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prop
1[ prop ]
verb (used with object)
- to support, or prevent from falling, with or as if with a prop (often followed by up ):
to prop an old fence; to prop up an unpopular government.
- to rest (a thing) against a support:
He propped his cane against the wall.
- to support or sustain (often followed by up ).
noun
- a stick, rod, pole, beam, or other rigid support.
- a person or thing serving as a support or stay:
His father is his financial prop.
prop
2[ prop ]
noun
prop
3[ prop ]
noun
- a propeller.
prop-
4- a combining form representing propionic acid in compound words:
propanil.
prop.
5abbreviation for
- properly.
- property.
- proposition.
- proprietary.
- proprietor.
prop
3/ prɒp /
verb
- tr to support with a rigid object, such as a stick
- trusually also foll byagainst to place or lean
- tr to sustain or support
- intr to stop suddenly or unexpectedly
noun
- something that gives rigid support, such as a stick
- a person or thing giving support, as of a moral or spiritual nature
- rugby either of the forwards at either end of the front row of a scrum
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Other Words From
- un·propped adjective
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Word History and Origins
Origin of prop1
Origin of prop2
Origin of prop3
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Word History and Origins
Origin of prop1
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Idioms and Phrases
see knock the bottom (props) out from .Discover More
Example Sentences
With an RDP, the propeller is inside a duct, and the duct itself contains the motor that powers the prop blades.
They broke conversational conventions, they had new and stricter rules, they incorporated movement or props, there was both choreography and craft in their construction.
“Mattresses were brought out for the stage, bedsheets were used for the curtains, and with the aluminum foil in cigarette packets my parents used to make crowns for us” as props, he told India’s Telegraph newspaper.
The 2012 agreement between the Obama and Romney campaigns included rules against using props or visual aids and barred follow-up questions from the audience during the town hall.
The propeller sits in back for the same reason—a prop in the front would be unfriendly to smooth flow.
Without the proper equipment to repair and operate the Mohajer-4 it may be more of a photo prop than a piece of weaponry.
But this year, New Yorkers have a shot at making real changes through a ballot initiative sonorously known as Prop 1.
This is good—no one needs rape on TV used as a prop, or as background noise, or for shock value.
They see themselves being set up as a sacrifice for a U.S. policy meant to prop up Iraq.
After we tour the river we fly on a single-prop plane back to Fort Mac.
He realized for the first time what a prop and resource the deep maturity and scornful strength of his mother had been.
Then the thought of what had awakened her made her prop herself up on an elbow and gaze around.
Just now, Grandfather's keyster is the Rock of Gibraltar, the financial prop that is sustaining the whole structure.
If, by accident, the underground roots die off, the plant relies entirely on these air and prop roots for support and food.
The strong prop roots are generally of the same diameter throughout, though sometimes they thicken at the ends.
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Related Words
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More About Prop
What does prop mean?
In theater and film, a prop is any item on the set of a production other than the costumes and scenery. It especially refers to an object handled or used by actors during their performance.
This can be just about anything: a sword, a supercomputer, and a coffee mug are all examples of things that can be used as props in a production. Sometimes, these are real objects (like the coffee mug), but sometimes they are specially made for the production (like the supercomputer).
The word can also be used more generally to refer to an item used in a similar way, such as during a presentation or photoshoot.
Example: At my improv class, we have a box of items we can use as props during each scene.
Unrelatedly, prop is also a common verb meaning to support something or hold it up, especially by using something else. This sense of the verb is most commonly used in the verb phrase prop up, as in One of the legs is broken so we had to prop up the table with the trash can. It can also be used figuratively, as in Holiday sales are the only thing propping up the company.
Prop can also mean rest or lean something against something else that serves as a support, as in I don’t have a stand for my guitar so I just prop it against the wall.
Something that serves as a support for something in this way can be called a prop, as in We’ll need to use a prop to keep it stable.
Example: Prop the door open with a chair so we don’t get locked out.
Where does prop come from?
The first records of the word prop in the sense of a support come from the 1400s. It comes from the Middle English word proppe, which is related to the Middle Dutch proppe, meaning “bottle stopper.”
In the context of theater and film, the word prop actually comes from a shortening of the word property, which can be used to mean the same thing (though this is now rare due to how common the use of prop is).
The unrelated term props means “recognition or respect” and comes from a shortening of propers (as in proper recognition or respect).
Did you know ... ?
How is prop used in real life?
The use of props in the theater and film is extremely common—even the most basic stage play usually has at least a few props. Some famous movie props become collector’s items. The unrelated verb prop is very common and can be used in all kinds of contexts involving supporting things or holding them up, both literally and figuratively.
For the first time, "Star Wars" fans can check out an original Luke Skywalker lightsaber prop—valued at $450,000. https://t.co/bjKbuMYGq6 pic.twitter.com/82goJggsEy
— ABC News (@ABC) December 15, 2017
Tell me something good that happened to you today.
Found my address book that was missing for months! Used it as a prop for an IG shoot and it had disappeared ever since.
— Resh Susan (@thebooksatchel) December 30, 2017
Couldn’t find my box of business cards to save my life this morning. Turns out I used it to prop up my “but first coffee” sign in my office. #priorites
— A L L I (@AlliKey1) September 20, 2019
Try using prop!
Is prop used correctly in the following sentence?
I was so exhausted that I had to prop myself against the wall just to stand up.
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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