Two cowboys come upon an Indian lying on his stomach with his ear to the ground. One of the cowboys stops and says to the other, "You see that Indian?"
"Yeah," says the other cowboy.
"Look," says the first one, "he’s listening to the ground. He can hear things for miles in any direction."
Just then the Indian looks up. "Covered wagon," he says, "about two miles away. Have two horses, one brown, one white. Man, woman, child, household effects in wagon."
"Incredible!" says the cowboy to his friend. "This Indian knows how far away they are, how many horses, what color they are, who is in the wagon, and what is in the wagon. Amazing!"
The Indian looks up and says, "Ran over me about a half hour ago."
council n. Body of advisers appointed by the sovereign (now chiefly honorary). privy councillor n. (also privy counsellor).
- purse n. Allowance from the public revenue for the monarch's private expenses.
- seal n. Seal formerly affixed to minor state documents.
- —adj. - (foll. By to) sharing in the secret of (a person's plans etc.).
- archaic hidden, secret. —n. (pl. -ies) lavatory, esp. An outside one. [french prive private place]
PRIZE
—n. - something that can be won in a competition, lottery, etc.
- reward given as a symbol of victory or superiority.
- something striven for or worth striving for.
- (attrib.) A to which a prize is awarded (prize poem). B excellent of its kind. —v. (-zing) value highly (a much prized possession). [french: related to *praise]
- n. Ship or property captured in naval warfare. [french prise from latin prehendo seize]
- var. Of *prise.
PROBE
—n. - penetrating investigation.
- small device, esp. An electrode, for measuring, testing, etc.
- blunt-ended surgical instrument for exploring a wound etc.
- (in full space probe) unmanned exploratory spacecraft transmitting information about its environment. —v. (-bing) 1 examine or enquire into closely.
- explore with a probe. [latin proba: related to *prove]
PROEM
n. Preface etc. To a book or speech. [latin from greek]
PROLE
adj. & n. Derog. Colloq. Proletarian. [abbreviation]
PROMO
n. (pl. -s) colloq. - (often attrib.) Promotion, advertising (promo video).
- promotional video, trailer, etc. [abbreviation]
PRONE
adj. - a lying face downwards. B lying flat, prostrate. C having the front part downwards, esp. The palm.
- (usu. Foll. By to, or to + infin.) Disposed or liable (prone to bite his nails).
- (usu. In comb.) Likely to suffer (accident-prone). proneness n. [latin]
PRONG
n. Each of two or more projecting pointed parts at the end of a fork etc. [origin unknown]
PROOF
—n. - facts, evidence, reasoning, etc. Establishing or helping to establish a fact (no proof that he was there).
- demonstration, proving (not capable of proof).
- test, trial (put them to the proof).
- standard of strength of distilled alcohol.
- trial impression from type or film, for correcting before final printing.
- step by step resolution of a mathematical or philosophical problem.
- photographic print made for selection etc. —adj. - (often in comb.) Impervious to penetration, ill effects, etc., esp. By a specified agent (proof against corruption; childproof).
- being of proof alcoholic strength. —v. - make proof, esp. Make (fabric) waterproof.
- make a proof of (a printed work). [latin proba: related to *prove]
PROSE
poem n. Piece of poetic writing in prose.
- —n. - ordinary written or spoken language not in verse.
- passage of prose, esp. For translation into a foreign language.
- dull or matter-of-fact quality (prose of existence). —v. (-sing) talk tediously. [latin prosa from oratio straightforward (discourse)]
