prose

American  

[prohz] / proʊz /

noun

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.

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adjective

1. of, in, or pertaining to prose.

2. commonplace; dull; prosaic.

verb (used with object)

prosed, prosing

1. to turn into or express in prose.

verb (used without object)

prosed, prosing

1. to write or talk in a dull, matter-of-fact manner.

prose British  

/ prəʊz /

noun

1. spoken or written language as in ordinary usage, distinguished from poetry by its lack of a marked metrical structure

2. a passage set for translation into a foreign language

3. commonplace or dull discourse, expression, etc

4. RC Church a hymn recited or sung after the gradual at Mass

5. (modifier) written in prose

6. (modifier) matter-of-fact

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verb

1. to write or say (something) in prose

2. (intr) to speak or write in a tedious style

Other Word Forms

• proselike adjective

Etymology

Origin of prose

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin prōsa (ōrātiō), literally, “straightforward (speech),” feminine of prōsus, prōrsus, contraction of prōversus “turned forward,” past participle of prōvertere “to turn forward,” equivalent to prō- pro- ¹ + vertere “to turn”

Example Sentences

The inclusion of Mr. Dominé’s florid prose and his fellow citizens’ good manners are parts of what makes “Glitterball” a supremely creative example of creative documentary.

From The Wall Street Journal

Fennell is not merely playing fast and loose with her source material, as a skeptic might think; she’s lifting the evocative images of Brontë’s prose and envisioning them as one might when reading the novel.

From Salon

Narrators of great events tend to write grand prose.

From The Wall Street Journal

Swathed in lyrics and melody instead of chaptered prose, I got it: Here were two people who embodied the idea behind can’t live with or without you.

From Los Angeles Times

Instead, authors turned out a lot of flat, declarative prose; clipped, “masculine” dialogue; and a form of realism bound to personal experience.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• composition
• essay
• fiction
• nonfiction
• speech
• story
• text
• writing