Emily Dickinson Lexicon

practice (-s), n. [see practise, n.]

practice (practicing), v. [see practise, v.]

practise (practice, -s), n. [see practise, v.] (webplay: know, morning, road, rising).

1. Custom; habit; routine; daily life.
2. Activity; action; art; pursuit; undertaking.
3. Training; exercise; repetition; systematic preparation.
4. Dexterity; skill; agility; adroitness; ability resulting from disciplined repetition; [fig.] cunning; artifice; craftiness.
5. [Fig.] consciousness; knowledge; understanding.

practise (practicing, practising), v. [OFr < L. practizāre.] (webplay: dangerous, reading, similar, soul).

1. Study; pursue mastery of; work to acquire the skill of; train repeatedly in order to achieve proficiency in.
2. Rehearse; go over; prepare for a public performance of.

practised, verbal adj. [see practise, v.] (webplay: hearts, know, years).

Skillful; experienced; expert; proficient; veteran; seasoned; weathered.

prairie (-s), n. [Fr. < OFr prātum, meadow.]

1. Meadow; field; lea; clearing; grassy tract of land.
2. Plain; steppe; moor; frontier; [fig.] area; region; tract; terrain; range; expanse; span; stretch.

praise, n. [see praise, v.] (webplay: confer, goodness, gratitude, high, men, song, taken).

1. Acknowledgment; compliment; commendation; approbation; extolling; expression of admiration.
2. Expression of gratitude; paean; anthem; hymn of thanksgiving; musical worship; [fig.] melody; birdsong.
3. Poetry; verse; [fig.] enjoyment of beautiful literature; pleasure obtained through reading.

praise (-d, -s, -ing), v. [OFr < L. preti-āre, to price, value, prize < preti-um, price.] (webplay: display, God, goodness).

1. Compliment; commend; extol; express admiration for; pay appropriate tribute to.
2. Eulogize; honor; glorify; pronounce a ceremonious speech of commendation in honor of.
3. [Fig.] sing; warble; produce music.
4. [Fig.] enjoy; find pleasure in.

prance, v. [Poss. related to Dan. dialectical prandse, go in a stately, proud fashion, and prans, spirited, proud, said of a horse.] (webplay: play).

Dance; frolic; caper; gambol; romp merrily.

prancing, verbal adj. [see prance, n.]

Playful; high-spirited; dancing; rollicking; [fig.] lilting; rhythmic; cadenced.