Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, General American, Canada) IPA^(key): /ˈpɹaɪ̯z/Category:English 1-syllable words#PRIZECategory:English terms with IPA pronunciation#PRIZE

  • Audio (US):

    (file)

    Category:English terms with audio pronunciation#PRIZE
• (General Australian, New Zealand) IPA^(key): /ˈpɹɑ̟ɪ̯z/, /ˈpɹɒ̈ɪ̯z/Category:English 1-syllable words#PRIZECategory:English 1-syllable words#PRIZECategory:English terms with IPA pronunciation#PRIZE
• (Southern US, General South African, /aɪ̯/-ungliding) IPA^(key): /ˈpɹaːz/Category:English 1-syllable words#PRIZECategory:English terms with IPA pronunciation#PRIZE
• Rhymes: -aɪzCategory:Rhymes:English/aɪz#PRIZECategory:Rhymes:English/aɪz/1 syllable#PRIZE
• Hyphenation: prize
• Homophones: pries, priseCategory:English terms with homophones#PRIZE

Noun

prize (plural prizes)Category:English lemmas#PRIZECategory:English nouns#PRIZECategory:English countable nouns#PRIZECategory:English entries with incorrect language header#PRIZECategory:Pages with entries#PRIZECategory:Pages with 2 entries#PRIZE

1. That which is taken from another; something captured; a thing seized by force, stratagem, or superior power.
   • 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book IV, Canto IV”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, page 54:

     […] wherefore he now begunne
     To challenge her anew, as his owne prize,
     Whom formerly he had in battell wonne,

     Category:English terms with quotations#PRIZE

2. (militaryCategory:en:Military#PRIZE, nauticalCategory:en:Nautical#PRIZE) Anything captured by a belligerent using the rights of war; especially, property captured at sea in virtue of the rights of war, as a vessel.
   • 1724, Charles Johnson [pseudonym], “Of Captain Avery, and His Crew”, in A General History of the Pyrates, […], 2nd edition, London: Printed for, and sold by T. Warner, […], →OCLC, page 51:

     Having taken all the Treasure on Board their own Ships, and plundered their Prize of every Thing elſe they either wanted or liked, they let her go; ſhe not being able to continue her Voyage, returned back: […]

     Category:English terms with quotations#PRIZE

3. An honour or reward striven for in a competitive contest; anything offered to be competed for, or as an inducement to, or reward of, effort.
   • 1675, John Dryden, Aureng-zebe: A Tragedy. […], London: […] T[homas] N[ewcomb] for Henry Herringman, […], published 1676, →OCLC, Act I, page 5:

     I fought and conquer’d, yet have lost the prize.

     Category:English terms with quotations#PRIZE

4. That which may be won by chance, as in a lottery.
   • 1928, Weston Jarvis, Jottings from an Active Life‎, London: Heath Cranton, page 256:

     Cecil Rhodes […] was never tired of impressing upon one that the fact of being an Englishman was “the greatest prize in the lottery of life,” and that it was that thought which always sustained him when he was troubled.

     Category:English terms with quotations#PRIZE

5. Anything worth striving for; a valuable possession held or in prospect.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Philippians 3:14:

     I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

     Category:English terms with quotations#PRIZE

6. (obsoleteCategory:English terms with obsolete senses#PRIZE) A contest for a reward; competition.
   • c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:

     Like one of two contending in a prize,
     That thinks he hath done well in people's eyes […]

     Category:English terms with quotations#PRIZE

7. A lever; a pry; also, the hold of a lever.

   Synonym: prise

See also

Verb

prize (third-person singular simple present prizes, present participle prizing, simple past and past participle prized)Category:English lemmas#PRIZECategory:English verbs#PRIZECategory:English entries with incorrect language header#PRIZECategory:Pages with entries#PRIZECategory:Pages with 2 entries#PRIZE

1. To consider highly valuable; to esteem.

   Synonyms: honor, regard, respect; see also Thesaurus:revere

   • 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]:

     […] I
     Beyond all limit of what else i’ the world
     Do love, prize, honour you.

     Category:English terms with quotations#PRIZE

   • 1675, John Dryden, chapter V, in Aureng-zebe: A Tragedy. […], London: […] T[homas] N[ewcomb] for Henry Herringman, […], published 1676, →OCLC:

     I pris’d your Person, but your Crown disdain.

     Category:English terms with quotations#PRIZE

   • 2013, J. M. Coetzee, chapter 20, in The Childhood of Jesus‎, London: Harvill Secker, page 167:

     ‘ […] An old broken cup has no value. No one prizes it.’
     ‘I prize it. It’s my museum, not yours.’

     Category:English terms with quotations#PRIZE

2. (obsoleteCategory:English terms with obsolete senses#PRIZE) To set or estimate the value of; to appraise; to price; to rate.

   Synonyms: esteem, evaluate; see also Thesaurus:appraise

   • c. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:

     […] no life,
     I prize it not a straw, but for mine honour,

     Category:English terms with quotations#PRIZE

   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Zechariah 11:13:

     […] a goodly price that I was prized at.

     Category:English terms with quotations#PRIZE

3. To move with a lever; to force up or open; to prise or pry.
   • 2021, Kazuo Ishiguro, Klara and the Sun, Faber & Faber Limited, page 298:

     ‘Find some other black boxes to prize open.’

     Category:English terms with quotations#PRIZE

4. (obsoleteCategory:English terms with obsolete senses#PRIZE) To compete in a prizefight.

Adjective

prize (not comparable)Category:English lemmas#PRIZECategory:English adjectives#PRIZECategory:English uncomparable adjectives#PRIZECategory:English entries with incorrect language header#PRIZECategory:Pages with entries#PRIZECategory:Pages with 2 entries#PRIZE

1. Having won a prize; award-winning.

   a prize vegetableCategory:English terms with usage examples#PRIZE

2. First-rate; exceptional.

   He was a prize fool.Category:English terms with usage examples#PRIZE

Noun

prize (plural prizes)Category:English lemmas#PRIZECategory:English nouns#PRIZECategory:English countable nouns#PRIZECategory:English entries with incorrect language header#PRIZECategory:Pages with entries#PRIZECategory:Pages with 2 entries#PRIZE

1. Obsolete form of priceCategory:English obsolete forms#PRIZE. [16th–19th c.]
   • 1777, Joshua Reynolds, edited by John Ingamells and John Edgcumbe, The Letters of Sir Joshua Reynolds, Yale, published 2000, page 69:

     My prizes – for a head is thirty five Guineas – As far as the Knees seventy – and for a whole-length one hundred and fifty.

     Category:English terms with quotations#PRIZE