prop

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

• n. An object placed beneath or against a structure to keep it from falling or shaking; a support.
• n. One that serves as a means of support or assistance.
• transitive v. To support by placing something beneath or against; shore up.
• n. A theatrical property.
• n. Informal A propeller.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

• n. An object placed against or under another, to support it; anything that supports.
• n. The player who is next to the hooker in a scrum.
• n. One of the seashells in the game of props.
• v. To support or shore up something.
• n. An item placed on a stage or set to create a scene or scenario in which actors perform. Contraction of "property".
• n. The propeller of an aircraft.
• n. A proposition, especially on an election-day ballot.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English

• n. A shell, used as a die. See props.
• n. That which sustains an incumbent weight; that on which anything rests or leans for support; a support; a stay.
• transitive v. To support, or prevent from falling, by placing something under or against; ; (Fig.) to sustain; to maintain.

from The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

• To support or prevent from falling by placing something under or against: as, to prop a roof or wall.
• To support by standing under or against: as, a pillar props a roof; beams prop a wall.
• To support or sustain in a general sense: as, to prop a failing cause.
• To help; assist.
• To stop or pull up suddenly; balk: said of a horse or other beast.
• n. A stick, staff, pole, rod, beam, or other rigid thing used to sustain an incumbent weight; that on which anything rests for support; a support; a stay; a fulcrum: usually applied to something not forming a part of the object supported: as, a prop for vines; a prop for an old wall.
• n. In botany, same as fulcrum, 3.
• n. plural Legs.
• n. Synonyms See staff.
• n. A shell used in the game of props. See props.
• n. An abbreviation of proposition; properly.
• n. An unexpected stop, as of a horse.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

• n. a support placed beneath or against something to keep it from shaking or falling
• n. any movable articles or objects used on the set of a play or movie
• n. a propeller that rotates to push against air
• v. support by placing against something solid or rigid