- a person who is annoyingly smug in his or her moral behavior, attitudes, etc.
- a person who is annoyingly fastidious about rules, small details, etc.
Origin of prig
from 16th-c. cant from uncertain or unknown; perhaps
noun
The definition of a prig is a person who is very smug in demonstrating how and why they follow their moral behaviors.
An example of a prig is someone who is annoying when explaining why they do something a certain way.
YourDictionary definition and usage example. Copyright © 2018 by LoveToKnow Corp
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"prig." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 23 March 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Prig>.
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prig. (n.d.). Retrieved March 23rd, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Prig
prig
transitive verb
prigged, prig′gingBrit., Slang to steal
Origin of prig
uncertain or unknown; perhaps akin to prigNorth Eng., Scot. to haggle
Brit., Slang a thief or pickpocket
Webster's New World College Dictionary, Fifth Edition Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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"prig." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 23 March 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Prig>.
APA Style
prig. (n.d.). Retrieved March 23rd, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Prig
prig
noun
- A person who demonstrates an exaggerated conformity or propriety, especially in an irritatingly arrogant or smug manner.
- Archaic a. A petty thief or pickpocket.b. A conceited dandy; a fop.
transitive verb
prigged, prig·ging, prigs Chiefly BritishTo steal or pilfer.
Origin of prig
Origin unknownRelated Forms:
- prig′ger·y
noun
- prig′gish
adjective
- prig′gish·ly
adverb
- prig′gish·ness
noun
THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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MLA Style
"prig." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 23 March 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Prig>.
APA Style
prig. (n.d.). Retrieved March 23rd, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Prig
Noun
(plural prigs)
- A person who demonstrates an exaggerated conformity or propriety, especially in an irritatingly arrogant or smug manner.
- (UK, archaic) A petty thief or pickpocket
- (archaic) A conceited dandy; a fop.
Origin
Of unknown origin.
Verb
(third-person singular simple present prigs, present participle prigging, simple past and past participle prigged)
English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.
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Cite this page
MLA Style
"prig." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 23 March 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Prig>.
APA Style
prig. (n.d.). Retrieved March 23rd, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Prig
Sentence Examples
- He was only saved by his intellect and his fine nature from turning out an arrant prig.