prorogue

English

WOTD – 8 April 2008

Etymology

From Old French proroger, proroguer, from Latin prōrogō (prolong, defer)

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /pɹə(ʊ)ˈɹəʊɡ/
  • (US) IPA(key): /pɹoʊˈɹoʊɡ/
  • (file)
  • Rhymes: -əʊɡ

Verb

prorogue (third-person singular simple present prorogues, present participle proroguing, simple past and past participle prorogued)

  1. (obsolete) To prolong or extend. [15th-18th c.]
    • 1621, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy, Oxford: Printed by Iohn Lichfield and Iames Short, for Henry Cripps, OCLC 216894069; The Anatomy of Melancholy: [], 2nd corrected and augmented edition, Oxford: Printed by John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, 1624, OCLC 54573970, partition II, section 2, member 6, subsection iv:
      Mirth [] prorogues life, whets the wit, makes the body young, lively, and fit for any manner of employment.
  2. (transitive, now rare) To defer. [from 15th c.]
  3. (transitive) To suspend (a parliamentary session) or to discontinue the meetings of (an assembly, parliament etc.) without formally ending the session. [from 15th c.]
    • 1932, Maurice Baring, chapter 20, in Friday's Business:
      The King settled to prorogue Parliament until the Christmas holidays, and to do nothing else for the present.

Synonyms

Derived terms

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See also

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