prose 
Prompt eloquence 
JTow'd from their lips, In prote or 
I7SC, 
prosectorship (pro-sek'tor-sliip). . [< 
tnr -f- -.s7i/;>. ] The office or position of 
KIT***- 
a pro- 
proselytism 
Instituting and carry- 
,.. K ........ . the superintendence of 
the attorney general, giving advice to police authorities, 
etc. 
Hence 2. Commonplace 
ww __^ f protx, pros . 
tiiu:tlon from vermt, verses, this latter term being applied 
only to poetry written In meters depending on quantity as 
in tin- ancient classic poets. See teovenct. 
Hymns or protct full of Idolatry. 
//armor, tr. of Beta (1587X P. 267. 
On all higher festlrals, besides this sequence, the rhythm 
called the prose, which generally consisted of lietween 
twenty and thirty verses, was likewise chanted. 
Mock, Church of our fathers, III. 11. 21. 
4f. An oration ; a story. 
Whethur long, othlr llttnll, Hat me not tell, 
If or no mynd Is there made in our mene bokes, 
Ne noght put In ourprosw by poiettcs of old. 
Destruction of Troy (E. E. T. 8.), 1. 9075. 
II. n. Relating to or consisting of prose; 
prosaic; not poetic; hence, plain; common- 
place. Thackeray. 
There you have the poetic reverie, . . . and the dull 
prose commentary. Longfellow, Hyperion, II. 7. 
prose (proz), v. ; pret. and pp. pruned, ppr. prox- 
iii!/. [<t/lK. prosen; < prose, 11.] I. trans. To 
write or compose in prose : as, a fable prosed or 
versified. 
But alle shul passe that men pro* or ryme ; 
Take every man hys turn as for his tyme. 
Chaucer, Scogan, 1. 41. 
And If ye winna mak' It clink, 
By Jove I'll prone It! 
Burns, Second Epistle to Lapraik. 
[. in trans. 1. To write or compose in prose. 
It was found . . . that whether ought was impos'd me 
by them that had the overlooking, or betak'n to of mine 
own choise In English or other tongue, proring or versing, 
but chiefly this latter, the stile by certain vital signes It 
had was likely to live. 
Milton, Church-Oovernment, II., Int 
"To prose" Is now to talk or to write heavily, tediously, 
without spirit and without animation ; but ' to prose " was 
once the antithesis of to versify, and "proscr" of a writer 
In metre. Trench, Select Glossary. 
2. To write or speak in a dull or tedious man- 
ner. 
When much he speaks, ho finds that ears are closed, 
And certain signs Inform him when he'sproned. 
Crabbe, Works, II. 1.18. 
" My very good sir, " said the little quarto, yawning most 
drearily in my face, "excuse my interrupting you, but I 
perceive you are rather given to prate." 
Irring, Sketch-Book, p. 168. 
The wlther'd Misses! how they prone 
O'er books of travell'd seamen. 
Tennyion, Amphlon. 
prosect (pro-sekf), r. [< L. prosectus, pp. of 
prosrcare, cut off from before (taken in sense of 
'dissect beforehand'), < pro, before, + secare, 
cut: see section.] I. trans. To dissect (a sub- 
ject) beforehand ; prepare (a cadaver) for ana- 
tomical demonstration by a professor. 
II. intrans. To fill the office or perform the 
duties of a prosector: as, to prosect for ana- 
tomical lectures. 
prosection (pro-sek'shon), n. [< LL. prosec- 
tio(n-), a cutting off, < L. prostcare, pp. prosec- 
tus, cut off from before : see prosect.] The act 
or process of prosecting; dissection practised 
by a prosector. 
prosector (pr\>-sek'tpr), M. [< LL. prosector, one 
who cuts in pieces, <' L. prosecare, pp. prosectux, 
cut off from before: see prosect.] One who 
prosects ; one who dissects the parts of a cada- 
ver for the illustration of anatomical lectures; 
a dissector who assists a lecturer bv preparing 
(lie Anatomical parts to be described by the lat- 
ter. The office of prosector in a medical col- 
lege ranks nearly with that of demonstrator. 
A competent protector attached to oar zoological garden 
one who combined the qualities of an artist, an author, 
and a general anatomist would soon demonstrate the 
high importance of his work, and contribute the most ef- 
II. i. nt aid to animal taxonomy. fScience, VII. 606. 
prosectorial * pro-Hek-to'ri-al), a. [<proxirtr 
+ -inl.] Of or pertaining to a prosector or 
prosfi-tinn: fitted for pr<w,-ting: as, prosecto- 
rml duties; a fntttttrttH otlirr. 
Often small species can be at once consigned to alcohol, 
for the future use of the pnttetarial department 
Pof. Sri. Ho., XXXIV. 700. 
The lord Cromwell was conceived to be the principal 
Hist. Sacrilege. (Latham.) 
who institutes and ear- 
in a court of justice, 
: generally applied to 
a complainant who institutes criminal proceed- 
ings. 
In criminal proceedings, or prosecutions for offences, It 
would still be a higher absurdity if the king personally 
sat in judgment ; because In regard to these he appears 
in another capacity, that of prosecutor. 
BlacJutone, Com., I. vll. 
Public prosecutor, an officer charged with the conduct 
of criminal prosecutions in the Interests of the public, 
as a district attorney and In Scotland a procurator fiscal, 
prosecutrix (pros'e-ku-triks), n. [NL., fern, of 
LL. prosecutor, pro'secutor: see prosecutor.] A 
female prosecutor. 
proselachian (pro-se-la'ki-an), w. [<NL. Fro- 
xi'liK-hiux + -an.] A hypothetical primitive se- 
the yeare 1596. there were sent other two sblppe., to lachian of the imaginary genus I'rosclacln,,* 
pr^miJe this Dlscouerle. Purcha,, Pilgrimage, p. 4S4. PrOSelachiUS (pro-se-la kl-us), . [NL., < L. 
This Intelligence put a stop to my travels, which I had pro, before, + NL. selachtus q. v.] A hypo- 
proKcuted with much satisfaction. thetical genus of primitive selachians, closely 
Additon, CoBee House Politicians. rt i a t e d to the existing sharks, and hypothetical 
The very Inhabitants discourage each other from prose- ancestors of man " (Haeckel). 
cuting their own internal advantages. . ., , , proselvte (pros'e-lit), H. [Formerly also pros- 
GolavnUh, CuLen of the World, Mil. Wgg^grg ^ < O F. profile, F. prose- 
2. In lair : (a) To seek to obtain by legal pro- ' - 
.Sp. MVMMMP .. 
siiir, poursitirre, > E. pursue), follow after or up, 
pursue, < pro, for, forth, + sequi, follow : see 
sequent. Cf. execute, persecute, etc., and see pr- 
sue, from the same L. verb.] I. trans. 1. To 
follow up; pursue with a view to attain or ob- 
tain ; continue endeavors to accomplish or com- 
plete; pursue with continued purpose; carry 
on; follow up: as, to prosecute a scheme; to 
prosecute an undertaking. 
So forth she rose, and through the purest sky 
To Joves high Palace straight cast to ascend, 
Topnwecuteherplot. Spenter, f. Q., VIL vl. 23. 
I am beloved of beauteous Hermla ; 
Why should not I then proteeute my right? 
Shalt., M. N. D., I. 1. 105. 
cess: as, to prosecute a claim in a court of law. 
(6) To arraign before a court of justice for some 
crime or wrong ; pursue for redress or punish- 
ment before a legal tribunal: as, to prosecute 
a man for trespass or for fraud. A person institut- 
ing civil proceedings Is said to proecu< his action or 
suit a person Instituting criminal proceedings, or civil 
proceedings for damages for a wrong, is said to proteeute 
the party charged, (of) To proceed against or pur- 
sue by law : said of crimes. 
What they will Inform, 
Merely in hate, 'gainst any of us all, 
That will the king severely proteeute 
'Gainst us, our lives, our children, and our heirs. 
Shot., Rich. II., II. 1. 244. 
= 8yn. L To follow out, persevere In. 1 (6). To arraign. 
n. intrans. To carry on a legal prosecution ; 
act as a prosecutor before a legal tribunal. 
Faith, In such case, if you should proteeute, 
I think Sir (iodfrey should decide the suit. 
Pope, Imit. of Horace, II. II. 23. 
He [the king] Is therefore the proper person to proteeute 
for all public offences and breaches of the peace, being the 
person injured in the eye of the law. 
Bladatone, Com., I. rti. 
prosecution (pros-e-ku'shon), H. [< OF. prose- 
cution, prosrcncioii = Sp. prosecution = Pg. 
lyte = Sp. prostlito = Pg. proxelyto = It. prose- 
lito, < LL. proselytus, < Gr. Kyxwiy/UToc, a convert, 
proselyte, lit. one who has come _ over to a 
party, < Kix>otpxco6ai (2d aor. Trpocf//6ov) t come 
to, < ny.or, to, toward, + ipx'o0<" (2d aor. OBeiv), 
come.] 1. One who changes from one opin- 
ion, creed, sect, or party to another, with or 
without a real change in purpose and princi- 
ple: chiefly used in a religious sense. Often ac- 
companied with an adjective Indicating the religion to 
which the change Is made : as, a Jewish protelyte (that is, 
a proselyte to Judaism). See concert. 
Ye compass sea and land to make one prntelyte. 
Mat. \\iii. 16. 
False teachers commonly make use of tiase, and low, 
and temporal considerations, of little tricks and devices, 
to make disciples and gain protelyte*. 
Fresh confidence the speculatist takes 
From ev'ry hair-brain'd protrlyte he makes. 
Cowper, ITogress of Error, 1. 491. 
It Is not to make protelytet to one system of politics or 
another that the work of education Is to be directed. 
Stubbt, Medieval and Modern Hist, p. 19. 
2. Specifically, in Jewish hist., one who be- 
came detached from the heathen and joined a 
Jewish community. 
Many of the Jews and religious protelytet followed Paul. 
Acts xlii. 48. 
= It. i>ro8cci<~ione, < LL. prosccu- 
;,o(n-),-a following or accompanying < L ^S^^^S^SSSL^S^S^^^ 
prosequi, pp. nrosecutus, follow after, pursu gj" jj , he I . rae ,, te ,.__ proselytes of the gate, in rao- 
see prosecute.] If. A following after; a pur- wn&oj nt., those proselytes who were not compelled to 
suing; pursuit. submit to the regulations of the Mosaic law. 
When I should see behind me At the last Passover, we read In John's Gospel, certain 
The Inevitable protecution of Greeks who were not Jews, but heathen, probably pross- 
Dlsgrace and horror. Shot., A. and C., IT. 14. 65. |ta of the gate who had come up to the festival to w< 
Let us therefore press after Jesus, as Ellsha did after his sjilp, came to Philip, one of the twelve, and expreai 
master, with an Inseparable protecution, even whitherso- their wish to see Jesus (John xOJ > 
ever he goes. Ver. Taylor, Works (ed. 18S6), I. 25. The Century, XXXIX. 688. 
2. The act or process of prosecuting, or pur- ^^ a ^ eophy<f ' Conwrt ' Pnmt ^- 6tc ' (l 
suing with the object of obtaining or accom- p rVselyte"(pro8'6-lit), v. t.; pret. and pp. prote- 
plishing something; pursuit by endeavor of v * , r . ;, m Wi/n</. [< proselyte, .f To in- 
body or mind ; the carrying on or following up JJJJ * b ^ come thfl Jhewnt of some given 
of any matter in hand : as, the prosecution of a doctrine ereedi 8ect or part y ; prO8 elytize : as, 
scheme or undertaking; the prosecution of war u& p ro geiyted Jew," Kouth, Sermons, XI. 108. 
or of commerce ; the prosecution of a work, ar- 
gument, or inquiry. 
It Is a pursuit In the power of every man, and Is only a 
regular protecution of what he himself approves. 
Steele, Tatler, No. 204 
Which warms our passions, pratelytet nur heart*. 
1 nuny, Sight Thoughts, Ix. 
j h w , h to pf^fjyte any reluctant mind. 
menm, Free Kellgtous Associations. 
3. (a) The institution and carrying on of a suit pro8elytise proselytiser. See prosrl;iti;, . 
in a court of law or equity to obtain some right v . >rttltr Lfj. r ,. 
or to redress and punish some wrong: as, the pr 08e iyti 8m (pros'c-li-tizm), n. [= F - /""-'.'/- 
l>ro*ertition of 11 claim in chancery. (6) 1 he in- r , p, ,, r ,, Ke ltiKmo ; as nn>n<li/tr + -ism.] 
' --nitml aillt' *> * y . . < 
stitufion and continuance of a criminal suit; 
the process of exhibiting formal charges orac- 
ciisutionsbefore a legal tribunal and the press- 
ing of them: as, prosecution* by the crown or 
by the state. 4. The party by whom proceed- 
ings :ire instituted: us. such a course was 
r the /""*"'""'. Criminal; malicious, 
, 
etc prosecution. See the adjectives. Prosecution 
Of Offenses Act, an Kngllsh statute of 1ST9(42 and 43 
Viet c !) which established the office of director of pul>- 
1. The act or practice of making proselytes or 
converts to a religion or to any ilortrine. creed, 
system, sect, or party. 
'Thev were poasesaed of a spirit of protelytitm jnjhe 
2. Conversion to a system or creed. 
Splrltinil yrotetyrum, to which the Jew was wont to be 
wash'd, an the Christian Is haptlnd. 
llamtni'inl. Works, IV 500. 
