prophylactic

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“
Just one case: The noun preservatief ` preservative 'has gone in Holland the same way as Shroat's prophylactic, only more so.

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Definitions (12)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (3)

  1. adjective Acting to defend against or prevent something, especially disease; protective.
  2. noun A prophylactic agent, device, or measure, such as a vaccine or drug.
  3. noun A contraceptive device, especially a condom.

Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (3)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (1)

Toggle WordNet definitions WordNet (5)

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Examples

  • Once or twice Ralph had been attracted to Betsey's extraordinary fits of giggling, and had come so near to catching Hank that the boy thought it best not to run any further risk of the beech switches, four or five feet long, laid up behind the master in sight of the school as a prophylactic. —  The Hoosier Schoolmaster
  • He even regarded it as a prophylactic against certain diseases. —  The Life of Sir Richard Burton
  • Just one case: The noun preservatief ` preservative 'has gone in Holland the same way as Shroat's prophylactic, only more so. —  VERBATIM: The Language Quarterly Vol VII No 2
  • And I cannot believe that many persons are aware that the word prophylactic, defined as ` preventive of disease, 'may just as properly be used to describe the kind of rubbers your mother made you wear in the rain as the devices the army used to distribute for the protection of promiscuous privates. —  VERBATIM: The Language Quarterly Vol VI No 4
  • Still, she had on heavy lipstick, a wind-prophylactic that had been applied prior to leaving the office. —  Impossible Places
 

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Prophylactic has been looked up 182 times, favorited once, listed 31 times, and commented on twice.

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Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Etymologies (2)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. French prophylactique, from Greek prophulaktikos, from prophulassein, to take precautions against : pro-, before; see pro-2 + phulassein, to protect (from phulax, guard).

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (1)

  1. = French prophylactique = Spanish profiláctico = Portuguese prophylactico, from Greek προφυλακτικός, pertaining to guarding, precautionary, from προφυλάσσ, σ1ειν, keep guard before, from πρό, before, + φυλάσσ, σ1ειν, Attic φυλάττειν, watch, guard: see phylactery.
 

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/prɑfɪˈlæktɪk/
by American Heritage
by Lee Davis-Thalbourne

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