prose

_prose_

Verb.

Pronunciation: prəʊz.

Present third person singular: she/he proses.

Preterite tense, preterite participle: prosed. Present participle: prosing.

Etymology: denominative verb from the noun PROSE.

It is dated from the end of 1300.

Transitively: 1. To verbalize (something) in prose; to translate or paraphrase into prose what is written or told poetically.

Translation: prosaïser, in French; prosaicizzare, in Italian; componer (converter) en prosa, in Spanish.

2. (Rarely used) to make (someone) vary from a state to another by prosing; to talk or lecture (some one) into or to a state.

[He was] trying to prose them into some degree of composure….

Catherine Grace… My uncle…

Intransitively: to write, compose, speak or talk prosaically; this is, to use words in prose.

Antonyms: to poeticize, versify, rime.

Translation: prosaïser, in French; prosare, in Italian; componer en prosa, in Spanish.

[…] in the chimney-corner, they all four quaffed, and smoked, and prosed, and dozed, as they had done of old.

Charles Dickens… Barnaby Rudge

[…] I am convinced, out and out, that by prosing for a while in periodical works, I may maintain myself decently.

John Keats… The Complete works…

“This I know,” he said to Medwin, “that whether in prosing or in versing, there is something in my writings that shall live for ever.”

Addington Symonds… Shelley

Mrs. Dana came down stairs, and completed the fireside group.

“What have you two been prosing about?” asked Charley, presently.

“I have been talking –Miss Ida listening,” said Lynn

Marion Harland… Alone

“But what do they come here for?” added Theresa; “we don’t want them prosing about their fine manners and our rudeness, we desire no such dull people.”

Mrs. Sherwood… The Works of Mrs. Sherwood

I shall be prosing over the merits of some neglected tract, when I should be describing some wonderful adventure.

Egerton Brydges… Restituta

We hope our readers feel, without our prosing upon the subject, that […]

The Western Monthly, vol. 1

Other English words derived from PROSE: proser, prosing, prosingly, prosist, prosaic, prosaically, prosaicalness, prosaicism, prosaicness, prosaism, prosaist, prosily, prosy, prosiness.