Dictionary
An American Dictionary of the English Language
Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)
Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865
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Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
Procès verbal p. 1041(Fr. Law.) An authentic minute of an official act, or statement of facts.Prō'chein, a. p. 1041Next; nearest. Prochein amy (Law), the next friend; any person by whom, or in whose name, an infant prosecutes a suit.Prō'chrō-nĭsm, n. p. 1041The dating of an event before the time it happened; an antedating. [Obs.]Prŏç'i-dençe or Prō'çi-dençe, n. p. 1041A falling down; a prolapsus. [Rare.] Parr.Pro·cid'ū·ous, a. p. 1041Falling from its proper place.Pro-cĭnct', n. p. 1041Complete preparation for action. [Obs.] War he perceived, war in procinct. Milton.Pro-claim′, v. t. p. 1041To make conspicuously known by public announcement; to give wide publicity to; to publish abroad; to promulgate. Throughout the host proclaim A solemn council forthwith to be held. Milton. 2. To…Pro-clāim'er, n. p. 1041One who proclaims or publishes; one who announces or makes known.Prō'cla-mā'tion, n. p. 1041The act of publishing abroad; conspicuous announcement; official or general notice; publication. King Asa made a proclamation throughout all Judah. 1 Kings xv. 22. 2. That which is put forth by way…Pro-clit'ic, n. p. 1041(Gr. Gram.) A word which, as it were, leans upon, or is so closely attached to, the following word as not to have a separate accent.Pro-clit'ic, a. p. 1041(Gr. Gram.) Leaning forward;—said of certain monosyllabic words which are so closely attached to the following word as not to have a separate accent.Pro-clive', a. p. 1041Having a tendency by nature; prone; proclivous. [Obs. or rare.] Browning. A woman is frail and proclive unto all evils. Latimer.Pro-cliv'i-ty, n. p. 1041Inclination; propensity; proneness; tendency. The sensitive appetite may engender a proclivity to steal, but not a necessity to steal. Bp. Hall. 2. Readiness; facility. He had such a dexterous…Pro-clī'vōŭs, a. p. 1041Inclined; tending by nature. [Obs.]Pro-cœ'li-an, a. p. 1041Having the anterior side concave, as the vertebræ of the crocodilians. Dana.Pro-cŏn'sul, n. p. 1041(Rom. Antiq.) A Roman officer who discharged the duties of a consul without being himself consul; a governor of a province, or a military commander under a governor. He was usually one who had…Pro-cōn'su-lar or Pro-cōn'su-la-ry, a. p. 1041Pertaining or belonging to a proconsul; as, proconsular powers. 2. Under the government of a proconsul; as, a proconsular province.Pro-cōn'sul-ate or Pro-cōn'sul-ship, n. p. 1041The office of a proconsul, or the term of his office.Pro-crās'ti-nāte, v. t. p. 1041To put off till to-morrow or from day to day; to delay; to defer to a future time; to postpone; as, to procrastinate repentance. Hopeless and helpless doth Ægeon wend, But to procrastinate his…Pro-crās'ti-nāte, v. i. p. 1041To delay; to be dilatory. I procrastinate more than I did twenty years ago. Swift.Pro-crās'ti-nā'tion, n. p. 1041A putting off to a future time; delay; dilatoriness. Procrastination is the thief of time. Young.Pro-crās'ti-nā'tor, n. p. 1041One who defers the performance of any thing to a future time.Pro-crăs'ti-na-to-ry, a. p. 1041Pertaining to procrastination; implying procrastination. J. Hall.Pro-crăs'tĭne, v. t. p. 1041To procrastinate. [Obs.]Prō'cre-ant, a. p. 1041Generating; producing; productive; fruitful. [Rare.] “His pendent bed and procreant cradle.” Shak.Prō'cre-ant, n. p. 1041One who, or that which, procreates or generates. [Obs.] Milton.Prō'cre-āte, v. t. p. 1041To beget; to generate and produce; to engender. Bentley.Prō'cre-ā'tion, n. p. 1041The act of begetting; generation and production of young. South.Prō'cre-ā'tive, a. p. 1041Generative; having the power to beget. Hale.Prō'cre-ā'tīve-ness, n. p. 1041The power of generating.Prō'cre-ā'tor, n. p. 1041One who begets; a generator; a father or sire.Pro-crūs'te-an, a. p. 1041Pertaining to or resembling Procrustes, or his mode of torture; reducing by violence to strict conformity to a measure or model; producing uniformity by deforming force, or mutilation.Pro-crūs'te-an-ize, v. t. p. 1041To stretch or contract according to some rule or standard.Pro-crūs'tēs, n. p. 1041(Gr. Antiq.) A celebrated highwayman of Attica, who tied his victims upon an iron bed, and, as the case required, either stretched out or cut off their legs to adapt them to its length;—whence the…Prŏ'crus-tē'si-an, a. p. 1042Same as PROCRUSTEAN, q. v.Prŏc'to-cēle, n. p. 1042(Med.) Inversion and prolapse of the mucous coat of the rectum, from relaxation of the sphincter, with more or less swelling. Dunglison.Prŏc'tor, n. p. 1042One who is employed to manage the affairs of another; hence, specifically, (a.) A person appointed to beg or collect alms for those who could not go out to beg for themselves, as lepers, the…Prŏc'tor, v. t. p. 1042To act as a proctor toward; to manage. [Cant.] Shak.Prŏc'tor-āge, n. p. 1042Management by a proctor, or as by a proctor; hence, management; control; superintendence;—in contempt. Milton.Proc-tō'ri-al, a. p. 1042Of, or pertaining to, a proctor; magisterial.Proc-tōr'ie-al, a. p. 1042Belonging to the academical proctor; magisterial. [Obs.]Prŏc'tor-ship, n. p. 1042The office or dignity of the proctor of a university. Clarendon.Pro-cām'bent, a. p. 1042Lying down or on the face; prone. 2. (Bot.) Unable to support itself, and therefore lying on the ground, but without putting forth roots; trailing; prostrate; as, a procumbent stem. Martyn.Pro-cūr'ā-ble, a. p. 1042Capable of being procured; obtainable. Boyle.Prŏc'ū-ra-cy, n. p. 1042The office or act of a proctor or procurator; vicarious management. 2. A proxy; a procuration. [Obs.] The legate assembled a synod of the clergy at London, . . . in the which he demanded procuracies.…Prŏc/ū-rāʹtion, n. p. 1042The act of procuring; procurement. 2. The management of another's affairs. 3. The instrument by which a person is empowered to transact the affairs of another. 4. A sum of money paid to the bishop or…Prŏc'ū-rā'tor, n. p. 1042(Law.) One who manages another’s affairs. See PROCTOR. Shak. 2. (Rom. Antiq.) A governor of a province under the emperors; as, the procurator of Judea; also, a certain officer who had the management…Prŏc'ū-ra-tō'ri-al, a. p. 1042Pertaining to a procurator or proctor; made by a proctor. Ayliffe.Prŏc'ū-rā'tor-ship, n. p. 1042The office of a procurator. Pearson.Pro-cū'ra-to-ry, a. p. 1042Tending to procuration.Pro-cūre', v. t. p. 1042To bring into possession; to cause to accrue to or to come into possession of; to acquire or provide for one's self or for another; to gain; to get; to obtain. “If we procure not to ourselves more…Pro-cūre', v. i. p. 1042To pimp. Dryden.Pro-cūre'ment, n. p. 1042The act of procuring, obtaining bringing about, or effecting; obtainment; management; efficient contrivance; agency. They think it done By her procurement. Dryden.Pro-cūr'er, n. p. 1042One who procures or obtains; one who, or that which, brings on or causes to be done. 2. One who procures the gratification of the passion of lewdness for another; a pimp; a pander. South.Pro-cū'ress, n. p. 1042A female procurer; a female pander.Prō'cy-ŏn, n. p. 1042(Astron.) A star of the first magnitude in the constellation Canis Minor, or the Little Dog. 2. (Zool.) The glutton. See GLUTTON.Prōd, n. p. 1042A goad; an awl, or a pin in pattens. [Prov. Eng.] 2. A light kind of cross-bow used for killing deer, particularly by ladies. Fairholt.Prŏd, v. t. p. 1042To thrust some pointed instrument into; to push into; as, to prod a haystack with a sword or bayonet. Halliwell.Prŏd'i-gal, a. p. 1042Given to extravagant expenditures; expending money or other things without necessity; recklessly profuse; lavish; wasteful; not frugal or economical; as, a prodigal man; the prodigal son. “In…Prŏd'i-gal, n. p. 1042One who expends money extravagantly or without necessity; one that is profuse or lavish; a waster; a spendthrift. “On that bleak Crimean headland noble prodigals of life.” Trench.