I. ˈpräksē, -si noun
( -es )
Etymology: Middle English procusie, prokecye, proccy, contraction of procuracie procuracy — more at procuracy
1. : the act or practice of a person serving (as in voting or marrying) as an authorized agent or substitute for another : the agency, function, or office of a deputy or procurator — used chiefly in the phrase by proxy
vote by proxy
appear by proxy
marriage by proxy
2.
a. : authority or power to act for another
b. : a document giving such authorization ; specifically : a power of attorney given and signed by a stockholder authorizing a specified person or persons to vote corporate stock
send proxies for the directors' meeting
3.
a. : a person authorized to act for another : procurator
b. : something serving to replace another thing or substance : substitute
books … were not proxies for experience — Frederick Mayer
4. : procuration 3
5. New England
a. : ballot
b. proxies plural : election
II. adjective
1.
a. : taking the place of another
a proxy mother of several large families — Booth Tarkington
b. of a mineral : occurring where another mineral would normally be expected
2. : carried on by proxy
proxy voting
or by solicitation and control of proxies
a proxy war for control of a corporation
III. intransitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-es )
: to occur as a proxy mineral
the gold … may proxy for iron ions in a growing pyrite crystal — Economic Geology