, v. t. p. 1051To cause to become converted to some system, opinion, religion, or the like; to proselyte. [Rare.] “One of those whom they endeavor to proselytize.” Burke.Prŏs'e-ly-tize, v. i. p. 1051To make converts or proselytes.Prōse'man, n. p. 1051One who writes in prose. [Rare.]Pro·sèm′i·nā′tion, n. p. 1051Propagation by seed. [Obs.] Hale.Pros-ēn'ne-a-hē'dral, a. p. 1051(Min.) Having nine faces on two adjacent parts; — said of certain crystals. [Obs.]Prōs'er, n. p. 1051A writer of prose. 2. One who proses, or makes a tedious narration of uninteresting matters.Pro-sĭl’i-en-cy, n. p. 1051The act of leaping forth or forward; projection. “Such prosiliency of relief.” Coleridge.Prōs'i-ly, adv. p. 1051In a prosy manner; tediously.Prōs'i-mĕt'ri-cal, a. p. 1051Consisting both of prose and verse. Clarke.Prōs'i-ness, n. p. 1051The quality or state of being prosy.