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The indigent class in the State; the body of proletarians.

The lower classes; beggars. "The Italian proletariate." J. A. Symonds.

A citizen of the lowest class, who served the state, not with property, but only by having children; hence, a common person.

The crime of destroying one's offspring, either in the womb or after birth. Bouvier.

To produce or form cells; especially, to produce cells rapidly.

The production of numerous zooids by budding, especially when buds arise from other buds in succession.

Bearing offspring; -- applied to a flower from within which another is produced, or to a branch or frond from which another rises, or to a plant which is reproduced by buds or gemmæ.

Having the quality of generating; producing young or fruit; generative; fruitful; productive; -- applied to plants producing fruit, animals producing young, etc.; -- usually with the implied idea of frequent or numerous production; as, a prolific tree, female, and the like.

Prolificness. [R.]

Producing young or fruit abundantly; fruitful; prolific. -- Pro*lif"ic*al*ly, adv.

To make prolific; to fertilize; to impregnate. Sir T. Browne.

Reproduction by the growth of a plant, or part of a plant, directly from an older one, or by gemmæ.

The quality or state of being prolific; fruitfulness; prolificacy.

lar in detail; -- rarely used except with reference to discourse written or spoken; as, a prolix oration; a prolix poem; a prolix sermon. With wig prolix, down flowing to his waist. Cowper.

Dilatory; tedious; superfluous. [Obs.] "Lay by all nicety, and prolixious blushes." Shak.

The quality or state of being prolix; great length; minute detail; as, prolixity in discourses and writings. "For fulsomeness of his prolixitee." Chaucer. Idly running on with vain prolixity. Drayton.

In a prolix manner. Dryden.

Prolixity. Adam Smith.

To search or prowl after; to rob; to plunder. [Obs.] Barrow.

Prowler; thief. [Obs.] Chapman.