prostate
Americanadjective
noun
-
prostates
plural
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of prostate
First recorded in 1640–50; from New Latin prostata, from Greek prostátēs “one standing before”; equivalent to pro- 2 + -stat
Explanation
The prostate gland is part of a man's reproductive system; it's located near his bladder and is about the size of a kiwi fruit. Prostate cancer, which is fairly common in men, is usually treatable if it is detected early. The prostate is a gland found in most male mammals. The root word is the Greek prostates, which literally means one who stands before, or protector, guardian — which describes the prostate's position in front of the bladder. Don't confuse prostate, the part of male anatomy, with prostrate a verb that describes lying down.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Worldwide, nearly 1.5 million men were diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2022, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 27, 2026
New research from Florida Atlantic University's Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine suggests that men who consume more UPFs may have an increased risk of developing prostate cancer.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 27, 2026
Sir Chris Hoy believes the onus to encourage men to get tested for prostate cancer should not just be on high-profile individuals like him.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
"The thing about the prostate is it is out and gone, I can move on," he said.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
Those suffering from consumption, bronchitis, malaria, kidney, bladder, or prostate problems, asthma, or rheumatism would be welcomed with open arms, according to a promotional pamphlet.
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
King Charles had made his health problem public as a way of sending a message to other men to get their prostates checked.
From BBC ● Jan. 26, 2024
About half of men with enlarged prostates suffer no symptoms at all.
From National Geographic ● Jan. 23, 2024
The research builds upon the team’s previous work creating brain “organoids,” tiny structures resembling human organs that have also been made to represent others such as livers, kidneys, prostates, or key parts of them.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 12, 2022
Here’s the thing about prostate-specific antigen: you do not expect to find it in blood test results for most women, because most women don’t have prostates.
From The Verge ● Nov. 9, 2021
It sat passive and sullen, while an energetic prostates of the Greek type was doing what he liked with the land of Italy.
From A History of Rome During the Later Republic and Early Principate by A. H. J. (Abel Hendy Jones) Greenidge
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
