I. ˈprīz noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English pris prize, price — more at price
1. : something offered or striven for in competition or in contests of chance: as
a. : an honor or reward striven for in a competitive contest : something offered to be competed for or as an inducement to or a reward of effort
a school prize
the prizes given at an agricultural show
b. : something that may be won by chance (as in a lottery) ; also : a novelty or other premium given with merchandise as an inducement to buy
2.
a. : something worth striving for : a valuable possession held or in prospect : advantage , privilege
methinks, 'tis prize enough to be his son — Shakespeare
b. : something exceptionally good or desirable of its kind : gem
this puppy is the prize of the litter
described her as a prize of a wife
3. archaic : a contest for a reward : competition
II. adjective
1.
a. : having been awarded or being worthy of a prize
a prize essay
a display of prize pumpkins
b. : awarded or intended to be awarded as a prize
a prize medal
c. : held or entered for the sake of an offered prize
a prize competition
a prize drawing
2. : of great value
the prize argument
: outstanding of its kind
a prize idiot
III. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English prisen, from Middle French preiser, prisier, from Old French, from Late Latin pretiare, from Latin pretium price, money, value — more at price
1. : to set or estimate the relative or formerly the money value of : appraise , price , rate
prize his life highly
2. : to regard as of exceptional or great worth or excellence : esteem highly : hold as highly desirable or very precious
if only rare, how this butterfly would be prized — Richard Jefferies
prize the blessings of life around as — George Borrow
Synonyms: see appreciate
IV. noun
( -s )
obsolete : estimate , valuation
V. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English prise, pris, from Old French prise act of taking, seizure, from pris, past participle of prendre to take, from Latin prehendere to seize, grasp — more at prehensile
1.
a.
(1) : something taken (as in war) by force, stratagem, or superior power : a captured thing or person : booty , prey ; especially : property (as a ship) lawfully captured in time of war
(2) : property seized under revenue, excise, or other laws to be taken to a court of prize jurisdiction to be forfeited
b. : an act of capturing or taking: as
(1) : the capture of something by a belligerent exercising the rights of war ; especially : the capture of a ship and its cargo at sea
(2) : the taking from a merchant under old English law of a quantity of commodities varying from time to time for the use of the sovereign ; also : the right to make such a seizure — compare prisage
2. or prise “
a. : a metal bar for moving heavy objects : lever , pry
b. : purchase , leverage
c. : a lever-operated press for tobacco
3. or prise : a signal blown on the horn to announce the killing or capture of game on a medieval hunt
VI. verb
also prise “
( -ed/-ing/-s )
transitive verb
1. : to press, force, or move with or as if with a lever
trying to prize himself out of sleep — Rebecca Caudill
especially : to move in a usually indicated direction by prying
prized up the lid of the box
prizing the old shingles off the roof
2. : to force or pack (tobacco leaves) into a cask usually by means of a prize
intransitive verb
: to exert leverage
prizing up with all his strength
VII. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
: to make a prize of : seize as a prize
the ship was prized for violating neutrality