bill n. Parliamentary bill affecting an individual or corporation only.

- company n. Company with restricted membership and no public share issue.

- detective n. Detective engaged privately, outside an official police force.

- enterprise n. Businesses not under state control.

- eye n. Colloq. Private detective.

- hotel n. Hotel not obliged to take all comers.

- means n.pl. Income from investments etc., apart from earned income.

- member n. Mp not holding government office.

- member's bill n. Bill introduced by a private member, not part of government legislation.

- parts n.pl. Euphem. Genitals.

- sector n. The part of the economy free of direct state control.

- soldier n. Ordinary soldier other than the officers.

- view n. Viewing of an exhibition (esp. Of paintings) before it opens to the public.

- —adj. - belonging to an individual, one's own, personal (private property).

- confidential, not to be disclosed to others (private talks).

- kept or removed from public knowledge or observation.

- not open to the public.

- (of a place) secluded.

- (of a person) not holding public office or an official position.

- (of education or medical treatment) conducted outside the state system, at the individual's expense. —n. - private soldier.

- (in pl.) Colloq. Genitals. in private privately. privately adv. [latin privo deprive]

n. - official proving of a will.

- verified copy of a will with a certificate as handed to executors. [latin probo *prove]

n. Uprightness, honesty. [latin probus good]

n. - doubtful or difficult matter requiring a solution.

- something hard to understand or accomplish.

- (attrib.) Causing problems (problem child).

- puzzle or question for solution; exercise. [greek problema -mat-]

v. - (often foll. By to) go forward or on further; make one's way.

- (often foll. By with, or to + infin.) Continue with an activity; go on to do something (proceeded with their work; proceeded to beg me).

- (of an action) be carried on or continued (the case will now proceed).

- adopt a course of action (how shall we proceed?).

- go on to say.

- (foll. By against) start a lawsuit against (a person).

- (often foll. By from) originate (trouble proceeded from illness). [latin cedo cess- go]

—n. - course of action or proceeding, esp. A series of stages in manufacture etc.

- progress or course (in process of construction).

- natural or involuntary course or change (process of growing old).

- action at law; summons or writ.

- natural projection of a bone, stem, etc. —v. - deal with by a particular process.

- (as processed adj.) Treat (food, esp. To prevent decay) (processed cheese). [latin: related to *proceed]

- v. Walk in procession. [back-formation from *procession]

n. Disciplinary officer (usu. One of two) at certain universities. proctorial adj. Proctorship n. [from *procurator]

v. (-ring) 1 obtain, esp. By care or effort; acquire (managed to procure a copy).

- bring about (procured their dismissal).

- (also absol.) Obtain (women) for prostitution. procurement n. [latin curo look after]

n. (pl. -ies) 1 exceptionally gifted or able person, esp. A precocious child.

- marvellous, esp. Extraordinary, thing.

- (foll. By of) wonderful example (of a quality). [latin prodigium portent]

—v. (-cing) 1 manufacture or prepare (goods etc.).

- bring forward for consideration, inspection, or use (will produce evidence).

- bear, yield, or bring into existence (offspring, fruit, a harvest, etc.).

- cause or bring about (a reaction, sensation, etc.).

- geom. Extend or continue (a line).

- supervise the production of (a play, film, broadcast, record, etc.). —n. - a what is produced, esp. Agricultural products collectively (dairy produce). B amount of this.

- (often foll. By of) result (of labour, efforts, etc.). producible adj. [latin duco duct- lead]