PRO 51 



opposite action to that of the supinators, 

 Tiz. pronation. 



PRO'NOUN, Lat. pronomen. A word used 

 instead of a noun or name, to prevent the 

 repetition of it. Pronouns are personal 

 when they simply denote the person, as 

 I, thou, he ; possessive, when they also de- 

 note possession, as his, its ; relative, when 

 they express a relation to something 

 #oing before, as which, what ; interroga- 

 tive, when they serve to ask a question, 

 as whose, which ; demonstrative, when 

 they point out things precisely, as this, 

 that; indefinite, when they point out 

 things indefinitely, as any, some. 



PROOF. 1. In law analogic, that degree 

 of evidence which convinces the mind of 

 the certainty of truth or fact, and pro- 

 duces belief. 2. In printing and - 



graving, an impression taken for correc- 

 tion. 3. In general, trial or experiment 



to ascertain a fact. The quality of spirit 

 is ascertained by proof (their specific 

 gravity) ; hence high proof, first proof, 

 second, third or fourth proof. "What is 

 technically called proof-spirit consists of 

 equal parts of alcohol and water, and 

 the strength is numerically estimated 

 either higher or lower than this standard ; 

 as II over proof, 5 below proof. The term 

 proof is also used to designate impenetra- 

 bility, strength, &c. of bodies, as water- 

 proof, fire-proof, proof against shot, &c. 



PROP. See FDLCR.VX. 



PROP.DEO'TICS, from vt^o, and snu- 

 &UM*, I instruct. German authors use 

 this term to signify the preliminary learn- 

 ing connected with any art or science. 



PROPAOAN'DA. A term used, during the 

 Trench revolution, to designate certain 

 secret societies, whose object was the 

 propagation of democratic principles, and 

 latterly any society for making political 

 proselytes. Members of such societies are 

 called propagandists, and their practice of 

 propagating their tenets is propagandism. 



PROPE'DES. Applied by Kirby to the 

 soft appendages of certain larvae, behind 

 the true feet. 



PROP'ER, Lat. proprius. Belonging to 

 an individual thing ; Hot common. In 

 heraldry, any object represented of its na- 

 tural colour is so termed. 



PROP'ERTT. 1. A peculiar quality of 

 anything, naturally essential to it : called 



by logicians an essential mode. 2. In 



law, ownership : also the thing owned. 



PROPHYLAC'TIC, from jrge$vA.affvra, 

 to guard against. Any means used with 

 a view to guard against disease. 



PROPI'TIATORT. Among the Jews, the 

 mercy-seat, or lid of theurk of the cove- 

 nant. 



PRO'POLIS, from yfi , before, and refas, 

 me city. A thick, odorous subftwice, re- 

 emmins; wax, used by bees to stop up the 



> PRO 



holes and crevices in their hives, to pre- 

 vent the entrance of cold air, &c. 



PROPOR'TION, from pro and portio, a 

 share. 1. The comparative relation of 

 one thing to another. 2. In mathema- 

 tics, an equality of ratios ; fot instance, if 

 ? = -3 then are a, b, c, d in proportion, 

 which is denoted by placing the quanti- 

 tites thus, a:b::c:dora:b c: d, and is 

 read as a is to 6 so is c to d. Proportion 

 is direct as, a : b : : c : d ; inverse, as b : a : : 

 d:c; alternate, as a : c : : b : d. For arith- 

 metical, geometrical, and harmonical pro- 

 portion, see ARITHMETICAL, GEOMETRICAL, 



and HARMONICAL. 3. In arithmetic, a 



rule by which, when three numbers are 

 given, to find a fourth, which bears the 

 same relation to the third as the second 

 does to the first, or, bearing the same re- 

 lation to the second as the first does to 

 the third. The former is direct, and the 



latter inverse proportion. 4. Compass of 



proportion, a name given by some authors 



to a sector. 6. Definite proportions, the 



limited proportions in which elementary 

 substances combine chemically to form 

 compound bodies. 



PROPOH'TIONAL. 1. Relating to pro- 

 portion, as proportional compasses. 2. 



One of the terms of a proportion, which 

 receives different names according to the 

 place it holds in the proportion. Thus a 

 mean proportional is the middle term of 

 three continued geometrical propor- 

 tionals; a third, fourth, &c., proportional, 

 is the third, fourth, &c., term of a geo- 

 metrical proportion. 



PROPOSITION, from propono. 1. In logic, 

 one of the three parts of a regular argu- 

 ment, wherein some quality, either posi- 

 tive or negative, is attributed to a sub- 

 ject. 2. In mathematics, a statement in 



terms of either a truth to be demonstrated 

 or an operation to be performed. It is 

 called a theorem when it is something to 

 be proved, and a problem when it is 



something to be done. 3. In rhetoric, 



something affirmed for discussion or illus- 

 tration.-^ 4. In poetry, that part of a 

 poem in which the author states the sub 

 ject matter of it. 



PROPRJE'TOR. A Roman magistrate wno 

 is related to a praetor, as a pro-consul is 

 to a consul. See PRO-CONSCL. 



PRO RA'TA (Latin). In proportion. A 

 commercial and financial phrase. 



PRO HE NA'TA (Latin). An idiomatic 

 phrase, signifying, as occasionmay serve, 

 as circumstances may require, &c. ; used 

 in law, medical prescriptions, &c. 



PROROOA'TION, from prorogo, to stretch 

 forward (primarily). In England, th* 

 continuation of parliament from one bes- 

 sion to another, as an adjournment is & 

 continuation of the session from etc- 13 

 to another. 



2 Q 2 



