Emily Dickinson Lexicon

PRO-POUND', v.t. [L. propono; pro and pono, to set, put or place.]

1. To propose; to offer for consideration; as, to propound a rule of action. – Wotton. The existence of the church hath been propounded as an object of faith. – Pearson.
2. To offer; to exhibit; to propose; as, to propound a question. – Shak.
3. In congregational churches, to propose or name as a candidate for admission to communion with a church. Persons intending to make public profession of their faith, and thus unite with the church, are propounded before the church and congregation; that is, their intention is notified some days previous, for the purpose of giving opportunity to members of the church to object to their admission to such communion, if they see cause.

PRO-POUND'ED, pp.

Proposed; offered for consideration.

PRO-POUND'ER, n.

One that proposes or offers for consideration.

PRO-POUND'ING, ppr.

Proposing; offering for consideration.

PROP'PED, pp. [from prop.]

Supported; sustained by something placed under.

PROP'PING, ppr.

Supporting by something beneath.

PRO-PRE'FECT, n.

Among the Romans, a prefect's lieutenant commissioned to do a part of the duty of the prefect. – Encyc.

PRO-PRE'TOR, n. [L. proprætor.]

Among the Romans, a magistrate who, having discharged the office of pretor at home, was sent into a province to command there with his former pretorial authority; also, an officer sent extraordinarily into the provinces to administer justice with the authority of pretor. – Encyc.

PRO-PRI'E-TA-RY, a.

Belonging to a proprietor or owner, or to a proprietary. The governments of Pennsylvania and Maryland were formerly proprietary.

PRO-PRI'E-TA-RY, n. [Fr. proprietaire, from proprieté.]

1. A proprietor or owner; one who has the exclusive title to a thing; one who possesses or holds the title to a thing in his own right. The grantees of Pennsylvania and Maryland and their heirs were called the proprietaries of those provinces.
2. In monasteries, such monks were called proprietaries, as had reserved goods and effects to themselves, notwithstanding their renunciation of all at the time of their profession. – Encyc.

PRO-PRI'E-TOR, n. [from L. proprietas, proprius.]

An owner; the person who has the legal right or exclusive title to any thing whether in possession or not; as, the proprietor of a farm or of a mill. By the gift of God, man is constituted the proprietor of the earth.

PRO-PRI'E-TRESS, n.

A female who has the exclusive legal right to a thing. – L'Estrange.

PRO-PRI'E-TY, n. [Fr. proprieté; L. proprietas, from proprius.]

1. Property; peculiar or exclusive right of possession; ownership. [This primary sense of the word, as used by Locke, Milton, Dryden, &c. seems now to be nearly or wholly obsolete. See Property.]
2. Fitness; suitableness; appropriateness; consonance with established principles, rules or customs; justness; accuracy. Propriety of conduct, in a moral sense, consists in its conformity to the moral law; propriety of behavior, consists of conformity to the established rules of decorum; propriety in language, is correctness in the use of words and phrases, according to established usage, which constitutes the rule of speaking and writing.
3. Proper state. – Shak.

PROPT, v. [See PROPPED.]

PRO-PUGN, v.i. [propu'ne; L. propugno; pro and pugno, to fight.]

To contend for; to defend; to vindicate. [Little used.] Hammond.

PRO-PUG'NA-CLE, n. [L. propugnaculum.]

A fortress. [Not used.] – Howell.

PRO-PUG-NA'TION, n. [L. propugnatio.]

Defense. [Not used.] – Shak.

PRO-PUGN-ER, n. [propu'ner.]

A defender; a vindicator.

PRO-PUGN-ING, ppr.

Contending for; defending.

PRO-PUL-SA'TION, n. [L. propulsatio, propulso. See Propel.]

The act of driving away or repelling; the keeping at a distance. – Hall.

PRO-PULSE, v.t. [propuls'; L. propulso; pro and pulso, to strike. See Propel.]

To repel; to drive off. [Little used.] – Cotgrave.

PRO-PUL'SION, n. [L. propulsus, propello. See Propel.]

The act of driving forward. – Bacon.

PRO-PUL'SIVE, a.

Tending or having power to repel.

PRO-PY'LON, n. [Gr. προπυλον, προ and πυλη, a gate.]

The porch, vestibule or entrance of an edifice. – Russell.

PRO-RATA, adv. [Pro rata; L.]

In proportion.