[ pru:v ]
■ verb ( past participle ~d or ~n 'pru:v(ə)n , 'prəʊ- )
1》 demonstrate by evidence or argument the truth or existence of.
↘ Law establish the genuineness and validity of (a will).
2》 show by evidence or argument to be.
↘be seen or found to be: the scheme has ~d a great success.
↘( ~ oneself ) demonstrate one's abilities or courage.
3》 subject (a gun) to a testing process.
4》 (of bread dough) become aerated by the action of yeast; rise.
Phrases
not ~n Scots Law a verdict that there is insufficient evidence to establish guilt or innocence.
Derivatives
provability noun
provable adjective
provably adverb
~r noun
Origin
ME: from OFr. ~r , from L. probare 'test, ap~, demonstrate'.
Usage
Prove has two past participles: ~d and ~n . Both are correct and can be used more or less interchangeably ( this hasn't been ~d yet ; this hasn't been ~n yet ). In British English ~d is more common, with the exception that ~n is always used when the word comes before a noun: a ~n talent , not a ~d talent .