<B>prophase, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Biology.) <DD><B> 1. </B>the first stage in mitosis, that includes the formation of the spindle and the lengthwise splitting of the chromosomes. <DD><B> 2. </B>the first stage in meiosis, from the point at which the chromosomes appear (leptotene) to the point where the chromatids contract (diakinesis). </DL>
<A NAME="prophecy">
<B>prophecy, </B>noun, pl. <B>-cies.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the act of telling what will happen; foretelling future events. <BR> <I>Ex. Easing man's struggle against nature is the prophecy of science.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>something told about the future; indication of something to come. <BR> <I>Ex. A laughing face ... where scarce appeared The uncertain prophecy of beard (John Greenleaf Whittier).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>a divinely inspired utterance, revelation, or writing. <DD><B> 4. </B>a book of prophecies. <BR> <I>Ex. the prophecy of Isaiah.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="prophesy">
<B>prophesy, </B>verb, <B>-sied,</B> <B>-sying.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>v.i. </I> <B>1. </B>to tell what will happen. <BR> <I>Ex. The first explosion of the atomic bomb prophesied of change and a new age.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to speak when or as if inspired by God. <BR> <I>Ex. Christians believe that Christ came to prophesy to mankind as the savior.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>(Obsolete.) to interpret or expound the Scriptures. <DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to foretell; predict. <BR> <I>Ex. The sailor prophesied a severe storm.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to utter in prophecy. <BR> <I>Ex. The prophets prophesy lies in my name (Jeremiah 14:14).</I> adj. <B>prophesiable.</B> noun <B>prophesier.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="prophet">
<B>prophet, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a person who tells what will happen. <BR> <I>Ex. Don't be a bad-luck prophet.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>a person who preaches what he thinks has been revealed to him, especially any of the Biblical figures who taught and preached in the name of God, such as Isaiah and Jeremiah. <BR> <I>Ex. Every religion has its prophets.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>(Figurative.) a spokesman, as of some cause or doctrine. <BR> <I>Ex. Nothing could have been further from [Theodore] Roosevelt's intentions than to set up as the prophet of some great Reformation (Baron Charnwood).</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>the Prophet,</B> <DD><B> a. </B>Mohammed. </I> <I>Ex. If but the Vine and Love-abjuring Band Are in the Prophet's Paradise to stand (Edward FitzGerald).</I> <DD><B> b. </B>Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon religion. <BR> <I>Ex. The Prophet, his brother Hyram, and other leading Mormons were seized (John H. Blunt).</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>the Prophets,</B> </I>the books of the Old Testament written by prophets. <BR> <I>Ex. The Prophets are divided into the Major Prophets and Minor Prophets.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="prophetess">
<B>prophetess, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a woman prophet. </DL>
<A NAME="prophethood">
<B>prophethood, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the character or office of a prophet. </DL>
<A NAME="prophetic">
<B>prophetic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>belonging to a prophet; such as a prophet has. <BR> <I>Ex. prophetic power.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>containing prophecy. <BR> <I>Ex. a prophetic saying.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>giving warning of what is to happen; foretelling. <BR> <I>Ex. Thunder is often prophetic of showers. It seem'd to those within the wall A cry prophetic of their fall (Byron).</I> adv. <B>prophetically.</B> </DL>
<B>prophetism, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the action or practice of a prophet or prophets, especially the system or principles of the Hebrew prophets. <BR> <I>Ex. Prophetism attained its apogee among the Semites of Palestine (Thomas Huxley).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="prophylactic">
<B>prophylactic, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>protecting from disease. <BR> <I>Ex. vaccination and other prophylactic measures. Hope of preventing tuberculosis by daily prophylactic doses of the drug isoniazid is now seen (Science News Letter).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>protective; preservative; precautionary. <DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a medicine, treatment, or device that protects against disease. <BR> <I>Ex. He took vitamins as a prophylactic against colds.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>a precaution. <BR> <I>Ex. To keep the mind engrossed was the great prophylactic against fear (John Buchan).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>any contraceptive device, especially a condom. adv. <B>prophylactically.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="prophylaxis">
<B>prophylaxis, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a protection from disease. <DD><B> 2. </B>a treatment to prevent disease. </DL>
<A NAME="propine">
<B>propine, </B>noun, verb, <B>-pined,</B> <B>-pining.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Scottish.) <DD><I>noun </I> a gift. <DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to offer (something) to one to drink. <DD><B> 2. </B>to give; present. </DL>
<A NAME="propinquity">
<B>propinquity, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>nearness in place, especially personal nearness. <DD><B> 2. </B>nearness of blood; kinship. </DL>
<A NAME="propiolicacid">
<B>propiolic acid,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a liquid organic acid with an odor resembling that of acetic acid. </DL>
<A NAME="propionate">
<B>propionate, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a salt or ester of propionic acid. </DL>
<A NAME="propionicacid">
<B>propionic acid,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a fatty acid with a pungent odor, found in perspiration and produced synthetically from ethyl alcohol and carbon monoxide. It is used in the form of its propionates to inhibit mold in bread and as an ingredient in perfumes. </DL>
<A NAME="propionyl">
<B>propionyl, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a univalent radical contained especially in propionic acid. </DL>
<A NAME="propitiable">
<B>propitiable, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> that may be propitiated. </DL>
<A NAME="propitiate">
<B>propitiate, </B>transitive verb, <B>-ated,</B> <B>-ating.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> to prevent or reduce the anger of; win the favor of; appease or conciliate (one who is offended or likely to be). <BR> <I>Ex. Let fierce Achilles ... The god propitiate, and the pest assuage (Alexander Pope).</I> adv. <B>propitiatingly.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="propitiation">
<B>propitiation, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the act of propitiating. <DD><B> 2. </B>that which propitiates. <DD><B> 3. </B>(Theology.) Christ, and His life and death, as the means by which reconciliation of God and mankind is attained. </DL>
<A NAME="propitiative">
<B>propitiative, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> serving or tending to propitiate. </DL>
<A NAME="propitiator">
<B>propitiator, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a person who propitiates. </DL>
<A NAME="propitiatory">
<B>propitiatory, </B>adjective, noun, pl. <B>-ries.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> intended to propitiate; making propitiation; conciliatory. <BR> <I>Ex. a propitiatory offering, a propitiatory prayer.</I> <DD><I>noun </I> <B>=mercy seat.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="propitious">
<B>propitious, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>favorable. <BR> <I>Ex. propitious weather for our trip, a propitious reception. The seed of pessimism, once lodged within him, flourished in a propitious soil (Lytton Strachey).</I> (SYN) auspicious, promising. <DD><B> 2. </B>favorably inclined; gracious. adv. <B>propitiously.</B> noun <B>propitiousness.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="propjet">
<B>propjet, </B>noun. <B>=turboprop.</B></DL>
<A NAME="proplastid">
<B>proplastid, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Biology.) a protoplasmic body that is a precursor of a plastid. </DL>
<A NAME="propman">
<B>prop man,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Informal.) a man in charge of stage properties at a theater who furnishes them as needed; property man. </DL>
<A NAME="propolis">
<B>propolis, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a reddish, resinous substance collected by bees from the buds of trees, used to stop up crevices in the hives and to strengthen the cells. </DL>
<B>proponent, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a person who makes a proposal or proposition. <DD><B> 2. </B>a person who supports something; advocate; favorer; supporter. <BR> <I>Ex. Proponents of the bill argued that Federal regulation of natural-gas production ... was discriminatory (Newsweek).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>(Law.) a person who submits a will for probate. </DL>
