prose
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prose (prōz)
noun
- the ordinary form of written or spoken language, without rhyme or meter; speech or writing, sometimes, specif., nonfictional writing, that is not poetry
- dull, commonplace talk, expression, quality, etc.
Etymology: ME < MFr < L prosa, for prorsa (oratio), direct (speech) < prorsus, forward, straight on < proversus, pp. of provertere, to turn forward: see pro- & verse
adjective
- of or in prose
- dull; unimaginative; commonplace; prosaic
Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Preposition: from
- period: Eighteenth-Century Fiction contains a selection of works in English prose from the period 1700-1780, by writers from the British Isles.
Converse of object
- rhyme: The form of the Qur'an ( rhymed prose supposedly written by an illiterate prophet ) is perhaps stressed more than the content.
Adjective modifier
- lucid: Agree with comments of the literary critics that it is brilliantly written in lucid prose.
Modifies a noun
- fiction: He has also won several awards for short prose fiction.
Noun used with modifier
- century: Its seventeenth century prose is indeed remarkable; it is a precious gem in the heritage of the English language.
The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.
Prose is when all the lines except the last go on to the end.Poetry is when some of them fall short of it.
The most beautiful prose paragraph yet written by any American.
If ever I should condescend to prose, I'll write poetical commandments, which Shall supersede beyond all doubt all those That went before; in these I shall enrich My text with many things that no one knows, And carry precept to the highest pitch: I'll call the work 'Longinus o'er a Bottle, Or, Every Poet his own Aristotle'.
Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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MLA Style
"prose." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009
- Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
- <www.yourdictionary.com/prose>
APA Style
prose. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary
- Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/prose

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