English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

prosecute

verb

To formally charge someone with a crime and pursue legal action against them in court.

prosecution

noun

The legal process of charging and trying someone for a crime in court.

prosecutor

noun

A lawyer who represents the state in bringing criminal charges against someone.

proselytize

verb

To try to persuade someone to adopt your religion.

prosit

intj

Said when raising a drink to wish someone good health.

prosocial

adj

Helpful to everyone involved and in line with what society expects.

prosody

noun

The study of the rhythm and tone patterns of spoken language.

prosoma

noun

The front part of a creature's body when it is split into sections, such as the combined head and chest of a spider or crab.

prosopagnosia

noun

A condition in which someone finds it hard to recognise faces even though their eyesight otherwise works normally.

prosopopoeia

noun

A way of speaking that gives human qualities to a thing or an absent person.

prospect

noun

The possibility or likelihood of something happening in the future.

prospecting

noun

The activity of searching an area for valuable minerals such as gold, oil, or gemstones.

prospective

adj

Likely to happen or become something in the future; potential.

prospector

noun

A person who searches an area for valuable minerals, such as gold or oil.

prospectus

noun

A printed document describing a business, investment, university, or publication, meant to inform potential buyers or applicants.

prosper

verb

To succeed or do well, especially financially.

prosperity

noun

The state of being successful and financially well-off.

Prospero

name

A moon of Uranus, and the name of the exiled sorcerer-duke in Shakespeare's "The Tempest".

prosperous

adj

Financially successful and thriving.

pross

verb

(informal) To beg or freeload off someone else's kindness.

Prost

name

A surname of French origin.

prostate

noun

A small gland in male mammals, located below the bladder, that produces part of the fluid in semen.

prostatic

adj

Connected with the prostate gland.

prosthesis

noun

An artificial device that replaces a missing body part.

prosthetic

adj

Serving as an artificial replacement for part of the body.

prosthetics

noun

The branch of medicine concerned with designing and fitting artificial body parts.

prosthodontics

noun

The branch of dentistry that deals with repairing or replacing teeth that are damaged or missing.

prostitot

noun

A girl who has not yet reached puberty but copies the highly sexualised clothing and behaviour of women in their twenties, such as pop stars.

prostitute

noun

A person who has sex with others in exchange for money.

prostitution

noun

The practice of engaging in sex in exchange for money or other payment.

prostitutor

noun

Someone who sells their own body, or someone else's, for sex.

prostrate

adj

Lying flat on the ground, typically face down.

prostration

noun

The act of lying face down on the ground to show humility.

prosy

adj

Plain and lacking any imagination or poetry.

protactinium

noun

A chemical element (symbol Pa) with atomic number 91. A dense, silvery-gray actinide metal.

protagonist

noun

The main character in a story, film, or play.

protean

adj

Able to change easily and take on many different forms.

protect

verb

To keep someone or something safe from harm or damage.

protected

adj

Kept safe from harm, damage, or destruction.

protection

noun

The act of keeping someone or something safe, or the state of being safe.

protectionism

noun

A policy of shielding a country's own producers from foreign competition using taxes, limits or other trade barriers on imports.

protective

adj

Designed or intended to protect.

protector

noun

A person who guards or defends someone or something.

protectorate

noun

A weaker state placed under the formal protection and partial control of a stronger one.

protege

noun

A person who is taught, guided and helped forward in their career by someone more experienced and influential.

protein

noun

A large biological molecule made of chains of amino acids, essential to the structure and function of living cells.

protest

verb

To express strong objection to something.

Protestant

noun

A member of one of the Christian churches that broke away from the Roman Catholic Church during the Reformation.

protestation

noun

A strong, formal statement of objection or disagreement.

protester

noun

A person who takes part in a protest.

protesting

noun

The act of publicly objecting to something.

Proteus

name

A Greek sea god famed for changing shape at will.

prothesis

noun

The addition of phonemes to the start of a word without altering its morphological structure, for example the Spanish word esfera, derived via Latin from Greek sphaera (“sphere”); without prothesis it would have become *sfera.

protoactinium

noun

A dated form of protactinium.

protocol

noun

The official rules of correct conduct in formal or diplomatic situations.

proton

noun

A positively charged particle found in the nucleus of every atom.

prototype

noun

An early working model built to test an idea before full production.

prototypical

adj

Forming or standing for the first form of something, on which other examples are based or derived.

prototyping

noun

The quick building of early sample versions of a new product to test and show it.

protract

verb

To lengthen something, particularly to make it last longer in time.

protracted

adj

Lasting much longer than expected or wanted.

protractor

noun

A circular or semicircular tool for drawing or measuring angles.

protrude

verb

To make something stick out beyond a surface or edge.

protrusion

noun

The action of sticking out from a surface.

protuberance

noun

A part that sticks out from a surface, such as a bulge, lump or swelling.

proud

adj

Feeling pleased and satisfied about something one has done or achieved.

proudly

adv

In a manner showing pride or satisfaction.

Proust

name

A French surname, most famously borne by novelist Marcel Proust, author of "In Search of Lost Time."

prove

verb

To show, by evidence or argument, that something is true.

proven

adj

Shown by evidence to be true, effective, or reliable.

provenance

noun

The place of origin or history of ownership of something, especially a work of art or artifact.

provenantial

adj

Relating to where something comes from.

Provence

name

A region in southeastern France on the Mediterranean coast, known for lavender fields and hilltop villages.

provender

noun

Food, particularly the kind given to farm animals.

provene

verb

To come or arise from a particular source.

provenience

noun

The place or source from which something originally came.

proverb

noun

A short, well-known saying that expresses a piece of common wisdom or advice.

proverbial

adj

Referred to in, or resembling, a well-known proverb or saying.

Proverbs

name

A book of the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament made up of short sayings offering practical and moral wisdom.

proverse

adj

Describes an aircraft rolling the same way it yaws.

provide

verb

To supply someone with something they need or want.

provided

conj

On the condition that; only if.

Providence

name

Divine guidance or protective care, often attributed to God or fate.

provident

adj

Careful and sensible in planning for the future.

providential

adj

Relating to God's guidance or control over events.

providentially

adv

In a way that seems fortunate or guided by providence.

provider

noun

A person or organization that supplies a service, product, or income.

providing

conj

On the condition that; provided that.

province

noun

A large administrative division of certain countries, such as Canada or China.

provincial

adj

Relating to or typical of a province, especially a region outside the capital or main city.

provincialism

noun

The quality of being provincial, shown in provincial tastes, attitudes and manners.

proving

verb

Present participle of "prove" — demonstrating or establishing that something is true.

provision

noun

A supply of something needed for the future, especially food.

provisional

adj

Temporary and meant to be replaced later by something permanent.

provisionally

adv

For the time being, until something more permanent is arranged.

provisioner

noun

A person who provides supplies.

provisioning

noun

The process of supplying goods or resources.

proviso

noun

A condition attached to an agreement.

Provo

noun

An informal term for a member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army.

provocateur

noun

Someone who deliberately says or does things to stir up a reaction, argument, or controversy.

provocation

noun

The act of deliberately annoying, angering, or inciting someone.

provocative

adj

Likely to cause a strong reaction, especially anger or annoyance.

provocator

noun

A person who deliberately stirs up trouble or provokes others.

provoke

verb

To deliberately anger or irritate someone.

provoking

adj

Causing irritation or anger; annoying.

provolone

noun

A firm, pale yellow Italian cheese made from cow's milk, often smoked or aged.

provost

noun

A senior official who heads a university, college, or cathedral chapter.

prow

noun

The front end of a ship or boat.

prowess

noun

Exceptional skill or ability in a particular activity.

prowl

verb

To move about quietly and stealthily, especially while hunting or searching for something.

prowler

noun

A person who lurks or moves around a place secretly, often intending to commit a crime like burglary.

prowling

noun

The act of moving around stealthily, often in search of prey or a target.

proxenetism

noun

The arranging or brokering of a deal between a sex worker and their client.

proximal

adj

Located nearer to the center of the body, a point of attachment, or a point of reference.

proximate

adj

Very near or next to something.

proximity

noun

The state of being near something in space, time, or relationship.

proxy

noun

A person authorized to act or vote on behalf of someone else.

Prozac

noun

A brand name for fluoxetine, an antidepressant drug commonly used to treat depression and anxiety.

Pru

noun

A nickname or short form of the name Prudence.

prude

noun

Someone who is easily shocked or offended by anything sexual or improper, and overly concerned with proper behavior.

prudence

noun

Careful, sensible judgment, especially about practical matters and future risks.

prudent

adj

Careful and sensible, especially about avoiding unnecessary risk.

prudential

adj

Based on careful thought and good judgement.

Prudhoe

name

A town in Northumberland, England.

prudish

adj

Overly modest or easily shocked, especially about sexual matters.

Prue

name

A female given name, a diminutive of Prudence.

Pruitt

name

An English surname.

prune

noun

A dried plum.

pruning

noun

The act of trimming excess branches or growth from a plant.

prurience

noun

The state of being prurient.

Prussia

noun

A historical kingdom and later German state in Northeast Europe, powerful from the 1700s until it was dissolved after World War II.

Prussian

adj

Relating to Prussia, its people, or its culture.

pry

verb

To inquire into someone else's private affairs in a nosy or unwelcome way.

Pryce

name

A Welsh surname, a variant spelling of Price.

prying

adj

Excessively curious about other people's private matters; nosy.

PS

abbreviation

A note added at the end of a letter, email or message, after the signature, for something you forgot or want to add separately.

PSA

noun

A short message broadcast or posted in the public interest, warning or informing people about something such as health, safety or a deadline.

psalm

noun

A sacred song or poem used in worship, especially one of the songs collected in the Book of Psalms in the Bible.

Psalms

noun

The Book of Psalms, a collection of religious songs and poems in the Old Testament.

psalter

noun

The Book of Psalms, especially when it is published as a stand-alone volume rather than as part of the whole Bible.

psammon

noun

The community of organisms that lives in the moist, sandy habitat found along a shoreline.

pseud

noun

(informal) Someone who pretends to be more intelligent or cultured than they really are.

pseudanthium

noun

A cluster of small flowers that looks and behaves like one single flower.

pseudo

adj

Fake or not genuine; only appearing to be something.

pseudoanemic

adj

Affected by, or relating to, a condition that resembles anaemia.

pseudoeffective

adj

Having a nonnegative intersection product with every ample divisor and numerically eventually free if the intersection product with every positive divisor is non-negative.

pseudologist

noun

A person who tells untruths; a liar, also called a pseudologue.

pseudomoral

adj

Seeming moral on the surface but not really so.

pseudonym

noun

A fake name used instead of someone's real name, especially by writers or performers.

pseudopregnant

adj

Relating to or experiencing a false pregnancy.