Chapter CCCL: Prologue (1)

Pro"logue, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Prologued; p. pr. & vb. n. Prologuing.]

Defn: To introduce with a formal preface, or prologue. [R.] Shak.

PROLONG Pro*long", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Prolonged; p. pr. & vb. n. Prolonging.] Etym: [F. prolonger, L. prolongare; pro before, forth + longus long. See Long, a., and cf. Prolongate, Purloin. ]

1. To extend in space or length; as, to prolong a line.

2. To lengthen in time; to extend the duration of; to draw out; to continue; as, to prolong one's days. Prolong awhile the traitor's life. Shak. The unhappy queen with talk prolonged the night. Dryden.

3. To put off to a distant time; to postpone. Shak.

PROLONGABLE Pro*long"a*ble, a.

Defn: Capable of being prolonged; as, life is prolongable by care. Each syllable being a prolongable quantity. Rush.

PROLONGATE Pro*lon"gate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Prolongated; p. pr. & vb. n. Prolongating.] Etym: [L. prolongatus, p. p. of prolongare. See Prolong.]

Defn: To prolong; to extend in space or in time. [R.]

PROLONGATION Pro`lon*ga"tion, n. Etym: [F. prolongation.]

1. The act of lengthening in space or in time; extension; protraction. Bacon.

2. That which forms an additional length.

PROLONGE Pro*longe", n. Etym: [F. See Prolong.] (Field Artillery)

Defn: A rope with a hook and a toggle, sometimes used to drag a gun carriage or to lash it to the limber, and for various other purposes.

PROLONGER Pro*long"er, n.

Defn: One who, or that which, causes an extension in time or space.

PROLONGMENT Pro*long"ment, n.

Defn: Prolongation.

PROLUSION Pro*lu"sion, n. Etym: [L. prolusio, fr. proludere to prelude; pro before + ludere to play: cf. F. prolusion, It. prolusione.]

Defn: A trial before the principal performance; a prelude; hence, an introductory essay or exercise. "Domestic prolusions." Thackeray. Her presence was in some measure a restraint on the worthy divine, whose prolusion lasted. Sir W. Scott.

PROMANATION Prom`a*na"tion, n. Etym: [Pref. pro- + L. manatio a flowing, fr. manare to flow.]

Defn: The act of flowing forth; emanation; efflux. [Obs.] Dr. H. More.

PROMENADE Prom`e*nade", n. Etym: [F. (with a foreign suffix), from promener to lead, take for a walk, se promener to walk, from L. prominare to drive forward or along; pro forward + minare to drive animals. See Amenable, Menace.]

1. A walk for pleasure, display, or exercise. Burke.

2. A place for walking; a public walk. Bp. Montagu.

PROMENADE Prom`e*nade", v. i. [imp. & p. p. Promenaded; p. pr. & vb. n. Promenading.]

Defn: To walk for pleasure, display, or exercise.

PROMENADER Prom`e*nad"er, n.

Defn: One who promenades.

PROMERIT Pro*mer"it, v. t. Etym: [L. promeritus, p. p. of promerere to deserve; pro before + merere to merit.]

1. To oblige; to confer a favor on. [Obs.] Bp. Hall.

2. To deserve; to procure by merit. [Obs.] Davenant.

PROMEROPS Prom"e*rops, n. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Any one of several species of very brilliant birds belonging to Promerops, Epimarchus, and allied genera, closely related to the paradise birds, and mostly native of New Guinea. They have a long curved beak and a long graduated tail.

PROMETHEA Pro*me"the*a, n. Etym: [NL. See Prometheus.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: A large American bombycid moth (Callosamia promethea). Its larva feeds on the sassafras, wild cherry, and other trees, and suspends its cocoon from a branch by a silken band.

PROMETHEAN Pro*me"the*an, a. Etym: [L. Promethus: cf. F. prométhéen.]

1. Of or pertaining to Prometheus. See Prometheus. "Promethean fire." Shak.

2. Having a life-giving quality; inspiring.

PROMETHEAN Pro*me"the*an, n. (Old Chem.) (a) An apparatus for automatic ignition. (b) A kind of lucifer match.

PROMETHEUS Pro*me"the*us, n. Etym: [L., fr. Gr. (Class. Myth.)

Defn: The son of Iapetus (one of the Titans) and Clymene, fabled by the poets to have surpassed all mankind in knowledge, and to have formed men of clay to whom he gave life by means of fire stolen from heaven. Jupiter, being angry at this, sent Mercury to bind Prometheus to Mount Caucasus, where a vulture preyed upon his liver.

PROMINENCE; PROMINENCY Prom"i*nence, Prom"i*nen*cy, n. Etym: [L. prominentia: cf. F. prominence. See Prominent. ]

1. The quality or state of being prominent; a standing out from something; conspicuousness.

2. That which is prominent; a protuberance. Solar prominences. (Astron.) See Solar Protuberances, under Protuberance.

PROMINENT Prom"i*nent, a. Etym: [L. prominens, -entis, p. pr. of prominere to jut out, to project; pro before, forward + minere (in comp.) to jut, project: cf. F. prominent. See Imminent, Eminent.]

1. Standing out, or projecting, beyond the line surface of something; jutting; protuberant; in high relief; as, a prominent figure on a vase.

2. Hence; Distinctly manifest; likely to attract attention from its size or position; conspicuous; as, a prominent feature of the face; a prominent building.

3. Eminent; distinguished above others; as, a prominent character. Prominent' moth (Zoöl.), any moth of the family Notodontidæ; a notodontian; -- so called because the larva has a hump or prominence on its back. Several of the species are injurious to fruit trees.

PROMINENTLY Prom"i*nent*ly, adv.

Defn: In a prominent manner.

PROMISCUITY Pro`mis*cu"i*ty, n.

Defn: Promiscuousness; confusion. H. Spencer.

PROMISCUOUS Pro*mis"cu*ous, a. Etym: [L. promiscuus; pro before, in place of, for + miscere to mix. See Mix. ]

1. Consisting of individuals united in a body or mass without order; mingled; confused; undistinguished; as, a promiscuous crowd or mass. A wild, where weeds and flowers promiscuous shoot. Pope.

2. Distributed or applied without order or discrimination; not restricted to an individual; common; indiscriminate; as, promiscuous love or intercourse.

PROMISCUOUSLY Pro*mis"cu*ous*ly, adv.

Defn: In a promiscuous manner.

PROMISCUOUSNESS Pro*mis"cu*ous*ness, n.

Defn: The quality or state of being promiscuous.

PROMISE Prom"ise, a. Etym: [F. promesse, L. promissum, fr. promittere, promissum, to put forth, foretell, promise; pro forward, for + mittere to send. See Mission. ]

1. In general, a declaration, written or verbal, made by one person to another, which binds the person who makes it to do, or to forbear to do, a specified act; a declaration which gives to the person to whom it is made a right to expect or to claim the performance or forbearance of a specified act. For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise. Gal. iii. 18.

2. (Law)

Defn: An engagement by one person to another, either in words or in writing, but properly not under seal, for the performance or nonperformance of some particular thing. The word promise is used to denote the mere engagement of a person, without regard to the consideration for it, or the corresponding duty of the party to whom it is made. Chitty. Parsons. Burrill.

3. That which causes hope, expectation, or assurance; especially, that which affords expectation of future distinction; as, a youth of great promise. Shak. My native country was full of youthful promise. W. Irving.

4. Bestowal, fulfillment, or grant of what is promised. He . . . commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father. Acts i. 4.

PROMISE Prom"ise, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Promised; p. pr. & vb. n. Promising.]

1. To engage to do, give, make, or to refrain from doing, giving, or making, or the like; to covenant; to engage; as, to promise a visit; to promise a cessation of hostilities; to promise the payment of money. "To promise aid." Shak.

2. To afford reason to expect; to cause hope or assurance of; as, the clouds promise rain. Milton.

3. To make declaration of or give assurance of, as some benefit to be conferred; to pledge or engage to bestow; as, the proprietors promised large tracts of land; the city promised a reward. Promised land. See Land of promise, under Land. -- To promise one's self. (a) To resolve; to determine; to vow. (b) To be assured; to have strong confidence. I dare promise myself you will attest the truth of all I have advanced. Rambler.

PROMISE Prom"ise, v. i.

1. To give assurance by a promise, or binding declaration.

2. To afford hopes or expectation; to give ground to expect good; rarely, to give reason to expect evil. Will not the ladies be afeard of the lion I fear it, I promise you. Shak.

PROMISEE Prom`is*ee", n. (Law)

Defn: The person to whom a promise is made.

PROMISER Prom"is*er, n.

Defn: One who promises.

PROMISING Prom"is*ing, a.

Defn: Making a promise or promises; affording hope or assurance; as, promising person; a promising day. -- Prom"is*ing*ly, adv.

PROMISOR Prom"is*or, n. (Law)

Defn: One who engages or undertakes; a promiser. Burrill.

PROMISSIVE Pro*mis"sive, a.

Defn: Making a promise; implying a promise; promising. [R.]

PROMISSORILY Prom"is*so*ri*ly, adv.

Defn: In a promissory manner. Sir T. Browne.

PROMISSORY Prom"is*so*ry, a.

Defn: Containing a promise or binding declaration of something to be done or forborne. Promissory note (Law), a written promise to pay to some person named, and at a time specified therein, or on demand, or at sight, a certain sum of money, absolutely and at all events; -- frequently called a note of hand. Kent. Byles. Story.

PROMONT Prom"ont, n.

Defn: Promontory. [R.] Drayton.

PROMONTORY Prom"on*to*ry, n.; pl. Promontories. Etym: [ L. promonturium, promunturium; pro before + mons, montis, mountain: cf. F. promontoire. See Mount, n.]

1. (Phys. Geog.)

Defn: A high point of land or rock projecting into the sea beyond the line of coast; a headland; a high cape. Like one that stands upon a promontory. Shak.

2. (Anat.)

Defn: A projecting part. Especially: (a) The projecting angle of the ventral side of the sacrum where it joins the last lumbar vertebra. (b) A prominence on the inner wall of the tympanum of the ear.

PROMORPHOLOGICAL Pro*mor`pho*log"ic*al, a. (Biol.)

Defn: Relating to promorphology; as, a promorphological conception.

PROMORPHOLOGIST Pro`mor*phol"o*gist, n. (Biol.)

Defn: One versed in the science of promorphology.

PROMORPHOLOGY Pro`mor*phol"o*gy, n. Etym: [Pref. pro- + morphology.] (Biol.)

Defn: Crystallography of organic forms; -- a division of morphology created by Haeckel. It is essentially stereometric, and relates to a mathematical conception of organic forms. See Tectology.

PROMOTE Pro*mote", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Promoted; p. pr. & vb. n. Promoting.] Etym: [L. promotus, p. p. of promovere to move forward, to promote; pro forward + movere to move. See Move.]

1. To contribute to the growth, enlargement, or prosperity of (any process or thing that is in course); to forward; to further; to encourage; to advance; to excite; as, to promote learning; to promote disorder; to promote a business venture. "Born to promote all truth." Milton.

2. To exalt in station, rank, or honor; to elevate; to raise; to prefer; to advance; as, to promote an officer. I will promote thee unto very great honor. Num. xxii. 17. Exalt her, and she shall promote thee. Prov. iv. 18.

Syn. -- To forward; advance; further; patronize; help; exalt; prefer; elevate; dignify.

PROMOTE Pro*mote", v. i.

Defn: To urge on or incite another, as to strife; also, to inform against a person. [Obs.]

PROMOTER Pro*mot"er, n.

1. One who, or that which, forwards, advances, or promotes; an encourager; as, a promoter of charity or philosophy. Boyle.

2. Specifically, one who sets on foot, and takes the preliminary steps in, a scheme for the organization of a corporation, a joint- stock company, or the like.

3. One who excites; as, a promoter of sedition.

4. An informer; a makebate. [Obs.] Tusser.

PROMOTION Pro*mo"tion, n. Etym: [L. promotio: cf. F. promotion.]

Defn: The act of promoting, advancing, or encouraging; the act of exalting in rank or honor; also, the condition of being advanced, encouraged, or exalted in honor; preferment. Milton. Promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. Ps. lxxv. 6.

PROMOTIVE Pro*mo"tive, a.

Defn: Tending to advance, promote, or encourage. Hume.

PROMOVE Pro*move", v. t. Etym: [See Promote.]

Defn: To move forward; to advance; to promote. [Obs.] Bp. Fell.

PROMOVER Pro*mov"er, n.

Defn: A promoter. [Obs.]

PROMPT Prompt, a. [Compar. Prompter; superl. Promptest.] Etym: [F. prompt, L. promptus, properly, brought forth (to light or view), hence, visible, evident, at hand, ready, quick, -- p. p. of promere to take or bring forth; pro forth + emere to take. See Redeem. ]

1. 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. Very discerning and prompt in giving orders. Clarendon. Tell him I am prompt To lay my crown at's feet. Shak. Any you, perhaps, too prompt in your replies. Dryden.

2. Done or rendered quickly, readily, or immediately; given without delay or hesitation; -- said of conduct; as, prompt assistance. When Washington heard the voice of his country in distress, his obedience was prompt. Ames.

3. Easy; unobstructed. [Obs.] The reception of the light into the body of the building was very prompt. Sir H. Wotton.

Syn. -- Ready; expeditious; quick; agile; alert; brisk; nimble. -- Prompt, Ready, Expeditious. One who is ready is prepared to act at the moment. One who is prompt acts at the moment. One who is expeditious carries through an undertaking with constant promptness.

PROMPT Prompt, n. (Com.)

Defn: A limit of time given for payment of an account for produce purchased, this limit varying with different goods. See Prompt-note. To cover any probable difference of price which might arise before the expiration of the prompt, which for this article [tea] is three months. J. S. Mill.

PROMPT Prompt, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Prompted; p. pr. & vb. n. Prompting.]

1. To assist or induce the action of; to move to action; to instigate; to incite. God first . . . prompted on the infirmities of the infant world by temporal prosperity. Jer. Taylor.

2. To suggest; to dictate. And whispering angles prompt her golden dreams. Pope.

3. To remind, as an actor or an orator, of words or topics forgotten.

PROMPT-BOOK Prompt"-book` (, n.

Defn: The book used by a prompter of a theater.

PROMPTER Prompt"er, n.

1. One who, or that which, prompts; one who admonishes or incites to action.

2. One who reminds another, as an actor or an orator, of the words to be spoken next; specifically, one employed for this purpose in a theater.

PROMPTITUDE Prompt"i*tude, n. Etym: [F., fr. L. promptitudo. See Prompt, a.]

Defn: The quality of being prompt; quickness of decision and action when occasion demands; alacrity; as, promptitude in obedience. Men of action, of promptitude, and of courage. I. Taylor.

PROMPTLY Prompt"ly, adv.

Defn: In a prompt manner.

PROMPTNESS Prompt"ness, n.

1. Promptitude; readiness; quickness of decision or action.

2. Cheerful willingness; alacrity.

PROMPT-NOTE Prompt"-note`, n. (Com.)

Defn: A memorandum of a sale, and time when payment is due, given to the purchaser at a sale of goods.

PROMPTUARY Promp"tu*a*ry, a.

Defn: Of or pertaining to preparation. [R.] Bacon.

PROMPTUARY Promp"tu*a*ry, n. Etym: [L. promptuarium, fr. promptuarius belonging to distribution, distributing: cf, F. promptuaire. See Prompt, a.]

Defn: That from which supplies are drawn; a storehouse; a magazine; a repository. Woodward.

PROMPTURE Promp"ture, n. Etym: [See Prompt, a.]

Defn: Suggestion; incitement; prompting. [R.] Shak. Coleridge.

PROMULGATE Pro*mul"gate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Promulgated; p. pr. & vb. n. Promulgating.] Etym: [L. promulgatus, p. p. of promulgare to promulgate; of unknown origin. Cf. Promulge.]

Defn: To make known by open declaration, as laws, decrees, or tidings; to publish; as, to promulgate the secrets of a council.

Syn. -- To publish; declare; proclaim. See Announce.

PROMULGATION Pro`mul*ga"tion, n. Etym: [L. promulgatio: cf. F. promulgation.]

Defn: The act of promulgating; publication; open declaration; as, the promulgation of the gospel. South.

PROMULGATOR Pro"mul*ga`tor, n. Etym: [L.]

Defn: One who promulgates or publishes. Dr. H. More.

PROMULGE Pro*mulge", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Promulged; p. pr. & vb. n. Promulging.] Etym: [Cf. F. promulguer. See Promulgate.]

Defn: To promulgate; to publish or teach. Blackstone. Extraordinary doctrines these for the age in which they were promulged. Prescott.

PROMULGER Pro*mul"ger, n.

Defn: One who promulges or publishes what was before unknown. Atterbury.

PROMUSCIS Pro*mus"cis, n. Etym: [L., corruption of proboscis.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: The proboscis of hemipterous insects. See Illust. under Hemiptera.

PRONAOS Pro*na"os, n. Etym: [L., fr. Gr. (Arch.)

Defn: The porch or vestibule of a temple.

PRONATE Pro"nate, a. Etym: [L. pronatus, p. p. of pronare to bend forward. See Prone.]

Defn: Somewhat prone; inclined; as, pronate trees. Kane.

PRONATION Pro*na"tion, n. Etym: [Cf. F. pronation.] (Physiol.) (a) The act of turning the palm or palmar surface of the forefoot downward. (b) That motion of the forearm whereby the palm or palmar, surface is turned downward. (c) The position of the limb resulting from the act of pronation. Opposed to supination.

PRONATOR Pro*na"tor, n. Etym: [NL.] (Anat.)

Defn: A muscle which produces pronation.

PRONE Prone, a. Etym: [L. pronus, akin to Gr. pravana sloping, inclined, and also to L. pro forward, for. See Pro-.]

1. Bending forward; inclined; not erect. Towards him they bend With awful reverence prone. Milton.

2. Prostrate; flat; esp., lying with the face down; -- opposed to supine. Which, as the wind, Blew where it listed, laying all things prone. Byron.

3. Headlong; running downward or headlong. "Down thither prone in flight." Milton.

4. Sloping, with reference to a line or surface; declivous; inclined; not level. Since the floods demand, For their descent, a prone and sinking land. Blackmore.

5. Inclined; propense; disposed; -- applied to the mind or affections, usually in an ill sense. Followed by to. "Prone to mischief." Shak. Poets are nearly all prone to melancholy. Landor.

PRONELY Prone"ly, adv.

Defn: In a prone manner or position.

PRONENESS Prone"ness, n.

1. The quality or state of being prone, or of bending downward; as, the proneness of beasts is opposed to the erectness of man.

2. The state of lying with the face down; -- opposed to supineness.

3. Descent; declivity; as, the proneness of a hill.

4. Inclination of mind, heart, or temper; propension; disposition; as, proneness to self-gratification.

PRONEPHRIC Pro*neph"ric, a. (Anat.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to the pronephros.

PRONEPHROS; PRONEPHRON Pro*neph"ros, Pro*neph"ron (, n. Etym: [ NL., fr. Gr. (Anat.)

Defn: The head kidney. See under Head.

PRONG Prong, n. Etym: [Cf. D. prangen to pinch, press, LG. prange a stick, or W. procio to thrust, E. prowl, pang.]

1. A sharp-pointed instrument. Prick it on a prong of iron. Sandys.

2. The tine of a fork, or of a similar instrument; as, a fork of two or three prongs.

3. (Zoöl.) (a) A sharp projection, as of an antler. (b) The fang of a tooth.

PRONGBUCK Prong"buck`, n. (Zoöl.) (a) The springbuck. (b) The pronghorn.

PRONGED Pronged, a.

Defn: Having prongs or projections like the tines of a fork; as, a three-pronged fork.

PRONG-HOE Prong"-hoe`, n.

Defn: A hoe with prongs to break the earth.

PRONGHORN Prong"horn`, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: An American antelope (Antilocapra Americana), native of the plain near the Rocky Mountains. The upper parts are mostly yellowish brown; the under parts, the sides of the head and throat, and the buttocks, are white. The horny sheath of the horns is shed annually. Called also cabrée, cabut, prongbuck, and pronghorned antelope.

PRONITY Pro"ni*ty, n. Etym: [L. pronitas.]

Defn: Proneness; propensity. [R.] Dr. H. More.

PRONOMINAL Pro*nom"i*nal, a. Etym: [L. pronominalis: cf. F. pronominal. See Pronoun.]

Defn: Belonging to, or partaking of the nature of, a pronoun.

PRONOMINALIZE Pro*nom"i*nal*ize, v. t.

Defn: To give the effect of a pronoun to; as, to pronominalize the substantives person, people, etc. Early.

PRONOMINALLY Pro*nom"i*nal*ly, adv.

Defn: In a pronominal manner

PRONONCE Pro`non`cé", a. Etym: [F. See Pronounce.]

Defn: Strongly marked; decided, as in manners, etc.

PRONOTARY Pro*no"ta*ry, n.

Defn: See Prothonotary.

PRONOTUM Pro*no"tum, n.; pl. Pronota. Etym: [NL. See Pro-, and Notum.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: The dorsal plate of the prothorax in insects. See Illust. of Coleoptera.

PRONOUN Pro"noun, n. Etym: [Pref. pro- + noun: cf. F. pronom, L. pronomen. See Noun.] (Gram.)

Defn: A word used instead of a noun or name, to avoid the repetition of it. The personal pronouns in English are I, thou or you, he, she, it, we, ye, and they.

PRONOUNCE Pro*nounce", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pronounced; p. pr. & vb. n. Pronounging.] Etym: [F. prononcer, L. pronunciare; pro before, forth + nunciare, nuntiare, to announce. See Announce.]

1. To utter articulately; to speak out or distinctly; to utter, as words or syllables; to speak with the proper sound and accent as, adults rarely learn to pronounce a foreign language correctly.

2. To utter officially or solemnly; to deliver, as a decree or sentence; as, to pronounce sentence of death. Sternly he pronounced The rigid interdiction. Milton.

3. To speak or utter rhetorically; to deliver; to recite; as, to pronounce an oration. Speak the speech, I pray you, as I pronounced it to you. Shak.

4. To declare or affirm; as, he pronounced the book to be a libel; he pronounced the act to be a fraud. The God who hallowed thee and blessed, Pronouncing thee all good. Keble.

Syn. -- To deliver; utter; speak. See Deliver.

PRONOUNCE Pro*nounce", v. i.

1. To give a pronunciation; to articulate; as, to pronounce faultlessly. Earle.

2. To make declaration; to utter on opinion; to speak with confidence. [R.] Dr. H. More.

PRONOUNCE Pro*nounce", n.

Defn: Pronouncement; declaration; pronunciation. [Obs.] Milton.

PRONOUNCEABLE Pro*nounce"a*ble, a. Etym: [Cf. L. pronunciabilis declarative.]

Defn: Capable of being pronounced.

PRONOUNCED Pro*nounced", a. Etym: [F. prononcé.]

Defn: Strongly marked; unequivocal; decided.

Note: [A Gallicism] [His] views became every day more pronounced. Thackeray.

PRONOUNCEMENT Pro*nounce"ment, n.

Defn: The act of pronouncing; a declaration; a formal announcement.

PRONOUNCER Pro*noun"cer, n.

Defn: One who pronounces, utters, or declares; also, a pronouncing book.

PRONOUNCING Pro*noun"cing, a.

Defn: Pertaining to, or indicating, pronunciation; as, a pronouncing dictionary.

PRONUBIAL Pro*nu"bi*al, a. Etym: [L. pronuba bridesmaid; pro before + nubere to marry.]

Defn: Presiding over marriage. [R.]

PRONUCLEUS Pro*nu"cle*us, n.; pl. Pronuclei (-i). Etym: [NL. See Pro-, and Nucleus.] (Biol.)

Defn: One of the two bodies or nuclei (called male and female pronuclei) which unite to form the first segmentation nucleus of an impregnated ovum.

Note: In the maturing of the ovum preparatory to impregnation, a part of the germinal vesicle (see Polar body, under Polar) becomes converted into a number of small vesicles, which aggregate themselves into a single clear nucleus. which travels towards the center of the egg and is called the female pronucleus. In impregnation, the spermatozoön which enters the egg soon loses its tail, while the head forms a nucleus, called the male pronucleus, which gradually travels towards the female pronucleus and eventually fuses with it, forming the first segmentation nucleus.

PRONUNCIAL Pro*nun"cial, a.

Defn: Of or pertaining to pronunciation; pronunciative.

PRONUNCIAMENTO Pro*nun`ci*a*men"to, n.

Defn: A proclamation or manifesto; a formal announcement or declaration.

PRONUNCIAMIENTO Pro*nun`ci*a`mi"en"to, n. Etym: [Sp. See Pronounce.]

Defn: See Pronunciamento.

PRONUNCIATION Pro*nun`ci*a"tion, n. Etym: [F. pronunciation, L. pronunciatio. See Pronounce.]

1. The act of uttering with articulation; the act of giving the proper sound and accent; utterance; as, the pronunciation of syllables of words; distinct or indistinct pronunciation.

2. The mode of uttering words or sentences.

3. (Rhet.)

Defn: The art of manner of uttering a discourse publicly with propriety and gracefulness; -- now called delivery. J. Q. Adams.

PRONUNCIATIVE Pro*nun"ci*a*tive, a. Etym: [L. pronunciativus.]

1. Of or pertaining to pronunciation.

2. Uttering confidently; dogmatical. [Obs.] Bacon.

PRONUNCIATOR Pro*nun"ci*a`tor, n. Etym: [L., a reciter.]

Defn: One who pronounces; a pronouncer.

PRONUNCIATORY Pro*nun"ci*a*to*ry, a.

Defn: Of or pertaining to pronunciation; that pronounces.

PROOF Proof, n. Etym: [OF. prove, proeve, F. preuve, fr. L. proba, fr. probare to prove. See Prove.]

1. Any effort, process, or operation designed to establish or discover a fact or truth; an act of testing; a test; a trial. For whatsoever mother wit or art Could work, he put in proof. Spenser. You shall have many proofs to show your skill. Ford. Formerly, a very rude mode of ascertaining the strength of spirits was practiced, called the proof. Ure.

2. 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. I'll have some proof. Shak. It is no proof of a man's understanding to be able to confirm whatever he pleases. Emerson.

Note: Properly speaking, proof is the effect or result of evidence, evidence is the medium of proof. Cf. Demonstration, 1.

3. 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.

4. Firmness of mind; stability not to be shaken.

5. (Print.)

Defn: A trial impression, as from type, taken for correction or examination; -- called also proof sheet.

6. (Math.)

Defn: A process for testing the accuracy of an operation performed. Cf. Prove, v. t., 5.

7. Armor of excellent or tried quality, and deemed impenetrable; properly, armor of proof. [Obs.] Shak. Artist's proof, a very early proof impression of an engraving, or the like; -- often distinguished by the artist's signature. -- Proof reader, one who reads, and marks correction in, proofs. See def. 5, above.

Syn. -- Testimony; evidence; reason; argument; trial; demonstration. See Testimony.

PROOF Proof, a.

1. Used in proving or testing; as, a proof load, or proof charge.

2. Firm or successful in resisting; as, proof against harm; waterproof; bombproof. I . . . have found thee Proof against all temptation. Milton. This was a good, stout proof article of faith. Burke.

3. Being of a certain standard as to strength; -- said of alcoholic liquors. Proof charge (Firearms), a charge of powder and ball, greater than the service charge, fired in an arm, as a gun or cannon, to test its strength. -- Proof impression. See under Impression. -- Proof load (Engin.), the greatest load than can be applied to a piece, as a beam, column, etc., without straining the piece beyond the elastic limit. -- Proof sheet. See Proof, n., 5. -- Proof spirit (Chem.), a strong distilled liquor, or mixture of alcohol and water, containing not less than a standard amount of alcohol. In the United States "proof spirit is defined by law to be that mixture of alcohol and water which contains one half of its volume of alcohol, the alcohol when at a temperature of 60º Fahrenheit being of specific gravity 0.7939 referred to water at its maximum density as unity. Proof spirit has at 60º Fahrenheit a specific gravity of 0.93353, 100 parts by volume of the same consisting of 50 parts of absolute alcohol and 53.71 parts of water," the apparent excess of water being due to contraction of the liquids on mixture. In England proof spirit is defined by Act 58, George III., to be such as shall at a temperature of 51º Fahrenheit weigh exactly the second, third, and fourth proof spirits respectively. -- Proof staff, a straight-edge used by millers to test the flatness of a stone. -- Proof stick (Sugar Manuf.), a rod in the side of a vacuum pan, for testing the consistency of the sirup. -- Proof text, a passage of Scripture used to prove a doctrine. proof coin or proof, a coin which has been specially struck, to produce the finest specimen of its type.

Note: Usually such coins are double-struck from polished dies, and the raised features are sometimes frosted. They thus have sharper features and more mirror-like fields than production coins (i.e. those coins struck for circulation); they are considered by coin collectors as the most desirable specimens of each coin, and usually sell at a premium to their corresponding production coins.

PROOF-ARM Proof`-arm", v. t.

Defn: To arm with proof armor; to arm securely; as, to proof-arm herself. [R.] Beau. & Fl.

PROOFLESS Proof"less, a.

Defn: Wanting sufficient evidence to induce belief; not proved. Boyle. -- Proof"less*ly, adv.

PROOF-PROOF Proof"-proof`, a.

Defn: Proof against proofs; obstinate in the wrong. "That might have shown to any one who was not proof-proof." Whateley.

PROOSTRACUM; PROOESTRACUM Pro*ös"tra*cum, n.; pl. Proöstraca. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The anterior prolongation of the guard of the phragmocone of belemnites and allied fossil cephalopods, whether horny or calcareous. See Illust. of Phragmocone.

PROOTIC; PROOETIC Pro*ö"tic, a. Etym: [Pref. pro- + Gr. (Anat.)

Defn: In front of the auditory capsule; -- applied especially to a bone, or center of ossification, in the periotic capsule. -- n.

Defn: A proötic bone.

PROP Prop, n.

Defn: A shell, used as a die. See Props.

PROP Prop, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Propped; p. pr. & vb. n. Propping.] Etym: [Akin to LG. & D. proppen to cram, stuff, thrust into, stop, G. pfropfen, Dan. proppe, Sw. proppa; of uncertain origin, cf. G. pfropfen to graft, fr. L. propago set, layer of a plant, slip, shoot. Cf. 3d. Prop, Propagate.]

Defn: To support, or prevent from falling, by placing something under or against; as, to prop up a fence or an old building; (Fig.) to sustain; to maintain; as, to prop a declining state. Shak. Till the bright mountains prop the incumbent sky. Pope. For being not propp'd by ancestry. Shak. I prop myself upon those few supports that are left me. Pope.

PROP Prop, n. Etym: [Akin to LG., D., & Dan. prop stopple, stopper, cork, Sw. propp, G. pfropf. See Prop, v.]

Defn: That which sustains an incumbent weight; that on which anything rests or leans for support; a support; a stay; as, a prop for a building. "Two props of virtue." Shak.

PROPAEDEUTIC; PROPAEDEUTICAL Pro`pæ*deu"tic, Pro`pæ*deu"tic*al, a. Etym: [Gr.

Defn: Of, pertaining to, or conveying, preliminary instruction; introductory to any art or science; instructing beforehand.

PROPAEDEUTICS Pro`pæ*deu"tics, n.

Defn: The preliminary learning connected with any art or science; preparatory instruction.

PROPAGABLE Prop"a*ga*ble, a. Etym: [See Propagate.]

1. Capable of being propagated, or of being continued or multiplied by natural generation or production.

2. Capable of being spread or extended by any means; -- said of tenets, doctrines, or principles.

PROPAGANDA Prop`a*gan"da, n. Etym: [Abbrev. fr. L. de propaganda fide: cf. F. propagande. See Propagate.]

1. (R. C. Ch.) (a) A congregation of cardinals, established in 1622, charged with the management of missions. (b) The college of the Propaganda, instituted by Urban VIII. (1623- 1644) to educate priests for missions in all parts of the world.

2. Hence, any organization or plan for spreading a particular doctrine or a system of principles.

PROPAGANDISM Prop`a*gan"dism, n. Etym: [Cf. F. propagandisme.]

Defn: The art or practice of propagating tenets or principles; zeal in propagating one's opinions.

PROPAGANDIST Prop`a*gan"dist, n. Etym: [Cf. F. propagandiste.]

Defn: A person who devotes himself to the spread of any system of principles. "Political propagandists." Walsh.

PROPAGATE Prop"a*gate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Propagated; p. pr. & vb. n. Propagating.] Etym: [L. propagatus, p. p. of propagare to propagate, akin to propages, propago, a layer of a plant, slip, shoot. See Pro-, and cf. Pact, Prop, Prune, v. t.]

1. To cause to continue or multiply by generation, or successive production; -- applied to animals and plants; as, to propagate a breed of horses or sheep; to propagate a species of fruit tree.

2. To cause to spread to extend; to impel or continue forward in space; as, to propagate sound or light.

3. To spread from person to person; to extend the knowledge of; to originate and spread; to carry from place to place; to disseminate; as, to propagate a story or report; to propagate the Christian religion. The infection was propagated insensibly. De Foe.

4. To multiply; to increase. [Obs.] Griefs of mine own lie heavy in my breast, Which thou wilt propagate. Shak.

5. To generate; to produce. Motion propagated motion, and life threw off life. De Quincey.

Syn. -- To multiply; continue; increase; spread; diffuse; disseminate; promote.

PROPAGATE Prop"a*gate, v. i.

Defn: To have young or issue; to be produced or multiplied by generation, or by new shoots or plants; as, rabbits propagate rapidly. No need that thou Should'st propagate, already infinite. Milton.

PROPAGATION Prop`a*ga"tion, n. Etym: [L. propagatio: cf. F. propagation.]

1. The act of propagating; continuance or multiplication of the kind by generation or successive production; as, the propagation of animals or plants. There is not in nature any spontaneous generation, but all come by propagation. Ray.

2. The spreading abroad, or extension, of anything; diffusion; dissemination; as, the propagation of sound; the propagation of the gospel. Bacon.

PROPAGATIVE Prop"a*ga*tive, a.

Defn: Producing by propagation, or by a process of growth.

PROPAGATOR Prop"a*ga`tor, n. Etym: [L.: cf. F. propagateur.]

Defn: One who propagates; one who continues or multiplies.

PROPAGULUM Pro*pag"u*lum, n.; pl. Propagula. Etym: [NL. See Propagate.] (Bot.)

Defn: A runner terminated by a germinating bud.

PROPANE Pro"pane, n. Etym: [Propyl + methane.] (Chem.)

Defn: A heavy gaseous hydrocarbon, C3H8, of the paraffin series, occurring naturally dissolved in crude petroleum, and also made artificially; -- called also propyl hydride.

PROPARGYL Pro*par"gyl, n. Etym: [Propinyl + Gr. -yl. So called because one hydrogen atom may be replaced by silver.] (Chem.)

Defn: Same as Propinyl.

PROPAROXYTONE Pro`par*ox"y*tone, n. Etym: [Gr. Pro-, and Paroxytone.] (Gr. Gram.)

Defn: A word which has the acute accent on the antepenult.

PROPED Pro"ped, n. Etym: [Pref. pro- + L. pes, pedis, foot.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: Same as Proleg.

PROPEL Pro*pel", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Propelled; p. pr. & vb. n. Propelling.] Etym: [L. propellere, propulsum; pro forward + pellere to drive. See Pulse a beating.]

Defn: To drive forward; to urge or press onward by force; to move, or cause to move; as, the wind or steam propels ships; balls are propelled by gunpowder.

PROPELLER Pro*pel"ler, n.

1. One who, or that which, propels.

2. A contrivance for propelling a steam vessel, usually consisting of a screw placed in the stern under water, and made to revolve by an engine; a propeller wheel.

3. A steamboat thus propelled; a screw steamer. Propeller wheel,the screw, usually having two or more blades, used in propelling a vessel.

PROPEND Pro*pend", v. i. Etym: [L. propendere, propensum; pro forward, forth + pendere to hang. See Pendent.]

Defn: To lean toward a thing; to be favorably inclined or disposed; to incline; to tend. [R.] Shak. We shall propend to it, as a stone falleth down. Barrow.

PROPENDENCY Pro*pend"en*cy, n.

1. Propensity. [R.]

2. Attentive deliberation. [R.] Sir M. Hale.

PROPENDENT Pro*pend"ent, a. Etym: [L. propendens, p. pr.]

Defn: Inclining forward or toward. South.

PROPENE Pro"pene, n. Etym: [Propyl + ethylene.] (Chem.)

Defn: Same as Propylene.

PROPENSE Pro*pense" a. Etym: [L. propensus, p. p. See Propend.]

Defn: Leaning toward, in a moral sense; inclined; disposed; prone; as, women propense to holiness. Hooker. -- Pro*pense"ly, adv. -- Pro*pense"ness, n.

PROPENSION Pro*pen"sion, n. Etym: [L. propensio: cf. F. propension. See Propend, Propense.]

Defn: The quality or state of being propense; propensity. M. Arnold. Your full consent Gave wings to my propension. Shak.

PROPENSITY Pro*pen"si*ty, n.; pl. Propensities (.

Defn: The quality or state of being propense; natural inclination; disposition to do good or evil; bias; bent; tendency. "A propensity to utter blasphemy." Macaulay.

Syn. -- Disposition; bias; inclination; proclivity; proneness; bent; tendency.

PROPENYL Pro"pe*nyl, n. Etym: [Propene + -yl.] (Chem.)

Defn: A hypothetical hydrocarbon radical, C3H5, isomeric with allyl and glyceryl, and regarded as the essential residue of glycerin. Cf. Allyl, and Glyceryl.

PROPEPSIN Pro*pep"sin, n. Etym: [Pref. pro- + pepsin.] (Physiol. Chem.)

Defn: See Persinogen.

PROPEPTONE Pro*pep"tone, n. Etym: [Pref. pro- + peptone.] (Physiol. Chem.)

Defn: A product of gastric digestion intermediate between albumin and peptone, identical with hemialbumose.

PROPER Prop"er, a. Etym: [OE. propre, F. propre, fr. L. proprius. Cf. Appropriate.]

1. Belonging to one; one's own; individual. "His proper good" [i. e., his own possessions]. Chaucer. "My proper son." Shak. Now learn the difference, at your proper cost, Betwixt true valor and an empty boast. Dryden.

2. Belonging to the natural or essential constitution; peculiar; not common; particular; as, every animal has his proper instincts and appetites. Those high and peculiar attributes . . . which constitute our proper humanity. Coleridge.

3. Befitting one's nature, qualities, etc.; suitable in all respect; appropriate; right; fit; decent; as, water is the proper element for fish; a proper dress. The proper study of mankind is man. Pope. In Athens all was pleasure, mirth, and play, All proper to the spring, and sprightly May. Dryden.

4. Becoming in appearance; well formed; handsome. [Archaic] "Thou art a proper man." Chaucer. Moses . . . was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child. Heb. xi. 23.

5. Pertaining to one of a species, but not common to the whole; not appellative; -- opposed to common; as, a proper name; Dublin is the proper name of a city.

6. Rightly so called; strictly considered; as, Greece proper; the garden proper.

7. (Her.)

Defn: Represented in its natural color; -- said of any object used as a charge. In proper, individually; privately. [Obs.] Jer. Taylor. -- Proper flower or corolla (Bot.), one of the single florets, or corollets, in an aggregate or compound flower. -- Proper fraction (Arith.) a fraction in which the numerator is less than the denominator. -- Proper nectary (Bot.), a nectary separate from the petals and other parts of the flower. -- Proper noun (Gram.), a name belonging to an individual, by which it is distinguished from others of the same class; -- opposed to Ant: common noun; as, John, Boston, America. -- Proper perianth or involucre (Bot.), that which incloses only a single flower. -- Proper receptacle (Bot.), a receptacle which supports only a single flower or fructification.

PROPER Prop"er, adv.

Defn: Properly; hence, to a great degree; very; as, proper good. [Colloq & Vulgar]

PROPERATE Prop"er*ate, v. t. & i. Etym: [L. properatus, p. p. of properare to hasten.]

Defn: To hasten, or press forward. [Obs.]

PROPERATION Prop`er*a"tion, n. Etym: [L. properatio.]

Defn: The act of hastening; haste. [Obs.] T. Adams.

PROPERISPOME Pro*per"i*spome, n. (Gr. Gram.)

Defn: Properispomenon.

PROPERISPOMENON Pro*per`i*spom"e*non, n.; pl. Properispomena. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. Perispomenon.] (Gr. Gram.)

Defn: A word which has the circumflex accent on the penult.

PROPERLY Prop"er*ly, adv.

1. In a proper manner; suitably; fitly; strictly; rightly; as, a word properly applied; a dress properly adjusted. Milton.

2. Individually; after one's own manner. [Obs.] Now, harkeneth, how I bare me properly. Chaucer.

PROPERNESS Prop"er*ness, n.

1. The quality of being proper.

2. Tallness; comeliness. [Obs.] Udall.

PROPERTIED Prop"er*tied, a.

Defn: Possessing property; holding real estate, or other investments of money. "The propertied and satisfied classes." M. Arnold.

PROPERTY Prop"er*ty, n.; pl. Properties. Etym: [OE. proprete, OF. propreté property, F. propreté neatness, cleanliness, propriété property, fr. L. proprietas. See Proper, a., and cf. Propriety.]

1. That which is proper to anything; a peculiar quality of a thing; that which is inherent in a subject, or naturally essential to it; an attribute; as, sweetness is a property of sugar. Property is correctly a synonym for peculiar quality; but it is frequently used as coextensive with quality in general. Sir W. Hamilton.

Note: In physical science, the properties of matter are distinguished to the three following classes: 1. Physical properties, or those which result from the relations of bodies to the physical agents, light, heat, electricity, gravitation, cohesion, adhesion, etc., and which are exhibited without a change in the composition or kind of matter acted on. They are color, luster, opacity, transparency, hardness, sonorousness, density, crystalline form, solubility, capability of osmotic diffusion, vaporization, boiling, fusion, etc. 2. Chemical properties, or those which are conditioned by affinity and composition; thus, combustion, explosion, and certain solutions are reactions occasioned by chemical properties. Chemical properties are identical when there is identity of composition and structure, and change according as the composition changes. 3. Organoleptic properties, or those forming a class which can not be included in either of the other two divisions. They manifest themselves in the contact of substances with the organs of taste, touch, and smell, or otherwise affect the living organism, as in the manner of medicines and poisons.

2. An acquired or artificial quality; that which is given by art, or bestowed by man; as, the poem has the properties which constitute excellence.

3. The exclusive right of possessing, enjoying, and disposing of a thing; ownership; title. Here I disclaim all my paternal care, Propinquity and property of blood. Shak. Shall man assume a property in man Wordsworth.

4. That to which a person has a legal title, whether in his possession or not; thing owned; an estate, whether in lands, goods, or money; as, a man of large property, or small property.

5. pl.

Defn: All the adjuncts of a play except the scenery and the dresses of the actors; stage requisites. I will draw a bill of properties. Shak.

6. Propriety; correctness. [Obs.] Camden. Literary property. (Law) See under Literary. -- Property man, one who has charge of the "properties" of a theater.

PROPERTY Prop"er*ty, v. t.

1. To invest which properties, or qualities. [Obs.] Shak.

2. To make a property of; to appropriate. [Obs.] They have here propertied me. Shak.

PROPHANE Pro*phane", a. & v. t.

Defn: See Profane. [Obs.]

PROPHASIS Proph"a*sis, n. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. Pro-, and Phasis.] (Med.)

Defn: Foreknowledge of a disease; prognosis.

PROPHECY Proph"e*cy, n.; pl. Prophecies, Etym: [OE. prophecie, OF. profecie, F. prophétie, L. prophetia, fr. Gr. , fr. Prophet.]

1. A declaration of something to come; a foretelling; a prediction; esp., an inspired foretelling. He hearkens after prophecies and dreams. Shak. Prophecy came not in old time by the will of man. 2. Pet. i. 21.

2. (Script.)

Defn: A book of prophecies; a history; as, the prophecy of Ahijah. 2 Chron. ix. 29.

3. Public interpretation of Scripture; preaching; exhortation or instruction.

PROPHESIER Proph"e*si`er, n.

Defn: A prophet. Shak.

PROPHESY Proph"e*sy, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Prophesied; p. pr. & vb. n. Prophesying.] Etym: [See Prophecy.]

1. To foretell; to predict; to prognosticate. He doth not prophesy good concerning me. 1 Kings xxii. 8. Then I perceive that will be verified Henry the Fifth did sometime prophesy. Shak.

2. To foreshow; to herald; to prefigure. Methought thy very gait did prophesy A royal nobleness; I must embrace thee. Shak.

PROPHESY Proph"e*sy, v. i.

1. To utter predictions; to make declaration of events to come. Matt. xv. 7.

2. To give instruction in religious matters; to interpret or explain Scripture or religious subjects; to preach; to exhort; to expound. Ezek. xxxvii. 7.

PROPHET Proph"et, n. Etym: [F. prophète, L. propheta, fr. Gr. Fame. ]

1. One who prophesies, or foretells events; a predicter; a foreteller.

2. One inspired or instructed by God to speak in his name, or announce future events, as, Moses, Elijah, etc.

3. An interpreter; a spokesman. [R.] Ex. vii. 1.

4. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A mantis. School of the prophets (Anc. Jewish Hist.), a school or college in which young men were educated and trained for public teachers or members of the prophetic order. These students were called sons of the prophets.

PROPHETESS Proph"et*ess, n. Etym: [Cf. F. prophétesse, L. prophetissa.]

Defn: A female prophet.

PROPHETIC; PROPHETICAL Pro*phet"ic, Pro*phet"ic*al, a. Etym: [L. propheticus, Gr. prophétique.]

Defn: Containing, or pertaining to, prophecy; foretelling events; as, prophetic writings; prophetic dreams; -- used with of before the thing foretold. And fears are oft prophetic of the event. Dryden.

PROPHETICALITY Pro*phet`ic*al"i*ty, n.

Defn: Propheticalness.

PROPHETICALLY Pro*phet"ic*al*ly, adv.

Defn: In a prophetical manner; by way of prediction.

PROPHETICALNESS Pro*phet"ic*al*ness, n.

Defn: The quality or state of being prophetical; power or capacity to foretell.

PROPHETIZE Proph"et*ize, v. i. Etym: [L. prophetizare, Gr. prophétiser. Cf. Prophesy.]

Defn: To give predictions; to foreshow events; to prophesy. [R.] "Prophetizing dreams." Daniel.

PROPHORIC Pro*phor"ic, a. Etym: [Gr.

Defn: Enunciative. [R.]

PROPHRAGMA Pro*phrag"ma, n.; pl. Prophragmata. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Zoöl.)

Defn: An internal dorsal chitinous process between the first two divisions of the thorax of insects.

PROPHYLACTIC Proph`y*lac"tic, n. Etym: [Cf. F. prophylactique.] (Med.)

Defn: A medicine which preserves or defends against disease; a preventive.

PROPHYLACTIC; PROPHYLACTICAL Proph`y*lac"tic, Proph`y*lac"tic*al, a. Etym: [Gr. prophylactique.] (Med.)

Defn: Defending or preserving from disease; preventive. Coxe.

PROPHYLAXIS Proph`y*lax"is, n. Etym: [NL. See Prophylactic.] (Med.)

Defn: The art of preserving from, or of preventing, disease; the observance of the rules necessary for the preservation of health; preservative or preventive treatment.

PROPICE Pro*pice", a. Etym: [OE., fr. F. propice, See Propitious.]

Defn: Fit; propitious. [Obs.] E. Hall.

PROPIDENE Pro"pi*dene, n. Etym: [Propyl + ethylidene.] (Chem.)

Defn: The unsymmetrical hypothetical hydrocarbon radical, CH3.CH2.CH, analogous to ethylidene, and regarded as the type of certain derivatives of propane; -- called also propylidene.

PROPINATION Prop`i*na"tion, n. Etym: [L. propinatio. See Propine.]

Defn: The act of pledging, or drinking first, and then offering the cup to another. [Obs.] Abp. Potter.

PROPINE Pro*pine", v. t. Etym: [L. propinare, Gr.

1. To pledge; to offer as a toast or a health in the manner of drinking, that is, by drinking first and passing the cup. [Obs.] The lovely sorceress mixed, and to the prince Health, peace, and joy propined. C. Smart.

2. Hence, to give in token of friendship. [Obs.]

3. To give, or deliver; to subject. [Obs.] Fotherby.

PROPINE Pro*pine", n.

1. A pledge. [Obs. or Scot.]

2. A gift; esp., drink money. [Obs or Scot.]

PROPINE Pro"pine, n. Etym: [Propyl + ethine.] (Chem.)

Defn: Same as Allylene.

PROPINQUITY Pro*pin"qui*ty, n. Etym: [L. propinquitas, from propinquus near, neighboring, from prope near.]

1. Nearness in place; neighborhood; proximity.

2. Nearness in time. Sir T. Browne.

3. Nearness of blood; kindred; affinity. Shak.

PROPINYL Pro"pi*nyl, n. Etym: [Propine + -yl.] (Chem.)

Defn: A hydrocarbon radical regarded as an essential residue of propine and allied compounds.

PROPIOLATE Pro"pi*o*late, n.

Defn: A salt of propiolic acid.

PROPIOLIC Pro`pi*ol"ic, a. Etym: [Propionic + tetrolic.] (Chem.)

Defn: Pertaining to, or designating, an organic acid (called also propargylic acid) of the acetylene or tetrolic series, analogous to propionic acid, and obtained as a white crystalline substance.C3H2O2, CH.C.COOH

PROPIONATE Pro"pi*o*nate, n. (Chem.)

Defn: A salt of propionic acid.

PROPIONE Pro"pi*one, n. (Chem.)

Defn: The ketone of propionic acid, obtained as a colorless fragrant liquid.

PROPIONIC Pro`pi*on"ic, a. Etym: [Proto- + Gr. pi`wn fat.] (Chem.)

Defn: Pertaining to, derived from, or designating, an organic acid which is produced in the distillation of wood, in the fermentation of various organic substances, as glycerin, calcium lactate, etc., and is obtained as a colorless liquid having a sharp, pungent odor. Propionic acid is so called because it is the first or lowest member of the fatty acid series whose salts have a fatty feel.

PROPIONYL Pro"pi*o*nyl, n. (Chem.)

Defn: The hypothetical radical C3H5O, regarded as the essential residue of propionic acid and certain related compounds.

PROPITHECUS Prop`i*the"cus, n. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A genus including the long-tailed, or diadem, indris. See Indris.

PROPITIABLE Pro*pi"ti*a*ble, a. Etym: [L. propitiabilis.]

Defn: Capable of being propitiated.

PROPITIATE Pro*pi"ti*ate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Propitiated; p. pr. & vb. n. Propitiating.] Etym: [L. propitiatus, p. p. of propitiare to propitiate, fr. propitius favorable. See Propitious.]

Defn: To appease to render favorable; to make propitious; to conciliate. Let fierce Achilles, dreadful in his rage, The god propitiate, and the pest assuage. Pope.

PROPITIATE Pro*pi"ti*ate, v. i.

Defn: To make propitiation; to atone.

PROPITIATION Pro*pi`ti*a"tion, n. Etym: [L. propitiatio: cf. F. propitiation.]

1. The act of appeasing the wrath and conciliating the favor of an offended person; the act of making propitious.

2. (Theol.)

Defn: That which propitiates; atonement or atoning sacrifice; specifically, the influence or effects of the death of Christ in appeasing the divine justice, and conciliating the divine favor. He [Jesus Christ] is the propitiation for our sins. 1 John ii. 2.

PROPITIATOR Pro*pi"ti*a`tor, n. Etym: [L.]

Defn: One who propitiates or appeases.

PROPITIATORILY Pro*pi"ti*a*to*ri*ly, adv.

Defn: By way of propitiation.

PROPITIATORY Pro*pi"ti*a*to*ry, a. Etym: [L. propitiatorius: cf. F. propitiatoire.]

Defn: Having the power to make propitious; pertaining to, or employed in, propitiation; expiatory; as, a propitiatory sacrifice. Sharp.

PROPITIATORY Pro*pi"ti*a*to*ry, n. Etym: [L. propitiatorium.] (Jewish Antiq.)

Defn: The mercy seat; -- so called because a symbol of the propitiated Jehovah. Bp. Pearson.

PROPITIOUS Pro*pi"tious, a. Etym: [L. propitius, perhaps originally a term of augury meaning, flying forward (pro) or well; cf. Skr. pat to fly, E. petition, feather.]

1. Convenient; auspicious; favorable; kind; as, a propitious season; a propitious breeze.

2. Hence, kind; gracious; merciful; helpful; -- said of a person or a divinity. Milton. And now t' assuage the force of this new flame, And make thee [Love] more propitious in my need. Spenser.

Syn. -- Auspicious; favorable; kind. -- Propitious, Auspicious. Auspicious (from the ancient idea of auspices, or omens) denotes "indicative of success," or "favored by incidental occurrences;" as, an auspicious opening; an auspicious event. Propitious denotes that which efficaciously protect us in some undertaking, speeds our exertions, and decides our success; as, propitious gales; propitious influences. -- Pro*pi"tious*ly, adv. -- Pro*pi"tious*ness, n.

PROPLASM Pro"plasm, n. Etym: [L. proplasma, Gr.

Defn: A mold; a matrix. [R.] Woodward.

PROPLASTIC Pro*plas"tic, a.

Defn: Forming a mold.

PROPLASTICS Pro*plas"tics, n.

Defn: The art of making molds for castings. [R.]

PROPLEG Prop"leg`, n. Etym: [So called because it props up or supports the body.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: Same as Proleg.

PROPODIAL Pro*po"di*al, a. (Anat.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to the propodialia, or the parts of the limbs to which they belong.

PROPODIALE Pro*po`di*a"le, n.; pl. Propodialia.. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Anat.)

Defn: The bone of either the upper arm or the thing, the propodialia being the humerus and femur.

PROPODITE Prop"o*dite, n. Etym: [Pref. pro- + Gr. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The sixth joint of a typical leg of a crustacean; usually, the penultimate joint.

PROPODIUM Pro*po"di*um, n.; pl. Propodia. Etym: [NL. See Propodiale.] (Zoöl.) (a) The anterior portion of the foot of a mollusk. (b) The segment which forms the posterior part of the thorax of a hymenopterous insect. [Written also propodeum.]

PROPOLIS Pro"po*lis, n. Etym: [L., fr. Gr.

Defn: Same as Bee glue, under Bee.

PROPONE Pro*pone", v. t. Etym: [L. proponere to propose. See Propound.]

Defn: To propose; to bring forward.

PROPONENT Pro*po"nent, a. Etym: [L. proponens, p. pr.]

Defn: Making proposals; proposing.

PROPONENT Pro*po"nent, n.

1. One who makes a proposal, or lays down a proposition. Dryden.

2. (Law)

Defn: The propounder of a thing.

PROPORTION Pro*por"tion, n. Etym: [F., fr. L. proportio; pro before + portio part or share. See Portion.]

1. The relation or adaptation of one portion to another, or to the whole, as respect magnitude, quantity, or degree; comparative relation; ratio; as, the proportion of the parts of a building, or of the body. The image of Christ, made after his own proportion. Ridley. Formed in the best proportions of her sex. Sir W. Scott. Documents are authentic and facts are true precisely in proportion to the support which they afford to his theory. Macaulay.

2. Harmonic relation between parts, or between different things of the same kind; symmetrical arrangement or adjustment; symmetry; as, to be out of proportion. "Let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith." Rom. xii. 6.

3. The portion one receives when a whole is distributed by a rule or principle; equal or proper share; lot. Let the women . . . do the same things in their proportions and capacities. Jer. Taylor.

4. A part considered comparatively; a share.

5. (Math.) (a) The equality or similarity of ratios, especially of geometrical ratios; or a relation among quantities such that the quotient of the first divided by the second is equal to that of the third divided by the fourth; -- called also geometrical proportion, in distinction from arithmetical proportion, or that in which the difference of the first and second is equal to the difference of the third and fourth.

Note: Proportion in the mathematical sense differs from ratio. Ratio is the relation of two quantities of the same kind, as the ratio of 5 to 10, or the ratio of 8 to 16. Proportion is the sameness or likeness of two such relations. Thus, 5 to 10 as 8 to 16; that is, 5 bears the same relation to 10 as 8 does to 16. Hence, such numbers are said to be in proportion. Proportion is expressed by symbols thus: a:b::c:d, or a:b = c:d, or a/b = c/d. (b) The rule of three, in arithmetic, in which the three given terms, together with the one sought, are proportional. Continued proportion, Inverse proportion, etc. See under Continued, Inverse, etc. -- Harmonical, or Musical, proportion, a relation of three or four quantities, such that the first is to the last as the difference between the first two is to the difference between the last two; thus, 2, 3, 6, are in harmonical proportion; for 2 is to 6 as 1 to 3. Thus, 24, 16, 12, 9, are harmonical, for 24:9::8:3. -- In proportion, according as; to the degree that. "In proportion as they are metaphysically true, they are morally and politically false." Burke.

PROPORTION Pro*por"tion, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Proportioned; p. pr. & vb. n. Proportioning.] Etym: [Cf. F. proportionner. Cf. Proportionate, v.]

1. To adjust in a suitable proportion, as one thing or one part to another; as, to proportion the size of a building to its height; to proportion our expenditures to our income. In the loss of an object we do not proportion our grief to the real value . . . but to the value our fancies set upon it. Addison.

2. To form with symmetry or suitableness, as the parts of the body. Nature had proportioned her without any fault. Sir P. Sidney.

3. To divide into equal or just shares; to apportion.

PROPORTIONABLE Pro*por"tion*a*ble, a.