prose

[ prohz ]

/ proʊz /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR prose ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the ordinary form of spoken or written language, without metrical structure, as distinguished from poetry or verse.

matter-of-fact, commonplace, or dull expression, quality, discourse, etc.

Liturgy. a hymn sung after the gradual, originating from a practice of setting words to the jubilatio of the alleluia.

adjective

of, in, or pertaining to prose.

commonplace; dull; prosaic.

verb (used with object), prosed, pros·ing.

to turn into or express in prose.

verb (used without object), prosed, pros·ing.

to write or talk in a dull, matter-of-fact manner.

Origin of prose

1300–50; Middle English < Middle French < Latin prōsa ( ōrātiō) literally, straightforward (speech), feminine of prōsus, for prōrsus, contraction of prōversus, past participle of prōvertere to turn forward, equivalent to prō- pro-¹ + vertere to turn

OTHER WORDS FROM prose

prose·like, adjective

Words nearby prose

prosateur, proscenium, prosciutto, proscribe, proscription, prose, prose edda, prose poem, prosecco, prosecretin, prosect

Example sentences from the Web for prose

Prose has created an entire world populated with characters that jump off the page.

French Lesbian Auto-Racer Turns Nazi Spy: Francine Prose’s Lovers at the Chameleon Club, Paris 1932 |Jessica Ferri |April 23, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Washington, DC, just a few blocks from Politics and Prose bookstore.

Joshua Foer: How I Write |Noah Charney |January 16, 2013 |DAILY BEAST
Prose accordingly prepared to descend, and was recommended by the interpreter to slide down by the hind leg of the animal.

The King's Own |Captain Frederick Marryat
Each number will consist of such originals in Prose and Verse as we hope will prove agreeable to our readers.

Rowlandson's Oxford |A. Hamilton Gibbs

Prose pleased only people whose intelligence was very subtle.

The Red Lily, Complete |Anatole France
Prose is poetry—we have proved that to the satisfaction of all mankind.

Recreations of Christopher North, Volume I (of 2) |John Wilson
Prose stories are usually told in the domestic circle, and in gatherings of women at Selo or Prelo.

Serbian Folk-lore |Anonymous

British Dictionary definitions for prose

prose

/ (prəʊz) /

noun

spoken or written language as in ordinary usage, distinguished from poetry by its lack of a marked metrical structure

a passage set for translation into a foreign language

commonplace or dull discourse, expression, etc

RC Church a hymn recited or sung after the gradual at Mass

(modifier) written in prose

(modifier) matter-of-fact

verb

to write or say (something) in prose

(intr) to speak or write in a tedious style

Derived forms of prose

proselike, adjective

Word Origin for prose

C14: via Old French from Latin phrase prōsa ōrātiō straightforward speech, from prorsus prosaic, from prōvertere to turn forwards, from pro- 1 + vertere to turn

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

prose

noun

adjective

verb (used with object), prosed, pros·ing.

verb (used without object), prosed, pros·ing.

Origin of prose

OTHER WORDS FROM prose

Words nearby prose

Example sentences from the Web for prose

British Dictionary definitions for prose

noun

verb

Derived forms of prose

Word Origin for prose

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

prose

noun

adjective

verb (used with object), prosed, pros·ing.

verb (used without object), prosed, pros·ing.

Origin of prose

OTHER WORDS FROM prose

Words nearby prose

Words related to prose

Example sentences from the Web for prose

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for prose

noun

verb

Derived forms of prose

Word Origin for prose

British Dictionary definitions for prose