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door or gate. He by a privy postern took his flight. Spenser. Out at the postern, by the abbey wall. Shak.

Coming after the sun has passed the meridian; being in, or belonging to, the afternoon. (Abbrev. P. M.)

s been finished, containing something omitted, or something new occurring to the writer. [Abbrev. P. S.]

actual use or exercise of any art or profession, particularly that of law or medicine. Crabbe.

. -- Prairie hare (Zoöl.), a large long-eared Western hare (Lepus campestris). See Jack rabbit, under 2d Jack. -- Prairie hawk, Prairie falcon (Zoöl.), a falcon of Western North America (Falco Mexicanus). The upper parts are brown. The tail has transverse bands of white; the under parts, longitudinal streaks and spot…

To talk much and to little purpose; to be loquacious; to speak foolishly; to babble. To prate and talk for life and honor. Shak. And make a fool presume to prate of love. Dryden.

To utter as prattle; to babble; as, to prattle treason. Addison.

ng to the ancient law, rendered void a subsequent marriage solemnized in violation of it. Abbott.

es) to purchase a certain portion at a fixed price in preference to all other applicants. Abbott.

One who holds a prior to purchase certain public land. Abbott.

The superior of a priory, and next below an abbot in dignity. Conventical, or Conventual, prior, a prior who is at the head of his own house. See the Note under Priory. -- Claustral prior, an official next in rank to the abbot in a monastery; prior of the cloisters.

A lady superior of a priory of nuns, and next in dignity to an abbess.

presided over by a prior or prioress; -- sometimes an offshoot of, an subordinate to, an abbey, and called also cell, and obedience. See Cell, 2.

too familiar treatment or use of what is sacred; desecration; as, the profanation of the Sabbath; the profanation of a sanctuary; the profanation of the name of God.

o profane the Scriptures, or the ordinance of God. The priests in the temple profane the sabbath. Matt. xii. 5.

ng or issue; to be produced or multiplied by generation, or by new shoots or plants; as, rabbits propagate rapidly. No need that thou Should'st propagate, already infinite. Milton.

The cabbage rose (Rosa centifolia).

Abbreviation of pyrogallic acid. [Colloq.]

ne is an essential constituent of many rocks, especially basic igneous rocks, as basalt, gabbro, etc.

A block of type metal lower than the letters, -- used in spacing and in blank lines. [Abbrev. quad.]