prose

[ prohz ]

/ proʊz /

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See synonyms for: prose / prosed / prosing 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.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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

proselike, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use prose in a sentence

The Proses contain the main arguments; the Metres serve for embellishment and recreation.
Chaucer's Works, Volume 2 (of 7)|Geoffrey Chaucer

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

prose

Origin of prose

OTHER WORDS FROM prose

Words related to prose

How to use prose in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for prose

Derived forms of prose

Word Origin for prose