prose

prose
proselike, adj.
/prohz/, n., adj., v., prosed, prosing.
n.
1. the ordinary form of spoken or written language, without metrical structure, as distinguished from poetry or verse.
2. matter-of-fact, commonplace, or dull expression, quality, discourse, etc.
3. Liturgy. a hymn sung after the gradual, originating from a practice of setting words to the jubilatio of the alleluia.
adj.
4. of, in, or pertaining to prose.
5. commonplace; dull; prosaic.
v.t.
6. to turn into or express in prose.
v.i.
7. to write or talk in a dull, matter-of-fact manner.
[1300-50; ME < MF < L prosa (oratio) lit., straightforward (speech), fem. of prosus, for prorsus, contr. of proversus, ptp. of provertere to turn forward, equiv. to pro- PRO-1 + vertere to turn]

* * *

Literary medium distinguished from poetry especially by its greater irregularity and variety of rhythm and its closer correspondence to the patterns of everyday speech.

Though it is readily distinguishable from poetry in that it does not treat a line as a formal unit, the significant differences between prose and poetry are of tone, pace, and sometimes subject matter.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

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  • prose — prose …   Dictionnaire des rimes

  • prose — [ proz ] n. f. • 1265; lat. prosa, de prosa oratio « discours qui va en droite ligne » I ♦ 1 ♦ Forme du discours oral ou écrit, manière de s exprimer qui n est soumise à aucune des règles de la versification. « tout ce qui n est point prose est… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • prose — PROSE. s. f. Discours qui n est point assujetti à une certaine mesure, à un certain nombre de pieds & de syllabes. Prose grecque. prose latine. prose françoise. le langage de la prose est plus simple & moins figuré que celuy des vers. escrire en… …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • Prose — Prose, n. [F. prose, L. prosa, fr. prorsus, prosus, straight forward, straight on, for proversus; pro forward + versus, p. p. of vertere to turn. See {Verse}.] 1. The ordinary language of men in speaking or writing; language not cast in poetical… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Prose — Prose, a. 1. Pertaining to, or composed of, prose; not in verse; as, prose composition. [1913 Webster] 2. Possessing or exhibiting unpoetical characteristics; plain; dull; prosaic; as, the prose duties of life. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • prose — [ prouz ] noun uncount * written language in its ordinary form, as opposed to poetry: She writes beautiful prose. in prose: He recorded his emotions in prose and verse …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • Prose — Prose, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Prosed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Prosing}.] 1. To write in prose. [1913 Webster] 2. To write or repeat in a dull, tedious, or prosy way. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Prose — Prose, v. i. 1. To write prose. [1913 Webster] Prosing or versing, but chiefly this latter. Milton. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • prose — early 14c., from O.Fr. prose (13c.), from L. prosa oratio straightforward or direct speech (without the ornaments of verse), from prosa, fem. of prosus, earlier prorsus straightforward, direct, from Old L. provorsus (moving) straight ahead, from… …   Etymology dictionary

  • prose — prose·man; prose; trans·prose; …   English syllables

  • prose — [prōz] n. [ME < MFr < L prosa, for prorsa (oratio), direct (speech) < prorsus, forward, straight on < proversus, pp. of provertere, to turn forward: see PRO 2 & VERSE] 1. the ordinary form of written or spoken language, without rhyme… …   English World dictionary

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