I. ˈprōz noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin prosa, from feminine of prosus straightforward, direct, being in prose, from prorsus, from proversus, past participle of provertere to turn forward, from pro before + vertere to turn — more at for , worth
1.
a. : the ordinary language of men in speaking or writing : language intended primarily to give information, relate events, or communicate ideas or opinions
b. : a literary medium distinguished from poetry by its greater irregularity and variety of rhythm, its closer correspondence to the patterns of everyday speech, and its more detailed and factual definition of idea, object, or situation — compare verse
2.
[Middle English, from Medieval Latin prosa, from Latin]
: sequence 1
3. : a prosaic style, quality, character, or condition : ordinariness , matter-of-factness , plainness
it was to escape from the prose of existence that they had left America — Van Wyck Brooks
4.
a. : a piece of prose : a prose exercise or composition
got his proses past … the heavy-lidded cold grey eye — Thomas Wood †1950
b. : a flat, tedious, unimaginative speech or piece of writing
delivered a long prose , full of platitudes
c. : a friendly conversation : chat
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English prosen, from prose, n.
transitive verb
1. : to write, translate, or paraphrase in prose
2. : to lecture, write, or talk into a specified state
prosed them to death
intransitive verb
1. : to write prose
prosing or versing — John Milton
2. : to write or speak in a dull, prosy manner
don't prose to me about duty and stuff — W.A.Butler †1902
III. adjective
Etymology: prose (I)
1. : of, relating to, or written in prose
prose style
prose drama
2. : matter-of-fact , prosaic
dry, prose people of superior intelligence object to feeling what they are supposed to feel in the presence of marvels — Mary McCarthy