| proof spirit | |
| —n | |
| 1. | (in Britain and Canada) a mixture of alcohol and water or an alcoholic beverage that contains 49.28 per cent of alcohol by weight, 57.1 per cent by volume at 51°F: up until 1980 used as a standard of alcoholic liquids |
| 2. | (in the US) a similar standard mixture containing 50 per cent of alcohol by volume at 60°F |
| a fool or simpleton; ninny. |
| a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes. |