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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- Illustrations
- 2,133
Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
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.Prō-slāv'er-y, a. p. 1051In favor of slavery.Prŏs'o-dī'ac-al, a. p. 1051The same as PROSODICAL.Prŏs'o-dī'a-cal-ly, adv. p. 1051In a prosodical manner.Pro-sŏ'di-al or Pro-sŏ'di'c-al, a. p. 1051Pertaining to prosody, or the quantity and accents of syllables; according to the rules of prosody.Pro-sō′di-an, n. p. 1051One skilled in prosody, or in the rules of pronunciation and metrical composition; a prosodist. Rush.Prŏs'o-dist, n. p. 1051One who understands prosody; a prosodian. Walker.Prŏs'o-dy, n. p. 1051That part of grammar which treats of the quantity of syllables, of accent, and of the laws of versification.Prŏs'o-po-lēp'sy, n. p. 1051Respect of persons; especially, a premature opinion or prejudice against a person, formed by a view of his external appearance. Addison.Prō'sō-po-pē'ia, n. p. 1051(Rhet.) A figure by which things are represented as persons, or by which things inanimate are spoken of as animated beings, or by which an absent person is introduced as speaking, or a deceased…Prŏs'pect, n. p. 1051That which is embraced by the eye in vision; view; field or region which the eye overlooks at one time. His eye discovers, unaware, The goodly prospect of some foreign land. Milton. 2. Especially, a…Prŏs'pect, v. t. p. 1051To search or examine for; as, to prospect a district for gold or other metals. [U. S.]Prŏs'pect, v. i. p. 1051To make a search; to seek; as, to prospect for gold. [U. S.]Pro-spec'tion, n. p. 1051The act of looking forward, or of providing for future wants.Pro-spĕc'tive, a. p. 1051Pertaining to, or furnishing, a prospect. “Time’s long and dark prospective glass.” Milton. 2. Looking forward in time; acting with foresight;—opposed to retrospective. The French king and king of…Pro-spĕc'tive, n. p. 1051The scene before or around; view; prospect. [Obs.] Daniel. 2. A prospective glass. [Obs.] Benn. 9 Pl.Pro-spĕc'tive-ly, adv. p. 1051With reference to the future.Pro-spĕc'tĭve-ness, n. p. 1051State of being prospective.Pro-spĕc'tus, n. p. 1051The plan of a literary work, containing the general subject or design, with the manner and terms of publication, and sometimes a specimen of it; scheme; announcement.Prŏs'per, v. t. p. 1051To favor; to render successful. All things concur to prosper our design. Dryden.Prŏs'per, v. i. p. 1051To be successful; to succeed; to thrive; to make gain. They, in their earthly Canaan placed, Long time shall dwell and prosper. Milton. 2. To grow or increase; to thrive. [Obs. or rare.] Black…Pros-pér'i-ty, n. p. 1051Advance or gain in any thing good or desirable; successful progress in any business or enterprise; success; attainment of the object desired; as, the prosperity of arts; agricultural or commercial…Prŏs'per-oŭs, a. p. 1051Tending or permitted to prosper; succeeding in the pursuit of any thing desirable; making gain or increase; thriving; successful; as, a prosperous voyage; a prosperous undertaking; a prosperous man…Prŏs'per-oŭs-ly, adv. p. 1051In a prosperous manner; with gain or increase; successfully.Prŏs'per-ŏŭs-ness, n. p. 1051The state of being prosperous or successful; prosperity.Prŏs'phy-sĭs, n. p. 1051(Med.) A growing together of parts; in a more limited sense, morbid adhesion of the eyelids, either to each other or to the eyeball. Dunglison.Pro-spĭ'cience, n. p. 1051The act of looking forward.Prŏss, n. p. 1051Talk or conversation, especially that of a gossiping kind. [Prov. Eng.] Brockett.Prŏs'tate, a. p. 1051(Anat.) Standing before:—applied to a gland situated just before the neck of the bladder in males, and surrounding the beginning of the urethra. It is situated on the under and posterior part of the…Prŏs'tate, n. p. 1051(Anat.) The prostate gland.Pro-stāt'ic, a. p. 1051(Anat.) Of, or pertaining to, the prostate gland. Dunglison.Prŏs'ter-nā'tion, n. p. 1051A state of being cast down; dejection; depression. [Obs.] Wisseman.Prŏs'the-sis, n. p. 1051(Surg.) The addition of an artificial part to supply a defect of the body; prothesis. Quincy. 2. (Gram.) A figure consisting in prefixing one or more letters to the beginning of a word; as, beloved.Pros-thĕt'ic, a. p. 1051Prefixed, as a letter to a word.Pros-tĭb'ū-lōŭs, a. p. 1051Of, or pertaining to, prostitutes; hence, meretricious. [Obs.]Prŏs'ti-tūte, v. t. p. 1051To offer, as a woman, to a lewd use; to give up for hire to sexual gratification. Do not prostitute thy daughter. Lev. xix. 29. 2. Hence, to devote to base or unworthy purposes; to give up to low or…Prŏs’ti-tūte, a. p. 1051Openly devoted to lewdness; devoted to base or infamous purposes. “Made bold by want, and prostitute for bread.” Prior.Prŏs'ti-tūte, n. p. 1051A woman given to indiscriminate lewdness; a strumpet. 2. Hence, a base hireling; a mercenary; one who offers himself to infamous employments for hire. No hireling she, no prostitute to praise. Pope.Prŏs'ti-tū'tion, n. p. 1051The act or practice of prostituting or offering the body to an indiscriminate intercourse with men; common lewdness of a female. “An infamous woman, having passed her youth in a shameless state of…Prŏs'ti-tū'tor, n. p. 1051One who prostitutes; one who submits himself or offers another to vile purposes.Prŏs'trate, a. p. 1051Lying at length, or with the body extended on the ground or other surface; stretched out. “Groveling and prostrate on yon lake of fire.” Milton. 2. Lying at mercy, as a supplicant; especially…Prŏs'trāte, v. t. p. 1051To lay flat; to throw down; as, to prostrate the body; to prostrate trees or plants. 2. To overthrow; to demolish; to destroy; to ruin; as, to prostrate a village; to prostrate a government; to…Pros-trā'tion, n. p. 1052The act of throwing down, or laying flat; the act of falling down, or of bowing in humility or adoration;—primarily, the act of falling on the face, but now used for kneeling or bowing in reverence…Prō'style, n. p. 1052(Arch.) A portico in which the columns stand in advance of the building to which they belong. Gwilt.Prō'sy, a. p. 1052Like prose. 2. Dull and tedious in discourse or writing.Pro-sy̆l'lo-gĭsm, n. p. 1052(Logic.) A syllogism preliminary or logically essential to another syllogism; the conclusion of such a syllogism.Pro-tăc'tic, a. p. 1052Giving a previous narrative or explanation, as of the plot or personages of a play.Pro-tā'g'o-nīst, n. p. 1052One who fills the leading part in a drama; hence, one who takes the lead in some great scene, enterprise, conflict, or the like. “Shakespeare, the protagonist on the great arena of modern poetry.” De…Prŏt'a-sĭs, n. p. 1052A proposition; a maxim. Johnson. 2. (Gram.) The subordinate member of a sentence, generally of a conditional sentence;—opposed to apodosis. 3. (Anc. Drama.) The first part of a comic or tragic piece…Pro-tăt'ic, a. p. 1052Being placed in the beginning; previous.Prō’te-an, a. p. 1052Pertaining to Proteus; readily assuming different shapes. See PROTEUS.Prō'te-an-ly, adv. p. 1052Like Proteus, or that which readily changes shape. Cudworth.Pro-tĕct', v. t. p. 1052To cover or shield from danger or injury; to defend; to guard; to preserve in safety. The gods of Greece protect you. Shak. Syn.—To defend; guard; shield; preserve; save; secure. See DEFEND.Pro-tĕct'ing-ly, adv. p. 1052By protecting; in the way of protection.Pro-tēc'tion, n. p. 1052The act of protecting; preservation from loss, injury, or annoyance; shelter. To your protection I commend me, gods. Shak. 2. The state of being protected. 3. That which protects or preserves from…Writ of protection p. 1052A writ by which the king formerly exempted a person from arrest;—now disused. [Eng.] Blackstone. (b.) A judicial writ issued to a person required to attend court, as party, juror, &c., intended to…