(~s, prizing, ~d)
Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.
Note: The spelling 'prise' is also used in British English for meanings 5 and 6.
1.
A ~ is money or something valuable that is given to someone who has the best results in a competition or game, or as a reward for doing good work.
You must claim your ~ by telephoning our claims line...
He won first ~ at the Leeds Piano Competition...
They were going all out for the ~-money, ?6,500 for the winning team.
N-COUNT
2.
You use ~ to describe things that are of such good quality that they win ~s or deserve to win ~s.
...a ~ bull.
...~ blooms.
ADJ: ADJ n
3.
You can refer to someone or something as a ~ when people consider them to be of great value or importance.
With no lands of his own, he was no great matrimonial ~.
N-COUNT
4.
Something that is ~d is wanted and admired because it is considered to be very valuable or very good quality.
Military figures, made out of lead are ~d by collectors...
One of the gallery’s most ~d possessions is the portrait of Ginevra da Vinci.
VERB: usu passive, be V-ed, V-ed
5.
If you ~ something open or ~ it away from a surface, you force it to open or force it to come away from the surface. (mainly BRIT; in AM, usually use pry )
He tried to ~ the dog’s mouth open...
I prised off the metal rim surrounding one of the dials...
He held on tight but she prised it from his fingers.
VERB: V n with adj, V n with adv, V n out of/from n
6.
If you ~ something such as information out of someone, you persuade them to tell you although they may be very unwilling to. (mainly BRIT; in AM, usually use pry )
Alison and I had to ~ conversation out of him.
VERB: V n out of n, also V n with out