/pɹaɪz/
OriginFrom Middle English prise, from Old French prise (“a taking, capture, a seizure, a thing seized, a prize, booty, also hold, purchase”), past participle of prendre (“to take, to capture”), from Latin prēndere (“to take, seize”); see prehend. Compare prison, apprise, comprise, enterprise, purprise, reprisal, surprise, etc. Doublet of prise.
- That which is taken from another; something captured; a thing seized by force, stratagem, or superior power.
“[…] wherefore he now begunne
To challenge her anew, as his owne prize,
Whom formerly he had in battell wonne,”
- Anything captured by a belligerent using the rights of war; especially, property captured at sea in virtue of the rights of war, as a vessel.
“Having taken all the Treasure on Board their own Ships, and plundered their Prize of every Thing elſe they either wanted or liked, they let her go; ſhe not being able to continue her Voyage, returned ”
- An honour or reward striven for in a competitive contest; anything offered to be competed for, or as an inducement to, or reward of, effort.
“I fought and conquer’d, yet have lost the prize.”
- That which may be won by chance, as in a lottery.
“Cecil Rhodes […] was never tired of impressing upon one that the fact of being an Englishman was “the greatest prize in the lottery of life,” and that it was that thought which always sustained him wh”
- Anything worth striving for; a valuable possession held or in prospect.
“I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
- obsoleteA contest for a reward; competition.
“Like one of two contending in a prize,
That thinks he hath done well in people's eyes […]”
- A lever; a pry; also, the hold of a lever.
- To consider highly valuable; to esteem.
“[…] I
Beyond all limit of what else i’ the world
Do love, prize, honour you.”
“I pris’d your Person, but your Crown disdain.”
“‘[…] An old broken cup has no value. No one prizes it.’
‘I prize it. It’s my museum, not yours.’”
- obsoleteTo set or estimate the value of; to appraise; to price; to rate.
“[…] no life,
I prize it not a straw, but for mine honour,”
“[…] a goodly price that I was prized at.”
- To move with a lever; to force up or open; to prise or pry.
“‘Find some other black boxes to prize open.’”
- obsoleteTo compete in a prizefight.
- not-comparableHaving won a prize; award-winning.
- not-comparableFirst-rate; exceptional.
Formsprizes(plural) · prizes(present, singular, third-person) · prizing(participle, present) · prized(participle, past) · prized(past)