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

profer --- c.1300, from O.Fr. proferer (13c.) "utter, pronounce," from L. proferre "to bring forth, produce, utter." Sense confused with proffer.

profess --- c.1315, "to take a vow" (in a religious order), from O.Fr. profes, from L. professus "having declared publicly," pp. of profitieri "declare openly," from pro- "forth" + fateri (pp. fassus) "acknowledge, confess." Meaning "declare openly" first recorded 1526. Professed "openly declared" is from 1569.

profession --- c.1225, "vows taken upon entering a religious order," from O.Fr. profession, from L. professionem (nom. professio) "public declaration," from professus (see profess). Meaning "occupation one professes to be skilled in" is from 1541; meaning "body of persons engaged in some occupation" is from 1610; as a euphemism for "prostitution" (e.g. oldest profession) it is recorded from 1888. Professional (adj.) is first recorded 1747 with sense of "pertaining to a profession;" 1884 as opposite of amateur. As a noun, it is attested from 1811. Professionalism is from 1856.

professor --- c.1380, from L. professor "person who professes to be an expert in some art or science, teacher of highest rank," agent noun from profitieri "lay claim to, declare openly" (see profess). As a title prefixed to a name, it dates from 1706. Short form prof is recorded from 1838. Professorial (1713) is from L.L. professorius "pertaining to a public teacher."

proffer --- c.1290, from Anglo-Fr. profrier (c.1240), O.Fr. poroffrir (c.1080), from por- "forth" (from L. pro-) + offrir "to offer," from L. offerre (see offer).

proficiency --- 1544, probably from L. proficientem (nom. proficiens), prp. of proficere "accomplish, make progress, be useful," from pro- "forward" + root of facere "to make" (see factitious). Proficient (adj.) is recorded from 1590.

profile (n.) --- 1656, "a drawing of the outline of anything," from It. profilo "a drawing in outline," from profilare "to draw in outline," from pro- "forth" + filare "draw out, spin," from L.L. filare "to spin, draw out a line," from filum "thread." Meaning "biographical sketch, character study" is from 1734. The verb is 1715, "to represent in profile," from the noun. Meaning "to summarize a person in writing" is from 1948. Profiling in the racial/ethnic stereotyping sense is recorded from c.1991.

profit (n.) --- c.1315, from O.Fr. prufit (c.1140), from L. profectus "profit, progress," prop. pp. of proficere (see proficiency). As the opposite of loss, it replaced O.E. gewinn. The verb is attested from 1303, from O.Fr. prufiter, from the noun. Profiteer first recorded 1797 as a verb, but dormant until revived in World War I; 1912 as a noun. Profitable is from c.1325, "yielding benefit, useful; " in specific sense of "money-making," it is attested from 1758.

profligate --- 1526, "overthrown" (implied in profligation), from L. profligatus "destroyed, dissolute," pp. of profligare "to cast down, defeat, ruin," from pro- "down, forth" + fligere "to strike" (see afflict). Meaning "recklessly extravagant" is 1779, via notion of "ruined by vice" (1647).

profound --- c.1305, "characterized by intellectual depth," from O.Fr. profund (c.1175), from L. profundus "deep, bottomless, vast," also "obscure, profound," from pro- "forth" + fundus "bottom" (see fund (n.)). The lit. and fig. senses both were in L., but Eng., already having deep, primarily employed this word in its fig. sense.

profuse --- 1432, from L. profusus "spread out, lavish, extravagant," lit. "poured forth," prop. pp. of profundere "pour forth," from pro- "forth" + fundere "to pour" (see found (2)). Profusion is first attested 1545, from L. profusionem (nom. profusio) "a pouring out," from profusus.

prog --- 1958, colloquial shortening of progressive (q.v.).

progenitor --- 1382, from Anglo-Fr. progenitour (1347), O.Fr. progeniteur, from L. progenitorem (nom. progenitor) "ancestor," agent noun from progenitus, pp. of progignere (see progeny).

progeny --- c.1300, from O.Fr. progenie (13c.), from L. progenies "descendants, offspring," from progignere "beget," from pro- "forth" + gignere "to produce, beget."

progesterone --- female steroid sex hormone, 1935, from Ger. Progesteron, coined by Corner and Allen, from progestin (1930, from which it was obtained), on notion of "substance which favors gestation," from pro- + L. gestare, lit. "to carry about."

prognosis --- 1655, "forecast of the probable course of a disease," from L.L. prognosis, from Gk. prognosis "foreknowledge," from progignoskein "come to know beforehand," from pro- "before" + gignoskein "come to know" (see gnostic).

prognostication --- 1432, from O.Fr. pronosticacion (14c.), from M.L. prognosticationem (nom. prognosticatio), from prognosticatus, pp. of prognosticare "foretell," from L. prognostica "sign to forecast weather," from neuter plural of Gk. prognostikos "foreknowing," from progignoskein (see prognosis).

program (n.) --- 1633, "public notice," from L.L. programma "proclamation, edict," from Gk. programma (gen. programmatos) "a written public notice," from stem of prographein "to write publicly," from pro- "forth" + graphein "to write." General sense of "a definite plan or scheme" is recorded from 1837. Meaning "list of pieces at a concert, playbill" first recorded 1805 and retains the original sense. That of "objects or events suggested by music" is from 1854. Sense of "broadcasting presentation" is from 1923. Computer sense (n.,v.) is from 1945; hence programmer "person who programs computers," attested from 1948. Spelling programme, sometimes preferred in Britain, is from French and began to be used early 19c. The verb in the fig. sense of "to train to behave in a predetermined way" is from 1963.

progress (n.) --- 1432, "a going on, action of walking forward," from O.Fr. progres, from L. progressus (see progression). Figurative sense of "growth, development, advancement to higher stages" is from 1603. The verb is attested from c.1590 in the lit. sense, 1610 in the fig. sense.

progression --- c.1440, "action of moving forward," from O.Fr. progression (1425), from L. progressionem (nom. progressio) "a going forward," from progressus, pp. of progredi "go forward," from pro- "forward" + gradi "to step, walk," from gradus "step" (see grade).

progressive (adj.) --- 1607, "characterized by advancement" (in action, character, etc.), from progress (q.v.). Of taxation, from 1889; of jazz, from 1947. Meaning "characterized by striving for change and innovation, avant-garde, liberal" is from 1908; the noun in this sense is first attested 1865.

prohibition --- 1387, from O.Fr. prohibition (1237), from L. prohibitionem (nom. prohibitio) "a hindering, forbidding," from prohibitus, pp. of prohibere "hold back," from pro- "away, forth" + habere "to hold" (see habit). Meaning "forced alcohol abstinence" is 1851, Amer.Eng.; in effect in U.S. as law 1920-1933 under the Volstead Act. Prohibit (v.) is first recorded 1432. Prohibitive "having the quality of prohibiting" is recorded from 1602; of prices, rates, etc., "so high as to prevent use," it is from 1886.

project (n.) --- c.1400, "a plan, draft, scheme," from L. projectum "something thrown forth," noun use of neuter of projectus, pp. of projicere "stretch out, throw forth," from pro- "forward" + combining form of jacere (pp. jactus) "to throw" (see jet (v.)). Meaning "scheme, proposal, mental plan" is from 1601. Meaning "group of low-rent apartment buildings" first recorded c.1958, from housing project (1932).

project (v.) --- c.1477, "to plan," from L. projectus (see project (n.)). Sense of "to stick out" is from 1718. Meaning "to cast an image on a screen" is recorded from 1865. Psychoanalytical sense, "to convey to others," is first recorded 1895 (implied in projective). Projection is from 1557, originally cartographical, "drawing of a map or chart according to scale;" Projector "one who forms a project" is from 1596; in the optical, camera sense it is from 1884; projectionist is from 1922.

projectile --- 1665, from Mod.L. projectilis, from L. projectus, pp. of proicere (see project).

prole --- short for proletarian (n.), 1887; see proletarian.

prolegomenon --- 1652, "learned preamble to a book," from Gk. prolegomenon, neuter passive prp. of prolegein "to say beforehand," from pro- "before" + legein "to speak" (see lecture) + suffix -menos (as in alumnus). The same sense is in preface.

prolepsis --- 1577, "the taking of something future as already done or existing," from L., from Gk. prolepsis "an anticipating," lit. "a taking beforehand," from prolambanein "to take before," from pro- "before" + lambanein "to take" (see analemma).

proletarian --- 1658 (n.), 1663 (adj.), from L. proletarius "citizen of the lowest class," in ancient Rome, propertyless people, exempted from taxes and military service, who served the state only by having children; from proles "offspring, progeny" (see prolific). Proletariat is first recorded 1853, from French. Back formation prole is attested from 1887; popularized by George Orwell's 1949 novel "Nineteen Eighty-Four."

pro-life --- opposed to abortion, first attested 1976, from pro- + life. Hostile alternative anti-choice attested 1978 in Ms. magazine (see pro-choice).

proliferation --- 1867, "formation or development of cells," from Fr. proliferation, from prolifere "producing offspring," from L. proles "offspring" (see prolific) + ferre "to bear" (see infer). Meaning "enlargement, extension, increase" is from 1920; esp. of nuclear weapons (1966). Proliferate is a back-formation, first recorded 1873.

prolific --- 1650, from Fr. prolifique, from M.L. prolificus, from L. proles "offspring" + root of facere "to make" (see factitious). L. proles is from PIE *pro-al-, from *pro- "forth" + *al- "to grow, nourish."

prolix --- 1412, from O.Fr. prolixe (14c.), from L. prolixus "extended," lit. "poured out," from pro- "forth" + base of liquere "to flow" (see liquid).

prologue --- c.1300, from O.Fr. prologue (c.1215), from L. prologus, from Gk. prologos "prologue of a play, speaker of a prologue," lit. "a speech beforehand," from pro- "before" + logos "discourse, speech," from legein "to speak" (see lecture).

prolong --- 1412, from O.Fr. prolonguer (13c.), from L.L. prolongare "to prolong, extend," from L. pro- "forth" + longus "long" (adj.) (see long (adj.)).

prom --- student formal dance in celebration of graduation, 1894, Amer.Eng. shortened form of promenade (q.v.).

promenade --- 1567, "leisurely walk," from M.Fr. promenade, from se promener "go for a walk," from L.L. promenare "to drive (animals) onward," from pro- "forth" + minare "to drive (animals) with shouts," from minari "to threaten" (see menace). Meaning "place for walking" is 1648; specifically "walkway by the sea" late 18c.; "dance given by a school" 1887. Verb meaning "to make a promenade" is from 1588.

Promethean --- 1588, from Prometheus, demigod (son of the Titan Iapetus) who made man from clay and stole fire from heaven and taught mankind its use, for which he was punished by Zeus by being chained to a rock in the Caucasus, where a vulture came every day and preyed on his liver. The name is Gk., lit. "forethought," from promethes "thinking before," from pro- "before" + mathein "to learn," from enlargement of PIE base *men- "to think" (see mathematic). Before the introduction of modern matches (see lucifer), prometheus was the name given (early 19c.) to small glass tubes full of sulphuric acid, surrounded by an inflammable mixture, which ignited when pressed and gave off light. Promethium, the metallic rare earth element, was so called by discoverers G.A. Marinsky and L.E. Henden in 1948.

prominent --- 1545, from L. prominentem (nom. prominens), prp. of prominere "jut or stand out," from pro- "before, forward" + minere "to project," from minæ "projections, threats" (see menace).

promiscuous --- 1603, "consisting of a disorderly mixture of people or things," from L. promiscuus "mixed, indiscriminate," from pro- "forward" + miscere "to mix" (see mix). Meaning "indiscriminate in sexual relations" first recorded 1900, from promiscuity (1849, "indiscriminate mixture;" sexual sense 1865), from Fr. promiscuité, from L. promiscuus.

promise (n.) --- c.1400, from L. promissum "a promise," noun use of neuter pp. of promittere "send forth, foretell, promise," from pro- "before" + mittere "to put, send" (see mission). Ground sense is "declaration made about the future, about some act to be done or not done." The verb is attested from c.1420. Promised land (1538) is a ref. to the land of Canaan promised to Abraham and his progeny (Heb. xi.9, etc.; Gk. ten ges tes epangelias). Promising "showing signs of future excellence" is from 1601.

promissory --- 1649, from M.L. promissorius (1274), from L. promissor "a promiser," from promissus, pp. of promittere (see promise). Promissory note first recorded 1710.

promnesia --- scientific name for the phenomenon of déjà vu, 1903, from Mod.L., from Gk. pro- "before" + -mnesia "memory."

promo --- 1962, shortening of promotion "advertising, publicity" (see promotion).

promontory --- 1548, from M.L. promontorium, altered (by influence of L. mons "mount, hill") from L. promunturium "mountain ridge, headland," probably related to prominere "jut out" (see prominent).

promote --- 1387, "to advance (someone) to a higher grade or office," from L. promotus, pp. of promovere "move forward, advance," from pro- "forward" + movere "to move" (see move). General sense of "to further the growth or progress of (anything)" is from 1515. Promoter "one who promotes" is from 1450; financial sense of "one who leads in forming a company" is from 1876; sense of "one who organizes sporting or entertainment events" is attested from 1936.

promotion --- 1429, "advancement," from O.Fr. promotion (14c.), from L. promotionem, noun of action from promovere (see promote). Meaning "advertising, publicity" first recorded 1925. Promotional "relating to advertising" first recorded 1922.

prompt (v.) --- c.1340, from O.Fr. prompt (1219), from L. promptus "brought forth, at hand, ready, quick," prop. pp. of promere "to bring forth," from pro- "forward" + emere "to take" (see exempt). Theatrical sense of "to assist a speaker with lines" is first recorded 1428. The adj. is first recorded 1432.

promulgate --- 1530, from L. promulgatus, pp. of promulgare "make publicly known," perhaps from provulgare, from pro- "forth" + vulgare "make public, publish." Or the second element may be from mulgere "to milk," used metaphorically for "cause to emerge."

prone --- 1382, "naturally inclined to something, apt, liable," from L. pronus "bent forward, inclined to," from adverbial form of pro- "forward." Meaning "lying face-down" is first recorded 1578. Both lit. and fig. senses were in L.; fig. is older in Eng.

prong --- 1492, from Anglo-Latin pronga "prong, pointed tool," of unknown origin, perhaps related to M.L.G. prange "stick, restraining device," prangen "to press, pinch." See also prod, which may be related. Prong-horned antelope is from 1815.

pronoun --- 1530, from pro- and noun; modeled on M.Fr. pronom, from L. pronomen, from pro- "in place of" + nomen "name, noun." A loan-translation of Gk. antonymia. Adj. pronomial is recorded from 1644.

pronounce --- c.1330, "to utter, declare officially," from O.Fr. pronuncier (1277), from L.L. pronunciare, from L. pronuntiare "to proclaim, announce, pronounce," from pro- "forth, out, in public" + nuntiare "announce," from nuntius "messenger" (see nuncio). With ref. to the mode of sounding words or languages, it is attested from c.1620 (but cf. pronunciation in this sense 1430). Pronounced, with the fig. meaning "emphatic," first attested c.1730.

pronto --- 1850, from Sp. pronto, perhaps infl. by It. pronto (borrowed by Eng. 1740), both from L. promptus (see prompt).

pronunciation --- 1430, "mode in which a word is pronounced," from L. pronuntiationem (nom. pronuntiatio) "act of speaking," also "proclamation," noun of action from pronuntiare "announce" (see pronounce).

proof --- c.1225, preove, "evidence to establish the fact of (something)," from O.Fr. prueve (c.1224), from L.L. proba "a proof," a back-formation from L. probare "to prove" (see prove). Meaning "act of testing or making trial of anything" is from c.1380. Sense of "tested power" led to fireproof (early 17c.), waterproof (1736), foolproof (1902), etc. Meaning "standard of strength of distilled liquor" is from 1705. Typographical sense of "trial impression to test type" is from 1600; proofreader first attested 1832. Numismatic sense of "coin struck to test a die" is from 1762; now mostly in ref. to coins struck from highly polished dies, mainly for collectors.

prop (n.1) --- support, 1440, from M.Du. proppe "vine prop, support," of unknown origin. Related to O.H.G. pfropfo, Ger. pfropfen "to prop," perhaps from L. propago "a set, layer of a plant" (see propagation). Ir. propa, Gael. prop are from English. The verb meaning "to support" is attested from 1492.

prop (n.2) --- object used in a play, 1911, from props (1841), shortened form of properties (in theatrical use from c.1425). Props as slang shortening for proper respects (or something similar) appeared c.1999.

propaganda --- 1718, from Mod.L. propaganda, short for Congregatio de Propaganda Fide "congregation for propagating the faith," committee of cardinals established 1622 by Gregory XV to supervise foreign missions, prop. abl. fem. gerundive of L. propagare (see propagation). Modern political sense dates from World War I, not originally pejorative.

propagation --- c.1440, from O.Fr. propagacion (13c.), from L. propagationem (nom. propagatio) "a propagation, extension," noun of action from propagare "multiply plants by layers, breed," from propago (gen. propaginis) "that which propagates, offspring," from pro- "forth" + *pag-, root of pangere "to fasten" (see pact). Verb propagate is recorded from 1570.

propane --- colorless gas occurring in petroleum, 1866, with chemical suffix -ane, from prop(ionic acid) (1850), from Fr. propionique (1847), from Gk. pro "forward + pion "fat," in reference to its being first in order of the fatty acids.

propel --- c.1440, "to drive away, expel," from L. propellere "push forward," from pro- "forward" + pellere "to push, drive." Meaning "to drive onward, cause to move forward" is from 1658. Propellant "fuel for a rocket engine" is from 1919. Propeller in mechanical sense is first attested 1809, of ships; of flying machines (in a broad, theoretical sense) 1842, in the specific modern sense 1853; shortened form prop is recorded from 1914.

propensity --- 1570, "disposition to favor," from obsolete adj. propense "inclined, prone" (1528), from L. propendere "incline to, hang forward, weigh over," from pro- "forward" + pendere "hang" (see pendant).

proper --- c.1225, "adapted to some purpose, fit, apt" (implied in properly), from O.Fr. propre (11c.), from L. proprius "one's own, particular to itself," from pro privo "for the individual." Proper name "belonging to or relating to the person or thing in question," is from c.1290, a sense also preserved in astronomical proper motion (c.1300). Meaning "socially appropriate" is first recorded 1704.

property --- c.1300, "nature, quality," later "possession" (a sense rare before 17c.), from an Anglo-Fr. modification of O.Fr. propriete (12c., Fr. propreté), from L. proprietatem (nom. proprietas) "ownership, property, propriety," lit. "special character" (a loan-translation of Gk. idioma), noun of quality from proprius "one's own, special" (see proper). Propertied "holding property" is from 1760. Hot property "sensation, a success" is from 1958.

prophecy --- c.1225, "function of a prophet," from O.Fr. profecie (12c.), from L.L. prophetia, from Gk. prophetia "gift of interpreting the will of the gods," from prophetes (see prophet). Meaning "thing spoken or written by a prophet" is from c.1300. The verb prophesy is recorded from 1377.

prophet --- c.1175, from O.Fr. prophete (11c.), from L. propheta, from Gk. prophetes (Doric prophatas) "an interpreter, spokesman," especially of the gods, from pro- "before" + root of phanai "to speak," from PIE *bha- "speak" (see fame). Used in Septuagint for Heb. nabj "soothsayer." By early writers, Gk. prophetes was translated by L. vates, but the Latinized form propheta predominated in post-Classical times, chiefly due to Christian writers, probably because of pagan associations of vates. Non-religious sense is from 1848; used of Muhammad from 1615 (translating Arabic al-nabiy, and sometimes also al-rasul, prop. "the messenger"). The L. word is glossed in O.E. by witga. Prophetess is recorded from c.1300.

prophetic --- 1595, from Fr. prophétique (15c.), from L.L. propheticus (c.200), from Gk. prophetikos "pertaining to a prophet," from prophetes (see prophet).

prophylactic (adj.) --- 1574, originally of medicines, "that tends to prevent disease," from Gk. prophylaktikos "precautionary," from prophylassein "keep guard before, ward off," from pro- "before" + phylassein, Ionic variant of phylattein "to watch over, to guard," but also "cherish, keep, remain in, preserve." The noun is first recorded 1642, "a medicine or treatment to prevent disease;" meaning "condom" is from 1943, replacing earlier preventive (1822). Condoms originally were used more to prevent the spread of disease than pregnancy.

propinquity --- c.1374, from O.Fr. propinquite (c.1240), from L. propinquitatem (nom. propinquitas) "nearness, vicinity," from propinquus "near, neighboring," from prope "near" (enlarged from PIE base *pro- "before") + suffix -inquus.

propitiation --- 1388, from L.L. propitiationem (nom. propitiatio) "an atonement," from L. propitiare "render favorable," from propitius "favorable, gracious, kind," from pro- "forward" + petere "go to" (see petition). Earliest recorded form of the word is propitiatorium, "the mercy seat, place of atonement" (c.1200), transl. Gk. hilasterion. The verb propitiate is attested from 1645, from L. propitiatus, pp. of propitiare. Propitious "favorable" is from 1447.

proponent (n.) --- 1588, "one who brings forth a proposition or argument," from L. proponentem (nom. proponens), prp. of proponere "put forward" (see propose).

proportion (n.) --- c.1380, "due relation of one part to another," from O.Fr. proportion (13c.), from L. proportionem (nom. proportio) "comparative relation, analogy," from phrase pro portione "according to the relation" (of parts to each other), from pro "for" + abl. of *partio "division," related to pars (see part). Meaning "size or extent" is recorded from 1390. The verb "to adjust or regulate the proportions of" is attested from 1380. Phrase out of proportion first attested 1710.

propose --- 1340, from O.Fr. proposer (12c.), from pro- "forth" + poser "put, place" (see pose (v.1)). Meaning "make an offer of marriage" is first recorded 1764. Proposition (n.) is attested from 1340; the verb, in a sexual sense, is first attested 1936. Proposal is from 1653; sense of "offer of marriage" is from 1749.

propound --- 1537, var. of M.E. proponen "to put forward" (c.1375), from L. proponere "put forward, declare," from pro- "before" + ponere "to put" (see position). Perhaps infl. in form by compound, expound.

proprietary --- c.1450, "possessing worldly goods in excess of a cleric's needs," from M.L. proprietarius "owner of property," noun use of L.L. adj. proprietarius "of a property holder," from L. proprietas "owner" (see property). Meaning "held in private ownership" is first attested 1589.

proprietor --- 1639, "owner, by royal grant, of an American colony," probably from proprietary (n.) in sense "property owner" (1473, see proprietary). In general sense of "one who holds something as property" it is attested from 1645.

propriety --- 1456, "proper character, disposition," from O.Fr. proprieté (12c.), from L. proprietatem (nom. proprietas) "appropriateness," also "ownership" (see property). Meaning "fitness, appropriateness" is attested from 1615; sense of "conformity to good manners" is from 1782.