noun, plural proc⋅ess⋅es [pros-es-iz, ‑uh-siz, ‑uh-seez or, especially Brit., proh-ses‑, proh-suh‑]
, verb, adjective | 1. | a systematic series of actions directed to some end: to devise a process for homogenizing milk. |
| 2. | a continuous action, operation, or series of changes taking place in a definite manner: the process of decay. |
| 3. | Law.
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| 4. | Photography. photomechanical or photoengraving methods collectively. |
| 5. | Biology, Anatomy. a natural outgrowth, projection, or appendage: a process of a bone. |
| 6. | the action of going forward or on. |
| 7. | the condition of being carried on. |
| 8. | course or lapse, as of time. |
| 9. | conk 4 (defs. 1, 2). |
| 10. | to treat or prepare by some particular process, as in manufacturing. |
| 11. | to handle (papers, records, etc.) by systematically organizing them, recording or making notations on them, following up with appropriate action, or the like: to process mail. |
| 12. | to require (someone) to answer questionnaires, perform various tasks, and sometimes to undergo physical and aptitude classification examinations before the beginning or termination of a period of service: The army processes all personnel entering or leaving the service. |
| 13. | to convert (an agricultural commodity) into marketable form by a special process, as pasteurization. |
| 14. | to institute a legal process against. |
| 15. | to serve a process or summons on. |
| 16. | Computers. to carry out operations on (data or programs). |
| 17. | conk 4 (def. 3). |
| 18. | to undergo the activities involved in processing personnel: The recruits expected to process in four days. |
| 19. | prepared or modified by an artificial process: process cheese. |
| 20. | noting, pertaining to, or involving photomechanical or photoengraving methods: a process print. |
| 21. | Informal. of or pertaining to hair that has been conked. |
| 22. | Movies. created by or used in process cinematography: a moving background on a process screen. |

: [pros-es-iz, proh-ses-] or [pros-uh-siz, proh-suh-]. Recent years have seen the increasing popularity of an [-eez] pronunciation for processes, perhaps by mistaken analogy with such plurals as theses and hypotheses, with which it has no connection. This newer pronunciation is common among younger educated speakers.
Slang.| 1. | a method of chemically straightening the hair. |
| 2. | a hairstyle in which the hair has been chemically straightened and sometimes set into waves. |
| 3. | to straighten (kinky hair) by the use of chemicals: to have one's hair conked. |

proc·ess 1 (prŏs'ěs', prō'sěs') n. pl. proc·ess·es (prŏs'ěs'ĭz, prō'sěs'-, prŏs'ĭ-sēz', prō'sĭ-)
[Middle English proces, from Old French, development, from Latin prōcessus, from past participle of prōcēdere, to advance; see proceed.] Usage Note: In recent years there has been a tendency to pronounce the plural ending -es of processes as (-ēz), perhaps by analogy with words of Greek origin such as analysis and neurosis. But process is not of Greek origin, and there is no etymological justification for this pronunciation of its plural. However, because this pronunciation is not uncommon even in educated speech, it is generally considered an acceptable variant, although it still strikes some listeners as a bungled affectation. In a recent survey 79 percent of the Usage Panel preferred the standard pronunciation (-ĭz) for the plural ending -es and 15 percent preferred the pronunciation (-ēz). · Although the pronunciation for process with a long (o), (prō'sěs'), is more usual in British English, it is an acceptable variant in American English. |
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conk
and konk
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process proc·ess (prŏs'ěs', prō'sěs')
n. pl. proc·ess·es (prŏs'ěs'ĭz, prō'sěs'-, prŏs'ĭ-sēz', prō'sĭ-)
A series of actions, changes, or functions bringing about a result.
Advance or progress, as of a disease.
An outgrowth of tissue; a projecting part, as of a bone.