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-grès'sion-al, a. p. 1045Tending to progress; having capacity of advancing; relating to progression.Pro-grĕs'sion-ĭst, n. p. 1045One who holds to the progression of society toward perfection.Prŏg'ress-ĭst, n. p. 1045One who makes, or holds to, progress; a progressionist.Pro-grĕss'ĭve, a. p. 1045Moving forward; proceeding onward; advancing; evincing progress; as, progressive motion or course; — opposed to retrograde. 2. Improving; as, the arts are in a progressive state.Pro-grĕss'ĭve-ly, adv. p. 1045In a progressive manner; with progress.Pro-grĕss'ĭve-ness, n. p. 1045State or quality of being progressive; an advancing; state of improvement; as, the progressiveness of science, arts, or taste.Prōgue, v. i. p. 1045To steal; to filch; to prog. [Obs.] See PROG. Beau. & Fl.Pro-hĭb'it, v. t. p. 1045To forbid; to interdict by authority; as, God prohibited Adam to eat of the fruit of a certain tree; we prohibit a person to do a thing, and we prohibit the thing to be done. 2. To hinder; to debar…Pro-hĭb'it-er, n. p. 1045One who prohibits or forbids; a forhibiter; an interdictor.Prō/hi-bi'tion, n. p. 1045The act of forbidding or interdicting; a declaration to hinder some action; interdict. The law of God, in the ten commandments, consists mostly of prohibitions — “Thou shalt not do such a thing.”…Prō/hi-bi'tion-ist, n. p. 1045One who favors prohibitory duties in commerce.Pro-hĭb'it-ive or Pro-hĭb'it-o-ry, a. p. 1045Tending to prohibit, forbid, or exclude; forbidding; implying prohibition.Proin, v. t. p. 1045To lop; to trim; to prune. [Obs.] The sprigs that did about it grow He proined from the leafy arms. Chapman.Proin, v. i. p. 1045To be employed in pruning. [Obs.]Pro·ject′, v. t. p. 1045To throw out; to cast or shoot forward. The ascending villas Project long shadows o’er the crystal tide. Pope. 2. To cast forward in the mind; to scheme; to contrive; to devise; as, to project a plan…Pro-jĕct′, v. i. p. 1045To 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…Prŏj'ect, n. p. 1045The place from which a thing projects or starts forth. [Obs.] Holland. 2. That which is projected or designed; a scheme; a design; something intended or devised; contrivance. He entered into the…Pro·ject′ile, a. p. 1045Impelling forward; as, a projectile force. 2. Given by impulse; impelled forward; as, projectile motion. Arbuthnot.Pro-jĕct′ile, n. p. 1045A body projected, or impelled forward, by force, especially through the air, as a cannon-ball. 2. (pl.) (Mech.) A part of mechanics which treats of the motion, range, time of flight, &c., of bodies…Pro-jĕc'tion, n. p. 1045The act of throwing or shooting forward. 2. A part jutting out, as of a building; an extension beyond something else. 3. The act of scheming; plan; scheme; design of something to be executed. 4. The…Pro-jēct'ment, n. p. 1045Design; contrivance. [Obs.]Pro-jĕct'or, n. p. 1045One who projects or forms a scheme or design. 2. Hence, one who forms wild or impracticable schemes.Pro-jĕct′ūre, n. p. 1045A jutting or standing out beyond the line or surface of something else.Projet, n. p. 1045A plan proposed; the draft of a proposed measure or arrangement, &c.; a project.Prōke, v. i. p. 1045To poke; to thrust. [Obs.] Holland.Pro-lāpse', v. i. p. 1045To fall down or out; to project too much.Pro-lāpse' or Pro-lāp'sion, n. p. 1045A falling down or falling out of some part of the body, as of the uterus or intestines; prolapsus. See PROLAPSUS.Pro-lāp'sus, n. p. 1045(Med.) The falling down of a part through the orifice with which it is naturally connected, especially of the uterus or rectum. Dunglison.Pro-lāp'tion, n. p. 1045Prolapsion; prolapsus.Pro-lāte', v. t. p. 1045To utter; to pronounce. [Obs.] Howell.Prō'lāte, a. p. 1045Stretched out; extended; especially, elongated in the direction of a line joining the poles; as, a prolate spheroid; — opposed to oblate. Prolate ellipsoid or spheroid (Geom.), a figure generated by…Pro-lā'tion, n. p. 1045The act of prolating or pronouncing; utterance; pronunciation. Ray. 2. Delay; act of deferring. Ainsworth. 3. (Mus.) A method of determining the power of semibreves and minims. Busby.Prō'leg, n. p. 1045(Entom.) The wart-like tubercle, or fleshy prominence, which represents a leg in the abdominal or hinder segments of caterpillars. Brande.Prōl'ĕ-gŏm'ĕ-nā-ry, a. p. 1045Containing previous explanations; preliminary; introductory.Prŏl'e-gōm'e-non, n. p. 1045A preliminary observation; an introductory remark or discourse prefixed to a book or treatise. Therefore have I chosen, in this prolegomenon, to unload my burden of thanks at thy feet. H. Scott.Pro-lēp'sis, n. p. 1045(Rhet.) A figure by which objections are anticipated or prevented. Bp. Burnall. 2. An error in chronology, when an event is dated before the actual time; a species of anachronism. Theobald. 3. A…Pro-lĕp'tic or Pro-lĕp'tic-al, a. p. 1045Pertaining to prolepsis, or anticipation. “A far-seeing or proleptic wisdom.” De Quincey. 2. Previous; antecedent. Glanville. 3. (Med.) Anticipating the usual time; — applied to a periodical disease…Pro-lēp'tie-al-ly, adv. p. 1045By way of anticipation.Pro-lēp'ties, n. sing. p. 1045The art and science of predicting in medicine. [See Note under MATHEMATICS.] Laycock.Prolétaire p. 1045Prolétaire (prō'lā-tār'), n. [Fr. See infra.] One of the common people; a low person; the commonality as an influence or estate in a country.Prŏl'e-tā'ne-ōus, a. p. 1045Having a numerous offspring. [Rare.]Prōl'e-tā'ri-an, a. p. 1045Of, or pertaining to, the proletaries; belonging to the commonality; hence, mean; vile; vulgar. [Rare.] “Every citizen, if he were not a proletarian animal kept at the public cost.” De Quincey.Prōl'e-tā'ri-at, n. p. 1045The class of common people; the lowest class; the commonality.Prōl'e-ta-ry, n. p. 1045(Rom. Antiq.) A citizen of the lowest class who served the state, not with his property, but with his children; hence, a common person. [Rare.]Prōl'i-cīde, n. p. 1045The crime of destroying one's offspring either in the womb or after birth. Bouvier.Pro-lif'er-ōŭs, a. p. 1045(Bot.) Bearing offspring;—applied to a flower from within which another is produced, or a branch from which another rises. Gray. Proliferous cyst (Path.), a cyst that produces highly-organized or…Pro-lĭf'ic, a. p. 1045Having the quality of generating; producing young or fruit; generative; fruitful; productive; — applied to plants producing fruit, animals producing young, &c.; — usually with the implied idea of…Pro-lif'ic-a-cy, n. p. 1046Great productiveness; fruitfulness. [Rare.]Pro-lif'ic-al, a. p. 1046Prolific.Pro-lif'ic-al-ly, adv. p. 1046In a prolific manner; with great increase; fruitfully.Pro-lif'i-cā'tion, n. p. 1046The generation of young or of plants. 2. (Bot.) The production of a second flower from the substance of the first, either from the center of a simple flower, or from the side of an aggregate flower.Pro-lif'ic-ness, n. p. 1046The state of being prolific.Pro·lix′, a. p. 1046Extending to a great length; minute in narration or argument; long; — used only with reference to discourse written or spoken; as, a prolix oration; a prolix poem; a prolix sermon. 2. Indulging in…Pro-lĭx'ious, a. p. 1046Dilatory; tedious. [Obs.] Shak.Pro-lĭx'i-ty, n. p. 1046The state or quality of being prolix; great length; minute detail; — applied only to discourses and writings.Pro-lix'ly, adv. p. 1046In a prolix manner; at great length. Dryden.Pro-lix'ness, n. p. 1046The quality of being prolix; prolixity.Prōll, v. t. p. 1046To search or prowl after; to rob; to plunder. [Obs.] By how many tricks did he proll money from all parts of Christendom? Burrow.Prōll, v. i. p. 1046To prowl about; to rob. [Obs.] To what rational purpose should men proll and labor? South.Prōll'er, n. p. 1046A prowler; a thief. [Obs.] “Like prollers and impostors.” Chapman.