■ noun
1》 evidence establishing a fact or the truth of a statement.
↘ Law the evidence in a trial.
↘the proving of the truth of a statement.
↘a series of stages in the resolution of a mathematical or philosophical problem.
2》 a test or trial of something.
↘ Scots Law a trial or a civil case before a judge without a jury.
3》 Printing a trial impression of a page used for making corrections before final printing.
↘a trial photographic print.
↘each of a limited number of impressions from an engraved plate, especially before the ordinary issue is printed.
↘a specially struck specimen coin with a polished or frosted finish.
4》 the strength of distilled alcoholic spirits, relative to ~ spirit taken as a standard of 100.
■ adjective [often in combination ] resistant: bullet~.
■ verb
1》 make water~.
2》 make a ~ of (a printed work, engraving, etc.).
↘~read (a text).
3》 N. Amer. activate (yeast).
↘knead (dough) until light and smooth.
↘(of dough) prove.
Origin
ME preve , from OFr. proeve , from late L. proba , from L. probare 'to test, prove'; vowel change due to the influence of prove .