Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
- n. The evidence or argument that compels the mind to accept an assertion as true.
- n. The validation of a proposition by application of specified rules, as of induction or deduction, to assumptions, axioms, and sequentially derived conclusions.
- n. A statement or argument used in such a validation.
- n. Convincing or persuasive demonstration: was asked for proof of his identity; an employment history that was proof of her dependability.
- n. The state of being convinced or persuaded by consideration of evidence.
- n. Determination of the quality of something by testing; trial: put one's beliefs to the proof.
- n. Law The result or effect of evidence; the establishment or denial of a fact by evidence.
- n. The alcoholic strength of a liquor, expressed by a number that is twice the percentage by volume of alcohol present.
- n. Printing A trial sheet of printed material that is made to be checked and corrected. Also called proof sheet.
- n. Printing A trial impression of a plate, stone, or block taken at any of various stages in engraving.
- n. A trial photographic print.
- n. Any of a limited number of newly minted coins or medals struck as specimens and for collectors from a new die on a polished planchet.
- n. Archaic Proven impenetrability: "I was clothed in Armor of proof” ( John Bunyan).
- adj. Fully or successfully resistant; impervious. Often used in combination: waterproof watches; a fireproof cellar door.
- adj. Of standard alcoholic strength.
- adj. Used in proving or making corrections.
- transitive v. Printing To make a trial impression of (printed or engraved matter).
- transitive v. Printing To proofread (copy).
- transitive v. To activate (dormant dry yeast) by adding water.
- transitive v. To work (dough) into proper lightness.
- transitive v. To treat so as to make resistant: proof a fabric against shrinkage.
- intransitive v. Printing To proofread.
- intransitive v. To become properly light for cooking: The batter proofed overnight.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
- n. An effort, process, or operation designed to establish or discover a fact or truth; an act of testing; a test; a trial.
- n. The degree of evidence which convinces the mind of any truth or fact, and produces belief; a test by facts or arguments which induce, or tend to induce, certainty of the judgment; conclusive evidence; demonstration.
- n. The quality or state of having been proved or tried; firmness or hardness which resists impression, or doesn't yield to force; impenetrability of physical bodies.
- n. Experience of something.
- n. Firmness of mind; stability not to be shaken.
- n. A proof sheet; a trial impression, as from type, taken for correction or examination.
- n. A sequence of statements consisting of axioms, assumptions, statements already demonstrated in another proof, and statements that logically follow from previous statements in the sequence, and which concludes with a statement that is the object of the proof.
- n. A process for testing the accuracy of an operation performed. Compare prove, transitive verb, 5.
- n. Armour of excellent or tried quality, and deemed impenetrable; properly, armour of proof.
- n. A measure of the alcohol content of liquor. Originally, in Britain, 100 proof was defined as 57.1% by volume (not used anymore). In the US, 100 proof means that the alcohol content is 50% of the total volume of the liquid, and thus, absolute alcohol would be 200 proof.
- adj. Used in proving or testing.
- adj. Firm or successful in resisting.
- adj. Being of a certain standard as to alcohol content.
- v. To proofread.
- v. To make resistant, especially to water.
- v. To knead, as in bread dough.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English
- adj. Used in proving or testing.
- adj. Firm or successful in resisting
- adj. Being of a certain standard as to strength; -- said of alcoholic liquors.
- n. Any effort, process, or operation designed to establish or discover a fact or truth; an act of testing; a test; a trial.
- n. That degree of evidence which convinces the mind of any truth or fact, and produces belief; a test by facts or arguments that induce, or tend to induce, certainty of the judgment; conclusive evidence; demonstration.
- n. The quality or state of having been proved or tried; firmness or hardness that resists impression, or does not yield to force; impenetrability of physical bodies.
- n. Firmness of mind; stability not to be shaken.
- n. A trial impression, as from type, taken for correction or examination; -- called also proof sheet.
- n. A process for testing the accuracy of an operation performed. Cf. Prove, v. t., 5.
- n. Armor of excellent or tried quality, and deemed impenetrable; properly, armor of proof.
from The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. Any effort, act, or operation made for the purpose of ascertaining any truth or fact; a test; a trial: as, to make proof of a person's trustworthiness or courage.
- n. Evidence and argumentation putting the conclusion beyond reasonable doubt; demonstration, perfect or imperfect.
- n. A thing proved or tried; truth or knowledge gathered by experience; experience.
- n. The state of having been tested and approved; firmness, hardness, or impenetrability: specifically applied to arms or armor of defense, to note that they have been duly tested and are impenetrable.
- n. In law: The convincing effect of evidence; the manifestation of the truth of a proposition by presenting the reasons for assenting to it; such an array of evidence as should determine the judgment of the tribunal in regard to a matter of fact.
- n. plural In equity practice, the instruments of evidence in their documentary form, as depositions, deeds, etc., received in a cause.
- n. The presentation of sufficient evidence: as, the burden of proof lies with the plaintiff.
- n. In Scots law, the taking of evidence by a judge upon an issue framed in pleading.
- n. A test applied to manufactured articles or to natural substances prepared for use; hence, the state of that which has undergone this test, or is capable of undergoing it satisfactorily. Compare armor of proof.
- n. 7. In alcoholic liquors, the degree of strength which gives a specific gravity of 0.920. See II., 2.
- n. In printing, a trial impression from composed type, taken for correction.
- n. In engraving and etching, an impression taken from an engraved plate to show its state during the progress of executing it; also, an early and superior impression, or one of a limited number, taken before the title or inscription is engraved on the plate, and known as proof before letter.
- n. In numismatics, any early impression struck at the mint from a coin-die used for producing the current coins of the realm.
- n. In bookbinding, the rough uncut edges of the shorter leaves of a trimmed book, which prove that the book has not been cut down too much.
- n. In arithmetic, an operation serving to check the accuracy of the calculation.
- n. Proof independent of experience.
- n. Synonyms Experiment, essay, ordeal.
- n. Testimony, etc. (see evidence and inference), demonstration, certification.
- Impenetrable; able to resist, physically or morally: as, water-proof, fire-proof, shot-proof, bribe-proof: often followed by to or against before the thing resisted.
- Noting alcoholic liquors which have the specific gravity 0.91984, usually considered as 0.920, which is sufficiently accurate for practical purposes.
- Of excellent quality: said of land.
- n.
- n. An assay of a bullion of known composition placed in the muffle with the other assays in order to determine the difference in weight due to the loss of silver by volatilization and absorption by the cupel.
- n. In photography, a trial print from a negative.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- n. a measure of alcoholic strength expressed as an integer twice the percentage of alcohol present (by volume)
- n. a trial photographic print from a negative
- n. (printing) an impression made to check for errors
- n. any factual evidence that helps to establish the truth of something
- v. make resistant (to harm)
- n. a formal series of statements showing that if one thing is true something else necessarily follows from it
- v. make or take a proof of, such as a photographic negative, an etching, or typeset
- adj. (used in combination or as a suffix) able to withstand
- v. read for errors
- v. activate by mixing with water and sometimes sugar or milk
- n. the act of validating; finding or testing the truth of something
- v. knead to reach proper lightness
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Examples
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That is so funny about your selecting the squirrel proof feeder, and I can agree, some are more *proof* than others!
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However, when it comes to attempting to understand the deep structure of classical proof systems (and in particular, when two derivations that differ in some superficial syntactic way are really different ways to represent the one underlying ˜proof™) it is enlightening to think of classical logic as formed by a basic substructural logic, in which extra structural rules are imposed as additions.
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An apparently intact hymen is valued in some cultures as proof of virginity in a bride; this proof, however, is not accurate.
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A proof taken of the whole galley at once is called a _galley proof_.
Up To Date Business Home Study Circle Library Series (Volume II.)
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Here, then, we are told that proof of the occasional transmission of mutilations would be sufficient to establish the fact, but on p. 267 we find that no single fact is known which really proves that acquired characters can be transmitted, "_for the ascertained facts which seem to point to the transmission of artificially produced diseases cannot be considered as proof_" [Italics mine.]
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But I say, by authority of the Master, that _the highest proof, the absolute proof, the perfect proof_, of the FACTS as to _who God is, and what he does_, and the
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The strength of spirit stronger than _proof_ or _over proof_, as it is termed by the revenue officers, is indicated by the bulk of water necessary to reduce a given volume of it, to the legal standard spirit, denominated _proof_ -- namely; if one gallon of water be required to bring twenty gallons of brandy, rum, or any other spirit, to proof, that spirit is said to be _1 to 20 over proof_.
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No experimental proof has hitherto been obtained that stimulation of the cerebral organs lying above the vaso-motor centre, and which include those possessing the function of thought, ever paralyzes this centre; but, as it is only by such paralysis that cerebral conditions can induce dilatation of blood-vessels, it must follow that no _experimental proof_ at present exists that stimulation of the brain ever does cause such dilatation -- that is, ever does become a cause of hæmorrhage.
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The proof of this lies in the words _ex ou_ just below; not _ex ôn_ (_ouranôn_) but _ex ou_ (_politeumatos_): I can find _no proof_ of the assertion (Moulton's
Philippian Studies Lessons in Faith and Love from St. Paul's Epistle to the Philippians
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I. i.217 (15,1) in strong proof] In chastity _of proof_, as we say in armour _of proof_.
gangerh commented on the word proof
It's often useful to assume that people reading your message do not believe what you're telling them. It may not be the case for all of them but it's likely that a good proportion are skeptical. Offer proof wherever you can.
'15 words that will make you money'
July 23, 2009
seanahan commented on the word proof
You're right, especially in large math books. Leave them wanting more for the next edition.
July 9, 2008
reesetee commented on the word proof
Precisely.
July 9, 2008
darqueau commented on the word proof
It's prudent to pull a number of proofs before printing an edition.
July 8, 2008
reesetee commented on the word proof
A very prudent person. :-)
October 3, 2007
uselessness commented on the word proof
So that's what holds jennarenn back... ;-)
October 3, 2007
reesetee commented on the word proof
*hangs head*
October 3, 2007
sonofgroucho commented on the word proof
Well that's all of us told, isn't it?
October 3, 2007
mandarine commented on the word proof
A multitude of words is no proof of a prudent mind.
Thales (635 BC - 543 BC)
December 8, 2006