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prostrate

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: prostate

English

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Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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From Middle English prostrat(e) (prostrate, also used as the past participle of prostraten), borrowed from Latin prōstrātus, perfect passive participle of prōsternō (to prostrate). Participial usage up until Early Modern English.

Adjective

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prostrate (not comparable)

  1. Lying flat, face-down.
    Synonym: prone
    Antonym: supine
  2. (figuratively) Emotionally devastated.
  3. Physically incapacitated from environmental exposure or debilitating disease.
    He was prostrate from the extreme heat.
  4. (botany) Trailing on the ground; procumbent.
  5. (obsolete) Prostrated.
Translations
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Etymology 2

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From Middle English prostraten ((reflexive) to prostrate; (with doun) to fall down in a state of humility or submission), from prostrat(e) (prostrate, prostrated, also used as the past participle of prostraten) +‎ -en (verb-forming suffix), from Latin prōstrātus, see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and Etymology 1 for more.

Verb

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prostrate (third-person singular simple present prostrates, present participle prostrating, simple past and past participle prostrated)

  1. (often reflexive) To lie flat or face-down.
  2. (also figurative) To throw oneself down in submission.
    • 1922, Maneckji Nusserwanji Dhalla, Zoroastrian Civilization[1], page 228:
      Those who had the privilege of approaching him, had to prostrate themselves before him in profound humility []
  3. To cause to lie down, to flatten.
  4. (figuratively) To overcome or overpower.
Usage notes
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  • Prostrate and prostate are often confused, in spelling if not in meaning.
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Translations
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See also

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Anagrams

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Italian

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Etymology 1

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Verb

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prostrate

  1. inflection of prostrare:
    1. second-person plural present indicative
    2. second-person plural imperative

Etymology 2

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Participle

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prostrate f pl

  1. feminine plural of prostrato

Latin

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Participle

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prōstrāte

  1. vocative masculine singular of prōstrātus