prom

¹ American  

[prom] / prɒm /

noun

1. a formal dance, especially one held by a high school or college class at the end of an academic year.

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PROM ² American  

[prom] / prɒm /

noun

Computers.

1. a memory chip whose contents can be programmed by a user or manufacturer for a specific purpose.

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prom. ³ American  

abbreviation

1. promontory.

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prom ¹ British  

/ prɒm /

noun

1. short for promenade promenade concert

2. informal short for promenade

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PROM ² British  

/ prɒm /

acronym

1. programmable read only memory

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Etymology

Origin of prom¹

1890–95, short for promenade

Origin of PROM²

p(rogrammable) r(ead)-o(nly) m(emory)

Explanation

A prom is a formal dance at the end of a school year. For many American high schools, the senior prom is a big deal. Kids get dressed up and then get embarrassed by parents who take too many photos. Students going to a prom will sometimes rent limousines to get there, and dress in fancy gowns and tuxedos. The prom itself is generally a much fancier version of a school dance, often held in a hotel or a gussied-up school gymnasium. The word dates from the late nineteenth century, an American English shortening of promenade, which means "to stroll," but also "to dance in couples with joined hands."

Example Sentences

Husbands then opened an alterations and dress shop in Kokomo, Ind. One day, a customer walked in looking for a prom dress for her daughter.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

Pants and cuffs still need to be hemmed to say nothing of bridal, prom and other special-occasion clothes.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

Giselle Bartram grew up in Newmarket, Suffolk, and decided she did not want to go to her end of school prom, which she said she did not regret.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

We did every major event here, prom, homecoming, all the homies would come here and take photos across the different points of the house.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

“I think every teen movie does end in a prom scene,” I’d told her.

From "Leah on the Offbeat" by Becky Albertalli

Related Words

• gala