A- (3) prefix meaning "not," from Gk a-, an- "not," from pie base *ne "not" (see un-)

propulsion --- 1611, "expulsion," noun of action formed from pp. stem of L. propellere "to propel" (see propel). Meaning "act of driving forward" first attested 1799.

pro-rate (v.) --- to divide proportionally, 1860, from L. pro rata (parte) (see pro rata).

prorogue --- 1425, "to prolong, extend," from O.Fr. proroger (14c.), from L. prorogare, lit. "to ask publicly," from pro "before" + rogare "to ask" (see rogation). Perhaps the original sense in L. was "to ask for public assent to extending someone's term in office." Meaning "to discontinue temporarily" is attested from 1455.

prosaic --- 1656, "having to do with prose," from Fr. prosaique, from M.L. prosaicus "in prose" (16c.), from L. prosa "prose" (see prose). Meaning "having the character of prose (in contrast to the feeling of poetry)" is 1746; extended sense of "ordinary" is 1813, both from Fr.

proscenium --- 1606, "stage of an ancient theater," from L. proscaenium, from Gk. proskenion "the space in front of the scenery," also "entrance of a tent," from pro "in front" + skene "stage, tent, booth." Modern sense of "space between the curtain and the orchestra" is attested from 1807.

prosciutto --- Italian spiced ham. c.1938, from It., alteration (probably by infl. of prosciugato "dried") of presciutto, from pre-, intensive prefix + -sciutto, from L. exsuctus "lacking juice, dried up," pp. of exsugere "suck out, draw out moisture," from ex- "out" + sugere "to suck" (see sup (2)).

proscribe --- 1387 (implied in proscription) "decree of condemnation, outlawry," from L. proscribere "publish in writing" (lit. "write in front of"), including senses of "publish as having forfeited one's property, condemn, outlaw before the world," from pro- "before" + scribere "to write" (see script). Meaning "prohibit as wrong or dangerous" first recorded 1622.

prose --- c.1330, from O.Fr. prose (13c.), from L. prosa oratio "straightforward or direct speech" (without the ornaments of verse), from prosa, fem. of prosus, earlier prorsus "straightforward, direct," from Old L. provorsus "(moving) straight ahead," from pro- "forward" + vorsus "turned," pp. of vertere "to turn" (see verse).

prosecute --- 1432, "follow up, pursue" (some course or action), from L. prosecutus, pp. of prosequi "follow after" (see pursue). Meaning "bring to a court of law" is first recorded 1579. Prosecutor in legal sense is attested from 1670; prosecution in this sense is from 1631.

proselyte --- 1382, from O.Fr. proselite (13c.), from L.L. proselytus (c.200), from Gk. proselytos "convert (to Judaism), stranger, one who has come over," lit. "having arrived," from second aorist stem of proserkhesthai, from proti "toward" + root of eleusesthai "to be going to come;" related to ne-elys "new-comer." Originally in Eng. "a Gentile converted to Judaism" (c.1375). Proselytize "to make proselytes" first recorded in Eng. 1679.

Proserpina --- daughter of Ceres and wife of Pluto, L. modification of Gk. Persephone, perhaps infl. by L. proserpere "to creep forth" on notion of the germination of plants.

prosit --- 1846, toast or expression wishing good health (from 16c., famously a drinking pledge by Ger. students), from L., lit. "may it advantage (you)," third person sing. present subjunctive of prodesse "to do good, be profitable," from pro- "for" + esse "to be."

prosody --- c.1450, from L. prosodia, from Gk. prosoidia "song sung to music," also "accent, modulation," from pros "to" + oide "song, poem" (see ode).

prosopopeia --- 1561, from Gk. prosopopoiia "the putting of speeches into the mouths of others," from prosopon "person, face" (lit. "that which is toward the eyes," from pros "to" + ops "eye, face") + poiein "make" (see poet). A rhetorical figure in which an imaginary or absent person is made to speak or act.

prospect (n.) --- 1430, "act of looking into the distance," from L. prospectus "view, outlook," prop. pp. of prospicere "look out on, look forward," from pro- "forward" + specere "look at" (see scope (1)). Meaning "extensive view of the landscape" is from 1538; transf. sense of "mental view or survey" is from 1625. Sense of "person or thing considered promising" is from 1922. Verbal meaning "explore for gold" is first recorded 1841, from noun sense of "spot giving prospects of ore" (1839). Prospector in this sense is from 1857. Prospects "expectations" is from 1665; prospective in sense of "hoped for" is first recorded 1829.

prospectus --- 1765, from Fr. prospectus (1723), from L. prospectus "view, outlook" (see prospect).

prosper --- c.1460, from O.Fr. prosperer (14c.), from L. prosperare "cause to succeed, render happy," from prosperus "favorable, fortunate, prosperous," perhaps lit. "agreeable to one's wishes," from Old L. pro spere "according to expectation," from pro "for" + abl. of spes "hope," from PIE base *spei- "to flourish, succeed." Prosperous is first recorded 1445, originally "tending to bring success;" in the sense of "flourishing" it is first recorded 1472.

prosperity --- c.1225, from O.Fr. prosperite (c.1140), from L. prosperitatem (nom. prosperitas) "good fortune," from prosperus (see prosper).

prostate --- 1646, from M.Fr. prostate, from M.L. prostata "the prostate," from Gk. prostates (aden) "prostate (gland)," from prostates "one standing in front," from proistanai "set before," from pro- "before" + histanai "cause to stand" from PIE base *sta- "to stand" (see stet). So called from its position at the base of the bladder.

prosthesis --- 1553, "addition of a letter or syllable to a word," from L.L., from Gk. prosthesis "addition," from prostithenai "add to," from pros "to" + tithenai "to put, place." Meaning "artificial body part" is first recorded 1706.

prostitute (v.) --- 1530, "to offer to indiscriminate sexual intercourse (usually in exchange for money)," from L. prostituere "to expose to prostitution, expose publicly," from pro- "before" + statuere "cause to stand, establish" (see stature). The noun sense of "harlot" is from 1613, from L. prostituta "prostitute," fem. of prostitutus, pp. of prostituere. The notion of "sex for hire" is not inherent in the etymology, which rather suggests one "exposed to lust" or sex "indiscriminately offered." However, this is now almost the official European term for the institution, e.g. Ger. protstituierte, Rus. prostitutka, etc. Fig. sense (of abilities, etc.) is from 1593. The noun meaning "a woman who offers her body indiscriminately" (usually for money) is from 1613. Of men, in ref. to homosexual acts, recorded from 1886 (in form prostitution).

prostrate (adj.) --- c.1380, from L. prostratus, pp. of prosternere "strew in front, throw down," from pro- "forth" + sternere "to spread out," from PIE base *stere- "to spread, extend, stretch out" (see structure). The verb is attested from c.1400, from the adj. Prostration "action of prostrating oneself" is from 1526; meaning "weakness, exhaustion, dejection" is from 1651.

protagonist --- 1671, "principal character in a story, drama, etc.," from Gk. protagonistes "actor who plays the chief or first part," from protos "first" (see proto-) + agonistes "actor, competitor," from agon "contest" (see act). Meaning "leading person in any cause or contest" is from 1889. Mistaken sense of "advocate, supporter" (1935) is from misreading of Gk. protos as L. pro- "for."

Protean --- 1598, from Gk. Proteus, sea god (son of Oceanus and Tethys) who could change his form; his name is lit. "first," from protos "first."

protection --- c.1375, from O.Fr. protection (12c.), from L. protectionem "a covering over," from protectus, pp. of protegere "protect, cover in front," from pro- "in front" + tegere "to cover" (see stegosaurus). The O.E. word for "protect" was beorgan. In gangster sense, "freedom from molestation in exchange for money," it is attested from 1860. Ecological sense of "attempted preservation by laws" is from 1880 (originally of wild birds in Britain). Protect (v.) is attested from 1526. Protectionist in the economics sense is first recorded 1844, from Fr. protectionniste (in political economy sense, protection is attested from 1789). Protectorate "state or territory (usually tribal) placed under the protection of a major power" is from 1860.

protege --- 1778, from Fr. protégé (fem. protégée) "one who is protected," from pp. of M.Fr. protéger "protect," from L. protegere (see protect).

protein --- 1844, from Fr. protéine, coined 1838 by Du. chemist Gerhard Johan Mulder (1802-1880), perhaps on suggestion of Berzelius, from Gk. proteios "the first quality," from protos "first." Originally a theoretical substance thought to be essential to life, the modern use is from Ger. Protein, borrowed in Eng. 1907.

protest --- 1340 (implied in protestation) "solemn declaration," from L. protestari "declare publicly, testify, protest," from pro- "forth, before" + testari "testify," from testis "witness" (see testament). Original sense preserved in to protest one's innocence. Meaning "statement of disapproval" first recorded 1751; that of "expressing of dissent from, or rejection of, prevailing mores" is from 1953, in ref. to U.S. black civil rights movement. The verb is attested from 1440, "to declare or state formally or solemnly," from O.Fr. protester. First record of protest march is from 1959. Protester "demonstrator, public opponent of the established order" is from 1960.

Protestant --- 1539, from Ger. or Fr. protestant, from L. protestantem (nom. protestans), prp. of protestari (see protest). Originally used of Ger. princes and free cities who declared their dissent from the decision of the Diet of Speyer (1529) denouncing the Reformation. The word was taken up by the Lutherans in Germany (Swiss and French preferred Reformed). It became the general word for "adherents of the Reformation in Germany," then "member of any Western church outside the Roman communion;" a sense first attested in Eng. in 1553.

prothalamion --- song sung before a wedding, 1597, coined as a poem title by Edmund Spenser (based on epithalamion) from Gk. pro- "before" + thalamos "bridal chamber."

prothonotary --- 1447, "principal clerk of a court," from L.L. prothonotarius (c.400), from Gk. protonotarios "first scribe," originally the recorder of the court of the Byzantine empire, from protos "first" + L. notarius (see notary). The -h- appeared in M.L.

proto- --- comb. form meaning "first," from Gk. proto-, comb. form of protos "first," superlative of pro "before."

protocol --- 1541, as prothogall "draft of a document," from M.Fr. prothocole (c.1200), from M.L. protocollum "draft," lit. "the first sheet of a volume" (on which contents and errata were written), from Gk. protokollon "first sheet glued onto a manuscript," from protos "first" + kolla "glue." Sense developed in M.L. and M.Fr. from "official account" to "official record of a transaction," "diplomatic document," and finally, in Fr., to "formula of diplomatic etiquette." Meaning "diplomatic rules of etiquette" first recorded 1896, from French; general sense of "conventional proper conduct" is from 1952. "Protocols of the (Learned) Enders of Zion," Rus. anti-Semitic forgery purporting to reveal Jewish plan for world domination, first published in Eng. 1920 under title "The Jewish Peril."

proto-language --- 1948, from proto- + language.

proton --- 1920, coined by Eng. physicist Ernest Rutherford (1871-1937) from Gk. proton, neut. of protos "first," supposedly because hydrogen was hypothesized as a constituent of all the elements. The word was used earlier in embryology (1893) at a transl. of Ger. anlage ("fundamental thing") based on Aristotle's phrase he prote ousia to proton.

protoplasm --- 1848, from Ger. Protoplasma (1846), used by Ger. botanist Hugo von Mohl (1805-72), from Gk. proto- "first" + plasma "something molded" (see plasma). The word was in L.L., meaning "first created thing," and may have existed in ecclesiastical Gk. in a different sense. It was used 1839 by Czech physiologist Johannes Evangelista Purkinje (1787-1869) to denote the gelatinous fluid found in living tissue. This word prevailed, though Ger. language purists preferred Urschleim "original mucus."

prototype --- 1603, from Fr. prototype, from M.L. prototypon, from Gk. prototypon "a first or primitive form," prop. neut. sing. of prototypos "original, primitive," from protos "first" + typos "impression."

protozoa --- 1834, from Mod.L., coined 1818 by Ger. zoologist Georg August Goldfuss (1782-1848) from Gk. protos "first" + zoia, pl. of zoion "animal" (see zoo).

protozoic --- 1838, from Gk. proto- + zoe "life" (see zoo).

protract --- 1535 (implied in protraction), "prolongation, extension of time," from L.L. protractionem "a drawing out or lengthening," from pp. stem of protrahere, from pro- "forward" + trahere "to draw" (see tract (1)). Etymologically identical with portray, which was altered in French. Protractor "one who lengthens (an action)" is from 1611; sense of "instrument for drawing angles" first recorded 1658.

protrude --- 1620, "to drive along, thrust forward," from L. protrudere "thrust forward," from pro- "forward" + trudere "to thrust" (see extrusion). Intransitive meaning "stick out" first recorded 1626.

protuberance --- 1646, from L.L. protuberantem (nom. protuberans), prp. of protuberare "to swell, bulge, grow forth," from L. pro- "forward" + tuber "lump, swelling" (see tuber).

proud --- late O.E. prud, prute, probably from O.Fr. prud, oblique case of adj. prouz "brave, valiant" (11c.), from L.L. prode "advantageous, profitable" (c.200), from L. prodesse "be useful," from pro- "before" + esse "to be." The sense of "have a high opinion of oneself," not in O.Fr., may reflect the Anglo-Saxons' opinion of the Norman knights who called themselves "proud." O.N. pruðr, probably from the same O.Fr. source, had only the sense "brave, gallant, magnificent, stately" (cf. Icel. pruður, M.Swed. prudh, M.Da. prud). Likewise a group of "pride" words in the Romance languages -- e.g. Fr. orgueil, It. orgoglio, Sp. orgullo -- are borrowings from Gmc., where they had positive senses (cf. O.H.G. urgol "distinguished"). Most I.E. languages use the same word for "proud" in its good and bad senses, but in many the bad sense seems to be the earlier one. The usual way to form the word is with some compound of words for "over" or "high" and words for "heart," "mood," "thought," or "appearance;" e.g. Gk. hyperephanos, lit. "over-appearing;" Goth. hauhþuhts, lit. "high-conscience." O.E. had ofermodig "over-moody" ("mood" in Anglo-Saxon was a much more potent word than presently) and heahheort "high-heart." Words for "proud" in other I.E. languages sometimes reflect a physical sense of being swollen or puffed up; cf. Welsh balch, prob. from a root meaning "to swell," and Modern Gk. kamari, from ancient Gk. kamarou "furnish with a vault or arched cover," with a sense evolution via "make an arch," to "puff out the chest," to "be puffed up" (cf. Eng. slang chesty).

prove --- c.1175, prouwe, from O.Fr. prover (11c.), from L. probare "to test, prove worthy," from probus "worthy, good, upright, virtuous," from PIE *pro-bhwo- "being in front," from *pro-, extended form of base *per-, + base *bhu- "to be" (cf. L. fui "I have been," futurus "about to be;" O.E. beon "to be;" see be).

provenance --- 1785, from Fr. provenance "origin, production," from provenant, prp. of M.Fr. provenir "come forth, arise," from L. provenire "come forth, organize," from pro- "forth" + venire "come."

Provencal --- 1589, from Fr. Provençal, from Provence, from L. provincia "province" (see province); the southern part of ancient Gaul was technically the province of Gallia Narbonensis, but it came under Roman rule long before the rest of Gaul and as the Romans considered it the province par excellence they familiarly called it (nostra) provincia "our province." In ref. to a style of cooking, attested from 1841.

provender --- 1306, "allowance paid each chapter member of a cathedral," from Anglo-Fr. provendir, O.Fr. provendier, from Gallo-Romance *provenda, alt. (by influence of L. providere "supply") from L.L. præbenda "allowance, subsistence," from L. præbenda "(things) to be furnished," neut. pl. gerundive of præbere "to furnish, offer," from præ- "before" + habere "to hold" (see habit). Meaning "food, provisions, etc." (esp. dry food for horses) is recorded from 1340.

proverb --- 1303, in boke of Prouerbyys, the O.T. book, from O.Fr. proverbe (12c.), from L. proverbium "a common saying," lit. "words put forward," from pro- "forth" + verbum "word" (see verb). Used generally from c.1374. Proverbial first recorded c.1432.

provide --- 1407, from L. providere "look ahead, prepare, supply," from pro- "ahead" + videre "to see" (see vision).

providence --- 1382, "foresight, prudent anticipation," from O.Fr. providence (12c.), from L. providentia "foresight, precaution," from providentem (nom. providens), prp. of providere (see provide). Providence (usually capitalized) "God as beneficient caretaker," first recorded 1602.

provident --- 1429, from L. providentem (nom. providens), prp. of providere "to foresee" (see provide).

province --- c.1330, from O.Fr. province (13c.), from L. provincia "territory under Roman domination," usually explained as pro- "before" + vincere "to conquer" (see victor); but this does not suit the earliest L. usages. Provincial "of or belonging to a province" is from 1377; sense of "countrified" first recorded 1755. Provincialism in the political sense is attested from 1820.

provision (n.) --- c.1380, "providing beforehand" (originally in ref. to ecclesiastical appointments made before the position was vacant), from O.Fr. provision (1320), from L. provisionem (nom. provisio) "foresight, preparation," from providere "look ahead" (see provide). Meaning "something provided" is attested from 1494; specific sense of "supply of food" is from 1610. The verb is attested from 1805 (implied in provisioned). Provisional "of a temporary arrangement," first recorded 1601, from O.Fr. provisionnal (c.1485), on notion of "provide for present needs."

proviso --- 1467, from M.L. proviso (quod) "provided (that)," phrase at the beginning of clauses in legal documents (1350), from L. proviso "it being provided," abl. neut. of provisus, pp. of providere (see provide).

provocateur --- 1922, shortened form of agent provocateur "person hired to make trouble" (1877), from Fr. provocateur, from L. provocator "challenger," from provocare (see provoke). Originally in ref. to strike-breakers.

provocation --- 1426, from O.Fr. provocation (12c.), from L. provocationem (nom. provocatio) "a calling forth, challenge," from provocatus, pp. of provocare "provoke." Provocative "serving to excite the appetite or lust" is from 1621, from M.Fr. provocatif (1486); used earlier as a noun (c.1412).

provoke --- 1432, from O.Fr. provoker (14c., Fr. provoquer), from L. provocare "call forth, challenge," from pro- "forth" + vocare "to call" (see voice).

provolone --- 1946, from It., augmentative of provola "cheese made from buffalo milk," from M.L. probula, of uncertain origin.

provost --- O.E. profost, from M.L. propositus (reinforced by O.Fr. cognate provost), from L. propositus, præpositus "a chief, prefect" (cf. O.Prov. probost, O.H.G. probost, Ger. Propst), lit. "placed before, in charge of," from pp. of præponere "put before" (see preposition). Provost marshal first recorded 1513.

prow --- 1555, from M.Fr. proue, from It. (Genoese) prua, from V.L. *proda, by dissimilation from L. prora "prow," from Gk. proira, related to pro "before, forward," proi "early in the morning."

prowess --- c.1290, prouesse, from O.Fr. proece (Fr. prouesse), from prou, variant of prud "brave, valiant," from V.L. *prodem (cf. Sp. proeza, It. prodezza; see proud). Prow was in M.E. as a noun meaning "advantage, profit," also as a related adj., but it has become obsolete.

prowl --- c.1386, prollen, "move about in search of something," of unknown origin, with no known cognates. Meaning "go stealthily in search of prey" is first recorded 1586. The noun, in on the prowl, is attested from 1803. Prowler is attested from 1519.

proximate --- neighboring, 1597 (implied in proximately), from L.L. proximatus, pp. of proximare "to draw near," from proximus (see proximity).

proximity --- 1480, from M.Fr. proximité "nearness" (14c.), from L. proximitatem (nom. proximitas) "nearness, vicinity," from proximus "nearest," superlative of prope "near." Proximal is first recorded 1727.

proxy --- c.1440, prokecye, "agency of one who acts instead of another," contraction of Anglo-Fr. procuracie, from M.L. procuratia "administration," from L. procuratio "care, management," from procurare "manage" (see procure).

Prozac --- 1985, proprietary name for fluoxetine hydrochloride, developed early 1970s by Lilly Industries.

prude --- 1704, from Fr. prude "excessively prim or demure woman" (also an adj.), first recorded in Molière, from O.Fr. preude "good, virtuous, modest," perhaps an ellipsis of preudefemme "a discreet, modest woman," from O.Fr. prou de femme, fem. equivalent of prud-homme "a brave man" (see proud). First record of prudish is from 1717. Prudery first recorded 1709.

prudence --- 1340, "wisdom to see what is virtuous, or what is suitable or profitable," from O.Fr. prudence (13c.), from L. prudentia "foresight, sagacity," contraction of providentia "foresight" (see providence). Secondary sense of "wisdom" (c.1375) now only in jurisprudence (q.v.). Prudent first recorded 1382, from O.Fr. prudent, from L. prudentem (nom. prudens) "foresighted, skilled, experienced," contraction of providens. First record of prudential is from c.1400.

prune (n.) --- 1345, from O.Fr. pronne "plum" (13c.), from V.L. *pruna, fem. sing. formed from L. pruna, neut. pl. of prunum "plum," by dissimilation from Gk. proumnon, from a language of Asia Minor. Slang meaning "disagreeable or disliked person" is from 1895.

prune (v.) --- 1426, prouyne, from O.Fr. proignier "cut back (vines), prune," of unknown origin, perhaps from Gallo-Romance *pro-retundiare "cut in a rounded shape in front," from pro- "forth" + *retundiare "round off," from L. rotundus (see round). The M.E. word may be via falconry term proinen "trim the feather with the beak" (1390), Related to preen (q.v.).

prurient --- 1639, "itching," later "having an itching desire" (1653), esp. "lascivious, lewd," (1746), from L. prurientem (nom. pruriens), prp. of prurire "to itch, long for, be wanton," perhaps related to pruna "glowing coals."

Prussian --- 1554, from Prussia, from M.L. Borussi, Prusi, Latinized forms of the native name of the Lithuanian people who lived there before being conquered 12c. and exterminated by German crusaders who replaced them. Perhaps from Slavic *Po-Rus "(The Land) Near the Rusi" (Russians). Prussic acid (1790), is from Fr. acide prussique, so called in reference to the prussian blue pigment, to which it is chemically related. Prussian blue (1724) is from Fr. bleu de Prusse, so called for being discovered in Berlin, the Prussian capital, in 1704 by color-maker Heinrich Diesbach.

pry (1) --- look inquisitively, 1307, from prien "to peer in," of unknown origin, perhaps from O.E. bepriwan "to wink."

pry (2) --- raise by force, 1823 (originally also a noun, "an instrument for prying, a crowbar"), alteration of prize (as though it were a plural) in obsolete sense of "lever" (c.1300), from O.Fr. prise "a taking hold, grasp" (see prize (n.2)).

psalm --- O.E. salm, from L. psalmus, from Gk. psalmos "song sung to a harp," originally "performance on stringed instrument," from psallein "play on a stringed instrument, pull, twitch." Used in Septuagint for Heb. mizmor "song," especially the sort sung by David to the harp.

psalter --- the Book of Psalms, O.E. saltere, psaltere, from Church L. psalterium "the songs of David," from L., lit. "stringed instrument played by twanging," from Gk. psalterion, from psallein "to pluck, play on a stringed instrument."