| Words |
Parts of Speech |
Meaning/Definition/Similar Words |
| praam |
noun |
A flat-bottomed boat or lighter, — used in Holland and the Baltic, and sometimes armed in case of war. |
| prae- |
|
A prefix. See Pre-. |
| prame |
noun |
See Praam. |
| prank |
verb t. |
To adorn in a showy manner; to dress or equip ostentatiously; — often followed by up; as, to prank up the body. See Prink., To make ostentatious show., A gay or sportive action; a ludicrous, merry, or mischievous trick; a caper; a frolic., Full of gambols or tricks. |
| prase |
noun |
A variety of cryptocrystalline of a leek-green color. |
| prate |
verb i. |
To talk much and to little purpose; to be loquacious; to speak foolishly; to babble., To utter foolishly; to speak without reason or purpose; to chatter, or babble., Talk to little purpose; trifling talk; unmeaning loquacity. |
| prawn |
noun |
Any one of numerous species of large shrimplike Crustacea having slender legs and long antennae. They mostly belong to the genera Pandalus, Palaemon, Palaemonetes, and Peneus, and are much used as food. The common English prawn is Palaemon serratus. |
| prede |
verb i. |
To prey; to plunder., Prey; plunder; booty. |
| predy |
adjective |
Cleared and ready for engagement, as a ship. |
| preef |
noun |
Proof. |
| preen |
noun |
A forked tool used by clothiers in dressing cloth., To dress with, or as with, a preen; to trim or dress with the beak, as the feathers; — said of birds., To trim up, as trees. |
| prees |
noun |
Press; throng. |
| press |
noun |
An East Indian insectivore (Tupaia ferruginea). It is arboreal in its habits, and has a bushy tail. The fur is soft, and varies from rusty red to maroon and to brownish black., To force into service, particularly into naval service; to impress., A commission to force men into public service, particularly into the navy., To urge, or act upon, with force, as weight; to act upon by pushing or thrusting, in distinction from pulling; to crowd or compel by a gradual and continued exertion; to bear upon; to squeeze; to compress; as, we press the ground with the feet when we walk; we press the couch on which we repose; we press substances with the hands, fingers, or arms; we are pressed in a crowd., To squeeze, in order to extract the juice or contents of; to squeeze out, or express, from something., To squeeze in or with suitable instruments or apparatus, in order to compact, make dense, or smooth; as, to press cotton bales, paper, etc.; to smooth by ironing; as, to press clothes., To embrace closely; to hug., To oppress; to bear hard upon., To straiten; to distress; as, to be pressed with want or hunger., To exercise very powerful or irresistible influence upon or over; to constrain; to force; to compel., To try to force (something upon some one); to urge or inculcate with earnestness or importunity; to enforce; as, to press divine truth on an audience., To drive with violence; to hurry; to urge on; to ply hard; as, to press a horse in a race., To exert pressure; to bear heavily; to push, crowd, or urge with steady force., To move on with urging and crowding; to make one’s way with violence or effort; to bear onward forcibly; to crowd; to throng; to encroach., To urge with vehemence or importunity; to exert a strong or compelling influence; as, an argument presses upon the judgment., An apparatus or machine by which any substance or body is pressed, squeezed, stamped, or shaped, or by which an impression of a body is taken; sometimes, the place or building containing a press or presses., Specifically, a printing press., The art or business of printing and publishing; hence, printed publications, taken collectively, more especially newspapers or the persons employed in writing for them; as, a free press is a blessing, a licentious press is a curse., An upright case or closet for the safe keeping of articles; as, a clothes press., The act of pressing or thronging forward., Urgent demands of business or affairs; urgency; as, a press of engagements., A multitude of individuals crowded together; / crowd of single things; a throng. |
| prest |
|
imp. & p. p. of Press., Ready; prompt; prepared., Neat; tidy; proper., Ready money; a loan of money., A duty in money formerly paid by the sheriff on his account in the exchequer, or for money left or remaining in his hands., To give as a loan; to lend. |
| preve |
verb i. & i. |
To prove., Proof. |
| prial |
noun |
A corruption of pair royal. See under Pair, n. |
| prian |
noun |
A fine, white, somewhat friable clay; also, the ore contained in a mixture of clay and pebbles. |
| price |
noun & verb |
The sum or amount of money at which a thing is valued, or the value which a seller sets on his goods in market; that for which something is bought or sold, or offered for sale; equivalent in money or other means of exchange; current value or rate paid or demanded in market or in barter; cost., Value; estimation; excellence; worth., Reward; recompense; as, the price of industry., To pay the price of., To set a price on; to value. See Prize., To ask the price of; as, to price eggs. |
| prick |
verb |
That which pricks, penetrates, or punctures; a sharp and slender thing; a pointed instrument; a goad; a spur, etc.; a point; a skewer., The act of pricking, or the sensation of being pricked; a sharp, stinging pain; figuratively, remorse., A mark made by a pointed instrument; a puncture; a point., A point or mark on the dial, noting the hour., The point on a target at which an archer aims; the mark; the pin., A mark denoting degree; degree; pitch., A mathematical point; — regularly used in old English translations of Euclid., The footprint of a hare., A small roll; as, a prick of spun yarn; a prick of tobacco., To pierce slightly with a sharp-pointed instrument or substance; to make a puncture in, or to make by puncturing; to drive a fine point into; as, to prick one with a pin, needle, etc.; to prick a card; to prick holes in paper., To fix by the point; to attach or hang by puncturing; as, to prick a knife into a board., To mark or denote by a puncture; to designate by pricking; to choose; to mark; — sometimes with off., To mark the outline of by puncturing; to trace or form by pricking; to mark by punctured dots; as, to prick a pattern for embroidery; to prick the notes of a musical composition., To ride or guide with spurs; to spur; to goad; to incite; to urge on; — sometimes with on, or off., To affect with sharp pain; to sting, as with remorse., To make sharp; to erect into a point; to raise, as something pointed; — said especially of the ears of an animal, as a horse or dog; and usually followed by up; — hence, to prick up the ears, to listen sharply; to have the attention and interest strongly engaged., To render acid or pungent., To dress; to prink; — usually with up., To run a middle seam through, as the cloth of a sail., To trace on a chart, as a ship’s course., To drive a nail into (a horse’s foot), so as to cause lameness., To nick., To be punctured; to suffer or feel a sharp pain, as by puncture; as, a sore finger pricks., To spur onward; to ride on horseback., To become sharp or acid; to turn sour, as wine., To aim at a point or mark. |
| pride |
noun |
A small European lamprey (Petromyzon branchialis); — called also prid, and sandpiper., The quality or state of being proud; inordinate self-esteem; an unreasonable conceit of one’s own superiority in talents, beauty, wealth, rank, etc., which manifests itself in lofty airs, distance, reserve, and often in contempt of others., A sense of one’s own worth, and abhorrence of what is beneath or unworthy of one; lofty self-respect; noble self-esteem; elevation of character; dignified bearing; proud delight; — in a good sense., Proud or disdainful behavior or treatment; insolence or arrogance of demeanor; haughty bearing and conduct; insolent exultation; disdain., That of which one is proud; that which excites boasting or self-gratulation; the occasion or ground of self-esteem, or of arrogant and presumptuous confidence, as beauty, ornament, noble character, children, etc., Show; ostentation; glory., Highest pitch; elevation reached; loftiness; prime; glory; as, to be in the pride of one’s life., Consciousness of power; fullness of animal spirits; mettle; wantonness; hence, lust; sexual desire; esp., an excitement of sexual appetite in a female beast., To indulge in pride, or self-esteem; to rate highly; to plume; — used reflexively., To be proud; to glory. |
| pried |
|
imp. & p. p. of Pry., of Pry |
| prief |
noun |
Proof. |
| prier |
noun |
One who pries; one who inquires narrowly and searches, or is inquisitive. |
| prill |
noun |
The brill., To flow., A stream., A nugget of virgin metal., Ore selected for excellence., The button of metal from an assay. |
| prime |
adjective |
First in order of time; original; primeval; primitive; primary., First in rank, degree, dignity, authority, or importance; as, prime minister., First in excellence; of highest quality; as, prime wheat; a prime quality of cloth., Early; blooming; being in the first stage., Lecherous; lustful; lewd., Marked or distinguished by a mark (‘) called a prime mark., The first part; the earliest stage; the beginning or opening, as of the day, the year, etc.; hence, the dawn; the spring., The spring of life; youth; hence, full health, strength, or beauty; perfection., That which is first in quantity; the most excellent portion; the best part., The morning; specifically (R. C. Ch.), the first canonical hour, succeeding to lauds., The first of the chief guards., Any number expressing the combining weight or equivalent of any particular element; — so called because these numbers were respectively reduced to their lowest relative terms on the fixed standard of hydrogen as 1., A prime number. See under Prime, a., An inch, as composed of twelve seconds in the duodecimal system; — denoted by [‘]. See 2d Inch, n., 1., To apply priming to, as a musket or a cannon; to apply a primer to, as a metallic cartridge., To lay the first color, coating, or preparation upon (a surface), as in painting; as, to prime a canvas, a wall., To prepare; to make ready; to instruct beforehand; to post; to coach; as, to prime a witness; the boys are primed for mischief., To trim or prune, as trees., To mark with a prime mark., To be renewed, or as at first., To serve as priming for the charge of a gun., To work so that foaming occurs from too violent ebullition, which causes water to become mixed with, and be carried along with, the steam that is formed; — said of a steam boiler. |
| primo |
adjective |
First; chief. |
| primp |
adjective |
To be formal or affected in dress or manners; — often with up. |
| primy |
adjective |
Being in its prime. |
| prink |
verb t. |
To dress or adjust one’s self for show; to prank., To prank or dress up; to deck fantastically. |
| print |
verb t. |
To fix or impress, as a stamp, mark, character, idea, etc., into or upon something., To stamp something in or upon; to make an impression or mark upon by pressure, or as by pressure., To strike off an impression or impressions of, from type, or from stereotype, electrotype, or engraved plates, or the like; in a wider sense, to do the typesetting, presswork, etc., of (a book or other publication); as, to print books, newspapers, pictures; to print an edition of a book., To stamp or impress with colored figures or patterns; as, to print calico., To take (a copy, a positive picture, etc.), from a negative, a transparent drawing, or the like, by the action of light upon a sensitized surface., To use or practice the art of typography; to take impressions of letters, figures, or electrotypes, engraved plates, or the like., To publish a book or an article., A mark made by impression; a line, character, figure, or indentation, made by the pressure of one thing on another; as, the print of teeth or nails in flesh; the print of the foot in sand or snow., A stamp or die for molding or impressing an ornamental design upon an object; as, a butter print., That which receives an impression, as from a stamp or mold; as, a print of butter., Printed letters; the impression taken from type, as to excellence, form, size, etc.; as, small print; large print; this line is in print., That which is produced by printing., An impression taken from anything, as from an engraved plate., A printed publication, more especially a newspaper or other periodical., A printed cloth; a fabric figured by stamping, especially calico or cotton cloth., A photographic copy, or positive picture, on prepared paper, as from a negative, or from a drawing on transparent paper., A core print. See under Core. |
| prior |
adjective |
Preceding in the order of time; former; antecedent; anterior; previous; as, a prior discovery; prior obligation; — used elliptically in cases like the following: he lived alone [in the time] prior to his marriage., The superior of a priory, and next below an abbot in dignity. |
| prise |
noun |
An enterprise., See Prize, n., 5. Also Prize, v. t. |
| prism |
noun |
A solid whose bases or ends are any similar, equal, and parallel plane figures, and whose sides are parallelograms., A transparent body, with usually three rectangular plane faces or sides, and two equal and parallel triangular ends or bases; — used in experiments on refraction, dispersion, etc., A form the planes of which are parallel to the vertical axis. See Form, n., 13. |
| privy |
adjective |
Of or pertaining to some person exclusively; assigned to private uses; not public; private; as, the privy purse., Secret; clandestine., Appropriated to retirement; private; not open to the public., Admitted to knowledge of a secret transaction; secretly cognizant; privately knowing., A partaker; a person having an interest in any action or thing; one who has an interest in an estate created by another; a person having an interest derived from a contract or conveyance to which he is not himself a party. The term, in its proper sense, is distinguished from party., A necessary house or place; a backhouse. |
| prize |
noun |
That which is taken from another; something captured; a thing seized by force, stratagem, or superior power., Anything captured by a belligerent using the rights of war; esp., property captured at sea in virtue of the rights of war, as a vessel., An honor or reward striven for in a competitive contest; anything offered to be competed for, or as an inducement to, or reward of, effort., That which may be won by chance, as in a lottery., Anything worth striving for; a valuable possession held or in prospect., A contest for a reward; competition., A lever; a pry; also, the hold of a lever., To move with a lever; to force up or open; to pry., To set or estimate the value of; to appraise; to price; to rate., To value highly; to estimate to be of great worth; to esteem., Estimation; valuation. |
| probe |
verb t. |
To examine, as a wound, an ulcer, or some cavity of the body, with a probe., Fig.: to search to the bottom; to scrutinize or examine thoroughly., An instrument for examining the depth or other circumstances of a wound, ulcer, or cavity, or the direction of a sinus, of for exploring for bullets, for stones in the bladder, etc. |
| prodd |
noun |
A crossbow. See Prod, 3. |
| proem |
noun |
Preface; introduction; preliminary observations; prelude., To preface. |
| proin |
verb t. |
To lop; to trim; to prune; to adorn., To employed in pruning. |
| proke |
verb i. |
To poke; to thrust. |
| proll |
verb t. |
To search or prowl after; to rob; to plunder., To prowl about; to rob. |
| promt |
superl. |
Ready and quick to act as occasion demands; meeting requirements readily; not slow, dilatory, or hesitating in decision or action; responding on the instant; immediate; as, prompt in obedience or compliance; — said of persons., Done or rendered quickly, readily, or immediately; given without delay or hesitation; — said of conduct; as, prompt assistance., Easy; unobstructed. |
| prone |
adjective |
Bending forward; inclined; not erect., Prostrate; flat; esp., lying with the face down; — opposed to supine., Headlong; running downward or headlong., Sloping, with reference to a line or surface; declivous; inclined; not level., Inclined; propense; disposed; — applied to the mind or affections, usually in an ill sense. Followed by to. |
| prong |
noun |
A sharp-pointed instrument., The tine of a fork, or of a similar instrument; as, a fork of two or three prongs., A sharp projection, as of an antler., The fang of a tooth. |
| proof |
noun |
Any effort, process, or operation designed to establish or discover a fact or truth; an act of testing; a test; a trial., That degree of evidence which convinces the mind of any truth or fact, and produces belief; a test by facts or arguments that induce, or tend to induce, certainty of the judgment; conclusive evidence; demonstration., The quality or state of having been proved or tried; firmness or hardness that resists impression, or does not yield to force; impenetrability of physical bodies., Firmness of mind; stability not to be shaken., A trial impression, as from type, taken for correction or examination; — called also proof sheet., A process for testing the accuracy of an operation performed. Cf. Prove, v. t., 5., Armor of excellent or tried quality, and deemed impenetrable; properly, armor of proof., Used in proving or testing; as, a proof load, or proof charge., Firm or successful in resisting; as, proof against harm; waterproof; bombproof., Being of a certain standard as to strength; — said of alcoholic liquors. |
| props |
noun pl. |
A game of chance, in which four sea shells, each called a prop, are used instead of dice. |
| prore |
noun |
The prow or fore part of a ship. |
| prose |
noun |
The ordinary language of men in speaking or writing; language not cast in poetical measure or rhythm; — contradistinguished from verse, or metrical composition., Hence, language which evinces little imagination or animation; dull and commonplace discourse., A hymn with no regular meter, sometimes introduced into the Mass. See Sequence., Pertaining to, or composed of, prose; not in verse; as, prose composition., Possessing or exhibiting unpoetical characteristics; plain; dull; prosaic; as, the prose duties of life., To write in prose., To write or repeat in a dull, tedious, or prosy way., To write prose. |
| prosy |
superl. |
Of or pertaining to prose; like prose., Dull and tedious in discourse or writing; prosaic. |
| proud |
superl. |
Feeling or manifesting pride, in a good or bad sense, Possessing or showing too great self-esteem; overrating one’s excellences; hence, arrogant; haughty; lordly; presumptuous., Having a feeling of high self-respect or self-esteem; exulting (in); elated; — often with of; as, proud of one’s country., Giving reason or occasion for pride or self-gratulation; worthy of admiration; grand; splendid; magnificent; admirable; ostentatious., Excited by sexual desire; — applied particularly to the females of some animals. |
| prove |
verb t. |
To try or to ascertain by an experiment, or by a test or standard; to test; as, to prove the strength of gunpowder or of ordnance; to prove the contents of a vessel by a standard measure., To evince, establish, or ascertain, as truth, reality, or fact, by argument, testimony, or other evidence., To ascertain or establish the genuineness or validity of; to verify; as, to prove a will., To gain experience of the good or evil of; to know by trial; to experience; to suffer., To test, evince, ascertain, or verify, 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., To take a trial impression of; to take a proof of; as, to prove a page., To make trial; to essay., To be found by experience, trial, or result; to turn out to be; as, a medicine proves salutary; the report proves false., To succeed; to turn out as expected. |
| prowl |
verb t. |
To rove over, through, or about in a stealthy manner; esp., to search in, as for prey or booty., To collect by plunder; as, to prowl money., To rove or wander stealthily, esp. for prey, as a wild beast; hence, to prey; to plunder., The act of prowling. |
| proxy |
noun |
The agency for another who acts through the agent; authority to act for another, esp. to vote in a legislative or corporate capacity., The person who is substituted or deputed to act or vote for another., A writing by which one person authorizes another to vote in his stead, as in a corporation meeting., The written appointment of a proctor in suits in the ecclesiastical courts., See Procuration., To act or vote by proxy; to do anything by the agency of another. |
| pruce |
noun |
Prussian leather. |
| prude |
adjective |
A woman of affected modesty, reserve, or coyness; one who is overscrupulous or sensitive; one who affects extraordinary prudence in conduct and speech. |
| prune |
verb t. |
To lop or cut off the superfluous parts, branches, or shoots of; to clear of useless material; to shape or smooth by trimming; to trim: as, to prune trees; to prune an essay., To cut off or cut out, as useless parts., To preen; to prepare; to dress., To dress; to prink; -used humorously or in contempt., A plum; esp., a dried plum, used in cookery; as, French or Turkish prunes; California prunes. |
| pryan |
noun |
See Prian. |