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pillow behind it. | Prop the gate open with a brick. | He propped his bicycle (up) against the fence.
prop sthg. <=> up phr v [T] sometimes derog to help or give support to (often with money): It is not the government's policy to prop up declining industries.
prop³ also property fml — n [usually pl.] a small article, such as a weapon or piece of furniture, that is used on the stage in the acting of a play
prop⁴ n infml an aircraft's PROPELLER
prop·a·gan·da /ˌprɒpəgændə||ˌprɑː-/ n [U] usually derog information that is spread in a planned or official way, especially by a government, in order to influence public opinion: Their speeches have been exposed as pure propaganda. | a massive propaganda campaign | anti-French propaganda | propaganda films/slogans
prop·a·gan·dist /ˌprɒpəgændɪst||prɑː-/ n usually derog a person who plans or spreads especially political propaganda
prop·a·gan·dize also -dise BrE /ˌprɒpəˈgændaɪz||ˌprɑː-/ v [I;T] usually derog to spread propaganda in (a place) or to (people)
prop·a·gate /ˈprɒpəgeɪt||prɑː-/ v 1 [I] (of living things) to increase in number by producing young: Most plants propagate by seed. 2 [T] to cause to continue or increase by producing descendants: Human beings propagate their species by sexual reproduction. 3 [T] to cause to spread to a great number of people: They started a newspaper to propagate their ideas. —gator n —gation /ˌprɒpəgeɪʃən||ˌprɑː-/ n [U]
pro·pane /ˈprəʊpeɪn/ n [U] a colourless gas used for cooking and heating
pro·pel /prəˈpel/ v -ll- [T] to move, drive, or push forward: A sailing boat is propelled by wind. | a rocket-propelled grenade -> see also PROPULSION
pro·pel·lant, -lent /prəˈpelənt/ n [C;U] ·1 (an) explosive for firing a bullet or ROCKET 2 (a) gas pressed into a small space in a bottle, which drives out the contents of the bottle when the pressure is taken away —propellant, propellent adj
pro·pel·ler /prəˈpelər/ n an apparatus for producing movement in a ship or aircraft, consisting of two or more blades fixed to a central bar that is turned at high speed by an engine
pro,pelling 'pencil n a pencil in which the stick of LEAD is pushed forward by an apparatus inside the pencil as the lead is used up
pro·pen·si·ty /prəˈpensəti/ n [(for, to, towards)] fml a natural tendency towards a particular usually undesirable kind of behaviour: a propensity for upsetting people | [+to-v] a propensity to spend too much money
prop·er¹ /ˈprɒpər||ˈprɑː-/ adj 1 [A no comp.] right; suitable; correct: She's too ill to be nursed at home; she needs proper medical attention at a hospital. | That's not the proper way to stop the machine. | without proper authorization | the proper role of the press 2 sometimes derog (paying great attention to what is) socially correct or acceptable: That short dress isn't really proper for wearing to a funeral. | Why are you surprised? It's only right and proper that his wife should inherit all his money. -> see also IMPROPER, PROPRIETY 3 [A] BrE infml real; actual: The little boy wanted a proper dog, not a toy dog. 4 [after n] in its actual, most limited meaning; itself: Many people call themselves Londoners though they live outside the city proper. 5 [A no comp.] infml, especially BrE (often of something unpleasant or undesirable) thorough; complete: We've got ourselves into a proper mess. | I felt a proper fool. 6 [F-to] fml belonging only or especially to; natural to: to wear clothes proper to a tropical climate -> see also PROPERLY
proper² adv slang, especially dial very; completely: He drove the car into a wall and wrecked it, good and proper!
,proper 'fraction n a FRACTION in which the number above the line is smaller than the one below it: ¼ and ⅓ are proper fractions. -> compare IMPROPER FRACTION
prop·er·ly /ˈprɒpəli||ˈprɑːpərli/ adv 1 suitably; correctly: I'm learning Italian, but I still can't speak it properly. | She'd only just got out of bed, and wasn't properly dressed. 2 really; actually; exactly: I'm not, properly speaking, a nurse, as I haven't been trained, but I've looked after many sick people. 3 infml, especially BrE completely; thoroughly: I'm properly muddled!
,proper 'noun also ,proper 'name n (in grammar) a noun that is the name of a single particular thing or person, and is spelt with a CAPITAL letter: 'James', 'London' and 'China' are proper nouns in English. -> compare COMMON NOUN
prop·er·tied /ˈprɒpətd||ˈprɑpər-/ adj [A] owning a lot of property, especially land: the propertied classes
prop·er·ty /ˈprɒpəti||ˈprɑːpərti/ n 1 [U] something which is owned; possession(s): That car is my property; you mustn't use it without my permission. | The police found some stolen property in the thief's house. | This machine is the property of the government/is government property. 2 [U] land, buildings, or both together: The city is growing and property in the centre is becoming more expensive. | a property developer (=someone who makes money by buying and selling property) 3 [C] a building, a piece of land, or both together. This word is used especially by lawyers and ESTATE AGENTS: Several properties in this street are for sale. 4 [C] a stated quality, power, or effect that belongs naturally to something: Many plants have medicinal properties. | Oil has the property of floating on water. 5 [C usually pl.] fml for PROP 6 [U] ownership, with its rights and duties according to the law: Most societies have accepted the idea of private property. -> see also LOST PROPERTY, PERSONAL PROPERTY, REAL PROPERTY
'property ,tax n a tax based on the value of someone's house
proph·e·cy BrE || also prophesy AmE /ˈprɒfɪsi||ˈprɑː-/ n 1 [C] a statement telling something that will happen in the future, especially one based on one's personal feelings rather than on any proof: to make a prophecy | [+that] The teacher's prophecy that the boy would become famous was later fulfilled. 2 [U] the telling of things that will happen in the future
proph·e·sy /ˈprɒfɪsaɪ||ˈprɑː-/ v [I;T] to make a statement expressing one's beliefs about (what will happen in) the future; FORECAST: The soothsayers prophesied war. | [+that] She prophesied that there would be a bad winter. | [+wh-] I wouldn't like to prophesy who will win the election.
proph·et /ˈprɒfɪt||ˈprɑː-/ n 1 (in the Christian, Jewish, and Muslim religions) a man who believes that he is directed by God to make known and explain God's will and/or to lead or teach a religion: the prophet Isaiah 2 sometimes proph·et·ess /ˈprɒfɪtəs||ˈprɑːfɪtəs/ fem. — a person who introduces and teaches some new idea: a prophet of monetarist economics 3 a person who claims to be able to tell the course of future events: a prophet of doom (=someone who always says that bad things will happen)
Prophet, the MUHAMMAD, who established the MUSLIM religion
pro·phet·ic /prəˈfetk/ also pro·phet·i·cal /-kəl/ adj [(of)] correctly telling of things that will happen in the future; like or being a prophecy: a prophetic remark —ically /kli/ adv
Proph·ets, the /ˈprɒfɪts||ˈprɑː-/ 1 one of the main divisions of the OLD TESTAMENT of the Bible, consisting of the writings of Jewish holy men such as Isaiah, Hosea, and Jeremiah 2 the Jewish holy men who did these writings
pro·phy·lac·tic¹ /ˌprɒfɪˈlæktɪk||ˌprɑː-/ adj fml or tech intended to prevent disease —ally /kli/ adv
prophylactic² n tech especially AmE, often euph something prophylactic, especially a CONDOM sold supposedly for the prevention of VENEREAL DISEASE
pro·phy·lax·is /ˌprɒfɪˈlæksɪs||ˌprɑː-/ n pl. -laxes /ˈlæksiːz/ [C;U] tech (a) treatment for preventing disease
pro·pin·qui·ty /prəˈpɪŋkwəti/ n [U(of, to)] fml nearness in space or relationship
pro·pi·ti·ate /prəˈpɪʃieɪt/ v [T] fml to win the favour of (someone who is angry or unfriendly) by some pleasing act —ation /ˌprəpɪʃiˈeɪʃən/ n [U(for)]
pro·pi·ti·a·to·ry /prəˈpɪʃiətɒri||-tɔːri/ adj fml intended to propitiate: a propitiatory gift of flowers
pro·pi·tious /prəˈpɪʃəs/ adj fml [(for, to, towards)] advantageous; favourable: a propitious sign | It wasn't really a propitious moment to raise the subject of my pay rise. —ly adv
pro·po·nent /prəˈpənənt/ n [(of)] a person who supports or